cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Involvement of epidermal growth factor receptors and mitogen-activated protein kinase in progestin-induction of sperm hypermotility in Atlantic croaker through membrane progestin receptor-alpha

The intracellular pathways mediating rapid, nongenomic progestin stimulation of sperm motility remain unclear. The role of epidermal growth factor receptors (Egfr and ErbB2) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (Mapk) in membrane progestin receptor-alpha (mPRα)-mediated progestin stimulation of sperm hypermotility was examined in a teleost, Atlantic croaker. Inhibition of upstream regulators of Egfr, intracellular tyrosine kinase (Src) with PP2, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) with Ilomastat, abolished progestin-initiated sperm hypermotility by 17,20β,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (20β-S; 20 nM) and a specific mPRα agonist, Org OD 02-0 (20 nM). Pretreatment of croaker sperm with EGFR inhibitors, AG1478 (5 μM) and RG13022 (50 μM), the ErbB2 inhibitor, AG879 (5 nM), or the MEK1/2 inhibitor, U0126 (500 nM) blocked progestin stimulation of sperm motility. Levels of phosphorylated extracellular-related kinase 1 and 2 (P-Erk1/2) were increased after 20β-S treatment. These results demonstrate that progestin-mediated hypermotility via mPRα in croaker sperm involves activation of the Egfr, ErbB2 and Mapk pathways.
Agronomic Trends And Problems In The Great Plains

Publisher Summary The Great Plains of the United States constitute a large segment of nearly level to gently rolling land interspersed with some rough drainage ways and some sand dunes. The Great Plains area provides a tremendous force in American agriculture. Since its settlement by adventurous easterners, for the most part less than one hundred years ago, the Great Plains area has been confronted with many agricultural and economic problems. These problems have stemmed primarily from periods of drought, intense winds, low prices, and overproduction interspersed with periods of favorable climate, high prices, and national or international food shortages. As a result of these factors, there have been many fluctuations in farm income, land use, land tenure, land prices, rural and urban population, and general economic well-being.
Modeling Methodology for Nonlinear Physiological Systems

A general modeling approach for a broad class of nonlinear systems is presented that uses the concept of principal dynamic modes (PDMs). These PDMs constitute a filter bank whose outputs feed into a multi-input static nonlinearity of multinomial (polynomial) form to yield a general model for the broad class of Volterra systems. Because the practically obtainable models (from stimulus-response data) are of arbitrary order of nonlinearity, this approach is applicable to many nonlinear physiological systems heretofore beyond our methodological means. Two specific methods are proposed for the estimation of these PDMs and the associated nonlinearities from stimulus-response data. Method I uses eigendecomposition of a properly constructed matrix using the first two kernel estimates (obtained by existing methods). Method II uses a particular class of feedforward artificial neural networks with polynomial activation functions. The efficacy of these two methods is demonstrated with computer-simulated examples, and their relative performance is discussed. The advent of this approach promises a practicable solution to the vexing problem of modeling highly nonlinear physiological systems, provided that experimental data be available for reliable estimation of the requisite PDMs.
Price and Subsidy Policies for Urban Public Transport and Water Utilities in Transition Economies

This paper addresses price and subsidy policies for urban public transport and water utilities in transition economies of Europe and Central Asia. The subject of this paper is the three-way interaction among the suppliers (service companies), governments, and customers (primarily individuals and households) of urban public transport and water/sewerage services in transition countries. The focus is on the realm of prices, subsidies and revenues, seen mainly through the prism of World Bank assistance programs. The paper starts with a brief section on the impact of transition processes on the economy, as a background to a section on initial conditions in water and public transport utility companies, as found at the diagnostic stage of Bank assistance efforts to these utilities. The approaches used in the current portfolio of such projects are then summarized, to provide the framework within which price and subsidy reforms were undertaken. Specific approaches to price and subsidy reforms are reviewed, as is the relevant implementation experience. The last two sections discuss the sources of resistance to change and reform, and present a proposed approach to the development of assistance strategies for the future.
The State of Self-efficacy among Massachusetts School–based Occupational Therapists

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the state of self-efficacy among school-based occupational therapists (OTs) in Massachusetts and whether background and demographic characteristics determined level of self-efficacy. One hundred forty school-based OTs employed in public and charter schools throughout Massachusetts participated in the study by completing the Occupational Therapist Self-efficacy Survey developed for the study. On average, school-based OTs possessed high levels of self-efficacy in their ability to perform their role. Additionally, OTs’ background and demographic characteristics did not predict level of self-efficacy. This study concludes that related staff or school-based OTs possess high total self-efficacy and self-efficacy organization and varying levels of self-efficacy in self-efficacy collaboration and self-efficacy service provision. Unfortunately, the study was unable to prove that background and demographic characteristics influenced the level of self-efficacy possessed. Stu...
Vagal afferent fibres determine the oxytocin‐induced modulation of gastric tone

