cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tuning method for governor control parameters of hydropower generator in isolated grid considering primary frequency performance and small-signal stability

Abstract This paper presents a method of tuning governor control parameters of an isolated hydropower generator considering the primary frequency performance and small-signal stability. First, generators that can be operated in isolated state are identified. Second, different schemes are proposed for generator mode switching from on-grid to off-grid state through comparison and mechanism analysis. Third, the time domain model and frequency domain model of the isolated generator governor are constructed to respectively estimate the primary frequency performance and small signal stability. Parameter sets that satisfy the primary frequency performance and small signal stability are acquired as optimal values of governor control parameters. Finally, the measurement-based parameters of the governor are identified and validated using simulations to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the method.
Demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment, and clinical outcomes of patients with ampullary cancer: a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cohort study

Background Ampullary cancer accounts for only 0.2% of gastrointestinal cancers. The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence, demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment, and survival of patients with ampullary tumors. Methods Data on ampullary cancer between 2004 and 2013 was extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Registry. The clinical epidemiology of these tumors was analyzed using SEER*Stat. Results A total of 6803 patients with ampullary cancer were identified. Median age at diagnosis was 71±13 years. The overall age-adjusted incidence of ampullary cancer was 0.59 per 100,000 per year. A higher incidence of ampullary cancer was observed in males compared to females (0.74 vs. 0.48 per 100,000 per year). Most tumors were moderately differentiated (39.5%). The most common stage at presentation was Stage I (21%), followed by Stage II (20%). The majority (63%) of these tumors were surgically resected while 20% of patients received radiotherapy. One and 5-year cause-specific survival for ampullary cancer was 71.7% and 38.8% respectively, with a median survival of 31 months. On Cox regression analysis, black race, increasing cancer stage and grade, N1 stage, and non-surgical treatment were associated with poorer prognosis. Those who were not treated with surgical intervention were at 4.5 times increased risk for death (hazard ratio 4.5, 95% CI: 3.93-5.09, P=0.000). Conclusions The annual incidence of ampullary cancer has been fairly constant, though males are more likely to be affected. While its incidence increases with age, patients who are treated by surgical intervention have significantly better outcomes. Additionally, through the use of endoscopic techniques, ampullary cancer can be detected and treated much earlier.
Temples, travesties, or something else? The developmental state, ecological modernization, and hydroelectric dam construction in India

Abstract Hydroelectric power is the world’s largest source of renewable energy. It can encourage economic development while reducing carbon emissions, but large hydroelectric projects have serious social and environmental consequences. Democratic Developmental and Ecological Modernization theorists counseled the adoption of new regulations and institutions to increase citizen participation and socioenvironmental protection. Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and public audiences are considered best practice, but do these new protections and procedures alter government behavior when it makes critical development decisions? We argue scholars have paid too little attention to how bureaucratic hierarchies and weak cross-agency harmonization weaken environmental regimes. To highlight these issues, we provide an in-depth case study of hydroelectric dam construction in India, a country simultaneously confronting widespread underdevelopment and an energy matrix overwhelmingly reliant on carbon-based sources. Our multi-method analysis includes: innovative ArcGIS techniques to create an original database of large hydroelectric projects, field research, and a longitudinal analysis of three distinct periods of dam construction. We find the Indian government gradually shifted from large, multipurpose impoundment dams to smaller run-of-the-river (ROR) projects. ROR dams maintain a smaller footprint by requiring less flooding, but they are less efficient and versatile. Facing greater constitutional protections, concerns about resettlement costs, and past social mobilization, the Indian government is prioritizing smaller projects in remote locations to mitigate the social consequences of dam projects. Nevertheless, environmental concerns have been perfunctory. No fish ladders, exposed riverbeds, compromised waterflow regimes, and minimal riparian rehabilitation mean the environmental consequences of ROR dams remain extremely severe. These findings can be attributed to bureaucratic hierarchies, which limit the power of environmental agencies. Additionally, EIAs have been largely cursory and public audiences have not tangibly improved environmental outcomes because civil society generally prioritizes the social impacts of projects. In conclusion, our study finds India is better reconciling economic development with greater social protection and inclusion. The continued negative environmental externalities of contemporary hydroelectric projects highlight significant space for improving environmental protection.
Effects of Ultrasound Familiarization on Production and Perception of Nonnative Contrasts.

Background/aims We investigated the efficacy of ultrasound imaging of the tongue as a tool for familiarizing naive learners with the production of a class of nonnative speech sounds: palatalized Russian consonants. Methods Two learner groups were familiarized, one with ultrasound and one with audio only. Learners performed pre- and postfamiliarization production and discrimination tasks. Results Ratings of productions of word-final palatalized consonants by learners from both groups improved after familiarization, as did discrimination of the palatalization contrast word-finally. There were no significant differences in the improvement between groups in either task. All learners were able to generalize to novel contexts in production and discrimination. The presence of palatalization interfered with discrimination of word-initial manner, and ultrasound learners were more successful in overcoming that interference. Conclusion Ultrasound familiarization resulted in improvements in production and discrimination comparable to audio only. Ultrasound familiarization additionally helped learners overcome difficulties in manner discrimination introduced by palatalization. When familiarizing learners with a novel, nonnative class of sounds, a small set of stimuli in different contexts may be more beneficial than using a larger set in one context. Although untrained production can disrupt discrimination training, we found that production familiarization was not disruptive to discrimination or production.
Quetiapine therapy in critically injured trauma patients is associated with an increased risk of pulmonary complications

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to evaluate quetiapine-associated pulmonary complications (PC) in critically injured trauma patients. Methods Injured adults admitted during 2016 to the ICU at a Level I trauma center were analyzed. Outcomes were evaluated by competing risks survival analysis. Results Of 254 admissions, 40 (15.7%) had PC and 214 (84.3%) were non-events. PC patients were more severely injured, had longer hospital stays and were more likely to die. Patients administered quetiapine were more likely to develop PC and acquire PC earlier than those without quetiapine. Quetiapine was a positive risk factor for PC (sHR 2.24, p = 0.013). Stratification by ventilator use revealed non-ventilated patients administered quetiapine had the highest risk for PC (sHR 4.66, p = 0.099). Conclusions Quetiapine exposure in critically injured trauma patients was associated with increased risk of PC. Guidelines for treatment of delirium with quetiapine in critically injured trauma patients should account for this risk.
Allelic discrimination between circulating tumor DNA fragments enabled by a multiplex-qPCR assay containing DNA-enriched magnetic ionic liquids

Abstract Multiplex amplification of DNA can be highly valuable in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis due to the sheer number of potential mutations. However, commercial ctDNA extraction methods struggle to preconcentrate low concentrations of DNA and require multiple sample handling steps. Recently, magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) have been used to extract DNA and were integrated with a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). However, in previous studies, DNA could not be preconcentrated from plasma and only one fragment could be amplified per reaction. In this study, MILs were utilized as DNA extraction solvents and directly integrated into a multiplex-qPCR buffer to simultaneously amplify wild-type KRAS, G12S KRAS, and wild-type BRAF, three clinically-relevant genes whose mutation status can affect the success of anti-EGFR therapy. DNA was desorbed from the MIL solvent during a multiplex-PCR without having a significant effect on the amplification efficiency, and allelic discrimination of single-nucleotide polymorphisms could still be achieved. Enrichment factors over 35 for all three sequences were achieved from Tris buffer using the [N8,8,8,Bz+][Ni(hfacac)3-]) and [P6,6,6,14+][Ni(Phtfacac)3-] MILs. DNA could still be preconcentrated from 2-fold diluted human plasma using the [N8,8,8,Bz+][Ni(hfacac)3-] MIL. Extractions from undiluted plasma were reproducible with the [P6,6,6,14+][Ni(Phtfacac)3-] MIL although DNA was not preconcentrated with enrichment factors around 0.6 for all three fragments. Compared to commercial DNA extraction methods (i.e., silica-based spin columns and magnetic beads), the MIL-based extraction achieved higher enrichment factors in Tris buffer and plasma. The ability of the MIL-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) direct-multiplex-qPCR method to simultaneously achieve high enrichment factors of multiple DNA fragments from human plasma is highly promising in the field of ctDNA detection.
DEVELOPMENT OF HYMENOLEPIS DIMINUTA ONCOSPHERES

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the development of Hymenolepis diminuta ( H. diminuta ) oncospheres, the observations being based on whole mounts and sections of hatched oncospheres, and developmental stages from in vivo and in vitro sources. The chapter presents comparisons of organisms grown axenically with developmental stages from the insect. of the chapter focuses on hatched oncospheres and cell types during development from oncosphere to cysticercoid. The fully developed embryo of H. diminuta contains the following elements: (1) hooks and associated fibers, (2) nuclei and cells, (3) glandular areas, and (4) polysaccharide deposits. Chromatin is granular and evenly distributed. In many organisms, somatic nuclei divide. More than 24 have been observed after the first division of germinative nuclei, many surrounded by spindle-shaped cytoplasm. Some somatic nuclei give rise to fiber cells.
Knowledge and practice of induction of lactation in trans women among professionals working in trans health.

Breastfeeding is emerging as an important reproductive rights issue in the care of trans and gender nonconforming people. This study sought to understand the tools available to professionals working in the field of trans health to help trans women induce lactation and explore the concept of unmet need. In November 2018, we conducted a cross-sectional study which surveyed attendees at the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) symposium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Eligible participants were 18 + years old, had professional experience with transgender populations, were able to complete a survey in English, and were conference attendees. Descriptive data were collected using a 14-item written survey encompassing demographic characteristics, experience in transgender health, and lactation induction in trans women. We surveyed 82 respondents (response rate 10.5%), the majority of whom were healthcare professionals (84%). Average age of respondents was 42.3 years old. They represented 11 countries and averaged 8.8 years of work at 21.3 h/week with trans populations. Healthcare professionals in this sample primarily specialized in general/internal medicine, psychology, endocrinology, and obstetrics/gynecology. One-third of respondents (34%) stated that they have met trans women who expressed interest in inducing lactation. Seventeen respondents (21%) knew of providers, clinics, or programs that facilitated the induction of lactation through medication or other means. Seven respondents (9%) have helped trans women induce lactation with an average of 1.9 trans women in the previous year. Two protocols for lactation induction were mentioned in free text responses and 91% believe there is a need for specialized protocols for trans women. This exploratory study demonstrates healthcare professionals’ interest in breastfeeding protocols for lactation induction in trans women. Additional studies are needed to capture insights from breastfeeding specialists, e.g. lactation consultants and peripartum nurses, and to understand patients’ perspectives on this service.
Prepucial Epstein pearls on the tip of penis.

A term male healthy neonate born at 39 weeks of gestation via scheduled C-section to a 31-year-old G5P5 mother with adequate prenatal care and significant prenatal history of sickle cell trait, obesity and thrombocytopaenia. All the initial infection screening including HIV/Hepatitis B,C/Syphilis/
User-Centered System Design for Communicating Clinical Laboratory Test Results: Design and Evaluation Study

Background: Personal clinical data, such as laboratory test results, are increasingly being made available to patients via patient portals. However, laboratory test results are presented in a way that is difficult for patients to interpret and use. Furthermore, the indications of laboratory test results may vary among patients with different characteristics and from different medical contexts. To date, little is known about how to design patient-centered technology to facilitate the interpretation of laboratory test results. Objective: The aim of this study is to explore design considerations for supporting patient-centered communication and comprehension of laboratory test results, as well as discussions between patients and health care providers. Methods: We conducted a user-centered, multicomponent design research consisting of user studies, an iterative prototype design, and pilot user evaluations, to explore design concepts and considerations that are useful for supporting patients in not only viewing but also interpreting and acting upon laboratory test results. Results: The user study results informed the iterative design of a system prototype, which had several interactive features: using graphical representations and clear takeaway messages to convey the concerning nature of the results; enabling users to annotate laboratory test reports; clarifying medical jargon using nontechnical verbiage and allowing users to interact with the medical terms (eg, saving, favoriting, or sorting); and providing pertinent and reliable information to help patients comprehend test results within their medical context. The results of a pilot user evaluation with 8 patients showed that the new patient-facing system was perceived as useful in not only presenting laboratory test results to patients in a meaningful way but also facilitating in situ patient-provider interactions. Conclusions: We draw on our findings to discuss design implications for supporting patient-centered communication of laboratory test results and how to make technology support informative, trustworthy, and empathetic. Trial Registration:
Phosphorylation of adenosine with linear polyphosphate salts in aqueous solution.

Phosphorylation of adenosine by linear polyphosphate salts in heated aqueous solutions under prebiogenic conditions, discussing adenosine phosphates isomeric composition
Excess Lipid Accumulation in Cortical Neurons in Multiple Sclerosis May Lead to Autophagic Dysfunction and Neurodegeneration (P5.237)

OBJECTIVE: To examine the role of autophagy in neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS). BACKGROUND: Progressive neuronal damage is a prominent feature in MS, however, the mechanisms that drive this neurodegeneration are unknown. In several neurodegenerative diseases, dysregulation of autophagy is believed to play an important role. Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation system in which cellular components, such as lipids and cellular organelles are degraded. The role of autophagy in MS has not been elucidated. METHODS: Formalin-fixed cortex from 8 MS patients and 3 controls was used for immunohistochemical labeling against the autophagy marker, LC3, and for lipid staining with oil red O. In addition, we exposed primary rat neuronal cultures to the fatty acid oleate to examine lipid uptake. Lipids and acidic compartments were fluorescently labeled for time-lapse imaging. Autophagic marker expression in neuronal cultures was analyzed by Western blot. RESULTS: The autophagic marker LC3 was upregulated in MS cortical neurons compared to control cortex. Similarly, the amount of ORO-labeled lipid droplets was significantly increased in MS cortical neurons compared to controls. In neuronal cell culture, oleate-exposure led to an increase in intraneuronal lipid droplets (LD) and to elevated levels of LC3-II, a downstream autophagy marker. Furthermore, acidification occurred around LD, which indicates contact with the lysosomal compartment. However, this did not result in degradation of LD. CONCLUSION: We present evidence that lipid content and autophagic activity are increased in cortical neurons of MS patients. Moreover, we show for the first time in neuronal culture that lipids are digested through neuronal autophagy and can lead to blockage of autophagic flux. Thus, accumulation of excess lipids in MS neurons may lead to autophagic overload and eventually to neurodegeneration. Disclosure: Dr. Kim has nothing to disclose. Dr. DeBartolo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ramanan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ponath has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pitt has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as a consultant and/or speaker.
Electric utility energy conservation and load management programmes: R & D opportunities

Abstract During recent years, electric utilities have begun a variety of new programmes to manage their future load growth. In many cases, these conservation and load management (C/LM) programmes serve as alternatives to traditional electricity supply resources. Additional development of planning, analysis and evaluation methods is needed before utilities can fully rely on these C/LM programmes as legitimate electric system resources. This paper discusses several important research topics. These topics include better use of data from evaluations of C/LM programmes to improve demand forecasting models, development of models to predict participation in future utility C/LM programmes, review of existing integrated resource planning models, assessment of alternative regulatory treatment of C/LM programmes by state public utility commissions, and identification of better ways to disseminate results on effective C/LM programmes among utilities.
Sjögren's syndrome. Electrophoretic and immunological observations on serum and salivary proteins of man.

Abstract Serum, parotid and whole saliva from normal and diseased subjects were analysed by paper and immunoelectrophoresis. The patients were divided into groups according to severity of salivary gland disease. It was observed that the electrophoretic pattern of parotid secretion was specific for each group. With mild disease the cathode migrating proteins exhibit a decrease compared to the normal. With advanced disease (Sjogren's syndrome) the anodal proteins increase as the cathodal proteins decrease. An increase in a beta migrating glycoprotein was observed in diseased samples. Immunoelectrophoretic analysis revealed that whole saliva contains at least five proteins similar to serum proteins: albumin, transferrin, IgM, IgA and IgG. Parotid saliva only exhibited two proteins similar to serum proteins: albumin and IgA. Ten immunogenic proteins are present in parotid secretions when tested with antiparotid saliva serum. An increase in parotid albumin-antialbumin reaction was observed to correlate with the extent of clinical disease in each gland even within an individual, in patients with Sjogren's syndrome or possible Sjogren. It is felt that albumin may be involved in salivary gland disease. The results are discussed in relation to the findings of previous investigators.
An Optimization Approach to Routing Aircraft

The optimal solution for an aircraft routing model is developed for use in the route construction process of an airline operating in long haul markets. The problem is to determine the sequence of stops for each aircraft from one base through a network of cities terminating at the original or second base. A mixed integer linear programming model is formulated to maximize the profit derived from each routing. The special structure of the mixed integer model is solved by an application of Benders' Decomposition Method. Methods to improve the computational efficiency of the technique are examined and tested. Finally, an implementation plan for incorporating the routing model into the airline scheduling process is presented.
Understanding topology dynamics in large-scale Cognitive Radio Networks under generic failures

Node failures are unavoidable in wireless networks and an initial failure may further trigger a sequence of related failures, incurring many holes in the network, which can easily result in devastating impact on network performance. To understand the size of these holes is very important to identify solutions to offset their adversarial effects. In this paper, we focus on the size of holes in Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) because of their phenomenal benefits in improving spectrum efficiency through opportunistic communications. Particularly, we first define two metrics, namely the failure occurrence probability p and failure connection function g(·), to characterize node failures and their spreading properties, respectively. Then we prove that each hole is exponentially bounded based on percolation theory. By mapping failure spreading using a branching process, we further derive an upper bound on the expected size of holes.
Identification of aerospace acoustic sources using sparse distributed associative memory

A pattern recognition system has been developed to classify five different aerospace acoustic sources. In this paper the performance of two new classifiers, an associative memory classifier and a neural network classifier, is compared to the performance of a previously designed system. Sources are classified using features calculated from the time and frequency domain. Each classifier undergoes a training period where it learns to classify sources correctly based on a set of known sources. After training the classifier is tested with unknown sources. Results show that over 96 percent of sources were identified correctly with the new associative memory classifier. The neural network classifier identified over 81 percent of the sources correctly.
Hepatitis C virus therapy in the direct acting antiviral era.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The evolution of treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is evolving at a rapid pace. Two new oral antiviral agents, simeprevir and sofosbuvir, have already been approved and are now available for treatment of patients with chronic HCV. Other antiviral agents will be available during 2014. RECENT FINDINGS The protease inhibitor simeprevir was recently approved for use with peginterferon (PEGINF) and ribavirin (RBV) in patients with chronic genotype 1. About 80% of patients achieve a rapid virologic response and can be treated for 24 weeks. The sustained virologic response (SVR) in treatment-naive patients is about 80%. Sofosbuvir, the first polymerase inhibitor, is effective in all HCV genotypes. When utilized with peginterferon and RBV for 12 weeks in treatment-naive patients with genotypes 1, 4, 5 and 6, an SVR of 90% is observed. Sofosbuvir and RBV have also been studied without interferon and represent the first interferon-free therapy for chronic HCV. SUMMARY It is now possible to cure chronic HCV in the vast majority of patients with chronic HCV and in many patients without interferon.
Divide and conquer orthogonality principle for parallel optimizations in TSP

Abstract A lossless divide-and-conquer (D & C) principle, implemented via an orthogonality projection, is described and illustrated with a recursive solution of the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP), which is executable on a massively parallel and distributed computer. The lossless D & C principle guides us to look near the desirable boundary and to seek for a characteristic vector V (e.g. displacement vector in TSP) such that V ≈ A + B where two resultant vectors A and B (located one in each sub-domains to be divided) should be orthogonal to each other having no cross product terms, i.e. (A, B) = (B, A) = 0. In the case of parallel computing this goal amounts to minimum communication cost among processors. Then the global optimization of the whole domain: Min. ∥ V ∥ 2 = Min. ∥ A ∥ 2 + Min. ∥ B ∥ 2 can be losslessly divided into two sub-domains that each can seek its own optimized solution separately (by two separate sets of processors without inter-communication during processing). Such a theorem of orthogonal division error (ODE) for lossless D & C is proved, and the orthogonal projection is constructed for solving a large-scale TSP explicitly.
The effect of caprock permeability on shear stress path at the aquifer-caprock interface during fluid injection

The permeability of the cap rock is one of the most important properties for determining whether an injected fluid can be sequestered as desired. A literature review on many previously conducted investigations shows that the mechanical properties of a clayey cap rock, such as Young’s moduli and Poisson’s ratios, are relatively constrained to a small range of potential values in comparison to the permeability, which can vary greatly by many orders of magnitude. We found that the shear stress on the interface between the aquifer and cap rock results in very different temporal behaviors in response to different cap rock permeability. The largest shear stress changes concentrate on the near well region and remain stationary over a long period of time if the cap rock has very low permeability. The shear stresses increase greatly in the near well region at early times but the largest increases tend to migrate to the far side for semi-pervious or pervious cap rock conditions. Shear stress near the well may experience a reversion at the interface due to the delayed expansion of the cap rock if the cap rock is semi-pervious and more expansive than the aquifer formation. Because of the difficulty in measuring the stresses at depth, these stress changes may only be inferred from in-direct signals, such as induced seismicity. This poses the possibility that we may be able to inversely evaluate whether a cap rock formation is tight (very impermeable), or semi-pervious or even permeable by detecting the temporal and spatial occurrences of seismic swarms on the rock interface associated with fluid injection.
Equally increased risk for metabolic syndrome in patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia treated with second-generation antipsychotics.

Objective: Although second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are widely used in treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, their effects on dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk are less well documented for bipolar disorder. We compared bipolar disorder and schizophrenia patients receiving SGAs to determine whether MetS prevalence is influenced by the primary psychiatric diagnosis or concomitant mood stabilizer treatment. Methods: Admission assessment of MetS criteria (abdominal obesity, fasting hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hyperglycemia, arterial hypertension) and the calculated 10-year CHD risk in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia patients treated with SGAs and closely matched for age, sex, and race. Results: Compared to schizophrenia patients (n = 111), those with bipolar disorder (n = 74) had lower body mass index (27.1 ± 5.3 versus 29.9 ± 8.1, p = 0.0053), were more likely treated with mood stabilizers (60.8 versus 36.0, p = 0.0009), and less likely treated with clozapine (1.3% versus 15.3%, p = 0.0017) or two antipsychotics (10.8% versus 34.2%, p = 0.0003). Despite these differences, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia patients had comparable rates of MetS (43.2% versus 45.9%, p = 0.71) and predicted CHD events (10-year risk >10%: 18.9% versus 23.4%, p = 0.47). Using ≥100 mg/dL as the adapted glucose criterion, MetS rates were 54.0% in both diagnostic groups (p = 1.0). Mood stabilizer co-treatment was not associated with MetS or its individual criteria. Conclusions: Patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia who are treated with SGAs have similarly high rates of MetS. These findings suggest a shared susceptibility to antipsychotic-related metabolic dysregulations that is not primarily related to psychiatric diagnosis or concomitant mood stabilizer treatment.
Escalation of intravenous cocaine self-administration, progressive-ratio performance, and reinstatement in rats selectively bred for high (HiS) and low (LoS) saccharin intake

Rats selectively bred for high saccharin (HiS) intake consume more alcohol and acquire intravenous (IV) cocaine self-administration more rapidly than their low saccharin (LoS) consuming counterparts. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether HiS and LoS rats also differ in the escalation, maintenance, and reinstatement of IV cocaine self-administration. LoS and HiS female rats were allowed to self-administer cocaine [0.4 mg/kg; fixed ratio (FR) 1] under short (ShA, 2 h per day) or long (LgA, 12 h per day) access conditions for 21 days. Session lengths were subsequently equated (2 h) and (1) FR1-maintained cocaine (0.4 mg/kg) self-administration, (2) progressive ratio (PR)-maintained cocaine (0.2–1.6 mg/kg) self-administration, and (3) saline-induced and cocaine (10 mg/kg, IP)-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior were examined. HiS LgA rats escalated their cocaine intake more rapidly and self-administered more cocaine (mg/kg) than LoS LgA rats; however, there was no LoS versus HiS phenotype difference in the number of infusions self-administered by Day 21. Post-escalation cocaine self-administration under an FR1 schedule did not differ as a function of phenotype (LoS versus HiS) or access condition (ShA versus LgA); however, LoS rats responded more for cocaine under the PR schedule than HiS rats, and they showed a greater reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior than HiS rats. In contrast, ShA versus LgA did not affect PR or reinstatement performance in the LoS and HiS groups. These results suggest that LoS and HiS rats have distinct drug-seeking and drug-taking profiles that differ as a function of the experimental phase and access condition. The LoS and HiS rats differ along a wide range of behavioral dimensions and represent an important model to study the interactions of feeding, emotionality, and other factors related to vulnerability to drug abuse.
The centromeric regions of potato chromosomes contain megabase-sized tandem arrays of telomere-similar sequence

Telomere-similar sequences have been found in non-telomeric regions in various eukaryotic species. Centromeric regions often harbor such interstitial telomeric repeats (ITRs). We isolated a 2.8 kb ITR, pSbTC1, in a diploid potato species Solanum bulbocastanum. DNA sequences related to the pSbTC1 family are widely distributed in different Solanum species. The pSbTC1-related sequences are organized into tandem arrays and located mainly in the centromeric regions of potato chromosomes. Most notably, the pSbTC1-related sequences have undergone extensive amplification and a single array can span up to multiple megabases. These results suggest that the pSbTC1-related sequences are not simple relics of ancient events in karyotype evolution, such as chromosomal fusions. We also demonstrated that the pSbTC1-related sequences are heavily methylated and are associated with highly condensed centromeric heterochromatin.
Review: long-acting beta2-adrenoceptor agonists are effective in poorly reversible chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Source Citation Appleton S, Poole P, Smith B, et al. Long-acting beta2-agonists for poorly reversible chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006(3):CD001104. 16855959
Developmental Patterns of Acid Hydrolases during Differentiation of Fetal Mouse Skin

The activities of acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase were assayed in fetal and neonatal mouse epidermis by microanalytical methods. The level of acid phosphatase activity was low in the epidermis on Day 15 of gestation. Acid phosphatase activity increased 10-fold between Day 15 of gestation and neonatalhood. On the other hand, beta-glucuronidase activity was high on Days 14 and 15 of gestation and low after Day 17 of gestation. The relative ratio of acid phosphatase to beta-glucuronidase activity appeared to represent a marker for the degree of differentiation in whole epidermis.
Surface plasmon enhanced emission from dye doped polymer layers

We have experimentally verified that the emission of visible light from dye doped polymers can be enhanced with the use of surface plasmon coupling. By matching the plasmon frequency of a thin unpatterned silver film to the emission of a dye doped polymer deposited onto this metal surface, we have observed a eleven-fold enhancement of light emission. By patterning the silver layer, we estimate that the plasmon frequency can be tuned to match dye doped polymer emission frequencies and even larger emission enhancements as well as extraction efficiencies are expected.
The influence of ambient peroxides on the conversion of 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid to prostaglandins

The mechanism by which cyclooxygenase oxygenates fatty acids appears to require lipid hydroperoxide (ROOH) to initiate a radical chain reaction. 7 The study of this peroxide activated mechanism is complicated by the fact that the product-activator (ROOH) is involved not only in initiation of the cyclooxygenase reaction but .also in the destruction of the enzyme. A further complication is that in the presence of the proper co-substrate (e.g. phenol, epinephrine, etc.) there is a peroxidase activity associated with the cyclooxygenase enzyme. The two activities together have been referred to as prostaglandin "synthetase."l 2 A very low level of active ROOH is needed continuously during catalysis of dienoic prostaglandin synthesis. 3's This peroxide dependence is also truc for trienoic prostaglandin synthesis, but to even a greater estent. Culp et al. ~ showed that in the presence of glutathione peroxidase (GSP) and its cosubstrate glutathione, the metabolism of eicosapentaenoic acid was depressed whereas that of arachidonic acid remained the same as in the absence of GSP. The recent interest in 20:5(n 3) as an antithrombotic agent 5 makes such a finding important. Assuming that in vivo levels of peroxides are very low, we believe that the antithrombotic activity of 20:5(n 3) is due more to its ability to displace 2 0 : 4 ( n 6) in tissue and serum phospholipids and to act as a competitive inhibitor of cyclooxygenase rather than to any ability of 20:5 to be metabolized to an antithrombotic, trienoic prostaglandin. We investigated the formation of trienoic prostao glandins in three different systems: enzyme-limited, GSP-suppressed, and phenol-suppressed.
A spectrophotometric modification of the Ayre-Anderson method for estimation of proteolytic activity.

Abstract A spectrophotometric modification of the Ayre-Anderson method of proteinase determination has been developed. Measurements were made using ultraviolet light (275 mμ) giving the maximum absorption for the filtrates obtained from proteolytic digests. Highly significant correlations were obtained for the relationship between the increase in soluble nitrogen and the increase in optical density resulting from digestion by proteolytic enzymes. Data obtained by the two methods indicated that fungal and malted wheat flour (MWF) proteinase attack both hemoglobin and gluten in a similar manner while papain differs from MWF or fungal proteinase. The significant difference in the relationship between soluble nitrogen and optical density for the same enzyme acting on hemoglobin and gluten suggest that the substrates themselves differ in the amount or availability of the groups which show maximum absorption at a wavelength of 275 mμ.
Legionnaires' Disease in refrigeration and associated equipment:

The paper outlines the nature of Legionnaires' Disease (LD) and its origins. The nature of the bacterium and the four features in the chain of infection are discussed and the essentials of its treatment are outlined. The typical incidence of Legionella Pneumophila in building services is dealt with and UK case histories of outbreaks are used to illustrate the ubiquity of contamination. Susceptible equipment and applications relevant to refrigeration are reviewed and extensive reference is made to Part 1 of the Badenoch Inquiry which, although this referred to hospitals, was very much concerned with refrigeration plant components. The main part of the paper deals with design, operation and maintenance of plant to offer the minimum risk of LD concentrations in carry-over from evaporative cooling equipment, water treatment, including filtration, access, cleaning and drainage arrangements and plant location. The paper concludes that the lessons learned indicate that, while standards seem to be appropriate to ...
The persistence of a SIS disease in a metapopulation

Summary 1. Deterministic models predict that susceptible-infective-susceptible (SIS) disease, where there is no immunity to reinfection following recovery, will become infinitely persistent in a host population. We explored the incorporation of stochasticity into SIS models; modelled interacting host-disease agents in metapopulations; and examined model predictions in a real system involving viral infection in domestic cats. 2. SIS models incorporating stochasticity predicted that disease persistence would be finite and dependent on the host population size, provided the host population was isolated. However, the disease may persist by dynamic spread among interacting host metapopulations. 3. Feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) dynamics in domestic cats were well predicted by stochastic metapopulation models. 4. The models we present are mathematically tractable, generalizable, and mechanistically realistic. The findings from the cat-virus system are immediately applicable to the management of cattery populations and could be adapted to inform eradication programmes for other infectious diseases in animal and human populations. The most practical methods to eradicate feline enteric coranovirus would be to remove small catteries (islands) from interactions with large catteries (mainlands) and to convert mainlands to islands by depopulation.
Domain Organization of D-AKAP2 Revealed by Enhanced Deuterium Exchange-Mass Spectrometry (DXMS)

Dual specific A-kinase anchoring protein 2 (D-AKAP2) is a scaffold protein that coordinates cAMP-mediated signaling complexes by binding to type I and type II protein kinase A (PKA). While information is unfolding regarding specific binding motifs, very little is known about the overall structure and dynamics of these scaffold proteins. We have used deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (DXMS) and limited proteolysis to probe the folded regions of D-AKAP2, providing for the first time insight into the intra-domain dynamics of a scaffold protein. Deuterium on-exchange revealed two regions of low deuterium exchange that were surrounded by regions of high exchange, suggestive of two distinctly folded regions, flanked by disordered or solvent accessible regions. Similar folded regions were detected by limited proteolysis. The first folded region contained a putative regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) domain. A structural model of the RGS domain revealed that the more deuterated regions mapped onto loops and turns, whereas less deuterated regions mapped onto α-helices, consistent with this region folding into an RGS domain. The second folded region contained a highly protected PKA binding site and a more solvent-accessible PDZ binding motif, which may serve as a potential targeting domain for D-AKAP2. DXMS has verified the multi-domain architecture of D-AKAP2 implied by sequence homology and has provided unique insight into the accessibility of the PKA binding site.
Unstable fear responding in humans: Implications of memory reactivation and state-dependent interference for the therapeutic application of exposure

The newly acquired fear responding of infrahuman subjects is unstable in that it appears to decrease temporarily and then recover within a 24-hr period. The present study tested whether a similar response pattern could be demonstrated with preexisting fear in humans. Fearful female university students were pretested with a live subjects in each interval group received only the two tests and half received the tests plus treatment that involved 15-min exposure to the snake. Self-report, behavioral, and physiological measures showed a general pattern of decreased responding that indicated less fear at both 50 min and 7 days relative to 24 hr, irrespective of treatment. Self-report and behavioral measures showed further decreases due to treatment. The time interval differences are tentatively linked to the influence of memory reactivation and state-dependent interference. Discussion addresses the potential impact of these mechanisms on the therapeutic effectiveness of exposure techniques.
Leaving Home for College: Expectations for Selective Reconstruction of Self

This paper describes how 23 primarily upper-middle-class high school seniors anticipated identity changes as they prepared to leave home for college. The transition from high school to college is a period of “liminality” during which students are structurally in between old and new statuses. We discuss how students anticipated change, planned to affirm certain of their identities, imagined creating new identities, and contemplated discovering unanticipated identities. Such interpretive effort must be understood in the context of the ambivalence they felt about leaving home and achieving independence. The data also provoke discussion of how social class membership might be implicated in people's ability to control identity change as they move through the life course.
Genetic Effects of Hatchery Propagation and Rearing in the Endangered Rio Grande Silvery Minnow, Hybognathus amarus

The Rio Grande silvery minnow, Hybognathus amarus, is a federally endangered cyprinid now confined to the middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, in a fraction of its former range. The precipitous decline of the remaining wild population and lack of recruitment in the summer of 2000 prompted collection and placement of eggs and wild fish in propagation facilities. The aim of this study was to assess the genetic effects of hatchery propagation in the Rio Grande silvery minnow using 10 microsatellite loci and partial mitochondrial ND4 sequences. Three hatchery stocks (2001, 2002, and 2003) and the wild source population (collected in 2001–2002) were considered. Principal findings were; (i) captively spawned and reared Rio Grande silvery minnow had depleted levels of allelic diversity but similar levels of heterozygosity to the wild population, and (ii) fish raised from wild-caught eggs maintained similar levels of allelic diversity but had higher inbreeding coefficients than the wild source stock. With the repatriat...
Model for the origin of carboxylic acids in basinal brines

Carboxylic acids are ubiquitous in basinal brines from petroleum-producing sedimentary basins. Although the absolute concentrations of individual short-chain acids vary systematically over many orders of magnitude, relative abundances are characterized by approximately constant ratios. Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that oxidation of aqueous n-alkanes proceeds through a sequence of reactions involving alkene, alcohol, ketone, and carboxylic acid reaction intermediaries. The highly specific nature of these reactions allows the relative distribution of carboxylic acids produced during oxidation of n-alkanes to be predicted quantitatively as a function of petroleum composition. A model based on the results of laboratory experiments was developed to account for the thermogenic production of aqueous carboxylic acids in sedimentary basins. Model predictions are highly consistent with the distribution of carboxylic acids observed in nature. This result suggests that hydrocarbon oxidation reactions may be pervasive during petroleum maturation in sedimentary basins. Likely oxidizing agents include ferric iron-bearing aluminosilicates, oxides, and hydroxides, pyrite, sulfate-bearing minerals, and water. Such chemical interactions allow inorganic sedimentary components to act as sources of oxygen for the formation of oxygenated organic alteration products. Accordingly, the absolute amount and timing of carboxylic acid generation may not be limited by the compositional evolution of kerogen, as suggested by previous models.
Feature-based structural design of solid automotive components

Abstract This paper describes a structural analysis and design system which is based on geometric primitives that represent certain form-features of the part and can be assembled into complete solid models that are defined in terms of a small set of design parameters. Design variables are accessible through a formal relational data base, thus making it possible to integrate more easily with a modular automated design system. The relational data base has been found to be naturally suited to use in conjunction with feature-based modeling. Each design primitive is stored in the data base with the primitive name as the relation name. The physical dimensions of each primitive are the attributes of the relation in a hierarchical form. To assemble the model, then, the data base is automatically interrogated for all instances of primitive relations. Loads and structural boundary conditions can be easily assigned to the model by identifying the appropriate primitive-model faces to be loaded or constrained. Analysis is performed through the use of fully automatic mesh generation which requires no user interaction. The meshing procedure recognizes lower-level features of the geometrical model (vertices, edges, and faces) so that not only are these necessary features retained, but they are also appropriately refined to represent the intent of the geometry accurately. For design optimization, a rule-based approach is used to associate the high-level, overall part dimensions with the dimensions of thhe primitives. A ny or all of the high-level dimension-set can be selected as design variables. For stress constraints, the feature-based model also provides a convinient way to handle the common problem with optimization of associating a specific element stress value with the constraint. In this case a stress constraint is assigned to each geometric feature (instead of to each element) and at the beginning of each interation the element associated with a feature are searched for the maximum stress to be constrained. Three actual automotive parts are used to demonstrate the capability.