cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MERTK Mediates Intrinsic and Adaptive Resistance to AXL-targeting Agents.

The TAM (TYRO-3, AXL, MERTK) family receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) play an important role in promoting growth, survival, and metastatic spread of several tumor types. AXL and MERTK are overexpressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), malignancies that are highly metastatic and lethal. AXL is the most well-characterized TAM receptor and mediates resistance to both conventional and targeted cancer therapies. Since AXL is highly expressed in aggressive tumor types, cancer patients are currently being enrolled in clinical trials testing AXL inhibitors. In the current study, we analyzed the effects of AXL inhibition using a small molecule AXL inhibitor, monoclonal antibody therapy, and siRNA in HNSCC, TNBC, and NSCLC preclinical models. Anti-AXL targeting strategies had limited efficacy across these different models which our data suggests could be attributed to upregulation of MERTK. MERTK expression was increased in cell lines and patient-derived xenografts treated with AXL inhibitors and inhibition of MERTK sensitized HNSCC, TNBC, and NSCLC preclinical models to AXL inhibition. Dual targeting of AXL and MERTK led to a more potent blockade of downstream signaling, synergistic inhibition of tumor cell expansion in culture, and reduced tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, ectopic overexpression of MERTK in AXL inhibitor-sensitive models resulted in resistance to AXL-targeting strategies. These observations suggest that therapeutic strategies co-targeting both AXL and MERTK could be highly beneficial in a variety of tumor types where both receptors are expressed, leading to improved survival for patients with lethal malignancies.
Bortezomib-based Chemotherapy for Multiple Myeloma Patients Without Comorbid Cardiovascular Disease Shows No Cardiotoxicity.

Abstract Background Proteasome inhibitors used in the treatment of multiple myeloma act primarily through the disruption of intrinsic cellular protein quality maintenance, resulting in proteotoxic stress, cellular dysfunction, and, ultimately, cell death. We assessed whether evidence has shown off-target myocardial dysfunction related to the administration of bortezomib-based chemotherapy for multiple myeloma. Patients and Methods Patients aged 18 to 70 years who were free of significant cardiovascular disease were included. They underwent evaluations before and after each dose of bortezomib to assess for clinical, subclinical, and transient cardiotoxicity using echocardiography and serum biomarker measurement. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed at 3 separately defined intervals. The primary modality for determining subclinical myocardial dysfunction was echocardiographic assessment of the global longitudinal strain (GLS). Results Eleven patients (7 men) with an average age of 55 years were included. No evidence of cumulative myocardial dysfunction was found using echocardiographic markers, primarily GLS (average change in absolute GLS, −1.17; P = .064). Additionally, no echocardiographic evidence of transient cardiotoxicity was found. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) also did not show any significant changes (ΔLVEF, −2.17%; P = .15). Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed no changes in structure or function (ΔLVEF, −2.6%; P = .54) and extracellular volume fraction (Δ = 2%; P = .46). The serum biomarker levels also did not change significantly over time. Conclusion We did not observe cardiotoxicity from bortezomib-based chemotherapy despite very intensive evaluation with multiple modalities. Neither cumulative nor transient alterations were found in our metrics, suggesting that bortezomib is safe from a cardiovascular standpoint for patients free of cardiovascular disease.
THE PRESENCE AND POTENTIAL ROLE OF MONOSODIUM URATE CRYSTALS IN ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Crystalloids in atherosclerotic plaque (AP) consist primarily of cholesterol crystals (CCs). Those have been shown to trigger inflammation and cause mechanical injury. However, other crystalloids such as monosodium urate (MSU) may also form in plaque and cause destabilization. We evaluated AP from
Shasta Daisy Cultivars Respond Differently to Photoperiod and Vernalization

Abstract Inconsistencies have been reported in the role of vernalization and photoperiod on growth and flowering of Leucanthemum x superbum Bergmans ex J. Ingram cultivars. Five cultivars were used...
Biographical Feature: Rebecca Lancefield, Ph.D.

What microbiologist or student of the streptococci does not recognize the name Rebecca Lancefield? We are all familiar with the classification of the beta-hemolytic streptococci that bears her name and aptly so, as she painstakingly developed the system of separating the human strains (group A beta-
Keepers of the Flame: Contemporary Urban Superintendents

People in the Job Today How the Job Evolved A Look at Job Conditions School Boards Partners or Adversaries? Politics The Center of Activity Decision-Making Influences Problems Seen by Superintendents Work Lives of Urban Superintendents Rewards and Frustrations Career Effects on Personal Life and Commitment to the Job Thoughts on School Reform and Busing The Present and Future Challenges Ahead
Medical Decision Making: A Physician's Guide

Foreword Preface 1. Goals and objectives 2. Components of health 3. The overall health state 4. Quality and quantity 5. Embracing uncertainty 6. Chance and choice 7. Confidence 8. Visualizing decisions 9. The power of information 10. Screening and testing 11. Family matters 12. Public health 13. Social values Appendix.
Development of an Aeroservoelastic Model for Gust Load Alleviation of the NASA Common Research Model Wind Tunnel Experiment

