cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circadian rhythms and seizure susceptibility: Relation to 5-hydroxytryptamine and norepinephrine in brain

Abstract Susceptibility to audiogenic seizures was determined in DBA/2J mice which were tested at 2-day intervals between 12 and 42 days of age; individual animals were tested only once; the seizure tests were conducted either during the day or at night. Differences in seizure susceptibility were found as a function of age and as a function of time-of-testing. Maximum day-night differences in seizure susceptibility were observed in 26-day-old animals, and all subsequent experiments were conducted in mice of this age. Susceptibility to sound- and electrically-induced seizures were studied in DBA/2J, C57BL/6J and F1 hybrid mice tested at 10 different times of the day-night cycle; individual animals were tested only once. Statistically significant differences in susceptibility to sound and electrically-induced seizures as a function of time-of-testing were observed in DBA/2J and F1 hybrid mice; C57BL/6J mice also exhibited some periodicity in seizure susceptibility although this was only marginally significant. Levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin, 5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) were determined in cortical, diencephalic and brain stem samples from brains of DBA/2J, C57BL/6J and F1 hybrid mice; samples were assayed either at noon or at midnight. No differences in levels of NE were observed in any of the tissues taken either at noon or at midnight. Statistically significant differences in levels of 5-HT were observed in all parts of brain between samples obtained at noon and at midnight; levels of 5-HT were between 10 and 20 per cent lower at midnight than at noon. No significant strain differences in levels of 5-HT and NE were observed. The correlation between seizure susceptibility and levels of these biogenic amines is discussed.
Applicability of Henry's Law : An Analysis of the Data of Maharajh and Walkley

THE recent report of Maharajh and Walkley1 claims that the solubility of oxygen in water is lowered by the presence of a second gas such as nitrogen. This observation conflicts with Henry's law. They base their claim upon measured solubility data which appear to show a significant interaction between the dissolved gases (each present at concentrations less than 50 p.p.m.). The purpose of this note is to demonstrate that a thermodynamic analysis of these data yields an unreasonable value for the nonideality of the aqueous solution of dissolved gases. We therefore question the validity of their data and reiterate the applicability of Henry's law to slightly soluble gases, both pure and mixed.
Non-toxic thermotropic liquid crystals for use with mammalian cells

This paper reports the results of a study that aimed to identify thermotropic liquid crystals that are not toxic to mammalian cells. Mesogenic compounds were mixed to create eight liquid crystalline phases, each with a unique set of functional groups. We investigated the toxicity of each liquid crystalline phase using two mammalian cell lines—3T3 fibroblast and SV-40 transformed human corneal epithelial (HCEC) cells. Using dual fluorescent staining assays based on calcein acetoxymethylester (Calcein-AM) and ethidium homodimer, we measured correspondingly the number of viable and dead cells following immersion of the cells in the liquid crystals. It was found that most of the liquid crystals, such as commonly used 5CB and E7, caused cell death after contact with cells for four hours. However, we identified a class of liquid crystals containing fluorophenyl groups that possess minimal or no toxicity (as indicated by results of assays based on Calcein-AM and ethidium homodimer) to cells. Following immersion ...
Candesartan inhibits Toll-like receptor expression and activity both in vitro and in vivo.

Introduction Toll-like receptors play an important role in the innate immune system and are found to be crucial in severe diseases like sepsis, atherosclerosis, and arthritis. TLR2 and TLR4 expression is upregulated in the inflammatory diseases. Angiotensin II in addition to stimulating vasoconstriction also induces an increase in ROS and a proinflammatory phenotype via AT1R. Angiotensin II type-1 receptor blocker (ARB), widely used as an antihypertensive drug, has been reported to also have anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, we investigated whether an ARB exerts anti-inflammatory effects via inhibiting TLR2 and TLR4 expression.
Patho-physiologic findings after chronic tryptophan deficiency in rats: A model for delayed growth and aging

Long-Evans female rats three weeks, three months and 13-14 months of age were placed on tryptophan-deficient diets for periods ranging from a few months to nearly two years. Growth was interupted during the period of tryptophan-deficiency, but when the animals were returned to a complete diet, they gained weight and grew to normal size. Ability to reproduce, as indicated by litter production, was present at 17-28 months of age in rats which had been deprived of tryptophan, whereas no controls over 17 months of age produced any offspring. Other signs of delayed aging in the experimental group included, at advanced ages, greater longevity, as well as later onset in the appearance of obvious tumors, and better coat condition and hair regrowth. Many of these effects were also seen in pair-fed controls (fed a diet equal in amount to that eaten by the tryptophan-deprived rats, but with 1-tryptophan added). It is hypothesized that tryptophan deficiency delays growth, development and maturation of the central nervous system (CNS), in particular, by decreasing the levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, for which tryptophan is the necessary precursor. In a parallel experiment, chronic treatment with d, 1-parachlorophenylalanine, an inhibitor of brain serotonin synthesis, from weaning until adulthood, also inhibited growth (body weight) and delayed sexual maturation (age of vaginal opening). These observations suggest that diets deficient in tryptophan or restricted in calories can affect maturation and aging by interfering with CNS protein synthesis, or neurotransmitter metabolism, or both.
Measurements of the filtration efficiencies of selected filter types

