cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Old Law Is Cheap Law

The legal system has expanded enormously over the centuries. The number of rules has grown exponentially, and so has the capacity of the legal system. In this paper, I show that the growth of legal rules can best be understood as a function of the growth of the capacity. A larger capacity changes the law in several ways. First, it allows the law to attack more types of undesirable behavior. When the legal system’s capacity is limited, it can attack only the most harmful acts. As capacity grows, it can also attack acts that are less harmful at the margin. Take pre-contractual liability — rules that deal with bad behavior during negotiations that do not lead to a contract. Although this act is socially harmful, its harm tends to be low — usually just the time lost by the candidates. In addition, adjudicating such cases is labor-intensive, as proving the parties’ intentions and statements during negotiations is intrinsically difficult. Not surprisingly, no court on this planet accepted pre-contractual liability cases before the 20th Century. Second, a larger capacity allows courts to use rules that are better but require more work for the courts. Consider the strict, 17th-century version of the parol evidence rule. The rule held that whenever there was a writing, no “parol evidence” (literally, “oral evidence,” for instance testimony from witnesses) was allowed. A strict parol evidence rule is cheap law: Courts only have to read within the “four corners’ of the document. On the bright side, this allows courts to decide cases in fifteen minutes, so to speak. On the not so bright side, this often leads to courts getting the facts wrong as the writing does not always reflect the true agreement. In the 19th and 20th century, American courts carved out a growing list of exceptions. Today, parol evidence is permitted in a wide range of circumstances, for instance, when the document contains an error or looks incomplete. In some American states (the so-called “Corbin jurisdictions”), parol evidence is permitted even to contradict written terms. All these exceptions lead to higher-quality outcomes (courts are more likely to discover the truth), but they also require more work from the courts. Given capacity constraints, a strict parol evidence rule may have made sense in the 17th Century. By “old law is cheap law,” I mean that in the past, when the economy was less developed, law was a product society spent less money on. Law was, in other words, a low-quality-low-price product. Just like low-income people buy a cheap house or a cheap car, poor societies buy cheap law. Cheap law is of lower quality in that it tolerates more harmful acts or leads to courts getting the facts wrong more often.
Active Surveillance-Is It Feasible for Intermediate-risk Localised Prostate Cancer?

Abstract Background Although active surveillance (AS) is a well-recognised treatment option for localised low-risk prostate cancer (LRPC), its role in the management of localised intermediate-risk prostate cancer (IRPC) is not clear yet and the available literature is slightly contradictory. Objective To compare the outcome of AS between LRPC and IRPC patients. Design, setting, and participants Between November 2002 and August 2019, 372 men with localised prostate cancer (PC) underwent AS in our hospital based on local departmental protocol. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis The primary outcome measures were overall survival, disease progression–free survival, treatment-free survival, and biochemical recurrence–free survival. Survival times in the low- and intermediate-risk groups were compared using Cox regression analysis. Results and limitations Out of 372 localised PC patients, 276 (74%) had LRPC and 96 (26%) IRPC. Overall, 86 (31.2%) low-risk and 25 (26%) intermediate-risk patients developed disease progression, and 86 (31.2%) low-risk and 22 (23%) intermediate-risk patients underwent active treatment. Among the treated patients, eight (2.9%) LRPC patients and one (1%) IRPC patient developed biochemical recurrence. In total, only one patient (from the low-risk group) had metastasis and 25 patients passed away (18 from the low-risk and seven from the intermediate-risk group). No death was recorded due to PC in the cohort. There was no difference in any of the survival outcomes between LRPC and IRPC patients in unadjusted analysis as well as when analysis was performed after adjusting the potentially confounding factors. Limitations include relatively short median follow-up time and failure to objectively define the criteria for the selection of IRPC patients suitable for AS. Conclusions The option of AS could be considered for carefully selected and well-informed patients with IRPC provided close structured monitoring is maintained. Patient summary In this report, we looked at various survival outcomes of active surveillance between low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients in a large British population. There was no difference in any of the survival outcomes between the two groups. We concluded that carefully selected intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients could be offed the option of active surveillance.
AC2P20 selectively kills M. tuberculosis at acidic pH by depleting free thiols

Abstract Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) senses and adapts to host immune cues as part of its pathogenesis. One environmental cue sensed by Mtb is the acidic pH of its host niche in the macrophage phagosome. Disrupting the ability of Mtb to sense and adapt to acidic pH has the potential to reduce survival of Mtb in macrophages. Previously, a high throughput screen of a ∼220,000 compound small molecule library was conducted to discover chemical probes that inhibit Mtb growth at acidic pH. The screen discovered chemical probes that kill Mtb at pH 5.7 but are inactive at pH 7.0. In this study, AC2P20 was prioritized for continued study to test the hypothesis that it was targeting Mtb pathways associated with pH-driven adaptation. RNAseq transcriptional profiling studies showed AC2P20 modulates expression of genes associated with redox homeostasis. Gene enrichment analysis revealed that the AC2P20 transcriptional profile had significant overlap with a previously characterized pH-selective inhibitor, AC2P36. Like AC2P36, we show that AC2P20 kills Mtb by selectively depleting free thiols at acidic pH. Mass spectrometry studies show the formation of a disulfide bond between AC2P20 and reduced glutathione, supporting a mechanism where AC2P20 is able to deplete intracellular thiols and dysregulate redox homeostasis. The observation of two independent molecules targeting free thiols to kill Mtb at acidic pH further supports that Mtb has restricted redox homeostasis and sensitivity to thiol-oxidative stress at acidic pH.
Clinical Utility of Striational Antibodies in Paraneoplastic and Myasthenia Gravis Paraneoplastic Panels.

