cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of tissue structure and soil chemistry on trace element uptake in fossils

Abstract Trace element profiles for common divalent cations (Sr, Zn, Ba), rare-earth elements (REE), Y, U, and Th were measured in fossil bones and teeth from the c. 25 ka Merrell locality, Montana, USA, by using laser-ablation ICP-MS. Multiple traverses in teeth were transformed into 2-D trace element maps for visualizing structural influences on trace element uptake. Trace element compositions of different soils from the fossil site were also analyzed by solution ICP-MS, employing progressive leaches that included distilled H2O, 0.1 M acetic acid, and microwave digestion in concentrated HCl–HNO3. In teeth, trace element uptake in enamel is 2–4 orders of magnitude slower than in dentine, forming an effective trace element barrier. Uptake in dentine parallel to the dentine–enamel interface is enhanced by at least 2 orders of magnitude compared to transverse, causing trace element “plumes” down the tooth core. In bone, U, Ba and Sr are nearly homogeneous, implying diffusivities ∼5 orders of magnitude faster than in enamel and virtually complete equilibration with host soils. In contrast all REE show strong depletions inward, with stepwise linear segments in log-normal or inverse complementary error function plots; these data require a multi-medium diffusion model, with about 2 orders of magnitude difference in slowest vs. fastest diffusivities. Differences in REE diffusivities in bone (slow) vs. dentine (fast) reflect different partition coefficients (Kd’s). Although acid leaches and bulk digestion of soils yield comparable fossil–soil Kd’s among different elements, natural solutions are expected to be neutral to slightly basic. Distilled H2O leachates instead reveal radically different Kd’s in bone for REE than for U–Sr–Ba, suggest orders of magnitude lower effective diffusivities for REE, and readily explain steep vs. flat profiles for REE vs. U–Sr–Ba, respectively. Differences among REE Kd’s and diffusivities may explain inward changes in Ce anomalies. Acid washes and bulk soil compositions yield misleading Kd’s for many trace elements, especially the REE, and H2O-leaches are preferred. Patterns of trace element distributions indicate diagenetic alteration at all scales, including enamel, and challenge the use of trace elements in paleodietary studies.
Dimensions of psychopathology in middle childhood.

Factorial studies of psychopathology of childhood have revealed from 2 to 14 factors. To be useful, some consensus as to the appropriate number of factors or a means of relating factors must be fou...
Fatigue crack propagation in rapidly solidified aluminum alloys at 25 °C and 300 °C

The fatigue crack propagation performance of two rapidly solidified aluminum alloys was investigated in air at 25°C and 300°C. The results show that the crack propagation rates for continuous cycling tests of Al-8Fe-4Ce and Al-4.7-Fe-4.7Ni-0.2Cr alloys were similar at 25°C. Although the crack propagation rates of both alloys were increased at 300°C, the Al-Fe-Ce alloy exhibited the greater resistance to crack propagation. The inclusion of a tensile hold time in the fatigue loading cycle at 300°C produced an increase in the crack propagation rates for both alloys over the rates for continuous cycling. The fatigue crack propagation performance of the rapidly solidified alloys was not found to be superior when compared with the fatigue crack propagation performance of a wrought aluminum alloy tested under the same conditions. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy study of the tested specimens revealed that the crack propagation mode was primarily transgranular, with the metastable dispersoid particles providing impenetrable barriers to dislocation motion.
Fluorescent product accumulation in ripening fruit

STUDIES of mammalian tissue indicate that free radicals mediate fluorescent product accumulation1–3 and that such products are causatively related to cellular senescence4–7. Fluorescent products isolated from senescent tissues, cells stressed by oxidants such as ozone, or cell-membrane isolates have characteristic fluorescence at 360–380-nm excitation and 440–470-nm emission8. These pigments have been identified in various mammalian tissues1–3, protozoa11, nematodes12, and insects6,13,14. We are not aware of any reports of the occurrence of lipofuscin-like pigments in plant tissues. This study reveals the presence, in ripening fruit, of fluorescent material of spectral characteristics identical to lipofuscin from mammals. The pigment is present at greater concentration in a subcellular fraction than in the whole tissue and has a molecular weight in excess of 4,000. The yield of fluorescent product increases with ripening of banana and pear fruits.
OPERATIONAL ASPECTS OF THE RESPONSE TO THE ARCO ANCHORAGE OIL SPILL, PORT ANGELES, WASHINGTON1

ABSTRACT On December 21, 1985, at approximately 4:25 p.m. PST, the Arco Anchorage ran aground in Port Angeles Harbor. Two holes were torn in the ship's bottom, resulting in a spill of 5,690 barrels (239,000 gallons) of Alaska North Slope crude oil. This paper describes the Arco Marine response procedure during this spill, and the philosophies and methods used during the spill cleanup. The primary offshore cleanup method was recovery using booms and skimmers. Weather conditions permitted their effective operation. Removal of oiled debris was the primary onshore cleanup method. Port Angeles Harbor is a major timber storage area; log bundles are stored in the harbor awaiting pickup by ships. When log bundles were oiled during the spill, a method was devised to clean them. Oil percolated into coarse sediments on Ediz Hook, the most heavily oiled area. It was determined that large enough quantities of oil were trapped in the sediments to warrant removal. A cleanup method incorporating a combination of physical...
Vascularized bone flaps versus nonvascularized bone grafts for mandibular reconstruction: An outcome analysis of primary bony union and endosseous implant success

