cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of metoclopramide on steers fed Kochia scoparia hay.

Kochia hay that had elicited mild toxicosis in sheep and cattle when fed for 21 d was fed to young, growing steers to evaluate the efficacy of metoclopramide for preventing kochia toxicosis. Twelve steers (271 +/- 39 kg) were given ad libitum access to Kochia hay for 38 d. Six steers were dosed orally with 15 mg of metoclopramide/kg of BW three times each week in gelatin capsules, and six steers received empty gelatin capsules. Steers were housed in individual outside pens for the first 28 d, then inside in metabolism stalls for the last 10 d. Kochia intake averaged 1.2 +/- .04 and 1.1 +/- .05% of BW throughout 38 d for kochia-fed control and kochia plus metoclopramide-dosed steers, respectively. During the last 10 d, metoclopramide had no effect (P greater than .15) on digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, ADF, or CP. However, metoclopramide reduced N retention (P less than .01; 20 vs 8 g/d). Kochia hay decreased serum prolactin and insulin concentrations (P less than .01) from 12.4 to 1.5 ng/ml and from .53 to .23 ng/ml, respectively. Metoclopramide had no effect (P greater than .50) on prolactin or insulin in steers fed kochia hay. Serum growth hormone was not affected by kochia but was suppressed by metoclopramide in steers fed kochia hay (P less than .07). Serum bilirubin (total and unconjugated) was elevated (P less than .05), indicating early, mild hepatotoxicosis characteristic of kochia toxicosis. Kochia also increased serum concentrations of iron, total protein, albumin, globulin, and creatinine and decreased urea N (P less than .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Interrelationship of dietary phosphorus, aluminum and iron on performance and tissue mineral composition in lambs.

A 76-d feeding trial was conducted with 24 wether lambs (31 kg, initially) to study the interrelationships among dietary P, Al and Fe. A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments included two concentrations of supplemental P (0 or .25%) with added P as NaH2PO4, two levels of supplemental Fe (0 or 760 ppm) with Fe added as ferric citrate and two levels of supplemental Al (0 or 1,450 ppm) with Al added as AlCl3 . 6H2O. The basal diet contained .17% P, 40 ppm Fe and 168 ppm Al. Phosphorus increased (P less than .01) feed consumption, but Fe (P less than .01), with added P improving and Fe or Al depressing gain. Additional P improved gain (P less than .05) and intake (P less than .01) in the presence of high Al and intake (P less than .05) when dietary Fe was high. Serum P was increased (P less than .01) by high dietary Fe and reduced (P less than .01) by Al. High dietary P increased (P less than .05) serum MG. High dietary Fe increased (P less than .01) hemoglobin and hematocrit and increased (P less than .01) Fe storage in liver, kidney, spleen and muscle but decreased (P less than .01) kidney Zn concentration. High dietary Al increased (P less than .01) liver Fe and kidney Zn levels but decreased kidney P and Mg (P less than .05) and bone ash and Mg (P less than .01). Based on these studies, additional dietary P appeared beneficial in overcoming the adverse effects of high dietary Al or Fe.
Oral midazolam is an effective premedication for children having day-stay anaesthesia.

The effect of oral premedication was studied in a double-blind, randomised trial of 200 children undergoing day-stay anaesthesia. Midazolam 0.25 mg/kg, midazolam 0.5 mg/kg, diazepam 0.5 mg/kg or a placebo was given orally one hour prior to anaesthesia. Patient state was assessed at nine stages, from administration of the premedication up to and including induction of anaesthesia, using a four-point behavioural scale. Patient state was also assessed postoperatively in the recovery area and the day-stay ward. There was no difference between the four groups until induction of anaesthesia. At this stage 82% of children were either asleep or awake and calm. Patients who received midazolam 0.5 mg/kg were more likely to be asleep or awake and calm at induction rather than other groups (P = 0.05). Children receiving midazolam 0.5 mg/kg or diazepam 0.5 mg/kg slept longest in the post anaesthetic recovery room (P less than 0.005), and spent most time there (P less than .005). There was no difference between groups in the length of time spent in the day-stay ward or in the number of overnight admissions. The study shows that a high proportion of unsedated children are calm at induction of anaesthesia and that oral midazolam is an effective premedication in children for day-stay anaesthesia.
BRIEF REPORT: Freeze-Cleaving of Red Cell Membranes in Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria

Electron microscopic studies on dried isolated red cell ghosts have been reported to show lesions associated with cell membranes in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). In this study, carbon-platinum replicas of membranes of freeze-cleaved, partially hydrated PNH red cells and isolated PNH cell ghosts failed to confirm the existence of these abnormalities. This suggests that the previously described lesions are the products of drying artifacts, although they may reflect hidden structural differences between PNH and normal red cell membranes.
pH-Triggered Release from Polyamide Microcapsules Prepared by Interfacial Polymerization of a Simple Diester Monomer

