cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carotid Plaque Strain Indices Were Correlated With Cognitive Performance in a Cohort With Advanced Atherosclerosis, and Traditional Doppler Measures Showed no Association

Objectives Traditional Doppler measures have been used to predict cognitive performance in patients with carotid atherosclerosis. Novel measures, such as carotid plaque strain indices (CPSIs), have shown associations with cognitive performance. We hypothesized that lower mean middle cerebral artery (MCA) velocities, higher bulb-internal carotid artery (ICA) velocities, the MCA pulsatility index (PI), and CPSIs would be associated with poorer cognitive performance in individuals with advanced atherosclerosis. Methods Neurocognitive testing, carotid ultrasound imaging, transcranial Doppler imaging, and carotid strain imaging were performed on 40 patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy. Kendall tau correlations were used to examine relationships between cognitive tests and the surgical-side maximum peak systolic velocity (PSV; from the bulb, proximal, mid, or distal ICA), mean MCA velocity and PI, and maximum CPSIs (axial, lateral, and shear strain indices used to characterize plaque deformations with arterial pulsation). Cognitive measures included age-adjusted indices of verbal fluency, verbal and visual learning/memory, psychomotor speed, auditory attention/working memory, visuospatial construction, and mental flexibility. Results Participants had a median age of 71.0 (interquartile range, 9.75) years; 26 were male (65%), and 14 were female (35%). Traditional Doppler parameters, PSV, mean MCA velocity, and MCA PI did not predict cognitive performance (all P > .05). Maximum CPSIs were significantly associated with cognitive performance (P Conclusions Traditional velocity measurements of the maximum bulb-ICA PSV, mean MCA velocity, and PI were not associated with cognitive performance in patients with advanced atherosclerotic disease; however, maximum CPSIs were associated with cognitive performance. These findings suggest that cognition may be associated with unstable plaque rather than blood flow.
The Forgotten Minority: Exploring Deficiencies in Access to Education and Technology in Rural America

Rural Americans often face challenges in education and, as a result, long-term economic stability due to a deficiency in access to digital resources, minimal opportunities for advanced education, a...
Quality of Care in Patients With Cirrhosis: Trends in Recommended Adult Vaccination Coverage.

Abstract Objective To assess the proportion of patients with cirrhosis up to date with vaccinations and associations of vaccination with age, sex, race, ethnicity, marital status, and type of provider follow-up. Patients and Methods Patients with cirrhosis diagnosed at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and Mayo Clinic Health System in Minnesota from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2009, were followed up from diagnosis until May 31, 2015. Data were abstracted from Mayo Clinic and Minnesota State records. Factors determining vaccination coverage were assessed. Results At the end of the study period (8 years follow-up), 26.4% (95 of 360), 24.7% (82 of 332), 63.2% (180 of 285), and 25.5% (54 of 212) of patients with cirrhosis were up to date with hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus, pneumococcal pneumonia (PN), and herpes zoster vaccinations, respectively. Influenza (FLU) vaccine coverage increased from 36.1% (57 of 158) in 2007 to 2008 to 65.8% (106 of 161) in 2014 to 2015. Of those unvaccinated for HAV and hepatitis B virus before cirrhosis diagnosis, 18.6% (59 of 318) and 23.4% (71 of 304) completed vaccination. For HAV, more whites than nonwhites (28.3% [91 of 322] vs 10.5% [4 of 38]; odds ratio [OR], 3.35; 95% CI, 1.29 to 11.45; P=.02) and more non-Hispanics than Hispanics (27.4% [95 of 347] vs 0% [0 of 13]; OR, 0.00; 95% CI, 0.00 to 0.43; P=.03) were vaccinated. For PN, more younger than elderly people (66.8% [135 of 202] vs 54.2% [45 of 83]; OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.87; P=.04) and married vs single people (56.8% [100 of 176] vs 73.4% [80 of 109]; OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.26 to 3.56; P=.005) were vaccinated. For FLU, in 2013 to 2014, more elderly (72.0% [54 of 75] vs 58.0% [69 of 119]; OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.99; P=.05); in 2008 to 2009, more Hispanics (100% [4 of 4] vs 41.6% [116 of 279]; OR, ∞; 95% CI, 2.25 to ∞; P=.02); and in 2011 to 2012, more married people (62.4% [101 of 162] vs 50.5% [56 of 111]; OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 0.1.0 to 2.66; P=.05) were vaccinated. For FLU in 2008 to 2009, coverage was higher in the primary care than the specialist setting (55.8% [48 of 86] vs 36.6% [72 of 197]; P=.003). Conclusion Except for PN and FLU, vaccination coverage in patients with cirrhosis falls short of Healthy People 2020 target. Specific interventions are needed to improve vaccination coverage in patients with cirrhosis.
A Study of Antipodal Vivaldi Antenna for Microwave Imaging of Thermal Ablation

This paper presents a study on the convergence criteria of a method of moment based software. A mesh convergence study on a simple dipole antenna and a more complex antipodal Vivaldi antenna was performed through WIPL-D environment. The Vivaldi antenna can be used for microwave imaging of liver thermal ablation treatments.
Chronic Fetal Leucine Infusion Does Not Potentiate Glucose-Stimulated Insulin Secretion or Affect Pancreatic Islet Development in Late-Gestation Growth-Restricted Fetal Sheep.

