cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pre-Analytical Factors that Affect Metabolite Stability in Human Urine, Plasma, and Serum: A Review

Metabolomics provides a comprehensive assessment of numerous small molecules in biological samples. As it integrates the effects of exogenous exposures, endogenous metabolism, and genetic variation, metabolomics is well-suited for studies examining metabolic profiles associated with a variety of chronic diseases. In this review, we summarize the studies that have characterized the effects of various pre-analytical factors on both targeted and untargeted metabolomic studies involving human plasma, serum, and urine and were published through 14 January 2019. A standardized protocol was used for extracting data from full-text articles identified by searching PubMed and EMBASE. For plasma and serum samples, metabolomic profiles were affected by fasting status, hemolysis, collection time, processing delays, particularly at room temperature, and repeated freeze/thaw cycles. For urine samples, collection time and fasting, centrifugation conditions, filtration and the use of additives, normalization procedures and multiple freeze/thaw cycles were found to alter metabolomic findings. Consideration of the effects of pre-analytical factors is a particularly important issue for epidemiological studies where samples are often collected in nonclinical settings and various locations and are subjected to time and temperature delays prior being to processed and frozen for storage.
Association of stiff-person syndrome with autoimmune endocrine diseases

BACKGROUND Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) and its subtype, stiff limb syndrome (SLS), are rare neurological disorders characterized by progressive muscular rigidity and spasms. Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is the enzyme that catalyzes the production of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a major inhibitory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system. SPS is an autoimmune disease triggered by anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (anti-GAD Ab). Clinically, anti-GAD Ab is associated with SPS, type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), and other autoimmune diseases. AIM To investigate the link of autoimmune endocrine disorders with anti-GAD Ab in SPS subjects. METHODS This retrospective study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. We collected the patients with SPS from January 2001 to June 2018. By reviewing 14 patients from medical records, we analyzed the clinical findings with coexisting autoimmune diseases, particularly diabetes mellitus and thyroid disease, which are associated with anti-GAD antibody titers or other immunological test results (anti-thyroid peroxidase and anti-nuclear antibodies). We also evaluated malignancies, major complications, and reported treatment to improve symptoms. Anti-GAD antibodies were measured using radioimmunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The cut-off values of these tests are < 1 U/mL and < 5 U/mL, respectively. RESULTS The median age of all patients was 39.3 (range, 28.0-54.0) years with a median follow-up period of 6.0 (2.7-13.3) years. Five (35.7%) patients were female; twelve (85.7%) were diagnosed with classic SPS and two (14.3%) with SLS. The median age of onset of symptoms was 35.0 (26.0-56.0) years with a median follow-up duration of 9.0 (2.1-14.9) years in the classic SPS group; the SLS group had a median age of onset of 46.7 years and a shorter follow-up duration of 4.3 years. Among nine classic SPS patients who underwent the anti-GAD Ab test, three were anti-GAD Ab seropositive and each of these three patients also had T1DM, latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, and autoimmune thyroid disease, respectively. In contrast, other rare autoimmune diseases co-existed in six anti-GAD Ab seronegative SPS patients. None of the SLS patients had additional autoimmune diseases. CONCLUSION While typical clinical symptoms are crucial for the diagnosis of SPS, the presence of anti-GAD autoantibody may consolidate the diagnosis and predict the association with other autoimmune diseases.
A fine balance in tendon healing.

Tendons have limited regenerative potential, and injuries often cause scarring. A study now identifies a tendon stem cell population that contributes to regeneration and a tendon fibro–adipogenic progenitor population involved in fibrosis.
Comparison of methods for measuring infiltration rate of pervious concrete

Abstract The infiltration rate of both a pervious concrete material itself and a pervious pavement system are important values for understanding how a pervious concrete pavement will drain water. While there is currently a standard test method to measure the infiltration rate of a pervious concrete pavement system (ASTM C1701), there is no standard test procedure for measuring the infiltration rate of only the pervious concrete material. The goal of this research was to compare various methods for measuring the infiltration rate of pervious concrete in isolation. The constant head, falling head, and a modified ASTM C1701 test were compared along with a horizontal version of the constant head test for multiple pervious concrete cylinders from the same mix. It was found that the sample-to-sample variation in infiltration rate is typically much larger than the experimental uncertainty present in a given test method. The infiltration rate depended non-linearly on head level, demonstrating that flows were in the transition flow regime between laminar and turbulent. Therefore, test results are presented in terms of both infiltration rate and modified Darcy’s law parameters.
Preparation, Characterization, and Formulation Optimization of Ionic-Liquid-in-Water Nanoemulsions toward Systemic Delivery of Amphotericin B

