cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A 35-year analysis of sex differences in neurology authorship

Career progression in academic medicine is partly influenced by publication productivity. There has been a significant increase in female authorship over a 35-year time period at both the first and senior authorship positions in 3 high impact factor neurology journals in the United States. While these trends are encouraging, a sex gap remains. Institutions/departments may wish to consider further strategies for trainees and faculty that can help to maintain momentum and narrow the gap further.
The MDS Models: Basics

Fundamental concepts of MDS models are discussed. Since MDS includes a family of different models and various terms are used to describe these models as well as their corresponding elements, I explain these models and their associated terms using more understandable language.
Pharmacotherapy for Acromegaly: Future Role for Pasireotide?

Somatostatin receptor ligands (octreotide and lanreotide) are currently first-line pharmacotherapy for patients with acromegaly in whom surgery fails to control the disease or cannot be considered. The efficacy of a new pan somatostatin receptor ligand, pasireotide, has been investigated as a potential treatment of acromegaly. Several clinical trials showed disease-remission with pasireotide in one-third of patients and some octreotide-resistant patients were responsive to pasireotide. Pasireotide can likely be used for patients with suboptimal response or resistance to treatment with the approved maximal doses of octreotide long-acting release (LAR) or lanreotide Autogel; however, the development or exacerbation of diabetes mellitus is of concern.
Taking Responsibility: PRWORA's Limits to Immigrant Access

The 1996 welfare reforms in the US made significant changes to the eligibility criteria for immigrants to receive benefits. These reforms coincided with significant immigration reforms, tightening the requirements for legal citizenship and loosening the accountability requirements for the state in its dealing with immigrants. In this paper I suggest that the drive to limit immigrants' autonomy through welfare reform is founded on a claim that immigrants who seek out welfare have failed to "take responsibility" for the consequences of their autonomous choice to migrate. This foundational claim is deeply problematic, first because it assumes an individualistic conception of autonomy, and second because it reflects a view of immigration divorced from the reality of the economic and political interdependence of nation-states throughout the world. Immigrants' decisions to migrate can be understood as autonomous, I suggest, but only when autonomy is conceived relationally. Such decisions, where taken by emigrants from impoverished nations, must be understood as relationally constituted in part by the failure of the U.S. to take responsibility for its political and economic actions, which allow American citizens to live a comparatively privileged life at the expense of citizens of other nations. In fact, if we shift the notion of personal responsibility at the heart of the foundational claim to one of political responsibility, understood as a critical expression of autonomy, we can understand many immigrants' claims to welfare rights as forms of taking political responsibility. Such claims challenge structural conditions of inequality generated by the system of "birthright citizenship," which unequally and arbitrarily distributes benefits of citizenship status.
Help Seeking and Intelligent Tutoring Systems: Theoretical Perspectives and a Step Towards Theoretical Integration

Help seeking is a strategy highlighted in a number of theories of self-­regulated learning (SRL). We focus on the help-seeking behavior of students during tutored problem solving with an intelligent tutoring system (ITS), specifically, the Geometry Cognitive Tutor. ITSs are an advanced type of computer-based learning environment (CBLE) and are in widespread use. These systems typically provide step-by-step guidance with complex problems, including on-demand help. A number of theories shed light on how on-demand help focused on problem-solving principles can help students acquire robust knowledge (i.e., knowledge that transfers to novel situations, lasts over time, and may facilitate future learning), but they also highlight challenges students face in doing so. These theories include the ACTR theory of cognition and learning, the Knowledge-Learning-Instruction theoretical framework focused on learning from instruction, SRL theories, and educational psychology theories of help seeking. Given the variety of perspectives, we see a strong need for theoretical integration. As a modest first step, we review our own work on rule-based modeling of help seeking, which integrates cognitive and metacognitive aspects within a single modeling framework.
Evolution of the Somatosensory System – Clues from Specialized Species

Mammals with specialized somatosensory systems can reveal trends in mammalian brain evolution and provide important clues to how the neocortex has changed in response to the sensory challenges of different environments. Here, a number of species are considered, concentrating on the mammalian order Insectivora. Specializations described include the expansion of cortical representations (cortical magnification), the division of somatosensory areas into modules, the convergent evolution of sensory foveas in different sensory modalities of different species, and the addition of areas to the cortical processing network. In considering the mechanisms for these different products of evolution, the relationship between development and brain organization is discussed, along with recent studies in patterning-gene expression that suggest mechanisms for the expansion of cortical processing networks.
Accelerated Aging of Functional Brain Networks Supporting Cognitive Function in Psychotic Disorders