Background Functional restoration following resection or traumatic injury to the mandible depends on the reliability of the bony reconstruction to heal primarily and support endosseous implants. Although vascularized bone flaps (VBF) and nonvascularized bone grafts (NVBG) are both widely used to reconstruct the mandible, indications for each remain ill-defined. The purpose of this study was to compare bone graft/flap healing and success of implant placement in patients reconstructed with VBF versus NVBG. Methods Over the past 10 years, 75 consecutive mandibular reconstructions were performed (26 free bone grafts, 49 vascularized bone flaps). Etiology of the defect, history of irradiation, bone defect size, number of operations, graft/flap success, and dental implant success rates were determined and compared. Bone graft/flap success was defined as complete bony union. Implant success was defined as complete osseointegration. Mean follow-up was 3 years. Results Free flaps were used primarily for malignant disease (78%, 38/49). Bone grafts were used primarily for benign disease (88%, 23/26). History of prior irradiation: 11% (3/26) NVBG versus 45% (22/49) VBF. Length of bony defect (mean): 8.1 cm NVBG versus 9.4 cm VBF. Successful bony union, any size defect: 69% (18/26) NVBG versus 96% (47/49) VBF (p Conclusions Despite the fact that patients reconstructed with VBFs were older, had larger defects, and were treated primarily for malignant disease and therefore had a higher incidence of irradiation to the affected mandible than in patients treated with NVBGs, the incidence of bony union was higher, requiring fewer operations to achieve union, and the implant success rate was significantly greater than for NVBG patients. Results were similar when considering lateral defects only. Based on these results, VBFs are indicated in most cases of mandibular reconstruction; NVBGs are effective for short bone defects (
Spatial localization deficits and auditory cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia

Abstract Background Schizophrenia is associated with deficits in the ability to discriminate auditory features such as pitch and duration that localize to primary cortical regions. Lesions of primary vs. secondary auditory cortex also produce differentiable effects on ability to localize and discriminate free-field sound, with primary cortical lesions affecting variability as well as accuracy of response. Variability of sound localization has not previously been studied in schizophrenia. Methods The study compared performance between patients with schizophrenia ( n = 21) and healthy controls ( n = 20) on sound localization and spatial discrimination tasks using low frequency tones generated from seven speakers concavely arranged with 30° separation. Results For the sound localization task, patients showed reduced accuracy ( p = 0.004) and greater overall response variability ( p = 0.032), particularly in the right hemifield. Performance was also impaired on the spatial discrimination task ( p = 0.018). On both tasks, poorer accuracy in the right hemifield was associated with greater cognitive symptom severity. Better accuracy in the left hemifield was associated with greater hallucination severity on the sound localization task ( p = 0.026), but no significant association was found for the spatial discrimination task. Conclusion Patients show impairments in both sound localization and spatial discrimination of sounds presented free-field, with a pattern comparable to that of individuals with right superior temporal lobe lesions that include primary auditory cortex (Heschl's gyrus). Right primary auditory cortex dysfunction may protect against hallucinations by influencing laterality of functioning.
Nonlinear reading-hypertext

It is pointed out that the advanced student needs a teaching tool that permits him/her to get to the heart of new material quickly. Further, this tool must simultaneously provide the slower or less-informed student with a reasonable way to get more help. The author describes the problem, a teaching tool that will help solve the problem, and an example of its use in teaching an EET circuit course. The particular system used to create the hypertext document for the research project was HyperWriter. The project accomplished using the HyperWriter software was the reduction of three chapters of the textbook Introductory Circuit Analysis by R. Boylestad. >
A stabilized mixed finite element method for Darcy flow based on a multiscale decomposition of the solution

Recently Masud and Hughes proposed a stabilized mixed finite element formulation for Darcy flow. An interesting feature of this formulation is that there are no mesh-dependent parameters. In the present work we provide a derivation of this formulation based on a multiscale decomposition of the solution. We also extend the work of Masud and Hughes to three-dimensional problems and show the convergence rates for various three-dimensional finite elements. We also show that this formulation passes three-dimensional constant-flow patch tests for distorted element geometries (i.e., elements with non-constant Jacobian). Robustness of this formulation is illustrated by performing numerical simulations on complex geometries.
Children’s Use of Self-Paced Slideshows: An Extension of the Video Deficit Effect?

