cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endomyocardial Biopsy Characterization of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction and Prevalence of Cardiac Amyloidosis

Abstract Objectives This study prospectively evaluated endomyocardial biopsies in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) to identify histopathologic phenotypes and their association with clinical characteristics. Background Myocardial tissue analysis from a prospectively defined HFpEF cohort reflecting contemporary comorbidities is lacking. Methods Patients with HFpEF (EF ≥50%) referred to the Johns Hopkins HFpEF Clinic between August 2014 and September 2018 were enrolled for right heart catheterization and endomyocardial biopsy. Clinical features, echocardiography, hemodynamics, and tissue histology were determined and compared with controls (unused donor hearts) and HF with reduced EF (HFrEF). Results Of the 108 patients enrolled, median age was 66 years (25th to 75th percentile: 57 to 74 years), 61% were women, 57% were African American, 62% had a previous HF hospitalization, median systolic blood pressure was 141 mm Hg (25th to 75th percentile: 125 to 162 mm Hg), body mass index (BMI) was 37 kg/m2 (25th to 75th percentile: 32 to 45 kg/m2), and 97% were on a loop diuretic. Myocardial fibrosis and myocyte hypertrophy were often present (93% and 88%, respectively); however, mild in 71% with fibrosis and in 52% with hypertrophy. Monocyte infiltration (CD68+ cells/mm2) was greater in patients with HFpEF versus controls (60.4 cells/mm2 [25th to 75th percentile: 36.8 to 97.8] vs. 32.1 cells/mm2 [25th to 75th percentile: 22.3 to 59.2]; p = 0.02) and correlated with age and renal disease. Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) was diagnosed in 15 (14%) patients (HFpEF-CA: 7 patients with wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis [ATTR], 4 patients with hereditary ATTR, 3 patients with light-chain amyloidosis, and 1 patient with AA (secondary) amyloidosis), of which 7 cases were unsuspected. Patients with HFpEF-CA were older, with lower BMI, higher left ventricular mass index, and higher N-terminal pro−B-type natriuretic peptide and troponin I levels. Conclusions In this large, prospective myocardial tissue analysis of HFpEF, myocardial fibrosis and hypertrophy were common, CD68+ inflammation was increased, and CA prevalence was 14%. Tissue analysis in HFpEF might improve precision therapies by identifying relevant myocardial mechanisms.
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children Without Symptoms of Coronavirus Disease 2019.

This cohort study examines the rate of positive test results for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in children without symptoms who were treated in US hospitals for other conditions.
A Scalable Buffer Queue Sizing Algorithm for Latency Insensitive Systems

Timing violations in high performance communication channels in system-on-chips (SoC) may occur in the late stages of the physical design process. To address that, latency insensitive systems (LISs) employ pipelining in the communication channels through the insertion of relay stations. Although the functionality of an LIS is robust with respect to the communication latencies, imbalances in relay station insertion may degrade the throughput of the system. While having a large number of buffer queues can eliminate such performance loss, the system may not have adequate area to accommodate these buffers. The problem of buffer queue sizing for maximizing throughput while meeting buffer area constraints has been solved using a mixed-integer linear program (MILP) formulation; however, such an approach is not scalable. In this work, we formulate the buffer queue sizing problem as a parameterized graph optimization problem where for every communication channel there is a parameterized edge with buffer counts as the edge weight. We then use a minimum cycle mean algorithm to determine from which edges buffers can be removed safely. Experimental results on large LISs suggest that the proposed approach is scalable. Moreover, quality of the solutions, in terms of the throughput and the size of buffer queues, is observed to be as good as that of the MILP-based approach.
Preservation of Function by Nonsurgical Coronary Artery Reperfusion

Reperfusion by intracoronary streptokinase infusion resulted in early and late improvement of ejection fraction and local wall motion in the majority of infarct patients treated by this method [15]. Improvement of function and preservation of R waves were more frequent and more marked than in conventionally treated patients [16]. The relationships between the functional changes and both duration of symptoms prior to hospital admission and the presence or absence of angiographically demonstrable collaterals prior to reperfusion will be analyzed in the present collaborative study.
Spatial-Temporal Alignment Network for Action Recognition and Detection.

