cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Degradation mechanism of poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) fibers by 31P solid-state NMR

Abstract Poly( p -phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) (PBO), a fiber of extraordinary tensile modulus and strength, has been found to degrade quickly under moisture. Many studies have suggested that the likely mechanism of the degradation is that the residual phosphoric acid that is trapped inside the fiber during the production process reacts with the oxazole bonds and breaks the chains. However, there has been no direct study of the structure of the residual phosphorous (P). The present report investigates the chemical structure and physical state of the residual P in PBO fiber using solid-state 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy. The residual P is found to exist mainly in the form of phosphoric acid (PA) and its various forms of hydrated or dehydrated derivatives. Moisture drives the reaction along the direction of phosphorous anhydride → polyphosphoric acid → PA → hydrated PA, while increasing temperature in the absence of moisture reverses this direction. Hydration increases the mobility of PA molecules, thus the ability to migrate, and promotes hydrolytic degradation, while higher temperature in the absence of moisture removes water and immobilizes PA. The residual P species likely reside on the surface of the nanovoids in the PBO fiber, easily accessible by gaseous water molecules but inaccessible by aqueous media. These studies provide direct evidence to confirm the proposed contribution of the residual P to the hydrolytic degradation mechanisms reported in the literature. Further, ssNMR may play a role in assessing future strategies mitigating this crippling problem for PBO fiber which would otherwise be an excellent choice for soft body armor applications.
Transport Properties of the Mixed-Conducting SrFe1.2Co0.3Ox

Single phase SrFe1.2Co0.3Ox sample with layered crystal structure was prepared using a solid state reaction method. Electrical conductivity and apparent oxygen diffusion coefficients of the SrFe1.2Co0.3Ox sample were measured as functions of temperature in atmospheres of various oxygen partial pressures $$({\text{P}}_{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} } )$$ . Total and ionic conductivities were determined by using the conventional four-probe and electron blocking four-probe methods, respectively. The apparent oxygen diffusion coefficient was derived from the time-dependent conductivity relaxation data of the reequilibrium process after abruptly changing the $$({\text{P}}_{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} } )$$ in the surrounding atmosphere. Several atmospheres of different $$({\text{P}}_{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} } )$$ were established by the use of premixed gas cylinders. The conductivity of SrFe1.2Co0.3Ox increases with increasing temperature and $$({\text{P}}_{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} } )$$ . At 900°C in air, the total conductivity and ionic conductivity are 10 and 8 S · cm-2, respectively. The ionic transference number (≈ 0.8 in air) does not have strong temperature dependence. The activation energy increases with decreasing $$({\text{P}}_{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} } )$$ . In air, the activation energy has a low value of ≈ 0.37 eV. The apparent oxygen diffusion coefficient was $$ \approx 2 \times 10^{ - 6} {\text{ cm}}^{\text{2}} \cdot {\text{s}}^{{\text{ - 1}}}$$ at 950°C over a wide range of $${\text{P}}_{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}} (1 \leqslant {\text{P}}_{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}} \leqslant 10^{ - 18} {\text{atm}})$$ .
Age Differences in Acceptance of Self-driving Cars: A Survey of Perceptions and Attitudes

As self-driving cars begin to make their way on to the road, there is a growing need for research to understand acceptance of the technology among potential users. This study looked at responses from a national sample of 1,765 adults in the United States to uncover key determinants of the acceptance of self-driving cars and to understand how age and other characteristics relate to perceptions of and attitudes toward self-driving cars. Data from the online survey showed that perceived usefulness, affordability, social support, lifestyle fit and conceptual compatibility are key predictors of acceptance of self-driving cars across ages. A comparison across generational cohorts (i.e., Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation) found that age negatively affects perceptions of a self-driving car, interest in using it, and behavioral intentions to use one when it becomes available. Furthermore, experiential characteristics associated with age, including experiences with, knowledge of and trust toward technology in general, were found to have significant influence on how people felt about self-driving cars.
'Good Time Had by All': Regulating Police Use of Flash-Bang Grenades in the Execution of Search Warrants

“BIG TIME FUN!! LOTS OF BROKEN GLASS, BAD GUY JUMPED ON THE FLASHBANG, GOOD TIME HAD BY ALL.” This is the content of a text message sent by an officer who had just executed a search warrant in U.S. v. Ankeny. While there was no finding of abuse in this specific case, the text message is indicative of the underlying problems with police use of flash-bang grenades in the execution of search warrants. Injuries stemming from police usage of such devices have become increasingly more common over the last few decades and flash-bang usage has led to severe injuries to suspects, innocent third parties (including children), and in some cases it has even led to death. This comment will argue for judicial oversight in police authority to use flash-bang grenades. By tying authorization to use flash-bangs to the warrant application process, the judiciary will be able to put a check on the discretionary use of flash-bangs and provide a detached, neutral eye to judge the reasonableness of such use. Judicial approval will also serve to indemnify officers should a subsequent civil suit be brought, allowing the judicially authorized deployment of a flash-bang to be given great deference in the court’s review. At a time in which concern about police abuse and violence has risen to the forefront of the collective American conscience, small measures ensuring the protection of the public from unnecessary police tactics will help mend the gap of trust that has widened between officers and those whom they are charged to protect.
A three-year participant observation of software startup software evolution

This paper presents a three-year participant observation in which the author acted as CTO of a software startup, spanning more than 9,000 hours of direct experience. The author's emails and diary reflections were analyzed and synthesized into a set of nine claims about software engineering work. These claims help shape software engineering research, practice, and education by provoking new questions about what makes software engineering difficult.
Medicare Accountable Care Organizations of Diverse Structures Achieve Comparable Quality and Cost Performance.

