cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surface energy and induction time of fine coals treated with various levels of dispersed collector and their correlation to flotation responses

Separation of fine coal in froth flotation relies upon the wettability difference between the coal-rich and mineral-rich particles in the aqueous solution. Two methods were used to measure the wettability of six ranks of coal as well as coal samples treated with various levels of dispersed collector in aqueous solution. Wettability was determined by measuring the distribution of critical wetting surface tension, i.e., surface energy, using the film flotation technique and by measuring the induction time, i.e., bubble-particle attachment time, of the material. The wetting of coal particles is strongly dependent upon the coalification processes and can be affected by ash content. For anthracite coal with a high ash content, very high surface energy and intermediate induction time were measured, but intermediate floatability with a very good ash rejection was obtained. Sub-bituminous coal with low mineral inclusion was found to have a relatively low surface energy, and thus a high floatability, but very poor selectivity was observed, which was reflected in lengthened induction time. When dynamics of flotation behaviors are involved, flotation results can be better interpreted by induction time. For dispersed collector-treated coal samples, an increase in collector dispersion (i.e., a decrease in kerosene droplet size), by direct liquid collector mechanical agitation, ultrasonic energy emulsification, or atomization, caused decreases in surface energy and induction time and closely matched the increase of flotation recovery and selectivity. With similar particle density, mineral liberation conditions, and particle size, the induction time was found to be closely related to the mean critical surface tension for untreated coal samples and for HV-bituminous coal samples treated by various levels of dispersed collector.
Correlation of sequential changes in serum thyroglobulin, triiodothyronine, and thyroxine in patients with Graves' disease and subacute thyroiditis

Serum thyroglobulin (Tg), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) concentrations were measured in sera from selected patients with hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease and with subacute thyroiditis. In agreement with previous reports, the concentration of serum Tg was elevated in untreated hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease, being 132 +/- 124 ng/ml (mean +/- SD) as opposed to 11 +/- 6.4 ng/ml in normal subjects. During treatment of hyperthyroidism with antithyroid drugs with or without iodide, reductions in thyroid hormone concentrations were not associated with a change in serum Tg. On the other hand, marked elevations in serum Tg to concentrations as high as 7000 ng/ml were observed within 24-48 hr after subtotal thyroidectomy or 131I treatment of patients with Graves' disease. These abrupt 10-50-fold increases in serum Tg were not associated with changes in serum T3 and T4. As previously demonstrated, patients with subacute thyroiditis may have elevated serum Tg concentrations that are not associated with elevations in serum T3 and T4. Serum Tg may remain elevated long after clinical and other biochemical mainfestations of this disease have disappeared. These data suggest that the disruption in thyroid function in patients with subacute thyroiditis may persist in a subclinical form for longer periods than previously suspected. Serum Tg appears to be a sensitive indicator of acute thyroidal damage due to surgical, radiation, or inflammatory trauma. The absence of parallel changes in serum Tg, T3, and T4 indicates that release of these thyroidal components can occur by different mechanisms and that nonthyroid tissues cannot efficiently generate T3 and T4 from circulating Tg. Accordingly, local or systemic stimulation of thyroidal Tg hydrolysis may be involved in the generation of hyperthyroidism sometimes seen in patients with subacute thyroiditis.
Moral conflict in clinical trials.

Many investigators who conduct clinical trials, a form of medical research with human subjects, face inevitable conflict between two moral duties. They have scientific duty: the duty to conduct any trial for which they are responsible so as to produce scientifically valid results in a timely manner, lest the participation of human subjects be in vain. They also have protective duty: the duty to protect human subjects’ medical wellbeing in the face of the medical burdens and risks of research participation. Both duties have wide scope in the context of clinical trials: they both govern an investigator’s conduct of a trial pervasively. Both have the force of the general moral obligation from which they derive, the obligation to respect other human beings. Yet, it is inherent in the structure of many clinical trials that both duties cannot be fulfilled in all particular instances.
Use of the Internet for the surveillance and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases

The Internet is a relatively new tool in the surveillance and prevention of sexually transmitted infections, and this review examines its global use in this regard. Much use has been made in the form of information collection and dissemination; targeted population engagement through chat rooms, partner notification and other mechanisms; and the provision of testing services and other products. Internet users may need education concerning reputable websites, and public health practitioners need proficiency in the use of social media and marketing.
Mirth and Murder: Crime Scene Investigation as a Work Context for Examining Humor Applications

Within work settings, humor is used by workers for a wide variety of purposes. This study examines humor applications of a specific type of worker in a unique work context: crime scene investigation. Crime scene investigators examine death and its details. Members of crime scene units observe death much more frequently than other police officers and they encounter extremely graphic and violent sensory and mental images. Within this unique work context, humor resides. This study helps human resource development practitioners understand the purposeful application of humor in a specific work context. This increased understanding can help them to interpret humor applications and to use humor in their workplaces to achieve individual and organizational goals.
Interchangeability and tolerability of a virosomal and an aluminum-adsorbed hepatitis A vaccine.