Oxytocin (OXT) inputs to the dorsal vagal complex (DVC; nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS) dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) and area postrema) decrease gastric tone and motility. Our first aim was to investigate the mechanism(s) of OXT-induced gastric relaxation. We demonstrated recently that vagal afferent inputs modulate NTS-DMV synapses involved in gastric and pancreatic reflexes via group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Our second aim was to investigate whether group II mGluRs similarly influence the response of vagal motoneurons to OXT. Microinjection of OXT in the DVC decreased gastric tone in a dose-dependent manner. The OXT-induced gastric relaxation was enhanced following bethanechol and reduced by l-NAME administration, suggesting a nitrergic mechanism of gastroinhibition. DVC application of the group II mGluR antagonist EGLU induced a gastroinhibition that was not dose dependent and shifted the gastric effects of OXT to a cholinergic-mediated mechanism. Evoked and miniature GABAergic synaptic currents between NTS and identified gastric-projecting DMV neurones were not affected by OXT in any neurones tested, unless the brainstem slice was (a) pretreated with EGLU or (b) derived from rats that had earlier received a surgical vagal deafferentation. Conversely, OXT inhibited glutamatergic currents even in naive slices, but their responses were unaffected by EGLU pretreatment. These results suggest that the OXT-induced gastroinhibition is mediated by activation of the NANC pathway. Inhibition of brainstem group II mGluRs, however, uncovers the ability of OXT to modulate GABAergic transmission between the NTS and DMV, resulting in the engagement of an otherwise silent cholinergic vagal neurocircuit.
An Analysis of Minutiae Matching Strength

In recent years there has been exponential growth in the use of biometrics for user authentication applications because biometrics-based authentication offers several advantages over knowledge and possession-based methods such as password/PIN-based systems. However, it is important that biometrics-based authentication systems be designed to withstand different sources of attacks on the system when employed in security-critical applications. This is even more important for unattended remote applications such as e-commerce. In this paper we outline the potential security holes in a biometrics-based authentication scheme, quantify the numerical strength of one method of fingerprint matching, then discuss how to combat some of the remaining weaknesses.
On multidimensional HARF and SHARF algorithms

Recently, a multidimensional (k-D) hyperstable adaptive recursive filter (HARF) algorithm, which converges in a "volumewise' sense but not in the usual sense, was introduced in the literature. As an extension to that paper, we present a new k-D HARF algorithm which converges in the usual sense and faster than the one previously reported. This new formulation of k-D HARF algorithm is much easier to understand and it is a more natural way of extending 1-D HARF algorithm to k-D. Furthermore, for the first time, we introduce a k-D version of 1-D (SHARF) algorithm and provide simulations which show the potential applications of the new k-D HARF and k-D SHARF in system identification and noise cancellation. Finally, we compare the performance of these three different adaptive schemes. >
Depositional characteristics of 7Be and 210Pb in southeastern Michigan

[1] The depositional fluxes in the bulk and dry fallout as well as the concentrations of 7Be and 210Pb in aerosols were measured for a period of 17 months at Detroit, Michigan. The bulk depositional fluxes of 7Be and 210Pb varied between 3.11 and 63.0 dpm cm−2 yr−1 (mean of 11.4 dpm cm−2 yr−1) and 0.35 and 10.3 dpm cm−2 yr−1 (mean of 1.41 dpm cm−2 yr−1), respectively, and this variability in the depositional fluxes is attributed to the frequency and amount of precipitation and seasonal variations in the depositional fluxes. The dry depositional fluxes of 7Be and 210Pb contributed 2.1–19.8% and 3.6–48.6% of the bulk depositional fluxes, respectively. The higher precipitation-normalized enrichment factor for 7Be during spring is attributed to the stratosphere-troposphere exchange of air masses during spring and large-scale atmospheric mixing during summer. We report that snow is more efficient than rain in removing 210Pb from the atmosphere, and this is likely due to higher surface area of snow flurries compared to the rain droplets. The volume-weighted concentrations of 7Be and 210Pb are the highest reported in literature so far. The concentration of 7Be in the air showed a seasonal increase during the spring and summer months, and no seasonal variation was observed for 210Pb. The mean deposition velocities of aerosols calculated using concentrations of 7Be and 210Pb in air and precipitation are 1.6 and 1.1 cm s−1, respectively, and the corresponding washout ratios are 948 and 637. There is no significant correlation between the aerosol mass and depositional velocities of 7Be and 210Pb in the air masses. We propose that a relatively minor portion of the aerosols actively participate in the removal of these nuclides from the air masses.
Lack of an initiator element is responsible for multiple transcriptional initiation sites of the TATA-less mouse thymidylate synthase promoter.

