cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temporoparietal cortex and the recovery of language comprehension in aphasia

Abstract Recovering aphasic patients were studied to determine if changes in comprehension were linked to improvement in temporoparietal regional glucose metabolism. Eight aphasic patients were evaluated at two points in time, using (F-18)-fluorodeoxyglucose with positron emission tomography to determine resting cerebral glucose metabolism, and by the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) to determine language function. Significant correlations were found between changes over time of left and right temporoparietal regions with the change in the comprehension score from the WAB. The high correlations between the left and right temporoparietal metabolic rates do not allow for a conclusion as to the extent of contribution of either region to the improvement in comprehension. A single-case analysis demonstrated that a true understanding of the role of functional improvement (as measured by glucose metabolism) requires a more complex model that considers interactions between structural damage and the consequence of th...
Toward a Clear and Inclusive Conceptualization of Parental Control: Reply to the Commentaries

— In response to J. E. Grusec’s (2009) commentary in this issue, we argue that the conceptualization of control we present in our article is inclusive of multiple forms of control, including those she suggests our definition excludes. We also make the case in response to R. D. Conger's (2009) commentary that structure and control are distinct dimensions of parenting that should not be combined linearly as he recommends.
ASYMPTOTIC FORMULATION FOR AN ACOUSTICALLY DRIVEN FIELD INSIDE A RECTANGULAR CAVITY WITH A WELL-DEFINED CONVECTIVE MEAN FLOW MOTION

Abstract When small amplitude harmonic pressure waves are introduced inside an enclosure where the classic cavity flow is already established, a strong coupling ensues between the mean and time-dependent fields. In addition to the mean flow influence, the presence of solid boundaries gives rise to a strong coupling between acoustic and vortical waves that prescribes the propagation of disturbances. Based on a well-defined mean flow structure, the purpose of this report is to arrive at closed-form expressions for the two-dimensional, time-dependent velocity and vorticity fields, in order to elucidate the nature and extent of intrinsic flow coupling. On that account, regular perturbation tools are used on the vorticity transport equation derived from the linearised Navier–Stokes equations. After an inviscid expansion is achieved, successive approximations that use viscous correction multipliers are employed to derive the vorticity in a manner to satisfy the existing boundary conditions. At the outset, unsteady vorticity is found to originate at the walls due to the acoustic pressure gradient normal to the inflow direction. In consequence, most intense vortices are initiated in regions that coincide with acoustic pressure nodes. Conversely, zero vorticity streaks emanate from acoustic velocity nodes and are carried downstream by the bulk fluid motion. From the vorticity formulation, both components of the time-dependent velocity vector are derived in a manner to satisfy continuity and momentum conservation. The axial velocity component is found to be the most significant, exhibiting characteristics associated with oscillatory flows. In addition to comparisons with numerical simulations, a limiting process validation against the existing exact solution in the event of no mean flow transmission is carried out. In closing, an error assessment is included to quantify both magnitude and order of the global error accumulated in the final asymptotic expressions.
Research considerations for more effective groundwater monitoring.

Since numerous pathogens occur in feces, water is monitored for fecal contamination using indicator organisms rather than individual pathogens. Although this approach is supported by health effects data in recreational waters, it is questionable when used for drinking water. Most outbreaks in groundwater occur in systems that have not violated the US EPA’s maximum contaminant limit (MCL) for total coliforms within 12 months before the outbreak. Additionally, environmentally stable viruses and parasites are often detected in drinking water samples with no detectable indicators. Recent detections of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter jejuni in groundwaters in the apparent absence of indicators also cast some doubt on the worth of indicators for fecal bacterial pathogens. Individual pathogen monitoring is now technically achievable but currently unreasonable due to the number of possible pathogens and the costs involved. Several alternatives to pathogen monitoring could significantly reduce the frequency at which pathogens occur in waters testing negative for indicators: (i) increasing sample volumes for indicators, (ii) increasing monitoring frequency, (iii) using a suite of indicators, (iv) using a more conservative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, (v) sampling when fecal contamination is most likely present or (vi) any combination of these options.
Predictors of Hip Internal Rotation During Running: An Evaluation of Hip Strength and Femoral Structure in Women With and Without Patellofemoral Pain

BackgroundRecent studies have suggested that excessive hip internal rotation during dynamic tasks may be associated with patellofemoral pain. Although diminished hip-muscle strength and altered femoral morphologic characteristics have been implicated in abnormal hip rotation in persons with patellofemoral pain, no study has confirmed this hypothesis.HypothesisWomen with patellofemoral pain would demonstrate increased average hip internal rotation, decreased hip-muscle performance, and abnormal femoral shape compared with controls. Furthermore, measures of hip strength and femoral shape are predictive of average hip internal rotation during running.Study DesignCross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.MethodsNineteen women with patellofemoral pain and 19 pain-free controls participated. Lower extremity kinematics during running, hip-muscle performance, and femoral morphologic characteristics on magnetic resonance imaging were quantified. Independent t tests were used to assess group differences. Stepwise...
Impacts of Topology and Traffic Pattern on Capacity of Hybrid Wireless Networks