Background Growth-restricted fetuses have attenuated glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), smaller pancreatic islets, less pancreatic β-cells, and less pancreatic vascularization compared with normally growing fetuses. Infusion of leucine into normal late-gestation fetal sheep potentiates GSIS, as well as increases pancreatic islet size, the proportion of the pancreas and islet comprising β-cells, and pancreatic and islet vascularity. In addition, leucine stimulates hepatocyte growth factor (HGF ) mRNA expression in islet endothelial cells isolated from normal fetal sheep. Objective We hypothesized that a 9-d leucine infusion would potentiate GSIS and increase pancreatic islet size, β-cells, and vascularity in intrauterine fetal growth restriction (IUGR) fetal sheep. We also hypothesized that leucine would stimulate HGF mRNA in islet endothelial cells isolated from IUGR fetal sheep. Methods Late-gestation Columbia-Rambouillet IUGR fetal sheep (singleton or twin) underwent surgeries to place vascular sampling and infusion catheters. Fetuses were randomly allocated to receive a 9-d leucine infusion to achieve a 50-100% increase in leucine concentrations or a control saline infusion. GSIS was measured and pancreas tissue was processed for histologic analysis. Pancreatic islet endothelial cells were isolated from IUGR fetal sheep and incubated with supplemental leucine. Data were analyzed by mixed-models ANOVA; Student, Mann-Whitney, or a paired t test; or a test of equality of proportions. Results Chronic leucine infusion in IUGR fetuses did not affect GSIS, islet size, the proportion of the pancreas comprising β-cells, or pancreatic or pancreatic islet vascularity. In isolated islet endothelial cells from IUGR fetuses, HGF mRNA expression was not affected by supplemental leucine. Conclusions IUGR fetal sheep islets are not responsive to a 9-d leucine infusion with respect to insulin secretion or any histologic features measured. This is in contrast to the response in normally growing fetuses. These results are important when considering nutritional strategies to prevent the adverse islet and β-cell consequences in IUGR fetuses.
Women and Ethics During the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Numerous voices state that the Fourth Industrial Revolution has arrived, and this raises a myriad of questions for us. If we look back at the last decade, we see that the world economy is being automated at a dizzying rate, and we begin to discern a new, more mechanized work landscape that calls upon intelligent automation to play an increasingly decisive role in the production system. In this context, it is absolutely necessary to promote women’s access to STEM education. This chapter describes the Spanish case.
Pemphigus erythematosus: A case series from a tertiary academic center and literature review

Background Pemphigus erythematosus (PE) is a rare autoimmune skin condition with clinical, histopathological, and serological features that show overlap between lupus erythematosus and pemphigus foliaceus. It typically presents with erythematous, scaly plaques and has a female predominance. Methods After Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, we searched the internal pathology database for "pemphigus erythematosus" in the diagnostic line between 1 January 2000 and 30 July 2020. A comprehensive chart review was performed to collect patient demographics, clinical presentation, and treatment course. We performed a review of the literature and clinical, histopathological, and serological features were collected for comparison to our case series. Results Five patients in the case series and 87 patients in the literature were diagnosed with PE. Clinical, histopathological, and serological features were consistent with what has been reported in the literature, although our cohort demonstrated a younger age at presentation, along with a higher proportion (80%) of Black patients. Of the 25 patients in the literature whose race was reported, only five patients (20%) were reported to be Black. Conclusion This is the first case series of PE that has shown an increased prevalence among middle-aged Black patients. No specific trend in regards to race was seen in the review of the literature.
Pseudoprogression of triple-hit diffuse large B-cell lymphoma following polatuzumab vedotin-based salvage therapy.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) accounts for approximately 25% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases [1]. Although often treatment-responsive, 30–40% of DLBCL patients develop refractory or relapsed ...
Heart rate trajectories in patients recovering from acute myocardial infarction: A longitudinal analysis of Apple Watch heart rate recordings