Abstract Background Across networks, connectivity within the frontoparietal network (FPN) and cingulo-opercular network (CON) exhibits reductions earliest during healthy aging, contributing to cognitive impairment. Individuals with psychotic disorders demonstrate evidence of accelerated aging across multiple biological systems. By leveraging a large sample of patients with psychosis from early to chronic illness stages, this study sought to determine whether the CON and FPN exhibit evidence of accelerated aging in psychotic disorders, confirm associations between network efficiency and cognition, and determine whether reduced network efficiency is observed in early-stage psychosis. Methods Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and cognitive data were obtained on 240 patients with psychotic disorder and 178 healthy control participants (HCs). Global efficiency, a measure of functional integration, was calculated for the CON, FPN, subcortical network, and visual network. Associations with age and cognition were assessed and compared between groups. Results Consistent with accelerated aging, significant group by age interactions reflected significantly stronger relationships between efficiency and age in patients with psychosis than in HCs for both the CON (psychosis: r = −.37; HC: r = −.16) and FPN (psychosis: r = −.31; HC: r = −.05). Accelerated aging was not observed in either the subcortical or visual network, suggesting specificity for cognitive networks that decline earliest in healthy aging. Replicating prior findings, efficiency of both the CON and FPN correlated with cognitive function across all participants (rs > .11, ps Conclusions Functional integration of higher-order cognitive networks is intact in early psychosis but exhibits evidence of accelerated aging, suggesting the potential for intervention targeting cognition within the early psychosis period.
Reflections on Shreeram Abhyankar

These are some reflections on the great algebraic geometer Shreeram Abhyankar given at the Banquet at the International Conference on Lattice Path Combinatorics and Applications, California Polytechnic University, Pomona, on Thursday, August 20, 2015.
Cognitive Engineering: Toward a Workable Concept of Mind

Abstract : Perhaps no one has understood the depth to which the ever-increasing technological nature of the human ecology has shaped psychological theory better than Jerome Bruner. In his memoir In Search of Mind (1983), Bruner shared his reflections on the origins of the cognitive revolution. Although a great many factors may have played a role (e.g., Chomsky, 1959; Miller, 1956; Newell &: Simon, 1972), Bruner turns much conventional thinking on its head, implying that scientists had to invent a theory of mind in response to the practical demands of finding coherent ways of understanding and coordinating a largely invented world of people engaged with post-Industrial Revolution technologies. The seeds of this scientific revolution, it seems, were not so much "in the air" as in the digital circuitry and in the need to understand and manage "a complex world of information."
Erection of Compact Marx Generators

In recent decades, Marx generators have trended toward more compact topologies and have increasingly been used as part of high-power electromagnetic sources. The compact geometry is typically accomplished by simplifying the circuit design to the stage components according to the well-known theory of Marx erection with operational goals of hundreds of kilovolts at low energies per pulse. The ease in which these simple generators can be assembled belies the difficulty encountered in obtaining the performance seemingly predicted by the simple theory of operation. One often unanticipated behavior is the poor-to-nonexistent triggering performance observed in a compact Marx generator. A detailed circuit analysis of the compact Marx generator has yielded the root causes limiting the erection process, as well as providing guidelines for design and operation.
Heart failure biomarker levels correlate with invasive haemodynamics in pulmonary valve replacement

BACKGROUND Although widely used in cardiology, relation of heart failure biomarkers to cardiac haemodynamics in patients with CHD (and in particular with pulmonary insufficiency undergoing pulmonary valve replacement) remains unclear. We hypothesised that the cardiac function biomarkers N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), soluble suppressor of tumorigenicity 2, and galectin-3 would have significant associations to right ventricular haemodynamic derangements. METHODS Consecutive patients ( n = 16) undergoing cardiac catheterisation for transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement were studied. NT-proBNP, soluble suppressor of tumorigenicity 2, and galectin-3 levels were measured using a multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay from a pre-intervention blood sample obtained after sheath placement. Spearman correlation was used to identify significant correlations (p ≤ 0.05) of biomarkers with baseline cardiac haemodynamics. Cardiac MRI data (indexed right ventricular and left ventricular end-diastolic volumes and ejection fraction) prior to device placement were also compared to biomarker levels. RESULTS NT-proBNP and soluble suppressor of tumorigenicity 2 were significantly correlated (p < 0.01) with baseline mean right atrial pressure and right ventricular end-diastolic pressure. Only NT-proBNP was significantly correlated with age. Galectin-3 did not have significant associations in this cohort. Cardiac MRI measures of right ventricular function and volume were not correlated to biomarker levels or right heart haemodynamics. CONCLUSIONS NT-proBNP and soluble suppressor of tumorigenicity 2, biomarkers of myocardial strain, significantly correlated to invasive pressure haemodynamics in transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement patients. Serial determination of soluble suppressor of tumorigenicity 2, as it was not associated with age, may be superior to serial measurement of NT-proBNP as an indicator for timing of pulmonary valve replacement.
Fitting ARMA Time Series Models without Identification: A Proximal Approach.

