cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HandSense: capacitive coupling-based dynamic, micro finger gesture recognition

Head-mounted devices (HMD) for Augmented Reality (AR) are gaining traction thanks to a growing number of applications in the areas of image guided therapy, computer aided design, cargo packing, manufacturing and digital field service. However, providing an always available, intuitive and user friendly input for these devices remains a challenging problem. This paper explores recognizing dynamic, micro finger gestures using capacitive coupling for interacting with a head-mounted device. Electrodes are attached to fingertips of users gloves and capacitive coupling among all pairs of electrodes is measured quickly to infer the real-time spatial relationship between fingers. The system is able to recognize fine, low-effort finger gestures, such as swiping, sliding, tap, double-tap. We evaluated our prototype with 14 gestures executed by 10 subjects and found a 97% accuracy of gesture recognition.
Survival of infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia in California: impact of hospital, clinical, and sociodemographic factors.

To understand factors associated with care and survival among babies with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). We used data on California births (2006–2011) to examine birth hospital level of care, hospital transfer before repair, and survival. Among 577 infants, 25% were born at lower-level hospitals, 62% were transferred, and 31% died during infancy. Late or no prenatal care had the strongest association with birth at lower-level hospitals (adjusted relative risk (ARR) = 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.0–3.6). Birth at lower-level hospitals was associated with transfer (ARR = 1.2, CI = 1.1–1.4), and transferred infants tended to be less clinically complex. Infants with low birthweight, other birth defects, low Apgar scores, and late or no prenatal care had two- to fourfold higher risk of mortality than their comparison groups. These data support the importance of prenatal care and delivery planning into higher-level hospitals for optimal care and outcomes for newborns with CDH.
Chromatin Landscape Underpinning Human Dendritic Cell Heterogeneity

Human dendritic cells (DCs) comprise subsets with distinct phenotypic and functional characteristics, but the transcriptional programs that dictate their identity remain elusive. Here, we analyze global chromatin accessibility profiles across resting and stimulated human DC subsets by means of the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq). We uncover specific regions of chromatin accessibility for each subset and transcriptional regulators of DC function. By comparing plasmacytoid DC responses to IFN-I-producing and non-IFN-I-producing conditions, we identify genetic programs related to their function. Finally, by intersecting chromatin accessibility with genome-wide association studies, we recognize DC subset-specific enrichment of heritability in autoimmune diseases. Our results unravel the basis of human DC subset heterogeneity and provide a framework for their analysis in disease pathogenesis.
Energetic Nitrogen-Rich Polymers with a Tetrazene-Based Backbone.

New energetic polymers were synthesized from monomers containing a trans-2-tetrazene unit. In contrast to traditional binders, such as inert hydroxytelechelic polybutadiene or glycidyl azide polymers-in which the energetic features are on the side chains-the energetic groups in the polytetrazenes are incorporated directly in the polymer backbone. Thermal analyses demonstrated that decomposition occurs at approximately 130 °C, regardless of the polymer structure. Glass-transition temperatures ranged from -34.2 to 0.2 °C and could be lowered further (to -61 °C) with the help of a new diazidotetrazene energetic plasticizer. Interestingly, hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) enabled complete, room-temperature depolymerization within 1 week. This depolymerization should enable the recycling of unused pyrotechnic compositions based on these new binders.
Hybrid Methods for Locating and Excavating Early Historical Conflict-Related Domestic Sites

Since 2012, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center in Mashantucket, Connecticut, in collaboration with the University of Connecticut, has carried out a research program to survey and document the battlefields of the Pequot War (1636–1637). The unique nature of the project has required the refinement of the long-standing field methods of battlefield archaeology. In this article, we argue that these techniques, while originally developed to explore sites of conflict, can be operationalized to locate 17th-century indigenous domestic sites. We describe this modified method and provide a site-specific case study to present its efficacy.
Implications of left ventricular function on short-term outcomes in COVID-19 patients with myocardial injury.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial injury is a complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We describe a large multi-center experience of COVID-19 patients with myocardial injury, examining the prognostic role left ventricular function plays on short-term outcomes. METHODS/MATERIALS: We included adult COVID-19 patients admitted to our health system with evidence of myocardial injury and who underwent a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) during index admission. Patients were dichotomized into those with reduced ejection fraction (EF; <50%) and preserved EF (≥50%). RESULTS: Across our 11-hospital system, 5032 adult patients were admitted with COVID-19 from March-September 2020. Of these, 235 had evidence of myocardial injury (troponin ≥1 ng/mL). Included were 134 patients who underwent TTE, of whom 43.3% (n = 58) had reduced EF and 56.7% (n = 76) preserved EF. A subset of 6 patients had newly reduced EF, with 5 demonstrating evidence of stress cardiomyopathy and subsequently dying. Overall, mortality was high in those with reduced EF and preserved EF (in-hospital: 34.5% vs. 28.9%; p = 0.494; 6 months: 63.6% vs. 50.0%; p = 0.167; Kaplan-Meier estimates: p = 0.2886). Readmissions were frequent in both groups (30 days: 22.2% vs. 26.0%; p = 0.162; 6 months: 52.0% vs. 54.5%; p = 0.839). CONCLUSIONS: Many COVID-19 patients admitted with evidence of myocardial injury did not undergo TTE. For those who did, short-term mortality was high. Patients who survived hospitalization had frequent readmissions. In patients with newly reduced EF, most had evidence of stress cardiomyopathy and expired. Larger studies are needed to fully evaluate the prognosis of COVID-19 patients with evidence of myocardial injury and left ventricular dysfunction.
Ethanol-induced intestinal miRNAs in liver injury and early development of liver cancer.

