cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Opioid peptides and the heart.

See article by Millington et al. ([1], pages 107–116) in this issue. In this issue Millington et al. [1] describe the localization of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) message and peptide products in adult and neonatal rat heart. These authors are to be commended for delving into the esoteric area of cardiac endocrine function and opioid peptides. The finding of atrial natriuretic peptide and opioid peptides in cardiac myocytes confirms the ability of the heart to participate in homeostasis beyond simple pumping. Consideration can now be given to the endocrine function of the heart. Besides POMC, proenkephalin and prodynorphin have been identified in heart and cardiomyocytes of different species including rodents, cat, dog, pig and humans [2–6]. The questions then arise: Why do muscle cells make opioid peptides? What are their functions? How are opioid peptides regulated in the cardiac myocyte? Before examining these questions a brief review of opioid peptide biochemistry may be helpful. The proenkephalin family of opioid peptides is used as an example. The proenkephalin sequence contains four copies of methionine-enkephalin (met-enk), one of leucine-enkephalin and two extended forms of met-enk (met-enk-arg-gly-leu and met-enk-arg-phe [MERF], Fig. 1). These small peptides are delineated for processing from the precursor by pairs of basic amino acids. Proenkephalin processing is achieved by prohormone convertases, which are endoproteolytic enyzmes recognizing the dibasic amino acids. Proenkephalin has an early cleavage to peptide B and later cleavages to other intermediate sized products that can finally be cleaved to the penta- to octapeptides [7,8]. Fig. 1 Preproenkephalin A and products isolated from adrenal medulla (adapted from Ref. [9]). The molecular weights are for the peptide beneath the number. SP, signal peptide; M, met-enkephalin; L, leu-enkephalin; M+, met-enk-arg-gly-leu; M*, met-enk-arg-phe. Sequences of processing and enzymatic conditions in nerves may differ from parenchymal tissue resulting in different products. Neural … * Tel.: +1-817-7352484; fax: +1-817-7355084
Ventifact Sculpture by Windblown Dust

Detailed observations of features of natural ventifacts plus wind-tunnel studies of rocks, minerals, and artificially prepared mineral aggregates indicate how aerodynamic principles may be used as a basis for correlating both macroscopic and microscopic features on ventifacts with directions and kinds of responsible air movements. Special attention is directed to the shaping of bottom surfaces and to vortex movements of wind. Both field and laboratory data appear to support the hypothesis that many of the features of ventifacts which are attributable to wind erosion have been produced in response to collisions by suspended dust particles rather than by saltating sand grains.
Plasma Membrane Water Permeability of Cultured Cells and Epithelia Measured by Light Microscopy with Spatial Filtering

A method was developed to measure the osmotic water permeability (Pf) of plasma membranes in cell layers and applied to cells and epithelia expressing molecular water channels. It was found that the integrated intensity of monochromatic light in a phase contrast or dark field microscope was dependent on relative cell volume. For cells of different size and shape (Sf9, MDCK, CHO, A549, tracheal epithelia, BHK), increased cell volume was associated with decreased signal intensity; generally the signal decreased 10–20% for a twofold increase in cell volume. A theory relating signal intensity to relative cell volume was developed based on spatial filtering and changes in optical path length associated with cell volume changes. Theory predictions were confirmed by signal measurements of cell layers bathed in solutions of various osmolarities and refractive indices. The excellent signal-to-noise ratio of the transmitted light detection permitted measurement of cell volume changes of <1%. The method was applied to characterize transfected cells and tissues that natively express water channels. Pf in control Chinese hamster ovary cells was low (0.0012 cm/s at 23°C) and increased more than fourfold upon stable transfection with aquaporins 1, 2, 4, or 5. Pf in apical and basolateral membranes in polarized epithelial cells grown on porous supports was measured. Pfbl and Pfap were 0.0011 and 0.0024 cm/s (MDCK cells), and 0.0039 and 0.0052 cm/s (human tracheal cells) at 23°C. In intact toad urinary bladder, basolateral Pf was 0.036 cm/s and apical membrane Pf after vasopressin stimulation was 0.025 cm/s at 23°C. The results establish light microscopy with spatial filtering as a technically simple and quantitative method to measure water permeability in cell layers and provide the first measurement of the apical and basolateral membrane permeabilities of several important epithelial cell types.
Formal Methods for High-Performance Linear Algebra Libraries

A colleague of ours, Dr. Timothy Mattson of Intel, once made the following observation: “Literature professors read literature. Computer Science professors should at least occasionally read code.” The point he was making was that in order to write superior prose one needs to read good (and bad) literature. Analogously, it is our thesis that exposure to elegant (and ugly) programs tends to yield the insights which are necessary if one wishes to produce consistently well-written code.
The Effect of Music on Decreasing Arousal Due to Stress: A Meta-Analysis.