Amphotericin B (AmB) is an antifungal agent that poses a challenge for intravenous drug delivery due to its hydrophobicity and severe side effects that are attributed to the self-aggregation of AmB in aqueous solution. To overcome this problem, we have rationally designed an ionic-liquid-in-water nanoemulsion drug delivery system that harnesses the unique properties of ionic liquids. The complex drug AmB serves as a model pharmaceutical agent to demonstrate the robustness of ionic-liquid-in-water nanoemulsions. High concentrations of AmB were solubilized in a new hydrophobic dicholinium-based ionic liquid. The absorption spectrum of AmB in an ionic liquid mixture and prepared nanoemulsion indicates AmB solubilization in the monomeric form. The hydrophobic ionic liquid exhibits high in vivo biocompatibility with zebrafish. The hemolytic activity of the AmB nanoemulsion was negligible, yet it maintained antifungal activity against Candida albicans. The preliminary results presented in this Communication indicate that ionic-liquid-in-water nanoemulsions may allow for the delivery of a variety of pharmaceuticals intravenously, broadening the scope of ionic liquids in the pharmaceutical sciences.
Science in action or science inaction? Evaluating the implementation of "best available science” in hydropower relicensing

Abstract Over the next two decades, half of all hydropower projects in the USA will require relicensing by the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC). Relicensing proceedings invoke a range of informational sources and agency regulators are tasked with using the “best available science” (BAS) to make informed decisions about hydropower operations and management. Although embraced as the standard, BAS is not well-defined. The Kennebec and Penobscot River watersheds in Maine provide an ideal opportunity for studying BAS in the relicensing process in the context of fish passage concerns. Using citation analysis and an online survey, we identified informational sources used in relicensing decisions for dams in this system and assessed agency perceptions of BAS. Analysis of relicensing documents (n=62) demonstrates that FERC and licensee documents are highly similar in citation composition. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) documents typically cite more sources and are three times more likely to cite peer-reviewed sources than FERC and licensee documents. Survey data reveals that federal and state agency respondents (n=49) rate peer-reviewed literature highly as BAS, followed by university, agency, and expert sources while industry and community sources rate poorly. Federal respondents report using peer-reviewed/academic sources more frequently and expert sources less frequently than state respondents. Overall, the agreement between individuals with respect to the valuation of sources is low. The reported differences in information use may be linked to disparities in the access to certain sources of information, particularly peer-reviewed literature. Enhanced understanding of information use may aid in identifying pathways for better informed relicensing decisions.
COVID-19: Risk of Alcohol abuse and Psychiatric disorders

Alcohol abuse along with difficulties in communication has led to increased morbidity and mortality among patients with psychiatric disorders. This issue has a higher importance during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Standard recommendations to prevent the spread of infection such as self-quarantine, hand washing, covering mouth and nose while coughing may be difficult to enforce in patients with mental illnesses. There is a controversy in discharge and management of patients with history of alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorders when they come to the Emergency Departments (ED) with mild presentation of COVID-19. We discussed a 39 years old patient known case of paranoid schizophrenia who came to the ED with mild fever, cough and headache. She was soon discharged from the ED after having a normal chest radiograph. She was recommended to be in self-quarantine for at least 14 days. Her COVID-19 condition deteriorated rapidly in a week, and she was brought back to the ED after she had an altercation with her friends while drinking. Patients with psychiatric disorders especially schizophrenia or those who have been diagnosed with alcohol abuse may have a higher risk for progression of their mild COVID-19 to a severe form. On the other hand, they have a role in the spread of COVID-19 in the community due to lower compliance with preventive measures. A higher rate of alcohol abuse in psychiatric patients and their lower compliance to self-quarantine calls for a different approach when they come to the ED with COVID-19 presentations.
A Single-Center Assessment of Delayed Graft Function in Recipients of Simultaneous Liver and Kidney Transplant.

BACKGROUND The effects of delayed graft function on long-term kidney allograft outcomes are poorly defined among simultaneous liver and kidney transplant recipients. METHODS We analyzed data of all simultaneous liver and kidney recipients transplanted at the University of Wisconsin between 2010 and 2017. Risk factors for the development of delayed graft function, kidney graft failure, and patient mortality were outcomes of interest. RESULTS There were a total of 60 simultaneous liver and kidney recipients; 28 (47%) had delayed graft function. After adjustment for multiple variables, we found that pretransplant dialysis >6 weeks (hazard ratio [HR] = 5.6, 95% CI: 1.23-25.59, P = .02), pretransplant albumin <3 g/dL (HR = 5.75, 95% CI: 1.76-16.94, P = .003), and presence of pretransplant diabetes (HR = 2.5, 95% CI: 0.97-4.77, P = .05) were significantly associated with delayed graft function. Multivariate analysis showed that pretransplant albumin <3 (HR = 4.86, 95% CI: 1.07-22.02, P = .02) was associated with a higher risk of all-cause kidney allograft failure, whereas the duration of delayed graft function (HR = 1.07 per day, 95% CI: 1.01-1.14, P = .01) was associated with a higher risk of death-censored kidney allograft failure. The presence of delayed graft function was not associated with all-cause or death-censored kidney or liver allograft failure. Similarly, the presence of delayed graft function was not associated with patient mortality. CONCLUSION The incidence of delayed graft function was high in simultaneous liver and kidney recipients. However, with appropriate management, delayed graft function may not have a negative impact on patient or kidney allograft survival.
Impact of Menthol on Growth and Photosynthetic Function of Breviolum Minutum (Dinoflagellata, Dinophyceae, Symbiodiniaceae) and Interactions with its Aiptasia Host

