cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhaled Bile Acids are Implicated in Airway Functional Changes and Cytokine Release

Purpose Bile acids are potent TGR5 ligands previously identified in bronchial washings of post-lung transplant patients and have been implicated in airway contractility ex-vivo and derangement of innate immunity. Particularly, metabolomics revealed primary bile acids GCA, GCDCA, CA, CDCA, DCA and TCA as presenting in the largest quantities. We hypothesized that bile acids may also have chronic and acute effects on airway function in vivo by affecting central resistance as well as cytokine release. Methods A/J Mice were administered IP diluted Pentobarbital: tracheostomy/cannulation performed prior to a 20s BA nebulization (1mM BA, 25% EtOH) and incremental methacholine (MCh) challenge. Lung resistance (Rn) measured on Flexivent apparatus. C57BL6 mice were administered a bile acids cocktail of 4mM including GCA, GCDCA, CA, CDCA, DCA and TCA was chronically administered via intranasal instillation for a period of one month. BAL and tissue were collected, cytokine levels were analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA-Bonferroni and Student T Test. Results In-vivo acute inhalation of BAs prior to MCh challenge showed a general decrease in Rn compared to control. GCA (p=0.005) and GCDCA (p=0.035) showed the greatest decrease in airway resistance upon acute nebulization followed by GLCA (p=0.007) and a trending CDCA (p=0.07), as shown in the figure. Cytokine output from BALs post 1-month instillation revealed a significantly lower level of IL-6 (p=0.0068), IL-1B (p=0.0063), IL-17 (p=0.0273), MIP-1a (p=0.0076), and MIP-1B (p=0.012). Conclusion The acute and chronic inhalation of bile acids commonly detected as major species in brochoalveolar lavages show an impact on airway resistance by reducing the methacholine induced constriction and affecting cytokine release. Interestingly, cytokines were decreased upon chronic exposure which may indicate a macrophagic inhibition affecting the airway immune responses.
Adaptations and Extensions of the SISE Approach

Chapter 6 centers on adaptations and extensions of the Structural Inquiry of Stigmatized Englishes (SISE) approach, including a discussion of potential variations of the SISE approach for use in other courses and disciplines. The chapter ends with a consideration of potential applications of the SISE approach, including the implementation and study of methods related to the SISE approach within non-pedagogical contexts, illustrating how the trends revealed in this project can inform and inspire future research that targets linguistic inequality.
Unrepaired Tetralogy of Fallot in Adulthood.

Unrepaired Tetralogy of Fallot in Adulthood A 29-year-old man presented with worsening exertional dyspnea, blurred vision, and headaches. Symptoms had been present since childhood but had not been ...
Facilitators and barriers to utilization of medications for opioid use disorder in primary care in South Carolina.

ObjectiveUtilization of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) has not been widely adopted by primary care providers. This study sought to identify interprofessional barriers and facilitators f...
Comparison of Attitudes of Wisconsin Health Care Providers and Pharmacists Toward Vaccine Administration and Perceived Barriers.

OBJECTIVE To measure the attitudes of pharmacists and other health care providers towards vaccine administration, overall acceptance of pharmacists as immunization providers, and perceived immunization barriers in Wisconsin. METHODS The authors conducted a cross-sectional study utilizing an online survey to assess the attitudes of pharmacists and other health care providers toward their role as immunization providers and perceived barriers to providing immunizations. The survey was distributed between November 2018 and February 2019. RESULTS Two hundred thirty-six pharmacists and 51 other health care providers completed the survey. Of the pharmacists who responded, 203 (86%) provided immunizations. Most respondents (97.9% of pharmacists and 90.2% of other health care providers) see vaccinations as a shared professional responsibility. Both pharmacists (82.6%) and other health care providers (79.6%) believe pharmacists have adequate training to administer vaccines to patients. Immunizing pharmacists identified 2 primary barriers to providing immunizations: patients refusing vaccines for financial reasons (55%) and patients not having insurance coverage for vaccines received in a pharmacy (55%). In contrast, the primary barrier identified by non-immunizing pharmacists is other responsibilities taking precedence over vaccinating (75%). Other health care providers identified determining whether their patients' insurance will reimburse for a vaccine (52%) as their primary barrier toward providing immunizations. CONCLUSION These surveys provide a baseline measure of the attitudes of Wisconsin pharmacists and other health care providers toward immunization provision and offer opportunities for comparison. Our findings highlight barriers, such as insurance coverage for immunizations, that may prevent pharmacists from increasing vaccination rates in Wisconsin.
Implicit Gender Bias in Third-Year Surgery Clerkship MSPE Narratives.

