cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
wPerf: generic Off-CPU analysis to identify bottleneck waiting events

This paper tries to identify waiting events that limit the maximal throughput of a multi-threaded application. To achieve this goal, we not only need to understand an event's impact on threads waiting for this event (i.e., local impact), but also need to understand whether its impact can reach other threads that are involved in request processing (i.e., global impact).To address these challenges, wPerf computes the local impact of a waiting event with a technique called cascaded re-distribution; more importantly, wPerf builds a wait-for graph to compute whether such impact can indirectly reach other threads. By combining these two techniques, wPerf essentially tries to identify events with large impacts on all threads.We apply wPerf to a number of open-source multithreaded applications. By following the guide of wPerf, we are able to improve their throughput by up to 4.83×. The overhead of recording waiting events at runtime is about 5.1% on average.
Turbo Pascal

From the Publisher: This is a complete introduction to Pascal for students with no prior knowledge of computers or programming. Carefully designed and presented, the book features programming material (programs, output, and tables) on right-hand pages, with corresponding explanations found on left-hand pages. Different programming techniques are presented, ranging from top-down design and stepwise refinement of pseudocode to the bottom-up approach. The tool box approach is also used to write some of the longer programs. In addition, stepwise refinement is used for many of the longer programs. With its rigorous approach, Turbo Pascal is intended to have even newcomers programming in their first session at the computer.
Phaseless Radar Coincidence Imaging with a MIMO SAR Platform

The correlation-based synthetic aperture radar imaging technique, termed radar coincidence imaging, is extended to a fully multistatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) configuration. Within this framework, we explore two distinct processing schemes: incoherent processing of intensity data, obtained using asynchronous receivers and inspired by optical ghost imaging works, and coherent processing with synchronized array elements. Improvement in resolution and image quality is demonstrated in both cases using numerical simulations that model an airborne MIMO SAR system at microwave frequencies. Finally, we explore methods for reducing measurement times and computational loads through compressive and gradient image reconstruction using phaseless data.
The Partisan Path to Democracy: Argentina in Comparative Perspective:

What leads to the initial emergence of democracy? Many studies view democratization as the product of a class struggle over economic redistribution, pitting the landed elites against the masses or ...
Integrated Approach for Characterization of Highly Heterogeneous Drugs

The transformative evolution of the life sciences field is at an important point of convergence with data sciences, which is another dramatically evolving field. The advances in rapid, sensitive, and high-throughput analytical methods and “big data” approaches (deep sequencing, etc.) have led to an explosion of datasets in life sciences. This rapid accumulation of diverse data necessitates the development of scientific frameworks and concepts borrowing from the evolving data sciences field to make meaningful predictions and practical use of such data. An important practical application of this convergence is providing a scientific framework for regulatory guidance involving characterization of highly heterogeneous molecules that make up active pharmaceutical ingredients of complex drugs. This chapter provides a perspective on developing such a framework for characterization of highly heterogeneous drugs from the standpoint of demonstrating sameness or equivalence with a reference product. Using examples of recently approved generic versions of complex drugs, this chapter presents the concept of “test-points” (terminology used in design of integrated circuit boards) that capture critical relationships between structural attributes of the heterogeneous molecules, the process steps involved in generating the drug product, and the starting reagents or materials.
Phasic Component of Electrodermal Activity is more Correlated to Brain Activity than Tonic Component

Electrodermal activity (EDA) represents the changes in electrical conductance of the skin, including phasic and tonic changes thought to be the result of sympathetic neuronal activity. EDA is a sensitive physiological index of autonomic sympathetic activity and can be easily incorporated to wearable devices to assess emotional and cognitive stress. Information of the brain mechanisms driving the generation of the components of EDA in humans is scarce. We collected EEG and EDA data from ten subjects performing a cognitive task for 24 hours to gain insight of the brain activity linked to the changes on peripheral EDA. We didn't find any significance correlation between the tonic component of EDA and the brain activity, whereas phasic components of EDA exhibited high correlation to power of alpha waves in all the channels collected in this study (maximum $\mathbf{r}=0.91$ in the occipital point), and high inverse correlation to delta waves mainly in the occipital and parietal channels.
CHAPTER 9 – SEASONALITY

Publisher Summary Seasonality studies play an important role in the reconstruction and analysis of prehistoric life ways. A great deal of progress has been made in the theoretical understanding of the impact on the settlement movement of factors such as demography, environment, production, and territoriality. Prehistoric settlement patterns have been complex, variable over time, and not uniform throughout southern New England. On the basis of archeological evidence, it has been shown that particular sites were used seasonally, but such determinations must be based on the examination of prehistoric archeological materials and not solely on the consideration of ethnographic parallels. With most subjects interesting to archeologists, the seasonality of occupation is best approached by considering as many different lines of evidence as possible. To examine the seasonality of various subsistence practices at the Greenwich Cove site, three different sets of data were used. The first two—clam shells and deer teeth—involved the detailed study of growth patterns preserved in hard body parts of animals extensively exploited during prehistoric times. The third method, less reliable than the others, considered the seasonal availability of a number of migratory species.
Socioeconomic disparities in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures and their caregivers.

