cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Managing interpersonal conflict: Steps for success

Dealing with difficult personalities is a part of every nurse leader's career. Like many aspects of leadership, having a thoughtful and consistent approach can make all the difference. This article shares tips for effectively navigating interpersonal conflict.
The Wetting and Dewetting of Grain Boundaries

The majority of ceramics, including those of potential importance as structural ceramics, contain a residual glass phase at their grain boundaries. This glass phase can be considered to be the frozen in structure of the liquid that wetted the individual crystalline grains during sintering. The energy condition for grain boundaries to be wet, the effect of temperature and the dependence on the boundary misorientation are described. Further, it is shown that a nucleation barrier must be overcome on cooling before a wetting film can retract from a grain boundary.
Characterization of the ZFX family of transcription factors that bind downstream of the start site of CpG island promoters

Our study focuses on a family of ubiquitously expressed human C2H2 zinc finger proteins comprised of ZFX, ZFY and ZNF711. Although their protein structure suggests that ZFX, ZFY and ZNF711 are transcriptional regulators, the mechanisms by which they influence transcription have not yet been elucidated. We used CRISPR-mediated deletion to create bi-allelic knockouts of ZFX and/or ZNF711 in female HEK293T cells (which naturally lack ZFY). We found that loss of either ZFX or ZNF711 reduced cell growth and that the double knockout cells have major defects in proliferation. RNA-seq analysis revealed that thousands of genes showed altered expression in the double knockout clones, suggesting that these TFs are critical regulators of the transcriptome. To gain insight into how these TFs regulate transcription, we created mutant ZFX proteins and analyzed them for DNA binding and transactivation capability. We found that zinc fingers 11-13 are necessary and sufficient for DNA binding and, in combination with the N terminal region, constitute a functional transactivator. Our functional analyses of the ZFX family provides important new insights into transcriptional regulation in human cells by members of the large, but under-studied family of C2H2 zinc finger proteins.
The value of interventional radiology in clinical trial teams: experience from the BATTLE lung cancer trials.

AIM To report on the multidisciplinary approach, focusing specifically on the role of the interventional radiologist (IR), used to support the Biomarker-integrated Approaches of Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer Elimination (BATTLE) and BATTLE-2 trials. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients who underwent percutaneous image-guided biopsy for the BATTLE and BATTLE-2 trials were reviewed. A radiology-based, three-point, lesion-scoring system was developed and used by two IRs. Lesions were given a score of 3 (most likely to yield sufficient material for biomarker analysis) if they met the following criteria: size >2 cm, solid mass, demonstrated imaging evidence of viability, and were technically easy to sample. Lesions not meeting all four criteria were scored 2 with the missing criteria noted as negative factors. Lesions considered to have risks that outweighed potential benefits receive a score of 1 and were not biopsied. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the score's ability to predict successful yield for biomarker adequacy. RESULTS A total of 555 biopsies were performed. The overall yield for analysis of the required biomarkers was 86.1% (478/555), and 84% (268/319) and 88.9% (210/236) for BATTLE and BATTLE-2, respectively (p=0.09). Lesions receiving a score of 3 were adequate for biomarker analysis in 89% of cases. Lesions receiving a score of 2 with more than two negative factors were adequate for molecular analysis in 69.2% (IR1, p=0.03) and 74% (IR2, p=0.04) of cases. The two IRs scored 78.4% of the lesions the same indicating moderate agreement (kappa=0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.48, 0.61). CONCLUSIONS IRs add value to clinical trial teams by optimising lesions selected for biopsy and biomarker analysis.
Balancing Robustness and Sensitivity using Feature Contrastive Learning

It is generally believed that robust training of extremely large networks is critical to their success in real-world applications. However, when taken to the extreme, methods that promote robustness can hurt the model’s sensitivity to rare or underrepresented patterns. In this paper, we discuss this trade-off between robustness and sensitivity by introducing two notions: contextual feature utility and contextual feature sensitivity. We propose Feature Contrastive Learning (FCL) that encourages the model to be more sensitive to the features that have higher contextual utility. Empirical results demonstrate that models trained with FCL achieve a better balance of robustness and sensitivity, leading to improved generalization in the presence of noise.
Forced swim stress dynamically alters neural activity and bi-directionally modulates NMDA receptors in the prefrontal cortex

Repeated exposure to stress results in progressively divergent effects on cognitive behaviors that are dependent on the integrity of networks in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). To investigate molecular mechanisms responsive to variable repetition of mild stress, we measured persistent neural activity, in vitro, from mPFC slices in mice that had been repetitively exposed to 10 minutes of forced swim stress for 3-10 days. 3-day short-term stress facilitated persistent neural activity by increasing event duration while 10 days suppressed event duration and amplitude. These dynamic changes were accompanied by a similar bi-directional modulation of the NMDA/AMPA receptor current ratio, an important synaptic mechanism for sustaining the persistency of neural activity. Specifically, short-term stress led to potentiated NMDA currents with slower decay kinetics, and extended stress produced smaller currents with faster decay. The inhibitory action of ifenprodil, a specific blocker of NR2B-containing NMDA receptors, was more effective in NMDA current suppression following light stress and less effective after longer stress compared to naive controls. Persistent activity and glutamate receptor balance in the neocortex have been linked to working memory and impulse control. Therefore, these results could provide insight for generating therapeutic strategies to prevent or reverse stress-induced cognitive deficits.
The Axenic and Gnotobiotic Mosquito: Emerging Models for Microbiome Host Interactions.