Fitting autoregressive moving average (ARMA) time series models requires model identification before parameter estimation. Model identification involves determining the order of the autoregressive and moving average components which is generally performed by inspection of the autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation functions or other offline methods. In this work, we regularize the parameter estimation optimization problem with a nonsmooth hierarchical sparsity-inducing penalty based on two path graphs that allows performing model identification and parameter estimation simultaneously. A proximal block coordinate descent algorithm is then proposed to solve the underlying optimization problem efficiently. The resulting model satisfies the required stationarity and invertibility conditions for ARMA models. Numerical studies supporting the performance of the proposed method and comparing it with other schemes are presented.
Comparison of Outcomes in Heart Transplant Recipients Receiving CMV Prophylaxis with CMV IVIG with Valganciclovir versus Valganciclovir Alone

Purpose Cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains one of the most common opportunistic infections affecting orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) patients, with seronegative (R-) recipients receiving transplants from seropositive donors (D+) being at the highest risk. CMV intravenous immune globulin (CMV IVIG) use for prophylaxis has been limited since the release of valganciclovir (VGC) due to efficacy, infusion-related toxicities, and cost. The ISHLT guidelines for the care of heart transplant recipients state there may be a role for CMV IVIG in high risk (D+/R-) OHT in combination with VGC, but it is not clearly defined. The goal of this study is to evaluate if adding CMV IVIG to VGC impacts the rates of CMV infection. Methods This is a retrospective, pre-post study of CMV high risk adult OHT recipients transplanted between 1/1/2015-12/31/2018 (n=51). In 9/2017, the institutional protocol for prophylaxis of high risk CMV OHT recipients changed. Previously, high risk patients were given CMV IVIG for 3 months in addition to VGC 900 mg daily for 6 months (or renal dose equivalent). After the protocol change, patients received VGC alone for 6 months. CMV infection was defined as evidence of CMV replication regardless of symptoms. CMV disease was defined as evidence of CMV infection with attributable symptoms. Results Of the CMV high risk OHT recipients, 29 received CMV IVIG+VGC and 22 received VGC alone. There were no differences in baseline characteristics, immunosuppressive regimens, renal function, or VGC dosing between cohorts (Table 1). There was no difference in the rates of CMV infection at 1 year between cohorts (34.5% vs. 18.2%; p=0.225). Furthermore, there was no difference in rates of CMV pneumonia (6.9% vs 0%, p=0.499) or CMV colitis (0% vs 4.5%, p=0.431) between cohorts. Overall, only one patient had breakthrough CMV and that patient was on VGC therapy alone. Conclusion CMV IVIG appears to have no added benefit in preventing CMV infections in the era of VGC therapy.
An Exploratory Study of Adolescents' Social Media Sharing of Marijuana-Related Content.

Adolescents often post content related to risk behaviors online, and social media posting related to substance use has been found to be associated with intentions to use substances. However, there ...
Bonding and stoichiometry in low-energy radio frequency magnetron sputtered ZnO thin films on flexible substrate

Abstract Spectroscopic and electrical studies of ZnO thin films grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering at low power without substrate heating revealed improved stoichiometry and reduced free carrier concentration with increasingly energetic growth conditions, which is opposite to what is typically observed. Hall measurements showed a decrease in carrier concentration from 6.9 × 1019 cm−3 to 1.4 × 1019 cm−3 as power increased from 40 W to 120 W, and a decrease in carrier concentration from 8.6 × 1019 cm−3 to 2.6 × 1019 cm−3 as the deposition pressure decreased from 1.2 to 0.4 Pa. These findings correlated well with XRD, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence results, which showed that more energetic conditions increased the fraction of oxygen that was stoichiometrically bonded. The change in the absorption edge, likely due to a Burstein-Moss shift, was also in qualitative agreement. In the range of conditions used, energy transfer from the plasma to the growing film governs bonding, stoichiometry and hexagonal nanocrystalline film formation and growth.
An Extension of Tychonoffs Fixed Point Theorem to Quasi-point Separable Topological Vector Spaces.

In this paper, we introduce the concepts of m-quasiconvex, originally m-quasiconvex,and generalized m-quasiconvex functionals on topological vector spaces. Then we extend the concept of point separable topological vector spaces (by the topological dual spaces) to quasi-point separable topological vector spaces by families of generalized m-quasiconvex functionals. We show that every pseudonorm adjoint topological vector space, which includes locally convex topological vector spaces as special cases, is quasi-point separable. By the Fan-KKM theorem, we prove a fixed point theorem on quasi-point separable topological vector spaces. It is an extension of the fixed point theorem on pseudonorm adjoint topological vector spaces proved in [8]. Therefore, it is a properextension of Tychonoffs fixed point theorem on locally convex topological vector spaces, which are demonstrated by some examples.
Characterization of dynamic regulation in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell cultures in the late exponential phase