Objective To assess implicit gender bias in surgery clerkship evaluations of third-year medical students at a large, academic hospital in the Southeast. Methods University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine has multiple branch campuses where students can complete their surgical clerkship including 1 large academic center, 1 hybrid academic and community-based practice, and 3 community-based hospitals. All residents and faculty evaluations of medical students who completed the surgery clerkship from March 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019 were analyzed. Evaluations were anonymized and names and pronouns were removed to mitigate evaluator bias. A word dictionary was created guided by previous literature and categorized descriptive adjectives into 4 categories: ability, grindstone, standout, and personality traits. Adjectives used to describe students, and references to the student using gendered pronouns or gender-fair language were coded and quantified as percentage of total evaluation word content. These percentages were compared between male and female students. A subsequent analysis was completed to assess the effects of gendered pronouns on linguistic patterns. Results A total of 583 evaluations from the surgery clerkship were available for 183 students (51.9% female, 48.1% male). When gender-fair language was used, there was no difference in the adjectives used to describe female and male students. Male evaluators were more likely to use female gendered pronouns compared to male gendered pronouns (3.1% vs 2.3%, p = 0.028). When gendered pronouns were present, evaluations of female students were more likely to contain grindstone adjectives but less likely to contain standout terms compared to evaluations of male students (4.4% vs 2.8%, p = 0.006; 0.6% vs 1.3%, p = 0.006). Conclusion For students who have completed their surgical clerkship, the language patterns in evaluations differ between female students and male students. When the female pronoun was used, narratives contained more grindstone adjectives and fewer standout adjectives. Our results are consistent with previous literature and may be a manifestation of “othering” or a compensatory means of describing female students. This is potential manifestation of implicit gender bias.
Process and Sensor Noise Robustness in Detection Filter Design

A detection filter insensitive to process and sensor noise is developed. The approach is to minimize the H 2 or H ? -norm of the transfer functions from the noise to the failure indicators with respect to the detection filter gain. Given a set of detection filter invariant state subspaces, the detection filter gain which preserves these subspaces is parameterized. Next the noise to failure indicator transfer functions are minimized one failure direction at a time. The output-separability condition is used to show that when the detection spaces fill the state-space, the gains thus found can be combined to form a detection filter gain that minimizes the noise in all failure indicators.
Survey of contraceptive services available to college students.

Questionnaire were sent to 187 directors of college student health services; 71% returned usable replies. 3 sources of contraceptive services were identified: local family planning agencies the student health service and private physicians. It was found students had easy access to information the pill the IUD over-the-counter methods diaphragms and referral services. Sterilizations were difficult to obtain and generally not available through a student health center. Every questionnaire noted that at least some contraceptive services were available if not through the student health service then through the family planning agency or a physician.
An Examination of the Role of Opportunity Cost and Opportunity Value in New Venture Creation

Why do entrepreneurs pursue opportunities when others do not? Differences between entrepreneurs and the general population have been found in relation to various cognitive biases, and these biases have been found to affect risk perception, and the decision to pursue opportunities. A pilot study showed entrepreneurs focused more on potential value, while non-entrepreneurs focused on cost. This paper seeks to extend existing theory by proposing a mediated model whereby opportunity cost and opportunity value mediate the relationship between cognitive biases and risk perception on the one hand, and the decision to pursue an opportunity on the other hand.
Hypothesis Testing in Statistics

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by G. Casella, R.L. Berger, volume 10, pp. 7118–7121, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
A Violet Ratiometric Membrane Probe for the Detection of Apoptosis

This unit describes the use of a novel violet-excited membrane-binding probe F2N12S [4′-N,N-diethylamino-6-(N,N,N-dodecyl-methylamino-sulfopropyl)-methyl-3-hydroxyflavone] for the flow cytometric detection of the changes in membrane asymmetry, fluidity, and charge that accompanies apoptosis. This reagent inserts into the plasma membrane and undergoes a shift in emission from orange to green during the membrane alterations that occur during apoptosis. Since its mechanism of action differs from annexin V, it can be used in situations where annexin V binding is problematic, as in adherent cells removed from their growth substrate. Like annexin V, it can also be readily combined with other flow cytometric assays for apoptosis, allowing detailed multiparametric analysis of the apoptotic process. Curr. Protoc. Cytom. 59:9.38.1-9.38.12. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: apoptosis; membrane probe; annexin V; F2N12S
Studies in Experimental Autoimmune Disorders. I. Clinical and Laboratory Features of Autoimmunization (Runt Disease) in the Mouse

