cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age-Related Dopaminergic Innervation Augments Th2 Inflammation in the Postnatal Lung

As neural innervation of the peripheral tissue continues to develop after birth, neurons may modulate tissue inflammation in an age-related manner. Herein, we investigated the role of the developing nervous system in the asthma diathesis that characterizes the early age. We showed that sympathetic nerves in the lung underwent a dopaminergic-to-adrenergic transition during postnatal development. In addition, dopamine was found to promote a T helper 2 (Th2) phenotype by signaling through a specific DRD4 receptor on CD4+ T cells. Mechanistically, the dopamine-DRD4 pathway acted synergistically with interleukin 4 (IL-4) by upregulating IL-2/STAT5 signaling and reducing inhibitory histone trimethylation at Th2 gene loci. Furthermore, in murine models of allergen exposure, we demonstrated that the dopamine-DRD4 pathway significantly augmented Th2 inflammation in the early lung, but much less so in the adult lung. Taken together, an age-related communication between dopaminergic nerves and CD4+ T cells augments Th2 inflammation in the early lung.
Large-Scale Correlations in the Lyman-alpha Forest at z = 3-4

We present a study of the spatial coherence of the intergalactic medium toward two pairs of high-redshift quasars with moderate angular separations observed with Keck/ESI, Q1422+2309A/Q1424+2255 (z_em = 3.63, theta = 39") and Q1439-0034A/B (z_em = 4.25, theta = 33"). The crosscorrelation of transmitted flux in the Lyman-alpha forest shows a 5-7 sigma peak at zero velocity lag for both pairs. This strongly suggests that at least some of the absorbing structures span the 230-300/h_70 proper kpc transverse separation between sightlines. We also statistically examine the similarity between paired spectra as a function of transmitted flux, a measure which may be useful for comparison with numerical simulations. In investigating the dependence of the correlation functions on spectral characteristics, we find that photon noise has little impact for S/N >~ 10 per resolution element. However, the agreement between the autocorrelation along the line sight and the crosscorrelation between sightlines, a potential test of cosmological geometry, depends significantly on instrumental resolution. Finally, we present an inventory of metal lines. These include a a pair of strong C IV systems at z ~ 3.4 appearing only toward Q1439B, and a Mg II + Fe II system present toward Q1439 A and B at z = 1.68.
Skewers

The skewer of a pair of skew lines in space is their common perpendicular. To configuration theorems of plane projective geometry involving points and lines (such as Pappus or Desargues) there correspond configuration theorems in space: points and lines in the plane are replaced by lines is space, the incidence between a line and a point translates as the intersection of two lines at right angle, and the operations of connecting two points by a line or by intersecting two lines at a point translate as taking the skewer of two lines. These configuration theorems hold in elliptic, Euclidean, and hyperbolic geometries. This correspondence principle extends to plane configuration theorems involving polarity. For example, the theorem that the three altitudes of a triangle are concurrent corresponds to the Petersen–Morley theorem that the common normals of the opposite sides of a space right-angled hexagon have a common normal. We define analogs of plane circles (they are 2-parameter families of lines in space) and extend the correspondence principle to plane theorems involving circles. We also discuss the skewer versions of the Sylvester problem: given a finite collection of pairwise skew lines such that the skewer of any pair intersects at least one other line at right angle, do all lines have to share a skewer? The answer is positive in the elliptic and Euclidean geometries, but negative in the hyperbolic one.
Microclimate conditions alter Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) overwinter survival across climate gradients in Maine, United States.

Abstract The incidence and geographic range of vector-borne diseases have been expanding in recent decades, attributed in part to global climate change. Blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), the primary vector for multiple tick-borne pathogens in North America, are spreading rapidly beyond their historic post-colonial range and are thought to be constrained mainly by winter temperature at northern latitudes. Our research explored whether winter climate currently limits the distribution of blacklegged ticks and the pathogens they transmit in Maine, U.S.A., by contributing to overwinter mortality of nymphs. We experimentally tested tick overwinter survival across large-scale temperature and snowfall gradients and assessed factors contributing to winter mortality in locations where blacklegged tick populations are currently established and locations where the blacklegged tick has not yet been detected. We also tested the hypothesis that insulation in the tick microhabitat (i.e., by leaf litter and snowpack) can facilitate winter survival of blacklegged tick nymphs despite inhospitable ambient conditions. Overwinter survival was not significantly different in coastal southern compared to coastal and inland northern Maine, most likely due to sufficient snowpack that protected against low ambient temperatures at high latitudes. Snow cover and leaf litter contributed significantly to overwinter survival at sites in both southern and northern Maine. To further assess whether the current distribution of blacklegged ticks in Maine aligns with patterns of overwinter survival, we systematically searched for and collected ticks at seven sites along latitudinal and coastal-inland climate gradients across the state. We found higher densities of blacklegged ticks in coastal southern Maine (90.2 ticks/1000 m2) than inland central Maine (17.8 ticks/1000 m2) and no blacklegged ticks in inland northern Maine. Our results suggest that overwinter survival is not the sole constraint on the blacklegged tick distribution even under extremely cold ambient conditions and additional mechanisms may limit the continued northward expansion of ticks.
The inhibitory effects of interleukin-1 on growth hormone action during catabolic illness.

