cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of anxiety sensitivity classes and clinical cut-scores in a sample of adult smokers: results from a factor mixture model.

Anxiety sensitivity (AS), a multidimensional construct, has been implicated in the development and maintenance of anxiety and related disorders. Recent evidence suggests that AS is a dimensional-categorical construct within individuals. Factor mixture modeling was conducted in a sample of 579 adult smokers (M age = 36.87 years, SD = 13.47) to examine the underlying structure. Participants completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 and were also given a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR. Three classes of individuals emerged, a high AS (5.2% of the sample), a moderate AS (19.0%), and a normative AS class (75.8%). A cut-score of 23 to identify high AS individuals, and a cut-score of 17 to identify moderate-to-high AS individuals were supported in this study. In addition, the odds of having a concurrent anxiety disorder (controlling for other Axis I disorders) were the highest in the high AS class and the lowest in the normative AS class.
Population dynamics in variable environments I. Long-run growth rates and extinction

Abstract A model of population growth is studied in which the Leslie matrix for each time interval is chosen according to a Markov process. It is shown analytically that the distribution of total population number is lognormal at long times. Measures of population growth are compared and it is shown that a mean logarithmic growth rate and a logarithmic variance effectively describe growth and extinction at long times. Numerical simulations are used to explore the convergence to lognormality and the effects of environmental variance and autocorrelation. The results given apply to other geometric growth models which involve nonnegative growth matrices.
Apomorphine does not reverse reduced basal dopamine release in rat striatum and nucleus accumbens after chronic haloperidol treatment.

Abstract Chronic administration of haloperidol (2 mg/kg × 21 days) in drinking water decreased basal dopamine (DA) release and metabolism in rat striatum and nucleus accumbens in awake, freely moving rats. In contrast with previous in vivo voltammetric studies in chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats, DA release and metabolism decreased in both regions following administration of (−)apomorphine (50 μg/kg, i.v.). These results demonstrate that stimulation of pre- or postsynaptic DA receptors by apomorphine i n rats chronically treated with haloperidol further diminishes the release of DA and decreases DA metabolism. These results are difficult to reconcile with current concepts of neuroleptic-induced depolarization inactivation which predict increased release of DA following DA agonist administration.
Reaction of thiocyanatopentamminecobalt (III) ion with chromous ion

Abstract Contrary to expectation, the reaction of chromous ion with thiocyanatopentamminecobalt (III) ion gives N-thiocyanatochromic ion. Radio-tracer studies indicate extensive exchange with free thiocynate ion during the reaction. A tentative explanation is presented.
Health and transportation: Small scale area association

Public health, as a major factor influencing the livability and well-being of a community has been a subject of interest in many academic fields. It is postulated that public health has strong correlations with various factors including land development, urban form, and transportation system elements. However, due to scarcity of individual level and confidential health data, such analysis has been typically conducted in an aggregate level resulting in less accurate results due to aggregation bias. In this paper, a methodology is developed and applied to disaggregate an individual-level health data in county scale into smaller geography by using an iterative proportional fitting approach while maintaining the marginal distributions of the controlled variables. Then, the disaggregated data is used to estimate various models of individual health condition as a function of socio-demographic, built environment, and transportation system attributes. It is noteworthy that the proposed approach can be applied to disaggregate any aggregate data in an efficient way.
Parallel discrete event simulation on desktop grid computing infrastructures

In contrast to traditional Parallel Discrete Event Simulation (PDES) systems using dedicated machines, an alternative master/worker approach for high throughput execution on shared computing platforms is proposed. Master/worker systems offer potential advantages over traditional PDES systems such as better support for heterogeneous machines, client-driven load balancing, fault tolerance, and execution on non-dedicated machines. We examine feasibility of executing PDES codes on master/worker systems. We characterise application properties that are important for efficient execution and define suitable performance metrics. The Aurora Parallel and Distributed Simulation System utilising the master/worker approach is described along with performance measurements in executing conservative PDES codes.
Structural stability: from theory to practice

Over the past 40 years drastic improvements in our knowledge regarding the behavior, strength and design of steel building frames has been achieved. This paper provides several specific examples in which new knowledge has been implemented and better design methods have been advanced in engineering practice. The directions of possible immediate implementation of some recent developments in advanced analysis for practical frame design are outlined.
Left ventricular end-systolic stress-shortening and stress-length relations in human. Normal values and sensitivity to inotropic state.

