cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perioperative Pain Control in the Opioid-Dependent Patient: Just Bite the Bullet?

The opioid crisis in the USA makes it very likely that a large number of patients who are opioid-dependent will require surgical procedures. Perioperative pain control in those patients poses a formidable challenge to the surgical and anesthesia care team. Previously, patients received only additional opioids to cover the postoperative pain and would then be referred back to their primary care physician with often escalation of opioid dosing. Various strategies and recommendations to help with postoperative pain control in these challenging situations are available and can be applied successfully in various ambulatory and hospital settings. Opioid-dependent patients presenting for surgery will challenge a health care system to provide optimal patient care, requiring close communication among the surgical team, anesthesiologists, referring physicians, and pain specialists. Regional anesthesia and multimodal analgesia are best suited to reduce or possibly avoid opioids altogether. Surgery location and monitoring may need to be adapted from standard care according to the chronic pain therapy and the presence of opioid use disorder (OUD). The preoperative visit is the most important time with the patient to set goals and expectations as well as developing a strategy for perioperative pain control.
Water Safety in California Public Schools Following Implementation of School Drinking Water Policies

Introduction Recent legislation requires public and charter schools in California to test drinking water for lead. Our objective was to describe 1) results from this testing program in the context of other available water safety data and 2) factors related to schools and water utilities associated with access to safe drinking water in schools. Methods Our study focused on a random sample of 240 California public and charter schools. We used multivariable logistic regression, accounting for clustering of tested water sources in schools, to examine school-level factors associated with failure to meet lead-testing deadlines and any history of water utility noncompliance. Results Of the 240 schools, the majority (n = 174) tested drinking water for lead. Of the schools tested, 3% (n = 6) had at least 1 sample that exceeded 15 parts per billion (ppb) (California action level) and 16% (n = 28) exceeded 5 ppb (bottled water standard). Suburban schools had lower odds of being served by noncompliant water systems (OR = 0.17; CI, 0.05-0.64; P = .009) than city schools. Compared with city schools, rural schools had the highest odds of not participating in the water testing program for lead (OR = 3.43; CI, 1.46-8.05; P = .005). Hallways and common spaces and food services areas were the most frequent school locations tested; one-third of all locations sampled could not be identified. Conclusion In our study, geography influenced access to safe drinking water in schools, including both water utility safety standards and school lead-testing practices. Considerations for improving the implementation of state lead-testing programs include establishing priority locations for sampling, precisely labeling samples, and developing well-defined testing and reporting protocols.
An 'Essential' Solution: Reworking the Essential Facilities Doctrine to Address Big Tech’s Harm to the Marketplace of Ideas

The Big Tech firms dominate our daily lives. We feed them revenue as we feed them our attention. In return, many trust they are providing access to a wide range of content that reflects a wide range of viewpoints. This trust is misplaced. Big Tech censorship is at the forefront of modern discussion. Conservatives aver that the Big Tech gargantuans silence conservative voices by censoring conservative content. But many left-leaning individuals and businesses claim Big Tech equally censors their content as well. Both sides present compelling evidence to back their claims. This Article demonstrates that regardless of one’s political affiliations, it is indisputable that Big Tech censors a substantial amount of content. Of course, it is a normative question whether Big Tech censors too much content or favors particular viewpoints. Meanwhile, Big Tech antitrust litigation has dominated recent news columns. However, none of this litigation seeks to rein in Big Tech censorship; instead, the litigation is based simply on traditional antitrust considerations. Taking a different approach, this Article argues Congress or the courts should utilize antitrust law to deter Big Tech censorship. Antitrust law is best suited to deter Big Tech censorship because censorship causes concrete antitrust harm by impairing the marketplace of ideas. Moreover, other sources of law––such as First Amendment jurisprudence––have failed to remedy this harm. Congress or the Courts should revitalize the essential facilities doctrine to protect the marketplace of ideas and consumer welfare. By preventing the Big Tech firms from refusing to deal with content publishers based on the publishers’ viewpoints, we may finally halt Big Tech’s anticompetitive and anti-democratic behavior.
Fatigue induces altered spatial myoelectric activation patterns in the medial gastrocnemius during locomotion

This research investigates the effects of muscle fatigue on spatial myoelectric patterns in the lower limb during locomotion. Both spatial and frequency aspects of neuromuscular recruitment in the ...
Genetic deficiency or pharmacological inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase ameliorates high fat diet-induced pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and loss.

