cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In heart failure reactivation of RNA-binding proteins drives the transcriptome into a fetal state

Abstract Transcriptome-wide expression changes occur during heart failure, including reactivation of fetal-specific isoforms. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms and the extent to which a fetal gene program switch occurs remains unclear. Limitations hindering transcriptome-wide analyses of alternative splicing differences (i.e. isoform switching) in cardiovascular system (CVS) tissues between fetal and adult (healthy and diseased) stages have included both cellular heterogeneity across bulk RNA-seq samples and limited availability of fetal tissue for research. To overcome these limitations, we have deconvoluted the cellular compositions of 996 RNA-seq samples representing heart failure, healthy adult (heart and arteria), and fetal-like (iPSC-derived cardiovascular progenitor cells) CVS tissues. Comparison of the expression profiles revealed that RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are highly overexpressed in fetal-like compared with healthy adult and are reactivated in heart failure, which results in expression of thousands fetal-specific isoforms. Of note, isoforms for 20 different RBPs were among those that reverted in heart failure to the fetal-like expression pattern. We determined that, compared with adult-specific isoforms, fetal-specific isoforms are more likely to bind RBPs, have canonical sequences at their splice sites and encode proteins with more functions. Our findings suggest targeting RBP fetal-specific isoforms could result in novel therapeutics for heart failure.
Influence of stitching on the out-of-plane behavior of composite materials – A mechanistic review:

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites are widely used in the aerospace industry due to their high stiffness and strength-to-weight ratios. However, their applicability can be limited by their relativ...
The Risk of Prostate Cancer Progression in Active Surveillance Patients with Bilateral Disease Detected by Combined Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Fusion and Systematic Biopsy.

Purpose:We sought to evaluate whether bilateral prostate cancer detected at active surveillance (AS) enrollment is associated with progression to Grade Group (GG) ≥2 and to compare the efficacy of ...
A Cross-Sectional Study to Evaluate the Effects of Age and Duration of HIV Infection on Anxiety and Depression in Cisgender Men.

This observational cross-sectional study of 152 people with HIV (PWH) examined the effects of age and estimated duration of HIV infection (EDI) on depressive and anxiety symptoms. All participants were cisgender men and completed the Profile of Moods State (POMS), a self-report inventory of current (i.e., past week) mood states. Overall, study results confirmed higher levels of anxiety and depression in PWH compared to individuals without HIV. Age group (< 50 or ≥ 50 years) moderated the effect of EDI (< 3 or ≥ 3 years) on mood disturbance. Specifically, younger PWH with early diagnosed infection exhibited the highest levels of depression and anxiety, whereas depression and anxiety were attenuated in older PWH with early infection such that their POMS scores did not significantly differ from the HIV-negative and chronically HIV-infected groups. Despite the small sample size and other important limitations in our study design, our preliminary findings confirm previous observations that older people may have some adaptive ability to better handle the acute psychological stressors associated with recent HIV infection.
Thalamic deep brain stimulation as a paradigm to reduce consciousness: implications for cortico-striatal dynamics, absence epilepsy and consciousness studies

Anesthetic manipulations provide much-needed causal evidence for neural correlates of consciousness, but non-specific drug effects complicate their interpretation. Evidence suggests that thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) can either increase or decrease consciousness, depending on the stimulation target and parameters. The putative role of the central lateral thalamus (CL) in consciousness makes it an ideal DBS target to manipulate circuit-level mechanisms in cortico-striato-thalamic (CST) systems, thereby influencing consciousness and related processes. We used multi-microelectrode DBS targeted to CL in macaques while recording from frontal, parietal, and striatal regions. DBS induced episodes reminiscent of absence epilepsy, here termed absence-like activity (ALA), with decreased behavior and vacant staring coinciding with low-frequency oscillations. DBS modulated ALA likelihood in a frequency-specific manner. ALA events corresponded to decreases in measures of neural complexity (entropy) and integration ({Phi}*), an index of consciousness, and substantial changes to communication in CST circuits. During ALA, power spectral density and coherence at low frequencies increased across CST circuits, especially in thalamo-parietal and cortico-striatal pathways. Decreased consciousness and neural integration corresponded to shifts in cortico-striatal network configurations that dissociated parietal and subcortical structures. Overall, the features of ALA and implicated networks were similar to those of absence epilepsy. As this same multi-microelectrode DBS method - but at different stimulation frequencies - can also increase consciousness in anesthetized macaques, it can be used to flexibly address questions of consciousness with limited confounds, as well as inform clinical investigations of absence epilepsy and other consciousness disorders. SIGNIFICANCEWe use tailored, multi-microelectrode thalamic deep brain stimulation to reversibly decrease consciousness for otherwise healthy, wakeful animals in a stimulation frequency-dependent manner. This represents a bidirectional mechanism for controlling consciousness, as the same method can increase consciousness under certain conditions. Theories of consciousness debate the relative contribution of parietal and frontal lobes, and largely ignore subcortical contributions. In this study, changes in consciousness predominantly involve changes in subcortical and parietal regions, implying that they contribute more to consciousness than frontal regions. Further, decreases in consciousness (indexed by {Phi}*) coincide with decreased movement, staring, and low-frequency activity in the EEG, similar to absence epilepsy. Thus, the systems-level mechanisms for decreased consciousness in this study have broader clinical implications for absence epilepsy.
Enhancing Multi-Sensory Cue Salience and Perceptual Identification in a Wearable Haptic Device

