cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What are the long-term outcomes after ARDS?

Abstract: Like other survivors of critical illness, patients are at risk for ongoing morbidity and mortality in the months and years after ARDS. It remains unclear if ARDS itself is independently associated with poorer long-term outcomes when adjusting for patient demographics, baseline health, and risk factors for development of ARDS. Most patients have full pulmonary recovery, with mild or no symptoms and minimal radiographic and pulmonary function testing abnormalities detectable after the first year. Physical and cognitive impairments are generally most severe early in recovery and improve over 2–5 years. Mental health impairments are less common, and follow a less predictable pattern of recovery. Little is known about how to prevent, rehabilitate, and cope with new impairments after ARDS, and additional research is ongoing and much needed. In the meantime, ARDS survivors and their families need information, resources, and support.
Building Community in Asynchronous Online Higher Education Courses Through Collaborative Annotation

This design-based research study examines how a collaborative annotation tool, Perusall, supported the development of community within an asynchronous online graduate course. Students read and enga...
An Aesthetics of Isolation: How Pudumaippittan Gave Pre-Eminence to the Tamil Short Story

The influential Tamil writer Pudumaippittan turned to the short story to theorise the relationship between literature and society in the late colonial era. He used the genre’s brevity to compress h...
Recrystallization suppression through dispersion-strengthening of tungsten

Abstract Tungsten is the material of choice for the divertor region of future nuclear fusion reactors, an environment that will expose plasma-facing components (e.g. divertor, etc...) to high temperatures and transient high heat flux events. Under these conditions, recrystallization and grain growth of tungsten can occur, leading to undesirable microstructural and mechanical property changes. Therefore, there is a need to raise the recrystallization temperature of tungsten and limit the kinetics of the recrystallization and grain growth processes. In this work, we examine the effect of different types (TiC vs. TaC vs. ZrC) and different concentrations (1.1 vs. 5 vs. 10 wt.%) of dispersed second phase particles in a tungsten matrix on the high temperature performance. The addition of second-phase particles effectively increases the temperature of and time for recrystallization and slow grain growth; however, the addition of a high weight fraction of particles alters the surface chemistry, which may impact subsequent plasma-surface interactions. These results show that the addition of small concentrations of dispersed particles can be effectively employed in tungsten to raise the upper operating temperature limit for tungsten in a fusion reactor.
Toward a scalable framework for reproducible processing of volumetric, nanoscale neuroimaging datasets

Background Emerging neuroimaging datasets (collected with imaging techniques such as electron microscopy, optical microscopy, or X-ray microtomography) describe the location and properties of neurons and their connections at unprecedented scale, promising new ways of understanding the brain. These modern imaging techniques used to interrogate the brain can quickly accumulate gigabytes to petabytes of structural brain imaging data. Unfortunately, many neuroscience laboratories lack the computational resources to work with datasets of this size: computer vision tools are often not portable or scalable, and there is considerable difficulty in reproducing results or extending methods. Results We developed an ecosystem of neuroimaging data analysis pipelines that use open-source algorithms to create standardized modules and end-to-end optimized approaches. As exemplars we apply our tools to estimate synapse-level connectomes from electron microscopy data and cell distributions from X-ray microtomography data. To facilitate scientific discovery, we propose a generalized processing framework, which connects and extends existing open-source projects to provide large-scale data storage, reproducible algorithms, and workflow execution engines. Conclusions Our accessible methods and pipelines demonstrate that approaches across multiple neuroimaging experiments can be standardized and applied to diverse datasets. The techniques developed are demonstrated on neuroimaging datasets but may be applied to similar problems in other domains.
Phosphatidylserine for the Treatment of Pediatric Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To examine the evidence for efficacy of phosphatidylserine for symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Methods: Medline, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTr...
Tap: an app framework for dynamically composable mobile systems

As smartphones and tablets have become ubiquitous, there is a growing demand for apps that can enable users to collaboratively use multiple mobile systems. We present Tap, a framework that makes it easy for users to dynamically compose collections of mobile systems and developers to write apps that make use of those impromptu collections. Tap users control the composition by simply tapping systems together for discovery and authentication. The physical interaction mimics and supports ephemeral user interactions without the need for tediously exchanging user contact information such as phone numbers or email addresses. Tapping triggers a simple NFC-based mechanism to exchange connectivity information and security credentials that works across heterogeneous networks and requires no user accounts or cloud infrastructure support. Tap makes it possible for apps to use existing mobile platform APIs across multiple mobile systems by virtualizing data sources so that local and remote data sources can be combined together upon tapping. Virtualized data sources can be hardware or software features, including media, clipboard, calendar events, and devices such as cameras and microphones. Leveraging existing mobile platform APIs makes it easy for developers to write apps that use hardware and software features across dynamically composed collections of mobile systems. We have implemented a Tap prototype that allows apps to make use of both unmodified Android and iOS systems. We have modified and implemented various apps using Tap to demonstrate that it is easy to use and can enable apps to provide powerful new functionality by leveraging multiple mobile systems. Our results show that Tap has good performance, even for high-bandwidth features, and is user and developer friendly.
Examining dialogic opportunities in teacher-student interaction: An ethnographic observation of the language classroom

