cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Current and emerging pharmacological approaches for treating diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome

Introduction: Irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) is among the most common functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and is associated with impaired quality of life, increased health-care utilization, and significant costs to patients and society. The treatment of IBS is typically hierarchal with initial therapies consisting of dietary and lifestyle modifications. Pharmacotherapy with over-the-counter and prescription medications is also commonly used for symptomatic control in the course of therapy.Areas covered: Three medications are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for IBS-D, with all of them demonstrating efficacy in randomized, placebo-controlled trials. In this review, the authors discuss the clinical trial data applicable to the current FDA approved IBS-D therapies as well as review data related to new and emerging therapies for this condition.Expert opinion: Clinicians should be familiar with emerging therapies for IBS-D as they may provide benefit to some IBS-D patients. The exact mechanisms of action of many of the emerging agents for IBS-D remain unknown. Despite substantial differences and limitations in the design and quality of supporting studies, there is an increasing body of evidence suggesting that emerging agents may promote meaningful symptom improvement in patients with IBS-D.
Re-assessing stem cells in the stomach-one story two tales.

Gastric cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide, and it accounts for 3–10% of all cancer-related deaths. The vast majority (90–95%) of gastric cancers are adenocarcinomas which include two major histologic types, intestinal and diffuse. Although intestinal-type cancer has been associated with chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia, the exact mechanisms leading to cancer initiation and progression remain largely unknown. Stem/progenitor cell mutations have been linked to cancer initiation in multiple gastrointestinal organs including the esophagus, where we utilized lineage tracing to show that basal progenitor cells are the cell-of-origin for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (1). By contrast, the cell-of-origin for gastric cancers remains somewhat controversial, in part due to the possible presence of multiple stem cells in the stomach (2-5).
Electronic band contraction induced low temperature methane activation on metal alloys

The catalytic conversion of methane under mild conditions is an appealing approach to selectively produce value-added products from natural gas. Catalysts which can chemisorb methane can potentially overcome challenges associated with its high stability and achieve facile activation. Although transition metals can activate C–H bonds, chemisorption and low-temperature conversion remain elusive on these surfaces. The broad electronic bands of metals can only weakly interact with the methane orbitals, in contrast to specific transition metal oxide and supported metal cluster surfaces which are now recognized to form methane σ-complexes. Here, we report methane chemisorption can, remarkably, occur on metal surfaces via electronic band contraction and localization from metal alloying. From a broad screening including single atom and intermetallic alloys in various substrates, we find early transition metals as promising metal solutes for methane chemisorption and low-temperature activation. These findings demonstrate a combinatorial diversity of possible candidates in earth abundant metal alloys with this attractive catalytic behavior.
Temporal Logic Guided Locomotion Planning and Control in Cluttered Environments

We present planning and control techniques for non-periodic locomotion tasks specified by temporal logic in rough cluttered terrains. Our planning approach is based on a discrete set of motion primitives for the center of mass (CoM) of a general bipedal robot model. A deterministic shortest path problem is solved over the Buchi automaton of the temporal logic task specification, composed with the graph of CoM keyframe states generated by the motion primitives. A low- level controller based on quadratic programming is proposed to track the resulting CoM and foot trajectories. We demonstrate dynamically stable, non-periodic locomotion of a kneed compass gait bipedal robot satisfying complex task specifications.
Hidden treasures: Marca Perú (PeruTM) and the recoding of neoliberal indigeneity in the Andes

Since 2011, the Peruvian national branding scheme – Marca Peru, or ‘PeruTM’ – has oriented development projects that cultivate a thriving entrepreneurship rooted in ethnoracial difference throughou...
Iterative Feature Transformation for Fast and Versatile Universal Style Transfer.

The general framework for fast universal style transfer consists of an autoencoder and a feature transformation at the bottleneck. We propose a new transformation that iteratively stylizes features with analytical gradient descent (Implementation is open-sourced at https://github.com/chiutaiyin/Iterative-feature-transformation-for-style-transfer). Experiments show this transformation is advantageous in part because it is fast. With control knobs to balance content preservation and style effect transferal, we also show this method can switch between artistic and photo-realistic style transfers and reduce distortion and artifacts. Finally, we show it can be used for applications requiring spatial control and multiple-style transfer.
Diffusion of active particles with stochastic torques modeled as α-stable noise

We investigate the stochastic dynamics of an active particle moving at a constant speed under the influence of a fluctuating torque. In our model the angular velocity is generated by a constant torque and random fluctuations described as a Levy-stable noise. Two situations are investigated. First, we study white Levy noise where the constant speed and the angular noise generate a persistent motion characterized by the persistence time . At this time scale the crossover from ballistic to normal diffusive behavior is observed. The corresponding diffusion coefficient can be obtained analytically for the whole class of symmetric α-stable noises. As typical for models with noise-driven angular dynamics, the diffusion coefficient depends non-monotonously on the angular noise intensity. As second example, we study angular noise as described by an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process with correlation time driven by the Cauchy white noise. We discuss the asymptotic diffusive properties of this model and obtain the same analytical expression for the diffusion coefficient as in the first case which is thus independent on . Remarkably, for the crossover from a non-Gaussian to a Gaussian distribution of displacements takes place at a time which can be considerably larger than the persistence time .
A Quota Jury: Affirmative Action in Jury Selection

