cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arrhythmia in Acute Heart Failure

The ubiquity of arrhythmias, both atrial and ventricular, in chronic heart failure (HF) is well established, and their significance and treatment have been studied quite extensively. The prevalence, significance, and treatment of arrhythmias in acutely decompensated heart failure have been less studied.
Majority No More? The Influence of Neighborhood Racial Diversity and Salient National Population Changes on Whites’ Perceptions of Racial Discrimination

This article examines whether the size of racial minority populations is associated with whites’ perceptions that different racial groups face discrimination. Correlational studies reveal that both the perceived size (studies 1 and 2) and actual size (study 2) of the racial minority population in their local environment predicts the extent to which whites report that they personally, and that whites as a group, face racial discrimination. Two experiments (studies 3 and 4) reveal that reading about growth in the racial minority share of the national population (versus control information) similarly increases whites’ concerns about antiwhite discrimination. Overall, these findings suggest that increasing racial diversity, real or perceived, local or national, can elicit identity-relevant concerns among white Americans, including perceived vulnerability to racial discrimination.
Method and rationale for recalculating dilution spaces to a single, common time point in doubly labeled water studies.

The doubly labeled water (DLW) method has become widely used in studies of energy expenditure and body composition. Researchers differ in the analytical methods used to calculate the dilution spaces for deuterium and oxygen-18. Some determine dilution spaces using isotope enrichments extrapolated to the instant of dosing with DLW (slope-intercept method), but others use measured enrichments from body water samples obtained 3–10 h after dosing (plateau method). These differences limit the comparability of analyses across labs. I derive a simple mathematical approach for recalculating reported dilution spaces to any time point post dosing, using reported dilution spaces and rates of isotope depletion. Simulated data are used to examine the effects of different dilution space protocols. Recalculating dilution spaces enables researchers to determine outcome variables of interest (e.g., total body water, energy expenditure, and water throughput) from different labs under a unified protocol for determining dilution spaces, and improves comparisons among studies. Differences between dilution space protocols can lead to substantial differences in outcome variables of interest in DLW studies. When comparing results of DLW studies that employ different dilution space protocols, dilution spaces should be recalculated for a common time point, and outcome variables recalculated as needed, prior to comparison across studies.
Role and Therapeutic Implications of MDSCs in Sarcomas

Understanding the interplay of the positive and negative regulators of the immune system in sarcomagenesis will be crucial to identifying approaches to use immunotherapies for this rare and heterogeneous group of diseases. In this chapter, we explore the known role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in creating an immunosuppressive state in the tumor microenvironment. We highlight current issues with properly defining this heterogeneous continuum of cells with apparent context dependent phenotypic plasticity. Some of the known direct and indirect effects of MDSCs on immune effector cells are explored and several strategies aimed at inhibiting this immunosuppressive cellular compartment in model systems are examined. Further research is required to better characterize and understand the function of MDSCs and to study them in the human condition.
Hospice and hematologic malignancies: Utilization and caregiver perspective.

72Background: Hematologic malignancies (HM) such as leukemias, lymphomas, and myeloma are potentially curable or may have long lasting remission with current therapy. While therapy may prolong life even in an incurable setting, treatments for relapsed or refractory disease for many hematological malignancies fail and a substantial number of patients with HM are terminally ill. Hospice care services are notably underutilized for HM. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of 22 patients treated from 2013-2016 with terminal HM. Using an adapted version of the Burden Scale for Family Caregivers, surviving family members of deceased patients were surveyed for their perspective of hospice care services. Variables examined included date of diagnosis, data of hospice enrollment if applicable, if the patient experienced any resuscitation attempts, if the patient died in hospital, number of days for last hospitalization, and admissions/ER visits within 6 months of death. Results: 11/22 (50%) of patie...
The First Report of the Rare Lichen Species Phaeophyscia leana (Physciaceae) from Alabama

Phaeophyscia leana, largely considered to be endemic to the river systems of central eastern North America, is newly reported from Madison County, Alabama. This is the first report from Alabama and extends the distribution of the species nearly 195 kilometers south of its currently established southern range limit. The species occurs on trees in river floodplains, a habitat that has been widely altered through hydrological engineering throughout eastern North America.
Prenatal developmental sequence of the skull of minke whales and its implications for the evolution of mysticetes and the teeth‐to‐baleen transition

