cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
With an Eye on Policy

The purpose of this Chapter is to attract attention to a number of issues related to RJVs which did not receive the deserved attention in earlier Chapters, however, they are of central importance to the policy maker. More specifically, I touch upon four issues with widespread implications. The first is multimarket contact: Should antitrust authorities be alarmed by repeated collaboration between firms that also “meet” in many markets? The second issue is foreign participation in “domestic” RJVs: Does having foreign partners dilute tendencies to monopolize an industry that might be nurtured by RJVs? The third issue is joint enviromental research: Has the NCRA/NCRPA legislation worked in terms of providing incentives to firms to collaborate in enviromental R&D or has it simply taken some burden off firm shoulders by allowing the use of RJVs as a buffer from the impacts of environmental compliance? Have environmental RJVs been proactive or reactive? Finally, the fourth issue relates to the smaller members of the examined RJVs: Have small and medium sized firms capitalized on the joint R&D opportunity to overcome some of their most distinct disadvantages in innovating vis a vis their larger counterparts?
Archetypes and Narrative Processes

Becker and Neuberg (this issue) present a theory of archetypes as a consequence of evolutionary dynamics and personal experience. In particular, they suggest that archetypes are tendencies that hav...
The Impact of Resistance Drift of Phase Change Memory (PCM) Synaptic Devices on Artificial Neural Network Performance

Phase change memory (PCM) has been considered as one of the most promising emerging non-volatile memories for in-memory computing of neural networks. In this letter, we investigate the impact of resistance drift and its statistical variations on two widely-used artificial neural network (ANN) models, multi-layer perceptron (MLP), and convolutional neural network (CNN). We employ experimentally measured resistance drift characteristics into the ANN models to accurately model weight updates represented by PCM synaptic devices. Our results suggest that the resistance drift in PCM causes minor accuracy degradation (only ~1%) for both MLP and CNN models. However, classification accuracy can be significantly reduced if the PCM drift characteristics exhibit high device-to-device and cycle-to-cycle variations in the drift coefficients.
Varmole: a biologically drop-connect deep neural network model for prioritizing disease risk variants and genes.

Summary Population studies such as genome-wide association study (GWAS) have identified a variety of genomic variants associated with human diseases. To further understand potential mechanisms of disease variants, recent statistical methods associate functional omic data (e.g., gene expression) with genotype and phenotype and link variants to individual genes. However, how to interpret molecular mechanisms from such associations, especially across omics, is still challenging. To address this problem, we developed an interpretable deep learning method, Varmole, to simultaneously reveal genomic functions and mechanisms while predicting phenotype from genotype. In particular, Varmole embeds multi-omic networks into a deep neural network architecture and prioritizes variants, genes and regulatory linkages via biological drop-connect without needing prior feature selections. Availability and implementation Varmole is available as a Python tool on GitHub at https://github.com/daifengwanglab/Varmole. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Emerging therapeutic targets for schizophrenia: a framework for novel treatment strategies for psychosis.

Introduction: Antipsychotic drugs that target the dopamine system have been central to the treatment of schizophrenia, but their limitations in efficacy, tolerability, and precision necessitate improved treatment strategies. Multiple lines of research have implicated glutamatergic dysfunction in the hippocampus as an early source of pathophysiology in schizophrenia. Novel compounds have been designed to treat glutamatergic dysfunction, but they have produced inconsistent results in clinical trials. Areas Covered: This review discusses how the hippocampus is thought to drive psychotic symptoms through its influence on the dopamine system. It offers the reader an evaluation of proposed treatment strategies including direct modulation of GABA or glutamate neurotransmission or reducing the deleterious impact of stress on circuit development. Finally, we offer a perspective on aspects of future research that will advance our knowledge and may create new therapeutic opportunities. PubMed was searched for relevant literature between 2010-2020 and related studies. Expert Opinion: Targeting the aberrant excitatory-inhibitory functioning observed in the hippocampus and its related circuits has the potential to both alleviate symptoms and reduce the risk of transition to psychosis if implemented as an early intervention. Longitudinal multimodal brain imaging combined with mechanistic theories generated from animal models can be used to better understand the progression of hippocampal-dopamine circuit dysfunction and factors related to heterogeneity in treatment response.
Exertional Heat Stroke Knowledge and Management among Emergency Medical Service Providers

This study evaluated emergency medical services (EMS) providers’ knowledge of exertional heat stroke (EHS) and assessed current EMS capabilities for recognizing and managing EHS. EMS providers currently practicing in the United States were recruited to complete a 25-item questionnaire. There were 216 questionnaire responses (183 complete) representing 28 states. On average, respondents were 42.0 ± 13.0 years old, male (n = 163, 75.5%), and white (n = 176, 81.5%). Most respondents were Paramedics (n = 110, 50.9%) and had ≥16 years of experience (n = 109/214, 50.9%) working in EMS. Fifty-five percent (n = 99/180) of respondents had previously treated a patient with EHS. The average number of correct answers on the knowledge assessment was 2.6 ± 1.2 out of 7 (~37% correct). Temporal (n = 79), tympanic (n = 76), and oral (n = 68) thermometers were the most prevalent methods of temperature assessment available. Chemical cold packs (n = 164) and air conditioning (n = 134) were the most prevalent cooling methods available. Respondents demonstrated poor knowledge regarding EHS despite years of experience, and over half stating they had previously treated EHS in the field. Few EMS providers reported having access to an appropriate method of assessing or cooling a patient with EHS. Updated, evidence-based training needs to be provided and stakeholders should ensure their EMS providers have access to appropriate equipment.
Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the MicroRNAs Responsible for Liver Regeneration Associated With Mortality in Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis.