Abstract The mouse thymidylate synthase promoter lacks a TATA box and initiates transcription at many sites across a 90-nucleotide initiation window. We showed previously that wild-type promoter activity is maintained with a promoter that extends only 13 nucleotides upstream of the first start site. G/A-rich and G/C-rich promoter elements were identified in the vicinity of the first transcriptional start site. The goals of the present study were to determine whether there are additional promoter elements in the initiation window and to determine why transcription initiates across such a broad region. Minigenes containing a variety of substitution, deletion, and insertion mutations in the promoter region were transfected into cultured cells, and the effects on expression and the pattern of start sites were determined. The results indicate that there are no additional promoter elements downstream of the G/C box. The boundaries of the transcription window are established by elements near the 5' end of the window, whereas the pattern of start sites is determined by sequences within the window. The promoter lacks an initiator element. When an initiator element was inserted, transcription initiated predominantly at the position directed by the initiator when it was inserted within the initiation window but not when it was inserted immediately upstream of the window.
A fate map for the first cleavages of the zebrafish

A FATE map depicts how lineages from a defined blastomere will be restricted to particular tissues. In the amphibian Xenopus laevis, the early blastomeres of the embryo have traceable lineages1–4. However, it has been thought that mixing of the blastomeres of Brachydanio rerio prevents them from giving rise to a fate map5–10. For this reason the zebrafish has been used as an example of a class of embryos, including mammals, which apparently exhibit little fate until later in embryogenesis. The amphibia were the exception. We report here the use of fluorescent dyes on very-high-molecular-mass carriers to trace a fate map from the first three cleavages of the zebrafish embryo to the three principal adult body axes: the first cleavage defines dorsal–ventral; the second cleavage, left–right; and the third, anterior–posterior.
Enzyme hydrolysis and ethanol fermentation of dilute ammonia pretreated energy cane.

Abstract This study is the first one ever to report on the use of high fiber sugarcane (a.k.a. energy cane) bagasse as feedstock for the production of cellulosic ethanol. Energy cane bagasse was pretreated with ammonium hydroxide (28% v/v solution), and water at a ratio of 1:0.5:8 at 160 °C for 1 h under 0.9–1.1 MPa. Approximately, 55% lignin, 30% hemicellulose, 9% cellulose, and 6% other (e.g., ash, proteins) were removed during the process. The maximum glucan conversion of dilute ammonia treated energy cane bagasse by cellulases was 87% with an ethanol yield (glucose only) of 23 g ethanol/100 g dry biomass. The enzymatic digestibility was related to the removal of lignin and hemicellulose, perhaps due to increased surface area and porosity resulting in the deformation and swelling of exposed fibers as shown in the SEM pictures.
Phase diagram for Anderson disorder : Beyond single-parameter scaling

The Anderson model for independent electrons in a disordered potential is transformed analytically and exactly to a basis of random extended states leading to a variant of augmented space. In addition to the widely-accepted phase diagrams in all physical dimensions, a plethora of additional, weaker Anderson transitions are found, characterized by the long-distance behavior of states. Critical disorders are found for Anderson transitions at which the asymptotically dominant sector of augmented space changes for all states at the same disorder. At fixed disorder, critical energies are also found at which the localization properties of states are singular. Under the approximation of single-parameter scaling, this phase diagram reduces to the widely-accepted one in 1, 2 and 3 dimensions. In two dimensions, in addition to the Anderson transition at infinitesimal disorder, there is a transition between two localized states, characterized by a change in the nature of wave function decay.
Preventive effects of transdermal 17β-estradiol on osteoporotic changes after surgical menopause: A two-year placebo-controlled trial

Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effects of three dosages of transdermally administered 17 β-estradiol on markers of bone loss in women who had recently undergone surgical menopause. Study Design: This was a 2-year, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that reviewed 127 women stratified by age. Biochemical indicators of bone metabolism in urine and serum were periodically assessed, as was bone mineral content of the lumbar spine and radius. Statistical analysis examined the percent changes from baseline in bone mineral density by using an analysis of covariance with treatment as a factor and the baseline value as a covariant, by performing all-pairwise comparisons among the three estradiol groups, and by testing for a linear dose-response relationship. Results: After 2 years of therapy, a significant dose-response relationship was detected. Conclusion: This 2-year study demonstrates that transdermally administered 17 β-estradiol is a safe and effective regimen for preventing bone loss in recently postmenopausal women.
Generalized Embedding of Multiplicative Watermarks

This paper constructs a class of generalized embeddings of multiplicative watermarks. Ordinary multiplicative and additive methods are included as special cases. The new watermarks automatically adapt to the local contents of host signals, benefiting the perceptual quality. The decoding makes use of the optimal generalized correlation detector. The host interference is precanceled at the embedder side and very high gains are obtained in terms of decoding capability. We develop performance analysis for this new class of embeddings. It turns out that the plain multiplicative watermark is far outperformed by the new embedding. Further, the multiplicative watermark with host interference rejection is still suboptimal. The best embeddings and configurations are specified for typical scenarios. Our construction and performance analyses of the generalized embedding offer a class of new methods. The construction and analyses are confirmed by empirical experiments.
Tako Tsubo Cardiomyopathy (Transient Left Ventricular Apical Ballooning): Case Report of a Myocardial Perfusion Echocardiogram Study

