cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract P427: Inhibition of the Regulator of G Protein Signaling 14, a Novel Anti-Hypertensive Mechanism

The Regulator of G Protein Signaling 14 (RGS14) knockout (KO) mouse is unique in that it not only extends longevity, but also enhances several aspects of healthful aging. The RGS14 KO mouse, compared with wild type (WT), is protected against obesity and diabetes, and has increased exercise capacity, similar to levels achieved with chronic exercise training, all potentially important anti-hypertensive mechanisms. The goal of this investigation was to test more directly that the RGS14 KO mouse is protected against hypertension. Accordingly, we chronically infused angiotensin II (1.44 mg/kg/day) by implanted osmotic pump for 14 days. Stroke volume was measured by cardiac echocardiography. Cardiac output was calculated as the product of stroke volume and heart rate. Heart rates were not different in WT and RGS14 KO prior to angiotensin II infusion or after infusion (425±11 beats/min in WT vs. 420±13 beats/min in KO). Prior to angiotensin II baseline values for mean arterial pressure were similar in WT (84±3 mmHg) and RGS14 KO (79±2 mmHg) and baseline values for systemic vascular resistance, calculated as mean arterial pressure/cardiac output, were also similar in WT (3.7±0.1 mmHg/mL/min) and RGS14 KO (2.2±0.2 mmHg/mL/min) before angiotensin II infusion. As expected, the angiotensin infusion for 14 days increased mean arterial pressure by 69±8 % and systemic vascular resistance by 43±9 % in WT. Surprisingly, angiotensin II failed to increase either mean arterial blood pressure or systemic vascular resistance significantly in RGS14 KO mice. Thus the increases in arterial pressure and vasoconstriction, pathognomonic of angiotensin II, were completely blocked in the RGS14 KO mouse, implicating this mechanism as a potential novel therapeutic modality for treating hypertension.
Circuit Architectures for 3D Integration

The recent electronics revolution has been fueled by the decades-long trend of exponential growth in circuit performance through device scaling. In current and future technologies, simple device scaling does not result in the same performance improvements. For deeply scaled technologies, optimizing interconnect performance is of equal importance as device performance. Following the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) specifications for scaled interconnect, worst-case and even average-case interconnect performance decreases with each technology generation [11]. Because the performance improvement achievable through Moore’s law scaling is bottoming out, new technologies to achieve performance enhancement are being explored. Three-dimensional integration is one such technology. Three-dimensional integration offers several performance improvements for electronic systems. First, 3D integration offers a greater device density for a given footprint area. Essentially, more functionality can be packed into a given area. Second, long, global wires can be replaced with shorter, local wires by exploiting vertical interconnect used to connect device layers. This results in lower power dissipation and shorter timing delays. Finally, a 3D technology permits the integration of heterogeneous technologies. Using a wafer-bonding approach to 3D integration, each device layer is fabricated independently of every other device layer allowing each system to be fabricated in a different technology. Circuits that are part of system-on-a-chip (SOC) applications can be fabricated in the device technology that yields optimal performance and then subsequently integrated together using a 3D integrated technology. Because each subsystem is fabricated in the optimal technology, optimal overall system performance can be achieved. The implication of each benefit of 3D integration on circuit architectures is the subject of this chapter. Section 13.2 describes SOC applications. Section 13.3
Ghosts & Differential Ghosts

While working toward yet another fundamental reasoning technique for differential equations, this chapter describes somewhat surprising uses of additional auxiliary variables, called ghosts, in the modeling of and reasoning about cyberphysical systems. A discrete ghost is an extra variable introduced with an assignment into the proof (or model) for the sake of analyzing the model. A differential ghost is an extra variable that is added into the dynamics of a system with a quite arbitrarily made-up differential equation for the purposes of analyzing the system. What might at first sound counterproductive, because it increases the dimension of the system, will, upon closer inspection, turn out to be helpful for proving purposes, because the differential ghost variables provide additional quantities relative to whose (arbitrarily chosen) continuous evolution the behavior of the system can be understood. With a clever choice of the new differential equations for the differential ghosts, it can also become easier to understand the evolution of the original variables, because there is something else to relate to. Differential ghosts can make quite a surprising difference in our understanding of differential equations and can even explain how differential equations can be solved as part of an ordinary differential invariants proof.
Passive standing tests for the office diagnosis of postural tachycardia syndrome: New methodological considerations

Background: Passive standing tests are a first-line, practical means of assessing individuals with chronic orthostatic symptoms.Purpose: To identify the proportion reaching heart rate (HR) criteria...
Risky decision-making is associated with impulsive action and sensitivity to first-time nicotine exposure.

Abstract Excessive risk-taking is common in multiple psychiatric conditions, including substance use disorders. The risky decision-making task (RDT) models addiction-relevant risk-taking in rats by measuring preference for a small food reward vs. a large food reward associated with systematically increasing risk of shock. Here, we examined the relationship between risk-taking in the RDT and multiple addiction-relevant phenotypes. Risk-taking was associated with elevated impulsive action, but not impulsive choice or habit formation. Furthermore, risk-taking predicted locomotor sensitivity to first-time nicotine exposure and resilience to nicotine-evoked anxiety. These data demonstrate that risk preference in the RDT predicts other traits associated with substance use disorder, and may have utility for identification of neurobiological and genetic biomarkers that engender addiction vulnerability.
Bistatic Scattering Modeling for Dynamic Mapping of Tropical Wetlands with Cygnss

The objective of this paper is to model and study the sensitivity of bistatic microwave scattering versus changes in wetland characteristics as observed by a GNSS-R satellite system such as CYGNSS. We develop a simplified scattering model starting from the Water Cloud Model traditionally used in monostatic radar problems. Vegetation is idealized as a cloud of randomly oriented scattering elements over a rough surface representing either soil or water. The bistatic scattering coefficient is modeled as the incoherent sum of soil, water and vegetation scattering weighted by the fraction of each contribution within the CYGNSS footprint. The model is tested against CYGNSS observations across the Everglades National Park for which high-resolution land-cover and water depth maps are available. We show that our simplified model is able to capture to first order the variability of bistatic scattering versus changes in water depth and water fraction. This effort is a step forward towards the development of an effective algorithm to map the dynamic state of tropical wetlands and other regions subject to flooding using CYGNSS measurements.
X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Astronomy

From the previous speakers, this morning, you have heard about research in astronomy which can be done better in outer space than from the ground. I will talk to you about research in astronomy that can only be done from outer space. The earth blanket is completely opaque for X-rays and gamma-rays; none that are incident to the earth’s atmosphere will reach the ground.
Benchtop Optical Mapping Approaches to Study Arrhythmias

Abstract This chapter offers an overview of optical mapping concepts and provides details related to various applications of this technique to visualize the normal and abnormal rhythms of the heart. It enables the visualization of activation propagation and determination of relative conduction velocity of electrical activity of the heart and can be used to assess action potential duration at various levels of repolarization. Optical mapping can also be utilized to visualize different types of arrhythmias in the heart, such as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. This technique has been widely employed to visualize, predict, and control the onset of abnormal cardiac rhythms such as alternans. Optical mapping can also be beneficial in studying acute changes in cardiac electrophysiological properties of the heart during various disease states and also to develop and evaluate therapeutic strategies.
High-throughput DNA sequencing reveals the dominance of pico- and other filamentous cyanobacteria in an urban freshwater Lake.

Abstract The current study presents findings related to algal blooms in a fresh water lake, which has been experiencing severe cyanobacterial blooms (CyanoHABs). Primarily, picocyanobacteria belonging to the genus Synechococcus and filamentous cyanobacterial group belonging to Aphanizomenon and Dolichospermum dominated top water column during non-bloom and bloom periods respectively. The dominance of Synechococcus in early summer informs that blooming in Utah Lake starts in early summer and then later is taken over by other bloom-forming cyanobacteria, such as species belonging to the genus Aphanizomenon. A strong negative correlation (r = −0.9, p
Assessing the Operational Risk of Investment Funds

Over the last decade, several events, including the 2003 late-trading and market-timing mutual fund scandal, have demonstrated investment funds have significant levels of operational risk. While the BASEL II accord requires banks to quantify potential operational risk losses, investment fund regulators have instead required additional disclosure. Little research, however, has been performed evaluating the usefulness of regulatory disclosure in predicting and protecting investors from large operational risk events. In this study, we will use a long time series of previously unexamined historical Form ADV filings to identify what disclosure information is useful to investors. By linking this data to mutual fund companies, we can examine what current conflicts of interest and regulatory issues predict future operational losses for investors. We will also use this information to form a univariate measure computed using standard mutual fund operating data that will inform investors about the mutual fund operational risk. Ultimately, our research will have important implications for both investment fund investors and regulators. By determining what disclosure information is most useful, investors can focus on those variables to protect themselves from future problems, while regulators can improve the cost-benefit ratio of future disclosure requirements.
Formula Hybrid racing at Illinois Institute of Technology: Academic Year 2007/2008

The formula hybrid competition is a student event where teams compete against one another in a realworld engineering environment. Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) fielded a team to compete in the second annual competition in May 2008 against 14 other schools. A true passion for designing, improving, and racing hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) has evolved at IIT from this remarkable experience. The ACE team competed with two student-designed hybrid vehicles of different drivetrain types, composed of a wide variety of cutting edge technologies, including lithiumpolymer batteries, continuous variable transmissions, and permanent magnet synchronous machines.
The potential of scalability in high efficiency hybrid perovskite thin film luminescent solar concentrators

