cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development and Application of the Metalloprotease Activity Multiplexed Bead-Based Immunoassay (MAMBI)

Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-dependent endopeptidases that cleave various proteins to regulate normal and diseased cellular functions, and as such, they play significant roles in human tissue development, homeostasis, and the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cancers, endometriosis, arthritis, etc. Most MMPs are produced as zymogenic latent enzymes that must be cleaved to activate their catalytic regions, and localized endogenous protein inhibitors further regulate activity. Accordingly, they operate within recursive networks to degrade extracellular matrix proteins and regulate cell signaling by cleaving growth factors and receptors at the cell surface and in the local pericellular environment. Thus, high-resolution information about the concentrations of specific active MMPs, revealing their intricate regulatory networks, may improve disease diagnosis and treatment. Here, we introduce a new and readily mastered method for measuring MMP activities in a multiplex fashion. We integrate aspects of activity-based enzyme labeling with commercial high-throughput, multiplexed protein quantification to yield the metalloproteinase activity multiplexed bead-based immunoassay (MAMBI). Assays of recombinant active MMP-1, -2, -3, -7, -8, -9, -12, and -13 establish the sensitivity and selectivity of MAMBI detection. Levels of active native MMPs are similarly characterized in conditioned cell culture medium, menstrual effluent, and uterine tissue. In a single MAMBI (5 μL), we achieve sensitivities equal to those from leading single-plex MMP activity detection strategies (e.g., 10-15 M for MMP-1). We also demonstrate high-throughput inhibitor screening via the MAMBI approach in complex, patient-derived samples.
Measurements of dark triplet exciton diffusion in a phosphor-sensitized organic photovoltaic cell

Organic photovoltaic cell performance is limited in part by a short exciton diffusion length (LD). While state-of-the-art devices address this challenge using a morphology-optimized bulk heterojunction (BHJ), longer LD would relax domainsize constraints and enable higher efficiency in simple bilayer architectures. One approach to increase LD is to exploit long-lived triplet excitons in fluorescent materials. Though these states do not absorb light, they can be populated using a host-guest triplet-sensitized architecture. Photogenerated host singlets undergo energy transfer to a guest, which rapidly forms triplets that are transferred back to the long-lived host triplet state. Previous efforts have been focused on Pt- and Irbased guests. Here, a host-guest pairing of metal-free phthalocyanine (H2Pc) and copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) is explored, advantageous as the guest also has strong and complementary optical absorption. In optimized devices (20 vol.% CuPc), the short-circuit current is enhanced by 20%. To probe the origin of the enhancement, the exciton LD is measured using a device-based methodology that relies on fitting ratios of donor-to-acceptor internal quantum efficiency as a function of layer thickness. Compared with the neat H2Pc, the LD of the 20 vol.% CuPc doped layer increases from (8.5 ± 0.4) nm to (13.4 ± 1.6 nm), confirming the increased device current comes from enhanced exciton harvesting.
Research on Fault Excitation Technology of Smart Meters

When the voltage line of the smart meter is interrupted frequently, the emergency response capability of the hardware and software functions of the smart meter will be tested. The internal parameter setting, clock recording, metering performance and deduction function may be disordered. In order to test the emergency response capability and stimulate the potential failure of the smart meter, this paper designs a set of smart meter voltage response capability tests. Through the test, it is found that some manufacturers' smart meters have inaccurate measurement and communication interruption.
A simple, yet novel hybrid-dynamic conformal arc therapy planning via flattening filter-free beam for lung stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Purpose Due to multiple beamlets in the delivery of highly modulated volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) plans, dose delivery uncertainties associated with small-field dosimetry and interplay effects can be concerns in the treatment of mobile lung lesions using a single-dose of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Herein, we describe and compare a simple, yet clinically useful, hybrid 3D-dynamic conformal arc (h-DCA) planning technique using flattening filter-free (FFF) beams to minimize these effects. Materials and methods Fifteen consecutive solitary early-stage I-II non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who underwent a single-dose of 30 Gy using 3-6 non-coplanar VMAT arcs with 6X-FFF beams in our clinic. These patients' plans were re-planned using a non-coplanar hybrid technique with 2-3 differentially-weighted partial dynamic conformal arcs (DCA) plus 4-6 static beams. About 60-70% of the total beam weight was given to the DCA and the rest was distributed among the static beams to maximize the tumor coverage and spare the organs-at-risk (OAR). The clinical VMAT and h-DCA plans were compared via RTOG-0915 protocol for conformity and dose to OAR. Additionally, delivery efficiency, accuracy, and overall h-DCA planning time were recorded. Results All plans met RTOG-0915 requirements. Comparison with clinical VMAT plans h-DAC gave better target coverage with a higher dose to the tumor and exhibited statistically insignificance differences in gradient index, D2cm , gradient distance and OAR doses with the exception of maximal dose to skin (P = 0.015). For h-DCA plans, higher values of tumor heterogeneity and tumor maximum, minimum and mean doses were observed and were 10%, 2.8, 1.0, and 2.0 Gy, on average, respectively, compared to the clinical VMAT plans. Average beam on time was reduced by a factor of 1.51. Overall treatment planning time for h-DCA was about an hour. Conclusion Due to no beam modulation through the target, h-DCA plans avoid small-field dosimetry and MLC interplay effects and resulting in enhanced target coverage by improving tumor dose (characteristic of FFF-beam). The h-DCA simplifies treatment planning and beam on time significantly compared to clinical VMAT plans. Additionally, h-DCA allows for the real time target verification and eliminates patient-specific VMAT quality assurance; potentially offering cost-effective, same or next day SBRT treatments. Moreover, this technique can be easily adopted to other disease sites and small clinics with less extensive physics or machine support.
Other Duties as Assigned: The Ambiguous Role of the High School Counselor:

