cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
E-cigarette flavour enhancers: Flavoured pod attachments compatible with JUUL and other pod-based devices

JUUL labs transformed the electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) market when they introduced their innovative nicotine salt e-cigarette device in 2015.1 The sleek pod device quickly became the most commonly used tobacco product among adolescents.2 Like other products, JUUL was initially available in mango, mint and a variety of other flavours appealing to youth.3 However, due to rising pressure from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and antitobacco groups, JUUL voluntarily stopped selling all flavoured pods except for menthol, mint, and tobacco in October 2019. Subsequently, after findings from a national study reported that mint flavour was the most popular JUUL flavour used among youth,3 JUUL also removed their mint flavour from the market in November 2019, leaving only menthol and tobacco flavoured pods. With millions of JUUL users—many of them youth—reporting that the variety of flavours offered was one of the most appealing aspects of the …
The Power of Dialogue

This chapter examines research concerned with elucidating the weaknesses of relying on overt rational argumentation and demonstrates why, particularly in highly polarized situations, dialogue should be used as a precursor or supplement to forms of civic discourse that privilege rational argumentation and persuasion. One of the reasons that dialogue is so crucial for establishing and fostering the sort of civic discourse necessary for democratic citizens is that it can be utilized to “improve the soil,” so to speak, by helping audiences be more receptive to one another and to want to listen to the other, and it can also address some of the implicit cognitive structures that hinder the formation of a just, equal, and pluralistic society. Civic dialogue can help attenuate some of the cognitive biases that frequently show up in explicit rational argumentation and make us more hostile toward and less receptive to arguments coming from our opponents.
Damage sensing in multi-functional glass fiber composites under mode-I fracture loading:

A detailed experimental study is performed for piezo resistance damage sensing on conductive glass fiber/epoxy composites under mode-I fracture conditions. The conductive composites are fabricated ...
Trendsetting and gender matter: Brand loyalty, perceived quality, and word-of-mouth

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in time-of-adoption groups (trendsetters, early adopters, late adopters, reluctant adopters) and gender regarding brand loyalty, perceived quali...
Utility of Routine Computed Tomography Angiogram Screening for Blunt Carotid Injury in Isolated Mandible Fractures.

PURPOSE Determine the incidence of blunt carotid injury (BCAI) in the blunt trauma induced isolated mandible fracture population and determine the utility of computed tomographic angiography (CTA) screening for BCAI in this population. METHODS A retrospective data review was performed on patients presenting to Boston Medical Center from January 2008 to January 2019 with a diagnosis of mandible fracture. Population selected utilizing ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnosis codes for mandible fracture and BCAI. Excluded populations were pediatric (less than 18 years) and penetrating carotid injuries. RESULTS A total of 1,508 mandible fractures were identified, with 73% (n = 1,103) being isolated injuries. Five BCAIs were identified, and of these, 1 was associated with an isolated mandible fracture (incidence <0.01%). One of 110 isolated mandible fractures screened for BCAI with the use of CTA was positive (incidence 0.9%). CONCLUSIONS BCAI is a rare finding in isolated mandible fractures. The inclusion of this population as an independent risk factor for BCAI should be questioned. Routine screening with CTA is not warranted.
Should Health Care Providers Get Treatment Priority in an Influenza Pandemic

The 2009 pandemic of influenza A (H1N1) was relatively mild, but a subsequent outbreak of pandemic influenza could be much worse. According to projections from the Department of Health and Human Services, the potential health consequences of a severe (1918-like) influenza pandemic in the United States could be literally overwhelming: up to 1.9 million deaths; 90 million people sick; 45 million people needing outpatient care; 9.9 million people hospitalized, of whom 1.485 million would need treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU); and 742,500 patients needing mechanical ventilators. Even a less cataclysmic, “moderate” pandemic (like 1958 or 1968) would result in 209,000 deaths; 90 million people sick; 45 million people needing outpatient care; 865,000 people hospitalized, of whom 128,750 would need treatment in an ICU; and 64,875 patients needing mechanical ventilators.
Business Owners and Executives as Politicians: The Effect on Public Policy

When business owners and executives run for elected office, they claim their experience in business leaves them uniquely equipped to govern. Does electing a business owner or executive have an effe...
Natural Statistics as Inference Principles of Auditory Tuning in Biological and Artificial Midbrain Networks.