The increasing availability of modern research tools has enabled a revolution in studies of non-model organisms. Yet, one aspect that remains difficult or impossible to control in many model and most non-model organisms, is the presence and composition of the host associated microbiota, or the microbiome. In this review, we explore the development of axenic (microbe-free) mosquito models and what these systems reveal about the role of the microbiome in mosquito biology. Additionally, the axenic host is a blank template on which a microbiome of known composition can be introduced, also known as a gnotobiotic organism. Finally, we identify a “most wanted” list of common mosquito microbiome members that show the greatest potential to influence host phenotypes. We propose that these are high value targets to be employed in future gnotobiotic studies. The use of axenic and gnotobiotic organisms will transition the microbiome into another experimental variable that can be manipulated and controlled. Through these efforts the mosquito will be a true model for examining host microbiome interactions.
LC-MS/MS in glycomics and glycoproteomics analyses

Abstract Glycomic and glycoproteomic analyses include the characterization of oligosaccharides (glycans) conjugated to proteins. Glycan characterization is critical to obtain a comprehensive vision of the regulation and functions of glycoproteins of interest. Glycans are created through a complicated nontemplate-driven process by a set of competing enzymes that lengthen the embryonic chain. The complex nature of these structures, stemming from variable compositions and linkages, and the poor ionization efficiency make it challenging to characterize the oligosaccharides. However, there have been significant developments and progressive separation, in which mass spectrometry (MS) approaches have been at the center and have been the main reason for this development. The primary purpose of this chapter is to discuss and evaluate the current LC separation techniques conjugated with MS, with an emphasis on the isomeric resolution of glycans and glycopeptides.
Diagnosis and management of bovine chemical toxicoses

Many bovine toxicologic problems considered in the past have been acutely fatal or disabling syndromes. They have been hard to ignore when they occur. Thus acute arsenic poisoning, insecticide induced seizures, and herd outbreaks of nitrate or cyanide poisoning have been well-known examples of problems for veterinary toxicology. Problems like these still exist and may cause devastating losses for individual producers. However, these problems are, for the clinician, generally easily recognized and there are sound recommendations for their control. With the introduction of more complex and numerous chemicals in agriculture and industry as well as changing procedures in livestock production, the classical veterinary poisons are no longer sufficient subject matter for livestock health professionals. Clinical problems induced by newer chemicals may be vague and hard to difine. Death may be less important than an economic effect such as poor performance or increased susceptibility to infectious disease after exposure to toxicants. Presence of illegal residues either from improper use of approved drugs or inadvertent exposure to chemicals continues to be of concern to practitioners, producers and regulators. This paper will deal, not in the entire range of bovine toxicology, but with well- known examples of toxicants which are still real~or potential problems. Some are highly toxic, others are cumulative and cause residues. The reader is urged to consult one or more of the supplemental readings for more complete discussions of classical toxicologic problems.The situations to be discussed are as follows: 1) those problems arising when animals are contacted by chemical products or by-products of industry or commerce 2) toxicologic effects and residues associated with use (misuse) of pesticides or economic poisons, and 3) toxicosis or loss from exposure to metallic poisons.
FORC Diagrams in Magnetic Thin Films

The first-order reversal curve (FORC) technique allows the use of bulk measurements to extract nanoscale features from hysteretic systems and separate intrinsic and interaction effects. Magnetic thin films in particular possess an extremely diverse and anisotropic energy landscape, which is complicated by interactions that exist on several length scales and the effects of nonmagnetic features such as pinning defects and nucleation sites. The diversity of these energies makes magnetic thin films, heterostructures, and patterned nanostructures highly tunable and relevant to applications but also exceedingly challenging to evaluate and design. The FORC technique is a unique tool for performing these evaluations; however, the technique is often considered challenging due to a lack of accessible material on the origins of the FORC features. In response to this, this chapter presents some common FORC diagrams found in thin films and evaluates their origins using mechanistic approaches. That is, by considering specific magnetic switching events within the reversal of a magnetic system and how the magnetism evolves during the FORC measurement, key features in the FORC distribution will be developed. Establishing an understanding of the FORC distribution using this mechanistic approach expands the ability to effectively utilize the FORC technique to evaluate these complex systems.
Wisdom of Committees: An Overlooked Approach To Faster and More Accurate Models.

