Endothelial cell dysfunction contributes to sepsis induced initiate immune response and the infiltration of immune cells into organs, resulting in organ injury. Heat shock protein A12B (HSPA12B) is predominantly expressed in endothelial cells. The present study investigated whether endothelial HSPA12B could regulate macrophage pro-inflammatory response during sepsis. Wild type (WT) and endothelial cell-specific HSPA12B deficient (HSPA12B–/–) mice were subjected to CLP sepsis. Mortality and cardiac function were monitored. Higher mortality, worsened cardiac dysfunction, and greater infiltrated macrophages in the myocardium and spleen were observed in HSPA12B–/– septic mice compared with the WT septic mice. The serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1β were higher and the levels of IL-10 were lower in HSPA12B–/– septic mice than in WT septic mice. Importantly, endothelial exosomes contain HSPA12B which can be uptaken by macrophages. Interestingly, endothelial exosomal HSPA12B significantly increases IL-10 levels and decreases TNF-α and IL-1β production in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Mechanistic studies show that endothelial exosomal HSPA12B downregulates NF-κB activation and nuclear translocation in LPS stimulated macrophages. These data suggest that endothelial HSPA12B plays a novel role in the regulation of macrophage pro-inflammatory response via exosomes during sepsis and that sepsis induced cardiomyopathy and mortality are associated with endothelial cell deficiency of HSPA12B.

In this cross-sectional, retrospective study, the bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) of the whole skeleton, upper limbs, lower limbs, femoral neck, and lumbar vertebrae were measured using dual photon absorptiometry and the results compared in healthy young males involved in: weight-lifting, running, cross-training, or recreational exercises. When adjusted for body weight, the upper limb BMD was highest in those engaged solely in weight-lifting, (mean 1.021, SE 0.019, and 95% CI 0.981-1.061) and lowest in runners (mean 0.908, SE 0.019 and 95% CI 0.869-0.946). These differences were significant (P = 0.0004). There were no significant differences in upper limb BMD between weight-lifters and cross-trained athletes and between runners and those engaged in recreational exercises. Significant differences in BMD were observed between weight-lifters and recreational athletes (P = 0.001) and between cross-trained athletes and runners (P = 0.03). No other significant differences were observed. These data suggest that healthy, young, adult males reporting a history of intensive weight-lifting had significantly greater bone mass of the upper limb bones than those reporting a history of non-weight-lifting exercises. These results imply a specific versus generalized effect of mechanical load on bones of the skeleton.

Behavioral contrast has been interpreted as a function of either (1) the reduction of frequency of reinforcement in one component of a multiple schedule or (2) the suppression of responses in one component regardless of reinforcement frequency. These explanations are discussed in terms of their adequacy in accounting for several recent experimental results. Two alternative explanations are considered. First, contrast is interpreted as a function of the relative summation of excitatory and inhibitory effects of stimuli. Second, contrast is discussed as a possible function of a switch from a response-reinforcer contingency to a stimulus-reinforcer contingency as seen in auto-pecking. Both avenues are considered promising in terms of accounting for behavioral contrast.

A scale consisting of eight suggestions worded with specific sensory predicates was administered to a large undergraduate introductory psychology class. Following the presentation of the suggestions, Self-Scoring Forms were filled out to assess the subjects' response to auditory (A), visual (V), and kinesthetic (K) suggestions. prior to the conclusion of the session, subjects were asked to write a brief essay describing their experience of the suggestion portion of the session. Subject essays were content analyzed for the use of predicates (including, but not only A, V, and K). Frequency of usage of A, V, and K predicates were compared with responses to A, V, and K suggestions to determine the amount of consistency between preference for the use of a specific category of sensory predicates and responsiveness suggestions worded in similar language. No significant correlations between the use of specific sensory predicates and response to specific sensory suggestions were found.

Due to recent advances in aquatic research, technology, and facilities, many modes of aquatic therapy now exist. These aquatic modes assist individuals (e.g., osteoarthritis patients) in the performance of activities that may be too difficult to complete on land. However, the biomechanical requirements of each aquatic therapy mode may elicit different physiological and functional responses. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to: (a) provide a review of the physiological and biomechanical differences between aquatic and land based exercises, and (b) examine the acute effects of underwater and land treadmill exercise on oxygen consumption (VO2), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), perceived pain, mobility, and gait kinematics for patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Methods consisted of the retrieval of experimental studies examining the physiological and biomechanical effects of deep water running (DWR), shallow water running (SWR), water calisthenics, and underwater treadmill therapy. The methods also examined the physiological and biomechanical effects on 19 participants during and after three consecutive exercise sessions on an underwater treadmill and on a land-based treadmill. Based on the studies reviewed, when compared to a similar land-based mode, VO2 values are lower during both DWR and SWR, but can be higher during water calisthenics and underwater treadmill exercise. RPE responses during DWR are similar during max effort, and stride frequency and stride length are both lower in all four aquatic modes than on land. Pain levels are no different between most water calisthenics, and most studies reported improvements in mobility after aquatic therapy, but no difference between the aquatic and land-based modes. The OA participants achieved VO2 values that were not different between conditions during moderate intensities, but were 37% greater during low intensity exercise on land than in water (p = 0.001). Perceived pain and Time Up & Go scores were 140% and 240% greater, respectively, for land than underwater treadmill exercise (p = 0.01). Patients diagnosed with OA may walk on an underwater treadmill at a moderate intensity with less pain and equivalent energy expenditures compared to walking on a land-based treadmill.

No description available.

