cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tissue-Engineered Interlocking Scaffold Blocks for the Regeneration of Bone

The duration of time over which bone growth is initiated in large bone defects using tissue-engineered scaffolds is still too long to be of practical relevance. Here, we report a unique design of mechanically stable interlocking blocks wherein the large defect shape is filled using interlocking scaffold blocks coated with bone morphogenic proteins (BMP-2 and BMP-7). The nanocomposite scaffold blocks are made using polycaprolactone and amino acid-modified nanoclays intercalated with mineralized hydroxyapatite. On seeding with human mesenchymal stem cells and osteoblasts, BMP-coated scaffolds showed higher ECM formation. Also, when assembled, accelerated tissue growth was observed compared with the similar-sized scaffold. Enhanced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs was observed at the interfaces between the blocks as well as the formation of defined fibril-like collagen. The block assembly does not compromise the mechanical integrity of a single cylindrical scaffold. Thus, here a novel BMP-coated interlocking blocks system is presented for accelerated bone growth.
Freestanding ultra-thin silica

Silica (SiOx) thin films are promising for a wide range of applications, including catalysis, separation technology, biomedicine, or transparent super-hydrophilic films. Here, we present a study demonstrating a unique way of producing ultra-thin, freestanding silica films via silicon etching. This method utilizes silicon wafers with thermally oxidized surfaces and two common inorganic elements (sulfur and tellurium), which leads to high-rate chemical etching of the Si substrate, leaving behind freestanding silica layers. Thermodynamic calculations of the tellurium–silicon–sulfur (Te–Si–S) ternary phase diagram suggest that the removal of the Si substrate from the silica layers is due to chemical reactions that result in liquid/vapor formation of Si–S and Si–Te phases. Importantly, the chemical and physical properties of the silica film post-etch are comparable to those of the starting material. The process described here provides a route to produce large area, flexible glass substrates with widely tunable thicknesses from tens to thousands of nanometers.
Daily almond consumption in cardiovascular disease prevention via LDL-C change in the U.S. population: a cost-effectiveness analysis

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the health claim that 1.5 oz (42.5 g) of nut intake may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have focused on the cost-effectiveness of other foods or dietary factors on primary cardiovascular disease prevention, yet not in almond consumption. This study aimed to examine the cost-effectiveness of almond consumption in cardiovascular disease primary prevention. This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of consuming 42.5 g of almond from the U.S. healthcare sector perspective. A decision model was developed for 42.5 g of almond per day versus no almond consumption and cardiovascular disease in the U.S. population. Parameters in the model were derived from the literature, which included the probabilities of increasing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, developing acute myocardial infarction and stroke, treating acute myocardial infarction, dying from the disease and surgery, as well as the costs of the disease and procedures in the U.S. population, and the quality-adjusted life years. The cost of almonds was based on the current price in the U.S. market. Sensitivity analyses were conducted for different levels of willingness-to-pay, the probabilistic sensitivity analysis, ten-year risk prevention, different costs of procedures and almond prices, and patients with or without cardiovascular disease. The almond strategy had $363 lower cost and 0.02 higher quality-adjusted life years gain compared to the non-almond strategy in the base-case model. The annual net monetary benefit of almond consumption was $1421 higher per person than no almond consumption, when the willingness to pay threshold was set at $50,000 for annual health care expenditure. Almond was more cost-effective than non-almond in cardiovascular disease prevention in all the sensitivity analyses. Consuming 42.5 g of almonds per day is a cost-effective approach to prevent cardiovascular disease in the short term and potentially in the long term.
Lightweight High Voltage Generator for Untethered Electroadhesive Perching of Micro Air Vehicles

The limited in-flight battery lifetime of centimeter-scale flying robots is a major barrier to their deployment, especially in applications which take advantage of their ability to reach high vantage points. Perching, where flyers remain fixed in space without use of flight actuators by attachment to a surface, is a potential mechanism to overcome this barrier. Electroadhesion, a phenomenon where an electrostatic force normal to a surface is generated by induced charge, has been shown to be an increasingly viable perching mechanism as robot size decreases due to the increased surface-area-to-volume ratio. Typically electroadhesion requires high (>1 kV) voltages to generate useful forces, leading to relatively large power supplies that cannot be carried on-board a micro air vehicle. In this letter, we motivate the need for application-specific power electronics solutions for electroadhesive perching, develop a useful figure of merit (the “specific voltage”) for comparing and guiding efforts, and walk through the design methodology of a system implementation. We conclude by showing that this high voltage power supply enables, for the first time in the literature, tetherless electroadhesive perching of a commercial micro quadrotor.
Editorial Commentary: Time to Transition to Opioid-Sparing Orthopaedic Surgery: The Writing Is on the Wall.