Committee-based models (ensembles or cascades) construct models by combining existing pre-trained ones. While ensembles and cascades are well-known techniques that were proposed before deep learning, they are not considered a core building block of deep model architectures and are rarely compared to in recent literature on developing efficient models. In this work, we go back to basics and conduct a comprehensive analysis of the efficiency of committee-based models. We find that even the most simplistic method for building committees from existing, independently trained networks can match or exceed the accuracy of state-of-the-art models while being drastically more efficient. These simple committee-based models also outperform sophisticated neural architecture search methods (e.g., BigNAS). These findings hold true for several tasks, including image classification, video classification, and semantic segmentation, and various architecture families, such as ViT, EfficientNet, ResNet, MobileNetV2, and X3D. For example, an EfficientNet cascade can achieve a 5.4x speedup over B7 and a ViT-based cascade can achieve a 2.3x speedup over ViT-L-384 while being equally accurate.
BonJour’s Coherentism

In The Structure of Empirical Knowledge, Laurence BonJour defends a coherence theory of justification as part of a standard analysis of knowledge as justified true belief. Justification attaches first to systems of beliefs, in so far as they are internally coherent, as viewed from the perspective of the subject whose beliefs they are. Particular beliefs are justified if and only if they are part of a coherent system of beliefs (and to the degree to which the system of which they are a part is coherent). Coherence is measured not simply in terms of consistency, but in terms of inductive, probabilistic, and explanatory connections among members of the set.
The Trial of Richard Bruno Hauptmann

Journalist H. L. Mencken called the trial of Bruno Hauptmann, the accused kidnapper of the baby of aviator Charles Lindbergh, the greatest story since the Resurrection. While Mencken's description is doubtless an exaggeration, measured by the public interest it generated, the Hauptmann trial stands with the O. J. Simpson and Scopes trials as among the most famous trials of the twentieth century. The trial featured America's greatest hero, a good mystery involving ransom notes and voices in dark cemeteries, a crime that is every parent's worst nightmare, and a German-born defendant who fought against U. S. forces in World War I.
Injection of Mass and Energy into the ISM by Massive Stars

A large set of radiatively driven wind models for massive stars has been computed. We followed the stars from the ZAMS until they reach T eff =15,000 K. The metallicity range is 0.1Z⊙ ≤ Z ≤ 3Z⊙.
SPT13 (GAL11) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae negatively regulates activity of the MCM1 transcription factor in Ty1 elements

Abstract The Ty transposable elements of Saccharomyces cerevisiae consist of a single large transcription unit whose expression is controlled by a combination of upstream and downstream regulatory sequences. Errede (B. Errede, Mol. Cell. Biol. 13:57-62, 1993) has shown that among the downstream control sequences is a binding site for the transcription factor, MCM1. A small restriction fragment containing the Ty1 MCM1-binding site exhibits very weak activation of heterologous gene expression. The absence of SPT13 (GAL11) causes a dramatic increase in activity directed by these sequences. This effect is mediated through the MCM1-binding site itself. MCM1 mRNA and protein levels, as well as its affinity for its binding site, are unchanged in the absence of SPT13. Our results suggest that SPT13 has a role in the negative control of MCM1 activity that is likely to be posttranslational. A role for SPT13 in the negative regulation of the activity of the Ty1 MCM1-binding site is consistent with our previous proposal that spt13-mediated suppression of Ty insertion mutations could be attributed to the loss of negative regulation of genes adjacent to Ty elements.
Assumptions and Challenges of Open Scholarship

Researchers, educators, policymakers, and other education stakeholders hope and anticipate that openness and open scholarship will generate positive outcomes for education and scholarship. Given the emerging nature of open practices, educators and scholars are finding themselves in a position in which they can shape and/or be shaped by openness. The intention of this paper is (a) to identify the assumptions of the open scholarship movement and (b) to highlight challenges associated with the movement’s aspirations of broadening access to education and knowledge. Through a critique of technology use in education, an understanding of educational technology narratives and their unfulfilled potential, and an appreciation of the negotiated implementation of technology use, we hope that this paper helps spark a conversation for a more critical, equitable, and effective future for education and open scholarship.
2K: An Integrated Approach of QoS Compilation and Reconfigurable, Component-Based Run-Time Middleware for the Unified QoS Management Framework

Different distributed component-based applications (e.g., distributed multimedia, library information retrieval, secure stock trading applications), running in heterogeneous execution environments, need different quality of service (QoS). The semantics of QoS requirements and their provisions are application-specific, and they vary among different application domains. Furthermore, QoS provisions vary per applications in heterogeneous execution environments due to the varying distributed resource availability. Making these applications QoS-aware during the development phase, and ensuring their QoS guarantees during the execution phase is complex and hard
Identification of a single non-H-2 gene regulating graft-versus-host disease response.

