cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synaptic Remodeling in Retinal Degeneration

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of hereditary retinal degenerative diseases with a complex molecular etiology. Hundreds of RP-inducing mutations, involving dozens of genes, have been identified in patients (see references in other chapters in this book; a list of identified mutations that cause retinal degeneration is updated at www.sph.uth. tmc.edu/RetNet). Despite this genetic heterogeneity, patients with RP tend to have a common pattern of vision loss. Typically, patients experience loss of night vision early in life as a result of degeneration of rod photoreceptors. Some loss of cone photoreceptor function may be detected early as well. Nevertheless, the majority of cones survives and remains functional, and hence daytime vision persists. Over years and decades, however, these cones progressively degenerate, leading ultimately to blindness (1). The link between the myriad of mutations to the disease mechanisms underlying the clinical course of rod-cone degeneration in RP remains unknown; meanwhile, there is no cure or effective treatment broadly available for RP.
[18 F]-Sodium Fluoride PET/MR Imaging for Bone-Cartilage Interactions in Hip Osteoarthritis: A Feasibility Study.

This study characterized the distribution of [18 F]-sodium fluoride (NaF) uptake and blood flow in the femur and acetabulum in hip osteoarthritis (OA) patients to find associations between bone remodeling and cartilage composition in the presence of morphological abnormalities using simultaneous positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MR), quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and femur shape modeling. Ten patients underwent a [18 F]-NaF PET/MR dynamic scan of the hip simultaneously with: (i) fast spin-echo CUBE for morphology grading and (ii) T1ρ /T2 magnetization-prepared angle-modulated partitioned k-space spoiled gradient echo snapshots for cartilage, bone segmentation, bone shape modeling, and T1ρ /T2 quantification. The standardized uptake values (SUVs) and Patlak kinetic parameter (Kpat ) were calculated for each patient as PET outcomes, using an automated post-processing pipeline. Shape modeling was performed to extract the variations in bone shapes in the patients. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to study the associations between bone shapes, PET outcomes, and patient reported pain. Direct associations between quantitative MR and PET evidence of bone remodeling were established in the acetabulum and femur. Associations of shaft thickness with SUV in the femur (p = 0.07) and Kpat in the acetabulum (p = 0.02), cam deformity with acetabular score (p = 0.09), osteophytic growth on the femur head with Kpat (p = 0.01) were observed. Pain had increased correlations with SUV in the acetabulum (p = 0.14) and femur (p = 0.09) when shaft thickness was accounted for. This study demonstrated the ability of [18 F]-NaF PET-MRI, 3D shape modeling, and quantitative MRI to investigate cartilage-bone interactions and bone shape features in hip OA, providing potential investigative tools to diagnose OA. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Orthopaedic Research® published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Orthopaedic Research Society J Orthop Res 37:2671-2680, 2019.
Special issue: illegal Mexican immigrants to the United States.

In his introduction to this issue of IMR which attempts to understand more fully different aspects of undocumented immigration, the guest editor situates the articles in the present context of rese...
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge as Postcolonial Fantasy: Disney, Labor, and the Renegotiation of Border Discourses

In the summer of 2019, Disneyland opened Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, an immersive experience where visitors imagine themselves as members of a resistance army fighting against a colonizing power. As Disney’s theme parks have increasingly become conduits of global flows, the company’s original brand of U.S. exceptionalism has become incompatible with the company’s strategic needs. In this article, we argue that Disney’s newest themed land, Galaxy’s Edge, functions as a reworking of Disney’s colonial discourse and borderland narrative, where postracial borderland fantasies coincide with the conglomerate’s evolution from a national project to a global enterprise. Within this intergalactic borderland, racialized bodies play an important role in creating an authentic experience, but in doing so, perform various forms of labor on behalf of Disney. Through an analysis of the labor that racialized bodies perform at Galaxy’s Edge, we examine how Disney’s modern-day articulation of the borderland obscures the realities of the borderlands beyond the park.
The role of temperament in alcohol use among college students

Abstract Alcohol use and alcohol use disorder (AUD) among young adults are important public health concerns. The high prevalence and negative effects of alcohol use suggests that there is a need for improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying alcohol use. The current study utilizes the model of adult temperament proposed by Evans and Rothbart (2007) as the framework with which to examine the interplay among temperament domains and alcohol use. Specifically, we examined individual and interactive associations among self-report ratings of positive affect, negative affect, effortful control, orienting sensitivity and alcohol use patterns, among a large sample of college students. ANOVA and linear regression analyses indicated that positive affect was associated with engagement in hazardous alcohol use and binge drinking. Furthermore, effortful control was associated with reduced engagement in overall alcohol use. These results corroborate and extend previous work which suggests that positive affect and effortful control temperament domains are linked to alcohol use patterns in college-age young adults. These findings may serve as an important step for informed decision-making about prevention and intervention efforts related to problematic alcohol use in young adults.
Prenatal acetaminophen use in women with autoimmune disorders and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes.