Background Using mobile health, vital signs such as heart rate (HR) can be used to assess a patient's recovery process from acute events including acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Objective We aimed to characterize clinical correlates associated with HR change in the subacute period among patients recovering from AMI. Methods HR measurements were collected from 91 patients (4447 HR recordings) enrolled in the MiCORE study using the Apple Watch and Corrie smartphone application. Mixed regression models were used to estimate the associations of patient-level characteristics during hospital admission with HR changes over 30 days postdischarge. Results The mean daily HR at admission was 78.0 beats per minute (bpm) (95% confidence interval 76.1 to 79.8), declining 0.2 bpm/day (-0.3 to -0.1) under a linear model of HR change. History of coronary artery bypass graft, history of depression, or being discharged on anticoagulants was associated with a higher admission HR. Having a history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), or hyperlipidemia was associated with a slower decrease in HR over time, but not with HR during admission. Conclusion While a declining HR was observed in AMI patients over 30 days postdischarge, patients with hypertension, T2DM, or hyperlipidemia showed a slower decrease in HR relative to their counterparts. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using wearables to model the recovery process of patients with AMI and represents a first step in helping pinpoint patients vulnerable to decompensation.
Balancing Collaboration and Cognitive Load to Optimize Individual and Group Desirable Difficulties

We sought to identify factors that optimize individual learning in complex, technology-enhanced learning environments. Undergraduates viewed tutorials and played a simulation-based game either alon...
Diversity Insects of Spring in Mutis Timau Nature Reserve, TTS District, NTT Province

Insect diversity is believed to be used as a bio-indicator of spring quality, this study aimed at determining the spring insect diversity around the Mutis Timau Nature Reserve. The study was conducted from June to August 2019. Insects were caught by using the yellow pan trap and hand sorting. The diversity of spring insects was determined based on the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H'), species richness index (R1), species dominance index (D), and evenness index ( E ). The results showed that 16 species belong to 11 families, and five orders of insects. The families included Gryllidae, Gryllotalpidae, Tetrigidae, Formicidae, Pompilidae, Apidae, Ochteridae, Veliidae, Hydrometridae, Nepidae, Coenagrionidae, Libellulidae, Carabidae, and Coccinellidae. The Shannon-Wiener species diversity index and the wealth index of the species of springs were classified as moderate (H '= 2.12 and R1 = 4.19). There was no type of spring insects dominated (D = 0.23). All springs insects were found to have almost the same level of evenness ( E <1), with a value of 0.76. Abiotic factors such as pH and soil temperature were within the tolerance range of spring insects.
Activation of multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase in GH3 cells.

Abstract We report that the rat pituitary cell line GH3 contains a Ca2(+)- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase with properties characteristic of multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase) from rat brain. The GH3 kinase exhibits the hallmark of authentic CaM kinase: conversion from Ca2(+)-dependent to Ca2(+)-independent activity following a brief initial phosphorylation in vitro. This phosphorylation occurs at a site which is similar or identical to that of the "autonomy" site of the rat brain enzyme and thus may be an autophosphorylation event. GH3 CaM kinase is phosphorylated and becomes Ca2(+)-independent in situ. Depolarization of intact cells with K+ opens calcium channels and leads to the phosphorylation of CaM kinase at the autonomy site, and the kinase becomes significantly and persistently Ca2(+)-independent. Treatment of cells with thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), which activates the phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway, also generates a Ca2(+)-independent CaM kinase in situ. The primary effect of TRH on CaM kinase activity is transient and correlates with the spike of Ca2+ released from intracellular stores and the rapid phase of prolactin release from GH3 cells. This study demonstrates that CaM kinase is able to detect and respond to both calcium that enters the cell through voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels and calcium released from internal stores via the phosphatidylinositol pathway. We find that TRH, a hormone that causes release of prolactin and was previously believed to activate primarily protein kinase C, also significantly activates CaM kinase in intact cells.
Teaching Formal Extensions of Informal-Based Object-Oriented Analysis Methodologies

Teaching formal methods of software specification is often difficult. This is in part due to the lack of well defined methodologies for applying formal methods to large software system specifications. We have integrated formal specification with a more informal object-oriented modeling methodology. This allows the students to follow an established modeling approach and still generate formal specifications. We find that the students learn the formalism much easier with this approach than with our prior technique of teaching formal methods as a separate block of instruction. However, the lack of good computer-aided tools for some formal specification languages can prevent the students from directly seeing all of the benefits of using formalism. This paper describes our use of Z schemas to add formalism to the object-oriented modeling methodology of Rumbaugh, et.al. [RBP+91], describes the introductory software engineering course in which it is taught, and discusses our experience.
Interference mitigation in spread spectrum using discrete evolutionary and Hough transforms

Jammer excision enhances the interference immunity in direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) communications. We propose an instantaneous frequency (IF) estimation method for a jammer composed of chirps, that uses evolutionary spectrum and Hough transform. The estimation requires no parametric representation of the IF and provides a correction by means of dechirping and low-pass filtering. Synthesis of the multicomponent jammer and its excision from the received signal is made possible with excellent results. Localized processing, linearization of the IF estimate, recursive correction, and no problems due to cross-terms in the time-frequency distribution or in the matching of parametric models make the proposed procedure efficient and practical. The performance of the IF estimation and its application in DSSS communications are illustrated.
Multimedia Video-Based Data Acquisition and Analysis Applications for Ergonomics Research