Opioid pain medications continue to play a role in postoperative pain control following elective arthroscopic surgery. Recent evidence suggests that patients who consume opioids preoperatively are at risk for inferior patient-reported outcomes. They are also more likely to consume opioids for longer periods of time following surgery relative to their opioid-naive counterparts. However, limited evidence currently exists regarding whether discontinuing opioid use in anticipation of surgery avoids these deleterious effects. Orthopaedic surgeons have an obligation to limit the number of opioids necessary to control postoperative pain.
Cone-Beam CT Use for Airway Imaging

Imaging as always was a key concept in craniofacial diagnosis. Airway imaging techniques used in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have greatly improved especially with understanding OSA pathophysiology. The measurements of the upper airway can be significantly important when studying breathing disorders. Even though sleep studies are still the official method to diagnose sleep-disordered breathing conditions, using imaging techniques, the clinician can assess potential risk factors of patients for a more complete pretreatment diagnosis. Airway imaging can be done using different imaging modalities such as pharyngoscopy, cephalometric radiography, fluoroscopy, helical and electron beam computed tomography (CT), acoustic reflection, magnetic resonance imaging, and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). CBCT is a well-accepted oral and maxillofacial diagnostic imaging tool that provides a three-dimensional view of the hard and soft tissue structures of the head and neck, allowing the operator to examine areas, volumes and complex hollow structures, such as the upper airway. The purpose of this Chapter is to describe the possible use of CBCT technology for airway evaluation in OSA patients.
Social Networks and the Semantic Web

In recent years, social networking sites have grown with amazing speed. They are not only the source of vast amounts of user-generated data, but they are also changing our lives in almost every aspect, such as finding old friends, sharing pictures, discussing hot topics and finding jobs, just to name a few.
Assessment of the Leadership Styles in Public Organizations: an Analysis of Public Employees Perception

How do public employees evaluate leaders in public organizations? Public Organization literature has applied the Transformational Leadership framework to analyze the styles of leadership and its impact on public organization. However, few studies have been conducted regarding the evaluation of the styles of leadership in public organizations, and specifically, the evaluation carried out by the public employees. The purpose of this paper is to fill the gap in the literature, analyzing the factors that explain how employees evaluate leadership styles in the context of public organizations, through the analysis of Federal Employment View (FEV) survey applied in 2018.
Importance of Non-pharmacological Approaches for Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Mechanisms and Clinical Relevance

Chronic visceral pain represents a major unmet clinical need with the severity of pain ranging from mild to so severe as to prevent individuals from participating in day-to-day activities and detrimentally affecting their quality of life. Although chronic visceral pain can be multifactorial with many different biological and psychological systems contributing to the onset and severity of symptoms, one of the major triggers for visceral pain is the exposure to emotional and physical stress. Chronic visceral pain that is worsened by stress is a hallmark feature of functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Current pharmacological interventions for patients with chronic visceral pain generally lack efficacy and many are fraught with unwanted side effects. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has emerged as a psychotherapy that shows efficacy at ameliorating stress-induced chronic visceral pain, however the molecular mechanisms underlying CBT remain incompletely understood. Preclinical studies in experimental models of stress-induced visceral pain employing environmental enrichment (EE) as an animal model surrogate for CBT, are unravelling the mechanism by which environmental signals can lead to long lasting changes in gene expression and behavior. Evidence suggests that EE signaling interacts with stress and nociceptive signaling. This review will i) critically evaluate the behavioral and molecular changes that lead to chronic pain in IBS, ii) summarize the pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches used to treat IBS patients and iii) provide experimental evidence supporting the potential mechanisms by which CBT ameliorates stress-induced visceral pain.
Learning from a Black Box

We study a decision maker’s learning behavior when she receives recommendations from a black box (a recommender that the decision maker does not understand how it generates recommendations). We introduce four reasonable axioms and show that they cannot be satisfied simultaneously. We analyze various relaxations of the axioms. In one relaxation, we introduce and characterize an updating rule, the contraction rule, which has two parameters that map each recommendation to a recommended belief and the trustworthiness of the recommendation, respectively. The decision maker’s posterior is formed by mixing her prior with the recommended belief according to the trustworthiness measure.
Rapid Degradation of the Electrical Properties of 2D MoS2 Thin Films under Long-Term Ambient Exposure.

The MoS2 thin film has attracted a lot of attention due to its potential applications in flexible electronics, sensors, catalysis, and heterostructures. Understanding the effect of long-term ambient exposure on the electrical properties of the thin film is important for achieving many overreaching goals of this material. Here, we report for the first time a systematic study of electrical property variation and stability of MoS2 thin films under ambient exposure of up to a year. The MoS2 thin films were grown via the sulfurization of 6 nm thick molybdenum films. We found that the resistance of the samples increases by 114% just in 4 weeks and 430% in 4 months and they become fully insulated in a year of ambient exposure. The dual-sweep current-voltage (I-V) characteristic shows hysteretic behavior for a 4-month-old sample which further exhibits pronounced nonlinear I-V curves and hysteretic behavior after 8 months. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements show that the MoS2 thin film gradually oxidizes and 13.1% of MoO3 and 11.8% oxide of sulfur were formed in 4 months, which further increased to 23.1 and 12.7% in a year, respectively. The oxide of the sulfur peak was not reported in any previous stability studies of exfoliated and chemical vapor deposition-grown MoS2, suggesting that the origin of this peak is related to the distinct crystallinity of the MoS2 thin film due to its smaller grain sizes, abundant grain boundaries, and exposed edges. Raman studies show the broadening of E2g1 and A1g peaks with increasing exposure time, suggesting an increase in the disorder in MoS2. It is also found that coating the MoS2 thin film with polymethylmethacrylate can effectively prevent the electrical property degradation, showing only a 6% increase in resistance in 4 months and 40% over a year of ambient exposure.
Diagnostic retinal biopsy in the management of secondary non-CNS vitreoretinal lymphoma masquerading as viral retinitis: a case report.

