cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling Decision-Making Systems in Addiction

This chapter describes addiction as a failure of decision-making systems. Existing computational theories of addiction have been based on temporal difference (TD) learning as a quantitative model for decision-making. In these theories, drugs of abuse create a non-compensable TD reward prediction error signal that causes pathological overvaluation of drug-seeking choices. However, the TD model is too simple to account for all aspects of decision-making. For example, TD requires a state-space over which to learn. The process of acquiring a state-space, which involves both situation classification and learning causal relationships between states, presents another set of vulnerabilities to addiction. For example, problem gambling may be partly caused by a misclassification of the situations that lead to wins and losses. Extending TD to include state-space learning also permits quantitative descriptions of how changing representations impacts patterns of intertemporal choice behavior, potentially reducing impulsive choices just by changing cause-effect beliefs. This approach suggests that addicts can learn healthy representations to recover from addiction. All the computational models of addiction published so far are based on learning models that do not attempt to look ahead into the future to calculate optimal decisions. A deeper understanding of how decision-making breaks down in addiction will certainly require addressing the interaction of drugs with model-based look-ahead decision mechanisms, a topic that remains unexplored.
Mini and customized low-cost bioreactors for optimized high-throughput generation of tissue organoids.

Organoids are three-dimensional (3D) tissue-like constructs that differentiate from stem cell-derived, self-assembled embryoid bodies to closely resemble the complex environment, architecture, and function of the native tissue. The cellular microenvironment produced by organoids vastly outclasses the capacity of a standard 2D cell culture plate to simulate the intricacies of living biological systems.
Abstract A098: SLC12A2 as a novel “brake” on immunogenic apoptotic cell clearance

Phagocytes face a key challenge during efferocytosis – they must engulf an apoptotic cell, often similar in size, while maintaining their own cell integrity, shape, and volume. Yet little is known about phagocyte volume homeostasis during apoptotic cell clearance. To this end, we performed an unbiased transcriptomics screen designed to reveal alterations of phagocyte gene expression after engulfment of apoptotic Jurkat lymphoma cells and identified several transcriptional programs distinctly modified in engulfing phagocytes. We identified a program involving cell volume regulation and potassium/chloride flux, the latter of which is thought to underlie immunogenic responses. Disruption of one member of this cell volume program, SLC12A2, resulted in “overeating” of apoptotic JurkaT-cells by individual phagocytes and a significant increase in cell size. Importantly, we demonstrate that SLC12A2-deficient phagocytes actively engulfing apoptotic JurkaT-cells led to a downregulation of the hallmark antiinflammatory efferocytosis program and robust upregulation of a proinflammatory program. In particular, we observed robust upregulation of immunogenic programs, including a type I interferon signature, in SLC12A2-deficient engulfing phagocytes that were not observed in phagocytes over-expressing the phosphatidylserine receptor TIM4, Mechanistically, we found that the chloride-sensing kinase WNK1 and downstream kinases OSR1 and SPAK function to regulate chloride flux into engulfing phagocytes via SLC12A2, and that this pathway regulates the apoptotic JurkaT-cell “overeating” observed in SLC12A2-deficient phagocytes. Collectively, these data elucidate a novel mechanism by which phagocytes protect themselves from potentially dangerous apoptotic cell-derived inflammatory ligands and suggest that SLC12A2 serves to actively suppress immunogenic responses by phagocytes and limits the rate of corpse uptake during efferocytosis. Citation Format: Justin Shaun Arnold Perry, Sho Morioka, Christopher Medina, Michael Raymond, Kodi Ravichandran. SLC12A2 as a novel “brake” on immunogenic apoptotic cell clearance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; Sept 30-Oct 3, 2018; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2019;7(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A098.
An OT perspective: the association of sleep and hand function in persons with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

Date Presented 04/04/19 This study examined whether sleep quality is associated with hand function above and beyond what can be explained by pain and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) severity to hand function in clients with CTS. Manual Ability Measure-20, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Pain Visual Analogue Scale, and Electromyography for CTS diagnosis and severity level were measured outcomes in 53 participants. Sleep quality was significantly associated with manual ability after controlling for CTS severity and pain. Primary Author and Speaker: Angela Goorman Additional Authors and Speakers: Colleen Schneck, Doris Pierce Contributing Authors: Spencer Dawson
Utility of Shunt Series in the Evaluation of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Dysfunction in Adults.

