cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Actions of cocaine on central monoamine neurons: Intracellular recordings in vitro

Intracellular recordings from monoaminergic neurons in brain slice preparations have been used to study the action of cocaine. The firing rate of noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus, serotonergic neurons of dorsal raphe and dopaminergic neurons from substantia nigra zona compacta is reduced or inhibited by the transmitter substance that they produce. This process, which can be brought about by release of the transmitter from either dendrites or axon collaterals in the vicinity of the cell bodies, has been referred to as 'autoinhibition'. In each case, the inhibition results from a membrane hyperpolarization caused by an increased conductance to potassium ions. In each of the nuclei, cocaine caused a decrease in spontaneous firing through a membrane hyperpolarization. This action of cocaine was blocked by the respective 'autoreceptor' antagonist. In the locus coeruleus and dorsal raphe cocaine prolonged an inhibitory postsynaptic potential caused by the release of noradrenaline and 5-HT respectively. The concentration-response curve for the exogenously applied agonist in each of the three nuclei was shifted to the left in the presence of cocaine. These observations indicate that the activity of these aminergic neurons was affected by cocaine through an inhibition of the reuptake of endogenously release transmitter. The blockade of reuptake increased the extracellular level of noradrenaline, 5-HT and dopamine in the respective nuclei to concentrations which caused electrophysiologically detectable effects. This suggests that the reuptake process is a primary mechanism for termination of the response. In addition, this action of cocaine occurs at behaviorally relevant concentrations. The fact that all monoaminergic transmission can be affected by cocaine may contribute to the complexity of its behavioral actions.
Studies on the role of heme in the regulation of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase during fetal hepatic development.

The role of heme in the regulation of δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) synthetase was studied in fetal rat liver. The activity of ALA synthetase, the first and rate-limiting enzyme in the heme-biosynthetic pathway, is 10 times higher in fetal rat liver mitochondria than in adults. Hemin injection depresses mitochondrial ALA synthetase activity in the adult but not in the fetus. Cycloheximide, a selective inhibitor of protein synthesis in cytoplasmic ribosomes, but not in mitochondria, causes a rapid decrease in fetal mitochondrial ALA synthetase activity. When hemin is given prior to cycloheximide, a slower rate of turnover of mitochondrial ALA synthetase activity occurs than after cycloheximide alone. Treatment with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, an inhibitor of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, the second enzyme in heme biosynthesis, causes a decrease in fetal mitochondrial ALA synthetase activity but no decrease in the extramitochondrial enzyme levels. These studies indicate that heme may facilitate the development of mitochondrial ALA synthetase in fetal rat liver. It is suggested that ALA synthetase may not become rate-limiting in hepatic heme biosynthesis until it becomes susceptible to repression by heme, a phenomenon which does not develop until near the time of birth.
Edge phencmena in impulse breakdown tests on solid insulation

Breakdown tests on commercial sheet insulation are usually made with disc electrodes with either square or round edges1. The breakdown is often initiated at he electrode edges where the electrical stress on the immersion medium is high, even when liquid immersants are used.
Wole Soyinka: The ambiguous freight of visionary mythopoesis: fictional and nonfictional prose works

What I do see is a new voice coming out of Africa, speaking in a worldwide language … The price a world language must be prepared to pay is submission to many different kinds of use. The African writer should aim to use English in a way that brings out his message best without altering the language to the extent that its value as a medium of international exchange will be lost. Chinua Achebe, “The African Writer and the English Language” In narration he affects a disproportionate pomp of diction, and a wearisome train of circumlocution, and tells the incident imperfectly in many words, which might have been more plainly delivered in few. Narration in dramatic poetry is naturally tedious, as it is unanimated and inactive, and obstructs the progress of the action; it should therefore always be rapid, and enlivened by interruption. Shakespeare found it an incumbrance, and instead of lightening it by brevity, endeavoured to recommend it by dignity and splendour. Samuel Johnson, Preface to the Plays of William Shakespeare Within the entire body of Soyinka's writings, the fictional and nonfictional prose works constitute the most uneven group of works. This poses a formidable challenge for scholars and critics.
Epidemiology of Milk-Borne Diseases.

Secular trends in milk-borne diseases in the U.S.A. show numerous outbreaks associated with ingestion of raw milk in the early 1900s until the end of World War II. Diseases common in this period, but no longer milk-borne, were typhoid fever, scarlet fever, septic sore throat, diphtheria, tuberculosis, shigellosis, and milk sickness. Milk-borne and milk-product-borne diseases rarely reported somewhere in the world were botulism, Escherichia coli enteritis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa enteritis, listeriosis, Clostridium perfringens enteritis, Bacillus cereus gastroenteritis, Haverhill fever, Q fever, hepatitis A, poliomyelitis, toxoplasmosis, histamine intoxication and hypertension. After most milk was pasteurized, outbreaks decreased dramatically. Milk-borne diseases of contemporary importance in the U.S.A. are salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, staphylococcal intoxication, brucellosis, and yersiniosis. These have usually been associated with ingestion of raw milk, certified raw milk, home-made ice cream containing fresh eggs, dried milk, pasteurized milk which was contaminated after heat processing, or either cheese made from raw milk or cheese in which starter activity was inhibited during its manufacture.
P&O-PI and fuzzy-PI MPPT Controllers and their time domain optimization using PSO and GA for grid-connected photovoltaic system: a comparative study

