cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Platelet secretion is kinetically heterogeneous in an agonist-responsive manner

Platelets release numerous bioactive molecules stored in their granules enabling them to exert a wide range of effects on the vascular microenvironment. Are these granule cargo released thematically in a context-specific pattern or via a stochastic, kinetically controlled process? Here we sought to describe the platelet exocytosis using a systematic examination of platelet secretion kinetics. Platelets were stimulated for increasing times with different agonists (ie, thrombin, PAR1-agonist, PAR4-agonist, and convulxin) and micro-ELISA arrays were used to quantify the release of 28 distinct α-granule cargo molecules. Agonist potency directly correlated with the speed and extent of release. PAR4-agonist induced slower release of fewer molecules, whereas thrombin rapidly induced the greatest release. Cargo with opposing actions (eg, proangiogenic and antiangiogenic) had similar release profiles, suggesting limited thematic response to specific agonists. From the release time-course data, rate constants were calculated and used to probe for underlying patterns. Probability density function and operator variance analyses were consistent with 3 classes of release events, differing in their rates. The distribution of cargo into these 3 classes was heterogeneous, suggesting that platelet secretion is a stochastic process potentially controlled by several factors, such as cargo solubility, granule shape, and/or granule-plasma membrane fusion routes.
l-2',3'-Didehydro-2',3'-dideoxy-3'-fluoronucleosides: synthesis, anti-HIV activity, chemical and enzymatic stability, and mechanism of resistance.

As antiviral nucleosides containing a 2‘,3‘-unsaturated sugar moiety with 2‘-fluoro substitution are endowed with increased stabilization of the glycosyl bond, it was of interest to investigate the influence of the fluorine atom at the 3‘-position. Various pyrimidine and purine l-3‘-fluoro-2‘,3‘-unsaturated nucleosides were synthesized from their precursors, l-3‘,3‘-difluoro-2‘,3‘-dideoxy nucleosides, by elimination of hydrogen fluoride. In the l-3‘,3‘-difluoro-2‘,3‘-dideoxy nucleoside series, cytidine 16 and 5-fluorocytidine 18 analogues showed modest antiviral activity (EC50 11.5 and 8.8 μM, respectively) when evaluated against HIV-1 in human peripheral blood mononuclear (PBM) cells. In the 2‘,3‘-unsaturated series, l-3‘-fluoro-2‘,3‘-didehydro-2‘,3‘-dideoxycytidine 24 and 5-fluorocytidine 26 showed highly potent antiviral activity (EC50 0.089 and 0.018 μM, respectively) without significant cytotoxicity. The guanosine analogue 48 showed only marginal anti-HIV activity with some cytotoxicity (EC50 38.5 μM...
An STM investigation of sulfur and alkoxide adsorption on Ni(100).

The effect of sulfur on alkoxide formation and decomposition on the Ni(100) surface has been investigated with STM and LEED. At low coverage sulfur adsorbs into a p(2 x 2) structure, in agreement with LEED measurements and previous STM results. With increasing sulfur coverage, the p(2 x 2) structure saturates the surface and scattered domains of c(2 x 2) appear. Further increases in sulfur coverage affect increases in c(2 x 2) domain sizes; the state of the sulfur-covered surface up to 0.43 ML is characterized by p(2 x 2) and c(2 x 2) domains. STM measurements of the evolution of the sulfur-covered surface with D 2 S(g) adsorption are suggestive of sulfur nucleation and growth at multiple sites on the surface. Alkoxide formation on these surfaces was studied following exposure to ROH (R = CH 3 , CH 3 CH 2 , CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 , and C 6 H 5 ). The alkoxy surface intermediates adsorbed in p(2 x 2)-S vacancies and, in the case of phenoxy, between hollow sites. Agreement between the methoxy coverage determined by XPS and the fraction of the surface covered with p(2 x 2)-S, as determined by STM, suggests that the p(2 x 2) vacancies are the sites of methoxy adsorption, and hence the active sites for selective poisoning.
Laser Evaporation Deposition And Interaction With Superconducting Thin Films

We describe here the deposition of superconducting thin films by the laser evaporation technique. The characterization of this process, and optimization with respect to wavelength and pulse duration of the laser will be discussed. Results of laser interaction experiments will also be described. It was shown that the superconducting thin films could be used as room temperature bolometers with a microsecond response time.© (1988) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cytochrome P450 3A Degradation in Isolated Rat Hepatocytes: 26S Proteasome Inhibitors as Probes

Mechanism-based inactivation of liver microsomal cytochromes P450 3A (CYP 3A, P450s 3A) in vivo and/or in vitro, via heme modification of the protein, results in accelerated proteolytic degradation of the enzyme that is preceded by the ubiquitination of the protein, thereby implicating the ubiquitin-ATP-dependent 26S proteasomal system. In this study, this involvement is confirmed with the use of the proteasomal inhibitors aclarubicin and MG-132 as probes, in isolated rat hepatocytes treated with the P450 3A mechanism-based inactivator, 3,5-dicarbethoxy-2,6-dimethyl-4-ethyl-1, 4-dihydropyridine (DDEP). In addition, the findings reveal that during the course of this proteolysis, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored DDEP-inactivated P450 3A is translocated from the ER to the cytosol in a brefeldin A-insensitive manner.
EQUATING OF MIXED-FORMAT TESTS IN LARGE-SCALE ASSESSMENTS