Previous research suggests high school counselors are not living up to their potential as social/emotional, academic, and postsecondary counselors. This article addresses this concern by studying h...
Active Noise Cancellation With MEMS Resonant Microphone Array

This article presents active noise cancelation (ANC) based on MEMS resonant microphone array (RMA) which offers very high sensitivities (and thus very low noise floors) near resonance frequencies and also provides filtering in acoustic domain. The ANC is targeted to actively cancel out any sound between 5–9 kHz (above the speech range of 300 – 3,400 Hz). The ANC works best around the resonance frequencies of the resonant microphones where the sensitivities are high. The ANC has been implemented with analog inverter, digital phase compensator, digital adaptive filter, and deep learning, and shown to perform better with a digital adaptive filter for both RMA-based and flat-band-microphone-based ANC. At the same time, when the sound intensity over 5 – 9 kHz is low, RMA-based ANC with adaptive filter works the best among different approaches tested. Automatic speech recognition under different noises (of different intensity levels) has been tested with ANC. In all the tested cases, word error rate improves with ANC. [2020-0212]
Measurement Properties of the CAPACITY Instrument to Assess Perceived Communication With the Health Care Team Among Care Partners of Patients With Cognitive Impairment.

Background The CAregiver Perceptions About CommunIcaTion with Clinical Team members (CAPACITY) instrument measures how care partners perceive themselves to be supported by the patient's health care team and their experiences communicating with the team. Objectives The objective of this study was to assess the measurement properties (ie, structural validity of the construct and internal consistency) of the CAPACITY instrument in care partners of patients with cognitive impairment, and to examine whether care partner health literacy and patient cognitive impairment are associated with a higher or lower CAPACITY score. Research design This was a retrospective cohort study. Subjects A total of 1746 dyads of community-dwelling care partners and older adults in the United States with cognitive impairment who obtained an amyloid positron emission tomography scan. Measures The CAPACITY instrument comprises 12 items that can be combined as a total score or examined as subdomain scores about communication with the team and care partner capacity-assessment by the team. The 2 covariates of primary interest in the regression model are health literacy and level of cognitive impairment of the patient (Modified Telephone Interview Cognitive Status). Results Confirmatory factor analysis showed the CAPACITY items fit the expected 2-factor structure (communication and capacity). Higher cognitive functioning of patients and higher health literacy among care partners was associated with lower communication domain scores, lower capacity domain scores, and lower overall CAPACITY scores. Conclusions The strong psychometric validity of the CAPACITY measure indicates it could have utility in other family caregivers or care partner studies assessing the quality of interactions with clinical teams. Knowing that CAPACITY differs by care partner health literacy and patient impairment level may help health care teams employ tailored strategies to achieve high-quality care partner interactions.
Clinical evaluation and diagnostic yield following evaluation of abnormal pulse detected using Apple Watch.

Objective The study sought to characterize the evaluation of patients who present following detection of an abnormal pulse using Apple Watch. Materials and methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients evaluated for abnormal pulse detected using Apple Watch over a 4-month period. Results Among 264 included patients, clinical documentation for 41 (15.5%) explicitly noted an abnormal pulse alert. Preexisting atrial fibrillation was noted in 58 (22.0%). Most commonly performed testing included 12-lead echocardiography (n = 158; 59.8%), Holter monitor (n = 77; 29.2%), and chest x-ray (n = 64; 24.2%). A clinically actionable cardiovascular diagnosis of interest was established in only 30 (11.4%) patients, including 6 of 41 (15%) patients who received an explicit alert. Discussion False positive screening results may lead to overutilization of healthcare resources. Conclusions The Food and Drug Administration and Apple should consider the unintended consequences of widespread screening for asymptomatic ("silent") atrial fibrillation and use of the Apple Watch abnormal pulse detection functionality by populations in whom the device has not been adequately studied.
Patient Opinions About Foreign Body Contraceptives