Abstract Experimental studies suggest that the extent of left ventricular (LV) fiber shortening is determined by both the wall stress at end-systole and the contractile state. To evaluate the relation between these variables assessed noninvasively, 26 normal subjects were studied by M-mode echocardiography, phonocardiography, and indirect carotid pulse tracings during infusion of methoxamine to alter load (in all 26 subjects) and infusion of dobutamine (in 10 subjects) to increase contractility. End-systolic pressure was estimated from the incisura of a calibrated carotid pulse tracing. LV end-systolic dimension and wall thickness, and percent internal dimension shortening were determined by echocardiography, and end-systolic meridional wall stress was calculated. The relation between end-systolic stress and shortening was inversely linear (r = −0.83) for 130 control points. Dobutamine infusion resulted in a higher percent fractional shortening for any end-systolic stress; all 43 stress-shortening points were more than 2 standard deviations above the mean for the regression line. The relation between stress and dimension for the control points showed wider scatter than between stress and shortening (r = 0.56). However, in individual patients dobutamine always shifted the stress-dimension lines to the right, as compared with the baseline position resulting in a smaller end-systolic dimension for any end-systolic wall stress. Thus, LV end-systolic wall stress and percent fractional shortening are inversely and linearly related and their relation can be accurately assessed by noninvasive methods. The end-systolic stress-shortening relation is highly sensitive, while the end-systolic stress-dimension relation is less sensitive to alterations in LV inotropic state.
Delayed curse of dimension for Gaussian integration

We study Gaussian integration of Lipschitz functions in the lp-norm, p∈[1, ∞], defined over the d dimensional space Rd. It is assumed that the Gaussian weight has a diagonal covariance matrix with variances σi. We consider the problem of how the worst case complexity of computing an e-approximation, comp(e), depends on the variances σi. If e goes to zero then comp(e) is of order e−d and we have the curse of dimension. For a fixed e we provide lower and upper bounds on comp(e) of the form e−t where the exponent t is small for small variances σi. We call this moderation of the exponential growth of the complexity, the delayed curse of dimension. We prove similar upper and lower bounds for the integration of Lipschitz functions on sequence spaces lp, p∈[1, ∞), which is essentially the problem of path integration with a Gaussian measure for which ∑∞i=1 σp/2i<∞. Finally, we show how the same proof technique yields an upper bound when the integrand belongs to the Sobolev class Wr, ∞(Rd), d<∞, of functions with bounded (generalized) derivatives of order r, and when Hermite information is used. This upper bound shows that the moderating effect of the variances becomes much more essential for large r.
Sustaining agricultural development in harsh environments: Insights from private land reclamation in Egypt

Abstract Egyptian farm families encounter harsh conditions when they attempt to reclaim farm land from open space at the fringes of the Nile Valley and the Nile Delta. This article first discusses what settlers have done and how, then turns to the broader significance of their search for sustainable techniques. These examples from the extreme circumstances of private land reclamation illustrate that both the potential complementarities between farmers' initiatives and scientific research and the problems of organizing effective interaction between farmers and scientists are amplified in heterogeneous, harsh agricultural environments.
Data acquisition and control of a continuous fermentation unit

Data acquisition and computer control ofZymomonas mobilis fermentation for ethanol production has been studied. An HP 200 series microcomputer system was used in conjunction with an HP 3497A data acquisition unit. On-line ethanol, glucose and cell mass were measured for use as possible control variables. Dilution rate was used as the manipulative variable. A versatile, user-friendly data acquisition program was written to gather, control and analyze data from the continuous fermentation. The program allows user-given control and calibration algorithms so that sophisticated control policies, e.g., self-tuning regulator (STR) and instrumentation, can be implemented with relative ease.
A method to rapidly evaluate the acute pulmonary effects of aerosols in unanesthetized guinea pigs

Abstract A method was developed to rapidly evaluate the acute effects of aerosols on the respiratory tract in unanesthetized but slightly restrained guinea pigs. Each animal was placed in a whole body plethysmograph and was fitted with a head chamber. From the head chamber, inspiratory volume (VI) was measured by integration with time of airflow rate obtained via a pneumotachograph. From the whole body plethysmograph a pressure (ΔP) proportional to inspiratory volume was measured. Both VI and ΔP were measured while the animal breathed a mixture of 10% CO2, 18% O2, and 72% N2. This procedure resulted in a stable and sustained increase in both VI and ΔP. With the animals still breathing 10% CO2, the aerosols to be tested were then introduced. Both sulfuric acid and histamine aerosols produced a significant decrease in VI and ΔP. The method is simple and does not necessitate anesthesia or invasive techniques. It should be useful to rapidly evaluate the possible acute effects of airborne contaminants. Furthermore, measurement of ΔP alone with the animal in the whole body plethysmograph, obviating the need for the head chamber and the restraint imposed by it, was found to indicate an effect similar to the measurement of VI. This step further simplifies the method to evaluate an acute effect of aerosols on the respiratory tract.
Autonomic control of heart rate and its variability during normoxia and hypoxia in emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) hatchlings

