cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibitory effect of humic and fulvic acids on oxidoreductases as measured by the coupling of 2,4-dichlorophenol to humic substances

Abstract When peroxidase, tyrosinase, and the laccases of Rhizoctonia praticola and Trametes versicolor were preincubated with humic and fulvic acids for 48 hrs, the coupling of 14C-2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) to humic substances was not altered using the laccase of T. versicolor , but less 14C-2,4-DCP was incorporated with the preincubated R. prarticola laccase, the peroxidase, or the tyrosinase. With different concentrations of humic and fulvic acids added, the enzymatic activities of the oxidoreductases were affected to a different degree: While a concentration of 10% w/v had no effect on the activity of the laccase of T. versicolor , the activities of the laccase of R. praticola and of peroxidase were reduced by 27% and 18%, respectively; a concentration of 40% w/v inhibited the laccase of T. versicolor by 45% and the laccase of R. praticola and the peroxidase by 75%. The inhibition of the oxidoreductases by humic and fulvic acids were plotted in the form of a Lineweaver-Burk plot. The results indicated that humic substances acted as competitive inhibitors with the inhibitory effect of fulvic acid greater than that of humic acid.
Prototypicality advantages for pioneers over me-too brands: the role of evolving product designs

Prior empirical research suggests that consumers perceive pioneers as more prototypical (i.e., representative) of their product categories than me-too followers. This prototypicality advantage is believed to contribute to an enduring marketplace advantage for the pioneer. We extend research into pioneering prototypicality advantages by considering the ramifications of simultaneous product design (i.e., product attribute) evolutions. We hypothesize that the simultaneous evolution of product designs of both the pioneer and me-too will diminish the pioneer’s prototypicality advantage over the me-too, even though the me-too does not initiate the change. To test our hypotheses, we create an experimental environment consisting of four cells, each corresponding to a different marketplace scenario: a no-change condition; a simultaneous-evolution condition; a pioneer-updates-first condition; and a leapfrogging (i.e., me-too updates first) condition. The results suggest that simultaneous design evolutions can diminish the pioneer’s prototypicality advantage. As a result, me-too entry may be a more attractive strategy in the long-run than currently believed in product categories characterized by substantial design evolution.
Interaction of gaseous and particulate pollutants in the respiratory tract: mechanisms and modulators

Human contact with air pollution usually involves exposure to more than one chemical, and biological responses to the inhalation of polluted atmospheres likely depend upon the interplay between individual materials. Thus, characterizing effects from exposures to mixtures of air pollutants is necessary for adequate quantitation of health risks. Exposure to gas/particle mixtures may result in respiratory tract responses which are additive, or reflect synergistic or antagonistic interactions. The occurrence and type of interaction depends upon numerous factors, including the biological endpoint being examined and the specific exposure conditions, such as concentration, duration, and the physicochemical characteristics of the exposure atmosphere. It is, therefore, not always possible to predict solely from the presence of certain pollutants in a complex atmosphere exactly whether there will be an interaction and, if so, what type it will be. This complicates attempts to relate responses observed in laboratory studies of mixtures to those which may occur under ambient patterns of exposure, an extrapolation needed for human risk assessment.
Görtler-crossflow vortices

Crossflow influence on steady Gortler vortices is studied in a pressure-driven boundary layer developing along a curved wall. Linear theory shows that crossflow is destabilizing in the long wavelength range. In the non-linear simulations, co-rotating vortices are transformed into counter-rotating vortices for accelerated boundary layers. The streamwise location, where counter-rotating vortices appear, depends on the amplitude of the pressure gradient. Linear studies indicate that a secondary instability may develop on the steady vortex profile.
Efficacy of aerial spraying of mosquito adulticide in reducing incidence of West Nile Virus, California, 2005.

Epidemic transmission of West Nile virus (WNV) in Sacramento County, California, in 2005 prompted aerial application of pyrethrin, a mosquito adulticide, over a large urban area. Statistical analyses of geographic information system datasets indicated that adulticiding reduced the number of human WNV cases within 2 treated areas compared with the untreated area of the county. When we adjusted for maximum incubation period of the virus from infection to onset of symptoms, no new cases were reported in either of the treated areas after adulticiding; 18 new cases were reported in the untreated area of Sacramento County during this time. Results indicated that the odds of infection after spraying were ≈6× higher in the untreated area than in treated areas, and that the treatments successfully disrupted the WNV transmission cycle. Our results provide direct evidence that aerial mosquito adulticiding is effective in reducing human illness and potential death from WNV infection.
Dopamine transporters govern diurnal variation in extracellular dopamine tone