This study examined variations of the nonequivalent-groups equating design for mixed-format tests—tests containing both multiple-choice (MC) and constructed-response (CR) items—to determine which design was most effective in producing equivalent scores across the two tests to be equated. Four linking designs were examined: (a) an anchor with only MC items; (b) a mixed-format anchor containing both MC and CR items; (c) a mixed-format anchor incorporating CR item rescoring; and (d) a hybrid combining single-group and equivalent-groups designs, thereby avoiding the need for an anchor test. Designs using MC items alone or those using a mixed anchor without CR item rescoring resulted in much larger bias than the other two design approaches. The hybrid design yielded the smallest root mean squared error value.
A comparison of the roles of exemplar, action, coordinate, and superordinate relations in the semantic processing of 4- and 5-year-old children

Abstract Four types of semantic relation, assumed by different researchers to be implicated in the organization of semantic information, were investigated by means of false recognition and word association tasks presented to independent samples of 4- and 5-year-old children. The same set of basic object stimulus words was used for each task as a means of validating the findings. Twenty-four girls and twenty-four boys at each age level were divided into four experimental groups for the false recognition task. One of four categories of experimental foil words, representing the four types of semantic relation, namely, exemplar, action, coordinate, and superordinate, was presented to one of the four groups. It was found that 4-year olds produced false alarms to exemplar and action relations significantly more frequently that to coordinate and superordinate relations. Five-year olds, in contrast, produced false alarms to exemplar and coordinate relations significantly more frequently that to action and superordinate relations. An independent group of 12 girls and 12 boys at each age level took part in the word association task. Among the 4-year olds, action relations were produced significantly more frequently than either particularization (exemplar and contextual) or coordinate relations. Among the 5-year olds, action relations were produced significantly more frequently than particularizations but the difference between action and coordinate relations was no longer significant. Coordinate groupings, following Riegel [in G. B. Flores d'Arcais & W. J. M. Levelt (eds.), Advances in psycholinguistics . New York: American Elsevier, 1970] , were interpreted as implicit classifications derived from the intersect of stored relations. There was little evidence to support the hypothesis that young children comprehend word meanings in terms of logical class inclusion structures.
Social Origins, Adolescent Experiences, and Work Value Trajectories during the Transition to Adulthood

This study links the trajectories of adolescents' work values during the transition to adulthood to key indicators of social origin and early experience. The findings, based on panel data from a national sample, indicate that individuals' work values change substantially during this period of the life course, with "average trajectories" of work values indicating some growing realism with age. Furthermore, work value trajectories are systematically tied to social origin and early experience, with gender and race playing a particularly important role both in initial adolescent work values and in changes that occur across the young adult years. The work values of young black women, for example, changed the most as they came to terms with their occupational opportunities. The transition to adulthood represents an important area of sociological research in part because it constitutes a critical time in the formation of life pathways. Most research has concentrated on the demography of role transitions during this "demographically dense" (Rindfuss 1991) life stage, with studies of attainment
Phase-lag return mappings for a 3 cell multifunctional central pattern generator

We describe and expand on a novel computational approach to reduce detailed models of central pattern generation to equationless return mapping for the phase lags between the constituting bursting interneurons [1]. Such mappings are then studied geometrically as the model parameters, including coupling properties of inhibitory and excitatory synapses, or external inputs are varied. Bifurcations of the fixed points and invariant circles of the mappings corresponding to various types of rhythmic activity are examined. These changes uncover possible biophysical mechanisms for control and modulation of motor-pattern generation. Our analysis does not require knowledge of the equations that model the system, and so provides a powerful new approach to studying detailed models, applicable to a variety of biological phenomena beyond motor control. Motifs of three coupled cells are a common network configuration including models of biological central pattern generators. We demonstrate our technique on a motif of three reciprocally coupled, inhibitory and excitatory, cells that is able to produce multiple patterns of bursting rhythms. In particular, we examine the qualitative geometric structure of two-dimensional maps for phase lag between the cells. This reveals the organizing centers of emergent polyrhythmic patterns and their bifurcations, as the asymmetry of the synaptic coupling is varied. The presence of multistability and the types of attractors in the network are shown to be determined by the duty cycle of bursting, as well as coupling interactions. Figure 1 (A). We defined phase-lags for a 3 cell CPG model on a 2D torus. (B) A “flattened” phase-lag mapping showing convergence to 5 distinct attractors. Each stable fixed point represents a rhythmic output of the CPG
Allosteric Regulation of RecA Protein Function Is Mediated by Gln194

Binding of ATP to the RecA protein induces a high affinity DNA binding required for activation of enzyme function. Screens for in vivo recombination and repressor cleavage activities show Gln194 to be intolerant of all substitutions. Analyses of three mutant proteins (Q194N, Q194E, and Q194A) show that although basal enzyme function is maintained, each protein no longer displays an ATP-induced increase in DNA binding affinity. High salt activation of RecA function is also disrupted by these mutations. In contrast, ATP-induced changes in the oligomeric structure of RecA are maintained in the mutant proteins. These results demonstrate that Gln194 is a critical "allosteric switch" for ATP-induced activation of RecA function but is not the exclusive mediator of ATP-induced changes in RecA.
Uncemented Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patients with a History of Pelvic Irradiation for Prostate Cancer

