cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Among the Company That Gout Keeps, Is Cancer on the List?

Over the last 20 years, there has been tremendous growth in understanding the multifaceted aspects of gout. These developments in research span the gamut from elucidating mechanisms by which urate crystals trigger cellular inflammation, to an exciting expansion of available therapeutic modalities to manage gout.1,2,3,4,5 Concomitantly, we have learned a great deal regarding the genetic contribution to gout susceptibility, while simultaneously observing an amplification in the epidemiology of gout, including newly appreciated risk factors for incident and prevalent disease. Notably, in the 1960s through the 1990s, the approach to treating gout remained quite constant. For decades, acute attacks of gout were managed with either nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, corticosteroid agents, or colchicine, or with a combination thereof.6,7,8 In fact, these approaches remain applicable today. Allopurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, and probenecid, a uricosuric agent, both act to lower serum uric acid to prevent gout recurrence. However, in the first 20 years of this century, several new kids have emerged on the block. A second xanthine oxidase inhibitor (febuxostat) is in hand.3 Further, for those with contraindications to frontline acute agents, several interleukin-1 antagonists (canakinumab, rilonacept, and anakinra) have been studied and are seemingly available for off-label use.5,9 For patients refractory to conventional urate-lowering strategies, an entirely new class of therapy was introduced when a mammalian recombinant uricase conjugated to polyethylene glycol (PEG) was brought to market. This PEGylated uricase, or pegloticase, represents an absolute game changer in the management of patients with severe refractory polyarticular tophaceous gout.4 In addition, another novel drug class that directly inhibits the renal epithelial urate transporter (lesinurad) transiently entered the marketplace. Clearly, the range of gout therapy has expanded substantially. In tandem with major advances in … Address correspondence to Dr. A.C. Gelber, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5200 Eastern Avenue, Mason F. Lord Bldg, Center Tower, Suite 4100, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. Email: agelber{at}jhmi.edu.
Initiation of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception in Hospitalized Adolescents in the United States.

OBJECTIVES To analyze factors associated with the initiation of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) among adolescent patients in inpatient settings in the United States. METHODS This study is a secondary data analysis of the national Kids’ Inpatient Database 2016 data (N = 4200 hospitals). Eligible patients were hospitalized girls 10 to 20 years old. The primary outcome was initiation of LARC (ie, subdermal implant and/or intrauterine device [IUD]) while hospitalized. Covariables included age, race or ethnicity, insurance type, postpregnancy status, geographic region, hospital type (rural or urban), hospital size, and children’s hospital status. Bivariable statistics were calculated by using survey-weighted analysis, and a design-based logistic regression model was used to determine the adjusted odds of LARC initiation and of implant versus IUD initiation. RESULTS LARC initiation occurred in 0.4% (n = 3706) of eligible hospital admissions (n = 874 193). There were differences in LARC initiation by patient age, insurance type, race or ethnicity, postpregnancy status, hospital type, and hospital status (all P CONCLUSIONS LARC initiation occurred in
Shakespeare and the Experimental Psychologist

Gain a better understanding of human behavior by exploring thought experiments in Shakespearean plays and the historical roots of experimental psychology within early modern literature. This book combines scientific psychology with English literature to discuss thought experiments in selected Shakespeare plays and examine the central role of thought experiments in the natural sciences. Thought experiments are essential for progress in scientific research. Indeed, Albert Einstein and a number of other leading scientists relied almost exclusively on thought experiments. Thought experiments also play a pivotal role in English literature, particularly in Shakespeare plays. By focussing on thought experiments and experimental psychology's place within early modern English literature, the volume establishes a more wholistic approach to understanding human behavior.
Social and cultural aspects of traditional drinks: A review on traditional Turkish drinks

Abstract Traditional drinks can be quite valuable in terms of their health benefits, their contribution to food security, the benefits they bring to rural tourism, their place in social and religious life, and their role in the preservation and passing on of cultural heritage. The social and cultural richness of traditional drinks, as well as their diverse uses, can be clearly understood in the example of Turkey. The geographical position of Turkey as a bridge between Europe and Asia, the Turkish presence over a wide geographical area throughout history, the nomadic lifestyle of the Turks, the historical presence of prominent civilizations such as the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans on Turkish lands, and the contributions of various cuisines, such as those of the Balkans, Central Asia, the Middle East, the Aegean, the Mediterranean, the Jews and Armenia, have rendered Turkey rather noteworthy country in terms of the importance and richness of its traditional drinks. This study investigates the historical development of traditional Turkish drinks, which hold an important place in Turkish culture and in Turkish history in many respects, as well as their place and importance in the economic, social and cultural life of the Turks. The findings of the study will serve as guidelines for future researches into the relations between culture and food economics, and intercultural interactions, and for the determination of marketing strategies for traditional drinks.
Sinus rhythm QRS amplitude and fractionation in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy to identify ventricular tachycardia substrate and location.