Past research has established that children typically learn better from live demonstrations than from two-dimensional (2D) media. In the present set of experiments, we investigated the efficacy of a new 2D learning medium—the self-paced slideshow. A primary goal was to determine whether the “video deficit effect” extended to self-paced slideshows. In Experiment 1, preschool-age children saw demonstrations of novel events either live, on video, or by advancing through self-paced slideshows. They were then tested on their performance and verbal memory. In line with past work, children in the live condition outperformed those in the video and slideshow conditions at reproducing the target actions. To further explore the 2D media, Experiment 2 directly compared learning from self-paced slideshows to that from videos. Changes to the stimuli included a more natural extraction rate of slides and a higher focus on the objects. Children’s performance differed little between conditions, with the exception of reprod...
Higher risk of incident hepatitis C virus among young women who inject drugs compared with young men in association with sexual relationships: a prospective analysis from the UFO Study cohort

Background: Female injection drug users (IDUs) may report differences in injection behaviours that put them at greater risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV). Few studies have examined these in association with HCV incidence. Methods: Longitudinal data from a cohort of 417 HCV-uninfected IDU aged 30 or younger were analysed. Cox proportional hazards was used to model female sex as a predictor of new HCV infection. General estimating equation (GEE) analysis was used to model female sex as a predictor of HCV-associated risk behaviour prospectively. Results: Women were significantly more likely than men to become infected with HCV during study followup (HR 1.4, p<0.05), and were also more likely than men to report high-risk injecting behaviours, especially in the context of sexual and injecting relationships. Sex differences in injecting behaviours appeared to explain the relationship between sex and HCV infection. Conclusions: Young women’s riskier injection practices lead to their higher rates of HCV infection. Further study on the impact of intimate partnership on women’s risk behaviour is warranted.
Halothane Inhibits T Cell Proliferation and Interleukin-2 Receptor Expression in Rats

In order to determine the effects of halothane on rat cell-mediated immune function, rats were exposed to 1% halothane for up to 5 hours. Immediately, 24 hours or 48 hours following anesthesia, rat lymphocytes from the spleen were analyzed for their ability to respond to the mitogens phytohemagglutinin (PHA), pokeweed mitogen (PWM), concanavalin A (ConA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In addition, percentages of lymphocyte subpopulations in the spleen were assessed as well as ability of the lymphocytes to express specific receptors. Extended periods of halothane anesthesia (5 hours) suppressed the ability of the lymphocytes to respond to the mitogen PHA immediately following anesthesia. Twenty-four hours later, proliferative responses to the mitogens PHA, PWM and ConA were significantly reduced. However, by 48 hours following treatment, proliferative responses were normal. Halothane did not alter proliferative responses to the mitogen LPS. Prolonged anesthesia (5 hours) also increased the percentage of T and CD8+ (cytotoxic) lymphocytes in the spleen, although for less than 24 hours. The ability of T lymphocytes to express both the CD8 and CD25 (IL-2) receptors in response to PHA were suppressed. These results suggest that halothane suppresses rat T cell function, perhaps through suppression of IL-2 receptor expression.
Los jóvenes y la imaginación social en África: Introducción

Youth are an increasingly compelling subject for study in Africa, entering into political space in highly complex ways. To pay attention to youth is to pay close attention to the topology of the social landscape – to power and agency; public, national and domestic spaces and identities, and their articulation and disjuntures; memory, history, and sense of change; globalization and governance; gender and class. In this introduction I draw attention to how youth is constructed as a problematic category and how it acts as a “social shifter” engaging the social imagination, to how youth contributes to generational debates and constructions, and to how considerations of youth challenges our thinking about agency.
The Fixed Points of Off-Policy TD

Off-policy learning, the ability for an agent to learn about a policy other than the one it is following, is a key element of Reinforcement Learning, and in recent years there has been much work on developing Temporal Different (TD) algorithms that are guaranteed to converge under off-policy sampling. It has remained an open question, however, whether anything can be said a priori about the quality of the TD solution when off-policy sampling is employed with function approximation. In general the answer is no: for arbitrary off-policy sampling the error of the TD solution can be unboundedly large, even when the approximator can represent the true value function well. In this paper we propose a novel approach to address this problem: we show that by considering a certain convex subset of off-policy distributions we can indeed provide guarantees as to the solution quality similar to the on-policy case. Furthermore, we show that we can efficiently project on to this convex set using only samples generated from the system. The end result is a novel TD algorithm that has approximation guarantees even in the case of off-policy sampling and which empirically outperforms existing TD methods.
Computer-aided non-contrast CT-based quantification of pericardial and thoracic fat and their associations with coronary calcium and metabolic syndrome

Introduction Pericardial fat is emerging as an important parameter for cardiovascular risk stratification. We extended previously developed quantitation of thoracic fat volume (TFV) from non-contrast coronary calcium (CC) CT scans to also quantify pericardial fat volume (PFV) and investigated the associations of PFV and TFV with CC and the Metabolic Syndrome (METS).
The utility of immunostaining for NUT, GAGE7 and NY-ESO-1 in the diagnosis of spermatocytic seminoma.