Growth hormone (GH) induces the expression of the anabolic genes responsible for growth, metabolism, and differentiation. Normally, GH stimulates the synthesis of circulating insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I) by liver, which upregulates protein synthesis in many tissues. The development of GH resistance during catabolic illness or inflammation contributes to loss of body protein, resulting in multiple complications that prolong recovery and cause death. In septic patients, increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines and GH resistance are commonly observed together. Numerous studies have provided evidence that the inhibitory effects of cytokines on skeletal muscle protein synthesis during sepsis and inflammation are mediated indirectly by changes in the GH/IGF‐I system. Interleukin (IL)‐1, a member of the family of proinflammatory cytokines, interacts with most cell types and is an important mediator of the inflammatory response. Infusion of a specific IL‐1 receptor antagonist (IL‐1Ra) ameliorates protein catabolism and GH resistance during systemic infection. This suggests that IL‐1 is an important mediator of GH resistance during systemic infection or inflammation. Consequently, a better understanding of the interaction between GH, IL‐1, and the regulation of protein metabolism is of great importance for the care of the patient.
PARO, Vitor Henrique. Educação como exercício do poder: crítica ao senso comum em educação.

Vitor Henrique Paro e professor da Faculdade de Educacao da USP. Como pesquisador da Educacao, coordena o Grupo de Estudos e Pesquisas em Administracao Escolar (Gepae). Um dos seus livros mais conhecidos no Brasil e “Administracao escolar: introducao critica”, cuja primeira edicao data de 1986 e a ultima, a 15a, de 2008. O livro aqui resenhado, entre outras possiveis leituras, apresenta uma reflexao pedagogica que critica profundamente o senso comum do professorado. Ele critica uma especie de vaca sagrada do magisterio: os conteudos.
Broadband & volumetric thermoacoustic imaging of fresh human prostates using a clinical array

Prostate cancer is difficult to image because contrast mechanisms of current modalities fail to distinguish healthy from cancerous prostatic tissue. Prostate cancer decimates citrate production and therefore overall ionic content of prostatic fluids. Amplitude of thermoacoustic pulses induced by very high frequency (VHF) irradiation increases with ionic content. Superior depth penetration over photo- and microwaveinduced thermoacoustic imaging is achieved at the cost of signal strength precisely because VHF energy loss is low in soft tissue. VHF-induced thermoacoustic imaging must overcome several challenges, including development of ultrasound transducer arrays suitable for clinical use. Sensitive single element ultrasound transducers yield good SNR after low noise amplification (54 dB) and signal averaging. Clinical ultrasound transducer arrays are less sensitive, particularly at frequencies below 1 MHz, which dominate power spectra of VHF-induced thermoacoustic pulses. Volumetric reconstruction of a fresh human prostate specimen in a 4.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 cm3 volume is displayed. We demonstrate that a clinical ultrasound array is sufficiently sensitive to high frequencies, but not low frequencies, for quantitative VHF-induced thermoacoustic computerized tomography (TCT). Simultaneous acquisitions by a clinical array with 1-4 MHz bandwidth and a single element transducer sensitive to kHz frequencies are compared and contrasted in images of resolution phantoms and a fresh human prostate. Combining images from both single element and phased array transducers retains superior image resolution of the phased array and contrast from the single element transducer. This demonstrates the importance of acquiring kilohertz frequencies for accurate image reconstruction over a large field of view, and will be useful in designing arrays suitable for a clinical prototype.
Strategies for the detection and analysis of space-time patterns of earthquakes on complex fault systems

Our research focuses on computational techniques to understand the dynamics of space-time patterns in driven threshold systems, particularly on earthquake fault systems. We discuss the scientific and computational formulation of strategies for understanding such spacetime patterns, leading optimistically to earthquake forecasting and prediction. In particular, we describe pattern dynamics techniques that can be used to relate the observable processes on earthquake fault systems to the fundamentally unobservable dynamical processes. To illustrate our results, we study the emergent modes of the earthquake fault system in southern California, both with models (Virtual California) and with data.
A Touching Response to Damage

An extensive network of proteins, and their combinatorial diversity, account for biological functions that are regulated in response to damaged DNA.
Bad Protein, a BH3‐only Member of the BCL‐2 Family

This article has no abstract. Keywords: bad protein, a BH3-only member of the BCL-2 family
Physical therapy education and provision in Cambodia: a framework for choice of systems for development projects.

