cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Concussion Evaluation Methods Among Washington State High School Football Coaches and Athletic Trainers

Objective To evaluate awareness of concussion assessment methods and to determine whether there are differences among Washington State high school football coaches and athletic trainers in urban versus rural school districts. Design A Catalyst WebQ survey link was randomly sent by e-mail to varsity head football coaches, athletic trainers, and athletic directors in Washington State school districts. Participants Survey participants were high school varsity head football coaches and athletic trainers from a total of 106 Washington State high schools. Methods A 12-item questionnaire on Catalyst WebQ was distributed via e-mail. The survey inquired about use of the methods of concussion assessment, both on the field and for follow-up; participants' concussion education training; and familiarity with Washington State's Zackery Lystedt Law. Main Outcome Measurements The survey examined differences in concussion management practices between rural and urban school districts and also between coaches and athletic trainers in Washington State, specifically regarding the use of the Standardized Concussion Assessment Tool 2 (SCAT2) and neurocognitive testing (NCT). Results Twenty-seven of 48 respondents (56%) used the SCAT2 for on-the-field assessment; urban respondents were significantly more likely to use SCAT2 ( P P = .08). NCT was used by 18 of 58 respondents (31%). This was more commonly used by those in urban districts ( P P P Conclusions There were statistically significant differences between SCAT2 and NCT use for respondents from urban and rural districts, and also between coaches and athletic trainers, as well as NCT use among respondents with varying years of experience. Further understanding and identification of barriers that limit identification and management of concussions in high school athletes are crucial to prevent serious permanent injury. Additional education is necessary to ensure that athletic trainers and coaches are aware of current recommendations within the medical literature for the evaluation and management of concussions.
Effect of gestational age, postnatal age, and illness on plasma cortisol concentrations in premature infants

The purpose of this study was to define the pattern of postnatal plasma cortisol concentrations during the first week of life in premature infants, and to evaluate the effect of developmental and clinical factors on this pattern. We measured plasma cortisol concentrations in the morning and afternoon on d 2, 4, and 6 in 120 premature infants (gestational age 24-36 wk) and examined the effects of gestational age, postnatal age, and illness. We described an inverse relationship between gestational age and cortisol concentrations, with the youngest infants having the highest random cortisol values (F = 5.14, p = 0.0073). Illness had a significant negative effect such that the cofactors ventilatory support pattern (F = 6.62, p = 0.0016) or "use of surfactant" (F = 6.63, p = 0.001) defined a pattern where cortisol values were lower in infants that had the highest ventilatory requirements or that received surfactant compared with values from those infants who did not have these requirements. The postnatal pattern in cortisol values depended on gestational age. Ill infants more than 27 wk gestational age increased their cortisol values from d 2 to d 6 although cortisol values decreased in well infants. These patterns resulted in a nonsignificant change over time for these age groups. In contrast, cortisol values significantly decreased from d 2 to d 6 in both well and ill infants that were less than or equal to 27 wk. We conclude that plasma cortisol concentrations in the premature infant are significantly correlated with gestational age and to markers of illness.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
CV Technologies/Cold-fX

Abstract The CV Technologies/Cold-fX case is based on real events at a Canadian company that attempted to enter the US market with a cold remedy called Cold-fX. CV shipped product to US retailers shortly before its fiscal year end of September 30. The product did not sell well in the US, and the company experienced a larger number of returns from US retailers than the company had historically experienced from their Canadian retailers. Many of these product returns occurred after the fiscal year end, but before the financial statements were issued. The case deals with auditing estimates related to the timing of revenue recognition and the auditor’s responsibilities to consider subsequent events. Another distinctive aspect of the case involves the effects of selling in foreign markets and how entering new markets can affect the appropriate timing of revenue recognition.
What happens when n= 1000? Creating large-n geochronological datasets with LA-ICP-MS for geologic investigations

The direct age dating of individual mineral components in sedimentary rocks through the analysis of radiogenic parent and daughter isotopes has been routinely applied to better understand sediment provenance and dispersal patterns for several decades. Time, labor, and financial cost—sadly, not scientific inquiry—are typically the determining factors in the number of analyses run for a sedimentary rock sample during provenance investigations. The number of observations reported for detrital zircon provenance investigations using secondary ion mass spectrometers SIMS and laser-ablation inductively-coupled-plasma mass-spectrometers LA-ICP-MS typically range from n = 60–120. In this range, minor, but commonly geological relevant, age components are commonly not identified from the sample aliquot. In addition, the relative proportions of zircon ages from within an age component are typically unreliable for intersample comparisons because the relative proportions of ages from aliquots of n = 60–120 may poorly reflect the ‘true’ proportions of ages from a sample. This study investigates the practicality and usefulness of generating large-n (n = 300–1000) datasets. A LA-MC-ICP-MS and LA-SC-ICP-MS were used to generate four n ≈ 1000 datasets. We show that precision large-n U–Pb detrital zircon datasets can be created using LA-ICP-MS with total sample-run analysis times that are on par with more traditional studies. At best, most provenance investigations based on n = 60–100 have been statistically limited to identifying principle age components. The statistical robustness on n = 1000 datasets not only significantly increase the probability that exotic or low abundance age components (i.e., f < 0.05) are identified in detrital samples, but it allows for the quantitative comparisons between relatively high abundance age components in samples. This potentially transformative outcome of large-n has the potential to stimulate new avenues of research in sedimentology and tectonics.
Formation and Steering Mechanisms of Tornado Cyclones and Associated Hook ECHOES1

