cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Innovating alongside designers.

Building alliances with industrial designers offers health innovators a unique pathway to create new modes to serve their patients. Cross-pollination of ideas from the earliest stages of development in interdisciplinary research and development teams including major stakeholders and designers can lead to more meaningful and impactful innovations. A shift in future healthcare from cure to prevention will rely more heavily upon the individual. The home environment will house consumer medical devices that will carry out basic monitoring of the individual. While technologies are currently being developed to support this trend, there is a gulf that exists between the often-complex interfaces required by the highly specific functionality of products and the emotional needs of the target user. If a target user ‘feels’ a product was designed ‘just for them’ they are more likely to develop an emotional bond with that product. This manifests itself in the user engaging and interacting with the product. If a product, regardless of its high functionality, does not resonate with the user, this tends to result in product underuse, misuse and possible abandonment. When those products are related to a course of medical rehabilitation or treatment, these results could be translated to ‘more compliant’ and ‘less compliant’ and ultimately can impact upon how a person heals. Industrial designers focus on ensuring that both the functional and emotional needs of mainstream users as well as technical-expert-users are met. Design research provides the opportunity to bridge the gap between the functional requirements and the less tangible unmet needs of the user by exploring authentic human behaviour. This paper presents case studies of collaborative, interdisciplinary teams employing human-centred design and empathic research strategies (incorporating shared language, collaboration, ethnography, empathy and empathic modelling) to create real solutions that are responding to real needs of real users. The future is interdisciplinary. The future is bright.
Epilogue: A Student’s Perspective on Remediation

As I write this, I am days away from starting medicine internship. But I nearly didn’t graduate from medical school. I could never have predicted that I would come so close to failing.
Zwitterionic Design Principle of Nickel(II) Catalysts for Carbonylative Polymerization of Cyclic Ethers

Zwitterionic structure is necessary for NiII complexes to catalyze carbonylative polymerization (COP) of cyclic ethers. The cationic charge at the NiII center imparts sufficient electrophilicity to the Ni-acyl bond for it to react with cyclic ethers to give an acyl-cyclic ether oxonium intermediate, while the ligand-centered anionic charge ensures that the resultant oxonium cation is ion-paired with the Ni0 nucleophile. The current catalysts give non-alternating copolymers of carbon monoxide and cyclic ethers and are the most effective when both ethylene oxide and tetrahydrofuran are present as the cyclic ether monomers.
Stimulated Forward Brillouin Scattering in Photonic Bandgap Fiber

Stimulated forward Brillouin scattering is observed in photonic bandgap fiber with a hollow core. Several acoustic resonances are identified from 0–100 MHz. The resonance quality-factor is enhanced when the air is evacuated from the fiber.
Effects of Supraphysiologic Levels of Estradiol on Endometrial Decidualization, sFlt1, and HOXA10 Expression.

Objective: Supraphysiologic estradiol (E2) levels associated with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in high in vitro fertilization (IVF) responders may alter implantation and placentation and increase the risk of preeclampsia. Our hypothesis is that elevated E2 levels in vitro significantly alter endometrial decidualization, sFlt1, and HOXA10 expression. Methods: Human endometrial stromal cells were treated with a decidualization cocktail of medroxyprogesterone, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, and 3 concentrations of E2 10 nM (standard), 100 nM (intermediate), or 1000 nM E2 (high). Effects on sFlt1, prolactin (PRL), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and HOXA10 were studied. Results: Prolactin, IGFBP-1, and VEGF significantly increased at all 3 E2 concentrations. While IGFBP-1 and VEGF did not change with increasing E2, PRL was less with high E2 (6.0 ng/mL + 1.4 standard error of the mean) compared to standard (21.4 + 3.2) and intermediate (19.8 + 3.8). sFlt1 decrease was similar at all E2 concentrations. HOXA10 was lower at standard (10%) and intermediate (30%) as expected, but did not change with high E2. Conclusions: Supraphysiologic E2 levels associated with high IVF responders that exceed in vivo levels may impair in vitro endometrial decidualization. Although PRL did increase with high E2, the levels were, however, attenuated and 3.4-fold lower than standard and intermediate E2. sFlt1 was decreased under all 3 conditions with no differences between concentrations. Reduced HOXA10 was not observed with high E2. These findings suggest that elevated E2 levels in vitro may alter endometrial decidualization and subsequently affect implantation and placentation.
What's not fair about work keeps me up: Perceived unfairness about work impairs sleep through negative work-to-family spillover.