Bats provide a powerful mammalian model to explore the neural representation of complex sounds, as they rely on hearing to survive in their environment. The inferior colliculus (IC) is a central hub of the auditory system that receives converging projections from the ascending pathway and descending inputs from auditory cortex. In this work, we build an artificial neural network to replicate auditory characteristics in IC neurons of the big brown bat. We first test the hypothesis that spectro-temporal tuning of IC neurons is optimized to represent the natural statistics of conspecific vocalizations. We estimate spectro-temporal receptive fields (STRF) of IC neurons and compare tuning characteristics to statistics of bat calls. The results indicate that the FM tuning of IC neurons is matched with the statistics. Then, we investigate this hypothesis on the network optimized to represent natural sound statistics and to compare its output with biological responses. We also estimate biomimetic STRF9s from the artificial network and correlate their characteristics to those of biological neurons. Tuning properties of both biological and artificial neurons reveal strong agreement along both spectral and temporal dimensions, and suggest the presence of nonlinearity, sparsity and complexity constraints that underlie the neural representation in the auditory midbrain. Additionally, the artificial neurons replicate IC neural activities in discrimination of social calls, and provide simulated results for a noise robust discrimination. In this way, the biomimetic network allows us to infer the neural mechanisms by which the bat9s IC processes natural sounds used to construct the auditory scene. Significance Statement Recent advances in machine learning have led to powerful mathematical mappings of complex data. Applied to brain structures, artificial neural networks can be configured to explore principles underlying neural encoding of complex stimuli. Bats use a rich repertoire of calls to communicate and navigate their world, and the statistics underlying the calls appear to align with tuning selectivity of neurons. We show that artificial neural network with a nonlinear, sparse and deep architecture trained on the statistics of bat communication and echolocation calls results in a close match to neurons from bat9s inferior colliculus. This tuning optimized to yield an effective representation of spectro-temporal statistics of bat calls appears to underlie strong selectivity and noise invariance in the inferior colliculus.
A comparative evaluation of 2 cow-side meters and a milk test for the diagnosis of subclinical ketosis

Subclinical ketosis (SCK) is a metabolic disease of dairy cows that has significant economic effects on dairy farms due to its effect on reproductive performance, milk production, and future risk of disease. Subclinical ketosis has been defined as being present when serum β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) concentrations are >1.2 mmol/L. Currently there are 2 electronic hand- held meters marketed for cow-side determination of βHB levels. One meter, the Nova Vet Blood Ketone and Glucose Monitoring System, is a new veterinary specific entrant to the market, and no performance data on it exists. The other, Precision Xtra, is a human meter validated for use in cows. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic test performance of 2 different cow-side handheld meters and a milk βHB test to a reference laboratory testing method.
- Bck1: Bypass of C-kinase (S. cerevisiae) (Slk1, Ssp31)

Bck1 mediates signaling by the protein kinase C isozyme in Saccharomyces cerevisiae(S. cerevisiae) ScPKC. Loss of PKC1 function results in cell lysis because of a defect in cell wall construction. Dominant mutations in BCK1 suppress the pkc1-associated lysis defect. Genetic analysis of BCK1 revealed that it also plays a role in cell wall construction. The BCK1 gene was also isolated in two other genetic screens: recessive mutations in BCK1 (SLK1) are synthetically lethal with a deletion mutant of SPA2; BCK1 (SSP31) is a dosage-dependent suppressor of a conditional mutation in SMP3. Bck1 is related to Ste11 of S. cerevisiae, Byr2 of S. pombe, and mouse Mek kinase.
A multilayer overlay network architecture for enhancing IP services availability against dos

Protection against Denial of Service (DoS) attacks is a challenging and ongoing problem. Current overlay-based solutions can transparently filter unauthorized traffic based on user authentication. Such solutions require either pre-established trust or explicit user interaction to operate, which can be circumvented by determined attackers and is not always feasible (e.g., when user interaction is impossible or undesirable). We propose a Multi-layer Overlay Network (MON) architecture that does not depend on user authentication, but instead utilizes two mechanisms to provide DoS resistant to any IP-based service, and operates on top of the existing network infrastructure. First, MON implements a threshold-based intrusion detection mechanism in a distributed fashion to mitigate DoS close to the attack source. Second, it randomly distributes user packets amongst different paths to probabilistically increase service availability during an attack. We evaluate MON using the Apache web server as a protected service. Results demonstrate MON nodes introduce very small overhead, while users' service access time increases by a factor of 1.1 to 1.7, depending on the configuration. Under an attack scenario MON can decrease the attack traffic forwarded to the service by up to 85%. We believe our work makes the use of overlays for DoS protection more practical relative to prior work.
The binary compatibility standard

An overview is presented of the binary compatibility standard (BCS) for the Motorola M88000 family. This standard has defined the interface between the operating system kernel and the binary executable application. Specifically, the BCS describes the data types, common object file format, the memory map, entry into the user process, signal handling, common header file values, system calls. and required files and installation procedures. The result is a detailed standard that can be used by systems and applications developers to separately develop systems and applications that will run together without further modifications. In addition, when developing software packages, application vendors will no longer have to develop several versions of the same package because the same version will run on a wide range of systems. In turn, system vendors will be able to provide their users with a large library of applications. >
Effect of agmatine against cell death induced by NMDA and glutamate in neurons and PC12 cells.