Background and aims We conducted a comprehensive serum transcriptomic analysis to explore the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) pathogenesis and their prognostic significance. Approach and results Serum miRNA profiling was performed in 15 controls, 20 heavy drinkers without liver disease, and 65 patients with AH and compared to publicly available hepatic miRNA profiling in AH patients. Among the top 26 miRNAs, expression of miR-30b-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-146a-5p, and miR-26b-5p were significantly reduced in both serum and liver of AH patients. Pathway analysis of the potential targets of these miRNAs uncovered the genes related to DNA synthesis and cell-cycle progression pathways, including ribonucleotide reductase regulatory subunit M2 (RRM2), cyclin D1 (CCND1), cyclin D2 (CCND2), MYC proto-oncogene (MYC), and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-induced protein 1 (PMAIP1). We found a significant increase in the protein expression of RRM2, CCND1, and CCND2, but not MYC and PMAIP1, in AH patients who underwent liver transplantation; miR-26b-5p and miR-30b-5p inhibited the 3'-UTR (untranslated region) luciferase activity of RRM2 and CCND2, and miR-20a-5p reduced the 3'-UTR luciferase activity of CCND1 and CCND2. During a median follow-up of 346 days, 21% of AH patients died; these patients had higher body mass index (BMI), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD), and serum miR-30b-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-146a-5p, and miR-26b-5p than those who survived. Cox regression analysis showed that BMI, MELD score, miR-20a-5p, miR-146a-5p, and miR-26b-5p predicted mortality. Conclusions Patients with AH attempt to deal with hepatocyte injury by down-regulating specific miRNAs and up-regulating genes responsible for DNA synthesis and cell-cycle progression. Higher expression of these miRNAs, suggestive of a diminished capacity in liver regeneration, predicts short-term mortality in AH patients.
Slow Spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Southern Brazil Over a 6-Month Period: Report on 8 Sequential Statewide Serological Surveys Including 35 611 Participants.

Objectives. To evaluate the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) over 6 months in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul (population 11.3 million), based on 8 se...
Protein Kinase C-Mediated Phosphorylation and α2δ-1 Interdependently Regulate NMDA Receptor Trafficking and Activity.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are important for synaptic plasticity associated with many physiological functions and neurological disorders. Protein kinase C (PKC) activation increases the phosphorylation and activity of NMDARs, and α2δ-1 is a critical NMDAR-interacting protein and controls synaptic trafficking of NMDARs. In this study, we determined the relative roles of PKC and α2δ-1 in the control of NMDAR activity. We found that α2δ-1 coexpression significantly increased NMDAR activity in HEK293 cells transfected with GluN1/GluN2A or GluN1/GluN2B. PKC activation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) increased receptor activity only in cells coexpressing GluN1/GluN2A and α2δ-1. Remarkably, PKC inhibition with Gӧ6983 abolished α2δ-1 coexpression–induced potentiation of NMDAR activity in cells transfected with GluN1/GluN2A or GluN1/GluN2B. Treatment with PMA increased the α2δ-1–GluN1 interaction and promoted α2δ-1 and GluN1 cell surface trafficking. PMA also significantly increased NMDAR activity of spinal dorsal horn neurons and the amount of α2δ-1–bound GluN1 protein complexes in spinal cord synaptosomes in wild-type mice, but not in α2δ-1 knockout mice. Furthermore, inhibiting α2δ-1 with pregabalin or disrupting the α2δ-1–NMDAR interaction with the α2δ-1 C terminus peptide abolished the potentiating effect of PMA on NMDAR activity. Additionally, using quantitative phosphoproteomics and mutagenesis analyses, we identified S929 on GluN2A and S1413 (S1415 in humans) on GluN2B as the phosphorylation sites responsible for NMDAR potentiation by PKC and α2δ-1. Together, our findings demonstrate the interdependence of α2δ-1 and PKC phosphorylation in regulating NMDAR trafficking and activity. The phosphorylation-dependent, dynamic α2δ-1–NMDAR interaction constitutes an important molecular mechanism of synaptic plasticity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A major challenge in studies of protein phosphorylation is to define the functional significance of each phosphorylation event and determine how various signaling pathways are coordinated in response to neuronal activity to shape synaptic plasticity. PKC phosphorylates transporters, ion channels, and G protein-coupled receptors in signal transduction. In this study, we showed that α2δ-1 is indispensable for PKC activation–induced surface and synaptic trafficking of NMDARs, whereas the α2δ-1–NMDAR interaction is controlled by PKC-induced phosphorylation. Our findings reveal that α2δ-1 mainly functions as a phospho-binding protein in the control of NMDAR trafficking and activity. This information provides new mechanistic insight into the reciprocal roles of PKC-mediated phosphorylation and α2δ-1 in regulating NMDARs and in the therapeutic actions of gabapentinoids.
Pros and Cons of Gig Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Using monthly data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) from December through May 2020, I compare unemployment rates and hours worked last week relative to usual hours between gig workers and standard workers. Utilizing four definitions of gig work, I find gig workers fared worse than standard workers in terms of hours worked during the COVID-19 pandemic, and unemployment rates were higher for two of the four definitions of gig work. Results suggest that gig workers need extra protection during times of crisis.
Ethics of Targeted Killings and Assassinations