Non-MHC loci have been shown to play an important role in the development and regulation of graft-vs-host disease (GVHD). In the murine model of GVHD under study, injection of C57BL/6 spleen cells into unirradiated (C57BL/6 x DBA/2)F1 hybrid recipient mice results in an acute form of GVHD characterized by CTL, suppressor cells, and runting. In contrast, injection of DBA/2 spleen cells into the same recipients results in a chronic form of GVHD that is characterized by a lack of CTL and hyperproduction of Ig and autoantibodies. After preliminary studies with the use of congenic mice showed that non-MHC loci were controlling GVHD responses in this model, genetic analysis of GVHD response of BXD recombinant inbred strains and (B10.D2 x DBA/2) X DBA/2 BC mice identified a single locus, Gvh, on chromosome 7 that controls whether acute or chronic GVHD results from injection of parental lymphocytes into unirradiated (C57BL/6 x DBA/2)F1 recipient mice.
Determination of Efficiency (Torque Related Losses) in Planetary Gearsets: Generalized Theory for Simple and Compound Gearsets

This paper presents the mathematics governing the torque related losses in a planetary gear set. The losses as a function of the Ring to Sun ratio, which element is grounded (Sun, Ring, or Carrier), and whether the system is “Simple” or “Compound” are developed. The paper also develops the mathematics governing the losses in planetary gear sets that are connected together.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Promotional Mechanism of Sulfation on Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO by Methane in Excess Oxygen: A Comparative Study of Rh/Al2O3 and Rh/Al2O3/SO42–

The catalytic performance and reaction mechanism for selective catalytic reduction of NOx by methane in excess oxygen over Rh-loaded sulfated alumina were investigated. Sulfation was observed to influence the properties of catalysts in two aspects: (i) modify the dispersion and electronic state of surface rhodium species and (ii) determine the surface NOy groups. Differences in surface nitrates and their behaviors lead to different mechanisms for CH4-SCR of NO. On Rh/Al2O3, the adsorbed monodentate nitrates (1558 cm−1) could react with methane in the absence of oxygen, while remaining almost inert to the mixture of methane and an excess amount of oxygen. However, nitrates on Rh/Al2O3/SO42−, most probably bidentate nitrates (1600−1598 cm−1), were able to react with methane in the presence of oxygen. Moreover, a proportional relationship between NO conversion rates and intensities of nitrosyl (1936 cm−1) bands was found on Rh/Al2O3/SO42−, and the rate-determining step of NO conversion was probably the reduc...
Pregnancy loss rate after mid-trimester amniocentesis in twin pregnancies

Objective The purpose of this study was to estimate the attributable pregnancy loss rate of mid-trimester amniocentesis in twin pregnancies. Study Design A 16-year retrospective cohort of all twin pregnancies that underwent ultrasound evaluation at a large tertiary care medical center was followed for pregnancy outcomes. Women who underwent amniocentesis were compared with those who did not. Fetal loss was defined as loss before 24 weeks' gestation. Univariable, stratified, multivariable, and time-to-event analyses were performed. Results Of 1934 twin pregnancies, 311 women elected amniocentesis. Women who elected amniocentesis were more likely to experience a pregnancy loss than those who did not (3.2% vs 1.4%; risk difference, 1.80%; 95% CI, -0.24 to 3.84%), which was significant after adjustment for advanced maternal age, chorionicity, sonographic findings, alcohol exposure, and race (adjusted odds ratio, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.2-6.9). Conclusion The attributable risk of pregnancy loss before 24 weeks' gestation after mid-trimester amniocentesis in twin pregnancies is 1 in 56 (1.8%). This information will be useful in counseling patients with twin pregnancies who are considering amniocentesis.
Post void dribbling: incidence and risk factors.

Aims The primary aim of this study was to determine the incidence of post void dribbling (PVD) in women being evaluated for pelvic floor dysfunction. The secondary aim was to identify other conditions present in women with symptoms of PVD. Materials and Methods 163 consecutive women with complaints of PVD who underwent urodynamic testing were studied. Testing was performed to evaluate women scheduled for surgery for incontinence, irritative bladder, urinary retention and pelvic organ prolapse. Subjects completed a medical history and voiding diary. A complete pelvic exam was performed. Patients were questioned regarding symptoms of PVD, stress incontinence, urge incontinence and insensible urine loss. Menopausal status, hormone replacement therapy status, age, body mass index, residual urine volume, genital hiatus length, and evidence of pelvic organ prolapse were recorded. Maximal urethral closure pressure, urethral length, pressure transmission ratio, and documentation of detrusor overactivity or urodynamic stress incontinence were determined by urodynamic testing. Results 42% of patients had symptoms of PVD. The incidence of PVD decreased with age. In pre- and peri-menopausal women, there was an association between PVD and urge incontinence. In post-menopausal women, there was an association between age, body mass index, and genital hiatus length. Conclusions There was a significant correlation between PVD and urge incontinence in pre-menopausal patients. The overall incidence and causes of PVD relative to age require further study. Body mass index and genital hiatus length may play an important role in PVD, especially in post-menopausal women. Neurourol. Urodynam. 29:432–436, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
For Hell and a Brown Mule: The Biography of Senator Millard E. Tydings

President Franklin Roosevelt loathed him. Columnist Drew Pearson savaged him in print. Joe McCarthy was determined to destroy him. But the target of those men-from opposite ends of the political spectrum-gave as good as he got. Senator Millard E. Tyding's rise from humble beginnings to international prominence was the stuff of Horatio Algers legends. Career-longefforts to sidestep or out-maneuver his numerous political rivals infuriated many state leaders who accused him of emulating Machiavelli. This book is a richly textured, a warm, deep human book that tells a fascinating personal story. It is a masterful and intelligent portrait of a controversial figure in American history.
Preferential inhibition of Ih in rat trigeminal ganglion neurons by an organic blocker.

