cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monoclonal Antibodies to Rabbit Brain Acetylcholinesterase: Selective Enzyme Inhibition, Differential Affinity for Enzyme Forms, and Cross‐Reactivity with Other Mammalian Cholinesterases

Eleven unique monoclonal IgG antibodies were raised against rabbit brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE, EC 3.1.1.7), purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by a two-step procedure involving immunoaffinity chromatography. The apparent dissociation constants of these antibodies for rabbit AChE ranged from about 10 nM to more than 100 nM (assuming one binding site per catalytic subunit). Species cross-reactivity was investigated with crude brain extracts from rabbit, rat, mouse cat, guinea pig, and human. One antibody bound rabbit AChE exclusively; most bound AChE from three or four species; two bound enzyme from all species tested. Identical, moderate affinity for rat and mouse brain AChE was displayed by two antibodies; two others were able to distinguish between these similar antigens. Nine of the antibodies had lowered affinity for AChE in the presence of 1 M NaCl, but two were salt resistant. Analysis of mutual interferences in AChE binding suggested that certain of the antibodies were competing for nearby epitopes on the AChE surface. One antibody was a potent AChE inhibitor (IC50 = 10(-8) M), blocking up to 90% of the enzyme activity. Most of the antibodies were less able to bind the readily soluble AChE of detergent-free brain extracts than the AChE which required detergent for solubilization. The extreme case, an antibody that was unable to recognize nearly half of the "soluble" AChE, was suspected of lacking affinity for the hydrophilic enzyme form.
A stable, accurate method of numerical integration for nonlinear systems

A numerical integration scheme is presented which 1) is stable for stable, linear systems and 2) has an error which varies as T4for linear and nonlinear systems.
Obesity and cardiovascular events in patients with established coronary disease

AIMS To explore the association between obesity and major adverse coronary events (MACE) in patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS AND RESULTS The Prevention of Events with Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-Inhibition (PEACE) Trial randomized 8290 patients with stable CAD and left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) (LVEF) > or =0.40 to trandolapril or placebo and followed them for a median of 4.8 years. In PEACE patients who were non-diabetic at baseline (5693 men and 1171 women), we used proportional hazards models to conduct a post hoc analysis to examine whether obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) > or =30 kg/m(2), is an independent risk factor for the composite endpoint of MACE, defined as cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, or stroke. The analysis was conducted separately for men and women. The baseline prevalence of obesity was 28.5% in men and 28.9% in women. After adjusting for significant confounders, obesity was associated with MACE in men [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.28, 95% CI 1.13-1.46, P < 0.01], but not in women (HR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.70-1.31, P = 0.77). Further categorization of BMI showed a J-shaped association between BMI and MACE in the men, and no association in the women. CONCLUSION In the presence of established CAD, obesity is associated with risk for MACE in men, but there is no support of an association in women. This finding requires further evaluation.
Reader performance as a function of document design

The authors advocate analyzing readers and users of documents from the perspective of reading and comprehension models. With that base established, studies of document design factors that affect comprehension are reviewed. Recommendations for effective document design are then based on the findings from empirical studies. >
The proportions of hemoglobin types induced in mouse erythroleukemia cells vary with the inducer or combination of inducers, the inducer concentration and the time of induction.

The relative amounts of hemoglobin (Hb) major and Hb minor accumulated during induction of erythrodifferentiation in mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) cells were studied. The ratio of major to minor was found to depend not only upon the inducer tested (as reported previously by others), but also upon the concentration of the inducer and the time of exposure to the inducer as well as the specific cell line of MEL cells studied. At concentrations required for optimal induction of differentiation, certain agents led to the accumulation of predominantly Hb major, but suboptimal concentrations of the same inducers led to predominantly Hb minor accumulation. After a relatively short induction time (2 da) utilizing a given inducer either the level of Hb minor was higher than that of Hb major or the levels of the two Hb's were approximately equal, but after longer induction periods (3-7 da) Hb major was more abundant than Hb minor. In addition, it was found that the three proteases tested induced predominantly Hb minor...
On cheating in sealed-bid auctions

Motivated by the rise of online auctions and their relative lack of security, this paper analyzes two forms of cheating in sealed-bid auctions. The first type of cheating we consider occurs when the seller spies on the bids of a second-price auction and then inserts a fake bid in order to increase the payment of the winning bidder. In the second type, a bidder cheats in a first-price auction by examining the competing bids before deciding on his own bid. In both cases, we derive equilibrium strategies when bidders are aware of the possibility of cheating. These results provide insights into sealed-bid auctions even in the absence of cheating, including some counterintuitive results on the effects of overbidding in a first-price auction.footnotetext[1]This work was supported in part by DARPA grant F30602-00-2-0598.
Parents' Perceptions of Educational Settings and Services for Children with Moderate or Severe Disabilities:

PARENTS OF 13 CHILDREN HAVING MODERATE OR SEVERE DISABILITIES WHO WERE RECEIVING EDUCATIONAL SERVICES IN INCLUSIVE SETTINGS ACROSS SEVEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE INTERVIEWED ABOUT THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF SERVICES IN SELF-CONTAINED AND INCLUSIVE SETTINGS. SEMISTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE USED TO OBTAIN DATA PERTAINING TO THESE PARENTS' PERCEPTIONS. INTERVIEWS WERE ANALYZED FOR COMMON THEMES ACROSS PARENTS PER TYPE OF SETTING, WITH THREE MAJOR THEMES BEING IDENTIFIED. THEMES INCLUDED COMMENTS RELATED TO THE LOCATION IN WHICH SERVICES ARE PROVIDED, THE CONTENT ADDRESSED DURING INSTRUCTION, AND THE MANNER IN WHICH SERVICES ARE DELIVERED. PARENTS CLEARLY STATED THEIR RATIONALE FOR WHAT THEY CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE AND LEAST RESTRICTIVE ABOUT SETTINGS AND INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT. PARENTS ALSO EXPRESSED THEIR VIEWS ON HOW DISTRICT PERSONNEL SHOULD INTERACT WITH THEIR CHILDREN, THOUGH SPECIFIC TEACHING STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE THEIR CHILDREN'S LEARNING WERE NOT ARTICULATED AS CLEARLY. FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY ADD TO THE LITERA...
Variables Related to Adaptation to Motherhood in “Normal” Primiparous Women

A descriptive study found that of 20 healthy, normal primiparas 25% experienced a very difficult adaptation to motherhood. Previous experience with infants and children, perception of support from postpartum nurses and husbands, help during the first week at home, and postparturn self-concept were found to be related to adaptation in this sample. Nursing implications and interventions for the normal pregnant woman and new mother are discussed.
Preoperative Antibiotic Soaking of Silicone Sponges: Does it Make a Difference?

Abstract A prospective randomized trial was carried out during the years 1974 to 1981 to determine whether preoperative antibiotic soaking of silicone sponges used in retinal detachment surgery would reduce the incidence of postoperative infection and extrusion. During this period 2972 consecutive primary scleral buckles were performed and in 921 (31%) of the cases an episcleral sponge was utilized either alone or in conjunction with a hard silicone encircling band. In alternate cases the sponge was soaked in an antibiotic solution for at least 30 minutes prior to insertion. In the remaining cases the sponge was not soaked. Overall, a statistically significant ( P = 0.00018) seven-fold reduction in the rate of infection or extrusion was observed in cases where the silicone sponge was soaked preoperatively in antibiotics. An additional result of the study showed the rate of sponge removal was significantly increased by the use of multiple episcleral sponges ( P = 0.00002).
Structural Equation Modeling for Observational Studies

Abstract Structural equation modeling (SEM) represents a framework for developing and evaluating complex hypotheses about systems. This method of data analysis differs from conventional univariate and multivariate approaches familiar to most biologists in several ways. First, SEMs are multiequational and capable of representing a wide array of complex hypotheses about how system components interrelate. Second, models are typically developed based on theoretical knowledge and designed to represent competing hypotheses about the processes responsible for data structure. Third, SEM is conceptually based on the analysis of covariance relations. Most commonly, solutions are obtained using maximum-likelihood solution procedures, although a variety of solution procedures are used, including Bayesian estimation. Numerous extensions give SEM a very high degree of flexibility in dealing with nonnormal data, categorical responses, latent variables, hierarchical structure, multigroup comparisons, nonlinearities, and ...
Liver microsomal cytochromes P450‐dependent alkoxyphenoxazone O‐dealkylation in vitro by alligator and rat: Activities, inhibition, substrate preference, and discrimination factors

