cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chlamydia trachomatis Serovar L2 Can Utilize Exogenous Lipoic Acid through the Action of the Lipoic Acid Ligase LplA1

Lipoic acid is an essential protein bound cofactor that is vital for the functioning of several important enzymes involved in central metabolism. Genomes of all sequenced chlamydiae show the presence of two genes encoding lipoic acid ligases and one gene encoding a lipoate synthase. However, the roles of these proteins in lipoic acid utilization or biosynthesis have not yet been characterized. The two distinct lipoic acid ligases in Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L2, LplA1Ct and LplA2Ct (encoded by the open reading frames ctl0537 and ctl0761) display moderate identity with Escherichia coli LplA (30 and 27%, respectively) but possess amino acid sequence motifs that are well conserved among all lipoyl protein ligases. The putative lipoic acid synthase LipACt, encoded by ctl0815, is ca. 43% identical to the E. coli LipA homolog. We demonstrate here the presence of lipoylated proteins in C. trachomatis serovar L2 and show that the lipoic acid ligase LplA1Ct is capable of utilizing exogenous lipoic acid for the lipoylation Therefore, host-derived lipoic acid may be important for intracellular growth and development. Based on genetic complementation in a surrogate host, our study also suggests that the C. trachomatis serovar L2 LipA homolog may not be functional in vivo.
ANAESTHESIA FOR CRITICALLY ILL CHILDREN DURING MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is becoming increasingly useful in children. Because of technical considerations and safety concerns, critically ill children have frequently been excluded from MRI. We have accomplished safely both transport and MRI in 21 patients from paediatric intensive care units (ICU). Three children were not considered appropriate for transport from the ICU to the MRI facility. All patients underwent assisted ventilation using a modified Map/eson D system. Monitoring of oxygenation, ventilation and haemodynamic state, including invasive arterial (n = 4) and in-tracranial pressures (n = 3) was continued successfully using routinely available equipment. All MRI studies were completed successfully with satisfactory image quality and all patients returned to the ICU in satisfactory condition. In contrast with previous reports which have excluded critically ill children, we have demonstrated that MRI may be undertaken safely and efficiently in critically ill children. (Br. J. Anaesth. 1992;69:482–486)
Physical Attractiveness and Psychosocial Functioning among Early Adolescents

Male and female adolescents who differed in physical attractiveness (PA) were also expected to differ in peer and parent relations, classroom behaviors, and self-perceptions, with adolescents higher in PA expected to score more favorably than those lower in PA. To test these expectations, sixth graders from the Pennsylvania Early Adolescent Transitions Study were longitudinally assessed at the beginning, middle, and end of sixth grade. Across time, adolescents who saw themselves as competent were rated similarly by their teachers and had better peer and parent relations than was the case with the adolescents who saw themselves as less competent. As expected, PA was associated with these differences. Within and across time, adolescents higher in PA tended to have more favorable ratings than did adolescents lower in PA. The stimulus information value of PA for cuing a stereotype regarding attractiveness is discussed.
Encapsulated Photonic Crystals for High Efficiency Nanolasers

We propose and report a novel photonic crystal (PhC) encapsulation concept, where the originally exposed air holes are sealed off on top of the surface to create an enclosed air column structure in two dimensional (2D) PhC based devices and systems. The impact of encapsulation on the photonic bandgap will be discussed for different encapsulation conditions. Experimental results on encapsulation process will also be reported, with focus on the nanoparticle based self assembly encapsulation. Finally a novel photonic crystal surface emitting laser based on this encapsulation concept will be proposed and discussed. The surface state induced non-radiative recombination and different electrical injection schemes will be discussion with the benefit of encapsulation being discussed in the end.
Charter Schools and Students With Disabilities: How Far Have We Come?

Fifteen years after the first charter school legislation was passed, the number of charter schools opening in the United States each year continues to grow. In 2000, research was conducted to examine the extent and quality of service to students with disabilities in Texas's charter schools. Descriptive statistics and structured interviews were used to identify areas of strength and weakness in special education service provision. This article describes a replication of that study, reviews the initial findings, and presents data that shed light on changes that have occurred in the interim.
LCNET: ethernet concepts+ubiquitous RS232C ports=Low Cost NETwork

The LCNET is a very low cost local-area network consisting of single-board micro-computers. The network hardware adapts standard RS232C input--output ports to drive a common contention bus. The network software supports an Ethernet-like protocol that has been tailored to experimental distributed operating systems. A unique variable-length-packet management scheme provides efficient handling of large data objects throughout the network.
Differential Regulation of Sphingosine Kinases 1 and 2 in Lung injury