1. Aims: Agmatine is an endogenous guanido amine and has been shown to be neuroprotective in vitro and in vivo. The aims of this study are to investigate whether agmatine is protective against cell death induced by different agents in cultured neurons and PC12 cells. 2. Methods: Cell death in neurons, cultured from neonatal rat cortex, was induced by incubating with (a) NMDA (100 μM) for 10 min, (b) staurosporine (protein kinase inhibitor, 100 nM) for 24 h, and (c) calcimycin (calcium ionophore, 100 nM) for 24 h in the presence and absence of agmatine (1 μ M to 1 mM). Cell death in PC12 cells was induced by exposure to glutamate (10 mM), staurosporine (100 nM), and calcimycin (100 nM). The activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the medium was measured as the marker of cell death and normalized to cellular LDH activity. 3. Results: Agmatine significantly reduced the medium LDH in NMDA-treated neurons but failed to reduce the release of LDH induced by staurosporin or calcimycin. In PC12 cells, agmatine significantly reduced LDH release induced by glutamate exposure, but not by staurosporine or calcimycin. Agmatine itself neither increased LDH release nor directly inhibited the enzyme activity. 4. Conclusion: We conclude that agmatine protects against NMDA excitotoxicity in neurons and PC12 cells but not the cell death induced by protein kinase blockade or increase in cellular calcium.
Vagrants, Rogues and Vagabonds--Old Concepts in Need of Revision

T HE ARCHAIC pattern of Dogberry's speech by which he commissioned the constable of the watch is an inseparable part of the charm and interest so characteristic of the writing of Shakespeare. Transposed to the contemporary American scene, however, and cherished on the pages of what we are pleased to call a modern statutory system, its anachronistic character is ill-suited to the objectives of the administration of justice in a modern world. It has been so transposed, nonetheless, to the vagrancy statutes of virtually every jurisdiction in the United States.' If this were merely a matter of style, if phraseology alone were at the heart of the matter, retaining the quaint medieval syntax of old England might be tolerated on grounds of historical sentiment. Unfortunately, the 14th century wagabund and Shakespeare's vagrom men are not just words for which modern substitutes stand readily at hand, nor are the statutes in which the vagrant, rogue and vagabond of today are identified and defined
Isolating and Interfacing the Components of a Parallel Computing Environment

A message-passing library interface like MPI or PVM is only one interface between only two components the complete environment seen be the user of a parallel system. Here we discuss a larger set of components and draw attention to the usefulness of considering them separately. Such an approach causes us to focus on the interfaces among such components. Our primary motivation is the efficient use of large clusters to run MPI programs, and we describe current efforts by our group at Argonne to address some of the interface issues that arise in this context.
Analysis of Factors Driving Incident and Ascending Infection and the Role of Serum Antibody in Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Tract Infection

Background. Chlamydia trachomatis genital tract infection is a major cause of female reproductive morbidity. Risk factors for ascending infection are unknown, and the role for antibody in protection is not well established. Methods. We recruited 225 women from urban outpatient clinics and followed them for a median of 12 months. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of serum anti-chlamydial immunoglobulin G (IgG), behavioral factors, and microbiological factors associated with endometrial infection at enrollment, and a longitudinal analysis of factors associated with incident infection. Results. Oral contraceptives (adjusted relative risk [RR], 2.02 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.38–2.97]) and gonorrhea (adjusted RR, 1.66 [95% CI, 1.07–2.60]) were associated with endometrial infection. Gonorrhea (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 3.09 [95% CI, 1.41–6.78]), cervical infection at enrollment (adjusted HR, 2.33 [95% CI, 1.07–5.11]), and exposure to uncircumcised partners (adjusted HR, 2.65 [95% CI, 1.21–5.82]) or infected partners (adjusted HR, 4.99 [95% CI, 2.66–9.39]) significantly increased the risk of incident infection. Seropositivity was associated with a reduced cervical burden (P < .05) but no differences in rates of ascending infection (adjusted RR, 1.24 [95% CI, .71–2.19]) or incident infection (adjusted HR, 0.94 [95% CI, .52–1.69]). Conclusions. Serum anti-chlamydial IgG is not associated with a lowered rate of ascending or repeat infection. Identification of factors associated with ascending infection and increased risk of incident infection provide guidance for targeted screening of women at increased risk for sequelae.
Role of Calcium-Calmodulin–Dependent Protein Kinase II in Modulation of Sensorimotor Synapses in Aplysia

Nakanishi, Keiko, Fan Zhang, Douglas A. Baxter, Arnold Eskin, and John H. Byrne. Role of calcium-calmodulin–dependent protein kinase II in modulation of sensorimotor synapses in Aplysia. J. Neuroph...
Cell phone games for a CS2 data structures course

Cell phones are an attractive platform for developing games and teaching a CS2 data structures course. Most students have one and carry them everywhere making it easy for the students to show their friends the "cool" game they developed in one of their first computing courses. The relatively weak processor (compared to a desktop PC) and small memory of a cell phone force the students to build efficient data structures and algorithms. This paper describes a summer project to test the feasibility of using this approach in a CS2 course by having students design and implement a computer game on a cell phone.
A novel ballooned-tip percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy tube: a pilot study