The interchangeability of virosomal (Epaxal®) and aluminum-adsorbed (Havrix 1440®) hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccines was studied in 111 healthy adults who were vaccinated in a randomized, single-blind, crossover clinical trial. Anti-HAV antibody titers were measured at days 0 (first dose), 14, and 28, and months 3, 6, 12 (second dose), 13, 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72. Most subjects (>95%) had sero-converted 14 days after the first dose of either vaccine. The second dose with either vaccine induced a high antibody response in all vaccines, irrespective of the type of vaccine administered as the first dose. Although both vaccines were well tolerated, the incidence of local adverse events (in particular pain) was significantly lower in subjects receiving the virosomal vaccine. Six-year follow-up data did not reveal any significant differences between the vaccination groups.
Transmission EELS of oxide superconductors with a cold field emission TEM

Electron energy loss spectrometry (EELS) with a cold field emission gun (cFEG) transmission electron microscope (TEM) is implemented to analyze the evolution of the electronic structure and dielectric function of oxide superconductors. The O-K core loss spectra of p-type doped oxide superconductors are analyzed in terms of holes formation on oxygen sites, while low loss spectra are analyzed for free carrier plasmas, other spectral excitations, and their crystallographic confinement. It is illustrated that the transmission EELS with a cFEG TEM very much complement soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and optical spectroscopy, with the added advantages of high spatial resolution (∼1–100 nm), and is compatible with other analytical, diffraction, and imaging techniques, which are readily available in a cFEG TEM. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Assessment of symptoms during gastric emptying scintigraphy to correlate symptoms to delayed gastric emptying

Background Symptoms of gastroparesis based on patient recall correlate poorly with gastric emptying. The aim of this study is to determine if symptoms recorded during gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES) correlate with gastric emptying and with symptoms based on patient recall. Methods Patients undergoing GES completed the Patient Assessment of GI Symptoms (PAGI-SYM) assessing symptoms over the prior 2 weeks and a questionnaire for which patients graded six symptoms during GES. A Symptom Severity Index (SSI) represented the mean of six symptoms at each time point. Key Results A total of 560 patients underwent GES for clinical evaluation of symptoms. Of 388 patients included in the study: 232 patients had normal GES (NGES), 156 delayed GES (DGES), and 11 rapid GES (RGES). Symptom severity index increased pre to postprandial for each group: NGES: 0.51 ± 0.07 to 0.92 ± 0.03, DGES: 0.60 ± 0.09 to 1.13 ± 0.05, and RGES: 0.56 ± 0.12 to 0.79 ± 0.13. Delayed gastric emptying scintigraphy patients had a higher postprandial SSI than NGES patients (1.13 ± 0.05 vs 0.92 ± 0.03, P < 0.05). Postprandial symptoms of stomach fullness (1.9 ± 0.12 vs 1.5 ± 0.09; P = 0.011), bloating (1.4 ± 0.11 vs 1.1 ± 0.09; P = 0.033), and abdominal pain (1.1 ± 0.08 vs 0.7 ± 0.12; P = 0.012) were higher in DGES than NGES. Symptom severity based on PAGI-SYM for 2 weeks prior to GES correlated with symptoms during the test for nausea (NGES, r = 0.61; DGES, r = 0.70), stomach fullness (NGES, r = 0.47; DGES, r = 0.60), and bloating (NGES, r = 0.62, DGES, r = 0.66). Conclusions & Inferences Stomach fullness, bloating, and abdominal pain recorded during GES were higher in patients with delayed gastric emptying than in patients with normal gastric emptying. Symptoms recorded during GES correlated with those during daily life by patient recall.
The distribution of14C-labeled cholesterol in the dog: Effect of long-term epinephrine administration

A time course study of14C-cholesterol distribution in dogs was performed after the intravenous administration of 4-14C-cholesterol. Liver cholesterol attained isotopic equilibrium with plasma cholesterol within 24 hr after the administration of the labeled cholesterol. The tissue cholesterol pools of most organs attained isotopic equilibrium with plasma cholesterol between the second and ninth day after 4-14C-cholesterol had been given. Thoracic aorta cholesterol equilibrated most slowly with plasma cholesterol. Thirty-seven to 75 days after the14C-cholesterol had been given, the specific radioactivity of thoracic aorta cholesterol was 2 to 5 times greater than that of plasma cholesterol and 1.73 and 1.65 times greater than that of the abdominal and terminal aortic segments respectively. Adrenal gland cholesterol attained specific radioactivities greater than that of plasma cholesterol between the fourth and ninth day after 4-14C-cholesterol had been given, and this relationship was maintained over the 75-day period of observation. The specific radioactivity of bile cholesterol was less than that of plasma cholesterol at all time periods.
Guest Editor's Introduction: Assessing the Complex and Multidimensional Characteristics of Evacuation Incidents

