cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extreme Space Weather Spacecraft Surface Charging and Arcing Effects

Abstract The discussion is limited to spacecraft surface charging events, excluding deep-dielectric discharge events. The cause of arcing is determined to be differential charging. The effects of arcing are described and illustrated. We discuss the physics of charging, why spacecraft charge negatively, and the roles of photoemission and secondary electron emission in frame and differential charging. The spacecraft charging equation is explored. The role of spacecraft charging computer codes is delineated. We define extreme spacecraft charging events, and explain why the worst events for other effects may not be the worst for spacecraft charging. Examples are given from severe space weather events of the past. Natural limits on spacecraft charging are determined, and the maximum frame charging and differential charging are calculated. We give the reasons spacecraft charging is important for our modern civilization, and define the worst events as those with the longest duration, maximizing satellite exposures to charging conditions.
A Comparison of Resistance to Imidacloprid in Colorado Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) Populations Collected in the Northwest and Midwest U.S.

The Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, is a serious pest of potato, Solanum tuberosum L., worldwide. Leptinotarsa decemlineata has a history of repeated adaptation to insecticides, and exhibits a geographic pattern of decreasing insecticide resistance from east to west in the USA. Imidacloprid is one of the most widely used insecticide in western states. In this study, we measured imidacloprid resistance among larval and adult L. decemlineata from ten locations in the Columbia Basin (southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon) using topical LD50 bioassays, and compared them to estimates from ten locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Larval and adult imidacloprid LD50’s and mean percent mortality were generally lowest in Washington and Oregon, but some sites exhibited reductions in mortality comparable to those observed at some Wisconsin sites. Adult LD50’s suggest L. decemlineata in the Columbia Basin may be evolving in response to selection by neonicotinoid insecticides, but larval data suggest high susceptibility to imidacloprid remains in most populations. Future work should expand resistance monitoring efforts to include more regions in the West and other insecticide modes of action.
Simulation Games in Theory Development

Mathematics provides a set of tools and a language by which sociologists can precisely develop and express an abstract theory of society. Simulation games provide relatively limited and controlled contexts in which qualitative observations may suggest insights upon which to build systematic quantitative social theory. James Coleman was one of the strongest advocates for the use of simulation games in developing and communicating social theory; his Democracy game was a valuable tool in the development of his theory of collective action. In this paper, I provide an extended example of the use of observations of simulation games. My observations of two different games suggested ways to reconsider and revise certain aspects of rational choice theory. Building upon Herbert A. Simon's ([1957] Models of Man, Social and Rational: Mathematical Essays on Rational Human Behavior in a Social Setting, New York: Wiley) and John W. Thibaut and Harold H. Kelley's ([1959] The Social Psychology of Groups, New York: Wiley) theories of rationality in the context of incomplete information, my observations suggested that “frustration behavior” may be a rational response to the failure to meet expectations.
Stage II-III colon cancer: a comparison of survival calculators.

Background: Individualized postoperative survival calculators for patients with cancer can be an aid for predicting prognosis and clinical decision making, such as the use of adjuvant chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to compare existing survival calculators for colon cancer and determine their performance using an independent cohort of patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of a multi-site institutional experience was performed on patients diagnosed with stage II–III colon cancer between January 2012 and March 2013. Patient survival rates were estimated using Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (RPCCC), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), and MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) calculators. These calculators vary in the number and breadth of variables that are included. The agreement between selected models was obtained through a scatter plot matrix and related intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Calculators’ performances were compared using time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and corresponding area under the curve (AUC) values. Results: After the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 97 patients were included in the analysis. Survival data were available for all patients. Median follow-up was 57.6 months, and the overall 5-year survival rate was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.64–0.82). Overall, the different calculators tended to predict survival similarly (ICC =0.017). However, there was variation among calculator performance with the RPCCC calculator showing the highest performance (AUC =0.913), followed by the MSKCC calculator (AUC =0.803), and the MDACC calculator (AUC =0.644). Conclusions: Prognostic models incorporating a more comprehensive amount of patient and tumor specific variables may provide a more accurate estimate of individual patient survival rates. These tools can be an actual aid in the clinical practice, allowing physicians to personalize treatment and follow-up for patients with colon cancer.
Emotion Regulation Intensive Outpatient Programming: Development, Feasibility, and Acceptability

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities (DD) often struggle with behavior management and emotion-regulation (ER). In this manuscript, we describe the results of a chart review examining a group treatment program designed to address ER deficits in youth with ASD and/or DD. The intensive 5 week program utilizes cognitive behavior, applied behavior analysis, and mindfulness techniques and includes biweekly child and parent groups. Results indicate that this program is feasible and associated with high caregiver satisfaction. Pre-and-post outcome results indicate statistically significant improvement on behavioral measures, but did not demonstrate significant improvment on the Pediatric Quality of Life Family Impact Module. Based on overall positive outcomes, a randomized controlled trial of the program is indicated.
Palladium(II)‐Initiated Catellani‐Type Reactions

