cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ileostomy diarrhea: Pathophysiology and management

Ileostomy is a common component of surgical treatments for various gastrointestinal conditions. Loss of the fluid absorptive capacity of the colon results in increased fluid and electrolyte losses, which causes a state of relative fluid depletion. These losses can be offset in part by increased oral intake, but the remaining small intestine also compensates by increasing the efficiency of fluid and electrolyte absorption, a process termed adaptation, which occurs within weeks to months of ileostomy creation. Some patients fail to adapt adequately and have high ileostomy outputs from the time of surgery. Others with a previously well-adapted ileostomy may encounter periods of sustained high output when some additional process causes diarrhea. Many patients experience periods of high output after ileostomy creation and often require hospital readmission for this reason. Any patient with an ileostomy is at great risk of dehydration and electrolyte depletion should output rise dramatically. Prompt attention should be given to rehydration and identification of the underlying cause so that directed therapies may be implemented. This review discusses the alteration of normal intestinal fluid balance from colectomy with ileostomy, proposed mechanisms for adaptation, the differential diagnosis of ileostomy diarrhea, the evaluation of ileostomy diarrhea, and current treatment options.
Maintaining Distribution Protective Relay Coordination By Sliding Mode Control Based Bridge Type Fault Current Limiter

The circuit breakers, reclosers, and fuses are the main protective devices in the power distribution systems. However, due to the high penetration of wind generators in the existing distribution systems, the protective devices are exposed to high current levels, which may deteriorate the protection coordination performance and even can cause major blackouts in the distribution systems. This paper proposes the Sliding Mode Controller (SMC) based bridge type fault current limiter (BFCL) for the protection coordination of the protective devices in the distribution network. The protection coordination operation is investigated through some case studies of the Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) division's distribution test feeder with the presence of a wind farm. The performance of the proposed SMC has been compared with that of the fuzzy logic controlled (FLC) BFCL. Extensive simulations have been performed by using the Matlab/Simulink software. Simulation results for different fault situations in the test feeder indicate that the proposed SMC can maintain the protective relay coordination well and the performance of the proposed SMC based BFCL is better than that of the FLC based BFCL.
Model of the Retrograde Motion of a Vacuum Arc: Comparison to Experiments

In the absence of an external magnetic field, a cathode spot (CS) of a vacuum arc experiences a Brownian random walk (jumps) along the surface. A magnetic field parallel to the surface causes spot drift in the anti-Amperian direction (retrograde motion). Three statements are suggested to explain the retrograde motion and its features: 1) each CS jump is associated with a voltage drop fluctuation $\Delta {V}$ ; 2) the tangential electric field (the Hall field) is created by the additional positive surface charges at the retrograde side of the spot. This field results in an additional voltage drop at the retrograde side of the spot $\delta {V}$ ; and 3) the probability of the spot jumping in the retrograde direction is proportional to $\delta {V} /\Delta {V}$ . Calculations based on these statements allow one to achieve qualitative and, in many cases, quantitative agreement with experiments concerning retrograde velocity dependences on these external parameters: magnetic field, arc current, interelectrode gap, and cathode surface conditions. No adjustable parameters were used in these calculations.
Consensus Control of a Multi-Agent Rigid Body System on TSO(3) N and TSE(3) N

Nonlinear control laws are proposed for consensus control of a multi-agent system of N heterogeneous rigid bodies in the framework of the tangent bundles TSO (3) and TSE (3) associated with Lie groups SO (3) and SE (3). The control objective is to stabilize the relative pose configurations with velocity synchronization of the rigid bodies which share their states according to a static communication topology. The feedback control design is conducted on the dynamic level in which masses and inertias are not negligible and uses the rotation matrix as opposed to various attitude parameterizations. Almost global asymptotic stability of the consensus subspace is demonstrated both analytically and through numerical simulations.
Individual Differences in Mothers' Spontaneous Infant-Directed Speech Predict Language Attainment in Children With Cochlear Implants

Purpose Differences across language environments of prelingually deaf children who receive cochlear implants (CIs) may affect language acquisition; yet, whether mothers show individual differences in how they modify infant-directed (ID) compared with adult-directed (AD) speech has seldom been studied. This study assessed individual differences in how mothers realized speech modifications in ID register and whether these predicted differences in language outcomes for children with CIs. Method Participants were 36 dyads of mothers and their children aged 0;8-2;5 (years;months) at the time of CI implantation. Mothers' spontaneous speech was recorded in a lab setting in ID or AD conditions before ~15 months postimplantation. Mothers' speech samples were characterized for acoustic-phonetic and lexical properties established as canonical indices of ID speech to typically hearing infants, such as vowel space area differences, fundamental frequency variability, and speech rate. Children with CIs completed longitudinal administrations of one or more standardized language assessment instruments at variable intervals from 6 months to 9.5 years postimplantation. Standardized scores on assessments administered longitudinally were used to calculate linear regressions, which gave rise to predicted language scores for children at 2 years postimplantation and language growth over 2-year intervals. Results Mothers showed individual differences in how they modified speech in ID versus AD registers. Crucially, these individual differences significantly predicted differences in estimated language outcomes at 2 years postimplantation in children with CIs. Maternal speech variation in lexical quantity and vowel space area differences across ID and AD registers most frequently predicted estimates of language attainment in children with CIs, whereas prosodic differences played a minor role. Conclusion Results support that caregiver language behaviors play a substantial role in explaining variability in language attainment in children receiving CIs. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12560147.
Statistically averaged molecular dynamics simulations of hydrogen diffusion in magnesium and magnesium hydrides

