cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using IMU-based kinematic markers to monitor dual-task gait balance control recovery in acutely concussed individuals.

Abstract Background Concussion may result in acutely impaired dynamic balance control that can persist up to two months post injury. Such impairment has been detected using sophisticated whole body center of mass kinematic metrics derived from camera-based motion analysis under a dual-task paradigm. However, wearable sensor kinematics for describing gait imbalance is lacking. Methods This study employed a longitudinal design. Gait balance control of acutely concussed and healthy matched control participants was assessed at five post-injury time points (within 72 h of injury, at one week, two weeks, one month, and two months). Tri-axial accelerations and angular velocities were collected with a dual-task gait protocol using an inertial measurement unit placed over the fifth lumbar vertebra. Findings Eight consistent gait event specific peak accelerations and six peak angular velocities measured by the inertial measurement unit were examined. Peak yaw and roll angular velocities at heel strike and peak roll angular velocities during early single-support, distinguished healthy from concussed participants across the two month post-injury period, while peak vertical acceleration at the end of terminal stance peak medial-lateral acceleration to the right during loading response showed promise. Interpretation Utilization of peak accelerations and angular velocities collected from a single inertial measurement unit placed over the fifth lumbar vertebra in a divided attention paradigm may offer a clinically feasible method for detecting subtle changes in gait balance control in concussed individuals.
The Evolving Landscape of Antibody-Drug Conjugates for Urothelial Carcinoma

Metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) carries a poor prognosis and a 5-year overall survival of less than 5%, despite standard of care therapy using cisplatin-based chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Thus, novel agents that improve survival and have an acceptable toxicity profile are urgently needed. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) represent a promising new treatment option that utilizes the targeting ability of an antibody to deliver cytotoxic drugs directly to tumors. Many ADCs are currently being investigated for treatment of UC, with enfortumab vedotin being recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of metastatic UC with progressive disease after chemotherapy and/or immune checkpoint inhibitors. Overall, ADCs hold promise as a long-awaited treatment option for UC.
Corporate/Securities Counsel - Conflicts of interest

This article will highlight the pertinent issues regarding multiple representation and conflicts of interest from the perspective of the corporate and securities bar. Among the subjects discussed will be individual lawyer and law firm disqualifications, the legitimacy of the "screening" device to avoid law firm vicarious disqualification, client conflicts in SEC administrative investigations and in negotiating settlements, and the propriety of corporate counsel serving as director.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Peripartum Hysterectomy Risk and Outcomes.

Objective This study aimed to determine whether race and ethnicity contribute to risks associated with peripartum hysterectomy. Study Design This retrospective cross-sectional study utilized the 2000–2014 Nationwide Inpatient Sample to analyze risk of peripartum hysterectomy and associated severe maternal morbidity, mortality, surgical injury, reoperation, surgical-site complications, and mortality by maternal race and ethnicity. Race and ethnicity were categorized as non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, other, and unknown. Multivariable log-linear regression models including patient, clinical, and hospital risk factors were performed with adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Of 59,854,731 delivery hospitalizations, there were 45,369 peripartum hysterectomies (7.6 per thousand). Of these, 37.8% occurred among non-Hispanic white, 13.9% among non-Hispanic black, and 22.8% among Hispanic women. In adjusted analyses, non-Hispanic black (aRR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.17–1.29) and Hispanic women (aRR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.22–1.29) were at increased risk of hysterectomy compared with non-Hispanic white women. Risk for severe morbidity was increased for non-Hispanic black (aRR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.19–1.33), but not for Hispanic (aRR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.97–1.07) women. Between these three groups, risk for intraoperative complications was highest among non-Hispanic white women, risk for reoperation was highest among Hispanic women, and risk for surgical-site complications was highest among non-Hispanic black women. Evaluating maternal mortality, non-Hispanic black women (RR: 3.83, 95% CI: 2.65–5.53) and Hispanic women (RR: 2.49, 95% CI: 1.74–3.59) were at higher risk than non-Hispanic white women. Conclusion Peripartum hysterectomy and related complications other than death differed modestly by race. In comparison, mortality differentials were large supporting that differential risk for death in the setting of this high-risk scenario may be an important cause of disparities. Key Points
Synthesis, Fabrication, and Characterization of Functionalized Polydiacetylene Containing Cellulose Nanofibrous Composites for Colorimetric Sensing of Organophosphate Compounds.