Background Intraocular lymphoma accounts for fewer than 1% of intraocular tumors. When the posterior segment is involved, it can be further classified as vitreoretinal or choroidal lymphoma. Vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) can rarely masquerade as an infectious retinitis making diagnosis and management challenging. Results A 73-year-old woman with a history of non-central nervous system (CNS) involving diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was referred for worsening blurry vision-visual acuity of count figures at 2 ft-in her right eye for 8 months. Dilated fundus examination of the right eye was significant for retinal whitening and dot-blot hemorrhages, which was concerning for a viral retinitis and guided initial management. Secondary intraocular lymphoma was also considered. The retinal disease continued to progress despite intravitreal and systemic antiviral therapy, and a diagnostic vitrectomy was inconclusive. A retinal biopsy was then performed, which showed DLBCL, confirming a diagnosis of secondary VRL. Three subsequent treatments with intravitreal methotrexate led to regression of the VRL. Conclusions Our case highlights the utility of a retinal biopsy after an inconclusive diagnostic vitrectomy in a challenging scenario of VRL to establish a diagnosis and initiate successful treatment. A multidisciplinary team of providers was essential for diagnosis, comprehensive workup, medical and surgical management of the patient.
Iteration-Based Linearized Distribution-Level Locational Marginal Price for Three-Phase Unbalanced Distribution Systems

Distributed energy resources (DERs) are rocking the utilities’ business landscape. It calls for competitive market environments that incentivize DERs to form maximum operating efficiency. Among proposed pricing schemes, distribution-level locational marginal price (DLMP) is effective in signaling the marginal generation cost differences driven by energy losses and network constraints. It can be derived from a distribution-level optimal power flow (OPF) framework, as it essentially presents the sensitivity of optimized generation cost towards incremental loads. However, due to the high resistance-to-inductance ratio and unbalanced characteristics of distribution networks, computational affordable DLMPs are highly challenged. This article provides a linear-approximated DLMP that can be solved efficiently and generalized to account for reactive power flow, three-phase unbalanced loads and meshed network structure. The successive linear programming technique is introduced to enhance the model accuracy. Case studies on an IEEE 123-Bus system validate its accuracy against a nonlinear benchmark and capability in offering proper incentives.
The Gnomic Self

This essay discusses the links between counsel and subjectivity in the context of early modern English drama, with particular reference to Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. Drawing on Foucault’s notion of the gnomic self, which he recovers from the ancient philosophical tradition, it asks what kind of subjectivity emerges from situations of counsel in which remembered knowledge, in the form of sententiae, is supposed to act as a transformative force in the subject of advice
Competing for attention: an empirical study of online reviewers' strategic behavior

Top online reviewers who reliably gain consumers' attention stand to make significant financial gains and monetize the amount of attention and reputation they have earned. This study explores how online reviewers strategically choose the right product to review and the right rating to post so that they can gain attention and enhance reputation. Using book reviews from Amazon and Barnes & Noble (BN), we find that reviewers on Amazon, where a reviewer ranking system quantifies reviewers' online reputations, are sensitive to the competition among existing reviews and thus tend to avoid crowded review segments. However, on BN, which does not include such a ranking mechanism, reviewers do not respond to the competition effect. In addition, reviewers on Amazon post more differentiated ratings compared with reviewers on BN since the competition for attention on Amazon is more intense than on BN. Overall, reviewers on Amazon behave more strategically than reviewers on BN. This study yields important managerial implications for companies to improve their design of online review systems and enhance their understanding of reviewers' strategic behaviors.
Some remarks on the unified characterization of reproducing systems

The affine systems generated by $\Psi \subset L^2(\mathbb{R}^n)$ are the systems $\mathcal{A}_A(\Psi) = \{D^j_A T_k\Psi : j \in \mathbb{Z},k \in \mathbb{Z}^n$ where $T_k$ are the translations, and $D_A$ the dilations with respect to an invertible matrix A. As shown in [5], there is a simple characterization for those affine systems that are a Parseval frame for $L^2(\mathbb{R}^n)$. In this paper, we correct an error in the proof of the characterization result from [5], by redefining the class of not-necessarily expanding dilation matrices for which this characterization result holds. In addition, we examine the connection between the eigenvalues of the dilation matrix A and the characterization equations of the affine system $\mathcal{A}_A(\Psi)$ that are Parseval frames. Our observations go in the same directions as other recent results in the literature that show that, when A is not expanding, the information about the eigenvalues alone is not sufficient to characterize or to determine existence of those affine systems that are Parseval frames.
X-ray resonant exchange scattering of rare-earth nickel borocarbides