Wearable haptic devices increasingly incorporate a variety of cutaneous haptic cues, enabling the creation of multi-sensory stimuli that can encode complex information. In prior work, a multi-sensory wearable device comprised of squeeze, skin stretch, and vibrotactile cues called MISSIVE was shown to be effective at encoding large cue sets; however, skin stretch was often misinterpreted when presented with a simultaneous squeeze cue. In this paper, we present the design of a multi-sensory haptic wearable named MISSIVE-2 that foregoes skin stretch in favor of a larger set of vibrotactile cues that can be presented with or without a simultaneous squeeze cue. We evaluated cue identification accuracy in a human-subject study and demonstrate very good performance in both true positive rate (84.0%) and positive predictive value (86.2%), objective measures of perceptual performance, with MISSIVE-2, especially compared to that observed with the original MISSIVE device. Analysis of the confusion matrix of all forty haptic cues revealed that user errors were most likely to occur for vibration cues presented at the top of the wrist, under a module housing control electronics, and in the presence of a simultaneous squeeze cue, though performance was still much improved compared to that with MISSIVE. These findings suggest that users can reliably perceive multi-sensory cues presented with MISSIVE-2. Future work will explore applications of MISSIVE-2 for haptic communication.
MCM foundry test methodology and implementation

The Texas Instruments (TI) MCM foundry was initiated to address both military and commercial customers, with varying architectures and test requirements. A test strategy was developed and implemented to address a wide range of customers, as well as a roadmap for future test interface and equipment. This paper describes the test strategy in place for the dual use foundry, including hardware that was developed specifically for MCM interface, software tools, and ATE strategy. >
Observations on Soft Computing in Marketing

Marketing managers make use of a variety of computer-based systems to aid decision- making. Some of these models would be considered “hard” models in the sense that they are based on quantitative data, usually historical data related to some type of market response and some empirically derived functional form of the relationships among actions in the market and market response (Hanssens, Parsons and Schultz 2008). Such models have been widely employed to decisions involving pricing and promotion, advertising scheduling and response, product design, and sales call scheduling, among others (Lilien and Rangaswamy 2006). These models, while very useful, require very rich data, as well strong assumptions about the generalizability of historical data to future events. These are assumptions likely to be less and less valid in an increasingly volatile world that includes regular introduction of new means of communications and product/service distribution, as well as new product and service innovations.
Health care utilization among veterans with pain and posttraumatic stress symptoms

Objective To examine health care utilization among veterans with both chronic pain and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Methods Retrospective cohort study of 40,716 veterans in a VA regional network from January 1, 2002 to January 1, 2007. Veterans were categorized into pain-only, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD)-only, and pain plus PTSD (pain+PTSD) comparison groups. Negative binomial models were used to compare adjusted rates of primary care, mental health, and specialty pain service use, as well as opioids, benzodiazepines, nonopioid analgesics, and antidepressant prescriptions. Rates of clinic visits were calculated by days per year, and rates of medication use were calculated by prescription months per year. Participants were followed for a mean duration of 47 months. Results Participants were 94.7% men and had a mean age of 58.9 years. Nearly all used primary care (99.2%), 37.1% used pain-related specialty care, and 33.8% used mental health services. Nonopioid and opioid analgesics were the most commonly used medications (63.7% and 53.8%, respectively). Except for mental health visits, which did not differ between PTSD-only and pain+PTSD groups, the pain+PTSD group used significantly more of all categories of health care services than the pain-only and PTSD-only groups. For example, the pain+PTSD group had 7% more primary care visits (rate ratio [RR] = 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05, 1.09) than the pain-only group and 46% more primary care visits than the PTSD-only group (RR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.40, 1.52). Adjusted rates of opioid, benzodiazepine, nonopioid analgesic, and antidepressant prescriptions were higher for the pain+PTSD group than either of the comparison groups. Conclusions Our findings support our expectation that veterans with both pain and PTSD symptoms use more health care services than those with pain or PTSD symptoms alone. Research is needed to assess the health care costs associated with increases in health care utilization among these veterans.
Toward optimal decision making for material maintenance systems

Both destructive and nondestructive testing are used to insure reliability of mechanical systems. Economic considerations influence decisions regarding the type and amount of testing, and the acceptable risk of inservice failure. A general, flexible model permitting optimization in terms of costs is needed. A preliminary model is established which is applicable to components with a Weibull failure distribution. The model permits determination of cost-optimal number of destructive tests to estimate the parameters of the distribution and a corresponding optimal service interval. The model is illustrated with simulated failure data for a hypothetical component.
Split-window retrieval of particle size and optical depth in contrails located above horizontally inhomogeneous ice clouds

