cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Composition and compound proportions affect the response to complex chemical signals in a spiny lizard

Most animal signals across sensory modalities are multicomponent traits that can be broken down into discrete elements. If different elements are perceived as unique, independent units (elemental perception), instead of as integrated percepts (configural perception), single changes in the presence/absence or the abundance of specific elements of a multicomponent signal may be enough to impact communication. Here, we found that male Yarrow’s spiny lizards (Sceloporus jarrovii) can discriminate single compounds of a multicomponent chemical signal (femoral gland secretions), different concentrations of a signaling compound, and a single compound from a mixture of compounds. In addition, one chemical compound elicited a response similar to that evoked by the complete natural scent. We conclude that perception of chemical signals in S. jarrovii lizards is elemental but also configural. The elemental perception of signaling compounds seems to occur with high sensitivity and narrow resolution, so that minor changes in single key elements may affect chemical communication. Given the multicomponent nature of most animal signals, hypotheses regarding signal function and evolution would be enhanced if researchers could determine whether these results apply to signals in other sensory modalities and identify the key elements of complex signals, from a receiver’s perspective. Most signals in animal communication are quite complex. For example, odors are mixtures of multiple volatile chemical compounds, and the way in which receivers perceive and process these mixtures to extract relevant information influences the structure and evolution of chemical signals. In a series of behavioral trials, we investigated how male Sceloporus jarrovii lizards may perceive conspecific odors by testing their response to individual and combined mixtures of two compounds present in femoral gland secretions at two different concentrations. We demonstrate that lizards can discriminate structurally similar compounds and that the response to a compound changes when said compound is part of a larger mixture. Compound concentration affected the perception of individual compounds but not complex mixtures. Deciphering what elements and/or configurations are perceived in an odor mixture is the only way to understand the role of mixture composition and its impact on communication.
A Clinical Trial of a Video Intervention Targeting Opioid Disposal After General Surgery: A Feasibility Study.

Abstract Background The opioid epidemic continues and although some initiatives have shown promise in reducing the number of opiates prescribed, few studies have focused on education of general surgery patients about home storage and safe disposal. The purpose of this feasibility study was to explore the use of an online video intervention to prepare surgical patients to properly dispose of unused opioids. Methods Eligible patients undergoing elective general surgery between August and October 2019 were enrolled into this prospective randomized controlled feasibility study. Patients with reported opioid use preoperatively were excluded from the study. The control group followed usual care, and the intervention group received usual care plus a brief educational video guided by the theory of reasoned action describing safe storage and disposal practices of unused opioid pills. Measures were collected at baseline and 2 wk postoperatively. Results A total of 40 participants were enrolled in the study; average age was 44.7 (range 21-75 y); most were Caucasian, educated, and employed. Recruitment took 11 wk, and the retention rate was excellent at 85%. Differences in opioid disposal were not significantly different by age, sex, education, or type of surgery. The video intervention was positively received, but the majority (80%) still stored their pills unsecured. Conclusions Results demonstrate that a video intervention addressing safe storage and disposal practices of unused opioids is feasible, and more research is needed to determine efficacy in increasing rates of secure storage and disposal of unused opioid pills.
A phase 2 study of cyclophosphamide (CY), GVAX, pembrolizumab (Pembro), and stereotactic body radiation (SBRT) in patients (pts) with locally advanced pancreas cancer (LAPC).

4134Background: Management of locally advanced pancreas cancer (LAPC) standardly involves chemotherapy with consolidative radiation and surgery in selected pts. Checkpoint inhibitors have shown lim...
Effects of colchicine on intestinal mucosal dehydrogenases

Histochemical methods have shown that colchicine has an apparent rapid inhibitory effect on LDH, SDH, GL-6-PDH, NADH dehydrogenase, and NADPH dehydrogenase in the mucosa of the small intestine of mice. This colchicine effect is qualitatively similar regardless of the dose of the drug given, although a single large dose (1.5 mg./kg.) did produce arrest of the mitosis in metaphase, while a single small dose (0.24 mg./kg.) did not produce abnormal histologic changes in any of the tissues examined. The importance of this effect of colchicine is discussed and related to the inhibition of other enzyme systems, functional activities and turn-over rate of intestinal mucosa, and the fate of colchicine in the body. In contrast to observations of the effect of irradiation on dehydrogenases, colchicine decreases dehydrogenase activity almost instantly. Since the site of primary action of colchicine is not known, a single explanation for the antimitotic effect of large doses and the therapeutic effect of small doses given to patients with gout is still elusive.
Distinct corticostriatal compartments drive competition between adaptive and automatized behavior