Organophosphate (OP) compounds, a family of highly hazardous chemical compounds included in nerve agents and pesticides, have been linked to more than 250,000 annual deaths connected to various chronic diseases. However, a solid-state sensing system that is able to be integrated into a clothing system is rare in the literature. This study aims to develop a nanofiber-based solid-state polymeric material as a soft sensor to detect OP compounds present in the environment. Esters of polydiacetylene were synthesized and incorporated into a cellulose acetate nanocomposite fibrous assembly developed with an electrospinning technique, which was then hydrolyzed to generate more hydroxyl groups for OP binding. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Instron® tensile tester, contact angle analyzer, and UV–Vis spectroscopy were employed for characterizations. Upon hydrolysis, polydiacetylene esters in the cellulosic fiber matrix were found unaffected by hydrolysis treatment, which made the composites suitable for OP sensing. Furthermore, the nanofibrous (NF) composites exhibited tensile properties suitable to be used as a textile material. Finally, the NF composites exhibited colorimetric sensing of OP, which is visible to the naked eye. This research is a landmark study toward the development of OP sensing in a protective clothing system.
Abstract PL-1: Genome-Directed Therapeutics for Endocrine Therapy Resistant ER+ Breast Cancer

As a result of improvements in DNA and RNA sequencing techniques the genomic structure of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer is increasingly well documented, but extracting clinically actionable information from these complex data sets has proved fraught with difficulties. Barriers to progress include the lack of pharmacological hypotheses for novel luminal breast cancer tumor suppressor genes (e.g. MAP3K1, MLL3, SF3B1); 2) a lack of a full understanding of interactions between mutation status, the prognosis of ER+ breast cancer, and the effectiveness of endocrine therapy; 3) an inadequate collection of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models for luminal breast cancer that fully encompass the heterogeneity of the disease; 4) the logistical barriers of developing adjuvant strategies to exploit rare drivers present in less than 5% of tumor samples; 5) insufficient genomic discovery efforts directed towards samples accrued from patients suffering from endocrine therapy resistant disease progression and 6) an incomplete understanding of how complex somatic genotypes drive the biochemical events responsible for the “hallmarks” of luminal cancer. To better address these issues, five areas of investigation will be discussed: 1) somatic mutation diagnosis in DNA from primary breast cancer samples from patients treated with adjuvant tamoxifen and followed for over 20 years; 2) DNA and RNA sequencing of samples accrued from patients treated with neoadjuvant endocrine therapy to define the molecular origins of intrinsic aromatase inhibitor resistance and to identify pharmacological hypothesis; 3) efforts to expand and catalog patient-derived xenografts from ER+ breast cancers, including the use of mass spectrometry-based analysis of their proteomes and phosphoproteomes to expand our knowledge of the biochemistry of individual tumors; 4) a functional and pharmacological investigation of mutations in ESR1, including resistance-activating chromosomal translocations, and 5) the development of a neoadjuvant endocrine therapy strategy that identifies patients with intrinsic endocrine therapy resistance within a month of starting treatment so that they can be triaged to mutation-matched investigational treatment. Citation Format: Matthew J. Ellis. Genome-Directed Therapeutics for Endocrine Therapy Resistant ER+ Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PL-1.
Inability to detect cyclic AMP in vegetative or sporulating cells or dormant spores of Bacillusmegaterium

Abstract Cyclic AMP was not found in vegetative cells or sporulating cells or dormant spores of Bacillus megaterium using an assay which would have detected an in vivo concentration of 1 – 2 × 10−9 M. Adenyl cyclase and cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase were also not detected in sonicates of vegetative or sporulating B. megaterium cells.
Reduction in mesh bias for dynamic fracture using adaptive splitting of polygonal finite elements

Summary We present a method to reduce mesh bias in dynamic fracture simulations using the finite element method with adaptive insertion of extrinsic cohesive zone elements along element boundaries. The geometry of the domain discretization is important in this setting because cracks are only allowed to propagate along element facets and can potentially bias the crack paths. To reduce mesh bias, we consider unstructured polygonal finite elements in this work. The meshes are generated with centroidal Voronoi tessellations to ensure element quality. However, the possible crack directions at each node are limited, making this discretization a poor candidate for dynamic fracture simulation. To overcome this problem, and significantly improve crack patterns, we propose adaptive element splitting, whereby the number of potential crack directions is increased at each crack tip. Thus, the crack is allowed to propagate through the polygonal element. Geometric studies illustrate the benefits of polygonal element discretizations employed with element splitting over other structured and unstructured discretizations for crack propagation applications. Numerical examples are performed and demonstrate good agreement with previous experimental and numerical results in the literature. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Frost Action on Stone

Frost damage to stone and concrete in moderate humid and semi-humid climates has long been known as a major disruptive agent which deserves attention. Frost action results from a combination of factors, such as spontaneous volumetric expansion from the water phase to the ice phase, the degree of water saturation of the pore system, the critical pore size and the continuity of the pore system.
Modulation of Sensory Mechanoreceptor Neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans by Insulin and Other Signals