Background: Prior studies have noted patient reluctance to use contraceptive devices that require insertion into their bodies. We sought to better understand this "foreign body" concern, as well as to clarify how women perceive long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) devices compared with other implanted medical devices. Materials and Methods: We performed semistructured qualitative individual interviews with female obstetric/gynecologic patients and probed their opinions regarding LARC devices. Trained coders analyzed interview content using an inductive iterative approach and identified key themes. Results: We found three major themes in our analysis. First, women frequently expressed uncertainty about where in the body intrauterine devices reside and the impact of a foreign body in that space. Second, women expressed discomfort with the invisibility of the device itself and the "set and forget" feature of LARCs. Finally, when asked to consider contraceptive devices in the context of other implantable medical devices, patients highlighted that contraceptive devices are elective and have alternative options. Conclusions: When women express concerns about contraceptive devices "up in them," they are expressing concerns about how these devices interact with their anatomy and the possibilities of harm and failure. These perceived risks of LARCs may not compare favorably with other contraceptive methods that are not foreign bodies. Understanding this perspective improves our ability to participate in shared decision-making.
Laboratory Complex for the Shipboard Variable Frequency Drives Researches

The paper presents an experimental laboratory installation, which use in the master’s program of preparing ship electro-technical engineers and in scientific researches of the modern variable frequency drives (VFD). The laboratory complex also allows research of the vessel frequency-controlled electric drive as one of the options for improving the energy efficiency of a ship’s power plant.
Deep learning predicts postsurgical recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma from digital histopathologic images.

Recurrence risk stratification of patients undergoing primary surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an area of active investigation, and several staging systems have been proposed to optimize treatment strategies. However, as many as 70% of patients still experience tumor recurrence at 5 years post-surgery. We developed and validated a deep learning-based system (HCC-SurvNet) that provides risk scores for disease recurrence after primary resection, directly from hematoxylin and eosin-stained digital whole-slide images of formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded liver resections. Our model achieved concordance indices of 0.724 and 0.683 on the internal and external test cohorts, respectively, exceeding the performance of the standard Tumor-Node-Metastasis classification system. The model’s risk score stratified patients into low- and high-risk subgroups with statistically significant differences in their survival distributions, and was an independent risk factor for post-surgical recurrence in both test cohorts. Our results suggest that deep learning-based models can provide recurrence risk scores which may augment current patient stratification methods and help refine the clinical management of patients undergoing primary surgical resection for HCC.
Improving victim engagement and officer response in rape investigations: A longitudinal assessment of a brief training

Abstract The initial interaction between rape victims and police officers affects how cases progress through the criminal justice system . In one US state capitol, the police agency determined its initial response to rape victims was sub-par. Victim engagement was low, and officer-written reports often endorsed negative stereotypes about rape victims. A four-hour training to enhance police response was developed and implemented. Within four months, all sworn officers (n ~ 600) completed an in-person, four-hour training. We first test the effects of training on the percentage of rape victims who stay engaged in the investigative process following their initial contact with officers. We then use a machine-learning-based text analysis of all written reports (77 pre-training, and 55 post-training cases) of initial contacts between officers and victims. Compared to the six months before training, victim engagement improved 32% in the post-training period. Written reports by officers also improved, with increased victim-supportive language and improved focus on victim services.
Antimicrobial resistant bacteria recovered from retail ground meat products in the US include a Raoultella ornithinolytica co-harboring blaKPC-2 and blaNDM-5.

Retail beef and pork, including processed products, can serve as vehicles for the zoonotic foodborne transmission of pathogens and antimicrobial resistant bacteria. However, processed and seasoned products like sausages, are not often included in research and surveillance programs. The objective of this study was to investigate retail ground beef and pork, including processed products, for the presence of common foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistant bacteria. We purchased 763 packages of fresh and fully cooked retail meat products during 29 visits to 17 grocery stores representing seven major grocery chains located in west and central Ohio. Each package of meat was evaluated for contamination with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Salmonella spp., Enterobacteriaceae expressing extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance, and carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPO). Only 3 of the 144 (2.1%) packages of fully cooked meat products contained any of these organisms, 1 with an extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing (ESBL) Enterobacteriaceae and 2 with CPO. Among the 619 fresh meat products, we found that 85 (13.7%) packages were contaminated with MRSA, 19 (3.1%) with Salmonella, 136 (22.0%) with Enterobacteriaceae expressing an AmpC (blaCMY) resistance genotype, 25 (4.0%) with Enterobacteriaceae expressing an ESBL (blaCTX-M) resistance genotype, and 31 (5.0%) with CPO, primarily environmental organisms expressing intrinsic carbapenem resistance. However, one CPO, a Raoultella ornithinolytica, isolated from pork sausage co-harbored both blaKPC-2 and blaNDM-5 on IncN and IncX3 plasmids, respectively. Our findings suggest that fresh retail meat, including processed products can be important vehicles for the transmission of foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistant bacteria, including those with epidemic carbapenemase-producing genotypes.
Extracapsular extension identification for head and neck cancer using multi-scale 3D deep neural network

