cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Separation-free Al-Mg/graphene oxide composites for enhancement of urban stormwater runoff quality

Separation-free Al-Mg/graphene oxide (Al-Mg/GO) composites were synthesized by facile one-pot hydrothermal treatment and examined for adsorptive removal of representative contaminants (phosphate, copper (II), and Diclofenac (DCF)) in urban stormwater runoff. The Al-Mg/GO composites exhibited good adsorption capacity for all three contaminants. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics are well described by Freundlich model and pseudo-second-order model, respectively. Further, adsorption of phosphate and DCF favored acidic conditions while an opposite trend was observed for copper (II), which can be ascribed to the change of surface charge of the composites at different pH. The presence of different ions commonly present in environmental matrices (humic acid, bicarbonate, and sulfate) exhibited different effects on the contaminants’ removal. Bicarbonate inhibited phosphate and DCF adsorption but promoted copper (II) removal. Copper (II) adsorption was also increased through chemical complexation and electrostatic attraction as a result of humic acid/sulfate adsorption on the adsorbents. The adsorption mechanisms include electrostatic interaction for all three contaminants, Lewis acid-base interactions and surface complexation for phosphate, π–π interactions for DCF, and cation-π interactions for copper (II). More than 75% adsorption capacities were maintained after 4 cycles of adsorption/desorption/regeneration, indicating good reusability. The Al-Mg/GO composites show great potential as a multifunctional adsorptive material for urban stormwater management.
Ultrasound-guided delivery of thymidine kinase-nitroreductase dual therapeutic genes by PEGylated-PLGA/PIE nanoparticles for enhanced triple negative breast cancer therapy.

AIM Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype. Since no targeted therapy is available, gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) could be an attractive strategy for treating TNBC. MATERIALS & METHODS Polyethylene glycol (PEG)ylated-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/polyethyleneimine nanoparticles (PLGA/PEI NPs) were synthesized and complexed with TK-NTR fusion gene. Ultrasound (US) and microbubble (MB) mediated sonoporation was used for efficient delivery of the TK-NTR-DNA-NP complex to TNBC tumor in vivo for cancer therapy. Therapeutic effect was evaluated by treating TNBC cells in vitro and tumor xenograft in vivo by using prodrugs ganciclovir (GCV) and CB1954. RESULTS TNBC cells treated with GCV/CB1954 prodrugs after transfection of TK-NTR-DNA by PEGylated-PLGA/PEI NP resulted in high apoptotic-index. US-MB image-guided delivery of TK-NTR-DNA-NP complex displayed significant expression level of TK-NTR protein and showed tumor reduction when treated with GCV/CB1954 prodrugs in TNBC xenograft in vivo. CONCLUSION US-MB image-guided delivery of TK-NTR gene by PEGylated-PLGA/PEI NPs could be a potential prodrug therapy for TNBC in the clinic.
Free-running enzymatic oligonucleotide synthesis for data storage applications

Here we present preliminary results for a method of oligodeoxynucleotide synthesis using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) to generate mixed base homopolymer runs of defined sequence. In a process we have termed Free-Running Synthesis (FRS), we allow TdT to freely add multiple bases of a given monomer. With this method, homopolymeric runs can be used for writing DNA in a data storage capacity, where a stretch of As, for example, will be read as a single base, and the transitions between successive homopolymer runs encodes information. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate homopolymer additions of A, C and T onto the 3 prime end of a 22 base initiator strand.
Allelopathic Mechanisms and Experimental Methodology

Allelopathy is a complex ecological phenomenon, and it has proven notoriously difficult to develop experimental methods that can distinguish the role of both chemical interference and resource competition on plant growth. This paper discusses two promising new methodologies which can be used to study allelopathic interactions in the greenhouse and field. (a) Bioassays in which the density of the susceptible plant species is varied give results contrary to the expected results of resource competition when a toxin is present in the soil. Compared to a control soil, growth reductions will occur at low density but diminish or disappear at high density. Furthermore, individual plant size may actually increase as density increases. These density-dependent phytotoxic effects result from the fact that plants growing at low densities have a larger amount of the toxin available per plant, and therefore suffer greater growth reductions than those in high densities, where each plant receives a proportionately smaller dose of the toxin. (b) Sorbents based on the polymer polydimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) show promise for the measurement of allelochemical fluxes in the rhizosphere. Various forms of PDMS have been demonstrated to pick up increasing amounts of the lipophilic root exudate sorgoleone when buried beneath sorghum-sudangrass hybrid plants. Work is continuing to determine the stability of sorbed compounds, how broad a range of compounds can be effectively trapped by PDMS, and what forms of PDMS are most useful for field studies.
Green books?: creating and using custom e-books for your course