This paper studies how to introduce viewpoint-invariant feature representations that can help action recognition and detection. Although we have witnessed great progress of action recognition in the past decade, it remains challenging yet interesting how to efficiently model the geometric variations in large scale datasets. This paper proposes a novel Spatial-Temporal Alignment Network (STAN) that aims to learn geometric invariant representations for action recognition and action detection. The STAN model is very light-weighted and generic, which could be plugged into existing action recognition models like ResNet3D and the SlowFast with a very low extra computational cost. We test our STAN model extensively on AVA, Kinetics-400, AVA-Kinetics, Charades, and Charades-Ego datasets. The experimental results show that the STAN model can consistently improve the state of the arts in both action detection and action recognition tasks. We will release our data, models and code.
High School Sports During the CoVID-19 Pandemic: The Impact of Sport Participation on the Health of Adolescents

ABSTRACT Context During the fall of 2020, some high schools across the US allowed their students to participate in interscholastic sports while others cancelled or postponed their sport programs due to concerns regarding CoVID19 transmission. It is unknown what effect this has had on the physical and mental health of student athletes. Objective Identify the impact of playing a sport during the CoVID19 pandemic on the health of student athletes. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Sample recruited via email. Patients or Other Participants 559 Wisconsin high school athletes (age=15.7+1.2 yrs., female=44%) from 44 high schools completed an online survey in October 2020. A total of 171 (31%) athletes played (PLY) a fall sport, while 388 (69%) did not play (DNP). Main Outcome Measure(s) Demographics included: sex, grade and sports played. Assessments included the General Anxiety Disorder-7 Item (GAD-7) for anxiety, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Item (PHQ-9) for depression, the Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale (PFABS) for physical activity, and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (PedsQL) for quality of life. Univariable comparisons between the two groups were made via t-tests or chi-square tests. Means for each continuous outcome measure were compared between the groups by ANOVA models that controlled for Age, Sex, Teaching method (Virtual, Hybrid, or In-person), and the % of students eligible for free lunch. RESULTS PLY group participants were less likely to report moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety (PLY=6.6%, DNP=44.1%, p CONCLUSIONS Adolescent athletes who played a sport during the CoVID19 pandemic reported fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as higher physical activity and quality of life scores compared to adolescent athletes who did not play a sport. Key points High school students who played a sport during the CoVID-19 pandemic in the fall of 2020 were less likely to report anxiety and depression symptoms than athletes who did not play a sport. High school students who played a sport during the CoVID-19 pandemic in the fall of 2020 reported higher physical activity and quality of life scores compared to high school athletes who did not play a sport. Participation in high school sports may have significant physical and mental health benefits for US adolescent athletes during the CoVID-19 pandemic.
The Political Distribution of Economic Privilege in Van Buren's New York

Historians have long recognized that one of the principal functions of early nineteenth-century American state governments was the distribution of economic privileges, including preferential grants of corporate privileges. North, Wallis, and Weingast label such regimes natural states and argue that government as privilege dispenser is a characteristic of most societies and, in some few instances, represents a transitional phase between traditional premodern societies and modern open-access democracies. This article documents the operation of the natural state in New York, focusing on how Martin Van Buren's Democratic coalition manipulated the distribution of bank and insurance company charters so as to advance the interests of their Democratic coalition. Consistent with the North, Wallis, and Weingast interpretation, the evidence shows that the transition to open access was neither smooth nor inevitable; Van Buren's Democratic coalition reversed the long-run trend toward greater access until they were unseated during the financial crisis years of the late 1830s.
Limonin as a Starting Point for the Construction of Compounds with High Scaffold Diversity

Structurally complex natural products have been a fruitful source for the discovery and development of new drugs. In an effort to construct a compound collection populated by architecturally complex members with unique scaffolds, we have used the natural product limonin as a starting point. Limonin is an abundant triterpenoid natural product and, through alteration of its heptacyclic core ring system using short synthetic sequences, a collection of 98 compounds was created, including multiple members with novel ring systems. The reactions leveraged in the construction of these compounds include novel ring cleavage, rearrangements, and cyclizations, and this work is highlighted by the discovery of a novel B-ring cleavage reaction, a unique B/C-ring rearrangement, an atypical D-ring cyclization, among others. Computational analysis shows that 52 different scaffolds/ring systems were produced during the course of this work, of which 36 are unprecedented. Phenotypic screening and structure-activity relationships identified compounds with activity against a panel of cancer cell lines.
Parental Depression After Preterm Birth: An Opportunity for Prevention.

* Abbreviations: PPAD — : paternal perinatal affective disorder PPD — : maternal postpartum depression In this issue of Pediatrics , Garfield et al1 present new findings on depression symptoms among mothers and fathers who are parents of preterm infants during the NICU stay and the 30 days after discharge from the hospital. The data reveal that when preterm infants are hospitalized in the NICU, mothers are initially more depressed than fathers (higher scores on Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale), but maternal scores have decreased 30 days after discharge in contrast to paternal scores.1 With this study, the authors contribute to a growing literature on the importance of paternal postpartum depression better referred to as paternal perinatal affective disorder (PPAD),2 which encompasses both pre- and postnatal anxiety and depression. Whereas maternal postpartum depression (PPD) is increasingly recognized, PPAD is … Address correspondence to Michael W Yogman, MD, MSc, 14 Wyman Rd, Cambridge MA 02138. E-mail: mwyogman01{at}gmail.com
The Precarious Position of the Fourth Estate in Trumptopia: The Role of Popular Culture and the Law in Protecting Media Freedom

This article addresses the Trump administration’s on-going attack against the free press as the 'enemy of the people" both domestically and internationally. It discusses seminal cases in the area, including New York Times Co. v. Sullivan and Hustler Magazine v. Falwell. The piece also compares what is occurring in "Trumptopia" with Orwell's classic, dystopian novel, 1984, and addresses the gas-lighting technique that the president is using to convince the American people to believe that what he is saying is the "truth" even when they know it is doublespeak. The essay also proposes that Popular Culture, via films such as The Post, Spotlight, and Good Night and Good Luck, can remind the public of the vital importance of maintaining and protecting a strong, free, and independent media.
The Formation of Papal Authority in Late Antique Italy: Roman Bishops and the Domestic Sphere

This book is the first cultural history of papal authority in late antiquity. While most traditional histories posit a 'rise of the papacy' and examine popes as politicians, theologians and civic leaders, Kristina Sessa focuses on the late Roman household and its critical role in the development of the Roman church from c.350–600. She argues that Rome's bishops adopted the ancient elite household as a model of good government for leading the church. Central to this phenomenon was the classical and biblical figure of the steward, the householder's appointed agent who oversaw his property and people. As stewards of God, Roman bishops endeavored to exercise moral and material influence within both the pope's own administration and the households of Italy's clergy and lay elites. This original and nuanced study charts their manifold interactions with late Roman households and shows how bishops used domestic knowledge as the basis for establishing their authority as Italy's singular religious leaders.
Functional Genetic Variation in Dopamine Signaling Moderates Prefrontal Cortical Activity During Risky Decision-Making

Brain imaging has revealed links between prefrontal activity during risky decision-making and striatal dopamine receptors. Specifically, striatal dopamine D2-like receptor availability is correlated with risk-taking behavior and sensitivity of prefrontal activation to risk in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). The extent to which these associations, involving a single neurochemical measure, reflect more general effects of dopaminergic functioning on risky decision making, however, is unknown. Here, 65 healthy participants provided genotypes and performed the BART during functional magnetic resonance imaging. For each participant, dopamine function was assessed using a gene composite score combining known functional variation across five genes involved in dopaminergic signaling: DRD2, DRD3, DRD4, DAT1, and COMT. The gene composite score was negatively related to dorsolateral prefrontal cortical function during risky decision making, and nonlinearly related to earnings on the task. Iterative permutations of all possible allelic variations (7777 allelic combinations) was tested on brain function in an independently defined region of the prefrontal cortex and confirmed empirical validity of the composite score, which yielded stronger association than 95% of all other possible combinations. The gene composite score also accounted for a greater proportion of variability in neural and behavioral measures than the independent effects of each gene variant, indicating that the combined effects of functional dopamine pathway genes can provide a robust assessment, presumably reflecting the cumulative and potentially interactive effects on brain function. Our findings support the view that the links between dopaminergic signaling, prefrontal function, and decision making vary as a function of dopamine signaling capacity.
Unbiased atlas formation via large deformations metric mapping

The construction of population atlases is a key issue in medical image analysis, and particularly in brain mapping. Large sets of images are mapped into a common coordinate system to study intrapopulation variability and inter-population differences, to provide voxelwise mapping of functional sites, and to facilitate tissue and object segmentation via registration of anatomical labels. We formulate the unbiased atlas construction problem as a Frechet mean estimation in the space of diffeomorphisms via large deformations metric mapping. A novel method for computing constant speed velocity fields and an analysis of atlas stability and robustness using entropy are presented. We address the question: how many images are required to build a stable brain atlas?
Prostate Specific Antigen in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Adenocarcinoma of the Prostate. II. Radiation Treated Patients

Serum prostate specific antigen was determined (Yang polyclonal radioimmunoassay) in 183 men after radiation therapy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate. A total of 163 men had received 7,000 rad external beam radiotherapy and 20 had been implanted with 125iodine seeds. Only 11 per cent of these 183 patients had undetectable prostate specific antigen levels at a mean interval of 5 years since completion of radiotherapy. Prostate specific antigen levels after radiotherapy were directly related to initial clinical stage and Gleason score before treatment. Multiple prostate specific antigen determinations were performed with time in 124 of 183 patients. During year 1 after radiotherapy prostate specific antigen levels were decreasing in 82 per cent of the patients but only 8 per cent continued to decrease beyond year 1. Of 80 patients observed greater than 1 year after completion of radiotherapy 51 per cent had increasing values and 41 per cent had stable values. Increasing prostate specific antigen values after radiotherapy were correlated with progression to metastastic disease and residual cancer on prostate biopsy. Total serum acid phosphatase levels were poorly related to prostate specific antigen levels, were less effective in discriminating patients with metastatic disease and provided no additional information beyond that provided by prostate specific antigen.
Grid versus air gap: A comparison of cephalometric techniques