Baleen whales (Mysticeti) have an extraordinary fossil record documenting the transition from toothed raptorial taxa to modern species that bear baleen plates, keratinous bristles employed in filter-feeding. Remnants of their toothed ancestry can be found in their ontogeny, as they still develop tooth germs in utero. Understanding the developmental transition from teeth to baleen and the associated skull modifications in prenatal specimens of extant species can enhance our understanding of the evolutionary history of this lineage by using ontogeny as a relative proxy of the evolutionary changes observed in the fossil record. Although at present very little information is available on prenatal development of baleen whales, especially regarding tooth resorption and baleen formation, due to a lack of specimens. Here I present the first detailed description of prenatal specimens of minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata and Balaenoptera bonaerensis), focusing on the skull anatomy and tooth germ development, resorption, and baleen growth. The ontogenetic sequence described consists of 10 specimens of both minke whale species, from the earliest fetal stages to full term. The internal skull anatomy of the specimens was visualized using traditional and iodine-enhanced computed tomography scanning. These high-quality data allow detailed description of skull development both qualitatively and quantitatively using three-dimensional landmark analysis. I report distinctive external anatomical changes and the presence of a denser tissue medial to the tooth germs in specimens from the final portion of gestation, which can be interpreted as the first signs of baleen formation (baleen rudiments). Tooth germs are only completely resorbed just before the eruption of the baleen from the gums, and they are still present for a brief period with baleen rudiments. Skull shape development is characterized by progressive elongation of the rostrum relative to the braincase and by the relative anterior movement of the supraoccipital shield, contributing to a defining feature of cetaceans, telescoping. These data aid the interpretation of fossil morphologies, especially of those extinct taxa where there is no direct evidence of presence of baleen, even if caution is needed when comparing prenatal extant specimens with adult fossils. The ontogeny of other mysticete species needs to be analyzed before drawing definitive conclusions about the influence of development on the evolution of this group. Nonetheless, this work is the first step towards a deeper understanding of the most distinctive patterns in prenatal skull development of baleen whales, and of the anatomical changes that accompany the transition from tooth germs to baleen. It also presents comprehensive hypotheses to explain the influence of developmental processes on the evolution of skull morphology and feeding adaptations of mysticetes.
Fast zero-inflated negative binomial mixed modeling approach for analyzing longitudinal metagenomics data.

Motivation Longitudinal metagenomics data, including both 16S rRNA and whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing data, enhanced our abilities to understand the dynamic associations between the human microbiome and various diseases. However, analytic tools have not been fully developed to simultaneously address the main challenges of longitudinal metagenomics data, i.e. high-dimensionality, dependence among samples and zero-inflation of observed counts. Results We propose a fast zero-inflated negative binomial mixed modeling (FZINBMM) approach to analyze high-dimensional longitudinal metagenomic count data. The FZINBMM approach is based on zero-inflated negative binomial mixed models (ZINBMMs) for modeling longitudinal metagenomic count data and a fast EM-IWLS algorithm for fitting ZINBMMs. FZINBMM takes advantage of a commonly used procedure for fitting linear mixed models, which allows us to include various types of fixed and random effects and within-subject correlation structures and quickly analyze many taxa. We found that FZINBMM remarkably outperformed in computational efficiency and was statistically comparable with two R packages, GLMMadaptive and glmmTMB, that use numerical integration to fit ZINBMMs. Extensive simulations and real data applications showed that FZINBMM outperformed other previous methods, including linear mixed models, negative binomial mixed models and zero-inflated Gaussian mixed models. Availability and implementation FZINBMM has been implemented in the R package NBZIMM, available in the public GitHub repository http://github.com//nyiuab//NBZIMM. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Systems biology of ferroptosis: A modeling approach

Ferroptosis is a recently discovered form of iron-dependent regulated cell death (RCD) that occurs via peroxidation of phospholipids containing polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) moieties. Activating this form of cell death is an emerging strategy in cancer treatment. Because multiple pathways and molecular species contribute to the ferroptotic process, predicting which tumors will be sensitive to ferroptosis is a challenge. We thus develop a mathematical model of several critical pathways to ferroptosis in order to perform a systems-level analysis of the process. We show that sensitivity to ferroptosis depends on the activity of multiple upstream cascades, including PUFA incorporation into the phospholipid membrane, and the balance between levels of pro-oxidant factors (reactive oxygen species, lipoxogynases) and antioxidant factors (GPX4). We perform a systems-level analysis of ferroptosis sensitivity as an outcome of five input variables (ACSL4, SCD1, ferroportin, transferrin receptor, and p53) and organize the resulting simulations into 'high' and 'low' ferroptosis sensitivity groups. We make a novel prediction corresponding to the combinatorial requirements of ferroptosis sensitivity to SCD1 and ACSL4 activity. To validate our prediction, we model the ferroptotic response of an ovarian cancer stem cell line following single- and double-knockdown of SCD1 and ACSL4. We find that the experimental outcomes are consistent with our simulated predictions. This work suggests that a systems-level approach is beneficial for understanding the complex combined effects of ferroptotic input, and in predicting cancer susceptibility to ferroptosis.
From Brain Drain to Brain Gain: The Battle Against Talent Drain

