cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Favorable peri-operative outcomes observed in paraesophageal hernia repair with robotic approach

The robotic surgical approach offers enhanced visualization, dexterity and reach, which may facilitate the more technically demanding portions of paraesophageal hernia (PEH) repair such as hiatal reconstruction and mediastinal dissection. We sought to compare the peri-operative clinical outcomes of the laparoscopic vs. robotic approach to PEH repair. A prospective, IRB-approved database was maintained for all robotic PEH repairs performed by a single surgeon at a tertiary academic hospital from 2009 to 2019. A retrospective review of laparoscopic PEH over this same time period was used as a comparison group. Outcome measures included: operative time, conversion to open, need for an esophageal lengthening procedure, operative equipment costs and length of stay (LOS). 1854 patients underwent PEH repair during this time period (830 robotic; 1024 laparoscopic). Demographics of both groups were similar, including BMI and PEH type, although a higher proportion of robotic cases were re-operative PEH repairs (32.5% vs 24.0%; p < 0.001). Patients who underwent a robotic PEH had a significant reduction in esophageal lengthening procedures performed (0.1% vs. 11.0%; p < 0.001), conversion to open (0% vs. 7.0%; p < 0.001), and LOS (1.8 days vs. 3.1 days; p < 0.001). Intra-operative equipment costs were similar. In one of the largest robotic PEH case series reported to date, there were significant improvements in peri-operative outcomes in patients undergoing a robotic-assisted approach. Although a greater number of patients in the robotic group were redo PEH repairs, when compared to the laparoscopic group, there were no conversions to open and significantly fewer esophageal lengthening procedures, both of which carry significant morbidity. The similar intra-operative costs were likely balanced by the higher costs associated with stapling equipment and conversions in the laparoscopic group. Our findings show that the robotic PEH repair is safe and can result in improved peri-operative outcomes.
Concise, gram-scale synthesis of furo[2,3-b]pyridines with functional handles for chemoselective cross-coupling.

Abstract A concise 4-step synthesis of furo[2,3-b]pyridines, with handles in the 3- and 5-positions for palladium mediated cross-coupling reactions, is described. The synthetic route has been optimized, with only one step requiring purification by column chromatography. The route is amenable to scale-up, and was successfully executed on a multi-gram scale. Furopyridines are of growing interest in medicinal chemistry, and this route should enable easy access to the core for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies.
Hidden Potential Within Video Game Consoles

Video game consoles share many of the characteristics of an ideal device for use in enterprise deployments. In comparison to many desktop and notebook PCs available in the market, modern video game consoles are actually quite powerful and capable. They provide an excellent user experience with simple and intuitive setup and operation. At the heart of the design of many modern video game consoles is security; they are remarkably resilient against very sophisticated hardware and software attacks. They are also rather cost-effective in comparison to modern PCs.
Harboring hope: sustaining resilience in a post-COVID world.

In the spring of 2020, much of the world changed its course in a matter of weeks.The onset of the deadly virus known as SARS-CoV.2 or COVID 19 brought the human population to its knees. With hundre...
Hormone receptor-positive breast cancer and black race: does sex matter?

Black breast cancer patients have worse clinical outcomes than their White counterparts. There are few studies comparing clinical outcomes between Black male breast cancer (MBC) and female breast cancer (FBC) patients. The objective of this study is to examine differences in presentation, treatment, and mortality between Black MBC and FBC. The National Cancer Database was queried for all Black MBC and FBC patients, ages 18–90, with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer diagnosed between 2010 and 2016. Hormone receptor positivity was defined as estrogen receptor-positive, progesterone-positive and HER 2-negative cancer. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were compared between MBC and FBC patients on bivariable analysis. After propensity score matching, overall survival was evaluated using the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards. Compared to FBC patients, MBC patients had higher rates of metastatic disease (stage 4, MBC 4.4% vs. FBC 2.6%, p < 0.001), larger tumors (tumor size < 2 cm, MBC 32.1 vs. FBC 49.1%, p < 0.001) and a higher percentage of poorly differentiated tumors (grade 3, MBC 28.5% vs. FBC 21.4%, p < 0.001). MBC patients had lower rates of hormone therapy (MBC 66.4% vs. FBC 80.7%, p < 0.001) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (MBC 5.8% vs. FBC 7.5%, p = 0.05) than FBC. On propensity score matched analysis, Black MBC patients had a higher overall mortality (p25 of 60 months vs. 74 months) compared to FBC patients (p = 0.0260). Among hormone receptor-positive Black MBC and FBC patients, there are sex-based disparities in stage, hormone therapy use and overall survival.
Application of Large-Scale Classification Techniques for Simple Location Estimation Experiments

This chapter describes an application using established classification techniques for performing simple multimodal location estimation experiments. It demonstrates the use of Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM)—and language model-based approaches for verifying the cities from which Flickr videos are taken based on the videos’ audio and textual metadata. The methods used in most of the approaches are described in detail, allowing people with no background in location estimation to perform simple experiments. The city-verification results for the approaches are not eye-popping by any means, but are above-random and present opportunities for future work in the development of better approaches. The techniques may also be suitable for class projects, for students who wish to gain hands-on experience in performing location estimation.
Expatriate Cultural Antecedents and Outcomes : An Assessment Tool for Nonprofit Managers.