The Catellani reaction is known as a powerful strategy for the expeditious synthesis of highly substituted arenes and benzo-fused rings, which are usually difficult to access through traditional cross-coupling strategies. It utilizes the synergistic interplay of palladium and norbornene catalysis to facilitate sequential ortho C-H functionalization and ipso termination of aryl halides in a single operation. In classical Catellani-type reactions, aryl halides are mainly used as the substrates, and a Pd0 catalyst is required to initiate the reaction. Nevertheless, recent advances showcase that Catellani-type reactions can also be initiated by a PdII catalyst with different starting materials instead of aryl halides via different reaction mechanisms and under different conditions. This emerging concept of PdII /norbornene cooperative catalysis has significantly advanced Catellani-type reactions, thus enabling future developments of this field. In this Minireview, PdII -initiated Catellani-type reactions and their application in the synthesis of bioactive molecules are summarized.
Coumarins and P450s, Studies Reported to-Date

Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) are important phase I enzymes involved in the metabolism of endogenous and xenobiotic compounds mainly through mono-oxygenation reactions into more polar and easier to excrete species. In addition to their role in detoxification, they play important roles in the biosynthesis of endogenous compounds and the bioactivation of xenobiotics. Coumarins, phytochemicals abundant in food and commonly used in fragrances and cosmetics, have been shown to interact with P450 enzymes as substrates and/or inhibitors. In this review, these interactions and their significance in pharmacology and toxicology are discussed in detail.
Schemata, Hammers, and Time: Heidegger's Two Derivations of Judgment

In his Kant interpretations of the late 1920s and in Being and Time, Heidegger develops two distinct, yet related, derivations of the possibility of judgment from temporal conditions. This paper presents each derivation, establishes the strict analogy between the two, and uses it to explain the structure and shortcoming of the interpretation of ecstatic temporality as the unitary ground of objective experience.
Race, Power, and Internal Orientalism in the U.S.: Reflections on Edward Said and the Responsibilities of Intellectuals

Edward Said advocated an activist role for intellectualsand argued for their responsibility to speaktruth to power and to ally with the “weak andunrepresented.” This article examines the ethics ofresponsibility on the part of the intellectual from ageographic perspective. It uses the example ofinternal orientalism in the United States to showthe usefulness of considerations of scale to themoral calculus of the politically engaged intellectual.It begins with a brief review of the issue ofpower within Orientalism, as described by Said,and the responsibility of the intellectual in thatcontext. It then examines these issues in thecontext of internal orientalism in the United States.“The South” is considered as an internal spatialother in the United States, but within this otheringthere are two others, African-Americans and white“Southerners.” The responsibility of the intellectualto each is discussed, and the appropriate stanceof the intellectual on the U.S. Civil War is examinedin this light. The explicit use of scale revealsthe possibility that one may judge the injustice atthe regional scale (slavery) as outweighing anyinjustice created by the power imbalance at thenational scale. In addition, the responsibility of theintellectual to the others of internal orientalisminvolves illuminating the process through whichthe spatial identities are constructed.
First report of concomitant subcutaneous defibrillator and phrenic nerve stimulator implantation in a patient with severe central sleep apnea and left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

There is a clinically significant association between central sleep apnea (CSA) and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).1,2 The presence of CSA has been associated with an increased risk of decompensated heart failure and death3 and the prevalence of CSA increases in parallel with the severity of HFrEF. Phrenic nerve stimulation (PNS) using the remedē system (Respicardia, Minnetonka, MN) is a new therapeutic modality to treat CSA that involves placing transvenous leads to stimulate the phrenic nerve and activate the diaphragm. Since many patients with severe HFrEF have implanted defibrillators, a clinical scenario where concomitant CSA and defibrillator therapy are necessary is likely to occur. However, data are lacking concerning potential interaction between these devices. We present a case report of a patient with severe ischemic cardiomyopathy with a pre-existing subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) who was later diagnosed with severe CSA and underwent successful remedē system implantation.
Restructuring Rebuttal of the Marital Presumption for the Modern Era

