cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“The Gods Are Angry”: A First-Hand Environmental Account and an Experience of the 2015 Nepal Earthquake in Hindsight towards a New Culture on How to Approach and Live Well with Mother Earth

Giving earth reason to act with its own strategy is still a new and foreign concept for the western science, which otherwise argues there on ‘lack of evidence’. People who ‘can feel the environment’, earth’s pulse, or who are hypersensitive, are out of luck. However, the fact that ‘Mother Earth’ is part of the wider cosmos and that it ‘responds’ and that signals can be detected is already known to virtually all indigenous people for millennia; the western world is also increasingly picking up on it. Such dire connections with ‘Mother Earth’ are certainly well known for the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region and its religions: ‘Mother Earth’ can be angry and strike a revenge, e.g. earth quakes, tsunamis, floods and fire outbreaks. Here I introduce and review those concepts and the failure of the western science-based policy model to acknowledge and to learn from deep -so called primitive- knowledge about ‘Mother Earth’ and its harmony. While many research signals are pretty strong and in support of this ‘Mother Earth’ concept – including many from the Deep Ecology and GAIA theories – the current scheme of globalization still ignores those views for a modern more sustainable environmental and conservation policy that allows to live in a better and more holistic and sustainable harmony with ‘Mother Earth’ and all its beings -biotic and abiotic ones.
Wastewater infrastructure for sustainable cities: assessment based on UN sustainable development goals (SDGs)

Among the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SDG #11 aims to make future cities resilient and sustainable while, SDG #6 aims to ensure availability and sustainable management o...
Expansion of NASS/CDS for characterizing run-off-road crashes.

Run-off-road (ROR) crashes account for one-third of all annual crash fatalities in the US. The National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (NASS/CDS) is a dataset which may be u...
A militant defence of democracy: A few replies to my critics

In this essay, I address some questions and challenges brought about by the contributors to this special issue on my book ‘Democracy without Shortcuts’. First, I clarify different aspects of my cri...
Ordinary Differential Equations

The major purpose of the present chapter is to demonstrate the use of the volume integral method in deriving accurate, stable, and physically realistic difference equations from ordinary differential equations. A secondary purpose is to develop the proper ideas and procedures for later use in deriving difference equations from partial differential equations.
Teaching about acoustic measurement and analysis using smartphones

Because smartphones are ubiquitous in modern society, they can serve as excellent mobile tools for students to explore aspects of acoustic measurements in and outside of the classroom. In this talk, I will present a set of lab activities based on smartphones which have allowed students studying speech, language and hearing sciences to use their smartphones as a sound level meter and waveform/spectrum analyzer to measure sounds in their daily lives. In group work, students can compare results from apps installed on different cell phone platforms with measures from a calibrated sound level meter, thereby giving them an opportunity to explore the strengths and limitations of cell phones as measurement devices. This presentation will also discuss how lab reports and classroom discussion can foster the development of analytical skills pertaining to sound analysis.
Traversing the Boundary of the Screen: Contextualizing the Influence of Cinema and Virtual Reality in Artificial Environments

Within the last decade, the entertainment industry has witnessed an exponential growth in the production of immersive theme park lands based on popular movie franchises. The diegetic worlds that these environments produce not only endeavor to immerse guests into their favorite films but also to actively involve the spectator and position them as if they are the frame of a camera exploring and creating their own stories within the multi-acre diegesis. These groundbreaking and innovative forms of immersive storytelling have received little attention from scholars in film and media theory and necessitate a thorough contextualization in terms of post-cinematic storytelling. Notably, the hybridity and interdisciplinary nature of the aesthetics and technologies espoused and repurposed for constructing these areas and their respective rides parallel that of conventional filmmaking and post-cinematic media. This paper examines Pandora—The World of Avatar and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge — two of the most popular immersive lands located at Disney World in Orlando, Florida — in terms of the cinematic aesthetics and technologies that are employed to guide a spectator while allowing them to experience their own subjective story. Notably, unlike many previous theme park attractions and themed “lands,” these immersive environments are rooted in an underlying conceptual narrative. These forms of “real-time storytelling” parallel the concurrent advent of VR experiences as a means of personal post-cinematic storytelling. However, this paper considers these immersive environments to be a form of a physical, tactile alternative reality—a virtual reality that is multi-sensorial and requires no headset.
Mask Use Among Health Care Workers and Feelings of Safety at Work Pre- and Post- COVID-19 Vaccine

Abstract Background: Correct mask use can prevent the spread of COVID-19 and hospitals require correct mask use. Despite this, there is variation in mask use among health care workers (HCW). Incorrect mask use may lead to increased infections and decreased feelings of safety. The purpose of this study was to determine variation in mask use among HCW, as well as feelings of safety from exposure to COVID-19 when around colleagues before and after vaccine roll out. Methods: This study used direct observation to assess mask use in patient facing areas before and after COVID-19 vaccine. A staff survey was used to assess feelings of safety. Results: Over 1,600 mask observations showed increased compliance from 94.6% to 97.5% (p = 0.001). Three hundred survey responses showed significantly increased feelings of safety (p Discussion: Understanding the behaviors and attitudes of HCW in patient facing areas compared to private workspaces can help improve policies and reduce HCW to HCW infections. Conclusions: Correct mask use was a highly adopted habit. The COVID-19 vaccine led to significantly increased feelings of safety, though diverging and often conflicting narratives seen in the survey should be considered when crafting future safety protocols.
Chapter 14 Lectin-Colloidal Gold-Induced Density Perturbation of Membranes: Application to Affinity Elimination of the Plasma Membrane