This field note is based upon a case study of US expatriates working for a multinational nonprofit organization in North and Central Africa. The purpose of this study was to examine expatriate culture adjustment from two vantage points. First, the study tested the impact of three organizational conditions on expatriate culture adjustment. Second, the study examined the relationship between an expatriate's culture adjustment and (1) their intention to prematurely leave the international assignment and (2) their effectiveness in host country relationships. In the first phase of analysis, the study found that the expatriate's alignment with organizational mission and values, level of team esprit-de-corps, and job satisfaction were significant predictors of national cultural adjustment. In the second phase, the study found that higher levels of expatriate cultural adjustment (1) yielded lower levels of employees’ premature turnover intention and (2) enhanced the expatriate's ability to work with host country nationals and their organizations. The validated survey instrument in this study provides managers with a tool to measure the organizational conditions, expatriate's level of cultural adjustment, turnover intention, and relationships with host -country nationals. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Brain Stimulation in the Study of Neuronal Functions for Conscious Sensory Experiences

Some features of cerebral neuronal functions that are uniquely related to generation of conscious sensory responses, have been discovered. Included are two temporal factors: (1) Substantial delays, of up to about 0.5 sec, before achieving cerebral “ neuronal adequacy“ appear to be required for eliciting a sensory experience. This includes the demonstration that a cortical stimulus (C) can retroactively modify a skin (S)-induced sensation even when C stimulus begins up to 500 msec after S stimulus. (2) However, there appears to be a subjective referral of the experience back to the time of the cortical primary evoked response to S; subjectively the skin sensation would thus appear to have no delay. Stimuli that are inadequate for eliciting conscious sensory experience can nevertheless evoke considerable neuronal activity, including that represented in direct cortical responses or in primary (early) components of evoked potentials. Virtually all the qualities of somatic sensation (except pain) can be elicited by stimuli at postcentral gyrus, when intensities of suitable trains of pulses are kept down to liminal levels. Some additional implications, for the manner in which mental and neural events are related, are discussed.
A Comparative Analysis of Ethical Perceptions in Marketing Research: U.S.A. vs. Canada

The study compares Canadian and U.S. marketing researchers' attitudes, perceptions and intentions related to several areas of ethical concern. A particular focus involves salience of norms common to marketing research codes of ethics (COEs) and familiarity of such codes to marketing research professionals. Researchers' attitudes towards today's ethical climate are identified and compared between the two countries. Relationships are examined between familiarity, ethical intention and salience. Results indicate that U.S. and Canadian marketing researchers have similar perceptions of the relative importance of specific ethical norms, but worldwide COEs do not reflect these perceptions. Canadian marketing researchers report having a greater familiarity with their firms' adopted COEs, but this finding is moderated by the type of researcher. Among other findings, results indicate that familiarity influences ethical intention only for highly salient issues.
Susceptibility of Swarm Control Algorithms to Agent Failure

Complex behaviors emerge from the interaction of swarms of independent agents. When an agent malfunctions, these interactions can magnify the failure, propagate incorrect information, and adversely alter the swarm’s behavior. In this research we categorize swarm control algorithms based on the type and amount of influence agents exert on others. We investigate the resilience of algorithms by varying both the amount of influence and the probability of anomalous behavior. Algorithms that can best take advantage of the success of individual agents can also be the most susceptible to their failure. We strike a balance by dynamically shifting influence among agents based on local information.
Applied Anthropology and Anti-Hate Activism

This paper examines my journey from activist, to educator, to researcher, and back, and the implications the journey has for developing effective anti-hate collaborations and educational practices. After being notified that my name and contact information had been posted on a white supremacist’s website, I re-considered my role as an anti-hate activist and turned to teaching. Combining my activist experience with my anthropology background, I developed a course, “Hate Across Cultures.” Using multi-disciplinary academic resources and featuring guest lectures from representatives of various government agencies, this class provides a space for students to learn and talk about the origins of hate, hate across cultures, and hate in their own region. Students apply their knowledge and develop strategies to combat hate in their everyday lives. This has inspired me to begin a research project on local hate practices with the ultimate goal of developing and implementing more effective local anti-hate strategies.
The serum response factor is extensively modified by phosphorylation following its synthesis in serum-stimulated fibroblasts.

