cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis of Pneumonia: Techniques and Problems

All diagnostic strategies in patients suspected of having pneumonia have considerable limitations. While the diagnostic strategy varies from patient to patient, an overview of one possible approach is summarized in Figures 2 and 3. The diagnosis and management of pneumonia usually poses little difficulty in the community setting, but the value of various diagnostic approaches in patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia is a subject of considerable controversy. Clinical criteria of pneumonia, including fever, purulent tracheobronchial secretions, leukocytosis, and a new infiltrate on chest radiograph are hampered by the high frequency with which these findings are observed in patients without pneumonia. Since tracheobronchial secretions are commonly contaminated by microorganisms colonizing the upper airways, routine culture of expectorated sputum, with the inevitable recovery of a potpourri of potential pathogens, can hardly be regarded as a meaningful exercise for the physician. Such cultures with subsequent extensive susceptibility testing form one of the largest workloads and expenses in microbiology laboratories. Clinical decisions based on such information may result in serious patient mismanagement with antibiotics, with the potential of superinfection and drug complication, which further add to hospital expenditures. Blood cultures are valuable when positive, but negative results are more common even in severe pneumonia. Transtracheal aspiration of tracheobronchial secretions is satisfactory in the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia in patients without pre-existing lung disease, but its value in the diagnosis of hospital-acquired pneumonia needs further evaluation. Transthoracic aspiration, especially with the newer finer needles, holds considerable promise but the significant risk of barotrauma deters most physicians from employing this procedure in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Immunologic techniques of detecting microbial antigens, like countercurrentimmunoelectrophoresis and ELISA, are promising but presently inadequate to screen for a wide variety of organisms. Although it also has its limitations, fiberoptic bronchoscopy appears to be the most satisfactory technique if an invasive approach is being considered in a patient suspected of pneumonia. Samples taken with the plugged telescoping catheter technique, when properly performed, combined with quantitative cultures (and possibly antibody coating of bacteria) probably provide the least misleading information when a bacterial pathogen is being considered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Bridging transformational leadership, transparent communication, and employee openness to change: The mediating role of trust

Abstract Based on a random sample of employees (n = 439) in the United States, this study examined the effect of transformational leadership and transparent organizational communication on cultivating employee organizational trust during an organizational change event. We also investigated the interplay between transformational leadership, transparent communication, and organizational trust, and their impact on employee openness to change. The findings suggested that transformational leadership and transparent communication were positively associated with employee organizational trust, which in turn, positively influenced employee openness to change. Theoretical and managerial contributions of the study were discussed.
Trainees' knowledge and application of guideline recommendations for colorectal cancer screening and surveillance.

Abstract Background Data shows that practicing physicians don't recommend colorectal (CRC) screening and surveillance as suggested by guidelines. We assessed knowledge of CRC guidelines in medical trainees. Methods A survey assessing confidence and knowledge of published CRC guidelines was emailed to program directors (PDs) of Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education approved training programs in the United States. PDs were requested to forward it to trainees. We analyzed trainees’ knowledge by answers to clinical vignettes and identification of factors required by guidelines for screening and post polypectomy colonoscopy interval. We compared confidence and knowledge by specialty. Results 586 trainees in internal medicine (159), family medicine and primary care (147), gastroenterology (114), general surgery (51), ob/gyn (78), urology (13), and colorectal surgery (13) responded. 97% reported following guidelines. 68% and 50% stated confidence recalling screening and surveillance guidelines, respectively. 16% and 8% correctly identified all factors and answered corresponding vignettes for screening and surveillance, respectively. Overall accuracy of screening ranged between 11–23% and was not different between specialties (p = 0.11) while significant differences were noted between specialties in surveillance knowledge (0–39%, p Conclusions United States trainees’ CRC screening and surveillance knowledge is poor. Measures are needed to enhance knowledge of CRC guidelines.
Life in a contaminant milieu: PPCP mixtures generate unpredictable outcomes across trophic levels and life stages

Nearly all aquatic ecosystems are affected by sublethal levels of anthropogenic chemical contamination , but other agents of large€scale anthropogenic disruption of ecosystems have received more attention. Consequently , ecologists do not fully appreciate how sublethal contaminant exposure affects ecosystems. Sublethal contaminants can affect ecological systems directly via their impacts on an organism's fitness or indirectly by changing the strengths of species interactions. This study investigated how an emerging class of contaminants€”pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs)€”influences food webs by affecting the biology of organisms and by interfering with predator-prey interactions. Specifically , we investigated how three common PPCPs€”caffeine , DEET (N , N€diethyl€meta€toluamide) , and triclosan€”affect the strength of the interaction between a common mosquito predator (i.e. , mosquito fish) and mosquito larvae as well as how these PPCPS affect mosquito survival , life history traits , and oviposition site choices. We found that all three PPCPs , individually and combined as a mixture , reduced predator consumption rates. Relative to a contaminant€free control , the presence of predator cues reduced mosquito oviposition and larval abundance for all PPCP treatments except for DEET. Predator cues reduced mosquito adult emergence across PPCP treatments; however , mosquitoes that were exposed to caffeine did not emerge as adults even in the absence of predator cues. This study shows that the effects of PPCPs are diverse and can interact with mosquitoes and their predators in ways that cannot be predicted by their individual effects. In a contaminated world , ecologists need to better understand how sublethal concentrations of ubiquitous , biologically active pollutants might challenge what we think we know about how ecological systems function.
A bimetallic oxide framework, [{Cu(bpy)}2Mo4O10(O3PCH2C6H4CH2PO3)2], constructed from novel {Mo4O10(O3PR)4}n4n- chains