This study compares two cephalometric radiography techniques: one that uses a grid, the other an air gap, both of which increase image contrast by reduction of scatter radiation to the film. A 12.0 cm water phantom was used with a modified cephalometric radiography unit operating at 71 kVp. Air gaps (patient-to-film distances) of 0.0, 7.5, 12.5, 17.5, 25.5 cm were compared with a 10:1 ratio stationary focused grid at 0.0 cm. Comparisons were made from the measured patient surface exposure, the calculated contrast improvement factor, nominal magnification, and image resolution at each distance. Radiation exposure to the patient was 2.52 times greater with the grid than without. Using regression formulas, the contrast improvement factor of the grid was calculated to equate to an air gap of 9.5 cm. The 9.5 cm air gap would reduce patient exposure by 59.6% with similar image contrast and resolution as compared with the grid. Overall magnification was increased by 6.6% with the 9.5 cm air gap.
Organics and Ices in Galactic Dust

Hydrocarbon absorption (3.4 μm) along several different sightlines through the galaxy indicates that the dust carrier lies in the diffuse interstellar medium (DISM). Correlations of the hydrocarbon and silicate absorption features suggest an increased abundance of both in the direction of the galactic center. Dense molecular clouds do not exhibit the same type of 3.4 μm feature as seen in the DISM, which is puzzling in light of dust cycling times. Laboratory organics produced by different processes are compared to the DISM features. The 3.4 μm feature has now been detected in other galaxies, which suggests that the widespread distribution of organic material in our own galaxy may be common to other galaxies as well.
Understanding Engineering Systems Futures: Using Scenario Analysis and Planning to Develop Engineering Systems Leadership

Scenario analysis and planning provides a way for engineering students to systematically integrate political, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of complex, large-scale engineering systems into their understanding of the operation and evolution of these systems. Engineering systems also called socio-technical systems are, for example, the transportation, communication, and energy system and the interconnections among these. Additionally, scenario analysis and planning enables consideration of how emerging technology may change the way engineering systems operate and change over time. This paper describes the development of an experimental engineering leadership course based upon scenario analysis and planning at Penn State University. The course serves as a capstone for the engineering leadership development minor and is geared for students in science and engineering. Leveraging the student's background in science and engineering, the course sought to deepen and broaden their analytical skills as well as develop their synthetic thinking ability by using systems thinking and scenario analysis and planning to explore how advances in technology may impact economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and global security. Developing in the students an intellectual dexterity and agility regarding how different perspectives and interpretations of science and technology, especially regarding risk and how risk is managed and communicated, along with the ability to communicate clearly in writing and verbally is an overarching goal. Through the practice of systems thinking and scenario analysis and planning students can learn to develop judgment and insight about the evolution of technology and its relationship to human cultures and global civilization. The course develops critical thinking skills, which include creative thinking, exploring alternatives, situational awareness, and synthesis and provides a foundation for strategic thinking – an essential quality of mind required for leadership.
Proteomic profiling of quiescent and activated airway epithelial NKCC1 (1095.9)

Protein scaffolds at the amino- or carboxyl termini have specific roles in NKCC1 activation and/or membrane expression: Activation of epithelial NKCC1 transport activity also requires posttranslational modification (PTM). The goal of this study is to identify cargo proteins associated with the protein scaffolds and to assess PTM of NKCC1 using proteomic/nano LC-MS/MS methodology for more accurate modeling of NKCC1 regulation. NKCC1 was immunoprecipitated from Calu-3 epithelial cells after treatment to modify NKCC1 activity and subjected to 1D gel electrophoresis. Protein bands were excised for in-gel trypsin digestion followed by LS-MS/MS analysis. Phosphoenrichment of in-gel digests was used to identify sites of phosphorylation of NKCC1. We identified proteins associated with plasma membrane, endocytosis, exocytosis, intracellular signaling, structural proteins, endoplasmic reticulum, cytosol, and ubiquitination. We found that activated (okadaic acid treatment) NKCC1 mass decreased and inactive (siSPAK t...
Machine-Readable Data Files in the Social Sciences: An Anthropologist and a Librarian Look at the Issues.

The problems in making machine-readable data files (MRDFs) accessible as well as in using them are basically the same for all social scientists. There are two kinds of problem: the quality of the data in the MRDFs themselves and accessibility. The social scientists' concern is quality control; the librarians' is accessibility. "Clean" datasets make it possible to ask questions that could not be asked in the past. In analyzing large amounts of data, social scientists can detect the "weak signals" of important relationships. Three problems confronting librarians are: availability of bibliographic control; the quality of documentation; and level of user skills.
The Art of Letter Writing in Medical Family Therapy

A continuing challenge for individuals with a chronic illness is how to effectively put their illness into its place. Researchers have recognized that chronic illness patients experience high level...
A Review of “Battleground Business”

This two-volume subject encyclopedia contains articles describing “the most controversial issues in modern business,” according to its editors. The publication is an easy-to-use tool written for th...
The Role of Auxologic and Growth Factor Measurements in the Diagnosis of Growth Hormone Deficiency