Background: Pelvic irradiation for a malignant tumor may cause osteonecrosis of the acetabulum. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of uncemented total hip arthroplasty in patients with a history of pelvic irradiation for the treatment of prostate cancer. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of the clinical records and radiographs of fifty-eight patients (sixty-six hips) who had had radiation therapy for prostate cancer and had subsequently undergone an elective primary uncemented total hip arthroplasty at our institution. The mean age of the patients at the time of the index operation was seventy-four years. The mean duration of follow-up was 4.8 years (range, two to 7.5 years). Results: At the time of the final follow-up, fifty-one patients (fifty-eight hips) who were still living and had been followed for a minimum of two years had a well-ingrown and functioning replacement. The mean Harris hip score had significantly improved from 47 points preoperatively to 90 points at the time of the final follow-up (p < 0.05). The mean scores on the physical and mental health measures of the Short Form-36 had also improved significantly from 45.1 and 65.3 points, respectively, before the operation to 73.4 and 83.7 points postoperatively (p < 0.05 for both). There was no aseptic loosening of either component in any of the hips. Two hips had revision of the femoral component; one was revised because of a periprosthetic fracture of the femur and the other because of subsidence of the femoral component. Conclusions: Uncemented total hip arthroplasty can be a successful option for the treatment of coxarthrosis in patients with a history of pelvic irradiation for prostate cancer. Osseointegration of uncemented components does not seem to be compromised in these patients in the short term. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Water War in the Klamath Basin: Macho Law, Combat Biology, and Dirty Politics

Holly Doremus and A. Dan Tarlock. Island Press, Washington, DC. 2008. 260 pp. $30.00. ISBN: 9781597263931. In Water War in the Klamath Basin: Macho Law, Combat Biology, and Dirty Politics Holly Doremus and A. Dan Tarlock impressively recount the recent history of conflict over the management of
Stopped Markov chains with stationary occupation times

Let E be a finite set equipped with a group G of bijective transformations and suppose that X is an irreducible Markov chain on E that is equivariant under the action of G. In particular, if E=G with the corresponding transformations being left or right multiplication, then X is a random walk on G. We show that when X is started at a fixed point there is a stopping time U such that the distribution of the random vector of pre-U occupation times is invariant under the action of G. When G acts transitively (that is, E is a homogeneous space), any non-zero, finite expectation stopping time with this property can occur no earlier than the time S of the first return to the starting point after all states have been visited. We obtain an expression for the joint Laplace transform of the pre-S occupation times for an arbitrary finite chain and show that even for random walk on the group of integers mod r the pre-S occupation times do not generally have a group invariant distribution. This appears to contrast with the Brownian analog, as there is considerable support for the conjecture that the field of local times for Brownian motion on the circle prior to the counterpart of S is stationary under circular shifts.
Immunochemical analysis of the idiotypes of mouse myeloma proteins with specificity for levan or dextran.

This paper deals solely with idiotypic determinants, the configurations of which are modified when the antibody bearing them interacts with its ligand. This phenomenon is measured as an inhibition of the reaction between anti-idiotype and idiotype. Two points are made: (a) The assay for ligand-modifiable determinants can be used to determine the "size" of the combining site. This is illustrated here with the anti-alpha(1 --> 6) dextran mouse myeloma immunoglobulin W3129. Whether the interaction between a homologous series of alpha(1 --> 6) oligosaccharide ligands and the combining site of W3129 is measured by inhibition of precipitation with alpha(1 --> 6) dextran (4) or of binding of W3129 to anti-W3129 idiotype, the finding is the same. The order of inhibition is isomaltohexaose = isomaltopentaose >> isomaltotetraose > isomaltotriose >>> isomaltose. The combining site is optimally complementary to isomaltopentaose. (b) Cross-idiotypic specificity is closely correlated with cross-combining specificity; the converse is not true. This is illustrated here with three groups of mouse myeloma immunoglobulin, each specific for alpha(1 --> 3) dextran, alpha(1 -->6) dextran, beta(2 --> 1) or beta(2 --> 6) levan. If a given anti-idiotypic serum cross-reacted with several myeloma proteins, they always had similar combining specificity. Thus the three proteins, J558, MOPC 104E, and UPC 102, which cross-react with anti-J558 have combining specificity for alpha(1 --> 3) dextran; cross-reacting W3082, UPC 61, and Y5476 have specificity for levan; and cross-reacting W3129 and W3434 have specificity for alpha(1 --> 6) dextran. This extends previous studies with proteins specific for phosphorylcholine (7) or gamma-globulin (8). As expected, the converse is not true, for proteins may have combining specificity for alpha(1 --> 6) dextran e.g. QUPC 52, or levan e.g. J606, UPC 10 and yet not carry the above-mentioned reference idiotypes. The correlation between cross-idiotypic and combining specificity breaks down when idiotypic determinants which are not modifiable by ligand are studied. The implications of this are pointed out since most investigations deal with ligand-nonmodifiable determinants.
Disc electrophoresis of lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes.