Magnesium has a different crystal structure from its dihydride with hydrogenation leading to a phase transition from the hexagonal closely packed Mg into a tetragonal $\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{Mg}{\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ rutile type structure. Such materials exhibit complex hydrogen uptake and release kinetics because hydrogen diffusivities significantly change when the crystal structure changes. To provide a foundational understanding of (de)hydrogenation kinetics that is applicable to all stages of the reaction, we performed statistically averaged molecular dynamics simulations to derive hydrogen diffusivities as a function of temperature and hydrogen content for both magnesium and magnesium hydride. Our studies confirm that hydrogen diffusivities in magnesium hydride are much lower than in magnesium, in agreement with experimental data. Additionally, we observe that in either magnesium or magnesium hydride, higher hydrogen compositions result in reduced diffusivities. The latter was not revealed by prior experiments, which were conducted at fixed hydrogen composition. Finally, we discover a non-Arrhenius behavior in magnesium hydride. The physical origin of this behavior is also discussed.
Site-specific Concurrent Validity of the Actigraph GT9X Link in the Estimation of Activity-related Skeletal Loading.

To inform the development of bone-specific physical activity (PA) assessment methods and contribute to bone-specific PA guidelines, accelerometer outcomes that provide the most valid estimates of skeletal loading in adults must be identified. PURPOSE: The aims of this project were two-fold. First, to assess the concurrent validity of raw accelerometer outputs with ground reaction forces (GRFs) and loading rates (LRs) calculated from force plate across a range of simulated habitual physical activities. Second, to identify the optimal wear site among the ankle, hip, and wrist with the strongest relationships between accelerometer and force plate and/or skeletal outcomes. METHODS: Thirty healthy young adults (23.0 ± 4.5 years, 50% female) wore a tri-axial accelerometer at the right ankle, hip, and wrist whilst performing eight trials of walking, jogging, running, low box drops, and high box drops over an in-ground force plate. Repeated measures correlations and linear mixed models were used to assess concurrent validity of accelerometer and force plate outcomes across wear sites. RESULTS: Strong repeated measures associations were observed between peak hip resultant acceleration and resultant LRs (rrm 1169 = 0.74, p<0.001, 95% CI: 0.718, 0.769), and peak hip vertical accelerations and vertical LRs (rrm 1169 = 0.69, p<0.001, 95% CI: 0.660, 0.720) when data were combined across activities. Whereas, small to moderate associations were seen between ankle-based outcomes and corresponding GRFs and LRs during walking and jogging (rrm 209 = 0.17 - 0.34, all p<0.001). No significant associations were seen with wrist-based outcomes during any activity. In addition, linear mixed models suggested that 24 - 50% of the variability in peak GRFs and LRs could be attributed to measured accelerations at the hip. CONCLUSION: Peak accelerations measured at the hip were identified as the strongest proxies for skeletal loading assessed via force plate.
Slew Rate in Self-Biased Ring Amplifiers

This brief presents a more detailed model for the slewing behavior of self-biased ring amplifiers and outlines the factors which affect the large signal operation. A set of analytical expressions derived for the self-biased ring amplifier are presented which are valid for a larger portion of a design space than prior expressions. The equations presented are well matched with simulation results and the accuracy of the derived equations is reported. Finally, the paper examines the proposed equations and simulation results to provide insight about design parameter dependence.
Vascularized Pericranial Flap as a Method to Prevent Persistent Skull Defects After Craniectomy for Sagittal Synostosis.