The use of auxologic measurements in the diagnosis of short stature in children has a long history in pediatric endocrinology, and they have even been used as the primary criteria in selecting children for growth hormone (GH) therapy. Certainly, an abnormality in the control of growth is more likely in short children than in children of normal stature. However, most studies have shown little or no value of auxologic criteria in differentiating short children who have classic growth hormone deficiency (GHD) from short children who do not. In National Cooperative Growth Study Substudy VI, in more than 6000 children being assessed for short stature, the overall mean height SD score was −2.5 ± 1.1 and the body mass index standard deviation score was −0.5 ± 1.4. However, there were no significant differences in these measures between the patients who were found subsequently to have GHD and those who were not. There also was no consistent difference in the growth rates between the patients with classic GHD and those short children without a diagnosis of GHD. This probably reflects the fact that we are dealing with a selected population of children who were referred for short stature and are further selecting those who are the shortest for additional investigation. Growth factor measurements have been somewhat more useful in selecting patients with GHD and have been proposed as primary diagnostic criteria. However, in National Cooperative Growth Study Substudy VI, only small differences in the levels of insulin-like growth factor I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 were seen between the patients who were selected for GH treatment and those who were not. Many studies indicate that the primary value of growth factor measurements is to exclude patients who are unlikely to have GHD or to identify those patients in whom an expedited work-up should be performed. The diagnosis of GHD remains difficult and must be based on all of the data possible and the best judgment of an experienced clinician. Even under ideal circumstances, errors of both overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of GHD still are likely.
Caffeine as a novel toxicant for slugs and snails

Summary In this study, caffeine is shown to act as both a repellent and toxicant against slugs and snails. This research is the first to document the potential of caffeine as a molluscicide. A drench treatment using a 1% or 2% solution of caffeine caused 100% of slugs (Veronicella cubensis) to exit treated soil, and the majority of these slugs subsequently died from caffeine poisoning. A 2% solution of caffeine applied to the growing medium of orchids killed 95% of orchid snails, (Zonitoides arboreus), and gave better control than a liquid metaldehyde product representing the standard commercial control for this pest. Using leaf-dip bioassays, we discovered that slugs tended to avoid feeding on plant material treated with caffeine solutions 0.1%, and caffeine solutions as low as 0.01% significantly reduced overall feeding by slugs. Due to concerns about chemical residues, available molluscicides generally cannot be applied directly to food crops for control of slug and snail pests. Caffeine is a natural product which is approved as a food additive. Therefore, caffeine may prove useful for protecting food crops from slugs and snails.
Body temperature changes are associated with outcomes following in-hospital cardiac arrest and return of spontaneous circulation

Abstract Introduction Spontaneous changes in body temperature after return of circulation (ROSC) from cardiac arrest are common, but the association of these changes with outcomes in hospitalized patients who survive to 24h post-ROSC is not known. We tested the hypothesis that adults who experience temperature lability in the first 24h have worse outcomes compared with those who maintain normothermia. Materials and methods A prospective observational study from a multicenter registry of cardiac arrests (National Registry of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) from 355 US and Canadian hospitals. 14,729 adults with return of circulation from a pulseless cardiac arrest. We excluded those who died or were discharged before 24h post-event, those made Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) within 24h of event, those that had a preceding trauma, and those with multiple cardiac arrests. Finally, we included only subjects that had both a lowest ( T min ) and highest ( T max ) body temperature value recorded during the first 24-h after ROSC, resulting in a study sample of 3426 patients. Results After adjustment for potential covariates, there was a lower odds of survival in those having an episode of hypothermia (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48–0.80), those having an episode of hyperthermia (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.48–0.80), and those having an episode of both (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.39–0.91). Among those who survived to discharge, there was also a lower odds of favorable neurologic performance in those who had an episode of hyperthermia (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51–0.98). Conclusions Episodes of temperature lability following in-hospital resuscitation from cardiac arrest are associated with lower odds of surviving to discharge. Hyperthermia is also associated with fewer patients leaving the hospital with favorable neurologic performance. Further studies should identify whether therapeutic control over changes in body temperature after in-hospital cardiac arrest improves outcomes.
Dynamic reliability models with conditional proportional hazards.

A dynamic approach to the stochastic modelling of reliability systems is further explored. This modelling approach is particularly appropriate for load-sharing, software reliability, and multivariate failure-time models, where component failure characteristics are affected by their degree of use, amount of load, or extent of stresses experienced. This approach incorporates the intuitive notion that when a set of components in a coherent system fail at a certain time, there is a ‘jump’ from one structure function to another which governs the residual lifetimes of the remaining functioning components, and since the component lifetimes are intrinsically affected by the structure function which they constitute, then at such a failure time there should also be a jump in the stochastic structure of the lifetimes of the remaining components. For such dynamically-modelled systems, the stochastic characteristics of their jump times are studied. These properties of the jump times allow us to obtain the properties of the lifetime of the system. In particular, for a Markov dynamic model, specific expressions for the exact distribution functions of the jump times are obtained for a general coherent system, a parallel system, and a series-parallel system. We derive a new family of distribution functions which describes the distributions of the jump times for a dynamically-modelled system.
Inhibition of cell-cycle effectors of proliferation in bladder tumor epithelial cells by the p75NTR tumor suppressor.