Pundits believe that print will continue to be the preferred medium for books long into the future, however, it is also widely believed that change is coming and that change will be in the form of e-books. Although the question "what is an e-book" may sound trivial, it is not, as there are many forms of e-book; those created for special e-book readers, PDAs or even a mobile phone. When searching for a new book, it is often difficult to find just one book that fits the course specifically. As a result, two books are often used within a course, one making up for the shortcomings of the other. Ultimately this kills more trees and creates more expense to the student. There is however, and alternative; custom e-books. This paper focuses not on e-books, which are electronic versions of the original print book, but on custom e-books, where multiple books from multiple authors can be put together online to create the specific content that the instructor is looking for. Done right, this can make for a very solid course book and at the same time, will save students more than 50% over the cost of a single print book.
Miscellaneous Gastroduodenal Pathology

Foreign bodies in the stomach and duodenum can be categorized into three types: true foreign bodies (i.e., environmental objects that should normally never be in stomach or duodenum); bezoars, or foreign bodies composed of substances that normally pass through the gastrointestinal tract in small quantities; and bodies that are foreign to the stomach or duodenum, but not to the human body as such.
P2 purinergic receptor activation enhances cardiac contractility in isolated rat and mouse hearts.

Activation of P2 purinergic receptors exerts a potent positive inotropic effect in the cardiac myocyte. However, it is unknown whether its activation can also cause an increased contractility in in...
Seeing you in me: Preliminary evidence for perceptual overlap between self and close others:

Inclusion of other in the self, a key principle of the self-expansion model, suggests that close others overlap with the self in terms of resources, perspectives, and identities. Research from beha...
Eosinophilic Dermatosis of Myeloproliferative Disease in a Young Adult With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Exaggerated insect bite reactions present as exuberant papular and vesiculobullous lesions in patients with hematologic malignant neoplasms. The most commonly reported hematological malignancy with exaggerated insect bite reactions is chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Other reported reactions have been seen in patients with mantle cell lymphoma. Clinical presentation may vary with many patients unaware of a previous insect bite. Therefore, the terms "exaggerated bite-like reaction" and "eosinophilic dermatosis of myeloproliferative disease" have been proposed. The lesions may wax and wane or persist for many years, and they seem to be unrelated to the underlying hematologic disorder course or therapy. In some circumstances, the lesions may actually precede the diagnosis of the hematological malignancy. In this study, we describe a case of "eosinophilic eruption of myeloproliferative disease" associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in a young adult. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case reported in association with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Examining Sleep Duration and Sleep Health Among Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Adults: Findings From NHANES (2005-2014)

Objectives: This study proposed to examine sexual identity differences in sleep duration and sleep health (use of sleep medications or sedatives, trouble sleeping, and diagnosis of sleeping disorde...
Technical note: Deep learning for creating surrogate models of precipitation in Earth system models

Abstract. We investigate techniques for using deep neural networks to produce surrogate models for short-term climate forecasts. A convolutional neural network is trained on 97 years of monthly precipitation output from the 1pctCO2 run (the CO2 concentration increases by 1 % per year) simulated by the second-generation Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM2). The neural network clearly outperforms a persistence forecast and does not show substantially degraded performance even when the forecast length is extended to 120 months. The model is prone to underpredicting precipitation in areas characterized by intense precipitation events. Scheduled sampling (forcing the model to gradually use its own past predictions rather than ground truth) is essential for avoiding amplification of early forecasting errors. However, the use of scheduled sampling also necessitates preforecasting (generating forecasts prior to the first forecast date) to obtain adequate performance for the first few prediction time steps. We document the training procedures and hyperparameter optimization process for researchers who wish to extend the use of neural networks in developing surrogate models.
Abstract P1-10-04: Racial and ethnic differences in weight gain during and after chemotherapy among women with early-stage breast cancer

Objective Clinically significant weight gain of ≥5% from baseline has been commonly reported during chemotherapy treatment for early stage breast cancer and persisting after completion. Based on the known poorer outcomes associated with weight gain after a breast cancer diagnosis, we evaluated differential weight gain by race/ethnicity as a potential explanation for disparities in breast cancer clinical outcomes among racial/ethnic minorities compared to non-Hispanic white women. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study among women diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer between 2007 and 2016, who received chemotherapy at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) in New York, NY. We extracted data on demographics, clinical characteristics, chemotherapy regimens, and height/weight from the electronic health records. Our main exposure variable of interest was race/ethnicity. The outcome variable was dichotomized as ≥5% weight gain or stable weight (defined as Results Among 789 evaluable women, median age was 55 years (range, 19-92) and the study cohort was racially/ethnically diverse: 39.8% non-Hispanic white, 30.4% Hispanic, 18.0% non-Hispanic black, 10.4% Asian, and 1.4% other. Mean baseline body mass index (BMI) was highest among black women (30.7 kg/m2 ± 7.0), followed by Hispanic (29.4 kg/m2 ± 5.2), non-Hispanic white (27.9 kg/m2 ± 6.9), and Asian (25.5 kg/m2 ± 5.4) women. The proportion of women with ≥5% weight gain increased over time with 13.6% at 3 months, 15.2% at 6 months, 19.0% at 12 months, and 23.6% at 18 months. Compared to non-Hispanic whites, Asian women had a 63% lower odds of ≥5% weight gain (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.15-0.92) at 3 months after initiating chemotherapy. No statistically significant associations were found between other racial/ethnic groups and ≥5% weight gain. Factors associated with weight gain after chemotherapy included younger age at diagnosis, lower baseline BMI, longer duration of chemotherapy, and having Medicaid insurance coverage. Conclusions Race/ethnicity was not significantly associated with weight gain after chemotherapy among women with early stage breast cancer. Socioeconomic status (SES) rather than race/ethnicity may be a contributing factor in disparities in weight gain and breast cancer clinical outcomes. Future weight loss programs should target younger, pre-menopausal women and those with lower SES. Citation Format: Wu R, Crew KD. Racial and ethnic differences in weight gain during and after chemotherapy among women with early-stage breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-10-04.
Costs and Challenges of Polycentric Governance: An Equilibrium Concept and Examples from U.S. Health Care