A meta-analytic review of research articles using music to decrease arousal due to stress was conducted on 22 quantitative studies. Results demonstrated that music alone and music assisted relaxation techniques significantly decreased arousal (d = +.67). Further analysis of each study revealed that the amount of stress reduction was significantly different when considering age, type of stress, music assisted relaxation technique, musical preference, previous music experience, and type of intervention. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Development and Etiology of Disruptive and Delinquent Behavior

This review examines the development and etiology of disruptive behavior [symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD), and psychopathic features] and delinquency (particularly violence). We address selected key developmental issues, including (a) to what extent negative emotional ODD symptoms are associated with later internalizing disorders, (b) whether psychopathic features provide added predictive utility beyond traditional disruptive behaviors, and (c) the role of oppositional behavior and conduct problems in the development of violence. This review also focuses on the causes of ODD, CD, psychopathic features, and delinquency and explores the extent to which the causes of disruptive and delinquent behavior are the same. We examine the degree to which risk and promotive factors change with age and whether promotive factors buffer the impact of risk factors. Finally, we explore the question of whether there are developmental shifts in children's exposure to risk and promotive ...
A framework for robust and flexible handling of inputs with uncertainty

New input technologies (such as touch), recognition based input (such as pen gestures) and next-generation interactions (such as inexact interaction) all hold the promise of more natural user interfaces. However, these techniques all create inputs with some uncertainty. Unfortunately, conventional infrastructure lacks a method for easily handling uncertainty, and as a result input produced by these technologies is often converted to conventional events as quickly as possible, leading to a stunted interactive experience. We present a framework for handling input with uncertainty in a systematic, extensible, and easy to manipulate fashion. To illustrate this framework, we present several traditional interactors which have been extended to provide feedback about uncertain inputs and to allow for the possibility that in the end that input will be judged wrong (or end up going to a different interactor). Our six demonstrations include tiny buttons that are manipulable using touch input, a text box that can handle multiple interpretations of spoken input, a scrollbar that can respond to inexactly placed input, and buttons which are easier to click for people with motor impairments. Our framework supports all of these interactions by carrying uncertainty forward all the way through selection of possible target interactors, interpretation by interactors, generation of (uncertain) candidate actions to take, and a mediation process that decides (in a lazy fashion) which actions should become final.
Airborne measurements of carbonaceous aerosols in southern Africa during the dry biomass burning season

Particulate matter collected aboard the University of Washington's Convair-580 research aircraft over southern Africa during the dry, biomass burning season was analyzed for total carbon, organic carbon, and black carbon contents using thermal and optical methods. Samples were collected in smoke plumes of burning savanna and in regional haze. A known artifact, produced by the adsorption of organic gases on the quartz filter substrates used to collect the particulate matter samples, comprised a significant portion of the total carbon collected. Consequently, conclusions derived from the data are greatly dependent on whether or not organic carbon concentrations are corrected for this artifact. For example, the estimated aerosol co-albedo (1 - single scattering albedo), which is a measure of aerosol absorption, of the biomass smoke samples is 60 percent larger using corrected organic carbon concentrations. Thus, the corrected data imply that the biomass smoke is 60 percent more absorbing than do the uncorrected data. The black carbon to (corrected) organic carbon mass ratio (BC/OC) of smoke plume samples (0.18/2610.06) is lower than that of samples collected in the regional haze (0.25/2610.08). The difference may be due to mixing of biomass smoke with background air characterized by a higher BC/OC ratio. A simple source apportionment indicates that biomass smoke contributes about three-quarters of the aerosol burden in the regional haze, while other sources (e.g., fossil fuel burning) contribute the remainder.
Cutting efficiency of single shot and burst mode neodymium:YAG lasers

The efficiency of cutting by single pulses and bursts of two, four, and eight pulses from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was determined in a model of a heavy membrane and a loosely floating target. The burst modes cut the targets somewhat more quickly than single shots, but required a marked increase in total energy delivered. Anterior movement of the breakdown zone and posterior displacement of the target explain the energy inefficiency of burst-mode photodisruption.
Metallomacrocycles as ligands: synthesis and characterisation of aluminium-bridged bisglyoximato complexes of palladium and iron

Dialuminiummacrocycles based on bisglyoximato moieties were prepared and their coordination chemistry with FeII and PdII was investigated. The bridging aluminium centers were supported by several types of tetradentate diphenoxide diamine ligands. The nature of the ancillary ligands bound to aluminium was found to affect the overall geometry and symmetry of the metallomacrocycles. Enantiopure, chiral diphenoxide ligands based on the (R,R)-trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane backbone afforded cleanly one metallomacrocycle isomer. The size and electronic properties of remote substituents on aluminium-bound ligands affected the binding mode and electronic properties of the central iron. A structurally characterized iron complex shows trigonal prismatic coordination mode, with phenoxide bridges between iron and aluminium. Increasing the size of the phenoxide substituents led to square bipyramidal coordination at iron. Employing p-NO2- instead of p-tBu-substituted phenoxide as supporting ligands for aluminium caused a 0.27 V positive shift of the FeIII/FeII reduction potential. These results indicate that the present synthetic approach can be applied to a variety of metallomacrocycles based on bisglyoximato motifs to affect the chemistry at the central metal.
Lipid composition of the nervous system of earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris).