It is not too naive to believe that the use of affirmative action policies in the jury selection for the Rodney King beating trial of White police officers would have prevented the uprisings that followed their acquittal. The public outrage and riots that followed the verdict demonstrated the need for affirmative inclusion of racial minorities on jury trials to preserve and restore the public's confidence and legitimacy of verdicts in racially motivated cases. While racially mixed juries offer many benefits, current jury selection procedures fail to provide much protection to members of racial minorities in criminal trials. From the source list to the discriminatory use of peremptory challenges, the current selection procedures provide almost no protection to racial minorities. The issue of preferential treatments of racial minorities in education, employment, and business has divided the nation and even some minority communities themselves. Affirmative action in jury proceedings and trials, however, has yet to receive much deserved attention and critical scrutiny. This article empirically examines public perceptions of possible applications of affirmative action mechanisms in criminal jury proceedings, focusing on the uses of mandatory racial quotas to engineer racially integrated juries in criminal trials. Three different types of racially mixed juries-the jury "de medietate linguae," the Hennepin jury model, and the social science model-are examined, and the public's perceptions of affirmative mechanisms ensuring minority participation on juries are analyzed. This article argues that the affirmative mechanism to secure racially mixed juries is essential to both the appearance and substance of fairness in criminal jury proceedings, and both the Hennepin model and the social science model are overwhelmingly supported as the ideal types of affirmative jury structures in creating racially heterogeneous juries.
Vaping, SARS-CoV-2, and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome: A Perfect Storm

The use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and vaping among adolescents has risen exponentially in the last decade. E-cigarette flavors has driven adolescents to use these convenient, USB-like devices, designed to create a desired social image, while being seemingly unaware of the serious health consequences of their behavior. Vaping impacts protective pulmonary barriers by attenuating the mucociliary clearance and by increasing peribronchial inflammation and fibrosis. The recent SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has been characterized by a plethora of unusual disease presentations. Among them, a unique presentation seen exclusively in children and adolescents was multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). Seventy percent of adolescents who had MIS-C also had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and we speculate that there may exist common denominator that links MIS-C and adolescents: the use of e-cigarettes. The virus targets the angiotensin converting receptor (ACE receptor), and studies have shown nicotine-based e-cigarettes or vaping cause oxidative stress and resulting in the upregulation of ACE2, which might worsen ARDS in MIS-C. Our mini-review highlights that adolescents using e-cigarette have alterations in their pulmonary defenses against SARS-CoV-2: an upregulation of the ACE2 receptors, the primary target of SARS-CoV-2. Their compromised immune system makes them more uniquely vulnerable to Covid-19 related MIS-C, increasing their risk for ARDS and related morbidities. Currently, studies have shown an association between MIS-C and vaping, we speculate that adolescents who vape/smoke might be especially vulnerable to serious respiratory symptoms if they develop a hyper-inflammatory state MIS-C.
Prophylactic Amyloidectomy? Reasons for Caution in Moving to Biomarker-Based Dementia Interventions in Asymptomatic Individuals.

The development of new and better biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease pathology promises to transform the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. As McKeown et al. rightly note, such a trans...
Influence of atomic FAA on ParallelFor and a cost model for improvements.

This paper focuses on one of the most frequently visited multithreading library interfaces - ParallelFor. In this study, it is inferred that ParallelFor's end-to-end latency performance is noticeably affected by the frequency with which fetch-add-add (FAA) is called during program execution. This can be explained by ParallelFor's uniform semantics and the utilization of atomic FAA. To prove this assumption, a battery of tests was designed and conducted on diverse platforms. From the collected performance statistics and overall trends, several conclusions were drawn and a cost model is proposed to enhance performance by mitigating the influence of FAA.
Kin17 drives dissociation of Mira from the centrosome in neuroblasts by regulating splicing of Flfl

During asymmetric division of Drosophila neuroblasts, the fate determinant Prospero and its adaptor Miranda are segregated to the basal cortex through aPKC phosphorylation of Miranda and displacement from the apical cortex. Here we identify Kin17 as a novel regulator of Miranda localization during asymmetric cell division and loss of Kin17 or Protein Phosphatase 4 leads to aberrant localization of Miranda to the centrosome and cytoplasm and Prospero to the centrosome and nucleus. We report that dephosphorylation of Mira by Protein Phosphatase 4 at Serine-96 at the centrosome is required for the proper basal localization of Mira after being phosphorylated at the apical cortex. We further demonstrate that Kin17 regulates Miranda localization by promoting splicing of the transcript of a PP4 component Falafel. Taken together, our work reveals a novel mechanism that ensures proper basal localization of Miranda by preventing its aberrant localization to the centrosome during the asymmetric division.
PKC Isozymes and Skin Cancer