OBJECTIVE To critically assess the clinical utility of striational antibodies (StrAbs) within paraneoplastic and myasthenia gravis serological evaluations. METHODS All Mayo Clinic patients tested for StrAbs from January 1st 2012-December 31st 2018 utilizing Mayo's Unified Data Platform (UDP) were reviewed for neurological diagnosis and cancer. RESULTS 38,502 unique paraneoplastic and 1,899 MG patients were tested. In paraneoplastic evaluations, the StrAbs positivity rate was higher in cancer vs without cancer (5% [321/6775] vs 4% [1154/31727]; p<0.0001; OR 1.35; CI=1.19-1.53) but ROC analysis indicated no diagnostic accuracy in cancer (AUC=0.505). No neurological phenotype was significantly associated with StrAbs in the paraneoplastic group. Positivity was more common in all MG cancers compared to paraneoplastic cancers (p<0.0001). In MG evaluations, the StrAbs positivity rate was higher in those with cancer vs without (46% [217/474] vs 26% [372/1425]; p<0.0001; OR 2.39, CI 1.9-2.96) with ROC analysis indicating poor diagnostic accuracy for thymic cancer (AUC 0.634, recommended cutoff=1:60, sensitivity=56%, specificity=71%), with worse accuracy for extrathymic cancers (AUC 0.543). In paraneoplastic or MG evaluations, the value of antibody positivity did not improve cancer predictions. Paraneoplastic evaluated patients were more likely with positive StrAbs to obtain computed tomography (CT) (p=0.0001) with 3% (12/468) cancer found. CONCLUSION Despite a statistically significant association with cancer, an expansive review of performance in clinical service demonstrates that StrAbs are neither specific nor sensitive in predicting malignancy or neurological phenotypes. CT imaging is over utilized with positive StrAbs results. Removal of StrAbs from paraneoplastic or MG evaluations will improve the diagnostic characteristics of the current MG test. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE This study provides Class II evidence that the presence of StrAbs do not accurately identify patients with malignancy or neurological phenotypes.
Fluorescence Lifetime Spectroscopy and Imaging Techniques in Medical Applications

This chapter reviews the fluorescence lifetime techniques currently applied in biomedical diagnostics. Specifically the chapter focuses on time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy (TRFS) and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) technologies for in vivo tissue characterization, with special emphasis on the translational potential of these techniques and the prospects of autofluorescence to provide intrinsic contrast for the assessment and diagnosis of human diseases. The use of these techniques in a number of medical applications, including cancer (gastrointestinal tract, lung, head and neck, brain and breast), skin and eye diseases, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, are discussed and their recent developments towards translational medicine are highlighted.
Determination of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and chlorinated pesticides in a fish tissue standard reference material

The concentrations of a wide range of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides in a fish tissue Standard Reference Material (SRM) have been determined using multiple methods of analysis. This material, SRM 1946, Lake Superior Fish Tissue, was recently issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and complements a suite of marine environmental natural-matrix SRMs that are currently available from NIST for the determination of organic contaminants such as aliphatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), PCBs, and chlorinated pesticides. SRM 1946 is a fresh tissue homogenate (frozen) prepared from filleted adult lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush namaycush) collected from the Apostle Islands region of Lake Superior. SRM 1946 has certified and reference concentrations for PCB congeners, including the three non-ortho PCB congeners, and chlorinated pesticides. Certified concentrations are available for 30 PCB congeners and 15 chlorinated pesticides. Reference concentrations are available for 12 PCB congeners and 2 chlorinated pesticides. In addition, SRM 1946 is characterized for additional chemical constituents and properties: fatty acids, extractable fat, methylmercury, total mercury, selected trace elements, proximates, and caloric content. The characterization of chlorinated compounds is described in this paper with an emphasis on the approach used for the certification of the concentrations of PCB congeners and chlorinated pesticides. The PCB congener and chlorinated pesticide data are also compared to concentrations in other marine natural-matrix reference materials available from NIST (fish oil, mussel tissue, whale blubber, and a second fresh frozen fish tissue homogenate prepared from filleted adult lake trout collected from Lake Michigan) and from other organizations such as the National Research Council Canada (ground whole carp), the International Atomic Energy Agency (fish homogenate), and the European Commission Joint Research Centre [fish oils (cod and mackerel) and mussel tissue].
Writers, Readers, and the Sharing of Consciousness: Five Nepali Novels

