cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Power transmission expansion planning based on voltage stability indexes

This paper proposes an approach to select configurations for power transmission system planning based on voltage stability criteria. The strength and robustness of a particular bus in a power system can be characterized by the stability index, i.e. the bus eigenvalue. This eigenvalue reflects how the bus voltage magnitude changes corresponding to reactive power variations. If the eigenvalue is small, that bus is sensitive to a change and is a weak bus. On the other hand, if the eigenvalue is large, the corresponding bus is strong and robust. Thus, the robustness of a power system can be determined and estimated based on its eigenvalues. Different connections for a number of buses in a power system result in different values of eigenvalues, and our algorithm is oriented to find the configurations that have large eigenvalues. In each constraint scenario, all the possible power system configurations are considered, and the proposed algorithm calculates the performance index for each case. A configuration with small performance index is considered a strong and robust one. A typical five-bus power system is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the introduced algorithm. Simulation results show that this method can find many networks that are more voltage stable than the original one.
Fighting to Save Face? The Reputational Consequences of Revealed Military Effectiveness

This paper seeks to evaluate whether wartime performance has reputational consequences, using data on war outcomes and MID initiation from 1816-2004. I employ logistic regression to assess whether the revealed effectiveness of the combatants influences the likelihood of their being targeted in a militarized dispute after the war is over. I also investigate how broad the reputational consequences of war fighting are by analyzing whether having a reputation for military effectiveness in one environment influences challengers who expect to fight in different environments. My analysis suggests that performing well on the battlefield reduces the probability that a combatant will be targeted in a MID while performing poorly increases the likelihood of being targeted. While the reputational effects of revealed effectiveness are most pronounced when the terrain and population distribution are similar to the combatant’s most recent war, they are statistically significant in all environments.
Neurite Growth in Protein-Conjugated Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Hydrogels

The primary goal of this research is to guide neurite growth by constructing a 3D scaffold that provides chemical and mechanical cues. Our laboratory has previously studied how both chemical and mechanical properties of collagen gels have altered neurite growth within those gels. Currently, we are applying the same principles to study neurite growth in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) gels, by adding extracellular matrix proteins (collagen and laminin) to alter chemical properties and varying PEG gel concentration to alter the mechanical properties.
Factor Structure of the Burden Interview

Zarit's Burden Interview is the most commonly used measure of burden among family caregivers for demented older adults, but has been criticized for its diverse item content and lack of correspondence to theoretically based multidimensional burden scales. The factor structure of this measure of burden was examined in a sample of 220 family caregivers of demented elderly. The implied 1-factor model and a 2-factor model proposed in the literature were not good fits to the data. Fourteen of the 21 nonglobal items were found to tap three underlying factors of Embarrassment/Anger, Patient's Dependency, and Self-criticism. This factor structure was replicated in a second sample of 108 caregivers. The relationship of these factors to latent factors identified in other multifactorial burden scales suggests a greater degree of convergence across measures than has been assumed.
Surface Phonons — Theory

In this review I should like to summarize what in my view have been some of the significant advances in the theoretical studv of surface phonons in the 1980s, and to point to some directions in which the field can go in the next few years.
Abstract 4671: Rapid, no-wash measurement of immune checkpoint molecules expression induced by interaction with peripheral blood mononuclear cells in breast and cervical cancer cell models

The purpose of this study was to examine the pathways involved in the induction of immune checkpoint molecules in basal breast and cervical cancer cell lines by measuring classical biomarker expression using AlphaLISA no-wash homogeneous assays. Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression increases with tumor severity in basal-like breast cancer and is enhanced in intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancers. Basal-breast tumors can adapt to lymphocytic infiltration by responding to heightened concentrations of interferon gamma (IFN-y) secreted by Type 1 helper T cells with upregulation of PD-L1 protein allowing the tumors to evade immune targeting and reduce the immune response. We show here that human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) secrete IFN-y and other cytokines in response to stimulation with CD3/CD38 Dynabeads. We then examined modulation in expression of immune checkpoint molecules (PD-L1 and others) in HCC38 (basal breast cancer-derived) and HeLa (cervical cancer) cells in response to co-culturing with activated PBMCs, treatment with conditioned media collected from activated PBMCs, and direct treatment with recombinant IFN-y. As expected, IFN-y treatment induced dose-dependent upregulation of PD-L1 protein expression in both HCC38 and HeLa cell lines, whereas the effects of conditioned media and direct co-culturing with PBMCs resulted in more complex effects which are discussed. To determine if tumor cytoarchitecture influences responsiveness to the PBMCs, biomarker expression was measured from cultures grown in both traditional adherent monolayers and in 3D spheroid cultures using Ultra-Low Attachment (ULA) microplates. Cellular health and proliferation was assessed by measuring ATP concentration with ATPlite luminescence assays and cellular imaging with viability dyes. The upregulation of PD-L1 expression was observed to be largely independent of cellular proliferation and is further shown to be dependent on signaling through the JAK/STAT pathway by probing with AlphaLISA SureFire phosphorylation assays. These data illustrate and address some of the challenges in developing a biologically relevant culture system for examining the complex mechanisms involved in tumor evasion of the innate immune response. Citation Format: Jeanine M. Hinterneder, Jen Carlstrom, Adam Carlson, Dawn Nida. Rapid, no-wash measurement of immune checkpoint molecules expression induced by interaction with peripheral blood mononuclear cells in breast and cervical cancer cell models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4671.
Automated agrifood futures: robotics, labor and the distributive politics of digital agriculture

