cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The NIH COBRE Center for Cancer Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Kansas.

Three state institutions, The University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and Emporia State University, combined their resources and faculty to establish a Center to mentor junior faculty in cancer-related research and to create novel infrastructure needed for experimentation at the interface between chemistry and biology. The COBRE-supported faculty are partnered with established, active, senior faculty who serve as mentors. Unique Core facilities needed to identify novel bioactive compounds that are useful as basic biomedical research tools, and potential therapeutic agents have been established. One new core facility is a laboratory for high throughput screening (http://www.hts.ku.edu/index.shtml), the other one provides medicinal and combinatorial chemistry support. Two new Cores are operated by an experienced group of investigators with expertise in the areas of medicinal chemistry, combinatorial chemistry, cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, cancer cell biology, and the development of novel bioassays for compound and cellular target identification. The combination of expertise for the generation and analysis of novel compounds, together with that for the development of bioassays for screening, offers a unique opportunity for joining two research areas into one combined effort. This presentation will review the major programmatic and scientific outcomes from this Center.
Younger and Older Adults’ Mood and Expectations Regarding Aging During COVID-19

The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has broadly impacted our daily lives. Here, we used a longitudinal approach to investigate older adults' mood and expectations regarding aging before and during the global pandemic (Study 1). We also examined age differences in mood, expectations regarding aging, COVID-19 attitudes, and loneliness using a cross-sectional approach (Study 2). In Study 1, older adults completed a mood and expectations regarding aging survey up to 2 years prior to the pandemic and again in April, 2020 (during the pandemic). Participants also completed surveys regarding COVID-19 attitudes and loneliness. In Study 2, a United States sample of younger and older adults completed these surveys during the pandemic. Older adults' mood and expectations regarding aging remained fairly constant, and younger adults showed lower mood and expectations regarding aging than did older adults, despite older adults showing greater concern about COVID-19. Overall, we find that some older adults seem to be resilient with respect to their mood and expectations regarding aging. These findings reveal important preliminary implications for how older adults may be impacted as a result of lifestyle changes necessary for well-being and the well-being of society.
Ruggedized Color Measurement for Beer, Wort, and Malt

The standard instrument for measuring malt, wort, and beer color is the spectrophotometer. Spectrophotometers are not rugged; they have critically aligned collimators, monochromators, lenses, slits...
Female Salamanders Experience Higher Parasitism Compared to Males: A Cost of Female Reproduction?

Males tend to experience higher rates of parasitism compared to females, a phenomenon associated with ecological factors, the fact that males engage in risky behaviors, and because testosterone is known to be immunosuppressive. However, females could experience higher rates of parasitism if energy is allocated from costly immune responses towards producing eggs. We used pooled data sets from laboratory experiments to investigate sex-specific differences in salamander (Plethodon cinereus) resistance to the emerging fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (“Bd”). Contrary to our predictions, we found that female salamanders had a higher prevalence of infection (∼56%) and carried a higher Bd infection burden (455 zoospores equivalents per sample) compared to male salamanders (which had a Bd infection prevalence of ∼24% and an average infection burden of 58 zoospore equivalents per sample). We also found that female reproductive investment (i.e., mass of eggs) positively correlated with Bd infection burden, suggesting that females who previously invested more into reproduction carried a higher Bd infection burden. Collectively, our findings might indicate that female salamanders experience a cost of reproduction in the form of decreased disease resistance.
Learning through Teaching: Peer Teaching and Mentoring Experiences among Third-Year Medical Students.

Classroom studies of peer-led teaching and mentoring report benefits for students both as teachers and learners. Such benefits include both improved content mastery and personal and professional de...
Does litigation change managers’ beliefs about the value of voluntarily disclosing bad news?

Research suggests that earnings-disclosure-related litigation causes managers to reduce subsequent disclosure, perhaps stemming from a belief that even their good faith disclosures will cause them trouble. This paper considers unexplored dimensions of disclosure and alternative channels of disclosure to provide additional evidence that speaks to how litigation shapes managers’ disclosure strategies. Consistent with Skinner (1994)’s classic legal liability hypothesis, we find that, while managers reduce and delay forecasts of positive earnings news following litigation, they increase the frequency and timeliness of their bad news forecasts. Moreover, many managers who were nonguiders prior to facing legal scrutiny begin guiding following litigation. Managers also maintain (if not increase) the information they provide via press releases and during conference calls following litigation. Supporting the notion that managers use disclosure to walk down expectations, additional analyses document an increase in the likelihood that lawsuit firms report earnings that beat consensus forecasts in the post-lawsuit period. Collectively, our evidence suggests that following litigation managers continue to view disclosure as a valuable tool that shapes their firms’ information environments and reduces expected legal costs. In so doing, it supports an important alternative viewpoint of how firms respond to litigation as well as the effectiveness of litigation as a disciplining mechanism.
AI Fitness Checks, Maintenance and Monitoring on Systems Managing Content & Data: A Study on CMS World

