cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carbohydrates and Activity of Natural and Recombinant Tissue Factor

The effect of glycosylation on tissue factor (TF) activity was evaluated, and site-specific glycosylation of full-length recombinant TF (rTF) and that of natural TF from human placenta (pTF) were studied by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The amidolytic activity of the TF.factor VIIa (FVIIa) complex toward a fluorogenic substrate showed that the catalytic efficiency (V(max)) of the complex increased in the order rTF(1-243) (Escherichia coli) < rTF(1-263) (Sf9 insect cells) < pTF for the glycosylated and deglycosylated forms. Substrate hydrolysis was unaltered by deglycosylation. In FXase, the K(m) of FX for rTF(1-263)-FVIIa remained unchanged after deglycosylation, whereas the k(cat) decreased slightly. A pronounced decrease, 4-fold, in k(cat) was observed for pTF.FVIIa upon deglycosylation, whereas the K(m) was minimally altered. The parameters of FX activation by both rTF(1-263D)-FVIIa and pTF(D)-FVIIa were identical and similar to those for rTF(1-243)-FVIIa. In conclusion, carbohydrates significantly influence the activity of TF proteins. Carbohydrate analysis revealed glycosylation on asparagines 11, 124, and 137 in both rTF(1-263) and pTF. The carbohydrates of rTF(1-263) contain high mannose, hybrid, and fucosylated glycans. Natural pTF contains no high mannose glycans but is modified with hybrid, highly fucosylated, and sialylated sugars.
Force attenuation in trochanteric soft tissues during impact from a fall

The risk for hip fracture from a fall is known to decrease with increased body mass index (weight/height2), a relative measure of obesity. To explore whether this reduced risk is due to the protective effect of increased soft-tissue cushioning in obese individuals, we used an impact pendulum and surrogate human pelvis to conduct simulated fall impact experiments on trochanteric soft tissues harvested from the cadavers of nine elderly individuals. For each impact, the total applied energy was 140 J. Peak forces ranged from 4,050 to 6,420 N, and tissue energy absorption ranged from 8.4 to 81.6 J. Increased tissue thickness correlated strongly with both decreased peak force (r2 = 0.91) and increased tissue energy absorption (r2 = 0.76). However, peak forces in all cases were within 1 SD of previously reported average fracture forces for elderly cadaveric femora. This suggests that force attenuation in trochanteric soft tissues alone is insufficient to prevent hip fracture in falls in which an elderly person lands directly on the hip. In such falls, additional energy-absorbing mechanisms, such as breaking the fall with an outstretched hand and eccentric contraction of the quadriceps during descent, are likely to be involved if fracture does not occur. Language: en
In vitro comparison of E4868, a new trifluoroquinolone, with ciprofloxacin and temafloxacin tested against 5192 recent clinical isolates from five medical centers

Abstract The in vitro activity of E4868 was compared with that of ciprofloxacin and temafloxacin in a multicenter study. More than 90% of Enterobacteriaceae and 82% of the 651 isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa , as well as >95% of the oxacillin-susceptible staphylococci, 100% of the β-hemolytic streptococci, and 76% of the enterococcal isolates were susceptible to E4868 (minimum inhibitory concentrations, ≤2 μ g/ml). E4868 was generally equivalent or slightly less active than ciprofloxacin against the Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas and more active against straphylococci and β-hemolytic streptococci. The activity of E4868 was generally equivalent to or slightly greater than that of temafloxacin against all major groups of organisms.
High-performance self-organized In(Ga)As quantum dot lasers monolithically grown on silicon

We have investigated the molecular beam epitaxial growth and characteristics of self-organized InGaAs quantum dot lasers grown directly on silicon utilizing thin (≤2 μm) GaAs buffer layers and quantum dot layers as dislocation filters. Both the photoluminescence intensity and linewidth from quantum dots grown on silicon are comparable to those from similar dots grown on GaAs substrates. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy studies indicate that defect-free quantum dots and low defect density quantum dot active regions can be achieved. The best devices are characterized by relatively low threshold current ( J th ~ 900 A/cm 2 ), high output power (> 150 mW), large characteristic temperature ( T 0 = 244 K) and constant output slope efficiency (≥ 0.3 W/A) in the temperature range of 5 to 95 °C.
Full Tropomyosin Movement during Stretch Activation Requires Strong Binding Crossbridges