ABSTRACT Some cranial defects resulting from sagittal craniectomy for craniosynostosis never completely close and require cranioplasty. This study evaluates the results of 2 methods to minimize such defects: (1) trapezoidal craniectomy that is narrower posteriorly (2) vascularized pericranial flap that is sewn to the dura under a rectangular craniectomy.Children who underwent primary open sagittal craniectomy with biparietal morcellation (with/without frontal cranioplasty) for single-suture nonsyndromic sagittal synostosis from 2013 through 2018 were included. Children were excluded if there was a dural tear, if they had no 1-year follow-up, or if they had unmeasured and/or uncounted skull defects. Surgeries were divided into (1) standard craniectomy, (2) trapezoidal craniectomy, or (3) craniectomy with pericranial flap. Differences in percentage of children with defects and mean total defect area 1 year postsurgery were compared between the 3 groups.We reviewed 148 cases. After exclusions, 34 of 53 children (64%) who underwent standard craniectomy, 6 of 17 children (35%) who had pericranial flaps, and 5 of 11 children (46%) who underwent trapezoidal craniectomy had defects 1 year postsurgery. The percentage of children with defects (P = 0.0364) but not the defect area was significantly higher in the standard craniectomy than in the pericranial flap group. The percentage of subjects with defects was not significantly different between the standard and the trapezoidal craniectomy groups.Sewing a vascularized pericranial flap to the dura at the craniectomy site may protect against persistent bony defects after sagittal craniectomy for craniosynostosis. Longer follow-up is needed to determine if this technique leads to lower rates of cranioplasty.
Modulation of P2X4 pore closure by magnesium, potassium, and ATP

ABSTRACT The P2X4 receptor plays a prominent role in cellular responses to extracellular ATP. Through classical all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations totaling 24 µs we have investigated how metal-complexed ATP stabilizes the channel’s open state and prevents its closing. We have identified two metal-binding sites, magnesium (Mg2+) and potassium (K+), one at the intersection of the three subunits in the ectodomain (MBS1) and the second one near the ATP binding site (MBS2), similar to those characterized in Gulf coast P2X. Our data indicate that when Mg2+ and K+ ions are complexed with ATP, the channel is locked into an open state. Interestingly, irrespective of the number of bound ATP molecules, Mg2+ ions bound to the MBS2 resisted collapsing of the open state protein to a closed state by stabilizing the ATP-protein interactions. However, when Mg2+ in the MBS2 was replaced with K+ ions, as might be expected when in equilibrium with an extracellular solution, the interactions between the subunits were weakened and we found evidence of pore collapse. This collapse was apparent when fewer than two ATP were bound to MBS2 in the presence of K+. Therefore, the different capacities of common cations to stabilize the channel may underlie a mechanism governing P2X4 channel gating in physiological systems. This study provides structural insights into the differential modulation of ATP activation of P2X4 by Mg2+ and K+.
Justice-centered education amid the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new saliency to educational efforts to ensure every person is able to make effective personal decisions and participate in civic affairs. However, social and polit...
The Impact of Heterogeneous Thresholds on Social Contagion with Multiple Initiators

The threshold model is a simple but classic model of contagion spreading in complex social systems. To capture the complex nature of social influencing we investigate numerically and analytically the transition in the behavior of threshold-limited cascades in the presence of multiple initiators as the distribution of thresholds is varied between the two extreme cases of identical thresholds and a uniform distribution. We accomplish this by employing a truncated normal distribution of the nodes’ thresholds and observe a non-monotonic change in the cascade size as we vary the standard deviation. Further, for a sufficiently large spread in the threshold distribution, the tipping-point behavior of the social influencing process disappears and is replaced by a smooth crossover governed by the size of initiator set. We demonstrate that for a given size of the initiator set, there is a specific variance of the threshold distribution for which an opinion spreads optimally. Furthermore, in the case of synthetic graphs we show that the spread asymptotically becomes independent of the system size, and that global cascades can arise just by the addition of a single node to the initiator set.
Deliberation and Trust

Conceptualizing trust as an activity that unfolds through deliberation, this essay develops a model of deliberative trust as a relational practice. Drawing on participants' experiences without requ...
Defining the Population vs. Finding the Population - Theory vs. Practice in Surveys Used in Litigation

This paper addresses the use of internet surveys for a variety of purposes in litigation. Access to the internet in the United States is very high, it is easy to select a varied sample of individuals that is distributed similarly to the population being targeted, and the internet allows control of the questionnaire administration so that data collection is unbiased. In particular, for trademark and trade dress issues or for deceptive sales practices cases, it's possible to show pictures to respondents to allow direct comparisons of products or claims made. It is also possible to embed experimental procedures in the survey, such as the rotation of the order of questions, to ensure that no biases result from administration. The paper concludes with a summary of a recent case where an internet survey was successfully used in a trade dress case in Federal court.
Class and channel condition based weighted proportional fair scheduler

In this paper we outline a scheme to perform packet-level scheduling and resource allocation at the wireless node that takes into account the notions of both efficiency and fairness and presents a means to explore the trade-off between these two notions. As a part of this scheme we see the scheduling problem as deciding not just the packet transmission schedule but also the power allocation, the modulation and coding scheme allocation and the spreading code determination since the latter three directly influence the radio resources consumed. Using a utility maximization formulation based on the data-rates that the mobiles can transmit at, we decide on the weights for a weighted proportionally fair allocation based scheduling algorithm. We conclude with a simulation based performance analysis for infinitely-backlogged sources on a UMTS system.
Fermentations and Other Uses of Microorganisms