Artificial intelligence health checks, monitoring, and maintenance on system managing content in the CMS world are essential to prevent damage and avoidable expenses. To also avoid loss of time from massive downtime, AI has been employed for maintenance functions. Servers which are the houses and homes for data and content from computers, have to be maintained to allow the system to function at an optimal level. The use of AI for this maintenance involves a lot of factors. This work discusses these factors and how the various aspects work to monitor and maintain systems managing content and data. AI is programmed using health monitoring scripts which are commands executed by a particular programming language. This scripts program the AI to check and monitor servers for maintenance function. This maintenance aims to track CPU optimization and allow for the best functioning of the CPU using preventive and predictive maintenance techniques.
Body mass and sex, not local climate, drive differences in chill coma recovery times in common garden reared bumble bees

The time required to recover from cold exposure (chill coma recovery time) may represent an important metric of performance and has been linked to geographic distributions of diverse species. Chill coma recovery time (CCRT) has rarely been measured in bumble bees (genus Bombus) but may provide insights regarding recent changes in their distributions. We measured CCRT of Bombus vosnesenskii workers reared in common garden laboratory conditions from queens collected across altitude and latitude in the Western United States. We also compared CCRTs of male and female bumble bees because males are often overlooked in studies of bumble bee ecology and physiology and may differ in their ability to respond to cold temperatures. We found no relationship between CCRT and local climate at the queen collection sites, but CCRT varied significantly with sex and body mass. Because differences in the ability to recover from cold temperatures have been shown in wild-caught Bombus, we predict that variability in CCRT may be strongly influenced by plasticity.
Is Epistemic Anxiety an Intellectual Virtue

In this paper, I discuss the ways in which epistemic anxiety promotes well-being, specifically by examining the positive contributions that feelings of epistemic anxiety make toward intellectually virtuous inquiry. While the prospects for connecting the concept of epistemic anxiety to the two most prominent accounts of intellectual virtue, i.e., “virtue-reliabilism” and “virtue-responsibilism”, are promising, I primarily focus on whether the capacity for epistemic anxiety counts as an intellectual virtue in the reliabilist sense. As I argue, there is a close yet unexplored connection between feelings of epistemic anxiety and the form of inference commonly known as “Inference to the Best Explanation” (IBE). Specifically, I argue that both the recognition that some fact requires an explanation—a necessary first step in applying IBE—and the subsequent motivation to employ IBE are typically facilitated by feelings of epistemic anxiety. So, provided IBE is truth-conducive the capacity for epistemic anxiety should count as an intellectual virtue in the reliabilist sense. After outlining my main argument, I address the challenge that the capacity for epistemic anxiety has the potential to be misleading. To respond to this challenge, I discuss how our recognition that a fact requires an explanation must in part be a species of practical knowledge, rather than theoretical knowledge. For the agent to skillfully distinguish between facts that require an explanation and facts that do not, she must develop the virtuous disposition to feel the appropriate amount of epistemic anxiety. Despite the many negative aspects associated with anxiety, as I conclude, being disposed to feel the appropriate amount of epistemic anxiety is ultimately good for us.
Superficial Circumflex Iliac and Superficial Inferior Epigastric Vessels

The reconstructive ladder, in more recent years, has become more akin to a reconstructive elevator. The feasibility of free flap reconstruction has continued to increase in a number of hospital centers nationally. This is possibly a result of an increase in knowledge and training in the breadth of microsurgery with a concomitant increase in comfort with free flap raising techniques and flap monitoring. As the volume of free flap literature continues to expand, we continue to shed light on the anatomical details of free flap harvesting. However, few have focused on the importance and specifics of recipient site exposure in reconstruction. Just as one cannot place a painting on a wall without hooks, nails, and appropriate planning, one cannot expect to achieve a successful reconstruction if focus is only placed on the harvest site. The superficial circumflex iliac and superficial inferior epigastric vessels are a forgotten source of available bloody supply that allow for abdominal, groin, lower extremity, and flank reconstruction. When other vascular pedicles are unavailable, such as in zones of injury, or were previously sacrificed, it may be appropriate to consider these vessels in the preoperative plan.
Rational entry into risky markets with negative expected returns: The role of biased misestimation of profit potential

Abstract We extend the theory of negative long-run profits in risky industries by incorporating a negatively skewed profit distribution. Rational behavior with incomplete information is introduced by allowing economic agents to know the median rather than the mean rate-of-return. We compare this to the case involving postdecision bolstering, where entrants choose to discount available information on the industry profit distribution. Monte Carlo experiments are tailored to the experience of the U.S. home building industry.
Comparative Evaluation of Automotive Fuel Tanks in General Accordance with ECE R34.01, Annex 5 Section 5.0 “Resistance to Fire”

