cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Demographic Characteristics of Participants in Rheumatoid Arthritis Randomized Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review.

Importance Racial/ethnic minority groups, women, and elderly people experience a disproportionate burden of disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), making it particularly important to examine drug therapies in these populations. Despite a national health agenda to improve representation of diverse populations in randomized clinical trials (RCTs), there have been few large-scale analyses examining RCT demographic characteristics within rheumatology and none focusing on RA. Objective To characterize the representation of racial/ethnic minority groups, women, and elderly people through a comprehensive systematic review of RA RCTs. Data Sources A literature search of PubMed’s MEDLINE database was conducted to identify RA RCTs in adults 19 years and older published in English between January 1, 2008, and January 1, 2018. Study Selection Randomized double-blind RCTs examining any systemic, disease-modifying therapy were included. Secondary analyses of previously published RCTs were excluded. Of 1195 identified records, 240 articles (20.1%) met final selection criteria. The analysis focused on RCTs with at least 1 US-based site. Data Extraction and Synthesis Data were extracted and synthesized according to the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews. Studies were screened for eligibility criteria. Demographic data on the age, sex, and race/ethnicity of RCT participants were extracted. Data analysis was conducted from October 25, 2018, to March 15, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Representation of race/ethnicity and sex, defined as the proportion of total participants that belonged to each racial/ethnic group or sex. Trends in proportions over time were examined and compared with US demographic data. Results A total of 240 RCTs with 77 071 participants were included. Of 126 RCTs with at least 1 US-based site (52.5%), the enrollment of minority racial/ethnic groups was significantly lower than their representation within the US Census population (16% vs 40%;P Conclusions and Relevance Given the disproportionate burden of RA among racial/ethnic minority groups, it is imperative that policy makers better incentivize the inclusion of racial/ethnic minority groups in RA RCTs.
Relationship between Learners' Motivation and Course Engagement in an Astronomy Massive Open Online Course.

After completing the first major assignment in a massive open online course, students do not drop out due to lack of motivation; rather, they likely drop out due to competing obligations in their day-to-day life.
Introduction: Italy and the Arrival of Mrs. Consumer

Exploring the economic and political situations of the United States and Italy, as well as the social and cultural positions of each countries’ female population before the Second World War and in the immediate postwar period, this chapter sets the stage for the invasion of American female consumer culture, and its representative Mrs. Consumer, in Italy after the Second World War. Cold War political implications—democratic consumer capitalism versus Communism—of this invasion are also examined. Furthermore, Harris intervenes in the debate on the power of American cultural products and models, and the extent of “Americanization,” explaining the power that Italians—entrepreneurs and female consumers—exercised in preserving aspects of their own culture while adopting the new American consumerism.
ACE2-expressing endothelial cells in aging mouse brain

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a key receptor mediating the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into the host cell. Through a systematic analysis of publicly available mouse brain sc/snRNA-seq data, we found that ACE2 is specifically expressed in small sub-populations of endothelial cells and mural cells, namely pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells. Further, functional changes in viral mRNA transcription and replication, and impaired blood-brain barrier regulation were most prominently implicated in the aged, ACE2-expressing endothelial cells, when compared to the young adult mouse brains. Concordant EC transcriptomic changes were further found in normal aged human brains. Overall, this work reveals an outline of ACE2 distribution in the mouse brain and identify putative brain host cells that may underlie the selective susceptibility of the aging brain to viral infection.
Sweet and Salty: Diabetic Ketoacidosis in a Patient With Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus

The co-existence of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) with diabetes mellitus (DM) in a patient that presents in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is rare and, to our knowledge, has not been described even in case reports. We report the case of a 16-year-old male with known NDI who presented to the pediatric emergency department (ED) for one day with generalized weakness and decreased appetite, found to be in moderate DKA from new-onset DM. The initial management of his dehydration and hyperosmolar state presented a unique challenge. Fluid resuscitation with isotonic fluids in a patient with NDI poses a risk of worsening hypernatremia, which can lead to seizures and death. However, the use of hypotonic fluids has the potential to lower serum osmolality too quickly, which can result in cerebral edema. Nephrology, endocrinology, and the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) consultants were notified of this patient, and a discussion was coordinated between sub-specialists to determine the appropriate fluid resuscitation. The patient was allowed to drink free water in addition to receiving intravenous fluids (IVF) of dextrose 5% with 0.2% sodium chloride at a rate of one-and-a-half maintenance (150 mL/hr) in the ED prior to transfer to the PICU where insulin infusion was initiated. This case report provides guidance to inpatient providers on the management of patients with co-existent NDI and DM in DKA, a rare combination that requires thoughtful and urgent management.
Adaptive Threshold-Based Zonal Isolation of Faults in a Multiterminal DC Using Local Measurements