Abstract Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most commonly used host cells to produce biologics in the biopharmaceutical industry. In a batch or fed-batch process, cells grow at a relatively constant rate at the exponential growth phase, a period that is commonly assumed as a “metabolically quasi steady-state”. However, the cell culture environment, such as medium composition, does not maintain the same during this time; instead, the medium composition changes with nutrient decrease, cell density increase, and byproduct accumulation. Therefore, cellular microenvironment may respond to such process changes. This study examined the transcriptome across the late exponential growth phase of three CHO cell lines to illuminate the dynamic regulation at glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, glycosylation, and antioxidant pathways. We found that the expression of a series of genes has a concurrent shift around 91 h, coincident with lactate shift from its accumulation to consumption. The gene expressions altogether suggest a homeostasis behavior before the 91 h, presumably a response to the high abundance of nutrients at the exponential growth phase.
Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire: by Tom Zoellner, Cambridge, Harvard University P, 2020, 363 pp., $29.95 (hardcover), ISBN 978-0-6749-8430-1

On August 1, 1838, Britain legally terminated its three century-long war on slaves. The spark was lit seven years earlier on December 27, 1831 at a sugar trash house on the Kensington Estate in nor...
Working: Glimpses of the pandemic from this fine place so far from home

This manuscript was written for a special issue on Reflections on a Pandemic. In it, I write as an emerging scholar from a working-class background. The pandemic has underscored the divergence betw...
Analysis of patient-specific quality assurance for Elekta Unity adaptive plans using statistical process control methodology.

The Elekta Unity MR-linac utilizes daily magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for online plan adaptation. In the Unity workflow, adapt to position (ATP) and adapt to shape (ATS) treatment planning options are available which represent a virtual shift or full re-plan with contour adjustments respectively. Both techniques generate a new intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment plan while the patient lies on the treatment table and thus adapted plans cannot be measured prior to treatment delivery. A statistical process control methodology was used to analyze 512 patient-specific IMRT QA measurements performed on the MR-compatible SunNuclear ArcCheck with a gamma criterion of 3%/2 mm using global normalization and a 10% low dose threshold. The lower control limit (LCL) was determined from 68 IMRT reference plan measurements, and a one-sided process capability ratio ( C p , l ) was used to assess the pass rates from 432 measured ATP and 80 measured ATS plans. Further analysis was performed to assess differences between SBRT or conventional fractionation pass rates and to determine whether there was any correlation between the pass rates and plan complexity. The LCL of the reference plans was determined to be a gamma pass rate of 0.958, and the C p , l of the measured ATP plans and measured ATS plans were determined to be 1.403 and 0.940 for ATP and ATS plans, respectively, while a C p , l of 0.902 and 1.383 was found for SBRT and conventional fractionations respectively. For plan complexity, no correlation was found between modulation degree and gamma pass rate, but a statistically significant correlation was observed between the beam-averaged aperture area and gamma pass rate. All adaptive plans passed the TG-218 guidelines, but the ATS and SBRT plans tended to have a smaller beam-averaged aperture area with slightly lower gamma pass rates.
Rotavirus as an Expression Platform of Domains of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein

Among vaccines administered to children are those targeting rotavirus, a segmented double-stranded RNA virus that represents a major cause of severe gastroenteritis. To explore the feasibility of establishing a combined rotavirus-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, we generated recombinant (r)SA11 rotaviruses with modified segment 7 RNAs that contained coding cassettes for NSP3, a translational 2A stop-restart signal, and a FLAG-tagged portion of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein: S1 fragment, N-terminal domain (NTD), receptor-binding domain (RBD), extended RBD (ExRBD), or S2 core (CR) domain. Generation of rSA11 containing the S1 coding sequence required a sequence insertion of 2.2 kbp, the largest such insertion yet introduced into the rotavirus genome. Immunoblotting showed that rSA11 viruses containing the smaller NTD, RBD, ExRBD, and CR coding sequences expressed S-protein products of expected size, with ExRBD expressed at highest levels. These rSA11 viruses were genetically stable during serial passage. In contrast, the rSA11 virus containing the full-length S coding sequence (rSA11/NSP3-fS1) failed to express its expected 80 kDa fS1 product, for unexplained reasons. Moreover, rSA11/NSP3-fS1 was genetically unstable, with variants lacking the S1 insertion appearing during serial passage. Nonetheless, these results emphasize the potential usefulness of rotavirus vaccines as expression vectors of immunogenic portions of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein, including NTD, RBD, ExRBD, and CR, that have sizes smaller than the S1 fragment.
652-P: Real-World Effectiveness of Once-Weekly Semaglutide (sema OW) from a U.S. Commercially Insured and Medicare Advantage Population

Background: This study presents real-world evidence on effectiveness of sema OW in a broad cohort of US commercially insured and Medicare Advantage T2D patients. Methods: Claims and lab result data were used to identify T2D patients who initiated sema OW between 12/1/17 - 6/30/20 (index as first claim). Selected patients had ≥1 A1c result within ≤3 months pre- and ≥3 months post-index. Patients persistent on sema OW (those with a sema OW prescription with days supply dispensed overlapping/in proximity of date of post-index A1c measurement) were assessed for A1c changes and stratified by age ( 9%. Results: 3,010 patients initiated sema OW, 49% were female and 10% were ≥ 65 years of age. A1c was significantly reduced vs. pre-index in all persistent patients (-1.1%) and in each age subgroup ( 9%. Attainment of A1c Conclusion: In this broad, real-world cohort of US T2D patients, initiation of sema OW was associated with significant reduction in A1c and an increase in reaching an A1c Disclosure V. Willey: Employee; Self; HealthCore. N. Shivappa: Other Relationship; Self; Novo Nordisk. J. Noone: Employee; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc. C. Swift: Employee; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc. S. Du: None. Y. M. Paprocki: Employee; Self; Novo Nordisk, Stock/Shareholder; Self; Novo Nordisk. H. Tan: Other Relationship; Self; HealthCore.
Remodeling of the maternal gut microbiome during pregnancy is shaped by parity.