Abstract This paper challenges prevailing paradigms in the contemporary research regarding teacher discourse as a mostly diagnostic endeavor correcting students' errors and indexing language learning to first language (L1) norms. In contrast, this paper conceptualizes dialogic opportunities in the classroom space that facilitates the co-construction of knowledge between teacher and student. This paper presents data taken from an ethnographic study of an EFL (English as a foreign language) classroom involving an L1 English-speaking teacher and his L1 Japanese-speaking students. This paper analyzes observational and interview data to illustrate how the teacher takes advantage of opportunities in dialogic interaction, particularly with respect to centering dialogue around students' knowledge and perspectives, eliciting and validating their contributions, and establishing a meaningful rapport. A discussion of these findings aims to provide researchers guidance for developing a theoretical framework for positive dialogic opportunities, while calling on practitioners to adopt a more holistic approach to instructional practices.
Lipids in the Piezo1 channel pore: gating mechanism, or simulation artifact?

Opening and closure of certain mechanosensitive ion channels has recently been linked with the presence of lipids in or near their pores. Although non-conducting structures of mechanosensitive Piezo channels do not show the presence of lipids in the pore, computational simulations suggest whole phospholipids enter the Piezo1 pore in the closed state. Here, to probe this phenomenon, we conduct coarse-grained (CG) and all-atom (AA) simulations of Piezo1 with different solvation algorithms and equilibrium protocols, including CG-to-AA reverse mapping from Martini CG force field to CHARMM AA force field. Our results show that the lack of initial hydration of the upper pore region, enabled by common CG but not AA solvation algorithms, allows entry of whole lipids through gaps between pore helices during subsequent equilibrium simulations. Absolute binding free energy calculations show that these lipids are thermodynamically unfavorable, indicating they are likely kinetically trapped in the pore during microsecond-long AA simulations. An alternative equilibrium protocol is proposed to avoid such simulation artifact for channels whose pores are walled with transmembrane gaps. This work underscores the notion that, as simulated systems become increasingly complex, interpretation of simulated data in physiological contexts requires extra precautions. When no experimental data is available, free energy approaches such as those implemented here appear as trustworthy validations of results observed from MD trajectories. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTMembrane-embedded proteins constantly interact with lipid molecules. Computational molecular dynamics simulations have become an indispensable tool for investigating the role of such protein-lipid interactions. Recent simulation studies suggest the presence of lipids in the nonconducting pore of mechanosensitive Piezo1 channels. Here, we show that certain computational protocols at the initial equilibrium stage enable lipids to be trapped in the pore despite a large free energy cost, suggesting these lipids are kinetically trapped and likely entered the pore as a result of a computational artifact rather than from a physiological process. This work emphases the need for additional validations of membrane protein simulation outcomes and proposes alternative protocols to avoid such artifact.
ADDED MOMENT OF INERTIA OF A ROTATING SHIP SECTION

An expression for the added moment of inertia of a rotating ship section, in terms of the coefficients of the Laurent series of the function which maps the given section into a circle, has been derived. The method is applied to the two-parameter family of Lewis forms and the results are presented as a family of curves which gives the coefficient of the added moment of inertia as a function of the thickness ratio and the section-area coefficient of a form. A second application, to a square section, indicates that a sufficiently accurate value of the added moment of inertia can be obtained with little arithmetical work even in a case where the Laurent series is an infinite one.
The power to change is in our hands

While women represent over half of the workforce today, this is not the case for the proportion of women in Information Technology (IT) careers. Women are dropping out of computer-related fields for various reasons such as gender bias and difficulty in balancing work and the home. Although much has been published regarding this current issue, there is a surprising lack of formal research on its causes and remedies. The obstacles that females face start early in the education process and continue into the professional environment. Following a review of many articles, some general problem areas were discovered which could hopefully be used in finding potential remedies for the gender gap in computer science fields.
Manufacturer Competition and Subsidies to Suppliers

Dealing with risky suppliers is a part of everyday business for manufacturers. For example, the domestic automotive supply industry has faced numerous hardships as some of its largest firms have flirted with bankruptcy, or have been subsumed by Chap 11 over the past few years. Nearly 30% of the pre-existing North American automotive supply base had filed for bankruptcy by the end of 2008. Half are predicted to file for bankruptcy before the end of 2010.
Neural network approach to solving the Traveling Salesman Problem

The Traveling Salesman Problem involves mapping a route for a salesman to visit each city, without stopping in the same city twice, in the shortest route possible. A map of Germany is used as the test data for the study in this report.
The Lunar Electronosphere and Implications for Erosion on the Moon

