cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sphingolipids and lung vascular barrier regulation

Long thought to function primarily as the structural components of lipid membranes, sphingolipids are now also recognized as vitally important signaling mediators regulating a diverse range of functions. We recently described the potent vascular barrier-regulating properties of one of these sphingolipids, the lipid and angiogenic factor sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) (Garcia et al, 2001). Since disruption of vascular barrier integrity commonly occurs in highly morbid inflammatory lung conditions, a better understanding of the mechanism of barrier regulation would have important clinical implications. In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of vascular barrier regulation before detailing the mechanisms underlying potent barrier-enhancing effects of S1P in vitro and in vivo in models of acute lung injury (ALI) syndromes. The potential ramifications of these findings for the development of specific therapeutic interventions for patients with ALI syndromes are then discussed.
Scalable WiFi media delivery through adaptive broadcasts

Current WiFi Access Points (APs) choose transmission parameters when emitting wireless packets based solely on channel conditions. In this work we explore the benefits of deciding packet transmission parameters in a content-dependent manner. We demonstrate the benefits specifically for media delivery applications in WiFi environments by designing, implementing and evaluating a system, called Medusa. In order to keep the APs relatively simple, we implement the Medusa functions in a media-aware proxy. More specifically, when forwarding our media traffic, Medusa requires that APs simply use the WiFi broadcast feature, and that they refrain from making decisions on which wireless packets to retransmit, or what PHY rates such packets should be transmitted at. Instead we combine these typical link layer functions with a few other content-specific choices, in the proxy. Through detailed experiments across diverse mobility and interference conditions we demonstrate the advantages of this scheme for both unicast and multicast media delivery applications. The advantages are particularly substantial in multicast scenarios, where Medusa was able to deliver a 20 Mbps HD video stream simultaneously to 25 clients, using a single 802.11 AP, with good to excellent PSNR.
ELECTRON TRANSPORT SYSTEM IN VEGETATIVE CELLS AND MICROCYSTS OF MYXOCOCCUS XANTHUS

Abstract Dworkin, Martin (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis), and Donald J. Niederpruem. Electron transport system in vegetative cells and microcysts of Myxococcus xanthus. J. Bacteriol. 87:316–322. 1964.—Respiration by intact cells of the fruiting myxobacterium Myxococcus xanthus is cyanide-sensitive and can be demonstrated in the vegetative cells but not in the microcysts. Cell-free particles from both vegetative cells and microcysts have cyanide-sensitive reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidase, diaphorase, NADH cytochrome c reductase, and cytochrome oxidase activities. While the vegetative cell specific activities for NADH oxidase and diaphorase are slightly higher than those for the microcysts, the microcysts have ten times the cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome oxidase activities of the vegetative cells. Furthermore, the respiration of the microcyst particles is considerably less cyanide-sensitive than is that of the vegetative-cell particles. Difference spectra of the cell-free particles of vegetative cells and microcysts are qualitatively identical, showing the presence of b- and c-type cytochrome and flavoprotein. The a-type pigments are clearly present in the extracts of the vegetative cells and are suggested by the spectrum of the microcyst particles. The cytochrome oxidase activity of both extracts is consistent with the presence of a-type pigments in both. The spectra of the carbon monoxide-binding pigments were determined and, by this parameter, qualitative differences appear between the vegetative cells and the microcysts.
Lifelong Adaptation in Heterogeneous Multi-Robot Teams: Response to Continual Variation in Individual Robot Performance

Generating teams of robots that are able to perform their tasks over long periods of time requires the robots to be responsive to continual changes in robot team member capabilities and to changes in the state of the environment and mission. In this article, we describe the L-ALLIANCE architecture, which enables teams of heterogeneous robots to dynamically adapt their actions over time. This architecture, which is an extension of our earlier work on ALLIANCE, is a distributed, behavior-based architecture aimed for use in applications consisting of a collection of independent tasks. The key issue addressed in L-ALLIANCE is the determination of which tasks robots should select to perform during their mission, even when multiple robots with heterogeneous, continually changing capabilities are present on the team. In this approach, robots monitor the performance of their teammates performing common tasks, and evaluate their performance based upon the time of task completion. Robots then use this information throughout the lifetime of their mission to automatically update their control parameters. After describing the L-ALLIANCE architecture, we discuss the results of implementing this approach on a physical team of heterogeneous robots performing proof-of-concept box pushing experiments. The results illustrate the ability of L-ALLIANCE to enable lifelong adaptation of heterogeneous robot teams to continuing changes in the robot team member capabilities and in the environment.
The Theory of Exhaustible Resources: What are the Econometric Methods Testing?

