cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cyclic 3′,5′-AMP phosphodiesterase activity in head extracts of the five larval instars of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hüber), and in extracts of brains of the fifth instar☆

Abstract 1. Cyclic 3′,5′-AMP phosphodiesterase activity in homogenates of heads of the 5 instars of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), was determined after the insect larvae had been exposed to light regimens of LD 16:8 (16 hr light, hr dark) or LD 10:14. 2. Larval head capsule width was determined for each of the 5 instars and it was found to vary from an average of 0.29 mm in the first instar to an average of 1.9 mm in the 5th instar. 3. Enzyme activity of larvae reared under both light regimens increased during instars 1, 2 and 3, reached a peak in instar 3 or 4, and decreased to undetectable levels during instar 4. 4. Enzyme activity in heads of 3rd-instar larvae held in LD 16:8 was higher than in heads of 3rd-instar larvae held in LD 10:14. 5. Enzyme activity was undetectable in diapausing insects, but it peaked again in the prepupa. 6. The results provide additional evidence that cAMP-ase is significant in insect metamorphosis and also suggest that this enzyme may be involved in insect photoperiodism. 7. Although cAMP-ase activity was determined in as few as 2 brains from 5th-instar larvae, total phosphodiesterase activity of the larval brains was the same whether insects were reared in LD 16:8 or in LD 10:14 and whether the insects were in diapause.
Recent developments in neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonists

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) belong to a superfamily of ligand-gated ion channel receptors and are distributed extensively throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems. The structural and functional diversity of these receptors has stimulated interest in the development of subtype-selective agonists, as a result of a greater understanding of the role of these receptors in neuropathology and disease, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, drug addiction and pain. Surprisingly, much less attention has been focused on the development of subtype-selective antagonists, which may also be useful as therapeutic agents. This article reviews the published patent literature on neuronal nicotinic receptor antagonists, with particular attention to receptor subtype selectivity of novel compounds that have been recently disclosed in the patent literature.
Discriminative stimulus properties of phenytoin in the pigeon

Pigeons trained under a two-key drug discrimination procedure eventually learned to discriminate 5 mg/kg phenytoin from saline injections. When 1.25–20 mg/kg doses of phenytoin were substituted for the training dose, the percentage of responses directed to the phenytoin-appropriate key varied directly with dose. Chlorpromazine, d-amphetamine, diazepam, and phenobarbital failed to produce phenytoin-like patterns of responding.
The next frontier in cardiovascular developmental biology—an integrated approach to adult disease?

Collaboration between clinicians and basic scientists is vital for effective bench-to-bedside research translations, but the interdependent nature of the two professions is currently underemphasized. Cardiovascular developmental biology in particular has important implications for our understanding of adult disease processes. Here Roger Markwald and Jonathan Butcher discuss key discoveries in developmental biology that have the potential to impact the diagnosis and treatment of adult cardiac disease, and appeal to clinicians and basic scientists alike to improve dialogue and learn from each other.
On the role of hydromagnetic waves in the corona and the base of the solar wind

Hydromagnetic waves are of interest for heating the corona or coronal loops and for accelerating the solar wind. This paper enumerates some of the limitations that must be considered before hydromagnetic waves are taken seriously. In the lowest part of the corona, waves interact so that a significant fraction of the coronal wave flux should have periods as ≈10 s. If the problem of interest determines either a flux of wave energy or a dissipation rate, the distance that each wave mode can travel can be specified, and for at least one mode it must be consistent with the size and location of the region where the waves are to act. Heating of coronal loops observed by X-rays can be explained if the strength of the magnetic field along the loop lies within a rather narrow range and if the wave period is sufficiently short. In general, Alfven waves travel furthest and reach high into the corona and into the solar wind. The radial variation of the magnetic field is the most important parameter determining where the waves are dissipated. Heating of coronal helmets by Alfven waves is probable.
The propagation of relativistic heavy ions in multielement beam lines

We describe calculations of the energy loss, range, stopping power,multiple scattering, and other related properties of a high‐energy heavy‐ion beam at any one of a set of beam line elements. A beam line element (e.g., any beam modification, detection, or control device) is characterized by its thickness, areal density, aperture, and function. The loss of multiply scattered particles to any finite‐aperture detector is calculated in the small‐angle approximation, and the position of the Bragg peak, as given by particles stopping in the second of two ionization chambers used for Bragg curve measurements, is estimated. A general purpose computer program, propagate, has been written to allow addition, deletion, and modification of the beam line elements used in the calculation and to provide a convenient means of repeating such calculations for arbitrary beam lines. Calculations and experimental measurements are compared and found to be in satisfactory agreement.
Managing the political context in PMS organizations