Multichannel radiometer measurements of a newly formed contrail taken from a NASA ER-2 aircraft over northern Oklahoma during the FIRE Cirrus-II experiment are used in a split-window retrieval of the contrail's particle size and optical depth. The effect of horizontal inhomogeneity in an underlying cirrus layer on the contrail retrieval is studied through the use of multi-dimensional radiative transfer model simulations. Estimates of the contrail's effective radius are significantly smaller (5–7 µm) than those in the underlying cirrus (21 µm). The effect of horizontal inhomogeneity in the underlying cirrus on contrail particle size and optical depth retrievals is generally smaller than the corresponding effects of particle shape or spectral variations in surface emissivity on the retrievals. The differences in particle size retrievals are 10 percent or less as a result of the inhomogeneity, while they are from 10 to 40 percent for ice cylinders, and range from 1 to 40 percent for ice spheroids. Horizontal inhomogeneity affected the optical depth retrievals by only one or two percent, while surface emissivity variations affected the retrievals by 12 to 24 percent, and particle shape produced differences as large as 9 percent.
Accessibility and Applicability: Some "Activation Rules" Influencing Judgment

Individuals with varying levels of chronic accessibility for the construct "conceited" read about a target person and gave their spontaneous impressions of the target′s behaviors. The construct "conceited" was either contextually primed or not, and the priming-to-stimulus delay was either short or long. The stimulus behaviors also varied in applicability to the construct "conceited," with three different types of non-"unambiguous" stimuli being examined. The stimulus behaviors were either only weakly related to "conceited" (vague), strongly and equally related to both "conceited" and "self-confident" (ambiguous), or more strongly related to self-confident than to "conceited" (contrary). We found that the extremely vague target behaviors yielded conceited-related spontaneous impressions when the accessibility of the construct conceited was maximized - contextual priming [without awareness], short priming-to-stimulus delay, and relatively high levels of chronic accessibility. This result supports the "activation rule" that strong accessibility can compensate for weak applicability. Two other activation rules were suggested by the results for the ambiguous and the contrary stimuli, respectively: (a) higher accessibility can yield stronger judgments even when perceivers are aware of contextual priming events if the additional contribution to activation from applicability and chronic accessibility is sufficiently great, and (b) the relation between higher accessibility and stronger judgments is constrained when the applicability of a competing alternative construct is both strong and stronger than the target construct′s applicability.
Presynaptic polypeptide neurotoxins

Abstract There exist several polypeptide neurotoxins that act on nerve terminals to alter the storage and release of neurotransmitters. Table 1 lists the best characterized of these toxins. The references given in Table 1 are to other recent reviews that describe the chemical and pharmacological properties of the toxins. The emphasis of this review will be on the nature of the sites to which the toxins bind when they exert their pharmacological effects.
Diffusion and Island formation on the ice Ih basal plane surface

Abstract We present theoretical calculations of the adsorption, diffusion and island formation of water admolecules on the basal plane surface of an ice Ih crystal. These are preliminary calculations based on the simple TIP4P interaction potential, a pairwise additive potential function based on point charges. At low coverage, we find that an admolecule prefers to sit at non-crystallographic sites on the surface (i.e., sites that do not fit into the ice lattice). Since ice Ih is proton disordered, no two sites are exactly the same and there is a wide range of binding energies. For some local environments the binding energy is of the order of, or even larger than, the cohesive energy. The proton disorder also results in a range of activation energies for diffusion. After mapping out a large number of diffusion barriers using the nudged elastic band method, a kinetic Monte-Carlo calculation of the diffusion at 140 K was performed. At early time, the mean squared displacement has anomalous scaling with time as is common for diffusion on random lattices. But, at longer time the scaling is normal and a diffusion coefficient can be obtained. The diffusivity is slightly larger than a recent experimental upper bound given by Brown and George. The energetics and dynamics of the formation of small islands on the ice surface have also been studied. It is found that islands up to and including pentamer are non-crystallographic, but the hexamer is crystallographic. While the formation of a crystallographic hexamer from a non-crystallographic pentamer and a new admolecule involves a complex concerted motion of all the island molecules and a large relaxation of the substrate, the activation energy for the process is estimated to be quite small, smaller than the admolecule diffusion barrier.
The reAcoustic eGuitar

We present a new approach for designing guitars making use of the digital environment. We aim to preserve the physical connection between a user and the instrument, while offering innovative sound design. The reAcoustic eGuitar is a digitally fabricated instrument to design sounds. A user shapes it by modifying six separate acoustic chambers. We contextualize the need for such an artifact within the evolution of the guitar.
Low-Temperature Device-Quality SiO2/Si (100) Interfaces Prepared By A Combined Remote Plasma Oxidation-Deposition Process