The longstanding marital presumption of paternity, under which a husband is presumed to be the legal father of any child born to or conceived by his wife during the marriage, has reached a critical juncture. Pursuant to the Supreme Court’s mandate that states provide marriage to same-sex couples on the same terms accorded to different-sex couples, states will need to either expand the marital presumption so that it encompasses both the different- and same-sex spouses of individuals who give birth or abolish the presumption entirely. It is unlikely that many states will choose the latter option. The marital presumption has, since the nation’s inception, played a core role in parentage law, and it remains the most common way of establishing an individual as a child’s second legal parent. As a result, it is probable that in the near future there will be a number of states that seek to extend their marital presumptions to same-sex spouses. In doing so, these states will need to grapple with how rebuttal of the marital presumption, which has traditionally focused on the lack of genetic connection between the spouse of the individual who gave birth and the child, will now be structured given that in most cases involving same-sex couples the spouse will not be genetically connected to the child. In reconceptualizing and restructuring their marital presumptions, states will be forced to reevaluate both what considerations are most important in identifying the individuals entitled to recognition as a child’s legal parents and what primary objectives a marital presumption should seek to promote. The decisions that states make in this process are of great importance and will likely play a significant role in the modern development of the law governing the establishment of parentage. After identifying the various objectives that states may seek to further through a modern marital presumption, this Article sets forth a comprehensive analysis of the approaches that states can take to restructuring their marital presumptions in order to effectively promote such objectives.
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL STRATIGRAPHY OF THE NIOBRARA CHALK (CRETACEOUS) IN WESTERN KANSAS

ABSTRACT The stratigraphic behavior of chemical elements (CaCO3, Mg, Sr, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, and V) in the Niobrara Chalk in western Kansas were studied using multivariate statistical techniques. The Niobrara Chalk, a sequence of rhythmically deposited carbonate sediments, is characterized by dilution cycles of terrigeneous clay and volcanic ash, which may be recognized as the chemical zone of volcanogenic Mn, in the chemical stratigraphy.
Bednets or Biotechnology: To Rescue Current Persons or Research for the Future?

Malaria is still a significant cause of death and suffering throughout much of the developing world. Fortunately, the global community provides significant (though, not sufficient) resources to combat the disease and the parasite that causes it. How ought we to allocate these resources? One option is to purchase and distribute perhaps the best tool we have to prevent malaria: insecticide-treated nets. Another route would see us invest in research and development of a novel biotechnology that could eradicate the disease in perpetuity. If we choose to spend our money on insecticide-treated nets, we will be rescuing current individuals at risk of being infected with the parasite. Though, we can be almost certain there will be future individuals who will also need rescuing. If we instead invest in the novel biotechnology, we could benefit countless future individuals who never have to experience the threat of malaria. Hence, this would mean that some number of current individuals will die due to the lack of insecticide-treated nets that otherwise could have saved their lives. So, ought we to rescue current, identifiable individuals, or ought we invest in research for the sake of the future? After an exploration of the duty to rescue and cost-effectiveness analysis, I suggest we look towards the literature on intergenerational justice for a justifiable answer to the question of how we ought to allocate our malaria resources.
Liver Pathologic Changes After Direct-Acting Antiviral Agent Therapy and Sustained Virologic Response in the Setting of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Context.— Treatment of chronic viral hepatitis C (HCV) infection with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) results in cure, or sustained viral response (SVR), in more than 90% of patients. However, there are subsets of patients who have persistent liver inflammation and fibrosis and develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) despite achieving SVR. A possible reason for these phenomena may be the presence of virus particles in liver tissue but not blood, otherwise defined as occult infection. Objective.— To describe liver histologic findings following successful DAA therapy, test HCV RNA by (liver) tissue polymerase chain reaction in treated cases, and identify predictive markers for HCC development in treated cases. Design.— A total of 96 identified patients were divided into 4 groups, each differentiated by the presence or absence of SVR and HCC. Groups were compared for several clinicopathologic variables, including degree of inflammation and fibrosis, and the 'directionality' of fibrosis in cirrhotic livers using the novel progressive-indeterminate-regressive scoring system. Results.— Overall, we found a significant decrease in inflammation in SVR patients. None of the patients showed regression of their cirrhosis following treatment. No evidence of occult HCV infection was seen in 40 livers tested, including 21 with HCC. The number of patients who developed HCC was similar in the SVR and non-SVR groups, and increased inflammation and fibrosis were associated with HCC development. Conclusions.— Following DAA-SVR there appears to be an overall decrease in inflammation, but the fibrosis tends to persist, at least in the short term (median follow-up of 20.2 months).
Pediatric mediastinal mass algorithm: A quality improvement initiative to reduce time from presentation to biopsy.

