cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rainer Gross Award Lecture 2018: The Childhood Plasma Proteome: Discovering its Applications in Public Health Nutrition

Millions of children have multiple nutritional deficiencies, threatening their optimal growth, development, and quality of life. Revealing the magnitude and underlying biology of malnutrition from a greatly expanded set of practical biomarkers will be critical for developing appropriately targeted and evaluated interventions. However, our abilities to reveal and quantify the many forms of malnutrition, other than by anthropometry and occasional use of biochemical indicators, remain limited. Plasma proteomics holds great promise as a basis for developing novel biomarkers to facilitate assessment of growth, micronutrient status, inflammation, and other health status of populations while also providing biological insight into causes and adverse consequences of malnutrition. Discovery-driven plasma proteomics has been shown to reveal functional biomarkers of nutritional and health status, identifying clusters of protein biomarkers from which field-friendly, comprehensive, and low-cost methods could be developed for assessing populations. In this brief review, we summarize several key discoveries to date and discuss potential public health applications of proteomics-based biomarkers in reporting the extent and metabolic features of undernutrition in low-resource settings.
Response-Outcome versus Outcome-Response Associations in Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer: Effects of Instrumental Training Context.

One experiment with rats used Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) tests to explore potential competitive interactions between Pavlovian and instrumental processes during instrumental learning. Two instrumental response-outcome relations (e.g., left lever – grain pellets, right lever – sucrose pellets) were first trained in distinct contexts for one group of rats (Group Differential) or in each of two contexts for a second group (Group Non-Differential). Both of these groups then received training with two Pavlovian stimulus-outcome relations in a third experimental context. Selective PIT tests conducted in both the Pavlovian and instrumental contexts revealed greater selective PIT in Group Non-Differential than in Group Differential subjects. This result is discussed in terms of the roles played by context-outcome, response-outcome, and outcome-response associations during instrumental learning. The results further help us understand the nature of Pavlovian-instrumental interactions in specific PIT tasks.
Consistent Blind Image Deblurring Using Jump-Preserving Extrapolation

Blind image deblurring (BID) aims to estimate the true image from blurred observations when the blurring mechanism described by a point spread function (PSF) cannot be completely specified beforeha...
Marital Status and Physical Health: Racial Differences

Background and aims: As suggested by the Minorities’ Diminished Return Theory, the associationbetween socioeconomic status and health is weaker for racial and ethnic minorities compared toWhites. The current study compared Blacks and Whites in terms of the association between maritalstatus and physical health.Methods: The State of the State Survey (SOSS) included 881 adults (92 Blacks and 782 Whites)generalizable to the state of Michigan, the United States. The marital status and self-rated physical health(SRPH), which was measured using a single item, were considered as independent and dependentvariables, respectively. In addition, age, gender, education, and employment were covariates and race/ethnicity was regarded as the moderating factor. Finally, logistic regression was used for data analysis.Results: Based on the results, being married was associated with better SRPH, which is the netconsidered by all confounders. A significant interaction was found between race and marital status onSRPH, suggesting a larger association for Blacks compared to Whites. In race stratified models, maritalstatus was related to better SRPH for Whites and Blacks, but the magnitude of this link was larger forBlacks compared to Whites.Conclusion: Overall, marital status was differently linked to SRPM for Whites and Blacks. Accordingly,policymakers should be cautious while not assuming that diverse racial and ethnic groups with similareconomic resources have similar health status.
Diversity in dermatology: a society devoted to skin of color

The US Census Bureau predicts that more than half of the country's population will identify as a race other than non-Hispanic white by the year 2044. Racial disparities also exist in the physician population where black individuals and Latinos are underrepresented. The Skin of Color Society (SOCS) was established to address the need for parity among dermatology patients with skin of color. The society provides educational support on dermatologic health related to skin of color and functions through committees that represent the multifaceted aspects of the organization. This column highlights the ongoing efforts of SOCS and its impact since its inception. We also chronicle the society's approach to broadening the scope of the specialty of dermatology.
Rectal Conditions: Rectal Cancer—Postoperative Surveillance

Postoperative surveillance for rectal cancer is an important part of comprehensive cancer care. While more effective chemo-radiotherapy and surgical techniques have improved clinical outcomes, risk of recurrent rectal cancer remains high. Long-term surveillance is used to detect recurrent disease that may be potentially resectable and to identify/remove metachronous lesions at an early stage. Surveillance is best accomplished with a combination of clinical exams, laboratory, endoscopic and radiographic tests. Each method has unique strengths and weaknesses, but in totality, and until other biomarkers are identified, they provide the most comprehensive way to surveil postoperative patients with rectal cancer.
The EU’s Response to the Migration Crisis: Institutional Turbulence and Policy Disjuncture