Fermentations occur when microorganisms consume susceptible organic substrates as part of their own metabolic processes. Such interactions are fundamental to the decomposition of natural materials, and to the ultimate return of chemical elements to the soil and air without which life could not be sustained.
Modal Acoustic Emission of Damage Accummulation in Woven SiC/SiC at Elevated Temperatures

Traditional [2] acoustic emission (AE) has been used to monitor the damage which occurs under tensile loading for ceramic composites tested at room temperature [3–9]. These studies have shown that AE is very effective at determining the onset of damage and to some extent the amount and type of damage (matrix cracking, fiber breaks, etc.i). However, due to the modal nature of actual acoustic emission waveforms in thin plates [10–11], the ability to determine the precise location of the sources of the AE signals is very suspect. The dispersive differences in the extensional (symmetric) and flexural (antisymmetric) modes of the waveform as well as the change in the speed of sound due to the reduction in modulus of the composite as damage occurs account for the difficulty in precise source location.
The SG superposition principle in terms of SO(3, R) rotations

Abstract The SG superposition principle has a simple interpretation in terms of SO(3, R ) rotations.
GROWTH OF THIOBACILLUS THIOOXIDANS IN SHAKEN CULTURE.

Cook, Thomas M. (Rutgers, The State University, New Brunswick, N.J.). Growth of Thiobacillus thiooxidans in shaken culture. J. Bacteriol. 88:620–623. 1964.—When flasks of sulfur-containing medium were inoculated with Thiobacillus thiooxidans and placed on a shaking machine immediately after inoculation, growth was markedly inhibited. If various wetting agents were provided, or if the ratio of inoculum to sulfur was increased, growth under shaking conditions was possible. Evidence cited shows that the natural wetting agent (or other externally supplied surfactants) is necessary to effect a bacteria-sulfur contact which is stable to shaking conditions.
Peephole partial order reduction

We present a symbolic dynamic partial order reduction (POR) method for model checking concurrent software. We introduce the notion of guarded independent transitions, i.e., transitions that can be considered as independent in certain (but not necessarily all) execution paths. These can be exploited by using a new peephole reduction method. A symbolic formulation of the proposed peephole reduction adds concise constraints to allow automatic pruning of redundant interleavings in an SMT/SAT solver based search. Our new method does not directly correspond to any explicit-state algorithm in the literature, e.g., those based on persistent sets. For two threads, our symbolic method guarantees the removal of all redundant interleavings (better than the smallest persistent-set based methods). To our knowledge, this type of reduction has not been achieved by other symbolic methods.
Endogenous SecA Catalyzes Preprotein Translocation at SecYEG

Abstract SecA is found in the cytosol and bound to the plasma membrane of Escherichia coli. Binding occurs either with high affinity at SecYEG or with low affinity to lipid. Domains of 65 and 30 kDa of SecYEG-bound SecA insert into the membrane upon interaction with preprotein and ATP. Azide blocks preprotein translocation, in vivo and in vitro, through interacting with SecA and preventing SecA deinsertion. This provides a measure of the translocation relevance of each form of SecA membrane association. We now report that azide acts exclusively on SecA that is cycling at SecYEG and has no effect on SecA lipid associations. SecA molecules recovered with sucrose gradient-purified inner membrane vesicles (“endogenous” SecA) support translocation at the same rate as “added” SecA molecules bound at SecYEG. Both endogenous and added SecA yield the same proteolytic fragments, which are distinct from those obtained from SecA once it has inserted into membranes at SecYEG or from SecA at lipidic sites. Endogenous and added SecA differ, however, in their resistance to urea extraction. The translocation supported by either endogenous or added SecA is blocked by azide or by antibody to SecY. We conclude that SecA functions in preprotein translocation only through cycling at SecYEG.
The multiplicity of possible grain boundary structures in Ni3Al

Abstract The multiplicity of possible grain boundary structures was studied for the ordered compound Ni 3 Al. Two symmetrical tilt boundaries were chosen for the detailed study corresponding to bE = 3〈110〉112 and bE = 9〈110〉114. These boundaries were investigated considering possible variations of the local chemical composition as well as the surrounding matrix using atomistic computer simulations with EAM interatomic potentials. Many different grain boundary structures were found to have very similar energies for the same orientation of the two crystals and the grain boundary plane. The possible transformations among these structures that may result from the interaction of the boundaries with dislocations or antiphase boundaries were studied, including the energetics of the junctions between the different structures. The role of the multiplicity of structures and these transformations in the grain boundary mechanical properties is discussed and a model is proposed for the tendency to grain boundary brittleness observed in Ni 3 Al.
Effects of On-Road Highway Aerosol Exposures on Autonomic Responses in Aged, Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Epidemiological studies associate ambient particulate pollution with adverse health outcomes in elderly individuals with cardiopulmonary diseases. We hypothesized that freshly generated ultrafine particles (UFP) contribute to these effects, as they are present in high number concentrations on highways and vehicle passengers are exposed directly to them. Aged spontaneously hypertensive rats (9–12 mo) with implanted radiotelemetry devices were exposed to highway aerosol or filtered, gas-denuded (clean) air using an on-road exposure system to examine effects on heart rate (HR) and heart-rate variability (HRV). On the day of exposure, rats were pretreated with low-dose inhaled or injected lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate respiratory tract or systemic inflammation, respectively. Exposures (6 h) in compartmentalized whole-body chambers were performed in an air conditioned compartment of a mobile laboratory on I-90 between Rochester and Buffalo, NY. HRV parameters were calculated from telemetric blood pressu...
Guiding of a high-intensity CO/sub 2/ laser pulse in a hollow waveguide

