cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Natural Killer Cells and Cryptococcus Neoformans

Drugs of abuse that affect natural and acquired immune defenses could definitely alter an individuals susceptibility to life-threatening fungal infections. Although specific studies in which drugs of abuse have been used will not be reported here, it is anticipated that the ensuing discussion of the natural effector cells and their potential for limiting fungal infections may suggest how such drugs, especially those that alter natural killer (NK) cell and T cell functions, predispose an individual to infections with the yeast-like organism, Cryptococcus neoformans.
Plausible and Genuine Extensions of L’Hospital's Rule

Let f and g be differentiable real valued functions. Motivated by L’Hospital's Rule, we might expect the convergence of Σf’(n)/g’(n) to imply the convergence of Σf(n)/g(n) when f, g, f’, g’ all hav...
Outcomes Associated With De-escalating Therapy for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Culture-Negative Nosocomial Pneumonia.

Background In culture-positive nosocomial pneumonia, de-escalation (DE) from broad-spectrum empirical antimicrobials to narrower-spectrum agents has shown to decrease broad-spectrum antibiotic use without compromising patient outcomes. However, uncertainty exists regarding the safety of anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) agent DE in culture-negative nosocomial pneumonia. This study aimed to determine if anti-MRSA agent DE in culture-negative nosocomial pneumonia affects 28-day and hospital mortality, ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS), treatment failure, and safety. Methods This single-center retrospective cohort study included adult patients admitted from 2012 to 2017 with nosocomial pneumonia and a negative respiratory culture. DE was defined as anti-MRSA agent discontinuation within 4 days of initiation. Secondary outcomes included hospital mortality, hospital and ICU LOS, treatment failure, and occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI). Results Of 279 patients included, 92 were in the DE group and 187 were in the no DE (NDE) group. Patients who were not de-escalated received 5 more days of MRSA coverage than patients who were de-escalated; however, there was no difference in 28-day mortality (NDE group, 28% vs DE group, 23%; difference, −5.5%; 95% CI, −16.1 to 6.5). Patients who were de-escalated had shorter hospital (DE group, 15 days vs NDE group, 20 days; difference, 3.2 days; 95% CI, 0.1-6.4) and ICU (DE group, 10 days vs NDE group, 13 days; difference, 2.2 days; 95% CI, −0.3 to 4.9) LOSs after the index date. The incidence of AKI was significantly higher in patients who were not de-escalated (DE group, 36% vs NDE group, 50%; difference, −13.8%; 95% CI, −26.9 to −0.4). Conclusions Although anti-MRSA agent DE in culture-negative nosocomial pneumonia did not affect 28-day mortality, it was associated with a shorter hospital LOS and lower incidence of AKI.
Evaluation of Subarachnoid 2-Chloroprocaine and Sodium Bisulfite in the Rat

Clinical reports have described prolonged and irreversible neurologic paralysis when the local anesthetic 2-chloroprocaine containing sodium bisulfite was injected unintentionally into the subarachnoid space instead of the epidural space. This study evaluated the effects of subarachnoid injections of chloroprocaine and sodium bisulfite, in combination and individually, in a rat model. Thirty-nine rats were chronically implanted with subarachnoid catheters that ended in the lumbar region and were allocated to one of the 7 following treatment groups: (1) physiologic saline; (2) 3% 2-chloroprocaine; (3) 3% 2-chloroprocaine plus 0.2% sodium bisulfite; (4) 3% 2-chloroprocaine plus 0.6% sodium bisulfite; (5) 0.2% sodium bisulfite; (6) 0.6% sodium bisulfite; or (7) 1.2% sodium bisulfite. The osmolarity of each solution was kept constant by varying the sodium chloride concentration, and the pH was adjusted to 3. All solutions at a fixed volume of 40 μL were injected into freely moving animals. Physiologic saline at pH 3 had no effect on any animal tested. Three percent 2-chloroprocaine alone or in combination with 0.2% sodium bisulfite caused reversible motor and sensory blockade of the hindlimbs and tail, with all animals recovering within 45 minutes. Three of five animals treated with 0.2% sodium bisulfite alone exhibited motor deficits only, and all recovered within 30 minutes. Ten of 15 animals tested with 2-chloroprocaine plus 0.6% sodium bisulfite or 0.6% sodium bisulfite alone exhibited motor deficits for greater than 45 minutes, with three lasting for more than 24 hours. Sodium bisulfite 1.2% caused irreversible hindlimb deficits in two of three animals. In conclusion, subarachnoid sodium bisulfite in concentrations of 0.6% or higher cause prolonged neurologic deficits in the rat. Three percent 2-chloroprocaine alone or with 0.2% sodium bisulfite causes only the expected reversible local anesthetic effect in this particular animal model.
Optogenetic control of protein binding using light-switchable nanobodies

Abstract A growing number of optogenetic tools have been developed to control binding between two engineered protein domains. In contrast, relatively few tools confer light-switchable binding to a generic target protein of interest. Such a capability would offer substantial advantages, enabling photoswitchable binding to endogenous target proteins in vivo or light-based protein purification in vitro. Here, we report the development of opto-nanobodies (OptoNBs), a versatile class of chimeric photoswitchable proteins whose binding to proteins of interest can be enhanced or inhibited upon blue light illumination. We find that OptoNBs are suitable for a range of applications: modulating intracellular protein localization and signaling pathway activity and controlling target protein binding to surfaces and in protein separation columns. This work represents a first step towards programmable photoswitchable regulation of untagged, endogenous target proteins. Highlights Opto-Nanobodies (OptoNBs) enable light-regulated binding to a wide range of protein targets. We identify an optimized LOV domain and two loop insertion sites for light-regulated binding. OptoNBs function in vivo: when expressed in cells and fused to signaling domains, OptoNBs enable light-activated and light-inhibited Ras/Erk signaling. OptoNBs function in vitro: Target proteins can be reversibly bound to OptoNB-coated beads and separated through size-exclusion chromatography.
Exact and approximate analytical time-domain Green's functions for space-fractional wave equations.

The Chen-Holm and Treeby-Cox wave equations are space-fractional partial differential equations that describe power law attenuation of the form α ( ω ) ≈ α 0 | ω | y. Both of these space-fractional wave equations are causal, but the phase velocities differ, which impacts the shapes of the time-domain Green's functions. Exact and approximate closed-form time-domain Green's functions are derived for these space-fractional wave equations, and the resulting expressions contain symmetric and maximally skewed stable probability distribution functions. Numerical results are evaluated with ultrasound parameters for breast and liver at different times as a function of space and at different distances as a function of time, where the reference calculations are computed with the Pantis method. The results show that the exact and approximate time-domain Green's functions contain both outbound and inbound propagating terms and that the inbound component is negligible a short distance from the origin. Exact and approximate analytical time-domain Green's functions are also evaluated for the Chen-Holm wave equation with power law exponent y = 1. These comparisons demonstrate that single term analytical expressions containing stable probability densities provide excellent approximations to the time-domain Green's functions for the Chen-Holm and Treeby-Cox wave equations.The Chen-Holm and Treeby-Cox wave equations are space-fractional partial differential equations that describe power law attenuation of the form α ( ω ) ≈ α 0 | ω | y. Both of these space-fractional wave equations are causal, but the phase velocities differ, which impacts the shapes of the time-domain Green's functions. Exact and approximate closed-form time-domain Green's functions are derived for these space-fractional wave equations, and the resulting expressions contain symmetric and maximally skewed stable probability distribution functions. Numerical results are evaluated with ultrasound parameters for breast and liver at different times as a function of space and at different distances as a function of time, where the reference calculations are computed with the Pantis method. The results show that the exact and approximate time-domain Green's functions contain both outbound and inbound propagating terms and that the inbound component is negligible a short distance from the origin. Exact and...
A Qualitative Exploration of Facilitators for Health Service Use among Aging Gay Men Living with HIV.

Using Anderson’s Health Behavioral Model of Health Service Use, this study explores factors facilitating health service use among aging gay men living with HIV. Qualitative data from 10 participant...
Intrinsic motivations and open-ended learning.

There is a growing interest and literature on intrinsic motivations and open-ended learning in both cognitive robotics and machine learning on one side, and in psychology and neuroscience on the other. This paper aims to review some relevant contributions from the two literature threads and to draw links between them. To this purpose, the paper starts by defining intrinsic motivations and by presenting a computationally-driven theoretical taxonomy of their different types. Then it presents relevant contributions from the psychological and neuroscientific literature related to intrinsic motivations, interpreting them based on the grid, and elucidates the mechanisms and functions they play in animals and humans. Endowed with such concepts and their biological underpinnings, the paper next presents a selection of models from cognitive robotics and machine learning that computationally operationalise the concepts of intrinsic motivations and links them to biology concepts. The contribution finally presents some of the open challenges of the field from both the psychological/neuroscientific and computational perspectives.
Prevalence of Botrytis cinerea in Tomato Greenhouses in Antalya Province of Turkey and Phenotypic Characterization of Isolates

Botrytis cinerea is one of the most important fungal diseases that decrease the yield and quality of tomato plants especially under greenhouse conditions where intensive cultivation was carried out. The fungus can infect plants under field, garden, greenhouse and storage conditions. B. cinerea has the ability to infect all aboveground parts of the plants during the vegetation period, it is prone to fungicide resistance and has high genetic variation. These features make control of the pathogen difficult. Antalya province of Turkey is an important tomato growing area and greenhouse production of tomatoes in this province is common. In 2018, a survey was conducted in Serik, Aksu, Kumluca, Finike and Kepez districts of Antalya province. Diseased tomato plant samples were obtained from 35 greenhouses. B. cinerea was found in all surveyed districts of Antalya province. The disease was more common in Serik district. The percentages of B. cinerea isolated from diseased tomato parts were 64, 20, 35, 22 and 29 from Serik, Kumluca, Kepez, Finike and Aksu districts, respectively. Phenotypic characterization of the isolates revealed that the most common phenotype was S3.
JUUL targets military personnel and veterans

With their recent marketing campaign1 (figure 1), JUUL joins a long tradition of tobacco companies targeting the US military and veteran population.1–6 JUUL advertises their electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) with testimonial endorsements from military veterans (figure 2),2 claims to support veteran service organisations (figure 3),1 as well as offers discounts (ie, a $1 starter pack) to military and veterans (figure 4).3 Perhaps most concerning, although e-cigarettes are not currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a cigarette cessation tool,7 JUUL claims their product, ‘offers servicemen and first responders the tools to succeed at switching’.1 Figure 1 JUUL markets to military families in recent advertising campagain. Website source: https://heroes.juul.com. Figure 2 JUUL promotes products with veteran testimonials. Website source: https://heroes.juul.com. Figure 3 JUUL claims to promote veteran service organizations in marketing campaign. Website source: https://heroes.juul.com. Figure 4 JUUL offers discounts to military personnel and veterans. Website source: https://shop.id.me/stores/2652-juul. These marketing tactics are not …
Covert Communication by Exploiting Node Multiplicity and Channel Variations.

We present a covert (low probability of detection) communication scheme that exploits the node multiplicity and channel variations in wireless broadcast networks. The transmitter hides the covert (private) message by superimposing it onto a non-covert (public) message such that the total transmission power remains the same whether or not the covert message is transmitted. It makes the detection of the covert message impossible unless the non-covert message is decoded. We exploit the multiplicity of non-covert messages (users) to provide a degree of freedom in choosing the non-covert message such that the total detection error probability (sum of the probability of false alarm and missed detection) is maximized. We also exploit the channel variation to minimize the throughput loss on the non-covert message by sending the covert message only when the transmission rate of the non-covert message is low. We show that the total detection error probability converges fast to 1 as the number of non-covert users increases and that the total detection error probability increases as the transmit power increases, without requiring a pre-shared secret among the nodes.
Building reproductive justice into the safety net

The University of Florida Mobile Outreach Clinic (MOC) is a free primary care clinic serving vulnerable communities and citizens without health insurance in Gainesville, Florida, and surrounding areas. This paper describes the approach taken by MOC to offer sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to underserved patients within a reproductive justice framework.
A Bayesian phase I/II design for cancer clinical trials combining an immunotherapeutic agent with a chemotherapeutic agent

Immunotherapy is an innovative treatment approach that harnesses a patient’s immune system to treat cancer. It has provided an alternative and complementary treatment modality to conventional chemotherapy. Combining immunotherapy with cytotoxic chemotherapy agent has become the leading trend and the most active research field in oncology. To accommodate this growing trend, we propose a Bayesian phase I/II dose‐finding design to identify the optimal biological dose combination (OBDC), defined as the dose combination with the highest desirability in the risk‐benefit trade‐off. We propose new statistical models to describe the relationship between the doses and treatment outcomes, including immune response, toxicity and progression‐free survival (PFS). During the trial, based on accrued data, we continuously update model estimates and adaptively assign patients to dose combinations with high desirability. The simulation study shows that our design has desirable operating characteristics.
PI3K Promotes Basal Cell Carcinoma Growth Through Kinase-Induced p21 Degradation.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a locally invasive epithelial cancer that is primarily driven by the Hedgehog (HH) pathway. Advanced BCCs are a critical subset of BCCs that frequently acquire resistance to Smoothened (SMO) inhibitors and identifying pathways that bypass SMO could provide alternative treatments for patients with advanced or metastatic BCC. Here, we use a combination of RNA-sequencing analysis of advanced human BCC tumor-normal pairs and immunostaining of human and mouse BCC samples to identify a PI3K pathway expression signature in BCC. Pharmacological inhibition of PI3K activity in BCC cells significantly reduces cell proliferation and HH signaling. However, treatment of Ptch1fl/fl ; Gli1-CreERT2 mouse BCCs with the PI3K inhibitor BKM120 results in a reduction of tumor cell growth with no significant effect on HH signaling. Downstream PI3K components aPKC and Akt1 showed a reduction in active protein, whereas their substrate, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21, showed a concomitant increase in protein stability. Our results suggest that PI3K promotes BCC tumor growth by kinase-induced p21 degradation without altering HH signaling.
The association of bowel function, participation in life activities, and quality of life in rectal cancer survivors

To evaluate whether limited participation in life activities is associated with quality of life (QOL) in rectal cancer survivors, and if so, whether this association is independent of bowel function difficulties. We surveyed rectal cancer survivors from four healthcare systems about their QOL, bowel function, and participation in life activities. Additional demographic and clinical variables were extracted from the electronic health record. We examined independent associations between bowel function, participation in life activities, and QOL, controlling for potential confounders. We also identified factors, including ostomy status, that correlate with participation in life activities. Of the 527 respondents, 52% were male, 80% were non-Hispanic white, and the mean age was 63. In fully adjusted models for all rectal cancer survivors, participation in life activities was positively associated with QOL, while bowel function was not. Bowel function retained an independent association with QOL for those who previously had an ostomy and were therefore more likely to have a low rectal anastomosis. Lower participation in life activities was correlated with lower self-reported physical and cognitive function, younger age, financial difficulty, and being non-Hispanic white. Rectal cancer survivors’ participation in life activities was strongly associated with QOL, even when controlling for numerous confounders, including bowel function. Identifying ways to improve participation in life activities may be critical to developing rehabilitative and other supportive interventions that optimize QOL among rectal cancer survivors.
Evaluation of Family Characteristics and Multiple Hospitalizations at the End of Life: Evidence from the Utah Population Database

Background: Scant research has examined the relationship between family characteristics and end-of-life (EOL) outcomes despite the importance of family at the EOL. Objectives: This study examined f...
PERFUME: Programmatic Extraction and Refinement for Usability of Mathematical Expression

Algorithmic identification is the crux for several binary analysis applications, including malware analysis, vulnerability discovery, and embedded firmware reverse engineering. However, data-driven and signature-based approaches often break down when encountering outlier realizations of a particular algorithm. Moreover, reverse engineering of domain-specific binaries often requires collaborative analysis between reverse engineers and domain experts. Communicating the behavior of an unidentified binary program to non-reverse engineers necessitates the recovery of algorithmic semantics in a human-digestible form. This paper presents PERFUME, a framework that extracts symbolic math expressions from low-level binary representations of an algorithm. PERFUME works by translating a symbolic output representation of a binary function to a high-level mathematical expression. In particular, we detail how source and target representations are generated for training a machine translation model. We integrate PERFUME as a plug-in for Ghidra--an open-source reverse engineering framework. We present our preliminary findings for domain-specific use cases and formalize open challenges in mathematical expression extraction from algorithmic implementations.
FakeSens: A Social Sensing Approach to COVID-19 Misinformation Detection on Social Media

Social sensing is emerging as an effective and pervasive sensing paradigm to collect timely data and observations from human sensors. This paper focuses on the problem of COVID-19 misinformation detection on social media. Our work is motivated by the lack of COVID-specific knowledge in current misinformation detection solutions, which is critical to assess the truthfulness of social media claims about the emerging COVID-19 disease. In this paper, we leverage human intelligence on a crowdsourcing platform to obtain essential knowledge facts for detecting the COVID-19 misinformation on social media. Two critical challenges exist in solving our problem: i) how to efficiently acquire accurate and timely knowledge that is both inclusive and specific to COVID-19? ii) How to effectively coordinate the efforts from both expert and non-expert workers to detect COVID-19 misinformation? To address these challenges, we develop FakeSens, a social sensing based crowd knowledge graph approach that explicitly explores the knowledge facts specific to COVID-19 and models the reliability of different types of crowd workers to capture the misleading COVID-19 claims. Evaluation results on a real-world dataset show that FakeSens significantly outperforms state-of-the-art baselines in accurately detecting misleading claims of COVID-19 on social media.
A new metal ion interaction in the Tetrahymena ribozyme reaction revealed by double sulfur substitution.

The Tetrahymena ribozyme is a metalloenzyme that catalyzes cleavage of oligonucleotide substrates by phosphoryl transfer. Thiophilic metal ions such as Mn2+, Zn2+ or Cd2+ rescue the >103-fold inhibitory effect of sulfur substitution of the 3'-oxygen leaving group but do not effectively rescue the effect of sulfur substitution of the nonbridging pro-Sp phosphoryl oxygen. We now show that the latter effect can be fully rescued by Zn2+ or Cd2+ using a phosphorodithioate substrate, in which both the 3'-oxygen and the pro-Sp oxygen are simultaneously substituted with sulfur. These results provide the first functional evidence that metallophosphotransferases can mediate catalysis via metal ion coordination to both the leaving group and a nonbridging oxygen of the scissile phosphate.
Partitioned linear state estimation

This paper presents the idea of a partitioned linear state estimator (PLSE) as an alternative to the classical linear state estimator (LSE). PLSE is found to be especially useful for performing state estimation in large systems comprising of multiple entities. The best example of this is different utilities functioning under an independent system operator (ISO). The proposed technique is immune to the number of tie-lines that exist between the utilities as well as the number of utilities that are present under the ISO. Its biggest advantage is that it reduces discrepancies occurring at the boundaries while requiring minimum exchange of information between the utilities. The IEEE-14 bus system is used as the test system for presenting the idea. The results indicate that PLSE is a robust method for performing state estimation in big systems.
Primary amenorrhea and pseudoprolactinoma in a patient with primary hypothyroidism: Reversal of clinical, biochemical, and radiologic abnormalities with levothyroxine

Abstract A 15-year-old girl presented with primary amenorrhea, galactorrhea, hyperprolactinemia and an enlarged pituitary gland. She proved to have primary hypothyroidism. Therapy with levothyroxine resulted in prompt induction of regular menses, normalization of hormone levels, and a reduction in the size of the pituitary. Although hypothyroidism is known to produce secondary amenorrhea, hyperprolactinemia, and pituitary enlargement, this is believed to be the first computed tomographic documentation of such a "pseudoprolactinoma" presenting as primary amenorrhea.
A unique combination of inflammatory cytokines enhances apoptosis of thyroid follicular cells and transforms nondestructive to destructive thyroiditis in experimental autoimmune thyroiditis

Treatment of cultured primary human thyroid cells with IFN-γ and TNF-α uniquely allows the induction of Fas-mediated apoptosis. To investigate the role of this cytokine combination in vivo, CBA/J mice were immunized with thyroglobulin and then injected with IFN-γ and TNF-α. Compared with control animals, mice treated with IFN-γ and TNF-α showed significantly sustained lymphocytic infiltration in the thyroid, which was associated with the destruction of portions of the follicular architecture at wk 6 after initial immunization. Furthermore, the number of apoptotic thyroid follicular cells was increased only in the thyroids from mice treated with the IFN-γ and TNF-α. We also analyzed the function of the Fas pathway in vivo in cytokine-treated mice by using an agonist anti-Fas Ab injected directly into the thyroid. Minimal apoptosis of thyroid epithelial cells was observed unless the mice were pretreated with IFN-γ and TNF-α. These data demonstrate that this unique combination of inflammatory cytokines facilitates the apoptotic destruction of thyroid follicular cells in experimental autoimmune thyroiditis, in a manner similar to what is observed in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in humans.
Dissonance Between Parent-Selected Bedtimes and Young Children's Circadian Physiology Influences Nighttime Settling Difficulties.

Nighttime settling difficulties (i.e., bedtime resistance, sleep-onset delay) occur in about 25% of young children and are associated with attentional, behavioral, and emotional problems. We examined whether the timing of internal (endogenous) circadian melatonin phase (i.e., dim light melatonin onset; DLMO) and its relationship with parent-selected bedtimes were related to nighttime settling behaviors. Fourteen regularly napping preschoolers (8 females; 30–36 months) participated in a 6-day protocol (parent-report of nighttime settling, actigraphic assessment of sleep onset latency, evening salivary DLMO). Average DLMO clock time was 07:40 p.m. ± 00:48 minutes, occurring 29 minutes ± 32 minutes prior to bedtime (lights-out). Children with later DLMOs had longer sleep-onset latencies (r = .62) and poorer success in falling asleep (r = −.59). Children whose bedtimes were closer to their DLMO had longer sleep-onset latencies (r = .72) and increased bedtime resistance (r = −.54). We conclude that dissonance between parent-selected bedtimes and children's circadian physiology may contribute to the development of nighttime settling difficulties in early childhood.
Role of the Oculomotor Vermis in Generating Pursuit and Saccades: Effects of Microstimulation

Krauzlis, R. J. and F. A. Miles. Role of the oculomotor vermis in generating pursuit and saccades: effects of microstimulation. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 2046–2062, 1998. We studied the eye movements ev...
Real-Time Systems

From the Publisher: In this text performance measures,scheduling,real-time architectures,and algorithms are treated,along with fault-tolerance technology. With Real-Time Systems,students will gain a deeper insight into the material through the use of numerous exercises and examples. For instance,simple examples found in Chapter 2 illustrate the differences between real-time and non-real-time systems.
SA-4-1BBL costimulation inhibits conversion of conventional CD4+ T cells into CD4+ FoxP3+ T regulatory cells by production of IFN-γ.

Tumors convert conventional CD4+ T cells into induced CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T regulatory (iTreg) cells that serve as an effective means of immune evasion. Therefore, the blockade of conventional CD4+ T cell conversion into iTreg cells represents an attractive target for improving the efficacy of various immunotherapeutic approaches. Using a novel form of 4-1BBL molecule, SA-4-1BBL, we previously demonstrated that costimulation via 4-1BB receptor renders both CD4+and CD8+ T effector (Teff) cells refractory to inhibition by Treg cells and increased intratumoral Teff/Treg cell ratio that correlated with therapeutic efficacy in various preclinical tumor models. Building on these studies, we herein show for the first time, to our knowledge, that signaling through 4-1BB inhibits antigen- and TGF-β-driven conversion of naive CD4+FoxP3− T cells into iTreg cells via stimulation of IFN-γ production by CD4+FoxP3− T cells. Importantly, treatment with SA-4-1BBL blocked the conversion of CD4+FoxP3− T cells into Treg cells by EG.7 tumors. Taken together with our previous studies, these results show that 4-1BB signaling negatively modulate Treg cells by two distinct mechanisms: i) inhibiting the conversion of CD4+FoxP3− T cells into iTreg cells and ii) endowing Teff cells refractory to inhibition by Treg cells. Given the dominant role of Treg cells in tumor immune evasion mechanisms, 4-1BB signaling represents an attractive target for favorably tipping the Teff:Treg balance toward Teff cells with important implications for cancer immunotherapy.
'Strongly bound' uranium in marine waters : occurrence and analytical implications

Abstract In the determination of dissolved 238 U in aqueous solutions, a pre-concentration by chelating ion exchange chromatography with a Chelex-100 column at pH 4 (or Chelex- 238 U) and co-precipitation with iron hydroxide (or Fe 238 U) yielded indistinguishable results for pure solutions of inorganic uranium and samples of open-ocean waters. However, in coastal marine waters, the concentration of Fe 238 U could be significantly higher than that of Chelex- 238 U. The concentration ratio of Fe 238 U. The concentration ratio of Fe 238 U to Chelex- 238 U seemed to be higher in waters with higher concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). A concentration ratio of Fe 238 U to Chelex- 238 U as high as 1.27 was observed. The concentration of 238 U (UV- 238 U) in these coastal waters might be further elevated if dissolved organic matter in the sample was first mineralized, by subjecting it to UV irradiation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide under acidic conditions, before analysis. The ratio of the concentration of UV- 238 U to Chelex- 238 U increased even more dramatically with increasing concentration of DOC. The highest value observed was 1.83. The concentration of dissolved uranium thus increased in the order: Chelex- 238 U ⩽ Fe 238 U ⩽ UV 238 U. These results are consistent with the notion that: (a) only inorganic and weakly bound species are removed by the Chelex 100 resin so that Chelex-U represents inorganic and weakly bound uranium: (b) iron hydroxide co-precipitation can remove a fraction of dissolved organic matter so that FeU includes inorganic as well as a variable fraction of ‘strongly bound’ uranium; (c) the UV irradiation of a sample of water converts ‘strongly bound’ uranium to the readily detectable inorganic uranium: (d) ‘strongly bound’ uranium is more likely to be found in coastal marine waters where the concentration of dissolved organic matter is higher. Previously published data are almost exclusively Chelex-U and FeU. In the open oceans, if the amount of ‘trongly bound’ uranium is small, they should be essentially identical. In coastal waters, however, Chelex-U and FeU may represent different fractions of dissolved uranium. Thus, some of the conclusions on the behavior of uranium in estuarine and coastal waters drawn from these data may have to be re-examined to take into consideration the speciation of uranium in these waters and the analytical methods used. By determining Chelex- 238 U and UV- 238 U simultaneously in a sample, ‘strongly bound’ uranium may be estimated as the difference in concentration in these two measurements.
A literature search and file organization model

A principle of sequential optimization in search theory distributes the search effort at each stage so as to maximize the probability of target detection with the effort expended thus far. As an application of this principle to the search for pertinent items in a literature file, the file items should be arranged in decreasing order of the probability that an item will yield the information sought. Complete ordering in this manner may not be feasible, and it is proposed that the files be partially ordered in search zones with some loss in search efficiency. A model for assessing the relative efficiency of partial ordering is developed and used to determine optimal zone sizes under an assumed target distribution pattern. In this way, trade-offs between file organization effort and search effort can be meaningfully evaluated. A representative target distribution function for research literature appears to follow the Bradford law of scattering. This function is used to demonstrate the application of the model over a meaningful range of parameters obtained from empirical studies. It is shown that a good two-zone search plan for scientific literature is one in which 15–20% of the most useful documents are examined first. Only about one of three searches should have to go on to a search over the remainder of the file.
Visual impairment Following Radial Keratotomy: A Cluster of Cases

Abstract Thirteen patients who underwent radial keratotomy developed complications leading to visual impairment. Three eyes were legally blind. Two groups of complications were seen: (1) those common to surgical procedures involving the eye—optic atrophy, infections, cataract and retinal detachment, and (2) those unique to radial keratotomy—complete failure of the procedure, marked undercorrection, marked overcorrection, and induced astigmatism. Symptoms due to anisometropia were prominent in the latter group who considered themselves visually disabled by the surgery. Radial keratotomy, like all surgical procedures, is liable to complications that may lead to visual impairment, blindness, or loss of an eye.
Role of N-Acetylcysteine in the Prevention of Radiocontrast-Induced Nephropathy

OBJECTIVE:To examine the role of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in the prevention of radiocontrast—induced nephropathy (RIN).DATA SOURCES:A literature search of MEDLINE (1966–December 2001) was performed using the following search terms: N-acetylcysteine, nephropathy, acute renal failure, and radiocontrast.STUDY SELECTION:Pertinent English-language animal and human studies were reviewed.DATA SYNTHESIS:Few small animal trials have demonstrated that NAC significantly prevents the development or reduces the severity of acute renal failure. Two human studies demonstrated NAC significantly reduces the occurrence of RIN.CONCLUSIONS:NAC may reduce the occurrence of RIN in high-risk patients. Further large-scale studies are needed to corroborate findings from earlier trials.
Future constraints on and from lepton universality

In the near future, experimental constraints on charged current (CC) lepton universality can be expected to improve dramatically. First, the PIENU experiment at TPIUMF and the PEN experiment at PSI aim to improve the bound on the ratio by almost an order of magnitude. Second, by analyzing existing data, the Belle experiment aims to improve the bound on the ratio by a factor of three. Further improvements can be expected by analyzing the τ decays in existing Belle data. There also exist a large amount of unanalyzed W decay data from the Tevatron. These new bounds will place very tight constraints on possible new physics beyond the Standard Model. For example, the 95% bounds on R-parity violating couplings will be improved as follows: These limits will be very difficult to improve further, even with future high statistics neutrino experiments such as NuSOnG [1]. However, for certain types of new physics, the combination of CC lepton universality data and NuSOnG will have a dramatic effect. I demonstrate this using a model in which neutrino mixing with heavy gauge singlet states suppress both the CC and NC neutrino couplings.
α/β-tubulin are A kinase anchor proteins for type I PKA in neurons

Expression, localization and regulation of different cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) subunits account for specificity in the intracellular cAMP/PKA signaling pathway. In Aplysia neurons, two classes of PKA (I and II) differing in their regulatory (R) subunits have been characterized. Type I is mostly soluble in the cell body, and type II enriched at the synaptic endings. Although both types are necessary for long-term changes in synaptic plasticity, their differences in cellular localization and expression suggest that they mediate distinct functions. By photoaffinity labeling studies, we previously observed a cAMP-binding 105 kDa band in extracts from Aplysia neurons as a putative third class of R subunit of PKA. Here, we have determined that the 105 kDa band is a high molecular weight complex (HMWC) containing α/β-tubulin and PKA RI, but not RII. This hetero-complex is conserved in vertebrates since mouse brain extracts also contain it. The enrichment of the endogenous HMWC by subcellular fractionation and its synthesis in vitro indicate that it is mainly produced in the cytosol, and then transported to the synapses. The HMWC is functional as a cAMP-sensitive regulatory subunit of PKA since it binds catalytic subunit in the absence of cAMP. Furthermore, serotonin (5-HT) treatment, which produces long-term facilitation in neurons, induced its degradation. In mouse brain RI co-localized with tubulin in neuropils and in COS-7 cells discretely at the cell membrane. These observations suggest that the α/β-tubulin anchoring type I PKA may have an important role in the formation of long-term synaptic plasticity.
PHOSPHORYLATION OF RIBOSOMAL PROTEIN L18 IS REQUIRED FOR ITS FOLDING AND BINDING TO 5S RRNA

Ribosomal protein L18 from Bacillus stearothermophilus (bL18) includes a previously unreported phosphoserine residue. The folded conformation of the protein is stabilized by the dianionic form of the phosphate group of that residue. In the absence of Mg2+, the pKa of the phosphate group is so high that the protein is not fully folded at pH 7. In the presence of Mg2+, its pKa drops significantly, and consequently the native conformation of bL18 becomes stable at pH 7 and the protein is able to bind to 5S rRNA. Dephosphorylated bL18 does not bind to 5S rRNA at neutral pH.
Semi-global output feedback stabilization of a class of non-minimum phase nonlinear systems

We solve the problem of semi-global output feedback stabilization of a class of non-minimum phase nonlinear systems using a full order Extended Kalman Filter-Extended High Gain Observer proposed in [1]. We allow for any globally stabilizing full state feedback control scheme to be used as long as it satisfies a particular ISS condition. The proposed output feedback control system strategy is constructive and simple. Finally, we provide an example that illustrates the procedure and efficacy of the control design.
Endosulfan Elevates Testosterone Biotransformation and Clearance in CD-1 Mice

Abstract Toxicant-mediated induction of hepatic biotransformation enzymes is a mechanism by which endogenous steroid hormone metabolism and elimination may be altered. Endosulfan, an organochlorine insecticide that has been demonstrated to induce hepatic P450 biotransformation enzymes, was examined for its ability to alter the rate of steroid hormone metabolism in CD-1 mice. Our objective was to evaluate whether endosulfan-induced changes in the rate of testosterone metabolism were reflected in the rate of testosterone clearance and if those alterations were sufficient to disrupt steroid hormone homeostasis within the animal. Major pathways for testosterone metabolism in the liver, including hydroxylation, conjugation to glucuronic acid or sulfate, and reduction/dehydrogenation, were examined for changes due to endosulfan exposure. In female mice, endosulfan treatment elicited a dose-dependent increase in the rate of total testosterone hydroxyl metabolite formation by selectively increasing the rate of production of 16β-, 6α-, and 16α-hydroxytestosterone metabolites. The hydroxylation of testosterone in the 16β position was most sensitive to endosulfan with a 3.3-fold increase in the rate of production of this metabolite observed following exposure to 7.5 mg/kg/day for 7 days. The rate of testosterone dehydrogenation to androstenedione was increased by 7.5 mg/kg/day of endosulfan, but the rate of direct glucuronic acid or sulfate conjugation to testosterone was not affected by any of the dosages investigated. Endosulfan was generally more toxic to male mice and did not significantly alter the rate of total hydroxytestosterone metabolite formation or glucuronic acid or sulfate conjugation. The ability of endosulfan to enhance the elimination of testosterone was, therefore, investigated in female mice. Exposure of mice to 7.5 mg/kg/day of endosulfan resulted in an ∼3.6-fold increase in the rate of urinary elimination of [ 14 C]androgen, but had no significant effect on the fecal elimination of [ 14 C]androgen. The increase in androgen clearance was associated only with a small, nonsignificant decrease in serum testosterone levels. Results indicate that increases in testosterone biotransformation from endosulfan exposure can result in increases in the elimination of the steroid. However, homeostatic processes apparently compensate for the effect and minimize any consequences on serum hormone levels.
Characterization of Lesions in U.S. Cull Sows

Physical and reproductive conditions of 3,158 cull sows from 2 U.S. Midwestern harvest facilities were assessed. Body condition, feet, shoulders, teeth, lungs, and reproductive tracts were visually...
The Mobility of Actinium Active Deposit Ions

The mobility of the ions in actinium active deposit is determined by drawing them across an air stream having a speed of 20 m/sec., by means of an electric field of over 100 v/cm, and allowing them to deposit on a metal plate. The amount of deposit at various distances along the plate is determined by the ionization it produces through a slit in the wall of an ionization chamber. It is found that two positive ions are present, one of which has a mobility of about 4.35 cm/sec/volt/cm and the other 1.55. The first is greater than that of monomolecular ions of air and the second greater than that of bi-molecular ions of air (Phys. Rev. 24, 1924). The interpretation advanced is that the more rapid ions are atomic actinium A and B, and that the slower ion is formed when the more rapid ion attaches itself to a neutral molecule (presumably air). A comparison of the results in the case of these heavy ions with those in the case of the air and C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ ions shows that the mobility of an ion is practically independent of its mass.
Gender presentation: Perceptual and acoustical analysesof voice

This study investigated the perceptual and acoustical characteristics of vocal presentation in both the masculine and the feminine modes by the same group of male subjects. Listeners (N = 88) evaluated 22 voice samples by using 18 semantic differential scales and 57 adjectives. The 22 voice samples were provided by 11 biologically male speakers, who described themselves as heterosexual crossdressers. Each speaker read a standard passage under controlled conditions. In one reading, they demonstrated their typical masculine voice and in the other they spoke in their feminine voice. Acoustical analyses included mean fundamental frequency, frequency range, overall passage duration, and duration of a sample of stressed vowels. Results indicated that listeners heard significant differences between masculine and feminine presentations across the 11 speakers and the 18 semantic differential scales. Masculine-feminine and high-low pitch were the most salient scales in the perceptual judgments. Acoustical analyses indicated wide variation according to speaker and condition. Clinical applications are provided.
STUDIES ON THE MECHANISM OF RECOVERY IN PNEUMONIA DUE TO FRIEDLÄNDER'S BACILLUS II. THE EFFECT OF SULFONAMIDE CHEMOTHERAPY UPON THE PULMONARY LESION OF EXPERIMENTAL FRIEDLÄNDER'S BACILLUS PNEUMONIA

Sulfonamide chemotherapy was found to cure rats of an otherwise fatal form of experimental Friedlander's bacillus pneumonia when treatment was begun 6 hours after inoculation. Most of the pneumonic lesions cleared completely, but an occasional animal exhibited small residual abscesses in the previously consolidated lung. The recovery process taking place in the lungs was studied histologically at various intervals during therapy. As in the case of pneumococcal pneumonia, the principal action of the sulfonamide was upon the bacteria in the advancing edema zone at the periphery of the pneumonic lesion. The bacteriostatic action of the drug appeared to stop the spread of the pneumonia, and the Friedlander bacilli were ultimately ingested and destroyed by the phagocytic cells in the alveolar exudate. The phagocytosis of bacteria in the lung was shown to be unrelated to the presence of antibody in the blood.
What is innovation? And why aren’t companies doing more of it?

Though a commitment to innovation is the key to successful growth, the level of uncertainty involved and the concomitant risk deter companies from committing themselves totally to its implementation. Contributing to managers’ reluctance to face innovation are an ignorance and fear of what exactly it represents. This article lists ingredients of and directions for successful innovation, which can lead to real competitive advantage if followed correctly. However, senior management must assimilate the message fully before it can possible cascade down the organisation.
Proteomic analyses of songbird (Zebra finch; Taeniopygia guttata) retina.

Proteomic analyses of male songbird (Zebra finch; Taeniopygia guttata; ZF) retina were performed resulting in identification of 129 proteins. Comparison of T. guttata retinal proteome with that of ...
Effect of microstructure on notch fatigue properties of Ti-6Al-4V

The effect of microstructure on the notch fatigue properties of Ti-6A1-4V was investigated. Specimens with five distinctly different microstructures were tested and subsequently examined in detail. It was found that the notch fatigue performance of the alloy varied significantly as the microstructure was altered by heat treatment. The best high cycle fatigue strength was found in specimens heat treated above the beta transus temperature, containing an almost totally transformed acicular alpha structure. The fatigue performance of specimens with this microstructure appeared to be controlled by the size of the nucleated crack. It is suggested that at low stress levels the nucleated crack is limited in size to the width of a single alpha needle, while at high stresses the nucleated crack may be as large as an entire colony of similarly aligned alpha needles.
Recent advances in the interventional treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

Background: Acute ischemic stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe, North America, and Asia. Recent advances over the past decade have been made in the interven