Modern weaponry expedites the ability of actors in technologically advanced nations to eliminate real as well as perceived adversaries. Improved accuracy of unmanned aircraft (e.g., drones) reduces...
Mechanistic Insights into Interactions of Polysulfides at VS2 Interfaces in Na-S Batteries: A DFT Study.

Room temperature sodium-sulfur (Na-S) batteries, because of their high theoretical energy density and low cost, are considered as a promising candidate for next-generation energy storage devices. However, the practical utilization of the Na-S batteries is greatly hindered by various deleterious factors such as dissolution of sodium polysulfides (Na2Sn) into the electrolyte commonly termed as "shuttle effect," sluggish decomposition of solid Na2S, and poor electronic conductivity of sulfur. To overcome the challenges, we introduced single-layer vanadium disulfide (VS2) as an anchoring material (AM) to immobilize higher-order polysulfides from the dissolution and also to accelerate the otherwise sluggish kinetics of insoluble short-chain polysulfides. We employ density functional theory (DFT) calculations to elucidate the Na2Sn interactions at the VS2 interfaces. We show that the adsorption strengths of various Na2Sn species on the VS2 basal plane are adequate (1.21-4.3 eV) to suppress the shuttle effect, and the structure of Na2Sn are maintained without any decomposition, which is necessary to mitigate capacity fading. The calculated projected density of states (PDOS) reveals that the metallic character of the pristine VS2 is retained even after Na2Sn adsorption. The calculated Gibbs free energy of each elementary sulfur reduction reaction indicates a significant decrement in the free energy barrier due to the catalytic activity of the VS2 surface. Furthermore, VS2 is found to be an excellent catalyst to significantly reduce the oxidative decomposition barrier of Na2S, which facilitates accelerated electrode kinetics and higher utilization of sulfur. Overall, VS2 with strong adsorption behavior, enhanced electronic conductivity, and improved oxidative decomposition kinetics of polysulfides can be considered as an effective AM to prevent the shuttle effect and to improve the performance of Na-S batteries.
Archimedes Revisited

Archimedes’ beautiful principle may be used to determine how an object floats in a vessel of liquid. This, in turn may be used to determine the global configuration associated with a floating object under the assumption that the surface of the liquid is planar. There are instances, however, in which capillary effects conspire to produce significantly nonplanar liquid interfaces and phenomena which is strikingly at odds with the predictions of the Archimedean principle. A most notable instance involves floatation of convex objects with density greater than that of the liquid.
Examining the Food-Energy-Water-Environment Nexus in Transboundary River Basins through a Human Dimension Lens: Columbia River Basin

AbstractPrevious food-energy-water-environment (FEWE) nexus studies have primarily focused on technical aspects, such as data analysis and model development. However, to inform policy and the resul...
Novel Grey Interval Weight Determining and Hybrid Grey Interval Relation Method in Multiple Attribute Decision-Making

This paper proposes a grey interval relation TOPSIS for the decision making in which all of the attribute weights and attribute values are given by the interval grey numbers. The feature of our method different from other grey relation decision-making is that all of the subjective and objective weights are obtained by interval grey number and that decisionmaking is performed based on the relative approach degree of grey TOPSIS, the relative approach degree of grey incidence and the relative membership degree of grey incidence using 2-dimensional Euclidean distance. The weighted Borda method is used for combining the results of three methods. An example shows the applicability of the proposed approach.
A novel method for aging estimation of crystal oscillators

The frequency aging of a quartz crystal oscillator is an important characteristic of frequency stability. Aging estimation for frequency correction of a precision crystal oscillator is a valid approach in improving oscillator performance. This paper presents an estimation and prediction model in which the frequency and frequency aging are described by a family of shifted logarithmic functions. Weights of logarithmic function are estimated recursively based upon the present data inputs and the last data outputs to avoid massive data storage. Outlier points in frequency measurements are filtered using a robust estimation computation. Finally, the frequency of an oscillator is predicted based upon the best estimated weights of logarithmic functions.
Forage systems for production of stocker steers in the upper south.