Gentle touch is sensed in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans by six touch receptor neurons (TRNs). Transduction requires a heterotrimeric channel comprised of two DEG/ENaC proteins, MEC-4 and MEC-10, in a 2:1 ratio. Touch sensitivity is modulated by several different factors and on at least two different time scales. In the short term repeated stimuli result in two forms of habituation, one involving intrinsic regulation and the other requiring synaptic regulation. In addition long-term affects (resulting after several hours) are produced by vibration, which acts through integrins and other focal adhesion molecules in the TRNs to increase sensitivity and low oxygen, high salt, and entry into the dauer state, which affect neurohormonal regulation by the products of two different insulin genes of the TRNs to reduce sensitivity. These long-term modifications act through the transcription factor DAF-16 to change the amount of surface MEC-4. These changes, which are integrated at several levels within the animal and in the TRNS, allow the animals to respond differently to touch under various environmental conditions and to prioritize sensory signals. Image: Caenorhabditis elegans , adult hermaphrodite (Author: Bob Goldstein , University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Wikimedia Commons )
Philosophical Applications of Kolmogorov’s Complexity Measure

The basic question of how people choose theories to explain observations has justifiably drawn much attention and received numerous and various possible answers. In particular, it will certainly not be a shockingly new idea to suggest that people opt for the simplest possible theory, i.e., the simplest theory out of those that are compatible with accumulated evidence. (As an explicitly descriptive theory this idea dates back to Wittgenstein (1922) at the latest, while with a slightly more normative flavor it is often attributed to William of Occam —see, e.g., Russell (1945, pp. 468–473), and Sober (1975) for additional references.)
Searching WormBase for information about Caenorhabditis elegans.

WormBase is the major public biological database for the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. It is meant to be useful to any biologist who wants to use C. elegans, whatever his or her specialty. WormBase contains information about the genomic sequence of C. elegans, its genes and their products, and its higher-level traits such as gene expression patterns and neuronal connectivity. WormBase also contains genomic sequences and gene structures of C. briggsae and C. remanei, two closely related worms. These data are interconnected, so that a search beginning with one object (such as a gene) can be directed to related objects of a different type (e.g., the DNA sequence of the gene or the cells in which the gene is active). One can also perform searches for complex data sets. The WormBase developers group actively invites suggestions for improvements from the database users. WormBase's source code and underlying database are freely available for local installation and modification. Keywords: Caenorhabditis elegans; WormBase; nematode; genomic annotation; gene expression pattern; RNAi; neuronal connectivity
An association between the Dalkon Shield and complicated pregnancies among women hospitalized for intrauterine contraceptive device--related disorders.

Abstract A nationwide mail survey of virtually all physicians likely to be involved with intrauterine contraception resulted in 3,502 unduplicated reports of intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD)-related hospitalizations during the first six months of 1973. Dalkon Shield use was significantly more frequent among women hospitalized for a complicated pregnancy than those hospitalized for a non-pregnancy-related disorder. Although the observed association was not substantially altered by stratifications of the mail survey reports by the patients' age, race, or geographical region, the association did not apply to those women whose IUD's were explicitly reported to be of the nulliparous size. Interviews conducted with a probability sample of physicians who had not responded to the survey confirmed that the association between the Dalkon Shield and complicated pregnancy also existed in their experience. An association between the standard Dalkon Shield and complicated pregnancies might reflect an increased rate of pregnancy with this device, an increased rate of complications occurring after zygotic implantation, or perhaps both. Whatever the explanation, the observed association is sufficiently widespread to require further investigation.
Bilingual Latino Students Learn Science for Fun While Developing Language and Cognition: Biophilia at a La Clase Mágica Site.

In this article, the author suggests that childrenΓCOs natural inclination to explore nature, or biophilia, can be explored as a factor that encourages both cognitive engagement and language development. ┬aThe author summarizes the types of scientific inquiries that bilingual elementary students and their university partners engaged in when guided to design their own projects at a predominantly Mexican-American school. ┬aChildren inquiries took place at a La Clase M├igica site, an after school program in which university undergraduates, faculty, bilingual children, and the community come together with the purpose of learning and exploring technology through interdisciplinary methodologies. ┬aThe findings indicate that children overwhelmingly chose living organisms and life-like processes as the focus of their inquiries. ┬aThe author presents the work of an exemplary dyad to illustrate how children engaged in scientific inquiry while developing language and complex thinking.
Intraocular pressure assessment after laser in situ keratomileusis: a review

This paper aims to review the current methods available for the measurement of intraocular pressure after myopic laser in situ keratomileusis for the correction of myopia. Searches were performed for studies that assessed or compared various methods of intraocular pressure assessment. There were 20 eligible studies that explored the use of pneumotonometry, pressure phosphene tonometry, rebound tonometry, dynamic contour tonometry, statistical modeling, mathematical formulae, ocular response analyzer and even measuring intraocular pressure on the nasal cornea. Our review shows that an ideal method would be one that is independent of corneal factors. Dynamic contour tonometry and pressure phosphene tonometry held promise in research settings. More studies need to be done to validate the new methods of intraocular pressure assessment, especially in glaucoma patients. It is important to empower laser in situ keratomileusis patients with knowledge of these difficulties and potential implications for the future.
The screen for social interaction (SSI): a screening measure for autism spectrum disorders in preschoolers.

