cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variation in intestinal microbiome of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) across ontogeny

R on pre and probiotics in aquaculture has been limited by a lack of basic knowledge regarding intrinsic fluctuations that occur in the intestinal microbiome (IM) of fish across developmental ontogeny. Without such knowledge, delineating the significance of modifications to the IM or identifying dysbiosis may be difficult because data is lacking on the natural variations that occur within the microbial community. To improve our knowledge, this study characterized the IM of a single family of the important US. aquaculture species, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, under controlled conditions. Samples were taken at 2, 64, 124, and 193 dph. Sac-fry (2 dph) were ground whole while at all other time points the entire intestinal tract was removed and homogenized using sterile procedures (n=10). Adherent and allochthonous IM DNA along with DNA from all feeds and tank water was then extracted and added to the Fluidigm Access Array for PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA gene, barcoded primer addition and library preparation for identification of bacterial, fungal and archaeal biota. Sequencing was performed on the MiSeq 2000 and data were analyzed using QIIME with the Green genes database for cross-referencing of operational taxonomic units. Ontogenetic changes in the IM may be attributed to host immunity-IM interactions plus changes in diet formulations. These results enable a better understanding of the homeostatic variation of the IM allowing more accurate interpretations of shifts caused by exogenous influences. This data set may also be used in the future to identify candidate microbial species for use as probiotics.
Improving the Identification of Neonatal Encephalopathy: Utility of a Web-Based Video Tool.

Objective This study tested the effectiveness of a video teaching tool in improving identification and classification of encephalopathy in infants. Study Design We developed an innovative video teaching tool to help clinicians improve their skills in interpreting the neonatal neurological examination for grading encephalopathy. Pediatric residents were shown 1-minute video clips demonstrating exam findings in normal neonates and neonates with various degrees of encephalopathy. Findings from five domains were demonstrated: spontaneous activity, level of alertness, posture/tone, reflexes, and autonomic responses. After each clip, subjects were asked to identify whether the exam finding was normal or consistent with mild, moderate, or severe abnormality. Subjects were then directed to a web-based teaching toolkit, containing a compilation of videos demonstrating normal and abnormal findings on the neonatal neurological examination. Immediately after training, subjects underwent posttesting, again identifying exam findings as normal, mild, moderate, or severe abnormality. Results Residents improved in their overall ability to identify and classify neonatal encephalopathy after viewing the teaching tool. In particular, the identification of abnormal spontaneous activity, reflexes, and autonomic responses were most improved. Conclusion This pretest/posttest evaluation of an educational tool demonstrates that after viewing our toolkit, pediatric residents were able to improve their overall ability to detect neonatal encephalopathy.
The Seduction of Kierkegaard’s Aesthetic Sphere

Though sensitivity to pedagogy infuses all of Soren Kierkegaard’s writings, Kierkegaard’s voice in education, and moral education specifically, is scant. This is striking considering the range and depth of his influence in philosophy and theology. Given the ethico-religious telos that animates Kierkegaard’s project, and the amazing variety of texts that illuminate and enact the existential journey into lived virtue, Kierkegaard offers a wealth of resources for pedagogies that aspire to cultivate virtue. Yet Kierkegaard does, as his pseudonym Johannas Climacus intends, create difficulties. Specifically, he exposes how difficult it is to become and remain virtuous. Moreover, he reveals how difficult it is to teach others how to become virtuous, all the while enacting a pedagogy that intends to do just that. In this essay I make a case for Kierkegaard’s indispensable contribution to a pedagogy that aims to impart virtue. Specifically, I examine the challenge the aesthetic sphere poses for virtue ethics, noting the interior moves that precede, undergird, and sustain the transition from the aesthetic to the ethical sphere. I then explore Kierkegaard’s pedagogical approach that aims to reach the aesthete.
3D microvascular model recapitulates the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma tumor microenvironment in vitro

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive cancer that affects ∼22 000 people in the United States yearly. Understanding the complex cellular interactions of the tumor microenvironment is critical to the success and development of DLBCL treatment strategies. In vitro platforms that successfully model the complex tumor microenvironment without introducing the variability of in vivo systems are vital for understanding these interactions. To date, no such in vitro model exists that can accurately recapitulate the interactions that occur between immune cells, cancer cells, and endothelial cells in the tumor microenvironment of DLBCL. To that end, we developed a lymphoma-on-chip model consisting of a hydrogel based tumor model traversed by a vascularized, perfusable, round microchannel that successfully recapitulates key complexities and interactions of the in vivo tumor microenvironment in vitro. We have shown that the perfusion capabilities of this technique allow us to study targeted treatment strategies, as well as to model the diffusion of infused reagents spatiotemporally. Furthermore, this model employs a novel fabrication technique that utilizes common laboratory materials, and allows for the microfabrication of multiplex microvascular environments without the need for advanced microfabrication facilities. Through our facile microfabrication process, we are able to achieve micro vessels within a tumor model that are highly reliable and precise over the length of the vessel. Overall, we have developed a tool that enables researchers from many diverse disciplines to study previously inaccessible aspects of the DLBCL tumor microenvironment, with profound implications for drug delivery and design.
How much would you like to pay? Reframing and expanding the notion of translation quality through crowdsourcing and volunteer approaches

