cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bayesian semiparametric joint regression analysis of recurrent adverse events and survival in esophageal cancer patients

We propose a Bayesian semiparametric joint regression model for a recurrent event process and survival time. Assuming independent latent subject frailties, we define marginal models for the recurrent event process intensity and survival distribution as functions of the subject's frailty and baseline covariates. A robust Bayesian model, called Joint-DP, is obtained by assuming a Dirichlet process for the frailty distribution. We present a simulation study that compares posterior estimates under the Joint-DP model to a Bayesian joint model with lognormal frailties, a frequentist joint model, and marginal models for either the recurrent event process or survival time. The simulations show that the Joint-DP model does a good job of correcting for treatment assignment bias, and has favorable estimation reliability and accuracy compared with the alternative models. The Joint-DP model is applied to analyze an observational dataset from esophageal cancer patients treated with chemo-radiation, including the times of recurrent effusions of fluid to the heart or lungs, survival time, prognostic covariates, and radiation therapy modality.
Canine platelets express functional Toll-like receptor-4: lipopolysaccharide-triggered platelet activation is dependent on adenosine diphosphate and thromboxane A2 in dogs.

Functional Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has been characterized in human and murine platelets indicating that platelets play a role in inflammation and hemostasis during sepsis. It is unclear whether canine platelets could express functional TLR4 by responding to its ligand, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We sought to determine if dogs express functional TLR4 and if LPS-induced platelet activation requires co-stimulation with ADP or thromboxane A2 (TxA2). Canine platelets were unstimulated (resting) or activated with thrombin or ADP prior to flow cytometric or microscopic analyses for TLR4 expression. We treated resting or ADP-primed platelets with LPS in the absence or presence of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and inhibited TLR4 with function blocking antibody or LPS from Rhodobacter sphaeroides (LPS-RS). We discovered that dog platelets have variable TLR4 expression, which was upregulated following thrombin or ADP activation. LPS augmented P-selectin expression and thromboxane B2 secretion in ADP-primed platelets via TLR4. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase by ASA attenuated LPS-mediated P-selectin expression demonstrating that TLR4 signaling in platelets is partially dependent on TxA2 pathway. Expression of functional TLR4 on canine platelets may contribute to hypercoagulability in clinical septic dogs. Cyclooxygenase and TxA2 pathways in TLR4-mediated platelet activation may present novel therapeutic targets in dogs with sepsis.
How Well Do We Use Our Technology? Examining iPad Navigation Skills in Individuals With Aphasia and Older Adults.

Purpose Technology is increasingly being used in rehabilitation, yet exposure and comfort with technology varies across individuals, particularly among older adults. There are limited ways to evalu...
Autophagy in head and neck cancer therapy

Abstract Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular process that functions in the degradation and recycling of damaged cellular components in response to cell stress. Autophagy plays context-dependent roles in tumorigenesis. Multiple anti-cancer therapies can lead to activation of autophagy within the tumor including chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This chapter will review the mechanisms by which these treatments activate autophagy, available drugs which can be used to modulate autophagy, and how modulation of autophagy can aid in overcoming resistance to treatments commonly used in patients with head and neck cancer.
Determination of the optical properties in normal and diseased tissues by novel goniometry and by 3D second harmonic generation microscopy (Conference Presentation)

We present two new methods used to determine the optical properties in ovarian cancer, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and osteoarthritis. The bulk optical properties are determined by a combination of on axis attenuation, goniometry, and Monte Carlo simulations. The resulting wavelength dependent values delineates the importance of both μs’ and the fractal dimension. We also present a new method to determine μs’ on the SHG microscope. By measuring the depth dependence of the SHG emission directionality and performing Monte Carlo simulations, both the relative fibril size distribution and reduced scattering coefficient can be simultaneously determined without the need for bulk measurements.
The impact of host metapopulation structure on short-term evolutionary rescue in the face of a novel pathogenic threat

Abstract While most evolutionary studies of host-pathogen dynamics consider pathogen evolution alone or host-pathogen coevolution, there is evidence that hosts can evolve more rapidly than their pathogen during initial outbreaks after disease introduction, e.g. evolutionary rescue in the short term. In these cases, spatial, temporal and epidemiological factors could all affect the evolutionary dynamics of the host population. To help inform potential conservation policies in the near-term, we considered the case of one pathogen introduced into a metapopulation of hosts with two genotypes: wild type and robust in which there is a tradeoff in disease-driven mortality and spatial mobility. We employed a classic Susceptible-Infected model and explored how differences in mortality and migration affect the representation of host genotypes and total host population persistence. We find that greater difference in disease-driven mortality between the two host types increases the probability of evolutionary rescue, but there is a point after which disease-driven mortality is so high as to drive the disease prevalence below the reproductive threshold, ending the outbreak and therefore benefitting the wild type. Migration reduces the chance of evolutionary rescue by reducing the competition between the two host genotypes when the difference in disease-driven mortality is sufficiently small, but at larger differences migration acts primarily as a facilitator of disease spread, increasing the probability of evolutionary rescue, though significantly decreasing the total size of the surviving population. This study reveals that both epidemiology and metapopulation ecology can play critical roles in host evolution during the emergence of a novel infection and provide guidance for host conservation and disease control.
Extending our reach: telehealth delivered grief support groups for rural hospice

The purpose of this pilot project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a distance-technology delivered grief support group program for grieving persons in underserved rural/frontier communities ...
Lupus-Like Glomerulonephritis Associated With Regorafenib, a Multikinase Inhibitor.