l)odies within the individual against his own cells and tissues, could be responsible for the development of certain types of hemolytic anemia in Oman was suggested more than 50 years ago.1.2 This concept was rather slow in development; it was advanced by the systematic finding of previously occult antibodies with the albumint and Coombs’ antiglohulin4 technics. Nevertheless, a serious defect in the hypothesis that atitoimmunization could lead to hemolytic anemia was the lack of an experimental model. Although a severe anemia of the hemolytic variety had been produced by the passive transfer of heteroimmune serum to guinea pigs,5 the definitive demonstration that hemolytic anemia due to antibodies produced by tissues proliferating within the animal’s own body was lacking. Several attempts to induce autohemolysis were made utilizing various technics, usually by attempting to modify the antigenic makeup of the red cell, both with and without the use of Freund’s adjuvant,#{176}’7 but without notable success. More recently, as the result of increased activity in the field of transplantation immunity. the possibility arose that some of the manifestations of transplantation reactions could be utilized as an experimental model of autoimmunization. A type of transplantation reaction, termed runt disease, was shown to result from the introduction of an immunologically competent graft into an immunologically neutral host. The immunologically competent graft may be made up of leukocytes,5 splenic cells,9 lymph node cells10 or bone marrow cells.11 The cells of the graft are introduced by various means into the immunologically neutral host, i.e., a newly born animal, a supralethallv X-irradiated animal13 or an animal whose genetic relationship to the grafted tissue does not permit the development of an immunologic reaction to it. In the latter situation the host is the offspring (F, hybrid) of two highly inbred strains of mice.’4 These F, hybrids, because of their genetic constitution, are incapable of rejecting grafts from either parent. However, an immunologically competent graft from either parent may react against the tissues of the hybrid, since the latter contains genes, and therefor antigens, derived from
Seasonal and diurnal variability of detached dust layers in the tropical Martian atmosphere

Evidence for widespread nonuniform vertical mixing of dust in Mars's tropical atmosphere (in the form of features called “detached dust layers” or DDLs) is a challenge for atmospheric modeling. We characterize the seasonal, diurnal, and geographic variability of DDL activity in retrievals from observations by the Mars Climate Sounder onboard Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. We find that dust injection above the boundary layer, which forms DDLs, is a spatially ubiquitous phenomenon in the tropics during the daytime, implying that it has a significant nontopographic component. DDL formation is more intense in northern spring and summer than in southern spring and summer but is still common when the zonal average dust distribution appears uniformly mixed. DDLs do not appear to follow the upwelling associated with Mars's Hadley circulation or the extant climatology of local dust storm activity in the tropics. Geographic variability in the nightside vertical dust distribution does not always correlate with the dayside vertical dust distribution, implying that there is spatial and seasonal variability in the efficiency of dust deposition/removal processes. Nighttime dust removal is especially efficient over the Tharsis Montes during northern spring and summer, which suggests some association between water ice clouds and removal. Intense injection combined with efficient removal results in a high amplitude of diurnal variability in the dust distribution at 15–30 km above the surface of the tropics during much of the Martian year.
Realization of finite Abelian groups by nets in P^2

In the paper, we study special configurations of lines and points in the complex projective plane, so called k-nets. We describe the role of these configurations in studies of cohomology on arrangement complements. Our most general result is the restriction on k - it can be only 3,4, or 5. The most interesting class of nets is formed by 3-nets that relate to finite geometries, latin squares, loops, etc. All known examples of 3-nets in P^2 realize finite Abelian groups. We study the problem what groups can be so realized. Our main result is that, except for groups with all invariant factors under 10, realizable groups are isomorphic to subgroups of a 2-torus. This follows from the `algebraization' result asserting that in the dual plane, the points dual to lines of a net lie on a plane cubic.
ISS Recommendations and Mutual Fund Voting on Proxy Proposals

We analyze voting data from five proxy seasons (2003-2008) to identify the extent to which shareholders generally, and mutual funds in particular, vote in accordance with the voting recommendations of RiskMetrics’ ISS Corporate Governance Services. We look at voting by all shareholders and voting decisions by mutual funds on non-election and non-routine proxy proposals - both those submitted by management and those submitted by shareholders. We find that shareholders generally tended to vote more consistently with ISS voting recommendations than management recommendations during this period, with more consistency among mutual funds than all shareholders. We also find that independent voting is unusual: Shareholder voting and, even more so, mutual fund voting decisions generally follow either the recommendations of management or of the ISS. Mutual fund voting decisions are consistent with ISS recommendations more frequently than management recommendations, whether the proposal is submitted by management or by shareholders, and whether relating to anti-takeover issues or corporate governance issues. Our univariate results are confirmed by multivariate regressions that examine the weight mutual funds give to ISS recommendations. In short, ISS has an impact on voting by shareholders generally and, across the board, an even greater impact on voting by mutual funds.
Intracranial blister aneurysms: clip reconstruction techniques

Intracranial blister aneurysms are difficult to treat cerebrovascular lesions that typically affect the anterior circulation. These rare aneurysms can lead to acute rupture which usually cannot be treated via endovascular methods, but still require urgent surgical intervention. Surgical options are limited given their unique pathology and often require a combination of wrapping and clip reconstruction. In this video we present two patients with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage secondary to ruptured blister aneurysms. We demonstrate several surgical techniques for repairing the vascular defect with and without intraoperative rupture. The video can be found here: http://youtu.be/nz-JM45uKQU.
Estimation of suicide risk by the use of clinical models

