cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 970: Gender-specific stratification of survival following immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy based on intratumoral expression of a B cell gene signature

Despite intensive efforts there is still a great need to identify biomarkers that can accurately identify patients who will obtain the most clinical benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. High intratumoral CD8+ T cell gene signature (CD8TGS) expression, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression all enrich for response to ICI treatment across multiple cancer subtypes. Although high intratumoral B cell gene expression also correlated with ICI response in melanoma, whether it adds predictive value in other cancers is unknown. We analyzed tumor RNA sequencing data from the IMvigor 210 phase 2 clinical trial of atezolizumab in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma to examine potential relationships between B cell gene expression and clinical outcomes. Tumors with high levels of both signatures (BCGS/CD8TS or B8T high/high) had the highest overall survival (OS) of all B8T groups. Surprisingly, the subset of tumors with B8T high/low expression patterns were associated with the worst OS. Moreover, the B8T cell signature stratified patients with high TMB, or high PD-L1, into subsets with differential OS outcomes. Whereas the B8T high/high tumors were associated with the best clinical outcomes in ICI treated men, they were not associated with better OS in ICI treated women. Conversely, women with B8T high/high tumors had the best clinical outcomes in non-ICI treated muscle invasive bladder cancer. Collectively, these data suggest that the B8T signature can enhance OS stratification in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma who were treated with ICI therapy, and that sex-specific differences in the tumor immune microenvironment may drive disparate outcomes. Citation Format: Adam K. Aragaki, Jean Hoffman-Censits, Noah M. Hahn, David J. McConkey, Burles Avner Johnson. Gender-specific stratification of survival following immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy based on intratumoral expression of a B cell gene signature [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 970.
The Positive Allosteric Modulation of alpha7-Nicotinic Cholinergic Receptors by GAT107 Increases Bacterial Lung Clearance in Hyperoxic Mice by Decreasing Oxidative Stress in Macrophages

Supplemental oxygen therapy with supraphysiological concentrations of oxygen (hyperoxia; >21% O2) is a life-saving intervention for patients experiencing respiratory distress. However, prolonged exposure to hyperoxia can compromise bacterial clearance processes, due to oxidative stress-mediated impairment of macrophages, contributing to the increased susceptibility to pulmonary infections. This study reports that the activation of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) with the delete allosteric agonistic-positive allosteric modulator, GAT107, decreases the bacterial burden in mouse lungs by improving hyperoxia-induced lung redox imbalance. The incubation of RAW 264.7 cells with GAT107 (3.3 µM) rescues hyperoxia-compromised phagocytic functions in cultured macrophages, RAW 264.7 cells, and primary bone marrow-derived macrophages. Similarly, GAT107 (3.3 µM) also attenuated oxidative stress in hyperoxia-exposed macrophages, which prevents oxidation and hyper-polymerization of phagosome filamentous actin (F-actin) from oxidation. Furthermore, GAT107 (3.3 µM) increases the (1) activity of superoxide dismutase 1; (2) activation of Nrf2 and (3) the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in macrophages exposed to hyperoxia. Overall, these data suggest that the novel α7nAChR compound, GAT107, could be used to improve host defense functions in patients, such as those with COVID-19, who are exposed to prolonged periods of hyperoxia.
A High Efficiency Plasma Motor

A pulsed coaxial crater gun which generates a plasma from the end of a small diameter metallic wire is capable of converting 32% of the energy in a stored capacitor to kinetic energy of the plasma as measured by a calorimeter. The motor requires no switch, only a small trigger. Its efficiency is constant down to low energy inputs and the gun is operated successful over energy inputs from 3 joules to about 100 joules per pulse. Specific impulses are in the region of 2000 seconds, measurements of speed and shape of the plasma have been obtained with a Kerr cell. Plasma speed has also been measured with a calendulum (combination ballistic pendulum and calorimeter) and with a velocity profile measuring instrument.
The Biomechanics of Partial Symphyseal Fusion in Hapalemur Examined Using Finite Element Analysis

A wealth of research on primate feeding supports the hypothesis that fused mandibular symphyses, ubiquitous among anthropoids, strengthen the joint against “wishboning” stresses that occur as a res...
Case report: Post-transplantation acute humoral rejection apparently due to igm donor specific antibodies and/or anti-angiotensin type 1 receptor antibodies

Patient 46 yo (gravida 6) BF, IgA nephropathy. Pre-transplant LABScreen SA beads (SAB): anti-B57 (MFI = 11,125), B58 (9163), DP1 (1871). Class I and Class II DSA not detected. See Table 1. Virtual-XM predicted negative; deceased donor pre-transplant flow- and CDC-XM were negative. Renal function was poor following transplant. By day 3 post-transplant clinical findings were consistent with AMR. Day 4 renal biopsy revealed patchy C4d+ in peritubular capillaries consistent with AMR. Nephrectomy was performed on post-transplant day 7. Additional assays were performed on pre- and 3 wk post-transplant sera to evaluate for reasons for AMR, including: One Lambda LABScreen SAB assay for C1q; and modified for C1q + AHG, detection of IgM, and use of non-heat inactivated serum for assays; and One Lambda MICA, anti-AT1R, and anti-ETAR antibody assays. See Tables. Results Pre-transplant IgG DSA were negligible. IgM DSA were elevated. Anti-AT1R antibody was elevated. Interpretation: immediate post-transplant humoral rejection correlates with presence of IgM DSA and anti-AT1R (IgG) antibodies. Discussion IgM anti-HLA antibodies are not considered to be relevant for AMR. Anti-AT1R is reported as a cause of acute AMR, but not typically in the immediate post-transplant period. We believe this case argues that IgM DSA appear be relevant, but cannot exclude that either anti-AT1R IgG antibodies alone, or in combination with IgM DSA, may result in AMR. Conclusions IgM DSA and/or anti-AT1R may result in post-transplant humoral rejection, and therefore should be considered in evaluation for episodes of AMR, especially when IgG DSA are negligible. Download : Download full-size image Download : Download full-size image T. Harville: Scientific/Medical Advisor; Company/Organization; Baxter Healthcare, CSL Behring. 7. Other (Identify); Company/Organization; Medical Advisory Board for Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency.
Danazol binding and translocation of steroid receptors.

Abstract Danazol, an isoxazol derivative of ethinyl testosterone which suppresses gonadotropin levels and acts as a weak androgen, is shown by competition studies to bind rat androgen receptor (Ki 10 −8 M) and progestin receptor (Ki 10 −7 M) but not estrogen receptor. Effective antigonadotropin doses to the rat in vivo translocate only androgen receptor to target cell nuclei; nuclear receptor levels remain elevated more than 6 hours. The same translocation occurs when rat uteri are incubated with danazol in vitro, showing that the action of danazol is direct and probably does not require metabolic conversion of the drug.
Carbon Nanostructures as a New High-Performance Platform for MR Molecular Imaging

Over the last several years, great interest has developed in the potential use of carbon nanostructures (C60 fullerenes and nanotubes) in medicine. In some cases, medical agents derived from these materials have demonstrated greater efficacy than existing clinical agents in many imaging and therapeutic applications. This chapter provides an overall review of the application of these materials in the area of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with an emphasis on their future applications in targeted MR molecular imaging for the early detection of cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Influence of breed, heterozygosity, and disease incidence on estimates of variance components of respiratory disease in preweaned beef calves

The objective of this study was to characterize genetic and environmental factors influencing bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in beef cattle. Records from nine purebred and three composite breeds and a variety of F1 and three-way crosses, including the progeny of 12 additional different sire breeds produced over a 20-yr period (1983 to 2002), were evaluated for breed and heterozygosity effects on the observed incidence of BRD. Heterozygosity fractions for calves and dams were defined by generalized breed origins: British, Continental, and tropically adapted. Variance components were estimated for each pure and composite breed, and across all breeds and crossbreeds. The effect of incidence of observed BRD was determined by comparing groups of low and high years of incidence. Respiratory disease in this herd followed a standard epidemiological pattern of initial introduction, reaching an epidemic stage at 70 to 170 d of age, followed by a period of rapid decrease to weaning. Estimates of heritability of incidence of BRD were low, ranging from 0.00 to 0.26, with overall estimates of 0.07 and 0.19 depending on the data set analyzed. The highest incidence of BRD in preweaned calves occurred in the Braunvieh breed (18.8%). The genetic correlation between the direct and maternal genetic effects was generally large and negative, suggesting dams genetically superior for resisting BRD raise calves that are more susceptible. Perhaps maternally superior dams provide passive immunity to their calves, which delays the development of the calves' direct immune system, making them more prone to BRD during the preweaning period. Heterozygosity of calves decreased the incidence of BRD compared with purebred cattle. Calves that were Continental x British or tropically adapted x British breeds had a lower incidence of BRD than did calves of British x British breeds. As the annual incidence of BRD increased, there was an associated increase in the heritability estimate. The estimated heritability based on an underlying continuous scale was large (h2 = 0.48), inferring response to selection for BRD resistance could be large if the phenotype for BRD resistance was known.
Impacts of restoration treatments on alien plant invasion in Pinus ponderosa forests, Montana, USA

Summary 1 Invasion by alien plant species represents a challenge to land managers throughout the world as they attempt to restore frequent fire-adapted ecosystems following decades of fire exclusion. In ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa forests of western North America, the response of alien species to restoration treatments has not been well documented, particularly for alien species capable of altering environmental conditions (transformers). Understanding alien species dynamics is critical for developing treatments that accomplish restoration goals while minimizing alien invasion. 2 We used a replicated, randomized block experiment to compare the effects of an untreated control and thin-only, burn-only and thin-burn treatments on alien and transformer understorey species at multiple spatial scales (1 m2, 100 m2 and 1000 m2). Data were collected pre-treatment and for multiple post-treatment years. We compared richness and cover of alien species and transformer species among treatments, and identified environmental variables correlated with transformer species cover. Indicator species analysis was used to identify transformer species associated with specific treatments. 3 Alien and transformer species richness and cover were significantly higher in the thin-burn than in all other treatments at all spatial scales. Thin-only and burn-only treatments showed greater alien and transformer species responses than the control at the larger 100-m2 and 1000-m2 scales. 4 Increased transformer cover was strongly correlated with increased tree crown scorch height and removal of overstorey trees. 5 The thin-burn treatment had four transformer species as indicators, the thin-only had one, while the burn-only and control had none. 6 Synthesis and applications. The results show that alien species, including transformers, respond to restoration treatments, especially the combined thin-burn treatment. Therefore monitoring for alien species invasion is an essential component of a restoration programme. Abundance of transformer species increased with increasing disturbance intensity, suggesting that less intense single-disturbance treatments (burn-only, thin-only) or incremental treatments may be preferred in some applications. Where more intense treatments are required to meet management objectives, specific strategies, such as seeding of native species, limiting grazing before and after treatment and harvesting over a protective winter snowpack, may be necessary to limit alien invasion.
Dandy-Walker syndrome. Clinical analysis of 23 cases

A clinical analysis of 23 patients with Dandy-Walker malformation indicates that more than 85% of them were diagnosed at or before 1 year of age, and that the incidence of associated anomalies is approximately 50%, with a 17% incidence for agenesis of the corpus callosum. The significance of the presence of these anomalies is substantiated by the fact that of the seven deaths recorded, six were related to this disease and five were affected by associated anomalies. The high mortality rate (26%) is comparable to that of other series. The differential diagnosis with posterior fossa extra-axial cysts is discussed. Ten patients were primarily treated with excision of the cyst membrane; all of them required subsequent shunting to control the intracranial pressure, demonstrating the futility of this approach. None of the patients treated with lateral ventricle shunting suffered an upward herniation of the posterior fossa contents, suggesting that combined shunting of the lateral and fourth ventricles is rarely necessary. The technical advantages of posterior fossa shunting alone are outlined. Of the 16 survivors, 14 were assessed for their mental development by means of standard psychometric testing. The results of the intelligence quotient (IQ) scoring have indicated that 71% of the patients have subnormal mental development (IQ less than 83). There was no significant relationship between retardation and associated anomalies, although agenesis of the corpus callosum was related to poor intellectual development in the two patients so affected (IQ's of 50 and 73).
Abstract T P67: Similar Outcomes With tPA Protocol Violations as with Protocol Adherence

Background: Nearly twenty years after demonstrating the efficacy of IV tPA in clinical trials, it continues to be widely underused. Fibrinolytic therapy is heavily restricted by a long list of laboratory, radiographic, and clinical inclusion/exclusion criteria. We sought to evaluate whether patients who received IV-tPA in violation of these criteria had different outcomes. Methods: We included all ischemic stroke patients who received IV tPA (no intra-arterial therapy) and were followed to 90 -days. Group A: IV-tPA use despite contraindication (protocol violation), Group B: IV-tPA protocol-adherent. We compared baseline variables and demographics (age, sex, race, ethnicity, diabetes, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, cerebrovascular disease, baseline NIHSS, and smoking). We analyzed the frequency of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). Measures of good clinical outcome included modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-1 and discharge home. Results: A total of 660 tPA-treated patients were included from October 2003 to August 2014, Group A included 22 patients; group B included 638. Group A had 2 patients under 18 years of age, 4 with bleeding risks (low platelets, elevated PTT, or known bleeding diathesis), 4 with recent surgery, trauma, or clinical bleeding, 2 with recent stroke or past ICH, one patient with abnormal glucose accounting for the deficit, and 11 patients outside the time window, rapidly improving, or no disabling deficit. Baseline demographics and stroke severity were similar, except for diabetes, which was more common in Group A (45.5% vs. 24.3%, p=0.04). There was no difference in sICH (4.55 vs. 3.46%, p=0.55) or GIB (0 vs. 0.6%, p>0.99). Good clinical outcomes were similar (mRS 0-1 38.5% vs. 33.2%, p=0.77; discharge home 65.0 vs 61.8%, p=0.82). Conclusions: Clinical outcomes and bleeding risks were similar between patients who received IV tPA despite contraindications. Our analysis is limited by small numbers in Group A. Larger patient samples are needed to better understand the role of individual contraindications.
Photon information efficient communication through atmospheric turbulence

National Science Foundation (U.S.). Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (Interdisciplinary Quantum Information Science and Engineering)
Surface Boundary Layer Atmospheres

The solar system contains many bodies with atmospheres so thin that collisions seldom occur between the atmospheric constituents. These are called surface boundary layer atmospheres. Not only is the surface the source of the atoms and molecules, but their interactions with the surface determine the atmospheric properties. These atmospheres are interesting for two reasons. By remote sensing we can learn about the external weathering agents and we may also be able to determine the surface compositions of distant bodies. Here the physical processes that control these atmospheres are described and our knowledge of the surface boundary layer atmospheres in the solar system is reviewed.
Non-compact groups and irreducible representations

We review the modern development of the theory of linear irreducible infinite dimensional representations of noncompact groups. Such representations arise on spaces of states, spaces of observables, spaces of classical fields, etc. We connect the unitarity problem in mathematics to the elimination of ghosts in formalisms using indefinite Hermitian metrics.
Effect of High Linoleic Acid Diet on Carbohydrate-stimulated Expression of Lipogenic Genes

Linoleic acid, an ω-6 PUFA, has been proposed to inhibit de novo lipogenesis (DNL) by decreasing expression of SREBP-1c, a major regulator of DNL. To investigate whether previous intake of a high l...
Crystal structure of the YajQ protein from Haemophilus influenzae reveals a tandem of RNP-like domains.

A hypothetical protein encoded by the gene YajQ of Haemophilus influenzae was selected, as part of a structural genomics project, for X-ray crystallographic structure determination and analysis to assist with the functional assignment. The protein is present in most bacteria, but not in archaea or eukaryotes. The amino acid sequence has no homology to that of other proteins. The YajQ protein was cloned, expressed, and the crystal structure determined at 2.1-A resolution by applying the multiwavelength anomalous dispersion method to a mercury derivative. The polypeptide chain is folded into two domains with identical folding topology. Each domain has a four-stranded antiparallel β-sheet flanked on one side by two α-helices. This structural motif is a characteristic feature of many RNA-binding proteins. The tetrameric structure observed in the crystal suggests a possibility of binding two stretches of double-stranded nucleic acid.
The Emancipation of Legal Dissonance

The article explains how an example drawn from the history music can help to illuminate the situation of legality in the European Union. The example refers to a decisive step that was taken by Arnold Schonberg in 1908. In the history of modern music, it came to be known as the “emancipation of dissonance”. It amounted to putting consonant and dissonant sonorities on an equal footing in the composition of music. The article argues, firstly, that methodologically unwarranted but, as regard their effects, “interesting” or “appealing” judicial divinations of law are to be considered the legal equivalent of dissonance in music. The article goes on to claim, secondly, that the European Court of Justice has become the chief purveyor of the emancipation of legal dissonance. The remainder of the article discusses different ways of coping with the situation that has been thus created for legality in Europe.
A simple formula useful for positional cloning

We derive a formula for the distribution of the length T of the recombination interval containing a target gene and using N gametes in a region where R kilobases correspond to 1 cM. The formula can be used to calculate the number of meiotic events required to narrow a target gene down to a specific interval size and hence should be useful for planning positional cloning experiments. The predictions of this formula agree well with the results from a number of published experiments in Arabidopsis.
Recommendations for Designing Maximally Effective and Persuasive Health Agents

HCI designers have made significant advancements in the development of health agents. Although these developments are often technologically impressive, social scientific research provides some contraindications. Here, we review relevant social scientific research on tailoring, customization, agency, and realism that provides guidelines on how to design health agents and avatars to maximize persuasive outcomes in health contexts.
Performance evaluation of hybrid hardware and software distributed shared memory protocols

Hardware distributed shared memory (DSM) systems efficiently support fine grain sharing of data by maintaining coherence at the level of individual cache lines and providing automatic replication in processor caches. Software DSM systems, on the other hand, amortize high communication costs by maintaining coherence at coarser granularities and replicating data at the level of local main memories. Even though software DSM systems have traditionally been targeted towards loosely coupled environments, some of the techniques are potentially useful in the context of tightly coupled multiprocessors. In particular, communicating data at a coarse grain can sometimes be more efficient than transferring the data as individual cache lines. Furthermore, replication in local memories can accommodate applications with larger working sets as compared to replication in processor caches only. Therefore, combining the two techniques in a hybrid protocol can potentially exploit the benefits of each approach.This paper proposes one such hybrid protocol and evaluates its performance in the context of the FLASH multiprocessor architecture. The hybrid system allows the programmer to optionally identify regions of data shared at a coarse granularity. Coherence for such data is maintained at the grain of the entire region using a software-DSM-style protocol. We evaluate the performance gains of this approach through a detailed simulation study of several parallel applications. Our preliminary results show that the hybrid protocol can eliminate a substantial fraction of remote cache misses through bulk transfer of coarse grain data regions and replication of such data in local memories. The performance gains over hardware cache coherence are modest at low network latencies, but increase substantially at higher network latencies and processor speeds. Finally, we show that similar to cache-only memory architectures, the hybrid protocol is insensitive to data placement issues.
Late Pleistocene giant short-faced bears, mammoths, and large carcass scavenging in the Saltville Valley of Virginia, USA

The Saltville Valley of southwestern Virginia contains an abundance of extinct Late Pleistocene megafauna. Recent excavations in the valley produced two particularly notable discoveries, the remains of a scavenged mammoth (Mammuthus sp.) and a giant short-faced bear (Arctodus simus). The bear is the first carnivoran record from Saltville, and its large dental dimensions, dentary proportions, and exceptionally short-face, evince an exceedingly powerful bite for this individual. Mammoth remains are relatively abundant from Saltville, but the material described here preserves extreme examples of scavenging by carnivores. Based on comparisons with the feeding behavior and bone alteration patterns of extant hyenas, cats, wolves, and bears, we conclude that at least two types of large carnivorans scavenged this mammoth carcass. AMS radiocarbon dates of 14 510 ± 55 14C yr BP on the Mammuthus and 14 853 ± 55 14C yr BP on the A. simus demonstrate that they are nearly the same age. Very few direct radiocarbon dates on A. simus have been reported from the contiguous United States. The Saltville A. simus represents the most eastern date for the species, as well as the only date from the Appalachian Highlands.
Are the federal and state governments complying with the Synar Amendment

Background In 1992, Congress enacted the Synar Amendment, requiring states and territories to enact a law prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors and to enforce that law in a manner that could reasonably be expected to decrease the availability of tobacco to minors. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) was mandated to withhold block grant funding from noncompliant states. Objective To determine if DHHS and applicant states and territories are complying with the Synar Amendment. Data Sources Fiscal year 1997 substance abuse block grant applications from 59 states and territories. Main Outcome Measures Whether applicants had enacted a tobacco sales law, conducted enforcement inspections, penalized violators, and conducted a statewide survey, and whether DHHS regulations and actions were consistent with the statutory requirements of the Synar Amendment. Results Two applicants failed to enact appropriate laws, 15 failed to conduct enforcement inspections, 18 failed to provide a single example of a violator being penalized, and 1 failed to conduct a survey. Nineteen applicants failed to meet the statutory requirements, but none were sanctioned by DHHS as required by the Synar Amendment. The DHHS regulations, as implemented, do not require states to enforce their laws or to achieve illegal tobacco sales rates low enough to reduce the availability of tobacco to minors. Conclusions The states and DHHS are violating the statutory requirements of the Synar Amendment, rendering it ineffective. Few states have implemented effective enforcement programs, and national surveys confirm that there has been no measurable reduction in the availability of tobacco to youths.
Elder abuse: critical care nurse role in detection

With an increasing number of elders entering hospital critical care units, the nurse in this setting has a responsibility for detecting signs and symptoms of elder abuse. Elder abuse is manifest in several ways including inflicted physical harm as a result of traumatic injuries or neglect, psychologic threats or intimidation, and even financial abuse when the elder's resources have been misappropriated by the caregiver. An Assessment Guide for Elder Abuse is an excellent screening tool for critical care nurses in detecting this escalating problem.
Relativistic electron beam heating of a fully ionized plasma

Relativistic electron beams with $0.4l\frac{\ensuremath{\nu}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}l2.2$ have been used in this experiment to heat a high-density [$n\ensuremath{\sim}(5\ensuremath{-}8)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{13}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$] fully ionized hydrogen plasma immersed in a magnetic field. The resulting heating levels are strongly dependent on the effective diode impedance $Z=\frac{V}{I}$ and, correspondingly, the $\frac{\ensuremath{\nu}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ of the beam. Measurement of the total plasma energy from the plasma diamagnetism and the ion energy distribution from analyses of charge-exchange neutral atoms are used to determine scaling laws for the beam-plasma interaction.
Drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae: rational antibiotic choices

Increasingly, Streptococcus pneumoniae with reduced susceptibility to penicillin is becoming a healthcare concern, not only because of the high prevalence of infections caused by this pathogen but also because of the rate at which resistance has progressed. The incidence of penicillin resistance in strains of S. pneumoniae approaches 40% in some areas of the United States, and the incidence of high-level resistance has increased by 60-fold during the past 10 years. With the exception of meningitis and otitis media, there is no conclusive evidence that the acquisition of resistance by S. pneumoniae to beta-lactam antibiotics incurs greater morbidity and mortality in infections caused by this pathogen. However, if the current trends of resistance patterns continue, one can expect the morbidity and mortality to increase. The mechanism of beta-lactam resistance of S. pneumoniae involves genetic mutations which alter penicillin-binding protein structure, resulting in a decreased affinity for all beta-lactam antibiotics. In the treatment of infections caused by S. pneumoniae, it should not be assumed that nonsusceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics correlates with clinical ineffectiveness of these agents. On the contrary, the recommended therapy for nonmeningeal pneumococcal infections (e.g., pneumonia, sepsis, acute otitis media) includes a beta-lactam antibiotic: penicillin G, amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, cefuroxime, cefotaxime, or ceftriaxone. Recommended therapy for meningitis is cefotaxime or ceftriaxone, with the addition of vancomycin until susceptibility is known. These agents are recommended because of their ability to achieve serum/tissue concentrations greater than the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of these agents against penicillin-susceptible, penicillin-intermediate, and most penicillin-resistant strains (e.g., penicillin G, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, and cefuroxime), or their ability to provide adequate concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (e.g., cefotaxime, ceftriaxone).
Monocytic cells secrete factors that evoke excitatory synaptic activity in rat hippocampal cultures.

Abstract Microglia- and macrophage-induced neuronal death may underlie a number of neurodegenerative diseases. The effects of factors secreted by monocytic cells were studied on glutamatergic synaptic transmission between cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Conditioned media from differentiated human U937 cells was collected after 24 h and applied to neurons (0.5%–30% dilution). Unactivated U937 cells spontaneously released factors that when applied to neuronal cultures evoked bursts of action potentials and elicited neuronal death (29±4%). Conditioned media collected from U937 cells evoked intracellular calcium ([Ca 2+ ] i ) spiking (0.5%–2% dilution) and at higher concentrations evoked sustained increases in intracellular calcium (3%–30% dilution), as measured by indo-1-based photometry in single neurons. Activation of the U937 cells with zymosin A (500 μg/ml) enhanced the potency of the conditioned media to increase intraneuronal [Ca 2+ ] i as indicated by a leftward shift in the concentration–response curve. Selective antagonists to voltage-gated Na + and Ca 2+ channels and NMDA-gated channels (tetrodotoxin, nimodipine, and (±)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid, respectively) blocked the calcium transients elicited by unactivated and zymosin -A-treated conditioned media. This pharmacologic profile is consistent with U937-released factors that excite the synaptic network that forms between cultured hippocampal neurons.
Field Estimation of Soil Water Content: A Practical Guide to Methods, Instrumentation and Sensor Technology

The purpose of this manual is “to provide guidance for field scientists who are not instrumentation experts but who wish to determine soil water content as part of their work.” It is targeted at those conducting projects in developing countries. The first chapter covers basic information on
Coevolution of sender and receiver : effect on local mate preference in cricket frogs

Mate recognition in frogs requires congruence of call characters, such as dominant frequency, and properties ofthe auditory system, such as frequency sensitivity of inner ear organs. Two neighboring populations of cricket frogs (Acri crepitans) exhibit statistically significant differences in the dominant frequency of the advertisement call and the frequency to which the basilar papilla of the inner ear is most sensitive. Call frequency and frequency sensitivity are matched within but differ between populations. These characters usually are negatively correlated with body size, and thus their congruence and coevolution often is explained by pleiotropic effects of size. However, within this species call frequency and frequency sensitivity ofthe basilar papilla evolved independent of body size, yielding local mate preferences that could contribute to genetic differentiation among neighboring populations.
Projections as averages of isometries on minimal norm ideals

Abstract In this paper, we consider projections on minimal norm ideals of B ( H ) that are represented as the average of two surjective isometries. We describe projections of the form P ( T ) = A 1 TB 1 + A 2 TB 2 2 , where A 1 , A 2 , B 1 and B 2 are unitary operators satisfying a commutativity condition. We also characterize classes of projections of the form P ( T ) = AT + T t B 2 and P ( T ) = AT t + T t B 2 , with A and B unitary operators satisfying a spectral condition.
The Cluster Dynamics, X-ray Emission, and Radio Galaxies in Abell 578 and Abell 1569

We present the results of our multiwavelength study of two nearby Abell clusters that contain extended tailed radio sources. From our analysis of PSPC X-ray, VLA radio, and optical data, we find strong evidence that these clusters are not relaxed. Significant X-ray substructure is revealed by examining their X-ray surface brightness maps. We report 130 new redshifts from the fields of A578 and A1569 and detect the presence of substructure in the velocity and spatial distribution of galaxies. Furthermore, we find that the radio sources in A578 are at rest with respect to their subclusters and that the Wide-Angled Tailed (WAT) source in A1569 has a small peculiar motion with respect to its subcluster. The standard model of ram pressure induced jet curvature requires relative velocities of the radio sources with respect to the ICM of > 1000 km/s. Therefore, the apparent peculiar velocities of the radio galaxies can not explain the bending of the jets/tails for the Narrow-Angled Tailed (NAT) radio source in A578 and for the WAT in A1569. We suggest that a cluster- subcluster merger model provides a reasonable explanation for the observed X-ray and optical substructure. Numerical simulations of cluster-subcluster mergers predict a bulk flow of ICM gas that has sufficient dynamic pressure for bending the extended radio sources. Thus, a cluster-subcluster merger can provide the environment responsible for the observed cluster X-ray and optical morphologies and for the bending seen in the radio sources.
Comparison of ion-pair chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis for the assay of organic acids as markers of abnormal metabolism

Abstract The abnormal organic acids in urine are closely related with physiological metabolism. To determinate the low-molecular-mass metabolites in human biological fluids, although there were some previous reports by both of capillary electrophoresis and ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography, but it was rarely found by reverse phase of liquid chromatography using ion pair reagent. The objective of this study was aimed to suggest and compare two methods, an additional chromatographic method–ion-pair chromatography (IPC) and a sharp capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), to determinate organic acids, acting as the abnormal metabolic markers, namely uric acid, orotic acid, pyruvic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, fumaric acid, and hippuric acid. The proposed method of IPC possessed both the extreme stability for column and the good results of reproducibility, linearity and detection limit. The optimum mobile phase was 22% methanol and 10 mM tetra-n-butyl ammonium hydrogen sulfate (pH 4) by gradient elution. As well as the optimum condition of CZE was 5% acetonitrile and 0.5 mM CTAB in phosphate buffer. From the results, CZE showed better recovery and sharp lucid electropherogram. Finally, the two proposed analytical methods were applied to assay human urine with direct and spiked analysis. CZE showed good potency to overcome the sample-to sample variation with standard deviation less than 10%. By comparison results of urinary spiked analysis between IPC and CZE by statistical paired t-test, the results were evaluated no significant difference under P
Effects of modeling and lineage on fishing behavior in the small-eared bushbaby (otolemur garnettii)

Thirty-eight bushbabies(Otolemur garnettii)were subjects in an observational learning study. We exposed them to one of three modeling conditions: (1) fishing model—one that actually performed fishing behavior; (2) nonfishing model—one that performed as a model in every way except performance of fishing behavior; and (3) no model. We assessed them with regard to latency to approach the fishbowl, latency to make an initial fishing attempt, duration of time spent in the vicinity of the fishbowls, and number of actual fishing attempts. Results indicate that subjects that were exposed to either fishing or nonfishing models were faster to approach the fishbowls and spent more time in the vicinity of the fishbowls than animals in the no-model condition Lineage, i.e., whether or not the animals’ parents fished, rather than modeling condition, was the best predictor of the latency to initial fishing attempt and the number of attempts made.
Regression estimation with transformed auxiliary variates

Abstract The regression estimation of the mean of a primary survey variable and the estimation of the regression equation are considered in the finite population with transformed auxiliary variables. Large sample properties of estimators are developed. The effects of estimating auxiliary variates on estimators are investigated.
Long-term outcome of percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopic lithotomy for hepatolithiasis

Abstract Objectives Percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopic lithotomy (PTCSL) for the treatment of hepatolithiasis is particularly suited for those patients who are poor surgical risks or who refuse surgery and those with previous biliary surgery or stones distributed in multiple segments. However, hepatolithiasis is characterized by high rates of treatment failure and recurrence. We examined the long-term results of 245 patients with hepatolithiasis treated by PTCSL. Methods This was a retrospective study of 245 patients who underwent PTCSL for hepatolithiasis; the patients were followed for 1–22 yr to evaluate the immediate and long-term results. Sonography was used to search for stone recurrence every year or whenever the patients presented symptoms suggestive of cholangitis. Cholangiography and/or CT were performed to verify recurrence. Results PTCSL achieved complete clearance of hepatolithiasis in 209 patients (85.3%); the rate of incomplete clearance was higher in patients with intrahepatic duct stricture (29/118, 24.6% vs 7/127, 5.5%; p = 0.002). The rate of major complications was 1.6% (4/245) and included liver laceration (n = 2), intra-abdominal abscess (n = 1), and disruption of the percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage fistula (n = 1). The overall recurrence rate of hepatolithiasis and/or cholangitis was 63.2%. The absolute rate of stone recurrence was not significantly related to the presence of intrahepatic duct stricture (51/89, 56.2% vs 53/120, 44.4%; p = 0.08), although the median time to recurrence was less in those with stricture (11 vs 18 yr; p = 0.007). In the patients without intrahepatic duct stricture, the rate of complete stone clearance was not related to the presence of dilation (34/38, 89.5% vs 86/89, 96.6%; p = 0.196), but the recurrence rate was higher in those with dilation (20/34, 58.8% vs 33/86, 38.4%; p = 0.042). Among the 209 patients with a successful initial PTCSL, the incidence of recurrent cholangitis or cholangiocarcinoma was significantly higher in those with incompletely removed recurrent hepatolithiasis than in those without coexisting hepatolithiasis (44.3%, 27/61 vs 16.2%, 24/148; p vs 0.7%, 1/148; p = 0.026). Conclusions PTCSL is a relatively safe and effective procedure for treating hepatolithiasis. Long-term follow-up is required because the overall recurrence rate of hepatolithiasis and/or cholangitis is high. The rate of complete stone clearance and the median time to stone recurrence are less in the presence of stricture, but the absolute rate of stone recurrence is not significantly related to stricture. In the absence of stricture, the rate of stone recurrence is higher in patients with dilated intrahepatic duct. Complete stone clearance is necessary, because the incidence of recurrent cholangitis or cholangiocarcinoma is higher in patients with incomplete clearance of recurrent hepatolithiasis.
Extensions to vector field SLAM for large environments

Vector field SLAM is a framework for localizing a mobile robot in an unknown environment by learning the spatial distribution of continuous signals such as those emitted by WiFi or active beacons. In our previous work we showed that this approach is capable of keeping a robot localized in small to medium sized areas, e.g. in a living room, where four continuous signals of an active beacon are measured (Gutmann et al., 2012). In this article we extend the method to larger environments up to the size of a complete home by deploying more signal sources for covering the expanded area. We first analyze the complexity of vector field SLAM with respect to area size and number of signals and then describe an approximation that divides the localization map into decoupled sub-maps to keep memory and run-time requirements low. We also describe a method for re-localizing the robot in a vector field previously mapped. This enables a robot to resume its navigation after it has been kidnapped or paused and resumed. The re-localization method is evaluated in a standard test environment and shows an average position accuracy of 10 to 35 cm with a localization success rate of 96 to 99%. Additional experimental results from running the system in houses of up to 125 m^2 demonstrate the performance of our approach. The presented methods are suitable for commercial low-cost products including robots for autonomous and systematic floor cleaning.
Increased risk of death in pediatric and adult patients with ESRD secondary to lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease that can cause significant kidney disease. Our goal was to assess the relative mortality risk associated with SLE in pediatric and adult populations with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) maintained on hemodialysis (HD). We performed Kaplan–Meier survival analysis from data collected by the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) in strata of pediatric and adult patients. This file includes data on all Medicare-reimbursed renal replacement patients. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess mortality after adjusting for race and gender. Subjects were censored at transplantation or at end of follow-up. Pediatric patients with ESRD secondary to SLE had a 2-fold increased risk of death compared with other pediatric patients with ESRD (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.5–3.7). Adult patients with ESRD secondary to SLE were also at increased risk of death compared with other adult patients (HR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2–2.7). The most common causes of death in both pediatric and adult patients with SLE were cardiovascular disease and cardiac arrest. Our study demonstrates that there is a significant increase in mortality secondary to cardiovascular disease in pediatric and adult patients with ESRD secondary to SLE. Patients with ESRD secondary to SLE may need aggressive monitoring for traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis and the diagnosis of SLE alone may be an independent risk factor for death in patients with ESRD.
A PROPOSED MEASURE OF INTERNAL CONSISTENCY RELIABILITY: COEFFICIENT L-alpha

Data sets in the social and behavioral sciences are often small or heavy-tailed. Previous studies have demonstrated that small samples or leptokurtic distributions adversely affect the performance of Cronbach’s coefficient alpha. To address these concerns, we propose an alternative estimator of reliability based on L-comoments. The empirical results of this study demonstrate that when sample sizes are small and distributions are heavy-tailed that the proposed coefficient L-alpha has substantial advantages over the conventional Cronbach estimator of reliability in terms of relative bias and relative standard error.
Estrogen receptor binding in regions of the rat hypothalamus and preoptic area after inhibition of dopamine-β-hydroxylase

Abstract Previous studies have shown that administration of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC), a dopamine-β-hydroxylase inhibitor, results in a decreased concentration of estrogen receptors measured in the rodent hypothalamus and preoptic area. To determine if this modulation of receptor content is region-specific, in vitro estrogen binding assays were performed on cytosol and cell nuclear extracts of microdissected brain regions from female rats treated with DDC. For cytosol binding comparisons, ovariectomized (OVX) rats were treated with 550 mg DDC/kg b. wt. or the saline vehicle 12 h before sacrifice. For cell nuclear binding comparisons, OVX rats received a maximal dose of estradiol 12 h after DDC or saline treatment and 1 h before sacrifice. No region-specific decreases in estrogen binding were observed in either cytosol or nuclear extracts. To further examine possible regional specificity, quantitative autoradiographic analysis of the in vivo hypothalamic uptake of an iodinated analog of estradiol, 11β-methoxy-16α-[ 125 I]iodoestradiol (MIE 2 ), in OVX rats treated with DDC was conducted. Animals received a saturating dose of [ 125 I]MIE 2 12 h after DDC or saline treatment and 1 h before sacrifice. DDC treatment resulted in higher background levels of radioactivity and a trend toward higher uptake levels in all brain regions, but with no evidence of marked regional specific effects in any area of the brain. In tissue uptake studies, DDC treatment resulted in higher levels of radioactivity recovered from serum and neural tissues of [ 125 ]MIE 2 -injected rats, suggesting that DDC slows the clearance of MIE 2 . These results suggest that modulation of estrogen receptors in the rodent brain by inhibition of norepinephrine synthesis is not manifest with any prominent regional specificity, and underscore the need to consider possible multifocal sites of action of pharmacological agents used in studying neurotransmitter regulation of steroid hormone receptors.