Bodies in space that are subject to the solar ultraviolet emit photoelectrons. A portion of these escape, forming a current from the body balanced at equilibrium potential by accretion from the surrounding plasma. For a positively charged body a much larger flux of less energetic photoelectrons will be released from the surface, but fail to escape from the body. Their effect is to produce an inner screening of the body’s electric charge. The characteristics of this photoelectron sheath and the equilibrium surface potential are treated for spherical and flat bodies subject to the solar wind electron and ion flux.
Chapter 7 In Vitro Protein Translocation into Escherichia coli Inverted Membrane Vesicles

Publisher Summary The in vitro protein translocation system is composed of a soluble extract (S30) capable of synthesizing proteins when programmed with mRNA coded for secretory precursors, and a membrane fraction of inverted cytoplasmic membrane vesicles. In some cases, purified precursor molecules are used. In these systems, proteins are considered translocated across membranes, if processing of the signal sequences coincides with proteins resistant to proteolytic digestion and the processed proteins co-sediment with membrane vesicles. This is taken as an indication that the proteins are translocated into the lumen of the vesicles, although it is possible that some of the protein is embedded in the membranes. Protein translocation can be examined co-translationally by synthesizing proteins in the presence of membrane vesicles, or posttranslationally by blocking further synthesis prior to the addition of membrane vesicles. The concurrent genetic and biochemical approaches in protein secretion in E. coli make it possible to utilize the in vitro system to characterize the genetically identified translocation components and fractionation of the in vitro system facilitates defining the components of the translocation machinery and their interactions.
Web-based interventions for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease: systematic review and future directions

Behavioral intervention technologies (BITs), the application of psychological and behavioral interventions through the use of technology, provide the opportunity for clinicians to deliver care through a means that overcomes a number of treatment barriers. Web-based interventions are a subset of BITs developing as promising alternatives to face-to-face delivery of treatments and monitoring for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). A systematic review of literature resulted in five empirical studies of web-based interventions for UC and CD. Additionally, an informal search of a popular search engine yielded limited, currently available, web-based interventions for patients with UC and CD. Despite being an ideal population for the development and dissemination of online interventions, patients with UC and CD have far less treatment options compared to other behavioral health concerns. However, given the growing body of research involving web-based interventions for other conditions, researchers and clinicians targeting UC and CD management and treatment have the benefit of being able to utilize the BIT model, an existing conceptual framework for the development of web-based interventions for both conditions. The BIT model is presented and applied to the treatment of UC and CD, as well as a technology development program, Purple, and usability guidelines to guide clinical researchers in the future development, evaluation, and dissemination of BITs for patients with UC and CD.
Patient-specific factors affecting hospital costs in lumbar spine surgery

OBJECT Health care-related costs after lumbar spine surgery vary depending on procedure type and patient characteristics. Age, body mass index (BMI), number of spinal levels, and presence of comorbidities probably have significant effects on overall costs. The present study assessed the impact of patient characteristics on hospital costs in patients undergoing elective lumbar decompressive spine surgery. METHODS This study was a retrospective review of elective lumbar decompression surgeries, with a focus on specific patient characteristics to determine which factors drive postoperative, hospital-related costs. Records between January 2010 and July 2012 were searched retrospectively. Only elective lumbar decompressions including discectomy or laminectomy were included. Cost data were obtained using a database that allows standardization of a list of hospital costs to the fiscal year 2013–2014. The relationship between cost and patient factors including age, BMI, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (...
Botulinum toxin injection of the cricopharyngeus muscle for the treatment of dysphagia.

Abstract Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate, subjectively and objectively, the diagnostic and therapeutic effects of botulinum toxin (Botox) in patients with dysphagia caused by cricopharyngeus (CP) muscle spasm and/or hypertonicity. Methods: A retrospective chart review was done of 5 patients with normally functioning larynges treated with CP Botox injection for dysphagia caused by perceived spasm. Subjective measures of swallowing function after injection were obtained with a patient questionnaire. Objective data were obtained both before and after surgery by one or more of the following tests: modified barium swallow study, manometry, videostroboscopy, and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. Quality-of-life measures were obtained with a swallowing rating scale. Results: Overall, all patients had initial improvement in swallowing after Botox injection. The duration of benefit was from 2 to 14 months. There were no complications. Four of 5 patients had long-term benefits, as evidenced by decreased or eliminated aspiration symptoms, removal of tracheotomy, ability to eat solid foods, and weight gain. One patient continues to have poor swallowing function. Conclusion: Botox injection of the CP muscle to treat dysphagia is effective in patients with underlying muscle spasm or hypertonicity. A positive response to Botox can also help confirm the diagnosis of CP muscle spasm. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2000;122:691-5.)
Pathologic Bronchial Vasculature in a Case of Massive Hemoptysis due to Chronic Bronchitis