Abstract Through the use of questionnaires to CEOs of aerospace firms, data were collected on thirteen organizational factors hypothesized as related to the level of internal politics. These factors included: the degree of stakeholder representation in the goal structure, the strategic information search process, the degree to which strategic assumptions are challenged, the clarity, measurability, prioritizing, difficulty, awareness and time congruity of organizational goals, the level of participative decision making, and the degree to which the budgeting process and the performance evaluation and reward systems are linked to organizational goals. Support was found for all the hypotheses except the prioritizing of goals. The implications for using these findings to manage the political context within which projects must operate are then developed and discussed.
Forms of Exchange and Integrative Bonds Effects of History and Embeddedness

In this study we bring together two sociological traditions: experimental research on how different forms of exchange affect attachments to partners and relationships, and organizational research in natural settings on how embeddedness contributes to social capital. We conceptualize embeddedness in terms of the underlying forms of exchange—negotiated and reciprocal—that are associated with economic exchanges and the social relationships in which they are embedded. Building upon the reciprocity theory of social exchange, we test predictions of how relationship histories (i.e., different sequences of the two forms of exchange) and relationship contexts (i.e., embedding one form of exchange within an ongoing relation of the other form) modify effects of each form in isolation. Results from two experiments show that the reciprocal form of exchange, independent of close ties or personal associations, is critical for producing the strong trust and affective bonds typically associated with embedded relationships...
Enterocolitis following endorectal pull-through procedure in children with Hirschsprung's disease.

The enterocolitis following a pull-through in Hirschsprung's disease can be life-threatening and difficult to distinguish clinically from gastroenteritis and post-operative complications. We reviewed retrospectively the abdominal radiographs in our series to identify specific radiographic characteristics of this syndrome in this population. A total of 55 episodes of enterocolitis with an abdominal series at presentation were located in the files of 43 patients following pull-through surgery for Hirschsprung's disease. There were 15 abdominal series with other complications of Hirschsprung's disease and surgery (seven cases of small bowel obstruction, one of fistula, one of abscess, six of severe constipation) and 71 surveillance follow-up studies. Radiographs were evaluated for bowel dilatation, air-fluid levels, intestinal cut-off sign, spiculation, and pneumatosis. The intestinal cut-off sign with two or more air-fluid levels had sensitivity of 68% and specificity of 83%, with a positive predictive value of 0.71 and overall accuracy of 77%. Our review of enterocolitis following pull-through in children with Hirschsprung's disease concludes that the constellation of an intestinal cut-off sign and at least two air-fluid levels on the abdominal series strongly suggests the diagnosis.
Identification of the functional domains of the matrix protein of influenza A/WSN/33 virus

Abstract Background : The matrix protein (M1) of influenza virus plays a central role in viral replication and has been ascribed a variety of functions including association with viral RNA and ribonucleoprotein (RNP). It is essential to understand the binding mechanism by identification of the functional domains of M1. Methods : The RNA and RNP-binding domains of M1 protein were identified by introducing amino-acid substitutions and deletions. The RNA–protein interaction was investigated by measuring the binding of radiolabeled RNA to immobilized M1 protein. Reconstitution of M1 with RNP was studied by incubation of radiolabeled M1 with purified RNP. Results : We characterized RNA-binding domains of M1 protein by mutating M1, and show that M1 binds to RNA through two independent domains, a zinc-finger motif and a series of basic amino acids (RKLKR). One of the RNA-binding domains consisting of a series of basic amino acids is also involved in RNP binding. An independent domain located in the N-terminal 76 amino acids of M1 also participates in RNP-binding activity. Conclusions : The data suggest that M1 interacts with both the RNA and protein components of RNP in assembly/disassembly of influenza A viruses.
EFFECT OF IONIZING RADIATION ON SEED GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF PINUS RIGIDA (MILL)

Abstract Seeds of Pinus rigida (Mill.) trees were exposed to gamma irradiation while they were still in the cones on the trees. The trees were growing in a natural pine-oak forest that was irradiated by a Cs 137 (9500 curies) source. The vegetation was exposed to radiation during 20 hr each day, for periods ranging from a few days to six months, beginning on November 22, 1961. The exposures sampled ranged from 0·36 r/day to a level of 840 r/day, and for a total exposure of up to 22,700 r. After cone collection the seed was extracted, and the seeds were stratified for 4 weeks before they were germinated under controlled conditions. Up to an exposure rate of 130 r/day and for a total exposure of 16,000 r radiation did not affect germination. However, at an exposure rate of 295 r/day, germination was reduced after an exposure of 8000 r. The LD 50 for seed irradiated at 840 r/day was approximately 22,000 r. There was a temporary stimulation in root length and an increase in fresh weight of the seedlings at an exposure of 6000 to 8000 r, and a temporary retardation in overall growth at exposures above 8000 r. The weakened seedlings were subject to damage by microorganisms, but this could be checked by the use of a fungicide. There was an increase in the nuclear disturbances as a result of exposure, but there were normal mitotic divisions up to the highest level of exposure (22,700 r). The initial stimulation or retardation in height growth as a result of ionizing radiation had disappeared after the seedlings were one year old. After two growing seasons there was no statistically significant difference in height between irradiated seedlings and their controls. The high radiation tolerances that were observed can be attributed to the duration of the exposure, to the fact that mature seeds were irradiated in the cones and thus had not been damaged during extraction, to the beneficial effect of after irradiation stratification, and to the testing under optimal growing conditions.
Redefining Public Education: Contestation, the Press, and Education in Regency Spain, 1885-1902