Abstract The original method of disc electrophoresis permitted the localization of only 4 of the 5 lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes. Conjecture as to the location of one of these is now settled in that it is demonstrated that the lactate dehydrogenase-5 does not migrate through the stacking gel. This was shown for human serum and liver. All 5 isoenzymes migrate into the separating gel by our earlier method. To obtain desirable separations of these for quantitation, it is necessary to use an upper gel of the same composition as the separating gel, to control the geometry of the gels, and to apply an optimal amount of sucrose with the sample.
Trypanosoma brucei brucei: Patterns of glycolysis at 37°C in vitro

In the absence of mammalian cells, freshly isolated monomorphic bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei maintain a constant and high level of aerobic glycolysis in vitro for at least 4 h at 37 degrees C when suspended in RPMI medium 1640 containing 20% heat-inactivated and dialyzed fetal calf serum and 25 mM Hepes at an initial pH of 8. In the absence of nutrients other than glucose, salts and protein, some cell death and a decrease in the rate of glycolysis are observed. In the absence of protein, extensive cell death and a decrease in the rate of glycolysis are seen. These observations may be useful in the design of short-term in vitro metabolic studies with T. b. brucei.
Arthropods in no-tillage soybean agroecosystems: Community composition and ecosystem interactions

Sampling data are provided and concepts discussed regarding soil and foliage arthropod communities in conventional and no-tillage soybean agroecosystems Soil arthropod communities from the two cropping systems were also compared with that from an adjacent old field. Biweekly arthropod samples were collected from conventional, no-tillage, and old-field systems Soil arthropods were sampled by quadrat and pitfall trap methods, foliage arthropods were collected by sweep net Quadrat sampling revealed that ground beetle number, species diversity, and biomass were significantly higher (P<0.05) in no-tillage than in conventional tillage systems. Pitfall trap data indicated higher densities and species diversity for most major soil macro-arthropod guilds Foliage arthropod guilds from no-tillage treatments showed higher species diversity throughout the growing season than those of conventional tillage, possibly because of greater structural diversity provided by weeds and litter in notillage systems No-tillage systems supported a larger and more diverse arthropod community than conventionally grown soybeans, suggesting a need for pest management strategies that simultaneously consider many variables. Both foliar grazing and leaf nitrogen content were higher in conventional than in no-tillage systems, indicating a possible causal connection between soil tillage and insect herbivory rates
Macrophages and the Pathogenesis of COPD

Macrophages are long-lived effector cells within the lung. They are reactive, responding to endogenous and exogenous stimuli, as well as proactive, producing mediators that modulate the behavior of surrounding cells. In addition, they play a critical role in the clearance of apoptotic neutrophils. Their role in COPD probably reflects a number of functional properties. However, if the link between increased proteinase burden and tissue destruction and injury in patients with COPD is correct, then macrophages must be very significant. Even though other cells, including epithelial cells and fibroblasts, have been shown to express higher matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) levels in lung tissue from subjects with COPD and emphysema, the numbers of resident cells do not appear to increase by the same factor as that of sequestered macrophages. The combination of a 5- to 10-fold increase in macrophage numbers, the up-regulation of MMPs, and their corelease with other classes of stored proteinases must be highly significant in terms of an increase in proteinase potential in the small airways and respiratory units. This may account for increased tissue destruction and inflammatory mediator activation leading to the pathology that occurs during COPD. Since only about 15% of smokers develop clinically significant disease, it seems likely, in smokers without COPD, that these processes either are strictly controlled or that lung repair mechanisms are more effective.
Irreversible enzyme inhibitors. CXI. Candidate active-site-directed irreversible inhibitors of dihydrofolic reductase derived from 4,6-diamino-1,2-dihydro-l-phenyl-s-triazines. V.†

Condensation of 5-(p-nitrophenyl)-2-pentanone with phenylbiguanide hydrochloride (V) gave a 2-methyl-2-(p-nitrophenylpropyl)-1,2-dihydro-s-triazine (IX); hydrogenation of the nitro group to amino followed by bromoacetylation afforded the candidate irreversible inhibitor of dihydrofolic reductase, namely, 2-(p-bromoacetamidophenylpropyl)-4,6-diamino-1,2-dihydro-2-methyl-s-triazine hydrochloride (VIII). Similarly, the o, m, and p-isomers of 5-nitrophenoxy-2-pentanone were converted to the corresponding 2-(bromoacetamidophenoxypropyl)-1,2-dihydro-s-triazines (XI). The four candidate irreversible inhibitors were evaluated on the dihydrofolic reductases from pigeon liver, Walker-256 rat tumor, and L-1210/FR8 mouse leukemia. Only VIII was an irreversible inhibitor; VIII slowly inactivated the L-121-/FR8 mouse leukemia enzyme with a half-life of 2–3 hours at 37°, but VIII showed no inactivation of the other two dihydrofolic reductases—a species specific inactivation.
Glycine and glyoxylate decarboxylation in Nicotiana rustica roots