The neurotrophin (NTR) receptor (p75(NTR)) is a cell-surface glycoprotein that binds to the neurotrophin family of growth factors, of which the prototypic member is nerve growth factor (NGF). This receptor was previously shown to retard cell-cycle progression by inducing accumulation of cells in G(1) with a concomitant reduction of cells in the S phase of the cell cycle. Furthermore, p75(NTR) was shown to be an effective tumor suppressor of bladder cancer cell growth in vivo. In order to investigate the mechanism of p75(NTR)-dependent suppression of cell-cycle progression, we utilized transgenic clones of bladder tumor cells that express p75(NTR) in increasing concentrations to demonstrate an effect of p75(NTR) on the levels of cell-cycle regulatory proteins that modulate proliferation of tumor cells. A rank-order (dose-dependent) increase in p75(NTR) protein expression was associated with a decrease in cell proliferation. This p75(NTR)-dependent suppression of proliferation was rescued with NGF. In the absence of ligand, a dose-dependent increase in p75(NTR) protein expression was associated with reduced expression of cyclin D1, cyclin E, and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (cdk2) as well as decreased cdk2 activity. There was also a decrease in the expression of hyper-phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein, the transcription factor E2F1, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and there was an increase in expression of hypophosphorylated Rb and the cdk inhibitor p16(Ink4a) with increasing p75(NTR) expression. Treatment of tumor cells with NGF ameliorated these p75(NTR)-dependent changes in the levels of cell-cycle regulatory proteins and rescued the tumor cells from p75(NTR)-dependent inhibition of proliferation. Hence, it can be concluded that p75(NTR) inhibits proliferation by altering the expression of cell-cycle regulatory proteins and that NGF ameliorates this effect.
Corneal epithelial wound closure in tissue culture: An in vitro model of ocular irritancy

The influence of 13 test agents on the ability of cultured rabbit corneal epithelial cells to migrate and re-cover a wound has been utilized to evaluate an in vitro model of ocular irritancy. Cells were grown under standard conditions and monitored for adequate cell density. Seven days after subculture, replicate wounds were produced and cultures were exposed to varying concentrations of a test agent in culture medium for 24 hr. Following exposure, cultures were fixed and stained to reveal remaining wound areas which were quantitated by computerized planimetry and compared to evaluate the deleterious effects of the test agents. The test ranks irritants in an order similar to that described in the literature for both in vivo and in vitro tests. This tissue culture model is conceptually simple, quantitative, and an alternative to the corneal component of whole animal testing for ocular irritancy.
Effects of chronic network hyperexcitability on the growth of hippocampal dendrites

Experiments reported here were motivated by studies in both human epilepsy and animal models in which stunted dendritic arbors are observed. Our goal was to determine if chronic network hyperexcitability alters dendritic growth. Experiments were conducted in hippocampal slice cultures obtained from infant mice that express the fluorescent protein YFP in CA1 hippocampal pyramidal cells. Results showed that 4 days of GABAa receptor blockade produced a 40% decrease in basilar dendritic length. When dendritic growth was followed over this 4-day interval, dendrites in untreated slices doubled in length, however dendrites in bicuculline treated cultures failed to grow. These effects were suppressed by APV - suggesting a dependence on NMDA receptor activation. Activation of the transcription factor CREB was also decreased by chronic network hyperexcitability - pointing to possible molecular events underlying the observed suppression of growth. Taken together, our results suggest that chronic hippocampal network hyperexcitability limits dendritic growth.
A global bifurcation theorem with applications to functional differential equations

Abstract We are interested here in studying the closure S of the set {( x , α ): F ( x , α ) = x and x ≠ 0} for a certain class of nonlinear operators F such that F (0, α ) = 0 for all α in an interval of real numbers. Our main abstract theorem establishes under certain conditions on F the existence of a closed, connected unbounded subset S 0 of S which contains a point (0, α 0 ) and no points of the form (0, α) for α ≠ α 0 . The novelty of this result is that it is obtained under hypotheses of the type used in asymptotic fixed point theorems; in our applications F is not, in general, Frechet differentiable at points (0, α) and may not even be continuous at such points. The abstract theorem is then applied to study the structure of the set of periodic solutions of the equation x ′( t ) = − αf ( x ( t − 1)) and to obtain sharp results on the range of periods as α varies.
Bioconversion of starches into maltotetraose using Pseudomonas stutzeri maltotetraohydrolase in a membrane recycle bioreactor: Effect of multiple enzyme systems and mass balance study