Fast and accurate methods of fault detection and isolation are a pre-emptive measure in multiterminal dc (MTdc) systems. Zonal isolation of faults is necessary to prevent any misopertation of the dc breakers that can lead to a shutdown of the network. Existing techniques require fast-communication or data synchronization methods have their own disadvantages. This article proposes a method for efficient fault zone isolation without the need of a communication link that prevents any misoperation of the dc breakers in a radial MTdc. This method provides individual local measurement-based control to the hybrid dc circuit breakers (dcCB). Faults created outside the zone of protection for a breaker create a change in the rate of change of current or voltage leading to misoperation. To avoid detection using a fixed threshold, an adaptive threshold based approach is suggested that updates the threshold based on the present operating status. Sensitivity analysis by varying the current limiting inductance and fault location is performed. A three terminal radial model of an MTdc is used for zonal isolation using power system computer aided design/electromagnetic transients including dc.
Functional NMDA receptors are expressed by human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are widely expressed in the central nervous system. However, their presence and function at extraneuronal sites is less well characterized. In the present study, we examined the expression of NMDA receptor subunit mRNA and protein in human pulmonary artery (HPA) by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. We demonstrate that both GluN1 and GluN2 subunit mRNAs are expressed in HPA. In addition, GluN1 and GluN2 (A–D) subunit proteins are expressed by human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (HPASMCs) in vitro and in vivo. These subunits localize on the surface of HPASMCs and form functional ion channels as evidenced by whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and reduced phenylephrine-induced contractile responsiveness of human pulmonary artery by the NMDA receptor antagonist MK801 under hypoxic condition. HPASMCs also express high levels of serine racemase and vesicular glutamate transporter 1, suggesting a potential source of endogenous agonists for NMDA receptor activation. Our findings show HPASMCs express functional NMDA receptors in line with their effect on pulmonary vasoconstriction, and thereby suggest a novel therapeutic target for pharmacological modulations in settings associated with pulmonary vascular dysfunction.
Multilayer Fabrication of a Rainbow of Microdisk Laser Particles Across a 500 nm Bandwidth

Laser particles are an emerging technology with unique stimulated emission properties. The ability to produce laser particles over a wide spectral range is critical for massive wavelength-division ...
Evidence for glycosylation as a regulator of the pigmentary system: key roles of sialyl(α2-6)gal/GalNAc-terminated glycans in melanin synthesis and transfer.

The major regulators of melanogenesis are glycoproteins, however no role for glycosylation in the pathway has yet been described. We stained skin biopsies and melanocyte-keratinocyte co-cultures with a panel of 20 lectins as oligosaccharide markers. Notably, the Elderberry Bark Lectin (EBL/SNA) stained melanocytes in both systems. EBL binds the sequence Neu5Ac(α(2-6)Gal/GalNAc)- at the termini of some oligosaccharide antennae. We used inhibitors of synthesis and/or binding of this sequence to assess effects on pigmentation. METHODS. Cell culture, lectin histochemistry, siRNA transfection, and assays for dopa oxidase and melanin were carried out by standard techniques. RESULTS. 6′-sialyllactose, a short homolog of the sequence in question, anti-sialyltransferase 6 (ST6) siRNA, and cytidine, a sialyltransferase (ST) inhibitor, each inhibited EBL binding, melanogenesis and melanosome transfer. Unexpectedly, 3′-sialyllactose and siRNA for ST3, chosen as a negative controls, also inhibited these processes. Though strong inhibitors of melanization, none of the agents affected tyrosinase/dopa oxidase activity, indicating previously unrecognized post-tyrosinase regulation of melanization. CONCLUSIONS. We report for the first time that Neu5Ac (α(2-6)Gal/GalNAc)- and possibly Neu5Ac(α(2–3)Gal/GalNAc)-terminated oligosaccharides play multiple roles in melanin synthesis and transfer.
The uniform hardcore lemma via approximate Bregman projections

We give a simple, more efficient and uniform proof of the hard-core lemma, a fundamental result in complexity theory with applications in machine learning and cryptography. Our result follows from the connection between boosting algorithms and hard-core set constructions discovered by Klivans and Servedio [11]. Informally stated, our result is the following: suppose we fix a family of boolean functions. Assume there is an efficient algorithm which for every input length and every smooth distribution (i.e. one that doesn't assign too much weight to any single input) over the inputs produces a circuit such that the circuit computes the boolean function noticeably better than random. Then, there is an efficient algorithm which for every input length produces a circuit that computes the function correctly on almost all inputs.Our algorithm significantly simplifies previous proofs of the uniform and the non-uniform hard-core lemma, while matching or improving the previously best known parameters. The algorithm uses a generalized multiplicative update rule combined with a natural notion of approximate Bregman projection. Bregman projections are widely used in convex optimization and machine learning. We present an algorithm which efficiently approximates the Bregman projection onto the set of high density measures when the Kullback-Leibler divergence is used as a distance function. Our algorithm has a logarithmic runtime over any domain from which we can efficiently sample. High density measures correspond to smooth distributions which arise naturally, for instance, in the context of online learning. Hence, our technique may be of independent interest.
Water retention curve for hydrate‐bearing sediments