This chapter on migration and crisis evaluates the complex relationship between migration, policy integration turbulence, and EU governance. It traces the divergent paths within EU migration policy, comparing asylum, borders, and freedom of movement policies. It argues that while EU migration policy struggles to respond to turbulence, it also produces turbulence. Early path differentiation within migration policy—between border security and asylum management—created divergent policy trajectories. Compounding this turbulence was a political crisis the size of the refugee crisis, which made unified and coordinated solutions more difficult. Political crisis and institutional turbulence exacerbate and reduce the likelihood of any durable political solutions to the humanitarian crisis at the EU’s borders. So, while crisis catalyzes some aspects of migration policy integration, such as border policy, it stunts others, like asylum.
Identifying vulnerable populations at a university during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Persons with high-risk for severe COVID-19 illness require special attention when considering university operations during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The objective of this study was to determine the number of students who fall within a high-risk category according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines using linked databases. Participants: Students enrolled at a large public University and who accessed the student health center between 2016 and 2020. Methods: Clinical data were linked with both university student enrollment and disability services databases to provide a comprehensive, de-identified dataset of students at higher medical risk of severe COVID-19 illness. Results: 1902 unique students (14% of the student health center population) were identified as having one or more high-risk condition. Conclusions: Utilizing a large and longitudinally linked student database provides universities with valuable information to make critical administrative decisions about how best to accommodate high-risk students to reduce their medical risk when returning to in-person instruction.
Learning in a Post-Truth World

Misinformation has emerged as a major societal challenge in the wake of the 2016 U.S. elections, Brexit, and the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most active areas of inquiry into misinformation examines how the cognitive sophistication of people impacts their ability to fall for misleading content. In this paper, we capture sophistication by studying how misinformation affects the two canonical models of the social learning literature: sophisticated (Bayesian) and naive (DeGroot) learning. We show that sophisticated agents can be more likely to fall for misinformation. Our model helps explain several experimental and empirical facts from cognitive science, psychology, and the social sciences. It also shows that the intuitions de- veloped in a vast social learning literature should be approached with caution when making policy decisions in the presence of misinformation. We conclude by discussing the relationship between misinformation and increased partisanship, and provide an example of how our model can inform the actions of policymakers trying to contain the spread of misinformation.
Factors Associated With Online Learning Self-Efficacy Among Students With Disabilities In Higher Education

This study examined how the prevalence of online learning increases educational outcomes and access for students with disabilities, exploring the factors associated with these learners’ self-effica...
[When a patient falls (asleep) and can't get up: conversion disorder - paraplegia following general anesthesia].

Abstract Background and objectives This case report describes the rare occurrence of paraplegia caused by conversion disorder in a woman who received general anesthesia for breast surgery. Case report A 46-year-old healthy woman received general anesthesia for excision of a left breast fibroepithelial lesion. In the post-anesthesia care unit, she reported bilateral loss of both sensation and motor function below the knees. Physical signs and symptoms did not correlate with any anatomical or neurological patterns; imaging revealed no abnormalities. Psychiatric consultation was performed wherein familial stressor circumstances were identified, leading to diagnosis and management of conversion disorder. Conclusion Conversion disorder is characterized by alteration of physical function due to expression of an underlying psychological ailment. Its diagnosis requires thorough evaluation including appropriate workup to exclude organic causes. The meshing together of anesthesiology and psychiatry – as demonstrated by this case report – offers an opportunity to highlight important information pertaining to the definition, diagnosis, and management of conversion disorder as it may be encountered in the postanesthesia recovery period.
25-Hydroxyvitamin D isomerizes to pre-25-hydroxyvitamin D in solution: considerations for calibration in clinical measurements

Reference standards for the vitamin D metabolites 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, 25-hydroxyvitamin D2, and 3-epi-25-hydroxyvitamin D3 were evaluated using liquid chromatography (LC) with ultraviolet (UV) absorbance and mass spectrometric (MS) detection to assess purity. The chromatograms for solutions of all three 25(OH)D compounds, obtained using a pentafluorophenyl (PFP) stationary phase, revealed peaks that increased in area over time and had MS spectra that were nearly identical to the parent compound, indicating isomers had formed in solution that were unrelated to the reference standard purity. However, when the purity evaluations were completed with a cyanopropyl stationary phase, the isomeric products coeluted with the parent compounds and were not observable. The rates of formation of the isomeric products were found to increase when heated and were confirmed to be pre-25-hydroxyvitamin D compounds using spectral information from both MS detection and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The rates of conversion of 25(OH)D3 to pre-25(OH)D3 was studied in solutions of ethanol and bovine serum albumin (BSA) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The solutions prepared with BSA/PBS were found to form twice as much pre-25(OH)D3 as the solutions in ethanol. The isomerization of 25(OH)D in solution has implications for calibration of 25(OH)D in clinical measurements, which are discussed.
Invariant foliations near normally hyperbolic invariant manifolds for semiflows

Let M be a compact C1 manifold which is invariant and normally hyperbolic with respect to a C1 semiflow in a Banach space. Then in an -neighborhood of M there exist local C1 center-stable and center-unstable manifolds W cs( ) and W cu( ), respectively. Here we show that W cs( ) and W cu( ) may each be decomposed into the disjoint union of C1 submanifolds (leaves) in such a way that the semiflow takes leaves into leaves of the same collection. Furthermore, each leaf intersects M in a single point which determines the asymptotic behavior of all points of that leaf in either forward or backward time.
USA: German in the Changing Landscape of Postsecondary Education.