This paper examines the reconceptualization of translation quality since the emergence of new paid and volunteer crowdsourcing approaches both in the industry and in Translation Studies (TS). It ex...
Clinical and Biological Markers in Hypereosinophilic Syndromes.

Hypereosinophilic syndromes (HES) are rare, heterogeneous syndromes characterized by markedly elevated eosinophil counts in the blood and/or tissue and evidence of eosinophil-associated pathology. Although parasitic infections, drug hypersensitivity and other disorders of defined etiology can present as HES (associated HES), treatment is directed at the underlying cause rather than the eosinophilia itself. A number of additional subtypes of HES have been described, based on clinical and laboratory features. These include 1) myeloid HES - a primary disorder of the myeloid lineage, 2) lymphocytic variant HES – eosinophilia driven by aberrant or clonal lymphocytes secreting eosinophil-promoting cytokines, 3) overlap HES – eosinophilia restricted to a single organ or organ system, 4) familial eosinophilia – a rare inherited form of HES and 5) idiopathic HES. Since clinical manifestations, response to therapy and prognosis all differ between HES subtypes, this review will focus on clinical and biological markers that serve as markers of disease activity in HES (excluding associated HES), including those that are likely to be useful only in specific clinical subtypes.
Molecular Level Metal and Ceramic/Polymer Composites: Synthesis of Metal and Metal Oxide Containing Polyimides and its Relevance to Polymer Metallization

This paper is concerned with (a) the thermodynamic and kinetic binding sites for Cr(0) in polyimides, and (b) the application of the binding of metals to specific sites on the polyimide backbone to the synthesis of polymer trapped chromium and iron oxide nanoclusters (size < 1.5 nm). In the first part, the organometallic products obtained by the reaction of Cr(CO)3(MeCN)3 or Cr(CO)6 with a number of compounds that mimic the polyimide backbone were identified. A π-arene complex was formed in each case indicating that Cr(0) prefers to form π-arene complexes (even with electron deficient arene rings) rather than react with the oxygen functionalities present. Furthermore, the tendency to form a π-arene complex increases with increasing electron density on the ring. The first part also describes the synthesis and x-ray crystal structure of a charge-transfer complex of Cr(CO)6 with pyromellitic dianhydride — one of the building blocks of polyimides. The second part outlines the synthesis of polyimide-trapped metal oxide nanoclusters. Cr(C6H6)2 or Fe3(CO)12 was added to polyamic acid solutions. Following thermal curing, polyimide films containing a homogeneous dispersion of nanoclusters (size < 1.5 nm) of Cr2O3 or α-Fe(O)(OH) were obtained. Both SEM and SIMS depth profile indicated that the usually observed migration of the dopant to the polymer surface had not occurred.
Studies of Molybdena-Alumina Catalysts IX. Effect of Cobalt on Thiophene Hydrodesulfurization

A number of cobalt-promoted, molybdena-alumina catalysts, which had been prepared in different ways and previously characterized, were tested for thiophene hydrodesulfurization (HDS) at atmospheric pressure. Significant differences in HDS reactivity were obtained for the various catalyst formulations. Promotion of catalyst activity was correlated with a specific, surface cobalt specie.
Liver metastasis as an independent predictor for mortality in patients who developed tumor lysis syndrome: Analysis of 132 patients with solid tumors.

e18766Background: Patients with solid tumors are usually classified as being at low to intermediate risk for developing tumor lysis syndrome (TLS); however, there have been a growing number of case...
Electromagnetic Interference between Subcutaneous ICD and HeartMate II LVAD