In this paper, control strategies are proposed for photovoltaic system connected to the grid. The solar panel is connected to DC link through power converters. Control methods of perturb and observe (P&O)-proportional integral (PI), fuzzy logic-PI, and optimisation of these controllers using particle swarm optimisation (PSO) and genetic algorithm (GA) for MPPT control of photovoltaic generator (PV generator) are proposed, and a PI controller is used to maintain DC-link voltage constant under different conditions. Simulation results under different environmental and operating conditions are presented and discussed to verify the satisfactory performance of the proposed control strategies, in which the optimised fuzzy-PI controller by PSO algorithms gives the better performance specification regarding the other methods.
CoLux: multi-object 3D micro-motion analysis using speckle imaging

We present CoLux, a novel system for measuring micro 3D motion of multiple independently moving objects at macroscopic standoff distances. CoLux is based on speckle imaging, where the scene is illuminated with a coherent light source and imaged with a camera. Coherent light, on interacting with optically rough surfaces, creates a high-frequency speckle pattern in the captured images. The motion of objects results in movement of speckle, which can be measured to estimate the object motion. Speckle imaging is widely used for micro-motion estimation in several applications, including industrial inspection, scientific imaging, and user interfaces (e.g., optical mice). However, current speckle imaging methods are largely limited to measuring 2D motion (parallel to the sensor image plane) of a single rigid object. We develop a novel theoretical model for speckle movement due to multi-object motion, and present a simple technique based on global scale-space speckle motion analysis for measuring small (5--50 microns) compound motion of multiple objects, along all three axes. Using these tools, we develop a method for measuring 3D micro-motion histograms of multiple independently moving objects, without tracking the individual motion trajectories. In order to demonstrate the capabilities of CoLux, we develop a hardware prototype and a proof-of-concept subtle hand gesture recognition system with a broad range of potential applications in user interfaces and interactive computer graphics.
C.I. Lewis? A Significant Figure in American Pragmatism: Tracing Lines of Influence and Affinities of Themes and Ideas

This chapter situates Lewis within the history of American pragmatism in two major respects. First, it explains in detail how Lewis was strongly influenced by the epistemology and logical theory of Peirce and Royce. Specific attention is paid to how Lewis’s theory of the pragmatic a priori is best understood as an explication and clarification of earlier pragmatist themes. Second, it shows that Quine, who was influenced by Lewis in several respects, was much less of a pragmatist than Lewis himself was. Philosophers interested in the neopragmatist tradition descending from Quine should therefore take much more sustained interest in Lewis.
In situ X-ray micro-CT characterization of chemo-mechanical relaxations during Sn lithiation

Abstract Sn has been proposed for use as a high capacity anode material. Because of its ductile metallic nature, Sn may exhibit unique stress evolution during lithiation. Here, 2D radiography and 3D tomography are employed to visualize the evolution of geometry, internal structure, alloying, and damage during lithiation, delithiation, and rest of Sn wires with micron scale diameters. Lithiation proceeds isotropically, resulting in geometric and dimensional changes after 25% of total lithiation when the tensile stresses are sufficiently high to exceed the flow stress of the unlithiated Sn core and cause elongation and diameter increase. Damage occurs at later stages in the form of cracks terminating at the wire surface and voids forming in the unlithiated core. Notably, significant fragmentation occurs during delithiation which, due to void formation that accommodates the resulting stresses, does not measurably alter the wire cross-section and length. The distinguishing feature of the chemo-mechanics of Sn compared to Si or Ge is the pronounced creep rate at applied strain rates as high as 10−6 s−1, which promotes large strains in the core, eventually leading to void nucleation in the unlithiated core during lithiation, and more importantly, continues driving the deformation of the anode while at rest.
Quantification of thrombus formation in malapposed coronary stents deployed in vitro through imaging analysis.