Environmental change, including global warming and chemical pollution, can compromise cnidarian-(e.g., coral-) dinoflagellate symbioses and cause coral bleaching. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate these symbioses will inform strategies for sustaining healthy coral-reef communities. A model system for corals is the symbiosis between the sea anemone Exaiptasia pallida (common name Aiptasia) and its dinoflagellate partners (family Symbiodiniaceae). To complement existing studies of the interactions between these organisms, we examined the impact of menthol, a reagent often used to render cnidarians aposymbiotic, on the dinoflagellate Breviolum minutum, both in culture and in hospite. In both environments, the growth and photosynthesis of this alga were compromised at either 100 or 300 µM menthol. We observed reduction in PSII and PSI functions, the abundances of reaction-center proteins, and, at 300 µM menthol, of total cellular proteins. Interestingly, for free-living algae exposed to 100 µM menthol, an initial decline in growth, photosynthetic activities, pigmentation, and protein abundances reversed after 5-15 d, eventually approaching control levels. This behavior was observed in cells maintained in continuous light, but not in cells experiencing a light-dark regimen, suggesting that B. minutum can detoxify menthol or acclimate and repair damaged photosynthetic complexes in a light- and/or energy-dependent manner. Extended exposures of cultured algae to 300 µM menthol ultimately resulted in algal death. Most symbiotic anemones were also unable to survive this menthol concentration for 30 d. Additionally, cells impaired for photosynthesis by pre-treatment with 300 µM menthol exhibited reduced efficiency in re-populating the anemone host.
Informational Friction as a Lens for Studying Algorithmic Aspects of Privacy

This paper addresses challenges in conceptualizing privacy posed by algorithmic systems that can infer sensitive information from seemingly innocuous data. This type of privacy is of imminent concern due to the rapid adoption of machine learning and artificial intelligence systems in virtually every industry. In this paper, we suggest informational friction, a concept from Floridi's ethics of information, as a valuable conceptual lens for studying algorithmic aspects of privacy. Informational friction describes the amount of work required for one agent to access or alter the information of another. By focusing on amount of work, rather than the type of information or manner in which it is collected, informational friction can help to explain why automated analyses should raise privacy concerns independently of, and in addition to, those associated with data collection. As a demonstration, this paper analyze law enforcement use of facial recognition, andFacebook's targeted advertising model using informational friction and demonstrate risks inherent to these systems which are not completely identified in another popular framework, Nissenbaum's Contextual Integrity.The paper concludes with a discussion of broader implications, both for privacy research and for privacy regulation.
Histological Changes Induced in Fruits and Vegetables by Processing

Publisher Summary This chapter considers observations on histological changes during processing; the majority of these are concerned with the action of moist heat on fruits and vegetables. It tries to point out that there is often a close relation between the cellular structure of the plant tissue and the quality of the finished product. The only examples that show best this relationship have been selected for this review. Plant tissues are complex and are considered as myriads of small individual colloidal systems. An understanding of the colloidal natures of these individual unite and their interrelationships increases the effectiveness of any food technologist. The chapter emphasizes that a thorough knowledge of the normal structure of plant tissues is a prerequisite to any critical study on changes in tissues brought about by processing.
The protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPL1 modulates Ewing’s sarcoma tumorigenesis.

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 45, 2004 2398 Ewing’s Sarcoma Family Tumors (ESFT) are characterized by a translocation t(11:22) forming an aberrant transcription factor EWS/FLI1. This fusion protein acts as a potential oncogene. Although few targets of EWS/FLI1 are identified, the exact mechanism of how EWS/FLI1 causes ESFT is not well understood. In this sense, identification of EWS/FLI1 targets that are important for tumorigenesis is crucial. Microarray data suggested a protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPL1 as a gene upregulated in EWS/FLI1 transfected cells. We have hypothesized that PTPL1 could be a target for EWS/FLI1, and modulate ESFT tumorigenesis. ESFT cells, mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF) expressing EWS/FLI1 and COS7 cells were used in PTPL1 promoter activation studies. PTPL1 protein levels were reduced by stably expressing an RNA antisense in ESFT cells. We found that PTPL1 protein is highly expressed in all eight ESFT cell lines we tested and expressed very low in nontransformed cells (n=3). In addition, PTPL1 expression was investigated in ESFT samples using immunohistochemsitry. Patients with both localized (n=20) and metastatic tumors (n=21) showed strong staining, where metastatic tumors had a trend toward higher PTPL1 staining (p<0.1). Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments showed an association between the native PTPL1 promoter and EWS/FLI1, and promoter activation experiments demonstrated that this association causes the upregulation of PTPL1. ESFT cells stably expressing an antisense RNA against PTPL1 showed both reduced anchorage-dependent and -independent growth. Moreover, ESFT cells with reduced PTPL1 levels were more sensitive to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that PTPL1 is a direct transcriptional target of EWS/FLI1 and appears to be a modulator of ESFT tumorigenesis.
Monotonic and Cyclic Deformations of Case-Hardened Steels Including Residual Stress Effects