Background Ventricular tachycardia (VT) substrate in left ventricular (LV) nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) consists of fibrosis with surviving myocardium. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether, in patients with LV NICM and sustained VT, reduced QRS amplitude and QRSf during sinus rhythm can identify the presence and location of abnormal septal (S-NICM) and/or free-wall (FW-NICM) VT substrate. Methods We compared patients with NICM and VT (group 1) with electroanatomic mapping septal (S-NICM; n = 21) or free-wall (FW-NICM; n = 20) VT substrate to a 38-patient reference cohort (group 2) with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) and NICM but no VT referred for primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (26 [68.4%] with late gadolinium enhancement). Results Group 1 had lower QRS amplitude in leads II (0.60 ± 0.22 vs 0.86 ± 0.35, P Conclusion In LV NICM, low frontal plane QRS (
An Introduction to the Geography of Tourism

Nelson has two audiences for her book: undergraduate students majoring in geography who have already taken one or two introductory level geography courses and students of tourism studies whose prog...
A Sensor Network System for Measuring Traffic in Short-Term Construction Work Zones

In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a sensor network system for monitoring the flow of traffic through temporary construction work zones. As opposed to long-term work zones which are common on highways, short-term or temporary work zones remain active for a few hours or a few days at most. As such, instrumenting temporary work zones with monitoring equipment similar to those used in long-term work zones is not practical. Yet, these temporary work zones present an important problem in terms of crashes occurring in and around them. Our design for a sensornet-based system for monitoring traffic is (a ) inexpensive, (b ) rapidly deployable, and (c ) requires minimal maintenance. We report on our experiences in building this system, and with testing our system in live work zones in the Cleveland area.
The Full-Time Guild Master

This essay discusses the issue of free labor in massively multiplayer online video games, specifically how organizers and leaders of player collectives – commonly known as “guilds,” “corporations,” or “clans” – are exploited for their free labor which contributes to the commercial success of the games they “play.” It discusses the motivating forces which keep these players in such exploited positions, describes how their activities constitute real unpaid labor rather than simple leisure, and examines the implications of this sort of labor and its meaning in the context of multiplayer video games. Finally, this essay discusses the possible benefits the games industry might stand to gain by ending its reliance on such forms of free labor.
The Human Cost of Recessions: Assessing It, Reducing It

Recessions leave scars on the labor market; the Great Recession of 2007-09 has left gaping wounds. Over 200 million people across the globe are estimated to be unemployed at present. Among countries with unemployment data in the IMF’s World Economic Outlook (WEO) database, there has been an increase of over 20 million unemployed people since 2007. The ILO estimates that globally the increase is over 30 million.Labor markets remain in a dire state. Nearly three-fourths of the increase in the number of unemployed people during the Great Recession has occurred in the “advanced” (i.e. high-income) economies. Youth unemployment and long-term unemployment have increased substantially in most advanced countries. If the effects of past recessions are a guide, these developments can exact a heavy human toll. The cost to those who get unemployed could be a loss in earnings not just today but persisting 15-20 years into the future; reduced life expectancy of 1 to 1.5 years; and lower academic achievement and earnings for their children. And unemployment is likely to reduce social cohesion, a cost that all will bear.To their credit, most countries mounted a strong three-part policy response to try to minimize these costs. Broadly speaking, the response had three parts: (i) support aggregate demand through monetary and fiscal policy actions; (ii) ease the pain in labor markets through short-time work programs and provision of unemployment insurance benefits; (iii) accelerate jobs recovery through the provision of subsidies of various kinds. The three-part strategy adopted during the crisis should remain in place in the near-term, though the relative importance of the parts should shift over time as - and if - recovery takes hold. And the relative importance should differ across countries depending on their specific circumstances.
Characterization of a High-Intensity, Subpicosecond XeCl Laser System

We describe here a terawatt-class laser system based on the amplification of subpicosecond pulses in XeCl discharge amplifiers. For this system we have made a direct measurement of the output beam quality and carried out extensive measurements of the pulsewidth throughout the entire optical train.
Analysis of the 5′ Junctions of R2 Insertions With the 28S Gene: Implications for Non-LTR Retrotransposition

R2 elements are non-long terminal repeat retrotransposable elements that insert into 28S rRNA genes of most insect species. The single open reading frame of R2 encodes a protein with both endonuclease activity, which cleaves the target site, and reverse transcriptase activity, which uses this cleavage to prime reverse transcription. This target-primed reverse transcription mechanism is also used by group II introns. Little is known of the mechanism by which the 5' end of R2 is integrated after reverse transcription. We have determined the 5' junction sequence of 94 R2 elements from 14 different species of Drosophila. Only 37% of the full-length elements contained precise 5' junctions; the remainder contained deletions of the 28S gene and/or insertions of additional sequences. Because the 5' junctions of truncated copies were similar to full-length elements, no sequences at the 5' end of R2 appear to be required for element integration. A model in which the R2 reverse transcriptase is capable of switching templates from the R2 RNA transcript to the upstream 28S gene can best explain the observed 5' junction sequences. This template jumping is analogous to the template switching of retroviral reverse transcriptases during formation of the double-stranded integration products.
Factors Related to Play Therapists' Social Justice Advocacy Attitudes.

