cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Long Wire Data Leakage in Deep Submicron FPGAs

The simultaneous use of FPGAs by multiple tenants has recently been shown to potentially expose sensitive information without the victim's knowledge. For example, neighboring long wires in SRAM-based FPGAs have been shown to allow for clandestine data exfiltration. In this work, we explore distinct characteristics of this signal crosstalk that could be used to enhance or prevent information leakage. First, we develop a mechanism to characterize the crosstalk coupling that exists between neighboring wires at the femtosecond scale. Second, we show that it is possible to reverse engineer channel layouts by determining which pairs of routing resources/links in the channel exhibit coupling to each other even if this information is not provided by the FPGA vendor. To fully characterize these effects, we examine long wire coupling on different types of wires across three devices implemented in different technology nodes from 65 to 20 nm. We experimentally demonstrate that information leakage is apparent for all three FPGA families.
LANDSCAPE OF ALLELE-SPECIFIC OPEN CHROMATIN IN HUMAN IPSC-DIFFERENTIATED NEURONS AND IT IMPLICATION FOR MENTAL DISORDERS

Background Allelic Imbalance of gene Expression (AIE) plays important role during neurodevelopment. However, the underlying mechanism of AIE has not been fully understood. Since chromatin accessibility (openness) has a strong influence on gene transcription, we hypothesised that allele-specific open chromatin (ASoC) might regulate AIE. Also, as open chromatin regions (OCRs) overlap with gene regulatory sequences and a genetic variant showing ASoC likely affects gene expression, we reasoned that mapping ASoC in neurons will help functionally interpret the abundant noncoding risk variants of neurodevelopmental disorders. Methods Using neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as a cellular model, we carried out a global OCR profiling by Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin through sequencing (ATAC-seq) and a transcriptomic profiling by RNA-seq in the same cell populations of different differentiation stages. We then identified all the heterozygous SNPs that show ASoC (in ATAC-seq data) or AIE (in RNA-seq data) by directly comparing the functional readouts (i.e, sequencing reads) of one allele vs. the other at heterozygous SNP sites within the same sample. Results We found that ASoC and AIE are both widespread and cell-type specific, and the differentiated neurons tend to have higher level of ASoC and AIE than in iPSCs. In iPSCs and neurons from the same human subject, out of the 10,048 heterozygous SNPs in OCRs, 101, 404, and 250 showed ASoC (P Discussion Our results not only provide novel insights into the epigenetic mechanisms of AIE during neural development but also suggest a new strategy for identifying functional noncoding disease risk variants that influence chromatin accessibility and gene expression in schizophrenia and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Mortality and Thrombosis in Injured Adults Receiving Tranexamic Acid in the Post-CRASH-2 Era.

Author(s): Benipal, Simranjeet; Santamarina, John-Lloyd; Vo, Linda; Nishijima, Daniel K. | Abstract: Introduction: The CRASH-2 trial demonstrated that tranexamic acid (TXA) reduced mortality with no increase in adverse events in severely injured adults. TXA has since been widely used in injured adults worldwide. Our objective was to estimate mortality and adverse events in adults with trauma receiving TXA in studies published after the CRASH-2 trial.Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, MicroMedex, and ClinicalTrials.gov for studies that included injured adults who received TXA and reported mortality and/or adverse events. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility, abstracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. We conducted meta-analyses using random effects models to estimate the incidence of mortality at 28 or 30 days and in-hospital thrombotic events.Results: We included 19 studies and 13 studies in the systematic review and meta-analyses, respectively. The pooled incidence of mortality at 28 or 30 days (five studies, 1538 patients) was 10.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.8-12.4%) (vs 14.5% [95% CI, 13.9-15.2%] in the CRASH-2 trial), and the pooled incidence of in-hospital thrombotic events (nine studies, 1656 patients) was 5.9% (95% CI, 3.3-8.5%) (vs 2.0% [95% CI, 1.8-2.3%] in the CRASH-2 trial).Conclusion: Compared to the CRASH-2 trial, adult trauma patients receiving TXA identified in our systematic review had a lower incidence of mortality at 28 or 30 days, but a higher incidence of in-hospital thrombotic events. Our findings neither support nor refute the findings of the CRASH-2 trial but suggest that incidence rates in adults with trauma in settings outside of the CRASH-2 trial may be different than those observed in the CRASH-2 trial.
Appraisal Centers: A Formative Assessment Model for Preservice Teachers to Demonstrate Emerging Theory–Practice Understanding:

Appraisal Centers provide authentic experienced-based communities of practice for preservice teachers (PSTs) to show application of theory into practice at critical gateways throughout their elemen...
Testbed-based Evaluation of SIEM Tool for Cyber Kill Chain Model in Power Grid SCADA System