: As part of a systematic study of the evolution of the nervous system, the lipid composition of the ventral nerves of earthworms was examined. The nerve axons are wrapped in copious layers of loosely bound membrane, superficially resembling the myelin sheath of vertebrates. However, neither galactocerebroside nor sulfatide, both of which are considered to be markers for myelin, was present, and only traces of glucocerebroside, which is abundant in shrimp nerve, were detected. The lipids were rich in cholesterol (15.3 μmol/g of fresh tissue) and phospholipids (21.7 μmol/g of fresh tissue). The phospholipids were composed of phosphatidylethanolamine, -choline, -serine, and -inositol in the ratio of 41:44:8:7. Most of the ethanolamine-containing phospholipids were in the form of plasmalogens. The fatty acid moieties of these phospholipids were predominantly 18:1, 18:0, and 20:1, whereas the aldehyde moieties of plasmalogen were mostly 18:0. Sphingomyelin, which is considered a ubiquitous component of animal membranes, was not detected. How the unique structure of the membranes of earthworm nerves may be related to the function of the nervous system in this organism is discussed.
Prairie Fire: A Great Plains History. By Julie Courtwright. (Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2011. Pp. xii, 274. $29.95.)

Although historians have not neglected fire on the Great Plains, according to the author of this study they have focused much more on the roles played by other historical entities and processes, pa...
Conservative management of razor blade ingestion

A 30-year-old woman presented to the emergency department complaining of abdominal discomfort. An abdominal radiograph was done, revealing ten rectangular razor blades measuring 5 × 2 cm. The patient was taken to the operating room and a flexible esophago-gastroduodenoscopy was performed. Attempts at retrieval, using both a gastric overtube and an inverted hood, were unsuccessful due to the shape and size of the blades. She was transferred to a regular medical floor and managed conservatively with serial abdominal radiographs. Over the next week, she passed the razor blades transanally without further event—all were still wrapped in paper and chewing gum—and was cleared to be discharged home.
Differential Genetic Influence for Components of Memory in Aging Adult Twins

Objective To investigate the relative proportion of genetic and environmental contributions to verbal memory in community-dwelling World War II veteran twins. Design The California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) was administered to 94 monozygotic (MZ) and 89 dizygotic (DZ) elderly male twin pair participants in the fourth examination of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Twin Study. Setting Subjects voluntarily participated on an outpatient basis at a research or medical center facility in 1 of 4 sites in the United States. Participants Subjects had a mean age of 71.8 years (SD, 2.9 years), a mean educational level of 13.6 years (SD, 2.8 years), and no history of stroke and/or a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 23 or greater. Main Outcome Measures Twin pair similarity in performance on 4 factor analytically derived components of the CVLT measuring verbal learning and memory, response discrimination, learning strategy, and recognition memory. Results The MZ intraclass correlation was significantly larger than the DZ correlation for verbal learning and memory (I Conclusion Differential contribution of genetic and environmental influences to specific components of memory suggest that, in this group of elderly male twin pairs, some components may be more amenable to intervention than others.
Syntheses of Isochromenes and Naphthalenes by Electrophilic Cyclization of Acetylenic Arenecarboxaldehydes

Highly substituted 1H-isochromenes, isobenzofurans, and pyranopyridines can be prepared by allowing o-(1-alkynyl)arenecarboxaldehydes and ketones to react with I2, ICl, NIS, Br2, NBS, p-O2NC6H4SCl, or PhSeBr and various alcohols or carbon-based nucleophiles at room temperature. Naphthyl ketones and iodides are also readily prepared by the reaction of 2-(1-alkynyl)arenecarboxaldehydes with I2 and simple olefins or alkynes.
Wave Forces on Breakwater Capstones

Model studies on rubble-mound breakwater section in order to investigate hydraulic forces that act on individual capstones; magnitude and distribution with depth of forces were determined and correlated with wave characteristics and breakwater geometry; exploration of kinematic conditions in breaker zone; it was found that most dangerous forces from standpoint of breakwater failure occur under toe of advancing breaker or when water is flowing out of breakwater.
Radiation in Air Source Located in From an Electric Line Current an Ionospheric Halfspace

A uniform electric line current source is immersed a short distance into an ionospheric halfspace, the model of which is a homogeneous, linear, cold, lossy, single-component magnetoplasma halfspace. Formal integral expressions for the electric fields radiated into the adjoining air halfspace are derived by a solution of Maxwell's equations in each region, using double Fourier transform techniques. The formal integral expressions for the radiation-zone electric fields in air are evaluated asymptotically by the method of stationary phase. Radiation patterns are plotted for several combinations of polarization, frequency, depth of immersion, direction of magnetostatic field, and region of ionosphere. The field strength increases with frequency in the VLF spectrum, for a given strength of the line source. The field strengths are considerably larger for a magnetostatic field B0= 0.5 G than for B0= 0. There is a tendency for the vertical polarization to be enhanced in directions along B0 and reduced in directions perpendicular to B0. The horizontal polarization is affected less by B0 than the vertical polarization.
Predicting Wave Propagation Through Inhomogeneous Soils Using a Finite-Element Model Incorporating Perfectly-Matched Layers