The cause of bleeding in a patient with recurrent massive hemoptysis was not apparent after bronchoscopy and gross examination of the lobectomy specimen. Histologic submission of all major bronchi uncovered dilated, tortuous bronchial arteries just below the bronchial mucosa with sites of both current and healing arterial rupture. This bronchial arterial abnormality is common to several chronic pulmonary diseases, but is rarely diagnosed as a cause of massive hemoptysis. Careful pathologic examination of major bronchi in the setting of hemoptysis of unknown causation is recommended.
Adrenal Insufficiency as a Possible Contributor to Pain in Adults With Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) (413-B)

Result. Serum cortisol values were obtained on 61 occasions in 37 patients and one patient had a 24 hr urine cortisol determination. Adrenal insufficiency was present on 41 occasions overall (66%) including 28 events during 40 hospitalizations for VOC (70%) and 6 events during 22 outpatient visits (27%). Low serum cortisol values were present on at least 1 occasion in 24 of the 38 individuals (63%). When only morning cortisol values were considered (4 am-8 am), values were low in 13 of 20 determinations (65%) and were actually # 3 mcg/dl on 8 occasions (40%). Cosyntropin stimulation tests were performed in 16 patients with adrenal insufficiency and increases at 1 hr to $ 18 mcg/dl occurred on 10 occasions (63%). Increased eosinophil counts (> 500/mm) were present during 18 of 27 events when cortisol values were low (65%) but on only 6 of 20 occasions when cortisol values were normal (30%; x 1⁄4 6.1815; p < .02). Conclusion. Adrenal insufficiency is common in adult SCD patients, functionally significant and usually, but not always, due to impaired hypothalamic-pituitary function.
Accelerated hepatic arginine transport in the tumor-bearing rat

Background: Arginine plays a pivotal role in regulating ureagenesis, polyamine biosynthesis, and nitric oxide production, metabolic pathways that may be stimulated in the liver of the tumor-bearing host. Normally, plasma arginine is excluded from the hepatocyte intracellular space by the low basal activity of its membrane transporter. We hypothesized that progressive malignant disease is associated with an increase in carrier-mediated arginine transport across the hepatocyte plasma membrane.
Overshoots of adsorption kinetics

Abstract A new theoretical approach to studying overshoots in adsorption kinetics has been developed in which surface conformational kinetics are introduced onto a solid interface. It is found that these kinetics cause, under certain conditions, an overshoot or oscillation in both the surface concentration and adsorbed concentrations. The criterion for overshoot and oscillation depends on the ratio, ϵ, of the rate constant of desorption,K−, and the rate constant of the conformational kinetics,K*. Simple formulas for calculating the adsorption over a wide range of time for the kinetic-controlled, the kinetic-diffusion-controlled, and the kinetic-diffusion-conformational-controlled adsorption are derived.
Simulated mark-recovery for spatial assessment of a spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery

a b s t r a c t Marine reserves are becoming widely implemented along with conventional fisheries controls as integrated approaches to fisheries management. The restricted spatial distribution of fishing effort, relative to the spatial distribution of fish stocks that may be partially protected by marine reserves, often necessitates spatial considerations in the design of monitoring and stock assessment. Simulation modeling was used to evaluate whether a mark-recovery design could be used to accurately estimate fishing mortality rates without information about movement rates being available to the assessment procedure. A spatiallyexplicit individual-based simulation was developed with environmental characteristics of Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, Belize and with biological characteristics of a fished population of Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus). Accuracy of fishing mortality estimates depended on whether these estimates were calculated for the fished area only or for the entire stock. Stock-wide fishing mortality estimates could usually be obtained that were robust to uncertainty about dispersive movement. We discuss results in the context of managing fisheries based on the status of fished areas alone or on the entire stock and discuss the necessity for information about fish movement for accurate assessment of stocks managed using marine reserves.
X-ray crystallography reveals a reduced substrate complex of UDP-galactopyranose mutase poised for covalent catalysis by flavin.

The flavoenzyme uridine 5′-diphosphate galactopyranose mutase (UGM or Glf) catalyzes the interconversion of UDP-galactopyranose and UDP-galactofuranose. The latter is a key building block for cell wall construction in numerous pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mechanistic studies of UGM suggested a novel role for the flavin, and we previously provided evidence that the catalytic mechanism proceeds through a covalent flavin−galactose iminium. Here, we describe 2.3 and 2.5 A resolution X-ray crystal structures of the substrate-bound enzyme in oxidized and reduced forms, respectively. In the latter, C1 of the substrate is 3.6 A from the nucleophilic flavin N5 position. This orientation is consistent with covalent catalysis by flavin.
Properties of Tumor Spheroid Growth Exhibited by Simple Mathematical Models