The majority of neurotransmitter systems shows variations in state-dependent cell firing rates that are mechanistically linked to variations in extracellular levels, or tone, of their respective neurotransmitter. Diurnal variation in dopamine tone has also been demonstrated within the striatum, but this neurotransmitter is unique, in that variation in dopamine tone is likely not related to dopamine cell firing; this is largely because of the observation that midbrain dopamine neurons do not display diurnal fluctuations in firing rates. Therefore, we conducted a systematic investigation of possible mechanisms for the variation in extracellular dopamine tone. Using microdialysis and fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in rats, as well as wild-type and dopamine transporter (DAT) knock-out mice, we demonstrate that dopamine uptake through the DAT and the magnitude of subsecond dopamine release is inversely related to the magnitude of extracellular dopamine tone. We investigated dopamine metabolism, uptake, release, D2 autoreceptor sensitivity, and tyrosine hydroxylase expression and activity as mechanisms for this variation. Using this approach, we have pinpointed the DAT as a critical governor of diurnal variation in extracellular dopamine tone and, as a consequence, influencing the magnitude of electrically stimulated dopamine release. Understanding diurnal variation in dopamine tone is critical for understanding and treating the multitude of psychiatric disorders that originate from perturbations of the dopamine system.
Particle-flux limits in the synchronous orbit.

Examination of measurements of 40- and 75-keV electrons and 60and 120-keV protons on the ATS 5 satellite in synchronous orbit in order to show that fluxes of such particles often approach but rarely exceed limiting values that agree within a factor of about 2 with the fluxes predicted by Kennel and Petschek (1966) from consideration of whistler-mode wave-particle interactions. A study is made of the proton and electron fluxes for evidence of the stably trapped flux limits in order to determine them, and to study the local-time dependences of their existence.
Spatial Patterning and Social Complexity on Prehistoric Anatolian Tell Sites: Models for Mounds

Abstract The “tell” is one of the most recognizable features in the Near Eastern landscape. Its complicated stratigraphy signifies the long history of human habitation through the deposition of successive strata of occupation detritus. This study focuses on the organization of domestic architecture on Anatolian mounds from a diachronic perspective. Of particular interest is the observable metamorphosis in spatial patterning of domestic architecture concomitant with the stages of increasingly complex society. Although recent work contains numerous models applicable to prehistoric domestic architectural remains, including those treating greater societal complexity, the data used to generate these models have generally been derived from nonmounded settlements. Therefore, current theoretical frameworks must be reevaluated in order to render them effective in the analysis of architectural remains from tell sites. The domestic architecture on tell sites is examined using three types of spatial patterning analysis: increasingly complex task performance and the associated architectural partitioning of structures; access analysis; and issues of privacy and territoriality. These analytical methods, all interrelated, bear specifically on the physical structure (spatial patterning) of domestic tell architecture as residents experience socioeconomic change.
Left Ventricular Noncompaction: A 25-Year Odyssey

Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a cardiomyopathy associated with sporadic or familial disease, the latter having an autosomal dominant mode of transmission. The clinical features associated with LVNC vary from asymptomatic to symptomatic patients, with the potential for heart failure, supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, thromboembolic events, and sudden cardiac death. Echocardiography is the diagnostic modality of choice, revealing the pathognomonic features of a thick, bilayered myocardium; prominent ventricular trabeculations; and deep intertrabecular recesses. Widespread use and advances in the technology of echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging are increasing awareness of LVNC, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is improving the ability to stage the severity of the disease and potential for adverse clinical consequences. Study of LVNC through research in embryology, imaging, and genetics has allowed enormous strides in the understanding of this heterogeneous disease over the past 25 years.
Ineffectiveness of in vivo dialysis in prolonging life in x-irradiated dogs.

Summary and DiscussionsDogs given 500-550 r whole body x-irradiation were subjected to an in vivo dialysis of their blood during the early post-irradiation period. No improvement in the survival of these animals was noted. When applied 0.5-3.0 days after irradiation, the dialysis procedure caused a slight decrease in the average survival time, as compared to sham-dialyzed controls. The results tend to minimize the importance of readily dialyzable “toxins” in the lethal action of x-irradiation.
Development of n-hydroxysuccinimide ester silica, a novel support for high-performance affinity chromatography

A new support employing a reactive, N-hydroxysuccinimide ester derivative of silica, was developed for high-performance affinity chromatography. The support can be rapidly prepared from a stable precursor support and then used for coupling of ligands containing primary amino groups. Procedures for coupling to batch support or for coupling inside prepacked columns are described. In either case, ligand coupling was shown to be extremely rapid and efficient. This new support was used to prepare affinity chromatography columns using protein (protein A, concanavallin A), peptide (melittin), and low-molecular-weight [6-aminohexyl-Cibacron, and 2-(trifluoromethyl)-10-(3-aminopropyl)phenothiazine] affinity ligands. The various supports performed well, demonstrating that this new coupling reaction provides a rapid, efficient alternative for the synthesis of affinity chromatography columns.
Effect of immunization with sperm or seminal plasma on spermatozoal quality in boars

Abstract The effect of immunization of boars with boar sperm or seminal plasma on the sperm quality was investigated. Four 15-month-old boars, seronegative for sperm antibodies, were immunized intramuscularly with washed, sonicated sperm cells mixed with Freund's complete adjuvant at weeks 0, 2 and 15 and subsequently with seminal plasma at weeks 37 and 39. Semen and sera were collected weekly and examined for sperm motility and agglutination and for sperm antibody titer, respectively. High sperm antibodies were detected in serum and seminal plasma samples of all four boars, and the antibody titers inversely correlated with sperm motility (r= −0.91, P 0.05). It is suggested that the reduced sperm motility and the presence of sperm agglutination may be associated with the antibodies produced against sperm and seminal plasma proteins.
Serum potassium following succinylcholine in patients with brain tumours.