: Monotonic and cyclic deformations of case-hardened steel specimens under axial loading were investigated experimentally and analytically. A finite element (FE) model for the case-hardened specimens was constructed to study multiaxial stresses due to different plastic flow behaviour between the case and the core, as well as to evaluate residual stress relaxation and redistribution subsequent to cyclic loading. The multiaxial stress is shown to increase the effective stress on the surface, and, therefore, unfavourable to yielding or fatigue crack nucleation. The residual stresses are shown to relax or redistribute, even in the elastic-behaving region, when any part of a case-hardened specimen or component undergoes plastic deformation. Multi-layer models were used to analyse and predict monotonic and cyclic deformation behaviours of the case-hardened specimen based on the core and case material properties, and the results are compared with the experimental as well as FE model results. The predicted monotonic stress–strain curves were close to the experimental curves, but the predicted cyclic stress–strain curves were higher than the experimental curves.
Dream on without calcium

One way of switching on certain genes to express their encoded proteins is to increase the concentration of calcium ions inside the cell nucleus, which can happen in response to an instruction from outside the cell. A new mediator of this effect has been discovered: it is a protein called DREAM, which sits tightly on the gene, preventing its expression, until it has bound four calcium ions. It then detaches itself, leaving the gene exposed for transcription.
Ethnic Cleansing, Yes; Genocide, No: Textbook Coverage of Ethnic Violence in the Former Yugoslavia.

The ethnic violence that occurred in the former Yugoslavia during the mid-1990s has become one of the defining events of recent history. As such, today's students should develop an awareness of the history of that situation and its implications for contemporary society. Because textbooks provide the structure of most high school history courses, an analysis of textbook coverage of the Bosnian and Kosovar situations should provide critical information regarding what students learn about the events that occurred in those regions. This article analyzes how six frequently used history textbooks cover ethnic violence in the former Yugoslavia, thus providing data regarding what students learn about those situations.
Update on some of the older and newer antidepressants.

Abstract This is an edited transcription of a presentation made to a group of primary care physicians, medical students, and consultation-liaison psychiatrists. Primary care physicians frequently prescribe antidepressant medications to their patients. These medications are frequently misprescribed, often in dosages that are too low to have an optimal effect. In part this is due to generally exaggerated fears that primary care physicians have regarding these medications, especially the anticholinegic effects of recommended dosage levels and sudden cardiac death. This is rarely a problem except in overdosage or those with dangerous preexisting cardiac arrhythmias. The author reviews his thoughts about some of the more recently introduced agents, including the usual, positive, psychologic responses (placebo effects) to any new drug. The newer agents are not more efficacious than older agents but have different side-effect profiles. The common side effects, and how these may be minimized or in some cases used to the patient's advantage, are discussed for the older and newer agents.
Vapor Discrimination With Single- and Multitransducer Arrays of Nanoparticle-Coated Chemiresistors and Resonators

This study explores whether arrays of vapor sensors assembled from two different types of transducers provide greater response diversity than arrays of a single transducer (ST) type. Calibrated sensitivities to five vapors of four chemiresistors (CRs) and four thickness-shear mode resonators (TSMR) coated with matching interface films of four different thiolate-monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles (MPNs) were considered. Test vapors consisted of toluene, nitromethane, 2-butanone, $n$ -propanol, and $n$ -octane. The pooled set of 40 vapor-sensor sensitivities was analyzed using principal components regression models in conjunction with Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the classification performance with different levels of error superimposed on the sensor responses. Recognition rates (RR) were estimated for the individual vapors and their binary mixtures with virtual arrays consisting of all possible combinations of MPNs and transducer types. The best overall performance was obtained with a multitransducer (MT) array of $n=4$ sensors, which provided average RRs of 99.7% for individual vapor discrimination and 74.7% for discrimination of the 10 binary mixtures from their components, both with 5% superimposed error. MT-array RR values did not improve for $n>4$ . The corresponding average RRs for the all-CR and all-TSMR 4-sensor ST arrays were both ${\sim}97\%$ for the individual vapors and both ${\sim}69\%$ for the binary mixtures, respectively. Results demonstrate that MT arrays can provide modestly greater diversity than ST arrays of similar dimension.
Prolonged Time Course of Glutamate Release from Nerve Terminals: Relationship Between Stimulus Duration and the Secretory Event