Publisher Summary In an effort to document the composition of the membranes of the Golgi complex and compare and contrast this organelle with the rough endoplasmic reticulum, this chapter describes a subcellular-fractionation procedure for rat myeloma cells that effectively eliminates rough microsomes from Golgi-enriched fractions. The differential and isopycnic-sedimentation protocol yields Golgi-enriched fractions of considerable purity. The chapter develops a novel density perturbation procedure to eliminate these plasma membrane contaminants. This protocol makes use of the specific interaction of the plant lectin, wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), with carbohydrates on the surface of intact cells. This lectin is known to bind oligosaccharides with nonreducing terminal D-GlcNAc and clustered sialic acid residues. The binding of the lectin conjugate to the cell surface makes it possible to achieve, during subcellular fractionation, extensive sedimentation of alkaline phosphatase activity, the lectin conjugate itself, and iodinated cell surface proteins to the mitochondrial pellet.
Channel adaptive real-time MAC protocols for a two-level heterogeneous wireless network

Wireless technology is becoming an attractive mode of communication for real-time applications in typical settings such as in an industrial setup because of the tremendous advantages it is capable of offering. However, the high bit error rate characteristics of wireless channel due to conditions like attenuation, noise, fading and interference seriously impact the timeliness and guarantees that need to be provided for real-time traffic. Existing wireless protocols either do not adapt well to the erroneous channel conditions or do not provide real-time guarantees. The goal of our work is to design and evaluate novel real-time MAC (Medium Access Control) protocols for scheduling messages in a 2-level hierarchical wireless industrial network taking into account the time-varying channel condition. Our objective is to minimize the loss rate of messages using the slot exchange protocol[9] that actively combats the erroneous channel conditions and maximize the channel utilization by enabling parallel transmissions in a collision-free manner. Unfortunately, these two goals have inherent conflicts in shared medium wireless networks. We propose a distributed protocol, called the Adaptive protocol that arbitrates between these two design criteria in order to resolve the inherent conflict between them. Through simulation studies, we show that the proposed Adaptive protocol achieves significant improvement in deadline miss ratio compared to the baseline protocols that exploit complete parallelism and full exchange, for a wide range of channel conditions.
Time-space network based exact models for periodical monitoring routing problem

Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) have been used cooperatively with Unattended Ground Sensors (UGSs) to monitor and identify intruders on a road network system. The current practice includes four phases. In the patrol phase, UAVs visits UGSs periodically to detect the possible alarms. Once an alarm is detected, the second isolation phase is activated to determine the region of the intruders on the network. Delivery/ classification and response are the two following phases, which need more human involvements. This work focuses on the first patrol phase to determine the optimal patrol route visiting the UGSs periodically with minimal weighted revisit time interval. Since the objective focuses on a single UGS with worst performance (longest revisit time) and there are large number of alternative optimal solutions, a secondary objective is considered to minimize the duration of the total reiterative tour. Two mixed integer programming models are considered on a time-space discretized network. Numerical experiments show the nontrivial solutions on a small network. The second model improves the computational performance from the first model. The quality of the solutions are evaluated by upper and lower bounds.
An epidemiologic study of cancer of the cervix, vagina, and vulva based on the Third National Cancer Survey in the United States

Cases of invasive and in situ carcinoma of the lower female genital tract as reported in the Third National Cancer Survey in the United States were analyzed according to age, race, and geographic distribution. Results indicate that the incidence rates of in situ and invasive carcinoma of the cervix were greater in black than in white women, with a relative risk rate for black women of approximately two for both types of cervical carcinoma. For white women, the age-specific rates for invasive carcinoma of the cervix remained relatively constant after age 45, while for black women the age-specific rates for invasive carcinoma continued to increase after age 45. For both races, the patterns of age-specific incidence rates for in situ and invasive carcinoma of the cervix were not similar to those for carcinoma of the vagina or vulva. The pattern of age-specific incidence rates of adenocarcinoma of the cervix did not resemble those for in situ or invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. The rates for adenocarcinoma of the cervix demonstrated patterns similar to those for intraductal carcinoma of the breast. Results of the study are discussed in relationship to the field theory of carcinogenesis as developed for the lower female genital tract.
Whipple bumper shield tests at over 10 km/s