We are reporting a case of Tako tsubo cardiomyopathy (transient left ventricular apical ballooning) in the Western population identified by a perfusion echocardiogram that demonstrated perfusion defect at baseline in the apical and adjacent walls that was incongruous to the wall-motion abnormality. The perfusion defect improved within 72 hours on a repeated study indicating that microvasculature disruption is a key feature of this enigmatic cardiomyopathy.
CHARACTERIZATION OF AIR VOID DISTRIBUTION IN ASPHALT MIXES USING X-RAY COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

This study describes experimental and analytical methods to quantify the structure of air voids in asphalt mixes. An x-ray computed tomography system along with image analysis techniques were used to measure air void sizes at different depths within asphalt mix specimens. The statistical analyses performed validated the applicability of the Weibull model for describing the air void distribution. Consequently, the Weibull model was used to quantify the effect of the compaction effort, method of compaction, and aggregate size distribution on air voids. The air void size distribution in Superpave gyratory compacted specimens was found to exhibit a “bathtub” shape, whereby larger voids were present at the top and bottom parts of a specimen. This shape was more pronounced at higher compaction efforts. The method of compaction was significant in influencing the air void size distribution. Specimens prepared using the Superpave gyratory compactor with different aggregate sizes were found to have noticeably diffe...
Heteropolyacid/saponite-like clay complexes and their blends in amphiphilic SEBS

Abstract A synthetic saponite-like clay, Sumecton SA (SSA), was self-assembled with 12-phosphotungstic acid (PTA) heteropolyacid for the preparation of new hybrid nanocomposites for proton exchange membranes. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transformed diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRIFT) measurements indicate the formation of robust PTA–SSA complexes. The Keggin structure of PTA is preserved within the complexes and is thermally stable up to 450 °C. The amount of PTA incorporated into the clay depends on the PTA–SSA weight ratio used for the complex preparation. PTA incorporation achieved is approximately 2–3 times the PTA content of most reported literature. However, higher PTA incorporation is accompanied by a significant loss of structural clay integrity. Low PTA–SSA weight ratios tend to preserve clay structure, but do not preclude its general amorphization generated by the PTA acidic treatment. PTA–SSA complexes present a low degree of order. Inorganic complexes were blended by melt extrusion with chemically-modified styrene/ethylene-co-butylene/styrene block copolymer (SEBS). Poly(oxyethylene/oxypropylene)-grafted-SEBS is more efficient than maleic anhydride-grafted-SEBS at dispersing PTA–SSA complexes. For both nanocomposite systems, nanoparticles’ size varies between 30 and 300 nm.
Illuminating Metal Ion Sensors – Benzimidazolesulfonamide Metal Complexes

The synthesis, structure, and solution spectroscopy of several (2-sulfonamidophenyl)benzimidazole metal complexes are reported. These ligands, which have been reported as selective molecular sensors for Zn(2+), readily form complexes with Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), and Zn(2+). Surprisingly, the ligand adopts different binding modes depending on the metal ion. The work here provides insight into the coordination chemistry of these ligands, which may allow for the development of improved metal-ion sensors and metalloprotein inhibitors.
Ritualized behavior in a territorial limpet

The territorial system of the owl limpet Lottia gigantea Sowerby was found to have ritualized characteristics resulting in much less aggressive physical contact between interacting individuals than has been previously implied. Many limpets showed a marked evasion behavior in response to limpet contact while intruding on another limpet's territory. In addition, a resident limpet when performing an aggressive pushing response, usually only pursued an intruder it had repelled for a short distance rather than to the edge of the resident's territory as previously reported. These behaviors strongly suggest a ritualized territorial system. The push-and-pursue territorial behavior that was previously reported for L. gigantea, is the rare exception to the rule; contact between limpets usually results in the intruder retreating, either immediately or subsequent to the thrusts of the resident, the latter only rarely pursuing.
Memory, history and the claims of the past:

This article presents an account of collective memory which explains its relationship to individual memory on the one hand and to history on the other. It argues that the role of memory, both individual and collective, is not merely cognitive; it is also normative. That is, memory does not simply transmit information from the past to the present; it also transmits responsibilities. Insofar as collective memory has a cognitive aspect, it makes claims about the past. These may be confirmed or disconfirmed by historical research. This does not mean that collective memory is just bad history. It is more like history written in the first person, and its role is to inform the present generation of its responsibilities to the past.
Ontological Knowledge Representation and Inference Rules for MTM Decision Support System