A 100 GW CO2 laser pulse with a duration of ~200 ps was guided in a 2-cm long stainless steel waveguide. Transmission was studied both for gas-filled and evacuated waveguides at intensities around 5 times 1014 W/cm2
A summability criterion for stochastic integration

In this paper we give simple, sufficient conditions for the existence of the stochastic integral for vector-valued processes X with values in a Banach space E; namely, X is of class (LD), and the stochastic measure I X is bounded and strongly additive in L p E (in particular, if I X is bounded in L p E and c 0 ⊈ E) and has bounded semivariation. The result is then applied to martingales and processes with integrable variation or semivariation. For martingales the condition of being of class (LD) is superfluous. For a square-integrable martingale with values in a Hilbert space, all the conditions are superfluous. For processes with p-integrable semivariation or p-integrable variation, the conditions of I X to be bounded and have bounded semivariation are superfluous. For processes with 1-integrable variation, all conditions are superfluous. In a forthcoming paper, we shall extend these results to local summability. The extension needs additional nontrivial work.
Clinical Features and Incidence Rates of Ocular Complications in Patients With Ocular Syphilis

Purpose To describe the clinical outcomes of ocular syphilis. Design Retrospective chart review. Methods The charts of patients with ocular syphilis (regardless of human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] status) seen in a uveitis referral center between 1984 and 2014 were reviewed. Results The study included 35 patients (61 eyes). Panuveitis was the most common type of ocular inflammation (28 eyes), independent of HIV status. Thirty-three of 35 patients received systemic antibiotics with 24 patients treated with intravenous (IV) penicillin only. When compared to the HIV-positive patients, HIV-negative patients with ocular syphilis were older ( P P = .004), and had poorer visual acuity at presentation ( P = .01). During follow-up, the incidence rates of visual impairment were 0.29 per eye-year (EY; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06/EY-0.86/EY) and 0.12/EY (95% CI: 0.01/EY-0.42/EY) among the HIV-negative and the HIV-positive patients, respectively. The incidence of blindness was 0.07/EY (95% CI: 0.009/EY-0.27/EY) and 0.06/EY (95% CI: 0.002/EY-0.35/EY) among the HIV-negative and the HIV-positive patients, respectively. Longer duration of uveitis prior to diagnosis and chorioretinitis in the macula at presentation were associated with ≥2 Snellen lines of visual loss ( P P = .03) in HIV-negative patients, respectively. Conclusions Syphilis is an uncommon cause of ocular inflammation in both HIV-negative and HIV-positive patients. Visual loss and ocular complications were common among HIV-negative patients even with systemic antibiotic treatment. Delay of diagnosis and chorioretinitis in the macula were associated with visual loss in these patients.
Modeling the finger joint moments in a hand at the maximal isometric grip: the effects of friction.

Abstract The interaction between the handle and operator’s hand affects the comfort and safety of tool and machine operations. In most of the previous studies, the investigators considered only the normal contact forces. The effect of friction on the joint moments in fingers has not been analyzed. Furthermore, the observed contact forces have not been linked to the internal musculoskeletal loading in the previous experimental studies. In the current study, we proposed a universal model of a hand to evaluate the joint moments in the fingers during grasping tasks. The hand model was developed on the platform of the commercial software package AnyBody. Only four fingers (index, long, ring, and little finger) were included in the model. The anatomical structure of each finger is comprised of four phalanges (distal, middle, proximal, and metacarpal phalange). The simulations were performed using an inverse dynamics technique. The joint angles and the normal contact forces on each finger section reported by previous researchers were used as inputs, while the joint moments of each finger were predicted. The predicted trends of the dependence of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint moments on the cylinder diameter agree with those of the contact forces on the fingers observed in the previous experimental study. Our results show that the DIP and PIP joint moments reach their maximums at a cylinder diameter of about 31 mm, which is consistent with the trend of the finger contact forces measured in the experiments. The proposed approach will be useful for simulating musculoskeletal loading in the hand for occupational activities, thereby optimizing tool-handle design.
Changes in the methods used for suicide in 16 countries from 1960 to 1980.

