cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementation of a semiclosed large scale counterflow centrifugal elutriation system

A semiclosed counterflow centrifugal elutriation system that minimizes the risks of contamination and cell loss is presented. A detailed description of the configuration of the system and its sterilization and assembly is provided along with examples of its application to large-scale separation of leukapheresis buffy coat and cadaveric bone marrow. We are currently using this system to deplete lymphocytes from human bone marrow prior to use in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. The implementation of a semiclosed system increases the safety, ease of operation, and reproducibility of a technique that has the potential for a wide range of clinical applications.
Antenatal Corticosteroids: Factors Associated with Failure to Treat• 1305

Objective: Many infants are delivered prematurely without benefit of antenatal corticosteroids (AC) despite proven efficacy and publicized practice guidelines. We hypothesized that women who deliver premature infants without AC are more likely to have received routine rather than high risk prenatal care, and to have lower socioeconomic status (SES) and minority race status. Methods: A retrospective medical record review of 506 women who delivered liveborn infants at 20 to 34 weeks gestational age (GA) between July 1,1995 and June 30,1996 in a perinatal referral center was performed. All mothers were included who met ACOG criteria for AC. SES was measured by maternal age, educational level, hourly wage, and employment. Admitting services were classified as community private, academic private, and academic teaching. Transfer from routine care in the referral region to high risk care in the perinatal center was documented. Clinical features included presence of cervical dilation and ruptured amniotic membranes, birthweight, and GA of the infant. Receipt of AC was classified as none, at least one dose, or a full course in compliance with ACOG guidelines. Data were analyzed with chi square, Cramer's V, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, and general linear modeling (GLM). Results: Overall, 33% of eligible women were not treated with AC, while 30% received at least one dose and 37% received a full course. SES, race and rupture of membranes were not associated with receipt of AC. Failure to treat was associated with admission to a private community or private academic attending rather than the teaching service (V=.15,p<.0001), prenatal care in the immediate rather than outlying geographic region (V=.23,p<.0001), cervical dilatation (V=.25,p<.0001), and greater GA on admission(r=.14,p<.0001). GLM was used to examine the relationship of significant variables with AC treatment status. GA, referral/transfer status and hospital admission service are all associated (p<.01). Mothers admitted to private community obstetricians were less likely to receive AC than those admitted to the academic private or teaching services. Of those who did not receive AC, GA was lower for mothers admitted to community private attendings (28 weeks) than for those admitted to private academic attendings (32 weeks) or the teaching service (31 weeks)(p<.019).
The knot theory of molecules

Macromolecules (such as polymethelyene and DNA) are large and flexible, and can present themselves in 3-space in topologically interesting ways. The branch of topology known asknot theory is the mathematical study of flexible graphs in 3-space. Knot theory can be used to quantify and compare the various configurations of large molecules, and to study the various spatial isomers of molecules which have complicated molecular graphs.
Flow graphs and boundary value problems

Abstract Structural mechanics problems governed by Laplacian and Poissonian partial differential equations are solved by oriented linear flow graphs based on the first-order finite difference equations or relaxation operators. A catalogue of flow graph building blocks for various coordinates, rectangular, skew rectangular, polar and triangular systems are described. Simple rules are presented to distinguish. the branch parameters used for different coordinates in flow graph, forms. System graphs for physical problems are the assemblage of these building blocks. Rules for folding graphs simplify solutions for symmetrical conditions. Flow graphs represent solution processes and allow solutions to be obtained by inspection of the mesh network using the concept of loop rules. Three examples for solutions of different types of boundary value problems are presented.
On the extended lack-of-fit tests for the censored regression model

In this paper, we improve a class of lack-of-fit tests for the censored regression model by considering the new classes of weight functions. Some processes assigning mass at all observations are used as components of data-dependent weight functions in the tests. The weight functions incorporated with these processes are reflective of the influence of the censoring because they jump at censored data points as well as non-censored data points. We also consider the weight functions involving the censoring proportion and the product-limit estimates. The tests with some new weight functions are asymptotically normal under the regression model. Simulation studies show that the lack-of-fit tests of the model perform very well for some new weight functions. The model-checking procedures are illustrated in an application.
Expression of stem cell factor by osteoblasts in normal and hyperparathyroid bone: relation to ectopic mast cell differentiation.

Mast cells accumulate in hyperparathyroid bone, but the reason is not clear. We compared the distribution of mast cells and related growth factors in normal and hyperparathyroid bone. Mast cell formation was strongly affected by proximity to bone-forming surfaces of hyperparathyroid bone. Hyperparathyroidism greatly increased the production by active, bone-synthesizing osteoblasts of stem cell factor (SCF) but not of IL-3. Osteoblast SCF was distributed to the basolateral cell membranes, and its cDNA sequence (GenBank AF119835) is homologous to the murine membrane-bound SCF. Quiescent osteoblasts did not produce detectable SCF. Synthetic osteoblasts in normal bone were SCF positive, but comprised a much smaller population of cells, in keeping with the slow turnover of normal bone. Major SCF isoforms on immunoblot analysis of osteoblast-fraction proteins from high-turnover bone had Mrs of about 48 and 40 kDa. Similar SCF isoforms were produced by MG63 osteoblast-derived cells and were identified by several anti-SCF antibodies. SCF is expressed in several mesenchymal cell types in a complementary fashion with cells bearing its receptor. SCF potently facilitates differentiation of mast cells, so the increase in paratrabecular mast cells in hyperparathyroid bone is probably driven by osteoblastic SCF. However, since mast cells are not normal components of bone, osteoblastic SCF probably regulates other cells, with mast cell differentiation occurring as a side effect greatly increased osteoblastic activity.
Holiday in the Museum: An Alternative Program for At-Risk High School Students

Nineteen inner-city, at-risk high school students attended a 4-day pilot program, Holiday in the Museum, for science credit during their winter holiday break. This pilot program was a collaborative effort involving a local education agency, a higher education institution, and a museum of natural history. The main purpose was developing and implementing science activities that were aligned with the new state standards using the resources of an informal educational setting (i.e., the museum). The new standards are intended to help bring all students (e.g., students with disabilities, students whose first language is not English) to higher levels of performance. Several suggestions for developing similar programs are provided.
Cyclic nucleotide- and Ca2+-independent phosphorylation of tubulin and microtubule-associated protein-2 by glycogen synthase (casein) kinase-1.

Abstract MAP-2 and tubulin are both shown to be substrates for glycogen synthase (casein) kinase-1 (CK-1). Greater than 40 mol 32P is incorporated into MAP-2 by CK-1 compared to only 14 mol 32P observed when cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (A-kinase) is the catalyst. Peptide mapping shows that CK-1 and A-kinase recognize a few common sites; the majority of the sites phosphorylated on MAP-2 by CK-1 are quite distinct. Up to 4 mol 32P can be incorporated into the tubulin dimer by CK-1 compared to only 0.9 mol 32P by A-kinase. The preferred substrate for both kinases is β-tubulin.
Fine structure of a marine proteomyxid and cytochemical changes during encystment

A proteomyxid ( Biomyxa vagans ) isolated from Sargassum sp. was maintained in laboratory culture with a bacterial food source. The life cycle consists of four stages: (1) resting cysts formed during unfavorable growth conditions, (2) a dispersal stage following excystment when active growth resumes, (3) generative growth characterized by large plasmodial cells which give rise to numerous daughter cells, and (4) a recruitment stage in which solitary cells become aggregated during progressively unfavorable growth conditions and eventually produce clusters of resting cysts. No sexual reproduction was observed. The fine structure of active cells shows that they are multinucleated, possess a thin envelope of fibrillar material surrounding the cell, and contain digestive vacuoles filled with bacteria and detritus. Encysting cells exhibit lipid autophagy as shown by cytochemical staining and biochemical analysis of the lipid content of encysting cells compared to active cells. The cysts have a thickened cell coat, contain smaller nuclei than the active cells, possess fewer and smaller digestive vacuoles, and exhibit less secretory activity at the periphery of the cell. The nutrition and life history of Biomyxa vagans are discussed in relation to its surface-dwelling habit within a pelagic community.
Human Papillomaviruses Activate and Recruit SMC1 Cohesin Proteins for the Differentiation-Dependent Life Cycle through Association with CTCF Insulators

Human papillomaviruses infect stratified epithelia and link their productive life cycle to the differentiation state of the host cell. Productive viral replication or amplification is restricted to highly differentiated suprabasal cells and is dependent on the activation of the ATM DNA damage pathway. The ATM pathway has three arms that can act independently of one another. One arm is centered on p53, another on CHK2 and a third on SMC1/NBS1 proteins. A role for CHK2 in HPV genome amplification has been demonstrated but it was unclear what other factors provided important activities. The cohesin protein, SMC1, is necessary for sister chromatid association prior to mitosis. In addition the phosphorylated form of SMC1 plays a critical role together with NBS1 in the ATM DNA damage response. In normal cells, SMC1 becomes phosphorylated in response to radiation, however, in HPV positive cells our studies demonstrate that it is constitutively activated. Furthermore, pSMC1 is found localized in distinct nuclear foci in complexes with γ-H2AX, and CHK2 and bound to HPV DNA. Importantly, knockdown of SMC1 blocks differentiation-dependent genome amplification. pSMC1 forms complexes with the insulator transcription factor CTCF and our studies show that these factors bind to conserved sequence motifs in the L2 late region of HPV 31. Similar motifs are found in most HPV types. Knockdown of CTCF with shRNAs blocks genome amplification and mutation of the CTCF binding motifs in the L2 open reading frame inhibits stable maintenance of viral episomes in undifferentiated cells as well as amplification of genomes upon differentiation. These findings suggest a model in which SMC1 factors are constitutively activated in HPV positive cells and recruited to viral genomes through complex formation with CTCF to facilitate genome amplification. Our findings identify both SMC1 and CTCF as critical regulators of the differentiation-dependent life cycle of high-risk human papillomaviruses.
LEAD POISONING IN A BLACK DUCK

The first report of intranuclear inclusion bodies in a field case of lead poisoning in a duck is presented. Microscopical examination showed that the kidneys had undergone a fair amount of autolysis. Acid-fast inclusion bodies can be demonstrated in the kidneys of birds dying under field conditions from lead poisoning.
Hydrogen‐ubiquinone oxidoreductase activity by the Bradyrhizobium japonicum membrane‐bound hydrogenase*

The Bradyrhizobium japonicum heterodimeric nickel-iron hydrogenase efficiently catalyzed H2-ubiquinone-1 oxidoreductase activity at rates up to 47% of the maximal rates obtained using the artificial electron acceptor methylene blue. Gel filtration chromatography and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis experiments demonstrated that the purified enzyme was a heterodimer containing only the 65 kDa and 33 kDa subunits. Reduced minus oxidized absorption difference spectra demonstrated the absence of detectable cytochromes. The H2-ubiquinone-1 oxidoreductase activity of both the purified heterodimeric hydrogenase and membranes was significantly inhibited by 2-n-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide and antimycin A, inhibitors known to act in the quinone region of electron transport chains. Our results are the first report of H2-ubiquinone oxidoreductase activity by a purified hydrogenase.
Size-based protein separations by microchip electrophoresis using an acid-labile surfactant as a replacement for SDS

We demonstrate the use of an acid-labile surfactant (ALS) as a replacement for SDS for size-based protein separations in a microfluidic device. ALS is of interest to the proteomic field as it degrades at low pH and hence can be removed to reduce surfactant interference with down-stream MS. A range of SDS and ALS concentrations were tested as denaturants for microchip electrophoresis to investigate their effects on the separation of proteins from 18 to 116 kDa and to provide a suitable comparison between the two surfactants. The electrophoretic mobilities of the proteins were not significantly affected by the use of ALS instead of SDS. Protein separations with ALS are performed in less than 3 min, which is a significant decrease in the time compared with the previous ALS separations on a slab gel format. We also demonstrate the use of poly-N-hydroxyethylacrylamide as a dynamic, hydrophilic chip channel coating that can be applied with a rapid and simple protocol for size-based protein separation. The results reported here could significantly decrease the time and increase the attainable level of automation and integration of the front-end protein fractionation required for "top-down" proteomics.
Fuzzy tracking control for disk file servo

The design and implementation of a fuzzy logic controller on a computer disk drive track-following servo system with the Texas Instruments TMS320C30 digital signal processor board is presented. The research is part of the ongoing effort to design a single fuzzy logic controller which will handle both the track following and seeking motions of the disk head servomechanism. The integrated fuzzy logic controller is expected to reduce the switching transients between the following and the seeking motions, which is the bottleneck for current disk head servo controller design. A Zentek 3100 disk drive is modified to accommodate the fuzzy logic control loop. The control rules are constructed by considering the track error and the track-crossing error. The experimental results are presented, which show that the proposed fuzzy logic controller can achieve satisfactory performance. >
Through Black Eyes African American Women’s Constructions of Their Experiences With Intimate Male Partner Violence

This research explores Black women's experiences with intimate male partner violence through interview data from nine former physically, emotionally, and sexually abused African American wives. It urges a womanist analysis of Black women's abuse experiences and, thus, considers how systems of inequalities, especially gender and race, help foster less-explored constructions of and reactions to intimate male partner violence. Findings suggest that participants' observations on Black men's social marginalization, educational and economic disparities between Black partners, Black women's role in safeguarding Black men, and gendered scripts on traditions of resistance influenced their perspectives on the causes of and responses to abuse.
A fat-specific enhancer is the primary determinant of gene expression for adipocyte P2 in vivo

Abstract The murine gene for adipocyte P2 encodes an adipocyte-specific member of the family of intracellular lipid binding proteins. The region upstream from the start of transcription of this gene has been found to contain binding sites for the transcription factors c-jun/c-fos and C/EBP (CCAAT/enhancer binding protein) and several short sequence elements found in other adipocyte gene promoters, termed fat-specific elements. To identify DNA sequences that were responsible for the high level of transcription of the gene for adipocyte P2 in vivo, we made a series of transgenic mice containing 168 base pairs (bp), 247 bp, 1.7 kilobases (kb), and 5.4 kb of 5' flanking sequence linked to the bacterial gene chloramphenicol acetyltransferase. Although plasmids containing only 168 bp of 5' sequence including the C/EBP and AP-1 (activation protein 1) binding sites were expressed well in cultured adipocytes, high levels of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity in the adipose tissue of transgenic mice were not observed until the 5' flanking region was extended to kb -54. An enhancer mapping between kb -4.9 and kb -5.4 upstream from the start of transcription was identified by transfection of further deletions into cultured adipocytes. This enhancer, when linked to a bp -63 promoter fragment from the gene for adipocyte P2, directed very high level chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression specifically to adipose tissue in transgenic mice. These results identify a functional adipose-specific enhancer and indicate that it is the major determinant of tissue specificity of the gene for adipocyte P2. These results also demonstrate that the proximal-promoter binding sites for AP-1 and C/EBP are not sufficient or necessary to give adipose-tissue-specific expression in vivo, though they may play an important role in the response of this promoter to glucocorticoids.
Stability of Mycoplasma pneumoniae cytadherence-accessory protein HMW1 correlates with its association with the triton shell.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae adsorbs to host respiratory epithelium primarily by its attachment organelle, the proper function of which depends upon mycoplasma adhesin and cytoskeletal proteins. Among the latter are the cytadherence-associated proteins HMW1 and HMW2, whose specific roles in this process are unknown. In the M. pneumoniae cytadherence mutant I-2, loss of HMW2 results in accelerated turnover of HMW1 and other cytadherence-accessory proteins, probably by proteolysis. However, both the mechanism of degradation and the means by which these proteins are rendered susceptible to it are not understood. In this study, we addressed whether HMW1 degradation is a function of its presence among specific subcellular fractions and established that HMW1 is a peripheral membrane protein that is antibody accessible on the outer surfaces of both wild-type and mutant I-2 M. pneumoniae but to a considerably lesser extent in the mutant. Quantitation of HMW1 in Triton X-100-fractionated extracts from cells pulse-labeled with [35S]methionine indicated that HMW1 is synthesized in a Triton X-100-soluble form that exists in equilibrium with an insoluble (cytoskeletal) form. Pulse-chase analysis demonstrated that over time, HMW1 becomes stabilized in the cytoskeletal fraction and associated with the cell surface in wild-type M. pneumoniae. The less efficient transition to the cytoskeleton and mycoplasma cell surface in mutant I-2 leads to accelerated degradation of HMW1. These data suggest a role for HMW2 in promoting export of HMW1 to the cell surface, where it is stable and fully functional.
Optimization and design guidelines for high flux micro-channel heat sinks for liquid and gaseous single-phase flow

A numerical optimization tool is used to optimize forced convection micro-channel heat sinks for minimum pump power at high heat fluxes. Results gained with the optimization tool are generalized and optimum configurations are illustrated on design charts. Physical trends are illustrated analytically using the underlying relations. Investigations are done for air and water in single-phase flow with no phase transition; with hydraulic diameters of the micro-channels ranging from about 1 micron to 80 mm. Optimization is shown to have a tremendous effect. It can reduce pump power by several orders of magnitude, especially for high heat flux devices. Using water and air as coolants, designs for heat fluxes of >10 kW/cm/sup 2/ and >100 W/cm/sup 2/ respectively with pump/fan power expenses less than 1% are easily found with the optimization tool. It appears that large aspect ratios for the flow channels are favorable for high heat fluxes in micro heat sinks. For each design, there exists an optimum fin height and ratio of fin thickness to channel width. The design space investigation also suggests that short channels in multiple parallel units are a key feature of compact high heat flux heat sinks. Practical design examples underline the feasibility of the results and general design guidelines are derived.
Reconstruction of Fuel Pin Bundles by a Maximum Entropy Method

Tomographic reconstructions from several views of a 37-pin reactor fuel core bundle are presented. A maximum entropy method is used to produce reconstructions from three, six, and eighteen views of a fuel bundle with voids and partial voids.
Effects of food density and temperature on feeding and growth of young inland silversides (Menidia beryllina)

Food consumption and growth rates of 7–28-day-old Menidia beryllina were measured in response to natural ranges of temperature and prey availability. Feeding level, temperature and age all had significant effects on growth rate, although the effect of feeding level explained most of the variance. Feeding level also had a significant effect on gross growth efficiency, but temperature and age did not. Absolute growth rates (mg per day) increased dramatically with temperature, feeding level, and age. Variability in growth was greatest for fish feeding at the lowest feeding level. For a given fish weight, temperature had a positive effect on consumption rate, and maximum consumption (Cmax) of any treatment combination reached 75% body weight per day. Maximum growth rate was estimated at 24.6% body weight per day, and gross growth efficiency reached an estimated maximum of 0.375 at an ingestion rate of 25% body weight per day. Starved larvae lost on average 5.4% body weight per day and larvae required 6.4% body weight food consumption per day for maintenance. Multiple regressions of feeding level, temperature, and age/size on instantaneous growth rates indicated that increases in temperature increased maintenance requirements and required that fish consume a greater proportion of Cmax to attain maximum growth. Growth rates decreased with increases in temperature for fish eating a specific weight of food.
Henry James, Veblen and Adorno: The Crisis of the Modern Self

I hope to redeem the banality of the second half of my title by immediately particularizing the modern self of which I speak. Forced into high heels, skirts, and corsets, women suffer what Veblen calls “mutilation, undergone for the purpose of lowering the subject's vitality and rendering her permanently and obviously unfit for work.” Writing eight years after Veblen, Henry James in The Amerian Scene, his account of his 1904 travels in America, finds that the American woman “in her manner of embodying or representing her sex” has become “a new human convenience, not unlike the ingenious mechanical appliances.” In 1947 in Dialectic of Enlightenment Adorno and Horkheimer speak of the manner in which a teenage American girl keeps “the obligatory date, the inflection on the telephone or in the most intimate situation…” as bearing witness to “man's attempt to make himself a proficient apparatus…personality scarcely signifies anything more than shining white teeth and freedom from body odor and emotions.” One thread connecting these images is the commodity status of women under late capitalism. All three moments can be said to register the depleted subjectivity of those who, in Adorno's words, “have escaped the sphere of production only to be absorbed all the more entirely by the sphere of consumption.” But this convergence should not obscure significant differences among all three writers, especially between Veblen on the one hand and James and Adorno on the other.
The Shoulder Pain and Disability Index: The Construct Validity and Responsiveness of a Region-Specific Disability Measure

Background and Purpose. The purposes of this study were (1) to assess the construct validity of the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and (2) to determine whether the SPADI is more responsive than the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), a generic health status measure. Subjects. The sample consisted of 94 patients who were diagnosed with a shoulder problem and referred to six outpatient physical therapy clinics. Methods. Clinically meaningful change was determined by use of an ordinal rating scale designed to determine whether the patient's shoulder function was improved, the same, or worse following treatment. Spearman rho correlations were calculated for the initial visit SPADI and SIP scores. The standardized response mean (SRM) was used to measure responsiveness for the patients who were judged to be improved. One-tailed paired t tests (α=.01) were used to determine whether differences existed among SRM values. Results. Correlations between the SPADI and SIP scores ranged from r =.01 to r =.57. The SRM value was higher for the SPADI total score (SRM=1.38) than for the SIP total score (SRM=0.79). Conclusion and Discussion. Most correlations between SPADI and SIP scores provided support for the construct validity of the SPADI. The SPADI does not appear to strongly reflect occupational and recreational disability and is more responsive than the SIP.
Driving with Central Visual Field Loss II: How Scotomas above or below the Preferred Retinal Locus (PRL) Affect Hazard Detection in a Driving Simulator

We determined whether binocular central scotomas above or below the preferred retinal locus affect detection of hazards (pedestrians) approaching from the side. Seven participants with central field loss (CFL), and seven age-and sex-matched controls with normal vision (NV), each completed two sessions of 5 test drives (each approximately 10 minutes long) in a driving simulator. Participants pressed the horn when detecting pedestrians that appeared at one of four eccentricities (-14°, -4°, left, 4°, or 14°, right, relative to car heading). Pedestrians walked or ran towards the travel lane on a collision course with the participant’s vehicle, thus remaining in the same area of the visual field, assuming participant's steady forward gaze down the travel lane. Detection rates were nearly 100% for all participants. CFL participant reaction times were longer (median 2.27s, 95% CI 2.13 to 2.47) than NVs (median 1.17s, 95%CI 1.10 to 2.13; difference p<0.01), and CFL participants would have been unable to stop for 21% of pedestrians, compared with 3% for NV, p<0.001. Although the scotomas were not expected to obscure pedestrian hazards, gaze tracking revealed that scotomas did sometimes interfere with detection; late reactions usually occurred when pedestrians were entirely or partially obscured by the scotoma (time obscured correlated with reaction times, r = 0.57, p<0.001). We previously showed that scotomas lateral to the preferred retinal locus delay reaction times to a greater extent; however, taken together, the results of our studies suggest that any binocular CFL might negatively impact timely hazard detection while driving and should be a consideration when evaluating vision for driving.
Persistence of pBR322-related plasmids in Escherichia coli grown in chemostat cultures

The stability of plasmid pBR322 and a number of close derivatives was examined by continuous culture of Escherichia coli. Cultures were subjected to either glucose, phosphate or magnesium limitation in non-selective medium at a dilution rate of 0.1/h. Under these conditions pBR322 was eventually lost from the population, but only after a distinct lag period. The closely related plasmids pBR325 and especially pBR327 and pBR328, but not pAT153, were lost more rapidly. Three cosmids pHC79, pSJ55 and pJB8 were generally found to be less stable than the pBR322-type plasmids from which they were derived. Chimaeric plasmids containing DNA from yeast and from a thermophilic bacillus were also unstable in E. coli.
Effect of Fluorine on Growth, Calcification and Parathyroids in the Chicken

Abstract IN THE rather extensive literature relating to the effects of fluorine on the animal body, there is no reference, so far as we know, to the effect of feeding fluorides to chickens. However, certain experiments with the use of rock phosphate containing fluorides as a mineral supplement for chickens have a bearing on this problem, and will be referred to in connection with our experiments. EXPERIMENTAL Three experiments were carried out with growing chicks and one with pullets. In the first, Barred Plymouth Rock baby chicks were kept on the Wisconsin ration plus 2 percent cod liver oil, for nine days, after which various amounts of sodium fluoride were incorporated in this ration, except in the case of those animals kept as controls. The Wisconsin ration was made up of 80 pounds ground yellow corn, 20 pounds wheat middlings, 3.8 pounds steamed bone meal, 5 pounds calcium carbonate and 1 . . .
Widespread neuronal injury in a model of cholinergic status epilepticus in postnatal day 7 rat pups

Abstract Objective Status Epilepticus (SE) is common in neonates and infants, and is associated with neuronal injury and adverse developmental outcomes. However, the role of SE in this injury is uncertain. Until now, we have lacked an animal model in which seizures result in neuronal injury in rodent models at ages below postnatal day 12 (P12) unless seizures are combined with inflammatory stressors. Methods We induced SE with high-dose lithium and pilocarpine in P7 rats, which are developmentally close to human neonates. Several EEG measures and O 2 saturation were recorded during the 6h following initiation of SE. We assessed neuronal injury at 6 and 24h post-SE onset using Fluoro–Jade B staining (FJB) and caspase-3a immunoreactivity (IR). Results EEGs showed continuous polyspikes activity for 54.3±6.7min, while O 2 saturation showed no significant hypoxemia. By 24h after SE onset, significant neuronal injury was observed in CA1/subiculum, CA3, dentate gyrus, thalamus, neocortex, amygdala, piriform cortex, lateral entorhinal cortex, hypothalamus, caudate putamen, globus pallidus, ventral pallidum, and nucleus accumbens. At 24h post-SE, caspase-3a IR was significantly increased in CA1/subiculum, thalamus, and neocortex compared to sham, and caspase-3a IR neurons had fragmented nuclei, suggesting that SE triggered an irreversible form of cell injury. Significance In conclusion, we have developed a model of cholinergic SE in P7 rat pups, which combines high survival (69.9% survival at 24h) and widespread brain injury. These studies suggest that the immature brain is vulnerable to severe forms of SE.
Kernel probability estimation for binomial and multinomial data

Kernel-based smoothers have enjoyed considerable success in the estimation of both probability densities and event frequencies. Existing procedures can be modified to yield a similar kernel-based estimator of instantaneous probability over the course of a binomial or multinomial time series. The resulting nonparametric estimate can be described in terms of one bandwidth per outcome alternative, facilitating both the understanding and reporting of results relative to more sophisticated methods for binomial outcome estimation. Also described is a method for sample size estimation, which in turn can be used to obtain credible intervals for the resulting estimate given mild assumptions. One application of this analysis is to model response accuracy in tasks with heterogeneous trial types. An example is presented from a study of transitive inference, showing how kernel probability estimates provide a method for inferring response accuracy during the first trial following training. This estimation procedure is also effective in describing the multinomial responses typical in the study of choice and decision making. An example is presented showing how the procedure may be used to describe changing distributions of choices over time when eight response alternatives are simultaneously available.
Critical Multimedia

Rather than just conceiving of the role of the human as primarily to aid the efficiency of an algorithm or facilitate a transaction, we can adopt a more radical position and consider the human also as an active and subversive force. The innovation here lies in the middle ground, where there is both technological advancement and cultural transcendence.
Genetic structure in migratory and nonmigratory populations of Brazilian free-tailed bats

The genetic compositions of a migratory population of Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana from Texas, two populations of this subspecies from California, one or both of which are nonmigratory, and three populations of T. b. cynocephala from Florida and Arkansas were compared using data from 22 allozymic loci. There were no statistically significant differences in allelic frequencies among the T. b. mexicana from Texas and California; the average genetic similarity among these populations was high ( Ī = 1.000, S = 0.986), and standardized genetic variances calculated from the five most variable loci were low ( F st = 0.014). Despite their behavioral differences, migratory and nonmigratory T. b. mexicana appear to share a common gene pool. The same loci showed close similarity ( Ī = 0.996, S = 0.967), but apparently greater structure ( F st = 0.038) among the populations of T. b. cynocephala . The average genetic similarity between the two subspecies ( Ī = 0.978, S = 0.942) was within the range typically seen between geographic populations of the same subspecies. Frequencies of alleles in the single population of T. b. cynocephala from Arkansas, and the presence in this population of rare alleles seen in either T. b. cynocephala from Florida or in T. b. mexicana , suggest gene flow between these subspecies.
Immunohistochemical method for localization of antibodies in cutaneous disease.

Using the peroxidase method of Nakane and Pierce, direct immunohistologic staining of uninvolved and involved skin lesions and indirect staining of tissue substrates with sera of patients with pemphigus, pemphigoid, and systemic and discoid lupus erythematosus were done. The reaction product was demonstrated in intercellular spaces with pemphigus, in the basement membrane zone with pemphigoid, systemic and discoid lupus erythematosus lesions, and in nuclei with several systemic lupus erythematosus lesions. The simplicity of the technic using routine light microscopy, its possible application to electron microscopy, and the morphologic detail obtained offer advantages over immunofluorescence methods in immunopathologic studies of cutaneous diseases.
Moral distress in neonatal intensive care unit RNs.

Background Moral distress is a significant problem for nurses (RNs). It has physical, emotional, and psychological sequelae and a negative impact on the quality, quantity, and cost of patient care. Moral distress leads to loss of moral integrity and job dissatisfaction and is a major cause of burnout and RNs leaving the profession. The majority of research has been carried out with RNs working in acute care, adult inpatient settings, especially critical care areas. Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) RNs confront ethically and morally challenging situations on a regular basis. There are limited data clarifying their moral distress. Aims The purpose of this study was to describe the moral distress of RNs working in NICUs and to identify the situations that are associated with their moral distress. Research questions What are the intensity and frequency of moral distress in NICU RNs, what situations are associated with moral distress in NICU RNs, and what personal characteristics are correlated with moral distress in NICU RNs? Design and methods This descriptive, correlational study was conducted with RNs in the level III NICUs of a healthcare system in the northeastern United States. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. A convenience sample of RNs completed a demographic data sheet and the Moral Distress Scale Neonatal-Pediatric Version. Data were collected during October 2008. Ninety-four of 196 eligible RNs (48%) participated in the study. Findings As a whole, the subjects did not perceive that the situations described in the instrument occurred frequently and did not cause great distress. Subjects' individual scores displayed wide variations for all dimensions of moral distress ranging from low to high, indicating that individual RNs may be experiencing moral distress.The situations receiving the highest scores are comparable with the areas that are problematic for other critical care nurses as described in the literature. In this study, 4 RN characteristics were significantly related to moral distress: the desire to leave their current position, lack of spirituality, altered approach to patient care, and considering but not leaving a previous job because of moral distress. Conclusions The results of this study add to the understanding of the moral distress in NICU RNs. The data will provide evidence for eventual psychometric testing and factor analysis of the Moral Distress Scale Neonatal-Pediatric Version.
The use of blood plasma in the imbedding or the dissection of small organisms

Various methods have been used in order to overcome the difficulties attendant upon the carrying of a minute organism, such as a protozoon, through the numerous reagents necessary for imbedding in paraffine preliminary to microtome sectioning. It has been found that the phenomenon of coagulation in blood plasma makes it of use in work of this type. In carrying out this method, a few drops of blood plasma is placed on a depression slide under a binocular microscope and the specimen at once placed in it with a pipet. After the plasma coagulates, which will take place in a very few minutes, the specimen will be found to be firmly imbedded in a resistant fibrin clot which can be taken through the various reagents, imbedded in paraffine, sectioned in any desired plane and finally mounted on a slide. In brief, the clot containing the specimen may be treated as a regular piece of tissue of the same size.The orientation of the specimen in the clot may be accomplished before the clot is fully formed or at the time...
Making the transition from student to teacher

The transition from student to teacher can be challenging, and it can be daunting to anticipate the large variety of situations that may arise in the classroom. New practitioners, including residents and fellows who may be involved with teaching during their postgraduate training, are faced with the
Detection of Cardiac Incidental Findings on Routine Chest CT: The Impact of Dedicated Training in Cardiac Imaging

Abstract Purpose Routine chest CT and cardiac CT angiography (CTA) both image the heart, albeit with different precision and intent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic ability of radiologists with different levels of cardiac training to identify cardiac findings on chest CT without electrocardiographic gating compared with a reference standard of electrocardiographically gated cardiac CTA. Methods Electrocardiographically gated cardiac CT angiographic studies performed between January 2005 to January 2010 in patients with routine chest CT within six months were retrospectively identified. Fourteen radiologists at four stages of training (stage 1, residents with no cardiac training [ n = 4]; stage 2, residents who had completed at least one dedicated rotation of cardiac imaging [ n = 3]; stage 3, radiologists without cardiac training [ n = 3]; and stage 4, radiologists with formal cardiac fellowship training [ n = 4]) performed blinded, anonymized cardiac readings of chest CT images. Findings were categorized (coronary arterial, noncoronary vessel, cardiac chamber, myocardial, pericardial, and valve findings) with cardiac CTA as a reference standard. Results Overall, 140 cardiac CT angiographic findings were reported in 63 of 77 patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of nongated CTA were 43.6%, 96.8%, 83.0%, 81.6%, and 81.8%, respectively, for all readers. Increasing training was associated with higher sensitivity (30.3%, 35.7%, 45.7%, and 61.2% from stages 1 to 4) but similar specificity (96.4%, 96.7%, 96.3%, and 97.6% from stages 1 to 4). Frequently missed findings categories were coronary arterial, myocardial, and cardiac chamber findings. Conclusions Increasing cardiac imaging training correlates with increased sensitivity and stable specificity to detect cardiac findings on routine chest CT without electrocardiographic gating. Cardiac findings should be noted on chest CT when observed, and cardiac training should be encouraged.
Carbohydrate Metabolism in Azospirillum SPP

The metabolic preferences of azospirilla for organic acids is well documented (JJ Tarrand et al. 1978). In addition, some carbohydrates (D-fructose, D-gluconate, D-galactose and L-arabinose) support N2-ase activity in A. brasilense sp7, Cd. A. lipoferum can also grow and fix N2 on glucose, mannose, sorbose and α- ketoglutarate. Azospirilla have been widely studied, but their pathways of energy-yielding catabolism are unknown with the exception of catabolism of L-arabinose (NJ Novick and ME Tyler, 1982).
Romaine, Suzanne (b. 1951)

Suzanne Romaine is Merton Professor of English at the University of Oxford. She is a leading scholar in the areas of sociolinguistics, bilingualism, and the state of language diversity and maintenance.
Complex Ecologic-Economic Dynamics

In the previous chapter we examined the problems of management of an open access fishery. We saw that a general outcome for this case was that fishery supply curves can easily bend backwards, opening the possibility of catastrophic collapses of such fisheries as demand increases. We considered a number of management issues related to this problem, although we shall further consider these issues in this chapter. However, even when efficiently managed, fisheries may still exhibit complex dynamics, particularly when discount rates are sufficiently high. Just as species can become extinct under optimal management when agents do not value future stocks of the species sufficiently, likewise in fisheries, as future stocks of fish are valued less and less, the management of the fishery can come to resemble an open access fishery. Indeed, in the limit, as the discount rate goes to infinity at which point the future is valued at zero, the management of the fishery converges on that of the open access case. But well before that limit is reached, complex dynamics of various sorts besides catastrophic collapses may emerge with greater than zero discount rates, such as chaotic dynamics.
Equal Citizenship and Religious Liberty: An Irresolvable Tension?

In this paper our focus is not on discrimination against religion, but for it. We are concerned that U.S. citizens who are religious believers receive degrees of latitude and deference in the law relative to non-religious believers that privilege religion in general in American society to the detriment of the equal citizenship and standing of other citizens. In many cases, the citizens most impacted by religious deference are precisely those who have been identified in law and policy partly through the lens of majority religious belief, as not deserving of equal consideration. This ought not be an effect of constitutionally securing religious freedom. We distinguish religion-based deference in law and policy with respect to race and sexual orientation to illustrate the conundrums we find, conundrums that are highlighted in the Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby decision.
The Dynamics of Voluntary Force Production in Afferented Muscle Influence Involuntary Tremor.

Voluntary control of force is always marked by some degree of error and unsteadiness. Both neural and mechanical factors contribute to these fluctuations, but how they interact to produce them is poorly understood. In this study, we identify and characterize a previously undescribed neuromechanical interaction where the dynamics of voluntary force production suffice to generate involuntary tremor. Specifically, participants were asked to produce isometric force with the index finger and use visual feedback to track a sinusoidal target spanning 5 to 9 % of each individual’s maximal voluntary force level. Force fluctuations and EMG activity over the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscle were recorded and their frequency content was analyzed as a function target phase. Force variability in either the 1 to 5 or 6 to 15 Hz frequency ranges tended to be largest at the peaks and valleys of the target sinusoid. In those same periods, FDS EMG activity was synchronized with force fluctuations. We then constructed a physiologically-realistic computer simulation in which a muscle-tendon complex was set inside of a feedback-driven control loop. Surprisingly, the model sufficed to produce phase-dependent modulation of tremor similar to that observed in humans. Further, the gain of afferent feedback from muscle spindles was critical for appropriately amplifying and shaping this tremor. We suggest that the experimentally-induced tremor may represent the response of a viscoelastic muscle-tendon system to dynamic drive, and therefore does not fall into known categories of tremor generation, such as tremorogenic descending drive, stretch-reflex loop oscillations, motor unit behavior, or mechanical resonance. Our findings motivate future efforts to understand tremor from a perspective that considers neuromechanical coupling within the context of closed-loop control. The strategy of combining experimental recordings with physiologically-sound simulations will enable thorough exploration of neural and mechanical contributions to force control in health and disease.
Quantitative geometry

Rather than describing a traditional field of mathematics, “quantitative geometry” refers to a modern way of thinking about geometry and its applications that occur in a wide range of mathematical disciplines. The overarching theme here is that certain geometric problems can only be formulated after the introduction of auxiliary quantitative parameters and asking for their asymptotic or approximate behavior. This leads to meaningful questions that do not necessarily have counterparts in classical “qualitative” geometric investigations, a viewpoint that allows one to uncover deep and useful structural information that appears only in the quantitative regime. Quantitative reasoning allows one to tame complicated objects and phenomena that are unwieldy if one insists on exact measurements. It is often the case that a rich yet structured picture emerges only if one asks the correct questions by allowing for controlled errors.
Tools for Financial Leadership

Senior finance executives play a pivotal role in achieving corporate strategic vision, fostering growth and enhancing return on invested capital. Yet the role has become increasingly complex since finance teams are now often charged with financial modeling, integrating data analytics, cyber-security and complex risk management strategies in addition to the more traditional finance functions. We interviewed CFOs and Human Resource executives to identify the key competencies required for successful financial leadership today. The resulting framework can be used to develop the leadership capabilities of senior finance team members.