Stent thrombosis is a major complication of coronary stent and scaffold intervention. While often unanticipated and lethal, its incidence is low making mechanistic examination difficult through clinical investigation alone. Thus, throughout the technological advancement of these devices, experimental models have been indispensable in furthering our understanding of device safety and efficacy. As we refine model systems to gain deeper insight into adverse events, it is equally important that we continue to refine our measurement methods. We used digital signal processing in an established flow loop model to investigate local flow effects due to geometric stent features and ultimately its relationship to thrombus formation. A new metric of clot distribution on each microCT slice termed normalized clot ratio was defined to quantify this distribution. Three under expanded coronary bare-metal stents were run in a flow loop model to induce clotting. Samples were then scanned in a MicroCT machine and digital signal processing methods applied to analyze geometric stent conformation and spatial clot formation. Results indicated that geometric stent features play a significant role in clotting patterns, specifically at a frequency of 0.6225 Hz corresponding to a geometric distance of 1.606 mm. The magnitude-squared coherence between geometric features and clot distribution was greater than 0.4 in all samples. In stents with poor wall apposition, ranging from 0.27 mm to 0.64 mm maximum malapposition (model of real-world heterogeneity), clots were found to have formed in between stent struts rather than directly adjacent to struts. This early work shows how the combination of tools in the areas of image processing and signal analysis can advance the resolution at which we are able to define thrombotic mechanisms in in vitro models, and ultimately, gain further insight into clinical performance.
Three-Dimensional Echocardiography to Assess Intra-cardiac Masses

Echocardiography is the most frequently used imaging modality in the assessment of intra-cardiac masses. Historically, this evaluation had been based on the analysis of two-dimensional (2D) slices of the heart. The information obtained from orthogonal tomographic planes from several acoustic windows, was used in an attempt to mentally reconstruct a model, of how the mass would actually appear in three dimensions, and how it would relate to the adjacent structures.
Hepatitis B Infection Control Among Physicians, Dentists and Laboratory Personnel

In 1949, Liebowitz and his coworkers provided the first description of a health worker, in this instance a blood bank technician, who developed hepatitis B as a consequence of her employment (1). Their observations on hepatitis B as a hazard to health care personnel have been extended by many others, especially after the emergence of new medical techniques, such as hemodialysis, which introduced into the hospital setting a new source of infection in the form of frequently transfused chronic renal disease patients who manifested a high prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriage (2,3,4). Other developments, including increasing parenteral drug abuse, the migration to the United States of population groups from areas of high hepatitis B endemicity, and disease transmission among male homosexuals also may have contributed to greater probability of exposure of health care workers to the hepatitis B virus. As a consequence, it is now well recognized that the effective control of this problem is of major importance. In defining a suggested approach to this problem, I will describe the extent to which physicians, dentists and laboratory personnel are subject to the risk of hepatitis B as well as the specific risk factor involved, the real and possible outcomes of infection, and, finally, the potentialities and shortcomings of the environmental, immunological, epidemiological and clinical modalities of infection control.
An Empirical Test of the Impacts of Domestic Cross-Listing on H Shares: The 'H A' Cross-Listing Mode

Most previous studies indicated that a stock tends to show positive returns prior to cross-listing date and negative returns, at least in the first few weeks following cross listings in global capital markets, especially in the NYSE and the AMEX. So, what is the case between Hong Kong and Mainland China, where plays an inversed cross-listing mode. Besides, what's interesting is the cross listing trends increase rapidly between these two regions recently, though a global-wide declining happened during the past several years. This paper provides a test of how the listing of corresponding A shares in China domestic stock market affects their corresponding H shares in Hong Kong security market. It is shown that the corresponding H shares experience negative abnormal returns, (ARs) at least in the first few weeks following the domestic listing date. Besides, PRC regulators are encouraging their broad-listed SOEs to dual list back to A share market. But, is this a proper action, based on current unwell-established China capital market, where high risk exists?
Sella and Suprasellar Brain Tumours and Infiltrarive Disorders Affecting the HPA-Axis

The pituitary is a unique organ that is key to maintaining end organ function. However, it is particularly susceptible to some tumors, cysts, and infiltrates. Disruption of pituitary function may help target symptom etiology, but can lead to significant morbidity and mortality if not treated effectively.
Toward Service Systems Engineering

This article describes an approach to service systems design that combines concepts and methods from systems engineering, organization theory, and behavioral science research. The approach, called service systems engineering (SSE), views the three field..
The use and cost-effectiveness of intraoperative navigation in pediatric sinus surgery.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS There are consensus statements about when to use intraoperative navigation (IN) in adult sinus surgery. However, no corresponding guidelines exist for pediatrics. Our objectives included: 1) assess the demographic and operative factors associated with IN use and 2) calculate the cost-effectiveness of IN use. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective chart review. METHODS One hundred nineteen pediatric patients undergoing sinus surgery between 2003 and 2016 were reviewed. Demographic and surgical factors were collected from medical records. Costs associated with use of IN were gathered from billing records. RESULTS Of the 119 patients, 60 underwent sinus surgery with navigation (wIN) and 59 underwent surgery without navigation (sIN). Children in the wIN group had more complex surgeries with more sinuses opened (P = .008). Individual attending surgeon and presence of trainee were associated with increased use of IN (P < .001 for both). IN resulted in a median of 31.5 minutes longer surgical time (P < .001). IN had an incremental cost/effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $22,378 for each year without revision surgery for patients with acute disease. However, for patients with chronic disease, the probability of undergoing a second surgery was the same between wIN and sIN groups, and navigation was not cost-effective (ICER of -$3,583). CONCLUSIONS IN use did not decrease complications or rates of revision surgery. It was used primarily as an educational tool or to increase confidence in intraoperative identification of landmarks. However, the use of IN added surgical time and was not cost-effective. Further research must be completed to determine when IN is indicated in pediatric sinus surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4 Laryngoscope, 2019.
Do maximalist shoes mitigate risk factors for tibial stress fractures better than stability or flexible (marketed as minimalist) shoes