In this paper, we investigate the throughput capacity in wireless hybrid networks with various network topologies and traffic patterns. Specifically, we consider n randomly distributed nodes, out of which there are n source nodes and nd (0 b and d > w, the maximum achievable throughput can be determined by both the number of base stations and the shape of network area. In all the other cases, the maximum achievable throughput is only constrained by the number of destination nodes. Moreover, the results in these two settings are the same except for the case d > b > w, in which the random placement of base stations will cause a degradation factor of log n on the maximum achievable throughput compared to the regular placement. Finally, we also show that our results actually hold for different power propagation models.
The spaces between us: setting and maintaining boundaries in wireless spectrum access

Guardbands are designed to insulate transmissions on adjacent frequencies from mutual interference. As more devices in a given area are packed into orthogonal wireless channels, choosing the right guardband size to minimize cross-channel interference becomes critical to network performance. Using both WiFi and GNU radio experiments, we show that the traditional "one-size-fits-all" approach to guardband assignment is ineffective, and can produce throughput degradation up to 80%. We find that ideal guardband values vary across different network configurations, and across different links in the same network. We argue that guardband values should be set based on network conditions and adapt to changes over time. We propose Ganache, an intelligent guardband configuration system that dynamically sets and adapts guardbands based on local topology and propagation conditions. Ganache includes three key mechanisms: an empirical model of guardband sizes based on power heterogeneity of adjacent links, network-wide frequency and guardband assignment, and local guardband adaptation triggered by real-time detection of cross-band interference. We deploy a Ganache prototype on a local 8-node GNU radio testbed. Detailed experiments on different topologies show that to minimize interference, traditional fixed-size configurations allocate more than 40% of available spectrum to guardbands, while Ganache does the same using only 10% of the spectrum, leading to a 150% gain in throughput.
IgG4-positive plasma cells in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's): a clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study on 43 granulomatosis with polyangiitis and 20 control cases ☆

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) (Wegener's) may mimic IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) on histologic examination of some biopsies, especially those from head and neck sites. IgG4 immunostaining is often performed in this context for differential diagnosis with IgG4-RD. Herein, we report the results of IgG4-positive (IgG4+) cells in 43 cases of GPA including 26 previously published cases as well as the newly added cases from the lung and kidney. We also included 20 control cases without any clinical evidence of GPA or IgG4-RD that consisted of chalazion (n = 8), chronic sinusitis (n = 8), and chronic tonsillitis (n = 4). Forty-three biopsies diagnosed as GPA were from sinonasal mucosa/oral cavity/nasopharynx (n = 14), orbit/periorbital tissue (n = 7), lung/pleura (n = 14), kidney (n = 4), skin (n = 3), and dura (n = 1). Of 43 biopsies, 8 (18.6%) revealed increased IgG4+ cells (>30 per high-power field and >40% in IgG4+/IgG+ ratio) and originated from sinonasal (n = 4) or orbital/periorbital (n = 4) regions. The IgG4+ cells and IgG4+/IgG+ ratio in these cases ranged from 37 to 139 per high-power field and 44% to 83%, respectively. None of the control cases had increased IgG4+ cells. In conclusion, increased IgG4+ cells can be seen in sinonasal or orbital/periorbital biopsies of GPA, which could pose as a pitfall in the diagnosis of IgG4-RD. However, GPA in other organs and controls did not show increased IgG4+ cells when using the above threshold. The biologic or clinical importance of increased IgG4+ cells in GPA cases involving head and neck region is uncertain, and a further study might be warranted to address the potential pathogenic relationship between IgG4-RD and GPA in those cases.
An overview of robot calibration

An overview is given of the existing work on robot calibration, and some of the basic issues are identified in calibration and improvement of robot precision. Modeling, measurement, identification, and correction issues in robot calibration are discussed, and some of the unresolved questions are identified.
Modeling current pathways for therapeutic electrical applications

In determining how various devices will provide therapeutic currents it is necessary to know the current pathways along with the current densities and voltage gradients in the tissues of interest and in other tissues that may be influenced. In order to obtain this information a high resolution, computer based model (3.8 million elements) was created using gated ECG MRI images from an adult male. The model used the finite difference approach to obtain the needed data. A user friendly, graphical interface was developed for a PC program. The features of the program along with examples from studying the electrical therapies of pacing and defibrillation will be given. It will be show that the conductivity of the entire thorax is important in determining the current pathways within the heart.
Adrenergic and cholinergic response of ventricular muscle from the turtle, Trachemys (Pseudemys) scripta☆☆☆