OBJECTIVES Most women may have temporary pain for which they use analgesics, but those with autoimmune disorders have chronic pain that may be exacerbated for some during pregnancy. This study aimed to determine whether prenatal acetaminophen use was associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes in women with autoimmune disorders. METHODS Participants were enrolled between 2004 and 2018 in the MotherToBaby cohort study and limited to women with an autoimmune disorder (n = 1,821). Self-reported acetaminophen use was characterized over gestation for indication, timing of use and duration. Cumulative acetaminophen use through 20 and 32 weeks was categorized into quintiles, with no acetaminophen use as the reference category. The association between acetaminophen quintile and preeclampsia or pregnancy induced hypertension, small for gestational age (SGA), and preterm birth was examined using adjusted multiple log-linear regression. RESULTS Overall, 74% of women reported acetaminophen use during pregnancy. The most often reported indication for using acetaminophen was headache/migraines, followed by pain and injury. Risk of preeclampsia was 1.62 times greater for those in the fifth quintile of cumulative acetaminophen use through 20 weeks compared with those with no acetaminophen use (95% CI: 1.10, 2.40). There were no associations with lower use quintiles, nor for the other outcomes. CONCLUSION The highest quintile of cumulative acetaminophen was associated with a modestly increased risk for preeclampsia. Some women with autoimmune conditions have pain throughout pregnancy; clinicians and patients should discuss approaches to best avoid high levels of acetaminophen in their pain management strategies.
Determining the Impact of CAT Score in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases Patients Health in Our Region

COPD is a disease state that causes lot of human suffering, is now recognized as a common disease in developing countries and is one of the fastest growing chronic cause of death. Pulmonary function tests are essential for the diagnosis and evaluation of the severity of COPD but other measures of functional status such as dyspnoea, exercise performance and health status are important components of COPD that cannot be measured by this method. The COPD assessment test (CAT) is a new eight-item specific questionnaire and is intended to provide a short, simple and self-administered test for evaluating symptoms, in assessing the impact of COPD on health status (Quality Of Life) .This study shows the usefulness of CAT score in our region. The clinical characteristics, Gold Severity and FEVI 1 % of present study were compared with earlier studies of different countries. Total 70 patients with COPD were studied between May 2014 to September 2014.Detail clinical history was obtained .Assessment of symptom severity was made based on the CAT questioanaire.They were subjected to Pulmonary function test (pre and post bronchodilator therapy) and oxygen saturation measurement. Majority of the patients were Male 42 (60%).Total 41(58.6%) patients were smokers of which 36 (87.80%) were males.18(25.7%) patients had positive history of Chula exposure of which 17(94.44%) were females Mean Age of patients was 60.34 SD 9.9, Mean FEV1 62.33 SD 18.2, and SPO2 94.26 SD 2.27. Patients were classified into two groups. Group 1 of low symptoms having CAT Score 10.More than half of the patients 80% had a high CAT score of >10 of Group 2.Most of the patients were of moderate obstruction 50%. Patients in whom Forced expiratory volume in 1 s percent (FEV1%) predicted was significantly decreased had a significantly increased the CAT score (t = 2.67 p= .009). Patients with severe stage of the disease (as GOLD criteria) had high CAT score i.e. have a positive corelation whereas CAT score and FEVI % had inverse co relation. The mean FEV1% predicted was similar to France where as high compared to Germany ,Netherlands ,Spain and U.S.A. and lower than Belgium. The CAT questionnaire proves to be a sensitive test in detecting COPD health status as a simple and reliable tool. By the help of CAT questionnaire the patients and clinician’s awareness of COPD would be improved to make an early diagnosis thus providing a useful and objective tool for early recognition and long term clinical and therapeutic monitoring of COPD patients especially in the clinical settings where spirometry is not yet available. Aims and Objectives: COPD Assessment TEST (CAT), in assessing the impact on COPD health status (Quality Of Life) in our region. Usefulness of CAT scoring in monitoring health status. Comparison of clinical characteristics of present study with earlier studies of different countries
Photon-photon production in Hadron-Hadron collisions

Quantum Chromodynamic (QCD) estimates are made for the large transverse momentum production of single and double photons in pp, \(\overline p p\), and π±p collisions.In addition to the pure QED annihilation term \(q\overline q\) → γγ, it is found that the QCD induced gluon-gluon subprocess gg → γγ, is an important source of double photons. Photon Bremsstrahlung contributions are also examined.
Universal deformation rings and Klein four defect groups

In this paper, the universal deformation rings of certain modular representations of a finite group are determined. The representations under consideration are those which are associated to blocks with Klein four defect groups and whose stable endomorphisms are given by scalars. It turns out that these universal deformation rings are always subquotient rings of the group ring of a Klein four group over the ring of Witt vectors.
Buddhism & Medicine in East Asian History