The authors used a correlational research design to examine how belief in a just world, political ideology, socioeconomic status of family of origin, and percentage of racial minority clients were related to social justice advocacy attitudes among play therapists. A multiple regression was used to analyze the data. Results indicated that belief in a just world and political ideology were related to social justice advocacy. Implications for play therapy training and future directions for research are discussed. Los autores emplearon un diseno correlacional de investigacion para examinar como la creencia en un mundo justo, la ideologia politica, el estatus socioeconomico de la familia de origen y el porcentaje de clientes de minorias raciales estaban relacionados con actitudes de apoyo de la justicia social entre consejeros que usan terapia de juego. Se empleo una regresion multiple para analizar los datos. Los resultados indicaron que la creencia en un mundo justo y la ideologia politica estaban relacionadas con la defensa de la justicia social. Se discuten las implicaciones para formacion en terapia de juego y direcciones futuras para investigacion.
The impact of distributed wind power on composite load characteristic

The distributed wind power impacts the power system increasingly. Describing the load characteristic considering wind power becomes more important. Based on the proposed quantitative indicators and using the general theory of statistics, this paper analyzes the impact of different operation modes of wind power on the comprehensive load characteristic. The main factors of load characteristic are the capacity and the location of the wind power, two factors were compared.
Processing three-channel SAR-ATI for GMTI

This paper investigates two methods for GMTI using three-channel SAR-ATI data. Motivated by previous results in the two-channel case, a deterministic method for finding an Eigendecomposition of the SAR-ATI sample covariance matrix is presented. The CFAR detection capability of each of the eight parameters of the Eigendecomposition is evaluated using measured three-channel airborne data and compared to the well- known DPCA-ATI metric. Results suggest that all moving target energy is contained in a single parameter, the largest Eigenvalue, and that for a given theoretical CFAR a lower real-world false alarm rate is achieved in comparison to DPCA-ATI. Motivated by this result ICA is then applied to the same measured three- channel data and found to both detect and distinguish two different types of moving target simultaneously present in a maritime environment. (5 pages)
Rapid gas chromatographic—mass spectrometric quantitation of γ-aminobutyric acid in biological specimens

Abstract A mass fragmentographic method for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) quantitation using the heptafluorobutyryl-cyclohexyl-GABA derivative is described. Both capillary and packed column gas chromatography were used. This procedure employs 2,2[2H2] GABA as an internal standard and allows the rapid, sensitive, and specific measurement of GABA with a minimum of sample clean-up. Application of the method is demonstrated in mouse embryonic brain, body, and palate and human platelets, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and urine.
Design and implementation of an adaptive wearable thermal comfort data acquisition prototype

This paper describes the prototype of a wearable data acquisition system that continuously records the user's thermal comfort state (Hot, Warm, Neutral, Cool, Cold) and physiological measurements (skin temperature). This prototype is a wearable platform that provides qualitative context for quantitative measurements for assessing the user's thermal comfort to support future development of an Adaptive Wearable Thermal Comfort System (AWTCS) that automatically assist with thermoregulation to improve comfort, lifestyle, and convenience for a variety of user groups. This paper also discusses the prototype's construction and user interaction design, which focused on developing an unobtrusive and discreet wearable device.
Using personal robots in CS1: experiences, outcomes, and attitudinal influences

We employed a context-based teaching strategy using personal robots in an introductory computer science course. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First we describe our experiences using the IPRE (Institute for Personal Robots in Education) program to teach CS1. We then present our results from an initial study of its effectiveness. We compare the same course taught with and without the use of robots. We found that students in the robot section spent extra time on class-related work that was not required. This work was self-directed and demonstrates increased intrinsic motivation and interest.
Science Signaling Podcast: 27 August 2013

This Podcast features an interview with Peixin Yang and Albert Reece, authors of a Research Article that appears in the 27 August 2013 issue of Science Signaling . Neural tube defects are among the most common types of birth defects and can be caused by toxins, vitamin deficiencies, or maternal factors such as diabetes. In vertebrate embryos, the neural plate folds over on itself to form the neural tube, a structure that gives rise to the brain and spinal cord. Incomplete closure of the neural tube causes conditions such as spina bifida or anencephaly, depending upon when and where the defect occurs. In humans, maternal hyperglycemia is associated with an increased risk for neural tube defects. In this issue of Science Signaling , Yang et al . report a mechanism by which maternal diabetes can cause neural tube defects in mice.
The performance of college freshmen and seniors during co-operative problem solving