Abstract We report on the preliminary validity and utility of the Ghuman–Folstein Screen for Social Interaction (SSI) , a measure of social interaction that can serve to screen for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in clinical samples of young high-risk children. Caregivers of 350 children (176 younger participants, ages 24–42 months, mean age = 34.1 months; and 174 older participants, ages 43 to 61 months, mean age = 52.4 months) with ASDs, non-ASD developmental and/or psychiatric disorders, or without developmental concerns completed the SSI. A series of analyses resulted in shortened versions of the SSI: a 26-item SSI-Younger (SSI-Y) and a 21-item SSI-Older (SSI-O) version. The SSI-Y and SSI-O showed moderate convergence with ASD diagnostic measures and significantly differentiated ASD and non-ASD clinical groups. Sensitivity and specificity values for discriminating ASD and non-ASD clinical participants were 0.87 and 0.71, respectively for the SSI-Y and 0.81 and 0.70, respectively for the SSI-O. Scoring recommendations were made based on the ROC results.
Improved low-lying energy levels determined from solar coronal forbidden and spin-forbidden lines in the 500–1500 Å range

Abstract We list observed parity-forbidden and spin-forbidden lines in the 500–1600 A range emitted by solar coronal plasmas and derive improved energy levels from their wavelengths. The lines, emitted by astrophysical abundant elements, belong to transitions within the ground configurations of the type n s 2 n p k , for n = 2, 3 and k = 0–5, and between the lowest term of the first excited configuration 2s2p k +1 and the 2s 2 2p k ground configurations for k = 0, 1, 2. For each line we give the newly measured wavelength, and the measured or predicted wavelength from the NIST Atomic Spectra Database (ASD) (which except for a few cases includes the previously reported compilation of Kaufman and Sugar [J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 15 (1986) 321]), and the values of the transition probability taken from the ASD and CHIANTI database. The list contains measured wavelengths of 136 lines of which over 100 were not available for the Kaufman and Sugar compilation. In addition we provide energy levels that were derived from the reported lines.
FROM CATASTROPHE TO HOPE

In his recent book, Amir Eshel focuses on over thirty recent German-, Hebrew-, and English-language novels to develop a reading method—the “hermeneutics of futurity”—that would replace moralizing approaches to past traumas, including German guilt over the Holocaust and Israeli denial of Palestinian suffering. Futurity demonstrates how various narratives imagine a future liberated from denial, guilt, and thus traumatic repetition. In so doing Eshel emphasizes human agency to counter the “hermeneutics of suspicion” that has long dominated a great deal of literary theory, and focuses on how novelists construct human choices and their consequences. He covers two generations of German-language novels spanning the Adenauer era to the present, and two generations of Israeli writers reflecting on 1948 and later, 1967. In order to develop fully the concept of futurity he also writes on recent American and English novels, often with implicitly political themes. The book succeeds in demonstrating the value of how various novelists read the past otherwise in order to reconstruct the present and future. At the same time, Eshel conceives human agency and “choice” so capaciously that the book often neglects the institutional constraints on agency that afflict victims of traumas in particular. His treatment of Martin Walser's controversial fictionalized memoir is exemplary of this problem in an otherwise stimulating work.
β-endorphin modulation of interferon-γ, perforin and granzyme B levels in splenic NK cells: Effects of ethanol ☆

Abstract The effects of ethanol and beta-endorphin (β-EP) on productions of cytolytic factors granzyme B, perforin and IFN-γ in splenic rat NK cells were determined. Intracranial administration of β-EP increased protein and mRNA levels of cytolytic factors in NK cells. Chronic ethanol feeding reduced the basal and β-EP-induced levels of cytolytic factors in NK cells. In vitro treatment of β-EP on NK cells increased the levels of perforin, granzyme B and IFN-γ and their mRNA transcripts, whereas ethanol pre-treatment prevented β-EP effects on cytolytic factors in these cells. These results suggest that β-EP and ethanol interact to regulate NK cell functions.
Effect of age and caloric restriction on insulin receptor binding and glucose transporter levels in aging rats