This article identifies recent indicators of the state of German Studies in the United States with special attention to postsecondary enrollments in German. It additionally reviews challenges to the postsecondary teaching of German as they manifest themselves both locally and nationally, including the positioning of German Studies in the life of universities and colleges and the equitable treatment, well being, and success of those teaching German.
Mercury poisoning with central and peripheral nervous system involvement treated with penicillamine.

A 14-year-old boy developed acrodynia during the first year of life from topical ammoniated mercury ointment and developed the Guillain-Barre syndrome from chronic mercury vapor poisoning beginning at age eleven. Treatment of mercury poisoning with penicillamine is efficacious in promoting mercury excretion, and reducing symptoms.
Cultural constraints on music perception and cognition

Abstract Research suggests that music, like language, is both a biological predisposition and a cultural universal. While humans naturally attend to and process many of the psychophysical cues present in musical information, there is a great — and often culture-specific — diversity of musical practices differentiated in part by form, timbre, pitch, rhythm, and other structural elements. Musical interactions situated within a given cultural context begin to influence human responses to music as early as one year of age. Despite the world's diversity of musical cultures, the majority of research in cognitive psychology and the cognitive neuroscience of music has been conducted on subjects and stimuli from Western music cultures. From the standpoint of cognitive neuroscience, identification of fundamental cognitive and neurological processes associated with music requires ascertaining that such processes are demonstrated by listeners from a broad range of cultural backgrounds and in relation to various musics across cultural traditions. This chapter will review current research regarding the role of enculturation in music perception and cognition and the degree to which cultural influences are reflected in brain function. Exploring music cognition from the standpoint of culture will lead to a better understanding of the core processes underlying perception and how those processes give rise to the world's diversity of music forms and expressions.
The Design of New Submerged Entry Nozzles for Beam‐Blank Continuous Casting

Two types of radial flow submerged entry nozzle (SEN) were proposed to overcome the shortcomings of the straight SEN which has been widely used since the first beam-blank caster was installed in Algoma Steel over four decades ago. One radial flow SEN was designed with the purpose of “self-braking”, with which fluid flow velocity in the mold can be reduced and the inclusion removal ratio can be increased. However, the “self-braking” gives a rise to a negative effect of confining too much superheat to a small region in the mold, which will cause serious quality problems and increase the risk of breakouts. Thereby another radial flow SEN was designed, which could avoid the heat concentrating by an asymmetrical flow pattern. In this paper, advantages and disadvantages of these three SENs for beam-blank continuous casting were discussed in detail by using numerical simulation, water modeling and industrial trials.
RELATION OF STRUCTURE TO FUNCTION IN BACTERIAL O ANTIGENS I. : Isolation Methods

Abstract Nowotny, Anna M. (City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, Calif.), Scott Thomas, Olga S. Duron, and Alois Nowotny. Relation of structure to function in bacterial O antigens. I. Isolation methods. J. Bacteriol. 85:418–426. 1963.—Six isolation methods, four previously described and two reported herein, were compared for the extraction of endotoxic O antigens from three different enterobacteria: Serratia marcescens Bizio, Salmonella typhosa O901, and Escherichia coli K-12 lambda. Large variations were observed in the toxin yield, in the serologically reactive material yield, and in the nucleic acid-releasing abilities of the six methods when applied to the different bacterial strains. Chemical analyses of the toxic O antigens included quantitative determination of the amino acids, long- and short-chain carboxylic acids, and carbohydrates. Comparisons of the nucleic acid content were also made. Although the chemical composition of the preparations was quite different, no correlation could be found between the percentage of the above components and the lethal toxicity or the serological reactivity. It was concluded that the structural elements or properties responsible for these biological activities cannot be detected by gross chemical analyses.
Final State Interactions in the Decays of Heavy Quarks

I discuss some recent results on the systematic behavior of final state rescattering which makes use of the limit of a heavy B meson. The results suggest that soft final state interactions do not disappear in the large $m_B$ limit. Soft and hard final state phases can both contribute to CP violating asymmetries in B decay. The way that the soft phases occur is interesting theoretically and suggests the violation of local quark-hadron duality.
Biotin Transport and Accumulation by Cells of Lactobacillus plantarum I. General Properties of the System