Extracapsular extension (ECE) is a strong predictor of patients' survival outcomes with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). ECE occurs when metastatic tumor cells within the lymph node break through the nodal capsule into surrounding tissues. It is crucial to identify the occurrence of ECE as it changes staging and management for the patients. Current clinical ECE detection relying on radiologists' visual identification is extremely labor-intensive, time-consuming, and error-prone, and consequently, pathologic confirmation is required. Therefore, we aim to perform ECE identification automatically introducing a novel 3D deep neural network (DNN) with multi-scale input to analyze the presence or absence of ECE and correlate that with gold standard histopathological findings. Both local and global features are extracted. The experimental tests show that our proposed model is capable for ECE classification. The test results are enhanced with performance visualization.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family medicine residency training.

Background Family physicians have played a unique clinical role during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized that the pandemic would be associated with significant deleterious effects on clinical activity, educational training, personal safety and well-being. Objective We conducted a national survey to obtain preliminary data that would assist in future targeted data collection and subsequent evaluation of the impact of the pandemic on family medicine residents and teaching faculty. Methods An anonymous online survey of residents and faculty was distributed via the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors list serve between 5/21/2020 and 6/18/2020. Survey questions focused on clinical and educational activities, safety and well-being. Results One hundred and fifty-three residents and 151 teaching faculty participated in the survey. Decreased clinical activity was noted by 81.5% of residents and 80.9% of faculty and the majority began conducting telehealth visits (97.9% of residents, 91.0% of faculty). Distance learning platforms were used by all residents (100%) and 39.6% noted an overall positive impact on their education. Higher levels of burnout did not significantly correlate with reassignment of clinical duties (residents P = 0.164; faculty P = 0.064). Residents who showed significantly higher burnout scores (P = 0.035) and a decline in levels of well-being (P = 0.031) were more likely to participate in institutional well-being support activities. Conclusions Our preliminary data indicate that family medicine residents and teaching faculty were profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies can be directed by current findings with focus on mitigation factors in addressing globally disruptive events such as COVID-19.
Domestic and International Equity REIT Joint Ventures: Stucturing Corporate Options

We examine a sample of 185 Joint Ventures parented by publicly-traded Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts 1994-2001. These transactions are found to be motivated by a wide variety of corporate strategies. Shareholder returns for REIT parents are significantly positive, which is consistent with wealth effects previously reported for joint ventures formed by non-REIT real estate firms. In a subsample of joint ventures formed to structure partial dispositions of property, however, abnormal returns are significantly negative, which is consistent with the free cash flow theory of Jensen. REIT joint venture experience in Asia has been neutral for value, but may improve in the future if early ventures have created options for more efficient partnerships later.
A Hydrodynamic Model for Open Channel Flow Problems

A variational formulation of the vertically-integrated differential equations for open channel flow is presented, and based on this formulation a finite element model is derived for solving the non-linear system of equations. The time integration scheme employed is also discussed and the obtained results show its good stability and accuracy.
Laveran, Charles Louis Alphonse

Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran was a French army physician. His 1880 discovery of the malaria parasite and other contributions to medical parasitology merited the 1907 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He also worked on sleeping sickness, Leishmaniasis and other parasitic human and animal diseases. Key Concepts: The parasite of malaria was discovered in 1880. Malaria was an important disease in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. Keywords: malaria; sleeping sickness; Institut Pasteur; parasitology; protozoan diseases
The Lyman-alpha Forest: a Cosmic Gold Mine

In recent years, a remarkably simple physical picture of the Lyman-alpha forest has emerged, which allows detailed predictions to be made and turns the forest into a powerful probe of cosmology. We point out ways in which such a picture can be tested observationally, and explore three areas in which the Lyman-alpha forest can yield valuable constraints: the reionization history, the primordial mass power spectrum and the cosmological constant or its variants. The possibility of combining with other high redshift observations, such as the Lyman-break galaxy surveys, to provide consistency checks and complementary information is also discussed.
Transition Probabilities in the B1Σ+–X1Σ+ and the B1Σ+–A1Π Electronic Systems of MgO

Abstract Transition probabilities for the B 1 Σ + – X 1 Σ + and the B 1 Σ + – A 1 Π electronic systems are presented for v =0–4 and J =0–150 in each electronic state. The functional form of the electronic transition moment for the B – X transition is taken from published ab initio results. The B – A moment is assumed to have the same form and is scaled using empirical branching ratio data. The R e ( r ) are used with Rydberg–Klein–Rees (RKR) wavefunctions to calculate transition probabilities for v =0–4 and J =0–150. The RKR potentials were calculated based on empirical spectroscopic constants.
Habitat-specific Signal Structure for Olfaction: An Example from Artificial Streams

Many animals use chemical signals to acquire information about their habitats. The structure of this information is dependent upon specific features within a habitat, and the information in signals can be habitat-specific. We quantified the spatial and temporal information in an aquatic odor plume in three different artificial stream habitats with different substrate types by measuring turbulent odor plumes with an electrochemical detection system. Streams had one of three substrate types that correlated with typical aquatic habitats: sand (≈4.2 × 10−2 cm diameter), gravel (≈2.5 cm), and cobble (≈4.5 cm). As predicted from the hydrodynamics, the spatial and temporal structures of the signals were different on different substrates. Spectral analysis showed that the sand and cobble substrates had signals that were dominated by lower frequency fluctuations, whereas gravel had the highest and broadest range of signal fluctuations. Cross- and autocorrelations showed that signals on the gravel substrate had the largest spatial and shortest temporal components. Our results imply that the information obtained from chemical signals may be limited in some habitats. These constraints on information may affect how organisms perform chemically mediated behaviors.
Genetic footprinting and functional maps of the yeast genome

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses genetic footprinting along with functional maps of the yeast genome. Genetic footprinting is a high-parallel genomic approach developed to meet the challenge of determining gene function efficiently. It employs an insertional mutagenesis strategy. Genetic footprinting is efficient because both the mutagenesis and the selection processes are performed on large populations of cells. When performed at the genome scale such an analysis is the equivalent of a saturation mutagenesis. The comprehensive nature and efficiency of the genetic footprinting method should expedite the genomic scale mapping of gene function. The chapter also describes the process of performing large-scale yeast DNA preparations. Moreover, an analysis of PCR products is provided. Applications to other organisms are also listed as genetic footprinting is applicable to other organisms with minimal requirements. Finally, the chapter discusses the functional maps. The ability to survey an entire genome for the contributions of each gene to cellular fitness under a variety of selective conditions makes it possible to generate comprehensive functional maps for an organism.
IDEA: Integrated Drug Expression Analysis—Integration of Gene Expression and Clinical Data for the Identification of Therapeutic Candidates

Cancer drug discovery is an involved process spanning efforts from several fields of study and typically requires years of research and development. However, the advent of high-throughput genomic technologies has allowed for the use of in silico, genomics-based methods to screen drug libraries and accelerate drug discovery. Here we present a novel approach to computationally identify drug candidates for the treatment of breast cancer. In particular, we developed a Drug Regulatory Score similarity metric to evaluate gene expression profile similarity, in the context of drug treatment, and incorporated time-to-event patient survival information to develop an integrated analysis pipeline: Integrated Drug Expression Analysis (IDEA). We were able to predict drug candidates that have been known and those that have not been known in the literature to exhibit anticancer effects. Overall, our method enables quick preclinical screening of drug candidates for breast cancer and other diseases by using the most important indicator of drug efficacy: survival.
What is the a priori, that thou art mindful of it?: A comment on Albert Casullo, Essays on a priori justification and knowledge

In the last essay in the volume, Albert Casullo wrangles with a number of recent authors who have all suggested that the a priori/a posteriori distinction may not be worth maintaining, because we will need to recognize epistemic contributions from experience that are neither merely enabling nor full-blown evidential. Casullo responds by arguing that, if experience really is doing some sort of epistemic work in these accounts, then the traditional account of the a priori can unproblematically categorize such cases as a posteriori. My goal in this essay will be to offer a different way of coming at those arguments, and by way of doing so, to ask Casullo a few big-picture questions about the a priori. To get there, though, let me first start by setting forth one of Casullo’s most important contributions to the literature on the a priori: the disaggregation of a priori-specific issues from other general epistemological ones. For example, Casullo consistently argues against attempts to package any sort of unrevisability condition into our analysis of apriority. His own preferrred account is framed entirely in terms of a belief having the right kind of justificatory source. E.g., p. 308; all references unless otherwise noted are to Essays on A Priori Justification and Knowledge. (APJ) S’s belief that p is justified a priori just in case S’s belief that p is nonexperientially justified. So, nothing about unrevisability or even empirical unrevisability is part of the account. Philip Kitcher, for example, argues that we should build this sort of immunity from empirical revision into the notion of the a priori itself. But Casullo points out that the unrevisability that Kitcher sees in the tradition really is a consequence of a very demanding sort of Cartesian foundationalism—knowledge in general must be unrevisable, on such views, and so there’s no good reason to build a redundant unrevisability condition specifically into the apriority element of a priori
Metabolic Imbalance and Sporulation in an Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Mutant of Bacillus subtilis

A Bacillus subtilis mutant with a deletion in the citC gene, encoding isocitrate dehydrogenase, the third enzyme of the tricarboxylic acid branch of the Krebs cycle, exhibited reduced growth yield in broth medium and had greatly reduced ability to sporulate compared to the wild type due to a block at stage I, i.e., a failure to form the polar division septum. In early stationary phase, mutant cells accumulated intracellular and extracellular concentrations of citrate and isocitrate that were at least 15-fold higher than in wild-type cells. The growth and sporulation defects of the mutant could be partially bypassed by deletion of the major citrate synthase gene (citZ), by raising the pH of the medium, or by supplementation of the medium with certain divalent cations, suggesting that abnormal accumulation of citrate affects survival of stationary-phase cells and sporulation by lowering extracellular pH and chelating metal ions. While these genetic and environmental alterations were not sufficient to allow the majority of the mutant cell population to pass the stage I block (lack of asymmetric septum formation), introduction of the sof-1 mutant form of the Spo0A transcription factor, when coupled with a reduction in citrate synthesis, restored sporulation gene expression and spore formation nearly to wild-type levels. Thus, the primary factor inhibiting sporulation in a citC mutant is abnormally high accumulation of citrate, but relief of this metabolic defect is not by itself sufficient to restore competence for sporulation.
Potential behavioral modification of glucocorticoid damage to the hippocampus

Glucocorticoids (GCs), the adrenal steroids secreted during stress, can damage the hippocampus, a principal neural target site for GCs. The extent of cumulative exposure to GCs influences the rate of neuron loss in the aging hippocampus, such that stress can accelerate senescent hippocampal degeneration. Moreover, under circumstances where GC exposure is insufficient to damage neurons, the hormones impair the capacity of neurons to survive neurological insults such as hypoxia-ischemia, seizure, or hypoglycemia. Considerable progress has been made in understanding how GCs endanger hippocampal neurons. The effect is a direct one, in that the endangerment is mediated by GC receptors and occurs in cultured hippocampal neurons. The endangerment is energetic in nature--the insults worsened by GCs represent energetic crises, and the GC endangerment is prevented by supplementation of neurons with energy substrates. As the likely mechanism by which GCs induce an energetic vulnerability, the steroids inhibit glucose transport in hippocampal neurons and glia. As a result of this effect of GCs upon energetics is that neurons are less capable of the costly task of containing the damaging fluxes of glutamate and calcium triggered by the neurological insults. Thus, following such insults, GCs disrupt glutamate removal and elevate synaptic glutamate concentrations, enhance the magnitude and duration of the subsequent mobilization of free cytosolic calcium, and exacerbate the magnitude of calcium-dependent degenerative events. Thus, stress has the capacity to damage the hippocampus and exacerbate the toxicity of some common neurological disorders; nevertheless, some behavioral interventions are known to cause sustained diminution of GC concentrations, and thus have the potential to protect the hippocampus from these deleterious effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Handicapped Children and The Law: Children Afflicted with AIDS

Abstract The United States Congress enacted several statutes in the 1970s that were intended to ensure that handicapped children receive appropriate education. Children with AIDS have recently been determined by the courts to be entitled to rights under statutes protecting the handicapped. C'hild psychiatrists and mental health professionals who work with handicapped children should be aware of the new developments in law, legislation, and court rulings in order to give adequate and appropriate guidance to the AIDS-afflicted, their families, and their communities. J Am. Acad. Child Adolese. Psychiatry , 1988. 27, 2:152–154.
Comparison of Filamin A-induced Cross-linking and Arp2/3 Complex-mediated Branching on the Mechanics of Actin Filaments

Abstract We compared the effects of human filamin A (FLNa) and the activated human Arp2/3 complex on mechanical properties of actin filaments. As little as 1 FLNa to 800 polymerizing actin monomers induces a sharp concentration-dependent increase in the apparent viscosity of 24 μm actin, a parameter classically defined as a gel point. The activated Arp2/3 complex, at concentrations up to 1:25 actins had no detectable actin gelation activity, even in the presence of phalloidin, to stabilize actin filaments against debranching. Increasing the activated Arp2/3 complex to actin ratio raises the FLNa concentration required to induce actin gelation, an effect ascribable to Arp2/3-mediated actin nucleation resulting in actin filament length diminution. Time lapse video microscopy of microparticles attached to actin filaments or photoactivation of fluorescence revealed actin filament immobilization by FLNa in contrast to diffusion of Arp2/3-branched actin filaments. The experimental results support theories predicting that polymer branching absent cross-linking does not lead to polymer gelation and are consistent with the observation that cells deficient in actin filament cross-linking activity have unstable surfaces. They suggest complementary roles for actin branching and cross-linking in cellular actin mechanics in vivo.
Cor pulmonale in children: review and etiological classification.