Cortical and basal ganglia circuits play a crucial role in the formation of goal-directed and habitual behaviors. In this study, we investigate the cortico-striatal circuitry involved in learning and how cortical interactions with specific striatal subregions are involved in the emergence of inflexible behaviors such those observed in addiction. Specifically, we develop a computational model of cortico-striatal interactions that performs concurrent goal-directed and stimulus-response learning. The model accomplishes this by distinguishing learning processes in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) that rely on reward prediction error signals as distinct from the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) where learning is supported by salience signals. These striatal subregions each operate on unique cortical input: the DMS receives input from the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which represented outcomes and the DLS receives input from the premotor cortex which determined action selection. Following an initial learning of a two-alternative forced choice task, we subjected the model to reversal learning, reward devaluation, and punishment learning. Behavior driven by stimulus-response associations in the DLS resisted goal-directed learning of new reward feedback rules despite devaluation or punishment, indicating the expression of habit. We repeated these simulations after the loss of executive control, which was implemented as poor outcome representation in the PFC. Following this manipulation, no detectable effect of reward devaluation was observed, however, the efficacy of goal-directed learning was reduced, and stimulus response associations in the DLS were even more resistant to the learning of new reward feedback rules. In summary, this model describes how impaired coding in PFC reflects the loss of executive control thus leading to the emergence of inflexible behavior.
Where Are We in this Business of Social Security

Perhaps no piece of social legislation in the history of the United States has been as far-reaching and significant as the Social Security Act. Provisions of the act touch intimately the lives of almost every resident of the United States either in terms of taxes paid or benefits or services received. It is the purpose of this paper to review some of these programs, particularly those income-maintenance programs administered by the Social Security Administration, United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Vascular access site injury after transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve insertion.

Background Vascular complications associated with transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve insertion (TAVI) are a frequent untoward consequence of arterial sheath insertion. We report the prevalence of anatomic arterial injury with open artery access TAVI. Methods This review consisted of 53 consecutive patients who received transfemoral Sapien 23 or 26 mm TAVI via the 22- or 24-French sheath through open artery access from November 2008. The median age of the patients was 83 years (range, 59 to 94), and there were 31 males (58%). All arteries were examined to determine the optimal point of access and then explored after removal of the sheath to document injury. Results The accessed artery had a minimal lumen diameter of 8.9 mm (7.2 to 14.7) and a sheath-to-artery ratio of 1.0 (0.6 to 1.2). The point of access was the common femoral artery in 33 patients (62%) and the external iliac artery in 20 (38%). Exploration of the artery demonstrated localized arterial injury in 22 patients (42%). Female gender was predictive of injury (p = 0.03), but arterial access site location, presence of arterial access calcification, sheath-to-artery ratio, and sheath size were not. Techniques of artery repair included primary closure in 34 patients (64%), pericardial patch angioplasty in 15 (28%), and graft interposition in 4 (8%). There was one minor groin wound complication. Conclusions Open artery access allows for direct examination and optimal access site choice of the vessel during transfemoral TAVI. Localized arterial injury was commonly encountered after 22- and 24-French sheath insertion, but the associated artery repair complication rate was low. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12140 (J Card Surg 2013;28:348–352)
Microflora and Invert Sugars in Juice from Healthy Tissue of Stored Sugarbeets

Bacterial populations increased in juice of healthy tissue of sugarbeet roots stored at 5 C. Average counts showed a sixfold increase after 150 days of storage. Invert sugar levels increased over threefold in “American 4 Hybrid A” and remained fairly constant in “Mono-Hy D-2.” The former cultivar also had significantly higher bacterial colony counts than the latter before 90 days of storage. Of 36 isolates identified, 16 were Pseudomonas spp. including P. chlororaphis; 6 Bacillus spp. including B. subtilis; 5 Arthrobacter spp. including A. globiformis; 4 yeasts; 2 Erwinia spp.; 2 Flavobacterium spp. including F. aquatile; and Streptomyces longisporus. Isolates of all genera except S. longisporus were able to hydrolyze sucrose in vitro.
Developing Sensoria: An audio frequency analyzer and visualizer built with open source software

We developed Sensoria, an audio analysis and visualization application through a re-use oriented software engineering approach in a combination of Extreme Programming. The application was developed by adopting Open Source Software (OSS) libraries from the Processing project. Sensoria allows an end-user to participate in the creation of dynamic visualizations that respond to input audio as interpreted in a variety of ways. The user can create and manipulate visual components corresponding to the input audio, and also save or load visualization sessions. Sensoria can be further extended to add more features as it is highly modularized and documented, and its source code is open and publicly available.
Risk management and measuring productivity with POAS--Point of Act System--a medical information system as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) for hospital management.