Control of occupational exposures to hazardous chemical and physical agents costs industry more than 150 billion dollars per year. Development of a method to identify and control hazardous agents is a high priority for industry. The application of this method will save industry millions of dollars by pinpointing sources of exposure and enable them to invest in more cost/effective engineering and ergonomic solutions. The use of real-time instruments to measure and control hazardous agents is not new. However, the application of ergonomic principles and videographic techniques to link hazardous exposures to employee job functions is new. Such methods are particularly useful when the hazardous agents are highly toxic, have low regulatory limits (i.e., permissible exposure limits), and where changes in work organization and employee work practices can significantly increase or decrease exposure to such agents. This paper discusses how a system developed at Purdue University uses real-time instruments combined...
Intermolecular dynamics for weakly bound donor–acceptor complexes

We have performed ab initio (3–21 G) calculations on the weakly bound donor–acceptor complex between benzene and tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) as a function of various intermolecular motions. The resultant potential energy surface (PES) was then fit to the product of analytical functions. Classical dynamics was performed on this PES by solving Hamilton's equations using a fourth-order Runge Kutta differential equation solver. Time steps were of the order of 1.0 femtosecond and the system was allowed to evolve for 1,000,000 time steps. Fast Fourier analysis of the resulting trajectories indicate that the primary intermolecular vibrational frequencies are 118, 228, and 232 cm−1. These correspond to the motion of the intermolecular separation coordinate, and the two twisting coordinates. We also discuss other possible solutions, zero-point energies, etc.
Pavlov and the mind-body problem

I. P. Pavlov claimed that the mind-body problem would ultimately be resolved by empirical methods, rather than by rational arguments. A committed monist, Pavlov was confronted by dualism in the case of an hysterical person. Under normal conditions, her body's left side was insensitive to pain, but when she was hypnotized, there was a reversal of her sensitivity to pain, with the right side becoming insensitive. Pavlov acknowledged that the divergence between stimulation and response suggested dualism, yet condemned his disciple G.P. Zelenyĭ as well as Charles S. Sherrington, for their dualistic tendencies. Pavlov's continuous adherence to monism it attributed to the influence of popular scientific books that he read during his adolescence. The books maintained that science was based upon monism. Pavlov proposed that by introducing the concept of emotions, an hysterical person's condition could be explained within the framework of his theory of higher nervous activity, thereby obviating the need to change his paradigm.
Double Tightrope for Basilar Thumb Arthritis

Several surgical options exist for the treatment of basilar thumb joint arthritis. Suspending the thumb metacarpal with a suture button device provides a stabilizing force to maintain pinch strength, precludes the necessary healing time associated with ligamentous reconstruction and allows for earlier motion and return to work, and creates a stable construct that may prevent metacarpal subsidence over time. One of the concerns with this technique is over-tightening of the suture device, which results with impingement of the thumb and index metacarpal bases. We present a surgical technique of open trapeziectomy, simultaneous application of 2 Mini TightRope button devices to provide additional stabilization that prevents impingement of the thumb and index finger metacarpal, with imbrication of the flexor carpi radialis and abductor pollicis longus tendons as reinforcement of the construct.
WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RISK ASSESSMENT: ENVIRONMENTAL DISCRIMINATION THROUGH REGULATION

Despite conflicting views as to the cause, there is a wealth of evidence that poor people and residents in communities of color bear a disproportionate burden of toxic contamination. This article examines some of the mechanisms built into the U.S. regulatory system, in particular the use of quantitative risk assessment, that may contribute to this disproportionate social impact. The difference between environmental equity and environmental justice as policy goals is made clear, with implications considered for fair-share allocation and toxic use reduction as competing policy goals. Additional proposals for reform are considered, as suggested by the local activists themselves who are involved with struggles over hazardous waste facility location and toxic-chemical clean-up efforts.
NITROGEN DEPOSITION ONTO THE UNITED STATES AND WESTERN EUROPE: SYNTHESIS OF OBSERVATIONS AND MODELS