Abstract Background When patients present to emergency departments (EDs) with symptoms suspicious for ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction, evaluation often includes imaging of the shunt with both computed tomography (CT) of the head without contrast and a plain radiograph “shunt series” (SS). Recent literature has called into question the diagnostic value of the SS for the detection of ventriculoperitoneal shunt complications, suggesting that the plain radiographs provide redundant information and unnecessary exposure to radiation. Objective The aim of our study was to assess the frequency of abnormal SS plain radiography and head CT in the evaluation of shunt malfunction in all adult ED patients and to measure the association of abnormalities on CT and SS with surgical intervention. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of all emergency department encounters at an urban level I trauma center between August 1, 2013 and October 3, 2018 in which an SS and head CT examination were performed within 24 h of each other. We described the results of imaging studies qualitatively and descriptive statistics were performed. Results Positive findings on CT were significantly associated with the decision to proceed to surgery. Positive findings on SS, however, were not significantly associated with the decision to proceed to surgery. Conclusions The potential information gained from SS and convenience of ordering simultaneously with head CT does not appear to outweigh the risk of increased radiation exposure to the patient, the additional costs of the study, and the potential delay in time to head CT. These findings support the initial use of head CT in evaluation of shunt malfunction.
Floating the invisible swan: noninvasive prediction of haemodynamics

The study by Obokata and co-workers published in this issue of the European Respiratory Journal significantly contributes to the field of noninvasive prediction of haemodynamics during exercisehttp://bit.ly/2svY7TP
Heterogeneous ensemble learning method for personalized semantic web service recommendation

Semantic web service (SWS) discovery and recommendation (SWSR) has emerged as a potential technology which aims to fulfill the user requirements by providing an improved recommendation for Academic and business communities. In SWSR, the user search pattern is adopted to make service discovery as well as recommendation. In order to achieve the precise recommendation of SWS, the ensemble learning method is utilized. This method encompasses the elimination of in-appropriate features and selects the optimal features of the requirements for the Academic and business communities. Semantic analysis is the one of the dominant technologies for SWSR, but it has not yet been explored by applying the ensemble learning over the service features to make optimal selection of features and to provide personalized recommendation. With this motive, in this paper a Heterogeneous Ensemble Learning method for Semantic web service Personalization and recommendation (HEL-SWSR) framework has been proposed. It will revitalize the industries to select optimal services SWS discovery. HEL-SWSR assists the feature extractions, concatenation of features selection using user profiles and triples from the OWL-S files. This framework combines various methods that eventually ensure service selection through the Maximum Voting Ensemble (MVE) technique. The MVE helps to select the services and recommends the top-10 services. From that list, the Academic or Business communities can be able to predict the appropriate services. The proposed framework performance is noticeably enhanced when compared with the traditional user search pattern technique.
Dyadic simulation to prepare students for counseling transgender children and their parents

Transgender individuals are at risk for discrimination, which can lead to poor mental health outcomes. Social workers are often the health professionals to provide assistance during periods of tran...
Clinical obsrevation on early postoperative intraocular hypotension and ciliary deatchment after vitrectomy

Objective To observe the incidence of ciliary detachment and its relationship with intraocular hypotension soon after vitrectomy.Methods A total of 46 eyes of 46 patients who underwent vitrectomy were examined by ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM).The patients were divided into three groups according to different tamponade: gas group (11 eyes),silicone oil group (8 eyes) and balanced saline solution (BSS) group (27 eyes).Basing on the postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP),the patients were divided into two groups: IOP<10 mm Hg (25 eyes) and IOP≥10 mm Hg (21 eyes).UBM was applied to determine the tomographic features of the ciliary body 3 days after the surgery.IOP were monitored by non-contact tonometer daily after the surgery.The eyes with ciliary detachment were then examined once a week till the ciliary detachment reattached.The follow-up period was from 14 to 35 days.Results After vitrectomy,ciliary detachment was observed in 20 eyes of 46 eyes (43.5%),The incidence of ciliary detachment was 27.3% in gas group,25.0% in silicone oil group,and 55.6% in BSS group.The average IOP in eyes with ciliary detachment [(6.47±4.49) mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa)] was significantly lower than that in the eyes without ciliary detaehmen [(15.61±7.72) mm Hg] (t=8.031,P<0.001).The incidence of ciliary detachment was higher in eyes with postoperative IOP <10 mm Hg (68.0%) than that in the eyes with postoperative IOP≥10 mm Hg (14.3%) (χ2=15.60,P<0.001).All eyes with postoperative ciliary detachment got spontaneous reattaehment within 30 days after the surgery except that one eye had optic disc edema due to severe intraocular hypotension.Conelusions Early postoperative ciliary detachment is a common complication after vitrectomy.Eyes filled with BSS have the highest incidence of postoperative ciliary detachment.Most of the patients with ciliary detachment may get spontaneous reattahment within 30 days after the surgery. Key words: Vitrectomy; Ocular hypotension/complications; Ciliary body
Non-Convex Structured Phase Retrieval