A 2D, plane-strain, finite element model, with perfectly-matched layer elements acting as absorbing boundaries, is used to investigate the effect of soil inhomogeneity on resultant surface vibration. The stiffness and mass matrices for the perfectly-matched layer element is derived and included for reference. Stochastic variability of the soil’s shear wave velocity is introduced using a K-L expansion; the shear wave velocity is assumed to have a log-normal distribution and a modified exponential co-variance kernel. Results suggest that local soil inhomogeneity can significantly affect surface velocity predictions; 90% confidence intervals showing 7dB averages and peak values up to 11dB are computed. This is a significant source of uncertainty and should be considered when using predictions from models assuming homogeneous soil properties.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Antennal and mouthpart sensilla of Tetrigidae (Orthoptera)

Sensilla on the antennae and mouthparts of eight species in six genera of Tetrigidae were observed using scanning electron microscopy. Tetrigines had multiporous placoid sensilla, mound-shaped sensilla with a distal peg on the scape and pedicel, and cylindrical basiconic sensilla with an apical papilla. Batrachideines differed by having multiporous papilliform and nonpapilliform basiconic sensilla in place of placoid sensilla; they also lacked mound-shaped sensilla. All species had small fields of coeloconic sensilla. The average number of sensilla on a tetrigine's antenna ranged from 167 (♀) to 305 (♂) and, on a batrachideine's, 276 (♂) to 388 (♀). Three types of mouthpart sensilla occurred on the apex of maxillary and labial palpi: short and apically papilliform, short and multiporous, and moderately short-to-long and slender. The number of sensilla ranged from 55 to 130.
Agglutination of sea urchin eggs and sperm by basic proteins.

SummaryThe agglutination of sea urchin eggs and sperm by basic protein extracts of homologous and unrelated sperm (reported by Hultin, 5,6) is confirmed. Experiments are cited which show that antifertilizin, another egg agglutinin obtainable from sperm, is not present in or identical with the egg agglutinating basic protein fraction of sea urchin sperm as Hultin claims. Thus two distinct epp agglutinins are obtainable from whole sperm. One of these, antifertilizin, is obtained by heating, freeze-thawing or pH 3 extraction (Frank,7 Tyler,8,10); the other, a basic protein(s), is obtained by pH 1 extraction of sperm.
Controllable Self‐Assembly of RNA Tetrahedrons with Precise Shape and Size for Cancer Targeting

RNA tetrahedral nanoparticles with two different sizes are successfully assembled by a one-pot bottom-up approach with high efficiency and thermal stability. The reported design principles can be extended to construct higher-order polyhedral RNA architectures for various applications such as targeted cancer imaging and therapy.
National information system and networks

Presents the various policy options, their changing natures, questions and answers, technological feasibilities, structural formations, societal implications, content organisation, and library formats.
The fungal cultivar of leaf-cutter ants produces specific enzymes in response to different plant substrates.

Herbivores use symbiotic microbes to help derive energy and nutrients from plant material. Leaf-cutter ants are a paradigmatic example, cultivating their mutualistic fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus on plant biomass that workers forage from a diverse collection of plant species. Here, we investigate the metabolic flexibility of the ants’ fungal cultivar for utilizing different plant biomass. Using feeding experiments and a novel approach in metaproteomics, we examine the enzymatic response of L. gongylophorus to leaves, flowers, oats, or a mixture of all three. Across all treatments, our analysis identified and quantified 1,766 different fungal proteins, including 161 putative biomass-degrading enzymes. We found significant differences in the protein profiles in the fungus gardens of sub-colonies fed different plant substrates. When provided with leaves or flowers, which contain the majority of their energy as recalcitrant plant polymers, the fungus gardens produced more proteins predicted to break down cellulose: endoglucanase, exoglucanase, and β-glucosidase. Further, the complete metaproteomes for the leaves and flowers treatments were very similar, while the mixed substrate treatment closely resembled the treatment with oats alone. This indicates that when provided a mixture of plant substrates, fungus gardens preferentially break down the simpler, more digestible substrates. This flexible, substrate-specific enzymatic response of the fungal cultivar allows leaf-cutter ants to derive energy from a wide range of substrates, which likely contributes to their ability to be dominant generalist herbivores. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Bcr strongly inhibits the tumorigenic effects of Bcr-Abl but mutant Bcr proteins lack inhibitory effects and enhance Bcr-Abl oncogenic effects.

