Thermal Cues Composed of Sequences of Pulses for Transferring Data via a Haptic Thermal Interface.

This research study is the preliminary phase of an effort to develop a generic data transfer method via human haptic thermal sensation (i.e., a coded language such as Morse or Braille).

Greater traditionalism predicts COVID-19 precautionary behaviors across 27 societies.

People vary both in their embrace of their society's traditions, and in their perception of hazards as salient and necessitating a response. Over evolutionary time, traditions have offered avenues for addressing hazards, plausibly resulting in linkages between orientations toward tradition and orientations toward danger. Emerging research documents connections between traditionalism and threat responsivity, including pathogen-avoidance motivations.

Motivated Interpretations of Deceptive Information.

We examine whether people seek information that might help them make sense of others' dishonest behavior. Participants were told that a hypothetical partner (either a friend or a stranger) had engaged in a task in which the partner could lie to boost their earnings at the expense of the participant's earnings. Participants were less likely to search for information that can justify potential dishonest behavior conducted by a friend than by a stranger (Experiment 1).

Generality and cultural variation in the experience of regret.

Regret is the prototypical decision-related emotion. Most theory and research on regret comes from the United States and Europe, but recent research has suggested potential cross-cultural differences in regret. We examined generality and cultural variation in the experience of regret.

Poly(methyl methacrylate) particles for local drug delivery using shock wave lithotripsy: In vitro proof of concept experiment.

To leverage current local drug delivery systems methodology, there is vast use of polymeric particles serving as drug carriers to assure minimal invasive therapy with little systemic distribution of the released drug. There is an increasing interest in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) serving as carriers in drug delivery. The study aims to develop PMMA carriers for localized drug delivery and release system, combining innovative biomaterial technology and shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), and to study the effect of SWL on various concentrations of PMMA particles.

In and out: an analysis of epibiotic vs periplasmic bacterial predators.

Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALO) are obligate predators of Gram-negative bacteria, belonging to the α- and δ-proteobacteria. BALO prey using either a periplasmic or an epibiotic predatory strategy, but the genetic background underlying these phenotypes is not known. Here we compare the epibiotic Bdellovibrio exovorus and Micavibrio aeruginosavorus to the periplasmic B.

Nanostructuring with spatially localized femtosecond laser pulses.

Spatially localized femtosecond pulses have been produced by a combination of scanning near-field optical microscopy with ultrashort pulse lasers. With these pulses direct ablative writing on metal surfaces is demonstrated. Possible applications of this technique for nanostructuring, repair, and production of lithographic masks are discussed.

Physical exercise enhances hepatic insulin signaling and inhibits phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity in diabetes-prone Psammomys obesus.

We have shown that physical exercise enhances insulin sensitivity of skeletal muscle in diabetes-prone Psammomys-obesus. In this study, we examined the effect of physical exercise on the liver of these animals. Three groups of animals were exposed to a 4-week protocol; high-energy diet (CH), high-energy diet and exercising (EH), and low-energy diet (CL).

Dopamine, through the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway, downregulates CD4+CD25+ regulatory T-cell activity: implications for neurodegeneration.

Fighting off neuronal degeneration requires a well controlled T-cell response against self-antigens residing in sites of the CNS damage. The ability to evoke this response is normally suppressed by naturally occurring CD4+CD25+ regulatory T-cells (Treg). No physiological compound that controls Treg activity has yet been identified.

Liver transplantation in exertional heat stroke: a medical dilemma.

Background: Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a life-threatening condition caused by an extreme elevation in core body temperature. Hepatic involvement is one of the hallmarks of heat stroke, affecting nearly all heat stroke patients. It is usually manifested by increased serum levels of liver enzymes, but acute liver failure has also been reported.

The "golden hour" for heatstroke treatment.

Exertional heatstroke is a life-threatening event. It occurs mainly among the young healthy populations of athletes and soldiers. The severity of exertional heatstroke is directly correlated to the area under the temperature duration curve.

Hydration status measurement by radio frequency absorptiometry in young athletes--a new method and preliminary results.

A new method for non-invasive measurement of the human state of hydration is presented. This method is based on frequency-dependent absorptiometry of radio-waves passing through tissues. A device utilizing this method was constructed and applied to 12 young (24 +/- 1) male volunteers, who were dehydrated for 1-2.

Physical exercise enhances protein kinase C delta activity and insulin receptor tyrosine phosphorylation in diabetes-prone psammomys obesus.