Background The tip of currently available percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy (PEGJ) tubes frequently migrates back into the stomach. Objective To study the safety of a novel, ballooned-tip, PEGJ tube and assess the risk of retrograde migration into the stomach within 3 weeks of placement. Design Prospective clinical study (NCT01551095). Setting Tertiary-care center. Patients Seven patients who required post-pyloric feeding were included. Intervention Placement of PEGJ feeding tubes. Main Outcome Measurements Position of the PEGJ, abdominal radiograph findings, adverse events. Results Seven patients underwent placement of self-propelled PEGJ tubes during the study period. Technical success was achieved in all patients (100%). All procedures were rated as technically simple, and jejunostomy tubes were placed in Limitations Small number of patients and short follow-up. Conclusion Ballooned-tip PEGJ feeding tubes were safe and easy to place. The presence of the balloon prevented migration into the stomach. Ballooned-tip PEGJ tubes have the potential to eliminate the need for hospital readmission and repeat endoscopies for retrograde tube migration, and this may result in large systemic cost savings.
Moles and melanoma

The melanoma epidemic in adults is well documented, and there is now evidence that the incidence of malignant melanoma in teenagers is increasing. Risk factors for melanoma are recognizable in children and include congenital nevi, numerous common nevi, and atypical nevi. Large congenital nevi overlying the head or spine also carry risk for central nervous system involvement, which, if symptomatic, carries a grave prognosis. Laser therapy has recently been advocated for small congenital nevi but often yields only temporary improvement. Adjuvant therapy with interferon alfa-2b holds promise for patients with metastatic melanoma. Melanoma risk is also linked to sun sensitivity and childhood exposures, and sunscreen use has been promoted for prevention of skin cancer. Because many sunscreens offer protection from ultraviolet (UV) B but not UVA, spectra that may be involved in melanoma induction, pediatricians should counsel their families to practice a full program of sun protection that includes sun avoidance and protective clothing and eyeware in addition to sunscreens.
Assessing the application of cognitive moral development theory to business ethics

Cognitive moral development (CMD) theory has been accepted as a construct to help explain business ethics, social responsibility and other organizational phenomena. This article critically assesses CMD as a construct in business ethics by presenting the history and criticisms of CMD. The value of CMD is evaluated and problems with using CMD as one predictor of ethical decisions are addressed. Researchers are made aware of the major criticisms of CMD theory including disguised value judgments, invariance of stages, and gender bias in the initial scale development. Implications for business ethics research are discussed and opportunities for future research delineated.
Status of the solar maximum mission

The Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) spacecraft was launched into a near-perfect 575-km orbit on February 14, 1980. All systems have been functioning normally throughout the mission. A few highlights of scientific results are: (1) The SMM obtained an extremely high-quality set of observations of the large flare that occurred on May 21. Among the most important results was the observation by the hard X ray imaging spectrometer that the brightest emission in hard X rays came from two points that are probably at the feet of a magnetic arch, coinciding closely with parts of the double-ribbon flare seen in hydrogen alpha. This observation, when combined with recent observations that flare microwave radio bursts come from the tops of the flare magnetic arches, has now created stringent observational boundary conditions for solar flare models. (2) Analyses of data from the hard X-ray burst spectrometer (Goddard Space Flight Center), combined with ground-based radio observations from Nancay, have shown that many type-IV bursts appear first in hard X rays. Subsequently, they seem to move upward through the corona at about 2000 km/s and are seen with only a short time delay as radio bursts at a height of about 0.5 solar radii. (3) The active cavity radiometer has detected definite changes in solar irradiance of about ±0.1%. No strong correlation with sunspot number is seen.
Training the Peace Corps for English Teaching Abroad

that in many instances would be considered anthropological data on non-linguistic behavior, particularly where some training has preceded the field or where minds are especially acute and somewhat methodical. Obviously there are budding anthropologists in the Peace Corps just as there are budding linguists. Because the budding linguists are in a general cultural environment and because the budding anthropologists are in a language environment they are going to return with all sympathy for the concepts and movements which attempt to link these facts of life in intellectual enquiry and in teaching. Some will have learned or re-learned at least overseas
Differential recruitment of glucocorticoid receptor phospho-isoforms to glucocorticoid-induced genes

The human glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is phosphorylated on its N-terminus at three major sites (S203, S211 and S226) within activation function 1 (AF1). Although GR has been shown to assemble at glucocorticoid responsive elements (GREs) in the presence of hormone, the timing and specificity of GR phospho-isoform recruitment to receptor target genes has not been established. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and GR phosphorylation site-specific antibodies, we examined GR phospho-isoform recruitment to several glucocorticoid-induced genes including tyrosine aminotransferase (tat) and sulfonyltransferase-1A1 (sult) in rat hepatoma cells, and the glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (gilz) gene in human U2OS cells. GR P-S211 and GR P-S226 isoforms were efficiently recruited to the tat, sult and gilz GREs in a hormone-dependent manner. In contrast, the GR P-S203 isoform displayed no significant recruitment to any GREs of the genes analyzed, consistent with its lack of nuclear accumulation. Interestingly, the kinetics of GR P-S211 and GR P-S226 recruitment differed among genes. Our findings indicate that GR phospho-isoforms selectively occupy GR target genes, and suggests gene specific requirements for GR phosphorylation in receptor-dependent transcriptional activation.
Message from program chair