Suicide rates by each major method of suicide are presented for 16 countries in 1960-1964 and in 1980. The overall suicide rate rose during this period in the sample countries. Suicide rates by motor vehicle exhaust, hanging, firearms and other methods rose during this period, suicide rates by domestic gas fell, and suicide rates by solids or liquids, drowning and cutting did not change. It is suggested that the changing availability of methods is probably responsible for these changes in the suicide rates by each method. Language: en
Modulation by cytosol and commercial proteins of acid-active phospholipase A2 from adrenal medulla

Expression of soluble, acid-active phospholipase A2 from a granule-enriched fraction of bovine adrenal medulla is modulated by adrenal medullary cytosol in an ionic strength- and pH-dependent manner. At 150 nM Na+, cytosol is inhibitory in a dose-dependent manner while at 14 and 50 mM Na+ inhibition is preceded by stimulation. The extent of inhibition increases with increasing Na+ while the extent of stimulation increases with decreasing Na+. Effects are seen primarily below pH 5. Bovine liver cytosol behaves similarly, and soluble, acid-active phospholipases A2 from bovine and rat liver are also modulated by cytosol. The predominant regulatory component has a molecular weight of 67 000 as determined by gel permeation chromatography. Serum albumin and other commercially available proteins affect expression of acid-active phospholipase A2 in a manner similar to cytosol. Acid-active phospholipase A2 activity is also present in cytosol, it is enhanced substantially upon precipitation of cytosolic proteins, and is subsequently suppressed by added protein. Modulatory effects of cytosol result from its interaction with substrate, not enzyme, but are not due to dilution of substrate by cytosolic phospholipids. The study demonstrates that proteins modulate expression of acid-active phospholipases A2 by interacting with substrate in an ionic strength- and pH-dependent fashion. Such interactions may be important in the in vivo regulation of acid-active phospholipases A2.
Nanofibrous yet Injectable Polycaprolactone-Collagen Bone Tissue Scaffold with Osteoprogenitor Cells and Controlled Release of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2

Abstract In this work, we developed a nanofibrous, yet injectable orthobiologic tissue scaffold that is capable of hosting osteoprogenitor cells and controlling kinetic release profile of the encapsulated pro-osteogenic factor without diminishing its bioactivity over 21 days. This innovative injectable scaffold was synthesized by incorporating electrospun and subsequently O 2 plasma-functionalized polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers within the collagen type-I solution along with MC3T3-E1 cells (pre-osteoblasts) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2). Through changing the PCL nanofiber concentration within the injectable scaffolds, we were able to tailor the mechanical strength, protein retention capacity, bioactivity preservation, and osteoinductive potential of the scaffolds. The nanofibrous internal structure of the scaffold allowed us to use a low dose of BMP2 (200 ng/ml) to achieve osteoblastic differentiation in in vitro culture. The osteogenesis capacity of the injectable scaffolds were evaluated though measuring MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation, ALP activity, matrix mineralization, and early- and late-osteoblast specific gene expression profiles over 21 days. The results demonstrated that the nanofibrous injectable scaffold provides not only an osteoinductive environment for osteoprogenitor cells to differentiate, but also a suitable biomechanical and biochemical environment to act as a reservoir for osteogenic factors with controlled release profile.
Emerging roles of ubiquitin in transcription regulation.

Ubiquitin is a small protein that was initially found to function as a tag that can be covalently attached to proteins to mark them for destruction by a multisubunit, adenosine 5′-triphosphate–dependent protease called the proteasome. Ubiquitin is now emerging as a key regulator of eukaryotic messenger RNA synthesis, a process that depends on the RNA synthetic enzyme RNA polymerase II and the transcription factors that control its activity. Ubiquitin controls messenger RNA synthesis not only by mechanisms involving ubiquitin-dependent destruction of transcription factors by the proteasome, but also by an intriguing collection of previously unknown and unanticipated mechanisms that appear to be independent of the proteasome.
Compression of LADAR imagery

We develop novel methods for compressing volumetric imagery that has been generated by single platform (mobile) range sensors. We exploit the correlation structure inherent in multiple views in order to improve compression efficiency. We evaluate the performance of various two-dimensional (2D) compression schemes on the traditional 2D range representation. We then introduce a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the range measurements and show that, for lossless compression, 3D volumes compress more efficiently than 2D images by a factor of 60%.
Biofeedback applications to migraine and tension headaches: a double-blinded outcome study.