Solid tumors, whether in vitro or in vivo, are not an undifferentiated mass of cells. They include necrotic regions, regions of cells that are in a quiescent state (either slowly growing or not growing at all) and regions where cells proliferate rapidly. The decision of a cell to become quiescent or proliferating is thought to depend on both nutrient and oxygen availability and on the presence of tumor necrosis factor, a substance produced by necrotic cells that somehow inhibits the further growth of the tumor. Several different models have been suggested for the basic growth rate of in vitro tumor spheroids, and several different mechanisms are possible by which tumor necrosis factor might halt growth. The models predict the trajectory of growth for a virtual tumor, including proportions of the various components during its time evolution. In this paper we look at a range of hypotheses about basic rates tumor growth and the role of tumor necrotic factor, and determine what possible tumor growth patterns follow from each of twenty five reasonable models. Proliferating, quiescent and necrotic cells are included, along with tumor necrosis factor as a potential inhibitor of growth in the proliferating pool and two way exchange between the quiescent and proliferating pools. We show that a range of observed qualitative properties of in vitro tumor spheroids at equilibrium are exhibited by one particular simple mathematical model, and discuss implications of this model for tumor growth.
Influence of bombardment with BA-coated microprojectiles on shoot organogenesis from Phlox paniculata L. and Pinus pinea L. tissues

Leaves ofPhlox paniculata L. were bombarded with BA-coated gold microprojectiles with the Biolistic PDS/1000-He gene gun. Increasing the concentration of BA from 0.01 to 0.1 mg/μl increased the mean number of adventitious shoots from 7 to 16 shoots per leaf. Bombardment of cotyledons ofPinus pinea L. (Italian stone pine) with BA-coated gold particles significantly reduced the frequency of shoot organogenesis by about 40%. However, induced shoot regenerants from bombarded explants of bothP. paniculata andP. pinea were longer (>1 cm) than those derived from control explants after 3 and 5 wk following bombardment, respectively.
The impact of diagnostic misclassification on the pattern of familial aggregation and coaggregation of psychiatric illness

Abstract Family studies in psychiatry have traditionally been interpreted as if psychiatric diagnoses were made without error. This is unlikely to be true. The first section of this paper presents a model, based on several simplifying assumptions, which examines the impact of diagnostic misclassification on patterns of familial aggregation and coaggregation of two disorders. In the second section, the model is illustrated by examining the effect of varying misclassification rates on the patterns of aggregation and coaggregation in four simulated family studies of psychotic illness. Misclassification is considered which is equal or unequal for the two disorders, which is the same in probands and relatives or greater in relatives and which occurs between disorders of similar or quite different population risk. Misclassification in the range which commonly occurs in psychiatry can produce substantial effects on the observed pattern of familial aggregation and coaggregation. Furthermore, the proportion of diagnosed cases which are misclassified varies widely depending upon whether an affected individual is from the general population or is a relative of an individual affected with the same or a different psychiatric disorder. The third section of the paper illustrates a method for examining the fit of the proposed model to observed data and “correcting” for the effects of misclassification in family studies. For example, the familial coaggregation between bipolar illness and schizophrenia in a recent large family study can be entirely explained by the observed rates of diagnostic misclassification between the two disorders. The results of the proposed model strongly suggest that diagnostic misclassification should be considered in the interpretation of family studies of psychiatric illness.
Mechanism of (m-H)(m-alkenyl)Re(2)(CO)(8) Formation in 350 nm Flash Irradiations of Re(2)(CO)(10).

The mechanism of ({mu}-H)({mu}-alkenyl)Re{sub 2}(CO){sub 8} formation upon UV irradiations of Re{sub 2}(CO){sub 10} in presence of olefin (styrene, trans-stilbene, 4-methyl-1-cyclohexan, and ethylene) was investigated by laser flash photolyses. Such photoproducts result from reactions of the olefin with eq-Re{sub 2}(CO){sub 9}. No reactions of Re(CO){sub 5} leading to hydide alkenyl products were observed. Dependences of the reaction rate on olefin concentration and solvent revealed an additional intermediate formed after the addition of the olefin to eq-Re{sub 2}(CO){sub 9} and before the appearance of the {mu}-hydrido-{mu}-alkenyl products.
Nature of the heterozygote blood catalase in a hypocatalasemic mouse mutant

The blood catalase of a hypocatalasemic mouse mutant has been compared with that of the wild-type (normal) animal and with that of the heterozygote. Comparison is on the basis of stability to heat and to urea. Electrophoretic evidence is of no value, because all forms tested show the same mobility. Because the heterozygote heat and urea inactivation curves differ from those of the two parental forms, and because the curves are smoothly S-shaped, with no shoulders or other irregularities, it is suggested that this heterozygote produces only a single molecular form of the enzyme.
Hormonal effects on mitochondrial respiration: potential role of endogenous lipolytic activities.