Abstract Glycine was decarboxylated only by intact mitochondria to yield carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and ammonia, probably present as pyridoxamine phosphate. The formaldehyde could become incorporated into serine, via N 5 N 10 methylene-FH 4 , and a requirement was demonstrated for pyridoxal phosphate. Similarly, glyoxylate with pyridoxamine phosphate was also decarboxylated to formaldehyde and carbon dioxide. Glyoxylate could be decarboxylated by at least two additional pathways. One consisted of oxidative decarboxylation yielding formate and carbon dioxide, and requiring thiamine pyrophosphate, manganese ions, and oxygen. The other consisted of glyoxylate condensation with 2-oxoglutarate, yielding carbon dioxide and an intermediate which, upon decarboxylation, appeared to be hydroxylevulinic acid.
An integral transform and its applications

This was later extended by Deshouillers and Iwaniec [9] and their work was then used by Bombieri et al. [2, 3] to prove some spectacular results in number theory. In an unpublished note Zagier gave a new proof of the Kuznietsov trace formula (cf. Iwaniec [13]). His method can be generalized to the GL(n) case as pointed out by Friedberg [10] and was later carried out by Joyner [18] in order to extend the Kuznietsov trace formula to real quadratic number fields. The generalization to the group GL(n) was also done by Goldfeld [11] from which he expressed the principal cuspidal contribution to the Selberg trace formula in terms of special values of quadratic L-functions. An adelic version of the Kuznietsov trace formula was formulated by the author in [24] and by Jacquet and Rallis [14]. Comparing the Kuznietsov
Inhibition of Macrophage Ca2+-independent Phospholipase A2 by Bromoenol Lactone and Trifluoromethyl Ketones

A novel Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2 (PLA2) has recently been purified from the murine macrophage-like cell line P388D1 (Ackermann, E. J., Kempner, E. S., and Dennis, E. A.(1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 9227-9233). This enzyme is now shown to be inhibited by palmitoyl trifluoromethyl ketone (PACOCF3), arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (AACOCF3), and a bromoenol lactone (BEL). Both PACOCF3 and AACOCF3 were found to inhibit the macrophage PLA2 in a concentration-dependent manner. PACOCF3 was found to be ~4-fold more potent than AACOCF3, with IC50 values of 3.8 μM (0.0075 mol fraction) and 15 μM (0.028 mol fraction), respectively. Reaction progress curves in the presence of either inhibitor were found to be linear, and the PACOCF3•PLA2 complex rapidly dissociated upon dilution. BEL was also found to inhibit the macrophage PLA2 in a concentration-dependent manner, with half-maximal inhibition observed at 60 nM after a 5-min preincubation at 40°C. Inhibition was not reversed after extensive dilution of the enzyme into assay buffer. Treatment of the PLA2 with BEL resulted in a linear, time-dependent inactivation of activity, and the rate of this inactivation was diminished in the presence of PACOCF3. In addition, PLA2 treated with [3H]BEL resulted in the covalent labeling of a major band at Mr 80,000. Inactivation of the PLA2 by 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) prior to treatment with [3H]BEL resulted in the near complete lack of labeling consistent with covalent irreversible suicide inhibition of the enzyme. The labeling of a Mr 80,000 band rather than a Mr 40,000 band upon treatment with [3H]BEL distinguishes the macrophage Ca2+-independent PLA2 from a previously identified myocardial Ca2+-independent PLA2 and provides strong evidence that the Mr 80,000 protein is the catalytic subunit.
A note on shedding of Salmonella tucson by racing horses

Abstract From a sample of 50 clinically normal and 14 diarrheic horses at a racetrack, six of the clinically normal horses from one herd were found to be shedding Salmonella tucson . Shedding was found in horses which were in close contact with poultry: five of the six horses shedding S. tucson had raced recently.
Viral pathogens in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other viral respiratory pathogens in emergency department (ED) patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). COPD patients presenting to the ED with <10 days of AECOPD symptoms were eligible. We used PCR to test nasal swabs for common viral respiratory pathogens. We completed viral studies on 76 patients from two EDs. Patients had a mean age of 72 years, and were 68% male, 99% white, and 29% current smokers. Influenza vaccination was reported by 87%. Viruses were detected in 19 of 76 patients (25%). These included RSV A (2) and B (4); parainfluenza 1 (1), 2 (0), and 3 (2); influenza A (3) and B (0); rhinovirus (4); and human metapneumovirus (3). A putative viral etiology was identified in 25% of AECOPD presenting for emergency care, of which approximately one-third were RSV-related.
Cost-effective kernel ridge regression implementation for keystroke-based active authentication system

In this study a keystroke-based authentication system is implemented on a large-scale free-text keystroke data set, where cost effective kernel-based learning algorithms are designed to enable trade-off between computational cost and accuracy performance. The authentication process evaluates the user's typing behavior on a vocabulary of words, where the judgments based on each word are concatenated by weighted votes, whose weights are also trained to provide optimal fusion of independent judgments. A novel truncated-RBF kernel is also implemented to provide better cost-performance trade-off. Experimental results validate the cost-effectiveness of the developed authentication system.
Rapid discontinuation of corticosteroids in pediatric renal transplantation