Abstract Pancreatic β-cells are crucial regulators of systemic glucose homeostasis, and their dysfunction and loss are central features in type 2 diabetes. Interventions that rectify β-cell dysfunction and loss are essential to combat this deadly malady. In the current study, we sought to delineate the role of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) in β-cells under diet-induced metabolic stress. The expression of sEH was upregulated in murine and macaque diabetes models and islets of diabetic human patients. We postulated that hyperglycemia-induced elevation in sEH leads to a reduction in its substrates, epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), and attenuates the function of β-cells. Genetic deficiency of sEH potentiated glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in mice, likely in a cell-autonomous manner, contributing to better systemic glucose control. Consistent with this observation, genetic and pharmacological inactivation of sEH and the treatment with EETs exhibited insulinotropic effects in isolated murine islets ex vivo. Additionally, sEH deficiency enhanced glucose sensing and metabolism with elevated ATP and cAMP concentrations. This phenotype was associated with attenuated oxidative stress and diminished β-cell death in sEH deficient islets. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of sEH in vivo mitigated, albeit partly, high fat diet-induced β-cell loss and dedifferentiation. The current observations provide new insights into the role of sEH in β-cells and information that may be leveraged for the development of a mechanism-based intervention to rectify β-cell dysfunction and loss.
Concurrent use of e-cigarettes and cannabis and associated COVID-19 symptoms, testing, and diagnosis among student e-cigarette users at four U.S. Universities.

Introduction This investigation assessed whether current (past 30-day) electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) and cannabis use was associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptomatology, testing, and diagnosis among college student e-cigarette users. Methods Participants were 18-26-year-old college student e-cigarette users attending four geographically diverse, large U.S. public universities during October-December 2020 (N = 800). Multivariable logistic regression models explored associations between exclusive e-cigarette use and concurrent e-cigarette and cannabis use and COVID-19 symptoms, testing, and diagnosis. Models controlled for demographics, university site, and current use of combustible cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco. Results Over half of student e-cigarette users (52.0%) concurrently used cannabis. Compared to exclusive e-cigarette users, concurrent e-cigarette and cannabis users were 3.53 times more likely (95%CI = 1.96-6.36) to report COVID-19 symptoms, after adjusting for the covariates. Compared to infrequent exclusive e-cigarette users, infrequent concurrent users (AOR = 4.72, 95%CI = 1.31-17.00), intermediate concurrent users (AOR = 5.10, 95%CI = 1.37-18.97), and frequent concurrent users (AOR = 7.44, 95%CI = 2.06-26.84) were at increased odds of reporting COVID-19 symptoms. Compared to exclusive e-cigarette users, concurrent e-cigarette and cannabis users were 1.85 times more likely (95%CI = 1.15-2.98) to report a COVID-19 diagnosis. Intermediate concurrent users (AOR = 2.88, 95%CI = 1.13-7.35) and frequent concurrent users (AOR = 3.22, 95%CI = 1.32-7.87) were at increased odds of reporting a COVID-19 diagnosis, compared to infrequent exclusive e-cigarette users. Conclusions Concurrent use of e-cigarettes and cannabis may be an underlying risk factor of COVID-19 symptomatology and diagnosis, with more pronounced odds found among intermediate and frequent users. Results highlight the need to educate students about the impacts of e-cigarette and cannabis use on respiratory, immune, and overall health.
A soft-electronic sensor network tracks neuromotor development in infants.

The brain coordinates the body’s movements through the central nervous system (CNS). Hence, movement behaviors in infants reveal valuable information regarding their developing CNS (1). In infants, spontaneous movements often referred to as general movements (GMs) are an indicator of later neurological deficits (2). GMs are automatic, are complex, occur frequently, and can be observed accurately from early fetal life to 6 mo of age (3). Early observation and assessment of atypical GMs open up the possibility of therapeutic intervention in infants and rely on the neuroplasticity of the brain to avert potential negative outcomes (4, 5). Qualitative and quantitative monitoring of GMs currently requires clinical tests, medical history, video monitoring, and medical experts (6, 7). All these are time and resource intensive; therefore, they are not available to the wider population. In PNAS, Jeong et al. (8) demonstrate an artificial intelligence-enabled soft-electronic sensor network that monitors movements in infants for predicting later neurological deficits (Fig. 1 A ). Fig. 1. Soft-electronic sensor network for early detection of later neurological deficits in infants. ( A ) The sensors are placed on the forehead, chest, and limbs of the infants. These sensors are fabricated using flexible printed circuit boards (PCBs). Electronic components and batteries are assembled and encapsulated inside a waterproof silicone elastomer. Accelerometer and gyroscope data from the left upper arm (LUA), left lower arm (LLA), right upper arm (RUA), and right lower arm (RLA) are then interpreted to acceleration, angular velocity, and normalized activity levels. With machine-learning techniques, these … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: zbao{at}stanford.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
On Spectral Analysis of Stationary Time Series

The present statistical theory of analysis of stationary time series (e.g., extrapolation) has assumed complete knowledge of the covariance sequence or equivalently of the spectrum of the process. It is, therefore, of great importance to be able to estimate one of these. However, knowledge of the spectrum seems to yield greater immediate insight into the structure of the process. This seems to have first been noted in a fundamental paper by Bartlett.1 An unpublished paper by Tukey2 deals with some aspects of the problem of estimating the spectrum.
Obesity is associated with a higher risk of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma than with other histologies