Abstract An attempt is made to explain the mechanism of a hook-echo formation on the southwestern edge of an eastward-moving cumulonimbus cell. The conditions necessary for originating a hook-echo circulation through this proposed mechanism are: significant absolute vorticity within the subcloud layer, intense updraft to bring the low-level moist air into the cloud, and a vertical wind shear which steers the cumulonimbus cell with a velocity which is considerably different from that of the low-level winds. The Magnus effect involving the steering current and the spiraling up-draft is considered to be the force which directs the hook-echo circulation at low levels toward the southwestern edge of the major thunderstorm cell. A kinematic diagram with the absolute tangential speed and the radius of the cyclone as coordinates is also presented, as well as some speculation on the conservation of absolute circulation and absolute vorticity.
Effects of sodium nitrite on DRL performance in the rat

Abstract Fifteen Sprague-Dawley rats were administered sodium nitrite 0.10% or 0.15% solutions in their drinking water from the age of 45 days to the end of the study. Six control rats received only tap water. At 80 days of age, rats were trained to bar press for food pellets on a CRF schedule. After reaching criterion performance the rats were switched to a DRL-20 for a period of 6 days to test for response inhibition, which was measured as a ratio of responses to reinforcements. Results indicated no significant differences between groups for response inhibition. All groups showed significant increases in learning as reflected by a decrease in ratios and an increase in total reinforcements over days. However, sodium nitrite rats compared to controls obtained significantly fewer reinforcements over sessions and a greater number of no responding periods (time-outs). One interpretation discussed was the possibility that sodium nitrite produced an increase in responding to distractible (non-task related) cues.
What We Learned from a Study of Re-fracturing in Barnett Shale: An Investigation of Completion/Fracturing, and Production of Re-fractured Wells

The success of the Barnett shale helped to revitalize the oil and gas industry in the United States, and sparked a wave of shale development programs. At the same time, it has caused practitioners to rethink how, or even if, we can apply certain theories and technologies developed and implemented in conventional reservoirs to unconventional reservoirs. One fundamental difference in unconventional reservoirs is several orders of magnitude lower rock matrix permeability, largely requiring stimulation for economic development. Re-completion/fracturing in shale reservoirs is a means to increase production by accessing reserves beyond the volume achieved from initial completions. Re-fracturing may also be applied to wells with inefficient initial completions, less-thanoptimum designs or executions, and in depleted wells in which it is possible to treat previously un-stimulated rock volume. We performed this study to discover how production is impacted by recompletion and re-fracturing. By studying specific treatment and production data sets in the Barnett, we searched for new insights about how shale plays should be developed. In this work, we extracted about 200 re-fractured or re-completed wells with treatment information and production data in the Barnett Shale play from a service company’s database and a public well database. In this analysis, we took into account treatment data in both initial and refracturing, and evaluated their impact on long-term recovery. Further, we considered other available data in this investigation. In order to identify hidden, potentially predictive information in the data set, exploratory data analysis, univariate and multivariate/ cluster analysis techniques were applied using statistical analysis software such as SAS, combined with Geographic Information System (GIS) software. The paper is organized mainly in two parts. The first part is a data mining study on production and treatment data to discover certain treatment parameters controlling production for both initial completion and refracturing; in the second part, we interpret those observation and findings from perspective of mechanism.
Calcium channel blockers: potential antimetastatic agents.

AbstractThe calcium channel blocker nifedipine (Bay A 1040) was examined for its effects on tumor cell-platelet interactions. In vitro, nifedipine inhibited tumor cell-induced platelet aggregation and platelet enhanced tumor cell adhesion to confluent endothelial cell monolayers and in vivo nifedipine inhibited pulmonary tumor colony formation ("experimental metastasis") by intravenously injected tumor cells. This evidence suggests that calcium channel blockers may be a new class of antimetastatic agents.
High-frequency subharmonic emission with chirp-coded excitation: implications for imaging

