The Ruination and Expulsion of the Miami Indians

One of the most profitable fields of exploration for the history student today is in the realm of Indian history. Many books have been written concerning the social, cultural, and military aspects of the Indiana, but few have been written to expost the abuse and fraud the savage suffered at the hands of the traders, agents, and government officials. It was for this purpose that this study of the Miami Indians has been prepared

Influence of material and haptic design on the mechanical stability of intraocular lenses by means of finite-element modeling

Intraocular lenses (IOLs) are used in the cataract treatment for surgical replacement of the opacified crystalline lens. Before being implanted they have to pass the strict quality control to guarantee a good biomechanical stability inside the capsular bag, avoiding the rotation, and to provide a good optical quality. The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of the material and haptic design on the behavior of the IOLs under dynamic compression condition. For this purpose, the strain-stress characteristics of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic materials were estimated experimentally. Next, these data were used as the input for a finite-element model (FEM) to analyze the stability of different IOL haptic designs, according to the procedure described by the ISO standards. Finally, the simulations of the effect of IOL tilt and decentration on the optical performance were performed in an eye model using a ray-tracing software. The results suggest the major importance of the haptic design rather than the material on the postoperative behavior of an IOL. FEM appears to be a powerful tool for numerical studies of the biomechanical properties of IOLs and it allows one to help in the design phase to the manufacturers

Cardiovascular response to postural perturbations of different intensities in healthy young adults

The ability to regain control of balance is vital in limiting falls and injuries. Little is known regarding how the autonomic nervous system responds during recovery from balance perturbations of different intensities. The purpose of this study was to examine the cardiovascular response following a standing balance perturbation of varying intensities, quantify cardiac baroreflex sensitivity (cBRS) during standing perturbations, and to establish the stability of the cardiac baroreflex during quiet standing before and after balance disturbances. Twenty healthy participants experienced three different perturbation intensity conditions that each included 25 brief posteriorly-directed perturbations, 8–10 s apart. Three perturbation intensity conditions (low, medium, high) were given in random order. Physiological data were collected in quiet stance for 5 min before testing (Baseline) and again after the perturbation conditions (Recovery) to examine baroreflex stability. Beat-to-beat heart rate (HR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) analysis post-perturbation indicated an immediate acceleration of the HR for 1–2 s, with elevated SBP 4–5 s post-perturbation. Heart rate changes were greatest in the medium (p = 0.035) and high (p = 0.012) intensities compared to low, while there were no intensity-dependent changes in SBP. The cBRS was not intensity-dependent (p = 0.402) but when perturbation conditions were combined, cBRS was elevated compared to Baseline (p = 0.046). The stability of baseline cBRS was excellent (ICC = 0.896) between quiet standing conditions. In summary, HR, but not SBP or cBRS were intensity-specific during postural perturbations. This was the first study to examine cardiovascular response and cBRS to postural perturbations

Personalized Optical Designs and Manipulating Optics: Applications on the Anterior Segment of the Eye

The image-forming properties of the eye can be described in terms of wave aberration. Understanding the link between aberrations and the anterior segment geometry is therefore of crucial importance for (i) comprehending how the eye works, (ii) modelling the optics of individual eyes, (iii) optimizing optical solutions, or (iv) designing surgical strategies. The eye has many innate adaptations that minimize optical aberrations. In most normal young eyes, the magnitude of aberrations of the cornea is significantly larger than for the whole eye, indicating a significant role of the crystalline lens in compensating corneal aberrations. However, due to geometrical and structural changes, this ocular compensation gets disturbed in different anterior segment conditions, such as keratoconus, presbyopia, or cataract. Keratoconus progressively degrades the corneal shape and, consequently, vision in the adolescence, with a prevalence of 0.05% in the general population. Meanwhile, presbyopia and cataract are conditions related to aging that affect the structure of the crystalline lens, one referring to a loss in accommodative amplitude (presbyopia) and the other to a progressive loss of transparency (cataract). Presbyopia affects 100% of the population older than 45¿years of age, ..