Abstract Objective There is no information on disparities of patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) and their caregivers. The objective of this exploratory study is to compare patients with PNES and caregivers with low socioeconomic status (SES) with those of high SES for disparities in healthcare use, seizures, medication adverse effects, psychosocial impact, and knowledge about epilepsy. Methods Patients with PNES and caregivers completed surveys about the aforementioned outcomes during their Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) admission. Associations were evaluated using SES as a binary independent variable and the patient- and caregiver-related outcomes as dependent variables. Results Forty-three patients and 28 caregivers were recruited. The majority of patients were on average 36 years old, single women, unemployed, with some college education. The majority had PNES for 8 years averaging 20 seizures per month and were maintained on ≥ 2 antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) prior to their EMU admission. Most caregivers were first-degree relatives with a mean age of 43 years, married employed women of higher educational attainment, typically cohabitating with the patients. Low SES patients showed poorer knowledge about epilepsy (p Conclusion There are noteworthy disparities in patients with PNES of different SES and their caregivers. Identification of those disparities is a critical step in the creation of appropriate interventions to address them.
Exosomes in Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic stroke, a leading cause of mortality, results in severe neurological outcomes in the patients. Effective stroke therapies may significantly decrease the extent of injury. For this purpose, novel and efficient drug delivery strategies need to be developed. Among a myriad of therapeutic and drug delivery techniques, exosomes have shown promising results in ischemic stroke either by their intrinsic therapeutic characteristics, which can result in angiogenesis and neurogenesis or by acting as competent, biocompatible drug delivery vehicles to transport neurotherapeutic agents into the brain. In this review, we have discussed different methods of exosome isolation and cargo loading techniques, advantages and disadvantages of using exosomes as a drug delivery carrier and the therapeutic applications of exosomes with a focus on ischemic stroke therapy.
Radar coherence and NDVI ratios as landslide early warning indicators

Abstract. The catastrophic failure of the Mud Creek landslide on California’s Big Sur Coast on 20 May 2017 highlighted once again how difficult it is to detect a landslide’s transition from slow moving to catastrophically unstable. Automatic detection methods that rely on InSAR displacement measurements to detect precursory acceleration are available but can be plagued by imaging geometry complexities and tedious processing algorithms. Here, we present a novel approach for assessing landslide stability by using relative interferometric coherence from Sentinel-1 and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from Sentinel-2. Our method computes the ratio of mean interferometric coherence or NDVI on the unstable slope relative to that of the surrounding hillslope. We show that the coherence ratio of the Mud Creek landslide dropped by 50 % when the slide began to accelerate five months prior to its catastrophic failure in 2017. Coincidentally, the NDVI ratio began a near-linear decline. In contrast, the landslide accelerated during the rainy seasons of 2015 and 2016, but neither of those accelerations resulted in a drop of the radar coherence ratio. This suggests that radar coherence and NDVI ratios may be able to aid in both the early detection of landslides and indicate whether an acceleration critically threatens the stability of a slope.
Lifetime patterns of comorbidity in eating disorders: An approach using sequence analysis.

Objective Eating disorders (EDs) have high rates of psychiatric comorbidity. This study aimed to characterize longitudinal patterns of comorbidities in adults with EDs. Methods Sequence analysis and hierarchical clustering were applied to ages of onset and recency for select eating, substance, mood, and anxiety disorders from the 479 participants in the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys with lifetime DSM-IV bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or anorexia nervosa. External validators were compared across clusters using chi-square tests. Results Five clusters were identified among individuals with any lifetime ED based on longitudinal sequence of psychiatric disorder onset and remission, characterized as: (1) multi-comorbid with early onset of comorbid disorder (46%); (2) moderate preeminent anxiety with moderate comorbidity and low ED persistence (20%); (3) late ED onset with low comorbidity (15%); (4) early onset, persistent ED with low comorbidity (14%); and (5) chronic, early onset depression (5%). Clusters were well differentiated by significant differences in age, body mass index, race, and psychiatric indicators. Conclusions This study demonstrates a new method to assess clustering of comorbidity among individuals with lifetime EDs. Having a psychiatric diagnosis prior to an ED was associated with greater psychopathology and illness duration. Information on timing of diagnoses may allow for more refined comorbidity classification.
Emergence of a novel SARS-CoV-2 strain in Southern California, USA