Introduction While binge alcohol-induced gut leakage has been studied extensively in the context of ROS-mediated signaling, it was recently revealed that post-transcriptional regulation plays an essential role as well. Ethanol-inducible CYP2E1 is a key enzyme in ethanol metabolism, and promotes alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis and inflammatory liver disease at least in part by mediating changes in intestinal permeability. For instance, gut leakage and elevated intestinal permeability to endotoxins have been shown to be regulated by enhancing CYP2E1 mRNA and CYP2E1 protein levels. Although it is understood that ethanol promotes CYP2E1 induction and activation, the mechanisms by which CYP2E1 expression is regulated in the context of intestinal damage remain poorly defined. Specific miRNAs have been shown to repress the expression of CYP2E1, supporting our hypothesis that these miRNAs contribute to ethanol-induced intestinal injury and early development of liver cancer. Methods We utilized in vitro cell model and in vivo mouse model to study intestinal and hepatic cell death and growth after modulation of specific miRNA levels directly or indirectly by depletion or overexpression of microRNA-binding proteins. Results We made two key observations that 1) the RNA-binding protein AUF1 binds mature miRNAs, including CYP2E1-targeting miRNAs, and this binding modulates the degradation of corresponding target mRNAs; 2) the Serine/Threonine kinase MST1 mediates oxidative stress-induced phosphorylation of RNA-binding proteins such as AUF1. This finding suggests that ROS-mediated signaling modulates AUF1/miRNA interaction through MST1-mediated phosphorylation for developing liver cancer. Conclusions Thus, our study demonstrated the critical functions of AUF1 phosphorylation by MST1 in intestine injury and liver cancer development.
Time to Achieving Clinically Significant Outcomes after Meniscal Allograft Transplantation

Objectives:Meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) is a surgical treatment option for patients with meniscus deficiencies. Prior studies have defined clinically significant outcomes such as minima...
Polymeric Platinol Derivative of Methotrexate for the Treatment of Virally Related Juvenile Diabetes

The polyamine derived from tetrachloroplatinate and methotrexate successfully inhibits the growth of the diabetic encephalomyocarditis, EMC-D, virus in male mice and female mice treated with testosterone employing a vaccine like protocol where the Pt-MX polymer is administered prior to infection by the EMC-D virus. Infection by the EMC-D virus is successfully halted if the Pt-MX polymer is administered within one day after viral infection. Thus the Pt-MX polymer is effective at minimizing or eliminating a virus that produces juvenile diabete-like symptoms.
13C discrimination patterns in oceanic phytoplankton: likely influence of CO2 concentrating mechanisms, and implications for palaeoreconstructions

The isotopic composition of organic carbon buried in marine sediments is an appealing proxy for palaeo CO2 concentrations due to the well-documented effect of CO2 concentrations on carbon fractionation by phytoplankton. However, a number of factors, in addition to CO2 concentrations, influence this fractionation. Included among these factors are cell geometry, in particular surface/volume ratios, growth rate, and the presence of CO2 concentrating mechanisms. Other potentially confounding factors are calcification, diagenesis, and the nature of the growth-rate-limiting factor, e.g. light vs nutrients. Because of these confounding factors, palaeoreconstructions based on the isotopic composition of organic carbon (δ13C) will almost certainly have to be based on the isotopic signatures of organic compounds that can be associated with a single species, or group of physiologically similar species. Long-chain alkenones produced by certain species of coccolithophores may provide a suitable diagnostic marker. By combining the δ13C of the alkenone carbon with the δ13C of coccolith carbon and the Sr/Ca ratio of the coccoliths, it is possible to calculate the extent of carbon fractionation (ep) and estimate growth rates. However, active transport of inorganic carbon tends to make ep insensitive to CO2 concentrations when the ratio of growth rate to CO2 concentration exceeds 0.285/rkg mol-1d-1, where r is the effective spherical radius of the cell in microns. Palaeo CO2 concentrations calculated from alkenone and coccolith δ13C data capture the gross features of CO2 concentrations in the Vostok ice core, but explain only 30-35% of the variance in the latter. The absence of a higher correlation may in part reflect the impact of active transport, particularly during glacial times. The impact of active transport may have been less severe prior to the Pleistocene, since CO2 concentrations are believed to have been higher than present-day values during most of Phanerozoic time.
A policy-constrained wage fund allocation model for payment medium selection in compensation planning