Plejotropowe działanie statyn

Statyny, czyli inhibitory reduktazy 3-hydroksy-3-metyloglutarylokoenzymu A, wprowadzono do leczenia jako leki hipolipemizujące. Od tego momentu poznano wiele działań statyn niezależnych od mechanizmu obniżania stężenia cholesterolu. Plejotropizm leków z tej grupy przejawia się między innymi działaniem ochronnym na śródbłonek naczyniowy, stabilizacją blaszki miażdżycowej, efektem przeciwzapalnym oraz wpływem na układ krzepnięcia i fibrynolizy. Działanie statyn wykorzystuje się w pierwotnej i wtórnej prewencji choroby wieńcowej, udaru niedokrwiennego, a także w zapobieganiu powikłaniom naczyniowym u chorych na cukrzycę. W przyszłości, być może, znajdą zastosowanie w leczeniu chorób autoimmunologicznych, neurodegeneracyjnych czy w transplantologii. Siła działania statyn zależy od rodzaju preparatu oraz od dawki. Zastosowanie dużych dawek wiąże się z większą skutecznością, ale także zwiększa ryzyko wystąpienia działań niepożądanych, takich jak zaburzenia żołądkowo-jelitowe, wzrost stężenia transaminaz, miopatia, a w skrajnych przypadkach nawet rabdomioliza. Ze względu na wielokierunkowość działań statyny wykazują duży potencjał terapeutyczny. Obecnie są szeroko stosowane w kardiologii, ale ich przyszłość będzie prawdopodobnie związana również z innymi dziedzinami medycyny

Mechanism for export of sediment-derived iron in an upwelling regime

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2012. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geophysical Research Letters 39 (2012): L03601, doi:10.1029/2011GL050366.Model simulations performed with a three-dimensional, high-resolution, process study ocean model of eastern boundary upwelling systems are used to describe a mechanism that efficiently transports sediment-derived dissolved iron offshore in the subsurface through the bottom boundary layer (BBL) during downwelling-favorable wind events. In the model, sediment-derived iron accumulates in the BBL on the outer shelf when the winds are upwelling-favorable. When the wind reverses, the iron-laden BBL is mixed into the water column and transported offshore along isopycnals that intersect the bottom. Depending on the frequency of wind reversal, between 10–50% of the shelf sediment-derived iron flux is exported offshore through this previously unidentified subsurface pathway. If this mechanism operates on all coastal upwelling regimes, the global export of sediment-derived iron to the open ocean would be equivalent to ten times larger than the estimated source of dissolved iron from aerosols.NSF supported this work.2012-08-1

The acquisition of Sign Language: The impact of phonetic complexity on phonology

Research into the effect of phonetic complexity on phonological acquisition has a long history in spoken languages. This paper considers the effect of phonetics on phonological development in a signed language. We report on an experiment in which nonword-repetition methodology was adapted so as to examine in a systematic way how phonetic complexity in two phonological parameters of signed languages — handshape and movement — affects the perception and articulation of signs. Ninety-one Deaf children aged 3–11 acquiring British Sign Language (BSL) and 46 hearing nonsigners aged 6–11 repeated a set of 40 nonsense signs. For Deaf children, repetition accuracy improved with age, correlated with wider BSL abilities, and was lowest for signs that were phonetically complex. Repetition accuracy was correlated with fine motor skills for the youngest children. Despite their lower repetition accuracy, the hearing group were similarly affected by phonetic complexity, suggesting that common visual and motoric factors are at play when processing linguistic information in the visuo-gestural modality

Reduction of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Increases the Adhesiveness of Constitutive Endothelial Membrane ICAM-1 through Src-Mediated Phosphorylation

Nitric oxide (NO) is a known anti-adhesive molecule that prevents platelet aggregation and leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells (ECs). The mechanism has been attributed to its role in the regulation of adhesion molecules on leukocytes and the adhesive properties of platelets. Our previous study conducted in rat venules found that reduction of EC basal NO synthesis caused EC ICAM-1-mediated firm adhesion of leukocytes within 10–30min. This quick response occurred in the absence of alterations of adhesion molecules on leukocytes and also opposes the classical pattern of ICAM-1-mediated leukocyte adhesion that requires protein synthesis and occurs hours after stimulation. The objective of this study is to investigate the underlying mechanisms of reduced basal NO-induced EC-mediated rapid leukocyte adhesion observed in intact microvessels. The relative levels of ICAM-1 at different cell regions and their activation status were determined with cellular fractionation and western blot using cultured human umbilical vein ECs. ICAM-1 adhesiveness was determined by immunoprecipitation in non-denatured proteins to assess the changes in ICAM-1 binding to its inhibitory antibody, mAb1A29, and antibody against total ICAM-1 with and without NO reduction. The adhesion strength of EC ICAM-1 was assessed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) on live cells. Results showed that reduction of EC basal NO caused by the application of caveolin-1 scaffolding domain (AP-CAV) or NOS inhibitor, L-NMMA, for 30 min significantly increased phosphorylated ICAM-1 and its binding to mAb1A29 in the absence of altered ICAM-1 expression and its distribution at subcellular regions. The Src inhibitor, PP1, inhibited NO reduction-induced increases in ICAM-1 phosphorylation and adhesive binding. AFM detected significant increases in the binding force between AP-CAV-treated ECs and mAb1A29-coated probes. These results demonstrated that reduced EC basal NO lead to a rapid increase in ICAM-1 adhesive binding via Src-mediated phosphorylation without de novo protein synthesis and translocation. This study suggests that a NO-dependent conformational change of constitutive EC membrane ICAM-1 might be the mechanism of rapid ICAM-1 dependent leukocyte adhesion observed in vivo. This new mechanistic insight provides a better understanding of EC/leukocyte interaction-mediated vascular inflammation under many disease conditions that encounter reduced basal NO in the circulation system