Abstract The filtration efficiencies of selected filter types including polytetrafluoroethylene membranes have been measured by a simple method using ambient dust particles. Pressurized room air is passed through the filter and the particles penetrating the filter are detected with a condensation nuclei counter. Lower limits ranging from 99.0 to 99.9% were established for the efficiencies of Gelman GA-1 cellulose acetate, Gelman Spectrograde glass fiber, Gelman A glass fiber, MSA glass fiber and EPA glass fiber filters. Nuclepore (0.8 μm pore) and Whatman 41 filters were found to have much lower efficiencies. Of the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane filters, Ghia 1–3 μm pore, Ghia 2–4 μm pore and Fluoropore 1 μm pore, have efficiencies > 99.9% Ghia 3–5 μm pore and Fluoropore 3 μm pore show a small amount of penetration, generally less than 1%. Pressure drops across the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane filters are presented for several flow rates. At high flow rates, the pressure drop across 1 μm pore size Fluoropore has been found to increase with time, even with clean air.
Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of the Atria Reduces Inducibility and Duration of Atrial Fibrillation in Dogs

Background The purpose of this study was to prevent induction of sustained atrial fibrillation (AF) by radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of the atria in an open-chest canine model. Methods and Results In dogs randomized to acute studies, RFCA of the atria was performed after reproducible induction of sustained AF (lasting >30 minutes) with burst stimulation or premature atrial pacing and perpetuation by low level cervical vagal stimulation or IV infusion of methacholine. Additionally, in four dogs, the long-term effectiveness of RFCA was assessed 7 to 21 days after ablation. Continuous discrete transmural lesions were produced with radiofrequency energy pulses (20 to 40 W for 60 seconds) delivered to five atrial epicardial sites and endovascularly to the coronary sinus wall. RFCA electrically isolated regions of the atria that became dissociated from the nonisolated parts. Atrial RFCA markedly attenuated vagally induced shortening of effective refractory period (ERP) at both isolated and nonisolated test sites located in the left and right atria ( P P Conclusions RFCA in open-chest dogs produces partial vagal denervation and reduces the inducibility of AF.
A novel bioassay for the NK-2 neurokinin receptor: The guinea pig gallbladder

Abstract Although three neurokinin receptors (NK-1, NK-2, NK-3) have been identified by radioligand binding assays, only the NK-1 and NK-3 types have been found in smooth muscle bioassays. In this study, evidence is presented demonstrating functional NK-2 type receptors in the guinea pig gallbladder (GPGB). The potencies of the following neurokinins were determined in the GPGB and the guinea pig ileum (GPI): substance P (SP), physalaemin (PH), eledoisin (EL), substance K (SK) and kassinin (KA). ED50 values were determined by linear regression analysis of the dose-related increases in the force generated by each peptide. In the GPI, the rank order of potency was SP = PH = EL > SK = KA, indicating NK-1 selectivity. In the GPGB, the relative potencies were SK > KA > EL ⪢ PH > SP, which is similar to that reported for the NK-2 receptor in radioligand binding assays. These findings demonstrate the NK-2 receptor tissue selectivity of the GPGB.
Analog timing recovery for a noise-predictive decision-feedback equalizer

A timing recovery architecture and its CMOS implementation are described for a noise-predictive decision-feedback equalizer (NPDFE). The 0.5-/spl mu/m CMOS prototype includes timing recovery and the NPDFE and operates at 160 Mbit/s. The timing recovery blocks dissipate 27 mW from 3.3 V, occupy 0.2 mm/sup 2/, and achieve a root mean square jitter of 50 ps, which is 0.8% of a bit period.
Combined percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty and transluminal coronary angioplasty in adult patients with calcific aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease.

Of 120 consecutive balloon aortic valvuloplasty procedures for critical aortic stenosis, valvuloplasty was performed in combination with coronary angioplasty in nine patients (average age 76 years). All nine patients were symptomatic with angina and congestive heart failure before combined procedures. Aortic valvuloplasty was performed with 20 to 23 mm balloon catheter advanced retrogradely from the femoral artery and resulted in an improvement in peak aortic valve gradient (60 +/- 19 to 33 +/- 13 mm Hg; p less than or equal to .01) and calculated aortic valve area (0.7 +/- 0.1 to 1.1 +/- 0.3 cm2; p less than or equal to .01). Single-vessel coronary angioplasty was performed via the femoral approach, with 2.0 to 3.5 mm balloon catheters, and resulted in a mean reduction of a critical coronary stenosis in each patient from 91 +/- 4% to 29 +/- 8%. The site of coronary angioplasty was the left anterior descending artery in three patients, the circumflex artery in three patients, the right coronary artery in two patients, and a bypass graft to the right coronary artery in one patient. Combined procedures were performed with a mean arterial time of 108 min. Complications included groin hematomas (n = 2), transient left bundle branch block (n = 1), and transient atrial fibrillation (n = 1). No patient experienced prolonged chest pain, myocardial infarction, major increase in aortic insufficiency, or embolic phenomena. Eight of the nine patients treated with combined procedures noted significant improvement in symptoms of angina and congestive heart failure and were discharged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cross-Cultural Attitudes Towards Suicide: The SOQ and A Personal Odyssey