The articles included in this Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy symposium on emergency evacuation issues are drawn from research findings presented at the National Evacuation Conference, held in New Orleans, Louisiana, in February 2010. Assessment questions related to evacuations are of course highly significant for emergency management practice and disaster management policy. Evacuations are highly complex—and frequently dangerous—endeavors. The problems attendant to the unsuccessful sheltering and secondary evacuation of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and the difficulties associated with the evacuation of the Houston and Galveston, Texas, metropolitan areas as a consequence of Hurricane Rita several weeks later are stark and relatively recent reminders of that proposition. There are of course numerous disaster evacuations abroad that likewise underscore the urgency and centrality of sound evacuation planning and preparedness. Unfortunately, roughly five years after Katrina and Rita, the massive dislocation of persons in Pakistan as a result of catastrophic flooding again points to the relevance of disaster management practice, evacuations included. But it would be a mistake to think of evacuation management as primarily a matter of infrequent large-scale disasters or catastrophes. Instead, the reality is that evacuations on a relatively small scale—either incidents in individual structures, such as building fires or incidents in a specific geographic area such as an accidental chemical spill—occur literally every day in the United States. In other words, a wide range of hazard incidents are sufficient to prompt emergency evacuations, and the high rate of incidence requires taking the topic seriously not only as an emergency management issue but as a research question as well.
Hardware-in-the-Loop Validation of a Power Management Strategy for Hybrid Powertrains

Abstract Previously, a hybrid powertrain management strategy was developed that controls the power sources based on frequency content, mitigating aggressive engine transients. This article presents a hardware-in-the-loop validation of this strategy, with a real engine and battery integrated into a diesel hybrid electric vehicle simulation, thereby allowing for a realistic evaluation of fuel economy, soot emissions, and battery life. Considering an aggressive drive cycle and a state-of-charge regulation strategy as a benchmark, the frequency-based strategy yields 5.9% increase in fuel economy, 62.7% decrease in soot emissions, and 23% reduction in effective Amp-hours processed, which should yield an increase in battery life.
Functional Connectivity in the Brain: Effects of Anesthesia

Functional connectivity has been defined as “the temporal correlation of a neurophysiological index measured in different brain areas.” Since its definition, functional connectivity analysis has been used to describe temporal correlations across multiple spatial scales in PET imaging, single-unit and local field potential recordings, electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG), optical imaging, and fMRI. These findings have been used to identify coactivating brain regions as functional networks. In some instances, as in the case of the default mode network (DMN), functional connectivity has been used to describe “modes” of brain function. The opportunity to probe the anesthetized state using functional connectivity analysis has given rise to a diverse literature over the past two decades. The examination of functional connectivity in the anesthetized state is of relevance to both anesthesiologists and neuroscientists, as it has the potential to elucidate still unclear mechanisms of anesthesia while offering insight into intrinsic functional activity in the brain. Complications have arisen, however, in the form of a lack of standardization of anesthetics, dosages, depths of anesthesia, and methods of functional connectivity analysis across studies. The present work attempts to examine, elucidate, and integrate the insight that functional connectivity analysis of the anesthetized state has generated thus far.
Flow behind shock waves in conducting gases

In this paper it is proved that in addition to generating vorticity, the shock waves in conducting gases generate electric current also. Secondly, it is shown that the expression for vorticity in conducting gases, in contrast to non-conducting gases, depends on the thermodynamic be­haviour of the fluid. Furthermore, an interesting relation between the normal components of the vorticity and current density is discovered.
Hydrogen Bonding Progressively Strengthens upon Transfer of the Protein Urea-Denatured State to Water and Protecting Osmolytes

Using osmolyte cosolvents, we show that hydrogen-bonding contributions can be separated from hydrophobic interactions in the denatured state ensemble (DSE). Specifically, the effects of urea and the protecting osmolytes sarcosine and TMAO are reported on the thermally unfolded DSE of Nank4-7*, a truncated notch ankyrin protein. The high thermal energy of this state in the presence and absence of 6 M urea or 1 M sarcosine solution is sufficient to allow large changes in the hydrodynamic radius (R(h)) and secondary structure accretion without populating the native state. The CD change at 228 nm is proportional to the inverse of the volume of the DSE, giving a compact species equivalent to a premolten globule in 1 M sarcosine. The same general effects portraying hierarchical folding observed in the DSE at 55 degrees C are also often seen at room temperature. Analysis of Nank4-7* DSE structural energetics at room temperature as a function of solvent provides rationale for understanding the structural and dimensional effects in terms of how modulation of the solvent alters solvent quality for the peptide backbone. Results show that while the strength of hydrophobic interactions changes little on transferring the DSE from 6 M urea to water and then to 1 M TMAO, backbone-backbone (hydrogen-bonding) interactions are greatly enhanced due to progressively poorer solvent quality for the peptide backbone. Thus, increased intrachain hydrogen bonding guides secondary structure accretion and DSE contraction as solvent quality is decreased. This process is accompanied by increasing hydrophobic contacts as chain contraction gathers hydrophobes into proximity and the declining urea-backbone free energy gradient reaches urea concentrations that are energetically insufficient to keep hydrophobes apart in the DSE.
The Commercial Health Insurance Industry In An Era Of Eroding Employer Coverage