Study Type – Prognosis (cohort) Level of Evidence 2a OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and histology of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in a contemporary cohort, as obesity is increasingly prevalent in the USA and might be contributing to the increasing incidence of RCC, but little is known about the relationship of obesity with the different histological subtypes of RCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS From January 2000 to December 2007 we identified 1640 patients with renal cortical tumours undergoing surgical extirpation at our institution, and who had their BMI recorded. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to test the association of BMI with RCC histology. RESULTS The median (interquartile range) BMI was 28 (25–32) kg/m2 and 38% of patients were classified as obese (BMI >30 kg/m2). After adjusting for tumour size, age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, estimated glomerular filtration rate, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and smoking, the BMI was significantly associated with clear-cell histology; the odds ratios were 1.04 for each unit of BMI (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.02–1.06; P < 0.001) and 1.48 when comparing obese vs non-obese patients (95% CI 1.19–1.84; P < 0.001). In the subgroup of patients with RCC (excluding benign renal cortical tumours), BMI was still an independent predictor of clear-cell histology (odds ratio 1.04, 95% CI 1.02–1.06, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that BMI is an independent predictor of clear-cell histology in patients with a renal cortical tumour. While the aetiology of this phenomenon requires further study, these findings might have implications in determining a patient’s risk of harbouring a clear-cell RCC and in subsequent treatment recommendations.
El papel del sector público en el desarrollo latinoamericano

El papel del sector publico en el desarrollo de los paises latinoamericanos asiste a una transformacion importante. El esquema de accion c intervencion del Estado gestado en la posguerra culmino a comienzos de los ochenta, cuando la crisis de la deuda forzo el fin de un ciclo y el inicio de una readecuacion a nuevas circunstancias. En este articulo se busca caracterizar las principales modificaciones de dicho papel y examinar las causas que determinaron el nuevo modelo de funcionamiento del sector publico. Tanto durante el proceso de ajuste externo como en la fase posterior, cuando la region recobro su acceso al credito, la disponibilidad y reaccion de los mercados financieros fueron decisivas. Las conductas de los oferentes de fondos c inversores —internos y externos—han contribuido a delimitar el espacio para politicas que. tras diversos intentos y con modalidades que difieren de un pais a otro, han alterado los mecanismos de la economia publica. El articulo concluye que los atributos basicos del nuevo esquema son los siguientes: el sector privado se constituye en el factor central de movilizacion del ahorro y la inversion y la provision de servicios sociales —aunque con distintas formas de gestion y fi-nanciamiento—queda en la orbita publica, con creciente descentralizacion de la tributacion y el gasto publico, y premisas diferentes para el diseno del sistema tributario. I-a configuracion emergente no esta aun definitivamente estructurada, pero las piezas que la conforman tienen un elementos de permanencia a mediano y largo plazo. De hecho, en el modelo de economia publica conocido hasta los anos ochenla se ha operado una profunda transformacion.
Osmotic stress induces phosphorylation of histone H3 at threonine 3 in pericentromeric regions of Arabidopsis thaliana

Histone phosphorylation plays key roles in stress-induced transcriptional reprogramming in metazoans but its function(s) in land plants has remained relatively unexplored. Here we report that an Arabidopsis mutant defective in At3g03940 and At5g18190, encoding closely related Ser/Thr protein kinases, shows pleiotropic phenotypes including dwarfism and hypersensitivity to osmotic/salt stress. The double mutant has reduced global levels of phosphorylated histone H3 threonine 3 (H3T3ph), which are not enhanced, unlike the response in the wild type, by drought-like treatments. Genome-wide analyses revealed increased H3T3ph, slight enhancement in trimethylated histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3), and a modest decrease in histone H3 occupancy in pericentromeric/knob regions of wild-type plants under osmotic stress. However, despite these changes in heterochromatin, transposons and repeats remained transcriptionally repressed. In contrast, this reorganization of heterochromatin was mostly absent in the double mutant, which exhibited lower H3T3ph levels in pericentromeric regions even under normal environmental conditions. Interestingly, within actively transcribed protein-coding genes, H3T3ph density was minimal in 5' genic regions, coincidental with a peak of H3K4me3 accumulation. This pattern was not affected in the double mutant, implying the existence of additional H3T3 protein kinases in Arabidopsis. Our results suggest that At3g03940 and At5g18190 are involved in the phosphorylation of H3T3 in pericentromeric/knob regions and that this repressive epigenetic mark may be important for maintaining proper heterochromatic organization and, possibly, chromosome function(s).
Web-based interactive course homepage builder

This work reports on the development of a homepage builder with two unique features: (1) page content is customized to meet the instructional demands of a course; and (2) page composition is done entirely within the browser window without resorting to commercial HTML editors.
Visual agnosia : disorders of object recognition and what they tell us about normal vision

Brain damage can lead to selective problems with visual perception, including visual agnosia - the inability to recognize objects even though elementary visual functions are unimpaired. This text reviews all the recent records of this disorder and places these 100 or so case studies in the general context of current neuroscience. It draws relevant conclusions about the organization of normal visual processing.
Hellhound on My Trail

Used condoms, beer bottles, wire, broken glass, a girl's t-shirt torn and snagged in a tree. Deserted roads lure dead diversions: grass groping its way through the cracks, a dropped key coughed up from the damp mud of a dank ditch. See? Here, dried blood still paints a few fence posts, and beneath the rotted railroad bridge which shores up the darkness, a patrolman hopes the battered body floating in the mist isn't the Gann girl still missing for weeks. Her boyfriend ignores the pain in his wrists as handcuffed he stumbles down to the creek, his eyes fixed, the tune he hums low and sad, Going down the road feeling bad, bad, bad.
Studies on the active site of the Neurospora crassa plasma membrane H+-ATPase with periodate-oxidized nucleotides.