Background Mediastinal masses in children may present with compression of the great vessels and airway. An interdisciplinary plan for rapid diagnosis, acute management, and treatment prevents devastating outcomes and optimizes care. Emergency pretreatment with steroids or radiation is more likely to be administered when care is variable, which may delay and complicate diagnosis and treatment. Strategies to standardize care and expedite diagnosis may improve acute patient safety and long-term outcomes. Aims The aim of this quality improvement project was to decrease time from presentation to diagnostic biopsy for children with an anterior mediastinal mass by 50% over 3 years within a tertiary healthcare system. Methods This quality improvement project involved a single center with data collected and analyzed retrospectively and prospectively for 71 patients presenting with anterior mediastinal mass between February 2008 and January 2018. The Model for Improvement was utilized for project design and development of a driver diagram and smart aim. An algorithm was implemented to facilitate communication between teams and standardize initial care of patients with mediastinal masses. The algorithm underwent multiple Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. Data were collected before and after algorithm implementation and between each PDSA cycle. The primary outcome measure included time from presentation to biopsy, which was monitored with a statistical process control chart. Several process measures were evaluated with Student's t-tests including administration of emergency pretreatment. Results Nineteen patients preintervention and 52 patients postintervention were included in the analysis. Time from presentation to biopsy significantly decreased from 48 h at baseline to 24 h postimplementation. Although not statistically significant, emergency pretreatment decreased from a baseline of 26.3% to 6.7% postimplementation. Conclusion Implementation of a diagnostic and management algorithm coordinating care among multidisciplinary teams significantly reduced time to biopsy for children presenting with mediastinal mass and may result in decreased use of emergent pretreatment.
COVID-19 and the reimagining of working while sick

[...]there is great potential for attitudes and decision-making processes regarding working while sick to change, hopefully for the better. [...]what once was a largely private and personal decision based on a somewhat limited set of antecedents (see Miraglia & Johns, 2016) is now multifaceted, emotionally charged, and perhaps (hopefully?) more morally derived and other-focused than before. Research suggests that emphasizing harm to others, as compared with emphasizing harm to oneself, increases engagement in personal safety behaviors (e.g., Grant & Hoffman, 2011). [...]we suggest additional investigation as to whether considering other stakeholders in decision making can be leveraged for changing presenteeism beliefs and behaviors. An opportunity for lasting positive change At present, the many ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the world through premature loss of life, declining health, income and job insecurity, social tension, and more are clear.
Heated Tobacco Products: Awareness and Ever Use Among U.S. Adults.

Introduction Heated tobacco products, also referred to as heat-not-burn tobacco, are among the latest products introduced to the market by the tobacco industry. However, data on heated tobacco product awareness and use from population-based probability surveys are limited. This study examines heated tobacco product awareness and ever use among U.S. adults. Methods This study used data (n=42,477) from the 2019 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey, analyzed in 2020. Descriptive statistics, including a weighted prevalence of heated tobacco product awareness and ever use, were estimated. The awareness and ever use of heated tobacco products were also estimated by age, sex, cigarette smoking status, E-cigarette use status, and other tobacco product use status. Multivariable logistic regression examined the individual characteristics associated with the awareness and ever use of heated tobacco products. Results Overall, approximately 8.6% of U.S. adults were aware of heated tobacco products. Awareness was higher among participants who were younger, male, cigarette smokers, E-cigarette users, and other tobacco product users. Ever use of heated tobacco products was uncommon among U.S. adults (0.51%) but more prevalent among E-cigarette users and cigarette smokers. In the general adult populations, the odds of ever use of heated tobacco products were significantly higher among cigarette smokers (AOR=2.19, 95% CI=1.63, 2.94), E-cigarette smokers (AOR=2.70, 95% CI=1.71, 4.25), and other tobacco product users (AOR=1.69, 95% CI=1.30, 2.20). Conclusions Although the ever use of heated tobacco products is uncommon among U.S. adults, recent regulatory approval of the marketing of IQOS as modified risk tobacco products may increase use. Therefore, ongoing monitoring of heated tobacco products use and their long-term health consequences are important for informing future decision making.
Treatment of Radiation-Associated Fractures: A Critical Analysis Review.

» Fractures that result from radiation-induced bone damage are a recognized adverse effect of radiation therapy (RT). » The mechanisms of damage from RT are thought to be related to impaired vascularity, aberrations in osteoclast and osteoblast-mediated bone turnover, and compromise of cortical and trabecular microarchitecture. » Treatment of radiation-associated fractures is challenging, with rates of delayed union and nonunion of >50%. » Fracture management strategies, each with its own profile of risks and benefits, include prophylactic intramedullary nailing of long bones, open reduction and internal fixation with adjunctive iliac crest or vascularized fibular grafting, and endoprosthetic reconstruction.
LoopViz: A uLoop Assembly Clone Verification Tool for Nanopore Sequencing Reads