The maternal microbiome has emerged as an important factor in gestational health and outcome and is associated with risk of preterm birth and offspring morbidity. Epidemiological evidence also points to successive pregnancies—referred to as maternal parity—as a risk factor for preterm birth, infant mortality, and impaired neonatal growth. Despite the fact that both the maternal microbiome and parity are linked to maternal-infant health, the impact of parity on the microbiome remains largely unexplored, in part due to the challenges of studying parity in humans. Using synchronized pregnancies and dense longitudinal monitoring of the microbiome in pigs, we describe a microbiome trajectory during pregnancy and determine the extent to which parity modulates this trajectory. We show that the microbiome changes reproducibly during gestation and that this remodeling occurs more rapidly as parity increases. At the time of parturition, parity was linked to the relative abundance of several bacterial species, including Treponema bryantii, Lactobacillus amylovorus, and Lactobacillus reuteri. Strain tracking carried out in 18 maternal-offspring “quadrads”—each consisting of one mother sow and three piglets—linked maternal parity to altered levels of Akkermansia muciniphila, Prevotella stercorea, and Campylobacter coli in the infant gut 10 days after birth. Collectively, these results identify parity as an important environmental factor that modulates the gut microbiome during pregnancy and highlight the utility of a swine model for investigating the microbiome in maternal-infant health. In addition, our data show that the impact of parity extends beyond the mother and is associated with alterations in the community of bacteria that colonize the offspring gut early in life. The bacterial species we identified as parity-associated in the mother and offspring have been shown to influence host metabolism in other systems, raising the possibility that such changes may influence host nutrient acquisition or utilization. These findings, taken together with our observation that even subtle differences in parity are associated with microbiome changes, underscore the importance of considering parity in the design and analysis of human microbiome studies during pregnancy and in infants.
Development and characterization of a hydrogel-based adhesive patch for sealing open-globe injuries.

Abstract Full-thickness wounds to the eye can lead to serious vision impairment. Current standards of care (from suturing to tissue transplantation) usually require highly skilled surgeons and use of an operating theater. In this study, we report the synthesis, optimization, and in vitro and ex vivo testing of photocrosslinkable hydrogel-based adhesive patches that can easily be applied to globe injuries or corneal incisions. According to the type and concentration of polymers used in the adhesive formulations, we were able to finely tune the physical properties of the bioadhesive including viscosity, elastic modulus, extensibility, ultimate tensile strength, adhesion, transparency, water content, degradation time, and swellability. Our in vitro studies showed no sign of cytotoxicity of the hydrogels. Moreover, the hydrogel patches showed higher adhesion on freshly explanted pig eyeballs compared to a marketed ocular sealant. Finally, ex vivo feasibility studies showed that the hydrogel patches could seal complex open-globe injuries such as large incision, cruciform injury, and injury associated with tissue loss. These results suggest that our photocrosslinkable hydrogel patch could represent a promising solution for the sealing of open-globe injuries or surgical incisions. Statement of significance Current management of severe ocular injuries require advanced surgical skills and access to an operating theater. To address the need for emergent management of wounds that cannot be handled in the operating room, surgical adhesives have gained popularity, but none of the currently available adhesives have optimal bioavailability, adhesive or mechanical properties. This study describes the development, optimization and testing of a light-sensitive adhesive patch that can easily be applied to the eye. After solidification using visible light, the patch shows no toxicity and is more adherent to the tissue than a marketed sealant. Thus this technology could represent a promising solution to stabilize ocular injuries in emergency settings before definitive surgical repair.
Sustained search: number of background characters, target type, and time on watch

Search for emerging targets was evaluated in discrete trials and in a period of continuous watch. Search time increased with number of background characters (NBC) and was faster for targets added to the display than for those which changed from background characters into targets. The rate of increase with NBC was the same for both target types in discrete trials but not in continuous watch. No vigilance decrement occurred, but the conditions under which one might be expected are described. Language: en
Polyamines and Growth Factors as Possible Targets for Antitumor Therapy in Breast Cancer

Recent evidence suggests an important role for autocrine/paracrine factors in the control of breast cancer cell proliferation. A variety of polypeptide growth factors are produced by breast cancer cells and, in hormone-dependent human breast cancer cell lines, their secretion has been shown to be hormonally regulated (1–4). In addition, breast cancer cells possess receptors for such growth factors and manifest a significant proliferative response when exposed to these peptides (1,5–7). Further support for the autocrine/paracrine theory of growth regulation is provided by the ability of antibodies directed against receptors of known growth factors such as IGF-I and EGF to inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo (8–10).
Development of genomic resources for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.): BAC library construction, preliminary STC analysis, and identification of clones associated with fiber development