The Suicide Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ) has been used in many studies to assess cross-cultural attitudes towards suicide; these include studies in countries such as the USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, Singapore, to name a few. These studies suggest not only that the SOQ is applicable to various cultures, but also suggest that there is diversity in attitudes worldwide. Yet, there are problems (e.g., psychometric properties), but despite such limitations, further research with the SOQ is warranted. This paper reviews the development of the SOQ and its application to cross-cultural contexts.
New antimicrobial agents for patients with Clostridium difficile infections

Current drug treatment of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) focuses on metronidazole and vancomycin. Early studies showed equivalence, but more recent reports indicate that oral vancomycin is preferred for serious CDI. Recent work has demonstrated a need for new drugs due to challenges with the NAP-1 strain, which appears to cause more refractory disease that is more likely to relapse. These two distinctive facets of treatment are the most challenging. This review discusses new agents in development: antibiotics, probiotics, immune response products, and agents to bind C. difficile toxins. None are likely to be more effective than oral vancomycin for acute infection. However, several may be as effective, without causing relapse or promoting unnecessary antibiotic use for multiple conditions. The greatest promise is with agents used to interrupt relapses. In this category the leading new agents appear to be antibiotics (rifaximin, nitazoxanide, difimicin, ramoplanin), toxin-binding agents (tolevamer), probiotics (Saccharomyces boulardii and Lactobacillus ramosus), and immune agents (toxoid vaccine and hyperimmune globulin). The drugs that appear most promising based on recent trials are rifaximin, tolevamer, and difimicin, which appear promising for reducing relapses.
Individual and Situational Precursors of Successful Action Learning

Action learning is based on exposure to managers and teachers engaged in the solution of real-time problems. This article reports on a study of three action learning programs to determine individual and situational factors that lead to useful behavioral outcomes. Students improved the most in questioning competencies as well as in some of the traditional mangerial skill domains. This study also found a strong association between action science proclivities and action learning outcomes.
Mossy fiber reorganization in the epileptic hippocampus.

Reorganization of dentate granule cell axons (mossy fibers) is a prominent aspect of the pathological changes observed in human temporal lobe epilepsy. Although recent work has begun to address the significance of mossy fiber reorganization, the specific and overall functional consequences of these
Stability of forsterite + CO2 and its bearing on the role of CO2 in the mantle

Abstract An experimental determination of the reaction MgCO 3 + MgSiO 3 = Mg 2 SiO 4 + CO 2 between 20 and 40 kbars and in the range 1000–1500°C yields an average pressure effect on the equilibrium of 44 bars/°C. This result shows that the assemblage forsterite and carbon dioxide is not stable under most pressure and temperature conditions expected in the upper mantle. Hypotheses requiring the presence of free CO 2 in the low-velocity zone, CO 2 as a drive mechanism for kimberlite emplacement, or action of a free CO 2 phase in ultramafic rocks may need considerable revision.
Brief approaches to alcohol screening: practical alternatives for primary care.

Brief alcohol counseling is one of the most important preventive services we can offer primary care patients. As many as 20% of general medicine outpatients have unhealthy drinking patterns (definitions1–5 in box) and can benefit from brief counseling interventions.6 The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends routine alcohol screening followed by brief interventions (BI),7 and in 2006, the National Commission on Prevention Priorities (NCPP) ranked alcohol screening and BI in the top five U.S. prevention priorities.8 NCPP is funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to prioritize USPSTF recommendations based on the clinically preventable burden of disease and cost effectiveness, and alcohol screening and brief counseling was one of the few preventive interventions that NCPP found to be cost saving.8 However, the NCPP also noted that alcohol screening and counseling were among the least implemented recommended interventions studied, and efforts to implement alcohol screening and BI outside research settings have made slow progress.
Cardiovascular Demands of Deer Retrieval Methods

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare the cardiovascular (CV) demands of 2 deer retrieval methods. Methods Twelve male participants (weight 86 ± 24 kg, age 21 ± 1 years) performed a maximum treadmill test on day 1 to determine baseline fitness levels. On day 2, all participants first towed, then dragged a 45-kg simulated deer carcass for 457 m at a self-selected pace. The tow condition utilized a shoulder harness system with a 2-m strap connecting the harness to the carcass, allowing the participant to walk upright as he towed the load. The dragging condition required the participants to flex their trunk, grasp the legs of the deer with both hands, and drag the carcass the length of the course. Heart rate and oxygen consumption (Vo 2 ) from each trial were measured by indirect calorimetry. Results The CV responses of towing were significantly less compared with those of dragging for Vo 2 peak ( P = .001), peak heart rate ( P = .003), average heart rate ( P = .028), and rating of perceived exertion ( P 2 ( P = .91) or time to completion ( P = .27). Conclusions The results of this study suggest towing a deer with a shoulder harness results in significant reductions in CV demand and lower perceived exertion compared with traditional deer dragging techniques. Deer hunters who are deconditioned or have CV risk factors are strongly encouraged to consider deer retrieval methods utilizing a shoulder harness and tow rope to mitigate the increased demands commonly found with traditional retrieval methods.
A hybrid electrical-behavioral modeling approach for pre- and post-silicon electrical validation