Building an enabling scientific community of educated or professional people is a growing focus for many American cities. The retention of home-grown graduates increases the intellectual capacity in a region. Arising from technology-driven accelerated growth, the geographical mobility of young skilled workers has become a key issue in recent studies, attracting the attention of both academics and policymakers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that influence the retention or draining of graduates from a mid-sized higher education instruction’s Child and Youth Studies (CYS), an innovative transformational educational program. The program is focused on developing a socially entrepreneurial mindset on the part of the learner. The study is also aimed at identifying how urban areas in southwest Florida would work toward retaining a large pool of young innovative graduates and enjoy the benefits of smart growth. The data for the study was collected by sending out a survey to 115 current students or those who are about to graduate. The selected 50 (43.5%) participated in the study by completing the survey. The data was analyzed using several descriptive statistics. Several retention factors were identified. They included socio-economic and recreational factors. The research found that the majority of the graduates left not just because it was not easy to find competitive-paying jobs in the region but rather because of lack of awareness of the availability. Other significant factors included inadequate housing, lack of support for their entrepreneurial incubators, and poor public transport. It was also evident that a large number of potential local employers were not aware of the benefits of hiring the CYS graduates. Greater involvement of college students and recent graduates in the community projects would increase retention. It is proposed that each of the SW Florida cities should develop policies that will make them more attractive to the graduates. They should also identify ways of increasing awareness of opportunities available for the graduates in the region.
Analysis of the Effects of a Patient-Centered Rideshare Program on Missed Appointments and Timeliness for MRI Appointments at an Academic Medical Center.

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the differences in timeliness to MRI appointments and missed MRI appointment rates before and after the implementation of a rideshare program. Methods Retrospective analysis of a rideshare program was performed 9 months after implementation to compare the effects before and after implementation. Variables obtained included demographics, MRI appointment variables, and data related to rideshare use. Descriptive statistics and linear and logistic regression analyses were used to compare demographic characteristics among patients using the rideshare program with (1) those who did not use the rideshare program after implementation and (2) patients before rideshare implementation. Rates of missed appointments derived from patient-related, same-day appointment cancellations were analyzed using logistic regression analyses. Timeliness was analyzed using linear regression analyses. All analyses were adjusted for potential confounders. Results Of 7,707 patients scheduled for MRI appointments during the postintervention period, 151 patients used the rideshare service (1.95%). There were no statistically significant differences in missed appointment rates after rideshare implementation (adjusted odds ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.93-1.27; P = .275). Patients using the rideshare service were more likely to be on time (adjusted coefficient = 13.0; 95% confidence interval, 5.4-20.5; P = .001). Older patients (P = .001), unemployed patients (P Conclusions Implementation of a rideshare program did not significantly decrease missed appointment rates, but it significantly improved timeliness to MRI appointments while assisting at-risk patient populations reporting transportation barriers.
Application and limitations of a H2TiO3 – Diatomaceous earth composite synthesized from titania slag as a selective lithium adsorbent

Abstract The lithium adsorption properties of H2TiO3 synthesized from titania slag and immobilized on diatomaceous earth was investigated. Batch adsorption studies using a LiCl buffered solution (pH = 9.5) shows a maximum adsorption capacity of 27.4 mg/g. Isotherm and kinetic studies indicate that lithium adsorption takes place heterogeneously via a chemisorption mechanism. When tested in a low-grade lithium brine (i.e., The Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA (Li+ ~ 20 mg/L)), the adsorbent composite demonstrated high selectivity towards lithium over magnesium and sodium (selectivity factor >40) with good recyclability at room temperature. However, despite its relatively high adsorption capacity in a buffered solution, the adsorption capacity and the rate of lithium adsorption drastically decreases in brine solution compared to the buffered solution due to the release of H+ ions during ion-exchange. The lithium adsorption capacity decreased with increasing temperature due to the loss of adsorption sites, which is a result of the hydrolysis of metastable H2TiO3 at higher temperatures. This decomposition of the adsorbent is a result of the destabilizing effect of H2TiO3 on DE.
Actor-Based Runtime Verification with MESA

This work presents a runtime verification approach implemented in the tool MESA (MEssage-based System Analysis) which allows for using concurrent monitors to check for properties specified in data parameterized temporal logic and state machines. The tool is implemented as an internal Scala DSL. We employ the actor programming model to implement MESA where monitors are captured by concurrent actors that communicate via messaging. The paper presents a case study in which MESA is used to effectively monitor a large number of flights from live US airspace data streams. We also perform an empirical study by conducting experiments using monitoring systems with different numbers of concurrent monitors and different layers of indexing on the data contained in events. The paper describes the experiments, evaluates the results, and discusses challenges faced during the study. The evaluation shows the value of combining concurrency with indexing to handle data rich events.
Implementation outcomes of a culturally adapted diabetes self-management education intervention for Native Hawaiians and Pacific islanders

Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) experience a disproportionate burden of type 2 diabetes and related complications. Although diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) interventions have generally yielded positive results, few NHPIs have been included in these studies, and even fewer studies have been evaluated using a randomized controlled trial design and/or implementation research methods. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate implementation outcomes of a culturally adapted diabetes self-management education intervention delivered by peer educators to Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders residing in Honolulu, Hawai’i. In three study sites, the peer educators and 48 participants randomized to the intervention were invited to participate in the mixed methods implementation research. We used a convergent parallel design to collect implementation data including fidelity, feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, adoption, and sustainability. Data were collected from class observations, participants’ class feedback, and post-intervention focus groups with participants and peer educators. In 314 end-of-class feedback surveys, 97% of respondents expressed that they were satisfied or highly satisfied with the class content and activities, 98% reported that the classes and materials were very useful, 94% reported very applicable, and 93% reported materials were culturally appropriate. Respondents identified several aspects of the program as especially enjoyable: interactions with peer educators, meeting in groups, learning about other participants’ experiences with diabetes, and the information presented in each class. Major themes that emerged from the end-of-intervention focus groups were the relevance of the educational materials, strategies to manage blood glucose, hands-on activities, cultural aspects of the program, including the stories and analogies used to convey information, and appreciation of the group format and peer educators. Results from this research support a culturally tailored, peer educator approach to DSMES among NHPIs. Delivery of the Partners in Care program is feasible in health care and community settings and is a reimbursable DSMES program. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01093924 prospectively registered 01.20.09.
Una lectura de la capital de Cataluña: urbanismo, violencia y ciudad como organismo en "Barcelona trágica" de Andreu Martí

espanolLa novela "Barcelona tragica" (2009) de Andreu Martin nos muestra un episodio de incertidumbre politica, de desobediencia civil y de violencia urbana, conocido historicamente como “La Setmana Tragica de Barcelona”, que se desarrolla en la urbe barcelonesa durante el verano de 1909. En el presente estudio se examina con profundidad la vision de la capital de Cataluna como un organismo vivo y danado en constante metamorfosis, que expone un extenuante proceso de colision y ajuste social para puntualizar la inacabada realizacion de la subjetividad personal y colectiva. El trabajo senala la existencia de vinculos his-toricos inestables y antagonicos entre el espacio urbano global y la multiplicidad de espacios fronterizos, utilizados por la burguesia industrial como estructuras minimizadoras capaces de alterar y alienar la maltrecha existencia del incipiente proletariado anarquista. Se reflexiona como lo urbano en la narrativa de Martin se transforma en un versatil barometro de las alteraciones publicas y de los problemas de clase acaecidos para reevaluar el binomio ciudadano-sociedad. De este modo, a traves de la observacion critica de las estrategias propias de la ficcion, se discurre como el individuo sufre innegables y nefastas consecuencias debido a las multiples negociaciones y a las relaciones asimetricas entre Barcelona y sus ciudadanos, reflejo del entorno metropolitano agreste producto de la crisis politica y social de 1909. EnglishThe novel "Barcelona tragica" (2009) by Andreu Martin depicts an epi-sode of political uncertainty, a case of civil disobedience and occurrences of urban violence, historically known as “La Setmana Tragica de Barcelona” (The Tragic Week of Barcelona), which unfolds in the summer of 1909. The present study investigates in depth the vision of the capital of Catalonia as a living and damaged organism in constant metamorphosis, which exposes an exhausting process of collision and social adjustment to emphasize the unfinished realiza-tion of personal and collective subjectivity. The article points out the existence of unstable and antagonistic historical links between the global urban space and the multiplicity of frontier spaces, used by the industrial bourgeoisie as margi-nalizing structures to disrupt and alienate the battered existence of the incipient anarchist proletariat. It also reflects on how the urban area in Martin’s narrative becomes a versatile barometer of public disturbances and class problems in or-der to reevaluate the citizen-society binomial. In this way, through the critical observation of the strategies of fiction, it is shown how the individual suffers from undeniable and harmful consequences due to the multiple negotiations and asymmetrical relations between Barcelona and its citizens, reflection of the harsh metropolitan environment resulting from the political and social crisis of 1909.
Original ContributionsCrohn’s disease: does race matter?

OBJECTIVE: The severity of Crohn’s disease (CD) has been reported to be greater in blacks than in whites. This possible disparity may be due, in part, to differences between these groups in health care utilization and accessibility. To explore these issues, we conducted a multicenter survey of patients with CD. METHODS: One-hundred and forty-five blacks with CD, recruited from four teaching hospitals and five private practices, and identified by medical record review or ICD-9 code, were enrolled and matched to 407 whites with CD (by age, gender, and practice type [teaching vs private practice setting]). Participants were interviewed regarding medical history, health status, personal health care practices during the preceding 5 yr, and beliefs regarding health care in the general population. RESULTS: Blacks and whites were similar with respect to age of CD onset, lag in time to diagnosis, and number of gastrointestinal (GI)-related hospitalizations and surgeries. Medication usage patterns were also similar in the two groups. Quality of life, measured by SF-36, was lower in all categories for blacks, compared with whites. Blacks were more likely to have had to stop work (p < 0.01) and have lost more work days (p < 0.01) than were whites. Whites were more likely to have health insurance and be able to identify a regular provider than were blacks. Blacks were more likely to report the following: receiving Medicaid; difficulty affording health care; delaying appointments due to financial concerns; difficulty traveling to their provider’s office; and experiencing unreasonable delays at their provider’s office. After adjusting for potential confounding variables, we found no differences between the groups, except for the number of days of work lost because of CD. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that black and white patients have similar reported disease presentations and course, and contrast with prior reports suggesting a more severe disease course among black patients. Although the disease itself appears similar, there were numerous reported differences between the races in health care utilization practices and in disease impact upon daily activities. We suggest that apparent disparities in CD according to race are actually due to social and economic factors, and not to the disease itself.
Sex Differences in Prophylaxis and Therapeutic Treatments for Viral Diseases

