cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An examination of the wealth effects of share repurchases on bondholders

Abstract While reports in the financial press suggest that share repurchases are harmful to bondholders, academic studies report conflicting empirical evidence. Using newly available daily bond data (versus monthly data used in existing studies) and modern methods of analysis, we find no evidence of bondholder wealth expropriation. Merton (1974) model estimates of changes in the value of debt during share repurchases and changes in credit ratings following share repurchases produce no evidence of bondholder wealth expropriation. Overall, we find no evidence that repurchases measurably harm bondholders, suggesting concerns raised in the financial press are unfounded.
Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived vocal fold mucosa mimics development and responses to smoke exposure

Development of treatments for vocal dysphonia has been inhibited by lack of human vocal fold (VF) mucosa models because of difficulty in procuring VF epithelial cells, epithelial cells' limited proliferative capacity and absence of cell lines. Here we report development of engineered VF mucosae from hiPSC, transfected via TALEN constructs for green fluorescent protein, that mimic development of VF epithelial cells in utero. Modulation of FGF signaling achieves stratified squamous epithelium from definitive and anterior foregut derived cultures. Robust culturing of these cells on collagen-fibroblast constructs produces three-dimensional models comparable to in vivo VF mucosa. Furthermore, we demonstrate mucosal inflammation upon exposure of these constructs to 5% cigarette smoke extract. Upregulation of pro-inflammatory genes in epithelium and fibroblasts leads to aberrant VF mucosa remodeling. Collectively, our results demonstrate that hiPSC-derived VF mucosa is a versatile tool for future investigation of genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying epithelium-fibroblasts interactions in health and disease.
The Impact of Individual Co-Morbidities in Myeloablative Ex Vivo CD34+ Selected Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Background Co-morbidities are essential for risk-stratification before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). We hypothesized that only certain components of the co-morbidity index (HCT-CI) are predictive of outcomes, and that their impact is conditioning-regimen dependent. Methods This retrospective single-center analysis included 580 adult patients who underwent HCT with ex-vivo CD34+ selection following myeloablative conditioning between 2008 and 2018. Results Chemotherapy and total body irradiation (TBI)-based conditioning were given to 75% and 25% of patients, respectively. Common co-morbidities in the population included mild/severe hepatic dysfunction (25%), moderate and severe pulmonary disease (32% and 11%, respectively), prior malignancy (14%), and psychiatric disorders (13%). The median HCT-CI was 2 (IQR 1-3). Among co-morbidities meeting statistical criteria for analysis (prevalence >5% and association with at least 5 outcome events), only severe and moderate pulmonary dysfunction (Figure 1) were associated with decreased overall survival (OS) and increased non-relapse mortality (NRM; HR 1.37, p .023; HR 1.94 p Conclusions Our findings suggest that, in CD34+ selected HCT, only certain co-morbidities included in the HCT-CI are likely to contribute to the prognostic assessment of transplantation candidates. Reevaluation of the additive role of co-morbidities in this setting is warranted. In addition, the hazard of co-morbidities may be regimen-dependent, introducing another consideration when selecting the conditioning modality.
Higher mean-flow approximation for a solid rocket motor with radially regressing walls

The bulk gas motion in a circular-port rocket motor is described using a rotational, incompressible, and viscous flow model that incorporates the effect of wall regression. The mathematical idealization developed is also applicable to semi-open porous tubes with expanding walls. Based on mass conservation, a linear variation in the mean axial velocity is ascertained. This relationship suggests investigating a spatial transformation of the Proudman-Johnson form. With the use of similar arguments, a temporal transformation is also introduced. When these transformations are applied in both space and time, the Navier-Stokes equations are reduced to a single, nonlinear, fourth-order differential equation. Following this exact Navier-Stokes reduction, the resulting problem is solved using variation of parameters and small-parameter perturbations. The asymptotic solutions for the velocity, pressure, vorticity, and shear are obtained as function of the injection Reynolds number Re and the dimensionless regression ratio a. By way of verification, it is shown that, as α/Re → 0, Yuan and Finkelstein's solutions can be restored from ours. Similarly, as α/Re → 0, Culick's inviscid profile is recovered. It is demonstrated that, for a range of small α/Re, inviscid solutions are practical. However, for fast burning propellants under development, the inviscid assumption deteriorates. Because it is applicable over a broader range of operating parameters, the current analysis leads to a closed-form mean-flow solution that can be used, instead of the inviscid profile, to 1) prescribe an adjusted aeroacoustic field, 2) describe the so-called acoustic boundary layer, 3) evaluate the viscous and rotational contributions to the acoustic stability growth rate factor, 4) track the evolution of hydrodynamic instability, and 5) accurately simulate the internal gasdynamics in rapidly regressing motors and cold-flow experiments with medium-to-high levels of injection.
Comparison of Two Glove-Sampling Methods to Discriminate Between Study Arms of a Hand Hygiene and Glove-Use Study.