Literacy has been cited as an important factor in nation building in late nine- teenth-century Europe, particularly where politically active citizenries are concerned. But what about the millions of non-literate Europeans? How were they incorporated in the nation-building process? This article suggests answers to these questions by focusing on the spread of literacy in late nineteenth-century Spain. It discusses a broader notion of public education, spurred in large part by Spanish print culture, as part of a complex interaction that resulted in a larger, more politically active citizenry in turn of the century Spain with obvious parallels for other European nations. This article also suggests that there are myriad ways to educate a populace outside the restrictions of a formal state education system. Spanish newspapers were at the vanguard of this informal education system, but were not the only means of political transmission of ideas. Simultaneously, reading clubs and other extra-state educational and political bodies developed that also used newspapers, along with other materials, to politicize Spaniards. The result, as I show here, was a symbiotic relationship between the press, the state, and Spanish citizens that altered the direction of educational reform while it broadened the numbers of politically-active Spaniards.
Double-Sided Microchannel Cooling of a Power Electronics Module Using Power Overlay

In the continuing effort to alleviate the increasing thermal loads for power electronics devices, numerous aggressive solutions have been developed, such as small-scale micro-channel heat exchangers. Although these methods can improve overall surface heat transfer to the order of 500 W cm−2 , they are limited to single-sided cooling due to the typical wire-bonded electrical connections of the devices. Power overlay (POL) technology provides a stable planar structure for electrical connection, as well as attachment of an additional top-side heat exchanger. This study presents an analysis of double-sided microchannel cooling of a power electronics module. Two optimized, integral micro-channel heat sinks were attached above and below silicon power devices, with more traditional attachment on one side and a POL interface on the other. A compliant TIM was selected for low thermal resistance and good mechanical response, which allowed top-side connection to the POL surface. A theoretical model is presented that predicts the benefit of double-sided cooling based on the known performance of a single-sided heat sink and given addition thermal contact resistance for the top side. For microchannels with water, an enhancement of 26% was predicted. An experiment was also carried out to measure the actual performance benefit seen with double-sided cooling. An enhancement of over 30% was measured for a particular design. As the theory predicts, the benefit of double-sided cooling is limited for high performance designs. However, double-sided cooling could lead to high levels of thermal performance using low-performance technology.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Threonine 11 of human NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase may interact with NAD(+) during catalysis.

Abstract NAD+-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase family, catalyzes the first step in the catabolic pathway of the prostaglandins. This enzyme oxidizes the 15-hydroxyl group of prostaglandins to produce 15-keto metabolites which are usually biologically inactive. A relatively conserved threonine residue corresponding to threonine 11 of 15-PGDH is proposed to be involved in the interaction with NAD+. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to examine the important role of this residue. Threonine 11 was changed to alanine (T11A), cysteine (T11C), serine (T11S) or tyrosine (T11Y) and the mutant proteins were expressed in E. coli. Western-blot analysis showed that the expression levels of mutant proteins were comparable to that of the wild-type enzyme. Mutants T11A, T11C and T11Y were found to be inactive. Mutant T11S still retained substantial activity and the Km value for prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was similar to the wild-type enzyme; however, the Km value for NAD+ was increased over 23-fold. These results suggest that threonine 11 may be involved in the interaction with NAD+ either directly or indirectly and contributes to the full catalytic activity of 15-PGDH.
Cell saver efficacy for routine coronary artery bypass surgery

A retrospective study was conducted to determine the effect of intraoperative Haemonetics Cell Saver (HCS) usage on postoperative homologous blood product requirements in CABG patients. From 1 January to 31 December 1993, 516 patients without renal disease or postoperative surgical or gastrointestinal haemorrhage had elective, first-time CABG surgery. The HCS was utilized in 435 of these patients (Group CS) and in 81 patients the HCS was excluded (Group NCS). Preoperative patient variables were similar in the group. We evaluated the HCS effect on blood product transfusion by comparing -x units of red blood cells (RBC), fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelets (PLTS) transfused per patient between groups CS and NCS. There were no differences in the -x units of RBC (1.9 +/- 2.7 CS vs. 1.8 +/- 1.5 NCS) or in the RBC transfusion rate (48% CS vs 50% NCS). There were also no significant differences between the groups in -x units of FFP (0.9 +/- 0.8 CS vs 0.4 +/- 0.9 NCS) or PLTS (0.7 +/- 3.1 CS vs 0.4 +/- 2.5 NCS), or in the percentage of patients receiving these products (12% CS vs 8% NCS). These data provide no evidence that the use of the HCS decreases the amount of homologous blood bank products required postoperatively in patients having routine first-time CABG surgery. The current era of aggressive blood conservation may have limited the role of the HCS in routine CABG surgery.
Parallel epigenomic and transcriptomic responses to viral infection in honey bees (Apis mellifera).