In his seminal book Literature, Popular Culture and Society, Leo Lowenthal argues that studies of the representation of society, state, or economy in the literature of a particular country or time contribute to our knowledge of ‘the kind of perception which a specific social group— writers— has of specific social phenomena’ and therefore to our knowledge of the ‘history and sociology of shared consciousness’ (1961: 143). This discussion will focus on five Nepali novels published between 2005 and 2010, i.e. during the final months of the internal conflict between the CPN (Maoist) and the monarchical state, and the period of political transition that followed. The novels were selected mainly because they have been widely read and discussed, at least in Kathmandu, and can therefore be seen as possessing sociological as well as purely literary significance. Three of them (Narayan Wagle’s Palpasa Cafe, Narayan Dhakal’s Pretkalpa, and Krishna Dharabasi’s Radha) won one or other of the two major Nepali literary prizes awarded each year, and the other two (Yug Pathak’s Urgenko Ghoda and Buddhisagar Chapain’s Karnali Blues) have achieved a high public profile. The paper will summarize the content of these novels and provide some translated extracts. It will then analyze and discuss them, with a particular focus on (a) Dhakal’s, Dharabasi’s, and Pathak’s use of the past (b) the influence of the Maoist insurgency and the imprint of Maoist ideology (c) the location of each novel’s central protagonist in relation to urban metropolitan perspectives and (d) implied and actual readerships. The paper will explore the sociological significance of the commercial success of several of these books in light of the increasingly close relationship between Nepali literature and the Nepali print media. Finally, it will ask whether the expansion of the readership for Nepali novels in recent years is a sign that the Nepali novel is now breaking out of the narrow elite sphere of ‘art literature’ and becoming a part of what Ashish Nandy calls ‘the popular.’
Software on the witness stand: what should it take for us to trust it?

We discuss the growing trend of electronic evidence, created automatically by autonomously running software, being used in both civil and criminal court cases. We discuss trustworthiness requirements that we believe should be applied to such software and platforms it runs on. We show that courts tend to regard computer-generated materials as inherently trustworthy evidence, ignoring many software and platform trustworthiness problems well known to computer security researchers. We outline the technical challenges in making evidence-generating software trustworthy and the role Trusted Computing can play in addressing them.
Development of multiplex sets of simple sequence repeat DNA markers covering the soybean genome

Multiplexing involves the analysis of several markers in a single gel lane that is based on the allele size range of marker loci. Multiplex SSR marker analysis is conducted with primers that are labeled with one of three dyes. The development of an SSR multiplex system requires estimates of the allele size range of markers to strategize primer labeling and for grouping markers into multiplex sets. A method is presented that describes the development of multiplex sets of SSR markers in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) by the selective placement of primer sites and by the analysis of diverse germplasm. Primer sites were placed at specific distances from the SSR to adjust the allele size range of marker loci. The analysis of pooled DNA samples comprising diverse soybean genotypes provided robust estimates of the allele size range of marker loci that enabled the development of multiplex sets. Eleven multiplex sets comprising 74 SSR markers distributed across the 20 linkage groups of soybean were developed. Multiplex sets constructed from the analysis of diverse soybean germplasm should have a wide range of genotyping applications. The procedures used in this study were systematic and rapid and should be applicable for multiplex development in any species with SSR marker technology.
Removal of residual cavitation nuclei to enhance histotripsy erosion of model urinary stones

Histotripsy has been shown to be an effective treatment for model kidney stones, eroding their surface to tiny particulate debris via a cavitational bubble cloud. However, similar to shock wave lithotripsy, histotripsy stone treatments display a rate-dependent efficacy, with pulses applied at a low rate generating more efficient stone erosion in comparison with those applied at a high rate. This is hypothesized to be the result of residual cavitation bubble nuclei generated by bubble cloud collapse. Although the histotripsy bubble cloud only lasts on the order of 100 μs, these microscopic remnant bubbles can persist on the order of 1 s, inducing direct attenuation of subsequent histotripsy pulses and influencing bubble cloud dynamics. In an effort to mitigate these effects, we have developed a novel strategy to actively remove residual cavitation nuclei from the field using low-amplitude ultrasound pulses. Previous work has demonstrated that with selection of the appropriate acoustic parameters these bubble removal pulses can stimulate the aggregation and subsequent coalescence of microscopic bubble nuclei, effectively deleting them from the target volume. Here, we incorporate bubble removal pulses in histotripsy treatment of model kidney stones. It was found that when histotripsy is applied at low rate (1 Hz), bubble removal does not produce a statistically significant change in erosion. At higher pulse rates of 10, 100, and 500 Hz, incorporating bubble removal results in 3.7-, 7.5-, and 2.7-fold increases in stone erosion, respectively. High-speed imaging indicates that the introduction of bubble removal pulses allows bubble cloud dynamics resulting from high pulse rates to more closely approximate those generated at the low rate of 1 Hz. These results corroborate previous work in the field of shock wave lithotripsy regarding the ill effects of residual bubble nuclei, and suggest that high treatment efficiency can be recovered at high pulse rates through appropriate manipulation of the cavitation environment surrounding the stone.
The Galactic Black Holes Cyg X-1, GX 339-4, and 4U1957+11: In Transition and at High Resolution