This paper analyzes the commercial health insurance industry in an era of weakening employer commitment to providing coverage and strengthening interest by public programs to offer coverage through private plans. It documents the willingness of the industry to accept erosion of employment-based enrollment rather than to sacrifice earnings, the movement of Medicaid beneficiaries into managed care, and the distribution of market shares in the employment-based, Medicaid, and Medicare markets. The profitability of the commercial health insurance industry, exceptionally strong over the past five years, will henceforth be linked to the budgetary cycles and political fluctuations of state and federal governments.
Brain Angiotensin II New Insights Into Its Role in Sympathetic Regulation

Since its discovery, the renin-angiotensin II system (RAS) has intrigued physiologists and clinicians.1 Angiotensin II (Ang II), an ancient peptide, evolved to carry out a variety of biological functions, in order to meet the needs of diverse organisms. The negative feedback nature of the RAS enables it to participate in hemodynamic, endocrine, neural, behavioral, and excretory functions. It is truly a peptide to which the survival of most species is closely linked. Over the past 20 years, blockade of the RAS has become a prime target for pharmacotherapy in a variety of diseases. Either blockade of Ang I conversion to Ang II or blockade of the Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1) has been used to treat hypertension and heart failure.2–4⇓⇓ Administration of these agents are effective in ameliorating disease and enhancing survival, even in patients without augmented levels of circulating Ang II. This observation has led investigato0rs to focus on the tissue RAS as a mechanism by which organ function is both controlled and, in disease states, impaired. Although the kidney is the only organ that stores renin in granular form, the components of the RAS have been found in tissues from several other organs. These include the heart, liver, lung, and brain.5–7⇓⇓ The regulation of the RAS system in the brain is especially intriguing because Ang II can act as both a neurotransmitter and a vasoconstrictor. It has been known for some time that the brain expresses the genes that code for angiotensinogen, renin, converting enzyme, and …
Detecting Levels of Interest from Spoken Dialog with Multistream Prediction Feedback and Similarity Based Hierarchical Fusion Learning

Detecting levels of interest from speakers is a new problem in Spoken Dialog Understanding with significant impact on real world business applications. Previous work has focused on the analysis of traditional acoustic signals and shallow lexical features. In this paper, we present a novel hierarchical fusion learning model that takes feedback from previous multistream predictions of prominent seed samples into account and uses a mean cosine similarity measure to learn rules that improve reclassification. Our method is domain-independent and can be adapted to other speech and language processing areas where domain adaptation is expensive to perform. Incorporating Discriminative Term Frequency and Inverse Document Frequency (D-TFIDF), lexical affect scoring, and low and high level prosodic and acoustic features, our experiments outperform the published results of all systems participating in the 2010 Inter-speech Paralinguistic Affect Subchallenge.
Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of Common Research Model Wing–Body–Tail Configuration

Wing shape is one of the main drivers of aircraft aerodynamic performance, so most aerodynamic shape optimization efforts have focused solely on the wing. However, the performance of the full aircraft configuration must account for the fact that the aircraft needs to be trimmed. Thus, to realize the full benefit of aerodynamic shape optimization, one should optimize the wing shape while including the full configuration and a trim constraint. To evaluate the benefit of this approach, we perform the aerodynamic shape optimization of the Common Research Model wing–body–tail configuration using gradient-based optimization with a Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes model that includes a discrete adjoint implementation. We investigate the aerodynamic shape optimization of the wing with a trim constraint that is satisfied by rotating the horizontal tail. We then optimize the same wing–body configuration without the tail but with an added trim drag penalty based on a surrogate model we created before the optimization...
TWENTY YEARS OF IMMUNOCONTRACEPTIVE RESEARCH: LESSONS LEARNED