Drug-induced lupus glomerular diseases have historically been associated with hydralazine, but new drugs that modify the growth, metabolism, and immunity of cells are increasingly found to cause glomerular disease. This includes anti–tumor necrotic factor and other antibody agents used in cancer treatment. Multitarget tyrosine kinases such as regorafenib are increasingly used in metastatic malignancies with good outcomes. Currently, they are not known to have kidney complications except for proteinuria, hypertension, and electrolyte disturbances such as hypophosphatemia. We report a patient who presented within months after starting regorafenib therapy for metastatic colon cancer with acute kidney injury, proteinuria, and hematuria. Biopsy revealed endocapillary proliferative glomerulonephritis with full-house staining on immunofluorescence in the absence of any systemic manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus. The kidney injury improved with corticosteroid treatment and discontinuation of regorafenib therapy. We discuss the possible mechanisms that led to this class IV pattern of lupus nephritis and conclude that it is likely drug-induced lupus nephritis from regorafenib.
Isolation, Screening and Antibiotic Sensitivity of Pseudomonas species from Kelana Jaya Lake Soil in Selangor Malaysia

الكائنات الحية الدقيقة المسببة للأمراض من المستشفى والمجتمعات والبيئة تشكل تهديدات كبيرة لصحة الإنسان أصبح تطوير مقاومة المضادات الحيوية مصدر قلق كبير أيضا. تهدف هذه الدراسة ، بالتالي ، إلى عزل وفحص وتقييم مدى حساسية المضادات الحيوية لأنواع السودوموناس المعزولة ضد أربعة مضادات حيوية (الجنتاميسين والتتر سيكلين والأمبيسيليلين والبنسلين) على لوحة وسائط مولر-هينتون أغار. عدة. تم استخدام نشر القرص وكذلك اختبار الأكسدة من نتيجة الأكسدة الإيجابية ، تم التعرف على البكتيريا المعزولة مثلBurkholderia cepacia (97.6% ID), ، Pseudomonas aeruginosa (99.5 – 99.9% ID), ، و Pseudomonas fluorescent (75.9% ID). وقد تبين أن السودوموناس كان عرضة لثلاثة مضادات حيوية فقط (الجنتاميسين ، التتراسيكلين ، والبنسلين) والتي تظهر منطقة تثبيط واضحة بينما كانت الزائفة? مقاومة للأمبيسيلين فقط مع عدم وجود منطقة تثبيط. البكتيريا المعزولة هي مصادر محتملة لتطوير المضادات الحيوية الفعالة ضد البكتيريا المقاومة. الكلمات المفتاحية: المضادات الحيوية؛ المقاومة البكتيرية. الحساسية ، الزائفة
Trace amount of ceria incorporation by atomic layer deposition in Co/CoOx-embedded N-doped carbon for efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysis: Demonstration and quasi-operando observations

Abstract As a promising class of alternatives to noble metal-based oxygen electrocatalysts, hybrids of metal/metal oxide (M/MO) and N-doped carbon have been widely explored. To address the often-insufficient catalytic activity of single M/MO-embedded N–C systems, researchers have introduced a second M/MO, usually via wet processes. In this work, we leverage the unique capability of atomic layer deposition (ALD) to enable the introduction of a trace amount of ceria throughout a Co/CoOx-embedded N-doped carbon nanostructure in a highly uniform and dispersed manner to maximize heterogeneous interfacial areas and thus catalytically active sites. An optimally prepared catalyst achieves an ORR onset potential of 0.95 V (0.1 M KOH) and an OER potential of 1.53 V at 10 mA cm−2 (1 M KOH) and exhibits excellent cyclic durability. Quasi-operando observations reveal the multifaceted roles of the tiny amount of introduced ceria in facilitating electrocatalytic activity and enhancing durability. The ceria activates reactant adsorbates and transfers the activated intermediates to neighboring CoOx and electronically couples with Co and N species for enhanced catalytic activity. A high concentration of trivalent Ce state is readily and continuously restored during ORR/OER for an uninterrupted activation of reactants, also contributing to a highly stable reaction.
The Peacekeeping Economy: Using Economic Relationships to Build a More Peaceful, Prosperous, and Secure World

The idea that military strength is virtually synonymous with security is deeply entrenched and widely held. But while the threat or use of military force may sometimes be necessary, it cannot keep us as safe as we would be by building relationships that replace hostility with a sense of mutual purpose and mutual gain. Economic relationships, says Lloyd J. Dumas, can offer a far more effective, and far less costly, means of maintaining security. After defining the right kind of economic relationship-one that is balanced and nonexploitative, emphasizes development, and minimizes environmental damage-Dumas then addresses some practical concerns in establishing and maintaining these relationships. He also considers the practical problems of the transition from military-based security arrangements to "economic peacekeeping," and the effects of demilitarized security on economic development and prosperity.
A Survival Guide for Aspiring Academic Psychiatrists