A series of experiments has been performed on the Sandia HyperVelocity Launcher (HVL) to evaluate the effectiveness of a thin Whipple bumper shield at impact velocities up to 10.4 km/s by orbital space debris. Upon impact by an 0.67 gm (0.87 mm thick) flier plate the thin aluminum bumper shield completely disintegrates into a debris cloud. The debris cloud front propagates axially at velocities in excess of 14 km/s and expands radially at a velocity of ~ 7 km/s. Subsequent loading on a 3.2 mm thick aluminum substructure by the debris cloud penetrates the substructure completely.
Functional domains of the very low density lipoprotein receptor: molecular analysis of ligand binding and acid-dependent ligand dissociation mechanisms

The very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) receptor is closely related in structure to the low density lipoprotein receptor. The ectodomain of these endocytic receptors is composed of modules which include clusters of cysteine-rich class A repeats, epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats, tyrosine-tryptophan-threonine-aspartic acid (YWTD) repeats and an O-linked sugar domain. To identify important functional regions within the ectodomain of the VLDL receptor, we produced a mutant receptor in which the EGF, YWTD and O-linked sugar domains were deleted. Cells transfected with the mutant receptor were able to bind and internalize (125)I-labeled receptor associated protein (RAP). In contrast to the wild-type receptor, however, RAP did not dissociate from the mutant receptor and consequently was not degraded. Immunofluoresence data indicated that once bound to the mutant receptor, fluorescent-labeled RAP co-localized with markers of the endosomal pathway, whereas, in cells expressing the wild-type receptor, RAP fluorescence co-localized with lysosomal markers. Thus this deleted region is responsible for ligand uncoupling within the endosomes. To identify regions responsible for ligand recognition, soluble receptor fragments containing the eight cysteine-rich class A repeats were produced. (125)I-RAP and (125)I-labeled urokinase-type plasminogen activator:plasminogen activator inhibitor type I (uPA:PAI-1) complexes bound to the soluble fragment with K(D, app) values of 0.3 and 14 nM, respectively. Deletion analysis demonstrate that high affinity RAP binding requires the first four cysteine-rich class A repeats (L1-4) in the VLDL receptor while the second repeat (L2) appears responsible for binding uPA:PAI-1 complexes. Together, these results confirm that ligand uncoupling occurs via an allosteric-type mechanism in which pH induced changes in the EGF and/or YWTD repeats alter the ligand binding properties at the amino-terminal portion of the molecule.
Temporal and qualitative dynamics of conditioned taste aversions in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice self-administering LiCl

Self-administration of LiCl solution has been shown to result in the formation of a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) that generalizes to NaCl in rats. This paradigm may have considerable ecological validity as it models CTA learning in natural settings, and also allows for the investigation of drinking microstructure as an assay of potential shifts in stimulus palatability. We used this paradigm to examine possible mouse strain differences in CTA acquisition, generalization, and extinction. In the first experiment, C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) mice self-administered LiCl (or control NaCl) over a 20-minute free access acquisition period and were tested on the following day with a panel of taste solutions available in brief (5-s) trials delivered in random order. In the second experiment, mice again self-administered LiCl or NaCl (at low, 0.12 M, or high, 0.24 M concentrations) in a 20-minute session, and on the following day received a 20-minute free access period to equimolar NaCl. Strain differences were found for aspects of ingestive behavior, with B6 mice showing greater consumption of all stimuli, including water, while D2 mice lick faster, in less frequent but longer bursts. We did not, however, find evidence of a robust strain difference in taste aversion learning. Both strains demonstrated profound alterations in licking microstructure in the generalization session relative to controls. We suggest that a decrease in "lick efficiency" (the percentage of inter-lick intervals within a burst of short duration vs. longer duration) reflects avoidance behavior, and signals a shift in palatability of a stimulus following CTA.
Large scale testing of pervasive computing systems using multi-agent simulation

The rapid growth of handheld computing devices such as mobile phones, PDAs or palmtops is paving the way for the emergence of pervasive computing systems. Just as in the case of traditional computing systems, pervasive computing systems need to be tested in the large before they can be deployed in the field. As opposed to traditional computing systems, however, large-scale testing of pervasive computing systems requires the presence of dozens (perhaps hundreds) of physical devices, arranged together in a network, executing a variety of complex scenarios. In order to reduce the cost of such testing, it would be better to simulate the operation of a pervasive computing system using well-known techniques from multi-agent simulation, by representing each (hardware or software) component of the system as a software agent. In this paper we describe our ongoing work, where we extend our earlier work on multi-agent simulation, for pervasive computing systems. Since adaptation in pervasive computing systems is expected to be common, we also show that our simulation technique can model adaptation.
Stock market liberalization and international risk sharing

Abstract This paper empirically examines what macroeconomic risks are shared (or not shared) internationally after stock market liberalization in several developing countries. To address this issue, we incorporate an international asset pricing model into a non-linear structural vector autoregression (VAR) system that identifies various sources of macroeconomic risks. We find that most of the risks corresponding to exogenous financial market shocks are surprisingly well shared, although other macroeconomic risks associated with exogenous shocks to output, inflation and monetary policies are not fully shared across countries. Our results suggest that one of the main benefits from stock market liberalization is to allow the countries studied in this paper to better hedge against exogenous and idiosyncratic financial market risks, and stock market liberalization needs to be accompanied by other measures of economic integration in order to achieve the full benefits of international risk sharing.
Measurements of the film boiling bubble parameters on a horizontal plate