The primary objective of this study was to compare the performance of "new" plastic fuel tanks vs. "aged" plastic fuel tanks when subjected to the standard fire exposure test described in ECE R34.01, Annex 5 Section 5.0 "Resistance to Fire." The program also included a comparison of failure modes of plastic vs. metal fuel tanks when subjected to a simulated post-crash pool fire. The "new" tanks were purchased from the OEM suppliers (not weathered or pre-conditioned with fuel). The "aged" tanks were obtained from vehicles that were operated in a warm climate and considered to be weathered and fully conditioned with fuel. Three vehicle types, representing three fuel tank shapes and installations, were evaluated: 1.) "thin profile" tank, typical of front wheel drive cars with the tank mounted on the underbody near the rear seat area and in front of the rear axle; 2.) "square profile" tank, typical of SUV's with the tank mounted behind the rear axle; and 3.) "long profile" tank, typical of vehicles with the tank mounted inside the frame rail and in front of the rear axle or rear suspension. The results indicated that the effects of aging did not significantly impact the performance of the fuel tanks in the fire exposure test. The test results also demonstrated how design variation and installation location affects the performance during the standard fire exposure tests. The results from the simulated pool fire tests conducted on the steel and plastic fuel tanks indicated different modes of failure. Plastic fuel tanks failed by developing leaks under minimal pressures, whereas steel tanks develop vapor pressure that rapidly release when the tanks integrity is compromised.
Bacteriology of Water

1 Characterizing the Bacterial Flora in the Aquatic Environment 2 Natural Waters 3 Pathogenic Bacteria in Aquatic Environments 4 Natural Self-Purification Factors 5 Water-Quality Criteria 6 Bacteriological Analysis 7 Principles of Pathogen Detection 8 Strategies for Rapid Methods Keywords: bacteriology of water and defining public health quality; bacterial flora in aquatic environment; fecal coliform densities and pathogen occurrence at Missouri river public water supply; swimming pools-using treated municipal supplies for filling; estuarine areas-fresh water mixing with salt water environment; pathogenic bacteria in aquatic environments; natural self-purification factors; coliform bacteria verification
Dynamic email organization via relevance categories

Many researchers have proposed classification systems that automatically classify email in order to reduce information overload. However, none of these systems are in use today. This paper examines some of the problems with classification technologies and proposes Relevance Categories as a method to avoid some of these problems. In particular, the dynamic nature of email categories, the cognitive overhead, required training categories, and the high costs of classification errors are hurdles for many classification algorithms. Relevance Categories avoid some of these problems through their simplicity; they are merely relevance-ranked lists of email messages that are similar to a set of query messages. by displaying messages as the result of a dynamic query in lieu of fixed categories, we hypothesize that users will be less sensitive to errors using the Relevance Categories scheme than to errors using a fixed categorization scheme. To study the effectiveness of the Relevance Categories concept, we devised a performance metric for relevance ranking and used it to test an inverted index implementation on the Reuter-21578 test collection. The promising test results indicate the need for further work.
Regulated Expression of the Streptococcus mutans dlt Genes Correlates with Intracellular Polysaccharide Accumulation

Intracellular polysaccharides (IPS) are glycogen-like storage polymers which contribute significantly to Streptococcus mutans-induced cariogenesis. We previously identified and cloned a locus from the S. mutans chromosome which is required for the accumulation of IPS. Sequencing of this locus revealed at least four contiguous open reading frames, all of which are preceded by a common promoter region and are transcribed in the same direction. Analysis of the amino acid sequence deduced from the first of these open reading frames (ORF1) revealed domains which are highly conserved among D-alanine-activating enzymes (DltA) in Lactobacillus rhamnosus (formerly Lactobacillus casei) and Bacillus subtilis. The deduced amino acid sequences derived from ORF2, -3, and -4 also exhibit extensive similarity to DltB, -C, and -D, respectively, in these microorganisms. However, Southern hybridization experiments indicate that this operon maps to a locus on the S. mutans chromosome which is separate from the glgP, glgA, and glgD genes, whose products are known mediators of bacterial IPS accumulation. We therefore assigned a new dlt designation to the locus which we had formerly called glg. We maintain that the dlt genes are involved in S. mutans IPS accumulation, however, since they complement a mutation in trans which otherwise renders S. mutans IPS deficient. In this study, we found that expression of the S. mutans dlt genes is growth phase dependent and is modulated by carbohydrates internalized via the phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system (PTS). We demonstrated that the S. mutans dlt genes are expressed constitutively when non-PTS sugars are provided as the sole source of carbohydrate. Consistent with a role for the PTS in dlt expression is a similar constitutive expression of the dlt genes in an S. mutans PTS mutant grown in a chemically defined medium supplemented with glucose. In summary, these findings support a novel role for the dlt gene products in S. mutans IPS accumulation and suggest that dlt expression in this oral pathogen is subject to complex mechanisms of control imposed by growth phase, dietary carbohydrate, and other factors present in the plaque environment.
Multivariate statistics of the jacobian matrices in tensor based morphometry and their application to HIV/AIDS