Gate-quality SiO2/Si(100) interfaces were reproducibly fabricated using a two-step remote plasma-assisted oxidation/thin-film deposition processing sequence at temperatures between 200 and 300°C. The pre-deposition oxidation creates approximately 0.5nm of SiO2, and produces an SiO2/Si interface with a midgap trap density of ~1.3×1010cm−2eV−1. The MOS capacitors prepared by this technique have properties comparable to those with thermal oxides grown at 850–1050°C. These capacitors also show a longer minority-carrier life time in the underlying Si than samples prepared using other pre-deposition treatment methods.
Stimulus-dependent Subcellular Localization of Activated Protein Kinase C; a Study with Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor and Transforming Growth Factor-β1 in Cardiac Myocytes

Abstract Protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes regulate a number of cardiac functions including contractility, gene expression, and hypertrophy. There are at least six PKC isozymes in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. We have shown previously that stimulation of cardiac myocytes in culture with norepinephrine (NE) or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) results in translocation of each isozyme to distinct subcellular sites. In the present work, we demonstrated that PKC isozymes vary in their sensitivity to stimulation by acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) and transforming growth factor- β 1 (TGF- β 1). Moreover, immunocytochemical studies indicated differences in the subcellular localization of activated isozymes following stimulation with each growth factor. These data suggest that the site of translocation and the resulting function of individual PKC isozymes are distinct for different PKC activators. Identification of the PKC isozymes that respond to aFGF and TGF- β 1 and their subcellular localization may provide a molecular basis for the divergent cardiac functions mediated by these two growth factors.
Occupy Wall Street Exploring Informal Learning About a Social Movement on Twitter

Recent events suggest that social media, also called web 2.0, can support mass social change. Although some critics have lamented how social media are eroding people’s ability to communicate, others have argued that social media may allow individuals to leverage their individual voices against authoritarian leaders. This article seeks to understand the ways in which individuals can use a particular social media platform, the microblog Twitter, to learn about the Occupy Wall Street movement. This article uses a mixed-methods approach, incorporating descriptive statistics, content analysis, and a case study of the author’s learning process to examine the existence of informal learning about the Occupy Wall Street movement. Scholars have proposed that informal learning about a social movement is associated with participation in the movement. This study suggests that Twitter supports multiple opportunities for participation in the Occupy movement—from creating, tagging, and sharing content to reading, watchin...
Origin of QSOs

IN a recent issue of Nature1 the opinion was expressed that the lack of observed blueshifts for quasars essentially rules out local origin. While this may be a valid objection to some forms of local theory, it is not so for the very local theory in which quasars were ejected a few million years ago from the centre of our Galaxy, the nearest being only a few hundred thousand light years away. Such a distance is consistent with the observed upper limits on proper motion2.
K-sample subsampling in general spaces: The case of independent time series

The problem of subsampling in two-sample and K-sample settings is addressed where both the data and the statistics of interest take values in general spaces. We focus on the case where each sample is a stationary time series, and construct subsampling confidence intervals and hypothesis tests with asymptotic validity. Some examples are also given, and the problem of optimal block size choice is discussed.
Lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacities of common foods in the United States

Both lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacities were determined using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORACFL) assay with fluorescein as the fluorescent probe and 2,2‘-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride as a peroxyl radical generator on over 100 different kinds of foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, dried fruits, spices, cereals, infant, and other foods. Most of the foods were collected from four different regions and during two different seasons in U.S. markets. Total phenolics of each sample were also measured using the Folin−Ciocalteu reagent. Hydrophilic ORACFL values (H-ORACFL) ranged from 0.87 to 2641 μmol of Trolox equivalents (TE)/g among all of the foods, whereas lipophilic ORACFL values (L-ORACFL) ranged from 0.07 to 1611 μmol of TE/g. Generally, L-ORACFL values were <10% of the H-ORACFL values except for a very few samples. Total antioxidant capacity was calculated by combining L-ORACFL and H-ORACFL. Differences of ORACFL values in fruits and vegetables from different...
Lexicographic rationalizability and iterated admissibility

Abstract Using lexicographic probability systems, we define the concept of ‘lexicographic rationalizability’ and show it to coincide with iterated admissibility (i.e. the iterated elimination of weakly-dominated strategies).
Acetylcholine output from the ischemic rat cerebral cortex : effects of adenosine agonists

Abstract The efflux of acetylcholine (ACh) from the ischemic rat cerebral cortex was examined using the cortical cup technique and an HPLC with electrochemical detection assay. Four vessel occlusion of the cerebral circulation caused a rapid increase in ACh efflux into the cortical superfusates, which was then sustained during the 20 min period of occlusion. Reperfusion was associated with a rapid return of ACh efflux to basal levels. The A 1 and A 2 selective adenosine receptor agonists, N 6 -cyclopentyladenosine (10 −8 and 10 −10 M) and CGS 21680 (10 −8 ), failed to significantly alter ischemia-evoked release of ACh. Because ACh is known to enhance NMDA receptor mediated neuronal depolarization and intracellular Ca 2+ levels, and to potentiate l -glutamate-induced neural degeneration, the present findings suggest that ACh could contribute to ischemic brain injury.
Catechol oxidation by ozone and hydroxyl radicals at the air-water interface.