We report on the effect of age and chronic caloric restriction (CR) on insulin binding and glucose transporter content in both diaphragm and heart muscle membrane of young (11 months), mid-age (17 months), and old (29 month) ad libitum fed and CR Brown-Norway rats. The control animals received rat chow ad lib and CR animals were allowed 60% of ad libitum food. The CR regimen was initiated at four months of age and the animals were maintained on their respective diets until necropsy. There was no effect of age on insulin binding for either ad libitum or CR animals at each age evaluated. Caloric restriction significantly lowered insulin levels at each age studied when compared to the ad libitum-fed rats. However, CR animals were noted to have increased insulin binding (p < 0.001) compared to ad libitum-fed animals at each age for diaphragm muscle. For the heart, there appeared to be a decreased binding, particularly at higher insulin concentrations, in CR-fed animals. There was no net change in Glut-1 or Glut-4 levels for heart muscle membrane, or Glut-4 levels for diaphragm muscle membrane between ad libitum or CR animals. This data indicates that caloric restriction may have tissue-specific effects for insulin receptor binding, and that the improved insulin sensitivity in CR states is not a result of altered glucose transporter protein content.
Somatic sensitivity and reflexivity as validity tools in qualitative research

Validity is a key concept in qualitative educational research. Yet, it is often not addressed in methodological writing about dance. This essay explores validity in a postmodern world of diverse approaches to scholarship, by looking at the changing face of validity in educational qualitative research and at how new understandings of the concept might be applied in dance inquiry. With new methodological frameworks, ideas about validity have changed. Through this article, I trace validity in educational research frameworks and discuss appropriate approaches, given the purpose of the research and its paradigmatic frameworks. My big questions are: is validity a key aspect of qualitative research in dance? Do we hold onto the concept of validity as a useful indicator of methodological rigor? Do the traditional criteria for qualitative research change according to the purpose of the research? Or has the idea of validity itself become challenged with newer trends in dance education research in the United States?...
Fluorometric Properties of N -Methyltetraphenylporphine and Several Derivatives: Evaluation as Standards for Determination of Chlorophyll Concentrations

As part of an ongoing study of the chemistry and properties of N-methylporphyrins and their metal complexes, we have observed that the excitation and emission spectra of N-methyltetraphenylporphyrin and N-methyltetra(p-sulfophenyl)porphyrin and their zinc complexes closely resemble corresponding spectra of chlorophyll a. We have characterized fluorescence spectra for these species in a variety of solvents commonly used for quantitative determination of chlorophylls. Quantum yields for the N-methylporphyrins are lower by approximately a factor of 10 than yields for chlorophyll a in such solvents as acetone, ethanol, and mixed aqueous/organic solvent systems. The yields are quite sufficient, however, for these species to be used as fluorescence standards. Solution of N-methylporphyrins are stable and the compounds can be inexpensively synthesized in high purity. The tetra (p-sulfophenyl) species are soluble in aqueous and highly polar organic solvents, whereas the tetraphenyl species are soluble in nonpolar organic solvents.
Head–Head Interaction Characterizes the Relaxed State of Limulus Muscle Myosin Filaments

Regulation of muscle contraction via the myosin filaments occurs in vertebrate smooth and many invertebrate striated muscles. Studies of unphosphorylated vertebrate smooth muscle myosin suggest that activity is switched off through an intramolecular interaction between the actin-binding region of one head and the converter and essential light chains of the other, inhibiting ATPase activity and actin interaction. The same interaction (and additional interaction with the tail) is seen in three-dimensional reconstructions of relaxed, native myosin filaments from tarantula striated muscle, suggesting that such interactions are likely to underlie the off-state of myosin across a wide spectrum of the animal kingdom. We have tested this hypothesis by carrying out cryo-electron microscopy and three-dimensional image reconstruction of myosin filaments from horseshoe crab (Limulus) muscle. The same head-head and head-tail interactions seen in tarantula are also seen in Limulus, supporting the hypothesis. Other data suggest that this motif may underlie the relaxed state of myosin II in all species (including myosin II in nonmuscle cells), with the possible exception of insect flight muscle. The molecular organization of the myosin tails in the backbone of muscle thick filaments is unknown and may differ between species. X-ray diffraction data support a general model for crustaceans in which tails associate together to form 4-nm-diameter subfilaments, with these subfilaments assembling together to form the backbone. This model is supported by direct observation of 4-nm-diameter elongated strands in the tarantula reconstruction, suggesting that it might be a general structure across the arthropods. We observe a similar backbone organization in the Limulus reconstruction, supporting the general existence of such subfilaments.
Ten-Print Fingerprint Capture: Effect of Instructional Modes on User Performance

Despite the increased deployment of biometric technologies in United States government applications, not enough attention is being paid to the human factors that such technologies involve. The use of biometric applications will be unfamiliar to many users, who may neither understand nor be comfortable with the technology. Currently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers are critical in communicating and training users in the acquisition of fingerprints. Since user behavior can affect both the throughput of the system as well as the quality of the captured images, guidelines for developing interactions with biometric applications that increase throughput and image quality would be valuable. This study examines the effect of instructional modes on user performance. Posters were not as effective in providing instructions to users as video or verbal instructions.
nsf Is Essential for Organization of Myelinated Axons in Zebrafish

Summary Background Myelinated axons are essential for rapid conduction of action potentials in the vertebrate nervous system. Of particular importance are the nodes of Ranvier, sites of voltage-gated sodium channel clustering that allow action potentials to be propagated along myelinated axons by saltatory conduction. Despite their critical role in the function of myelinated axons, little is known about the mechanisms that organize the nodes of Ranvier. Results Starting with a forward genetic screen in zebrafish, we have identified an essential requirement for nsf (N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor) in the organization of myelinated axons. Previous work has shown that NSF is essential for membrane fusion in eukaryotes and has a critical role in vesicle fusion at chemical synapses. Zebrafish nsf mutants are paralyzed and have impaired response to light, reflecting disrupted nsf function in synaptic transmission and neural activity. In addition, nsf mutants exhibit defects in Myelin basic protein expression and in localization of sodium channel proteins at nodes of Ranvier. Analysis of chimeric larvae indicates that nsf functions autonomously in neurons, such that sodium channel clusters are evident in wild-type neurons transplanted into the nsf mutant hosts. Through pharmacological analyses, we show that neural activity and function of chemical synapses are not required for sodium channel clustering and myelination in the larval nervous system. Conclusions Zebrafish nsf mutants provide a novel vertebrate system to investigate Nsf function in vivo. Our results reveal a previously unknown role for nsf , independent of its function in synaptic vesicle fusion, in the formation of the nodes of Ranvier in the vertebrate nervous system.
Laron's dwarfism: Studies on the nature of the defect

Laron's syndrome is characterized by severe dwarfism, high circulating levels of immunoreactive growth hormone, and a failure to generate somatomedin in response to administration of human growth hormone. Studies conducted in a 7 1/2-year-old boy with the syndrome indicate that the hypothalamic-pituitary mechanisms controlling growth hormone secretion are intact. However, those controlling the suppression of growth hormone release seem to be inoperative. The administration of exogenous human growth hormone failed to produce an acute metabolic response as measured by mineral retention, nitrogen retention, somatomedin generation, or release of free fatty acid from adipose tissue; however, an unsustained growth response to long-term administration of human growth hormone was observed. The circulating growth hormone resembled normal human growth hormone immunologically and has the usual prolactin-like activity. These data suggest that the primary defect is tissue unresponsiveness to normal human growth hormone. An abnormality in the structure of growth hormone which is not essential for prolactin activity and immunoreactivity and a slow rate of growth hormone degradation in these patients cannot be excluded by available data.
Nursing homes with persistent deficiency citations for physical restraint use.

OBJECTIVES. This paper examines the organizational and aggregate resident characteristics of nursing homes associated with persistent poor quality in the use of physical restraints. Deficiency citations for physical restraint use in two and three consecutive certification survey inspections are used as our measures of poor quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Nationally representative data from the 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999 Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting system are used, first, to provide descriptive analyses. Second, multinomial logistic regression analyses are used to examine organizational and aggregate resident characteristics associated with deficiency citations for restraint use on any survey inspection, on two consecutive inspections, and deficiencies for physical restraint use in three consecutive inspections. RESULTS. It is shown that 729 (5.2%) nursing homes had deficiency citations for restraint use on two consecutive inspections and 317 (2.3%) on three consecutive inspections. Persistent poor quality in the use of physical restraints in nursing homes is negatively associated to higher staffing levels of care givers, and positively associated to higher Medicaid census, and higher average activities of daily living (ADL) levels. CONCLUSION. The Nursing Home Reform Act has been extremely influential in reducing the overall prevalence of physical restraint use in nursing homes, but the number of facilities with persistent quality problems in their use of restraints in the face of this legislation is surprising. The organizational and aggregate resident characteristics of these nursing homes, especially RN staffing levels, Medicaid census, and average ADL levels differ from those that did not receive any deficiency citations for use of physical restraints.
AN EMPIRICAL FORMULA FOR Q STATE POTTS MODEL IN D DIMENSIONS

Based upon the known results of the critical properties of the q state Potts ferromagnets obtained by different methods, we proposed an empirical formula of the model. It gives the critical points and the critical exponents for general Potts spin value q in any d dimensions which are in good agreement with all the available results. It improves the results given by Migdal–Kadanoff renormalization group method. It gives more accurate results than Hajdukovic conjecture to the problem of interest. This empirical formula may serve as the primary reference to the problem of interest.
Augmented Object and Reduced Effective Inertia in Robot Systems

The paper investigates the dynamic characteristics and control of robot systems involving combinations of parallel and serial mechanical structures, e.g. multiple manipulators and macro/micro-manipulators. A framework for the analysis and control of multiple manipulator systems with respect to the dynamic behavior of the manipulated object is developed. A multi-effector/object system is treated as an augmented object representing the total masses and inertias perceived at some operational point. This system is actuated by the total effector forces acting at that point. The allocation of forces is based on the minimization of the total joint actuator efforts. For serial structures, the effective inertial characteristics of a combined macro/micro-manipulator are shown to be dominated by the inertial characteristics of the micro-manipulator. A new approach for a dextrous dynamic coordination of such mechanisms based on treating the combined system as a single redundant manipulator while minimizing of the deviation from the neutral (mid-range) joint positions of the micro-manipulator is proposed.
On the asymptotic distribution of max and mex

A form of the asymptotic joint distribution of the maximum and of the minimal excludent of a sample of sizen from a discrete distribution with exponential tails is derived. A strong law is given followed by an application to an inconsistent Bayes procedure.
Radial diffusion assay of lipoamide dehydrogenase and its use to assess riboflavin deficiency.