The southern states produce large numbers of beef calves that are generally weaned and sold in autumn. Keeping calves in this region beyond weaning to graze high-quality forages through a stocker cattle phase could improve profitability. Autumn-weaned Angus crossbred steers were allocated by breeding and weight to four forage systems that began in mid-November and continued through mid-October as follows: System 1, tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.)-white clover (Trifolium repens L.); System 2, tall fescue, caucasian bluestem (Bothriochloa caucasica [Trin.] C. E. Hubbard) and tall fescue-red clover (Trifolium pratense L.); System 3, orchardgrass-alfalfa and bluegrass-white clover; and System 4, rye (Secale cereale L.), soybeans (Glycine max)-foxtail millet (Setaria italica), and bluegrass-white clover. All steers were supplemented with hay or silage previously cut from their respective systems when forage for grazing was limited. System 2 which used stockpiled tall fescue for winter grazing and caucasian bluestem for summer forage plus fescuered clover for hay and grazing in a three-paddock system, resulted in greater (P < .01) gain per hectare and per steer, more grazing days, and reduced stored forage requirements and produced more surplus feed than the other systems tested. Gains per hectare for Systems 1 through 4 were 454, 554, 472, and 487 kg (SE = 18), respectively. Harvested forage from Systems 1, 2, and 3 met needs for stored forages but System 4 required additional "purchased" hay. Stored forage was fed for 61, 38, 112, or 104 d for Systems 1 through 4, respectively. Within the physio-climatic region of this experiment, a simple three-paddock system based on cool- and warm-season perennial forages could improve beef production per unit of land area while reducing inputs of labor and equipment.
Empiricism about experience

In what way do one's sensory or perceptual experiences, in general, affect what one is obligated to believe? Anil Gupta's fascinating and brilliant book proposes a novel answer to this question. According to Gupta, there is a difficulty facing any attempt to answer this question. The difficulty has to do with the following phenomenon. The impact that any particular experience has on what the experiencing subject is entitled to believe will depend upon the concepts, conceptions, and beliefs in short, upon the view that the experiencing subject is entitled to hold when she has that experience.1 But what view she was entitled to hold when she had that experience depends in turn upon what experiences she had before then. And what view those experiences made her entitled in holding depended, in turn, upon what view she was entitled to hold when she had those experiences, which depended in turn upon what experiences she had had before that, and so on. Given this interdependence, what could make it the case that a creature's experience makes her entitled simpliciter to hold a view, and not simply entitled to hold a view conditional on having some other entitlements? And, just as puzzling, what could make it the case that a creature's experience makes her obligated simpliciter to hold a view? It is this latter question that Gupta attempts to answer.
Derangements in acetylcholine metabolism in brain synaptosomes in chronic renal failure

Derangements in acetylcholine metabolism in brain synaptosomes in chronic renal failure. Chronic renal failure causes abnormalities in the central nervous system function and in norepinephrine metabolism of brain synaptosomes. The present study examined the effect of renal failure on the metabolism of another neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, which is involved in the modulation of behavioral and motor function. We measured acetylcholine content and release, choline content, uptake and release and activity of choline kinase in synaptosomes from rats with renal failure with various duration, renal failure-parathyroidectomized rats maintained normocalcemic, renal failure and normal rats treated with verapamil. Acetylcholine content increased while choline content decreased proportionally and significantly (P
Marfan's syndrome confined to the mitral valve region: Two cases in siblings

Abstract The occurrence of mitral insufficiency as the sole manifestation of Marfan's syndrome in two siblings is supportive evidence for the genetic inheritance of this disorder as opposed to spontaneous mutation. The sister had a "floppy-valve" with myxomatous transformation. The brother had rupture of chordae tendineae.
A novel and convenient synthesis of 5-aryl-4-bromo-3-carboxyisoxazoles: useful intermediates for the solid-phase synthesis of 4,5-diarylisoxazoles

A novel synthesis of 5-aryl-4-bromo-3-carboxyisoxazoles employing a [3+2] cycloaddition of a nitrile N-oxide with 2-aryl-1-bromoalkynes as the key step is described. The utility of these 5-aryl-4-bromo-3-carboxyisoxazoles in the solid-phase synthesis of 4,5-diarylisoxazoles is demonstrated.
A new solution technique for linear systems of equations

Multi‐stage Monte Carlo optimization has been used in a variety of circumstances to solve nonlinear optimization problems and nonlinear systems of equations. This was the natural starting point for...
Lexical statistical machine translation for language migration

Prior research has shown that source code also exhibits naturalness, i.e. it is written by humans and is likely to be repetitive. The researchers also showed that the n-gram language model is useful in predicting the next token in a source file given a large corpus of existing source code. In this paper, we investigate how well statistical machine translation (SMT) models for natural languages could help in migrating source code from one programming language to another. We treat source code as a sequence of lexical tokens and apply a phrase-based SMT model on the lexemes of those tokens. Our empirical evaluation on migrating two Java projects into C# showed that lexical, phrase-based SMT could achieve high lexical translation accuracy (BLEU from 81.3-82.6%). Users would have to manually edit only 11.9-15.8% of the total number of tokens in the resulting code to correct it. However, a high percentage of total translation methods (49.5-58.6%) is syntactically incorrect. Therefore, our result calls for a more program-oriented SMT model that is capable of better integrating the syntactic and semantic information of a program to support language migration.
Sexual violence in pornography: How prevalent is it?

