cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
UNAIDS 90-90-90 Campaign to End the AIDS Epidemic in Historic Perspective.

Policy Points: Examining the reasons for the failure of 20th‐century syphilis eradication programs (difficulties in finding cases, tracing contacts, procuring consistent funding, overcoming moral framing, and rectifying social problems that create vulnerable environments) provides insight into the possibility that today's UNAIDS campaign may not achieve its goal. Disease eradication, although applicable to smallpox, may not be a realistic goal for public health officials who are designing programs to control sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like AIDS. STDs such as AIDS have a distinctive array of socioeconomic, behavioral, biologic, and epidemiologic features that may not make these diseases amenable to eradication. Context Throughout its course, there has been talk of ending the AIDS epidemic. Initially aspirational in nature, this discourse has now taken the form of an explicit UNAIDS proposal to maximize the number of infected people who are tested and receive antiretroviral treatment (ART). If the milestones are met by 2020, the proposal states, an end to the AIDS pandemic could be achieved by 2030. This article uses a historical approach to explore whether this strategy to end the epidemic is feasible. Methods In this article, I identify historical analogues of today's UNAIDS plan for STDs. I then examine features of today's HIV campaign and compare them with elements of syphilis eradication campaigns that carried out widespread testing and treatment between the 1930s and 1960s. Findings Twentieth‐century syphilis campaigns failed because they did not issue specific proposals that would enable them to achieve their eradication goal. They could not change the features of the disease that impeded their test‐and‐treat strategy: the moral framing (stigma deters people from testing), biologic factors (asymptomatic periods of contagiousness), and epidemiologic issues (difficulty tracking contacts occurring in private settings). Furthermore, they could not ensure sustainable funding, rectify social problems that create vulnerable environments, or issue educational messages to curb unsafe behaviors. Today's UNAIDS campaign offers no new provisions to address those factors that led to the failure of earlier syphilis campaigns. Conclusions The distinctive array of socioeconomic, biologic, and epidemiologic factors that characterize STDs like syphilis also apply to AIDS and weaken the assumption that the AIDS epidemic can be ended by implementing today's UNAIDS plan. The discourse of ending the AIDS epidemic may be a carryover from the successful elimination, before the appearance of AIDS, of smallpox—a disease that is not comparable to AIDS owing to different biologic qualities, social concerns, epidemiologic behaviors, and the possession of an effective vaccine. Future AIDS control campaigns should therefore concentrate on maximizing ART distribution and not targeting the end of the epidemic.
Placing the Military in African History: A Reflection

While discussions of the military are notably absent in academic African History, it doesn’t mean that the subject is absent from the history left by the Africans. Sources that have been used for generations contain extensive discussions of the organization, arming, training, and utilization of military forces in Africa by Africans, but these aspects of the sources are largely ignored or interpreted within the frame of other violent activity, such as slave raiding. However, simply by their existence, these sources offer future generations the opportunity to expand and finally tell the story of formal military activity in Africa. This in turn will allow for the creation of a more complete record of African political, social, and even state-building activity before the advent of European colonization.
Occurrence of Amphibians In Northern California Coastal Dune Drainages

Abstract Many coastal dune ecosystems have been degraded by non-native dune vegetation, but these systems might still provide valuable habitat for some taxa, including amphibians. Because restoration of degraded dune systems is occurring and likely to continue, we examined the occurrence of amphibians in drainages associated with a coastal dune ecosystem degraded by invasive plants (European Beachgrass, Ammophila arenaria, and Iceplant, Carpobrotus edulis). We found that occupancy of 3 amphibian species (California Red-legged Frog, Rana draytonii; Sierran Treefrog, Hyliola sierra; and Rough-skinned Newt, Taricha granulosa) among 21 coastal-dune drainages was high, with most coastal-dune drainages occupied by all 3 species. Furthermore, reproduction of Sierran Treefrogs and California Red-legged Frogs was estimated to occur in approximately ½ and ⅓ of the drainages, respectively. The probability of occurrence of Rough-skinned Newts and pre-metamorphic life stages of both anurans decreased during the study,...
Political Journalists’ Normalization of Twitter

Journalists are frequently doing some of their daily work on social media, spaces they did not create but have appropriated for journalistic purposes. Building on previous studies of how political ...
A quarter-rate 3-tap DFE for 4Gbps data rate with switched-capapctiors based 1 st speculative tap

This paper presents a quarter-rate 3-tap DFE design for 4Gbps data rate with switched-capacitors based 1st speculative tap. We propose a quarter-rate DFE to supplement a drawback of switched-capacitors based half-rate DFE. In the half-rate DFE, comparators have not only low input capacitances but also low transconductance (low sensitivity) in order to eliminate the first post-cursor. Therefore, the comparators need to have enough pull-down time to make an accurate decision for a bit. The quarter-rate DFE approach has advantages of enough pull-down time because of operating at lower frequency of each data path and widely opened eye diagram at the output. In addition, it consumes less power than the half-rate DFE. The DFE is simulated with 180nm technology node and 1.8V power supply. The S21 parameter (channel loss) is 27 dB at 4 Gbps data rate, and the power consumption is 14.52 mW.
Disordered eating in college sorority women: A social network analysis of a subset of members from a single sorority chapter.