Phase retrieval (PR), also sometimes referred to as quadratic sensing, is a problem that occurs in numerous signal and image acquisition domains ranging from optics, X-ray crystallography, Fourier ptychography, sub-diffraction imaging, and astronomy. In each of these domains, the physics of the acquisition system dictates that only the magnitude (intensity) of certain linear projections of the signal or image can be measured. Without any assumptions on the unknown signal, accurate recovery necessarily requires an over-complete set of measurements. The only way to reduce the measurements/sample complexity is to place extra assumptions on the unknown signal/image. A simple and practically valid set of assumptions is obtained by exploiting the structure inherently present in many natural signals or sequences of signals. Two commonly used structural assumptions are (i) sparsity of a given signal/image or (ii) a low rank model on the matrix formed by a set, e.g., a time sequence, of signals/images. Both have been explored for solving the PR problem in a sample-efficient fashion. This article describes this work, with a focus on non-convex approaches that come with sample complexity guarantees under simple assumptions. We also briefly describe other different types of structural assumptions that have been used in recent literature.
Closed Form Solutions in Economics

This paper summarizes the famous closed form solutions in economics. Part 1 is producer theory, part 2 is consumer theory, part 3 is competitive equilibrium, part 4 is game theory.
Laws, educational outcomes, and returns to schooling evidence from the first wave of U.S. state compulsory attendance laws

Abstract The nineteenth and twentieth century saw two waves of state schooling laws. The first wave focused on children to age 14 and the second wave focused on high school. Using the full count 1940 census and a new coding of state laws, this paper provides new estimates of the effects of the first wave of laws. The analysis focuses on cohorts of prime working age between 1910 and 1940. IV estimates of returns to schooling range from 0.067 to 0.077. Quantile IV estimates show the returns were largest for the lowest quantiles, and were generally monotonically decreasing for higher quantiles.
Perturbative QCD predictions in fixed order for cross section ratios.

In the standard approach, predictions of perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics for ratios of cross sections are computed as the ratio of fixed-order predictions for the numerator and the denominator. Beyond the lowest order in the perturbative expansion, the result does, however, not correspond to a fixed-order prediction for the ratio. This article describes how exact fixed-order results for ratios of arbitrary cross sections can be obtained. The general method for computations in any order of the perturbative expansion is derived, and results for next-to-leading order and next-to-next-to-leading order calculations are given. The approach is applied to theory predictions for various multi-jet cross section ratios measured at hadron colliders. The two methods are compared with each other and with the experimental data. Recommendations are made how to obtain improved theory predictions with more realistic uncertainty estimates.
CLIMATIC RESPONSE IN TREE RINGS OF LOBLOLLY PINE FROM NORTH GEORGIA

The relationship between climate and tree-growth for loblolly pine in north Georgia is investigated by: 1) determining during which months climate has its strongest impact on loblolly pine growth, and 2) specifically examining the relationship between loblolly pine growth and growing season precipitation. Response function analyses indicate that precipitation during the current May-August period has a positive effect on pine growth, while the previous growing season shows no significant effect on growth. Significant negative effects of temperature were found during the previous June and August, current April, and the current June-September period. A regression model predicting the May-September growing season rainfall total as a function of tree-ring indices was highly significant (r2 = 0.48). These results indicate that loblolly pine is a useful species for investigating the impact of climate and other factors on the recent decline of pine growth in the southeastern United States. [Key words: Dendroclima...
Restore Certiorari to Review State-Wide Administrative Bodies in California

FORWARD-LOOKING legislation of the last quadrennium in California, which has organized certain of the professions and semi-professional callings and has conferred upon them powers of self-government exercised through their governing boards, has met with an extraordinary set-back through recent decisions of our supreme court. Other state-wide administrative agencies such as the Board of Equalization, the Employment Commission, the Commissioner of Corporations, the Fish and Game Commission and the Director of Agriculture are affected. No precedent for the decisions in question can be found in any other state of this country. This paper is written as part of an aroused professional opinion' asking reconsideration of the new doctrine enunciated in these decisions. Attention will be directed
Radionuclide Analysis of Peak Filling Rate, Filling Fraction, And Time to Peak Filling Rate Response to Supine Bicycle Exercise in Normal Subjects And Patients With Coronary Disease

Using gated equilibrium radionuclide angiography, variables of diastolic filling were analyzed at rest and during supine bicycle exercise in normal subjects (Group 1, n = 18), coronary patients with normal resting ejection fractions (Group 2, n = 26), and coronary patients with reduced resting ejection fractions (Group 3, n = 8). Indexes analyzed were peak filling rate and filling fraction during the first third of diastole. At rest, the peak filling rate was significantly lower in coronary patients than in normal subjects (3.18 +/- 0.82 end-diastolic volume [EDV]/s in Group 1 versus 2.41 +/- 0.66 EDV/s in Group 2, p less than 0.005; and 1.34 +/- 0.26 EDV/s in Group 3, p less than 0.001 versus Group 1). These differences persisted at peak exercise. Coronary patients also had significantly lower filling fractions at rest and during exercise than did normal control subjects. The time from end-systole to peak filling rate was longer at rest in patients in Group 2 (203 +/- 52 ms) than in subjects in Group 1 (172 +/- 50 ms, p less than 0.025). This remained true when the time to peak filling was normalized by the R-R interval. Although the exercise time to peak filling was longer in coronary patients in both Groups 2 and 3 than in Group 1, these differences were not apparent when the interval was normalized by the R-R interval. Thus, abnormalities in peak filling rate and filling fraction exist in patients with coronary disease both at rest and during exercise, but large overlaps exist between normal and coronary patients. Caution is advised in comparing the timing of events during diastole because apparent group differences may be related in part to rest or exercise heart rate.
Knowledge base refinement as improving an incorrect, inconsistent and incomplete domain theory