As aircraft move to using composite materials as their primary structure they become lighter and more flexible as well. This presents some significant challenges in association with gust load alleviation. In this paper we develop an aeroservoelastic model for use in developing controllers that utilize distributed control surfaces for active gust load alleviation in a set of wind tunnel experiments. The model is based on an preexisting aeroelastic wing tunnel model and compares the baseline functionality to it. We also provide simple full state feedback simulations for the model.
Decision and Legal Interpretation

What is the relationship of interpretation to decision? Many scholars believe that decision marks the limit of law, the point at which doctrine no longer determines judicial outcomes. Others believe outcomes are the result of political contests between sociologically identifiable groups. Theorists seem to have to choose between legal apologetics and political critique. Rejecting both views, this article argues that decision is a necessary condition of interpretation. It engages with Carl Schmitt’s claim that “Every political idea in one way or another takes a position on the ‘nature’ of man and presupposes that he is either ‘by nature good’ or ‘by nature evil.’” The decision of law is not about the state of the soul, but about the narrative frame. Legal interpretation begins with a choice between project and system. A project locates the origin of order in the deliberate act to realize an idea; a system believes order to be spontaneous and immanent. Writing a constitution is a project; the common law is a system. To interpret law as a project is to see man as naturally evil, for absent a plan we will have only the chaos of the state of nature. To interpret law as a system is to see man as naturally good, for he need only be himself for the regularities of law to emerge. This is the decision that grounds interpretation and, therefore, lies behind every legal claim and legal theory.
Mechanical Testing Methods

An experimental approach and experimental procedures for evaluating the hydrogen-stress cracking (HSC) of steels as a result of hydrogen absorbed during processing or service are described. The procedures involve sustained loading of specimens while they are being charged with hydrogen under conditions that provide hydrogen-entry rates or result in hydrogen contents representative of those obtained from processing or service environments. The procedures can be used to evaluate the relative susceptibilities of various steels to HSC or to evaluate the tendencies for processing or service environments to cause HSC in steels.
Bayesian inference of deceleration-phase Rayleigh-Taylor growth rates in laser-driven cylindrical implosions

Abstract An iterative forward modeling approach has been developed and applied to the analysis of radiography data from cylindrical Rayleigh-Taylor instability studies performed at the Omega laser facility. Synthetic radiographs are generated and iterated using the Bayes’ Inference Engine [1] to produce maximum likelihood estimates for the time-dependent amplitude of deceleration-phase Rayleigh-Taylor modes seeded by a sinusoidal perturbation in the aluminum marker layer. This iterative forward modeling approach self-consistently fits the magnification and parallax in the image, both of which are sensitive at this scale (~13x magnification) to misalignments of the pinhole smaller than 200 μm. Systematic errors in the inference of growth factor as large as 10% have been identified and eliminated by this technique. Furthermore, the self-consistent modeling of image parallax reveals that these implosions are not elliptical as they may appear to the casual observer, but indeed highly symmetric. The regularizing priors adopted here, and further constraints that might be applied in future work, reduce experimental uncertainties and lend greater statistical significance to comparisons with hydrodynamic modeling.
Differential Privacy in the 2020 Census Will Distort COVID-19 Rates

Scholars rely on accurate population and mortality data to inform efforts regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with age-specific mortality rates of high importance because of...
Molecular beam epitaxial growth of high efficiency AlInN nanowire ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

We report on the achievement of a new type of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) using AlInN nanowire heterostructures. The molecular beam epitaxial grown AlInN nanowires have relatively high internal quantum efficiency of > 52% at 295nm. The peak emission wavelength is in the range of 280 - 355nm. Moreover, we show that the light extraction efficiency of AlInN nanowire LEDs could reach ~ 63% for hexagonal photonic crystal nanowire structures which is significantly higher compared to the random nanowire arrays. This study provides significant insights into the design and fabrication of new type of high performance AlInN nanowire ultraviolet light-emitters.
Intraoperative Simulation: Team Training for Resuscitation While Using Intraoperative Computed Tomography: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.