This paper discusses pre- and post-silicon electrical validation requirements for highly integrated designs and highlights the need for large-scale modeling and simulation of analog components in the context of validation. Current fast SPICE tools and Analog-Mixed Signal simulation do not provide the speed and scalability necessary to perform full cluster or system-level verification of high-speed IO links or to perform a variability analysis of these circuits. This paper outlines a method to scale the simulation of these circuits with correct accounting of voltage and temperature fluctuations, within-die and die-to-die variations, and platform uncertainty, with little loss in accuracy. The results are illustrated on a self-biased PLL example and illustrate the tremendous speedup that can be achieved while maintaining a comparable accuracy to SPICE for the behaviors that are modeled.
Individual differences in voice quality perception.

Sixteen listeners (10 expert, 6 naive) judged the dissimilarity of pairs of voices drawn from pathological and normal populations. Separate nonmetric multidimensional scaling solutions were calcula...
Electronic properties of MoS2 nanoparticles

We present a first principle, theoretical study of MoS2 nanoparticles that provides a unified explanation of measured photoluminescence spectra and recent STM measurements as a function of size. In addition, our calculations suggest ways to engineer the electronic properties of these systems so as to obtain direct band gap 3D layered nanoparticles or Mo doped metallic nanowires. In particular, we show that single sheet MoS2 nanoparticles up to ∼3.4 nm show no appreciable quantum confinement effects. Instead, their electronic structure is entirely dominated by surface states near the Fermi level. In 3D nanoparticles, we found a strong dependence of their electronic properties on layer stacking and distance, and we suggest that the observed photoluminescence variation as a function of size originates from the number of planes composing the system. The number of these planes and their distance can be tuned to engineer clusters with direct band gaps, at variance with the bulk. Our results also suggest ways to...
LIDDICOAT, ANTHONY J. An Introduction to Conversation Analysis. 2nd ed. London: Continuum, 2011. Pp. 404. $39.95, paper. ISBN 978–1–441–18934–9.

The article reviews the second edition of the book "An Introduction to Conversation Analysis" by Anthony J. Liddicoat.
The effects of trust, client importance, and goal commitment on auditors' acceptance of client-preferred methods

Abstract The purpose of this study is to extend our understanding of the factors that impact auditor judgment and decision-making. Specifically, we investigate how two factors, client importance and auditor trust, impact auditors' directional goal commitment and decision-making at the transaction level. We find no impact of client importance on the auditors' goal commitment or acceptance of a client preferred accounting treatment. However, we find that trust in client's management is positively related to the commitment to the goal of supporting the client's preferred method of recognizing revenue. Further, we find that auditors' goal commitment is positively related to their acceptance of a client preferred accounting treatment.
Exploiting communication and packaging locality for cost-effective large scale networks

As processing power increases, maintaining the balance between network and computing is becoming increasingly difficult. The two major contributors to this imbalance are the cost and the power of high bandwidth networks, and both network cost and power are heavily impacted by the type of signaling used. Reducing the length of a network link leads to both lower cost and lower power. Unfortunately, the low dimension mesh and torus topologies that enable the shortest physical links also scale poorly in terms of hop count and global bandwidth. In contrast, topologies with low hop count and high global bandwidth have a large fraction of physical links that are several meters long. We propose the cube collective topology --- a hierarchical topology that uses a mesh topology locally to minimize link length and an all-to-all topology globally to minimize global hops. The result is that over 80% of the links can be very short (under 1 meter). This enables significant reductions in both network cost and network power, while still providing a balance of high global and high local bandwidth.
God, Evil and Mystery

Can a loving God exist, in view of the reality of sin and suffering? In response to this challenge the Irenaean theodicy offers the limited and negative conclusion that the world’s evil does not rationally require one to renounce belief in God. Nor on the other hand, needless to say, does the fact of evil lead one towards belief in God. The positive grounds of belief are not an inference from the world to God. We cannot argue from ‘the appearances of nature’ — which include all sorts of cases of unmerited suffering — to the existence of a good and loving creator. The positive grounds of theistic belief are, I believe, experiential rather than inferential. But our question now is whether the reality of evil, particularly in the forms of wickedness and suffering, renders it unreasonable to retain a belief in God which has arisen from other grounds. And I want to suggest, in the light of the considerations which constitute the Irenaean theodicy, that whilst the reality of evil undoubtedly challenges christian faith and sets it under a severe strain, it does not finally render that faith untenable by a rational person.
A Value‐Added Framework for Analyzing Electronic and Print Publishing