Background: Tibial stress fractures (TSF) are a common running related injury. Specific risk factors include increased rearfoot eversion and increased vertical instantaneous and average loading rat...
Plug and Play Flexible Signal Classification and Processing System

With an expanding wireless revolution fueled by Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous cars, and software defined radios (SDRs), the need to monitor the wireless environment in real-time is becoming paramount in a variety of important applications. In this work, we present a scalable plug and play real-time signal classification and processing architecture motivated by these important applications. While many existing works focus on specific signal classification techniques, our focus is on providing a robust and flexible architecture that enables classification of a wide range of signals. Our distributed architecture allows the processing components to be mixed and matched in a variety of configurations to best suit the classification and processing requirements of the desired application. We describe how our architecture can be used in a variety of scenarios to detect unauthorized wireless activities including airports, power substations, and shared wireless spectrum. We build a prototype implementation of our architecture that successfully demonstrates its practicality and utility. We evaluate our system in terms of both processing and networking throughput. We show that we can process up to 20 MHz of bandwidth from a HackRF One software defined radio as 32-bit IQ samples and that over 99.99% of the samples at that sample rate can be transferred between components on the same machine during a 15 minute period.
Social Practice as Arts-based Methodology: Exploring Participation, Multiplicity, and Collective Action as Elements of Inquiry

Claims that the arts are a kind of research is nothing new, finding relevance for scholars in the social sciences and the arts (Barone & Eisner, 2011; Cahnmann Taylor & Siegesmund, 2018; Leavy, 2019, 2009; Sullivan, 2005). Given that art is continuously being reimagined, it follows that arts-based research takes into account contemporary artistic processes and materials and the theories, aesthetic philosophies and contexts that shape them. In this paper, this author considers socially engaged art in the context of arts-based research and raises the question, what can be learned from social practice as an arts-based methodology? The work of three socially engaged artists are referenced to demonstrate how distinct qualities associated with social practice, such as shared participation, multiplicity, and collective action offer new considerations for arts-based research that aims to bring about social change.
Impact of media reports regarding influenza vaccine on obstetricians' vaccination practices.

Abstract Background In 2017, three media stories regarding influenza vaccine may have impacted obstetricians’ (OB) influenza vaccination practices: reports of reduced influenza vaccine effectiveness, a severe influenza season, and a possible increased risk of miscarriage among pregnant women receiving 2009 H1N1 vaccine in the 1st trimester who had received H1N1 vaccine the previous season (later disproven). Objective Describe OB’s: (1) awareness of; (2) attitudes and experiences related to; and (3) reported alterations in practice as a result of these reports. Methods A survey among a nationally representative sample of OBs April to June 2018. Results Response rate was 65% (302/468). 88% of OBs were “very aware” of the severe season, 74% of lower effectiveness, and 25% of the miscarriage study (47% “completely unaware” of miscarriage study). Among those aware, 58%, 57%, and 16% reported ≥10% of pregnant patients initiated discussions about the severe season, lower effectiveness, and miscarriage study, respectively. Most (83%) agreed reports about increased severity increased their enthusiasm for recommending influenza vaccine; fewer agreed reports about the miscarriage study (18%) and lower vaccine effectiveness (12%) decreased their enthusiasm for recommending influenza vaccine. Providers were more likely to initiate discussion with patients about increased severity of the season than the other reports. However, 35% agreed the miscarriage study reports increased their concerns about influenza vaccine safety; 18% (n = 48) reported changing the way they recommended influenza vaccine. Of those, 17 (6% of all respondents) reported not recommending influenza vaccine to women during the 1st trimester and 26 (10% of all respondents) recommended it but were willing to delay until the 2nd trimester. Conclusions During a season in which media stories could have influenced OB influenza vaccination behaviors in different directions, reports underscoring importance of influenza vaccine may have had more impact on OBs’ recommendations than reports questioning vaccine safety or effectiveness.
Human pituitary neurophysin precursors.