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 5281 BCR-ABL oncoprotein is responsible for causing chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). BCR-ABL transforming ability is acquired through its up-regulated Abl tyrosine kinase activity. Bcr is a 160,000 phosphoprotein with a serine/threonine kinase activity localized in its first exon. Perturbation of normal Bcr functions by oncogenic Bcr-Abl protein is important in the generation of CML (Arlinghaus, Oncogene 2002). We have shown that over-expression of BCR interferes with BCR-ABL oncogenic effects. Bcr-Abl phosphorylates endogenous Bcr protein on various tyrosine residues reducing its serine/threonine kinase activity (Liu et al. Mol. Cell. Bio., 1996). However, when in molar excess Bcr is resistant to tyrosine phosphorylation and it is mostly in the phosphoserine form (Wu et al, Oncogene 1999). We studied BCR activity in the TonB210 cell line in which BCR-ABL expression is tightly regulated and under the control of a tetracycline-dependent expression system. GFP alone or BCR/GFP were transduced into TonB210 cells by using a bi-cistronic lentivirus system. In a nude mouse tumor model, we showed that single clones of BCR-ABL/BCR-GFP TonB210 cells injected in nude mice produced tumors at a very low frequency. Appearance of tumors was much delayed and they were 50% smaller compared to the BCR-ABL/GFP only group. TonB210/BCR-ABL/BCR-GFP cells had little colony forming ability in soft agar compared to GFP only expressing cells. Two different BCR point mutants were created: S354A and Y360F. These disrupt the ability of Bcr to be in the hyper-phosphorylated form, required for its inhibitory function (Hawk et al., Cancer Res., 2002), or to function as a kinase, respectively. These mutants showed dramatic effects on TonB210 cells when injected in doxicycline fed mice to induce Bcr-Abl. Tumors developed in eighty five percent of the injected sites as early as ten days after injection at time when controls formed no tumors and despite the fact that lower amounts of Bcr-Abl protein were detected by western in these mutants. It seems that the S354A BCR mutant is involved in the degradation of most but not all the Bcr-Abl protein yet the remaining Bcr-Abl is highly active, as evident from its pTyr content and its ability to maintain TonB210 cells without IL-3. These results indicate that these Bcr mutants lack inhibitory activity against Bcr-Abl, and that the mutant proteins are functioning as dominant-negative (DN) forms of Bcr. We hypothesize that these DN Bcr proteins block the inhibitory effects of endogenous Bcr. Our previous findings have shown that Bcr functions as an inhibitor of Bcr-Abl oncogenic effects in the phosphoserine form but tyrosine-phosphorylated BCR is neutralized as an inhibitor of BCR-ABL effects (Lin et al., Oncogene 2001). Surprisingly the DN forms of Bcr unleash what appears to be the full oncogenic potential of P210 BCR-ABL.
Design flexibility for uncertain distributed generation from photovoltaics

Uncertainty in the future adoption patterns for distributed energy resources (DERs) introduces a challenge for electric distribution system planning. This paper explores the potential for flexibility in design - also known as real options - to identify design solutions that may never emerge when future DER patterns are treated as deterministic. A test case for storage system design with uncertain distributed generation for solar photovoltaics (DGPV) demonstrates this approach and is used to study sensitivities to a range of techno-economic assumptions.
Electromagnetic tracker for active handheld robotic systems

This paper describes recent work in the development of the In-Loop Electromagnetic Tracker (ILEMT), designed to meet the demanding latency and resolution requirements for active stabilization of hand motion during precision manipulations such as microsurgery. The prototype surpasses the fastest commercial EM trackers by > 4x in root bandwidth/resolution and 2x in latency. The use of two widely spaced carrier frequencies (e.g., 300 Hz and 10 kHz) enables a particularly simple way of reducing the eddy-current interference caused by nonferrous metals present in the workspace. Previously, metal compatibility has only been achieved at a large cost to measurement speed.
McGann, Anthony J., Charles Anthony Smith, Michael Latner, and Alex Keena. Gerrymandering in America: The House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, and the Future of Popular Sovereignty: New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2016. 268 pages. $34.99 (softcover); $89.99 (hardcover)

In Gerrymandering in America, Anthony McGann, Charles Smith, Michael Latner, and Alex Keena systematically show that, after the U.S. Supreme Court vacated Davis v. Bandemer (1986) in their 2004 dec...
(p, d) and (p, t) Reactions on B-11, C-14, O-16, and O-18

Pickup ($p, d$) reactions on ${\mathrm{B}}^{11}$, ${\mathrm{C}}^{14}$, ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}$, and ${\mathrm{O}}^{18}$ have been observed at proton energies ranging from 17.6 to 20 MeV. Also, ($p, t$) reactions on ${\mathrm{C}}^{14}$ and ${\mathrm{O}}^{18}$ were observed. Angular distributions were taken and absolute differential cross sections were obtained for all reactions except ${\mathrm{C}}^{14}(p, d){\mathrm{C}}^{13}$ and ${\mathrm{C}}^{14}(p, t){\mathrm{C}}^{12}$. The deuteron results were analyzed using the plane-wave Butler formalism and reduced widths and spectroscopic factors were calculated. The results indicate that the single-particle reduced width is a function of the binding energy of the transferred nucleon, which may indicate that the plane-wave approximation is not completely adequate for analyzing stripping and pickup experiments on light nuclei. The ($p, t$) results, when compared to those for the inverse ($t, p$) reactions, indicate that such experiments may possibly be described using a simple stripping formalism.
Online product review as an indicator of users’ degree of innovativeness and product adoption time: a longitudinal analysis of text reviews