Abstract Hybrid metal-halide perovskite (PVSK) thin films have recently demonstrated exciting potential as candidates for broadband luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs). Here, we examine the correlation between film thickness, lead halide sources in the precursors, and film morphology, with the optical efficiency of planar PVSK LSCs with a view to optimizing device performance. After synthesizing and testing sixteen different types of PVSK samples, we report a maximum optical efficiency of 34.7% in CH3NH3PbI3 LSC made with Pb(Ac)2 precursor, and with optimal thickness in the 150–300 nm range. Using 3D Monte Carlo simulations that incorporate experimental results, we accurately estimate self-absorption and surface losses, and most importantly, demonstrate the possibility of scaling these LSCs up to almost 100 cm, thereby providing a route toward optimizing thin film PVSK materials for these and other optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications.
Brief Communication: Update on the GPS reflection technique for measuring snow accumulation in Greenland

Abstract. GPS interferometric reflectometry (GPS-IR) is a technique that can be used to measure snow accumulation on ice sheets. The footprint of the method ( ∼1000 m 2 ) is larger than that of many other in situ methods. A long-term comparison with hand measurements yielded an accuracy assessment of 2 cm. Depending on the placement of the GPS antenna, these data are also sensitive to firn density. The purpose of this short note is to make public GPS-IR measurements of snow accumulation for four sites in Greenland, compare these records with in situ sensors, and make available open-source GPS-IR software to the cryosphere community.
SLC26A7 constitutes the thiocyanate-selective anion conductance of the basolateral membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium.

Anion channels in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) play an essential role in the transport of Cl− between the outer retina and the choroidal blood to regulate the ionic composition and volume o...
Cefiderocol: A Novel Siderophore Cephalosporin against Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Pathogens.

Cefiderocol (CFDC), (formerly S-649266), is a novel injectable siderophore cephalosporin developed by Shionogi & Co., Ltd., with potent in vitro activity against Gram-negative pathogens including multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae and non-fermenting organisms, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Burkholderia cepacia, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Characterized by its siderophore catechol-moiety, CFDC uses a "trojan-horse approach" to navigate through the bacterial periplasmic space, thus evading various beta-lactam degrading enzymes and other mechanisms of resistance present in Gram-negative bacteria. More specifically in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, CFDC has been shown to have activity against extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), such as CTX-type, SHV-type, and TEM-type, as well as the Ambler classes of beta-lactamases, including class A (KPC), class B (NDM, IMP, and VIM), class C (AmpC), and class D (OXA, OXA-24, OXA-48, and OXA-48-like). In addition to the strong activity that CFDC has been shown to have against MDR P. aeruginosa, it has also displayed activity against the OXA-23, OXA-24, and OXA-51, beta-lactamases commonly found in MDR A. baumannii. Cefiderocol was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), including pyelonephritis, for use in patients 18 years or older with limited or no alternative options for treatment, and is currently being evaluated in a phase III trial for use in nosocomial pneumonia caused by Gram-negative pathogens. The unique features and enhanced activity of CFDC suggest that it is likely to serve as a viable therapeutic option in the treatment of MDR Gram-negative infections. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of previously published literature explaining CFDC's pharmacology, pharmacokinetic / pharmacodynamic (PK / PD) properties, microbiologic activity, resistance mechanisms, safety parameters, dosing and administration, clinical data, and potential place in therapy.
Public Good as Public Interest

In its landmark 2005 Kelo v. New London decision, the Supreme Court invited state legislatures to enact stricter eminent domain legislation. This study invites readers to consider the terms "public good" and "public interest" in the context of such legislation. The distinctions between the two terms are important because of the deference shown to administrators in interpreting and implementing post-Kelo law. The proposed principle of tangibility facilitates the simultaneous protection of individual private property rights and states' rights to advance the public good.
Biotechnological Approaches for Enhancing Stress Tolerance in Legumes

Legumes are the major sources of protein, dietary fibre, high-quality food & feed. In the world crop production, legumes occupy third place only after cereals and oilseeds. Leguminous crops are known to fix the atmospheric nitrogen for their growth through bacterial association and can be grown in low fertile soils. The requirement of synthetic nitrogenous fertilizers for leguminous crops is far lesser than the other crops, there by reduces the emission of greenhouse gases. Because of these qualities, legumes are considered as potential crops for sustainable agriculture. Due to continuous change in climatic conditions and modern agriculture systems, leguminous crops are frequently exposed to biotic and abiotic stresses. These stresses are considered as major constraints which mainly affects the physiology, metabolism and finally the cultivation and yield of leguminous crops. The yield losses in leguminous crops were accounted for 30–100% based on the magnitude and severity of biological and physical stresses. Hence, it’s required to improve productivities of leguminous plants to harness the potential nutritional values. Developing stress tolerant varieties is one of the strategies to overcome this. So far, traditional breeding approaches have been exploited to develop stress tolerant varieties, however, these are laborious and time consuming. The recent establishments of biotechnological tools in model leguminous crops such as Medicago truncatula and Lotus japonicas, have helped in understanding the regulation and mechanism of action of stress related genes. In the current book chapter, we have discussed about the major biotic and abiotic stresses and the application of various biotechnological tools in developing stress tolerant leguminous plants for improved productivity.
In Defense: New York Times v. Sullivan