The IEEE International Technology Management Conference is in its second year, still in its infant stages. Because of this, the pool of potential authors is still small relative to other more established conference events, but the trend and outlook is promising. Above all, quality is certainly strong, as this year's conference program will indicate. We received nearly 100 submissions from 29 different countries, and constructed a strong technical program in 12 sessions spread over five topical areas (tracks).
Influence of a dual-species biofilm on the corrosion of mild steel

The effect of a dual-species biofilm on the corrosion of carbon steel was examined using two bacterial species: the iron-reducer, Shewanella oneidensis (MR-1), and the sulfate-reducer, Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (G20). These experiments exploit the fact that the products of their metabolism (ferrous iron or sulfide) affect the corrosion rate of carbon steel in opposite ways. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) shows that over a short time period, co-cultures of MR-1 and G20 protect steel from corrosion. The fact that an iron-reducing bacterium can inhibit corrosion when a corrosion-enhancing bacterium is present warrants future study with respect to its potential applicability to the design of biological corrosion-control measures.
Continuous Infusion Cyclophosphamide and Low-Dose Total Body Irradiation Is a Safe and Effective Conditioning Regimen for Autologous Transplant in Multiple Myeloma

Abstract We present the results of a novel conditioning regimen in multiple myeloma (MM) patients undergoing tandem autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). MM patients were enrolled in a prospective phase II clinical trial. After initial ASCT, disease response was assessed by day +100. Patients achieving very good partial remission (VGPR) were offered maintenance therapy. If patients achieved VGPR, they were offered a second ASCT using continuous intravenous cyclophosphamide (CICy) 6 g/m 2 over 4 days and low-dose total body irradiation (ldTBI) 600 rads over 2 days. Total body irradiation was replaced by melphalan 140 mg/m 2 if patients had received prior radiation. Twenty-one patients received tandem ASCT. Three patients received CICy and melphalan. Median duration of neutropenia with CICy/ldTBI was 11 days. Fifteen patients (71.4%) developed febrile neutropenia while grade 1 to 2 diarrhea was the next most common adverse event (42.9%). There was no treatment-related mortality. Four patients had entered complete remission (19%) and 6 achieved VGPR (28.6%). In conclusion, this conditioning regimen is safe and effective and may be useful in patients who do not benefit from first ASCT using more traditional conditioning regimen.
Credibility and treatment fidelity may matter in twelve-step treatment.

The articles in this issue of AJDAA by Dennis et al. (1) and Campbell et al. (2) intimate several points about treatment fidelity assessment and implementation of twelve-step practices. Dennis et a...
Nature of the antigenic determinants of T locus antigens

Abstract The nature of the antigenic specificities of several antigens associated with the T/t complex in the mouse were analyzed by means of glycosidase and haptene inhibition studies. Results indicate that on testicular cells sugar residues are involved in at least six different T/t antigenic determinants. The immunodominant sugar appears to be different for each of the specificities. The specificity for the following T/t antigens resides predominantly in the sugars indicated: T : sialic acid; t 12 : β-D-galactose; t w32 : β-D-galactose; t 0 : L-fucose; t w1 : N-acetyl-D-galactosamine; t w18 : L-fucose. It seems probable that these sugars are found at the terminal reducing ends of the carbohydrate portion of T/t-bearing molecules. These studies imply that at least some of the genes in the T locus code for glycosyltransferases or regulators of glycosyltransferases which modify oligosaccharide structures and impart specificity to the T/t antigens by alteration of their terminal sugar residues.
Systematic Ground-Based Measurements of Mesospherc Water Vapor and Radio Wave Absorption

Ground-based microwave radiometry has been used to remotely measure mesospheric water vapor during the late winter and spring of 1983-1984 and through the winter of 1984 and spring of 1985. The 22.235-GHz spectral emission line has been observed with a cryogenically cooled MASER low-noise receiver. A simple measure of the emission feature is obtained by fitting a best fit exponential to each spectra. During the same time interval, an "A3" radio wave absorption experiment monitored D-region ionospheric radio absorption. A comparison is made of the observed water vapor spectral height and area to the observed radio wave absorption. During active sun conditions (1983-1984) radio wave absorption seems uncorrelated to the water vapor. However, during quiet sun conditions, some general agreement between the spectral area and radio wave absorption is observed. Long term variations of 2 to 1 in the water vapor spectral height are found.
Production of N2(C3Πu) and N2(C′3Πu) by mutual collisions of N2(A3Σ+u) metastable molecules☆

Abstract Light measurements made during the afterglow of pure nitrogen and helium-nitrogen mixtures indicate that mutual collisions of the N2(A3Σ+u) molecule are responsible for the formation of the N2(C′3Πu) and N2(C3Πu) states. Results for the latter state are in agreement with other workers. A value for the diffusion coefficient of the N2(A3Σ+u) state in helium is reported.
Elevated brain harmane (1-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole) in essential tremor cases vs. controls.