The U.S. labor force currently receives 80% of National Income through a variety of cash and in-kind compensation form. Employers use more than 80 different forms of compensation, herein called payment medium, to deliver employee wages. How firms select the set of payment offered to their employees is the focus of this study. Some firms recognize that flexible compensation, i.e. giving employees a choice among alternatives, may allocate compensation more effectively. This view underscores the belief that labor's need satisfaction may be complementary to the firm's interest and goals. This belief is not new, but its recent recognition in "cafeteria type" programs revives an interest in how to match individual employee need satisfaction with a firm's objectives. Given that firm and employee relationships are complex and dynamic, is compensation planning possible? This question addresses the problem of integrating firm goals, employee needs, and available resources into a dynamic planning method. Corporate financial and human resource policies in this problem are inextricably related. This study develops a method for planning corporate compensation policy. The proposed planning method evaluates alternative compensation policies congruent between firm and employee goals. Corporate policies, payment media and employee requirements are explicitly identified and a decision model is constructed using goal programming.
Not Takotsubo: A Different Form of Stress‐Induced Cardiomyopathy—A Case Series

The diagnosis of stress-induced cardiomyopathy requires wall motion abnormality, most typically apical ballooning. The authors report 3 cases of transient global left ventricular systolic dysfunction that developed over the course of severe medical illnesses. The cardiomyopathy that developed in each patient had all the features of takotsubo cardiomyopathy, including reversibility, mild troponin elevation, nonspecific electrocardiographic abnormalities, and a negative work-up for ischemia. The only difference was the absence of regional wall motion abnormalities. No patients developed sepsis or myocarditis. Stress-induced cardiomyopathy may present in different forms, including regional or global left ventricular dysfunction. Classic takotsubo syndrome may represent only part of the spectrum of this reversible condition.
A declarative conceptual modelling language: Description and example applications

A declarative conceptual modelling language, implemented as an extension to Prolog, is described. The language is based on an extended version of the entity-relationship (ER) model for the declaration of the information classes and the formulation of queries, and adopts an abstract data type (ADT) approach to define and execute application-oriented update operations.
Fresh Produce in Rural Iowa: Availability and Accessibility

ABSTRACT Fruit and vegetable consumption does not meet current recommendations despite many benefits of consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Limited success with individual behavior interventions has shifted research and interventions to environmental change, as the nutrition environment likely influences consumer behavior. Fresh produce availability (10 fruits, 10 vegetables) and cost was examined in 12 rural communities using the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (NEMS). Small communities (population ≤ 5,000) had less available fresh produce (5 items; p < 0.05) and more expensive fresh produce (6 items; p < 0.05). Nutrition environments, including fresh produce availability and cost, require further study as factors influencing consumer behavior.
Dielectric Design Considerations for a Flexible Superconducting Power Transmission Cable

The dielectric insulation of a flexible transmission cable consists of lapped plastic tape impregnated in the butt spaces by the helium coolant. For Nb3Sn conductor this impregnant is typically supercritical helium in the temperature range 7 to 9 K at 10 to 15 atm [1].Apparatus was constructed to evaluate the electrical performance of such an insulation using samples about 2 ft long[2]. Early tests indicated that films were much superior to synthetic paperlike tapes. The operating electric field stress at the surface of the inner conductor has been set at 10 MV/m for current designs. This value produces both acceptable cable characteristics[3] and favorable economic comparisons with conventional systems [4].Gas-impregnated dielectric systems behave quite differently than the more conventional oil- impregnated paper insulated cables commonly used in the United States for underground transmission. This is largely due to the mismatch of dielectric constants and subsequent field stress intensification in the butt spaces. It is important to determine acceptable corona inception and extinction stress, 60 Hz breakdown stress, and impulse breakdown stress with both fast and slow rise-times.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Internet

During the second half of the 20th century, which is considered the computer age, there were many advances in information technology. Increasing computational and storage power of computers made it possible to handle large, complex geographic databases in the 1980s and early 1990s, a time period recognized by many people as the start of the digital information age. Tasks were accomplished much more rapidly using a geographic information system (GIS) than by previously used methods. In fact many of today's complex projects could not even have been contemplated before the advent of GIS. During the last decade, the Internet and GIS together have changed the way that people and institutions share and analyze geographic data. Desktop GIS has been the system of choice, but it has many limitations including cost, learning curve, and public access issues. On the other hand, an Internet-GIS (i-GIS) has many advantages including decentralized data storage and data maintenance, wider data and user access, and convenience. Although today's Web-based systems offer an excellent opportunity to go beyond our world (home, office, or city), existing i-GIS map servers do not fully facilitate analysis of complex geographic databases due to the specific user requirements. Future GISs, including automated GIS processing at offices and in homes, will be a part of our daily lives. Keywords: attribute; desktop GIS; geographic data; geography markup language (GML); global positioning system (GPS); raster; vector
Myocardial fibrosis on cardiac magnetic resonance and cardiac outcomes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a meta-analysis