Using real-time X-ray diffraction movies of cyclically stretch-activated IFM, we previously established that stretch activation (SA) is controlled by tropomyosin (TM), similar to the well-known calcium-activated steric blocking mechanism, but mechanically triggered by myosin-troponin connections. Here, we probed whether TM controls SA via the same three-state mechanism that is the standard model for calcium-activation, in which TM adopts three positions, called Blocked (pCa ∼9), Closed (pCa ∼4.5), and Open (with strong myosin binding). The key feature of the three-state mechanism is that calcium binding to troponin only moves TM to the Closed position, which partially reveals actin's myosin-binding sites and allows weak actin-myosin contact; strong-binding myosin heads are required to nudge TM aside to the fully Open position. We used vanadate to block strong binding by myosin during X-ray diffraction movies of fibers length-cycled in the presence of vanadate and Ca2+. The reflection that reports TM movement (outer part of the 19.3-nm layer line) indicates a partial TM movement, as compared to un-inhibited fibers that are actively contracting. Thus SA appears to be a variation of the three-state mechanism seen during calcium-activation, except that the sub-saturating [Ca2+] typical of SA (pCa ∼6) leaves TM in the Blocked position until sarcomere stretch moves TM to the Closed position. Regardless of whether the fiber is stretch-activated at pCa 6, or isometrically Ca2+-activated at pCa 4.5, it still requires strong-binding myosin heads to nudge TM to the fully Open position. Other changes seen in the X-ray movies of vanadate-inhibited fibers are consistent with our previous interpretation that myosin-troponin bridges mediate TM movement during sarcomere stretch, and indicate that myosin-troponin bridges are not affected by vanadate.
Orientation response of Pacific coast wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae) to food baits in laboratory and effectiveness of baits in field

Assays were done in the laboratory and field to monitor the response of Pacific coast wireworm, Limonius canus LeConte, to food baits. A glass-plate assay was used in laboratory trials to study movement of wireworm larvae through soil in response to several food baits, including germinating seeds of grains, rolled oats [Avenu sauva L. (Poaceae)], carrot [Daucus carota L. (Umbelliferae)], and potato [Solanum tuberosum L. (Solanaceae)]. Studies were also done with these baits to determine effectiveness under field conditions. In both laboratory and field trials, germinating seed of wheat [Triticum aestivum L. (Poaceae)] and barley [Hordeum vulgare L. (Poaceae)] ranked higher in response by larvae than the remaining food baits. In the glass-plate assays, 65–70% of wireworms contacted the wheat or barley seed baits within a 2-h assay period. Corn [Zea mays L. (Poaceae)] seed and sliced carrot were also effective, with 60% of larvae contacting the baits. Rice [Oryza sativa L. (Poaceae)], rye [Secale cereale L. (Poaceae)], and potato were contacted by 30–45% of larvae. In the majority of assays, contact with the bait occurred within 30 min of the start of the assay. Trail lengths varied substantially among larvae (0–70 cm). The field studies showed that all food baits captured more wireworms than unbaited traps. A second assay conducted in the laboratory showed that moistened rolled oats were contacted with a higher probability if oats were aged 72 h following wetting (51% of larvae contacted the bait) than oats used immediately following wetting (28% of larvae). Field trials using baits composed of different volumes of rolled oats showed little evidence of a dose response in capture rates of L. canus, although all baits captured more wireworms than unbaited traps. These studies showed that L. canus is attracted to food baits in both laboratory and field trials, and that baits may prove useful to monitor populations of this pest in the field.
Ethanol-induced single-strand DNA breaks in rat brain cells

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were intubated with 4 g/kg body weight of ethanol (in a 20%, v/v, water solution). Brain cells were analyzed for single-strand DNA breaks at various post-ethanol administration time points using an alkaline microgel electrophoresis assay. Results showed a significant increase in single-strand DNA breaks in brain cells that peaked at approx. 4 h and returned to control level within 6 h after ethanol administration.
Novice teachers’ conceptions of fairness in inclusion classrooms

Abstract The issue of “fairness” troubles some general education teachers, who may be reluctant to teach students with disabilities. Journals written by 47 general education preservice and novice teachers were data sources for examining teachers’ concerns about fairness. Five areas of concern emerged: general responses, definitions of fairness, dealing with students, classroom applications (e.g., grading), and negative views. These themes are illustrated and discussed within the theoretical framework of principles of distribution of benefits. Suggestions are offered for helping teacher education students move toward acceptance of needs-based principles of fairness.
Lactate Uptake and Metabolism by Brain During Hyperlactatemia and Hypoglycemia

Entry into CSF and consumption by brain of blood-borne lactate (La) was quantified in pentobarbital-anesthetized, normocapnic dogs loaded and infused with NaLa and HLa to hold constant, in arterial blood, both the La concentration at about 8 mM (normal = 1 mM) and the pH at 7.4. In four dogs studied hourly over six hours, the arteriosagittal sinus blood concentration difference (δA-V La) was 0.41 ± 0.14 (SE) mM (P <0.05) and was time independent. CSF La rose slowly over four hours to about 0.6 of blood La while cisternal CSF pH remained nearly constant. Four acetate loaded controls showed no changes of δA-V La, CSF La, CSF, or arterial pH. Brain uptake of La was quantitated in eight dogs during insulin-induced hypoglycemia, to minimize possible competition by glucose. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and δA-V for La, glucose, and O2 were determined at 30-minute intervals. CBF and cerebral metabolic rate of O2 (CMRO2) both fell about 17% during two hours of hypoglycemia and returned to control with La loading alt...
Are interactive specialization and massive redeployment compatible