The documented acceleration of NH3 and NOx (NO NO2) emissions over the last 150 years has accelerated N deposition, compromising air and water quality and altering the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems worldwide. To construct con- tinental-scale N budgets, we produced maps of N deposition fluxes from site-network observations for the United States and Western Europe. Increases in the rates of N cycling for these two regions of the world are large, and they have undergone profound modification of biospheric-atmospheric N exchanges, and ecosystem function. The maps are necessarily restricted to the network measured quantities and consist of statistically interpolated fields of aqueous NO3 and NH4, gaseous HNO3 and NO2 (in Europe), and particulate NO3 and NH4. There remain a number of gaps in the budgets, including organic N and NH3 de- position. The interpolated spatially continuous fields allow estimation of regionally inte- grated budget terms. Dry-deposition fluxes were the most problematic because of low station density and uncertainties associated with exchange mechanisms. We estimated dry N de- position fluxes by multiplying interpolated surface-air concentrations for each chemical species by model-calculated, spatially explicit deposition velocities. Deposition of the ox- idized N species, by-products of fossil-fuel combustion, dominate the U.S. N deposition budget with 2.5 Tg of NOy-N out of a total of 3.7-4.5 Tg of N deposited annually onto the conterminous United States. Deposition of the reduced species, which are by-products of farming and animal husbandry, dominate the Western European N-deposition budget with a total of 4.3-6.3 Tg N deposited each year out of a total of 8.4-10.8 Tg N. Western Europe receives five times more N in precipitation than does the conterminous United States. Estimated N emissions exceed measured deposition in the United States by 5.3- 7.81 Tg N, suggesting significant N export or under-sampling of urban influence. In Europe, estimated emissions better balance measured deposition, with an imbalance of between 0.63 and 2.88 Tg N, suggesting that much of the N emitted in Europe is deposited there, with possible N import from the United States. The sampling network in Europe includes urban influences because of the greater population density of Western Europe. Our analysis of N deposition for both regions was limited by sampling density. The framework we present for quantification of patterns of N deposition provides a constraint on our under- standing of continental biospheric-atmospheric N cycles. These spatially explicit wet and dry N fluxes also provide a tool for verifying regional and global models of atmospheric chemistry and transport, and they represent critical inputs into terrestrial models of bio- geochemistry.
Beta adrenergic blockade in the circulatory regulation of hyperkinetic states

Abstract We define hyperkinetic circulation as that state in which cardiac rate, output and contractility are supranormal, and postulate a possible role for beta adrenergic blocking drugs in the treatment of certain hyperkinetic circulatory states. Fear, anxiety and other emotional states as well as exercise are associated with circulatory and clinical manifestations that can be related to increased adrenergic activity. With beta adrenergic inhibition most of these findings can be markedly attenuated. A variety of hyperkinetic circulatory states associated with increased arterial pressure can be treated effectively with beta adrenergic blocking drugs. Thus, labile (borderline), mild essential and systolic hypertension are all manifested by clinical and physiologic evidence of a hyperkinetic circulation; beta adrenergic blocking drugs will significantly reduce arterial pressure and produce a remission of certain disturbing symptoms related to the hyperkinetic circulation.
Team and organizational attitudes as a lens and mirror impacting customer satisfaction: an empirical test in self-managed teams

Abstract This study examined an organization that had restructured to self-managed teams in order to improve their overall customer satisfaction. Past research has described employees as the lens through which customers perceive their service providers and that customers often mirror the attitudes of these employees. In this research, we examined whether there were attitudinal differences, at both the team and organizational levels, between members of teams whose customers were more or less satisfied with the level of service received. Our results indicated that members of teams with satisfied customers were more satisfied with their teams and organizations, were committed to their teams, and perceived their teams to be procedurally just as compared to members of teams with less satisfied customers. Additionally, individuals who judged their organizational rewards to be fair were also on teams who had satisfied customers. Implications of these findings for customer satisfaction in team-based organizations are discussed.
The effect of pressure on the fluorescence and absorption of adamantanone

Abstract The effect of external high pressure on the absorption and fluorescence spectra of solid 2-adamantanone was investigated. Three different pressure dependent responses were observed. These spectral changes are rationalized in terms of the known solvent effects on nπ* transitions.
Complex medium education

A simple electromagnetic medium is described by the constitutive relations D = e E , B = μ H , J = σ E , where all the electromagnetic parameters, the permittivity e, the permeability μ , and the conductivity σ are scalar constants. All other electromagnetic mediums are complex mediums. A sub-class of complex mediums are layered mediums which are piece-wise simple mediums. Each layer is a simple medium with scalar electromagnetic parameters. Availability of commercial software for electromagnetic simulation justifies reduction of time spent in teaching the mathematics of special functions in electromagnetic core course at the graduate level. However to make effective use of these packages, the ability to relate the dominant effect of each kind of a geometrical feature and the dominant effect of each kind of complexity in the medium properties could be important in interpreting the results and also to find out when the package did not give correct results. The course outline of a departmental core course in 'Electromagnetic Waves and Materials' at our university, which includes dispersive medium, anisotropic medium, chiral medium, periodic medium, superconducting medium and their applications in the areas of microwaves and optics will be presented. Extension of the system theory to the systems where the basic elements are complex mediums of various kinds is a challenging research area.
Telephone notification of relatives of emergency and critical care patients

Inconsistency in contacting the families of acutely ill patients can negatively affect relatives and induce stress in emergency department staff. Role clarification and performance guidelines are discussed in the context of a telephone notification of relatives checklist, with staff advised in six specific interventions to facilitate consistency; promote clarity; and prevent fears and fantasies, potential misunderstanding, reckless driving, and feelings of helplessness.
Transforming the Teaching of Geoscience and Sustainability