Anthropogenic emissions of aromatic hydrocarbons promptly react with hydroxyl radicals undergoing oxidation to form phenols and polyphenols (e.g., catechol) typically identified in the complex mixture of humic-like substances (HULIS). Because further processing of polyphenols in secondary organic aerosols (SOA) can continue mediated by a mechanism of ozonolysis at interfaces, a better understanding about how these reactions proceed at the air–water interface is needed. This work shows how catechol, a molecular probe of the oxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons present in SOA, can contribute interfacial reactive species that enhance the production of HULIS under atmospheric conditions. Reactive semiquinone radicals are quickly produced upon the encounter of 40 ppbv–6.0 ppmv O3(g) with microdroplets containing [catechol] = 1–150 μM. While the previous pathway results in the instantaneous formation of mono- and polyhydroxylated aromatic rings (PHA) and chromophoric mono- and polyhydroxylated quinones (PHQ), a dif...
Reliable and computationally efficient maximum-likelihood estimation of "proper" binormal ROC curves

Rationale and Objectives Estimation of ROC curves and their associated indices from experimental data can be problematic, especially in multireader, multicase (MRMC) observer studies. Wilcoxon estimates of area under the curve (AUC) can be strongly biased with categorical data, whereas the conventional binormal ROC curve-fitting model may produce unrealistic fits. The “proper” binormal model (PBM) was introduced by Metz and Pan to provide acceptable fits for both sturdy and problematic datasets, but other investigators found that its first software implementation was numerically unstable in some situations. Therefore, we created an entirely new algorithm to implement the PBM. Materials and Methods This paper describes in detail the new PBM curve-fitting algorithm, which was designed to perform successfully in all problematic situations encountered previously. Extensive testing was conducted also on a broad variety of simulated and real datasets. Windows, Linux, and Apple Macintosh OS X versions of the algorithm are available online at http://xray.bsd.uchicago.edu/krl/ . Results Plots of fitted curves as well as summaries of AUC estimates and their standard errors are reported. The new algorithm never failed to converge and produced good fits for all of the several million datasets on which it was tested. For all but the most problematic datasets, the algorithm also produced very good estimates of AUC standard error. The AUC estimates compared well with Wilcoxon estimates for continuously distributed data and are expected to be superior for categorical data. Conclusion This implementation of the PBM is reliable in a wide variety of ROC curve-fitting tasks.
Youth Exposed to Violence: Stability, Co-occurrence, and Context

With considerable literature establishing how separate types of violence disrupt the lives of children, there is emerging interest in examining violence across multiple interpersonal domains. This article examines four commonly occurring and frequently researched domains of violence exposure: marital physical aggression, mother-to-youth aggression, father-to-youth aggression, and community violence. A community-based sample of 103 parents and youth provided three waves of data at annual intervals beginning when the youth were aged 9-10. We explored stability of exposure, co-occurrence across different types of violence exposure, and associations with co-occurring risk factors. Approximately 30-45% of youth reported intermittent exposure over the 3 years. In addition to overlap among types of violence exposure within the family, we found overlap between parent-to-youth aggression and community violence, an association that was exacerbated in families where fathers reported high levels of global distress symptoms. Mother-to-youth, father-to-youth, and community violence related to youth behavior problems beyond the contextual risk factors of low income, stressful life events, and parents' global distress symptoms. These results highlight the importance of examining violence longitudinally, across multiple types, and with attention to contextual factors.
Muscarinic receptor alterations following neostigmine treatment

Abstract Male mice administered neostigmine in the drinking water at daily increasing concentrations (20–1000 mg/l) for four days became tolerant to its toxicity and presented a reduced binding of [ 3 H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([ 3 H]QNB) in the small intestine. An increased binding of [ 3 H]QNB was found in the forebrains of neostigmine-treated animals. This was due to an increase in muscarinic cholinergic receptor density. Neostigmine-treated animals were also more sensitive than control to the hypothermic effect induced by oxotremorine. Dopaminergic and α- and β-adrenoceptors were not affected. Administration of methylatropine together with neostigmine prevented the decrease of [ 3 H]QNB binding in the small intestine as well as the increase in the forebrain.
Cross-Linkable Liquid Crystal Monomers Containing Hydrocarbon 1,3-Diene Tail Systems