We have constructed a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) BAC library using the elite Acala-type cultivar Maxxa. The BAC library contains 129 024 clones comprising 8.3 haploid genome equivalents based on a AD genome size of 2118 Mb. A random sampling of 435 BACs indicated an average insert length of 137 kb with a range of 80 to 275 kb, and 1.4% of the BACs do not contain inserts. Of the BAC clones in the sample 99% had an average insert length equal to or greater than 100 kb. Contamination of the genomic library with chloroplast clones was low (1.5%). To evaluate the library for genome representation and to identify clones associated with cotton fiber development, six BAC colony filters (7.2× representation) were screened with PCR-generated gene-specific probes for the GhMYB class of transcription factor genes giving an average of 12 positive signals per probe (range 6–20). To gain a glimpse into the cotton genome and evaluate the library for sequence-tagged connector (STC) development, 1536 BAC clones were end sequenced in both forward and reverse direction. The STCs were queried against the SwissProt and MIPS Arabidopsis databases and significant hits were sorted according to putative function.
Enzymatic modification of proteins. II. Purification and properties of the arginyl transfer ribonucleic acid-protein transferase from rabbit liver cytoplasm.

Abstract The arginyl transfer ribonucleic acid-protein transferase has been purified nearly 7000-fold from the supernatant fraction of rabbit liver cytoplasm by a procedure including ammonium sulfate fractionation, precipitation at pH 5.2, chromatography on carboxymethyl cellulose, and chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose. The purified preparations show one major and two minor components in polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis and 1 mg of protein catalyzes the transfer at 37° of approximately 135 nmoles of arginine per min from tRNA to the amino-terminal aspartic acid residue of bovine serum albumin. Arginine can be quantitatively transferred from tRNA to protein and is the only amino acid which participates in this reaction. A sulfhydryl compound is required and maximal rates are obtained at pH 9 with 0.1 m 2-mercaptoethanol or 10 mm dithiothreitol. There is also a requirement for a monovalent cation with an optimal reaction occurring at 0.2 m KCl. Transfer is completely dependent upon the presence of a suitable acceptor protein. When bovine serum albumin is used in limiting amounts, 1 molecule of arginine is transferred from tRNA for each molecule of albumin. Bovine thyroglobulin appears to accept 2 molecules of arginine per molecule. Under similar conditions other proteins were far less effective as acceptors.
Flow measurements in a micromachined flow system with integrated acoustic pumping

In this paper a general scheme for the realization of micromachined flow systems with integrated fluid pumping is introduced. Microscopic channels are formed at the interface between an etched glass cap and a silicon micromachined flexural plate wave (FPW) device. The FPWs excite an acoustic field in the fluid that occupies the channel, and the acoustic field in turn drives fluid flow. The flow driving mechanism is acoustic streaming, a nonlinear acoustic phenomenon in which a finite-amplitude acoustic field sets the host fluid into motion. A scheme for the realization of such flow systems is outlined and a simple microflow system that implements this scheme is fabricated and tested.
High-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol Subfractions in Adolescent Twins

Data on the levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and subfractions in 102 adolescent twin pairs and their parents are presented. Children with a family history of premature cardiovascular death had lower levels of HDL2-C than did those without such a history. White girls reporting a high level of physical activity had higher levels of HDL-C and HDL2-C than did their more sedentary peers. In general, children of mothers who smoked had lower HDL2-C than did children of nonsmoking mothers. These findings suggest that low levels of HDL2-C in children may identify families in which there is an increased risk of coronary heart disease and that parental smoking may contribute to changes in this risk factor in the children of smokers as well as in the smokers themselves.
Inhibition of pinacidil induced IK(ATP) in heart by changes in extracellular pH

Objective: The aim was to determine whether extracellular protons influence the activation of ATP sensitive potassium channels (KATP) in heart by the drug pinacidil. Methods: Single channel and whole cell currents were measured in enzymatically dispersed guinea pig ventricular myocytes with patch clamp procedures. ATP sensitive potassium channel activity was induced by pinacidil in whole cell experiments and either by lowering cytoplasmic ATP or pinacidil in membrane patch experiments. Results: Extracellular acidification inhibited and extracellular alkalisation potentiated ATP sensitive potassium channel currents (IK(ATP) induced by pinacidil under whole cell conditions. In membrane patches. IK(ATP) induced by low cytoplasmic ATP (1 mM) was not sensitive to changes in extracellular pH, but IK(ATP) induced by cytoplasmic application of pinacidil was inhibited by extracellular acidification. Conclusions: Interactions between protons and pinacidil drug molecules underlie the pH dependent changes in IK(ATP) induced by pinacidil. Based on the kinetics of pH dependent changes in pinacidil induced channel activity in inside-out membrane patches, our data suggest that the important inhibitory site of action of this drug is located on the extracellular side of the cell membrane. Cardiovascular Research 1994: 28 :836-840
Anger and fear responses to stress have different biological profiles