Abstract The Neurospora crassa plasma membrane H+-ATPase is inactivated by the periodate-oxidized nucleotides, oATP, oADP, and oAMP, with oAMP the most effective. Inhibition of the ATPase is essentially irreversible, because Sephadex G-50 column chromatography of the oAMP-treated ATPase does not result in a reversal of the inhibition. Inhibition of the ATPase by oAMP is protected against by the H+-ATPase substrate ATP, the product ADP, and the competitive inhibitors TNP (2',3'-O-(2,4,6-trinitrocyclohexadienylidine)-ATP and TNP-ADP, suggesting that oAMP inhibition occurs at the nucleotide binding site of the enzyme. The rate of inactivation of the ATPase by oAMP is only slightly affected by EDTA, indicating that the oAMP interaction with the nucleotide binding site of the H+-ATPase occurs in the absence of a divalent cation. The protection against oAMP inhibition by ADP is likewise unaffected by EDTA. The inhibition of the ATPase by oAMP is absolutely dependent on the presence of acidic phospholipids or acidic lysophospholipids known to be required for H+-ATPase activity, suggesting that these lipids either aid in the formation of the nucleotide binding site or render it accessible. Incubation of the ATPase with Mg2+ plus vanadate, which locks the enzyme in a conformation resembling the transition state of the enzyme dephosphorylation reaction, completely protects against inhibition by oAMP, suggesting that in this transition state conformation the nucleotide site either does not exist, or is inaccessible to oAMP. Labeling studies with [14C] oAMP indicate that the incorporation of 1 mol of oAMP is sufficient to cause complete inactivation of the ATPase.
An Aptitude Perspective on Talent: Implications for Identification of Academically Gifted Minority Students.

The identification of academically gifted children from the perspective of aptitude theory is discussed. Aptitude refers to the degree of readiness to learn and to perform well in a particular situation or domain. The primary aptitudes for academic success are (a) prior achievement in a domain, (b) the ability to reason in the symbol systems used to communicate new knowledge in that domain, (c) interest in the domain, and (d) persistence in the type of learning environments offered for the attainment of expertise in the domain. Careful attention to the demands and affordances of different instructional environments enables educators to identify those individuals who are most ready to succeed in them. Although the principles discussed here are useful for all students, they are particularly important for the identification of academically promising minority students.
Chlorocarbons in adipose tissue from a Missouri population

Abstract Specimens of abdominal wall adipose tissue from 35 individuals who died in St. Louis, MO, were analyzed by an isomer-specific GC/MS technique for 2, 3, 7, 8-substituted tetra- through octachlorodibenzodioxins and tetra- and pentachlorodibenzofurans. Detectable amounts of all compounds were found in all specimens; quantification could be carried out on seven of them. Concentrations correlate positively with age; acceptable linear correlations were found between the tetra- and pentachlorodibenzodioxin and pentachlorodibenzofuran concentrations and age. The pattern of concentrations found is consistent with airborne particulates being the ultimate source of these compounds.
Evaluation of Vision in the Preverbal Child

There are many methods of assessing visual acuity in the preverbal child depending on the child's age. This article will review options for assessing vision in each age group and provide information as to which method will yield the most accurate result.
Nuit et Brouillard: un film dans l’histoire

Nuit et Brouillard: un film dans l’histoire SYLVIE LINDEPERG Paris, Odile Jacob, 2007 288 pp., illus., bibliography, index and appendices, [euro]29.00 (paper) Few films enjoy the status and popular...
Some empirical issues in research on academic departments: Homogeneity, aggregation, and level of analysis

This study investigated the appropriateness of the academic departmental level of analysis. Homogeneity of faculty members' responses to measures of organizational structure, environmental uncertainty, and task routineness was examined to determine the legitimacy of aggregating those responses to create departmental level variables. Analysis of variance suggested that the structure and environmental uncertainty subscales were measuring departmental level phenomena, but that the task routineness scales were not. Results demonstrate the importance of empirically testing, rather than assuming, levels of analysis in studies of academic departments.
EFFECTS OF FAT TRIM ON THE COMPOSITION OF BEEF RETAIL CUTS – 2. FAT AND MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE SEPARABLE LEAN