This report details some preliminary experience in the use of clinical models to develop scales for the estimation of suicide risk. A cohort was drawn for each of two models: Stable with Forced Change (N = 333) and Alienated (N = 566). A set of postulated discriminators regarding suicide was examined with negative results. Available data revealed 12 items for the Stable with Forced Change model and 20 items for the Alienated model that discriminated between the suicides and the nonsuicides at a .05 level of confidence. That only 4 items were common to both supports the idea that the models represent different populations in regard to vulnerability to suicide and thus require independent lethality scales.
Buttery Guns and Welfare Hawks: The Politics of Defense Spending in Advanced Industrial Democracies

In this article, we present a new theory that, given the economic consequences of military spending, some governments may use military spending as a means of advancing their domestic non‐military objectives. Based on evidence that governments can use military spending as welfare policy in disguise, we argue that the role of ideology in shaping military spending is more complicated than simple left‐right politics. We also present a theory that strategic elites take advantage of opportunities presented by international events, leading us to expect governments that favor more hawkish foreign policy policies to use low‐level international conflicts as opportunities for increasing military spending. Using pooled time‐series data from 19 advanced democracies in the post–World War II period, we find that government ideology, measured as welfare and international positions, interacts with the international security environment to affect defense spending.
Flux rope passage at the Moon while in the terrestrial magnetotail

Abstract The Moon spends 20% of its orbit within the terrestrial magnetosphere. During this time it experiences a dynamic plasma environment, including high-speed streams, flux ropes and a flux of heavy ions from ionospheric outflows. 3D multi-fluid simulations of the Moon within the magnetosphere during a substorm shows that a highly variable plasma flow can develop in the vicinity of the Moon due to the passage of a flux rope. The transit of a flux rope past the Moon potentially leads to a plasma wake that is mis-aligned from the optical wake by nearly 30 ° . This will have implications when determining the range of space weathering and surface charging the lunar surface experiences.
Belief surveillance with Twitter

Data from social media systems are being actively mined for trends and patterns of interests. Problems such as sentiment and opinion mining, and prediction of election outcomes have become tremendously popular due to the unprecedented availability of social interactivity data of different types. An important angle that has not yet been explored is to estimate beliefs from posts made on social media. We propose that social media can be used to monitor the level of belief, disbelief and doubt related to specific propositions. Inspired by efforts in disease surveillance using social media we coin the term belief surveillance for this function. We propose a novel methodological framework for belief surveillance using Twitter. Our method may be used to gauge belief on any proposition as long as it is specifiable in a form that we call probes. We present our belief estimates for 32 probes some of which represent factual information, others represent false information and the remaining represent debatable propositions. Finally, we provide preliminary evidence suggesting that off-the-shelf classifiers may be used to automatically estimate belief.
Scaling up: Taking the Academic Pathways of People Learning Engineering Survey (APPLES) national

The Academic Pathways of People Learning Engineering Survey (APPLES) was deployed for a second time in Spring 2008 to undergraduate engineering students at 21 American universities. The goal of APPLES was to corroborate and extend findings from the academic pathways study and the first deployment of APPLES (Spring 2007) on factors that correlate with persistence in engineering on a national scale. This set of deployments, which surveyed over 4,500 students, was among the largest and broadest cross-sectional surveys focusing on undergraduate engineering ever undertaken. Because there was no readily-available list of undergraduate students attending American institutions studying and intending to study engineering, we sampled by institution using institutional characteristics such as Carnegie 2000 classification. In seeking participation by a broad range of institutions, we recognized the need to vary the target student strata for recruitment by institution. In this process paper, we present an overview of our institutional sampling, discuss our student sampling and recruitment, and report response results. We extend our lessons learned from deploying the online survey at four institutions to 21 institutions, including coordination with local campus coordinators, IRB requirements, subject recruitment and deployment to build on the model for conducting survey design and research for engineering education researchers.
Bilateral Idiopathic Granulomatous Mastitis: A Case of Noncaseating Granulomas in a Patient With Latent Tuberculosis

Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a rare benign inflammatory disease of the breast of unknown etiology. The typical clinical presentation is a unilateral palpable breast mass with pain and overlying skin erythema. IGM remains a diagnosis of exclusion, and it is necessary to exclude all infectious and noninfectious causes of granulomatous disease. Definitive diagnosis of IGM relies on histological examination, demonstrating granulomatous inflammation without caseous necrosis. Common medical treatment entails the use of corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive agents in patients with IGM. We present a rare case of bilateral IGM in a patient found to have latent tuberculosis (TB), and we discuss the challenges of treating IGM in a tuberculin skin test positive patient. The patient is a 44-year-old female veteran with a history of a positive tuberculin skin test who initially presented with a unilateral painful breast mass. She continued to present with recurrent painful breast masses that progressed to bilateral disease. Mammography and breast MRI were suspicious for malignancy and required biopsy. Histopathology revealed noncaseating granulomas. All stains and cultures were negative for mycobacterium. After 3 years, the disease subsided and she did not present with any further recurrences. She was subsequently treated with isoniazid to reduce the risk of TB reactivation. The diagnosis of IGM is challenging and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of persistent or recurrent breast masses. Patients with IGM found to have latent TB are of particular concern, and tuberculous mastitis must be carefully excluded. IGM is generally a self-limiting disease, and treatment options include observation, symptomatic palliation, steroids, and in complicated recurrent cases or cases involving an abscess, surgery may be considered as a last resort. Treatment of IGM in patients with latent TB should be primarily symptomatic, and steroids should not be used. J Med Cases. 2014;5(8):430-434 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc1835w
Micro-Scale Two-Phase Flow Heat Transport Device Driven by Electrohydrodynamic Conduction Pumping

Micro-scale two-phase flow heat transport involves specialized devices that are used to remove large amounts of heat from small surface areas. They operate by circulating a working fluid through a heated space which causes phase change from liquid to vapor. During this process, a significant amount of heat is transported away from the heat source. Micro-scale heat transport devices are compact in size and the heat transfer coefficient can be orders of magnitude higher than in macro-scale for similar operating conditions. Thus, it is of interest to develop such devices for cooling of next-generation electronics and other applications with extremely large heat fluxes. The heat transport device presented in this paper is driven by electrohydrodynamic (EHD) conduction pumping. In EHD conduction pumping, when an electric field is applied to a dielectric liquid, flow is induced. The pump is installed in a two-phase flow loop and has a circular 1 mm diameter cross section with electrode spacing on the order of 120 μm. It acts to circulate the fluid in the loop and has a simple yet robust, non-mechanical design. Results from two-phase flow experiments show that it is easily controlled and such electrically driven pumps can effectively be used in heat transport systems.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Substrate response of a floating gate n-channel MOS memory cell subject to a positive linear ramp voltage

Abstract A computer simulated substrate response of an n -channel MOS floating gate transistor to a positive linear ramping gate voltage was investigated. Device parameters, such as the channel length, effective electron mobility, substrate doping level and the gate voltage ramping rate were changed to see their effects on the substrate response. The substrate response was monitored by using the response of the surface potential at the mid-channel point. In the one-dimensional analysis it was found that the surface potential at the mid-channel point increased initially and dropped quickly after passing through its peak value and then decreased slowly. The mid-channel surface potential reached a higher peak value if the device had (1) a longer channel length, (2) a lower effective electron mobility, (3) a higher gate voltage ramping rate, or (4) a lower substrate doping level. Solutions show that the conditions for the mid-channel point to reach its peak surface potential faster are: (a) a shorter channel length, (b) a higher effective electron mobility, (c) a higher gate voltage ramping rate, and (d) a lower substrate doping level.
Atomic structure of Si{001}2×1

New experiments on reconstructed Si{001}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1 and their analysis by low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) are reported. A new structural model containing asymmetric and buckled dimers and strains extending to three and four atomic layers is presented, which fits the LEED data substantially better than any other model tested. The new structure involves a dimer length of 2.54 \AA{}, an average contraction of first-layer spacing of 8%, and three asymmetric displacements of the dimer atoms. A detailed discussion of the needed intensity-averaging procedures among eight equivalent domains is presented. Two theoretical structural models for Si{001}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1 developed by others on the basis of minimization of total energy are shown to fail the LEED test.
Reactivity of methanesulfonic acid salt clusters relevant to marine air

[1] Aliphatic amines and methanesulfonic acid (MSA) are important emissions in the marine environment. Although some studies of marine aerosols have shown that particles containing MSA can be internally mixed with ammonium, others have indicated a significant amine component. The present work employs Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) to determine the kinetics and thermodynamics of exchange of dimethylamine (DMA) for ammonia in ammonium methanesulfonate clusters. DMA displaces ammonia with near unit reaction efficiency. The Gibbs free energy for exchange (ΔG°) was <−23.1 kJ mol−1, strongly suggesting that dimethylaminium methanesulfonate salts are preferred over ammonium methanesulfonate salts. These results are consistent with previous studies of amine exchange in ammonium bisulfate and ammonium nitrate clusters. Additionally, cluster growth, characterized by the addition of a base to neutralize remaining acid in the cluster, was examined. Methanesulfonate clusters grew more effectively by addition of a DMA molecule than by addition of an ammonia molecule, indicating that in some environments, particle growth by amines may compete favorably with growth by ammonia at small particle size. These results also suggest that in diverse environments the presence of aminium salts is preferred over the presence of ammonium salts in sub-3 nm diameter clusters.
Industry partners-- A technology transfer model for academia