The potency and specificity of a novel organic I h current blocker DK-AH 268 (DK, Boehringer) was studied in cultured rat trigeminal ganglion neurons using whole-cell patch-clamp recording techniques. In neurons current-clamped at the resting potential, the application of 10 μm DK caused a slight hyperpolarization of the membrane potential and a small increase in the threshold for action potential discharge without any major change in the shape of the action potential. In voltage-clamped neurons, DK caused a reduction of a hyperpolarization-activated current. Current subtraction protocols revealed that the time-dependent, hyperpolarization-activated currents blocked by 10 μm DK or external Cs+ (3 mm) had virtually identical activation properties, suggesting that DK and Cs+ caused blockade of the same current, namely I h . The block of I h by DK was dose-dependent. At the intermediate and higher concentrations of DK (10 and 100 μm) a decrease in specificity was observed so that time-independent, inwardly rectifying and noninactivating, voltage-gated outward potassium currents were also reduced by DK but to a much lesser extent than the time-dependent, hyperpolarization-activated currents. Blockade of the time-dependent, hyperpolarization-activated currents by DK appeared to be use-dependent since it required hyperpolarization for the effect to take place. Relief of DK block was also aided by membrane hyperpolarization. Since both the time-dependent current blocked by DK and the Cs+-sensitive time-dependent current behaved as I h , we conclude that 10 μm DK can preferentially reduce I h without a major effect on other potassium currents. Thus, DK may be a useful agent in the investigation of the function of I h in neurons.
Measurement of lattice-fringe vectors from digital HREM images: experimental precision

Abstract The practical measurement of lattice-fringe spacings and angles recorded in digital high-resolution electron micrographs is evaluated experimentally. The method is based on a statistical estimation procedure and involves computer analysis of reciprocal-space parameters. This work concentrates on the analysis of images recorded with slow-scan CCD cameras, but alternative methods of image pick-up are also briefly considered. The method has been successfully applied to images recorded with electron doses smaller than 1eA 2 and for sample dimensions as small as 8Aacross. The practical precision depends on specimen characteristics, electron dose and the size of the measurement area and is in the range of 0.001–0.05Afor lattice spacings, and 0.1°–0.5° for lattice-plane angles. Finally, the technique is demonstrated in studies of a catalyst system, of a reduced surface oxide phase and of TiO 2 and TiN particles.
Effect of Shaft Microcavity Patterns for Flow and Friction Control on Radial Lip Seal Performance–A Feasibility Study

It has been shown that deterministic microfeatures on the shaft of a radial lip seal impact seal behavior. This work seeks to determine whether it is feasible to control lubricant pumping direction and enhance pump rate with microcavities. The effect of nickel film triangular cavity orientation on seal performance, in particular the flow direction, the pumping rate, and the friction torque, is investigated experimentally. Cavity shape, area fraction, and depth are held constant while cavity orientation is varied. The oil drop test results are compared to those for conventional seals; i.e., plain stainless steel shafts and shafts with an electroplated nickel surface but no micro-cavities. It was found that shafts with surface texture designs can control the pumping direction and increase the sealing capability via enhanced pump rates by up to eight times that of stainless steel shafts. Preferential orientations pumped oil toward the wider end, or base, of the triangular cavities while patterns in neutral, ...
Holomorphicity of the gauge coupling constant in supersymmetric theories and the mass matrix

Abstract We have investigated the holomorphicity of the gauge coupling constant in supersymmetric theories at one- and two-loop levels focusing on its dependence on the mass matrix. Three distinct cases arise depending on the structure of the mass matrix which we call massive, pseudo massive and intrinsically massless. In the first two cases, the gauge coupling constant is holomorphic whereas it is not holomorphic in the last case.
Application of molecular technologies for phosphoproteomic analysis of clinical samples

The integration of small kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies into oncological practice has opened a new paradigm for treating cancer patients. As proteins are the direct targets of the new generations of targeted therapeutics, many of which are kinase/enzymatic inhibitors, there is an increasing interest in developing technologies capable of monitoring post-translational changes of the human proteome for the identification of new predictive, prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers. It is well known that the vast majority of the activation/deactivation of these drug targets is driven by phosphorylation. This review provides a description of the main proteomic platforms (planar and bead array, reverse phase protein microarray, phosphoflow, AQUA and mass spectrometry) that have successfully been used for measuring changes in phosphorylation level of drug targets and downstream substrates using clinical specimens. Major emphasis was given to the strengths and weaknesses of the different platforms and to the major barriers that are associated with the analysis of the phosphoproteome. Finally, a number of examples of application of the above-mentioned technologies in the clinical setting are reported.
Actions of 4-aminopyridine on mammalian ganglion cells.