Abstract Growth factor regulation of c-fos proto-oncogene transcription is mediated by a 20-bp region of dyad symmetry, termed the serum response element. The inner core of this element binds a 67-kDa phosphoprotein, the serum response factor (SRF), that is thought to play a pivotal role in the c-fos transcriptional response. To investigate the mechanism by which SRF regulates c-fos expression, we generated polyclonal anti-SRF antibodies and used these antibodies to analyze the biochemical properties of SRF. These studies indicate that the synthesis of SRF is transient, occurring within 30 min to 4 h after serum stimulation of quiescent fibroblasts. Newly synthesized SRF is transported to the nucleus, where it is increasingly modified by phosphorylation during progression through the cell cycle. Within 2 h of serum stimulation, differentially modified forms of SRF can be distinguished on the basis of the ability to bind a synthetic serum response element. SRF protein exhibits a half-life of greater than 12 h and is predominantly nuclear, with no change occurring in its localization upon serum stimulation. We find that the induction of SRF synthesis is regulated at the transcriptional level and that cytoplasmic SRF mRNA is transiently expressed with somewhat delayed kinetics compared with c-fos mRNA expression. These features of SRF expression suggest a model whereby newly synthesized SRF functions in the shutoff of c-fos transcription.
Nitric Oxide Synthase-2 and Expression of Perforin in Uterine NK Cells

In human, mouse, and rat pregnancy, maternal NK cells accumulate and differentiate at implantation sites. These cells, termed uterine NK (uNK) cells, express NO synthase (NOS)-2 and develop cytolytic molecules such as perforin and granzymes during differentiation in situ. In this study, relationships between expression of the NOS-2 gene, uNK cell population density and tissue distribution, and synthesis of perforin were investigated. Uteri from wild-type (WT) and NOS-2-/- mice were collected at gestation days (g.d.) 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 (n, >2/g.d.). Histochemical staining failed to reveal any differences between the population densities or tissue distributions of uNK cells in WT and NOS-2-/- uteri at any stage of gestation. By contrast, immunohistochemical staining with anti-perforin Abs demonstrated significantly fewer perforin-positive uNK cells in two uterine compartments of NOS-2-/- mice in comparison to the same compartments in WT mouse uteri. Perforin-positive uNK cells were reduced in NOS-2-/- metrial glands at g.d. 8, 10, and 12 and in decidua basalis at g.d. 12 (p < 0.05). Analysis of perforin protein by immunoblotting confirmed this observation. Northern blot hybridization studies showed that loss of perforin protein in NOS-2-/- mice was accompanied by decreased steady-state levels of perforin mRNA. These results demonstrate that migration of uNK cells into the uterus, selection of residency sites, and proliferation in situ are independent of NOS-2. By contrast, their differentiation, including transcription and translation of the cytotoxic molecule perforin, was shown to rely on normal expression of the NOS-2 gene.
A New View of an Old Pore

Despite reports suggesting a potential role in membrane fusion, the V 0 subunit of the + H/ATPase has remained an unlikely candidate for the fusion pore. In this issue of Cell , Hiesinger and coworkers (Hiesinger et al., 2005) present a forward genetic screen that reveals it to be necessary for synaptic vesicle fusion, independent of its role in vesicle acidification.
Dynamical low-energy electron-diffraction investigation of lateral displacements in the topmost layer of Pd(110)

Based on He-atom diffraction evidence for an order-disorder transition on Pd(110) at 230 K, other authors have proposed a model in which the atoms of the topmost layer are displaced laterally by 0.7 \AA{} along the [001] direction, with the directions of the displacements correlated at T230 K, but largely uncorrelated at Tg230 K. To test this model, we have examined the proposed ordered phase by dynamical low-energy electron-diffraction analysis. Our results favor a nonlaterally displaced geometry, with a contraction of 4.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.5% in the first interlayer spacing and an expansion of 1.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.5% in the second interlayer spacing, but do not conclusively rule out the possibility of lateral displacements 0.13 \AA{}. Nevertheless, lateral displacements of the magnitude required to account for the He-atom diffraction results are clearly not present.
Theoretical constraints on thin disc models for active galactic nuclei

Numerical solutions are presented for the equilibrium structure of a thin disk around a supermassive black hole. The nature and stability of the derived regimes are discussed in the context of accretion disk spectral models for AGN.
THE MEASUREMENT OF WINDS BETWEEN 100,000 AND 300,000 FT BY USE OF CHAFF ROCKETS

Abstract During July and August, 1958, a total of 20 wind observations was made at altitudes between 100,000 and 300,000 ft at Johnston Island in the Pacific Ocean. In addition, three observations were made at Tonopah, Nevada in May 1958. These measurements resulted from radar tracking of chaff expelled from rockets. A height profile of the measured winds is presented, and a description of the two-stage rocket-delivery system is given. Observed winds were predominantly and consistently easterlies with average speeds near 75 kn. Little change with altitude was noted, although there are indications of reversal of direction to westerlies above 300,000 ft. System errors are discussed. Also, an attempt is made to determine 12- and 24-hourly periodicities in these data; results are inconclusive, however, because of data scarcity.
Development of some natural matrix standards — Progress report

