cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perioperative Acute Kidney Injury after Sequential Bilateral Lung Transplant: Comparing Intraoperative Elective VA ECMO to an "Off Pump" Strategy

Purpose Perioperative acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with worsened outcomes after bilateral orthotopic lung transplantation (BOLT). While elective veno-arterial (VA ECMO) strategies are increasingly common, the incidence of perioperative AKI in the context of various surgical strategies is unclear. In this retrospective observational study of BOLT patients, we propose that AKI rates differ between elective VA ECMO and off-pump (OP) strategies. Methods Adult patients undergoing BOLT from 1/1/17 to 9/6/2020 were included. As of Feb 2020, all BOLTs were performed on elective VA ECMO. Patients requiring preoperative or urgent conversion to ECMO, cardiopulmonary bypass, concomitant cardiac surgery, re-transplantation, severe pulmonary hypertension (mean PA pressures >40 mmHg), or missing creatinine (Cr) data were excluded. Patients were stratified into OP and VA ECMO cohorts. VA ECMO patients were matched 1:1 to OP patients based on transplant indication, baseline Cr and transfusion requirements. The primary outcome compared was AKI rates (KDIGO criteria). Secondary outcomes included the ratio of maximum postoperative Cr to baseline, and peak Cr. Results 383 BOLT patients were identified. 188 met inclusion criteria, while 19 were missing creatinine data. Of those, 134 patients were available prior to Feb 2020 and 35 between Feb-Sep 2020. We identified 33 matched pairs for comparison. Minimal differences in donor, recipient, and procedural characteristics were seen between matched, paired groups. AKI was more common in the OP compared to the VA ECMO group (27/33 vs. 17/33, p=0.009). Both the ratio of peak relative to baseline Cr (1.6 vs 1.3 g/DL; p=0.022) and peak Cr (1.3 vs 1.0 g/dL; p=0.012) were higher in the OP compared to the VA-ECMO group (Table). Conclusion In this retrospective study using matched pairs of BOLT patients, we observed a lower incidence of AKI associated with elective intraoperative VA-ECMO when compared to an off-pump strategy.
Conclusion and Future Directions

We conclude our book in this chapter. Based on our work above, a generalized description of energy-aware scheduling problems is presented. We also retell the overall hierarchy of our work. After that, we predict future directions on energy-aware scheduling on multiprocessor platforms according to three aspects, namely, platform models, task models, and other related concepts.
The drama of nonviolence: theatre as education within the American civil rights movement

Role-play was a popular educational strategy within the American civil rights movement. Many civil rights activists performed the movement in private before performing it again in public. Compared ...
Sexual and Gender Minority Persons' Perception of the Female Sexual Function Index.

BACKGROUND Patient-reported outcome instruments to assess sexual functioning typically assume that patients are heterosexual and have a single sexual partner, thus they may have limited applicability for sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations as well as for nonpartnered individuals or those with multiple partners. AIM To explore the perceptions of SGM persons regarding the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), a commonly used sexual functioning questionnaire. METHODS We conducted 2 rounds of cognitive interviews with 27 SGM persons with and without a cancer diagnosis. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Two researchers independently coded the transcripts using inductive thematic analysis to identify major themes. OUTCOMES Themes identified via qualitative analysis. RESULTS Cognitive debriefing with the participants provided critical insights about the way we ask questions about sexual functioning in the oncology clinic. Three overarching themes arose from the data: (i) Certain aspects of the questionnaire were felt to unnecessarily medicalize sexuality; (ii) FSFI domains were perceived to represent a narrow and heteronormative experience of sexuality focused on penile-vaginal intercourse; (iii) Questionnaire domains emphasizing sexual "performance" were perceived as male-oriented. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Questionnaires such as the FSFI that were developed in research studies with specific eligibility criteria need to be adapted to the broader population seen in clinical practice. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS Strengths of the study include purposive sampling of SGM persons through LGBTQ networks. Our sample included individuals of different sexual orientations, gender identities, marital status, and cancer histories. However, a limitation is that the the majority of the sample was white and college-educated. Other limitations of the study include the potential sampling bias of self-selected participants with a particular interest in the study questions. CONCLUSION The findings provide important evidence for the development of a more inclusive sexual function measure, moving away from the traditional heteronormative, cisnormative approach to measuring sexual function. Austria MD, Lynch K, Le T, et al. Sexual and Gender Minority Persons' Perception of the Female Sexual Function Index. J Sex Med 2021;18:2020-2027.
Clinical Validation of Artificial Intelligence Based Auto-Segmentation of Organs-at-Risk in Total Marrow Irradiation Treatment.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Total marrow irradiation (TMI) using intensity modulated radiation therapy requires time-intensive contouring of many organs-at-risk (OARs) throughout the entire body. This study evaluated the quality of contours auto-generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) contouring algorithm for OAR volumes. Mathematical metrics were evaluated against human reviewers. MATERIALS/METHODS The first 10 consecutive TMI patients in a phase II relapsed/refractory acute leukemia trial were selected for evaluation. Dose prescriptions were 20 Gy to bone/lymph nodes/spleen and 12 Gy to liver/brain delivered over 5 days twice daily. Each patient required contouring for 30 structures which took approximately 8 hours of dosimetrist time. A convolutional neural network model was developed to auto-segment OARs. Twenty-six common OARs were modeled including eyes, lens, optical nerves and chiasm, parotids, mandible, oral cavity, thyroid, larynx, esophagus, lungs, heart, spinal cord, kidneys, liver, spleen, stomach, bladder, rectum and bowel. A clinical validation score (CVS) from 1 to 10 was given to every AI-based OAR jointly by an experienced dosimetrist and physicist. A score of 10 represented OARs that needed no edits while 1 represented totally incorrect contours; scores in between were based on the reviewers' assessment of effort required to edit contours. A spatial similarity metrics (Dice coefficient (DC)) and a surface distance metrics (95% Hausdorff distance (HD)) were calculated using clinical contours as the ground truth to correlate with CVS. RESULTS Our AI model offered a clinically useable auto-segmentation solution to delineate structures from CT images and reduced dosimetrist contouring time for TMI patients from 8 hours to 3 hours on average. 16 out of 26 OARs only required minor editing, with CVS scores above 7. The optic chiasm and esophagus scored below 3, which was considered the threshold of zero value. Eyes, optic nerves, oral cavity, stomach, bladder and rectum were the remaining OARs scored between 4 and 6, corresponding to usable with significant revisions. DC and HD did not reliably assess the quality of auto-contours. Between DC and CVS, only 4 OARs had Pearson correlation coefficient greater than 0.75 (average 0.35, range -0.29 to 0.93). Between HD and CVS, the Spearman correlation coefficient ranged from -0.92 to 0.36 (average -0.17). CONCLUSION AI-based auto-generated contours showed promise to replace human contouring for a variety of OARs for TMI and other treatment planning workflows. This AI model has already been adopted in our routine clinical practice and could facilitate adoption of TMI at other centers due to significantly reduced contouring time. Conventional statistics including DC and HD did not effectively gauge the quality of auto-contours when compared to human assessment of quality. New metrics are therefore needed to assess OAR contour quality.
High-End Coffee and Smallholding Growers in Guatemala