Abstract Several aspects of the wave instability model of film boiling are studied on a horizontal flat surface in a shallow pool. These include the inter-bubble spacing, the bubble size, and the bubble frequency, as well as the geometric pattern of the bubbles. Both still and high speed photography indicate that the bubbles form on an alternating square grid pattern. The inter-bubble spacing is shown to equal the two-dimensional ‘most dangerous’ wavelength λ d . The vapor bubble diameter is larger than previously reported at the minimum film boiling point (MFB). The heat transfer calculated from the photographically measured parameters is within 25% of the average heat transfer determined by conduction and condensation.
Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family ligands enhance capsaicin-stimulated release of calcitonin gene-related peptide from sensory neurons.

Abstract The glial cell line–derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family ligands (GFLs) are a group of peptides that have been implicated as important factors in inflammation, since they are released in increased amounts during inflammation and induce thermal hyperalgesia upon injection. Mouse isolated sensory neurons in culture and freshly dissociated spinal cord slices were used to examine the enhancement in stimulated-release of the neuropeptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), as a measure of sensitization. Exposure of isolated sensory neurons in culture to GDNF, neurturin, and artemin enhanced the capsaicin-stimulated release of immunoreactive calcitonin gene-related peptide (iCGRP) two- to threefold, but did not increase potassium-stimulated release of iCGRP. A similar profile of sensitization was observed in freshly dissociated spinal cord slices. Persephin, another member of the GFL family thought to be important in development, was unable to induce an enhancement in the release of iCGRP. These results demonstrate that specific GFLs are important mediators affecting sensory neuronal sensitivity, likely through modulation of the capsaicin receptor. The sensitization of sensory neurons during inflammation, and the pain and neurogenic inflammation resulting from this sensitization, may be due in part to the effects of these selected GFLs.
Diurnal Variation in Rumen Volume and Metabolite Concentrations

Abstract Average volumes of whole rumen contents were 3.33, 2.83, 3.38, and 3.47 liters for 10 wethers with free access to water and 2.87, 2.64, 3.13, and 3.23 for 10 wethers deprived of water 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours post-prandial. The rate of 144 Ce dilution for fluid flow into the rumen was inversely proportional to time post-feeding ( y ˆ = 38.61−12.546 ln x). Actual flow of contents out of the rumen for 4 to 8, 8 to 12, and 12 to 24 hours after feeding were 730, 170, and 85ml per hour for wethers given water and 490, 150, and 120ml per hour for those without water. Total rumen dry matter ( y ˆ ) decreased linearly with time (x) when both variables were plotted as logarithms base e according to the regression equation y ˆ = 985x −0.338 . Rumen volatile fatty acids were higher 4 and 8 hours after feeding in sheep deprived of water than in those with free access to water. Respective regression equations were y ˆ = 19.5e −0.034x and y ˆ = 26.0e −0.040x for sheep with and without water. In vitro gas production rate of whole rumen contents decreased with time post-feeding. Gas production rate was not significantly affected by treatment when the data were expressed as milliliters of gas produced per minute for the total rumen mass. A semilog plot of total gas production rate fit a straight line and a regression equation y ˆ = 58.3e −0.0431x . Total rumen deoxyribonucleic acid was not affected by treatment or sampling time.
BEYOND COMMUNITY: REACTIONS TO CRIME AND DISORDER AMONG INNER‐CITY RESIDENTS

Research on fear of crime has been primarily quantitative, focused mostly on “fear,”“crime,” and “disorder.” Little work has investigated alternative reactions, including “safety,” when crime/disorder are prevalent. With the purpose of exploring reactions to crime and underlying processes, this study applies a grounded theory approach to in-depth interviews and field observations with a group of 69 disadvantaged urban residents, randomly selected from a sample of Chicago welfare recipients. Results suggest that fear, absent in neighborhoods with incivilities and in many violent areas, is not the prevalent response to local crime/disorder; “cues” other than crime/disorder trigger fears; fear may not be of crime/disorder; and neighborhood problems elicit precautions, which neither influence fear nor “paralyze” respondents. The processes underlying these reactions are discussed.
Concurrent cognitions during conversations: Protocol analysis as a means of exploring conversations

Identifying the cognitive activities that occur as individuals interact is critical to understanding conversational processes. Previous attempts to explore people's thoughts as they converse are inherently limited by an inability to tap into concurrent cognitions: those thoughts that occur simultaneously with listening and speaking. We propose and test a procedure to capture these concurrent thoughts by using netwoiied computers where individuals communicate with one another over terminals and simultaneously talk aloud their thoughts. Results demonstrate that this technique can offer evidence of cognitive activities such as inferencing and planning in conversation, as well as bolster the validity of certain conversational maxims that, up to now were assumed, but never actually demonstrated in collaborative discourse.
UV 2 A LCD panel with photo-alignment technology