Spine surgeons increasingly use intraoperative computed tomography (iCT) to facilitate surgery. iCT has several advantages, including the ability to decrease radiation exposure, improve surgical accuracy, and decrease operative time.1-3 However, the large footprint of the equipment can impede fast patient access in the event of an emergency resuscitation. This challenge is compounded when the patient is prone with rigid head fixation. To achieve fast, high-quality resuscitation, a large team must overcome numerous challenges. Cohesive team functioning under these circumstances requires planning, practice, and refinement.4 As a result of our simulation sessions, we have made several changes to the setup of our iCT cases. The following equipment is now routinely used: extralong tubing between the anesthesia circuit and patient, portable vital monitor, additional intravenous access is obtained, and extension tubing is used with all lines. We have created educational diagrams to streamline 2 challenging processes: optimal bed placement (for supination) and removal of equipment from the operating room (OR) to accommodate an influx of emergency personnel and equipment. Since the implementation of this protocol, 1 prone posterior cervical patient had intraoperative cardiac arrest. The protocol was followed. Return of spontaneous circulation was achieved within 5 min. The patient was discharged from the hospital with no neurological sequelae. During debriefing, stakeholders uniformly credited the simulated practice with this positive outcome. Emergency planning is a multifaceted process that continually evolves. With a steady flux of personnel and equipment, ongoing practice is essential to ensure readiness. Here, we share the key elements of our twice-yearly simulation. This simulation was performed on a training mannequin. This study did not involve human subjects. Any depictions of care rendered to nonidentifiable patients were standard (nonexperimental).
Oyster Recruitment and Persistence on Planted Versus Native Substrate over 13 Years in the Delaware Bay Oyster Fishery Resource

Shell planting to enhance oyster recruitment and habitat in Delaware Bay, NJ was reinitiated in 2005 with 3 y of federal funding. Since then, annual plantings of locally available surf clam and ocean quahog shell have been funded by the oyster fishery. The cured shell is deployed directly onto sites already containing commercially viable numbers of market-sized oysters in areas that are routinely fished sustainably. The locations targeted to receive shell plants vary and are selected to provide the greatest benefit throughout the fished reef tract. Annual sampling that included shell plants from 2005 through 2017 permitted evaluation of their performance. New oysters set and survive preferentially on newly planted shell during the first season and later at the same level as native shell for at least 10 y so that the benefit of once-added shell is retained for over a decade. Recruitment to shell plants enhances “good” sets and makes a critical difference during years of “poor” set. Plant substrate, now with oysters of its own, significantly outperforms native substrate in recruitment and survival of oysters in the second and third years post-planting, with enhancement declining exponentially over the first 4 y. An estimated half-life for this decline is just under 1 y. Beyond 3 y, the plant-based substrate continues to perform at least as well as native substrate. Size–frequency analysis shows that first-year oysters on planted substrate are larger than those on native substrate and that this difference carries through the fourth year of a plant. The volume contributed by live and dead oysters on planted substrate increases over the first 5 y until the contribution to the reef from planted substrate volume matches that of native substrate, thus carrying the enhancement forward through time. Annual survey data from the first 4 y of shell plants show that on seven of eight beds, live plus dead oyster density (number m–2) was up to 2.8× greater on planted sites than on non-planted sites. Change in density averaged positive over time on both planted and non-planted sites but was greater on planted sites. Shell plants on beds in the Delaware Bay fishery provide 3–4 y of enhanced oyster productivity and continue to double the local native substrate productivity as they age, maintaining an active and productive fishery.
Anomalous Behavior Detection in Galaxies and Exoplanets using ML & DL Techniques

There has been a rapid increase in astronomical data in terms of both size and complexity. To process this extremely large amount of data, machine learning and deep learning methods can be instrumental in arriving at results and further processing relevant data needed by the researchers. In this project, the Inception V3 and Faster RCNN models are employed for determining the morphological type of galaxies along with detection of galaxies in images for the Galaxy Zoo dataset. For detecting the exoplanets, Astronet is used to determine whether the astronomical body is an exoplanet or not on the Kepler time series data. The machine learning method: SGD classifier is predicting the exoplanet habitability, which is tested on PHL’s exoplanet catalogue.
Enhanced growth and activity of a biocontrol bacterium genetically engineered to utilize salicylate.

Plasmid NAH7 was transferred from Pseudomonas putida PpG7 to P. putida R20 [R20(NAH7)], an antagonist of Pythium ultimum. The plasmid did not affect growth or survival of R20(NAH7) and was stably maintained under nonselective conditions in broth and soil and on sugar beet seeds. Plasmid NAH7 conferred to R20(NAH7) the ability to utilize salicylate in culture, agricultural field soil, and on sugar beet seeds. The metabolic activity of R20(NAH7), but not the wild-type R20, was greatly increased in soil by amendment with salicylate (250 μg/g) as measured by induced respiration. Population densities of R20(NAH7) were also enhanced in salicylate-amended soil, increasing from approximately 1 × 105 CFU/g to approximately 3 × 108 CFU/g after 35 h of incubation. In contrast, population densities of R20(NAH7) in nonamended soil were approximately 3 × 106 CFU/g of soil after 35 h of incubation. The concentration of salicylate in soil affected the rate and extent of population increase by R20(NAH7). At 50 to 250 μg of salicylate per g of soil, population densities of R20(NAH7) increased to approximately 108 CFU/g of soil by 48 h of incubation, with the fastest increase at 100 μg/g. A lag phase of approximately 24 h occurred before the population density increased in the presence of salicylate at 500 μg/g; at 1,000 μg/g, population densities of R20(NAH7) declined over the time period of the experiment. Population densities of R20(NAH7) on sugar beet seeds in soils amended with 100 μg of salicylate per g were not increased while ample carbon was present in the spermosphere. However, after carbon from the seed had been utilized, population densities of R20(NAH7) decreased significantly less (P = 0.005) on sugar beet seeds in soil amended with salicylate than in nonamended soil.
What If the Energizer Bunny Were Female? Importance of Gender in Perceptions of Advertising Spokes-Character Effectiveness