The intensity and prevalence of viral infections are typically higher in males than in females. In contrast, disease outcome can be worse for females. Males and females also differ in their responses to prophylaxis and therapeutic treatments for viral diseases. In response to vaccines against herpes viruses, hepatitis viruses, influenza viruses, and others, females consistently mount higher humoral immune responses and experience more frequent and severe adverse reactions than males. Males and females also differ in the absorption, metabolism, and clearance of antiviral drugs. The pharmacological effects, including toxicity and adverse reactions, of antiviral drugs are typically greater in females than males. The efficacy of antiviral drugs at reducing viral load also differs between the sexes, with antiviral treatments being better at clearing HIV and hepatitis C virus in females, but showing greater reduction of herpes simplex virus and influenza A virus loads in males. Biological variables, including hormone and genes, as well as gender-specific factors related to access and compliance to drug regimens must be considered when evaluating male–female differences in responses to treatments for viral diseases. Clinicians, epidemiologists, and basic biomedical scientists should design experiments that include both males and females, develop a priori hypotheses that the sexes will differ in their responses to and the outcome of vaccines and antiviral treatments, and statistically analyze outcome data by sex. Knowledge that the sexes differ in response to prophylaxis and therapeutic treatments for viral diseases should influence the recommended course of treatment differently for males and females.
The Logic of Carbon Risk: A Practitioners’ Perspective on Investment Under Uncertain Climate Policy

This paper uses survey data to create a model of carbon risk (the financial risk associated with CO2 emissions under uncertain climate change policy). The usual way to incorporate the notion of carbon risk into investment decision making is to include a cost of carbon in the budget analysis. Most existing literature uses the expected price of carbon as a proxy for this cost, often represented by the price of traded permits, in its modeling of power plant investment decisions. In contrast, this paper introduces the idea of expected payment of carbon as a more accurate measure of carbon cost as perceived by industry practitioners. This measure of carbon risk incorporates both price and the probability that this price would actually be faced in the case of a particular investment. This concept helps explain both the surge of activity in 2005-2006 and the subsequent decline in interest in coal-fired power plant development in the U.S. The data for this case study comes from an extensive online survey of 700 U.S. energy professionals completed in 2006, as well as interviews conducted with industry representatives from 2007-9. By analyzing industry views on policy uncertainty and future carbon legislation, we gain a better understanding of investor attitudes toward carbon risk. This understanding will be important for future policy debates.
EFFECTS OF JET FLAP ON AV8-B “HARRIER II” PERFORMANCE

This paper examines the effects of fitting various jet-flap configurations to an AV8-'Harrier II' Baseline aircraft using two NASA developed computer codes. The first code predicts the ground roll of an AV8-B with a partial span jet-flap, a full span jet-flap, a partial span internally blown-flap, and a full span internally blown-flap as well as the Baseline configuration. The second code used was a mission performance estimation routine called ACSYNT (Aircraft Synthesis). This code models each configuration on a standard mission so that the relative merits may be determined.
Properties and Regulation of the β-d-Galactosidase in Shigella dysenteriae and in Escherichia coli-Shigella dysenteriae Hybrids

Sarkar, S. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge). Properties and regulation of the beta-d-galactosidase in Shigella dysenteriae and in Escherichia coli-Shigella dysenteriae hybrids. J. Bacteriol. 91:1477-1488. 1966.-Shigella dysenteriae strain 60 has a beta-d-galactosidase related to that of Escherichia coli but more heat-sensitive and with a turnover number about 10 times lower. Hybridization by transduction produces strains with enzymes of intermediate properties by recombination within the z gene. Both E. coli and S. dysenteriae have a regulatory i(+) gene. Recombination between i(-) mutants of the two organisms leads to restoration of the i(+) genotype. In S. dysenteriae 60, most of the i(-) mutants are subject to genetic suppression by suppressor mutations at unlinked loci. The effect of these suppressors on the products of the suppressed i(-) genes is discussed.
Intrinsic contact sensing for soft fingers