Many residents in psychiatric residency training are interested in an “academic career” Recognizing that current academic departments require excellent teachers, clinicians, and administrators in addition to researchers, medical schools and their universities are wrestling with titles and tenure as they attempt to provide opportunities via a variety of academic career paths. What constitutes the most suitable career path for the academic aspirant depends on the person’s goals, motivations, interests, values, personality style, talents, background, and training, as well as historically and geographically available training, mentoring, and employment opportunities. The authors examine alternative definitions of “academic success,” relate these to the variety of personality types and opportunities found in academic settings, and provide some guidelines for advancement along the available career paths.
B Cell Regulation of Antitumor Response

While the role of CD4+ T cells, cytolytic T cells, natural killer cells, and Th1 response in antitumor immunity has been appreciated for decades, a variety of human and murine tumors are heavily infiltrated with cells of B cell lineage. In contrast to the well-characterized role of T cells and adaptive immunity and of NK cells and the innate response in tumor rejection, as well as the suppressive role played by T-regulatory cells (Tregs), the role of B cells in the regulation of antitumor immunity is poorly understood. Increasing evidence points to a potential role of B cells in the suppression of immune responses in the context of malignancy. This includes a variety of murine models in which B cell infiltration has been associated with increased tumor growth, and even carcinogenesis, and the identification of subsets of B cells with unique regulatory properties. Several mechanisms have been implicated in B cell-mediated regulation of immune response. This includes preferential polarization of B cells along Th1 or Th2 pathways, the elaboration of immunosuppressive cytokines such as TGF-β and interleukin-10, B cell display of immunosuppressive co-stimulatory ligands such as CD86 and PD-L1, and/or B cell support for the development of Tregs within the tumor microenvironment. Evidence is also accumulating that malignant lymphoma and leukemia B cells may distort the balance between Tregs and so-called Th17 cells leading to a tumor microenvironment that is more conducive to lymphoma growth.
Insolvencies in the American property and casualty insurance industry: A systems' approach

Engineering risk analysis, traditionally applied to engineering systems, relies on the decomposition of the system under study into subsystems and of the scenarios affecting it into basic events. The same principles are applied to the study of insolvency. In particular, we introduce a model designed to estimate insolvency risk for property and casualty insurance firms. Specifically, our approach relies on a set of models, which together describe how an insurance firm operates. Beyond firm- specific estimation of insolvency risk, our objective is to gain insights into the drivers behind insolvency and to compare those with industry wisdom and historical data. One of our findings suggests that the current practice of adapting pricing to market conditions (soft or hard markets) may in fact be sensible in terms of insolvency risk. Another finding shows that while small companies are associated with higher insolvency risk, the effect of size is noticeable either for very small firms or for firms who do not adjust their sales level to their surplus value.
Minimax nonlinear control under stochastic uncertainty constraints

We consider in this paper a class of stochastic nonlinear systems in strict feedback form, where in addition to the standard Wiener process there is a norm-bounded unknown disturbance driving the system. The bound on the disturbance is in the form of an upper bound on its power in terms of the power of the output. Within this structure, we seek a minimax state-feedback controller, namely one that minimizes over all state-feedback controllers the maximum of a given class of integral costs, where the choice of the specific cost function is also part of the design problem as in inverse optimality. We derive the minimax controller by first converting the original constrained optimization problem into an unconstrained one (a stochastic differential game) and then making use of the duality relationship between stochastic games and risk-sensitive stochastic control. The state-feedback control law obtained is absolutely stabilizing. Moreover, it is both locally optimal and globally inverse optimal, where the first feature implies that a linearized version of the controller solves a linear quadratic risk-sensitive control problem, and the second feature says that there exists an appropriate cost function according to which the controller is optimal.
THE H.I.P. STUDY OF INCIDENCE AND PROGNOSIS OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE; PRELIMINARY FINDINGS ON INCIDENCE OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AND ANGINA.

Abstract Preliminary findings in the H.I.P. study of incidence and prognosis of CHD have been presented. The data shown are restricted to incidence of MI and angina as related to age and sex, smoking practices, and physical activities on the job and off the job. Comparisons are made between the results of the H.I.P. study and those of other studies, principally the Framingham and Albany studies, when data are available. Age-sex differentials in MI rates obtained in the H.I.P. study are similar to those observed in other studies except for a comparatively small increase between ages 45–54 and 55–64 years in the MI rates for men. Age-sex rates for angina are lower in the H.I.P. study than in the other investigations. The association between cigarette smoking and MI among men reported by the Framingham and Albany investigators was observed in the current study. A similar association was detected for women. The H.I.P. study also found an association among men between cigarette smoking and angina. In the other studies no such association was detected. Physical activities off the job and on the job have been combined to form a three class gradient of ‘light’, ‘intermediate’ and ‘heavy’ activities. Men with ‘light’ physical Activities have an elevated risk for MI; men with ‘heavy’ physical activities seem to have a comparatively high risk for angina. No directly comparable data are available from other studies.
A receptor-based bioadsorbent to target advanced glycation end products in chronic kidney disease.

The accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) has been reported to be a major contributor to chronic systemic inflammation. AGEs are not efficiently removed by hemodialysis or the kidney of a chronic kidney disease (CKD) patient. The goal of this study was to develop a receptor for AGEs (RAGE)-based bioadsorbent device that was capable of removing endogenous AGEs from human blood. The extracellular domain of RAGE was immobilized onto agarose beads to generate the bioadsorbent. The efficacy of AGE removal from saline, serum, and whole blood; biological effects of AGE reduction; and hemocompatibility and stability of the bioadsorbent were investigated. The bioadsorbent bound AGE-modified bovine serum albumin (AGE-BSA) with a binding capacity of 0.73 ± 0.07 mg AGE-BSA/mL bioadsorbent. The bioadsorbent significantly reduced the concentration of total AGEs in serum isolated from end-stage kidney disease patients by 57%. AGE removal resulted in a significant reduction of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression in human endothelial cells and abolishment of osteoclast formation in osteoclast progenitor cells. A hollow fiber device loaded with bioadsorbent-reduced endogenous AGEs from recirculated blood to 36% of baseline levels with no significant changes in total protein or albumin concentration. The bioadsorbent maintained AGE-specific binding capacity after freeze-drying and storage for 1 year. This approach provides the foundation for further development of soluble RAGE-based extracorporeal therapies to selectively deplete serum AGEs from human blood and decrease inflammation in patients with diabetes and/or CKD.
Systematic Errors in the Determination of X-Ray Spectrum Parameters and the Calibration of Space Experiments

As statistical errors in X-ray observations are reduced by means of high-throughput observatories, it will be necessary to take more careful account of systematic errors that result from the imprecision of instrument calibrations, time varying background and temporal variations in the instruments’ response. Future space experiments will have to be calibrated more accurately than in the past and the calibration will have to be planned with closer attention to the the scientific goals of the observations. The lecture presents a review of parameter estimation in X-ray astronomy and, using examples from X-ray observations, the significance of systematic errors in determining best-fit parameters. The calibration of X-ray observatory instruments is also discussed.
A Phylogenetic and Biogeographic Analysis of the Cheloneae (Scrophulariaceae) Based on ITS and matK Sequence Data

Abstract A phylogenetic study was conducted on current members (Chelone, Chionophila, Keckiella, Nothochelone, Pennellianthus, Penstemon, and Tetranema) and former members (Collinsia, Freylinia, Halleria, Russelia, Scrophularia, Tonella) of tribe Cheloneae to test for monophyly, examine biogeographic patterns, and assess relationships of Cheloneae to genera previously excluded from the tribe. Nucleotide sequence data from ITS and matK used in separate and combined analyses yielded congruent trees. Our results provide evidence that Collinsia and Tonella should be transferred from Collinsieae to Cheloneae and that Russelieae should be expanded to include Tetranema. Our results also indicate a New World origin for Cheloneae with dispersal of the Asian component over Beringia. North American Cheloneae may have originated in the Klamath Region of the western United States with expansion to the Rocky Mountain/Columbia Plateau region followed by diversification of several genera. We propose a post-Tertiary evolu...
Revisiting Ir(CO)3Cl

Abstract We return to an old puzzle – the short metal–metal separation and electrical conductivity of the apparently unoxidized one-dimensionally stacked structure of a d8 Ir(I) complex, Ir(CO)3Cl. One would expect neither a short Ir–Ir distance of 2.84 A, nor metallicity in an unoxidized stacked square-planar d8 array. We build up dimer, trimer, one-dimensional polymer and model 3-dimensional structures, in both molecular and extended structure plane wave calculations. The short Ir–Ir separation in the polymer, with a substantial contribution of 6 p z – 5 d z 2 bonding to it, is obtained without any oxidation. There is computational evidence for an important level crossing in the polymer. The metallicity remains unexplained, but likely arises from partial oxidation. And that remains an outstanding experimental issue.
Feasibility of Workplace Health Promotion for Restaurant Workers, Seattle, 2012

Introduction Restaurant workers are a large population at high risk for tobacco use, physical inactivity, and influenza. They are difficult to reach with health care interventions and may be more accessible through workplaces, yet few studies have explored the feasibility of workplace health promotion in this population. This study sought to identify barriers and facilitators to promotion of tobacco cessation, physical activity, and influenza vaccination in restaurants. Methods Moderators conducted 7 focus groups, 3 with restaurant owners and managers, 2 with English-speaking workers, and 2 with Spanish-speaking workers. All groups were recorded, and recordings were transcribed and uploaded to qualitative-analysis software. Two researchers coded each transcript independently and analyzed codes and quotations for common themes. Results Seventy people from the restaurant industry participated. Barriers to workplace health promotion included smoking-break customs, little interest in physical activity outside of work, and misinformation about influenza vaccinations. Facilitators included creating and enforcing equitable break policies and offering free, on-site influenza vaccinations. Spanish-speakers were particularly amenable to vaccination, despite their perceptions of low levels of management support for health promotion overall. Owners required a strong business case to consider investing in long-term prevention for their employees. Conclusion Tobacco cessation and influenza vaccinations are opportunities for health promotion among restaurant workers, whereas physical activity interventions face greater challenges. Promotion of equitable breaks, limited smoking-break policies, and free, on-site influenza vaccinations could improve health for restaurant workers, who often do not have health insurance. Workplace interventions may be particularly important for Hispanic workers who have additional access barriers.
Modulation of morphine-induced EEG and behavioral effects by dynorphin A-(1-13) in non-tolerant and morphine-tolerant rats

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to assess effects of dynorphin A-(1-13) on morphine-induced changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) spectral power and morphine-induced suppression of slow-wave sleep in non-tolerant and morphine-tolerant rats. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with chronic cortical EEG electrodes, electromyographic electrodes in the temporalis muscle and with intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) cannulae and, in some cases, additional intravenous (i.v.) cannulae. Injections of morphine (i.c.v., 20 μg/rat) produced a biphasic EEG and behavioral response, composed of 2–3 hr of slow-wave bursts and increased spectral power (0–4 Hz) in the EEG, associated with behavioral stupor, followed by 2–3 hr of EEG and behavioral arousal. Dynorphin (i.c.v., 20 μg/rat), administered 10 min before injections of morphine in non-tolerant rats, antagonized morphine-induced increases in spectral power of the EEG and morphine-induced suppression of slow-wave sleep. In addition, EEG power spectra obtained after intraventricular administration of morphine from rats, treated with dynorphin and morphine intraventricularly 24 hr earlier, were qualitatively similar to those previously found after acute administration of kappa opioid agonists. In morphine-tolerant rats, pretreatment with dynorphin given intraventricularly, 10 min prior to intraventricular administration of morphine, restored morphine-induced increases in EEG spectral power and suppression of slow-wave sleep. The results suggest that dynorphin may modulate the characteristics of opioid receptors.
Induction of ovulation in the pregnant hamster.

Pregnant hamsters consistently ovulated when injected with 20 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). The induced ovulation rate from days 4–8 of pregnancy was comparable to that observed during the estrous cycle; however, starting at day 10, a marked increase occurred, culminating in a peak of 35 ova at day 12. Animals injected with HCG on day 16, the day before delivery, ovulated an average of 14.5 ova, although spontaneous postpartum ovulation does not occur in the hamster. The number of ovulations induced by HCG correlated with the varying number of antral follicles present during different stages of pregnancy. Unilaterally ovariectomized pregnant hamsters did not show a compensatory increase in induced ovulation rate in the remaining ovary. The induction of ovulation on days 4 or 10 of pregnancy did not interfere with embryonic development nor influence the time of parturition. Following parturition, the primary and induced corpora lutea regressed synchronously.
Evidence for multiple, episodic, mid-Holocene Hypsithermal recorded in two soil profiles along an alluvial floodplain catena, southeastern Tennessee, USA

Abstract Floodplain soil–paleosol successions are valuable archives for reconstructing Pleistocene–Holocene climate changes but have been relatively unstudied in the southern Appalachian region. Two soil profiles on a small floodplain in southeastern Tennessee, USA were described and sampled in detail using both pedological and geological approaches, including stable carbon isotope analysis of soil organic matter (SOM). Correlation between the 2 profiles was constrained by uncalibrated AMS 14C ages of bulk humates, and using SOM δ13C values, both mobile and immobile elements. Four distinct 2.5–4‰ shifts towards less negative δ13C values for SOM suggest ∼ 300-yr cyclicity and transient warmer and drier climate events, with either water-stressed C3 vegetation or as much as 35% C4 plants present during the mid-Holocene. These postulated multi-episodic drier climate conditions have never before been documented in the southern Appalachian region and are tentatively correlated with mid-Holocene warming and drying in the eastern US, the nearly time-equivalent mid-Holocene events documented in Texas, the US High Plains and in the Gulf of Mexico. High rates of floodplain sediment accumulation (0.5–3 mm/yr), high clay content and maintenance of poorly drained soil conditions favor preservation of high-resolution climate archives in floodplain deposits by inhibiting oxidation and translocation of organic C.
Transducin: an amplifier protein in vision

Abstract Retinal rod outer segments contain a light-activated cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase. Transducin, a multisubunit protein, is the amplified signal carrier in this activation process. A photolyzed rhodopsin molecule triggers the exchange of GTP for GDP in hundreds of molecules of transducin. GTP-transducin then switches on the phosphodiesterase. Amplifiers like transducin may be present in many kinds of cells, as exemplified by the G-protein in the hormone-stimulated adenylate cyclase system.
π-Coordination as a structure determining principle: structural characterization of [K(Odpp)]∞, and {[K2(Odpp)2H2O]2}∞

A novel group of potassium-containing 1-D coordination polymers demonstrates the importance and role of K[sbnd]Cπ interactions. [K(Odpp)]∞, 1, (Odpp = 2,6-diphenylphenolate) forms a ladder-type polymer where extensive K[sbnd]Cπ interactions provide additional coordinative saturation. {[K2(Odpp)2H2O]2}∞, 2, consists of tetrameric cores of K4O6 polyhedra linked via a network of K[sbnd]Cπ interactions. Compound 2 displays not only inter- and intramolecular K[sbnd]Cπ contacts, but also several K[sbnd]H agostic interactions that provide further coordinative saturation.
Oxidation of proline by sarcosomes of the tsetse fly, Glossina morsitans

Abstract Mitochondria isolated from the flight muscles of tsetse flies are capable of oxidizing proline at rates commensurate with the requirements of the flight system. The rate of oxidation of other substrates is negligible by comparison. In the presence of phosphate, the oxidation of proline is completely controlled by ADP, acting at the level of the respiratory chain and not at the level of the dehydrogenases. The amount of alanine formed during the in vitro oxidation of 14 C-proline is substantially less than the amount of proline used. The result is interpreted on the basis of a branching of the metabolic pathway at the level of glutamate, with the aminotransferase accounting for approximately 80% of the flux, and glutamic dehydrogenase for the remainder.
Developing Training and Employment Programs to Meet the Needs of Methadone Treatment Clients.

Abstract The classical approach to methadone treatment is focused on rehabilitation and involves using methadone to stabilize the client physiologically; counseling to address psychosocial needs; and support services to overcome barriers to treatment and a productive life-style. Vocational services traditionally have been included in the latter component as a major factor in enabling clients to become functioning members of society. This paper reviews prior research on vocational services for methadone clients and presents preliminary findings from a randomly controlled trial of a training and employment program with 249 clients in three community-based programs. The results suggest that vocational services can increase access to training and vocational assistance programs significantly, increase school enrollment, and decrease unemployment.
Mechanisms for communication between business and IT experts

The paper shows how a system of important concepts and approaches proposed by system thinkers (such as philosophers, mathematicians, engineers, and computing scientists) and described in international (ISO) standards has been used to understand and specify various kinds of business and IT systems, and to base IT work on a solid foundation that has been used for communicating with non-IT experts, thus establishing successful and meaningful interactions between business and IT experts and organizations. These common elegant concepts - such as abstraction, system, structure, relationship, composition, pattern, name in context, etc. - come from exact philosophy and mathematics. They have been stable for centuries, and have been successfully used in theory, in industrial practice (including international standards), and in teaching of business and IT modeling. The essential stable semantics of these fundamental concepts and of systems specified using them ought to be clearly separated from the accidental (often IT-industry-imposed excessively complex and rapidly changing) details. The paper includes two case studies of applying the approach - with demonstrable success - in a large financial institution and in a leading publishing company.
GONADOTROPHIC STIMULATION IN VITRO AND IN VIVO OF TESTIS FROM RABBITS TREATED WITH TRIPARANOL.

Slices of testis from rabbits receiving triparanol showed marked inhibition in the conversion of acetate-1-C14 to cholesterol-C14 but little change in the conversion of acetate-1-C14 to testosterone-C14. Slices of testis from the same rabbits when incubated in the presence of interstitial cellstimulating hormone (ICSH) showed an increase in the conversion of acetate-1-C14 to testosterone-C11. Stimulation of this conversion in slices of testis was also observed when ICSH was administered as a single intravenous injection. It is concluded that these findings are most readily explained by limited specificity of the enzymes concerned in the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone. (Endocrinology 74: 201, 1964)
Role of the carotid chemoreceptors in the hyperpnea of exercise in the cat.

Abstract The role of the carotid chemoreceptors in the hyperpnea of exercise was investigated. The activity of the sinus nerve of the cat was monitored while the blood supply to the carotid body was controlled independently of the systemic circulation. By this technique, fluctuations in the arterial blood gases during a short interval of exercise induced by electrical stimulation of hindlimb muscles were unable to affect the chemoreceptor activity. While minute ventilation increased by an average of 51%, chemoreccptor discharge was found to be unchanged in 12 experiments, 6 while perfusing with normoxic blood and 6 while perfusing with hypoxic blood. Thus, it must be concluded that alteration of carotid chemoreceptor sensitivity does not occur during artificially induced exercise in anesthetized cats. However, the difference in the time course of ventilation following the initiation of artificially induced exercise between cats and other species does not allow it to be ruled out in other species, including man. Indirect evidence is against such a role.
Efficient quantum key distribution based on pulse-position modulation

Pulse-position modulation (PPM) is a promising technique that can be used to improve the efficiency of quantum key distribution (QKD) based on a Poisson photon source. In this paper, we first investigate a simple entanglement-and- PPM-based QKD protocol and demonstrate the improvement in secret key rate. However, such a PPM-based QKD protocol that utilizes only frames with a single click is still inefficient because it ignores frames with two and more clicks. For this reason we propose to use such multi-click frames to further improve the efficiency of PPM-based QKD by employing a better sifting strategy. Specifically, we focus on using the frames with two clicks in addition to those with a single click. Finally, we analyze the secret key rate under various noise levels in the scenario of high channel loss, which has been faced by most QKD applications. With the analytical results, we show the advantage of the proposed PPM-based QKD.
Developmental changes in neural activity to familiar words and gestures

Infants younger than 20 months of age interpret both words and symbolic gestures as object names. Later in development words and gestures take on divergent communicative functions. Here, we examined patterns of brain activity to words and gestures in typically developing infants at 18 and 26 months of age. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during a match/mismatch task. At 18 months, an N400 mismatch effect was observed for pictures preceded by both words and gestures. At 26 months the N400 effect was limited to words. The results provide the first neurobiological evidence showing developmental changes in semantic processing of gestures.
Topography of the free-energy landscape probed via mechanical unfolding of proteins.

Single-molecule experiments in which proteins are unfolded by applying mechanical stretching forces generally force unfolding to proceed along a reaction coordinate that is different from that in chemical or thermal denaturation. Here we simulate the mechanical unfolding and refolding of a minimalist off-lattice model of the protein ubiquitin to explore in detail the slice of the multidimensional free-energy landscape that is accessible via mechanical pulling experiments. We find that while the free-energy profile along typical “chemical” reaction coordinates may exhibit two minima, corresponding to the native and denatured states, the free energy G(z) is typically a monotonic function of the mechanical coordinate z equal to the protein extension. Application of a stretching force along z tilts the free-energy landscape resulting in a bistable (or multistable) free energy G(z)−fz probed in mechanical unfolding experiments. We construct a two-dimensional free-energy surface as a function of both chemical a...
The flow behavior of the liquid/powder mixture, theory and experiment. I. The effect of the capillary force (bridging rupture)

Abstract Employing the equality of the mechanical work of shear stress and the energy of liquid bridges, a formula is developed for shear stress τ and unconfined yield strength fc of compressed powder, consisting of narrowly-sized solid particles mixed with oil. This formula predicts the dependence of shear stress and unconfined yield strength on the oil weight fraction, C, and the radius of the particles, R, as τ and fc ∝ sqrt (C)/R. Experimental data obtained with a Schulze cell were used to validate the developed formula. Experimental dependence of fc on R is in agreement with the theoretical formula. However, the experimental dependence of fc on oil weight fraction C does not agree with the theoretical predictions, especially at low C. Therefore, the theoretical model needs further modification. Despite some approximations, the theory predicts certain features, which can be useful for transport of the stressed powder/oil mixture.
Sequence studies on tRNAPhe from human placenta: Comparison with known sequences of tRNAPhe from other normal mammalian tissues

Abstract Phenylalanine-specific tRNA was isolated from human placenta and degraded to mixtures of oligonucleotides. Tritium sequence analysis of the digestion products indicates that the sequence of human placenta tRNA Phe is identical to that of calf liver tRNA Phe and differs only slightly from that of rabbit liver tRNA Phe .
Child Psychiatry Perspectives Accountability and the Future of Child Psychiatry

Abstract This paper reviews the increasing pressure for accountability in child psychiatry. Federal legislation has increased the request for accountability in clinical practice. Shifts in federal regulations now begin to require accountability in training. The American Board of Medical Specialties now requires each specialty organization to develop models for assessing continuing professional competence. The author discusses each of these areas and offers specific recommendations. Accountability is believed to be appropriate and helpful to the profession.
A measure of extracellular unit responses to repeated stimulation applied to observations of the time course of olfactory responses

Abstract A technique for measurement of small samples of unit behavior during regularly repeated stimulation is described. A correlation-based measure was computed over two successive stimulus presentations by summing the products of spike counts for corresponding time bins and normalizing to the number of bins and the numbers of spike counts during the two stimulus presentations. This measure was combined with the mean frequency of spike occurrence during the stimulus presentation to give a characterization of neuronal activity sensitive to changes in both strength of temporal pattern and mean frequency. Examples are given of olfactory responsive neurons with comparison of measurement techniques. The time course of the response to odor of neurons recorded under urethane anesthesia from the olfactory bulb and the lateral hypothalamus was studied. By both simple mean frequency measures and the measures proposed in this study, the neurons recorded from the lateral hypothalamus underwent more rapid temporal decrements in the odor response.
A doughnut layout style for improved switching speed with CMOS VLSI gates

A doughnut style for physical layout of CMOS gates which improves the switching speed of the gates compared to a standard layout style is discussed. This improvement in performance is obtained by decreasing the self-loading output capacitance for a given W/L ratio of the transistor channels. A design for a 30-bit incrementer which was fabricated and tested as a 3- mu m VLSI circuit is included as an example of an application for the doughnut-style gates. The incrementer has a propagation delay of less than 10 ns through nine stages of logic gates with large fan-outs at three of the stages. >
FAMILIAL RESISTANCE TO THYROID HORMONE PRESENTING AS NEONATAL THYROTOXICOSIS

Familial resistance to thyroid hormone is characterized by elevated thyroid hormones and non-suppressed TSH in euthyroid individuals. We present a unique occurrence of an infant with neonatal hyperthyroidism and resistance to thyroid hormone in a family with 3 generations of resistance to thyroid hormone. He was born at 35 weeks gestation to a consanguinous relationship (first cousins), birth weight 1480 g, length 46 cm. He had fetal and neonatal (200 beats/min) tachycardia and exopthalmos. At 3 weeks of age the following was obtained: T4 50.7 ug/dL, T3RIA 1349 ng/dL, T3RU 45.9%, rT3 618 ng/dL, TSH 389 uIU/mL, free T4 25.7 ng/dL, free T3 5385 pg/dL, TBG 2.3 ng/dL, TBII 18 (n1<14), TSIg 167% (n1<130%), 4h 123I uptake 87% and 24h 50%, moderately enlarged gland on scan, negative thyroid antibodies. TRH increased the TSH from 317 to 413 at 30 min. Patient's father, paternal aunt and paternal grandmother have well documented resistance to thyroid hormone. One month postpartum the mother had the following: T4 19 ug/dL, T3RIA 298 ng/ dL, free T4 4.5 ng/dL, free T3 698 pg/dL, TSH 1.0 uIU/mL, TBG 2.8 ng/dL (n1 1.6-3.6), negative TBII and TSIg, nl TSH response to TRH. Maternal grandfather also had elevated thyroid indices (T4 15.2 ug/dL, T3RIA 229 ng/dL), nonsuppressed TSH 2.2 uIU/mL, and normal TRH stimulated TSH. We postulate that this neonate is a homozygote for this gene defect. We hypothesize that this infant's hyperthyroxinemia resulting in thyrotoxicosis may be expressed due to genetic inherited factors from both parents.
On the Application of Psychological Measurement Techniques to Travel Demand Estimation

One of the most promising approaches to understanding and managing urban travel is one which seeks to construct mathematical representations of the travel decisions made by individual urban-area residents. Current research in this approach has demonstrated clearly that both the improvement of model specification and the development of aggregation procedures can utilize methods of psychological scaling and market segmentation. The paper outlines the specific areas where psychological measurement techniques have primary potential for improving the ability of the transportation planner to understand and manage the urban transportation environment. Major applications are seen in describing the relative attractiveness of different activity sites to which an individual may travel and in describing the available (or future) modes of travel that may be used to reach the activity sites. In these two applications, methods of psychological scaling are seen as the primary applicable techniques. In the area of aggrega...
Correlation of IgE/IgG4 milk epitopes and affinity of milk-specific IgE antibodies with different phenotypes of clinical milk allergy.

Background Results from large-scale epitope mapping with a peptide microarray have been shown to correlate with clinical features of milk allergy. Objectives We sought to assess IgE and IgG4 epitope diversity and IgE affinity in different clinical phenotypes of milk allergy and identify informative epitopes that might be predictive of clinical outcomes of milk allergy. Methods Forty-one subjects were recruited from a larger study on the effects of ingesting heat-denatured milk proteins in subjects with milk allergy. Using food challenges, subjects were characterized as being clinically reactive to all forms of milk (n = 17), being tolerant to heated milk (HM) products (n = 16), or having outgrown their milk allergy (n = 8). Eleven healthy volunteers without milk allergy served as control subjects. A peptide microarray was performed by using the previously published protocol. Results Subjects with milk allergy had increased epitope diversity compared with those who outgrew their allergy. HM-tolerant subjects had IgE-binding patterns similar to those who had outgrown their allergy, but IgG4-binding patterns that were more similar to those of the allergic group. Binding to higher numbers of IgE peptides was associated with more severe allergic reactions during challenge. There was no association between IgG4 peptides and clinical features of milk allergy. Using a competitive peptide microarray assay, allergic patients demonstrated a combination of high- and low-affinity IgE binding, whereas HM-tolerant subjects and those who had outgrown their milk allergy had primarily low-affinity binding. Conclusions Greater IgE epitope diversity and higher affinity, as determined by using the peptide microarray, were associated with clinical phenotypes and severity of milk allergy.
Relaxation effects in the transition temperature of superconducting HgBa 2 CuO 4+δ

In previous studies on a number of underdoped and overdoped high-temperature superconductors, including ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}y}$ and ${\mathrm{Tl}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{6+\ensuremath{\delta}},$ the transition temperature ${T}_{c}$ has been found to change with time in a manner which depends on the sample's detailed temperature and pressure history. This relaxation behavior in ${T}_{c}$ is believed to originate from rearrangements within the oxygen sublattice. In the present high-pressure studies on ${\mathrm{HgBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4+\ensuremath{\delta}}$ to 0.8 GPa we find clear evidence for weak relaxation effects in strongly underdoped and overdoped samples ${(T}_{c}\ensuremath{\simeq}40--50\mathrm{K})$ with an activation energy ${E}_{A}(1\mathrm{bar})\ensuremath{\simeq}0.8--0.9\mathrm{eV}.$ For overdoped ${\mathrm{HgBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4+\ensuremath{\delta}}$ ${E}_{A}$ increases under pressure more rapidly than previously observed for ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{6.41},$ yielding an activation volume of $+11\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5{\mathrm{cm}}^{3};$ the dependence of ${T}_{c}$ on pressure is markedly nonlinear, an anomalous result for high-${T}_{c}$ superconductors in the present pressure range, giving evidence for a change in the electronic and/or structural properties near 0.4 GPa.