Waller, James R. (University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio), and Herman C. Lichstein. Biotin transport and accumulation by cells of Lactobacillus plantarum. I. General properties of the system. J. Bacteriol. 90:843-852. 1965.-Resting cells of Lactobacillus plantarum were saturated with bound biotin by incubation in phosphate buffer with biotin and glucose for 2 hr. This bound biotin was stable to wide changes in temperature, pH, and reaction time. Free biotin could be eluted from the cells by suspending them in cold water or saline. Immersing the cells in boiling water for 30 sec released all free biotin. Recoveries of added biotin exceeded 92%. Free biotin uptake by bound biotin-saturated cells occurred by two mechanisms. One process was independent from temperature (Q(10), 1.25), pH, cellular metabolism, and inhibition by iodoacetate. The other mechanism was dependent upon temperature (Q(10), 2.58; optimum, 37 C), pH (optimum, 7.5), and active cellular metabolism, and was inhibited by iodoacetate. Activation energies of 3,700 and 13,800 cal per mole, respectively, were observed for glucose-independent and -dependent free biotin uptake. Both processes exhibited approximately the same degree of inhibition by homobiotin. Higher concentrations of homobiotin were required to inhibit growth than to inhibit free biotin uptake. Intracellular-extracellular ratios as high as 600 were established in the absence of glucose, whereas ratios of nearly 4,000 occurred in the presence of glucose.
CUTANEOUS MYIASIS DUE TO WOHLFAHRTIA VIGIL.

A case of Wohlfahrita vigil myiasis is reported in a 5-month-old boy who picked up the infection sleeping in a car while traveling through North Dakota.
A real time analysis/Display system for nonstationary coastal processes

An all digital, real time, signal processing system designed for analyzing nonstationary processes is described. The system, capable of processing up to four signals simultaneously, is used primarily for determining time-varying spectra and correlation functions. One of the unique features of this transportable system is the programmable pseudo-color 3D display subsystem. The variable upper frequency range extends from 0.005 Hz. to 20 KHz. The architecture incorporates an array processor and a small microprocessor functioning as the system executive.
Two-Photon Excitation Microscopy for the Study of Living Cells and Tissues

Two-photon excitation microscopy is an alternative to confocal microscopy that provides advantages for three-dimensional and deep tissue imaging. This unit will describe the basic physical principles behind two-photon excitation and discuss the advantages and limitations of its use in laser-scanning microscopy. The principal advantages of two-photon microscopy are reduced phototoxicity, increased imaging depth, and the ability to initiate highly localized photochemistry in thick samples. Practical considerations for the application of two-photon microscopy will then be discussed, including recent technological advances. This unit will conclude with some recent applications of two-photon microscopy that highlight the key advantages over confocal microscopy and the types of experiments which would benefit most from its application.
Quasi-Hamiltonian reduction via classical Chern–Simons theory

Abstract This paper puts the theory of quasi-Hamiltonian reduction in the framework of shifted symplectic structures developed by Pantev, Toen, Vaquie and Vezzosi. We compute the symplectic structures on mapping stacks and show how the AKSZ topological field theory defined by Calaque allows one to neatly package the constructions used in quasi-Hamiltonian reduction. Finally, we explain how a prequantization of character stacks can be obtained purely locally.
Reply to Richard A. Leo and Jon B. Gould

In a recent article in the Ohio Journal of Criminal Law Professors Richard Leo and Jon Gould criticize some of our research on false convictions. In this brief reply we dispute some of their methodological assertions, and point out that while Leo and Gould take issue in some detail with our cautious and generally pessimistic view of research in this area, they do not actually dispute any of our empirical conclusions.
Functional Diagnostic Parameters for Arteriovenous Fistula

The inability to detect the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) dysfunction in a timely manner under the current surveillance programs, which are based on either diameter (d), flow rate (Q), or pressure (p) measurements, is one of the major challenges of dialysis treatment. Thus, our aim is to introduce new functional diagnostic parameters that can better predict AVF functionality status. Six AVFs were created between the femoral arteries and veins of three pigs, each pig having two AVFs on either limb. Flow fields and pressure drop (Δp) in AVFs were obtained via numerical analysis utilizing the CT scan and Doppler ultrasound data at 2D (D: days), 7D, and 28D postsurgery. The dataset included 16 (two pigs [four AVFs] for three time points, and one pig [two AVFs] for two time points) repeated measurements over time, and the statistical analysis was done using a mixed model. To evaluate the nature of pressure drop-flow relationships in AVFs, the Δp was correlated with the average velocity at proximal artery (v) and also the corresponding scaled velocity (v*) by the curvature ratio of anastomotic segment. Based on these relationships, two new functional diagnostic parameters, including the nonlinear pressure drop coefficient (Cp ; pressure drop divided by dynamic pressure at proximal artery) and the linear resistance index (R; pressure drop divided by velocity at proximal artery), were introduced. The diagnostic parameters that were calculated based on scaled velocity are represented as R* and Cp *. A marginal (P = 0.1) increase in d from 2D (5.4 ± 0.7 mm) to 7D (6.8 ± 0.7 mm), along with a significant increase in Q (2D: 967 ± 273 mL/min; 7D: 1943 ± 273 mL/min), was accompanied by an almost unchanged Δp over this time period (2D: 16.42 ± 4.6 mm Hg; 7D: 16.40 ± 4.6 mm Hg). However, the insignificant increase in d and Q from 7D to 28D (d = 7.8 ± 0.8 mm; Q = 2181 ± 378 mL/min) was accompanied by the elevation in Δp (24.6 ± 6.5 mm Hg). The functional diagnostic parameters, R and Cp , decreased from 2D (R = 22.4 ± 2.8 mm Hg/m/s; Cp = 12.0 ± 2.6) to 7D (R = 20.8 ± 2.8 mm Hg/m/s; Cp = 8.1 ± 2.6), and then increased from 7D to 28D (R = 35.5 ± 5.7 mm Hg/m/s; Cp = 17.5 ± 3.6) with a marginal significance. However, when the scaled velocity was used to calculate R* and Cp *, the increase in diagnostic parameters from 7D to 28D achieved statistical significance (P < 0.05). In summary, although the differences in the hemodynamic parameters (d, Q, and Δp) from 7D to 28D were insignificant, changes in their combined effects in the form of diagnostic parameters were significant. Therefore, the functional diagnostic parameters are capable of better distinguishing changes in the hemodynamic variations, and thus, could be promising endpoints to diagnose the functionality of AVFs over time.
A comparison of results for cholesterol in human serum obtained by the reference method and by the definitive method of the national reference system for cholesterol