Abstract Substantial progress has been made in the production of environmental level, natural matrix, radioactivity standards of soil of low organic and low carbonate content, and of human lung and human liver. This is in response to the deliberations of the 1977 ICRM meeting at which the need for such standards was voiced and the criteria suggested. The soil samples have been reduced to optimum particle size and are ready for blending and standardization. A ten year supply of this standard should be ready in a year or less. Reducing the dried lung and liver to less than 74 μm has proven formidable because of the natural fat and oil content. Using cyrogenic milling techniques more than three quarters of the total mass of each has been reduced to the desired particle size; the balance will either be reduced or removed and we can then proceed to the final standardization.
A Prospective Investigation of Long-Term Cognitive Impairment and Psychological Distress in Moderately Versus Severely Injured Trauma Intensive Care Unit Survivors Without Intracranial Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND:: The primary objective was to prospectively determine the 12-month prevalence of cognitive impairment and psychologic difficulties in moderately versus severely injured adult trauma intensive care unit (TICU) survivors without intracranial hemorrhage. METHODS:: We conducted a prospective cohort study in which patients were followed for 1 year after hospital discharge. A total of 173 patients from the Vanderbilt TICU who had an Injury Severity Score (ISS) of >15 (indicative of moderately severe trauma) were enrolled between July 2006 and June 2007. Patients were screened for delirium on a daily basis in the TICU by study personnel via the confusion assessment method of the ICU, and preexisting cognitive impairment was assessed through a surrogate-based evaluation using the short form of the Informant Questionnaire for Cognitive Decline in the Elderly. Of these patients, 108 were evaluated 1 year after hospital discharge with a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests and depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) instruments. Cognitive impairment was defined as having two neuropsychological test scores 1.5 SD below the mean or one neuropsychological test score 2 SD below the mean. RESULTS:: Fifty-nine patients (55%) demonstrated cognitive impairment at 12-month follow-up, with three of these patients (5.5%) having preexisting impairment. Clinically significant symptoms of depression and PTSD occurred in 40% and 26% of patients, respectively. No significant differences in cognitive impairment (59% vs. 50%), depressive symptoms (35% vs. 44%), and symptoms of PTSD (22% vs. 28%) were identified between moderately (ISS 15-25) and severely (ISS >25) injured TICU survivors, respectively (all p > 0.05). In addition, multivariate logistic regression analysis found that moderately injured trauma patients had a similar rate of cognitive impairment when compared with those with severe injury at 12-month follow-up (p = 0.25). CONCLUSION:: Long-term cognitive impairment is highly prevalent in TICU survivors without intracranial hemorrhage as are psychologic difficulties. Injury severity, concussion status, and delirium duration were not risk factors for the development of neuropsychological deficits in this cohort. Individuals with moderately severe injuries seem to be as likely as their more severely injured counterparts to experience marked cognitive impairment and psychologic difficulties; thus, screening efforts should focus on this potentially overlooked patient group. Language: en
Reactivity of (3-chloro-2-methylenecycloalkyl)pallladium chloride dimers: a palladium mediated ring homologation--functionalization approach to the AR-7-7 skeleton of colchicine

Abstract A palladium mediated ring homologation--functionalization approach to the Ar-7-7 tricyclic skeleton of colchicine from 1-arylcyclohexenes is described. This methodology involves the chloropalladation of 1-aryl-7-methylenebicyclo[4.1.0]heptanes to afford aryl substituted (3-chloro-2-methylenecycloheptyl)palladium chloride dimers. Reaction of the π-allyl complexes with one equivalent of malonate anion gives a cycloheptadiene product. Subsequent reduction and intramolecular acylation yields the Ar-7-7 skeleton
Design tools for oscillator-based computing systems

Recently, general-purpose computing schemes have been proposed that use phase relationships to represent Boolean logic levels and employ self-sustaining nonlinear oscillators as latches and registers. Such phase-based systems have superior noise immunity relative to traditional level-encoded logic, hence are of interest for next-generation computing using nanodevices. However, the design of such systems poses special challenges for existing tools. We present a suite of techniques and tools that provide designers with efficient simulation and convenient visualization facilities at all stages of phase logic system design. We demonstrate our tools through a case study of the design of a phase logic finite state machine (FSM). We build this FSM and validate our design tools and processes against measurements. Our plan is to release our tools to the community in open source form.
A T-MATRIX PERTURBATION FORMALISM FOR SCATTERING FROM A ROUGH FLUID-ELASTIC INTERFACE

A perturbative representation of the null field T-matrix for scattering a pressure wave from a fluid elastic interface with surface roughness is developed. It is shown that thenth order T-matrix may be calculated recursively and expressed in terms of the elements of a zeroth order T-matrix. Further, it is shown that the expression for thenth order T-matrix is general in form and may be specialized to scattering from rigid and soft rough surfaces and from the rough surface of a fluid sediment. The T-matrix for thenth order spectral amplitude of the scattered pressure field in the fluid is calculated and its diagrammatic representation is constructed. For sinusoidal surface roughness, the perturbative representation of the T-matrix is used to calculate the spectral amplitudes of the Floquet modes of the pressure field scattered in the fluid. The results are compared with those obtained from a non-perturbative representation of the T-matrix and the accuracy and region of applicability of the formalism is determined. Then the relative scattering amplitudes of some of the individual scattering processes that occur in the diagrammatic representation of the T-matrix are calculated through second order. It is shown that diagrams that correspond to scalar processes in which surface pressure fields are excited and propagated tend to dominate diagrams that correspond to vector and tensor processes in which surface displacement fields are excited and propagated. A “scalar” approximation to the perturbation series is defined in which only scalar diagrams in the perturbation series are maintained. Numerical results for the perturbation series in the scalar approximation to fourth order are compared with exact results and it is shown that the scalar approximation provides reasonably accurate results for some applications.
Complex D convergence and diagonal convergence of matrices