I offer a simple method for further investigating the Interactive Specialization framework, and some data that may or may not be compatible with the approach, depending on the precise meaning of “specialization.” Findings from my lab indicate that, while networks of brain areas cooperate in specialized ways to support cognitive functions, individual brain areas participate in many such networks, in different cognitive domains.
Ecological variability and religious beliefs

Religious beliefs, including those about an afterlife and omniscient spiritual beings, vary across cultures. We theorize that such variations may be predictably linked to ecological variations, just as differences in mating strategies covary with resource distribution. Perhaps beliefs in a soul or afterlife are more common when resources are unpredictable, and life is brutal and short.
Evaluating Picture Exchange and the iPad™ as a Speech Generating Device to Teach Communication to Young Children with Autism

The purpose of the study was to compare picture exchange (PE) and an iPad™ –based speech generating device (SGD) in teaching mands to five preschool boys diagnosed with autism. Participants’ preferences for each device were assessed following training. Three participants met mastery criterion for mands using the SGD more quickly, while two participants met mastery criterion for mands using PE more readily. However, the overall rate of independent manding across training and maintenance was higher for four participants using the SGD. Four participants demonstrated a clear preference for the SGD device and one for PE. Results are consistent with previous research showing that acquisition of alternative communication modalities varies across children with autism, and supports the use of assessment to determine modality preference.
The history of anthrax

Anthrax, a potentially fatal infection, is a virulent and highly contagious disease. Descriptions of this disease begin in antiquity, with the best ancient account being by the Roman poet Virgil. During the 19th century, anthrax was the infection involved in several important medical developments. It served as the prototype for Koch's postulates regarding the causation of infectious disease. The first vaccine containing attenuated live organisms was Louis Pasteur's veterinary anthrax vaccine. In the 1900s, human inhalation anthrax occurred sporadically in the United States among textile and tanning workers, but the incidence of the illness had declined dramatically. An outbreak of inhalation anthrax occurred in Sverdlovsk near a Soviet military microbiology facility in 1979. This epidemic represented the largest documented outbreak of human inhalation anthrax in history. In October and November 2001, 22 cases of confirmed or suspected inhalation and cutaneous anthrax were reported associated with the intentional release of the organism in the United States. An additional case of cutaneous disease occurred in March of 2002.
Empirical, spatially explicit natural mortality and movement rate estimates for the threatened Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi)

Understanding mortality rates and movement patterns across a species’ distribution can provide key insight necessary for developing effective conservation, recovery, and management plans. We direct...
An environmental DNA-derived type II polyketide biosynthetic pathway encodes the biosynthesis of the pentacyclic polyketide erdacin.

Environmental DNA-derived cosmid clones containing type II polyketide synthase genes were screened for the ability to produce clone-specific metabolites in Streptomyces. One of the Streptomyces recombinants produces erdacin, a novel polyketide with a previously unknown pentacyclic skeleton. Erdacin provides tangible evidence that environmental DNA gene clusters are likely to encode the biosynthesis of molecules that are substantively different from those that have been identified using culture-based strategies.
CoVE: A Colony Visualization System for Animal Pedigrees

CoVE is a novel, scalable, interactive tool that can be used to visualize and manage large colonies of laboratory animals. Effective management of large colonies of animals with multiple individual attributes and complicated breeding schemes represents a significant data management challenge in the biological sciences. Currently available software either provides databases for record keeping or generates basic pedigrees but not both. Thus, there is a pressing need for an integrated colony management system that provides a repository for the data and addresses the visualization challenge presented by complex genealogical data. We present CoVE, a colony visualization tool that provides an overview of the entire colony, clusters individuals based on Gender, Litter or Genotype, and provides an individual view of any animal for detailed examination. We demonstrate that CoVE provides an efficient way to manage, generate and view complex pedigree of real world genealogical data from animal colonies, annotated with details of individual attributes. It enables interactive tracing of lineages and identification of censored subjects in tumor studies.
Campus Culture and the Experiences of Chicano Students in a Predominantly White University

The primary goal of this study was to uncover the elements of campus culture that hindered or supported Chicano student persistence in college. The first set of findings describes the elements of c...
Membrane depolarization and NADPH oxidase activation in aortic endothelium during ischemia reflect altered mechanotransduction.

We previously showed that “ischemia” (abrupt cessation of flow) leads to rapid membrane depolarization and increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lung microvascular endothelial ce...
Trade in services and the multilateral trade negotiations

The dispute between developed and developing countries over the inclusion of services in the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations reflects critical differences in perspective on substantive issues. In particular, these substantive divisions arise from the differences between services and goods in matters such as regulation and the requirement in many instances offreedom to move productive factors across national boundaries-for example, the "right to establish" that would permit the provider of services to get to the user. In addition, developing countries see the developed countries as seeking concessions on service trade in exchange for removal of the latter's existing and potential barriers on trade in goods, rather than establishing quid pro quos within the service compact itself. Developing countries have possible export advantages in the service sector and have much to gain by joining actively in negotiating a services compact that permits them to exploit these advantages.
Evaluation of sensitivity of stiffness-sensitive electret microphones

This paper presents an evaluation of the sensitivity of a new thin-film stiffness sensing technology that utilizes commercial electret microphones. The analysis allows comparison of commercial microphones for stiffness sensing applications. A mathematical method to estimate the stiffness sensitivity of a commercial microphone from its acoustic sensitivity is developed. Experimental results are presented on the use of the developed method in a sensor that estimates carbon dioxide concentration by utilizing a carbon nanotube thin film on an electret microphone.
Comparative analysis of hepatitis C virus phylogenies from coding and non-coding regions: the 5' untranslated region (UTR) fails to classify subtypes.