Introduction ICDs have been shown to have a significant benefit in reducing sudden cardiac death in patients with systolic heart failure. Additionally, cardiac devices as a bridge to transplant or destination therapy are often used in patients with end stage systolic heart failure. As a result most patients with LVADs also have an ICD. Subcutaneous ICD(S-ICD) was recently introduced into clinical trials to defibrillate ventricular arrhythmias, avoiding drawbacks of transvenous leads. It is therefore not surprising to find complexities arising such as this case of inappropriate S-ICD shock due to electromagnetic interference (EMI) between HeartMate II LVAD and S-ICD. Case Description A 31-year-old woman with a history of postpartum cardiomyopathy (American College of Cardiology stage D) was seen in the advanced heart Failure clinic with complaint of multiple S-ICD shocks over the last few months. The patient reported an implantation of a Boston Scientific S-ICD 7 months and a St. Jude HeartMate II LVAD as destination therapy 4 months prior to the presentation. S-ICD interrogation revealed multiple inappropriate shocks secondary to EMI between the two devices. Since the patient had no documented ventricular arrhythmias or history of ICD therapy prior to LVAD placement, it was decided to turn off the S-ICD and consider a transvenous ICD in the future if she should develop any significant arrhythmias. Conclusion EMI created by LVADs in the presence of an ICD has been previously described but to our knowledge this is the first case reporting EMI between HeartMate II and S-ICD. Multiple different methods have been described to resolve EMI between LVAD and transvenous ICD including “Pseudo” Faraday Cage and “Pan” methods. In cases of non-compatible devices, implantation of the transveous ICD in the contralateral side of LVAD has been also tried successfully, however it is unclear if repositioning the S-ICD pulse generator or the lead can change the vector adequately to avoid EMI. Additionally S-ICDs do not have the ability to engage in anti-tachycardia pacing to prevent shocks which are potentially lethal negative nootropic events in patients with severe LV dysfunction. Consequently, some patients may need transvenous ICD implantation to potentially resolve these issues. As cardiac devices continue to evolve, it is critical for advanced heart failure/ transplant cardiologists and electrophysiologists to understand potential interactions, and make appropriate pre-operative choices to eliminate this potential issue. Image 1: Close proximity of LVAD and S-ICD in our patient which potentially can increase the risk of EMI.
The Inpatient Skin Biopsy from the Dermatologist’s Perspective

Dermatopathology in the inpatient setting must address the challenge of diagnosing conditions that may present both greater acuity and relatively subtle findings. Novel histopathologic findings in response to new therapies are often first studied and described in specimens from hospitalized patients. Dermatopathologists working in the hospital setting have the advantage of a team approach but may need to tailor the language of their reports to their target audience including non-dermatologists. A challenge is the need to work under increased time pressure; frozen section methods can be usefully applied to inpatient diagnosis in selected cases.
11.1 A Direct 12V/24V-to-1V 3W 91.2%-Efficiency Tri-State DSD Power Converter with Online V CF Rebalancing and In-Situ Precharge Rate Regulation

In industrial and automotive applications, 12V/24V power systems are widely used. In such systems, high step-down DC-DC converter is highly desirable to deliver a wide range of current directly to the point of load for high power density and efficiency [1]. In this scenario, the conventional half-bridge topology faces severe challenges of extremely short on-time and highly unbalanced power losses between high-side and low-side switches. On the other hand, switched-capacitor (SC) topologies exhibit obvious drawbacks on insufficient current handling and discrete conversion ratios (CRs). Recently, Hybrid topologies have been presented to use SC topology at the front-end to lower the high V IN voltage stress across power devices, and then use inductive topology at the back-end for current delivery. Accordingly, the inductor size can be greatly reduced to improve system density and low voltage rating devices are used for high efficiency and fast switching. Among hybrid topologies, 3-level [2] and double step-down (DSD) topologies [3] are popular examples, as shown in Fig. 11.1.1. However, 3-level topology uses two low-side switches to discharge inductor, largely increasing conduction loss for high input voltage (V IN ) and CR. On the other hand, increasing V IN imposes high voltage stress on switch S H2 in DSD topology, compromising the reliability. At high switching frequency, very short on-times in both topologies make gate drive and feedback loop design highly challenging at high CRs.
Enhancing Cellulase Production in Aureobasidium pullulans by Genome Shuffling

Cellulose is the most abundant renewable carbon source found in nature and is of great interest to various industries, including the food industry. Generally, microorganisms can be used to convert ...
The Roles of Small Molecules as Probes of Endothelial Barrier Function in the Lung: Novel Measurement Methods and Molecular Probes

Dysfunction of the barrier properties of endothelial cells is implicated in a number of vascular diseases. One of the more prominent problems is the edema of the lungs seen with Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (1,2). Fluid accumulates in the lungs of such patients even though pulmonary pressures are relatively normal. Experimental and patient studies suggest that the primary defect is an increased permeability of the lung vascular capillaries to fluid and macromolecules (3,4,5,6). A variety of methods have been used to assess such malfunctions in experimental animal models of ARDS and in patients. These range from straightforward measurements of lung water by post mortem desiccation and weighing to experimental measurement of lung lymph flow and analysis of protein content as compared to plasma protein concentration.
Toxicity travels in a changing climate

Abstract Climate change is imposing substantial consequences across physical and social infrastructures. The extent of social disruption and risk to human health are, however, potentially much broader than these general consequences, taken individually, would suggest. To address this gap, we assess the distribution of contaminated sites in the United States (US) and then estimate the impact that flood hazards in urban areas will have on these contaminated sites. Using these measures, we draw inferences about the risk of contamination from climate-impacted extreme weather events, climate adaptation at the local level, social risk and how it is distributed, and a broader understanding of the potential global consequences of climate change. In this paper we address three critical points: 1) the role classification of contaminated sites on our understanding of risk due to climate change; 2) the relationship between contaminated sites and flood risk; and 3) the potential for climate adaption strategies to mediate this risk. We estimate that of the roughly one-third of the US population living in urban areas, up to 3,338,518 people, are living in high-risk flood zones near contaminated sites. Our results suggest severe potential implications for estimates of the negative consequences from climate change and contamination and provide critical insights into the relationship between climate change and the built environment for urban planners and environmental policy makers and managers alike.
Algorithmic Analysis of Social Behavior for Profiling, Ranking, and Assessment

In this chapter we look at the global development of “people-scoring” and its implications. Unlike traditional credit scoring, which is used to evaluate individuals’ financial trustworthiness, social scoring seeks to comprehensively rank individuals based on social, reputational, and behavioral attributes. The implications of widespread social scoring are far-reaching and troubling. Bias and error, discrimination, manipulation, privacy violations, excessive market power, and social segregation are only some of the concerns we have discussed and elaborated on in previous works. In this chapter, we describe the global shift from financial scores to social credit, and show how, notwithstanding constitutional, statutory, and regulatory safeguards, the U.S. and other western democracies are not as far from social credit as we seem to believe.
Conductivity and elastic stiffness of spherical particle composite with partially disordered microstructure

Abstract The spherical particle composite with the microstructure varying from perfectly ordered to completely disordered is considered. The partially disordered periodic packings of spheres are generated in the framework of the reprehensive unit cell model with aid of the Metropolis algorithm. The orientation order invariants Qi introduced by Steinhardt et al. [Phys. Rev. B 28 (1983) 784] in the molecular physics context are taken as the structural parameters providing a quantitative measure of disorder. Variation of these parameters due to gradual disordering of the cubic symmetry packings has been studied by means of computer simulation. The effective conductivity and elastic moduli of the spherical particle composites with partially disordered periodic microstructure is found by the multipole expansion method. Numerical study discovers a close relationship between the order metrics and macroscopic properties of composite. The micromechanics-prompted approximation of this relationship is suggested and tested on the numerical data obtained by computer simulation.
PD with distance-based instructional coaching to improve elementary teacher’ self-efficacy in teaching science

Elementary students’ interest in science and careers in STEM are typically associated with their curiosity along with engagement in science activities and whether they find these activities to be f...
Traveling South: Travel Narratives and the Construction of American Identity

How travel writing about the South shaped the identity of a nation. "Traveling South" is the first major study of how narratives of travel through the antebellum South helped construct an American national identity during the years between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. John Cox makes his case on the basis of a broad range of texts that includes slave narratives, domestic literature, and soldiers' diaries, as well as more traditional forms of travel writing. In the process he extends the boundaries of travel literature both as a genre and as a subject of academic study. The writers of these intranational accounts struggled with the significance of travel through a region that was both America and "other." In writings by J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur and William Bartram, for example, the narrators create personal identities and express their Americanness through travel that, Cox argues, becomes a defining aspect of the young nation. In the narratives of Frederick Douglass and Solomon Northup, the complex relationship between travel and slavery highlights contemporary debates over the meaning of space and movement. Both Fanny Kemble and Harriet Jacobs explore the intimate linkings of women's travel and the construction of an ideal domestic space, whereas Frederick Law Olmsted seeks, through his travel writing, to reform the southern economy and expand a New England yeoman ideology throughout the nation. The Civil War diaries of Union soldiers, written during the years that witnessed the largest movement of travelers through the South, echo earlier themes while concluding that the South should not be transformed in order to become sufficiently "American"; rather, it was and should remain a part of the American nation, regardless of perceived differences.
An integer multi-objective optimization model and an enhanced non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm for contraflow scheduling problem

To determine the onset and duration of contraflow evacuation, a multi-objective optimization (MOO) model is proposed to explicitly consider both the total system evacuation time and the operation cost. A solution algorithm that enhances the popular evolutionary algorithm NSGA-II is proposed to solve the model. The algorithm incorporates preliminary results as prior information and includes a meta-model as an alternative to evaluation by simulation. Numerical analysis of a case study suggests that the proposed formulation and solution algorithm are valid, and the enhanced NSGA-II outperforms the original algorithm in both convergence to the true Pareto-optimal set and solution diversity.
JavaScript in JavaScript (js.js): sandboxing third-party scripts