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the systematics of the microscopic magnetic order within a series of isostructural compounds and, at the same, to develop the relatively young experimental method of x-ray resonant exchange scattering (XRES). In this thesis, the author presents XRES studies of several rare-earth nickel borocarbides, RNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C. He shows that XRES, similar to the neutron techniques, allows the determination of the orientation of the magnetic moment by measuring the Q-dependence of the scattered intensity of magnetic Bragg reflections. As samples in this study, he chose the recently discovered family of rare-earth nickel borocarbides, RNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C, which display a wide variety of magnetic structures. Furthermore, in several of these materials, long range magnetic order coexists with superconductivity over some temperature range.
A note on Martin Campbell-Kelly's "software as an economic activity" and David Mowery's "commentary"

As with the history of any technology, business, or industry, the history of software raises the question for the historian of what unit of analysis should be used. Reading Martin Campbell-Kelly’s paper, “Software as an Economic Activity,” and David C. Mowery’s commentary suggests the clear need for greater methodological rigor and consistency, vis-a-vis analytical units, in studying the history of software.
Neighborhood disadvantage among racial and ethnic groups: Residential location in 1970 and 1980

We compare the neighborhood characteristics of native- and foreign-born blacks, whites, Hispanics, and Asians in 1970 and 1980. We broaden the locational attainment literature by emphasizing three ...
Structural phase diagram of the Ba1-xKxBiO3 system.

The structures of five phases in the ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{BiO}}_{3}$ system for 0\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}0.5 and temperatures below 473 K have been determined by neutron powder diffraction. Bulk superconductivity occurs only in a cubic perovskite phase which exists for x\ensuremath{\ge}0.37 (at 10 K). At room temperature, as the potassium concentration is decreased, the cubic structure distorts first by ${\mathrm{BiO}}_{6}$ octahedral tilting and then by symmetric oxygen breathing-mode distortions. Semiconducting behavior for the monoclinic phase at 0\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}0.1 can readily be explained on the basis of a commensurate charge-density wave. The semiconducting orthorhombic phase, which extends from the monoclinic phase to the cubic superconducting phase, contains only octahedral tilting distortions that would not be expected to destroy metallic behavior. Thus, this commensurate structure provides no explanation for the metal-insulator transition. An incommensurate modulation extending across the semiconducting region of the phase diagram has been observed by electron diffraction, but is not observed by neutron diffraction. It is not clear whether this incommensurate modulation is responsible for the nonmetallic behavior.
Coexpression of multiple acetylcholine receptor genes in neurons: quantification of transcripts during development

A large family of genes encoding subunits of nicotinic ACh receptors (AChRs) has been identified in vertebrates and shown to be expressed in the nervous system. The multiplicity of genes raises questions about which gene products coassemble to produce native receptor subtypes and how the expression of receptor genes is regulated in neurons. We report here that five neuronal AChR genes are expressed in the chick ciliary ganglion at both early and late times in development. Quantitative RNase protection experiments demonstrated that at embryonic day 18 (E18) the ganglion contains about 1800 copies of alpha 7 transcript per neuron, 900 copies of alpha 3 transcript per neuron, and 200-300 copies each of alpha 5, beta 2, and beta 4 transcripts per neuron. The same five genes are expressed at significantly lower levels at E8 but show the same rank order of abundance in transcripts per neuron. Few, if any, transcripts were found for the alpha 2, alpha 4, alpha 8, and beta 3 AChR genes in ciliary ganglion RNA at either E8 or E18. The 6- and 13-fold increases previously reported for two classes of AChRs on the neurons between E8 and E18 approximate the 4-14-fold increases observed here in AChR gene mRNA levels per neuron over the same time period. The alpha 3, alpha 5, alpha 7, and beta 4 genes have previously been correlated with subunits of ciliary ganglion AChRs, but the beta 2 gene has not. The abundance of beta 2 transcripts raises the possibility either that the known AChRs in the ganglion have a more complex subunit composition than previously described or that additional receptor subtypes remain to be discovered. Northern blot analysis revealed no changes in transcript pattern for the alpha 3, alpha 5, and beta 4 genes between E8 and E18; a small change may occur in the transcript pattern for the alpha 7 gene. In situ hybridizations demonstrated that alpha 5 and beta 4 transcripts are expressed in essentially all ciliary ganglion neurons as has been shown previously for the more abundant alpha 3 transcript and inferred for the alpha 7 transcript. The results indicate that neurons can stably coexpress multiple AChR genes, including three of the alpha type, and that transcript levels may be rate limiting for accumulation of AChRs during development.
An assessment of pharmacists' readiness for paperless labeling: a national survey.