Teams of two college freshmen, two college seniors, or one freshman and one senior solved factually-oriented problems co-operatively. Subjects on a team worked in adjoining rooms and exchanged information by means of handwritten notes. Performance was assessed on time required to solve problems and on behavioural measures of activity. Problem solution times did not differ significantly among groups, though teams solved a geographic orientation problem significantly faster than an equipment assembly problem. Analyses of behavioral measures revealed significant differences among groups for two categories, between problems in nine, and between job roles in five. Interactions showed that subjects at different educational levels allocated their problem solution times in different ways. Information retrieval activities were affected by the nature of the problem as well as by educational levels.
What can regulators regulate : the case of electric utility rates of return

The efficacy of electric utility regulation has not been finally determined. This study assesses the impact of commission regulation on the level of earnings realized by electric power utility firms. Time series data for the individual electric firms operating in Florida, Iowa and Mississippi were used in this analysis. These are the only three states regulated since World War II and it was possible to compare profit rates for the individual firms before and after commission regulation was instituted. The results show that regulation has lowered profits in some cases. However, there appears to be significant randomness in the process.
L-dopa and brown fat hemorrhage in the rat pup.

Abstract Female Sprague-Dawley rats were given l -dopa during gestation. Several hours after birth, hemorrhages appeared in the interscapular brown adipose tissue of some of the offspring of l -dopa treated rats. Histological examination of the brown fat of these pups showed large hemorrhages and vasodilation. Administration of l -dopa during the first 5 days of gestation and dopamine for the first 7 days of gestation caused a dose-related occurrence of hemorrhage in the offspring. Cross-foster experiments demonstrated that pups exposed to l -dopa in utero had a significantly increased chance of hemorrhage, while pups nursed by l -dopa-treated rats did not. During Days 1–21 of gestation, haloperidol (1 mg/kg/day) partially blocked the effect of l -dopa (100 mg/kg/day) while propranolol (5 mg/kg/day) and phenoxybenzamine (10 mg/kg/day) did not. When given with l -dopa, the decarboxylase inhibitors MK 486 and RO 4–4602 reduced the frequency of hemorrhages. The combination of l -dopa (100 mg/kg), pyrogallol (100 mg/kg), and tranylcypromine (1.5 mg/kg) produced 20.8% hemorrhage in the pups, a significant increase compared to l -dopa (100 mg/kg) alone (7.9%). Among eight different amino acids and amines tested, dopamine was the most hemorrhagic. The dopamine-β-hydroxylase inhibitor, dimethyldithiocarbamate (125 mg/kg), given daily for the first 7 days of gestation, led to brown fat hemorrhage in 17.6% of the offspring, suggesting that dopamine may be implicated in this effect.
Presenilin 1 regulates epidermal growth factor receptor turnover and signaling in the endosomal-lysosomal pathway.

Mutations in the gene encoding presenilin 1 (PS1) cause the most aggressive form of early-onset familial Alzheimer disease. In addition to its well established role in Aβ production and Notch proteolysis, PS1 has been shown to mediate other physiological activities, such as regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, modulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and MEK/ERK signaling, and trafficking of select membrane proteins and/or intracellular vesicles. In this study, we present evidence that PS1 is a critical regulator of a key signaling receptor tyrosine kinase, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Specifically, EGFR levels were robustly increased in fibroblasts deficient in both PS1 and PS2 (PS-/-) due to delayed turnover of EGFR protein. Stable transfection of wild-type PS1 but not PS2 corrected EGFR to levels comparable to PS+/+ cells, while FAD PS1 mutations showed partial loss of activity. The C-terminal fragment of PS1 was sufficient to fully reduce EGFR levels. In addition, the rapid ligand-induced degradation of EGFR was markedly delayed in PS-/- cells, resulting in prolonged signal activation. Despite the defective turnover of EGFR, ligand-induced autophosphorylation, ubiquitination, and endocytosis of EGFR were not affected by the lack of PS1. Instead, the trafficking of EGFR from early endosomes to lysosomes was severely delayed by PS1 deficiency. Elevation of EGFR was also seen in brains of adult mice conditionally ablated in PS1 and in skin tumors associated with the loss of PS1. These findings demonstrate a critical role of PS1 in the trafficking and turnover of EGFR and suggest potential pathogenic effects of elevated EGFR as well as perturbed endosomal-lysosomal trafficking in cell cycle control and Alzheimer disease.
A cost‐effective procedure for adapting instructional materials

Developing instructional materials is a formidable task. Expertise, motivation, time and special equipment are all necessary to prepare quality items. Furthermore, very few things in training are completely new and, if even a part of existing materials is appropriate for accomplishing training needs, it should be seriously considered. This article develops and explains a procedure for identifying, locating, gathering, examining and adapting instructional materials. It concludes with the importance of, and a methodology for, trying out and revising the materials. If this evaluation procedure is omitted, because of time or other resource constraints, there is a risk that instructional materials will not facilitate attainment of the learning objectives. When this happens, the entire adaptation effort will have been in vain.
F16 jet engine trending and diagnostics with neural networks

