cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of indoor and outdoor microbial air quality of cafeterias of an educational institute

Abstract This study investigated airborne microbial levels of two indoor locations and one outdoor location of three cafeterias (A, B and C) of a university campus. Sampling locations of cafeteria A and B included closed and semi closed spaces (both naturally ventilated) while for the case of cafeteria C (facilitated with centralized HVAC), both locations were closed. Microbial air samples were collected during the peak operating hours in duplicate during months of April and May 2017. Results showed higher fungal levels as compared to bacterial concentrations for most of the sampling locations. Highest bacterial count was observed in the closed area of cafeteria B (mean: 214.7 CFU/m3) and lowest in cafeteria C (mean: 70.5 CFU/m3). Moreover, highest fungal count was found in semi-closed space of cafeteria A (mean: 525.6 CFU/m3) and lowest in cafeteria C (mean: 44.9 CFU/m3). Bacterial concentration levels were found to be mainly linked with indoor sources while fungal levels were associated with outdoor sources. Fungal genera sampled on the monitored sites were identified as Cladosporium spp. (46%), Geotrichium spp. (8.6%), Ulocladium spp. (8.5%), Alterneria spp. (7.9%), Fuserium spp. (6.6%), Curvularia spp. (3%), Aspergillus spp. (2.4%) and Penicillium spp. (1.3%). Whereas gram positive cocci (90%) were found to be most abundantly prevailing class of bacteria. The most dominant bacterial genera found were Staphylococcus spp., Kocuria spp., Bacillus spp. and Micrococcus spp.
MR-Guided RF Treatment

Advances in imaging and interventional technology have profoundly impacted medical diagnosis over the past decade. Interventional imaging-based procedures have included percutaneous and stereotactic biopsy that have decreased the need for open surgical procedures and have resulted in a great reduction in patient morbidity, mortality and expense (Gazelle and Haaga 1989). MR has many advantages over the current standard guidance techniques. Lack of ionizing radiation exposure for both patient and operator, multiplanar imaging capability, and exquisite tissue contrast make MR an attractive alternative for procedure guidance. Until recently MR was not a feasible option owing to long imaging times and the difficulty in accessing the patient within a cylindrical imaging system.
Bhakti Yoga: Love and Faith in Leadership

This chapter presents the pursuit of divine love and devotion (bhakti yoga), one of three main yogas taught in the Bhagavad Gitā. In Hinduism, the bhakti yoga is a spiritual path of loving devotion to a personal God. The Gitā postulates two main paths to spiritual freedom: karma yoga: the pursuit of enlightened action; and jnāna yoga, the pursuit of Self-knowledge (BG 3.3). Bhakti yoga is considered a concomitant to both karma yoga and jnāna yoga, for without loving devotion to the ideal of action or knowledge, it is not possible to succeed in either the pursuit of action or Self-knowledge. Through equanimity, service, detachment, and surrender, the Gitā teaches the art of spirituality while being deeply engaged in worldly conduct.
Antibodies Are Major Drivers of Protection against Lethal Aerosol Infection with Highly Pathogenic Burkholderia spp.

ABSTRACT Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei are the causative agents of melioidosis and glanders, respectively. There is no vaccine to protect against these highly pathogenic bacteria, and there is concern regarding their emergence as global public health (B. pseudomallei) and biosecurity (B. mallei) threats. In this issue of mSphere, an article by Khakhum and colleagues (N. Khakhum, P. Bharaj, J. N. Myers, D. Tapia, et al., mSphere 4:e00570-18, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00570-18) describes a novel vaccination platform with excellent potential for cross-protection against both Burkholderia species. The report also highlights the importance of antibodies in immunity against these facultative intracellular organisms.
Swimming Induced Paralysis to Assess Dopamine Signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans

The swimming assay described in this protocol is a valid tool to identify proteins regulating the dopaminergic synapses. Similar to mammals, dopamine (DA) controls several functions in C. elegans including learning and motor activity. Conditions that stimulate DA release (e.g., amphetamine (AMPH) treatments) or that prevent DA clearance (e.g., animals lacking the DA transporter (dat-1) which are incapable of reaccumulating DA into the neurons) generate an excess of extracellular DA ultimately resulting in inhibited locomotion. This behavior is particularly evident when animals swim in water. In fact, while wild-type animals continue to swim for an extended period, dat-1 null mutants and wild-type treated with AMPH or inhibitors of the DA transporter sink to the bottom of the well and do not move. This behavior is termed "Swimming Induced Paralysis" (SWIP). Although the SWIP assay is well established, a detailed description of the method is lacking. Here, we describe a step-by-step guide to perform SWIP. To perform the assay, late larval stage-4 animals are placed in a glass spot plate containing control sucrose solution with or without AMPH. Animals are scored for their swimming behavior either manually by visualization under a stereoscope or automatically by recording with a camera mounted on the stereoscope. Videos are then analyzed using a tracking software, which yields a visual representation of thrashing frequency and paralysis in the form of heat maps. Both the manual and automated systems guarantee an easily quantifiable readout of the animals' swimming ability and thus facilitate screening for animals bearing mutations within the dopaminergic system or for auxiliary genes. In addition, SWIP can be used to elucidate the mechanism of action of drugs of abuse such as AMPH.
New Legal Structures for Social Enterprises: Designed for One Role but Playing Another