Heart rate variability is a common feature of the vertebrate cardiovascular system and is a consequence of variable input from the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system. The aim of this study was to examine the role of the autonomic nervous system in regulating heart rate and heart rate variability in 1-d-old emu hatchlings in normoxia and during exposure to 10% O2. The role of the autonomic nervous system in controlling emu heart rate and its variability was examined by blocking the action of the cholinergic and adrenergic pathways by administration of atropine and propranolol. Heart rate of 1-d-old hatchlings exhibited a significant cholinergic tone of 60 +/- 22 beats per minute (bpm) and beta-adrenergic tone of 28 +/- 17 bpm. Cholinergic tone was unchanged during hypoxic exposure (63.5 +/- 17.7 bpm), but adrenergic tone doubled to 68 +/- 15 bpm. Initially, the majority of hatchlings exhibited high frequency oscillations with a spectral peak at 0.22 +/- 0.02 Hz, associated with respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Beta-adrenergic blockade had no effect on respiratory sinus arrhythmia or spectral power in high frequency (HF; 0.1 to 0.7 Hz), low frequency (LF; 0.01 to 0.1 Hz), or total frequency (TF) ranges. After cholinergic blockade, spectral power in HF, LF, and TF ranges and respiratory sinus arrhythmia were all abolished. Hypoxia did not initially alter spectral power in the HF, LF, or TF ranges. beta-Adrenergic blockade along with hypoxia produced a significant increase in LF oscillations. A distinct LF oscillation appeared in most birds exposed to hypoxia that was abolished by cholinergic blockade. We conclude that although both the sympathetic and parasympathetic system exert a tonic influence on heart rate, the majority of HF and TF heart rate variability is mediated by the parasympathetic system in the emu hatchling. The sympathetic system contributes to LF heart rate oscillations by suppressing the influence of the parasympathetic system on LF oscillations.
Rotational structure of the B-X system of Na3 from high-resolution resonant two-photon ionization spectroscopy

First investigations of the system of Na3 at rotational resolution are reported. Using resonant two-photon ionization and optical-optical double resonance spectroscopy, two vibronic bands were assigned and rotationally analyzed. In the B state, the three sodium nuclei perform a nearly free pseudorotational motion in the moat of a pseudo-Jahn–Teller potential that is characterized by a vibronic angular momentum quantum number j. In states with J > 0, each rotational level is split by Coriolis interaction. Rotational and Coriolis coupling parameters were determined and are discussed in terms of the dynamics of the vibronic coupling in this floppy molecule.
SANS and TEM studies of isothermal M2C carbide precipitation in ultrahigh strength AF1410 steels

Abstract Results are presented of SANS and TEM experimental investigations of the precipitation and growth, as a function of isothermal ageing time, of the main secondary hardening M2C phase in ultrahigh-strength AF1410 steel. The results obtained are compared with APFIM investigations and with theoretical models. Combined use of these techniques provides valuable diagnostic data for quantifying the development of microstructures in this class of steels. It is found that the observed precipitation behaviour is consistent with the theory of precipitation at high supersaturations, but includes a surprising secondary burst of nucleation at precipitation half completion.
The Up-and-Down Method for Small Samples

Abstract A modified up-and-down method for sensitivity testing (all-or-none assays) is presented with maximum likelihood estimates of LD50 tabulated for all sample sequences for nominal sample size N ≤ 6. Approximate estimates for larger sample sizes are given. The design uses sequentially determined test levels and sequentially determined sample sizes. The estimates have mean square error approximately independent of the chosen starting level of the test sequence and the spacing between test levels. The actual sample size rarely exceeds the nominal sample size by more than two for moderately well chosen starting levels. Examples of the use of the method are given for two analyses of variance designs.
Polarized Pushouts over Finite Fields

Abstract Let p : Y → Xbe a surjection between schemes projective over the algebraic closure of a finite field. Let Lbe a line bundle on Xsuch that p*(L) is globally generated. A natural necessary and sufficient condition is given under which some positive tensor power of Lis globally generated. An application is a sufficient condition for semi-ampleness of nef line bundles on g,n in positive characteristic, which implies the semi-ampleness of λ, ψ i and myriad other nef line bundles. Dedicated to Steven L. Kleiman on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
If Markets Are So Wonderful, Why Can’t I Find Friends at the Store?

Now that all but the most stubborn ideologues have granted the importance of markets as a promising device for organizing efficient allocation, we run the danger of a particular form of analytical sloppiness. To claim that markets are powerful is far from saying they are omnipotent. In fact, the relative strengths of markets as an organizing device can be shrouded by hyperbolic claims of market puissance. The argument here is that markets have significant limits and that by acknowledging those limits we can focus on the important question of the nature of the optimal interaction between markets and governments. For illustrative purposes, this essay argues that consumers cannot typically expect to find the kinds of associative links we ordinarily seek from friends. The kind of caring that we anticipate from friendships can best be found somewhere other than at the store. Recognizing market limitations, such as this one, permits us to use markets in conjunction with other institutions to create a more fully human economy.
The bursting of two-dimensional drops in slow viscous flow

We consider the deformation of two-dimensional drops when immersed in a slow viscous corner flow. The problem is formulated as one of analytic function theory and simplified by assuming that both the drop and the exterior fluid have the same viscosity. An approximate analysis is carried out, in which the conditions at the interface are satisfied in an average sense, and this reveals the following features of the solution. A drop of given physical properties (volume, surface tension and viscosity), when immersed in a corner flow, has no steady equilibrium shape if the rate of strain of the applied flow is too large. On the other hand, if the rate of strain is small enough for a steady solution to exist, then in general there are two possible solutions. These features are confirmed by formulating the exact problem in terms of a nonlinear integro-differential equation, which is solved numerically.
Geometric form reproduction: relationship to chronological and mental age.