Abstract Objective Disordered eating attitudes and behaviors are prevalent among college women, and peers appear to influence current and future eating pathology. Social network analysis (SNA) is an innovative quantitative method to examine relationships (i.e., ties) among people based on their various attributes. In this study, the social network of one sorority was modeled using exponential random graph model (ERGM) to explore if homophily, or the tendency for relationship ties to exist based on shared attributes, was present according to sorority members’ disordered eating behaviors/attitudes and their body mass index (BMI). Method Participants included members of one sorority at a large Southeastern university. All members were included on a roster unless they elected to opt out during the consent process, and 41 (19%) of the members completed the study measures. Participants completed the Social Network Questionnaire developed for this study (degree of “liking” of every member on the roster), the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q), and a demographics questionnaire in exchange for one hour of community service credit. Results The final sample consisted of mostly White women with an average age of 20. Homophily across liking ties was examined based on the EDE-Q Global scale, episodes of binge eating, and BMI. The greater the difference in EDE-Q Global scores, the more likely the participants were to like one another. The greater the difference in BMI, the less likely the participants were to like one another. Binge eating was unrelated to homophily. Discussion College sorority women appear to prefer other women with dissimilar levels of disordered eating attitudes, suggesting complex interactions between stigmatized or valued disordered eating attributes. Women with similar BMI were more likely to like one another, confirming past findings.
Validation of a Reliable, Noninvasive Method for Determining Right Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Paired scintigraphic and cine CT studies were performed on 29 patients to assess the accuracy of three scintigraphic method currently available for determination of right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF). Following a bolus injection of 30 mCi (/sup 99m/Tc)pertechnetate, a serial mode acquisition of the first transit through the heart was recorded. Processing was performed in three ways: beat-by-beat (fixed ROI), equilibrium multigated acquisition (MUGA) (variable ROI), and first-pass MUGA (variable ROI). RVEF valued determined with the first pass MUGA technique showed the best correlation with cine CT values, while those determined with the beat-by-beat or the equilibrium MUGA techniques consistently underestimated the RVEF. Thus, the scintigraphic technique using a first-pass gated format with variable ROI appears to be reliable by correlation with cine CT as an inexpensive, noninvasive method for evaluation of RV function.
BoNT for Bladder and Pelvic Pain

Botulinum toxin (BoNT) has demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of several pain disorders including focal dystonia, cervical dystonia/spastic torticollis, spasmodic dysphonia, oromandibular dystonia, temporomandibular disorder, refractory myofascial pain syndrome, and tension- and migraine-type headache (Smith et al. 2002). These positive results of BoNT helping pain stimulated interest on the use of BoNT for a variety of genitourinary pain conditions. BoNT’s mechanism of action for pain relief is thought to be primarily based on eliminating tonic muscle contraction and, subsequently, blunting nociceptive responses. In addition, BoNT has been shown to inhibit central glutamate release, thus diminishing excitatory amino acid receptors important to the central windup process and pain perception (Smith et al. 2002). Central desensitization may be indirectly mediated via peripheral desensitization resulting from BoNT-induced inhibition of neurotransmitter release from primary sensory neurons (Aoki 2005; Chuang et al. 2004).
Some factors in the interpretation of protein denaturation.

Publisher Summary This chapter explores that the changes that take place in the protein molecules during denaturation constitute one of the most interesting and complex classes of reactions that can be found either in nature or in the laboratory. These reactions are important because of the information they can provide about the more intimate details of protein structure and function. They are also significant because they challenge the chemist with a difficult area for the application of chemical principles. The chapter reviews that the denaturation is a process in which the spatial arrangement of the polypeptide chains within the molecule is changed from that typical of the native protein to a more disordered arrangement. The chapter also discusses the classification of protein structures: primary, secondary, and tertiary structures. The primary structure is that expressed by the structural chemical formula and depends entirely on the chemical valence bonds that the classical organic chemist would write down for the protein molecule. The secondary structure is the configuration of the polypeptide chain that results from the satisfaction of the hydrogen bonding potential between the peptide N-H and C=O groups. The tertiary structure is the pattern according to which the secondary structures are packed together within the native protein molecule. The term “denaturation” as used in this chapter is indented to include changes in both the secondary and tertiary structures.
Quality of Clinical Cardiac Care Delivered in Managed Care: The Case of Anthem of Ohio