AbstractBackgroundOur group will be assessing in a randomized trial whether the use of alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) to clean non-sterile gloved hands (instead of performing hand hygiene (HH) and changing gloves) for the WHO 5 Moments of HH during a single patient encounter is an efficient and effective practice. In preparation for this future study and in the absence of a well-established gold standard, this pilot study aimed to identify an effective glove-sampling method with the ability to detect a difference between our two study arms.MethodsHealthcare workers (HCWs) entering Contact Precaution rooms were recruited and randomized into the intervention arm (HCWs directed to clean gloves with ABHR at each opportunity) or the usual care arm (HCWs behavior is silently recorded at each opportunity). In both arms, HCWs individual gloved hands were randomized then sampled, using both sponge stick and direct imprint methodology (Fig 1–2). The outcome of interest was total bacterial colony forming units (CFUs). A Wilcoxon rank-sum test was performed to compare the median distribution of CFUs recovered by each sampling method between study arms. Sampled gloved hands were also categorized by level of bacterial detection (0 CFUs vs. more than 0 CFUs). For each sampling method, the proportional difference between categories was analyzed using a Fisher exact test.Results42 unique HCWs participated in the study (25 intervention, 17 usual care). For each HCW interaction an average of 3 HH moments were recorded. Using the direct imprint technique, the median CFUs in the intervention arm compared with the usual care arm were 2 vs. 31, P < 0.01. Using the sponge stick technique, the median CFUs were 1 vs. 6, P = 0.25. (Fig 3). Using the agar method, bacteria was detected on 16/25 (64%) of gloved hands in the intervention arm compared with 17/17 (100%) in the usual care arm (P < 0.05). Using the sponge-stick method, bacteria was detected 16/25 (64%) of gloved hands in the intervention arm and on 15/17 (88%) in the usual care arm (P = 0.15).ConclusionThe direct imprint method is an effective method to discriminate between our intervention arms. In addition, this method is more affordable and less work-intensive in the lab and as a sampling method than the sponge-stick method.Figure 1.Figure 2.Figure 3.Disclosures A. D. Harris, CDC Epicenter Program: Grant Investigator, Grant recipient; K. A. Thom, AHRQ: Grant Investigator, Grant recipient
Delayed Frost Growth on Nanoporous Microstructured Surfaces Utilizing Jumping and Sweeping Condensates.

Self-propelled jumping of condensate droplets (dew) enables their easy and efficient removal from surfaces and is essential for enhancing the condensation heat transfer coefficient and for delaying...
Agency and Social Ontology

This chapter begins the exploration of a suitable social theory with which to background the discussion. Freedom discourse presumes agency. But philosophers and social theorists seem on occasion to have different things in mind when discussing human agency or freedom of the will. This chapter sorts through these issues to get some sense of the agential requirements for a theory of political freedom and to see if these requirements are met within the works of the social theorists discussed.
Repeated unpredictable stress blunts alcohol-induced memory deficit in adolescent rat.

Objective There exists a complex interaction between alcohol and stress on brain and behavior. Alcohol and stress are both known to affect memory. Whether stress and alcohol together can modulate memory functions in adolescent rats is not known. In the present study, effects of repeated unpredictable stress (RUPS) on contextual fear conditioning, a hippocampus-related memory function, were investigated in alcohol-treated adolescent rats. Methods Rats were divided into four experimental groups: group i - saline-treated non-stressed rats (sal no stress), group ii - alcohol-treated non-stressed rats (alc no stress), group iii - saline-treated rats subjected to stress (sal + RUPS), group iv - alcohol-treated rats subjected to stress (alc + RUPS). All rats were trained in the fear conditioning paradigm, and 24 h later were tested for contextual fear conditioning in the conditioning chamber, and nonspecific fear memory in a modified chamber. Results Stress, in the presence or absence of alcohol, did not alter nonspecific fear. RUPS exposure did not affect contextual freezing in vehicle-treated adolescent rats. Compared to vehicle-treated non-stressed rats, alcohol-treated non-stressed rats showed significant impairments in contextual freezing. Alcohol-treated RUPS rats performed better in the contextual freezing task than alcohol-treated non-stressed rats. Conclusion RUPS exposure did not alter contextual fear conditioning in adolescent rats. Alcohol significantly reduced contextual fear memory in non-stressed rats. Alcohol-treated RUPS rats showed significantly better memory than alcohol-treated non-stressed rats. Together, these data suggest resiliency to stress-induced memory impairment in adolescent rats, and RUPS exposure causes blunting of alcohol's negative effects on contextual fear conditioning.
Children punish third parties to satisfy both consequentialist and retributive motives.