Populations of honey bees are declining throughout the world, with US beekeepers losing 30% of their colonies each winter. Though multiple factors are driving these colony losses, it is increasingly clear that viruses play a major role. However, information about the molecular mechanisms mediating antiviral immunity in honey bees is surprisingly limited. Here, we examined the transcriptional and epigenetic (DNA methylation) responses to viral infection in honey bee workers. One-day old worker honey bees were fed solutions containing Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV), a virus which causes muscle paralysis and death and has previously been associated with colony loss. Uninfected control and infected, symptomatic bees were collected within 20–24 hours after infection. Worker fat bodies, the primary tissue involved in metabolism, detoxification and immune responses, were collected for analysis. We performed transcriptome- and bisulfite-sequencing of the worker fat bodies to identify genome-wide gene expression and DNA methylation patterns associated with viral infection. There were 753 differentially expressed genes (FDR<0.05) in infected versus control bees, including several genes involved in epigenetic and antiviral pathways. DNA methylation status of 156 genes (FDR<0.1) changed significantly as a result of the infection, including those involved in antiviral responses in humans. There was no significant overlap between the significantly differentially expressed and significantly differentially methylated genes, and indeed, the genomic characteristics of these sets of genes were quite distinct. Our results indicate that honey bees have two distinct molecular pathways, mediated by transcription and methylation, that modulate protein levels and/or function in response to viral infections.
Quantum lattice gas algorithm for quantum turbulence and vortex reconnection in the Gross-Pitaevskii equation

The ground state wave function for a Bose Einstein condensate is well described by the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. A Type-II quantum algorithm is devised that is ideally parallelized even on a classical computer. Only 2 qubits are required per spatial node. With unitary local collisions, streaming of entangled states and a spatially inhomogeneous unitary gauge rotation one recovers the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. Quantum vortex reconnection is simulated - even without any viscosity or resistivity (which are needed in classical vortex reconnection).
Colinguals among bilinguals

: Discussions about intranational uses of English tend to follow the predominant theme of international uses, namely communication between people who do not have the same native language (L1). But how often do compatriots who share an L1 speak L2 English with each other? In other words, how many of a country's bilinguals are also colinguals? If citizens are not speaking English with each other, does it make sense for their educators, literati, or politicians to claim that they have their own national variety? Is spoken discourse the prime mover that generates independent canons? That is, does abundance or lack of speech interaction in intranational contexts act as a touchstone for separating norm-providing varieties (e.g. Indian English) from norm-dependent varieties (e.g. so-called “Japanese English”)? These questions serve to reinforce the tripartite classification of Kachru's model, with a focus on the similarities between the Inner and Outer Circles, counterbalancing the tendency to combine the Outer and Expanding Circles.
Structure of negative ion in normal liquid 3He

We present a microscopic calculation of the electron-bubble radius and energy in liquid 3He at zero applied pressure. The two-particle distribution function is approximated as input by the radial distribution function of bulk 3He. The theoretical value of the radius at 14 A is about 30% below the experimental value obtained from mobility measurements. The model presented here predicts an electron-bubble surface that is less sharp compared to what was obtained by Shih and Woo for the bubble in 4He. Around the bubble the matter density profile appears to be characterized by a high-density region which is about one atomic layer in thickness. The density peak at the bubble surface exceeds the bulk density by about 10%. The approximation schemes are discussed and the source of discrepancy with experiment speculated upon.
SMALL BUSINESS VIABILITY IN THE URBAN GHETTO

ABSTRACT Within the minority communities of large SMSAs, neither the black-owned business nor the small nonminority enterprises are flourishing. Facing limited access to financial capital as well as constrained markets, the ghetto firms that do persist are typically quite small in terms of sales and employment. Among black establishments, the least educated entrepreneurs are the ones who are most likely to remain in business. Unless greater financial capital is forthcoming and better educated owners are induced to remain in business, the business community that is located in minority neighborhoods of large urban areas may be destined to stagnate.
Photoelectron emission spectroscopy of liquid water

Abstract The threshold energy E t = 10.06 eV (0.002 eV standard deviation) is determined for photoelectron emission by liquid water and is correlated with E t = 8.45 eV for OH − (aq). Free energy changes and standard reduction potentials are calculated for both emission processes. Reorganization free energies are correlated to solvation free energies for H 2 O + (aq) and OH − (aq).
Secondary and prolonged fevers in bacterial meningitis.