Six substituted alkoxyphenoxazones (resorufins) and four inhibitors of P450-dependent mixed-function oxygenases (MFO) were used to probe the breadth and extent of P450 metabolism induced by pretreatment with five xenobiotic chemicals in liver microsomes of the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis. Phenobarbital (PB), 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC), and PB–3MC co-pretreatment elicited major induction of alligator MFO activity measured by alkoxyresorufin O-dealkylation (AROD). The induced levels of activities observed with appropriate substrate, 7-ethoxy, 7-methoxy, 2-phenylbenzyloxy, 7-pentoxy, or 7-benzyloxyresorufin (EROD, MROD, PBROD, PROD and BROD, respectively), were 10 to 100 times lower in alligator as compared to rat. The exception was a higher level of isopropoxyresorufin O-dealkylation (IPROD) in alligator. The induction regimes used in alligator and rat revealed marked differences in substrate preference, discrimination factors (DF) for various inducible P450 isoforms. EROD, a classic indicator of CYP1A activity in rat, had a low DF in alligator. MROD was the best discriminator in alligator of CYP1A-type induction. In contrast to rats, pretreatment of alligators with Aroclor 1254, 2,2′,4,4′ tetrachlorobiphenyl, and clofibrate caused minor alterations in AROD relative to untreated controls. The inhibitors, α-napthaflavone, 1-ethynylpyrene, SKF 525A, and 9-ethynylphenanthrene, inhibited AROD activity of the expected P450 isoform. For example, 10 μM α-napthaflavone inhibited liver microsomal EROD catalyzed by 3MC-inducible isoforms from alligator by 90% and from rat by 97%. Similarly, 10 μM SKF 525A inhibited PROD catalyzed by PB-inducible isoforms by 63% and 79% in alligator and rat liver microsomes, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, the present studies are the first to show PB induction of P450 activities typical of the mammalian CYP2 family and their inhibition with classical inhibitors in alligator liver. While our data indicate metabolism of P450 substrates with preferences to certain isoforms, it remains to be established which isoforms exert catalytic function in alligator and whether these are homologues or orthologues of mammalian isoforms. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biochem Toxicol 13: 17–27, 1999
Long-range regulatory polymorphisms affecting a GABA receptor constitute a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for social behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Aggregation is a social behavior that varies between and within species, providing a model to study the genetic basis of behavioral diversity. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, aggregation is regulated by environmental context and by two neuromodulatory pathways, one dependent on the neuropeptide receptor NPR-1 and one dependent on the TGF-β family protein DAF-7. To gain further insight into the genetic regulation of aggregation, we characterize natural variation underlying behavioral differences between two wild-type C. elegans strains, N2 and CB4856. Using quantitative genetic techniques, including a survey of chromosome substitution strains and QTL analysis of recombinant inbred lines, we identify three new QTLs affecting aggregation in addition to the two known N2 mutations in npr-1 and glb-5. Fine-mapping with near-isogenic lines localized one QTL, accounting for 5%–8% of the behavioral variance between N2 and CB4856, 3′ to the transcript of the GABA neurotransmitter receptor gene exp-1. Quantitative complementation tests demonstrated that this QTL affects exp-1, identifying exp-1 and GABA signaling as new regulators of aggregation. exp-1 interacts genetically with the daf-7 TGF-β pathway, which integrates food availability and population density, and exp-1 mutations affect the level of daf-7 expression. Our results add to growing evidence that genetic variation affecting neurotransmitter receptor genes is a source of natural behavioral variation.
The Bronze Age

Chalcolithic man was clearly aware of the many useful features of copper that made it preferable to stone or organic materials for some specialized applications. Among these properties were its elasticity and particularly plasticity, which allowed sheets or chunks of copper to be given useful shapes. Chalcolithic man also exploited the fact that copper hardens during hammering, that is, as a result of plastic deformation. Last but not least, molten copper can be cast into molds to obtain more intricate shapes. On the negative side, surface oxidation and gases trapped during melting and casting which may form porosity were probably of some concern to Chalcolithic man. More importantly, however, cast copper is quite soft and thus could hardly be used for strong weapons or tools. Eventually, the time had come for a change through innovation. A new material had to be found. This material was bronze; see Fig. 4.1.
3-(2-Amino-1-methyl-4-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-5-yl)-3-hydroxy-indolin-2-one monohydrate.

Two chiral centres exist in the title compound, C12H12N4O3·H2O. Mol­ecules are linked into chains by series of inter­molecular N—H⋯O and O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, which causes supra­molecular aggregation. Two chiral centres are formed in the title compound. The indole and creatinine moieties make a dihedral angle of 56.75 (4)°. The crystal structure of the compound indicates the presence of equimolar enantio­mers (RR and SS) in the crystal structure.
Does the literature indicate that patients with a stroke have better outcomes after receiving rehabilitation from an acute rehabilitation facility than from a skilled nursing facility

The purpose of “Evidence in Practice” is to illustrate the literature search process to obtain evidence that can guide clinical decision making. This article is not a case report. The examination, evaluation, and intervention sections are purposely abbreviated. A 76-year-old, right-hand dominant man awoke with slurred speech and left-sided weakness and was admitted to the acute hospital facility where I (DKM) was completing a clinical education requirement for my doctor of physical therapy degree. The patient was a retired guitar player who lived at home with his wife. Before his hospitalization, the patient was independent in activities of daily living (ADLs) and community ambulation without an assistive device, and he enjoyed an active lifestyle, including taking daily walks with his wife, gardening, and playing his guitar. Evidence of a recent lacunar infarction in the right internal capsule was found on a computed tomography (CT) scan, and he was diagnosed with an embolic stroke. After 2 days of medical care (including aspirin and heparin), his condition had stabilized, and he was referred to the physical therapy department by the attending neurologist for examination, evaluation, and discharge recommendations. This patient's medical history included transient ischemic attacks, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and a previous left cerebrovascular accident (CVA)—a thalamic infarct—that was noted in the most recent radiology report. He did not experience any residual effects from that CVA and was discharged home from acute care. No rehabilitation services were recommended, and he was independent with all mobility and ADLs following the CVA. The patient had a history of glaucoma, cataracts, and benign prostatic hypertrophy. He stated that he quit smoking 5 years ago (50 packs/year) and that he did not drink large amounts of alcohol. The patient was alert and oriented to person and time and was able to follow 1- and 2-step commands. He …
How Small can a Nozzle be for Accurately Scaling Jet Noise to a Larger Nozzle