Abstract In this paper, types of convergence (also referred to as Schur stability) for complex matrices are studied. In particular, it is proven that for complex matrices of order n ⩽ 3 diagonal convergence, D C convergence and boundary convergence are all equivalent. An example of a 4 by 4 matrix that is D C convergent but not diagonally convergent is constructed.
Population estimation by the removal method assuming proportional trapping

SUMMARY Moran (1951) proposed an approximate formula for the likelihood of the size of an animal population when the 'removal method' is used. We here obtain an exact formula for the likelihood, based on an assumption of 'proportional trapping' of animals. The formula is ill conditioned and requires extremely high precision arithmetic for its numerical evaluation. A form of minimum chi-squared or weighted least-squares method is also given for estimating population size. For this method the calculations are not badly ill conditioned, and the method cuts down the work required for finding the maximum likelihood solution.
Radiometric characterization of an LWIR, type-II strained layer superlattice pBiBn photodetector

Abstract Type-II Strained Layer Superlattice (T2SLS) infrared photodetectors have been in development over the last decade. T2SLS offers a theoretically longer Auger recombination lifetime than traditional mercury cadmium telluride (MCT), which presumably translates to infrared detectors with lower dark-current and higher operating temperatures. However, these improvements did not materialize due to the presence of Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) defects in T2SLSs, which limits the recombination lifetime well below the Auger-limit. With the recent introduction of the pBiBn, and other similar unipolar barrier detectors, T2SLS material has seen renewed interest since these designs ideally eliminate the SRH-generation and surface currents while retaining the other potential advantages of T2SLS: reduced manufacturing cost, better availability of a durable state-side manufacturing base, ability to tune the cutoff wavelength, and better uniformity. Here, an electrical and optical characterization of a long-wave, pBiBn detector with a T2SLS absorber is presented. Dark-current, spectral response and optical response were measured as functions of temperature and bias. Activation energy was then determined as a function of bias from the dark-current measurements. Quantum efficiency was also determined as a function of bias from the optical response measurements. Additionally, noise spectrum measurements were taken as a function of bias.
Confessions of an expert witness in baseball-injury lawsuits

The author has served as an expert witness in four baseball-injury lawsuits: they all involved a person getting hit in the head with a baseball. In each of these, he made a computer simulation of the ball's trajectory. Then he discussed the implications of these simulations with the lawyers. Here are some of the questions that he will try to answer. How do expert witnesses set their fees? What should be in the expert witness report? How is an expert witness different from a regular witness? What unexpected events might an expert witness encounter? Are there ethical complications?
Expression of differentiation antigens in subpopulations of mouse thymocytes: Regulation at the level of de novo synthesis

Mouse thymocytes can be divided into two broad classes by a variety of criteria, including steroid sensitivity, buoyant density, and availability of binding sites for peanut agglutinin. The major class is poorly reactive in immune functional assays, whereas the minor population does contain cells that are immunologically competent. Correlated with these functional differences, the populations differ in their displays of specific surface antigens and in their steady-state terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) activity. To investigate the basis for these phenotypic differences, the two populations were enriched by density gradient fractionation or by differential PNA agglutination; alternatively, the minor population was freed of the major one by in vivo cortisone treatment. These partially purified cells were then examined for their rates of de novo synthesis of four differentiation marker proteins. Incorporation of ^(35)S-methionine into H-2 (K and/or D), TL, TdT, and a Qa-region product (probably Qa-1) was monitored by immune precipitation with specific antisera followed by gel electrophoresis. The metabolic labeling interval was restricted to 30–40 min, to reflect as closely as possible instantaneous rates of synthesis. The two thymocyte populations were found to differ significantly in their production of each of these molecules. Relative to its total protein synthesis, the major population synthesized 10–20 fold less H-2, 5–10 fold more TdT, and 10–20 fold more TL than the minor population. The Qa product was synthesized in both populations, but at a slightly higher rate in the minor population. The biosynthetic rates are consistent with the reported steady-state phenotypes of the cells, and imply that changes in differentiation antigen expression during T lymphocyte development are controlled, at least in part, at a translational or pretranslational level.
Emission rates from unvented gas appliances