This paper draws from interviews with (1) US farmers who have adopted automated systems; (2) individuals employed by North American firms that engineer, manufacture, and/or repair these technologie...
Electrical Stability and Flicker Noise of Thin-Film Heterojunction FETs on Poly-Si Substrates

Electrical stability and flicker (1/f) noise of thin-film heterojunction field-effect transistors (HJFETs) comprised of hydrogenated amorphous Si (a-Si:H) gate and hydrogenated crystalline Si (c-Si:H) source and drain regions on small-grain poly-Si substrates are investigated and benchmarked against conventional thin-film transistors (TFTs). Despite the low growth temperature of a-Si:H and c-Si:H (~200°C), HJFETs are found to have higher stability and lower flicker noise than conventional TFTs. These results may be attributed partly to the device structure and partly to the high-quality gate heterojunction of the HJFETs.
Chitosan as an antimicrobial in food products

Chitosan is commercially produced from chitin by alkali deacetylation. Chitosan possesses antibacterial and antifungal properties and has been extensively studied as a potential natural antimicrobial agent in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, agricultural, and food industries. The antimicrobial properties of chitosan are affected by molecular weight, degree of acetylation, and pH. Application in foods usually requires higher concentrations of chitosan than those in laboratory media because of interactions with complex food constituents that can alter chitosan activity. While it can be expected that chitosan will be used more in commercial products, research efforts to define the exact mechanism of chitosan’s biological activities and structure–function relationship will continue.
Alterations of Brain Water with Increased Intracranial Pressure

The presence or absence of a cerebral extracellular space bulk flow continues to be a debated point with accumulated evidence on both sides of the issue. A few Years ago we presented data from a modification of the cortical subarachnoid diffusion technique which we felt was most consistent with a cortical bulk flow arising from the locus of greatest capillary surface area which exists in lamina IV. Extracellular space (ECS) fluid arising from transcapillary bulk flow would be directed both toward the subarachnoid space and toward the deeper cortical laminae and white matter, but the restricted ECS of the dense cell body layer, lamina II, offers such a high flow resistence that all of the flow is redirected centripetally toward the white matter. It has been argued that the diffusion profile from which we supported our hypothesis could as easily be interpreted to show no bulk flow existed in the cortical ECS, only simple diffusion.
Inventory management and cost reduction of supply chain processes using AI based time-series forecasting and ANN modeling

Abstract Reducing waste, and therefore cost, within a supply chain can be a very challenging process due to the large number of variables involved. One of the biggest wastes that are usually present in a supply chain are unnecessarily high inventory costs and shortage costs which are caused by errors in demand forecasting. A high variance between the forecasted demand and the actual demand results in costs that could have been avoided. To eliminate that waste, we developed a model that utilizes artificial neural network to accurately forecast the demand. The model performs forecasting analysis based on multilayer feed-forward neural network with backpropagation. The use of machine learning can assist with the rapid changes in customer demand. Our holistic solution will minimize the supply/demand mismatch and its associated costs and consequently increase profit margins
Increased 30-day readmission rate after craniotomy for tumor resection at safety net hospitals in small metropolitan areas

Unplanned readmission of post-operative brain tumor patients is often attributed to hospital and patient characteristics and is associated with higher mortality and cost. Previous studies demonstrate multiple patient outcome disparities in safety net hospitals (SNHs) when compared to non-SNHs. This study uses the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) to determine if initial brain tumor resection at SNHs is associated with increased 30-day non-elective readmission rates. Patients with benign or malignant primary or metastatic brain tumor undergoing craniotomy for surgical resection were retrospectively identified in the NRD from 2010 to 2014. SNHs were defined as hospitals with Medicaid and uninsured patient burden in the top quartile. Descriptive and multivariate analyses employing survey-adjusted logistic regression evaluated patient and hospital level factors influencing 30-day readmissions. During the study period, 83,367 patients met inclusion criteria. 44.7% of patients had a benign tumor, and 55.3% had a malignant tumor. Secondary CNS neoplasm (5.99%), post-operative infection (5.96%), and septicemia (4.26%) caused most readmissions within 30 days. Patients had increased unplanned readmission rates if they underwent craniotomy for tumor resection at a SNH in a small metropolitan area (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.02–1.21, p = 0.01), but not at a SNH in a large metropolitan area (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.93–1.05, p = 0.73). This finding may reflect differences in access to care and disparities in neurosurgical resources between small and large metropolitan areas. Inequities in expertise and capacity are relevant as surgical volume was also related to readmission rates. Further studies may be warranted to address such disparities.
Plato's Exceptional City, Love, and Philosopher

