cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SLIM: Secure and Lightweight Identity Management in VANETs with Minimum Infrastructure Reliance

Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) show a promising future of automobile technology as it enables vehicles to dynamically form networks for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. For vehicles to securely and privately communicate with each other in VANETs, various privacy-preserving authentication protocols have been proposed. Most of the existing approaches assume the existence of Road-Side Units (RSUs) to serve as the trusted party during the authentication. However, building RSUs is costly and may not be able to capture the speed of the deployment of the VANETs in the near future. Aiming at minimizing the reliance on the infrastructure support, we propose a Secure and Lightweight Identity Management (SLIM) mechanism for vehicle-to-vehicle communications. Our approach is built upon self-organized groups of vehicles which take turns to serve as captain authentication unit to provide temporary local identities for member vehicles. While ensuring the vehicles’ identities are verifiable to each other, we also prevent any vehicle in VANETs including the captain authentication unit from seeing the true identities of other vehicles. The proposed authentication protocols leverage the public key infrastructure in a way that the key generation workload is distributed over time and hence achieve authentication efficiency during the V2V communication. Compared to the previous related work, the proposed SLIM mechanism is more secure in that it can defend more types of attacks in VANETs, and is more efficient in that it requires much shorter response time for identity verification between vehicles.
Interfaces for CAD applications

IGES and lately VDAFS are the key concepts when discussing CAD-interfaces. CAD-interfaces are a major topic in the realm of CAD-integration. Up to the present time it has been the task of the CAD-systems analysts in industry to introduce and support particular design processes i.e. to develop or adapt appropriate CAD-systems. The emphasis was on the human interface in its fullest sense between a designer and his CAD-workstation. Since a vast amount of CAD-data has been generated which is benefical not only to the design process but also for many other branches in a company, CAD-data has to be made available to those other systems i.e. users. Eventually CAD must have an impact on the corporate data structure. This is a natural consequence of having CAD-data since these data contain the most complete geometrical description of the products. Due to response time requirements, the kind of CAD-modeling involved and the operating systems, CAD-data is structured in many extremely complex ways. Each CAD- system has a different structure.
Synaptic Plasticity: Learning and Memory in Normal Aging

Abstract Long term potentiation (LTP) and long term depression (LTD) of synaptic transmission are now widely recognized as representing cellular mechanisms used by a variety of neuronal networks to store certain types of information. The molecular and cellular events underlying these forms of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity are also being elucidated. Like learning and memory processes, LTP and LTD undergo age-related alterations. This manuscript reviews the major features of LTP/LTD in hippocampus and cerebellum and the potential mechanisms involved in age-related modifications of these processes. The conclusions not only strengthen the links between LTP/LTD and learning and memory but also provide a cell biology interpretation of age-related alterations in learning and memory at the cellular and system level.
Abnormalities of Intraventricular Conduction

Impairment of intraventricular conduction produces changes in orientation, duration, amplitude, and/or contour of QRS. Specific patterns depend on the location and extent of the lesion, and can be predicted with confidence from the anatomic and physiologic properties of the system summarized in Chapter Four (p. 75).
Observation of Shear Wave Generation at Bonded Silicon-Carbide Interface

The drive toward higher efficiencies and performance in energy production and transportation equipment has posed a continual challenge for the materials scientists and engineers involved in design and construction of such equipment. The laws of thermodynamics specify that increased efficiency can best be achieved by the use of the highest possible temperatures. As the desired operating temperature of a system increases, the limitations of the materials being used for construction of the system place an upper limit of the temperatures and thus the efficiencies that can be achieved.
An engine size–scaling method for kinetically controlled combustion strategies:

A substantial amount of research has recently focused on kinetically controlled combustion strategies such as reactivity-controlled compression ignition combustion. These strategies are promising m...
Percy, Peirce, and Parsifal: Intuition’s Farther Shore

Walker Percy’s unusual aspirations set his novels apart from most literary attempts to understand profound human problems. He gave meaning to the category of art as inquiry. In the novels, his characters’ eccentric quests treat everyday things as evidence for abstract and ultimately theological hypotheses. Outside the novels Percy shared their conviction, inspired by philosophical traditions that include Leibniz, Descartes, the British phenomena lists, C.S. Peirce, and Noam Chomsky. This article shows how well in tune he was with these traditions, and especially with Chomsky’s and Peirce’s variants on the thesis that built-in biases picked up from our environment are relevant to everyday and scientific learning. In this respect, Percy too anticipated the significance of more recent developments in cognitive science and robotic learning. Like Peirce, he also believed that these empirical learning patterns have theological resonance.
Failure to develop a conditional reflex by stimulation of the cephalad portion of the severed vagosympathetic trunk: its significance in terms of the central connections of the vagus.