Objectives: The concept of our system is not only to manage material flows, but also to provide an integrated management resource, a means of correcting errors in medical treatment, and applications to EBM (evidence-based medicine) through the data mining of medical records. Methods: Prior to the development of this system, electronic processing systems in hospitals did a poor job of accurately grasping medical practice and medical material flows. With POAS (Point of Act System), hospital managers can solve the so-called, “man, money, material, and information” issues inherent in the costs of healthcare. Results: The POAS system synchronizes with each department system, from finance and accounting, to pharmacy, to imaging, and allows information exchange. We can manage Man (Business Process), Material (Medical Materials and Medicine), Money (Expenditure for purchase and Receipt), and Information (Medical Records) completely by this system. Conclusions: Our analysis has shown that this system has a remarkable investment effect – saving over four million dollars per year – through cost savings in logistics and business process efficiencies. In addition, the quality of care has been improved dramatically while error rates have been reduced – nearly to zero in some cases.
Tools for the veterinarian to increase herd performance and profitability

Some important aspects of production medicine in dairy cattle health are discussed; the measurement of effective fibre and its use in improving herd health, commodity feeding: positioning and pricing, milk urea nitrogen-its use and interpretation, and processing of maize for optimum rumen function.
Causality in the brane world

For the Randall-Sundrum brane world where a positive tension Minkowski brane is embedded in AdS5, two candidate propagators have been suggested in the literature, one being based on the normalized mode solutions to the source-free volcano potential fluctuation equation, and the other being the Giddings, Katz and Randall outgoing Hankel function based one. We show that while both of these two propagators have the same pole plus cut singularity structure in the complex energy plane, they behave differently on their respective circles at infinity, as a consequence of which only the Hankel function based propagator proves to be causal, with the normalized mode based one being found to take support outside the AdS5 lightcone. In addition we show that unlike the Hankel function based propagator, the normalized mode based propagator does not correctly implement the junction conditions which hold in the presence of a perturbative source on the brane.
A Lower Limit to the Magnetic Field in the Crab Nebula from Cosmic γ -Ray Experiments at 10 11 eV

The 10-m optical reflector at Mt. Hopkins, Arizona, has been used to search for cosmic γ-rays by the detection of atmospheric Cerenkov radiation from energetic particle showers. Approximately 100 drift scans of the Crab Nebula during 1968–69 have yielded no positive evidence of a γ-ray flux. The upper limit to the flux at 1.7 × 1011 eV is 2.0 × 10−10 photons/cm2 sec. Assuming γ-rays of this energy are produced by Compton scattering, a lower limit on the average magnetic field in the Crab Nebula is 1.5 × 10−4 gauss. This experiment also verifies previous evidence that the high-energy electrons in the Crab Nebula are not the secondary products of high-energy proton interactions but must have been accelerated from lower energies.
de Rham complexes arising from Fourier finite element methods in axisymmetric domains

In this paper, we will construct a discrete de Rham complex with commuting interpolation operators for Fourier finite element methods in axisymmetric domains. To our knowledge, this will be the first construction of a discrete de Rham complex and commuting projectors that can be applied to axisymmetric problems with general data.
Efficiency improvements in US office equipment: Expected policy impacts and uncertainties

We create a business as usual scenario for office equipment electricity use from industry forecasts of equipment sales, surveys of equipment densities by building type, measured data on wattage and usage by equipment type and projected lifetimes for equipment. We then calculate electricity used by building type and equipment type for Energy Star and advanced scenarios and explore the sensitivity of these results to variations in key input parameters. According to our analysis, the Energy Star programme will save the US almost US$1 billion annually starting in the year 2000, with minimal expenditure of public funds.
Are the variability properties of the Kepler AGN light curves consistent with a damped random walk

We test the consistency of active galactic nuclei (AGN) optical flux variability with the $\textit{damped random walk}$ (DRW) model. Our sample consists of 20 multi-quarter $\textit{Kepler}$ AGN light curves including both Type 1 and 2 Seyferts, radio-loud and -quiet AGN, quasars, and blazars. $\textit{Kepler}$ observations of AGN light curves offer a unique insight into the variability properties of AGN light curves because of the very rapid ($11.6-28.6$ min) and highly uniform rest-frame sampling combined with a photometric precision of $1$ part in $10^{5}$ over a period of 3.5 yr. We categorize the light curves of all 20 objects based on visual similarities and find that the light curves fall into 5 broad categories. We measure the first order structure function of these light curves and model the observed light curve with a general broken power-law PSD characterized by a short-timescale power-law index $\gamma$ and turnover timescale $\tau$. We find that less than half the objects are consistent with a DRW and observe variability on short timescales ($\sim 2$ h). The turnover timescale $\tau$ ranges from $\sim 10-135$ d. Interesting structure function features include pronounced dips on rest-frame timescales ranging from $10-100$ d and varying slopes on different timescales. The range of observed short-timescale PSD slopes and the presence of dip and varying slope features suggests that the DRW model may not be appropriate for all AGN. We conclude that AGN variability is a complex phenomenon that requires a more sophisticated statistical treatment.
System integration issues for set-top box

In a cost sensitive consumer electronics market, the most cost-efficient implementation of the digital satellite set-top box is required in order to be competitive. The system functionality and the implementation rational of the set-top box is described. Tradeoffs regarding hardware vs. software implementation are examined, Examples of how the system design affects the size and bandwidth of the memory requirements are given, Although the current generation of processors are capable of implementing real-time video decoding, they still are not a cost-effective solution for the digital set-top box.
Daytime sleepiness in mild Alzheimer's disease with and without parkinsonian features.