Background The duration of treatment for HCV infection is partly indicated by the genotype of the virus. For studies of disease transmission, vaccine design, and surveillance for novel variants, subtype-level classification is also needed. This study used the Shimodaira-Hasegawa test and related statistical techniques to compare phylogenetic trees obtained from coding and non-coding regions of a whole-genome alignment for the reliability of subtyping in different regions.
Protein synthesis, polyribosomes, and peptide elongation in early development of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

The absolute rate of protein synthesis in developing embryos of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus has been measured by lysine incorporation. Protein synthesis rises to about 240 pg hr−1 embryo−1 from the two- to eight-cell stage, and then gradually increases to a maximum of over 500 pg hr−1 embryo−1 in the blastula. The changes in protein synthesis are accompanied by similar increase in the polyribosomes in the embryo, so that 60–65% of the ribosomes are in polyribosomes by the blastula stage. The data are used to calculate an average peptide elongation rate of 1.8 amino acids ribosome−1 sec−1.
Intersections of Harm and Health: A Qualitative Study of Intimate Partner Violence in Women's Lives

Eight focus groups of women with recent exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) were conducted to elicit women's descriptions of how IPV affects their health. Their shared narratives reveal a complex relationship with three main points of intersection between IPV and health: IPV leading to adverse health effects; IPV worsening already compromised health; and women's illness or disability increasing dependency on abusive partners, thereby lengthening the duration of IPV exposure. Women describe bidirectional and cyclical ways through which IPV and health intersect over time. Service providers, including physicians, need to better understand the myriad ways that abuse affects women's health.
Social Relations that Generate and Sustain Solidarity after a Mass Tragedy

Numerous researchers discuss the solidarity-producing effects of crime, natural disasters and mass tragedies; however, there is much we do not understand about the processes involved in the phenomena. We specify the social relationships that generate and sustain solidarity by building on Hunter's descriptions of the private, parochial and public spheres of community. We argue that event-specific parochial and event-specific public activities generate solidarity after heinous crimes. However, general parochial activities, such as attending local organizational meetings and frequenting local businesses, sustain solidarity. Using longitudinal data collected after the mass murder of 27 students and 5 faculty members on Virginia Tech's campus in 2007, a repeated measures analysis predicting levels of solidarity 5, 9 and 13 months after the tragedy supports our hypotheses.
Depression and Verbal Behavior in Conversations with Friends and Strangers

This study sought to determine whether people with depression exhibited social skills deficits in the domain of verbal behavior. Thirty-five students with depression and 39 nondepressed students engaged in a 7-minute conversation with either a friend or a stranger. Results indicated no depressed-nondepressed differences in speech productivity or negativity. However, a number of significant interactions indicated that people with depression who talked with a friend exhibited more negative language and used more language indicative of partner-focused attention than other participants.
Adeno-associated virus type 2 preferentially integrates single genome copies with defined breakpoints

Background Adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype 2 prevalently infects humans and is the only described eukaryotic virus that integrates site-preferentially. In a recent high throughput study, the genome wide distribution of AAV-2 integrants was determined using Integrant Capture Sequencing (IC-Seq). Additional insight regarding the integration of AAV-2 into human genomic DNA could be gleaned by low-throughput sequencing of complete viral-chromosomal junctions.
Primer on the Inter-American Human Rights System

While U.S lawyers face significant limitations in using international human rights law in domestic practice, human rights law can be a useful element in a U.S. lawyer's toolkit. Poverty and civil rights lawyers can use the Inter-American Commission in a variety of ways, through direct participation in the system itself and by using it to bolster advocacy in the United States. These avenues allow advocates to explore new possibilities to bring human rights home.
Capnography During Critical Illness

Capnography has made steady inroads in the ICU and is increasingly used for all patients who are mechanically ventilated. There is growing recognition that capnography is rich in information about lung and circulatory physiology and provides insight into many diseases and treatments. These include conditions of impaired matching of ventilation and perfusion, such as pulmonary embolism and obstructive lung diseases; circulatory questions, such as the adequacy of chest compressions during cardiac arrest or fluid responsiveness in patients in shock; and the safety of procedural sedation. In this review, we emphasize analysis of the entire capnographic waveform as a way to glean additional useful information. We also discuss important limitations of capnography, especially when it is considered to be a surrogate for Paco2.
Valve Interstitial Cells Act in a Pericyte Manner Promoting Angiogensis and Invasion by Valve Endothelial Cells