Corticosteroid immunosuppression has permitted the development of successful allotransplantation; however, corticosteroids are associated significant post-transplant complications. To circumvent these problems, we implemented a protocol of rapid discontinuation of corticosteroids in 19 consecutive pediatric primary kidney transplant recipients. Mean age at time of transplant was 13.4 (+/-4.5) yr, 52.6% were male, 63.2% underwent living donor transplantation. All patients were administered Thymoglobulin [anti-thymocyte globulin (rabbit)] as induction immunosuppression with a rapid tapering dose of corticosteroids (total of five daily doses), and maintained on mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus. Two patients had immediate recurrence of primary disease (FSGS), requiring further corticosteroid therapy. Otherwise, remaining 17 patients were maintained off corticosteroids, with excellent graft function; mean baseline eGFR of 112 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (+/-19) at 28 months (+/-14) post-transplantation. There was 100% patient and rejection-free graft survival at 27 months (range 5-58 months) post-transplantation; 47% underwent renal transplant biopsy secondary to acute rise in serum creatinine with or without worsening hypertension. All biopsies had no evidence of acute rejection; 62.5% had findings consistent with tacrolimus toxicity. Renal transplantation utilizing a rapid discontinuation of corticosteroid protocol in pediatric patients appears to be safe and effective, without increasing the risk of acute rejection or graft loss.
Lucknow: The Last Phase of an Oriental Culture

It was at the court of Lucknow, above all others in India, that the late Mogul civilization reached the zenith of its splendour and sophistication. "Lucknow", the work of the essayist, historian, and novelist Abdul Halim Sharar (1860-1926), describes the culture and way of life of the people of Lucknow during the 18th and 19th centuries. It is a work that has long been recognized as the most authentic and circumstantial account of the subject in existence.
A user-oriented reliability modelling approach for web systems

In this paper, we describe a user-oriented reliability model that addresses extensive web content, including many links, and that simultaneously addresses user dynamic navigation behaviour. Computation time is a problem in web systems because content can be tightly coupled. An alternative approach is to skip the consideration of the actual dynamic relationships but this is undesirable because the quality of a web system is bound to the success of a series of user navigations. These issues motivate our study from a user perspective. By parsing the logs, past navigations can be restored to form a flow graph. Our model adopts the idea of cyclomatic complexity to convert the graph to a maximum number of independent paths so that reliability can be computed by discounting the probabilities of unreliable paths. The application of this model can prioritise the fault removal sequence to assist in resource and effort allocation to improve reliability.
On the escape mechanism of secondary electrons from insulators

Synopsis Starting from the Boltzmann transport equation, the influence of lattice vibrations, traps and donor levels on the secondary yield of insulators is investigated by making a number of simplifying assumptions. For high trap densities it is found that the yield for high primary energies should be inversely proportional to the square root of the trap density. The slowing-down of secondaries as a result of the interaction with lattice vibration leads to a temperature effect which for MgO is in agreement with the observations. Within the approximations made, the energy distribution of the emitted secondaries turns out to be independent of temperature and seems to be rather insensitive to the initial energy distribution of the secondaries as produced by the primary beam.
Discontinuous Solutions of Linearized, Steady-State, Viscous, Compressible Flows

Abstract In thIs paper we prove the existence and uniqueness of the solution to a linearized, two dimensional, steady state, viscous, compressible Navier-Stokes equations in a strip. We obtain a regularity result and a new a priori estimate of the solution. We establish the discontinuity of the solution when the boundary data of pressure have a jump discontinuity. We also derive a formula for the discontinuous part and show that the remainder is smooth in the strip.
The dorsal protein is distributed in a gradient in early drosophila embryos

dorsal is one of the maternally active dorsal-ventral polarity genes of Drosophila and is closely related to the vertebrate proto-oncogene c-rel. Genetic experiments suggest that dorsal represents one of the last (if not the last) steps in the maternal pathway involved in establishing dorsal-ventral polarity in the early embryo. Even though the dorsal RNA is uniformly distributed in the embryo, we have found that the dorsal protein is specifically localized in peripheral nuclei of syncytial and cellular blastoderm stage embryos, and it is distributed in a ventral-to-dorsal gradient. These findings suggest possible mechanisms for how the dorsal protein may communicate maternal positional information to the zygotic genome.
Versatile Mask Generation Techniques for Custom Microelectronic Devices

A paramount attribute for any computer-aided design methodology, involving custom microelectronic devices, is a rapid and cost effective mask generation technique. The microelectronic device can be characterized as a discrete topological schematic which has been geometrically scaled to imply a grid structure. This topological schematic is constructed from a set of symbols which explicitly define the electrical and logical functions of the device while implying the geometrical relationships related to the process technology. Each layout symbol can be mapped into specific geometrical shapes (layer by layer) which can be defined by sizing data and subsequently subjected to appropriate modification, depending on contextual relationships with the adjacent orthogonal and diagonal layout symbols. These symbol-to-geometrical mappings can be easily comprehended by device designers and the requisite algorithms are amenable to computer implementation. These mask generation techniques provide a cost-effective means of generating mask sets for custom microelectronic devices while also providing device design portability and is ideally suited for process experimentation.
The older driver with dementia: an updated literature review.