Abstract Background Harmane (1-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-β]indole), a potent neurotoxin that has tremor-producing properties in animal models, is present in many foods; although we have demonstrated a difference in tissue harmane concentrations in ET cases vs. controls, all work to date has involved blood samples. Objectives We quantified harmane concentrations in human cerebellum, a brain region of particular pathogenic interest in essential tremor (ET), comparing ET to control brains. Methods Cerebellar cortex was snap frozen and stored at −80 °C in aliquots for biochemical analyses. Harmane concentration was assessed using high performance liquid chromatography. Results Geometric mean brain harmane concentrations (adjusted for postmortem interval [PMI] and freezer time) were higher in ET cases than controls: 1.0824 (95% confidence interval = 0.9405–1.2457) vs. 0.8037 (0.6967–0.9272), p = 0.004. Geometric mean of brain harmane concentrations (adjusting for PMI and freezer time) was highest in ET cases who reported other relatives with tremor (1.2005 [0.8712–1.6541]), intermediate in ET cases without family history (1.0312 ([0.8879–1.1976]), and both were significantly higher than controls (p = 0.02). Conclusions This study provides additional evidence of a possible etiological importance of this toxin in some cases of the human disease ET.
A factorial analysis of olfaction.

Twenty-one reagents were rated on a pleasantness scale by 182 subjects. The tetrachoric correlation coefficients were determined for the variables. The correlation matrix thus obtained was subjected to a Thurstone analysis which gave rise to a 6-dimensional structure. Two of these were not clear-cut, and the last one appeared to be a residual factor. One factor, the benzene-ketone, revealed the chemical property of unsaturation and the physiological quality of possible trigeminal stimulation. The other two factors were marked by the presence of oxygen and nitrogen, respectively, and were tentatively labelled as a plant factor and an animal factor accordingly. The intercorrelations of the primaries are high.
Solar fuels: Status and perspectives

Utilization of water as an inexhaustible supply of a fuel (hydrogen) was predicted over a century ago by Jules Verne in The Mysterious Island. Since the oil crisis of 1973, considerable progress has been made in the search for alternative energy supplies. Although the water splitting process to generate simultaneously hydrogen and oxygen has been demonstrated (albeit the process is inefficient) by utilization of light energy, the technology is not mature enough to seriously bring it to pilot-plant demonstration. Much fundamental research remains to be done. The present paper examines the present status and looks at the perspectives of the technological progress, particularly in the high temperature thermochemical and photochemical fields with emphasis in the utilization of solar quantum and thermal photons.
Load-mediated downregulation of myostatin mRNA is not sufficient to promote myofiber hypertrophy in humans: a cluster analysis

Myostatin is a potent inhibitor of myogenesis; thus differential expression might be expected across individuals varying in responsiveness to myogenic stimuli. We hypothesized that myostatin would ...
Cystic fibrosis screening using the College panel: Platform comparison and lessons learned from the first 20,000 samples

Purpose: To determine the accuracy of two commercially available kits for cystic fibrosis (CF) genotyping and determine allele frequencies for the ACMG/ACOG recommended mutations. Methods: A total of 1,040 consecutive analyses using Roche CF Gold Strips and the ABI CF Genotyper were performed. Subsequently we performed analyses of 20,103 samples. Results: Both kits accurately determined CF genotypes. The I148T mutation was found >100 times more frequently in carrier screening than in CF patients. Asymptomatic patients were identified who are compound heterozygotes for delta F508 and I148T. Four of 13 patients heterozygous for delta F508 and the IVS8-5T polymorphism had some symptoms of CF. Conclusion: Accurate and timely analysis can be performed for the ACMG CF panel. I148T is a low penetrance CF allele.
Grain boundary and volume diffusion in the sintering of silver

Abstract Models are proposed in which both grain boundary and lattice or volume diffusion of vacancies contribute to the initial sintering shrinkage of compacts of spherical particles, or the neck growth between spheres or between a sphere and a plate. It is assumed that all the diffusing vacancies are annihilated at the grain boundaries between particles, whether they move along the grain boundary or through the lattice. This assumption is justified on the basis of the vacancy concentration gradient required to give the observed diffusion sintering behavior of crystalline materials. Compacts of various size fractions of high-purity silver spheres were prepared and the shrinkage of these compacts in purified argon was measured with a recording dilatometer. The data were analyzed according to the model and found to yield values of both the volume and grain boundary self-diffusion coefficients that are in good agreement with the values measured by radioactive tracer self-diffusion techniques.
Functional identification of an antennal lobe DM4 projection neuron of the fruit fly