Abstract Muscle strips were dissected from the ventricle of the turtle, Trachemys (Pseudemys) scripta. Individual strips were placed in a muscle bath, set at a resting tension of three grams and electrically paced at 24 min−1 for a control period of 1 hr. Cumulative dose-response curves were constructed using the adrenergic agonist, epinephrine (Epi) and the cholinergic agonist, metacholine (MCh). The administration of Epi to the muscle bath resulted in a dose-dependent increase in active tension development. The maximum tension developed was 40% above the control values and the concentration producing a half-maximal response (EC50) was 7.5 × 10−7 M. The positive inotropic effect of Epi was diminished following the administration 1 × 10−7 M propranolol. This reduced the maximum active tension by over 80% at the highest dose of Epi. In addition, the EC50 was increased to 8.9 × 10−6 M. The administration of MCh resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in active tension development. The maximum decrease in active tension was 35% below the control values and the EC50 was 2.5 × 10−6 M. The negative inotropic effect of MCh was diminished by the application of 1 × 10−6 M atropine, with the EC50 increasing to 2.5 × 10−4 M. These findings show that the isolated, in vitro turtle ventricle responds to adrenergic and cholinergic agonist. The results of this study support the hypothesis that the ventricular function, in reptiles, is controlled by both subdivisions of the autonomic nervous system.
The Influence of Social Categories and Interpersonal Behaviors on Future Intentions and Attitudes to Form Subgroups in Virtual Teams

Subgroup formation within larger virtual teams can lead to biased information sharing and conflict. Given this, the present study examined how social categories (i.e., in-group vs. out-group status) and interpersonal behaviors (i.e., a teammate behaving positively vs. negatively) influenced intentions and attitudes toward subgrouping in short-term virtual teams. One hundred sixty-four participants interacted in four-person teams using a synchronous chat program. The analysis showed that, though both social categories and interpersonal behaviors affected subgrouping choices, interpersonal behaviors had a stronger effect. Additionally, there was no evidence for the “black sheep hypothesis” predicting that in-group members behaving negatively discourages subgrouping. Overall, this exemplified how minimal categorical cues trigger in-group favoritism and out-group discrimination in virtual teams as anticipated by social identity models. The findings also illustrated how interpersonal behaviors robustly affect ...
Fidelity Discrimination in DNA Polymerase β: Differing Closing Profiles for a Mismatched (G:A) versus Matched (G:C) Base Pair

Understanding fidelitythe faithful replication or repair of DNA by polymerasesrequires tracking of the structural and energetic changes involved, including the elusive transient intermediates, for nucleotide incorporation at the template/primer DNA junction. We report, using path sampling simulations and a reaction network model, strikingly different transition states in DNA polymerase β's conformational closing for correct dCTP versus incorrect dATP incoming nucleotide opposite a template G. The cascade of transition states leads to differing active-site assembly processes toward the “two-metal-ion catalysis” geometry. We demonstrate that these context-specific pathways imply different selection processes: while active-site assembly occurs more rapidly with the correct nucleotide and leads to primer extension, the enzyme remains open longer, has a more transient closed state, and forms product more slowly when an incorrect nucleotide is present. Our results also suggest that the rate-limiting step in po...
Role of Animal Models in Understanding Intravesical Therapy with Bacille Calmette-Guérin

Animal models provide a vehicle for understanding basic biological questions. Through the use of animal models, adequate control of experimental design is possible so that rigorous experiments can be performed to test a hypothesis. In the case of testing therapeutic mechanisms, it is important to select a model that is most analogous to the clinical setting so that observations can be readily transferred to clinical studies for validation. In mechanistic studies of Mycobacterium bovis strain (bacille Calmette-Guerin) therapy for bladder cancer, the orthotopic animal model most closely mimics the clinical treatment of bladder cancer.
Pharmacological Studies of Norphenyl Hemicholinium 3

Norphenyl HC-3 (NP-HC-3), an analog of HC-3 in which the biphenyl nucleus is replaced by a monophenyl moiety, has been synthesized. NP-HC-3 has been shown to resemble the parent compound in most of its pharmacological properties. Its LD50 in mice was found to range from 45–680 mcg./Kg. NP-HC-3 in low doses induced a slowly progressive respiratory paralysis. In higher doses the neuro-muscular blocking action was antagonized by choline. Neostigmine reversed only the effects observed with low doses of NP-HC-3. NP-HC-3 did not have adrenergic, antihistaminic, analgesic, or local anesthetic activity.
On reluctant testimony

Scholarship in argumentation praises reluctant testimony sources who provide evidence in conflict with their own self‐interests. Persuasion theorists prefer the testimony of objective sources. Rhetorical theorists are silent on the merits of reluctant testimony. This study offers empirical evidence on the merits of reluctant testimony. It adopts the cognitive response perspective on persuasion and corrects a design flaw in previous empirical research on reluctant testimony. The data show that both reluctant and objective sources are more persuasive than biased ones, and that there are no significant differences between reluctant and objective sources. Biased sources are perceived as less trustworthy, evoke more unfavorable thoughts, and evoke fewer favorable thoughts than either reluctant or objective sources.
13C-NMR spectroscopic studies of 2-mercaptoethanol-stimulated glutathione synthesis in the intact ocular lens