New York Times v. Sullivan, the landmark Supreme Court case that helped shape our understanding of the First Amendment, is under attack. Twice now in opinions accompanying orders relating to certiorari, Clarence Thomas and, more recently, Neil Gorsuch have drawn into doubt the rule recognized in that case: that public official libel plaintiffs must plead and ultimately prove that a defendant published knowing the defamatory statement was false or with a high degree of awareness that it probably was. They either want to throw this “actual malice” rule out altogether or reexamine its implications and, potentially, prune it back. While some of these attacks are focused on more pragmatic concerns, a central attack, shared by both Thomas and Gorsuch, is that Sullivan is ahistorical and thus divorced from an original understanding of the First Amendment at the time of the Founding or the Reconstruction. Many commentators have seemingly accepted this assessment uncritically. This article challenges that view. It marshals substantial historical evidence that rebuts several of the justices’ specific historical arguments. More fundamentally though, through marshaling this evidence, it demonstrates that far from adopting the English common law of libel in the early United States, the Founders, federal and state legislatures, courts, and parties in litigation adopted a uniquely American understanding of freedom of the press - one where the severe rules of the English common law of libel were rejected so that citizens in a newly formed republican government could freely debate the conduct of those with power over the affairs of society.
Michigan local leaders’ views on state’s new approach to electoral redistricting

This report presents local government leaders’ familiarity with Michigan’s new approach to redistricting by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, as well as their perspectives on potential “Communities of Interest” in the areas surrounding their local jurisdictions. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the Spring 2020 wave of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS), conducted between March 30 and June 1, 2020.
Rehabilitation Robotics for Individuals with Disabilities

As we in the field of rehabilitation begin to accelerate toward the twenty-first century, I believe we need to take a careful look at what awaits us on our doorstep. The evolution of technology that our forefathers witnessed in this century has made life far easier (and I believe better) for us than for any generation before us. As a member of the first generation of children to grow up in a special education setting (at least the first generation on Long Island, New York) I feel that I have witnessed an evolution of rehabilitation technology that is no less significant or astounding than that which my father and grandfather witnessed of technology in general. Just as this evolution of technology has greatly improved our lot on earth, so also will the application of this technology in every area of rehabilitation greatly improve the life of the disabled. In 1956, when I was in the first grade, the highest form of technology in our classroom was my electric typewriter. By the 1980s a microcomputer, such as Apple or IBM, was commonplace. It is my belief that the microcomputer will prove to be the most revolutionary device in the evolution of rehabilitation technology since the advent of the wheelchair! Indeed, no other device, current or conceptualized, has the potential to bring so much to the fingertips (no pun intended) ofthe disabled. One need only look at the proceedings from such conferences as RESNA and ICAART to recognize that almost all of rehabilitation engineering is bound to, or involved in, the computer in one way or another. There are several applications of this new computer technology that we can look forward to for further evolution. With this evolution will come the further enhancement of devices for those with disabilities. One of these areas is rehabilitation robotics. In this area of rehabilitation technology, the microcomputer provides the driving force and control behind a host of fascinating and useful devices.
Shoot the transtraitor!: The translator as homo sacer in fiction and reality

AbstractThis essay applies the concept homo sacer, as put forth by Giorgio Agamben, to the social perception of translators and interpreters when they intervene in situations of violent conflict. Examples are drawn from history, from contemporary events (including the investigation of Guantanamo ‘linguists’), from nonfictional writing (such as Daoud Hari’s The Translator), and from fiction (for example, Mia Couto’s Last Flight of the Flamingo). Real and fictional ‘case studies’ agree on the parlous status of the translator. The homo sacer is a literal out-law, that is, someone who is neither punished nor protected by the law. The concept owes much to that of the pharmakos as analyzed by Jacques Derrida, and both philosophers (Agamben and Derrida) claim to be reviving concepts from the classical world, among them the necessity of logos to the polis as posited by Aristotle. The article argues that by the nature of their profession, translators and interpreters in situations of conflict do not belong fully t...
Distributed information discovery challenges

Advances in computer and network technology have fueled the proliferation of distributed data and applications. From on-line information to distributed databases, data systems place vast amounts of information at the disposal of Internet users. As archives grow, users increasingly face the problem of sifting through gigabytes of data to find useful information.We focus on the most basic and one of the larger types of data systems on the Internet, file and document systems. While distributed file systems like NFS [4] and AFS [11] make accessing remote files easier, these systems do not help the user discover, or find, new information. Most of this recent file systems work has focused on integrating heterogeneous, hierarchical, file systems. In fact it can be argued that they make the discovery process more difficult by overwhelming the user with data sources.In this paper we discuss information discovery concepts, survey some of the recent research, and explore name space browsing and information discovery issues.
Do Analysts’ Long-Term Growth Forecasts Signal Effective Effort Underlying Informative Stock Recommendations and Favorable Career Outcomes?