We examine the treatment of female characters in videocassette pornography. Using a systematic sample, we analyze 209 vignettes in 40 x- to xxx- rated videos commercially available from a national chain in the local market. We found that most videos had sexually violent or dehumanizing/degrading themes; however, a significant number also had a theme of intimacy. As expected, we found little evidence (one case) of extreme sexual deviance. Extreme sexual deviance was the kind of sexual violence the 1986 Commission on Pornography assumed was commonly available in pornography today. We also examined how the race of the actor shapes pornographic violence. As hypothesized, we found that black women experienced more violence from both white and black men than was the case for white women. White women, in fact, experienced least violence when paired with a black man. Our work replicates that of others in that we found few intimacy themes in material where black actors were present.
Equality-test and if-then-else algebras: axiomatization and specification

An equality-test algebra has a two-element Boolean sort and an equality-test operation $eq_s $ for each non-Boolean sort s, where $eq_s (x,y)$ equals TRUE if $x = y$ and FALSE otherwise. An if-then-else algebra is an equality-test algebra with the if-then-else operations $[\_,\_,\_]_s $ adjoined: $[b,x,y]_s $ equals x if $b = \text{TRUE}$ and y if $b = \text{FALSE}$. A finite set of axioms for the conditional-equational (i.e., quasi-equational) theory of equality-test algebras is given. A finite axiomatization of the equational theory of if-then-else algebras is also given, and it is shown that this also serves as a basis for the conditional-equational theory of if-then-else algebras. Finite bases for the equational theories of several classes of algebras closely related to if-then-else algebras were previously known. The power of conditional and equational specifications of equality-test and if-then-else data types are investigated, and the following results, among others, are obtained. (i) Every equalit...
Dipole strengths involving the lowest twenty electronic states of H+2

Dipole strengths of H+2 are given as functions of the internuclear separation for all transitions involving the states which correlate to a proton-plus-hydrogen-atom and have principal quantum number n = 1,2, or 3.
Epidermal cell development during the pupal-adult metamorphosis of Hyalophora cecropia.

Abstract To establish a base for studying the hormonal control of insect epidermal cell activity, the ultrastructure of abdominal epidermis was analyzed during the normal pupal-adult development of Hyalophora cecropia . Adjacent epidermal cells could be distinguished on the basis of organelle content and staining intensity, suggesting that this monolayer is not composed of a homogeneous cell population. At the onset of adult development the form of the epidermal cell is transformed from that typical of a quiescent cell with free ribosomes and few mitochondria to one which is metabolically active and possesses numerous apical membrane microvilli, rough endoplasmic reticulum and numerous mitochondria. On about day 5 of pharate adult development the apical plasma membrane is no longer folded but becomes folded again several days later when cuticulin and endocuticle are deposited. On about day 7, giant autophagic vacuoles are discerned that may be important in cellular reprogramming. After adult ecdysis, the epidermal cells continue to deposit endocuticle.
Dynamic Surface Tension Effects in Impact of a Drop with a Solid Surface

Recent research on free surface flows in the presence of surface-active species in which a fluid interface undergoes very large deformations, e.g., as in the deformation and breakup of drops in extensional flows under conditions of Stokes flow (Stone, H. A., and Leal, L. G., J. Fluid Mech. 220, 161 (1990)) (19) and the formation of drops from capillaries (Zhang, X., and Basaran, O. A., Phys. Fluids 7, 1184 (1995)) (20) has shown that dynamic surface tension (DST) effects can radically alter the dynamics compared to situations in which the fluid interface is clean. In this paper, we present results of an experimental study that examines the impact with a solid substrate of drops of Newtonian liquids containing two commonly used surfactants. In the experiments, an ultra high-speed video and associated image analysis system is used to monitor the dynamics of the impact process. On account of the extremely large deformations that a drop exhibits and the large-amplitude oscillations that it undergoes upon impacting and spreading on the substrate, DST plays a complex and dominant role in determining the dynamics and the asymptotic state that is approached at large times. A major consequence of the presence of surfactant is that on the one hand its accumulation on the fluid interface reduces the surface tension and thereby enhances the spreading of the drop across the substrate. On the other hand, the non-uniform distribution of surfactant along the fluid interface gives rise to Marangoni stresses that inhibit drop spreading. Given the fact that many liquids used in atomization coating applications ranging from the spraying of agricultural chemicals to painting of substrates contain surfactants and/or other surface-active species, the fundamental results to be reported in this paper have important practical ramifications.
Carbamylcholine stimulation of protein secretion in pancreatic acinar carcinoma of rat

Abstract Pancreatic acinar carcinoma fragments, pulse-chase labeled with [ 3 H]-leucine, responded to carbamylcholine chloride by increased secretion of [ 3 H]leucine-labeled protein into external buffer medium. Secretion of labeled protein by the carcinoma fragments increased in concentration-dependent fashion between 10 −8 –10 −5 M carbamylcholine, was completely inhibited at 4°C, and was accompanied by an equivalent increase in the secretion of preformed amylase. A maximally effective carbamylcholine concentration of 10 −5 M was observed for both carcinoma fragments and normal pancreas lobules. However, the maximal rate of protein secretion by the carcinoma fragments was only approximately one-fifth the rate determined for the normal pancreas lobules. This modest secretory response indicates a population of partially differentiated cells in the pancreatic acinar carcinoma which secrete less enzyme than fully differentiated adult pancreatic acinar cells. Secretory responsiveness can be utilized as a quantitative acinar cell response in studies on differentiation in pancreatic carcinoma.
Racism and Mental Health: The African American experience