BACKGROUND: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and nocturnal sleep disruption are common in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, little is known regarding risk factors for developing EDS and sleep disruption in AD. In AD, EDS is associated with Parkinsonian motor features (PF), which are associated with faster cognitive decline. The primary aim of this exploratory study was to evaluate whether differences in EDS and nocturnal sleep disruption exist between AD participants with versus without PF. METHODS: Thirty-six participants with mild AD were evaluated for PF using the modified motor UPDRS (mmUPDRS) scoring system and classified according to absence (AD-PF, n=19) or presence (AD+PF, n=17) of PF. EDS was assessed using questionnaires and a multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) performed the day after nocturnal polysomnogram. Participants were considered "Sleepy" or "Not Sleepy" according to mean MSLT scores (cutoff score=10.4min). RESULTS: Results showed that the AD+PF group were sleepier than the AD-PF group by subjective and objective measures, despite similarities in nocturnal sleep. The AD+PF group had higher scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (8.5 versus 3.9, p=.001). The AD+PF group also had higher percentage of participants that had "Sleepy" MSLT scores compared to the AD-PF group (75% versus 31.6%, respectively; χ(2)=6.56, p=.01). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of Parkinsonian features may be an independent risk factor for sleepiness in mild AD. Language: en
Spectrally and radiometrically stable wide-band on-board calibration source for in-flight data validation in imaging spectroscopy applications

The quality of the quantitative spectral data collected by an imaging spectrometer instrument is critically dependent upon the accuracy of the spectral and radiometric calibration of the system. 12 In order for the collected spectra to be scientifically useful, the calibration of the instrument must be precisely known not only prior to but during data collection. Thus, in addition to a rigorous in-lab calibration procedure, the airborne instruments designed and built by the NASA/JPL Imaging Spectroscopy Group incorporate an on board calibrator (OBC) system with the instrument to provide auxiliary in-use system calibration data. The output of the OBC source illuminates a target panel on the backside of the foreoptics shutter both before and after data collection. The OBC and in-lab calibration data sets are then used to validate and post-process the collected spectral image data. The resulting accuracy of the spectrometer output data is therefore integrally dependent upon the stability of the OBC source. In this paper we describe the design and application of the latest iteration of this novel device developed at NASA/JPL which integrates a halogen-cycle source with a precisely designed fiber coupling system and a fiber-based intensity monitoring feedback loop. The OBC source in this Airborne Testbed Spectrometer was run over a period of 15 hours while both the radiometric and spectral stabilities of the output were measured and demonstrated stability to within 1% of nominal.
A Spectroscopic Survey of Substituted Indoles Reveals Consequences of a Stabilized 1Lb Transition

Although tryptophan is a natural probe of protein structure, interpretation of its fluorescence emission spectrum is complicated by the presence of two electronic transitions, (1)L(a) and (1)L(b). Theoretical calculations show that a point charge adjacent to either ring of the indole can shift the emission maximum. This study explores the effect of pyrrole and benzyl ring substitutions on the transitions' energy via absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, and anisotropy and lifetime measurements. The survey of indole derivatives shows that methyl substitutions on the pyrrole ring effect (1)L(a) and (1)L(b) energies in tandem, whereas benzyl ring substitutions with electrophilic groups lift the (1)L(a)/(1)L(b) degeneracy. For 5- and 6-hydroxyindole in cyclohexane, (1)L(a) and (1)L(b) transitions are resolved. This finding provides for (1)L(a) origin assignment in the absorption and excitation spectra for indole vapor. The 5- and 6-hydroxyindole excitation spectra show that despite a blue-shifted emission spectrum, both the (1)L(a) and (1)L(b) transitions contribute to emission. Fluorescence lifetimes of 1(0) ns for 5-hydroxyindole are consistent with a charge acceptor-induced increase in the nonradiative rate (1).
Predicting outcomes among adolescents with disruptive disorders being treated in a system of care program.

BACKGROUND: “Systems of care” are strengths-based approaches to treating adolescents and others with disruptive disorders. However, little is known about why some adolescents improve and others do ...
The impact of teriparatide adherence and persistence on fracture outcomes.