Abstract Introduction At some point during their illness, drivers with dementia pose a public safety risk. Method To address the issue of determining driving competence in drivers with dementia, the authors reviewed 11 studies. Results When comparing different driving assessments, the authors found that while road tests, simulators, and neuropsychological tests are important, each has limitations. Conclusion Neuropsychological tests that highlighted visual spatial skills, attention, and reaction time provided the most meaningful correlations with driving performance. Furthermore, the authors recommend that patients with MMSE scores of 24 or less have a driving evaluation, and that driving evaluations be repeated at six month intervals or more frequently if a noticeable decline is observed. Impact Because many older adults with dementia continue to drive, competence must be addressed.
What can we learn about reconnection from coronal mass ejections

Abstract It may be possible to calculate the rate of reconnection in the corona by measuring the rate at which the temporary coronal hole formed by a coronal mass ejection (CME) disappears. This calculation is possible if the disappearance of the hole is caused by the same reconnection process which creates the giant X-ray arches associated with CMEs. These arches form just below the vertical current sheet that is created as the CME drags magnetic field lines out into interplanetary space, and they are similar in form to ‘post’-flare loops, except that they often have an upward motion that is different. Instead of continually slowing with time as ‘post’-flare loops do, they move upwards at a rate which increases, or remains nearly constant, with time. This difference has raised doubts about the relevance of reconnection to the formation and propagation of the arches. Using a two-dimensional flux rope model to calculate the size and location of the current sheet as a function of time, we find that the difference between the motion of ‘post’-flare loops and giant arches can be explained simply by the variation of the coronal Alfven speed with height.
Two types of receptors for α-bungarotoxin in the synaptic layers of the pigeon retina

Summary Pigeon retinae were analyzed for binding [125I]α-bungarotoxin (αBgt) by radioautographic and biochemical methods. Toxin binding, localized to the outer and inner plexiform layers (OPL and IPL), was inhibited by micromolar concentrations of native αBgt and d -tubocurarine and by 1 mM acetyl- and butyrylcholine in both synaptic layers. Nicotine, at comparable concentrations affected only the IPL. In vitro drug competition experiments showed that the pigeon retina contains two types of receptors for αBgt which differ in sensitivity to inhibition by nicotine by 4 orders of magnitude. The results suggest that: (1) the receptor for αBgt in the IPL is a nicotinic receptor, (2) the receptor for αBgt in the OPL may be involved in an unusual cholinergic system, and (3) ability to bind αBgt is not a sufficient criterion for identifying nicotinic-cholinergic receptors.
Ebola virus VP35 interaction with dynein LC8 regulates viral RNA synthesis

Ebola virus VP35 inhibits alpha/beta interferon production and functions as a viral polymerase cofactor. Previously, the 8-kDa cytoplasmic dynein light chain (LC8) was demonstrated to interact with VP35, but the functional consequences were unclear. Here we demonstrate that the interaction is direct and of high affinity and that binding stabilizes the VP35 N-terminal oligomerization domain and enhances viral RNA synthesis. Mutational analysis demonstrates that VP35 interaction is required for the functional effects of LC8.
Thermal Disruption of Mushroom Body Development and Odor Learning in Drosophila

Environmental stress (nutritive, chemical, electromagnetic and thermal) has been shown to disrupt central nervous system (CNS) development in every model system studied to date. However, empirical linkages between stress, specific targets in the brain, and consequences for behavior have rarely been established. The present study experimentally demonstrates one such linkage by examining the effects of ecologically-relevant thermal stress on development of the Drosophila melanogaster mushroom body (MB), a conserved sensory integration and associative center in the insect brain. We show that a daily hyperthermic episode throughout larval and pupal development (1) severely disrupts MB anatomy by reducing intrinsic Kenyon cell (KC) neuron numbers but has little effect on other brain structures or general anatomy, and (2) greatly impairs associative odor learning in adults, despite having little effect on memory or sensory acuity. Hence, heat stress of ecologically relevant duration and intensity can impair brain development and learning potential.
Identification of the internal anal opening and seton placement improves the outcome of deep postanal space abscess.

Aim This study aimed to determine if successful seton placement at the initial drainage procedure improves outcomes in the management of deep postanal space abscesses. Method A retrospective review was performed of all patients who underwent initial drainage of a DPA space abscess between December 2002 and August 2010. A seton was placed through the internal opening if it could be identified. Results Thirty-two patients of median age 41 (21–64) years formed the study group. Twenty-four (75.0%) had a seton inserted at the initial drainage procedure. The patients underwent a total of 56 operations. The median interval from the initial to the final operation was 5 (2–18) months with 17 (70.8%) patients having the final operation within 6 months. In the 8 (25.0%) patients whose internal opening could not be found, 26 operations were required with a median interval from the initial to the final surgery of 11 (3–24) months. Patients who had a seton successfully inserted at drainage underwent significantly earlier definitive surgery and required fewer operations (P < 0.038). Conclusion Identification of an internal opening with placement of a seton at the initial drainage procedure is associated with earlier definitive surgery and fewer operations.
Dopamine D1/5 and D2/3 agonists differentially attenuate somatic signs of nicotine withdrawal in rats