The course of 88 patients with bacterial meningitis was reviewed to determine theincidence, etiology, and significance of secondary and prolonged fevers. Twenty-eight per cent developed secondary fever, and prolonged fever was noted in 9 per cent. Phlebitis, drug fever, and unrelated infections were the major established causes of complicating fevers. Fever was not due to an inadequate response to antimicrobial therapy in this series. The differential diagnosis of fevers complicating the course of bacterial meningitis is emphasized to avoid improper management.
Static Threshold Asymmetry in Early Glaucomatous Visual Field Loss

Ten normal subjects underwent static threshold visual field testing of both eyes with the Humphrey perimeter, with one eye tested twice. The mean sensitivity of the field seemed virtually identical in the two eyes, with the average difference between the right and left eyes (0.65 decibels [dB]) being no greater than the testing error as reflected in the difference between the same eye tested twice (0.7 dB). The authors provide the mathematical basis for recognizing that a right eye-left eye difference in mean sensitivity might be abnormal. Additional information is needed about the variance of the right eye-left eye difference in the population at large, but present information suggests that a 2-dB difference may be meaningful on a single examination. A 1.5-dB difference is statistically significant if confirmed on a second test, and a difference as small as 1 dB may be meaningful if shown consistently in a series of four examinations. In all cases, nonglaucomatous causes of field abnormality needs to be ruled out, and the generalized asymmetry is most meaningful if it is consistent with asymmetry of cupping or intraocular pressure. Several cases are reported in which a mild (1 dB) generalized depression of the visual field is the only recognizable abnormality in the visual field in eyes with early glaucoma.
Performance modeling based on real data: a case study

A measurement-based performability model is described that is based on error and resource-usage data collected on a multiprocessor system. A method for identifying the model structure is introduced, and the resulting model is validated against real data. Model development from the collection of raw data to the estimation of the expected reward is described. Both normal behavior and error behavior of the system are characterized. The measured data show that the holding times in key operational and error states are not simple exponentials and that a semi-Markov process is necessary to model the system behavior. A reward function, which is based on the service rate and the error rate in each state, is defined in order to estimate the performability of the system and to depict the cost of different types of errors. >
Effects of length of school day on kindergarten school performance and parent satisfaction

A study was conducted to assess the effects of changing the length and regularity of the kindergarten school day on prereading skills, attending skills, and parental opinion of the program. Two rural Colorado school systems were studied in a matched control-comparison design, with the experimental groups attending a full-day, every-other-day program. Results indicated there were no significant differences between the groups on measures of school achievement and behavior. However, parental dissatisfaction appeared to increase in the experimental program. There is a need for further studies of altering the length of school days for establishing policies for kindergarten schedules.
Center For High Technology Materials

The Center for High Technology Materials (CHTM) at the University of New Mexico incorporates the Institute for Modern Optics and the Institute for Microelectronics and Thin Films. The State of New Mexico has funded the CHTM with the objectives of establishing a center of technical excellence, enhancing interaction of the university with the national and federal laboratories and industrial organizations in New Mexico, and encouraging the establishment of new industry in our state. After briefly reviewing ongoing work at UNM, plans for future research in the areas of opto-electronics, laser-material interaction and high power-short wavelength lasers will be described.
Walter Burkert In Partibus Romanorum

Unlike his other books, Walter Burkert's Homo Necans and Creation of the Sacred both explicitly utilise evidence from Roman religion to reach their interpretive goals. But Burkert's use of that evidence is at variance with the meticulousness which has characterised his use of Hellenic evidence throughout his academic career. This article demonstrates how his use of Roman materials is at best impressionistic and incomplete; important evidence is too often missing, and too often a Hellenist's orientation apparently compromises what does appear. More detailed attention to Roman materials could sometimes improve and sometimes undercut the interpretation. Consequently, Burkert's large-scale conclusions are less inevitable than he, and his admirers, might like. Finally, explanations for these circumstances appear in the larger context of the traditional tension between Greek and Roman in the field of classical studies even today. A tacit assumption of those who specialise in Greek religion is that expertise there automatically becomes expertise in Roman religion.
Inactivation of the Sas2 histone acetyltransferase delays senescence driven by telomere dysfunction