An experiment was designed to determine whether and in what way gender makes a difference in the ratings of advertising spokes-characters. It was hypothesized and results confirmed that gender and product type affect the likability of spokes-characters and perceptions of target audience. A male spokes-character is perceived as more appropriate for a male-oriented product; however, a female spokes-character and a male product created the impression that the product was not quite so male oriented. It was also hypothesized that the spokes-character with the most positive ratings would be the most memorable. Results did not bear this out.
Chapter 18. T Lymphocyte Potassium Channel Blockers

Publisher Summary Advances in molecular biology and patch-clamp technology reflect in the discovery of type- n voltage gated potassium channel (Kv1.3) in T lymphocytes. Small-molecule blockers of Kv1.3 inhibit mitogen-induced activation of T cells. As these agents are weak inhibitors and display low selectivity, it is evident that more potent and specific blockers are necessary to convincingly define the role of Kv1.3 in T cell activation. Several such selective high-affinity blockers, both peptide and small-molecule, have been discovered in recent years. It is now thought that Kv1.3 blockers chronically depolarize the T cell membrane, attenuate calcium entry via calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) channels in the plasma membrane, and consequently abrogate the calcium signaling pathway that is essential for lymphocyte activation. The vital role of Kv1.3 during T cell activation has stimulated a search for potent and selective channel blockers that can be used as immunosuppressive agents. Because of its distinct mechanism and restricted tissue distribution, a Kv1.3 blocker is not likely to initiate the same toxic side-effects of currently used immunosuppressants, such as cyclosporin and FK-506, and therefore may prove useful in the treatment of chronic autoimmune diseases as well as transplantation therapy.
Detecting lower motor neuron dysfunction of the pharynx and larynx with electromyography.

This study assessed the utility of clinical electromyography (EMG) for detecting lower motor neuron (LMN) or upper motor neuron (UMN) dysfunction affecting the intrinsic muscles of the larynx and pharynx. Twenty-nine subjects were examined; their clinical diagnoses included perioperative nerve injury, cerebral infarction, and lateral medullary infarction. Resting activity, motor unit action potential (MUAP) morphology, and MUAP recruitment were evaluated in every case. Medical records (excluding EMG data) were analyzed for clinical evidence of LMN or UMN dysfunction in the intrinsic muscles of the larynx and pharynx. The diagnosis of LMN dysfunction rested on clinical data consistent with cranial nerve injury, poliomyelitis, Wallenberg syndrome, or unilateral bulbar palsy. Criteria for UMN dysfunction included previous cerebral (not brainstem) infarction or mass lesion or the presence of hemiparesis. Electromyographic abnormalities were significantly associated with LMN dysfunction (p less than .05), but they were not significantly associated with UMN dysfunction. Of the parameters tested, MUAP recruitment was the most sensitive (82%) and specific (92%).
Ganglion cell losses underlying visual field defects from experimental glaucoma

PURPOSE. To investigate the relationship between ganglion cell losses and visual field defects caused by glaucoma. METHODS. Behavioral perimetry and histology data were obtained from 10 rhesus monkeys with unilateral experimental glaucoma that was induced by argon laser treatments to their trabecular meshwork. After significant visual field defects had developed, the retinas were collected for histologic analysis. The ganglion cells were counted by light microscopy in cresyl violet-stained retina sections, and the percentage of ganglion cell loss (treated to control eye counts) was compared with the depth of visual field defect (treated to control eye thresholds) at corresponding retinal and perimetry test locations. Sensitivity losses as a function of ganglion cell losses were analyzed for Goldmann III, white and Goldmann V, and short- and long-wavelength perimetry test stimuli. RESULTS. The relationship between the proportional losses of ganglion cells and visual sensitivity, measured with either white or colored stimuli, was nonlinear. With white stimuli, the visual sensitivity losses were relatively constant (approximately 6 dB) for ganglion cell losses of less than 30% to 50%, and then with greater amounts of cell loss the visual defects were more systematically related to ganglion cell loss (approximately 0.42 dB/percent cell loss). The forms of the neural-sensitivity relationships for visual defects measured with short- or long-wavelength perimetry stimuli were similar when the visual thresholds were normalized to compensate for differences in expected normal thresholds for white and colored perimetry stimuli. CONCLUSIONS. Current perimetry regimens with either white or monochromatic stimuli do not provide a useful estimate of ganglion cell loss until a substantial proportion have died. The variance in ganglion cell loss is large for mild defects that would be diagnostic of early glaucoma and for visual field locations near the fovea where sensitivity losses occur relatively late in the disease process. The neural-sensitivity relationships were essentially identical for both white and monochromatic test stimuli, and it therefore seems unlikely that the higher sensitivity for detecting glaucoma with monochromatic stimuli is based on the size-dependent susceptibility of ganglion cells to injury from glaucoma.
You Down With ETC? Yeah, You Know D!