Development of a smarter electric grid necessitates addressing the associated cyber security challenges. Since the interdependence between the legacy grid infrastructure and advanced information technology is growing rapidly, there are numerous ways advanced, motivated, and persistent attackers can affect the SCADA based critical infrastructure. Hence, developing a security information and event management (SIEM) is crucial for securing the SCADA power system. This paper presents the application of Security Onion (SecOn) to develop the network security monitoring (NSM) and intrusion detection system (IDS) in the context of SCADA cyber physical security. Initially, we have applied a cyber kill-chain model to demonstrate the different stages of attacks and associated mechanisms. Later, the rule- based IDS (RIDS) is developed using Snort IDS, and tested in the cyber-physical SCADA environment. Furthermore, we have evaluated its performance in terms of accuracy and detection latency. Our experimental results reveal that the SecOn tool is efficient in monitoring and detecting attacks within an acceptable time frame with a high accuracy rate.
22 – Radioactive waste disposal

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the disposal of radioactive wastes that arise from a great variety of sources, including the nuclear fuel cycle, beneficial uses of isotopes, and radiation by institutions. Spent fuel contains uranium, plutonium, and highly radioactive fission products. The spent fuel is accumulating, awaiting the development of a high-level waste repository. It is anticipated that a multi-barrier system involving packaging and geologic media will provide protection of the public over the centuries. The favored method of disposal is in a mined cavity deep underground. In some countries, reprocessing the fuel assemblies permits recycling of materials and disposal of smaller volumes of solidified waste. Transportation of wastes is done by casks and containers designed to withstand severe accidents. Low-level wastes come from research and medical procedures and from a variety of activation and fission sources at a reactor site. They generally can be given near-surface burial. Isotopes of special interest are cobalt-60 and cesium-137. Transuranic wastes are being disposed of in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Decommissioning of reactors in the future will contribute a great deal of low-level radioactive waste.
In search of distress risk in emerging markets

Abstract This paper employs a novel multi-country dataset of corporate defaults to develop a model of distress risk specific to emerging markets. The data suggest that global financial variables such as US interest rates and shifts in global liquidity and risk aversion have significant predictive power for forecasting corporate distress risk in emerging markets. We document a positive distress risk premium in emerging market equities and show that the impact of a global “risk-off” environment on default risk is greater for firms whose returns are more sensitive to a composite global factor.
An agent-based computational framework for simulation of global pandemic and social response on planet X

The increase in readily available computational power raises the possibility that direct agent-based modeling can play a key role in the analysis of epidemiological population dynamics. Specifically, the objective of this work is to develop a robust agent-based computational framework to investigate the emergent structure of Susceptible-Infected-Removed/Recovered (SIR)-type populations and variants thereof, on a global planetary scale. To accomplish this objective, we develop a planet-wide model based on interaction between discrete entities (agents), where each agent on the surface of the planet is initially uninfected. Infections are then seeded on the planet in localized regions. Contracting an infection depends on the characteristics of each agent—i.e. their susceptibility and contact with the seeded, infected agents. Agent mobility on the planet is dictated by social policies, for example such as “shelter in place”, “complete lockdown”, etc. The global population is then allowed to evolve according to infected states of agents, over many time periods, leading to an SIR population. The work illustrates the construction of the computational framework and the relatively straightforward application with direct, non-phenomenological, input data. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the model construction and the results of such an approach.
Hans Jonas on the perils of progress and the recovery of Metaphysical speculation

Hans Jonas’s establishment of an ethics of responsibility entails the simultaneous rejection of the modern notion of progress and the recovery of a form of “metaphysical speculation” that aids man in his search for an objective standard of value. Looking mostly at Jonas’s philosophical biology in The Phenomenon of Life and Mortality and Morality , this paper shows how Jonas’s thought on value judgments rests upon his critique of progress and science. The ethics of perfectibility and progress, Jonas shows, leads to a predicament in which the modern mind must navigate between the dangers present in the hubristic hopes of technological progress and the nihilism he finds in the thought of Martin Heidegger. Jonas’s philosophical biology serves as a critique of these positions that opens up an alternative orientation toward nature—one that grounds not only the ethics of responsibility but the uniquely human activity of reflection. The critique of progress serves, then, as a propaedeutic to the ethics of responsibility and the recovery of an image of man as the reflective animal. Such a recovery of metaphysical speculation from the dogmas of the physical sciences helps encourage a “new humility” in the face of man’s technological power. Jonas hopes to replace man’s desire for self-overcoming with the fear that his “Promethean immoderation” will lead to the biosphere's destruction. This fear acknowledges the limits of man’s knowledge and is thereby accompanied by a posture of Socratic ignorance and the reengagement with the philosophia perennis. That is, a less hubristic ethical theory depends upon a modest philosophical stance toward the whole. Only on the grounds of this epistemological modesty can we hope to proceed into the future with both caution and wisdom.
Biophysical and Structural Characterization of Novel RAS-Binding Domains (RBDs) of PI3Kα and PI3Kγ

Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases (PI3Ks) are lipid kinases that phosphorylate phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate to generate a key lipid second messenger, phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-bisphosphate. PI3Kα and PI3Kγ require activation by RAS proteins to stimulate signaling pathways that control cellular growth, differentiation, motility and survival. Intriguingly, RAS binding to PI3K isoforms likely differ, as RAS mutations have been identified that discriminate between PI3Kα and PI3Kγ, consistent with low sequence homology (23%) between their RAS binding domains (RBDs). As disruption of the RAS/PI3Kα interaction reduces tumor growth in mice with RAS- and epidermal growth factor receptor driven skin and lung cancers, compounds that interfere with this key interaction may prove useful as anti-cancer agents. However, a structure of PI3Kα bound to RAS is lacking, limiting drug discovery efforts. Expression of full-length PI3K isoforms in insect cells has resulted in low yield and variable activity, limiting biophysical and structural studies of RAS/PI3K interactions. This led us to generate the first RBDs from PI3Kα and PI3Kγ that can be expressed at high yield in bacteria and bind to RAS with similar affinity to full-length PI3K. We also solved a 2.31 A X-ray crystal structure of the PI3Kα-RBD, which aligns well to full-length PI3Kα. Structural differences between the PI3Kα and PI3Kγ RBDs are consistent with differences in thermal stability and may underly differential RAS recognition and RAS-mediated PI3K activation. These high expression, functional PI3K RBDs will aid in interrogating RAS interactions and could aid in identifying inhibitors of this key interaction.
Statistical Process Control of Multiple Stream Processes

Statistical process control methods for a process with multiple streams are developed and compared to traditional solutions. New methods maintain the simplicity of the group control chart while improving on traditional limitations. A model that allows ..
Channel equalization using the G-Probe

In this paper, we describe the gradient-with-projection-on-optimal-bounding-ellipsoid (G-Probe) algorithm, for use in channel equalization. The G-Probe is compared to the NLMS-based equalizer in the case where the transmitted signal is attenuated by strong and periodic fading, and the channel undergoes structured interference at the same time. In such scenarios small perturbations in the channel may cause the NLMS parameters to drift, leading to large instantaneous errors referred to as burst phenomena. The G-Probe provides both MSE and instantaneous steady-state error performance guarantees resulting in reduced error bursts. This paper provides simulation results in the performance of G-Probe for a linear ISI channel with AWGN and its performance in a channel with periodic fading. Finally, the paper provides comparison results of G-Probe against three adaptive algorithms; the OBE, NLMS, and RLS.
High-throughput approaches to optimization of crystal silicon surface passivation and heterojunction solar cells

We use a high-throughput (combinatorial) hot-wire chemical vapor deposition system to passivate the crystal silicon surface and to grow heterojunction silicon solar cells. We study the effectiveness of crystal surface treatments by atomic H or/and NH/sub x/ radicals, followed by the growth of thin hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films. Treatment and layer properties such as times, thicknesses and gas mixtures can be continuously graded, creating a two-dimensional sample with each variable varying in one direction. This results in high-throughput optimization of the processes. Effective carrier lifetime is measured by photoconductive decay to evaluate the effectiveness of the surface passivation by surface treatments. The effective carrier lifetime increases from about 5 /spl mu/s without passivation to about 24 /spl mu/s with an optimized surface treatment and thickness a-Si:H on single-sided c-Si. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that a-Si:H, a mixed phase, or epitaxial growth of thin-film Si depending upon the surface treatment. Improvement in effective carrier lifetime correlates to with an immediate a-Si:H growth on c-Si, rather than a mixed phase and epitaxial Si growth. We have obtained an efficiency of 13.4% on a non-textured single-sided heterojunction solar cell on a p-type CZ-Si processed with optimized surface treatment.
Mutation of the serine 312 phosphorylation site does not alter the ability of mouse p53 to inhibit simian virus 40 DNA replication in vivo

Abstract Two mutations were introduced into the wild-type mouse p53 gene by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis. These mutations substituted alanine or aspartic acid for serine at position 312, which is constitutively phosphorylated. Phosphopeptide mapping of the mutant proteins, expressed in COS cells, confirmed the loss of phosphorylation at position 312. There were no changes in the ability of the mutant p53s to express the conformation-dependent epitope for monoclonal antibody PAb246 or to participate in complexes with the simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen. Replication of a plasmid containing the SV40 origin of replication was inhibited in COS cells by wild-type p53 and both of the phosphorylation site mutants with equal efficiency. A transforming mutant of p53, encoding valine at position 135, did not inhibit SV40 DNA replication in COS cells.
Diffusion Tensor and Functional MRI Fusion with Anatomical MRI for Image-Guided Neurosurgery

In order to achieve its main goal of maximal tumor removal while avoiding postoperative neurologic deficits, neuro-oncological surgery is strongly dependent on image guidance. Among all currently available imaging modalities, MRI provides the best anatomic detail and is highly sensitive for intracranial pathology. However, conventional MRI does not detect the exact location of white matter tracts or areas of cortical activation. This essential information can be obtained non-invasively by means of diffusion tensor MRI (DT-MRI) and functional MRI (fMRI) respectively. Here we present our initial experience with fMRI and DT-MRI for surgical planning and guidance in ten brain tumor cases.
THE DEMAND FOR PREVENTIVE AND RESTORATIVE DENTAL SERVICES