Abstract The hydrothermal reaction of Cu(CH3CO2)2·H2O, MoO3, 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy), and p-xylene diphosphonic acid in the presence of HF provided blue crystals of the bimetallic oxide phase [{Cu(bpy)}2Mo4O10(O3PCH2C6H4CH2PO3)2] (1). The three-dimensional structure of 1 is constructed from { Mo 4 O 10 ( O 3 PR ) 4 } n 4 n - chains, decorated with {Cu(bpy)}2+ subunits and linked through the p-xylyl tether of the diphosphonate ligand. The molybdate building block within the chain is a tetranuclear {Mo4O10(O3P)8} cluster of edge- and corner-sharing {MoO6} octahedra. Each phosphomolybdate chain is linked to four adjacent chains to generate the three-dimensional connectivity. Crystal data: C18H16CuMo2N2O11P2, fw = 753.69: monoclinic P21/c, a = 7.9719(8) A, b = 14.0392(14) A, c = 21.274(2) A, β = 94.585(3)°, V = 2373.3(4) A3, Z = 4, Dcalc = 2.109 g cm−3, R1 = 0.0610.
Partial Justification of the Peregrine Soliton from the 2D Full Water Waves

The Peregrine soliton $$Q(x,t)=e^{it}(1-\frac{4(1+2it)}{1+4x^2+4t^2})$$ is an exact solution of the 1d focusing nonlinear Schrodinger equation (NLS) $$iB_t+B_{xx}=-2|B|^2B$$, having the feature that it decays to $$e^{it}$$ at the spatial and time infinities, and with peaks and troughs in a local region. It is considered as a prototype of the rogue wave by the ocean waves community. The 1D NLS is related to the full water wave system in the sense that asymptotically it is the envelope equation for full water waves. In this paper, working in the framework of water waves which decay non-tangentially, we give a rigorous justification of the NLS from the full water waves equation on long time scale in a regime that allows for the partial justification of the Peregrine soliton. As a byproduct, we prove the long time existence of solutions for the full water waves equation with small initial data in space of the form $$H^s(\mathbb {R})+H^{s'}(\mathbb {T})$$, where $$s\geqq 4, s'>s+\frac{3}{2}$$.
Mechanisms of IGF-1-Mediated Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy and Atrophy

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a key growth factor that regulates both anabolic and catabolic pathways in skeletal muscle. IGF-1 increases skeletal muscle protein synthesis via PI3K/Akt/mTOR and PI3K/Akt/GSK3β pathways. PI3K/Akt can also inhibit FoxOs and suppress transcription of E3 ubiquitin ligases that regulate ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS)-mediated protein degradation. Autophagy is likely inhibited by IGF-1 via mTOR and FoxO signaling, although the contribution of autophagy regulation in IGF-1-mediated inhibition of skeletal muscle atrophy remains to be determined. Evidence has suggested that IGF-1/Akt can inhibit muscle atrophy-inducing cytokine and myostatin signaling via inhibition of the NF-κΒ and Smad pathways, respectively. Several miRNAs have been found to regulate IGF-1 signaling in skeletal muscle, and these miRs are likely regulated in different pathological conditions and contribute to the development of muscle atrophy. IGF-1 also potentiates skeletal muscle regeneration via activation of skeletal muscle stem (satellite) cells, which may contribute to muscle hypertrophy and/or inhibit atrophy. Importantly, IGF-1 levels and IGF-1R downstream signaling are suppressed in many chronic disease conditions and likely result in muscle atrophy via the combined effects of altered protein synthesis, UPS activity, autophagy, and muscle regeneration.
Dynamic back face deformation measurement with a single optical fibre

Abstract A single optical fibre sensor is used to measure the dynamics of an impact. The method consists of sewing the optical fibre onto a woven Kevlar layer and placing it between the shoot pack and backing material. The measurement is accomplished by using the friction between the layer and the optical fibre to relate the optical fibre strain to impact deformation. Tests are done using a backing material of Roma Plastilina No.1 clay, and transparent ballistics gel with independent high-speed imaging. A final calculated BFD average error of 7.75% is presented as well as a timing error of 15.5% between the imaged dynamic BFD and the dynamic BFD determined by the FBG. This method is also tested at the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center in Maryland with a final calculated error of 7%.
Real-time Spatio-Temporal Action Localization in 360 Videos