The effects of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) on membrane electrical properties and synaptic transmission in neurons of the isolated rabbit superior cervical ganglion were investigated. 4-AP (0.03–0.1 mM) increased the amplitude of the fast excitatory postsynaptic potential (f-EPSP) without affecting appreciably appreciably either the acetylcholine (ACh) depolarization induced by iontophoresis of ACh or the passive and active membrane properties of the neurons. At concentrations of 1–5 mM, 4-AP reversibly depressed the amplitude of the f-EPSP as well as the ACh depolarization; a slight to moderate prolongation of the action potential duration was observed. In addition to the effects on evoked synaptic potentials, 4-AP induced spontaneous discharges which were abolished reversibly by curare, low Ca solution or Co. The results indicate that 4-AP at low concentrations facilitated evoked as well as spontaneous release of ACh by a presynaptic mechanism, whereas at higher concentrations it exerted a curare-like effect on the postsynaptic membrane.
Imaged-based discrete element modeling of hot mix asphalt mixtures

This paper presents the development of micro-mechanical discrete element model for hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixtures modified with carbon nanofibers using the advanced imaging techniques. Shape-structural model of two-phased HMA consisting of aggregate and matrix was generated using cluster of small discrete disk-shaped particles for each phase. Three contact models, shear and normal stiffness, static and sliding friction, and inter-particle contact bonds were employed to model the constitutive behavior of the HMA mixture. To validate the developed DEM model an experimental study was executed. It was observed that the uniaxial compressive test simulation reasonably predicted the stress–strain behavior of the HMA mixture. The dynamic modulus and strength obtained from indirect tensile test were similar to the predicted moduli and strength using the DEM under the quasi-elastic state for all the HMA mixtures studied.
Na+ Binding as Measured by 23Na Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Influences the Perception of Saltiness in Gum Solutions

Binding of Na+ in aqueous gum systems as determined by 23Na nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and its relations to perceived saltiness were examined. Two levels of NaCl (0.1% and 0.2%) were added to two concentrations (0.1% and 0.3%) of two ionic (xanthan and kappa carrageenan) and two non-ionic (locust bean and guar) gum solutions. Saltiness perception was affected by the ionic properties of the gums. NMR transverse relaxation rates (R2, see−l) indicated Na+ was less mobile in ionic than nonionic systems. Ionic gums correspondingly suppressed saltiness perception- compared to nonionic gums. As Na+ increased in both ionic and nonionic systems, R2 values converged and perceived saltiness equalized. Food components that bind Na+ may suppress saltiness perception, which may be important in low-sodium foods.
Analysis of experimental antiangiogenic therapy

Abstract Angiogenesis is a fundamental process by which new blood vessels are formed. Progressive tumor growth necessitates the continuous induction of new capillary blood vessels which converge upon the tumor. Suppression of tumor growth can be accomplished with the use of antiangiogenesis agents. AGM-1470 is a potent angiogenesis inhibitor in vitro and in vivo. In mouse studies, AGM-1470 has suppressed the growth and neovascularization induced by four murine tumors resulting in a 55% to 77% decrease in tumor growth. In these mice significant toxicity did not result from AGM-1470 therapy. AGM-1470 administered systemically to C57BI 6 male mice for 20 to 28 days inhibited the growth of: (1) Lewis lung carcinoma resulting in a T C (treatment/control = mean tumor volume of treated/mean tumor volume of control) of 0.38 ± 0.03 (P T C of 0.23 ± 0.02 (P T C of 0.31 ± 0.05 (P T C was 0.24 ± 0.06 (P T C was 0.27 ± 0.06 (P
Oxygen-related intrapulmonary shunting in obstructive pulmonary disease.

A simple and previously validated double-indicator techniqe was used to quantitate shunt in patients with obstructive pulmonary disease at rest, during exercise, and during breathing of 100 percent oxygen. The method avoids several inherent difficulties encountered in previous double-indicator techniques and is independent of the fraction of oxygen in the inspired gas. Sixteen resting patients with mild obstructive pulmonary disease were found to have intrapulmonary shunting less than or equal to 0.7 percent of the cardiac output (mean, 0.3 ± 0.2 percent [SD]). During submaximal exercise, shunting was also low (mean, 0.3 ± 0.1 percent of cardiac output). After breathing pure oxygen for 30 minutes, 11 patients had similar results; however, in four patients, breathing 100 percent oxygen caused an increase in intrapulmonary shunting to 1 to 6 percent of the cardiac output It is concluded that some patients with obstructive pulmonary disease develop intrapulmonary shunting in response to breathing oxygen.
Using community-based service projects to enhance undergraduate HCI education: 10 years of experience