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. In 1994 over 56 million Americans were diagnosed with some form of coronary heart disease, 14% of all medical spending was on cardiac disease. 550,000 Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgeries, 435,000 Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasties, (PTCA’s), and 58,000 valve replacement surgeries were performed in 1994. When this network was formed in 1993, our company had over 1.2 million policy holders in Ohio. Cardiac services accounted for approximately 20% of our reimbursements for medical care.
Diode Reverse Recovery Characteristics of a Shielded-Gate Trench Power MOSFET

A better understanding of the diode reverse-recovery behavior of power MOSFET is critical when designing a power electronics systems with faster switching speed, minimum switching losses, and higher system efficiency. In order to study the switching transient times, one needs to focus on both switching device architecture and circuit parasitic inductances and capacitances. The goal of this paper is to study the MOSFET device structure and circuit elements, and their impacts on reverse recovery characteristics when MOSFET is used as a Synchronous Rectifier (SR). This paper will present the role of the drain-to-shield capacitance of the shielded-gate MOSFET on the reverse recovery current and voltage transients. Mixed-mode TCAD simulation is performed to study the intricate reverse-recovery behavior observed in the shielded-gate trench MOSFETs.
Introduction: Constructivism, Postmodernism, and Science

In these postmodern times, when scholars proclaim the impossibility of knowledge, except, of course, their own, I would like to defend a rather old-fashioned notion. This is the idea that science provides us with knowledge about the world which is based on experimental evidence and on reasoned and critical discussion. I further suggest that we can, and do, have reasonable grounds for belief in that evidence. In short, I believe that science is a reasonable enterprise.2
Clinical Outcomes Of Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty Using The Bonfadini-Todd Injector For Graft Insertion.

Purpose To evaluate the clinical outcomes of using an Alcon intraocular lens (IOL) B cartridge for graft insertion during Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). Patients and methods We retrospectively reviewed medical charts of patients who underwent DMEK using the Bonfadini-Todd injector, composed of an Alcon IOL B cartridge connected to plastic tubing and a syringe, for graft insertion between May 2016 and August 2018. Patient demographics, diagnoses, donor information, visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), graft position and attachment status, pachymetry, and postoperative complications were recorded. Results Twenty-four eyes of 23 patients with an average age of 72.8 ± 10.0 years (range, 48-87 years) were included. Mean follow-up duration was 13.3 ± 6.6 months (range, 3-26 months). Twenty-one (87.5%) patients had a primary diagnosis of Fuchs endothelial dystrophy, two (8.3%) patients had bullous keratopathy and one (4.2%) had Peter's anomaly. Sixteen (66.7%) cases combined phacoemulsification and IOL implantation. Best-corrected visual acuity improved from a median of 0.398 logMAR preoperatively to 0.097 logMAR (P <0.001) at last follow-up examination, and central corneal thickness decreased from a median of 651 μm to 533.5 μm (P <0.001). Nine of 24 patients (37.5%) required re-bubbling due to partial graft detachment with a mean time of 12.1 ± 9.2 days (range, 5-35 days). One patient (4.2%) developed graft failure after re-bubbling and underwent Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty. Conclusion The Alcon IOL B cartridge for DMEK graft insertion is safe and simple.
Response rates and survival to systemic therapy after immune checkpoint inhibitor failure in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract Objectives Prior reports have demonstrated a potential enhancement in overall response rate (ORR) to chemotherapy after exposure to immunotherapy. The goal of this study was to evaluate the ORR and survival to chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients who progressed on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Materials and Methods We retrospectively collected clinical and pathologic data from patients with recurrent/metastatic HNSCC who progressed on ICI and subsequently received chemotherapy or targeted therapy. ORR was assessed by RECIST version 1.1. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results A total of 43 patients met criteria for inclusion. The majority were male (91%) and former smokers (60%). Most patients received ICI as first-line (58.14%); the vast majority was platinum exposed (90.7%). The ORR to ICI was 21%. The ORR to systemic therapy before ICI was 47%, and the ORR after ICI failure was 42%. After progression on ICI, the median PFS and OS on the subsequent line of therapy were 4.2 and 8.4 months respectively. Conclusion In our cohort of recurrent/metastatic HNSCC patients, the ORR and OS to systemic therapy after progression on ICI were higher than historical controls for second-line or beyond. Further investigations are warranted to better characterize optimal sequencing and combination strategies.
Significance of Kisspeptin levels in diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation of idiopathic central precocious puberty in girls