We developed new photo-alignment technology for large size LCD-TV panels and have successfully adopted it at the Gen 10 and Gen 8 factories. We named our technology “UltraViolet induced multi-domain Vertical Alignment (UV 2 A).” This technology drastically improves transmittance, contrast ratio and response time of the LCD panel. From an eco-friendly point of view, the UV2A is quite superior to conventional MVA.
Microvascular Oreintation During Angiogenesis: Effects of Mechanical Stretch and Boundary Conditions

Mechanical forces affect the behavior of a variety of cell types including fibroblasts, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells. In vitro cellular orientation is primarily achieved through cell-generated mechanical forces or contact guidance. Endothelial cell (EC) cords align both normal to the stretch direction as well as along pre-tensioned collagen matrices. Confluent ECs orient parallel to grooved surfaces while tractional forces generated by ECs contract the matrix aligning collagen fibers, which in turn are considered a guiding scaffold. The influence of mechanical forces and boundary conditions on the growth and proliferation of microvessels during the process of angiogenesis is unknown. A better understanding of these interactions is essential both from a basic science standpoint as well as in the engineering of artificial vascularized matrices with specific orientation of vessels and endothelial cells. The objective of this study was to examine the role of internal and external mechanical forces in microvessel orientation during angiogenesis using an in vitro model of angiogenesis.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Characterization of the mammographic appearance of microcalcifications: applications in computer-aided diagnosis

This paper describes the application of the area and contrast of mammographic microcalcifications to computer-aided diagnostic schemes. Image contrast (measured in differences in optical density on the film) is converted to radiation contrast (in terms of log x- ray exposure) by correcting for the characteristic curve of the screen-film system and by correcting for the loss in contrast caused by the blurring by the screen and the film digitizer. From the radiation contrast, we estimate an effective thickness of a microcalcification that would have produced the corresponding radiation contrast. By examining the relationship between effective thickness and size of computer-detected signals (potential microcalcifications), the false-positive rate of our automated detection scheme can be reduced from 2.5 to 1.5 false clusters per image, while maintaining a sensitivity of 85%. We have also conducted two preliminary studies for which the extraction technique may be beneficial. The first was for classifying clusters as either benign or malignant. Four features were identified: the standard deviation in area, thickness, and effective volume of microcalcifications within a given cluster, and the mean effective volume of microcalcifications within the cluster. The second study was for developing a quantitative measure of the subtlety of appearance of microcalcifications in mammograms. We have found that the product of the area and image contrast summed over all microcalcifications within a cluster correlates well with human subjective impression of subtlety.
Health-related quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease. Functional status and patient worries and concerns

The assessment of health-related quality of life may be an adjunct to understanding the chronic illness experience and its effects on health outcomes. In this study, we evaluated health-related quality of life of 150 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (63 ulcerative colitis, 87 Crohn's disease). We used a standardized measure, the Sickness Impact Profile, and a questionnaire we developed that elicits and prioritizes the disease-related worries and concerns of patients with IBD. Our preliminary data indicate that: (1) IBD patients experience moderate functional impairment more in the social and psychological than in the physical dimensions; (2) Crohn's disease patients report psychosocial dysfunction to a greater degree than ulcerative colitis patients; (3) IBD patients report greatest concerns about having surgery, degree of energy, and body image issues such as having an ostomy bag; and (4) functional status and patient concerns correlate better with other measures of health status and previous health care utilization than the physician's rating of disease activity. We believe that questionnaires measuring health-related quality of life (HRQOL) can be used in research and patient care to extend the clinical assessment of patients with IBD. Further work is needed to determine the role of HRQOL relative to disease activity and other physician-based assessments in predicting health outcomes.
A Far Infrared Bibliography

This bibliography is a collection of papers dealing primarily with the far infrared spectral region between 25 and 1000 μ. It is arranged in chronological order, the articles being alphabetized in each year by first author’s last name. The information is given in the order author, title of paper, and reference.
Small molecule screening in zebrafish: swimming in potential drug therapies

Phenotype-driven chemical genetic screens in zebrafish have become a proven approach for both dissection of developmental mechanisms and discovery of potential therapeutics. A library of small molecules can be arrayed into multiwell plates containing zebrafish embryos. The embryo becomes a whole organism in vivo bioassay that can produce a phenotype upon treatment. Screens have been performed that are based simply on the morphology of the embryo. Other screens have scored complex phenotypes using whole mount in situ hybridization, fluorescent transgenic reporters, and even tracking of embryo movement. The availability of many well-characterized zebrafish mutants has also enabled the discovery of chemical suppressors of genetic phenotypes. Importantly, the application of chemical libraries that already contain FDA-approved drugs has allowed the rapid translation of hits from zebrafish chemical screens to clinical trials.
Roles of the structure and orientation of ligands and ligand mimics inside the ligand-binding pocket of the vitamin D-binding protein.