In contrast to a general model of stress, a functional model suggests that emotions may regulate stress responses in specific adaptive ways. The current study examined whether anger and fear during a challenging stress task (Trier Social Stress Task) were differentially associated with cortisol and proinflammatory cytokine responses to an acute stressor. Baseline anger and fear were related to greater cortisol and proinflammatory cytokines. However, anger reactions to the stressor were associated with greater stress-related increases in cortisol over time but not proinflammatory cytokines. In contrast, fear reactions to the stressor were associated with increases in stress-related proinflammatory cytokines over time and a decrease in cortisol. Results are consistent with the functional perspective that distinct emotional experiences appear to trigger temporally-patterned adaptive biological processes to mobilize energy in response to anger and to promote withdrawal in response to fear. Discussion focuses on the role of the HPA axis to increase available metabolic fuel and proinflammatory cytokines to prompt behavioral withdrawal.
Multivariate analysis of New Guinea and Melanesian skulls: A review

While earlier work in the craniology of New Guinea and Melanesia is legion, more recent investigations which utilize multivariate statistical techniques are few in number. A survey of archaeologically excavated human remains from Papua New Guinea indicates they are scarce and relatively recent. By comparison, museum collections of Melanesian crania are numerous. Particularly noteworthy are the collections found in Europe. Summaries of previous multivariate comparisons of New Guinea and Melanesian cranial data indicate considerable variability within the region. A basic Melanesian pattern, however, is discernible when comparisons are made with the surrounding Pacific region. With even broader comparisions, an Australo-Melanesian-Tasmanian complex can be recognized well differentiated from populations in Asia, Indonesia, and Polynesia, which form a second major complex. While the exact origins of these populations is not clear, multivariate data-analytic approaches help to make clear the nature and extent of cranial variation within New Guinea and Melanesia thus providing an important base for future phylogenetic interpretations. The questions posed in previous research using multivariate statistics and some suggestions for future work are discussed.
SecureCloud: Towards a Comprehensive Security Framework for Cloud Computing Environments

Cloud computing has recently gained tremendous momentum but still is in its infancy. It has the potential for significant cost reduction and the increased operating efficiencies in computing. Although security issues are delaying its fast adoption, cloud computing is an unstoppable force and we need to provide security mechanisms to ensure its secure adoption. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive security framework for cloud computing environments. We also discuss challenges, existing solutions, approaches, and future work needed to provide a trustworthy cloud computing environment.
Pioneers in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Research

The article reviews the book “Pioneers in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Research,” by Hans Landstrom.
I dannati dell'Asinara: L'odissea dei prigionieri austro-ungarici nella Prima guerra mondiale [The damned of Asinara: The odyssey of Austro-Hungarian prisoners in the First World War]

Asinara is a small arid island off the north-western tip of Sardinia. Today it is an unspoiled wildlife and marine sanctuary, off-limits to tourists and human habitation; its history, however, is r...
International surveys on the use of ICD-10 and related diagnostic systems.

Several interesting surveys on the use of diagnostic systems have been conducted over the past two decades, initially focused on ICD-9 and DSM-III and then on more recent editions of these systems. They have reported on the extent and perceived value of their use as well as offered recommendations for future systems. The widest survey to date is that on ICD-10 and related systems recently conducted by the WHO Committee on Evaluating and Updating the ICD-10 Mental Health Component and the WPA Section on Classification and Diagnostic Assessment. It involved the participation of 205 psychiatrists from 66 different countries across all continents. Comparing the two most visible diagnostic systems, it found that ICD-10 was more frequently used and more valued for clinical diagnosis and training and that DSM-IV was more valued for research. Accessibility to diagnostic manuals and training appeared limited, particularly concerning the research criteria, primary care, and multiaxial versions of ICD-10. It also elicited structural and strategic recommendations for the elaboration of new diagnostic systems. It is suggested that it may be useful to widen the scope of future surveys, to additionally include policy makers, patients and families, and to conduct naturalistic studies of clinical care.
Glycine antagonists block the induction of long-term potentiation in CA1 of rat hippocampal slices

Abstract The effects of the strychnine-insensitive glycine receptor antagonists, cycloleucine and 7-chlorokynurenic acid, on the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in CA1 of rat hippocampal slices were examined. A 5 min administration of cycloleucine (20–100 μM) or 7-chlorokynurenic acid (1–5 μM) during the delivery of high-frequency stimulation blocked the induction of LTP without affecting baseline synaptic transmission. Coapplication of 100 μM glycine with cycloleucine or 7-chlorokynurenic acid masked the inhibitory effect on the induction of LTP, supporting the hypothesis that these compounds act as glycine antagonists. These results indicate that glycine is a necessary factor for the induction of LTP in CA1 of the rat hippocampus.
Relation between blood pressure and outcome in intracerebral hemorrhage