This paper provides an overview of United States-based research on the ways in which racism can affect mental health. It describes changes in racial attitudes over time, the persistence of negative racial stereotypes and the ways in which negative beliefs were incorporated into societal policies and institutions. It then reviews the available scientific evidence that suggests that racism can adversely affect mental health status in at least three ways. First, racism in societal institutions can lead to truncated socioeconomic mobility, differential access to desirable resources, and poor living conditions that can adversely affect mental health. Second, experiences of discrimination can induce physiological and psychological reactions that can lead to adverse changes in mental health status. Third, in race-conscious societies, the acceptance of negative cultural stereotypes can lead to unfavorable self-evaluations that have deleterious effects on psychological well-being. Research directions are outlined.
An improved synthesis of [15N] 16-doxyl stearic acid

An improved method for the synthesis of [15N] 16-Doxyl stearate, a fatty-acid spin label, is reported. The method requires only one mole of [15N] 2-amino-2-methyl propanol per mole of methyl keto stearate with an overall yield of about 50%. In contrast, the previous method produced only 1-3% yield. The great improvement in yield was achieved mainly through the reduction of reaction volume which increases the reaction rate by the law of mass action.
INCIDENCE, PREDICTORS AND IMPACT OF BLEEDING EVENTS AFTER TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT (TAVR) COMPARED TO SURGICAL AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT (SAVR): INSIGHTS FROM THE PARTNER TRIAL

Bleeding events after SAVR are frequent and are associated with an unfavorable prognosis. However, there are no data from randomized studies concerning the incidence, predictors and impact of bleeding events on long-term prognosis after TAVR compared with SAVR. From cohort B in the PARTNER Trial,
Interaction between descending input and thoracic reflexes for joint coordination in cockroach. II Comparative studies on tethered turning and searching

Tethered cockroaches turn from unilateral antennal contact using asymmetrical movements of mesothoracic (T2) legs (Mu and Ritzmannin J Comp Physiol A 191:1037–1054, 2005). During the turn, the leg on the inside of the turn (the inside T2 leg) has distinctly different motor patterns from those in straight walking. The transformation from walking to inside leg turning could be triggered by descending commands that alter a few critical reflexes that start a cascade of physical changes in leg movement or posture, leading to further alterations. This hypothesis has two implications: First, the descending activities must be able to influence thoracic reflexes. Second, one should be able to initiate the turning motor pattern in the absence of descending signals by mimicking a point farther down in the reflex cascade. We addressed the first implication in the companion paper. To examine the second implication, we compared kinematics and motor activities of the T2 leg during searching with that of inside leg turning. The reaching movements made during searching were found to be similar to the movements made by the inside leg during turning. Moreover, even after disconnecting the brain from the thoracic ganglia the reaching movements were similar. This observation is consistent with the second implication from the hypothesis.
Changes in arterial, mixed venous and intraerythrocytic concentrations of ions in supramaximally exercising horses.

Summary Reasons for performing study: Horses experience major perturbations in acid-base balance during supramaximal exercise. Ion movement in and out of erythrocytes (RBCs) is believed to be important in maintaining acid-base balance but it is unclear as to the extent to which this happens, nor how it affects single measurements of ion concentrations in arterial and venous blood. Objectives: To clarify the role RBCs play in mitigating perturbations in acid-base balance during high speed exercise in horses, and to describe associated differences in arterial (a) and mixed venous (v) concentrations of key ions. Methods: Six exercise-trained Thoroughbreds galloped to fatigue at speeds calculated to have an oxygen demand that was 115% of the VO2max. Blood samples (a and v) were collected pre-exercise, during warm-up, at fatigue, and immediately post exercise. Packed cell volume (PCV), pH, PCO2, and plasma concentrations of bicarbonate (HCO3−), chloride (Cl−), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), and lactate (Lac−) and strong ion difference (SID) were determined, and RBC concentrations of Lac− and electrolytes calculated for each sample. Data were analysed using a 2-way ANOVA for repeated measures testing for effects of sampling time and site (P<0.05). Results: Plasma and RBC [Cl−] were increased with hypercapnoea and acidaemia. [HCO3−]v was greater than pre-exercise values at fatigue, although [HCO3−]a was lower. Hyperkalaemia and decreased RBC [K+] were evident at fatigue, as was an increased RBC [Na+]. Plasma [K+] started to decrease as soon as exercise ceased and Na+ began to move back onto RBCs in exchange for K+. Concentrations of all measures of Lac− rose from fatigue to post exercise. The SID decreased with exercise and was higher in v at fatigue and post exercise, reflecting the decrease in pH. Conclusions: RBCs act as a repository for lactate, and therefore the increase in PCV facilitates the maintenance of the muscle to plasma Lac− diffusion gradient during exercise. Potential relevance: This serves to keep intramuscular [Lac−] lower than it would otherwise be and, because of the link between Lac− accumulation, pH decrease and the onset of fatigue, may help delay the onset of fatigue.
A predictive model for slip resistance using artificial neural networks