1 alpha,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3, the vitamin D hormone, manifests its diverse biological properties by specifically binding to the vitamin D sterol-binding pockets of vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) and vitamin D receptor. In the past, several affinity, photoaffinity, and chemical modification studies have been carried out to probe the vitamin D sterol-binding pocket of DBP and to evaluate the relationship between the structure of this pocket and the functions of the protein. In the present study, we examined the steric requirements inside this pocket by considering conformational structures of various bromoacetate derivatives of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and their abilities to covalently and specifically modify this pocket. We observed that, although 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 3 beta-bromoacetate (25-OH-D3-3-BE), 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 3 beta-bromoacetate [1 alpha,25(OH)2D3-3-BE], 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 1 alpha-bromoacetate [1 alpha,25(OH)2D3- 1-BE], and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 1 alpha,3 beta-dibromoacetate [alpha,25(OH)2D3-1,3-di-BE] bound DBP in a specific manner, only [3H]-25-OH-D3-3-BE and [3H]- 1 alpha-25(OH)2D3-3-BE affinity labeled the protein. BNPS-skatole cleavages of [3H]-25-OH-D3-3-BE- and 3H-1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3-3-BE-labeled DBP samples produced the same labeled peptide (N-terminal), demonstrating the specificity of labeling by these analogs. Energy-minimized conformational structures of these bromoacetate derivatives indicated significant changes in the A-ring conformations of these analogs. These structural changes were invoked to explain the inability of [3H]-1 alpha,25(OH)2D3-1-BE and [3H)-1 alpha,25-(OH)2D3-l,3-di-BE to affinity label DBP. Overall, these studies suggested that the vitamin D sterol-binding pocket in DBP is sterically quite restrictive. This information could be potentially important in designing future vitamin D-based drugs for several diseases.
Prostaglandin synthesis in goldfish heart, Carassius auratus.

Abstract Potential precursors for prostaglandin (PG) synthesis were measured in goldfish heart and skeletal muscle by gas chromatography. Heart tissue contained docosahexaenoic, arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, and eicosatrienoic acids in concentrations of 3223 ± 128, 1216 ± 7.8, 260 ± 72.8, and 250 ± 14 ng/mg wet wt, respectively. 14 C-Labeled substrates were examined for their ability to be converted to prostaglandins. Eicosatrienoic and docosahexaenoic acid were not synthesized into prostaglandins, with 66 and 72% of the substrate remaining as free fatty acids, respectively. In contrast, both arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids were converted predominantly to PGFs and PGIs. The conversion was time dependent and complete by 30 min. The conversion patterns with eicosapentaenoic acid and arachidonic acid were essentially the same. The data suggest that goldfish cyclooxygenase can utilize two of the four potential substrates for prostaglandin synthesis. As fatty acid levels in fish vary with environmental temperature, substrate availability rather than cyclooxygenase preference may dictate the types of prostaglandins which are produced.
Influence of interfacial contamination on the structure and barrier height of Cr/GaAs Schottky contacts

The structure of as‐deposited and annealed Cr/GaAs Schottky contacts was investigated by high resolution and analytical electron microscopy. The Schottky barrier height for contacts prepared by cleavage and in situ metallization in ultrahigh vacuum was stable upon annealing up to 370 °C in N2. In contrast, the contacts prepared on air‐exposed substrates show an increase of the barrier height by 80 meV during annealing in the same range of temperatures. Comparing these two types of contacts, distinct differences in the grain size, presence of an oxide layer at the interface, and change in stoichiometry in the substrate beneath the contact were detected.
A physical parametric transistor model for CMOS circuit simulation

A transistor model for use in simulation of analog and digital CMOS circuits is described. This model treats inversion devices and normally off accumulation devices individually. The analysis, based on surface potential, is carried out in voltage space. Single expressions for drain current and terminal charges are obtained that conserve charge and give accurate DC, AC, and transient solutions. Derivatives of current and charges are continuous, thus removing a major source of nonconvergence in circuit simulation. The model precalculates and stores charge densities, requiring significantly less computer memory than table look up methods while still describing devices with arbitrary channel width-to-length ratios. The need for measuring device capacitance is eliminated because terminal charge and capacitance are computed from the same parameters that are used to compute drain current. Because the parameters are physical, the model can be used to monitor and predict the effect of process changes. The model has been implemented in the SPICE circuit simulation program and a variety of typical devices and circuits have been simulated successfully. CPU time requirements are comparable to the existing SPICE model. >
EFFECT OF BROMINATION ON THE AMINO ACID-ACCEPTING ACTIVITIES OF TRANSFER RIBONUCLEIC ACIDS.