Here we compare the Reference Method (I) and the Definitive Method (II) for measurement of cholesterol in serum. For pure cholesterol solutions, values by I agree with values by II, but for fresh, frozen, or lyophilized sera, values by I average 1.6% higher than values by II. We conclude that an undetected interference is associated with I. However, the observed difference does not diminish the usefulness of I as an accuracy base for cholesterol measurements, because it is clinically insignificant at present.
Crystallographic orientation dependence of radiation damage in Ar + implanted YSZ and MgO single crystals

Abstract Single crystals of magnesia (MgO) and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) with (1 0 0), (1 1 0) and (1 1 1) orientations were implanted with 100 and 150 keV Ar + ions at room temperature. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry combined with ion channeling (RBS/C) was used to analyze radiation damage. Results showed that there is strong crystallographic orientation dependence for damage accumulation. In both materials, the greatest amount of damage was observed in samples with (1 1 1) orientation and the least in (1 1 0) samples. This variation in the amount of damage may be due to the dynamic annealing rate anisotropy. Such behavior of YSZ and MgO under ion bombardment confirms the damage anisotropy model describing the biaxial texture development in these materials during ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD).
Comparison of finite element stress analysis of aortic valve leaflet using either membrane elements or solid elements

Abstract A comparison of the stress distribution during diastole in a single aortic valve leaflet was made using either a membrane shell or solid 20 node curved element. A physiological pressure gradient of 100mmHg was used in the analyses. The geometry of the aortic leaflet was approximated as an elliptic-paraboloid. The material of the leaflet was assumed to be isotropic with a Young's modulus of 500 gm/mm2 and a Poisson's ratio of 0.3. The maximal principal stresses predicted by membrane shell elements, in general, were in good agreement with those predicted by 3-dimensional solid elements, although some variations were present.
Common and variable domains of the flagellin gene, flaA, in Campylobacter jejuni.

Summary The organization of the flagellin gene locus in Campylobacter jejuni strain IN1 (Lior 7) was determined using the polymerase chain (PCR) reaction and a series of oligonucleotide primers. Two tandemly arranged flagellin genes of approximately 1.7 kb were found to be joined by an intervening segment of c. 0.2 kb, similar to that reported for Campylobacter coli. The 5′ flagellin gene, flaA, was generated by PCR and both strands sequenced. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence for C. jejuni FlaA with the published sequence for C. coli FlaA showed 77% identical amino acids between the proteins. Two common regions, C1 and C2, comprising the N-terminal 170 amino acids and C-terminal 100 amino acids, exhibit amino acids 94% and 96% identical to those of C. coli, respectively. The variable region, V1, comprising the middle of the protein, shows 61% identical residues with C. coli. Comparison of these regions with other bacterial flagellins reveals a similar pattern but with much less identity. Several areas within the V1 region correspond to predicted surface-exposed regions and may represent areas in which surface epitopes are located.
Nylon 66 Carpet Streaks Versus Fiber Crimp and Dyeability

Texturing conditions were systematically varied in a factorial experiment, and the resulting yams characterized for crimp, relative dyeability, and propensity to form streaks in two-ply saxony carpets. The streaks were highly correlated with crimp rather than dye variations, with high and low crimp yarn implants producing light and dark streaks, respectively. The crimp level was also quantitatively correlated with texturing changes and a novel carpet tuft compression measurement. This analytical tool allows, for the first time, confirmation. of crimp-related carpet streaks.
Cooperative interaction of reduced pyridine nucleotides with estrogen synthetase of human placental microsomes.