We recently reported that physical exercise prevents the progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Psammomys obesus, an animal model of nutritionally induced type 2 diabetes mellitus. In the present study we characterized the effect of physical exercise on protein kinase C delta (PKC delta) activity, as a mediator of the insulin-signaling cascade in vivo. Three groups of Psammomys obesus were exposed to a 4-week protocol: high-energy diet (HE/C), high-energy diet and exercise (HE/EX), or low-energy diet (LE/C).

Plasma antioxidant status and cell injury after severe physical exercise.

Strenuous exercise leads to an increase in metabolic rate, increased production of reactive oxygen species, and compromised antioxidant defense systems. To study the effects of oxidative stress during strenuous exercise, a homogeneous group of 31 male subjects participated in a 6-month, 5 days/week training schedule involving two extreme marches of 50 km and 80 km at sea level, separated by 2 weeks of regular training. Each participant carried 35 kg of extra weight.

Hypothermia and local cold injuries in combat and non-combat situations--the Israeli experience.

Introduction: Cold weather has been recognized in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a potential medical and operational threat to the soldier. Although regulations have been issued to cope with this situation, every year about 20 cases of hypothermia (T(core) < 35 degrees C) and peripheral cold injuries are reported.

Methods: This study was aimed at following cold weather injuries (CI) in the IDF in the period 1994-2001.

[Multi-organ failure in a young soldier: a clinical-pathological meeting].

This clinical-pathological conference took place at the Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, on February 21, 2001. We present the case of a young and previously healthy soldier who developed multi-organ failure with predominant liver dysfunction following exertional heatstroke. The patient's clinical course consisted of an early phase of transient encephalopathy, associated with hyperthermia, hypophosphatemia, mild laboratory indications of renal failure, rhabdomyolysis and consumption coagulopathy.

Physical exercise prevents the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Psammomys obesus.

We hypothesized that exercise training might prevent diabetes mellitus in Psammomys obesus. Animals were assigned to three groups: high-energy diet (CH), high-energy diet and exercise (EH), and low-energy diet (CL). The EH group ran on a treadmill 5 days/wk, twice a day.

Near-field optical photomask repair with a femtosecond laser.

We present a high-resolution near-field optical tool designed for repair of opaque defects in binary photomasks. Both instrument design and near-field imaging and patterning results will be presented. Designed for ablative processing of thin metal films, the MR-100 incorporates an industrial amplified femtosecond laser, third harmonic generator and built-in autocorrelator.

Self-Protective mechanism awakened by glutamate in retinal ganglion cells.

The progression of degeneration in chronic optic neuropathies or in animal models of optic nerve injury is thought to be caused, at least in part, by an increase in glutamate to abnormally high concentrations. We show here that glutamate, when injected in subtoxic amounts into the vitreal body of the rat eye, transduces a self-protecting signal that renders the retinal ganglion cells resistant to further toxicity, whether glutamate-derived or not. This neuroprotective effect is attained within 24 h and lasts at least 4 days.

Exertional heat stroke--the prevention of a medical emergency.

In most cases, exertional heat stroke (EHS) can be prevented in the military setting. The actions taken by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and their outcome prove this well. Unfortunately, despite the available information, there are still incidents of failure of command in conducting physical exercise, leading to EHS.

Production of neurotrophins by activated T cells: implications for neuroprotective autoimmunity.

Neurotrophins (NTs) promote neuronal survival and maintenance during development and after injury. However, their role in the communication between the nervous system and the immune system is not yet clear. We observed recently that passively transferred activated T cells of various antigen specificities home to the injured central nervous system (CNS), yet only autoimmune T cells specific to a CNS antigen, myelin basic protein (MBP), protect neurons from secondary degeneration after crush injury of the rat optic nerve.

Differential T cell response in central and peripheral nerve injury: connection with immune privilege.

The central nervous system (CNS), unlike the peripheral nervous system (PNS), is an immune-privileged site in which local immune responses are restricted. Whereas immune privilege in the intact CNS has been studied intensively, little is known about its effects after trauma. In this study, we examined the influence of CNS immune privilege on T cell response to central nerve injury.

GTP-dependent conformational changes associated with the functional switch between Galpha and cross-linking activities in brain-derived tissue transglutaminase.

GTP and Ca2+, two well-known modulators of intracellular signaling pathways, control a structural/functional switch between two vital and mutually exclusive activities, cross-linking and Galpha activity, in the same enzyme. The enzyme, a brain-derived tissue-type transglutaminase (TGase), was recently cloned by us in two forms, one of which (s-TGN) lacks a C-terminal region that is present in the other (l-TGN). Immunoreaction with antibodies directed against a peptide present in the C-terminus of l-TGN but missing in s-TGN suggested that this site, which is located in the C-terminal fourth domain, undergoes conformational changes as a result of interaction between l-TGN and GTP.