Stimulation of the central stump of either vagosympathetic trunk in the dog, the contralateral nerve remaining intact, regularly provoked deep respiratory movements with forceful expiration, followed by a period of apnea, and a fall in blood pressure, systolic and diastolic, of 20–60 mm/Hg. Stimulation of the cephalad portion of the left nerve provoked brief acceleration of heart rate during the period of hyperventilation, followed by bradycardia; when the stimulus was applied to the central stump of the right nerve heart rate remained relatively unchanged. When a 12-second tone as a conditional stimulus (CS) was reinforced during its last six seconds with such stimulation of the vagosympathetic trunk as an unconditional stimulus (US), despite the striking visceromotor responses elicited by the US, no conditional reflex was established even after more than 3,400 trials in 16 dogs (34–781 trials per animal).
UNIT 4.1 An Overview of Gene Identification: Approaches, Strategies, and Considerations

Modern biology is on the verge of officially ushering in a new era in science with the completion of the sequencing of the human genome in April 2003. While often erroneously called the “post-genome era”, this will actually truly mark the beginning of the “genome era,” a time in which the availability of sequence data for many genomes will have a significant effect on how science is performed in the 21st century. This unit offers an overview of many of the gene prediction methods that are currently available and offers a general assessment of how well the methods work for various problems.
Pain Coping Skills Training for Patients Who Catastrophize About Pain Prior to Knee Arthroplasty: A Multisite Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background:Pain catastrophizing has been identified as a prognostic indicator of poor outcome following knee arthroplasty. Interventions to address pain catastrophizing, to our knowledge, have not been tested in patients undergoing knee arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to determine whethe
Association between immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and clinical outcomes (CO) in advanced urothelial cancer patients (pts) treated with immunotherapy (IO).

472Background: The increasing use of IO agents in the treatment of urothelial cancer has revealed irAEs during therapy. We investigated whether there is an association between treatment-related irA...
Failure of Heat Exchanger Return Bend Due to Long-Term Localized Overheating [Kerusakan pada Pipa Belokan U Alat Penukar Kalor akibat Panas Berlebih secara Lokal dalam Jangka Panjang]

A return bend of a heat exchanger had failed due to bursting after it had been only about 2.5 years in service. The heat exchanger was used to transfer heat from hot combustion gas on the shell side to the feedstock oil on the tube side. Type and factors that may have caused the return bend bursting are discussed in this paper. The metallurgical assessment was conducted by preparing a number of specimens from the as-received burst and unburst return bends. Various laboratory examinations were performed including visual and macroscopic examination, chemical analysis, metallographic examination, hardness testing, and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis. Results of the metallurgical assessment obtained showed that the burst return bend had been experiencing fracture overload due to local hot spot or long-term localized overheating occurred on the outer bend external surface. The long-term localized overheating was most likely caused by formation of fouling deposit that was built up on the outer bend internal surface, leading to increase the corrosion rate significantly and resulted in excessive metal loss or thinning occurred on the outer bend external surface. Consequently, the hoop stress at the outer bend section had been increasing significantly and eventually the working pressure of the feedstock oil on the tube side could burst the return bend wall thereon Abstrak Tulisan ini menyajikan penelitian yang dilakukan pada sebuah belokan pipa U (return bend) pada sebuah alat penukar kalor yang mengalami kerusakan (pecah) setelah beroperasi hanya dalam waktu 2,5 tahun. Alat penukar kalor tersebut digunakan untuk memindahkan panas dari gas panas hasil pembakaran pada sisi bejana/tabung ke dalam bahan baku minyak (feedstock oil) pada sisi pipa. Material belokan pipa U tersebut dibuat dari baja karbon dengan standar ASTM A-234 Gr.WPB, memiliki diameter 2 inch dan tebal SCH 80. Penelitian berupa observasi dan pengujian metalurgi dilaksanakan dengan menyiapkan sejumlah sampel material dari belokan pipa U, baik yang sudah pecah maupun yang tidak pecah. Pengujian yang dilakukan meliputi uji visual dan makro, analisa kimia, uji metalografi, uji kekerasan dengan metoda Vickers dan SEM (scanning electron microscopy) - EDS (energy dispersive spectroscopy). Hasil pengujian metalurgi menunjukkan bahwa pipa belokan U yang pecah mengalami kerusakan akibat beban berlebih yang dipengaruhi oleh local hot spot atau panas berlebih secara lokal dalam jangka panjang (long-term localized overheating). Akibatnya, tegangan yang bekerja pada dinding belokan pipa U mengalami peningkatan yang sangat signifikan sehingga pada akhirnya tekanan operasi yang terjadi pada bahan baku minyak di dalam pipa dapat merobek atau memecahkan bagian dinding belokan pipa U tersebut.
Cutaneous Infections in Black Skin

Infectious processes in black skin are sometimes difficult to identify because of their varied presentations. This chapter highlights some common conditions and provides a plethora of clinical photographs to aid in identification.
Beyond the usual suspects: A case study in choosing an inventory control system

Abstract When the University of Oklahoma Libraries began planning a new high-density storage facility, we decided to look beyond the companies that had provided products specifically for libraries. We turned to records management companies, seeking out products used in the finance, insurance, healthcare, and legal industries. This column outlines our requirements and specifications, selection and implementation processes, and our current use of the software.
But Facebook’s Not a Country: How to Interpret Human Rights Law for Social Media Companies