Thirty beef carcass sides varying in USDA quality and yield grade were fabricated into various steaks and roasts. The retail cuts were assigned serially to the following treatments: (A) raw, trimmed to 0.6 cm external fat; (B) trimmed to 0.6 cm external fat, cooked; (C) trimmed to 0.0 cm external fat, cooked. The 0.0 cm and 0.6 cm, cooked treatments were prepared by appropriate cookery methods, and the separable lean and separable fat were analyzed for chemical fat and moisture content. Regression analyses were used to predict values for the percentage chemical fat and moisture content at each treatment as influenced by marbling and USDA yield grade. Retail cuts that were braised had the lowest (P < 0.05) predicted moisture content of the separable lean, while roasted cuts had the highest (P< 0.05) predicted percentage moisture content of the lean. Trimming retail cuts to 0.0 cm external fat before cooking decreased the predicted percentage chemical fat of the lean as compared to retail cuts trimmed to 0.6 cm before cooking.
Bevel Junction Termination Extension—A New Edge Termination Technique for 4H-SiC High-Voltage Devices

A new edge termination method, referred to as a bevel junction termination extension (Bevel-JTE), is presented for high-voltage silicon carbide devices. The 4H-SiC PiN rectifiers, with a breakdown voltage of 1600 V ( $\sim 95$ % of the theoretical value), were fabricated using Bevel-JTEs. The Bevel-JTE technique significantly reduces the chip size by decreasing space occupied by edge termination while providing broad process latitude for parameter variations, such as implantation dose and activation anneal condition.
Reducing Relapse and Recurrence in Unipolar Depression: A Comparative Meta-Analysis of Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy's Effects

Relapse and recurrence following response to acute-phase treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) are prevalent and costly. In a meta-analysis of 28 studies including 1,880 adults, the authors reviewed the world's published literature on cognitive-behavioral therapies (CT) aimed at preventing relapse-recurrence in MDD. Results indicate that after discontinuation of acute-phase treatment, many responders to CT relapse-recur (29% within 1 year and 54% within 2 years). These rates appear comparable to those associated with other depression-specific psychotherapies but lower than those associated with pharmacotherapy. Among acute-phase treatment responders, continuation-phase CT reduced relapse-recurrence compared with assessment only at the end of continuation treatment (21% reduction) and at follow-up (29% reduction). Continuation-phase CT also reduced relapse-recurrence compared with other active continuation treatments at the end of continuation treatment (12% reduction) and at follow-up (14% reduction). The authors discuss implications for research and patient care and suggest directions, with methodological refinements, for future studies.
A model for university/early childhood education partnerships

A model for university/early childhood partnerships located in the community was designed based on previous and present characteristics of university/school teaching centers and professional development schools. The long-range goals of this collaborative model were to raise the quality of future preschool and child care teachers, to enhance university early childhood teacher education programs, and to strengthen child care and preschool programs. The present case study focused on the first step of developing a viable model for sustained rather than temporary partnerships. Formal collaborative roles supported by higher level administrative commitment were found to be necessary to overcome differences in goals and values. Overcoming such institutional differences may be easier to accomplish in smaller early childhood programs. Future early childhood partnerships need to be developed and evaluated to determine the long-term impact of this partnership model on enhancing early childhood programs and on producing better teachers.
The Importance of L-arginine Metabolism in Melanoma: An Hypothesis for the Role of Nitric Oxide and Polyamines in Tumor Angiogenesis

Abstract There is a worldwide increase in the incidence of melanoma. Without treatment, melanomas can progress to metastatic disease and result in death. It is now accepted that for a tumor to grow, non-tumorous host tissue must form blood vessels in and around the tumor. Tumor cells and blood vessels must form a highly regulated system whereby endothelial cells can be switched from a resting state to one of rapid growth. Tumor cells have been shown to produce diffusible angiogenic regulatory molecules. Nitric oxide [NO] and polyamines [PA] have been implicated in the angiogenic process. This paper hypothesizes that NO and PA regulate melanoma angiogenesis differently. During early stages of malignant melanoma an increase in PA synthesis is expected to promote endothelial cell proliferation and therefore angiogenesis. NO is expected to be maintained at low levels. During the vascular stage of malignant melanoma, NO synthesis is hypothesized to be elevated which will decrease endothelial cell proliferation and maintain a vasodilator tone in and around the tumor. PA concentrations are expected to be lower. A regulatory link between NO and PA may be involved in the maintenance of tumor homeostasis. The regulation of L-arginine metabolism in tumor angiogenesis requires investigation as it may lead to novel selective therapeutic interventions in cancer therapy. Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Inc.
Chemically programmed bispecific antibodies that recruit and activate T cells