Purpose. Rehabilitation agencies, policy makers and donors are faced with the choice of the level of rehabilitation provider to promote in developing countries. This is particularly the case after conflict when new systems are considered and the need for rehabilitation becomes a priority. The complete decimation of medical services in Cambodia highlights the effects of both social change and development agency impact on the establishment of rehabilitation services. This paper discusses the factors that led to the development of four types of physical therapy provider levels in Cambodia with the goal of providing a framework for these decisions.Methods. Case study analysis utilizing interviews, site analysis and literature review.Results. There are four levels of physical therapy provider systems that were initiated at different stages of the rebuilding of the country. Rehabilitation workers were trained during the war in refugee camps and afterwards in rehabilitation centers, professional physical therapi...
PREPRINT - Accounting for Goodwill: A Literature Review and Analysis

Goodwill in the accounting context represents amounts paid in excess of the fair value of the identifiable net assets for a business acquisition. The accounting for goodwill has long been a subject of debate and remains so today. Indeed, the guidance for goodwill accounting has been significantly revised twice since 2001 (2001 and 2011). Despite these recent and significant revisions, the topic is back on the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) agenda as the FASB added a project to once again discuss the optimal treatment for goodwill (FASB, 2015). In this paper, we seek to inform this effort by describing the evolution of accounting standards for goodwill and then synthesizing and analyzing the academic literature on goodwill accounting and reporting. Based on this historical perspective and analysis of the literature, we then assess the strengths and weaknesses of different accounting approaches for goodwill, highlight the factors affecting the process of standard-setting on goodwill, and make recommendations. Our recommendations include recommendations for the FASB about optimal guidance and recommendations for academics concerning future academic research projects that would advance the goodwill accounting debate. Hence, this paper should be of interest to academic researchers interested in mergers and acquisitions and goodwill, to financial statement preparers and users, and to standard setters.
Introduction to nano-materials science and engineering: An elective course within an Applied Physics PhD program

A graduate/undergraduate course that gives an introduction to the science and engineering of materials at the nanometer length scale is briefly described. The course is an elective within an Applied Physics PhD program at Portland State University. Definitions for nanoscience and engineering are quoted and contrasted with popular conceptualizations of nanotechnology.
Fluoxetine reduces explosiveness and elevates mood of vietnam combat vets with PTSD

Thirteen of 18 depressed Vietnam War combat veterans who had frequent, explosive outbursts of rage enjoyed reduced explosiveness when treated with fluoxetine, They displayed and reported a greater ability to think rather than act. Duration of anger also diminished; and mood improved.
CO2 laser-assisted posterior semicircular canal ablation for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Objectives The objective of this study was to analyze a new technique, CO2 laser-assisted posterior semicircular canal ablation (LAPSCCA), in the treatment of refractory benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Study design Prospective study of patients with disabling BPPV who failed conservative therapy. Methods Patients noted to have been treated with at least three Epley maneuvers without success and continuing to have disabling symptoms were enrolled in this study. Patients underwent pre- and post-operative electronystagmography. The surgical technique is modified from Parnes1 and involves plugging each end of the fenestrated posterior semicircular canal with bone grafts and fibrin glue. The CO2 fiberoptic (Omniguide) laser is then used at a setting of 2 watts to incise between the cut ends of the canal to completely section the membranous labyrinth. Results All six patients had excellent relief of positional vertigo symptoms. Conclusions LAPSCCA is an excellent treatment option for patients with intractable BPPV.
DNA Curtains and Nanoscale Curtain Rods: High-Throughput Tools for Single Molecule Imaging

Single molecule visualization of protein-DNA complexes can reveal details of reaction mechanisms and macromolecular dynamics inaccessible to traditional biochemical assays. However, these techniques are often limited by the inherent difficulty of collecting statistically relevant information from experiments explicitly designed to look at single events. New approaches that increase throughput capacity of single molecule methods have the potential for making these techniques more readily applicable to a variety of biological questions involving different types of DNA transactions. Here we show that nanofabricated chromium barriers, which are located at strategic positions on a fused silica slide otherwise coated with a supported lipid bilayer, can be used to organize DNA molecules into molecular curtains. The DNA that makes up the curtains is visualized by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) allowing simultaneous imaging of hundreds or thousands of aligned molecules. These DNA curtains present a robust experimental platform portending massively parallel data acquisition of individual protein-DNA interactions in real time.
Factors affecting DTPA‐extractable Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu from soils

Abstract Tests were made to determine the effects of grinding, type of extraction vessel, type of shaker, speed of shaking, time of shaking, time of filtering, soil to solution ratio and other variables on DTPA‐extractable Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu from soils. Time of grinding, force of grinding, and the quantity of soil being ground greatly affected the amount of extractable Fe. At the lower grinding force, the quantity of soil being ground only slightly affected extractable Fe, but at the higher grinding force, more Fe was extracted from the smaller sized samples especially at the longer grinding period. Extractable Zn was also increased by longer grinding time and greater grinding force, but increases were much less than increases for Fe. Increasing grinding time tended to increase extractable Mn. The effects of grinding on Cu was inconclusive. Increasing the ratio of extractant to soil increased the amount of extractable Fe from soils and tended to increase Zn, Mn, and Cu but to a lesser extent. Both shaker ...
Organic and inorganic network development in ORMOSILs: effects on optical properties