Tensor-based morphometry (TBM) is widely used in computational anatomy as a means to understand shape variation between structural brain images. A 3D nonlinear registration technique is typically used to align all brain images to a common neuroanatomical template, and the deformation fields are analyzed statistically to identify group differences in anatomy. However, the differences are usually computed solely from the determinants of the Jacobian matrices that are associated with the deformation fields computed by the registration procedure. Thus, much of the information contained within those matrices gets thrown out in the process. Only the magnitude of the expansions or contractions is examined, while the anisotropy and directional components of the changes are ignored. Here we remedy this problem by computing multivariate shape change statistics using the strain matrices. As the latter do not form a vector space, means and covariances are computed on the manifold of positive-definite matrices to which they belong. We study the brain morphology of 26 HIV/AIDS patients and 14 matched healthy control subjects using our method. The images are registered using a high-dimensional 3D fluid registration algorithm, which optimizes the Jensen-Renyi divergence, an information-theoretic measure of image correspondence. The anisotropy of the deformation is then computed. We apply a manifold version of Hotelling’s T2 test to the strain matrices. Our results complement those found from the determinants of the Jacobians alone and provide greater power in detecting group differences in brain structure.
Finitary substructure languages with application to the theory of NP-completeness

Decision problems that involve the search for a fixed, finite amount of information hidden somewhere in the input are considered. In terms of polynomial complexity these finitary substructure languages (k-SLs) are much like tally sets. For instance, every k-SL A p-Turing reduces to a canonically associated set T/sub Lambda /, and so cannot be NP-hard unless the polynomial hierarchy collapses to its second level. However, it is shown that k-SLs have different structural properties. Many familiar NP-complete sets equal free unions L of k-SLs L/sub k/. An assertion that every such L is p-isomorphic to S AT is supported. It is also shown that whether A is p-T equivalent to T/sub Lambda / above is tied to whether k-DNF formulas can be learned deterministically by oracle queries alone in the Valiant model. A finite-injury priority construction that highlights obstacles to establishing certain properties for recursive sets is given. >
Inactivation of NMDA channels in cultured hippocampal neurons by intracellular calcium

Calcium-dependent inactivation of NMDA channels was examined on cultured rat hippocampal neurons using whole-cell voltage-clamp and cell-attached single-channel recording. An ATP regeneration solution was included in the patch pipette to retard current "rundown." In normal [Ca2+]o (1-2 mM) and 10 microM glycine, macroscopic currents evoked by 15 sec applications of NMDA (10 microM) inactivated slowly following an initial peak. At -50 mV in cells buffered to [Ca2+]i < 10(-8) M with 10 mM EGTA, the inactivation time constant (tau inact) was approximately 5 sec. Inactivation did not occur at membrane potentials of +40 mV and was absent at [Ca2+]o < or = 0.2 mM, suggesting that inactivation resulted from transmembrane calcium influx. The percentage inactivation and tau inact were dependent on [Ca2+]o. The tau inact was also longer with BAPTA in the whole-cell pipette compared to EGTA, suggesting that tau inact reflects primarily the rate of accumulation of intracellular calcium. Inactivation was incomplete, reaching a steady state level of 40-50% of the peak current. At steady state, block of open NMDA channels with MK-801 ((+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H- dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine) completely blocked subsequent responses to NMDA, suggesting that "inactivated" channels can reopen at steady state. Inactivation was fully reversible in the presence of ATP but was not blocked by inhibiting phosphatases or proteases. In cell-attached patches, transient increases in [Ca2+]i following cell depolarization also resulted in inactivation of NMDA channels without altering the single-channel conductance. This suggests that Ca(2+)-dependent inactivation occurs in intact cells and can be triggered by calcium entry through nearby voltage-gated calcium channels, although calcium entry through NMDA channels was more effective. We suggest that [Ca2+]i transients induce NMDA channel inactivation by binding to either the channel or a nearby regulatory protein to alter channel gating. This mechanism may play a role in downregulation of postsynaptic calcium entry during sustained synaptic activity.
SPONTANEOUS UNEQUAL EXCHANGE IN THE ROSY REGION OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

A selective system for recovery of exchanges between trans mutations at adjacent loci, l(3)S12 and rosy, is described. In addition to the expected cross-over and conversion classes, two exceptional types of offspring were recovered. Triploid offspring arose as 0.01% of all zygotes; the diploid chromosome set was apparently of maternal origin. Nine tandem duplications derived from unequal exchange between nonsister homologues were recovered among 2.25 x 106 zygotes screened. From considerations of the proportion of the genome that was assayed in this system, and on the assumption that the rate of unequal exchange observed is typical for the genome as a whole, it appears that one unequal exchange occurs per 500 female meioses in Drosophila.
Cellular Electrophysiological Effects of Hyperthermia on Isolated Guinea Pig Papillary Muscle Implications for Catheter Ablation

