cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Meta regression: Relationship between antipsychotic receptor binding profiles and side-effects.

Abstract Our objective was to examine the association between antipsychotic receptor binding profiles and the magnitude of common side-effects. We used regression analysis to examine the association between the receptor binding affinities of antipsychotic agents (log Ki) and degree of specific antipsychotic side-effects. Data on magnitude of weight gain, prolactin increase and QTc prolongation (in Standardized Mean Difference) and risk of sedation and extrapyramidal symptoms (in Odds Ratio) between individual antipsychotic medications as compared to placebo was based on a recent network meta-analysis examining the treatment of schizophrenia. Receptor affinities (in log Ki) were examined for the D2, 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C, H1, alpha1, alpha2, M1, M3 and M4 receptors. Medications were weighted in the analysis using the generic inverse variance method utilizing variance estimates from the previous meta-analysis. Magnitude of weight gain was significantly associated with the affinity of antipsychotic medications to M1, M3, 5-HT2C and H1 receptors. Risk of sedation was significantly associated with the affinity to the M1 and M4 receptors. Magnitude of hyperprolactinemia was significantly associated with the affinity to M1 and M4 receptors. Risk of extrapyramidal side effects was associated with the affinity to 5-HT2C and M1 receptors. QT prolongation was not significantly associated with antipsychotic receptor affinities. Our meta-analysis demonstrated that increased affinity of antipsychotics for certain receptors are significantly associated with higher risk of sedation, hyperprolactinemia, extrapyramidal side effects and weight gain.
A case report of chromosome 17q22‐qter trisomy with distinct clinical presentation and review of the literature

Terminal 17q trisomy is very rare but a recognizable genetic syndrome. The majority of cases reported are inherited from a balanced translocation carrier. This syndrome involves many organs and the severity ranges from mild to severe depending on the size of the 17q gain.
Safety and effectiveness of direct oral anticoagulants following ultrasound-assisted catheter directed thrombolysis for venous thromboembolism

Ultrasound-assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis (USAT) is a novel approach for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) that is thought to be associated with a decreased risk of bleeding. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are approved for the treatment of VTE but have not been studied in a post-fibrinolysis setting. The intention of this retrospective observational study was to determine the safety and effectiveness of DOACs compared to the vitamin-K-antagonist (VKA) warfarin following USAT in patients with documented VTE. Included patients were aged 18 years or older who had documented VTE and received oral anticoagulation with either a DOAC or VKA following USAT. The primary outcome of this study was to compare the 90-day composite incidence of major and minor bleeding and recurrent VTE between patients receiving DOACs after USAT to those receiving VKA after USAT. Similar rates of bleeding and recurrent VTE were observed (4/42; 9.5% in the DOAC group versus 2/34; 5.9% in the VKA group). The use of DOAC therapy post-USAT for VTE was not associated with higher rates of 90-day major or minor bleeding or 90-day recurrent VTE.
Can Student Philanthropy Help to Address the Current Nonprofit Identity Crisis? A Case Study of a Multiyear, Multidisciplinary Project at Northern Kentucky University

AbstractSince the systematic study of public administration began, many different approaches have been taken to make future public administrators aware of the contexts of public agencies and to pre...
MCQMC Methods for Multivariate Statistical Distributions

A review and comparison is presented for the use of Monte Carlo and Quasi-Monte Carlo methods for multivariate Normal and multivariate t distribution computation problems. Spherical-radial transformations, and separation-of-variables transformations for these problems are considered. The use of various Monte Carlo methods, Quasi-Monte Carlo methods and randomized Quasi-Monte Carlo methods are discussed for the different problem formulations and test results are summarized.
Epistemic Jurisdictions: Science and Courts in Regulatory (De)Centralization

In the 2007 case of Massachusetts v. EPA, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that one American State had the legal standing to sue a Federal administrative agency for failing to regulate carbon dioxide as an environmental pollutant. In a case challenging the scientific adequacy of Europe’s genetically modified food import restrictions, the WTO Appellate Body held against Europe on the grounds of procedural irregularity rather than scientific insufficiency, resulting in a complex compromise of national sovereignty and federal technocracy that continues to shape the European Commission’s own project of harmonization. There are currently few theoretical resources for understanding the potency of technoscience in underwriting the formation of multi-level regulatory architectures. Building on work in law and STS, this chapter considers legal cases that span local, national and international levels to develop a notion of “epistemic jurisdiction” to help capture the ways in which science, expertise, and epistemic credibility are constitutive of regulatory jurisdiction and formative of political community.
A fault-driven, comprehensive redundancy algorithm for repair of dynamic RAMs

This paper describes a fault-driven algorithm that generates all possible repair solutions for a given bit failure pattern in a redundant RAM. Benefits of this approach include the ability to select repair solutions based on user-defined preferences (fewest total elements invoked, fewest rows invoked, etc.). Perhaps the greatest advantage of this algorithm is its capacity to generate solutions for theoretically repairable dice that would be deemed unrepairable by existing algorithms.
Subsequent cancers in the long term survivors of Hodgkin’s lymphoma: A SEER based analysis.