The preparation of organic-inorganic hybrids based on the use of sol-gel chemistry offers a creative approach for synthesizing novel optical materials. Specifically, hybrid materials derived from combining silica and acrylic systems have been shown to be effective host matrices for organic laser dyes. However, the synthesis must be carefully designed in order to retain the beneficial properties of both constituents within a single hybrid network, without compromising optical quality. In this paper, three approaches for initiating polymerization reactions of the organic component are reported. Raman and optical spectroscopies are used to correlate the influence of organic and inorganic network development on optical transparency of the hybrid. The most successful synthesis method involved dissolving the sol components in a common solvent before instituting polymerization treatments. Materials synthesized from this approach satisfy three important criteria for organic- inorganic hybrid layer host materials: an optically transparent matrix with little or no phase separation; equal amounts of organic and inorganic to obtain the benefits of both phases; and a high degree of organic polymerization.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Expanding the Conceptual Basis of Outcomes and Their Use in the Human Services

Despite the broad-based endorsement of outcomes as appropriate yardsticks by which to measure the merit and worth of human services in a variety of fields of social welfare, the selection, specific...
Recognition of the nonpolar base 4-methylindole in DNA by the DNA repair adenine glycosylase MutY.

The DNA repair adenine glycosylase MutY efficiently recognizes 7-deaza-2‘-deoxyadenosine (Z) and its nonpolar isostere 4-methylindole β-deoxynucleoside (M) opposite 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2‘-deoxyguanosine (OG) and G in DNA. Both wild-type and truncated MutY exhibit a 10- to 20-fold higher affinity for a duplex containing OG:M than OG:Z. More efficient recognition of M over Z by MutY may be to due the lack of hydrogen bonding with the OG that facilitates nucleotide flipping during the substrate recognition process.
Dopamine-synthesizing neurons include the putative H-cell homologue in the moth Manduca sexta.

The catecholamine dopamine (DA) plays a fundamental role in the regulation of behavior and neurodevelopment across animal species. Uncovering the embryonic origins of neurons that express DA opens a path for a deeper understanding of how DA expression is regulated and, in turn, how DA regulates the activities of the nervous system. In a well-established insect model, Manduca sexta, we identified the putative homologue of the embryonic grasshopper "H-cell" using intracellular techniques, laser scanning confocal microscopy, and immunohistochemistry. In both species, this neuron possesses four axons and has central projections resembling the letter H. The H-cell in grasshoppers is known to be derived from the midline precursor 3 cell (MP3) and to pioneer the pathways of the longitudinal connectives; in Drosophila, the H-cell is also known to be derived from MP3. In the current study, we demonstrate that the Manduca H-cell is immunoreactive to antibodies raised against DA and its rate-limiting synthetic enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). In larvae and adults, one DA/TH-immunoreactive (-ir) H-cell per ganglion is present. In embryos, individual ganglia contain a single midline TH-ir cell body positioned along side its putative sibling. Such observations are consistent with the known secondary transformation (in grasshoppers) of only one of the two MP3 progeny during early development. Although a hallmark feature of invertebrate neurons is the fairly stereotypical position of neuronal somata, we found that the H-cell somata can "flip-flop" by 180 degrees between an anterior and posterior position. This variability appears to be random and is not restricted to any particular ganglion. Curiously, what is segment-specific is the absence of the DA/TH-ir H-cell in the metathoracic (T3) ganglion as well as the unique structure of the H-cell in the subesophageal ganglion. Because this is the first immunohistochemical study of DA neurons in Manduca, we have provided the distribution pattern and morphologies of dopaminergic neurons, in addition to the H-cells, within the ventral nerve cord during development.
Effect of non-well-mixed compartment and bulk flow on diffusion through a pore

The assumptions of well-mixed and zero bulk flow in compartmental analysis are reexamined. Using Poiseuille flow inside and radial flow outside a pore, the mass-transfer equations are solved by perturbations on simple diffusion. Formulas are obtained for solute distribution, total mass transfer, and apparent permeability. The effects of non-well mixing and bulk flow are discussed.
Time-Complexity of the Word Problem for Semigroups and the Higman Embedding Theorem