Objective Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac MRI that indicates the extent of myocardial fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a potential risk factor of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in non-high-risk patients according to conventional clinical markers. Methods The present study was designed to systematically review prospective trials and assess the association between LGE and SCD in HCM. We systematically searched the electronic databases, MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane for prospective cohort studies of the effects of LGE on clinical outcomes (SCD/aborted SCD, all-cause mortality, cardiac and heart failure death) in HCM. Results We identified six clinical studies, examining 1414 patients without LGE and 1653 with LGE and an average follow-up of 3.05 years. The incidence of SCD/aborted SCD in patients with HCM and LGE was significantly increased as compared with patients without LGE (OR 2.52, 95% CI 1.44 to 4.4, p=0.001). The all-cause mortality and cardiac death rates were also significantly increased in patients with LGE. The extent of LGE was not significantly related to the risk of SCD. Conclusions LGE is significantly associated with SCD risk, cardiac mortality and all-cause mortality in patients with non-high-risk HCM according to conventional risk factors.
An Alternative to Secular Ethics

Book reviewed in this article: Suffering Presence: Theological Reflections on Medicine, the Mentally Handicapped, and the Church. By Stanley Hauerwas.
Visualization techniques of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN): a narrative review

Purpose The purpose of this study was to produce an overview of the present visualization techniques of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) in order to reduce the rates of nerve damage after third molar (M3) removal and bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO).
Editorial: Would you like a hypothesis with those data? Omics and the age of discovery science

The advent of microarray-based genomic technologies in the late 1980s and early 1990s, leading to the groundbreaking paper by Brown and coworkers in 1995 describing the first microarray expression analysis (1), ushered in the age of genomics. Since then, a number of approaches aimed at the “collective characterization and quantification of pools of biological molecules that translate into the structure, function, and dynamics of an organism” (2), together referred to as “omics,” have been developed and applied to a wide variety of biological systems. Omics approaches, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, have transformed their respective disciplines. No longer is the study of a single gene, RNA, protein, or metabolite the norm. These approaches have also transformed modern biology as well, all the while stirring up a vigorous debate between those who favor hypothesis-driven science and those who favor data-driven science (3). This dichotomy, however, is too simplistic. In this editorial, I discuss how arguments about hypothesis- vs data-driven science have impacted the integration of omics approaches into our biological tool kit, as well as the grant review panels that evaluate proposed omics research. In addition, I discuss the role of journals, such as Molecular Endocrinology, in providing a forum for the presentation of high-quality omics resources.
From Redlich-Kwong to the present

Abstract The application of several recent modifications of the Redlich-Kwong equation of state to the calculation of thermodynamic and physical properties is discussed. These equations have generally incorporated changes in both formulation and termperature-dependence of the attractive term in order to more accurately predict PVT, enthalpy, or phase equilibrium behavior. More recently, modifications to the repulsive term have been proposed to improve predictions at high densities. This paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses of these modifcations and outlines the limitations of simultaneously predicting these properties with a single cubic equation of state.
2 > 1 + 1? The Impact of Contact with Gay and Lesbian Couples on Attitudes about Gays/Lesbians and Gay‐Related Policies

Contact with individual lesbians and gay men leads to more positive evaluations of the group and more support for pro-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) public policies. Increasingly, gay rights activists are making “gay families” central to their communications to the public about gay issues and policies. This prompts a new question in the area of contact theory: does contact with same-sex couples have a different impact on attitudes about gays/lesbians and gay-related public policies than contact with gay/lesbian individuals? On general attitudes, the two versions of contact perform similarly, but in specific policies, divergence shows itself. Contact with couples is a stronger force in shaping support for expansion of same-sex partnership recognition. However, while contact with individual gay men and lesbians is a significant indicator, contact with couples is not on other issues raising questions about the effectiveness of the focus on “gay families” for the broader goals of the contemporary LGBT movement.
Polarization rotation and coupling between silicon waveguide and hybrid plasmonic waveguide.

We present a polarization rotation and coupling scheme that rotates a TE0 mode in a silicon waveguide and simultaneously couples the rotated mode to a hybrid plasmonic (HP0) waveguide mode. Such a polarization rotation can be realized with a partially etched asymmetric hybrid plasmonic waveguide consisting of a silicon strip waveguide, a thin oxide spacer, and a metal cap made from copper, gold, silver or aluminum. Two implementations, one with and one without the tapering of the metal cap are presented, and different taper shapes (linear and exponential) are also analyzed. The devices have large 3 dB conversion bandwidths (over 200 nm at near infrared) and short length (< 5 μm), and achieve a maximum coupling factor of ∼ 78% with a linearly tapered silver metal cap.
Zeros of cesàro sum approximations

Let D denote the open unit disk and let be analytic on D with positive monotone decreasing coefficients f n. We answer several questions posed by J. Cima on the location of the zeros of polynomial approximates which he originally posed about outer functions. In particular, we show that the zeros of Cesaro approximants to f are well-behaved in the following sense: (1) if then γD is the only accumulation set for the zeros of the Cesaro sums of f ; and (2) if f has a representation where then we give sufficient conditions so that the convex hull of the zeros of the Cesaro sums of f will contain D.
Time of appearance and tissue distribution of a cell surface antigen in early chick development.