Abstract Since October 2020, novel strains of SARS-CoV-2 including B.1.1.7, have been identified to be of global significance from an infection and surveillance perspective. While this strain (B.1.1.7) may play an important role in increased COVID rates in the UK, there are still no reported strains to account for the spike of cases in Los Angeles (LA) and California as a whole, which currently has some of the highest absolute and per-capita COVID transmission rates in the country. From the early days of the pandemic when LA only had a single viral genome uploaded onto GISAID we have been at the forefront of generating and analyzing the SARS-CoV-2 sequencing data from the LA region. We report a novel strain emerging in Southern California. Most current cases in the catchment population in LA fall into two distinct subclades: 1) 20G (24% of total) is the predominant subclade currently in the United States 2) a relatively novel strain in clade 20C, CAL.20C strain (∼36% of total) is defined by five concurrent mutations. After an analysis of all of the publicly available data and a comparison to our recent sequences, we see a dramatic growth in the relative percentage of the CAL.20C strain beginning in November of 2020. The predominance of this strain coincides with the increased positivity rate seen in this region. Unlike 20G, this novel strain CAL.20C is defined by multiple mutations in the S protein, a characteristic it shares with both the UK and South African strains, both of which are of significant clinical and scientific interest
Smart Secure USB SSU-256

USBs are the most common devices for data sharing and transferring either for personal day to day use or at the organizational level. Its usage is increasing exponentially despite the data breaches occurring due to the noncompliance of security measurements. Consumers are at risk when sensitive data is stored on unsecured USBs. The consequences of losing drives (or when picked up by unauthorized persons) loaded with sensitive information can be significant, including the loss of customer data, financial information, business plans and other confidential/sensitive information, risk of reputation damage. Apropos, this problem of keeping the data confidential from unauthorized users need to be addressed immediately. Therefore, in this paper we present an indigenous solution for this problem which can easily be used by general users and sensitive organizations (strategic, banks, academia, law enforcement, armed forces, telco’s and many others) to overcome the above stated confidentiality problem. Our proposed Smart Secure USB (SSU-256), will serve as secure channel for both data storage and transfer.
Dichotomous impact of affinity on the function of T cell engaging bispecific antibodies.

BACKGROUND Bispecific T cell engagers represent the majority of bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) entering the clinic to treat metastatic cancer. The ability to apply these agents safely and efficaciously in the clinic, particularly for solid tumors, has been challenging. Many preclinical studies have evaluated parameters related to the activity of T cell engaging BsAbs, but many questions remain. MAIN BODY This study investigates the impact of affinity of T cell engaging BsAbs with regards to potency, efficacy, and induction of immunomodulatory receptors/ligands using HER-2/CD3 BsAbs as a model system. We show that an IgG BsAb can be as efficacious as a smaller BsAb format both in vitro and in vivo. We uncover a dichotomous relationship between tumor-associated antigen (TAA) affinity and CD3 affinity requirements for cells that express high versus low levels of TAA. HER-2 affinity directly correlated with the CD3 engager lysis potency of HER-2/CD3 BsAbs when HER-2 receptor numbers are high (~200 K/cell), while the CD3 affinity did not impact potency until its binding affinity was extremely low ( 3 mg/kg. This data confirms that low CD3 affinity provides an opportunity for improved safety and dosing for T cell engaging BsAbs. T cell redirection also led to upregulation of Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and 4-1BB, but not CTLA-4 on T cells, and to Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) upregulation on HER-2HI SKOV3 tumor cells, but not on HER-2LO OVCAR3 tumor cells. Using this information, we combined anti-PD-1 or anti-4-1BB monoclonal antibodies with the HER-2/CD3 BsAb in vivo and demonstrated significantly increased efficacy against HER-2HI SKOV3 tumors via both combinations. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these studies provide an informational dive into the optimization process of CD3 engaging BsAbs for solid tumors indicating that a reduced affinity for CD3 may enable a better therapeutic index with a greater selectivity for the target tumor and a reduced cytokine release syndrome. These studies also provide an additional argument for combining T cell checkpoint inhibition and co-stimulation to achieve optimal efficacy. BACKGROUND
Freeing Organic Semiconductor Nanowires from Nanoporous Aluminum Oxide Templates: Effects on Morphology, Crystal Structure, and Molecular Aggregation

Nanoconfinement of organic semiconductors in nanoporous templates is promising for manipulating polymorphism and molecular orientation while forming nanowires with controlled dimensions. To harness...
Course Scheduling Under Sudden Scarcity: Applications to Pandemic Planning

Problem definition: Physical distancing requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic have dramatically reduced the effective capacity of university campuses. Under these conditions, we examine how to ...
Cartographies of Time: A History of the Timeline by Anthony Grafton and Daniel Rosenberg

(2011). Cartographies of Time: A History of the Timeline by Anthony Grafton and Daniel Rosenberg. Design and Culture: Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 267-269.
Extending the applicability of parallel-serial scan designs

Although scan-based designs are widely used in order to reduce the complexity of test generation, test application time and test data volume are substantially increased. We propose two different methodologies for test cost reduction in scan-based designs. The first methodology improves on the Illinois scan architecture, aiming at reducing the high test cost of the test vectors that necessitate the serial test application mode. The second methodology employs on-chip serial transformations to generate an input stimulus that can be applied efficiently. The transformation-based methodology utilizes the proposed scan design to obtain the minimal cost input stimulus. The experimental results indicate that a substantial test cost reduction, reaching 90% levels, can be obtained.
On the Popular Image of the Lawyer: Reflections in a Dark Glass