The efficacy of progressive relaxation, fingertip temperature training, and EMG training of the frontalis muscles was tested against chronic migraine and tension headaches in a double-blinded 3×2 design. All 56 subjects reported being conditioned in the course of the nine 1/2-hour training sessions. Detailed records of perceived severity and duration of the headaches were maintained by the subjects before the study and for at least 3 months after the training period. While even a conservativeF revealed a diminution of perceived severity, of hours/month of headache, and of an index conceived by Budzynski, Stoyva, Adler, and Mullaney (1973), across time, at beyond the .05 level of significance, no specific treatment emerged as clearly most effective for either type of headache. Over time, however, progressive relaxation was not as good as the other procedures in reducing the number of hours/month of headache.
Identification of five mouse μ-opioid receptor (MOR) gene (Oprm1) splice variants containing a newly identified alternatively spliced exon

Abstract The mouse μ-opioid receptor gene, Oprm1, is recognized currently to contain 17 alternatively spliced exons that generate 24 splice variants encoding at least 11 morphine-binding isoforms of the receptor. Here, we identify three new MOR splice variants that contain a previously undescribed exon, exon 18, and provide evidence that they are expressed in two mouse strains. The transcripts containing the newly identified exon 18 encode two new putative μ-opioid receptor isoforms, MOR-1V and MOR-1W. In mouse Oprm1, exon 18 is located between the described exons 10 and 6. Exon 18 appears to be conserved in the rat genome between exons 4 and 7. A BLAST search of the non-redundant GenBank database suggests that human OPRM1 may also contain exon 18. Analysis of mouse brain mRNA by RT-PCR suggests that MOR-1Vii transcripts are expressed in all areas of the brain analyzed, whereas expression of MOR-1Vi transcripts was restricted to thalamus and striatum. MOR-1W transcripts are expressed most highly in the hypothalamus, thalamus and striatum. In summary, we have identified three brain expressed, alternatively spliced mouse MOR splice variants containing a novel exon and encoding new putative MOR isoforms, MOR-1V and MOR-1W.
Teaching Labor Relations With Norma Rae

Undergraduate business students in North America are often unfamiliar with the labor organizing process and frequently fail to identify with the reasons why workers join unions. This article suggests a discussion exercise based on the 1979 film, Norma Rae, by 20th Century Fox, as an effective tool for familiarizing students with fundamental topics in labor relations such as the union organizing process, union avoidance strategies, and unfair labor practices. In addition, the film and the discussion-based exercise can be used to help students further explore the sources of individual attitudes toward unions, union instrumentality perceptions, union voting intentions, and contemporary issues in private sector labor relations. Collected data show positive responses from students who viewed the movie and participated in the discussion-based exercise. Suggestions are offered for using the film and the discussion-based exercise in the classroom to engage students in the study of labor relations.
The Revolution Will be Networked

Social networking is a phenomenon of interest to many scholars. While most of the recent research on social networking sites has focused on user characteristics, very few studies have examined their roles in engaging people in the democratic process. This paper relies on a telephone survey of Southwest residents to examine the extent to which reliance on social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube has engaged citizens in civic and political activities. More specifically, this study looks at the extent to which social networking sites influence political attitudes and democratic participation after controlling for demographic variables and the role of interpersonal political discussion in stimulating citizen participation. The findings indicate that reliance on social networking sites is significantly related to increased civic participation, but not political participation. Interpersonal discussion fosters both civic participation and political activity. Implications of the results for democratic governance will be discussed.
Nonrigid reconstruction of the mandible.

• Immediate rigid reconstruction of sacrificed portions of the mandible is desirable, but experience has shown that as many as 50% of bony or alloplastic implants are ultimately rejected or removed within the first few months after reconstruction. Functional and cosmetic reconstruction of the mandible, floor of the mouth, and, where necessary, skin of the lower lip and chin can be achieved with various local and myocutaneous flaps, to be followed after approximately 1 year by secondary bony reconstruction with a significantly lower complication rate. We describe the results in 43 patients treated by this approach. (Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1989;115:1190-1192)
Biophysical basis of growth promotion in primary leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris L. by hormones versus light: solute accumulation and the growth potential

Rapid cell enlargement in primary leaves of bean is induced by bright white light (WL), gibberellic acid (GA3) or the cytokinin N6-benzyladenine (BA). In previous studies it has been show that all three agents cause an increase in wall extensibility, although by different mechanisms. Here we examine the effects of the three growth promoters on the osmotic potential difference (delta Psi), the accumulation of solutes (delta TSC), the wall yield threshold (Y) and the growth potential (delta Psi -Y). With GA3 and BA, but not WL, there was a rapid decline in delta Psi as measured by the osmotic concentration of expressed sap. Unlike WL, neither GA3 nor BA promoted the accumulation of osmotic solutes. The decline in delta Psi, however, was apparently counteracted by a decline in Y since the growth potential, as measured by the external-osmoticum method, remained unchanged. It is concluded that WL, GA3 and BA all promote cell enlargement of bean leaves by increasing one cellular growth parameter, wall extensibility. Only WL, however, promotes osmotic adjustment during growth.
Verb movement in the L2 acquisition of English by adult native speakers of French