The basic mathematic relationships of intrinsic (or force based) contact sensing are discussed. While conventional tactile sensing devices are designed to provide information about local phenomena caused by contact, intrinsic contact sensing detects a few global quantities relating to the interactions of two bodies in contact. The author addresses the geometric-mathematical problem of detecting these quantities starting from force/torque measurements and from the geometric description of one of the contacting surfaces. Two methods for solving the intrinsic contact sensing problem are discussed. The first method is able to give exact results for contacts of the hard-finger type, while it is shown to be only approximate for soft-finger contacts. A formula for estimating the extent of such approximation error is provided. A second, novel solution method is presented, which applies to soft fingers with ellipsoidal surface and is capable of yielding exact solutions to the problem. Some implementation issues and applications of intrinsic tactile sensing to fine manipulation operations are reviewed. >
An Interactive Analytic Tool for Peer-Review Exploration

This paper presents an interactive analytic tool for educational peer-review analysis. It employs data visualization at multiple levels of granularity, and provides automated analytic support using clustering and natural language processing. This tool helps instructors discover interesting patterns in writing performance that are reflected through peer reviews.
Properties of Wrought CoNiCrMo Alloy Protasul-10, a Highly Corrosion and Fatigue Resistant Implant Material for Joint Endoprostheses*:

Loosening of prosthetic components in the bone is a problem that has not been fully explored as yet. When loosening has occurred, the metallic anchorage stem may become overloaded and in extreme cases it may ultimately lead to stem fracture if the fatigue limit of the metallic material is exceeded. In order to preclude the possibility of these undesirable fatigue fractures of loosened prosthesis stems requiring re-operations, the Sulzer research laboratories have developed wrought alloys of extremely high strength and corrosion resistance such as Protasul-1O.t The chemical composition, structure, mecfianicaT properfies, corrosion resistance and present state of the art of this implant material, which has been in clinical use since 1971, are specified in national and international standards. Problems associated with implant materials for joint endoprostheses The problem of anchoring artificial joints in the bone is still being intensively studied worldwide. The prosthetic component is in most cases fixed by acrylic cement, a method of anchorage introduced by Charnley (1960). If the bone cement is optimally handled by the surgeon. satisfactory functional results are generally obtained in most joint replacements today. In the past years, however, a significant number of cases of loosening of the prosthesis stems in the femur have been reported. According to Willert et a1 (1 978), there are a number of causes for stem loosening. If a partly or completely loosened femoral component that causes constant pain to the patient is not reoperated in time, the repeated cyclic stresses in the metal stem may produce an incipient fatigue crack, and this will initiate a fatigue fracture of the prosthesis stem. Such cases have been observed with anchorage stems made of four different implant materials (Willert et al, 1978), viz:
Role of the chymotrypsin-like membrane-associated proteinase from Treponema denticola ATCC 35405 in inactivation of bioactive peptides

The ability of washed whole cells of Treponema denticola ATCC 35405 to hydrolyze (inactivate) substance P, bradykinin, and angiotensin I was studied. Substance P was attacked primarily at the Phe-8-Gly-9 bond by a chymotrypsin-like proteinase (CTLP), at Pro-4-Gln-5 by an endo-acting prolyl oligopeptidase (POPase), and at Gln-5-Gln-6 by an endopeptidase (FALGPA-peptidase). Bradykinin was cleaved at Phe-5-Ser-6 by the FALGPA-peptidase and at Pro-7-Phe-8 by the POPase. Angiotensin I was rapidly converted to angiotensin II by the CTLP, and both angiotensin I and angiotensin II were further hydrolyzed at Pro-7-Phe-8 by the POPase. All these enzymes were assumed to be cell associated and were easily extracted with a mild (0.05 to 0.1%) Triton X-100 treatment. Because it was conceivable that the hydrolysis of substance P at the Phe-8-Gly-9 bond was catalyzed by a CTLP described earlier (V.-J. Uitto, D. Grenier, E. C. S. Chan, and B. C. McBride, Infect. Immun. 56:2717-2722, 1988), the enzyme was purified to homogeneity by means of conventional fast protein liquid chromatography procedures. For kinetic studies, Phe-8(4-nitro)-substance P (NSP) (absorption maximum at 309.2 nm, epsilon = 545 M-1 cm-1) was synthesized to replace substance P as a substrate in kinetic studies. In reversed-phase chromatography, both NSP and substance P gave identical results with both whole cells and the purified enzyme. The CTLP has a mass of 95 kDa, and its activity is suggested to be based on an active seryl residue, on an active imidazole group, and on an active carboxyl group but not on metal cations. The enzyme hydrolyzes N-succinyl-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-Pro-L-Phe-p-nitroaniline (SAAPFNA, a typical chymotrypsin substrate) at a high rate and several proteins, such as calf thymus histone, human plasma fibrinogen, milk caseins, and gelatin. Among the substrates tested, substance P showed the highest affinity (Km = 0.22 mM) for the purified enzyme. Depending on conditions, clinically applicable chlorhexidine levels (3.2 mmol/liter, or 0.2%) strongly activated (up to fourfold) the hydrolysis of SAAPFNA by whole cells and the purified CTLP. The hydrolysis of NSP by whole cells and purified CTLP was slightly inhibited by chlorhexidine. The results demonstrated the versatility and the effectiveness of the outer membrane of T. denticola in occasioning a rapid breakdown and inactivation of human bioactive peptides and other peptidolytic catalyses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Memory for Problem Solutions