Spatio-temporal action localization of human actions in a video has been a popular topic over the past few years. It tries to localize the bounding boxes, the time span and the class of one action, which summarizes information in the video and helps humans understand it. Though many approaches have been proposed to solve this problem, these efforts have only focused on perspective videos. Unfortunately, perspective videos only cover a small field-of-view (FOV), which limits the capability of action localization. In this paper, we develop a comprehensive approach to real-time spatio-temporallocalization that can be used to detect actions in 360 videos. We create two datasets named UCF-101-24-360 and JHMDB-21-360 for our evaluation. Our experiments show that our method consistently outperforms other competing approaches and achieves a real-time processing speed of 15fps for 360 videos.
A Radio-Frequency-Based Propellant Slosh Sensor for Spacecraft Tanks

Fuel sloshing is a problem that has threatened the success of many satellites and has been widely studied in the field of controls. Currently, leading research in this topic has focused on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to devise methods of predictively controlling the location of fuel within a spacecraft's tank. In this paper, a Radio Frequency (RF)-based mechanism to measure the location and quantity of fuel in spacecraft tanks is presented. By treating the tank as a resonating cavity, movement of the fuel inside produces a shift in resonant frequency and a change in the quality factor for the different cavity resonating modes. This results from the differing dielectric properties for the volume of air, gas, or vacuum, compared to the volume of liquid propellant. It is shown that as a sphere of distilled water is moved linearly across the resonating cavity, and the S-parameters response of the cavity is strongly correlated with the position of the sphere. Exploiting this can attain the capability to measure both location and quantity of propellant contained within a tank in microgravity environments in real time while in flight.
Exploring Data Visualization: Time, Emotion, and Epistolarity in Frances Brooke’s The History of Emily Montague

This chapter showcases the value of several data visualization programs for textual analysis and demonstrates their benefits in considering single, complex texts. The author applies Voyant, Palladio, and Tableau to Frances Brooke’s 1769 epistolary novel, The History of Emily Montague, and explores their potential for graphic production, their usefulness when examining the temporal aspects of the novel’s epistolary structure, and their pitfalls in both research design structure and text selection. Voyant has helped the author identify specific terms used throughout the text, Palladio has created maps that highlighted geographic information, and Tableau has ordered letters by date, rather than by appearance in the text. Thus, this chapter narrates the process by which such visualizations can lead to new interpretations of the source text that are significant in themselves and/or point to new directions of analysis.
Accuracy of risk models used for public reporting of heart transplant center performance

BACKGROUND Heart transplant programs and regulatory entities require highly accurate performance metrics to support internal quality improvement activities and national oversight of transplant programs, respectively. We assessed the accuracy of publicly reported performance measures. METHODS We used the United Network for Organ Sharing registry to study patients who underwent heart transplantation between January 1, 2016 and June 30, 2018. We used tests of calibration to compare the observed rate of 1-year graft failure to the expected risk of 1-year graft failure, which was calculated for each recipient using the July 2019 method published by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR). The primary study outcome was the joint test of calibration, which accounts for both the total number of events predicted (calibration-in-the-large) and dispersion of risk predictions (calibration slope). RESULTS 6,528 heart transplants were analyzed. The primary test of calibration failed (p <0.0001), indicating poor accuracy of the SRTR model. The calibration-in-the-large statistic (0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-0.68, p < 0.0001) demonstrated overestimation of event rates while the calibration slope statistic (0.56, 95% CI 0.49-0.62, p <0.0001) indicated over-dispersion of event rates. Pre-specified subgroup analyses demonstrated poor calibration for all subgroups (each p <0.01). After recalibration, program-level observed/expected ratios increased by a median of 0.14 (p <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Risk models employed for publicly-reported graft survival at U.S. heart transplant centers lack accuracy in general and in all subgroups tested. The use of disease-specific models may improve the accuracy of program performance metrics.
Memory and Trading

I test the predictions of human memory models in a high-stakes trading environment. Using alphabetical rankings of stocks from portfolio statements, I estimate plausibly random associations of adjacent stocks in an investor’s memory. When two stocks are associated in an investor’s memory, trading one stock cues the recall of the other, and increases the probability that the investor also trades the other stock. Increasing the memory strength of this association by one standard deviation increases the trade probability by 5 percentage points. I then document that personal experience affects trading behavior through the different properties of human memory.
Cities and Provinces in a World of States: Subnational Governments in the International Legal System

Over the past two decades, cities and provinces have emerged as economically and politically powerful actors in global affairs. They have begun to demand access to and participation in the international legal system. Yet, the traditional rules of international legal personality limit full, formal participation to sovereign equal nation states. Nonetheless, in response to the localization of new transnational challenges, subnational governments are finding ways to access international legal processes and influence the development of international legal norms. They are seeking accommodation within existing institutions and legal processes; emulating international law through their own commitments and organizations; incorporating international law directly into municipal and provincial statutes; and invoking international law as a shield and a sword in domestic and global politics. International lawyers have turned a blind eye to these developments. This paper illuminates that subnational blind-spot. Subnational participation in international law, if carefully and deliberately structured, can provide the international legal system much needed political energy, improve legitimacy and normative diversity, and enhance commitment and implementation. For that to happen, however, international lawyers must first recognize and understand the role of the subnational.
Book Review: Incarnational Realism: Trinity and the Spirit in Augustine and Barth