BACKGROUND The primary mechanism of tissue injury by radiofrequency catheter ablation is presumed to be thermally mediated. However, the myocardial cellular electrophysiological effects of hyperthermia are not well characterized. We used an in vitro model of isolated guinea pig right ventricular papillary muscle to investigate the acute cellular electrophysiological effects of hyperthermia. METHODS AND RESULTS Excised guinea pig right ventricular papillary muscles were pinned in a high-flow tissue bath and superfused with Tyrode9s solution at 37.0 +/- 0.5 degrees C. The superfusate temperature was rapidly changed to 38.0 to 56.0 degrees C for 60 seconds and then returned to 37.0 degrees C. Conventional microelectrodes were used to measure membrane potential (Vm), maximum rate of rise of the action potential (dV/dtmax), and action potential (AP) amplitude and AP duration at 50% (APD50) and 90% (APD90) repolarization. Hyperthermia resulted in (1) a progressive depolarization of Vm at temperatures > or = 40.0 degrees C, which became more prominent at temperatures > or = 45.0 degrees C; (2) changes in the AP characterized by a temperature-dependent increase in dV/dtmax and a temperature-dependent decrease in AP amplitude, APD50, and APD90; (3) reversible loss of cellular excitability within a temperature range of 42.7 to 51.3 degrees C (median, 48.0 degrees C); (4) irreversible loss of cellular excitability and tissue injury at temperatures > or = 50.0 degrees C; and (5) the development of abnormal automaticity at temperatures > 45.0 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS Hyperthermia causes significant changes in myocardial cellular electrophysiological properties that include membrane depolarization, reversible and irreversible loss of excitability, and abnormal automaticity. There appear to be specific temperature ranges for reversible and irreversible electrophysiological changes. These observations may have important implications for tissue temperature monitoring during radiofrequency catheter ablation.
Synthesis and evaluation of peptidomimetics as selective inhibitors and active site probes of nitric oxide synthases.

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) catalyzes the conversion of l-arginine to l-citrilline and nitric oxide (NO). Selective inhibition of the isoforms of NOS could have great therapeutic potential in the treatment of certain disease states arising from pathologically elevated synthesis of NO. Recently, we reported dipeptide amides containing a basic amine side chain as potent and selective inhibitors of neuronal NOS (Huang, H.; Martasek, P.; Roman, L. J.; Masters, B. S. S.; Silverman, R. B. J. Med. Chem. 1999, 42, 3147). The most potent nNOS inhibitor among these compounds is l-ArgNO2-l-Dbu-NH2 (1) (Ki = 130 nM), which also exhibits the highest selectivity over eNOS (>1500-fold) with excellent selectivity over iNOS (190-fold). Here we describe the design and synthesis of a series of peptidomimetic analogues of this dipeptide as potential selective inhibitors of nNOS. The biochemical evaluation of these compounds also revealed the binding requirements of the dipeptide inhibitors with NOS. Incorporation of protecti...
Computers and the Multiplicity of Polynomial Roots

(1982). Computers and the Multiplicity of Polynomial Roots. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 89, No. 1, pp. 34-56.
Cut-off model and exact general solutions for fragmentation with mass loss

Exact solutions are obtained for a linear rate equation for the evolution of the particle mass distribution during fragmentation with mass loss. These involve general power-law dependences on the particle mass for the fragmentation rate, the daughter-mass distribution, and the mass-loss rate. Consumption of bridges joining two or more otherwise disconnected regions leads to fragmentation such as might occur during the combustion of porous charcoal particles. Exact results for mass-loss rates proportional to the particle mass are relevant to random mass-removal processes such as percolation theory. For pure fragmentation without mass loss, a mass cut-off below which no fragmentation occurs is introduced to avoid the unbounded fragmentation rate for small particles in the `shattering' regime, in which the fragmentation rate becomes unbounded for particle masses approaching zero. This cut-off model predicts that, for monodisperse initial conditions in the strong shattering regime, the number of particles whose masses exceed the cut-off mass remains near unity for the duration of the fragmentation process, and then drops quickly to zero. The associated asymptotic behaviour excludes the scaling solution in this regime, but includes the scaling solution otherwise.
A solvable microscopic model for very dilute quadrupole glasses

Abstract The free energy, F , for a set of dilute, interacting, four-orientational tunneling strain-quadrupoles (TQs) randomly distributed in a non-polar host medium was developed into a virial expansion in the fractional TQ-concentration, c . F is approximated by F ′, where F ′ contains the first two virial coefficients, neglecting terms in c 3 . A solution is found for F ′ exactly and the following low- T properties usually associated with glasses are obtained: low-energy excitations with a constant density of states; a low- T specific heat linear in T ; a low-temperature thermal conductivity proportional to T 2 ; broad frequency and temperature-dependent peaks in the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant. The derivations also give a broadening of the Schottky specific heat even for very low values of c .
Deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis-dependent casein gene expression: species differences.