Bispecific antibodies (biAbs) that mediate cytotoxicity by recruiting and activating endogenous immune cells are an emerging class of next-generation antibody therapeutics. Of particular interest are biAbs of relatively small size (∼50 kDa) that can redirect cytotoxic T cells through simultaneous binding of tumor cells. Here we describe a conceptually unique class of biAbs in which the tumor cell specificity of a humanized antibody fragment that recognizes CD3 on T cells is chemically programmed through a C-terminal selenocysteine (Sec) residue. We demonstrate that through chemically programmed specificity for integrin α4β1 or folate receptor 1 (FOLR1), and common specificity for CD3, these hybrid molecules exert potent and specific in vitro and ex vivo cytotoxicity toward tumor cell lines and primary tumor cells in the presence of primary T cells. Importantly, the generic nature of chemical programming allows one to apply our approach to virtually any specificity, promising a broad utility of chemically programmed biAbs in cancer therapy.
Exploiting the beauty in the eye of the beholder: The use of physical attractiveness as a persuasive tactic

It is commonly perceived that women have greater success than men in using their physical attractiveness to persuade members of the opposite-sex to do favors. The current study is the first to empirically test this notion. One hundred and ninety men and women reported their experiences with the use of physical attractiveness as a persuasive tactic between themselves and members of the opposite-sex. Among the results, women reported more frequently having success with the tactic than did men and men reported more frequently having been successfully persuaded by the tactic than did women. Discussion argues that as women age beyond their 20s, they are increasingly less likely to have success with the tactic. Also discussed is how individuals’ attempts to reduce cognitive dissonance associated with use of the tactic may affect their reporting and use of it.
Medically Assisted Death

Young, Robert, Medically Assisted Death, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007, pp. viii + 251, £16.99 (paper). A casual observer of public discourse regarding euthanasia and physician-assist...
The acid-activated signaling pathway: starting with Pyk2 and ending with increased NHE3 activity.

On a typical Western diet, the body is faced with the generation of a metabolically derived acid load that must be excreted to maintain systemic acid–base balance. The kidney is responsible for this task and matches daily acid excretion with daily acid production. Multiple nephron segments are involved in the process, including the proximal tubule cell. This review discusses the acid-activated signaling pathway in the proximal tubule that senses a decrease in cell pH and then mediates stimulation of the apical membrane Na/H antiporter, isoform NHE3. NHE3 mediates secretion of the majority of protons involved in bicarbonate reclamation, is involved in ammonium secretion, and provides a source of luminal protons for titrating filtered titratable acids and secreted ammonia to ammonium.
Interdependencies in Micro-credit Group: Evidence from Repayment Data

We use repayment data from Grameen Bank groups to study mutual dependence in behavior among participants. Such dependence is a measure of group cohesion, and is interpreted as evidence for the existence of inter-connectedness among members at the group level. Results from a dynamic fixed-effects probit model demonstrate that individual repayment outcomes are significantly influenced by own lagged repayment behavior, and by averages of lagged repayment behaviors for the remaining members of a group. Simulations of own and cross effects between participants provide further support for strong inter-dependencies at the group level in repayment outcomes. By strengthening mutual support networks, such inter-dependencies may be crucial for poverty alleviation in developing countries such as Bangladesh.
Energy Levels of Li 6 from the Deuteron-Helium Differential Cross Sections

The deuteron-helium differential cross sections presented in the preceding paper have been analyzed in terms of a dispersion formalism to classify energy levels of ${\mathrm{Li}}^{6}$. A level at ${E}_{x}=2.185$ Mev is confirmed to be a single particle, ${3}^{+}$, $T=0$ level. The broad anomaly extending from 3 Mev to the limit of observation, 4.62 Mev, cannot be analyzed in terms of a single level. Instead, it has been fitted with two single-particle levels, a ${2}^{+}$ level at ${E}_{x}=4.53$ Mev in ${\mathrm{Li}}^{6}$ and a ${1}^{+}$ level at 5.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5 Mev. The ${1}^{+}$ level cannot be located more accurately because only the tail is visible at the bombarding energies available. All of the other two-level combinations have been ruled out. The assignments, (${3}^{+}$, ${2}^{+}$, ${1}^{+}$), and locations of the levels agree with an intermediate coupling model which is close to the $L\ensuremath{-}S$ extreme. In the neighborhood of and above the ${3}^{+}$ resonance the usual hard-sphere phase shifts, which are always negative, cannot be used for the $P$-wave. This result may indicate odd-parity states above the presently investigated energy region. For the other partial waves, hard-sphere phase shifts corresponding to radii anywhere from 3 to 5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ cm were satisfactory, provided the reduced width of the ground state of ${\mathrm{Li}}^{6}$ was simultaneously varied from the Wigner limit to very small values.
TISSUE CULTURE STUDIES ON BACTERIAL HYPERSENSITIVITY : III. THE PERSISTENCE IN VITRO OF THE INHERENT SENSITIVITY TO TUBERCULIN OF CELLS FROM TUBERCULOUS ANIMALS

1. Mononuclear exudative cells, obtained from tuberculous guinea pigs by the intrapleural injection of parowax, exhibited characteristic sensitivity to the toxic action of tuberculin when tested in tissue culture. 2. Experiments with these cells, practically free of body fluids, show conclusively that sensitivity to tuberculin is an inherent characteristic of mesenchymal cells from tuberculous animals. 3. Fibroblastic growths which developed from mononuclear exudative cells derived from a tuberculous animal showed persistence of sensitivity to the toxic action of tuberculin on repeated transplantations over a prolonged period in vitro.
Fascism and regionalism in interwar Alsace