The unprecedented use of polymerizable hydrocarbon tail systems containing 1,3-diene groups for the design of thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystal (LC) monomers is described. Cross-linkable LC dienes are synthesized by attaching LC core units to modular ω-bromoalka-1,3-diene tails of variable length. These modular diene tails are synthesized by the oxidation of long chain ω-bromoalkan-1-ols to the corresponding ω-bromoalkanals. Reaction of the ω-bromoalkanals with Matteson's reagent, followed by treatment with triethanolamine and deoxysilylation under Peterson elimination conditions, affords the desired ω-bromoalka-1,3-diene tails. The effect of the 1,3-diene group on the mesogenic behavior of certain thermotropic and lyotropic LC systems was determined by examining 1,3-diene analogues of a thermotropic calamitic LC diacrylate and a taper-shaped lyotropic LC triacrylate. Compared to their diacrylate analogues, the thermotropic LC bis(1,3-diene)s exhibit the same progression of nematic and smectic pha...
Global Facility Network Design with Transshipment and Responsive Pricing

This paper considers the facility network design problem for a global firm that sells to two markets: the domestic market and a foreign market. Although the firm has to invest in capital-intensive production facilities and produce outputs in the face of demand and exchange rate uncertainties, it can postpone the transshipment, localization, and distribution of the output until after uncertainties are resolved. The key network design decisions faced by the firm are in which of the two markets to locate the capital-intensive production facilities and what the corresponding output levels should be. We provide the complete characterization of the optimal global facility network configuration for two types of global firms: a newsvendor with exogenously given selling prices and a firm with the flexibility of pricing responsively after uncertainties are resolved. Our study's focus is on the impact of exchange rate uncertainty and responsive pricing on facility network decisions. Compared with a newsvendor facing demand uncertainty only, the introduction of exchange rate uncertainty or the use of responsive pricing can increase the attractiveness of centralized production. A responsive-pricing firm's optimal network design differs from that of a newsvendor firm as follows. (1) The firm's network preference is less susceptible to the increase of localization costs. (2) The firm is less likely to switch from a network of regional production to a network of centralized production in response to the increasing size of one market. (3) Demand and exchange rate uncertainties can have opposite effects on its optimal centralized output when the nature of the random shocks they introduce to the firm's demand function is different: under the linear demand function, the optimal centralized output increases in the demand volatility when demand shock is additive, but it may decrease in the exchange rate volatility because the corresponding price shock is multiplicative. Interestingly, common to both types of firms, their network preferences, although sensitive to costs and mean demand and exchange rate, are robust to the demand and exchange rate volatilities, suggesting that transshipment-enabled output substitutability between the two markets diminishes the impact of increasing market volatilities on the network design decision.
MRI-based score helps in assessing the severity and in follow-up of pediatric patients with perianal Crohn disease.

ABSTRACTObjectives:The radiologic healing of perianal fistulizing Crohn disease (PfCD) lags behind the clinical healing. Contrast-enhanced pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the radiologic study of choice used to diagnose PfCD in children. The aim was to study whether the various MRI-based r
Thermally induced vibrations of beam structures

Abstract A general numerical method is developed for determining the dynamic response of beam structures to rapidly applied thermal loads. The method consists of formulating and solving the dynamic problem in the Laplace transform domain with the aid of dynamic stiffness influence coefficients defined for a beam element in that domain and of obtaining the response by a numerical inversion of the transformed solution. Thus, the solution of the associated heat conduction problem, usually obtained by Laplace transform and needed for the computation of the thermal load, can be used in its transformed form. The effects of damping and of axial compressive forces on the structural response are also studied. Three examples are presented in detail to illustrate the proposed method and demonstrate its advantages.
SEROTHERAPY OF AVIAN RETICULOENDOTHELIOSIS VIRUS-INDUCED TUMORS*

Immune serum, obtained from animals that had survived sublethal challenge with RE virus, was very effective in achieving tumor cures in chickens infected with this virus. The therapeutic effect could also be obtained by the immunoglobulin fraction of immune serum. The serum did not influence the development of an unrelated malignancy. Serotherapy studies in Bx and Tx recipients indicate that the B-cell or T-cell system of the host does not significantly contribute to the curative activity of immune serum. Absorption studies show that the curative effect is mediated by antibodies to tumor-associated transplantation antigens on tumor cells, not by antiviral antibodies.
Micromechanical modeling of powder compacts—I. Unit problems for sintering and traction induced deformation

Abstract A micromechanical model has been developed for the constitutive behavior of powder compacts based on unit models for the interaction between individual particles. In this paper, the first of two companion papers, two unit problems have been formulated for the study of inter-particle behavior. These correspond to the cases of deformation by external tractions and local surface tension forces. The contact area between individual particles is used to characterize the state of the powder compact. Specific numerical results are presented for linear viscous material properties and are compared with existing models. The choice of unit problems for sintering has been discussed at length and some ambiguities in the traditional method of modeling viscous sintering are pointed out. The results of this study are used in the companion paper [Acta metall.36, 2563 (1988)] to develop a model for the sintering and compaction of discrete packings.
Variability of human biceps brachii spinal stretch reflexes: Control conditions