Though Buddhism has developed and grown in locally specific ways in various cultures around the world, it has perennially provided its devotees with a range of ideas and practices that concern health and well-being. Since being introduced to East Asia, these aspects of the tradition have always remained a highly relevant part of the health care landscape. The study of the links between Buddhism and medicine in East Asia has recently undergone a renaissance in Western scholarship and is now emerging as a dynamic new field of study. While, traditionally, scholars have been interested in Chinese and Japanese Buddhist sources for what they might say about the history of Indian medicine, in recent years, the focus has shifted to the exploration of local East Asian cultural and historical facets. This article reviews the state of this field, introduces the available translations of primary sources and reference works, and provides brief summaries of the history of Buddhism and medicine in China and Japan. I also pay special attention to pointing out particular questions or areas that remain open to further inquiry.
Cell Cycle, Eukaryotes

Introduction The Biology of the Cell Cycle The G1 and G0 Phases The DNA Synthesis Phase The G2 Phase and Mitosis Control of the Cell Cycle Partners in Cell Cycle Regulation: Cyclins and CDKs The Cyclin–CDK Complexes in Action Understanding Cell Cycle Regulation through Mathematical Modeling Implications for Animal Cell Culture Cell Cycle–Dependent Protein Accumulation Cell Cycle–Dependent Behavior of Culture Systems Engineering the Cell Cycle Gene Therapy Conclusions Bibliography Keywords: animal cell culture; cell cycle; cell cycle controls; cell cycle models; cell cycle regulation; cyclin-dependent kinases; cyclins; hybridomas; protein secretion
Exact rotational space-time transformations, Davies-Jennison experiments and limiting Lorentz-Poincare invariance

Jennison deduced from the rotational experiments that a rotating radius rr measured by the rotating observer is contracted by \( r_{r} = r(1-\omega^{2} r^{2}/c^{2})^{1/2}\) , compared with the radius r measured in an inertial frame. This conclusion differs from the result based on Lorentz transformations. Since rotational frames are not equivalent to inertial frames, we analyze the rotational experiments by using the exact rotational space-time transformations rather than the Lorentz transformations. We derive exact rotational transformations on the basis of the principle of limiting Lorentz-Poincare invariance. The exact rotational transformations form a pseudo-group rather than the usual Lie group. They support Jennison’s contraction of a rotating radius and are consistent with two Davies-Jennison experiments. We also suggest new experimental tests for the exact rotational transformations.
Fluorographic detection of tritiated glycopeptides and oligosaccharides separated on polyacrylamide gels: Analysis of glycans from Dictyostelium discoideum glycoproteins

Previous workers have shown that oligosaccharides and glycopeptides can be separated by electrophoresis in buffers containing borate ions. However, normal fluorography of tritium-labeled structures cannot be performed because the glycans are soluble and can diffuse during equilibration with scintillants. This problem has been circumvented by equilibration of the gel with 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO) prior to electrophoresis. The presence of PPO in the gel during electrophoresis does not alter mobility of the glycopeptides and oligosaccharides. After electrophoresis, the gel is simply dried and fluorography performed. This allows sensitive and precise comparisons of labeled samples in parallel lanes of a slab gel and, since mobilities are highly reproducible, between different gels. The procedure is preparative in that after fluorography the gel bands can be quantitatively eluted for further study, without any apparent modification by the procedure. In this report, the procedure is illustrated by fractionation of both neutral and anionic glycopeptides produced by the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum.
What Can It Mean to Say That Communication Is “Effective” (and for Whom) in Postmodernity?

Scholars and pedestrians tacitly or deliberately adhering to the dominant social science paradigm typically define successful communication by measure of the distance between desired ends and effec...
Seismic detection and analysis of icequakes at Columbia Glacier, Alaska

[1] Contributions to sea level rise from rapidly retreating marine-terminating glaciers are large and increasing. Strong increases in iceberg calving occur during retreat, which allows mass transfer to the ocean at a much higher rate than possible through surface melt alone. To study this process, we deployed an 11-sensor passive seismic network at Columbia Glacier, Alaska, during 2004–2005. We show that calving events generate narrow-band seismic signals, allowing frequency domain detections. Detection parameters were determined using direct observations of calving and validated using three statistical methods and hypocenter locations. The 1–3 Hz detections provide a good measure of the temporal distribution and size of calving events. Possible source mechanisms for the unique waveforms are discussed, and we analyze potential forcings for the observed seismicity.
Mesoscale Dynamics of the Trowal and Warm-Frontal Regions of Two Continental Winter Cyclones

Abstract The dynamic and thermodynamic structure and associated frontal circulations within the trowal and warm-frontal regions of two extratropical winter cyclones are examined using numerical simulations. In each cyclone, the warm, moist airstream originating in the warm sector was found to bifurcate upon reaching the warm front. One branch of the flow turned anticyclonically eastward, corresponding to the warm conveyor belt, while the second branch turned cyclonically westward becoming the trowal airstream. The dynamic forcing of vertical motion within the two airstreams was investigated using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5), both from an analysis of the Sawyer–Eliassen (SE) equation in two dimensions and from complete model solutions. Shearing deformation, associated with the jet stream and the low-level cyclonic flow, dominated confluent deformation near the trowal in both cases. The shearing deformation was accompanied...
Involvement of cytochrome b5 in the hepatic microsomal metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene.