[1] The water retention curve plays a central role in numerical algorithms that model hydrate dissociation in sediments. The determination of the water retention curve for hydrate-bearing sediments faces experimental difficulties, and most studies assume constant water retention curves regardless of hydrate saturation. This study employs network model simulation to investigate the water retention curve for hydrate-bearing sediments. Results show that (1) hydrate in pores shifts the curve to higher capillary pressures and the air entry pressure increases as a power function of hydrate saturation; (2) the air entry pressure is lower in sediments with patchy rather than distributed hydrate, with higher pore size variation and pore connectivity or with lower specimen slenderness along the flow direction; and (3) smaller specimens render higher variance in computed water retention curves, especially at high water saturation Sw > 0.7. Results are relevant to other sediment pore processes such as bioclogging and mineral precipitation.
Modeling studies of the effect of climate variability on MSX disease in eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) populations

Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) often undergo epizootics of MSX (Multinucleated Spore Unknown) disease, which is caused by the protozoan pathogen, Haplosporidium nelsoni. The disease has been present in oyster populations in the mid-Atlantic United States since the 1950s. During the 1980s and 1990s, it became established further north along the east coast of the United States. To investigate the factors underlying the northward progression of MSX disease, a model that simulates the host–parasite–environmental interactions was used. The model is physiologically-based and is structured around the transmission, proliferation and death rates of the parasite. Environmental conditions of temperature, salinity and oyster food supply provide the external forcing that results in variations in the biological rates. For this study, environmental data sets, both average and extreme, were obtained at a site in upper Chesapeake Bay for 1986 through 1995. This site is in the middle of one of the most productive oyster growing regions on the east coast of the United States; thus, both short- and long-term changes in the environment measured here realistically reflect conditions experienced by important oyster populations. The effect of short-term high-salinity (drought) or low-salinity (wet) conditions on MSX disease prevalence and intensity was relatively small because the average salinity regime already favors maximum parasite activity at this site. Even the extreme low salinity events were not low enough to significantly inhibit the parasite. Similarly, simulations using short-term high-temperature extremes for the same site showed only minor deviations from the average pattern because average temperatures were already high enough to support parasite development. In contrast, the measured low temperature conditions, applied for a single year, caused a dramatic reduction in parasite activity, which extended over a 2-year period. Additional simulations show that overall food supply to the host is of little consequence in determining the basic disease pattern; however, the timing of maximum food supply provided to the host, relative to specific times in the parasite life cycle, is important in determining whether or not the parasite attempts sporulation or undergoes density-independent growth. Simulations that test a sequence of changing environmental conditions show that when a year with cold winter temperatures (less than 3 °C) is followed by a year of low salinity (less than 15 ppt), prevalences and intensities of MSX disease are greatly reduced, with the disease becoming almost absent in the oyster populations; however, the disease returns when average environmental conditions return. Simulations using progressive cooling or warming conditions indicate that winter temperatures consistently lower than 3 °C limit the long-term development of MSX disease. These simulations support the suggestion that climate warming is a contributing factor to the northward spread of MSX disease.
A+U content rather than a particular nucleotide order determines the specificity of RNase E cleavage.

Abstract Ribonuclease E has a central role in Escherichia coli mRNA decay and is dependent on a functional product of the rne (also called ams or hmp1) gene. We investigated the requirements for RNase E cleavage by introducing random mutations into the decanucleotide region at the 5' end of pACYC184 RNA I and studying the effects of these mutations on the position of rne-dependent cleavage in vivo and RNase E-mediated cutting in vitro. We find that the precise point of RNase E cleavage can be altered specifically and reproducibly by sequence changes in the region cleaved and, therefore, is not determined by a distance measured in nucleotides from any other sequence or region of secondary structure in RNA I. Although cleavage by RNase E occurs within sequences rich in A and/or U nucleotides and is affected by the extent of continuity of A and U nucleotides in the regions cleaved, there is no simple relationship between the order of nucleotides and the phosphodiester bond cleaved. Thus, our results are not consistent with either the notion that RNase E cleavages are determined by a simple consensus sequence or the contrary view that RNase E has few primary structural constraints other than a preference for cleaving 5' to an AU dinucleotide.
Objectives of Physical Education

(1921). Objectives of Physical Education. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 26, No. 5, pp. 229-234.
Power control of a wind energy conversion system

MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) which means maximizing the power extracted, is a key factor that has critical role in improving wind system performance. Wind systems with outputs variables because their input quantities are variable, why an MPPT algorithm that follows the maximum performance is required. Indeed, the performance of a wind turbine depends primarily on three parameters: wind power, curve power turbine and the generator's ability respond to wind fluctuations. This article is dedicated to the study of a wind MPPT system characteristic P= f (Ω). To do this, double feed asynchronous generator is modeled and NPC three level converter. Thereafter, explaining the different strategies maximizing power extracted.
Tobacco, alcohol, and p53 overexpression in early colorectal neoplasia

The p53 tumor suppressor gene is commonly mutated in colorectal cancer. While the effect of p53 mutations on colorectal cancer prognosis has been heavily studied, less is known about how epidemiologic risk factors relate to p53 status, particularly in early colorectal neoplasia prior to clinically invasive colorectal cancer (including adenomas, carcinoma in situ (CIS), and intramucosal carcinoma). We examined p53 status, as measured by protein overexpression, in 157 cases with early colorectal neoplasia selected from three New York City colonoscopy clinics. After collecting paraffin-embedded tissue blocks, immunohistochemistry was performed using an anti-p53 monoclonal mouse IgG2a [BP53-12-1] antibody. We analyzed whether p53 status was different for risk factors for colorectal neoplasia relative to a polyp-free control group (n = 508). p53 overexpression was found in 10.3%, 21.7%, and 34.9%, of adenomatous polyps, CIS, and intramucosal cases, respectively. Over 90% of the tumors with p53 overexpression were located in the distal colon and rectum. Heavy cigarette smoking (30+ years) was associated with cases not overexpressing p53 (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.1–2.9) but not with those cases overexpressing p53 (OR = 1.0, 95% CI = 0.4–2.6). Heavy beer consumption (8+ bottles per week) was associated with cases overexpressing p53 (OR = 4.0, 95% CI = 1.3–12.0) but not with cases without p53 overexpression (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 0.7–3.7). Our findings that p53 overexpression in early colorectal neoplasia may be positively associated with alcohol intake and inversely associated with cigarette smoking are consistent with those of several studies of p53 expression and invasive cancer, and suggest that there may be relationships of smoking and alcohol with p53 early in the adenoma to carcinoma sequence.
Electoral Politics and Foreign Project Investment in Developing Countries

Research on multinational corporations ("MNCs") and host government political risk in developing countries has largely ignored local electoral politics, economic policies and the MNC investment incentives they may generate. In response, we develop and test a model of MNC risk and investment based on political business cycle considerations. Analyses of 408 MNC investments worth $199 billion in 18 developing countries holding 35 presidential elections from 1987-2000 support the model and indicate that MNCs perceive higher (lower) risk in the form of fewer (more) investment project announcements as right-wing (left-wing) incumbents appear more likely to be replaced by left-wing (right-wing) challengers.
Institutional Fads and the Medicalization of Drug Addiction

The purpose of this article is to historically review biologically based explanations of drug addiction to demonstrate the increased utility of the institutional fads approach in understanding modern medicalization. Our examination reveals that the medicalization of drug addiction has been long in the making, traveling through numerous fads that have attributed drug addiction to various biological matter, including body type or constitution, genetics, psychopathology, and neuroscience or brain imaging. These explanations follow a common trajectory (emerging, surging, and purging) in institutional fad research. Moreover, our analysis indicates that while scientific and technological developments have shaped these approaches’ influence and pathways, so too have political actors and institutional agendas. We begin by discussing how an institutional fads approach enables an improved understanding of the medicalization of drug addiction – a form of deviance – followed by a critique of four main biological explanations: body constitution, genetics, psychopathology, and brain chemistry/imaging. Our review pinpoints the specific narratives advanced and the academic and political interests at work. In doing so, it exposes the limitations of medicalizing one of the nation’s oldest social problems.
Trimethoprim-produced F-specific insertion mutations in Escherichia coli K-12.

Besides producing thymine-requiring mutants (thy), trimethoprim (TMP) cured the mini-ColE1 replicon pML21 at an appreciable frequency. The cured Escherichia coli K-12 cells behaved like polA mutants by failing to support the stable maintenance of the ColE1 plasmid. The mini-F replicon pSC138, which was lacking all three insertion sequences (IS3, γδ, and IS2) normally used for F-specific integration and excision, was not cured by TMP. Instead, it integrated into specific regions of the E. coli chromosome and thus caused auxotrophic mutations in operons which were always localized on either side of oriC (origin of chromosomal replication). The incompatibility and replication functions of the integrated plasmid in auxotrophs were retained, and the plasmid DNAs recovered from spontaneously occurring revertants did not show any alterations in their contour lengths as determined by electron microscopy. The F replicon (fragment 5) contained in plasmid pSC138 carried two origins of replication, the primary origin, oriV1 at 42.6F and the secondary origin, oriV2, at 44.1F. Another mini-F plasmid pMF21, deleted of the primary origin of replication (oriV1), was still capable of autonomous replication but failed to integrate onto the chromosome after TMP treatment. Furthermore, the composite plasmid pRS5, which normally uses only the replication origin and functions of the pSC101 component, was also insensitive to TMP. On the basis of these results, we propose a new scheme of F integration via the functional oriV1 and suggest the involvement of a similar mechanism in the formation of Hfr strains by integrative suppression.
Requirement of Receptor Internalization for Opioid Stimulation of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase: Biochemical and Immunofluorescence Confocal Microscopic Evidence

Previously, we implicated the opioid receptor (OR), Gβγ subunits, and Ras in the opioid activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), a member of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family involved in mitogenic signaling. We now report that OR endocytosis also plays a role in the opioid stimulation of ERK activity. COS-7 and HEK-293 cells were cotransfected with the cDNA of δ-, μ-, or κ-OR, dynamin wild-type (DWT), or the dominant suppressor mutant dynamin K44A, which blocks receptor endocytosis. The activation of ERK by opioid agonists in the presence of DWT was detected. In contrast, parallel ectopic coexpression of the K44A mutant with OR, followed by agonist treatment, resulted in a time-dependent attenuation of ERK activation. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy of δ-OR and DWT-cotransfected COS-7 cells revealed that agonist exposure for 10 min resulted in an ablation of cell surface δ-OR immunoreactivity (IR) and an intensification of cytoplasmic (presumably endosomal) staining as seen in the absence of overexpressed DWT. After 1 hr of δ-agonist exposure the cells displayed substantial internalization of δ-OR IR. If the cells were cotransfected with δ-OR and dynamin mutant K44A, OR IR was retained on the cell surface even after 1 hr of δ-agonist treatment. Parallel immunofluorescence confocal microscopy, using an anti-ERK antibody, showed that agonist-induced time-dependent ERK IR trafficking into perinuclear and nuclear loci was impaired in the internalization-defective cells. Thus, both biochemical and immunofluorescence confocal microscopic evidence supports the hypothesis that the opioid activation of ERK requires receptor internalization in transfected mammalian cells.
The glutamate receptor-like protein of brain synaptic membranes is a metalloprotein

Abstract The glutamate binding glycoprotein from rat brain synaptic plasma membranes was found to be quite sensitive to inhibition by sodium azide (NaN 3 . The glutamate binding activity of the purified glycoprotein was decreased to 50% in the presence of 0.33 mM NaN 3 . Similar concentrations of NaN 3 also caused 50% inhibition of glutamate binding to the synaptic membranes. Analysis of the purified binding protein for its content of iron and sulfur revealed the presence of 1.95 g atom Fe and 2.19 g atom S per mole of 14,000 M.W. protein. On the basis of changes in the difference spectra of this protein it is believed that both the azide effect and the glutamate binding are taking place at a site which contains the Fe 2 S 2 center.
The complexity of partial match retrieval in a dynamic setting

Abstract The partial match retrieval problem analyzed in this paper is described as follows. Given a positive integer d , a record having d binary attributes consists of a d dimensional binary vector, referred to as the record's key, and a quantity which lies in a commutative semigroup, referred to as the value of the record. Given a set of such records having distinct keys, a partial match query is a request for the sum of the values of all records in the set whose keys lie in a hyperrectangle specified by the query. We consider the problem of designing data structures which permit insertions and deletions of records, and partial match queries. Among our results is the following. There exist data structures which accommodate arbitrary sequences of N manipulations (insertions, deletions, and queries) in (worst case) time approximately (1.226) d N . Moreover, relative to an appropriate model of computation, this complexity is best possible.
Reliability based multi-objective robust design optimization of steel moment resisting frame considering spatial variability of connection parameters

Abstract The focus of this paper is on achieving robustness in the seismic design against uncertainties in the design process. In this regard, we present a reliability based robust design optimization approach to achieve designs that are not only safe and cost efficient, but also robust against uncertainties. The aim here is to adjust easy-to-control design parameters to reduce the variability of the seismic response to hard-to-control noise parameters while also considering design safety and budget. The proposed approach is demonstrated with a steel moment resisting frame design, considering uncertainties and spatial variability in connection parameters. Here, the sizes of the steel sections constitute the design parameters, while the uncertain and spatially variable parameters of the Ibarra–Krawinkler connection model are treated as noise parameters. The design objectives include the collapse prevention reliability conditional on a maximum earthquake intensity level, as well as the initial cost of the structure. To reduce computation demands in calculating the seismic response variation, design parameters that have a negligible effect on seismic response are first eliminated through sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, the seismic response variation is evaluated parametrically to investigate the effect of connection parameter spatial variability. Finally, the authors demonstrate the use of proposed robust design optimization approach to obtain a Pareto Front, a collection of optimal designs that are optimized for both reliability and cost.
Stereospecific effects of ketamine enantiomers on canine tracheal smooth muscle.

Ketamine is a potent bronchodilator which relaxes airway smooth muscle (ASM). Clinically, ketamine is used as a 1:1 racemic mixture of enantiomers that differ in their analgesic and anaesthetic effects. The aim of this study was to determine whether there was a difference between the enantiomers in their ability to relax isolated ASM and to explore mechanisms responsible for any observed differences. Canine tracheal smooth muscle strips were loaded with fura-2 and mounted in a photometric system to measure simultaneously force and [Ca2+]i. Calcium influx was estimated by use of a manganese quenching technique. In strips stimulated with 0.1 μM ACh (EC50) R(−)-ketamine (1–100 μM) caused a significantly greater concentration-dependent decrease in force (P<0.0001) and [Ca2+]i than S(+)-ketamine (1–100 μM) (P<0.0005). In contrast, there was no significant difference between the enantiomers in their ability to inhibit calcium influx (45% decrease in influx rate for R(−)-ketamine and 44% for S(+)-ketamine, P=0.782). In strips contracted with 24 mM isotonic KCl (which activates voltage-operated calcium channels), the enantiomers modestly decreased force and [Ca2+]i; there was no significant difference between the enantiomers in their effects on force (P=0.425) or [Ca2+]i (P=0.604). The R(−)-enantiomer of ketamine is a more potent relaxant of ACh-induced ASM contraction than the S(+)-enantiomer. This difference appears to be caused by differential actions on receptor-operated calcium channels.
Nutrient digestion, nitrogen, and amino acid flows in lactating cows fed soybean hulls in place of forage or concentrate.

Abstract Five Holstein cows in early lactation were used in a 5 × 5 Latin square design to study substitution of soybean hulls for portions of forage or concentrate in diets. The control diet consisted of (DM basis) 10% alfalfa hay, 40% corn silage, 25% high moisture corn, 23% protein supplement, and 2.3% vitamins and minerals. Soybean hulls were used to replace approximately 25 and 50% of the forage or concentrate DM in the control ration. The DMI decreased linearly as soybean hulls replaced forage. The DM and OM flow to the duodenum and apparent and true digestion of OM in the stomach were similar among treatments. Ruminal pH was similar among treatments, but concentrations of NH 3 N decreased linearly when soybean hulls replaced forage. Total VFA concentrations were similar when soybean hulls replaced forage but showed a positive quadratic response when soybean hulls replaced concentrate. Microbial N averaged 59% of NAN flow and showed a negative quadratic response when soybean hulls replaced concentrate. Rows of total AA and total essential AA to the duodenum were not altered when soybean hulls were fed. Yields of milk and milk components were similar among treatments; hulls can be used effectively to replace forage or concentrate in lactation diets.
Development of Instrumental ORAM System for Radiation Dosimetry

The development of an optical-based dosimeter for neutrons and heavy charged particles is described. It is based on the use of three dimensional (3-D) optical memory materials, used in optical computing applications, and multiphoton fluorescence of photochromic dyes. Development and characterization of various types of dosimeter materials are described as well as the optical readout system. In addition, various excitation geometries for ''reading'' and ''writing'' to the optical memories are also discussed.
Cell Biology: A Tense but Good Day for Actin at Cell–Cell Junctions

Cells have evolved an elegant tuning mechanism to maintain tissue integrity, in which increasing mechanical tension stimulates actin assembly at cell-cell junctions. The mechanosensitive junctional protein α-catenin acts through vinculin and Ena/VASP proteins to reinforce the cell against mechanical stress.
Retention times in programmed temperature gas chromatography

Abstract A theoretical analysis of retention times and retention temperatures in programmed temperature gas chromatography is described. The analysis is implemented by an approximate integration which yields excellent results. The effects of changes in heating rate, column length, percentage of stationary liquid, etc., are established. A number of examples are calculated showing these effects. The retention temperature curve for a homologous series is discussed, and the various factors influencing this are noted.
Evaluation of Four Bed Bug Traps for Surveillance of the Brown Dog Tick (Acari: Ixodidae)

The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latrielle), can be a serious residential pest due to its unique ability, among ticks, to complete its lifecycle indoors. A single engorged and fertilized female tick can oviposit around 4,000 eggs, allowing indoor establishment to be rapid and easy to miss in early-stage infestations. Acaricide treatment is currently the primary method of control, but can be costly and can lead to the development of acaricide resistance in tick populations. Traps of various designs can be used to help monitor and manage populations of indoor pests, such as cockroaches and bed bugs, but there are currently no commercially available traps for use with brown dog tick infestations. This study included a comparison of four commercially available bed bug traps (NightWatch [BioSensory Inc., Putnam, CT], Bed Bug Beacon [PackTite, Fort Collins, CO], ClimbUp [Susan McKnight Inc., Memphis, TN], and Verify [FMC Corporation, Philadelphia, PA]) with regard to their efficacy in capturing brown dog ticks, and also compared tick attraction to ClimbUp traps baited with several stimuli including CO2. Significantly more ticks were captured and attracted to the NightWatch and CO2-baited ClimbUp traps than the other two trap models. The results suggest that bed bug traps may be useful in brown dog tick monitoring, and CO2 will likely be an important component of a trapping system employed in the future.
Fire performance and post‐fire mechanical properties of polymer composites coated with hybrid carbon nanofiber paper

In this study, glass fiber reinforced polyester composites were coated with carbon nanofiber/clay/ammonium polyphosphate (CCA) paper and carbon nanofiber/exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets/ammonium polyphosphate (CXA) paper. The composites were exposed to a heat flux of 35 kW/m2 during the cone calorimeter testing. The testing results showed a significant reduction in both heat release rates and mass loss rates. The peak heat release rate (PHRR) of CCA and CXA composite samples in the major decomposition period are 23 and 34% lower than the control sample, respectively. The time to reach the PHRR for the CCA and CXA composite samples are ∼ 125% longer than the control sample. After the composite samples were exposed to heat for different time periods, their post-fire mechanical properties were determined by three-point bending testing. The three-point bending testing results show that the composite samples coated with such hybrid papers exhibit more than 20% improvement in mechanical resistance at early stages of combustion. The mechanism of hybrid carbon nanofiber paper protecting the underlying laminated composites is discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
LONGITUDINAL STUDIES OF SOMATOMEDIN-C |[lpar]|SM-C|[rpar]| IN GROWTH-RETARDED CHILDREN WITH CROHN'S DISEASE |[lpar]|CD|[rpar]|

Our previous studies demonstrated that mean Sm-C levels were significantly lower in growth-retarded children than normally-growing children with IBD (Gastroenterology 80:1192, 1981). We now report longitudinal data in 10 previously untreated growth-retarded children with CD, followed =17.7 mos. Patients: 5F and 5M, age 13.2 yrs., all ↓ > 1 major height %ile line with 6 of 10 pts. ≤ 5th %ile for age, Tanner stage I or II. Seven of 10 pts. received daily prednisone (=2 mos) after the initial tests. Methods: Measurements of growth velocity (cm/mo), Sm-C by RIA, calorie intake (72 hr. food diaries) and serum albumin were obtained at the onset of therapy and avg. of 5 times during the follow-up period. Sm-C levels were drawn ≥ 24 hrs. after the previous prednisone dose.
Pliensbachian (Lower Jurassic) Radiolaria from Baja California Sur, Mexico

Abstract Lower Jurassic Radiolaria have been recovered from limestone beds and concretions in the sandstone member of the San Hipolito Formation near Punta San Hipolito, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The San Hipolito Formation and underlying Upper Triassic ophiolite form part of the Vizcaino Sur terrane. The faunas are well-preserved, abundant, and diverse. Assemblages are dominated by spumellarians, but small cyrtid nassellarians are strongly varied also; multicyrtid nassellarians comprise a lesser component of the fauna. The Baja faunas are dated mainly by comparison to radiolarians from the Queen Charlotte Islands that co-occur with ammonites of Pliensbachian age. New ammonite zones for North America established by Smith and Tipper (1996) provide precise age control for equivalent radiolarian faunas that has not been possible in the past. Baja radiolarians are also compared with faunas from east-central Oregon, Turkey, and Japan. The strong similarity between Baja California radiolarians and Tethyan fau...
Rationality as an Absolute Concept

My thesis is that ‘rational’ is an absolute concept like ‘flat’ and ‘clean’. Absolute concepts are best defined as absences. In the case of flatness, the absence of bumps, curves, and irregularities. In the case of cleanliness, the absence of dirt. Rationality, then, is the absence of irrationalities such as bias, circularity, dogmatism, and inconsistency.
Numerical Simulation of Mark Formation/Erasure in Phase Change Recording

Design/optimization of the phase change recording media to create proper marks, in size, shape, and quality, needs a robust modeling tool to predict temperature distribution in the constituting layers and model the phase formation during writing/erasure of the information bits. This requires a modeling of the heat transfer (thermal performance) and the crystallization processes. The thermal modeling, which is based on the solution of the heat diffusion equation for finding temperature distribution in the multilayer media, has been done before, using the finite difference techniques. These techniques have limited potentials for modeling real phase change recording media that have a rather more complex geometry. The finite elements method has, on the other hand, the required flexibility for such applications. In this work, we are reporting on development of a numerical simulation tool that uses the finite elements method for heat transfer simulation. ANSYS is used as the source code for the heat transfer simulation, in this application, with the crystallization model then being built into this media. This code has been used to simulate mark formation during writing on grooved plain and planer patterned media. Patterning the phase change material layer looks very promising in controlling the mark size and the mark edge irregularity which lead to timing jitter.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Line Shape and Amplitude of Giant Quantum Oscillations in Ultrasonic Absorption

The line shape of the giant quantum oscillations and the dependence of the amplitude of these oscillations on ultrasonic frequency, magnetic field, and temperature are calculated on the basis of the theory of Gurevich et al. Expressions for determining cross sections of the Fermi surface, effective masses, $g$ factors, matrix elements of the electron-phonon interaction, and electron relaxation times, by the use of giant quantum oscillations, are given. Measurements of the line shape and amplitude of the giant quantum oscillations in gallium are presented and compared with theory.
Direct injection isocratic high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of mitomycin C in plasma