Cloning has been an integral part of most laboratory research questions and continues to be an essential tool in defining the genetic elements determining life. Cloning can be difficult and time consuming as each plasmid is unique to a particular project and each sequence must be carefully selected, cloned and sequenced to determine correctness. Loop assembly (uLOOP) is a recursive, Golden Gate-like assembly method that allows rapid cloning of domesticated DNA fragments to robustly refactor novel pathways. With uLOOP methodologies, one can clone several sequences directionally to generate a library of transcriptional units (TUs) in plasmids within a single reaction but analysis of the plasmid population has been impeded by current sequencing and analysis methods. Here we develop LoopViz, a quality control tool that quantifies and visualizes results from assembly reactions using long-read Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing. LoopViz identifies full length reads originating from a single plasmid in the population, and visualizes them in terms of a user input DNA fragments file, and provides QC statistics. This methodology enables validation and analysis of cloning and sequencing reactions in less than a day, determination of the entire plasmid9s sequence, and sequencing through repetitive meta-regions that cannot be meaningfully assembled. Finally, LoopViz represents a new paradigm in determining plasmid sequences that is rapid, cost-effective and performed in-lab. LoopViz is made publicly available at https://gitlab.com/marielelensink325/loopseq
Fidelity in the collagen synthesized and modified by aging fibroblasts in culture.

It has been shown by Hayflick and Moorehead (1) and confirmed in other laboratories that diploid cell strains have a finite lifespan in culture. Lifespan is measured in the average number of population doublings before the so-called phase III or “senescent” state of the culture is reached. It is reasonable to propose that certain types of error continually or increasingly accumulated in the synthetic apparatus and reflected in each by increasingly defective proteins, may be causative of the “aging” of the culture. Such a concept has been proposed by Orgel (2) and preliminary evidence from Holliday and Tarrant (3) appears to lend support, although some controversy exists in the literature. In our estimation, the Hayflick phenomenon or the so-called “programmed death” of diploid cell strains allowed the planning of unique experiments in which error accumulation in proteins can be evaluated. The errors may be random, reflected in a generalized and increasing degree of protein imperfection, broadened or narrowed enzymatic specificity and increased thermal lability. Furthermore, one might expect significant changes in the responses to various metabolic controls of the type usually seen with larger enzymes composed of precisely tuned interacting subunits. The errors may not be entirely random in that certain sites may be particularly susceptible, to spontaneous changes, perhaps by a selection mechanism, and that aging, could be carefully orchestrated in movements in the sense that with increasing passage levels, defined off-on enzyme systems come into play. Perhaps both random and preordained changes occur simultaneously so that biological variation in the senescent phenomenon in regard to the average extent and average time course results.
Towards Diagnostic Simulation in Sensor Networks

While deployment and practical on-site testing remains the ultimate touchstone for sensor network code, good simulation tools can help curtail in-field troubleshooting time. Unfortunately, current simulators are successful only at evaluating system performance and exposing manifestations of errors. They are not designed to diagnose the root cause of the exposed anomalous behavior. This paper presents a diagnostic simulator, implemented as an extension to TOSSIM [6]. It (i) allows the user to ask questions such as "why is (some specific) bad behavior occurring?", and (ii) conjectures on possible causes of the user-specified behavior when it is encountered during simulation. The simulator works by logging event sequences and states produced in a regular simulation run. It then uses sequence extraction, and frequent pattern analysis techniques to recognize sequences and states that are possible root causes of the user-defined undesirable behavior. To evaluate the effectiveness of the tool, we have implemented the directed diffusion protocol and used our tool during the development process. During this process the tool was able to uncover two design bugs that were not addressed in the original protocol. The manifestation of these two bugs were same but the causes of failure were completely different - one was triggered by node reboot and the other was triggered by an overflow of timestamps generated by the local clock. The case study demonstrates a success scenario for diagnostic simulation.
Examining the influence of climate, supervisor guidance, and behavioral integrity on work–family conflict: A demands and resources approach

Summary In this study, we assess a multilevel approach to work interference with family (WIF) by examining the influence of unit-level work–family climate, as well as the importance of supervisors' spoken guidance and their behavioral integrity in helping employees process social information about work–family issues. We propose that there are two important ways in which supervisors may influence their subordinates' WIF—through their spoken guidance regarding managing work–family conflict and through their behavioral integrity—employee perceptions of the degree to which supervisors' spoken work–family guidance aligns with their behaviors to help employees manage work and family on the job. Results from a sample of 628 employees of a health system, using path analytic tests of moderated mediation, provide support for the mediated effect of family-supportive climate on employee work–family conflict (through supervisory work–family guidance) and for a second-stage moderation in which the effect of guidance on WIF is stronger (weaker) when employees perceive high (low) levels of supervisor work–family behavioral integrity. We discuss the implications of these findings for the study of family-supportive work environments and work–family conflict. Limitations of this study and directions for future research are also presented. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Isolating Tender Muscles in the Pork Shoulder