Aims To identify specific positive immunohistochemical markers for spermatocytic seminoma (SS). Methods and results We studied the reactivity of 94 (total) cases of SS, seminoma, embryonal carcinoma and solid yolk sac tumour with antibodies against nuclear protein in testis (NUT) and two cancer/testis antigens, GAGE7 and NY-ESO-1. When tumour positivity was defined as an extent plus intensity score of ≥4, NUT was positive in 71% of SSs, 19% of seminomas, and 5% of solid yolk sac tumours. GAGE7 was positive in 67% of SSs and 4% of seminomas. NY-ESO-1 was positive in 82% of SSs, 13% of seminomas, and 5% of solid yolk sac tumours. The sensitivity and specificity, respectively, of these antibodies for SSs were as follows: NUT, 71% and 92%; GAGE7, 67% and 99%; and NY-ESO-1, 82% and 94%. When positivity criteria were stricter, NUT and GAGE7 positivity occurred exclusively in SS, but the sensitivity decreased to 41% and 60%, respectively, and NY-ESO-1 was 59% sensitive and 97% specific. Neither the sarcomatous component of three SSs nor any embryonal carcinoma showed reactivity with any antibody. Conclusions All three antibodies are variably sensitive for SS, and high specificity is attained when there is multifocal and strong nuclear labelling.
HTIMIT and LLHDB: speech corpora for the study of handset transducer effects

This paper describes two corpora collected at Lincoln Laboratory for the study of handset transducer effects on the speech signal: the handset TIMIT (HTIMIT) corpus and the Lincoln Laboratory Handset Database (LLHDB). The goal of these corpora are to minimize all confounding factors and produce speech predominately differing only in handset transducer effects. The speech is recorded directly from a telephone unit in a sound-booth using prompted text and extemporaneous photograph descriptions. The two corpora allow comparison of speech collected from a person speaking into a handset (LLHDB) versus speech played through a loudspeaker into a handset (HTIMIT). A comparison of analysis and results between the two corpora addresses the realism of artificially creating handset degraded speech by playing recorded speech through the handsets. The corpora are designed primarily for speaker recognition experimentation (in terms of amount of speech and level of transcription), but since both speaker and speech recognition systems operate on the same acoustic features affected by the handset, the knowledge gleaned is directly transferable to speech recognizers. Initial speaker identification performance on these corpora are presented. In addition, the application of HTIMIT in developing a handset detector that was successfully used on a Switchboard speaker verification task is described.
Predictors of mortality in pulmonary contusion.

background : Associated injuries and central nervous system (CNS) trauma are historically associated with poor outcome in patients with pulmonary contusions, but the value of specific factors reflecting shock, fluid resuscitation requirement and pulmonary parenchymal injury in predicting mortality in this population is not well established. methods : The medical records of 100 consecutive patients with pulmonary contusion, admitted over a 5-year period, were retro-spectively reviewed. Survivors and nonsurvivors were compared in terms of age, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), PaO2/FiO2 (oxygenation ratio), the severity and adequacy of shock resuscitation reflected in plasma lactate, resuscitation volume and transfusion requirements, using oneway ANOVA. To determine the contribution of individual, interdependent variables to mortality, the data were then analyzed using multivariable analysis. results : ISS and transfusion requirement were significantly higher, and GCS and PaO2/FiO2 at 24 and 48 hours after admission were significantly lower in nonsurvivors than in survivors. After multiple regression analysis, the factors most strongly associated with mortality included patient age, oxygenation ratio at 24 hours after admission, and resuscitation volume. conclusions : Outcome in patients with pulmonary contusion is dependent upon a number of variables including the severity of pulmonary parenchymal injury as reflected in PaO2/FiO2 ratio.
Finding New Sea Legs for Urine Proteomics

We draw attention to a commentary published in this issue of JASN by Knepper1 regarding studies undertaken in search of new biomarkers using urinary proteomics. Many of us who review or read these studies want important information to grace our journal pages. Proteomic technology today, even as it rapidly evolves, is capable of clever measurement and presentation , but harnessing this technology to better understand clinical or experimental disease is …
William James and Edmund Husserl on the Horizontality of Experience

The central task of the following analysis is that of answering the question, in which sense is the horizon a philosophical notion and a philosophical theme? With this in mind, the paper undertakes an investigation into how Husserl’s notion of the horizon derives from James’s analysis of the fringe of consciousness. The paper argues that Husserl is to be considered the founder of the horizon-problematic in philosophy, but not because he was the first to have thematized the phenomenon of the horizon. James had already done this at a great depth. The significance of Husserl’s analyses consists in having depsychologized this problematic and in having disclosed its transcendental dimensions. Thus, as a philosophical theme, the horizon is irreducibly transcendental. The single most significant philosophical upshot of such a transformation consists in eliminating the dimension of arbitrariness that is inscribed in James’s notion of the fringe. Far from compromising the phenomenon’s objective sense, the subject-relativity of the horizon is what allows one to identify and secure the phenomenon’s objective significance.
Streptococcal serum opacity factor promotes cholesterol ester metabolism and bile acid secretion in vitro and in vivo

