cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antibiotic stewardship for early-onset sepsis

Antibiotics are administered to the vast majority of preterm newborns and to a substantial proportion of term infants in the hours after birth due to risk for early-onset sepsis. The approaches taken to determine which newborns should be evaluated for early-onset sepsis, and what type and duration of antibiotics are administered, are important elements of neonatal antibiotic stewardship. The use of multivariate prediction models for sepsis risk assessment among infants born ≥35 weeks' gestation can safely reduce the use of empiric antibiotic therapy. Approaches incorporating serial physical examination may also contribute to decreasing empiric antibiotic exposure among such infants. Among infants born <35 weeks' gestation, delivery characteristics can be used to identify preterm infants at low enough risk of early infection that empiric therapies are not required. Data informing the epidemiology, microbiology and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of early-onset sepsis pathogens can be used to optimize antibiotic choice for empiric and targeted antibiotic therapy to ensure that effective therapies are administered, while decreasing the risks associated with broad-spectrum antibiotic exposure. Optimal use of blood culture and time to positivity data can also contribute to decreasing the risks associated with prolonged antibiotic administration in the face of sterile cultures.
Evaluating Board Candidates: A Threat-Contingency Model of Shareholder Dissent Against Female Director Candidates

Given the growing corporate social responsibility (CSR) pressures to increase board gender diversity and the scrutiny afforded to firms that fail to appoint female directors, one may expect shareho...
Effective Cache Apportioning for Performance Isolation Under Compiler Guidance.

With a growing number of cores per socket in modern data-centers where multi-tenancy of a diverse set of applications must be efficiently supported, effective sharing of the last level cache is a very important problem. This is challenging because modern workloads exhibit dynamic phase behavior - their cache requirements & sensitivity vary across different execution points. To tackle this problem, we propose Com-CAS, a compiler-guided cache apportioning system that provides smart cache allocation to co-executing applications in a system. The front-end of Com-CAS is primarily a compiler-framework equipped with learning mechanisms to predict cache requirements, while the backend consists of an allocation framework with a pro-active scheduler that apportions cache dynamically to co-executing applications. Our system improved average throughput by 21%, with a maximum of 54% while maintaining the worst individual application execution time degradation within 15% to meet SLA requirements.
Efavirenz versus Protease Inhibitors in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus – A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Efavirenz- and protease inhibitor-based regimens remain viable options across the globe. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness of efavirenz-based regimens relative to protease inhibitor-based regimens (PIs). Methods: Embase, PubMed, Cochrane, and clinicaltrials.gov were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) conducted between 1987 and 2018 comparing efavirenz- with PI-based regimens. This was followed by title, abstract, and full-text screens. The quality of selected studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Meta-analysis of the odds of virological suppression was conducted using the robust variance estimation approach. Findings: Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria and totaled 6,712 patients (efavirenz arm=3,339; PI arm=3,373), of which 1,610 (24.0%) were females. Follow-up ranged from 24 to 144 weeks. Mean/median age ranged from 33 to 44 years. Mean/median baseline CD4 count ranged from 32 to 557 cells/mL while mean/median baseline viral load ranged from log10 4·5 to log10 5·5 copies /mL. Meta-analysis showed that patients receiving efavirenz-based regimens had 37% higher odds of virological suppression compared to PI-based regimens (OR=1·37, 95% CI=1·06-1·77, p=0.02). The Egger test suggested the presence of publication bias (B=0·927, t=2·214, p=0·033). The main threat to the quality of evidence was attrition bias. Interpretation: Regarding virological suppression, efavirenz-based regimens were more effective than PI-based regimens and, therefore, might be ideal for the management of treatment naive patients with HIV in settings where NNRTIs and PIs are used. Funding Statement: The authors stated that there were no funding sources for the study. Declaration of Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interests to declare. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the University of Texas at Austin Institutional Review Board and determined to be non-human subjects research as it involved obtaining information from publicly available data. Hence, informed consent was not required. The study was registered with PROSPERO, an international database supported by PRISMA (ID: CRD42018100296).
Opioid Prescription Rates and Asset Prices — Assessment of Causal Effects

We explore the link between county-level opioid prescription rates and asset prices, specifically, stock returns of firms headquartered in that county, as well as real estate prices. In order to establish the causal effects of opioid prescription rates on firm stock returns, we first apply an instrumental variable (IV) regression approach and use the number of clandestine drug laboratories in a county to be the instrumental variable. The results provide robust evidence that county-level opioid prescription rates have a negative causal effect on the equity returns of firms headquartered in that county. Furthermore, we analyze the effect of Medical Board of California's 2014 regulatory revision aimed at reducing controlled substance overdose due to prescriptions and implement a difference-in-differences (DiD) estimation. The DiD estimation results show that this policy change has a positive dynamic effect on Californian firms' equity returns. We also find that the opioid prescription reduction assistance program provided by California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) to certain counties in California helps to raise the median prices of existing single-family homes in those counties by $28,678 on average.
Material Liberty and the Administrative State: Market and Social Rights in American and German Law

This chapter begins with a forgotten story from American constitutional law. Raymond Belcher worked for a coal mining company in Lynco, West Virginia. During his working life, he paid into the federal insurance scheme for disability—Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Belcher later broke his neck on the job and claimed on his federal SSDI insurance. But he was in for a bad surprise. In 1965, after he began contributing but before he became disabled, Congress enacted an “offset” provision to reduce benefits for individuals like him who qualified for both state-run worker’s compensation and federal SSDI. Belcher went all the way to the Supreme Court to challenge Congress’s offset provision—and coming on the heels of iconic Goldberg v. Kelly (1970), it seemed like he might very well succeed. But in Richardson v. Belcher (1971), the Court said that although there was procedural due process for social insurance awards, there was no substantive protection from arbitrary Congressional action—even though there were plenty of disabled workers who were receiving the full SSDI check and a separate (non-worker’s compensation) insurance payout and who therefore, from Belcher’s perspective, appeared identical. The result under German constitutional law is the opposite. Under German constitutional law, individuals like Belcher have a property right that triggers a proportionality analysis, that gives rise to robust equality analysis of statutory programs, and that frequently requires grandfathering treatment when social insurance programs are changed after individuals begin contributing but before life circumstances force them to draw upon the social insurance. This American-German contrast applies not just to payments from contributory social insurance schemes but to the entire range of administrative programs that affect the entire range of material rights—negative rights such as money, positive rights such as the basic income necessary for dignity, and the vast set of rights that fall in between, including payouts from social insurance schemes and operating a business in a regulated market. The comparative, German law serves to draw out the distinctiveness of American constitutional law—tall on procedure but short on substance. It also points to possible lessons for contemporary American debates on the administrative state’s legitimacy and economic justice.
Dilution of protein gel stain results in retention of staining capacity.

However, as 2-D PAGE has become a routine practice in most laboratories now, and many investigators are employing either large-format type systems (e.g., Ettan™ DALT II system; 26 × 20 cm; Amersham Biosciences, Piscataway, NJ, USA) or high-throughput smaller systems (Novex ® Pre-Cast 7 cm Tris-Glycine; Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA), the amount of staining chemicals, and hence the cost required for any given experiment, has increased dramatically. Large-format gels can require up to 1500 mL staining solution/3 gels. The SYPRO Ruby protein gel stain-recommended staining protocol is to use the 1× stain as a ready-made solution. To evaluate whether we could reduce the cost associated with the SYPRO staining procedure without sacrificing staining sensitivity, we explored a series of stepwise dilutions of the reagent to determine the optimal concentration. Dilution of SYPRO Ruby was performed in a qualitative (2-D gels) and a quantitative way (1-D gels) using a series of dilutions, with the 1× stock as the starting concentration and diluting
A new mechanism for continuous-wave two-photon amplification

A less well understood regime of quantum optical systems is the case when they are far from equilibrium and highly nonlinear. One device that inherently operates in this regime is the two-photon laser that is based on the two-photon-stimulated emission process, whereby two photons stimulate the emission of four photons. Such lasers are predicted to have highly unusual nonlinear dynamic and quantum statistical behaviors. Recently, our group demonstrated large continuous-wave two-photon amplification in a laser-driven potassium vapor based on a multiphoton Raman scattering process. Subsequent studies have revealed that destructive interference between multiple quantum pathways significantly reduces the two-photon-stimulated emission rate for this process. To overcome this problem, we have devised a new mechanism for two-photon amplification that suppresses the quantum interference using electromagnetically induced transparency in conjunction with a novel geometry.
The limit sets of Schottky quasiconformal groups are uniformly perfect

In this paper we study Schottky quasiconformal groups. We show that the limit sets of Schottky quasiconformal groups are uniformly perfect, and that the limit set of a given discrete non-elementary quasiconformal group has positive Hausdorff dimension.
Utilization of intravenous thrombolysis is increasing in the United States

BackgroundEvaluating recombinant tissue plasminogen activator utilization rates is important, as many studies have demonstrated that administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator to qu...
The absorption spectrum of the uranyl ion in perchlorate media: Part II. The effects of hydrolysis on the resolved spectral bands☆☆☆

Abstract The uranyl ion absorption spectrum was found to become more complex throughout the visible region when the uranyl ion hydrolyzes. The visible region (3300 A–5000 A) of the spectrum of the uranyl ion at various stages of hydrolysis has, for the first time, been resolved into individual bands. Hydrolysis was found not to affect the transition frequencies observed for uranyl ion in acidic media. However, the intensities and half-band widths of all the bands were observed to increase with hydrolysis. This information supports the idea that the observed transitions involve the OUO bonds and that hydrolysis of the uranyl ion involves the water of hydration in the equitorial positions. Over the range of conditions studied, hydrolysis was found to have no effect on the uranyl ion structure, and evidence is given against calculating thermodynamic quantities from visible spectral data for uranyl ion hydrolysis.
Service-Dominant Logic: Roots and heritage

The great economic law is this: Services are exchanged for services … It is trivial, very commonplace; it is nonetheless, the beginning, the middle, and the end of economic science … Frederic Bastiat Introduction Tracing the history of how a concept has been conceptualized, understood, and approached helps to uncover the roots and pathways that lead to its nuanced meanings today. These pathways diverge and converge as a function of the purposes of the times. A historic account of the development of economics and how it viewed service reveals a divergence in the understanding of value and value creation. This historic account points toward the development of an economic paradigm focused on tangible, transportable, and quantifiable value, with service seen as something left over, less valuable, and tertiary in economic development. The traditional, dominant “worldview” developed from the idea that tangible goods could have (possess) utility (value) and be transported and exchanged for other goods, also possessing utility, thus increasing the wealth of both parties. We call this paradigm “goods-dominant” (G-D) logic. Arguably, it has become the most pervasive and foundational of the paradigms available for understanding business and economic exchange. Briefly stated, G-D logic postulates: The purpose of economic activity is to make and distribute things that can be sold. To be sold, these things must be embedded with utility (value) during the production and distribution processes and must offer to the consumer superior value in relation to competitors’ offerings. The firm should set all decision variables at a level that enables it to maximize the profit from the sale of output. For both maximum production control and efficiency, the good should be standardized and produced away from the market. The good can then be inventoried until it is demanded and then delivered to the consumer at a profit.
An application of the Littlewood restriction formula to the Kostant-Rallis Theorem

Consider a symmetric pair (G, K) of linear algebraic groups with g ≅ l ○+ p, where l and p are defined as the +1 and -1 eigenspaces of the involution defining K. We view the ring of polynomial functions on p as a representation of K. Moreover, set P(p) = ○+∞ d=0 P d (p), where P d (p) is the space of homogeneous polynomial functions on p of degree d. This decomposition provides a graded K-module structure on P(p). A decomposition of P d (p) is provided for some classical families (G, K) when d is within a certain stable range. The stable range is defined so that the spaces P d (p) are within the hypothesis of the classical Littlewood restriction formula. The Littlewood restriction formula provides a branching rule from the general linear group to the standard embedding of the symplectic or orthogonal subgroup. Inside the stable range the decomposition of P d (p) is interpreted as a q-analog of the Kostant-Rallis theorem.
Differential expression of the two δ-crystallin genes in lens and non-lens tissues: Shift favoring δ2 expression from embryonic to adult chickens

Chicken argininosuccinate lyase (ASL)/delta-crystallin, a lens enzyme-crystallin, is encoded in two linked genes (delta 1 and delta 2); only the delta 2 polypeptide contains ASL activity. Here we have quantified delta 1- and delta 2-crystallin mRNA in the lens, cornea, neural retina, heart, and brain at different stages of embryonic development and in 1-wk-old and 1-yr-old chickens by the polymerase chain reaction using internal delta 1 and delta 2 RNA standards. The delta 1/delta 2 mRNA ratio differed for every tissue and was regulated during development. In the embryo there was more delta 1 than delta 2 mRNA in the lens (50-100 times), cornea (3-4 times), and neural retina (2-20 times), about equal amounts of delta 1 and delta 2 mRNA in the heart, and more delta 2 mRNA in the brain (15 times). delta 1-Crystallin mRNA differentially decreased in every tissue after hatching; by contrast, the delta 2 mRNA remained about the same except for the lens, where it decreased 50-fold between 1 wk and 1 yr after hatching. In the 1-yr-old chicken, the delta 2/delta 1 mRNA ratios were 7 in the lens, 175 in the cornea, 22 in the neural retina, 107 in the heart, and 136 in the brain, indicating that delta 2-crystallin is strongly favored in all adult tissues of the chicken. The excess of delta 1 to delta 2 mRNA in the embryonic lens, cornea, and neural retina is intriguing, and suggests some connection with developing transparent eye tissues. Finally, we raise the possibility that expression of both delta-crystallin genes may create tetrameric ASL isoenzymes (perhaps with different specific activities). The unexpected predominance of delta 2 mRNA in the 1-yr-old lens suggests that both the enzymatic and refractive functions of ASL/delta-crystallin are operative and spatially separated, with the enzymatic role present in the cortical fibers and the refractive role in the center of the lens.
Leadership in complex organizations

Abstract This paper asks how complexity theory informs the role of leadership in organizations. Complexity theory is a science of complexly interacting systems; it explores the nature of interaction and adaptation in such systems and how they influence such things as emergence, innovation, and fitness. We argue that complexity theory focuses leadership efforts on behaviors that enable organizational effectiveness, as opposed to determining or guiding effectiveness. Complexity science broadens conceptualizations of leadership from perspectives that are heavily invested in psychology and social psychology (e.g., human relations models) to include processes for managing dynamic systems and interconnectivity. We develop a definition of organizational complexity and apply it to leadership science, discuss strategies for enabling complexity and effectiveness, and delve into the relationship between complexity theory and other currently important leadership theories. The paper concludes with a discussion of possible implications for research strategies in the social sciences.
Accuracy in radiotherapy treatment

Radiotherapy has proved very effective in the management of cancer. There is increasing evidence that the dose-response curve is rather steep. Therefore, accurate doses are important clinically. At present there is not enough data to support that this degree of accuracy is achieved in clinical radiotherapy all the time. Our data on patient monitoring and verification suggest that timer or monitor setting has the largest effect on the dose and may be significant.
Neral and geranial: Components of the sex pheromone of the parasitic wasp,Itoplectis conquisitor

A laboratory investigation of theItoplectis conquisitor sex pheromone was initiated to elucidate the structure(s) of the active component(s) of the system. Functional group tests performed on crude virgin female extract classified the pheromone as unsaturated aldehyde(s) and/or ketone(s). Isolation of active fractions by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) suggested the existence of a multicomponent pheromone system. Analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry indicated the presence of saturated and unsaturated aldehydes including neral and geranial. When mixtures of neral and geranial were bioassayed independently and in combination with other active GLC fractions, they elicited male sexual activity of intensity comparable to that released by the GLC fraction (DEGS E) from which they were isolated. The authors conclude that neral and/or geranial are components of the sex pheromone system of this species.
Comparison of metalloproteinase protein and activity profiling

Proteolytic enzymes play fundamental roles in many biological processes. Members of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family have been shown to take part in processes crucial in disease progression. The current study used the ExcelArray Human MMP/TIMP Array to quantify MMP and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) production in the lysates and media of 14 cancer cell lines and 1 normal cell line. The overall patterns were very similar in terms of which MMPs and TIMPs were secreted in the media versus associated with the cells in the individual samples. However, more MMP was found in the media (in both amount and variety). TIMP-1 was produced in all cell lines. MMP activity assays with three different fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) substrates were then used to determine whether protein production correlated with function for the WM-266-4 and BJ cell lines. Metalloproteinase activity was observed for both cell lines with a general MMP substrate (Knight SSP), consistent with protein production data. However, although both cell lines promoted the hydrolysis of a more selective MMP substrate (NFF-3), metalloproteinase activity was confirmed only in the BJ cell line. The use of inhibitors to confirm metalloproteinase activities pointed to the strengths and weaknesses of in situ FRET substrate assays.
Computational procedures in the adjustment of a cyclotron magnetic field by trim coils

This report outlines the system of computational codes used to obtain values for the trim-coil currents to effect an optimal adjustment of the magnetic field in the 88-inch cyclotron at Berkeley according to the method described by one of the authors. The machine computation is traced through steps of analysis of measured field data, determination of restraints for a linear model of the problem, construction of the linear-program matrix, solution for values of trim-coil currents, iteration to improve on this solution, and prediction of orbit properties in corrected field.
Black Widow Spider Envenomation, A Rare Cause of Horner's Syndrome

Horner's syndrome involves a triad of eyelid ptosis, miosis, and facial anhidrosis that results from disruption of the oculosympathetic pathway. Acquired Horner's syndrome is associated with a variety of medical conditions including Pancoast tumor and carotid dissection. We report the unique case of a 47-year-old man presenting with Horner's syndrome 4 weeks after black widow spider envenomation. Workup did not reveal any alternative explanatory etiology. We hypothesize that late sequelae of black widow spider envenomation secondary to autonomic nerve injury or retrograde axonal transport after mechanical inoculation may have led to an acquired defect in the oculosympathetic pathway resulting in a Horner's syndrome. This case introduces a rare cause of Horner's syndrome and highlights the importance of environmental exposures in the evaluation of these patients.
Representational momentum, centripetal force, and curvilinear impetus

In 3 experiments, observers witnessed a target moving along a circular orbit and indicated the location at which the target vanished. The judged vanishing point was displaced forward in the direction of implied momentum and inward in the direction of implied centripetal force. In general, increases in either the angular velocity of the target or the radius length of the orbit increased the magnitude of forward displacement. If both angular velocity and radius length were varied, then increases in either angular velocity or radius length also increased the magnitude of inward displacement. The displacement patterns were consistent with hypotheses that analogues of momentum and centripetal force were incorporated into the representational system. A framework is proposed that accounts for (a) the forward and inward displacements and (b) naive-physics data on the spiral tube problem previously interpreted as suggesting a belief in a naive curvilinear-impetus principle.
Heritability of heat tolerance in a small livebearing fish, Heterandria formosa

Climate change is expected to result in an increased occurrence of heat stress. The long-term population-level impact of this stress would be lessened in populations able to genetically adapt to higher temperatures. Adaptation requires the presence of genetically-based variation. At-risk populations may undergo strong declines in population size that lower the amount of genetic variation. The objectives of this study were to quantify the heritability of heat tolerance in populations of the least killifish, Heterandria formosa, and to determine if heritabilities were reduced following a population bottleneck. Heritabilities of heat tolerance were determined for two lines of each of two source populations; two bottlenecked lines (established with one pair of fish) and two regular lines. Heat tolerance was quantified as temperature-at-death (TAD), when fish acclimated at 28°C were subjected to an increase in water temperature of 2°C/day. Mid-parent/mean offspring regressions and full-sib analyses were used to estimate the heritability of TAD. Heritability estimates from parent/offspring regressions ranged from 0.185 to 0.462, while those from sib analyses ranged from 0 to 0.324, with an overall estimate of 0.203 (0.230 for the regular lines, 0.168 for bottlenecked ones). Fish from the bottlenecked line from one source population (but not the other) had a lower heritability than did those from the regular line. These results show that the populations tested had some potential for adaptation to elevated water temperatures, and that this potential may be reduced following a population bottleneck. This should not be construed as evidence that natural populations will not suffer negative consequences from global warming; this study only showed that these specific populations have some potential to adapt under a very specific set of conditions.
Ecological and morphological differentiation of pumpkinseed sunfish in lakes without bluegill sunfish

Over the last three decades, sunfish of the familyCentrarchidae have become recognized as a model system in which the ecological consequences of species interactions can be observed and tested. The evolutionary consequences of species interactions in sunfish have received less attention. Bluegill (Lepomis machrochirus) and pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) sunfish are two common and well-studied species that occupy separate ecological niches. Adult bluegill are generalists that feed in the open water on zooplankton during much of the year, while adult pumpkinseeds specialize on crushing hard-bodied prey such as snails. These species coexist over much of their geographical ranges, but bluegill are historically absent from several large drainage basins in the northeastern US. Here we show that pumpkinseeds from an Adirondack lake without bluegills have differentiated into two morphological forms, one of which is planktivorous. Differentiation is independent of sex and occurs over a broad range of sizes. Thus, the ecological diversity that exists between the bluegill and pumpkinseeds in sympatry has been replaced by a comparable degree of diversity within pumpkinseeds in allopatry.
A History of the Philippines: From the Spanish Colonization to the Second World War. By Renato Constantino with Letizia R. Constantino. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1975. xii, 459 pp. Notes, Index. $21.50

Unlike other conventional histories, the unifying thread of A History of the Philippines is the struggle of the peoples themselves against various forms of oppression, from Spanish conquest and colonization to U.S. imperialism. Constantino provides a penetrating analysis of the productive relations and class structure in the Philippines, and how these have shaped and been shaped by the role of the Filipino people in the making of their own history. Additionally, he challenges the dominant views of Spanish and U.S. historians by exposing the myths and prejudices propagated in their work, and, in doing so, makes a major breakthrough toward intellectual decolonization. This book is an indispensible key to the history of conquest and resistance in the Philippines."
Syntheses, structures, and anticancer activity of novel organometallic ruthenium–maltol complexes

Abstract Organometallic ruthenium complexes containing two dehydrogenated maltol ligands Ru3(CO)8(2L–2H) 1, Ru3(CO)7PPh3(2L–2H) 2, [Ru3(CO)7 (2L–2H)]2(dppm or dppe) 3,4 (L = Maltol) have been synthesized and characterized. The in vitro anticancer activity of compounds 1–4 against seven types of human cancer cell lines was assessed and compared to clinically used drug cisplatin. The anticancer activity of compound 1 ( Fig. 3 ) is many times more potent than cisplatin against seven types of human cancer cell lines. There is a correlation between substituting a CO ligand in 1 with different phosphines decreases the activity following the order 1 > 2 > 3 > 4. The X-ray crystal structures of complexes 1 and 2 are reported. The single crystal X-ray diffraction structure of 1 consists of a triangular ruthenium metal framework in which a Ru–Ru bond is bridged by two maltolate ligands with their two oxygen atoms in a μ−η2-bonding mode. The dihedral angle between Ru3 and maltol planes is 40.2°. The two ruthenium atoms bridged by maltol ligands each have two carbonyl ligands and the third ruthenium atom is bonded to four carbonyl ligands. The greatest structural difference between 1 and 2 is the angle between the best planes of the two coordinated C6H5O3−1 ligands; in 1 it is 27.1° while in 2 it is 42.8°. It is interesting to note that the phosphine substitution occurs at the ruthenium atom not bound by maltol ligands.
Tissue Mechanics Lab: Pros and Cons of an Inquiry Approach for Juniors

Inquiry-based instruction offers one of the most effective means of facilitating learning by compelling students to solve authentic problems through a self discovery process. In biomedical engineering (BME), there has been a recent upsurge in activity in inquiry-based (i.e., challenge-based or problem-based) instruction in the educational literature [1–4] and it appears to be especially well suited for BME laboratories where quantitative measurements of complex and variable biological systems are required [3].Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Reactive oxygen species in cancer cells: Live by the sword, die by the sword

Reactive oxygen species and tumor biology are intertwined in a complex web, making it difficult to understand which came first, whether oxidants are required for tumor cell growth, and whether oxidant stress can be exploited therapeutically. Evidence suggests that transformed cells use ROS signals to drive proliferation and other events required for tumor progression. This confers a state of increased basal oxidative stress, making them vulnerable to chemotherapeutic agents that further augment ROS generation or that weaken antioxidant defenses of the cell. In this respect, it appears that tumor cells may die by the same systems they require.
A finite-circuit-element code for modeling the compression of a gyrating charged-particle beam

Abstract A method is described for calculating the interaction between an imploding liner, a magnetically confined charged-particle ring (Astron e-layer, ion ring) and a target plasma, based on the equations of the equivalent circuit. Expressing the electrodynamical behavior in terms of inductive coupling between circular current loops, so that changes in geometry and plasma parameters are described by changes in the induction coefficients, means that only ordinary differential equations arise, in contrast with fluid descriptions. Induced electron currents are conveniently included in the model. Application to a beam-target fusion system driven by the compression of an ion ring is described as an illustration of the utility of the technique.
Optimal monetary policy with uncertainty

This paper investigates the effect of uncertainty on the optimal policy response. Uncertainty plays a central role in both monetarist and neo-Keynesian policy prescriptions. Monetarists advocate cautious policy responses to exogenous shocks because they believe there is a long and variable (uncertain) lag between the policy response and its ultimate impact on the economy. Neo-Keynesians on the other hand believe that imperfect information can cause a dynamic disequilibrium in which shocks are multiplied if they are not offset by policy. A simple dynamic random coefficient model is used to approximate this uncertainty. It is shown that when uncertainty about the impact of policy is dominant the optimal policy converges to a fixed money growth rate, but when uncertainty about the transition dynamics is dominant a very active countercyclical policy is optimal. When both sources of uncertainty are present, as they are in general, the optimal policy response depends on the relative uncertainty and the policy may become more aggressive as uncertainty about the impact of policy increases.
Vapor Pressure Measurements by the Gas Saturation Method: The Influence of the Carrier Gas

The influence of the carrier gas on vapor pressure (psat) measurements by the gas saturation method was studied. Eicosane (C20H42) was used as the test compound. Helium (He), nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) were chosen as the carrier gases. The apparent psat of eicosane was determined repeatedly in each of the four carrier gases at 323.15 K, and was found to increase with carrier gas in the order He < N2 < CO2 < SF6. On average, the apparent psat was 26% higher when measured with SF6 than when measured with helium, which shows that the assumption of ideal-gas behavior for gas saturation measurements can lead to large errors.
Osteochondritis dissecans in association with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease.

In a study including about 450 children with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease nine patients were noted to have osteochondritis dissecans as a late complication. The average age at onset of the Legg-Calve-Perthes disease in the eight where this information was known was 8.4 years with three in the five to seven year range and five in the seven to twelve year range. Eight of the children were males and three of them had bilateral Legg-Calve-Perthes disease one of which also had bilateral osteochondritis dissecans. A variety of treatment was used in this group. Six were treated with some form of weight relieving programme for an average of 25 months and two were treated with proximal femoral osteotomy and early weight bearing.
π‐π Stacking of curved carbon networks: The corannulene dimer

Dimers of corannulene, a curved, saucer shaped molecule, were studied by theoretical calculations using second order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory and a large polarized triple zeta basis set. Three dimer motifs were investigated: the “native” dimer is the concave-convex stacking of two monomers with the geometries of both monomers conserved; the “planar” motif with both monomers forced to be planar; and the “C60-like” dimer where the outer monomer has the native geometry while the inner one has the curvature of buckminsterfullerene C60. Both staggered and eclipsed conformations of the dimers were investigated. Our calculations show that the binding energy of the native concave-convex corannulene dimer is quite substantial (17.2 kcal/mole at the “best” SCS-MP2/cc-pvtz level of theory) with an equilibrium distance of about 3.64 A. Surprisingly, there are only minor differences in both binding energies and equilibrium distances between the three different dimer motifs. This suggests that the curvature of the conjugated carbon networks does not disable their ability to form π-π stacked assemblies similar to the planar systems. However, in contrast to the planar systems, at least part of the binding energies in the stacked curved systems can be attributed to attractive electrostatic dipole-dipole contributions since buckybowls exhibit significant dipole moments. For the “planar” dimer, a staggered arrangement of the two monomers is preferred, while eclipsed conformations are the most stable for all curved dimers. For all systems, the basis set superposition errors are large (ca. 7 kcal/mol) at the equilibrium distance even with our largest basis sets. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009
Information Resources Management: An Examination of Individual and Organizational Attributes in State Government Agencies

Public organizations continue to acquire information at exponential rates, and the need to manage this deluge of information and information resources has become even more acute. This study examines the role of state public administrators in their efforts to balance the need for information with the responsibilities of organizational control. A survey of 66 administrators from 11 state government agencies in the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties found that administrators 1 perceive their programs and service delivery functions to be externally -oriented; 2 acquire most of their information from external sources external to their departments; 3 perceive lack of expertise in critical areas as impediments to using information effectively; 4 cope with the nonavailability of information management experts by circulating information to key people; 5 recommend increasing staff as well as expanding analytical functions as solutions to improving the acquisition and management of information; and 6 believe that both fiscal and political factors are critical in controlling and managing information resources.
Nocturnal recovery of gastric acid secretion with twice-daily dosing of proton pump inhibitors

Nocturnal recovery of gastric acid secretion with twice-daily dosing of proton pump inhibitors
The Human ABCG1 Transporter Mobilizes Plasma Membrane and Late Endosomal Non-Sphingomyelin-Associated-Cholesterol for Efflux and Esterification

We have previously shown that GFP-tagged human ABCG1 on the plasma membrane (PM) and in late endosomes (LE) mobilizes sterol on both sides of the membrane lipid bilayer, thereby increasing cellular cholesterol efflux to lipid surfaces. In the present study, we examined ABCG1-induced changes in membrane cholesterol distribution, organization, and mobility. ABCG1-GFP expression increased the amount of mobile, non-sphingomyelin(SM)-associated cholesterol at the PM and LE, but not the amount of SM-associated-cholesterol or SM. ABCG1-mobilized non-SM-associated-cholesterol rapidly cycled between the PM and LE and effluxed from the PM to extracellular acceptors, or, relocated to intracellular sites of esterification. ABCG1 increased detergent-soluble pools of PM and LE cholesterol, generated detergent-resistant, non-SM-associated PM cholesterol, and increased resistance to both amphotericin B-induced (cholesterol-mediated) and lysenin-induced (SM-mediated) cytolysis, consistent with altered organization of both PM cholesterol and SM. ABCG1 itself resided in detergent-soluble membrane domains. We propose that PM and LE ABCG1 residing at the phase boundary between ordered (Lo) and disordered (Ld) membrane lipid domains alters SM and cholesterol organization thereby increasing cholesterol flux between Lo and Ld, and hence, the amount of cholesterol available for removal by acceptors on either side of the membrane bilayer for either efflux or esterification.
Hepatitis B and C in pregnancy: a review and recommendations for care

Our objective was to provide a comprehensive review of the current knowledge regarding pregnancy and hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection as well as recent efforts to reduce the rate of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). Maternal infection with either HBV or HCV has been linked to adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, including MTCT. MTCT for HBV has been reduced to approximately 5% overall in countries including the US that have instituted postpartum neonatal HBV vaccination and immunoprophylaxis with hepatitis B immune globulin. However, the rate of transmission of HBV to newborns is nearly 30% when maternal HBV levels are greater than 200 000 IU ml−1 (>6 log10 copies ml−1). For these patients, new guidelines from the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) indicate that, in addition to neonatal vaccination and immunoprophylaxis, treating with antiviral agents such as tenofovir disoproxil fumarate or telbivudine during pregnancy beginning at 32 weeks of gestation is safe and effective in preventing MTCT. In contrast to HBV, no therapeutic agents are yet available or recommended to further decrease the risk of MTCT of HCV, which remains 3 to 10%. HCV MTCT can be minimized by avoiding fetal scalp electrodes and birth trauma whenever possible. Young women with HCV should be referred for treatment post delivery, and neonates should be closely followed to rule out infection. New, better-tolerated treatment regimens for HCV are now available, which should improve outcomes for all infected individuals.
Comparing Transition-Edge Sensor Response Times in a Modified Contact Scheme with Different Support Beams

We present measurements of the thermal conductance, G, and effective time constants, $$\tau $$ , of three transition-edge sensors (TESs) populated in arrays operated from 80–87 mK with T $$_\mathrm{C}$$ $$\sim $$ 120 mK. Our TES arrays include several variations of thermal architecture enabling determination of the architecture that demonstrates the minimum noise equivalent power, the lowest $$\tau $$ , and the trade-offs among designs. The three TESs we report here have identical Mo/Cu bilayer thermistors and wiring structures, while the thermal architectures are: (1) a TES with straight support beams of 1 mm length, (2) a TES with meander support beams of total length 2 mm and with two phonon-filter blocks per beam, and (3) a TES with meander support beams of total length 2 mm and with six phonon-filter blocks per beam. Our wiring scheme aims to lower the thermistor normal state resistance R $$_{N}$$ and increase the sharpness of the transition $$\alpha =$$ dlogR/dlogT at the transition temperature T $$_\mathrm{C}$$ . We find an upper limit of $$\alpha $$ given by ( $$25\pm 10$$ ), and G values of 200 fW/K for (1), 15 fW/K for (2), and 10 fW/K for (3). The value of $$\alpha $$ can be improved by slightly increasing the length of our thermistors.
Components of Neighborhood Satisfaction: Responses from Urban and Suburban Single-Parent Women

Recent attention to the increased numbers of poor single-parent families has raised questions about the neighborhood environments in which they and their children are living. This article reports the findings of an investigation on the neighborhood satisfaction among two groups of low-income, single-parent women currently participating in the Section 8 rental subsidy program, those living in urban and those living in suburban neighborhoods. The results suggest that suburban respondents are significantly more satisfied with their neighborhoods than their urban counterparts. Important similarities and differences in the components of satisfaction among the two groups of respondents are indicated. While neighborhood safety for themselves and their children is critical to the neighborhood satisfaction of both groups, housing and location characteristics and residential attachment are more important to suburban than urban respondents. Background characteristics and perceived housing opportunities and anticipat...
Sulfite-stimulated release of [3H]ADP bound to chloroplast thylakoid ATPase

The release of [3H]ADP, previously bound to spinach thylakoids, is shown to occur during rapid ATP hydrolysis stimulated by sulfite. Release was exponential in the presence of saturating uncoupler, permitting an estimation of rate constants. The release process required conditions similar to those needed for ATPase: substrate, Mg2+, Na2SO3 and prioractivation of the thylakoids by reduction. However, release also occurred, although at a lowerrate, when ADP replaced the ATP. It was then still inhibited by NaN3, a strong ATPase poison, even though no ATP hydrolysis occurred. The hyperbolic response of the rate constant to variations in substrate or Na2SO3 concentration permitted kinetic analysis by reciprocal plots, and direct comparison with ligand effects on rates of ATP hydrolysis. The concentrations of MgATP or MgADP, and of Na2SO3, necessary for the release of ADP are lower than those significant for ATP hydrolysis. Rates of ADP release are three orders of magnitude lower than those of ATP hydrolysis. These results seem not to be consistent with the blockage of an obligate alternating catalytic site by the bound ADP, but do not rule out a regulatory role for it as an inhibitor of ATPase.
A dynamical characterization of internally-actuated microgravity mobility systems

The in-situ exploration of small Solar System bodies (such as asteroids or comets) is becoming a central objective for future planetary exploration. Such bodies are characterized by very weak gravitational fields, which make hopping mobility platforms one of the preferred mobility strategies for microgravity surface exploration, as recognized by space agencies worldwide. However, little is known about the dynamical behavior of hopping platforms in low gravity environments, where small bodies’ rotational dynamics can have a critical effect. Accordingly, the objective of this paper is to study in detail the “dynamic envelope” of hopping microgravity rovers, with a focus on internal actuation. Specifically, we first perform a static analysis with the goal of determining regions of a small body where an internally-actuated hopping rover can stably stay at rest. Then, we perform a dynamic analysis and discuss the performance of hopping microgravity platforms as a function of a number of system and environmental parameters (e.g., body rotation rate) and in terms of a number of mobility aspects (e.g., initial hopping angles, ballistic flight, and rebounding dynamics). Finally, we tailor our analysis to a potential mission to Mars’ moon Phobos. Collectively, our results show that internally-actuated rovers, when designed according to the guidelines developed in this paper, are a viable mobility solution for a vast class of small Solar System bodies. Also, our analysis represents a key first step to develop path planning algorithms for microgravity explorers to safely explore dynamically feasible regions.
Factors associated with perception of singing voice handicap.

ObjectiveThis study will determine factors that influence the self-perceived handicap associated with singing voice problems.Study DesignA prospective cohort.Subject and MethodsSingers presenting t...
Open lumbar laminectomy: Indications, surgical techniques, and outcomes

Abstract Lumbar spinal stenosis is the most common indication for lumbar surgery. The objective of this article is to review the efficacy of open laminectomy as a treatment option for patients who fail conservative management. Identification of appropriate surgical candidates (those with clinical findings supported by imaging) and adequate surgical decompression affect ultimate outcomes. Review of current surgical techniques and documented outcomes indicates that laminectomy remains a viable treatment option in treating symptomatic stenosis.
Dialect perception: A critical review and re‐evaluation

(1971). Dialect perception: A critical review and re‐evaluation. Quarterly Journal of Speech: Vol. 57, No. 4, pp. 410-417.