We view automation of knowledge base refinement as improvements to a domain theory. Techniques are described that we have developed to handle three types of domain theory pathologies: incorrectness, inconsistency, and incompleteness. The major sources of power of our learning method are a confirmation theory that connects the domain theory to underlying domain theories, the use of an explicit representation of the strategy knowledge for a generic problem class (e.g., heuristic classification) that is separate from the domain theory (e.g., medicine) to be improved, and lastly an explicit, modular, and declarative knowledge representation for the domain theory.
A model course on power electronics

Two models are presented for a course in power electronics: (a) a one-semester course, and (b) a one-quarter semester course. The laboratory experiments to support the lectures are outlined. The importance of computer-aided design in solving nonlinear switching functions is discussed with respect to addressing design aspects of the courses. >
Hardness of Embedding Metric Spaces of Equal Size

We study the problem embedding an n-point metric space into another n-point metric space while minimizing distortion. We show that there is no polynomial time algorithm to approximate the minimum distortion within a factor of i¾?((logn)1/4 i¾? i¾?) for any constant i¾?> 0, unless $\textnormal{NP} \subseteq \textnormal{DTIME}(n^{\textnormal{poly}(\log n))})$. We give a simple reduction from the METRIC LABELING problem which was shown to be inapproximable by Chuzhoy and Naor [10].
Conspiracies of immanence: Paul Tillich, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and C.G. Jung

Jung's psychology proffers a sustained reflection on the traditional religious question of the relation of divine transcendence to immanence. On this issue his psychology affirms a position of radical immanence in its contention that the experience of divinity is initially wholly from within. Though this position remains on the periphery of religious and theological orthodoxy Jung is not alone in holding it among moderns. Paul Tillich adopts a similar stance with his controlling symbols of the divine as 'Ground of Being' and 'Depth of Reason'. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin understands divinity as the experiential energy of evolution itself working within nature and humanity toward greater configurations of universal communion as the basis of community. All of Jung's master symbols of individuation assume such an understanding of immanence uniting individual and totality. His psychology strongly suggests and contributes to the current emergence of a new religious sensitivity based on the awareness of the intra-psychic origin of all religions. In his later writings he held out such a position as a significant alternative to genocide.
The Juxtamembrane Region of the Cadherin Cytoplasmic Tail Supports Lateral Clustering, Adhesive Strengthening, and Interaction with p120ctn

Cadherin cell–cell adhesion molecules form membrane-spanning molecular complexes that couple homophilic binding by the cadherin ectodomain to the actin cytoskeleton. A fundamental issue in cadherin biology is how this complex converts the weak intrinsic binding activity of the ectodomain into strong adhesion. Recently we demonstrated that cellular cadherins cluster in a ligand-dependent fashion when cells attached to substrata coated with the adhesive ectodomain of Xenopus C-cadherin (CEC1-5). Moreover, forced clustering of the ectodomain alone significantly strengthened adhesiveness (Yap, A.S., W.M. Brieher, M. Pruschy, and B.M. Gumbiner. Curr. Biol. 7:308–315). In this study we sought to identify the determinants of the cadherin cytoplasmic tail responsible for clustering activity. A deletion mutant of C-cadherin (CT669) that retained the juxtamembrane 94–amino acid region of the cytoplasmic tail, but not the β-catenin–binding domain, clustered upon attachment to substrata coated with CEC1-5. Like wild-type C-cadherin, this clustering was ligand dependent. In contrast, mutant molecules lacking either the complete cytoplasmic tail or just the juxtamembrane region did not cluster. The juxtamembrane region was itself sufficient to induce clustering when fused to a heterologous membrane-anchored protein, albeit in a ligand-independent fashion. The CT669 cadherin mutant also displayed significant adhesive activity when tested in laminar flow detachment assays and aggregation assays. Purification of proteins binding to the juxtamembrane region revealed that the major associated protein is p120ctn. These findings identify the juxtamembrane region of the cadherin cytoplasmic tail as a functionally active region supporting cadherin clustering and adhesive strength and raise the possibility that p120ctn is involved in clustering and cell adhesion.
Characterizing non-linearity in the cochlear microphonic using the instantaneous frequency

In this paper, we examine the non-linearity of mechano-electric transduction in the cochlea by computing the instantaneous frequency (IF) of the cochlear microphonic (CM) in response to sinusoidal stimuli. In contrast to a linear system which yields a constant IF when driven with a sinusoid, the IF of the CM varied during one period of oscillation. This variation was not symmetric, but differed for positive and negative slopes of the CM. Administration of tetrodotoxin to eliminate neural activity indicated that the variation of the IF was not due to neural contamination. Moreover, comparing the IF of the stimulus to that of the CM indicated that the IF was not due to non-linearity in the acoustic signal. Signal frequency, signal level and acoustic trauma altered the IF. A cochlear model of the CM was developed to determine the influence of the saturation of hair-cell receptor currents and vector summation on the IF. Results indicated that these factors could not fully account for the variation in the IF. We conclude that the variation in IF within one period of cochlear partition vibration indicates that the mechanical and/or electrical oscillations which produce the CM differ from those of a linear system.
Nonlinear processes to extend interferometric lithography

The linear-systems spatial frequency limit of diffraction- limited optical lithography is approximately NA/(lambda) , where NA is the optical system numerical aperture, and (lambda) is the exposure wavelength. Optical resolution enhancement techniques such as optical proximity correction, phase-shifts masks and off-axis illumination extend this resolution towards 2NA/(lambda) . Interferometric lithography (IL) for periodic patterns and imaging interferometric lithography for arbitrary patterns extends the frequency space coverage out towards the free-space linear systems transmission limit of 2/(lambda) . By taking advantage of inherent processing nonlinearities, higher spatial frequencies available by IL are reported. The first process is a variant of spatial frequency doubling in which two maskless IL processes combined with a moire alignment scheme are used to form a spatial frequency doubled grating at a period of d/2, where d is the original grating period. A first grating is written at period d, and linewidth approximately d/4, and transferred to a thin nitride film. A second IL grating, at the same period but shifted in phase by (pi) , is then interpolated to divide the period by two. A moire interference scheme is used to ensure proper alignment over large areas. This process has been used to frequency double a 360-nm period at I-line exposure to 180-nm period that was transferred into Si using KOH etching with the nitride film as the etch mask. A second example, using photoresist nonlinearities, is the formation of nanoscale square vias in a single photoresist level. This structure is formed by sequence including exposure of a grating, partial development of the resist, exposure of a second grating at right angles.
Destruction of antibody idiotopes with ultra-low concentrations of reducing agents.

Abstract The nature of the idiotopes present on F(ab') 2 fragments prepared from rabbit anti-micrococcal carbohydrate antibodies and the loss of idiotypic reactivity of these F(ab') 2 fragments upon iodination were examined. Rabbit anti-micrococcal idiotopes were shown to be exquisitely sensitive to treatment with very low concentrations of sodium metabisulfite or 2-mercaptoethanol. The treatment destroyed anti-micrococcal idiotopes, as shown by the loss of idiotopes on F(ab') 2 fragments after reduction; the allotype epitopes and the antigen binding capacity of the F(ab') 2 fragments were unaffected. The destruction of the idiotopes by very low concentrations of reducing agents indicated that an extremely labile disulfide bond is involved in the structure of the idiotope or in the maintenance of the conformation of the anti-microccal idiotopes. Identical reduction-sensitive anti-micrococcal idiotopes have been demonstrated in a number of related outbred rabbits, and in each case they induced a natural auto-anti-idiotype (AAI) antibody response. Recognition of the existence of these reduction-sensitive idiotopes and their properties could provide a basis for further study of these idiotopes and may lead to a better understanding of the idiotope network.
Regulation of human glutathione S-transferase π gene transcription: influence of 5′-flanking sequences and trans-mactivating factors which recognize AP-1-binding sites

To investigate the transcriptional regulation of human glutathione S-transferase pi (GST pi) gene expression, we fused the GST pi promoter, including 2203 bp of the 5'-flanking region, exon 1, and most of intron 1, to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT)-encoding reporter gene (cat). When transfected into human cell lines, this GST-cat construct (-2203 GST-cat) supported high level cat gene expression. RNase-protection and primer-extension experiments showed that the normal GST pi transcriptional start point (tsp) is utilized, and furthermore, that intron 1 is faithfully removed by splicing from the majority of primary GST-cat transcripts. A series of constructs containing deletions in the GST pi sequences of the -2203 GST-cat vector were prepared to define potential regulatory regions. Transfection of these deletion plasmids revealed that a region between GST pi sequences -80 and -8 is absolutely required for cat expression. Furthermore, transfection of the -2203 GST-cat and deletion vectors into two human cell lines--one line which does not produce endogenous GST pi (HeLa cells) and one which produces high levels of endogenous GST pi (HS 578T cells)--failed to identify sequences that differentially influence the level of transcription in either cell line. A putative TRE (TPA responsive element or AP-1 recognition sequence) strategically situated upstream from the GST pi tsp (-69 to -63) was examined by TPA treatment of HeLa cells transfected with GST-cat DNA. Additionally, the potential interaction of fos and jun proteins with the GST pi promoter was examined by co-transfection of GST-cat constructs with jun and fos expression vectors in F9 cells. Both of these treatments, which are known to enhance transcription of several genes containing 5'-flanking TREs, failed to induce GST-cat expression. These data suggest that the putative TRE sequence in GST pi is unresponsive both to phorbol esters and to these particular transcriptional activating factors of the fos and jun family.
Singlet oxygen reacts with inhibitors of ultraviolet mediated damage to skin: p-aminobenzoic acid and its derivatives.

Summary P-Dimethylaminobenzoate, p-aminobenzoate, and ethyl-p-dimethylaminobenzoate react with singlet molecular oxygen, photochemically generated with hematoporphyrin as a sensitizer, to yield spectrally distinguishable products. The reaction is potentiated by D2O and is competitively inhibited by methionine. p-Aminobenzoic acid and its derivatives are often used topically to prevent actinic damage to skin. They are thought to act solely as physical screens to absorb UV light. Their reactivity toward singlet oxygen, however, may also play an important role in the protective effect.
The future of power transmission in the west

THE WEST having relied on hydroelectric resources to supply most of its electric energy will in several important areas have to use thermal generation for a large portion of future needs. As an example, consider southwest California, which is the principal load concentration in an area including Arizona and southern Nevada. If longtime growth rates continue, a load of 12.5-million kw may develop by 1975, with only 3.1-million kw of ultimate hydro resources. With a total energy requirement of 71.2-billion kwhr and only 16.4-billion kwhr from hydro, 77 per cent of the energy would have to be supplied by thermal generation.
Effects of ethanol and a fat-free diet on hepatic mitochondrial fragility and fatty acid composition.

SummaryThe effect of EFA deficiency and chronic ethanol ingestion on liver mitochondrial fragility and fatty acid composition was studied using young growing male rats. The results indicated that EFA deficiency (fat-free diet) partially protected the mitochondria from developing the increased fragility caused by ethanol ingestion. The mitochondrial fragility induced by chronic ethanol feeding was not related to changes in the proportions of arachidonic acid or other mitochondrial fatty acids. Additionally, it was found that chronic ethanol feeding partially prevented the changes in the mitochondrial fatty acid composition induced by EFA deficiency.
Bacterial expression of immunoglobulin VH proteins

Abstract A bacterial expression system in Escherichia coli has been developed that produces as much as 10 mg/l of culture of the V H protein associated with monoclonal antibodies specific for the 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl (Dns) group. This system has been applied to the expression of the V H genes derived from a low-affinity, IgM-producing hybridoma and from a high-affinity, IgG-producing cell line. The plasmid vectors (contributed by Dr William F. Studier) utilize a T7 expression cassette whose activity is initiated by infection with a lambda phage derivative carrying the T7 RNA polymerase gene. The V H proteins were extracted from the bacterial pellet in 8 M urea and purified by chromatography in 8 M urea. Recombinants with the homologous light (L) chains were prepared to yield V H L molecules. These were used to measure intrinsic affinity for Dns-lysine by resonance energy transfer. The association constants were 7 × 10 6 M −1 and 7 × 10 9 M −1 for the low- and high-affinity systems, respectively. These values are not significantly different from those observed with monoclonal antibodies secreted from the corresponding cell lines. This system lends itself to the quantitative evaluation of the binding properties of the V H protein itself as well as the modulation of affinity by site-directed mutagenesis.
Interpretation as oral communication

Oral interpretation is a communicative configuration in which no single element can be over‐stressed nor any one neglected. Presently, the emphasis in the theory of oral interpretation appears to center on a scheme of analysis based on the “new”; criticism. In this concern with analysis, we must not overlook the place and function of the vocal‐physical elements in the total process of interpretation as oral communication.
Aging and the Meynert cells in rhesus monkey primary visual cortex

We have assessed the effects of aging on the cell bodies of the large Meynert cells in layers V and VI of the rhesus monkey primary visual cortex by comparing the frequency, size, and cytology of these neurons in three young (5-6 years of age), one middle-aged (12 years of age), and four old monkeys (25-35 years of age). In the young monkeys there is an average of 20.8 Meynert cells beneath 1 mm2 of cortical surface, and in the old monkeys the value is 22.3 cells. The cell bodies of these large pyramidal cells do not become smaller with age, and surprisingly they accumulate only small amounts of lipofuscin. The conclusion is that in the rhesus monkey there is no loss of Meynert cells with age and that aging has little effect on the morphology of the cell bodies of these neurons.
Continuous tubular polymerization reactors—II. Experimental studies of vinyl acetate polymerization

Abstract A tubular-reactor facility was constructed with a reactor 88 m long and 5.3 mm inside diameter. Pressure dropsup to 5.5 MPa (800 psi) were manageable, and residence times as low as 1000 s were possible. The polymerization of vinyl acetate in methanol with AIBN as the initiator was studied as a model system. Experiments were performed to determine the production capability of such reactors and the best operating strategy. The data collected were used to validate a numerical simulator of the process. Few operational difficulties were encountered and this small reactor could produce > 4 kg of polymer per hour at molecular weights of > 100,000.
Trace-element concentrations in human hair measured by proton-induced x-ray emission.

Proton-induced x-ray spectroscopy has been used to measure trace element concentration ratios for 10 elements relative to Zn on a group of the population in the harbor city of Rijeka, Yugoslavia. The average biologic levels of elemental ratios for the inhabitants of this region have been established. The presence of pollutants has been confirmed by studying the variation of elemental concentration ratios along single samples of hair.
Multiproduct Steady-State Isotopic Transient Kinetic Analysis of the Ethanol Coupling Reaction over Hydroxyapatite and Magnesia

The Guerbet coupling of ethanol into butanol was investigated using multiproduct steady-state isotopic transient kinetic analysis (SSITKA) in a comparative study between stoichiometric hydroxyapatite (HAP) and magnesia (MgO) catalysts at 613 and 653 K, respectively. The steady-state catalytic reactions were conducted in a gas-phase, fixed-bed, differential reactor at 1.3 atm total system pressure. Multiproduct SSITKA results showed that the mean surface residence time of reactive intermediates leading to acetaldehyde was significantly shorter than that of intermediates leading to butanol on both HAP and MgO. This finding may suggest that the dehydrogenation of ethanol to acetaldehyde is fast on these surfaces compared with C–C bond formation. If adsorbed acetaldehyde is a key reaction intermediate in the Guerbet coupling of ethanol into butanol, then SSITKA revealed that the majority of adsorbed acetaldehyde produced on the surface of MgO desorbs into the gas-phase, whereas the majority of adsorbed acetal...
Portals to an Architecture: Design of a temporary structure with paper tube arches

Abstract Sustainable recyclable paper and composite materials can be ideal choices for the construction of temporary structures for both exhibition spaces or for rapid-recovery shelters in emergency operations. The unique engineering and sustainable features of these structures need to be considered as an integral part of the design process from the conceptual phase. Engineering studies to analyze these structures should be as important as the overall artistic and architectural vision. This paper examines the use of environmentally creep-formed paper tubes for the design, construction, and exhibition of, “Portals to an Architecture”, a large temporary outdoor sculpture.
Proxy citizenship and transnational advocacy: Colombian activists from Putumayo to Washington, DC

Proxy citizenship is the mechanism through which certain rights of citizenship—the ability to make claims for redress to a state—are conferred on activists through relationships with NGOs. Focusing on advocacy from within the policy process, U.S. and Colombian NGOs channeled political legitimacy and rights of access to Colombians, whose claims emerge from the experience of governance as articulated through testimony. This process, and its roots within the shared history of the Putumayo region of Colombia and Washington, DC, reveals emerging practices of citizenship claims and transnational political participation.
Domestic Violence and Contraceptive Adoption in Uttar Pradesh, India

This study examines the association between domestic violence and the subsequent adoption of modern contraception in North India. Matched data on married couples who were not practicing contraception are analyzed from companion surveys of married husbands and wives in five districts of Uttar Pradesh. By means of hazard modeling, a significant negative association was found between a husband's reporting of using physical domestic violence against his wife and the couple's adoption of a modern method of contraception. Community norms that were more tolerant of domestic violence were, in contrast, not a significant predictor of subsequent method adoption. The results highlight the need to address the issue of support for women experiencing domestic violence within existing family planning services and to sensitize service providers to the specific needs of women experiencing such violence.
Intraoral herpes simplex virus infection in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency

We report a challenging case of an atypical presentation of recrudescent herpes simplex virus infection in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency. Oral infections in immunosuppressed patients may present with unusual clinical features that can mimic non-infectious diseases. This report discusses the diagnostic steps necessary for definitive diagnosis and to guide appropriate and effective management.
Model of Tumor Dormancy/Recurrence after Short-Term Chemotherapy

Although many tumors regress in response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, residual tumor cells are detected in most cancer patients post-treatment. These residual tumor cells are thought to remain dormant for years before resuming growth, resulting in tumor recurrence. Considering that recurrent tumors are most often responsible for patient mortality, there exists an urgent need to study signaling pathways that drive tumor dormancy/recurrence. We have developed an in vitro model of tumor dormancy/recurrence. Short-term exposure of tumor cells (breast or prostate) to chemotherapy at clinically relevant doses enriches for a dormant tumor cell population. Several days after removing chemotherapy, dormant tumor cells regain proliferative ability and establish colonies, resembling tumor recurrence. Tumor cells from “recurrent” colonies exhibit increased chemotherapy resistance, similar to the therapy resistance of recurrent tumors in cancer patients. Previous studies using long-term chemotherapy selection models identified acquired mutations that drive tumor resistance. In contrast, our short term chemotherapy exposure model enriches for a slow-cycling, dormant, chemo-resistant tumor cell sub-population that can resume growth after drug removal. Studying unique signaling pathways in dormant tumor cells enriched by short-term chemotherapy treatment is expected to identify novel therapeutic targets for preventing tumor recurrence.
High-resolution charged particle and neutron imaging using charge injection devices