Abrupt tobacco/nicotine cessation after chronic use causes various withdrawal symptoms/signs. There is evidence that dysfunction of brain dopaminergic system might be responsible for some nicotine withdrawal symptoms. The hypothesis for the present study was that different dopaminergic agonists would relieve different nicotine withdrawal signs. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. (-)-Nicotine bitartrate (9 mg/kg/day, salt content) or equimolar sodium tartrate was infused into each rat via a subcutaneous (s.c.) osmotic minipump for 7 days. To assess nicotine withdrawal signs, several somatic abstinence signs including teeth-chattering/chews, stretches/gasps, ptosis, shakes, and yawns were counted one day after removal of pumps. These signs were attenuated by the s.c. injection of 0.4 mg/kg nicotine bitartrate. Both a dopamine D(1/5) agonist (SKF81297) and a D(2/3) agonist (pramipexole) relieved abstinence signs dose-dependently but differentially. SKF81297 (0.32 mg/kg, s.c.) reduced teeth-chattering/chews but not shakes. Pramipexole (1mg/kg, s.c.) decreased both teeth-chattering/chews and shakes. A low dose of pramipexole (0.1mg/kg, s.c.) significantly increased yawns, consistent with previous studies that the stimulation of D(3) receptors induces yawning. These results indicate that a D(2)-selective agonist should be considered a candidate to relieve nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
STUDIES ON THE SENSITIZATION OF ANIMALS WITH SIMPLE CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS : XI. THE FATE OF LABELED PICRYL CHLORIDE AND DINITROCHLOROBENZENE AFTER SENSITIZING INJECTIONS

The fate of (14)C-labeled allergens injected intradermally into guinea pigs, namely picryl chloride (PCl*) and 2:4 dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB*), was followed during the induction period of delayed hypersensitivity. Both chemicals were applied in a single injection into one ear in amounts that approached their minimal sensitizing doses (PCl, 0.25 microg; DNCB, 5.0 microg). Radioactivity in the various tissues was determined by liquid scintillation counting after combustion of tissues to CO(2) and H(2)O. The injected allergens seemed to leave the injection site in three phases. A large proportion of allergen escaped rapidly from the ear, about 50% within 3 hr in the case of PCl, within 15 min for DNCB, the difference probably reflecting their unequal reaction constants. Initially there was a "half-life" escape in 2.5 hr with injected dosage of 0.25 microg PCl and in 18 hr for 5.0 microg DNCB. This escape occurred via the regional veins and not via the lymphatics. Radioactive decomposition products of the allergens were already present in the urine within 3-4 hr. After 6-8 hr, the half-life time of escape lengthened to approximately 28 hr for both allergens used in their respective initial dosages, holding up to 2 days after which there occurred still further slowing; between 2 and 4 days the time was about 43 hr for PCl, much longer (72-88 hr?) for DNCB, apparently reflecting different physicochemical properties of this second fraction. Sensitization seemed to be connected with the portion that was present between 12 hr and 4 days of the induction period. It is not known how far the escape of radioactivity during this period may represent gradual hydrolysis of attached picryl and dinitrophenyl groupings, respectively, to form picric acid and dinitrophenol. Gradual accumulation of the second fraction in the regional lymph nodes could definitely be excluded. It was noted that no hypersensitivity arose and essentially no depot of radioactivity existed between 12 hr and 4 days when DNCB was injected in a dose of 0.25 microg, owing to its ready escape from the ear; but 20 times as much DNCB caused sensitization and provided about the same fixed depot as 0.25 microg of picryl chloride. After delayed hypersensitivity had been established, traces of radioactivity were still measurable at the site. This third fraction, probably representing a different coupling product, escaped at a very low rate and was traceable up through several weeks. No demonstrable radioactivity could be detected in thymus, spleen, and mesenteric nodes when examined at short intervals between (1/2) min and 17 days. In analogy with findings on transplantation "immunity" and with studies reported in the following paper, the induction of delayed hypersensitivity can be explained by encounters between lymphoid cells and the hapten complex which is found present in the local site for 4 days, in agreement with Medawar's concept of peripheral sensitization.
Mating Behavior of Bollworm Moths

The bollworm moth, Heliothis zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), vibrates its wings during courtship, and the male wipes the scales of his claspers on a supporting surface between periods of vibration. Receptive females extend the terminal abdominal segments and vibrate their wings. Then the receptive female, whose terminal abdominal segments are extended and whose wings are vibrating, is approached from behind by the male who taps the ovipositor of the female with his antennae, crawls to a position at the side of and about 2 cm from and parallel to her, and snaps his claspers around her genitalia to complete the copulatory connection. Mated pairs remain in copula from ¾ to 1½ hr.
Invariance principles under weak dependence

Abstract The aim of this paper is to give a functional form for the central limit theorem obtained by Bradley for strong mxing sequences of random variables, under a certain assumption about the size of the maximal coefficients of correlations. The convergence of the moments of order 2 + δ in the central limit theorem for this class of random variables is also obtained.