Chronic tooth decay is the most common chronic condition in the United States among children ages 5-17 and also affects a large percentage of adults. Oral health conditions are preventable, but less than half of the US population uses dental services annually. We seek to examine the extent to which limited dental coverage and high out-of-pocket costs reduce dental service use by the nonelderly privately insured and uninsured. Using data from the 2001-2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and an American Dental Association survey of dental procedure prices, we jointly estimate the probability of using preventive and both basic and major restorative services through a correlated random effects specification that controls for endogeneity. We found that dental coverage increased the probability of preventive care use by 19% and the use of restorative services 11% to 16%. Both conditional and unconditional on dental coverage, the use of dental services was not sensitive to out-of-pocket costs. We conclude that dental coverage is an important determinant of preventive dental service use, but other nonprice factors related to consumer preferences, especially education, are equal if not stronger determinants.
Actitudes hacia el trabajo docente de los profesores de la facultad de educacion de la universidad de costa rica

En la ultima decada, los planificadores de la educacion superior latinoamericana, dentro de un enfoque curricular del desarrollo personal y social, se han preocupado por orientar el diseno curricular con base en las caracteristicas personales del docente como variables que influyen en la calidad del proceso de ensenanza-aprendizaje, en el que interactuan docentes y estudiantes. El factor personal del docente universitario es determinante para el logro de objetivos cognoscitivos, afectivos y psicomotores, acordes con las necesidades educativas que se desean satisfacer dentro de un contexto social determinado.Se vislumbra una preocupacion por un docente que ademas de conocer excelentemente su campo de estudio o especialidad, posea actitudes positivas que le permitan realizar acciones educativas eficientes y eficaces para ensenar al adulto joven, que es heterogeneo en sus caracteristicas individuales, culturales y sociales.
Biology of the synovial joint.

Biology of the synovial joint. Eds C W Archer, B Caterson, M Benjamin, J R Ralphs. (Pp 443; £70.) Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers, 1999. ISBN 90-5702-327-X. Biology of the Synovial Joint grew out of a symposium held during the summer of 1996 at the University of Wales in Cardiff. The editors convened that meeting in the “belief that joints need to be seen as whole organs”, and the contributors were chosen to provide expert perspectives on each of the major articular tissues. For this volume, the same authors were asked to review their topics …
Ventilatory effects of tryptophan depletion in panic disorder: A preliminary report

On the basis of preclinical studies, we hypothesized that deficient serotonin neurotransmission may be associated with the respiratory hyperactivity and carbon dioxide sensitivity seen in panic disorder. We used the tryptophan depletion method to investigate the effects of transient reductions in serotonin on respiration in five patients with panic disorder and seven normal control subjects. During room air breathing, the patients showed significantly increased ventilation when tryptophan-depleted, while the normal subjects showed no significant changes in respiration. These preliminary data suggest that serotonergic manipulation may affect ventilatory indices, with panic disorder patients being particularly sensitive to the effect of tryptophan depletion.
Commitment to Nested Collectives in Special Operations Forces

Contemporary investigations of workplace commitment include research on commitment components and commitment to multiple, and sometimes nested, work units. Research on commitment within the hierarc...
Coelomomyces dodgei: establishment of an in vivo laboratory culture.

Abstract An in vivo laboratory culture of the fungus Coelomomyces dodgei (Chytridiomycetes: Blastocladiales) was established, using the copepod Cyclops vernalis as an intermediate host and the larvae of the mosquito Anopheles quadrimaculatus as the definitive host. The culture was perpetuated by infecting copepods and mosquitoes using separate procedures. Copepods were infected by being combined with dehiscing sporangia. Patently infected copepods, which contained either light amber, bright orange, or both light amber and bright orange mycelia, were collected daily beginning 12 days later. Mosquitoes were infected by combining 100 first-instar larvae for 48 hr with a mixture of 12 infected copepods, four of each of the above types. The mean rate of infection for the first 100 trials was 41%. When groups of 100 first-, second-, third-, and fourth-instar larvae were exposed to a similar mixture of infected copepods for 48 hr, the mean rates of infection were 37.4, 27.0, 17.8, and 2.4%, respectively. Observations and experimental evidence suggest that the differentially pigmented mycelia found in infected copepods are gametophytes which develop into gametangia that subsequently release gametes of opposite mating types, the light amber gametangia producing female and the bright orange gametangia producing male gametes. Zygotes resulting from the fusion of these gametes lead to the infection of mosquito larvae. Thus, C. dodgei appears to have an Euallomyces type of life cycle with sporophyte and gametophyte generations alternating between mosquito and copepod hosts, respectively, with differentially pigmented sexual structures present in the gametophyte phase.
A compact bellows-driven diamond anvil cell for high-pressure, low-temperature magnetic measurements