The kinetics of synaptosomal [ 3 H] glutamate release were measured on a subsecond time scale to study the relationship between the length of depolarization and the duration of the secretory event. The time course of release evoked by elevated K + was complex, proceeding for several seconds after a 200-ms depolarization. We developed a protocol for depolarizing excitable membranes on a millisecond time scale to deliver brief depolarizations, termed the synthetic action potential, by using batrachotoxin to activate Na + channels. Depolarization is achieved by superfusing with solutions containing elevated concentrations of Na + , and the duration of the depolarization is limited by including tetrodotoxin (TTX) in the superfusion solution to block Na + entry. Direct measurements of the time courses of Na + current and membrane depolarizations were made in batrachotoxin-treated sensory neurons using patch clamp recording methods. Rapid increases in Na + and TTX concentrations produced transient increases in inward Na + current that decayed with a time course proportional to TTX concentration. Current clamp measurements indicated that, with 10 μM TTX, depolarizations last ∼30 ms. Nonetheless, synaptosomal release of [ 3 H]glutamate triggered by the synthetic action potential remained prolonged. Brief neuronal action potentials at some synapses may trigger transmitter release that persists for several seconds
Carbon monoxide production from land applied cheese whey

Cheese whey (60 000 mg COD l−1) was applied at a rate of 20 l/m2 (4 lbs/ft2) to growing alfalfa (Fortress variety) on silt loam calcareous soil. Selected sites were covered with a collection tent to collect gases generated. Large amounts of carbon monoxide (> 535 ppm) and relatively small amounts of methane (≤37·1 ppm) were emitted from the soil. These results indicate a concern for whey disposal on agricultural ground and the resultant production of CO.
Partnering to Increase Capacity in a Nursing Program

The effectiveness of an Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program designed to allow incumbent employees in healthcare agencies to pursue nursing licensure was evaluated. The program offering drew upon resources from a partnership comprised of personnel from a college, two participating health care agencies, and the local workforce board. This multimethod descriptive study included surveys to assess reactions of participants and their supervisors to the program, academic records to assess success in the program, and National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) records to assess pass rates on licensure examinations. A survey tool was used to assess the degree of synergy in the partnership. Twenty students successfully completed the first year of the program and passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) on the first attempt. These same 20 students then completed the second year of the program. Nineteen (95%) students successfully completed the N...
Positive regulatory gene for temperature-controlled proteins in Escherichia coli

Summary A group of nine proteins of Escherichia coli K12 vary in steady state level with growth temperature, and are particularly abundant above 40°C. The identities of most of these HTP (high temperature production) proteins are unknown; they are primarily recognizable on two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels by their very high rates of synthesis during the ten-minute period following a shift-up in temperature. This stimulation, as much as 20-fold for some HTP proteins, is abolished by a conditionally lethal nonsense mutation in a chromosomal gene located at 75 minutes. Evidence suggests that this regulatory gene, htpR , makes an activator protein that is required for heat induction of HTP proteins.
Alteration in morphology of chinese hamster ovary cells by Ni3S2 and dibutyryl cAMP.

Rounded Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) (axial ratio, 1:1) elongated (axial ratio, > 1:3) when exposed to Ni/sub 3/S/sub 2/. Other metal compounds which were tested had only minor effects on CHO morphology over a wide range of concentrations. These cells were elongated following exposure to Ni/sub 3/S/sub 2/ at concentrations which did not affect cell proliferation as judged by cell doubling and colony formation. The elongation occurred when agents that elevate intracellular cAMP concentrations were added to cultures. The cells treated with either dibutyryl cAMP or Ni/sub 3/S/sub 2/ had very similar fibroblastic morphology. Upon removal of media containing dibutyryl cAMP, elongated CHO cells reverted to control morphology within 4 h. In contrast, the cultures previously treated with Ni/sub 3/S/sub 2/ did not rapidily revert to normal morphology. Nickel subsulfide activated cAMP-dependent protein kinase within 3 h after its addition to cultures while NiS or NiCl/sub 2/ did not significantly activate protein kinase. Dibutyryl cAMP addition to CHO cultures completely activated this enzyme. High doses of actinomycin D, or cycloheximide did not affect the dibutyryl cAMP-induced elongation of CHO cells while addition of colcemid did. All three of these agents inhibited the Ni/sub 3/S/sub 2/ elongation of CHO cells.more » These data demonstrate that Ni/sub 3/S/sub 2/ induced morphological changes in CHO cells are similar to the morphological changes mediated by cAMP.« less
Strategies for identification of peptide growth factors.