Objective To examine whether an empirically derived taxonomy of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) is associated with quality and spending performance among patients of ACOs in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Data sources Three waves of the National Survey of ACOs and corresponding publicly available Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services performance data for NSACO respondents participating in the MSSP (N = 204); SK&A Office Based Physicians Database from QuintilesIMS. Study design We compare the performance of three ACO types (physician-led, integrated, and hybrid) for three domains: quality, spending, and likelihood of achieving savings. Sources of performance variation within and between ACO types are compared for each performance measure. Principal findings There is greater heterogeneity within ACO types than between ACO types. There were no consistent differences in quality by ACO type, nor were there differences in likelihood of achieving savings or overall spending per-person-year. There was evidence for higher spending on physician services for physician-led ACOs. Conclusions ACOs of diverse structures perform comparably on core MSSP quality and spending measures. CMS should maintain its flexibility and continue to support participation of diverse ACOs. Future research to identify modifiable organizational factors that account for performance variation within ACO types may provide insight as to how best to improve ACO performance based on organizational structure and ownership.
Adding to the toolbox for tidal-inundation mapping in estuarine areas

In estuaries, land-surface and tidal elevation conspire to influence the amount of salt-water inundation in a specific location, ultimately affecting the distribution of estuary vegetation. Plants vary in their tolerances to salinity and inundation. Understanding even small changes in land-surface elevation at a site scale provides relevant information to managers seeking to design effective long-term restoration projects. Restoration of estuary habitats has been identified as a tool to mediate some anticipated effects of climate change, including flooding from sea-level rise, precipitation regimes, and storminess. Further, habitat restoration that is effective in the face of climate uncertainty is critical to the sustainable production of seafood and maintenance of ecosystem functions. We offer a simple method that links tidal elevations to upslope topography, allowing managers to determine where tidal inundation of upslope areas may occur. This method does not require complex modeling, rather we combine existing high-accuracy tide-gage information with LiDAR imagery. However, we found that if LiDAR is not flown at low tide, or at consistent tidal heights, it poses significant challenges in the interpretation of tidal elevations. Where LiDAR is consistently collected at low tide, this method of linking the tidal datum to upslope topography is not data-intensive, and does not require long-term data collection. Along with locally specific information, the types of map products that can be developed using this method should identify places that may be potentially vulnerable to salt-water inundation, along with places that may be effective migration corridors for marshes and other habitats.
INCREASED RISK OF THE PROGRESSION OF CORONARY ARTERY CALCIFICATION ACCORDING TO TRADITIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR RISK BURDEN IN ASYMPTOMATIC SUBJECTS: RESULTS FROM THE KOREA INITIATIVES ON CORONARY ARTERY CALCIFICATION (KOICA) REGISTRY

The association of traditional risk factors (RFs) with the incidence and progression of coronary artery calcium (CAC) has been well known, but the effect of risk burden remains unclear, especially in non-Western populations. From a 6-center, observational registry, a total 10,033 asymptomatic
Exploring how workplace and social policies relate to caregivers’ financial strain

Informal caregiving is a critical component of the US long-term care system, but can have significant negative impacts on caregiver employment, finances, and well-being. An online survey of Colorad...
Flexibility and Reconfigurability for Mass Customization

In the 21 st century, companies are going to operate in a dynamic and challenging environment that requires new approaches to manufacturing. Mass customization is a general trend that is more and more widespread, being felt as the productive paradigm for the future. On the manufacturing point of view, much work must be done to develop adequate manufacturing systems meeting the new requirements, since traditional solutions (both transfer lines and flexible manufacturing systems) don’t seem to be able to face the demands of mass customization. However, not only manufacturing area is involved in this evolution but also managerial and organizational aspects. For these reasons this chapter discusses the relation between the mass customization paradigm and the evolution of manufacturing systems. Several mass customization oriented paradigms are compared with a hypothetic, desirable evolution in market organization, providing an analytical approach to flexibility and reconfigurability as possible means of facing today’s competitive demands.
Linking perception and neurophysiology for motion pattern processing: the computational power of inhibitory connections in cortex

The motion of the visual scene across the retina, termed optic flow (Gibson, 1950), contains a wealth of information about our dynamic relationship within the environment. Perceptual information regarding heading, time to contact, object motion and object segmentation can all be recovered to various degrees by analyzing the complex motion components of optic flow; for review see (Andersen, 1997, Lappe, et al., 1999). While the usefulness of such information for visually guided actions and navigation is clear, the complex neural mechanisms underlying its processing and extraction remain, for the most part, poorly understood.
Trapped on Love Boat: Middling and Transient Entrapment among Balkan Seafarers in the Cruise Industry

Globalization has led to a plethora of temporary, seasonal and transient jobs characterized by poor work conditions, tolerated by workers with the hope that such jobs will lead to better positions. Yet, it is not uncommon to find workers that spend years in temporary positions. Examining a cadre of cruise crew members from the Balkans who have repeatedly occupied transient jobs, this study addresses the underpinning discourses of savings, care and human capital that serve both to sustain and to entrap workers in transient positions. The ability to save and remit savings to their families allow transient workers to engage in “middling” back home, saving money to invest in homes, businesses or mobility capital. However, structural constraints on labor markets and a disconnect from local networks limit their ability to reach their goals and leverage their time on board to secure more permanent jobs, prompting the workers to repeatedly return to their temporary seafarer positions.
The Domain of Private Law: Conceptual Thought in Anglo American Law

This article offers an account of how American law changed from a system once dominated by traditional doctrines of private law into a legal culture where questions of procedure, public law, and statutory interpretation uniquely predominate. Using contemporary Anglo-Commonwealth law as a mirror, I raise skepticism at the easy notion that classical common law doctrines are simply unfit for the modern administrative state. Instead, I offer a theory about the role of conceptual legal thought in maintaining the legal order. The article demonstrates how each system funnels its central questions towards the areas of law understood as conceptually sound. Thus, though realism successfully deconstructed private law, American conceptual analysis migrated to public, statutory, and procedural law — and in turn these areas have become increasingly significant. By contrast, conceptualized private law remains at the center of Anglo legal analysis while there is correspondingly less intellectual and doctrinal investment in matters of procedure and statutory interpretation. The payoff of this comparison is to show how the domain of private law correlates to the role it plays in maintaining the legal systems’ legitimacy, and how analysis gravitates towards areas seen to stand on strong conceptual foundations.
Aircraft passenger comfort evaluation: sitting and standing passengers in commercial cabin

This research investigates the evaluation of passenger comfort during a cruise airplane trip. The flow fields in the comfort design in commercial aircraft create contour conditions for the diffusers, cabinets and geometry cabin, responsible for providing a healthy environment to the passengers. The objective of this work is to characterize the airflow by measuring the velocity field and the air temperature inside the cabin. Based on the actual data, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was performed using the Autodesk programming language for the simulations, in order to obtain information about the possible standards of easy and seated comfort for the passengers. The results of particle dispersion in the cockpit showed great influence of the ventilation system and the location in the aircraft where people generate the particles. Based on these results, the internal layout of the BWB2 airplane, also known as “Flying Wing” was projected. The projected cabin furniture features ventilation in order to attend the passenger’s need in flight. It is noted that the incipient individualization of the passenger’s thermal comfort configures one of the biggest problems faced by the airlines. Consequently, It is a possible differential for competition between airlines.
What is a Bioethics of the Oppressed in the Age of COVID-19?

Hospitals around the world this past year have had conversations about how to allocate limited resources toward patients in light of the overwhelming demands created in the COVID-19 pandemic. Many ...
Robotic System to Motivate Spontaneous Infant Kicking for Studies in Early Detection of Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Study

The spontaneous kicking patterns of infants can provide markers that may predict the trajectory of their future development. Atypical kicking patterns may forecast the possibility of developmental disorders like Cerebral Palsy. Early intervention and physical therapy that encourages the practice of proper kicking motions can help to improve the outcomes in these scenarios. We introduce a system that utilizes computer vision and a robotic infant mobile to detect spontaneous kicking patterns and activate different stimuli provided by the mobile. The hypothesis is that the combination of stimuli will encourage the continuation of kicking actions. This would help with studies in infant motor development and identify at-risk populations. Additionally, the system is designed for in-home use based on its space-invariant approach to changes in the environment. In this paper, we detail the design of the robotic system, discuss the preliminary results of deploying the system in an infant’s home environment and the effect it has on the frequency of kicking actions.
Direct Voltage Controller for SRMs in Achieving Torque Ripple Minimization over Wide Speed Range

This study introduces a novel DC/AC inverter architecture which enables to control the phase voltages to produce the required flux linkage for the optimized operation. The control is enabled by use of wide band-gap power devices along with a direct voltage control method to drive SRMs. The proposed architecture is able to track the reference voltages applied to SRM over a wide speed operating range. The SRM and the new inverter architecture along with the controller is modelled and simulated based on Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model of the electric machine. The results demonstrated that, the proposed inverter and the control achieves very smooth torque production for SRMs over a wide speed range of operation.
Artificial intelligence and computational pathology.

Data processing and learning has become a spearhead for the advancement of medicine, with pathology and laboratory medicine has no exception. The incorporation of scientific research through clinical informatics, including genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, and biostatistics, into clinical practice unlocks innovative approaches for patient care. Computational pathology is burgeoning subspecialty in pathology that promises a better-integrated solution to whole-slide images, multi-omics data, and clinical informatics. However, computational pathology faces several challenges, including the ability to integrate raw data from different sources, limitation of hardware processing capacity, and a lack of specific training programs, as well as issues on ethics and larger societal acceptable practices that are still solidifying. The establishment of the entire industry of computational pathology requires far-reaching changes of the three essential elements connecting patients and doctors: the local laboratory, the scan center, and the central cloud hub/portal for data processing and retrieval. Computational pathology, unlocked through information integration and advanced digital communication networks, has the potential to improve clinical workflow efficiency, diagnostic quality, and ultimately create personalized diagnosis and treatment plans for patients. This review describes clinical perspectives and discusses the statistical methods, clinical applications, potential obstacles, and future directions of computational pathology. Data processing and learning has become a spearhead for the advancement of medicine. Computational pathology is burgeoning subspecialty that promises a better-integrated solution to whole-slide images, multi-omics data and clinical informatics as innovative approach for patient care. This review describes clinical perspectives and discusses the statistical methods, clinical applications, potential obstacles, and future directions of computational pathology.
Factors influencing dairy veterinarian necropsy practices and their use of diagnostic laboratories

Dairy herd mortality rates have increased over the last 3 decades but dairy producers appear to be underutilizing veterinarians to perform postmortem examinations. The purpose of this project was to identify dairy veterinarian motivations and barriers for performing necropsies and use of diagnostic laboratories. A 33-question online survey was developed and a link sent to members of a dairy veterinary continuing education group in the western United States. Fifty-two veterinarians responded and many (70%) were offering 12 or more services to their dairy clients, including necropsy. Although 88% of dairy veterinarians surveyed considered necropsy to be a very to extremely useful tool, only 19% said all dairies within their practice utilized necropsy services. The producer's refusal of the service was the primary reason that discouraged practitioners from performing a necropsy (69%), followed by time (44%), cost (38%), and carcass disposal (27%). Factors most commonly reported to promote a necropsy were 'multiple animals affected' (85%) and 'unexplained death' (75%). Because identification of a cause of death could inform herd health management, these results indicate an opportunity to educate dairy producers on the value of necropsy services.
Recent progress in battery electric vehicle noise, vibration, and harshness:

As battery electric vehicle (BEV) market share grows so must our understanding of the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) phenomenon found inside the BEVs which makes this technological revolutio...
Primary and Revision Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: A Study of Otolaryngologic Outcomes in a Large Cohort.

Study design Retrospective chart review. Objective To determine risk factors for postoperative otolaryngologic complications among patients who undergo primary and revision anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Summary of background data Swallowing and voice dysfunction are frequent postoperative complaints after ACDF surgery with a published incidence varying between 1.2% and 60%. A thorough understanding of the incidence and risk factors for these complications is needed. Methods Electronic medical records of adults who underwent ACDF with predicted difficult surgical site exposure performed by two-surgeon approach between 2008 and 2018 were reviewed. Patients were categorized by primary or revision ACDF status and by the number of levels addressed during the operation. Associations with postoperative otolaryngologic symptoms were assessed using simple and multivariable logistic regression. Results Participants included 718 adults with an average age of 55.8 years and 45% female sex. One hundred seventy-five patients (27%) underwent revision ACDF; ACDF status was unidentifiable for 74 patients. Seventy-nine cases (12%) involved one spinal level. New postoperative otolaryngologic symptoms among those who underwent primary and revision ACDF were 12.6% and 10.9% respectively. No evidence was found of an association between postoperative otolaryngologic symptoms and revision ACDF (OR, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.48-1.49]; P = 0.55), but evidence was found of an association with prior thyroidectomy (aOR, 3.8 [95% CI, 1.53-8.94], P = 0.0003). Significant evidence was found of increased odds for new postoperative dysphagia with increasing number of surgical levels (aOR, 1.5 [95% CI, 1.09-2.07]; P = 0.01). Conclusion Prior thyroidectomy and number of spinal levels addressed during ACDF were identified as risk factors for postoperative otolaryngologic complications including dysphagia. Revision ACDF was not associated with increased odds of postoperative otolaryngologic symptoms or dysphagia.Level of Evidence: 4.
TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL PATTERNS IN CANINE DISTEMPER VIRUS CASES IN WILDLIFE DIAGNOSED AT THE SOUTHEASTERN COOPERATIVE WILDLIFE DISEASE STUDY, 1975–2019

Canine distemper is a high-impact disease of many mammal species and has caused substantial carnivore population declines. Analysis was conducted on passive surveillance data of canine distemper (CDV)-positive wild mammal cases submitted to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Athens, Georgia, US, between January 1975 and December 2019. Overall, 964 cases from 17 states were CDV positive, including 646 raccoons (Procyon lotor), 254 gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), 33 striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), 18 coyotes (Canis latrans), four red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), three gray wolves (Canis lupus), three American black bears (Ursus americanus), two American mink (Mustela vison), and one long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata). Raccoon and gray fox case data from the state of Georgia (n=441) were selected for further analysis. Autoregressive integrated moving average models were developed predicting raccoon and gray fox case numbers. The best-performing model for gray foxes used numbers of gray fox CDV cases from the previous 2 mo and of raccoon cases in the present month to predict the numbers of gray fox cases in the present month. The best-performing model for raccoon prediction used numbers of raccoon CDV cases from the previous month and of gray fox cases in the present month and previous 2 mo to predict numbers of raccoon cases in the present month. Temporal trends existed in CDV cases for both species, with cases more likely to occur during the breeding season. Spatial clustering of cases was more likely to occur in areas of medium to high human population density; fewer cases occurred in both the most densely populated and sparsely populated areas. This pattern was most prominent for raccoons, which may correspond to high transmission rates in suburban areas, where raccoon population densities are probably highest, possibly because of a combination of suitable habitat and supplemental resources.
SU-E-T-564: Multi-Helix Rotating Shield Brachytherapy for Cervical Cancer

Purpose: To present a novel and practical brachytherapy technique, called multi-helix rotating shield brachytherapy (H-RSBT), for the precise positioning of a partial shield in a curved applicator. H-RSBT enables RSBT delivery using only translational motion of the radiation source/shield combination. H-RSBT overcomes the challenges associated with previously proposed RSBT approaches based on a serial (S-RSBT) step-and-shoot delivery technique, which required independent translational and rotational motion. Methods: A Fletcher-type applicator, compatible with the combination of a Xoft Axxent™ electronic brachytherapy source and a 0.5 mm thick tungsten shield, is proposed. The wall of the applicator contains six evenly-spaced helical keyways that rigidly define the emission direction of the shield as a function of depth. The shield contains three protruding keys and is attached to the source such that it rotates freely. S-RSBT and H-RSBT treatment plans with 180° and 45° azimuthal emission angles were generated for five cervical cancer patients representative of a wide range of high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) shapes and applicator positions. The number of beamlets used in the treatment planning process was nearly constant for S-RSBT and H-RSBT by using dwell positions separated by 5 and 1.7 mm, respectively, and emission directions separated by 22.5° and 60°, respectively. For all the treatment plans the EQD2 of the HR-CTV was escalated until the EQD2cc tolerance of either the bladder, rectum, or sigmoid colon was reached. Results: Treatment times for H-RSBT tended to be shorter than for S-RSBT, with changes of −38.47% to 1.12% with an average of −8.34%. The HR-CTV D90 changed by −8.81% to 2.08% with an average of −2.46%. Conclusion: H-RSBT is a mechanically feasible technique in the curved applicators needed for cervical cancer brachytherapy. S-RSBT and H-RSBT dose distributions were clinically equivalent for all patients considered, with the H-RSBT deliveries tending to be faster. Ryan Flynn has ownership interest in pxAlpha, LLC, which is a startup company developing a rotating shield brachytherapy system.
Reflections on Success and Retention in Urban Science Education: Voices of Five African-American Science Teachers Who Stayed.

This study highlights the factors that contribute to excellence in urban science teaching as pinpointed by five urban African-American science teachers who have taught successfully in the urban system for over 10 years. These teachers shared their experiences and reflections on the qualities that contributed to their success and persistence as urban science teachers. Their ability to understand and care for their students was a major contributing factor; other contributing factors included in-depth knowledge and love of science, caring and commitment to the whole child, effective classroom management strategies, high expectations and motivation of their students, and an understanding and acceptance of the varying parental involvement in the educational decisions about their child.
Fluorophore-assisted light inactivation produces both targeted and collateral effects on N-type calcium channel modulation in rat sympathetic neurons

Fluorophore-assisted light inactivation (FALI) is a method to inactivate specific proteins on a time scale of seconds to minutes using either diffuse or coherent light. Here we examine a novel FALI modality that utilizes a fluorescein-conjugated polypeptide, α-bungarotoxin (BTX) and a 13 amino acid BTX-binding site engineered into the N-terminus of metabotropic glutamate receptor 8a (mGluR8a), a class C G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). The tagged mGluR8a was expressed in rat sympathetic neurons and labelled with fluorescein-conjugated BTX (FL-BTX). The efficacy of FALI was evaluated by monitoring mGluR8a-mediated inhibition of calcium currents (ICa) using whole-cell voltage-clamp techniques. Following either wide-field or laser illumination of FL-BTX-labelled neurons, mGluR8a-mediated ICa inhibition was greatly attenuated whereas holding current and basal ICa, measures of non-specific effects, were minimally affected. Sodium azide, a collision quencher of singlet oxygen, reduced the magnitude of FALI-mediated effects supporting a role for reactive oxygen species in the process. Although these results were consistent with an acute inactivation of mGluR8a, the intended target, two findings confounded this interpretation. First, effects on a natively expressed signalling pathway, α2-adrenergic receptor-mediated ICa modulation, were observed following illumination of neurons expressing FL-BTX-labelled sodium channel β2 subunits or ionotropic 5-HT3 receptors, proteins with no overt relationship to GPCR signalling pathways. Second, GPCR-independent ICa modulation induced with intracellular guanylyl imidophosphate was also attenuated by FALI. These data challenge the assumption that the fluorophore-tagged protein is the sole target of FALI and provide evidence that collateral damage to proximal proteins occurs following fluorophore illumination.
Neurobiology: Columns, slabs and pinwheels

Over 40 years ago, Mountcastle showed that the outer layer of the brain, the cerebral cortex, contains columns of cells with similar properties. This led to the development of the pinwheel model, which describes how these columns are organized. The latest refinement to this model comes from a mathematical study, which shows that the pinwheel model is subject to stringent symmetry principles.
On a Conjecture Concerning the Petersen Graph

Robertson has conjectured that the only 3-connected internally 4-connected graph of girth 5 in which every odd cycle of length greater than 5 has a chord is the Petersen graph. We prove this conjecture in the special case where the graphs involved are also cubic. Moreover, this proof does not require the internal-4-connectivity assumption. An example is then presented to show that the assumption of internal 4-connectivity cannot be dropped as an hypothesis in the original conjecture. We then summarize our results aimed toward the solution of the conjecture in its original form. In particular, let $G$ be any 3-connected internally-4-connected graph of girth 5 in which every odd cycle of length greater than 5 has a chord. If $C$ is any girth cycle in $G$ then $N(C)\backslash V(C)$ cannot be edgeless, and if $N(C) \backslash V(C)$ contains a path of length at least 2, then the conjecture is true. Consequently, if the conjecture is false and $H$ is a counterexample, then for any girth cycle $C$ in $H$, $N(C) \backslash V(C)$ induces a nontrivial matching $M$ together with an independent set of vertices. Moreover, $M$ can be partitioned into (at most) two disjoint non-empty sets where we can precisely describe how these sets are attached to cycle $C$.
Identification of Cellular Pathways of “Type 1,” Th17 T Cells, and TNF- and Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase-Producing Dendritic Cells in Autoimmune Inflammation through Pharmacogenomic Study of Cyclosporine A in Psoriasis

Therapeutic modulation of psoriasis with targeted immunosuppressive agents defines inflammatory genes associated with disease activity and may be extrapolated to a wide range of autoimmune diseases. Cyclosporine A (CSA) is considered a "gold standard" therapy for moderate-to-severe psoriasis. We conducted a clinical trial with CSA and analyzed the treatment outcome in blood and skin of 11 responding patients. In the skin, as expected, CSA modulated genes from activated T cells and the "type 1" pathway (p40, IFN-gamma, and STAT-1-regulated genes). However, CSA also modulated genes from the newly described Th17 pathway (IL-17, IL-22, and downstream genes S100A12, DEFB-2, IL-1beta, SEPRINB3, LCN2, and CCL20). CSA also affected dendritic cells, reducing TNF and inducible NO synthase (products of inflammatory TNF- and inducible NO synthase-producing dendritic cells), CD83, and IL-23p19. We detected 220 early response genes (day 14 posttreatment) that were down-regulated by CSA. We classified >95% into proinflammatory or skin resident cells. More myeloid-derived than activated T cell genes were modulated by CSA (54 myeloid genes compared with 11 lymphocyte genes), supporting the hypothesis that myeloid derived genes contribute to pathogenic inflammation in psoriasis. In circulating mononuclear leukocytes, in stark contrast, no inflammatory gene activity was detected. Thus, we have constructed a genomic signature of successful treatment of psoriasis which may serve as a reference to guide development of other new therapies. In addition, these data also identify new gene targets for therapeutic modulation and may be applied to wide range of autoimmune diseases.
The High Resolution (HiRes) Fly’s Eye Detector

In order to measure the primary cosmic ray flux beyond energies of 1019eV in detail, a next generation Fly’s Eye detector has been developed and is currently being constructed in the west desert of Utah. Details of this detector and preliminary results from a prototype of this detector investigating a lower energy regime of the primary cosmic ray flux will be discussed.
Information Search and Retrieval

The communication of information is essential for any discipline. Scholars and practitioners cannot work in isolation; a free flow of ideas is vitally important to the practice of a profession or discipline. Electrical engineering and electronics are no exception. This article will concentrate on how information is transmitted through the formal media in electrical engineering, and allied subjects, and how such information is retrieved. Both print and electronic media will be considered. 1 Introduction 2 Forms of Communication in Electrical Engineering 3 Bibliographic Tools 4 Document Retrieval 5 Summary Keywords: information; communication; journals; publications; patents; peer review; proceedings; standards; patent
The safety and tolerability profile of therapies for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women