Cancers of the skin are a very common type of human malignancy, encompassing basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Of the three main types of skin cancer, the roles of PKC isozymes in squamous cell carcinoma have been most extensively studied due to the PKC agonist activity of phorbol ester tumor promoters used in the mouse skin chemical carcinogenesis model. These studies have identified PKC isozymes with oncogenic (PKCe) or tumor-suppressive (PKCδ, PKCη) activities. The activation of PKC isozymes in response to UV radiation, the main etiological agent for human skin cancers, has also implicated unique roles for PKC isozymes in human squamous cell carcinoma etiology. More recently, studies examining PKC isozyme expression and function in basal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma have uncovered isozyme-specific changes and roles in these skin cancers as well. This chapter will summarize our current understanding of PKC isozymes in skin cancer, as well as their function in normal keratinocyte and melanocyte biology.
THE STRATEGY OF TRANSLATING PUN IN ENGLISHINDONESIAN SUBTITLE OF AUSTIN POWERS: GOLDMEMBER

This paper concerns about the translation of pun in comedy movie's subtitle. The data is taken from a comedy movie Austin Powers: Goldmember. There are three problems that are being discussed in this paper. The first problem is the effect of different types of pun to translatability. Second, the strategies in translating different types of pun are discussed The last is the assessment of translation using register analysis in evaluating the extent of loss and gain occurred in the translation process. Key words: pun, translatability, translation strategy, register theory
Characterization of a transposon Tn916-generated mutant of Haemophilus ducreyi 35000 defective in lipooligosaccharide biosynthesis.

To define the role of the surface lipooligosaccharide (LOS) of Haemophilus ducreyi in the pathogenesis of chancroid, Tn916 mutants of H. ducreyi 35000 defective in expression of the murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) 3F11 epitope on H. ducreyi LOS were identified by immunologic screening. One mutant, designated 1381, has an LOS which lacks the MAb 3F11 epitope and migrates with an increased mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The gene disrupted by the Tn916 element in strain 1381 was identified by cloning the sequences flanking the Tn916 element. The sequences were then used to probe a lambda DASHII genomic library. In strain 1381, Tn916 interrupts a gene which encodes an open reading frame (ORF) with an Mr of 40,246. This ORF has homology to the product of the rfaK gene of Escherichia coli. The major LOS glycoform produced by strain 1381 was analyzed by using a combination of mass spectrometry, linkage and composition analysis, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The major LOS species was found to terminate in a single glucose attached to the heptose (L-glycero-D-manno-heptose, or Hep) trisaccharide core. In the wild-type strain 35000, glucose serves as the acceptor for the addition of the D-glycero-D-manno-heptose (or DDHep), which extends to form the mature branch of the H. ducreyi LOS. This mature oligosaccharide is in turn partially capped by the addition of sialic acid (NeuAc), i.e., NeuAc2 alpha-->3Gal beta1-->4GlcNAc beta1-->3Gal beta1-->4DDHep alpha1-->6Glc beta1 (W. Melaugh et al., Biochemistry 33:13070-13078, 1994). Since this LOS terminates prior to the addition of the branch DD-heptose, this gene is likely to encode the D-glycero-D-manno-heptosyltransferase. Strain 1381 exhibits a significant reduction in adherence to and invasion of primary human keratinocytes. This defect was complemented by the cloned heptosyltransferase gene, indicating that the terminal portion of the LOS oligosaccharide plays an important role in adherence to human keratinocytes.
Cytogenetic effects of cyclamates.

PHA-stimulated human peripheral lymphocytes were used as a model system for assessing the invitro effects of calcium cyclamate. Techniques of autoradiography, cytological staining, cell counting, liquid scintillation and karyotyping were used to study the cytogenetic damage and biochemical effects of calcium cyclamate when assayed in 24 hour intervals for 96 hours. The cells were exposed to 10−2 and 10−3 molar concentrations of calcium cyclamate in TC 199 medium with fetal calf serum and antibiotics. These studies were carried out in three (3) phases. Phase I was primarily orientation studies of the effects of cyclamates and included running preliminary test checks, the establishment of parameters of dosage, assessing growth patterns and selecting key chromosomal aberrations. Sixty four (64) of the metaphase spreads showed morphologically detectable changes and aberrations. It was also noted that the addition of cyclamate increased mitotic rate of lymphocyte cells in cultures.
Extreme ultraviolet lithography: optics – the next generation

Recent extreme ultraviolet lithography developments from teams at three DOE National Laboratories will be reported, including imaging results from the full-field Engineering Test Stand and the high-numerical-aperture Micro Exposure Tool
Fabrication of Gate Array Interconnect Structures Using Direct-Write Deposition Processes