This book reconnoiters the appearances of the exceptional in Plato: as erotic desire (in the Symposium and Phaedrus), as the good city (Republic), and as the philosopher (Ion, Theaetetus, Sophist, Statesman). It offers fresh and sometimes radical interpretations of these dialogues. Those exceptional elements of experience – love, city, philosopher – do not escape embodiment but rather occupy the same world that contains lamentable versions of each. Thus Pappas is depicting the philosophical ambition to intensify the concepts and experiences one normally thinks with. His investigations point beyond the fates of these particular exceptions to broader conclusions about Plato’s world. Plato’s Exceptional City, Love, and Philosopher will be of interest to any readers of Plato, and of ancient philosophy more broadly.
Serial Amnioinfusion as Regenerative Therapy for Pulmonary Hypoplasia in Fetuses With Intrauterine Renal Failure or Severe Renal Anomalies: Systematic Review and Future Perspectives.

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of serial amnioinfusion therapy (SAT) for pulmonary hypoplasia in lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO) or congenital renal anomalies (CRAs), introduce patient selection criteria, and present a case of SAT in bilateral renal agenesis. We conducted a search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus databases for articles published from database inception to November 10, 2017. Eight studies with 17 patients (7 LUTO, 8 CRA, and 2 LUTO + CRA) were included in the study. The median age of the mothers was 31 years (N=9; interquartile range [IQR], 29-33.5 years), the number of amnioinfusions was 7 (N=17; IQR, 4.5-21), gestational age at first amnioinfusion was 23 weeks and 4 days (N=17; IQR, 21-24.07), gestational age at delivery was 32 weeks and 2 days (N=17; IQR, 30 weeks to 35 weeks and 6.5 days), birthweight of newborns was 3.7 kg (N= 9; IQR, 2.7-3.7 kg), Apgar score at 1 minute was 2.5 (N=8; IQR, 1-6.5), and Apgar score at 5 minutes was 5.5 (N=8; IQR, 0-7.75). In conclusion, SAT may provide fetal pulmonary palliation by reducing the risk of newborn pulmonary compromise secondary to oligohydramnios. Multidisciplinary research efforts are required to further inform treatment and counseling guidelines. We propose a multidisciplinary approach to prenatal classification of fetuses with LUTO to inform patient selection.
Assessing the evidence of perspective taking on stereotyping and negative evaluations: A p-curve analysis:

Perspective taking is conceptualized as the ability to consider or adopt the perspective of another individual who is perceived to be in need; it has shown mixed results in stereotype reduction and...
Identification of intrinsic primary afferent neurons in mouse jejunum.

Background The gut is the only organ system with intrinsic neural reflexes. Intrinsic primary afferent neurons (IPANs) of the enteric nervous system initiate intrinsic reflexes, form gut-brain connections, and undergo considerable neuroplasticity to cause digestive diseases. They remain inaccessible to study in mice in the absence of a selective marker. Advillin is used as a marker for primary afferent neurons in dorsal root ganglia. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that advillin is expressed in IPANs of the mouse jejunum. Methods Advillin expression was assessed with immunohistochemistry and using transgenic mice expressing an inducible Cre recombinase under the advillin promoter were used to drive tdTomato and the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP5. These mice were used to characterize the morphology and physiology of advillin-expressing enteric neurons using confocal microscopy, calcium imaging, and whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. Key results Advillin is expressed in about 25% of myenteric neurons of the mouse jejunum, and these neurons demonstrate the requisite properties of IPANs. Functionally, they demonstrate calcium responses following mechanical stimuli of the mucosa and during antidromic action potentials. They have Dogiel type II morphology with neural processes that mostly remain within the myenteric plexus, but also project to the mucosa and express NeuN and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), but not nNOS. Conclusions and inferences Advillin marks jejunal IPANs providing accessibility to this important neuronal population to study and model digestive disease.
Metastatic Donor-derived Malignancies Following Simultaneous Pancreas-kidney Transplant: Three Case Reports and Management Strategies.

Author(s): Amara, Dominic; Wisel, Steven A; Braun, Hillary J; Collisson, Eric A; Friedlander, Terence; Worner, Giulia; Roll, Garret R; Hirose, Ryutaro; Stock, Peter G | Abstract: Stopping immunosuppression in a transplant patient with donor-derived malignancy offers the theoretical benefit that reconstitution of the patient's immune system will allow "rejection" of the malignancy, as the malignancy also originates from allogeneic tissue. However, this option exists with the caveat that the patient's allograft(s) will likely be rejected too. In simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) recipients, the normal continued functioning and possible absence of malignancy in either the unaffected kidney or pancreas further complicate this decision.MethodsThe charts of 3 patients with donor-derived metastatic malignancies after SPK were retrospectively reviewed in detail. We provide treatment and management recommendations based on successful outcomes and a review of the existing literature.ResultsConsistent with a broad review of the literature, in all 3 cases, complete immunosuppression cessation, removal of both grafts, and in 1 case treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor to augment the immune response was successful. One patient is doing well 1 year after successfully undergoing kidney retransplantation, while a second patient is active on the waitlist for SPK retransplantation after no evidence of metastatic disease for 2 years.ConclusionThe successful management of metastatic donor-derived malignancies requires allograft removal, immunosuppression cessation, and adjuvant therapy that includes occasional use of checkpoint inhibitors to augment the immune response.
National Valuing of Character Strengths and Indicators of National Development: A Pilot Study