This article explores the relationship between regionalism and fascism in interwar Alsace. Although fascism is usually characterized as hypernationalist, the relationship between regionalism and fascism in Alsace suggests something more complex. On the one hand, French and German fascist movements sought local legitimacy by co-opting issues of regional identity. Hypernationalism would have fallen on deaf ears. On the other hand, the Alsatian Bauernbund, a regionally based fascist movement, adapted fascist principles to strictly regional aims. The goal of fascism, in this case, was not necessarily national. A better way to understand the range of fascist interaction with regional identity is to see fascism as aggressively espousing the politics of spatial identity in a political environment that generally downplayed ethnic, regional or national sensitivities. Fascism offered a hierarchy of identity or belonging that embraced the socially powerful relationships of family, region and nation.
The Art of Certifying Analog/Mixed-Signal Circuits

This paper remarks on the increasing difficulty of analog verification in the face of technology scaling. The author proposes some ideas on how to alter our thinking to meet this challenge.
Integration of the GG model with SEBAL to produce time series of evapotranspiration of high spatial resolution at watershed scales

[1] Lack of good quality satellite images because of cloud contamination or long revisit time severely degrades predictions of evapotranspiration (ET) time series at watershed/regional scales from satellite-based surface flux models. We integrate the feedback model developed by Granger and Gray (the GG model) with the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL), with the objective to generate ET time series of high spatial resolution and reliable temporal distribution at watershed scales. First, SEBAL is employed to yield estimates of ET for the Baiyangdian watershed in a semihumid climatic zone in north China on cloud-free days, where there exists the complementary relationship (CR) between actual ET and pan ET. These estimates constitute input to the GG model to inversely derive the relationship between the relative evaporation and the relative drying power of the air. Second, the modified GG model is used to yield ET time series on a daily basis simply by using routine meteorological data and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) albedo and leaf area index products. Results suggest that the modified GG model that has incorporated remotely sensed ET can effectively extend remote sensing based ET to days without images and improve spatial representation of ET at watershed scales. Utility of the evaporative fraction method and the crop coefficients approaches to extrapolate ET time series depends largely on the number and interval of good quality satellite images. Comparison of ET time series from the two techniques and the proposed integration method for days with daily net radiation larger than 100 W m−2 and corresponding pan ET clearly shows that only the integration method can exhibit an asymmetric CR at the watershed scale and daily time scale. Validation performed using hydrologic budget calculations indicate that the proposed method has the highest accuracy in terms of annual estimates of ET for both watersheds in north China.
Nearly circular shear mode cracks

Abstract In this paper we study the elasticity problems of a planar crack, lying in an infinite three-dimensional solid, the front of which differs only slightly from a circle. The crack system is subjected to loadings that induce shear mode stress intensity factors at the crack front. Quantities such as relative crack surface displacement, in-plane shear mode intensity factor K 2 and anti-plane shear mode intensity factor K 3 are derived in detail. The method used is based on a perturbation technique developed by Rice ( J. Appl. Mech. 52 , 571–579 (1985)) of calculating the first-order variation of the elastic field of a crack when its front is perturbed from some regular reference geometry. The configurational stability problems of harmonic wave form perturbations of the front of a circular crack under axisymmetric shear loading are studied using the derived formulae. The shape that a planar crack under remote uniform shear loading would take so that the energy release rate distributes uniformly along the crack front is discussed by calculating proper perturbations on a circular crack that meets the above requirement.
A hypothetical mechanism for toxic cataract due to oxidative damage to the lens epithelial membrane.

Abstract Lenticular opacities can be induced by numerous external agents that coincide with those that catalyze oxidative damage to lipids. One of the consequences of lipid peroxidation is that the affected membrane is rendered more permeable to protons. A proton leak in the tight epithelium of lens would uncouple the Na + /K + -ATPases that regulate the water and ionic content of the bounded tissue. Once regulatory control of the osmotic pressure is lost, the phase state of the cell's soluble proteins would change, leading to refractive changes or, in extreme cases, precipitation. The same does not occur in cornea because the stroma is an extracellular polymer blend rather than solution of soluble polymers. Polymeric phase transitions in the cornea require that divalent cations pass the epithelial membrane, which can occur only thhrough the action of ionophores.
Effects of grain size distribution on the mechanical response of nanocrystalline metals: Part II