Objective To assess the state of readiness for the adoption of paperless labeling among a nationally representative sample of pharmacies, including chain pharmacies, independent retail pharmacies, hospitals, and other rural or urban dispensing sites. Methods Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were used to analyze responses to a cross-sectional survey disseminated to American Pharmacists Association pharmacists nationwide. The survey assessed factors related to pharmacists' attitudinal readiness (ie, perceptions of impact) and pharmacies' structural readiness (eg, availability of electronic resources, internet access) for the paperless labeling initiative. Results We received a total of 436 survey responses (6% response rate) from pharmacists representing 44 US states and territories. Across the spectrum of settings we studied, pharmacists had work access to computers, printers, fax machines and access to the internet or intranet. Approximately 79% of respondents believed that the initiative would improve the adequacy of drug information available in their work site and 95% believed it would either not change (33%) or would improve (62%) communication to patients. Overall, respondents' comments supported advancing the initiative; however, some comments revealed reservations regarding corporate or pharmacy buy-in, success of implementation, and ease of adoption. Conclusions This is the first nationwide study to report about pharmacists' perspectives on paperless labeling. In general, pharmacists believe they are ready and that their pharmacies are well equipped for the transition to paperless labeling. Further exploration of perspectives from product label manufacturers and corporate pharmacy offices is needed to understand fully what will be necessary to complete this transition.
Next-generation prognostic assessment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Current standard of care therapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cures a majority of patients with additional benefit in salvage therapy and autologous stem cell transplant for patients who relapse. The next generation of prognostic models for DLBCL aims to more accurately stratify patients for novel therapies and risk-adapted treatment strategies. This review discusses the significance of host genetic and tumor genomic alterations seen in DLBCL, clinical and epidemiologic factors, and how each can be integrated into risk stratification algorithms. In the future, treatment prediction and prognostic model development and subsequent validation will require data from a large number of DLBCL patients to establish sufficient statistical power to correctly predict outcome. Novel modeling approaches can augment these efforts.
Effect of Deodorant and Antiperspirant Use and Presence or Absence of Axillary Hair on Absorption of Testosterone 2% Solution Applied to Men's Axillae

Abstract Introduction Testosterone 2% solution is applied to axillae and is indicated for testosterone replacement therapy in males deficient in endogenous testosterone. Aim This open‐label crossover study evaluated the effect of deodorant/antiperspirant use and presence or absence of axillary hair on absorption of testosterone solution. Methods Healthy males (N = 30; ≥50 years of age with baseline testosterone Main Outcome Measures Blood samples were taken over 72 hours after each dose for measuring serum testosterone concentrations. Results Profiles of mean testosterone concentrations were similar across treatments. For all treatments, area under the concentration‐time curve through 24 hours (AUC [0–24] ) and 72 hours (AUC [0–72] ), and maximum total testosterone concentration (C max ) were similar except for 15% lower C max when treatment was applied after deodorant/antiperspirant to shaved vs. unshaved axillae (least squares mean, 531 ng/dL vs. 626 ng/dL, respectively; P = 0.011). This difference is not considered clinically significant. The 95% confidence intervals for AUC (0–24) , AUC (0–72) , and C max fell within the traditional bioequivalence limits of 0.8 to 1.25. Incidence of treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) was low ( Conclusions Absorption of testosterone 2% solution was unaffected by use of deodorant/antiperspirant or by the presence or absence of axillary hair. Testosterone solution was generally well tolerated. Small DS, Ni X, Polzer P, Vart R, Satonin DK, and Mitchell MI. Effect of deodorant and antiperspirant use and presence or absence of axillary hair on absorption of testosterone 2% solution applied to men's axillae. J Sex Med 2014;11:2809–2817.
The Impact of Child Development Associate Training on the Beliefs and Practices of Preschool Teachers.

Abstract This study examined the impact of Child Development Associate (CDA) training on the beliefs and practices of early childhood teachers who did not have college degrees or early childhood college coursework. Preschool teachers who were enrolled in CDA classes ( n = 76) and a comparison group of teachers ( n = 50) completed two surveys of beliefs and practices. Repeated measures Multivariate Analyses of Variance indicated that the CDA training teachers decreased the amount they endorsed beliefs and practices that contrast with Developmentally Appropriate Practice over time more than the comparison teachers. Results suggest that CDA training can be an effective means of increasing the developmentally appropriateness of beliefs and self-reported practices of early childhood teachers, which past research suggests will ultimately impact classroom quality.
Isozyme variability in species of the genus Drosophila. IV. Distribution of the esterases in the body tissues of D. aldrichi and D. mulleri adults.