Abstract Numerous peptides are known that have specific functions as growth factors in different tissues. These bioactive peptides are characterized by their ability to bind to high-affinity receptors, by their classification into superfamilies that share homology and function and by their synthesis as large precursor molecules that are processed to active forms. In some cases the precursors themselves also have biological activity. Modulation of growth factor activity at the level of the receptor or effector molecules has great therapeutic potential. This article will outline some of the strategies that have successful in deecting and identifying growth factors and demonstrating their biological activity.
The C-terminal region of p21SDI1/WAF1/CIP1 is involved in proliferating cell nuclear antigen binding but does not appear to be required for growth inhibition.

Abstract The cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21 has been found to be involved in cell senescence, cell cycle arrest, and differentiation. p21 inhibits the activity of several Cdks, in contrast to other inhibitors such as p15 and p16, which act on specific cyclin-Cdk complexes. Of interest were reports that p21 also bound proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), an auxiliary protein for DNA polymerase , and inhibited DNA replication but not DNA repair in vitro. To better understand the function of this interaction in vivo, we first determined the region of p21that was needed for PCNA binding. Analysis of deletion mutants of p21, which covered the majority of the protein, revealed that deletion of either amino acids 142-147 or 149-154 resulted in loss of ability to bind a glutathione S-transferase-PCNA fusion protein. Site-directed mutagenesis in this region led to the identification of the PCNA binding motif RQXXMTXFYXXXR and demonstrated that mutation of either amino acid Met-147 or Phe-150 resulted in almost complete ablation of PCNA binding. Interestingly, when we determined DNA synthesis inhibitory activity of deletion mutants or point mutants that were unable to bind Cdk2 and/or PCNA, we found that loss of binding to PCNA did not affect inhibitory activity, whereas lack of Cdk2 binding greatly reduced the same. This result suggests that the primary mechanism for inhibition of DNA synthesis by p21 occurs via inhibition of Cdk activity.
The role of structured water in the calibration and interpretation of theoretical IR spectra.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to simulate theoretical infrared (IR) spectra of halogenated acetate salts using density functional theory (DFT), and to calibrate those results with high-resolution ATR-FTIR spectra. Two types of spectra were calculated: one of the solutes solvated in water droplets ranging in size from 15 to ∼28 H2O molecules, and the other of a solvent molecule in equivalently sized (16–29 H2O molecules) droplets. The background-subtracted spectra, composed of solvated (halo)acetate spectra minus calculated solvent spectra, were compared with their experimental counterparts. Changes in the calculated IR spectra were used to determine the effects of dissolved salts on the structure of water. Calibrations of model dissolved salt spectra with observation were good; correlations of >0.90 were observed for all haloacetate species.
Hybrid superconducting-magnetic memory device using competing order parameters.

Combining superconducting and magnetic layers offers a route to high-density and ultra-low power memory. Here, the authors extended this idea to more complicated structures by combining superconducting Josephson junctions and magnetic spin valves.
Usefulness of hydralazine to withdraw from dobutamine in severe congestive heart failure.

Abstract The positive inotropic agent dobutamine has become an essential component of the short-term therapy of the patient with severe, decompensated ventricular failure. 1–4 Although most patients with congestive heart failure may be managed with oral therapy after hemodynamic stabilization with dobutamine, a significant proportion of patients do not tolerate withdrawal of this agent. Because effective oral positive inotropic agents are not available as a substitute for dobutamine, 5 these “dobutamine dependent” patients have little therapeutic option other than commitment to intravenous therapy for an indefinite period of time, generally in the in-hospital setting. Therefore, vasodilating compounds constitute the only remaining alternative form of therapy to replace intravenous dobutamine. Among these agents, hydralazine possesses properties that suggest that it may be the most suitable in assisting withdrawal from the inotropic support provided by dobutamine. 6–8 We, therefore, tested the hypothesis that oral administration of hydralazine with dose titration guided by hemodynamic monitoring will facilitate successful withdrawal of dobutamine in patients who have become dependent on this positive inotropic agent.
Structural Domains and Their Potential Impact on Recharge to Intermontane-Basin Aquifers

Variations in the structures exposed in structural domains associated with faults can affect the amount of ground-water recharge to fractured rock aquifers supplying intermontane-basin aquifers. In the southwestern Franklin Mountains, El Paso, Texas, an outcrop of the Ordovician Scenic Drive Formation exposes a group of structures including faults, joints, and folds associated with a left-lateral fault striking N74°E and dipping 81°NW. Slip along this fault has produced a structural domain with extensional structures (normal faults and joints) and a domain with contractional structures (folds and joints). These extensional and contractional domains occur on opposite sides of the fault. Properties of fractures within the different structural domains can influence ground-water recharge and migration. For example, the domain with extensional structures contains nearly vertical joints that extend from the soil-bedrock interface to normal faults and along which precipitation can infiltrate. Since the left-lateral fault is approximately normal to the trend of the Franklin Mountains, this fault may be a conduit for ground-water flow from the mountains to the basin. The domain with contractional structures is limited in extent, and the fractures in this domain are poorly connected. Therefore, surface infiltration in this domain is reduced, and may not contribute as much to ground-water migration. Structural domains that are analogous to this outcrop and cover larger areas can be found throughout the Franklin Mountains. Understanding the variations between structural domains can aid in siting water-supply wells and determining contaminant transport in fractured rock.
An interval statistical procedure for use in validation of simulation models