The inherent complexity of polycentric systems of governance brings both benefits and costs. Institutional diversity facilitates collective action by diverse groups within a community, but at the cost of losing any clear sense of the responsibilities and accountability of public officials. Such systems are built up piece by piece over long periods of time, making it difficult to use analytical tools of political economy based on equilibrium concepts. This paper introduces an Score equilibrium concept, based on the minimal costs of transactions (S, for subsidiarity costs) involved in the establishment of new formal organizations or informal mechanisms for collective action by specific groups. After surveying the factors affecting the relative costs and benefits of expanding existing arenas for collective action, this paper concludes with a brief overview of collaborative structures found in the U.S. healthcare system. This is definitely a complex, polycentric system, but one which too often lacks effective mechanisms for collective action at the community level.
Modeling Plant Metabolism: From Network Reconstruction to Mechanistic Models

Mathematical modeling of plant metabolism enables the plant science community to understand the organization of plant metabolism, obtain quantitative insights into metabolic functions, and derive engineering strategies for manipulation of metabolism. Among the various modeling approaches, metabolic pathway analysis can dissect the basic functional modes of subsections of core metabolism, such as photorespiration, and reveal how classical definitions of metabolic pathways have overlapping functionality. In the many studies using constraint-based modeling in plants, numerous computational tools are currently available to analyze large-scale and genome-scale metabolic networks. For 13C-metabolic flux analysis, principles of isotopic steady state have been used to study heterotrophic plant tissues, while nonstationary isotope labeling approaches are amenable to the study of photoautotrophic and secondary metabolism. Enzyme kinetic models explore pathways in mechanistic detail, and we discuss different approaches to determine or estimate kinetic parameters. In this review, we describe recent advances and challenges in modeling plant metabolism.
Cross-species transferability of Solanum spp. DNA markers and their application in assessing genetic variation in silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) populations from Texas, USA

Silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav.) is an invasive species that has successfully spread outside its native range to become a noxious weed in 21 states in the United States and 42 countries worldwide. The successful establishment of S. elaeagnifolium outside its native habitat indicates its innate ability to adapt to a multitude of environments. Phenotypic plasticity and/or genetic adaptation have been identified as key mechanisms underlying the adaptive success of invasive species. Whereas phenotypic plasticity allows a species to buffer changes in the environment by altering its phenotypic attributes within the short term, genetic adaptation is responsible for the longer-term adaptability of plants to heterogeneous environments and is dependent on the amount of genetic variation present in the species. In this study, we screened DNA markers that are specific to tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and Solanum lycopersicoides Dunal for their interspecific transferability to S. elaeagnifolium and determined the applicability of the transferable DNA markers in assessing the extent of genetic variation in populations from Lubbock, Littlefield, and Blackwell, TX. Of the 187 markers screened, 78 successfully amplified targets in S. elaeagnifolium, indicating the evolutionary conservation of marker loci across S. lycopersicum, S. lycopersicoides, and S. elaeagnifolium, despite their genetic divergence millions of years ago. Genotyping of S. elaeagnifolium populations using 50 DNA markers that consistently amplified clear bands in more than 60% of the plants identified nine polymorphic markers with 0.014 to 0.621 polymorphism information content. Genetic diversity analysis by DNA marker profiling established genetic variation among populations and within individuals of different populations. Unweighted paired group method with arithmetic mean analysis grouped the plants into six clusters that are generally defined by selection pressures unique to each collection site. Results of the study indicate the capacity of S. elaeagnifolium for genetic differentiation in response to variable selection pressures within the same geographic region.
Soil organic carbon stocks and sequestration rates of inland, freshwater wetlands: Sources of variability and uncertainty.