Serum potassium levels were measured in 15 patients with brain tumours between 3–7 cm diameter, during thiopentone/70 per cent N2O in O2 anaesthesia, with mask ventilation controlled to maintain a constant end-tidal CO2 concentration. Potassium levels were determined one minute before and one and ten minutes after administration of succinylcholine 1.0mg·kg−1 IV. No statistically significant increase in serum potassium occurred following succinylcholine, nor were there any ECG changes associated with succinylcholine administration. Use of succinylcholine in patients with brain tumours does not appear to cause elevation of serum potassium levels or ECG changes.
Latin American Company Strategies in the Financial Crisis

This article presents a conceptual basis for developing a corporate strategy to respond to a financial crisis, and an empirical examination of strategic moves undertaken by a number of large Latin American (Mexican) firms during the crisis and subsequent recession. A framework for thinking about this problem is the Cost–Revenue–Risk (CRR) view,1 which focuses on the firm’s costs, revenues, and risks. This framework is elaborated in the article, and then applied empirically to six companies in Mexico, looking at their responses to the crisis initially and after one year. In addition, the firms listed on the Mexican stock exchange are examined to see if the strategies used by the interview sample also contribute to performance of the larger group of firms—which they do. In the sample of listed Mexican firms, both sectoral diversification and cross-country diversification turned out to be significant contributors to explaining relative firm performance during the crisis.
Inhibition of Erythropoiesis in Chronic Renal Failure: The Role of Parathyroid Hormone

Sera from 20 anemic patients with chronic renal failure (CFR) were studied for their effect on bone marrow in vitro erythroid colony formation (CFUE) and the observations correlated with parathyroid hormone (PTH) and ionized calcium levels in the patients' sera. Results demonstrated that 17 out of 20 patients' sera significantly inhibited in vitro erythropoiesis by 47% to 97%. No significant elevation in ionized calcium was found in 16 of the patients tested. Furthermore, assay of PTH levels in these patients revealed that 9 out of 20 had elevated levels of PTH. No correlation was found between PTH serum levels and the degree of in vitro inhibition of erythropoiesis (CFUE) by the patients' sera. Addition of up to 2,000 pg/mL (far above the patients' levels) of exogenous N-terminal or C-terminal PTH with in vitro bone marrow cultures resulted in no inhibitory effect on CFUE. It is concluded that the circulating inhibitor of erythropoiesis which has been shown to exist in the sera of this particular group of patients with CRF, is not PTH.
Wire segmenting for improved buffer insertion

Buffer insertion seeks to place buffers on the wires of a signal netto minimize delay. Van Ginneken [Buffer Placement in Distributed RC-tree Networks for Minimal Elmore Delay] proposed an optimal dynamicprogramming solution (with extensions proposed by [7] [8][9] [12]) such that at most one buffer can be placed on a singlewire. This constraint can hurt solution quality, but it may be circumventedby dividing each wire into multiple smaller segments.This work studies the problem of finding the correct number of segmentsfor each wire in the routing tree. Too few segments yieldssub-par solutions, but too many segments can lead to excessive runtimes and memory loads. We derive new theoretical results forcomputing the appropriate number of buffers (and hence wire segments)which motivate our new wire segmenting algorithm. Weshow that using wire segmenting as a precursor to buffer insertionproduces solutions within a few percent of optimal, while usingonly seconds of CPU time.
Practical Evaluation of Max-Type Detectors for Hyperspectral Images

This paper evaluates performance of max-type detectors introduced in earlier work as a special case of generalized fusion. The max-type detectors combine several base detectors, e.g., matched filters (MF), based on information from identified background segments. For identification of background segments, we use a method that we call Flexible Spectral Clustering (FSC) since this turns out to be a flexible algorithm particularly suited for spectral data. For our numerical results, we use an AVIRIS urban scene with a wide range of natural and man-made materials. Our technique of target implantation to each image pixel allows taking into account various realistic combinations of the background materials present in the pixel being tested for the target. We evaluate performance of several max-type detectors in order to understand the impact of the number of background segments being used. We also make a comparison to the base detector, which is the global MF (GMF) in this case. In most cases considered in this paper, the max-type detectors were at least as good as the GMF, and they were often much better than the GMF. The difficulty of a given detection scenario was described by the size of the target and the strength of its spectral signal. In very difficult detection scenarios (small targets that are not very different from the background), the GMF performs much worse than the max-type detectors. In medium-difficulty scenarios, the detection capability of the GMF gets closer to that of the max-type detectors. In the scenarios with easy detection (large targets that are very different from the background), all detectors considered here perform very well and their performance is almost identical to each other. Similar results are also obtained for detection of a real target known to be present in the image. This paper also provides some valuable evaluation tools for re- searchers to investigate performance of other detectors. By using our tools, one can understand how the detectors' performance depends on the target size and the strength of its spectral signal.
BDNF heightens the sensitivity of motor neurons to excitotoxic insults through activation of TrkB