The National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) began immunocontraception vaccine research by testing porcine zona pellucida (PZP) on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Early PZP research demonstrated that PZP induced infertility; however, increased length of the rut was observed in PZP-treated deer. An alternative vaccine using a keyhole limpet hemocyanin-gonadotropin-releasing hormone (KLH-GnRH) conjugate formulated with modified Freund's adjuvant was developed at NWRC. Suppression of GnRH has reduced reproduction in both sexes but is most effective in females. This vaccine was effective in preventing contraception in female deer for several years after a prime and boost. Due to adverse side effects of Freund's adjuvant, NWRC developed a new adjuvant called AdjuVac, a mineral oil/surfactant adjuvant with the addition of Mycobacterium avium as an immunostimulant. The price of KLH prompted a search for a more economical hemocyanin carrier protein for the GnRH peptide. Blue protein, derived from the mollusk Concholepas concholepas, proved to be a successful option. Formulation improvements resulted in a vaccine that can be effective as a single injection for multiple years, now called GonaCon. GonaCon is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in white-tailed deer in urban/suburban areas and for wild horses (Equus caballus) and burros (Equus asinus). Future GonaCon applications may include reducing reproduction to manage populations of other wildlife species, such as prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) in urban areas and suppressing reproduction to reduce the spread of venereal diseases such as brucellosis. Research is being conducted to develop a GnRH vaccine used in combination with the rabies vaccine to control population growth in free-roaming dogs, with the secondary effect of managing the spread of rabies. The EPA would regulate all these uses. Research is also ongoing on a GnRH vaccine to delay the onset of adrenocortical disease in pet ferrets (Mustela putorius), a use regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Effect of chemical composition on the neutral reaction products produced during electron beam irradiation of carbon tetrachloride/water (ice) films

The neutral reaction products formed during electron beam irradiation of carbon tetrachloride/water (ice) films have been studied as a function of the film's initial CCl4 ∶ H2O ratio using a combination of reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. When the initial CCl4 ∶ H2O ratio was high, the dominant reaction products in the film were C2Cl4 and a partially chlorinated carbonaceous film (CClx) formed as the result of carbon–carbon coupling reactions in the film. In these CCl4 rich films, chlorine is partitioned mainly into the gas phase while CO is the dominant carbon-containing gas phase species. As the CCl4 ∶ H2O ratio decreases, CO2 becomes an increasingly important reaction product at the expense of species generated from carbon–carbon coupling reactions, while chlorine is increasingly partitioned as HCl in the film, producing H3O+ and Cl−. The production of both H2 and O2 from electron stimulated reactions associated with H2O are suppressed in CCl4/H2O films, although oxygen is more efficiently quenched in the presence of CCl4.
A randomized phase II study to evaluate tacrolimus in combination with sirolimus or methotrexate after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

Background: Evidence suggests activity of sirolimus in combination with tacrolimus in graft vs. host disease prevention. Sirolimus-based immune suppression may suppress alloreactive T cells, while sparing the survival and function of regulatory T cells. Design and Methods: We conducted a randomized trial comparing sirolimus/tacrolimus to methotrexate/tacrolimus to examine their impact on prevention of graft vs. host disease and regulatory T cell reconstitution. Results: Seventy four patients were randomized 1:1 to sirolimus/tacrolimus vs. methotrexate/tacrolimus, stratified for donor relation and patient age. 100 day grade II-IV acute graft vs. host disease was 43% (95% CI 27-59%) in the sirolimus/tacrolimus group, and 89% (95% CI 72-96%) in the methotrexate/tacrolimus group, p < 0.001. Moderate/severe chronic graft vs. host disease was 24% (95% CI 7-47%) for sirolimus/tacrolimus and 64% (95% CI 41- 79%) for methotrexate/tacrolimus, p = 0.008. Overall survival and patient-reported quality of life did not differ. On days 30 and 90 post-transplant, sirolimus-treated patients had significantly greater proportion of regulatory T cells among CD4+ cells in the peripheral blood, and isolated regulatory T cells were functional. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that sirolimus/tacrolimus more effectively prevents grade II-IV acute graft vs. host disease and moderate-severe chronic graft vs. host disease, and supports regulatory T cell reconstitution following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Trial registration: ([NCT00803010][1]) [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=CLINTRIALGOV&access_num=NCT00803010&atom=%2Fhaematol%2Fearly%2F2012%2F05%2F14%2Fhaematol.2012.067140.atom
Risky Debt, Mixed-Attribute Accounting, and the Identification of Conditional Conservatism

We examine the implications of the presence of risky debt-which embeds an economic written put option on the firm (Merton 1974)-and mixed-attribute accounting for assets versus debt-an accounting option exercisable by accounting standard setters and/or firms preparing financial statements-for the empirical identification of conditional conservatism as asymmetry. We first conduct analytical and simulation analyses to develop a rich set of testable hypotheses about the effects of these two options on asymmetry. We then conduct archival empirical analysis to show that researchers can control for the riskiness of debt using measures of economic leverage, equity return volatility, and debt credit ratings. In this analysis we control for a measure of the percentage of economic assets that are recognized for accounting purposes and so are potentially subject to conditional conservatism. We find that, after controlling for declines in economic leverage and the asset recognition percentage over time, the upward trend in asymmetry is stronger and more monotonic than is the upward trend in the asymmetry for the overall sample that Basu (1997) documents.
A Slow Excitatory Postsynaptic Current Mediated by G‐protein‐coupled Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in Rat Ventral Tegmental Dopamine Neurons

Dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area express metabotropic glutamate receptors, but activation of these receptors by synaptic release of neurotransmitter has not been demonstrated thus far. Patch pipettes were used to record membrane currents under voltage clamp from presumed dopamine-containing neurons in the whole-cell configuration in the rat brain slice. A short train of electrical stimuli delivered to bipolar electrodes placed in the slice evoked a slow excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC; 50-300 pA at -70 mV) which peaked 560 ms after onset and lasted several seconds, with a decay time-constant of 630 ms. This slow EPSC was voltage-dependent, and was abolished by tetrodotoxin (0.5 microM) or by perfusate containing low calcium (0.5 mM) and high magnesium (10 mM). The metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist (+/-)-alpha-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG; 300 microM) blocked the slow EPSC, but L(+)-2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid (AP3; 300 microM) had no effect. The slow EPSC was largely occluded by inward current produced by the metabotropic receptor agonist trans-(+/-)-1-amino-1, 3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid (t-ACPD; 300 microM), and the EPSC was reduced > 90% during acute desensitization produced by prolonged perfusion with t-ACPD. (+/-)-2-Amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (AP4; 300 microM), another metabotropic receptor agonist, reduced the slow EPSC but had no effect on currents evoked by t-ACPD applied by pressure-ejection from micropipettes. The slow EPSC was progressively reduced in amplitude when pipettes contained the G-protein inhibitor GDP-beta-S (0.5 mM). When pipettes contained GTP-gamma-S (0.5 mM), a non-hydrolysable analogue of GTP, onset of the slow EPSC was more rapid and its decay was significantly prolonged. These results demonstrate that a slow EPSC mediated by G-protein-coupled metabotropic glutamate receptors can be evoked in dopamine neurons.
Lumen formation in three-dimensional cultures of salivary acinar cells

Abstract Objective Development of an artificial salivary gland will benefit patients with xerostomia after radiation therapy for upper respiratory cancer. The goal is to devise a three-dimensional (3D) culture system in which salivary cells differentiate into polarized acini that express essential biomarkers and directionally secrete α-amylase. Differentiated acini-like structures in a 3D biomaterial-based scaffold will mimic salivary gland functions. Study Design Cells were seeded onto HA-based hydrogels containing PlnDIV peptide and allowed to differentiate into acini-like structures. Cell viability and phenotype were examined. Setting Laboratory-based tissue procurement study. Subjects and Methods Salivary gland tissue was obtained from patients undergoing surgery. Marker expression established the phenotype of salivary gland cells. Perlecan/HSPG2, an important component of the basement membrane, was highly expressed in salivary gland tissue. A culture system consisting of hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel and a coupled bioactive peptide derived from domain IV of perlecan (PlnDIV) was used. Prior studies demonstrated differentiation of acinar cells into lobular structures that mimicked intact glands when cultured on PlnDIV peptide–coated surfaces. Results Lobular acini-like structures formed on hydrogels and expressed tight junction components such as zona occludens 1. Acini-like structures were stained for the presence of α-amylase. Live/dead staining revealed the presence of apoptotic cells in the center of the acini-like structures, indicative of lumen formation. Conclusion A novel system supporting acini-like assembly in a 3D culture system was established. Presence of biomarkers and secretion of salivary enzymes confirms functionality in vitro. Future experiments will test the 3D system in an animal model.
In Vitro Fracture Testing of Submicron Diameter Collagen Fibril Specimens

Mechanical testing of collagenous tissues at different length scales will provide improved understanding of the mechanical behavior of structures such as skin, tendon, and bone, and also guide the development of multiscale mechanical models. Using a microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) platform, stress-strain response curves up to failure of type I collagen fibril specimens isolated from the dermis of sea cucumbers were obtained in vitro. A majority of the fibril specimens showed brittle fracture. Some displayed linear behavior up to failure, while others displayed some nonlinearity. The fibril specimens showed an elastic modulus of 470 ± 410 MPa, a fracture strength of 230 ± 160 MPa, and a fracture strain of 80% ± 44%. The fibril specimens displayed significantly lower elastic modulus in vitro than previously measured in air. Fracture strength/strain obtained in vitro and in air are both significantly larger than those obtained in vacuo, indicating that the difference arises from the lack of intrafibrillar water molecules produced by vacuum drying. Furthermore, fracture strength/strain of fibril specimens were different from those reported for collagenous tissues of higher hierarchical levels, indicating the importance of obtaining these properties at the fibrillar level for multiscale modeling.
Automated acquisition of electron microscopic random conical tilt sets.