Adults punish moral transgressions to satisfy both retributive motives (such as wanting antisocial others to receive their ‘just deserts’) and consequentialist motives (such as teaching transgressors that their behaviour is inappropriate). Here, we investigated whether retributive and consequentialist motives for punishment are present in children approximately between the ages of five and seven. In two preregistered studies (N = 251), children were given the opportunity to punish a transgressor at a cost to themselves. Punishment either exclusively satisfied retributive motives by only inflicting harm on the transgressor, or additionally satisfied consequentialist motives by teaching the transgressor a lesson. We found that children punished when doing so satisfied only retributive motives, and punished considerably more when doing so also satisfied consequentialist motives. Together, these findings provide evidence for the presence of both retributive and consequentialist motives in young children. Individuals are willing to punish antisocial others even at a personal cost. Marshall et al. examine the motivational basis of this behaviour from a developmental standpoint, showing that children—like adults—punish others for both retributive and consequentialist reasons.
State Estimation in Mobile Edge Computing With Unreliable Communications

In this letter, we investigate the state estimation problem in Mobile Edge Computing with unreliable communications. A finite-time convergent estimator is proposed, aiming to restore the unmeasurable states within a finite time length. We apply the proposed estimator in two practical scenarios to evaluate its performance. The numerical results show that the proposed estimator is able to quickly make accurate estimations once the interrupted connection resumes. The results also suggest that the effect of short-term data loss is easier to remedy than that of long-term data loss, which shed light on relay deployment and future investigations in this field.
Quality and Readability of Web-Based Information for Patients With Pancreatic Cysts: DISCERN and Readability Test Analysis.

Background: Pancreatic cysts are a complex medical problem with several treatment options. Patients use web-based health information to understand their conditions and to guide treatment choices. Objective: The goal of this study was to describe the quality and readability of publicly available web-based information on pancreatic cysts and to compare this information across website affiliations. Methods: A Google search for “pancreatic cysts” was performed and the first 30 websites were evaluated. Website affiliations were classified as academic, media, nonprofit, government, or not disclosed. Information describing cancer risk was recorded. The DISCERN instrument measured the quality of content regarding treatment choices. Four standardized tests were used to measure readability. Results: Twenty-one websites were included. The majority of the websites (20/21, 95%) described the cancer risk associated with pancreatic cysts. Nearly half of the websites were written by an academic hospital or organization. The average DISCERN score for all websites was 40.4 (range 26-65.5, maximum 80). Websites received low scores due to lack of references, failure to describe the risks of treatment, or lack of details on how treatment choices affect quality of life. The average readability score was 14.74 (range 5.76-23.85, maximum 19+), indicating a college reading level. There were no significant differences across website affiliation groups. Conclusions: Web-based information for patients with pancreatic cysts is of moderate quality and is written above the reading level of most Americans. Gastroenterological, cancer treatment organizations, and physicians should advocate for improving the available information by providing cancer risk stratification, treatment impact on quality of life, references, and better readability.
On the complexity of assimilation in urban communities

Cities are microcosms representing a diversity of human experience. The complexity of urban systems arises from this diversity, where the services that cities offer to their inhabitants have to be tailored for their unique requirements. This paper studies the complexity of urban environments in terms of the assimilation of its communities. We examine the urban assimilation complexity with respect to the foreignness between communities and formalize the level of complexity using information-theoretic measures. Our findings contribute to a sociological perspective of the relationship between urban complex systems and the diversity of communities that make up urban systems.
Reporting of Results by Sex in Randomized Controlled Trials of Acute Stroke Therapies (2010-2020).

Background and Purpose: When reporting primary results from randomized controlled trials, recommendations include reporting results by sex. We reviewed the reporting of results by sex in contempora...
The role of intelligence in economic decision making

Research on the link between intelligence and economic decision making is a recent development in the more general attempt to introduce theories of individual differences and personality traits into the analysis of economic behavior. We lay down here what we know from behavioral studies, from imaging studies, both functional and anatomical, and insights from decision theory and game theory. All the results point to a correlation and perhaps a deeper link between cognition and decision making, both in single-player and in strategic environments. We see several pieces of a puzzle, and provide some suggestions on how future research will discover the hidden image.
Controlled drug delivery via remotely heated core-shell magnetic microcapsules