Abstract The distribution of the antigen defined by monoclonal antibody 224-1A6-A1 in the early chick embryo was studied. The antigen is unequivocally present in the rudimentary neural tube as early as the 12 somite stage (∼40 h of incubation). The antigen appears on some but not all derivatives of the ectoderm and mesoderm, but appears to be absent on endodermal derivatives. Monoclonal antibody 224-1A6-A1 therefore serves as a marker for early events in the developmental sequence leading toward the formation of the nervous system.
Prediction of stress profiles in ion exchanged glasses

Residual stress profiles are important for controlling the fracture behavior of ion exchanged glass. In the current study, the residual stress profile in single-step and two-step ion exchanged glass was calculated from the concentration profile and the composition-dependent stress relaxation behavior of glass. The dilation coefficient, used for the calculation, was determined from the measured stress profile in low-temperature ion exchanged glass, and it was found to be composition dependent. The calculated stress profiles in ion exchanged glass processed under typical conditions have reasonable agreement with the measured stress profiles. Therefore, using this methodology, optimization of the processing conditions for any particular requirement of the fracture behavior is possible.
Gold nanoparticle-catalyzed reduction in a model system: Quantitative determination of reactive heterogeneity of a supported nanoparticle surface

Abstract Kinetic poisoning experiments employing organic ligands were conducted using a gold nanoparticle–catalyzed reaction consisting of the reduction of resazurin to resorufin. The kinetic contributions of three distinct types of sites along with the number density of each of these site types during reaction were determined. The calculated number densities of each of the three types of sites, hypothesized to be corners, edges, and terraces, correlates well with atomic-resolution micrographs of the supported gold nanoparticles, obtained using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy and with predictions based on geometric models of idealized gold nanoparticles. The most active sites comprising 1% of the surface atoms exhibit at least 30% of the total activity of the catalyst for resazurin reduction. The selective mechanical blocking of surface sites on nanoparticles, particularly undercoordinated sites, paves the way for novel approaches utilizing organic ligands to quantify the activity of different active sites and control catalysis on metal surfaces.
Children's Rights and School Violence

ABSTRACT When children enter the United States public school system they experience a significant curtailment of their constitutional rights. A number of important court rulings are presented in this article that trace the development of children's rights within and outside the public school system. Recent cases of school violence have resulted in even greater erosion of student rights. It is argued in this article that the curtailment of student's rights is not necessarily an effective strategy for dealing with the perceived threat of school violence. A better solution is to inform the public including school teachers that school violence within the United States is relatively rare and that the real causes of violence which are largely found outside the school system is what needs to be treated through policy and program activities.
Peter F. Drucker: ethics scholar par excellence

Purpose – Drucker's views about ethics are supported by the philosophical foundations of Aristotle and Confucius with regard to the responsibilities and interdependencies that exist between individuals, organizations, and societies. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate Peter F. Drucker's work in the field of ethics as being applicable to the twenty‐first century and beyond.Design/methodology/approach – The approach used to research the topic was qualitative and constructive in nature. Primary resources relied on published scholarly work from Peter F. Drucker and Aristotle, in connection with work from other scholarly sources.Findings – The research demonstrates the continued viability of Peter F. Drucker's work in the field of ethics, as being applicable to the twenty‐first century and beyond.Practical implications – The paper offers substantive underpinnings for the current study of ethics in the business disciplines, while at the same time suggesting that “plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose...
Crises of Whiteness and Empire in Colonial Indochina: The Removal of Abandoned Eurasian Children From the Vietnamese Milieu, 1890–1956

From 1890–1956, non-governmental welfare agencies worked with the French colonial government in Indochina to remove Eurasian children, who had been abandoned by their French fathers, from their Vietnamese mothers and the Vietnamese cultural environment. In an era marked by historical exigencies, perceived threats to white prestige, and inherent challenges to the colonial patriarchy, such children were believed to be a threat to colonial security and white prestige. The racial formations of abandoned Eurasian children in colonial Indochina changed repeatedly in response to these threats. Drawing from the rhetoric of racial sciences and led by anxieties over changes colonial security, French civilians increasingly and colonial government administrators increasingly made the case that these children where white and must be removed from their Vietnamese mothers’ care, using force if necessary.
Pertussis toxin blocks adenosine A1 receptor mediated protection of the ischemic rat heart.

Adenosine and acetylcholine exert negative chronotropic and anti-adrenergic effects on nonischemic myocardium presumably via receptor coupling to the same or similar inhibitory guanine nucleotide binding protein (Gi). To determine whether the cardioprotective effect of adenosine is mediated via adenosine A1 receptor coupling to Gi proteins, isolated rat hearts, perfused at constant pressure and constant heart rate, were subjected to 30 min global normothermic (37 degrees C) ischemia and 45 min reperfusion. Untreated control hearts recovered 52 +/- 2% of preischemic left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP). Hearts treated for 10 minutes prior to ischemia with adenosine (100 microM) and the adenosine A1 receptor agonist cyclohexyladenosine (CHA, 0.25 microM) recovered 67 +/- 4% and 70 +/- 4%, respectively. Hearts treated with the non-specific muscarinic cholinergic agonist carbamylcholine (1 microM) exhibited similar enhanced postischemic recovery (70 +/- 3%). Pretreatment of rats with pertussis toxin (25 micrograms/kg i.p., 48 h prior to isolation) significantly reduced the negative chronotropic effects of adenosine and CHA. Pertussis toxin pretreatment also blocked the beneficial effects of adenosine (57 +/- 4% recovery) and CHA (49 +/- 4% recovery) on postischemic function. These results support the hypothesis that the salutary effect of adenosine on the ischemic myocardium is mediated via adenosine A1 receptor coupling to a pertussis toxin sensitive G protein, presumably Gi.
Applications of the HI-CLASS (high-performance CO2 laser radar surveillance sensor) laser system for active imaging of space objects

The HI-CLASS is a high power, wideband, coherent laser radar (ladar) for long range detection, tracking, and imaging located at the Maui Space Surveillance Site. HI-CLASS will be used to provide high precision metrics as well as information for images of space objects and remote sensing with the same system. The four phases of the HI-CLASS hardware development program were completed in Fall 1997. During this development contract, hardware and software were developed for two different modes of operation; a ladar mode for active imaging of satellites, and a lidar model for remote sensing atmospheric measurements. Throughout the contract, data were collected which provided a demonstration of the system capabilities which validated technology and designs required for fielding operational systems. The HI- CLASS follow-on demonstration program is currently being performed under an Air Force contract. The follow-on demonstrations will provide the groundwork to an upgrade program currently under consideration by the Air Force. HI- CLASS provides high accuracy tracking in position and velocity simultaneously, and by ultimately providing size, shape and orientation information, it will help assess adversary capabilities. HI-CLASS has the potential to address operational areas of need for increased capability for information about space objects. The follow-on contract effort and the HI-CLASS upgrade effort will provide a demonstration of these potential applications of the HI- CLASS system.
645 MECHANISMS OF SPECIFIC INTERACTION BETWEEN MOUSE ENTEROCYTES AND ROTAVIRUS: IMPLICATIONS IN PATHOGENESIS OF VIRAL ENTERITIS IN HUMAN INFANTS

The nature of virus-intestinal cellular interaction was examined in duodenal and jejunal enterocytes (EC) obtained from groups of adult and suckling mice inoculated orally with mouse rotavirus (MRV). The techniques of immunofluorescence (IF), electron microscopy (EM), and rosetting of MRV-coated sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) were employed for these studies. EM studies of small intestinal homogenates obtained 24 hours after infection revealed the presence of large amounts of MRV in suckling mice, but little or no virus was observed in the adult mice. IF studies demonstrated the presence of viral antigen in the cytoplasm in 15 to 40% of suckling EC and in 0 to 2% of adult EC. Isolated EC from uninfected adult or suckling mice were incubated with purified MRV-coated SRBC's. Specific binding of EC to virus coated SRBC's, as evidenced by formation of rosettes, was observed with 20% of suckling EC and only infrequently with adult EC. These data suggest that the degree of replication of MRV in the intestine may be determined by the availability of virus-specific receptors on EC. The differences in the relative proportion of such receptors between the suckling and adult EC may explain the unique predeliction of infants to rotavirus infection. Although the pathogenesis of MRV closely resembles human rotavirus infection, the identification of similar receptors on human enterocytes remains to be established.
An Interpretive Review of Social Science Research On Behaving-Valuing Patterns of Low Status People

This study extracts from scholarly studies of behaviors of low- status Americans a theory-based perspective for interpreting their behaving-valuing patterns. Valuing is defined, from the point of view of the valuing subject, as an activity tied to satisfaction of needs and assuagement of desires. Kreiberg's hypothesis that be haviors and values can be modified to the extent that they are serially independent, non-central to self-concept, monitored by peers, and dependent upon external circumstances was found to be particularly useful in accounting for the malleability of conven tional behaviors and values and the formation of new adaptive problem solving ones among low status people. Implications for the purposes of adult basic education are specified.
The effect of thyroxine analogues on a transplantable mouse pituitary tumor.