Abstract 1. 1. Bromine reacts with uridylic, cytidylic and, to a lesser extent, guanylic acid at room temperature and pH values of 5·7 and lower. Adenylic acid does not react with bromine appreciably under these conditions. 2. 2. Alkaline hydrolysis of transfer RNA, following bromination at room temperature and pH 5·7, indicates that bromine reacts rapidly with uracil and cytosine and much more slowly with guanine residues of transfer RNA under these experimental conditions. The extent of bromination during a given period of time is proportional to the concentration of bromine. By using a molar ratio of 1 bromine to 40 nucleotide residues of transfer RNA, approx. 1 uracil and 1 cytosine per 80 nucleotide residues of transfer RNA are brominated. 3. 3. At the above bromination level of 1 bromine to 40 nucleotide residues of transfer RNA, the inhibitory effects on the formation of phenylalanyl-, lysyl-, and valyl-RNA are 67, 32 and 16%, respectively. From this we conclude that the nucleotide sequence in transfer RNA responsible for recognition of phenylalanyl-RNA synthetase appears to consist of at least one bromine-sensitive residue, probably a pyrimidine, and thus differs from the AAA sequence suggested as the polynucleotide code for transfer of activated phenylalanine to the ribosomes.
Prevalence of Parkinson disease and Parkinson disease dementia in community nursing homes.

Objective To estimate the prevalence of Parkinson disease (PD) and Parkinson disease dementia (PDD) in community nursing homes. To estimate how many residents who meet criteria for PDD have been diagnosed with PDD and prescribed a Federal Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment for PDD. Setting Three private Saint Louis metropolitan area nursing homes. Participants Fifty-five residents with a chart diagnosis of PD from a total of 714 residents were identified. Sixteen subjects or families did not give consent and two were excluded from the study because advanced stage of the illness impaired evaluation. Thirty-seven subjects with an established diagnosis of PD participated in the study. Design and Measurements A chart review was used to identify the study sample: residents with an established diagnosis of PD. Consent was obtained from the nursing home administration, families or guardians, and the residents themselves (where applicable). Study data were obtained from review of residents' medical charts, family/caregiver interview, resident interview, resident cognitive testing (Mini-Mental State Examination, clock drawing test), and resident depression assessment (15-item Geriatric Depression Scale). Diagnosis of PDD was defined using existing literature and described below. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 15. Result Of the 714 nursing home residents, 55 (7.7%) met criteria for PD. Of these, 37 participated in the study and 18 (48.6%) met criteria for PDD. None were diagnosed with PDD in the charts and 11.1% (2 of 18) were on FDA-approved treatment. Conclusion In this sample of nursing home residents, the prevalence of PD was 7.7% and the overall prevalence of PDD was 3.7%. PDD remains an unrecognized entity in the nursing home setting. Close to half (48.65%) of nursing home residents with PD may have PDD at any given time and they remain undiagnosed and largely undertreated.
Assessing uncertainties in balanced cross sections

Abstract Balanced structural cross sections are models that are fit to incomplete data. The models are under-constrained with respect to any particular two-dimensional line-length model, but enough data generally exists to yield a well-constrained area balance solution. Furthermore, the area balance encompasses all possible line-length solutions. Therefore, where the primary objective of section balancing is the determination of horizontal shortening magnitude, area balancing provides an analytical solution. We use this analytical solution to develop a comprehensive, robust analysis of the uncertainty in shortening estimates resulting from cross-section balancing. The analytical solution allows us to propagate errors formally on the input parameters — stratigraphic thicknesses, depth to decollement, eroded hanging wall cutoffs — through the equations and produce the resulting uncertainty on the magnitude of shortening. Balanced cross sections from the Subandean belt of the Central Andes are used to demonstrate the relative importance of stratigraphy and eroded hanging wall cutoffs in the contribution to the overall error.
GABA uptake and release by a mammalian cell line stably expressing a cloned rat brain GABA transporter.

In order to facilitate study of the neuronal GABA transporter and provide a convenient system for potential drug screening, we have established a CHO cell line, designated 1F9, which stably expresses the cloned GABA transporter from rat brain (GAT-1). 1F9 cells transport GABA at levels approximately 300-fold higher than untransfected CHO cells, and GABA transport in these cells has the following properties: (1) a dependence on sodium and chloride ions; (2) higher sensitivity to neuronal subtype uptake inhibitors (DABA and ACHC) than to glial subtype inhibitors (β-alanine and THPO); and (3) Km (2·5 μm) and i50 values for various competitive ligands that are comparable with values determined in synaptosomes and brain slices. Given the fidelity with which the 1F9 cell line expresses these characteristics of the native neuronal GABA transporter, we have used it to further address GABA transporter activity. [3H]GABA uptake by 1F9 cells is inhibited approximately 50% by the chloride transport blockers DIDS and ...
Transfection of non-susceptible cells with Ovis aries recombinant lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 renders susceptibility to Mannheimia haemolytica leukotoxin