Character strengths are personal qualities that have communal value and have been linked to personal happiness and well-being. Little research has investigated the degree to which strengths are valued across nations. Similarly, while certain strengths have been associated with indicators of well-being on an individual level, it is yet to be explored which strengths are associated with indicators of national development and well-being. The present study examined the relationship between perceived national valuing of character strengths and key national indicators. A sample of 2119 adults from 84 countries were asked to rate the extent to which each of 24 character strengths is valued by their country. Strength ratings were then compared to indices of national functioning: happiness, freedom, corruption, and gross domestic product per capita measured at purchasing power parity (GDP). The strengths the participants perceived as valued by their countries differed from their self-evaluations of their character strengths. Bravery was the most valued strength across all geographic regions and countries, and humility was the least. Valuing of humor was most consistently and strongly related to happiness. GDP was associated with less prudence, kindness, fairness, and honesty, and more bravery, perseverance, and spirituality. Greater honesty was reflective of less corruption. Freedom was inconsistently related to valuations of strengths. This study should be considered a pilot given its limitations, but it suggests the degree to which a society values certain socially important person variables does not appear to affect individual expression of character strengths, but may be related to national functioning.
Financial crisis, Bank failures and corporate innovation

Abstract Using firm-level data, we study the impact of bank failures on corporate innovation. We find that exposure to a bank failure reduces the number of patents by 0.34 and citations by 0.35, implying a loss of 21% and 22%, respectively. Such effects are most pronounced for explorative innovation and for firms more dependent on external financing. These effects point to the interdependence between bank failures and corporate decisions, highlighting an important role for government intervention. We show that the TARP helped banks to reduce such pernicious effects on innovation, which is primarily driven by TARP recipient banks headquartered in the county of the bank failure and by large TARP receiving banks.
A Comparison of Physician-Assisted/Death-With-Dignity-Act Death and Suicide Patterns in Older Adult Women and Men.

ABSTRACT Objective To examine Oregon's Death-with-Dignity-Act (DWDA) death and suicide patterns among women age 65 and older, relative to patterns among same-age men, as a way to assess DWDA's impact on older adult women, a group considered vulnerable. Design Oregon's 1998–2018 DWDA- and suicide-mortality rates and confidence intervals were calculated. Results Between 1998 and 2018 women age 65 and older represented 46% of DWDA deaths and 16.3% of suicides in their age group. Among women age 65 and older DWDA and suicide mortality increased whereas among same-age men DWDA deaths increased and suicides declined. DWDA deaths were the most common form (52.7%) of self-initiated death for older adult women, and firearm suicides (65.7%) for older adult men. Conclusion Legalization has a substantial impact on older adult women's engagement in self-initiated death. In Switzerland and in Oregon, where assisted suicide/medical-aid-in-dying (MAID) is legal and where assisted-suicide/MAID and suicide comparative-studies have been conducted, older adult women avoid self-initiated death except when physician-approved. Older adult women's substantial representation among assisted-suicide/MAID decedents, relative to suicide, may be a clue of their empowerment to determine the time of their death, when hastened-death assistance is permitted; or of their vulnerability to seeking a medicalized self-initiated death, when in need of care.
El canallita machirulo: Una aproximación a las masculinidades del rock español

In times when criticizing reggaeton and trap for their alleged sexist character has become way too common, it is crucial to reflect on the kind of masculinities constructed by other music styles that were there many years before them. This article sets out to do so with the case of Spanish rock. Drawing from concepts such as hypermasculinity, hegemonic masculinity, and male bonding, among others, this essay conducts a close reading of the cultural productions of bands such as Coz, Lujuria, or Los Zigarros, as a way to study the masculinities put forward in their discourse. In order to do so, the article relies on an archetype it calls ‘the cocky misogynist’.
Human Age Estimation and Sex Classification

Collecting demographic information from the customers, such as age and sex, is very important for marketing and customer group analysis. For instance, the marketing study has an interest to know how many people visited a shopping mall, and what is the distribution of the customers, such as how many males and females; how many young, adult, and senior people. Instead of hiring human workers to observe the customers, a computational system might be developed to analyze people who appeared in images and videos captured by cameras installed in a shopping mall, and then gather the demographic information. To develop a real system for age estimation and sex classification, many essential issues have to be addressed. In this chapter, a detailed introduction of the computational approaches to human age estimation and sex classification will be given. Various methods for feature extraction and learning will be described. Major challenges and future research directions will also be discussed. The goal is to inspire new research and encourage deeper investigation towards developing a working system for business intelligence.
Lamivudine prophylaxis is effective in reducing hepatitis B reactivation and reactivation‐related mortality in chemotherapy patients: a meta‐analysis