A procedure was developed to remove the Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Subscapularis, Triceps brachii (picnic cushion), Teres major and the flat portion of the Pectoralis profundi from pork shoulders separated from the carcass leaving either 2 or 4 ribs on the shoulder. The results of the study demonstrated that the composition of the residual picnic trim was not altered by removal of these key shoulder muscles in 4-rib shoulders.Therefore, processors could consider adding value to 4-rib pork shoulders without altering the composition of the picnic trim by isolating and merchandising specific shoulder muscles that have favorable eating qualities.
Stable isotopes complement focal individual observations and confirm dietary variability in reddish–gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus griseorufus) from southwestern Madagascar

We examine the ecology of reddish-gray mouse lemurs from three habitats at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve using focal follows and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data. Focal observations indicate dietary differences among habitats as well as sexes and seasons. Both sexes consume more arthropods during the rainy season but overall, females consume more sugar-rich exudates and fruit than males, and individuals from riparian forest consume fewer arthropods and more fruit than those in xeric or dry forest. We ask whether these observations are isotopically detectable. Isotope data support differences between seasons and sexes. Nitrogen isotope values are higher during the rainy season when lemurs consume more arthropods, and higher in males than females, particularly during the dry season. However, differences among populations inferred from focal observations are not fully supported. Lemurs from riparian forest have lower isotope values than those in xeric scrub, but isotope data suggest that lemurs from the dry forest eat the least animal matter and that focal observations overestimated dry forest arthropod consumption. Overall, our results suggest that observational and isotopic data are complementary. Isotope data can be obtained from a larger number of individuals and can quantify ingestion of animal matter, but they apparently cannot quantify the relative consumption of different sugar-rich foods. Combined focal and isotope data provide valuable insight into the dietary constraints of reddish-grey mouse lemurs, with implications for their vulnerability to future habitat change.
Ethanol causes desensitization of receptor-mediated phospholipase C activation in isolated hepatocytes

The effect of ethanol on receptor-mediated phospholipase C-linked signal transduction processes was investigated in isolated rat hepatocytes. Pretreatment of the cells with ethanol (6-300 mM) markedly inhibited a subsequent stimulation of phospholipase C by vasopressin, angiotensin II, or epidermal growth factor. By contrast, the effects of the alpha 1-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine and of glucagon were not affected by ethanol pretreatment. Ethanol inhibited the agonist-induced decrease in polyphosphoinositides, the formation of inositol phosphates, and the increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ levels, as detected with the intracellular Ca2+ indicator indo-1. The effects of ethanol were concentration dependent and were pronounced at low concentrations of agonists but were not significant at saturating levels. Pretreatment of the cells with the protein kinase C inhibitor H7 partly prevented the inhibition by ethanol of vasopressin-induced phospholipase C activation. By contrast, pretreatment of the cells with (Rp)-adenosine cyclic 3‘:5‘-phosphorothioate [Rp)-cAMP-S), a competitive inhibitor of protein kinase A, potentiated the inhibitory effect of ethanol on the Ca2+ mobilization by vasopressin. (Rp)-cAMP-S similarly potentiated the inhibition of phospholipase C by the protein kinase C-activating phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). The kinase A inhibitor also made the Ca2+ mobilization by phenylephrine sensitive to ethanol, indicating that the formation of cAMP in the cells played a role in suppressing the sensitivity to ethanol. Pretreatment of the cells with ethanol enhanced the inhibitory effects of TPA on the vasopressin-induced phospholipase C activation at all concentrations of the hormone; however, these synergistic effects were prevented when TPA was added prior to ethanol, a condition that prevents the activation of phospholipase C by ethanol. The data indicate that ethanol causes desensitization of the receptor-mediated phospholipase C secondary to the ethanol-induced activation of phospholipase C and activation of protein kinase C. Ethanol treatment also affects the sensitivity of the phospholipase C system to control by protein kinases A and C. The data indicate that ethanol can affect the control of intracellular signal transduction processes in liver cells under physiologically relevant conditions.
Lift, Thrust, and Flight