Abstract The estrogen synthetase present in human placental microsomes appears to be dependent on the cooperative interaction of the reduced cofactors NADPH and NADH for optimal activity. Using steady-state concentrations of either cofactor, it was found that while the estrogen synthetase activity followed hyperbolic saturation kinetics with NADPH ( K m app = 14 μM), the enzyme followed sigmoidal saturation kinetics when the cofactor was NADH, with the half-maximum velocity attained at a cofactor concentration of 1.1 m m . The maximum velocity obtained with NADPH as the cofactor was greater than with corresponding concentrations of NADH. Estrogen synthetase activity in the presence of NADH was not due to NADPH contamination. NADH, in the presence of small concentrations of NADPH (0.5 to 5 μ m ), stimulated significantly the rate of estrogen formation from androstenedione by placental microsomes and, in addition, the enzyme saturation kinetics changed from sigmoidal to hyperbolic, thus mimicking the effect of NADPH. Estrogen synthetase activity, measured in the presence of 1 m m NADH, was stimulated in a dose-dependent manner by NADPH ( K m app = 0.4 μM NADPH) and, when the enzyme was measured in the presence of 5 μ m NADPH, the activity was stimulated in a dose-dependent manner by NADH ( K m app = 45 μM NADH). Estrogen synthetase activity measured in the presence of NADH, without and with NADPH (1 μ m ) remained linear both with time of incubation for approximately 15 min and with microsomal protein concentration up to 3 mg/ml. The apparent K m of estrogen synthetase for androstenedione, when measured in the presence of NADH, was 1 μ m . The synergistic interaction between NADH and NADPH in stimulating placental estrogen synthetase activity observed in vitro may, conceivably, take place in vivo in the intact placenta.
Comparison of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and dual-ISH (DISH) in the determination of her2 status in breast cancer

The determination of HER2 amplification is critical to selecting appropriate patients for HER2 targeted therapy in breast cancer. Dual in situ hybridization (DISH), an alternative to fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunohistochemistry, is now available. To compare the FISH and DISH methods, we tested 251 samples enriched for common or difficult-to-assess HER2 anomalies. Seven samples failed DISH testing. There was a 64% (156/244) concordance between FISH and DISH by anomaly (κ = 0.58, 95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.65; P < .0001) and an 83% (203/244) concordance by amplification status (κ = 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.47-0.69; P < .0001). DISH resulted in lower estimates of HER2/ centromere 17 ratios than FISH, and many cases that were equivocal with FISH were normal with DISH. DISH did not detect any case with coamplification of HER2 and centromere 17. Using a cohort of difficult specimens, we observed less than 95% concordance between FISH and DISH. DISH may underestimate the HER2/chromosome 17 ratio, or FISH may overestimate this ratio.
Evidence vs experience in the surgical management of necrotizing enterocolitis and focal intestinal perforation

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and focal intestinal perforation (FIP) are neonatal intestinal emergencies that affect premature infants. Although most cases of early NEC can be successfully managed with medical therapy, prompt surgical intervention is often required for advanced or perforated NEC and FIP. The surgical management and treatment of FIP and NEC are discussed on the basis of literature review and our personal experience. Surgical options are diverse, and include peritoneal drainage, laparotomy with diverting ostomy alone, laparotomy with intestinal resection and primary anastomosis or stoma creation, with or without second-look procedures. The optimal surgical therapy for FIP and NEC begins with prompt diagnosis and adequate fluid resuscitation. It appears that there is no significant difference in patient outcome based on surgical management alone. However, the infant's weight, comorbidities, surgeon preference and timing of intervention should be taken into account before operative intervention.
Do Statistical Reporting Standards Affect What Is Published? Publication Bias in Two Leading Political Science Journals

Do Statistical Reporting Standards Affect What Is Published? Publication Bias in Two Leading Political Science Journals
Prescribing product upgrades, prices and production levels over time in a stochastic environment

Abstract Competitive pressures cause the price of high-technology products to erode over time. The purpose of this paper is to describe a decision support tool to maximize profit by prescribing three related decisions: product upgrading, pricing and production levels. A stochastic dynamic programming (DP) model prescribes when to upgrade a product and what new technologies to incorporate to maintain product competitiveness and profit margins. It deals with the two major sources of risk: demand and the lead time required to complete an upgrade. The objective of the DP model is to maximize expected profit over a given planning horizon. Decision variables prescribe which alternative upgrades to implement and when, pricing, and production levels. Benchmarking computational tests are described along with an example demonstrating model application. Managers can use this DP model to coordinate decisions related to product upgrading, pricing, and operations management to better meet business objectives.
Performance models for Noahnet