Mammary gland explants from mature virgin mice, rats, and rabbits exhibit an increased rate of both DNA and casein syntheses when cultured in the presence of specific combinations of insulin, hydrocortisone, and PRL. If cytosine arabinoside, a potent inhibitor of DNA synthesis, is added to the culture medium, casein synthesis is inhibited in explants from mice but not in those from rats or rabbits. This inhibition is at the level of accumulation of casein mRNA; an 89% reduction of stimulated levels was observed. The nature of this block was investigated further by examining the general response of mature virgin mouse mammary explants to hydrocortisone and PRL, hormones considered essential for casein gene expression in this species. Cytosine arabinoside did not prevent an increment in either hydrocortisone-induced NADH-cytochrome creductase or PRL-induced total RNA synthesis. Previous work has shown that certain insulin-induced responses are also unaffected. Taken collectively, these results suggest that ...
Noninvasive brain stimulation in Alzheimer's disease: Systematic review and perspectives for the future

article i nfo Background: A number of studies have applied transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to physiologically characterize Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to monitor effects of pharmacological agents, while others have begun to therapeutically use TMS and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to improve cognitive function in AD. These applications are still very early in development, but offer the opportunity of learning from them for future development. Methods: We performed a systematic search of all studies using noninvasive stimulation in AD and reviewed all 29 identified articles. Twenty-four focused on measures of motor cortical reactivity and (local) plasticity and functional connectivity, with eight of these studies assessing also effects of pharmacological agents. Five studies focused on the enhancement of cognitive function in AD.
Inflammation triggers production of dimethylsphingosine from oligodendrocytes

Neuropathic pain is a chronic, refractory condition that arises after damage to the nervous system. We previously showed that an increased level of the endogenous metabolite N,N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS) in the central nervous system (CNS) is sufficient to induce neuropathic pain-like behavior in rats. However, several important questions remain. First, it has not yet been demonstrated that DMS is produced in humans and its value as a therapeutic target is therefore unknown. Second, the cell types within the CNS that produce DMS are currently unidentified. Here we provide evidence that DMS is present in human CNS tissue. We show that DMS levels increase in demyelinating lesions isolated from patients with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease in which the majority of patients experience chronic pain. On the basis of these results, we hypothesized that oligodendrocytes may be a cellular source of DMS. We show that human oligodendrocytes produce DMS in culture and that the levels of DMS increase when oligodendrocytes are challenged with agents that damage white matter. These results suggest that damage to oligodendrocytes leads to increased DMS production which in turn drives inflammatory astrocyte responses involved in sensory neuron sensitization. Interruption of this pathway in patients may provide analgesia without the debilitating side effects that are commonly observed with other chronic pain therapies.
A prospective, randomized, double-blind comparison of the anesthetic efficacy of two percent lidocaine with 1:100,000 and 1:50,000 epinephrine and three percent mepivacaine in the intraoral, infraorbital nerve block.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this prospective, randomized, double-blind study was to compare the anesthetic efficacy of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine, 2% lidocaine with 1:50,000 epinephrine, and 3% mepivacaine in the intraoral, infraorbital nerve block. Methods Forty subjects randomly received intraoral, infraorbital nerve blocks by using a cartridge of 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 or 1:50,000 epinephrine and a cartridge of 3% mepivacaine at 3 separate appointments spaced at least 1 week apart. The anteriors, premolars, and first molar were pulp tested in 4-minute cycles for a total of 60 minutes. Results and Conclusions The intraoral, infraorbital nerve block was ineffective in providing profound pulpal anesthesia of the maxillary central incisor, lateral incisor, and first molar. Successful pulpal anesthesia of the canine and first and second premolars ranged from 75%–92% by using 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 and 1:50,000 epinephrine. However, pulpal anesthesia did not last for 60 minutes. The use of 3% mepivacaine provided a shorter duration of anesthesia than the lidocaine formulations with epinephrine in the canines and premolars.
Syntheses, Structure, and Reactivity of 2,6-Dimesitylphenyl-Based Sterically Demanding Gallium Aryls

Reaction of gallium chloride with (2,6-dimesitylphenyl)lithium, (Mes2C6H3)Li (Mes = 2,4,6-Me3C6H2), gives bis[(dimesitylphenyl)gallium dichloride], [(Mes2C6H3)GaCl2]2, I. Treatment of I with {2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]phenyl}lithium, [2-(Me2NCH2)C6H4]Li, affords (dimesitylphenyl)-2-((dimethylamino)methyl)phenylgallium chloride, (Mes2C6H3)[2-(Me2NCH2)C6H4]GaCl, II. Reaction of (Mes2C6H3)Li with gallium bromide affords bis(dimesitylphenyl)gallium bromide, (Mes2C6H3)2GaBr, III, while reaction of I with (Mes)Li yields (dimesitylphenyl)dimesitylgallium, (Mes2C6H3)(Mes)2Ga, IV. Gallium aryls I−IV have been characterized by elemental analyses, 1H and 13C NMR and IR spectroscopies, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. I assumes a μ2-chloro-bridged dimeric structure, while the coordination of gallium in II is completed by one Mes2C6H3 ligand and one chloride ligand and is intramolecularly stabilized by the nitrogen atom of [2-(Me2NCH2)C6H4]. III assumes a rare T-shaped coordination about the gallium center (C−Ga−C...
Shared Services in Australian Local Government: Rationale, Alternative Models and Empirical Evidence