The majority of current pH-triggered release systems is designed to respond to either low or high pH. Encapsulants based on polyampholytes are an example of materials that can respond to both acidic and basic pH. However, polyampholyte-based encapsulants generally possess a low loading capacity and have difficulty retaining their small-molecule cargo. The current work utilizes interfacial polymerization between polyamines and a pyromellitic diester diacid chloride to form high capacity “liquid core–shell” polyamide microcapsules that are stable in a dry or nonpolar environment but undergo steady, controlled release at pH 7.4 and accelerated release at pH 5 and pH 10. The rate of release can be tuned by adjusting the amine cross-linker feed ratio, which varies the degree of cross-linking in the polymer shell. The thin-shell microcapsule exhibited suitable barrier properties and tunable dual acid/base-triggered release, with applications in a wide range of pH environments.
Self‐adjointness of perturbed biharmonic operators on Riemannian manifolds

We give a sufficient condition for the essential self-adjointness of a perturbed biharmonic-type operator acting on sections of a Hermitian vector bundle on a geodesically complete Riemannian manifold with Ricci curvature bounded from below by a (possibly unbounded) non-positive function depending on the distance from a reference point. We also establish the separation property in the case when the corresponding operator acts on functions.
Overlapping Coalition Formation in Multi-sensor Networks.

We investigate overlapping coalition formation in multi-sensor networks where sensor agents can track multiple targets within their overlapping fields of view simultaneously. We employ a game-theoretic approach to model the problem of sensors coordination as that of an overlapping coalition formation problem. Our model seeks to find the minimum-sized overlapping coalition structure that maximizes the overall social welfare of sensor networks, i.e., ensuring targets coverage maximization while also minimizing the number of sensors needed. We then show that finding the optimal overlapping coalition structure of a set of agents in this type of environment is NP-complete.
Abstract 737: Signficant DLX4 expression in inflammatory breast cancer tumors from African American patients

Purpose: To examine protein expression characteristics of Distal-less homeobox4 (DLX4) in inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) cases from an African-American population to determine if a) DLX4 over-expression occurs in IBC vs. normal mammary tissue and b) over-expression is associated with clinico-pathologic features such as ER, PR, HER2. Experimental Design: Twenty nine blocks of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues from well-characterized human IBC cases were used for immuno-histochemical staining (IHC). Tumor tissues were from African American subjects seen at Howard University Hospital. Normal breast tissues from 30 mammoplasties were controls. IHC results were assigned intensity and percentage scores based upon intensity of positive staining and % of stained cells. Percentage scores were assigned as 0, 1 (0%-25%), 2 (26%-50%), 3 (51%-75%) or 4 (76%-100%) and intensity scores were assigned 0, 1+, 2+ or 3+. For the analysis of the IHC, a percentage score of 3 or 4 was considered high and an intensity score of 2+ or 3+ was categorized as high. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used for analysis. Results: The staining pattern for the categorized cohort in which 82.8% (24 out of 29) of IBC cases showed high percentages of positive cells staining for DLX4 protein, while 40.0% (12 out of 30) normal breast tissues demonstrated DLX4 expression (P=0.001). In terms of staining intensity, 75.9% (22 out of 29) of IBC cases showed a high level of intensity, compared to 20.0% (6 out of 30) of normal breast tissues (P Conclusions: DLX4 expression is significantly higher in this pilot study of IBC cases from AA patients than in normal breast tissue cases. In addition, HER2- is associated with high intensity of DLX4 expression in IBC. Citation Format: Jaehong Jeong, Tammey Naab, Martin Ongkeko, Kepher Makambi, Farhan A. Khan, Jan Blancato. Signficant DLX4 expression in inflammatory breast cancer tumors from African American patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 737. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-737
Concept Test of a Smoking Cessation Smart Case

Abstract Background: Wearable/portable devices that unobtrusively detect smoking and contextual data offer the potential to provide Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention (JITAI) support for mobile cessation programs. Little has been reported on the development of these technologies. Introduction: To address this gap, we offer a case report of users' experiences with a prototype “smart” cigarette case that automatically tracks time and location of smoking. Small-scale user-experience studies are typical of iterative product design and are especially helpful when proposing novel ideas. The purpose of the study was to assess concept acceptability and potential for further development. Materials and Methods: We tested the prototype case with a small sample of potential users (n = 7). Participants used the hardware/software for 2 weeks and reconvened for a 90-min focus group to discuss experiences and provide feedback. Results: Participants liked the smart case in principle but found the prototype too bulky for e...
Letter by Doshi et al Regarding Article, “Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale Versus Medical Therapy in Patients With Cryptogenic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”

We read with great interest the article by Ntaios et al.1 The authors concluded that patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure devices are associated with lower rates of ischemic stroke recurrence when compared with medical therapy. However, atrial fibrillation rates were higher, although transient, with PFO closure devices. This systemic review and meta-analysis has the potential to affect the guidelines. However, before these results gain wider uptake, a few concerns should be clarified. 1. The study should have been registered with PROSPERO (An International Prospective …
Field evaluation of several chemical indexes of soil nitrogen availability