The survival promoting and neuroprotective actions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are well known but under certain circumstances this growth factor can also exacerbate excitotoxic insults to neurons. Prior exploration of the receptor through which BDNF exerts this action on motor neurons deflects attention away from p75. Here we investigated the possibility that BDNF acts through the receptor tyrosine kinase, TrkB, to confer on motor neurons sensitivity to excitotoxic challenge. We blocked BDNF activation of TrkB using a dominant negative TrkB mutant or a TrkB function blocking antibody, and found that this protected motor neurons against excitotoxic insult in cultures of mixed spinal cord neurons. Addition of a function blocking antibody to BDNF to mixed spinal cord neuron cultures is also neuroprotective indicating that endogenously produced BDNF participates in vulnerability to excitotoxicity. We next examined the intracellular signaling cascades that are engaged upon TrkB activation. Previously we found that inhibition of the phosphatidylinositide-3'-kinase (PI3'K) pathway blocks BDNF-induced excitotoxic sensitivity. Here we show that expression of a constitutively active catalytic subunit of PI3'K, p110, confers excitotoxic sensitivity (ES) upon motor neurons not incubated with BDNF. Parallel studies with purified motor neurons confirm that these events are likely to be occuring specifically within motor neurons. The abrogation of BDNF's capacity to accentuate excitotoxic insults may make it a more attractive neuroprotective agent.
The effects of 2,5-hexanedione on reproductive hormones and testicular enzyme activities in the F-344 rat

Abstract The chronic administration of 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-HD) to experimental animals can cause azoospermia and morphologic changes in central nervous system (CNS) areas related to visual and motor function. The present experiments were designed to determine the degree of CNS involvement in the testicular lesions seen after 2,5-HD administration. Additionally, activity measurements were made of some enzymes found in specific cell types in the testes. The 2,5-HD was administered as a 1% solution in the drinking water to adult male F-344 rats. Treated rats, pair fed controls, and ad libitum controls were killed after 1, 3, and 6 weeks of 2,5-HD treatment. The circulating levels of testosterone and the gonadotropins, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), were not depressed at any time measured. After 6 weeks, the testes were azoospermic; this coincided with a rise in LH and FSH. After 3 weeks of 2,5-HD treatment, when the testes were morphologically normal, testicular activity of the Sertoli-cell-specific enzymes, β-glucuronidase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, were decreased. The testicular enzyme profile after 6 weeks was similar to that seen in the azoospermic, cryptorchid testis. Activities of hepatic β-glucuronidase and acid phosphatase were decreased at all time points. The data indicate that 2,5-HD does not act via the central gonadotropin control systems to induce azoospermia, and that demonstrable changes in Sertoli cell biochemistry occur prior to visible morphologic changes in the testis.
Climate Change and Latitudinal Patterns of Intertidal Thermal Stress

The interaction of climate and the timing of low tides along the West Coast of the United States creates a complex mosaic of thermal environments, in which northern sites can be more thermally stressful than southern sites. Thus, climate change may not lead to a poleward shift in the distribution of intertidal organisms, as has been proposed, but instead will likely cause localized extinctions at a series of "hot spots." Patterns of exposure to extreme climatic conditions are temporally variable, and tidal predictions suggest that in the next 3 to 5 years "hot spots" are likely to appear at several northern sites.
Isotope-Selective Chemical Vapor Deposition via Vibrational Activation

A narrow bandwidth infrared (IR) laser selectively excites and activates one isotopic variant of a gas phase precursor to permit isotope-selective chemical vapor deposition. We show that selective vibrational excitation of the 12CH4 or 13CH4 isotopologue of methane controls the carbon isotope ratio of adsorbates deposited on a Ni substrate and permits significant isotope enrichment in a single reaction step. A model of the process based on known reaction probabilities and process variables predicts the enrichment we observe. While our current laser system permits a 9-fold enhancement of 12C or 13C deposition, optimization of deposition and detection strategies and use of a more powerful, commercially available laser source suggest isotope enrichment factors of 100-fold or more are readily attainable. Other gas−surface reactions activated by vibrational energy may also be candidates for this approach to isotope-selective deposition.
Pediatric rib lesions: a 13-year experience.