Tissue specificity of the esterases of two closely related species, Drosophila aldrichi and D. mulleri, is determined by starch gel electrophoresis of dissected tissues and organs and an esterase staining technique. The determination of esterase homology between the two species is supplemented by tissue specificity as an added criterion of catalytic properties. General biological functions of some of the esterases are suggested by their presence in certain tissues. The potential usefulness of knowledge of tissue specificities in evolutionary and population genetic studies is discussed.
Ventilatory Drive at Rest and Perception of Exertional Dyspnea in Severe COPD

Background The reasons for exertional dyspnea in severe COPD are not well established, but they are not solely related to the mechanical load. We tested the hypothesis that breathlessness may be determined, in part, by the response of an individual's central output. Methods In 26 patients with severe COPD (FEV 1 0.1 ) response to hyperoxic progressive hypercapnia. At rest and during a symptom-limited exercise test, routine cardiopulmonary variables were measured, and respiratory muscle function was evaluated using esophageal and gastric pressure. Dyspnea was assessed with a visual analog scale. Results Dyspnea with or without leg discomfort limited exercise in 73% of patients. Peak exercise dyspnea correlated only with dyspnea at rest (r = 0.5, p 0.1 response to CO 2 (ΔP 0.1 /Δ[end-tidal P co 2 ]P etco 2 ) (r = 0.48, p = 0.02). Multiple regression analysis including resting and exercise data as independent variables revealed that 47% of the variance for dyspnea at peak exercise was explained by a model including dyspnea at rest andΔ P 0.1 /ΔP etco 2 . Again,Δ P 0.1 /ΔP etco 2 was the only predictor for the change in dyspnea from rest to peak exercise (Δ Dyspnea, r 2 = 0.28, p = 0.005). There was no correlation between exercise dyspnea and any metabolic variable, pulmonary function, or respiratory muscle function test. Conclusion In severe COPD, exertional dyspnea is not simply related to respiratory muscle load or mechanical impairment, but also to an individual's central motoneural output to the respiratory system.
Religious Rhetoric in Southern College Football: New Uses for Religious Metaphors

Southern sports teams embrace the notion that attendance and participation by competitors and fans alike have made the activity, especially collegiate football, the new locus of religious passion. Social media resources on YouTube, home team motivational videos, and professionally produced documentaries use religious metaphors to communicate the notion that college football fills the same function for celebrants as does the local church. These examples of social media have become a “voice” for the fans as they practice this para-religious exercise. This article analyzes the use of religious metaphors and references social media as examples of how the use of such iconic videos can demonstrate the ongoing connection between religious communication and sports to a wider community of sports fans.
Accuracy of the Plastic Bead Method of Measuring Solids-not-fat of Milk Under Field Conditions,

Summary The plastic bead method of measuring solids-not-fat (SNF) content of milk is a practical test for use by DHIA supervisors in the field. This method can be as accurate under field conditions as in the laboratory. The mean differences between duplicate readings in the field, between duplicates in the laboratory, and between duplicate readings in the field and the laboratory were .07, .14, and .16% SNF, respectively. Correlations between duplicate readings, between methods, and between field and laboratory were .86 or greater. Although the lactometer method appears slightly more accurate than the bead method, the difference is so small as to merit little consideration in practical use.
Phosphoproteomic Analysis with a Solid-Phase Capture-Release-Tag Approach

A comprehensive study of global phosphorylation events in biological systems is critical. We report a chemistry-based capture-release-tag method for isolation of complex phospho-Ser/Thr-containing peptides by liquid β-elimination combined with solid-phase Michael addition. The free thiol groups of 6-(mercapto-acetylamino)-hexanoic acid functionalized resin are used as immobilized Michael donors to capture dehydro-serine/threonine peptides. After an acid-mediated release step, phospho-peptides are labeled with a 6-(2-mercapto-acetylamine)-hexanoic amide tag at phosphorylated sites. We applied this method to analyze the phosphorylation status of microtubule-associated proteins. We find that a CDK5 substrate microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) is phosphorylated on residues that are within a homologous region of Tau. The chemical method corroborates previous results and suggests that Tau and MAP2 may contain a CDK5 phosphorylation motif.
Beam dynamics studies for the relativistic klystron two-beam accelerator experiment

Two-beam accelerators (TBAs) have been proposed as efficient power sources for next generation high-energy linear colliders. Studies have demonstrated the possibility of building TBAs from $X$-band $\(\ensuremath{\sim}8--12\mathrm{GHz}\)$ through Ka-band $\(\ensuremath{\sim}30--35\mathrm{GHz}\)$ frequency regions. The relativistic klystron two-beam accelerator project, whose aim is to study TBAs based upon extended relativistic klystrons, is described, and a new simulation code is used to design the latter portions of the experiment. Detailed, self-consistent calculations of the beam dynamics and of the rf cavity output are presented and discussed together with a beam line design that will generate nearly 1.2 GW of power from 40 rf cavities over a 10 m distance. The simulations show that beam current losses are acceptable and that longitudinal and transverse focusing techniques are sufficiently capable of maintaining a high degree of beam quality along the entire beam line.
Soluble Monomeric IgG1 Fc

Antibody fragments are emerging as promising biopharmaceuticals because of their relatively small size and other unique properties. However, compared with full-size antibodies, these antibody fragments lack the ability to bind the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) and have reduced half-lives. Fc engineered to bind antigens but preserve interactions with FcRn and Fc fused with monomeric proteins currently are being developed as candidate therapeutics with prolonged half-lives; in these and other cases, Fc is a dimer of two CH2-CH3 chains. To further reduce the size of Fc but preserve FcRn binding, we generated three human soluble monomeric IgG1 Fcs (mFcs) by using a combination of structure-based rational protein design combined with multiple screening strategies. These mFcs were highly soluble and retained binding to human FcRn comparable with that of Fc. These results provide direct experimental evidence that efficient binding to human FcRn does not require human Fc dimerization. The newly identified mFcs are promising for the development of mFc fusion proteins and for novel types of mFc-based therapeutic antibodies of small size and long half-lives.
Results of the 5 region prostate biopsy method: the repeat biopsy population.