Two mammalian sphingosine kinase (SphK) isoforms, SphK1 and SphK2, possess identical kinase domains but have distinct kinetic properties and subcellular localizations, suggesting each has one or more specific roles in sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) generation. Although both kinases use sphingosine as a substrate to generate S1P, the mechanisms controlling SphK activation and subsequent S1P generation during lung injury are not fully understood. In this study, we established a murine lung injury model to investigate LPS-induced lung injury in SphK1 knockout (SphK1(-/-)) and wild-type (WT) mice. We found that SphK1(-/-) mice were much more susceptible to LPS-induced lung injury compared with their WT counterparts, quantified by multiple parameters including cytokine induction. Intriguingly, overexpression of WT SphK1 delivered by adenoviral vector to the lungs protected SphK1(-/-) mice from lung injury and attenuated the severity of the response to LPS. However, adenoviral overexpression of a SphK1 kinase-dead mutant (SphKKD) in SphK1(-/-) mouse lungs further exacerbated the response to LPS as well as the extent of lung injury. WT SphK2 adenoviral overexpression also failed to provide protection and, in fact, augmented the degree of LPS-induced lung injury. This suggested that, in vascular injury, S1P generated by SphK2 activation plays a distinctly separate role compared with SphK1-dependent S1P generation and survival signaling. Microarray and real-time RT-PCR analysis of SphK1 and SphK2 expression levels during lung injury revealed that, in WT mice, LPS treatment caused significantly enhanced SphK1 expression ( approximately 5x) levels within 6 h, which declined back to baseline levels by 24 h posttreatment. In contrast, expression of SphK2 was gradually induced following LPS treatment and was elevated within 24 h. Collectively, our results for the first time demonstrate distinct functional roles of the two SphK isoforms in the regulation of LPS-induced lung injury.
Early Events in the Interaction of Melanotropin with Cloudman S91 Melanoma Cells

Melanotropin stimulates melanin synthesis in Cloudman S91 melanoma cells, the accumulation of melanin being preceded by a number of events which are understood to various degrees. In this review I will discuss the control of melanogenesis by melanotropin; emphasis will be on the early events of the process, although other aspects will be discussed. The probes (fluorescent and radioactive labels) used to examine the binding of the hormone to the cells will be described, as will be the results of initial binding studies. One of the events immediately following the binding of the hormone is the activation of adenylate cyclase: the evidence supporting this, plus the role of cyclic AMP in stimulating melanin synthesis, will be discussed. Also examined is the role which internalization of the melanotropin-receptor-adenylate cyclase complex may play in mediating hormone action.
Modelling vortex-induced fluid-structure interaction

The principal goal of this research is developing physics-based, reduced-order, analytical models of nonlinear fluid–structure interactions associated with offshore structures. Our primary focus is to generalize the Hamilton’s variational framework so that systems of flowoscillator equations can be derived from first principles. This is an extension of earlier work that led to a single energy equation describing the fluid–structure interaction. It is demonstrated here that flow-oscillator models are a subclass of the general, physical-based framework. A flow-oscillator model is a reduced-order mechanical model, generally comprising two mechanical oscillators, one modelling the structural oscillation and the other a nonlinear oscillator representing the fluid behaviour coupled to the structural motion. Reduced-order analytical model development continues to be carried out using a Hamilton’s principle-based variational approach. This provides flexibility in the long run for generalizing the modelling paradigm to complex, three-dimensional problems with multiple degrees of freedom, although such extension is very difficult. As both experimental and analytical capabilities advance, the critical research path to developing and implementing fluid–structure interaction models entails — formulating generalized equations of motion, as a superset of the flow-oscillator models; and — developing experimentally derived, semi-analytical functions to describe key terms in the governing equations of motion. The developed variational approach yields a system of governing equations. This will allow modelling of multiple d.f. systems. The extensions derived generalize the Hamilton’s variational formulation for such problems. The Navier–Stokes equations are derived and coupled to the structural oscillator. This general model has been shown to be a superset of the flow-oscillator model. Based on different assumptions, one can derive a variety of flowoscillator models.
Space-time transmit precoding with imperfect feedback

The use of channel feedback from receiver to transmitter is standard in wireline communications. While knowledge of the channel at the transmitter would produce similar benefits for wireless communications as well, the generation of reliable channel feedback is complicated by the rapid time variations of the channel for mobile applications. The purpose of this paper is to provide an information-theoretic perspective on optimum transmitter strategies, and the gains obtained by employing them, for systems with transmit antenna arrays and imperfect channel feedback. The spatial channel, given the feedback, is modeled as a complex Gaussian random vector. Two extreme cases are considered: mean feedback, in which the channel side information resides in the mean of the distribution, with the covariance modeled as white, and covariance feedback, in which the channel is assumed to be varying too rapidly to track its mean, so that the mean is set to zero, and the information regarding the relative geometry of the propagation paths is captured by a nonwhite covariance matrix. In both cases, the optimum transmission strategies, maximizing the information transfer rate, are determined as a solution to simple numerical optimization problems. For both feedback models, our numerical results indicate that, when there is a moderate disparity between the strengths of different paths from the transmitter to the receiver, it is nearly optimal to employ the simple beamforming strategy of transmitting all available power in the direction which the feedback indicates is the strongest.
Optical Study of the Hyperfine Structure of the Rubidium Resonance Lines