Single particle reconstruction using the random conical tilt data collection geometry is a robust method for the initial determination of macromolecular structures by electron microscopy. Unfortunately, the broad adoption of this powerful approach has been limited by the practical challenges inherent in manual data collection of the required pairs of matching high and low tilt images (typically 60° and 0°). The microscopist is obliged to keep the imaging area centered during tilting as well as to maintain accurate focus in the tilted image while minimizing the overall electron dose, a challenging and time consuming process. To help solve these problems, we have developed an automated system for the rapid acquisition of accurately aligned and focused tilt pairs. The system has been designed to minimize the dose incurred during alignment and focusing, making it useful in both negative stain and cryo-electron microscopy. The system includes a feature for montaging untilted images to ensure that all of the particles in the tilted image may be used in the reconstruction.
Tracking the Long-Term Decline and Recovery of an Isolated Population

Effects of small population size and reduced genetic variation on the viability of wild animal populations remain controversial. During a 35-year study of a remnant population of greater prairie chickens, population size decreased from 2000 individuals in 1962 to fewer than 50 by 1994. Concurrently, both fitness, as measured by fertility and hatching rates of eggs, and genetic diversity declined significantly. Conservation measures initiated in 1992 with translocations of birds from large, genetically diverse populations restored egg viability. Thus, sufficient genetic resources appear to be critical for maintaining populations of greater prairie chickens.
The neglected interface: the biology of water as a liquid-gas system

Water, solutes and membranes have long been the subject of intensive research, and many excellent reviews have brought the major biological problems in focus, have discussed accomplishments, and have outlined unsolved problems. The most interesting results pertain to the role of membranes, whether ‘active’ or ‘passive’, which separate different solutions, in other words, membranes at a water–water inerface Liquid gas interfaces have receied less attention, and I therefore wish to review some biological problem which relate to such systems. I shall discuss a variety of phenomena which may have little in common, except that they all bear onthe transition of water between liquid and gas.
Possibility of a viral etiology in recurrent aphthous ulcers and Behçet's syndrome.

The clinical signs, laboratory data, and histological features of recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU) and Behcet's syndrome suggest a viral etiology. In fact, there are reports of adenovirus isolations in herpetiform oral ulcers and on the isolation of a filterable agent in sporadic cases of Behcet's syndrome. However, isolation studies on the major and minor aphthous ulcers and more recent studies on Behcet's syndrome have been negative. A review of the literature on the role of viruses and autoimmunity in RAU and Behcet's syndrome is presented. Biopsy specimens of ulcerative lesions were grown in vitro for up to 300 days. Those cultures, along with leukocytes and body fluids, were examined by a variety of techniques for the presence of virus or viral antigens. Although a persistent or latent virus was not detected, these negative studies cannot exclude a viral etiology. In fact, the hypothesis of an infectious and viral etiology is still reasonable.
Application of Dual-Frequency Millimeter-Wave Doppler Spectra for the Retrieval of Drop Size Distributions and Vertical Air Motion in Rain

Abstract Millimeter-wave Doppler spectra obtained from the dual-frequency Cloud Profiling Radar System (CPRS) are used to retrieve both the drop size distribution and the vertical air motion in rain. CPRS obtains collocated spectra at W and Ka bands through a single 1-m-diameter lens antenna. The vertical air motion is determined primarily from the 95-GHz Mie scattering from rain, whereas turbulence effects are minimized by correlating the drop size distributions measured at both the 95- and 33-GHz frequencies. The authors describe an iterative procedure that estimates the drop sizes and vertical motions with range and horizontal resolution of 60 m and temporal resolution of 2 s. Model drop size distributions are used to initiate the procedure, but the retrieved distributions and vertical air motions are seen to be independent of the particular model used. Data were gathered to test the procedure during the Ground-Based Remote Sensing Intensive Observation Period (GBRS IOP) sponsored by the Department of ...
Adaptive channel optimization of vector quantized data

This paper describes two method to improve the robustness of transmitting such data over wireless communication channels: adaptively changing the quantizer codebook at the decoder, and optimizing codebook design for bursty errors. >
The conceptualization and measurement of product usage

The purpose of this research is to identify the key conceptual dimensions of product usage, and to develop reliable and valid measures of product usage. Two different methods (a self-report questionnaire and a diary study), two samples, and four consumer durables have been used to develop the measures of usage. The results suggest that usage frequency and usage variety are two critical dimensions of product usage, and that the measures developed in this study for each dimension have high convergent and discriminant validity. The study highlights the importance of investigating usage in the post-purchase context, and helps to identify issues for future research.
The Microinflammatory State in Uremia: Causes and Potential Consequences