The variability of the human biceps brachii spinal stretch reflex (SSR) elicited by rotational stretches is not known. Data obtained by others using tendon taps suggests considerable variability of biceps stretch reflex. The purpose of this study was to determine the variability of the biceps SSR across and within sessions in able-bodied subjects. In addition, we wanted to determine if four baseline sessions was a sufficient number against which to compare an intervening variable. Ten able-bodied subjects participated in this study, which included four baseline sessions and eight additional baseline sessions among five of these subjects. Five bins of 50 stretches were elicited at each session (i.e., a total of 250 stretches per session). Subjects were provided no feedback of SSR magnitude during any session. Means, standard deviations, and coefficients of variation (standard deviation/mean) were calculated. A nested analysis of variance was used in assessing relative contributions to the total variance. Within-session variance contributed at least five times the amount to the total variance as day-to-day variability in both baseline and extended baseline phases. During the baseline phase within-session coefficients of variation were approximately 60%, whereas across-session coefficients of variation were approximately 30%. The within-session coefficients of variation increased during the extended baseline phase, whereas the across-session coefficients were similar to the baseline phase. In addition, the mean SSR decreased during the extended baseline phase. We conclude that biceps SSRs elicited by rotational stretches are highly variable, particularly within sessions. Thus, multiple trials and sessions are necessary if meaningful data are to be gathered.
Novas interpretações do tráfico de escravos do Atlântico

Os estudos mais sistematicos sobre o trafico de escravos possibilitaram inumeras correicoes de conceitos ideologicos e de estimativas estatisticas inicialmente distorcidas pela campanha abolicionista. Confirmaram o predominio do sexo masculino contra apenas um terco de mulheres e 10% de criancas. As proprias condicoes africanas definiram especificidades tais como o vulto demografico e as porcentagens relativas de participacao dos europeus. A multiplicacao dos esforcos de pesquisa levou a re-avaliacoes importantes sobre o papel do trafico no crescimento economico dos paises europeus, a distribuicao das diversas culturas no continente americano e o seu efeito sobre a demografia e a economia africanas.
Progressive improvement in the transfer of maternal antibody across the order Primates.

Antibody levels were determined in adults and newborn offspring of five primate species. This cross-species comparison of intant IgG levels indicated that prosimians and New World monkeys transfer lower levels of maternal antibody via placental transmission than do Old World monkeys, apes, and humans. The evolutionary trend toward an increased reliance on prenatal antibody transfer in the higher primates appears to be most pronounced in the human infant, because our placenta has evolved an active transport process that elevates IgG in the full-term fetus over maternal levels. Higher IgG levels in the young infant ensure a more prolonged and successful period of passive immunity against pathogens previously encountered by the mother. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Conductive ink based page detection for linking digital and physical pages

This paper describes a working prototype of a page detection system for paper stacks, the kind that would be used in digital paper applications. Polymer conductive ink is applied and embossed on the back of each page in a way that causes the resistance of the ink to change when the paper is bent, making a resistive strain guage. In use, a detector circuit identifies the active page by noting the highest page in the stack not exhibiting a resistance change. In volume, this method provides an inexpensive, simple solution to page detection. The person uses the paper pad naturally, not needing to tell the system when a new page is being viewed. With this technology the physical world meets the digital domain in a smooth and transparent manner for the user.
The reaction of ascorbic acid with different heme iron redox states of myoglobin. Antioxidant and prooxidant aspects.

The interaction of ascorbate with different heme iron redox states of myoglobin (ferrylmyoglobin, FeIV=O; metmyoglobin, FeIII; and oxymyoglobin FeIIO2) was examined by e.s.r. and absorption spectroseopy. The reaction of ascorbate with ferryl- or met-myoglobin resulted in ascorbyl radical production. The interaction of ascorbate with oxymyoglobin proceeded with formation of ascorbyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, and an overall oxidation of oxymyoglobin to metmyoglobin. The latter reaction proceeded via an oxoferryl complex intermediate - corresponding to ferrylmyoglobin and identified by treatment of the reaction mixture with Na2S. These observations are consistent with a concerted electron transfer mechanism, whereby the two electrons required for the reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide are donated by ascorbic acid and the heme iron. The antioxidant and prooxidant aspects of these redox transitions are discussed in terms of their kinetic properties.
993-45 Atrial Fibrillation: Sotalol's Heart Rate Reductions are Selective for Circadian Hours Where Heart Rate is High

We used 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring (AEM) to determine sotalol's circadian heart rate (HR) effects in chronic atrial fibrillation. Sixty subjects on a stable digoxin dosage had AEM after one week of single-blind placebo (PLC) and then again after 2 weeks of double-blind sotalol (80 or 160 mg qd) or continued PLC. Circadian HR patterns (average, high and low) for AEM's with = 18 paired hours (average = 23.2 hrs) were analyzed. Baseline and endpoint HR curves (open and closed symbols) are shown for sotalol and placebo groups. Circadian HR patterns on continued placebo were stable, but sotalol produced reductions in HR which were equal for the 80 and 160 mg doses. The largest HR reductions occurred between 11 am and 7 pm, where sympathetic tone is high - consistent with sotalol's beta blocking activity. Mean reductions in 24 hour high, average and low HR were 18 BPM, 11 bpm and 7 bpm, respectively, with the high and average HR reductions being significant (p l 0.05). Conclusions Sotalol's HR lowering effects in atrial fibrillation are selective for circadian hours when HR is high, having lesser effects on low HR values. The threshold for beta blocking activity is 80 mg qd, with no further lowering seen at 160 mg qd 2 .
College spring break and alcohol use: effects of spring break activity.