The geosciences have an important role to play in addressing whether humans can live sustainably on Earth. From water to energy, from climate change to natural hazards, geoscience is central to solving a wide range of problems.
Coalition Formation: From Software Agents to Robots

A problem that has recently attracted the attention of the research community is the autonomous formation of robot teams to perform complex multi-robot tasks. The corresponding problem for software agents is also known in the multi-agent community as the coalition formation problem. Numerous algorithms for software agent coalition formation have been provided that allow for efficient cooperation in both competitive and cooperative environments. However, despite the plethora of relevant literature on the software agent coalition formation problem, and the existence of similar problems in theoretical computer science, the multi-robot coalition formation problem has not been sufficiently grounded for different tasks and task environments. In this paper, comparisons are drawn to highlight the differences between software agents and robotics, and parallel problems from theoretical computer science are identified. This paper further explores robot coalition formation in different practical robotic environments. A heuristic-based coalition formation algorithm from our previous work was extended to operate in precedence ordered cooperative environments. In order to explore coalition formation in competitive environments, the paper also studies the RACHNA system, a market based coalition formation system. Finally, the paper investigates the notion of task preemption for complex multi-robot tasks in random allocation environments.
Production of Human RAP30 and RAP74 in Bacterial Cells

Abstract RAP30 and RAP74 are subunits of RAP30/74 (TFIIF), a general initiation and elongation factor for transcription by RNA polymerase II. Complementary DNA (cDNA) clones have previously been reported encoding human RAP30 and RAP74. Here we report expression of these cDNAs using a T7 RNA polymerase system in Escherichia coli. Production of human RAP30 was very efficient using the expression vector pET1 1d. RAP30 accumulated within inclusion bodies and was solubilized using guanidine hydrochloride. After removal of the denaturant, RAP30 was soluble and active in accurate transcription. Approximately 44 mg of highly purified and soluble RAP30 was obtained from a 1-liter culture of cells. Production of RAP74 was more problematic, because a mixture of full length RAP74 and RAP74 fragments was produced in E. coli. Most RAP74 fragments were shortened by deletion of the COOH-terminus of the protein and probably resulted from premature translation termination. RAP74 was most successfully produced using a pET23d construct, in which the RAP74 peptide was fused to a short polyhistidine stretch at its COOH-terminus. Addition of the polyhistidine sequence allowed purification using a Ni2+ affinity resin. Full length RAP74 carrying this polyhistidine extension was purified in a single step by Ni2+ affinity chromatography in 4 M urea; the yield of RAP74 was approximately 3 mg from a 1-liter culture of cells. RAP 74 derivatized with a polyhistidine stretch at its NH2-terminus, on the other hand, remained contaminated with RAP74 fragments after Ni2+ affinity chromatography. These fragments were dissociated from RAP74 in 4 M urea and separated by Mono Q and Mono S chromatography; approximately 800 μg pure, intact, and active RAP74 was obtained from a 1-liter culture of cells using this procedure.
The effects of weight loss on FABP4 and RBP4 in obese women with metabolic syndrome.

Fat accumulation is associated with the release of many novel adipokines such as retinol-binding protein 4 and fatty acid-binding protein 4. These adipokines have been linked to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Since weight loss is the first step for the treatment of metabolic syndrome, which increases the risks for both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, we have investigated the effects of weight loss on serum retinol-binding protein 4 and fatty acid-binding protein 4 in obese individuals with this syndrome. Twenty-nine obese female subjects with metabolic syndrome, aged 18–62 years completed a 2-month weight loss diet plan. Data were collected from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and indirect calorimetry. Blood was taken at baseline and at 2 months and assayed for adipokines, lipids, and insulin resistance parameters. The change in circulating fatty acid-binding protein 4 levels were inversely correlated with total weight loss (p
Comparison of sulfur amino acid utilization for GSH synthesis between HepG2 cells and cultured rat hepatocytes

HepG2 cells are widely used as a model of human hepatocytes for studies of drug metabolism and toxicity. However, GSH metabolism in HepG2 cells is poorly characterized. This report describes the utilization of sulfur amino acids for GSH synthesis in HepG2 cells. In contrast to primary cultures of rat hepatocytes, which rely mostly on methionine for GSH synthesis, HepG2 cells use cystine. Their inability to utilize methionine for GSH synthesis was not due to lack of methionine uptake or low cellular ATP levels, but rather to the lack of S-adenosyl-methionine synthetase activity. When HepG2 cells were cultured overnight in medium containing cystine as the only sulfur amino acid, addition of glutamate or acivicin had minimal to no effect on cell GSH; however, addition of threonine significantly depleted cell GSH. When cystine (0.18 mM) uptake was measured, glutamate (2.5 mM), which inhibited cystine uptake in cultured rat hepatocytes, had a minimal effect in HepG2 cells. Instead, threonine (20 mM) strongly inhibited the apparent uptake of cystine by HepG2 cells. Strong inhibition by threonine of apparent cystine uptake was actually due to inhibition of cysteine uptake, which resulted from GSH-cystine mixed disulfide exchange. Radio-HPLC confirmed this. After incubating cells with [35S]cystine (0.18 mM) for 10 min, the total counts inside the cell matched the counts in the uptake medium in the form of GSH-cysteine mixed disulfide. Finally, HepG2 cells took up cysteine by both Na(+)-dependent and -independent mechanisms. The former exhibited high affinity and low capacity, whereas the latter exhibited the opposite. At a physiologic concentration of cysteine (10 microM), 68% of cysteine uptake occurred via the Na(+)-dependent system and 32% via system L1.
Should we reevaluate antibiotic breakpoints