Private social media companies regulate much more speech than any government does, and their platforms are being used to bring about serious harm. Yet companies govern largely on their own, and in secret. To correct this, advocates have proposed that companies follow international human-rights law. That law–by far the world’s best-known rules for governing speech–could improve regulation itself, and would also allow for better transparency and oversight on behalf of billions of people who use social media. This paper argues that for this to work, the law must first be interpreted to clarify how (and whether) each of its provisions are suited to this new purpose. For example, the law provides that speech may be restricted to protect national security, as one of only five permissible bases for limiting speech. Governments, for which international law was written, may regulate on that basis, but not private companies which have no national security to protect. To fill some of the gap, the paper explains and interprets the most relevant provisions of international human-rights law–Articles 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which pertain to freedom of expression–for use by social media companies, in novel detail.
Interplanetary Intimacy: Alien-Human Love in J.-H. Rosny aîné’s Martian Novels

This article reassesses J.-H. Rosny aine’s two sequential novels, Les Navigateurs de l’infini (1925) and Les Astronautes (1933; published posthumously in 1960), dealing with the exploratory voyage of three astronauts to Mars and humanity’s first encounter with a rational extraterrestrial race. The love story between the human first-person narrator, Jacques, and Grâce, an orificeless, six-eyed female tripedal creature, gradually eclipses the wider context of exploration and scientific advancement. The romance occupies much of the sequel, with the added complication of a love triangle with Violaine, the sister of one of the other voyagers. Through the perspective of this unusual relationship, Rosny calls into question European colonialism and pessimistic science fiction exemplified by H. G. Wells pitting human civilization against an alien enemy. The works may be contextualized as part of an interwar wave of science fiction involving Martians that critiqued imperialism. Above all, alterity is posited as an ultimately positive notion.
What We Perceive

An obvious way nervous systems differ from electronic computers is brains give rise to perceptions, defined as what we subjectively experience, while computers do not. This fact, however, does not mean that neuroscientists know how perceptions arise, what they are or whether non-biological machines could ever give rise to them. For many investigators nervous system is taken to construct representations of the physical world. Based on what has already been said, however, this option is implausible. Moreover, there are profound discrepancies between the physical sources of stimuli and what we perceive.
Baleen whale presence in northern Mariana islands in 2015–2017

Many baleen whale vocalizations are species, and in some cases, population−specific. Although baleen whale occurrence has been studied in different parts of the ocean, little is known about the seasonal distribution of baleen whales in the Western Pacific. Since 2010, more concerted visual and acoustic survey effort has been occurred around a very remote region of the western Pacific Ocean, the Northern Mariana Islands. Passive acoustic data were collected at two locations in the Northern Mariana Islands, Tinian and Saipan, from 2015–2017 and they were analyzed for call characteristics and occurrence of different baleen whale call types from blue whales, fin whales, and Bryde’s whales. There was a clear seasonal pattern in fin whale calls, with peak call detections during winter and spring. Low levels of blue whale calls were detected year-round with peaks in winter (December) and summer (June). Bryde’s whales were detected sporadically at both locations. Moreover, two low-frequency sounds with currently unknown origin were detected, one tonal and one pulsed sound. The former was more common at Tinian and the latter at Saipan. This work enhances our understanding of the species’ vocal repertoire and population structure.
Geospatial Vulnerability Framework for Identifying Water Infrastructure Inequalities

AbstractRecent infrastructure failures in the United States have brought attention to the ways and extent to which water security is unevenly distributed in urban areas. For many marginalized commu...
Policy Forum: Future Workforce Models - Enabling the Shift

Adopter le travail a distance, en tout ou en partie, permet aux employeurs d'offrir la flexibilite que de nombreux employes recherchent et de realiser diverses economies de coUts. Au moment de s'engager dans cette voie, il est toutefois important que les entreprises examinent des le depart beaucoup d'aspects touchant la fiscalite et la paie pour attenuer les risques lies a la non-conformite. Quels sont ces aspects lies a l'impot sur les societes et a la paie? Une politique officielle peut-elle aider a attenuer les risques de non-conformite? Quels autres aspects faut-il prendre en compte outre l'impot et la paie? La politique gouvernementale doit-elle soutenir ce changement? Cet article resume les divers aspects de l'elaboration d'une politique organisationnelle en matiere de travail a distance et conclut que, comme c'est le cas pour toute autre strategie d'entreprise, le travail a distance comporte des avantages, a condition de gerer efficacement la complexite et les coUts qui y sont associes.Alternate abstract:Embracing remote work, either fully or partially, allows employers to offer the flexibility that many employees are seeking and also to benefit from various cost savings. As organizations embark on this journey, there are many tax and payroll considerations that should be reviewed up front so that risks relating to non-compliance can be mitigated. What are these corporate tax and payroll considerations? Can a formal policy help to mitigate compliance risks? What are other considerations besides tax and payroll? Should government policy support this workforce shift? This article summarizes the various considerations in developing an organizational remote work policy and concludes that, as is the case for any other business strategy, remote work arrangements have their benefits provided that the associated complexity and costs can be effectively managed.
Why Negotiate or Mediate Development Conflicts