General principles of laser direct-write deposition processes are reviewed. Device interconnection of CMOS gate arrays by means of computer-controlled, laser-induced thermochemical surface reactions is described. Maskless, automated, five-minute interconnection of 1000 gate CMOS array dies is described using discretionary laser-induced chemical vapor deposition. Eight 125-stage ring oscillators written on a single CMOS gate array die were shown to have the device-limited performance of similar patterns manufactured by a photolithographically patterned aluminum-silicon alloy. These results suggest the feasibility of using this method, Laser Pantography (LP), for rapid implementation of prototype and limited volume semi-custom VLSI circuits immediately after their design is completed.
Domatia mediate plant-arthropod mutualism

Leaf domatia are small hair-tufts or pockets on the lower surface of leaves, and are exceedingly common among perennial angiosperms, having been reported in 277 plant families and nearly 2,000 species1. Domatia seem to provide refuges for predatory arthropods. Here we show that cotton plants with experimentally added leaf domatia host larger populations of predatory arthropods and smaller populations of herbivorous mites than control plants. Total fruit production was increased by 30 per cent in plants with domatia — the first demonstration that plants benefit from their presence.
A Review of: “HEALING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION”

Daniel Amen, MD, is considered a preeminent expert in the study of the brain and behavior. He is the author of many professional articles and 15 books on behavioral medicine topics and has won writ...
The interaction of infectious ribonucleic acid with a mammalian cell line. II. Kinetics of the formation of infectious centers.

Abstract The kinetics of the interaction of Mengo RNA and L cells in a suspended cell system have been studied. The formation of infectious centers in this system is directly proportional to the concentration of RNA in the incubation mixture, and to the total number, rather than concentration, of cells. The rate at which infectious centers are produced is strongly temperature dependent. At 37°, 27°, and 17°, the rates are linear for 15, 40, and 60 minutes, respectively, after which there is a rapid decline in the number of infectious centers recovered. The effect of temperature is adequately described by the Arrhenius equation for “irreversible” first-order reactions. The temperature characteristic, μ, of the system was found to be 18,700 cal/mole for the temperature range 25°–40°, and 33,900 cal/mole for the range 6°–21°. Some of the implications of the data are discussed.
Alteration of a single serine in the basic domain of the Epstein-Barr virus ZEBRA protein separates its functions of transcriptional activation and disruption of latency.

The ZEBRA protein from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activates a switch from the latent to the lytic expression program of the virus. ZEBRA, a member of the bZIP family of DNA-binding proteins, is a transcriptional activator capable of inducing expression from viral lytic cycle promoters. It had previously been thought that ZEBRA9s capacity to disrupt EBV latency resided primarily in its ability to activate transcription of genes that encode products required for lytic replication. We generated a point mutant of ZEBRA, Z(S186A), that was not impaired in its ability to activate transcription; however, this mutation abolished its ability to initiate the viral lytic cascade. The mutant, containing a serine-to-alanine substitution in the DNA-binding domain of the protein, bound to several known ZEBRA-binding sites and activated transcription from reporters bearing known ZEBRA-responsive promoters but did not disrupt latency in EBV-infected cell lines. Therefore, initiation of the EBV lytic cycle by the ZEBRA protein requires a function in addition to transcriptional activation; a change of serine 186 to alanine in the DNA-binding domain of ZEBRA abolished this additional function and uncovered a new role for the ZEBRA protein in disruption of EBV latency. The additional function that is required for initiation of the lytic viral life cycle is likely to require phosphorylation of serine 186 of the ZEBRA protein, which may influence either DNA recognition or transcriptional activation of lytic viral promoters in a chromatinized viral episome.
Sounds of the Metropolis: The 19th-Century Popular Music Revolution in London, New York, Paris, and Vienna

Derek B. Scott, New York: Oxford University Press, 2008, ISBN-10: 0195309464; ISBN-13: 9780195309461, 320 pp, $39.95 For most of us, when we think about the history of popular music, we tend to thi...
Extraterrestrials and Generic Social Processes Minimizing Resistance in Teaching the Reproduction of Inequality

In this article, the authors describe a class activity that uses a combination of strategies to overcome obstacles students face when learning about the reproduction of inequality in everyday life. Based on Schwalbe et al.’s (2000) piece on "generic social processes," and following the idea of "making the strange familiar and the familiar strange," the authors had students pretend to be aliens to investigate how generic social processes are used in the United States to both maintain privilege and cope with oppression. The activity facilitates students’ understanding of how inequality is reproduced through interaction rather than by "social forces." The activity provides students with a hands-on way to grasp the reproduction of inequality from a social-psychological perspective. It also encourages students to see how valuable qualitative research is for helping sociologists understand how inequality is reproduced across contexts.
Snag longevity and surface fuel accumulation following post-fire logging in a ponderosa pine dominated forest

