cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential neurophysiological effects of magnetic seizure therapy (MST) and electroconvulsive shock (ECS) in non-human primates.

Magnetic seizure therapy (MST) is under development as a means of reducing the side effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) through enhanced control over patterns of seizure induction and spread...
OCCURRENCE, QUATERNARY STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF G PROTEIN SUBUNITS IN AN INSECT ENDOCRINE GLAND

Abstract The occurrence, structure and function of the α and β subunits of GTP-binding proteins (G proteins) were investigated in the Manduca sexta prothoracic gland, a tissue which possesses a hormonally regulated adenylate cyclase. Subunit-specific antibodies were utilized in immunoblotting studies of tissue from Manduca prothoracic glands, brain, eyes and antennae, and compared to the substrates present in the heads of Drosophila , as well as in a mammalian cell line. All Manduca tissues examined showed putative G β subunits of 37 and 38 kDa, an unidentified α subunit of 41 kDa, in addition to an eye specific α subunit of 42 kDa. Manduca tissues also produced putative G sα subunits of 48 and 51 kDa which were coupled to prothoracic gland adenylate cyclase as demonstrated by immunoprecipitation. Prothoracic gland G proteins have a definite and limited quaternary structure, consistent with a heterotrimeric model, as demonstrated by crosslinking of prothoracic gland membrane preparations followed by immunoblotting. These studies also yielded data on relative titers of α subunits, and suggest that G sα is present in lower amounts than other α subunits. The G protein subunits studied in the prothoracic gland appear strikingly similar in molecular weight, function and structure to their mammalian counterparts.
The Efficacy of a University Drug Education Course on Factors That Influence Alcohol Use

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the impact that a Drug Education course has on motives, consequences, attitudes, and perceptions regarding alcohol use in a sample of university students, and to discern if these parameters alter substance usage. There were a total of 121 respondents (32 male, 94 female). Following the course, students reported a slight elevation in the motivation to drink alcohol to facilitate studying. However, drinking because they enjoyed the taste, drinking to get drunk, and drinking to celebrate special occasions decreased significantly following the course. No significant differences were noted in patterns of drinking consequences or selected attitudes toward alcohol use. Students did, however, perceive alcohol to be a more dangerous substance in the post-test. No gender differences were observed.
Nutrient composition of human milk.

International agencies and various US health organizations uniformly recommend breastfeeding as the preferred method of infant feeding for the entire first year of life and thereafter as long as is beneficial to the mother–infant dyad. 1,52 These recommendations are based on knowledge that term infants nursed by nutritionally adequate mothers are provided with sufficient energy and the proper profile of nutrients to support normal growth and development without any additional foods through the first 4 to 6 months of life. After 6 months, complimentary foods are needed to furnish nutrients likely to become limiting. Also, human milk furnishes an array of nonnutrient growth factors, immune factors, hormones, and other bioactive components that can act as biological signals and confer protection against illness in infancy and later in life. 20,43 From a nutritional perspective, infancy is a critical and vulnerable period. At no other stage of life is a single food adequate as the sole source of nutrition. This phenomenon occurs when immaturity in tissues and organs involved in nutrient metabolism (i.e., the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and kidneys) limits the ability of an infant to respond to excesses or deficiencies in nutrient intakes. Human milk is species specific, and many of the nutrients it contains are secreted as bound components that can offer protection from digestion and facilitate absorption and utilization. In this article, the characteristic nutritional features of human milk and influencing factors are reviewed. Knowledge of human-milk composition and nutrient intakes of thriving human milk–fed infants are central to the understanding of infant nutritional requirements and the nutritional cost of lactation for mothers.
Predicting Cotton Lint Yield Maps from Aerial Photographs

It is generally accepted that aerial images of growing crops provide spatial and temporal information about crop growth conditions and may even be indicative of crop yield. The focus of this study was to develop a straightforward technique for creating predictive cotton yield maps from aerial images. A total of ten fields in southern Georgia, USA, were studied during three growing seasons. Conventional (true color) aerial photographs of the fields were acquired during the growing season in two to four week intervals. The aerial photos were then digitized and analyzed using an unsupervised classification function of image analysis software. During harvest, conventional yield maps were created for each of the fields using a cotton picker mounted yield monitor. Classified images and yield maps were compared quantitatively and qualitatively. A pixel by pixel comparison of the classified images and yield maps showed that spatial agreement between the two gradually increased in the weeks after planting, maintained spatial agreement of between 40% and 60% during weeks eight to fourteen, and then gradually declined again. The highest spatial agreement between a classified image and a yield map was 78%. The highest average agreement was 52% and occurred 9.9 weeks after planting. The visual similarity between the classified images and the yield maps were striking. In all cases, the dates with the best visual agreement occurred between eight and ten weeks after planting, and generally, during July for southern Georgia. This method offers great potential for offering cotton farmers early-season maps that predict the spatial distribution of yield. Although these maps can not provide magnitudes, they clearly show the resulting yield patterns. With inherent knowledge of past performance, farmers can use this information to allocate resources, address crop growth problems, and, perhaps, improve the profitability of their farm operation. These maps are well suited to be offered to farmers as a service by a crop consultant or a cooperative.
Gas vacuolate bacteria obtained from marine waters of Antarctica