The study investigated the real-world relationship between teriparatide adherence and persistence and fracture outcomes in a US claims database. Fracture risk was estimated to decrease as adherence and persistence increased for any clinical, vertebral, and non-vertebral fractures. Greater emphasis on programs to increase patient adherence may improve clinical outcomes. Adherence to osteoporosis treatment is essential for achieving optimal therapeutic outcomes. Previous findings from clinical trials and observational studies demonstrate that longer teriparatide (TPTD) exposure is associated with fewer fractures. The study aim was to investigate real-world relationships between TPTD adherence and persistence and fracture outcomes. The Thomson Reuters MarketScan® database, 2004–2008, was used to identify TPTD users with continuous enrollment 12 months pre- and 24 months post-TPTD initiation. Post-index fractures included vertebral and non-vertebral. Adherence (medication possession ratio, MPR) groups were defined as high (MPR ≥ 0.80), medium (0.5 ≤ MPR < 0.8), and low (MPR < 0.5). Persistence groups were defined by periods 1–6, 7–12, 13–18, and 19–24 months. Logistic regressions modeled fracture risk for any clinical, hip, vertebral, and non-vertebral fractures, controlling for patient characteristics, insurance and healthcare provider types, Charlson comorbidity index, bone mineral density screening, medication use, and fracture history. Among 3,587 TPTD patients (mean age 68.9 years; 91% female), fracture risk was lowest in high MPR patients in all models except hip (OR = 1.17; p = 0.64). Medium versus high MPR was a significant risk factor for any fracture (OR = 1.49; p = 0.004) and non-vertebral fracture (OR = 1.45; p = 0.014); low-MPR was a significant risk factor for any fracture (OR = 1.64; p < 0.01), vertebral fracture (OR = 2.56; p = 0.001), and non-vertebral fracture (OR = 1.44; p = 0.013). Persistence of 1–6 months versus 19–24 months was associated with higher risk for any clinical (OR = 1.88, p < 0.001), vertebral (OR = 3.69; p < 0.001), and non-vertebral fracture (OR = 1.51; p = 0.011), but not hip (OR = 1.93; p = 0.08). Fracture risk decreased as TPTD adherence and persistence increased for any clinical, vertebral, and non-vertebral fractures.
The identification of stages in diachronic data: variability-based neighbour clustering

In this paper, we introduce a data-driven bottom-up clustering method for the identification of stages in diachronic corpus data that differ from each other quantitatively. Much like regular approaches to hierarchical clustering, it is based on identifying and merging the most cohesive groups of data points, but, unlike regular approaches to clustering, it allows for the merging of temporally adjacent data, thus, in effect, preserving the chronological order. We exemplify the method with two case studies, one on verbal complementation of shall, the other on the development of the perfect in English.
Direct measurements of the ozone formation potential from livestock and poultry waste emissions.

The global pattern of expanding urban centers and increasing agricultural intensity is leading to more frequent interactions between air pollution emissions from urban and agricultural sources. The confluence of these emissions that traditionally have been separated by hundreds of kilometers is creating new air quality challenges in numerous regions across the United States. An area of particular interest is California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV), which has an agricultural output higher than many countries, a rapidly expanding human population, and ozone concentrations that are already higher than many dense urban areas. New regulations in the SJV restrict emissions of reactive organic gases (ROGs) from animal sources in an attempt to meet Federal and State ozone standards designed to protect human health. The objective of this work is to directly measure the ozone formation potential (OFP) of agricultural animal plus waste sources in representative urban and rural atmospheres using a transportable “smog” ...
Immobilized-artificial-membrane chromatography: measurements of membrane partition coefficient and predicting drug membrane permeability

Immobilized artificial membranes (IAMs) are chromatographic surfaces prepared by covalently immobilizing cell membrane phospholipids to solid surfaces at monolayer densities. IAM surfaces mimic fluid cell membranes. For 23 structurally unrelated compounds, solute capacity factors [log (k'IAM)] measured on IAM columns correlate very well with the solute equilibrium partition coefficients [log (Km)] measured in fluid liposome systems (r = 0.907). This indicates that solute partitioning between the IAM bonded phase and the aqueous mobile phase is similar to the solute partitioning between liposomes and the aqueous phase. IAMs also predicted oral drug absorption in mice and drug permeability through Caco-2 cells. IAM chromatography is experimentally simple and large volume screening of experimental compounds for drug absorption is possible. Solute retention on IAMs was found to be dominated by a partitioning mechanism. The structural requirements for HPLC bonded phases to predict solute-membrane partitioning are briefly discussed.
Let's Not Go Down that Path Again: Lessons from the Past Applied to Immigrant-Targeted Discrimination

Immigrants, both legal and illegal, are a staple of the modern United States workplace. While much of the discussion of this fact centers on negative consequences for the U.S., far less attention has been paid to the detrimental impact on immigrants resulting from their workplace experiences, particularly relating to being targets of discrimination. In this article, we outline: a) a variety of types of workplace discrimination potentially relating to immigrant status; b) potential negative outcomes arising from said discrimination for both immigrant employees and their employers, and; c) how existing and predicted employment law standards place organizations in a legally vulnerable position when such discrimination goes unchecked. We further discuss implications of immigrant-targeted discrimination (ITD) for organizations and managers, and plausible extensions of workplace discrimination laws to specifically include ITD.
The discourse of issues management: A genre of organizational communication

In this essay, I use the rhetorical approach of generic criticism to analyze issues management campaigns: instances of public relations discourse in which an organization makes explicit efforts to influence public policy. There are striking similarities among contemporary organizations’ issues management campaigns in terms of their organizing principle, situational requirements, and substantive and stylistic characteristics. Using a structurational perspective, I illustrate the genre rules (Yates & Orlikowski, 1992) that serve as the medium and outcome of this discourse. Throughout the essay, I employ the University of Minnesota's recent attempt to increase its public funding during a period of institutional transition to explicate the genre rules. This article outlines a framework for the analysis of issues management campaigns and provides a first step toward the development of a structuational theory of their genre rules. Moreover, it argues that a rhetorical approach to the study of such organizationa...
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-β/δ Regulates Angiogenic Cell Behaviors and Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy

Purpose To develop new therapies against ocular neovascularization (NV), we tested the effect of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-β/δ (PPAR-β/δ) agonism and antagonism on angiogenic behaviors and in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMEC) and on preretinal NV in rat oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). Methods HRMECs were treated with the PPAR-β/δ agonist GW0742 and the antagonist GSK0660. Messenger RNA levels of a PPAR-β/δ target gene, angiopoietin-like-4 (angptl4) were assayed by qRT-PCR. HRMEC proliferation and tube formation were assayed according to standard protocols. OIR was induced in newborn rats by exposing them to alternating 24-hour episodes of 50% and 10% oxygen for 14 days. OIR rats were treated with GW0742 or GSK0660. Angptl4 protein levels were assessed by ELISA and preretinal NV was quantified by adenosine diphosphatase staining. Results GW0742 significantly increased angptl4 mRNA, and GSK0660 significantly decreased angptl4 mRNA. GW0742 had no effect on HRMEC proliferation, but caused a significant and dose-responsive increase in tube formation. GSK0660 significantly reduced serum-induced HRMEC proliferation and tube formation in a dose-dependent manner. Intravitreal injection of GW0742 significantly increased total retinal Angptl4 protein, but intravitreal injection of GSK0660 had no effect. Intravitreal injection of GW0742 significantly increased retinal NV, as did GW0742 administered by oral gavage. Conversely, both intravitreal injection and intraperitoneal injection of GSK0660 significantly reduced retinal NV. Conclusions PPAR-β/δ activation exacerbates, and its inhibition reduces, preretinal NV. PPAR-β/δ may regulate preretinal NV through a prodifferentiation/maturation mechanism that depends on Angptl4. Pharmacologic inhibition of PPAR-β/δ may provide a rational basis for therapeutic targeting of ocular NV.
Estimates of evapotranspiration from MODIS and AMSR-E land surface temperature and moisture over the Southern Great Plains

Abstract We apply a new stationarity-based method for estimating the parameters of a simplified land surface model over a 10° × 10° study area in the Southern Great Plains. The model is then used to calculate evapotranspiration (ET) using the estimated parameters, atmospheric forcing data (from NLDAS-2) and remotely sensed surface soil moisture (from AMSR-E) and temperature (from AMSR-E and MODIS). By exploiting the statistical relationship between the forcing (e.g., precipitation and radiation) and surface states (soil moisture and temperature), the stationarity-based parameter estimation avoids the restrictive requirements of direct calibration (i.e., the need for ground-truth ET), enabling broad applicability. Modeled annual mean ET rates are compared with benchmark values based on runoff data from Global Runoff Data Center (GRDC), and the root mean square error (RMSE) between them is less than 10 Wm − 2 . Spatial patterns of model estimated ET and of key model parameters indicate that radiation and moisture availability are the controlling factors on ET in the study area. The spatial distributions of the estimated parameters appear reasonable: they are smooth and not overly patchy or random; and they are consistent with the land cover and soil moisture distribution through the area. An important feature of the stationarity-based method demonstrated here is that forcing and surface states need not be continuous. In this application, approximately 30% of the daily surface temperature and moisture data were missing.
A special police unit: Intimate partner violence and perceived helpfulness of services received

To evaluate the perceived effectiveness of domestic violence assistance offered by a special unit of an urban police department, 90 women having filed assault, stalking, or harassment charges on an intimate were interviewed. Threats of abuse, physical abuse, and stalking were measured—86% of the women reported experiencing severe abuse and 60% of the women had been stalked. On follow-up interview—41% of the women reported the abuse had stopped, while 7% said the abuse had decreased. Half of the women had used information provided by the unit, with 86% of the women considering police services received as being helpful.
Flat-field calibration of CCD detector for long trace profiler

The next generation of synchrotrons and free electron lasers requires x-ray optical systems with extremely high-performance, generally, of diffraction limited quality. Fabrication and use of such optics requires highly accurate metrology. In the present paper, we discuss a way to improve the performance of the Long Trace Profiler (LTP), a slope measuring instrument widely used at synchrotron facilities to characterize x-ray optics at high-spatial-wavelengths from approximately 2 mm to 1 m. One of the major sources of LTP systematic error is the detector. For optimal functionality, the detector has to possess the smallest possible pixel size/spacing, a fast method of shuttering, and minimal nonuniformity of pixel-to-pixel photoresponse. While the first two requirements are determined by choice of detector, the non-uniformity of photoresponse of typical detectors such as CCD cameras is around 2-3%. We describe a flat-field calibration setup specially developed for calibration of CCD camera photo-response and dark current with an accuracy of better than 0.5%. Such accuracy is adequate for use of a camera as a detector for an LTP with performance of ~0.1 microradian (rms). We also present the design details of the calibration system and results of calibration of a DALSA CCD camera used for upgrading our LTP-II instrument at the ALS Optical Metrology Laboratory.
Localization and Function of Xinα in Mouse Skeletal Muscle