Abstract Hormonal effects on heart mitochondrial metabolism are investigated by comparing respiratory rates, Ca 2+ uptake capacity, and lipolytic activities of mitochondria isolated from control rats to those of mitochondria isolated from thyroparathyroidectomized animals. Two biochemically and morphologically distinct populations of heart mitochondria are prepared—one derived from the region of the cell directly beneath the sarcolemma (subsarcolemmal mitochondria), the other originally between the myofibrils (interfibrillar mitochondria). Subsarcolemmal mitochondria isolated from normal rat cardiac tissue have both lower respiratory rates and Ca 2+ uptake capacity than do interfibrillar mitochondria. However, when these mitochondrial populations are isolated from hearts from thyroparathyroidectomized rats, there is a selective increase in the maximal ability of the subsarcolemmal mitochondria to accumulate Ca 2+ , which is accompanied by a proportionate increase in their maximal respiratory rates. Neither Ca 2+ uptake capacity nor respiratory rates are similarly increased in the interfibrillar mitochondria. Cytochrome contents and mitochondrial protein recoveries are not significantly changed in either of these mitochondrial preparations. The relationship between these selective increases in respiratory properties of the subsarcolemmal mitochondria to endogenous lipolytic activities is also investigated. It was previously demonstrated that, in the absence of Ca 2+ , both the rate and extent of formation of free fatty acids from endogenous phospholipids is greater in subsarcolemmal than interfibrillar mitochondria ( J. W. Palmer et al. (1981) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 211 , 674–682). In this study it is shown that lipolysis is also more sustained in the subsarcolemmal mitochondria when Ca 2+ is added. In the subsarcolemmal mitochondria isolated from thyroparathyroidectomized rats, however, the rates of release of stearic acid and oleic acid are reduced in both the presence and absence of Ca 2+ . In the presence of added Ca 2+ , the rate of release of arachidonic acid is also decreased compared to control subsarcolemmal mitochondria, suggesting that the expressed activity of Ca 2+ -activated phospholipase A2 is lower in those mitochondria isolated from the thyroparathyroidectomized animals, in which respiratory rates and Ca 2+ uptake capacity are increased.
Lung biopsy: is it necessary?

Abstract Objective: Lung biopsy is associated with substantial mortality rates. We reviewed our experience with this operation, primarily in patients with immunocompetence, to determine whether the results justify the continued performance of this procedure. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all diagnostic lung biopsies performed at 3 university-affiliated hospitals between July 1, 1992, and December 31, 1998. Results: There were 75 patients: 25 patients were treated electively, 17 were treated on an urgent basis, 27 patients on an emergency basis, and the urgency was unclear in 6 patients. Significant beneficial therapeutic changes were made in 15 of 25 elective procedures (60%), in 16 of 17 urgent procedures (94%), and in 11 of 27 emergency procedures (41%; P = .001). Significant beneficial therapeutic changes consisted of immunosuppression in 13 of 15 (87%) patients treated on an elective basis, in 9 of 16 (56%) treated on an urgent basis, and in 9 of 11 (82%) treated on an emergency basis in whom therapy was altered ( P = .14). Operative death was 0 of 25 for elective operations (0%), 3 of 17 for urgent operations (18%), and 14 of 26 for emergency operations (54%). Multivariable analysis of operative death showed urgency to be the only significant predictor of death ( P = .002). Conclusions: In patients with immunocompetence, elective and urgent lung biopsies have acceptable operative mortality rates and frequently result in important beneficial therapeutic changes. Consequently biopsies are appropriate in these patients. Emergency biopsies are associated with high operative mortality rates and rarely result in a therapeutic change other than immunosuppression. These patients should not undergo lung biopsy if they are in stable condition and should be treated empirically with immunosuppression without operation if their condition is deteriorating. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;118:1097-100)
Effects of changes of salinity and calcium concentration on ctenidial ciliary activity in the oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin)

Abstract 1. 1. The sensitivity of the activity of cilia and cirri on the ctenidia of the oyster Crassostrea virginica to rapid salinity change was tested in vitro with an excised ganglion-nerve ctenidium preparation. 2. 2. Quantitative measurements of metachronal wave activity and particle transport rates over time showed that the greater the change in salinity, the greater the inhibition of ciliary activity. 3. 3. Inhibition was followed by partial or complete recovery, with acclimation within 24 hr. 4. 4. The sensitivity of ciliary activity to salinity change was primarily mediated by the Ca 2+ concentration.
Reemergent Order of Chaotic Circular Couette Flow

Measurements of the fluctuations in local velocity in fluid motion between a rotating inner cylinder and a fixed outer cylinder are reported for rotation rates up to $67{R}_{c}$, where ${R}_{c}$ is the critical Reynolds number for Taylor instability. The Reynolds number ${R}_{t}$ for which the transition from periodic or quasiperiodic to aperiodic flow occurs depends strongly on aspect ratio ($\ensuremath{\Gamma}=\mathrm{fluid}\mathrm{height}/\mathrm{gap}$): ${R}_{t}\ensuremath{\simeq}22{R}_{c}$ for $\ensuremath{\Gamma}=20$; ${R}_{t}\ensuremath{\simeq}26{R}_{c}$ for $\ensuremath{\Gamma}=80$. For $\ensuremath{\Gamma}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}25$ a sharp periodic component reemerges in the power spectrum for $28{R}_{c}\ensuremath{\lesssim}R\ensuremath{\lesssim}36{R}_{c}$.
A systematic review of validated methods to capture several rare conditions using administrative or claims data