In 1972, a consortium of five electric utilities led by the Montana Power Company announced a decision to construct two 700-megawatt coal-burning plants at Colstrip, Montana. These plants would join two plants already generating electricity at the Colstrip site. A combination of low-sulfur Montana coal and sophisticated flue gas desulfurization devices (scrubbers) enabled the two existing plants to rank among the cleanest power plants in the country. The newly proposed plants, although larger, would also burn the same low-sulfur coal and use scrubbers to control emissions. Utility officials expected to receive routine approvals from all state and federal reviewing agencies (Sullivan, 1984).
A Principal Components Analysis Of The U.S. News & World Report Tier Rankings Of National Liberal Arts Colleges

Analyzing the relative contribution of eleven ranking criteria used to construct the 1999 U.S. News & World Report ( USNWR) tier rankings of national universities, Webster (2000) found by utilizing principal components analysis the actual contributions differed significantly from the explicit USNWR weighting scheme. This difference was due to the presence of severe and pervasive multicollinearity. Although USNWR assigns the greatest explicit weight to academic reputation, Webster found that the most significant ranking criterion was average SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores of enrolled students. This paper extends Webster's study to the USNWR tier rankings of national liberal arts colleges. The results of this study reinforces Webster's findings about the importance of academically related ranking criteria, although academic reputation appears to carry greater weight for national liberal arts colleges than for national universities.
Partial characterization of the nuclear reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate: delta 4-3-ketosteroid 5 alpha-oxidoreductase of rat prostate.

Abstract The 5α-reductase enzyme that converts testosterone to 17β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-3-one has been investigated in the rat ventral prostate by utilizing a thin layer chromatographic assay system and 3H-labeled substrates. First, it was demonstrated that approximately half of the enzyme is located in the nuclei, the remainder being found in a cytoplasmic fraction presumed to be endoplasmic reticulum. As is the case for previously described Δ4-3-ketosteroid 5α-oxidoreductases, it was not possible to solubilize the nuclear 5α-reductase, and as a result the subsequent studies were performed either on the nuclei themselves or on NaCl extracts of these nuclei. The enzyme was shown to have a pH optimum of around 6.6, to exhibit an apparent absolute requirement for NADPH as the source of the reducing hydrogen, and to be stable to freezing for long periods but unstable at 37°. The enzyme is potently inhibited by some divalent cations, particularly Hg++, Cu++, and Zn++. The substrate specificity of the enzyme for a variety of Δ4-3-ketosteroids and the ability of these steroids to inhibit the reduction of testosterone-1,2-3H were also investigated, and it was shown that the ability of these steroids to serve as substrates was paralleled by their ability to inhibit the reduction of testosterone-1,2-3H. It was concluded that in contrast to the situation in liver the nucleus of the rat prostate probably contains a single 5α-reductase enzyme and that this enzyme has a rather broad specificity for Δ4-3-ketosteroids that do not contain substitutions on the 11-carbon of the steroid molecule.
From epidemiology to therapeutic trials with anti-inflammatory drugs in Alzheimer's disease: The role of NSAIDs and cyclooxygenase in β-amyloidosis and clinical dementia1

Epidemiological evidence suggests that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) may protect against Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, therapeutic studies with NSAIDs, including cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors and steroids have not supported such epidemiological evidence. The apparent inconsistency may be due to the fact that the epidemiological evidence is based on studies examining AD before clinical manifestations are apparent, while therapeutic studies have been carried out on people with illnesses severe enough to exceed the clinical detection threshold. Thus, it is conceivable that therapeutic strategies administered during early AD dementia or moderate dementia may not be optimally effective. Alternatively, the influence of inflammatory activity in the brain for cases at high risk to develop AD, e.g., mild cognitive impairment (MCI) cases, as a potential target of anti-inflammatory drugs in clinical studies maybe more suitable to be studied. The primary action of NSAIDs is inhibition of the COX enzymes. COX enzymes exist in an inducible form COX-2, that has been found to be elevated in the AD brain, and a constitutive form COX-1. Both COX-1 and COX-2 are known to be involved in numerous inflammatory activities as well as normal neuronal functions. In vitro, it has been demonstrated that non-selective inhibitors of COX can preferentially decrease the levels of the highly amyloidogenic amyloid-beta (Abeta)(1-42)peptide. Recent studies testing non-selective NSAIDs in murine models of AD neuropathology indicated that the frequency of Abeta plaque deposits in the brains of these animals can be significantly reduced by treatment with the non-selective COX inhibitor ibuprofen. These studies and epidemiological data strongly support a therapeutic potential for NSAIDs in the treatment of AD. Upon this premise, industry and academia are devoting a tremendous amount of resources to the testing of anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of AD. However, given the large number of candidate anti-inflammatory drugs and their widely divergent activities, it is essential to optimize drug selection and study design. A better understanding of the influence of inflammatory activity in AD, and identification of the specific mechanisms which play an early role in the disease's progression will greatly improve the likelihood of success in efforts to find an effective anti-inflammatory treatment strategy. We would like to discuss recent developments reinforcing anti-inflammatory drugs as therapeutic in the treatment of AD amyloidosis, and the relevance of understanding the role of COX and other inflammatory mediators in AD neuropathology and the clinical progression of AD dementia. These discussions may provide important criterion for the design of clinical trials of anti-inflammatory drugs in AD.
Glycosphingolipids of human KB cells grown in monolayer, suspension, and synchronized cultures