Abstract The model of Zhu et al. [Zhu B, Asaro RJ, Krysl P, Bailey R. Transition of deformation mechanisms and its connection to grain size distribution in nanocrystalline metals. Acta Mater 2005;53(18):4825–38] is further developed and used to explore the effect of grain size and grain size distribution, along with the influence of material parameters, on the mechanical response of nanocrystalline face-centered cubic aggregates. This model accounts for the simultaneous contributions of deformation mechanisms including grain boundary emission of dislocations and/or stacking faults, as well as for mechanisms such as grain boundary sliding and for natural transitions between the relative dominance of each. The effect of grain growth during deformation is also quantitatively assessed via simulation of recently obtained data on indentation tests in which dynamic grain growth was documented through the measurement of changes in grain size distribution and concomitant changes in hardness. The simulations provide a plausible description of the observed phenomenology and further underscore the unstable nature of nanocrystalline grain size distributions. The possibility of incorporating additional potential deformation mechanisms such as Coble creep, as has been proposed in other models, is discussed and shown to be straightforward addition to the model. Recently obtained data on texture development is analyzed via texture predictions for aggregates subject to finite deformations via high pressure torsion (HPT). The phenomenology is assessed specifically with regard to the potential use of texture measurements for confirming the importance of crystallographic mechanisms vs. those such as grain boundary sliding.
Hearing and the bioanthropology of speech

Abstract This paper endeavours to answer the question of whether there has been an evolutionary effect on the human auditory system due to the fact that Homo sapiens talks. It is argued that no cause-and-effect relationship can be demonstrated anatomically or physiologically. If there has been an effect, it is the other way around; we make the sounds we do because of our ability to hear them. The case rests on both phylogenetic and ontogenetic data from research on non-human species and from human neonates. Both make certain acoustic discriminations that appear to be useful for speech discrimination; however, they are not necessary for speech discrimination alone. The evolution of the human hearing and speech systems may have been independent or parallel, but speech did not determine hearing. Speech appears to have evolved as a behavioural, not a biological, adaptation.
Digital image processing of electron micrographs—the PIC system

PIC is a set of computer programs which has been developed for the analysis of electron micrographs, with particular attention to requirements for structural analyses of biological macromolecules. PIC constitutes an integrated package of subroutines many of which were adapted from an earlier system ( P.R. Smith, Ultramicroscopy 3 (1978) 153 ) to run on a PDP 11/70 in order to exploit the advantages of minicomputers (which are now economically feasible for many individual groups). Several special-purpose devices are controlled by PIC in our installation. These include a Perkin-Elmer 1010G microdensitometer for image digitization, a video frame buffer for rapid display of high quality image representations, an Evans and Sutherland Picture System, and a camera station. Under PIC, the control of special hardware is segregated into separate programs for ease of inclusion, replacement, or omission according to the particular requirements of a given installation.
Echocardiographic Doppler evaluation of left ventricular diastolic filling in older, highly trained male endurance athletes.

Previously published data have suggested that endurance training does not retard the normative aging impairment of early left ventricular diastolic filling (LVDF). Those studies, suggesting no effect of exercise training, have not examined highly trained endurance athletes or their LVDF responses after exercise. We therefore compared LVDF characteristics in a group of older highly trained endurance athletes (n= 12, mean age 69 years, range 65–75) and a group of sedentary control subjects (n= 12, mean age 69 years, range 65–73) with no cardiovascular disease. For all subjects, M-mode and Doppler echocardiographic data were obtained at rest. After baseline studies, subjects underwent graded, maximal cardiopulmonary treadmill exercise testing using a modified Balke protocol. Breath-by-breath respiratory gas analysis and peak exercise oxygen consumption (VO2max) measurements were obtained. Immediately after exercise and at 3–6 minutes into recovery, repeat Doppler echocardiographic data were obtained for determination of LVDF parameters. VO2max (44 ± 6.3 vs 27 ± 4.2 mllkglmin, P< 0.001), oxygen consumption at anaerobic threshold (35 ± 5.4 vs 24 ± 3.8 mllkglmin, P< 0.001), exercise duration (24 ± 3 vs 12 ± 6 minutes, P< 0.001), and left ventricular mass index (61 ± 13 vs 51 ± 7.8 kglm2, P< 0.05) were greater in endurance athletes than in sedentary control subjects, whereas body mass index was lower (22 ± 1.7 vs 26 ± 3.4 kglm2, P< 0.001). No differences in any of the LVDF characteristics were observed between the groups with the exception of a trend toward a lower atrial filling fraction at rest in the endurance athlete group versus the control subjects (P= 0.07). High-intensity endurance exercise training promotes exceptional peak exercise oxygen consumption and cardiovascular stamina but does not appear to alter normative aging effects on left ventricular diastolic function. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 17, January 2000)
Control of Protein Structure and Function through Surface Recognition by Tailored Nanoparticle Scaffolds

Thioalkyl and thioalkylated oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) ligands with chain-end functionality were used to fabricate water-soluble CdSe nanoparticle scaffolds. Surface recognition of chymotrypsin (ChT) was achieved using these functionalized nanoparticle scaffolds, with three levels of interaction demonstrated: no interaction (OEG terminated with hydroxyl group), inhibition with denaturation (carboxylate-terminated thioalkyl ligands), and inhibition with retention of structure (carboxylate-terminated OEG). The latter process was reversible upon an increase in ionic strength, with essentially complete restoration of enzymatic activity.