Purpose: The decision to repeat prostate biopsy in a patient in whom the first biopsy did not detect prostate cancer poses a challenge to urologists. Many published series show a low yield on repeat biopsy using standard techniques. We reviewed our data on the 5 region prostate biopsy method to evaluate its yield in the repeat biopsy population.Materials and Methods: A total of 125 repeat transrectal ultrasound guided prostate needle biopsy sessions were done in 110 patients for standard indications using the 5 region method. Pathological findings were reviewed and the yield of the additional regions was analyzed.Results: Patients were categorized with respect to the initial biopsy technique. In those who underwent 1 and more than 1 previous sextant biopsy the relative increase in yield of the 5 region technique over the standard sextant technique was 31% and 33%, respectively. In the cohort that underwent previous 5 region biopsy the relative increase in yield of the 5 region technique over the standard ...
Seismic quiescence : a test of the hypothesis and a precursor to the next Parkfield, California, earthquake

SUMMARY The Parkfield segment of the San Andreas fault shows seismic quiescence for M > 2.0 earthquakes since early to mid-1986. The rate decreases by 45 to 70 per cent depending on the magnitude band. We interpret this change as real because it is concentrated in the larger magnitudes and cannot be explained by a reasonable magnitude shift. The rate decrease is present in the Parkfield segment of the fault between 35.6 and 36.1°N, and no other rate change as significant has been observed during the time when high quality data were available (since 1975). We interpret this observation as a seismic quiescence precursor to the next Parkfield mainshock. Although information on the expected duration of precursory quiescence is weak, we estimate that the Parkfield earthquake should occur in the interval 1990 February to 1992 February. Precursory seismic quiescence, which lasted approximately 1.5 yr, was found in, and possibly around, the source volume of an earthquake withM= 3.6 which occurred on 1986 August 29 in the Parkfield area. This observation demonstrates that the quiescence hypothesis is applicable to the Parkfield segment of the San Andreas fault. The false alarm rate was estimated in a detailed analysis as a function of alarm level for the fault segments surrounding the M= 5.0 Stone Canyon (1982 August) and M= 3.6 Parkfield (1986 August) mainshocks. For these two events, the duration and statistical significance of false alarms as a function of space, time and magnitude band was determined. We propose that in this tectonic environment, and with the data characteristics of these earthquake catalogues, attempts to predict mainshocks based on the quiescence hypothesis may be successful and generate one to two false alarms covering about 10 per cent of the time-space dimensions of the catalogue.
A Note on the Classical Net Analysis of the Inflated Tire Profile

Abstract It is shown that the classical model for the inflation of bias ply tires, which is based on the assumption of a net of inextensible cords, only permits convex profiles. Otherwise, the equations of the classical model involve complex quantities.
Measuring information transfer in the spike generator of crayfish sustaining fibers

We present a method based on information-theoretic distances for measuring the information transfer efficiency of voltage to impulse encoders. In response to light pulses, we simultaneously recorded the EPSP and spiking output of crayfish sustaining fibers. To measure the distance between analog EPSP responses, we developed a membrane noise model that accurately captures stimulus-induced nonstationarities. By comparing the EPSP and spike responses, we found encoding efficiencies on the order of 10−4, with interesting dynamics occurring during initial transients. A simple analog to point-process converter predicted the small information transfer efficiencies and dynamic properties we measured.
Effect of estrogen upon cyclic ADP ribose metabolism: β-Estradiol stimulates ADP ribosyl cyclase in rat uterus