Studies have been carried out on the glycosphingolipids of human KB cells grown in monolayer and suspension culture, and by synchronization of the latter with a double thymidine (2mM) block. Glycosphingolipids were identified tentatively by thin layer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography, and combined gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The predominant gangliosides in the these cells were AcNeu-Gal-Glc-Cer and AcNeu-Gal-GalNAc-Gal-(AcNeu). Glc-Cer. Theprincipal neutral glycosphingolipids were Glc-Cer, Gal-Glc-Cer, Gal-Gal-Glc-Cer, and GalNAc-Gal-Gal-Glc-Cer. Incubation of KB cells (grown in monolayer and subsequently in suspension culture) for 48 hours with D-[1-14Clgalactose resulted in appreciable incorporation of radioactivity into all of the principal glycosphingolipids of these cells. These experiments confirmed that KB cells are capable of synthesizing their constituent glycosphingolipids. KB cells grown in suspension culture showed A 2- to 3-fold increase inthe concentration of Glc-Cer, Gal-Glc-Cer, GalNAc-Gal-Gal-Glc-Cer, and AcNeu-Gal1NAc-Gal-Gal-Glc-Cer, and AcNeu-Gal-Ga1NAcGal-(AcNeu)-Glc-Cer. Thus, the occurrence of tissue culture-dependent changes in the level of glycosphingolipids is demonstrated. Perhaps messages governing the synthesis of glycosphingolipids are translated earlier in thecell cycle under certain conditions of growth and are affected by cell-cell contact and cell adhesion.
Post-translational generation of constitutively active cores from larger phosphatases in the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum : implications for proteomics

Background Although the complete genome sequences of a large number of organisms have been determined, the exact proteomes need to be characterized. More specifically, the extent to which post-translational processes such as proteolysis affect the synthesized proteins has remained unappreciated. We examined this issue in selected protein phosphatases of the protease-rich malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.
Mormon Masculinity: Changing Gender Expectations in the Era of Transition from Polygamy to Monogamy, 1890–1920

During the period from 1890 to 1920, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) perceived a crisis in the lives of their boys. Like their Protestant contemporaries, Latter-day Saints spent much time attempting to find a solution. At the same time, the LDS church was experiencing its own unique set of upheavals. In 1890, one of the central tenets of Mormonism – polygamy – had to be replaced with sexual practices that aligned the LDS with wider American society. It was during this transitional period that members and authorities of the LDS church sought to gain respectability in American culture by emphasising the morality and value systems they shared with their middle-class Protestant contemporaries. As Mormons restructured marriage around the practice of monogamy, they placed the burden of the refashioned religious identity almost exclusively upon men and their bodies. The new Mormon man ushered the LDS church into the American mainstream while maintaining an acceptable difference from that mainstream culture.
In vitro analysis of cell-mediated immunity: clinical relevance

Cellular immunity, a major component of the immune system, contributes to protection against infections and plays a role in the rejection of foreign allografts. T helper cells and the antigen-presenting cells with which they interact provide important functions for cellular immune responses by generating helper signals via soluble molecules known as lymphokines or cytokines. As described here, in vitro analysis of markers of cellular immune function can be used for clinical diagnosis and assessment of therapeutic efficacy and to elucidate the mechanisms of immune dysregulation. Not all helper signals necessarily have the same augmenting effect, because immunoregulatory cytokines that up-regulate the cellular arm of the immune system can conversely down-regulate the humoral arm, and vice versa. The interplay between cross-regulatory cytokines determines which component of the immune system is dominant and can influence the clinical outcome of immunologically controlled diseases. Given the apparent dramatic effects of these cytokines, assays performed in future clinical laboratories should include profiles of immunoregulatory cytokines.
Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita antigen, a major cutaneous basement membrane component, is synthesized by human dermal fibroblasts and other cutaneous tissues

The epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) antigen is identified as 2 chains: a 290,000-dalton protein and a less prominent 145,000-dalton protein. The 290,000-dalton chain is synthesized by human keratinocytes in culture. In this study, we show that the 290,000-dalton chain is synthesized by human skin fibroblasts and cutaneous human tumors. In contrast, HT1080 cells, a human sarcoma cell line known to produce matrix molecules (such as laminin and type IV collagen), does not synthesize the EBA antigen. Further, the EBA antigen is absent from serum and blood components, placenta, amnion, lung, and the EHS tumor, a murine sarcoma that produces large amounts of laminin, type IV collagen, nidogen, entactin, and basement membrane proteoglycan but is present in cutaneous tumors of adnexal and epithelial origin. These data suggest that while the EBA antigen is synthesized by both human skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts and is therefore not specific for a primordial germ layer, it does appear to be specific for tissue containing a stratified squamous epithelium.
Stability of Colicin Plasmids in Continuous Culture: Mathematical Model and Analysis

Bacteriocin plasmids may be useful in preventing plasmid instability because the bacteriocin they produce selectively kills otherwise identical bacterial cells lacking the plasmid. This capability may allow plasmid-bearing cells to persist despite the problems of growth rate depression and segregational plasmid loss which often lead to displacement by plasmid-free cells.In order to determine the conditions under which bacteriocin plasmids can prevent instability, we develop and analyze a mathematical model for the growth of colicin plasmid-bearing E. coli in continuous culture. Model behavior compares successfully with experimental results of Adams et al. (1979) [1]. Dependence of the system dynamic behavior on key parameters is elucidated and a simple parameter criterion for prevention of plasmid instability is derived. The possibility of instability prevention is found to be extremely sensitive to dilution rate.
Clinical effects of adding fludrocortisone to a hydrocortisone-based shock protocol in hypotensive critically ill children

Background Adult studies evaluating corticosteroids have found varied efficacy. One study showing mortality benefit utilized fludrocortisone (FLU) and hydrocortisone (HC) (Effect of treatment with low doses of hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone on mortality in patients with septic shock. JAMA 288:862–871, 2002). Use of FLU in children has not been described. We developed a protocol using HC for systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and shock with optional addition of FLU.
Ultrafast studies of chemical reactions in liquids: Validity of gas phase vibrational relaxation models and density dependence of bound electronic state lifetimes

Abstract The dynamics of the I 2 geminate recombination reaction in liquid Xe are monitored with transient picosecond absorption spectroscopy as a function of solvent density and temperature. Specifically, the I 2 X state vibrational relaxation and the nonradiative electronic curve crossing from the deeply bound A′ and A states to the X state are measured over a Xe density range which spans the entire liquid phase region of the phase diagram. The density dependence of the X state vibrational relaxation is shown to be consistent with the isolated binary collision (IBC) model of vibrational relaxation through a procedure which, unlike previous studies of IBC theory, requires no estimate of the collision frequency. This verification procedure is performed by ascertainingwhether vibrational energy versus time plots at different solvent density can be overlapped by a linear scaling of the time axis. The consistency with IBC theory demonstrated in this system is surprising because of the low I 2 vibrational frequency (170–214 cm −1 ) and the large amplitude oscillations involved in the relaxation process. Contrary to theoretical predictions of the A′/A state lifetime based upon Langevin modeling in the high density Kramers limit, the A′/A state lifetime shows very little dependence on solvent density although both viscosity and activation barrier increase substantially with solvent density. This finding suggests that a non-Markovian description of the solvent frictional effects and a model of nonadiabatic curve crossing must be included in order to correctly calculate the excited state lifetime.
A Quick Compact Two Sample Test To Duckworth's Specifications

A simple test for comparing two samples is proposed. If one sample contains the highest value and the other the lowest value of the two samples combined, the total of two counts is taken as the statistic. These counts are of(i) the number of individuals in the one sample above all individuals in the other, and (ii) the number of individuals in the other below all those in the one. 5%, 1% and 0.1% critical values are roughly 7, 10 and 13 respectively. Precise values for pairs of small and moderate sized samples are given, as are asymptotic critical values. Derivations are included.
Dynamic programming approach to optimal feedback-feed-forward controller design

A new derivation of the parametric expansion of the dynamic programming algorithm for optimal feedback-feed-forward controller design is presented. Matrix methods are employed to give clarity to the results first offered by Merriam. The advantages of the optimal design technique for multivariable problems are readily apparent. A unique technique is given for easily solving the design equations for the case of time invariant systems with gaussian load disturbance.
Combustion of hydrogen-enriched methane in a lean premixed swirl-stabilized burner

The combustion characteristics of a premixed, swirl-stabilized flame were studied to determine the effects of enriching methane with hydrogen under fuel-lean conditions. The burner consisted of a center-body with an annular, premixed fuel-air jet. Swirl was introduced to the flow using 45-degree swirl vanes. The combustion occurred within an air-cooled quartz chamber at atmospheric pressure. Flame stability and blowout maps were obtained for different amount of hydrogen addition at several fuel-air flow rates. Gas probe measurements were obtained to demonstrate reductions in CO concentration with hydrogen addition, without adversely affecting the NO x emissions. The flame structure near the lean stability limit was described by direct luminous photographs and planar laser-induced fluorescence measurements of the OH radical. Results show that the addition of a moderate amount of hydrogen to the methane/air mixture increased the peak OH concentration. Hydrogen addition resulted in a significant change in the flame structure, indicated by a shorter and more robust appearing flame. The observed trends concur with the strained opposed premixed flame analysis using RUN-1DL. The computations revealed that enriching the methane with hydrogen increased the strain resistance of the flame as well as the OH levels in the flame.
High-dose esmolol and cardiopulmonary bypass for mitral valve replacement in the beating heart