Abstract Purpose To identify and assess billing, procedural, or diagnosis code, or pharmacy claim-based algorithms used to identify the following health outcomes in administrative and claims databases: acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), optic neuritis, tics, and Henoch Schonlein purpura (HSP). Methods We searched the MEDLINE database from 1991 to September 2012 using controlled vocabulary and key terms related to the conditions. We also searched the reference lists of included studies. Two investigators independently assessed the full text of studies against pre-determined inclusion criteria and extracted case validation data from those studies meeting inclusion criteria. Results Two eligible studies addressed ADEM, two addressed optic neuritis, and four studies addressed tics. Only one study addressed HSP. Among these, one study of ADEM reported a positive predictive value of 66%, however the identification algorithm contained a combination of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes and other identification methods and the performance of the ICD-9 codes alone was not reported. No other studies reported validation data. Conclusions The lack of data on the validity of algorithms to identify these conditions may hamper our ability to determine incidence patterns with respect to infection and vaccination exposures. Further epidemiologic research to define validated methods of identifying cases could improve surveillance using large linked healthcare databases.
Pacific Hall: The Bishop Museum’s Renovation of a Permanent Exhibit

This work is a review essay considering the renovated Pacific Hall at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum.
Effect of oxidizing environment on the strength of H451, PGX and IG-11 graphites☆

Abstract The effect of gaseous environment on the compressive and tensile strengths of H451, PGX and IG-11 graphites has been examined. Oxidation was carried out in O2-, CO2- and H2O-containing environments. The strength losses incurred by H451 and IG-11 graphite did not appear to be affected by the nature of the oxidizing gas. However, the strength loss incurred by PGX graphite appeared to be greater in O2 than in CO2 or H2O. A mechanism consistent with the observed behavior of PGX graphite is proposed: the iron impurity, which is locally distributed in the binder, may be catalytically active during oxidation in CO2 or H2O, leading to formation of a few large pits, whereas oxidation in O2 may lead to the more detrimental condition of a high density of small pits. No effect of reaction temperature on the strengths of the graphites was observed. Attempts to fit strength-burnoff data to a standard expression were only partially successful. Much improved fits were obtained when this expression was modified to account for the development of the micro/mesopore network during oxidation.
Oneself as oneself and not as another

Analyse des quatre arguments transcendantaux developpes par Ricoeur contre l'entreprise fondationnaliste et egologique de Husserl. Examinant les conceptions de soi-meme comme sujet, chair, corps et autrui, l'A. montre qu'une forme rudimentaire du concept peut etre derivee de l'experience solipsiste. Des lors, le noyau-soi fournit le fondement theorique de la notion de soi autonome, definissant la responsabilite morale individuelle et le developpement social de la personne independamment du jeu des contraintes sociales
Epithelial/mesenchymal interactions and branching morphogenesis of the lung

The establishment of branched tubular epithelial structures is critical for the viability of multicellular organisms: the tracheal system in Drosophila and the vertebrate lung being two such structures. Although there are obvious differences in the complexity of these branched organs, many of the underlying mechanisms and genes regulating their development appear to have been evolutionarily conserved.
Biomolecular Processes under Torque

Due to the double helical nature of DNA, motor proteins that translocate along DNA may have to rotate around the DNA helical axis. For example, during transcription, the translocation of RNA polymerase along the double helical DNA will generate torque that introduces (+) supercoils in front and (-) supercoils behind. Torque introduced by motor proteins is an essential regulatory factor in biology; however direct measurements of torque have proven to be challenging. To meet this challenge, we have developed an angular optical trapping (AOT) instrument that permits direct and simultaneous measurements of force and torque. I will discuss our recent efforts in using the AOT to directly measure the torques involved in biomolecular processes.
Colonocyte differentiation is associated with increased expression and altered distribution of protein kinase C isozymes

Abstract Background & Aims: Colon cancer cells express reduced levels of protein kinase C (PKC). This study examines the regulation of PKC isozymes in normal colonic epithelium, as a basis for understanding the significance of alterations in this enzyme system in colon carcinogenesis. Methods: The expression and localization of PKC isozymes in mouse and rat colonocytes at different developmental stages were determined using a combined morphological and biochemical approach. PKC α expression was compared in colonic adenocarcinomas and adjacent normal mucosa by immunoblot analysis. Results: Mouse and rat colonocytes express PKC α, βII, δ, ϵ, and ζ. Relatively low levels of these isozymes were detected in proliferating cells of the crypt base, predominantly in the cytosolic compartment. Coincident with colonocyte growth arrest/differentiation, PKC isozyme expression markedly increased in both the cytosolic and, more significantly, in the membrane/cytoskeletal fraction. Colonic tumors express reduced levels of PKC α, an isozyme that has been implicated in negative control of intestinal cell growth. Conclusions: These findings are supportive of a role for certain PKC isozyme(s) in signaling pathways mediating postmitotic events in colonocytes in situ, and suggest that diminished activity of these pathway(s) may contribute to the alterations in growth control/differentiation associated with colonic neoplasia. GASTROENTEROLOGY 1998;115:75-85
Evan I. Farber: A tribute