Mannheimia haemolytica is an important etiological agent of pneumonia in domestic sheep (DS, Ovis aries). Leukotoxin (Lkt) produced by this organism is the principal virulence factor responsible for the acute inflammation and lung injury characteristic of M. haemolytica caused disease. Previously, we have shown that the leukocyte-specific integrins, β2 integrins, serve as the receptor for Lkt. Although it is certain that CD18, the β subunit of β2 integrins, mediates Lkt-induced cytolysis of leukocytes, it is not clear whether CD18 of all three β2 integrins, LFA-1, Mac-1 and CR4, mediates Lkt-induced cytolysis of DS leukocytes. Since polymorphonuclear leukocytes, which express all three β2 integrins, are the leukocyte subset that is most susceptible to Lkt, we hypothesized that all three β2 integrins serve as the receptor for Lkt. The objective of this study was to determine whether DS LFA-1 serves as a receptor for M. haemolytica Lkt. We cloned the cDNA for DS CD11a, the α subunit of LFA-1, and co-transfected it along with the previously cloned cDNA for DS CD18, into a Lkt-non-suceptible cell line. Transfectants stably expressing DS LFA-1 were bound by Lkt. More importantly, Lkt lysed the DS LFA-1 transfectants in a concentration-dependent manner. Pre-incubation of Lkt with a Lkt-neutralizing monoclonal antibody (MAb), or pre-incubation of transfectants with MAbs specific for DS CD11a or CD18, inhibited Lkt-induced cytolysis of the transfectants. Exposure of LFA-1 transfectants to low concentrations of Lkt resulted in elevation of intracellular [Ca2+]i. Taken together, these results indicate that DS LFA-1 serves as a receptor for M. haemolytica Lkt.
Ureteral obstruction secondary to posterior spinal fixation rods.

A 19-year-old man was born with T12 myelomeningocele. He had undergone leR ureteral reimplantation a t age 1 year and numerous surgeries common for this condition, including placement of posterior spinal fixation rods (Luque rod) for correction of scoliosis in 1986 and 1994, and placement of an artificial urinary sphincter in 1987. He performed clean intermittent catheterization 4 times daily and was compliant with this regimen. Followup consisted of stable urodynamics and renal ultrasound. The patient was well until 1996, when recurrent urinary tract infections and bilateral hydronephrosis developed. Urodynamic studies demonstrated a hypertonic bladder (46 cm. water at 206 cc) while on maximal anticholinergic therapy. An ileal augmentation cystoplasty was performed in January 1997. After augmentation the hydronephrosis progressed, primarily on the right side. Voiding cystourethrography demonstrated no reflw and urodynamic studies indicated adequate compliance (41 cm. water at 540 ml.). A diuretic quantitative renal scan demonstrated 80% split function on the right side with a prolonged half-time drainage curve. A right percutaneous nephrostomy tube was placed and an antegrade nephrostogram demonstrated obstruction of the right distal ureter a t the level of the Luque rod (fig. 1). A preoperative Whitaker antegrade perfusion study demonstrated a pelvic pressure of 38 cm. water, compared to a
Control sets and their boundaries under parameter variation

Abstract Control sets, i.e., maximal sets of approximate controllability, are described for systems with parameter-dependent control range. If the so-called inner-pair condition is satisfied, it is known that generically they change continuously under parameter variation while mergers of control sets produce discontinuous transitions. The inner-pair condition is proved for a class of control-affine systems on R N . Furthermore, continuity results for exit and entrance boundaries of control sets are given both for one control set that changes continuously and for two merging control sets. The results are illustrated by means of the controlled escape equation.
Modulating Th1/Th2 responses with microbes, dendritic cells, and pathogen recognition receptors

The adaptive immune system has evolved different types of immune responses, each one effective against a given class of pathogen. For example, Th1 and Th2 responses represent two qualitatively different types of immune responses that are preferentially effective against intracellular microbes and helminths, respectively. Since the original description of Th1 and Th2 T-cell clones (1), we have learned much about the cytokines that influence the type of Th response. Thus, interleukin-4 (IL-4) is known to induce IL-4 production in T cells; conversely IL-12 and interferon- γ (IFN-γ) are known to induce IFN-γ production by T cells. However, the original sources of these cytokines in vivo are less clear. Recent developments from several labs point to a potential role for dendritic cells (DCs) in orche strating this decision making process. Here, we present our current view of DC development, and then review the evidence for two opposing concepts: (1) that distinct subsets of DCs are predetermined to differentially bias the T-helper response; and (2) that microbes and the local microenvironment are potent modulators of DC function. Thus, nature appears to have evolved different mechanisms to regulate immune responses via DCs.
Implication of prior treatment with drug combinations including inhibitors of topoisomerase II in therapy-related monocytic leukemia with a 9;11 translocation.

The present case, together with other reports reviewed herein, defines a new subtype of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML). This variant of t-AML is characterized by a short interval from initial drug therapy to bone marrow dysfunction and monocytic morphology without trilineage dysplasia. Unlike classic t-AML, which frequently has abnormalities of chromosomes 5 and/or 7, this new subtype is characterized by rearrangements involving band q23 of chromosome 11, most commonly a 9;11 translocation. The majority of patients with this subtype of t-AML had prior cytotoxic therapy with topoisomerase II-reactive drugs including anthracyclines, epipodophyllotoxins, or actinomycin D, combined with either an alkylating agent or cisplatin. This association of prior therapy which includes topoisomerase II-reactive agents and a rapidly appearing t-AML involving the monocytic line and chromosome 11 requires additional study.