The following algebraic characterization of the computational complexity of the word problem for finitely generated semigroups is proved, in the form of a refinement of the Higman Embedding Theorem: Let S be a finitely generated semigroup whose word problem has nondeterministic time complexity T (where T is a function on the positive integers which is superadditive, i.e. T(n+m) ≥T(n)+T(m)). Then S can be embedded in a finitely presented semigroup H in which the derivation distance between any two equivalent words x and y (and hence the isoperimetric function) is O(T(∣x∣+∣y∣)2). Moreover, there is a conjunctive linear-time reduction from the word problem of H to the word problem of S, so the word problems of S and H have the same nondeterministic time complexity (and also the same deterministic time complexity). Thus, a finitely generated semigroup S has a word problem in NTIME(T) (or in DTIME(To)) iff S is embeddable into a finitely presented semigroup H whose word problem is in NTIME(T) (respectively in DTIME(To)). In the other direction, if a finitely generated semigroup S is embeddable in a finitely presented semigroup H with isoperimetric function ≤ D (where D(n) ≥ n), then the word problem of S has nondeterministic time complexity O(D). The word problem of a finitely generated semigroup S is in NP (or more generally, in NTIME((T)O(1))) iff S can be embedded in a finitely presented semigroup H with polynomial (respectively (T)O(1)) isoperimetric function. An algorithmic problem L is in NP (or more generally, in NTIME((T)O(1))) iff L is reducible (via a linear-time one-to-one reduction) to the word problem of a finitely presented semigroup with polynomial (respectively (T)O(1)) isoperimetric function. In essence, this shows: (1) Finding embeddings into finitely presented semigroups or groups is an algebraic analogue of nondeterministic algorithm design; (2) the isoperimetric function is an algebraic analogue of nondeterministic time complexity.
Spatial and temporal variation in the fruiting phenology of palms in isolated stands

Fruiting phenologies of two species of palms, Astrocaryum standleyanum L. H. Bailey and Attalea butyracea (Mutis ex L. f) Wess. Boer, isolated on eight small (1.7–3.7 ha) forested islands in the Panama Canal were studied over a 33-month period. Individual palms were permanently marked with numbered aluminum tags and censused each month for the presence of ripe fruits. The dataset consisted of 1106 monthly observations of palms with ripe fruits among the 634 marked individuals. Mean densities of palms of reproductive size varied widely among islands, ranging from a low of 0.3 ha -1 for A. standleyanum and 3.5 ha -1 for A. butyracea to a high of 44.9 ha -1 for A. standleyanum and 33.7 ha -1 for A. butyracea. Both species showed distinctly seasonal periods of fruiting activity that varied in duration between the two species and among years. The timing of fruiting by A. standleyanum was highly synchronous among islands, whereas inter-island synchrony in A. butyracea was less pronounced. The percentages of marked individuals that fruited varied widely among islands and years. Results indicated that these palms responded to both spatially and temporally variable conditions that promoted fruit production. We suggest that pollinator abundances are a crucial factor affecting reproductive output. Conditions that favor successful reproduction and seed dispersal, such as pollinator activity and the attraction of dispersal agents, may be the ultimate factors that have influenced the reproductive phenologies of these two species of palms.
Photoemission study of Si(111)-Ge(5 x 5) surfaces.

Photoemission spectroscopy was used to study Si(111)-Ge(5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}5) surfaces prepared by annealing Ge films deposited onto Si(111)-(7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7) substrates. The Si 2p core-level line shape was modified in going from (7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7) to (5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}5) systems. By decomposing the spectra into bulk- and surface-shifted components the changes in line shape were identified as due to selective replacement of Si by Ge in different layers of the substrate, without any drastic change in the surface structure. The Ge 3d core-level line shape for the Si(111)-Ge(5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}5) surface was also measured and compared with that for the Ge(111)-c(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}8) surface. These results are discussed in terms of models for the Si(111)-(7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7) structure. A surface state was observed on the Si(111)-Ge(5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}5) surface, which gave rise to a metalliclike Fermi edge in the angle-integrated spectra; a similar surface state was observed on the Si(111)-(7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7) surface but not on the Ge(111)-c(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}8) surface.
A Method to Incorporate Ecology into Residence Time of Chemicals in Embayments: Local Effect Time

Residence times are defined classically by the physical and chemical aspects of water bodies rather than by their ecological implications. Therefore, a more clear and direct connection between the residence times and ecological effects is necessary to relate these timescales quantitatively to ecology. The concept of local effect time (LET) is proposed in this paper as a timescale with spatial resolution that relates to ecological components and their spatial distribution within an embayment. The LET can predict the susceptibility of real-world ecological components to change from one condition to another. It can provide an efficient way to allow managers and agencies to evaluate the degree of stress or relief from current or projected changes in the loading of contaminants or nutrients. The steps for calculating LETs and defining their correlation with the existing ecological components in an embayment are presented along with illustrative applications to loading from riverine inflow and a wastewater treatment plant. The LET successfully identified the areas within the water body that could be prone to ecological changes due to perturbations in the loading rate of riverine water and its constituents. An example is given that shows how the LET method can be used to delineate the distribution and duration of high levels of coliform bacteria due to a pulsed effluent from the treatment plant.
Iterative Structure Discovery in Graph-Based Data

