cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intrafirm competition and release dates: evidence from the recorded music industry

Major consolidation has occurred in the recorded music industry over the past 20 years, which has led some industry stakeholders to question the power and influence of the major remaining firms. I ...
Change in eating disorder symptoms following pediatric obesity treatment.

Objective The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether children with overweight or obesity participating in an evidence-based treatment, family-based behavioral treatment (FBT) for obesity, or a parent-only variant of FBT (PBT), experience an increase of eating disorder (ED) symptoms during and following treatment. Method Children (N = 150) participating in a randomized controlled trial of FBT or PBT completed measures of EDs attitudes and behaviors at baseline, following 6-months of treatment, 6 months, and 18 months after treatment. Results Linear-mixed effects models suggest that ED attitudes did not significantly increase. Rather, significant decreases of shape, weight, and eating concerns were shown following treatment. Loss of control over eating significantly decreased over treatment and follow-up. No participant endorsed purging at any time point. Discussion Results confirm the hypothesis that ED symptoms do not increase after participating in FBT or a FBT-based treatment. These findings should help assuage fears of parents that enrolling their child will exacerbate ED symptoms and aid children to access evidence-based treatments that may help reduce significant physical and psychosocial complications of childhood obesity.
Surgical Management: Other Diaphragmatic Hernias in Adults

The diaphragm is an anatomically complex organ composed of muscular and tendinous portions with a rich neurovascular network. An intact and functioning diaphragm is critical for respiration, and it serves as a barrier between the chest and abdominal cavities. Diaphragmatic hernias not located at the esophageal hiatus can either be congenital (Morgagni or Bochdalek hernias) or traumatic (either accidental or postoperative) in nature. Abdominal organs may be pulled into the thoracic cavity through any diaphragmatic defect, encouraged by the pressure differential between the chest and abdomen. In general, in patients with reasonable operative risk, any diaphragmatic hernia should be repaired when diagnosed. Surgical repair of non-hiatal diaphragmatic defects can be either transabdominal or transthoracic and may incorporate minimally invasive techniques. Repair often includes primary tissue apposition, due to the redundancy of diaphragmatic muscular tissue. When mesh is required, most surgeons prefer a nonporous mesh material. Postoperatively, the diet can be restarted immediately. Long-term recurrence is unusual following repair.
Chemotherapy Education: An Interprofessional Approach to Standardizing Processes and Improving Nurse and Patient Satisfaction.

Background A lack of standardization in chemotherapy patient education practices can lead to decreased efficiency and satisfaction for nurse educators and uncertainty and anxiety for patients. Objectives The goal was to determine whether standardizing chemotherapy education practices improved nurse and patient satisfaction. Methods An interprofessional team was formed to standardize the chemotherapy education process and reduce variation in teaching. Anonymous, self-administered questionnaires assessed satisfaction in chemotherapy education among nurses and patients pre- and postimplementation. Findings Significant improvement in nursing staff satisfaction postimplementation was observed across all individual construct measures, with the average overall score increasing from 3.4 to 4.3. Patient satisfaction scores were high in the pre- and postimplementation phases (average overall score of 4.3 and 4.1, respectively).
Treatment of Students with Sexual Deviant or Offending Behaviors: Should College Counseling Centers Go There?

In this article, the authors discuss the pathways to sexual offenses, risk factors, treatment, and unique ethical challenges inherent in working with students who have a history of sexual offending...
Acute Kidney Injury with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Push beyond Case Reports.

Over the past decade, the development and use of targeted immunotherapies in the treatment of solid organ and hematologic malignancies have revolutionized the field of oncology. Whereas prior cancer treatments had largely relied on killing tumor cells with nonspecific cytotoxic therapies and
A Comparative Survey of the Indradhvaja Ceremony (Gārgīyajyotiṣa 45)

This article gives a preliminary survey of Gārgīyajyotiṣa 45, a ritual description of the festival of Indra's Banner (indradhvaja), based on manuscript evidence. The testimony of Garga is compared to the description of the same rite in Varāhamihira's Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 42), with reference to later Puranic versions. Since Varāhamihira has explicitly referenced Garga's text on multiple occasions, this comparison brings to light Varāhamihira's own innovations with respect to his source material. While Varāhamihira did not produce the ritual ex nihilo, he seems to have added greater specificity to the ritual's mantric content and overnight structure, and to the broader connectivity between the Indradhvaja festival and other events in the nascent royal calendar.
When Wireless Crowd Charging Meets Online Social Networks: A Vision for Socially Motivated Energy Sharing