At a time when the prevalence of osteoporosis and related fractures is increasing, initiation and continuation of pharmacologic therapies for prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis have declined. This decline has been at least in part attributable to concerns about safety of these agents, such as atypical fractures with bisphosphonates and breast cancer with estrogen/progestin therapy, particularly when they are used long term by older women. However, in many cases, absolute risk of serious adverse effects is small and should be balanced against the larger potential for fracture reduction. Here, we review the safety and tolerability of available therapies for postmenopausal osteoporosis. Taking into consideration their relative efficacy, we also provide strategies for optimization of the risk:benefit ratio.
Multi-Species Patterns Of Avian Cholera Mortality In Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin

Nebraska's Rainwater Basin (RWB) is a key spring migration area for millions of waterfowl and other avian species. Avian cholera has been endemic in the RWB since the 1970s and in some years tens of thousands of waterfowl have died from the disease. We evaluated patterns of avian cholera mortality in waterfowl species using the RWB during the last quarter of the 20th century. Mortality patterns changed between the years before (1976-1988) and coincident with (1989-1999) the dramatic increases in lesser snow goose abundance and mortality. Lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) have commonly been associated with mortality events in the RWB and are known to carry virulent strains of Pasteurella multocida, the agent causing avian cholera. Lesser snow geese appeared to be the species most affected by avian cholera during 1989-1999; however, mortality in several other waterfowl species was positively correlated with lesser snow goose mortality. Coincident with increased lesser snow goose mortality, spring avian cholera outbreaks were detected earlier and ended earlier compared to 1976-1988. Dense concentrations of lesser snow geese may facilitate intraspecific disease transmission through bird-to-bird contact and wetland contamination. Rates of interspecific avian cholera transmission within the waterfowl community, however, are difficult to determine.
Antibody to a sperm surface glycoprotein inhibits the egg jelly-induced acrosome reaction of sea urchin sperm

Abstract When the surface of sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) sperm is radioiodinated, 75% of the protein-incorporated radioactivity is associated with two glycoproteins of Mr 84,000 (84K) 64,000 (64K) (Lopo and Vacquier 1980). Antibodies were prepared against these two components by separating a Triton X-100 extract of sperm on SDS-polyacrylamide gels, cutting out the band containing the glycoprotein and injecting the homogenized gel into rabbits. Both anti-84K and anti-64K sera agglutinate sperm. Light and EM immunoperoxidase localization show both antigens are distributed over the entire sperm surface. By the immunoperoxidase technique there is some degree of cross-reactivity of both antisera with sperm of other Strongylocentrotus species, but not with those of other genera. Living sperm incubated with anti-84K Fab fragments are completely inhibited from undergoing the egg jelly-induced acrosome reaction and fertilizing eggs. Anti-64K Fab fragments have no effect on the ability of the sperm to undergo the acrosome reaction or fertilize eggs. Sperm incubated in anti-84K or anti-64K Fab fragments undergo the acrosome reaction in response to the Ca2+ ionophore A23187, or when the extracellular pH is increased to 9.2 with NH4OH, indicating that the inhibition of the egg jelly-induced acrosome reaction results from the binding of the anti-84K Fab to an external molecule involved in the initiation or propagation of the acrosome reaction. The 84K glycoprotein is the first sperm surface component identified that might have a role in the induction of the acrosome reaction.
Defining the role of radiation therapy in the management of epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma

The role of radiotherapy in the treatment of epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma needs to be defined. Over the past 4 years, we have irradiated 47 Kaposi's sarcomas in 38 patients having AIDS. Doses ranging from 800 cGy in 1 fraction to 3000 cGy in 10 fractions over 2 weeks were applied on an individualized basis. Treatment generally was successful in achieving palliation; however, toxicity in certain circumstances argues against indiscriminate use of this modality.
G protein-coupled receptor kinase 4γ interacts with inactive Gαs and Gα13

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are regulated by multiple families of kinases including GPCR kinases (GRKs). GRK4 is constitutively active towards GPCRs, and polymorphisms of GRK4gamma are linked to hypertension. We examined, through co-immunoprecipitation, the interactions between GRK4gamma and the Galpha and Gbeta subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins. Because GRK4 has been shown to inhibit Galpha(s)-coupled GPCR signaling and lacks a PH domain, we hypothesized that GRK4gamma would interact with active Galpha(s), but not Gbeta. Surprisingly, GRK4gamma preferentially interacts with inactive Galpha(s) and Gbeta to a greater extent than active Galpha(s). GRK4gamma also interacts with inactive Galpha(13) and Gbeta. Functional studies demonstrate that wild-type GRK4gamma, but not kinase-dead GRK4gamma, ablates isoproterenol-mediated cAMP production indicating that the kinase domain is responsible for GPCR regulation. This evidence suggests that binding to inactive Galpha(s) and Gbeta may explain the constitutive activity of GRK4gamma towards Galpha(s)-coupled receptors.
Dependence of lifetime on design parameters of an nipi doping superlattice: Results of self-consistent calculations