Abstract This study examined whether perceived unfairness about work was linked to midlife workers' insomnia symptoms over time, and if the association was mediated by negative work-to-family spillover (NWFS). We used 3 waves of longitudinal data across 20 years from the Midlife in the United States Study (N = 971, Mage = 40.52). Results revealed that, wave-to-wave increases in perceived unfairness about work predicted wave-to-wave increases in NWFS over 20 years. Wave-to-wave increases in NWFS, in turn, predicted wave-to-wave increases in insomnia symptoms. Perceived unfairness about work was indirectly, but not directly associated with insomnia symptoms through NWFS. These within-person indirect mediation pathways were found after controlling for sociodemographic and family characteristics, work hours, neuroticism, physical health, and between-person associations between perceived unfairness about work, NWFS, and insomnia symptoms. These findings suggest that perceived unfairness about work may degrade workers’ sleep health over time, through the spillover of work stress to the personal domain.
Data mining methodology employing artificial intelligence and a probabilistic approach for energy-efficient structural health monitoring with noisy and delayed signals

Abstract Numerous methods have been developed in the context of expert and intelligent systems for structural health monitoring (SHM) with wireless sensor networks (WSNs). However, these techniques have been proven to be efficient when dealing with continuous signals, and the applicability of such expert systems with discrete noisy signals has not yet been explored. This study presents an intelligent data mining methodology as part of an expert system developed for SHM with noisy and delayed signals, which are generated by a through-substrate self-powered sensor network. The noted sensor network has been demonstrated as an effective means for minimizing energy consumption in WSNs for SHM. Experimental vibration tests were conducted on a cantilever plate to evaluate the developed expert system for SHM. The proposed data mining method is based on the integration of pattern recognition, an innovative probabilistic approach, and machine learning. The novelty of the proposed system for SHM with data interpretation methodology lies in the integration of the noted intelligent techniques on discrete, binary, noisy, and delayed patterns of signals collected from self-powered sensing technology in the application to a practical engineering problem, i.e., data-driven energy-efficient SHM. Results confirm that the proposed data mining method employing a probabilistic approach can be effectively used to reconstruct delayed and missing signals, thereby addressing the important issue of energy availability for intelligent SHM systems being used for damage identification in civil and aerospace structures. The applicability and effectiveness of the expert system with the data mining approach in detecting damage with noisy signals was demonstrated for plate-like structures with an accuracy of 97%. The present study successfully contributes to advance data mining and signal processing techniques in the SHM domain, indicating a practical application of expert and intelligent systems applied to damage detection in SHM platforms. Findings from this research pave a way for development of the data analysis techniques that can be employed for interpreting noisy and incomplete signals collected from various expert systems such as those being used in intelligent infrastructure monitoring systems and smart cities.
A Practitioner Survey Exploring the Value of Forensic Tools, AI, Filtering, & Safer Presentation for Investigating Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)

Abstract For those investigating cases of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), there is the potential harm of experiencing trauma after illicit content exposure over a period of time. Research has shown that those working on such cases can experience psychological distress. As a result, there has been a greater effort to create and implement technologies that reduce exposure to CSAM. However, not much work has explored gathering insight regarding the functionality, effectiveness, accuracy, and importance of digital forensic tools and data science technologies from practitioners who use them. This study focused specifically on examining the value practitioners give to the tools and technologies they utilize to investigate CSAM cases. General findings indicated that implementing filtering technologies is more important than safe-viewing technologies; false positives are a greater concern than false negatives; resources such as time, personnel, and money continue to be a concern; and an improved workflow is highly desirable. Results also showed that practitioners are not well-versed in data science and Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is alarming given that tools already implement these techniques and that practitioners face large amounts of data during investigations. Finally, the data exemplified that practitioners are generally not taking advantage of tools that implement data science techniques, and that the biggest need for them is in automated child nudity detection, age estimation and skin tone detection.
Cylindrical Similarity Measurement for Helices in Medium-Resolution Cryo-Electron Microscopy Density Maps.

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) density maps at medium resolution (5–10 A) reveal secondary structural features such as α-helices and β-sheets, but they lack the side chain details that would en...
Effectiveness of air pollution standards in reducing mortality in India

Abstract India experiences some of the highest air pollution levels globally, with 13 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world. In this paper, we estimate the relationship between air pollution policies in India and mortality for people of all ages and all causes. We estimate the relationship between mortality and two major air pollution regulations, the Supreme Court Action Plan (SCAP) and the Catalytic Converter (CC) policy. Although data for mortality in India have improved over time, the annual average mortality for many districts is volatile, with many outliers and missing values. After addressing these measurement issues in a difference-in-differences setup, we do not find evidence that the policies were effective in significantly reducing mortality. In an effort to understand the potential benefits of reducing pollution levels in India, we investigate the association of different pollution types with mortality. This analysis relies upon relatively recent satellite data on PM2.5 levels in India. We examine this relationship for India for the first time, using a fixed effects model in an attempt to address issues of endogeneity and measurement error. We find that PM2.5 levels are positively associated with mortality, with a 10% increase in pollution conditionally associated with a 2.0% increase in the mortality rate.
Scraping Network Analysis: A Method to Explore Complex White-Tailed Deer Mating Systems

Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) are social animals that thrive in rural and urban settings. Scraping behavior is an olfactory reproductive communication used by White-tailed Deer to establish breeding networks. Male scraping is a complex scent-marking behavior which advertises sociosexual status and location to potential females as well as to competing males. Female scraping behavior is thought to be an estrus signal alerting males during times of optimal fertility. This study describes a new method to examine White-tailed Deer mating systems using social network analyses of scraping behavior using an urban population of White-tailed Deer as a model. First, we validated the scraping behavior at our study site in Tougaloo, MS, during the 2019–2020 breeding season. Using remote monitoring, we continuously documented scraping behaviors over 8 different scrape-site locations and found similar behavioral, temporal, and spatial patterns in our urban breeding network as reported in rural and captive deer studies. Next, we describe methods detailing how social network analyses can reveal sociality, dominance, importance, and social structure within male scraping networks. Using centrality measures, we were able to rank dominant male influencers, anticipate social conflict among rivals, and made predictions regarding the spread of communicable diseases through a male scraping network. We also detail network analyses combining both male and female scraping behavior to reveal a glimpse into the complexity of breeding networks. Using network measures, we were able to rank males based on competitiveness and female preference. Lastly, we generated a theoretical breeding network to explore female sociability, competitiveness, preference, and mate choice. Taken together, this work describes a new method using scraping network analysis to investigate the complexity of White-tailed Deer breeding networks. This work also demonstrates the future applications of this method for predicting the spread of communicable diseases and for predicting mate selection within White-tailed Deer mating systems.
Multimodal Early Septic Shock Prediction Model using Lasso Regression with Decaying Response

Sepsis is one of the leading causes of in-hospital deaths. In this paper, we propose a multimodal early prediction system for septic shock, which is a serious complication for patients with sepsis. Our system utilizes patients vital and laboratory time series data in combination with medical notes to predict patients at risk of septic shock in real-time. Our model achieves 0.89 ROC AUC and a median detection time of 30.64 hours before the onset of the septic shock event at a specificity of 0.67. Our proposed method uses lasso regression with modified response decay to model the risk as we go further away in time from the septic shock event. We compare the performance of our model to baseline and state-of-the-art models used to predict early deterioration and septic shock in ICU patients. Our model shows improvement in both ROC AUC and median detection time at all specificities. This translates into an earlier prediction time at a higher true positive rate for the same false positive rate. Moreover, we investigate the ROC AUC and median detection time trade-off and propose an automated way for model selection under such trade-off. We also demonstrate how the model selection step could also be modified to optimize for a predefined user utility.
Timesias: A machine learning pipeline for predicting outcomes from time-series clinical records.

Summary The prediction of outcomes is a critical part of the clinical surveillance for hospitalized patients. Here, we present Timesias, a machine learning pipeline which predicts outcomes from real-time sequential clinical data. The strategy implemented in Timesias is the first-place solution in the crowd-sourcing DII (discover, innovate, impact) National Data Science Challenge involving more than 100,000 patients, achieving 0.85 as evaluated by AUROC (area under receiver operator characteristic curve) in predicting the early onset of sepsis status. Timesias is freely available via PyPI and GitHub. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Guan et al. (2021) .
Neuropsychological Profiles of Older Adults with Superior versus Average Episodic Memory: The Northwestern "SuperAger" Cohort.

Objective SuperAgers are adults over the age of 80 with superior episodic memory performance and at least average-for-age performance in non-episodic memory domains. This study further characterized the neuropsychological profile of SuperAgers compared to average-for-age episodic memory peers to determine potential cognitive mechanisms contributing to their superior episodic memory performance. Method Retrospective analysis of neuropsychological test data from 56 SuperAgers and 23 similar-age peers with average episodic memory was conducted. Independent sample t-tests evaluated between-group differences in neuropsychological scores. Multiple linear regression determined the influence of non-episodic memory function on episodic memory scores across participants. Results As a group, SuperAgers had better scores than their average memory peers on measures of attention, working memory, naming, and speeded set shifting. Scores on tests of processing speed, visuospatial function, verbal fluency, response inhibition, and abstract reasoning did not differ. On an individual level, there was variability among SuperAgers with regard to non-episodic memory performance, with some performing above average-for-age across cognitive domains while others performed in the average-for-age range on non-memory tests. Across all participants, attention and executive function scores explained 20.4% of the variance in episodic memory scores. Conclusions As a group, SuperAgers outperformed their average memory peers in multiple cognitive domains, however, there was considerable intragroup variability suggesting that SuperAgers' episodic memory strength is not simply related to globally superior cognitive functioning. Attention and executive function performance explained approximately one-fifth of the variance in episodic memory and maybe areas to target with cognitive interventions.
Social and Behavioral Risk Factors for Late-Life Depression

We describe the roles of social, psychological, and behavioral risk factors in the development of late-life depression. These risk factors are considered within three major categories: sociodemographic, social/psychological, and lifestyle/behavioral; specific examples are provided of each. Attention is given to the contrast between readily modifiable vs. non-modifiable factors, as well as the implications for translating knowledge of risk factor-depression associations into late-life depression prevention strategies. Detailed description is provided on the current evidence regarding how these factors relate to the risk of incident depression among older adults, where emphasis is placed on evidence from well-conducted prospective studies.
A Proton Relaxation Rate Study of the Copper Analog of Escherichia coli Alkaline Phosphatase