Abstract 13 C-NMR spectroscopy was employed non-invasively for the real-time measurement of the rates of glutathione synthesis in intact rabbit lenses supported in organ culture containing l -[3- 13 C]cysteine. Supplementation of the organ culture medium with 2-mercapto-ethanol resulted in a dose- dependent enhancement of lenticular glutathione synthesis rates (dose for 50% maximal effect = 125 μM). At the most effective concentration (400 μM) 2-mercaptoethanol increased the rate of glutathione synthesis 163% relative to the rate observed under control conditions. The mechanism of action for this effect was investigated in intact lenses using antagonists of specific amino acid uptake systems. These experiments demonstrated that the enhanced rates of glutathione synthesis observed in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol were due to the affinity of the mixed-disulfide formed between cysteine and 2-mercaptoethanol for L system amino acid uptake, thereby providing a mechanism for increasing intracellular cysteine levels by circumventing normal cellular cysteine uptake pathways in the lens. Because of the role of cysteine as the rate limiting substrate in lenticular glutathione biosynthesis, these results suggest a potential strategy to prevent tissue opacification associated with depleted glutathione levels.
A Cooperative Study on the Standardized Total-Tract Digestible Phosphorus Requirement of Twenty-Kilogram Pigs

A cooperative study comprising growth performance, bone mineralization, and nutrient balance experiments was conducted at 11 stations to determine the standardized total-tract digestible (STTD) P requirement of 20-kg pigs using broken-line regression analysis. Monocalcium phosphate and limestone were added to a corn-soybean meal-based diet at the expense of cornstarch to establish 6 concentrations of STTD P from 1.54 to 5.15 g/kg in increments of 0.62 g/kg at a constant Ca:total P of 1.52:1.0. Diets were fed to 936 pigs (average initial BW of 19 kg) in 240 pens for 20 replicate pens of barrows and 20 replicate pens of gilts per diet. As STTD P increased from 1.54 to 5.15 g/kg of the diet for d 0 to 14, 14 to 28, and 0 to 28, the ADG, ADFI, and G:F increased ( < 0.01). Barrows gained and ate more ( < 0.05) than gilts during d 14 to 28 and 0 to 28. There was no interaction between sex and STTD P concentration for any of the growth performance response criteria. There were both linear and quadratic increases ( < 0.05) in mineral density and content of ash, Ca, and P in the femur expressed as a percentage of dry, fat-free metacarpal as dietary STTD P increased. Furthermore, the maximum load of the femur and mineral density and content and maximum load as well as the Ca and P expressed as a percentage of metacarpal ash linearly increased ( < 0.01) with increasing dietary concentrations of STTD P. There were both linear and quadratic increases ( < 0.01) in apparent digestibility and retention of P with increasing concentrations of STTD P in the diets. Digestibility and retention of Ca linearly ( < 0.01) increased with increasing dietary concentrations of STTD P. Breakpoints determined from nonlinear broken-line regression analyses revealed estimates of 4.20 ± 0.102, 3.20 ± 0.036, or 3.87 ± 0.090 g/kg for ADG during d 0 to 14, 14 to 28, or 0 to 28, respectively. Corresponding estimates using G:F as the response criterion were 4.34 ± 0.146, 3.38 ± 0.139, or 4.08 ± 0.195 g/kg. When mineralization of the femur was used as criteria of response, estimates of STTD P requirement were 4.28, 4.28, or 4.34, g/kg for mineral density, mineral content, or maximum load, respectively. Using mineralization of the metacarpal as criteria of response, estimates of STTD P requirement ranged from 3.5 to 5.0 g/kg depending on the metacarpal response criteria. The study provided empirical estimates of STTD P requirements of 20- to 40-kg pigs.
Do Supreme Court Decisions Matter? Private Tying Litigation, 1966-90

The idea that changes in Supreme Court decision rules should have measurable effects on the number of cases litigated has a compelling plausibility, and some models of litigation predict this result. The prediction is a fragile one, however, because it implies very strong assumptions about the types of cases subject to litigation. The twenty-five year period studied includes three Supreme Court decisions that are widely regarded as having introduced uncertainty into the legal status of tie-ins. Changes in corporate profits and GDP growth are significant variables explaining changes in tying litigation among private parties. No independent effect is detected for the role of Supreme Court decisions.
2005-06 Brennan Center Symposium Lecture - Constitutional Culture, Social Movement Conflict and Constitutional Change: The Case of the De Facto Era