The objective of the research presented is to develop and implement an ontological knowledge representation for Methods-Time Measurement assembly time estimation process. The knowledge representation is used to drive a decision support system that provides the user with intelligent MTM table suggestions based on assembly work instructions. Inference rules are used to map work instructions to MTM tables. An explicit definition of the assembly time estimation domain is required. The contribution of this research, in addition to the decision support system, is an extensible knowledge representation that models work instructions, MTM tables and mapping rules between the two which will enable the establishment of assembly time estimates. Further, the ontology provides an extensible knowledge representation framework for linking time studies and assembly processes.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Postmodernism, Language, and the Strains of Modernism

Abstract During the last few years a group of geographers has seen decisive problems in the accepted ways of thinking about the subject matter of geography, the ways of knowing that subject matter, and the ways of communicating the results of geographical inquiry. They have attempted to develop alternatives to these accepted practices. Advocates of these alternatives have characterized the now questionable views as “modernist,” and have claimed to be “postmodern.” In doing so they have appealed to the intellectual authority of several individuals, notably Nietzsche, Rorty, and Wittgenstein. Yet a closer analysis of the works of those authorities suggests the need to rethink the claims of the most vocal of postmodernists. Indeed, an analysis of the works of postmodernists in terms of the critiques—of authority, ontology, history, and language—developed by the very authorities whom they cite suggests that postmodernism is in important respects modernist. This, if we return to the works of postmodern geograp...
Remote Monitoring of Heart Failure Patients

"The Teledactyl (Tele, far; Dactyl, finger--from the Greek) is a future instrument by which it will be possible for us to 'feel at a distance.' This idea is not at all impossible, for the instrument can be built today with means available right now. It is simply the well known telautograph, translated into radio terms, with additional refinements. The doctor of the future, by means of this instrument, will be able to feel his patient, as it were, at a distance...The doctor manipulates his controls, which are then manipulated at the patient's room in exactly the same manner. The doctor sees what is going on in the patient's room by means of a television screen." -Hugo Gernsback, Science and Invention Magazine, February 1925 Heart failure continues to be a major burden on our health care system. As the number of patients with heart failure increases, the cost of hospitalization alone is contributing significantly to the overall cost of this disease. Readmission rate and hospital length of stay are emerging as quality markers of heart failure care along with reimbursement policies that force hospitals to optimize these outcomes. Apart from maintaining quality assurance, the disease process of heart failure per-se requires demanding and close attention to vitals, diet, and medication compliance to prevent acute decompensation episodes. Remote patient monitoring is morphing into a key disease management strategy to optimize care for heart failure. Innovative implantable technologies to monitor intracardiac hemodynamics also are evolving, which potentially could offer better and substantial parameters to monitor.
Does a Healthy Diet Help Weight Management Among Overweight and Obese People

A randomized dietary intervention trial across 4 years examined diet, weight, and obesity incidence (body mass index [BMI] > or = 30 kg/m(2)) differences between study groups. Participants were 1,510 breast cancer survivors with BMI > or = 25 kg/m(2) at entry. Dietary intake was assessed yearly by telephone; weight and height were measured at clinic visits. Intervention participants consumed more fruit, vegetables, and fiber and less energy from fat than control participants during follow-up cross-sectionally (p .10) among overweight members of either study group. Without specific efforts to reduce total energy intake, dietary modification does not reduce obesity or result in long-term weight loss.
EVANGELICAL ELITES AND FAITH-BASED FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Abstract Values-based concerns motivated evangelicals during President Bush's first term to advance a “faith-based” foreign policy agenda, producing similar mixed results as their domestic priorities. Evangelicals reject isolationism in favor of a global butoften unilateralist foreign policy motivated by theological convictions and aided byincreasing strategic sophistication. However, evangelical elites are not monolithic in their understanding of international affairs, which fosters debate but also hinders greater influence. Evangelicals could have greater influence over Bush's foreign policy agenda if they present a united, coherent perspective backed by mass mobilization. In order to do this, evangelicals need to reflect theologically on global politics and to overcome the idea that politics is only local.
Factors associated with early presentation of acute stroke

Patients with stroke symptoms commonly delay many hours before seeking medical attention. We sought to explore the factors associated with early presentation of stroke patients to physicians. We prospectively studied 100 consecutive acute stroke patients presenting to three large, urban medical centers. Using a standardized, structured interview and chart review, we assessed patient education about stroke, risk factors, clinical features of the stroke, source of stroke recognition, and timing of presentation. We did not study the distance from the site of stroke onset to the site of physician contact. Stroke onset time was known in 96 of the patients. Mean patient age was 71.3 years, 79% had at least one stroke risk factor, 26% had prior transient ischemic attack, 19% had prior stroke, 74% had some high school education, and 86% had regular physicians. Only 8% had been previously educated about stroke symptoms. Eighty one percent of strokes were ischemic. The mean time to physician contact was 13.4 +/- 2.3 hours (median, 4.0 hours) and to neurologist contact was 21.2 +/- 2.9 hours. A skewed distribution of presentation times accounts for the mean-median differences. A small number of patients presenting very late could have an effect on the correlations between presentation time and the variables studied. Early presentation time was associated with increased age, the sudden onset of a stable deficit, and recognition that the symptoms signified stroke. Only the sudden onset of a stable deficit correlated independently with early presentation time (P = .0048). There was no correlation between presentation time and prior transient ischemic attack or stroke, headache, vomiting, loss of consciousness or seizures at onset, or stroke subtype, but a type II error could not be excluded. Despite their education level, regular health care, and risk factors, especially prior stroke and transient ischemic attack, these patients were not knowledgeable about stroke and delayed many hours before contacting physicians. The course of symptoms and recognition that they signified stroke were associated with earlier presentation. Patient education focused on groups at risk may hasten the presentation and treatment of acute stroke.
Steady vortex dipoles with general profile functions