The ability of several chemical soil N availability indexes to predict the N supplying capability (NSC) of soils to maize in the field was evaluated in 49 field experiments over 3 years in Pennsylvania. Two recently proposed indexes based on the amount of NH4+ released by treating soil with 2 M KCl at 100°C for 4 hr or with a pH 11.2 phosphate-borate buffer for 8 min were not good predictors of NSC (r=0.484 and 0.254, respectively). The absorbance of a 0.01 M NaHCO3 extract at 260 nm was also poorly correlated with field-measured NSC (r=0.412). The pre-sidedress soil NO3− test (PSNT), the soil NO3− concertration in the surface 20 cm of soil at planting, and the UV absorbance at 200 nm of a 0.01 M NaHCO3 extract of at planting soils were all moderately well correlated with NSC (r=0.672, 0.750, and 0.737, respectively). The latter two indexes are very simple, rapid, and inexpensive to perform and offer the possibility of improving the prediction of NSC in heavily manured fields.
Green Light Effects on Plant Growth and Development

Evolution tends not to ignore a conditional signal. There are many instances where a seed, seedling or plant finds itself in an environment disproportionately rich in green light (500–550nm). Is this condition meaningful to the plant, and are there mechanisms to sense these wavebands to inform physiological decisions? Cryptochromes and phytochromes readily absorb green light to initiate photomorphogenic responses. Still, the classical and contemporary literature present sporadic evidence that green light irradiation has specific influence that is not conveniently attributed to known light sensors ([Frechilla et al 2000], [Kim et al 2004a], [Klein 1992]). Recent reports corroborate early evidence that green light has specific, frequently antagonistic functions in directing light responses ([Eisinger et al 2003], [Folta 2004], [Talbott et al 2003]).
Analysis of Radio Ecological Situation in Azerbaijan

In this article, factors forming radio-ecological state on the territory of Azerbaijan Republic are investigated on the basis of appropriate literature and long-term researches. Along with stated, natural radiation background of some regions within the Republic for 1999–2002 has been studied, radiation of atmospheric precipitations in big industrial cities has been specified for 1993–2001 and radio-spectrometric analysis of radio-ecological state at less polluted Apsheron peninsula was carried out.
GABAergic Modulation of Average Evoked Potentials in Rat Olfactory Bulb.

The olfactory bulbar EEG alternation of inspiratory cyclic bursts and chaotic interburst activity as well as the damped sinusoidal oscillation seen in averaged evoked potentials (AEPs) and unit post-stimulus-time histograms (PSTHs) are best accounted for by modeling the bulb as a set of couple oscillators. Primary olfactory nerve (PON) induced AEPs are characterized by a damped oscillation riding a slow negative wave that is due to prolonged granule cell excitation. Antidromic stimulation via the lateral olfactory tract (LOT) also produces an oscillation in the AEP but lacks the slow negative component. The negative feedback relationship of the reciprocal synapses between mitral and granule cells in the external plexiform layer establishes these oscillators. Periglomerular (Pg) cells provide an excitatory bias which generates the slow component of the PON induced AEP. Temporal aspects of the mitral- granule oscillator network are subject to modulation from sources intrinsic and extrinsic to the bulb
Donald Trump tweets the 2014 Ebola outbreak: The infectious nature of apocalyptic counterpublic rhetoric and constitution of an exaggerated health crisis

In 2014, a deadly Ebola virus outbreak caught the world’s attention. At the height of this crisis, future president of the United States, Donald Trump, tweeted about Ebola’s threat to Americans.Thr...
Lung Cancer Among Women in the United States

November marks Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and reminds us that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. In this brief report, we highlight CDC resources that can be used to examine the most recent data on lung cancer incidence, survival, prevalence, and mortality among women. Using the U.S. Cancer Statistics Data Visualizations tool, we report that in 2015, 104,992 new cases of lung cancer and 70,073 lung cancer deaths were reported among women in the United States. The 5-year relative survival among females diagnosed with lung cancer was 22%, and as of 2015, ∼185,759 women were living with a lung cancer diagnosis. We also describe ways CDC works to collect and disseminate quality cancer surveillance data, prevent initiation of tobacco use, promote cessation, eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke, identify and eliminate disparities, promote lung cancer screening, and help cancer survivors live longer by improving health outcomes.
A SNP-it of stroke outcome

Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability. Understanding the role of genetics in stroke outcome could provide novel strategies for improving stroke prognosis and identify new targets to reduce disability caused by stroke. A large number of factors contribute to outcome in patients with stroke, including prior functional and cognitive status, comorbid disease, initial severity of stroke, treatments, complications, brain plasticity, and rehabilitation.1 How genes influence stroke outcome and interact with these factors remains unclear and needs investigation.
3D numerical simulation of wave transmission for low-crested and submerged breakwaters

Abstract Low-crested and submerged breakwaters, serving as one of the coastal defensive structures, are usually used to dissipate wave energy and help reduce wave impacts on coastal infrastructures and communities especially during extreme weather events, such as hurricanes or tsunamis. Many recent post disaster surveys indicated that breakwaters did not perform as designed during some extreme weather events. The performance of the breakwaters subjected to strong waves is still not clear especially when the breakwaters turn into the submerged condition. Meanwhile, many researches on the breakwaters are usually carried out in a two-dimensional wave flume either experimentally or numerically. However, the incident wave could impact the breakwaters from any directions instead of only from the head-on direction, which should be a three-dimensional physical process of wave and breakwater interactions. Therefore, it is essential to conduct a three-dimensional numerical study to investigate the breakwater performance in reducing the transmitted wave energy behind it and compare the results with those from a two-dimensional study. This study is to investigate the effect of three-dimensional interactions of obliquely incident waves and breakwaters on wave potential energy reduction based on the proposed energy transmission coefficient. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are carried out in OpenFOAM to simulate the interactions between the wave and breakwater using a three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) model together with the k-ω SST turbulence model. Two validation studies are performed to validate the applicability of the proposed numerical model in two-dimensional and three-dimensional numerical simulations. Sensitivity analyses are performed to investigate the effect of different parameters associated with breakwater geometries and incident wave properties on a two-dimensional submerged breakwater performance in reducing the transmitted wave height. The effects of incident wave angle on the transmitted wave energy reduction for a three-dimensional submerged and surface breakwater are then investigated and compared with the two-dimensional simulation results. The numerical studies indicate that a three-dimensional simulation is more appropriate to describe a breakwater behavior in the real-world scenario.
Therapy discontinuation processes in a gynecologic oncology population.

11611Background: The decision to discontinue anti-cancer therapies in oncology patients is a complex one and may occur in several unique ways. We sought to understand the processes of therapy disco...
The Flesh and The Devil: Belief in Religious Evil and Views of Sexual Morality

We examine an understudied connection between religion and sexuality: beliefs about the reality of supernatural evil (Satan, hell, and demons). After controlling for multiple other aspects of religiosity, beliefs about religious evil remain a strong and consistent predictor of attitudes about issues involving sexuality, including abortion, homosexuality, premarital sex, extramarital sex, and pornography use. Further, the effects of religious service attendance on attitudes about sexuality are contingent upon beliefs about religious evil. Moral condemnation of non-traditional sexuality is significantly higher among regular religious participants who believe strongly in religious evil compared to actively religious people who disbelieve in religious evil, as well as compared to people who do not attend religious services. Beliefs about religious evil are therefore central to understanding the empirical connections between religion and support for conservative, traditional views of sexual morality.
The Impact of State-Level Research and Development Tax Credits on the Quantity and Quality of Entrepreneurship:

U.S. states often cite the acceleration of start-up activity as a rationale for the research and development (R&D) tax credit. While a strong empirical base links the R&D tax credit to increased in...
Dynamic Neural Relational Inference for Forecasting Trajectories

Understanding interactions between entities, e.g., joints of the human body, team sports players, etc., is crucial for tasks like forecasting. However, interactions between entities are commonly not observed and often hard to quantify. To address this challenge, recently, `Neural Relational Inference' was introduced. It predicts static relations between entities in a system and provides an interpretable representation of the underlying system dynamics that are used for better trajectory forecasting. However, generally, relations between entities change as time progresses. Hence, static relations improperly model the data. In response to this, we develop Dynamic Neural Relational Inference (dNRI), which incorporates insights from sequential latent variable models to predict separate relation graphs for every time-step. We demonstrate on several real-world datasets that modeling dynamic relations improves forecasting of complex trajectories.
Macroevolutionary Patterns of Sexual Size Dimorphism Among African Tree Frogs (Family: Hyperoliidae)

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is shaped by multiple selective forces that drive the evolution of sex-specific body size, resulting in male or female-biased SSD. Stronger selection on one sex can result in an allometric body size scaling relationship consistent with Rensch's rule or its converse. Anurans (frogs and toads) generally display female-biased SSD, but there is variation across clades and the mechanisms driving the evolution of SSD remain poorly understood. We investigated these topics in a diverse family of African treefrogs (Hyperoliidae). Hyperoliids display traits considered rare among amphibians, including sexual dichromatism and protogynous sex change. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we tested if adult ecology, sexual dichromatism, and sex change were predictors of body size or SSD. We also tested whether hyperoliids displayed allometric interspecific body size scaling relationships. We found a majority of hyperoliid taxa display female-biased SSD, but that adult ecology and sexual dichromatism are poor predictors of sex-specific body size and SSD. Regardless of the groupings analyzed (partitioned by clades or traits), we found support for isometric body size scaling. However, we found that sex change is a significant predictor of SSD variation. Species in the Hyperolius viridiflavus complex, which putatively display this trait, show a significant reduction in SSD and are frequently sexually monomorphic in size. Although protogynous sex change needs to be validated for several of these species, we tentatively propose this trait is a novel mechanism influencing anuran body size evolution. Beyond this association, additional factors that shape the evolution of anuran body size and SSD remain elusive.
Robust and Interpretable Convolutional Neural Networks to Detect Glaucoma in Optical Coherence Tomography Images

Recent studies suggest that deep learning systems can now achieve performance on par with medical experts in diagnosis of disease. A prime example is in the field of ophthalmology, where convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been used to detect retinal and ocular diseases. However, this type of artificial intelligence (AI) has yet to be adopted clinically due to questions regarding robustness of the algorithms to datasets collected at new clinical sites and a lack of explainability of AI-based predictions, especially relative to those of human expert counterparts. In this work, we develop CNN architectures that demonstrate robust detection of glaucoma in optical coherence tomography (OCT) images and test with concept activation vectors (TCAVs) to infer what image concepts CNNs use to generate predictions. Furthermore, we compare TCAV results to eye fixations of clinicians, to identify common decision-making features used by both AI and human experts. We find that employing fine-tuned transfer learning and CNN ensemble learning create end-to-end deep learning models with superior robustness compared to previously reported hybrid deep-learning/machine-learning models, and TCAV/eye-fixation comparison suggests the importance of three OCT report sub-images that are consistent with areas of interest fixated upon by OCT experts to detect glaucoma. The pipeline described here for evaluating CNN robustness and validating interpretable image concepts used by CNNs with eye movements of experts has the potential to help standardize the acceptance of new AI tools for use in the clinic.
Large cell variants of CD5+, CD23- B-cell lymphoma/leukemia: Morphologic findings and bone marrow involvement

c Context.—Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and its leukemic phase, constitute a well-studied hematologic malignancy with known overall survival, prognostic indicators, morphologic findings at diagnosis and in bone marrow, and known incidence of the bcl-1 immunoglobulin gene rearrangement. Large cell variants of B-cell lymphoma/leukemia with a mantle cell immunophenotype (CD5 1 , CD23 2 ), including but not limited to blastic MCL, prolymphocytoid MCL, blastic mantle cell leukemia, and prolymphocytic mantle cell leukemia, are not as well characterized. Although blastic MCL is known to be associated with a shorter overall survival than conventional MCL, the large cell variants of B-cell lymphoma/leukemia with a mantle cell immunophenotype have not been described as fully as conventional MCL. Objective.—The purpose of the present study was to describe the large cell variants of B-cell lymphoma/leukemia with a mantle cell immunophenotype. Design.—Nineteen cases of large cell variants of CD51, CD23 2 B-cell lymphoma/leukemia are reviewed and described in regard to morphology, bone marrow morphological findings, Cyclin D1 immunostaining, and bcl-1 analysis. Clinical data were not available owing to the varied clinical sources of the specimens. Setting.—Tertiary-care academic institution. Results.—Lymph node involvement in blastic CD5 1 , CD23 2 B-cell lymphoma was diffuse (100%) with a nodular component (33%) or focal mantle zone pattern (10%). Bone marrow involvement in blastic CD5 1 , CD23 2 B-cell lymphoma was seen in only 27% of cases and was composed predominantly of small, slightly irregular lymphocytes. Cyclin D1 was demonstrated in 60% of the 15 cases analyzed and more sensitive in B5‐fixed tissue. Bcl1 (performed in 5 cases) was not detected in the 4 cases of blastic CD5 1 , CD23 2 B-cell lymphoma analyzed and was detected in the case of the prolymphocytoid MCL. Cyclin D1 was demonstrated in all 4 bcl-1 negative cases and was negative in the bcl-1 positive prolymphocytoid MCL. Conclusion.—Careful analysis of clinical data, morphology, immunophenotype, Cyclin D1 expression, and molecular analysis are required to differentiate the unusual large cell variants of MCL from other processes. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2001;125:513‐518)
All van der Waals Integrated Nanophotonics with Bulk Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

Integrated optics is at the heart of a wide range of systems from remote sensing and communications to computing and quantum information processing. Demand for smaller and more energy efficient str...
Is Say on Pay Value-Enhancing?: A Cross-Country Analysis

There is a global movement to give shareholders a greater role in the corporate process. Say on Pay, which gives shareholders the right to vote on executive compensation is one of the tools of increased corporate democracy. Prior studies have been conducted to analyze Say on Pay on the U.K. and U.S., but this is the first study to analyze Say on Pay in a cross-country context. Analyses are conducted within a single country environment and within various groups (legislated vs. shareholder-initiated votes, binding vs. non-binding legislation, common law vs. civil law systems, and widely-held vs. concentrated ownership). I find that stocks of firms with positive abnormal CEO compensation and low CEO pay for performance react in a significant, positive manner. Significant positive abnormal returns are also earned by firms more likely to implement changes under shareholder pressure. For firms that receive shareholder-initiated Say on Pay proposals, I find that the stock price of these firms reacts negatively when the proposals are announced and when the proposal is passed. Overall, the findings suggest that the market views Say on Pay as value-enhancing for the companies with inefficient executive compensation and relatively poor corporate governance but value-destroying for other companies.
Progress in corneal wound healing

Corneal wound healing is a complex process involving cell death, migration, proliferation, differentiation, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Many similarities are observed in the healing processes of corneal epithelial, stromal and endothelial cells, as well as cell-specific differences. Corneal epithelial healing largely depends on limbal stem cells and remodeling of the basement membrane. During stromal healing, keratocytes get transformed to motile and contractile myofibroblasts largely due to activation of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) system. Endothelial cells heal mostly by migration and spreading, with cell proliferation playing a secondary role. In the last decade, many aspects of wound healing process in different parts of the cornea have been elucidated, and some new therapeutic approaches have emerged. The concept of limbal stem cells received rigorous experimental corroboration, with new markers uncovered and new treatment options including gene and microRNA therapy tested in experimental systems. Transplantation of limbal stem cell-enriched cultures for efficient re-epithelialization in stem cell deficiency and corneal injuries has become reality in clinical setting. Mediators and course of events during stromal healing have been detailed, and new treatment regimens including gene (decorin) and stem cell therapy for excessive healing have been designed. This is a very important advance given the popularity of various refractive surgeries entailing stromal wound healing. Successful surgical ways of replacing the diseased endothelium have been clinically tested, and new approaches to accelerate endothelial healing and suppress endothelial-mesenchymal transformation have been proposed including Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor eye drops and gene therapy to activate TGF-β inhibitor SMAD7. Promising new technologies with potential for corneal wound healing manipulation including microRNA, induced pluripotent stem cells to generate corneal epithelium, and nanocarriers for corneal drug delivery are discussed. Attention is also paid to problems in wound healing understanding and treatment, such as lack of specific epithelial stem cell markers, reliable identification of stem cells, efficient prevention of haze and stromal scar formation, lack of data on wound regulating microRNAs in keratocytes and endothelial cells, as well as virtual lack of targeted systems for drug and gene delivery to select corneal cells.
Henry W. Ballantine

ON THE OCCASION of his official retirement as John H. Boalt Professor of Law, Henry W. Ballantine will merely end one phase of his long, varied and constructive career in the Law. It is reasonably safe to predict that he will fruitfully extend his dedicated services to the Law as long as he lives. His writings, especially in his major chosen field, constitute a real contribution to our American jurisprudence. His reputation as a legal author, as demonstrated by the increasingly frequent reference to his works in federal and state appellate court opinons, law reviews, and other legal periodicals, is too well established nationally to need more than passing mention. Professor Ballantine also rightfully occupies a high place on the roster of eminent American law teachers of our generation. It was never my privilege to be one of his law students, but I gratefully acknowledge-as I am sure countless others of my contemporaries in like situation do also--that since shortly after I entered practice, he has been one of my helpful preceptors. This short article will not attempt to deal with Professor Ballantine's career as an outstanding law teacher, scholar, and author of national repute, but will confine itself principally to a brief discussion of his role as the architect and chief builder of our modern California corporation laws. The Law, it has been frequently charged by some of its many critics, is a sterile and non-creative profession. It is true that its works are not as spectacular as those of the architect, the engineer, or the bridge builder, because it deals in abstractions. But despite the fact that it erects no physical edifices, the Law has its constructive side, even below the high level of legal philosophy. Trusts, negotiable instruments, trust indentures, and the corporation-to mention only a * Member of the California Bar.
Linear magnetoresistance without linear dispersions: The case of homogeneous silver deficient Ag2-δTe

We reproducibly vary the room temperature magnetoresistance (MR) of homogeneous, single-phase, polycrystalline silver telluride samples by precisely altering silver deficit with electrochemical doping. Deficit-tuned MR behaviors observed in fields typical of laboratory solenoids include sub-linearity, pure linearity, and MR(B) = α|B| + γB2, but higher field measurements reveal an MR saturation incongruous with linear dispersion-based MR models, and possibly suggestive of an alternate classical explanation involving three populations of carriers.
Memory: From Mind to Molecules

Learning and memory have traditionally held a central place in psychology and, during the past several decades, have also become very importanta preoccupation, some would sayfor neurobiology. Squire and Kandel, arguably the world's two leading memory researchers, have authored a readable and elegantly produced summary of where knowledge in this field stands. Squire, an expert in psychobiological studies of memory, and Kandel, who works mostly at the cellular and molecular end of memory research (although trained as a psychiatrist), have teamed up to cover the entire range of memory studies from invertebrates to man and from molecules to behavior.
Degradation of SOFCs in Contact with E‐Brite®

The results presented in this report seem to raise concerns about the effects of chromium at lower temperature and higher current densities. However, we need to remember that these results were obtained withuncoated E-Brite and coated material would have two orders of magnitude lower formation rates of the oxyhydroxide. More importantly, the dramatic effects of the chromium precipitation at lower temperature point to the solution to the problem. We need more active cathodes. The results with the chromium doped manganite show already that the currently preferred cathode material can still be improved, and ferrites or mixed manganese/iron cathode would be much less affected because of the higher oxide ion vacancy concentration and mobility.
Effects of Acridine Orange on the Growth of Escherichia coli

Exposure of Escherichia coli to critical acridine orange (AO) concentrations did not result in loss of viability. However, the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of cells exposed to such agents was rapidly degraded and repolymerized. On the other hand, a bacterium deficient in DNA repair (pol A1−, lacking DNA polymerase) was sensitive to the action of AO. The DNA of such cells was also degraded but it was not repaired.
Sirolimus: A new agent for prevention of renal allograft rejection

The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, adverse effects, and dosage and administration of sirolimus are reviewed. Sirolimus can be used as an adjunct to cyclosporine and corticosteroids for preventing organ rejection in renal allograft recipients. It appears to block cell-cycle progression in the mid-to-late G1 phase; it also inhibits interleukin-2-dependent and independent proliferation of B-lymphocytes and production of immunoglobulins A, M, and G. Sirolimus is extensively metabolized by the liver and undergoes O-demethylation and hydroxylation. The mean oral clearance is 208 +/- 95 mL/hr/kg with an elimination half-life of 57 to 63 hours in kidney transplant recipients. Sirolimus is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract; its apparent oral bioavailability is about 15%. Two pivotal Phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind trials evaluating the efficacy of sirolimus in the prophylaxis of acute renal allograft rejection after transplantation have been conducted. A significant reduction in the occurrence of acute rejection was noted in both trials compared with azathioprine- or placebo-treated patients. Also, both sirolimus groups required significantly less antibody therapy for treatment of rejection. The primary adverse effects associated with sirolimus therapy include hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. Hypertension, diarrhea, increased creatinine, hypokalemia, arthralgia, rash, acne, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia have also been observed. The labeled recommendations are a 6-mg loading dose as soon as possible after transplantation and a maintenance dose of 2 mg per day. Sirolimus is a potent novel immunosuppressive agent with proven efficacy in the prevention of acute rejection after renal transplantation. Use of sirolimus may lead to effective therapeutic strategies for sparing the use of cyclosporine and corticosteroids.
Two Surface-Exposed Elements of the B30.2/SPRY Domain as Potency Determinants of N-Tropic Murine Leukemia Virus Restriction by Human TRIM5α

Human TRIM5α (TRIM5αhu) potently restricts N-tropic (N-MLV), but not B-tropic, murine leukemia virus in a manner dependent upon residue 110 of the viral capsid. Rhesus monkey TRIM5α (TRIM5αrh) inhibits N-MLV only weakly. The study of human-monkey TRIM5α chimerae revealed that both the v1 and v3 variable regions of the B30.2/SPRY domain contain potency determinants for N-MLV restriction. These variable regions are predicted to be surface-exposed elements on one face of the B30.2 domain. Acidic residues in v3 complement basic residue 110 of the N-MLV capsid. The results support recognition of the retroviral capsid by the TRIM5α B30.2 domain.
On thermomechanics and transformation surfaces of polycrystalline NiTi shape memory alloy material

Abstract A thermomechanical description of the martenstitic phase transformation and the associated shape memory effect in polycrystalline shape memory alloys (SMAs) is presented. The rate-independent constitutive relations are derived in the stress-temperature space using a Lagrangian formulation. The Kuhn–Tucker optimality conditions, constraints on evolution equations for transformations strain and shape of transformation function in thermodynamic force space are obtained naturally through the principle of maximum transformation dissipation. Various transformation functions are investigated and a generalized type transformation function is proposed. Numerical results of the model based on different transformation functions are compared with experimental results to determine their accuracy to predict SMA characteristics like tension–compression asymmetry, negative volumetric transformation strain and pressure dependence.
Creep of polycrystalline lithium fluoride

Abstract The creep behaviour of polycrystalline lithium fluoride under conditions of constant stress was investigated over the temperature range from 300°C to 550°C and found to be essentially similar to that observed in pure metals. The measured activation energy for steady-state creep was of the anticipated magnitude for diffusion of the fluorine ion, and the results suggest that the rate-controlling mechanism is some form of dislocation motion rather than the stress-directed diffusion of vacancies.
Corneal Surface Morphology Following Excimer Laser Ablation With Humidified Gases

Objective: To compare the effects of blowing dry (nitrogen or helium) and humidified gases over the corneal surface during photorefractive keratectomy. Methods: Excimer laser myopic ablations were performed on porcine eyes (10 per group) using humidified and dry nitrogen and helium gas under ambient conditions. Surface smoothness was quantified with light and electron microscopy. Results: Corneas that were ablated using humidified gas were smooth and equivalent to those ablated under ambient conditions. Dry nitrogen and helium blowing resulted in increased surface irregularity evident on light and electron microscopy ( P Conclusions: The blowing of humidified gas during excimer laser corneal ablation produces a smoother surface than does the blowing of dry gas and is comparable to that produced under ambient (no blowing) conditions. Maintaining corneal moisture is important in photorefractive keratectomy. If blowing gas is necessary to remove debris from the surface, the gas should be humidified.
448 LIGATION OF THE NATIVE URETER AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO NEPHRECTOMY IN PEDIATRIC RENAL TRANSPLANTATION

Purpose Native nephrectomy before or during transplantation has some indications in paediatric recipients, including intractable hypertension, polyuria, intractable massive proteinuria, recurrent renal infections and in very young patients. Another indication for nephrectomy is the need of native ureter for urinary tract reconstruction, although ureteroneocystostomy is the primary techniques. We describe our experience about intentional ligation of native ureter as an alternative to nephrectomy in paediatric renal transplant recipients. Material and Methods Between January and October 2009, 22 paediatric renal transplants were performed. In 8 (36 %) patients (age range, 8 to 18 years; mean age, 11,6 years), a native ipsilateral nephrectomy was planned for intractable hypertension (2 pts), polyuria (3 pts), intractable massive proteinuria (1 pt), recurrent renal infections (1 pt) and irreparable lesion of the graft ureter (1 pt). All 8 patients (planned for a native nephrectomy) underwent native ureteral ligation without native nephrectomy. Follow-up ranged 1 to 9 months (mean, 4,1 months) and consisted in periodic evaluation for flank pain, renal ultrasound and doppler, urinalysis and blood pressure. Results None patients with native ureteral ligation required secondary nephrectomy. Postoperative doppler scan at 72 hours showed a decrease of blood flow to the native kidney and at 1 week absence of renal blood supply. At 8-12 weeks the ultrasound showed a complete renal atrophy. None patients had pyelonephritis or pain during follow-up period. Hypertension was not noticed. Conclusions The intentional ligation of the native ureter without native nephrectomy in paediatric renal transplant recipients is safe, effective and it represents a mininvasive alternative to surgical nephrectomy.
Biaxial and Failure Mechanical Properties of Passive Rat Middle Cerebral Arteries

Cerebral blood vessels are critical in maintaining the health and function of the brain, but their function can be disrupted by traumatic brain injury (TBI), which commonly includes damage to these vessels [1]. However, even in cases where there is not apparent mechanical damage to the cerebral vasculature, TBI can induce physiological disruptions that can lead to breakdown of the blood brain barrier or loss of cerebral autoregulation.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Independent vector analysis (IVA) for group fMRI processing of subcortical area

During functional MRI (fMRI) studies, blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) signal associated with neuronal activity acquired from multiple individuals are subject to the derivation of group-averaged brain activation patterns. Unlike other cortical areas, subcortical areas such as the thalamus and basal ganglia often manifest smaller, biphasic BOLD signal that are aberrant from signals originating from cortices. Independent component analysis (ICA) can offer session-individual specific brain activation maps without a priori assumptions regarding the timing or pattern of the signal responses. The small activation loci within the subcortical areas are sparsely distributed among the subjects, and a conventional group processing method based on the general linear model (GLM) or ICA may fail to characterize the activation loci. In this article, we present an independent vector analysis (IVA) to overcome these limitations by offering an analysis of additional dependent components (compared to the ICA-based method) that are assigned for use in the automated grouping of dependent (i.e., similar) activation patterns across subjects. The proposed IVA algorithm was applied to simulated data, and its utility was confirmed from real fMRI data employing a trial-based hand motor task. A GLM and the group ICA of the fMRI toolbox (GIFT) were also applied for comparison. From the analysis of activation patterns within subcortical areas, in which the hemodynamic responses (HRs) often deviate from a canonical, model-driven HR, IVA detected task-related activation loci that were not detected through GLM and GIFT. IVA may offer a unique advantage for inferring group activation originating from subcortical areas. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 18, 29–41, 2008
Cell fusion caused by herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) strains tsB5 and MP is inhibited at pH 6.7 and pH 7.0

We investigated the effect of different pH conditions on Vero cell cultures infected with herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) wild-type strain KOS, and syncytial mutants HSV-1 HFEM (tsB5) and HSV-1 mp (MP). Cell fusion was inhibited when infected cells were continuously incubated with culture media adjusted to pH 6.7 or pH 7.0. Inhibition of cell fusion was rapidly reversible when infected cell cultures were returned to pH 7.5. The rate of synthesis and cell-surface expression of virus-specified glycoproteins gB, gC, gD, and gH were not affected during continuous incubation at pH 7.0, but they were reduced at pH 6.7 in comparison to pH 7.5. At later hours p.i. however, these glycoproteins continued to accumulate at all tested pH levels. Accumulation of infectious virions was substantially reduced for MP, KOS, andtsB5 at pH 6.7. At pH 7.0, KOS andtsB5 titers were greatly reduced but MP titers were not affected.