Most university researchers typically end up using small nozzles to study jet noise. The data acquired from many of such existing studies has been used to develop jet noise prediction schemes. However, it is not quite clear as to how small the nozzle can be before such data becomes unreliable. There are two-fold issues here: (1) it may be difficult to obtain similarity in upstream boundary layer characteristics as well as in the flow development in the jet plume for the smaller nozzles; and (2) for fixed jet exit velocities the Reynolds numbers for the smallscale nozzles may not provide the same results because of their possible laminar nature at the nozzle boundary layer compared to those obtained using larger nozzles with turbulent flows and hence larger Reynolds numbers (Re). Resolving these issues is the backbone of this paper. The microphone measurements of the noise produced by the jet and schlieren flow visualization of the jet were analyzed for jets for small and high Reynolds numbers (Re range=60400-1090000). The acoustic measurements show that at polar angles greater than 30° (with respect to the downstream direction) identical lossless spectra are obtained after suitable scaling corrections for the jet velocity and diameter. At the lower polar angles, the lower Reynolds number jets have lower jet-noise levels for Helmholtz numbers (normalized frequency) greater than 0.2. The overall sound pressure levels at 30° are found to be proportional to Log (Re).
Localization and identification of nuclear radioactivity in the pituitary gland and genital tract after administering 3H-testosterone, 3H-dihydrotestosterone, or 3H-estradiol to male rhesus monkeys

Target cells for testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and estradiol in the pituitary gland and genital tract of the male primate were localized by thaw-mount autoradiography, and high performance liquid chromatography was used to identify the metabolites of these steroids in cell nuclei. Castrated rhesus monkeys were injected with 3H-testosterone, 3H-dihydrotestosterone, or 3H-estradiol and killed 60 min later. In the anterior pituitary gland, fewer cells were labeled and less radioactivity was taken up by cell nuclei following the administration of either 3H-testosterone (4% of pars distalis cells and 5 dpm/μg DNA) or 3H-dihydrotestosterone (5% of cells and 13 dpm/μg DNA) than following the administration of 3H-estradiol (43% of cells and 214 dpm/μg DNA). Most of the radioactivity in nuclei was in the form of the unmetabolized parent compound (78–94%). In prostate, seminal vesicles, and penis, 3H-dihydrotestosterone was the predominant form of nuclear radioactivity following both 3H-testosterone (67–90%) and 3H-dihydrostestosterone (94–97%) administration, and both androgens labeled epithelial and smooth muscle cells. In contrast, 3H-estradiol was taken up in unchanged form, by cell nuclei of the genital tract and it labeled connective tissue fibroblasts, but not epithelial cells. Thus, the distributions of target cells for androgens and estrogens were clearly different in all these tissues, and the uptake of testosterone resembled that of its androgenic rather than that of its estrogenic metabolite.
An Optimization Method of Traffic Signal Control Based on Cooperative Vehicle Infrastructure System

The cooperative vehicle infrastructure system(CVIS) is used to monitor individual vehicles real-time status,which provides new data source and technical supports for traffic signal control.The shortcomings of the existing traffic signal control methods are analyzed,and an improved optimization procedure for road intersection signal control is presented based on the CVIS using the rolling time-window forecasting.The saturation degree is selected to be the indicator of signaling control effect,and the optimizing method and models for signal control are developed,considering the influence of speed guidance to individual vehicles.Simulation experiments are conducted using VISSIM.The results indicate that the proposed method is more effective than the induced control method.The average delay and stops decrease are significant under both low and high traffic demands.
Analysis on five common diseases among primary and secondary school students in Daxing district of Beijing, 2005-2011

Objective To master the health status and its changing trend of primary and middle school students in Daxing district of Beijing, in order to provide scientific evidence for common diseases prevention and control. Methods The information of health condition among primary and middle school students in Daxing district was collected and analyzed during 2005 to 2011. The descriptive analysis method was employed in this study. Results The detection rates of common diseases, which included poor eyesight, dental caries, obesity, malnutrition and trachoma, were 54.17%, 18.40%, 16.01%, 15.70% and 2.70% respectively. Among these common diseases, the rates of malnutrition and trachoma showed declining trend year by year. However, the rates of dental caries and poor eyesight had an increasing tendency. There was no significant change in the rate of obesity. The detection rates of malnutrition, poor eyesight and dental caries of middle school students were significantly higher than that of primary school students, while the rates of obesity and trachoma of primary school students were higher than that of secondary school students (P0.01).Conclusion The detection rate of common diseases among primary and secondary schools was still high in Daxing district. The rate of poor eyesight was the top one among the common diseases. Comprehensive measures should be taken in order to reduce the incidence of common diseases in students.
Symposium on Piketty's Capital: An Introduction

Capital in the Twenty-First Century was first published in France in 2013 with the title Le Capital au XXIe Siecle. The French edition runs to over 900 pages. The English version (reduced to less t...
A biokinetic model for nickel released from cardiovascular devices

Many alloys used in cardiovascular device applications contain high levels of nickel, which if released in sufficient quantities, can lead to adverse health effects. While nickel release from these devices is typically characterized through the use of in-vitro immersion tests, it is unclear if the rate at which nickel is released from a device during in-vitro testing is representative of the release rate following implantation in the body. To address this uncertainty, we have developed a novel biokinetic model that combines a traditional toxicokinetic compartment model with a physics-based model to estimate nickel release from an implanted device. This model links the rate of in-vitro nickel release from a cardiovascular device to serum nickel concentrations, an easily measured endpoint, to estimate the rate and extent of in-vivo nickel release from an implanted device. The model was initially parameterized using data in the literature on in-vitro nickel release from a nickel-containing alloy (nitinol) and baseline serum nickel levels in humans. The results of this first step were then used to validate specific components of the model. The remaining unknown quantities were fit using serum values reported in patients following implantation with nitinol atrial occluder devices. The model is not only consistent with levels of nickel in serum and urine of patients following treatment with the atrial occluders, but also the optimized parameters in the model were all physiologically plausible. The congruity of the model with available data suggests that it can provide a framework to interpret nickel biomonitoring data and use data from in-vitro nickel immersion tests to estimate in-vivo nickel release from implanted cardiovascular devices.
The impact of Blue Cross and Blue Shield plan utilization management programs, 1980-1988

This study evaluates the aggregate and temporal impact seven Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plan utilization management (UM) programs have on hospital utilization and payments over a nine-year period, 1980 through 1988. The impact of these programs is determined using a statistical model that controls for variations in organizational characteristics of 56 Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, the health care market of the individual Plan, and several state and federal health care regulations. The statistical results indicate that over the entire period 1980 to 1988, preadmission certification, concurrent review, and denial of payment (as a part of the retrospective review program) programs were associated with lower hospital admissions, and fewer inpatient days and payments per 1,000 members. Mandatory second surgical opinion did not have a statistical impact on hospital utilization and payments. The aggregate reduction in hospital payments for all Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans with both a preadmission certification and concurrent review program was estimated at $2.55 billion in 1988 dollars. For those Plans conducting preadmission certification, concurrent review, denial of payment, and case management programs in 1988, the total per enrollee reduction of inpatient payments was $52.94.
Application of remote sensing in support of regional disaster risk modeling

Remote sensing serves as a valuable tool in many aspects of regional risk modeling for earthquakes and other natural hazards. It is increasingly being used to represent information about buildings and other infrastructure across a range of hazards and across the disaster cycle from pre-event risk assessment through post-disaster recovery monitoring and support. This communication offers a few specific examples of the recent use of remote sensing (including satellite and aerial imagery) to support disaster risk modeling. Application of the new generation of urban fire spread models, both for post-earthquake and wildland-urban interface (WUI) fire situations, would be practically impossible without building inventories developed using remote sensing. As illustrated in Lee and Davidson (2010a, b) and Li and Davidson (in press), in addition to indicating the number and geographic distribution of buildings, remote sensing-derived building footprint maps can provide the relative distances and orientations of buildings, which are critical for fire spread and unavailable from other sources of inventory data. Remote sensing can even provide information about the height, roof type, cladding, and window coverage on each building, which are also important factors in urban fire spread. Rathfon et al. (in press) describes use of remote sensing to analyze housing recovery following Hurricane Charley (2004) in Punta Gorda, Florida. Remote sensing imagery was used together with building permit and other data to describe the initial damage to the housing stock and how it was repaired and rebuilt over time. Independent assessments of the recovery process using remote sensing imagery and building permits yielded remarkably similar results, and geographically linking the remote sensing-based assessments with building permit data, certificates of occupancy, and property appraiser data provided a powerful way to create a full picture of the relevant attributes of each building and the timeline of its recovery trajectory. The different sources linked together are more than the sum of their parts. Hill et al. (2011) similarly discusses use of remote sensing imagery to measure and monitor the initial damage and recovery of buildings following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Androgen Action in Bone: Basic Cellular and Molecular Aspects

The impact of the menopause on skeletal health is obvious, but there remains confusion interpreting the skeletal actions of sex steroids. Thus, the mechanisms by which androgens affect bone homeostasis are becoming the focus of intensified research. As a classic steroid hormone, the biological cellular signaling responses to androgen are mediated through the androgen receptor (AR), a ligand-inducible transcription factor. Androgen effects on bone may also be indirectly modulated and/or mediated by other autocrine and paracrine factors in the bone microenvironment or through steroid metabolic enzymatic activity. ARs have been identified in a variety of cells found in bone, thus clearly identifying bone as a target tissue for androgen action. The direct effects of androgen that influence the complex processes of proliferation, differentiation, mineralization, and gene expression in the osteoblast are being characterized, but much remains controversial. This chapter will review recent progress on characterization of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie androgen action in bone.
Triply-Templated Artificial β-Sheets

Chemical models of protein secondary structures provide insight into protein structure and interactions and can serve as useful peptidornimetic building blocks. With the goal of studying protein folding and recognition, our research group has developed chemical models of protein s-sheets that consist of molecular templates and attached peptide strands [1]. We have previously created artificial s-sheets of this sort that contain one or two molecular templates [2–7]. Here, we describe artificial s-sheets 1 and 2, which contain three molecular templates [8].
Alkylating Tryptic Peptides to Enhance Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Analysis

A major limitation of mass spectrometry-based proteomics is inefficient and differential ionization during electrospray ionization (ESI). This leads to problems such as increased limits of detection and incomplete sequence coverage of proteins. Incomplete sequence coverage is especially problematic for analyses that require the detection and identification of specific peptides from a protein, such as the analysis of post-translational modifications. We describe here the development and use of aldehyde-based chemistry for the alkylation of peptide primary amines to increase peptide hydrophobicity, providing increased ionization efficiency and concomitant signal enhancement. When employed to modify the peptide products of protein tryptic digests, increased sequence coverage is obtained from combined modified and unmodified digests. To evaluate the utility of alkylation of peptides for selected reaction monitoring (SRM) assays, we alkylated a peptide from the protein Oct4, known to play a role in regulating ...
Prediction of Intrinsically Caused Tripping Events in Individuals With Stroke

This study investigated the feasibility of predicting intrinsically caused trips (ICTs) in individuals with stroke. Gait kinematics collected from 12 individuals with chronic stroke, who demonstrated ICTs in treadmill walking, were analyzed. A prediction algorithm based on the outlier principle was employed. Sequential forward selection (SFS) and minimum-redundancy-maximum-relevance (mRMR) were used separately to identify the precursors for accurate ICT prediction. The results showed that it was feasible to predict ICTs around 50–260 ms before ICTs occurred in the swing phase by monitoring lower limb kinematics during the preceding stance phase. Both SFS and mRMR were effective in identifying the precursors of ICTs. For 9 out of the 12 subjects, the paretic lower limb’s shank orientation in the sagittal plane and the vertical velocity of the paretic foot’s center of gravity were important in predicting ICTs accurately; the averaged area under receiver operating characteristic curve achieved 0.95 and above. For the other three subjects, kinematics of the less affected limb or proximal joints in the paretic side were identified as the precursors to an ICT, potentially due to the variations of neuromotor deficits among stroke survivors. Although additional engineering efforts are still needed to address the challenges in making our design clinically practical, the outcome of this study may lead to further proactive engineering mechanisms for ICT avoidance and therefore reduce the risk of falls in individuals with stroke.
Wann ein Center of Excellence erfolgreich ist

Um sich auf entscheidungsorientierte Aufgaben konzentrieren zu konnen, lagern Controlling-Organisationen zunehmend auch komplexere Aufgaben in Center- Organisationen aus. Die Erfahrung aus der Beratungspraxis zeigt, worauf Unternehmen achten mussen, damit sie sich bei der Errichtung solcher Centers of Excellence nicht verzetteln.
Decitabine-Induced Differentiation Syndrome in a Patient with Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Case Report.

Abstract We report here for the first time a case of “decitabine-induced differentiation syndrome” in a patient (pt) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The cytosine analog decitabine, after incorporating into DNA, irreversibly binds DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) enzymes where cytosine residues are targeted for methylation. This allows replication of unmethylated DNA with subsequent re-expression of genes previously silenced by promoter methylation. It has been suggested that decitabine at low doses may have differentiating effects, as compared to cytotoxic effects at higher doses. A previous phase I trial demonstrated clinical activity of low dose decitabine in patients with myeloid malignancies (Issa, et al., Blood 2004). Given the close relationship of DNA methylation and histone deacetylation in modulating gene expression, we are currently conducting a phase I trial (OSU 0336) of low dose decitabine (15mg/m2 IV over 1 hour on days 1–10) alone (step 1) or in combination with escalating doses of the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid (step 2) in AML. An 82 year old male pt with untreated, secondary AML (65% bone marrow blasts, 95% marrow cellularity) was enrolled on step 1 of the study and given 15mg/m2/day of decitabine for 10 consecutive days. At the time of initiation of therapy, the pt had a white blood cell (WBC) count of 8,700/uL with absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of 1,500/uL and absolute blast count (ABC) of 3,200/uL. At day 11, the pt had WBC 1,000/uL with ANC of 450/uL and ABC of 150/uL and was clinically well. However, at day 17, he presented with cough and shortness of breath, without fever. WBC had risen to 18,700/uL with ANC of 11,000/uL and ABC of 750/uL. The patient developed worsening hypoxia and required mechanical ventilation. Chest radiograph demonstrated diffuse interstitial infiltrates, but bronchoscopy and lavage (on day 18 and repeated on day 24) did not identify an infectious etiology. Due to clinical concern for a differentiation syndrome similar to the “retinoic acid syndrome” occurring in acute promyelocytic leukemia patients treated with all-trans-retinoic-acid (ATRA), the pt was started on dexamethasone 10mg IV q12 hours beginning on day 18, in addition to broad spectrum antimicrobial coverage. Peripheral blood smears during the following week showed evidence of myeloid differentiation, and by day 25 no circulating blasts were found (WBC 4,300/uL, ANC 3,000/uL) while the overall clinical condition improved. The pt was finally extubated on day 38 but within 24 hours required emergent re-intubation due to nasogastric feeding aspiration and died at day 53. In summary, these preliminary data support the biological activity of low dose decitabine in AML and suggest that clinical precautions similar to those implemented for the “retinoic acid syndrome” in ATRA-treated APL should be considered in decitabine-treated AML when myeloid differentiation and rising neutrophil counts are observed.
Seeking Legitimacy for DSM-5: The Bereavement Exception as an Example of Failed Process.

The DSM-5 Task Force’s handling of the ethical controversy over the bereavement exclusion demonstrates the need for more inclusive deliberative processes.
Thermal conductivity and specific heat of glasses

It is well known that in a wide variety of amorphous materials an empirical correlation exists between the plateau in the thermal conductivity κ and the bump in C/T3 where C is the specific heat [1,2]. Both occur at roughly the same temperature for a given material and this temperature lies between 3K and 10K. Recent theoretical efforts to explain the thermal conductivity have included fractons [3] and phonon localization [4,5]. It is not obvious, however, in the first case how one can map a glass onto a self-similar percolating network, or in the second case how one can explain the rise in κ above the plateau.
Shaping the Archive in Late Medieval England: History, Poetry, and Performance

Sarah Elliott Novacich explores how medieval thinkers pondered the ethics and pleasures of the archive. She traces three episodes of sacred history - the loss of Eden, the loading of Noah's ark, and the Harrowing of Hell - across works of poetry, performance records, and iconography in order to demonstrate how medieval artists turned to sacred history to think through aspects of cultural transmission. Performances of the loss of Eden blur the relationship between original and record; stories of Noah's ark foreground the difficulty of compiling inventories; and engagements with the Harrowing of Hell suggest the impossibility of separating the past from the present. Reading Middle English plays alongside chronicles, poetry, and works of visual art, Shaping the Archive in Late Medieval England considers how poetic form, staging logistics, and the status of performance all contribute to our understanding of the ways in which medieval thinkers imagined the archive.
Relativistic effects in the electron band structure of Cu{111}

Angle-resolved photoemission from Cu{111} both with s-polarized and with 75%-s- + 25%-p-polarized light shows evidence for the lifting of degeneracies of the two occupied ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{3}$ bands. The spin-orbit coupling leads to a splitting of the nonrelativistic upper ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{3}$ band into ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{6}^{3}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{4,5}^{3}$ bands in the middle portion of the \ensuremath{\Gamma}\ensuremath{\Lambda}L line, and of the nonrelativistic lower ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{3}$ band into ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{6}^{3}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{4,5}^{3}$ bands near the \ensuremath{\Gamma} point along the \ensuremath{\Gamma}\ensuremath{\Lambda}L line. The critical points for the relativistic bands are measured to be E(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{8}^{+}$)=-2.90\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 eV, E(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{7}^{+}$)=-3.45\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10 eV, and E(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{8}^{+}$)=-3.65\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 eV, in good agreement with the results of self-consistent relativistic band-structure calculations done by Eckardt, Fritsche, and Noffke with a Slater-type X\ensuremath{\alpha} potential and \ensuremath{\alpha}=0.70.
Genetic and Structural Analyses of RRNPP Intercellular Peptide Signaling of Gram-Positive Bacteria

Bacteria use diffusible chemical messengers, termed pheromones, to coordinate gene expression and behavior among cells in a community by a process known as quorum sensing. Pheromones of many gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus and Streptococcus, are small, linear peptides secreted from cells and subsequently detected by sensory receptors such as those belonging to the large family of RRNPP proteins. These proteins are cytoplasmic pheromone receptors sharing a structurally similar pheromone-binding domain that functions allosterically to regulate receptor activity. X-ray crystal structures of prototypical RRNPP members have provided atomic-level insights into their mechanism and regulation by pheromones. This review provides an overview of RRNPP prototype signaling; describes the structure-function of this protein family, which is spread widely among gram-positive bacteria; and suggests approaches to target RRNPP systems in order to manipulate beneficial and harmful bacterial behaviors.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of a non-contrast screening MRI protocol for vestibular schwannoma in patients with asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss

We aimed to determine if a non-contrast screening MRI is cost-effective compared to a full MRI protocol with contrast for the evaluation of vestibular schwannomas. A decision tree was constructed to evaluate full MRI and screening MRI strategies for patients with asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss. If a patient were to have a positive screening MRI, s/he received a full MRI. Vestibular schwannoma prevalence, MRI specificity and sensitivity, and gadolinium anaphylaxis incidence were obtained through literature review. Institutional charge data were obtained using representative patient cohorts. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were completed to determine CE model threshold points for MRI performance characteristics and charges. The mean charge for a full MRI with contrast was significantly higher than a screening MRI ($4089 ± 1086 versus $2872 ± 741; p < 0.05). The screening MRI protocol was more cost-effective than a full MRI protocol with a willingness-to-pay from $0 to 20,000 USD. Sensitivity analyses determined that the screening protocol dominated when the screening MRI charge was less than $4678, and the imaging specificity exceeded 78.2%. The screening MRI protocol also dominated when vestibular schwannoma prevalence was varied between 0 and 1000 in 10,000 people. A screening MRI protocol is more cost-effective than a full MRI with contrast in the diagnostic evaluation of a vestibular schwannoma. A screening MRI likely also confers benefits of shorter exam time and no contrast use. Further investigation is needed to confirm the relative performance of screening protocols for vestibular schwannomas.
Determining end-of-life policy for recoverable products

AbstractWe address a problem that arises for an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) who produces a product both in new and remanufactured forms. A remanufactured product is produced using the parts harvested from recovered products (cores) upon their disassembly, and it may contain some new parts while the excess good parts from cores are salvaged for profit. Other options are available to the OEM for handling cores that do not require disassembly. It follows that the per-unit remanufacturing cost is not constant and it may change depending on the number of recovered cores, good-part reclamation yields, and sales of remanufactured products. We present analytical results for determining an optimal solution with regard to: (i) quantity of cores to collect, (ii) end-of-life (EOL) options for the cores and (iii) product pricing of new and remanufactured products. Our analysis reveals existence of a ‘limiting part’ that dictates the number of cores to collect and a ‘key part’ that determines the number of re...
Real Exchange Rate Misalignments and U.S. Exports to Asia

This paper examines real exchange rate misalignments in seven Asian countries and their impacts on U.S. exports. An analytical framework is first developed to estimate real exchange rate misalignments and, based on an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bound testing approach, the long and short run relationships between U.S. exports and its key determinants are estimated. The empirical results indicate that real exchange rates are moderately misaligned in most of the Asian countries. A negative and significant long run relationship between real exchange rate misalignment and U.S. exports to each country is also detected. The results also show that real exchange rate continues to maintain its position as one of the important factors explaining international trade.
Handheld Metal Detector for Metallic Foreign Body Ingestion in Pediatric Emergency

Foreign body ingestion is a common problem for which children present to the emergency department. The most common ingested foreign bodies among children are coins. Metal detector is an equipment, which measures a change in inductance of a coil when an electroconductive material is placed near it and produces an audio-visual signal. The present study was conducted to determine the effectiveness and feasibility of HMD in the local Pediatric population. This was a prospective study conducted in the pediatric emergency department among children presenting with history of foreign body ingestion. The outcome measured was presence or absence of metallic foreign body detected on handheld metal detector examination. During the study period, 36 patients with history of foreign body ingestion presented to the emergency department. Among these, 28 were metallic foreign body ingestions. Coins were the most common type of foreign body ingested. Among the metallic foreign bodies ingested, all the coins were accurately identified by the handheld metal detector. Non-coin metallic foreign bodies like metallic screw, needle and stapler pin were not identified by the handheld metal detector. The study demonstrates that handheld metal detector can be safely and reliably used as a screening tool in the process of detecting ingested coins. The plain radiograph still appears to be superior as it accurately localizes sharp metallic objects as well as cell batteries (button batteries) which need to be detected early and removed in order to prevent complications. Handheld metal detector is an effective tool that can be used in the follow up of patients to confirm whether the coin like metallic foreign body has been expelled. Handheld metal detector examination is more sensitive than traditional X-ray examination to detect radiolucent metallic foreign bodies like aluminium.
Sensing solutions for assessing and monitoring railroad tracks

Abstract: In railroads, the increase in axle loads, train speed, and traffic rises the risk of damage. Among the several types of damage, transverse defects in the rail head represent the primary cause of accidents. Thus, the effective inspection or the permanent monitoring of railroad tracks is necessary. This chapter reviews the most common sensing methods to detect damage in rails. The nondestructive evaluation techniques suitable for periodic inspection and some approaches for permanent monitoring of the tracks are introduced. The general principles, advantages, and limitations of each of these techniques are described.