Prior literature finds that economic incentives related to generating investment banking business and trading commissions provide the most dominant explanation for variation in analysts’ forecasts of firms’ long-term earnings growth (LTG). Prior research evidence also indicates that relying on LTG forecasts leads to negative excess returns in subsequent periods. However, the literature also documents that analysts’ LTG forecasts explain variation in their own stock recommendations. These results beg the question as to why analysts issue and use LTG forecasts that apparently fail to enhance the value-relevance of their stock recommendations. This paper addresses that question by examining whether the issuance of LTG forecasts reflects analyst effort that does, indeed, enhance the value-relevance of their stock recommendations. We show that analysts who publish LTG forecasts provide the market with more timely stock recommendations. We also find that the stock market responds more strongly to stock recommendations and recommendation revisions accompanied by LTG forecasts issued by the same analysts. Further tests show that post- Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg. FD) observations drive our results. Finally, we investigate the effect of LTG forecast issuance on analyst career outcomes and find evidence suggesting that analysts issuing LTG forecasts are less likely to leave the profession or move to smaller brokerage houses, particularly after Reg. FD. Overall, our results suggest that publication of LTG forecasts signals effective effort increasing the value-relevance of analysts’ recommendations and providing more job security.
Binocular disparity tuning in cortical '“complex”' cells: yet another role for intradendritic computation?

Studies of information flow in the individual neuron have generally been based on the idea that the depolarization due to an activated excitatory synapse is passively propagated through the dendrite to the soma (Rall 1964). Recent evidence, however, demonstrates that the dendrites of cortical pyramidal cells contain significant concentrations of voltage-dependent channels (Stuart and Sakmann 1994).
Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sen1 Helicase Domain Exhibits 5'- to 3'-Helicase Activity with a Preference for Translocation on DNA Rather than RNA.

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the essential nuclear helicase Sen1 is required for efficient termination of transcription of short noncoding RNA genes by RNA polymerase II. However, the mechanism by which Sen1 promotes transcription termination is not known. Prior biochemical studies on the Sen1 homolog from Schizosaccharomyces pombe showed that it can bind and unwind both DNA and RNA, but the S. pombe protein is not essential and has not been demonstrated to function in transcription. Furthermore, Sen1 from either yeast has not previously been expressed as a recombinant protein, due to its large molecular mass (252 kDa in S. cerevisiae). Here, we report the purification and characterization of the 89-kDa S. cerevisiae Sen1 helicase domain (Sen1-HD) produced in Escherichia coli. Sen1-HD binds single-stranded RNA and DNA with similar affinity in the absence of ATP, but it binds RNA more stably than DNA in the presence of ATP, apparently due to a slower translocation rate on RNA. Translocation occurs in the 5′ to 3′ direction, as for the S. pombe protein. When purified from E. coli at a moderate salt concentration, Sen1-HD was associated with short RNAs that are enriched for the trinucleotide repeat (CAN)4. We propose that Sen1 binds to RNAs and prevents their stable pairing with DNA, consistent with in vivo studies by others showing increased R-loop (RNA/DNA hybrid) formation when Sen1 activity is impaired by mutations. Our results are consistent with a model in which Sen1 promotes transcription termination by resolving R-loops.
Hepatic B cells are readily activated by Toll-like receptor-4 ligation and secrete less interleukin-10 than lymphoid tissue B cells

B cells perform various immunological functions that include production of antibody, presentation of antigens, secretion of multiple cytokines and regulation of immune responses mainly via their secretion of interleukin (IL)-10. While the liver is regarded both as an important immune organ and a tolerogenic environment, little is known about the functional biology of hepatic B cells. In this study we demonstrate that, following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in vivo, normal mouse hepatic B cells rapidly increase their surface expression of CD39, CD40, CD80 and CD86, and produce significantly elevated levels of proinflammatory interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α compared with splenic B cells. Moreover, LPS-activated hepatic B cells produce very low levels of IL-10 compared with activated splenic B cells that produce comparatively high levels of this immunosuppressive cytokine. Splenic, but not hepatic, B cells inhibited the activation of liver conventional myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs). Furthermore, compared with the spleen, the liver exhibited significantly smaller proportions of B1a and marginal zone-like B cells, which have been shown to produce IL-10 upon LPS stimulation. These data suggest that, unlike in the spleen, IL-10-producing regulatory B cells in the liver are not a prominent cell type. Consistent with this, when compared with liver conventional mDCs from B cell-deficient mice, those from B cell-competent wild-type mice displayed enhanced expression of the cell surface co-stimulatory molecule CD86, greater production of proinflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-12p40) and reduced secretion of IL-10. These findings suggest that hepatic B cells have the potential to initiate rather than regulate inflammatory responses.
Goffman on Emotions: The Pride-Shame System