Abstract Ethanol consumption decreased the specific content of microsomal cytochrome b5 in both chow-and liquid diet-fed hamsters while cytochrome P450 levels were unchanged in chow-fed animals and increased in liquid diet-fed animals. Microsomes from animals receiving ethanol in their drinking water exhibited decreased rates of microsomal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity and postmitochondrial supernatant mediated mutagenicity of benzo(a)pyrene. In contrast, microsomes from hamsters receiving ethanol in liquid diets showed no changes in either of these two activities. When the observed rates of 7,8 and 9,10 diol formation per nmole P450 for chow-fed animals are plotted vs. the b 5 P 450 ratio a positive correlation was observed suggesting that cytochrome b5 participates directly in the microsomal metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene.
Assessing polar and azimuthal correlations for an oriented mosaic of (001) diamond crystallites on (001) silicon

Abstract The heteroepitaxial growth of diamond films on (001) silicon by bias-enhanced, microwave-assisted chemical vapor deposition leads to a mosaic of highly oriented crystallites. The majority of crystallites adopt a “cube-on-cube” orientation (diamond{ hkl } ∥sili-con{ hkl }), but there are a variety of minor growth textures (including diamond (111)∥silicon(001), diamond(311)∥silicon(001), and diamond(220)∥silicon(001)). Within the diamond(001)∥silicon(001) domain, there is a distribution of crystallite orientations and concurrently heteroepitaxial relationships. The X-ray precession method has been employed here, together with the more widely adopted X-ray rocking curve technique, to assess quantitatively the nature and breadth of this distribution of orientations and its dependence on film thickness. In brief, the X-ray scattering from the mosaic of crystallites can be well approximated by simple gaussian functions, with misorientation angles of a few degrees both parallel (azimuthal) and normal (polar) to the surface of the silicon substrate. The dependence of these parameters on film thickness is, however, non-monotonic with minima near a diamond film thickness of 20 μm.
The role of afferent activity in behavioral and neuronal plasticity in an insect.

Cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) have been shown to adapt behaviorally, in about 1 month, to ablation of one cercus. Additionally, those giant interneurons (GIs) that normally receive their major input from the lesioned cercus become more responsive to stimulation of the intact side (Vardi and Camhi 1982 a, b). To investigate the role of afferent activity in the behavioral and neuronal plasticity, we silenced wind-evoked activity in the intact cercus by immobilizing the sensory hairs. This was carried out during the last nymphal stage which lasts for about one month. The animals were tested behaviorally and physiologically after they had molted to adults and a fresh set of mobile hairs had appeared. These animals showed no behavioral correction (Fig. 3). The responses of the GIs on the ablated side were somewhat enhanced, but they were also significantly smaller than those in animals with long-term cercal ablations and no sensory deprivation (Fig. 5). A variety of controls (Figs. 8, 9, and 10) were used to show that sensory deprivation by itself did not decrease the responsiveness of the afferents or the GIs. Thus elimination of wind-evoked activity specifically decreasesenhancement of the responses in the GIs.
Formation and elimination of foreign synapses on adult salamander muscle.

1. Synapses by flexor nerve were induced on denervated extensor muscle in adult salamander forelimbs. Excitatory potentials evoked by these ;foreign' synapses were at first small but increased to normal amplitude within several weeks, in the absence of correct nerve reinnervation.2. Upon return of the correct nerve the efficacy of foreign synaptic transmission began to decline. The time of initiation of this decline correlated well with the resumption of correct nerve transmission. The suppression of foreign transmission involved a reduction in mean quantal content of transmitter release.3. Suppression of foreign synapses was sufficiently thorough that most ceased transmitting entirely. Before reinnervation by the correct nerve 97% of the extensor muscle fibres received functional foreign synapses while 4-6 months after correct nerve return only 35% of the fibres retained foreign synapses, with weak transmission.4. Two lines of evidence indicate that suppressed foreign synapses are lost from the muscle: (a) a second correct nerve lesion 6-8 months after the initial denervation produced no significant increase in the proportion of fibres with foreign transmission and (b) four muscles which showed complete suppression of foreign transmission were bathed in medium containing horseradish peroxidase (h.r.p.) and the correct nerve was stimulated repetitively. Subsequent histochemical staining for h.r.p. and examination of synapses by electron microscopy revealed that 94% of the axon terminals had h.r.p. incorporated in vesicles. Thus at least that percentage of all identifiable synapses were from the correct nerve.5. This ability to eliminate incorrect synapses in favour of correct ones is speculated to be a general characteristic of embryonic nervous systems, which in adulthood is retained by salamanders but lost by most other animals.
Reference Sources in Research Literature