Abstract This paper presents a scheme for calculating recombination lifetimes in a doping superlattice at arbitrary temperatures and forward biases. The scheme involves the self-consistent calculation of sub-band energies, populations and envelope functions, followed by the calculation of lifetime using overlap integrals. Results of these calculations are then presented for a variety of combinations of layer thicknesses and dopings, all at a temperature of 300 K and a forward bias of 1 V. Our results give room temperature lifetimes as high as ∼30 ms for n and p layer thicknesses of 750 A each, i-layer thickness of 50 A, and dopings in the n and p layers of 2×10 18 cm −3 .
Divisibility and Distribution of Partitions into Distinct Parts

Abstract We study the generating function for Q ( n ), the number of partitions of a natural number n into distinct parts. Using the arithmetic properties of Fourier coefficients of integer weight modular forms, we prove several theorems on the divisibility and distribution of Q ( n ) modulo primes p ⩾5.
Analogue kurtosis detector for radio-frequency interference in microwave radiometers

An analogue system has been developed for radio frequency interference (RFI) detection in microwave radiometers. The detector measures the higher order moments of the signal and the kurtosis measurement is used to determine the presence of RFL The hardware comprises a square-law detector and a high-speed analogue multiplier. Because the circuit uses only analogue components at radio and/or intermediate frequencies, it can easily augment conventional radiometer architectures used in both airborne and spaceborne instruments.
Jusbetonin, the First Indolo[3,2-b]quinoline Alkaloid Glycoside, from Justicia betonica

A new indolo[3,2-b]quinoline alkaloid glycoside, jusbetonin (1), and three known alkaloids, namely, 10H-quindoline (2), 6H-quinindoline (3), and 5H,6H-quinindolin-11-one (4), have been isolated from the leaves of Justicia betonica. The structure of 1 was established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR (1H−1H COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) and HRFABMS data. Compound 1 is the first example of a glycosylated indolo[3,2-b]quinoline alkaloid, while compound 4 was isolated for the first time from a natural source.
Maturation cleavage of bacteriophage P22 DNA in the absence of DNA packaging

Mature linear bacteriophage P22 chromosomes are cut from the concatemeric precursor during DNA encapsulation. Mutants defective in P22 genes 5, 8, 3, 2 or 1 do not package DNA, and these mutants also fail to reduce the concatemer to the mature unit length. In wild-type infections, P22 DNA is packaged in a series of headfuls, beginning at a specific site on the concatemer called pac . These experiments show that this specific cleavage at pac can occur in the absence of DNA encapsulation. The ends of the concatemers in mutant infections were studied by extracting DNA from non-permissive infected cells, digesting the DNA with restriction enzymes, separating the fragments by gel electrophoresis, and locating the P22 fragments in the gel by hybridization. Certain P22 fragments in the digest are generated only from DNA molecules with ends at pac , and the presence of these fragments was used as an assay for pac cleavage. The results show that 5 − , 8 − or 1 − mutants that fail to make active proheads nevertheless cleave the concatemer at pac , while 3 − or 2 − mutants are unable to perform pac cleavage. These experiments permit study of pac cleavage independently of the complex process of DNA encapsulation, and they show that proheads are not required for this specific cleavage. Unpackaged DNA in Escherichia coli cells infected with a bacteriophage λE − mutant was examined by an analogous method. In contrast to the P22 result, no specific cleavage of λDNA at cos was detected in the infection deficient in proheads. The finding that concatemers do not have ends at cos is evidence against the proposal that cleavage of λ DNA at cos is instrumental in the transition from circle replication to rolling circle replication.
The effect of interlocutor proficiency on the collaborative dialogue between Korean as a second language learners

Previous research has shown that second language (L2) learners reflect on language form when carrying out collaborative activities in L2 classrooms. This study explored which language forms Korean ...
Sodium and calcium action potential in pituitary cells

SEVERAL endocrine cells or their neoplastic derivatives generate action potentials similar to those seen in neurones1, and in the adrenal chromaffin cell such regenerative potentials depend primarily on a sodium mechanism2–4. Kidokoro has described action potentials in the GH3 rat pituitary cell line which seem to depend on a calcium mechanism5. We have re-investigated the action potential in GH3 cells and found that it results from combined Na and Ca mechanisms in physiological conditions. In addition, we have recorded similar electrical excitability from two human pituitary tumours grown in vitro.
Surgical approaches to primary and metastatic liver neoplasms.

Abstract Providing the anatomic conditions are appropriate, removal of as much as 85–90% of the liver is a relatively safe technique for the treatment of benign or malignant primary hepatic tumors and of isolated hepatic metastases. There have been apparent cures of malignant disease by this approach, but the paucity of concentrated experience at any one center and the failure so far to pool data from different centers effectively make a valid prognosis impossible. Total hepatectomy and liver replacement has resulted in the apparent cure of some patients with primary hepatic malignancy. However, there has been an extremely high rate of recurrence of tumor. Small cancers which are lethal because of their strategic locations may provide an unusually good indication for liver replacement. Liver transplantation would rarely, if ever, be indicated for metastases to the liver.