Xin repeat-containing proteins were originally found in the intercalated discs of cardiac muscle with proposed roles in cardiac development and function. A pair of paralogous genes, Xinα (Xirp1) and Xinβ (Xirp2), is present in mammals. Ablation of the mouse Xinα (mXinα) did not affect heart development but caused late-onset adulthood cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyopathy with conductive defects. Both mXinα and mXinβ are also found in the myotendinous junctions (MTJs) of skeletal muscle. In the present study, we investigated the structural and functional significance of mXinα in skeletal muscles. In addition to MTJs and the contact sites between muscle and perimysium, mXinα but not mXinβ was found in the blood vessel walls, whereas both proteins were absent in neuromuscular junctions or the nerve fascicles. Co-localization and co-immunoprecipitation suggested association of mXinα with talin, vinculin and filamin but not β-catenin in MTJs of adult skeletal muscle. Complete loss of mXinα in mXinα-null mice had subtle effects on the MTJ structure and the expression of other known MTJ components. Diaphragm muscle fibers of mXinα-null mice showed significant hypertrophy. In comparison with wild type controls, mouse extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle lacking mXinα exhibited no overt change in contraction and relaxation velocities or in maximum force development. Its fatigability and recovery from fatigue were similar to that of wild type control. Loaded fatigue contractions generated stretch injury in wild type EDL muscle as indicated by an adaptive restrictive truncation of troponin T. However, this effect was blunted in mXinα-null EDL muscle. The results suggest that mXinα may play a role in MTJ conductance of contractile and stretching forces, essential to skeletal muscle function.
Computerized decision support system for intraoperative analysis of margin status in breast conservation therapy.

Background. Breast conservation therapy (BCT) is the standard treatment for breast cancer; however, 32–63% of procedures have a positive margin leading to secondary procedures. The standard of care to evaluate surgical margins is based on permanent section. Imprint cytology (IC) has been used to evaluate surgical samples but is limited by excessive cauterization thus requiring experienced cytopathologist for interpretation. An automated image screening process has been developed to detect cancerous cells from IC on cauterized margins. Methods. IC was prospectively performed on margins during lumpectomy operations for breast cancer in addition to permanent section on 127 patients. An 8-slide training subset and 8-slide testing subset were culled. H&E IC automated analysis, based on linear discriminant analysis, was compared to manual pathologist interpretation. Results. The most important descriptors, from highest to lowest performance, are nucleus color (23%), cytoplasm color (15%), shape (12%), grey intensity (9%), and local area (5%). There was 100% agreement between automated and manual interpretation of IC slides. Conclusion. Although limited by IC sampling variability, an automated system for accurate IC cancer cell identification system is demonstrated, with high correlation to manual analysis, even in the face of cauterization effects which supplement permanent section analysis.
Career Development in Higher Education: Process, Program, or Problem?.

In response to a variety of interpretations regarding the functions of career counseling and placement in today's higher education, this article clarifies the areas of assistance that colleges' career-counseling and placement offices provide. My explanation focuses on a sequential model for career development, and career-counseling programs and resources are discussed for each appropriate stage of student development.
Does conventional nucleation occur during phase separation in polymer blends

The kinetics of liquid–liquid phase separation in off-critical polymer blends was studied with time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering. Our objective was to study the nature of the nuclei that formed during the initial stages of the phase transition. The blends were composed of model polyolefins—deuterium-labeled poly(methyl butylene) (PMB) and poly(ethyl butylene) (PEB)—with molecular weights of about 200 kg/mol. A direct examination of the initial clustering of molecules before macroscopic phase separation was possible because of the large size of the polymer chains and concomitant entanglement effects. We discovered that the scattering profiles obtained during nucleation merged at a well-defined critical scattering vector. We propose that this is the signature of the critical nucleus and that the size of the critical nucleus is inversely proportional to the magnitude of the critical scattering vector. The kinetic studies were preceded by a thorough characterization of the equilibrium thermodynamic properties of our PMB/PEB blends. The locations of the binodal and spinodal curves of our system are consistent with predictions based on the Flory–Huggins theory. This combination of thermodynamic and kinetic experiments enabled the quantification of the dependence of the size and structure of the critical nuclei on the quench depth. Our results do not agree with any of the previous theories on nucleation. Some aspects of our results are addressed in recent theoretical work by Wang in which the effects of fluctuations on the classical binodal and spinodal curves in polymer blends are incorporated. Both theory and experiment support the notion that the traditional stability limit (spinodal) should be replaced by a metastability limit. Although Wang's theory provides an explanation for some of our observations, many fundamental issues regarding nucleation in polymer blends remain unresolved. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1793–1809, 2004
Moisture and mydriasis