Projecting ocean acidification impacts for the Gulf of Maine to 2050: new tools and expectations

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Siedlecki, S. A., Salisbury, J., Gledhill, D. K., Bastidas, C., Meseck, S., McGarry, K., Hunt, C. W., Alexander, M., Lavoie, D., Wang, Z. A., Scott, J., Brady, D. C., Mlsna, I., Azetsu-Scott, K., Liberti, C. M., Melrose, D. C., White, M. M., Pershing, A., Vandemark, D., Townsend, D. W., Chen, C,. Mook, W., Morrison, R. Projecting ocean acidification impacts for the Gulf of Maine to 2050: new tools and expectations. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 9(1), (2021): 00062, https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2020.00062.Ocean acidification (OA) is increasing predictably in the global ocean as rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide lead to higher oceanic concentrations of inorganic carbon. The Gulf of Maine (GOM) is a seasonally varying region of confluence for many processes that further affect the carbonate system including freshwater influences and high productivity, particularly near the coast where local processes impart a strong influence. Two main regions within the GOM currently experience carbonate conditions that are suboptimal for many organisms—the nearshore and subsurface deep shelf. OA trends over the past 15 years have been masked in the GOM by recent warming and changes to the regional circulation that locally supply more Gulf Stream waters. The region is home to many commercially important shellfish that are vulnerable to OA conditions, as well as to the human populations whose dependence on shellfish species in the fishery has continued to increase over the past decade. Through a review of the sensitivity of the regional marine ecosystem inhabitants, we identified a critical threshold of 1.5 for the aragonite saturation state (Ωa). A combination of regional high-resolution simulations that include coastal processes were used to project OA conditions for the GOM into 2050. By 2050, the Ωa declines everywhere in the GOM with most pronounced impacts near the coast, in subsurface waters, and associated with freshening. Under the RCP 8.5 projected climate scenario, the entire GOM will experience conditions below the critical Ωa threshold of 1.5 for most of the year by 2050. Despite these declines, the projected warming in the GOM imparts a partial compensatory effect to Ωa by elevating saturation states considerably above what would result from acidification alone and preserving some important fisheries locations, including much of Georges Bank, above the critical threshold.This research was financially supported by the Major Special Projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2016YFC020600), the Young Scholars Science Foundation of Lanzhou Jiaotong University (2018033), and the Talent Innovation and Entrepreneurship Projects of Lanzhou (2018-RC-84)

Exoskeleton dissolution with mechanoreceptor damage in larval Dungeness crab related to severity of present-day ocean acidification vertical gradients

Ocean acidification (OA) along the US West Coast is intensifying faster than observed in the global ocean. This is particularly true in nearshore regions (<200 m) that experience a lower buffering capacity while at the same time providing important habitats for ecologically and economically significant species. While the literature on the effects of OA from laboratory experiments is voluminous, there is little understanding of present-day OA in-situ effects on marine life. Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) is perennially one of the most valuable commercial and recreational fisheries. We focused on establishing OA-related vulnerability of larval crustacean based on mineralogical and elemental carapace to external and internal carapace dissolution by using a combination of different methods ranging from scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, elemental mapping and X-ray diffraction. By integrating carapace features with the chemical observations and biogeochemical model hindcast, we identify the occurrence of external carapace dissolution related to the steepest Ω calcite gradients (∆Ωcal,60) in the water column. Dissolution features are observed across the carapace, pereopods (legs), and around the calcified areas surrounding neuritic canals of mechanoreceptors. The carapace dissolution is the most extensive in the coastal habitats under prolonged (1-month) long exposure, as demonstrated by the use of the model hindcast. Such dissolution has a potential to destabilize mechanoreceptors with important sensory and behavioral functions, a pathway of sensitivity to OA. Carapace dissolution is negatively related to crab larval width, demonstrating a basis for energetic trade-offs. Using a retrospective prediction from a regression models, we estimate an 8.3% increase in external carapace dissolution over the last two decades and identified a set of affected OA-related sublethal pathways to inform future risk assessment studies of Dungeness crabs. -- Keywords : Dungeness crab ; Larval sensitivity ; Global climate change ; Ocean acidification ; Exoskeleton structure ; Dissolution ; Mechanoreceptor damage