The breakpoints used to interpret antimicrobial susceptibility tests should be carefully determined initially, using microbiological, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and clinical data, and then reevaluated periodically as changes in bacterial resistance, susceptibility test methods, or antibiotic formulations occur. Throughout the world, different governmental agencies and professional organizations have responsibility for the initial establishment of antibiotic susceptibility breakpoints. In the United States, the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards has a mechanism in place to establish breakpoints initially and to review and publish updates on an annual basis. There should be a continued effort to coordinate both susceptibility testing methods and breakpoint determinations in various parts of the world.
Resolving SSM/I-ship radar rainfall discrepancies from AIP-3

The third algorithm intercomparison project (AIP-3) involved rain estimates from more than 50 satellite rainfall algorithms and ground radar measurements within the Intensive Flux Array (IFA) over the equatorial western Pacific warm pool region during the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE). Early results indicated that there was a systematic bias between rainrates from satellite passive microwave and ground radar measurements. The mean rainrate from radar measurements is about 50% underestimated compared to that from passive microwave-based retrieval algorithms. This paper is designed to analyze rain patterns from the Florida State University rain retrieval algorithm and radar measurements to understand physically the rain discrepancies. Results show that there is a clear range-dependent bias associated with the radar measurements. However, this range-dependent systematical bias is almost eliminated with the corrected radar rainrates. Results suggest that the effects from radar attenuation correction, calibration and beam filling are the major sources of rain discrepancies. This study demonstrates that rain retrievals based on satellite measurements from passive microwave radiometers such as the Special Sensor of Microwave Imager (SSM/I) are reliable, while rain estimates from ground radar measurements are correctable.
Contact doping with sub-monolayers of strong polyelectrolytes for organic photovoltaics

Barriers to charge transfer at electrode-semiconductor contacts are ubiquitous and limit the applicability of organic semiconductors in electronic devices. Molecular or ionic doping near contacts can alleviate charge injection or extraction problems by enabling charge tunneling through contact barriers, but the soft nature of organic materials allows for small molecule dopants to diffuse and migrate, degrading the performance of the device and limiting effective interfacial doping. Here, it is demonstrated that contact doping in organic electronics is possible through ionic polymer dopants, which resist diffusion or migration due to their large size. Sub-monolayer deposition of non-conjugated strong polyelectrolytes, e.g., sulfonated poly(sulfone)s, at the anode-semiconductor interface of organic photovoltaics enables efficient hole extraction at the anode. The performance of contact-doped organic photo­voltaics nearly matches the performance of devices composed of traditional hole transport layers such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The degree of sulfonation of the dopant polymer and the thickness of the ionic dopant layer is shown to be critical for optimizing doping and the efficiency of the device.
Effect of support microporosity and preparation conditions on the reducibility of Pt/Al2O3 catalysts

Abstract Numerous studies using temperature-programmed reduction (TPRd) as the characterization technique have been reported in the catalysis literature. Although different types of supports and preparation techniques are commonly used to prepare catalysts, the effect of support microporosity and preparation conditions on the observed TPRd profiles has not been investigated. A study conducted on the Pt/Al2O3 system has been reported in this communication. The results indicate that the reducibility of the porous alumina supported precursor is a strong function of the volume of the impregnation solution used to prepare the precursor.
CASE 1--2004. Intraoperative diagnosis of a patent foramen ovale in a patient undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is found in approximately one quarter of postmortem examinations.1 Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is able to detect PFO with almost the same frequency in the clinical setting.2 The intraoperative utilization of TEE presents a dilemma to clinicians if PFO is diagnosed at the time of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Acute alterations in preload and afterload, which often occur intraoperatively, make it more difficult to evaluate the clinical significance of a PFO. Also, patients are unconscious (general anesthesia) at the time of detection of the PFO and hence cannot participate in the decision to close or not to close the PFO. It is unclear whether closure of a PFO should be performed in this context, which would require opening of the right atrium for access and performing bicaval cannulation to establish total cardiopulmonary bypass (likely increasing risk for the patient). There has been a recent trend toward an increased use of the off-pump approach to CABG surgery.3 The decision to close a PFO diagnosed intraoperatively in a patient scheduled for elective off-pump CABG requires a radical change in management; that is, from no cardiopulmonary bypass for off-pump CABG to initiation of total cardiopulmonary bypass. Currently, there are no clinical data available to guide clinicians presented with this scenario. The authors present a patient who was diagnosed with a PFO intraoperatively, underwent CABG surgery without closure of the PFO, and subsequently developed a possible postoperative paradoxical embolism. CASE REPORT*
Transfer between Pavlovian facilitators and instrumental discriminative stimuli