An overview is provided on forces and motions and their generation that are relevant to flight. First, Newton's laws of motion are outlined. Next, the four types of forces that are involved in flight – weight, lift, drag, and thrust – and their interrelationships are described. This is followed by an introduction on how natural flyers/swimmers generate lift and thrust to fly/swim through flapping wings/fins. The understanding of these flight mechanisms is important to the development of micro aerial vehicles, which operate at relatively low Reynolds numbers and where lift generation typically produces unsteady flows. Afterwards, a discussion is given on how humankind achieves flight through the airplane, where the weight of the payload, the flight speed, and the range of flight can be orders of magnitudes higher than natural flyers. For the airplane, the wings generate most of the lift, and the propulsive devices generate the thrust. The propulsive devices summarized include propellers, turbojets, turbofans, ramjets, scramjets, and rockets – all of which produce thrust by ensuring that the momentum exiting the propulsive device far exceeds the momentum entering the propulsive device. Keywords: lift; drag; thrust; natural flyers; oscillating; airfoils; aircraft engines; Newton's laws; Knoller-Betz effect; von Karman vortex street; reversed von Karman vortex street; aircraft propulsion; propellers; gas turbines; ramjets; scramjets; liquid rockets; solid rockets
The Fibrinolytic System of Cultured Endothelial Cells

Abnormal thrombus formation and dissolution are associated with several cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis and both thromboembolic and hemorrhagic conditions. The walls of blood vessels undoubtedly contribute to the pathogenesis of these disorders. More specifically, vascular endothelial cells have been shown to influence both the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems. We have been studying cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEs) as a model of endothelium. The fibrinolytic activity of these cells results from the production of multiple, functionally distinct forms of plasminogen activator (PA), including both urokinaselike (uPA) and tissue-type (tPA) molecules. The overall fibrinolytic activity of these cells changes with their growth state and in response to the presence of a variety of agents including activated protein C. Although it has been suggested that such changes reflect changes in PA, our recent and unexpected finding that these cells also synthesize an unusually stable fibrinolytic inhibitor makes accurate interpretation of such results difficult. For example, do the altered fibrinolytic states in these cells following various treatments or, for that matter, in blood in certain human diseases reflect changes in PA, inhibitor, or both? The inhibitor is a major product of BAEs, accounting for 2-12% of the total protein secreted by the cells in a 24-h period. It is a single-chain glycoprotein of M r 50,000, isoelectric point 4.5–5.0, and migrates in the sI region when analyzed by agarose zone electrophoresis. It is an antiactivator and can neutralize the activity of both uPAs and tPAs. Inhibition is associated with the formation of an enzyme-inhibitor complex that survives SDS-PAGE. Preliminary kinetic analysis of the interaction between the purified PAI and tPA established an apparent K a of 5 × 107 M-1 sec-1 and k d of 10-13 M. The PAI is active after incubation in the presence of 0.1% SDS or at pH 2.7 but is rapidly inactivated by H2O2 and other oxidants. Activity can be restored by treating the inactive PAI with methionine sulfoxide reductase, suggesting that the loss of activity is caused by oxidation of a critical methionine residue. Interestingly, both a latent form of PAI (representing 95% of the total) and an active form (5%) can be detected in cell samples. The latent form can be converted into the active one by treatment with SDS and other denaturants. Antiserum to the BAE PAI removes the rapidly acting PAI activity from human platelets, serum, and plasma. These results indicate that the BAE PAI and the PAIs present in these blood samples are immunologically related and suggest that the si-PAI may be the physiologically relevant inhibitor of PA in the vascular system. The PAI gene has been cloned and sequenced. Its relation to other protease inhibitors is discussed
Solvation dynamics of N-methylacetamide in D2O, CDCI3 and DMSO-d6

We study amide I vibrational solvation dynamics of N-methylacetamide in D2O, CDC13, and DMSO-d6. Three pulse photon echo and 2D-IR measurements characterize the frequency correlation function, which reflects fluctuating electric fields acting on the Vibration.
A method for designing robust multivariable feedback systems

A methodology is developed for the synthesis of linear, time-invariant (LTI) controllers for multivariable LTI systems. The aim is to achieve stability and performance robustness of the feedback system in the presence of multiple unstructured uncertainty blocks, that is, to satisfy a frequency-domain inequality in terms of the structured singular value. The design technique is referred to as the causality recovery methodology (CRM). Starting with an initial (nominally) stabilizing compensator, the CRM produces a closed-loop system whose performance-robustness is at least as good as, and possibly superior to, that of the original design. The robustness improvement is obtained by solving an infinite-dimensional, convex optimization program. A finite-dimensional implementation of the CRM is developed and applied to a multivariable design example. >
Self‐Consciousness and Strategic Self‐Presentation

ABSTRACT People who are publicly self-conscious have been characterized as being especially concerned about their social identities and oriented toward gaining approval and avoiding disapproval. In two experiments, it was found that “pure publics” (i.e., those high in public and low in private self-consciousness) were the most concerned about matching their deeds and words. These subjects presented themselves to a partner consistently with their publicly known, prior performance on a supposedly valid test of social sensitivity. However, they presented themselves in a uniformly positive manner if the test could be dismissed as invalid and/or if their performance was unknown. In contrast, subjects low in public or high in private self-consciousness did not display these strategic patterns and presented themselves positively in all cases. Pure publics are thus the most likely to engage in patterns of self-presentation that have been shown to maximize approval and minimize disapproval in social interactions.
Baseline E(2) levels are higher in BRCA2 mutation carriers: a potential target for prevention?