Online reviews have become extremely valuable sources of information about products and their customers as electronic commerce continues to proliferate rapidly. Previous research has shown that reviews of a product change and evolve over its life. Identifying and understanding patterns of change in reviews and the forces that shape them is an underexplored topic with substantial potential for predicting and improving the market performance of products. In this study, we analyze review text of nearly 50 products over the course of their lives. Our longitudinal analysis of reviews reveals changes in certain personality-related characteristics of buyers in ways that are consistent with the predictions of product adoption and diffusion theories. The main findings and conclusions still hold when we replicate the same procedure on reviews of a different product category. Accordingly, based on online user-generated content in the form of online reviews, this research introduces a novel empirical method for identifying the product adoption and diffusion stage. Implications of the study for theory, methodology, and practice are discussed.
Isolation and Evaluation of Beauveria bassiana (Deuteromycotina: Hyphomycetes) for the Suppression of the Glassy-winged Sharpshooter, Homalodisca coagulata (Homoptera: Cicadellidae)

The glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca coagulata (Say) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), is a significant threat to California agriculture as a vector of the bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa Wells, caus...
Abstract TP59: Rapid MR in Suspected Acute Stroke: Identifying Mimics That Can Avoid Admission

Introduction: Diffusion weighted MR imaging (DWI) is the most accurate method to confirm or exclude acute ischemic stroke, however due to logistics is not widely used in the emergent setting. While many patients with stroke symptoms will get an MRI during their hospitalization, it may occur only after hours of care in the ER or after admission. Hypothesis: Providing emergent MR imaging in Stroke Code patients avoids unnecessary admission and associated costs for work-up of stroke mimics which otherwise would not be rapidly identified. Methods: IRB-approved retrospective review of the first year of expedited acute stroke MR imaging availability at a TJC Comprehensive Stroke Center. Imaging included immediate non-contrast head CT on arrival with CT Angiography at discretion of Stroke Code Leader. Emergent MR was then performed in patients without MRI contraindications who had unclear diagnosis, or to clarify extent of infarct. Demographic, clinical and imaging data were analyzed with time from triage to imaging, tPA decision, and discharge. Results: MRI was performed prospectively in 68/456 patients presenting with possible acute stroke symptoms from 7/1/2014-7/1/2015 (44 male, 26 female, age 60+/-15 years). Symptom onset was within 3 hours in 34 (49%), 3-6 hours in 12 (17%) and >6 hours or awoke with symptoms in 22 (31%); NIHSS of 4 or less in 40 (59%). Median time from arrival to completion of non-contrast head CT was 16 minutes; median time from CT imaging to completion of DWI was 39 minutes. Twenty-nine patients were discharged directly from the ER after MRI, with median ER stay of 5 hours, 15 minutes. Conclusions: Through multi-departmental collaboration, expediting MR imaging in the setting of acute stroke evaluation can avoid unnecessarily prolonged ER observation and admission in patients with stroke mimics.
Modeling the response of Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden and Zachariae Isstrøm glaciers, Greenland, to ocean forcing over the next century†

Recent studies have shown that the NorthEast Greenland Ice Sheet region (NEGIS) has been undergoing significant acceleration and dynamic thinning since 2010 and these changes are closely related to regional atmospheric and oceanic warming. Here we model the response of Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden (79North) and Zachariae Isstrom (ZI) to ocean forcing to investigate their evolution over the coming decades. Our model suggests that 79North will retreat slowly over the next century, whereas ZI will lose its floating ice tongue completely and retreat rapidly for 70 years. After 70 years, ZI will stabilize 30 km upstream of its current position on a topographic ridge. Frontal melt rates need to reach 6 m/day in the summer to dislodge the glacier from this ridge. ZI will then continue a fast and unstoppable retreat, contributing more than 16.2 mm to global sea level rise by 2100.
Multiple Inhibitory Mechanisms of Lidocaine on Bradykinin Receptor Activity in Model Sensory Neurons.

Background and Objectives Local anesthetics (LAs) are often infiltrated subcutaneously for localized perioperative numbing. In addition to blocking nerve conduction, LAs act on pathways used by a variety of pain-inducing and inflammatory mediators. We describe the effects in isolated model sensory neurons of LAs on responses to the algogenic and sensitizing peptide, bradykinin (BK). Methods ND/7 sensory neurons were stimulated by different concentrations of BK in the presence or absence of LAs, with transient increases in intracellular calcium (Δ[Ca+2]in) detected fluorometrically in fields of cells. Equilibrium saturable binding of radiolabeled BK also was conducted on the same type of cells, with and without LA. Results Responses to low BK (5 nM) were inhibited by lidocaine at 1 mM (approximately 35% inhibition) and 10 mM (approximately 70% inhibition), whereas responses to high BK (100 nM) were unaffected by 1 mM yet inhibited (approximately 75%) by 10 mM lidocaine. Bupivacaine (1 and 2 mM) did not reduce peak Δ[Ca+2]in (using 5 nM BK). Lidocaine9s quaternary derivative, QX-314 (10 mM), also was ineffective on peak Ca+2 (5 nM BK). Saturation binding of BK showed that lidocaine lowered the binding capacity (Bmax) without changing the KD, consistent with noncompetitive inhibition. Conclusions At subclinical concentrations, lidocaine suppresses BK9s activation of model sensory neurons. This effect adds to the known analgesic mechanisms of LAs and likely contributes to the reduction of postincisional pain.
Open Systems Interconnections With Bull (Strategy and Products)

After the declaration of the 12 Europeans on the adoption of international communication standards, BULL announces the availability of ISO/DSA specifications enabling inter-operation of its equipment with those of other manufacturers.
Outcomes of Kahook Dual Blade Goniotomy with and without Phacoemulsification Cataract Extraction.