Plasma high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations negatively correlate with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. HDL is thought to have several atheroprotective functions, which are likely distinct from the epidemiological inverse relationship between HDL-C levels and risk. Specifically, strategies that reduce HDL-C while promoting reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) may have therapeutic value. The major product of the serum opacity factor (SOF) reaction versus HDL is a cholesteryl ester (CE)-rich microemulsion (CERM), which contains apo E and the CE of ~400,000 HDL particles. Huh7 hepatocytes take up CE faster when delivered as CERM than as HDL, in part via the LDL-receptor (LDLR). Here we compared the final RCT step, hepatic uptake and subsequent intracellular processing to cholesterol and bile salts for radiolabeled HDL-, CERM- and LDL-CE by Huh7 cells and in vivo in C57BL/6J mice. In Huh7 cells, uptake from LDL was greater than from CERM (2-4X) and HDL (5-10X). Halftimes for [(14)C]CE hydrolysis were 3.0±0.2, 4.4±0.6 and 5.4±0.7h respectively for HDL, CERM and LDL-CE. The fraction of sterols secreted as bile acids was ~50% by 8h for all three particles. HDL, CERM and LDL-CE metabolism in mice showed efficient plasma clearance of CERM-CE, liver uptake and metabolism, and secretion as bile acids into the gall bladder. This work supports the therapeutic potential of the SOF reaction, which diverts HDL-CE to the LDLR, thereby increasing hepatic CE uptake, and sterol disposal as bile acids.
Pregnancy does not attenuate the antibody or plasmablast response to inactivated influenza vaccine (HUM6P.247)

Background. Inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) is recommended during pregnancy to prevent influenza infection and its complications in pregnant women and their infants. However, the extent to which pregnancy modifies the antibody response to vaccination remains unclear, and prior studies have focused primarily on hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) titers. A more comprehensive understanding of how pregnancy modifies the humoral immune response to influenza vaccination will aid in maximizing vaccine efficacy. Methods. Healthy pregnant women and control women were studied prior to, 7 days after and 28 days after vaccination with IIV. HI titers, microneutralization (MN) titers and the frequency of circulating plasmablasts were evaluated in pregnant vs. control women. Results. Pregnant women and control women mount similarly robust serologic immune responses to IIV, with no significant differences for any influenza strain in post-vaccination geometric mean HI or MN titers. HI and MN titers correlate, though MN titers demonstrate more robust changes pre- vs. post-vaccination. The induction of circulating plasmablasts is increased in pregnant women vs. controls (median fold-change 2.60 vs. 1.49 [Interquartile Range 0.94-7.53 vs. 0.63-2.67]; p = 0.03). Conclusion. Pregnant women do not have impaired humoral immune responses to IIV, and may have increased circulating plasmablast production compared to control women.
Magnetic Resonance and Computed Tomographic Imaging in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy

Right ventricular structure and functional alterations are important criteria for the diagnosis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC). As such, accurate and reliable evaluation of RV is desirable both for establishing the diagnosis and for follow up evaluation of AC. Right ventricle has a unique three dimensional geometry and complex contraction pattern1. Thus conventional non invasive imaging modalities like the echocardiography and radio nuclide ventriculography are limited in their assessment. Recently Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT) have emerged as robust tools to evaluate the RV in patients with suspected AC2–6. The noninvasive nature of these investigations, multiplanar capability, and unique ability to provide tissue characterization are ideal for assessment of AC. Both modalities have the ability to provide direct evidence of fatty infiltration and structural alterations of the RV The purpose of the current chapter is to discuss the current status, strengths and limitations of MR imaging and cardiac CT, in evaluation of AC.
Influence Diffusion in Social Networks

Recently influence diffusion in social networks has become a hot topic in research communities. In this paper, we outline the techniques used in optimizing or facilitating information diffusion in social networks. We begin with an overview of social networks identifying its significance and characteristics. Then among various problems that are related to diffusion of information in social networks, we study the two fundamental problems using multi-scale analysis, namely (a) maximizing the influence spread and (b) minimizing the spread of misinformation in social networks. Research trends of this topic are also detected and discussed.
Unlocking meaning: The act of reading in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice

In this article, I argue that Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice is fundamentally a 16th-century dramatization of religious reading strategies in conflict—allegorism and literalism. In Act 1, Shylock...
Contributions of Platelet Activation and Collision to Thrombus Formation in Tortuous Venules

Vessel tortuosity is often seen in humans in association with various conditions, including thrombosis.1–3 Thrombosis is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S. Tortuosity can increase shear stress that can activate platelets, which can lead to thrombosis.4 A fundamental gap exists in understanding how vessel tortuosity regulates thrombosis through such microscale physical mechanisms. Solving this problem is essential to assess the risk of thrombosis and to develop new treatment strategies.© 2012 ASME
A comparative study of dietary curcumin, nanocurcumin, and other classical amyloid-binding dyes for labeling and imaging of amyloid plaques in brain tissue of 5×-familial Alzheimer's disease mice.