Running on billions of today's computing devices, JavaScript has become a ubiquitous platform for deploying web applications. Unfortunately, an application developer who wishes to include a third-party script must enter into an implicit trust relationship with the third-party--granting it unmediated access to its entire application content. In this paper, we present js.js, a JavaScript interpreter (which runs in JavaScript) that allows an application to execute a third-party script inside a completely isolated, sandboxed environment. An application can, at runtime, create and interact with the objects, properties, and methods available from within the sandboxed environment, giving it complete control over the third-party script. js.js supports the full range of the JavaScript language, is compatible with major browsers, and is resilient to attacks from malicious scripts. We conduct a performance evaluation quantifying the overhead of using js.js and present an example of using js.js to execute Twitter's Tweet Button API.
Study of the reactions K− + n → Σ± + mesons at 4.93 GeV/c

Abstract Data on ten quasi-two-body reactions produced in K − n interactions at 4.93 GeV/ c are presented. Cross sections, four-momentum transfer distributions, and density matrix elements are discussed. Results of a search for inelastic decays of high mass Y ∗ hyperons are given. Precision measurements of the φ o mass and width are reported. Possible direct channel Y ∗ formation is investigated.
Combinatorial Matrix Theory

1. Incidence matrices 2. Matrices and graphs 3. Matrices and digraphs 4. Matrices and bigraphs 5. Combinatorial matrix algebra 6. Existence theorems for combinatorially constrained matrices 7. Some special graphs 8. The permanent 9. Latin squares.
Local sex-ratio dynamics: a model for the dioecious liverwort Marchantia inflexa

In many dioecious bryophyte species, population sex ratios range from all female to all male. The focal species of the present study, the liverwort Marchanda inflexa, forms patches on rock and bark surfaces, and these differ widely in sex ratio at a rainforest field site in Trinidad. This analysis — to our knowledge the first modeling study of sex-ratio dynamics in a dioecious clonal organism — addresses abundances of male and female M. inflexa through time within an individual patch. We represent the life history of this species using seven different stages (non-reproductive, asexually reproductive, sexually reproductive males, non-reproductive, asexually reproductive, unfertilized and fertilized sexual females) and express their dynamics using ordinary differential equations. Some of the stages become more abundant as thalli extend over the substrate and may overgrow each other to capture space. Our simple representation of dynamics within the patch failed to stabilize the sex ratio: females gradually eliminated males at low to moderate disturbance frequency and males eliminated females at high disturbance frequency. This pattern did not hinge on whether sexual propagules could germinate within the patch, but asexual reproduction (via gemmae dispersed within the patch) played an important role. This suggests that the maintenance of sex in these populations may hinge on metapopulation structure and dynamics. Though sexual reproduction appears to be unimportant within patches, spores provide the primary means of recolonizing patches eliminated by large-scale disturbances. We found that shortly after the patch was fully occupied, the production of these wind-dispersed spores was maximized, but spore production declined thereafter as the sex ratio became increasingly biased toward one sex or the other. Much additional modeling and empirical work is needed to link within-patch dynamics across patches and account for dynamics at the metapopulation level.
Inducible photoprotection in skin: Evidence for a eukaryotic SOS response

Abstract Extensive data suggest that human skin and skin-derived cells exhibit an SOS response initiated by DNA damage. This response includes increased pigmentation (tanning), transient cell cycle arrest, and enhanced DNA repair capacity. It appears highly homologous to the SOS response in bacteria, which acts through single stranded DNA fragments to transcriptionally upregulate genes relevant to protecting against subsequent DNA damage. Available data pertain primarily to damage resulting from UV irradiation but chemical carcinogens and X-irradiation also appear effective. The consequence of this SOS response is represented schematically in Figure 8, for which many but not all of the quantitative aspects derive from experimental data, as presented in the preceeding sections. This hypothesis predicts a lower UV-induced mutation frequency in previously (recently) irradiated skin than in previously unirradiated skin, as well as a reduced mutation frequency in pTpT-treated skin in which the dinucleotides have presumably induced the SOS response by mimicking DNA damage or its repair. Indeed, in preliminary experiments, we have recently measured mutation frequency in a reporter vector integrated into the genome of transgenic mice ( Boerrigter et al., 1995 ) and demonstrated that pTpT-pre-treatment, before UV irradiation, reduces UV-induced mutations by approximately half in cultured mouse fibroblasts and 20–30% in intact mouse skin ( Khlgatian et al., 1999B ), a lesser effect presumably due to poor oligonucleotide absorption through the stratum corneum. Whether this reduction in UV-induced mutations is accomplished solely through increased melanin pigmentation and up-regulation of DNA repair or perhaps also through affecting the duration of the UV-induced cell cycle arrest remains to be determined. Regardless, these results suggest that the SOS hypothesis is correct and that topical application of DNA fragments may induce protective functions in human skin without exposure to genotoxins such as UV light. Such reduced formation and hastened removal of potentially mutagenic DNA lesions would be expected to reduce the risk of photoaging and photocarcinogenesis in sun-exposed human skin.
Variations in slab dip along the subducting Nazca Plate, as related to stress patterns and moment release of intermediate-depth seismicity and to surface volcanism