Purpose To determine the effectiveness and safety of Kahook Dual Blade (KDB) goniotomy in reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) and medication need in glaucoma patients when combined with phacoemulsification or as a standalone procedure. Design Retrospective study. Participants A total of 197 eyes from 143 patients were reviewed. Methods Thirty-two eyes underwent KDB goniotomy alone and 165 eyes underwent KDB goniotomy combined with phacoemulsification cataract surgery (phaco-KDB). Main Outcome Measures Surgical success, defined as IOP reduction of at least 20% from baseline at 12 months, and/or reduction of at least 1 glaucoma medication. Results At 12 months, the success rate was 71.8% for the phaco-KDB group and 68.8% for the KDB-alone group. In the phaco-KDB group at 12 months (n = 124), mean IOP was significantly reduced from 16.7 (standard error [SE] 0.4) mmHg on 1.9 (SE 0.1) medications to 13.8 (SE 0.4) mmHg on 1.5 (SE 0.1) medications. In the KDB-alone group at 12 months (n = 16), mean IOP was significantly reduced from 20.4 (SE 1.3) mmHg on 3.1 (SE 0.2) medications to 14.1 (SE 0.9) mmHg on 2.3 (SE 0.4) medications. The most common complications were transient hyphema (17.3% at day 1) and IOP spike >10 mmHg from baseline at 1 week (10.2%). LogMAR visual acuity at 12 months was unchanged from baseline in the KDB-alone group (0.218 [SE 0.07] and 0.306 [SE 0.09], respectively, P = 0.244) and significantly improved in the phaco-KDB group (0.184 [SE 0.02] and 0.340 [SE 0.03], P Conclusions Goniotomy with the KDB has a favorable safety profile and is an effective procedure at reducing IOP and medication burden as a standalone procedure or combined with phacoemulsification.
Self-Lubricating Behavior of Graphite-Reinforced Composites

Lubricants are extensively used between contacting surfaces to reduce friction and wear. Typically, liquid lubricants are used to achieve low friction and wear. However, these lubricants are not effective in elevated temperature applications or vacuum environments. For these reasons, solid lubricants are utilized to meet these operational needs, where liquid lubrication is impractical. Solid lubricants are only effective as long as they are present in the tribo-interface. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a constant supply of solid lubricant material to the contacting surface. This is often achieved by incorporating solid lubricants as a second phase in the base material. These composite materials have the ability to achieve low friction and wear at the contact surfaces without any external supply of lubrication during sliding. Metal matrix composites reinforced with lamellar solid lubricant particles such as graphite are being used as self-lubricating materials for various engineering applications. In this chapter, the tribological behavior of metal and ceramic matrix composites reinforced with graphite particles has been reviewed. More specifically, copper–graphite, nickel–graphite, magnesium–graphite, silver–graphite, aluminum–graphite, silicon nitride–graphite, and alumina–graphite composites are studied. The influence of various environmental and mechanical parameters on the friction coefficient and wear rate is discussed. It was found that the amount of graphite released on the worn surface forms a thin transfer film on the contact surfaces. This transfer film reduces the overall friction coefficient and wear rate. The presence of the graphite-based transfer film increases the seizure resistance and enables the contacting surfaces to run under boundary lubrication without galling. The formation and retention of this transfer film on the sliding surface as well as its composition, area fraction, thickness, and hardness are important factors in controlling the friction and wear behavior of the material. The effectiveness of the transfer film also depends on the nature of the sliding surface, the test condition, environment, and the graphite content in the composite.
Forces and Moments

Mechanics, as a scientific discipline, is the study of the behavior of bodies subject to forces and displacements (and, to some extent, heating and cooling). Solid mechanics is the branch of mechanics dealing specifically with solid bodies.
Immigrants: Economic Performance

This article deals with five issues that have dominated labor market research about immigrants: (a) the determinants of immigrants' economic gains, (b) whether native-born residents gain or lose, (c) the changing labor market wages and skills of immigrants, (d) life-cycle assimilation of immigrants, and (e) generational progress. Despite extensive research, the answers remain controversial. Immigrants appear to gain considerably from migration, on average imparting small but positive benefits to native workers while reducing the wages of substitute domestic workers. Immigrants are enormously economically heterogeneous and are highly selective relative to others in their country of origin. On average, immigrants and their native-born descendants appear to assimilate successfully in economic terms into their new countries. Legal and illegal immigrants are very different so that it is important that research distinguishes carefully between them.
Ambulatory spine surgery: Outcomes compared to inpatient surgery

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to review outcomes of ambulatory spine surgeries to its inpatient counterpart. Ambulatory spine surgeries have been on the rise as there has been evidence to support increased safety, faster healing and increased cost effectiveness with outpatient procedures. However, there has not been a paper to compare the most commonly performed outpatient spine surgery procedure outcomes with inpatient outcomes. These p+rocedures include lumbar microdiscectomy, posterior lumbar decompression, posterior cervical decompression, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, and cervical disc replacement. Outcomes, risks, and advantages were reviewed for each type of spine surgery.
A Ferrofluidically Actuated Liquid-Metal RF Switch