Although the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) is best known for its role in ATP synthesis, two studies, Sullivan et al. and Birsoy et al., conclude that its only essential function in proliferating cells is making aspartate (D).
Analysis of Brucella lipopolysaccharide with specific and cross-reacting monoclonal antibodies.

Abstract Monoclonal antibodies which bind Brucella A lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-specific, M LPS-specific, or cross-reactive epitopes were used as reagents in quantitative dot blot, Western blot (immunoblot), and immunoprecipitation analysis of Brucella whole cells, whole-cell extracts, and purified LPS preparations. This set of monoclonal antibodies detected four unique epitopes on Brucella LPS. The specificity of monoclonal antibodies reactive with Brucella unique (A and M) and common (C and C/Y) LPS epitopes was demonstrated by blot analysis. The serotype specificity of monoclonal antibodies for A LPS of B. abortus 1119.3 or M LPS of Brucella melitensis 16M was confirmed. Type C monoclonal antibodies recognized epitopes on Brucella A and M LPS and did not cross-react with Yersinia enterocolitica O:9. In Western blots, type C monoclonal antibodies were bound by epitopes on Brucella A and M LPSs ranging in Mrs from 30,000 to 70,000, relative to marker proteins. Type C/Y monoclonal antibodies were cross-reactive with Y. enterocolitica O:9 and recognized Brucella A LPS epitopes with a restricted Mr ranging only from 40,000 to 50,000, relative to marker proteins. Type C/Y monoclonal antibodies also displayed a more restricted pattern of binding to Brucella M LPS. The monoclonal antibodies were able to detect 5 to 50 pg of a purified A LPS preparation in dot blots. The limits of detection by the monoclonal antibodies of a purified M LPS preparation ranged from 0.05 to 50 pg. Monoclonal antibody analysis of whole-cell preparations also demonstrated quantitative differences in the presence of the respective epitopes. The binding profiles of the monoclonal antibodies to Brucella whole cells varied between acetone- and chloroform-killed organisms as well as between species and strains. The lower limit of detection of any whole-cell preparation by the dot blot technique was 10(5) CFU. Binding profiles in Western blots and endotoxin activity of immunoprecipitates obtained with these monoclonal antibodies further defined the Brucella LPS antigens. These monoclonal antibodies and the techniques described may be useful in monitoring the antigenic content of Brucella vaccines and diagnostics.
Biotic responses of canids to the terminal Pleistocene megafauna extinction

Trophic downgrading is a major concern for conservation scientists. The largest consumers in many ecosystems have become either rare or extirpated, leading to worry over the loss of their ecosystem function. However, trophic downgrading is not a uniquely modern phenomenon. The extinction of 34 genera of megafauna from North America ∼13 000 yr ago must have led to widespread changes in terrestrial ecosystem function. Studies that have examined the event address impacts on vegetative structure, small mammal communities, nutrient cycling, and fire regimes. Relatively little attention has been paid to community changes at the top of the food chain. Here, we examine the response of carnivores in North America to the Pleistocene extinction. We employ fossil data to model the climatic niche of endemic canids, including the extinct dire wolf Canis dirus, over the last 20 000 yr. Quantifying the abiotic niche allows us to account for expected changes due to climate fluctuations over the Late Quaternary; deviations from expected responses likely reveal influences of competition and/or resource availability. We quantify the degree of niche conservatism and interspecific overlap to assess species and community responses among canids. We also include in our analyses a novel introduced predator, the domestic dog Canis lupus familiaris, which accompanied humans into the New World. We find that endemic canid species display low fidelity to their climatic niche through time, We find that survivors increasingly partition their climatic niche throughout the Holocene and, surprisingly, do not expand into niche space presumably vacated by the extinction of very large carnivores. These results suggest that loss of megaherbivores and competition with humans likely outweighed advantages conferred from the loss of very large predators. We also find that wolves and dogs decrease their niche overlap throughout the Holocene, suggesting a distinctive relationship between dogs and man.
Calcium and obesity: Effect size and clinical relevance