Cyclic ADP ribose (cADPR) has been shown to trigger Ca2+ release from intracellular stores through ryanodine receptor/channel. In our previous study we observed that all-trans-retinoic acid stimulates cADPR synthesis by ADP ribose cyclase (ADPR cyclase) in cultured epithelial cells. We have now investigated whether cADPR may play a signaling role in action of β-estradiol (E2), an archetypal steroid superfamily hormone, upon its major target organ, uterus, in vivo. Administration of E2 to gonadectomized rats (0.2 mg/kg per day for 7 days) resulted in an ≈Δ + 300% increase of ADPR cyclase activity in extracts from uterus, but in liver, brain, or skeletal muscle ADPR cyclase was unchanged. Most of the E2-stimulated uterine ADPR cyclase was associated with membranes. The higher ADPR cyclase activity in response to E2 was due to the increase of VMAX without change in Km. Simultaneous administration of estrogen antagonist tamoxifen (8 mg/kg per day) with E2 (0.2 mg/kg per day) prevented an increase in ADPR cyclase. In uterine extracts from E2-treated rats, the rate of cADPR inactivation by cADPR hydrolase and the activity of NADase was increased, but to a much lesser degree than activity of ADPR cyclase. Our results indicate that E2, via action to its nuclear receptors in vivo, increases ADPR cyclase activity in uterus. We propose that some of the estrogen effects, and by extension the effects of other steroid superfamily hormones, upon specialized cellular functions and upon hormone-induced gene expression in target cells, are mediated by cADPR-Ca2+ release pathway.
RELATION OF RENAL GLUTSMINE TRANSEMINASE-OMEGA-AMIDASE ACTIVITY TO AMMONIA EXCRETION IN THE RAT.

INVESTIGATIONS of the relation of renal glutaminase activity to ammonia excretion during metabolic acidosis1,2 and potassium deficiency3 indicate that glutaminase is involved in the regulation of urinary ammonia production in the rat. The increase in renal glutamine transaminase-ω-amidase (GTA) activity following administration of ammonium chloride to rats for 2–3 weeks4 suggests that this enzyme system, which catalyses the transamination-deamination of glutamine5, might also play a part in the regulation of urinary ammonia production. Evidence is given here which supports this hypothesis.
Near-Infrared Observations of a Nuclear Bar and Biconical Structure in the Starburst Galaxy NGC 6946

We use high-resolution near-infrared (J- and K-band) images of the nuclear starburst galaxy NGC 6946 to compare stellar morphology with the previously published distribution of CO in the central regions. We find a small stellar bar with a length of 210 pc, which lies perpendicular to an 1860 pc long stellar oval distortion. The small bar has a position angle of 140°, which coincides with a barlike feature in CO, as well as with the kinematic minor axis. It has a flat light distribution and a strong bar-interbar contrast of 1 mag; it may play a role in fueling the central starburst despite its small size. A biconical structure about 80 pc long, perpendicular to the bar, is evident in the (J - K) color map. The (J - K) contours match published high-resolution CO contours very well.
Variations in x-ray barrier efficiency of some commonly used building materials.

Abstract A study was made of the variations in x-ray barrier efficiency of some commonly used building materials. The investigation was initiated because the growing popularity of multiple-office professional buildings presents a special problem in the control of radiation emanating from x-ray machines in adjuacent offices.
Drug-induced bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia

Several medications have been associated with the development of the BOOP lesion. Often, symptoms include nonproductive cough and shortness of breath with bilateral crackles by examination. Occasionally, there is fever and rash, and, rarely, eosinophilia. The chest radiograph usually shows bilateral patchy infiltrates. In rare situations, the outcome is fatal, although cessation of the medication or treatment with corticosteroid therapy results in resolution of symptoms and radiographic abnormalities for most patients.
Feasibility of Using In Situ FeS Precipitation for TCE Degradation

Iron sulfide minerals commonly found in natural anoxic Fe-S systems have been shown to reductively transform chlorinated hydrocarbons including trichloroethylene (TCE). In the present study, we tested the feasibility of applying an Fe(II) solution to a TCE-contaminated aquifer groundwater under simulated sulfide reducing conditions to enhance reductive transformation of TCE to nontoxic compounds. To achieve this goal, iron sulfide particles were precipitated under a range of pH and Fe:S molar ratios in aquifer groundwater samples from the Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah. Batch tests for abiotic reductive dechlorination of TCE were performed using the precipitates to establish the conditions for most favorable solids for dechlorination. Under all experimental conditions, the solids formed consisted mainly of mackinawite, a tetragonal reduced iron monosulfide FeS1-x . However, the precipitation conditions strongly affected the reactivity of the mackinawite particles formed. The results indicated that addition ...
The Use of Natural Radionuclides to Predict the Behavior of Radwaste Radionuclides In Far-Field Aquifers

In appropriate aquifers the natural radionuclides of the U and Th decay series are important sources of information about the behavior of radwaste radionuclides in far-field aquifers. The Wolfcamp Carbonate, Pennsylvanian Carbonate and Granite Wash aquifers in the Palo Duro Basin of the Texas Panhandle are prime examples of such aquifers. Sampling and analysis for key radionuclides in the ground waters of these aquifers are quite feasible and have been accomplished. Key early results are: (1) Ra does not appear to be retarded by sorption, (2) Th appears to be strongly sorbed, (3) kinetics seem to be different on time scales of days to months than on ones of hundreds of thousands of years, and (4) U and Th behave similarly when the time scales (half-lives) are similar, leading to the suggestion that uranium is in the +4 valence state in these aquifers. 10 references, 3 figures.
Two-Step Estimation of a Censored System of Equations

A consistent two-step estimation procedure is proposed for a system of equations with limited dependent variables. Monte Carlo simulation results suggest the procedure outperforms an existing two-step method.