This essay proposes that Goffman's basic method was the intuitive recognition of generic examples of social interaction. This focus on examples, when considered from the point of view of two of Cooley's general propositions, helps explain the meaning of Goffman's metaphor of theatrical performance, and his insistence on the risk of shame in all interaction. These ideas make sense following Pascal's emphasis on the intuitive element in finding new knowledge, and Spinoza's part/whole idea. This latter approach leads to what will be called the Goffman/Cooley conjecture: we run the risk of shame in all human interaction. Although they didn't explain why, it seems that the pace of modern alienated societies punishes the mammalian urge that humans have for connectedness (pride) with others. These ideas seem to be supported by studies by Helen Lewis and Norbert Elias, and by my own recent study of Ngrams. As Elias's study proposed, virtually all shame is hidden in modern societies. The idea of hidden shame requires a new definition of shame that is quite different than vernacular usage.
Error analysis and convergence for the spectral synthesis method with interfaces

Error estimates and convergence are studied for the Galerkin-type spectral synthesis method relative to the continuous-energy, continuous-space, time-independent neutron diffusion equation. The diffusion coefficient and total macroscopic cross section are both space and energy dependent, and interfaces may be present. The estimate is in an energy type norm. The basic result shows that the error is optimal in the sense of being of the same order as the error provided by the best approximation to the actual solution in the approximation space where the spectral synthesis solution is found.
Differential expression of heat shock proteins in normal and failing human hearts.

Background: heat shock proteins (hsp) constitute an endogenous stress response that protects cells from injury. Most work on these important proteins has focused on the immediate response to acute stress in cell culture systems and mammalian models of heart disease. Little is known about the expression of the hsps in human hearts. We were interested in whether there was increased expression of the hsps in heart failure, a setting of chronic, sustained stress. Five different hsps were examined: hsp27, hsp60, hsp72, hsc70 and hsp90. Methods and results: three groups of explanted hearts were studied: dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), ischemic cardiomyopathy (IHD), and normal controls. Western-blotting with a standard curve of purified protein on each blot was used to quantify the expression of the hsps. Hsp27 was increased almost two-fold in DCM compared to normal hearts, and was significantly greater than in IHD hearts. Levels of hsp60 were doubled in both DCM and IHD hearts (P<0.05). Hsp72, hsc70 and hsp90 were not significantly changed. Conclusions: this study shows for the first time that differential changes in hsp levels occur in end-stage heart failure. Since hsps can render cells resistant to apoptosis, and are associated with the mitochondria and the cytoskeleton, which are known to be abnormal in heart failure, these studies may lead to new insights into the pathogenesis of cardiac decompensation.
Cardiac electromechanical models: from cell to organ.

The heart is a multiphysics and multiscale system that has driven the development of the most sophisticated mathematical models at the frontiers of computation physiology and medicine. This review focuses on electromechanical (EM) models of the heart from the molecular level of myofilaments to anatomical models of the organ. Because of the coupling in terms of function and emergent behaviors at each level of biological hierarchy, separation of behaviors at a given scale is difficult. Here, a separation is drawn at the cell level so that the first half addresses subcellular/single cell models and the second half addresses organ models. At the subcelluar level, myofilament models represent actin-myosin interaction and Ca-based activation. Myofilament models and their refinements represent an overview of the development in the field. The discussion of specific models emphasizes the roles of cooperative mechanisms and sarcomere length dependence of contraction force, considered the cellular basis of the Frank-Starling law. A model of electrophysiology and Ca handling can be coupled to a myofilament model to produce an EM cell model, and representative examples are summarized to provide an overview of the progression of field. The second half of the review covers organ-level models that require solution of the electrical component as a reaction-diffusion system and the mechanical component, in which active tension generated by the myocytes produces deformation of the organ as described by the equations of continuum mechanics. As outlined in the review, different organ-level models have chosen to use different ionic and myofilament models depending on the specific application; this choice has been largely dictated by compromises between model complexity and computational tractability. The review also addresses application areas of EM models such as cardiac resynchronization therapy and the role of mechano-electric coupling in arrhythmias and defibrillation.
The effect of diet and chronic obesity on brain catecholamine turnover in the rat.