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive facultative anaerobe that is the causative agent of the disease listeriosis and is responsible for nearly 20% of all food-related deaths in the United States. The ability of this bacterium to cause infections is proposed to correlate to its ability to resist the bactericidal properties of bile acids found in bile. Bile resistance mechanisms have exhibited increased activity under anaerobic conditions. Therefore, we hypothesized that limited oxygen could enhance the bile resistance of L. monocytogenes. Upon survival analysis, viability for virulent strains F2365, EGD-e, and 10403S increased upon 10% porcine bile extract under anaerobic conditions. However, avirulent strain HCC23 depicted no difference in bile resistance. The proteomic analysis revealed increased expression of proteins associated with DNA repair and virulence factors under anaerobic conditions in a strain dependent manner. Therefore, oxygen availability may contribute to bile resistance through the regulation of the SOS response.

This thesis assesses four governmental responses to terrorism: conciliation, denial, legal restriction, and violence, each of which may be focused on an organization or its leaders. The theory makes predictions on the resulting frequency and severity of terrorism. Unless responses reduce an organization’s capacity or desire to attack, the frequency of attacks may be reduced, while the severity continues to increase. The theory is tested using a time series regression analysis of the effects of government action on terrorism in Algeria and the Philippines. In general, the results show that conciliation may led to increases in terrorism in the short term while suggesting potential reductions in the long term. Denial and legal restriction often led to increases in terrorism, while the effects of violence often depended upon whether the response was applied to organizations or their leaders.

The nonlinear nonplanar steady-state responses of cantilever beams to direct and parametric harmonic excitations are investigated using perturbation techniques. Modal interactions between the bending-bending and bending-bending-twisting motions are studied. Using a variational formulation, we obtained the governing equations of motion and associated boundary conditions for monoclinic composite and isotropic metallic inextensional beams. The method of multiple scales is applied either to the governing system of equations and associated boundary conditions or to the Lagrangian and virtual-work term to determine the modulation equations that govern the slow dynamics of the responses. These equations are shown to exhibit symmetry properties, reflecting the conservative nature of the beams in the absence of damping. It is popular to first discretize the partial-differential equations of motion and then apply a perturbation technique to the resulting ordinary-differential equations to determine the modulation equations. Due to the presence of quadratic as well as cubic nonlinearities in the governing system for the bending-bending-twisting oscillations of beams, it is shown that this approach leads to erroneous results. Furthermore, the symmetries are lost in the resulting equations. Nontrivial fixed points of the modulation equations correspond, generally, to periodic responses of the beams, whereas limit-cycle solutions of the modulation equations correspond to aperiodic responses of the beams. A pseudo-arclength scheme is used to determine the fixed points and their stability. In some cases, they are found to undergo Hopf bifurcations, which result in limit cycles. A combination of a long-time integration, a two-point boundary-value continuation scheme, and Floquet theory is used to determine in detail branches of periodic and chaotic solutions and assess their stability. The limit cycles undergo symmetry-breaking, cyclic-fold, and period-doubling bifurcations. The chaotic attractors undergo attractor-merging and boundary crises as well as explosive bifurcations. For certain cases, it is determined that the response of a beam to a high-frequency excitation is not necessarily a high-frequency low-amplitude oscillation. In fact, low-frequency high-amplitude components that dominate the responses may be activated by resonant and nonresonant mechanisms. In such cases, the overall oscillations of the beam may be significantly large and cannot be neglected. / Ph. D.

Flora et al. (1992, 2003) found that aversive stimulation in the form of intense noise or cold water increased the number of impulsive responses when presented concurrently to a choice task. Hurtado-Parrado et al. (2023) systematically replicated Flora et al.’s (1992) study and found that adding a visual matching-to-sample task with images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS; Lang et al., 2008) produced a higher number of responses on the impulsive option (Sooner-Smaller - SS) near indifference, as compared to a No-images group who showed preference for the self-controlled option (Larger-Later - LL). They also found that the overall rate of correct matching across all conditions was low. Hurtado-Parrado et al. proposed that the potential aversive or distractive effect of frequent failure during the matching task, and thus frequent point loss, could have had a similar effect of the cold pressor and aversive noise on impulsive responses (SS). The present study systematically replicated Hurtado-Parrado et al.’s (2023) experiment to evaluate the effects on SS responses of different rates of correct responses during the matching-to-sample component of the experimental task across four conditions: No-images, 0%, 60%, and 100% correct matching. Fourteen college students were exposed to all conditions in a within-subject design. The prediction that the number of SS responses would increase as the percentage of correct responses in the matching task decreased was not confirmed. Participants developed one of three choice patterns during the first no matching condition (No Images), namely preference for the self-control or impulsive option, or indifference. Subsequent changes in percentages of correct matching did not affect indifference or self-control preference, but contrary to the predicted effect, decreased impulsive responses towards indifference or self-control preference. These findings are discussed in terms of possible effects of (a) motivating operations (e.g., monetary compensation in the present study differed from previous studies by Flora et al., 1992, 2003 and Hurtado-Parrado et al., 2023); (b) extra-experimental contingencies (e.g., several students participated during the last days of the semester trying to complete course credits in small amount of time); (c) rule-construction and rule-following behavior (e.g., rule-construction during the No images condition could explain insensitivity to subsequent changes in percentage of correct matching), and (d) local and molar reinforcement rate variations across conditions (e.g., an increase in rates of point gain, and thus increase in their reinforcement value, could explain the reduction in initial impulsive preference of some participants when correct matching was later manipulated).