This paper considers the application of neural networks for jet engine diagnostics. Aircraft engine trending and diagnostics provide engine managers and fleet managers with critical information on the health of their engines and assist in identifying potential failures before they occur. The key to a trending system is its ability to model critical engine parameters accurately and then using the difference between the actual and modeled parameters to predict engine malfunction. A backpropagation neural network provides a powerful tool for modeling these parameters. Flight performance data from the F-16 F-100 engine was gathered over a four month period from 90 engines. Five separate, but identical in architecture, networks were implemented in software to model five key parameters of the engine using data from engines known to be good. The trained network then was tested against engine data unseen during training by the network and known to have corrected component failures during the period covered by the data. Comparing the difference between the network modeled parameter and the actual parameter, a measure of engine health was determined. In one case, for example, this difference averaged 26.8% (of the total range covered by the data) for the eight flights prior to the component replacement. After the component was replaced, the difference averaged 5.4% over the fourteen subsequent flights. This result suggests that neural networks may provide a basis for predictive assessment of engine performance. Extensions of this initial study will involve expanding the training data set, determining more precisely the cause and relationships between performance and repair actions, and exploring alternative architectures.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Sex Segregation in the Paid Workforce: The New Zealand Case:

Using New Zealand census data from 1971, 1976, and 1981, this research assesses three research questions concerning occupational sex segregation in New Zealand. The findings reveal: 1) high but mod...
An electron cloud head for reproduction of tape recording

A compact flux sensitive head utilizes a diffuse electron stream which reverses direction in the region where the magnetic field is applied.
Nucleotide polymorphism, effective population size, and dispersal distances in the yellow baboons (Papio hamadryas cynocephalus) of Mikumi National Park, Tanzania

We investigated genetic variability and population structure in a natural population of yellow baboons (Papio hamadryas cynocephalus) from Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. The amount of nuclear DNA polymorphism in a random sample of animals from four social groups was estimated by using Southern blotting to detect restriction fragment length polymorphisms in five nuclear autosomal loci. The average nucleotide heterozygosity was estimated to be 0.0033. This level of DNA polymorphism is higher than available estimates for human populations, but is consistent with protein and DNA sequence data from other nonhuman primates. The observed level of genetic variability suggests that the inbreeding effective population size of the Mikumi baboons is approximately 14,000. Predictions regarding the distribution of male dispersal distance are developed using Wright's isolation by distance model. The results of these analyses, while derived from genetic methods, are consistent with and provide additional information for behavioral and demographic descriptions of baboon population dynamics. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effects of solder joint dimensions and assembly process on acceleration factors and life in thermal cycling of SnAgCu solder joints

Although far from always obvious to the practitioner the interpretation of accelerated thermal cycling results is often confounded by complex effects of the evolving solder microstructure. One example is the variation of not only life times but also acceleration factors with SnAgCu solder joint dimensions, contact pad finishes and assembly process parameters. This may be critical as most testing relies implicitly on the assumption that the material, design or process leading to the best performance in testing will also ensure the best performance in service. A unique ‘deconstructed thermal cycling’ experiment has led to a quantitative understanding of the mechanisms controlling the life of area array assemblies with SnAgCu solder joints in thermal cycling. In the absence of precipitate coarsening the life can be approximated as determined by the accumulation of a certain amount of work during the high temperature dwells. This does, however, vary with precipitate spacing unless that and the rate of work are high, and cycling usually leads to significant coarsening of the secondary precipitates. Together with variations in the initial precipitate distributions this explains the abovementioned effects.
Modulation of L‐type Ca2+ current by extracellular ATP in ferret isolated right ventricular myocytes.