Publisher Summary This chapter examines traditional research on paired-associate learning and serial learning sufficient for understanding problem solving or new concepts to theorize about what a person remembers after solving a problem. The three experiments presented in the chapter makes use of a variety of paradigms in an attempt to determine what is remembered after solving a problem. The problem in all three experiments is a version of the missionary–cannibal (MC) problem in which there are five missionaries (5M), five cannibals (5C), and a boat which can hold three people. The task requires the transportation of all people across a river under the constraint that the missionaries are never outnumbered by cannibals on any side of the river or in the boat. The issue of intentional versus incidental learning provided an independent variable for all three experiments. The emphasis on strategies and subgoals raised the question of whether subgoals are differentially effective in producing good strategies and whether subgoals result in more forward planning or merely change the evaluation function used to select the next move. The purpose of the recognition memory task is to provide data on recognition memory and study the effect of an intervening task on memory for their first solution.
Transforming growth factor β : a matter of life and death

A wide variety of functions, many of which represent opposing activities, have been attributed to TGF-beta, a molecule implicated in embryogenesis, development, and immune and inflammatory processes. This paradoxical behavior of promoting or inhibiting cell growth and function, while important in normal physiology and homeostasis, can contribute to or interrupt pathologic sequelae, making TGF-beta a particularly intriguing molecule for study. New transgenic mouse models displaying targeted alterations in TGF-beta 1 expression offer novel and unique opportunities to determine the essential function(s) of TGF-beta.
THE EXCESSIVE PROFITS OF DEFENSE CONTRACTORS: EVIDENCE AND DETERMINANTS

A long controversial issue that divides academics, government officials, elected representatives, and the U.S. defense industry is whether defense contractors earn abnormal or excessive profits at the expense of taxpayers. Using an innovative industry-year-size matched measure of excessive profit, we demonstrate three findings. First, when compared with their industry peers, defense contractors earn excessive profits. This result is evident when profit is measured by Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Common Equity (ROCE), and Profit Margin Ratio (PMR). The evidence of excessive profit is less consistent if profit is measured by Operating Margin Ratio (OMR). Secondly, defense contractorsʼ excessive profit is more pronounced after 1992, consistent with the conjecture that the post-1992 significant industry consolidation enabled superior profitability due to both the improved bargaining power and increased political influence of the newly combined firms. Finally, defense contractorsʼ excessive profitability increases with poorer corporate governance, as measured by the duality of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Chairman of the Board.
ATP Regulates Mammalian Neuromuscular Transmission by Dramatically Decreasing the Resting Muscle Chloride Conductance via P2Y1

In skeletal muscle, extracellular ATP arises locally from released synaptic vesicles and broadly from active muscle fibers. We examined the direct effect of ATP on developed, innervated mammalian skeletal muscle (ex vivo rat levator auris longus) using measurements of individual muscle fibers with two intracellular microelectrodes. Near the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), 20μM ATP prolonged the decay of miniature endplate potentials (mEPP tau) by 31 ± 7.5% and extended the membrane potential responses induced by step current pulses (ΔEm(Ipulse)) by 59 ± 3.0%. These responses correlated with an increased input resistance (Rin) of 31 ± 2.0%. Analogous increases in non-synaptic regions reveal that ATP acts throughout the muscle fiber. In contrast, 50μM adenosine, a well-characterized metabolite of ATP, induced no apparent increase in mEPP tau, ΔEm(Ipulse) or Rin. Applying established pharmacology showed that the ATP receptor mediating these effects is likely the G-protein-coupled P2Y1, since 20μM ATPγS and ADPβS (slowly hydrolysable analogs of ATP and ADP) and 10μM 2-methylthioadenosine-5′-O-diphosphate (2MeSADP) mirrored the effect of ATP. Furthermore, 20μM MRS2179 blocked activation by 20μM ADPβS. The significant effect of ATP on Rin was presumably achieved by closing chloride channels, which maintain the largest conductance of resting muscle. This was confirmed with the chloride channel blocker anthracene-9-carboxylic acid (200-500μM), which mimicked ATP and prevented additional increases by 20μM ATPγS. This ATP response appears unique to mammals, as 50μM ATP induced no analogous increase in the archetypical frog NMJ. Our work outlines a novel mechanism by which physiological levels of ATP regulate synaptic transmission and dramatically alter the resting membrane properties of mammalian skeletal muscle. This has potential implications for the physiology of muscle excitability and fatigue, and the pathophysiology of Thomsen and Becker myotonias.
Direct selection for sequences encoding proteases of known specificity.