This paper describes the formulation, building and validation of an artificial neural network model of the dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) as measured by a slip resistance testing device. The model predicts the DCOF as a function of six independent variables over a wide range of conditions. A grouped cross validation method is used to show the consistent performance of the model in predicting the DCOF for new values of the independent variables.
Alterations in lymphocyte subpopulations in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus: exploration of possible mechanisms and relationships to autoimmune phenomena

Previous studies have shown a variety of immunological abnormalities in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, including disturbances in peripheral lymphocytes and antil-ymphocyte antibodies. We measured subsets of T and natural killer cells with monoclonal antibodies in patients with diabetes, and also assayed for anti-lymphocyte antibodies using dual colour immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. We found a significant decrease in numbers of Leu 3 a (helper/inducer) cells in Type 1 diabetic patients of recent onset and intermediate levels in patients with longer duration of the disease. Leu 4 (pan T cell) levels were reduced in Type 1 diabetic patients of more than 4 months duration. Leu 7 (natural killer cells) were increased in Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients. Individual Type 1 diabetic patients of recent onset showed low levels of Leu 7 and 11a (natural killer cell) levels with normal 3 a levels. Autoantibodies against Leu 3a+cells were present in higher titres in the Type 1 diabetic patients of recent onset than in control subjects. We conclude: (1) Leu 3 a cells may be decreased in Type 1 diabetic patients of recent onset and return to normal with time; (2) low numbers of Leu 7 and 11 a cells with normal numbers of Leu 3a may be seen in some Type 1 diabetic patients of recent onset, which may help explain previous reports of decreased suppressor cells; (3) Leu 7 levels may be increased in Type 2 diabetes; (4) autoantibodies against Leu 3a+peripheral lymphocytes may be seen in Type 1 diabetic patients of recent onset. These appear to be a marker of autoimmune phenomena rather than immunological mediators.
Molecular Kramers degeneracy and non-Abelian adiabatic phase factors

For a molecular system with an odd number of electrons, the electronic Hamiltonian possesses a twofold Kramers degeneracy for all nuclear configurations. It is shown that this leads to a non-Abelian gauge-field term in the effective nuclear Hamiltonian, with permissible gauge transformations belonging to SU(2). This should lead to observable effects analogous to the Berry phase for the nondegenerate case. In particular, an atom in a slowly rotating electric field exhibits changes in its component of angular momentum along the field because of the non-Abelian phase factor.
Comparison of Craniofacial Phenotype in Craniosynostotic Rabbits Treated With Anti–Tgf-β2 at Suturectomy Site

Abstract Objective: Overexpression of transforming growth factor-beta 2 has been associated with craniosynostosis and resynostosis following surgery. We examined the effects of localized transforming growth factor-beta 2 inhibition on craniofacial phenotype in rabbits with craniosynostosis. Design: Twenty-five New Zealand white rabbits with bilateral coronal craniosynostosis were divided into three treatment groups: (1) suturectomy control (n = 8); (2) suturectomy with nonspecific, control immunoglobulin G antibody (n = 6); and (3) suturectomy with anti–transforming growth factor-beta 2 antibody (n = 11). At 10 days of age, a coronal suturectomy was performed on all rabbits. The sites in groups 2 and 3 were immediately filled with a slow-resorbing collagen gel mixed with either immunoglobulin G or anti–transforming growth factor-beta 2 antibody. Computed tomography scans of each rabbit were acquired at ages 10, 25, and 84 days. Craniofacial landmarks were collected from three-dimensional computed to...
Thermal reduction of NO by NH3: Kinetic modeling of the NH2+NO product branching ratio

The product-branching ratio for the reaction NH 2 +NO→HN 2 +OH (1) and N 2 +H 2 O (2) has been determined in the temperature range of 950–1200 K by pyrolysis of Ar-diluted NH 3 +NO mixtures and at 1173 and 1200 K by pyrolysis of Ar-diluted NH 3 −NO−CO mixtures. Analysis of the pyrolyzed and unpyrolyzed mixtures was carried out by the FTIR spectrometric method. Kinetic modeling of the decay rates of NH 3 and NO and the production rate of CO 2 by varying the branching ratio, α 1 =k 1 /(k 1 +k 2 ) , and keeping the known total rate constant ( k t =k 1 +k 2 =9.6×10 14 T −0.85 cm 3 mol −1 s −1 ) unchanged at each temperature allows determination of the value of α 1 with good reproducibility. Kinetic modeling of α 1 , using previously measured H 2 O formation data [28] from the NH 3 +NO reaction in the temperature range of 1123–1273 K was also carried out. The branching ratio was found to increase rapidly from 0.27 at 950 K to 0.58 at 1273 K, which is fully consistent with the sharply rising trend recently reported from NH 3 −NO flame studies, in which α 1 ∼0.5 at 1500 K and rose to 0.9 at 2000 K. These new findings cast doubt on the much lower values, α 1 ≤0.17 at T ≤1173 K, obtained by laser kinetic measurements.
Enzyme elevations in the neuroleptic malignant syndrome

Abstract Enzyme elevations are frequently observed in neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), but their significance is unknown and their source is uncertain. In this study the relationship of serum enzymes to creative phosphokinase (CPK) in NMS is examined. Thirty-seven patients with at least one probable episode of NMS were studied, and 83 consecutive newly admitted psychiatric patients constituted a comparison group. Serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), aldolase, and alkaline phosphatase (AP) were compared to serum CPK levels in each patient group. Except for AP, all enzymes were significantly correlated with CPK in both groups. However, correlations were much higher in the NMS group,and regression lines for CPK-LDH and CPK-GOT pairs differed significantly between patient groups. These data strongly suggest that a common process underlies the enzyme elevations frequently seen in NMS, that these enzymes originate in muscle tissue, and that these findings are not caused solely by agitation or psychological stress. It is likely that increased production and selective “leakage” of enzymes from myocytes play a role in this process.
Use of metoprolol in dogs with acquired cardiac disease.

STRUCTURED ABSTRACT Objectives To evaluate the response to metoprolol in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy or endocardiosis receiving standard therapies for management of heart disease. Background Beta-blocker therapy has been documented to improve survival in human patients with heart disease and heart failure. There are few studies documenting the effects of beta-blockers in dogs with naturally occurring heart disease. Methods A retrospective study of medical records of dogs treated with metoprolol between 1991 and May 2000. Results Eighty-seven dogs were treated with metoprolol between 1991 and May 2000. The majority of dogs tolerated the addition of metoprolol in a step-wise fashion. Side effects included syncope, congestive heart failure, lethargy, anorexia, weakness and diarrhea. Side effects were not more likely in dogs with pre-existing congestive heart failure. Conclusions Metoprolol was well tolerated in the majority of dogs with naturally occurring dilated cardiomyopathy or endocardiosis. Further studies are required to determine if the administration of metoprolol is beneficial for this patient population.
Maternal therapy for HIV in pregnancy.

This article outlines specific considerations and concerns regarding antiretroviral therapy in pregnancy. It notes that therapy for the HIV-infected woman during pregnancy is directed at both maximizing maternal health and reducing the risk of perinatal transmission. The benefits of therapy in improving maternal health minimizing viral replication to prevent resistance and decreasing the risk of vertical transmission must be balanced against the potential toxicity teratogenicity and uncertain long-term effects. Care for HIV-infected pregnant women should be provided by a team with special expertise in management of HIV infection including selection of agents optimizing adherence and preventing opportunistic infections and in management of high-risk pregnancies.
TAXONOMIC NOTES ON THE GENUS HAPHSA (HEMIPTERA: CICADIDAE) WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES

ABSTRACT Two new cicada species, Haphsa stellata Lee, sp. nov. and Haphsa aculeus Lee, sp. nov., from India and Thailand, respectively, are described. Haphsa velitaris (Distant) and Haphsa crassa Distant are transferred to Meimuna Distant to become Meimuna velitaris (Distant) comb. nov. and Meimuna crassa (Distant) comb. nov. Meimuna durga (Distant) is transferred to Haphsa Distant to become Haphsa durga (Distant) comb. nov.
In vivo fitness and virulence of a drug-resistant herpes simplex virus 1 mutant

Two important issues regarding a virus mutant that is resistant to an antiviral drug are its ability to replicate in animal hosts (in vivo fitness) relative to other genetic variants, including wild type, and its ability to cause disease. These issues have been investigated for a herpes simplex virus 1 mutant that is resistant to thiourea compounds, which inhibit encapsidation of viral DNA. Following corneal inoculation of mice, the mutant virus replicated very similarly to its wild-type parent in the eye, trigeminal ganglion and brain. The mutant virus was as lethal to mice as its wild-type parent following this route of inoculation. Indeed, it exhibited increased virulence. Thus, unlike most drug-resistant virus mutants, this mutant retained in vivo fitness and virulence.
Finite element static displacement optimization of 20-100 kHz flexural transducers for fully portable ultrasound applicator.

Abstract This paper focuses on the development of a finite-element model and subsequent stationary analysis performed to optimize individual flexural piezoelectric elements for operation in the frequency range of 20–100 kHz. These elements form the basic building blocks of a viable, un-tethered, and portable ultrasound applicator that can produce intensities on the order of 100 mW/cm 2 spatial-peak temporal-peak ( I SPTP ) with minimum (on the order of 15 V) excitation voltage. The ultrasound applicator can be constructed with different numbers of individual transducer elements and different geometries such that its footprint or active area is adjustable. The primary motivation behind this research was to develop a tether-free, battery operated, fully portable ultrasound applicator for therapeutic applications such as wound healing and non-invasive transdermal delivery of both naked and encapsulated drugs. It is shown that careful selection of the components determining applicator architecture allows the displacement amplitude to be maximized for a specific frequency of operation. The work described here used the finite-element analysis software COMSOL to identify the geometry and material properties that permit the applicator’s design to be optimized. By minimizing the excitation voltage required to achieve the desired output (100 mW/cm 2 I SPTP ) the power source (rechargeable Li-Polymer batteries) size may be reduced permitting both the electronics and ultrasound applicator to fit in a wearable housing [1] .
Writing New Mexico White A Critical Analysis of Early Representations of New Mexico in Technical Writing

In this article, the authors analyze early technical documents produced by the New Mexico Bureau of Immigration (NMBI), including “The Legend of Montezuma” and “Illustrated New Mexico.” The purpose...