Ferrofluidic actuation of liquid metal, demonstrated for the first time on an RF device, employs the magnetic response of a low-loss hydrocarbon-based ferrofluid for a simple RF switch. The ferrofluid is shown to reduce losses by an average of 4.9 dB from 50 MHz to 20 GHz compared to a lossy aqueous solution commonly used in existing actuation methods for liquid metal. These results offer a promising alternative for liquidmetal reconfigurable RF circuits.
Versatility of Synthetic tRNAs in Genetic Code Expansion

Transfer RNA (tRNA) is a dynamic molecule used by all forms of life as a key component of the translation apparatus. Each tRNA is highly processed, structured, and modified, to accurately deliver amino acids to the ribosome for protein synthesis. The tRNA molecule is a critical component in synthetic biology methods for the synthesis of proteins designed to contain non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs). The multiple interactions and maturation requirements of a tRNA pose engineering challenges, but also offer tunable features. Major advances in the field of genetic code expansion have repeatedly demonstrated the central importance of suppressor tRNAs for efficient incorporation of ncAAs. Here we review the current status of two fundamentally different translation systems (TSs), selenocysteine (Sec)- and pyrrolysine (Pyl)-TSs. Idiosyncratic requirements of each of these TSs mandate how their tRNAs are adapted and dictate the techniques used to select or identify the best synthetic variants.
Violations of Competence, Integrity, and Benevolence

Although past research has considered beliefs about competence, integrity, and benevolence to be the three most important determinants of trust, it has offered little insight into the causes of suc...
Smartphone telemedical emergency department consults for screening of nonacute dizziness.

Objectives/hypothesis Each year, the United States spends over $4 billion on emergency department visits for evaluation of dizziness. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a common cause of dizziness that can easily be diagnosed by observing characteristic eye movements during the Dix-Hallpike test (DHT). The DHT is easily performed; however, interpretation requires more advanced training. This may be part of the reason it is not commonly performed in emergency departments, and instead, patients undergo costly imaging tests. We evaluated whether smartphone-based video recordings of DHT could be assessed telemedically for screening of nonacute dizziness. Study design Feasibility study. Methods Dizzy patients underwent objective vestibular testing, but also had videos of their eye movements recorded via a smartphone during the DHT. The videos were remotely reviewed by two neuro-otologists for BPPV screening and were compared to objective and in-person exam findings. Results Overall, 30 dizzy patients were evaluated with seven cases of BPPV. The sensitivity for diagnosing BPPV via a smartphone-recording of eye movements of the DHT was 92.86%, with a specificity of 100% and a negative predictive value of 97.87%. Conclusions Our initial proof-of-concept study shows that remote screening of BPPV is possible with high specificity. Because the DHT is easily taught, having a remote otolaryngologist interpret the resulting eye movements may increase usage of the test and may lead to cost savings. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 129:466-469, 2019.
THE SYNTHESIS, ISOLATION, AMPLIFICATION AND TRANSCRIPTION OF THE OVALBUMIN GENE

ABSTRACT RNA was transcribed from chick oviduct chromatin and the concentration of ovalbumin mRNA sequences in the RNA transcripts was measured by hybridization with a radioactive complementary DNA probe synthesized against purified ovalbumin mRNA using viral reverse transcriptase. Ovalbumin mRNA sequences were more abundant in RNAs transcribed from chromatin of estrogen-stimulated chick oviduct than that of chicks withdrawn from hormone. Reconstitution experiments indicated that the nonhistone protein fraction of the estrogen-stimulated chromatin was responsible for maintaining expression of the ovalbumin gene in vitro . In order to study the specific interactions between these regulatory proteins and the ovalbumin gene, we attempted to synthesize, isolate and amplify this gene. Using reverse transcriptase and the complete ovalbumin complementary DNA (cDNA ov ) as a template, a double-stranded DNA (the synthetic ovalbumin gene) was synthesized in vitro . This double-stranded synthetic ovalbumin gene has been successfully incorporated into bacterial plasmids and amplified. By an alternative method designed to obtain DNA sequences adjacent to the coding portion of the ovalbumin gene, we have also purified the natural ovalbumin gene from total chick DNA by affinity chromatography. Using separate columns in which purified ovalbumin mRNA (mRNA ov ) and CDNAOV were covalently linked to phospho-cellulose, the respective complementary ovalbumin DNA strands were enriched about 10, 000-fold from total chick DNA sheared mechanically to a mean length of four to five thousand base pairs. RNA transcribed from these partially purified DNA preparations contained ovalbumin sequences in a much greater concentration than RNA synthesized from total chick DNA.
Cinema, Nation, and Empire in Uzbekistan (1919–1937)

Cloe Drieu’s Cinema, Nation, and Empire in Uzbekistan (1919–1937), translated from the original French by Adrian Morfee, is a welcome addition to the fields of Soviet and Central Asian studies. Dri...