In a study of post-fire logging effects over an 8 year period at Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest, salvage logging was conducted at varying levels of intensity after a 2002 wildfire event. In a designed experiment, harvest prescriptions with snag retention levels ranging from 0% to 100% in 15 experimental units were installed. Observations of standing snags and surface fuels were made 2, 4, 6, and 8 years after the fire. Fire-killed snags fell rapidly over time, leading to elevated surface fuel levels in areas where no salvage logging was done. The 1000 h and larger surface fuels were strongly related with basal area retention level, with values ranging from 0–60 Mg ha-1 by year eight. However, when expressed as a percent of standing retained biomass, surface fuel accumulation was not related to treatment. In year 8, surface fuel was 81% of retained bole biomass. The retention of snags after this wildfire event provided snags for wildlife foraging and nesting habitat, however most of these snags were lost within 8 years after the fire. White fir snags were more stable than pine and appeared to be used with greater frequency than pine for cavity excavation
Simulation of adaptive controlled machining

Abstract This paper presents a basic digital simulation structure for adaptive controlled machining processes. The use of this approach to determine the feasibility of adaptive control is discussed and illustrated in the context of a turning operation.
Quary Expansion Using Local and Global Document Analysis

Automatic query expansion has long been suggested as a technique for dealing with the fundamental issue of word mismatch in information retrieval. A number of approaches to expansion have been studied and, more recently, attention has focused on techniques that analyze the corpus to discover word relationship (global techniques) and those that analyze documents retrieved by the initial query ( local feedback). In this paper, we compare the effectiveness of these approaches and show that, although global analysis haa some advantages, local analysia is generally more effective. We also show that using global analysis techniques.
Growth management in Maricopa County, 1988–1992: An application of Kindgon's agenda setting model

Abstract This is a case of growth management activities of Maricopa County, Arizona, the metropolitan-Phoenix area, between 1988 and 1992. It tests Kingdon's three stream model of agenda setting as an analytical approach to explaining the development of regional governance. Growth planning is a controversial topic in Maricopa County. The region contains numerous, fiercely independent local jurisdictions; competition between the private and public sectors for control of the growth planning process; and a growth-fueled economy. Some successes in regional growth planning occurred, but political forces constrained full regional governance. Longer term assessment of growth planning in Maricopa County needs to go beyond Kingdon's model and case study analysis.
The effect of Ti:W Barrier metal on characteristics of palladium-silicide Schottky Barrier diodes

The values of diode-quality factor and reverse-current leakage of Au/Pd/Ti:W/Pd2Si/nSi unguarded Schottky barrier diodes are much higher than expected from silicide/silicon junction-radius induced highfield effects. Experimental Ti-, W-, and Ti:W-MIS structures were built and tested to show that Ti is responsible for the formation of a parasitic Ti-MIS structure around the unguarded-diode perimeter. This parasitic structure is responsible for excessive current leakage and also for an additional unguarded-diode degradation induced by annealing at 400 °C.
Coupling efficiency of the tapered coupler

Analytic solutions, in terms of parabolic cylinder functions, are presented for the mode amplitudes and power in a directional coupler having a constant coupling coefficient and propagation constants that vary linearly. The solutions lead to a remarkably simple expression for the coupling efficiency.
Heteroepitaxial Growth of GaN on 6H‐SiC(0001) by Plasma‐Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

We report on the correlation between growth conditions and defect densities, as well as the defect generation mechanism, for GaN directly deposited on H-etched SiC(0001) by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy. 10 nm thin GaN nucleation layers were deposited at different conditions (600 to 800 °C, Ga-lean to Ga-rich). The island size increased from about 50 nm (600 °C, Ga-lean) to about 250 nm (800 °C, Ga-rich). Additionally, we examine epilayers nucleated under these conditions but overgrown with 300 nm GaN (720 °C, Ga-stable). These samples clearly show atomic steps, however, they exhibit rather different defect densities for different nucleation conditions (10 11 cm -2 for 600 °C and Ga-lean to 10 10 cm -2 for 800 °C and Ga-rich) as determined by plan-view transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, we performed growth-stop experiments using GaN-thicknesses ranging 2 to 2000 nm for studying the defect generation. It appears that island coalescence is the main source of threading dislocations.
The three little pigs

Opening a copy ofThe Mathematical Intelligencer you may ask yourself uneasily, “What is this anyway—a mathematical journal, or what?” Or you may ask, “Where am I?” Or even “Who am I?” This sense of disorientation is at its most acute when you open to Colin Adams’s column.
Characterization of pulsed laser deposited PbO/MoS2 by transmission electron microscopy

Films of PbO/MoS2, grown by pulsed laser deposition, exhibit a significant improvement in tribological performance compared to MoS2 films grown by the same process. The microstructure and crystallography of PbO/MoS2 composite films were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to identify the features responsible for this tribological improvement. Self-supporting samples were prepared from pulsed laser deposited, PbO/MoS2 thin films grown on single crystal sodium chloride substrates. Films deposited at room temperature exhibited a two-phase microstructure with one of the phases being amorphous. X-ray microanalysis results showed that the crystalline phase had significantly higher concentration ratios of Mo/Pb, Mo/S, and Pb/S than did the amorphous phase. Films grown at 300 °C were polycrystalline, with a grain size of about 20 nm, and had a NaCl type structure which was isomorphous to PbS. The grains had rectangular shape, and exhibited preferred orientation with the sodium chloride substrate. The concentration of S for these films was approximately 80% of the S concentration for films grown at room temperature. Both the high temperature and room temperature films had S concentrations which were higher than expected from the MoS2 in the target; this was attributed to gettering of the S in the vacuum chamber by Pb. The electron diffraction results, together with previously published results, suggest that the crystal structure of the phases in these films is not responsible for the improvement in tribological properties. However, the microstructural components formed during film growth do determine the wear-induced chemical reaction pathways.
A proposed cyclic cleavage crack growth model for fatigue of BCC iron and its alloys