Changes in telomere chromatin have been linked to cellular senescence, but the underlying mechanisms and impact on lifespan are unclear. We found that inactivation of the Sas2 histone acetyltransferase delays senescence in Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomerase (tlc1) mutants through a homologous recombination-dependent mechanism. Sas2 acetylates histone H4 lysine 16 (H4K16), and telomere shortening in tlc1 mutants was accompanied by a selective and Sas2-dependent increase in subtelomeric H4K16 acetylation. Further, mutation of H4 lysine 16 to arginine, which mimics constitutively deacetylated H4K16, delayed senescence and was epistatic to sas2 deletion, indicating that deacetylated H4K16 mediates the delay caused by sas2 deletion. Sas2 normally prevents the Sir2/3/4 heterochromatin complex from leaving the telomere and spreading to internal euchromatic loci. Senescence was delayed by sir3 deletion, but not sir2 deletion, indicating that senescence delay is mediated by release of Sir3 specifically from the telomere repeats. In contrast, sir4 deletion sped senescence and blocked the delay conferred by sas2 or sir3 deletion. We thus show that manipulation of telomere chromatin modulates senescence caused by telomere shortening.
A Challenge for Diagnosing Acute Liver Injury with Concomitant/Sequential Exposure to Multiple Drugs: Can Causality Assessment Scales Be Utilized to Identify the Offending Drug?

Drug-induced hepatotoxicity most commonly manifests as an acute hepatitis syndrome and remains the leading cause of drug-induced death/mortality and the primary reason for withdrawal of drugs from the pharmaceutical market. We report a case of acute liver injury in a 12-year-old Hispanic boy, who received a series of five antibiotics (amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, vancomycin, ampicillin/sulbactam, and clindamycin) for cervical lymphadenitis/retropharyngeal cellulitis. Histopathology of the liver biopsy specimen revealed acute cholestatic hepatitis. All known causes of acute liver injury were appropriately excluded and (only) drug-induced liver injury was left as a cause of his cholestasis. Liver-specific causality assessment scales such as Council for the International Organization of Medical Sciences/Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method scoring system (CIOMS/RUCAM), Maria and Victorino scale, and Digestive Disease Week-Japan were applied to seek the most likely offending drug. Although clindamycin is the most likely cause by clinical diagnosis, none of causality assessment scales aid in the diagnosis.
Distributed Networked Control System with Lossy Links: State Estimation and Stabilizing Communication Control

This paper introduces a distributed networked control system (DNCS) consisting of multiple agents communicating over a lossy communication channel, e.g., wireless channel. Two aspects of DNCSs are studied in this paper - state estimation and stabilizing communication control. Based on the Kalman filter, optimal linear filtering algorithms are derived for the discrete-time linear dynamic models of the DNCS with lossy links. Then, the problem of finding a communication control which stabilizes a DNCS is considered. The stabilizing communication control problem seeks the acceptable ranges of packet loss rates at which the overall system is stable. Efficient algorithms based on convex optimization are developed for solving the stabilizing communication control problem.
Trends in the presentation of celiac disease.

PURPOSE: Screening studies have revealed that celiac disease is common in the United States; however, there are scant data on the mode of presentation. We analyzed the trends in clinical presentation over the last 52 years in a large cohort of biopsy-proven patients seen in 1 center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients (n 590) were divided into 6 groups based on the year of diagnosis (1952-2004). Groups were compared for trends in age at diagnosis, childhood diagnosis, duration of symptoms, mode of presentation (diarrhea, bone disease, anemia, incidental at esophagogastroduodenoscopy, screening), and presence of malignancy. RESULTS: Diagnosis was at an older age since 1980 (P .007), and there was a significant negative linear trend in patients presenting with diarrhea (P.001) over time and a positive linear trend in asymptomatic patients detected on screening (P.001). There was a significant negative linear trend in patients with a malignancy (P .02) and duration of symptoms before diagnosis of celiac disease (P .001), although only the subgroup without diarrhea had improvement in delay of diagnosis of celiac disease (assessed by a shorter duration of symptoms) (P .05). Comparison of patients with and without diarrhea showed no significant difference in age (42.9 years vs 43.7 years, P .59), gender (29.3% M vs 34.6%, P .59), and presence of childhood disease (8.0% vs 9.8%, P .43) or malignancies (9.8% vs 8.9%, P .71). CONCLUSION: There is a trend toward fewer patients presenting with symptomatic celiac disease characterized by diarrhea and a significant shift toward more patients presenting as asymptomatic adults
INTERNAL COLONIALISM: An American Theory of Race

This essay explores the historical genealogy of Internal Colonialism as an American theory of race from approximately 1950 to the early 1990s. Internal Colonialism as an idea originated in Latin America as part of a larger Marxist critique of development ideologies and was specifically elaborated by dependency theorists to explain the racial effects of poverty and isolation on indigenous communities. Black and Chicano radicals fascinated by the Cuban Revolution learned about the theory by reading Ernesto “Che” Guevara, by participating in the Venceremos Brigades harvesting Cuban sugar cane, and by the larger diffusion of Latin American dependency theory in the United States. Black nationalists and Chicano radicals embraced, transformed, and further elaborated on the idea of Internal Colonialism to explain their own subordinate status in the United States, which was the product of forced enslavement and military occupation. As a colonized population in the United States, Blacks and Chicanos suffered the effects of racism, were dominated by outsiders, much as colonial subjects in the Third World, and had seen their indigenous values and ways of life destroyed. As a theory that explained the effects of racism, it had its greatest popularity during the radicalization of the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s when nationalism and separatist ideas were in vogue. By the 1980s the theory had been abandoned in favor of more accommodationist politics and ideas.
Low-Complexity SQR-Based Decoding Algorithm for Quasi-Orthogonal Space-Time Block Codes