Two experiments assessed the degree to which Pavlovian facilitators were interchangeable with instrumental discriminative stimuli (Sds). In Experiment 1, rats were trained in a Pavlovian paradigm in which one stimulus (i.e., a facilitator) signaled the reinforcement of another stimulus (i.e., a target). Next, the rats were given instrumental discrimination training in which an Sd signaled the reinforcement of barpressing. A transfer test then assessed the capacity of the Pavlovian facilitator to promote barpressing. The results showed that the facilitator promoted significant barpressing, both when it was presented alone and when it was presented in compound with the Sd. Reliable transfer was not obtained with a “pseudofacilitator” control stimulus that, during training, was uninformative about the reinforcement of its target. Experiment 2 showed that a stimulus trained as an instrumental Sd reliably augmented responding to a stimulus previously trained as a target in a Pavlovian facilitation paradigm. A “pseudo-Sd” that, during training, was uninformative about the reinforcement of barpressing failed to promote such transfer. These results show that Pavlovian facilitators and instrumental Sds are interchangeable to a significant degree, and suggest that facilitators and Sds may act via similar mechanisms.
Use of radionuclide lymphograms to determine lymphatic drainage of truncal melanomas

Radionuclide lymphograms provide invaluable preoperative information on many truncal melanomas of the skin that require elective regional lymph node dissection.
The Relation of the Structure of Language to Performance in Mathematics.

The relationship of performance in mathematics to syntactical language factors obtained from speech samples was investigated with 95 senior high school geometry students. Statistical procedures included correlation analysis and stepwise regression. The findings indicated that certain syntactical measures indicating logical thought processes correlated significantly with measures of mathematical performance. In addition, these syntactical measures added a statistically significant amount to intelligence in predicting performance in mathematics.
Methamphetamine treatment rapidly inhibits serotonin, but not glutamate, transporters in rat brain

Previous studies have demonstrated that multiple methamphetamine (METH) administrations rapidly and reversibly decrease dopamine transporter activity assessed in striatal synaptosomes. A role for reactive oxygen species was suggested by findings that: (1) METH treatment increases the formation of oxygen radicals in vivo; and (2) oxygen radicals, generated by the enzyme xanthine oxidase, attenuate dopamine uptake in vitro. To test the selectivity of transporter responses, the present study examined effects of METH and xanthine oxidase on [3H]serotonin ([3H]5HT) and [3H]glutamate transport into striatal synaptosomes. Multiple doses of METH, or incubation with xanthine oxidase, rapidly attenuated [3H]5HT transport; an effect attributable to a decrease in Vmax. The METH-induced decrease in transport activity completely recovered by 24 h, but was decreased again 1 week later. In contrast, [3H]glutamate transport was essentially unchanged after METH treatment or incubation with xanthine oxidase. These findings indicate that: (1) METH causes a rapid and reversible decrease in 5HT transporter activity; and (2) glutamate transporters are less susceptible than 5HT transporters to effects of reactive species or METH treatment.
Deracialization And Urban Racial Contexts

Building on previous literature of deracialization and white voting behavior, the author empirically tests whether the effectiveness of deracialization, measured by white crossover vote, may be conditional, dependent on urban racial contexts. The author examined 81 black candidates’ white votes in New Orleans biracial elections between 1977 and 1998. The results of ordinary least squares multiple regressions show that the differences in white crossover voting in New Orleans during the past two decades were related to black candidates’ strength. The relatively larger effect of newspaper endorsement on white crossover voting, compared to that of black incumbency, confirms previous findings regarding the powerful influence of news media on biracial elections in general and the deracialization strategy in particular. The most important finding of this research, however, is that the deracialization strategy was most effective when white voters were no longer the majority in the urban elections.
New-quark and -lepton production at high-energy e+e- colliders.

We compare and contrast production and decay signatures for several kinds of new quarks and leptons which may be produced at future high-energy {ital e}{sup +}{ital e}{sup {minus}} colliders. Mirror, isodoublet and isosinglet vectorlike, and sequential fourth-generation fermions are considered along with the isotriplet lepton of Foot and co-workers. We find that total cross sections and forward-backward and left-right polarization asymmetries, combined with particular final-state decay signatures, can be used together to distinguish among these possible sets of new fermions at {ital e}{sup +}{ital e}{sup {minus}} colliders.