Noahnet is an experimental flood local area network with features such as high reliability and high performance. Noahnet uses a randomly connected graph topology with four to five interconnections per node and a flooding protocol to route messages.The purpose of this paper is to present two analytical performance models which we have designed to understand the load-throughput behavior of Noahnet. Both models assume slotted Noahnet operation and also assume that if k messages attempt transmission in a slot, the network gets divided into k partitions of arbitrary sizes - one partition for each message. First, we show that the average number of successful messages in a slot given k partitions of transmissions is (M - k)/(N - 1), where N is the number of nodes in the network and M is the number of nodes out of N that participate in the flooding of k messages. This is an interesting result and is used in both models to derive the load-throughput equations.Each model is then presented using a set of assumptions, derivations of load-throughput equations, a set of plots, and the discussion of results. Models one and two differ in the way they account for retransmissions.
A simulation-based approach for dynamic process management at web service platforms

Web services technology is being adopted as a viable deployment approach for future distributed software systems that enable business-to-business and business-to-consumer interactions across the open and dynamic internet environment. Recent research is focused on developing support technologies for web service discovery, on-demand service composition, and robust execution to facilitate web services based deployment of business processes. Developing techniques to cope with the volatile and open nature of the web during execution of composite services at the service platform is essential for delivering reliable and acceptable performance in this new process delivery framework. In this paper, we propose a simulation-based framework to guide scheduling of composite service execution. Online simulation of the dynamics of the open environment is used for scheduling service requests at the service platform. Comparison of the look-ahead simulation for different scheduling policies with the current execution state provides guidelines for service execution in order to cope with system volatility. We have implemented a prototype of the proposed framework and illustrate the feasibility of our approach with experimental studies.
Effect of electrode material on transport and chemical sensing characteristics of metal/carbon nanotube contacts

In this paper, we report on the electrical transport characteristics and sensitivity to chemical exposure of single wall carbon nanotube devices fabricated on Pd, plasma-oxidized Pd, and Au electrodes. When the devices are exposed to vapors from ammonia, ethanol, and water, the response of current to each chemical is unique. However, there is essentially no difference in response between devices with different electrode materials. This finding suggests that for the chemical species tested in this study, the main interaction is on the nanotube or nanotube junction, and not on the effect stemming from electrode adsorption and the change in electrode work function.
Understanding China's Response to North Korea's Provocations

China criticized North Korea's nuclear test in 2006, but Beijing refused to condemn Pyongyang's provocations in 2010. When will China punish North Korea's belligerence? The “Dual Threats Model” suggests that China responds only when Pyongyang's activities heighten the possibility of U.S. military response, and as long as Pyongyang remains stable.
Anti-retroviral therapy fails to restore the severe Th-17: Tc-17 imbalance observed in peripheral blood during simian immunodeficiency virus infection.

Background Human immuno deficiency virus and simian immunodeficiency virus infections are characterized by a severe loss of Th-17 cells (IL-17(+)CD4(+) T cells) that has been associated with disease progression and systemic dissemination of bacterial infections. Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has led to repopulation of CD4(+) T cells in peripheral tissues with little sustainable repopulation in mucosal tissues. Given the central importance of Th-17 cells in mucosal homeostasis, it is not known if the failure of ART to permanently repopulate mucosal tissues is associated with a failure to restore Th-17 cells that are lost during infection. Methods Dynamics of alpha4(+)beta7(hi) CD4(+) T cells in peripheral blood of SIV infected rhesus macaques were evaluated and compared to animals that were treated with ART. The frequency of Th-17 and Tc-17 cells was determined following infection and after therapy. Relative expression of IL-21, IL-23, and TGFbeta was determined using Taqman PCR. Results Treatment of SIV infected rhesus macaques with anti-retroviral therapy was associated with a substantial repopulation of mucosal homing alpha4(+)beta7(hi)CD4(+) T cells in peripheral blood. This repopulation, however, was not accompanied by a restoration of Th-17 responses. Interestingly, SIV infection was associated with an increase in Tc-17 responses (IL-17(+)CD8(+) T cells) suggesting to a skewing in the ratio of Th-17: Tc-17 cells from a predominantly Th-17 phenotype to a predominantly Tc-17 phenotype. Surprisingly, Tc-17 responses remained high during the course of therapy suggesting that ART failed to correct the imbalance in Th-17 : Tc-17 responses induced following SIV infection. Conclusions ART was associated with substantial repopulation of alpha4(+)beta7(hi) CD4(+) T cells in peripheral blood with little or no rebound of Th-17 cells. On the other hand, repopulation of alpha4(+)beta7(hi) CD4(+) T cells was accompanied by persistence of high levels of Tc-17 cells in peripheral blood. The dysregulation of Th-17 and Tc-17 responses likely plays a role in disease progression.
Monitoring Intramembrane Proteolytic Cleavage Reactions using Isotope-Assisted Vibrational Interrogation of Membrane Embedded (IVIBE) Proteins