Objective To explore the significance and value of Kisspeptin in the diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation for idiopathic central precocious puberty(ICPP) in girls. Methods Twenty-four girls with ICPP and 21 girls with premature thelarche(PT) who were hospitalized in the Children's Hospital of Jiangxi Province from Jun.2012 to Jan.2013 were selected as ICPP group and PT group, and 25 healthy girls were selected as healthy control group.The coagulation vein blood in ICPP girls before treatment and after 6 months treatment and PT girls and healthy girls were collected, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the plasma Kisspeptin level, and t test was used to analyze the differences among the 4 groups. Results The Kisspeptin level of girls with ICPP[(1.80±0.13) μg/L] was apparently higher than that of PT groups [(1.41±0.10) μg/L] and healthy control group[(1.39±0.13) μg/L], and the differences were statistically significant(t=10.974, 14.787, all P=0.000). However, the difference of Kisspeptin between PT group and healthy control group was not statistically significant(t=10.970, P=0.095). In addition, the Kisspeptin level of ICPP girls who undewent 6-month treatment [(1.49±0.15) μg/L ]was significantly lower than that before treatment, and the difference was statistically significant(t=10.80, P<0.05); but, compared with PT group and healthy control group, there was no significant difference(t=6.32, P=0.060; t=7.44, P=0.214). Conclusions Kisspeptin level is related with pubertal development, and it can be used as an important evidence in ICPP diagnosis and an important parameter in ICPP therapeutic evaluation. Key words: Kisspeptin; Idiopathic central precocious puberty; Premature thelarche
Performance, behaviour and perceptions of an open educational resource-derived interactive educational resource by online and campus university students

Platforms are now becoming available to allow for incorporating interactive elements into open educational resources (OERs), but little has been published about their use and effectiveness. Students enrolled in online and on-campus sections of an intermediate human nutrition course at a public Midwestern University in the United States used an OER that was adapted to an online platform, where it included embedded videos and summative assessments (interactive educational resource). Data were collected from the learning management system, course performance, resource platform and a survey. Student course grades were positively correlated with use of the interactive educational resource and percentage of questions correctly answered. Overall survey response rate was 84/109 (77.1%). Student respondents reported higher use of the interactive educational resource and preferred it over a static PDF or hard copy. Students were most motivated to utilise the interactive educational resource by the opportunity to earn extra credit followed by desire to earn a good grade. Student respondents reported that they were satisfied with their experiences using the interactive educational resource, and with a high likelihood, would recommend future students to use it. While these findings are limited to one semester at one university, they support future research efforts into the efficacy of interactive educational resources and OER-enabled pedagogy.
Sterol metabolism: Part 9. 26-hydroxycholesterol levels in the human aorta

Abstract The concentration of 26-hydroxycholesterol in 36 samples of human intimal and 19 samples of human medial tissue of varying extent of atherosclerosis was estimated using thin-layer and gas chromatographic procedures. Levels of 26-hydroxycholesterol were compared with total lipid and cholesterol levels and all three entities were shown to increase in about the same manner with increasing severity of atherosclerosis both in intimal tissue samples and in medial tissue samples. These results are discussed in terms of their possible significance to the origin and progression of atherosclerosis.
Search for the C-noninvariant decay. pi. /sup 0/. -->. 3. gamma

A search for the three-photon decay of the neutral pion has been conducted using fast counter techniques. Such a decay would indicate a violation of charge-conjugation invariance. No excess of signal over background was observed, providing an upper limit to the branching ratio of 1.5 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ at 90% confidence level.
How Developers Talk About Personal Data and What It Means for User Privacy: A Case Study of a Developer Forum on Reddit

While online developer forums are major resources of knowledge for application developers, their roles in promoting better privacy practices remain underexplored. In this paper, we conducted a qualitative analysis of a sample of 207 threads (4772 unique posts) mentioning different forms of personal data from the /r/androiddev forum on Reddit. We started with bottom-up open coding on the sampled posts to develop a typology of discussions about personal data use and conducted follow-up analyses to understand what types of posts elicited in-depth discussions on privacy issues or mentioned risky data practices. Our results show that Android developers rarely discussed privacy concerns when talking about a specific app design or implementation problem, but often had active discussions around privacy when stimulated by certain external events representing new privacy-enhancing restrictions from the Android operating system, app store policies, or privacy laws. Developers often felt these restrictions could cause considerable cost yet fail to generate any compelling benefit for themselves. Given these results, we present a set of suggestions for Android OS and the app store to design more effective methods to enhance privacy, and for developer forums(e.g., /r/androiddev) to encourage more in-depth privacy discussions and nudge developers to think more about privacy.
How statistical learning interacts with the socioeconomic environment to shape children’s language development

Language is acquired in part through statistical learning abilities that encode environmental regularities. Language development is also heavily influenced by social environmental factors such as socioeconomic status. However, it is unknown to what extent statistical learning interacts with SES to affect language outcomes. We measured event-related potentials in 26 children aged 8–12 while they performed a visual statistical learning task. Regression analyses indicated that children’s learning performance moderated the relationship between socioeconomic status and both syntactic and vocabulary language comprehension scores. For children demonstrating high learning, socioeconomic status had a weaker effect on language compared to children showing low learning. These results suggest that high statistical learning ability can provide a buffer against the disadvantages associated with being raised in a lower socioeconomic status household.
Activation of proteolytic activities of calpain and caspase-3 in apoptosis of human malignant glioblastoma cell lines T98G and U87MG exposed to diallyl sulfide (DAS) and diallyl disulfide (DADS)