ABSTRACT.I looked at statistically large samples of references in the Astrophysical Journal and Astronomy & Astrophysics at approximately decade intervals from 1952 to 2009. They show an increase of references to journals from 76% to 90.0% at the expense of references to monographs (down to 3.4%), conference papers (down to 2.6%), in-house papers (down to 1.2%), theses (down to 0.3%), and private communications (0.0%). References to preprints (1.3%) and review papers (1.2%) have also increased. The general conclusion is that references that are available online are increasing in usage while the remaining references are decreasing.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Suppress Hepatic Sterol Regulatory Element-binding Protein-1 Expression by Accelerating Transcript Decay

The reduction in hepatic abundance ofsterol regulatory element binding protein-1(SREBP-1) mRNA and protein associated with the ingestion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) appears to be largely responsible for the PUFA-dependent inhibition of lipogenic gene transcription. Our initial studies indicated that the induction ofSREBP-1 expression by insulin and glucose was blocked by PUFA. Nuclear run-on assays suggested PUFA reduced SREBP-1mRNA by post-transcriptional mechanisms. In this report we demonstrate that PUFA enhance the decay of both SREBP-1aand -1c. When rat hepatocytes in monolayer culture were treated with albumin-bound 20:4(n-6) or 20:5(n-3) the half-life of total SREBP-1mRNA was reduced by 50%. Ribonuclease protection assays revealed that the decay of SREBP-1c mRNA was more sensitive to PUFA than was SREBP-1a, i.e. the half-life ofSREBP-1c and -1a was reduced from 10.0 to 4.6 h and 11.6 to 7.6 h, respectively. Interestingly, treating the hepatocytes with the translational inhibitor, cycloheximide, prevented the PUFA-dependent decay ofSREBP-1. This suggests that SREBP-1 mRNA may need to undergo translation to enter the decay process, or that the decay process requires the synthesis of a rapidly turning over protein. Although the mechanism by which PUFA accelerate SREBP-1mRNA decay remains to be determined, cloning and sequencing of the 3′-untranslated region for the rat SREBP-1 transcript revealed the presence of an A-U-rich region that is characteristic of a destablizing element.
A probabilistic proof of Gauss' 2 F 1 identity

Abstract Using order statistics, we prove Gauss' 2F1 identity probabilistically. As a consequence, we show that Gauss' 2F1 summation formula is related to an inverse Polya distribution. We observe that a relationship exists between WZ-pairs and our probabilistic approach.
PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION IN INTERNATIONAL COMMODITY TRADE

This paper applies the logistic case of the error correction mechanism to the empirical analysis of the demand for commodity exports of the developing countries. Its appropriateness for the characterization of the data-generating process of the demand for commodity exports is illustrated, and estimates are presented for Latin America's major commodity exports. The empirical results point to an important role for relative prices in the determination of the demand for primary commodity exports. Copyright 1989 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Working Out Egypt: Effendi Masculinity and Subject Formation in Colonial Modernity, 1870-1940

Working Out Egypt is both a rich cultural history of the formation of an Egyptian national subject in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth and a compelling critique of modern Middle Eastern historiography. Wilson Chacko Jacob describes how Egyptian men of a class akin to the cultural bourgeoisie (the effendiyya) struggled to escape from the long shadow cast by colonial depictions of the East as degenerate, feminine, and temporally behind an active and virile Europe. He argues that during British colonial rule (1882–1936), attempts to create a distinctively modern and Egyptian self free from the colonial gaze led to the formation of an ambivalent, performative subjectivity that he calls “effendi masculinity.” Jacob traces effendi masculinity as it took hold during the interwar years, in realms from scouting and competitive sports to sex talk and fashion, considering its gendered performativity in relation to a late-nineteenth-century British discourse on masculinity and empire and an explicitly nationalist discourse on Egyptian masculinity. He contends that as an assemblage of colonial modernity, effendi masculinity was simultaneously local and global, national and international, and particular and universal. Until recently, modern Egyptian history has not allowed for such paradoxes; instead, Egyptian modernity has been narrated in the temporal and spatial terms of a separate Western modernity.
Race, Bureaucracy, and Symbolic Representation: Interactions between Citizens and Police

Our understanding of representation by government employees has increased considerably in the past 30 years. Scholars have found that represented groups benefit from representative bureaucracies and conclude that this benefit is a function of active representation. However, due to the aggregate unit of observation used in most of these studies and the outcome measures that are typically used as dependent variables, we argue that there are other forms of representation that can explain these finding. We contribute to the existing research in this area by focusing on symbolic representation and conduct our test using individual-level data from a national police-citizen contact survey. We hypothesize that citizen perceptions of legitimacy regarding police actions are shaped by the interaction of citizen race and officer race. Our results suggest that symbolic representation does occur--blacks are more likely to perceive police actions as being legitimate if there are black officers present. Additionally, whites are more likely to perceive police actions as legitimate if the actions were conducted by white officers. Language: en
Challenges in designing animal studies to detect antagonism of polyene activity.