e19014Background: The impact of newer radiotherapy techniques and non-alkylating agent based regimens (ABVD and Stanford V) on subsequent cancers in Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) survivors remains unclea...
Acceptance versus reappraisal: Behavioral, autonomic, and neural effects

Emotion regulation (ER) is an important skill for well-being. Cognitive reappraisal is a goal-oriented cognitive change strategy. Acceptance involves decentering from immediate habits of reactivity, observing moment-to-moment shifts in thoughts, emotions, and sensations. These two regulation strategies are thought to have different effects on emotion; however, no study has examined the differential effects of reappraisal and acceptance on behavioral, autonomic, and brain responses in the context of ideographic personally salient negative self-beliefs. Thirty-five right-handed, healthy adults were presented idiographic negative self-beliefs embedded in autobiographical scripts. We measured negative emotion ratings, autonomic psychophysiology, and functional magnetic resonance imaging blood oxygen-level dependent responses while participants read neutral statements, reacted to their own negative self-beliefs, and implemented reappraisal and acceptance strategies. Compared with react, reappraisal resulted in significantly lesser negative emotion and respiration rate; no differences in heart rate and skin conductance level; greater brain responses implicated in cognitive control, language, and social cognition; and lesser amygdala responses. Compared with react, acceptance resulted in significantly lesser negative emotion, respiration rate, and heart rate; no difference in skin conductance level; and greater brain responses in networks implicated in cognitive control and attention. Compared with acceptance, reappraisal resulted in significantly lesser negative emotion; no difference in respiration rate and skin conductance level; higher heart rate; greater brain responses in brain regions implicated in cognitive control; and lesser brain responses in amygdala. Reappraisal is more effective than acceptance in down-regulating negative emotion, but may require greater recruitment of autonomic, cognitive, and brain resources. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02036658.
THE LIBERAL PARADOX

This chapter presents the different aspects of liberal paradox. Liberal values seem to require that there are choices that are personal and the relevant person should be free to do what he likes. It would be socially better, in these cases, to permit him to do what he wants, everything else remaining the same. One may define the condition of liberalism in weak form. For each person i , there is at least one pair of distinct alternatives ( x, y ) such that he is decisive in the social choice between them in either order, x P i y →x P y, and y P i x → y P x. This condition can be weakened by requiring such limited decisiveness not for all persons, but for at least some. If one demands it for only one, then of course it is not a case of liberalism, as it will be consistent with dictatorship as well.
Influence of grinding media, pyrite mineralogy and water chemistry on the galvanic interaction between grinding media and pyrite

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of grinding media type, water chemistry and pyrite mineralogy on the galvanic interaction between grinding media and pyrite during grinding of ...
Timing Analysis of the Priority based FRP System

Kaiabachev, Taha, Zhu [1] have presented a declarative programming paradigm called Functional Reactive Programming, which is based on behaviors and events. An improved system called P-FRP uses fixe ...
Bergman-Hölder Functions, Area Integral Means and Extremal Problems

We study Bergman space functions that are mean Holder continuous with respect to the Bergman space norm. In contrast with earlier work, we use the second iterated difference quotient instead of the first. We then give applications to Bergman space extremal problems.
Selections from the ABC 2019 Annual Conference, Detroit, Michigan: High Horsepower "My Favorite Assignment" Sessions in the Motor City.

Readers can explore 13 teaching innovations presented at the 2019 Association for Business Communication annual international conference in Detroit, Michigan. These assignments are designed to add ...
Combination of Imaging Features and Clinical Biomarkers Predicts Positive Pathology and Microbiology Findings Suggestive of Spondylodiscitis in Patients Undergoing Image-Guided Percutaneous Biopsy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pathology and microbiology results for suspected spondylodiscitis on MR imaging are often negative in up to 70% of cases. We aimed to predict whether MR imaging features will add diagnostic value when combined with clinical biomarkers to predict positive findings of spondylodiscitis on pathology and/or microbiology from percutaneous biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective single-center institutional review board–approved study, patients with radiologically suspected spondylodiscitis and having undergone percutaneous biopsies were assessed. Demographic characteristics, laboratory values, and tissue and blood cultures were collected. Pathology and microbiology results were used as end points. Three independent observers provided MR imaging–based scoring for typical MR imaging features for spondylodiscitis. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analysis were performed to determine an optimal combination of imaging and clinical biomarkers in predicting positive findings on pathology and/or microbiology from percutaneous biopsy suggestive of spondylodiscitis. RESULTS: Our patient cohort consisted of 72 patients, of whom 33.3% (24/72) had spondylodiscitis. The mean age was 63 ± 16 years with a male/female ratio of 41:31. Logistic regression revealed a combination with an area under the curve of 0.72 for pathology and 0.68 for pathology and/or microbiology. Epidural enhancement on MR imaging improved predictive performance to 0.87 for pathology and 0.78 for pathology and/or microbiology. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that epidural enhancement on MR imaging added diagnostic value when combined with clinical biomarkers to help predict which patients undergoing percutaneous biopsy will have positive findings for spondylodiscitis on pathology and/or microbiology.
A Bayesian Dilemma

An example is given in which a Bayesian reasoner fails to learn the obvious. That failure calls into question whether Bayesian epistemology is complete and correct as it stands.
Vulnerability of the L5 nerve root during anterior lumbar interbody fusion at L5-S1: case series and review of the literature.