Twenty-seven compounds structurally related to thyroxinc were tested for their effect in depressing the growth of a TSH secreting pituitary tumor. After the transplanted tumor had grown to approximately 1.5 cubic centimeters in radiothyroidectomized hosts, compounds were injected daily for various periods of time. Measurements of tumor size were made weekly. Quantitative data were obtained relating amounts of the compounds required to suppress tumor growth. Activity of the analogues was calculated in terms of relative potency compared to L-thyroxine. Triiodothyronine was the only compound as effective as L-thyroxine. No compounds were found more effective. Most analogues compare well when compared on the basis of preventing a thiouracil induced goiter and effectiveness in inhibiting tumor growth. No compound which failed to show thyroxine-like activity, by previously reported methods, was found capable of preventing tumor growth. No compound even in high doses caused the completed disappearance of establi...
Hanging tongues: A sociological encounter with the assembly line

This study reflects approximately nine weeks of participant observation on an assembly line in the slaughter division of a large beef processing plant in the Midwest. Couched within a symbolic interactionist perspective, it focuses on the day-to-day activities of assembly line workers. It examines the sociological aspects of the workers' interaction on the job, how they coped with the danger, strain, and monotony of the work, and how they developed consumer spending norms which virtually trapped them in the plant. It also examines how the workers attempted to maintain their sense of self-worth despite the demeaning and dehumanizing aspects of their jobs.
Hodgkin's disease: a reassessment of prognostic factors following modification of radiotherapy.

Abstract Between 1970 and 1982, 175 patients with Stage IA, B, IIA, or IIA Hodgkin's disease were treated with curative radiotherapy following surgical staging. The patients treated prior to 1975 received either regular extended or total nodal field treatments (Treatment Group 1, N=65). Unsatisfactory results from this treatment program led to treatment modification in 1975. The modified protocols consisted of low-dose lung irradiation in patients having large mediastinal masses and/or hilar disease, and low-dose liver irradiation for Stage MIAs, patients (Treatment Group 2, N=110). Recurrence-free survival rates improved significantly for various risk groups. Univariate analysis indicated that age, stage, symptoms, mediastinal mass size, number of sites involved, hilar disease, stage, and symptoms were significant risk factors in Treatment Group 1. In Treatment Group 2, only sex was a statistically significant risk factor. Stepwise Cox regression analysis for risk factors selected mediastinal mass size and stage as the most significant prognostic factors in Treatment Group 1. In Treatment Group 2, number of initial disease sites and sex were the most significant risk factors. The results of the study show significant improvement in recurrence-free survival rates in Treatment Group 2. It is concluded that these improvements are due to the modification in treatment.
Getting to the heart of COX-2 inhibition

Aspirin protects against heart disease, while COX-2 Inhibitors appear to injure the heart. The studies by Francois et al. (2005 [this Issue of Cell Metabolism]) shed light on two distinct prostaglandin receptors contributing to these conflicting cardiovascular effects.
Residential Property Tax Abatements and Rebuilding in Cleveland, Ohio

In the late 1980s the city of Cleveland began offering residential property tax abatements in an effort to (1) reduce blight, (2) attract home owners, and (3) build upon the momentum established by the construction of several downtown attractions. When Cleveland’s legislation authorizing part of the abatement program was to be renewed in 2005, a new mayor asked for an assessment of the program’s status and its fiscal effects. Utilizing property tax and assessment files and a survey of individuals who had purchased a home that received the property tax abatement, this study finds that Cleveland’s investment through forgone property taxes will likely result in overall fiscal gains for the city. Despite this success, property tax abatements, even coupled with the building of an impressive set of cultural amenities, have yet to reverse the demographic and economic trends that have plagued Cleveland for more than fifty years.
Molecular characterization of severe hemophilia A suggests that about half the mutations are not within the coding regions and splice junctions of the factor VIII gene.

Abstract Hemophilia A is an X chromosome-linked disorder resulting from deficiency of factor VIII, an important protein in blood coagulation. A large number of disease-producing mutations have been reported in the factor VIII gene. However, a comprehensive analysis of the mutations has been difficult because of the large gene size, its many scattered exons, and the high frequency of de novo mutations. Recently, we have shown that nearly all mutations resulting in mild-to-moderate hemophilia A can be detected by PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). In this study, we attempted to discover the mutations causing severe hemophilia A by analyzing 47 unselected patients, 30 of whom had severe hemophilia and 17 of whom had mild-to-moderate disease. Using DGGE as a screening method, we analyzed 99% of the coding region, 94% of the splice junctions, the promoter region, and the polyadenylylation site of the gene. We found the mutation in 16 of 17 (94%) patients with mild-to-moderate disease but in only 16 of 30 (53%) patients with severe hemophilia A. Since DGGE after computer analysis appears to detect all mutations in a given fragment, the lower-than-expected yield of mutations in patients with severe disease is likely not due to failure of the detection method; it is probably due to the presence of mutations in DNA sequences outside the regions studied. Such sequences may include locus-controlling regions, other sequences within introns or outside the gene that are important for its expression, or another gene involved in factor VIII expression that is very closely linked to the factor VIII gene.
VASECTOMY, INFLAMMATION, ATHEROSCLEROSIS AND LONG-TERM FOLLOWUP FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES: NO ASSOCIATIONS IN THE ATHEROSCLEROSIS RISK IN COMMUNITIES STUDY