We describe a new statistical procedure for use in conducting validation of simulation models via hypothesis testing when the amount of model accuracy required is specified as a range (interval). This statistical procedure provides for the model to be accepted as valid if the difference between the system and the model outputs is within the specified range of accuracy and be rejected as valid otherwise. Both Type I and Type II errors are considered through the use of the operating characteristic curve. The model builder’s and the model user’s risk curves are also developed.
Community health centers: promise and performance.

This article provides a critical review of the literature on the quality and effectiveness of care provided by community health centers (CHCs) compared with other health care delivery models. Since the mid-1960s, CHCs have played a large role in providing comprehensive primary care to our nation's medically underserved. Recent changes in public policy and the health care marketplace have threatened the viability of the CHC delivery model. This review of structure, process, and outcome indicators suggests that CHCs have effectively reduced many barriers to access, promoted high-quality ambulatory care use among underserved populations, and reduced costly hospitalizations. While CHCs have been shown to save money for Medicaid, little research has addressed the health-related outcomes of care. This article recommends specific areas of research essential to understanding the future performance of CHCs.
A cross-cultural validation of patient-reported outcomes measures: a study of breast cancers survivors

Purpose Psychometric inadequacy interferes with the assessment of patient-reported health outcomes. This study examined the psychometric properties of several standardized measures in health research.
CONTROL OF Epistylis ON CHANNEL CATFISH IN RACEWAYS

An Epistylis outbreak occurred on channel catfish in raceways during two growing seasons. Bioassays of potential control chemicals were conducted. Based on the bioassay results, salt (NaCl) plus formalin and salt alone were the most effective treatment chemicals.
Endogenous Land use and the Ricardian Valuation of Climate Change

The Ricardian technique uses cross-sectional variation in the capitalized value of climate in land to infer the agricultural costs or benefits of dynamic climate change. While a practical approach for predicting the consequences of global warming with readily available data, it may yield biased results when land-use decisions depend on the climate attributes being valued and when land has unobserved attributes that differ with the use to which it is put. This paper illustrates the conditions under which such a bias will occur, describes an empirical model that corrects for it, and estimates that model with agricultural census data from Brazil. The approach, moreover, allows constraints on adjustment to be explicitly incorporated into the Ricardian framework, relaxing one of that technique’s most conspicuous assumptions.
Alcoholic extraction of vegetable oils. V. Pilot plant extraction of cottonseed by aqueous ethanol

Cottonseed flakes were extracted by aqueous ethanol in a countercurrent pilot plant unit to determine the effect of operating variables and the optimum operating conditions.
Dynamics of hemopoietic proliferation in man and mice studied by H3-thymidine incorporation into DNA.

human being with normal and abnormal hematopoiesis to study the kinetics of bone marrow cell proliferation. Thymidine is taken up by the nucleus only during DNA synthesis preparatory to cell division. Its intracellular location was determined and quantified by means of stripping film autoradiography and classical cytology. In the bone marrow of human beings with normal hemlabeling of primitive proliferating cells was seen within minutes. Maximal labeling of erythorocyte precursors the 3rd and 4td day. Maximal labeling of megakaryocytes was observed on the 5th day. Early labeling in the peripheral blood of large mononuclear cells occured early; the peak labeling of granulocytes occured on the 5th to 6th day. H/sup 3/ thymidine incubated with normal series; normal venous blood showed labeling only of a tern of H/sup 3/ thymidine uptake with in vitro incubation of bone marrow and venous blood from patients varied with different hematopoietic disorders. A preliminary analysis of the quantitative results in terms of the kinetics of hematopoietic cell proliferation in health and disease is made, and the requirements for resolution of the complex probelms involved are pointed out. (auth)
Dealing with Poor Performance: Supervisor Attributions and the Cost of Responding1

The Green and Mitchell (1979) model of the process by which supervisors diagnose and deal with the causes of subordinates' poor performance is based upon attribution theory. The notion is that the supervisor makes an attribution about the cause of the poor performance and then selects an appropriate response or solution to deal with the problem. Two ways in which this can lead to an inapprorpriate solution are, first, a bias toward making internal attributions and, second, an aversion to using costly, even though appropriate, solutions. This study demonstrates that it is possible to prompt participants to make more external attribution about poor performance. It also demonstrates that whichever attributions they make (either internal or external), the solutions they select to deal with the poor performance are congruent with their attributions provided that the solutions do not have explicit implementation costs associated with them. However, when implementation costs are made explicit, costs influence solution selection and reduce the congruence between the attributions and the selected solutions. The possible implications of this finding for success in dealing with poor performance are discussed.
Pulsed laser-induced photochemical decomposition of GaAs(110) studied with time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation.