Technology transfer is a primary mission of most academic programs. The ease with which the transfer takes place is a function of methodology (or approach), environment (in an organizational and facility sense), and the personal characteristics of the participants. The unregulated flow of information (without smoothing the way) impedes transfer by creating turbulence. The College of Marine Studies of the University of Delaware, a professional graduate college, has made a conscious effort to facilitate low turbulence two way technology transfer with industry through its Industry Partners Program. Two way because it has been our experience that responsiveness and relevance correlate closely with an understanding of real world problems as perceived by the decision maker. Four modes of transfer are recognized: 1) The College as an intermediary between partners and external information sources, 2) The college as a tutor, 3) Brainstorming (two way exchange between partners and colleges), 4) Joint ventures with partners including prime and subcontract roles. A number of issues that are potential sources of turbulence are examined and the approach taken by the College briefly discussed.
Cerebrospinal fluid biogenic amine metabolites in fibromyalgia/fibrositis syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis

Objective. To compare the levels of biogenic amines in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of primary fibromyalgia syndrome (PFS) patients with those in the CSF of controls. Methods. Metabolites of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine were identified in CSF, using high performance liquid chromatography with coulometric detection. Results. CSF levels of metabolites from all 3 neurotransmitters were lower in PFS patients than in controls. Conclusion. A low rate of turnover of several neurotransmitters supports the proposed hypothesis of a metabolic defect in PFS and suggests that the defect occurs at a neuroregulatory level.
Superconducting tunneling in ultrathin Nb films.

Good-quality tunnel junctions have been fabricated on ultrathin films of Nb whose thicknesses ranged from 9 to 900 \AA{}. As the film thickness is reduced below 50 \AA{}, ${T}_{c}$ decreases, $\frac{2\ensuremath{\Delta}}{k{T}_{c}}$ increases, and mode softening is observed through $\frac{{d}^{2}V}{d{I}^{2}}$ measurements. These results imply that as the thickness decreases below 50 \AA{} the electron-phonon constant, $\ensuremath{\lambda}$, becomes larger than expected from the drop in ${T}_{c}$.
Inducible expression of a degradation‐resistant form of p27Kip1 causes growth arrest and apoptosis in breast cancer cells

The cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p27Kip1 (p27) is an important regulator of cell cycle progression controlling the transition from G to S-phase. Low p27 levels or accelerated p27 degradation correlate with excessive cell proliferation and poor prognosis in several forms of cancer. Phosphorylation of p27 at Thr187 by cyclin E–CDK2 is required to initiate the ubiquitination-proteasomal degradation of p27. Protecting p27 from ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation may increase its potential in cancer gene therapy. Here we constructed a non-phosphorylatable, proteolysis-resistant p27 mutant containing a Thr187-to-Ala substitution (T187A) which is not degraded by ubiquitin-mediated proteasome pathway, and compared its effects on cell growth, cell-cycle control, and apoptosis with those of wild-type p27. In muristerone A-inducible cell lines overexpressing wild-type or mutant p27, the p27 mutant was more resistant to proteolysis in vivo and more potent in inducing cell-cycle arrest and other growth-inhibitory effects such as apoptosis. Transduction of p27(T187A) in breast cancer cells with a doxycycline-regulated adenovirus led to greater inhibition of proliferation, more extensive apoptosis, with a markedly reduced protein levels of cyclin E and increased accumulation of cyclin D1, compared with wild-type p27. These findings support the potential effectiveness of a degradation-resistant form of p27 in breast cancer gene therapy.
Solid-State NMR Investigation of the Dynamics of the Soluble and Membrane-Bound Colicin Ia Channel-Forming Domain†

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy was employed to study the molecular dynamics of the colicin Ia channel domain in the soluble and membrane-bound states. In the soluble state, the protein executes small-amplitude librations (with root-mean-square angular fluctuations of 0−10°) in the backbone and larger-amplitude motions (16−17°) in the side chains. Upon membrane binding, the motional amplitudes increase significantly for both the backbone (12−16°) and side chains (23−29°), as manifested by the reduction in the C−H and H−H dipolar couplings and 15N chemical shift anisotropy. These motions occur not only on the pico- to nanosecond time scales, but also on the microsecond time scale, as revealed by the 1H rotating-frame spin-lattice relaxation times. Average motional correlation times of 0.8 and 1.2 μs were extracted for the soluble and membrane-bound states, respectively. In comparison, both forms of the colicin Ia channel domain are completely immobile on the millisecond scale. These results indicate that the ...
A Fast Smoothing Algorithm for Post-Processing of Surface Reflectance Spectra Retrieved from Airborne Imaging Spectrometer Data