Thirty‐two years after he became Earlham College's director of libraries, Evan Farber retired on 30 June 1994. It was his seventy‐second birthday but not a birthday present he welcomed. Evan loves his work and will continue to be of service to Earlham College.
Extinction in Subdivided Habitats

: The effect of the spatial structure of populations on extinction rates is a central question in conservation biology, ecology, and evolution. We show that the effect of subdivision on the mean time to extinction in independently varying habitat patches depends upon the relationship between extinction probabilities and habitat area Models of extinction by demographic stochasticity alone predict that subdivision should decrease the mean time to extinction. If environmental stochasticity is incorporated into the model, subdivision may increase the mean time to extinction. Empirical species persistence times estimated from island bio-geography studies show no systematic relationship to the degree of subdivision. However, subdivision always increases the probability of survival over a sufficiently short time interval. These results suggest that over ecologically relevant timescales, subdivision into a number of independent sub-populations may frequently act to decrease the probability of overall extinction in rare species. To the degree that these considerations may be applied to rare and endangered species, maintaining sufficient numbers of nature reserves is likely to be crucial to effective conservation strategies. Resumen: El efecto de la estructura espacial de las poblaciones en las tasas de extincion es una interrogante fundamental en conservacion, ecologia y evolucion. Este trabajo de muestra que el efecto de la subdivision de poblaciones sobre el tiempo promedio de extincion, en habitats fragmentados que varian independientemente, depende de la relacion entre la probabilidad de extincion y la extension del habitat. Los modelos de extincion basados exclusivamente en demografia estocastica, predicen que la subdivision debe reducir el tiempo promedio de extincion. Si se incorporan eventos aleatorias del ambiente (medio ambiente estocastico) en el modelo, la subdivision puede inmentar el tiempo promedio de extincion. Las estimaciones empiricas del tiempo de persistencia de las especies, provenientes de los estudios sobre biogeografia de islas, no demuestran una relacion sistematica con el grado de subdivision. No obstante, la subdivision siempre aumenta la probabilidad de sobrevivencia en un periodo de tiempo suficientemente corto. Estos resultados sugieren que sobre escalas de tiempo ecologicamente pertinentes, la subdivision en varias subpoblaciones independientes frecuentemente puede producir una reduccion en la probabilidad de extincion de las especies raras. Sera crucial para la efectividad de las estrategias de conservacion, el grado en que estas consideraciones se apliquen a las especies raras y en peligro de extinction, manteniendo un numero suficiente de reservas naturales.
Bile flow rates and biliary motility quantitated by intravital microscopy.

Intravital microscopy was adapted to document and quantitate in vivo biliary motility and bile flow rates in guinea pigs. The movement of 10 μm diameter fluorescent beads in the bile duct was used to measure bile flow rates. Using this method, bile flow rates were comparable to those determined by measuring the volume of bile collected from the papilla, but greater (P<0.01) than the volume of bile collected from a bile duct cannula. During intravital microscopy, biliary contractions were only detected at the choledochoduodenal junction. While fasting, the sphincter ductus choledochi contracted at 6.0 ± 1.0 per min and the ampulla at 1.2 ± 0.2 per min. Postprandially, sphincter contractions had a decreased frequency and an increased duration while both duration and frequency of ampullary contractions increased. The volume of bile collected from a bile duct cannula postprandially did not change. This data suggested that the choledochoduodenal junction had a propulsive function and postprandial changes in mo...
The infinite version of an open communication complexity problem is independent of the axioms of set theory

In 1986, Babai, Frankl and Simon (BFS86) defined the polynomial hierarchy in communication complexity and asked whether Σee2 = Φee2. In order to tackle this problem, researchers have looked at an infinite version. We recently became aware of a paper from 1979 where Miller [Mil79] shows that this infinite version is independent of the axioms of set theory. In this note we will describe Miller's result and give a simplified proof of one direction by showing that the continuum hypothesis implies that Σr2 = Φr2p (R × R).
Bakuchiol, an antibacterial component of Psoralidium tenuiflorum

Bioactivity guided fractionation of an EtOAc extract from Psoralidium tenuiflorum (Pursh) Rydb. (family : Fabaceae) yielded the known compound bakuchiol as a racemic mixture. This compound was purified by liquid-liquid partitioning and chromatography followed by NMR and GCMS characterisation. This compound exhibited Staphylococcus epidermidis cytotoxicity. COSY and HETCOR spectra of the isolated bakuchiol indicated two disagreements with previously reported NMR structural assignments; reassignments are described herein. Long-term storage of bakuchiol resulted in degradation to 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, which was purified and characterised.