cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RECOVERY OF LACTOSE FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS: PRECIPITATION WITH CALCIUM CHLORIDE AND SODIUM HYDROXIDE

The use of calcium hydroxide as a precipitating reagent for the recovery of lactose from aqueous solutions was studied. The effects of Ca(OH)2/lactose ratio, lactose concentration, temperature, and ionic strength on the reaction were examined. Higher concentrations of lactose and higher ratios of Ca(OH)2/lactose gave improved yields. The mechanism for lactose precipitation is hypothesized to occur via complexing, for surface adsorption was not significant in these studies. Increasing the temperature of the reaction medium and/or its ionic strength decreased the amount of lactose recovered. It is proposed that the precipitation reaction consists of two simultaneous precipitation reactions. The first is the formation of an insoluble calcium-lactose complex, and the second is the precipitation of the slightly soluble calcium hydroxide.
A displacement gage for the rock-mechanics laboratory

A gage for measuring displacements has been developed for use in the rock-mechanics laboratory and in the field. The gage consists of a support ring that holds a linear-variable-differential transformer (LVDT), a mounting screw, and a leaf spring. The gage is mounted to the test specimen at two points between which displacement is to be measured. At one point, contact with the specimen is by means of an adjusting screw. At the other point, contact is through a dimple in the leaf spring. The leaf spring in turn is rigidly connected to the support ring. An LVDT is mounted in the ring with its axis parallel to the line of measurement and its core rod attached in the dimple in the leaf spring. Any change in the length of the line between support points is directly communicated to the LVDT. Other gages using LVDTs have been constructed; but the technique for attaching the gage to the test specimen relied on the LVDT itself to support the ring. Because of the delicacy of the movement in precision-gage-head LVDTs, only small forces could be tolerated, leading to an unstable, nonrugged gage. For regular LVDTs, the free floating core is not well suited to supporting lateral forces. Using the leaf spring provides a secure mount, capable of bearing reasonable lateral loads with little flexure. The LVDT is left free of all load so that its precision is uncompromised. By its nature, a leaf spring is stiff in its plane which is the direction of the support forces in this case. In the normal direction, the leaf spring can be as compliant as desired. Accuracy is independent of the spring since the LVDT contacts the sample at the same point as the spring does.
Histone Deacetylase Activity Is Required for Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation

Mammalian development requires commitment of cells to restricted lineages, which requires epigenetic regulation of chromatin structure. Epigenetic modifications were examined during in vitro differentiation of murine embryonic stem (ES) cells. Global histone acetylation, a euchromatin marker, declines dramatically within 1 day of differentiation induction and partially rebounds by day 2. Histone H3-Lys9 methylation, a heterochromatin marker, increases during in vitro differentiation. Conversely, the euchromatin marker H3-Lys4 methylation transiently decreases, then increases to undifferentiated levels by day 4, and decreases by day 6. Global cytosine methylation, another heterochromatin marker, increases slightly during ES cell differentiation. Chromatin structure of the Oct4 and Brachyury gene promoters is modulated in concert with their pattern of expression during ES cell differentiation. Importantly, prevention of global histone deacetylation by treatment with trichostatin A prevents ES cell differentiation. Hence, ES cells undergo functionally important global and gene-specific remodeling of chromatin structure during in vitro differentiation. genesis 38:32–38, 2004. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Reclaiming the Wireless Classroom When Netiquette no Longer Works

Laptop usage in undergraduate general education classes allow millennials to take notes quickly and efficiently. However, the temptation to surf the Web is often overpowering. Many university profe...
Neural correlates of visual and motor decision processes

Abstract Recent research has clarified and revealed characteristics of perceptual and motor decision processes in the brain. A democracy of sensory neurons discriminate the properties of a stimulus, while competition contrasts the attributes of stimuli across the visual field to locate conspicuous stimuli. Salience and significance are weighted to select an object on which to focus attention and action. Experimentally combining neural and mental chronometry has determined the contribution of perceptual and motor processes to the duration and variability of behavioral reaction time. Whereas perceptual processing occupies a relatively constant amount of time for a given stimulus condition, the processes of mapping particular stimuli onto the appropriate behavior and preparing the motor response provide flexibility but introduce delay and variability in reaction time.
Susceptibility of meat lactic acid bacterla to antibiotics

In APT broth culture penicillin was more inhibitory to frozen-thawed meat lactic acid bacteria (MIC of 1·3 to 5·0 μg ml−1) than, in decreasing order of inhibition, chlortetracycline, neomycin and streptomycin. Streptomycin, chlortetracycline and neomycin inhibited the fermentative activity of P. pentosaceus more than penicillin and neomycin was most inhibitory to L. plantarum. The fermentative activity of P. pentosaceus, in meat, was inhibited by antibiotics more than that of L. plantarum (90 vs 30%).
Effects of monotherapy with (R)-9-(2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)adenine (PMPA) on the evolution of a primary Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) isolate