While community-based service projects are utilized in many different fields of study at universities, there is little documentation on how to implement community-based projects in undergraduate Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) courses. This case study provides information on the benefits and drawbacks of community-based service projects, provides a few different examples of community-based learning in undergraduate HCI classes, discusses successes and failures, and provides a set of 7 success factors, all based on 10 years of experience at a single university.
Purification and properties of carbonic anhydrase from Chlamydomonas reinhardii

Abstract Carbonic anhydrase (CA) was purified from the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardii , and the purity of the preparation was established by gradient gel electrophoresis. The purified enzyme exhibited a MW of 165 000 and contained 6 atoms of Zn. The subunit MW, as determined by dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis, was 27 000. These results are consistent with a quarternary structure which is hexameric, each monomer containing 1 g atom of Zn. Like spinach CA, and in contrast to other oligomeric plant CAs, a sulfhydryl reducing agent is not needed to stabilize the enzyme. CO 2 -hydrase activity was inhibited by both acetazolamide ( I 50 = 7.8 × 10 −9 M) and sulfanilamide ( I 50 = 1.3 × 10 −5 M), as well as by certain inorganic anions. The purified enzyme showed relatively weak esterase activity with p -nitrophenyl acetate but was an extremely effective esterase with 2-hydroxy-5-nitro-α-toluenesulfonic acid sultone as the substrate. Both esterase activities could be completely inhibited by adding acetazolamide. In its gross structural characteristics, the C. reinhardii enzyme resembles the CAs from higher plants. However, in its esterase activity and the inhibition by sulfonamides it is markedly different from plant CAs and bears more resemblance to erythrocyte CAs.
Candidate Adaptor Protein CED-6 Promotes the Engulfment of Apoptotic Cells in C. elegans

The rapid engulfment (phagocytosis) of cells undergoing programmed cell death (apoptosis) is a fundamental biological process that is not well understood. Here we report the cloning and functional characterization of ced-6, a gene specifically required for the engulfment of apoptotic cells in the nematode C. elegans. The CED-6 protein contains a phosphotyrosine binding domain at its N terminus and a proline/serine-rich region in its C-terminal half. Genetic mosaic analysis demonstrates that ced-6 acts within engulfing cells. We also show that ced-6 can promote the engulfment of cells at both early and late stages of apoptosis. Our data suggest that CED-6 is an adaptor molecule acting in a signal transduction pathway that specifically mediates the recognition and engulfment of apoptotic cells.
Dependence of plasmodial glutathione metabolism on the host cell

ONE inherited alteration of human red cell metabolism—quantitative deficiency of the X-linked enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD)—has attained high frequency in many areas of endemic malaria and may protect against fulminant Plasmodium falciparum in some unknown fashion1–5. G-6-PD catalyses the first step of the pentose phosphate pathway which provides reduced NADPH necessary for conversion of oxidised to reduced glutathione (GSSG→GSH)6. Erythrocytes deficient in G-6-PD are inefficient in generating NADPH and, when exposed to oxidants, lose GSH, accumulate oxidised haemoglobin and are destroyed by the reticuloendothelial system6. We hypothesised that, if the malaria parasite were to use red-cell NADPH for parasitic functions, the G-6-PD-deficient erythrocyte might be incapable of maintaining adequate GSH content. This would predispose the cell to premature destruction before the parasite matured, thereby limiting the severity of infection7–9. In exploring this hypothesis, we have investigated factors affecting GSH metabolism in malaria-infected mouse erythrocytes. We find that P. berghei malaria may utilise host-cell NADPH for the maintenance of parasite GSH. These observations may help elucidate both the parasite-induced red cell oxidant damage7 and the mechanism whereby G-6-PD deficiency protects against fulminant malaria infection.
Internal Enzyme Motions as a Source of Catalytic Activity: Rate-Promoting Vibrations and Hydrogen Tunneling

The standard view of the origin of the catalytic properties of enzymes focuses on the binding energy differences between the ground state and the transition state arising from the arrangement of residues in the active site (i.e., statics). There is an alternative view that suggests that protein motions (i.e., dynamics) might play a role in catalysis. Klinman and co-workers recently published (Kohen, A.; Cannio, R.; Bartolucci, S.; Klinman, J. Nature 1999, 399, 496−499) findings on rate measurements in thermophilic alcohol dehydrogonase (ADH). At lower temperatures (below 30 °C), this enzyme undergoes a transition to a more rigid structure, and it was found that the corresponding apparent activation energy increases and the primary kinetic isotope effect (KIE) increases and becomes temperature-dependent. Explaining these results presents a challenge to theory. We show that a model of the reaction coordinate for the rate-determining step, coupled to an enzymatic environment and a specific strongly coupled a...
Microbiologic and Immunologic Evaluation of a Single High Dose of Azithromycin for Treatment of Experimental Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia

We evaluated the efficacy of azithromycin therapy given as a single high dose or divided over 5 days for the treatment of mild experimental Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. Although both azithromycin regimens significantly reduced quantitative cultures, lung histopathology, and pulmonary cytokines and chemokines, there were no significant differences between the two regimens.
Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: Current Treatment and Outcomes