Abstract A simplified single-step method involving simultaneous production and purification of maltotetraose (G 4 ) by employing ultrafiltration (UF) membranes was previously proposed. The addition of a pretreatment step using pullulanase and then the G 4 -amylase was expected to increase the yield of G 4 . The single-enzyme system, however, showed 0.42 g higher total product output than the successive dual-enzyme system throughout 6 h reaction. The G 4 yield using the successive dual-enzyme system could be improved after removing the unwanted side product with UF. Experiments were conducted with membranes of larger pore size, but this did not significantly increase the total product output. The membrane unit with a molecular weight cutoff of 1,000 was the most appropriate membrane pore size for the G 4 -exo-α-amylase membrane recycle bioreactor system. The total amount of substrate fouled in the membrane during a 6-h reaction was estimated as 69 mg glucose equivalent when substrate concentration was 0.25% (w/v). The mass balance equation indicated that the percent conversion of soluble starch to G 4 at steady state was 65%.
In vitro cytotoxicities of inorganic lead and di- and trialkyl lead compounds to fish cells.

Although there has been much research on the effects of inorganic lead on the aquatic biota, less is known on the environmental impact of organolead compounds. Organolead compounds are primarily of anthropogenic origin, with the largest consumption of organolead being the use of tetraalkyl Pb as an antiknock additive in gasoline. Once deposited into aquatic environments the tetraalkyl Pb compounds may be degraded to tri- and dialkyl Pb species and then finally to Pb{sup 2+}. Di- and trialkyl Pb species are used as biocides and may enter aquatic ecosystems through runoff from terrestrial environments. This study evaluated the relative cytotoxicities of di- and trialkyl Pb compounds to fish cells in culture.
Synthesis and stereochemical analysis of isomeric N-substituted 5- and 6-propanilido-2-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octanes

The synthesis and stereochemical analysis of N-methyl and N-phenethyl-substituted 5- and 6-propanilido derivatives of 2-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octane were investigated for potential evaluation as analgesics related to fentanyl. Stereochemical assignments for the eight isomers reported here were made on the basis of nmr studies employing europium chemical shift reagents and hydrogen bonding studies employing ir analysis of the anilino- and propanilido-derivatives.
MICROFLORA OF FRESH PORK SAUSAGE CASINGS. 2. Natural Casings

SUMMARY– Aerobic total plate counts on TGE Agar at 28°C varied from a level greater than 30,000 to 59,000,000 microorganisms per gram in salt-packed natural casings and from 180,000 to 23,000,000 organisms per gram in wet-packed natural casings. Both salt-packed and wet-packed casings supported similar growth patterns in selective media. 38 isolates were identified from the salt-packed casings and 53 from the wet-packed. Of the salt-packed isolates, 60.5% were of the genus Bacillus, 7.9% Pseudomonas, 15.8% Clostridium, 1.6% Micrococcus and 5.3% Gaffkya Those isolates obtained from the wet-packed casings included 62.3% Bacillus, 7.5% Pseudomonas, 7.5% Clostridium, 7.5% Micrococcus, 5.6% Proteus, 1.9% Lactobacillus and 5.7% unidentified.
Etiology of Lateral Rectus Palsy in Infancy and Childhood

The etiologies of lateral rectus palsy in 132 infants and children seen over a period of 22 years in a university medical center were retrospectively reviewed and compared with similar reports in the literature. Unlike most reports, which lump children with adults, this study focuses on childhood etiologies of lateral rectus palsy. In contrast to the only two studies in the literature on childhood lateral rectus palsy, which reflect a purely ophthalmologic perspective, this study reflects experiences of pediatric neurology and pediatric neurosurgery, as well as ophthalmology. Most lateral rectus palsies were unilateral, almost equally distributed between right and left sides. Trauma, tumor, and congenital etiologies were the most prevalent. The relative frequency of each of these etiologies varies by service (neurology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology). In 10.6% of patients, etiology could not be determined. The majority of patients had an isolated lateral rectus palsy. Association of lateral rectus palsy with other cranial nerve palsies and/or long tract signs characterized trauma and tumor. The majority of tumors were primary and infratentorial. A small number of patients had benign recurrent lateral rectus palsy.
Evaluation of Phosphate Ester Base Fire-Resistant Fluids for Gas Turbines

Two phosphate ester base fire-resistant fluids were determined in laboratory testing to be superior or equivalent to the conventional petroleum base oils presently used to lubricate industrial gas turbines. This test program included tests of simulated performance, fluid stability, and fire resistance. Some differences were found between the two phosphate ester fluids although neither was judged superior to the other. Limited filed experience with these fluids has been satisfactory to date.Copyright © 1974 by ASME
A Careful Look at Modern Case Selection Methods