Incarnational Realism: Trinity and the Spirit in Augustine and Barth. By Travis E. Abies. TT $39.95 (paper).Travis E. Abies s Incamational Realism: Trinity and the Spirit in Augustine and Barth takes as its point of departure the late twentieth-century claim that Latin Christianity lacks a robust pneumatology, and this dismal state of affairs is due to Augustine's problematic Trinitarian theology. Abies, however, rejects this reading of Augustine and Latin Christianity and argues convincingly that Augustine is not guilty of the alleged Geistvergessenheit. However, this is not merely a book championing Augustine's teachings; rather, as the book's title indicates, Karl Barth's doctrine of the Spirit, contrary to charges that his overemphasized Christology eclipses pneumatology, likewise has a role to play. In other words, Abies argues that both Barth and Augustine provide us with theologically rich teachings on the Holy Spirit that, when read together and properly synthesized, offer important correctives to contemporary Trinitarian theology.In particular, Abies focuses on the shortcomings of Trinitarian personalism and Trinitarian idealism. Abies worries that both contemporary expressions of Trinitarian teaching are too reductionistic and thus ultimately fail to maintain "the integrity of God's reconciling act in the economy of salvation" (p. 180). On the one hand, Ables's concern regarding Trinitarian personalism is that it diminishes the essential character of God's act in history, rendering it as "an accidental occasion or concrete illustration of what is essentially a purely metaphorical relationship between human community and divine community" (p. 180). In other words, the metaphorical relationship becomes so primary that it downgrades the revelatory significance of the Triune God's work in salvation history to Jesus' "exemplary relational existence as Son to the Father" (p. 180). On the other hand, Trinitarian idealism is overly smitten with Hegel's Geist. Here "God's self-revelation in the economy is only possible as a result of the necessity of God's self-alienating otherness internal to GodselP' (p. 181). In this narrative, God is not depicted as pouring out his love in history but rather as incorporating "history into Godself in what sometimes begins to look like a startlingly narcissistic picture of self-reflexivity" (p. …
The sensitivity of econometric results to alternative implementations of least squares

This paper is concerned with a detailed study of the accuracy tradeoffs of differences in data precision and alternative approaches to the estimation of OLS models. The implications of the analysis of a variety of problems, most of which have known answers, extend far beyond OLS modeling and directly impact any empirical analysis when the matrices are at all ill conditioned or “stiff.” While the focus here is on linear modeling, the findings are equally, if not more, important to nonlinear modeling. Independent of the effect of the algorithm used, the precision in which the data was initially read was found to have a major impact on accuracy, even when the data was subsequently moved to a higher precision. This finding, illustrated best with the extremely multicollinear Filippelli data set, suggests that if a data base standard is agreed upon, the precision of the data saved will be of critical importance. By the use of variable precision arithmetic software, an extended benchmark was developed for the Filippelli data and the results compared to the real*8 and real*16 QR results. Much of the software developed for this paper has been put in the public domain to be used by other researchers.
Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) Stabilization

The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) project was begun in 1978 to develop, design, and demonstrate the technology and safe operation of selected tritium pr...
Drug compounding for veterinary patients.

Drugs have been compounded for veterinary practice for many years because it has been necessary in the course of routine practice. However, regulations and compliance policy guidelines (CPGs) should be recognized. A new CPG issued in July 2003 listed the current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limitations on compounding for veterinary medicine. To summarize the guideline: drugs must not be compounded from bulk substances, and the compounding must not constitute, manufacture of a new animal drug. Drug compounding on a case-by-case basis is allowed under the CPG. However, veterinarians and pharmacists must be aware of potential incompatibilities and practices that may interfere with the drug's stability, purity, and/or potency.
FCO: UV spectrum, self-reaction kinetics and chain reaction with F2

Abstract Flash photolysis of F 2 in the presence of CO combined with time-resolved UV and transient diode laser spectroscopies has been used to record the UV spectrum and to study the reaction kinetics of the FCO radical. The gas phase spectrum of the B 2 A′ and C 2 A″ states of FCO exhibits three vibrational progressions of 740, 340, and 670 cm −1 spacing, in agreement with previous matrix isolation spectra of FCO and with recent ab initio quantum chemical studies. Time-resolved UV spectra show the FCO radical to decay via second-order kinetics with a rate constant of (1.9 ± 0.2) × 10 −11 cm 3 s −1 at 297 K. The reaction is nearly temperature independent with k 2 = (3.7 ± 1.2) × 10 −11 exp[− (160 ± 80)/ T ] cm 3 s −1 over the range of 208 to 358 K, which is consistent with the prediction that there is no activation barrier for this reaction. The yield of CF 2 O at 297 K, probed by transient infrared absorption, is approximately 2–3 times [F] 0 . This provides evidence of chain propagation via the reaction of FCO with F 2 , the measured rate constant of which is (4.5 ± 0.8) × 10 −14 cm 3 s −1 at 297 K.
Insights from paleoecology to community ecology