Background and Purpose Controversy continues to exist regarding optimal blood pressure control in acute hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage. Persistent marked elevation of the blood pressure can promote further bleeding, increase cerebral blood flow, and raise intracranial pressure. Relative hypotension, on the other hand, may promote hypoperfusion with secondary ischemia. This study was designed to assess outcome in patient groups defined by the degree of elevation in their pretreatment and posttreatment blood pressures. Methods We retrospectively assessed 87 patients who were categorized according to an initial mean arterial pressure >145 mm Hg (n=34) compared with those with a pressure ≤145 mm Hg (n=53). We also studied blood pressure control within the first 2 to 6 hours of presentation with subjects categorized according to a mean arterial pressure >125 mm Hg (n=40) or ≤125 mm Hg (n=47). Results An improved outcome in both mortality and severe morbidity was observed in the ≤145 (χ2=7.0, P<.005) and...
Two-dimensional discrete model for DNA dynamics: Longitudinal wave propagation and denaturation

In this paper, a simple, two-dimensional model of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is presented. In the model the two polynucleotide strands are linked together through the hydrogen bonds. The phosphodiester bridges in the backbone are described by the anharmonic potential of Toda kind, while the hydrogen bonds are described by the Lennard-Jones potential. Longitudinal wave propagation on {ital ring}-{ital shaped} DNA molecules is investigated. The model predicts a significant increase in the lifetime of the open states of the hydrogen bonds at physiological temperatures. Thus anharmonicity may play a role in DNA denaturation.
Chemical and enzymatic triggering of 1,2-dioxetanes. 1: Aryl esterase-catalyzed chemiluminescence from a naphthyl acetate-substituted dioxetane

Abstract A thermally stable 1,2-dioxetane bearing a naphthyl acetate group is enzymatically cleaved in aqueous buffer to generate chemiluminescence at ambient temperature.
HYDROGEN MASS TRANSFER IN HYDROGEN- METHANE-TETRALIN AND HYDROGEN- ETHANE-TETRALIN SYSTEMS AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES

The volumetric mass transfer coefficient of hydrogen for the systems of hydrogen-methane-tetralin and hydrogen-ethane-tetralin at temperatures up to 650 K and pressures to 7 MPa were studied. Experiments were carried out using an automated hydrogen probe. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient of hydrogen decreased as the methane and ethane partial pressures increased as a consequence of the multicomponent transfer caused by the presence of the hydrocarbon gases. The presence of a second solute has a large effect on the hydrogen mass transfer rates at lower temperatures and lower initial hydrogen partial pressures than at higher values. These results indicate that light hydrocarbon production during coal liquefaction operations could adversely affect the overall liquefaction operation.
Factors associated with recurrent coronary events among patients with cardiovascular disease.

Study Objective. To determine which factors are associated with recurrent coronary events. Design. Matched, case-control study. Data Source. Electronic databases of a health maintenance organization. Patients. Of a cohort of adults (mean age 62 yrs, 68% male) who had an incident coronary event, defined as acute myocardial infarction or percutaneous coronary intervention, between January 1, 1999, and June 30, 2004, who survived and who were enrolled in a cardiac risk reduction service within 90 days after the incident event, 259 cases (patients who had a recurrent event between 90 days after the incident event and December 31, 2005) were matched with 688 controls (patients who did not have a recurrent event within this time frame). Measurements and Main Results. Multivariate conditional logistic regression was used to identify predictors of a recurrent coronary event. Although classic cardiac risk factors and drug therapies were similar for both groups at the time of the incident event, the mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) level, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL) level, and LDL:HDL ratio were higher and HDL levels were lower in the case patients compared with control patients (p<0.001) at the time of the case patients' recurrent events. More case patients received a statin but at a lower dose, defined as less than 40 mg of simvastatin equivalent (cases 45% vs controls 31%, p<0.001). Factors associated with a recurrent event included higher chronic disease score (odds ratio [OR] 1.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0–1.2), higher LDL:HDL ratio (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.5-3.3), and statin dose less than 40-mg simvastatin equivalent (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.8-4.9). Conclusion. These results support use of a statin at moderate-to-high doses as the basis of therapy for secondary coronary event prevention. The LDL:HDL ratio may help determine the degree of LDL lowering beyond traditional treatment goals.
Kinetics of NO absorption in aqueous iron(II) bis(2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonate) solutions using a stirred reactor

The iron(II) bis(2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonate) (Fe2+(DMPS)2) complex is a newly developed metal thiochelate for the removal of NOx from flue gas. The mass transfer and kinetics of the absorption of NO in aqueous Fe2+(DMPS)2 solutions have been studied in a stirred reactor. Factors influencing the NO absorption rate, such as pH, Fe2+(DMPS)2 concentration, and the ratio of Fe2+ to DMPS have been investigated. The forward rate constant of the Fe2+(DMPS)2−NO complexation reaction has been determined to be 1.1 × 108 L/mols at pH 7.2 and 50 °C.