[1] The subducting Nazca Plate shows a high degree of along-strike heterogeneity in terms of intermediate-depth seismicity (∼70–300 km), orientations of slab stress, and volcanism. We compile the intermediate-depth earthquakes of South America from the Harvard Centroid Moment Tensor (CMT) catalogue to determine along-strike dip variations, and we explore the variable level of correlation between these observations. Primary results are three-fold: (1) Consistency among orientation of tension axes, highest level seismicity, and occurrence of volcanism is associated with steeply-dipping regions (20°–30°). (2) Volcanism and intermediate-depth seismicity exhibit no direct correlation, suggesting that earthquake faulting is not a necessary condition for transport of dehydrated fluids out to the mantle wedge for initiation of melting. (3) Comparison of slab thermal structures between regions with and without volcanism suggests that for certain wedge widths, the maximum temperature in the mantle wedge is higher for the former than for the latter.
Adenosine 3',5'-Monophosphate in Glial Tumor Cells ALTERATIONS BY 5-BROMODEOXYURIDINE

Abstract The effect of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) on the ability of the glial tumor cell line, C-6, to elevate its adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) content in response to norepinephrine has been examined. Increasing concentrations of BrdUrd were found to inhibit the norepinephrine response progressively, with a maximal inhibition of approximately 80%. No effect of BrdUrd was seen on basal cAMP levels. Analysis of individual enzymes demonstrated that BrdUrd increased the cAMP phosphodiesterase activities but had no effect on the adenylate cyclase or its sensitivity to norepinephrine. In addition, BrdUrd caused a change in the shape of the cells. The effect on shape also occurred in confluent cells, whereas the effect on the norepinephrine response required dividing cells, suggesting that incorporation of the BrdUrd into DNA was required. N6, O2'-Dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate also increased the cAMP phosphodiesterase activities of the cells, and caused a similar change in their morphology. Although BrdUrd had no effect on the adenylate cyclase, variations in the culture conditions were found to have a large effect on the enzyme's norepinephrine sensitivity. Following subculturing, there was little elevation of cAMP in response to norepinephrine until after the cells began to enter the stationary growth phase. Phosphodiesterase activity was found to remain constant throughout this period. The results suggest that cell-to-cell contact may regulate certain cellular functions.
Randomized preprocessing of configuration space for path planning: articulated robots

This paper describes the application of a recent approach to path planning for robots with many degrees of freedom (DOF) to articulated robots moving in two or three dimensional static environments. The planning approach, which itself is not restricted to articulated robots, consists of a preprocessing and a planning stage. The preprocessing is done only once for a given environment and generates a connected network of randomly, but properly selected, collision-free configurations (nodes). The planning then connects any given initial and final configurations of the robot to two nodes of the network and computes a path through the network between these two nodes. We show that after paying the preprocessing cost, planning is extremely fast for many difficult examples involving 7-DOF and 12-DOF robots. The approach is particularly attractive for many-DOF robots which have to perform many successive point-to-point motions in the same environment. >
The Therapeutic Community for Drug Abuse Treatment: A Journey Yet Unfolding in the Recovery Movement

This chapter explores the etiology of this distinct approach, its early formation and vulnerabilities. The data regarding outcomes over the last five decades shows promise, providing the salient dimensions (which are described) are not overwhelmed by economic, political and regulatory demands. The developmental changes and future challenges are reviewed as are the interactive healing ingredients.
Hippocampal Volume as a Predictor of Short-Term ECT Outcomes in Older Patients With Depression

Objective The authors examined the relationship between hippocampal volume and acute electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) outcomes. Methods Depression was measured by Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores, and hippocampal volume was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging. Results After controlling for baseline MADRS score, larger right-hippocampal volume was associated with higher MADRS scores after an index course of ECT. Conclusion These results are the converse of those obtained in a study assessing the relationship between hippocampal volume and pharmacotherapy. The findings suggest a need for further study in this area.
On the base region in very small geometry, bipolar transistors

Relationships between base region properties and the performance of very small geometry, bipolar transistors are discussed. It is shown that simultaneously obtaining high current gain, low sensitivity to ionic charge, and fast switching from logic gates requires a compromise in designing the transistor base region. Experimental results from transistors with an active area of only 8μm 2 are presented. The results demonstrate that a d.c. current gain of 70, a tolerance of surface region ions to concentrations as large as 8×10 11 cm −2 , and a logic gate delay of 0.18 S can be obtained.
Ontogeny of proximal tubule acidification