Vortex dipoles in a two-dimensional, inviscid flow are obtained by prescribing the profile function relating the vorticity to the stream function. The profile functions used are smooth, and the solutions obtained have a smooth transition from the exterior flow to the interior of the vortex. The dipoles are nearly elliptical, and this relates this work to the ‘supersmooth’ dipoles obtained recently by Kizner & Khvoles (Regular Chaotic Dyn., vol. 9, 2004, pp. 509–518). The solutions found here are obtained by an iterative method for solving the nonlinear partial differential equation for the stream function. This iterative method is both robust and flexible. Solutions are also obtained in a β-plane, and they are shielded, as has also been found in previous work.
Energy levels of 43Sc excited by the (τ, t) reaction

Abstract Levels of 43 Sc below an excitation energy of 5 MeV have been studied using the 43 Ca(τ, t) 43 Sc reaction. Up to an energy of about 3 MeV, most of the levels populated strongly are those assigned to the (fp) 3 configuration. Known even-parity states and most 5p-2h states are very weakly excited. The transition to the isobaric analogue of the 43 Ca ground state shows a characteristic L = 0 angular distribution. Angular distributions with a backward peaking provide support for suggested assignments for the lowest if 19 2 − and 15 2 − (fp) 3 states. The identification of the previously unknown 13 2 − and 17 2 − members is also suggested from these results The wide variety of shapes observed in other transitions indicates that the angular distributions reflect nuclear structure effects as well as the spin change involved.
ModLock: A manual connector for reconfigurable modular robots

Connection mechanisms are critical to many modular reconfigurable systems. This paper introduces the ModLock manual connection system which is both easy and fast to attach/detach (requires seconds) as well as strong (failure at 2.2kN tensile load). This low cost, low profile connection system has been demonstrated on a variety of robot configurations including legged walkers, flying quadrotors and wheeled robots.
Quantitative NMR studies of water in silicate glasses

The state of water in volcanic and synthetic silicate glasses is characterized by a number of different solid state NMR techniques. ^1H solid echo NMR is used to quantitate total water contents reliably down to levels of 0.1 wt%. High-speed ^1H magic-angle spinning NMR can be used to obtain relative species concentrations of OH and H_2O groups in glasses free from paramagnetic impurities. Similar results are obtained from deuterium quadrupolar echo NMR difference spectroscopy, utilizing the different spin-lattice relaxation times of OD and D_2O species. The results demonstrate that the percentage of water present in the form of molecular H_2O species increases with increasing total water content. The H_2O groups are anisotropically constrained, but undergo 180° flips about the bisector axis at rates greater than 10^5 s^(−1). The hydrous species are not clustered and are subjected to a distribution of hydrogen bonding strengths. A distribution function of O-D···O distances obtained from infrared results, shows good compatibility with the experimental ^2H NMR lineshapes. The relative merits of the different experimental approaches are discussed in detail.
GO AHEAD, GO AWAY

Abstract Translator's Note: This poem originally appeared in French in May 1999, in the first issue of a new Malian poetry review: Kuma , the literary magazine of the Union of Young Malian Writers. My former New York University in Paris student, Laura Starecheski, helped launch the review while studying in Bamako. An activist, sensitive writer, and reader herself, Laura seeks out women's voices wherever they can be heard. She especially wants people to be aware of Fatoumata Keita, a 23-year-old poet. I think that Laura Starecheski and Fatoumata Keita are part of the linking chorus of women connecting us to each other across continents and oceans. To me, they are the “inheritors”: carrying on, with their distinctive vehement energy, the life-long intellectual and emotional commitment of feminists such as Claire Duchen. Those interested in supporting this Malian writers' project should write to: KUMA, BP E3026, Bamako, Mali, West Africa.
Manifestations of moral development in concrete situations

One hundred college-age participants were asked to present a recently, personally-experienced, moral conflict which was coded according to the stages of development elaborated by Kohlberg. The results indicated that the area of conflict is a factor affecting the level of maturity expressed in the resolution of the conflict. Participants experiencing political and ideological conflicts resolved these conflicts on a more mature level of development than participants experiencing honesty or social conflicts. Participants experiencing sexual conflicts also resolved them on a more mature level than subjects experiencing honesty conflicts. No differences were found as a function of sex. Social conflicts were reported most often and legal conflicts least frequently. The results were discussed in terms of the differential responses to hypothetical and concrete moral conflicts.
Preserving the integrity of the medium: a method of measuring visual and auditory comprehension of electronic media