Widespread enthusiasm amongst Australian policy elites for structural reform in local government has evaporated as disappointing outcomes of council amalgamation programs became evident. As a consequence, emphasis has now shifted towards shared serviced models as a means of enhancing service provision and reducing costs. However, a disturbing feature of the current debate on shared services has been the absence of a well-articulated economic and political rationale for this form of service delivery, a lack of analysis of alternative models of shared service provision and a neglect of available empirical evidence. This article seeks to remedy these deficiencies by considering the analytical foundations of shared local services, conducting a review of alternative models as vehicles for shared services and evaluating available empirical evidence.
The War Game: Organizational Scripting and the Expression of Emotion

The War Game, a military Reserve exercise, was examined by participant observation and informal interviews in order to illustrate the effect of an organization’s scripting of emotion upon its members and to demonstrate the facility of dramaturgical analysis to incorporate micro-interactional and macro-organizational factors in the study of emotion. The findings are summarized as suggesting a dramaturgical/mesostc~ral view of emotional expression in organizational settings. The frame includes organizational scripting (macro), specifics of the immediate situation (meso), interactions among the actors (micro), and actors’ resultant formulations for emotional expression.
ACGME case logs: Surgery resident experience in operative trauma for two decades

BACKGROUNDSurgery resident education is based on experiential training, which is influenced by changes in clinical management strategies, technical and technologic advances, and administrative regulations. Trauma care has been exposed to each of these factors, prompting concerns about resident exper
Matching products with endorsers: attractiveness versus expertise

The importance of fit between the endorser and the endorsed product has been described as the “match‐up hypothesis”. Much “match‐up hypothesis” research has focused on physical attraction. We present two studies which collectively suggest that, while attractive endorsers do positively affect attitude toward the endorsed brand, expertise is a more important dimension for driving the fit between an endorser and a brand. Study One examines physical attractiveness as a match‐up factor. Results indicate a general “attractiveness effect”, but not a match‐up effect based on attractiveness. Study Two considers expertise as the match‐up dimension. A match‐up effect was found based on expertise.
The Components of Purpose and Professional-Communication Pedagogy

A review of the current literature suggests that the concept of purpose has not received sufficient theoretical or pedagogical attention. In this article, theoretical depth is provided by a discussion of four components of purpose: purpose as associated with discourse types, purpose from the writer's viewpoint, purpose as it relates to situation, and purpose from the reader's viewpoint. Research is cited, and examples from computer documentation are used to illustrate each component. Cooperation and conflict among components are examined in a sample document, and classroom applications are discussed.
OPTIMIZATION OF FEDBATCH CULTURE SYSTEMS WITH TWO FEED RATES

Abstract The feed rate optimization of fed batch cultures with two or more feed rates is a numerically difficult problem involving two or more singular control variables. Even when implicit or explicit forms of singular control profiles can be derived, the sequence of control including bang-bang regions and singular regions must be known a priori. Thus, no attempt has been reported in literature. A nonsingular transformation algorithm has been proposed to convert singular control problems with control variables into nonsingular problems involving nonsingular control variables. Using the proposed transformation and numerical technique, optimization of fed-batch cultures with two feed rales has been carried out succesfully.
Don't Give Them the Fish, Show Them How to Fish: Framework of Market-Driven Entrepreneurship in Thailand

Abstract This paper proposes a conceptual model to enhance the success of rural entrepreneurs in post-crisis Thailand. We postulate that the government plays important roles in facilitating entrepreneurial start-ups and initial growth. However, the subsidy or intervention needs to be limited to encourage market competition. We suggest that Thai entrepreneurs who can perform entrepreneurial activities that match the market opportunities(market-driven entrepreneurs) better than competitors are likely to succeed, as opposed to those who rely merely on product-driven strategies. The overall success of entrepreneurial activities will eventually boost Thai economic growth. This conceptual model can be used to understand the complex role of the government and marketdriven entrepreneurs in sustaining rural entrepreneurial activities which eventually will lead to national economic growth. It also fills a void in the literature and can be extended to other countries with similar national conditions.
Tilting in the arsenic-induced c(4×4) reconstruction of the GaAs\{001\} surface