In this paper, we propose a new decoding algorithm for quasiorthogonal space-time block codes (QOSTBCs) which achieves near maximum likelihood (ML) performance while substantially reducing the decoding complexity. We show that for a system with rate r = ns/T, where ns is the number of transmitted symbols per T time slots; the proposed algorithm decomposes the original complex-valued system into a parallel system with ns 2times2 real-valued components, thus allowing for a simple decoding of one real symbol at a time. For a square QAM constellation with L points (L-QAM), this algorithm achieves full diversity by properly incorporating two-dimensional rotation using the optimal rotation angle and the same rotating matrix for any number of transmit antennas (Nges4). We show that the complexity of this algorithm is linear with the number of transmitted symbols ns, and is independent of the constellation size L.
Lawyers and Popular Culture: A Review of Mass Media Portrayals of American Attorneys

Despite nearly universal recognition of the important relation between American politics and popular culture, the fact that law is an obviously significant part of the political system, and the fact that lawyers are, perhaps, America's preeminently political profession, very little has been written (by lawyers, law professors, or social scientists) on the images that Americans have constructed of law and lawyers as mediated through the institutions of mass culture.' Lawyer (or other law-related) roles have remained among the most powerful and "overrepresented" occupations on prime-time television series,2 and pictures of the legal system have been communicated extensively through the "formats" of popular culture (e.g., movies, best sellers, soap operas, television news, advertising, pop music, jokes and stand-up comedy routines). Yet these vital signs of American attitudes toward the law have been largely ignored by both legal scholars and the bar. This essay, which concentrates on a relatively narrow range of popular culture formats (primarily movies and novels), is designed as a very modest effort to remedy this state of affairs.3 My analysis imposes one possible framework on popular culture's treatment of or "discourses about crime, legality, justice, social order, civilization, private property, civic responsibility and so on."4 I have used three antinomic pairs, or binary oppositions, concerning the relationship of American lawyers to (1) virtue, (2) money or power, and (3) order. Each pair
Technology's Effect on Property–Casualty Insurance Operations

The post-Glass–Steagall era has presented insurers with new opportunities and risks during a time when information flows and business processes are being impacted by changing technology. In this article, we explore how insurers use and perceive current technology to carry out their operations by reporting results from a sample of insurers that includes some of the nation's largest property and casualty insurers. We find among insurers in our sample that an online channel is having a significant impact on customer retention and revenue enhancement, but a lesser impact on cost reduction. Interestingly, about two-thirds of our sample has experienced an increase in their overall number of transactions following the adoption on an online channel. Moreover, while the Internet is perceived as giving marketing benefits it is not being used as a substitute for agents. We find that 65 percent of respondents have used technology to integrate customer data across functional areas and another 23 percent plan to do so in the next 3 years. Nearly 71 percent of respondents have or plan to adopt service-oriented architecture in their technology infrastructure.
Object-oriented implementation of an infrastructure and data manager for real-time command and control systems

MITRE's Evolvable Real-Time C3 (command, control, and communications) project attempts to develop an approach that would enable current real-time systems to evolve into the systems of the future. The project has chosen AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) as an example to test out the concepts and architectures to be developed. In this paper, we describe an object-oriented implementation of an infrastructure and data manager for next-generation real-time command-and-control systems.
Physical Activity and Cognitive Control: Implications for Drug Abuse

This article focuses on a growing body of research that has studied the beneficial relation between chronic participation in—and acute responses to—physi- cal activity and brain health, cognition, and scholastic achievement. Specifically, it highlights the relevant behav- ioral and neuroimaging findings of this beneficial relation in children and adults, providing evidence for the influence of chronic and acute physical activity on brain structure and function that underlie cognition and scho- lastic achievement. In addition, the article discusses the implications for the role of physical activity on drug use, as well as its prevention and treatment, and makes recom- mendations for further research in this area. KEYWORDS—fitness; exercise; attention; memory; drug use; cognition
On Synthesis-for-Testability of Combinational Logic Circuits

We propose a synthesis method that modifies a given circuit to reduce the number of gates and the number of paths in the circuit. The synthesis procedure is based on replacing subcircuits of the given circuit by structures called comparison units. Comparison units are fully testable for stuck-at faults and for path delay faults. In addition, they have small numbers of paths and gates. These properties make them effective building blocks for synthesis of testable circuits. Experimental results demonstrate reductions in the number of gates and paths and increased path delay fault testability. The random pattern testability for stuck-at faults remains unchanged.
DIRECTED EVOLUTION CONVERTS SUBTILISIN E INTO A FUNCTIONAL EQUIVALENT OF THERMITASE