Purpose BRCA gene mutations and elevated serum estradiol (E2) are well-known risk factors for breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between BRCA gene mutations and serum E2 level.
Probabilistic expectation and rationality in classical probability theory

Abstract Throughout the 18th century, the notion of probabilistic expectation was a matter of controversy among mathematicians. Despite its seminal role in the earliest formulations of mathematical probability, such as that of Huygens, expectation did not remain a fixed concept but underwent several striking shifts in definition. This paper argues that the conception of expectation was altered by mathematicians in a deliberate effort to capture the salient aspects of rational decision making. As the notion of rationality successively took on legal, economic, and then psychological overtones, the definition of probabilistic expectation followed suit.
A modified Jeener-Broekaert sequence for relaxation measurements in liquid crystals

Abstract The application of a phase-shifted, multiple-quantum pulse sequence following Jeener-Broekaert excitation is used to produce population inversion as well as quadrupolar order. The dynamic range and efficiency are improved by converting the doublequantum coherence generated by the Jeener-Broekaert preparation into population inversion, rather than eliminating its effect with phase cycling.
The Influence of Systemic Drugs on Tear Constituents

Tears of patients and laboratory animals on systemic medications have been analyzed for the presence and influence of these agents on tear constituents. Antibiotic penetration into tears, drugs stimulating or retarding lacrimation, and effects on tear electrolytes, lysozyme, and immunoglobulins are reviewed from the literature. Important applications to clinical practice such as contact lens wear, general anesthesia, eye infections, and epiphora or dry eye symptoms are discussed.
Isomeric fluorobenzyl and fluorotropylium cations.

Abstract The tendency for isomerization of toluene and cycloheptatriene molecular ions, and of benzyl and tropylium product ions, is substantially reduced by fluorine substitution, irrespective of position. This stabilization appears to be due to back-donation of electrons from fluorine, despite its high electronegativity.
Electron Transport Models and Precision Measurements With the Constant Voltage Conductivity Method

Recent advances are described in the techniques, resolution, and sensitivity of the constant voltage conductivity (CVC) method and the understanding of the role of charge injection mechanisms and the evolution of internal charge distributions in associated charge transport theories. These warrant reconsideration of the appropriate range of applicability of this test method to spacecraft charging. We conclude that under many (but not all) common spacecraft charging scenarios, careful CVC tests provide appropriate evaluation of conductivities down to ≈ 10-22 (Ωcm)-1, corresponding to decay times of many years. We describe substantial upgrades to an existing CVC chamber, which improved the precision of conductivity measurements by more than an order of magnitude. At room temperature and above and at higher applied voltages, the ultimate instrument conductivity resolution can increase to ≈ 4·10-22 (Ωcm)-1, corresponding to decay times of more than a decade. Measurements of the transient conductivity of low-density polyethylene using the CVC method are fit very well by a dynamic model for the conductivity in highly disordered insulating materials over more than eight orders of magnitude in current and more than six orders of magnitude in time. Current resolution of the CVC system approaches fundamental limits in the laboratory environment set by the Johnson thermal noise of the sample resistance and the radiation-induced conductivity from the natural terrestrial background radiation dose from the cosmic ray background.
High-frequency conductivity of type-II superlattices.

By using a method which employs a kinetic description and linear-response theory, we calculated the conductivity of electron-ion many-layer system (type-I superlattices) in the high-frequency and long-wavelength limits. Here electromagnetic radiation is taken to be a homogeneous, oscillating electric field. Our calculation takes into account all contributions in lowest order of the plasma parameter ${r}_{s}$. Expressions for frequency-dependent scattering time and effective mass have been numerically obtained. Asymptotic limits for small and large frequencies are analytically derived.
Effect of Ribonuclease on Shell Regeneration in Ariophanta sp.

IT is supposed that the process of shell growth in molluscs consists of two phases. During the first step there is the elaboration of a protein membrane, and in the second mineralization of this membrane takes place1,2. Wagge has suggested that in Helix aspersa, which can rapidly repair its shell if this be damaged, the regeneration of the shell is brought about by the amœbocytes, which first lay down an organic framework that later on becomes calcified. Since ribonucleic acid is concerned with synthesis of proteins3,4, which in this case form an integral part of the shell, we have tried to assess its role in the regeneration of the shell in the snail Ariophanta sp. (Pulmonata).