A rich set of genetic tools and extensive anatomical data make the olfactory system of the fruit fly a neural circuit of choice for studying function in sensory systems. Though a substantial amount of work has been published on the neural coding of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) of the fruit fly, yet little is known how projection neurons (PNs) encode time-varying odor stimuli [1]. Here we address this question with in vivo experiments coupled with a phenomenological characterization of the spiking activity of PNs. Recently, a new class of identification algorithms called Channel Identification Machines (CIMs) [2] was proposed for identifying dendritic processing in simple neural circuits using conditional phase response curves (cPRCs) [3]. By combining cPRCs with the reduced project-integrated-andfire neuron (PIF) model [4], the CIM algorithms identify a complete phenomenological description of spike generation of a biological neuron for weak to moderately strong stimuli. Moreover, the identification method employed does not require white noise stimuli nor an infinitesimal pulse injection protocol as widely used in the past [5]. Here we identify the PNs both in silico and in vivo. Starting with simulations, we investigate the feasibility of the CIM method on PNs modeled as pseudo uni-polar neurons in silico, as shown in Figures 1.(B) and 1.(C). We then systematically convert the CIM method into a stepby-step experimental protocol, and carry it out in vivo by injecting currents into PNs using the patch clamping technique [6,7]. A snapshot of PN patching is depicted in Figure 1.(A).
Schottky barrier height: A design parameter for device applications

Abstract A survey is made of the techniques available for varying the effective barrier height of metal semiconductor contacts to materials with high surface state densities, where the true barrier height shows only a minor variation with the metal work function. With the aid of these barrier variation techniques, the barrier height may be used as a design parameter for Schottky diodes.
Characterization of plasmids from plant pathogenic pseudomonads.

Abstract Physical characterization of the resident plasmids from Pseudomonas tabaci, P. angulata, and P. coronafaciens strains indicated that they harbored five different plasmid DNA species. Two ATCC strains of P. tabaci contained indistinguishable plasmids that we have named pJP1 and pJP2. An isolate of one of these strains contained a spontaneous variant of pJP1, pJP1∗, which contains an insertion of 3.9 Mdal. This 3.9-Mdal region did not hybridize to pJP1 indicating that the region was foreign DNA and not a duplication of a segment of DNA already present in pJP1. Another P. tabaci strain, PT27881, contained a third plasmid species, pJP27, which had few similarities to pJP1 or pJP2, but was indistinguishable from the plasmids from all three P. angulata strains. pJP27 and pJP1 had a small region, 8.8 Mdal, of sequence homology. The one strain of P. coronafaciens examined contained a plasmid, pJP50, which was different from the P. tabaci plasmids, but had the 8.8-Mdal region and additional regions of sequence homology with pJP1 and pJP27 as well as homology with a portion of the pJP1∗ insertion. A fourth strain of P. tabaci, PTBR-2, a pathogen on beans, contained plasmid pBW, the only plasmid that lacked detectable regions of homology with the other plasmids.
The flexible DNA double helix. II. Superhelix formation.

A simple super or s-virtual bond scheme has been developed for the treatment of tertiary or superhelical structure in polynucleotide chains. The various spatial configurations accessible to the flexible double helix are rendered more readily intelligible by the introduction of these hypothetical bonds to replace real sequences of regular secondary structure. The scheme is utilized to examine the enormous variety of tertiary structure that can be generated by regularly bending a B-DNA reference helix at the phosphodiester linkages. Of particular interest from the study are the large families of bends that generate superhelices of identical macroscopic dimensions. Various modes of folding the B-type helix into superhelices that fit the experimentally measured dimensions of chromatin nucleosomes are illustrated.
Occupational Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds and Aldehydes in the U.S. Trucking Industry

Diesel exhaust is a complex chemical mixture that has been linked to lung cancer mortality in a number of epidemiologic studies. However, the dose-response relationship remains largely undefined, and the specific components responsible for carcinogenicity have not been identified. Although previous focus has been on the particulate phase, diesel exhaust includes a vapor phase of numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aldehydes that are either known or suspected carcinogens, such as 1,3-butadiene, benzene, and formaldehyde. However, there are relatively few studies that quantify exposure to VOCs and aldehydes in diesel-heavy and other exhaust-related microenvironments. As part of a nationwide assessment of exposure to diesel exhaust in the trucking industry, we collected measurements of VOCs and aldehydes at 15 different U.S. trucking terminals and in city truck drivers (with 6 repeat site visits), observing average shift concentrations in truck cabs and at multiple background and work area locations within each terminal. In this paper, we characterize occupational exposure to 18 different VOCs and aldehydes, as well as relationships with particulate mass (elemental carbon in PM < 1 microm and PM2.5) across locations to determine source characteristics. Our results show that occupational exposure to VOCs and aldehydes varies significantly across the different sampling locations within each terminal, with significantly higher exposures noted in the work environments over background levels (p < 0.01). A structural equation model performed well in predicting terminal exposures to VOCs and aldehydes as a function of job, background levels, weather conditions, proximity to a major road, and geographic location (R2 = 0.2-0.4 work area; R2 = 0.5-0.9 background).
Testing theories of regime change: hegemonic decline or surplus capacity?