Much of current data mining research is focused on discovering sets of attributes that discriminate data entities into classes, such as shopping trends for a particular demographic group. In contrast, we are working to develop data mining techniques to discover patterns consisting of complex relationships between entities. Our research is particularly applicable to domains in which the data is event-driven or relationally structured. In this paper we present approaches to address two related challenges; the need to assimilate incremental data updates and the need to mine monolithic datasets. Many realistic problems are continuous in nature and therefore require a data mining approach that can evolve discovered knowledge over time. Similarly, many problems present data sets that are too large to fit into dynamic memory on conventional computer systems. We address incremental data mining by introducing a mechanism for summarizing discoveries from previous data increments so that the globally-best patterns c...
July Spike in Fatal Medication Errors

Authors Reply:—We appreciate Dr. Keller's interest in our paper and his thoughtful suggestion that our finding of a July spike in medication errors might result from “poor teamwork and coordination between the residents and the hospital staff, including the attending physicians, nurses, and pharmacists.” In our article, we indeed noted that the July spike “seems to result at least partly from changes associated with new medical residents.” Dr. Keller is suggesting a plausible example of such a change. In our article, we also noted that the death certificates we analyzed are unsuitable for explicating the detailed mechanisms producing the July spike. We hope that our article and Dr. Keller's letter will stimulate new research with different datasets that are capable of identifying the detailed processes that cause the July spike in medication errors.
Combining words and prosody for information extraction from speech.

Information extraction from speech is a crucial step on the way from speech recognition to speech understanding. A preliminary step toward speech understanding is the detection of topic boundaries, sentence boundaries, and proper names in speech recognizer output. This is important since speech recognizer output lacks the usual textual cues to these entities (such as headers, paragraphs, sentence punctuation, and capitalization). Numerous word-based approaches to these tasks have been developed in the past; in this work we demonstrate the use of prosodic cues, alone and in combination with words, for segmentation and name finding. In experiments on the Broadcast News corpus, we find that prosodic cues alone allow sentence and topic segmentation that is at least as good as word-based methods alone, and that combining both types of cues gives significant wins. Named entity recognition, on the other hand, currently does not seem to benefit from prosodic cues, for several interesting reasons.
Zyxin and vinculin distribution at the cell-extracellular matrix attachment complex (CMAX) in corneal epithelial tissue are actin dependent.

Avian embryonic corneal epithelia are two cell layers thick. If isolated without (2) basal lamina, the basal cells have unorganized actin and project cytoplasmic protrusions termed blebs. The actin-based cytoskeleton at the cell-extracellular matrix junction (termed the actin cortical mat) is disrupted. These epithelia respond to soluble extracellular matrix molecules by reorganizing the actin cortical mat. Sheets of epithelia were isolated 1 or -basal lamina. Epithelia isolated -basal lamina were cultured 6 laminin-1 and/or 6 cytochalasin D (CD). The intracellular localization of zyxin, vinculin, paxillin, focal adhesion kinase, and tensin was determined using indirect immunohistochemistry. Protein levels were determined by Western blot analysis. Zyxin and vinculin were concentrated in two areas of the tissue. The interface between the upper cell layer (periderm) and the basal cells. The second area of concentration was at the inferior 1‐4 microns of the basal cells in an area with multiple actin bundles termed the actin cortical mat. The actin bundles align toward zyxin and vinculin that were located near basal lateral membranes. Zyxin was displaced from the basal compartment of blebbing basal cells. In contrast tensin, vinculin and focal adhesion kinase were found diffusely throughout the blebs. Zyxin and vinculin redistributed to the basal-lateral membranes as actin bundles reorganized in laminin-stimulated epithelia. In contrast to the altered protein distribution, extractable protein levels were similar in blebbing and laminin-stimulated epithelia. Zyxin, vinculin, and other associated proteins were disrupted in the CD-treated tissues and do not colocalize with each other or CD-induced actin aggregates. The intracellular localization of zyxin and vinculin were concentrated in distinct areas along the inferior basolateral membranes of basal cells termed the cell-extracellular matrix attachment complex (CMAX). The distribution of CMAX proteins was dependent upon actin bundle organization. Anat Rec 254:336‐347, 1999. r 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The effect of counterion, water concentration, and stirring on the stability of subtilisin BPN ' in organic solvents

Abstract The stability of subtilisin BPN′ in organic solvents or cosolvent/water mixtures was studied as a function of the type and concentration of counterion at the time of freeze-drying, water concentration, and stirring speed/method. It was found that the enzyme is stabilized by high concentrations of counterion, at least at very high cosolvent concentrations. The type of counterion also has a remarkable impact on the enzyme stability; at high concentrations of DMF (dimethylformamide), multivalent counterions with low solubility in organic solvents are far superior to monovalent, soluble ones. Sodium citrate is the best salt tested in terms of enzyme stability, increasing the half life of the enzyme better than a millionfold over Tris in 99% DMF. The stability of the enzyme was found to have a complex dependence on the amount of water in the DMF. Enzyme lyophilized from the sodium phosphate displays a stability minimum at about 90% DMF, while enzyme lyophilized from Tris becomes increasingly unstable from 30% to 99% DMF, without inflection. Vigorous stirring with a magnetic stir bar, which broke apart the enzyme particles, was found to be extremely deleterious to enzyme stability, while swirling the enzyme with a wrist-action stirrer, which did not grind the enzyme particles, had no effect. Explanations for this are discussed.
Molecularly imprinted polymers on silica: selective supports for high-performance ligand-exchange chromatography