Social movements change the ways Americans understand the Constitution. Social movement conflict, enabled and constrained by constitutional culture, can create new forms of constitutional understanding - a dynamic that guides officials interpreting the open-textured language of the Constitution's rights guarantees. To show how constitutional culture channels social movement conflict to produce enforceable constitutional understandings, I consider how equal protection doctrine prohibiting sex discrimination was forged in the Equal Rights Amendment's defeat. This story of the "de facto ERA" illustrates how constitutional culture can channel social movement conflict to produce little noticed socially integrative effects. As movement and counter-movement struggle to persuade (or recruit) uncommitted members of the public, each movement is forced to take account of the other's arguments, and in time may even begin to incorporate aspects of the other's arguments into its own claims - a dynamic that can transpire unconsciously or with the conscious purpose of strengthening arguments under conditions of adversarial engagement. Movement conflict also plays an underappreciated role in enabling judicial review. As adversaries hone their arguments to meet their opponent's most powerful claims, the quest to persuade creates areas of apparent or actual convergence in which the Court can decide cases. The ERA ratification debates led opponents to assert that the Fourteenth Amendment already contained sex equality principles that ERA proponents insisted should be added to the Constitution, and led proponents to separate concepts of sex equality under the ERA from abortion and gay rights which opponents charged the ERA would promote. Understandings consolidated in the ERA debate guided the Court as it ruled that sex discrimination violated the equal citizenship principle and as it limited the kinds of practices cognizable as sex discrimination. Examining how the ERA's proposal and defeat shaped the modern law of sex discrimination suggests that when social movement conflict is channeled by constitutional culture, it can guide officials in enforcing the Constitution in new ways, enabling constitutional change without lawmaking that nonetheless respects the distinction between politics and law. Constitutional culture provides the understandings and practices that citizens and officials draw on in debates about the Constitution's meaning, structuring the forms of communication and deliberative engagement among citizens and officials that dynamically sustain the Constitution's democratic authority in history.
Calculation of chromatographic dead times and retention indices with the aid of a computer program in BASIC

A computer program is presented for calculating chromatographic dead time from the observed retention times of an homologous series of standards using the iterative approximation procedure of Guardino et al. The program is written in BASIC and is readily adaptable to most microcomputers capable of using BASIC. Corrected retention times and capacity factors of standards and of samples are also calculated by the program. Examples of applications in gas chromatography and reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography are presented. A listing of the BASIC program is given.
Effect of Thyroidectomy on Pancreatic Amylase.

SummaryAfter surgical thyroparathy-roidectomy, with or without additional treatment with I131, the pancreatic weight and amylolytic activity/unit weight and /total weight of the pancreas were reduced significantly, the fall in concentration of enzyme being greater with the latter experimental procedure.
Effects of temperature on the properties of glycerol: a computer simulation study of five different force fields.

We perform molecular dynamics simulations of glycerol (propane-1,2,3-triol) at normal pressure and a wide range of temperatures (300–460 K) and study the sensitivity of simulation results to the force field (FF) considered. We employ five commonly used FFs: (i) AMBER, (ii) CHARMM22, and (iii) three versions of the OPLS-AA FF (OPLS1, OPLS2, and OPLS3). We study thermodynamic (density ρ(T), thermal expansion coefficient αP(T), isobaric specific heat cP(T)), dynamic (diffusion coefficient D(T)), as well as structural properties (molecular conformations and hydrogen-bond statistics). In comparison with experiments, FFs i and iii provide reasonable estimations of ρ(T) with deviations of ≤4.5%; for FF ii, deviations in density are more pronounced, ≤9%. Values of αP(T) vary considerably among the FFs; e.g., deviations are ≤9% for OPLS1-FF and ≤60% for FF ii. For all models studied, values of cP(T) are approximately twice the corresponding experimental values. Diffusion coefficients are very sensitive to the FFs ...
Two methods for restricted configuration spaces within the multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree-Fock method

The multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree-Fock (MCTDHF) method has shown promise in calculating electronic dynamics in molecules driven by strong and high-energy lasers. It must incorporate restricted configuration spaces (meaning that a particular combination of Slater determinants is used, instead of full configuration interaction) to be applied to big systems. Two different Ans\"atze are used to determine the essential term in the equations. The first Ansatz is the Lagrangian variational principle. The explicit, complete MCTDHF equations of motion, satisfying that principle, for arbitrary configuration spaces, are given. The property that a restricted configuration list must satisfy in order for the Lagrangian and McLachlan variational principles to give different results is identified. The second Ansatz keeps the density matrix block diagonal among equivalent orbitals, in a generalization of the method of Worth [J. Chem. Phys. 112, 8322 (2000)]. The methods perform well in calculating the dynamics of Be and ${\mathrm{BC}}^{2+}$ subject to ultrafast, ultrastrong lasers in severely truncated Hilbert spaces, although they exhibit differing degrees of numerical stability as implemented.
Ability of Human Hematopoietic Cell Lines to Form Colonies in Soft Agar