We read with interest the recent report by Najvar et al. ([3][1]) describing the combined activity of posaconazole (POS) and amphotericin (AMB) in a murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). Unlike previous reports that have documented attenuation of AMB activity following prior
Experimental cobalt cardiomyopathy in the dog: A model for cardiomyopathy in dogs and man

Abstract The effect of cobalt cardiomyopathy was studied in 21 mongrel dogs. The dogs were divided into four groups; Group A (5 dogs) contained the normal controls, Group B (5 dogs) was fed a protein- and thiamine-deficient diet, Group C (5 dogs) was fed a normal diet and given cobalt by iv infusion, and Group D (6 dogs) was fed a protein-and thiamine-deficient diet and given cobalt by iv infusion. Cobalt (500 mg) dissolved in saline was given iv through a chronic indwelling venous catheter in the femoral vein for a 10-week period. No changes were seen in the control groups. The primary clinical findings in dogs in Groups C and D were dyspnea, exercise intolerance, and mild systolic murmurs with a prominent gallop rhythm. Abnormal electrocardiograms illustrating sinus tachycardia and lowered QRS complexes in limb leads were characteristic as was microcardia as visualized in thoracic radiographs, elevated left ventricular end diastolic pressure, lowered systolic pressures, angiographic evidence of a small end systolic volume, and slightly enlarged left diastolic volume. The dogs were necropsied in the 10th week, 24 hr after the last infusion and the heart was fixed in formalin, processed, and examined by light microscopy. The principle gross lesions in dogs in both Groups C and D were marked right ventricular dilatation, slight hypertrophy of the left ventricle, uniform paleness of the myocardium and dilatation of both atria. Histologic lesions included vacuolation of myofibers, loss of myofibers with hypertrophy of remaining fibers, and randomly scattered areas of coagulation necrosis. These findings suggest that experimental cobalt-induced cardiomyopathy in the dog is similar to alcoholic cardiomyopathy in man.
Cancer and chemotherapy-related upper gastrointestinal symptoms: the role of abnormal gastric motor function and its evaluation in cancer patients

Disorders of gastric emptying are being increasingly recognized as the basis for "functional" symptoms in the general population. Recent research suggests that abnormal gastric emptying may also be the cause of common gastrointestinal problems in those with cancer, and can be a complication both of the disease and of its treatment. These disorders are diagnosed by measuring the rate of gastric emptying and comparing it with the normal rate. There are numerous methods of measurement available, each with inherent advantages and disadvantages. Differences in method application and a lack of standardization limit the extent to which results from different institutions can be compared. Because of the limitations of existing methods, new technology is frequently being evaluated. Radionuclide measurement is the current method of choice.
Forty-Seven Year Changes in Vegetation at the Apostle Islands: Effects of Deer on the Forest Understory

ABSTRACT: White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman) have been labeled a keystone herbivore in forests of the midwestern United States, particularly as deer have increased over the past century due to forest fragmentation, reduction of natural predators, reduced hunting, and mild winters. Deer browsing in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has had a pronounced effect on formerly large continuous patches of reproductive Canada yew (Taxus canadensis Marshall). In order to compare understory plant communities in 2005 to those at sites sampled in 1958, we resurveyed 32 forest sites on islands that remained free of deer throughout this period, on islands that retained deer, and on islands that gained or lost deer. Multivariate analyses reveal that deer have strong effects on the type of change in the forest understory. Plant communities on sites with long-term deer pressure are becoming increasingly different from those on sites that have never had deer. Four new understory species were detected ...
Interactive design by children: a construct map for programming

In this paper, we present our analysis of 92 fourth graders' digital story projects completed in LaPlaya, a Scratch-like programming environment. Projects were analyzed for the way that students programmed the start of the story, and if the program integrated user-centered design by providing instruction to the user on how to interact with the digital story. We found that fourth grade students rarely used user-centered design while creating digital stories in our block-based programming environment. Without explicit instruction, the demands of learning programming and simultaneously programming for an abstract user may be too cognitively demanding for the average fourth grader.
Thermal behavior of optical fibers during the cooling stage of the drawing process

A general method that predicts the thermal behavior of optical fibers during the cooling stage of the drawing process was developed. The method can be used for thin diameter D < 200 μm, medium (200 μm < D < 500 μm), and thick (0.5 mm < D < 2 mm) single as well as core-clad fibers. A two-dimensional analysis implementing a finite difference method combined with the Karman–Pohlhausen technique was performed to obtain the temperature profiles in thick fibers. This method accounted for axial and radial heat conduction, and can also be applied to thin and medium fibers. The case of the core-clad fibers was investigated to obtain the temperature profiles both in the radial and the axial directions. All results are presented in graphical form and can be used for optimization of the drawing process.
Infrared spectra of methyl isocyanide chemisorbed on rhodium

Abstract : The chemisorption of CH3NC on dispersed Rh supported on Al2O3 has been investigated using transmission in frared spectroscopy. Evidence for the chemisorption of undissociated CH3NC is presented. It is shown that at 300K the isomerization of CH3NC to CH3CN does not occur on Rh. The spectra obtained for adsorbed CH3NC suggest an analogous chemistry of the Rh surface sites to that found in organometallic chemistry.
The Effect of Item Selection Procedure and Stepsize on Computerized Adaptive Attitude Measurement Using the Rating Scale Model.