819 Glioblastoma is the most malignant brain cancer in humans. It is not yet amenable to any currently available therapeutic regimen. In the past, various conventional chemotherapeutic agents have been used to control the growth of glioblastoma. But none of them showed significant success. So, the search continues to find out an innovative and effective therapeutic strategy for treating this deadly disease. Garlic derived organosulfur compounds such as diallyl sulfide (DAS) and diallyl disulfide (DADS) offer significant protection against chemical carcinogen induced cancers in animal models. The objective of this study was to investigate the capability of DAS and DADS for induction of apoptosis in human malignant glioblastoma cell lines T98G and U87MG. Trypan blue dye exclusion test showed a decrease in number of viable human glioblastoma cells with an increasing dose of DAS and DADS. Wright staining and light microscopy for examination of cell morphology indicated predominantly apoptotic features in human glioblastoma cells following exposure to 100 μM DAS and 100 μM DADS for 24 h. Notably, DADS demonstrated more pro-apoptotic effect than DAS. Fura-2 assay showed that apoptosis in both human glioblastoma cell lines was associated with an increase in intracellular free Ca2+, indicating participation of Ca2+-dependent molecular events in mediation of the apoptotic process. Changes in transcriptional level expression (mRNA) of all eight members of the inhibitor-of-apoptosis proteins (IAPs), also currently designated as the baculovirus IAP repeat containing (BIRC) proteins, were examined by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In addition to the RT-PCR experiments, Western blot analyses were performed to determine the changes in protein level expression of the selective BIRC proteins. Also, Western blot analyses showed changes in the levels of expression of pro-apoptotic Bax and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins resulting in an increase in Bax:Bcl-2 ratio, and overexpression and activation of calpain and caspase-3 leading to the cleavage of 270 kD α-spectrin at specific sites for generation of 145 kD spectrin break down products (SBDP) and 120 kD SBDP, respectively, in course of apoptosis in glioblastoma cells. The activation of caspase-3 was further confirmed in the increased generation of 20 kD and 12 kD fragments from 32 kD pro-caspase-3 and by a colorimetric assay using a caspase-3-specific synthetic peptide substrate. Taken together, these results from our investigation strongly suggest that garlic compounds such as DAS and DADS can be used as potential therapeutic agents for induction of proteolytic activities for apoptotic death in human glioblastoma cells. This investigation was supported in part by the R01 grants from the NCI and NINDS of the NIH, and also a grant from the State of SC.
Reducing PICC Placement in Pediatric Osteomyelitis: A Diamond in the Deimplementation Rough?

Acute osteomyelitis is a common condition among children and is associated with intensive health care resource use.1 The practice of treating pediatric osteomyelitis with long-term intravenous antibiotic therapy, typically achieved through placement of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), has been questioned in recent years. In multiple comparative effectiveness studies, researchers have failed to identify differences in patient outcomes when comparing prolonged intravenous therapy to oral antimicrobial therapy while at the same time bringing to light the harms associated with peripherally inserted central catheter lines.2–7 Although the available evidence supports a practice shift away from long-term parenteral therapy, less is known about the extent to which this evidence is influencing actual population-based trends. In this month’s Hospital Pediatrics , Shaikh et al8 identify important changes in pediatric osteomyelitis care over the last decade. The authors used the National Inpatient Sample database, a publicly available, all-payer database approximating a large sample of discharges from US hospitals, to derive weighted national estimates of health care use patterns for acute osteomyelitis from 2007 to 2016. They identified a rising proportion of osteomyelitis hospitalizations over this time period, from 42.9 to 81.5 per 100 000 hospitalizations, presumably related to increasingly sensitive diagnostic modalities, such as MRI. This increase in incidence coincided with a sharp decline in PICC placement rates in osteomyelitis patients, from 58.8% to 5.9%. Multivariate analysis failed to reveal any significant change in length of stay (LOS) or inflation-adjusted hospital cost over the study period, although PICC placement was associated with both increased LOS and cost. The work by Shaikh et al8 contributes important information around what appears to have been a paradigm shift occurring in pediatric osteomyelitis care.8 A pause for reflection is warranted with the findings of this study. A nearly 10-fold reduction in PICC placement …
Adapting to technology advances and end of life announcements for current measurement technologies