Objective Nerve root injuries associated with anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) are uncommonly reported in the literature. This case series and review aims to describe the etiology of L5 nerve root injury following ALIF at L5-S1. Methods The authors performed a single-center retrospective review of prospectively collected data of patients who underwent surgery between 2017 and 2019 who had postoperative L5 nerve root injuries after stand-alone L5-S1 ALIF. They also reviewed the literature with regard to nerve root injuries after ALIF procedures. Results The authors report on 3 patients with postoperative L5 radiculopathy. All 3 patients had pain that improved. Two of the 3 patients had a neurological deficit, one of which improved. Conclusions Stretch neuropraxia from overdistraction is an important cause of postoperative L5 radiculopathy after L5-S1 ALIF. Judicious use of implants and careful preoperative planning to determine optimal implant sizes are paramount.
Time-To-Event Data: An Overview and Analysis Considerations

In oncology, overall survival and progression-free survival are common time-to-event end points used to measure treatment efficacy. Analyses of this type of data rely on a complex statistical framework and the analysis results are only valid when the data meet certain assumptions. This article provides an overview of time-to-event data, the basic mechanics of common analysis methods, and issues often encountered when analyzing such data. Our goal is to provide clinicians and other lung cancer researchers with the knowledge to choose the appropriate time-to-event analysis methods and to interpret the outcomes of such analyses appropriately. We strongly encourage investigators to seek out statisticians with expertise in survival analysis when embarking on studies that include time-to-event data to ensure that their data are collected and analyzed using the appropriate methods.
Pegaspargase in Practice: Minimizing Toxicity, Maximizing Benefit.

The incorporation of pegaspargase in chemotherapy regimens has significantly improved the prognosis of ALL in adults. However, pegaspargase use poses many challenges due to its unique toxicity profile. Here, we review pegaspargase’s most clinically significant toxicities, and provide guidance for their prevention and management in order to avoid unnecessary drug discontinuation and achieve maximum clinical benefit. Clinically significant toxicities of pegaspargase include thrombosis, hypersensitivity and inactivation, hepatotoxicity, pancreatitis, and hypertriglyceridemia. The majority of these toxicities are temporary, nonfatal, and can be managed supportively without permanent pegaspargase discontinuation. Special attention should be paid to inactivation, which can lead to treatment failure, as well as pancreatitis, which necessitates complete cessation of asparaginase therapy. The question of how to best proceed in patients who cannot tolerate pegaspargase remains unanswered, and is an important area of future investigation. Pegaspargase is an essential component of the pediatric-inspired regimens that have improved survival in adult ALL. Although pegaspargase’s toxicity profile is unique, it is also highly manageable and should not be a barrier to achieving maximum clinical benefit using this drug.
Global Citizenship: A Model for Teaching Universal Human Rights in Social Work Education

There appears to be general agreement among Canadian and American social work educators regarding the need to instill a global perspective in our students in order to better prepare them for leadership in the 21st century. While Canadian schools of social work have long included content on universal human rights in their curriculum, this content is still largely lacking in the U.S. This paper will present “global citizenship” as a useful model for integrating this crucial content into social work education. It encourages students to make a professional commitment to human rights literacy (knowledge), empathy (concern), and responsibility (action).
Impact of Tumor Suppressor Gene Co-Mutations on Differential Response to EGFR TKI Therapy in EGFR L858R and Exon 19 Deletion Lung Cancer.

Abstract Background In most studies, patients with EGFR L858R mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a shorter duration of response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy than do patients with EGFR exon 19 deletion NSCLC. The role that co-mutations play in this observation is unknown. Methods We performed a single-institution retrospective analysis of patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC (exon 19 deletion or L858R mutation) who received frontline EGFR TKI for metastatic disease between 2014 and 2019, and who had STAMP next-generation sequencing (NGS), a 130-gene platform. Time to treatment failure (TTF) and overall survival were calculated using Cox models adjusted for age, race, and brain metastases. Co-mutations in key tumor suppressor genes (TP53, RB1, KEAP1, CDKN2A, or CTNNB1) were identified and their effects on outcomes were evaluated. Analyses were stratified according to receipt of osimertinib versus nonosimertinib as frontline EGFR TKI. Results Of 137 patients, 72 (57%) had EGFR exon 19 deletions and 65 (43%) had EGFR L858R mutations. Median TTF and OS on frontline TKI was shorter for the L858R cohort versus the exon 19 deletion cohort in univariate analysis. In adjusted models, this difference persisted for TTF but was no longer significant for OS. The difference in TTF in L858R mutant tumors was driven by the presence of co-mutations in key tumor suppressor genes. Conclusion Patients with metastatic NSCLC with mutations in EGFR L858R had shorter TTF on frontline TKI compared to patients with EGFR exon 19 deletions. Co-mutations in tumor suppressor genes may play an important role in the differential response to TKI therapy.
Weakly-Supervised Tumor Purity Prediction From Frozen H&E Stained Slides

Estimating tumor purity is especially important in the age of precision medicine. Purity estimates have been shown to be critical for correction of tumor sequencing results, and higher purity samples allow for more accurate interpretations from next-generation sequencing results. In addition, tumor purity has been shown to be correlated with survival outcomes for several diseases. Molecular-based purity estimates using computational approaches require sequencing of tumors, which is both time-consuming and expensive. Here we propose an approach, weakly-supervised purity (wsPurity), which can accurately quantify tumor purity within a slide, using multiple and different types of cancer. This approach allows for a flexible analysis of tumors from whole slide imaging (WSI) of histology hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slides. Our model predicts tumor type with high accuracy (greater than 80% on an independent test cohort), and tumor purity at a higher accuracy compared to a comparable fully-supervised approach (0.1335 MAE on an independent test cohort). In addition to tumor purity prediction, our approach can identify high resolution tumor regions within a slide, to enrich tumor cell selection for downstream analyses. This model could also be used in a clinical setting, to stratify tumors into high and low tumor purity, using different thresholds, in a cancer-dependent manner, depending on what purity levels correlate with worse disease outcomes. In addition, this approach could be used in clinical practice to select the best tissue block for sequencing. Overall, this approach can be used in several different ways to analyze WSIs of tumor H&E sections.
Cancer of the Prostate: Molecular Genetics

Adenocarcinoma of the prostate is one of the most common cancers in men worldwide and is the second leading cause of cancer-specific death in the United States. Over the past 15 years, significant advances have been made in the treatment of prostate cancer, largely owing to earlier diagnosis and the evolution of surgical techniques and improvements in radiation therapy. Nevertheless, tremendous uncertainty and controversy exist regarding the appropriate clinical management of prostate cancer in many cases. Similarly, despite the magnitude of the problem, understanding of the pathogenesis, biology, and natural history of human prostate cancer remains incomplete and unclear. Progress has been made in the past decade in elucidating the molecular and genetic changes involved in prostate cancer development and progression. A better understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms will allow rational treatment strategies and improved outcomes. The classic model of tumor development describes a multistep process in which a series of genetic alterations leads to aberrant, uncontrolled cell growth. This is best characterized in the case of colon cancer, for which specific genetic changes have been correlated with clinical and pathologic disease progression. These genetic alterations can be both hereditary (germ-line mutation) and acquired (somatic mutation). The paradigm is less established in prostate cancer (Fig. 1). We discuss the current understanding of the molecular genetics and biology of prostate cancer development, including genetic predispositions, early changes associated with prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), and the traditional classes of genes involved in promoting and repressing cancer development (protooncogenes/oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, respectively). In addition, we describe recent studies on the role of genetic instability, telomerases, growth factors, cell-adhesion molecules, DNA ethylation, and the androgen receptor (AR) in prostate cancer. Figure 1. Schematic illustrating the potential factors in the development of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostate cancer and the subsequent progression of prostate cancer. AR = androgen receptor; FGF = fibroblast growth factor; TGF = transforming growth factor; RER = replication error. Keywords: Cancer; Prostrate; Genetics
Phase transitions of the asymmetric traveling salesman

We empirically study phase transitions of the asymmetric Traveling Salesman. Using random instances of up to 1,500 cities, we show that many properties of the problem, including the backbone and optimal tour cost, experience sharp transitions as the precision of intercity distances increases across a critical value. We also show that the average computational cost of the well-known branch-and-bound subtour elimination algorithm for the problem also exhibits a threshold behavior, transitioning from easy to difficult as the distance precision increases. These results provide strong positive evidences to a decade-long open question regarding the existence of phase transitions of the Traveling Salesman.
1 – Properties of the Normal State

This chapter discusses the phenomenon of superconductivity, a phenomenon characterized by certain electrical, magnetic, and other properties. The electrical conductivity of a metal may be described most simply in terms of the constituent atoms of the metal. It is more realistic to waive the independent-electron approximation by recognizing that there is Coulomb repulsion among the electrons. It is found that when a method developed by Landau is employed to take into account electron–electron interactions so as to ensure a one-to-one correspondence between the states of the free electron gas and those of the interacting electron system, the conduction electrons are said to form a Fermi liquid. The electron motion consists of successive periods of acceleration interrupted by collisions, and, on average, each collision reduces the electron velocity to zero before the start of the next acceleration. At absolute zero, the electrical conductivity of metals is due to the presence of impurities, defects, and deviations of the background lattice of positive ions from the condition of perfect periodicity.
Erratum to: The future of genomic medicine education in Africa

The online version of the original article can be found under doi:10.1186/s13073-015-0175-x.
A Proposed Scheduling Model To Improve Use of Computed Tomography Facilities

A nonpreemptive queuing system based upon operations management theory is used to evaluate expected steady state wait periods for traditional and distributed CT scheduling models. Both models are constructed using two classes of patient service—emergent and nonemergent. The former model uses only one point of service per scanner while the latter employs multiple points of service in order to accomplish all of the functions necessary to complete a CT scan. Sample data are drawn from a tertiary care hospital-based system using a traditional service model. Comparison of a traditional and distributed service system, each with emergent and nonemergent service classes, shows that breaking as many activities as possible out of the scanner should provide substantial improvements in cost efficiency and service for patients having CT scans. Nonemergent patients may experience as much as an 89% reduction in steady-state wait times while emergent patients may experience as much as a 59% reduction in wait times. The cost efficiencies recognized either through increased scanner utilization or reduced scanner needs, even with only modest improvements, should more than offset any additional personnel needed to implement a distributed model. Proper implementation of a distributed scheduling model for CT scanning can provide substantial cost efficiencies and improvements in service for both nonemergent and emergent CT scans.
The role of gender in the long-term employment outcomes of young adults with disabilities

The purpose of the current study was to examine wage differentials based on gender over a six year post-school period and potential moderators of differential outcomes based on gender. The study included data on 521 participants of a statewide school to work program who had wage data within the state employment database. Results based on mixed effects models indicated that males with disabilities achieved significantly higher starting wages than females and this wage gap remained consistent across the study period. Moderators by gender indicated that graduating high school with a diploma and successful closure from Vocational Rehabilitation were significantly related to higher initial wages for males with disabilities but not females. Results are discussed in the context of related findings suggesting that females do not obtain the same returns as males with disabilities from common benchmarks of success.
A Review of “From Sprawl to Sustainability: Smart Growth, New Urbanism, Green Development, and Renewable Energy (2nd ed.)”

The authors are considered among the nation's leading planning attorneys and legal scholars, so it is no surprise that they have teamed up together to write From Sprawl to Sustainability. Although ...
HIV-1 Cell-Free and Cell-to-Cell Infections Are Differentially Regulated by Distinct Determinants in the Env gp41 Cytoplasmic Tail

ABSTRACT The HIV-1 envelope (Env) glycoprotein mediates viral entry during both cell-free and cell-to-cell infection of CD4 + T cells. The highly conserved long cytoplasmic tail (CT) of Env is required in a cell type-dependent manner for optimal infectivity of cell-free virus. To probe the role of the CT in cell-to-cell infection, we tested a panel of mutations in the CT region that maintain or attenuate cell-free infection to investigate whether the functions of the CT are conserved during cell-free and cell-to-cell infection. The mutations tested included truncations of structural motifs in the gp41 CT and two point mutations in lentiviral lytic peptide 3 (LLP-3) previously described as disrupting the infectivity of cell-free virus. We found that small truncations of 28 to 43 amino acids (aa) or two LLP-3 point mutations, YW_SL and LL_RQ, severely impaired single-round cell-free infectivity 10-fold or more relative to wild-type full-length CT. These mutants showed a modest 2-fold reduction in cell-to-cell infection assays. Conversely, large truncations of 93 to 124 aa severely impaired cell-to-cell infectivity 20-fold or more while resulting in a 50% increase in infectivity of cell-free viral particles when produced in 293T cells. Intermediate truncations of 46 to 90 aa showed profound impairment of both modes of infection. Our results show that the abilities of Env to support cell-free and cell-to-cell infection are genetically distinct. These differences are cell type dependent for large-CT-truncation mutants. Additionally, point mutants in LLP-3 can maintain multiround propagation from cell-to-cell in primary CD4 + T cells. IMPORTANCE The functions of HIV Env gp41 CT remain poorly understood despite being widely studied in the context of cell-free infection. We have identified domains of the gp41 CT responsible for striking selective deficiencies in either cell-free or cell-to-cell infectivity. These differences may reflect a different intrinsic regulatory influence of the CT on cell-associated versus particle-associated Env or differential interaction with host or viral proteins. Our findings provide novel insight into the key regulatory potential of the gp41 CT in cell-free and cell-to-cell HIV-1 infection, particularly for short-truncation mutants of ≤43 amino acids or mutants with point mutations in the LLP-3 helical domain of the CT, which are able to propagate via cell-to-cell infection in the absence of infectious cell-free virus production. These mutants may also serve as tools to further define the contributions of cell-free and cell-to-cell infection in vitro and in vivo .
Excitation and Ionization in Arc and Spark Spectroscopic Sources

The mathematical theories which are applicable to the excitation and ionization of atoms in plasmas at thermal equilibrium are described. These processes are controlled by the temperature and electron density in the plasma; some methods of determining these parameters are given. There have been several measurements of arc and spark temperatures in air, but few determinations of electron densities or of temperatures in gases other than air. It is shown that, even with the limited data available, the theories can be applied to practical problems which arise in spectrochemical analysis.
Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of ethanol, diazepam and pentobarbital in young and aged rats.

Sleeping time was measured in groups of old and young rats following the intraperitoneal injection of pentobarbital (39.5 mg.kg-1), diazepam (30 mg.kg-1) and ethanol (3 g.kg-1). Concentrations of pentobarbital, and unbound and total diazepam in serum, and ethanol in breath were quantified; as well as whole brain concentrations of diazepam and N-demethyldiazepam. Healthy old rats slept significantly longer than young rats after receiving diazepam and ethanol but not pentobarbital. There were no significant differences in serum or whole brain concentrations of diazepam or N-demethyldiazepam between healthy young and old rats. There were also no changes in the serum pentobarbital or breath ethanol concentrations between the young and old rats. Increases in pharmacologic effect that occur with aging may be caused by alterations in pharmacokinetic parameters or changes at the site of drug action. The cause of an increased pharmacodynamic effect depends upon the specific drug, possibly because these compounds affect the same receptorionophore complex at different sites.
Some guidelines for using iterate averaging in stochastic approximation

Averaging of the output (iterates) from a stochastic approximation (SA) recursion has been shown to be a useful technique for the gradient-based Robbins-Monro form of SA. For the gradient-free form, iterate averaging can produce an improvement in the stability of the algorithm and competitive mean-square errors relative to the standard (unaveraged) recursion. We discuss guidelines on how and when to use averaging in this context.
Quantitative measurement of paramylum in Euglena gracilis.

SYNOPSIS. A technic is described for the quantitative assay of paramylum content of euglenoid flagellates. The method relies on the alkaline solubility of paramylum followed by treatment with the anthrone reagent. The intensity of the color developed by paramylum is about 14% greater than that developed by an equivalent amount of glucose. The method is sensitive down to about 10 μg.
Factors Related to the Validity of Reproduction Tonal Memory Tests

The purpose of this investigation was to acquire data regarding the validity of reproduction tonal memory tests by examining the relationships between performances on an existing reproduction tonal memory test and performances on several recognition tonal memory tests. Analysis of 210 fifth- through twelfth-grade students' scores on one reproduction test and four recognition tests of tonal memory revealed moderate relationships (r = .47 to .66) between the two types of tests. Stepwise multiple regression revealed a moderately strong predictive relationship between a combination of three recognition measures and the reproduction test (R = .73, R2 = .53). Little change was noted in the relationship between the two types of tests with regard to singing experience. Although the reproduction tonal memory test was tentatively deemed a valid measure, the following additional research and analysis was suggested: (a) continued consideration of gender, ability, and total musical experience as they affect overall va...
An improved method of loading pH-sensitive liposomes with soluble proteins for class I restricted antigen presentation.

Abstract We have recently shown that ovalbumin (OVA) entrapped in pH-sensitive liposomes could sensitize mouse thymoma cells for lysis by MHC class I-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) (Reddy et al. (1991) J. Immunol. Methods, 141, 157–163). The present studies were designed to optimize the antigen delivery system. A simple freeze-thaw method was developed to load OVA into pH-sensitive liposomes, and the protocol was optimized in terms of the choice of buffer, pH and ionic strength of the medium, lipid composition, lipid and OVA concentrations and the number of freeze-thaw cycles. Under optimized conditions, approximately 25% of OVA could be entrapped in pH-sensitive liposomes at 172 μg protein/mg lipid. This compares to only about 5% entrapment (70 μg protein/mg lipid) using the previous method. OVA loaded to pH-sensitive liposomes using the improved method led to a sensitive measure of CTL activity. The approach promises to be suitable to measure CTL against less available soluble antigens such as viral proteins.
Combining structure-based design with phage display to create new Cys2His2 zinc finger dimers

Abstract Background: Several strategies have been reported for the design and selection of novel DNA-binding proteins. Most of these studies have used Cys 2 His 2 zinc finger proteins as a framework, and have focused on constructs that bind DNA in a manner similar to Zif268, with neighboring fingers connected by a canonical (Kruppel-type) linker. This linker does not seem ideal for larger constructs because only modest improvements in affinity are observed when more than three fingers are connected in this manner. Two strategies have been described that allow the productive assembly of more than three canonically linked fingers on a DNA site: connecting sets of fingers using linkers (covalent), or assembling sets of fingers using dimerization domains (non-covalent). Results : Using a combination of structure-based design and phage display, we have developed a new dimerization system for Cys 2 His 2 zinc fingers that allows the assembly of more than three fingers on a desired target site. Zinc finger constructs employing this new dimerization system have high affinity and good specificity for their target sites both in vitro and in vivo . Constructs that recognize an asymmetric binding site as heterodimers can be obtained through substitutions in the zinc finger and dimerization regions. Conclusions: Our modular zinc finger dimerization system allows more than three Cys 2 His 2 zinc fingers to be productively assembled on a DNA-binding site. Dimerization may offer certain advantages over covalent linkage for the recognition of large DNA sequences. Our results also illustrate the power of combining structure-based design with phage display in a strategy that assimilates the best features of each method.
Stimulus and recording variables and their effects on mammalian vestibular evoked potentials