Abstract We have developed a simple genetic selection that could be used to isolate eukaryotic cDNAs encoding proteases that cleave within a defined amino acid sequence. The selection was developed by using the transcription factor GAL4 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a selectable marker, a cloned protease from tobacco etch virus (TEV), and an 18-amino acid TEV protease target sequence. In yeast, TEV protease cleaves its target even when the target is fused to internal regions of the GAL4 protein. This cleavage separates the DNA binding domain from the transcription activation domain of GAL4, rendering it transcriptionally inactive. The proteolytic cleavage can be detected phenotypically by the inability of cells to metabolize galactose. Cells expressing the TEV protease can also be selected on the suicide substrate 2-deoxygalactose. DNA binding studies show that the TEV protease decreases the activity of the GAL4/target fusion protein. Because another protease target sequence of 55 amino acids can be inserted into GAL4 without any loss of transcriptional activity, this assay offers the opportunity to use high-efficiency cDNA cloning and expression vectors to select coding sequences of other proteases from various species. The assay could also be used to help define both target specificities and functional domains of proteases.
Exact formulas for moments of sums of classical parking functions

For given positive integers a and b, an [a,b]-parking function of length n is a sequence (x"1,x"2,...,x"n) of positive integers whose order statistics x"("i") (the sequence obtained by rearranging the original sequence in non-decreasing order) satisfy the inequalities x"("i")=
Capitalizing on Behavioral and Emotional Strengths of Alternative High School Students Through Group Counseling to Promote Mindfulness Skills

Alternative high school students are at risk of negative social, emotional, and academic outcomes. School-based group counseling is often implemented by mental health professionals to address these risk factors. This study explores benefits of school-based group counseling utilizing mindfulness meditation to help students improve functioning. Participants included 28 students (12 boys and 16 girls). In a pre-post test design, student strengths showed significant increases following the intervention, as evidenced by scores on the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale–2/Teacher Rating Scale. Findings indicate that application of mindfulness meditation in a school-based counseling group has the potential to help students enhance strengths.
Spectroscopic and laser properties of Pm/sup 3+/

Some of the spectroscopic properties of the promethium ion (Pm/sup 3+/) were investigated in order to assess its feasibility for laser action. The fluorescence spectra and decays from the /sup 5/F/sub 1.2/ manifolds were measured in 11 dielectric materials. The calculated peak emission cross sections are comparable to those for Nd/sup 3+/ in the same hosts. For one host, a lead-indium phosphate glass, application of the Judd-Ofelt theory yielded values of radiative rates, branching ratios, and emission cross sections from the /sup 5/Fm/sub 1/ manifold. Laser action at 933 and 1098 nm was observed due to the /sup 5/F/sub 1/ to /sup 5/I/sub 5/ and /sup 5/F/sub 1/ to /sup 5/I/sub 6/ transitions, respectively. The calculated thresholds for laser action were in good agreement with experiment. It is concluded that Pm lasers will perform as well as Nd lasers, but with laser operation blue-shifted to the 920-nm region. >
The Neurobiology of Emotionally Influenced Memory Implications for Understanding Traumatic Memory

Substantial evidence from animal and human subject studies converges on the view that memory for emotionally arousing events is modulated by an endogenous memory-modulating system consisting, at minimum, of stress hormones and the amygdaloid complex. Within the normal range of emotions experienced, this system is viewed as an evolutionarily adaptive method of creating memory strength that is, in general, proportional to memory importance. In conditions of extreme emotional stress, the operation of this normally adaptive system may underly the formation of strong, "intrusive" memories characteristic of PTSD. An improved understanding of the neurobiology of memory modulation should lead to an improved ability to treat or prevent traumatic memories. Language: en
Morphine microinjected into the periaqueductal gray has differential effects on 3 classes of medullary neurons

The effects of microinjection of 5-10 micrograms of morphine into the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) on the activity of neurons in the rostral ventral medulla (RVM) were studied in lightly anesthetized rats. Based on the relationship between changes in neuronal activity and the occurrence of the tail-flick reflex (TF), RVM neurons were divided into 3 groups: off-cells, on-cells and neutral cells. The off-cells exhibited an abrupt pause and the on-cells an acceleration beginning just prior to the occurrence of the TF. Neutral cell firing did not change at the time of the TF. Microinjections of morphine into the PAG which inhibited the TF had differential effects on the spontaneous activity of the 3 groups of neurons in RVM. Off-cells showed an increase and on-cells a decrease in spontaneous activity which preceded the inhibition of the TF. These microinjections also reduced the TF-related responses of off- and on-cells. The effects on cell activity were reversed by systemically administered naloxone and were not seen following microinjections which failed to block the TF. Neutral cell activity was unchanged following microinjection of morphine into the PAG. These results support the hypothesis that off- and on-cells in the RVM mediate the effects of microinjection of morphine into the PAG on spinal nociceptive reflexes.