Work in progress to define in detail the microscopic growth process in Fe, Fe-Ni, and Fe-Si at temperature below their ductile-brittle transition is described. (FS)
Inhalation studies to evaluate the teratogenic and embryotoxic potential of β-chloroprene (2-chlorobutadiene-1,3)☆☆☆

Abstract Pregnant rats in two studies were exposed by inhalation to 0, 1, 10, and 25 ppm of β-chloroprene for 4 hr daily. Dams in one study (50 per group) were exposed on Days 1 through 12 and sacrificed on Day 17 to evaluate the embryotoxic potential of β-chloroprene. Dams in a teratology study (25 per group) were exposed on Days 3 through 20 and sacrificed on Day 21 of gestation. Male rats in a reproduction study were exposed to 25 ppm or β-chloroprene, 4 hr daily for 22 days and bred with untreated virgin females (three new females per male each week) for 8 consecutive weeks. No maternal, embryonal, or fetal toxicity was observed in the first two studies at levels of 1, 10, or 25 ppm β-chloroprene. Maternal exposure to β-chloroprene did not affect the development of rat fetuses as measured by weight and crownrump length and did not result in major external, skeletal, or soft tissue malformations. The reproductive capability of males exposed to 25 ppm of β-chloroprene 4 hr daily for 22 days was not impaired. The results of these studies indicate that 25 ppm of β-chloroprene, the present threshold limit value, is not embryotoxic or teratogenic and does not impair reproductive capability of male rats. These results are at variance with previous findings from the Soviet Union.
Risk factors for ocular complications and poor visual acuity at presentation among patients with uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Purpose To describe the frequencies of and risk factors for ocular complications and poor visual acuity at presentation in a cohort of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated uveitis. Design Cross-sectional study. Methods setting: Single-center, academic practice. study population: Seventy-five patients with JIA-associated uveitis were evaluated between July 1984 and August 2005. observation procedures: Data on patients diagnosed with JIA-associated uveitis were entered retrospectively into a database and analyzed. outcome measures: Visual acuity of 20/50 or worse or 20/200 or worse, and presence of ocular complications (including cataract, posterior synechiae, band keratopathy, elevated intraocular pressure, hypotony, macular edema, and epiretinal membrane) at presentation. Results At presentation, ocular complications were seen in 67% of eyes affected by JIA-associated uveitis. Presence of ≥1* anterior chamber flare, a positive antinuclear antibody (ANA), and a shorter duration between the diagnosis of arthritis and uveitis were significantly associated with the presence of ocular complication. The frequencies of 20/50 or worse and of 20/200 or worse visual acuities at presentation in affected eyes were 36% and 24%, respectively. The presence of ≥1* anterior chamber flare and a history of intraocular surgery before presentation were significantly associated with 20/50 or worse and 20/200 or worse vision. Presence of posterior synechiae also was associated with 20/200 or worse vision at presentation. The main causes of poor vision at presentation for affected eyes and better-seeing eyes were cataract, band keratopathy within the visual axis, and glaucoma. Conclusions Ocular complications and poor vision at presentation were common in our patients with JIA-related uveitis.
Estimation of the daily global solar irradiation at Corvallis, Oregon (U.S.A.) from the hours of bright sunshine, the daily temperature range and relative humidity

Simple empirical relationships based on the hours of bright sunshine, the daily temperature range and relative humidity have been developed to estimate the daily global solar irradiation at Corvallis, Oregon (U.S.A.). It is observed that the greater part of the variability in the daily solar radiation income at the surface is explained by changes in the available solar energy at the top of the atmosphere in the course of the year. The relationship based on the hours of bright sunshine yields estimates of the daily global solar irradiation which compare favorably with the measured values (coefficient of determination >0-90).
Structure and interfacial properties of spontaneously adsorbed n-alkanethiolate monolayers on evaporated silver surfaces

Monolayer films of n-alkanethiols (CH 3 (CH 2 ) n SH, n=3-15, 17) have been spontaneously adsorbed from solution at evaporated Ag films. These monolayers have been characterized with optical ellipsometry, contact angle measurements, and external reflection infrared spectroscopy (IRS). The IRS data indicate that the monolayers with long chains (n≥10) are predominantly densely packed, crystalline-like structures with all-trans conformational sequences exhibiting average tilts of ∼13 o from the surface normal
Association of ventricular premature complexes with electrocardiographic-estimated left ventricular mass in a population of african-american and white men and women (the atherosclerosis risk in communities [ARIC] study)