Ecologists and paleoecologists have become increasingly aware that the temporal and spatial scales of the two disciplines overlap considerably and provide complementary information. Pollen and macrofossil evidence from thousands of radiocarbon-dated sites worldwide indicate that species respond to environmental change independently, that communities are relatively open assemblages, and that instability and change characterize Quaternary environments and biotas. The extended temporal view provided by paleoecology also enables detection of the occurrence, intensity and changing frequency of periodic and unique events such as disturbances and environmental fluctuations. As these insights contribute to our understanding of a dynamic environment and biota, they may help to increase our ability to anticipate future changes in communities.
Analysis of protein components of tomato strains of tobacco mosaic virus

Abstract Thirteen strains of tobacco mosaic virus have been isolated from field-grown tomatoes at widely scattered locations around the world. An analysis of their protein components showed a remarkably close relationship among these strains in amino acid composition, C-terminal amino acid, general amino acid sequence as indicated by peptide mapping, and in serological reactions. Five of the strains have amino acid compositions identical to that of tomato atypical mosaic virus (Y-TAMV); seven show one exchange and one shows two exchanges.
Regulation of proliferation of the fetal myocardium.

Growth of the myocardium involves the completion of a fixed number of rounds of cell division during the embryonic and fetal stages followed by entry into a postmitotic state and hypertrophy of the postmitotic cardiomyocytes during the later stages of heart growth. It has been suggested that at the time of its determination in the early embryo, the embryonic myocardium is programmed for a fixed and limited number of cell divisions, after which the transition to the postmitotic state occurs autonomously. The proliferative response of cultured myocardium of the fetal chick was explored in four culture settings: monolayer cell culture, collagen lattice culture, organ culture of reaggregated cardiomyocyte tissue (cardiomyocyte spheroid culture), and organ culture of pieces of the ventricle wall. Several growth factors were identified by their ability to stimulate DNA synthesis in cardiomyocytes, identified by the incorporation of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). The serine proteases thrombin and trypsin, fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), and insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) all show growth factor activity but only for cardiomyocytes cultured in three-dimensional myocardial tissue, and not for cardiomyocytes maintained in monolayer cell culture. Thus, during its proliferation phase, the growth of the fetal myocardium is not controlled solely by internal, cell-autonomous programs, but is subject to external regulation by a family of peptide growth factors. The unconventional setting of three-dimensional culture of the myocardium is required to demonstrate its responsiveness to growth factor challenge.
OpenPipes: Making distributed hardware systems easier

Distributing a hardware design across multiple physical devices is difficult—splitting a design across two chips requires considerable effort to partition the design and to build the communication mechanism between the chips. Designers and researchers would benefit enormously if this were easier as it would, for example, allow multiple FPGAS to be used when building prototypes. To this end we propose OpenPipes, a platform to allow hardware designs to be distributed across physical resources. OpenPipes follows the model of many system-building platforms: systems are built by composing modules together. What makes it unique is that it uses an OpenFlow network as the interconnect between modules, providing OpenPipes with complete control over all traffic flows within the interconnect. Any device that can attach to the network can host modules, allowing software modules to be used alongside hardware modules. The control provided by OpenFlow allows running systems to be modified dynamically, and as we show in the paper, OpenPipes provides a mechanism for migrating from software to hardware modules that simplifies testing.
COMPUTER‐AIDED PREDICTIONS OF EXTENT OF BROWNING IN DEHYDRATED CABBAGE

SUMMARY– The feasibility and accuracy of prediction of extent of browning was studied on freeze-dried cabbage stored in packages made of materials with different water-vapor permeabilities. Kinetic data on the browning reaction were obtained for samples maintained at various constant-moisture contents. In each case, browning increased linearly with time. An equation relating rate of browning to moisture content was chosen on the basis of minimum variance. The kinetic data were combined with mass transfer characteristics of the packages using assumptions discussed previously. The validity of the assumptions was tested and the magnitudes of needed corrections evaluated. Increase of moisture content and changes of the sorption capacity of the cabbage, caused by browning, proved to be the major factors requiring corrections. An iteration technique for the prediction of the browning, using a computer and a method for estimation of the variance of the predicted values, was devised. The standard deviation ranged from 2–10% for the low and high extent of browning, respectively. Most of the actual data obtained from package storage tests at 37°C and 61% RH were within 1 standard deviation of prediction.
Retention of nerve terminals in dispersed parotid acinar cells