Abstract Thin coatings of molecularly imprinted, metal-complexing polymers have been grafted to activated silica beads suitable for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Propylmethacrylate-activated silica particles were coated by copolymerization with a metal-chelating monomer, Cu2+-[N-(4-vinylbenzyl)-imino]diabetic acid, a metal-coordinating (imidazole) template, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. After extraction to remove the template and re-loading with metal, the composite materials re-bind the templates with which they were prepared and exhibit selectivities comparable to bulk-polymerized imprinted materials. The strong Cu2+-imidazole interaction, desirable for creating a high-fidelity imprint, leads to excessive retention in elution chromatography. By replacing the copper in the imprinted metal-complexing polymers with weaker-binding Zn2+, these novel ligand-exchange supports can effect partial to complete chromatographic separation of their bis-imidazole templates from other, highly similar imidazole-containing substrates. This “bait-and-switch” approach can significantly enhance the performance of molecularly imprinted materials. Scatchard plots of equilibrium binding data show a significant degree of heterogeneity in the imprinted binding sites of material prepared with a bis-imidazole template, but not with a mono-imidazole template. The best chromatographic separations are observed with small sample sizes, where the substrates occupy the strongest (highest-fidelity) sites.
Genomes on the edge: programmed genome instability in ciliates

Ciliates are an ancient and diverse group of microbial eukaryotes that have emerged as powerful models for RNA-mediated epigenetic inheritance. They possess extensive sets of both tiny and long noncoding RNAs that, together with a suite of proteins that includes transposases, orchestrate a broad cascade of genome rearrangements during somatic nuclear development. This Review emphasizes three important themes: the remarkable role of RNA in shaping genome structure, recent discoveries that unify many deeply diverged ciliate genetic systems, and a surprising evolutionary "sign change" in the role of small RNAs between major species groups.
Genetic and clinical evaluation of juvenile retinoschisis.

Juvenile retinoschisis is a rare retinal dystrophy caused by RS1 gene mutations. 1 Clinical examinations and molecular testing definitively diagnosed juvenile retinoschisis in 2 male infants, one of whom had a novel mutation not previously reported in the United States. Genetic testing may be the simplest way to confirm this diagnosis in infants.
Junctin mRNA Expression Increases During Early Post Natal Development in Rabbit Myocardium • 103

Junctin mRNA Expression Increases During Early Post Natal Development in Rabbit Myocardium • 103
A spherical electron cloud hopping model for studying product branching ratios of dissociative recombination

A spherical electron cloud hopping (SECH) model is proposed to study the product branching ratios of dissociative recombination (DR) of polyatomic systems. In this model, the fast electron-captured process is treated as an instantaneous hopping of a cloud of uniform spherical fractional point charges onto a target M+q ion (or molecule). The sum of point charges (-1) simulates the incident electron. The sphere radius is determined by a critical distance (Rc eM) between the incoming electron (e-) and the target, at which the potential energy of the e(-)-M+q system is equal to that of the electron-captured molecule M+q(-1) in a symmetry-allowed electronic state with the same structure as M(+q). During the hopping procedure, the excess energies of electron association reaction are dispersed in the kinetic energies of M+q(-1) atoms to conserve total energy. The kinetic energies are adjusted by linearly adding atomic momenta in the direction of driving forces induced by the scattering electron. The nuclear dynamics of the resultant M+q(-1) molecule are studied by using a direct ab initio dynamics method on the adiabatic potential energy surface of M+q(-1), or together with extra adiabatic surface(s) of M+q(-1). For the latter case, the "fewest switches" surface hopping algorithm of Tully was adapted to deal with the nonadiabaticity in trajectory propagations. The SECH model has been applied to study the DR of both CH+ and H3O+(H2O)2. The theoretical results are consistent with the experiment. It was found that water molecules play an important role in determining the product branching ratios of the molecular cluster ion.
Nonlinearities in rapid event-related fMRI explained by stimulus scaling

Because of well-known nonlinearities in fMRI, responses measured with rapid event-related designs are smaller than responses measured with spaced designs. Surprisingly, no study to date has tested whether rapid designs also change the pattern of responses across different stimulus conditions. Here we report the results of such a test. We measured cortical responses to a flickering checkerboard at different contrasts using rapid and spaced event-related fMRI. The relative magnitude of responses across contrast conditions differed between rapid and spaced designs. Modeling the effect of the rapid design as a scaling of stimulus strength provided a good account of the data. The data were less well fit by a model that scaled the strength of responses. A similar stimulus scaling model has explained effects of neural adaptation, which suggests that adaptation may account for the observed difference between rapid and spaced designs. In a second experiment, we changed the stimulus in ways known to reduce neural adaptation and found much smaller differences between the two designs. Stimulus scaling provides a simple way to account for nonlinearities in event-related fMRI and relate data from rapid designs to data gathered using slower presentation rates.
Wallerian degeneration: A reevaluation based on transected and colchicine-poisoned nerves in the amphibian, Triturus