We used directed evolution to convert Bacillus subtilis subtilisin E into an enzyme functionally equivalent to its thermophilic homolog thermitase from Thermoactinomyces vulgaris. Five generations of random mutagenesis, recombination and screening created subtilisin E 5-3H5, whose half-life at 83°C (3.5 min) and temperature optimum for activity (Topt, 76°C) are identical with those of thermitase. The Topt of the evolved enzyme is 17°C higher and its half-life at 65°C is >200 times that of wild-type subtilisin E. In addition, 5-3H5 is more active towards the hydrolysis of succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-p-nitroanilide than wild-type at all temperatures from 10 to 90°C. Thermitase differs from subtilisin E at 157 amino acid positions. However, only eight amino acid substitutions were sufficient to convert subtilisin E into an enzyme equally thermostable. The eight substitutions, which include known stabilizing mutations (N218S, N76D) and also several not previously reported, are distributed over the surface of the enzyme. Only two (N218S, N181D) are found in thermitase. Directed evolution provides a powerful tool to unveil mechanisms of thermal adaptation and is an effective and efficient approach to increasing thermostability without compromising enzyme activity.
Neural network-based market clearing price prediction and confidence interval estimation with an improved extended Kalman filter method

Market clearing prices (MCPs) play an important role in a deregulated power market, and good MCP prediction and confidence interval (CI) estimation will help utilities and independent power producers submit effective bids with low risks. MCP prediction, however, is difficult, since MCP is a nonstationary process. Effective prediction, in principle, can be achieved by neural networks using extended Kalman filter (EKF) as an integrated adaptive learning and CI estimation method. EKF learning, however, is computationally expensive because it involves high dimensional matrix manipulations. This work presents a modified U-D factorization method within the decoupled EKF (DEKF) framework. The computational speed and numerical stability of this resulting DEKF-UD method are significantly improved as compared to standard EKF. Testing results for a classroom problem and New England MCP predictions show that this new method provides smaller CIs than what provided by the BP-Bayesian method developed by the authors. Testing also shows that our new method has faster convergence, provides more accurate predictions as compared to BP-Bayesian, and our DEKF-UD MCP predictions are comparable in quality to ISO New England's predictions.
A new pleurocystitid rhombiferan echinoderm from the Middle Ordovician Galena Group of northern Iowa and southern Minnesota

Pleurocystites strimplei new species, from the Galena Group of Iowa and Minnesota, is closely related to P. squamosus Billings from the Appalachians and Michigan. Numerous specimens provide information about growth, living habits, functional morphology, and respiration. The development of P. strimplei n. sp. is largely isometric with several exceptions. New dichopores form throughout ontogeny. Length of the dichopores and the area available for respiration are characterized by strong positive allometry relative to the volume of the animal. The length of the distal stem increases with respect to the size of the theca. During life the aboral side faced up. Some animals were largely covered by a thin layer of sediment whereas others lay directly on the seafloor. The orientation of the brachioles is most consistent with deposit feeding. Quantitative models of respiration suggest that the pectinirhombs accounted for over half of the needs of youngsters but this contribution falls to about 38 percent in adults. Respiration by the surface area of the theca and the water vascular system provide small amounts of oxygen, especially for animals living on the surface of the seafloor. Cloacal pumping or a similar type of respiratory device probably furnished the remainder of the oxygen required by P. strimplei n. sp. The morphometric data in conjunction with parameters taken from Recent oceans and echinoderms produce a plausible respiration budget, which is affected by size, age, allometry, and living orientation.
The Role of Alcohol Availability in Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol Problems

The major theoretical approaches that have provided competing explanations for the distribution and nature of alcohol problems are reviewed and assessed. The sociocultural model and studies are briefly discussed with major emphasis given to the particular studies that have focused on different conceptions and dimensions of availability. Attempts to integrate the sociocultural model and the distribution of consumption model are also reviewed. A recent integrated model finds specific relationships between physical availability or the different types of outlets, with social area characteristics of different populations, and some four different alcohol problems, including cirrhosis, public drunk arrests, and misdemeanor and felony drunk driving arrests. Specific social area characteristics representing social class, minority status, and other structural features such as unemployment and women’s labor force participation become implicated in alcohol problems independently of the effects of differing levels of availability. Additional related research on licensing and enforcement practices, beliefs, and attitudes of ABC personnel are also reviewed in relation to the general issue of availability. Other recent research on social and psychological dimensions of availability are also reviewed. Cross-sectional time series modeling is suggested as a technique for determining causal processes.