Background: Hepatitis B viral (HBV) reactivation in patients undergoing chemotherapy is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Lamivudine has been suggested to be useful as a prophylaxis for HBV reactivation; however, its impact on overall survival and HBV reactivation-related liver disease survival is unclear. Objective: To determine the effect of lamivudine prophylaxis on the rate of HBV reactivation, overall survival and HBV reactivation-related survival in patients with HBV undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, Cochrane Collaboration Database, reference lists and abstracts from national meetings. Statistical analysis was performed using revman. Results: Eleven studies met the defined inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Two-hundred and twenty patients received lamivudine prophylaxis and 400 did not receive prophylaxis. Patients given lamivudine prophylaxis had an 87% decrease in HBV reactivation [risk ratio (RR) 0.13, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.07–0.24] than patients not given prophylaxis [absolute risk reduction (ARR) −0.46, 95% CI, −0.61 to −0.31]. The number needed to treat to prevent one reactivation was 3. The Lamivudine prophylaxis group was also associated with a 70% reduction in reactivation-related mortality (RR 0.30, 95% CI, 0.1–0.94) compared with controls (ARR −0.03, 95% CI, 0.07–0.00). There was a reduction in treatment delays and premature termination of chemotherapy in the lamivudine prophylaxis arm (RR 0.41, 95% CI, 0.27–0.63; ARR −0.33, 95% CI, −0.33 to −0.15). There was no significant heterogeneity in the comparisons. Conclusion: Lamivudine prophylaxis during chemotherapy is effective in reducing the rate of HBV reactivation, and reactivation-related liver mortality. Patients with lamivudine prophylaxis had less chemotherapy treatment delays and premature termination of their chemotherapy. Few patients need to be treated to prevent reactivation. Patients with HBV undergoing chemotherapy should be started on lamivudine prophylaxis.
Sulfate clues for the early history of atmospheric oxygen.

The early atmosphere has played a key role on the origin and evolution of life on Earth. The accumulation of substantial concentrations of molecular oxygen is particularly important, but as Paytan explains in this Perspective, getting biological and geological constraints on when and how this change occurred is difficult. Sulfur isotope chemistry can serve as a proxy for molecular oxygen accumulation in the atmosphere. A study by Canfield et al. sheds some light on how the sulfur isotopic signature may be interpreted to reveal the characteristics of the early Earth atmosphere.
Choral Music: A Research and Information Guide

Choral Music: A Research and Information Guide, Third Edition, offers a comprehensive guide to the literature on choral music in the Western tradition. Clearly annotated bibliographic entries guide readers to resources on key topics within choral music, individual choral composers, regional and sacred choral traditions, choral techniques, choral music education, genre studies, and more, providing an essential reference for researchers and practitioners. Covering monographs, bibliographies, selected dissertations, reference works, journals, electronic databases, and websites, this research guide makes it easy to locate relevant sources. Comprehensive indices of authors, titles, and subjects keep the volume user-friendly. The new edition has been brought up to date with entries encompassing the latest scholarship, and updated references and annotations throughout, capturing the continued growth of literature on choral music since the publication of the second edition.
Decellularized Lymph Nodes as Scaffolds for Tissue Engineered Lymph Nodes.

Abstract Background: The lymphatic system is commonly injured during cancer treatment. However, despite the morbidity of these injuries, there are currently no options for replacing damaged lymphatics. The purpose of this study was to optimize methods for decellularization of murine lymph nodes (LN) and to determine if these scaffolds can be used to tissue engineer lymph node-like structures. Methods and Results: LNs were harvested from adult mice and subjected to various decellularization protocols. The degree of decellularization and removal of nuclear material was analyzed histologically and quantitatively using DNA isolation. In addition, we analyzed histological architecture by staining for matrix proteins. After the optimal method of decellularization was identified, decellularized constructs were implanted in the renal capsule of syngeneic or allogeneic recipient mice and analyzed for antigenicity. Finally, to determine if decellularized constructs could deliver lymphocytes to recipient animals, th...
Reduced Expression of P2Y1 Receptors in Connexin43-Null Mice Alters Calcium Signaling and Migration of Neural Progenitor Cells