Abstract The objective of the reported chamber study is to determine the emission rates from unvented gas ranges, unvented space heaters, unvented clothes dryers, and combinations of the above, using the mass balance method. For the range-top burner a complete full factorial design was used. For each condition, every experiment was repeated four times; for a total of 18 conditions, 72 experiments were performed. In addition to emission rates for NO, NO 2 , and CO estimated, a series of special experiments were performed to ascertain the emission rates of volatile organic compounds (VOC), polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), formaldehyde, and total suspended particulate matter (TSP). It is concluded that unvented gas appliances emit NO, NO 2 , and CO at rates similar to corresponding rates found in the literature; the emission rates of VOCs and PAHs are nearly zero and the emission rates of HCHO and TSP are lower than the corresponding rates found in the literature.
Miniature End Plate Potentials Recorded from Mammalian Myoneural Junctions in vivo

Fibers of the cat soleus muscle had a mean resting potential of 87 millivolts as measured with an intracellular microelectrode. Miniature end plate potentials had a mean amplitude of 0.95 millivolt, a mean frequency of 1.01 per second, a mean duration of 4.44 milliseconds, and a mean rate of rise of 0.99 volt per second. Two populations of response could be discerned on the basis of rate of rise. Neither alpha-chloralose nor nerve section had any significant effect on the response pattern. The in vivo preparation appears to provide a superior representation of the physiology of the myoneural junction.
The Criminal Bully-Linking Criminal Peer Bullying Behavior in Schools to a Continuum of Delinquency

Abstract In light of a recent wave of anti-bullying legislation following several high-profile incidents of school violence, this study explores the criminality that is inherent in certain acts of school bullying. These acts include physical aggression, theft of property or money, and damage to property, among others. As research continues to link school bullying and childhood aggression to later delinquency and adult criminal offending, “criminal bullies” may be an especially vulnerable population for subsequent criminal justice system complications. Consequently, early identification and intervention with these children may yield better long-term outcomes. In this study of 192 students at rural elementary and middle schools, 34 children reported committing a criminal bullying act during a three-month period. This equates to 17.7% of the total sample or 48.6% of all self-identified bullies. The authors discuss the significance of these findings as well as the proposed utility of “criminal bully” as a new...
Phagocytosis by retinal pigment epithelium explants in culture

Phagocytosis of rod outer segments and of latex beads was demonstrated in retinal pigment epithelium explants from adult albino rats. Uptake of latex particles increased steadily over a 24 hr period while ingestion of rod outer segments peaked after 2 hr of incubation, then decreased. Postnatal changes in phagocytic capabilities of retinal epithelium were examined in 10- to 35-day-old rats. Retinal epithelium from 10–15 day neonatal animals ingested lastex particles but few rod outer segments. The number of outer segment packets ingested increased with increasing age of the explant donor. The results suggest that the mechanisms involved in phagocytosis of nonspecific particles (latex beads) appear earlier in development than the mechanisms necessary for phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments.
Spectral sidebands on a narrow-bandwidth optical probe as a broad-bandwidth THz pulse diagnostic

Broad-bandwidth THz-domain electro-magnetic pulses are typically diagnosed through temporal electro-optic (EO) cross-correlation with an optical probe pulse. Single-shot time-domain measurements of the THz waveform involve complex setups at a bandwidth coverage limited by the probe bandwidth. Here we present an EO-based diagnostic directly in the spectral domain, relying on THz-induced optical sidebands on a narrow-bandwidth optical probe. Experiments are conducted with a 0.11-THz-bandwidth optical probe and a broadband source (0–8 THz detection bandwidth) rich in spectral features. The validity of the sideband diagnostic concept, its spectral resolution, sideband amplitude, and the effects of probe timing are studied. For probe pulses longer than the THz pulse, the sideband technique proves an accurate single-shot spectral diagnostic, with advantages in setup simplicity and bandwidth coverage no longer limited by the laser bandwidth.
Antagonism of the morphine-induced locomotor activation of mice by fructose: comparison with other opiates and sugars, and sugar effects on brain morphine.

The mouse locomotor activation test of opiate action in a 2+2 dose parallel line assay was used in a repeated testing paradigm to determine the test, opiate and hexose specificities of a previously reported antagonism of morphine-induced antinocociception by hyperglycemia. In opiate specificity studies, fructose (5 g/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced the potency ratio for morphine and methadone, but not for levorphanol, meperidine or phenazocine when intragroup comparisons were made. In intergroup comparisons, fructose significantly reduced the potencies of levorphanol and phenazocine, but not methadone or meperidine. In hexose/polyol specificity studies, tagatose and fructose significantly reduced the potency ratio for morphine, whereas glucose, galactose, mannose and the polyols, sorbitol and xylitol, caused no significant decrease in potency. Fructose, tagatose, glucose and mannose (5 g/kg, i.p.) were tested for effects on brain morphine levels 30 min after morphine (60 min after sugar), and all four sugars significantly increased brain morphine relative to saline-pretreated controls. It is concluded that the antagonism of morphine by acute sugar administration shows specificity for certain sugars and occurs despite sugar-induced increases in the distribution of morphine to the brain. Furthermore, the effects of fructose show an opiate specificity similar to that of glucose on antinociception observed previously in our laboratory, except that methadone was also significantly inhibited in the present study, when a repeated-testing experimental design was used.
Genetic Dissection of a Mitochondria-Vacuole Signaling Pathway in Yeast Reveals a Link between Chronic Oxidative Stress and Vacuolar Iron Transport