Case studies appear prominently in political science, sociology, and other social science fields. A scholar employing a case study research design in an effort to estimate causal effects must confr...
Applications of Nanoparticles in Biology

The wide variety of core materials available, coupled with tunable surface properties, make nanoparticles an excellent platform for a broad range of biological and biomedical applications. This Review provides an introduction to nanoparticle–biomolecular interactions as well as recent applications of nanoparticles in biological sensing, delivery, and imaging of live cells and tissues.
Nitrogen concentration in cottonseed as an indicator of N availability

Research on corn and winter wheat has shown that a critical N concentration in the grain exists above which a yield response to N fertilizer is unlikely. This indicator can be used for post-harvest evaluation of N sufficiency and for mapping N availability in the field, which may be helpful for making future N fertilizer decisions. The purpose of this study was to determine if a critical N concentration in the seed exists for cotton. The study was conducted in the Georgia Coastal Plain during 1998, 1999, and 2001, using a different variety of cotton in each year. In 1998, 12 N fertilizer rates ranging from 38 to 203 kg ha–1 were applied to Delta Pineland 90 at three locations within one field that differed in soil organic matter and clay concentration, and in 1999 and 2001, 6 N fertilizer rates ranging from 22 to 179 kg ha–1 were applied to Stoneville 474 and Delta Pineland 458 in a different field. At all locations, the N concentration in the cottonseed increased linearly with increasing N fertilizer rates. Maximum yields were obtained at less than maximum seed N concentration. Lower seed N concentrations indicated some degree of N deficiency. Based on these results, it appears that a critical N concentration of 35 g kg–1 exists for cottonseeds, above which no yield response to N fertilizer is likely. Information on the spatial distribution of cottonseed N concentrations could therefore help to evaluate the adequacy of N fertilization for cotton, thereby providing a basis for adjustment of N fertilization rates in future crops.
Social and Private Rates of Return from Industrial Innovations

I. Introduction, 221.—II. The sample of innovations, 222.—III. Estimation of social benefits: product innovations used by firms, 222.—IV. Parallel innovative efforts, time horizon, and rates of return, 226.—V. Product innovations used by households, 229.—VI. Process innovations, 231.—VII. Social and private rates of return, 233.—VIII. Factors associated with the gap between social and private rates of return, 235.—IX. Unemployment, repercussions on other markets, and future changes in technology, 238.—X. Conclusion, 239.
First excited A=9 isospin quartet

The first excited state of $^{9}\mathrm{C}$ and its analog in $^{9}\mathrm{B}$ have been observed, and their mass excesses and widths have been measured. This completes a new mass quartet which differs from the predictions of the isobaric multiple mass equation less significantly than the ground state $A=9$ quartet.
A New Technique for Thermodynamic Engine Modeling

A recently developed set of governing equations for piston engine performance shows that it is a function of four fundamental engine efficiencies (combustion, thermodynamic cycle or indicated thermal, volumetric, and mechanical), as well as engine operational and design parameters. This set of governing equations suggests a different technique for engine modeling: model each efficiency individually and combine these efficiency submodels to obtain an overall engine model. In this context, a simple method for predicting the combustion efficiency of piston engines is desired. Various methods are proposed and compared with experimental results. These combustion efficiency models are then combined with various models for the volumetric, mechanical, and indicated thermal efficiencies to produce three different engine models of varying degrees of sophisticatio n. Predictions of the resulting engine models are then compared to experimental data. It is shown that combustion efficiency is almost independent of load, speed, and compression ratio and is not strongly dependent on fuel type of fuels similar to gasoline. It is concluded that combustion efficiency may be accurately modeled using equilibrium considerations, at least for spark-ignition engines with near-optimum ignition timing. Also, although the new approach to engine performance modeling does not promise to be more accurate than currently available codes, it does present the performance characteristics in a more straightforward and easily interpreted manner.
Semantic Representations of Syntactically Marked Discourse Status in Crosslinguistic Perspective

This paper presents suggested semantic representations for different types of referring expressions in the format of Minimal Recursion Semantics and sketches syntactic analyses which can create them compositionally. We explore cross-linguistic harmonization of these representations, to promote interoperability and reusability of linguistic analyses. We follow Borthen and Haugereid (2005) in positing COG-ST ('cognitive status') as a feature on the syntax-semantics interface to handle phenomena associated with definiteness. Our proposal helps to unify the treatments of definiteness markers, demonstratives, overt pronouns and null anaphora across languages. In languages with articles, they contribute an existential quantifier and the appropriate value for COG-ST. In other languages, the COG-ST value is determined by an affix. The contribution of demonstrative determiners is decomposed into a COG-ST value, a quantifier, and proximity information, each of which can be contributed by a different kind of grammatical construction in a given language. Along with COG-ST, we posit a feature that distinguishes between pronouns (and null anaphora) that are sensitive to the identity of the referent of their antecedent and those that are sensitive to its type.