A direct injection high-performance liquid chromatography method is described for the determination of mitomycin C (MMC) in human plasma. The stationary phase consisted of hydrophilic and hydrophobic functional groups covalently bound to silicone-coated silica beads (CAPCELL PAK MF Ph-1, 150×4.6 mm I.D., 5 μm). A mobile phase using 100% water gave a better separation of MMC from endogenous interferences as compared to a mobile phase with 12.5% acetonitrile and 2.5 mM phosphate buffer (pH 6.9). Using water as the eluent (1 ml/min) and UV detection at 365 nm, MMC was found to elute at 5.0 min with a peak width of 0.3 min, whereas endogenous interferences eluted before 3 min. Total assay time per sample was 6 min. Internal standard was not required because the recovery of MMC was nearly complete, about 90% from 20 to 5000 ng/ml. The standard curve was linear from 20 to 5000 ng/ml in plasma, and the intra- and inter-day variation was between 3 to 6%. The lower detection limit was 5 ng/ml with a 25 μl sample, which represent a two- to four-fold improvement over the 10 ng/ml detection limit by previous methods using liquid-liquid extraction and comparable sample size. The simplicity of this method, i.e., no sample extraction, no internal standard, 100% aqueous mobile phase, isocratic elution and short analysis time (6 min/sample), makes it suitable for large scale routine sample analysis, whereas its small sample volume requirement and high sensitivity are useful for pharmacokinetic studies in small animals where limited sample is available.
Music meanings in movies: the case of the crime-plus-jazz genre.

This paper explores the role of film music in creating meanings of concern to those with an interest in consumption, markets, and culture. Specifically, the paper examines ways in which the significance of ambi‐diegetic cinemusical moments – that is, music performed on‐screen (diegetic) in a manner that advances the dramatic development of plot, character, and other themes (non‐diegetic) – enrich our interpretation of three key exemplars from the crime‐plus‐jazz motion‐picture genre: Pete Kelly’s Blues (1955), The Cotton Club (1984), and Kansas City (1996). Key homologous parallels and contrasts among these three films touch on various consumption‐, markets‐, and culture‐related themes in general and on the contrast or tension between commerce (crime) and art (jazz) in particular.
To measure attributed mental illness1

This work follows from the assumption that person perception processes allow people to categorize others, and, thereupon, to predict the perceived person's behaviors. A scale, the Mental Illness Behaviors Prediction Scale (MIBPS) was developed for use in studies of ascribed mental illness. The MIBPS is comprised of fifteen items, each of which describes a situation and four alternative behaviors scaled for "mental illness level." The alternatives were clearly scaleable. High item-to-total-score correlations were found. When subjects rated a "very poorly adjusted person" and a "very well-adjusted person," the item scores, as assigned to these two persons, were clearly differentiating. In other studies the overall "mental illness level" of perceived persons was found to vary with selected independent variables. The utility of the scale supports the conclusion that people have developed and do use a person-perceiving dimension labeled mentally ill/mentally healthy, and the use of this dimension promotes the expectation of specific kinds of behavior from the target person.
Conservation of hippocampal memory function in rats and humans

The hippocampus is critical to declarative memory in humans. This kind of memory involves associations among items or events that can be accessed flexibly to guide memory expression in various and even new situations. In animals, there has been controversy about whether the hippocampus is specialized for spatial memory or whether it mediates a general memory function, as it does in humans. To address this issue we trained normal rats and rats with hippocampal damage on non-spatial stimulus-stimulus associations, then probed the nature of their memory representations. We report here that normal rats demonstrated two forms of flexible memory expression, transitivity, the ability to judge inferentially across stimulus pairs that share a common element, and symmetry, the ability to associate paired elements presented in the reverse of training order. Rats with neurotoxic damage limited to the hippocampus demonstrated neither form of flexible expression, indicating that non-spatial declarative processing depends specifically on the hippocampus in animals as it does in humans.
Solute effects on electromigration

The kinetics of the solute effect on solvent electromigration and the vacancy-flow effect on solute electromigration have been analyzed. The Howard and Manning type analysis has been applied to the diffusion data of a number of solutes in Al, Cu, Ag, and Au for determining the required jumping-frequency ratios. The cross-term contributions to the electromigration flux are found to be negative for all the solutes analyzed, so the vacancy-flow effect reduces solute and solvent migration. However, the enhanced diffusivity of the solvent and the large effective charge of the solute overcompensate the negative vacancy-flow corrections. As a result, most of the solutes analyzed are predicted to enhance solvent electromigration except for Fe in Cu and Ag. The result is attributed to the particular behavior of the vacancy jumping around the impurity. Of particular interest also is that the predicted effect of Cu on Al in bulk crystal is inconsistent with the existing thin-film observations.
The primary decomposition of a set of matrices

Abstract The elements of a set of square matrices over a field are simultaneously similar to a direct sum of conformable primary blocks iff every element of the set commutes with the primary idempotents of every element of the set.