The proximal tubule is responsible for the reabsorption of 80% of the filtered load of bicarbonate in adults. Proximal tubule bicarbonate reabsorption is affected by a number of hormones, acid-base balance, and the extracellular fluid volume status [1]. The adult proximal tubule thus plays a central role in acid-base homeostasis. The mechanisms and regulation of proximal tubule acidification have been well characterized at the whole animal and tubular level [1]. Recent advances in cellular and molecular biology have provided further insights. However, while the neonatal proximal tubule likely also plays a critical role in acid-base homeostasis, relatively little is known about the immature segment. The normal serum bicarbonate concentration in human infants in the first year of life averages 22 mEq/liter, and is significantly lower than that measured in adults [2]. The difference from the adult value is even more pronounced if one compares premature humans whose normal serum bicarbonate concentration averages 19 mEq/liter and where normal values can be as low as 14.5 mEq/liter [3]. The lower serum bicarbonate level in neonates and infants is due to a lower threshold for bicarbonate [2]. There are a number of potential reasons for the lower threshold for bicarbonate in neonate infants. The extracellular volume is comparatively expanded in neonates and the serum albumin is lower [4]. These variables can affect the peritubular oncotic and hydrostatic pressure to decrease net proximal tubular solute reabsorption [5–8]. There are developmental changes in diet, absorption and metabolism which may affect acid-base balance. In addition, the hormonal milieu which affects renal reabsorption of bicarbonate is significantly different in neonates [9–12]. Finally, since most of filtered bicarbonate is reabsorbed by the proximal tubule, tubular immaturity may be a significant factor to explain the maturational changes in the bicarbonate threshold. This review discusses what is currently known about the mechanism of neonatal proximal tubule acidification and the factors which may play a role in the maturation of this segment.
The ectomesenchymal chondromyxoid tumor: a review

The ectomesenchymal chondromyxoid tumor is a relatively recently described neoplasm that appears to involve uniquely the oral cavity, particularly the tongue. Thirty well-accepted cases have been reported since the initial description of this lesion in 1995. While a wide age range (9-78 years) has been documented, most of these tumors are diagnosed from the third to sixth decades of life. No sex predilection is seen. The size of the neoplasm is typically <2 cm, and most affect the anterior dorsal tongue. The duration of the lesion was difficult to gauge, probably due to the asymptomatic nature of the process. Some tumors, however, were well documented to have been present for as long as 10-20 years. Histopathologically, the ectomesenchymal chondromyxoid tumor is characterized by a well circumscribed, but unencapsulated, lobular growth pattern. Varying degrees of cellularity are noted, with the lesional cells often set in a myxoid, chondroid or hyalinized background. Immunohistochemical studies reveal positivity of the lesional cells for antibodies directed against glial fibrillary acidic protein, cytokeratins, S-100 protein and CD-57 in the majority of tumors. Treatment consists of conservative surgical excision, and while recurrence is possible, it has been noted in <10% of reported cases.
Shape Control of Gold Nanoparticles by Silver Underpotential Deposition

Four different gold nanostructures: octahedra, rhombic dodecahedra, truncated ditetragonal prisms, and concave cubes, have been synthesized using a seed-mediated growth method by strategically varying the Ag+ concentration in the reaction solution. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, we provide quantitative evidence that Ag underpotential deposition is responsible for stabilizing the various surface facets that enclose the above nanoparticles. Increasing concentrations of Ag+ in the growth solution stabilize more open surface facets, and experimental values for Ag coverage on the surface of the particles fit well with a calculated monolayer coverage of Ag, as expected via underpotential deposition.
The Role of Human Resource Systems in Job Applicant Decision Processes

Given that organizations make choices about how to manage their human resources, information about the organization is often expressed or implied in the human resource systems that organizations implement. This study proposes that information conveyed through human resource systems affects applicant job choices, that particular systems will be more important to some people than to others, and that job acceptance will be influenced by the degree to which individual characteristics match the content of the system information presented. A policy-capturing design was used to assess the effects of human resource systems within the context of other variables that past research has shown to significantly influence job choices. Results suggested support for the importance of human resource systems in job choice decisions, and further suggested that the fit between individual characteristics and organizational settings described by these systems may be particularly important determinants of job acceptance.
Microbial Community Composition and Function in Permanently Cold Seawater and Sediments from an Arctic Fjord of Svalbard