Real and simulated datasets were used to investigate the effects of the systematic variation of two major variables on the operating characteristics of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) applied to instruments consisting of poly- chotomously scored rating scale items. The two variables studied were the item selection procedure and the stepsize method used until maximum likelihood trait estimates could be calculated. The findings suggested that (1) item pools that consist of as few as 25 items may be adequate for CAT; (2) the variable stepsize method of preliminary trait estimation produced fewer cases of nonconvergence than the use of a fixed stepsize procedure; and (3) the scale value item selection procedure used in conjunction with a minimum standard error stopping rule outperformed the information item selection technique used in conjunction with a minimum information stopping rule in terms of the frequencies of nonconvergent cases, the number of items administered, and the correlations of CAT 0 esti...
Petroleum Hydrocarbon Bioventing Kinetics Determined in Soil Core, Microcosm, and Tubing Cluster Studies

Aerobic biodegradation of vapor-phase petroleum hydrocarbons was evaluated in an intact soil core from the site of an aviation gasoline release. An unsaturated zone soil core was subjected to a flow of nitrogen gas, oxygen, water vapor, and vapor-phase hydrocarbons in a configuration analogous to a biofilter or an in situ bioventing or sparging situation. The vertical profiles of vapor-phase hydrocarbon concentration in the soil core were determined by gas chromatography of vapor samples. Biodegradation reduced low influent hydrocarbon concentrations by 45 to 92% over a 0.6-m interval of an intact soil core. The estimated total hydrocarbon concentration was reduced by 75% from 26 to 7 parts per million. Steady-state concentrations were input to a simple analytical model balancing advection and first-order biodegradation of hydrocarbons. First-order rate constants for the major hydrocarbon compounds were used to calibrate the model to the concentration profiles. Rate constants for the seven individual hydrocarbon compounds varied by a factor of 4. Compounds with lower molecular weights, fewer methyl groups, and no quaternary carbons tended to have higher rate constants. The first-order rate constants were consistent with kinetic parameters determined from both microcosm and tubing cluster studies at the field site.
Aluminum chloride stimulates NACl-dependent release of taurine and γ-aminobutyric acid in rat cortical astrocytes

The release of preloaded radiolabeled taurine (TAU) and ?-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from cultured rat cortical astrocytes was monitored 15 min before and 30 min after pulse treatment with aluminum chloride, at 5 min intervals. AlCl(3) at concentrations ranging from 0.125 to 1 mM stimulated TAU release to 252 and 519%, respectively, in a relatively dose-dependent manner. Release of GABA was not affected by 0.5 mM but was almost doubled by 1 mM AlCl(3). The effects of AlCl(3) were greatly diminished or abolished when isotonic sucrose was substituted for NaCl in the superfusion media. Interaction of Al(3+) ions with membrane transporters of amino acids is suggested to account for their increased release. Possible neurophysiological consequences of the acute effects of aluminum on the neuroactive amino acid transport in astrocytes are discussed.
Antioxidant properties of acetaminophen and cardioprotection.

The acute administration of acetaminophen to isolated, perfused guinea pig hearts appears to have cardioprotective effects against the injury/mechanical dysfunction caused by global, low-flow, myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. In the current study we selected ischemia/reperfusion and administration of sodium pentobarbital as perturbations of the electrical stability of the myocardium. We investigated their ability to induce ventricular arrhythmias and changes in the characteristics of monophasic action potentials in the absence and presence of acetaminophen (0.35 mmol/l). The numbers of ventricular premature beats and ventricular salvos encountered in the presence of pentobarbital were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced by acetaminophen. The combined frequency of these arrhythmias was 0.14 ± 0.06/min vs 0.03 ± 0.01/min (P < 0.05) in the absence and presence of acetaminophen, respectively. The incidence of ventricular salvos increased steadily in vehicle-treated hearts after administration of pentobarbital. No such trend was seen with acetaminophen. After 10 min of global, low-flow myocardial ischemia, MAP50 and MAP90 (monophasic action potentials at 50 and 90 % repolarization, respectively) decreased without acetaminophen (e.g. MAP50, 31 ± 4 ms) but did not change during the same time interval with acetaminophen (e.g. MAP50, 57 ± 6 ms)(P < 0.05). During ischemia and reperfusion, acetaminophen attenuated the release of hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite. Collectively these data reveal cardioprotective, antioxidant behavior of acetaminophen. Under selected conditions (e.g. those causing release of free radicals and other oxidants) such behavior might also prevent ventricular arrhythmias.
Ratio of 115Cd isomers produced in heavy-ion-induced fission