Abstract Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high calorie, high fat diet for 3 months to produce chronic diet-induced obesity (DIO) in which they gained 70% more weight than chow-fed controls. Thirty-six percent of the rats fed the DIO diet resisted the development of obesity (DR), gaining no more weight than chow-fed controls but serving as a comparison for the effects of the diet alone on the metabolism of brain catecholamines. The major influence of dietary composition was upon norepinephrine (NE) metabolism. Both DIO and DR rats had increased turnover of NE (107–217%) and/or shorter NE half-lives (42–67%) than controls in the hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN) and dorsomedial (DMN) nuclei and the median eminence (ME); dopamine (DA) turnover was similarly accelerated in the PVN. The DR rats alone exhibited decreased NE levels with increased disappearance of NE in frontal cortex and increased disappearance of DA in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH). The major effect of chronic obesity alone was a 31–33% decrease in DMN DA turnover and an 80% decrement in ME DA turnover associated with a 61% decrease in DA levels as compared to chow-fed controls. Therefore, the major effect of a high calorie, high fat diet was a diffuse acceleration of brain NE and DA turnover while chronic obesity led to decreased DA turnover in the DMN and ME.
Effect of a Team Approach in Achieving the Objectives of an Introductory Course in Education

The purpose of this study was to compare the achievement scores of students enrolled in an introductory course in education when taught by a team of instructors with achievement scores of similar students taught in traditionally arranged classes. Also, an effort was made to determine if a student's decision to become a teacher would be affected more by a team approach or the traditional approach. The data indicated that students taught by the team achieved significantly higher on a standardized education examination than students taught in tra ditionally arranged classes with one instructor. The data also revealed that the teaching approach used was not a significant factor in influencing the student's decision to become a teacher.
Growth of a-Si:H and related alloys using liquid organic sources

Tertiarybutylphosphine (TBP) and ditertiarybutylsilane (DTBS) have been employed in a standard rf plasma reactor to produce pure and doped a-Si:H and a-SixC1−x:H alloys. Because they are less toxic and less pyrophoric, many of these liquid organic sources may be preferable to the usual gases employed in film growth. Samples have been characterized using dark conductivity, infrared vibrational spectroscopy and photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS). Ditertiarybutylsilane has been added to silane to vary the bandgap of a-SixC1−x:H alloys from E04 of about 1.9 to about 3 eV. Room temperature dark conductivities as high as 3 × 10−6 ω−1 cm−1 have been achieved by adding 10% DTBS (E04 = 2.2 eV) and 1% TBP to silane.
MatML: XML for information exchange with materials property data

This paper describes the development and use of MatML, the Materials Markup Language. MatML is an emerging XML standard intended primarily for the exchange of materials property information. It provides a medium of communication for users in materials science and related fields such as manufacturing and aerospace. It sets the stage for the development of semantic web standards to enhance knowledge discovery in materials science and related areas. MatML has been used in applications such as the development of materials digital libraries and analysis of contaminant emissions data. Data mining applications of MatML include statistical process control and failure analysis. Challenges in promoting MatML involve satisfying a broad range of constituencies in the international engineering and materials science community and also adhering to other related standards in web data exchange. These issues are being addressed through the development of a good ontology, the automation of format conversions and possible schema extensions. MatML aims to be a lingua franca for data exchange in materials science and its broader horizons.
Factors associated with patient reports of positive physician relational communication.

Objective To evaluate the patient, physician, and visit-related factors associated with patient ratings of positive physician relational communication.
Small amplitude waves in a hot relativistic two-fluid plasma

The dispersion relation for small amplitude waves in a hot relativistic plasma embedded in a uniform magnetic field is derived. Four plasma modes exist for propagation oblique to the magnetic field, and the mode properties are summarized in a hot relativistic generalization of the cold plasma pond diagram of Stix (1962). The two-fluid approximation is considered, and two-fluid equations are applied in this procedure which summarizes properties of linear waves in an unbounded magnetized relativistic plasma by means of a parameter-space diagram of wave phase velocity.
“Principles of Seismology” by Augustin Udias

Principles of Seismology by Augustin Udias is the fourth major global seismology text published in the last five years (the others being Modern Global Seismology by Lay and Wallace, 1995; Theoretical Global Seismology by Dahlen and Tromp, 1998; and Introduction to Seismology by Shearer, 1999)—an unprecedented spate of books in a field dominated for nearly two decades by Aki and Richard's Quantitative Seismology, 1980, the second edition of which is due out shortly. Udias' entry into this market targets upper-division undergraduate and introductory graduate courses and is intended to be “student friendly”, something Quantitative Seismology certainly was not. Developed over the course of twenty-five years of teaching seismology at the universities of Madrid and Barcelona, Principles of Seismology focuses on theory, not observation. It develops important results in full, …
Body image and obesity: effects of gender and weight on perceptual measures of body image