Surface reflectance spectra retrieved from remotely sensed hyperspectral imaging data using radiative transfer models often contain residual atmospheric absorption and scattering effects. The reflectance spectra may also contain minor artifacts due to errors in radiometric and spectral calibrations. We have developed a fast smoothing technique for post-processing of retrieved surface reflectance spectra. In the present spectral smoothing technique, model-derived reflectance spectra are first fit using moving filters derived with a cubic spline smoothing algorithm. A common gain curve, which contains minor artifacts in the model-derived reflectance spectra, is then derived. This gain curve is finally applied to all of the reflectance spectra in a scene to obtain the spectrally smoothed surface reflectance spectra. Results from analysis of hyperspectral imaging data collected with the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data are given. Comparisons between the smoothed spectra and those derived with the empirical line method are also presented.
Recovery modeling of negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) for SPICE-compatible circuit aging simulators

A feasible computational framework that enables improved predictability of NBTI degradation within commercially available tools is discussed. The NBTI model is used for real-time circuit operation where recovery is present. The complementary nature of implementation is readily incorporated into existing model extraction and verification tools. The method provides significantly enhanced accuracy in simulations when compared to circuit data, yet retains practicality and flexibility.
Sexual dimorphism of g‐protein subunit Gng13 expression in the cortical region of the developing mouse ovary

In our search for genes required for the development and function of mouse gonads, we identified Gng13 (guanine nucleotide binding protein 13, gamma), a gene with an embryonic expression pattern highly restricted to the ovary. Based on reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and whole-mount in situ hybridization, Gng13 is expressed in both XX and XY gonads at embryonic day (E) 11.5, but becomes up-regulated in the XX gonad by E12.5. Expression is retained after treatment with busulfan, a chemical known to eliminate germ cells, pointing to the soma as a site of Gng13 transcription. In situ hybridization of embryonic ovarian tissue sections further localized the expression to the cortex of the developing XX gonad. Gng13 expression in the adult is also highly restricted. Northern blot analyses and Genomic Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation expression profiling of adult tissues detected very high expression in the cerebrum and cerebellum, in addition to, a weaker signal in the ovary. Gng13 belongs to a well-known family of signal transduction molecules with functions in many aspects of development and organ physiology. Here, we report that, in the developing mouse embryo, expression of Gng13 mRNA is highly restricted to the cortex of the XX gonad during sexual differentiation, suggesting a role for this gene during ovarian development. Developmental Dynamics 236:1991–1996, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
NaCl thresholds: relationship to anterior tongue locus, area of stimulation, and number of fungiform papillae

NaCl detection thresholds were determined for 12.5- and 50-mm(2) lingual areas at four anterior tongue locations in eight subjects using a device that allowed for accurate temporal and spatial presentation of tastants to small regions of the anterior tongue. The locations, all on the right side of the tongue, were the tongue tip, an area 1.7 cm posterior to the tongue tip, and regions 1.7 and 3.4 cm posterior to the tip along the tongue's lateral margin. Stimulus duration was 0.75 s. Thresholds were established using a two-alternative forced-choice single-staircase procedure, and the number of fungiform papillae at each stimulation site was counted with the aid of videomicroscopy. NaCl thresholds were lower for the 50-mm(2) than the 12.5-mm(2) stimulation area at all target sites, and were directly related to papillary number among and within the stimulated regions. For a given number of papillae, thresholds were lower within the 12.5-mm(2) than within the 50-mm(2) stimulation region, likely reflecting taste bud density and activation of common afferent pathways. The tongue tip was more sensitive than any other tongue region, and the lateral margins were seemingly more sensitive than the lingual centrum. Large individual differences in taste sensitivity and tongue papilla numbers were noted, and some subjects were insensitive to the highest tastant concentrations at the nontip loci. This study empirically demonstrates that NaCl detection sensitivity varies across discrete regions of the anterior tongue and is related to the relative number and density of fungiform papillae.
Concurrent cetuximab with stereotactic body radiotherapy for recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: a single institution matched case-control study.

PURPOSE Locally recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma can be treated with curative intent by surgical salvage or reirradiation with or without chemotherapy. We have previously demonstrated the feasibility and safety of stereotactic body reirradiation at our institution; however, efficacy has been unsatisfactory. Based on the successful combination of cetuximab with radiotherapy in locally-advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, we compared stereotactic body radiotherapy alone with combination therapy, using concomitant cetuximab with stereotactic body radiotherapy, to enhance clinical efficacy while minimizing toxicity. METHODS In a retrospective-matched cohort study, we compared 2 groups of patients treated over a 6-year period with stereotactic body radiation therapy alone (n=35) or with weekly cetuximab infusion during stereotactic body radiotherapy (n=35), and evaluated clinical response, local control, overall survival, and toxicity. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess independent prognostic factors. RESULTS The median follow-ups for patients alive at last contact were 21.3 months and 24.8 months for stereotactic body radiotherapy only (n=13) and stereotactic body radiotherapy plus cetuximab (n=22), respectively. Our results indicate that cetuximab conferred an overall survival advantage (24.5 vs. 14.8 months) when compared with the stereotactic body radiotherapy alone arm, without a significant increase in grade 3/4 toxicities. This survival advantage was also observed in the subgroup that had received cetuximab therapy during their prior therapeutic regimen. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest an overall survival benefit of concomitant cetuximab with stereotactic body radiotherapy in locally recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and suggest a role in this setting. Concomitant cetuximab with stereotactic body radiotherapy is a reasonable approach for unresectable recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, and should be tested in prospective randomized trials to validate its clinical efficacy.
Geriatric Paranoia: Case Report Illustrating Behavioral Management