195 children from Grades 1, 4, and 6 of middle-class suburban schools were given SRA Primary Mental Abilities tests, a developmental sequence of geometric forms to be copied, and a pencil-and-paper test of eye-hand dexterity. Correlations among form-reproduction scores and those of the PMA subtests and totals, eye-hand dexterity and chronological age suggested that form reproduction was related primarily to MA rather than CA within the age groups. MA and CA appear to be highly related to form reproduction among the younger children.
Gangliosides suppress the proliferation of autoreactive cells in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis: ganglioside effects on IL-2 activity

Gangliosides have been shown to suppress human and murine lymphocyte proliferative responses in vitro. We tested the suppressive effects of gangliosides on the proliferation of autoreactive lymphoid cells obtained from Lewis rats with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). Exogenous rat brain gangliosides inhibited both antigen- and mitogen-induced proliferation by as much as 79 and 93%, respectively. Gangliosides similarly inhibited the antigen-induced proliferation of a myelin basic protein (MBP)-reactive T-cell line which is able to passively induce EAE. Suppression was greatest when gangliosides were added at the initiation of culture, and was not abrogated by supraoptimal antigen concentration. Interleukin 2 (IL-2) activity in culture supernatants was not diminished by the addition of gangliosides. Gangliosides did not inhibit the IL-2-induced proliferation of a murine IL-2-dependent cell line, CTLL-20, unless the IL-2 was first preincubated with gangliosides before the addition of CTLL-20. Preincubation of CTLL-20 with gangliosides resulted in no inhibition of the subsequent responses to IL-2. Exogenous gangliosides did not decrease the binding of a monoclonal antibody directed against the rat cell surface IL-2 receptor. Addition of exogenous IL-2 to ganglioside-suppressed cultures had no effect or only partially restored the proliferative responses. Therefore, gangliosides were shown to inhibit the proliferation of autoreactive lymphoid cells without affecting IL-2 production or IL-2 receptor expression.
TEM studies of resin-based matrix microstructure in carbon/carbon composites

Abstract The microstructure of thermoset-resin-derived matrices in unidrectional carbon/carbon (C/C) composites has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A wide range of carbon fibers—derived from PAN, pitch and rayon—were used with two thermoset-resin-matrix precursors: polyarylacetylene (PAA) and phenolic resins. Specimens were examined in both transverse and longitudinal sections using bright-field imaging and selected-area diffraction (SAD). The current studies confirm in much finer detail earlier observations from optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) that matrix orientation is clearly evident at heat treatment temperatures (HTTs) as low as 1100°C and that graphitized lamellar matrix forms at HTTs > ~2400°C and is concentrated in those interfilament regions in which we expect large components of biaxial tensile stress resulting from restraint of pyrolysis shrinkage. The TEM micrographs also establish that most of the fibers and matrices studied are capable of forming intimate fusion bonds following graphitization heat treatment. It is difficult, however, to estimate the extent to which such bonding exists at any particular HTT. We have also made observations of transversely oriented matrix immediately at the fiber surface in some composites. It is suggested that such a microstructure may form as a consequence of movement or deformation of the matrix during the critical carbon-chain-forming process that accompanies matrix pyrolysis. Microporosity at the fiber surface may play a role in this process by providing the opportunity for development of a network of interpenetrating fibrils that effectively bond fiber to matrix. Observations were also made of ripples or striations (produced by ion-milling) that run transverse to the direction of preferred orientation in both fibers and matrices. Possible mechanisms for their formation are discussed. Although two thermosetting resins employed in this study—PAA and phenolic—differ widely in chemical functionalities and structure, their matrix microstructures in the C Cs are largely indistinguishable by the TEM technique employed here, as well as by earlier X-ray diffraction (XRD) results. These observations emphasize the critical role of polymer pyrolysis, in which thermomechanical processes, along with bond breakage and reforming, effectively overcome the initial large differences in polymer structure, leading to the formation of well-graphitized carbons from otherwise nongraphitizing precursors.
Optimal control of building HVAC&R systems using complete simulation-based sequential quadratic programming (CSB-SQP)

This paper presents a general and systematic methodology, termed complete simulation-based sequential quadratic programming (CSB-SQP), for determining the optimal control of building HVAC&R systems. This approach allows the coupling of a detailed simulation program with an efficient optimization method, namely the sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm. This approach allows the use of accurate component models of the system as against empirical models as currently used, while providing efficient optimal solutions to be determined. We develop the mathematical basis of the methodology and apply it to a simple cooling plant system to illustrate the accuracy, efficiency and robustness of this method. The issue of implementing such an optimization under real-time control is also discussed.
Ultra Small Modulator and Demodulator for Differential Phase-Shift-Keying Data Format Based on Silicon Microring