Objective: This study examined the relationship between spring break vacation and changes in alcohol consumption among college students. Analyses also examined the effects of spring break activity (vacationing with friends, visiting parents, staying in college town, etc.) and selection (i.e., whether heavy drinkers are more likely to vacation with friends) on the spring break/alcohol consumption relationship. Method: Participants were 3,720 students (46% male; 90% white; mean age = 17.96) at a large midwestern university. Students were contacted during the fall and spring of their freshman, sophomore, and junior years and were asked to complete online surveys assessing (1) their typical alcohol use, (2) their alcohol use during spring break week, and (3) the activities they engaged in during spring break week. Results: Students who vacationed with friends during spring break dramatically increased their alcohol use. In contrast, students who stayed home or vacationed with parents during spring break were ...
Inventory replenishment control under supply uncertainty

We consider a discrete state, discrete decision epoch inventory replenishment control problem under supply uncertainty. We assume that there is no backlogging, the single period demand d is deterministic, and once an item is placed in inventory, it will not perish. If a units of the product are ordered, then α units are placed into inventory with probability P(α|a), where $\sum_{\alpha=0}^{a}P(\alpha|a)=1$ . Let z=d−x, where x is the current inventory level. For the infinite horizon, total discounted cost criterion, we present conditions that guarantee that an optimal replenishment policy δ ∗ is such that δ ∗(z)=0 for z≤0, δ ∗(z)≥z≥0, and δ ∗(z)−z is monotonically non-decreasing for z≥0. Such a “staircase” structure has a simple parametric description, which can help to accelerate value iteration and policy iteration.
Pathway from the zona incerta to the superior colliculus in the rat

In order to test the proposal that the zona incerta contributes to the generation of orienting movements, we examined the synaptic relationships between the incertotectal pathway and the cells of origin of the predorsal bundle. The predorsal bundle cells give rise to the major premotor pathway from the superior colliculus to the brainstem gaze centers. First, cytochrome oxidase histochemistry, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) immunocytochemistry, and the axonal transport of markers were used to define the borders of a ventral subdivision of the zona incerta. This subdivision projects topographically to the same sublamina of the intermediate grey layer of the superior colliculus that contains the vast majority of the predorsal bundle cells. Experiments in which incertotectal cells were labeled by both retrograde transport and immunocytochemistry showed that this pathway is GABAergic. Retrograde and anterograde experiments also showed that this pathway is reciprocated by a pathway from the intermediate grey layer of the superior colliculus to the same ventral subdivision of the zona incerta. Finally, experiments combining axonal transport and electron microscopic methods showed that the incertotectal pathway is the source of a monosynaptic GABAergic input to the cells of origin of the predorsal bundle. The ventral subdivision of the zona incerta is contrasted with a second source of GABAergic input to the predorsal bundle cells, the substantia nigra pars reticulata. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Influence of gender and age on T-cell responses in a murine model of trauma-hemorrhage: differences between circulating and tissue-fixed cells

Clinical studies indicate that peripheral blood lymphocyte functions are depressed following trauma; however, it is unclear whether tissue-fixed lymphocyte functions are also altered under those co...
Resveratrol supplementation influences bone properties in the tibia of hindlimb-suspended mature Fisher 344 × Brown Norway male rats

The deleterious bone effects of mechanical unloading have been suggested to be due to oxidative stress and (or) inflammation. Resveratrol has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; ther...
Escherichia coli mutants deficient in RNA accumulation at high temperature.

Abstract A selection technique is described which has permitted isolation of 10 mutants that continue to form protein, but are deficient in the accumulation of rRNA at 42°C. DNA · RNA hybridization experiments have demonstrated that most of these mutants are specifically defective in their ability to synthesize rRNA at the restrictive temperature. The bulk of the pulse-labeled RNA formed in such mutants at 42°C appears to be mRNA, with normal instability as measured in the presence of rifampicin. The remaining mutants appear to synthesize normal levels of rRNA, but that rRNA does not accumulate in a stable form. Since all of these mutants continue to form protein, and most do not accumulate significant levels of ppGpp at 42°C, it appears likely that the shut-off of rRNA synthesis at 42°C does not act through a lesion in the rel locus. Thus, these mutants may reveal another element(s) required to promote ribosomal RNA formation.