Optical hyperfine splitting of Rb resonance lines of atomic beam light source, using Fabry-Perot interferometer
Restructuring programs for high-speed computers with Polaris

The ability to automatically parallelize standard programming languages results in program portability across a wide range of machine architectures. It is the goal of the Polaris project to develop a new parallelizing compiler that overcomes limitations of current compilers. While current parallelizing compilers may succeed on small kernels, they often fail to extract any meaningful parallelism from whole applications. After a study of application codes, it was concluded that by adding a few new techniques to current compilers, automatic parallelization becomes feasible for a range of whole applications. The techniques needed are interprocedural analysis, scalar and array privatization, symbolic dependence analysis, and advanced induction and reduction recognition and elimination, along with run-time techniques to permit the parallelization of loops with unknown dependence relations.
Why Athletic Doping Should Be Banned

So long as a ban is enforceable, large private athletic institutions—such as Major League Baseball and the National Collegiate Athletic Association—should not allow their athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs.The argument I present is game-theoretic: though each athlete prefers unilateral permission to dope over a universal ban, he also prefers a universal ban over universal permission to dope.That is because, while doping improves absolute measures of performance, it does not improve relative performance if many athletes dope. Large private athletic institutions should honour their athletes' preferences and should not enact any policy that gives only some athletes but not others permission to dope. Thus, they should ban doping. My paper examines and defends this game-theoretic argument. After explaining the argument, I compare it (favourably) to other arguments for the same conclusion. I then discuss whether the game-theoretic argument counterintuitively fails to justify banning some forms of doping (no), and whether it counterintuitively justifies banning things other than doping (also no). After arguing that a doping ban on game-theoretic grounds is neither wrongly paternalistic or nor wrongfully coercive, I end by discussing some limitations of the argument.
A learning agent for heat-pump thermostat control

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are one of the biggest energy consumers around the world. With the efforts of moving to sustainable energy consumption, heat-pump based HVAC systems have gained popularity due to their high efficiency and due to the fact that they are powered by electricity rather than by gas or oil. One drawback of heat-pump systems is that their efficiency sharply decreases when the outdoor temperature is around or below freezing. Therefore, they are backed up by an auxiliary heating system that is effective in cold whether, but that consumes twice as much energy. A popular way of saving energy in HVAC systems is setting back the thermostat, meaning, relaxing the heating/cooling requirements when occupants are not at home. While this practice leads to significant energy savings in many systems, it could in fact increase the energy consumption in a heat-pump based system, using existing control strategies, as it forces an excessive usage of the auxiliary heater. In this paper, we design and implement a complete, adaptive reinforcement learning agent which applies a new control strategy for a heat-pump thermostat. For our experiments, we use a complex, realistic simulator that was developed for the US Department of Energy. Results show that the learned control strategy (1) leads to roughly {7.0%-14.5%} energy savings in typical homes in the New York City, Boston, and Chicago areas; while (2) keeping the occupants' comfort level unchanged when compared to an existing strategy that is deployed in practice.
Female Candidates and Legislators

For decades, scholars have uncovered evidence that male and female legislators' priorities and preferences differ and that women's inclusion brings to elite-level politics a more cooperative leadership style. They also point to the symbolic benefits associated with more diversity among candidates and office holders. Although these effects are not uniform, there is no question among political scientists that women's presence in US political institutions bears directly on issues of substantive and symbolic representation. Accordingly, it is important to understand why we have so few women in politics, whether they are willing to run for office, what happens when they do, and the extent to which their presence systematically affects the legislative process. I cover each of these topics in this review, emphasizing the latest and most interesting research that speaks to these questions.
Hole capture cross section and emission coefficient of defect centers related to high-field-induced positive charges in SiO2 layers

Abstract Hole capture and emission processes in SiO 2 layers are analysed based on hole exchange between oxide defect centers and the SiO 2 valence band. This analysis is applied to the generation and annihilation processes of high-field-induced positive oxide charges. The hole capture cross section and hole emission coefficient of the defect centers are obtained by examining positive charge generation and annihilation processes. The positive charge formation efficiency increases with increase of applied electric field. However, the hole capture cross section of the defect centers is independent of the electric field. The hole capture cross section and hole emission coefficient obtained from this study are 3.9 × 10 −16 cm 2 and 6.45 × 10 −6 s −1 , respectively. The results demonstrate that the oxide defect centers are neutral hole traps.
Glucocorticoid-Induced Fetal Programming Alters the Functional Complement of Angiotensin Receptor Subtypes Within the Kidney