I review here some of the open questions regarding the geometry and emission mechanisms of galactic black hole candidates. For hard states, I concentrate on the perspective of “disk+Compton coronae” models (for discussions of jet models, see the papers by Sera Markoff). Specifically, I discuss the implications from our 10 year long RXTE monitoring campaign of Cyg X-1. I then present simultaneous RXTE /Chandra observations of the “soft state” black hole candidate 4U 1957+11, and discuss to what extent it does or does not allow one to test “relativistic disk models”. The use of such models has been claimed to measure black hole spin parameters. I then briefly present a particularly freaky-weird observation of GX339−4, where the source “fell off” the usual radio/X-ray correlation in the low/hard state. Questions addressed by the above observations include: are the Compton corona models unique fits to the data? (No. Jets work equally well, and simple broken power laws work better still. We argue that the latter models indicate multiple, broad-band continuum components.) Is there good evidence for a receding disk as sources transit into the hard state? (The jury is still out.) What does the relativistically broadened Fe line tell us? (Sometimes the disk, even into quiescence, stays very close to the central object, in contrast to expectations of ADAF models.) How much better/more necessary are recently discussed relativistic disk models? (I am very doubtful that such models will ever usefully measure black hole spin.)
Genetic Analysis of Bacteriophage P22 Lysozyme Structure

The suppression patterns of 11 phage P22 mutants bearing different amber mutations in the gene encoding lysozyme (19) were determined on six different amber suppressor strains. Of the 60 resulting single amino acid substitutions, 18 resulted in defects in lysozyme activity at 30 degrees; an additional seven were defective at 40 degrees. Revertants were isolated on the "missuppressing" hosts following UV mutagenesis; they were screened to distinguish primary- from second-site revertants. It was found that second-site revertants were recovered with greater efficiency if the UV-irradiated phage stocks were passaged through an intermediate host in liquid culture rather than plated directly on the nonpermissive host. Eleven second-site revertants (isolated as suppressors of five deleterious substitutions) were sequenced: four were intragenic, five extragenic; three of the extragenic revertants were found to have alterations near and upstream from gene 19, in gene 13. Lysozyme genes from the intragenic revertant phages were introduced into unmutagenized P22, and found to confer the revertant plating phenotype.
Effects of chelated iron on oogenesis and vegetative growth of kelp gametophytes (Phaeophyceae)

Summary The supply of iron has been reported to affect gametogenesis in the gametophytes of some species of kelps (order Laminariales). Spores of the kelps Alaria marginata Postels & Ruprecht, Dictyoneurum californicum Ruprecht, Egregia menziesii (Turner) Areschoug, Laminaria setchellii Silva, and Macrocystis pyrifera (L.) C. Agardh were cultured in enriched seawater with and without added chelated iron (Fe-ethylenediaminetetraacetate) to determine the effects of iron on oogenesis. All species showed a decrease in oogenesis without added Fe-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Gametophytes of E. menziesii showed predominant gametogenesis with or without supplied iron, resulting in all cells being converted to gametes so that vegetative growth did not continue. Vegetative gametophytes were obtained in the other species used. Gametophytes of M. pyrifera did not show any oogenesis without added Fe-EDTA, while those of L. setchellii, A. marginata and D. californicum were intermediate in their response, showing some gametogenesis without added Fe-EDTA. When Fe-EDTA supply was delayed by 6, 13 and 20 days with spores of M. pyrifera, the gametophytes produced fewer eggs, with a greater decrease as the delay grew longer. A range of Fe-EDTA concentrations was investigated using isolated female gametophytes of two strains of M. pyrifera and one of Macrocystis integrifolia Bory. None of these three strains produced gametes without the addition of Fe-EDTA. Gametophytes of M. integrifolia required the least amount of added Fe-EDTA to achieve gametogenesis while gametophytes of M. pyrifera required higher amounts, with the two strains showing somewhat different responses. Iron nutrition appears to be an essential factor for gametogenesis in several species of kelps.
Learning from Humans as an I-POMDP

The interactive partially observable Markov decision process (I-POMDP) is a recently developed framework which extends the POMDP to the multi-agent setting by including agent models in the state space. This paper argues for formulating the problem of an agent learning interactively from a human teacher as an I-POMDP, where the agent \emph{programming} to be learned is captured by random variables in the agent's state space, all \emph{signals} from the human teacher are treated as observed random variables, and the human teacher, modeled as a distinct agent, is explicitly represented in the agent's state space. The main benefits of this approach are: i. a principled action selection mechanism, ii. a principled belief update mechanism, iii. support for the most common teacher \emph{signals}, and iv. the anticipated production of complex beneficial interactions. The proposed formulation, its benefits, and several open questions are presented.
Satisfiers and hygiene factors: residents' perceptions of strengths and limitations of their learning environment.