T he term “car pulmonale” is frequently misused and misunderstood. It comes from the Latin words COY, meaning heart, and pulmo, meaning lung. In a strict sense, “car pulmonale” refers to hypertrophy and failure of the right ventricle resulting from a primary lung disease. In a more liberal sense, the term may be used to describe an increased work load on the right ventricle from alterations in the pulmonary circulation, which may result from (1) diseases primarily affecting pulmonary ventilation and respiratory function, (2) diseases primarily affecting the pulmonary vasculature, or (3) primary cardiac diseases producing secondary alterations of the pulmonary vasculature. There has been much debate about a satisfactory definition for the term “car pulmonale” or “chronic car pulmonale,” but at a meeting of the World Health Organization in 1963,l it was decided to exclude primary cardiac diseases and define chronic car pulmonale as: “hypertrophy of the right ventricle resulting from diseases affecting the function and/or the structure of the lung, except when these pulmonary alterations are the result of diseases that primarily affect the left side of the heart or of congenital heart disease.” Thus, the term should include right ventricular hypertrophy resulting from any type of abnormality of respiratory structure and/or function. Cor pulmonale has received little attention in children. It is being recognized with increasing frequency, however, because of improved diagnostic methods and treatment. n’lany conditions which previously caused death frotn an acute respiratory infection in an early stage may now progress to the development of chronic lung disease. A classification of the etiological causes of car pulmonale is of more than academic interest because an understanding of the natural history and basic pathophysiology of the underlying respiratory disorder is essential for successful therapy. There is no recent physiologic or pathologic survey of car pulmonale in children. Therefore, this paper is a review and proposal of an etiological classification of car pulmonale in children based on the primary pathophysiology.
Group-Level Exploration Tactics in Fire Ants

This study investigates how fire ant (Solenopsis inuicta) colonies explore and patrol a new region. Small platforms were introduced into nest boxes of laboratory colonies. The paths of ants walking on the platforms were filmed at 30 min after the platforms were introduced, and at 3 75-min intervals thereafter. The results showed: 1. There are four distinct path types used by patrollers in the new region. The different types vary with respect to speed, number of antennal contacts, and the extent to which paths maintain a single direction. 2. Head widths of individuals differ significantly according to path type. 3. In the course of several hours after the new region is introduced, there is a temporal pattern in the numbers of paths of each type. 4. Removal experiments suggest that temporal patterns in the numbers performing on, path type, depend on numbers previously performing other path types. 5. The behavior of individuals exploring a new region is constrained by colony-level patterns of behavior.
Gamma-ray burst spectra from photon-deficient Compton scattering by nonthermal electrons

Consideration is given to a model of gamma-ray burst sources based on repeated Compton scatterings of soft photons by relativistic nonthermal electrons. Relativistic electrons which are continuously produced in the source radiate the total power L supplied to them. Higher order Compton scatterings, which occur when L(soft) is much less than L make the model distinct. The spectrum having an X-ray energy index of about one results from the superposition of the spectral components from several orders of Compton scattering; the change of the slope at several hundred keV arises from the Klein-Nishina decline of the scattering cross section.
Responding to vulnerability – the role of social welfare services and cash transfers

From a child-focused lens, effective social protection requires an understanding of the sources of vulnerability faced by children, and appropriate responses. One of the useful aspects of the increased prominence of cash transfers in the social protection debate has been to highlight the fact that for many children living in developing countries, economic poverty is a major driver of children's vulnerability and deprivation. However, without taking away from the crucial role of cash transfers, it is also clear that cash alone may not always be the optimum response to children and families' vulnerability. Social welfare services have an important role to play within social protection, but within developing countries this greater role faces two key challenges: weak social welfare services provision and the challenges of incorporating this into the already demanding social protection policy agenda. These challenges point to a number of questions requiring further research and learning.
Lead accumulations in brain, blood, and liver after low dosing of neonatal rats.

Newborn rat pups were treated in seven groups: Group 1, the control, was untreated and killed at birth (day 1); Groups 2, 3, and 4 were treated on postnatal days 1 through 10 with respectively saline or lead acetate, 5.0 mg/kg and 7.5 mg/kg body weight; Groups 5, 6, and 7 were treated with the same respective dosages on days 11 through 20. Cerebellum, cerebral cortex, brainstem plus hippocampus, liver, and blood were analyzed for lead. Neonatal rats killed at birth all contained some lead, the cerebellum having the highest concentration. Tissue from most treated groups accumulated lead in a dose-dependent manner. A comparison of lead concentrations between the organs of rats dosed days 1–10 and rats dosed days 11–20 indicated that the latter accumulated less lead per gram of tissue (p < 0.05) than their younger litter mates.
Alternate methods of teaching psychopharmacology.