As technology advances and manufacturing processes evolve, electronic components and subassemblies are replaced by updated, generally more capable components and subassemblies. After a period of dwindling supplies of the outdated parts, the component or subassembly is discontinued. The first warning is generally an “End of Life” announcement to permit the clients dependent on the part to make other arrangements. The need to adapt to these changes can present a significant challenge to small companies, making limited runs of product depending on a stable supply of parts and there are several strategies that can be employed to minimize the disruption and maximize the benefit of the upgraded part replacement.
Inhibition of Calcium Absorption and Elevation of Calcium Removal Rate from Bone in Fluoride-treated Calves

Nutritional balances, 45Cakinetics and roentgenologA­astudies were per formed on six Holstein calves, three of which had been given 100 ppm fluoride in their drinking water for 11 months. The fluoride-treated calves had lower body weights, food intakes, and calcium balances than the controls. Multicompartmental analysis indi cated marked depression of calcium absorption and efficiency of calcium absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, and an elevated rate of removal of calcium from bone in the fluoride-treated calves. Urinary calcium excretion, calcium deposition into bone, and mass of exchangeable calcium did not appear to be affected by fluoride. Endoge nous fecal calcium excretion was lower in the fluoride group but a high correlation of endogenous fecal calcium with body weight suggested that this was not a direct effect of fluoride. Radiographs of sections of the metacarpal bones indicated decreased min eral density, larger intertrabecular spaces, and prominent rA©sorptioncavities in the fluoride-treated calves. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis of primary inhibition of calcium absorption and a homeostatic elevation of calcium removal rate from bone as a mechanism for the development of demineralizing bone lesions in cattle exposed to high levels of fluoride.
An External Explosive Airbag Model for an Innovative Inflatable Bumper (I-Bumper) Concept

This paper describes how, in the I-bumper (inflatable bumper) concept, two explosive airbags are released just before the main body-to-body crash in order to absorb the kinetic energy of colliding vehicles. The release also actuates other components in the I-bumper, including a movable bumper and an energy absorption morphing lattice structure. A small explosive charge will be used to deploy the airbag. A conventional airbag model will be used to reduce the crash energy in a controlled manner and reduce the peak impact force. An analytic model of the explosive airbag is developed in this paper for the I-bumper system and for its optimal design, while the complete system design (I-bumper) will be discussed in a separate paper. Analytical formulations for an explosive airbag will be developed and major design variables will be identified. These are used to determine the required amount of explosive and predict airbag behavior, as well to predict their impact on the I-bumper system. Related design guidelines and procedures will also be introduced. This new explosive airbag model will be implemented in Matlab, and will be validated with a high-fidelity model using an LS-DYNA simulation.
Regulation of signaling genes by TGFβ during entry into dauer diapause in C. elegans

When resources are scant, C. elegans larvae arrest as long-lived dauers under the control of insulin/IGF- and TGFβ-related signaling pathways. However, critical questions remain regarding the regulation of this developmental event. How do three dozen insulin-like proteins regulate one tyrosine kinase receptor to control complex events in dauer, metabolism and aging? How are signals from the TGFβ and insulin/IGF pathways integrated? What gene expression programs do these pathways regulate, and how do they control complex downstream events? We have identified genes that show different levels of expression in a comparison of wild-type L2 or L3 larvae (non-dauer) to TGFβ mutants at similar developmental stages undergoing dauer formation. Many insulin/IGF pathway and other known dauer regulatory genes have changes in expression that suggest strong positive feedback by the TGFβ pathway. In addition, many insulin-like ligand and novel genes with similarity to the extracellular domain of insulin/IGF receptors have altered expression. We have identified a large group of regulated genes with putative binding sites for the FOXO transcription factor, DAF-16. Genes with DAF-16 sites upstream of the transcription start site tend to be upregulated, whereas genes with DAF-16 sites downstream of the coding region tend to be downregulated. Finally, we also see strong regulation of many novel hedgehog- and patched-related genes, hormone biosynthetic genes, cell cycle genes, and other regulatory genes. The feedback regulation of insulin/IGF pathway and other dauer genes that we observe would be predicted to amplify signals from the TGFβ pathway; this amplification may serve to ensure a decisive choice between "dauer" and "non-dauer", even if environmental cues are ambiguous. Up and down regulation of insulin-like ligands and novel genes with similarity to the extracellular domain of insulin/IGF receptors suggests opposing roles for several members of these large gene families. Unlike in adults, most genes with putative DAF-16 binding sites are upregulated during dauer entry, suggesting that DAF-16 has different activity in dauer versus adult metabolism and aging. However, our observation that the position of putative DAF-16 binding sites is correlated with the direction of regulation suggests a novel method of achieving gene-specific regulation from a single pathway. We see evidence of TGFβ-mediated regulation of several other classes of regulatory genes, and we discuss possible functions of these genes in dauer formation.
The steric effect in lysogenization by bacteriophage lambda: III. Superinfection of monolysogenic derivatives of a strain diploid for the prophage attachment site☆