Several strains of heterotrophic, gas vacuolate bacteria were isolated from marine waters of Antarctica. To our knowledge these are the first marine forms of gas vacuolate bacteria to be reported. Current isolates are all Gram-negative rods. All isolates are psychrophiles that grow at temperatures between ≤−1.5°C and 7°C, with none growing at temperatures higher than 14°C. All can grow at salt concentrations of sea water, although some can grow at 1/16th that concentration. Two of the strains produce orange colored pigments, whereas all heterotrophic gas vacuolate bacteria known to date are nonpigmented. The two pigmented filamentous strains grow well at 5.0% NaCl and have a specific sodium ion requirement. Isolates differ in the substrates they use for growth. Organic acids, amino acids, and sugars are used depending upon the strain. All isolates appear to be microaerophilic and oxidase and catalase positive. All grow well at pH 7.0. The mol% G+C of the pigmented strains is 31 and that of the non-pigmented strains, 52–57.
Embedded diagnostics in combat systems

Diagnostics capability of combat systems shall be compatible with the Army Diagnostic Improvement Program. Present systems are capable of performing health monitoring and health checks using internal embedded resources. They employ standard sensors and data busses that monitor data signals and built-in test (BIT). These devices provide a comprehensive source of data to accomplish an accurate system level diagnostics and fault isolation at line replaceable unit (LRU) level. Prognostics routines provide capability to identify the cause of predicted failure and corrective action to prevent unscheduled maintenance action. Combat system’s health status and prognostic information are displayed to operator, crew, and maintenance personnel. Present systems use common data/information interchange network in accordance with standards defined in the Joint Technical Architecture (JTA) to provide access to vehicle’s health data. The technologies utilized in present systems include embedded diagnostics, combat maintainer, schematic viewer, etc. Implementation of these technologies significantly reduced maintenance hours of combat systems. Health monitoring, diagnostics and prognostics of future systems will utilize federated software and probes approach. Gauges will determine if the system operates within acceptable performance bands by monitoring data provided by the probes. Health monitoring system will use models of missions to make intelligent choices considering tasks criticality.
Frank Norris's common sense: finance as theatre in The Pit

It has become something of a commonplace that naturalist fiction is concerned to demonstrate the constraining power of the environment.1 From the electrified city of Theodore Dreiser's Sister Carri...
Emerging functions of force-producing kinetochore motors

More than two decades of research has resulted in the identification of some 60 microtubule motor proteins, several of which have been implicated in mitosis. Although some kinesin super-family proteins function as microtubule depolymerases at kinetochores, such as Kinesin-8 and -13, it is now appreciated that there are only two force-producing kinetochore associated motors, the plus end-directed microtubule motor CENP-E and the minus end-directed microtubule motor cytoplasmic dynein. Defining their roles at kinetochores has been hampered by the complexity of mitosis itself, and a multiplicity of mitotic roles, at least for cytoplasmic dynein. Nonetheless, recent advances have served to define the primary roles of the two kinetochore motors in detail.
An algol program for dissimilarity analysis: a divisive-omnithetic clustering technique

Abstract Clustering techniques are used properly to generate hypotheses about patterns in data. Of the hierarchical techniques, those which are divisive and omnithetic possess many theoretically optimal properties. One such method, dissimilarity analysis, is implemented here in ALGOL 60, and determined to be competitive computationally with most other methods.
Superframing: scene dynamic range extension of infrared cameras

Infrared cameras are often used to capture high-speed digital video of scenes with enormous ranges in in-band brightness. A simple example of this would be a man standing next to a hot fire. Under normal operating conditions, it can be next to impossible to fully span a scene like this with the brightness dynamic range of an infrared camera. The brightest or hottest parts of the image will often be saturated, while at the same time the darkest or coldest parts of the scene may be buried in the noise floor of the camera and appear black in the image. Varying the exposure by changing the integration time is necessary to maximize the useful information recorded by the camera, but sometimes a single integration time is not enough to fully encompass a scene's variations. The technique of superframing consists of varying the integration time of the camera from frame to frame in a cyclic manner, then combining the resulting subframes into single superframes with greatly extended dynamic ranges. The technique and some sample data are described in this paper.
Transforming continuous utility into additive utility using kolmogorov's theorem