The most striking aspect of the image of the lawyer in popular culture is the intense hostility with which it is invested. Lawyers, to be sure, may have more than their fair share of common moral shortcomings. But they do not as individuals seem so very different from the rest of the population as to justify the special level of animosity that the profession seems to arouse in the general public. One thinks, for example, of the present genre of what has come to be called "lawyer jokes." For instance:
T Cell-Derived Antigen-Specific Humoral Immune Response: II. Further Characterization of the Response and the Antigen Binding T Cell Immunoproteins

Abstract Murine T lymphocyte-derived proteins which bind nominal antigen specifically (TABM) were detected in serum during a humoral immune response to bovine serum albumin. The TABM response was observed only when the adjuvants polyadenylic:polyuridylic acid complex (poly(A:U)), Freund's complete adjuvant or Titermax were used concurrently with antigen to immunize. When poly(A:U) was used, higher doses of antigen were optimal to stimulate TABM production than those required to stimulate immunoglobulin production. The binding of TABM in the serum of BSA-immunized mice to BSA in solid phase was inhibited specifically by 10-fold more BSA than that required to inhibit BSA-specific immunoglobulins suggesting that TABM have much less affinity for antigen than immunoglobulins. Immunoblotting of TABM in serum From BSA-immune mice, which bind BSA, demonstrated that these serum TABM are comprised of M r 110,000 polypeptides linked by disulfide bonds. Antigen-specific proteins in a lysate of an NP-specific T cell hybrid inhibited the recognition of serum TABM by anti-TABM antiserum while a lysate of a B cell hybridoma was not inhibitory, and serum TABM were adsorbed by monoclonal antibodies to TCR-Cβ. These results provide more evidence that serum TABM may be a soluble analogue of the T cell receptor for antigen.
Further observations on the relationships of pyruvate and lactate in human pregnancy.

Abstract The present study is designed to evaluate adequacy of oxygen supply relative to metabolic needs. Estimates of excess lactate production were done in the human pregnant mother and fetus at the time of elective cesarean section. The evidence from the observations noted suggests that the pregnant uterus as a whole is not forced to resort to anaerobic tissue metabolism by the degrees of maternal hypoxemia studied except in rare instances.
Grounding Rights in Social Practices: A Defence

This paper defends a social practiceconception of moral rights possession againstwhat many of its critics take to be a decisiveobjection, namely that such a conceptionprevents us from using moral rights forcritical purposes.
Quantification of decellularized human myocardial matrix: A comparison of six patients.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to characterize and quantitatively analyze human cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) isolated from six different cadaveric donor hearts. Experimental design ECM was isolated by decellularization of six human cadaveric donor hearts and characterized by quantifying sulfated glycosaminoglycan content (sGAG) and via PAGE. The protein content was then quantified using ECM-targeted Quantitative conCATamers (QconCAT) by LC-SRM analysis using 83 stable isotope labeled (SIL) peptides representing 48 different proteins. Nontargeted global analysis was also implemented using LC-MS/MS. Results The sGAG content, PAGE, and QconCAT proteomics analysis showed significant variation between each of the six patient samples. The quantitative proteomics indicated that the majority of the protein content was composed of various fibrillar collagen components. Also, quantification of difficult to remove cellular proteins represented less than 1% of total protein content, which is very low for a decellularized biomaterial. Global proteomics identified over 200 distinct proteins present in the human cardiac ECM. Conclusion and clinical relevance In conclusion, quantification and characterization of human myocardial ECM showed significant patient-to-patient variability between the six investigated patients. This is an important outcome for the development of allogeneic derived biomaterials and for increasing our understanding of human myocardial ECM composition.
Fairness: A Critique to the Utilitarian Approach

We address a basic diffculty with incorporating fairness into standard utilitarian choice theories. Standard utilitarian theories evaluate lotteries according to the (weighted) utility over ?nal outcomes and assume in particular that a lottery is never preferred over getting the most preferred underlying outcome with ertainty. While nearly universally adopted in economics (including behavioral economics) and appealing for choices among consumption goods, this approach is problematic when choices directly affect the payoffs of other individuals. A difficulty is that randomization may in itself be valued as a desirable procedure for allocating scarce resources. We highlight this in two simple choice settings. Individuals can choose between three options: to get more money; to get less money and someo ther good; to flip a coin between these two alternatives. When the good is a regular consumption good like a coffeemug, hardly any of our subjects randomize. When the good is a social good that yields payoffs directly to some other individual,nearly a third of our subjects choose to randomize. Our results indicate that fairness concerns are conducive to behavioral anomalies that the standard utilitarian model cannot accommodate.
The Battle for Guatemala: Rebels, Death Squads, and U.S. Power