We examined the impact of fetal programming on the functional responses of renal angiotensin receptors. Fetal sheep were exposed in utero to betamethasone (BMX; 0.17 mg/kg) or control (CON) at 80 to 81 days gestation with full-term delivery. Renal nuclear and plasma membrane fractions were isolated from sheep age 1.0 to 1.5 years for receptor binding and fluorescence detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or nitric oxide (NO). Mean arterial blood pressure and blood pressure variability were significantly higher in the BMX-exposed adult offspring versus CON sheep. The proportion of nuclear AT(1) receptors sensitive to losartan was 2-fold higher (67 ± 6% vs 27 ± 9%; P<0.01) in BMX compared with CON. In contrast, the proportion of AT(2) sites was only one third that of controls (BMX, 25 ± 11% vs CON, 78 ± 4%; P<0.01), with a similar reduction in sites sensitive to the Ang-(1-7) antagonist D-Ala7-Ang-(1-7) with BMX exposure. Functional studies revealed that Ang II stimulated ROS to a greater extent in BMX than in CON sheep (16 ± 3% vs 6 ± 4%; P<0.05); however, NO production to Ang II was attenuated in BMX (26 ± 7% vs 82 ± 14%; P<0.05). BMX exposure was also associated with a reduction in the Ang-(1-7) NO response (75 ± 8% vs 131 ± 26%; P<0.05). We conclude that altered expression of angiotensin receptor subtypes may be one mechanism whereby functional changes in NO- and ROS-dependent signaling pathways may favor the sustained increase in blood pressure evident in fetal programming.
Pancreaticogastrostomy: a novel application after central pancreatectomy.

Abstract Background Limited middle segment pancreatectomy, or central pancreatectomy, has been described for sparing normal pancreatic tissue during resection of benign neoplasms of the pancreatic neck. Anatomic reconstruction after central pancreatectomy has been reported in other series with creation of a Roux-en-Y loop of jejunum for a mucosa-to-mucosa pancreaticojejunostomy. Study design Hospital charts and outpatient records were reviewed for 12 consecutive patients undergoing central pancreatectomy from August 1999 to November 2002. Results We performed central pancreatectomy with pancreaticogastrostomy in 12 patients: 5 with serous cystadenomas, 6 with mucinous cystadenomas, and 1 with neuroendocrine tumor. All tumors were located in the body or neck of the pancreas, measuring a mean ± standard deviation (SD) of 2.5 ± 1.2 cm. Median postoperative hospital stay was 6.5 days (range 5 to 15 days). There were no intraoperative complications. Perioperative complications included two urinary tract infections and one readmission for acute pancreatitis. There were no pancreatic leaks or fistulas in this series. Two of the 12 patients experienced endocrine insufficiency with elevated glycosylated hemoglobin levels during outpatient followup. None of the 12 patients experienced exocrine insufficiency. Conclusions Central pancreatectomy with pancreaticogastrostomy reconstruction is safe and technically advantageous over Roux-en-Y pancreaticojejunostomy, and should be considered a safe reconstruction technique after central pancreatectomy for benign disease.
Experimental Investigation Of Shock Responses Of Cantilever-shaff Design Hydrodynamic Bearings Spindle Motors

Open-loop radial operating shock responses of spindle motors are studied experimentally. Unlike a ball bearing spindle, a hydrodynamic bearing (HDB) is able to suppress the vibration within a few milliseconds. However, HDB spindles have higher response amplitudes than ball bearing spindles. HDB response amplitude is linearly proportional to the shock impulse amplitude at the current test range. A longer shock duration has a higher response amplitude. Reducing compliance of the thrust bearing does not affect the shock response amplitudes but does reduce the power consumption.
Nuclear Fragmentation/Dispersion Modeling and Simulation of Hazardous Near- Earth Objects

Abstract This paper presents the development of simulation tools designed to be implemented as part of the mission design procedure for nuclear fragmentation and dispersion of a near-Earth object (NEO). A description of the methods used will be presented, followed by a discussion of the advanced GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) computing technology applied to accelerate computation. Preliminary results of a fragmented NEO dispersion scenario emphasize global parameter search methods for use in engineering mission analysis. A model of the NEO fragmentation process is presented for a subsurface nuclear explosion and penetrating contact burst. We conduct Monte Carlo simulation to establish a mean response of the target NEO to the fragmentation process. Resulting coherent masses are propagated through a model of solar system dynamics until the predetermined date of impact. On some orbits, the impacting mass can be reduced to lower than 0.1% of the NEO mass.
The IPO Quiet Period Revisited

Newly public companies are subject to a "quiet period" restricting insiders and affiliated underwriters from issuing earnings forecasts and research reports regarding the firm for a specified period following the initial public offering (IPO). As soon as this quiet period ends, the analysts of managing underwriters typically initiate research coverage with favorable recommendations, and the market responds positively even though this information is predictable. In this article, we discuss previous findings regarding price patterns and analyst initiations at the end of the quiet period and introduce new evidence based on recent trends in the IPO market. We discuss trading implications and examine the effect of new regulatory requirements that extend the quiet period from 25 to 40 calendar days post-IPO.
Reputation and Spillovers: Evidence from Indian Business Groups

We investigate the importance of reputation-based implicit contracts in firm financing in the context of Indian Business Groups. The group structure enables us to cleanly analyze the negative spillovers on other firms, triggered by a member firm defaulting on its debt obligations. We hypothesize that business group insiders will support financially distressed member firms in order to maintain the group's reputation. The default by a group firm will damage a group's reputation - making it more difficult for the remaining firms to raise capital, thereby affecting their performance and survival. We show this to be the case for our sample: Groups use intra-group loans to support member firms in financial distress and, as a result, firms belonging to groups with unimpaired reputation are less likely to become bankrupt, relative to stand alone firms. The first bankruptcy in a group is followed by a significant drop in the amount of external finance raised, a discontinuous drop in investments and profits, and an increase in the bankruptcy probability of other healthy firms in the group. Consistent with loss of reputation being the reason for these spillovers, we find that negative consequences are more severe for firms in the group with closer managerial links to the bankrupt firm and for firms which depend more on external finance.
Clinical Strategy for Evaluation of Anthracycline Analogues

Adriamycin is perhaps the most important chemotherapeutic agent currently available, due to its broad spectrum of activity against human solid tumors [9]. For this reason, considerable attention has been devoted to the development of other anthracycline analogues which could be more active or less toxic than adriamycin. This situation is quite similar to that which occurred in the antibiotic field after the initial discovery of penicillin. The probability that analogues of such a drug will be active is quite high, in fact. Since adriamycin itself is a second-generation anthracycline, an analogue of daunorubicin, it is apparent that small structural modifications on an anthracycline antibiotic can cause large differences in the spectrum of clinical activity. Problems arise, however, in deciding which new analogue is worthy of clinical study and the approach which should be taken to the study of such a drug.
Effects of Motives on Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions of Volunteers at a PGA Tour Event

The article discusses the relationship between volunteer motivation and volunteer satisfaction and behavioral intent at a Professional Golf Association tour event. The authors report on the importance of volunteers for the successful operation and management of sporting events. In their study, the personal enrichment, prestige, and career enhancement shown by earlier studies surfaced as an egoistic or material, motivational factor. The emergence of golf interest is noted. Previous studies looked at include Farrell, Johnston, & Twynam, and Green & Chalip.
The Effectiveness of Parent Counseling in Managing Colic

Colic, or excessive crying in young infants, continues to be described typically in pediatric textbooks as being of uncertain cause and as having no generally satisfactory solution. Despite this confusion and pessimism, much is now known about predisposing factors and successful management. The paper by Wolke, Gray, and Meyer in this issue of Pediatrics (Excessive infant crying: a controlled study of mothers helping mothers) makes a significant further contribution to understanding the interactional nature of the problem and the effectiveness of parent counseling about infant management in reducing the amount of crying. Researchers now usually define colic as >3 hours a day of irritability, fussing, and crying on >3 days in any 1 week (and perhaps also for 3 weeks or more) during the first 3 or 4 months of life in an infant who is otherwise healthy and well fed.1
Drip chemigation of Asparagus with disulfoton: Brachycorynella asparagi (Homoptera: Aphididae) control and disulfoton degradation

Disulfoton 8 emulsifiable concentrate was applied through a biwall tubing drip irrigation system at the rate of 1.1 kg (AI)/ha for Brachycorynella asparagi (Mordvilko) control. Aphid numbers in treated asparagus were significantly lower than in untreated asparagus and protection lasted up to 54 days. In gas chromatographic residue analysis for disulfoton and its toxic metabolites, greater levels of residues were recovered from asparagus fern the 2nd year of the study, indicating increased asparagus root development in response to drip irrigation and subsequent greater efficiency in insecticide uptake. Disulfoton residues in spears exceeded federal tolerance limits.
A Cutting Device To Provide Uniform Serial Macrosections of Tissue

A hand-made cutting device consisting of stainless steel razor blades separated by plastic shims provides macrosections of unfixed or fixed tissues with uniform thickness. The number of blades and the thickness of the shims may be varied.
Optimization and expansion of a site-selective N-methylpyridinium-4-carboxaldehyde-mediated transamination for bacterially expressed proteins.

Site-selective bioconjugation methods are valuable because of their ability to confer new properties to proteins by the chemical attachment of specific functional groups. Well-defined bioconjugates obtained through these methods have found utility for the study of protein function and the creation of protein-based materials. We have previously reported a protein modification strategy to modify the N-terminus of peptides and proteins using N-methylpyridinium-4-carboxaldehyde benzenesulfonate (Rapoport’s salt, RS) as a transamination reagent, which oxidizes the N-terminal amino group to provide a uniquely reactive aldehyde or ketone. This functional handle can subsequently be modified with an alkoxyamine reagent of choice. Previous work had found glutamate terminal sequences to be highly reactive toward RS-mediated transamination. However, proteins of interest are often recombinantly expressed in E. coli, where the expression of a glutamate-terminal protein is rendered difficult because the N-terminal methi...
Abstract LB-29: LKB1 tumor suppressor regulates AMP kinase/mTOR-independent cell growth and proliferation via the phosphorylation of Yap

The liver kinase B1 (LKB1) tumor suppressor inhibits cell growth through its regulation of cellular metabolism and apical-basal polarity. The best understood mechanism whereby LKB1 limits cell growth is through activation of the AMP-activated-protein-kinase/mammalian-target-of-rapamycin (AMPK/mTOR) pathway to control metabolism. Since LKB1 is also required for polarized epithelial cells to resist hyperplasia it is anticipated to function through additional mechanisms. Recently, Yes-associated protein (Yap) has emerged as a transcriptional co-activator that modulates tissue homeostasis in response to cell-cell contact. Thus this study examines a possible connection between Yap and LKB1. Restoration of LKB1 expression in HeLa cells, which lack this tumor suppressor, or shRNA knockdown of LKB1 in 293T cells, demonstrated that LKB1 promotes Yap phosphorylation, nuclear exclusion, and proteasomal degradation. The ability of phosphorylation-defective Yap mutants to rescue LKB1 phenotypes, such as reduced cell proliferation and cell size, suggest that Yap inhibition contributes to LKB1 tumor suppressor function(s). Interestingly, LKB1 inhibited Yap independently of either AMPK or mTOR activation. These findings reveal a novel mechanism whereby LKB1 may restrict cancer cell growth via the inhibition of Yap. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-29. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-LB-29
Did You Ever Hear of the Napoleonic Code, Stella? A Mixed Jurisdiction Impact Analysis from Louisiana’s Law Laboratory

This Article develops the themes of history language, and culture in the art of mixed jurisdiction impact analysis. It showcases a specific law (former article 177 of the Louisiana Civil Code) governing the liability of the building master for things thrown out of the house into the street or public road Our case study gives real meaning to the Romanist mixite wrought into Louisiana’s civilian core. The reader is not only invited to take a seat on the time machine fora journey through Louisiana’s codal triad back to Roman law with stops in Medieval Spanish law and Pre-Napoleonic French law but also encouraged to reflect on present-day alternatives for construing and applying the law.
Establishment and application of Polymerase chain reaction for synchronic detection of DNA and RNA of pathogens

Objective:To establish a real-time RT-PCR method for synchronous detection of RNA and DNA of pathogen in order to improve the detecting capability of Response Public Health Emergencies.Methods:The classical fluorescent quantitative PCR assay was involved to verify whether the new method can amplify DNA and RNA of pathogens synchronously,and compare the amplification effect of DNA with the new method.Results:Suggested method can realize synchronic detection of RNA and DNA of pathogen and the amplification time of suggested method was 35 min.Typical "S" PCR curve showed achieved amplification efficiency(E values) of suggested method were ideal(E:0.916,0.923) with good repetitiveness(s≤0.34,cv≤1.13%) and the same amplified sensitivity(ct 0.02～0.25,t 0.17～2.50,P 0.05).Conclusion:The new method is able to synchronously detect six kinds of pathogens with different viral nucleic acids in shorter time.The suggested method showed the same amplification efficiency with the classical method.
Research note: recent color reproductions of qing dynasty palace multi-colored play scripts

It is fairly well known that many of the Qing emperors (and one empress dowager, in particular) were dedicated consumers of a wide variety of theatrical performances in the various Qing palaces, and that the court insisted that several different kinds of written plays scripts would be prepared and archived for all drama performances. An increasing number of scholars have been making use in their research of play scripts that were prepared for these performances and were preserved in the imperial archives or were bought by collectors after they made their way onto the old book market and eventually ended up in library collections in China and abroad. 2012 saw the long-awaited appearance of the first book in English on Qing dynasty palace theater, Ascendant Peace in the Four Seas: Drama and the Qing Imperial Court (Hong Kong: Chinese University of Hong Kong Press, 2012), by Ye Xiaoqing (1952–2010). Her study is more concerned with documents about performance than performance itself and rarely mentions play scripts in any detail. While it is true that only a few of us will choose to do research on Qing palace stagecraft, I think those of us interested in traditional Chinese theater need to have some familiarity with the kinds of things that happened on the stage in the Qing palaces since the court was generally able and willing to commit resources, human and material, that commercial troupes could only dream about. Commercial troupes had to be able to carry what they needed for performances from venue to venue. What we tend to think about as essential to traditional Chinese theater such as the use of the bare stage, limited props, no or little scenery, etc., characterized the practice of commercial troupes but not that of the imperial court. Palace performances could get quite complicated in terms of the number of people and things whose movement had to be coordinated, and this seems to have stimulated the creation of different kinds of production scripts and written aids with far more stage directions than was typically the case. Luckily, reproductions of Qing dynasty palace play scripts and auxiliary documents have become more and more readily available. In 2010, in my first letter as
Instrumentation and Techniques for Treating Orthopedic Infections in Horses

Orthopedic infections—those involving bones, joints, tendon sheaths, or bursae—are some of the most difficult problems for equine surgeons to treat successfully. Sources of the infection are usually hematogenous, traumatic, or iatrogenic and knowledge of the most likely causative bacteria is very useful in selecting the most appropriate antimicrobial(s) to either prevent or treat these infections in horses. This article discusses the clinical findings, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of orthopedic infections in horses. More recent treatment methods such as synovial drainage techniques (arthroscopy and arthrotomy), intrasynovial antimicrobials, regional perfusion of antimicrobials, and antimicrobial-impregnated polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) beads or cylinders are also addressed.
Subliminal communication is easy using the DSA

In I985, Simmons showed how to embed a subliminal channel in digital signatures created using the El Gamal signature scheme. This channel, though, had several shortcomings. In order for the subliminal receiver to be able to recover the subliminal message, it was necessary Tor him to know the transmitter's secret key. This meant that the subliminal receiver had the capability to utter undetectable forgeries of the transmitter's signature. Also, only a fraction of the number of messages that the channel could accommodate in principal could actually be communicated subliminally (?(p-1) messages instead of p-1) and some of those that could be transmitted were computationally infeasible for the subliminal receiver to recover.In August 1991, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology proposed as a standard a digital signature algorithm (DSA) derived from the El Gamal scheme. The DSA accommodates a number of subliminal channels that avoid all of the shortcomings encountered in the El Gamal scheme. In fairness, it should be mentioned that not all are avoided at the same time. The channel in the DSA analogous to the one Simmons demonstrated in the El Gamal scheme can use all of the bits contained in the signature that are not used to provide for the security of the signature against forgery, alteration or transplantation, and is hence said to be broadband. All messages can be easily encoded for communication through this channel and are easily decoded by the subliminal receiver. However, this broadband channel still requires that the subliminal receiver know the transmitter's secret key. There are two narrowband subliminal channels in the DSA, though, that do not give the subliminal receiver any better chance of forging the transmitter's signature than an outsider has. The price one pays to secure this integrity for the transmitter's signature is a greatly reduced bandwidth for the subliminal channel and a large, but feasible--dependent on the bandwidth actually used--amount of computation needed to use the channel. In one realization of a narrowband subliminal channel, the computational burden is almost entirely on the transmitter while in the other it is almost entirely on the subliminal receiver.In this paper we discuss only the broadband channel. The narrowband channels have been described by Simmons in a paper presented at the 3rd Symposium on State and Progress of Research in Cryptography, Rome, Italy, February 15-16, 1993. Space does not permit them to be described here. The reader who wishes to see just how easy it is to communicate subliminally using the DSA is referred to that paper as well. The inescapable conclusion, though, is that the DSA provides the most hospitable setting for subliminal communications discovered to date.
Interstitial brachytherapy in malignant gliomas

Interstitial brachytherapy is a logical and attractive treatment for brain tumors. The ability to irradiate the tumor along with only a limited volume of surrounding brain and the increased therapeutic ratio allow the delivery of higher initial radiation doses and permit reirradiation of tumors that recur after conventional irradiation. The recent availability of CT-directed stereotaxic systems makes it possible to implant high activity iodine-125 sources into brain tumor target with great precision. The median survival of patients with recurrent malignant gliomas treated by brachytherapy was 74 weeks, which was longer than that of 36 weeks treated by chemotherapy.
A model-based multiple-pinhole synthetic imager for stand-off range gamma-emitting objects

Pixelated Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detectors provide the opportunity to perform spectroscopic imaging for discriminating one radioactive material from another. Although Compton interactions provide a means for imaging high energy gamma sources, identification of materials emitting lower energy signatures are better suited to collimator imaging techniques. This paper specifically considers a multiple pinhole method for its simplicity of pinhole focusing combined with straightforward processing methods for incorporating multiple apertures to reduce photon collection time while retaining image resolution. Multiple pinhole image detections are combined using an iterative Maximum- Likelihood Expectation-Maximization (MLEM) synthetic imaging algorithm. To enable subsequent field operations, the imaging system matrix is computed using an imaging model with adjustable parameters rather than one experimentally acquired from point sources. The system model includes an object space, a multiple pinhole collimator plane, and a pixelated detection plane. The modeled object space is implemented in two dimensions to reduce image reconstruction burden since 3D imaging is not practical for single view stand-off imaging. Focusing is modeled by a function computing photon trajectory and passage through the pinhole patterned barrier plane. Results show that a MLEM processed image will achieve resolution approaching that of a single pinhole imaged onto the full detector. The multiple pinhole advantages of simple implementation with shorter focal lengths combined with the availability of portable CZT detectors would be useful in short stand-off applications. Work is currently in progress to experimentally quantify spatial resolution and imaging timelines using an eV Products D-Matrix 4x4 array of pixelated CZT modules.
Amiodarone-Induced Pulmonary Toxicity – A Frequently Missed Complication

INTRODUCTION: Amiodarone is often used in the suppression of tachyarrhythmias. One of the more serious adverse effects includes amiodarone pulmonary toxicity (APT). Several pulmonary diseases can manifest including interstitial pneumonitis, organizing pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, pulmonary nodules or masses, and pleural effusion. Incidence of APT varies from 5–15% and is correlated to dosage, age of the patient, and preexisting lung disease. DESCRIPTION: A 56-year-old male with a past medical history of coronary artery disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was admitted for a coronary artery bypass graft. Post-operatively, the patient was admitted to the ICU for ventilator management and continued to receive his home dose of amiodarone 400 mg orally twice daily, which he had been taking for the past 3 months. The patient was found to be hypoxemic with a PaO2 52 mmHg and bilateral infiltrates on chest x-ray. Patient also complained of new onset dyspnea. Physical exam found bilateral rhonchi with bibasilar crackles and subcutaneous emphysema along the left anterior chest wall. Daily chest x-rays showed worsening of bilateral interstitial infiltrates and pleural effusions. A chest high-resolution computed tomography on post-operative day 3 showed extensive and severe bilateral ground glass opacities. APT was suspected and amiodarone was discontinued. A course of oral prednisone without antibiotics was initiated, and after one week of treatment the chest film cleared, the PaO2 value normalized and dyspnea resolved. DISCUSSION: APT occurs via cytotoxic T cells and indirectly by immunological reaction. Typically the lungs manifest a diffuse interstitial pneumonitis with varying degrees of fibrosis. Infiltrates with a 'ground-glass' appearance appreciated on HRCT are more definitive than chest x-ray. Pulmonary nodules can be seen, frequently in the upper lobes. These are postulated to be accumulations of amiodarone in areas of previous inflammation. Those undergoing major cardiothoracic surgery are known to be predisposed to APT. Some elements require consideration: a baseline pulmonary function test (PFT) did not exist prior. APT would manifest a restrictive pattern of PFTs. In APT diffusing capacity (DLCO) is generally .20 percent from baseline. A DLCO was not done in this patient. Therefore, not every type of interstitial lung disease could be ruled out. Key features support a clinical diagnosis: (1) new dyspnea, (2) exclusion of lung infection, (3) exclusion of heart failure, (4) new radiographic features, (5) improvement with withdrawal of amiodarone. Our case illustrates consideration of APT in patients who have extensive use of amiodarone and new onset dyspnea.
Changes in estuarine sediment phosphorus fractions during a large-scale Mississippi River diversion.

Ongoing deterioration and loss of wetlands in the Mississippi River delta threatens the survival of Louisiana's coastal ecosystems and human settlements. In response, the State of Louisiana has proposed a $50 billion, 50-year restoration program. A central piece of this program is the reintroduction of Mississippi River water into the deltaic plain using managed diversions that mimic natural flood pulses. These diversions would transport critically needed sediment, but also deliver large nutrient loads. Coastal eutrophication is therefore a concern, particularly blooms of toxin-producing cyanobacteria. The Bonnet Carre Spillway (BCS) is an existing large flood diversion that protects New Orleans and provides an opportunity to investigate diversion nutrient transport. Here, we quantify sediment phosphorus (P) deposited by the BCS for the first time, and use a sequential P fractionation scheme to evaluate the likelihood of future sediment P release to the water column of the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary. In 2011, we collected sediment cores in the estuary for determination of P fractions before and after the discharge of 21.9km3 of river water through the BCS in just under 6weeks. We observed the greatest net increases in sediment total P, inorganic P forms, and more labile organic P in the region near the inflow. We estimate that the diversion deposited ≥5000 metric tons of P in the sediments of the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary. The sum of readily available inorganic P, Fe/Al-bound inorganic P, and more labile organic P equaled approximately 20-30% of post-diversion sediment total P. These fractions are more likely to be released to the water column than the other sediment P forms we quantified. Diversion designs that encourage sedimentation in coastal marshes versus open bays can likely reduce the chances that deposited particulate P creates eutrophication risk.
Office-Based Anesthesia: Safety and Outcomes in Pediatric Dental Patients

The number of children with caries requiring general anesthesia to achieve comprehensive dental care and the demand for dentist anesthesiologists to provide ambulatory anesthesia for these patients is increasing. No current published studies examine the safety and outcomes of ambulatory anesthesia performed by dentist anesthesiologists for dental procedures in pediatric patients, and there is no national requirement for reporting outcomes of these procedures. In 2010, the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry was developed. This Web-based database allows providers of ambulatory anesthesia to track patient demographics and various outcomes of procedures. Our study is a secondary analysis of data collected in the registry over a 4-year period, 2010–2014. Of the 7041 cases reviewed, no cases resulted in serious complications, including death, anaphylaxis, aspiration, cardiovascular adverse events, or neurologic adverse events. Of the 7041 cases reviewed, 196 (3.0%) resulted in a predis...