cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulse oximetry in very low birth weight infants with acute and chronic lung disease.

With improved survival of very low birth weight infants, the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia has significantly increased. Pulse oximetry appears to be an adequate alternative to transcutaneous PO2, for continuous arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) monitoring in neonates; however, its usefulness has not been very well documented in very low birth weight infants. We studied 68 patients with birth weight less than 1,250 g; 44 neonates had respiratory distress syndrome and 24 had bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Using a Nellcor N-100 pulse oximeter, we compared transcutaneous oxygen saturation with simultaneous arterial samples analyzed for SaO2 (range 78% to 100%) using an IL 282 co-oximeter. Fetal hemoglobin was measured in 66 patients. We also evaluated the accuracy of transcutaneous PO2 in reflecting arterial PO2 in patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Over a wide range of PO2, PCO2, pH, heart rate, BP, hematocrit, and fetal hemoglobin, linear regression analysis revealed a close correlation between pulse oximeter values and co-oximeter measured SaO2 in patients with acute (r = .88, Y = 19.41 + 0.79X) and chronic (r = .90, Y = 9.72 + 0.92X) disease. Regression analysis of transcutaneous v arterial PO2 in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia showed an r value of .78. In addition, in these patients with chronic disease, the mean difference between pulse oximeter SaO2 and co-oximeter measured SaO2 was 2.7 +/- 1.9% (SD); whereas the mean difference between transcutaneous and arterial PO2 was -14 +/- 10.7 mm Hg. Our findings indicate that pulse oximetry can be used reliably in very low birth weight infants with acute and chronic lung disease, for SaO2 values greater than 78%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Changes in the calpains and calpastatin during postmortem storage of bovine muscle.

Changes in activity and protein status of μ-calpain, m-calpain, and calpastatin in bovine semimembranosus muscle during the first 7 d of postmortem storage were monitored by using assays of proteolytic activity, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and Western blot analysis. Extractable m-calpain activity changed slightly during the first 7 d after death (decreased to 63% of at-death activity after 7 d), whereas extractable calpastatin activity decreased substantially (to 60% of at-death activity after 1 d and to 30% of at-death activity after 7 d of postmortem storage) during this period. Extractable μ-calpain activity also decreased rapidly (to 20% of at-death activity at 1 d and to less than 4% of its at-death activity at 7 d after death) during postmortem storage. Western blot analysis showed that the 80-kDa subunit of m-calpain remained undegraded during the first 7 d after death but that the 125- to 130-kDa calpastatin polypeptide was gone entirely at 7 d after death. Hence, the calpastatin activity remaining at 7 d originates from calpastatin polypeptides that are 42 kDa or smaller. The 80-kDa μ-calpain subunit was almost entirely in the 76-kDa autolyzed form at 7 d after death; this form is proteolytically active in in vitro systems, and it is unclear why the postmortem, autolyzed μ-calpain is not active. Over 50% of total muscle μ-calpain is tightly bound to myofibrils 7 d after death; this μ-calpain is also nearly inactive proteolytically. Unless postmortem muscle contains some factor that enables μ-calpain in this muscle to be proteolytically active, it is not clear whether μ-calpain could be responsible for any appreciable postmortem myofibrillar proteolysis.
Propagation of VLF Radio Waves in a Model Earth‐Ionosphere Waveguide of Arbitrary Height and Finite Surface Impedance Boundary: Theory and Experiment

This paper deals with propagation of radio waves in a model multimode waveguide with special applications to VLF propagation in the earth-ionosphere waveguide. The effective height of the waveguide is assumed to be an arbitrary function of distance along the path of propagation. In this paper a finite surface impedance boundary is devised to simulate the ionosphere boundary. The quasi-optical approach developed for perfectly reflecting boundaries is generalized to obtain the required solution. These theoretical solutions are compared with experimental data from the model waveguide in which a “day-to-night transition” and a localized depression in the effective height of the ionosphere are simulated.
Analysis of utilization of antineoplastic agents during 2007-2009 in Shanghai

Objective:To analyze the utilization status of antineoplastic agents in Shanghai during 2007-2009.Methods: Data of utilization of antineoplastic agents was collected from 105 sample hospitals.The total consumption sum and consumption quantity of the top antineoplastic agents were calculated,and the utilization tendency was analyzed.Results: During 2007-2009,new antineoplastic agents occupied the leading position in the market of Shanghai.Oxaliplatin and docetaxel occupied the top of consumption sum.Capecitabine,paclitaxel and epirubicin were leading drugs of consumption quantity.The main antineoplastic agents used in community health centers were quite different from those used in central hospitals.Conclusion: Shanghai has showed increasing demand of antineoplastic agents,so it is a market of antineoplastic agents with enormous potentiality.
Quantitative tests of nitrogen metabolism in cirrhosis: relation to other manifestations of liver disease.

Nitrogen metabolism and hepatic function were comprehensively evaluated in 73 patients with cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and history of variceal hemorrhage, and in 18 normal controls. Seventeen patients had a history of hepatic encephalopathy. The 20 indices of nitrogen metabolism quantitated included plasma levels of 16 amino acids, ratio of aromatic to branched chain amino acids, fasting venous plasma ammonia, ammonia tolerance score, and rate of urea synthesis during a rapid infusion of amino acids (maximal rate of urea synthesis). The eight conventional tests were hematocrit, prothrombin time, albumin, bilirubin, lactate dehydrogenase, SGOT, cholesterol, and creatinine. Significant (P
Comorbidity of tinea pedis and onychomycosis and evaluation of risk factors in Latino immigrant poultry processing and other manual laborers

Objectives Latino immigrant workers experience elevated rates of skin disease that result from their working and living conditions. Working in manual occupations exposes workers to a variety of challenges, including occlusive shoes, vigorous physical activity, and wet conditions. These challenges predispose workers to fungal infection. The objectives of this article are to examine the comorbidity of tinea pedis and onychomycosis and to identify possible risk factors among Latino immigrant poultry and nonpoultry workers in western North Carolina. Methods Data were obtained from a cross-sectional study conducted between June 2009 and November 2010 in rural western North Carolina among 518 manual Latino immigrant workers to assess their occupational injuries. Participants completed a face-to-face interview and a dermatologic examination. Results Nearly one-third of the participants (32%) were diagnosed as having onychomycosis and more than one-third (37.8%) were diagnosed as having tinea pedis. There was a greater prevalence of tinea pedis in men than women (71.3% vs 28.7%, respectively). Of the 518 participants, 121 (23.5%) had both conditions. Participants who reported the use of occlusive shoes as "always" or "most of the time" had a higher prevalence of comorbid onychomycosis and tinea pedis than the rest of the group. Conclusions Comorbidity of tinea pedis and onychomycosis is common among immigrant Latino men and women who perform manual labor. Further studies confirming the presence and type of dermatophyte should be conducted.
Byzantium and the Early Islamic Conquests: The brief struggle to save northern Syria and Byzantine Mesopotamia

THE BYZANTINE ROUT AND DILEMMAS OF DEFENSE IN NORTHERN SYRIA AND MESOPOTAMIA Byzantine flight after Jābiya-Yarmūk was understandable. As Clausewitz observed: When a battle is lost, the strength of the army is broken — its moral even more than its physical strength. A second battle without the help of new and favorable factors would mean outright defeat, perhaps even absolute destruction. That is a military axiom. It is in the nature of things that a retreat should be continued until the balance of power is reestablished — whether by means of reinforcements or the cover of strong fortresses or major natural obstacles or the overextension of the enemy. The magnitude of the losses, the extent of the defeat, and, what is even more important, the nature of the enemy, will determine how soon the moment of equilibrium will return. Among the many problems of historical explanation of the Muslim conquest of Byzantine territories in the seventh century is one that has been neglected: that is the role of Byzantine forces in northern Syria and Byzantine Mesopotamia after the battle of Jābiya-Yarmūk. Mesopotamia here refers to areas now in northern Syria east of the Euphrates or in Turkey east of the Euphrates and, of course, west of the Tigris, in Arabic the Jazīra. It comprised the provinces of Osrhoene and Mesopotamia in sixth- and seventh-century Byzantine nomenclature, and such cities as Callinicum (Raqqa), Edessa (Urfa, al-Ruhā'), Monokarton, Amida (Diyarbekir), Dara, and Mardes (Mardin), as well as the Ṭūr 'Abdīn region (Map 3).
Prevalence of ADHD in Publicly Insured Adults

Objective To estimate the prevalence of adult ADHD diagnosis and treatment in U.S. Medicaid beneficiaries. Method Using outpatient, inpatient, and pharmacy billing records for patients eligible for Medicaid fee-for-service benefits within 29 states from 1999 to 2010, we estimated the annual prevalence of ADHD diagnosis and treatment. Results The prevalence of ADHD diagnosis increased from 2.20 per 1,000 patients in 1999 to 10.57 in 2010. Likewise, prevalence of ADHD treatment increased from 1.95 per 1,000 patients in 1999 to 13.16 in 2010. Between 40% and 65%, patients had ADHD drug prescription fills 6 months after ADHD diagnosis, whereas 45% to 55% of the beneficiaries with an ADHD drug prescription fill had ADHD diagnoses within 6 months before the prescription. Conclusion In publicly insured adults, the prevalence of ADHD diagnosis and treatment increased dramatically over the years. Approximately half of the diagnosed patients are not treated, whereas half of the treated adults are not diagnosed.
An interface capturing scheme for modeling atomization in compressible flows

Abstract The study of atomization in supersonic flow is critical to ensuring reliable ignition of scramjet combustors under startup conditions. Numerical methods incorporating surface tension effects have largely focused on the incompressible regime as most atomization applications occur at low Mach numbers. Simulating surface tension effects in compressible flow requires robust numerical methods that can handle discontinuities caused by both shocks and material interfaces with high density ratios. In this work, a shock and interface capturing scheme is developed that uses the Harten–Lax–van Leer–Contact (HLLC) Riemann solver while a Tangent of Hyperbola for INterface Capturing (THINC) interface reconstruction scheme retains the fluid immiscibility condition in the volume fraction and phasic densities in the context of the five equation model. The approach includes the effects of compressibility, surface tension, and molecular viscosity. One and two-dimensional benchmark problems demonstrate the desirable interface sharpening and conservation properties of the approach. Simulations of secondary atomization of a cylindrical water column after its interaction with a shockwave show good qualitative agreement with experimentally observed behavior. Three-dimensional examples of primary atomization of a liquid jet in a Mach 2 crossflow demonstrate the robustness of the method.
Ex vivo study of diffusion of indocyanine green (ICG) in cow retinal layers using optical coherence tomography

In this paper, we studied the diffusion of indocyanine green (ICG) into retinal layers by analyzing OCT images and showed that ICG diffuse all the way to RPE layer in ex vivo cow retina.
Why the Title Celestina? Why Not Melibea?

The importance and influence of a name is discussed, in the case of the title of a literary work, for its impact on the reception the work meets with, and the meanings it holds for readers. The his...
Self-similarity and panorama of self-affinity

This long and essential chapter provides this book with two of its multiple alternative introductions. The mathematically ambitious reader who will enter here will simply glance through Section 1, which distinguishes between self-similarity and self-affinity, and Section 2, which is addressed to the reader new to fractals and takes an easy and very brief look at self-similarity. Later sections approach subtle and diverse facets of self-affine scaling from two distinct directions, each with its own significant assets and liabilities.
Anti-neoplastic cytotoxicity by complementary simultaneous selective “targeted” delivery for pulmonary adenocarcinoma: fludarabine-(5′-phosphoramidate)-[anti-IGF-1R] in dual-combination with dexamethasone-(C21-phosphoramidate)-[anti-EGFR]

Selective “targeted” delivery of chemotherapeutic agents represents a molecular strategy for achieving enhanced margins-of-safety and greater potency compared to conventional small-molecular weight chemotherapeutics. Greater margins-of-safety are possible because extensive un-intentional diffusion of therapeutics across intact cell membranes of normal healthy cells residing within tissues and organ systems is minimized or avoided. Simultaneous, independent “targeted” delivery of one or more therapeutics at multiple sites on the external surface membrane of neoplastic cells has not been described extensively. Fludarabine-(5′-phosphoramidate)-[anti-IGF-1R] and dexamethasone-(C21-phosphoramidate)-[anti-EGFR] were synthesized by reacting fludarabine or dexamethasone-C21-monophosphate with a carbodiimide reagent and imidazole for synthesis of covalent fludarabine-(5′-phosphoramidate)-[anti-IGF-1R] and dexamethasone-(C21-phosphoramidate)-[anti-EGFR] immunopharmaceuticals. The pharmaceutical molar-incorporation-indexes for fludarabine-(C5-phosphoramidate)-[anti-IGF-1R] and dexamethasone-(C21-phosphoramidate)-[anti-EGFR] were 3.67:1 and 6.95:1 respectively. Simultaneous dual-combination selective “targeted” delivery with fludarabine-(5′-phosphoramidate)-[anti-IGF-1R] with dexamethasone-(C21-phosphoramidate)-[anti-EGFR] produced the most profound enhancement in anti-neoplastic cytotoxitity at the pharmaceutical-equivalent concentations of 10− 9 M (14.7% ± 0.80 SE) and 10− 8 M (54.0% ± 0.9 SE) respectively. Simultaneous dual “targeted” anti-neoplastic cytotoxicity can potentially be evoked ex-vivo and in-vivo with fludarabine-(5′-phosphoramidate)-[anti-IGF-1R] and dexamethasone-(C21-phosphoramidate)-[anti-EGFR] through the synergistic and additive efficacy achieved through the combined mechanisms-of-actions associated with; (1) covalently bound therapeutic moieties; (2) anti-trophic receptor IgG-immunoglobulin; and (3) activation of three host immune responses.
Complete genome sequences of mycobacteriophages Kwksand96 and Cane17.

ABSTRACT Bacteriophages Kwksand96 and Cane17 were isolated from Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155. M. smegmatis is host to the highest number of phages analyzed from one species. Both mycobacteriophages were isolated from soil in west Alabama. Kwksand96 and Cane17 belong to subclusters B1 and C1, respectively, based on mycobacteriophage nucleotide sequence similarity.
Self-injuring adolescent girls exhibit insular cortex volumetric abnormalities that are similar to those seen in adults with borderline personality disorder

Self-inflicted injury (SII) in adolescence is a serious public health concern that portends prospective vulnerability to internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, borderline personality development, suicide attempts, and suicide. To date, however, our understanding of neurobiological vulnerabilities to SII is limited. Behaviorally, affect dysregulation is common among those who self-injure. This suggests ineffective cortical modulation of emotion, as observed among adults with borderline personality disorder. In borderline samples, structural and functional abnormalities are observed in several frontal regions that subserve emotion regulation (e.g., anterior cingulate, insula, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). However, no volumetric analyses of cortical brain regions have been conducted among self-injuring adolescents. We used voxel-based morphometry to compare cortical gray matter volumes between self-injuring adolescent girls, ages 13-19 years (n = 20), and controls (n = 20). Whole-brain analyses revealed reduced gray matter volumes among self-injurers in the insular cortex bilaterally, and in the right inferior frontal gyrus, an adjacent neural structure also implicated in emotion and self-regulation. Insular and inferior frontal gyrus gray matter volumes correlated inversely with self-reported emotion dysregulation, over-and-above effects of psychopathology. Findings are consistent with an emotion dysregulation construal of SII, and indicate structural abnormalities in some but not all cortical brain regions implicated in borderline personality disorder among adults.
Community Foundation Strategy: How Fear, Tradition, and Serendipity Influence Decision Making

This research provides detailed descriptive information about the actual behavior and process of community foundation boards. Our study responds to Grady and Morgan’s (2006) call for research that ...
Are manufacturers targeting smaller patient populations and are they being rewarded for it

e17621 Background: Between 1965 and 2013 over 132 oncology drugs received regulatory approval in Europe. Only recently, with the unlocking of the genome, has the advent of personalized medicine del...
Light the Fuse

Light the Fuse by Vincent “Rocco” Vargas is pseudo memoir offering guidance in the area of military to civilian transition and navigating everyday struggles of uncertainty. In Post-9/11 America, there is no shortage of current and former service members doing their best to provide the veteran community with their take on the “self-help book.” Vargas is a former Army Ranger who served multiple deployments with the Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment, he is a former border patrol agent, actor, author, and most importantly, he is a father and husband. Through Vargas’ life and career, he has sustained and negotiated numerous setbacks and obstacles. In his writing, he is incredibly frank about this, and how each has shaped him. The difference between Light the Fuse and a majority of other books in this genre is that Vargas tells it through the lens of his shortcomings. This is not Captain Americas guide to a spotless transition – this is the realistic portrayal of the bumps, bruises and ultimate accession of a man that has walked the same path that many veterans face; this is real life. The book is not billed as the one size fits all guide to success, but more of a “this is what the ugly truth looked like for one person.” Many service members can relate to and benefit from this read. In a sea full of the simple how to’s Light the Fuse is a breath of fresh and critically needed air.
NIX-Mediated Mitophagy Promotes Effector Memory Formation in Antigen-Specific CD8+ T Cells

Autophagy plays a critical role in the maintenance of immunological memory. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in autophagy-regulated effector memory formation in CD8+ T cells remain unclear. Here we show that deficiency in NIX-dependent mitophagy leads to metabolic defects in effector memory T cells. Deletion of NIX caused HIF1α accumulation and altered cellular metabolism from long-chain fatty acid to short/branched-chain fatty acid oxidation, thereby compromising ATP synthesis during effector memory formation. Preventing HIF1α accumulation restored long-chain fatty acid metabolism and effector memory formation in antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. Our study suggests that NIX-mediated mitophagy is critical for effector memory formation in T cells.
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) model in toxicity testing

Abstract Zebrafish have become a popular model for both human and ecological toxicity assessments. This chapter discusses the scientific reasons for that popularity; describing many examples of similarities between zebrafish and mammalian function and development; how zebrafish have been used to discover novel pathways or mechanisms of toxicity; and the use of zebrafish as a model for ecological risk assessment, especially for rapid hazard testing and as bridge between laboratory and field-based studies. As toxicologists and regulators begin to recognize that there are many parallels between zebrafish and other vertebrate organisms, the use of zebrafish in both human and ecological toxicity assessments will become more common.
Applying k-Nearest Neighbors to Increase the Utility of k-Anonymity

Nowadays, there are many organizations publishing and sharing their databases with other parties for different purposes, such as to conduct statistical surveys, business investigations, or health studies. However, this shared information is mostly public, and adversaries can use it to reveal and expose real identities; therefore, it is important for database owners to preserve the privacy of the individual’s data. Previous researches in data anonymity have provided different privacy-preserving methods for protecting published data. However, the utility of the anonymized databases remains an important challenge and requires further studies. In this paper, we proposed a new way to increase the utility of the anonymized databases. We integrated kNN, a classification method, with k-anonymity to measure the similarities among multiple records. Finally, we show an example of how kNN can significantly maximizing the utility of the released databases while preserving data privacy.
Comparative Effectiveness of Rivaroxaban, Apixaban, and Warfarin in Atrial Fibrillation Patients With Polypharmacy.

Background and Purpose: Comparative effectiveness and safety of oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation and high polypharmacy are unknown. Methods: We used Medicare administrative ...
Design and test of a torsional vibration absorber in series with a planetary gearset

Traditional vibration absorbers have not often been a practical solution for attenuating low frequency drivetrain modes of vibration because of the combination of the large mass and inertia and/or ...
Inductor Winding Capacitance Cancellation for Flyback Converters without Grounding Paths

As the switching frequency of power converters is increased to achieve high power density, the high frequency common mode (CM) EMI noise becomes a severe challenge. The inductor equivalent parasitic capacitance (EPC) cancellation technique was proposed to improve the high frequency performance of CM inductors. Although it was verified in separate inductors, few papers are addressing its application within power converters. This paper first reviews the EPC cancellation technique and the common mode noise model of an isolated Flyback power adapter. The CM inductor EPC cancellation technique without using grounding paths is proposed. Two filter topologies are discussed. A technique to conveniently evaluate the performance of EPC cancellation in a power adapter with a network analyzer is proposed. Experiments were conducted to verify the techniques.
Astral Microtubules Regulate Formation of the Cytokinetic Cleavage Furrow in Fission Yeast

Microtubules of the mitotic spindle direct cytokinesis in metazoans but this has not been documented in fungi. We report evidence that astral microtubules help coordinate cytokinetic furrow formation in fission yeast. The temperature-sensitive cps1-191 strain (Liu et al., 1999) with a D277N substitution in {beta}-glucan synthase 1 (Cps1/Bgs1) was reported to arrest with an unconstricted contractile ring. We discovered that rings in cps1-191 cells do constrict slowly and that an S338N mutation in the mto2 gene is required with the bgs1D277N mutation to reproduce the cps1-191 phenotype. Complexes of Mto2 and Mto1 with {gamma}-tubulin regulate microtubule assembly. Deletion of Mto1 along with the bgs1D277N mutation also gives the cps1-191 phenotype, which is not observed in mto2S338N or mto1{Delta} cells expressing bgs1+. Both mto2S338N and mto1{Delta} cells nucleate fewer astral microtubules than normal and have higher levels of Rho1-GTP at the division site than wild-type cells. We report multiple conditions that sensitize mto1{Delta} and mto2S338N cells to furrow ingression phenotypes. SummaryDundon and Pollard show that compromising the Mto1 or Mto2 regulators of the fission yeast {gamma}-tubulin complex reduces or eliminates astral microtubules, exaggerates the effects of a non-lethal D277N substitution in {beta}-glucan synthase 1 (Cps1/Bgs1) on the rate of cytokinetic furrow formation, and increases Rho-GTP at the cleavage site.
The Ethics of Skin Cancer Screening

This chapter examines the ethics of two types of skin cancer screening: free skin cancer screening events, like those sponsored by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) SPOTme® campaign, open to the public, and screening examinations in the office at the request of patients at low risk for skin cancer (“the worried well”). The analysis of free skin cancer screenings focuses on utilitarian (public health), justice (access to care), and ethics of caring (relationship-building) perspectives. The evaluation of requests for frequent total body skin exams (TBSEs) by low-risk patient involves patient autonomy, associated limits conferred by distributive justice and other factors.
A Comparison of the Braden Q and the Braden QD Scale to Assess Pediatric Risk for Pressure Injuries During Noninvasive Ventilation.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) masks are implicated in 59% of respiratory device-related pressure injuries in hospitalized children. Historically, the Braden Q scale was not adequate in identifying risk for pressure injury associated with devices and, therefore, was modified to the Braden QD scale. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the Braden QD scoring tool is better able to identify pediatric patients receiving NIV who are at risk for the development of pressure injury as compared to the previously used Braden Q scale. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of all pediatric subjects with NIV mask-related pressure injury. Demographics and Braden Q/Braden QD scores were extracted from the electronic health record at admission, at 48 h prior to pressure injury, at 24 h before injury, and at resolution. The scores were dichotomized into “no risk” or “at risk” score ranges on the basis of each scale’s scoring parameters. The McNemar test was used to assess whether Braden Q and Braden QD have the same level of classification. RESULTS: Forty-five unique subjects, ages 1 m – 23 y with NIV mask-related pressure injury were identified (24 [53.3%] female; 21 [46.7%] male). Braden QD had a significant correlation with mask-related pressure injury at admission (P CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences were found among groups in relationship to age or gender. 85% of the subjects identified as “at risk” with the Braden QD scale developed pressure injury; conversely, virtually all of the subjects with pressure injury were identified as “no risk” with the Braden Q scale.
Real-Time Data Visualization to Enhance Situational Awareness of COVID pandemic

Real-time data visualization can enhance decision making and empower teams with human-centric situational awareness insights. Decision making relies on data which comes in overwhelming velocity and volume, that one cannot comprehend it without some layer of abstraction. This research effort aims to demonstrate the data visualization of the COVID pandemic in real-time for the fifty states in the USA. Our proposed data visualization tool includes both conceptual and data-driven information. The data visualization includes stacked bar graphs, geographic representations of the data, and offers situational awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper describes the development and testing of the data visualization tool using the Unity gaming engine. Testing has been done with a real-time feed of the COVID-19 data set for immersive environment, non-immersive environment, and mobile environment.
Purification and Properties of Thymidine Monophosphate Kinase from Mouse Hepatoma

Thymidylate kinase (deoxythymidine 5'-monophosphate kinase) has been purified some 7,500-fold from extracts of mouse ascites hepatoma. The stability of the enzyme was maintained during purification by the constant presence of substrate (dTMP) and 2-mercaptoethanol and by the elimination of substrate-destroying phosphatase activity. Thiol was essential for the protective effect of dTMP. Also effective as enzyme stabilizers were dTDP and dTTP. The purified enzyme catalyzed the reversible reaction: dTMP + ATP (Mg++)/⇌ dTDP + ADP Interfering enzyme activities were not detectable, although the purified enzyme was not entirely physically homogeneous. An approximation of the molecular size of the principal component was of the order of 35,000. It has been shown that the dTMP kinase of mouse hepatoma is subject to an extraordinary product inhibition by ADP (Km:Ki ratio of 5). The inhibition appeared to be a mixed type in which binding of ADP to the enzyme tends to prevent dissociation of the enzyme complex to its products and, at the same time, interferes with the binding of ATP. The potency of the ADP inhibition and its wide ranging effect on dTMP kinase activity have been discussed as a basis for enzyme regulation.
Industry-Academia Collaboration to Provide CASE Tools for Software Engineering Classes

The University of Texas' project-based Software Engineering class for undergraduates has used software tools for development and as final products for several years. When the opportunity arose to use Electronic Data Systems' (EDS) in-house development tool, INCASE, in the class, it was a natural extension to earlier work.
A Review of “Doing Social Media So It Matters: A Librarian's Guide”

When I signed up for an account on Facebook in 2005, I felt glamorously cutting-edge. Now, of course, everybody and their grandmother is on it—including many libraries seeking yet another way to re...
Elite versus citizen attitudes on capital punishment: Incongruity between the public and policymakers

Abstract The results of a survey of Tennessee legislators, prosecutors, and public defenders were compared to the results of a general citizen survey to analyze attitudes toward capital punishment in the two groups. The study is a replication of McGarrell and Sandys’s study of Indiana legislators, which found some degree of pluralistic ignorance: both legislators and citizens had misperceptions of the other’s attitudes. Results suggested that, similar to their Indiana counterparts, Tennessee legislators overestimate the degree of citizen support for the death penalty.
Interval Changes Of Forebrain-Cortical Versus Brainstem-Thalamic Cholinergic Integrity In Parkinson Disease Progression (P2.007)

OBJECTIVE: To investigate longitudinal interval changes of forebrain-cortical versus brainstem-thalamic cholinergic integrity in PD subjects over 3-4 years. BACKGROUND: There are two major brain cholinergic projection systems. The first arises in the basal forebrain complex, providing the principal cholinergic input of the cortical mantle. The second arises in the pedunculopontine nucleus, a brainstem locomotor center, and provides cholinergic inputs to the thalamus and other regions. Both projections are known to degenerate in Parkinson disease (PD) and have been associated with both motor and non-motor features, including cognitive dysfunction. It is unclear whether these two projections degenerate at the same rate or follow a sequential order. DESIGN/METHODS: Prospective cohort study. Twenty-five PD subjects (F2/M23; age 66.7±7.3; Hoehn and Yahr stage 1-3) underwent [C-11]methyl-4-piperidinyl propionate (PMP) acetylcholinesterase (AChE) brain PET imaging at baseline and at 3-4 year follow-up. AChE PET imaging assesses cholinergic terminal integrity with cortical uptake reflecting largely basal forebrain neuron integrity and thalamic uptake principally reflecting pedunculopontine nucleus integrity. RESULTS: There were significant interval decreases in forebrain-cortical AChE activity (baseline 0.0238±0.0029/min; follow-up 0.0226±0.0032/min; t=-3.79; P=0.0009). In contrast, there was a non-significant trend for interval decrease in brainstem-thalamic AChE activity (baseline 0.0552±0.0056/min; follow-up 0.0539±0.0074/min; t=-1.39; P=0.18). CONCLUSIONS: Forebrain-cortical cholinergic projections appear more vulnerable to degeneration than brainstem-thalamic nerve terminals in PD. These findings suggest that there may be a sequential order of cholinergic nerve terminal degeneration in advancing PD. Study Supported by: NIH grants PO1 NS015655, RO1 NS070856, Department of Veterans Affairs and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Disclosure: Dr. Bohnen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Muller has nothing to disclose. Dr. Frey has received personal compensation for activities with Bayer Schering, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., MIMVista Inc., and General Electric Healthcare as a consultant. Dr. Frey holds stock and/or stock options in General Electric, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Merck & Co., and Novo-Nordisk. Dr. Albin has received personal compensation for activities with Best Doctors.
Hunting Down Graph B

Graph B, the “Theory Graph”, of the 1999 Graph Drawing Contest is visually explored using available and some hand-written graph drawing software.
Avian abundance thresholds, human-altered landscapes, and the challenge of assemblage-level conservation

Land-use change is a global phenomenon with potential to generate abrupt spatial changes in species’ distributions. We assessed whether theory about the internal structure of bird species’ geographic ranges can be refined to reflect abrupt changes in distribution and abundance associated with human influences on landscapes, and whether the prevalence and diversity of bird–landscape threshold relationships may significantly complicate assemblage-level avian conservation. For three large regions in the United States, we used the North American Breeding Bird Survey, U.S. National Land Cover Data, and multivariate adaptive regression splines to assess whether land bird species’ abundances were associated with landscape composition and configuration in a threshold fashion. Threshold relationships between abundance and landscape characteristics were exhibited by 42–60 % of the species studied. The relationships were evident for five land types and five habitat guilds. We observed threshold relationships for more taxonomically diverse groups of bird species, a broader set of land types, and larger geographic extents than have been considered to date. Avian distribution and abundance theory can be refined by articulating that characteristics of human-altered landscapes have the potential to be widespread and biologically important contributors to abrupt spatial change in species’ abundances. Our findings also expose bird–landscape threshold relationships as pervasive and diverse patterns that impose a much more complicated set of circumstances for assemblage-level conservation of birds than has been widely recognized. To cope with these complications, landscape planners and managers can use optimization analyses, multispecies frameworks, regulatory limits, and multivariate change-point analyses.
Doughnut pattern of technetium-99m pyrophosphate myocardial uptake in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a sign of poor long-term prognosis.

Abstract Thirty survivors of acute myocardial infarction with 3+ or 4+ positive technetium-99m pyrophosphate myocardial scintigrams were followed up for 28 ± 3.1 months (mean ± standard deviation). Three patient groups were identified from the pattern of radioactive uptake in the scintigram: Group I, 16 patients with focal uptake (anterior in 7, lateral in 2, posterior in 3 and inferior in 4); Group II, 6 patients with anterior myocardial infarction and a doughnut pattern of uptake; Group III, 8 patients with nontransmural myocardial infarction and a diffuse pattern of uptake. Late complications developed in all patients with the doughnut pattern of uptake compared with 43 percent of patients with the focal pattern and 12 percent of patients with the diffuse pattern. After discharge from the hospital, five of six patients with a doughnut pattern of uptake died (mean survival time 9.8 months after the initial myocardial infarction). This mortality rate (83 percent) was significantly greater than that of patients with a focal (mortality rate 6 percent) or diffuse (no mortality) pattern of uptake. The doughnut pattern of technetium-99m pyrophosphate myocardial uptake in patients with acute myocardial infarction appears to identify a subgroup of patients with a very poor long-term prognosis.
Reduced gene expression for dopamine biosynthesis and transport in midbrain neurons of adult male rats exposed prenatally to ethanol.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal ethanol exposure affects brain dopaminergic neuronal systems, and many of these alterations are permanent. METHODS: The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on adult mRNA expression for two key regulatory proteins in the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopaminergic cell groups which mediate behavioral responses to alcohol and other drugs of abuse: tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine transporter (DAT) in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). To also address the effects on noradrenergic regulation, we quantitated mRNA expression for TH and norepinephrine transporter (NET) in the noradrenergic loci of the locus coeruleus (LC). RESULTS: Daily dietary ethanol consumption by female Sprague-Dawley rats for 3 weeks before, and continuing throughout, pregnancy decreased both DAT (approximately 68%,p < 0.002) and TH (approximately 45%,p < 0.002) mRNA expression in the VTA of adult male offspring. This prenatal exposure also suppressed DAT mRNA expression in the SNpc (approximately 81 %;p < 0.03), although TH mRNA expression in this region was not significantly altered. Prenatal ethanol exposure did not alter significantly either TH or NET mRNA expression in the LC of adult male offspring, which suggests that this brain catecholaminergic response may be limited to DA neurons. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that prenatal maternal ethanol consumption suppresses mRNA expression for important regulatory proteins in the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopaminergic systems of adult male rat offspring. These persistent prenatal ethanol-induced changes in mRNA expression may thus contribute to the persistent effects of fetal ethanol exposure on the diverse behavioral and/or metabolic responses mediated by the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopaminergic systems in the adult.
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia despite prophylaxis in children with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Before the widespread use of prophylaxis against Pneumocystis carinii infection and antiretroviral treatment, almost two thirds of the children infected with the human immunodeficiency virus eventually had P. carinii pneumonia, and the mortality rate in children under the age of 1 year exceeded 60%. 1, 2 The National Pediatric HIV Resource Center Working Group, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and U.S. Public Health Service, has recently published guidelines for PCP prophylaxis based on age-dependent changes in the patients' CD4 count or percentage. 3"6 Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is the drug of choice for prophylaxis, with pentamidine and dapsone as alternatives for patients unable to tolerate TMP/SMX. 3, 7 Although these agents are highly effective, clinical failures can occur. We highlight one case and note six additional "breakthrough" infections, underscoring the need for physicians to continue to include PCP in the differential diagnosis of a child with respiratory compromise, even though the patient may be receiving PCP prophylaxis. CASE REPORT A 20-month-old white girl was hospitalized for tachypnea and increasing lethargy. She had been born to an intravenous drug-using mother and had been placed in a foster home within 5 days of birth. At the age of 9 months she had persistent oral candidiasis and began to lose developmental milestones. Human immunodeficiency virus antibody was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot, the CD4 count was 0.571 x 10 9 cells/mm 3, and serum p24 antigen was 773 pg/ml. The patient was given PCP prophylaxis with TMP/SMX (tr!metboprim, 150 mg/m 2 per day, and sulfamethoxazole, mg/m 2 per day, given orally in two divided doses on 3 consecutive days each week). At 13 months of age she was referred to the National Cancer Institute and enrolled in a previously described phase I/II study of dideoxyinosine, 8 at a dosage of 120 mg/m 2 per day given orally in three divided doses. After 4 months of treatment, the dose of ddI was increased to 360 mg/m 2 per day because of progressive encephalopathy, including increased spasticity and right arm weakness. The patient continued
The compliance you need for a cost you can afford: How to use individual and collective sanctions? ☆

Abstract In many naturally occurring situations, actors ( agents ) use individual sanctions or collective sanctions or both to obtain compliance from members of a group. Individual sanctions are sanctions applied to each individual based on that individual’s perceived behavior; collective sanctions are sanctions to all group members based on perceived behavior by some group members. Often, there are constraints on the amount of sanctions an agent may use. I use Heckathorn’s (1990) sequential decision model of group-mediated social control to analyze the power of an agent concerning compliance by group members under such constraints. Results show that whether positive or negative sanctions are considered, the amount of group compliance is an increasing but non-linear step function of the looseness of the constraints. Moreover, it appears that the most cost-effective use of power entails using only collective sanctions when lower levels of compliance are sought, only individual sanctions when higher levels of compliance are sought, and never mixing the two.
High-resolution double-resonance spectroscopy of 2ν 3 ← ν 3 transitions in SF 6

We assign the 2ν3 ← ν3 absorption transitions seen in a double-resonance pump–probe experiment. We compare the observed frequencies with those derived by calculating the 2ν3 rovibrational energy levels, using spectroscopic constants resulting from a 3ν3 analysis. Some features in the multiple-photon ν3 absorption spectrum of SF6 can be attributed to two-photon transitions to 2ν3.
John Rawls’s Appropriation of Adam Smith

Ainda que Rawls se refira poucas vezes a A. Smith, as ideias e argumentos de A riqueza das nacoes sao centrais para a sua teoria da justica. Este artigo pretende mostrar que sem as ideias que Smith propoe em A riqueza das nacoes, Rawls nao teria sido capaz de escrever A teoria da justica As ideias de A riqueza das nacoes fornecem a Rawls a questao central da teoria da justica. Elas tambem fornecem o componente chave da sua resposta a esta questao, sem o qual a resposta de Rawls teria sido sensivelmente diferente. As contribuicoes de Smith para o conjunto das ideias que instigam Rawls a formular a sua teoria da justica sao tao importantes quanto as contribuicoes de Kant e sao mais importantes do que as contribuicoes de qualquer outro pensador alem de Kant (talvez com a excecao de Sidgwick).
Expression of mouse sialic acid on gangliosides of a human glioma grown as a xenograft in SCID mice.

Abstract: Ganglioside sialic acid content was examined in the U87-MG human glioma grown as cultured cells and as a xenograft in severe combined imunodeficiency (SCID) mice. The cultured cells and the xenograft possessed N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc)-containing gangliosides, despite the inability of human cells to synthesize NeuGc. Human cells express only N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc)-containing gangliosides, whereas mouse cells express both NeuAc- and NeuGc-containing gangliosides. Small amounts of NeuGc ganglioside sialic acid (2-3% of total ganglioside sialic acid) were detected in the cultured cells, whereas large amounts (66% of total ganglioside sialic acid) were detected in the xenograft. The NeuGc in gangliosides of the cultured cells was derived from gangliosides in the fetal bovine serum of the culture medium, whereas that in the U87-MG xenograft was derived from gangliosides of the SCID host. The chromatographic distribution of U87-MG gangliosides differed markedly between the in vitro and in vivo growth environments. The neutral glycosphingolipids in the U87-MG cells consisted largely of glucosylceramide, galactosylceramide, and lactosylceramide, and their distribution also differed in the two growth environments. Asialo-GM1 (Gg4Cer) was not present in the cultured tumor cells but was expressed in the xenograft, suggesting an origin from infiltrating cells (macrophages) from the SCID host. The infiltration of mouse host cells and the expression of mouse sialic acid on human tumor cell glycoconjugates may alter the biochemical and immunogenic properties of xenografts.
Characterization of a cAMP-regulated enhancer-binding protein.

Abstract The transcription regulation of many hormone genes is modulated by intracellular second messengers such as cAMP. The cAMP response element binding protein, CREB, binds to the 8 base pair CRE enhancer, TGACGTCA, that is found in the 5′-flank of certain genes including those for somatostatin and the α-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin. The recent characterization of CREB and CREB-related cDNA clones, combined with Southwesterns and Northem blot analyses, reveals a family of transcription factors that dimerize via a leucine zipper motif and bind to the CRE through positively charged basic regions. The CREB cDNA encoding a 327 residue protein is transcriptionally activated via phosphorylation by protein kinases, including the cAMP-dependent protein kinase-A.
The evolution of selective primary health care.

Abstract This paper traces the evolution of the selective primary health care (SPHC) concept, from its presentation at a meeting in Bellagio, Italy, and its subsequent publication in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1979. It reviews the early debate between those in favor of selectivity and those in favor of comprehensive primary health care (CPHC). While this debate was going on, a breakthrough in terms of implementation came with UNICEF's launching of its Children's Revolution in 1982/83, promoting four specific ‘social and scientific advances’ for improving the health and nutrition of the world's children. They were growth monitoring, oral rehydration therapy, breastfeeding and immunization. Meanwhile the interest of a number of people for achieving ‘Health For All’ by targeting for action an essential short list of diseases was the impetus for another conference in 1985, Good Health at Low Cost. Through analysis of the achievements of four societies (Cost Rica, China, Kerala and Sri Lanka) efforts were made to define further a prioritized health development strategy, and a number of measures were identified as helping countries achieve good health. While some have argued that SPHC and CPHC are irreconcilable and diametrically opposed, this paper suggests that both SPCH and CPHC are both acceptable. Technology has its place. The field of view of SPHC has enlarged drastically, from individual diseases to the role of other sectors such as education and agriculture. The concept of SPHC has broadened to accept Rifkin's and Walt's assertion that “developmental processes need further exploration and research strengthening capabilities within countries”. But research effort should not be an either/or: the development of technology is an important as research into developmental processes.