SummaryThe ability of human hematopoietic cell lines to form colonies in semisolid agar has been studied. Cloning efficiencies were as follows: 2 Burkitt lymphoma cell lines, over 70%, and a third, 18%; 2 myeloma cell lines, 40% and 11%, respectively; and 2 leukemia cell lines, 20% and 18%, respectively. In contrast, 6 cell lines derived from normal persons and 1 from a patient with Wegener's granulomatosis had cloning efficiencies below 4.5%. Doubling time and the presence or absence of the “leukovirus” (a herpes-type virus) did not affect cloning efficiencies. There was some evidence that abnormal chromosome constitution and the synthesis of an abnormal end product were correlated with a greater cloning efficiency. Cloning efficiency may be useful in distinguishing between “normal” and “abnormal” human hematopoietic cell lines.
Evaluation and Treatment of Fetal Exposure to Toxoplasmosis

Symptomatic congenital toxoplasmosis is a rare disease in the United States. However, prenatal screening is becoming increasingly available, resulting in identification of infants at risk of developing the disease. Infants who are born asymptomatic may still develop significant neurodevelopmental sequelae months or even years after birth if untreated. Congenital toxoplasmosis is a difficult infection to diagnose. Using one case as an example, this review attempts to highlight the importance of identifying at-risk infants and summarize the most current recommendations with regard to workup and treatment of affected infants. Initial evaluation of an infant at risk of congenital toxoplasmosis includes complete history and physical examination, lumbar puncture, head computed tomography, complete blood cell count with differential, detailed ophthalmologic examination, and Toxoplasma gondii polymerase chain reaction and serologic testing. Because of the complexity of the laboratory studies involved, expert interpretation is required. Although there is still much to learn about the best approach to the identification and treatment of affected infants, we know that early treatment leads to the best neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Drug-Eluting Nanotubes for Cellular Bioactivity

Titanium nanotubes has been known for its multifunctional properties and its benefits have been further investigated in the field of biomedical implantations. The mechanism behind the cellular interaction with the nanotubes possessing different diameter has been reported in this chapter. High surface area and surface energy of these nanotubes make it a hydrophilic surface, which enhances the protein adsorption on the surface facilitating the adhesion of the cells to the substrate. Additionally, these nanotubes possess nano-topographical features that provide biomechanical cues for the cells to spread on the surface thereby triggering various intracellular reactions inside the cells allowing their differentiation and proliferation on the surface. Different diameter of the nanotubes allow protein adsorption with respective spacing and depending on the cellular interaction with those proteins, cells either proliferate or differentiate. Its drug reserving capability makes it a suitable surface for implants, which can provide efficient amount of drug to be delivered at the site of interest. The drug can be loaded based on the patients need and it can include, bone morphogenic protein, anti-inflammatory drug, or anti-infection drug etc. Additionally, slow and controlled release of drug from the polymer-encapsulated drug has been the current area of research, which supplies the drug in regular interval, has also been discussed in his chapter.
250 EFFECTS OF GLIMEPIRIDE AND GLYBURIDE ON GLUCOSE COUNTERREGULATION AND RECOVERY FROM HYPOGLYCEMIA

Purpose To study the effect of different sulfonylureas on counterregulatory recovery from severe hypoglycemia. Severe hypoglycemia, the most serious side effect of sulfonylurea therapy, has been reported to occur more frequently with glyburide than glimepiride. Glyburide, but not glimepiride, has been reported to inhibit secretion of glucagon, the most important counterregulatory hormone. Methods To test the hypothesis that this may be involved in the different frequency of severe hypoglycemia observed with these sulfonylureas, we performed hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemic (˜ 2.5 mM/L) clamps in 16 normal volunteers who received in randomized order placebo, glyburide (10 mg), and glimepiride (4 mg) just prior to beginning the insulin infusion and measured plasma glucagon, insulin, C-peptide, glucagon, epinephrine, cortisol and growth hormone levels during the clamp and during a three hour recovery period after discontinuation of the insulin infusion. Results We found that neither sulfonylurea altered glucagon responses and those of other counterregulatory hormones (except cortisol) during the clamp. However, glyburide delayed plasma glucose recovery from hypoglycemia (plasma glucose at end of recovery period: control 4.9 ± 0.2 mM, glyburide 3.7 ± 0.2 mM [p = .0001] and glimepiride 4.5 ± 0.2 mM [p = .08]). Despite lower plasma glucose levels, glyburide stimulated insulin secretion during this period (0.89 ± 0.13 vs 1.47 ± 0.15 pmol kg-1 min control vs glyburide, p = .001) whereas glimepiride did not (p = .08). Conclusion Our results indicate that acute administration of neither glyburide nor glimepiride alters glucagon responses during hypoglycemia. In contrast, during recovery from hypoglycemia glyburide but not glimepiride inappropriately stimulated insulin secretion at low plasma glucose levels. We therefore conclude that this differential effect on insulin secretion may be an important factor in explaining why glyburide causes severe hypoglycemia more frequently than glimepiride.
Calorie-induced ER stress suppresses uroguanylin satiety signaling in diet-induced obesity.