Increased left ventricular (LV) mass is often found in adults and is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular mortality. To test the hypothesis that an electrocardiographic estimate of LV mass--the Cornell voltage--is associated with ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) in free-living adults, a cross-sectional analysis of the predictors of VPCs on a 2-minute rhythm strip in a population-based sample of 13,606 middle-aged, African-American and white men and women from 4 US communities in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study baseline examinations was performed. In adults without known coronary artery disease, the prevalence of VPCs increases monotonically with increasd Cornell voltages within ethnicity and gender groups. Independent of systemic hypertension, serum electrolytes, age, heart rate, educational attainment, gender, and ethnicity, a millivolt increase in Cornell voltage was associated with a 20% to 30% increase in the prevalence odds ratio of VPCs on the 2-minute electrocardiogram. Thus, Cornell voltage is associated with VPCs on a 2-minute electrocardiogram. The association is consistent in African-Americans, whites, men, and women.
The effect of “alert” hypnosis and hypnotic responsiveness onreading comprehension

Abstract 3 antecedent conditions were compared for their ability to increase reading comprehension. The conditions were: (a) “alert” hypnosis followed by posthypnotic suggestion of enhanced recall, (b) task motivation instructions to Ss to imagine and concentrate as much as possible, and (c) no special instructions (control). No differences in reading comprehension were found among the conditions. Also, high and low susceptible Ss performed essentially the same. The findings indicate further study and possibly long-term hypnotic training to clarify the usefulness of hypnosis for enhancing meaningful learning.
A new species of Stenobiella Tillyard (Neuroptera, Berothidae) from Australia.

Stenobiella variola sp. n., a new species of beaded lacewing (Neuroptera: Berothidae), is described and figured from south-eastern Australia. A preliminary key to Stenobiella species is presented.
Effects of excitatory neurotransmitters on Ca2+ channel current in smooth muscle cells isolated from guinea-pig urinary bladder

1. A whole-cell voltage clamp technique was used to examine the effects of purinoceptor and muscarinic receptor agonists on voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels in guinea-pig isolated urinary bladder cells. 2. When the cell membrane was clamped at the holding potential, rapid application of ATP elicited a large inward current in normal solution containing 2.5 mM Ca2+, and reduced the subsequent Ca2+ channel current evoked by a depolarizing pulse (0 mV). Carbachol (CCh) elicited little membrane current, but similarly reduced the Ca2+ current. 3. When purinoceptor agonists were rapidly applied during conditioning depolarizations at +80 mV, an outward current was elicited, and the Ca2+ channel current evoked by the subsequent test potential of 0 mV was not affected. Application of CCh at +80 mV also elicited an outward current, but it reduced the subsequently evoked Ca2+ current. 4. The inhibitory effect of muscarinic agonists on the Ca2+ channel current was attenuated by caffeine (10 mM). 5. In Ca(2+)-free, low-Mg2+ solution, a Na+ current flowing through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels was evoked by depolarization. This current was not reduced by bath application of purinoceptor agonists (ATP and alpha,beta-methylene ATP). 6. These results suggest that the main effect of purinoceptor stimulation is opening of non-selective cation channels, and that muscarinic stimulation triggers Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. Voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels are inactivated through an increase in intracellular Ca2+ induced by either activation of purinoceptor or muscarinic receptors.
Reproductive ecology of four subtidal red algae

Abstract The reproduction and stature of the red algae Callophyllis cristata (C. Ag.) Kuetz., Membranoptera alata (Huds.) Stackh., Phycodrys rubens (Huds.) Batt., and Ptilota serrata Kuetz. were recorded from subtidal populations at Appledore Island, Maine, U.S.A., with respect to time and depth. Only Membranoptera alata exhibited a conspicuous seasonal fluctuation of reproduction. A vertical gradient of reproduction was evident, with reduced levels of reproduction in shallow populations of Phycodrys rubens and Ptilota serrata , as well as deep populations of Phycodrys rubens , Membranoptera alata and Callophyllis cristata . Differential stratification of the reproductive phases of Ptilota serrata occurred with higher frequencies of tetrasporic plants in deep populations and of cystocarpic plants in shallow populations. In contrast, the haploid and diploid plants of the other three species showed similar distributional patterns. Membranoptera alata , Phycodrys rubens , and Callophyllis cristata showed a conspicuous decrease in stature during maximum reproduction.
A Sibling-Comparison Study of Smoking During Pregnancy and Childhood Psychological Traits