The connection between calcium intake and body weight was first described by McCarron et al.,1 who found an inverse relationship between these two variables in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. This observation was largely ignored for the next 16 years, until Zemel et al.2 described the weight-loss effect of calcium supplementation in a hypertension trial and suggested a cell biologic basis for the action of calcium in adipocytes. Since that time, there have been well over 100 reports of both experimental and observational studies evaluating the role of calcium intake in energy balance and body composition in humans. As summarized in 2009 in this journal,3 most of these studies found that increased calcium intake augmented the weight loss of energy-restricted diets, protected lean body mass, and reduced age-related weight gain, or that it had null effect. A very few reported negative findings (i.e., high calcium intakes were associated with weight gain), but the preponderance of the evidence tilted clearly toward the side of calcium intake favoring weight loss. In the present issue of this journal, Onakpoya et al.4 present yet another meta-analysis of this topic, with the results also favoring calcium. They report a highly significant, positive effect of calcium supplementation on total body weight loss and a somewhat larger effect on fat loss (suggesting some protection of lean tissue mass, which is a frequent casualty … [↵][1] RP Heaney , Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA. E-mail: rheaney{at}creighton.edu [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Apoptosis and antioxidant status are influenced by age and exercise training in horses

Eight mature (12 +/- 2 yr; MAT) and 5 older (22 +/- 2 yr; OLD) Standardbred mares were used to test the hypothesis that aging and exercise training would alter apoptosis in white blood cells and antioxidant status. The horses were housed indoors overnight (16 h/d) in 3 m x 3 m stalls and were turned out in a drylot during the day. They were fed a diet consisting of total mixed ration, hay cubes fed ad libitum or an equine senior diet plus grass hay. Horses were trained for 20 to 30 min/d, 3 to 5 d/wk for 8 wk at a submaximal work intensity between 60 to 70% of maximal heart rate. A graded exercise test (GXT; stepwise test until exhaustion) was performed before (GXT1) and after (GXT2) the 8 wk of training. During the GXT, blood samples and heart rate were taken at rest, 6 m/s, fatigue, and at 5 and 60 min postfatigue. Fatigue plasma lactate concentration was greater in MAT (19.3 +/- 1.5 at 10 m/s) compared with the OLD (10.9 +/- 1.2 mmol/L at 9 m/s; P = 0.008) horses. There was no effect of age or training on plasma lipid hydroperoxide (LPO) concentration. However, there was a positive correlation between LPO and plasma lactate concentration (r = 0.27, P = 0.006) during acute exercise. There was a greater concentration of total glutathione after GXT1 than after GXT2 (111.8 +/- 5.0 vs. 98.6 +/- 3.4 microM, respectively; P = 0.0002) for both age groups. Apoptosis was less (P = 0.002) in white blood cells of the MAT vs. the OLD group. These results demonstrate that older horses are under similar amounts of oxidative stress, measured by LPO, and have similar levels of glutathione in their systems compared with mature horses. The observation that more glutathione was needed during GXT1 for both groups of horses indicates that training helps horses adapt their system for the intense post-training exercise tests. The greater level of white blood cell apoptosis also indicates that older horses may be immune-compromised during exercise. However, research still needs to be performed regarding dietary supplementation in the aged horse.
Declarative web application development: encapsulating dynamic JavaScript widgets (abstract only)

The development of modern, highly interactive AJAX Web applications that enable dynamic visualization of data requires writing a great deal of tedious "plumbing code" to interface data between browser-based DOM and AJAX components, the application server, and the SQL database. Worse, each of these layers utilizes a different language. Further, much code is needed to keep the page and application states in sync using an imperative paradigm, which hurts simplicity. These factors result in a frustrating experience for today's Web developer. The FORWARD Project aims to alleviate this frustration by enabling pages that are "rendered views", in the SQL sense of "view". Our work in the project has led to a highly declarative approach whereby JavaScript/AJAX UI widgets automatically render views over the application state (database + session data + page data) without requiring the developer to tediously code how changes to the application state lead to invocation of the components' update methods.In contrast to conventional Web application development approaches, a FORWARD application involves only two languages, both declarative: an extended version of SQL, and an XML-based language for configuration and orchestration. The framework automatically handles efficient exchange of user input and changes to the underlying data, and updates the application state accordingly. The developer does not need to write any JavaScript or explicit updating code themselves. On the client side, FORWARD "units" wrap widgets using JavaScript to collect user input, directly display data, and reflect server-side updates to the data. On the server side, units contain Java code necessary to expose their functionality to the FORWARD framework and define their XML configuration representation.Our demo consists of a dynamically rendered webpage which internally uses AJAX to update a Google Maps widget that shows location markers for current Groupon deals in a specified area. It will illustrate that our SQL-driven approach makes this kind of rich dynamic webpage easy to write, with significant improvements in simplicity, brevity, and development time, while still providing the quality experience expected from top AJAX components. The amount of "plumbing code" is significantly reduced, enhancing the experience of AJAX Web application developers.
Oxygen-saturation targets in preterm infants.

In the 1940s, Wilson et al. observed that periodic breathing in premature infants was nearly eliminated with the use of 70% oxygen.1 Although Wilson cautioned against unrestricted use of oxygen, other investigators and the American Academy of Pediatrics advocated its liberal use, which led to an epidemic of retinopathy of prematurity. Subsequently, in a randomized clinical trial, investigators found that high oxygen concentrations were associated with an increased risk of severe retinopathy of prematurity.2 However, it soon was evident that restricted use of oxygen (60 to 70% saturation vs. oxygen as clinically required) was associated with an increased risk of . . .
JUDGING WITHOUT CONSENSUS: The Diplock Courts in Northern Ireland

This article examines nonjury trials for political/terrorist offenses in Northern Ireland. It traces the origins of the current troubles; the breakdown of the jury system; the work of the royal commission, chaired by Lord Justice Diplock; and the establishment of courts, known as Diplock Courts, in which a single judge tries cases using modified rules of evidence and lowered standards for the admission of confessions. Finally, the article evaluates the work of the Diplock Courts, and suggests their wider relevance to future policy-making. In doing so, it touches upon a fundamental role of governing through courts—the maintenance of the ability to govern, particularly in a society that has neither political nor judicial consensus.
BIST and production testing of ADCs using imprecise stimulus

A new approach for testing mixed-signal circuits based upon using imprecise stimuli is introduced. Unlike most existing Built-In Self-Test (BIST) and production test approaches that require excitation signals that are at least 3 bits or more linear than the Device-Under-Test (DUT), the proposed approach can work with stimuli that are several bits less linear than the DUT. This dramatically reduces the requirements on stimulus generation for BIST applications and offers potential for using inexpensive signal generators in production test, or for testing DUTs that have a linearity performance exceeding that of the available test equipment. As a proof of concept, a histogram-based algorithm for linearity testing for Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) has been proposed. It can estimate the Integral Nonlinearity (INL) and Differential Nonlinearity (DNL) of an n-bit ADC by using a ramp signal of much less than n-bit linearity and a shifted version of the same nonlinear ramp as excitation. The performance of the algorithm is comparable to that of the traditional method which uses (n + 3)-bits or a decade more linear input signals. Complete algorithm description, extensive simulation results and experimental results obtained from using a production tester on commercially available ICs are presented to validate the potential of this algorithm.
Explanation of rising multiplicity with increasing perpendicular momentum transferred to the leading proton, using the quark multiple-scattering model

It is shown that the rise in multiplicity with increasing perpendicular momentum transferred to the leading proton seen in recent experiments can be simply explained as due to double quark-quark scattering in the Glauber quark multiple-scattering model. The quark-quark inelastic-scattering amplitude is entirely consistent with the quark-quark elastic amplitudes obtained previously for elastic proton-proton scattering.
Statistical methods for analyzing data on daily activity cycles of primates.

Many fields studies on primates have recently been carried out in which quantitative data have been collected using instantaneous scan sampling techniques. However, data collected in this manner are difficult to analyze statistically because of the problem of independence of samples, and a number investigators have analyzed such data incorrectly. In this paper, we evaluate such analyses and suggest alternative techniques that may be more appropriate. Examples are drawn from data on daily activity cycles of Lemur catta and Lemur fulvus.
Charged-particle multiplicity distribution in pd interactions at 300 GeV/c

Charged-particle multiplicity distributions in 300-GeV/c pd interactions have been determined from an exposure of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory 30-in. bubble chamber. The data show clear evidence for double scattering inside the deuterium nucleus. We have been able to correct for the effects of the second scatters by using a simple semiempirical model. The resulting pp multiplicity distribution is in excellent agreement with the pp data obtained from a p-H$sub 2$ experiment at the same energy. The pn multiplicity distribution appears to be shifted from the pp distribution with /sub p/ = 7.84 +- 0.17. (AIP)
Response to Open Peer Commentaries on “Stem Cell Tourism and the Power of Hope”

We wish to thank all OPC contributors for their thoughtful comments, suggestions and criticisms. Regenberg (2010)—We believe that the promotion of open discourse through use of social media as suggested by Regenberg is a valuable suggestion if carefully qualified. Most critically: the academic and medical community’s engagement with these technologies must be ethical, efficient, and thoughtful; and indeed, the OPC seems well aware of this requirement. With proper training to avoid that platform’s well-documented and undeniable pitfalls (particularly those specific to scientists and clinicians), funding to make it a viable part of their work, and proper institutional infrastructure, social media can be harnessed as a valuable tool enabling direct communication with that small subset of individuals who are seriously contemplating stem cell tourism. Sipp (2010)—Sipp identifies the “harmless placebo” argument we raise as a critical issue to be wrestled with. We agree, and indeed, this issue proved to be a matter of considerable uncertainty and turmoil for us as we wrote the target article. However, we note that the question we ultimately chose to articulate is very narrowly circumscribed, to the point where it verges on a thought experiment: namely, “If a treatment is generally safe, uncostly relative to the subset of patients’ means, patients are fully apprised of the uncertainties and realistic possible outcomes, and a net benefit arises, does harm result?” We agree that many patients cannot afford their procedures, and that there may be increased publicity of inefficacious treatments. However, the former is explicitly excluded from consideration by our question’s wording, and we would argue that the latter may be as well, if no net public health benefit arises from any new publicity. When its narrow circumscription is pursued to its extreme, our question becomes a philosophical reflection on why we are opposed to certain kinds of procedures in the absence of concrete harms. Whether or not a real-life exam-
Transcription factors as targets for cancer therapy