While several intramembrane cleaving proteases (iCliPs), enzymes that carry out proteolysis reactions within the membrane interior, have had their structures solved, basic biochemical questions such as what determines a substrate and how cleavage site is dictated remain. However, our inability to monitor enzyme-substrate interactions in a lipid environment is the dominant factor limiting our understanding of the central questions associated with these enzymes. Specifically, while there are many excellent techniques for the characterization of membrane proteins, many of them are only amenable to steady state measurements, require removal from the membrane, or are too low resolution to offer detailed information about changes in structure and environment. Here we offer a new method by which to observe structural fluctuations of the enzyme and the substrate during cleavage reactions within a membrane environment: isotope-assisted vibrational interrogation of bilayer-embedded systems (iVIBE). Deep UV resonance Raman (DUVRR) spectroscopy has previously been used to observe structural and environmental changes in both soluble and membrane proteins. Now, using an isotopically labeled protease and an unlabeled substrate we can resolve the spectral responses from each protein, allowing us to observe the cleavage reaction over time and determine the binding site, or structural fate of the substrate.
"Inaccessible Regions" in Constrained Hartree-Fock Calculations

Although a modified constrained Hartree-Fock procedure has been presented which permits calculations in inaccessible regions'' a misconception has limited its acceptance. The idea underlying this misconception, namely, a relation between energy and single-particle energies, is discussed and is shown, both algebraically and numerically, to be invalid. (auth)
Examining Potential Differences Between Men and Women in the Impact of Treatment Discrimination

In drawing from the nonsymmetry hypothesis, the purpose of this study was to examine the possible differential effects of treatment discrimination on the career satisfaction and occupational turnover intentions of male and female head coaches of NCAA athletic teams. Data were gathered from 200 coaches. While there were no mean differences in the extent to which treatment discrimination was experienced, results from competing structural equation models demonstrated that treatment discrimination more adversely affected the work outcomes of men than women, thereby supporting the primary study hypothesis. Results demonstrate the need to not only examine mean differences in treatment discrimination, but also the potential for differential impact among members of various social categories.
Both Sp1 and Smad participate in mediating TGF-β1-induced HGF receptor expression in renal epithelial cells

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase encoded by the c-met protooncogene. In this study, we demonstrated that c-met expression was upregulated in the k...
Triazolam in cirrhosis: Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

Although it is frequently stated that patients with cirrhosis are more sensitive to benzodiazepines, the relative roles of impaired elimination and altered responsiveness have not been clarified. We evaluated the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and sensitivity to triazolam in six patients with clinically stable cirrhosis and six age-matched control subjects. Our findings show that there were no significant differences between the patients with cirrhosis and the control subjects in any of the pharmacokinetic parameters. Drug effect, measured as postural sway, was also similar in the patients with cirrhosis and control subjects; therefore the ratio of effect area under the curve to concentration area under the curve, a measure of sensitivity, did not differ significantly between the patients with cirrhosis and the control subjects. Because triazolam is metabolized by P4503A, we hypothesized that the effects of cirrhosis on drug metabolism may differ with respect to the specific P450 responsible for the oxidation of this drug. These effects may differ because of the relative sparing of a specific P450 and because of an extrahepatic site of metabolism. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1993) 54, 630–637; doi:10.1038/clpt.1993.200
Incomplete pancreatic deficiency in cystic fibrosis of the pancreas

Summary Two cases of cystic fibrosis of the pancreas, proved by autopsy, showed, during life, biochemical evidence that pancreatic achylia was not complete. In one case, two vitamin A absorption curves were in the normal range and a definite trace of trypsin was present in the duodenum at the age of 10 months. In the other, a trypsin concentration in the normal range was found at the age of 8 1/2 months and trypsin concentration was still unusually high for this disease at age 14 months.
Another tale of Halley

The news services seem disappointed by Comet Halley's modest performance this time around, but my enthusiasm for the spectacle is undiminished. For me, the comet's 76-yr orbital period highlights a compressed history reckoned by generations. Shifting into cometary overdrive, merely 30 orbits give a stroboscopic view of events since 240 B.C., when the earliest known visit was recorded. Just four backward ticks on the clock take us to Edmund Halley's realization that the bright comet of 1682 was the same one reported many times earlier. By its visible presence this year, the comet offers only its fourth confirmation of Halley's prediction, and with such close perspective, we become fascinated observers in a cosmic physics experiment.
Compensatory recruitment after sleep deprivation and the relationship with performance

This study examined the effects of total sleep deprivation (TSD) on cerebral responses to a verbal learning task with two levels of word difficulty. A total of 32 subjects were studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) after normal sleep and following 36 h of TSD. Cerebral responses to EASY words were identical on both nights, but several brain regions showed increased activation to HARD words following TSD compared with following a normal night of sleep (NORM). These regions included bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and bilateral inferior parietal lobe. Better free recall performance on the HARD words after TSD was related to increased cerebral responses within the left inferior and superior parietal lobes and left inferior frontal gyrus. Recall was negatively related to activation within the right inferior frontal gyrus. Overall, the findings support the predictions of the compensatory recruitment hypothesis that task demands influence both the likelihood and location of increased cerebral activation during task performance following TSD, and refine that hypothesis by identifying a specific task demand that plays a role. The performance relationships suggest increased activation may be both beneficial (compensatory) and interfere with task performance, depending on the brain regions involved.