Heterotrophic microbial communities in seawater and sediments metabolize much of the organic carbon produced in the ocean. Although carbon cycling and preservation depend critically on the capabilities of these microbial communities, their compositions and capabilities have seldom been examined simultaneously at the same site. To compare the abilities of seawater and sedimentary microbial communities to initiate organic matter degradation, we measured the extracellular enzymatic hydrolysis rates of 10 substrates (polysaccharides and algal extracts) in surface seawater and bottom water as well as in surface and anoxic sediments of an Arctic fjord. Patterns of enzyme activities differed between seawater and sediments, not just quantitatively, in accordance with higher cell numbers in sediments, but also in their more diversified enzyme spectrum. Sedimentary microbial communities hydrolyzed all of the fluorescently labeled polysaccharide and algal extracts, in most cases at higher rates in subsurface than surface sediments. In seawater, in contrast, only 5 of the 7 polysaccharides and 2 of the 3 algal extracts were hydrolyzed, and hydrolysis rates in surface and deepwater were virtually identical. To compare bacterial communities, 16S rRNA gene clone libraries were constructed from the same seawater and sediment samples; they diverged strongly in composition. Thus, the broader enzymatic capabilities of the sedimentary microbial communities may result from the compositional differences between seawater and sedimentary microbial communities, rather than from gene expression differences among compositionally similar communities. The greater number of phylum- and subphylum-level lineages and operational taxonomic units in sediments than in seawater samples may reflect the necessity of a wider range of enzymatic capabilities and strategies to access organic matter that has already been degraded during passage through the water column. When transformations of marine organic matter are considered, differences in community composition and their different abilities to access organic matter should be taken into account.
NFAT4 deficiency results in incomplete liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy.

Background Liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy requires the orchestration of highly regulated molecular pathways; a change in the abundance or activity of a specific gene product has the potential to adversely affect this process. The nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) transcription factors represent a family of gene transcription signaling intermediates that translate receptor-dependent signaling events into specific transcriptional responses using the Ras/Raf pathway. Materials and Methods Eight-week old NFAT4 knockout (KO) mice and their wild type counterparts (Balb-c) underwent two-thirds partial hepatectomy. The animals were sacrificed and their livers were harvested at specific time points during regeneration. Recovery of liver mass was measured for each time point. PCR analysis was used to analyze expression levels of the immediate early genes c-fos, c-jun and c-myc as well as downstream effectors of NFAT4 including FGF-18 and BMP-4. Results Hepatocyte proliferation and thus liver regeneration following hepatectomy was suppressed in NFAT4 knockout (KO) mice. Statistical significance was reached at 1 h, 7 d, and 10 d ( P versus 6.10E-09 and 1.55E-09 in the Balb-c mice. C-jun, in contrast, was elevated during late regeneration in the NFAT4 KO mice (3.40E-09 and 5.67E-09 at 7 and 10 d, respectively) in comparison with the Balb-c mice (7.76E-10 and 1.24E-09, respectively.). NFAT2 was also up-regulated in the NFAT4 KO mice; however, no changes were detected in its downstream effectors, CCR1 and CCL3. Conclusions We demonstrated that NFAT4 deficiency impairs hepatic regeneration in a murine model proving that NFAT4 plays an important yet unclear role in liver regeneration; its absence may be compensated by c-fos, c-jun, and NFAT2 expression changes.
Fluorescence of atomic nitrogen produced in the photoabsorption of extreme ultraviolet radiation by N2

Abstract Atomic fluorescence radiation produced in the photoabsorption of extreme ultraviolet radiation by N2 was measured over the incident wavelength range 180–400 A (30–70 eV). The fluorescence radiation was observed in the 1050–1240, 1240–1600, and 1600–1800 A regions. The NI 2P → 2P0 and 2P → 2D0 transitions occurring at A 1743 A and λ 1493 A were identified. Additional shorter wavelength features from NI and possibly NII were also found to be present. The excitation mechanisms for these fluorescence emissions are photodissociation and dissociative ionization.
Effect of 1-dopa or bromocriptine on feeding and motor behavior of rats with lesions in the globus pallidus

Abstract Rats were lesioned bilaterally in the globus pallidus (GP) with anodal current or 6-OHDA, and were observed in various motor tests 10 min daily for 3 weeks. Body weight, home cage water and food intakes were recorded daily under two different food accessibility conditions. The lesions produced adipsia, aphagia, loss of body weight and motor impairments which could not be reversed by either 1-dopa or bromocriptine. Animals could be made to recover, however, by making food easily accessible and palatable. The results do not support a “metabolic” role for the GP but support the idea that aphagia, adipsia and mortality is due to motoric impairments produced by the lesion.
A “link trainer” for the coronary care unit

Abstract The rhythm disturbances a cardiac patient may undergo during his stay in a coronary care unit are simulated by a digital computer, which displays electrocardiograms and other information on an oscilloscope. In each case, a series of options allow a student to initiate treatment or take other action. Some features of the program such as the scoring mechanism, transition tables, etc., are discussed in this article.