Abstract The effects of veratridine, an agent known to increase Na permeability in excitable tissues, were determined on a dispersed cell preparation from the rat parotid gland. The uptake of 22Na by these parotid cells was increased in the presence of veratridine but not to as great an extent as with carbachol. The veratridine effect was blocked by both tetrodotoxin (TTX) and a combination of receptor blockers, atropine and phentolamine. TTX had no effect on the increase in 22Na uptake due to carbachol. Electron microscopic examination revealed the presence of nerve terminals in the dispersed cell preparation, often in very close apposition to individual cells. It is likely that these nerve terminals are the primary sites of actions of veratridine and TTX and not the parotid acinar cells. The possibility of the presence of unmyelinated nerve fibers should be taken into account in the analyses of experimental data obtained with dispersed cell preparations.
Primers for the amplification of nuclear introns in sea stars of the family Asteriidae

We describe polymerase chain reaction primers that consistently amplify three intron regions of approximately 2 kb in total length for two nuclear protein-coding genes (ATP synthase beta subunit and elongation factor-1 alpha subunit) in sea stars of the family Asteriidae. The introns are moderately polymorphic at the species level (average within-species percentage of site differences = 0.42%, range 0–1.44%), are evolving at about 29% as fast as mitochondrial sequences in the same species and are alignable at the genus or family level, making them suitable for phylogenetic and population genetic analyses.
Association Between LOXL1 and Pseudoexfoliation

Science Common Sequence Variants in the LOXL1 Gene Confer Susceptibility to Exfoliation Glaucoma Gudmar Thorleifsson, Kristinn P. Magnusson, Patrick Sulem, G. Bragi Walters, Daniel F. Gudbjartsson, Hreinn Stefansson, Thorlakur Jonsson, Adalbjorg Jonasdottir, Aslaug Jonasdottir, Gerdur Stefansdottir, Gisli Masson, Gudmundur A. Hardarson, Hjorvar Petursson, Arsaell Arnarsson, Mehdi Motallebipour, Ola Wallerman, Claes Wadelius, Jeffrey R. Gulcher, Unnur Thorsteinsdottir, Augustine Kong, Fridbert Jonasson, Kari Stefansson Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness. A genome-wide search yielded multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 15q24.1 region associated with glaucoma. Further investigation revealed that the association is confined to exfoliation glaucoma (XFG). Two nonsynonymous SNPs in exon 1 of the gene LOXL1 explain the association, and the data suggest that they confer risk of XFG mainly through exfoliation syndrome (XFS). About 25 % of the general population is homozygous for the highest-risk haplotype, and their risk of suffering from XFG is more than 100 times that of individuals carrying only low-risk haplotypes. The population-attributable risk is more than 99%. The product of LOXL1 catalyzes the formation of elastin fibers found to be a major component of the lesions in XFG. Science. 2007;317(5843):1397-1400..
Poking Hobbes in the Eye: A Plea for Mechanism in Anarchist History

James C. Scott’s The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia argues that the Zomia people of Southeast Asia consciously chose to live without government and that their choice was sensible. Yet basic economic reasoning, reflected in Hobbes’s classic account of anarchy and the state’s emergence, suggests that life without government would be far worse than life with government, leading people to universally choose the latter. To reconcile Scott’s account of the Zomia peoples’ choice with this reasoning, it is necessary to elaborate the mechanisms of private governance that could make life under anarchy tolerable and thus plausibly render statelessness a sensible option. To deliver a powerful, rather than glancing, blow to Hobbesian thinking, this essay argues that anarchist histories must focus on governance mechanisms.
A Preemptive Strike Against Resistant Tumor Cells

Six decades have passed since the first use of chemotherapy to treat cancer. Yet, most cancers still cannot be cured with chemotherapy alone—tumors shrink initially, only to resume growth later. Inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinases demonstrate remarkable therapeutic activity, especially against tumors that carry mutations—either a translocation (for example, Bcr-Abl ) or point mutation (for example, Kit and EGFR )—in the gene that encodes the drug-targeted receptor. But even inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinases are rarely curative. In lung cancer patients who are treated with either reversible or irreversible inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), tumors eventually develop drug resistance either by acquiring new mutations in the EGFR gene or via the bypass pathway: amplification of the MET gene, which encodes the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor. Prior knowledge of the mechanism by which a particular tumor will acquire drug resistance may guide the development of tumor-specific therapy regimens. To this end, Janne and colleagues have deciphered one parameter that determines the path toward resistance that a specific lung tumor will take. The authors identified a lung cancer cell line (HCC827) that reproducibly develops resistance to an inhibitor of the EGFR tyrosine kinase via MET gene amplification. These genetic gyrations manifest during prolonged treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor alone and when this drug is combined with HGF. The researchers then investigated why HCC827 cells undergo MET amplification when, under these same conditions, other cancer cell lines don’t. High-throughput fluorescence in situ hybridization assays revealed that small numbers of MET -amplified clones exist in the HCC827 cell line even before treatment. By mixing green fluorescent protein–labeled, MET -amplified tumor cells into the HCC827 cultures, the authors directly demonstrated selective expansion of the former in the presence of an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Remarkably, rare MET -amplified cells were unearthed in all four pretreatment tumor samples isolated from patients who later developed resistance to an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor through MET amplification, but in only one of eight patients who developed resistance through other mechanisms. These results show that by analyzing the genetic profile of rare mutant clones present in a tumor, it may be possible to predict a tumor’s preferred drug-resistance mechanism even before treatment. For a patient who is destined to develop resistance via MET amplification, it may be beneficial to add a MET inhibitor to their initial therapeutic cocktail, possibly nipping resistance in the bud. A. B. Turke et al., Preexistence and clonal selection of MET amplification in EGFR mutant NSCLC. Cancer Cell 17 , 77–88 (2010). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/abstract/S1535-6108(09)00423-1
Resist Characterization On Reflecting Substrates