There is growing interest in developing techniques to assess the structure and function of microvasculature, to enable clinical diagnosis and to gain insights into disease pathology. High-frequency subharmonic imaging is an emerging technique that can visualize the microvasculature with high specificity. However, the sensitivity of high-frequency subharmonic imaging is compromised because of the pressure threshold for subharmonic behavior, which may limit its potential for preclinical and clinical imaging. The goal of this work was to demonstrate that the sensitivity of subharmonic imaging could be improved by rectangular apodization and chirp-coding of the excitation pulse. We report an experimental study carried out at 20-MHz transmit frequency to compare the efficacy of narrowband sine bursts and coded-chirps towards generating subharmonics. It was demonstrated that chirp-coding of the excitation pulse could generate stable subharmonic signals for excitation bandwidths of 10-20%. The threshold for onset of subharmonic behavior was lowest when rectangularwindowed excitation pulses were employed. The subharmonic to fundamental ratio of RF spectra using coded chirps was up to 5.7 dB higher for sine bursts, and the axial resolution obtained with chirp-coded excitation was up to twofold better compared to that obtained using sine bursts. At 20-MHz transmit frequency, 20% bandwidth rectangular chirp-coded pulse appears to be a good tradeoff between sensitivity and axial resolution.
Wall interference assessment/correction for transonic airfoil data

Two sets of transonic airfoil data were obtained from the same model tested in both porous, planar-wall and solid, shaped-wall wind tunnels. The published data agree reasonably well with each other but differ significantly from two-dimensional, free-air Navier-Stokes calculations for the same airfoil. An existing computational wall interference assessment/correction (WIAC) procedure was applied to the porousand shaped-wall data sets. The WIAC corrections generally improve the correlation between the two data sets. Simultaneously, the WIAC corrections also generally improve the correlation between the data and the Navier-Stokes calculations.
An integrated chromatographychip for rapid gas separation and detection

This paper reports the first implementation of a highly sensitive micro discharge photoionization detector (μDPID) in a silicon-glass architecture and its monolithic integration with a high performance micro separation column. The new detector requires a two-mask fabrication process, is universal, non-destructive, low power (<2.5mW), and insensitive to flow and temperature variations. It has yielded a minimum detection limit of ∼10pg which is on par with the widely used destructive flame ionization detector. The integrated chip comprises a newly developed semi-packed column with atomic layer deposited (ALD) stationary phases and is capable of multi-analyte gas mixture separation and their trace level identification while allowing the use of temperature programming for enhanced separation performance and speed.
A Small Cover for Convex Unit Arcs

An arc in the plane is convex if it is simple (i.e., one–one except that its endpoints may coincide) and lies on the boundary of its convex hull. We describe a compact convex plane set of area about 0.2466 that contains a congruent copy of each convex plane arc of unit length, a reduction of about 1.1% from the smallest such set previously known.
Invasive Trichophyton rubrum infection occurring with infliximab and long-term prednisone treatment.

Background:A 64-year-old woman presented with erythematous plaques, tender nodules, and pustules of the dorsal right hand and both legs following long-term treatment with systemic steroids and infl...
Rapid evolution of great kiskadees on Bermuda: an assessment of the ability of the island rule to predict the direction of contemporary evolution in exotic vertebrates

Aim To determine whether an exotic bird species, the great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus), has diverged in morphology from its native source population, and, if so, has done so in a manner predicted by the island rule. The island rule predicts that insular vertebrates will tend towards dwarfism or gigantism when isolated on islands, depending on their body size. For birds, the island rule predicts that species with body sizes below 70–120 g should increase in size. The great kiskadee has a mean mass of c. 60 g in its native range, therefore we predicted that it would increase in size within the exotic, and more insular, Bermudan range. Location The islands of Bermuda (exotic population) and Trinidad (native source population). Methods We took eight morphological measurements on 84 individuals captured in the exotic (Bermudan) population and 62 individuals captured in the native source (Trinidadian) population. We compared morphological metrics between populations using univariate and principal components analyses. We assessed whether the effects of genetic drift could explain observed differences in morphology. We calculated divergence rates in haldanes and darwins for comparison with published examples of contemporary evolution. Finally, we used mark–recapture analysis to determine the effects of the measured morphological characters on survivorship within the exotic Bermudan population. Results Individuals in the exotic Bermudan population have larger morphological dimensions than individuals in the native source population on Trinidad. The degree of divergence in body mass (g) and bill width (mm) is probably not due to genetic drift. This rate of divergence is nearly equal to that observed amongst well-documented examples of contemporary bird evolution, and is within the mid-range of rates reported across taxa. There is no clear effect of body size on survivorship as only one character (bill width) was found to have an influence on individual survivorship. Main conclusions Exotic species provide useful systems for examining evolutionary predictions over contemporary time-scales. We found that divergence between the exotic and native populations of this bird species occurred over c. 17 generations, and was in the direction predicted by the island rule, a principle based on the study of native species.
Phylogenomic analysis uncovers the evolutionary history of nutrition and infection mode in rice blast fungus and other Magnaporthales.