Deposition of amyloid beta protein (Aβ) is a key component in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). As an anti-amyloid natural polyphenol, curcumin (Cur) has been used as a therapy for AD. Its fluorescent activity, preferential binding to Aβ, as well as structural similarities with other traditional amyloid-binding dyes, make it a promising candidate for labeling and imaging of Aβ plaques in vivo. The present study was designed to test whether dietary Cur and nanocurcumin (NC) provide more sensitivity for labeling and imaging of Aβ plaques in brain tissues from the 5×-familial AD (5×FAD) mice than the classical Aβ-binding dyes, such as Congo red and Thioflavin-S. These comparisons were made in postmortem brain tissues from the 5×FAD mice. We observed that Cur and NC labeled Aβ plaques to the same degree as Aβ-specific antibody and to a greater extent than those of the classical amyloid-binding dyes. Cur and NC also labeled Aβ plaques in 5×FAD brain tissues when injected intraperitoneally. Nanomolar concentrations of Cur or NC are sufficient for labeling and imaging of Aβ plaques in 5×FAD brain tissue. Cur and NC also labeled different types of Aβ plaques, including core, neuritic, diffuse, and burned-out, to a greater degree than other amyloid-binding dyes. Therefore, Cur and or NC can be used as an alternative to Aβ-specific antibody for labeling and imaging of Aβ plaques ex vivo and in vivo. It can provide an easy and inexpensive means of detecting Aβ-plaque load in postmortem brain tissue of animal models of AD after anti-amyloid therapy.
Correlation of Circulating Antisperm Antibodies to Functional Success in Vasovasostomy

AbstractThe serum of 45 men with sperm in the ejaculate post-vasovasostomy was tested for antisperm antibodies. Agglutinating antibodies were found in 48 per cent of the men whose partners became pregnant and in 94 per cent of those whose partners did not become pregnant (p less than 0.01). No such correlation was found for sperm immobilizing antibodies. Spontaneous in vivo autoagglutination was not demonstrated in any of the patients. Although functional failure seems likely to be associated with an immunologic event neither sperm agglutination nor sperm immobilization seems to be the mechanism of that event.
An Extension of the Radon Transform

Since the publication of Schwartz’s work on the theory of distributions (Schwartz, 1950–1951), in particular his work on the Fourier transform of distributions, there has been a tremendous influx of research papers on integral transforms of generalized functions. One of the main sources on this topic is the book by Zemanian (1968).
Neuroscience: Memories linked within a window of time.

In mice, two fear-associated memories that are created close in time are represented in the brain's amygdala by the activation of overlapping ensembles of neurons. As a result, eliminating the fear of one memory also extinguishes fear of the other.
Found Poetry: Creating Space for Imaginative Arts-Based Literacy Research Writing

This theoretical position article inquires into poetic methodologies in literacy research and argues for the inclusion of poetry in social science research writing. The unconventional use of poetry...
Leading change in healthcare

T healthcare industry demands nurses function as leaders of interprofessional teams. The scope of practice of nursing has broadened and will continue to expand to include working within complex health systems and managing large groups of diverse people. Leaders in healthcare are needed to carry the multiple health initiatives mandated by changes in federal healthcare and private insurance carriers. Nurses are key stakeholders and players in leading change in healthcare. The Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (2011,) issued a call to action for nurses to lead change in healthcare. In order to be a leader, self-confidence and knowledge of successful leadership qualities are needed. Nurses face many possibilities in leading effective change to promote optimal outcomes. It is important that nurses step up to this transformation call. There are 3.1 million nurses who have the potential to develop leading change. This session will define leadership and discuss how to engage others, encourage individual best performance, and acknowledge accomplishments toward the identified goals. Pam O’Neal, J Nurs Care 2013, 2:3 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2167-1168.S1.002
Effects of prolonged and repeated immersions on heart rate variability and complexity in military divers.