Abstract Individual users of a social crowd are bound by finite resource capacity. Other users (such as online friends) may have surplus capacity or resources that, if shared, could be used to meet fluctuating demand. A particularly important resource in modern societies is the energy supplies of mobile portable devices like smartphones; quick energy depletion is an everyday problem in the lives of billions of smartphone users worldwide. Peer-to-peer wireless crowd charging has recently emerged as an alternative energy replenishment option. Although there have been some recent advances on this type of wireless energy sharing, to the best of our knowledge, none of the related works has considered using online social network information as input. In this paper, for the first time in the state of the art, we introduce the vision of socially motivated wireless energy sharing and we provide a holistic framework for socially aware wireless crowd charging. We present a taxonomy of the existing representative use cases, and we define a model which takes into account not only the wireless power transfer specifics, but also the online social information. After having selected a target use case (balanced crowd energy efficiency), we design two socially aware wireless energy sharing protocols. The design of each protocol is inspired by the social topology and structural characteristics of diverse datasets of online social relationships among real users. In fact, aligning to studies on psychology which conclude that users typically favor friends over strangers in allocating resources (especially when the sharing task is costly), our protocols favor energy exchanges among friends or friendly groups. For the purposes of the protocol evaluation, we simulate the energy sharing interactions based on the user encounters, as reported in the datasets. In order to demonstrate the effects of the social component, we compare the performance of our protocols to the performance of another state of the art protocol that does not use online social information. Interestingly enough, we demonstrate that online social network information can indeed influence the selected use case, in terms of energy losses, as well as level of and time elapsed until a balanced energy distribution in the crowd. We conclude the paper by providing some interesting open research directions.
Effect of endurance exercise training on liver gene expression in male and female mice.

Chronic endurance exercise is a therapeutic strategy in the treatment of many chronic diseases in humans, including the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus. Met...
The Challenges of Acute Interstitial Nephritis: Time to Standardize

Acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) is a well-known cause of acute kidney disease (AKD) and CKD and is associated with progression to ESKD (1⇓⇓⇓⇓–6). Accordingly, it represents an important problem for clinicians caring for these patients. AIN is primarily an immune-mediated kidney injury triggered by use of certain medications, in particular antibiotics, PPIs, NSAIDs, and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs), or by autoimmune diseases, such as Sjogren syndrome, sarcoidosis, IgG4-related tubulointerstitial disease, and TINU. In developed countries, medications are the most common cause of AIN (>70%), whereas the number approximates 50% in developing countries. Infectious agents are a less common cause of AIN, except in developing countries. The overall incidence of AIN in kidney biopsy registries is 2%–5%, whereas AIN is observed in approximately 15%–20% of patients with AKI or AKD who undergo kidney biopsy (1⇓–3). The actual number is likely higher as many patients with AKI/AKD do not undergo biopsy and are presumed to have acute tubular injury (ATI). Importantly, diagnosing AIN clinically is often quite challenging, making kidney biopsy a frequent requirement to definitively confirm the diagnosis and guide therapy (Figure 1). Furthermore, delayed or missed AIN diagnosis leads to ongoing inflammation with resulting interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, and permanent kidney damage, which may be the explanation for CKD occurring in 40%–60% of patients after an episode of AIN (4,5). Approximately 2% of CKD is considered to be due to AIN, which is equivalent to 10 million prevalent worldwide cases. Furthermore, AIN is the primary cause of ESKD in 3%–4% of incident patients (6). It is one of the few potentially treatable causes of AKI if identified and treated early. In view of these data, three key challenges that limit the diagnosis and management of patients suspected of having …
Nativity, Family, Disability: Results from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly.

Objectives: Nativity and family support may influence attitudes and behaviors that delay or accelerate the disability process in older adults. The objectives of this study were twofold: 1) to evaluate nativity and migration cohort differences in trajecto­ries of disability (assessed by activities of daily living [ADL]) among older Mexican Americans; and 2) to determine the role of objectively measured family support in the association between nativity, migration cohort, and disability changes over time. Methods: This is a longitudinal study with up to 18 years follow-up (1993-2011) using data from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (N=2,785, mean age =72.4 years). Disability was assessed using self-reported limitations in activities of daily living (ADL). Nativity and migration cohort were self-reported. Family support was as­sessed by marital status and the number of their children participants saw each month. Linear growth curve models evaluated the trajectory of ADL disability over 18 years and assessed variations by nativity status, migration cohort and family support. Results: Foreign-born respondents who migrated before age 20 had more starting ADL limitations (β= .36, P<.001) and ac­cumulated disability faster (β=.04, P<.01) compared with their US-born counterparts. In contrast, foreign-born respondents who migrated at later ages showed disability trajectories similar to US-born respondents. Married respondents had a lower level of disability (β= -.14, P<.01) and a lower rate of accumulation over time (β= -.02, P=.001) compared with participants who were not married. Discussion: Mexican Americans who migrate at younger ages may experience greater disability over time; however, family support may help mitigate the accumula­tion of disability among older Mexican Americans. Ethn Dis. 2021;31(2):253-262; doi:10.18865/ed.31.2.253
The item generation methodology of an empiric simulation project.