The Battle for Guatemala: Rebels, Death Squads, and U.S. Power. SUZANNE JONAS. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1991. xxi + 288pp. $54.50 (cloth), $18.95 (paper). ISBN 0-8133-7462-6, ISBN 0-8133-0614-0.
Treatment of Cytomegalovirus Retinitis With an Intraocular Sustained-Release Ganciclovir Implant: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background and Methods: We performed a randomized controlled clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of a 1 μg/h ganciclovir implant for the treatment of newly diagnosed cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Patients with previously untreated peripheral CMV retinitis were randomly assigned either to immediate treatment with the ganciclovir implant or to deferred treatment. Standardized fundus photographs were taken at 2-week intervals and analyzed in a masked fashion. The study end point was progression of retinitis based on the photographic assessment. Results: Twenty-six patients (30 eyes) were enrolled. The median time to progression of retinitis was 15 days in the deferred treatment group (n=16) vs 226 days in the immediate treatment group (n=14) ( P Conclusion: The ganciclovir implant is effective for the treatment of CMV retinitis. Patients with unilateral CMV retinitis treated with the implant are likely to develop CMV retinitis in the fellow eye, and some patients will develop visceral CMV disease.
Possible strategies to protect the preterm brain against the fetal inflammatory response.

SUMMARY The accruing evidence that a fetal inflammatory response is the link between antenatal infection and white matter damage in the preterm newborn infant offers room for speculation how this harmful sequence could be interrupted. Enhancement of endogenous protection, response modification, and damage limitation downstream could be helpful strategies for intervention design. Appropriate observational and experimental studies are needed before clinical interventions can be initiated.
The thyroid and pregnancy: a novel risk factor for very preterm delivery.

The major cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity is preterm delivery in general ( 37 completed weeks). All samples were assessed for thyroid stimulating hormone, thyroperoxidase antibody, and thyroglobulin antibody. Gravidas with high thyrotropin (TSH) levels had a greater than threefold increase in risk of very preterm delivery. In some analyses, gravidas who tested positive for thyroglobulin antibody at entry to prenatal care also had a better than twofold increased risk of very preterm delivery. There were no significant associations between TSH level or thyroglobulin antibody positivity and the risk of moderately preterm delivery.
Interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic signals in yeast differentiation.

Cells differentiate in response to environmental cues, but different cell types often respond in distinct ways, either in terms of what cues generate a particular response or how the same cue leads to different responses. The molecular mechanisms that underlie the interaction of intrinsic cell properties (cell type) with extrinsic signals (environment) are therefore of great interest. Many examples of such decisions occur in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which exists in two haploid cell types, a and α, and a diploid cell type, a/α. These three cell types are capable of several differentiation events (Fig. 1) that are controlled by both extrinsic cues and intrinsic determinants (Table 1). During the mating process, a and α cells respond to peptide mating pheromones secreted by the opposite cell type to undergo sexual differentiation and cell–cell fusion to form the a/α cell type. In turn, when simultaneously starved for both carbon and fixed nitrogen, a/α cells undergo meiosis and sporulation to yield four haploid gametes. Like many human pathogenic fungi, solitary S. cerevisiae yeast cells can differentiate into multicellular filaments (1). In diploid a/α cells, nitrogen starvation in the presence of abundant glucose induces the formation of pseudohyphal filaments. Cullen and Sprague (2) report in this issue of PNAS that the opposite signal—glucose starvation in the presence of abundant nitrogen—activates filamentous growth in the haploid a and α cell types. Together with other observations, these studies raise interesting questions about the interplay between cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic signals during development.
The Fortune Corporate 'Reputation' Index: Reputation for What?

This study examines competing measurement models of the Fortune reputation data and argues that, for research purposes, its usefullness is limited to measuring the extent to which a firm is perceived as striving for financial goals. The generalizability of this conclusion is evaluated and past research studies purporting to have measured other constructs (e.g., social responsibility, quality, stakeholder orientation ) are revisited.
Novel nanostructures of ZnO for nanoscale photonics, optoelectronics, piezoelectricity, and sensing

Wurtzite-structured semiconductors such as ZnO, GaN, AlN, CdSe and ZnS are important materials for nanoscale devices. Zinc oxide, for example, is a unique material that exhibits semiconducting, piezoelectric, and pyroelectric properties. Using a solid–vapor phase thermal sublimation technique, nanocombs, nanorings, nanohelixes/nanosprings, nanobows, nanobelts, nanowires, and nanocages of ZnO have been grown under specific growth conditions. This paper is about the synthesis, structure, growth mechanisms, and potential applications of these nanostructures in optoelectronics, sensors, transducers, and biomedical science.
An Overview of Arrhythmias and Antarrhythmic Approaches