Abstract Background Efforts are underway to enhance learner input into the accreditation of educational programs, including residencies and fellowships. Objectives To aggregate the perspectives of residents and fellows from a cross-section of specialties to highlight common dimensions in learners' perceptions of strengths and opportunities for improvement (OFIs) in their program and to assess whether the ACGME Resident Survey captures areas important to residents' perceptions of their learning environment. Results The data set included 206 core and 193 subspecialty programs representing a wide range of specialties and subspecialties. Comments on strengths and OFIs addressed most of the items in the Resident Survey, with items not addressed in the survey also not represented in the ACGME requirements. The findings suggest that some program attributes are mentioned only in their absence (hygiene factors), whereas other dimensions (satisfiers), particularly quality and quantity of residents' interactions wit...
Differential Regulation of Pulmonary Endothelial Monolayer Integrity by Varying Degrees of Cyclic Stretch

Ventilator-induced lung injury is a life-threatening complication of mechanical ventilation at high-tidal volumes. Besides activation of proinflammatory cytokine production, excessive lung distension directly affects blood-gas barrier and lung vascular permeability. To investigate whether restoration of pulmonary endothelial cell (EC) monolayer integrity after agonist challenge is dependent on the magnitude of applied cyclic stretch (CS) and how these effects are linked to differential activation of small GTPases Rac and Rho, pulmonary ECs were subjected to physiologically (5% elongation) or pathologically (18% elongation) relevant levels of CS. Pathological CS enhanced thrombin-induced gap formation and delayed monolayer recovery, whereas physiological CS induced nearly complete EC recovery accompanied by peripheral redistribution of focal adhesions and cortactin after 50 minutes of thrombin. Consistent with differential effects on monolayer integrity, 18% CS enhanced thrombin-induced Rho activation, whereas 5% CS promoted Rac activation during the EC recovery phase. Rac inhibition dramatically attenuated restoration of monolayer integrity after thrombin challenge. Physiological CS preconditioning (5% CS, 24 hours) enhanced EC paracellular gap resolution after step-wise increase to 18% CS (30 minutes) and thrombin challenge. These results suggest a critical role for the CS amplitude and the balance between Rac and Rho in mechanochemical regulation of lung EC barrier.
Correlation of an enzyme immunoassay with the radioimmunoassay for CA-125

Serum CA-125 concentrations from 60 women were determined by radioimmunoassay and an enzyme immunoassay. Correlation of the CA-125 values obtained by the two methods indicated a linear relationship between 13 and 73 U/ml, lower values in the enzyme immunoassay, and a lower sensitivity of the enzyme immunoassay as compared with the radioimmunoassay.
SU-FF-T-71: Dose Perturbation Due To Contrast Solution In Mammosite Balloon In Ir-192 HDR Treatment

Purpose: To determine the dosimetric consequences of radiopaque contrast in balloon used in Mammosite® brachytherapy.Method and Materials: Mammosite brachytherapy is delivered using a balloon catheter placed inside a lumpectomy cavity in a breast. The balloon is filled with a contrastsolution to fit inside the lumpectomy cavity. In our institution the treatment is planned using CTimages of the breast on an Eclipse treatment planning computer. We have found that the density of the contrastsolution can vary significantly depending on the solution inserted in the balloon by the surgeons. CT numbers as high as 3000 Hounsfield Unit (HU) have been found in the mammosite balloon at our institution. The Eclipse treatment planning system does not take into account the heterogeneity of the contrastsolution in treatment time calculation. We investigated the effect of the contrastsolution on dose using film dosimetry and Varian Varisource 200 HDR unit with an Ir‐192 source. The solution form the balloon of a patient with CT number of 3000 HU was used in our study. A plan was created to deliver a dose which fell within the linear range of Kodak X‐Omat V film. The same geometry and irradiation time was used to irradiate films which under the contrastsolution and water respectively. The films were read with a densitometer and the ratio of the optical density gave the dose ratio for the solution relative to water. Results:Solutions with CT numbers of 3000HU and 2000HU showed a reduction in dose of 10% and 5% respectively compared to water. Conclusion: Our study indicates that there can be a dose reduction in mammosite treatments where the CT number of the solution is high compared to water. The appropriate corrections should be made to deliver the intended dose in mammosite treatments with Ir‐192 source.
Development of cholinergic characteristics in adrenergic neurones is age dependent

OBSERVATIONS from several laboratories indicate that neurones from adrenergic ganglia cultured from rats during the perinatal period may, in certain culture conditions, develop several clearly cholinergic characteristics. These cultured neurones may form cholinergic synapses among themselves as well as on cocultured striated muscle1–3, and the cell population developing cholinergic mechanisms derives from an initially adrenergic neuronal population as a gradual shift in synaptic vesicle cytochemistry occurs together with increasing choline acetyltransferase (ChAc) activity and an increasing number of cholinergic synaptic interactions between neurones4,5. In certain conditions these cultured neurones may release both noradrenaline and acetylcholine6. We address here the question of whether this unexpected ability of the adrenergic neurone to develop cholinergic mechanisms in culture derives from the neurone's response to some novel aspect of the tissue culture system or is instead the in vitro expression of a developmental period during which the automatic neurone in vivo is in a labile state of differentiation. Our results favour the latter explanation.
Precursor molecular-oxygen state in the initial catalytic oxidation of the InP(110) surface modified by alkali metals.