Abstract Background Rib lesions in the pediatric population are rare but significant processes and are often neoplastic. Methods All patients with primary rib lesions evaluated by the Department of Surgery at Children's Hospital Boston from 1992 to 2005 were studied. The patient's diagnosis, sex, symptoms and their duration, radiologic evaluation, biopsy status, surgical procedure, and follow-up were assessed. Results Thirty-three patients, ages 3 to 23 years (median, 12.7 years), were evaluated. Sixteen patients (48%) had benign and 17 (52%) had malignant lesions. Within the benign cohort of 16 patients, there were 6 osteochondromas, 4 aneurysmal bone cysts, and 2 fibrous dysplasias as well as 1 of each of the following: enchondroma, periosteal chondroma, eosinophilic granuloma, and chondrophyte. Within the malignant cohort of 17 patients, 13 were diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, 3 with osteogenic sarcoma, and 1 with chondrosarcoma. The sex distribution for the malignant group was 11 (65%) females and 6 (35%) males. Conclusions Rib tumors are rare entities in the pediatric population. However, a significant number of rib lesions are malignant. Therefore, proper diagnosis and expeditious treatment are critical.
Identification of Two Novel DQA1 Alleles, DQA1*0107 and DQA1*0602, by Sequence-Based Typing in the GoKinD Population

Two novel DQA1 alleles, DQA1*0107 and DQA1*0602, were discovered using DQA1 sequence-based typing (SBT) in participants in the Genetics of Kidneys in Diabetes (GoKinD) Study. The DQA1*0107 allele, found in three unrelated Caucasian participants, contains a novel polymorphism at codon 79 of exon 2 (CGC→TGC), which results in an amino acid change from an arginine to a cysteine. The participants containing this novel polymorphism also had a 1-bp insertion in intron 2 that is common to the *01 alleles. The DQA1*0602 allele, found in one Caucasian participant, contains a novel polymorphism at codon 139 of exon 3 (AGC→CGC), which results in an amino acid change from a serine to an arginine. Additionally, the *0602 allele has a base change in intron 1 that is common to the *06 alleles. Both new alleles were isolated using single-allele amplification SBT and confirmed using sequence-specific primer amplification.
ETM: Entity Topic Models for Mining Documents Associated with Entities

Topic models, which factor each document into different topics and represent each topic as a distribution of terms, have been widely and successfully used to better understand collections of text documents. However, documents are also associated with further information, such as the set of real-world entities mentioned in them. For example, news articles are usually related to several people, organizations, countries or locations. Since those associated entities carry rich information, it is highly desirable to build more expressive, entity-based topic models, which can capture the term distributions for each topic, each entity, as well as each topic-entity pair. In this paper, we therefore introduce a novel Entity Topic Model (ETM) for documents that are associated with a set of entities. ETM not only models the generative process of a term given its topic and entity information, but also models the correlation of entity term distributions and topic term distributions. A Gibbs sampling-based algorithm is proposed to learn the model. Experiments on real datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach over several state-of-the-art baselines.
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SELF‐REPORTED POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH: A META‐ANALYSIS

A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the direction and magnitude of gender differences in self-reported posttraumatic growth. Results from 70 studies (N = 16,076) revealed a small to moderate gender difference (g = .27, 95% CI = .21 −.32), with women reporting more posttraumatic growth than men. Moderator analyses were then conducted to identify possible sources of these differences. The following moderators were examined: mean age of sample, measure used, nature of the stressful event, language of the measure, and type of sample (i.e., community samples, college students, or mixed). The only significant moderator was age, with women reporting incrementally more posttraumatic growth as the mean age of the sample increased (B = .004, p < .01, SE = .001, Q = 9.13). To check for publication bias, effect sizes were compared across published and unpublished research. The size of the gender difference was not significantly different between published (g = .30, 95% CI = .23 − .38) and unpublished (g = .22, 95% CI = .12 −.31) studies. The present findings indicate that modest, but reliable gender differences exist in posttraumatic growth even when unpublished data are included in the analyses. Possible explanations for these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
On Convergence Speed of Capacity-Achieving Sequences for Erasure Channel

Oswald and Shokrollahi carried out a systematic study of capacity-achieving sequences of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes for the binary erasure channel. Two quantities mu and Delta were suggested to measure the convergence speed of these sequences. They gave an upper bound of mu for a certain type of capacity-achieving sequences. In this correspondence, a lower bound of mu for this type of sequences is provided. It follows that, under a certain condition, the exact value of mu can be determined, which answers an open question posed by Oswald and Shokrollahi in their paper. If the condition is not satisfied the upper bound may not be tight. A counterexample is given.
Alliance Partner Reputation as a Signal to the Market: Evidence from Bank Loan Alliances

While significant effort has been devoted by scholars to understanding the informational impact of reputation (firm- and brand-level) on performance, scant attention has been given to the informational effects on a firm of the reputations of partners within an alliance — even less to the financial implications of those effects. Reviewing the extant literature, the author specifies that a partner's reputation is an informational signal that reduces information asymmetries in the market, and predicts that alliance partner reputation will be positively related to changes in a firm's market value at the time of alliance announcement. This hypothesis is tested using event study methodology that isolates the movement in a firm's stock price that can be attributed to an event. Multiple regression is then used to investigate the relationship between partner reputation and stock price reactions, finding the predicted positive relationship.
Drug interactions with antiretrovirals.