An Overview of Arrhythmias and Antiarrhythmic Approaches. Although treatment of cardiac arrhythmias has been revolutionized in the past decade, patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) still represent a major challenge. With the graying of the population, AF is increasing in prevalence and is responsible for significant morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures. Drug therapy will he required for the majority of patients with this disorder. Patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias represent the other major challenge to the cardiac electrophysiologist. The use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) has reduced the sudden death mortality to 1 % or less per year in patients at risk of dying from a ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Unfortunately, high-risk patients who receive an ICD are only a small proportion of the patients who die suddenly each year. Considering the number of at-risk patients, it is likely that drug therapy will remain the mainstay of treatment of patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Therefore, the major challenge is to recognize patients at risk and treat them with antiarrhythmic drugs to prevent sudden cardiac death. Consequently, it has become clear that we have come to a crossroad with regard to antiarrhythmic drugs. Our knowledge of the molecular biology of cardiac ion channels, electrophysiology, and emerging antiarrhythmic drugs provides us an opportunity to create new pharmacologic stratagems.
A circulating activator of granulocytes in liver disease

Plasma von 15 Patienten mit alkoholischer Lebercirrhose oder Hepatitis steigert die Glucoseoxydase-Aktivitat normaler Granulocyten. Bilirubin hat eine gleichartige Wirkung.
Structural Optimization with Thermal and Mechanical Constraints

This paper reports on the testing of the adaptability of the new approximation tools for thermal structural optimization. A finite element based procedure is proposed for obtaining minimum mass design of structures subjected to stress, displacement and temperature constraints. The optimization is based on a new two-point approximation method for the function. The coupling between thermal and structural sensitivities is taken into account to ensure the convergence. The direct or adjoint method is used for the sensitivity analysis. The two-point approximation is the incomplete second order Taylor series expansion in terms of the intervening variables. The exponent of each design variable and the unknown constant in the second order terms can be obtained in a closed form. This two-point approximation is used for temperature, displacement and internal force approximations. Stress constraints are calculated by using approximated internal forces. Finally, the optimization procedure is demonstrated by two examples: the first example is the design of a titanium plate with aluminum bars and the second example is a structural wing box. These examples are subjected to external heating and mechanical loads, with temperature, strength and minimum gauge constraints.
Different dopamine receptor subtypes mediate the neurogenic vasodilation produced by fenoldopam and SK & F 85174 in the dog hindlimb.

Abstract The present study was performed to examine the effects of the mixed DA-1/DA-2 receptor agonist, SK & F 85174, on hindlimb vascular resustance and identify the DA receptor subtypes involved in the neurogenic hindlimb vasodilation produced by this compound. Bilateral hindlimb perfusion at controlled flow rates was carried out in anesthetized dogs and one hindlimb was surgically denervated whereas the other limb was kept neurally intact. Intravenous administration of SK & F 85174 and fenoldopam, a DA-1 receptor agonist, produced decreases in mean blood pressure and in the perfusion pressure in the innervated limb. Perfusion pressure in the denervated limb was not altered by fenoldopam and was increased by SK & F 85174. The DA-2 receptor antagonist, S-sulpiride, inhibited the neurogenic vasodilation produced by SK & F 85174 but not that produced by fenoldopam. The DA-1 receptor antagonist, SCH 23390, did not alter the hindlimb vasodilatory effects of either SK & F 85174 or fenoldopam in these animals, but it antagonized the hypotensive responses to both of these agents. Intra-aortic administration of SK & F 85174 and fenoldopam also resulted in neurogenic hindlimb vasodilation with the maximum response to fenoldopam occurring significantly faster than SK & F 85174 (2.5 ± 0.16 vs. 9.8 ± 1.2 s). S-Sulpiride antagonized the hindlimb vasodilation produced by SK & F 58174 but not by fenoldopam. R-Sulpiride antagonized the hindlimb vasodilatory effect of fenoldopam. These results show that SK & F 85174 produces neurogenic hindlimb vasodilation by stimulating presynaptic DA-2 receptors and although it activates vascular DA-1 receptors to cause hypotension, unlike the DA-1 receptor agonist fenoldopam it does not stimulate ganglionic DA receptors. These findings provide additional support for our previous suggestion that the vascular DA-1 receptor activated by fenoldopam may be different from ganglionic DA receptor inasmuch as another vascular DA-1 receptor agonist SK & F 85174 did not activate this receptor to cause neurogenic vasodilation as was the case with fenoldopam.
Bachelor culture in the work of Adolf Loos

Abstract The issue of gender in the architecture and writing of Adolf Loos arose from an ongoing debate over gender identification and roles in Viennese culture of the fin-de-siecle. Loos's critique challenged what he saw as the degradation of contemporary culture through its feminization. His masculinized alternative reclaimed the public realm for the rational and the pragmatic. Through this crucial maneuver, Loos tied modernity back to its class base, to an ideology of production and progress, and brought nineteenth-century positivism forward into the twentieth century, jumping over the “effeminate” interlude of art nouveau.
Pregnenolone sulfate exacerbates NMDA-induced death of hippocampal neurons.