Cleaved GaAs surfaces decompose under weak pulsed-laser irradiation, leading to the formation of metallic Ga islands. The reduction of band bending nonuniformities in photoemission spectra acquired during the laser pulses, in concert with new core-level fitting techniques which treat broadened spectra, permits a detailed analysis. A decomposition rate consistent with a two-step photochemical excitation process is measured. The surface remains largely intact on an atomic scale, but is increasingly unable to support excited surface states as decomposition proceeds.
Microstrip-antenna-coupled distributed feedback terahertz quantum-cascade lasers

By introducing coupled microstrip antennas on THz Distributed Feedback (DFB) Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs), the radiation efficiency of each feedback aperture is greatly enhanced. Single mode emission ~3 THz from a 31-period antenna-coupled third-order DFB laser yields ~4 times improvement in output power comparing with a corrugated thirdorder device fabricated on the same gain medium. This 31-period device has ~15×25° beam divergence and 4 mW pulsed power (4%) at 10 K with maximum lasing temperature (Tmax) at 134 K (pulsed). When phase matching condition is met, emissions from 81 apertures (4-mm long) are coherently combined to form a narrow beam with 12.5° divergence. Further experiment demonstrated the new device at 4 THz (25-period, ~18 μm×1-mm long. The 4 THz device reaches >8 mW pulsed power (10%) at 12 K with Tmax 109 K (pulsed) and >77 K (cw). The slope efficiency is 450 mW/A with 0.57% wall-plug. It is worth pointing out although the antennas would be excited differently, similar enhancement in out-coupling efficiency can also be observed in second-order surface-emitting THz DFB lasers. Begin the abstract two lines below author names and addresses.
Making Sense of Sustainability: Nine Answers to ‘What Should Be Sustained?’1

Le concept de developpement durable est central dans de nombreux debats actuels sur les ressouces naturelles. Ce concept ne manque pas d'attrait, mais un consensus sur sa signification fait defaut, notamment sur les combinaisons de ressources ou de pratiques censees etre durables. Quatre questions sont posees dans cet article : a quoi s'applique la durabilite ? Quelles valeurs president aux choix concernant la durabilite ? Comment mesurer la durabilite ? Et enfin, quels sont les interets et les politiques concernes ? Neuf types distincts de durabilite sont identifies chacun refletant une vision differente de la nature des ressources a menager. Des illustrations sont fournies a partir de trois grands domaines de ressources renouvelables : l'agriculture, la sylviculture, et la peche maritime
Temporary pacemaker wire insertion: a simple, safe, and effective technique.

Abstract A method of placing temporary pacing wires is described. A modification of the wire makes it self-retaining, yet simple to remove. It is demonstrated that during removal of wires placed by this method, there is a very low incidence of ventricular arrhythmias. These results contrast with the findings of others.
Triplet frequencies in DNA and the genetic program

Abstract Triplet frequencies in DNA are calculated utilizing values from the nearest neighbor experiment and a mathematical model which is a simple extension of the definition of conditional probability. The pattern of directional deviation from the random revealed is interpreted from the viewpoint of a genetic programming concept which differs somewhat from the conventional ideas regarding the genetic code.
Muscle Injury Induced At the Time of Acute and Chronic Rotator Cuff Repair

Objectives: Rotator cuff tears are a common source of shoulder pain and disability. Even after surgical repair of these tears, many patients continue to have reduced shoulder function and a progression of intramuscular fatty degeneration. Previous work in a sheep model demonstrated that a slow, progressive lengthening of chronically torn cuff muscles followed by surgical repair of the tendon reversed fatty degeneration and improved muscle function. As patients with chronic cuff tears often experience a shortening of the muscle fibers, it is possible that repairing the torn tendon to its original anatomical footprint induces a massive stretch-induced muscle injury that could contribute to poor outcomes after repair. Evans Blue Dye (EBD) is a water soluble, membrane impermeable dye, that is used to identify muscle fibers that have suffered an injury to their plasma membrane. We hypothesized that, compared with acutely torn and repaired rotator cuff muscles, the substantial stretch that is required to repair a chronically torn and shortened rotator cuff would result in significant muscle fiber damage.
Consciousness, content, and metacognitive judgments.

Abstract Because metacognition consists in our having mental access to our cognitive states and mental states are conscious only when we are conscious of them in some suitable way, metacognition and consciousness shed important theoretical light on one another. Thus, our having metacognitive access to information carried by states that are not conscious helps confirm the hypothesis that a mental state's being conscious consists in having a noninferential higher-order thought about that state. This higher-order-thought hypothesis readily explains the appearance to consciousness of confabulatory mental states—states that do not actually occur. This fits well with, and helps refine, the “No-Magic Hypothesis” advanced by Nelson and Narens (1990).