1. The effects of extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) on the basal L-type Ca2+ current (ICa) were investigated in ferret isolated right ventricular myocytes using the gigaohm seal voltage clamp in the whole-cell and cell-attached configurations. 2. Micromolar levels of extracellular ATP reversibly inhibited ICa in a concentration-dependent manner, without any significant changes in the voltage dependence of either the peak ICa I-V relationship or steady-state activation curve. 3. In contrast, micromolar levels of extracellular ATP did significantly alter the inactivation characteristics of ICa. Ten micromolar ATP: (i) increased the degree of steady-state inactivation of ICa; (ii) altered the time constants of ICa inactivation at 0 mV; and (iii) decreased the time constant of ICa recovery from inactivation at -70 mV. 4. The inhibitory effect of ATP on ICa was not blocked by atropine, a muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist, or CPDPX (8-cyclopentyl-3,4-dipropylxanthine), an A1 adenosine receptor antagonist. In contrast, the inhibitory effect of 10 microM ATP could be nearly completely antagonized by 100 microM suramin, a purinergic P2 receptor antagonist. 5. The potency order of ATP analogues in inhibiting ICa was 2-methyl-thio-ATP > ATP > alpha,beta-methylene-ATP, indicating involvement of a P2Y-type ATP receptor. 6. Pretreatment of cells with pertussis toxin (PTX) did not prevent the ATP-induced decrease in ICa. However, (i) ATP produced an irreversible decrease of ICa in the presence of intracellular GTP gamma S, and (ii) the inhibitory effect was significantly attenuated in the presence of intracellular GDP beta S, indicating the involvement of a PTX-insensitive G protein in the P2Y receptor-coupling process. 7. Neither (i) replacing extracellular Ca2+ with 1 mM Ba2+, nor (ii) intracellular perfusion of 10 mM BAPTA for at least 30 min attenuated the inhibitory effect of ATP on the current through Ca2+ channels, suggesting that the inhibitory effect was not obligatorily dependent upon influx of Ca2+ or changes in [Ca2+]i. 8. Ensemble-average current behaviour constructed from cell-attached patch recordings of single L-type Ca2+ channels (110 mM BaCl2) demonstrated that when 10 microM ATP was added to the superfusate on the outside of the patch electrode the inhibition of ICa was still observed, providing evidence for the involvement of intracellular diffusible second messenger(s).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Estimating walleye (Sander vitreus) density, gear catchability, and mortality using three fishery-independent data sets for Oneida Lake, New York

We used three long-term data sets (gill nets, trawls, and adult population estimates) for walleye (Sander vitreus) to simultaneously estimate density, gear catchabilities, and mortality using an age-structured, nonlinear model. Model con- straints included a fixed natural mortality rate and age- and gear-specific but time-invariant catchabilities. Trawl catchabil- ity decreased with age, whereas gillnet catchability increased towards a maximum by age-4. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to investigate how the information content of the different data sets influenced parameter estimates. Estimated catchability values were relatively robust to changes in data weighting. Estimated gillnet catchability values were fairly consistent with those derived from more conventional methods. An additional mortality term was added to reflect double- crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) predation, and vulnerabilities associated with angling and cormorants were cal- culated using independent length frequency information. Estimated subadult mortality increased and the influence of fish- ing mortality slightly decreased during recent years when double-crested cormorants were abundant and more restrictive size limits were in place. Walleye density in Oneida Lake (New York, USA) in the last decade is estimated to be approxi- mately half of that before 1990. Resume´ : Nous utilisons trois banques de donnees along terme (recoltes au filet maillant et au chalut, estimations de la population adulte) pour determiner simultanement, a l'aide d'un modele non lineaire structureen fonction de l'age, la den-
PLASMA CONTAINMENT BY r.f. AND d.c. FIELD COMBINATIONS

ABSTRACT An investigation has been made concerning the use of radio frequency fields for the containment of hot, dense plasmas, such as those needed for controlled thermonuclear fusion. Because high losses due to skin effect are associated to r.f. fields, they will be used at the lowest possible frequency, and only where they constitute a useful supplement to the cheaper d.e. fields. Such r.f. fields are to be useful for reducing the plasma leakage present in most d.e. confinement systems, and to prevent some of the instabilities inherent to d.e. systems. One particular combination of d.e. and r.f. fields has been analysed in detail. It consists of a homogeneous axial d.e. magnetic field (or a d.e. mirror field) containing a plasma column against radial diffusion; the ends of the column are ‘ sealed ’ by moans of r.f. fields. By using the proper polarization of the r.f. fields, it is shown that appreciable plasma pressures can be contained, using r.f. fields of frequencies as low as a few megacycles. By u...
Glaucoma, Alzheimer disease and other dementia: a longitudinal analysis.

Purpose: To evaluate the risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD) or other dementia in patients diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in a nationally representative longitudinal sample of elderly persons.Methods: This retrospective cohort study (January 1, 1994–December 31, 2007) used Medicare 5% claims data. We identified beneficiaries aged 68+ years who had at least two claims with diagnoses of OAG and no Alzheimer or other dementia in 1994, using a 3-year look-back period between 1991 and 1993 (n = 63,235) and beneficiaries matched on age, sex, race, and Charlson index without a diagnosis of OAG throughout the observational period (n = 63,235), using propensity score matching. Using a Cox Proportional Hazards model, we analyzed time to AD diagnosis and time to AD or other dementia diagnosis.Results: Elderly individuals diagnosed with OAG did not have an increased rate of AD and other dementia diagnosis compared to those without OAG during a 14-year follow-up period, even after controlling for relev...
DNA dynamics from a spin probe: Dependence of probe motion tether length

Abstract The phosphoramidite 6 , a spin labeled analog of thymidine, was synthesized and incorporated into the deoxyoligonucleotide 5′-d(CGCGAATT*CGCG). This substance adepts a duplex structure, as shown by gel electrophoretic mobility. The EPR spectrum of the spin labeled duplex in solution was indicative of subnanosecond probe motion, a result which contrasts with the ca . 5 ns correlation time determined for the corresponding duplex bearing residue 1 . Steric inhibition of rotation of the nitroxide-bearing ring of 1 not present in 2 accounts for this difference.
Leading Asian countries' HRD practices in the IT industry: a comparative study of South Korea and India