Objective This article reviews methods used to teach psychopharmacology to psychiatry residents that utilize principles of adult learning, enlist active participation of residents, and provide faculty with skills to seek, analyze, and use new information over the course of their careers.
Characterization of the Tensile Properties of Open Graded Friction Course Mixtures Based on Direct and Indirect Tension Tests

There are several issues of concern regarding indirect tension testing systems to evaluate and characterize tensile properties of open graded friction course (OGFC) mixture. It is necessary to evaluate the Superpave Indirect Tension Test (IDT) in terms of its ability to accurately determine tensile properties of OGFC mixture with an independent testing system. For this purpose, Superpave IDT and Dog-Bone Direct Tension Test (DBDT) were performed in resilient and creep loading modes to determine tensile properties of dense graded and OGFC mixture. It is also necessary to further verify with asphalt mixture, previously established correction factors based on three-dimensional finite element analysis to determine mixture properties accurately from the DBDT testing system. Prior verification was based only on polymer specimen of known properties. The tensile properties of dense graded and OGFC mixtures were successfully obtained with both testing systems employed in this study. Both Superpave IDT and DBDT provided reasonable and consistent test results with respect to test temperature, aging, and binder modification. Observed differences in creep response between the two were explained by well known phenomena involving effects of stress state on mixture properties (lower creep rate were obtained in Superpave IDT where the mixture is subjected to greater confinement). Thus, continued use of the Superpave IDT is recommended because it provides reasonable properties and is much more practical than DBDT. However, relationships to account for stress state effects need to be considered for mechanisms involving uniaxial stress states. DBDT creep compliance is more appropriate for uniaxial stress states (surface tension away from tires), while Superpave IDT creep compliance is more appropriate for stress states involving confinement (bottom or near-surface tension between tires).
Calcium Concentration of Saliva and Salivary Glands of Rat after Cyclocytidine

Cyclocytidine (CC), in addition to its antitumor properties, also causes copious flow of saliva. Calcium concentration of CC-evoked saliva from submaxillary (SM) and parotid (PA) glands of adult rats was initially 7 meq/liter and 15 meq/liter, respectively, and thus resembled that of sympathetically evoked secretion. From previous data, as well as present data, this is expected since CC apparently causes release of norepinephrine (NE) from adrenergic nerve endings. Present data also confirm that CC causes NE release since a single dose of reserpine (RES) (5 mg/kg), administered 24 hr prior to injection of CC in order to cause depletion of NE prevented the action of CC. Furthermore, the NE released by CC acts principally on @-adrenergic receptors since propranolol administered prior to CC caused a marked reduction in flow and (Ca) of saliva, and prevented the usual CC-induced depletion of glandular calcium. An increase in (Ca) of SM but not PA gland was also caused by chronic (daily injections of 500 mg/kg body wt for 3 days) administration of CC. The same threefold increase was observed 2 days after injection of a single dose of CC also. The increase in glandular calcium was not prevented by propranolol, thus suggesting that this effect of CC on glandular (Ca) was probably not p-mediated. The calcium increase may, however, be the result of depletion of NE. Thus, (Ca) of SM of CC- treated rats, that of RES-treated rats, and that of rats treated with RES + CC were very similar. If the mechanism of action of the two drugs were different (not NE depletion), the combined action of the two would have been additive.
Exchange rate challenges, flexible intra-firm adjustments, and subsidiary longevity

Abstract We examine how multinational corporations’ (MNCs) foreign subsidiaries enhance their performance through flexible intra-firm adjustments and reduce their exit ratio under exchange rate changes in their host countries. We analyze Korean MNCs where foreign subsidiaries engage in intra-firm sales or purchases of product with counterpart affiliates with opposite price competitiveness. Results show that such subsidiaries can enhance their performance and thereby reduce their exit rates within their host countries. We also find that high host market uncertainty or large subsidiary investment size positively moderates the impact of a subsidiary's performance—enhanced through flexible adjustments through intra-firm trade—on its exit.
Estimating deterministic parameters by Bayesian inference with emphasis on estimating the uncertainty of the parameters

Parameter estimation is generally based upon the maximum likelihood procedure which often requires regularization, particularly for non-linear models, and cannot account for nuisance variables or unacceptable regions of parameter values. Bayesian inference can address both difficulties but is computationally expensive and open to questions about the appropriateness of the prior knowledge and when probability densities employed. An approach developed by Banks which is a cross between these methods has been successfully employed with equivalent computational costs. This article compares the three approaches for a simple non-linear test problem.
Prohormone Convertase 2 Is Necessary for the Formation of Cholecystokinin-22, But Not Cholecystokinin-8, in RIN5F and STC-1 Cells

Two endocrine tumor cell lines from pancreas (RIN5F) and intestine (STC-1) express cholecystokinin (CCK) messenger RNA and are able to posttranslationally process pro-CCK to CCK-22 and CCK-8 amide. Both of these forms are also secreted by these cells. Because they make and secrete forms of amidated CCK larger than CCK-8, they represent a model of pro-CCK processing in the gut and allow investigation of possible mechanisms for tissue differences in prohormone processing. Both of these cells express two endoproteases convertase-1 (PC1) also known as PC3 and prohormone convertase-2 (PC2), which may be involved in pro-CCK processing. We have previously shown than inhibition of PC1 expression in these cells using stable expression of antisense messenger RNA caused a significant reduction in cellular content of amidated CCK and caused a selective depletion of CCK-8 with a comparative sparing of CCK-22. We demonstrate here that inhibition of PC2 expression in these cells also caused a large initial decrease in C...