Abstract Proton relaxation rates for the binary complex of the Cu2+ analog of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase and water have been measured. Titration of apoenzyme into copper salts shows approximately two tight copper-binding sites, Ki = 10-6 m, and 13 weak sites per enzyme dimer molecule. Enhancement of 1/T1p by a factor of 2 upon binding to enzyme is observed; this result for the first time suggests the participation of the metal in substrate binding. From the temperature dependence of T1p* and the fact that T1p g T2p it is concluded that T1p is not exchange-limited. From the frequency dependence of T1p and from the ratio of T1:T2 we estimate a correlation time, τc, of 4.6 x 10-9 s-1 which corresponds to the Cu2+-water proton distance r = 3.6 A when the number of ligand sites, q, = 1 or r = 3.2 when q = ½. The addition of phosphate has little effect on T1p for the copper enzyme. These results suggest that at least 1 water molecule or hydroxyl ion has access to the inner coordination sphere of the Cu2+ ion and that inorganic phosphate does not displace this ligand.
Sensory and Objective Evaluation of Pumpkin Bars using Ground Flaxseed or Sweet Potato Baby Food as Egg Replacers

The purpose of this study was to produce an acceptable dessert product that met the dietary needs of an individual with an egg allergy. Three variations of pumpkin bars were analyzed to determine sensory and objective differences in taste, mouthfeel, overall acceptability, batter viscosity, and springiness that resulted due to the elimination of eggs in the recipe. The experimental variations consisted of a replacement of eggs with ground flaxseed, a replacement of eggs with sweet potato baby food, and a control recipe utilizing eggs. Samples of each variation’s batter were subjected to viscosity testing using a Bostwick Consistometer. The distance that each 30mL batter sample travelled was recorded at two and four minutes. Once the pumpkin bars were baked and cooled, they were cut into 1”x1” squares for sensory analysis. A total of thirty-nine participants completed a randomized taste test of the pumpkin bars and filled out a ballot to rate the samples on a four-point Likert scale for taste, mouthfeel, and overall acceptability. Data collected from the sensory ballots was entered into SPSS, and paired sample t -tests were completed to compare each of the three variations. The variation made with sweet potato baby food had the highest average ratings for taste and overall acceptability; however, statistical analysis concluded that there was no significant difference between the control and either variation for taste, mouthfeel, or overall acceptability. The pumpkin bar samples were subjected to a springiness test using a Brookfield Texture Analyzer, with the Control producing the springiest final product. It was concluded that acceptable dessert products, specifically pumpkin bars, can be produced without the use of eggs, and that certain egg replacers may even create products of greater acceptability to consumers.
Reversible disruption by cupric ions of myoglobin and its carboxamidomethyl derivative.

Abstract Carboxamidomethyl derivatives of sperm whale metmyoglobin were prepared by reaction at pH 6.8 with iodoacetamide. The modified protein is similar to previously studied carboxymethyl preparations and shows many of the properties of the native, unmodified protein. Preparations were obtained with compositions in the following ranges, expressed as moles of histidine derivative per mole of protein: histidine 4.8 to 7.5; dicarboxamidomethylhistidine, 1.6 to 4.6; 1-carboxamidomethylhistidine, trace to 0.5; and 3-carboxamidomethylhistidine, 1.6 to 2.6. Lysine was converted to the extent of 0.5 to 2.4 residues into the dicarboxamidomethyl derivative, out of a total of 19 lysine residues. The cupric complexes of the modified preparations are relatively soluble and easily studied in terms of maximum binding and of absorption and optical rotatory dispersion spectra near pH 6. The maximum binding of cupric ions was reduced by about the degree of conversion of histidine residues to the dicarboxamidomethyl derivative. The modified proteins were indistinguishable from the unmodified protein with respect to changes in absorption spectrum and optical rotatory dispersion in the Soret region upon copper (II) binding, and the changes were essentially fully reversible by EDTA. The modified proteins underwent smaller, reversible changes in rotation at 233 mµ on the addition of cupric ions. The inability of a dicarboxamidomethylhistidine derivative to react with cupric ion near pH 6 was confirmed with a derivative prepared from acetylglycylglycyl-l-histidine. The results are interpreted as indicating that the carboxamidomethyl modification reaction has little if any effect on the ability of cupric ions to disrupt the heme-protein relationship, but greatly alters the ability of cupric ions to bring about a second step in disruption of the protein structure.
On the Backwards Behavior of the Solutions of the 2D Periodic Viscous Camassa–Holm Equations

The global behavior of the periodic 2D viscous Camassa–Holm equations is studied. The set of initial data for which the solution exists for all negative times and grows backwards with an exponential rate no greater then some given value is observed and proved to possess some interesting richness and density properties.
Second Malignancies After Radiation Treatment and Chemotherapy for Primary Cancers

Cancer survivors have been shown to have an increased risk for second malignant neoplasms (SMN). These increased risks result from genetic predisposition, harmful environmental exposures, or cancer treatment therapies. Regardless of their cause, SMNs now comprise the sixth most common group of malignancies after skin, prostate, breast, lung, and colorectal cancers.1 It is important to emphasize that the fear of SMN related to the treatment of the first cancer diagnosis should not outweigh the positive effects of curative therapy for the first cancer. Both physicians and patients should, however, be aware of the consequences of the cancer treatment regimens, specifically radiation therapy (RT) and chemotherapy, and consider them while devising follow-up plans.
Implementation results of bloom filters for string matching

Network intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) use string matching to scan Internet packets for malicious content. Bloom filters offer a mechanism to search for a large number of strings efficiently and concurrently when implemented with field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology. A string matching circuit has been implemented within the FPX platform using Bloom filters. Using 155 block RAMs on a single Xilinx VirtexE 2000 FPGA, the circuit scans for 35,475 unique signatures.
Underdiagnosis of depression in HIV: who are we missing?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the sociodemographic and service delivery correlates of depression underdiagnosis in HIV.
Robotic CABG and Hybrid Approaches: The Current Landscape

Modern treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) requires a patient-centered approach. With several technological advances, the options for treatment must be carefully weighed and novel approaches tested for safety and efficacy. In this chapter, we outline some of the new approaches available to cardiac surgeons for the treatment of CAD, including off pump coronary artery bypass grafting, minimally invasive as well as hybrid and robotic coronary revascularization. We discuss current evidence and controversies, and highlight the future directions and challenges in the field of surgical coronary revascularization.
Patients Receiving Prebiotics and Probiotics Before Liver Transplantation Develop Fewer Infections Than Controls: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background & Aims Among patients who have received liver transplants, infections increase morbidity and mortality and prolong hospital stays. Administration of antibiotics and surgical trauma create intestinal barrier dysfunction and microbial imbalances that allow enteric bacteria to translocate to the blood. Probiotics are believed to prevent bacterial translocation by stabilizing the intestinal barrier and stimulating proliferation of the intestinal epithelium, mucus secretion, and motility. We performed a meta-analysis to determine the effects of probiotics on infections in patients receiving liver transplants. Methods We searched PubMed and EMBASE for controlled trials that evaluated the effects of prebiotics and probiotics on infections in patients who underwent liver transplantation. Heterogeneity was analyzed by the Cochran Q statistic. Pooled Mantel–Haenszel relative risks were calculated with a fixed-effects model. Results We identified 4 controlled studies, comprising 246 participants (123 received probiotics, 123 served as controls), for inclusion in the meta-analysis. In these studies, the intervention groups received enteric nutrition and fiber (prebiotics) with probiotics, and the control groups received only enteric nutrition and fiber without probiotics. The infection rate was 7% in groups that received probiotics vs 35% in control groups (relative risk [RR], 0.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11–0.41; P = .001). The number needed to treat to prevent 1 infection was 3.6. In subgroup analyses, only 2% of subjects in the probiotic groups developed urinary tract infections, compared with 16% of controls (RR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.04–0.47; P P = .02). Subjects receiving probiotics also had shorter stays in the hospital than controls (mean difference, 1.41 d; P P P Conclusions Based on the meta-analysis, giving patients a combination of probiotics and prebiotics before, or on the day of, liver transplantation reduces the rate of infection after surgery. These agents also reduced the amount of time spent in the hospital or intensive care unit and the duration of antibiotic use.
A New Stable Isotope Method Enables the Simultaneous Measurement of Nucleic Acid and Protein Synthesis In Vivo in Mice

We developed a method based on the incorporation of 13 C 2 -units derived from [U- 13 C]glycine that allows the simultaneous quantification of tissue protein and RNA synthesis in vivo. Two groups of 26 mice were fed diets containing a high (HF diet) or a low quantity of fiber (LF diet). After 6 d, [U 13 C]glycine was added to the diet and groups of four mice were killed after 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 h. Hepatic and intestinal mucosal free and RNA-bound purine nucleosides were extracted and enzymically degraded to allantoin. Allantoin was degraded to glyoxylate, which was then reductively aminated to glycine, which contains the two 13 C-atoms incorporated via de novo synthesis. Ingestion of the HF diet was associated with significantly (P < 0.05) higher rates of total RNA synthesis in both the liver ( HF diet, 29%/d; LF diet, 21%/d) and mucosa (HF diet, 27%/d; LF diet, 17 %/d). The mean rates of RNA synthesis in each tissue were significantly (P < 0.01) lower than the respective rates of protein synthesis (liver, 67%/d; mucosa, 74%/d). The isotopic enrichment of the free purine nucleotide pool increased rapidly and exponentially, but the steady-state value was substantially (P< 0.001) lower than that of the RNA-bound purines. The results suggest that the free nucleotide pool consists of two kinetically distinct compartments, one of which is small and has a rapid rate of turnover. This, we propose, acts as the RNA precursor pool. The other is large, has a low rate of turnover and, we believe, is the pool of adenosine triphosphate involved in cellular energetics.
Spontaneous and beta-adrenergic receptor-mediated taurine release from astroglial cells are independent of manipulations of intracellular calcium

Stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors on LRM55 astroglial cells results in cAMP-dependent release of taurine. We have previously demonstrated that extracellular Ca2+ is not required for either spontaneous or receptor-mediated taurine release (Martin et al., 1988b). In the present series of experiments we investigated the relationship between changes in intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and taurine release. [Ca2+]i was measured using the fluorescent probe fura- 2 and was manipulated by changing the concentration of Ca2+ in the incubation medium and by using the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin. [Ca2+]i was reduced from 150 +/- 95 nM (n = 46) in control medium (containing 1.1 mM CaCl2) to 46 +/- 10 nM (n = 43) in saline containing no CaCl2 and 10 microM EGTA. [Ca2+]i was rapidly elevated to greater than or equal to 1 microM in medium containing 100 microM CaCl2 and 10 microM ionomycin. Taurine release, either spontaneous or stimulated by isoproterenol, was not significantly affected by these manipulations of [Ca2+]i. [Ca2+]i did not change when cells were stimulated with 100 nM isoproterenol in either control saline containing 1.1 mM CaCl2 or in CaCl2-free saline containing 10 microM EGTA. Other secretogogs (serotonin and ethanol) did not cause changes in [Ca2+]i. These data indicate that neither spontaneous or receptor-mediated taurine release from astroglial cells is Ca2+ dependent. However, when cells were preloaded with Ca2+, allowed to recover briefly, and then stimulated with isoproterenol, it was possible to demonstrate transient increases in Ca2+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acid Reduces Adiposity in Lean but Not Obese Zucker Rats

Recent studies have demonstrated a reduction in body fat in growing animals fed conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Two experiments were conducted to extend these observations to obese rats so that the mechanism of the actions of CLA might be more easily elucidated. In experiment 1, male lean and obese Zucker rats were fed diets containing either 0 or 0.5% CLA for 5 wk. There was no effect of diet on growth rate or food intake. Dietary CLA reduced retroperitoneal and inguinal fat pad weights in the lean rats but increased fat pad weights in the obese genotype (diet x genotype interaction; P < 0.05). Determination of fat pad cellularity indicated that these changes in fat pad weight were due to a reduction or increase in average fat cell size for the lean and obese Zucker rats, respectively. In experiment 2, we sought to reproduce these effects on fat pad size, as well as to determine the effect of dietary CLA on the catabolic response to bacterial endotoxin injection in obese Zucker rats. Growing female lean and obese Zucker rats were fed diets containing 0 or 0.5% CLA for 8 wk. On d 28, each rat was injected intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli serotype 055:B5 (1 mg/kg body weight) and body weight was determined over the next 96 h. There was a diet x genotype interaction (P < 0.05) for the body weight response to lipopolysaccharide 24 h postinjection. Lean rats fed CLA lost less weight than did lean controls, but obese rats fed CLA lost more weight than did obese controls. As in the first experiment, there was a diet x genotype (P < 0.05) for the effect of treatment on retroperitoneal fat pad weights determined at the end of the experiment. Lean rats fed CLA had smaller RP fat pads than did lean controls, but obese rats fed CLA once again had heavier RP fat pads than did obese controls. These results indicate that CLA reduces body fat and catabolic response to endotoxin injection in lean Zucker rats but not in the obese genotype. The observed interaction between diet and genotype warrants additional investigation into the specific mechanism(s) of the biological activities of CLA.
Breastmilk transfer: positioning, latch-on, and screening for problems in milk transfer.

In recent decades, ongoing efforts to promote and support breastfeeding have been successful in reversing a long-standing U.S. bottle-feeding norm, as breastfeeding rates have steadily climbed since the early 1970s. The 2002 Ross Mothers Survey reported 70.1% of new mothers nationwide breastfeeding in the hospital and 33.2% still breastfeeding at 6 months, the highest U.S. breastfeeding rates in over 60 years. Despite this increase in breastfeeding prevalence, wide disparities exist in breastfeeding rates by maternal age, socioeconomic status, education, and ethnicity, and prolonging the duration of breastfeeding remains a universal challenge. In addition to their important role in promoting breastfeeding initiation, obstetricians can help women who begin nursing their babies overcome practical problems that jeopardize long-term success. Because breastfeeding involves a maternalinfant dyad, the successful management of lactation necessitates collaboration between obstetrical and pediatric care providers. Obstetricians need to be prepared not only to handle maternal breastfeeding complaints— such as sore nipples, breast engorgement, and mastitis—but also to understand their impact on milk transfer to the nursing infant.
Associations between circulating 1,25(OH)2D concentration and odds of metachronous colorectal adenoma

Cellular-level studies demonstrate that the availability of the secosteroid hormone 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] to colon cells promotes anti-carcinogenic activities. Although epidemiological data are relatively sparse, suggestive inverse trends have been reported between circulating 1,25(OH)2D concentration and colorectal neoplasia. We therefore sought to evaluate the relationship between circulating 1,25(OH)2D concentrations and odds for metachronous colorectal adenomas among 1,151 participants from a randomized trial of ursodeoxycholic acid for colorectal adenoma prevention. No relationship between 1,25(OH)2D and overall odds for metachronous lesions was observed, with ORs (95% CIs) of 0.80 (0.60-1.07) and 0.81 (0.60-1.10) for participants in the second and third tertiles, respectively, compared with those in the lowest (p-trend = 0.17). However, a statistically significant inverse association was observed between circulating 1,25(OH)2D concentration and odds of proximal metachronous adenoma, with an OR (95% CI) of 0.71 (0.52-0.98) for individuals in the highest tertile of 1,25(OH)2D compared with those in the lowest (p-trend = 0.04). While there was no relationship overall between 1,25(OH)2D and metachronous distal lesions, there was a significantly reduced odds for women, but not men, in the highest 1,25(OH)2D tertile compared with the lowest (OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.27-1.03; p-trend = 0.05; p-interaction = 0.08). The observed differences in associations with proximal and distal adenomas could indicate that delivery and activity of vitamin D metabolites in different anatomic sites in the colorectum varies, particularly by gender. These results identify novel associations between 1,25(OH)2D and metachronous proximal and distal colorectal adenoma, and suggest that future studies are needed to ascertain potential mechanistic differences in 1,25(OH)2D action in the colorectum.
Li-defect interactions in electron-irradiated n-type silicon by EPR measurements

Abstract Single crystal silicon, both with and without oxygen, has been diffused with lithium to concentrations ∼1017/cm2, irradiated with 1 to 1.5 MeV electrons, and the ensuing defects studies by EPR measurements. The presence of oxygen strongly affects the properties of these defects. Measurements have indicated the presence of two new defects which involve Li-one in O-containing material and one in O-free material. The defects are observed in their electron-filled state, and indicate a net electron spinof ½. The defect spectra disappear (with time) at room temperature, and can be explained by the formation of other Li-involved defects which lie deeper in the energy bandgap and are not visible by EPR. Electron irradiation at 40 °K followed by annealing at higher temperatures show that both EPR defects described above begin to form at about 200 °K and begin to decrease at about 275 °K-just as does the 250 °K reverse annealing observed generally for n-type Si. Based on these data, and the work of others,...
Tissue distribution of acetyl-CoA carboxylase in leaves of leek (Allium porrum L.)

Summary The distribution of acetyl-CoA carboxylase between the epidermal and mesophyll layers of leek leaves was determined. The specific activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase was approximately three-fold higher in extracts of the epidermis than in those from the mesophyll layer. Four prominent biotinylated polypeptides of approximate molecular masses 240, 85, 37, and 35 ku (kDa) were detected in leaf extracts. The biotincontaining subunit of the homomeric acetyl-CoA carboxylase, the 240-ku biotinylated polypeptide, accumulates exclusively in the epidermis of leek leaves. Three of the subunits of the heteromeric acetyl-CoA carboxylase (the biotin carboxyl carrier, the biotin carboxylase, and s-subunit of the carboxyltransferase) were equally abundant in leek mesophyll and epidermal tissues. These data indicate that leek leaves contain two structurally distinct isozymes of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, one of which, the homomeric form, is restricted to the epidermis.
Reduction of detection limits of the direct deposition GC/FT-IR interface by surface-enhanced infrared absorption.

Even though the interface of gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS) is by far the most popular way of identifying molecules eluting from a GC in real time, the identification of compositional isomers by MS is equivocal at best. Much better results would be found by infrared spectrometry (IR) if the sensitivity of the GC/IR interface could be improved. In this paper, we show how the smallest quantity of molecules injected into a GC for which an identifiable infrared spectrum can be measured on-line has been reduced by a factor of 10 below the detection limit of the most sensitive current technique. A commercial direct deposition interface between a GC and a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer was modified by vapor-depositing an island film of silver on the surface of the zinc selenide substrate. Band intensities in the spectra of molecules located within ∼4 nm of the surface of the silver islands were increased by at least 1 order of magnitude through surface-enhanced infrared absorption (S...
Development of a process to build polyimide insulated magnets for operation at 350 C

An extensive RD similar to the vacuum pressure impregnation process used for conventional epoxy bonded coils. Representative polyimide insulated coils were mechanically tested at both room temperature and 350C. Mechanical tests included turn-to-turn shear bond strength and overall polyimide adhesion strength, as well as the flexural strength of a 48-turn polyimide-bonded coil bundle. This paper will detail the results of the testing program on coil samples. These results demonstrate mechanical properties as good, or better than epoxy bonded magnets, even at 350C.
Sulphydryl blockage, haem oxidation, and the state of aggregation of Bustcon canaliculatum (gastropoda, mollusca) myoglobin