The rapid development of new antiretroviral drugs, along with the evolution in clinical practice toward the recommended use of three- to four-drug combination regimens for achieving optimal suppression of viral replication, has brought the relevance of drug-drug interactions to the forefront of care for HIV-infected individuals. However, the routine clinical interpretation of drug interactions is complicated by our expanding knowledge of the physiologic mechanisms underlying pharmacokinetic interactions, particularly as they relate to drug transport and distribution (eg, P-glycoprotein) and biotransformation (hepatic cytochrome p450 monooxygenase induction and inhibition).
Stereochemical consequences for the Lewis acid mediated additions of allyl and crotyltri-n-butylstannane to chiral β-hydroxyaldehyde derivatives

Abstract Proper choice of Lewis acid and hydroxyl protecting group allows for selective addition of crotyltri- n -butylstannane to either face of the aldehyde carbonyl in derivatives of 2-methyl-3-hydroxypropanal with preservation of erythro selectivity for the bond construction; allyl additions are limited to diastereofacial selectivity consistent with “chelation control”.
Report of the task force on residency training information (2000-2001), American Board of Emergency Medicine

The American Board of Emergency Medicine gathers extensive background information on emergency medicine residents and the programs in which they train. We present the fourth annual report on the status of US emergency medicine residency programs.
Laparoscopic versus open peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion cost analysis.

Abstract Background Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a cost-effective alternative to hemodialysis (HD). PD catheters have traditionally been inserted through a small open incision, but insertion using laparoscopic visualization has become increasingly popular and is associated with less catheter malfunction. The aim of this study was to compare costs of laparoscopic and open insertion strategies while taking into account postoperative complications and future salvage procedures. Methods A decision analysis model was constructed to simulate 1 y outcomes after PD catheter insertion by either the open or laparoscopic approach. Possible outcomes after PD catheter placement included functional catheter, infection, and catheter malfunction. Ultimately, patients continued with successful PD or switched to HD. Baseline probabilities, costs, and ranges were determined from a critical review of the literature. Sensitivity analyses were performed to determine the model strength over a range of clinically relevant probabilities. Results The total annual costs, including postoperative management and dialysis treatment, were $69,491 for laparoscopic insertion and $69,960 for open insertion. In case of a catheter malfunction, an initial attempt at salvage by fluoroscopy-guided wire manipulation cost less than a first attempt by laparoscopic repositioning. Conclusions When accounting for a year of postoperative management and treatment, laparoscopic insertion can be less costly than open insertion in the hands of an experienced surgeon. Despite higher initial costs, PD catheter insertion under laparoscopic visualization can have lower total costs due to fewer postoperative complications. With increasing emphasis on cost-effective care, laparoscopic insertion is a valuable tool for initiating PD.
Discovery of protein interactions using parallel analysis of translated ORFs (PLATO)

Identifying physical interactions between proteins and other molecules is a critical aspect of biological analysis. Here we describe PLATO, an in vitro method for mapping such interactions by affinity enrichment of a library of full-length open reading frames displayed on ribosomes, followed by massively parallel analysis using DNA sequencing. We demonstrate the broad utility of the method by identifying known and new interacting partners of LYN kinase, patient autoantibodies and the small molecules gefitinib and dasatinib.
Microbial inoculation or cellulase enzyme treatment of barley and vetch silage harvested at three maturities

Abstract A mixture of barley and hairy vetch was harvested at the following three maturities for barley and vetch, respectively; early boot-prebloom (early), early heading-midbloom (middle), and soft dough-seeding (late). At each maturity, measurements were made of forage yield and nutrient composition. Forage was cut and wilted prior to ensiling in laboratory silos corresponding to the following treatments: 1) control silage; 2) microbial inoculant (added to 1 × 10 5 cfu/g of wet forage); or 3) cellulase enzyme complex (.5% of wet weight). Yield of total forage DM increased from 5741 to 19,379kg/ha from early to late harvest, respectively. Forage decreased in N and water-soluble carbohydrate content with increasing maturity but ADF, NDF, and ADL content increased with maturity. Differences in forage composition were greater between early and middle maturities than between middle and late maturities. Microbial inoculation reduced silage pH, acetate, and NH 3 N but increased lactic acid concentration when averaged across all maturities. Addition of cellulase enzyme reduced silage pH but did not affect acid or fiber concentrations. In vitro DM digestion was significantly reduced by stage of maturity but not by inoculation or cellulase treatment. A mixture of barley and vetch resulted in substantial forage yields with moderately high levels of N. Microbial inoculation, but not cellulase treatment improved the fermentation characteristics of silage.
Two-dimensional electron-electron two-stream instability of an inertial electrostatic confinement device