Abstract A new, simple, and quantitative method was developed to determine lipoamide dehydrogenase (E,C, 1.6,4.3, NADH:lipoamide oxidoreductase). The principle of this technique is to allow the enzyme or tissue extracts to diffuse in an agarose gel containing lipoate. The enzyme, after 24 hr of diffusion and 2 hr of reaction with NADH, can be determined by the size of a dark or fluorescence-quenching zone in the gel when illuminated with uv light. The diameter of the quenching zone which indicates the enzymatic oxidation of NADH is linearly proportional to the logarithm of enzyme concentration. Since lipoamide dehydrogenase is a FAD-enzyme, the activity was decreased in liver homogenates of riboflavin-deficient chicks, as measured by the new method. This demonstrated the potential importance of this new technique in nutritional and clinical applications.
Treatment of postoperative infection of ascending aorta and transverse aortic arch, including use of viable omentum and muscle flaps

Postoperative infection of the ascending aorta and aortic arch in 40 patients was treated by antibiotic therapy alone (4 patients) or by operation and lifelong suppressive antibiotic therapy (36 patients). Complications of infection included antibiotic-resistant infection, infected false aneurysm, rupture of suture line, aortocutaneous fistulas, aortic-right ventricular fistulas, arterial embolus, aortic valve insufficiency, aortobronchial fistula, mediastinal abscess, and chest wall problems. These were treated by a variety of operations including composite valve-graft replacement, graft replacement, patch-graft closure of false aneurysm, simple suture of disrupted suture lines and false aneurysm, and debridement of mediastinum and chest wall. The area of reconstruction was covered, and mediastinal dead space was reduced by mobilization of viable tissue, including local tissue and distant structures such as flaps of muscle and omentum. Thirty-three patients (83%) were early survivors, and 28 patients (70%) were alive and well at last follow-up 4 months to 6.5 years after operation.
Dual tracer resorption and apposition in a rat fracture model

The simultaneous measurement of tracer resorption and apposition in a rat fracture model was accomplished with 99mTc labeled methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) and 125I labeled phenylphosphonic acid (125I-oPA), respectively. Loss of 125I-oPA from the fracture site showed a biexponential release pattern; I = 31% (t12b = 2.0 d) and II = 69% (t12b = 55.4 d). 99mTc MDP temporal apposition at the fracture site followed the law of allometric growth (y = bxk) with k = 7.75, 10 days post injury. The 125I-oPA loss differed significantly (P < 0.001) when compared to normal bone which exhibits a monoexponential release with a t12b = 962 days. In the rat tibia fracture model investigated, bone apposition significantly (P < 0.001) dominates over bone resorption as a function of time. This overwhelming difference partially accounts for the healing process. The apposition-resorption comparison may be a useful index for following the course of skeletal pathology for a variety of model systems.
Celastrol, a novel triterpene, potentiates TNF-induced apoptosis and suppresses invasion of tumor cells by inhibiting NF-κB–regulated gene products and TAK1-mediated NF-κB activation

Celastrol, a quinone methide triterpene derived from the medicinal plant Tripterygium wilfordii, has been used to treat chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, but its mechanism is not well understood. Therefore, we investigated the effects of celastrol on cellular responses activated by TNF, a potent proinflammatory cytokine. Celastrol potentiated the apoptosis induced by TNF and chemotherapeutic agents and inhibited invasion, both regulated by NF-kappaB activation. We found that TNF induced the expression of gene products involved in antiapoptosis (IAP1, IAP2, Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, c-FLIP, and survivin), proliferation (cyclin D1 and COX-2), invasion (MMP-9), and angiogenesis (VEGF) and that celastrol treatment suppressed their expression. Because these gene products are regulated by NF-kappaB, we postulated that celastrol mediates its effects by modulating the NF-kappaB pathway. We found that celastrol suppressed both inducible and constitutive NF-kappaB activation. Celastrol was found to inhibit the TNF-induced activation of IkappaBalpha kinase, IkappaBalpha phosphorylation, IkappaBalpha degradation, p65 nuclear translocation and phosphorylation, and NF-kappaB-mediated reporter gene expression. Recent studies indicate that TNF-induced IKK activation requires activation of TAK1, and we indeed found that celastrol inhibited the TAK1-induced NF-kappaB activation. Overall, our results suggest that celastrol potentiates TNF-induced apoptosis and inhibits invasion through suppression of the NF-kappaB pathway.
Kinetics of the Graphite‐Uranium Dioxide Reaction from 1400° to 1756°C