Digital electronic network and optical storage technologies are revolutionizing publishing. The new technology enables a disaggregation of value and an associated dis‐integration of production. The dimensions of new information technologies can be explored more carefully by thinking about ten discrete characteristics or attributes of information products, or “types of value.” A modern print publisher is a broker or assembler of all the types of value. Mechanical print formats will continue to offer better utility to consumers than digital electronic formats as long as they have more of these types of value than digital electronic formats. Lightweight “notebook” portable microcomputers, having most of the power of desktop computers, and pen‐operating systems at least partially satisfy the first need, the need for book‐size flat panel displays. Three inter‐related software requirements remain to be satisfied: improved browsability, zooming capability, and improved annotation capability. Network and CD‐ROM technologies make it possible for a larger number of competing suppliers of specific types of added value to offer diverse products, with some of the features likely to cause consumers to shift their preferences from paper to electronic formats.
Solving linear quadratic discrete-time optimal controls using neural networks

The authors describe a unique implementation of linear quadratic (LQ) optimal control using the Hopfield type of neural network. They discuss the neural network architecture for LQ optimal control and present simulation results. They also discuss its extension to the solution of linear quadratic Gaussian optimal control problems. >
A model clinical program for patients with diabetes and vision impairment.

A program was developed to improve independence, self- esteem, and glycemic control in patients with diabetes and blindness. Twenty-nine individuals with both insulin- dependent and noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus entered 12-week programs that included education focusing on diabetes self-management skills for the visually impaired, monitored exercise sessions, and group support. Glycated. hemoglobin valuesfellfrom 13.0% ± 0.6% (SEM) to 11.4% ± 0.5% (P=.001). Exercise tolerance in a 12-minute walk test improved from 0. 48 ± 0. 04 to 0. 64 ± 0.05 miles (P=.001). Marked improvements occurred in psychosocial indices, demonstrated through changes in the Rand Mental Health Index from 155 ± 6 to 174 ± 5 (P=. 0001), the Rosenberg Self- Esteem Scale from 22 ± 1 to 19 ± 1 (P =. 001), the Zung Depression Scale from 0.50 ± 0. 02 to 0. 44 ± 0. 02 (P =.001), and the Diabetes Self- Reliance Test from 60 ± 3 to 74 ± 2 (P=.0001).
Violent behavior patterns on psychiatric wards

A study of 379 violent incidents between pairs of psychiatric inpatients during an eight-month period indicates a substantial number of patterned associations between assaulting patients and those struck. In addition, regularities are observed in these incidents between frequency of occurrence and spatiotemporal and other contextual factors. Taken in the aggregate, these relationships support enlargement of most current conceptualizations of the violent act in psychiatric settings, which focus almost exclusively upon physiologic and psychologic state changes within the identified initiator of violent acts.
Digital Medical Tools and Sensors

Until now, most of the effect of the digital era in the practice of medicine has been confined to electronic health records. But that is about to undergo a radical transformation in the next 5 years.
Using simple page placement policies to reduce the cost of cache fills in coherent shared-memory systems

The cost of a cache miss depends heavily on the location of the main memory that backs the missing line. For certain applications, this cost is a major factor in overall performance. We report on the utility of OS-based page placement as a mechanism to increase the frequency with which cache fills access local memory in distributed shared memory multiprocessors. Even with the very simple policy of first-use placement, we find significant improvements over round-robin placement for many applications on both hardware- and software-coherent systems. For most of our applications, first-use placement allows 35 to 75 percent of cache fills to be performed locally, resulting in performance improvements of up to 40 percent with respect to round-robin placement. We were surprised to find no performance advantage in more sophisticated policies, including page migration and page replication. In fact, in many cases the performance of our applications suffered under these policies. >
HDAC Inhibition Elicits Myocardial Protective Effect through Modulation of MKK3/Akt-1

We and others have demonstrated that HDAC inhibition protects the heart against myocardial injury. It is known that Akt-1 and MAP kinase play an essential role in modulation of myocardial protection and cardiac preconditioning. Our recent observations have shown that Akt-1 was activated in post-myocardial infarction following HDAC inhibition. However, it remains unknown whether MKK3 and Akt-1 are involved in HDAC inhibition-induced myocardial protection in acute myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury. We sought to investigate whether the genetic disruption of Akt-1 and MKK3 eliminate cardioprotection elicited by HDAC inhibition and whether Akt-1 is associated with MKK3 to ultimately achieve protective effects. Adult wild type and MKK3−/−, Akt-1−/− mice received intraperitoneal injections of trichostatin A (0.1mg/kg), a potent inhibitor of HDACs. The hearts were subjected to 30 min myocardial ischemia/30 min reperfusion in the Langendorff perfused heart after twenty four hours to elicit pharmacologic preconditioning. Left ventricular function was measured, and infarct size was determined. Acetylation and phosphorylation of MKK3 were detected and disruption of Akt-1 abolished both acetylation and phosphorylation of MKK3. HDAC inhibition produces an improvement in left ventricular functional recovery, but these effects were abrogated by disruption of either Akt-1 or MKK3. Disruption of Akt-1 or MKK3 abolished the effects of HDAC inhibition-induced reduction of infarct size. Trichostatin A treatment resulted in an increase in MKK3 phosphorylation or acetylation in myocardium. Taken together, these results indicate that stimulation of the MKK3 and Akt-1 pathway is a novel approach to HDAC inhibition -induced cardioprotection.
Nociceptors in cardiovascular functions: complex interplay as a result of cyclooxygenase inhibition

Prostaglandins (PGs) are requisite components of inflammatory pain as indicated by the efficacy of cyclooxygenase 1/2 (COX1/2) inhibitors. PGs do not activate nociceptive ion channels directly, but sensitize them by downstream mechanisms linked to G-protein coupled receptors. Antiinflammatory effects are purported to arise from inhibition of synthesis and/or release of proinflammatory agents. Release of these agents from peripheral and central terminals of sensory neurons modulates nociceptive input from the periphery and synaptic transmission at the first sensory synapse, respectively. Heart and blood vessels are densely innervated by sensory nerve endings that express chemo-, mechano-, and thermo-sensitive receptors. Activation of these receptors mediates synthesis and/or release of vasoactive agents by virtue of their Ca2+permeability. In this article, we discuss that inhibition of COX2 reduces PG synthesis and renders beneficial effects by preventing sensitization of nociceptors, but at the same time, it might contribute to deleterious cardiovascular effects by compromising the synthesis and/or release of vasoactive agents.
Collaborative Care Management of Major Depression Among Low-Income, Predominantly Hispanic Subjects With Diabetes: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE To determine whether evidence-based socioculturally adapted collaborative depression care improves receipt of depression care and depression and diabetes outcomes in low-income Hispanic subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a randomized controlled trial of 387 diabetic patients (96.5% Hispanic) with clinically significant depression recruited from two public safety-net clinics from August 2005 to July 2007 and followed over 18 months. Intervention (INT group) included problem-solving therapy and/or antidepressant medication based on a stepped-care algorithm; first-line treatment choice; telephone treatment response, adherence, and relapse prevention follow-up over 12 months; plus systems navigation assistance. Enhanced usual care (EUC group) included standard clinic care plus patient receipt of depression educational pamphlets and a community resource list. RESULTS INT patients had significantly greater depression improvement (≥50% reduction in Symptom Checklist-20 depression score from baseline; 57, 62, and 62% vs. the EUC group's 36, 42, and 44% at 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively; odds ratio 2.46–2.57; P < 0.001). Mixed-effects linear regression models showed a significant study group–by–time interaction over 18 months in diabetes symptoms; anxiety; Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) emotional, physical, and pain-related functioning; Sheehan disability; financial situation; and number of social stressors ( P = 0.04 for disability and SF-12 physical functioning, P < 0.001 for all others) but no study group–by–time interaction in A1C, diabetes complications, self-care management, or BMI. CONCLUSIONS Socioculturally adapted collaborative depression care improved depression, functional outcomes, and receipt of depression treatment in predominantly Hispanic patients in safety-net clinics.
Genetic Investigation of Tricarboxylic Acid Metabolism during the Plasmodium falciparum Life Cycle

Summary New antimalarial drugs are urgently needed to control drug-resistant forms of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum . Mitochondrial electron transport is the target of both existing and new antimalarials. Herein, we describe 11 genetic knockout (KO) lines that delete six of the eight mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzymes. Although all TCA KOs grew normally in asexual blood stages, these metabolic deficiencies halted life-cycle progression in later stages. Specifically, aconitase KO parasites arrested as late gametocytes, whereas α-ketoglutarate-dehydrogenase-deficient parasites failed to develop oocysts in the mosquitoes. Mass spectrometry analysis of 13 C-isotope-labeled TCA mutant parasites showed that P. falciparum has significant flexibility in TCA metabolism. This flexibility manifested itself through changes in pathway fluxes and through altered exchange of substrates between cytosolic and mitochondrial pools. Our findings suggest that mitochondrial metabolic plasticity is essential for parasite development.
Applied linguistics: Optimization of semantic relations by data aggregation techniques

After a short methodological presentation of similarity aggregation in automatic classification, we will present an application to computational linguistics. We will try to explain, from an existing dictionary of synonyms, how we have (a)defined what was, in our opinion, the meaning of the synonymous relation we wanted to reveal in a new optimized dictionary, (b)transformed the existing dictionary into a sequence of matrices of synonymy, (c)checked with an adapted algorithm (similarity aggregation technique) if the links appearing in the existing dictionary corresponded to our synonymy definition, (d)tried to improve the synonymous relation, in order to propose more accurate data facilitating the management of a new dictionary and providing a classification of synonyms according to a semic separate valuation.
Effects of Soil Type, Source of Silicon, and Rate of Silicon Source on Development of Gray Leaf Spot of Perennial Ryegrass Turf

Silicon amendments have been proven effective in controlling fungal diseases of various crops. However, effects of silicon amendments on gray leaf spot (Magnaporthe oryzae) of perennial ryegrass are not known. Studies were conducted in controlled-environment chambers and microplots where perennial ryegrass pots were buried among perennial ryegrass turf to determine the effects of silicon amendments on gray leaf spot development. Plants were grown in two soil types: peat:sand mix (soil Si = 5.2 mg/liter) and Hagerstown silt loam (soil Si = 70 mg/liter). Both soil types were amended with two sources of silicon-wollastonite and calcium silicate slag-at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, and 10 metric tons/ha and 0, 0.6, 1.2, 2.4, 6, and 12 metric tons/ha, respectively. Nine-week-old perennial ryegrass was inoculated with M. oryzae. Gray leaf spot incidence and severity were assessed 2 weeks after inoculation. Gray leaf spot incidence and severity of perennial ryegrass significantly decreased by different rates of wollastonite and calcium silicate slag applied to both soils under both experimental conditions. Tissue silicon content increased consistently with increasing amount of silicon in the soils, while disease incidence decreased consistently with increasing tissue silicon content in all four soil and source combinations under both experimental conditions. These findings suggest that silicon amendments may be utilized in integrated gray leaf spot management programs on perennial ryegrass.
Scalable queue-based spin locks with timeout

Queue-based spin locks allow programs with busy-wait synchronization to scale to very large multiprocessors, without fear of starvation or performance-destroying contention. So-called try locks, traditionally based on non-scalable test-and-set locks, allow a process to abandon its attempt to acquire a lock after a given amount of time. The process can then pursue an alternative code path, or yield the processor to some other process.We demonstrate that it is possible to obtain both scalability and bounded waiting, using variants of the queue-based locks of Craig, Landin, and Hagersten, and of Mellor-Crummey and Scott. A process that decides to stop waiting for one of these new locks can ``link itself out of line'' atomically. Single-processor experiments reveal performance penalties of 50--100\% for the CLH and MCS try locks in comparison to their standard versions; this marginal cost decreases with larger numbers of processors.We have also compared our queue-based locks to a traditional \tatas\ lock with exponential backoff and timeout. At modest (non-zero) levels of contention, the queued locks sacrifice cache locality for fairness, resulting in a worst-case 3X performance penalty. At high levels of contention, however, they display a 1.5--2X performance advantage, with significantly more regular timings and significantly higher rates of acquisition prior to timeout.
Paste Thickening of Fine Coal Refuse

The coal industry is being subjected to increasing public scrutiny with regards to its effect on the environment and impact on public health and safety. Recently, disposal and storage of fine coal waste slurry has drawn considerable public attention. This article discusses the emerging paste thickening technology as a possible solution to the fine coal waste slurry disposal problem. Paste-thickening studies were conducted on thickener underflow slurry from a central Appalachia preparation plant. Initial experiments were conducted with a laboratory scale T-Floc apparatus to optimize flocculant dosages to obtain maximum settling flux and underflow solids concentration. Results showed that the addition of anionic flocculant (400 g/t) to the slurry followed by cationic flocculant (100 g/t) provided the highest settling flux (3.85 tonnes/hr/m2) and solids concentration (35% by weight). Pilot-scale paste thickening tests were conducted using a Dorr-Oliver Eimco Deepcone™ thickener. The thickener concentrated th...
Confidence Limits on the Ratio of the Mean Failure Times Based on Paired Exponential Observations

This paper discusses interval estimation for the ratio of the mean failure times on the basis of paired exponential observations. This paper considers five interval estimators: the confidence interval using an idea similar to Fieller's theorem (CIFT), the confidence interval using an exact parametric test (CIEP), the confidence interval using the marginal likelihood ratio test (CILR), the confidence interval assuming no matching effect (CINM), and the confidence interval using a locally most powerful test (CIMP). To evaluate and compare the performance of these five interval estimators, this paper applies Monte Carlo simulation. This paper notes that with respect to the coverage probability, use of the CIFT, CILR, or CIMP, although which are all derived based on large sample theory, can perform well even when the number of pairs n is as small as 10. As compared with use of the CILR, this paper finds that use of the CIEP with equal tail probabilities is likely to lose efficiency. However, this loss can be reduced by using the optimal tail probabilities to minimize the average length when n is small (≤20). This paper further notes that use of the CIMP is preferable to the CIEP in a variety of situations considered here. In fact, the average length of the CIMP with use of the optimal tail probabilities can even be shorter than that of the CILR. When the intraclass correlation between failure times within pairs is 0 (i.e., the failure times within the same pair are independent), the CINM, which is derived for two independent samples, is certainly the best one among the five interval estimators considered here. When there is an intraclass correlation but which is small (≤0.10), the CIFT is recommended for obtaining a relatively short interval estimate without sacrificing the loss of the coverage probability. When the intraclass correlation is moderate or large, either the CILR or the CIMP with the optimal tail probabilities is preferable to the others. This paper also notes that if the intraclass correlation between failure times within pairs is large, use of the CINM can be misleading, especially when the number of pairs is large.
An Examination of the Equivalence between Non-Adaptive Computer-based and Traditional Testing

With the increasing availability of computer-based testing programs, many instructors are beginning to adapt traditional paper-pencil tests to electronic formats. While there are advantages to comp...
The infeasibility of a zero-current switching class-E amplifier

It has been shown that a class-E amplifier can be configured to provide nearly 100% efficiency and zero-current or zero-voltage switching. A particular configuration, which supplies zero-current switching when the transistor output capacitance is zero, is considered for the case in which the transistor output capacitance is greater than zero. Equations for the switch voltage and current, the DC input voltage and current, the output voltage and current, and powers are determined for the amplifier. The equations show that with this configuration, a zero-current-switching class-E amplifier cannot be physically realized. >
Electrochemical evaluation of molybdenum disulfide as a catalyst for hydrogen evolution in microbial electrolysis cells

Abstract There is great interest in hydrogen evolution in bioelectrochemical systems, such as microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), but these systems require non-optimal near-neutral pH conditions and the use of low-cost, non-precious metal catalysts. Here we show that molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) composite cathodes have electrochemical performance superior to stainless steel (SS) (currently the most promising low-cost, non-precious metal MEC catalyst) or Pt-based cathodes in phosphate or perchlorate electrolytes, yet they cost ∼4.5 times less than Pt-based composite cathodes. At current densities typical of many MECs (2–5 A/m2), the optimal surface density with MoS2 particles on carbon cloth was 25 g/m2, achieving 31 mV less hydrogen evolution overpotential than similarly constructed Pt cathodes in galvanostatic tests with a phosphate buffer. At higher current densities (8–10 A/m2) the MoS2 catalyst had 82 mV less hydrogen evolution overpotential than the Pt-based catalyst. MoS2 composite cathodes performed similarly to Pt cathodes in terms of current densities, hydrogen production rates and COD removal over several batch cycles in MEC reactors. These results show that MoS2 can be used to substantially reduce the cost of cathodes used in MECs for hydrogen gas production.
Effect of Anticoagulation Medication on the Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration Pathologic Diagnostic Sufficiency Rate.

Objectives This study examined whether ultrasound-guided thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy performed on patients taking anticoagulation medication results in a greater number of nondiagnostic pathologic samples due to a higher propensity to bleed, and thus fill the needle with blood rather than cellular material, compared to patients not taking anticoagulation medication. Methods In this retrospective review, data were collected on 1100 patients who underwent ultrasound-guided thyroid FNA over a 4-year period. Of these patients, 438 were included. Each thyroid FNA was performed by a board-certified radiologist using a 6-pass capillary fill technique. Data including patient age, sex, nodule size, nodule consistency, and whether the patient was or was not taking anticoagulation medication (and, if they were, which medication) were recorded from the electronic medical record, and the nodule characteristics were confirmed on imaging by a senior radiology resident (postgraduate year 5). Results Of the 438 patients included, 12 (2.7%) had an FNA aspirate that was deemed insufficient for diagnostic evaluation. Nondiagnostic pathologic yields were seen in 7 of the 309 patients (2.3%) who were not taking anticoagulation medication and 5 of 129 patients (3.9%) who were taking aspirin, warfarin, or clopidogrel, resulting in no statistically significant difference in the rates of nondiagnostic pathologic yields between the two groups (P = .35). Conclusions Based on these data, cessation of anticoagulation medication before thyroid FNA is not necessary to obtain sufficient cellular material for diagnosis, thus eliminating the need for procedural delays, patient inconvenience, and risks associated with anticoagulation medication cessation.
The Efficacy of Self-Report Measures in Predicting Social Phobia in African American Adults

Empirical literature pertaining to anxiety in African Americans has been relatively sparse. More recent studies indicate that the construct of social fear is different in African Americans than in non-Hispanic Whites. Although some of these studies have examined factor structure utilizing self-report measures of anxiety in African American samples, none to date have examined the clinical utility of these measures in predicting anxiety diagnoses, particularly social phobia. A total of sixty-five African American adults from the community completed the Fear Survey Schedule-Second Edition (FSS-II), Social Anxiety Interaction Scale (SIAS), Social Phobia Scale (SPS), and Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire (APPQ). The Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule-Fourth Edition (ADIS-IV) was administered to all participants to specify differential diagnoses of anxiety and related disorders. Twenty-three African American adults were diagnosed with social phobia leaving 42 diagnostic controls. Results suggest that the social anxiety factors were highly predictive of a social phobia diagnosis (AUC = .84 to .90; CI .73-.98, p < .01) and sensitivity and specificity rates revealed optimal cutoff scores for each measure. The optimal cutoff scores reveal the clinical utility of the social fear factor from these measures in screening for social phobia in African Americans. Future direction and implications are discussed.