Determining the impact of antiretroviral therapy on virus evolution could advance the development of improved therapeutics/vaccines against HIV. Toward this goal, we analyzed virus burden, quasispecies complexity, and T cell responses in SIV/DeltaB670-infected rhesus macaques+/-treatment for 7 months with PMPA (2-30 weeks postinfection). Treatment divided the animals into two groups: poor responders (a reduction of or =2 log reduction) in virus burden. Virus evolution in poor responders and untreated controls was characterized by expression of a complex quasispecies that evolved as the disease progressed. This included the universal loss of a viral genotype selected against by in vitro passage in monkey cells and selected for by propagation in human cells. In contrast, a good response to PMPA was characterized by infection with a less complex quasispecies that evolved more slowly. Interestingly, in 2 of the best responders, the human-preferred genotype persisted until the study was discontinued (89 weeks p.i.). Neither virus burden nor the magnitude of the T cell response at 2 weeks postinfection predicted PMPA responsiveness. However, responders expressed a less complex quasispecies than nonresponders prior to treatment. These data suggest a role for intrinsic host factors in treatment responsiveness, and lend support for therapeutic vaccination as an adjunct to effective therapy.
Voiding Dysfunction and Upper Tract Deterioration after Spinal Cord Injury

This is a review of the most current literature on the evaluation and management of the urinary system after spinal cord injury (SCI). Spinal cord injury virtually always results in some degree of neurogenic bladder (NGB) dysfunction. While it is widely accepted that NGB dysfunction is associated with an increased risk of urologic complications, consensus regarding screening for those complications, and medical or surgical management is not widely accepted. Regarding screening for complications, an annual renal ultrasound is an appropriate screening test to assess for renal pathology including stones. General guidelines for urodynamic evaluation in patients with SCI were recently published and do not explicitly recommend routine testing. Regarding NGB complications, neurogenic bladders are most prone to urinary tract infections and stones. Medical, equipment and surgical options are all aimed at decreasing the risk of these complications in SCI patients.
Merrill Jon Egorin, MD, 1948-2010.

Merrill Egorin was born in Baltimore, Maryland, where he completed his undergraduate and graduate education. He was a pioneer in understanding the relationship of pharmacokinetic variability to the pharmacodynamics of anticancer agents. He is remembered as a compassionate physician, an outstanding scientist, an entertaining lecturer, a superb mentor, and a friend to many. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2011) 89 2, 163–165. doi:10.1038/clpt.2010.294
Advancement of behavioral estrus by subcutaneous injection of progesterone in the 4-day cyclic rat.

Four-day cyclic female Sprague- Dawley rats were each injected once with 2 mg progesterone in 0.25 cc sesame oil, at some time between 1900 hr on diestrus II and 0300 hr on proestrus. The earliest time at which estrous behavior was detected was 0100 hr proestrus, 3–6 hr after injection and 15–18 hr prior to the onset of normal heat. The proportion of subjects responding was low in groups receiving an early injection (30 and 20 % with injection at 1900 and 2130 hr diestrus II, respectively), and increased sharply to 70% and above for all subsequent injection times (2200 and 2330 hr diestrus II, and 0030, 0100, 0130 and 0300 hi- proestrus). In addition to inducing an early heat, progesterone also tended to delay the normal heat at least 1 day, if the injection occurred at or before 0130 hr proestrus. It appears that estrogen priming can be complete 15–18 hr before heat normally begins. The onset of behavior can be advanced with progesterone injections, and is probably triggered by progesterone in the normal...
CXCR3 in T cell function.

CXCR3 is a chemokine receptor that is highly expressed on effector T cells and plays an important role in T cell trafficking and function. CXCR3 is rapidly induced on naive cells following activation and preferentially remains highly expressed on Th1-type CD4(+) T cells and effector CD8(+) T cells. CXCR3 is activated by three interferon-inducible ligands CXCL9 (MIG), CXCL10 (IP-10) and CXCL11 (I-TAC). Early studies demonstrated a role for CXCR3 in the trafficking of Th1 and CD8 T cells to peripheral sites of Th1-type inflammation and the establishment of a Th1 amplification loop mediated by IFNγ and the IFNγ-inducible CXCR3 ligands. More recent studies have also suggested that CXCR3 plays a role in the migration of T cells in the microenvironment of the peripheral tissue and lymphoid compartment, facilitating the interaction of T cells with antigen presenting cells leading to the generation of effector and memory cells.
Crithidia luciliae: factors affecting the expression of 3'-nucleotidase/nuclease activity.

Abstract Crithidia luciliae, a trypanosomatid protozoan readily grown in axenic cultures, was shown to possess low levels of a surface membrane-bound ectoenzyme capable of hydrolyzing both 3′-ribonucleotides and nucleic acids. The specific activities of this 3′-nucleotidase/nuclease, with both mononucleotide and nucleic acid substrates, were greatly enhanced when the protozoa were deprived of purines, an essential nutrient. The catalytic activities were exhibited by a polypeptide which migrated in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with an Mr of 47,000. Starvation of these cells for inorganic phosphate (Pi), in media with or without purines, also led to an increase in the specific activity of the ectoenzyme compared to that of Pi-and purine-replete cells. In contrast, the level of enzyme activity was not increased when the protozoa were starved, under purine-replete conditions, for either arginine or hemin, two other essential nutrients. Cells starved simultaneously for either of the latter two nutrients and for purines also did not show increased levels of the 3′-nucleotidase/nuclease. The activation of the enzyme was also prevented by sodium arsenite, cycloheximide, actinomycin D, and tunicamycin indicating that the activation presumably required metabolic energy as well as new transcription, translation, and protein modification. The results demonstrate that the control of 3′-nucleotidase/nuclease expression is a regulated, adaptive response to growth-limiting levels of essential nutrients.
Midinfrared optical excitations in undoped lamellar copper oxides

The weakly electric-dipole-allowed midinfrared excitations are studied in insulating single crystals of ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4},$ ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cl}}_{2},$ and ${\mathrm{Nd}}_{2}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}.$ These intrinsic excitations of the undoped ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ layers are lower in energy than the charge-transfer excitation. Temperature-dependent optical-absorption measurements are presented from 10 to 450 K. Photoinduced absorption measurements on single-crystal ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$ are also presented. Recent theoretical work and optical-absorption experiments on ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}{\mathrm{NiO}}_{4},$ as well as the copper oxides, provide strong evidence that a sharp absorption peak seen in all the copper oxides at photon energy \ensuremath{\sim}0.4 eV and a related peak near 0.25 eV in ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}{\mathrm{NiO}}_{4}$ arise from phonon-assisted creation of a quasibound two-magnon state. A comparison between the intrinsic absorption in ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}{\mathrm{NiO}}_{4}$ and that in the copper oxides suggests that the broad midinfrared absorption bands observed between 0.4 and 1.2 eV in the undoped copper oxides have a different electronic origin. We discuss our measurements in regards to two proposed origins (phonon-multimagnon and exciton sidebands) for these broad higher-energy bands. We find that multimagnon and phonon sidebands associated with a Cu ${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{d}_{{3z}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{r}^{2}}$ crystal-field exciton at \ensuremath{\sim}0.5 eV plausibly explain the structure, strength, and polarization dependence of these broadbands. Direct observation of this exciton would unambiguously confirm or refute this model.
The natural history of amaurosis fugax with minor degrees of internal carotid artery stenosis.

The natural history of amaurosis fugax with hemodynamically insignificant degrees of internal carotid artery stenosis is uncertain. Seventy-three patients over age 40 who presented with amaurosis fugax without obvious cause and had ipsilateral stenoses of 50% or less with carotid duplex scanning were followed for a mean period of 35.5 months (range 3–110) without surgical intervention. At the initial vascular laboratory duplex evaluation, 35 patients had normal arteries (47.9%), 29 had minor (0–19%) stenoses of the ipsilateral internal carotid arteries (39.7%), and 11 had 20–50% stenosis (15.1%). Four patients with 0–19% stenosis and one patient with 20–50% stenosis experienced a subsequent stroke or permanent ipsilateral blindness. When analyzed by life-table format, stroke, blindness, and early death were more frequent in patients with minor degrees of stenosis than in those with normal arteries. Investigations in all patients with amaurosis fugax should be aimed at identifying whether the symptoms are explained by arteriosclerotic, systemic, collagen, cardiac, hematologic, or ophthalmologic disease. When no other etiology is found, and localized carotid bifurcation atherosclerosis of even modest degrees is identified, an atheroembolic etiology should be considered.
The LCC Number of the Beast: A Guide to Metal Music and Resources for Librarians

Heavy metal is an important offshoot of rock music that has been garnering increasing academic interest. This resource guide aims to assist librarians by offering an overview of the genre's rise in academic stature and the plethora of available resources on metal. It also contributes two brief appendices devoted to vocabulary and subgenres, as well as an extensive, annotated bibliography.
The immersed interface method for the Navier-Stokes equations with singular forces

Abstract Peskin's Immersed Boundary Method has been widely used for simulating many fluid mechanics and biology problems. One of the essential components of the method is the usage of certain discrete delta functions to deal with singular forces along one or several interfaces in the fluid domain. However, the Immersed Boundary Method is known to be first-order accurate and usually smears out the solutions. In this paper, we propose an immersed interface method for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations with singular forces along one or several interfaces in the solution domain. The new method is based on a second-order projection method with modifications only at grid points near or on the interface. From the derivation of the new method, we expect fully second-order accuracy for the velocity and nearly second-order accuracy for the pressure in the maximum norm including those grid points near or on the interface. This has been confirmed in our numerical experiments. Furthermore, the computed solutions are sharp across the interface. Nontrivial numerical results are provided and compared with the Immersed Boundary Method. Meanwhile, a new version of the Immersed Boundary Method using the level set representation of the interface is also proposed in this paper.
Isolation, identification, and function of the Dufour gland secretion ofXylocopa virginica texana (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae)

The Dufour's gland secretion ofXylocopa virginica texana possesses short-term repellency for conspecifics when applied to passion flowers. This secretion contains a number of straight-chain hydrocarbons. The two major components are the methyl esters of palmitic and myristic acid. A mixture of the two esters and two of the available hydrocarbons were as effective as the Dufour's gland extract in eliciting a response in females to the passion flower,Passiflora incarnata, to which the extract was applied.
Homocysteic acid: An examination of its possible growth hormone-like activity☆

Hypophysectomized rats were injected intraperitoneally for 4 days with various doses of homocysteic acid or growth hormone. The effects of these compounds on epiphyseal cartilage thickness and circulating somatomedin activity levels were evaluated in an attempt to repeat the results of Clopath, Smith, and McCully, who reported that this compound had growth hormone-like activity. DNA polymerase activity in livers of animals treated with growth hormone or with 10 mg/day of homocysteic acid was also measured. Using larger number of animals and including higher doses of homocysteic acid than those previously employed, we did not observe an increase of epiphyseal cartilage thickness in homocysteic acid treated hypophysectomized rats. Growth hormone significantly increased cartilage thickness. DNA polymerase levels in homocysteic acid treated hypophysectomized rats were not substantially increased although a larger, dose-dependent increase was observed with pGH and hGH. Neither homocysteic acid nor GH increased circulating somatomedin activity under the conditions used in this investigation. These observations demonstrate that homocysteic acid was not a substance with growth hormone-like activity in our hands and cast doubt on its possible future usefullness as a substitute for GH in clinical situations.
Four-wave-mixing Bragg scattering in SiNx waveguides for low-noise, on-chip wavelength conversion

Low-noise wavelength-conversion through four-wave mixing Bragg scattering in SiNx waveguides is experimentally demonstrated, with efficiencies approaching 5%. Finite-element and split-step Fourier simulations are employed to predict device performance.
Some recent developments in data transmission

Much development has taken place recently in the use of the telephone system for data transmission. Special precautions have to be taken to minimize effects of certain characteristics of the telephone system and two types of modulation in current favour are reviewed in some detail. The division of responsibility between the data terminal manufacturer and the communication authority requires the definition of a standard interface between the data terminal and modem. A typical range of data transmission systems designed to meet this interface specification is introduced. The extension to broadband systems and the use of error correction and error detection systems are also discussed.
Finite element analysis on dental implant-supported prostheses without passive fit.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to use finite element analysis to investigate the effect of misfit prostheses, cantilever prostheses, and various occlusal forces on the stress distribution in the prostheses, implant components, and surrounding bone. Materials and Methods Two 3-dimensional finite element models were constructed: (1) a 2-implant–supported, 2-unit fixed partial denture and (2) a 2-implant–supported, 2-unit fixed partial denture with a distal cantilever. Variations of the standard finite element models were made by placing a 111-μm gap between the gold cylinder on either the mesial or distal implant. The effects of load of 100 N were tested on all models. Subsequently, loads of 50 N, 200 N, and 300 N were evaluated on the cantilever model. Results When the gap was positioned near to the applied force, the stress in both models increased significantly in the implant components and surrounding bone. The stress increase in each component ranged from 8% to 64% in the non-cantilever models and 43% to 85% in the cantilever models. The greatest stress was found in the distal gold screw. The effect of the gap was clearly shown by the pattern of stress distribution in both models. Additionally, the presence of a cantilever and excessive occlusal force amplified the effect of prosthesis misfit. Conclusions Prosthesis misfit influenced the pattern and magnitude of stress distribution in the prosthesis, implant components, and surrounding bone, and the presence of the cantilever or greater occlusal force amplified the effect of misfit.
Fifth Power Scaling of Quality Factor in Silicon Photonic Degenerate Band Edge Resonators

We observe experimentally a transition of quality factor scaling from third power to fifth power of the number of periods in periodic silicon optical waveguides designed to exhibit a degenerate band edge.
Determination of current densities for tokamak superconducting toroidal field coils

Abstract A major goal of designing a tokamak is to minimize the size of the device and achieve lowest cost. Two key factors influencing the size of the device employing superconducting magnets are toroidal field (TF) winding current density and its nuclear heat load withstand capability. Lower winding current density requires larger radial build of the winding pack. Likewise, lower allowable nuclear heating in the winding requires larger shield thickness between the plasma and TF coils. In order to achieve a low-cost device, it is essential to maximize the winding's current density and nuclear heating withstand capability. A methodology for determining optimum current density is developed by using the Tokamak Fusion Core Experiment (TFCX) as an example. A winding current density of 3500 A/cm2 is determined to be optimal at a peak field of 10 T and peak nuclear heat load limit of 1 mW/cm3. This study is based on employment of Nb3Sn cable-in-conduit conductors cooled with forced-flow helium.
Family structure and race in a sample of criminal offenders

Seen through social control and social learning perspectives, family structure is assumed to have little effect on criminal behavior, while family functioning factors have comparatively strong effects. This investigation posited that family structure, when measured dichotomously (
Clinical outcomes of hysterectomies for benign and malignant etiologies using the NSQIP database

Objectives: To report on the safety, feasibility, and surgicopathologic outcomes of a laparoscopic retroperitoneal approach for aortic (inframesenteric [IM] and infrarenal [IR]) lymphadenectomy in earlystage gynecologic cancers. Methods: We conducted a chart review of 76 patients who underwent comprehensive laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy from the ureter up to the inferior mesenteric artery (IM) and then up to the renal veins (IR). All also underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy from the deep circumflex ileac vein crossing over the external ileac artery to the ureter crossing the common ileac artery (pelvic): 4 by retroperitoneal approach and 72 by transperitoneal approach. Fifty-one patients had clinical stage I or II endometrial carcinoma; 21 had clinically early peritoneal, tubal, or ovarian carcinoma; and 4 had early cervical carcinoma. Results: The mean age was 57 years (range, 31–77 years), and mean body mass index (BMI) was 26 (range, 19–39). Mean duration of entire surgery, including hysterectomy, was 238 min (range, 146– 406 min). Mean estimated blood loss for each entire procedure was 210 mL (range, 25–1500 mL), requiring a mean of 0 transfusions (range, 0–3). Mean hospital stay was 1 day (range, 1–5 days). The mean node yields were: pelvic 14 (range, 1–36), IM 13 (range, 3– 31), IR 14 (range, 1–36), and total from all basins 49 (range, 20–90). Nodal metastases were found in 22% of pelvic, 21% of IM, and 17% of IR node basins. Overall, 31% of patients had positive nodes that affected their postoperative therapeutic decisions. Complications included two conversions to laparotomy for high blood loss and failure to complete and one transection of the left renal artery with saphenous vein interposition by laparotomy. The retroperitoneal approach showed no learning curve, and nodal yields remained high, even in patients with BMIs up to 39. Conclusions: Comprehensive laparoscopic pelvic and retroperitoneal IM and IR aortic lymphadenectomy for early gynecologic carcinoma is safe and readily feasible and may affect staging and treatment decisions in one third of patients. A retroperitoneal approach may be easier to learn and be more effective for larger patients.
Environmental and Economic Costs of Soil Erosion and Conservation Benefits

Soil erosion is a major environmental threat to the sustainability and productive capacity of agriculture. During the last 40 years, nearly one-third of the world's arable land has been lost by erosion and continues to be lost at a rate of more than 10 million hectares per year. With the addition of a quarter of a million people each day, the world population's food demand is increasing at a time when per capita food productivity is beginning to decline.
Computerized reference sources in the construction industry

The 1980s have been described as the beginning of the information age, and justly so. Advances in microprocessor design, information storage systems and telecommunications have all combined to make access to accurate and up to date information a prerequisite for any successful business or research project. No longer is it necessary to laboriously scan printed abstracts, seeking out information via a limited indexof keywords, when today's communication networks allow an almost instantaneous access with a user-defined mix of search parameters. Correspondingly, this shift towards computer-based search procedures has resulted in many of the traditional scientific, business and professional abstracting services, that the construction industry has relied upon in the past, offering these bibliographic databases via commercial information retrieval systems. This paper reviews the range of information services that are currently available; discusses how they work and what equipment is required; examines the typica...
Efficacy of liposomal gentamicin against Rhodococcus equi in a mouse infection model and colocalization with R. equi in equine alveolar macrophages.

Abstract Rhodococcus equi, a facultative intracellular pathogen and an important cause of pneumonia in foals, is highly susceptible to killing by gentamicin in vitro. However, gentamicin is not effective in vivo, due to its poor cellular penetration. Encapsulation of drugs in liposomes enhances cellular uptake. The objectives of this study were to compare liposomal gentamicin and free gentamicin with respect to their uptake by equine macrophages and intracellular colocalization with R. equi and to compare the efficacies of liposomal gentamicin, free gentamicin and clarithromycin with rifampin for the reduction of R. equi CFU in a mouse model of infection. After ex vivo exposure, a significantly higher mean (±SD) percentage of equine alveolar macrophages contained liposomal gentamicin (91.9 ± 7.6%) as opposed to free gentamicin (16.8 ± 12.5%). Intracellular colocalization of drug and R. equi, as assessed by confocal microscopy, occurred in a significantly higher proportion of cells exposed to liposomal gentamicin (81.2 ± 17.8%) compared to those exposed to free gentamicin (10.4 ± 8.7%). The number of R. equi CFU in the spleen was significantly lower in mice treated with liposomal gentamicin compared to that of mice treated with free gentamicin or to untreated control mice. Treatment with liposomal gentamicin also resulted in a significantly greater reduction in the number of R. equi CFU in the liver compared to treatment with clarithromycin in combination with rifampin. These results support further investigation of liposomal gentamicin as a new treatment for infections caused by R. equi.
Is Shorter Always Better? Relative Importance of Questionnaire Length and Cognitive Ease on Response Rates and Data Quality for Two Dietary Questionnaires

In this study, the authors sought to determine the effects of length and clarity on response rates and data quality for two food frequency questionnaires (FFQs): the newly developed 36-page Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ), designed to be cognitively easier for respondents, and a 16-page FFQ developed earlier for the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. The PLCO Trial is a 23-year randomized controlled clinical trial begun in 1992. The sample for this substudy, which was conducted from January to April of 1998, consisted of 900 control and 450 screened PLCO participants aged 55-74 years. Controls received either the DHQ or the PLCO FFQ by mail. Screenees, who had previously completed the PLCO FFQ at baseline, were administered the DHQ. Among controls, the response rate for both FFQs was 82%. Average amounts of time needed by controls to complete the DHQ and the PLCO FFQ were 68 minutes and 39 minutes, respectively. Percentages of missing or uninterpretable responses were similar between instruments for questions on frequency of intake but were approximately 3 and 9 percentage points lower (p < or = 0.001) in the DHQ for questions on portion size and use of vitamin/mineral supplements, respectively. Among screenees, response rates for the DHQ and the PLCO FFQ were 84% and 89%, respectively, and analyses of questions on portion size and supplement use showed few differences. These data indicated that the shorter FFQ was not better from the perspective of response rate and data quality, and that clarity and ease of administration may compensate for questionnaire length.
The effect of L-2-oxothiazolidine on glutathione levels in cultured mammalian cells.

Abstract Chinese hamster ovary cells were cultured with increasing concentrations (7 × 10−8 M-7 × 10−2 M) of l -2-oxothiazolidine in an attempt to increase intracellular glutathione levels in these multiply-passaged mammalian cells. In a series of 7 Expts., intracellular glutathione levels increased significantly at the highest concentrations tested and were protective against oxygen radical-induced genetic toxicity.
Head contacts in collegiate football measured with an instrumented mouthguard

Background The clinical relationship between accumulated head impacts and chronic cognitive dysfunction is under increasing scrutiny. There is therefore a need to track an athlete9s accumulation of head impacts. Objective We sought to develop and test an inexpensive wireless device that could be widely used for monitoring blows to the head in football. Design Prospective, descriptive. Setting Stanford University scrimmages. Subjects 16 males from 6 different positions. Methods During four spring practice sessions, players wore mouthguards instrumented with three accelerometers and gyroscopes for measuring head motion. When the acceleration magnitude exceeded 15G (after 110 Hz low-pass filter), an event was recorded. Simultaneously, full-speed scrimmage sessions were video recorded from two perpendicular angles and later analysed for ‘helmet-helmet contacts.’ Plays were only considered if the subject9s helmet was struck by the opposing player9s helmet at the initial point of contact, or if the subject9s helmet sustained “no-contact” at all during the play. Mouthguard events were then synchronised and evaluated during the time period of each play to determine agreement with video data. Results Video analysis yielded 153 helmet-helmet contacts and 402 no-contacts. Mouthguard sensitivity for detecting observed helmet contact at the 15G threshold was 61% (95% CI 0.54 to 0.69) and the specificity was 91% (95% CI 0.88 to 0.93). Overall accuracy was 83%. Conclusion Although the 15G threshold is based on published helmet telemetry clinical studies, 39% of observed helmet-helmet contacts were below this threshold. Further research is required to understand if lower acceleration contacts are clinically relevant, and if they can be accurately detected. Acknowledgements We acknowledge the Stanford athletic training, videography, and football staff for their cooperation as well as X2 Impact Inc. for donation of mouthguards.
Stereoselective formation of cobalt(II), nickel(II) and zinc(II) chelates of histidine

Abstract Formation of the 2: 1 histidine complexes of cobalt(II), nickel(II), and zinc(II) is stereoselective, the mixed D , L -complexes being preferred over the unmixed L , L -complexes, in aqueous solutions. Analysis of titration data indicates that the racemic cobalt(II), nickel(II) and zinc(II) complexes are favored by 12, 22, and 13 per cent respectively, over what is expected statistically. The stereoselectivity observed for the zinc(II) complexes suggests that they possess octahedral characteristics in aqueous solution. No stereoselectivity is observed in the cadmium(II) and copper (II) bis complexes of histidine, nor in the nickel(II) and copper(II) bis complexes of 2,3-diaminopropionic acid. Stereoselectivity appears to be dependent upon the presence of a bulky side chain in a tridentate ligand chelated to a small metal ion.
Oestradiol receptor of neonatal mouse brain.

ADMINISTRATION of oestrogen or androgen to neonatal rats or mice can cause sterilisation of females1. Adult sterilised females generally exhibit masculinised behaviour and do not have normal cyclic gonadotropin patterns. Are prospective receptors for oestrogens and androgens present in neonatal rat or mouse brain tissues that are responsive to sex steroids? Direct demonstration of oestradiol receptor in brains of neonatal rats has been made difficult by the “neonatal binding protein” (NBP)2,3 that binds oestradiol with much higher capacity but lower affinity than does presumed receptor. If oestradiol receptor is present and functional, does NBP act in neonatal brain to prevent sterilisation by maternal oestrogens?3
Ion Implantation into Nb/NbO/PbAuIn Josephson Tunnel Junctions

Boron ions were implanted into completed planar and edge Nb/Nb oxide/PbAuIn Josephson tunnel junctions to directly trim the Josephson pair currents, I o . The implantation caused an increase in I o and in the junction subgap conductance and a decrease in the junction energy gap. For a fixed junction fabrication procedure, the variations were observed to be monotonic with 11 B implant dose. Optimum trimming was found when the 11 B ions were implanted such that the peak in the depth distribution occurred at the tunnel barrier. The implantation caused an increase in I o and in the junction subgap conductance and a decrease in the junction energy gap. The implanted junctions are stable at 80°C and under storage.
A Review of “The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons, Third edition”

The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons attempts to compile a complete anthology of all the animated cartoons ever produced. It begins with a brief history of American animated cartoons; however it d...
New integral transforms for molecular properties and application to a massively parallel GIAO-SCF implementation

Abstract We present several new Gaussian integral transforms to be used with the Rys quadrature numerical integration method. These transforms lead to an elegant unified methodology for the calculation of the atomic Gaussian integrals that enter the calculation of many molecular wavefunctions and properties. The unified methodology is highlighted for several types of integrals that are at the heart of other modern electronic structure theoretical developments, including electric and magnetic properties. We make use of these transforms in a massively parallel implementation of the Gauge-Invariant-Atomic-Orbital (GIAO) method for the calculation of chemical shifts at the ab initio HF SCF level of theory. The implementation follows the original GIAO theory that bypasses computational tasks that are not massively scalable. Indeed the response of the wavefunction to the magnetic field is calculated by means of the Derivative Hartree–Fock method (DHF). The DHF method is amenable to high parallel efficiency as it involves only the calculation of Fock-like matrices from density-like matrices. The computationally intensive steps are shown to be highly scalable.
Role of sulfide radical cations in electron transfer promoted molecular oxygenations at sulfur.

The methylene blue, N-methylquinolinium tetrafluoroborate, and pyrylium-cation-sensitized photooxygenations of 5H, 7H-dibenzo[b,g] [1,5]dithiocin, 1, and 1,5-dithiacyclooctane, 2, have been investigated. The methylene blue sensitized reactions exhibit all of the characteristics of a singlet oxygen reaction including isotope effects for the formation of a hydroperoxysulfonium ylide and the ability of 1 and 2 to quench the time-resolved emission of singlet oxygen at 1270 nm. The product compositions in the N-methylquinolinium tetrafluoroborate and pyrylium-cation-sensitized reactions are dramatically different and are both different from that anticipated for the participation of singlet oxygen. This argues for different reaction mechanisms for all three sensitizers. However, both the quinolinium and pyrylium-cation-sensitized reactions display all of the characteristics of electron-transfer-initiated photooxygenations. Both sensitizers were quenched at nearly diffusion-limited rates by 1 and 2. Laser flash ...
Neuron-specific ELAV/Hu proteins suppress HuR mRNA during neuronal differentiation by alternative polyadenylation

The ubiquitously expressed RNA-binding protein HuR increases the stability and translation of mRNAs encoding growth regulatory proteins that promote proliferation in a variety of cell types. However, the three neuron-specific ELAV/Hu proteins, HuB, HuC and HuD, while binding to the same types of mRNAs, are required instead for neuronal differentiation, and it becomes difficult to reconcile these contrary functions when all four Hu proteins are expressed in the same neuron. HuR mRNA exists as three alternatively polyadenylated variants, a 1.5-kb testes-specific mRNA isoform, a ubiquitous 2.4-kb isoform and a 6.0-kb isoform that we now show is induced during neuronal differentiation and appears to be neuron-specific. This 6.0-kb neuron-specific mRNA isoform is inherently less stable and produces less HuR protein than the ubiquitous 2.4-kb mRNA. Furthermore, we show that neuronal HuB, HuC and HuD, as well as HuR itself, can bind at the 2.4-kb mRNA polyadenylation site, and when overexpressed can affect alternative polyadenylation to generate an extended HuR 3′-UTR that is translationally suppressed. We propose that the regulation of HuR protein expression by alternative polyadenylation allows neurons to post-transcriptionally regulate mRNAs-encoding factors required for proliferation versus differentiation to facilitate neuronal differentiation.
Predictors of serious complications due to Clostridium difficile infection.

Summary Background Identifying individuals with severe Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) at risk for major complications has become an important objective. Presence of clinical variables that predict complications from CDI would have the potential to strongly influence management. Aim To determine which clinical variables predict complications from CDI. Methods Cross-sectional study of all individuals admitted to Temple University Hospital between 12/1/03 and 7/1/08 with the primary discharge diagnosis of CDI were eligible. Only patients experiencing their first episode of CDI were included. Abstracted data included demographic, physiological, laboratory, radiological, endoscopic, pharmacy and outcome data. Response was categorized as none, partial or complete. Complications attributed to CDI were defined as colon resection or death. Results Overall 32 of 200 patients (16%) experienced a complication due to CDI including death (n = 20) and colectomy (n = 12). White blood cell count above 30,000 cells/mm3 (OR = 4.06; 95% CI, 1.28–12.87) and a rise in the creatinine to over 50% above baseline (OR = 7.13; 95% CI, 3.05–16.68) predicted a complication. AROC for percent rise in serum creatinine was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.64–0.85) and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.58–0.80) for white blood cell count. Conclusions Severe white blood cell count elevation and a rise in the creatinine to over 50% above baseline are important independent predictors of serious adverse events due to CDI. These patients likely would benefit from more intensive care and early surgical consultation.
A Composite Approach for Blind Grayscale Logo Watermarking

This paper presents a composite blind digital watermarking technique, CompMark, to hide a visually meaningful grayscale logo in a host image. The multi-resolution fusion principles are used to embed the grayscale logo in perceptually significant blocks in wavelet subbands of the host image. A modulus approach is further used to embed a binary counterpart of the logo in the approximation subband. The extraction process combines both extracted grayscale and binary logos to obtain a better, recognizable logo at the receiver. The watermark detection decision is based on either the correlation between the thresholded extracted and embedded logos or the visual similarity. Experimental results demonstrate our scheme is robust against compression, white noise addition, histogram equalization, and image filtering techniques. In addition, it performs better than a peer blind scheme, XFuseMark.
Biochemical oscillator sensitivity analysis in the presence of conservation constraints

Computing parametric sensitivities for oscillators has a now well-understood subtlety associated with the indeterminacy of phase. A less universal, but still vexing, subtlety arises when an oscillator is described by a system of differential equations with "hidden" conservation constraints (HCC's); defined as weighted sums of state variables that are time-invariant. If there are HCC's, as is commonly the case for models of biochemical oscillators but rarely the case for practical circuit oscillators, the now-standard approach to computing parametric sensitivities can yield incorrect results. In addition, the monodromy matrix (the matrix of state sensitivities over one oscillation period), is often defective in a way that interferes with the usual approach to computing oscillator phase noise. In this paper we analyze the HCC case, and show that by augmenting the standard sensitivity approach with explicit HCC's, one can recover the correct parametric sensitivities. In addition, we prove that there is a typically satisfied condition that guarantees that a system with HCCs will have a defective monodromy matrix. A deliberately "flawed" ring oscillator circuit and a cyanobacterial circadian clock biochemical oscillator are used to demonstrate the parametric sensitivity problem and its resolution, and to show the issue of the defective monodromy matrix.
KINETICS OF GENETIC RECOMBINATION IN ESCHERICHIA COLI K-12: COMPETITION BETWEEN GENETIC INTEGRATION AND DEGRADATION

The effect of shifting zygotes from a rich medium into a poor medium (shift-down) on the frequency of recombination has been examined; our results suggest that protein syntheses other than those required for growth may be involved. Experiments with chloramphenicol support this notion, and further suggest that there is a competition between genetic integration and degradation in the recipient cells. By inhibiting protein synthesis one can shift the competition in favor of either integration or segregation, depending on the physiological state of the zygotes. By calculating the time required for segregation as one generation, we conclude that the recombination chromosome is homozygous at the time of integration.
Coming back home after the sun rises: Returnee entrepreneurs and growth of high tech industries

Abstract Recently, the role of returnees in the economic development of various East Asian nations has received much attention. The early literature on the relocation of the most highly trained individuals from a developing nation to a developed nation viewed the phenomena as a “brain drain.” Since the 1990s, a new strand of thinking has suggested that for developing nations this was actually a positive phenomenon; as these expatriates studied and then worked abroad, they absorbed technical expertise, managerial, and entrepreneurial skills. These theories stipulated that these expatriates then returned home, and ignited a virtuous circle of technological entrepreneurship leading to rapid economic development. Much of this literature gives returnees a critical role in the home country's take-off period of the local information and communications technology (ICT) industry. This interpretative essay examines the evidence for three of the most prominent East Asian economic success stories – Taiwan, China and India – to determine the actual role played by returnees in their ICT industries’ growth. The key question is whether returnees were critical for the initial development period, or whether they played an important role only in the later, expansionary phase of the industry. We find, contrary to the current literature that returnees were not critical, in the initial formation of these countries’ ICT industries, but did play an active role in the secondary developmental phase after indigenous entrepreneurs and policy makers had laid the groundwork for the industry.
The sinusoidal transform coder at 2400 b/s

A structure similar to a subband coder, that evolved in an attempt to improve the performance of the sinusoidal transform coder (STC) in the presence of channel errors, is described. Using some new ideas for subband coding, such as vector quantization of the subband energies and adaptive bit allocation based on the decoded energies, a novel quantization algorithm for STC evolved that was not only more robust in channel errors, but led to improved quality, particularly at the 2400 b/s data rate. >
Interactions between Vitamin E, Free Radicals, and Immunity during the Aging Process

There is a substantial amount of experimental evidence indicating a role for oxygen free radicals in the aging process and the development of several chronic diseases common among the elderly. Comparisons between mammalian species reveal a strong correlation between their life span, metabolic generation of free radicals, and tissue concentration of specific antioxidants including α-tocopherol, carotenoids, uric acid, and superoxide dismutase.1 Experimental, clinical, and epidemiological studies have been largely consistent in demonstrating a reduced risk of atherosclerosis, cancer, and other chronic diseases in groups with the highest status of antioxidant vitamins C, E, and/or s-carotene.2
Geometric Properties of Boundary Orbit Accumulation Points

We study the automorphism group action on a bounded domain in ℂ n . In particular, we consider boundary orbit accumulation points, and what geometric properties they must have. These properties are formulated in the language of Levi geometry.