The American Board of Family Practice (ABFP) is developing a computer-based testing system that will create realistic clinical encounters using an adaptation of an item generation process. Simulated patients' entire lives will be stochastically produced from a knowledge base, with constraints applied to prevent implausible simulations. The constraint mechanisms include knowledge acquisition decisions about grouping closely related medical concepts and widespread use of Bayesian networks to manage dependencies between concepts. Bayesian networks and fuzzy definitions provide stochastic variability between simulations produced from the same data. Examinees will interact with these patients using a large and stable set of queries and interventions. Multiple management plans associated with patient simulations provide a framework for scoring performance. All major components, including Health States, history generating “Lead To” objects, and Plans are reusable and often substitutable. Although initial knowledge acquisition demands are enormous, the system has good potential for low cost maintenance of content areas, and economies of scale as simulations and components are reused.
Unwind and transcribe: chromatin reprogramming in the early mammalian embryo

Within the first few days of life, the unipotent gametic genomes are rapidly reprogrammed to support emergence of pluripotent cells in the early mammalian embryo. It is now appreciated that this crucial stage of development involves dramatic changes to chromatin at multiple levels, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, histone mobility, and higher-order chromatin organization. Technological advances are beginning to allow genome-wide views of this chromatin reprogramming, and provide new approaches to functionally dissect its regulation. Here we review recent insights into the dynamic chromatin environment of the early mouse embryo. New data challenge long-held assumptions, for example, with regards to the asymmetry of DNA methylation of the parental genomes or the onset of functional zygotic genome activation. We discuss how impaired chromatin reprogramming can lead to early embryonic lethality, but might also have delayed effects that only manifest later in embryogenesis or postnatally, potentially influencing the propensity for adult-onset diseases.
Precision medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: clinical next-generation sequencing enabling next-generation targeted therapy trials

Implementing a center-wide precision medicine strategy at a major cancer center is a true multidisciplinary effort and requires comprehensive alignment of a broad screening strategy with a clinical research enterprise that can use these data to accelerate development of new treatments. Here, we describe the genomic screening approach at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a hybridization capture-based next-generation sequencing clinical assay for solid tumor molecular oncology designated MSK-IMPACT, and how it enables and supports a large clinical trial portfolio enriched for multi-histology, biomarker-selected, 'basket' studies of targeted therapies.
Acyl Carrier Protein: XVIII. CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A PROTEIN WITH ACYL CARRIER PROTEIN ACTIVITY

Abstract A protected linear polypeptide of 74 amino acids with the sequence of Escherichia coli 1 to 74 apo-acyl carrier protein (ACP) was synthesized by the automated solid phase method. The polypeptide was removed from the solid support and partially deprotected by treatment of the peptide-resin with hydrogen bromide and trifluoroacetic acid, and the product was purified by gel filtration. The removal of protecting groups was completed by hydrogenation, and the prosthetic group, 4'-phosphopantetheine, was introduced enzymatically with holo-ACP synthetase. Ion exchange chromatography of the product yielded a preparation in which 55% of the protein in the purified fraction contained the prosthetic group. This synthetic 1 to 74 holo-ACP was as active as native holo-ACP in the malonyl pantetheine-CO2 exchange reaction which is dependent upon malonyl-coenzyme A-ACP transacylase and β-ketoacyl-ACP synthetase. The purified synthetic 1 to 74 holo-ACP preparation was found to be homogeneous and similar to native 1 to 74 holo-ACP as judged by co-chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-50 and by sodium dodecyl sulfate disc gel electrophoresis. In addition the synthetic and native proteins were similar with respect to their ultraviolet spectra, amino acid compositions, and their immunological activity with antiserum prepared against native ACP.
A color image enhancement method based on Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition and Genetic Algorithm

In this paper, we introduce a new method for enhancement of the color images. The proposed approach utilizes Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) and Genetic Algorithm (GA). The algorithm is tested on the underwater images and the underexposed scenes. For the dark images, a nonlinear transform is first performed on the original image as a preliminary illumination correction. For underwater images, the mean of each RGB channels is initially corrected based on a GA-oriented technique. After the preprocessing steps, an EEMD based method is applied on the luminance channel of the resulting image to further correct the brightness of the image. The Genetic Algorithm enables the presented method to set the required parameters automatically. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm in visual enhancement of the color images.
A Review of: “Foreign News: Exploring the World of Foreign Correspondents, by Ulf Hannerz”

“Exploring the world” calls forth the child in each of us. Its unsteady footsteps, thrills of discovery, and wavering bouts of uncertainty suggest a journey that draws us toward both the mystery of...
N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of nitric oxide from L-arginine.

Authentic N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine was synthesized and used to determine whether it is an intermediate in nitric oxide (.NO) synthesis from L-arginine by macrophage .NO synthase. The apparent Km (6.6 microM) and Vmax (99 nmol x min-1 x mg-1) observed with N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine were similar to those observed with L-arginine (Km = 2.3 microM; Vmax = 54 mumol x min-1 x mg-1). N omega-Hydroxy-D-arginine was not a substrate. Stable isotope studies showed that .NO synthase exclusively oxidized the hydroxylated nitrogen of N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine, forming .NO and L-citrulline. As with L-arginine, O2 was the source of the ureido oxygen in L-citrulline from N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine. In the presence of excess N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine, .NO synthase generated a metabolite of L-[14C]arginine that cochromatographed with authentic N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine. The labeled metabolite exhibited identical chromatographic behavior in three solvent systems and generated the same product (L-citrulline) upon alkaline hydrolysis as authentic N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine. Experiments were then run to identify which redox cofactor (NADPH or tetrahydrobiopterin) participated in the enzymatic synthesis of N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine. Both cofactors were required for synthesis of .NO from either N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine or L-arginine. However, with L-arginine, the synthesis of 1 mol of .NO was coupled to the oxidation of 1.52 +/- 0.02 mol of NADPH; whereas with N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine, only 0.53 +/- 0.04 mol of NADPH was oxidized per mol of .NO formed. These results support a mechanism in which N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine is generated as an intermediate in .NO synthesis through an NADPH-dependent hydroxylation of L-arginine.
Modeling multitasking users

This paper describes an algorithm to cluster and segment sequences of low-level user actions into sequences of distinct high-level user tasks. The algorithm uses text contained in interface windows as evidence of the state of user-computer interaction. Window text is summarized using latent semantic indexing (LSI). Hierarchical models are built using expectation- maximization to represent users as macro models. User actions for each task are modeled with a micro model based on a Gaussian mixture model to represent the LSI space. The algorithm's performance is demonstrated in a test of web-browsing behavior, which also demonstrates the value of the temporal constraint provided by the macro model.
Kinetics of thrombin receptor cleavage on intact cells. Relation to signaling

Thrombin, a protease generated at sites of vascular injury, signals cellular responses vital for hemostasis and thrombosis. How thrombin, an enzyme rather than a classical ligand, effects graded and concentration-dependent responses in its target cells has been a long-standing question. Thrombin activates its receptor by cleaving off an activation peptide to unmask a tethered peptide ligand. We utilized a thrombin receptor with an epitope-tagged activation peptide to directly demonstrate thrombin receptor cleavage and to examine the kinetics of receptor activation on intact cells. The rate of thrombin receptor cleavage was proportional to thrombin concentration over the physiologic range, but low thrombin concentrations ultimately cleaved and activated all receptors. Cumulative phosphoinositide hydrolysis in response to thrombin correlated precisely with cumulative receptor cleavage. These data strongly suggest that each cleaved and activated thrombin receptor produces a "quantum" of phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis, then shuts off. Surprisingly, this shut off occurred despite the continued presence of cleaved and "activated" receptors on the cell surface and at a time when the cells were refractory to thrombin but sensitive to agonist peptide, suggesting that a novel shut off mechanism may have evolved to deal with the tethered ligand. Unlike the case with classical ligands, cells thus cannot detect differences in thrombin concentrations as differences in fractional occupancy but rather must sense different rates of receptor activation. Because each cleaved thrombin receptor generates a quantum of second messenger, the magnitude of the cell's response to thrombin must be determined by the balance between rates of receptor activation and second messenger clearance.
Molybdenum(V) Chloride–Triphenylphosphine

(MoCl5) [10241-05-1] Cl5Mo (MW 273.19) InChI = 1S/5ClH.Mo/h5*1H;/q;;;;;+5/p-5 InChIKey = GICWIDZXWJGTCI-UHFFFAOYSA-I (PPh3) [603-35-0] C18H15P (MW 262.30) InChI = 1S/C18H15P/c1-4-10-16(11-5-1)19(17-12-6-2-7-13-17)18-14-8-3-9-15-18/h1-15H InChIKey = RIOQSEWOXXDEQQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N (carbon dioxide insertion;2 cyclic carbonate preparation; Lewis acid catalysis) Physical Data: see Molybdenum(V) Chloride and Triphenylphosphine. Solubility: MoCl5: sol most organic solvents. PPh3: sol Et2O, CHCl3, and most common organic solvents; slightly sol EtOH; insol H2O. Form Supplied in: MoCl5: green–black solid; widely available. PPh3: white crystalline solid; widely available. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: MoCl5 is air- and moisture-sensitive and somewhat corrosive. Ph3P is fairly air-stable, but is slowly converted to its oxide, Ph3PO, upon prolonged exposure. Ph3P can be recrystallized from Et2O. Use in a fume hood.
Remembering Kanu Chatterjee A Gentle Giant of Cardiology

On March 4, 2015, Kanu Chatterjee, MBBS, a beloved physician, cardiologist, healer, teacher, and charismatic mentor, passed away peacefully in Iowa City, Iowa, after a brief battle with cancer. His passing has created an irretrievable loss for the field of cardiovascular medicine, because he was the essence of a clinician-teacher-investigator. Kanu was soft-spoken, kind, and wise; he was a practitioner of extraordinary skill, and spiritual. We were privileged to know this gentle giant of cardiology. Dr Kanu Chatterjee was born in Bangladesh, India, and received his medical degree from the R. G. Kar Medical College, Calcutta, India, while still living in a refugee camp in Calcutta. He moved to England in 1963, where he completed additional training in medicine and cardiology at St. George’s Hospital and the Royal Brompton Hospital, earning membership in the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and London. Kanu rapidly established his reputation as a brilliant clinical cardiologist. In 1970, at the urging of 2 cardiologists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Howard Allen, MD, and Harvey Alpern, MD, whom he met at St. Georges Hospital in London) as well as Graham Miller, PhD, of London, H. J. C. Swan, MD, then the director of cardiology at Cedars-Sinai, recruited Kanu to join …
Is there a future for high energy accelerators

The question of continuing viability of high energy accelerators as instruments of fundamental physics is discussed. It is seen that the next decade in elementary CM energies beyond SSC may be achievable with accelerators that can be imagined now. Beyond that there is room for doubt that accelerators will be the instrument of choice. History teaches that there is a good likelihood that our perspective on the matter will be much different when we see the results from the few TeV region of elementary collision energies. >
Micro-jump screening station for GPS user equipment

It has been known many years that AT quartz crystals exhibit isolated temperature induced frequency jumps on the order of 1-100 ppb and sometimes up to 1 ppm. These jumps have been found to be disruptive to the carrier and sometimes the code tracking loops used in precision GPS UE/sup 3/ equipment and may, if severe, cause temporary loss of satellite tracking. A considerable effort is in progress in time industry to isolate the causes of frequency jumps and eliminate the problem at the source. Rockwell has devised an interim solution in which each Time Compensated Clock Oscillator (TCCO) used for GPS UE is prescreened over temperature for frequency jumps and rejected if jumps larger than 5.4 m/sec (18 ppb) are found. The test set also allows statistical data collection of the MJ's so one may construct a histogram and CDF of measurable jumps which can allow SPC methods to be applied with respect to this component. The test set is fully capable of evaluating 16 oscillators simultaneously and is based on hardware and software from the Rockwell PLGR/sup 4/ GPS set being manufactured for the US Department of Defense. This paper gives a general description of the test set along with the accompanying temperature chamber and control software used to handle the huge volume of data which must be processed. Statistical data are presented from the test results that have been collected from over 2,000 production TCCO's. The data show a histogram of micro-jumps as a function of the magnitude of the jump.
Rate of Change: AP Calculus Students' Understandings and Misconceptions After Completing Different Curricular Paths

This study examined Advanced Placement Calculus students' mathematical understanding of rate of change, after studying four years of college preparatory (integrated or single-subject) mathematics. Students completed the Precalculus Concept Assessment (PCA) and two open-ended tasks with questions about rates of change. After adjusting for prior achievement with the Iowa Algebra Aptitude Test, students from these two paths performed comparably (F = 3.54, p = .063) on the PCA. Student errors on the three instruments revealed a lack of understanding of the interpretation or meaning of rate of change regardless of the curricular path. Students successfully calculated the rate of change of linear functions; however, when the function was not linear, students struggled to calculate it, model it on a graph, or interpret it in a real-world context.
Archiving Father and Son

Haunted by the estranged relationship with his son and the loss of his father three years ago, the author writes in the attempt to gather, to archive what needs to be preserved. The author proceeds by recollecting the positive memories he carries of his father and the troubling thoughts he holds about his son. Structured through fragments, the author accumulates an archival history, one that tells the story of the father his dad was and of the father that the author is to his own son.
A method of visualization of inorganic nanoparticles dispersion in nanocomposites

Air plasma etching followed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging technique for visualizing the inorganic nanofillers in polymeric composites is a promising technique for quick screening of exfoliation and dispersion of nanofillers in nanocomposites in manufacturing and materials development environments. The method was applied to three different nanocomposites, namely, montmorillonite (MMT) clay vinyl ester, carbon nanotube (CNT) vinyl ester and MMT epoxy nanocomposites samples produced using high shear mixing. Results were compared with transmission electron microscope data. The etch rate for 2%MMT/vinyl ester and 1%MMT/epoxy nanocomposites varied from 1 to 2 nm/min.
Cocaine-Associated Myocardial Infarction: A Word of Caution About Thrombolytic Therapy

The recent approval of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) by the Food and Drug Adminstration has opened a new era in the management of acute coronary occlusions. Absolute contraindications are well established. A case of intracranial bleeding as a complication of thrombolytic therapy in an intravenous substance abuser is presented. This may represent a relative contraindication to thrombolytic therapy. (Chest 1988; 94:878)
Nona-D-Arginine Therapy for Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis

Purpose Nona-D-arginine amide (D9R) was evaluated as treatment for Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis when administered alone and with ciprofloxacin. Methods Mouse corneas were infected with P. aeruginosa. Immediately after infection and hourly for 5 hours, eyes received 5 microL of either Dulbecco phosphate-buffered saline (D-PBS), 10 microM D9R, or 100 microM D9R. At 16 hours postinfection (PI) and then hourly for 5 hours, eyes treated with D9R or D-PBS then received 5 microL ciprofloxacin (0.08%) or deionized water. On days 1, 7, and 14 PI, eyes were scored on a scale of 0 (normal eye) to +4 (corneal perforation). On day 1 PI, mice were euthanatized and eyes were harvested for histopathology or colony-forming unit (CFU) determination. At 6, 12, and 24 hours PI, corneas treated with 100 microM D9R or D-PBS alone were harvested for the determination of IL-1beta cytokine concentrations. Results Eyes treated with 10 or 100 microM D9R and ciprofloxacin had significantly less disease than eyes treated with D-PBS and ciprofloxacin. Fewer than 30 CFUs were recovered from any eye treated with ciprofloxacin. Eyes treated with D9R alone had significantly less disease and lower IL-1beta cytokine concentrations than D-PBS-treated eyes; however, there were no significant differences in CFU (> or = 4 log(10)) between these groups. Conclusions Administration of 10 or 100 microM D9R effectively reduced the abnormality associated with P. aeruginosa keratitis. Treatment with D9R and ciprofloxacin was superior to treatment with antibiotic alone by reducing ocular disease through suppression of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1beta and eradicating viable bacteria from the eye.
Lactoferrin: Role in iron homeostasis and host defense against microbial infection

The transferrin family of non-heme iron binding glycoproteins are believed to play a central role in iron metabolism and have been implicated in iron transport, cellular iron delivery and control of the level of free iron in external secretions. Lactoferrin (LF) is a member of this family that is widely localized in external fluids including milk and mucosal secretions, in addition to being a prominent component of the secondary granules of neutrophils. Although structurally related to transferrin, LF appears to have a broader functional role mediated by both iron dependent and iron independent mechanisms. In this review, we will focus on our current understanding on the role of LF in regulating iron homeostasis and its role in host protection against microbial infection at the mucosal surface. In addition, recent insights obtained from analyzing the phenotypic consequences of LF ablation in lactoferrin knockout mice (LFKO), which challenge the long held dogma that LF is required for intestinal iron absorption in the neonate, are summarized.
Splicing defective mutants of the COXI gene of yeast mitochondrial DNA: initial definition of the maturase domain of the group II intron AI2

Six mutations blocking the function of a seven intron form of the mitochondrial gene encoding subunit I of cytochrome c oxidase (COXI) and mapping upstream of exon 3 were isolated and characterized. A cis-dominant mutant of the group IIA intron 1 defines a helical portion of the C1 substructure of domain 1 as essential for splicing. A trans-recessive mutant confirms that the intron 1 reading frame encodes a maturase function. A cis-dominant mutant in exon 2 was found to have no effect on the splicing of intron 1 or 2. A trans-recessive mutant, located in the group IIA intron 2, demonstrates for the first time that intron 2 encodes a maturase. A genetic dissection of the five missense mutations present in the intron 2 reading frame of that strain demonstrates that the maturase defect results from one or both of the missense mutations in a newly-recognized conserved sequence called domain X.
LITERARY OLD AGE: A BROWSE THROUGH HISTORY

It is generally agreed that old people are not widely admired in our society. This lack of honor undoubtedly has many sources; one source may be attitudes derived from literature assigned in school or selected independently. In this study traditional literature was reviewed for clues to the status of old people at various historical times. Literature included the Bible, some classics, 19th and 20th century plays, poems and novels, and light 20th century fiction. Through time, serious literature appears to have reflected and reinforced values extant in society. Old characters are sparsely represented in all historical periods and women are almost nonexistent. Contrary to popular beliefs about treatment of the aged, 19th and 20th century treatment is kinder than earlier periods. Pedagogical and personal implications of these findings are suggested for educators concerned with older adults.
Comparison between invariance and photogrammetry for image and object transfer

Point- and line-based invariance methods are used for both image and object transfer 2D planar objects. Invariance yields equations of straight lines the intersections of which give the positions of the points to be transferred. For non-redundant 4-point invariance, the sequence of points used yields line pairs of different geometric strengths. In redundant cases, using different point sequences to form linear condition equations results in least squares estimates which are different for both the positions and their quality. Corresponding photogrammetric techniques based on point and line features, on the other hand, provide unique estimates and covariances for both non-redundant and redundant cases. A refined least squares approach, for which the linear invariance equations become non-linear, appears to alleviate the non- uniqueness problem. Point-based image invariance is investigated for 3D objects in multiple images. The concepts of the essential and fundamental matrices for use with calibrated and uncalibrated cameras, respectively, are presented. The use of the fundamental matrix to transfer images from two photographs to a third is described and early results summarized. Introducing a constraint on the fundamental matrix stabilizes the solution, which otherwise leads to widely varying results. Preliminary results from linear invariance based object point transfer suggest that the uniqueness problem arising from point sequences also exists in this task. Research is continuing to resolve this issue and to provide photogrammetric equivalent and complimentary methods to invariance.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cross-Species Withdrawal of MCL1 Facilitates Postpartum Uterine Involution in Both the Mouse and Baboon

A successful postpartum involution permits the postnatal uterus to rapidly regain its prepregnancy function and size to ultimately facilitate an ensuing blastocyst implantation. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms that govern the initiation of the involution process by examining the signaling events that occur as the uterus transitions from the pregnant to postnatal state. Using mouse and baboon uteri, we found a remarkable cross-species conservation at the signal transduction level as the pregnant uterus initiates and progresses through the involution process. This study originated with the observation of elevated levels of caspase-3 activation in both the laboring mouse and baboon uterus, which we found to be apoptotic in nature as evidenced by the concurrent appearance of cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. We previously defined a nonapoptotic and potential tocolytic role for uterine caspase-3 during pregnancy regulated by increased antiapoptotic signaling mediated by myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis. In contrast, this study determined that diminished antiapoptotic signaling in the postpartum uterus allowed for both endometrial apoptotic and myometrial autophagic episodes, which we speculate are responsible for the rapid reduction in size of the postpartum uterus. Using our human telomerase immortalized myometrial cell line and the Simian virus-40 immortalized endometrial cell line (12Z), we demonstrated that the withdrawal of antiapoptotic signaling was also an upstream event for both the autophagic and apoptotic processes in the human uterine myocyte and endometrial epithelial cell.
Metallurgical and Fluid Dynamic Results of a 2000-Hour Endurance Test on a Two-Stage, 200-Horsepower Turbine in Wet Potassium Vapor

Metallurgical and fluid dynamic results of 2000-hr endurance test at high temperatures on two-stage 200 hp turbine in wet potassium vapor
The thermal performance of heat pipes with localized heat input

The performance of heat pipes with localized heat input including the effects of axial and circumferential heat conduction under high and low working temperatures is investigated. The numerical results show that when heat pipes are spot heated, the peak temperature of the wall is greatly reduced and the surface can be protected from being burned out by the high heat flux. The boiling limitation becomes the most important limitation for this type of heat pipe. Numerical results for block heating a heat pipe with low working temperatures indicate a good agreement with existing experimental data. It is also shown that most of the input heat passes through the wall beneath the heated block.
Long-term functional outcome of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome in surgically and conservatively treated patients.

Abstract Purpose: Neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (NTOS) in the absence of bony and electrodiagnostic abnormalities, often referred to as disputed NTOS, remains enigmatic. Optimal treatment, especially the role of surgery, is controversial. The long-term functional outcome of a cohort of patients undergoing independent medical examination for disputed NTOS with symptoms sufficiently severe to cause inability to work forms the basis for this report. Methods: Patients with disputed NTOS and symptoms sufficiently severe to cause at least temporary inability to work seen for independent medical examinations from 1990-1998 formed the study group. None of the patients were treated by our group. Functional outcome was assessed with information from a standardized telephone interview or patient questionnaire. The patients' ability to return to work and an assessment of their current level of symptoms and symptom progression since the time of onset were determined. Results: Seventy-nine patients were reevaluated at a mean follow-up of 4.2 years (range, 2-7.5 years) after our initial evaluation. Fifteen patients (19%) underwent first rib resection surgery performed by others, whereas 64 (81%) had no surgery. Patients undergoing surgery had missed more work time than those undergoing conservative management (27.6 ± 6.0 months vs 14.9 ± 2.6 months, P P = not significant [NS]). Among operated patients, current assessment of symptom severity was severe, moderate, mild, and asymptomatic in 7%, 47%, 40% and 7%, respectively. This distribution did not differ significantly from that observed in nonoperated patients (11%, 55%, 30%, 5%; P = NS). When asked about changes in symptomatic status since onset, 7% of the operated group had complete resolution, 27% had marked improvement, 40% had minimal improvement, 13% had no improvement, and 13% were worse. This did not differ significantly from the change in symptoms reported by the nonoperated group (2%, 30%, 22%, 31%, 16%; P = NS). Conclusion: Most patients with disputed NTOS in this nonrandomized series were able to return to work and demonstrated an improvement of symptoms with long-term follow-up. First rib resection did not improve functional outcome in this group. (J Vasc Surg 2001;33:312-9.)
Field Emission from Manganese Oxide Nanotubes Synthesized by Cyclic Voltammetric Electrodeposition

Manganese oxide nanotubes are electrochemically synthesized by the cyclic voltammetric electrodeposition method. A transmission electron microscopy investigation shows that these nanotubes are MnO2 crystalline with a diameter of 20 nm. Field-emission characteristics of the synthesized manganese oxide nanotubes are measured. The turn-on field is about 8.4 V/μm at a current density of 1 μA/cm2. The emission current density and the electric field follow Fowler−Nordheim behavior. Therefore, these manganese oxide nanotubes are useful for field-emission applications because they can be easily and economically synthesized at low temperature.
ONLINE ASYNCHRONOUS COLLABORATION IN MATHEMATICS TEACHER EDUCATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MATHEMATICAL KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHING

In this article the authors describe their efforts to support teachers' development of deep, connected understandings of school mathematics and to find ways to make use of the teachers' learning as a context for subsequent mathematical and pedagogical development. The authors detail the evolution of their model for Online Asynchronous Collaboration (OAC), which is grounded in current research in mathematics teacher education and that takes advantage of the collaborative nature of the Internet and the permanent nature of the online interactions. They believe that OAC is a promising practice in teacher education and will discuss both the rationale for their design decisions and provide examples of teachers' activity within OAC.
Habitat Use, Temporal Abundance Variability, and Diet of Blue Crabs from a New Jersey Estuarine System

In a long-term, spatially comprehensive beam trawl survey of the Navesink River-Sandy Hook Bay estuary, the blue crabCallinectes sapidus was one of the most abundant species. Seasonal changes in abundance were evident, with low abundances in summer followed by peak abundances in the fall, after juveniles recruited to the estuary. We saw no long-term trends in abundance during the 5 yr study. Location in the navesink River or Sandy Hook Bay explained most of the variance in abundance within any one survey. In diet analyses, we found evidence of cannibalism in all seasons, but in the size range of crabs caught in this study (10–180 mm), we did not find a relationship between cannibalism and juvenile crab abundance. Within surveys, crabs divided into 20 mm size categories showed no sizerelated differences in location within the estuary or among 7 habitat types examined (algae bed, amphipod bed, beach, channel, marsh edge, mid-depth, and sandbar). Channels and sandbars tended to exhibit lower crab abundance than other habitats. Shallow habitats with and without cover were equally preferred by juvenile blue crabs, implying that the presence of structure was not critical. Spatial models of crab abundance (<- 80 mm carapace width) to environmental data were fit from several seasons of intensive sampling in the Navesink River-Sandy Hook Bay estuary between summer 1996 and spring 1998. These models indicated that fine-grained sediments, tmmperature, depth, and salinity were good indicators of crab abundance in spring, summer, and fall. Using these spatial models and environmental data collected in subsequent seasons (summer 1998−fall 1999), we were able to predict blue crab abundance in the river as evidenced by significant correlations between predicted and observed abundances. For the size range of crabs examined here, physical conditions may be as important as structural habitat types or cannibalism in determining habitat use in northerly estuaries.
The impact of competitive intelligence and IS support in changing small business organizations

The voluminous body of literature on the management of change, including sub‐areas such as Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Total Quality Management (TQM), and product improvement, implicitly or explicitly propose that company strategic intelligence is a pre‐requisite for change, and that effective information systems (IS) support is a critical requirement for implementing change. While these two hypotheses are exceedingly important, the existing literature contains no empirical evidence supporting them. A field test of how effectively small business organizations are identifying strategic problems and opportunities, how effectively they implement business changes, and use IS technology to do so, was undertaken to empirically test their relationships. Despite the relatively small sample size, the results provide clear evidence about the importance of competitive intelligence and IS support for effectively implementing change in small business organizations. The items used for measuring the main constructs provide further insights into how managers should go about acquiring competitive intelligence and managing IS technology to effectively support business improvements.
A neural network approach to breast cancer diagnosis as a constraint satisfaction problem

A constraint satisfaction neural network (CSNN) approach is proposed for breast cancer diagnosis using mammographic and patient history findings. Initially, the diagnostic decision to biopsy was formulated as a constraint satisfaction problem. Then, an associative memory type neural network was applied to solve the problem. The proposed network has a flexible, nonhierarchical architecture that allows it to operate not only as a predictive tool but also as an analysis tool for knowledge discovery of association rules. The CSNN was developed and evaluated using a database of 500 nonpalpable breast lesions with definitive histopathological diagnosis. The CSNN diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic analysis (ROC). The results of the study showed that the CSNN ROC area index was 0.84+/-0.02. The CSNN predictive performance is competitive with that achieved by experienced radiologists and backpropagation artificial neural networks (BP-ANNs) presented before. Furthermore, the study illustrates how CSNN can be used as a knowledge discovery tool overcoming some of the well-known limitations of BP-ANNs.
Sidelobe minimization in MTI processing

Moving target indication (MTI) algorithms often operate within a relatively narrow frequency band relying on Doppler processing to detect moving targets at long standoff ranges. At these standoff ranges, received wavefronts impinging on a linear array can be considered planar, enabling implementation of a variety of phase-based beam-forming techniques. At near ranges, however, the plane-wave assumption no longer holds. We describe enhancements to an impulse-based, low-frequency, ultra-wideband, moving-target imaging system for near-range, through-the-wall MTI. All MTI image processing is performed in the time domain using a change detection (CD) paradigm. We discuss how MTI image quality can be increased through the introduction of randomized linear arrays. After describing the process in detail, we present results obtained using data collected by an impulse-based, low frequency, ultra-wideband system.