Abstract Impacts of land use, specifically soil disturbance, are linked to reductions of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Correspondingly, ecosystem restoration is promoted to sequester SOC to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, which are exacerbating global climate change. Restored wetlands have relatively high potential to sequester carbon compared to other ecosystems, but SOC accumulation rates are variable, which leads to high uncertainty in sequestration rates. To assess soil properties and carbon sequestration rates of freshwater mineral soil wetlands, we analyzed an extensive database of SOC concentrations from the Prairie Pothole Region (549 wetlands over 160,000 km2), which is considered one of the largest wetland ecosystems in North America. We demonstrate that SOC of wetland catchments varies among inner, transition, toe slope, and upland landscape positions (LSPs), as well as among land uses and soil depth segments. Soil organic carbon concentrations were greatest in the inner portion of the catchment (66 Mg ha−1) and progressively decrease towards the upland LSP (43 Mg ha−1). We also conducted a regional extrapolation based on LSP- and land-use-specific SOC stocks, and estimated that wetland and upland areas of PPR wetland catchments contain 141 and 178 Tg of SOC in the upper 15 cm of the soil profile, respectively. Regressing SOC by restoration age (years restored) showed that sequestration rates, which differ by LSP and depth, ranged from 0.35 to 1.10 Mg ha−1 year−1. Using these SOC sequestration rates, along with data from natural and cropland reference sites, we estimated that it takes 20 to 64 years for SOC levels of restored wetlands to return to natural reference conditions, depending on LSP and depth segment. Accounting for LSP reduces uncertainty and should refine future assessments of the greenhouse gas mitigation potential from wetland restoration.
Technology adoption for emergency preparedness and response in rural areas: identifying the main determinants

Research on information technology adoption and use is definitely not new. However, while several models have aimed at explaining adoption and use of technology by individuals and organizations, very few of them have explicitly taken into account the specific characteristics of the domain of emergency preparedness and response. Furthermore, these models have not differentiated between urban and rural contexts. Thus, our research aims at bridging this gap by proposing a model of adoption and use of technology for emergency preparedness and response (EPR) in rural contexts. This ongoing research paper shows preliminary results of our research, by identifying relevant determinants of IT adoption and use in the EPR domain and categorizing them into three dimensions: individual, organizational, and contextual. In addition, it compares those EPR determinants with the determinants found in the more general literature on adoption and use of technology. Finally, the paper also highlights some unique characteristics of rural settings.
The Frontiers of Imperial Rome: Philadelphia, PA: Pen and Sword (reprint edition), 244 pp., $24.95, ISBN 978-1526760807, Publication Date: August 2019

This republication, with additions and corrigenda, of David Breeze’s 2011 The Frontiers of Imperial Rome, is a welcome makeover for a familiar friend. The author’s enthusiasm for frontier studies a...
Evaluating Litigation as a Structural Strategy for Addressing Bias-Based Bullying Among Youth.

Importance Homophobic bullying-which is motivated by actual or perceived sexual orientation-is a common experience among youth and is more strongly associated with adverse outcomes than bullying unrelated to bias. Yet current approaches to reducing homophobic bullying either lack empirical evidence or encounter significant obstacles. Thus, the field requires the identification of strategies that hold promise for reducing homophobic bullying. Objective To examine whether litigation is associated with reductions in homophobic bullying. Design, setting, and participants In this quasi-experimental study, difference-in-difference analysis was used to estimate the association between litigation and homophobic bullying, comparing students in schools that experienced litigation with students in schools that did not experience litigation, controlling for individual and school characteristics, study year, and county. Survey responses came from high school students from 499 schools participating in the California Healthy Kids Survey, the largest statewide survey of youth risk behaviors and protective factors, between 2001 and 2016. Legal data were collected from September 2018 to September 2019, and data were analyzed from February 2020 to April 2021. Exposures Outcomes of litigation related to sexual orientation-based harassment and discrimination in California schools occurring after 2000. Main outcomes and measures Student reports of homophobic bullying. Results Of 1 448 778 included participants, 706 258 (48.7%) were male, 563 973 (38.9%) were White, and the mean (SD) age was 14.6 (1.7) years. For cases where the plaintiff (student) secured monetary and/or injunctive relief through settlement or court decision, there was a 23% reduction in the ratio of odds ratios (ROR) of homophobic bullying in schools directly involved in the litigation relative to schools that did not experience litigation (ROR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.68-0.86). These benefits of litigation spilled over into schools in the same district as the schools experiencing litigation (ROR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.70-0.81). However, homophobic bullying slightly increased in the school and district where the defendant (school) avoided adverse legal consequences, suggesting potential backlash. Conclusions and relevance Litigation seeking to address alleged violations of the rights of students who are (or are perceived to be) lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender under laws prohibiting harassment or discrimination may lead to reductions in rates of homophobic bullying, with effect sizes comparable with that of resource-intensive school-based bullying interventions. These findings set the stage for future studies to evaluate the consequences of different litigation efforts aimed at redressing stigma-based harms among youth.
Combining a β3 adrenergic receptor agonist with alpha-lipoic acid reduces inflammation in male mice with diet-induced obesity.

OBJECTIVES Beta-3 adrenergic receptors (β3-AR) stimulate lipolysis and thermogenesis in white and brown adipose tissue (WAT and BAT). Obesity increases oxidative stress and inflammation that attenuate AT β3-AR signaling. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the combination of the β3-AR agonist CL-316,243 (CL) and the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) would lower inflammation in diet-induced obesity (DIO) and improve β3-AR function. METHODS A total of 40 DIO mice were separated into four groups: Control (per os and intraperitoneal [IP] vehicle); CL alone (0.01 mg/kg IP daily); ALA alone (250 mg/kg in drinking water); or ALA+CL combination, all for 5 weeks. RESULTS Food intake was similar in all groups; however, mice receiving ALA+CL showed improved body composition and inflammation as well as lower body weight (+1.7 g Control vs. -2.5 g ALA+CL [-7%]; p < 0.01) and percentage of body fat (-9%, p < 0.001). Systemic and epididymal WAT inflammation was lower with ALA+CL than all other groups, with enhanced recruitment of epididymal WAT anti-inflammatory CD206+ M2 macrophages. β3-AR signaling in WAT was enhanced in the combination-treatment group, with higher mRNA and protein levels of thermogenic uncoupling protein 1 and AT lipases. CONCLUSIONS Chronic treatment with ALA and a β3-AR agonist reduces DIO-induced inflammation. AT immune modulation could be a therapeutic target in patients with obesity.
The Genesis of Relationships

SUMMARY Productive relationships between a company and its customers are often the result of positive relationships between the company and its boundary spanning employees. The career entry transition marks the beginning of these interpersonal relationships, which have a significant impact on marketing performance. Using a sample of newly hired boundary spanning employees, we examine the influence of individual difference factors on boundary spanners' appraisals of the career entry transition. Significant relationships are found between boundary spanners' positive and negative appraisals of the transition and personal and non-organizational factors: perceived centrality of the work role, availability of resources (finances, social support, personal hope), and sense of coherence.
Maramzin's Two-Toned Blond and Nabokov's Lolita

Vladimir Maramzin's novella The Two-Toned Blond (1975) invites discussion in a variety of contexts, including, among others, samizdat (Russian writing published and circulated clandestinely in the USSR during the Brezhnev era), tamizdat (Russian writing published abroad during the Brezhnev era), Russian ornamental prose (the tradition associated with such writers as Nikolay Gogol and Andrew Bely), and "the other literature" (contemporary nonideological literature). But against any of these backgrounds The Two-Toned Blond stands out as a most unusual work, calling attention to itself by virtue of both style and content. As almost everyone who has written about Maramzin in general and The TwoToned Blond in particular has pointed out, Maramzin's use of language shows him to be working within and at the same time going beyond the skaz traditions of Mikhail Zoshchenko and Andrey Platonov. The story that The Two-Toned Blond has to tell, however, reveals Maramzin's overt debt to a quite different writer, Vladimir Nabokov. It is this Nabokovian connection, an extremely rare one for contemporary Russian literature, that I propose to explore in the present article.
Human immunodeficiency virus type II (HIV-2) testing: a perspective

Testing of blood for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV2) has begun. A major benefit of this testing will be the elimination of the exclusion of blood donors on the basis of geographic origin. Will this test be helpful? Present anti-HIV1 testing detects between 60 to 90 percent of those samples containing the HIV2 antibody. A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed enzyme immunoassay for HIV1/HIV2 antibodies became available for clinical use in March of 1992. (There is an FDA unlicensed HIV-2 Western Blot (WB) Test). The specificity and sensitivity of either the HIV2 EIA or HIV2 WB are not well defined. In a survey of 24 million U.S. donors, no antibodies to HIV2 were detected. With the incidence of HIV2 infection being so small, it is probable that the majority of positive tests will be false-positives causing needles concern for the blood donor who must be counseled. The benefits to the blood supply remain to be evaluated.
The Effects of Technology on Retail Sales, Commercial Property Values and Percentage Rents

Executive Summary. This study examines the impact of e-commerce and the effect of technology on traditional retail sales, commercial property values and percentage rents. This study analyzes standa...
D1 agonist-induced excitation of substantia nigra pars reticulata neurons: mediation by D1 receptors on striatonigral terminals via a pertussis toxin-sensitive coupling pathway

Iontophoresis of dopamine or the D1 agonist SKF 38393 has been shown to elicit current-dependent increases in the firing of rat substantia nigra pars reticulata neurons, suggesting a discrete physiological role for the D1 dopamine receptor population in the substantia nigra. The effects of SKF 38393 differed from those of dopamine, however, in that the D1 agonist also augmented inhibitory responses to applied GABA, whereas dopamine and D2-like agonists were previously found to attenuate responses to GABA. The present studies involved various manipulations of the nigral D1 receptors in order to examine the pharmacological specificity, receptor localization, and second messenger coupling underlying the D1 agonist response. The excitatory and GABA-potentiating effects of SKF 38393 were found to be attributable to D1 receptor stimulation, rather than a nonspecific action, since (1) the effect was mimicked by iontophoresis of A-68930, a D1 agonist of a different structural class than SKF 38393, and (2) the response to SKF 38393 was prevented by intranigral injection of the receptor inactivator N-ethoxy-carbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ; 50 nmol/0.5 microliter) 1 d before, or the D1 antagonist SCH 23390 (1 microgram/microliter) 1 hr before electrophysiological testing. Additional studies revealed that the involved D1 receptors were located presynaptically on striatonigral terminals. For instance, in rats given ipsilateral striatal kainic acid lesions 1 week earlier, application of SKF 38393 failed to elicit the usual increases in cell firing, but loss of the response was observed only among the group of pars reticulata neurons that were shown to be unresponsive to striatal stimulation (i.e., those whose striatonigral inputs had been terminated by the lesion). Finally, to examine the second messenger coupling characteristics of the involved D1 receptors, several membrane- permeable analogs of cAMP were tested iontophoretically in place of SKF 38393. Surprisingly, none of these compounds gave a pattern of response typical of the D1 agonist, raising questions about the involvement of cAMP. Even more suggestive of an unconventional D1 coupling pathway, the excitatory and GABA-potentiating effects of applied SKF 38393 were completely abolished by prior intranigral injection of the G(i)/G(o) protein inactivator, pertussis toxin. Collectively, these results suggest that stimulation of D1 receptors on striatonigral terminals causes an excitation of substantia nigra pars reticulata neurons with an exaggerated responsiveness to GABA, and the effects appear to be mediated by a pertussis toxin-sensitive (i.e., a non-G-like) G-protein and possibly a second messenger other than cAMP.
Design and optimisation of circuits by computer

The role of optimisation in the field of circuit design is fully discussed, using some actual designs to illustrate the principles involved. A review of the more important optimisation methods is presented, and comparative tests have been carried out on realistic circuit designs. The design of these circuits would have proved difficult, if not impossible, by conventional methods. Both least-square and minimax-error criteria are discussed, and methods for dealing with constraints are considered. Attention is drawn to the partial-noise-immunity property of the simplex algorithm and its use as the basis of an experimental procedure.
Hepatopulmonary Syndrome: Clinical Observations and Lack of Therapeutic Response To Somatostatin Analogue

We retrospectively studied 22 patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) evaluated at the Mayo Medical Center from 1984 to 1991. All patients had hepatic cirrhosis with clinical evidence of portal hypertension; 13 (59 percent) had severe hypoxemia while breathing room air in the supine position (PaO2 < 60 mm Hg), and 14 of 16 (88 percent) had orthodeoxia breathing room air. On the basis of angiographic observations, we defined type 1 and type 2 patterns of pulmonary vascular abnormalities in HPS. Response to 100 percent oxygen and therapeutic regimens may differ in the angiographic patterns. Substantial deterioration in PaO2 associated with clinically stable hepatic dysfunction was documented in five of seven patients studied with sequential arterial blood gas testing; four subsequently died within 48 months. Overall mortality was 41 percent, occurring a mean of 2.5 years after diagnosis. In 7 of the 22 patients, we prospectively studied the effect of somatostatin analogue given subcutaneously for 4 consecutive days. No significant improvement in PaO2 was documented while breathing room air or 100 percent oxygen (p < 0.05). We conclude that in selected patients with clinically stable hepatic dysfunction and deteriorating oxygenation, the prognosis is poor. Our data in combination with recent surgical reports suggest that liver transplantation may be the treatment of choice in patients with HPS and worsening oxygenation.
Gender Group Interest or Gender Ideology? Understanding U.S. Support for Family Policy within the Liberal Welfare Regime:

Many market-centered democracies have more comprehensive and generous family policies than the United States. While there is an assumed lack of public support for such policies, little research exists on Americans' family policy attitudes, especially in a comparative perspective. The authors examine the United States within the liberal welfare state framework, comparing it to nations with the greatest institutional, historical, and cultural similarities (Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand). Using data from the 1994 and 2002 International Social Survey Program, the authors explore support for and determinants of paid maternity leave and financial benefits for childcare. Results show that despite common assumptions, Americans are as supportive and often more so than citizens in other liberal welfare states. However, Americans differ significantly according to sources of policy support. Specifically, the gender gap in policy preferences is larger in the United States than in other liberal welfare stat...
On The Origin, significance, and Minimization of Nonuniform Contamination Along HVDC Insulator Strings

it is shown theoretically and experimentally that the electric force on charged airborne contaminants can cause the distribution of contaminant along the length of an insulator string energized by HVDC to be nonuniform. This nonuniformity causes a nonlinear voltage distribution along the string. As a result, some sections of the insulator string may be subject to electrical stresses high enough to initiate insulator failure. Comparative flashover tests between insulators with uniform and nonuniform contamination distributions confirm this hypothesis (i.e. that nonuniform contamination along the insulator string degrades HVDC insulator performance). It is also shown that grading rings can be attached to each end of an insulator string without creating air gaps less than those needed to protect against transient overvoltages. The grading rings modify the electric field in the vicinity of the string and cause the distribution of contamination along the string to be more uniform. This in turn may lead to improved insulator performance
Rewriting the Epigenome

The eukaryotic genome is packaged into a highly ordered chromatin structure, with specific domains regulating the transcription patterns of local genes. Hathaway et al. now present a breakthrough technique in the artificial induction of chromatin marks and use this experimental model to test the properties of an induced heterochromatic domain.
Esca. results versus other physical and chemical data

Abstract X-ray photoemission spectra yield quantities of very direct interest in physics and chemistry. In this paper the relations of these spectra to other data and concepts are discussed. Both initial-state and final-state properties may be studied: the former are treated first. Charge distributions in molecules alter the effective (Coulomb plus exchange) potential experienced by core electrons in molecular ground states, there by shifting their binding energies. The shifts can be calculated by ab initio methods or more directly by using potential models based on intermediate-level molecular-orbital theories such as INDO. One version, the ground-state potential model (GPM) yields good predictions of core-level shifts among atoms in similar environments. Alternatively, the measured shifts may be used to derive charges on individual atoms in molecules. It is more difficult to derive charges in solids in this way, but a characteristic splitting in the more tightly-bound valence bands yields a direct measure of ionicity in simple binary compounds of the zinc-blende and rocksalt structures. Atomic orbital composition of molecular orbitals can be deduced from photoemission spectra. In solids such as diamond and graphite comparison of photoemission spectra with x-ray emission spectra yields the atomic-orbital composition of the valence bands. Turning to final-state properties, the spectra are dominated by relaxation effects. Again a simple approach—the relaxation potential model (RPM)—predicts core-level shifts well for cases in which the atomic environments are varied substantially. Among ammonia and the methylamines, for example, the N(ls) shifts are predicted correctly by RPM, while GPM reverses the order. For paramagnetic molecules RPM predicts electron charge transfer toward the positive hole but usually spin transfer away, in agreement with experiment. Extra-atomic relaxation in metals, a many-body effect, is manifest both as a contribution to the binding energy and as line-shape asymmetry. Delocalized valence electrons also show relaxation shifts that can be understood as polari zation of the electron gas toward the “Coulomb hole”. Auger lines show larger relaxation shifts. Comparison of core-level or Auger shifts in nonmetallic solids separately is questionable because there is no reference level, but intercomparison of the two is meaningful. Finally, core-level binding-energy trends in series of simple alcohols, etc., agree quantitatively with proton affinities and core-level shifts in other functional groups. This suggests extending the concept of Lewis basicity to include lone pairs of core electrons. Thus, core-level shifts measure the chemical reactivity—a quantity of great chemical importance that depends on both initial- and final-state properties—rather directly. Rela xation energies are shown to be the dominant cause of trends in the lowest ionization potentials of simple alcohols and amines.
Terahertz response and colossal Kerr rotation from the surface states of the topological insulator Bi2Se3.

We report the THz response of thin films of the topological insulator ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$. At low frequencies, transport is essentially thickness independent showing the dominant contribution of the surface electrons. Despite their extended exposure to ambient conditions, these surfaces exhibit robust properties including narrow, almost thickness-independent Drude peaks, and an unprecedentedly large polarization rotation of linearly polarized light reflected in an applied magnetic field. This Kerr rotation can be as large as 65\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and can be explained by a cyclotron resonance effect of the surface states.
What is history for? Reply to critics of The Dawn of Analysis

I will begin by replying to the constructive, substantive criticism of Stoljar and Burgess. After that, I will take up the harsher criticism focused on matters of historical scholarship presented by Proops and Sainsbury. In addition to setting the historical record straight, I will locate the roots of the dispute in a conflict between the history-for-history's-sake conception implicitly advocated by Proops and Sainsbury and my own philosophically and pedagogically motivated approach to the history of the subject. In doing so, I will articulate and defend the goals of philosophically oriented history, and use the resulting conception both to illuminate my discussions of individual philosophers, and to clarify how they contribute to what I take to be the leading achievements of the analytic tradition.
Spectral properties of processes derived from stationary Gaussian sequences

Abstract Many qualitative properties of the spectral measure of a stationary Gaussian sequence are spectral properties of the underlying shift transformation. This has implications in time series analysis.
Plastic phase transitions in N-ethyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide

The salt N-ethyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (PYR12TFSI) undergoes several solid−solid phase transitions before melting at 91 °C. At −120 °C, the crystal structure cons...
Environment-Sensing Merocyanine Dyes for Live Cell Imaging Applications

Fluorescent biosensors based on environmentally sensitive dyes enable visualization and quantification of endogenous protein activation within living cells. Merocyanine dyes are especially useful for live cell imaging applications, as they are extraordinarily bright, have long wavelengths of excitation and emission, and can exhibit readily detectable fluorescence changes in response to environment. We sought to systematically examine the effects of structural features on key photophysical properties, including dye brightness, environmental responsiveness, and photostability, through the synthesis of a library of 25 merocyanine dyes, derived from combinatorial reaction of 5 donor and 5 acceptor heterocycles. Four of these dyes showed optimal properties for specific imaging applications and were subsequently prepared with reactive side chains and enhanced aqueous solubility using a one-pot synthetic method. The new dyes were then applied within a biosensor design for Cdc42 activation, where dye mero60 showe...
Feasibility of a crystalline condensed state in cooled ion beams of a storage ring

The conditions under which an ordered system of particles could be achieved in a storage ring have been studied with Molecular Dynamics calculations. Potential problems associated with periodic focusing, out of phase focusing in two directions, and of shear associated with the closed orbits in the ring have been modelled in the MD calculations and the qualitative effects of these perturbations are assessed. The results are related to storage rings under construction and to the measurements that had been carried out at Novosibirsk.
Geometry effects on flow transition in multilouvered fins – onset, propagation, and characteristic frequencies

The effect of fin pitch, louver angle and thickness, and flow depth on the onset, propagation, and characteristic frequencies of instabilities in multilouvered fins is investigated. The initial instability appears in the wake of the exit louver. Subsequently, instabilities are established in the interior of the louver bank which spread upstream as the Reynolds number increases. It is shown that the interior instabilities are completely independent of the exit wake instability. On the other hand, the exit wake instability is not only dependent on the exit louver geometry but also on the internal geometry of the louver bank. Increasing louver thickness and angle increases the propensity of the flow to become unstable. Increasing fin pitch, louver angle, and thickness enhances the propagation of instabilities into the louver bank. It is shown that the characteristic frequencies in the interior of the louver bank, scale with the fin pitch rather than the louver thickness or louver pitch. The exit wake frequencies, on the other hand scale with the projected length of the exit louver in the flow direction. A simplified model for estimating the onset of instabilities in the interior of the louver bank is proposed.
TGFβ BIOACTIVITY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH INFLAMMATION IN THE LUNGS OF PRETERM NEWBORNS WITH HYALINE MEMBRANE DISEASE. † 2009

TGFβ BIOACTIVITY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH INFLAMMATION IN THE LUNGS OF PRETERM NEWBORNS WITH HYALINE MEMBRANE DISEASE. † 2009
Blind digital tuning for interference cancellation in full-duplex radio

To make full-duplex radios, the most fundamental challenge known today is self-interference cancellation. This paper takes a new look at digitally controlled all-analog interference cancellation channel consisting of clustered taps (c-taps) of step-attenuators and other passive components such as RF power combiners and dividers. The performance of such a cancellation channel is robust to carrier frequency and attenuation-dependent phases of attenuators. Without the cost for and the errors from down-converting the input RF waveforms of any of the attenuators, a blind digital tuning algorithm based on the residual interference waveforms collected during a training phase is shown to be promising.
MEK1 restores migration of polyamine-depleted cells by retention and activation of Rac1 in the cytoplasm.

We previously showed that polyamines are required for proliferation and migration both in vivo and in a cultured intestinal epithelial cell (IEC-6) model. Wounding of the IEC-6 monolayer induced tr...
Changes in raman vibrational bands of calf thymus DNA during the B-to-A transition.

The B-to-A conformational transition of calf thymus DNA fibers was followed employing Raman spectroscopy. The transition was induced by soaking DNA fibers in water/ethanol mixtures increasing from 60 to 85% ethanol (v/v). Intensity changes of 17 Raman vibrational bands were quantified in the region from 400 to 860 cm−1. Two bands at 500 and 784 cm−1 were employed as internal standards. These bands do not appear to change in intensity with ethanol concentration. Large intensity changes relative to these two bands are observed between 70 and 74% ethanol for backbone vibrations at 708, 808, and 835 cm−1, and base vibrations at 682, 730, and 750 cm−1. These results indicate that a highly cooperative conformational change takes place between different portions of DNA in the B-to-A transition. Relative intensity changes preceding the onset of the major transition are observed in only two bands; at 835 cm−1, assigned to a ribose–phosphate vibration, and at 750 cm−1, assigned to thymine. The implications of these pretransition changes are discussed.
Adult axon regeneration in adult CNS white matter

of sufficientimportance within the field of CNS regen-eration to warrant its discussion on anumber of points throughout their article.However, we would like to point outthat the authors have made a significanterror in stating that our study showedlong-distance regeneration within adult hostCNS white matter of transplanted sensoryneurones dissected from 8-day-old rats (P8)only. In fact, of the total number of 41transplants characterized in our study, 34were microtransplanted