Purpose: Although human studies have failed to reveal an increased risk of clinical cardiovascular disease in men who undergo vasectomy, the possibility exists that an association may be detectable only after a long followup, or it may be more evident for subclinical than clinical disease. We assessed the association of vasectomy with inflammation and coagulation factors, carotid intimal-medial thickness, carotid plaque, prevalent peripheral arterial disease, and incident coronary heart disease and stroke in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort.Materials and Methods: Included in the study were 3,957 white men 45 to 64 years old who were free of coronary heart disease at the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) baseline examination in 1987 to 1989. Data on vasectomy was collected at baseline by self-reporting. High resolution B-mode ultrasound was done to assess carotid intimal-medial thickness and carotid plaque. The cohort was followed an average of 9 years for incident cardiovascular eve...
Vesicular‐arbuscular mycorrhizal infection effects on sorghum growth, phosphorus efficiency, and mineral element uptake

Abstract Four P efficient and four P inefficient sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] genotypes were grown with viable and nonviable vesicular‐arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) [Glomus fasciculatum (Thaxter sensu Gerd.) Gerd. and Trappe] inocula to study VAM effects on sorghum growth and mineral element uptake. Sorghum plants infected with VAM had 14 times higher shoot and 13 times higher root dry matter yields than uninfected plants. Shoots of VAM infected plants had higher P, K, Mg, S, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn contents than shoots of uninfected plants. Infected sorghum plants utilized greater amounts of P to produce unit shoot dry matter than uninfected plants. Therefore, VAM infected sorghum plants were less efficient in P utilization than uninfected plants. Root length had high positive correlations with shoot P, K, Mg, S, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn contents. Higher P uptake of VAM infected sorghum plants was attributed to larger absorption surface areas because of root proliferation as well as to VAM hyphae ex...
Direct estimation of the frequency of human cytotoxic T lymphocytes and their precursors following in vitro allosensitization.

Cell mediated lympholysis (CML) has been proposed as an in vitro model of the rejection process that results from transplantation of allogeneic tissue. To date, the absolute frequencies of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and their precursors (CTL.P) have not been directly estimated in man because of technical difficulties. Through optimizing the conditions for radiometric detection of 51Cr release and the attendant improvement in CML sensitivity, direct CTL frequency estimates have been determined in peripheral blood (PBL), spleen (SPL), and lymph nodes (LNC) after in vitro allostimulation using unrelated human cells and limiting dilution assays. The mean frequency of CTL generated from PBL is 1 in 826 cells (0.121% ± 0.101%) which, from preliminary experiments, is significantly greater than that generated from either LNC or SPL (p < 0.05). With restimulation of primed cells on day 10, the frequency of CTL generated from PBL was increased 400%. The CTL.P frequency (0.0064% ± 0.0050%) was ∼5% of the corresponding CTL frequency. The CTL.P frequencies were found to be minimal estimates as both accessory “filler” cells and T cell growth factors increased the level of detection of CTL.P an average of threefold. The limiting cell dilution assay as detailed in this report should be a powerful tool for defining the cellular requirements and related factors necessary for optimal induction of a CTl response and should provide the means for determination of the immunogenetic requirements and the allospecificity of human cytotoxic lymphocytes.
Politics and American Popular Culture

The success of political societies depends as much upon political culture, the “unwritten constitution,” as upon legal and constitutional institutions. For a premise so generally accepted, politica...
Electronic effects in the semiconductor - photocatalyzed oxidative cleavage of olefins

Abstract A linear Hammett plot (ϱ + = −0.56) is obtained from relative rates of TiO 2 powder sensitized oxidative cleavage of para-substituted 1,1-diphenylethylenes, better correlation having been observed with σ + parameters than with σ.
Are individual differences in rates of aging greater at older ages

Although differences among people are frequently assumed to increase with age, cross-sectional comparisons of measures of brain structure and measures of cognitive functioning often reveal similar magnitudes of between-person variability across most of adulthood. The phenomenon of nearly constant variability despite systematically lower means with increased age suggests that individual differences in rates of aging may be relatively small, particularly compared with the individual differences apparent at any age. The current study examined between-person variability in cross-sectional means and in short-term longitudinal changes in 5 cognitive abilities at different ages in adulthood. The variability in both level and change in cognitive performance was found to be similar among healthy adults from 25 to 75 years of age in all 5 cognitive abilities. Furthermore, the correlations between scores at the first and second occasions were very high, and nearly the same magnitude at all ages. The results indicate that between-person differences in short-term cognitive changes are not inevitably greater among healthy older adults than among young adults.