A limited list of transcription factors are overactive in most human cancer cells, which makes them targets for the development of anticancer drugs. That they are the most direct and hopeful targets for treating cancer is proposed, and this is supported by the fact that there are many more human oncogenes in signalling pathways than there are oncogenic transcription factors. But how could specific transcription-factor activity be inhibited?
On the existence of equilibria in generalized games

This paper deals with the existence of equilibrium in generalized games (the so-called abstract economies) and Nash equilibrium in games with general assumptions. Preference correspondences, unlike the existing theorems in the literature, need not have open graphs or open lower sections, strategy spaces need not be compact and finite dimensional, the number of agents need not be countable, and preference relations need not be ordered. Thus, our results generalize many of the existence theorems on equilibria in generalized games, including those of Debreu (1952), Shafer and Sonnenschein (1975), Toussaint (1984), Kim and Richter (1986), and Yannelis (1987).
Deterministic identity testing for multivariate polynomials

In this paper we present a simple deterministic algorithm for testing whether a multivariate polynomial f(x1, ..., xn) is identically zero, in time polynomial in m, n, log(d + 1) and H. Here m is the number of monomials in f, d is the maximum degree of a variable in f and 2H is the least upper bound on the magnitude of the largest coefficient in f. We assume that f has integer coefficients.The main feature of our algorithm is its conceptual simplicity. The proof uses Linnik's Theorem which is a deep fact about distribution of primes in an arithmetic progression.
Speaking, Writing, and Explicit-Rule Knowledge: Toward an Understanding of How They Interrelate.

: This study investigated the relationship between writing performance and speaking performance through quantitative analysis of the variance and correlation among oral, written, and explicit rule abilities as evidenced in present-tense verbal morphology and syntax. Subjects performed an explicit rule grammar test and a narration task in speaking and writing modes. The operating hypotheses were (1) oral abilities and written abilities differ significantly; (2) oral abilities and written abilities are not strongly correlated; (3) explicit rule knowledge is not a predictor of how well learners can speak or write in the target language. The extent to which the data supported these hypotheses is discussed; concrete pedagogical implications for task ordering, assessment, and explicit rule testing are outlined.
Pros win! Pros win! or do they?: an analysis of the 'Dartboard' contest using stochastic dominance

Market efficiency is examined using The Wall Street Journal's dartboard contest in which the pros' stock selections seem superior under the contest's rules of only capital gains returns (ignoring dividends). After adjusting for systematic risk, it is found that the pros' capital gains are higher than expected. However, the results are suspect given questions concerning the validity and estimation of asset pricing models. Therefore, stochastic dominance is used to analyse the contest. It is found that the pros' capital gains outperform the darts' at the second order of stochastic dominance, but they do not dominate any market index. Finally, for total returns (including dividends), no difference is found between the pros and darts. This finding supports Metcalf and Malkiel (Applied Financial Economics, 4, pp. 371-4, 1994).
Kinetic properties and inhibition of Acinetobacter glutaminase-asparaginase

Kinetic parameters, substrate specificity and exclusivity of ligands at binding sites of L-glutaminase-L-asparaginase purified from Acinetobacter glutaminasificans were studied in order to gain knowledge about the dual activities of this enzyme and its inhibition by structural analogs. Both L-glutamine and L-asparagine, which showed similar Km (4 approximately 7 X 10(-5) M) and Vmax (molecular activity 1.0 min-1) values, were competitive with each other for the substrate binding site. The products, L-glutamic acid and L-aspartic acid, showed competitive inhibition with respect to either L-glutamine or L-asparagine as substrates. Multiple inhibition of the glutaminase activity by L-glutamic acid and L-aspartic acid indicated that these ligands are mutually exclusive at the product-releasing site. The initial rates of both of the enzyme's activities were competitively inhibited by the following inhibitors (in rates of both of the enzyme's activities were competitively inhibited by the following inhibitors (in decreasing order of activity): 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON), L-methionine sulfoximine, azaserine, and Acivicin. DON and azaserine inhibited both the asparaginase and glutaminase activities in a time-dependent and irreversible manner. The kinetic data suggest an ordered mechanism with glutamine or asparagine as the first substrate and glutamic acid or aspartic acid, respectively, as the last product. These results also suggest that a single mechanism and a single set of binding sites are responsible for catalyzing both of the enzyme's activities. The data also showed that succinylated enzyme, which has a 10-fold increase of plasma half-life in animals and humans and, thus, has benefit as a cancer chemotherapeutic agent, retained its catalytic activity and maintained Km and Vmax values similar to the native enzyme.