Publisher Summary Based on the model of intragranular processing of precursor molecules to their respective neurophysins and neurohypophysial hormones during the axonal transport of granules from the hypothalamus to the pituitary, one would predict that some incompletely processed precursor forms might be stored within the neurosecretory granules of the neurohypophysis. This chapter discusses the molecular studies on neurophysins found in human neurohypophyseal tissue. Given the presence of incompletely processed neurophysin precursor molecules in the neurohypophysis, it can be predicted that following appropriate stimulation these forms are also released into the blood along with the normal neurophysins and neurohypophysial hormones. There is precedent for this in other cellular systems employing intragranular enzymatic processing of precursor molecules to final products, such as the pancreatic beta islet cells, where up to 5 % of the granular insulin content is incompletely processed proinsulin, which is released in measurable quantities into the blood. With the future development of methods to measure the levels of neurohypophysial precursor molecules and cleavage products in plasma, it may thereby gain new insights into the physiology and pathophysiology of neurohypophysial function in humans.
A unifying theory explaining venous sinus stenosis and recurrent stenosis following venous sinus stenting in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), or perhaps more accurately chronic intracranial venous hypertension syndrome (CIVHS),1 is a disabling condition often resulting in severe pressure headaches, visual symptoms, and tinnitus. In the last decade, venous sinus stenting (VSS) has emerged as a safe and effective treatment for patients with IIH with associated venous sinus stenosis and a documented trans-stenosis pressure gradient (TSPG). While meta-analyses of small retrospective series have demonstrated low rates of retreatment with high rates of headache and visual improvement,2–4 some recent studies have revealed that many patients (as high as 60%) develop symptom recurrence after VSS.5 There are very few published articles that provide neurointerventionists with recommendations regarding the selection and treatment of IIH patients6 and essentially no evidence-based recommendations are available regarding the specifics of stent construct lengths or sizes. Further, questions remain about the pathophysiologic mechanism at play and why recurrent stenosis develops. Experience gained from a high-volume VSS practice has provided important insights into these phenomena. Herein I propose a unifying theory that explains the pathophysiology of de novo and recurrent venous sinus stenosis in IIH patients, with attention given to how this may impact stent construct size and length. ### Unifying theory summary The proposed theory is centered around four core principles: (1) elevations in intracranial pressure (ICP) have a diffuse impact on venous sinuses and their calibers; (2) there is variability in susceptibility to ICP-mediated stenosis in different regions of the sinuses, with the lateral transverse sinus being most susceptible and the torcula being resistant; (3) venous sinus stenosis is mediated through a positive feedback loop resulting in upstream venous congestion and elevated intramural venous pressures; and (4) recurrent stenosis occurs after stenting due to the effect of ongoing ICP elevations on susceptible regions of the sinuses in the setting of lower intramural venous …
The Dimensions of Food Insecurity in Sierra Leone: Cues for Technology Innovation

The broad issues of access, stability, availability, and utilization of food are deeply affected by individuals' socioeconomic decisions at the household level. This article synthesizes 100 interviews with rural and urban residents, farmers, and food vendors in rural central Sierra Leone to provide a detailed picture of their food security situation at a household level. These interviews provide specific information about daily meal contents and preparation, differences between urban and rural settings, and popular dishes. Additional insights include market interaction, barriers to participation, food purchasing behaviors, and seasonal variations. Respondents also explained their primary sources of nutrition education and their perceptions surrounding this knowledge. The authors synthesize these insights into discussions on four dimensions of food security: access; stability; availability; and utilization. Based on these findings, the authors present several potential leverage points for technology innovation. The first focuses on transportation and infrastructure along with shortening of supply chains and increased market access. The second is a concentration of national and community efforts on practical nutrition education and specific food preparation alternatives. Finally, the authors suggest that more efficient, appropriate cultivation technologies such as low-cost greenhouses could help Sierra Leone address challenges across all four dimensions of food security.
The Shape of Change: Determining When Mechanisms of Behavior Change Are Active in Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder Using Time-Varying Effect Modeling (TVEM).

Objective: Research has identified several potential mechanisms of behavior change (MOBCs) in cognitive–behavioral therapy for alcohol use disorder, including alcohol abstinence self-efficacy (AASE...
Brain Tumor Segmentation Using Deep Neural Networks and Survival Prediction

Magnetic resonance image (MRI) is widely applied to the brain tumor diagnosis and treatment. Approximately 35 million MRIs are performed annually worldwide in recent years. Manual segmentation and extraction of the tumor area from MRIs are time-consuming. The emergence of deep-learning algorithms offers new opportunities to automate the medical images processing and analysis with high accuracy. In the study, we built deep-learning models for brain tumor segmentation. The MRI files were first preprocessed through the procedures including reorientation, de-noising, bias-correcting, skull stripping, and co-registration. Then, the two deep-learning algorithms, DeepMedic and 3D U-Net, were used for tumor segmentation model construction. Different from the sequential DeepMedic model, 3D U-net has an encoding and decoding patch that allows shortcut connections from layers with equal resolution in the encoding path to the layers in the decoding path and can provide the high-resolution features. The dice coefficient (DICE), a most commonly used metric for validating medical volume segmentations, was adopted for performance evaluation. Our DeepMedic model achieved DICE of 0.802, whereas 3D U-Net achieved 0.876 for overall segmentation. Moreover, we built a linear regression model using shape features including size and surface area of different segmented tumor tissue sections from the results of 3D U-Net model along with clinical data of age and gross total resection status for patient survival prediction. Compared to using the clinical data alone, we found that combining shape features improved the prediction of overall survival by 7%. We further increased the overall survival prediction accuracy by an additional 9% by replacing the shape features that were not significantly correlated with survival with some selected texture. Our work provided models for automated brain tumor segmentation and patient survival prediction.
Chapter 1 – Phase-Change Solvents for CO2 Capture

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is a major greenhouse gas responsible for global warming; hence, much effort has been attracted to developing new materials and technologies for CO 2 capture from process gas streams. Recently, phase-change solvents have emerged as one of the most promising approaches for CO 2 capture. During the phase-change process, an absorbent will typically form two phases (e.g., two liquid phases or liquid–solid phases) after CO 2 absorption. These two phases may be defined as CO 2 -rich and CO 2 -lean and can easily be separated from each other. The CO 2 -lean phase can be recycled back to the absorber and the CO 2 -rich phase can be sent to a stripper for regeneration. By regenerating only the CO 2 -rich phase, significant energy can be saved. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art research activities related to phase-change solvents, including solvent design and characterization, and CO 2 capture performance and process design. After a brief introduction of conventional chemical absorption, several new solvents are discussed. Next, the state-of-the-art research activities related to phase-change solvents for CO 2 capture are highlighted. Our discussion concludes with some personal perspectives on future development in which phase-change solvents could be further studied.
omega-Conotoxin GVIA receptors of Discopyge electric organ. Characterization of omega-conotoxin binding to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

A peptide toxin from a Conus marine snail, omega-conotoxin GVIA (omega-CgTx) has been used extensively as a probe for certain types of neuronal calcium channels. It is often assumed that omega-CgTx interacts with Ca2+ channels exclusively. We have tested this assumption in a study of omega-CgTx-binding sites in the electric organ of Discopyge ommata. Synaptosomal membranes from this tissue contain low affinity omega-CgTx receptor sites (Kd = 0.6 microM) in great abundance (280 pmol/mg of protein), as first reported by Ahmad and Miljanich (Ahmad, S. N., and Miljanich, G.P. (1988) Brain Res. 453, 247-256). However, we find that a large majority of these omega-CgTx-binding sites co-purify with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and can be immunoprecipitated by monoclonal antibodies generated against the nAChR of Torpedo. Cross-linking experiments with radiolabeled omega-CgTx show pronounced specific labeling of the alpha-subunit of the nAChR but not other subunits. Specific omega-CgTx binding to the nAChR is reduced by millimolar Ca2+ but not by alpha- or kappa-bungarotoxin, alpha-conotoxin, or carbamylcholine. Cross-linking experiments also reveal omega-CgTx-binding proteins of 170 and 60 kDa. The characteristics of the 170-kDa protein make it a likely candidate for the alpha 1-subunit of an N-type Ca2+ channel.
Insulin as a Growth‐Promoting Hormone

The sections in this article are: 1 Insulin Actions and Signaling 2 Growth-Promoting Effects of Insulin on Cultured Cells 3 Synergistic Actions of Insulin and Other Growth Factors in the Promotion of Cell Proliferation 4 Insulin as A Growth-Promoting Hormone in vivo 5 Insulin as an Embryonic Growth Factor 5.1 The Role of Insulin as an Embryonic Growth Factor in Rodents 5.2 The Role of Insulin as an Embryonic Growth Factor in Chickens 6 Leprechaunism and Rabson-Mendenhall Syndrome 7 Insulin and Liver Regeneration 8 Knockout Mouse Models of Insulin Resistance 9 How Insulin Induces Growth 9.1 Regulation of Gene Expression by Insulin 10 Insulin and Apoptosis 11 Summary
The Geography of Radioactive Contamination in the Former USSR

A detailed survey of the location and scope of radionuclide contamination in the former USSR examines the character and spatial patterns of such contamination by source—e.g., commercial and military reactor operation (including reactors on submarines and icebreakers); uranium mining and enrichment; plutonium production; nuclear waste storage and disposal; and “peaceful” nuclear explosions and nuclear weapons tests. Attention also is focused on updating the situation at sites known to have sustained some of the most severe radionuclide contamination—e.g., Chornobyl' (Chernobyl') and adjacent areas; Mayak, Tomsk-7, and Krasnoyarsk-26; Novaya Zemlya; the Barents and Kara Seas; Lake Ladoga; and Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan. 5 figures, 8 tables, 60 references.
Child labor : a review