A partially diploid strain of Escherichia coli monolysogenic for bacteriophage lambda was superinfected with another lambda mutant. A low frequency of doubly lysogenic survivors was observed. In all those examined (3838), the second phage had added at the same chromosomal site as the original prophage rather than at the initially vacant site. We conclude that there is a strong physiological effect depressing prophage integration in the lysogenic cell, but that the purely structural effect of the presence of prophage is to facilitate, rather than to hinder, lysogenization.
Hippocampal expression of myelin-associated inhibitors is induced with age-related cognitive decline and correlates with deficits of spatial learning and memory

Impairment of cognitive functions including hippocampus-dependent spatial learning and memory affects nearly half of the aged population. Age-related cognitive decline is associated with synaptic dysfunction that occurs in the absence of neuronal cell loss, suggesting that impaired neuronal signaling and plasticity may underlie age-related deficits of cognitive function. Expression of myelin-associated inhibitors (MAIs) of synaptic plasticity, including the ligands myelin-associated glycoprotein, neurite outgrowth inhibitor A, and oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein, and their common receptor, Nogo-66 receptor, was examined in hippocampal synaptosomes and Cornu ammonis area (CA)1, CA3 and dentate gyrus subregions derived from adult (12-13 months) and aged (26-28 months) Fischer 344 × Brown Norway rats. Rats were behaviorally phenotyped by Morris water maze testing and classified as aged cognitively intact (n = 7-8) or aged cognitively impaired (n = 7-10) relative to adults (n = 5-7). MAI protein expression was induced in cognitively impaired, but not cognitively intact, aged rats and correlated with cognitive performance in individual rats. Immunohistochemical experiments demonstrated that up-regulation of MAIs occurs, in part, in hippocampal neuronal axons and somata. While a number of pathways and processes are altered with brain aging, we report a coordinated induction of myelin-associated inhibitors of functional and structural plasticity only in cognitively impaired aged rats. Induction of MAIs may decrease stimulus-induced synaptic strengthening and structural remodeling, ultimately impairing synaptic mechanisms of spatial learning and memory and resulting in cognitive decline.
OBSERVATIONS ON GENERALIZED GLYCOGENOSIS WITH EMPHASIS ON ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC CHANGES

Clinical, laboratory, and postmortem studies on two cases of generalized glycogenosis diagnosed, and studies during life, and the family history of a third case are presented. An instance of consanguinity and of an afflicted brother and sister are noted in this small series. Serial electrocardiograms of both infants showed progressive left ventricular hypertrophy and variability in P, Q, S-T, and T waves over a period of months. Tracings of one patient revealed shifting atrial foci, ventricular coupling, and slight aberration in some of the ventricular complexes. Unexplained mild fructosuria was noted in one patient. Staining of circulating leukocytes for glycogen appears to be an unreliable diagnostic test.
The Clemmensen Reduction

The replacement of the oxygen atoms of the carbonyl group in an aldehyde or ketone by two hydrogen atoms through the use of amalgamated zinc and hydrochloric acid was first employed in 1913 by Clemmensen and is know as the Clemmensen method of reduction. The process has been applied to a large number of aldehydes and ketones as a step in the synthesis of polynuclear hydrocarbons and alkylated aromatic compounds. It has also played an important role in the elucidation of the structures of highly complex natural products. The wide use of this method has resulted in the development of several modifications of the original procedure. Keywords: Clemmensen reduction; aldehydes; ketones; alpha-keto acids; unsaturated carbonyl compounds; functional groups; zinc; hydrochloric acid; experimental procedures
Equitable colorings extend Chernoff-Hoeffding bounds

Chernoff-Hoeffding bounds are sharp tail probability bounds for sums of bounded independent random variables. Often we cannot avoid dependence among random variables involved in the sum. In some cases the theory of martingales has been used to obtain sharp bounds when there is a limited amount of dependence. This paper will present a simple but powerful new technique that uses the existence of small sized equitable graph colorings to prove sharp Chernoff-Hoeffding type concentration results for sums of random variables with dependence. This technique also allows us to focus on the dependency structure of the random variables and in cases where the dependency structure is a tree or an outerplanar graph, it allows us to derive bounds almost as sharp as those obtainable had the random variables been mutually independent. This technique connects seemingly unrelated topics: extremal graph theory and concentration inequalities. The technique also motivates several open questions in equitable graph colorings, positive answers for which will lead to surprisingly strong Chernoff-Hoeffding type bounds.
Convergent Oxygenation of Arachidonic Acid by 5-Lipoxygenase and Cyclooxygenase-2

5-Lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) initiate the biosynthesis of distinct families of mediators from arachidonic acid (leukotrienes and prostaglandins, respectively) and are each the target of anti-inflammatory medications. Here we show that the product of 5-lipoxygenase, 5S-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, is selectively and efficiently triply oxygenated by COX-2, implicating a cross-pathway interaction. The product is a unique diendoperoxide, potentially representing the parent compound of a novel group of lipid mediators.
In vivo assessment of NuvaRing® placement