This study reports the development of two techniques to assess comprehension of television which “respect the integrity of the medium”. A cut, defined as that segment of the videotape corresponding to one particular camera angle, was the unit of measurement. Random cuts were made in the videotape of a television program, and presented to 99 fourth and fifth grade boys and girls. The subjects were presented with the videotape including 20 blank cuts; for each blank cut one-half of our subjects had to select one of five visual choices for the visual blank cut; the other half had to choose one of five auditory choices for the auditory blank cuts. The choices, including the correct choice, were taken from the videotape and varied in appropriateness. The children were able to perform the two tasks, receiving mean scores of 54% and 61% correct, which compares favorably to comprehension scores for reading. These two techniques are described as tools for assessing electronic comprehension which assess in the same medium as the information was received. The significance of this for further research is suggested.
Preparation and characterization of novel CO2 “molecular basket” adsorbents based on polymer-modified mesoporous molecular sieve MCM-41

Abstract Novel CO2 “molecular basket” adsorbents were prepared by synthesizing and modifying the mesoporous molecular sieve of MCM-41 type with polyethylenimine (PEI). The MCM-41-PEI adsorbents were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption/desorption, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) as well as the CO2 adsorption/desorption performance. This paper reports on the effects of preparation conditions (PEI loadings, preparation methods, PEI loading procedures, types of solvents, solvent/MCM-41 ratios, addition of additive, and Si/Al ratios of MCM-41) on the CO2 adsorption/desorption performance of MCM-41-PEI. With the increase in PEI loading, the surface area, pore size and pore volume of the PEI-loaded MCM-41 adsorbent decreased. When the PEI loading was higher than 30 wt.%, the mesoporous pores began to be filled with PEI and the mesoporous molecular sieve MCM-41 showed a synergetic effect on the adsorption of CO2 by PEI. At PEI loading of 50 wt.% in MCM-41-PEI, the highest CO2 adsorption capacity of 246 mg/g-PEI was obtained, which is 30 times higher than that of the MCM-41 and is about 2.3 times that of the pure PEI. Impregnation was found to be a better method for the preparation of MCM-41-PEI adsorbents than mechanical mixing method. The adsorbent prepared by a one-step impregnation method had a higher CO2 adsorption capacity than that of prepared by a two-step impregnation method. The higher the Si/Al ratio of MCM-41 or the solvent/MCM-41 ratio, the higher the CO2 adsorption capacity. Using polyethylene glycol as additive into the MCM-41-PEI adsorbent increased not only the CO2 adsorption capacity, but also the rates of CO2 adsorption/desorption. A simple model was proposed to account for the synergetic effect of MCM-41 on the adsorption of CO2 by PEI.
Activity of the integrated on-line trypsin microreactor and nanoelectrospray emitter in acetonitrile–water co-solvent mixtures

The on-line trypsin microreactor and nanoelectrospray emitter for peptide mass mapping was demonstrated to be functional under aqueous conditions, but it is well known that electrospray ionization works more efficiently with organic co-solvents. Here, an activity assay was developed to determine the activity of this integrated device with acetonitrile as a co-solvent. Trypsin was immobilized onto fused silica capillaries pulled to fine tips as integrated microreactors coupled as nanoelectrospray ionization emitters. The model substrate N α-benzoyl-l-arginine ethyl ester (2.5–20 μM) and an internal standard (N α-Z-l-arginine (Z-Arg)) were dissolved in acetonitrile/water at various ratios and infused through the immobilized trypsin microreactor. The trypsin digestion product N α-benzoyl-l-arginine (B-Arg) was detected by nanoelectrospray ionization coupled to an ion trap mass spectrometer, and its abundance compared to Z-Arg for quantification. The activity of immobilized trypsin in the microreactor was determined by measuring the ratio of the peak intensities of the hydrolysis product B-Arg to Z-Arg internal standard (three replicates). Kinetic parameters determined from Lineweaver–Burk analysis indicate an enhancement of trypsin activity upon immobilization and the addition of increasing ratios of acetonitrile up to 80 %, where K m is 0.14 mM and V max = 1.2 μM/s. Much lower immobilized trypsin activities were noted at 100 % ammonium acetate or 100 % acetonitrile than when the two solvents were mixed. The results clearly indicate that immobilized trypsin retains high biocatalytic activity in 20–80 % acetonitrile and is highly compatible with nanoelectrospray ionization mass spectrometry.
Histopathologic findings in the resected specimen of a sleeve gastrectomy.