A 59-year-old woman (weight 110 kg, height 1.6 m) was referred for MVR. History was significant for deteriorating exercise tolerance (NYHA III), atrial fibrillation (AF), and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Relevant clinical findings included AF with a ventricular rate of 90 beats/min, blood pressure of 110/60 mmHg, a 4/6 pansystolic murmur at the apex, and bibasilar crackles. The chest radiograph confirmed cardiomegaly with mild pulmonary congestion, and transthoracic echocardiograpby showed severe mitral regurgitation with an ejection fraction (EF) of 30%, and minimal improvement (EF 35%) with dobutamine (30 jag/kg/min). There was no ST-T wave change or chest pain with the stress echocardiogram. Medications included humulin insulin (20U in the morning, and 17 U in the afternoon), digoxin (0.125 mg daily), propafenone (150 mg three times a day), captopril (I 2.5 mg twice a day), and aspirin. On the day before surgery, an intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) was placed, intravenous heparin therapy was initiated, and the patient was cardioverted to sinus rhythm. Preoperative laboratory indices (including blood urea nitrogen [12 mg/dL] and creatinine [0.8 mg/dL]) were within normal limits. On the morning of surgery, routine monitors were attached and radial and pulmonary artery catheters inserted. Anesthesia was induced with fentanyl (10 gg/kg) and sodium thiopental (2 mg/kg), intnbation facilitated with pancuronium (10 mg), and anesthesia maintained with fentanyl (total dose of 20 pg/kg) and up to 0.6% end-tidal isoflurane. Prebypass hemodynamic parameters are presented in Table 1. After heparinization, and aortic and bicaval cannulation, the left ventricular apex was vented, the patient cooled to 34°C, and a flow rate greater than 5 L/rain was maintained on bypass. An esmolol infusion was initiated at 300 pg/kg/min, with additional 250-mg boluses (to a total dose of 4.5 g) to decrease mobility and contractility of the heart. Hemodynamic parameters remained stable (Table 1), with the lowest mean arterial pressure of 44 mmHg, lowest heart rate (HR) of 50 beats/min, and lowest mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvQ) of 66%. After right atriotomy, the mitral valve was exposed through a window in the interatrial septum, and replaced with a 23-mm St. Jude prosthesis. As with the authors' previous experience in patients with significant myocardial depression, the added negative inotropy of esmolol combined with ventricular unloading led to insignificant myocardial motility that did not impede surgical access. There was no evidence of left ventricu!ar ejection on the arterial pressure line. The esmolol infusion was terminated after seating of the prosthetic valve. The left atrium was filled with blood and de-aired, the interatrial defect closed with a Dacron patch (Meadux Medical, Inc, Oakland, NJ), and the right atrium similarly filled with blood and de-aired, with the patient in the Trendelenburg position. During atrial closures, a loading dose of amrinone (1.4 mg/kg) was administered and an epinephrine infusion
A versatile low-copy-number cloning vector derived from plasmid F

We have constructed a cloning vector based on plasmid mini-F for use in Escherichia coli. Plasmid pZC320 consists of the ori-2 replication unit of F that confers very low copy number (lcn), and includes the sop partition functions to insure stable plasmid maintenance in the absence of selection. A multiple cloning site (MCS) containing 16 unique restriction sites is located within the 5' end of the lacZ alpha gene. Expression of lacZ alpha is under the control of the wild-type lactose operator/promoter (lacOP) region and is efficiently repressed by the lacI repressor. Clones containing inserts can be detected using the blue/white screen for beta-galactosidase (beta Gal). A T7 promoter allows transcription of cloned inserts in the presence of T7 RNA polymerase. We have demonstrated the use of this lcn vector for cloning the regulated tetracycline-resistance genes from Tn10, which confer only low-level resistance when present at high copy number.
Effects of human tissue plasminogen gene transfer on allograft coronary atherosclerosis