Proposed microring-based modulator and demodulator of DPSK data format can be a thousand times smaller than conventional scheme (Mach-Zehnder modulator + delay interferometer). With optimized Q-factor of 22000, back-to-back power penalty is diminished to 0.8-dB.
Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy of the Morphology and Composition of Interstitial Fluids in Freezing Electrolyte Solutions

Ice rheology, the integrity of polar ice core records, and ice−atmosphere interactions are among the phenomena controlled by the morphology and composition of interstitial fluids threading polycrystalline ice. Herein, we investigate how ionic impurities affect such features via time-resolved confocal fluorescence microscopy of freezing electrolyte solutions doped with a pH probe. We find that the 10 μM probe accumulates into 12 μm thick glassy channels in frozen water, but it is incorporated into randomly distributed <1 μm diameter inclusions in freezing 1 mM NaCl. We infer that morphology is largely determined by the dynamic instabilities generated upon advancing ice by the rejected solute, rather than by thermodynamics. The protracted alkalinization of the fluid inclusions reveals that the excess negative charge generated by the preferential incorporation of Cl− over Na+ in ice is neutralized by the seepage of the OH− slowly produced via H2O → H+ + OH− thermal dissociation.
The effect of inclusion shape on the elastic moduli of a two-phase material*

Abstract A self-consistent model is used to calculate the elastic moduli of two-phase materials with the assumption that the inclusions are spheroidal. The limiting cases of needle and disk shaped inclusions are explicitly shown. It is found that the latter has the greatest effect in changing the elastic moduli of the matrix.
Rapid Change in the Defense of Flightless Young by a Mourning Dove Parent

Abstract We report that an adult-sized Zenaida macroura (Mourning Dove), presumably a parent, rapidly decreased risk taken in defense of a juvenile as the likelihood of predation to the juvenile increased. We attribute this decrease in risk taken to (1) the parent's perception that the risk of predation had increased to the extent that a continuation of defensive behaviors would not prevent the death of the juvenile, and (2) its attempt to minimize its own risk of death. It may be that there is a threshold beyond which Mourning Dove parents will forgo the risk of additional defense of offspring in favor of making another reproductive attempt.
Human and mouse hemoglobin association with the transgenic mouse erythrocyte membrane

Transgenic mouse models of hemoglobinopathies unravel pathophysiological mechanisms; yet the validity of the red blood cell (RBC) model of human hemoglobin (hHb) enveloped by a mouse (m) membrane has been questioned. Isoelectric focusing of hHb and mHb from transgenic mRBC shows a greater association of mHb to the mouse membrane compared to normal hHbA, supporting a species-specific Hb-mRBC membrane interaction. Enhanced hmutant Hb (HbE, HbS and HbC)-mRBC membrane affinities correlates with enhanced membrane lipid peroxidation and parallel those reported in hRBC, lending support to transgenic mRBC as models of hemoglobinopathies. Species-specific Hb-membrane interaction may be overridden by Hb charge and conformational alterations.
Protein recognition by cell surface receptors: physiological receptors versus virus interactions

Protein-protein recognition is a major kind of receptor-ligand interaction: a living cell receives external signals to adapt to the environment through cell surface receptors. On opposing cell surfaces, such recognition bears distinct features: it is a multivalent, reversible and avidity-driven process. The affinity between each individual contacting pair is low. Viruses might take advantage of this low affinity to invade a host cell by evolving a stronger binding affinity to the surface receptors than that associated with physiological ligands. Structural data appear to support this notion.
Introduction to time optimal control of stationary linear systems

A problem that confronts the engineer desiring to use time optimal discontinuous control in a system is the determination of the loci of points in state space at which the steering functions should be switched to the opposite direction. The equations which define these loci are required for synthesis of the system controller. This paper is an exposition of an approach of R. Oldenburger and a solution of R. Bellman applied to seven examples to illustrate a method for finding these loci and to indicate the problems involved. The method works without complication for normal systems described by equations with real roots. By the approach of LaSalle, the method is extended to cover normal systems described by equations with complex roots. A final section shows how non-symmetry of steering functions can be treated in practice. The steering functions for the non-symmetric case are treated by replacing the non-symmetric steering function by the sum of a symmetric steering function and a constant which describes the degree of asymmetry.
Removing barriers to trust in distributed teams: understanding cultural differences and strengthening social ties