The purpose of this study was to compare IT firms in two leading Asian countries in the IT industry, South Korea and India, to suggest how to leverage their human resource development (HRD) practices for continued growth. The IT industry in South Korea and India has shown fast growth and notable profits in a short time, but managing their human resources for their continued success is challenging. The research questions in this study were: What HRD practices in the IT industry have supported South Korea's and India's development within a short period of time? How do these HRD practices in the IT industry compare between India and South Korea? Using content and case analysis approaches, this study identified HRD practices in the IT industry in South Korea and India. Findings included four emergent themes: different levels of globalization; talent development; employee turnover issues; and challenges that their IT firms face. Recommendations and limitations of the study were provided for practice and future...
Probe Radius Compensation for On-Machine Measurement of Sculptured Surfaces

Accurate dimensional measurement of freeform surfaces is a key step in CNC machining. Usually, a CMM equipped with a touch trigger probe is employed for measurement of such surfaces. In such a precision measurement, probe radius error is a serious concern. Traditionally, probe radius compensation methods are based on using the design (CAD) surface. In specific instances, the inaccuracy of these compensation techniques could be one order magnitude higher than the repeatability of the probe. Probe radius compensation based on ideal machined surface (generated when the milling cutter accurately moves through the cutter location (CL) points) is superior in principle to the one based on design surface, since it is one level of abstraction closer to the final surface realized. On Machine Measurement (OMM), where the measurement process is accomplished on the machining center by replacing the milling cutter with the Touch Trigger Probe, affords such a possibility without resorting to computationally intensive surface localization. This paper presents the implementation and performance analysis of a proposed new probe radius compensation technique based on both the design surface data (CAD model) and machined surface data (CL points). The proposed method efficiently compensates the probe radius error of on-machine measurement data for sculptured surfaces. The model was implemented on the simulated CMM data of a bi-cubic Bezier surface machined by a ball-end mill and compared with the conventional compensation techniques. The results show that this method compensates the probe radius error better than the existing techniques and yields superior precision.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Diffusion-limited etching of p-GaAs in NaOHNa2EDTA solutions

Mass-transport-limited etching of p-type GaAs using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate (Na2EDTA) has been studied. Isotropic etching of (100)-oriented p-type GaAs was obtained for pH values between 8 and 13, and uniform etch rates were obtained over 0.05–0.25 μm/min with an unstirred solution. Etching cycles consisted of anodic oxidation for 20–40 s followed by oxide removal when the potential was set just negative of the rest potential for 5–10 s. The diffusion-limited currents were found to be relatively insensitive both to changes in oxidizing voltage and to variations in the hole concentration in the GaAs. Etching in the mass-transport limited regime was found to be a convenient and useful approach when profiling the GaAs hole concentration with electrochemical capacitance-voltage measurements.
Effect of monoamine oxidase inhibitors on metabolism and in vivo release of H3-norepinephrine from the hypothalamus

Abstract Following the implantation of a push-pull cannula into the anterior hypothalamus of the rat and a polyethylene cannula into the lateral ventricle, the brain norepinephrine stores were labeled by intraventricular injection of H3-norepinephrine. The spontaneous release of radioactivity into the perfusate from the hypothalamus of freely moving unanesthetized control animals was 4.19 ± 0.99 mμCi/hr, and the ratio R of deaminated-O-methylated metabolites to amines (norepinephrine and normetanephrine) in the perfusate was 1.79. Both the irreversible MAO-inhibitor pargyline and the reversible inhibitor BW 63-307 (2-chloro-4-acetylamino benzonitrile) decreased R from 1.79 to 0.02 and 0.42 respectively while not significantly altering the release of total radioactivity into the perfusate. Thus, in animals pretreated with either pargyline or BW 63-307, practically all the radioactivity released into the perfusate consisted of norepinephrine and normetanephrine. The argument that the increased availability of norepinephrine in the perfusate could merely reflect increased sympathetic activity rather than inhibition of MAO, is weakened because BW 63-307 did not elicit gross behavioral activation or sympathetic stimulation. The results, thus, support the view that an increase in the tissue levels of endogenous or exogenous norepinephrine accompanying the inhibition of MAO results in a “spillover” of norepinephrine onto adrenergic onto adrenergic receptor sites.
Facets of Spirituality as Predictors of Adjustment to Cancer: Relative Contributions of Having Faith and Finding Meaning