Abstract Background: Transplant coronary atherosclerosis is a major limiting factor to successful long-term cardiac transplantation. The depletion of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in the arteriolar smooth muscle cells has been associated with a higher incidence of accelerated graft atherosclerosis. In vivo overexpression of tPA may inhibit accelerated graft atherosclerosis and improve the long-term results of heart transplantation. We evaluated the feasibility, distribution, and effects of intracoronary transfer of the human tPA (htPA) gene in a rabbit heterotopic cardiac transplant model, using a novel cationic liposome compound designed for improved delivery to vascular endothelium. Methods Human tPA cDNA under the control of the SV40 promoter (100 μg) was complexed with the novel cationic liposome (±)-N-(3-aminopropyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2,3- bis (dodecyloxy)-1-propanaminium bromide (GAP: DLRIE) (50 μg), and delivered ex vivo to the donor heart by slow intracoronary infusion. Control hearts received an “empty” liposome preparation. Grafts were then implanted into recipient rabbits in the heterotopic cervical position. For the analysis of gene expression, beating donor hearts were collected at 4 days. To examine the effects of htPA expression on graft atherosclerosis, animals received a 0.5% cholesterol diet for 30 days posttransplant, as well as 10 mg/kg cyclosporine A daily. Beating hearts were collected at 30 days posttransplant and analyzed for the development of transplant atherosclerosis by image analysis. Results Northern blot analysis for the htPA messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts showed significantly higher counts in hearts receiving the htPA gene as compared to controls. The distribution of these transcripts favored the left ventricle (LV) and septal regions over the right ventricle (RV). Scintillation analysis of specimens stained by immunoflourescence showed expression of htPA throughout the perivascular myocardium that was significantly higher in grafts transduced with the htPA gene than in control or native hearts. Expression in the vascular wall was also significantly enhanced. Scintillation counts per × 200 field were 262 ± 145 in htPA-transduced hearts and 20 ± 27 in controls ( p = 0.001), and mean luminescence was 83.7 ± 12.5 in htPA-transduced hearts and 62.9 ± 12.8 in controls ( p = 0.01). Intimal hyperplasia was assessed by mean percent luminal stenosis in small- and medium-sized arteries and was 31.12 ± 23.5% in htPA-transduced hearts and 86.59 ± 17.5% in control hearts ( p Conclusions These results demonstrate that expression of the htPA gene can be induced by ex vivo intracoronary gene transfer at the time of allograft preservation. Liposome-mediated delivery of the htPA gene at the time of transplantation results in significant early transgene expression, and significantly inhibits the development of graft coronary atherosclerosis.
Race, Religion, and Virtues

Many faith traditions emphasize the importance of adopting a range of virtues. Yet relatively few studies examine more than one virtue at a time. Moreover, researchers know relatively little about variations in the adoption of virtues, especially variations by race. The purpose of this study is to see if race differences emerge in 9 virtues: gratitude to God, humility, compassion for family and friends, compassion for strangers, providing emotional support to family and friends, providing tangible support to family and friends, providing emotional support to strangers, providing tangible support to strangers, and forgiving others. The data for this study come from a recent nationwide survey. Race differences were present in seven of the nine virtues, and in each instance the findings indicate that Blacks have higher virtue scores than Whites. The results further reveal that Blacks are likely to have higher virtue scores than Whites because they are more committed to their faith than Whites.
Five-year summary and evaluation of operations and performance of the Utica aquifer and North Lake Basin Wetlands restoration project in 2004-2009.

This document reviews the performance of the groundwater (and wetlands) restoration program implemented by the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) at the former CCC/USDA grain storage facility in Utica, Nebraska, during the first five years (2004-2009) of this initiative. The report summarizes treatment system operational data and regulatory compliance monitoring results for the site during this period, together with the results of the targeted groundwater sampling and analysis for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) conducted in early 2010 (following completion of the fifth year of systems operation), to assess the initial five years of progress of the Utica remediation effort. On the basis of the 2003 groundwater sampling results, a remedial system employing 4 extraction wells (GWEX1-GWEX4), with groundwater treatment by spray irrigation and conventional air stripping, was implemented with the concurrence of the CCC/USDA and the agencies (Table 1.1). The principal components of the system are shown in Figure 1.3 and are briefly described in Section 1.2. Operation of well GWEX4 and the associated air stripper began on October 29, 2004, and routine operation of wells GWEX1-GWEX3 and the spray irrigation treatment units began on November 22, 2004.
Altered distribution of choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase activities in the developing rat dentate gyrus following entorhinal lesion.

Abstract The entorhinal cortex of rats was removed unilaterally at the age of 11 days. At various times after the lesion was performed, the response of the cholinergic septohippocampal innervation of the ipsilateral dentate gyrus was assessed by quantitative enzyme histochemistry. Laminar analysis revealed that, within 5 days, the absolute and specific activities of choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase became significantly elevated in the outer part of the molecular layer on the operated side relative to the corresponding zone on the control side. These differences between the two sides were greatly reduced or abolished before the animals reached maturity. We propose that these acute neurochemical adjustments in the dentate gyrus reflected formation of an increased number of cholinergic synaptic terminals in partial compensation for lack of entorhinal input. We further suggest that the ability of these additional terminals to synthesize transmitter was eventually reduced, and thus they may have become functionally less effective. Additionally, the lesion produced a chronic, bilateral depletion of acetylcholinesterase activity. Between 32 and 80 days after the entorhinal cortex was removed, the specific activity of this enzyme was reduced, in all laminae, to 40% of values in unoperated animals. Such neurochemical changes may play a role in recovery of the central nervous system from damage.