For a multidimensional criteria space to have an additive utility function, the strong condition of independence among the co-ordinates (also known as separability) must be satisfied. However, if we are allowed to transform the criteria space into another, then a theorem due to Kolmogorov implies that we can, even in the absence of independence, transform the space into one that has a continuous additive utility function. Since this transformation is complex, it has only theoretical significance. However, certain related results from neurocomputing theory are quite practical and signify that there exists some scope for neurocomputing in multi-criteria decision analysis.
Effect of Ligand Modification on Rhodium-Catalyzed Homogeneous Hydroformylation in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Several fluoroalkyl- and fluoroalkoxy-substituted tertiary arylphosphines were synthesized and investigated in the homogeneous catalytic hydroformylation of 1-octene using HRh(CO)L3 (L = tertiary arylphosphine). The activity of the rhodium complex (formed in situ from Rh(CO)2(acac) and L) increased with decreasing basicity of the phosphine according to the series [3,5-(CF3)2C6H3]3P > [4-CF3C6H4]3P ≈ [3-CF3C6H4]3P > [4-CF3OC6H4]3P > [4-F(CF2)4(CH2)3C6H4]3P. The very weakly basic phosphine (C6F5)3P did not complex with Rh(CO)2(acac), most likely due to a combination of electronic and steric factors. Steric effects did not play a role in either the activity or selectivity of the rhodium catalysts that were formed under hydroformylation conditions.
Children's Behavior Problems and Referral for School Psychological Services.

Personality and conduct problem behaviors from Quay and Peterson's Behavior Problem Checklist were rated by considering their significance in referring an elementary-grade child for school psychological services. Spearman correlations indicated that regular class teachers, special class teachers of the emotionally disturbed, and school psychologists agreed regarding the relative importance of the behavior problems. A repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that conduct problems were prioritized by the professional groups for referral. This consistent agreement across professional groups is interpreted in terms of ecological psychology. Considering the behavioral demands of the schools, the conduct problem child achieves the poorest behavior-milieu fit and is perceived as a priority for referral.
Dielectric properties of smectite clays

Abstract The dielectric properties of a series of smectite clays, namely, Na + , Li + and Cu ++ -fluorohectorites, Na + montmorillonite and Na + laponite have been measured as a function of water content over the frequency range 40−10 5 Hz. These clays span a wide range of particle sizes, surface areas, charge densities and intercalant exchange cations. The objective of this study was to correlate the dielectric properties with these variables. In general the dielectric constant changes slowly as the first monolayer of absorbed water builds up in the galleries. Water loadings beyond the first monolayer cause the dielectric constant to rapidly rise to very high values. The relative permittivity and the conductivity increase with increasing layer charge density and with decreasing charge to radius ratio of the gallery cation. This suggests that the cations rather than the protons are the main current carriers. The frequency dependence is measured and discussed.
When is a periodic discrete-time system equivalent to a time invariant one?

We give the precise conditions under which a periodic discrete-time linear state-space system can be transformed into a time-invariant one by a change of basis. Thus our theory is the discrete-time counterpart of the classical theory of Floquet transforms developed by Floquet and Lyapunov in the 1800s for continuous-time systems. We state and prove a necessary and sufficient condition for a “discrete-time Floquet transform” to exist, and give a construction for the transform when it does exist. Our results also extend to generalized state-space, or descriptor, systems.
Reply to Comments by Veling on “A Semi-Analytical Solution for Large-Scale Injection-Induced Pressure Perturbation and Leakage in a Laterally Bounded Aquifer–Aquitard System” by Zhou, Birkholzer, and Tsang

Veling (2010) pointed to 'a serious mistake' and 'mathematical inconsistency' in Zhou et al. (2009) because the dimensionless flow equations in Equation 4 (in terms of dimensionless hydraulic head rise in the aquifer and the aquitard) would give rise to additional terms when back converting to the groundwater flow equations, in the case that initial conditions for hydraulic head were spatially variable. He added, however, that the conclusions of the paper remain valid when uniform initial conditions are assumed. We accept this comment because we have indeed assumed uniform initial conditions in the system but failed to state this explicitly in the publication, partially because this assumption is very common in groundwater hydrology when deriving analytical and semi-analytical solutions. The same assumption was employed, for example, by Veling in Veling and Maas (2009), as stated 'For the ease of presentation we assume from here on that {phi}{sub i0} (r, z) ... are all equal to zero. An arbitrary initial function ... will complicate the solution, but not essentially'. We shall emphasize that with this assumption, our semi-analytical solutions and their derivations are correct.
Inferential model estimates of ammonia dry deposition in the vicinity of a swine production facility