We report the development of magnetically-driven, 100µm in typical diameter, core-shell microcapsules for the on-demand and local delivery of encapsulated drug agents. These microcapsules are fabricated through a multi-stage microfluidic/optofluidic flow-focusing device with oil-based core and thermoresponsive polymer shell. In the prototype capsules, the shell structure is constructed by UV-curable polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) with embedded 20%w/w poly N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAm) nanogels and 0.5%w/w magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (10 nm in diameter). Experimentally, the releases of the oil fluorescent dye from the core of the capsules have been successfully demonstrated by remotely triggering the capsules with induction heating. As such, this drug delivery scheme could be useful for remotely-triggered, site-specific applications.
Tolerance specification of robot kinematic parameters using an experimental design technique—the Taguchi method

Abstract This paper presents the tolerance specification of robot kinematic parameters using the Taguchi method. The concept of employing inner and outer orthogonal arrays to identify the significant parameters and select the optimal tolerance range for each parameter is proposed. The performance measure based on signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) using the Taguchi method is validated by Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, a step-by-step tolerance specification methodology is developed and illustrated with a planar two-link manipulator and a five-degree-of-freedom Rhino robot.
'A Deposition Is Not a Take Home Examination': Fixing Federal Rule 30(e) and Policing the Errata Sheet

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(e) allows a deponent thirty days after a deposition in which to make "changes in form or substance." Courts are split in their interpretation of just how broad a range of alterations the Rule envisions and permits. Some take an expansive reading, presuming that deponents can make whatever changes they see fit, however radical or contradictory the amendments may seem. Others are stricter, permitting changes only when a typographical error affected the form or substance of the transcribed answer.The question of how permissively to treat a deponent's errata sheet is a vitally important one to the discovery process, with drastic consequences for individual litigants. This Comment is the first to comprehensively lay out the case in favor of strict requirements for deposition changes under Rule 30 of the Federal Rules. I contend that the history of the Rule, the goals of swift and fair justice, and parallel developments in the discovery process militate against an expansive reading of 30(e). Further, I propose amendments to the Rule that will cure confusion and etch new procedural parameters to promote fairness in federal litigation.
Temperature as a determinant factor for increased and reproducible in vitro pollen germination in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Summary Despite much effort, a robust protocol for in vitro germination of Arabidopsis thaliana pollen has been elusive. Here we show that controlled temperatures, a largely disregarded factor in previous studies, and a simple optimized medium, solidified or liquid, yielded pollen germination rates above 80% and pollen tube lengths of hundreds of microns, with both Columbia and Landsberg erecta (Ler) ecotypes. We found that pollen germination and tube growth were dependent on pollen density in both liquid and solid medium. Pollen germination rates were not substantially affected by flower or plant age. The quartet1 mutation negatively affected pollen germination, especially in the Ler ecotype. This protocol will facilitate functional analyses of insertional mutants affecting male gametophyte function, and should allow detailed gene expression analyses during pollen tube growth. Arabidopsis thaliana can now be included on the list of plant species that are suitable models for physiological studies of pollen tube elongation and tip growth.
An aminoacyl tRNA synthetase whose sequence fits into neither of the two known classes

Aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetases catalyse the first step of protein synthesis and establish the rules of the genetic code through the aminoacylation of tRNAs. There is a distinct synthetase for each of the 20 amino acids and throughout evolution these enzymes have been divided into two classes of ten enzymes each1,2. These classes are defined by the distinct architectures of their active sites, which are associated with specific and universal sequence motifs1,2,3,4,5. Because the synthesis of aminoacyl-tRNAs containing each of the twenty amino acids is a universally conserved, essential reaction, the absence of a recognizable gene for cysteinyl tRNA synthetase in the genomes of Archae such as Methanococcus jannaschii and Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum6,7,8 has been difficult to interpret. Here we describe a different cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase from M. jannaschii and Deinococcus radiodurans and its characterization in vitro and in vivo. This protein lacks the characteristic sequence motifs seen in the more than 700 known members of the two canonical classes of tRNA synthetase and may be of ancient origin. The existence of this protein contrasts with proposals that aminoacylation with cysteine in M. jannaschii is an auxiliary function of a canonical prolyl-tRNA synthetase9,10.
Evolution and characterization of a benzylguanine-binding RNA aptamer

Repurposing the "protein-labeling toolkit" for RNA research could be a pragmatic approach for developing new RNA-labeling methods. We have evolved an RNA aptamer that tightly binds benzylguanine (bG), the key ligand for the protein SNAP-tag. The aptamer tightly binds bG fluorophores and can be purified from cellular RNA with bG agarose under native conditions.
Activation of Chick Tendon Lysyl Oxidase in Response to Dietary Copper

Lysyl oxidase (EC 1.4.3.13), a cuproenzyme, can account for 10-30% of the copper present in connective tissue. Herein, we assess the extent to which tissue copper concentrations and lysyl oxidase activity are related because the functional activity of lysyl oxidase and the copper content of chick tendon are both related to dietary copper intake. Chicks (1-d old) were fed diets (basal copper concentration, 0.4 microg/g diet) to which copper was added from 0 to 16 microg/g diet. Liver and plasma copper levels tended to normalize in chickens that consumed from 1 to 4 microg copper/g of diet, whereas tendon copper concentrations suggested an unusual accumulation of copper in chickens that consumed 16 microg copper/g diet. The molecular weight of lysyl oxidase was also estimated using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (MALDI/TOF/MS). A novel aspect of these measurements was estimation of protein mass directly from the surface of chick tendons and aortae. Whether copper deficiency (0 added copper) or copper supplementation (16 microg copper/g of diet) caused changes in the molecular weight of protein(s) in tendon corresponding to lysyl oxidase was addressed. The average molecular weight of the peak corresponding to lysyl oxidase in tendon and aorta from copper-deficient birds was 28,386 Da +/- 86, whereas the average molecular weight of corresponding protein in tendon from copper-supplemented birds was 28,639 Da +/- 122. We propose that the shift in molecular weight is due in part to copper binding and the formation of lysyl tyrosyl quinone, the cofactor at the active site of lysyl oxidase.
Zidovudine Pharmacokinetics in Premature Infants Exposed to Human Immunodeficiency Virus

We used population analysis techniques to determine zidovudine (ZDV) pharmacokinetic parameters in 15 preterm neonates (mean gestational age, 29.4 weeks; mean birth weight, 1,230 g) at a mean age of 5.5 days. The values of the pharmacokinetic parameters were as follows: clearance, 2.53 ± 0.44 ml/min/kg; volume of distribution, 1.59 ± 0.51 liters/kg; and half-life, 7.2 ± 1.5 h. For seven infants studied a second time, at a mean age of 17.7 days, an increase in the mean clearance (2.33 versus 4.35 ml/min/kg; P = 0.024) and a decrease in the half-life (7.3 versus 4.4 h; P = 0.003) were found. The ZDV clearance is low and the half-life is prolonged in premature neonates, but the clearance increases and the half-life decreases with postnatal age. Potentially toxic concentrations may accumulate in serum if the standard dosage for full-term infants is used. We suggest that initial ZDV dosing should be reduced to 1.5 mg every 12 h for preterm neonates.
Visual Loss Reversed After Treatment of Acute Bacterial Sinusitis

Visual loss is a rare complication of acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS). Very few cases have been reported in the literature. Only two cases of visual loss reversed after treatment of ABS are found in the English-language literature. We present three cases in which significant visual loss was reversed after treatment of ABS. The experience with visual loss associated with ABS is small; therefore, no definitive statement about treatment can be made. However, on the basis of our experience, it appears that immediate surgical drainage with antibiotic therapy may be important in restoring vision.
The motivational relevance of peer and teacher relationship profiles in physical education

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify combinations or profiles of peer (i.e., friendship quality, peer acceptance) and teacher (i.e., perceived support) relationship variables in physical education and then test for motivation-related differences among the emergent profiles. Design Cross-sectional survey. Method An online survey assessing study variables was completed by 7th and 8th grade physical education students ( n = 244). Results Three meaningful profiles emerged: a Mixed profile ( n = 67) with relatively high peer acceptance, a trend toward relatively high friendship quality and relatively low teacher support, a Weak profile ( n = 74) with relatively low peer relationships and teacher support, and a Positive profile ( n = 103) with relatively high teacher support and a trend toward high peer relationships. Two MANOVAs showed significant main effects ( p p 2 = .30 and .17) with follow-ups specifying that the Positive profile had higher ( p Positive and Mixed profiles experienced less ( p Weak profile, and the Mixed and Weak profiles experienced similar perceptions of autonomy, self-determined motivation, effort, and value. Conclusions Profile differences suggest that positive relationships with both teachers and peers are associated with optimal physical education experiences. Positive peer relationships, even when teacher support is relatively low may afford some advantages within this setting.
Urea nitricphosphate for cool‐season grass production

Abstract Significant losses of nitrogen (N) can occur via volatilization of ammonia (NH3) when non‐incorporated broadcast applications of urea or urea‐containing fertilizers are made. This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of urea nitricphosphate (UNP) as an N and phosphorus (P) source for cool‐season grasses and to evaluate NH3 volatilization potential of UNP as compared to urea under laboratory conditions. A three‐year field study compared UNP to ammonium nitrate (AN) and urea at 56 and 112 kg N/ha for tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and smooth brome (Bromus inermis Leyss.). Brome yields were significantly higher from UNP as compared to urea for one of the three years. No such differences occurred with fescue. Nitrogen uptake was significantly higher from UNP as compared to urea for one year each for brome and fescue. Phosphorus uptake by brome was significantly higher from UNP as compared to urea for two years. Laboratory incubation studies showed significantly lower NH3 volatiliz...
Optimization of a new score function for the generation of accurate alignments.

The accuracy of the alignments of protein sequences depends on the score matrix and gap penalties used in performing the alignment. Most score functions are designed to find homologs in the various databases rather than to generate accurate alignments between known homologs. We describe the optimization of a score function for the purpose of generating accurate alignments, as evaluated by using a coordinate root-mean-square deviation (RMSD)-based merit function. We show that the resulting score matrix, which we call STROMA, generates more accurate alignments than other commonly used score matrices, and this difference is not due to differences in the gap penalties. In fact, in contrast to most of the other matrices, the alignment accuracies with STROMA are relatively insensitive to the choice of gap penalty parameters.
Separation of tin by benzene extraction of stannic iodide

Abstract Benzene extraction of tin(IV) iodide from a sodium iodide-perchloric acid-sodium perchlorate solution (e.g. 0.5M NaI, 1.5M HClO4, 3M NaClO4) provides a simple means of separating microgram (or larger) amounts of tin from most elements. Germanium and arsenic are extracted to a small extent, but even as much as 1 mg. Ge does not cause significant error when tin is determined spectrophotometrically with phenylfluorone. As little as 2 μg. Sn can be determined in the presence of 100 mg. Fe(III) after iodide extraction.
Induced magnetic fields at Gd nuclei in GdFe2 and Gd

Abstract Large magnetic fields at the site of the Gd nucleus are found to be induced by the application of external magnetic fields on GdFe 2 and Gd metal.
Evidence for two kinds of chromatin binding sites for the estradiol-receptor complex

Abstract Evidence for two types of chromatin binding sites for the estradiol-receptor complex was found in target nuclei using micrococcal nuclease digestion. Nuclei from rat uteri, which had been incubated for 1 hr at 37°C in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium containing 10 −8 M 3 H-estradiol, produced monomer (nu 1 ) and short oligomer nubodies which contained significantly higher specific activities of 3 H-estradiol/nu-body than the bulk chromatin. The specific activities decreased from nu 1 to nu 2 to nu 3 , and more extensive digestion produced nu-bodies with lower specific activities. 3 H-estradiol-containing nu-bodies sedimented slightly faster than bulk particles. The bound estradiol could be released from the nu-bodies with 400 mM KCl, producing a 5.3S estradiol-receptor complex similar to the "activated" form of receptor released by salt from uterine nuclei of steroid-treated animals. Concomitant with the appearance of 3 H-estradiol-enriched nu-bodies, micrococcal nuclease also released from the chromatin an estradiol-receptor complex which sedimented at 6.9S in low salt and 5.3S in high salt. This moiety may be bound to a small fragment of DNA since receptor released from chromatin by DNAase I sedimented at 6.0S rather than at 6.9S. It is possible that the binding of estradiol to chromatin, which is known to turn on specific gene transcription in vivo, induces or reflects a local conformational alteration which we detect as an enhanced sensitivity to nuclease, and which is recognized intracellularly as a start signal for transcription.
Molecular mechanisms of leukotriene synthesis : The changing paradigm

Leukotrienes (LTs) are potent lipid mediators which modulate a multitude of fundamental intracellular processes. While their pathophysiological role has been best established in asthma, they are probably important participants in many other disease processes characterized by inflammation, cellular proliferation, and fibrogenesis. They also subserve a homoeostatic role in antimicrobial host defence1. In view of the actions and importance of LTs, substantial effort over the last several years has been directed at increasing our understanding of their synthesis. The purpose of this brief chapter will be to review these recent advances in LT synthesis, with an emphasis on the biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology of the key enzymes involved.
Continuation Commitment: Family’s Commitment to Continue the Family Business

This study investigates what influences families’ commitment to continue a family business, or continuation commitment. We hypothesize that top executives’ cultural capital, family members’ satisfaction with the firms past performance and their aspirations regarding its future performance, as well as the level of family involvement in the family business represent key factors underlying continuation commitment. In addition, we suggest the interaction effects among the identified factors that affect a family’s commitment will be higher in the founder generation compared to successive generations of family owners. Analysis of a dataset of 2,168 family firms from a nationwide survey provided support for most hypotheses.
Counting in oogenesis

The determination of a precise number of cells within a structure and of a precise number of cellular structures within an organ is critical for correct development in animals and plants. However, relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms that ensure that these numbers are achieved. We discuss counting mechanisms that operate during ovarian development and oogenesis.
Compression Schemes for Similarity Queries

We consider compression of sequences in a database so that similarity queries can be performed efficiently in the compressed domain. The fundamental limits for this problem setting, which characterize the trade off between compression rate and reliability of the answers to the queries, have been characterized in past work. However, how to approach these limits in practice has remained largely unexplored. Recently, we proposed a scheme for this task that is based on existing lossy compression algorithms, for the general case where the similarity measure satisfies a triangle inequality. Although it was shown that it achieves the fundamental limits for some cases, it is suboptimal in general. In this paper we propose a new scheme that also uses lossy compression algorithms as a building block, but with a carefully chosen distortion measure that is different than the one defining the similarity between sequences. The new scheme significantly improves the compression rate compared to the previously proposed scheme in many cases. For example, for binary sources and Hamming similarity measure, simulation results show a compression rate close to the fundamental limit, and an improvement over the previously proposed scheme of up to 55% (for the same reliability). The results shed light on the fact that compression for similarity identification is inherently different than classical lossy compression.
Specialization and Fragmentation Among Faculty as Endemic Features of Academic Life

Proposals promising integration have been offered as solutions to problems of faculty specialization and fragmentation. Despite their merits, these proposals may be premature or even misguided. A prior need is to analyze the roots and processes of specialization and fragmentation. One kind of analysis begins with the relationship among professionalization, problem setting, and paradigmatic communities. In addition to emphasizing the import of institutional and societal contexts, this analytical frame of reference calls attention to issues of power, authority, resources, and prestige in higher education. Specialization and fragmentation are endemic in higher education, and proposals aimed at integration must accommodate both.
Geiger Counter Tubes

The following are some of the many processes that contribute to the mechanism of the discharge in Geiger counters: formation of the primary ion pairs; ion multiplication within the gas by Townsend avalanche formation; spreading of the avalanches through photoelectric absorption of ultra-violet quanta in the gas; transfer of ionization energy from positive ions of the rare gases to the polyatomic molecules of the "quenching" admixture; release of secondary electrons at the cathode by positive ions and metastable atoms; de-excitation of metastable atoms of the rare gases by colisions with atoms of admixed foreign gases; and decomposition of poly-atomic molecules by electron impacts and photon absorption. Present theories provide a qualitative understanding of the fundamental roles played by all of these processes, but their combined effects are too complex to predict the wide variation in characteristics of tubes obtained with slightly altered practices of construction or choices of gases. This paper is a review of existing theories and methods of constructing tubes to obtain maximum counting efficiencies and other desirable characteristics, such as low threshold voltage, thermal insensitivity, long life, high resolution, and low background.
Tailoring Electron-Transfer Barriers for Zinc Oxide/C60 Fullerene Interfaces

The interfacial electronic structure between oxide thin films and organic semiconductors remains a key parameter for optimum functionality and performance of next-generation organic/hybrid electronics. By tailoring defect concentrations in transparent conductive ZnO films, we demonstrate the importance of controlling the electron transfer barrier at the interface with organic acceptor molecules such as C60. A combination of electron spectroscopy, density functional theory computations, and device characterization is used to determine band alignment and electron injection barriers. Extensive experimental and first principles calculations reveal the controllable formation of hybridized interface states and charge transfer between shallow donor defects in the oxide layer and the molecular adsorbate. Importantly, it is shown that removal of shallow donor intragap states causes a larger barrier for electron injection. Thus, hybrid interface states constitute an important gateway for nearly barrier-free charge carrier injection. These findings open new avenues to understand and tailor interfaces between organic semiconductors and transparent oxides, of critical importance for novel optoelectronic devices and applications in energy-conversion and sensor technologies.
Inverse correlation between cerebral blood flow measured by continuous arterial spin-labeling (CASL) MRI and neurocognitive function in children with sickle cell anemia (SCA)

Overt stroke, clinically “silent” cerebral infarct, and neurocognitive impairment are frequent complications of sickle cell anemia (SCA). Current imaging techniques have limited sensitivity and specificity to identify children at risk for neurocognitive impairment. We prospectively evaluated 24 children with SCA with a neurologic exam, complete blood count, transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD), measurement of intelligence quotient (IQ), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) using continuous arterial spin-labeling (CASL) MRI. Average CBF to gray matter was 112 ± 36 mL/100 g/min. We identified a strong inverse relationship between performance IQ and CBF (-1.5 points per 10 mL/100 g/min increase in CBF, P = .013). Elevated steady-state white blood cell count (≥ 14 × 109/L [14 000/μL]) was associated with lower full scale IQ (86 ± 9 vs 99 ± 10, P = .005). CASL MRI may identify children with neurocognitive impairment, before damage is evident by structural MRI or TCD. (Blood. 2006;108:379-381)
Occurrence and Predictors of Futile Recanalization following Endovascular Treatment among Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although recanalization is the goal of thrombolysis, it is well recognized that it fails to improve outcome of acute stroke in a subset of patients. Our aim was to assess the rate of and factors associated with “futile recanalization,” defined by absence of clinical benefit from recanalization, following endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from 6 studies of acute ischemic stroke treated with mechanical and/or pharmacologic endovascular treatment were analyzed. “Futile recanalization” was defined by the occurrence of unfavorable outcome (mRS score of ≥3 at 1–3 months) despite complete angiographic recanalization (Qureshi grade 0 or TIMI grade 3). RESULTS: Complete recanalization was observed in 96 of 270 patients treated with IA thrombolysis. Futile recanalization was observed in 47 (49%). In univariate analysis, patients with futile recanalization were older (73 ± 11 versus 58 ± 15 years, P 70 years (OR, 4.4; 95% CI, 1.9–10.5; P = .0008) and initial NIHSS score 10–19 (OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.7–8.4; P = .001), and initial NIHSS score ≥20 (OR, 64.4; 95% CI, 28.8–144; P CONCLUSIONS: Futile recanalization is a relatively common occurrence following endovascular treatment, particularly among elderly patients and those with severe neurologic deficits.
The SH-3 and SH-4 antibodies recognize distinct epitopes on CD73 from human mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are pluripotent cells in the bone marrow that have the capacity to differentiate along a number of connective tissue lineages, including cartilage, bone, adipose tissue, and stroma. The SH-3 and SH-4 monoclonal antibodies recognize epitopes present on the surface of human MSCs. This study describes the isolation and characterization of the antigen that is recognized by these antibodies. A protein of molecular weight approximately 67 kDa was immunoprecipitated from a solubilized membrane preparation of human MSCs using the SH-3 antibody. Analysis of peptides derived from this protein by mass spectrometry and sequencing identified it as CD73 (ecto-5'-nucleotidase). The SH-4 antibody was also shown to react with purified bovine CD73 by immunoblotting, but the SH-3 antibody failed to react with the bovine protein. These results indicate that both SH-3 and SH-4 epitopes are present on CD73, but they are distinct. CD73, present in lymphoid tissue, plays a role in the activation of B-lymphocytes and in signal transduction in the hematopoietic compartment of bone marrow. The role that CD73 may play in bone marrow stromal interactions and in the differentiation of MSCs is discussed.
Defining outcomes in older patients with cardiovascular disease

It is now possible to track a comprehensive range of outcomes in elderly cardiac patients. Beside vital clinical end-points, these include health-related quality of life, satisfaction with care, and economic outcomes. This range of outcomes, each set complementing the others, can support patient care that is more effective from both the physician’s and the patient’s perspective. In this summary article, quality of life, satisfaction and economic outcomes are explored relative to the treatment of elderly cardiac patients. This is not meant to diminish the importance of the clinical measures that can and must be readily appreciated by physicians managing their cardiac patients. Instead, the measures discussed here augment the armamentarium that physicians can use to implement their patient care responsibilities.
Research Note---A Value-at-Risk Approach to Information Security Investment

Information security investment has been getting increasing attention in recent years. Various methods have been proposed to determine the effective level of security investment. However, traditional expected value methods (such as annual loss expectancy) cannot fully characterize the information security risk confronted by organizations, considering some extremal yet perhaps relatively rare cases in which a security failure may be critical and cause high losses. In this research note we introduce the concept of value-at-risk to measure the risk of daily losses an organization faces due to security exploits and use extreme value analysis to quantitatively estimate the value at risk. We collect a set of internal daily activity data from a large financial institution in the northeast United States and then simulate its daily losses with information based on data snapshots and interviews with security managers at the institution. We illustrate our methods using these simulated daily losses. With this approach, decision makers can make a proper investment choice based on their own risk preference instead of pursuing a solution that minimizes only the expected cost.
The naming and recognition of written symbols in aphasic and alexic patients

Abstract A test consisting of sixty-six written symbols was administered to matched groups of controls, aphasic patients, and alexic patients. The test was designed to determine how the naming and recognition of symbols is affected in aphasia and whether the difficulties associated with alexia are restricted to verbal symbolic materials. Aphasics had more difficulty in symbol naming than control groups; posterior aphasics had more difficulty in recognizing symbols than anterior aphasics; alexic patients had considerable difficulty in naming and recognizing all symbolic categories. The relative difficulty of the various symbolic categories was consistent across all subject groups except the alexic subjects. The results are discussed in terms of the nature of naming, recognition, and reading of symbolic materials; the relationship between alexia and other disturbances of language and symbol use: the mechanisms which may mediate symbol processing under conditions of cortical injury.