The order Magnaporthales (Ascomycota, Fungi) includes devastating pathogens of cereals, such as the rice blast fungus Pyricularia (Magnaporthe) oryzae, which is a model in host-pathogen interaction studies. Magnaporthales also includes saprotrophic species associated with grass roots and submerged wood. Despite its scientific and economic importance, the phylogenetic position of Magnaporthales within Sordariomycetes and the interrelationships of its constituent taxa, remain controversial. In this study, we generated novel transcriptome data from 21 taxa that represent key Magnaporthales lineages of different infection and nutrition modes and phenotypes. Phylogenomic analysis of >200 conserved genes allowed the reconstruction of a robust Sordariomycetes tree of life that placed the monophyletic group of Magnaporthales sister to Ophiostomatales. Among Magnaporthales, three major clades were recognized: 1) an early diverging clade A comprised of saprotrophs associated with submerged woods; 2) clade B that includes the rice blast fungus and other pathogens that cause blast diseases of monocot plants. These species infect the above-ground tissues of host plants using the penetration structure, appressorium; and 3) clade C comprised primarily of root-associated species that penetrate the root tissue with hyphopodia. The well-supported phylogenies provide a robust framework for elucidating evolution of pathogenesis, nutrition modes and phenotypic characters in Magnaporthales.
On-line monitoring of radiotherapy beams: Experimental results with proton beams

Protonradiotherapy is a powerful tool in the local control of cancer. The advantages of protonradiotherapy over gamma-ray therapy arise from the phenomenon known as the Bragg peak. This phenomenon enables large doses to be delivered to well-defined volumes while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. To fully realize the potential of this technique the location of the high-dose volume must be controlled very accurately. An imagingsystem was designed and tested to monitor the positron-emitting activity created by the beam as a means of verifying the beam’s range, monitoring dose, and determining tissue composition. The prototype imagingsystem consists of 12 pairs of cylindrical BGO detectors shielded in lead. Each crystal was 1.9 cm in diameter, 5.0 cm long, and separated by 0.5 cm from other detectors in the row. These are arranged in two rows, 60 cm apart, with the proton beam and tissue phantoms half-way between and parallel to the detector rows. Experiments were conducted with 150 MeV continuous and macro-pulsed proton beams which had beam currents ranging from 0.14 nA to 1.75 nA. The production and decay of short-lived isotopes, 15 O and 14 O , was studied using 1 min irradiations with a continuous beam. These isotopes provide a significant signal on short time scales, making on-line imaging possible. Macro-pulsed beams, having a period of 10 s, were used to study on-line imaging and the production and decay of long-lived isotopes, 13 N , 11 C , and 18 F . Decay data were acquired and on-line images were obtained between beam pulses and indicate that range verification is possible, for a 150 MeV beam, after one beam pulse, to within the 1.2 cm resolution limit of the imagingsystem. The dose delivered to the patient may also be monitored by observing the increase in the number of coincidence events detected between successive beam pulses. Over 80% of the initial positron-emitting activity is from 15 O while the remainder is primarily 11 C , 13 N , 14 O with traces of 18 F , and 10 C . Radioisotopic imaging may also be performed along the beam path by fitting decay data collected after the treatment is complete. Using this technique, it is shown that variations in elemental composition in inhomogenous treatment volumes may be identified and used to locate anatomic landmarks. Radioisotopic imaging also reveals that 14 O is created well beyond the Bragg peak, apparently by secondary neutrons.
Colon injuries: new perspectives.

The management of colon injuries has been one of the most controversial issues in trauma and has undergone many radical changes in the last few decades. Despite the dramatic reduction of colonrelated mortality from about 60% during World War I to about 40% during World War II to about 10% during the Vietnam War and to lower than 3% in the last decade, the colon-related morbidity remains unacceptably high. The abdominal sepsis rate has remained at about 20% in most prospective studies in the last decade (Table 1). No other organ injury is associated with a higher septic complication rate than colon. In some subgroups of patients with colon injuries in the presence of Penetrating Abdominal Trauma Index (PATI) 25 or multiple blood transfusions the incidence of intraabdominal sepsis has been reported to be as high as 27%. In patients with destructive colon injuries requiring resection the reported incidence of abdominal complications is about 24%. Many studies have attempted to identify risk factors for complications and modify the treatment appropriately. Historical perspective
Eltrombopag Modulates Reactive Oxygen Species and Decreases Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Survival

Previous studies have demonstrated that the small molecule thrombopoietin (TPO) mimetic, eltrombopag (E), induces apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Here, we sought to define the mechanism of the anti-leukemic effect of eltrombopag. Our studies demonstrate that, at a concentration of 5 μM E in 2% serum, E induces apoptosis in leukemia cells by triggering PARP cleavage and activation of caspase cascades within 2–6 hours. The induction of apoptotic enzymes is critically dependent on drug concentration and the concentration of serum. This effect is not associated with an alteration in mitochondrial potential but is associated with a rapid decrease in a reactive oxygen species (ROS) in particular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Interestingly, E also decreases mitochondrial maximal and spare respiratory capacities suggesting an induced mitochondrial dysfunction that may not be readily apparent under basal conditions but becomes manifest only under stress. Co-treatment of MOLM14 AML cells with E plus Tempol or H2O2 provides a partial rescue of cell toxicity. Ferric ammonioum citrate (FAC) also antagonized the E induced toxicity, by inducing notable increase in ROS level. Overall, we propose that E dramatically decreases ROS levels leading to a disruption of AML intracellular metabolism and rapid cell death.
Steady state levels of hepatic α1 and β2‐adrenergic receptors and gene transcripts during development of the male rat

Metabolic events stimulated by epinephrine and norepinephrine in hepatocytes isolated from fetal and early postnatal male rats are largely mediated through the beta 2-adrenergic receptor-/cyclic AMP dependent-system, whereas the same stimuli are transduced through the alpha 1-adrenergic receptor-/phosphatidylinositol dependent-system in hepatocytes isolated from young adult male rats. This developmental transition was investigated by correlating hepatic alpha 1- and beta 2-adrenergic receptor gene transcript levels with receptor levels as determined with selective radioligands in livers from late fetal to postnatal day 120 male Sprague-Dawley rats. beta 2-Adrenergic receptor concentration, initially high in membrane preparations isolated from fetal livers (203 +/- 21 fmol/mg protein), dropped precipitously in postnatal day 6 livers (14 +/- 2 fmol/mg protein) and remained low throughout development out to postnatal day 90. beta 2-Adrenergic receptor mRNA levels were highest in fetal livers, were decreased somewhat in postnatal day 6 livers and were undetectable in livers beyond postnatal day 15. In contrast, hepatic alpha 1-adrenergic receptor concentration was relatively low in fetal livers (86 +/- 25 fmol/mg protein) and remained low until postnatal day 18. Thereafter, a steady increase in alpha 1-adrenergic receptors was observed until adult levels. (270 +/- 24 fmol/mg protein) were achieved at postnatal day 27. alpha 1-Adrenergic receptor mRNA levels increased approximately 3-fold, reaching a peak at postnatal day 24. Surprisingly, at postnatal day 30 hepatic alpha 1-adrenergic receptor mRNA levels dropped to fetal levels; but, gradually increased with continued development. Thus, hepatic alpha 1- and beta 2-adrenergic receptors appear to be under complex regulatory control which may include transcriptional, as well as post-transcriptional, mechanisms.
Temporomandibular joint replacement periprosthetic joint infections: a review of early diagnostic testing options

The incidence of a periprosthetic joint infection is uncommon after total joint replacement. Since the clinical, psychological, and economic consequences of this complication are substantial, the development of management algorithms based on early diagnostic testing has been the subject of continued exploration in the orthopaedic literature. While there has been discussion of this topic in the total temporomandibular joint replacement literature and preliminary management algorithms have been established, no diagnostic testing protocols have been proposed or studied for the management of early and/or late periprosthetic joint infections. This paper will review the classification of periprosthetic joint infections, the associated risk factors, the clinical sensitivity and specificity of laboratory and imaging diagnostic studies and their utility in the management of early and late onset orthopaedic periprosthetic joint infections. This review may provide an initial framework for the use of early diagnostic testing for the management of total temporomandibular joint replacement periprosthetic joint infections and stimulate further investigation into this topic.
Clevidipine in Acute Hypertension: The Evidence of its Therapeutic Value

While the chronic form of hypertension is most common; the acute form presents the greater danger, with more frequent and severe complications and poorer short‑term prognosis compared to chronic hypertension. Antihypertensive drugs are used to treat acute hypertension according to the condition of the patient, target organ injured, and the resources available to monitor the patient. However, the limited number of medications intended for the aggressive management of acute hypertensive has highlighted the need for newer drugs that offer a rapid decrease of blood pressure (BP) without increasing the possible complications. After ten years of research and trials, clevidipine was approved by the FDA in 2008, and has been widely used to reduce BP when oral therapy is inappropriate. Compared to the few agents previously used for this purpose clevidipine takes the lead due to its shorter duration of action and its lower incidence of adverse events and toxicity rates.
Flow of Microfluids in Converging Microchannels

The interface between intersecting microfluidic multicomponent flow is investigated experimentally. Three microchannel configurations are studied. Each configuration has a main channel and an intersecting daughter channel. In two configurations, the channel cross sections are equal and square with the intersection either at 90 or 45 degrees. In the third configuration, the intersection is at 90 degrees, the cross sections are square and the daughter cross section is smaller than the main cross section. In the configurations with equal channel cross sections, microsphere solutions of 2, 4 and 7% spheres (by weight) are compared to each other as well as all water flows. Flow visualization is achieved using confocal fluorescence microscopy. A three-dimensional rendering of the location and shape of the interface is examined for a Reynolds number of approximately one. The presence of microspheres does not appear to strongly influence the location of the flow interface. For flows with equal cross section, the interface downstream of the junction is reasonably planer (two dimensional). Strong three-dimensional effects are shown for flows with unequal cross section.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Cumulative Index of Exposure to Hypocarbia and Hyperoxia as Risk Factors for Periventricular Leukomalacia in Low Birth Weight Infants

BACKGROUND.Hypocarbia and hyperoxia are risk factors for periventricular leukomalacia in low birth weight infants. The association of a cumulative index of exposure to hypocarbia and hyperoxia and periventricular leukomalacia has not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE.Our goal was to examine the relationship between cumulative index of exposure to hypocarbia and hyperoxia and periventricular leukomalacia during the first 7 days of life in low birth weight infants. METHODS.Blood gas results were recorded in 6-hour intervals among low birth weight infants in a prospective data registry. Cumulative index of exposure to hypocarbia was calculated as the difference between arterial carbon dioxide level and 35 mm Hg multiplied by the time interval in hours for each 6-hour block in a 24-hour day for the first 7 days of life. Cumulative index of exposure to hyperoxia was calculated in the same manner for arterial oxygen level 80 mm Hg. The relationship between exposure to hypocarbia, hyperoxia, and periventricular leukomalacia was examined in 778 infants with blood gas and cranial sonography data. RESULTS.Twenty-one infants had periventricular leukomalacia. Hypocarbia occurred in 489 infants and hyperoxia in 502 infants. Infants with periventricular leukomalacia were more likely to have a lower gestational age and to require delivery room resuscitation than those without periventricular leukomalacia. More infants in the highest quartile of exposure to hypocarbia had periventricular leukomalacia compared to those with no hypocarbia. Risk of periventricular leukomalacia was increased in infants with the highest quartile of exposure to hypocarbia after adjusting for maternal and neonatal variables, none to be associated with periventricular leukomalacia. Cumulative index exposure to hyperoxia was not related to periventricular leukomalacia. CONCLUSIONS.Cumulative exposure to hypocarbia and not hyperoxia was independently related to risk of periventricular leukomalacia in low birth weight infants.
Air-ground channel measurements & modeling for UAS

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are expected to be used in greatly increasing numbers in the near future. To safely integrate them into the national airspace system (NAS) requires reliable communication links. Since operating conditions and signaling rates of UAS will not always be identical to conventional civil piloted aircraft, the air-ground channel can become a challenging obstacle to reliable communications. Thus, along with NASA's Glenn Research Center we are conducting a measurement and modeling campaign to quantitatively characterize the air-ground channel. This paper describes our motivation, test system, measurement and modeling approach, and some initial results. Use of the developed models within larger network-scale investigations are planned, hence these results are a first step in the UAS integration into the NAS. Future results should be of use for any communication link performance analyses for UAS.
CD8 T cell memory in B cell-deficient mice.

Antigen presentation by B cells and persistence of antigen-antibody complexes on follicular dendritic cells (FDC) have been implicated in sustaining T cell memory. In this study we have examined the role of B cells and antibody in the generation and maintenance of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) memory. To address this issue we compared CTL responses to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) in normal (+/+) versus B cell-deficient mice. The CTL response to acute LCMV infection can be broken down into three distinct phases: (a) the initial phase (days 3-8 after infection) of antigen-driven expansion of virus-specific CD8+ T cells and the development of effector CTL (i.e., direct ex vivo killers); (b) a phase of death (between days 10 and 30 after infection) during which >95% of the virus-specific CTL die and the direct effector activity subsides; and (c) the phase of long-term memory (after day 30) that is characterized by a stable pool of memory CTL that persist for the life span of the animal. The role of B cells in each of these three phases of the CTL response was analyzed. We found that B cells were not required for the expansion and activation of virus-specific CTL. The kinetics and magnitude of the effector CTL response, as measured by direct killing of infected targets by ex vivo isolated splenocytes, was identical in B cell-deficient and +/+ mice. Also, the expansion of CD8+ T cells was not affected by the absence of B cells and/or antibody; in both groups of mice there was an approximately 10,000-fold increase in the number of LCMV-specific CTL and a greater than 10-fold increase in the total number of activated (CD44hi) CD8+ T cells during the first week after virus infection. Although no differences were seen during the "expansion" phase, we found that the "death" phase was more pronounced in B cell-deficient mice. However, this increased cell death was not selective for LCMV-specific CTL, and during this period the total number of CD8+ T cells also dropped substantially more in B cell-deficient mice. As a result of this, the absolute numbers of LCMV-specific CTL were lower in B cell-deficient mice but the frequencies were comparable in both groups of mice. More significantly, the memory phase of the CTL response was not affected by the absence of B cells and a stable number of LCMV-specific CTL persisted in B cell-deficient mice for up to 6 mo. Upon reinfection, B cell-deficient mice that had resolved an acute LCMV infection were able to make accelerated CTL responses in vivo and eliminated virus more efficiently than naive B cell-deficient mice. Thus, CTL memory, as assessed by frequency of virus-specific CTL or protective immunity, does not decline in the absence of B cells. Taken together, these results show that neither B cells nor antigen-antibody complexes are essential for the maintenance of CD8+ CTL memory.
enok encodes a Drosophila putative histone acetyltransferase required for mushroom body neuroblast proliferation.

Mushroom bodies in the Drosophila brain are centers for olfactory learning and memory. We have previously shown that the mushroom bodies comprise three types of neurons with distinct axonal projections. These three types of neurons are generated sequentially from common neuroblasts [1]. We report here the identification of a gene that we have named enoki mushroom (enok), which when it is mutated gives rise to mushroom bodies with reduced axonal structures. enok encodes a putative histone acetyltransferase (HAT) of the MYST family, members of which have been implicated as important modulators of transcriptional activity [2]. A single amino acid change in the zinc finger motif of the putative catalytic HAT domain gives the same phenotype as a null allele, and this finding indicates the importance of HAT activity to Enok's function. Further phenotypic analysis demonstrates that the mushroom body defect is due to an arrest in neuroblast proliferation rather than a failure of either cell fate switching or axon branching. Clonal analyses in the wing discs and the ovaries suggest that enok is essential for normal cell proliferation in some, but not all, tissues. Our results provide in vivo evidence for essential functions of a histone acetyltransferase in the construction of the Drosophila brain.
Electrophysiological effects of GABA on cat pancreatic neurons.

In mammalian peripheral sympathetic ganglia GABA acts presynaptically to facilitate cholinergic transmission and postsynaptically to depolarize membrane potential. The GABA effect on parasympatheti...
Accumulation of U14 small nuclear RNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires box C, box D, and a 5', 3' terminal stem.

Abstract U14 is one of several nucleolar small nuclear RNAs required for normal processing of rRNA. Functional mapping of U14 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has yielded a number of mutants defective in U14 accumulation or function. In this study, we have further defined three structural elements required for U14 accumulation. The essential elements include the U14-conserved box C and box D sequences and a 5', 3' terminal stem. The box elements are coconserved among several nucleolar small nuclear RNAs and have been implicated in binding of the protein fibrillarin. New mutational results show that the first GA bases of the box C sequence UGAUGA are essential, and two vital bases in box D have also been identified. An intragenic suppressor of a lethal box C mutant has been isolated and shown to contain a new box C-like PyGAUG sequence two bases upstream of normal box C. The importance of the terminal stem was confirmed from new compensatory base changes and the finding that accumulation defects in the box elements can be complemented by extending the terminal stem. The results suggest that the observed defects in accumulation reflect U14 instability and that protein binding to one or more of these elements is required for metabolic stability.
Hyaluronic acid: molecular conformations and interactions in two sodium salts.

Abstract A detailed structure for the tetragonal form ( a = b = 0.989 nm, c , fibre axis, = 3.394 nm) of sodium hyaluronate has been obtained by analysing X-ray fibre diffraction data using new molecular modelling techniques. Two polysaccharide chains pass through each unit cell, one at the corner and one at the centre. The chains are anti-parallel to one another. Each chain is a left-handed, 4-fold helix of disaccharide units. There are intramolecular hydrogen bonds stabilising each glycosidic linkage. Octahedrally co-ordinated sodium ions link, by O … Na + … O bridges, neighbouring polysaccharide chains that are further linked by hydrogen bonds. No double-helix model (as originally proposed for this structure) has been found to be free of unacceptable non-bonded contacts or to fit the diffraction intensities as closely. The tetragonal form, which is stable at zero relative humidity, contains no detectable water molecules. At higher relative humidities a related orthorhombic form is observed in which only the a dimension of the lattice is different ( a = 1.153 nm, b = 0.989 nm, c = 3.386 nm). In this form the hyaluronate helix is 2-fold with tetrasaccharide units conformationally similar to the 4-fold helix of the tetragonal form. The Na + … O binding and hydrogen bonds lost on expansion of the tetragonal lattice are all replaced in the orthorhombic structure by bridges through water molecules, four of which associated with each tetrasaccharide.
Interferon Regulatory Factor 3-Dependent Pathways Are Critical for Control of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Central Nervous System Infection

The initiation of the immune response at the cellular level relies on specific recognition molecules to rapidly signal viral infection via interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3)-dependent pathways. The absence of IRF-3 would be expected to render such pathways inoperative and thereby significantly affect viral infection. Unexpectedly, a previous study found no significant change in herpes simplex virus (HSV) pathogenesis in IRF-3 −/− mice following intravenous HSV type 1 (HSV-1) challenge (K. Honda, H. Yanai, H. Negishi, M. Asagiri, M. Sato, T. Mizutani, N. Shimada, Y. Ohba, A. Takaoka, N. Yoshida, and T. Taniguchi, Nature 434:772-777, 2005). In contrast, the present study demonstrated that IRF-3 −/− mice are significantly more susceptible to HSV infection via the corneal and intracranial routes. Following corneal infection with 2 × 10 6 PFU of HSV-1 strain McKrae, 50% of wild-type mice survived, compared to 10% of IRF-3-deficient mice. Significantly increased viral replication and inflammatory cytokine production were observed in brain tissues of IRF-3 −/− mice compared to control mice, with a concomitant deficit in production of both IFN-β and IFN-α. These data demonstrate a critical role for IRF-3 in control of central nervous system infection following HSV-1 challenge. Furthermore, this work underscores the necessity to evaluate multiple routes of infection and animal models in order to fully determine the role of host resistance factors in pathogenesis.
Symbol addition by monkeys provides evidence for normalized quantity coding

Weber’s law can be explained either by a compressive scaling of sensory response with stimulus magnitude or by a proportional scaling of response variability. These two mechanisms can be distinguished by asking how quantities are added or subtracted. We trained Rhesus monkeys to associate 26 distinct symbols with 0–25 drops of reward, and then tested how they combine, or add, symbolically represented reward magnitude. We found that they could combine symbolically represented magnitudes, and they transferred this ability to a novel symbol set, indicating that they were performing a calculation, not just memorizing the value of each combination. The way they combined pairs of symbols indicated neither a linear nor a compressed scale, but rather a dynamically shifting, relative scaling.
Parametric Model Discrimination for Heavily Censored Survival Data

Simultaneous discrimination among various parametric lifetime models is an important step in the parametric analysis of survival data. We consider a plot of the skewness versus the coefficient of variation for the purpose of discriminating among parametric survival models. We extend the method of Cox & Oakes from complete to censored data by developing an algorithm based on a competing risks model and kernel function estimation. A by-product of this algorithm is a nonparametric survival function estimate.
Transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve insertion-related intraoperative morbidity: Implications of the minimalist approach

Abstract Objectives Transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve insertion may be performed in a catheterization laboratory (ie, the minimalist approach). It seems reasonable when considering this approach to avoid it in patients at risk for intraoperative morbidity that would require surgical intervention. We hypothesized that it would be possible to associate baseline characteristics with such morbidity, which would help heart teams select patients for the minimalist approach. Methods We reviewed the records of 215 consecutive patients who underwent transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve insertion with a current commercially available device from November 2008 through July 2015. Demographic characteristics of the patients included a mean age of 78.9 ± 10.6 years, female sex in 73 patients (34.0%), and a mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality of 8.7% ± 5.4%. Valve prostheses were balloon-expandable in 126 patients (58.6%) and self-expanding in 89 patients (41.4%). Results Significant intraoperative morbidity occurred in 22 patients (10.2%) and included major vascular injury in 12 patients (5.6%), hemodynamic compromise requiring cardiopulmonary bypass support in 4 patients (1.9%), cardiac tamponade requiring intervention in 3 patients (1.4%), ventricular valve embolization in 2 patients (0.9%), and inability to obtain percutaneous access requiring open vascular access in 1 patient (0.5%). Intraoperative morbidity was similarly distributed across all valve types ( P = .556) and sheath sizes ( P = .369). There were no baseline patient characteristics predictive of intraoperative morbidity. Conclusions Patient and valve characteristics are not predictive of significant intraoperative morbidity during transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve insertion. The finding has implications for patient selection for the minimalist approach.
3,4,7,8‐Tetramethyl‐1,10‐phenanthroline (tmphen)

[1660-93-1] C16H16N2(MW 236.31) InChI = 1S/C16H16N2/c1-9-7-17-15-13(11(9)3)5-6-14-12(4)10(2)8-18-16(14)15/h5-8H,1-4H3 InChIKey = NPAXPTHCUCUHPT-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent used as a metal-chelating ligand for a variety of transition metal-catalyzed processes5-18) Physical Data: mp 272–277 °C.1 Solubility: soluble in 1,4-dioxane, acetone, dichloromethane, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), methanol, and hot toluene. From supplied in: colorless to off-white powder, small quantities are commercially available. Analysis of Reagent Purity: 1H NMR, mp. Purification: recrystallization from acetone. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline is stored in a tightly closed container and kept in a cool, dark, and dry area away from incompatible substances. Incompatible with oxidizing agents. Contact with eyes or skin, inhalation, or ingestion may cause irritation. When using the reagent, wear suitable protective equipment and work in a well-ventilated chemical fume hood.
Cell Volume Regulation

The basic strategy of all cells—enclosing macromolecules, many of which are polyelectrolytes, within a space surrounded by a phospholipid bilayer membrane suspended in a solution of ions and small organic solutes—poses a daunting threat to their survival. Phospholipid membranes are permeable to water and to small ions.1 If the external solution is free of macro-molecules and ions to which the membrane is impermeable, the enclosed macromolecules produce an unbalanced oncotic pressure which draws water into the enclosed compartment, and the polyelectrolytes produce a transmembrane potential which accumulates ions together with water. In the absence of anything else, no equilibrium is possible; as long as the concentration of impermeable macromolecules and polyelectrolytes is greater within the space enclosed by the phospholipid membrane than in the external solution, the flow of water and ions into the enclosed compartment will continue until the membrane bursts. Many of the properties of biological membranes have developed in response to the challenge of overcoming this problem.