The uroguanylin-GUCY2C gut–brain axis has emerged as one component regulating feeding, energy homeostasis, body mass and metabolism. Here, we explore a role for this axis in mechanisms underlying diet-induced obesity (DIO). Intestinal uroguanylin expression and secretion, and hypothalamic GUCY2C expression and anorexigenic signaling, were quantified in mice on high-calorie diets for 14 weeks. The role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in suppressing uroguanylin in DIO was explored using tunicamycin, an inducer of ER stress, and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), a chemical chaperone that inhibits ER stress. The impact of consumed calories on uroguanylin expression was explored by dietary manipulation. The role of uroguanylin in mechanisms underlying obesity was examined using Camk2a-Cre-ERT2-Rosa-STOPloxP/loxP-Guca2b mice in which tamoxifen induces transgenic hormone expression in brain. DIO suppressed intestinal uroguanylin expression and eliminated its postprandial secretion into the circulation. DIO suppressed uroguanylin through ER stress, an effect mimicked by tunicamycin and blocked by TUDCA. Hormone suppression by DIO reflected consumed calories, rather than the pathophysiological milieu of obesity, as a diet high in calories from carbohydrates suppressed uroguanylin in lean mice, whereas calorie restriction restored uroguanylin in obese mice. However, hypothalamic GUCY2C, enriched in the arcuate nucleus, produced anorexigenic signals mediating satiety upon exogenous agonist administration, and DIO did not impair these responses. Uroguanylin replacement by transgenic expression in brain repaired the hormone insufficiency and reconstituted satiety responses opposing DIO and its associated comorbidities, including visceral adiposity, glucose intolerance and hepatic steatosis. These studies reveal a novel pathophysiological mechanism contributing to obesity in which calorie-induced suppression of intestinal uroguanylin impairs hypothalamic mechanisms regulating food consumption through loss of anorexigenic endocrine signaling. The correlative therapeutic paradigm suggests that, in the context of hormone insufficiency with preservation of receptor sensitivity, obesity may be prevented or treated by GUCY2C hormone replacement.
Sustainability-induced dual-level optimization of additive manufacturing process

Additive manufacturing (AM) is considered as the standalone production house for customized parts of different varieties. AM has found applications in various industries including medical and aerospace for both prototyping and functional part fabrication. With rapid development in additive manufacturing technologies, the future of US manufacturing and economy clearly looks bright, process sustainability of such AM devices are not well studied. This paper addresses much needed sustainability aspects of additive manufacturing processes. More specifically, material wastage and energy consumption are two major concerns of the AM processes that requires immediate attention. In this research, process both at layer and part level enabling additive manufacturing process towards sustainability is formulated and optimized. Numerous real world examples are demonstrated and compared against conventional approaches to demonstrate the applicability of the developed approach. The models formulated here for selective laser sintering (SLS) process can be easily extended to other additive manufacturing technologies with little or no modification. Limitations of proposed research are also discussed.
Immunoglobulin A in secretions from the lower human respiratory tract.

Although the focus of this Symposium is on the function of secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) in the oropharynx, the domain of this fascinating, but still engimatic, immunoglobulin molecule is widespread. It is present in mucosal secretions from mucosal surfaces of the respiratory tract and the gastrointestine and it is contained in excretory fluids of the genitourinary system, lacrimal glands, breasts and the middle ear (1,2). This paper will address the role of s-IgA in the lower respiratory tract of humans through a discussion of: 1) its relative concentration in secretions obtained from the airways, 2) its molecular characteristics and 3) its function (or lack of one) in the broncho-alveolar milieu.
DiscoverySpace: Suggesting Actions in Complex Software

Complex software offers power for experts, yet overwhelms new users. Novices often do not know how to execute tasks, what they want to achieve, or even what is possible. To address this, we introduce the DiscoverySpace interface for executable action suggestions. DiscoverySpace is a prototype extension panel for Adobe Photoshop that suggests task-level action macros to apply to photographs based on visual features. DiscoverySpace harvests these one-click actions from the online Photoshop user community. A between-subjects study indicated that action suggestions may help novices maintain confidence, accomplish tasks, and discover features. This work demonstrates how interfaces can leverage user-generated content to help novices navigate complex software.
The Reinvention of Mexico: New Nationalism and Social Liberalism