We present the design of an efficient bellows-controlled diamond anvil cell that is optimized for use inside the bores of high-field superconducting magnets in helium-3 cryostats, dilution refrigerators, and commercial physical property measurement systems. Design of this non-magnetic pressure cell focuses on in situ pressure tuning and measurement by means of a helium-filled bellows actuator and fiber-coupled ruby fluorescence spectroscopy, respectively. We demonstrate the utility of this pressure cell with ac susceptibility measurements of superconducting, ferromagnetic, and antiferromagnetic phase transitions to pressures exceeding 8 GPa. This cell provides an opportunity to probe charge and magnetic order continuously and with high resolution in the three-dimensional Magnetic Field–Pressure–Temperature parameter space.
Black Consciousness and Political Participation: The Missing Link

Recent research has demonstrated that black Americans are far more politically active than whites of similar socioeconomic status. The difference has been related to black consciousness. Yet the reasons for this relationship have not been adequately explained. Starting with the work of Gurin and Gamson, this article theorizes that black consciousness contributes to political mistrust and a sense of internal political efficacy which in turn encourages policy-related participation. The relationship between the two attitudes and policy-related behavior is demonstrated to be conditional. The conditions favor blacks more than whites. What I shall call the Gamson-Gurin thesis is supported by data from Verba's and Nie's 1967 survey of the American public. The thesis, and its derivations, prove useful in clarifying the scope and nature of black participation in the American political process as well as helping us to understand how individuals in general select one mode of participation over another and how the choice varies by race and social class.
An Analytic Framework for Aligning Observational and Randomized Trial Data: Application to Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy and Coronary Heart Disease

We describe a conceptual analytic framework for aligning observational and randomized controlled trial (RCT) data. The framework allows one to (1) use observational data to estimate treatment effects comparable to their RCT counterparts, (2) properly include early events that occur soon after treatment initiation in the analysis of observational data, (3) estimate various treatment effects that are of clinical and scientific relevance while appropriately adjusting for time-varying confounders in both the RCT and observational analyses, (4) assess the generalizability of RCT findings in the more diverse populations generally found in the observational data, and (5) combine both types of data to study associations that cannot be addressed by one study or a single data set. We describe the theoretical application of this framework to the Women’s Health Initiative data to examine the relation between postmenopausal hormone therapy and coronary heart disease. The analytic framework can be tailored to specific exposure-outcome associations and data sources, and may be refined as more is learned about its strengths and limitations.
Macrolide resistance determination and molecular typing of Mycoplasma pneumoniae by pyrosequencing.

The first choice antibiotics for treatment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections are macrolides. Several recent studies, however, have indicated that the prevalence of macrolide (ML)-resistance, which is determined by mutations in the bacterial 23S rRNA, is increasing among M. pneumoniae isolates. Consequently, it is imperative that ML-resistance in M. pneumoniae is rapidly detected to allow appropriate and timely treatment of patients. We therefore set out to determine the utility of pyrosequencing as a convenient technique to assess ML-resistance. In addition, we studied whether pyrosequencing could be useful for molecular typing of M. pneumoniae isolates. To this end, a total of four separate pyrosequencing assays were developed. These assays were designed such as to determine a short genomic sequence from four different sites, i.e. two locations within the 23S rRNA gene, one within the MPN141 (or P1) gene and one within the MPN528a gene. While the 23S rRNA regions were employed to determine ML-resistance, the latter two were used for molecular typing. The pyrosequencing assays were performed on a collection of 108 M. pneumoniae isolates. The ML-resistant isolates within the collection (n = 4) were readily identified by pyrosequencing. Moreover, each strain was correctly typed as either a subtype 1 or subtype 2 strain by both the MPN141 and MPN528a pyrosequencing test. Interestingly, two recent isolates from our collection, which were identified as subtype 2 strains by the pyrosequencing assays, were found to carry novel variants of the MPN141 gene, having rearrangements in each of the two repetitive elements (RepMP4 and RepMP2/3) within the gene. In conclusion, pyrosequencing is a convenient technique for ML-resistance determination as well as molecular typing of M. pneumoniae isolates.
AVPR2 variants and V2 vasopressin receptor function in nephrogenic diabetes insipidus