The purpose of this study was to assess effects of gender and measures of Body Mass Index on estimates of normal body size (NBS), current body size (CBS), and discrepancies between attainable (ABS) and desirable (LTB) sizes. A total of 98 women and 74 men, shown 9 male and 9 female thin-to-heavy figure silhouette drawings, chose one drawing (or between two) indicating NBS-Male, NBS-Female, CBS, ABS, and LTB scores. Discrepancy scores were calculated as ABS-LTB. BMI within-group variances for CBS-Female scores were heterogeneous. Discrepancy scores were significantly different for groups of females. Subjects agreed on judgments of a hypothetical normal male and female figure size; men in BMI groups agreed upon a figure representing their size and felt their desired size was attainable. Normal-weight women could not consistently estimate their size. Obese and very obese females underestimated their size and felt that a desired size was unattainable.
Zeeman interaction for the 8S term of Gd3+ in ThO2

Abstract The magnetic spectrum of trivalent gadolinium located at the eightfold coordinated cubic sites of thorium oxide has been re-examined at 0.85 cm wavelength in an effort to uncover evidence of supplemental Zeeman terms in the spin Hamiltonian. To within average uncertainties of ± 5 parts in 106 in the spectral data, no evidence of this kind has been found.
Coomassie Brilliant Blue G is a more potent antagonist of P2 purinergic responses than Reactive Blue 2 (Cibacron Blue 3GA) in rat parotid acinar cells

The ability of Brilliant Blue G (Coomassie Brilliant Blue G) and Reactive Blue 2 (Cibacron Blue 3GA) to block the effects of extracellular ATP on rat parotid acinar cells was examined by evaluating their effects on ATP-stimulated 45Ca2+ entry and the elevation of [Ca2+]i (Fura 2 fluorescence). ATP (300 microM) increased the rate of Ca2+ entry to more than 25-times the basal rate and elevated [Ca2+]i to levels more than three times the basal value. Brilliant Blue G and Reactive Blue 2 greatly reduced the entry of 45Ca2+ into parotid cells, but the potency of Brilliant Blue G (IC50 approximately 0.4 microM) was about 100-times that of Reactive Blue 2. Fura 2 studies demonstrated that inhibitory concentrations of these compounds did not block the cholinergic response of these cells, thus demonstrating the selectivity of the dye compounds for purinergic receptors. Unlike Reactive Blue 2, effective concentrations of Brilliant Blue G did not substantially quench Fura 2 fluorescence. The greater potency of Brilliant Blue G suggests that it may be very useful in identifying P2-type purinergic receptors, especially in studies which utilize fluorescent probes.
Gatt and Agriculture: The Role of Special Interest Groups

(a) The 1980s have been a decade of crisis for much of world agriculture. Following a period of unusual growth in world demand and trade, the 1980s have witnessed a decline in exports, plummeting agricultural prices, widespread economic distress in farming and associated industries, and rising trade tensions as nations have sought to protect their farmers (Institute for International Economics, p. 1). (b) The playing field in world agricultural trade is uneven. Some countries subsidize their exports; some tax imports; others tax exports. Most nations try to help their farmers through domestic farm programs. All these influences converge to distort the price signals that would otherwise govern supply and demand in a freer trade environment. The resulting hodgepodge has disadvantaged many producers in the United States and other countries, even though their farm products are among the least expensive to produce (Ballenger, Dunmore, and Lederer, p. 1). (c) The problems of agriculture have engaged the attention of world leaders and have become a major issue in the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). . . . A number of fora, including the GATT Ministerial Meeting at Punta del Este in September 1986 that launched the Uruguay Round, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Meeting in May 1987, and the Venice Summit of industrial country leaders in June 1987, have issued declarations which support liberalization of agricultural trade and reform of domestic farm policies. . . . Trade Ministers of the GATT countries will also meet in December 1988 in
Analytical and Finite-Element Modeling of FRP-Concrete-Steel Double-Skin Tubular Columns

AbstractThis paper presents a finite-element (FE) analysis of hybrid fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)-concrete-steel double-skin tube (FSDT) in the form of columns. The FSDT columns that were examined consisted of a concrete wall sandwiched between an outer FRP tube and an inner steel tube. A FE software was used to develop a pushover analysis of three-dimensional FSDT models to simulate seismic loading. The FE models were validated against the experimental results gathered from seven FSDT columns tested under cyclic loading. The FE analysis results were in good agreement with the experimental backbone curves. The maximum error was 9% in predicting the bending strengths of the columns. A parametric study evaluated the effect of axial load level, concrete wall thickness, concrete strength, diameter-to-thickness ratio (D/t) of the steel tube, and number of FRP layers on the FSDT columns’ behavior. This study revealed that the behavior of FSDT columns is quite complex. It also revealed that this behavior is co...
Islam and politics in Central Asia

Introduction - Islam under Communism - The Politics of Transition: The Gorbachev Era - Islam and the Post-Communist Central Asia - Democratic Opposition - The Central Asian States and the Politics of Islamic Revival - Islam and Ethnic Relations - The Middle Eastern Connection - Conclusion