The sequence of degeneration in colchicine-poisoned or in transected peripheral nerve fibers is reported. The results lead us to conclude that the Schwann cell is the predominant agent of axon and myelin destruction. The Schwann cytoplasm burgeons, swells the Schmidt-Lanterman clefts and the adaxonal layer of cytoplasm, and invades the electron-dense bands of myelin. The axolemma and adaxonal membranes are eroded and Schwann organelles invade the axoplasm commingling with those of the axon to form a peripheral “reactive zone.” The reactive zone of organelles surrounds a core of compacted neurofilaments which may persist for days. Eventually the entire contents, commingled organelles and neurofilaments, are destroyed. The myelin sheath is destroyed without being separated from its Schwann cell of origin.
Channel allocation in non-cooperative multi-radio multi-channel wireless networks

While tremendous efforts have been made on channel allocation problems in wireless networks, most of them are on cooperative networks with few exceptions [6, 8, 31, 32]. Among those works on non-cooperative networks, none of them considers the network with multiple collision domains. Instead, they all assume the single collision domain, where all transmissions interfere with each other if they are on the same channel. In this paper, we fill this void and generalize the channel allocation problem to non-cooperative multi-radio multi-channel wireless networks with multiple collision domains. We formulate the problem as a strategic game, called ChAlloc. We show that the ChAlloc game may result in an oscillation when there are no exogenous factors to influence players' strategies. To avoid this possible oscillation, we design a charging scheme to induce players to converge to a Nash Equilibrium (NE). We bound the convergence speed and prove that the system performance in an NE is at least (1 − r over h) of the system performance in an optimal solution, where r is the maximum number of radios equipped on wireless devices and h is the number of available channels. In addition, we develop a localized algorithm for players to find an NE strategy. Finally, we evaluate our design through extensive experiments. The results validate our analysis of the possible oscillation in the ChAlloc game lacking the charging scheme, confirm the convergence of the ChAlloc game with the charging scheme, and verify our proof on the system performance compared to the upper bounds returned by an LP-based algorithm.
P02.23. The efficacy of prolotherapy using dextrose-morrhuate for lateral epicondylosis: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Methods The study design was a 2-arm non-blinded randomized controlled trial. Group 1 received dextrose prolotherapy and Group 2 was a waitlist control. Nineteen adults seen with at least 3 months of symptomatic CLE in 22 elbows refractory to prior care received ultrasound-guided injections of 20% dextrose-morrhuate sodium (Group 1) solution at baseline, 4, and 8 weeks. Waitlist subjects (Group 2) were followed and discouraged from starting new care. Primary outcome measure was Patient-rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation [PRTEE, (100 points) assessed at baseline, 4, 8 and 16 weeks]. Prolotherapy participants were additionally assessed at 32 weeks. Secondary measures included dynamometer-assessed pain free grip strength and participant satisfaction.
Development of the Prefrontal Cortex during Adolescence: Insights into Vulnerable Neural Circuits in Schizophrenia

Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the prefrontal cortex is a site of dysfunction in schizophrenia. In addition, one of the characteristics of this disorder is the tendency for clinical symptoms to appear first during late adolescence or early adulthood. Recent studies in nonhuman primates have shown that the connectivity of the prefrontal cortex is substantially refined during adolescence, suggesting that these developmental changes may be critical for the appearance of the clinical features of schizophrenia. This article reviews data demonstrating that these late developmental changes are selective for particular neural elements in the prefrontal cortex and that they are synaptically linked. It is suggested that these neural elements comprise a functional circuit that is likely to be especially vulnerable in schizophrenia, a hypothesis that can be directly tested in postmortem studies.
ADAM7, a member of the ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) gene family is specifically expressed in the mouse anterior pituitary and epididymis.

The maturation of spermatozoa in the epididymis is a complex process that requires the active involvement of the epididymal epithelium. The primary focus toward elucidating the role of the epididymis in the maturation process has been the study of epididymal secretory proteins and their interaction with spermatozoa. To date there is a paucity of information regarding epididymal epithelial cell surface proteins, which may also play important roles in epididymal function. Through a subtractive hybridization approach to identify genes specifically expressed in the caput epididymidis, the mouse homologue of a member of the ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) family of proteins was identified. This rapidly growing gene family encodes cell surface proteins that possess putative adhesion and protease domains. Northern blot analyses demonstrated that the mouse ADAM gene, termed ADAM7, is expressed in the caput region of the epididymis and in the anterior pituitary gonadotropes with no detectable expression i...