The bottleneck of quantitative characterization of resist materials is being relieved by the introduction of a commercial system with multiple channel capabilities working directly on silicon wafers. This convenience for the process engineer comes at considerable inconvenience in data analysis, primarily due to exposure standing wave effects from substrate reflection. On silicon, for example, an exposure variation of a factor of 8 occurs over a vertical distance of 65 nm within the resist. Data from this very thin layer can span almost the entire range of exposure state M of the resist and two orders of magnitude change in development rates. Experimental and software techniques developed in a benchmark study of the well characterized Kodak 820 resist are reported. Several software techniques were established for data analysis. A depth-dependent filtering technique was used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the rate vs depth data from the slowly developing channels. This noise is due to the high sampling rates, which are necessary to simultaneously monitor the most rapidly developing areas. A post processor for SAMPLE was developed to process the normal output of exposure state M versus depth and generate M values for the exposures specified in the data from the measurement system. A three column vector of development rate R, exposure state M and depth z is then generated for plotting R(M,z) and numerically fitting algebraic models. Measurements and data reduction were made on silicon wafers with various thin film coatings. A hard-baked resist coating was sufficiently absorbing that very little oscillation in the development rate with depth was observed. For aluminum coatings, it was not possible to get good thickness vs time or rate data. The rate versus depth on bare silicon wafers could be made well behaved after filtering. The resulting R(M,z) curve for bare silicon was somewhat noisy. Thus the use of a hard-baked coating is indicated in practice for resist characterization studies.
Production of soluble and active transferrin receptor-targeting single-chain antibody using Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

This study describes the soluble production, purification, and functional testing of an anti-transferrin receptor single-chain antibody (OX26 scFv) using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The yeast secretion apparatus was optimized by modulating expression temperature, the folding environment of the endoplasmic reticulum, and gene dosage. Secreted scFv was purified using immobilized metal affinity chromatography, and tested for binding and internalization into the RBE4 rat brain endothelial cell line. Secretion of OX26 scFv was optimal when expression was induced at 20°C. Co-overexpression of heavy chain binding protein and protein disulfide isomerase elevated scFv expression levels by 10.4 ± 0.3-fold. Optimization of scFv gene dosage increased secretion by 7.1 ± 0.2-fold, but the overall benefits of binding protein and protein disulfide isomerase overexpression were diminished. Purified OX26 scFv yields of 0.5 mg/L secreted protein were achieved, and the scFv was actively internalized into RBE4 cells with a pattern similar to that observed with intact OX26 monoclonal antibody. The optimized S. cerevisiae expression system is amenable to production of soluble and active brain targeting OX26 scFv, and the yeast-produced scFv has potential for the targeting and delivery of small molecules, proteins, or drug carriers across the blood–brain barrier(BBB).
Anomalous pressure drop behaviour of mixed kinematics flows of viscoelastic polymer solutions: A multiscale simulation approach

A long-standing unresolved problem in non-Newtonian fluid mechanics, namely, the relationship between friction drag and flow rate in inertialess complex kinematics flows of dilute polymeric solutions is investigated via self-consistent multiscale flow simulations. Specifically, flow of a highly elastic dilute polymeric solution, described by first principles micromechanical models, through a 4:1:4 axisymmetric contraction and expansion geometry is examined utilizing our recently developed highly efficient multiscale flow simulation algorithm (Koppol, Sureshkumar & Khomami, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech., vol. 141, 2007, p. 180). Comparison with experimental measurements (Rothstein & McKinley, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech., vol. 86, 1999, p. 61) shows that the pressure drop evolution as a function of flow rate can be accurately predicted when the chain dynamics is described by multi-segment bead-spring micromechanical models that closely capture the transient extensional viscosity of the experimental fluid. Specifically, for the first time the experimentally observed doubling of the dimensionless excess pressure drop at intermediate flow rates is predicted. Moreover, based on an energy dissipation analysis it has been shown that the variation of the excess pressure drop with the flow rate is controlled by the flow- microstructure coupling in the extensional flow dominated region of the flow. Finally, the influence of the macromolecular chain extensibility on the vortex dynamics, i.e. growth of the upstream corner vortex at low chain extensibility or the shrinkage of the upstream corner vortex coupled with the formation of a lip vortex that eventually merges with the upstream corner vortex at high chain extensibility is elucidated.
On the Invariant Sets of a Family of Quadratic Maps

The Julia setB λ for the mappingz → (z−λ)2 is considered, where λ is a complex parameter. For λ≧2 a new upper bound for the Hausdorff dimension is given, and the monic polynomials orthogonal with respect to the equilibrium measure onB λ are introduced. A method for calculating all of the polynomials is provided, and certain identities which obtain among coefficients of the three-term recurrence relations are given. A unifying theme is the relationship betweenB λ and λ-chains λ±√ (λ±√ (λ± ...), which is explored for −1/4≦λ≦2 and for λ∈ℂ with |λ|≦1/4, with the aid of the Bottcher equation. ThenB λ is shown to be a Holder continuous curve for |λ|<1/4.
HOW DO SOCIAL BONDS RESTRAIN CRIME? A STUDY OF THE MECHANISMS

ABSTRACT This research examines the role of social bonds within Gottfredson and Hirschi's (1990) general theory of crime. The general theory suggests three explanations for the association between social bonds and delinquency. First, in accord with classic social control theory, strong bonds may make crime too costly. Another possibility is that self-control may render the effect of social bonds on delinquency spurious. Third, social bonds may indirectly influence delinquency through their effect on opportunities for crime. The analyses use self-administered survey data collected from a sample of Fayetteville, Arkansas, high school students. The results indicate that self-control renders spurious most of the direct effect of social ties on delinquency. Moreover, net of self-control, family and school ties do not have a significant indirect influence with delinquency through activity, although bonds with one's peers lead to significantly higher levels of delinquency through activities.
Phase I study of vinorelbine and paclitaxel by 3‐hour simultaneous infusion with and without granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor support in metastatic breast carcinoma

BACKGROUND The purpose of the study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of vinorelbine and paclitaxel given concomitantly in patients with advanced breast carcinoma, the toxicity of this combination, and whether the addition of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) would allow administration of higher doses of the combination. METHODS Between January 1994 and January 1995, 38 patients were entered on this study. All patients received vinorelbine and paclitaxel administered simultaneously over 3 hours and repeated every 21 days as frontline therapy for metastatic breast carcinoma. Twenty-five patients (Group 1) did not receive prophylactic G-CSF, and 13 patients (Group 2) received prophylactic G-CSF. Toxic effects were documented prospectively using the National Cancer Institute grading system. RESULTS One hundred eighty-seven (Group 1) and 111 (Group 2) cycles were administered. For Group 1, Grade 3–4 granulocytopenia was encountered in 72% of the cycles and neutropenic fever in 30% of the cycles. For Group 2, Grade 3–4 granulocytopenia and neutropenic fever were encountered in 23% and 4% of the cycles, respectively. Grade 3–4 fatigue and myalgia, respectively, were encountered in 11% and 3% of the cycles in Group 1, whereas they were reported in 12% and 1% of the cycles in Group 2. The MTD of this combination without prophylactic G-CSF was 25 mg/m2 of vinorelbine and 150 mg/m2 of paclitaxel, the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) being neutropenic fever and myalgia. The MTD of this combination with G-CSF was 36 mg/m2 of vinorelbine and 150 mg/m2 of paclitaxel, the DLT being myalgia and fatigue. CONCLUSIONS The authors conclude that vinorelbine and paclitaxel can be safely administered concomitantly and are well tolerated. Phase II studies are recommended to test the efficacy of this schedule. Cancer 2001;91:664–71. © 2001 American Cancer Society.
Organosamarium-Mediated Transformations of CO2 and COS: Monoinsertion and Disproportionation Reactions and the Reductive Coupling of CO2 to [O2CCO2]2-

The reactivity of CO2 and COS with divalent and trivalent organosamarium complexes has been investigated. (C5Me5)2Sm(THF)2 reductively couples CO2 in THF at room temperature to form the oxalate complex, [(C5Me5)2Sm]2(μ-η2:η2-O2CCO2), 1, in >90% yield. The metal centers in 1 are formally eight-coordinate. The reaction of COS with (C5Me5)2Sm(THF)2 is more complicated and generates a disproportionation product, (C5Me5)2Sm(μ-η2:η1-S2CO)Sm(C5Me5)2(THF), 2, which has one (C5Me5)2Sm unit involved in a four-membered ring, while the other (C5Me5)2Sm unit is bound to THF and the oxygen of the S2CO ligand. CO2 reacts with [(C5Me5)2Sm]2(μ-η1:η1-N2Ph2) in >90% yield to form the asymmetrical monoinsertion product, (C5Me5)2Sm[μ-η2:η1-PhNN(CO2)Ph]Sm(C5Me5)2(THF), 3. One (C5Me5)2Sm unit is involved in a five-membered ring, and the other is attached to THF and the other oxygen originating from CO2. 1−3 were characterized by analytical methods, X-ray diffraction, and NMR and IR spectroscopy.