Abstract 1. 1. Reaction of native dimeric Busycon canaliculatum myoglobin with p-hydroxymercuri-benzoate (PMB), N-ethymaleimide (NEM), 5,5dithio(bis-2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB), or iodoacetamide cleaves the native dimeric molecule into its 2 identical subunits, and converts the haem iron to the ferric state. 2. 2. Reaction of the native dimeric myoglobin with ferricyanide oxidizes the haem and converts the myoglobin partly to monomer and partly to varying amounts of dimer and higher molecular weight polymer. 3. 3. Ferricyanide-oxidized myoglobin contains no sulphydryl groups reactive to DTNB or NEM. 4. 4. If the ferricyanide oxidation is carried out in the presence of cyanide, the resulting cyanmetmyoglobin is dimeric with 1–2 reactive sulphydryl groups per haem, and can be cleaved to monomer by reaction with PMB. 5. 5. Reassembly experiments with variously modified subunits imply a conformational difference between oxy-, carbonmonoxy-, and cyanmetmyoglobin on the one hand and metmyoglobin on the other. 6. 6. The kinetics of myoglobin monomerization have been followed using rapid-response Sephadex gel techniques.
Numerical simulation of boundary layer structure and cross-equatorial flow in the Eastern Pacific

Abstract Recent observations from spaceborne microwave sensors have revealed detailed structure of the surface flow over the equatorial eastern Pacific in the boreal fall season. A marked acceleration of surface wind across the northern sea surface temperature (SST) front of the cold tongue is a prominent feature of the regional climate. Previous studies have attributed the acceleration to the effect of enhanced momentum mixing over the warmer waters. A high-resolution numerical model is used to examine the cross-frontal flow adjustment. In a comprehensive comparison, the model agrees well with many observed features of cross-equatorial flow and boundary layer structure from satellite, Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) moorings, and the recent Eastern Pacific Investigation of Climate Processes (EPIC) campaign. In particular, the model simulates the acceleration across the SST front, and the change from a stable to unstable boundary layer. Analysis of the model momentum budget indicates that the hydrostatic ...
CHROMOSOME NUMBERS FOR NORTH AMERICAN EUPHORBIACEAE

A B S T R A C T Chromosome number determinations are reported for 101 collections distributed among 54 species of the North American Euphorbiaceae. First counts are presented for 44 species. When appropriate, systematic discussions regarding chromosomal information are included. Camera lucida drawings are published for previously undocumented chromosome reports. OUR KNOWLEDGE of chromosome numbers in the Euphorbiaceae is limited. To date only about six percent of the more than 7,000 species have been counted, and many of these counts are based on the study of only one population per species. Pioneering work in this area was initiated by Perry (1943) with the publication of chromosome numbers for species from various parts of the world. Recently, substantial contributions were made to our knowledge of the karyology of the family by Hans (1973), to that of the subfamilies Phyllanthoideae and Crotonoideae by Webster and Ellis (1962) and Miller and Webster (1966), and to that of the genera Monadenium and Synadenium by Jones and Smith (1969). With the exception of the aforementioned articles, chromosome numbers have been scattered here and there in the literature and limited to one or a few species. The purpose of our study of North American members of the Euphorbiaceae is threefold: (1) to provide chromosome number determinations for species previously unknown karyologically; (2) to supplement the knowledge for taxa which have been reported previously in the literature; and (3) to note variation, if any, in the chromosome number of wide ranging species. MATERIALS AND METHODS-All chromosome counts were determined from acetocarmine squashes of pollen mother cells by standard procedures. Camera lucida drawings were made from cells of most preparations, but only those which are new records or differ from previous reports are illustrated (Fig. 1-38). Individuals contributing material to this study are indicated by the collection number and the initial of their last name
Numerical method of characteristics for one-dimensional blood flow

Mathematical modeling at the level of the full cardiovascular system requires the numerical approximation of solutions to a one-dimensional nonlinear hyperbolic system describing flow in a single vessel. This model is often simulated by computationally intensive methods like finite elements and discontinuous Galerkin, while some recent applications require more efficient approaches (e.g. for real-time clinical decision support, phenomena occurring over multiple cardiac cycles, iterative solutions to optimization/inverse problems, and uncertainty quantification). Further, the high speed of pressure waves in blood vessels greatly restricts the time step needed for stability in explicit schemes. We address both cost and stability by presenting an efficient and unconditionally stable method for approximating solutions to diagonal nonlinear hyperbolic systems. Theoretical analysis of the algorithm is given along with a comparison of our method to a discontinuous Galerkin implementation. Lastly, we demonstrate the utility of the proposed method by implementing it on small and large arterial networks of vessels whose elastic and geometrical parameters are physiologically relevant.