Geographically distributed software development teams face communication and collaboration challenges that otherwise do not occur when engineers are collocated. There has been extensive research on the topic of trust as it is imperative in a collaborative environment. This paper takes trust research to a new level by addressing two attributes of trust-building that distributed development teams encounter when working together. We describe how underlying differences in social and cultural norms affect a distributed development team's effectiveness. We present study data from interviews and observations with four software teams at Microsoft doing distributed development work that have team members located in Europe and the United States. Our study demonstrates that openly recognizing cultural differences and intentionally strengthening social ties among team members are criteria for building trust in distributed software teams and, if not addressed, will erode a distributed team's ability to communicate and effectively work together. We further articulate how social ties may influence collaboration in distributed teams. Finally, we provide examples of differences in social and cultural norms in distributed software teams and demonstrate how carefully cultivated personal relationships contribute to a distributed team's success and on-time performance.
Expression of the Streptococcus agalactiae virulence-associated protease CspA in a soluble, active form utilizing the Gram-positive host, Lactococcus lactis

The heterologous expression of streptococcal genes in common Gram-negative hosts may be complicated by low-level expression, toxicity to the host, formation of inclusion bodies, and mislocalization of the encoded proteins. Biochemical study of the Streptococcus agalactiae virulence-associated cell-envelope protease (CEP) CspA, as well as other CEPs, has been limited by the lack of effective expression systems. In this study, we present a simple strategy to express cspA as a catalytically active exoprotein. A recombinant allele of cspA, cspAΔCWA, was engineered to eliminate the dispensable cell-wall anchor. The cspAΔCWA allele was expressed in the Gram-positive organism, Lactococcus lactis, using an established, plasmid-based, nisin-inducible expression system. After induction, nearly all of the exoprotein observable by SDS-PAGE corresponded to CspAΔCWA. CspAΔCWA-containing medium exhibited similar fibrinolytic activity as whole cells of GBS, indicating the recombinant protein was active. Characterization of CspAΔCWA indicated that like some other CEPs, it is N-terminally processed, exists predominantly as a dimer, and has the ability to cleave itself at its C-terminus. Taken together, this work presents an efficient strategy for expression of cspA that could be applied to other streptococcal proteins that are not amenable to expression using common Gram-negative hosts.
Staged Approach to Multivessel Coronary Angioplasty: Strategic Considerations and Results

PTCA was performed in separate sessions in 104 (24%) of the first 439 patients who had multivessel PTCA in our institution. There were 78 men and 26 women, mean age 58 years; 37patients (36%) had triple vessel coronary artery disease, 11 patients (10%) had prior CABG, 58 patients (56%) had unstable angina and 35 patients (34%) had recent MI (< 15 days): 14 of these (13%) had intravenous thrombolysis: ± 3 days before PTCA. Indications for staging were recent MI (28%), long procedure (22%), split or tear of first vessel(s) (22%), large number of lesions dilated (20%), pre-PTCA complex lesions (8%). PTCA was done in 272 vessels (2.6/pt, range 2–6/pt) and in 385 lesions (3.7/pt, range 2–12/pt) with angiographic success in 262 vessels (96%) and 374 lesions (97%); angiographic success in all lesions attempted was obtained in 91% of patients and clinical success in 102 patients (98%). Complication rate was 3.8%: four patients (3.8%) had MI, no patients had urgent CABG. In comparison, significant differences were present in the 335 patients who had multivessel PTCA at one sitting: three vessel CAD was less frequent (22%, p < 0.05), recent MI was less frequent (18%), p < 0.01; the number of lesions dilated/patient was significantly lower (2.7/pt vs 3.7/pts, p < 0.001) and so was the number of total occlusions attempted (18% vs 31%, p < 0.02). Success in all lesions was achieved in 82% of these patients, p < 0.05; clinical success was similar (96%), with a 6.9% total complication rate (p < 0.07) [17 patients (5%) had MI, nine patients (2.7%) required urgent CABG]. Thus, staged multivessel PTCA is an effective strategy and may allow more extensive and safer dilatations in selected patients. (J Interven Cardiol 1988:1:3)
Antagonism of the prostaglandin E receptor EP4 inhibits metastasis and enhances NK function

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is associated with aggressive breast cancers. The COX-2 product prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) acts through four G-protein-coupled receptors designated EP1–4. Malignant and immortalized normal mammary epithelial cell lines express all four EP. The EP4 antagonist AH23848 reduced the ability of tumor cells to colonize the lungs or to spontaneously metastasize from the mammary gland. EP4 gene silencing by shRNA also reduced the ability of mammary tumor cells to metastasize. Metastasis inhibition was lost in mice lacking either functional Natural Killer (NK) cells or interferon-γ. EP4 antagonism inhibited MHC class I expression resulting in enhanced ability of NK cells to lyse mammary tumor target cells. These studies support the hypothesis that EP4 receptor antagonists reduce metastatic potential by facilitating NK-mediated tumor cell killing and that therapeutic targeting of EP4 may be an alternative approach to the use of COX inhibitors to limit metastatic disease.
A hypothetical protocol for the provisional use of perfusion imaging with exercise stress testing