AVPR2 variants and V2 vasopressin receptor function in nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Background The AVPR2 gene encodes the type 2 vasopressin receptor, a member of the vasopressin/oxytocin receptor subfamily of G protein-coupled receptors. Disruption of AVPR2 causes X-linked congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI), yet the functional significance of most gene sequence variations found in association with NDI has not been proven. The large number of naturally occurring AVPR2 mutations constitutes a model system for studying the structure-function relationship of G protein-coupled receptors. This analysis can be aided by examining amino acid sequence variation and conservation among evolutionarily disparate members of the subfamily. Methods Twenty-five new NDI patients were evaluated by DNA sequencing for mutations in AVPR2. Receptors encoded by eighteen NDI alleles were tested for physiologic signaling activity in response to varying concentrations of arginine vasopressin (AVP) in a sensitive cell culture assay. Seventeen amino acid sequences from the vasopressin/oxytocin receptor subfamily were aligned and conserved residues were identified and correlated with the locations of NDI associated variations. Results Twenty-four variant alleles were found among the 25 new patients. Thirteen had no prior family history of expressed NDI. All 18 of the NDI-associated AVPR2 alleles tested for function demonstrated diminished response to stimulation with AVP. Twelve failed to respond at all, whereas six signaled only at high AVP concentrations. Evolutionarily conserved residues clustered in the transmembrane domains and in the first and second extracellular loops, and NDI-associated missense mutations appeared mostly in the conserved domains. Conclusions Sporadic cases are frequent and they usually represent the X-linked rather than the autosomal form of NDI. Genetic and functional testing can confirm this in individual cases. Mutations in this study affecting ligand binding domains tend to retain partial signaling in vitro , whereas those that introduce a charged residue in a transmembrane domain are inactive. The minimal partial signaling observed in cultured cells is unlikely to correlate with clinically significant urine concentrating ability. Other AVPR2 mutations with milder effects on receptor function probably exist, but may not be expressed clinically as typical NDI.
Carcinoid Heart Disease Correlation of High Serotonin Levels With Valvular Abnormalities Detected by Cardiac Catheterization and Echocardiography

Background Although serotonin has been postulated as an etiologic agent in the development of carcinoid heart disease, no direct evidence for different ambient serotonin levels in cardiac and nonca...
Toxicologic Information Resources for Reptile Envenomations

The United States is the largest importer of reptiles in the world, with an estimated 1.5 to 2.0 million households keeping one or more reptiles. Snakes account for about 11% of these imports and it has been estimated that as many as 9% of these reptiles are venomous. Envenomations by nonindigenous venomous species are a rare but often serious medical emergency. Bites may occur during the care and handling of legitimate collections found in universities, zoos, or museums. The other predominant source of exotic envenomation is from amateur collectors participating in importation, propagation, and trade of non-native species. This article provides toxicologic information resources for snake envenomations.
Aerodynamic testing of a smart composite wing using fiber-optic strain sensing and neural networks

The feasibility of developing a smart wing using composite materials, fiber-optic sensors, and neural networks is investigated. Strain and aerodynamic lift force induced in a wing model at different air speeds and angles-of-attack are experimentally determined in an open circuit wind tunnel. The smart wing model consisted of a glass/epoxy composite beam with an interferometric fiber-optic sensor mounted at the wing root. The strains were correlated to the set of air velocities and angles-of-attack using a feedforward backpropagation neural network approach. The resulting neural network simulation could predict the experimental strain in real time with an average error of 3.17%. Finite-element analysis prediction of aerodynamic lift calculated using measured strain at the wing root generally agreed with thin airfoil theory, the differences being attributed to uncertainty in composite material properties.
Anti-cocaine antibody and butyrylcholinesterase-derived cocaine hydrolase exert cooperative effects on cocaine pharmacokinetics and cocaine-induced locomotor activity in mice.

We are investigating treatments for cocaine abuse based on viral gene transfer of a cocaine hydrolase (CocH) derived from human butyrylcholinesterase, which can reduce cocaine-stimulated locomotion and cocaine-primed reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior in rats for many months. Here, in mice, we explored the possibility that anti-cocaine antibodies can complement the actions of CocH to reduce cocaine uptake in brain and block centrally-evoked locomotor stimulation. Direct injections of test proteins showed that CocH (0.3 or 1 mg/kg) was effective by itself in reducing drug levels in plasma and brain of mice given cocaine (10 mg/kg, s.c., or 20 mg/kg, i.p). Administration of cocaine antibody per se at a low dose (8 mg/kg, i.p.) exerted little effect on cocaine distribution. However, a higher dose of antibody (12 mg/kg) caused peripheral trapping (increased plasma drug levels), which led to increased cocaine metabolism by CocH, as evidenced by a 6-fold rise in plasma benzoic acid. Behavioral tests with small doses of CocH and antibody (1 and 8 mg/kg, respectively) showed that neither agent alone reduced mouse locomotor activity triggered by a very large cocaine dose (100 mg/kg, i.p.). However, dual treatment completely suppressed the locomotor stimulation. Altogether, we found cooperative and possibly synergistic actions that warrant further exploration of dual therapies for treatment of cocaine abuse.
When a coworker completes suicide

The suicide death of a coworker is considered a psychiatric emergency for nurse managers and coworkers left to process the feelings associated with this type of grief. The occupational health nurse can assist nurse managers and coworkers in the grieving process. It is critical for the occupational health nurse to understand the psychological, social, and emotional implications for coworkers (suicide survivors) left to grieve the loss. Appropriate support and guidance immediately following the suicide death of a coworker will assist individuals through the normal grieving process and avoid suppressed emotions that may lead to personal and departmental dysfunction.
Single-shot MR imaging using trapezoidal-gradient-based Lissajous trajectories