Excessive stimulation of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptor has been implicated in the neuronal death resulting from focal hypoxia–ischemia. Certain neurosteroids, steroids synthesized de novo in the central nervous system (CNS), have been shown to modulate the action of neurotransmitters at their cellular receptors. Pregnenolone sulfate (PS) is an abundant neurosteroid that enhances the current evoked by NMDA. Using the Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent dye, Fluo-3, AM, and a trypan blue exclusion assay, we evaluated the ability of PS to modulate NMDA-induced changes in intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) and neuronal death in primary cultures of rat hippocampal neurons. The results demonstrate that PS potentiates NMDA-induced increases in [Ca2+]i by 150%. Further, PS exacerbates the MK-801-sensitive neuronal death produced by acute (PS EC50=37 μM) or chronic NMDA exposure, reducing the EC50 of NMDA from 13 to 4 μM under chronic exposure conditions, whereas pregnenolone is ineffective. Our results show that PS, or related sulfated neurosteroids, may play a role in the onset of excitotoxic neuronal death in vivo.
Seasonal changes in the forms and species of iron and manganese in a seasonally-inundated floodplain swamp

The forms and species in which Fe and Mn occurred in a seasonally-inundated Southeastern United States floodplain swamp were examined. The analytical scheme provided operational estimates of the concentrations of Fe(II), Fe(III) and Mn in particulate (> 0.45 μm), colloidal (0.45-0.0032 μm) and ultrafilterable (<0.0032 μm) size fractions. The procedure also provided a differentiation between forms of Fe that were readily reactive to bathophenanthroline (BPN) and those forms that were unreactive to BPN until undergoing acid extraction. Further, the concentrations of Fe and Mn associated with suspended particulate matter in ion-exchangeable, reducible, and oxidizable forms and as inert mineral were determined using an operational classification scheme. The ferric species predominated due to the oxygenated conditions of the swamp water. Concentrations of colloidal-sized, readily-reducible Fe and of ultrafilterable Fe(II) and Fe(III) were low (<0.25 mg 1−1) and fairly constant throughout the study; more Fe occurred in the colloidal than ultrafilterable size range. The majority of the colloidal-sized Fe was in an acid-extracted form. Almost all ultrafilterable Fe was ferric, although high Fe(II) concentrations occurred in floodplain soil pore water. Total Fe, mainly particulate-associated, varied with periods of flooding and intense bioturbation. Manganese occurred in low concentrations, primarily in the ultrafilterable fraction, although colloidal-sized Mn forms were important at times. Most of the Fe and Mn associated with suspended particulates occurred in the inert mineral form and to a lesser extent in a reducible form. Ion-exchangeable and oxidizable particulate Fe and Mn were relatively unimportant.
Tritiated thymidine incorporation does not measure DNA synthesis in ribavirin-treated human cells

When the incorporation of tritiated thymidine into acid insoluble material was measured, ribavirin appeared to be a potent inhibitor of DNA synthesis in KB cells and human lymphocytes. Inhibition was nearly 100-fold less, however, when DNA synthesis was measured by incorporation of phosphorus-32-labeled phosphate or by DNA fluorescence. The potent inhibition detected by incorporation of tritiated thymidine into DNA actually was the result of a potent effect on the labeling of deoxythymidine triphosphate, not on the synthesis of DNA.
Multiple Components of Ca-activated K currents in mouse pancreatic beta cells

Multiple Components of Ca-activated K currents in mouse pancreatic beta cellsIn beta cells, two types of Ca activated K channels have been described. One component, Kslow, is believed to be mediated by small-conductance, voltage-independent (SK) channels; it is thought to regulate the duration of intervals between successive action-potential bursts observed when beta cells are exposed to moderately elevated glucose. In contrast, the functional role of the second type of Ca activated K channels, the large conductance, Ca- and voltage-activated, BK channels, is not well understood. BK channel subunit genes have been detected in insulin-secreting cell lines, and BK channels have been observed functionally in rodent beta cells; however, early studies with BK channel blocking drugs have failed to identify a role for these channels in the electrical excitability or the stimulus-secretion coupling of beta cells.Using patch clamp recording under quasi-physiological conditions, we show that the BK channel current can contribute up to a half of the outward current activated by depolarizing pulses whose amplitude resembles the voltage excursion of beta cell action potentials. Kinetic and pharmacological experiments reveal that the beta cell BK current consists of several pharmacologically, kinetically, and possibly spatially, distinct components. Our results suggest that the BK current could play a significant role in regulating beta cell electrical excitability of stimulus secretion coupling.
Comparing serial position effects in semantic and episodic memory using reconstruction of order tasks

Abstract Participants were provided an alphabetical list of the United States presidents and were given two tasks with the list. They ordered the presidents according to terms in office in the semantic task and a pseudorandom sequence shown previously in the episodic task. Both tasks yielded bow-shaped serial position functions, but the recency effect (for the last three positions) was much larger and the penultimate effect (for the nine preceding positions) was evident only in the semantic task, which was also affected by participant age. Recency effects were similar in episodic lists of presidents and actors. Familiarity ratings yielded serial position functions like those in the semantic task. These findings suggest that serial position effects in semantic and episodic memory tasks are not caused by the same underlying mechanism and that prior frequency of exposure to order information is responsible for these effects in the semantic task.
Expression of basement membrane antigens in spindle cell melanoma