Theoretical works by Barnes and Nebel [D. C. Barnes and R. A. Nebel, Phys. Plasmas 5, 2498 (1998); R. A. Nebel and D. C. Barnes, Fusion Technol. 38, 28 (1998)] have suggested that a tiny oscillating ion cloud (referred to as the periodically oscillating plasma sphere or POPS) may undergo a self-similar collapse in a harmonic oscillator potential formed by a uniform electron background. A major uncertainty in this oscillating plasma scheme is the stability of the virtual cathode that forms the harmonic oscillator potential. The electron-electron two-stream stability of the virtual cathode has previously been studied with a fluid model, a slab kinetic model, a spherically symmetric kinetic model, and experimentally [R. A. Nebel and J. M. Finn, Phys. Plasmas 8, 1505 (2001); R. A. Nebel et al., Phys. Plasmas 12, 040501 (2005)]. Here the mode is studied with a two-dimensional particle-in-cell code. Results indicate stability limits near those of the previously spherically symmetric case.
Technology transfer: An overview as related to LDCs

The Technology Transfer issue has aroused much controversy in the last two decades among management researchers. This paper attempts to discuss the problems of Technology Transfer, the debate on this issue and some of the theories concerned. It also presents a suggested theoretical framework to assist the LDCs in determining need for, and receiving of, new technology.
Estimation of risk probability for gravity-driven pyroclastic flows at Volcan Colima, Mexico

Abstract Mapped pyroclastic flow terminations at Colima volcano were used to determine energy lines. We assumed straight energy lines, initial flow velocities of zero and flow movement starting from the volcano summit. Heim coefficients ( H/L ) of the flows plotted on a histogram cluster in two distinct modes. One corresponds to large pyroclastic flows (pumice flows and block-and-ash flows) for which Heim coefficients range from 0.22 to 0.28. This group has a mean value of 0.24 and a standard deviation of 0.021. The other mode corresponds to small block-and-ash avalanches which have Heim coefficients that range from 0.33 to 0.38, a mean value of 0.35 and a standard deviation of 0.025. No flow terminations yield Heim coefficients in the range from 0.28 to 0.33. This break probably separates fluidized pyroclastic flows from less mobile hot rock avalanches. Plots of Heim coefficients on arithmetic probability paper are approximate probability functions for the two types of flows. Heim coefficients calculated for straight lines that connect population centers with the volcano summit can be used with this type of graph to estimate the probability that either type of pyroclastic flow would reach the site. We used this technique to determine risk probabilities for various localities around Colima volcano. These calculations indicate that Laguna Verde, Yerbabuena, Cofradia-El Fresnal, El Naranjal, Atenguillo, La Becerrera, Montitlan and San Antonio have a probability ranging from 99 to 6% of being covered by large pyroclastic flows. Laguna Verde and Yerbabuena are the sites with the highest probability of being reached by small block-and-ash avalanches. The depression situated south-southwest of Colima volcano is an area with a very high probability of being affected by the pyroclastic phenomena considered above. The small avalanche produced by dome collapse of Colima on April 16, 1991 traveled along the barranca El Cordoban toward the area of the highest probability on our map.
Hydrogel-siRNA for cancer therapy.

Commentary to:Chitosan hydrogel for localized gene silencing Hee Dong Han, Edna M. Mora, Ju Won Roh, Masato Nishimura, Sun Joo Lee, Rebecca L. Stone, Menashe Bar-Eli, Gabriel Lopez-Berestein and Anil K. Sood
Type I insulin-like growth factor receptor function in breast cancer

Experimental evidence suggests an important role of the type I IGF receptor (IGF-IR) in breast cancer development. Breast tumors and breast cancer cell lines express the IGF-IR. IGF-IR levels are higher in cancer cells than in normal breast tissue or in benign mammary tumors. The ligands of the IGF-IR are potent mitogens promoting monolayer and anchorage-independent growth of breast cancer cells. Interference with IGF-IR activation, expression, or signaling inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells. In addition, recent studies established the involvement of the IGF-IR in the regulation of breast cancer cell motility and adhesion. We have demonstrated that in MCF-7 cells, overexpression of the IGF-IR promotes E-cadherin-dependent cell aggregation, which is associated with enhanced cell proliferation and prolonged survival in three-dimensional culture. The expression or function of the IGF-IR in breast cancer cells is modulated by different humoral factors, such as estrogen, progesterone, IGF-II, and interleukin-1. The IGF-IR and the estrogen receptor (ER) are usually co-expressed and the two signaling systems are engaged in a complex functional cross-talk controlling cell proliferation. Despite the convincing experimental evidence, the role of the IGF-IR in breast cancer etiology, especially in metastatic progression, is still not clear. The view emerging from cellular and animal studies is that abnormally high levels of IGF-IRs may contribute to the increase of tumor mass and/or aid tumor recurrence, by promoting proliferation, cell survival, and cell-cell interactions. However, in breast cancer, except for the well established correlation with ER status, the associations of the IGF-IR with other prognostic parameters are still insufficiently documented.
Leader cognition in real-world settings: How do leaders think about crises?