Abstract Isomeric cross-section ratios have been measured for the formation of 115Cd isomers in 12C-and 16O-induced fission in 197Au and 238U. The cross-section ratio (high spin/low spin) varied from 1·60 to 3·43 for the system 197Au + 12C ion energy ranging from 73 to 120 MeV. In the same energy range the ratio for the system 238U + 12C varied from 0·55 to 0·82. The average intrinsic spin, 〈lf〉, of the fragment that decays to the 115Cd isomer pair was estimated from a simple model. The cross-section ratio showed the same relative increase with 〈lf〉, for both targets. At the same value for 〈lf〉 the ratio is much larger for 197Au than it is for 238U. It is suggested that this difference is related to the fact that in the Au system, the 115Cd is produced in a more asymmetric division.
Optical Reflectance Spectra of Cr3+ in MgO Solid Solutions

The effect of Cr3+ concentration in an MgO crystal lattice on the crystal field splitting energy, 10 Dq, and on other electronic transitions was studied. Optical reflectance spectra showed a linear increase in 10 Dq with increasing Cr3+ concentration up to the limit of solid solubility. The Racah parameter, B, decreased and the energy of the 4T1g→4A2g transition increased with increasing Cr3+ concentration. The increase in 10 Dq was related to the decrease in lattice parameter.
Equation-of-state representation of phase equilibria and volumetric properties of the system NaCl-H2O above 573 K

Abstract A comprehensive equation of state has been developed for the system NaCl-H 2 O at high temperatures and pressures. The equation consists of a reference part and a perturbation contribution. The reference part represents the properties of a mixture of hard-sphere ion pairs and dipolar solvent molecules. The perturbation part arises from all other interactions and comprises a virial-type expansion truncated after the fifth virial coefficient. Mixing rules for the perturbation part are guided by the composition dependence of virial coefficients and contain empirically determined terms for unlike-molecule interactions. The equation has been fitted to extensive experimental data in the temperature range 573–773 K and to more limited data above 773 K. In both temperature regions, the equation reproduces vapor-liquid equilibria, volumetric properties, and solubilities of solid NaCl essentially within experimental uncertainty. It is valid at temperatures between 573 K and ca. 1200 K and pressures up to 5 kbar.
Anomalous nuclear enhancements in hard pA collisions at Fermilab energies

Abstract Data on pA → dijet events from Fermilab experiment E609 have been used in a study of anomalous nuclear cross section enhancement effects. The dijet cross section was found to vary as A 1.18 ±0.05, after making a correction for additional non-jet transverse energy in dijet events from heavy nuclei. We have also measured the nuclear contribution to the transverse momentum unbalance of the dijet system to vary as k tφ (nuclear) ∼ A 0.11±0.04 . The extent to which multiple nuclear scattering of the high energy scattered partons can explain both k t and the observed anomalous enhancement is discussed.
Integrating PMU-data-driven and physics-based analytics for power systems operations

This paper reports our recent work on dimensionality reduction of synchrophasor data and subsequent engineering analysis of the results. Principal component analysis (PCA) based dimensionality reduction is first applied to explore the underlying dimensionality of power systems from the data of massively deployed PMUs. Then the physical interpretations are provided with the power engineering insights: spatial interpretation suggests the coherency of generator groups; temporal analysis indicates the time-scale hierarchy of power system operations. Numerical examples using both synthetic and realistic PMU data are conducted to illustrate the potential value of combining PMU data-driven and physics-based analytics in real-time grid operations.
Functional T Cell Immunodeficiencies (with T Cells Present)

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) comprises a group of disorders that are fatal owing to genetic defects that abrogate T cell development. Numerous related defects have recently been identified that allow T cell development but that compromise T cell function by affecting proximal or distal steps in intracellular signaling. These functional T cell immunodeficiencies are characterized by immune dysregulation and increased risk of malignancies, in addition to infections. The study of patients with these rare conditions, and of corresponding animal models, illustrates the importance of intracellular signaling to maintain T cell homeostasis.
Combining Emerging Technology and Writing Across the Curriculum: Professional Development That Works!

Though Writing Across the Curriculum is not a new concept, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute offers a two-semester professional development program that combines this instructional approach with emerging technology. Though this program focuses on the use of writing to enhance student learning, this training format can be universally applied to a variety of curriculum topics and/or learning concepts to better meet the needs of twenty-first century learners. In addition to the impact this program has had on student learning, this initiative also provides faculty a unique opportunity for growth and professional enrichment.
Gold nanorod-based mercury sensor using functionalized glass substrates

Abstract We report on the development of a gold nanorod-based mercury sensor, immobilizing these anisotropic metal nanoparticles on glass substrates. This novel approach is expected to find applications in the measurement of mercury traces in stream-flow. We present first a “modified” wet chemistry procedure to functionalize glass surfaces with gold nanorods, which confer control on the density of particles on the glass substrate. Then, we demonstrate that this mercury sensor, using immobilized gold nanorods on glass substrates, retains the outstanding selectivity of our previously reported mercury sensor using suspended gold nanorods, presents an extraordinary sensitivity and, does not require any sample separation and/or sample pre-concentration. The analytical figures of merit demonstrate precise and accurate analysis at the parts-per-billion level, figures with great potential for monitoring low levels of mercury in flowing water. The entire procedure in solution takes less than 60 s.