Spindle cell melanoma (SCM) is an uncommon form of melanoma that may be confused histologically with other tumors, including malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST). Tumors with neural differentiation and melanocytic nevi may both show basement membrane immunohistochemically and at the ultrastructural level. However, most ultrastructural studies of melanoma have failed to demonstrate well formed basement membrane around tumor cells. The presence of basement membrane has been used by some authors as evidence favoring MPNST, as opposed to SCM. To evaluate this distinction immunohistochemically, 22 primary and metastatic cutaneous melanomas having a spindle cell component (SCM) were studied using monoclonal antibodies against laminin and Type IV collagen. S100 protein and HMB45 antigen expression were also studied. All but one of the SCM were reactive for S100 protein in at least 25% of the cells. Thirteen of 20 tumors (65%) were focally reactive with HMB45. Laminin was expressed in 42% of the tumors (only membranous pattern in 3; cytoplasmic and membranous in 5). Seventeen tumors (77%) expressed type IV collagen (only membranous pattern in 7; cytoplasmic and membranous pattern in 10). Laminin and type IV collagen, known components of basement membrane, are often found in SCM. Therefore, their detection cannot be used to distinguish SCM from MPNST.
Mechanisms of mRNA degradation in eukaryotes

Recent experiments have identified distinct mechanisms of eukaryotic RNA turnover. In one mechanism, deadenylation triggers decapping, exposing the messenger RNA to 5' to 3' degradation. This pathway may act at different rates on the majority of messenger RNAs. There are also degradation mechanisms, such as endonucleolytic cleavage, limited to messenger RNAs containing specific sequence elements.
Efferent neocortical projections to sensory nuclei in the brain stem of the opossum (Didelphys virginiana).

Abstract The origin, the brain stem location and the terminal endings of the neocortical fibers to the brain stem sensory nuclei have been described for the opossum. The degenerating axons that were produced by various neocortical lesions were impregnated by the Nauta-Gygax (1954) technique in the brains of 18 opossums. Fibers originating mainly in the postorbital, the parietal and perhaps the peristriate cortices terminated in the principal sensory trigeminal nucleus, the dorsal one-half to two-thirds of the various subdivisions of the spinal trigeminal nucleus, the nucleus of the tractus solitarius, the commissural nucleus of Cajal and the nuclei of the dorsal columns. Two main neocortical pathways to the brain stem sensory nuclei, which have been previously described for the rat, were present in the opossum. In addition fibers which pursue an unusual course to the principal sensory nucleus of the trigeminal and to the nucleus of the tractus solitarius were described. The opossum, a primitive marsupial, may lack a cortico-spinal caudal tract to the cervical spinal cord. The phylogenetic significance of the neocortical projections to the nucleus gracilis, a sensory relay station for impulses originating in the caudal trunk and hind-limb is discussed in this light. The possible implications of the pattern of neocortical projections to the nucleus of the spinal fifth tract is also discussed with respect to recent neurophysiological research.
Delayed Enrollment and College Plans: Is There a Postponement Penalty?

Using a representative longitudinal survey of Texas high school seniors who graduated in 2002, we investigate how college postponement is associated with four-year college expectations and attendance—focusing both on the length of delay and the pathway to the postsecondary system. Like prior studies, we show that family background and student academic achievement explains the negative association between delay and college expectations and that these factors, along with two-year college entry pathway, largely accounted for the negative association between postponement and enrollment at a four-year institution in 2006. Although delays of one year or longer are associated with significantly lower odds of attending a baccalaureate-granting institution four years after high school, the longest delays do not incur the most severe enrollment penalties.
Google Scholar versions: do more versions of an article mean greater impact?

Purpose The growing dominance of Google Scholar (GS) as a first-stop resource for scholars and researchers demands investigation of its influence on citation patterns, freedom of information, and scholarly communication. The purpose of this paper is to break new ground in understanding the various versions GS indexes, correlations between the number of GS versions and citation counts, and the value of institutional repositories for increasing scholarly impact. Design/methodology/approach GS listings for 982 articles in several academic subjects from three universities were analyzed for GS version types, including any institutional repository versions, citation rates, and availability of free full-text. Findings First, open access articles were cited more than articles that were not available in free full-text. While journal publisher web sites were indexed most often, only a small number of those articles were available as free full-text. Second, there is no correlation between the number of versions of an article and the number of times an article has been cited. Third, viewing the “versions” of an article may be useful when publisher access is restricted, as over 70 percent of articles had at least one free full-text version available through an indexed GS version. Originality/value This paper investigates GS versions as an alternative source for a scholarly article. While other articles have looked at GS through various lenses, the authors believe this specific aspect of the topic has not been previously explored.