NuvaRing, a combined contraceptive vaginal ring 54 mm in diameter, offers many advantages over oral contraceptives. To better delineate in vivo placement, we performed MRI to confirm its anatomical position. Two healthy users, one nulliparous and one parous, underwent a series of MRI: preinsertion, immediately postinsertion and after ambulation. Three-dimensional imaging of the human vagina demonstrates that in vivo, NuvaRing is located superior to the urogenital diaphragm (UGD), surrounding the cervix. The superior-most aspect of the ring lies behind (posterior) the cervix, at a level superior to the external os. The inferior aspect of the ring also lies in the vaginal canal above the UGD. The entire cervix rests inside the ring. The preambulation image in the nulliparous woman was the only exception. In this case, the upper portion of the ring was at the level of the lower-mid cervix and the lower aspect below the UGD. After ambulation, the ring moved cephalad and surrounded the cervix. In all instances, ambulation resulted in lower aspect of NuvaRing moving away from the introitus. In vivo, NuvaRing is compressed laterally forming a gentle oval in the anterior-posterior direction (5-7 mm longer than wide), an effect that is seen more in nulliparous women.
Guinea pig maximization test of the bark extract from pawpaw, Asimina triloba (Annonaceae)

Several acetogenins, characteristic of the Annonaceae, have been found to exhibit pesticidal and feeding-deterrent activities against a variety of pests and are undergoing commercial development as pesticides. The sensitizing potential of one of these plants, pawpaw. Asmina triloba Dunal, was examined in the current study. The potential of Fraction F020 (a pesticidal crude extract of pawpaw stem bark) to sensitize and elicit an allergic contact dermatitis response was determined by using a modified guinea pig maximization test (GPMT). Fraction F020 is a weak sensitizer and the active compound, asimicin, a trihydroxy-bistetrahydrofuran fatly acid γ-lactone, is a weak irritant.
Activation of the Erk Pathway Is Required for TGF-β1-Induced EMT In Vitro

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) can be tumorsuppressive through the activation of the Smadmediated signaling pathway. TGF-β1 can also enhance tumor progression by stimulating epithelial-tomesenchymal transition (EMT) through additional pathways. EMT is characterized by the acquisition of a fibroblast-like cell morphology, dissolution of tight junctions, disruption of adherence junctions, and formation of actin stress fibers. There is evidence linking the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways to the induction of TGF-β1-mediated EMT. However, the role of Erk in the induction of TGF-β1-mediated EMT remains unclear. TGF-β1 treatment of normal murine mammary gland (NMuMG) epithelial cells resulted in increased gene expression of Ras, Raf, MEK1/2, and Erk1/2, as shown by microarray analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Upon 24 and 48 hours of treatment with TGF-β1, NMuMG and mouse cortical tubule (MCT) epithelial cells underwent EMT as shown by changes in cell morphology, delocalization of zonula occludens-1 and E-cadherin from cell-cell junctions, and formation of actin stress fibers. TGF-β1 treatment also resulted in increased levels of phosphorylated Erk and Erk kinase activity. Treatment with an MEK inhibitor, U0126, inhibited increased Erk phosphorylation and kinase activity, and blocked TGF-β1-induced EMT in both cell lines. These data show that TGF-β1 induces the activation of the Erk signaling pathway, which is required for TGF-β1-mediated EMT in vitro.
Design and synthesis of novel trifluoromethyl-containing peptides and their use as enzyme inhibitors

Abstract A series of new trifluoromethyl-containing peptides are synthesized as potential inhibitors for angiotensin coneverting enzyme (ACE), which are trifluoromethyl analogs and homologs of Captopril and Enalaprilat. The structure-activity relationship of these compounds in the ACE inhibitory activity. Also, a series of trifluoromethyl-containing enkephalin analogs are synthesized, and some of them exhibit 100,000 times enhancement in in vivo analgesic activity. The in vitro receptor binding assays reveal that this enhancement is due to the extremely efficient inhibition of degradation by enkephalin-aminopeptidase. Unique effects of trifluoromethyl group on the enzyme inhibitory activities will be discussed.
Job-related ability and turnover

Recent articles concerned with the (dis)utility of turnover have refocused attention on the relation between ability and turnover. Jackofsky and Peters (1983) have presented a model of the turnover process that hypothesizes that ability has an indirect effect on turnover through the intervening variables of ease of movement, desirability of movement, and intention to quit, and the moderator variable of task complexity. This study failed to support the hypotheses based on the model. Ability appeared to have a direct, negative association with turnover, and task complexity showed no moderating effect on either desirability of movement or turnover.