Background The influence of prolonged and repeated water immersions on heart rate variability (HRV) and complexity was examined in 10 U.S. Navy divers who completed six-hour resting dives on five consecutive days. Pre-dive and during-dive measures were recorded daily. Methods Dependent variables of interest were average heart rate (HR), time-domain measures of HRV [root mean square of successive differences of the normal RR (NN) interval (RMSSD), standard deviation of the NN interval (SDNN)], frequency-domain measures of HRV [low-frequency power spectral density (psd) (LFpsd), low-frequency normalized (LFnu), high-frequency psd (HFpsd), high-frequency normalized (HFnu), low-frequency/ high-frequency ratio (LF/HF)], and non-linear dynamics of HRV [approximate entropy (ApEn)]. A repeated-measures ANOVA was performed to examine pre-dive measure differences among baseline measures. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was performed to test the effects of prolonged and repeated water immersion on the dependent variables. Results Pre-dive HR (P=0.005) and RMSSD (P⟨0.001) varied significantly with dive day while changes in SDNN approached significance (P=0.055). HLM indicated that HR decreased during daily dives (P=0.001), but increased across dive days (P=0.011); RMSSD increased during daily dives (P=0.018) but decreased across dive days (P⟨0.001); SDNN increased during daily dives (P⟨0.001); LF measures increased across dive days (LFpsd P⟨0.001; LFnu P⟨0.001), while HF measures decreased across dive days (HFpsd P⟨0.001; HFnu P⟨0.001); LF/HF increased across dive days (P⟨0.001); ApEn decreased during daily dives (P⟨0.02) and across dive days (P⟨0.001). Conclusions These data suggest that the cumulative effect of repeated dives across five days results in decreased vagal tone and a less responsive cardiovascular system.
Pregnancy outcomes in women with an early diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract Aim To examine pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) based on the timing of diagnosis. Method We compared demographics, blood sugars and outcomes between women diagnosed before (n = 167) or after 24 weeks’ gestation (n = 1202) in a single hospital between 2009 and 2012. Because early screening is risk-based we used propensity score modelling and conditional logistic regression to account for systematic differences. Results Women diagnosed with GDM before 24 weeks were more likely to be obese and they were less likely to have excess gestational weight gain (35 vs. 45%, p = 0.04). Early diagnosis was associated with more frequent therapy including glyburide (65 vs. 56%, p Conclusion Women diagnosed with GDM before 24 weeks have unique features, are at risk for adverse outcomes, and require targeted approaches to therapy.
La pregunta por la vida, el tiempo y el trabajo en el capitalismo: acercamientos entre Karl Marx y Byung – Chul Han.

The thesis to be developed in the following pages consists of the connection that the two authors Marx and Chul Han have in relation to the importance of unveiling the mechanisms and logics from which past and present capitalism intends to reify itself as the only one of the possible worlds, as the end of history or as the closure of social struggles.
MRI prevalence and characteristics of supraacetabular fossae in patients with hip pain.

Background:Supraacetabular fossae (SAF) are normal anatomic variants found at the 12 o’clock position of the acetabulum and can be mistaken for osteochondral defects.Purpose:Determine SAF prevalenc...
Molecular Properties of Paired Helical Filaments and Senile Plaque Amyloid Fibers in Alzheimer’s Disease

In a disorder as complex and enigmatic as Alzheimer’s disease, numerous distinct research strategies must be applied simultaneously. While some experimental approaches will provide information about secondary events in the disease process, it is hoped that other strategies will yield clues to the fundamental biological process that initiates the neuronal degeneration. Most current investigations of the biological aspects of Alzheimer’s disease address one or more of three broad questions. The first question regards the etiologic event(s) that initiate the progressive loss of selected brain neurons. Research strategies in this area include molecular genetic investigations of the chromosomal locus and identity of an abnormal gene in hereditary forms of Alzheimer’s disease; the search for an infectious pathogen; and the study of the role of environmental toxins in this disease. The second broad question concerns the molecular mechanism of cell death, once the initiating event(s) have taken place, whether they are genetic, infectious and/or toxic. The third question is that of the identity of the degenerating neurons as to location, functional class and neurotransmitter status. This latter question in Alzheimer’s disease has received the most experimental attention during the past decade since it appears to offer the earliest chance of developing a therapy that could ameliorate symptoms of the disease. With the rapid development of molecular genetics and neuro-virology in recent years, experiments aimed at the first question are also accelerating.
Dissecting Tuned MEMS Vibratory Gyros

Vibratory rate sensors exploit coriolis force coupling terms that exist between two lightly damped modes when the equations of motion are written in a sensor-fixed coordinate system. Feedback plays a central role in the function of these sensors because one mode is driven at its natural frequency to a target amplitude, despite the fact that the natural frequency may drift or disturbances may be present that would otherwise cause the response amplitude to change. This excitation loop is present in all vibratory rate sensors. The highest performance vibratory gyros, however, employ a force-to-rebalance controller that attenuates the motion of the second mode. In this case, two closed-loop signals are demodulated in order to estimate the angular rate of rotation of the sensor. This chapter explains in detail the advantages of operating high quality factor vibratory gyros in a “tuned” configuration in which the modal frequencies of both modes are equal. In high Q resonators, however, the bandwidth of the sensor is too low to be useful for the vast majority of applications and so a force-to-rebalance controller is necessary to increase the sensor bandwidth. We address some common misconceptions concerning the use of feedback and unequivocally show that the force-to-rebalance controller does not degrade the signal-to-noise ratio for frequencies below the mechanical bandwidth of the resonances. As a consequence of this property, the estimated change in angle of the gyro, that is the integrated estimated angular rate, employing force-to-rebalance feedback asymptotically approaches the optimum noise characteristics associated with the open-loop gyro. The analysis is complemented by experiments conducted with the Disk Resonator Gyro (DRG). Tuned sensor dynamics are of paramount importance so we present a systematic method that efficiently determines the biasing voltages that are necessary for tuning the DRG. This approach has been successfully applied to other vibratory gyro prototypes, but its most attractive feature is the fact that it lends itself to automation and, thus, is suited to a production environment. The zero rate bias and quadrature terms are also derived from a generic sensor model, and it is shown that aside from the dynamics of the sensor’s resonator, there are two critical dynamic elements in vibratory gyros that can impact the stability of the zero rate bias. Any change in phase of these dynamic elements will mix the zero rate bias and quadrature signals so as to produce a change in the apparent rate bias and, thus, these elements are a source of low-frequency drift in the rate signal.
Child Maltreatment and Disabilities: Increased Risk?