Neovascularization is an understudied aspect of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD). Within diseased valves, cells along the neovessels' periphery stain for pericyte markers, but it is unclear whether valvular interstitial cells (VICs) can demonstrate a pericyte-like phenotype. This investigation examined the perivascular potential of VICs to regulate valve endothelial cell (VEC) organization and explored the role of Angiopoeitin1-Tie2 signaling in this process. Porcine VECs and VICs were fluorescently tracked and co-cultured in Matrigel over 7 days. VICs regulated early VEC network organization in a ROCK-dependent manner, then guided later VEC network contraction through chemoattraction. Unlike vascular control cells, the valve cell cultures ultimately formed invasive spheroids with 3D angiogenic-like sprouts. VECs co-cultured with VICs displayed significantly more invasion than VECs alone; with VICs generally leading and wrapping around VEC invasive sprouts. Lastly, Angiopoietin1-Tie2 signaling was found to regulate valve cell organization during VEC/VIC spheroid formation and invasion. VICs demonstrated pericyte-like behaviors toward VECs throughout sustained co-culture. The change from a vasculogenic network to an invasive sprouting spheroid suggests that both cell types undergo phenotypic changes during long-term culture in the model angiogenic environment. Valve cells organizing into spheroids and undergoing 3D invasion of Matrigel demonstrated several typical angiogenic-like phenotypes dependent on basal levels of Angiopoeitin1-Tie2 signaling and ROCK activation. These results suggest that the ectopic sustained angiogenic environment during the early stages of valve disease promotes organized activity by both VECs and VICs, contributing to neovessel formation and the progression of CAVD.
Chiral Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Kinetic Resolutions.

The synthesis of enantioenriched small molecules is an ongoing goal of organic chemists. This focus review explores the use of kinetic resolutions catalyzed by chiral Bronsted acids. Methods include classic kinetic resolutions and dynamic kinetic resolutions. The small molecules obtained are potentially valuable intermediates in the synthesis of biologically important compounds.
Stimulation of sporogenic and nonsporogenic bacteria by traces of penicillin or streptomycin.

SummarySuitable, low concentrations of penicillin or streptomycin in sterile milk (autoclaved) stimulated the growth of many spore-formers and Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae. The degree of stimulation differed with the organism and with some cultures was not apparent in the range of concentrations used; some of the practical implications of growth stimulation by penicillin and streptomycin are briefly discussed.
Intrinsic dependence of T c on hydrostatic (He-gas) pressure for superconducting LaFePO, PrFePO, and NdFePO single crystals

Since their discovery in 2008, the Fe-based superconductors have attracted a great deal of interest. Regrettably, the mechanism(s) responsible for the superconductivity has yet to be unequivocally identified. High pressure is an important variable since its application moderates the pairing interaction. Thus far, the $\mathit{Ln}$FePO ($\mathit{Ln}$ = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd) family of superconductors has received relatively little attention. Early high-pressure studies on LaFePO found that ${T}_{c}$ initially increased with pressure before passing through a maximum at higher pressures. The present studies on both polycrystalline and single-crystalline LaFePO, PrFePO, and NdFePO utilize the most hydrostatic pressure medium available, i.e., dense He. Surprisingly, for all samples, ${T}_{c}$ is found to initially decrease rapidly with pressure at the rate $d{T}_{c}/dP\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}2$ to $\ensuremath{-}3$ K/GPa. Less hydrostatic pressure media thus appear to enhance the value of ${T}_{c}$ in these materials. These results give yet further evidence that the superconducting state in Fe-based superconductors is extraordinarly sensitive to lattice strain.
Trust and Distrust: Two Sides of the Same Coin?

While the study of trust is an enduring area of research, a nascent but growing body of work has focused on organizational distrust. This symposium is aimed at advancing research by encouraging dis...
Differential Invariants of Curves in Projective Space

(1989). Differential Invariants of Curves in Projective Space. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 62, No. 1, pp. 28-35.
Benign mixed mesodermal tumors of the uterus: a histogenetic study.

Seven cases of benign mixed mesodermal tumors of the uterus were compared histologically with an equal number of randomly selected angiomyolipomas of the kidney. They were found to be indistinguishable in terms of the appearance and relative amounts of fat, smooth muscle, and fibrous connective tissue present. Furthermore, proliferation of atypical blood vessels, as has been found in the renal lesions, was a prominent feature in four of the seven uterine tumors. Based on the similarity of the histologic appearances, a common histogenesis is suggested.
Relationship between plant morphology and microspore development in fertility abortion of rice,SE21S

Under natural conditions with long day and high temperature or short day and low temperature,the plant morphology,including leaf collar,ear length and days to heading,and the morphological changes of cells during fertility abortion were observed on the rice,SE21S.The relationship between the plant characteristics and microspore development was established.The results showed that(1) light and temperature were the significant climatic factors affecting the fertility when plant morphological characteristics were-1.0-4.5cm long on leaf collar,12.5-14.6cm long on young panicles,6.4-9.6 days before heading and in the single nucleus stage of the microspore development;and(2) the sterile pollen microspores appeared shrunk and irregular,while the fertile microspores smooth and regular.But during the stage from motrecyte to tetracyte,there was no significant difference in their cellular morphology observed in comparison with the normal rice(control).
Performance of routine SSFP cine cardiac MRI in the assessment of regurgitant valvular lesions, a comparison with echocardiography in a prospective cohort

Background : The accuracy of valvular regurgitation assessment is uncertain by SSFP cine MR imaging. In this study we compared performance of cine images with Doppler echocardiography (echo) in a large prospective cohort. Methods : We prospectively recruited 205 subjects who underwent MRI within 2 hours of echo. Regurgitation was assessed qualitatively and graded as none (0), trace (0.5), mild (1), mild to moderate (1.5), moderate (2.0), moderate to severe (2.5) and severe (3.0) by echo and by cine MRI. Grading from echo was used as reference. Results : Prevalence of the mitral (MR), tricuspid (TR), aortic (AR) and pulmonic (PR) regurgitation was 79%, 87%, 29% and 58% by echo, respectively. When regurgitation was absent the agreement between MRI and echo was good: 86%, 79%, 99% and 96% for MR, TR, AR and PR, respectively. However, few cases were detected by MRI for lesions 1+ or less: 16%, 29%, 10% and 2%, respectively. Detection of significant regurgitation (≥ 1.5+) by MRI was reliable, 97%, 93%, 90% and 100%, with 25%, 14%, 30% and 33% underestimation of severity present, respectively while overestimation was rare. Conclusion : SSFP cine MRI is reliable in detecting the absence or significant (≥ 1.5+) regurgitant lesions but limited for mild or trivial diseases.
Differential Immunoreactivity of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Benign, Dysplastic and Malignant Prostatic Tissues

To investigate epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) presence in the prostate, monoclonal antibody (clone EGFR1) immunohistochemical examination of radical prostatectomy specimens was performed (n = 37). All prostatic specimens contained benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and/or dysplasia (prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia or PIN), as well as prostatic carcinoma (CaP). Areas of dysplasia were further categorized as to the basal cell layer and the luminal cell area. BPH, PIN, and CaP tissues in each specimen were analyzed by a single observer and graded on a scale from 0-4+. Fifteen samples were also analyzed for EGFr content utilizing a Cell Analysis Systems (CAS 200) image cytometer. EGFr immunoreactivity of BPH basal cells was significantly higher than EGFr immunoreactivity in areas of CaP (p < 0.001). EGFr staining of BPH basal cells was also significantly higher than that seen in PIN luminal cells (p < 0.001). Immunoreactivity of EGFr in PIN basal cells was significantly higher than in PIN luminal cells (p < 0.001). EGFr staining of basal cells in BPH tissues was higher than that seen in the PIN basal cell layer but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.06). The amount of staining present in PIN luminal cells was also significantly greater than in CaP tissues (p = 0.002). Quantitative image analysis utilizing the CAS 200 image cytometer was performed on BPH and CaP areas exclusively. EGFr immunoreactivity in basal cells of the BPH tissues was significantly greater than that seen in CaP tissues (p < 0.001). The decreased EGFr immunoreactivity in CaP may reflect a differentiating role for EGFr in normal tissues. Loss of EGFr influence may be associated with an increased proliferative state in PIN and CaP. Destruction or alteration of the epidermal grwoth factor receptor by a protease, such as prostatic specific antigen, may also explain our findings. At the present time the meaning of the different amounts of EGFr in the various types of prostate tissues is unknown.
The effect of some urinary stone inhibitors on membrane interaction potentials of stone crystals.

AbstractThe effect of stone growth inhibitors (citrate, pyrophosphate, ethane diphosphonate, methane diphosphonate, chondroitin sulfate A, chondroitin sulfate C, heparin and ribonucleic acid) on crystal-membrane interactions of whewellite, weddellite, apatite, brushite, struvite, uric acid, monosodium urate and quartz (control) stones was quantitated. As a model for the initial retention of microcrystals by kidney epithelial membranes, crystal-induced membranolysis of red blood cells served as a measure of crystal-membrane interactions. The inhibitors induced changes in hemolytic potential from approximately 320 per cent enhancement to 80 per cent inhibition. No inhibitor behaved the same way for all crystals studied. However, some crystals showed consistent trends in altered hemolytic potential in the presence of inhibitors. These crystals included weddellite and sodium urate, which were inhibited consistently, and apatite and quartz, which were enhanced consistently. Whewellite, uric acid, brushite and ...
Platelet ∝2-adrenergic receptor activity in clinical studies of depression

Studies over the past twenty years have suggested that alterations in monoamine neurotransmission play a role in the etiology and treatment of major depressive disorder (Schildkraut, 1978; Murphy et al., 1978). Research into the mechanism of action of antidepressants has contributed significant support to this hypothesis. Tricyclic antidepressants, electroconvulsive treatment (ECT), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) all have been shown to affect presynaptic mechanisms resulting in an apparent accumulation of monoamines in the synaptic cleft (Ebert et al., 1973; Goodwin and Potter, 1978; Sugrue, 1982). Years of clinical investigation searching for evidence of alterations in monoamine levels in depressed patients, however, have been plagued by inconsistencies (Goodwin and Potter, 1978; Baldessarini, 1981). It became evident that the acute presynaptic effects of antidepressants on inhibition of monoamine oxidase or reuptake of biogenic amines could not account for the more extended time course of action required to achieve clinical efficacy (Oswald et al., 1972; Sulser et al., 1978).
Quantifying Self-Reported Adverse Drug Events on Twitter: Signal and Topic Analysis

When a drug that is sold exhibits side effects, a well functioning ecosystem of pharmaceutical drug suppliers includes responsive regulators and pharmaceutical companies. Existing systems for monitoring adverse drug events, such as the Federal Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) in the US, have shown limited effectiveness due to the lack of incentives for healthcare professionals and patients. While social media present opportunities to mine information about adverse events in near real-time, there are still important questions to be answered in order to understand their impact on pharmacovigilance. First, it is not known how many relevant social media posts occur per day on platforms like Twitter, i.e., whether there is "enough signal" for a post-market pharmacovigilance program based on Twitter mining. Second, it is not known what other topics are discussed by users in posts mentioning pharmaceutical drugs.In this paper, we outline how social media can be used as a human sensor for drug use monitoring. We introduce a large-scale, near real-time system for computational pharmacovigilance, and use our system to estimate the order of magnitude of the volume of daily self-reported pharmaceutical drug side effect tweets. The processing pipeline comprises a set of cascaded filters, followed by a supervised machine learning classifier. The cascaded filters quickly reduce the volume to a manageable sub-stream, from which a Support Vector Machine (SVM) based classifier identifies adverse events based on a rich set of features taking into account surface-textual properties, as well as domain knowledge about drugs, side effects and the Twitter medium. Using a dataset of 10,000 manually annotated tweets, a SVM classifier achieves F1=60.4% and AUC=0.894. The yield of the classifier for a drug universe comprising 2,600 keywords is 721 tweets per day. We also investigate what other topics are discussed in the posts mentioning pharmaceutical drugs. We conclude by suggesting an ecosystem where regulators and pharmaceutical companies utilize social media to obtain feedback about consequences of pharmaceutical drug use.
Intraocular bevacizumab in the treatment of choroidal metastases from breast cancer

We report the case of a 38-year-old woman who was initially diagnosed with stage II oestrogen receptor (ER) positive, progesterone receptor (PR) positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast, in 2013. Breast MRI at that time showed multifocal disease in the right breast. The patient underwent a right mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection, which revealed pT2 N1a breast cancer. Following this, she received four cycles of docetaxel and cyclophosphamide and adjuvant radiation. At that time, she had declined tamoxifen due to her history of lattice degeneration and concerns of retinal detachment. She was also offered letrozole with goserelin but declined due to their side effect profile and risk for retinal complications. The patient did well on routine follow-up until July 2015, when she presented to emergency department with symptoms of dizziness. Workup showed hypercalcaemia. Imaging studies including bone scan and CT scan showed multiple bone metastases, …
Reducing false positives in intrusion detection systems using data-mining techniques utilizing support vector machines, decision trees, and naive Bayes for off-line analysis

Intrusion detection systems monitor network or host packets in an attempt to detect malicious activities on a system. Anomaly detection systems have success in exposing new attacks, commonly referred to as ‘zero’ day attacks, yet have high false positive rates. False positive events occur when an activity is flagged for investigation yet it was determined to be benign upon analysis. Computational power and valuable resources are wasted when the irrelevant data is processed, data flagged, analyst alerted, and the irrelevant data is finally disregarded. In an effort to make intrusion detection systems more efficient the false positive rate must be reduced. This paper proposes a model for reducing false positives using data mining techniques by combining support vector machines (SVM), decision trees, and Naive Bayes.
Ion-adsorption REEs in regolith of the Liberty Hill pluton, South Carolina, USA: An effect of hydrothermal alteration

Abstract Ion-adsorbed rare earth element (REE) deposits supply the majority of world heavy REE production and substantial light REE production, but relatively little is known of their occurrence outside Southeast Asia. We examined the distribution and forms of REEs on a North American pluton located in the highly weathered and slowly eroding South Carolina Piedmont. The Hercynian Liberty Hill pluton experiences a modern climate that includes ~ 1500 mm annual rainfall and a mean annual temperature of 17 °C. The pluton is medium- to coarse-grained biotite-amphibole granite with minor biotite granite facies. REE-bearing phases are diverse and include monazite, zircon, titanite, allanite, apatite and bastnasite. Weathered profiles were sampled up to 7 m-deep across the ~ 400 km 2 pluton. In one profile, ion-adsorbed REEs plus yttrium (REE + Y) ranged up to 581 mg/kg and accounted for up to 77% of total REE + Y in saprolite. In other profiles, ion-adsorbed REE + Y ranged 12–194 mg/kg and only accounted for 3–37% of totals. The profile most enriched in ion-adsorbed REEs was located along the mapped boundary of two granite facies and contained trioctahedral smectite in the saprolite, evidence suggestive of hydrothermal alteration of biotite at that location. Post-emplacement deuteric alteration can generate easily weathered REE phases, particularly fluorocarbonates. In the case of Liberty Hill, hydrothermal alteration may have converted less soluble to more soluble REE minerals. Additionally, regolith P content was inversely correlated with the fraction ion-adsorbed REEs, and weathering related secondary REE-phosphates were found in some regolith profiles. Both patterns illustrate how low P content aids in the accumulation of ion-adsorbed REEs. The localized occurrence at Liberty Hill sheds light on conditions and processes that generate ion-adsorbed REEs.
A Proof of the Griffiths Inequalities for the X‐Y Model