A charge injection device (CID) camera and image processing system have been used as a position sensitive detector for energetic charged particles and low energy neutrons. This video radiation detector (VRD) is simple in design but highly effective for real-time radiography and dosimetry with many advantages characteristics. The VRD currently has a dynamic range of 65,000 intensity levels for a 755 X 484 pixel matrix, an active area of 7 mm X 9 mm, a spatial mapping resolution of about 14 micrometers for single detected events (7 micrometers for radiation from a point source), and is sufficiently radiation-hard to be operated in a neutron beam for extended periods of time. Radiation images are updated at a rate of thirty frames per second. The VRD is sensitive to fission fragments, alpha particles, and slow neutrons. Using commercially available image processing hardware and software and an off-the-shelf camera, the system is inexpensive, easy to use with simple interpretation of data, and is capable of performing radiography with only minimal adaptations. Applications in our laboratory include the characterization of focused cold neutron beams, the mapping of uranium and lithium distributions in samples by the detection of neutron absorption reaction products, and the mapping of spontaneous alpha radioactivity from environmental samples. Results provide information on x-y position, counts received, and energy deposited per count, each as a function of time.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Antagonism of the five cloned human muscarinic cholinergic receptors expressed in CHO-K1 cells by antidepressants and antihistaminics

Based on molecular cloning studies, five different muscarinic receptor subtypes exist: m1, m2, m3, m4, and m5. We determined the affinity and selectivity of binding for sixteen antidepressants, two of their metabolites, and three antihistaminics (H1) at these subtypes. Using Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) transfected with genes for the human muscarinic receptor subtypes, we obtained equilibrium dissociation constants (Kds) from competitive radioligand binding studies with [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB) and membranal preparations of these cells. QNB was the most potent compound studied (Kd 30-80 pM). Mequitazine (Kd 6-14 nM) and amitriptyline (Kd 7-16 nM) exhibited the highest affinity among the antihistaminics and antidepressants, respectively. Among the antidepressants examined were the serotonin-selective drugs sertraline and fluoxetine, both of which displayed Kd values > 1 microM. The remaining antidepressants were moderate to weak antagonists with some eliciting no radioligand competition at high concentrations. The compounds studied showed no significant selectivity among the five cloned subtypes.
Simplified θ-Defensins: Search for New Antivirals

Peptides of the innate immune system provide intriguing templates for designing novel antiviral molecules. θ-defensins are nonhuman primate peptides with broad-spectrum antiviral activities. The activity of these compounds is mediated through interference with viral fusion, and this activity is based upon key structural features. However, two major limitations to their clinical use hampered their development as potential antivirals, namely difficult multi-step synthesis for their production with low final yield of desired product (~5%), and unfavorable pharmacokinetics (rapid enzymatic degradation and/or renal clearance). Recently we designed and screened two sub-libraries of new peptide-based entry inhibitors mimicking the structure of humanized θ-defensins, designated as Hapivirins (HpVs) and Diprovirins (DpVs). Although the new peptides are smaller (13-residues) and structurally more simple than retrocyclins, several retained their ability to protect cells from infection by HIV-1 and HSV-2. The most active compound, DpV16, was chosen for a second round of modifications based on (1) its potent antiviral activity (2) its ease of synthesis, and (3) the low cost of production. Subsequently, we created a library of a second generation DpV-analogues with enhanced properties. Collectively, our findings to date suggest that simplified θ-defensins are suitable candidates for further modifications to obtain analogues with clinically favorable pharmacokinetics that may be produced in large quantities using a standard chemical approach. Considering their small size, they could be used either topically (topical microbicides) and/or for systemic applications (entry inhibitors).
Modeling Path Radiance Effects From Aerosol Clouds

Atmospheric aerosols, particularly dense, local clouds of smoke, dust and fog, have a variety of extinction, multiple scattering and thermal emission effects on propagation and imaging. This paper presents an approach to simulating realistic aerosol path-radiance effects that are not treated in the usual transmission codes. Depending on illumination and concentration, aerosol clouds may range in appearance from thin translucent wisps to opaque diffuse reflectors or emitters. Typically the clouds are inhomogeneous and have complex, finite geometries. Their radiative transfer properties are therefore particularly difficult to predict. This paper uses a method developed by the U.S. Army Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory to model and investigate the radiative transfer effects of such aerosol clouds under a variety of illumination conditions. The method is applied to show some interesting examples of the contrast and apparent temperature signatures of aerosol clouds themselves, the changes to signatures of partly obscured objects and the effect on received images at the sensor under various illumination conditions.