The increased risk for maltreatment in the population of children with special health care needs may be multifactorial. The very existence of a disability or limitation in a child that diminishes his or her ability to communicate, react, and/or meet parental or societal expectations can make some children more vulnerable. The unexpected realization of new parents that a child of theirs may never reach the full potential of their nondisabled peers may be particularly devastating to some. Child maltreatment has diverse medical, developmental, psychosocial, and legal consequences. Child abuse and neglect, along with its synonyms, describe a wide range of situations. Clinicians should be aware that the presence of disabilities in a child could be a risk factor for abuse and neglect and that disabilities can also be the result of child maltreatment.
COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF THE INTRAVENOUS AND INTRACEREBRAL ROUTES OF NALOXONE AND DIALLYLNORMORPHINE ADMINISTRATION IN THE MORPHINE-DEPENDENT RHESUS MONKEY

When naloxone was administered to morphine-dependent monkeys by both the intravenous and the intracerebro-ventricular routes, low pre-treatment doses of naloxone resulted in equivalent changes in morphine self-administration regardless of the route of pre-treatment. By contrast, the intravenous and intraventricular administration of diallylnormorphine (DANM), the quaternary derivative of nalorphine, provided a pharmacological differentiation of central and peripheral morphine receptors involved in mediating morphine self-administration. When DANM was administered by intraventricular injection, equivalent changes in morphine self-administration were observed at 1/1000 of the dose given to produce the same effect by the intravenous route.
Developing and validating the Personal Risk of Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus infection score in US Women.

BACKGROUND Determining risk scores for genital high-risk human papillomavirus (HRHPV) infection in women will support more efficient cervical cancer screening strategies. OBJECTIVE We developed and validated point scores to predict the likelihood of any genital HRHPV infection in women. METHODS We conducted the cross-sectional analysis in 2017 and used data from the 2005-14 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (7337 women aged 25-59 years; 6300 women aged 30-59 years). Predictors were reproductive health practices, risk behaviors and demographic variables. The outcome was a positive result for any of the 21 genital HRHPV genotypes. The 2005-12 cohorts were used as training and testing sets to develop scores that best classified women into three risk groups: low risk ( 30%). The 2013-14 cohort was used to validate the final scores. RESULTS Two-point scores with six self-reported variables were created to predict any HRHPV risks for the two age groups: the Personal Risk of Oncogenic HPV (PRO-HPV25) for women aged 25-59 years old and PRO-HPV30 for women aged 30-59 years old. The scores were successfully prospectively validated, with good calibration with regards to the predicted and observed rates of HRHPV infection. The scores had fair discrimination (c-statistics: 0.67-0.68). CONCLUSION The PRO-HPV risk scores can identify groups at low, average and high risk of genital HRHPV infection. This information can be used to prioritize women for cervical cancer screening in low-resource settings or to personalize screening intervals.
2.4 A Distributed Autonomous and Collaborative Multi-Robot System Featuring a Low-Power Robot SoC in 22nm CMOS for Integrated Battery-Powered Minibots

Multi-robot systems, working collectively to accomplish complex missions beyond the capability of a single robot, are required for a wide range of applications such as search-and-rescue, precision agriculture and industrial automation. The collective behavior of a multi-robot system is governed by its continuous interactions with the physical environment, inter-robot information exchange, and intelligent decision making. Energy-efficient performance, size, weight and scalability of the key sensor, compute, communication, control and actuator components [1–3] of the individual robot platform are critical for realizing efficient advanced systems. In this paper, we demonstrate a distributed, autonomous and collaborative multi-robot system featuring integrated, battery-powered, crawling and jumping minibots for an example search-and-rescue application. We present a 16 mm2 low-power Robot SoC in 22 nm CMOS that is integrated in the cm-scale minibot platform along with audiovisual and motion sensors, battery, low-power wireless communication and motion actuator components (Fig. 2.4.7).
The Wheels of Misfortune

Teachers, professors, program directors, and professional development teams are often in need of fun, straightforward exercises that can help students to grasp the core concepts of health disparities and the social determinants of health. Most learners have considerable experiential knowledge of medical and sociological concepts. This activity is built on that experiential knowledge by having participants create two “wheels” describing (Wheel 1) social factors that cause disparities and (Wheel 2) health conditions and diseases influenced by social factors. The exercise is simple and can be used by small or large groups of learners. The exercise takes about 45 minutes and can be supplemented with specific examples or research articles from published scientific literature.