A 31-year-old female was admitted to the hospital for a pericardectomy secondary to constrictive pericarditis. On the fourth postoperative day, neurology was urgently consulted because of an alarming acute wide pupil. She had no headache, ocular pain, diplopia, ptosis or other neurologic symptoms. Neurologic examination showed left mydriasis (9 mm) while the right pupil measured 3 mm (figure 1). Pupillary light reflex was normal bilaterally. The remainder of the neurologic examination was unremarkable. There was decreased intraocular pressure in the left eye (9 mm Hg vs 12 mm Hg) as assessed by the consulted ophthalmologist who found no other abnormalities. Throughout the hospitalisation, …
Steady-State, ac-Temperature Calorimetry

A steady-state technique for measuring heat capacity using ac heating is described. Heat is applied sinusoidally in time to a sample coupled thermally to a reservoir; the resultant equilibrium temperature of the sample contains a term that is both inversely proportional to the heat capacity and measurable with high precision. The effects of various corrections that must be applied to the data are considered in detail. Measurements of the absolute magnitude of the heat capacity of indium and the field dependence of the heat capacity of beryllium have been made and are used to illustrate the power of the method. The observed quantum oscillations in the heat capacity of beryllium are in agreement with predictions based on other measurements.
Estrogen-bridged purines: a new series of anti-tumor agents which alter cell membrane properties.

Abstract An estrogen-bridged adenine derivative was equitoxic to both the P388 murine leukemia and an adriamycin-resistant subline, P388 ADR . The drug rapidly altered several P388 and P388 ADR membrane properties resulting in impaired nucleoside transport and increased membrane hydrophobicity. Resistance to anthracyclines in P388 ADR is associated with an operational barrier to drug retention which was reversed by exposure to the estrogen-bridged adenine derivative. These results suggest further exploration of the estrogen-bridged purines as chemotherapeutic agents.
Dynamic screening in solar p-p reactions: is the mean-field approach applicable in solar plasma?

Although the Salpeter approximation for static screening is widely accepted and used in stellar modeling, the question of dynamic screening has been revisited. Here we reproduce Shaviv and Shaviv’s numerical analysis of the screening energy for p-p reactions in the solar core using the techniques of molecular dynamics to directly calculate the motion of ions and electrons due to Coulomb interactions without the mean-field assumption that is inherent in the Salpeter approximation. We conclude that the effects of dynamic screening are relevant and should be included in the treatment of the plasma, especially in the computation of nuclear reaction rates.
Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) Link Validation During Operations from the ISS

In mid-2014 several day and nighttime links under diverse atmospheric conditions were completed using the Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) flight system on-board the International Space Station (ISS). In this paper we compare measured optical power and its variance at either end of the link with predictions that include atmospheric propagation models. For the 976 nm laser beacon mean power transmitted from the ground to the ISS the predicted mean irradiance of tens of microwatts per square meter close to zenith and its decrease with range and increased air mass shows good agreement with predictions. The irradiance fluctuations sampled at 100 Hz also follow the expected increase in scintillation with air mass representative of atmospheric coherence lengths at zenith at 500 nm in the 3-8 cm range. The downlink predicted power of hundreds of nanowatts was also reconciled within the uncertainty of the atmospheric losses. Expected link performance with uncoded bit-error rates less than 1E-4 required for the Reed- Solomon code to correct errors for video, text and file transmissions was verified. The results of predicted and measured powers and fluctuations suggest the need for further study and refinement.
Relating alloy chemistry, dislocation structure and flow strength in the (NixFe1-x)3Ge system

In order to study the mechanical behavior of L1{sub 2} intermetallics in general, the model system (Ni{sub x}Fe{sub 1{minus}x}){sub 3}Ge was chosen. This system is pseudobinary, since the Ge content is held constant at 25 at % and Fe is substituted for Ni as the composition varies from Ni{sub 3}Ge to Fe{sub 3}Ge. The system (Ni{sub x}Fe{sub 1{minus}x}){sub 3}Ge exhibits complete solid solubility and assumes a continuous L1{sub 2} crystal structure below 973K for all intermediate alloy compositions. It is a model system for investigating the dependence of anomalous and normal mechanical behavior on dislocation core structure, because the L1{sub 2} compounds Ni{sub 3}Ge and Fe{sub 3}Ge show completely different mechanical behavior, NI{sub 3}Ge has been reported to have a strong anomaly, whereas Fe{sub 3}Ge shows a more normal decrease of yield strength with increasing temperature. Suzuki et al. have reported that the temperature dependence of flow strength changes from anomalous to normal as Fe content is increased. This study has been undertaken to examine the relationship between this macroscopic change in mechanical behavior and the dissociation and mobility of superdislocations.
Edible Starch for Fabrication of Nanoparticles by Electrospinning

The electrospinning is used to produce environment-friendly and degradable nanoparticles. The edible starch is used as the electrospinning solution and water as solvent, and size of the nanoparticles is controllable by the solution concentration.