Paranoid thinking is a defense mechanism against feelings of inferiority and humiliation. Paranoid behavior serves as a means of getting attention, sympathy and help. A case study of an 81-year-old woman illustrates the nature of geriatric paranoia and the roles of interpersonal relationships, rigid personality, depression, and the impairment of sensory and memory functions. The problem proved to be the effects on the family and neighbors of the patient's verbally expressed paranoid delusions. Treatment consisted of reducing the frequency of these paranoid complaints by means of reality therapy and verbal non-reinforcement.
Quantifying weather impacts on traffic operations for implementation into a travel time reliability model

Travel time reliability allows agencies to evaluate the performance of a facility beyond the peak hour, and to consider operations over a longer period of time considering non-recurring events, such as incidents and adverse weather. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has incorporated travel time reliability as a primary mobility performance measure. This paper details the method developed for addressing the effects of weather on travel time, as well as its implementation on travel time reliability estimation for state-wide reporting in Florida. To account for Florida-specific conditions, weather impacts focus only on rain intensity. The methodology incorporates different rainfall characteristics of regions across Florida and calibrates the rainfall intensity distribution models on a zip code basis for each hour. The probability of clear weather, light rain, and heavy rain is determined for each hour and then applied to the respective freeway or arterial section based on its zip code.
Non-LTE studies of boron plasma

A comprehensive study is made of the radiative properties of boron plasma under conditions expected to be found in magnetic fusion devices. A detailed level-to-level model for all ionization stages of boron is used to perform collisional-radiative modelling at an electron density of 1014 cm−3 for a range of electron temperatures. The ionization balance and radiative power loss are presented as a function of electron temperature, as well as emission spectra at selected temperatures. We show how a detailed level-to-level approach is required to obtain accurate ionization balances and power losses, especially at low temperatures. The calculations presented here should be of interest to the continuing efforts to model the radiative losses in large magnetic fusion devices, where thin boron films are sometimes considered as a plasma-facing material.
The Prevalence of Emphysema in 67 Unselected Male Necropsies

SUMMARY Sixty-seven lungs from 67 unselected men necropsies were inflated and fixed using formalin steam. Emphysema was present in 62.6 per cent and its prevalence showed rise up to the 7th decade of life. Lower frequency of emphysema was observed in necropsies of Negro men as compared with white men, but this was not significant at the 5 per cent level. Emphysema, when present in these unselected necropsies, was of mild degree (20 per cent or less) in 80.9 per cent. The centrilobular type was present in all cases and was the predominant type when two or all three types of emphysema were present in the same lung (centrilobular, panlobular and bullous).
Cluster molecular orbital models of melting and the amorphous state

Abstract We show that the SCF-Xα-SW molecular orbital electronic eigenstates calculated from clusters representative of the local crystalline environment show a unique feature near E F that is related to the occurrence of a variety of structural phase transformations. Specifically, a degeneracy of the molecular orbital energy levels at E F results in an instability analogous to the Jahn-Teller effect in molecules and solids. Furthermore, a near degeneracy of ground-state levels accurately predicts a transition to a phase of higher symmetry at a temperature determined by the level splitting. The local symmetry of the high temperature phase can be inferred from the molecular-orbital topology, as can the symmetry of the vibrational mode necessary to induce the degeneracy. This model for structural phase transformations suggests that the range of intercluster correlations is an important parameter in the stabilization of both high temperature and metastable phases. The temperature of the structural phase transformation can be expressed in terms of this range, which is determined itself directly from the molecular-orbital calculations. We illustrate these novel and physically rich concepts by ab initio calculations of the melting points and glass transition temperatures of metallic, semiconducting and insulating allotropic materials. These calculations elucidate the stability of glass-forming metallic alloys.
ANALYST BEHAVIOR SURROUNDING TENDER OFFER ANNOUNCEMENTS

We examine the usefulness and credibility of analyst recommendations by focusing on their behavior surrounding tender offer announcements. For our 1998–2001 sample, we find analysts did not identify takeover targets through their recommendations nor did they distinguish between wealth-increasing and wealth-decreasing tender offers. We find some evidence of conflicts of interest in analyst recommendations, but it is confined to the 1999–2000 dot-com period. However, the long-run performance following recommendations suggests that these conflicts have little ultimate cost to investors.