Spirituality is a multidimensional construct, and little is known about how its distinct dimensions jointly affect well-being. In longitudinal studies (Study 1, n = 418 breast cancer patients; Study 2, n = 165 cancer survivors), the authors examined 2 components of spiritual well-being (i.e., meaning/peace and faith) and their interaction, as well as change scores on those variables, as predictors of psychological adjustment. In Study 1, higher baseline meaning/peace, as well as an increase in meaning/peace over 6 months, predicted a decline in depressive symptoms and an increase in vitality across 12 months in breast cancer patients. Baseline faith predicted an increase in perceived cancer-related growth. Study 2 revealed that an increase in meaning/peace was related to improved mental health and lower cancer-related distress. An increase in faith was related to increased cancer-related growth. Both studies revealed significant interactions between meaning/peace and faith in predicting adjustment. Findings suggest that the ability to find meaning and peace in life is the more influential contributor to favorable adjustment during cancer survivorship, although faith appears to be uniquely related to perceived cancer-related growth.
Serum amyloid P immunoreactivity in hippocampal tangles, plaques and vessels: implications for leakage across the blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Serum amyloid (SAP) has been shown to be consistently present in all types of amyloid deposits except cerebral lesions of neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques. We used immunohistochemical methods to demonstrate SAP reactivity in both tangles and plaques, as well as vessels, in lightly fixed frozen tissue sections of hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus from subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and normal controls. As confirmed by thioflavin S staining, heavy deposition of immunoperoxidase reaction product was evident in Sommer's sector (CA1), the subiculum and entorhinal cortex with both the antisera to SAP used. Serial sections immunostained with antiserum to amyloid A or preimmune rabbit serum showed no evidence for staining in plaques or tangles. These observations provide evidence for extravasation of the protein across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in disease although expression of it by cellular elements within or entering the brain through the BBB cannot be ruled out. Our results also implicate the use of lightly fixed tissue for localization of some antigens by immunohistochemistry in postmortem human brain.
Biochemical characterization of nuclear and cytoplasmic forms of SV40 tumor antigens encoded by parental and transport-defective mutant SV40-adenovirus 7 hybrid viruses

Abstract The biochemical properties of nuclear (nT-ag) and cytoplasmic (cT-ag) SV40 tumor antigens encoded by the defective SV40-adenovirus 7 hybrid virus, PARA, and a mutant [PARA(2cT)j which induces the synthesis of T-ag that is not transported to the nucleus but accumulates in the cytoplasm of infected and transformed cells were compared. Immunoprecipitation and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that parental (nT) PARA and PARA(2cT)-infected and -transformed cells all contained normal-sized large T (92K) and small t(19K) polypeptides. In addition, PARA(2cT)-infected and -transformed cells produced a T-related polypeptide with a slightly higher molecular weight (94K). Cellular fractionation studies demonstrated that both forms of large cT-ag (92K and 94K) were localized predominantly in the cytoplasm of transformed cells; pulse-chase analyses revealed no product-precursor relationship between the two polypeptides. Cell fractionation studies also indicated that cT-ag in PARA(2eT)-transformed cells was not retained in the cytoplasm due to an association with a particulate fraction. PARA-infected cells overproduced T-ag (in comparison to WT SV40) which was stable, resulting in the accumulation of large amounts of T-ag in PARA-infected cells. These results suggest that the transcriptional controls regulating T-ag synthesis by SV40 are not operative with PARA. Quantitation of DNA-binding potentials by radioimmunoassay revealed no differences between nT-ag and cT-ag. Cytoplasmic T-ag from PARA(2cT)-infected cells was phosphorylated to a lesser extent than the nuclear T-ag induced by PARA(nT). Analysis by isoelectric focusing (IEF) in agarose gels of T-ag polypeptides extracted from PARA(nT)- and PARA(2cT)-infected cells revealed a small difference in IEF points (p I 4.4 and p I 4.5, respectively). The possible relationships between phosphorylation, the cT mutation, and the nuclear transport of SV40 T-ag are discussed.
Physics based modeling of gate leakage current due to traps in AlGaN/GaN HFETs

Abstract A new model for the gate leakage current in AlGaN/GaN HFETs is demonstrated. The model is completely physical and is based on the formulation of space charge limited current flow. Two levels of shallow traps in the AlGaN surface layer are considered to evaluate the model. The depth of the traps is consistent with the reports presented in the literature. The model adequately explains the measured gate leakage current and for the first time, predicts accurately the experimentally observed change in slope of the gate leakage current versus the gate to drain voltage.
Output interference and organized recall from long-term memory

Blocked presentation of categorized words followed by sequential recall of the items according to category produced a significant decline in word recall across the category output sequence. The output-interference effect was unaffected by either the removal of recency or the addition of an interpolated task between the input of the list and recall. The effect was dependent, however, on the size of the input categories and the amount of time allowed for recall. In addition, the effect was produced in a recognition task. The experiments were designed to differentiate among several alternative hypotheses; the results indicating a failure to edit the responses at the time of recall. The results were discussed in terms of a core and extra-core dichotomy due to organizational processes.