Leadership is typically understood as a process of social influence. The effective exercise of influence, however, requires leaders to think. In the present effort, we examine the major approaches used to understand leader cognition noting that cognitive models are typically domain based. Subsequently, we examine leader cognition in one domain held to be critical to leader performance — cognition under conditions of crisis or change. Leaders typically formulate solutions to the problems broached by crises through generation of sensemaking systems. The generation of sensemaking systems is held to depend on case-based, or experiential, knowledge as well as multiple processes (e.g., scanning, case analysis, forecasting). The implications of these knowledge structures and processing operations for understanding leader performance are discussed.
Washing Away the Sins of Debt: The Nineteenth-Century Eradication of the Debtors' Prison

This article seeks to come to terms with the extraordinarily swift demise of the debtors' prison in multiple countries during the nineteenth century. While focusing primarily on the reform debate in England, I argue that the debtors' prison quickly came to be seen as a barbaric aberration within the expanding commercial life of the nineteenth century. By turning to a copious pamphletic literature from the era of its demise, I show how pamphleteers and eye-witnesses described the debtors' prison in the idiom of ritual; it was seen as a dangerous sanctuary that radically inverted all capitalistic economic practices and moral values of the world outside its walls. Reformers claimed that, inside these shrines of debt, citizens were ritually guided and transformed from active members of society into “knaves” or “idlers,” or both. As such, the debtors' prison needed to be eradicated. To do so, reformers mobilized at least three critical discourses, all of which sought to mark the debtors' prison as a zone of barbarism that threatened the civility of the state and its citizenry. By focusing on the debtors' prison as a powerful and transformative ritual zone, the article provides a counterintuitive history of this institution that was so crucial to the regulation of credit and debt relations for centuries. In so doing, the article contributes to a broader literature on the spatiality of debt.
Solid-State Electrometers with Input-Capacitance Neutralization

Two electrometer amplifier circuits employing a unipolar Field-Effect Transistor and an insulated gate Field-Effect Transistor respectively are described. Design and performance criteria are discussed.
Permeability and Electrical Properties of Thin Lipid Membranes

We present and discuss the permeability and electrical properties of thin lipid membranes, and the changes induced in these properties by several agents added to the aqueous phases after the membranes have formed. The unmodified membrane is virtually impermeable to ions and small "hydrophilic" solutes, but relatively permeable to water and "lipophilic" molecules. These properties are consistent with those predicted for a thin film of hydrocarbon through which matter is transported by dissolving in the membrane phase and then diffusing through it. The effect of cholesterol in reducing the water and "lipophilic" solute permeability is attributed to an increase of the "viscosity" of the hydrocarbon region, thus reducing the diffusion coefficient of molecules within this phase. The selective permeability of the membrane to iodide (I-) in the presence of iodine (I2) is attributed to the formation of polyiodides (perhaps I5-), which are presumed to be relatively soluble in the membrane because of their large size, and hence lower surface charge density. Thus, I2 acts as a carrier for I-. The effects of "excitability-inducing material" and the depsipeptides (particularly valinomycin) on ion permeability are reviewed. The effects of the polyene antibiotics (nystatin and amphotericin B) on ion permeability, discussed in greater detail, are the following: (a) membrane conductance increases with the 10th power of nystatin concentration; (b) the membrane is anion-selective but does not discriminate completely between anions and cations; (c) the membrane discriminates among anions on the basis of size; (d) membrane conductance decreases extraordinarily with increasing temperatures. Valinomycin and nystatin form independent conductance pathways in the same membrane, and, in the presence of both, the membrane can be reversibly shifted between a cation and anion permeable state by changes in temperature. It is suggested that nystatin produces pores in the membrane and valinomycin acts as a carrier.
How much is too much? Understanding the role and function of violence and its manifestation in the consulting room: intensive psychotherapy with a latency-aged boy

The aim of this article is to explore and lend meaning to the role and function of violence in children, in particular boys, who have had disturbing and traumatic early experiences. Psychoanalytic thinking about the role and function of violence, as well as its impact and management in the consulting room, will be central features of this exploration. In a research project involving a single case study, a number of clinical concepts emerged that have potential ramifications for child psychotherapists working with children exhibiting violent and challenging behaviour. The clinical concepts emerged via the application of grounded theory research methodology to clinical data and contribute to the thinking and theory of Meltzer’s use of ‘temperature and distance’ as a means of understanding and regulating emotional states in the therapeutic setting. ‘Time’ and ‘space’ were additional clinical concepts that emerged. These four concepts are considered crucial elements in providing the child psychotherapist with...
Cryptococcus bacillisporus sp. nov.: Serotype B-C of Cryptococcus neoformans

Serotypes B and C of Cryptococcus neoformans are described as a separate species, C. bacillisporus sp. nov. C. bacillisporus could be distinguished from C. neoformans by creatinine metabolism. Serotype B and C isolates utilized creatinine much more readily than A and D, resulting in increased ammonia production and alkaline pH. Based on these findings, a creatinine-dextrose-bromothymol blue agar medium (pH 5.7) was developed as a single-step culture method for separation of the two species. Isolates of C. neoformans can be distinguished from C. bacillisporus with 97% accuracy by 48 h.