Background Previous literature suggests that the results of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) add little to the prognosis of patients who exercise >10 metabolic equivalents (METS) during stress testing. With this in mind, we attempted to determine if a provisional injection protocol could be developed in which a patient would not receive an injection of radioisotope if adequate exercise was achieved without symptoms and a negative ECG response. This protocol would save a substantial amount of time, radiation exposure, and cost.
New Evidence for Compartmentalization of Ovarian 3′,5′-Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinase Activity

The present experiments were designed to study whether cAMP-dependent protein kinase (CDPK) activity is functionally compartmentalized within the ovary. Pseudopregnant rats received two identical injections of highly purified hCG or LH 30 min apart. The time of the second injected coincided with peak in vivo dissociation of ovarian CDPK holoenzyme activity as a result of the first hormonal injection. After either 2 μg hCG or 5 IU hLH injections, intracellular ovarian levels of cAMP increased with concomitant decrease in CDPK holoenzyme activity. However, when animals received a second hormonal injection 30 min later, the second injection failed to enhance intracellular cAMP concentrations, but did sustain suppressed CDPK holoenzyme activity so that a return toward basal CDPK holoenzyme activity was delayed an additional 60 min. When 1 IU LH or .05 μg hCG was given, CDPK holoenzyme activity decreased after the initial injection and returned toward basal levels with a single injection, but the decreased CDP...
Health care and the transcendent

Abstract This paper examines the values implicit in health care providers serving dying persons. It studies why providers should form a relationship with the dying person that is more human, less mechanistic, and less directed to that person as an economic unit or as a “case” of this or that disease. Much of the literature on the dying makes such suggestions but without providing a sound foundation for them. This paper uses a suggestion made by William F. May, who argued that health care providers' relationships with those they serve ought not to be thought of as purely contractual or purely philanthropic, but rather as covenantal (i. e., as a mutual exchange of giving). He believes that such a view makes sense only if we providers see our lives as being themselves gifts—acts of grace by the Transcendent. But it may be difficult to hold on to a covenantal relationship in this sense when there is no prior sense of having already received a gift from the Transcendent. In a culture in which religious belief ...
Greenhouses and magma oceans

The present drought in North America has been attributed by some to the greenhouse effect of increased atmospheric CO_2 but a recent minor flood of papers address the question of a primordial water-vapour greenhouse, its implications for the differences between Earth and Venus and whether the Earth was once mostly or completely molten. Jim Kasting of NASA Ames, both independently and jointly with his colleagues now clarifies some of the important issues in this contentious area, some of which date back 20 years to the original idea of Ingersoll.
Clinical Predictors of Early Adverse Outcomes Recieving Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: Large Scale Single Center Experience

Temporal Association between Fluid Accumulation and Atrial and Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias: An Analysis of 46,696 CRT-D and ICD Patients John Andriulli, Hans J. Moore, James Johnson, Vinod Sharma, Douglas A. Hettrick, Steven M. Markowitz; Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ; Washington Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC; Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN; Cornell University Medical Center, New York, NY
The operational phase of negative ion beam systems on JT-60U and LHD

This paper reviews the operational phase of the negative-ion-based neutral beam systems on the JT-60U tokamak in Naka, Japan and the large helical device (LHD) stellarator in Toki, Japan. These systems were the first high power negative ion beam systems to be deployed for any application, and thus represented large advances in the state of the art for negative ion sources and accelerators, especially since the ions used were hydrogen and deuterium, which have only a modest electron affinity. This paper reviews the systems, the principal problems encountered, and the improvements they engendered, as well as the progress of these systems to the present time. The role of neutral beams in fusion is also discussed, and some of the contributions of the negative ion systems to the physics programs of JT-60U and LHD are briefly reviewed. These systems have been central to the success of JT-60U and LHD, and the knowledge gained about their characteristics should provide a strong basis for the development of the next generation of negative-ion-based neutral beams for ITER and other large fusion devices.
Endostatin Yeast Production, Mutants, and Antitumor Effect in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Endostatin is a Mr 20,000 COOH-terminal fragment of collagen XVIII that inhibits the growth of several primary tumors. We report here the cloning and expression of mouse endostatin in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems. Soluble recombinant protein expressed in yeast (15–20 mg/L) inhibited the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells in response to stimulation by basic fibroblast growth factor. A rabbit polyclonal antibody was raised that showed positive immunoreactivity to the recombinant protein expressed from both systems. Importantly, the biological activity of the mouse recombinant protein could be neutralized by this antiserum in both endothelial proliferation and chorioallantoic membrane assays. Systemic administration of endostatin at 10 mg/kg suppressed the growth of renal cell cancer in a nude mouse model. The inhibition of tumor growth with soluble yeast-produced protein was comparable to that obtained with non-refolded precipitated protein expressed from bacteria. In addition, two closely related COOH-terminal deletion mutants of endostatin were also tested and showed strikingly differing activity. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the expression of a biologically active form of mouse endostatin in yeast, define a role for the molecule in inhibiting endothelial cell migration, extend its antitumor effects to renal cell carcinoma, and provide a formal proof (via the neutralizing antiserum experiments and the mutant data) that endostatin (and not a possible contaminant) acts as an antiangiogenic agent. Finally, the high level expression of mouse endostatin in yeast serves as an endotoxin free, soluble source of protein for fundamental studies on the mechanisms of tumor growth suppression by angiogenesis inhibitors.
Aging and Intraindividual Variability in Performance: Analyses of Response Time Distributions.