Empirical tests of the theory of exhaustible resources have come to conflicting conclusions concerning the validity of the theory to exhaustible resources to explain owners’ production decisions. This paper develops the theoretical framework, alternative measures of the unobservable in situ resource price, and evaluates the potential impacts of processing of the resource on the test results, as well as those of incomplete data and/or information. We evaluate the consistency of the two commonly used test methodologies and the impacts on results of alternative measures of the unobservable in situ resource price. We show how, all else equal, the tests methodologies diverge; as a result, the possibility of discrepant results should not be a surprise. In regards to the impacts of processing, data and information, we find the potential for inaccuracy in the estimate of the in situ resource price, which may result in biased test results.
The Ethics of Talking to the Media

Prosecutors and defense lawyers often seek to use the media to shape public opinion and to help their client’s causes. Even the alleged victim may retain counsel for advice and help in dealing with the media. Each lawyer attempting to advance a client’s position must work within ethical constraints when speaking with and using the media. Courts may also step in and impose legal constraints on the lawyers’ use of the media. Both ethics rules and court orders regulating publicity balance the competing values of a fair trial against free speech and the public’s right to be informed. Before answering a reporter’s questions, calling a press conference, or having other dealings with the media, a lawyer should know the ethical boundaries as well as the potential risks and benefits to the client. In this article, we review both the ethical and practical considerations for the prosecution and the defense when talking with the media.
The Pathway of Carbon in Nature

A complex web of reactions leads from primary biological products to the organic debris found in sediments and rocks. A new study shows that abiotic reactions play an important role.
Status and Development of Magnetic Mirror Systems for Nuclear Testing Applications

Several system studies have concluded that the small size and steady-state nature of magnetic mirror systems provide attractive features of nuclear testing applications such as blanket testing, fissile fuel production, tritium production, or decontamination of high-level radioactive nuclear reactor wastes. A summary of the data base is presented, and next-generation experiments that could be carried out to explore plasma physics issues associated with the production of high neutron fluxes in magnetic mirror configurations are described.
Estimates of unresolved point source contribution to WMAP 5

We present an alternative estimate of the unresolved point source contribution to the WMAP temperature power spectrum based on current knowledge of sources from radio surveys in the 1.4-90 GHz range. We implement a stochastic extrapolation of radio point sources in the NRAO-VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) catalog, from the original 1.4 GHz to the ∼100 GHz frequency range relevant for CMB experiments. With a bootstrap approach, we generate an ensemble of realizations that provides the probability distribution for the flux of each NVSS source at the final frequency. The predicted source counts agree with WMAP results for S > 1 Jy and the corresponding sky maps correlate with WMAP observed maps in Q-, V- and W-bands, for sources with flux S > 0.2 Jy. The low-frequency radio surveys found a steeper frequency dependence for sources just below the WMAP nominal threshold than the one estimated by the WMAP team. This feature is present in our simulations and translates into a shift of 0.3-0.4σ in the estimated value of the tilt of the power spectrum of scalar perturbation, n s , as well as ω c . This approach demonstrates the use of external point sources datasets for CMB data analysis.
ROBUST TESTS OF THE UNIT ROOT HYPOTHESIS SHOULD NOT BE “MODIFIED”

The rank-based unit root tests proposed by Hasan and Koenker (1997, Econometrica 65, 133–161) have power equal to size for normal innovations. Unit root tests based on M-estimators exhibit the same behavior. The problem occurs because the test statistics are transformed to obtain computationally convenient critical values. I describe a convenient way to compute critical values without transforming the test statistics. The resulting tests are almost as powerful as least squares–based tests for normal errors and much more powerful for thicker tailed distributions.I thank Thomas Rothenberg for many useful comments. This paper is based on my dissertation, which he supervised. I also thank Jack Porter, Jim Powell, Richard Stanton, and Jim Stock for good advice. Comments of Bruce Hansen, the editor, and two anonymous referees improved the exposition.
A class of scheduling policies for mixed data with renewal arrival processes

Two mutually independent traffic streams whose arrivals are modeled as renewal processes are considered. The arrivals are stored in an infinite capacity buffer. One of the processes requires a strict upper bound on the total delay per arrival, and it is assumed that the processing time per arrival for both processes is a constant. Given the above model, the class of nonpreemptive scheduling policies which satisfy the delay constraint while maintaining the system stability is found. The delays induced by the latter policy are analyzed via a methodology based on the regenerative theorem. A numerical example is given in which the policy that minimizes the expected delays for both traffic streams is also considered. >
Ventral Hippocampus, Interneurons, and Schizophrenia A New Understanding of the Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Its Implications for Treatment and Prevention

Dysfunction within the dopamine system has been the predominant hypothesized cause of schizophrenia for some time; however, there is little anatomical or postmortem evidence showing that the roots of this disorder are to be found within the dopaminergic neurons. Instead, the dopamine system appears to be dysregulated due to pathological influences from other structures. Recent postmortem and imaging studies have looked to the hippocampus as a potential site of this pathology. Our studies using a developmental animal model of schizophrenia found hyperactivity in the hippocampus likely drives the disruption in dopamine system function. This overactivity appears to be due to the functional loss of short axon interneurons that control the activity of the primary output neurons of the hippocampus. These data suggest that a more effective treatment of schizophrenia may be to normalize hippocampal function rather than block dopamine receptors. Moreover, given the high sensitivity of the hippocampus to stress-ind...
An Experimental Automobile Receiver Employing Transistors

This paper describes an experimental automobile broadcast receiver utilizing nine experimental junction transistors in a superheterodyne circuit. The receiver operates directly from the six-volt storage battery without vibrator, power transformer, or rectifier. The average current drain, including that for two pilot lights, is approximately one-tenth that of a conventional automobile receiver. The performance of this receiver is comparable to that of conventional automobile receivers. Particular emphasis has been placed on maintaining performance over a wide range of ambient temperature, both to accommodate the severe requirements specified for automobile service, and to establish the operability over such a temperature range of apparatus employing germanium transistors. The receiver circuits and performance characteristics, including performance data for the ambient temperature range -40 degrees C. to +80 degrees C., are described in detail. Techniques which render circuit operation insensitive to variation of ambient temperature and which permit interchangeability of transistors are discussed.
DNA repair after ultraviolet irradiation in synchronous plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum.

Abstract Plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum were irradiated with 14 500 ergs/mm2 of ultraviolet irradiation during early G2 period and the subsequent repair synthesis of DNA was studied. It was found that the G2 period, which is normally 5 h in length, is prolonged to 18 h by such a dose of irradiation and that repair synthesis occurs almost entirely during the last 9 h of this period. Following the extended G2 period, the nuclei undergo mitosis in a normal manner and during the DNA synthesis period which follows mitosis all the nuclear DNA is replicated semiconservatively as shown by density label centrifugation studies. During the extended G2 period, normal replication of the nucleolar satellite DNA and trace amounts of nuclear DNA occurs and the total amount synthesized is equal to what would have been synthesized in a G2 period of normal length. Caffeine shows a strong inhibitory effect on DNA repair synthesis without interfering with DNA replication or the length of the intermitotic period.
Psychometric Properties of the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric

Simulation is integrated into nursing curricula as a means of developing and evaluating clinical judgment, but there are few valid and reliable tools available and evaluation is not consistently theory based. When the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR) was introduced in 2007, it provided a common evaluative language for assessment of clinical judgment but had limited support of its validity and reliability. Based on Tanner's Model, the LCJR organized nursing actions into eleven dimensions and four behavioral categories and defined specific actions in each which are typical of developmental phases (Lasater, 2007). The LCJR has been adopted by many nursing programs with limited support of its validity and reliability. This article attempts to organize current knowledge available on the LCJR in an effort to assess its use as a valid and reliable measurement tool, and to identify specific needs for continued testing of the instrument.
Pain, chronic pain, and sickle cell chronic pain.

Bergman and Diamond's “Sickle Cell Disease and the ‘Difficult Patient’ Conundrum” (2013) critiques the relation between physicians and people with sickle cell disease (“sickle cell”) by way of the ...
Influence of silvicultural treatments on growth of mature mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa) nine years after initiation

Abstract The growth of a mature stand of Prosopis glandulosa was measured 9 years after thinning, understorey removal, understorey removal plus herbicide resprout treatment, and phosphorus fertilizer treatments had been applied. The volume and weight of growth were estimated with dendrometers installed at the base of 20% of the trees, and regression equations were calculated that related basal area to volume and weight. Mean absolute growth increases were not significantly different among the treatments (P > 0.05). However, when volume and biomass growth were compared with difference in initial basal area, some of the treatments were significantly different. The understorey removal + thinning + herbicide + fertilizer treatment resulted in the greatest mean percent weight growth (28.3%, n = 4, SD = 3.0647) and percent volume growth (34.9%, n = 4, SD = 3.9790) over the 9-year time-period, and was significantly (P = 0.0001) different from the control percent weight (11.1%, n = 4, SD = 0.5315) growth and control volume (13.3%, n = 4, SD = 0.7124) growth. The annual diameter increment for the fertilizer treatment was 0.27 cm year−1, n = 4, SD = 0.898, which is comparable with other mature commercial hardwood forests.
Digital rectal examination is barrier to population-based prostate cancer screening

Abstract Objectives To determine whether use of the digital rectal examination (DRE) results in decreased participation in prostate cancer (PCa) screening, which, in turn, would result in lower detection. Population-based PCa screening includes prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurement with or without a DRE. PSA and DRE screening provide greater sensitivity than PSA alone; however, the increased participation rate resulting from PSA-alone screening may result in a greater detection rate. Methods We performed a survey of 13,580 healthy men undergoing PSA-only population-based screening. In addition to the basic demographic information, the survey asked whether the participant would still be willing to participate in the screening if it included a DRE. We modeled the willingness to participate to assess the effect of PSA screening versus PSA and DRE screening on the basis of previously published data and our results. Results The results of our study indicated that only 78% of men would participate in screening that included both DRE and PSA. Thus, 7800 men of a theoretical population of 10,000 would participate in a screening that included both DRE and PSA. The positive screen rate (PSA ≥ 4.0 ng/mL and/or abnormal DRE) would then have been 2013, with 472 PCa cases and 1540 negative biopsies. In the PSA-alone arm, all 10,000 men would have agreed to participate, and the positive screen rate (PSA ≥ 4.0 ng/mL) would have been 1480, with 499 PCa cases and 980 negative biopsies. The PSA-alone arm would thus have detected 27 more cancers and performed 560 fewer negative biopsies. Conclusions The results of our study have demonstrated that DRE is a significant barrier to participation in PCa screening. PSA plus DRE-based programs result in fewer cases of PCa detected, with a significant increase in negative biopsies. We, therefore, suggest that future mass screening efforts include only PSA determination and omit the DRE.
Health and production aspects of feeding sweetpotato to cattle

If certain guidelines are followed when feeding sweetpotatoes to livestock it is possible to minimize health hazards. Careful herd management and the recognition of specific biomarkers such as excessive dental deterioration could aid in the early identification of feed problems. Where these tubers are produced locally in abundance there can be an economic and environmental incentive to divert waste sweetpotato by-products toward livestock feed. The feeding of culled sweetpotatoes and processed sweetpotato waste by-products can have three major benefits. First, expensive disposal costs are reduced. Second, negative environmental impacts from landfill dumping and crop spreading are limited. Third, the culled sweetpotatoes and SPCW offer an inexpensive and nutritious alternative feed ration for livestock that may increase economic returns.
Toward a multimodal theory of academic underachievement

This article presents a comprehensive theoretical model of academic underachievement in students. Past views of scholastic dysfunction have tended to focus on specific factors which psychologists have considered important, while failing to consider the problem on its broader level. The present model proposes that underachievement can be viewed as a complex interaction among three factors: (a) weaknesses in academic skills, such as reading, note‐taking, mathematics, and taking exams; (b) deficiencies in behavioral self‐control skills, such as self‐monitoring and effective scheduling of study time; and (c) interfering affective factors, including test anxiety and personality maladjustment. Implications of this model for assessment, treatment planning, and clinical practice are discussed, along with specific suggestions for additional research into the nature and scope of academic underachievement.
The synthesis of hemoglobin and non-hemoglobin protein of amphibian red blood cells related to metamorphosis.

Abstract 1. 1. Protein synthesis (incorporation of [ 14 C]phenylalanine) was studied in tadpole ( Rana catesbiana ) red blood cell suspensions. Since hemoglobin changes during metamorphosis, red blood cells were examined from animals in different stages of development, in the winter and summer, and after injection of l -thyroxine. The non-hemoglobin protein of tadpole red blood cells was found to be involved in metamorphosis; it was isolated and characterized. 2. 2. Protein synthesis in tadpole red cells was inhibited by puromycin and chloramphenicol. The incorporation of [2- 14 C]uridine into nucleic acid was observed and was reduced by actinomycin D. 3. 3. Hemoglobin was the main protein synthesized by red cells of winter tadpoles (stages XI–XIII). Protein synthesis was reduced in red cells of summer tadpoles of all stages; non-hemoglobin protein was synthesized preferentially. After thyroxine injection red cells from winter animals behaved similarly to red cells from summer animals of the same stage. The non-hemoglobin protein amounts to 5–10% of hemoglobin and disappears late in metamorphosis when the adult hemoglobin appears. 4. 4. Non-hemoglobin protein has an s 0.5% 20 2.3, a molecular weight of 30 000 and is heterogeneous on electrophoresis. The protein has no carbonic anhydrase activity and no cysteine (similar to tadpole hemoglobin). 5. 5. The possible identity of the non-hemoglobin protein with globin subunits or apoferritin subunits is considered.
Mitigation and Prevention of Exertional Heat Stress in Firefighters: A Review of Cooling Strategies for Structural Firefighting and Hazardous Materials Responders

AbstractMost duties performed by firefighters require the use of personal protective equipment, which inhibits normal thermoregulation during exertion, creating an uncompensable heat stress. Structured rest periods are required to correct the effects of uncompensable heat stress and ensure that firefighter safety is maintained and that operations can be continued until their conclusion. While considerable work has been done to optimize firefighter cooling during fireground operations, there is little consensus on when or how cooling should be deployed. A systematic review of cooling techniques and practices among firefighters and hazardous materials operators was conducted to describe the state of the science and provide recommendations for deploying resources for fireground rehab (i.e., structured rest periods during an incident). Five electronic databases were searched using a selected combination of key words. One hundred forty publications were found in the initial search, with 27 meeting all the incl...
Leiomyosarcoma in the mediastinum presenting as superior vena cava syndrome

The authors report a case of leiomyosarcoma in the mediastinum presenting with superior vena cava obstruction, and also demonstrate the aggressive nature of this tumor in spite of radiotherapy. Where technically feasible, surgery appears to be the treatment of choice. The pathologic and electron microscopic features of this tumor are also described.
Photoinduced Rydberg ionization spectroscopy of phenylacetylene: vibrational assignments of the C state of the cation.

The photoinduced Rydberg ionization spectrum of the third excited electronic state of phenylacetylene cation was recorded via the origin of the cation ground electronic state. The origin of this state is 17 834 cm -1 above the ground state of the cation, and the spectrum shows well-resolved vibrational features to the energy of 2200 cm -1 above this. An assignment of the vibrational structure was made by comparison to calculated frequencies and Franck-Condon factors. From the assignments, and electronic structure considerations, the electronic symmetry of the C state is established to be 2 B 1 .
Ethyl 2-benzyl-2-nitro-3-phenyl­propanoate

The title compound, C18H19NO4, is the key synthetic intermediate in the preparation of α,α-di­benzyl-α-amino acid (di­benzyl­glycine, Dbg), the disubstituted homologue of phenyl­alanine, following the di­alkyl­ation of ethyl nitro­acetate. The mol­ecule does not have its potential mirror symmetry in the crystal, with the two benzyl groups forming N—C—C—C torsion angles of 60.31 (13) and 79.89 (13)°.
Factors related to suddenness of death from coronary disease: combined Albany-Framingham studies.

Abstract One hundred nine sudden deaths in men 45 to 74 years of age enrolled in prospective studies in Albany, N. Y. and Framingham, Mass. were examined in an effort to identify features associated with sudden death from coronary heart disease. From a coronary profile made up of serum cholesterol concentration, systolic blood pressure, relative body weight, cigarette habit and electrocardiographic evidence of left ventricular enlargement, the likelihood of sudden death could be estimated over a 14-fold range of risk. One third of sudden deaths occurred in men in the topmost decile of risk, but whether or not death from coronary disease was sudden was largely unrelated to the mix of risk factors. The proportion of such deaths that were sudden was equal among men with and without prior overt coronary heart disease. Increasing age was not conclusively associated with the suddenness of death. No combination of risk factors considered separated persons uniquely destined to die suddenly from those who would experience a more protracted death. It is conjectured that sudden death from coronary disease is related more to the exact nature of the pathologic changes in the heart than to the factors predisposing to these changes. The prevention of sudden death from coronary disease requires correction of the antecedents of coronary attacks.
In Vitro Biocompatibility and Antibacterial Efficacy of a Degradable Poly( l -lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone) Copolymer Incorporated with Silver Nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-nps) are currently used as a natural biocide to prevent undesired bacterial growth in clothing, cosmetics and medical products. The objective of the study was to impart antibacterial properties through the incorporation of Ag-nps at increasing concentrations to electrospun degradable 50:50 poly(l-lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone) scaffolds for skin tissue engineering applications. The biocompatibility of the scaffolds containing Ag-nps was evaluated with human epidermal keratinocytes (HEK); cell viability and proliferation were evaluated using Live/Dead and alamarBlue viability assays following 7 and 14 days of cell culture on the scaffolds. Significant decreases in cell viability and proliferation were noted for the 1.0 mg(Ag) g(scaffold)−1 after 7 and 14 days on Ag-nps scaffolds. After 14 days, scanning electron microscopy revealed a confluent layer of HEK on the surface of the 0.0 and 0.1 mg(Ag) g(scaffold)−1. Both 0.5 and 1.0 mg(Ag) g(scaffold)−1 were capable of inhibiting both Gram positive and negative bacterial strains. Uniaxial tensile tests revealed a significant (p < 0.001) decrease in the modulus of elasticity following Ag-nps incorporation compared to control. These findings suggest that a scaffold containing between 0.5 and 1.0 mg(Ag) g(scaffold)−1 is both biocompatible and antibacterial, and is suitable for skin tissue engineering graft scaffolds.
Restructuring Classroom Interaction with Networked Computers: Effects on Quantity and Characteristics of Language Production

This study describes the use of Daedalus InterChange, a local area computer network application, to facilitate communicative language use through synchronous, written classroom interaction. The study compares the quantity and characteristics of the discourse produced by two groups of second-semester French students during an InterChange session and during an oral class discussion on the same topic. Students had over twice as many turns, produced two to four times more sentences, and used a much greater variety of discourse functions when working in InterChange than they did in their oral discussion. Furthermore, the distribution and direction of turns were radically different in the two conditions, with much more direct student-to-student exchange in the InterChange condition. Students' and instructors' responses to using InterChange were assessed: both groups responded favorably, although students more enthusiastically so than the instructors. Features of InterChange that may be unsettling for teachers include: decentering of teacher authority, lesser attention to grammatical accuracy, and less clear coherence and continuity of discussions.
Stabilization of bone mass after renal transplant with preemptive care.

OSTEODYSTROPHY is a well-known complication of renal insufficiency and failure. The loss of nephron mass and the resultant decreased excretory function leads to an increased retention of toxic metabolites, hyperphosphatemia, and metabolic acidosis. In addition, the loss of nephron mass leads to decreased renal synthesis of 1,25dihydroxy vitamin D3, which causes decreased calcium absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. While transplantation corrects many of these metabolic complications leading to osteodystrophy, the addition of corticosteroids, and preexisting hyperparathyroidism may nullify the benefits of a well-functioning graft on bone metabolism. A prospective approach was undertaken at our institution to provide therapy aimed at decreasing the rate of bone loss after transplantation. Preemptive therapy included: goal of tapering steroids to less than 10 mg per day by the second year post-transplant; routine calcium and vitamin D supplementation; surgical parathyroidectomy when indicated; and hormone replacement in post-menopausal females. Routine bone densitometry by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and markers of bone metabolism were measured at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months after renal transplant.
CELT optics Alignment Procedure

The California Extremely Large Telescope (CELT) is a project to build a 30-meter diameter telescope for research in astronomy at visible and infrared wavelengths. The current optical design calls for a primary, secondary, and tertiary mirror with Ritchey-Chretien foci at two Nasmyth platforms. The primary mirror is a mosaic of 1080 actively-stabilized hexagonal segments. This paper summarizes a CELT report that describes a step-by-step procedure for aligning the many degrees of freedom of the CELT optics.
Hydraulic Conductivity of Endothelial Cell-Initiated Arterial Cocultures

This study describes cocultures of arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) and the influences of their heterotypic interactions on hydraulic conductivity (L p ), an important transport property. A unique feature of these cocultures is that ECs were first grown to confluence and then SMCs were inoculated. Bovine aortic smooth muscle cells and bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) were cocultured on Transwell Permeable Supports, and then exposed to a pressure-driven transmural flow. L p across each culture was measured using a bubble tracking apparatus that determined water flux (J v ). Our results indicate that arterial L p is significantly modulated by EC-SMC proximity, and serum content in culture. The L p of cocultures was also compared to the predictions of a resistances-in-series model to distinguish the contributions of heterotypic interactions between SMCs and ECs. Conditions that lead to significantly reduced coculture L p , compared to BAEC monoculture controls, have been uncovered and the lowest L p in the literature for an in vitro system are reported. In addition, VE-cadherin immunostaining of intact BAEC monolayers in each culture configuration reveals that EC-SMC proximity on a porous membrane has a dramatic influence on EC morphology patterns. The cocultures with the lowest L p have ECs with significantly elongated morphology. Confocal imaging indicates that there are no direct EC-SMC contacts in coculture.
Image inpainting in micrometeorological analysis

Digital image inpainting is the process by which corrupted or defective areas in an image are systematically corrected. New digital image inpainting techniques have been developed in recent years, leading to numerous successful applications, particularly in the area of image restoration. We propose a new image inpainting algorithm based on wavelet sparse representation, and extend its applicability as a new approach for gap-filling in micrometeorological data. Our approach consists of treating the incomplete data set as a structured image that has a sparse representation in the wavelet domain. Therefore, an l1 minimization problem is formulated in order to characterize the sparsest solution associated with the complete data set. A numerical experimentation on a real micrometeorological data set is conducted, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Factorization of Q(h(T)(x)) over a finite field, where Q(x) is irreducible and h(T)(x) is linear II

Abstract Let GF(q) be the finite field of order q, let Q(x) be an irreducible polynomial in GF(qi)[x], and let H(x) = h(T)(x) be a linear polynomial in GF(q)[x]. We give the degrees of the irreducible factors of Q(H(x)) in GF(qi)[x], and the number of irreducible factors of each degree. We consider the special cases when H(x) is a trace function, and when h(x) is cyclotomic. Finally, we give several examples.
Expression of spatially regulated genes in the sea urchin embryo

Spatially controlled genes expressed in the early sea urchin embryo have been characterized, and the patterns of expression in terms of the mechanisms by which this embryo accomplishes its initial set of founder cell specifications are the subject of current discussion. Sea urchin transcription factors that have been cloned are classified with respect to their target sites and the genes they regulate. Among the best known of the sea urchin cis-regulatory systems is that controlling expression of the Cyllla gene, which encodes an aboral ectoderm-specific cytoskeletal actin. The Cyllla regulatory domain includes approximately 20 sites of DNA-protein interaction, serviced by about ten different factors. Certain of these factors are known to negatively control spatial expression, while others positively regulate temporal activation and the level of Cyllla gene expression. Differential, lineage-specific gene expression is instituted in the sea urchin embryo by mid-late cleavage, prior to any cell migration or overt differentiation, and shortly following lineage segregation.
A combinatorial proof of a fixed point property

A class of finite simplicial complexes, called pseudo cones, is developed that has a number of useful combinatorial properties. A partially ordered set is a pseudo cone if its order complex is a pseudo cone. Pseudo cones can be constructed from other pseudo cones in a number of ways. Pseudo cone ordered sets include finite dismantlable ordered sets and finite truncated noncomplemented lattices. The main result of the paper is a combinatorial proof of the fixed simplex property for finite pseudo cones in which a combinatorial structure is constructed that relates fixed simplices to one another. This gives combinatorial proofs of some well known non-constructive results in the fixed point theory of finite partially ordered sets.
A model of human resource information, practice choice and organizational outcomes

Abstract This article presents a model that attempts to relate Human Resource (HR) manager characteristics, information search behavior and sources employed, HR knowledge, HR practice choice and implementation and organizational outcomes. The importance of organizational, environmental and institutional determinants is acknowledged; but the model focuses on the HR manager and emphasizes the proactive role that the practitioner should, ideally, play in helping to shape HR practice and influence important organizational outcomes.
Tunable CO2 transport through mixed polyether membranes

Abstract Gas-separation membranes composed of polyethers such as poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate (PEGda) or poly(propylene glycol)diacrylate (PPGda) exhibit high CO 2 solubility selectivity, which makes them attractive for use in H 2 and air purification. In this work, we investigate the factors governing CO 2 and H 2 transport in mixed polyether matrices. Addition of semicrystalline poly(ethylene oxide)s to amorphous PEGda lowers the net CO 2 permeability and CO 2 /H 2 selectivity due to crystal formation. Gas permeation through the amorphous fraction, however, remains unaffected, confirming the existence of a molecular weight limit below which the entire membrane participates in gas transport. The permeabilities of CO 2 and H 2 , as well as their activation energy of permeation, in miscible PEGda/PPGda blends follow the linear rule of mixtures over the temperature range explored. Incorporation of amine moieties employed in liquid membranes into either the PEGda matrix during crosslinking or the PEG backbone generally reduces CO 2 /H 2 selectivity but occasionally improves CO 2 permeability.
Expanding the spectrum of microdeletion 4q21 syndrome: a partial phenotype with incomplete deletion of the minimal critical region and a new association with cleft palate and Pierre Robin sequence

Microdeletion 4q21 syndrome has been described in about a dozen patients with deletions ranging from 3.2 to 15.1 MB with similar features including the distinctive facial characteristics of broad forehead, hypertelorism, and prominent front teeth, with severe growth delay, developmental delay, and neonatal hypotonia. A 1.37 MB minimal critical region has been described that accounts for this shared phenotype and includes five known genes: PRKG2, RASGEF1B, HNRNPD, HNRPDL, and ENOPH1. We report on two new patients found through single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray testing that expand the reported phenotype. Patient 1 has a novel deletion of 2.0 MB, the smallest reported deletion, which involves only a partial deletion of the minimal critical region, including the genes HNRNPD, HNRPDL, and ENOPH1. She shares much of the typical phenotype including moderate developmental delay, unusual facial features, small hands and feet, but not any growth delay or neonatal hypotonia. This patient allows further genotype-phenotype correlation of the genes in the minimal critical region, and supports that heterozygous loss of PRKG2 leads to the growth delay. Patient 2 has a novel 3.4 MB deletion that includes the entire critical region, and has typical features, but also presented with cleft palate and Pierre Robin sequence, which have not been previously described. A gene reported to be associated with inherited cleft palate, SCD5, is in the deleted region in this patient, which suggests it may be playing a role in palate formation. Taken together, these patients allow for an expansion of the microdeletion 4q21 syndrome and provide candidate genes for particular features of the phenotype.
Susceptibility of stored product insects to high concentrations of ozone at different exposure intervals

Abstract Ozone is a highly reactive gas with insecticidal activity. Past studies have indicated that ozone technology has potential as a management tool to control insect pests in bulk grain storage facilities. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of short periods of exposure to high ozone concentrations to kill all life stages of red flour beetle ( Tribolium castaneum (Herbst)) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), and Indianmeal moth ( Plodia interpunctella (Hubner)) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), adult maize weevil ( Sitophilus zeamais (Motsch.)) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and adult rice weevil ( S. oryzae (L)) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Insects were treated with six ozone concentrations between 50 and 1800 ppm. The specific objective was to determine minimal time needed to attain 100% mortality. The most ozone-tolerant stages of T. castaneum were pupae and eggs, which required a treatment of 180 min at 1800 ppm ozone to reach 100% mortality. Eggs of P. interpunctella also required 180 min at 1800 ppm ozone to reach 100% mortality. Ozone treatments of 1800 ppm for 120 min and 1800 ppm for 60 min were required to kill all adult S. zeamais and adult S. oryzae , respectively. The results indicate that high ozone concentrations reduce the treatment times significantly over previously described results. Our results also provide new baseline information about insect tolerance to ozone treatment.
Two Recent Poe Editions

Stephen' Peithman, ed. The Annotated Tales of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe: Marginalia. Introduction by John Carl Miller
Combined Neprilysin and Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibition for the Treatment of Heart Failure

Neprilysin is an enzyme that contributes to the breakdown of the biologically active natriuretic peptides and several other vasoactive compounds. Inhibiting neprilysin has been a therapeutic target for several compounds that have been tested in cardiovascular disease, including ecadotril, candoxatril, omapatrilat, and LCZ696. Although ecadotril, candoxatril, and omapatrilat were initially tested in hypertension and/or heart failure, lack of efficacy and side effects led to discontinuation of their development. LCZ696 (sacubitril valsartan) is a first-in-class angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor that has been developed for use in heart failure. This compound is composed of 2 molecular moieties in a single crystalline complex-the angiotensin receptor blocker valsartan and a neprilysin inhibitor prodrug-and has now been tested in hypertension, in a phase 2 trial in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, and has demonstrated greater efficacy than enalapril in a phase 3 trial in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Its ability to inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis and augment the endogenous natriuretic peptide system provides a distinctive mechanism of action in cardiovascular disease.
Anastrozole therapy for postmenopausal women with early breast cancer

Although tamoxifen was the standard endocrine treatment for breast cancer for more than 30 years, aromatase inhibitors such as anastrozole now have an important therapeutic role in postmenopausal women. Anastrozole gained initial acceptance for use in advanced breast cancer, but subsequent studies have shown that, in early breast cancer, anastrozole is superior to tamoxifen as initial adjuvant therapy for newly diagnosed patients, while patients already receiving treatment benefit from switching to anastrozole rather than continuing with tamoxifen or from extending therapy with anastrozole after 5 years of tamoxifen. Additionally, in the neoadjuvant setting, anastrozole may reduce tumor size in patients with locally advanced disease. Current studies are focusing on possible uses of anastrozole in breast cancer prevention and combination treatments.
Assessing the Parents of Juvenile Offenders: A Preliminary Validation Study of the Juvenile Offender Parent Questionnaire

The present study is a preliminary investigation into the development of a parent self-report instrument, the Juvenile Offender Parent Questionnaire (JOPQ). A large pool of items was rationally derived from a model of parent competency and then administered to 243 parents of children who were making appearances in juvenile court. Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed a six-factor solution: Exasperation in Regard to the Child, Mistrust of the Justice System, Shame Over Parenting Self-Efficacy, Parental Monitoring, Fear of the Child, and Parent Perception of Child's Exposure to Violence. Implications for use of the scale in research and practice are discussed.
On the extensive number of plays to achieve superior performance with the geometric mean strategy

The advantages of the Geometric Mean or Log Strategy have been well documented and recommended by many because a follower of this strategy will ultimately outperform in the long-run any other significantly different strategy, almost surely. This paper provides both theory and evidence to indicate that the "long-run" can be quite long in risky situations. These cases are typified by many business ventures and undiversified speculative investments in OTC securities. On the other hand, it is shown that the Log Strategy can "virtually dominate" in a moderate number of plays in cases when risk is low.
Numerical solution of a system of random volterra integral equations—1. Successive approximation method☆

Abstract In this article we discuss the successive approximation method for a system of random Volterra integral equations. An example is presented to implement the theory. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is used to fit a distribution of the solutions.
Ceramide Triggers Weibel-Palade Body Exocytosis

The sphingolipid ceramide mediates a variety of stress responses, including vascular inflammation and thrombosis. Activated endothelial cells release Weibel-Palade bodies, granules containing von W...
Variability of soil carbon in row crop watersheds with agroforestry buffers

Good understandings of soil carbon (C) variability are important to develop mitigation strategies for global warming and for enhanced ecosystem services. The objective of this study was to examine agroforestry, corn-soybean (row crop; control) and landscape effects on variations in soil C. One-m deep soil cores were sampled from two paired watersheds under agroforestry management with buffers and corn-soybean rotations and soils were analyzed for soil C, texture, pH, and cation exchange capacity. To observe the effect of landscape positions, both agroforestry and control watersheds were divided according to the landscape positions and area. The agroforestry watershed was divided into 0–2, 3–5, and 6–9 % slope segments and control watershed into 0–2 and 3–9 % slope segments. The results showed non-significant higher values of soil C in the agroforestry watershed after 3 years of establishment compared to the control treatment. Coefficient of variation (CV) showed ranges of variability for soil C by soil depth in both watersheds. Soil C distribution under agroforestry (CV 0.19–0.31) was moderately variable whereas under control (CV 0.30–0.40) it was moderate to most variable. Significantly higher amounts of soil C were observed at lower landscape positions compared to the upper and middle positions probably due to the depositions of eroded plant materials and retention by the grass waterway. Similarly, higher soil C was observed on both watersheds where depths to the claypan were shallow. It might be due to the lower drainage and soil water movement. Establishment of agroforestry practices decreased the variability of soil C, helped increase the soil C during long run as well as helped to enhance the ecosystems services.
A “Multiplicative Coboundary” theorem for some sequences of random matrices

Schmidt(10) showed that if the family of distributions of the partial sums of a strictly stationary random sequence is tight, then that random sequence is a “coboundary”. Here an analog of that result is proved for some sequences of random matrices, with partial sums replaced by matrix products.