Abstract This project investigates NH3 dry deposition around a commercial swine production facility in eastern North Carolina. Passive diffusion-tube samplers were used to measure weekly integrated NH3 concentrations at 22 locations along horizontal gradients from the barn/lagoon emissions complex (source) out to a distance of 700 m. A two-layer canopy compensation point model was used to predict bi-directional NH3 exchange within a 500 m circular buffer surrounding the source. The model takes into account differences in soil and vegetation emission potential, as well as canopy physical characteristics, among three primary surfaces surrounding the site: forest, crops spray fertilized with swine waste, and other fertilized crops. Between June 2003 and July 2005, mean observed NH3 concentrations ranged from 169.0 μg NH3 m−3 at a distance of 10 m from the source to 7.1 and 13.0 μg NH3 m−3 at 612 and 698 m in the predominant upwind and downwind directions, respectively. Median predicted dry deposition rates ranged from 145 kg NH3–N ha−1 yr−1 at 10 m from the source to 16 kg NH3–N ha−1 yr−1 at 500 m, which is ≈3.5× wet deposition of NH4+–N. Assuming a steady-state emission factor of 7.0 kg NH3 animal−1 yr−1 and a median population of 4900 animals, NH3 dry deposition over the nearest 500 m from the barn/lagoon complex accounted for 10.4% (3567 kg NH3) of annual emissions (34,300 kg NH3). A model sensitivity analysis shows that predicted deposition rates are more sensitive to assumptions regarding cuticular uptake relative to soil and vegetation emission potentials.
Synthesis of α- and β-C-glycosides of N-acetylglucosamine

Abstract As part of efforts to make available new classes of bioactive C-glycoconjugates, d -glucosamine has been effectively converted into a series of 2-deoxy-2-amino-C-glycosides. This versatile approach is keyed by a remarkably effective metal catalyzed olefin isomerization of the isomeric C-allyl amino sugars which, in turn, are readily available via radical allylation of d -glucosamine.
Spinal cord injury without osseous spine fracture.

Summary: Sixteen patients with spinal cord injury without osseous spine fracture and 55 patients with spinal cord injury with osseous spine fracture aged from birth through 18 years were studied. Those without osseous fracture were younger (mean age 6 years) than were those with osseous fracture (mean age 16 years). Extravasation of myelographic dye from the spinal canal was a poor prognostic sign. All three in the group with this finding without osseous fracture had complete spinal cord lesions. Those without osseous fracture should be followed for the development of late spinal deformity that may require orthotic support or surgical stabilization.
Guidelines for Reference Monitors in Embedded INFOSEC Applications

This paper addresses the enforcement of the principle of least privilege in embedded INFOSEC applications through the development of a security component, the Reference Monitor (RM). The concept of the principle of least privilege has been around since the mid 1970's. The enforcement of this principle grants the most restrictive set of privileges for an authorized task. The RM component is useful for an embedment that is developed with a separation kernel that does not have built in security policies. The RM component resides outside the separation kernel and enforces a system-wide security policy through a combination of Discretionary Access Control (DAC) mechanisms and Mandatory Access Control (MAC) mechanisms. This paper discusses the architectural guidelines and the implementation of a RM component in an embedded INFOSEC application.
Photocatalytic oxidation of oxygenated air toxics

Photocatalytic oxidation of dilute oxygenated organic compounds in air streams can readily be achieved at ambient conditions over near-ultraviolet (UV) illuminated titanium dioxide. Oxidation rates of acetone and methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE) as a function of organic concentration exhibit limiting apparent reaction orders of 1.3 and 0.5, respectively. The dependence of oxidation rate on O2 concentration is approximately first order at low oxygen concentrations, with a saturation in the rate above 15 mol% O2. At low concentrations in the feed, water vapor has little effect on the reaction rate, but significantly degrades the rate at higher concentrations. In the absence of water vapor in the feed, high initial oxidation rates cannot be sustained and the catalyst eventually becomes completely de-activated. Photocatalytic activity can be maintained for extended time on stream by including water vapor in the reactor feed. Oxidation rates are strong functions of UV intensity. We have measured quantum yields greater than unity, suggesting that oxidation occurs through a complex surface-mediated, free radical chain reaction mechanism.
A general statement of the tragedy of the commons

Although “The Tragedy of the Commons” is widely acclaimed, activists in environmental causes as well as professionals in ethics continue to act as if the essay had never been written. They ignore the central thesis that traditional, a priori thinking in ethics is mistaken and must be discarded. Hence the need remains to give the tragedy of the commons a more general statement—one which can convince a wide public of the correctness of its method and principles. In essence Hardin's essay is a thought experiment. Its purpose is not to make a historical statement but rather to demonstrate that tragic consequences can follow from practicing mistaken moral theories. Then it proposes a system-sensitive ethics that can prevent tragedy. The general statement of the tragedy of the commons demonstrates that an a priori ethics constructed on human-centered, moral principles and a definition of equal justice cannot prevent and indeed always supports growth in population and consumption. Such growth, though not inevitable, is a constant threat. If continual growth should ever occur, it eventually causes the breakdown of the ecosystems which support civilization. Henceforth, any viable ethics must satisfy these related requirements: (1) An acceptable system of ethics is contingent on its ability to preserve the ecosystems which sustain it. (2) Biological necessity has a veto over the behavior which any set of moral beliefs can allow or require. (3) Biological success is a necessary (though not a sufficient) condition for any acceptable ethical theory. In summary, no ethics can be grounded in biological impossibility; no ethics can require ethical behavior that ends all further ethical behavior. Clearly any ethics which tries to do so is mistaken; it is wrong.
The Effect of Severity of Disease on Cost Burden of 30-Day Readmissions Following Total Joint Arthroplasty (TJA)

In order to control the unsustainable rise in healthcare costs the Federal Government is experimenting with the bundled payment model for total joint arthroplasty (TJA). In this risk sharing model, providers are given one payment, which covers the costs of the TJA, as well as any additional medical costs related to the procedure for up to 90 days. The amount and severity of comorbid conditions strongly influence readmission rates and costs of readmissions in TJA patients. We identified 2026 TJA patients from our database with APR-DRG SOI data for use in this study. Both the costs of readmission and the readmission rate tended to increase as severity of illness increased. The readmission burden also increased as SOI increased, but increased most markedly in the extreme SOI patients.
P-71: A Chiral-Homeotropic Cell for 2.5-V TFT-LCD Operation

A chiral-homeotropic LC cell is demonstrated to possess a very high contrast and low operation voltage. Using a 120° twist angle and an LC mixture with dielectric anisotropy of Δ∍= −6, the operation voltage is reduced to 2.5Vrms. This operation mode is useful for both transmissive and reflective displays. Low voltage operation of such a TFT-LCD would reduce the power consumption and lower the cost of driving electronics.
Age-related reductions in the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the rat inferior colliculus

Abstract The inferior colliculus (IC) is a major relay and processing center of auditory signals in the midbrain and receives inputs from most other auditory nuclei. A number of studies have indicated age-related declines in the GABAergic and excitatory amino acid systems in the IC, including losses in both GABA immunoreactive (+) and GABA immunonegative (−) synapses. The goal of this project was to identify potential biochemical and morphological changes in the IC that may contribute to deficits in the functions of these neurotransmitters, using three age groups of Fischer-344 rats. Homogenates obtained from the IC showed age-dependent reductions in activities of the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), with a concomitant increase in lipid peroxidation. Dephosphorylation of IC homogenates with alkaline phosphatase reduced the activities of SOD and CAT in all age groups, which could be restored by protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent phosphorylation. Restoration of enzyme activity was specific to the PKC-α isozyme, but not to the β1, β2, δ or γ forms. No age-dependent change in the levels of PKC isoforms (α, β1, β2 and γ) was detectable in IC homogenates. Morphological analyses indicate decreases in mitochondrial density in the somata of both GABA+ and GABA− IC neurons in 19- and 28-month-old rats when compared to 3-month-olds, along with significantly higher matricial abnormalities. These data indicate age-related increases in oxidative stress in the IC, which could be partially restored by PKC. The progressive increase in oxidative stress with age may underlie changes in neuronal morphology and function of the IC.
Structural influences on the killing of police: A comparison with general homicides

In this analysis we examine the possible structural determinants of police killings—the murder of police officers—by drawing on models of general homicide which emphasize the role of economic, cultural, and sociodemographic forces and factors. Examining the 50 states annually for the period 1977–1984, we find only partial support for the thesis of structural similarities between lethal assaults against police and general homicides. Rates for both types of killing are tied to the levels of absolute deprivation (percent poverty) and social integration or social disorganization (the divorce rate). Only homicides of civilians are associated significantly with general income inequality, black population, and urbanization; neither civilian nor police homicides are influenced significantly by racial income inequality or region. Despite variation in the pattern of results for the two types of homicide, the analysis supports the hypothesis that in the United States, lethal assaults against police have a definite s...
Cotransmission from sympathetic vasoconstrictor neurons: differences in guinea-pig mesenteric artery and vein.

Abstract Vasoconstrictor responses to electrical field stimulation (EFS, 0.2–32 Hz, 0.1 ms, 12 V, for 1 min) were measured in endothelium-denuded segments of guinea-pig mesenteric vein and compared to responses in mesenteric artery. The distribution of both tyrosine-hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity (TH-LI) and neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) was also studied using anti-TH and anti-NPY antibodies. The effect of exogenous NPY (10 nM) on EFS (8 Hz, 0.3 ms, 12 V, for 1 min)-evoked overflow of noradrenaline (NA) was also studied using an HPLC technique with electrochemical detection. Veins responded with contractions at lower frequencies of stimulation than arteries. Prazosin (0.1 μM) abolished the EFS-evoked contractions in artery at 0.5–32 Hz and in vein at 0.2–1 Hz of stimulation. However, in vein, the contractile responses to EFS at 2–32 Hz of stimulation were only reduced by prazosin. Phentolamine (1 μM) abolished the responses to 0.5–4 Hz and reduced the responses to 8–32 Hz of EFS in artery. In vein, phentolamine (1 μM) abolished the responses to 0.2–1 Hz and facilitated the contractions elicited by 16–32 Hz. The NPY-receptor antagonist BIBP3226 (1 μM), in combination with phentolamine, abolished contractions in vein. Yohimbine (0.1 μM) abolished the responses to lower frequencies of stimulation in both artery (0.5–2 Hz) and vein (0.2–1 Hz). The responses to greater frequency stimulation were not affected by yohimbine in artery, and were facilitated in vein. Pre-treatment of animals for 24 h with reserpine abolished contractile responses to EFS in artery, whereas in vein, responses to 0.2–2 Hz were abolished while responses to 4–32 Hz were unchanged. Suramin (100 μM) or α,β-methylene ATP (α,βMeATP; 10–100 μM) treatment did not affect the contractile responses to EFS in either artery or vein. Pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulfonic acid tetrasodium (PPADS; 30 μM), even potentiated the responses to 2–16 Hz in vein. However, following reserpine-treatment, both PPADS and suramin reduced the nerve-evoked contractions of vein. Either BIBP3226 (1 μM) alone or BIBP3226 in combination with PPADS or suramin abolished the contractile response to EFS in reserpine-treated veins. NPY (100 nM) produced significantly more contraction in vein than in artery (i.e., 93±2.5 versus 7±4% of the response to 70 mM KCl, respectively). NPY (10 nM) significantly reduced the NA overflow evoked by EFS at 8 Hz. Flat mount preparations and cryostat sections of both mesenteric artery and vein revealed that TH-LI and NPY-LI were co-localized in a dense network of fibers within the adventitial layer. In conclusion, NA exclusively mediates the contractile response to sympathetic nerve stimulation in guinea-pig mesenteric artery, whereas at least three neurotransmitters [i.e., NA, adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) and NPY] are involved in the neural response of mesenteric vein.
Evaluation of Pre-existing Antibody Presence as a Risk Factor for Posttreatment Anti-drug Antibody Induction: Analysis of Human Clinical Study Data for Multiple Biotherapeutics

Biotherapeutic-reactive antibodies in treatment-naive subjects (i.e., pre-existing antibodies) have been commonly detected during clinical immunogenicity assessments; however information on pre-existing antibody prevalence, physiological effects, and impact on posttreatment anti-drug antibody (ADA) induction remains limited. In this analysis, pre-existing antibody prevalence and impact on posttreatment ADA induction were determined using ADA data from 12 biotherapeutics analyzed in 32 clinical studies. Approximately half (58%) of the biotherapeutics were associated with some level of pre-existing antibodies and 67% of those were associated with posttreatment ADA induction. Across all studies, 5.6% of study subjects demonstrated presence of pre-existing antibodies, among which, 17% of the individual subjects had posttreatment increases in their ADA titers while 16% had decreased titers and 67% had no change in titers. However, in studies conducted in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) population, 14.8% of RA patients were associated with pre-existing antibodies and 30% of those had posttreatment titer increases. The results suggest that in most study subjects, pre-existing antibodies pose a low risk for posttreatment ADA induction. That said, the high risk of induction implicated for RA patients, primarily observed in treatments evaluating novel antibody-based constructs, indicates that further understanding of the contribution of product and disease-specific factors is needed. Cross-industry efforts to collect and analyze a larger data set would enhance understanding of the prevalence, nature, and physiological consequences of pre-existing antibodies, better inform the immunogenicity risk profiles of products associated with these antibodies and lead to better fit-for-purpose immunogenicity management and mitigation strategies.
When “the state of the art” is counting words

Abstract The recent article in this journal “State-of-the-art automated essay scoring: Competition results and future directions from a United States demonstration” by Shermis ends with the claims: “Automated essay scoring appears to have developed to the point where it can consistently replicate the resolved scores of human raters in high-stakes assessment. While the average performance of vendors does not always match the performance of human raters, the results of the top two to three vendors was consistently good and occasionally exceeded human rating performance.” These claims are not supported by the data in the study, while the study's raw data provide clear and irrefutable evidence that Automated Essay Scoring engines grossly and consistently over-privilege essay length in computing student writing scores. The state-of-the-art referred to in the title of the article is, largely, simply counting words.
Characterization of DNA binding and the cysteine rich region of SRE, a GATA factor in Neurospora crassa involved in siderophore synthesis

Several homologous genes encoding proteins involved in regulating siderophore synthesis in fungi have been isolated, including the sre gene from the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. We present data that further characterize SRE and provide new insights into the regulation of iron homeostasis in Neurospora. SRE is a member of the GATA factor family, which is comprised of transcription factors that contain either one or two zinc finger motifs that recognize and bind to GATA-containing DNA sequences. Results from electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrate that SRE binds with high affinity to a DNA probe containing the iron response element from the sid1 promoter from Ustilago. SRE binding to DNA was demonstrated to be zinc-dependent. Moreover, changes in the spacing between two GATA sites altered the DNA binding affinity of SRE. Mutants of highly conserved cysteine residues present in SRE and homologous proteins were created by site-directed mutagenesis. The combined results of mobility shift assays, siderophore synthesis assays, and ornithine oxygenase enzyme activity determinations demonstrate that these mutants with cysteine substitutions have a dominant repressor phenotype.
NUCFRG2: A semiempirical nuclear fragmentation model

The semiempirical abrasion/ablation model has been successful in generating a large nuclear data base for use in the study of high charge and energy (HZE) ion beams, radiation physics and galactic cosmic ray shielding. The cross sections generated agree with the measured HZE fragmentation data to the degree that different experimental groups agree among themselves. Several improvements in the model have been made including a Coulomb trajectory correction, an improved treatment of nuclear attenuation factors, an improved second order correction to the spectator fragment excitation spectrum, a pre-equilibrium emission process, and competitive equilibrium emission of additional hydrogen and helium isotope fragments.
Excess mortality in bipolar disorders.

Bipolar disorder is associated with high mortality, and people with this disorder on average may die 10–20 years earlier than the general population. This excess and premature mortality continues to occur despite a large and expanding selection of treatment options dating back to lithium and now including anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, and evidence-based psychotherapies. This review summarizes recent findings on mortality in bipolar disorder, with an emphasis on the role of suicide (accounting for about 15 % of deaths in this population) and cardiovascular disease (accounting for about 35–40 % of deaths). Recent care models and treatments incorporating active outreach, integrated mental and physical health care, and an emphasis on patient self-management have shown promise in reducing excess mortality in this population.
Quantification of Age-Dependent Somatic CAG Repeat Instability in Hdh CAG Knock-In Mice Reveals Different Expansion Dynamics in Striatum and Liver

Background Age at onset of Huntington's disease (HD) is largely determined by the CAG trinucleotide repeat length in the HTT gene. Importantly, the CAG repeat undergoes tissue-specific somatic instability, prevalent in brain regions that are disease targets, suggesting a potential role for somatic CAG repeat instability in modifying HD pathogenesis. Thus, understanding underlying mechanisms of somatic CAG repeat instability may lead to discoveries of novel therapeutics for HD. Investigation of the dynamics of the CAG repeat size changes over time may provide insights into the mechanisms underlying CAG repeat instability. Methodology/Principal Findings To understand how the HTT CAG repeat length changes over time, we quantified somatic instability of the CAG repeat in Huntington's disease CAG knock-in mice from 2–16 months of age in liver, striatum, spleen and tail. The HTT CAG repeat in spleen and tail was very stable, but that in liver and striatum expanded over time at an average rate of one CAG per month. Interestingly, the patterns of repeat instability were different between liver and striatum. Unstable CAG repeats in liver repeatedly gained similar sizes of additional CAG repeats (approximately two CAGs per month), maintaining a distinct population of unstable repeats. In contrast, unstable CAG repeats in striatum gained additional repeats with different sizes resulting in broadly distributed unstable CAG repeats. Expanded CAG repeats in the liver were highly enriched in polyploid hepatocytes, suggesting that the pattern of liver instability may reflect the restriction of the unstable repeats to a unique cell type. Conclusions/Significance Our results are consistent with repeat expansion occurring as a consequence of recurrent small repeat insertions that differ in different tissues. Investigation of the specific mechanisms that underlie liver and striatal instability will contribute to our understanding of the relationship between instability and disease and the means to intervene in this process.
Can Androgen Deprivation With Leuprolide be Predicted From Histology Alone? If Not, Why Not?

AbstractPurpose: Androgen deprivation therapy with analogues of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone produces distinctive histological changes in neoplastic and nonneoplastic prostate tissue. Others have described these features in cases in which treatment status was known. To our knowledge the specificity and sensitivity of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone effects based only on histology and possible reasons for interobserver variation have not been addressed previously.Materials and Methods: Slides from 97 prostatectomies performed in a 3-year period were reviewed by 2 observers blinded to knowledge of previous hormonal treatment. The observers evaluated each case, recording the presence or absence of 14 features associated with androgen deprivation therapy, and then made an overall assessment regarding treatment status.Results: Of the 97 patients 31 had received androgen deprivation therapy with the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist leuprolide. A luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone ...
Raman studies of the glass fiber-silane-resin interface

Abstract Glass-silane-resin composite interfaces were studied with a laser-Raman technique. The data indicate that the silane coupling agent was polymerized and chemically bonded to the surface of E-glass fibers. Application to the glass fiber surface of the silane from aqueous solution resulted in multilayer coverage. From the spectroscopic evidence, polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of a vinyltriethyoxysilane-coated fiber surface resulted in formation of polymethyl methacrylate with 30%–40% of the vinylsiloxane groups.
Vascularity and osteonecrosis of the wrist

This article outlines the vascular anatomy of the carpus, describing the extraosseous and intraosseus vascular systems and emphasizing the carpal bones at risk for osteonecrosis. Separate discussions of etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of osteonecrosis of the commonly involved carpal bones are included.
Accessory Molecule and Costimulation Requirements for CD4 T Cell Response.

T cell activation is brought about by recognition of peptide/MHC complexes on an antigen-presenting cell (APC) by the T cell receptor (TCR). However, in general this appears to be insufficient for the full development of T cell responses and therefore additional signals are required, provided by ligation of counter-receptors on the T cell by APC accessory molecules. Although many studies have suggested that B7 molecules (CD80/CD86) binding to CD28 induce this second signal, it is now evident that any one of a number of molecules may provide accessory function and that efficient response is only generated following multiple interactions. It has also become clear that T cells exist in varying states of activation or differentiation, and that requirements for accessory molecules and costimuli are not always equivalent. This review covers much of the recent data regarding accessory molecule regulation of T cell responses. A modified version of the two signal model is presented, suggesting that the major function of accessory molecules during the initial stages of activation is to augment the ability to signal through the TCR, and that the primary role of costimulatory signals is to allow IL-2 secretion and growth. The requirement for multiple accessory molecules interactions is discussed in relation to activation of naive T cells and how such interactions are less critical at the memory and effector stages. Finally, this new information is related to how T cells interact with varying APC and how these interactions may modulate T cell response.
A maximum likelihood method for linking particle-in-cell and Monte-Carlo transport simulations

Abstract The expectation-maximization (E-M) algorithm [Dempster et al., J. R. Stat. Soc. B 39 (1977) 1–38] is a maximum likelihood technique to estimate the probability density function (PDF) of a set of measurements. A high performance implementation of the E-M algorithm to characterize multidimensional data sets using a PDF parameterized as a Gaussian mixture was developed. The resulting PDFs compare favorably to histogram based techniques—no binning artifacts and less noisy (especially in the tails). The motivation, the mathematical properties and the implementation details will be discussed. The PDF estimator is used extensively in the radiographic chain model [Kwan et al., Comput. Phys. Comm. 142 (2001) 263–269] in simulations which quantify bremsstrahlung X-ray emission from rod-pinch diodes and other devices. In these devices, electrons hit an anode and produce X-ray photons. The PIC code MERLIN [Kwan and Snell, in: Lecture Notes in Physics, Springer, 1985] is used to model the dynamics of a low-energy (up to ∼2.25 MeV) radiographic electron source. The photon production is modeled with the Monte-Carlo transport code MCNP [Briesmeister, ed., MCNP—A General Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code, 2000]. The estimator is used to upsample and uniformly weight the PIC electrons to provide a suitable population for the Monte-Carlo calculation that would be computationally prohibitive to generate directly.
The glass insert in stop-flow split injection

In stop-flow split injection the careful choice of the experimental conditions is of great importance for accurate quantitation, the size of the gaseous sample plug and its position with respect to the column inlet and to the top of the insert during the evaporation period are critical to prohibit sample vapour overflow and aerosol splitting. The proper insert design is established. A sample volume of 0.5 μl is recommended in the practical application of the stop-flow method.
Defining, measuring, and improving surgical quality: beyond teamwork and checklists to systems redesign and transformation.

Abstract Background: Surgical complications are multifactorial but often are attributable to deficiencies in the quality of care. This review examines how quality is defined in surgery, the modalities employed to measure quality, and the approaches to improving the quality of surgical care. Beyond developing a hospital environment supportive of organizational learning, the next generation of surgical performance improvement will include broader, more innovative approaches. These ideas will create partnerships among patients, clinicians, industry, the arts, hospital leaders, and other sectors to look for ways to reinvent the system rather than simply to make a better hospital. Methods: Review of pertinent English-language literature on surgical quality, definitions of quality, quality measures, performance improvement, and organizational learning in health care. Results: Medical care should be safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable, as defined by the Institute of Medicine core ...
Acute changes in arterial carbon dioxide tension and acid-base status and early neurologic characteristics in term infants following perinatal asphyxia.

Abstract Background: Marked acute changes in arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) and acid–base status occur in the immediate postnatal period in infants delivered in the presence of pathologic fetal acidemia (FA) in whom the risk for hypoxic–ischemic cerebral injury is high. The cerebral vasculature is extremely sensitive to changes in PaCO2. However, the relationship between the acute changes in PaCO2 and subsequent neonatal neurologic characteristics remains unclear. Objectives: (1) To determine the extent of the acute changes in PaCO2 and acid–base status following birth in infants delivered in the presence of pathologic FA and (2) to determine the potential relationship of the initial changes in PaCO2 and neonatal neurologic characteristics. Methods: PaCO2 and acid–base status of cord umbilical arterial blood and initial postnatal arterial blood were studied in 73 term infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Infants were categorized in three groups: I, no FA, no respiratory support and normal neonatal neurologic examination (n=49); II, pathologic FA (umbilical artery pH≤7.00, base deficit≥12 mEq/l), no respiratory support and normal neonatal neurologic examination (n=17); III, FA, intubated and with evidence of hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) including seizures (n=7). Results: Demographic characteristics were similar among the three groups, although 5-min Apgar score ≤5 was more common in group II (47%) and group III (100%) than in group I (4%). Umbilical arterial pH was lower in group III (6.75±0.18) vs. group II (6.90±0.09) and in group II vs. group I (6.90±0.09 vs. 7.19±0.09) (P