A novel single-shot trapezoidal-gradient-based Lissajous trajectory is described and implemented on a 3-tesla magnetic resonance (MR) scanner. A feature of this trajectory is that its sampling points are located on a nonequidistant rectangular grid, which permits the usage of one-dimensional optimal algorithms to increase the robustness and speed of image reconstruction. Another advantage of the trajectory is that two images with different effective echo times can be obtained within a single excitation, which might be used for fast T/sub 2//sup */ mapping, in functional MR imaging scanning of brain activity associated with mental processes. Potential artifacts in reconstructed images were investigated and methods for suppressing these artifacts were developed. Experiments on normal subjects at rest and during brain activation were performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the new sequence.
Life sciences: Industrial immunology

In a tough job market, immunologists are in demand. To move from academia to a biotechnology or drug company, researchers must explore the options and stay flexible.
Affordable composites using renewable materials

Bio-based composite products are finding widespread applications due to their low cost and environmental acceptability. Development of new bio-based raw material and automated composite manufacturing is the focus of the present study. Pultrusion is the fastest and the most cost-effective composite manufacturing processes, and is well suited for high volume production for structural applications. With growing opportunities to use pultruded composites, the development of cost effective pultrudable resin system is of great interest. A novel soy-based epoxy resin namely epoxidized allyl soyate is synthesized at the University of Missouri-Rolla. This resin forms co-polymers with the base Shell Epon epoxy resin in varied proportions to yield a family of polymeric networks. Glass fiber reinforced composite specimens are manufactured using a Durapul 6000 Labstar Pultrusion machine. The lubricity of soy-based resin significantly reduces the pull force. Mechanical tests show that pultruded composites with soy-based co-resin systems possess comparable or improved structural performance characteristics such as flexural strength, modulus and impact resistance.
The Everyday Geography of the Homeless in Kansas City

Homelessness in the United States is a multifaceted problem that appears to be growing. However, very little is known about the geography of homelessness. This paper will document the daily lives of the homeless in Kansas City, Missouri, within the milieu of the emergency shelter. The purpose of this study continues in the humanistic tradition, which is attempting to restore human subjectivity to a field considered to have been dominated for too long by scientific objectivism. Fieldwork took place in Kansas City from 1988 to 1993. Two types of shelters were identified: street and transitional. The street shelters primarily served individual men and were best characterized by the rescue mission. Transitional shelters, on the other hand, catered for men and the more recent additions to the homeless population, single women and families with children. The spatial activity of the homeless was constrained as a result of living in a shelter. One typical response to homelessness was apathy and depression. After approximately 30 days in a shelter, a homeless person often underwent a change in physical appearance and activity. This shelterization meant that homeless men and women became increasingly isolated and conformed to the view of themselves imposed by their fellow homeless, the caretakers, and society at large. Homelessness is more than simply lacking a roof over one's head; it is a process of institutionalization into the milieu of the emergency shelter. Shelter facilities in the US are transforming into long-term caretaking institutions.
The isolation and identification of a toxic impurity in XP315 drug substance

In early safety assessment studies with the experimental anti-neoplastic drug XP315, a toxic reaction was observed in dogs immediately after intravenous (iv) infusion. The reaction was characterized by severe erythema around the ears, eyes, face and body; ocular hyperemia; head shaking; swelling around the eyes, face, paws, head, neck and legs; scratching; and reddened gums, which lasted several hours after dosing. By fractionating the drug substance using preparative HPLC and then infusing the residues into dogs by iv, this reaction was traced to an impurity in the drug substance. Following the preparative isolation of the toxic impurity, characterization was performed using a combination of NMR and mass spectral methods. The proposed impurity was found to be structurally related and nearly twice the molecular weight of XP315, resulting from a dimerization by ring fusion of two 3-aminonaphthalene fragments during the synthetic process. This paper details the steps taken to isolate the toxic impurity and characterize its structure using off-line methods.
A Computer-Controlled Sampling System for Airborne Radionuclides

A computer-controlled air sampling system has been designed and is presently being constructed. The self-contained, mobile system will collect and record data from eight meteorological sensors. This information will be used in the study of resuspended airborne activity. Air sampler operation will be based on comparisons between the meteorological data and the sampling criteria selected by the operator at the beginning of the run. Correlations between meteorological parameters and resuspension will be used to develop a predictive model. The paper includes a description of system hardware and discussion of the software concept.
Differences in eucaryotic cell binding of Pseudomonas

The lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are frequently chronically colonized by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Recently there has been an increase in colonization by another pathogen Pseudomonas cepacia, which can cause a rapid decline in clinical condition or death of the patient. The nature of the factor(s) which predispose CF patients to colonization by one or both of these opportunistic pathogens is unknown. It has been suggested that the genetic defect in CF patients results in an increase in the number of epithelial cell receptors available to P. aeruginosa in the lung, thus rendering CF patients more susceptible to bacterial colonization than non-CF individuals. In this study, we have examined adherence of several strains of P. aeruginosa and P. cepacia to a variety of continuous cell lines, as well as primary cultures of CF and non-CF nasal polyp cells. The results suggested that there may be a decrease in the number of receptors available to both strains of Pseudomonas on cells of canine origin compared to human cells. Both strains appear to use pili as the primary adhesin, but there is also evidence that non-pilus adhesins contribute significantly to eucaryotic cell binding. P. cepacia exhibited microcolony formation on all cell types, which is typical of the localized adherence pattern characteristic of the enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. However, we were unable to demonstrate, with either P. cepacia or P. aeruginosa, a significant increase in adherence to CF compared to non-CF nasal polyp cultures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Comparative Measurements of Cloud Liquid Water Using Heated Wire and Cloud Replicating Devices

Abstract Liquid water concentrations in cumulus clouds have been measured from an aircraft using the Johnson-Williams hot wire device. From simultaneous continuous cloud replicator records, liquid water contents have been computed from the observed drop size distributions. Comparisons between data from the hot wire and replicator devices indicate that both instruments are fairly accurate in measuring liquid water contents at least up to 3.5 gm m−3, with the closest agreement when the median volume diameter of the cloud droplets was under 30 μm.
Stellar luminosity stability - Luminosity variations and light curve period changes in BY Draconis stars

The implications for convection in late type stars arising from the observations of BY Draconis type variability are examined. The possibility that the total luminosity of such a star is not constant is emphasized, and further observational tests to better define the variability are suggested. An alternative to standard spot models is explored in which the 'missing' flux from 'dark' spots is temporally redistributed; this model makes definite predictions about the correlation of mean light and color, and about the quiescent (i.e., unspotted) magnitudes of BY Draconis stars. The time scales of the long-period variability of these stars appear to require secular changes in convective energy transport. Consideration is given to the evidence for period changes in the optical light curves, and it is concluded that the reality of such changes is far less certain than previously claimed.
Transmission congestion analysis in the Eastern Interconnection using POMS

A methodology based on the security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC) is applied to analyze the transmission congestion in the Eastern Interconnection of the United States for 2008 and 2018. The proposed SCUC tool for this study is referred to as the POwer Market Simulator (POMS). The identified congestions are visualized along with the Geographical Information System (GIS) data and compared with the results published by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Electric Transmission Congestion Study (NETCS) in 2006. The POMS study also provides the locational marginal price (LMP) information in the Eastern Interconnection, which is not available in the NETCS report. The POMS simulation results for representing congested branches and LMPs could be applied to the future transmission expansion planning studies.
Recent developments in pralytic shellfish poisoning research

Abstract The finding that Gonyaulax catenella , the organism that produces much of the paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) in the Pacific, undergoes diel vertical migration offers greater insight into the distribution of both the toxic organism and toxicity in shellfish. This insight points to useful avenues of research to develop a predictive model for PSP and suggests modifications of shellfish culturing practices which may improve monitoring for PSP or reduce losses due to PSP. The occurrence of a heavy infestation of G. catenella by a dinoflagellate parasite during the decline of a dense bloom of G. catenella suggests the parasite may play an important role in controlling G. catenella populations and might be useful as a biological control agent when cultured and introduced into certain confined bays.
NMR studies of fluorophenylalanine‐containing carbonic anhydrase

Rabbits ingesting 4-fluorophenylalanine are known to incorporate small amounts of this fluorinated amino acid into their proteins. Carbonic anhydrase I isolated-from the erythrocytes of animals so maintained exhibits a well-resolved fluorine NMR signal for each phenylalanine in the sequence. The chemical shifts of most of these signals respond to the binding of inhibitors, suggesting that most if not all of the tertiary structure of the enzyme adjusts to the presence of inhibitors at the the active site.
Changes in plasma free fatty acids and triglycerides in dairy cattle after dosing with coffee or caffeine.

Abstract Two hours after 50 to 100g coffee were given intraruminally as a drench or through an established fistula, there was a marked increase in plasma levels of free fatty acids 1 1The terms free fatty acids (FFA), unesterified fatty acids (UFA), and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) are used interchangeably in the literature. in 14 of 18 cows and an increase in plasma triglycerides in all six cows on which this component was measured two hours post-treatment. Also, when 10g of caffeine citrate, a highly soluble form of caffeine, were infused intraruminally, there was an increase of 88.6% in plasma levels of free fatty acids compared with controls. However, there were no detectable changes in plasma levels of free fatty acids and triglycerides two hours after 5g of USP grade caffeine, a low solubility product, was injected intraruminally as a suspension in 30ml of water. The lack of a response to the USP grade caffeine appears to be associated with its low solubility. Feeding powdered instant coffee in the concentrate was not a practical means of getting caffeine into cattle, as they consumed an average of only 33.3% of their allowance. This resulted in low and highly variable intakes of coffee.