La produccion de cafe en Guatemala se ha transformado dramaticamente en los ultimos veinte anos. El gusto ha cambiado entre los consumidores del Norte lo cual ha llevado a una nueva demanda en cafes de alta calidad denominada "Estrictamente Dura" que se cultivan a mas de 4500 pies de altura. Como resultado, muchas de las grandes fincas tipicamente asociadas con el cafe Guatemalteco han abandonado la produccion del mismo, dedicandose ahora a el caucho, palma africana y otros cultivos. Al menos 50,000 campesinos, la mayoria pequenos propietarios del altiplano, han comenzado el cultivo del cafe para llenar este nicho de mercado. Basado en la teoria de capacidades para el desarrollo, este articulo examina como los deseos de pequenos productores guatemaltecos para un futuro mejor orientan su compromiso con este nuevo mercado. La mayoria de estos pequenos productores viven en circunstancias muy modestas, con recursos y oportunidades limitados. Sin embargo, como describimos, el cafe representa una oportunidad en un contexto de pocas oportunidades, una via imperfecta hacia una vida un mejor. Coffee production in Guatemala has undergone a dramatic transformation over the last twenty years. Changing tastes among Northern consumers has driven new demand for high quality “Strictly Hard Bean” coffees that are grown above 4500’. As a result, many of the large, lower altitude plantations long synonymous with coffee in Guatemala have abandoned production, moving into rubber, African Palm, and other crops. At least 50,000 mostly smallholding farmers in the highlands have begun growing coffee to fill this market niche. Building on a capabilities approach to development, this paper examines how smallholding Guatemalan producers’ desires for a better future orient their engagement with this new market. Most of these small producers live in very modest circumstances, with limited resources and opportunities. Yet, as they describe it, coffee represents an opportunity in a context of few opportunities, an imperfect means to a marginally better life.
An efficient transformation of the generalized traveling salesman problem

AbstractThe Generalized Traveling Salesman Problem (GTSP) is a useful model for problems involving decisions of selection and sequence. The problem is defined on a directed graph in which the nodes have been pregrouped into m mutually exclusive and exhaustive nodesets. Arcs are defined only between nodes belonging to different nodesets with each arc having an associated cost. The GTSP is the problem of finding a minimum cost m-arc directed cycle which includes exactly one node from each nodeset. In this paper, we show how to efficiently transform a GTSP into a standard asymmetric Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) over the same number of nodes. The transformation allows certain routing problems which involve discrete alternatives to be modeled using the TSP framework. One such problem is the heterogenous Multiple Traveling Salesman Problem (MTSP) for which we provide a GTSP formulation.
The Beginning: Swift and Violent

Radiometric dating shows that the earliest steps in forming the substance of meteorites and assembling it into planetesimals occurred in a very short interval of time, 1–2 Ma. This study shows that rapid formation is also dictated by the need to use short-lived 26Al (half-life T 1/2=0.74 Ma) as a heat source to metamorphose and in some cases melt the meteorite parent bodies after they accreted. The earliest events in solar system history dated by cosmochemists, formation at high temperatures of the Ca,Al-rich inclusions that occur in chondritic meteorites, probably occurred during the most energetic stage of protosolar disk evolution, as the protosun neared its present mass and infall drew to a close.
Applications of Utility Theory in Artificial Intelligence Research

This paper examines recent applications in the construction of evaluation functions for intelligent computer systems. The purpose is to demonstrate the usefulness of utility theory for these research activities in artificial intelligence and to promote future exchanges between these two fields.
High-intensity, unilateral resistance training of a non-paretic muscle group increases active range of motion in a severely paretic upper extremity muscle group after stroke.

Limited rehabilitation strategies are available for movement restoration when paresis is too severe following stroke. Previous research has shown that high-intensity resistance training of one muscle group enhances strength of the homologous, contralateral muscle group in neurologically-intact adults. How this “cross education” phenomenon might be exploited to moderate severe weakness in an upper extremity muscle group after stroke is not well understood. The primary aim of this study was to examine adaptations in force-generating capacity of severely paretic wrist extensors resulting from high-intensity, dynamic contractions of the non-paretic wrist extensors. A secondary, exploratory aim was to probe neural adaptations in a subset of participants from each sample using a single-pulse, transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol. Separate samples of neurologically-intact controls (n=7) and individuals > 4 months post stroke (n=6) underwent 16 sessions of training. Following training, one-repetition maximum of the untrained wrist extensors in the control group and active range of motion of the untrained, paretic wrist extensors in the stroke group were significantly increased. No changes in corticospinal excitability, intracortical inhibition or interhemispheric inhibition were observed in control participants. Both stroke participants who underwent TMS testing, however, exhibited increased voluntary muscle activation following the intervention. In addition, motor-evoked potentials that were unobtainable prior to the intervention were readily elicited afterwards in a stroke participant. Results of this study demonstrate that high-intensity resistance training of a non-paretic upper extremity muscle group can enhance voluntary muscle activation and force-generating capacity of a severely paretic muscle group after stroke. There is also preliminary evidence that corticospinal adaptations may accompany these gains.
The symplectic structure of general relativity in the double-null (2+2) formalism

In the (2+2) formulation of general relativity spacetime is foliated by a two-parameter family of spacelike 2-surfaces (instead of the more usual one-parameter family of spacelike 3surfaces). In a partially gauge-fixed setting (double-null gauge), I write down the symplectic structure of general relativity in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic quantities associated with these 2-surfaces. This leads to an identification of the reduced phase space degrees of freedom. In particular, I show that the two physical degrees of freedom of general relativity are naturally encoded in a quantity closely related to the twist of the pair of null normals to the 2-surfaces. By considering the characteristic initial-value problem I establish a canonical transformation between these and the more usually quoted conformal 2-metric (or shear) degrees of freedom. (This paper is based on a talk given at the Fifth Midwest Relativity Conference, Milwaukee, USA.)
Safety of incremental inhaled lipopolysaccharide challenge in humans

Background: Inhalation of environmental endotoxin is important in the pathogenesis of asthma and other environmental airway diseases. Inhaled airway challenge using lipopolysaccharide in humans has been performed for over 20 years to assess the airway response to endotoxin. However, there are no published data on the short-term safety of endotoxin inhalation protocols.Objective: To characterize the safety and tolerability of incremental inhaled lipopolysaccharide challenge in humans.Patients and Methods : We performed a retrospective analysis of data obtained from 119 subjects who underwent inhaled challenge with up to 41.5 µg of lipopolysaccharide. We measured pulmonary function, temperature, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and systemic symptoms for 3 h after challenge. Results: Fever occurred in 30% of subjects and was associated with a higher cumulative dose of lipopolysaccharide. Reduced mean arterial pressure occurred in 21% of subjects and was dose-related. There was no association between fever...
Pediatric bipolar disorder: validity, phenomenology, and recommendations for diagnosis.

Bipolar disorder (BD) in children and adolescents has been a controversial topic that has received a great deal of recent scholarly and popular interest. There has been a tremendous increase in the number of trade books, articles in the popular media, and even television shows on the topic of BD (1), and there has been a similar rise in the rate at which it is being diagnosed and treated in youths. Although it was once considered primarily an adult-onset disorder, more than 100,000 children were being medicated for BD in 2001 (2), with the percentage of children being clinically diagnosed more than doubling in the last 10 years (3, 4). Fortunately, the amount of research on the topic has also surged over the same time period, and there are significant areas of consensus in the findings (5–8). The purpose of this paper was to review the available evidence about classic diagnostic validators as they apply to the diagnosis of BD in children and adolescents (9, 10). These include (i) phenomenology, (ii) demographic characteristics, (iii) family environmental characteristics, (iv) genetics, (v) longitudinal course, and (vi) neurobiology. This paper is not intended to be a comprehensive review of assessment or treatment strategies, but instead touches on these topics as they pertain to the validity of the bipolar diagnosis in youths. There have been fairly recent reviews on both assessment (11) and treatment guidelines (12, 13) that expand on clinical issues. It is worth noting that treatment response is considered one of the facets of validating a diagnostic entity (9), and so treatment reviews can be read with this in mind. After presenting the validity findings, the paper discusses what is known about sex and cultural differences, the implications of categorical versus dimensional approaches to diagnosis, what is known about temperament and personality correlates, and the burden associated with bipolar illness. In addition, working with youths typically requires involvement of parents, teachers, or other parties that raise issues of cross-informant agreement, impairment in single versus multiple settings, and boundary issues in terms of separating normative and pathologic behavior. The paper concludes with recommendations for refining diagnosis in youths, as well as identifying principal areas for future study.
Quadratic electro-optic effect in the nonconjugated conductive polymer iodine-doped trans-polyisoprene, an organic nanometallic system

Abstract Thin films of 1,4-trans-polyisoprene have been prepared on various substrates from toluene solution and characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, optical absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction before and after doping with iodine. The optical absorption spectrum at low doping shows two peaks: one at 4.2 eV and the other at 3.2 eV. X-ray diffraction indicates an increase of (111) and (122) peak intensities upon doping. Quadratic electro-optic measurements have been made using field-induced birefringence. The Kerr coefficients as measured (3.5×10−10 m/V 2 at 633 nm and 2.5×10−10 m/V 2 at 1.55 μm) are exceptionally large, and they have been attributed to the subnanometer-size metallic domains formed upon doping and charge transfer.
Neurobehavioral testing of subjects exposed residentially to groundwater contaminated from an aluminum die-casting plant and local referents.

Residents adjoining a die‐casting plant bad excessive headaches, numbness of hands and feet, dizziness, blurred vision, staggering, sweating, abnormal heart rhythm, and depression, which led to measurements of neurobehavioral performance, affective status, and the frequency of symptoms. They had all been exposed via well water and proximity to the plant to volatile organic chemicals (VOC) and to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The 117 exposed women and men and 46 unexposed referents were studied together for simple and choice visual reaction time, body sway speed, blink reflex latency, color discrimination, Culture Fair (a nonverbal nonarithmetic intelligence test), recall of stories, figures, and numbers, cognitive and psychomotor control (slotted pegboard and trail making A and B), long‐term memory, profile of mood states (POMS), and scores and frequencies of 34 symptoms. Choice reaction time, sway speed, and blink latency were impaired in both sexes of the exposed group and trail making B was impaire...
Long-term degeneration in the cochlear nerve and cochlear nucleus of the adult chinchilla following acoustic overstimulation.

Adult chinchillas were exposed once to an octave-band noise, centered at 4 kHz, and allowed to survive for 16 days or for 1, 2, 4, and 8 months. Axonal degeneration was mapped in the cochlear nucleus, using the Nauta-Rasmussen silver method, and related to hair cell damage and to loss of myelinated nerve fibers in the osseous spiral lamina of the cochlea. Axonal degeneration in the dorsal cochlear nucleus had already reached a peak by 16 days and disappeared after 1 month. Meanwhile, myelinated nerve fiber degeneration in the cochlea extended basally, followed 2 weeks to 2 months later by spread of axonal degeneration into the corresponding high-frequency region of the ventral cochlear nucleus. Axonal degeneration occurred early in the low-frequency region of the ventral cochlear nucleus, followed 2–4 weeks later by spread of myelinated fiber degeneration into more apical regions of the cochlea. New degeneration of axons in the cochlear nerve and in the ventral cochlear nucleus continued to occur for up to 8 months after stimulation. These findings imply that plastic changes in the central auditory pathways could play a role in the long-term effects of cochlear damage and acoustic overstimulation, possibly leading to a chronic neurodegenerative condition in the ear and in the brain. Microsc. Res. Tech. 41:205–216, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Human lymphoid cell lines as targets for DRw.

Cultured human lymphoid cell lines (LCL) are useful as a source of target cells in several immunologic assays. More recently such cells have been used for the serological characterizations of the HLA-DR antigens. Typing of the same LCL in various laboratories during the VII Histocompatibility Workshop has given comparable results with a discordancy rate of less than 10%. This discordancy is likely to reflect the different sources of complement that can greatly alter the results of cytotoxic assays. The presence of naturally occuring antibody in rabbit complement to human cells can be avoided by: (a) absorbing with human cells at 0°C; (b) dilution with human serum; (c) dilution with heat-inactivated rabbit serum; (d) repeated freeze-thawing of the complement; or (e) careful selection of complement by screening procedures. Comparison of the results of HLA-DR typing of LCL with peripheral B-cells of the same donor show good correlations. However, LCL will occasionally give extra reactions perhaps due to the expression of new antigens. LCL can be coated with F(ab′)2 fragments from antihuman β2-microglobulin antibodies that block reactions of HLA-A, −B and −C antibodies allowing for discrimination of anti-DRw activity.
Role of Phosphatidylinositol 4-Phosphate (PI4P) and Its Binding Protein GOLPH3 in Hepatitis C Virus Secretion

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA replicates within the ribonucleoprotein complex, assembled on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-derived membranous structures closely juxtaposed to the lipid droplets that facilitate the post-replicative events of virion assembly and maturation. It is widely believed that the assembled virions piggy-back onto the very low density lipoprotein particles for secretion. Lipid phosphoinositides are important modulators of intracellular trafficking. Golgi-localized phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P) recruits proteins involved in Golgi trafficking to the Golgi membrane and promotes anterograde transport of secretory proteins. Here, we sought to investigate the role of Golgi-localized PI4P in the HCV secretion process. Depletion of the Golgi-specific PI4P pool by Golgi-targeted PI4P phosphatase hSac1 K2A led to significant reduction in HCV secretion without any effect on replication. We then examined the functional role of a newly identified PI4P binding protein GOLPH3 in the viral secretion process. GOLPH3 is shown to maintain a tensile force on the Golgi, required for vesicle budding via its interaction with an unconventional myosin, MYO18A. Silencing GOLPH3 led to a dramatic reduction in HCV virion secretion, as did the silencing of MYO18A. The reduction in virion secretion was accompanied by a concomitant accumulation of intracellular virions, suggesting a stall in virion egress. HCV-infected cells displayed a fragmented and dispersed Golgi pattern, implicating involvement in virion morphogenesis. These studies establish the role of PI4P and its interacting protein GOLPH3 in HCV secretion and strengthen the significance of the Golgi secretory pathway in this process.
Statistical confidence using minimum rank perturbation theory

In this paper, the effect of measurement noise on damage detection performance of the minimum rank perturbation theory is investigated. Closed-form solutions for the sensitivity of the minimum rank perturbation theory damage vectors and calculated stiffness perturbations with respect to errors in the measured modes shapes or frequency response functions are developed. This sensitivity allows one to establish confidence in damage existence, location and extent assessment. The use of this information in interpreting damage detection results is discussed in the context of an experimental study.
Is Corporate Philanthropy an Agency Cost? The Moderating Role of Corporate Governance

Scholars who advocate resource-based logics typically argue that corporate philanthropy enhances firm value while scholars who subscribe to agency theory logics criticize philanthropy as agency cos...
‘Black sheep’ that don’t leave the double-stranded RNA-binding domain fold

The canonical double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-binding domain (dsRBD) is composed of an α1-β1-β2-β3-α2 secondary structure that folds in three dimensions to recognize dsRNA. Recently, structural and functional studies of divergent dsRBDs revealed adaptations that include intra- and/or intermolecular protein interactions, sometimes in the absence of detectable dsRNA-binding ability. We describe here how discrete dsRBD components can accommodate pronounced amino-acid sequence changes while maintaining the core fold. We exemplify the growing importance of divergent dsRBDs in mRNA decay by discussing Dicer, Staufen (STAU)1 and 2, trans-activation responsive RNA-binding protein (TARBP)2, protein activator of protein kinase RNA-activated (PKR) (PACT), DiGeorge syndrome critical region (DGCR)8, DEAH box helicase proteins (DHX) 9 and 30, and dsRBD-like fold-containing proteins that have ribosome-related functions. We also elaborate on the computational limitations to discovering yet-to-be-identified divergent dsRBDs.
A Robust Solution to the Load Curtailment Problem

Operations planning in smart grids is likely to become a more complex and demanding task in the next decades. In this paper we show how to formulate the problem of planning short-term load curtailment in a dense urban area, in the presence of uncertainty in electricity demand and in the state of the distribution grid, as a stochastic mixed-integer optimization problem. We propose three rolling-horizon look-ahead policies to approximately solve the optimization problem: a deterministic one and two based on approximate dynamic programming (ADP) techniques. We demonstrate through numerical experiments that the ADP-based policies yield curtailment plans that are more robust on average than the deterministic policy, but at the expense of the additional computational burden needed to calibrate the ADP-based policies. We also show how the worst case performance of the three approximation policies compares with a baseline policy where all curtailable loads are curtailed to the maximum amount possible.
In vitro inhibition of MAP kinase (ERK1/ERK2) activity by phosphorylated glia maturation factor (GMF).

We report that recombinant glia maturation factor (GMF), a 17-kDa brain protein, inhibits the activity of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in the test tube assay, in particular the ERK1/ERK2 isoforms. A preliminary phosphorylation of GMF by protein kinase A (PKA) dramatically increases its inhibitory effect by over 600-fold (Ki ∼ 3 nM), making it the most potent MAP kinase inhibitor ever reported. Immunoprecipitation of GMF from cell extracts using its specific antibody coprecipitates ERK (and vice versa), suggesting the association of the two proteins in the cell. The inhibitory effect of PKA-phosphorylated GMF is specific, as it does not suppress the activity of cdc2 kinase, another proline-directed kinase. Nor does it inhibit MAP kinase kinase (MEK) and MAP kinase-activated protein (MAPKAP) kinase-2, the two enzymes immediately upstream and downstream, respectively, of ERK. Of the other three enzymes that can phosphorylate GMF, only p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) enhances the inhibitory function o...
Prolonged selenium-deficient diet in MsrA knockout mice causes enhanced oxidative modification to proteins and affects the levels of antioxidant enzymes in a tissue-specific manner.

The methionine sulfoxide reductase (Msr) system (comprised of MsrA and MsrB) is responsible for reducing methionine sulfoxide (MetO) to methionine. One major form of MsrB is a selenoprotein. Following prolonged selenium deficient diet (SD), through F2 generation, the MsrA − / −mice exhibited higher protein–MetO and carbonyl levels relative to their wild-type (WT) control in most organs. More specifically, the SD diet caused alteration in the expression and/or activities of certain antioxidants as follows: lowering the specific activity of MsrB in the MsrA − / −cerebellum in comparison to WT mice; lowering the activities of glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) and thioredoxin reductase (Trr) especially in brains of MsrA − / −mice; elevation of the cellular levels of selenoprotein P (SelP) in most tissues of the MsrA − / −relative to WT. Unexpectedly, the expression and activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) were mainly elevated in lungs and hearts of MsrA − / −mice. Moreover, the body weight of the M...
Self-referencing enhances recollection in both young and older adults

Processing information in relation to the self enhances subsequent item recognition in both young and older adults, and further, enhances recollection at least in the young. Because older adults experience recollection memory deficits it is unknown whether self-referencing improves recollection in older adults. We examined recollection benefits from self-referential encoding in older and younger adults and further examined the quality and quantity of episodic details facilitated by self-referencing. We further investigated the influence of valence on recollection given prior findings of age group differences in emotional memory (i.e. “positivity effects”). Across 2 experiments, young and older adults processed positive and negative adjectives either for self-relevance or for semantic meaning. We found that self-referencing, relative to semantic encoding, increased recollection memory in both age groups. In Experiment 1, both groups remembered proportionally more negative than positive items when adjectives were processed semantically; however, when adjectives were processed self-referentially, both groups exhibited evidence of better recollection for the positive items, inconsistent with a positivity effect in aging. In Experiment 2, both groups reported more episodic details associated with recollected items, as measured by a memory characteristic questionnaire (MCQ), for the self-reference relative to the semantic condition. Overall, these data suggest that self-referencing leads to detail-rich memory representations reflected in higher rates of recollection across age.
Biodegradation of a dilute waste oil emulsion applied to soil

The use of land treatment for disposal of a dilute waste oil emulsion generated by an aluminum rolling industry was investigated. Major components of the waste, identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, were linear and branched (C12−C25) and fatty acid emulsifiers (primarily, isomers of oleic acid). Hexadecane and pristane were readily biodegraded in vitro when added to soil collected from the waste disposal site. Hydrocarbons and fatty acids extracted from the waste were similarly, biodegraded, however, the rate of decomposition may have depended on the history of waste applications to soil collected from the land treatment site. The apparent half-life of resolvable waste hydrocarbons and fatty acids was 9.5 days in soil which had received waste applications averaging 25.4l m−2 wk−1. In contrast, soil receiving either 50.8l m−2 wk−1 or no waste application during summer 1987 apparent exhibited half-lives of 28.1 and 60.3 days, respectively. Waste components were restricted to the upper 48 cm of the soil cores collected from the disposal site. Core samples also provided evidence for biodegradation of hydrocarbons and fatty acids as well as an accumulation of other compounds not readily resolvable by gas chromatography
Study of a new cholesterol reagent.

Abstract The determination of cholesterol by a new reagent, o-phthalaldehyde, selected from a group of promising compounds has been described. Reactions of compounds which interfere with other cholesterol color reagents have been studied and found to be unreactive in this procedure. Two Δ5 compounds, cholesterol and dehydroepiandrosterone, underwent reaction to yield sensitive purple colors whereas the naturally occurring compounds, dihydrocholesterol and epiandrosterone, differing only in the saturation of the Δ5 double bond were unreactive. Although no serum results are shown, a study of such an application is in progress for both an extraction procedure and a screening technique by direct reaction without prior isolation of the cholesterol. In addition, a technique for the determination of tissue content (heart and liver), red blood cell, leucocyte and red blood cell cholesterol are under investigation.
A theory of subjective expected utility with vague preferences

This paper shows how notions of vagueness in preferences and judgments of personal probabilities can be accommodated within an axiomatization of subjective expected utility by the use of extraneous scaling probabilities and gambles on consequences. The representational form obtained says that the subjective expected utility of one act exceeds the subjective expected utility of a second act whenever the first is preferred to the second. The paper also explores the possibility of obtaining this representational form under Savage's formulation, which does not use extraneous probabilities, and discusses difficulties encountered in this approach.
Utilization of endogenous reserves by swimming zoospores of Blastocladiella emersonii

1. Methods are described for inducing the synchronous release of zoospores from single-generation cultures of Blastocladiella emersonii and preparing washed suspensions of up to 2×1010 non-encysted zoospores for physiological studies. 2. During 5 h incubations of such zoospores in a buffered CaCl2 solution, the rate of oxygen uptake was ca. 10 μl O2 x h-1 x (107 cells)-1, the respiratory quotient was 0.92, the average dry weight (47 picograms) of the spore decreased 1.5 picograms (pg), and other components (per-spore) decreased as follows: nucleic acid, nil; total lipid, 0,95 pg; phospholipid, 0.80 pg; polysaccharide, 0.5–1.0 pg, depending upon initial (1.5–2.3 pg) intracellular levels; protein, 3.0 pg; and total nitrogen 0.4 pg. During this period, 0.38 pg of NH3-nitrogen was released per spore. Correspondingly, the lipid bodies decreased in size and number and the SB-matrix became progressively thinner. 3. It was concluded that during the endogenous metabolism of a non-encysted zoospore of B. emersonii, a significant portion (11.5%) of its protein pool, as well as lipid and polysaccharide components, were degraded.
PROLONGED DURATION OF GONADOTROPIN INHIBITION BY A THIRD GENERATION GNRH ANTAGONIST

The dose-response effects of a single administration of Nal-Lys-GnRHant (antagonist) on serum LH and FSH concentrations were compared to the effects of Nal-Glu-GnRHant in monkeys. Twenty ovariectomized monkeys were divided into four sc treatment groups: a) 1.0 mg/kg Nal-Glu-GnRHant; or Nal-Lys-GnRHant at b) 0.3; c) 1.0; d) 3.0 mg/kg. Each monkey received vehicle (propylene glycol/water, 1:1) on day 0, followed by an antagonist preparation on day 11. Serum LH and FSH were measured by RIA; serum LH was also measured by in vitro bioassay. The short-term effects were similar among the four treatment groups. Typically, serum LH declined (p < 0.05) within 4 to 8 h, achieving maximal reduction by 24 h. Serum FSH levels declined more slowly, but were significantly reduced by 24 h (p < 0.05). Recovery during the study interval to pretreatment control values occurred in only two groups: a) Nal-Glu-GnRHant (1.0 mg/kg) by day 4 posttreatment and b) Nal-Lys-GnRHant (0.3 mg/kg) by day 2 post-treatment. Monkeys receivin...
Interstrain aggression in hypertensive and/or hyperactive rats: SHR, WKY, WKHA, WKHT.

Abstract Four inbred rat strains, all derived from Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, express hypertension and hyperactivity in all combinations: SHRs have both traits, WKYs have neither, WKHAs are hyperactive/normotensive, and WKHTs are hypertensive/normoactive. Rats of the four strains were tested for aggression, at one time only, by pairing subjects of same sex, same age, but different strain, in a novel arena, i.e., on neutral ground, for three consecutive, 5-min observation periods. Total aggression scores were highest in females, highest in the first 5-min period, and lower at 7–9 months than at younger ages. Allogrooming was more frequently observed than other types of aggression, such as attacks, mounts, aggressive postures, and blocks. Allogrooming scores were significantly elevated in the hypertensive strains, especially WKHT, and very low in the hyperactive strains, especially WKHA. The other forms of aggression were significantly higher in females with hyperactivity. It was concluded that interstrain aggression, as seen in SHRs and WKYs, is differentially expressed by two new strains genetically derived from them. Furthermore, no one strain among these four expresses all components of the behavioral responses seen in this form of aggression.
Effective spatiotemporal interpolation algorithm for video pyramid coding

A video interpolation algorithm for spatio-temporal video pyramid coding is presented. The temporal and the spatial predictions of the present frame are interactively combined to produce the best prediction of the present frame. For this purpose, the temporal prediction error variance and the lower resolution image variance are measured and compared for each region. The proposed region-based video interpolator is shown to give visually correct predicted images by minimizing the spatial and the temporal prediction artifacts such as aliasing, uncovered background and blocking effect. Promising results are obtained for lossy compression.
Assortment and inventory decisions with multiple quality levels

We consider the assortment and inventory decisions of a retailer under a locational consumer choice model where products can be differentiated both horizontally (e.g., color of a product) and vertically (e.g., quality of a product). The assortment and quantity decisions affect customer choice and, hence, the demand and sales for each product. In this paper, we investigate two different environments where product availability and assortment affect consumer choice and demand in different ways: make-to-order (MTO) and make-to-stock (MTS). In the MTO environment, customers order and purchase their most preferred product; that is, stockouts do not occur. In the MTS model, customers buy their most preferred product if it is in stock or do not buy if it is out of stock. In both environments we find conditions under which it is optimal to carry assortments of only a single quality level. In the MTS case, we show that an assortment of mixed quality levels can be optimal only within a narrow range of parameters.
The electrospray: Fundamentals and applications

The principal features of a particular class of electrostatic sprays are reviewed as they emerge from experimental studies relying mostly on the complementary use of Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) and flash shadowgraph. The sprays are all operated in the cone-jet mode in which a liquid is pumped through a metal capillary, at the exit of which it is accelerated through a conical meniscus terminating into a microjet. The acceleration is caused by the electric field established once a voltage differential is applied between the capillary and a counter-electrode. The jet breaks up farther downstream into fine, charged droplets that disperse into an (electro)spray. Key aspects highlighted are: the mechanism of electrostatic/inertia separation by which monodispersity of the droplet size distribution is ensured; the parameters controlling the size and charge of the droplets and some relevant scaling laws; the disruptive phenomenon limiting the maximum charge that a droplet can stably retain; the electric field within the spray and the relative importance of the external field applied between the electrodes and the internal one due to the droplet Coulombic repulsion. The review concludes with a brief description of some applications in the areas of mass-spectrometry (electrospray ionization), combustion, targeted drug inhalation, aerosol science, materials synthesis, deposition technologies and electric propulsion.
Crystal structure of nucleoporin Nic96 reveals a novel, intricate helical domain architecture.

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is an elaborate protein machine that mediates macromolecular transport across the nuclear envelope in all eukaryotes. The NPC is formed by nucleoporins that assemble in multiple copies around an 8-fold symmetry axis. Homology modeling suggests that most architectural nucleoporins are composed of simple β-propeller and α-helical repeat domains. Here we present the crystal structure of Nic96, the Nup93 homolog in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one of the major components of the NPC. This is the first structure of an α-helical nucleoporin domain. The protein folds into an elongated, mostly α-helical structure. Characteristically, non-canonical architectural features define the Nic96 structure. Sequence conservation among Nup93 homologs across all eukaryotes strongly suggests that the distinct topology is evolutionarily well maintained. We propose that the unique Nic96/Nup93 fold has a conserved function in all eukaryotes.
Noncovalent interactions between monoaromatic compounds and dissolved humic acids: a deuterium NMR T1 relaxation study.

Deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (2H NMR) spin−lattice relaxation (T1) experiments were used to examine solution-phase, noncovalent interactions between deuterated monoaromatic compounds (phenol-d5, pyridine-d5, benzene-d6) and Suwannee River, soil, and peat humic acids. Noncovalent interactions, in aqueous solution, were examined as a function of solution pH, monoaromatic hydrocarbon functional groups, and humic acid identity. Benzene interacted with dissolved humic acids at all pH values; however, these interactions increased with decreasing pH and generally were proportional with the humic acid percent aromaticity. Pyridine behaved similarly as benzene; however, two modes of interaction between pyridine and humic acids were detected as a function of pH and humic acid type: bonding with the lone pair of electrons of pyridine's nitrogen and π−π interactions between the aromatic ring of pyridine and aromatic components of humic acid. The latter interaction was favored by increasing humic...
Cerebral arteriopathy associated with Arg179His ACTA2 mutation

ACTA2 mutations have recently been shown to cause a multisystem smooth muscle dysfunction syndrome that may result in pediatric stroke. We report a case of ACTA2 mutation in a 3-year-old girl presenting with acute ischemic stroke and provide high resolution imaging of the cerebral arteries demonstrating novel findings of multiple tiny aneurysms (particularly in the posterior circulation), as well as the more characteristic imaging phenotype of straightened and narrowed proximal intracranial vessels, dilated cervical vessels and occlusion of the M1 MCA segment without lenticulostriate collateral formation. This newly identified disease should be added to the differential diagnosis of pediatric stroke and cerebral vasculopathy. Neuroradiologists, interventionalists, surgeons and neurologists should become familiar with this rare disease and its clinical sequelae.
ANNULAR-BEAM ION ENGINES

The strip-beam cesium contact ion engine forms a major class of electrostatic propulsion engines that develop thrust by means of the acceleration of charged particles. This strip configuration offers a number of fundamental advantages compared to other forms of ion engines, including higher current density, ease of fabrication, high overall thrust density, etc. Such ion engines, built in the forms of multiple linear strips and circular strip or annular configurations, were built and operated. Some of the considerations entering into the design of efficient engines of this type are presented, performance achieved to date on a small circular form of this strip engine is quoted, and preliminary results of some more advanced forms of engines are described. The emphasis is on the circular strip or ring type of ion engine and particularly on such an engine that was developed for an early flight test demonstration. Future improved performance from this type of ion engine also is indicated, based on the experience to date. (auth)
INFANT FEEDING IN THE MODERN WORLD: MEDICALIZATION AND THE MATERNAL BODY

While infant feeding is well-studied in health literature, sociology has not examined the social context of infant feeding thoroughly. This article discusses infant feeding practices in the theoretical contexts of medicalization and feminism. Mothers completed quantitative surveys before birthing and qualitative interviews for one year following birth regarding infant feeding, family dynamics, work environment, social support, medical treatment, and body image. Data were examined for impacts of medicalization, socioeconomic status, and other factors on infant feeding behaviors. Findings support the association between socioeconomic status, medicalization, and infant feeding methods. Mothers described a classic “double-bind,” with social settings and norms working against messages from medical authorities that “breast is best.”
Integrated approach to diagnosis of complex hybrid systems

This paper presents a model-based approach to diagnosis of hybrid systems. We have developed a combined qualitative-quantitative diagnosis scheme that uses hybrid models of the system and a model of the supervisory controller. By applying the supervisory controller model to diagnostic analysis we significantly cut down on the complexity in tracking behaviors, and in generating and refining hypotheses across discrete mode changes in the system behavior. We present the algorithms for hybrid diagnosis: hypotheses generation by back propagation, and hypotheses refinement by forward propagation and parameter estimation. Example scenarios demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach.