cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HiddenVis: a Hidden State Visualization Toolkit to Visualize and Interpret Deep Learning Models for Time Series Data

Accelerometers provide continuous measurements of human movements. Utilizing their data exhibits great potential for monitoring or predicting human health outcomes. In this direction, researchers are active in developing machine-learning algorithms. However, compared to understanding deep learning models, visualizing and interpreting such models is equally important but has been less well-developed. To address these limitations, we constructed an online software tool to visualize the hidden states inferred from the deep learning models and to compare different cohorts based on outcome-associated temporal profiles. We demonstrated the utility of the model using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset. Using this tool, we discovered that two time periods of daily activity contribute to significant differences in 5-year mortalities. To disseminate the software to the broader community for the analysis of accelerometer data, we provide the work as open-source code at https://github.com/jyan97/HiddenVis.
Genome streamlining, proteorhodopsin, and organic nitrogen metabolism in freshwater nitrifiers

Abstract Microbial nitrification is a critical process governing nitrogen availability in aquatic systems. Freshwater nitrifiers have received little attention, leaving many unanswered questions about their taxonomic distribution, functional potential, and ecological interactions. Here, we reconstructed genomes to infer the metabolism and ecology of free-living picoplanktonic nitrifiers across the Laurentian Great Lakes, a connected series of five of Earth’s largest lakes. Surprisingly, ammonia oxidizing Bacteria (AOB) related to Nitrosospira dominated over ammonia oxidizing Archaea (AOA) at nearly all stations, with distinct ecotypes prevailing in the transparent, oligotrophic upper lakes compared to Lakes Erie and Ontario. Unexpectedly, one ecotype of Nitrosospira encodes proteorhodopsin, which could enhance survival in conditions where ammonia oxidation is inhibited or substrate limited. Nitrite oxidizing Bacteria (NOB) Ca. Nitrotoga and Nitrospira fluctuated in dominance, with the latter prevailing in deeper, less productive basins. Genome reconstructions reveal highly reduced genomes and features consistent with genome streamlining, along with diverse adaptations to sunlight and oxidative stress and widespread capacity for organic nitrogen use. Our findings expand the known functional diversity of nitrifiers and establish their ecological genomics in large lake ecosystems. By elucidating links between microbial biodiversity and biogeochemical cycling, our work also informs ecosystem models of the Laurentian Great Lakes, a critical freshwater resource experiencing rapid environmental change. Importance Microorganisms play critical roles in Earth’s nitrogen cycle. In lakes, microorganisms called nitrifiers derive energy from reduced nitrogen compounds. In doing so, they transform nitrogen into a form that can ultimately be lost to the atmosphere by a process called denitrification, which helps mitigate nitrogen pollution from fertilizer runoff and sewage. Despite their importance, freshwater nitrifiers are virtually unexplored. To understand their diversity and function, we reconstructed genomes of freshwater nitrifiers across some of Earth’s largest freshwater lakes, the Laurentian Great Lakes. We discovered several new species of nitrifiers specialized for clear low nutrient waters, and distinct species in comparatively turbid Lake Erie. Surprisingly, one species may be able to harness light energy using a protein called proteorhodopsin, despite the fact that nitrifiers typically live in deep dark water. Our work reveals unique biodiversity of the Great Lakes and fills key gaps in our knowledge of an important microbial group, the nitrifiers.
The Effect of Derotational Kirschner Wires on Fracture Gap Reduction With Variable-Pitch Headless Screws.

Purpose We evaluated the impact of angled derotational Kirschner wires (K-wires) on fracture gap reduction with variable-pitch headless screws. Methods Fully threaded variable-pitch headless screws (20 and 28 mm) were inserted into “normal” bone models of polyurethane blocks. In separate trials, derotational K-wires were inserted at predetermined angles of 0°, 15°, 30°, and 40° and compared with each other, with no K-wire as a control. Fluoroscopic images taken after each screw turn were analyzed. The optimal fracture gap closure, initial screw push-off, and screw back-out gap creation were determined and compared at various derotational K-wire angles. Results Initial screw push-off due to screw insertion and screw back-out gap creation were not significantly affected by the angle of the derotational K-wire. With a 20-mm screw, only a 40° derotational K-wire led to significantly less gap closure compared with control and with 0°, 15°, and 30° derotational K-wires. It led to an approximately 60% decrease in gap closure compared with no K-wire. With the 28-mm screw, compared with no K-wire, 15° and 30° derotational K-wires led to statistically significant decreases in gap closure (approximately 25%), whereas a 40° derotational K-wire led to an approximately 60% decrease. With the 28-mm screw, the 40° derotational K-wire also led to a statistically significant smaller gap closure when compared with 0°, 15°, and 30° derotational K-wires. Conclusions A derotational K-wire placed in parallel to the planned trajectory of a headless compression screw does not affect fracture gap closure. With greater angulation of the derotational K-wire, the fracture gap is still closed, but less tightly. Clinical relevance Derotational K-wires can help prevent fracture fragment rotation during headless compression screw insertion. At small deviations from parallel (≤30°), fracture gap closure achieved by the screw is minimally affected. At greater angles (ie, 40°), fracture gap closure may be substantially reduced, preventing fracture compression .
Multitask learning with expert advice

We consider the problem of prediction with expert advice in the setting where a forecaster is presented with several online prediction tasks. Instead of competing against the best expert separately on each task, we assume the tasks are related, and thus we expect that a few experts will perform well on the entire set of tasks. That is, our forecaster would like, on each task, to compete against the best expert chosen from a small set of experts. While we describe the "ideal" algorithm and its performance bound, we show that the computation required for this algorithm is as hard as computation of a matrix permanent. We present an efficient algorithm based on mixing priors, and prove a bound that is nearly as good for the sequential task presentation case. We also consider a harder case where the task may change arbitrarily from round to round, and we develop an efficient approximate randomized algorithm based on Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques.
Hayek on social justice: Reply to Lukes and Johnston

Abstract Hayek's attack on the ideal of social justice, though long ignored by political theorists, has recently been the subject of a number of largely unsympathetic studies (those of Lukes and Johnston being the most recent) in which his critique is dismissed as at best simply mistaken and at worst frivolous. The responses to Hayek's case against social justice, however, fail to draw any blood, for they do not seriously deal with Hayek's central claim that the very notion of social justice is incoherent.
Tafas v. Dudas: Elephants in Mouseholes

As many had hoped, Tafas v. Dudas, 2008 WL 859467 (E.D.Va.) finds rules promulgated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) void under the Administrative Procedure Act. Tafas correctly rejects a PTO argument that 35 U.S.C. 2(b)(2)(B) confers general authority to make binding substantive rules, quoting a Supreme Court observation that "Congress... does not... hide elephants in mouseholes." But Tafas goes too far. This comment explains why the court, having rejected that possibility, has found a larger animal in a smaller hole.
Causes and consequences of the changing urban form

It has been almost 25 years since various notions of a monocentric city were outlined by Alonso (1964), Muth (1969) and Mills (1967). In a summary a decade ago, Wheaton (1979) suggested that the main contribution of such theory was to provide an analytic approach for studying urban land markets. Using the indifference principle, locational advantage gets reflected in land prices, which in turn generate patterns of density through the substitution of capital for land. Given its simple assumptions, monocentric theory could not be expected to make especially accurate predictions about real world spatial structure. Over the intervening decade, two directions of new research have greatly enhanced the realism of the monocentric model. The first involves the recognition that urban capital is highly durable, and that a long-run static equilibrium is only an idealized goal towards which private markets slowly move. Harrison and Kain (1974), Anas (1978), Wheaton (1979), Braid (1988) and Arnott (1980) all have incorporated durable housing and locational choice within urban growth models. The result is a predicted spatial structure that more closely matches that found in actual cities. The second innovation in monocentric theory is the theme of this special volume, polycentricity. In the original monocentric model, the location of employment is taken as exogenous and existing at a single ‘center’. As far back as 1962, however, Leon Moses recognized that such a configuration
Mechanisms underlying variations in excitation-contraction coupling across the mouse left ventricular free wall

Ca2+ release during excitation–contraction (EC) coupling varies across the left ventricular free wall. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying EC coupling differences between mouse left ventricular epicardial (Epi) and endocardial (Endo) myocytes. We found that diastolic and systolic [Ca2+]i was higher in paced Endo than in Epi myocytes. Our data indicated that differences in action potential (AP) waveform between Epi and Endo cells only partially accounted for differences in [Ca2+]i. Rather, we found that the amplitude of the [Ca2+]i transient, but not its trigger – the Ca2+ current – was larger in Endo than in Epi cells. We also found that spontaneous Ca2+ spark activity was about 2.8-fold higher in Endo than in Epi cells. Interestingly, ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR2) protein expression was nearly 2-fold higher in Endo than in Epi myocytes. Finally, we observed less Na+–Ca2+ exchanger function in Endo than in Epi cells, which was associated with decreased Ca2+ efflux during the AP; this contributed to higher diastolic [Ca2+]i and SR Ca2+ in Endo than in Epi cells during pacing. We propose that transmural differences in AP waveform, SR Ca2+ release, and Na+–Ca2+ exchanger function underlie differences in [Ca2+]i and EC coupling across the left ventricular free wall.
Effects of Vitamin K Deficiency, Warfarin, and Inhibitors of Protein Synthesis upon the Plasma Levels of Vitamin K-dependent Clotting Factors in the Chick

Two-week-old chicks adequate in vitamin K showed a relative lack of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors when compared with the rat, cow, and man. Chick prothrombin was 50%, IX 8%, and X 6% of respective levels in the rat. Factor VII was not detectable in chick plasma. When 1-day-old chicks were fed a vitamin K-deficient diet, prothrombin levels fell to 5% in 5 days, whereas factors IX and X fell to only 60% of normal. After warfarin administration to normal chicks, prothrombin levels fell to 20% in 6 hours, whereas factors IX and X fell to 60%. When cycloheximide was given to normal chicks, all vitamin K-dependent factors fell at the same relative rate with a half time of 2 hours. Cycloheximide also completely blocked the effect of physiological doses (10 mug) of phylloquinone upon prothrombin synthesis, but only partially blocked the effect of pharmacological doses (2.5 mg) of phylloquinone, suggesting an antagonism between cycloheximide and vitamin K at the ribosomal level. Puromycin was effective in blocking the action of vitamin K at both physiological and pharmacological doses. In the chick, unlike the rat, it appears that (1) cycloheximide is fully effective in blocking the action of physiological doses of vitamin K and (2) the regulatory systems for factors IX and X appear to have a higher affinity for vitamin K and a lower affinity for warfarin than the regulatory system for prothrombin.
ORAL AND GENETIC STUDY OF CHILEANS, 1960. V. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE SEVERITY OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE.

Abstract An attempt was made to weigh the relative importance of several nutritional and physiological factors in the severity of periodontal index and gingival recession scores. The sample used in this study consisted of 549 Chilean persons on whom complete examinations were performed. The data were analysed by multiple correlation; the relative importance of each factor was assessed by calculating the separate determination coefficient, expressing it as per cent of the total variance (R2), and also by partial correlation, keeping constant the effects of age and oral hygiene. Blood levels of serum protein, haemoglobin, ascorbic acid and vitamin A, and urinary levels of thiamine and riboflavin showed essentially no effects in the variance of periodontal index and gingival recession scores. Age and oral hygiene were responsible for most of the variance (R2), age being responsible for a larger proportion of the variance in gingival recession scores. Oral hygiene accounted for 85 per cent of the variance in non-destructive periodontal disease, and for only 15 per cent in destructive disease. In the latter, age (46 per cent), molar attrition (20 per cent), and the number of DMF teeth (17 per cent) were the factors that explained most of the variance.
Issues and Trends of Collection Development of East Asian Law in the United States

This paper will first delineate the general policy and guidelines for developing foreign and transnational law collections in U.S. law libraries. It will then analyze factors which shape their East Asian collections, such as the law libraries’ preservation and digitization efforts and their related cost-efficiency, faculty and student interests, and the availability and quality of English translations. In the sections entitled “Basic Collection Materials and Trends of East Asian Countries,” print and electronic resources for conducting research in the laws of Republic of Korea, Japan and China, as well as those of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, are comprehensively surveyed. Lastly, the concluding section explores the pressing issues, current trends and challenges in developing South Korean, Chinese and Japanese law collections in an academic law library in the United States.
Application of AgaR repressor and dominant repressor variants for verification of a gene cluster involved in N-acetylgalactosamine metabolism in Escherichia coli K-12

The agaZVWEFASYBCDI gene cluster encodes the phosphotransferase systems and enzymes responsible for the uptake and metabolism of N-acetylgalactosamine and galactosamine in Escherichia coli. In some strains of E. coli, particularly the common K-12 strain, a portion of this cluster is missing because of a site-specific recombination event that occurred between sites in agaW and agaA. Strains that have undergone this recombination event have lost the ability to utilize either N-acetylgalactosamine or galactosamine as sole sources of carbon. Divergently transcribed from this gene cluster is the gene agaR encoding a transcriptional repressor belonging to the DeoR/GlpR family of transcriptional regulators. Promoters upstream of agaR, agaZ and agaS were characterized. All three promoters had elevated activity in the presence of N-acetylgalactosamine or galactosamine, were regulated in vivo by AgaR and possessed specific DNA-binding sites for AgaR upstream from the start sites of transcription as determined by DNase I footprinting. In vivo analysis and DNase I footprinting indicated that the promoter specific for agaZ also requires activation by cAMP-CRP. Previous work with GlpR and other members of the DeoR/GlpR family have identified highly conserved amino acid residues that function in DNA-binding or response to inducer. These residues of AgaR were targeted for site-directed mutagenesis and yielded variants of AgaR that were either negatively dominant or non-inducible. The apparent ability to produce negatively dominant and non-inducible variants of proteins of the DeoR/GlpR family of currently unknown function will likely facilitate screening for function.
Biochemical changes associated with cell division in Ustilago sphaerogena.

Abstract U. sphaerogena cells were analyzed for possible correlations of cell form, which evidently depended upon the rate of cell division, with cell constituents. Because the nucleic acid content of long cells was not markedly reduced, it appeared that no clear relation existed between an inhibition of cell division and the formation of these compounds. Constituent differences associated with long cells and so possibly with the mechanism of division inhibition included a generally reduced phospholipid content, a decreased carbohydrate content in one case, and possibly an increased polyphosphate content.
International competitiveness, the demand for exports and real effective exchange rates in developing countries

Abstract Most measures of the real effective exchange rate (REER) do not capture the complex ways in which the structure and direction of trade adapt to changes in exchange rates. Conventional measures of the REER are based on the stringent assumptions that cross price elasticities with respect to exports of third party competitors are all zero and with respect to trading partners they are all equal. This paper develops an alternative index of competitiveness that captures the effects of a whole set of bilateral price changes by estimating an import demand system. A REER for the Philippines is computed and compared to a conventional REER.
Analytical determination of selenium in medical samples, staple food and dietary supplements by means of total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

Abstract Selenium is essential for many aspects of human health and, thus, the object of intensive medical research. This demands the use of analytical techniques capable of analysing selenium at low concentrations with high accuracy in widespread matrices and sometimes smallest sample amounts. In connection with the increasing importance of selenium, there is a need for rapid and simple on-site (or near-to-site) selenium analysis in food basics like wheat at processing and production sites, as well as for the analysis of this element in dietary supplements. Common analytical techniques like electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy (ETAAS) and inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are capable of analysing selenium in medical samples with detection limits in the range from 0.02 to 0.7 μg/l. Since in many cases less complicated and expensive analytical techniques are required, TXRF has been tested regarding its suitability for selenium analysis in different medical, food basics and dietary supplement samples applying most simple sample preparation techniques. The reported results indicate that the accurate analysis of selenium in all sample types is possible. The detection limits of TXRF are in the range from 7 to 12 μg/l for medical samples and 0.1 to 0.2 mg/kg for food basics and dietary supplements. Although this sensitivity is low compared to established techniques, it is sufficient for the physiological concentrations of selenium in the investigated samples.
Axial field shaping under high-numerical-aperture focusing

Kant reported [J. Mod. Optics 47, 905 (2000)] a formulation for solving the inverse problem of vector diffraction, which accurately models high-NA focusing. Here, Kant's formulation is adapted to the method of generalized projections to obtain an algorithm for designing diffractive optical elements (DOEs) that reshape the axial point-spread function (PSF). The algorithm is applied to design a binary phase-only DOE that superresolves the axial PSF with controlled increase in axial sidelobes. An 11-zone DOE is identified that axially narrows the PSF central lobe by 29% while maintaining the sidelobe intensity at or below 52% of the peak intensity. This DOE could improve the resolution achievable in several applications without significantly complicating the optical system.
Molecular basis of muscarinic receptor function

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors play important roles in numerous physiological functions including higher cognitive processes such as memory and learning. Consistent with the well-documented pharmacological heterogeneity of muscarinic receptors, molecular cloning studies have revealed the existence of five distinct muscarinic receptor proteins (M1-M5). Structure-function relationship studies of the cloned receptors have been greatly aided by the high degree of structural homology that muscarinic receptors share with other G protein-coupled receptors. In this review, Jurgen Wess discusses recent mutagenesis studies that have considerably advanced our knowledge of the molecular details underlying muscarinic receptor function.
Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) based gamma camera--Monte Carlo simulations

A new gamma camera using a-Si:H photodetectors has been designed for the imaging of heart and other small organs. In this new design the photomultiplier tubes and the position sensing circuitry are replaced by 2D array of a-Si:H p-i-n pixel photodetectors and readout circuitry which are built on a substrate. Without the photomultiplier tubes this camera is light weight, hence can be made portable. To predict the characteristics and the performance of this new gamma camera we did Monte Carlo simulations. In the simulations 128 X 128 imaging array of various pixel sizes were used. 99mTc (140 keV) and 201Tl (70 keV) were used as radiation sources. From the simulations we could obtain the resolution of the camera and the overall system, and the blurring effects due to scattering in the phantom. Using the Wiener filter for image processing, restoration of the blurred image could be achieved. Simulation results of a-Si:H based gamma camera were compared with those of a conventional gamma camera.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Hypothesis: a rationale for migraine.

SYNOPSIS We explore the importance certain extracranial peripheral neural structures have in the pathogenesis of the painful second phase of migraine. The role of leptomeningeal arteries in the migraine pain, and the laudatory nature of the leptomeningeal and extracranial vasodilatation responsible for the migraine phenomenon are presented. When patients understand the concept that the oligemic first phase of the attack of migraine is the actual noxious event which should be targeted for comprehensive management, they are able to improve their quest to identify precipitating environmental factors and obtain clues that will serve as guidelines in the prevention of the attacks.
What have we gained from the application of biological ‘rationales’?

Abstract We have pinned our hopes for the future of breast cancer treatment on the application of biological rationales. However, recent conclusions regarding the complexity of the breast cancer genome have given us pause for thought. On the one hand, solid successes for biological rationales such as endocrine therapy, bisphosphonates and HER2 directed therapy cannot be argued with; however, the question of where the next HER2-like ‘Achilles Heel’ will come from does seem overwhelming when confronted with so many recently described genomic aberrations to investigate. Recent advances in molecular profiling simply seem to add to the current confusion. While these tests place patients in different risk categories, there is little information from the lists of genes in these prognostic signatures that provides any insight into mechanisms that are exploitable with new biological agents. Recent attempts to combine endocrine therapy with signal transduction agents in unselected populations of patients with ER+ breast cancer have been failures, including studies of HER1 inhibitors, rapamycin analogues and farnesyl transferase inhibitors. The way forward must be to have a better idea of the exact endocrine resistance mechanisms in play in any particular tumour so that the pharmacology can be more precisely targeted, i.e. we need more biological rationale for these studies before we will begin to see success. The ideal of mechanistic precision is beginning to play out in the setting of PI3 kinase inhibitors since breast cancers exhibit multiple anomalies in this pathway such as PTEN loss, S6 kinase amplification and alpha catalytic subunit mutation that can now be put in context of therapy with rapamycin analogues, AKT inhibitors, direct inhibitors of the PI3 kinase catalytic subunit and mTOR. The interplay between pharmacological targeting and the breast cancer genome will be most likely addressed in the neoadjuvant setting and we can expect a good deal of progress in the near future from a number of critical trials that are currently underway or in the planning stages.
A Rapid Method for Food‐Habits Studies

(1963). A Rapid Method for Food-Habits Studies. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society: Vol. 92, No. 4, pp. 434-435.
The Preparation of Substituted 1(2H)-Isoquinolinones from Dilithiated 2-Methyl-N-arylbenzamides, 2-Methyl-N-(arylmethyl)-benzamides, or 2-Methylbenzoic Acid, 2,2-Dimethylhydrazide

Abstract 2-Methyl-N-arylbenzamides (N-aryl-ortho-toluamides), 2-methyl-N-(arylmethyl)-benzamides (substituted benzyl, N-benzyl-ortho-toluamides), or 2-methylbenzoic acid, 2,2-dimethylhydrazide (ortho-toluic acid, N,N-dimethylhydrazide), were dilithiated with excess lithium diisopropylamide, and the resulting polyanion-type intermediates were condensed with aromatic esters followed by acid cyclization to the 3-substituted-1(2H)-isoquinolinones (isocarbostyrils).
Wall temperature control of low-speed body drag

The use of thermal means to control drag under turbulent boundary layer conditions is examined. Numerical calculations are presented for both skin friction and (unseparated) pressure drag for turbulent boundary-layer flows over a fuselage-like body with wall heat transfer. In addition, thermal control of separation on a bluff body is investigated. It is shown that a total drag reduction of up to 20 percent can be achieved for wall heating with a wall-to-total-freestream temperature ratio of 2. For streamlined slender bodies, partial wall heating of the forebody can produce almost the same order of total drag reduction as the full body heating case. For bluff bodies, the separation delay from partial wall cooling of the afterbody is approximately the same as for the fully cooled body.
Looking Outside, or Turning Northwest? on the Meaning and External Dimension of Egypt's Infitah 1971-1980

The argument here is that infitah is not a forcing open of a previously closed economy, but a restructuring of its economic relations. Egypt is not simply looking outside but, rather, turning northwest toward the United States and Europe. Internal evidence of this new orientation is presented and its implications explored, especially the regional and international influence of such agencies as the Consultative Group, the International Monetary Fund, and foreign banks—the latter a type of external influence also strongly affecting Egypt in the altered paths of development in the previous century. The conclusion is that in Egypt a 19th century type of specialization is developing, one emphasizing oil, the Suez Canal, and tourism as the leading sectors. These, and whatever productive enterprises are established, will be of the capital-intensive type not apt to generate many employment opportunities. Labor's share of the Gross Domestic Product will tend to fall, comprador-propertied-landed classes will reemerge and gain strength. Social disadvantages will tend to widen and may in fact invite social unrest and mounting political repression.
Discrete orthogonal function expansions for non-uniform grids using the fast Fourier transform

A technique for applying discrete Fourier series to infinite domains is presented. The technique uses mappings designed to minimize truncation error and can be applied to solve mixed initial boundary value problems among others. The method is alias-free and yields consistent differentiation and integration operators. The mapping-induced truncation error is explicitly expressible and small in nearly all cases of interest. The method is illustrated for three problems involving convection, diffusion, and vortex interaction.
Property tax consciousness

Much of the current 'tax revolt' is attributed, in general, to the increased scope and inefficiency of the public sector, and, in particular, to the longstanding hostility of people towards the property tax. A question that naturally arises, then, is: How conscious are people of their property tax burdens and more specifically, how accurate are their perceptions of this burden and of this tax's mechanics? Subsidiary questions are: Does paying the property tax directly, as opposed to paying through escrow accounts, affect perceptions; does itemizing as opposed to taking the standard deduction on federal tax returns increase consciousness; and what are the effects on perceptions of the institutional structure surrounding the property tax? Section 1 describes the methodology of this essay. Section 2 examines the ability to people to recall their property tax bills, while Section 3 assesses their knowledge of assessments and tax rate increases.
Analysis of lamotrigine and lamotrigine 2-N-glucuronide in guinea pig blood and urine by reserved-phase ion-pairing liquid chromatography

Lamotrigine is an investigational anticonsulvant drug undergoing clinical trials. A simultaneous assay was developed to quantitate lamotrigine and its major metabolite, lamotrigine 2-N-glucuronide, from guinea pig whole blood. The extraction procedure and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay employed sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) as an ion-pairing reagent to selectively separate lamotrigine and lamotrigine 2-N-glucuronide from endogenous blood components, other anti-convulsant drugs, and their metabolites. The mobile phase was composed of acetonitrile—50 mM phosphoric acid (pH 2.2) containing 10 mM SDS (33:67, v/v), and components were detected at 277 nm. The total coefficients of variance (C.V.) for the blood assay were ≤ 9.4% for lamotrigine (0.25–20.0 μg/ml) and ≤ 13.4% for the glucuronide metabolite (0.25–10.0 μg/ml). Separate assays for lamotrigine and its glucuronide in urine were developed. In order to quantitate low levels of lamotrigine in guinea pig urine, lamotrigine was extracted with tert.-butyl methyl ether—ethyl acetate (1:1). The total C.V. for lamotrigine quantitation in urine was ≤ 7.5% (0.10–10.0 μg/ml). For the determination of lamotrigine 2-N-glucuronide, urine was diluted with an SDS—phosphoric acid buffer (1:4) and injected directly onto the HPLC system, total C.V. ≤ 4.2% (0.5–50 μg/ml).
An ab initio investigation of possible intermediates in the reaction of the hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl radicals

Ab initio quantum chemical techniques have been used to investigate covalently‐bonded and hydrogen‐bonded species that may be important intermediates in the reaction of hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl radicals. Stable structures of both types were identified. Basis sets of polarized double‐zeta quality and large scale configuration interaction wave functions have been utilized. Based upon electronic energies, the covalently‐bonded HOOOH species is found to be 26.4 kcal/mol more stable than the OH and HO2 radicals. Similarly, the hydrogen‐bonded HO‐‐‐HO2 species is found to have an electronic energy 4.7 kcal/mol below that of the component radicals, after correction is made for the basis set superposition error. The hydrogen‐bonded form is found to be planar, to possess one relatively ‘‘normal’’ hydrogen bond, and to have lowest energy 3A’ and 1A’ states that are essentially degenerate. The 1A‘ and 3A‘ excited states produced by rotation of the unpaired OH electron into the molecular plane are found to be very s...
The effect of actinomycin-D on TSH formation, release and inhibition by thyroxin.

Abstract Actinomycin-D, in doses known to block the metabolic effects of thyroid hormone, failed to alter the circulating TSH titer of hypothyroid rats and the rate of disappearance of TSH from the circulation in euthyroid and hypothyroid rats. It also failed to depress the marked increase in pituitary TSH content seen after thyroxin injection into hypothyroid rats. Unexpectedly, actinomycin-D alone caused an increase in pituitary TSH and inhibited the ability of thyroxin to suppress TSH secretion. Therefore, it is suggested that there may be an intrahypophyseal repressor substance which tonically limits TSH formation and is dependent upon a short-lived messenger-RNA which is blocked by actinomycin-D. Possibly this intrahypophyseal repressor is the intermediary by which thyroid hormone inhibits the pituitary. Actinomycin-D, at a concentration as low as 0.056 μg/ml, also inhibited the osmoregulatory response of thyroid slices to TSH stimulation in vitro .
pT0 prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy

The purpose of our study was to perform a literature review of current data to determine the frequency and correlates of pT0 prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy alone. A comprehensive search was made of MEDLINE and PUBMED. Seven studies were identified involving 18,135 patients with 74 reported pT0 cases. The most frequent correlates from our pooled data of patients with pT0 specimens include preoperative PSA <10 ng/ml, only one positive core biopsy, and Gleason score <7. J. Surg. Oncol. 2010;102:331–333. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Whispering-gallery mode splitting in coupled microresonators

Using iterative methods we demonstrate that, for a structure consisting of N-coupled microspheres or ring resonators, the morphology-dependent resonances split into N higher-Q modes, in direct analogy with other types of oscillators. Moreover, for odd numbers of identical lossless coupled rings, the circulating intensity in the innermost ring increases exponentially with N when there is strong coupling to even-numbered rings and weak coupling to odd-numbered rings.
A method of describing miss distances for lunar and interplanetary trajectories

Abstract Miss distances for lunar and interplanetary trajectories can be described by specifying two components of the impact parameter, which is treated as a vector. This is analogous to the use of range and azimuth (or cross range) in specifying the impact point for terrestrial targets. The resulting co-ordinates are very nearly linear functions of the variables of the trajectory near the Earth, except in cases where the trajectory is of the minimum-energy type, such as a Hohmann orbit. Applications are given to the theory of guidance and to a method for automatically searching for a trajectory which hits or misses the target in a specified manner.
Trace confirmation with given object position

A new method of detecting the trace left behind by a moving object in a digitized image is developed and compared with the Hough transform of line detection. Under a very general condition, the new method is shown to be better. The implementation of this method to detect ships on SEASAT satellite pictures is also discussed.
Zeeman discharge tube frequency monitor

A discriminant to frequency stabilize a gas laser has been obtained from a discharge tube in which the gain profile is split by an ac magnetic field. By superimposing a do magnetic field, the discriminant can be centered at any point on the gain profile. By employing feedback techniques, the center of the discriminant can be used to track a laser frequency; the magnitude of the do magnetic field determines the displacement of the laser frequency from the gain maximum.
The Porphyromonas gingivalis clpB gene is involved in cellular invasion in vitro and virulence in vivo

ClpB, a component of stress response in microorganisms, serves as a chaperone, preventing protein aggregation and assisting in the refolding of denatured proteins. A clpB mutant of Porphyromonas gingivalis W83 demonstrated increased sensitivity to heat stress, but not to hydrogen peroxide and extreme pHs. In KB cells, human coronary artery endothelial (HCAE) cells and gingival epithelial cells, the clpB mutant exhibited significantly decreased invasion suggesting that the ClpB protein is involved in cellular invasion. Transmission electron microscopic analysis showed that the clpB mutant was more susceptible to intracellular killing than the wild-type strain in HCAE cells. The global genetic profile of the clpB mutant showed that 136 genes belonging to several different cellular function groups were differentially regulated, suggesting that ClpB is ultimately involved in the expression of multiple P. gingivalis genes. A competition assay in which a mixture of wild-type W83 and the clpB mutant were injected into mice demonstrated that the clpB mutant did not survive as well as the wild type. Additionally, mice treated with the clpB mutant alone survived significantly better than those treated with the wild-type strain. Collectively, these data suggest that ClpB, either directly or indirectly, plays an important role in P. gingivalis virulence.
A CONVENIENT SYNTHESIS OF O-ALKYL THIOESTERS FROM ESTERS

Abstract O-Alkyl thioesters may be prepared from the corresponding carboxylic esters by successive treatment with lithium diisopropylamide, chlorotrimethylsilane, and hydrogen sulfide.
Laminectomy in patients with achondroplasia: The impact of time to surgery on long-term function

Study design Retrospective analysis, survey. Objective To describe a cohort of individuals with achondroplasia undergoing thoracolumbar laminectomy and to examine if shorter time to surgery was related to improvement in long-term functional outcome. Summary of background data Data on the long-term benefits of laminectomy are mixed for such patients. Earlier intervention may be associated with greater likelihood of long-term benefit, but quantified data are lacking. Methods We retrospectively studied 49 patients with achondroplasia who underwent primary laminectomy for spinal stenosis. Patients completed a questionnaire to assess symptoms, walking distance, and independence (per Modified Rankin Scale), before surgery and currently. Responses were analyzed for the likelihood of improved walking distance or Rankin level. Results Our patients had the following mean values: age, 37.7 ± 10.6 years; body mass index, 31.8 ± 5.5; symptom duration, 74.0 ± 100.1 months; preoperative symptom severity score, 2.7 ± 1.0 points; mean changes in blocks walked, +0.39 ± 2.0; and Rankin level, +0.08 ± 1.47. Patients with a time-to-surgery interval of 6 months. Intervals of up to 12 and 24 months were associated with increased likelihoods of 4.95 (95% CI, 1.41-17.41) and 3.43 (95% CI, 1.05-11.22), respectively, of improved walking distance compared with those with longer time-to surgery intervals, but those Rankin level improvements were not statistically significant. Conclusion Time from symptom onset to surgery in patients with achondroplasia is an important predictor of long-term functional outcome. For sustained long-term postsurgical improvement, the window of opportunity might be relatively narrow. Patients with achondroplasia should seek medical advice for spinal stenotic symptoms as soon as possible.
Growth and Development Symposium: Development, characterization, and use of a porcine epiblast-derived liver stem cell line: ARS-PICM-19.

Totipotent embryonic stem cell lines have not been established from ungulates; however, we have developed a somatic stem cell line from the in vitro cul- ture of pig epiblast cells. The cell line, ARS-PICM-19, was isolated via colony cloning and was found to spon- taneously differentiate into hepatic parenchymal epithe- lial cell types, namely hepatocytes and bile duct cells. Hepatocytes form as monolayers and bile duct cells as 3-dimensional bile ductules. Transmission electron mi- croscopy revealed that the ductules were composed of radially arranged, monociliated cells with their cilia pro- jecting into the lumen of the ductule whereas hepatocytes were arranged in monolayers with lateral canalicular structures containing numerous microvilli and connect- ed by tight junctions and desmosomes. Extensive Golgi and rough endoplasmic reticulum networks were also present, indicative of active protein synthesis. Analysis of conditioned medium by 2-dimensional electropho- resis and mass spectrometry indicated a spectrum of serum-protein secretion by the hepatocytes. The PICM- 19 cell line maintains a range of inducible cytochrome P450 activities and, most notably, is the only nontrans- formed cell line that synthesizes urea in response to am- monia challenge. The PICM-19 cell line has been used for several biomedical- and agricultural-related purpos- es, such as the in vitro replication of hepatitis E virus, a zoonotic virus of pigs, and a spacefl ight experiment to evaluate somatic stem cell differentiation and liver cell function in microgravity. The cell line was also evalu- ated as a platform for toxicity testing and has been used in a commercial artifi cial liver rescue device bioreac- tor. A PICM-19 subclone, PICM-19H, which only dif- ferentiates into hepatocytes, was isolated and methods are currently under development to grow PICM-19 cells without feeder cells. Feeder-cell-independent growth will facilitate the study of mesenchymal-parenchymal interactions that infl uence the divergent differentiation of the PICM-19 cells, enhance our ability to genetically modify the cells, and provide a better model system to investigate porcine hepatic metabolism.
Highest-weight vectors of the moonshine module with non-zero graded trace

Abstract We study the space of graded traces (one-point correlation functions) of highest-weight vectors (primary fields) in the moonshine module. We define a family of highest-weight vectors with weight congruent to two modulo four and explicitly compute their graded traces. In particular, when their weight is at least 18, these highest-weight vectors have a non-zero graded trace.
The Growth of Organic Solid State Chemistry: A Personal Perspective

Abstract Some aspects of the development of organic solid state chemistry are described from the point of view of one of the participants.
Multiscale mechanisms of SRF breakdown

Multiscale mechanisms of SRF breakdown and the dependence of the quality factor Q(H 0 ) on the rf field amplitude H 0 are discussed. We first consider a basic nonlinear dependence of the surface resistance R s on the rf screening current density J, which becomes crucial at rf fields of the order of the thermodynamic critical field H Nb c ∼ 200 mT. The current-induced rf pairbreaking in the clean limit results in a quadratic field correction to R s (H 0 ) at low H 0 and an exponential increase of R s (H 0 ) at H 0 > TH c /T c . The effect of the nonlinear R s (H 0 ) on the rf thermal breakdown is considered. The field dependence of R s (H 0 ) reduces the breakdown field H b below He and increases the medium and high field Q slopes. Then a model of nonuniform thermal breakdown caused by macroscopic hotspots on the cavity surface is proposed. It is shown that hotspots expand as H 0 increases, resulting in additional mechanism of field dependence of Q(H 0 ) which increases the Q slope and reduces H b .
Temperature dependent magnetic properties of the GaAs substrate of spin-LEDs

The temperature dependence of the magnetization of a light emitting diode having a ferromagnetic contact (spin-LED) is measured from 2 to 300 K in magnetic fields from 30 to 70 kOe and it is found that it originates from the GaAs substrate. The magnetization of GaAs comprises a van Vleck-type paramagnetic contribution to the susceptibility which scales inversely with the band gap of the semiconductor. Thus, the temperature dependence of the band gap of GaAs accounts for the non-linear temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility of GaAs and thus, at large magnetic fields, for the spin-LED.
PMDR studies in heavy atom containing hosts; naphthalene and quinoxaline in 1,4-dibromobenzene

Abstract PMDR studies of naphthalene and quinoxaline were made in 1,4-dibromobenzene host. Striking effects of external heavy atom perturbation on each individual decay rate, spin polarization in the process of triplet state energy transfer and the enhancement of PMDR signals were studied and a preliminary discussion of the results is given.
Magnetic Resonance Microscopy of the C57BL Mouse Brain

With the rapid progression in gene technologies, transgenic, targeted, and chemically induced mutations in mice are continually created. The major goal of these studies is to understand and characterize the effects of genotype on anatomy, physiology, and behavior and ultimately the role of genotype in development of disease. The demand for imaging techniques with high spatial resolution potential is rising because such imaging tools would expedite anatomical phenotyping in the genetically altered mice. Magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) is a noninvasive, inherently three-dimensional (3D) imaging technique capable of visualizing several anatomical structures in the small mouse. The 3D nature of MRM also allows for interpretation of complex spatial relationships between substructures, which is important when phenotyping anatomically. The goal of this paper is to systematically describe three major brain regions in the C57BL/6J mouse at microanatomical spatial resolution ranges using in vitro MRM. We explore different MR contrast parameters, voxel sizes, and signal-to-noise ratios to best characterize C57BL/6J mouse brain microstructure by MRM. Further, we compare all MRM images with Nissl-stained brain sections. Major findings were as follows: T2* MR images visualized several gross anatomical regions in the mouse brain but not, for example, subregions within the hippocampus. Diffusion proton stains on the other hand were superior to T2* MR images and delineated many subregions within the hippocampus proper. Finally, contrast enhancement facilitated visualization of hippocampal anatomy on the T2* MR images. The results of this study are part of an ongoing initiative at our Center focused on creating a complete C57BL/6J mouse anatomical 3D image database by MRM.
Endocrine disorders in the neonate

There is a significant amount of knowledge that has been gained in recent years in the study of endocrine disorders in the newborn. The explosion of genetic data shedding light on the origins of endocrine disease has expanded the level of diagnostic evaluation and management of these infants. This article provides a general review of endocrine disorders as they present in a newborn.
Ethics Integration: The Management/Organizational Behavior Fundamentals Course and Broader Concerns

Efforts in business colleges to integrate topics of ethics and social responsibility across all business curricula often face serious obstacles. Faculty members given the responsibility for ethics ...