The reference standard treatment of upper tract urothelial carcinoma is open radical nephroureterectomy. Many centers have advocated less-invasive treatment modalities. We reviewed contemporary treatments of upper tract urothelial carcinoma and their outcomes. A MEDLINE search was conducted for all relevant published data during the past 15 years. Endoscopic management is feasible for low-grade disease with strict surveillance protocols. Radical nephroureterectomy remains the reference standard for upper tract urothelial carcinoma. The intermediate-term oncologic outcomes are similar between the laparoscopic and open approaches. Controversies still exist regarding the optimal management of the distal ureter, the utility of topical therapy, and the role of lymphadenectomy.
Finding your way in the interdisciplinary forest: notes on educating future conservation practitioners

We explore the challenges of educating interdisciplinary thinkers who can address the management of complex socio-ecological systems, such as forests, by sharing our experiences from several perspectives. Five contexts for interdisciplinarity are explored along with examples related to: the department, advising, integrated research collaborations, a graduate working group, an interdisciplinary class, and trans-academic research. These experiences demonstrate the importance of safe space and patience, the need for adequate time to build trust and respect, and the recognition that interdisciplinary thinking is developed and reinforced in multiple contexts. Interdisciplinarity is always a work in progress that differs in its particulars according to the research or management question at hand and the kinds of specializations involved. Thus, there are no hard and fast rules for its creation but only guiding principles that must be adapted in the course of their implementation.
Alternative Mortgage Instruments, Qualification Constraints and the Demand for Housing: An Empirical Analysis

Government-guaranteed mortgage loans (GFRMs) and adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) were introduced to make payment to income (PTI) and loan-to-value (LTV) qualification conventions less restrictive. This paper analyzes the effect of GFRMs and ARMs on the demand for housing. Using a large national data set for the 1988 to 1989 period, we employ a two-stage procedure to estimate housing demand. In the first stage, a multinomial logit model estimates the probability of choosing an FRM, ARM or GFRM. Predicted values from the logit are used to construct user costs and estimate housing demand. Using the model estimates, we simulate demand under four different mortgage availability regimes: FRM, FRM and GFRM, FRM and ARM and all three. These simulations indicate that GFRMs, by relaxing LTV constraints, increase housing demand by approximately 6.2% relative to the FRM regime; the addition of ARMs, by relaxing both PTI and LTV constraints, raises demand by an additional 6%, for a total of 12.2% with inclusion of all alternatives.
Specificity and Affinity of Sialic Acid Binding by the Rhesus Rotavirus VP8* Core

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrates that the rhesus rotavirus hemagglutinin specifically binds alpha-anomeric N-acetylneuraminic acid with a K(d) of 1.2 mM. The hemagglutinin requires no additional carbohydrate moieties for binding, does not distinguish 3' from 6' sialyllactose, and has approximately tenfold lower affinity for N-glycolylneuraminic than for N-acetylneuraminic acid. The broad specificity and low affinity of sialic acid binding by the rotavirus hemagglutinin are consistent with this interaction mediating initial cell attachment prior to the interactions that determine host range and cell type specificity.
Surgical aortic valvuloplasty in children and adolescents with aortic regurgitation: acute and intermediate effects on aortic valve function and left ventricular dimensions.

Objective Surgical aortic valvuloplasty is increasingly employed in the management of children and adolescents with aortic regurgitation, but the durability of this approach and factors associated with outcome are not well defined. Methods From 1989 to 2005, a total of 81 patients younger than 19 years with moderate or severe aortic regurgitation underwent surgical aortic valvuloplasty. Aortic regurgitation was congenital in 20 cases, after treatment of aortic stenosis in 30, from other injuries to the aortic valve in 12, and from other causes in 19. Eighteen patients had moderate or severe aortic stenosis. Preoperative left ventricular end-diastolic dimension z score was 4.9 ± 2.7. Results After surgical aortic valvuloplasty with various techniques, including pericardial leaflet augmentation in 80%, aortic regurgitation was improved in 77 patients and was mild or less in 68. Ten of 18 patients with moderate or severe aortic stenosis before repair had a decrease to mild, whereas 2 had progression from mild to moderate. Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension z score decreased by 2.9 ± 2.1 ( P Conclusion Surgical aortic valvuloplasty is a valid option with good intermediate results for children and adolescents with aortic regurgitation from a variety of causes, particularly for patients with less than moderate aortic stenosis.
On the relative dissolution rates of some oxide and orthosilicate minerals

Abstract The relative dissolution rates of some simple divalent oxides in acids rank in a similar fashion as the rates of water exchange into the hydration sphere of the dissolved metal ion. This observation suggests that the local bonding environment of the metal ion and oxygen is the most important factor controlling the dissolution rate. Thus those variables which strongly influence rates of ligand exchange may also be important in controlling rates of oxide and silicate dissolution. This approach is used to predict the relative dissolution rates of simple orthosilicate minerals.