The idea involved in the proof of (1.3),(1.4) is simply to reduce these inequalities to the classical Griffiths inequalities, [2], by using the technique in Ref. [1] to prove (1.2) and in Ref. [3],[4] to prove the circle theorem for the Heisenberg model. Following Ref. [4] we write @ In: Studies in Applied Mathematics, L, 89–92, 1971. ∗ Present address: Istituto di Matematica, Universita di Roma, Italy. This work has been totally supported by National Science Foundation Grant #GP 9414 through a visit to MIT, october 1970.
Spice and herb use with vegetables: Liking, frequency, and self-efficacy among US adults

Objectives To inform future initiatives to encourage vegetable intake, we explored how spice and herb (S/H) use with vegetables was related to consumer characteristics. Methods A questionnaire collected information on S/H liking and use frequency, whether S/Hs were used when cooking vegetables, and belief that consumers could use S/Hs when cooking vegetables. The questionnaire was distributed to members of an online panel of US consumers. Results Younger respondents (18-29 years) and respondents who identified as Asian/ Pacific Islander or other racial group used 19 of the 20 S/Hs more frequently than their older and white/Caucasian, African-American or Hispanic counterparts, respectively. S/H use when cooking vegetables at home was significantly higher for women. Self-efficacy was higher for women, 18-29 year-olds, and 30-49 year-olds, and lower for respondents who identified as white/Caucasian race and those with annual incomes below 50,000. Conclusions Low-income, male, older ( 50 years), and white/ Caucasian respondents were identified as target audiences that may benefit the most from interventions encouraging S/H use with vegetables to increase consumption. It is critical to account for socio-demographic characteristics of the audience when designing interventions.
Early primary care follow-up after ED and hospital discharge - does it affect readmissions?

ABSTRACTObjectives: After hospitalization, timely discharge follow-up has been linked to reduced readmissions in the heart failure population, but data from general inpatients has been mixed. The objective of this study was to determine if there was an association between completed follow-up appointments within 14 days of hospital discharge and 30-day readmission amongst primary care patients at an urban academic medical center. Index discharges included both inpatient and emergency room settings. A secondary objective was to identify patient factors associated with completed follow-up appointments within 14 days.Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of primary care patients at an urban academic medical center who were discharged from either the emergency department (ED) or inpatient services at the Weill Cornell Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital from 1 January 2014-31 December 2014. Cox proportional hazard models were used to identify the relationship between follow-up in primary care ...
Three Strikes Laws

“Three strikes laws,” which are based on habitual offender laws passed in the 1920s and 1930s, were adopted by many states and the federal government in the 1990s and mandate significant enhancements to the sentences of offenders with prior convictions who are then convicted of a new crime. Despite promises by proponents that the laws would reduce levels of serious crime, little empirical evidence exists that three strikes laws have had any measurable impact. In fact, some evidence indicates the laws actually worked in the opposite direction and increased some crimes, including murder. Keywords: policy; punishment; recidivism; sentencing
Stigma Towards Homosexuality and AIDS Among Students of a Large Hispanic-Serving University

Homosexuality and AIDS-related stigma lead to failures in testing, disclosure of HIV status, and treatment for HIV. This study explored stigma towards AIDS and homosexuality among students of a large Hispanic-serving university in the southeastern United States (US). An online anonymous survey was emailed to 8000 randomly selected students. Two multiple choice questions about attitudes towards a professor with AIDS and a gay classmate were analyzed using Chi-square tests, simple and multivariable logistic regression to examine the association of stigma with other factors. Most (60%) of the 632 respondents were women. Only 7.8% of study participants reported stigmatizing attitudes of wanting to drop a class, sitting further away from, or feeling less comfortable in a class with a professor diagnosed with AIDS. Similarly, 7.8% of respondents would stigmatize a gay classmate by trying to avoid social contact or feeling uncomfortable talking with him. Males (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.95, 7.04) and non-Hispanic students (AOR 2.03, 95% CI 1.08, 3.81) had a higher—and those born in the US had a lower (AOR 0.43, 95% CI 0.23, 0.81)—odds of stigmatizing a gay classmate. No variables were significantly associated with stigmatizing attitudes towards a professor with AIDS. Stigmatizing attitudes towards a faculty member with AIDS or a gay classmate do not appear to be a major problem among students at this Hispanic-serving university. Interventions designed to further reduce gay-related stigma might focus on non-Hispanic young men who are born outside of the United States.