The kinetics and the mechanism of the oxidation of the InP(110) surface modified by a cesium monolayer have been studied by valence-band and core-level photoemission spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. The presence of a Cs monolayer on the InP(110) surface leads to an exceptional enhancement of the oxidation rate by 13 orders of magnitude with formation of phosphates such as ${\mathrm{InPO}}_{4}$. In strong contrast with cesiated transition-metal surfaces, we find a precursor state of molecular oxygen prior to the onset of InP(110) oxidation. At higher exposures, both molecular- and atomic-oxygen states coexist in a dynamic equilibrium.
The evolution of Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial cable networks to an all-fiber network

Cable operators have many options to increase throughput as they progress towards an all-fiber network, including migrating from analog to digital video, increasing compression, using advanced modulation, allocating more upstream spectrum and pushing fiber deeper.
Serotype distribution and β-lactam resistance in Haemophilus influenzae isolated from patients with respiratory infections in Korea

Haemophilus influenzae is a frequent causative bacterial pathogen of respiratory tract infections. Resistance to β-lactam antibiotics has been a significant clinical problem in treatment for H. influenzae respiratory infections. This study describes the serotype, antibiotic resistance and distribution of TEM-1 or ROB-1 β-lactamase in H. influenzae isolates from local private hospitals from 2002 to 2004. Among the 100 H. influenzae respiratory isolates, only 7% were identified as serotypes a, b, e, and f, with the remaining 93% being nontypeable. Resistance to ampicillin, cefaclor, and tetracycline was 57%, 46%, and 16%, respectively. All strains were susceptible to azithromycin and ciprofloxacin, whereas amoxicillin/clavulanate, cefotaxime, and imipenem exhibited reduced susceptibilities of 99%, 99%, and 91%, respectively. All 57 ampicillinresistant strains (minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC≥4 μg/ml) were β-lactamase-positive and possessed the TEM-1 type β-lactamase. One β-lactamase-positive amoxicillin/clavulanate-resistant isolate that was resistant to ampicillin (MIC>128 μg/ml) had the TEM-1 type β-lactamase and not susceptible to cefaclor and cefotaxime. Analysis of penicillin binding protein 3 revealed six residues (Asp-350, Met-377, Ala-502, Asn-526, Val-547, and Asn-569) that were substituted by Asn, Ile, Val, Lys, Ile, and Ser, respectively.
Random walks and the regeneration time

Consider a graph G and a random walk on it. We want to stop the random walk at certain times (using an optimal stopping rule) to obtain independent samples from a given distribution ρ on the nodes. For an undirected graph, the expected time between consecutive samples is maximized by a distribution equally divided between two nodes, and so the worst expected time is 1-4 of the maximum commute time between two nodes. In the directed case, the expected time for this distribution is within a factor of 2 of the maximum. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Graph Theory 29: 5762, 1998
The assimilation of past data in dynamical analysis. II

Systems for continuous data assimilation are presented and discussed. The balanced barotropic equation is used as an example of a dynamical (evolution) equation. In the first method, geopotential height data are assimilated into the model's computation, as the data become available, without any modification. It turns out that this leads to intolerable growth of error, suggesting the necessity of filtering the input information or alleviating discrepancies between the newly injected data and the prediction fields. In the second method, an optimal assimilation is attempted by applying adequate weights to the input data, which minimize statistically the mean-square difference between the estimate and the true solution. The analysis result is acceptable. But the magnitude of the error reduction is comparable to that of the previous synthesis analysis discussed in Part I of this paper. In the assimilation process we employed, the quality of the analysis seems to be determined by the characteristics of the measurements, i.e., density, distribution and magnitude of error, and also by the rate of inherited error growth in the dynamical prediction. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1971.tb00578.x
Attitudes toward men's intergenerational financial obligations to older and younger male family members following divorce

In this study 116 men and 200 women randomly selected from phone books in the midwestern United States responded to a vignette designed to assess their attitudes about the obligation of men toward intergenerational family financial obligations following divorce. The hypotheses were: (1) Men will be perceived to have greater obligations to financially assist a father than to assist a stepfather or former father-in-law, and (2) men will be perceived to have greater obligations to financially assist a son than to assist an elderly family member. An additional research question was addressed: What rationale do people give to explain their beliefs about men's intergenerational financial obligations following divorce? Data were analyzed using chi-square tests (forced-choice responses) and qualitative methods (open-ended responses). Both hypotheses were supported. Obligation was greatest to offspring, followed by fathers, stepfathers, and former fathers-in-law. However, attitudes about intergenerational obligations were contextual, and they depended on relationship quality, resources available, acuity of need, and ongoing commitments.
Peel adhesion and viscoelasticity of poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate)‐based hot melt adhesives. II. The influence of wax

The influence of wax on the viscoelasticity and peel adhesion of poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA)-based hot melt adhesives was evaluated. Wax does not affect the glass transition temperature of a homogeneous EVA/rosin blend. However, for a heterogeneous EVA/rosin blend, wax addition increases the EVA-rich phase portion, resulting a higher rubbery response. The T-Peel fracture energies of EVA/tackifier/wax blends bonded to polypropylene film are controlled by two factors: (1) a weak boundary layer of wax, which has a deleterious effect on bonding, and (2) on the other hand, an increased rubbery response in the stick-slip region, which tends to strengthen joints. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Efficacy and feasibility of teledermatology for paediatric medical education

We evaluated a teledermatology consultation service in the education of medical trainees. The selection of cases for consultation was at the discretion of the trainees, who could contact the study team for advice about obtaining photographs and submitting the case to a web-based system. Asynchronous structured feedback was provided to trainees by an academic paediatric dermatology consultant using a web-based interface. Efficacy was evaluated by examining the trainees' self-reported competency in clinical dermatology skills before and after teleconsultation. A total of 44 trainees (31 residents and 13 medical students) completed 50 consultations. Trainees reported significant improvement (mean improvement 22%, P or =5 on a 7-point scale) and 86% were very likely to apply the information in their future practice (> or =5 on a 7-point scale). We believe that teledermatology has great potential in the education of medical trainees.
Comparative Effectiveness of Two Culture Techniques for Isolation of Rubella Virus.

SummaryAGMK and PHA tissue culture techniques are comparable systems for isolation of rubella virus from clinical specimens, although the AGMK system offers practical advantages. In order to demonstrate minimal amounts of rubella virus in either system multiple subcultures must be utilized. Employing Sindbis virus-interference, the agent of rubella may also be demonstrated in tissue explants in PHA cultures.
Workforce diversity and organisational performance

Many managers and scholars agree that diversity is a positive factor that leads to competitive economic advantage for organisations. However, this assertion remains largely untested. To examine the implied relationship between firm performance and diversity, performance at minority‐friendly organisations was compared to that at other organisations within the same industry. Results indicated that minority friendly firms significantly outperformed the market, indicating that diversity in organisations may be related to economic success. This finding has significant strategic implications.
Reaction of Hydrogen Peroxide with Ferrylhemoglobin: Superoxide Production and Heme Degradation

The reaction of Fe(II) hemoglobin (Hb) but not Fe(III) hemoglobin (metHb) with hydrogen peroxide results in degradation of the heme moiety. The observation that heme degradation was inhibited by compounds, which react with ferrylHb such as sodium sulfide, and peroxidase substrates (ABTS and o-dianisidine), demonstrates that ferrylHb formation is required for heme degradation. A reaction involving hydrogen peroxide and ferrylHb was demonstrated by the finding that heme degradation was inihibited by the addition of catalase which removed hydrogen peroxide even after the maximal level of ferrylHb was reached. The reaction of hydrogen peroxide with ferrylHb to produce heme degradation products was shown by electron paramagnetic resonance to involve the one-electron oxidation of hydrogen peroxide to the oxygen free radical, superoxide. The inhibition by sodium sulfide of both superoxide production and the formation of fluorescent heme degradation products links superoxide production with heme degradation. The inability to produce heme degradation products by the reaction of metHb with hydrogen peroxide was explained by the fact that hydrogen peroxide reacting with oxoferrylHb undergoes a two-electron oxidation, producing oxygen instead of superoxide. This reaction does not produce heme degradation, but is responsible for the catalytic removal of hydrogen peroxide. The rapid consumption of hydrogen peroxide as a result of the metHb formed as an intermediate during the reaction of reduced hemoglobin with hydrogen peroxide was shown to limit the extent of heme degradation.
Progesterone (P4) production in response to GnRH agonist (GnRH Ag) and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in women with PCOS

procedure. Results: Overall, a decrease in trauma, an increase in ease of transfer, improved ability to position the catheter in the uterus, and decreased time to completion was observed. Specifically, Fellow A performed 19 ugIUI procedures as described above, with one requiring more than one attempt, and resulting in some blood on the catheter. Fellow B performed 9 ugIUIs and also had one requiring more than one attempt, and necessitated the use of a tenaculum and dilators. Fellow C performed 10 ugIUIs and had two difficult entries requiring second attempts with one requiring the use of a tenaculum. Patients acceptance and satisfaction with the procedure was voiced as overwhelmingly positive. Enrollment continues to provide sample size suitable for statistical analysis. Conclusion: This ongoing study of trans-abdominal ultrasound guided IUI is showing enormous popularity with both patients and fellows. It appears to increase patient satisfaction, and is an effective teaching tool of embryo transfer techniques for the education of REI fellows in training.
Fine Structure of Silica Deposition and the Origin of Shell Components in a Testate Amoeba Netzelia tuberculata

Netzelia tuberculata secretes a test composed of siliceous particles cemented together by organic plaques forming a single-layered spheroidal shell. The siliceous particles are produced within cytoplasmic vacuoles by three mechanisms: 1) synthesis de novo by deposition of the silica on a matrix; 2) deposition of silica on particles remaining in digestive vacuoles, including starch grains and undigested walls of yeast cells; and 3) secretion of silica as a hollow sphere at the periphery of vacuoles enclosed by the silicasecreting membrane. The silicalemma (silica-secreting membrane) originates as fibril-containing vesicles (GFV) secreted by the Golgi body. Fusion of these vesicles with membranes surrounding digestive vacuoles or with membranes surrounding specialized vacuoles containing a silica-binding matrix apparently converts the vacuole into a silica-depositing organelle. Small spherules of silica occur on the vacuolar side of the membrane surrounding the developing test granules, marking the presence of silicalemma activity. These colloidal spherules become aggregated into larger spherules that condense to form the siliceous surface of the developing test particle. Other Golgi vesicles, designated Golgi plaque vesicles (GPV), produce the organic plaques that are deposited among the siliceous particles at the periphery of the cell during new test construction during cell division. The fine structure of the GFV and GPV and their role in test wall deposition are discussed in relation to other silica-biomineralizing protozoa, including radiolaria.
Effects of exercise exposure on toxic interactions between inhaled oxidant and aldehyde air pollutants

Respiratory tract injury resulting from inhalation of mixtures of ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and of O3 and formaldehyde (HCHO) was studied in Sprague-Dawley rats under exposure conditions of rest and exercise. Focal inflammatory injury induced in lung parenchyma by O3 exposure was measured morphometrically and HCHO injury to the nasal respiratory epithelium was measured by cell turnover using tritium-labeled thymidine. Mixtures of O3 (0.35 or 0.6 ppm) with NO2 (respectively 0.6 or 2.5 ppm) doubled the level of lung injury produced by O3 alone in resting exposures to the higher concentrations and in exercising exposures to the lower concentrations. Formaldehyde (10 ppm) mixed with O3 (0.6 ppm) resulted in reduced lung injury compared to O3 alone in resting exposures, but exercise exposure to the mixture did not show an antagonistic interaction. Nasal epithelial injury from HCHO exposure was enhanced when O3 was present in a mixture. Mixtures of O3 and NO2 at high and low concentrations formed respectively 0.73 and 0.02 ppm nitric acid (HNO3) vapor. Chemical interactions among the oxidants, HNO3, and other reaction products (N2O5 and nitrate radical) and lung tissue may be the basis for the O3-NO2 synergism. Increased dose and dose rate associated with exercise exposure may explain the presence of synergistic interaction at lower concentrations than observed in resting exposure. No oxidation products were detected in O3-HCHO mixtures, and the antagonistic interaction observed in lung tissue during resting exposure may result from irritant breathing pattern interactions.
Paraumbilical vein in the cirrhotic patient: imaging with 3D CT angiography

The paraumbilical vein is a common venous collateral in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. This pictorial essay demonstrates the use of computed tomographic angiography with three-dimensional volume rendering techniques to visualize the paraumbilical vein and its relationship to abdominal wall collaterals. The unique anatomy and embryology of this vessel is also discussed.
Liver inflammation in a mouse model of Th1 hepatitis despite the absence of invariant NKT cells or the Th1 chemokine receptors CXCR3 and CCR5

The specific mechanisms that mediate CD4(+) T-cell-mediated liver injury have not been fully elucidated. CD4(+) invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are required for liver damage in some mouse models of hepatitis, while the chemokine receptors CXCR3 and CCR5 are considered dominant Th1 chemokine receptors involved in Th1 trafficking in inflammatory conditions. BALB/c-Tgfb1(-/-) mice spontaneously develop Th1 hepatitis. Here, we directly test the hypotheses that iNKT cells or the Th1-cell chemokine receptors CXCR3 and CCR5 are required for development of liver disease in Tgfb1(-/-) mice. Tgfb1(-/-) mouse livers exhibited significant increases in iNKT cells and in ligands for CXCR3 or CCR5. Tgfb1(-/-) mice were rendered deficient in iNKT cells, CXCR3, CCR5, or both CXCR3 and CCR5, by cross-breeding with appropriate knockout mice. Tgfb1(-/-) mice developed severe liver injury, even in the absence of functional CD1d/iNKT cells, CXCR3, CCR5, or both CXCR3 and CCR5. Liver CD4(+) T cells accumulated to high numbers, and spleen CD4(+) T-cell numbers declined, regardless of the functionality of the CXCR3/CCR5 response pathways. Similarly, dendritic cells and macrophages accumulated in Tgfb1(-/-) livers even when CXCR3 and CCR5 were knocked out. Th1-associated cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2) and chemokines (CXCL9, CXCL10) were strongly overexpressed in Tgfb1(-/-) mice despite knockouts in CD1d, CXCR3, or CCR5. These studies indicate that the cellular and biochemical basis for CD4(+) T-cell-mediated injury in liver can be complex, with myriad pathways potentially involved.