This study investigates the acquisition of English verb movement phenomena by two groups of adult French native speakers: a group of secondary school students and a group of university students. A group of English native speakers served as controls. Participants were administered a written questionnaire composed of a controlled production task, a grammaticality judgment task, and a preference/grammaticality judgment task, to test acquisition of the syntactic properties associated with the verb movement parameter (Pollock 1989, 1997). Instead of substantiating the anecdotal evidence that suggests that adverb placement errors persist into very advanced stages of English L2 acquisition, the present data support the successful acquisition of English adverb placement by French native speakers. It is argued that the advanced group has acquired the appropriate L2 parametric value as measured by the controlled production task; while results on the other two tasks are explained by performance effects.
Minimizing peak energy on mesh-connected systems

We are interested in minimizing peak energy usage, an important factor in systems where power is supplied externally, such as chips and circuit boards. The goal is to reduce peak energy without increasing the time required, and as a byproduct to also reduce the total enery. Algorithms for meshconnected computers are developed for problems involving images and graphs. We can also simultaneously reduce the total energy used by any processor, an important factor in sensor networks.
Varieties of qualitative research

This article presents a review of the book “Varieties of Qualitative Research,” by John Van Maanen, J.M. Dabbs Jr., and R.R. Faulkner.
The In Vitro fungistatic action of some nitrofuran derivatives

The fungistatic action of some nitrofuran derivatives against a series of fungi has been investigated by an accepted in vitro test. Outstanding activity was noted in the case of two derivatives, 5-nitro-2-furfuryl methyl ether and 5-nitro-2-furaldehyde oxime. There was no structural specificity apparent in the compounds studied. In order to observe the effect of vehicle upon activity various bases were included in the study to compound the nitrofuran derivatives. The emulsion type base allowed the maximum fungistatic activity to be displayed.
Chirality in supramolecular self-assembled monolayers of achiral molecules on graphite: formation of enantiomorphous domains from arachidic anhydride.

The molecular arrangement and chirality of the self-assembled arachidic anhydride monolayer on graphite were investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This molecule has two identical alkyl chains, linked by an anhydride group in the middle. In its extended form, one alkyl chain is shifted, with respect to the other, along the molecular backbone. Upon adsorption on graphite, this achiral anhydride spontaneously forms two types of homogeneous domains (denoted as m and m‘) with mirror symmetry. The angle from the molecular chain to the row-packing direction is 98.0° ± 0.5° and 82.0° ± 0.5° for domains m and m‘, respectively. Domain m is the mirror image of m‘. The molecular arrangement of this self-assembled monolayer shows that domains m and m‘ are two-dimensional enantiomers with opposite chiralities. This new molecular packing motif is confirmed by line-profile analyses along the molecule-chain and the row-packing directions. This finding demonstrates the spontaneous formation of highly orde...
Ceria−Zirconia High-Temperature Desulfurization Sorbents

Ceria and ceria−zirconia desulfurization sorbents containing up to 20 mol % ZrO2 were prepared using a coprecipitation method. XRD analysis indicated the formation of solid solutions of ZrO2 in CeO2. ZrO2 addition produced larger specific surface area, improved sintering resistance, and increased the reducibility of the ceria. Desulfurization was studied using a laboratory-scale fixed-bed quartz reactor. Special precautions were taken to minimize interaction between sub-ppmv concentrations of H2S with stainless steel and eliminate contamination from residual sulfur in the reactor system. The performance of sorbents containing ZrO2 was superior to that of ZrO2-free sorbents. Product gas concentrations in the range of 0.1−0.2 ppmv H2S were achieved during the prebreakthrough period over the temperature range of 600−750 °C. In particular, the duration of the sub-ppmv prebreakthrough period lasted as much as twice as long when the sorbent contained 20 mol % ZrO2 compared to ZrO2-free CeO2.
Dose, volume, and tumor-control predictions in radiotherapy.

Abstract Purpose : Tumor volume has a profound influence on the dose required to control a given type of tumor. The most obvious explanation for this is related to the larger number of stem cells which must be sterilized, leading to a more stringent requirement on cell survival. There are, however, other mechanisms by which volume may influence tumor control, such as clonogenic fraction, oxygenation or inter-cellular communication. We investigate the question of whether the effect of volume on tumor control is, in general, predictable on the basis solely of the differing number of stem cells. Methods and Materials : We investigate whether the effect of volume on tumor control in four sites can be predicted, using the linear-quadratic formalism, based on the assumption that the number of cells that must be sterilized is directly proportional to the tumor volume. We require that the biological parameters in the model should have plausible values. Results : We find that the results of four clinical data sets, exhibiting a wide range of doses, volumes, and tumor control rates, are consistent with the hypothesis that the number of potential stem cells which must be sterilized is proportional to the tumor volume. Conclusions : If these considerations are correct, the potential exists that realistic radiobiologically-based dose corrections for tumor size could be routinely made. This applies both to an entire treatment, and also between fractions, as the tumor shrinks. Such an approach may contribute towards optimized radiotherapy.