Mortality is markedly elevated in patients with end-stage renal disease. The leading cause of death is cardiovascular disease. Lipoprotein levels are only slightly elevated in dialysis patients, and cardiovascular risk is inversely correlated with serum cholesterol, suggesting that a process other than hyperlipidemia plays a role in the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Hypoalbuminemia, ascribed to malnutrition, has been one of the most powerful risk factors that predict all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in dialysis patients. The presence of inflammation, as evidenced by increased levels of specific cytokines (interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha) or acute-phase proteins (C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A), however, has been found to be associated with vascular disease in the general population as well as in dialysis patients. The process of inflammation, also called the acute-phase response, additionally causes loss of muscle mass and changes in plasma composition-decreases in serum albumin, prealbumin, and transferrin levels, also associated with malnutrition. Inflammation alters lipoprotein structure and function as well as endothelial structure and function to favor atherogenesis and increases the concentration of atherogenic proteins in serum, such as fibrinogen and lipoprotein (a). Inflammation in dialysis patients is episodic. The causes are likely to be multifactorial and include vascular access infection, less-than-sterile dialysate, dialysate back leak, and nonbiocompatible membranes in addition to clinically apparent infection. In addition, proinflammatory compounds, such as advanced glycation end products, accumulate in renal failure, and defense mechanisms against oxidative injury are reduced, contributing to inflammation and to its effect on the vascular endothelium.
Application of network coding in tactical data networks

In recent years, research has shown that network coding can dramatically improve network capacity and reliability for certain types of wireless networks. We investigate whether this performance gain through network coding carries over to the military tactical data network with its unique military requirements. In our study, we design network coding transmission algorithms that are tailored to tactical data network requirements, and compare the performance of several algorithms in user mission environments. We use discrete event simulation to evaluate the performance gains of these algorithms, based on metrics that are suitable for the military users. We demonstrate that network coding can alleviate the problem of low reliability in some types of military wireless networks. Our conclusion is that a proper application of network coding can enhance military user communications in operational environments, and we recommend appropriate use of network coding to military users.
Writing Culture; Inscribing Lives: A Reflective Treatise on the Burden of Representation in Native Research.

This paper complicates the contested assumptions surrounding native research by exploring the burden of representation placed on native researchers because they are seen as insiders. This particular issue of representation is important for native researchers to consider, especially in instances where the research is on an understudied or politically charged group, because of the ways in which the socio-political climate influences both the telling and the reading of such research. Drawing on the author’s personal struggles as a Pakistani researcher conducting ethnographic research with Pakistani immigrants in the United States in the post-9/11 climate, this paper explores and critiques the role of the native researcher and the issues involved with representing understudied groups. Specifically, the paper focuses on authenticity, positionality, audience, and accountability. Thus, the paper is a call for researchers to be more reflective and to think more deeply about their positionality and its impact on t...
Winner Determination for Simultaneous Multi-Robot Task Allocation

Multi-robot task allocation is an important problem for heterogeneous mobile robots. Simultaneous allocations with which multiple tasks are being allocated concurrently tend to lead to more efficient allocations than online or single task allocations. However, the simultaneous allocation also increases the complexity in the winner determination process, especially when robots are required to collaborate in order to accomplish certain tasks. This paper presents a winner determination algorithm for the simultaneous allocation of multirobot tasks. The complete approach layers a low-level coalition formation algorithm for solving one multi-robot task with a high-level simultaneous task allocation approach. We implement a tree-based winner determination algorithm with an iterative deepening A* (IDA*) search and show that the algorithm is able to generate the optimal task-coalition mapping in the initial round and the IDA* performs efficiently based on time and space complexities.
Providing partner support in good times and bad: Providers’ outcomes

Past work has often examined outcomes associated with receiving support for the support recipient, but less work has focused on the impact that providing support has on the support provider. In this study, we examined the impact of providing responsive support (i.e. support that communicates understanding, validation, and caring) on the support provider. In a 10-day daily experience study, 78 romantic partners (39 couples) reported once a day on their responses to their partners’ positive and negative event disclosures. Specifically, participants reported on whether their partner talked about an event and the intended responsiveness of their response, and completed several daily personal and relationship well-being measures (relationship satisfaction, life satisfaction, vitality, and anxiety). Analyses revealed that providing responsive support for positive event disclosures was associated with benefits for the support provider, including higher daily relationship and life satisfaction, and vitality. In c...
Background noise improves gap detection in tonically inhibited inferior colliculus neurons.

Single units in the inferior colliculus (IC) in the C57Bl/6 inbred mouse strain were tested for their temporal processing ability as measured by their minimum gap threshold (MGT), the shortest sile...