Background and objectives The vertical sleeve gastrectomy is quickly becoming a preferred bariatric operation. There is a dearth of published data about histopathologic changes in the specimens of morbidly obese patients, especially sleeve patients. The aim of this study is to add more data about the characteristics of the resected gastric specimens to the published literature. Methods A prospective database of all patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomies at a single institution was used to gather our data. Patient characteristics such as age, sex, and initial body mass index were examined. The pathology reports of these patients were examined for any histopathologic changes or findings. Results One hundred forty-five patients over a 3-year period had specimens available for review. Ninety-seven of the patients were women. The mean starting body mass index was 47.5 kg/m(2) (range, 35-72.8 kg/m(2)). The mean age at the time of the operation was 43.1 years. A minority of patients, 62 (49.7%), had histopathologic findings in the resected specimens. The main histopathologic findings were acute and chronic gastritis in 4 patients, chronic gastritis in 61, and follicular lymphoid hyperplasia in 11. One leiomyoma and 2 fundic polyps were found. Seventy-three patients had no histopathologic changes. Conclusion A minority of patients had pathologic findings in the resected specimens. This study will help build a dataset regarding the resected stomachs of morbidly obese individuals. These results can help determine what histopathologic findings can be expected after sleeve gastrectomies.
Evaluation of peptide vaccine immunogenicity in draining lymph nodes and peripheral blood of melanoma patients.

Many peptide epitopes for cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) have been identified from melanocytic differentiation proteins. Vaccine trials with these peptides have been limited mostly to those associated with HLA-A2, and immune responses have been detected inconsistently. Cases of clinical regression have been observed after peptide vaccination in some trials, but melanoma regressions have not correlated well with T-cell responses measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). We vaccinated stage IV melanoma patients with a mixture of gp100 and tyrosinase peptides restricted by HLA-A1 (DAEKSDICTDEY), HLA-A2 (YLEPGPVTA and YMDGTMSQV) and HLA-A3 (ALLAVGATK) in an emulsion with GM-CSF and Montanide ISA-51 adjuvant. CTL responses were assessed in PBLs and in a lymph node draining a vaccine site (sentinel immunized node, SIN). We found CTL responses to vaccinating peptides in the SIN in 5/5 patients (100%). Equivalent assays detected peptide-reactive CTLs in PBLs of 2 of these 5 patients (40%). CTLs expanded from the SIN lysed melanoma cells naturally expressing tyrosinase or gp100. We demonstrated immunogenicity for peptides restricted by HLA-A1 and -A3 and for 1 HLA-A2 restricted peptide, YMDGTMSQV. Immune monitoring of clinical trials by evaluation of PBLs alone may under-estimate immunogenicity; evaluation of SIN provides a new and sensitive approach for defining responses to tumor vaccines and correlating these responses with clinical outcomes. This combination of an immunogenic vaccine strategy with a sensitive analysis of CTL responses demonstrates the potential for inducing and detecting anti-tumor immune responses in the majority of melanoma patients.
Surface Tension of Charge-Stabilized Colloidal Suspensions at the Water−Air Interface

In this paper, we show that the surface tension of charge-stabilized titania suspensions strongly depends on the particle concentration. The surface tension first decreases significantly with an increase in the weight percent and then increases with a further increase in the weight percent. Thermodynamic arguments are used to explain the initial decrease in the surface tension for lower particle concentrations. For higher concentrations, it is hypothesized that the capillary forces acting between the immersed particles at the interface cause the increase in the surface tension.
Global Analysis of the Cortical Neuron Proteome

In this study, a multidimensional fractionation approach was combined with MS/MS to increase the capability of characterizing complex protein profiles of mammalian neuronal cells. Proteins extracted from primary cultures of cortical neurons were digested with trypsin followed by fractionation using strong cation exchange chromatography. Each of these fractions was analyzed by microcapillary reversed-phase LC-MS/MS. The analysis of the MS/MS data resulted in the identification of over 15,000 unique peptides from which 3,590 unique proteins were identified based on protein-specific peptide tags that are unique to a single protein in the searched database. In addition, 952 protein clusters were identified using cluster analysis of the proteins identified by the peptides not unique to a single protein. This identification revealed that a minimum of 4,542 proteins could be identified from this experiment, representing approximately 16% of all known mouse proteins. An evaluation of the number of false-positive identifications was undertaken by searching the entire MS/MS dataset against a database containing the sequences of over 12,000 proteins from archaea. This analysis allowed a systematic determination of the level of confidence in the identification of peptides as a function of SEQUEST cross correlation (Xcorr) and delta correlation (DeltaCn) scores. Correlation charts were also constructed to show the number of unique peptides identified for proteins from specific classes. The results show that low-abundance proteins involved in signal transduction and transcription are generally identified by fewer peptides than high-abundance proteins that play a role in maintaining mammalian cellular structure and motility. The results presented here provide the broadest proteome coverage for a mammalian cell to date and show that MS-based proteomics has the potential to provide high coverage of the proteins expressed within a cell.