Deletion of two homologous genes, MRS3 and MRS4, that encode mitochondrial iron transporters affects the activity of the vacuolar iron importer Ccc1. Ccc1 levels are decreased in Δmrs3Δmrs4 cells, but the activity of the transporter is increased, resulting is reduced cytosolic iron. Overexpression of CCC1 in Δmrs3Δmrs4 cells results in a severe growth defect due to decreased cytosolic iron, referred to as the mitochondria-vacuole signaling (MVS) phenotype. Mutants were identified that suppress the MVS growth defect, and FRA1 was identified as a gene that suppresses the MVS phenotype. Overexpression of FRA1 suppresses altered transition metal metabolism in Δmrs3Δmrs4 cells, whereas deletion of FRA1 is synthetically lethal with Δmrs3Δmrs4. Fra1 binds to Tsa1, which encodes a thioredoxin-dependent peroxidase. Deletion of TSA1 or TRR1 is synthetically lethal in Δmrs3Δmrs4 cells, suggesting that Δmrs3Δmrs4 cells generate reactive oxygen metabolites. The generation of reactive oxygen metabolites in Δmrs3Δmrs4 cells was confirmed by use of the reporter molecule 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate. These results suggest that mitochondria-induced oxidant damage is responsible for activating Ccc1 and that Fra1 and Tsa1 can reduce oxidant damage.
Molecular dynamics simulations of synthetic peptide folding.

Because the time scale of protein folding is much greater than that of the widely used simulations of native structures, a detailed report of molecular dynamics simulations of folding has not been available. In this study, we Included the average solvent effect in the potential functions to simplify the calculation of the solvent effect and carried out long molecular dynamics simulations of the alanine-based synthetic peptides at 274 K. From either an extended or a randomly generated conformation, the simulations approached a helix-coil equilibrium in about 3 ns. The multiple minima problem did not prevent helix folding. The calculated helical ratio of Ac-AAQAAAAQAAAAQAAY-NH2 was 47%, in good agreement with the circular dichroism measurement (about 50%). A helical segment with frayed ends was the most stable conformation, but the hydrophobic interaction favored the compact, distorted helix-turn-helix conformations. The transition between the two types of conformations occurred in a much larger time scale than helix propagation. The transient hydrogen bonds between the glutamine side chain and the backbone carbonyl group could reduce the free energy barrier of helix folding and unfolding. The substitution of a single alanine residue in the middle of the peptide with valine or glycine decreased the average helical ratio significantly, in agreement with experimental observations. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Two contrasting dust‐dominant periods over India observed from MODIS and CALIPSO data

[1] Each year, prior to the onset of the Indian Summer Monsoon, the Gangetic Plains (GP), bounded by the high-altitude Himalayan mountains, are strongly influenced by the transport of dust outbreaks originating in the northwestern desert in India (known as the Thar Desert). Dust particles constitute the bulk of the regional aerosol loading which peaks annually during the pre-monsoon season. This paper integrates observations from space-borne sensors, namely MODIS and CALIPSO, together with ground sunphotometer measurements, to infer dust loading in the pre-monsoon aerosol build-up over source and sink regions in northern India. Detailed aerosol characterization from the synergetic observational assessment suggests that the two pre-monsoon seasons of 2007 and 2008 were strikingly contrasting in terms of the dust loading over both the Thar Desert and the GP. Further analysis of aerosol loading and optical properties, from the entire record of MODIS and sunphotometer observations, reveals that the 2007 pre-monsoon season was an unusually weak dust-laden period. Our findings suggest the plausible role of the immediately preceding excess winter monsoon rainfall in the suppressed dust activity during the 2007 pre-monsoon season.
Are SSRIs better than TCAs? Comparison of SSRIs and TCAs: A meta-analysis

In this analysis we examined studies of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to compare efficacy and drop-out rates. Frequency of reported side effects was also studied. Using Medline, we located 36 clinical trials of TCAs and SSRIs in a double-blind comparison. We performed a meta-analysis on these studies and on a subgroup of 21 studies that had more uniformly defined outcome criteria. The main outcome measures were efficacy for treatment completers and for the intention-to-treat group; drop-out rates due to adverse reactions and lack of efficacy; and reported side effects. Overall, the response rate to treatment for patients who completed a trial was 63.2% for SSRIs and 68.2% for TCAs (P = 0.038). For the intention-to-treat groups, these rates dropped to 48.0 and 48.6% (P, NS), respectively. Significantly more TCA-treated than SSRI-treated subjects dropped out due to either lack of efficacy or adverse reactions (30.0 vs. 24.7%, P = 0.01). Patients taking SSRIs experienced significantly more gastrointestinal problems and sexual dysfunction, whereas treatment with TCAs produced significantly more complaints of sedation, dizziness, and anticholinergic symptoms.
Distribution theory approach to implementing directional acoustic sensors.