Two theories explain changes in the international regimes for major economic sectors. A theory of hegemonic stability explains sectoral change as a consequence of ebbing hegemony; a theory of surplus capacity attributes regime shifts to a serious global problem with excess production capacity in the sector. The history of the world automobile industry shows that surplus capacity offers the better prediction and explanation for the timing of regime changes. However, a synthesis of the two theories is even more satisfactory. Hegemonic decline is a necessary but not sufficient condition for change. Surplus capacity, in the absence of a hegemon, creates the conditions necessary for change.
Controlled trials of therapy in fibromyalgia syndrome

Many different interventions have been studied in the therapy of fibromyalgia syndrome (Tables 1 and 2). While most have been effective, in general these trials have been short term. Furthermore, important or substantial improvement, when it has been assessed, occurs in only small proportions of patients. Long-term, comparative trials of both efficacy and toxicity are necessary. Trials such as these require large numbers of patients (compared with placebo-controlled trials, which are generally impractical in long-duration trials due to the large numbers of dropouts in the placebo arm) and therefore are expensive and difficult to accomplish. Two other approaches offer potential solutions to the problem of adequate long-term comparative trials: (a) N-of-1 trials and (b) meta-analysis. N-of-1 trials have the advantage of random assignment, double-blinding and multiple potential comparisons in the same patient. Meta-analysis involves combining the results of studies, which individually may have conflicting results and lack adequate statistical power, to reach an overall result with sufficient statistical power to make meaningful conclusions, especially with respect to comparative efficacy. Peluso and colleagues (1993) have performed a recent meta-analysis of available therapies in fibromyalgia syndrome and found that the effect-size (a standardized measure of the efficacy of a given therapy) of several non-medication therapies such as electroacupuncture exceeded that of traditional medication therapies. Unfortunately, lack of uniformity in the use of outcome measures across included trials and the small numbers of comparable non-medication trials makes definitive conclusions regarding relative efficacy of therapies difficult. Nevertheless, application of meta-analytic methods such as these should facilitate future comparisons of different interventions. Ideally, future clinical trials in fibromyalgia syndrome should employ the same outcome measures to permit application of these methods. Few trials have assessed improvement in functional status. Functional status measures such as the HAQ (Fries et al., 1980), the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (Burckhardt et al, 1991) or similar instruments should be employed in future studies of therapy in fibromyalgia. Given that individual modalities appear to confer relatively modest benefit on average. Combination approaches are reasonable, although randomized, blinded trials to assess these approaches are methodologically complex. Several preliminary studies which have addressed this approach appear promising (see Chapter 12; Goldenberg et al, 1993). Finally, no studies have yet assessed the comparative cost-efficacy of available treatments. Controlled trials which address the cost-efficacy of commonly employed, but unproven treatments such as physiotherapy chiropractic manipulation and injection techniques are urgently needed.
Ocean model predictions of chemistry changes from carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere and ocean

[1] We present ocean chemistry calculations based on ocean general circulation model simulations of atmospheric CO2 emission, stabilization of atmospheric CO2 content, and stabilization of atmospheric CO2 achieved in total or in part by injection of CO2 to the deep ocean interior. Our goal is to provide first-order results from various CO2 pathways, allowing correspondence with studies of marine biological effects of added CO2. Parts of the Southern Ocean become undersaturated with respect to aragonite under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A1, A2, B1, and B2 emission pathways and the WRE pathways that stabilize CO2 at 650 ppm or above. Cumulative atmospheric emission of 5000 Pg C produces aragonite undersaturation in most of the surface ocean; 10,000 Pg C also produces calcite undersaturation in most of the surface ocean. Stabilization of atmospheric CO2 at 450 ppm produces both calcite and aragonite undersaturation in most of the deep ocean. The simulated SRES pathways produce global surface pH reductions of ∼0.3–0.5 units by year 2100. Approximately this same reduction is produced by WRE650 and WRE1000 stabilization scenarios and by the 1250 Pg C emission scenario by year 2300. Atmospheric emissions of 5000 Pg C and 20,000 Pg C produce global surface pH reductions of 0.8 and 1.4 units, respectively, by year 2300. Simulations of deep ocean CO2 injection as an alternative to atmospheric release show greater chemical impact on the deep ocean as the price for having less impact on the surface ocean and climate. Changes in ocean chemistry of the magnitude shown are likely to be biologically significant.
Movement of calcium and magnesium across the midgut epithelium of the American cockroach.

Abstract Atomic absorption spectrophotometry has been used to study net movements of calcium and magnesium across the midgut epithelia of the American cockroach. Movements of both ions are affected by the concentration of midgut lumen contents. Generally, influx movements of both ions are decreased with increasing lumen osmolality. DNP (2,4-dinitrophenol, 0·001 M) tends to increase the influx of calcium while the inverse in true for magnesium. Only minimal quantities of dinitrophenol are absorbed into the epithelial cells, and only a small fraction of this completely crosses the epithelial cells during the course of the 2 hr experiment. These data and an indication that dinitrophenol placement (lumen or blood side) is correlated with resultant changes in ion movements suggest that the primary effect of dinitrophenol is on or near the epithelial membrane.
Should additional colorectal cancer screening be performed in women with a history of breast cancer

Should additional colorectal cancer screening be performed in women with a history of breast cancer?