On September 30, 1990, the first World Summit for Children promised to reduce child mortality and malnutrition. It set targets to be reached by the year 2000. Although it established no explicit goals on child labor, the targets included basic education for all children and the completion of primary education by at least 80 percent of children. Meeting these goals will reduce child labor, say the authors. The evidence they review shows that education intervention play a key role in reducing child labor and should play a key role in its eventual abolition. But other interventions are also needed, including legislative action, appropriate labor market policies, fertility interventions, the adoption of technology, and better job opportunities for parents. There must also be advocates for better conditions for working children and for the empowerment of children and their families. An encouraging consensus is emerging - both in the literature and in the policies of international agencies concerned with child labor - that action, to be effective, must aim first to protect children and improve their living and working conditions. This implies a less stigmatized view of child labor, and the recognition that child labor itself can be used as a targeting device to help children through health, nutrition, schooling, and other interventions. In the long term, the objective of eliminating child labor must be approached through legislative action combined with social and economic incentives that take into account not only the types of child labor and child labor arrangements in a country but that country's institutional and administrative capacity.
Shooting for Dead Time in Gus Van Sant's Elephant

In Elephant , director Gus Van Sant dramatises a massacre at a suburban American high school in order to examine narrative cinema's ethical capacity to respond to that which resists being framed as a meaningful event. In the film, this stubborn stuff is experience shot through with contingency. Van Sant depicts acts of violence that are indiscriminate and, at best, ambiguously motivated, as well as school-day activities that appear coincidental and insignificant. This essay argues that the director aims to screen contingency to mount a critique of conventional narrative film's terror of contingency, its anxious drive to convert all cinematic time to good, signifying use. It also argues that Van Sant complicates or crosses up this aim by constructing a self-reflexive text attuned to the inherent irresponsibility in assuming that radical contingency's dead time could be fully and faithfully animated on screen. While the film camera and a still camera used by a student photographer in the film shoot people with the ostensible aim of capturing contingency in all its otherness, both projects are, at the same time, linked, in complex ways, to the student killers who shoot people with the aim of eliminating all otherness. The film's recognition of its own drive to plot in a deadly fashion thus illustrates Van Sant's profound sensitivity to the challenges of responding responsibly to a time of terror and, more broadly, to the terrors of time.
Two Regions in the CD80 Cytoplasmic Tail Regulate CD80 Redistribution and T Cell Costimulation

CD28 is a major T cell costimulatory molecule, delivering signals distinct from those of the CD3/TCR complex, which regulate cytokine and cytokine receptor expression, cell proliferation, and cell viability. CD28 needs to be cross-linked to initiate signals, yet both of its ligands, CD80 and CD86, are expressed as monomers. Previously, we determined the cytoplasmic tail of CD80 is required for CD28-mediated costimulation and subcellular relocalization of CD80 in lymphocytes. In this study, we report that Reh B cell transfectants expressing CD80 with mutations in the cytoplasmic tail region either at 275-278 (RRNE-->AAAA, CD80/4A) or serine 284 (S-->A, CD80/SA) can bind ligand similar to transfectants expressing wild-type CD80, yet are unable to costimulate T cell proliferation. These mutant CD80 molecules are expressed on the surface of the Reh cells in small clusters or foci indistinguishable from those of wild-type CD80 molecules. However, mutant CD80 molecules unlike wild-type CD80 cannot be readily induced by ligand into caps. Thus, small clusters of CD80 found on APC are insufficient to initiate CD28-mediated signals, and the formation of CD80 caps appears to be a critical factor regulating the initiation of T cell costimulation. A 30-kDa phosphoprotein that associates with the cytoplasmic tail of CD80 in activated cells may play a role in CD80 redistribution and thus CD28-mediated costimulation. These results indicate two distinct regions of the CD80 cytoplasmic tail regulate its costimulatory function, and both regions are required for CD80 function.
Understanding Radiologic and Nuclear Terrorism as Public Health Threats: Preparedness and Response Perspectives

Terrorism dates back to antiquity, but our understanding of it as a public health threat is still in its nascent stages. Focusing on radiation and nuclear terrorism, we apply a public health perspective to explore relevant physical health and psychosocial impacts, the evolving national response infrastructure created to address terrorism, and the potential roles of nuclear medicine professionals in preparing for and responding to radiologic and nuclear terrorism.
Effect of intralipid on the neonatal pulmonary bed: an echographic study.

The effect of intralipid infusion on pulmonary vascular resistance was studied prospectively by serial echocardiography on 13 occasions in six low birth weight infants. After 90 minutes of intralipid infusion, the ratio of right ventricular preejection period to ejection time (RVPEP/ET) rose from 0.232±0.025 (mean±SD) to 0.285±0.035 (P=0.0001). Of the 13 infusions studied, six (43%) resulted in RVPEP/ET values suggestive of pulmonary hypertension. Six LBW infants were observed over the same time period without intralipid infusion, and RVPEP/ET did not change (0.209±0.035 vs 0.194±0.024). The increase in RVPEP/ET with intralipid administration could not be explained by differences in preload or contractility, and most likely reflects an increase in pulmonary vascular tone. Caution in the use of intralipid is recommended in infants who would be at particular risk from increased pulmonary vascular resistance.
High-Resolution Genome-wide Mapping of the Primary Structure of Chromatin