Linear vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs) measure the collective neural activity of the gravity receptor organs in the inner ear that respond to linear acceleration transients. The present study examined the effects of electrode placement, analog filtering, stimulus polarity and stimulus rate on linear VsEP thresholds, latencies and amplitudes recorded from mice. Two electrode-recording montages were evaluated, rostral (forebrain) to 'mastoid' and caudal (cerebellum) to 'mastoid'. VsEP thresholds and peak latencies were identical between the two recording sites; however, peak amplitudes were larger for the caudal recording montage. VsEPs were also affected by filtering. Results suggest optimum high pass filter cutoff at 100-300 Hz, and low pass filter cutoff at 10,000 Hz. To evaluate stimulus rate, linear jerk pulses were presented at 9.2, 16, 25, 40 and 80 Hz. At 80 Hz, mean latencies were longer (0.350-0.450 ms) and mean amplitudes reduced (0.8-1.8 microV) for all response peaks. In 50% of animals, late peaks (P3, N3) disappeared at 80 Hz. The results offer options for VsEP recording protocols. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.
Canning SPAM: Proposed solutions to unwanted email

Unsolicited email is a major problem for anyone who transmits or receives email on a computer, telephone, or personal digital assistant. This article describes the magnitude of the problem, the reasons for proliferation, some interventions available today, and the degree to which each has been effective.
Parental history of myocardial infarction and risk of heart failure in male physicians

Background Although heart failure (HF) remains a major public health issue, limited data are available on the utility of parental information on the risk of HF in offspring. Materials and methods We prospectively examined the association between parental history of myocardial infarction (MI) and incident HF among 20 187 offspring in the Physicians’ Health Study I. Parental history and age at MI was assessed by a questionnaire and a Cox regression was used to estimate relative risks of HF. Results After an average follow-up of 19·6 years, 1036 new HF cases were documented. Overall, while a history of early parental MI (before age 55) was associated with a 32% increased risk of HF in offspring compared with subjects whose parent did not have MI, parental MI at older ages was not associated with HF risk. However, the relation between parental history of MI and HF was stronger and mainly observed for HF with antecedent MI. Compared with subjects without parental history of MI, multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (95% CI) for HF with antecedent MI were 3·44 (2·15–5·51), 2·24 (1·20–4·21), 1·26 (0·63–2·51), and 1·37 (0·92–2·03) for parental MI occurred at the age of < 55, 55–59, 60–64, and 65 + y, respectively. Conclusions Our data suggest that parental MI at an early age is a strong and independent predictor of HF with antecedent MI among US male physicians. This information, along with existing tools, may help clinicians identify patients at risk of HF with antecedent MI.
Lymphocyte sorting on albuminated CIBA blue dextran-staphylococcal protein A-conjugated sepharose 6MB affinity columns

Modification of Sepharose 6MB affinity beads by conjugation with CIBA blue dextran and albumination together with siliconization and modification of the bed supports of glass chromatography columns permitted the construction of affinity columns with low non-specific binding characteristics. When used with staphylococcal protein A as the affinity ligand to fractionate antibody-coated lymphocytes, non-specific adherence was reduced to 2--3% of the viable input cells and essentially the entire input cell number could be recovered in viable, functional form. The capacity of the columns permitted quantitative separation of T and B lymphocytes in 250 microliter amounts at cell densities up to 5 X 10(8)/ml on 1.2 ml columns. Once used, the columns may be regenerated and reused numerous times without alteration of their characteristics. The method thus appears useful for preparative separation without loss of large numbers of highly purified cells having normal in vitro reactivity.
Vertical growth of the human face

Abstract Some of the pertinent literature dealing with the vertical growth of the human face has been surveyed. Cross-sectional data have been utilized to point out several general trends and patterns of growth; however, longitudinal data illustrate the great range of individual variation and the dangers inherent in any attempt to diagnose or prognose with the aid of available “standards.” An approach to a functional cranial analysis of vertical growth has been given with the aim of establishing the biologic basis for a more meaningful understanding of the problem.
Decomposition of Anthralin in Alkaline Solutions

AbstractUsing conventional absorbance spectra and a first-derivative transformation technique anthralin was shown to undergo apparent first-order decomposition. The pH-log rate profile for the rate of disappearance of anthralin from aqueous solutions was determined at 25°C in the pH range of 7.74 to 10.02 at an ionic strength of 0.5 M. The profile indicated a maximum near the pKa of anthralin. Measured values of the half life of anthralin decreased from 43.9 min at pH 7.74 to 14.8 min at pH 9.44 and then increased to 18.4 min at pH 10.02. No primary kinetic salt effect was observed. Since it was thought likely that trace amounts of metal ions could catalyze the degradation of anthralin, the effect of disodium ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid addition was also investigated; this chelating agent did not influence the rate. Thermodynamic parameters were calculated from the temperature dependency of the decomposition.
Oral and transdermal dl-methylphenidate – ethanol interactions in C57BL/6J mice: Potentiation of locomotor activity with oral delivery

Purpose Many abusers of dl-methylphenidate co-abuse ethanol. The present animal study examined behavioral effects of oral or transdermal dl-methylphenidate in combination with a high, depressive dose of ethanol to model co-abuse.
The 36-kilodalton substrate of pp60v-src is myristylated in a transformation-sensitive manner

A primary intracellular substrate for pp60v-src kinase in a variety of avian and mammalian cells is a protein of 34 to 39 kilodaltons (kD). After incubation of chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) with [3H]myristic acid for 4 hours, the 36-kD protein contained covalently bound myristic acid by several criteria: (i) the radioactively labeled material comigrated with the 36-kD protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels in one and two dimensions, (ii) the labeled material was insoluble in chloroform-methanol, and (iii) radioactively labeled myristate could be recovered from the purified 36-kD protein. The resistance of the acyl fatty acid moiety to hydrolysis by hydroxylamine suggested that the covalent linkage to the 36-kD protein may be through an amide linkage. The [3H]myristic-acid labeling of the 36-kD protein in Rous sarcoma virus-transformed CEF showed a reduction of up to 45 percent when compared to an identical amount of 36-kD protein derived from normal cells; this reduction was not due to general changes in myristic acid metabolism in transformed cells.
FOR WHOM DOES EDUCATION ENLIGHTEN?: Race, Gender, Education, and Beliefs about Social Inequality

Beliefs have the potential to obscure and legitimate, or to challenge, inequalities of gender and race. Through an analysis of the association between education and beliefs about racial and gender inequality, this article explores for whom education is most likely to foster beliefs that challenge social inequality. Data from the 1996 General Social Survey suggest that education tends to have a greater positive impact on rejection of group segregation and rejection of victim-blaming explanations for inequality than it does on recognition of discrimination or endorsement of group-based remedies for inequality. This pattern is consistent with the view that education reproduces rather than challenges inequality, and it is evident for white men, white women, and African American men. African American women present an exception, which is considered in terms of the unique structural location and historical legacy surrounding African American women's relationship to education.
Spinal Cord Electrophysiology

The neonatal mouse spinal cord is a model for studying the development of neural circuitries and locomotor movement. We demonstrate the spinal cord dissection and preparation of recording bath artificial cerebrospinal fluid used for locomotor studies. Once dissected, the spinal cord ventral nerve roots can be attached to a recording electrode to record the electrophysiologic signals of the central pattern generating circuitry within the lumbar cord.
Ownership Structure and Bank Performance: Evidence from the Middle East and North Africa Region

This paper examines the impact of ownership structure and other relevant factors on the variability of bank performance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It highlights a sector of the MENA economy rarely investigated in such details in the past despite its tremendous importance for future growth and stability in the region. Among its results, the paper found majority foreign-owned private banks, especially MENA foreign-owned banks, performed significantly better than other types of banks. It also found stock or publicly traded banks, as well as the extent of overall foreign bank presence in a respective banking industry, to be associated with relatively better performance.
Thermal desorption with small friction constant

Abstract The technique previously introduced by the author for the large friction constant regime is utilized to calculate the exact escape rate for thermal desorption with small friction constant using the equation derived by Kramers for slow diffusion in energy.
Effects of clusterin overexpression on TNFalpha- and TGFbeta-mediated death of L929 cells.

Clusterin is a widely distributed and highly conserved protein for which many functions have been proposed. We used transfected L929 cells to study the effect of clusterin expression on the regulation of cell death signals. We showed that high levels of clusterin expression, about 0.2 pg clusterin secreted per cell per 48 h period, specifically protected L929 cells from TNFα-mediated cytotoxicity, while low expression (about 4 fg/cell/48 h) had no effect. However, clusterin expression did not provide transfected L929 cells with protection against death mediated by colchicine, staurosporine or azide. High level expression of clusterin in transfected L929 cells also potentiated the cytotoxicity of TGFβ. It had previously been shown that exposure of L929 cells to TGFβ provides protection against TNFα. We showed that this protective effect is not additive to that of clusterin expression. One interpretation of this data is that it suggests that clusterin and TGFβ may act via a common mechanism to provide prote...