The objective of directional acoustic sensors is to provide high directivity while occupying a small amount of space. An idealized point sensor achieves this objective from a knowledge of the spatial partial derivatives of acoustic pressure at a point in space. Direct measurement of these derivatives is difficult in practice. Consequently, it is expedient to come up with indirect methods. The use of pressure sensors to construct finite-difference approximations is an example of such a method. This paper utilizes the theory of distributions to derive another indirect method for estimating the various spatial partial derivatives of the pressure. This alternate method is then used to construct a multichannel filter which processes the acoustic pressure by mean of three-dimensional integral transforms throughout a 6e-length cube centered at the origin. The output of the multichannel filter is a spatially and temporally filtered version of the pressure at the origin. The temporal filter is a lowpass Gaussian f...
Activation of locus coeruleus neurons by peripheral stimuli: Modulation by a collateral inhibitory mechanism

Abstract Noradrenergic neurons of the rat locus coeruleus (LC) respond to noxious stimuli or peripheral nerve stimulation with a burst of spikes followed by a period of suppressed activity. During this period of post-activation suppression, responses to additional stimuli were attenuated. After antidromic activation of the LC there was also a period of reduced responsivity, presumably mediated by inhibitory recurrent LC collaterals. The suppression of LC unit firing which follows nerve stimulation was reduced by piperoxane, an α-adrenergic antagonist which is known to block the norepinephrine-mediated autoinhibitory action of recurrent LC axon collaterals. The specificity of piperoxane in blocking norepinephrine was shown by the fact that it did not antagonize several other putative transmitters in the LC (i.e., GABA, glycine, and met-enkephalin). It is concluded that the post-activation reduction of LC neuronal responsivity may be mediated in part through noradrenergic autoinhibitory mechanisms within the LC.
Effect of reduced glutathione on the proteolysis of intra-particulate and native thyroglobulin☆

Abstract 1. 1. Secretion of thyroid hormones requires their release from peptide bonds in thyroglobulin. The principal thyroidal protease is lysosomal in location, has an acid pH optimum and has been found to react very slowly against thyroglobulin in vitro . Reductive cleavage of disulfide bonds might be expected to enhance the rate and magnitude of thyroglobulin lysis. 2. 2. A naturally occurring thiol reagent, reduced glutathione (GSH), was added to the suspension media of a prelabeled thyroid particulate fraction (800−15000 × g ) which exhibits the behavior of phagosomes (fusion products of colloid droplets and lysosomes). Release of butanol-soluble, labeled products, which were characterized further as predominantly iodoamino acids, was increased. 3. 3. Purified thyroglobulin was incubated at pH 3.6 with a crude lysosomal enzyme preparation, with and without GSH (7–10 mM). When the incubations including both the enzyme preparation and GSH were examined by gel filtration, a relatively rapid dissolution of thyroglobulin was observed with the accumulation of small amounts of various smaller molecular weight intermediates and of butanol-extractable 125 I. 4. 4. Examination of the incubation media by disc electrophoresis and sucrose density gradient centrifugation demonstrated a rapid (5–15 min) and marked dissolution of the 19-S protein. After 40 min of incubation with both GSH and the enzyme preparation there was an accumulation of 6-S-13-S intermediates. The lysosomal enzyme preparation alone was much less active, and GSH alone, under the conditions of this study, showed no effect on thyroglobulin or release of butanol-extractable 125 I.
Substrate and inhibitor specificity of the lactate carrier of human neutrophils.

The substrate and inhibitor specificity of the lactic acid (Lac) transport system of human neutrophils was investigated. The ability of a variety of compounds to inhibit the influx of [14C]lactate, presumably reflecting competition by substrate analogues for binding at the external translocation site, was taken as an index of affinity for the Lac carrier. pH-stat techniques were utilized to assess transportability. Results indicate a relatively low order of selectivity, the neutrophil H+ + lactate− cotransport system demonstrating a broad acceptance of short-chain unsubstituted and substituted alkyl monocarboxylates as well as aromatic monocarboxylates. There was a slight preference for oxo, Cl, and OH substituents over other groups at the two-position of short chain alkyl fatty acids: all were readily transported across the plasma membrane at rates approaching that ofl-lactate itself. Aromatic acids were not transported inward by the carrier although these compounds did permeate via simple nonionic diffusion. The neutrophil Lac carrier can be blocked by a number of cyanocinnamate derivatives, the classical inhibitors of monocarboxylate transport in mitochondria, and by dithiol compounds and sulfhydryl-reactive agents. This constellation of biochemical properties is similar to the features that characterize other well described H+ + lactate− cotransport systems in red blood cells, Ehrlich ascites tumor cells, hepatocytes, and cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles, although significant differences exist when comparisons are made to the Na+-dependent lactate transporter of the kidney proximal tubule.