It has been suggested that older adults are more variable in their performance because they are more prone to lapses of either attention or intention. In the present experiment, 9 young and 9 older adults each performed nearly 2000 trials of a same-different judgment task. As expected, older adults were slower and more variable than young adults. When the age-related difference in speed was taken into account, however, the older adults were, if anything, less variable than the young adults. When younger and older adults' RT distributions were analyzed using quantile-quantile plots and by fitting ex-Gaussian and Weibull functions, there was no consistent evidence that older adults' distributions were more skewed than young adults', as would be predicted by age-related increases in lapses of attention or intention. Importantly, there was a positive, linear relation between RT and intraindividual variability, and the same relation was observed both within subjects (practice increased speed and reduced variability) as well as between subjects (regardless of age, slower individuals were more variable). Thus, the present results suggest that there may be a general law governing the relation between average RT and variability, and that the greater performance variability of older adults primarily reflects their greater average RTs.
Nutrient limitation and morphological plasticity of the carnivorous pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea in contrasting wetland environments.

* Plasticity of leaf nutrient content and morphology, and macronutrient limitation were examined in the northern pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea subsp. purpurea, in relation to soil nutrient availability in an open, neutral pH fen and a shady, acidic ombrotrophic bog, over 2 yr following reciprocal transplantation of S. purpurea between the wetlands. * In both wetlands, plants were limited by nitrogen (N) but not phosphorus (P) (N content 0.79). Despite carnivory, leaf N content correlated with dissolved N availability to plant roots (leaf N vs , r(2) = 0.344, P < 0.0001); carnivorous N acquisition did not apparently overcome N limitation. * Following transplantation, N content and leaf morphological traits changed in new leaves to become more similar to plants in the new environment, reflecting wetland nutrient availability. Changes in leaf morphology were faster when plants were transplanted from fen to bog than from bog to fen, possibly reflecting a more stressful environment in the bog. * Morphological plasticity observed in response to changes in nutrient supply to the roots in natural habitats complements previous observations of morphological changes with experimental nutrient addition to pitchers.
Removal of cable and connector dispersion in time-domain waveform measurements on 40 Gb integrated circuits

A new instrument for time-domain characterization of circuits is illustrated. We measure output waveshape and rise time of two high-speed digital circuits on wafer, using a 50 GHz prototype of the new instrument. It uses vector error-correction to de-embed the component under test like a network analyzer but reads out in the time-domain after the fashion of an equivalent-time oscilloscope. With the calibration plane of the instrument set at the tips of the wafer probes, errors arising from dispersion in the connection hardware are removed. A further benefit of this instrument is that random jitter is removed without the convolution penalty usually incurred by averaging, so that anomalies such as pattern dependent jitter are exposed. The system risetime is 7 ps, compared to a system risetime of 12-13 ps for a conventional equivalent-time oscilloscope of the same bandwidth in the presence of wafer probes, bias networks, and cables.
Disposition of a new tetrahydrocarbazole analgesic drug in laboratory animals and man

1. The disposition of AY-30,068 (I), a new tetrahydrocarbazole analgesic drug, was studied in mice, rats, dogs, rhesus monkeys, and man. 2. Oral doses of the 14C-labelled drug in aqueous solution were well absorbed in rodents, but absorption of oral doses of the crystalline drug in dogs was poor. Due to the virtual absence of serum metabolites in rats and dogs, the bioavailability of I was nearly identical to the extent of absorption. Although a small first-pass effect was observed in mice, unchanged I represented a major portion of serum radioactivity. 3. A linear increase in the serum concentrations of I occurred at doses between 0.05 and 25 mg/kg in rats, 0.1 and 50 mg/kg in dogs, and 1-160 mg in man. In rhesus monkeys given a 0.5 mg/kg oral dose, the Cmax and AUC of I were similar to values obtained following a corresponding dose in dogs. 4. After i.v. administration of a 1.0 mg/kg dose the terminal elimination half-life (t1/2 beta) of I was 4 h in mice and 9-10 h in rats and dogs. In rodents, dogs, and several human subjects, the elimination of I was interrupted by secondary peaks. Enterohepatic circulation was confirmed in bile duct cannulated rats, where the t1/2 beta of I was decreased to 2.4 h. In rodents the serum clearance and apparent volume of distribution of I were 0.04-0.2 l/kg.h and 0.5-0.8 l/kg, respectively, and 0.6 l/kg.h and 9.8 l/kg in dogs. 5. In rodents and dogs dosed with 14C-labelled I, radioactivity was excreted almost entirely in the faeces. No unchanged I was detected in rat bile, while about 70% of the radioactivity corresponded to conjugates of parent drug.