The reaction of microspheres of UOz with graphite was studied from 1400° to 1756°C. When a spherically symmetrical layer of carbide was produced around the UO2 core, only UC2 was formed, and the diffusion of oxygen through this layer was rate-controlling. The Arrhenius relation for this system is kD= 21.0 exp(−90, 000/RT) cm2/s The reaction of a geometrically nonsymmetrical configuration of UO2 and UC2 was also studied. Comparison of the reactions in the symmetrical and nonsymmetrical systems demonstrated that the kinetic behavior of the two systems is quite different and that the conversion in the nonsymmetrical system was 2 to 5 times faster. The importance of these observations to kinetic results reported in the literature for analogous systems is discussed.
Theory of thermal natural frequency variations in disks

Abstract The paper discusses natural frequency variations caused by thermal membrane stresses. In particular induced thermal membrane stresses can increase the fundamental frequency of an important class of circular disk elements. This class includes grinding wheels, turbine disks and circular saws. The mathematical formulation for determination of stiffness variations arising from an arbitrary non-uniform temperature distribution is presented. The possible application of induced thermal stresses as a method of frequency control and optimization is discussed and illustrated by example.
A resonance Raman study on the interaction of rifampicin with Escherichia coli RNA polymerase

Abstract The technique of resonance Raman spectroscopy has been used to investigate the interaction of the antibiotic rifampicin with Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. Spectra were analyzed by generating the first derivative of each recorded spectrum using the Savitsky-Golay algorithm. The only band that shifted significantly in the resonance Raman spectrum of rifampicin upon the formation of the drug-core polymerase complex was the amide III band. It underwent an 8 cm−1 shift from 1306 cm−1 in aqueous solution to 1314 cm−1. A comparable shift was observed for the rifampicin-holoenzyme complex. Thus, the interaction of the sigma subunit with the core polymerase does not significantly alter the manner in which rifampicin interacts with RNA polymerase. The nature of this shift has been analyzed further by recording the resonance Raman spectrum of rifampicin in a variety of solvents with different hydrogen-bonding ability. In non-hydrogen-bonding solvents (benzene and carbon disulfide) the amide III band was observed at approximately 1220 cm−1; in dimethyl sulfoxide, a weak hydrogen-bond acceptor, 1274 cm−1; in water, a strong hydrogen-bonding solvent, 1306 cm−1; and finally, in triethylamine, a stronger hydrogen-bonding solvent than water, it was observed at 1314 cm−1. Thus, as the hydrogen-bonding ability of the solvent increased, the amide III band shifted to higher frequency. Based on these results, the rifampicin binding site in RNA polymerase provides a stronger hydrogen-bonding environment for the amidic proton of rifampicin than is encountered when rifampicin is free in aqueous solution.
Spatial soliton optical switches: a soliton-based equivalent particle approach

The spatial soliton plays a fundamental role as a robust, particle-like object which can be manipulated to switch or spatially scan collimated light channels or optical pulses which are incident at an oblique angle to an interface separating two or more selffocusing Kerr slab dielectrics. The underlying equivalent particle/multiparticle theory can also be employed to predict stability properties of nonlinear surface or guided waves, to derive an analytic expression for the nonlinear Goos-Hanchen shift at a nonlinear interface and to quantify the effect of material diffusion, linear and twophoton absorption on the switching behaviour of the light beam. Pulsed spatial switching effects are studied in order to illustrate the general predictive power of the equivalent particle theory.
Direct and quantitative characterization of dynamic ligand exchange between coordination-driven self-assembled supramolecular polygons.

The direct observation of dynamic ligand exchange between Pt−N coordination-driven self-assembled supramolecular polygons (triangles and rectangles) has been achieved using stable 1H/2D isotope labeling of the pyridyl donors and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry combined with NMR spectroscopy. Both the thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of such exchange processes have been established on the basis of quantitative mass spectral results. Further investigation has shown that the exchange is highly dependent on experimental conditions such as temperature, solvent, and the counteranions.
Opinion Divergence Among Professional Investment Managers

We find that opinion divergence among professional investment managers is common- place, using a large sample of transaction-level institutional trading data. When managers trade together, future returns are similar regardless if they are all buying or selling, inconsistent with the notion that professional investment managers possess stock picking ability or private information that is of investment value. However, when managers trade against each other, subsequent returns are low, especially for stocks that are difficult to short. This U-shaped disagreement- return relationship is consistent with Miller's (1977) hypothesis that, in the presence of short-sale constraints, opinion divergence can cause an upward bias in prices.