The genomic organization of chromatin is increasingly recognized as a key regulator of cell behavior, but deciphering its regulation mechanisms requires detailed knowledge of chromatin's primary structure—the assembly of nucleosomes throughout the genome. This Primer explains the principles for mapping and analyzing the primary organization of chromatin on a genomic scale. After introducing chromatin organization and its impact on gene regulation and human health, we then describe methods that detect nucleosome positioning and occupancy levels using chromatin immunoprecipitation in combination with deep sequencing (ChIP-Seq), a strategy that is now straightforward and cost efficient. We then explore current strategies for converting the sequence information into knowledge about chromatin, an exciting challenge for biologists and bioinformaticians.
Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging: The coordinated use of multiple, mutually informative probes to understand brain structure and function

Differing imaging modalities provide unique channels of information to probe differing aspects of the brain's structural or functional organization. In combination, differing modalities provide complementary and mutually informative data about tissue organization that is more than their sum. We acquired and spatially coregistered data in four MRI modalities--anatomical MRI, functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)--from 20 healthy adults to understand how interindividual variability in measures from one modality account for variability in measures from other modalities at each voxel of the brain. We detected significant correlations of local volumes with the magnitude of functional activation, suggesting that underlying variation in local volumes contributes to individual variability in functional activation. We also detected significant inverse correlations of NAA (a putative measure of neuronal density and viability) with volumes of white matter in the frontal cortex, with DTI-based measures of tissue organization within the superior longitudinal fasciculus, and with the magnitude of functional activation and default-mode activity during simple visual and motor tasks, indicating that substantial variance in local volumes, white matter organization, and functional activation derives from an underlying variability in the number or density of neurons in those regions. Many of these imaging measures correlated with measures of intellectual ability within differing brain tissues and differing neural systems, demonstrating that the neural determinants of intellectual capacity involve numerous and disparate features of brain tissue organization, a conclusion that could be made with confidence only when imaging the same individuals with multiple MRI modalities.
The Role of Photo Documentation of Genital Findings in Medical Evaluations of Suspected Child Sexual Abuse

Results of a national survey of 104 nurse practitioners (NPs), registered nurses (RNs), and Physician Assistants (PAs) who conducted physical assessments in cases of suspected child physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse revealed that evaluation for suspected CSA was the type of evaluation conducted most often (92.5%), followed by physical abuse (70%), and neglect (54%). Most participants (76.9%) conducting CSA evaluations used a colposcope and interpreted colposcopic findings (70.2%). The mean number of years of speciality practice in CM reported by participants was 6, with a range of one to 20 years. While the majority (68%) of respondents were members of interdisciplinary child protection teams, only 10.7% were members of child fatality review teams.Although the vast majority (78.4%) of participants had testified in court on CM cases, most reported experiencing barriers to testifying in cases of CM. The barrier to testifying cited most often was a lack of credibility with the judicial system (60%), ...
Book Review: Corporate Governance and Development: Reform, Financial Systems, and Legal Frameworks (eds.) T.G. Arun and J. Turner

The purpose of this article is to analyze the right to quality e-Government in Spain from the perspective of the New Public Management and Governance paradigms. We question whether Spain's e-Government is ready to guarantee citizens' rights to e-Government and to increase citizens' participation. We conclude that, due to the incipient development of Spanish e-Government, the e-Government law is perhaps better suited to the medium/long term than to the present and that it is also too early to evaluate the progress of e-Governance in Spain. We have also concluded that we have no control over how fast technology will continue to change in the ICT sector.
Absolute scale for radiation ages of stony meteorites

Absolute production rates of He 3 and Ne 21 in average chondrites, determining radiation ages of stony meteorites aged less than two million years
On the estimation of multizone ventilation rates from tracer gas measurements

Abstract Tracer gas techniques are becoming widely used to measure the ventilation rates in buildings. As more detailed information is required for both energy and indoor air quality purposes, researchers are turning to complex, multizone tracer strategies. Both single gas and multiple gas techniques are being utilized, but only multigas are capable of uniquely determining the entire matrix of air flows. Because of the inherent limitations in the ability to estimate zonal concentrations, estimates of multizone air flows are highly imprecise for real buildings. However, exogenous information concerning physical constraints can allow a greatly improved estimate and interpretation of results if combined with measured data. This report describes techniques for improving tracer-gas derived ventilation data using physical knowledge about the system under study.
Reaction of hydroxylamine and methoxyamine with the ultraviolet-induced hydrate of cytidine.

Abstract Hydroxylamine and methoxyamine have been shown to react with 5,6-dihydro-6-hydroxycytidine to form the relatively stable N 4 -hydroxy- or N 4 -methoxy-cytidine hydrate. The reaction is nearly quantitative and specific as very little reaction occurs with cytidine, uridine or uridine photoproducts under the conditions used. Hence, the reaction offers a potential method of determining quantitatively the amount of 5,6-dihydro-6-hydroxycytidine in ultraviolet-irradiated polynucleotides.