This chapter addresses a principal question generated by the Salinas reform process: whether nationalism remained of functional value as a legitimizing formula in Mexican politics in this neoliberal period. To do so, it examines how nationalism as a political doctrine was employed by President Salinas, his government and the PRI during his sexenio . Material from this period – speeches or published work by Salinas, his advisers and officials, and articles from the PRI magazine Examen – indicates that nationalism remained valuable to Salinas despite his ambition to reform the state based upon a neoliberal analysis, confirming the long-standing relationship in Mexico between state-building and nationalism. However, this was a different kind of nationalism: the Mexican president reformulated the legitimizing doctrine by articulating alongside a ‘new nationalism’ a doctrine of ‘social liberalism’ that can be likened to the patriotic liberalism of the nineteenth century. Together, these sought to provide a philosophical basis for a reconciliation between national ideology and liberalism by reformulating ideas concerning the individual and the social, so influencing prevailing notions of national citizenship. The Analysis of Salinismo and State Reform By the late 1970s, two key and related sources of critique of the Mexican state had evolved: a perception on the left that the post-revolutionary state faced or had entered a terminal crisis, due in part to a new phase in global capitalism; and an external, neoclassical reaction to Keynesianism that identified the interventionist state as the main cause of inflationary policies.
Preventing and Addressing Statelessness: In the Context of International Surrogacy Arrangements

Everyone has the right to acquire a nationality. However, situations of statelessness persist. International commercial surrogacy presents a very specific contemporary challenge because in such cases it may be difficult for the child’s legal parentage to be established or recognised. This may result in serious consequences for the child including statelessness. Recognising this lack of harmonisation and potential child rights violations, a variety of actors are currently mapping State approaches to surrogacy. Furthermore, the Secretariat of the Hague Conference on International Law has also been analysing legislation in order to identify existing gaps and to consider possible reforms. There is a need to continue research in this field and to propose practical and feasible solutions. As with individual cases, any measures adopted and implemented to address the challenges presented by international surrogacy should make the best interests of the child a primary consideration and leave no child stateless.
Early Results from Metamorphic Testing of Epidemiological Models

The research reported in this paper is motivated by the need to validate models of disease spread. To date, reasoned confidence in the results of these models is complicated by the increasing complexity of the models and by their desired predictive use. As part of an overall approach to verification and validation of disease spread models, we investigate metamorphic testing. In this paper, we present early results of initial metamorphic testing on agent-based epidemiological models.
LAW, RELIGION, AND HUMAN RIGHTS: SKEPTICAL RESPONSES IN THE EARLY TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

Disputes over the nature, basis, and enforceability of human rights go back to early 1947, when the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) first began. Nor were the disputes limited to the drafting process. Intense arguments emerged among social scientists, philosophers, religious leaders, legal thinkers, and public figures around the world over the very idea of human rights, namely, the notion that human beings possess legally enforceable entitlements to certain protections and opportunities simply because of their common humanity.
SELF-ADJOINT ELLIPTIC OPERATORS AND MANIFOLD DECOMPOSITIONS. PART III : DETERMINANT LINE BUNDLES AND LAGRANGIAN INTERSECTION

The theory of spectral flows developed in the series [10, 11, 12], and the present paper has a wide range of applications to important geometric operators on compact manifolds. To present our results on spectral flow and manifold decomposition, the present paper develops a theory of determinant line bundles and infinitedimensional Lagrangians associated to self-adjoint elliptic operators on compact manifolds. The trace-class properties of these infinite Lagrangians established here and the precise uniform estimates relating them to finite Lagrangians are crucial for such a determinant line bundle approach to analytical questions. As an application, we elucidate the Walker’s and other generalizations of Casson’s SU(2) representation theoretic invariant of 3-manifolds in terms of the -invariant of certain Dirac operators. This is carried out by introducing the technique of “canonical perturbations” of singular Lagrangian subvarieties in symplectic geometry. At the end of Part II of this series, we obtained a formulation of the spectral flow of a family of self-adjoint elliptic operators D(u) : L2(E)! L2(E) in terms
Rate-independent fracture toughness of gray and black kerogen-rich shales

The objective of this investigation is to characterize the influence of the loading rate, scratch speed, mineralogy, morphology, anisotropy, and total organic content on the scratch toughness of organic-rich shale. We focus our study on a gray shale, Toarcian shale (Paris basin, France) and a black shale, Niobrara shale (northeastern Colorado, USA). Microscopic scratch tests are performed for varying scratch speeds and loading rates. We consider several orientations for scratch testing. For all gas shale specimens, the scratch toughness is found to increase with increasing scratch speed. In the asymptotic regime of high speeds, there is a convergence toward a single constant value irrespective of the loading rate. To understand this evolution of the scratch toughness, a nonlinear fracture mechanics model is built that integrates fracture dissipation with the various forms of viscous processes. In particular, a coupling is shown between the fracture energy and the viscoelastic characteristics. An inverse approach which combines scratch and indentation testing makes it possible to represent all tests in a single curve and retrieve the rate-independent fracture toughness of kerogen-rich shale materials. The presence of organic matter drastically alters the creep and fracture properties at the microscopic length-scale. The fracture behavior is anisotropic with the divider orientation yielding the highest fracture toughness value and the short transverse orientation yielding the lowest fracture toughness. Elucidating the fracture-composition-morphology relationships in organic-rich shale will promote advances in science and engineering for energy-related applications such as hydraulic fracturing in unconventional reservoirs or $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ sequestration in depleted reservoirs.