Prenatal exposure to substances of abuse is associated with numerous psychological problems in offspring, but quasi-experimental studies controlling for co-occurring risk factors suggest that familial factors (e.g., genetic and environmental effects shared among siblings) confound many associations with maternal smoking during pregnancy (SDP). Few of the quasi-experimental studies in this area have explored normative psychological traits in early childhood or developmental changes across the lifespan, however. The current study used multilevel growth curve models with a large, nationally-representative sample in the United States to investigate for potential effects of SDP on the developmental trajectories of cognitive functioning, temperament/personality, and disruptive behavior across childhood, while accounting for shared familial confounds by comparing differentially exposed siblings and statistically controlling for offspring-specific covariates. Maternal SDP predicted the intercept (but not change over time) for all cognitive and externalizing outcomes. Accounting for familial confounds, however, attenuated the association between SDP exposure and all outcomes, except the intercept (age 5) for reading recognition. These findings, which are commensurate with previous quasi-experimental research on more severe indices of adolescent and adult problems, suggest that the associations between SDP and developmental traits in childhood are due primarily to confounding factors and not a causal association.
Quantification of immunohistochemistry—issues concerning methods, utility and semiquantitative assessment II

Immunohistochemistry is entering its fourth decade of use on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. Over this period the method has evolved to become a major part of the practice of diagnostic surgical pathology worldwide. From the beginning immunohistochemistry has been adapted to provide a range of markers of cell lineage and tissue type, with particular application to the diagnosis and classification of tumours. In this modality immunohistochemical methods were employed simply as 'special stains', the results of which were evaluated qualitatively by the pathologist, as for any other stain. More recently, attention has shifted to the demonstration of prognostic markers in tumour cells, driven by the advent of molecular biology and the discovery of numerous regulatory molecules, coupled with manufacture of the corresponding specific antibodies. Immunohistochemistry has rapidly adapted to this new use, but in so doing the demand for quantification has become paramount; it is no longer enough that the 'stain' is there; rather it is a question of 'How much is there?'. This review explores the limitations of immunohistochemistry when employed in a semiquantitative mode, and explores the possibility of fulfilling the full potential of immunohistochemistry, as a true quantitative immunoassay applied in a tissue section environment.
Chemical comparison of dust and soil from the Sevier Dry Lake, UT, USA

Abstract Composition of dust transported locally, regionally, and globally has influences on human health, ecosystem functioning, and biogeochemical cycling. This study aimed to characterize differences between dust and soil samples at a dust source in the eastern Great Basin of Utah, USA. Dust and soil samples were collected from the Sevier Dry Lake, a known dust producing playa in this region. Samples were resuspended in the laboratory and collected using an 8-stage Davis Rotating-drum Universal-size-cut Monitoring (DRUM) impactor. Collected samples were analyzed for elemental concentration using Synchrotron X-Ray Fluorescence (SXRF). Element concentration was normalized and analyzed for enrichment relative to major soil element Al. Dust and soil samples contain similar enrichments of major soil elements including Si, Fe, Ca, K, Mg, and Ti. However, dust samples were significantly more enriched in Na derived from the surface salts of the Sevier Dry Lake. Minor soil elements (all elements analyzed apart from the major soil elements) were generally more enriched in dust samples and had larger enrichment values (up to 104) than seen in previous studies. Further, for dust and soil samples, the fine fraction (
Symptomatic spinal epidural lipomatosis after local epidural corticosteroid injections: case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Spinal epidural lipomatosis, which causes symptomatic compression of neural elements, is a well known but uncommon complication of Cushing's syndrome. Spinal epidural lipomatosis has been reported frequently in association with chronic systemic corticosteroid therapy, but thus far only one case has been attributed to local epidural corticosteroid injections. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We report another case of symptomatic spinal epidural lipomatosis after epidural corticosteroid injections. This is the first such case documented by magnetic resonance imaging and confirmed with surgical exploration. INTERVENTION: The patient's symptoms of neurogenic claudication resolved after lumbar laminectomy in the region of previous corticosteroid injections and the removal of epidural fat, which was compressing the thecal sac. CONCLUSION: This case should alert clinicians that epidural lipomatosis, which causes symptomatic thecal sac compression, is a possible complication, not only of systemic glucocorticoid therapy, but also of local epidural corticosteroid injections.
Application of MS-WHIM Descriptors: 3. Prediction of Molecular Properties

MS-WHIM descriptors were developed in attempt to capture global 3D chemical information at molecular surface level. Initially, they contained information about size, shape and electrostatic distribution of a molecule. More recently they were enriched introducing new molecular surface properties related to hydrogen bonding capacity and hydrophobicity. This paper reports the application of expanded MS-WHIM descriptors to model: i) logP of 268 small organic molecules, ii) Caco-2 cell permeability of 17 heterogeneous compounds, and iii) pKa values of 15 substituted imidazoles. PLS regressions were derived and validated through cross-validation, repeated scrambling of the response variables, and test set predictions. The analysis of PLS models showed that MS-WHIM provided meaningful structure-property correlations: i) q2=0.709, ii) q2=0.797, and iii) q2=0.728. Hydrogen bonding capacity and hydrophobicity played a significant role and considerably improved the results. MS-WHIM descriptors, due to their holistic character, appear to be usefully applicable to a wide variety of chemical and biological problems.