Ten years ago state legislatures began to recognize that business entities need not focus entirely on profits. The two most prominent of the new entities that have been created, the L3C and the benefit corporation, have spawned approximately 7,000 businesses. That figure is miniscule compared to the thirty million businesses currently operating in the United States. One possible reason that so few businesses have organized as one of these new business forms is that the legislation that created them was not designed to effectively solve the problems they were meant to address. This Article suggests that the weaknesses in these statutes reflect an astute political compromise. Measures that could help fix the design flaws in these new business forms, and that would encourage quicker adoption of these businesses, would require governmental oversight and at least some governmental expenditure. Such costs are not yet politically acceptable, even to legislatures that would readily encourage businesses to pursue social goals. And so these new business forms have served a different role from the one they were originally designed to hold. Instead of providing new sources of finance and protecting board members from liability, they have played a large part in an important conversation on the role of business in our country — namely, shifting the focus from shareholder maximization toward a more holistic and community-minded view of the role of business in society.
Parameters of repolarization heterogeneity are associated with myocardial recovery in acute heart failure.

Abstract Background Heart failure (HF) with recovered ejection fraction (HFrecEF) is an increasingly recognized yet not well understood phenotype. Little is known about electrical parameters associated with myocardial recovery in acute systolic HF. Methods We identified a subset of 87 patients from a non-ischemic cardiomyopathy cohort with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) Results Among 87 patients, 30 (34%) patients recovered in a median of 122 (IQR: 58-275) days after index hospitalization. Baseline demographics were similar among HFrecEF versus persistent HFrEF except for increased diabetes in the persistent HFrEF cohort. Patients with HFrecEF had baseline decreased QRST angle, decreased QT dispersion, and less negative signed JT area compared to persistent HFrEF. Patients with HFrecEF had greater decrease in QT dispersion and QTc duration, and greater increase in the signed JT and TpTe areas over time. Baseline QRST angle correlated with longitudinal and circumferential strain and myocardial systolic performance (MSP). Signed JT area correlated with increased baseline LVEF, smaller baseline LV dimensions, increased longitudinal and circumferential strain, and MSP. Signed TpTe correlated with increased longitudinal and circumferential strain, and MSP. Conclusions Several conventional and novel ECG parameters that reflect repolarization heterogeneity may differentiate patients with acute HF who ultimately recover LVEF. These parameters are associated with baseline structural parameters and are dynamic during recovery.
Assessing the Potential for Nitrogen Bubble Formation in Diving Odontocetes

Abstract : The goal of assessing whether nitrogen (N2) bubble formation occurs in repetitively diving odontocetes is to address hypotheses related to the stranding of beaked whale species coincident with naval sonar activities. Specifically, data will be acquired that will either support or refute the conjecture that the accumulation of N2 and subsequent formation of N2bubbles is a causative mechanism of beaked whale strandings. The objective of this study are to: 1) train a dolphin to repetitively dive a depth profile specifically created to maximize nitrogen absorption from the lung; 2) following a dive series, ultrasonically inspect the blood vessels of the dolphin for the presence of nitrogen bubbles; 3) determine the partial pressure of N2, or PN2, in arterialized venous blood following a diver series; and 4) relate the partial pressure of N2 to the presence or absence of vascular bubbles. A trained dolphin from the Navy Marine Mammal Program (MMP) was used for the study. Some differences between beaked whales and delphinoids in their respective physiology and anatomy are acknowledged; however, no other surrogate species were readily available or amenable for the proposed testing. The subject was transported via a modified Boston whaler to a deep-water site where it was trained to perform a series of dives to depths between 10 and 100m.
Reverse water-gas shift chemistry inside a supersonic molecular beam nozzle

Abstract Resistive heating of the metal surface of a supersonic molecular beam nozzle is shown to be very effective in converting CO2 diluted in H2 to CO and H2O via the reverse water–gas shift (RWGS) reaction at temperatures that preclude simple pyrolysis. The conversion of CO2 to CO, referred to herein as “RWGS yield,” exceeds 80% at nozzle temperature above 1000 K, with a detectable methane byproduct. The stainless-steel surface of the nozzle appears to facilitate the reaction as a heterogeneous catalyst. Reaction yield is observed to increase with nozzle temperature and, when the gas mixture contains a significant excess of H2, decrease with increasing in nozzle stagnation pressure. The inverse dependence of the reaction on stagnation pressure is used to propose a reaction mechanism. Additional kinetic control over the mechanism is afforded by adjusting reactant partial pressures and residence times inside the nozzle reactor, highlighting this method’s utility in screening heterogeneous catalysis reactions with fine control over mass flow rates, pressure, and temperature. The results of this study, therefore, present a route to efficient, high pressure, inline catalysis as well as a method to rapidly assess the viability of new catalysts in development.
Damage Modeling, Scaling and Momentum Enhancement for Asteroid and Comet Nucleus Deflection

In the previous symposium, it was demonstrated that extrapolation of momentum enhancement β data from small laboratory tests to larger asteroid and comet nucleus deflection scenarios predicts large β values due to the fact that β does not scale with size. The big question in the extrapolation to larger scales is whether the damage process in the crater formation saturates at some scale – i.e., is there a size beyond which the momentum enhancement does scale, and thus the large scale large β values are not realized. In this work we take the data from the NASA Ames gun in the 1960s by Denardo and Nysmith [1] and examine its clear lack of scaling in more detail. We determine the behavior of the ejecta mass. We show that the amount of ejecta mass is proportional to the impact velocity squared times the square root of the projectile diameter, a quantity which has the dimensions of fracture toughness. Thus, it is likely that the mass liberation process depends on fracture toughness, which contrasts with the fact that the crater size depends on target material strength. Thus, a small fracture toughness leads to large ejecta mass, and that in turn leads to large momentum enhancement. The appearance of the dimensions of fracture toughness implies that classical failure scaling is at work. Classical fracture mechanics is a damage process that likely will not saturate and that we then are able to extrapolate to large sizes. We discuss impactors that would be used to deflect asteroids or comet nuclei for planetary defense or for engineering and exploration purposes, and what expected momentum enhancements would be for impacts into asteroids or comet nuclei comprised of consolidated materials.
Topology optimization based on deep representation learning (DRL) for compliance and stress-constrained design

This paper proposed a new topology optimization method based on geometry deep learning. The density distribution in design domain is described by deep neural networks. Compared to traditional density-based method, using geometry deep learning method to describe the density distribution function can guarantee the smoothness of the boundary and effectively overcome the checkerboard phenomenon. The design variables can be reduced phenomenally based on deep learning representation method. The numerical results for three different kernels including the Gaussian, Tansig, and Tribas are compared. The structural complexity can be directly controlled through the architectures of the neural networks, and minimum length is also controllable for the Gaussian kernel. Several 2-D and 3-D numerical examples are demonstrated in detail to demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed method from minimum compliance to stress-constrained problems.
Pulsed Reduced Dose Rate Radiotherapy in Conjunction With Bevacizumab or Bevacizumab Alone in Recurrent High-grade Glioma: Survival Outcomes.

Purpose Dismal prognosis and limited treatment options for recurrent high-grade glioma have provoked interest in various forms of reirradiation. Pulsed reduced dose rate radiation therapy (pRDR) is a promising technique that exploits low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity of proliferating tumor cells while sparing adjacent nonproliferating normal brain tissue. Large radiation treatment volumes can thus be used to target both contrast-enhancing and FLAIR abnormalities thought to harbor recurrent gross and microscopic disease, respectively. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine whether the addition of pRDR to bevacizumab improves survival over bevacizumab alone for recurrent high-grade glioma. Methods and Materials Eighty patients with recurrent high-grade glioma were included in this study; 47 patients received bevacizumab monotherapy (BEV), and 33 patients received pRDR with bevacizumab (BEV/pRDR). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were compared between the BEV and BEV/pRDR groups. Regression analysis was performed to identify and control for confounding influences on survival analyses. Results Significant (P Conclusions This retrospective analysis suggests that treatment with pRDR in addition to bevacizumab could significantly prolong PFS and overall survival compared with bevacizumab alone for recurrent high-grade glioma.
Phosphodiesterase 10A inhibitor, MP-10 (PF-2545920), produces greater induction of c-Fos in dopamine D2 neurons than in D1 neurons in the neostriatum

Studies described here tested the hypothesis that phosphodiesterase 10A inhibition by a selective antagonist, MP-10, activates the dopamine D2 receptor expressing medium spiny neurons to a greater extent than the D1 receptor expressing neurons. We used regional pattern of c-Fos induction in the neostriatal subregions of rodents and direct assessment of D1-positive and -negative neurons in the DRd1a-tdTomato mice for the purpose. MP-10 (1, 3, 10 or 30 mg/kg, PO) dose-dependently increased c-Fos immunopositive nuclei in all regions of neostriatum. However, the effect was statistically greater in the dorsolateral striatum, a region known to be activated preferentially by the D2 antagonism, than the D1-activated dorsomedial striatum. The D2 antagonist, haloperidol (0.3, 1, or 3 mg/kg, PO) produced an identical, regional pattern of c-Fos induction favoring the dorsolateral striatum of the rat. In contrast, the D1 agonist, SKF82958 (0.5, 1, or 2 mg/kg, PO), induced greater expression of c-Fos in the dorsomedial striatum. The C57Bl/6 mouse also showed regionally preferential c-Fos activation by haloperidol (2 mg/kg, IP) and SKF82858 (3 mg/kg, IP). In the Drd1a-tdTomato mice, MP-10 (3 or 10 mg/kg, IP) increased c-Fos immunoreactivity in both types of neurons, the induction was greater in the D1-negative neurons. Taken together, both the regional pattern of c-Fos induction in the striatal sub-regions and the greater induction of c-Fos in the D1-negative neurons indicate that PDE10A inhibition produces a small but significantly greater activation of the D2-containing striatopallidal pathway.
Beyond Autonomy: Diversifying End‐of‐Life Decision‐Making Approaches to Serve Patients and Families

Efforts to improve end-of-life decision-making quality have emphasized the principle of individual autonomy to better ensure that patients receive care consistent with their preferences. This principle has primarily been defined through court decisions during the past 3 decades as a patient's right to refuse medical technologies and avoid life-prolonging treatments. However, autonomy as traditionally defined only serves a small segment of dying patients. Patients might not value autonomy or consider autonomy important but define it differently than decision-making self-determination. Some patients also think in terms of their care goals rather than individual treatment preferences. Patients' functional and cognitive abilities, age, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and desire to avoid burdening loved ones may influence attitudes and definitions regarding autonomy. To improve end-of-life decision-making for an increasingly multicultural and aging population, the following priorities should be set: (1) Increase the flexibility of advance care planning and decision-making strategies used with capable patients to encompass diverse perceptions of autonomy; and (2) Improve communication between physicians and patients' families when patients lack decision-making capacity to facilitate decision-making and address families' emotional burdens. The goal of these priorities is to promote understanding of patients' and families' decision-making preferences and goals and to minimize decision-making burdens on families.
Boards, Executive Excess Compensation, and Shared Power: Evidence from Nonprofit Firms

We investigate how executives, the board, and excess compensation jointly affect the performance of nonprofits. Since the common measure of nonprofit performance often includes salaries, we also use expenses that directly benefit the targeted population. Our results suggest that above average compensation for executives is associated with poor firm performance. However, the negative relation of CEO pay to performance occurs for firms with only one executive, the CEO. We conclude that a powerful CEO with autonomy can harm firm performance, but other executives can mitigate these agency problems. The board also appears to monitor direct community benefits more than indirect benefits.
The Use of Psychophysiological Measures for Designing Adaptive Learning Systems

When we trace the history of mind and learning theories we clearly see a transitioning course that traverses Cartesianism, Behaviorism, and finally Functionalism. Current advances in computer scanning technologies reinforce the view that learning should also be examined under the prism of brain-centered materialist theories. Adaptive learning systems are instructional technologies that try to minimize the mismatch between learner needs and the learning environment. Currently, they try to elicit the learner needs with performance measures but they ignore learner differences at the brain level. This paper offers a shift of viewpoint in thinking about future adaptive learning systems. If we want education to be precisely tailored to the needs of learners then instructional technologies must take advantage of known individual differences in brain processing. The paper offers the justification of such an approach, analyzes its implications, proposes an implementation model, reviews related work, and outlines future challenges.
A possible role for stochastic radiation events in the systematic disparity between molecular and fossil dates

Major discrepancies have been noted for some time between fossil ages and molecular divergence dates for a variety of taxa. Recently, systematic trends within avian clades have been uncovered. The trends show that the disparity is much larger for mitochondrial DNA than for nuclear DNA, also that it is larger for crown fossil dates than stem fossil dates. It has been argued that this pattern is largely inconsistent with incompleteness of the fossil record as the principal driver of the disparity. A case is presented that given the expected mutations from a fluctuating background of astrophysical radiation from such sources as supernovae, the rate of molecular clocks is variable and should increase back to a few Ma, before returning to the long-term average rate. This is a possible explanation for the disparity. One test of this hypothesis is to look for an acceleration of molecular clocks 2 to 2.5 Ma due to one or more moderately nearby supernovae known to have happened at that time. Another is to look for reduced disparity in benthic organisms of the deep ocean. In addition, due to the importance of highly penetrating muon irradiation, the disparity should be magnified for megafauna.
Abnormal development and catastrophic epilepsies: the clinical picture and relation to neuroimaging.

Publisher Summary From a clinical perspective, it is crucial to identify the anatomical substrates of the epileptic process early in life and to make the determination whether surgical treatment is likely to arrest and even reverse the “epileptic encephalopathy” so commonly seen in these infants and children. A number of studies have indicated that epilepsy surgery in children and young infants is feasible and provides not only relief of seizures but also improved overall function. Successful surgical removal of the epileptic focus leading to a seizure-free state while leaving in place residual subclinically epileptogenic tissue connected to the rest of the brain may not be sufficient to reverse optimally the cognitive delay. Considerable attention has therefore been given to define the “extent” of functionally abnormal tissue that is deemed “nociferous” to the remainder of the brain and that should be included in the resection. In this regard, various types of neuroimaging techniques have played an important role. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most important neuroimaging approach in the catastrophic epilepsies and is able to identify anatomically abnormal brain areas that are epileptogenic. This chapter considers some of the catastrophic epilepsies and illustrates the application of neuroimaging, particularly newer positron emission tomography (PET) approaches that are capable of providing highly specific information relevant to surgical treatment.
A Mouse Model of Chikungunya Virus–Induced Musculoskeletal Inflammatory Disease : Evidence of Arthritis, Tenosynovitis, Myositis, and Persistence

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an emerging mosquito-borne Alphavirus, causes debilitating rheumatic disease in humans that can last for weeks to months. Starting in 2004, a CHIKV outbreak in the Indian Ocean region affected millions of people, and infected travelers introduced CHIKV to new regions. The pathogenesis of CHIKV is poorly understood, and no approved vaccines or specific therapies exist. A major challenge to the study of CHIKV disease is the lack of a small animal model that recapitulates the major outcomes of human infection. In this study, the pathogenesis of CHIKV in C57BL/6J mice was investigated using biological and molecular clones of CHIKV isolated from human serum (CHIKV SL15649). After 14-day-old mice were inoculated with CHIKV SL15649 in the footpad, they displayed reduced weight gain and swelling of the inoculated limb. Histologic analysis of hind limb sections revealed severe necrotizing myositis, mixed inflammatory cell arthritis, chronic active tenosynovitis, and multifocal vasculitis. Interestingly, these disease signs and viral RNA persisted in musculoskeletal tissues for at least 3 weeks after inoculation. This work demonstrates the development of a mouse model of CHIKV infection with clinical manifestations and histopathologic findings that are consistent with the disease signs of CHIKV-infected humans, providing a useful tool for studying viral and host factors that drive CHIKV pathogenesis and for evaluating potential therapeutics against this emerging viral disease.
A Statistical Analysis of Absorptive Laser Damage in Dielectric Thin Films

The Weibull distribution arises as an example of the theory of extreme events. It is commonly used to fit statistical data arising in the failure analysis of electrical components and in DC breakdown of materials. This distribution is employed to analyze time-to-damage and intensity-to-damage statistics obtained when irradiating thin film coated samples of SiO 2 , ZrO 2 , and Al 2 O 3 with tightly focused laser beams. The data used is furnished by Milam. The fit to the data is excellent; we often obtain least squared correlation coefficients greater than 0.9. It is found almost universally that statistical models of breakdown, such as the lucky electron theory, oversimplify the damage process by neglecting nonlinear interactions and anisotropies induced by impurities. Thus, the fundamental intensity I relation on pulse length t p often deviates from the classical t p - 1 / 2 dependence resulting from 2-photon absorption without diffusion, or from linear absorption with diffusion, to dependencies as high as t p - 0 . 2 2 for the former to tp p - 0 . 4 4 for the latter. This fact, coupled with the experimental nonobservability of higher than 2-photon absorption seems to imply that the avalanche mechanism is the most likely initiator of the plasma requisite for lattice meltdown. Statistical confidence bands for material survivability as a function of laser intensity and pulse length can be constructed; this lends high practical utility to the Weibull distribution as an engineering diagnostic tool.
High pressure, near‐liquidus phase equilibria of the Home Plate basalt Fastball and melting in the Martian mantle

Near-liquidus phase equilibria experiments have been conducted on a synthetic Fastball basalt composition, as analyzed at Home Plate plateau of Mars (Gusev Crater), to test if it represents a primitive mantle derived melt and place constraints on the temperature of the ancient mantle and on the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary of Mars. The Fastball basalt is multiply saturated with olivine and orthopyroxene at ∼1.2 GPa and 1430°C. Based on melting models, we predict that the Fastball composition could be produced by 13–23% equilibrium melting of the Martian mantle, with extraction of melt from the base of ∼105 km thick lithosphere. The multiple saturation for Fastball also constrains the potential temperature of the Martian mantle to be approximately 1480–1530°C with an initial melting pressure of 4.0–4.7 GPa. This potential temperature is much lower than that of the terrestrial mantle derived from similarly ancient magmas, i.e., komatiites.
On a boundedness conjecture for output error adaptive algorithms

A boundedness conjecture is presented which states that all signals within a specified adaptive system including the output error and parameter estimates remain globally bounded for all time despite any locally unstable behavior. Results suggested by computer simulations are verified by an exact analysis of a linearized periodic version of the adaptive system. >
Second messenger systems stimulated by bradykinin in osteoblastic cells: evidence for B2 receptors.

Summary The effects of bradykinin, analogs and inhibitors on the human osteoblastic osteosarcoma cell lines Saos 2 and G292 and on normal rat calvarial osteoblastic cells were investigated. In all cell types, bradykinin (1 n M –100 μ M ) caused significant time- and dose-dependent changes in the levels of inositol phosphates. Neomycin inhibited the inositol phosphate response to bradykinin, while indomethacin had no effect. Bradykinin also elicited a dose-dependent increase in free cytosolic calcium concentration. Bradykinin and T-kinin did not affect cyclic AMP levels in these cells. Doses of des-Arg 9 -bradykinin, a B 1 receptor agonist, up to 100 n M did not stimulate the osteoblastic inositol phosphate response. In addition, the bradykinin-stimulated inositol phosphate response was unaffected by des-Arg 9 -[Leu 8 ]-bradykinin, a B 1 receptor antagonist, while it was inhibited by D-Arg-[Hyp 3 -[β-(2-thienyl)-Ala] 5,8 -D-Phe 7 ]-bradykinin, a B 2 receptor antagonist. These results suggest that in osteoblastic cells the mechanism of action of bradykinin involves stimulation of the phosphoinositide metabolism and increases in cytosolic calcium levels through activation of B 2 receptors.
Robust stability analysis of large-scale hydraulic control systems

Many large-scale hydraulic systems are so complex that their initial design must be carried out using only steady-state models-nonlinear dynamic characteristics are only checked for the final design configuration by simulation and/or prototype testing. This is due to the size and complexity of the models, the number of parameters, and the expense of each nonlinear analysis. This paper proposes a bifurcation-based procedure efficient enough to permit the consideration of system dynamics earlier in the design. The main obstacle to rigorous dynamic analysis of a large-scale system using bifurcation is the possibility of multiple response modes in the feasible parameter space. Each possible response mode has a different sensitivity with respect to the different system parameters, and the task of finding all possible response modes and determining which is the most likely to occur is daunting-but is feasible with an efficient analysis algorithm. The key advancement described in this paper is the development of an efficient global search procedure that combined with the closest bifurcation method produces a 'practically rigorous' result with respect to the identification of all possible response modes and a meaningful quantification of the relative probability of occurrence for each one. For demonstration, the global search procedure is used to rigorously analyze the stability robustness of a particular large-scale automatic transmission hydraulic system with a 9-dimensional state space and a 24-dimensional parameter space.
Expression of tumor necrosis factor‐α and its receptors type I and type II in human oocytes

The present study was conducted to examine the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and its receptors (types I and II, designated TNFR-I and TNFR-II, respectively) in human oocytes and cumulus cells at the mRNA and protein levels. mRNA expression was investigated using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/Southern hybridization procedure. DNA-free RNA was isolated from the oocytes/cumulus cells, reverse-transcribed, and PCR-amplified using specific oligonucleotide primers based upon genomic/cDNA sequences. The expected bands of 303 bp and 513 bp were observed in oocytes and cumulus cells using primers based on genomic/cDNA sequences of TNF-alpha and TNFR-II, respectively, that hybridized with specific cDNA probes in Southern blot hybridization procedure. The expected band of 368 bp was not observed in oocytes and cumulus cells using primers based on the TNFR-I cDNA sequence. Similar results were observed for expression at the protein level, as seen by the immunoreactivity of the specific antibodies with the paraformaldehyde-fixed oocytes and cumulus cells in the indirect immunofluorescence technique (IFT). These results indicate that human oocytes and cumulus cells express TNF-alpha and its receptor type II (TNFR-II), and not type I (TNFR-I), both at the mRNA and protein levels. These findings provide further evidence and substantiate the proposed physiologic role of TNF-alpha in ovarian function, and may lead to clinical applications in in vitro fertilization programs and in diagnosis and treatment of infertility in women, especially in cases attributed to ovarian dysfunction.
Voltage-Dependent Motions Reported from the N-Terminal Region in Human Slo1 BKCa Channels: S0 and Voltage Sensor Operation

The transmembrane region of large-conductance, voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channel α subunits (Slo1) possesses a unique topological feature when compared with those of other voltage-activated proteins: S0, an additional transmembrane segment that renders their short N-terminus extracellular (Wallner et al., 1996, PNAS). S0 mediates the interaction between pore-forming α and auxilliary β subunits, which facilitate channel activation and, in the case of β2 and β3, induce fast inactivation. Recent findings have proposed that S0 is flanked by transmembrane voltage-sensing domains S2-S4 (Liu et al., 2008, JGP). We used cut-open oocyte voltage-clamp fluorometry to explore the role of S0 in the function of the BK voltage sensor. By substituting unique Cysteines at positions 17-19 (20 thought to be at the extracellular tip of S0) of hSlo1 M4, and labeling them with the environment-sensitive fluorophore TMRM, we have resolved voltage-dependent conformational rearrangements, with Vhalf = −79 ±2.9 mV and z = 0.84 ±0.046 e0. Intriguingly, channel activation in these Cysteine mutants exhibited a facilitated voltage dependence of ionic conductance (∈″Vhalf = −30 mV) compared to pseudo-WT channels. We provide direct evidence that the N-terminus influences the operation of the voltage-sensing S2 and S4 transmembrane domains: mutation R20A induced pronounced shifts in the activations of voltage-sensing segments S2 and S4 (∈″Vhalf = 46 mV for S2, 66mV for S4) and a 35% reduction in the effective charge (z) of both. These results strongly indicate that the N-terminal region plays a significant role in the voltage sensor operation of human BKCa channels.
Nutrition for a lifetime system: a multimedia system for altering food supermarket shoppers' purchases to meet nutritional guidelines

Abstract The Nutrition for a Lifetime System(NLS) is a multimedia, public-access system housed in a kiosk in supermarkets designed to help shoppers decrease fat and increase fiber and fruits and vegetables in their food purchases in order to meet nutritional guidelines. In the present study, the NLS was modified from previous versions so that users' time was decreased to about 3–5 min per week, primarily consisting of viewing 10 weekly segments which used prompts, modeling, and prescriptive content plus interactions revolving around coupon offerings and selections. Coupon offerings were tied to program content, users' prior selections, and a nutrition priority order and were person-, store-, and timelimited. A monitoring system involving study participants' shopping receipts and an extensive nutrition database was used to track participants' food purchases and their nutritional content throughout the intervention. Participants, recruited at the supermarket, represented a cross-section by age and socioeconomic status of shoppers. All participants completed a baseline period (no NLS use.) Participants were then randomly assigned to an experimental (NLS use, N=54) or control (no NLS use; N=51) condition. The study's results showed the NLS significantly reduced fat and increased fiber and produce in NLS participants' purchases, with some evidence for maintenance at follow-up.
ipso-nitration of arylboronic acids with chlorotrimethylsilane-nitrate salts.

A mixture of nitrate salt and chlorotrimethylsilane is found to be an efficient regioselective nitrating agent for the ipso-nitration of arylboronic acids to produce the corresponding nitroarenes in moderate to excellent yields. High selectivity, simplicity, and convenience are the key features of the reaction.
On a conjecture of R. J. Simpson about exact covering congruences

(1989). On a Conjecture of R. J. Simpson About Exact Covering Congruences. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 96, No. 3, pp. 243-243.
Collision detection in IEEE 802.11 networks by error vector magnitude analysis

There are two causes of packet losses during a wireless transmission: losses caused by collisions and losses caused by poor channel conditions. The throughput and spatial reuse of IEEE 802.11 based wireless networks, as well as the effectiveness of the rate adaptation algorithms they use, is adversely affected by their inability to determine the real cause of a packet loss. To address this issue, this paper proposes a mechanism based on Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) to discern random channel errors from collisions in wireless networks. The proposed mechanism is based on first developing an analytic model to characterize the EVM of a packet in the presence and absence of a collision. A threshold based classifier is then proposed that selects the threshold value such that the crossover error rate is achieved. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed collision detection mechanism.
Presence and Ontogeny of Enkephalin and Substance P in the Chick Ciliary Ganglion

The avian ciliary ganglion has been reported to contain both enkephalin and substance P in preganglionic terminals. However, extensive biochemical characterization of these antigens has not been completed. Using radioimmunoassays specific for Met5- and for Leu5-enkephalin and for substance P we identified immunoreactive substances in ganglionic extracts that comigrate on HPLC columns with standard Met5- and Leu5-enkephalin and with substance P. The ontogeny of Met5-enkephalin and substance P during embryogenesis was determined in ganglionic extracts and we found that the content of Met5-enkephalin in the ganglion reached a peak at embryonic stage 37 whereas the content of substance P in the ganglion reached its maximum in the adult.
Characterization of antigenic components of immune complexes isolated from a melanoma patient

Immune complexes (IC) from the serum of a melanoma patient were partially purified with DEAE Affigel Blue. The IC were radioiodinated and then immobilized with activated Sepharose 4B. Immunologically bound components in the IC were dissociated with 3M MgCl2 followed by gel filtration chromatography. A distinct antigen component of about 700,000 daltons was obtained by refractionation of a region of the chromatogram containing antigenic activity by Sephacryl S-300 column chromatography. Though the antigenic component behaved as a single entity in the gel filtration, it consisted of at least five polypeptide chains that were revealed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions. However, 92,000 and 41,000 dalton subunits were predominant. This procedure may be useful for isolating tumor antigens from circulating IC of cancer patients.
Ribonucleic acids may be catalysts for the preferential synthesis of L-amino acid peptides: a minireview.

This minireview is a summary of the basic concepts and pieces of experimental evidence supporting a hypothesis that suggests a mechanism whereby purine monoribonucleotides havingd-ribose may be able to preferentially catalyze the synthesis ofl-amino acid peptides. The proposed mechanism involves a 2′–3′ diaminoacyl intermediate and the preference accrues from several factors that favor thel-isomer, principally for hydrophobic amino acids. Although the hypothesis has not been fully tested, some crucial evidence has been published. Other pieces of evidence are now being submitted or are in press for publication and still other experiments, principally on the step of peptide bond formation, are in the process of being carried out. The purpose of a review at this point is to present the hypothesis to the scientific community in hopes of generating discussion, suggestions, and evaluation by other workers. Should the hypothesis prove correct, it may represent the most primitive and fundamental relationship between the nucleic acid and protein systems. In addition, it would represent another important example of the catalytic ability of RNA.
Effect of vent aspect ratio on unsteady laminar buoyant flow through rectangular vents in large enclosures

The effects of vent aspect ratio on oscillatory flow regime through a horizontal opening were studied numerically. The physical model consisted of a vertical rectangular enclosure divided into two chambers by a horizontal partition. The partitions contained a slot that connected the two chambers. The upper chamber contains cold air and the lower chamber contains hot air. A density differential due to the different temperatures drives the interaction between the two chambers. The opposing forces at the interface between the two chambers create a gravitationally unstable system, and an oscillating exchange of fluid develops. Results were obtained for cases with L/D = 1, 0.5, and 2.0, where L represents the thickness of the partition and D represents the slot width of the opening in the partition. Results indicate that the flow exchange increases with partition thickness L/D = 0.5 and decreases for L/D = 2. The frequency of the oscillatory flow pattern is also examined for the different cases. Sudden bursts of upflow with a corresponding downflow have been documented and compared with experimental observations in the literature. The time traces of velocity and temperature fields for this flow regime reveal interesting mechanisms, which have been explained.
Evaluating the effectiveness of instruction in oral hygiene for mentally retarded boys.

Dr. Reynolds and his group demonstrate that effective toothbrushing can be taught to a group of retarded boys.
CP Nonconservation in the Partial Decay Rates of Charm and Beauty Mesons

The partial rate differences between particle and antiparticle decaying into their corresponding $\mathrm{CP}$-conjugate states for the charm and beauty mesons ${F}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$, ${D}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$, ${{B}_{u}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$, and ${{B}_{c}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ are estimated. Some decays have appreciable partial rate differences, notably ${B}_{u}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}{K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, ${D}^{\ensuremath{-}}{D}^{0*}$ and ${B}_{c}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\stackrel{-}{D}}^{0}$, ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\stackrel{-}{D}}^{0}$, ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}{D}^{\ensuremath{-}}$. The uncertainties involved in such analysis are discussed.
Attitudes toward HIV testing among impoverished inner-city African-American women.

During a study of the perceived benefits of unsafe (condomless) sex, some women's erroneous convictions that they have been tested for HIV seropositivity and most women's reluctance to identify their own sexual behaviors as high‐risk when explaining why they had been tested were noted. Many participants assumed that clinicians drawing their blood would check it for HIV when they checked for other matter, and most of those reporting that they have had or would have HIV tests saw the test as part of a routine health check. Factors underlying the women's optimistically biased denial of their own HIV/AIDS risks and their related refiguring of the purposes and conditions of HIV testing are discussed, and the ways in which the women's attitudes critique current policies are described. Because of the culturally promoted strength and importance of women's denial, testing programs that seek to capitalize on an evoked sense of risk cannot succeed; such programs threaten women's faith in their relationships and ques...
Tubulin assembly protein: Immunochemical and immunofluorescent studies on its function and distribution in microtubules and cultured cells

Abstract Cytoplasmic microtubule assembly from tubulin monomers requires an accessory protein or proteins present in isolated microtubules. These proteins have been designated "tau" factors. One such factor, tubulin assembly protein (TAP), has been purified to homogeneity from calf brain microtubules. A precipitating, monospecific antibody against the protein has been prepared. The antibody has been used to investigate the mechanism of TAP action in microtubule assembly and the distribution of TAP in cellular microtubules. Immunochemical, immunofluorescent and electron microscopic studies indicate that TAP functions stoichiometrically by binding physically to tubulin to form a complex active in microtubule assembly. TAP is an elongation protein which is required throughout the growth of a microtubule and which is actually present along the entire microtubule. Immunofluorescence microscopy has been used to demonstrate that TAP is distributed throughout the cytoplasmic microtubule network of cultured human, hamster and rat cells — both normal and virally transformed. Immunofluorescence of cells in mitosis shows that TAP is present in the mitotic spindle. These results demonstrate the biological importance of tubulin assembly protein and suggest that it or immunologically related "tau" proteins represent ubiquitous co-factors in cytoplasmic microtubule assembly.
Optimization of parameters for semiempirical methods. III. Extension of PM3 to Be, Mg, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Se, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Hg, Tl, Pb, and Bi

Using a recently developed procedure for optimizing parameters for semiempirical methods,1 PM3 has been extended to a total of 28 elements. Average ΔHf errors for the newly parameterized elements are Be: 8.6, Mg: 8.4, Zn: 5.8, Ga: 14.9, Ge: 11.4, As: 8.5, Se: 11.1, Cd: 2.6, In: 11.3, Sn: 9.0, Sb: 13.7, Te: 11.3, Hg: 6.8, Tl: 6.5, Pb: 7.4, and Bi: 10.9 kcal/mol. For some elements the paucity of data has resulted in a method, which, while highly accurate, is likely to be only poorly predictive.
Case 7 Clear Cell Sarcoma of Kidney

(1989). Case 7 Clear Cell Sarcoma of Kidney. Pediatric Pathology: Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 211-218.
p63 Is Essential for the Proliferative Potential of Stem Cells in Stratified Epithelia

The distinguishing feature of adult stem cells is their extraordinary capacity to divide prior to the onset of senescence. While stratified epithelia such as skin, prostate, and breast are highly regenerative and account disproportionately for human cancers, genes essential for the proliferative capacity of their stem cells remain unknown. Here we analyze p63, a gene whose deletion in mice results in the catastrophic loss of all stratified epithelia. We demonstrate that p63 is strongly expressed in epithelial cells with high clonogenic and proliferative capacity and that stem cells lacking p63 undergo a premature proliferative rundown. Additionally, we show that p63 is dispensable for both the commitment and differentiation of these stem cells during tissue morphogenesis. Together, these data identify p63 as a key, lineage-specific determinant of the proliferative capacity in stem cells of stratified epithelia.