Glial calcium signals play important roles during CNS development. Calcium transients induced by ATP, acting on purinergic receptors, stimulate DNA synthesis, increase astrocytic and neural stem cell proliferation, and are prominent during the differentiation of radial glia. We have shown previously that expression of P2Y receptors in astrocytes is altered when connexin43 (Cx43) is downregulated. To evaluate the consequences of Cx43 deletion on calcium signaling during neural progenitor development, studies were performed on neurospheres derived from embryonic striatum. After adhesion, cells migrating from wild-type (WT) and Cx43-null neurospheres displayed spontaneous calcium oscillations. Such activity was blunted by apyrase, 2′-deoxy- N 6 -methyladenosine 3′,5′-bisphosphate (MRS-2179), and suramin, suggesting that ATP released by neural cells acts on purinergic receptors to induce calcium oscillations. The amplitudes of Ca 2+ transients induced by P2Y but not P2X receptor agonists were larger in WT than in Cx43-null progenitors, suggesting that these two cell populations express different P2 receptors. Suramin, a nonselective P2 receptor antagonist, and MRS-2179, a P2Y 1 receptor-selective antagonist, reduced the proliferation rate and the migration of WT progenitor cells to levels similar to those of Cx43-null cells. Conversely, exogenous expression of P2Y 1 receptors in Cx43-null cells restored their migration pattern to levels seen in WT progenitors. However, treatment with P2 receptor antagonists did not alter the ratio of nestin to GFAP expression in WT neural progenitors. These data show that altered autocrine-paracrine communication attributable to reduced levels of P2Y 1 receptors in neural progenitor cells lacking Cx43 affects proliferation and migration but not cell differentiation during early CNS development.
How patients understand physicians’ solicitations of additional concerns: implications for up-front agenda setting in primary care

In the more than 1 billion primary-care visits each year in the United States, the majority of patients bring more than one distinct concern, yet many leave with "unmet" concerns (i.e., ones not addressed during visits). Unmet concerns have potentially negative consequences for patients' health, and may pose utilization-based financial burdens to health care systems if patients return to deal with such concerns. One solution to the problem of unmet concerns is the communication skill known as up-front agenda setting, where physicians (after soliciting patients' chief concerns) continue to solicit patients' concerns to "exhaustion" with questions such as "Are there some other issues you'd like to address?" Although this skill is trainable and efficacious, it is not yet a panacea. This article uses conversation analysis to demonstrate that patients understand up-front agenda-setting questions in ways that hamper their effectiveness. Specifically, we demonstrate that up-front agenda-setting questions are understood as making relevant "new problems" (i.e., concerns that are either totally new or "new since last visit," and in need of diagnosis), and consequently bias answers away from "non-new problems" (i.e., issues related to previously diagnosed concerns, including much of chronic care). Suggestions are made for why this might be so, and for improving up-front agenda setting. Data are 144 videotapes of community-based, acute, primary-care, outpatient visits collected in the United States between adult patients and 20 family-practice physicians.
Steryl glucoside and acyl glucoside biosynthesis in maturing pea seeds

Abstract Sterol glucosyltransferase activity was found in a particulate fraction of pea seeds. The activity was stimulated by Ca2+ and Mg2+ and inhibited by Zn2+, Cu2+, Hg2+, EDTA and EGTA. Iodoacetamide was without effect but p-chloromercuribenzoate completely inhibited the enzyme. N -Ethylmaleimide gave 60–70 % inhibition over a wide range of concentrations. The activity was stimulated by ATP in the presence of Mg2+. Under such conditions, steryl acyl glucoside was formed. The acyl derivative was barely detectable in the presence of Ca2+ either with or without ATP. Both oleyl CoA and palmityl CoA stimulated acyl glucoside synthesis. Of the four nucleoside triphosphates, ATP, GTP, UTP and CTP both ATP and CTP stimulated acylation in the presence of Mg2+. The observations suggest that acyl donors other than digalactosyl diglyceride and phospholipids may function in steryl acyl glucoside synthesis in plants.
Transient expression of GAP-43 in nonneuronal cells of the embryonic chicken limb

Growth associated protein (GAP)-43 is a membrane-bound phosphoprotein expressed in neurons and is particularly abundant during periods of axonal outgrowth in development and regeneration of the nervous system. In previous work, we cloned a full-length chicken GAP-43 cDNA and described the expression of its corresponding mRNA during early development of the chicken nervous system. We report here that the GAP-43 mRNA is also expressed transiently in developing limbs of chicken embryos, which contain axons of spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion neurons, but do not contain neuronal cell bodies. GAP-43 mRNA was first detectable by RNA blot analysis in limbs from Embryonic Day 5 (E5) embryos, reached maximal levels between E6 and E8, and diminished by E10. In situ hybridization analysis showed that the GAP-43 mRNA was localized in distal regions of developing limbs and was particularly abundant in the mesenchyme surrounding the digital cartilage. In some regions of the limb, GAP-43 immunoreactivity colocalized in cells that were also immunoreactive for meromyosin, a muscle-specific marker. These data suggest that both GAP-43 mRNA and the protein are expressed in nonneuronal cells of the developing limb, some of which may be part of the muscle cell lineage.
Trifolin: A Rhizobium recognition protein from white clover

Abstract A protein agglutinin, trifoliin, was purified from white clover seeds and seedling roots. Trifoliin specifically agglutinates the symbiont of clover, Rhizobium trifolii , at concentrations as low as 0.2 μg protein/ml, and binds to the surface of encapsulated R. trifolii 0403. This clover protein has a subunit with M r ≈ 50 000, an isoelectric point of 7.3, and contains carbohydrate. Antibody to purified trifoliin binds to the root hair region of 24-h-old clover seedlings, but does not bind to alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil or joint vetch. The highest concentration of trifoliin on a clover root is present at sites where material in the capsule of R. trifolii binds. 2-Deoxy- d -glucose elutes trifoliin from intact clover-seedling roots, suggesting that this protein is anchored to root cell walls through its carbohydrate binding sites. We propose that trifoliin on the root hair surface plays an important role in the recognition of R. trifolii by clover.
Optimising the performance of aerosol instruments and sampling systems using computational fluid dynamics

Abstract Computational Fluid Dynamics has been used in the design and optimisation of a number of types of aerosol equipment. The use of this technique in the design of a high volume, high ratio aerosol concentrator and the optimisation of the performance of the particle delivery system in a light scattering instrument are described here.
763 ERADICATION OF SERRATIA MARCESCENS FROM AN NICU

In a 10 month period 29 infants in an NICU were infected with a highly resistant non-pigmented strain of Serratia marcescens. The organism was cultured from stool,umbilicus,catheter tip,eye, groin,blood, and at autopsy from CSF,lung,and spleen. After one death from Serratia sepsis (+ blood culture) 5 infants in the same room developed positive cultures in nose, urine, stool and cord. Positive cultures for the same strain were found retrospectively in 8 infants during the preceding 6 months, none of whom demonstrated clinical illness. As Serratia is commonly water-borne,environmental survey was carried out. Blood pressure machines,EKG paste, and urine refractometers were negative. The epidemic strain was recovered from an incubator humidifier. An aseptic protocol for cleaning incubators was adhered to and the room with infected infants was closed and cleaned. Despite these measures 7 additional infants became infected. The Serratia was finally eradicated by placing all infants on gown and glove pre-cautions, admitting new infants to clean rooms only, and by segregating older infants. Although 10 older infants in the isolated group developed Serratia infections in the following month, no new infant became colonized or infected. Two weeks following the discharge of the last infected infant Serratia was recovered from the umbilicus of a transported infant. This infant's strain differed in antibiotic sensitivities from the previous strain. Adherence to environmental control prevented its spread.
Small Cell Lung Cancer: Case Report

The selection of appropriate chemotherapeutic and/or radiation therapy for small cell lung cancer should be done after careful diagnosis and staging workup. A patient with small cell lung cancer is presented and explanation given for each step in diagnosis and staging.
Young women in the Meiji period as linguistic trendsetters

The normative speech associated with Japanese women today has been identified as a product of the Meiji government’s modernization project in the early 20th Century. In this article, we examine the speech style in question, which is found in novels, magazines, and other print media during the Meiji period (1868--1912), in conjunction with other notable expressions of the time (e.g. foreign borrowings). We also examine other cultural expressions of femininity, for example, female students’ clothing and hairstyle. The analysis reveals that female students’ speech style that is now categorized as ‘feminine’ was part of the vernacular, rather than emanating from the context of the school, as is generally asserted. It was criticized by older linguistic norm holders (e.g. educators, novelists) as being coarse, crude and unladylike, in contrast to upper-class women’s speech in the preceding Edo period. Drawing comparisons with the linguistic innovation of current young Japanese women, we suggest that young female speakers of the Meiji period can be viewed as the trendsetters of the era, not simply as passive targets of ideological conditioning.
Introducing evidence-based medicine into a department of obstetrics and gynecology

Evidenced-based medicine, the new practice paradigm, is rapidly replacing medicine by authority, the traditional paradigm. In 1993, we introduced evidence-based practice into our Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco. We orient all fellows, residents, and students to new methods of clinical decision making that use formal rules of evidence. We changed the format of clinical conferences from didactic lectures to clinical problem-solving sessions using the evidence-based medicine approach. Useful resources include the Cochrane Pregnncy and Childbirth Database on computer; Epi Info, version 6, a public-domain software package for microcomputers; 24-hour access to free MEDLINE searchers via the Internet; the ACOG Resource Center; ACOGNET; and several paperback texts on critical appraisal. Evidence-based medicine helps to level the intellectual playing field in an academic department. This approach directly improves patient care by placing practice on a more secure scientific foundation. Moreover, evidence-based medicine provides clinicians with the skills to practice safe and effective obstetrics and gynecology as practice evolves.
Catalytic activity of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase is necessary for repair of N-methylpurines in nontranscribed, but not in transcribed, nuclear DNA sequences☆

The role of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PADPRP) in nuclear DNA repair and other nuclear processes has been intensely studied and debated for decades. Recent studies have begun to shed new light on these arguments with firm experimental data for its role, primarily, as a remodeler of chromatin structure. Those studies imply that PADPRP plays an indirect role in DNA repair, serving to expose DNA to repair enzymes through chromatin remodeling. Only DNA that is tightly packaged would require PADPRP activity for its repair; while DNA in an open conformation would be accessible to DNA repair enzymes and not require PADPRP activity. The purpose of the current studies was to address the above hypothesis directly. Using quantitative Southern blot analysis, we studied repair in transcribed and nontranscribed nuclear DNA sequences in ADPRT 351 cells 95% deficient in PADPRP activity. Cells were exposed to methylnitrosourea (MNU) for 1 h and allowed to repair for 8 or 24 h. Densitometric scans of autoradiographs revealed that, when compared to their parental V79 cell line, ADPRT 351 cells 95% deficient in PADPRP activity were equally as efficient in repair of N-methylpurines in the transcribed sequence containing the dihydrofolate reductase gene. However, the ADPRT 351 cells were deficient in the ability to repair these lesions in the nontranscribed sequence containing the IgE gene compared to repair of the same sequence in the parental V79 cells. Nucleoid sedimentation assays demonstrated that the ADPRT 351 cells are deficient in repair across the entire genome when compared to the parental V79 cells. These studies indicate that PADPRP activity is not required for repair of N-methylpurines in transcribed nuclear DNA sequences but is necessary for the repair of these lesions in nontranscribed nuclear DNA sequences as well as across the entire genome since the DNA in a given cell is predominantly nontranscribed.
Windows Phone 7 workshop

Are you interested to write an application or a game and make it available on Windows Phone 7 devices through Microsoft's Marketplace? At the workshop, we will demonstrate how you can build Windows Phone 7 applications or games, what tools are available, what public sector specific applications have been created, how you can publish your applications, etc. We will answer any questions you may have about Windows Phone 7. So come on over and join us in this fun workshop. Bring your computer if you like. Or, you can play with our demo phones and pre-installed applications.
Strategies for the allocation of short-term memory during comprehension

Abstract This paper describes eight different strategies that subjects might use to allocate their short-term memory resources during reading. Two experiments are then presented to determine which of these provides the best description of human performance. In the first experiment the eight strategies were used to predict the contents of readers' verbal protocols. In the second experiment they were used to predict the readability of 20 texts. In both experiments, a strategy based on the plans and goals of characters in the texts provided the best fit between theory and data.
On the Hilbert–Kunz function of zD−p4(x,y)

k is a field of characteristic p, λ∈k, λ≠0 or 1, and g(x,y,z)=zD−xy(x+y)(x+λy) with p≡±1 (D). Under a certain hypothesis, Z∗(l) on l=⌊pD⌋ (which has been verified for l⩽11) we calculate en(g)=deg(xpn,ypn,zpn,g) for all n. The technique is based on the p-fractals of Teixeira and the author; the very concrete results are stated in terms of a family of dynamical systems parametrized by λ.
Measurement and modeling of the glass transition temperatures of multi-component solutions

Abstract Protein crystals are usually grown in multi-component aqueous solutions containing salts, buffers and other additives. To measure the X-ray diffraction data of the crystal, crystals are rapidly lowered to cryogenic temperatures. On flash cooling, ice frequently forms affecting the integrity of the sample. In order to eliminate this effect, substances called cryoprotectants are added to produce a glassy (vitrified) state rather than ice. Heretofore, the quantity of cryoprotectant needed to vitrify the sample has largely been established by trial and error. In this study, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to measure the melting ( T m ), devitrification ( T d ) and glass transition ( T g ) temperatures of solutions with a range of compositions typical of those used for growing protein crystals, with the addition of glycerol as cryoprotectant. The addition of cryoprotectant raises the T g and lowers the T m of bulk solution thereby decreasing the cooling rates required for vitrification of protein crystals. The theoretical T g value was calculated using the apparent volume fraction using the Miller/Fox equation extended for multi-component systems. The experimental values of T g were within approximately ±4% of that predicted by the model. Thus, the use of the model holds the promise of a rational method for the theoretical determination of the composition of cryoprotectant requirement of protein crystallization solutions.
An hydraulically actuated isolated ventricle

An apparatus is described that hydraulically actuates an excised dog ventricle. Cam-operated pumps programme flow through the heart valves to approximate in-vivo blood flow. The intact valves and the tortuous ventricular surface provide the authentic mixing influences that are important for indicator dilution studies. The apparatus is also a useful tool for studying heart valve action.
An electromagnetic actuated on/off microvalve fabricated on top of a single wafer

This paper reports our work on an electromagnetically actuated on/off microvalve. The microvalve consists of three main components: a soft magnetic base, a Au microcoil and a soft magnetic dome with supported legs. The microvalve is built entirely by surface micromachining on top of a single silicon wafer. It has an overall diameter of 1100 µm. It has an overall height of 600 µm, which includes the thickness of the silicon substrate. By turning on or off the current to the microcoil, the microvalve closes or opens the flow of liquid through its orifice. The on/off microvalve was tested for its performance in the flow of 50% diluted methanol with water at the flow rate of 1 µl min−1. The operational power of the microvalve was in the range of 0.3–1.2 W. The operational current was in the range of 0.27–0.6 A. The microvalve has a leaking rate in the order of 0.003 µl min−1.