The atomic geometry of the As-rich GaAs{001}-c(4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4) surface prepared by molecular-beam epitaxy has been characterized in situ. The focus of the study is to determine how excess As affects the structure of the GaAs{001} surface. We report that the second- and third-interlayer spacings are (1.48\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10) and (1.47\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10) \AA{}, respectively, in comparison to the bulk spacing of 1.41 \AA{}. Arsenic atoms in the first layer are observed to be dimerized along the 〈110〉 azimuth with a bond length of (2.69\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10) \AA{}. Furthermore, evidence is presented that is consistent with a structure which contains both untilted and tilted dimers. The tilting is defined by a rotation about the center of the dimer bond by \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}(4.3\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}). These results are based on desorbed ${\mathrm{Ga}}^{+}$ ion distributions obtained by shadow-cone-enhanced secondary-ion mass spectrometry.
Rare earth elements in carbonatite and cogenetic alkaline rocks; examples from Seabrook Lake and Callander Bay, Ontario

Associated rocks from the Seabrook Lake, carbonatite complex in Ontario show an increase in total REE (rare earth element) content and in light REE enrichment in the following order: fenite ≦quartz monzohite <ijolite <mafic breccia <carbonatite (sovite). Ijolite and carbonatite, which may be comagmatic on the basis of their low and similar initial strontium isotopic ratios, may have originated in the following manner: (1) A small degree of partial melting of the upper mantle could have formed a primary, basic magma, probably having a lower REE content than ijolite. (2) The presumed primary magma could have undergone extensive fractional crystallization of phases such as clinopyroxene, olivine, and ≦1% garnet, to produce residual melts with the REE contents of the ijolite. (3) The carbonatite may represent an immiscible carbonate-rich liquid which separated from the “parent” ijolite liquid, as suggested by REE distribution coefficients between carbonatite and ijolite at Seabrook Lake similar to those obtained for carbonate-rich ocelli and associated lamprophyre at Callander Bay.
Calcification and amelogenesis in craniopharyngiomas.

Abstract A study of calcification and amelogenesis in eighty-four pituitary adamantinomas has confirmed the findings of others that diffuse calcification of islands of the cornified epithelium is the most common feature. It has been found that atypical amelogenesis in the form of enameloids and enamel droplets is also a common alteration which contributes to the appearance of abnormal radiodensities in supraselar areas. It occurred in about 60 per cent of the craniopharyngiomas studied.
Human large granular lymphocytes and natural killing ultrastructural studies of strontium-induced degranulation.

Large granular lymphocytes (LGL) are a subpopulation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells believed to contain the mediators of spontaneous cytotoxicity or natural killing. In the present study, the mononuclear cells were enriched for LGL by differential density centrifugation on Percoll gradients and examined by transmission electron microscopy. The ultrastructure of LGL and of their binding interaction with natural killer-susceptible target cells (K562) is described in detail. Some morphological similarity between LGL and cells of a myelocytic origin was observed. Studies reported elsewhere have shown that Sr2+, an alkaline earth ion known to degranulate granulocytes, inhibits NK cell function. Comparison of the morphology of control and Sr2+-treated LGL showed that Sr2+ caused several characteristic changes in LGL ultrastructure and, indeed, led to their degranulation. The recovery of natural killer function seen following in vitro culture of Sr2+-treated effector cells was accompanied by the reappearance of typical intracytoplasmic granules. These data strongly suggest that the granules of LGL are required for and, perhaps, involved in natural killer-mediated cytolysis.
Preliminary evaluation of the VOYAGER spoken language system

VOYAGER is a speech understanding system currently under development at MIT. It provides information and navigational assistance for a geographical area within the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Recently, we have completed the initial implementation of the system. This paper describes the preliminary evaluation of VOYAGER, using a spontaneous speech database that was also recently collected.
Changes in plasma warfarin levels and variations in steady-state prothrombin times.

Objective To determine the relative contribution of changes in the plasma warfarin level to variation in the serial steady-state prothrombin times. Methods This was a prospective observational cohort study performed at two outpatient anticoagulation clinics. Serial prothrombin times and paired plasma total warfarin levels were determined in a convenience sample of otherwise healthy patients who required long-term oral anticoagulation therapy with warfarin. Results Serial measurements were obtained from 129 patients, 60 of whom provided three or more serial samples. Analysis of covariance showed a highly significant (p = 0.0001) relationship between the anticoagulant effect and the logarithm of the warfarin concentration (R2 = 0.75), with 15.3% of the total variance attributable to the effect of warfarin and 31.1% attributable to individual variation in sensitivity to warfarin. In an analysis of the subjects who had three or more serial measurements, the mean weighted correlation coefficient for the relationship between the logarithm of the warfarin concentration and the anticoagulant response varied widely, from strongly negative to strongly positive, and as the range of observed prothrombin times increased, stronger positive correlation was observed. Conclusions In this cohort, the plasma warfarin level was a strong predictor of observed changes in serial prothrombin time measurements. However, the correlation between clotting times and warfarin levels varied widely among subjects, particularly when the range of observed prothrombin times was moderate. This suggests that in these subjects, other factors, such as measurement error or pharmacodynamic changes, played a major role. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (1995) 58, 588–593; doi: