cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Antibacterial Therapy on Renal Lysozyme Levels in Rats Developing Bacterial Pyelonephritis

In animals developing unilateral Proteus mirabilis-induced pyelonephritis, the total soluble renal lysozyme (SRL) of both kidneys undergoes a biphasic elevation. The second phase of elevated SRL is associated with the onset of chronicity in the infected kidney. To discover whether effective antibacterial therapy altered the second elevation of SRL, levels of SRL were determined in rats developing unilateral chronic pyelonephritis with and without effective regimens of antibacterial agents. Therapeutic doses of ampicillin and nitrofurantoin caused elevations of SRL in both kidneys of infected animals, but these differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Both agents produce elevations of SRL in uninfected animals which were significant (P < 0.05) when compared with normal animals. Kanamycin sulfate at a therapeutic dose induced great elevations of SRL in kidneys of both infected and uninfected animals. It is concluded that infection per se is not the cause of the elevated SRL.
Long-term healthcare costs and functional outcomes associated with lack of remission in schizophrenia: a post-hoc analysis of a prospective observational study

Little is known about the long-term outcomes for patients with schizophrenia who fail to achieve symptomatic remission. This post-hoc analysis of a 3-year study compared the costs of mental health services and functional outcomes between individuals with schizophrenia who met or did not meet cross-sectional symptom remission at study enrollment. This post-hoc analysis used data from a large, 3-year prospective, non-interventional observational study of individuals treated for schizophrenia in the United States conducted between July 1997 and September 2003. At study enrollment, individuals were classified as non-remitted or remitted using the Schizophrenia Working Group Definition of symptom remission (8 core symptoms rated as mild or less). Mental health service use was measured using medical records. Costs were based on the sites’ medical information systems. Functional outcomes were measured with multiple patient-reported measures and the clinician-rated Quality of Life Scale (QLS). Symptoms were measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Outcomes for non-remitted and remitted patients were compared over time using mixed effects models for repeated measures or generalized estimating equations after adjusting for multiple baseline characteristics. At enrollment, most of the 2,284 study participants (76.1%) did not meet remission criteria. Non-remitted patients had significantly higher PANSS total scores at baseline, a lower likelihood of being Caucasian, a higher likelihood of hospitalization in the previous year, and a greater likelihood of a substance use diagnosis (all p < 0.05). Total mental health costs were significantly higher for non-remitted patients over the 3-year study (p = 0.008). Non-remitted patients were significantly more likely to be victims of crime, exhibit violent behavior, require emergency services, and lack paid employment during the 3-year study (all p < 0.05). Non-remitted patients also had significantly lower scores on the QLS, SF-12 Mental Component Summary Score, and Global Assessment of Functioning during the 3-year study. In this post-hoc analysis of a 3-year prospective observational study, the failure to achieve symptomatic remission at enrollment was associated with higher subsequent healthcare costs and worse functional outcomes. Further examination of outcomes for schizophrenia patients who fail to achieve remission at initial assessment by their subsequent clinical status is warranted.
Annual summary of vital statistics: 1970.

As in previous reports,1 the data for this article are drawn principally from two sources, the Monthly Vital Statistics Report, published by the National Center for Health Statistics2,3 and the Demographic Yearbook, published by the Statistical Office of the United Nations.4 In both instances, those responsible for the publication were kind enough to make the material available before the actual publication date, thus making it possible for this article to published in this December issue of Pediatrics. The limitations on the data used are explained in these reports and do not differ from previous years. All the data for 1970 are provisional and are based upon 10% sample of materials received in state offices between two dates 1 month apart, regardless of when the event occurred.
Randomized, double-blind, crossover comparison of amlodipine and valsartan in african-americans with hypertension using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

Study Objective. To compare the efficacy of amlodipine and valsartan in African-American patients with hypertension using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Design. Prospective, randomized, double-blind, crossover comparison study. Setting. University-affiliated cardiac center clinic. Patients. Twenty African-Americans (12 men, 8 women), with a history of uncomplicated hypertension (blood pressure > 140/90 mm Hg). Intervention. Patients were randomized to receive amlodipine 5 or 10 mg/day or valsartan 80 or 160 mg/day for 8–10 weeks, depending on response. Dosages were titrated to achieve a blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or below. For patients whose blood pressures were not controlled, hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg/day was added to their regimens. Patients then underwent 24-hour ABPM. After an intervening washout period during which baseline blood pressure was reestablished, patients received the other treatment. Measurements and Main Results. Mean ± SD baseline blood pressure before the two ABPM periods were 155 ± 12/100 ± 8 mm Hg and 156 ± 11/101 ± 9 mm Hg, respectively. Fifteen (75%) patients achieved goal blood pressure with amlodipine and 14 (70%) with valsartan (p=0.62). Final daily dosages were as follows: amlodipine 5 mg in nine patients, 10 mg in five patients, and 10 mg plus hydrochlorothiazide in six patients; valsartan 80 mg in nine patients, 160 mg in four patients, and 160 mg plus hydrochlorothiazide in seven patients. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was not completed in three patients due to adverse effects: headache and dizziness (one patient each, amlodipine and valsartan) and hyperkalemia (one patient, valsartan). Four patients (20%) in each treatment group had drug-related adverse effects. Results of ABPM including averages for 24-hour, daytime, nighttime, first 4 hours, and last 8 hours, and trough:peak ratios were not significantly different between the amlodipine- and valsartan-based treatments. Conclusion. Based on both clinic blood pressure measurements and ABPM data, amlodipine and valsartan produced similar reductions in blood pressure in African-American patients with uncomplicated hypertension.
Hypoplastic endolymphatic sac, hydrops, and Mondini deformity : a case report

The Mondini deformity of the inner ear is usually associated with a large vestibular aqueduct and endolymphatic sac. The authors present a case with a hypoplastic sac and endolymphatic hydrops, which are presumed to be the cause of the Meniere's syndrome symptoms that occurred in mid-life.
Molecular Architecture of the Transport Channel of the Nuclear Pore Complex

The nuclear pore complex encloses a central channel for nucleocytoplasmic transport, which is thought to consist of three nucleoporins, Nup54, Nup58, and Nup62. However, the structure and composition of the channel are elusive. We determined the crystal structures of the interacting domains between these nucleoporins and pieced together the molecular architecture of the mammalian transport channel. Located in the channel midplane is a flexible Nup54⋅Nup58 ring that can undergo large rearrangements yielding diameter changes from ∼20 to ∼40 nm. Nup62⋅Nup54 triple helices project alternately up and down from either side of the midplane ring and form nucleoplasmic and cytoplasmic entries. The channel consists of as many as 224 copies of the three nucleoporins, amounting to a molar mass of 12.3 MDa and contributing 256 phenylalanine-glycine repeat regions. We propose that the occupancy of these repeat regions with transport receptors modulates ring diameter and transport activity.
Hernia after pediatric urological laparoscopy.

Purpose: The incidence of port site hernia following adult laparoscopy is 0.1% to 3.0%. There are no known published reports concerning hernia incidence or related factors after pediatric urological laparoscopic interventions. We present our experience with port site incisional hernias following pediatric urological laparoscopy.Materials and Methods: We reviewed all pediatric urological laparoscopic procedures performed at Children's Medical Center Dallas from 2000 to 2008. A total of 261 cases were identified with followup available in 218 (83.5%). In 187 cases there were sufficient data to evaluate outcomes for each port site separately, and compare the size, location and fascial closure status to hernia development.Results: Median patient age was 6.1 years (range 0.4 to 18.8). A total of 218 patients had a median followup of 5.7 months (range 0.2 to 83.4). Seven hernias (3.2%) were diagnosed at a median of 1.2 months (range 0.1 to 15.1) postoperatively. Patients with hernia were younger than those with...
A thermodynamic investigation into the binding properties of DNA functionalized gold nanoparticle probes and molecular fluorophore probes

We report the first quantitative analysis of the oligonucleotide binding thermodynamics for DNA functionalized gold nanoparticle probes and compare our findings to molecular fluorophore probes on a sequence-for-sequence basis. With proper design, nanoparticle probes show significantly increased binding over molecular fluorophore probes under identical conditions. This is significant because probe binding strength directly influences detection sensitivity limits.
Cancer Pain Management and the JCAHO's Pain Standards: An Institutional Challenge

Unrelieved pain is a major medical problem. In response to this problem, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) launched new standards for pain management in 1999. A review was conducted in five hospitals of 117 charts of 80 inpatients and 37 outpatients with cancer who had pain documented in their medical records to determine whether application of these JCAHO standards was documented. Pain assessment and management were not documented for most patients. Pain intensity was noted for 57% of outpatients and 53% of inpatients. When pain was documented, treatment was noted in 86% of outpatients' charts and 89% of inpatients' charts. Of those patients with documented pain, reassessment after treatment was reported in 34% of the outpatient charts and 44% of the inpatient charts. Work to properly manage cancer pain needs to continue, and the JCAHO standards provide a mechanism to evaluate practice documentation in order to improve care.
The thermionic energy converter as a topping cycle for more efficient heat engines—new triode designs with a longitudinal magnetic field

A new concept for converting heat energy to electrical energy using thermionic energy converters (TECs) is proposed. It has potential for increasing the Carnot efficiency to an unprecedented 80% when the TEC is combined as a topping cycle with a conventional external combustion engine. The optimal electrical power density, 5?20?W?cm?2, is satisfactory for many applications including stationary power generators and propulsion drives for vehicles. But unfortunately the substantial losses, ~50% of the output power, that have been needed to compensate the space charge have prevented the TEC from realizing its thermodynamic potential. We present two ways of overcoming this limitation. Both utilize a triode configuration (rather than a simple diode) with a longitudinal magnetic field. In the first method the magnetic field together with the grid separate the relatively few hot electrons required for volume generation of Cs ions used for the space charge compensation from the majority of the thermal electrons which constitute the current to the collector. In the second method the Cs ions are generated on the surface of the grid wires and injected into the space between the electrodes. Grid wires with high work functions are required for this.
Surface deactivation efficiencies for O2(1Δ)(g) on a range of materials. I. Pyrex, nickel, copper, nickel-copper alloy and inconel

Abstract A kinetic model is presented that describes both homogeneous (kq) and heterogeneous (γ) deactivation of O2(1Δ)(g) in a flow reactor experiment. The model is validated through measurements made on Pyrex surfaces where kq and γ were found to be (1.6±0.4)×10−18 and (3.1±0.2)×10−5 cm3 s−1 respectively. The model has been used to interpret data recorded for aged surfaces of the following metals: nickel γ= (3.2±0.2)×10−4, copper γ= (2.9±0.2)×10−4, 10 90 nickel-copper alloy γ= (2.8±0.2)×10−4, and inconel γ= (1.2±0.2)×10−4.
Psychiatric treatment refusal, patient competence, and informed consent

Tales of ingenious pill palming and resistance to liquid medication circulate on every psychiatric ward. Staff have found ways to cajole or force compliance, or more recently to deal with the legal intricacies which drug refusal may involve. Compliance measures once internal to the hospital are now often the province of the courtroom. Decisions previously considered in the realm of expert medical knowledge are increasingly the topic of public involvement. What may have seemed a group of individual patient behaviors now appear to be systemic problems. The issues raised by such transformations are crucial to psychiatric institutions undergoing many other changes. This paper explores the phenomena of resistance and refusal of medication, and places them in a framework that views treatment resistance as inseparable from informed consent practices and from patient competence. These elements may be linked together by considering treatment reluctance as a form of patient negotiation with providers. The paper also explores the potential benefits of resistance and refusal. Despite problems regarding florid symptoms for some patients, resistance and refusal may be valuable for others in several ways: by warning of side effects; by providing certain information to providers; by enabling patients to successfully monitor and titrate dosage; by opening up doctor-patient negotiation; and by pointing to institutional bureaucratic problems. To reframe resistance and refusal in this manner is to also point to the need for a more general reformulation of issues in provider-patient interaction.
Sonic hedgehog: making the gradient

The amino-terminal peptide of Sonic hedgehog is a cell-tethered molecule, which nevertheless seems to provide a developmental signal that acts at a distance and has different effects depending on its concentration. Recent structural data suggest that zinc-dependent proteolysis may somehow be involved in Sonic hedgehog's function.
The energy-loss spectrograph at the university of colorado cyclotron

Abstract A spectrograph system has been developed to satisfy both the requirements of high resolution charged particle spectroscopy and those of neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy. In the charged particle mode the instrument is an energy-loss spectrograph with a fractional energy resolution of 3 × 10−4, while in the neutron time-of-flight mode a resolution of 40 keV is achieved with low background at a neutron energy of 16 MeV. The novel feature of the spectrograph is that the charged particle and neutron analyzing systems are both fixed in position with the reaction angle varied by rotation of the beam preparation system.
Use of intravenous immunoglobulin to treat chronic bilateral otomastoiditis in the setting of rituximab induced hypogammaglobulinemia

The temporal bone may be affected by a variety of systemic pathology because the disease nature, location, and extent determine the symptoms. Middle ear and mastoid infections may be the initial clinical manifestation of autoimmune and acquired immunodeficiency disorders. Rituximab, an anti-CD20 chimeric antibody, has become increasingly popular as a therapeutic agent for patients with a wide range of autoimmune disorders refractory to standard treatments. Normal levels of immunoglobulin levels are usually maintained during and after rituximab therapy, and clinical trials to date have shown no statistically significant increase of serious infections among patients with autoimmune diseases being treated with rituximab (Cohen SB, Emery P, Greenwald MW, Dougados M, Furie RA, Genovese MC, et al, for the REFLEX Trial Group. Rituximab for rheumatoid arthritis refractory to anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy: results of a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III trial evaluating primary efficacy and safety at 24 weeks. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:2793-2806. Edwards JC, Szczepanski L, Szechinski J, Filipowicz-Sosnowska A, Emery P, Close DR, et al. Efficacy of B-cell–targeted therapy with rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. N Engl J Med. 2004;350:2572-2581). However, there have been several reports of opportunistic infections associated with rituximab (Kelesidis T, Daikos G, et al. Does rituximab increase the incidence of infectious complications? A narrative review. Int J Infect Dis 2011;15:e2-e16. Teichmann LL, Woenckhaus M, Vogel C, et al. Fatal Pneumocystis pneumonia following rituximab administration for rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology 2008;47:1256-1257), as well as cases of it accelerating the presentation of hypogammaglobulinemia (Diwakar L, Gorrie S, et al. Does rituximab aggravate pre-existing hypogammaglobulinaemia? J Clin Pathol 2010;63:275-277). Humoral immune defects can cause persistent acute and serous otitis media, with the development of chronic suppurative otitis media refractory to medical and surgical therapy (Sasaki CT, Askenase P, Dwyer J, et al. Chronic ear infection in the immunodeficient patient. Arch Otolaryngol 1981;107:82). Here, we describe the first presentation, diagnostic workup, and treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin of chronic bilateral otomastoiditis in the setting of rituximab-induced hypogammaglobulinemia.
The perception of doors: A sociodynamic investigation of doors in 20th century painting

This paper presents a sociodynamic investigation of doors as boundary in 20th century painting. Within a phenomenological perspective, using paintings as viual semiotic reflections of psychological states, I explore meaning to penetrate and illuminate interpretations of space. Images of doors by mainters Georgia O'Keefe, Pierre Bonnard, Edward Hopper, Alice Neel, Elizabeth Layton, Ben Shahn and Mark Rothko are used to explore dimensions of the human being's relationship to the environment and to speculate about balance, intimacy, separation, limits and boundaries.
Triglycerides: How Much Credit Do They Deserve?

Triglycerides (TGs) have long been an under-recognized member of the lipid family, and the relationship between hypertriglyceridemia and atherosclerosis continues to remain the subject of intense debate. Whether high levels of TGs have a causal rela- tionship to coronary artery disease (CAD) or are merely biomarkers of concurrent risk factors that lead to CAD is still not firmly established. 1 However, with therising inci- dence of atherogenic dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and the metabolic syndrome, 2 TGs are now attracting attention as predictors of risk as well as targets for primary and secondary prevention in patients with metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease. Although statin therapy has significantly decreased the disease burden of coronary heart disease in the past decade, residual cardiovascular risk still persists 3 and may be attributed to underlying atherogenic dyslipidemias. 4 In particular, hypertriglyceridemia has been identified as a potential key mediator of atherosclerosis.
Modeling observed capacitance–voltage hysteresis in metal–SiO2-thin film organic semiconductor devices

Abstract Recently, metal–oxide–organic semiconductor capacitors (MOOSCAPs) and organic field effect transistors (OFETs) using organic semiconductor (OS) materials such as arylamino–poly-phenylene-vinylene (arylamino–PPV), pentacene, etc., have been reported of being subject to capacitance–voltage (C–V) hysteresis. This hysteresis is exhibited with a simple parallel shift in the C–V. In this paper, the C–V hysteresis observed in these devices is modeled using a physics-based thermodynamic-variational approach and compared with the empirical values reported in literature. Our thermodynamic-variational model is based on minimizing the free energy of the device. The hysteresis effect is modeled as arising from residual polarization of the organic film at flat band which consequently produces a polarization charge layer at the SiO2/OS interface. In the arylamino–PPV OS film, polarization is associated with redistribution of the molecular π-orbitals. Consequently, such residual polarization is expected to be of opposite polarity when the sweep direction is alternated. The change in polarity thus is expected to produce a shift in the flat band voltage which can be related simply and quantitatively to the charge density in the layer. In order to compare these MOOSCAP results with metal–oxide–silicon (MOS) TCAD, we performed 3-D TCAD simulations of a MOS structure where the p-Si layer is used to approximate the properties of an OS such as arylamino–PPV. In this MOS structure the polarization charge layer is approximated as a sheet charge at the p-Si/SiO2 interface. This comparison signifies that hysteresis effects in a MOOSCAP structure can be estimated reasonably using TCAD simulations of the MOS structure.
Executive compensation in internet‐related businesses

This article discusses the pay packages of executive officers at internetrelated business. Generally, the executives’ total compensation include salary, bonuses, commissions, stock options, and other financial compensation, such as forgiveness of loans, automobile expenses, etc. The 70 to 80 percent of the CEOs’ compensations are from gains of exercising stocks. In this tumbling market, shareholders are suffering the loss from the declining stock prices. However, many CEOs are still left with a mountain of wealth. Meanwhile, the board of directors also raises the stock options to retain their top talents even to those who are under‐performing. Besides CEOs’ compensations, we will also compare the CEO pay with non‐CEO pay packages. The CEOs compensations are still the highest. Furthermore, the average CEO made 42 times the average hourly worker’s pay in 1980, 85 times in 1990, and a staggering 531 times in 2000. Many shareholders are against these out of control pay packages. We conclude that it is time to review the process of determining the CEOs compensation, and that the significant presence of pay‐by‐performance should be taken into account in any examination of the practice and regulation of corporate governance.
Speaker race identification from acoustic cues in the vocal signal.

One-second acoustic samples were extracted from the mid-portion of sustained /a/ vowels produced by 50 black and 50 white adult males. Each vowel sample from a black subject was randomly paired wit...
Selection of antibody epitopes in an immunopathogenic neural autoantigen.

Abstract Results with two well-characterized self-antigens, cytochrome c and myelin basic protein, have led to differing opinions regarding the predominant specificities of autoantibodies, whether regions of sequence diversity or ‘structurally inherent features’ of a protein determine favored antigenic sites. To further examine this question, 16 antibody epitopes have been mapped on a highly immunopathogenic autoantigen, retinal S-antigen (S-Ag). The epitopes were charactrized for: (1) sequence diversity and cross-reactivity on S-antigens from several species; (2) conformational dependency; and (3) probability of their occurrence on the surface of S-antigen. A single C-terminal region containing sequence diversity was most frequently recognized, but no evidence for recognition of any other regions of sequence diversity was found. Thirteen of 16 monoclonal antibodies raised to native SAg bound epitopes strongly predicted to be on the surface of S-antigen. Conversely, only one of six antibody preparations raised to peptides or affinity-purified on peptides was found to recognize an epitope predicted to be on the surface, suggesting a good correlation between specificity for conformation-dependent sites and surface probability based on the surface prediction algorithm. Three of these six antibodies which preferred denatured epitopes bound sites which overlapped or coincided with T cell sites; two of these T cell sites are immunopathogenic. The epitopes recognized on denatured antigen and peptides were similar whether the antibodies were elicited with intact human or bovine S-antigen or with cyanogen bromide-cleaved peptides. Our data suggests that in the case of S-antigen, structural features are more significant factors in epitope selection than sequence diversity.
Specific muscle contacts induce increased transmitter release and neuritic arborization in motoneuronal cultures.

Identified buccal motoneuron 19 (B19), isolated from the nervous system of Helisoma and plated into cell culture, is selective in synapse formation and requires contact with appropriate muscle targets before acquiring secretory competence. Action potential-regulated transmitter release was elevated specifically at neuritic arbors in contact with appropriate muscle fibers. In contrast, contact between B19 and inappropriate muscle targets failed to induce changes in presynaptic secretory properties. Spontaneous transmitter release rate was elevated globally across neuritic arbors of B19 in appropriate muscle cocultures, including arbors without direct muscle contact. In addition, dual contacts formed between B19 and two different muscle targets resulted in significant elevations in excitation-secretion coupling only at neuritic sites of appropriate muscle contact and not at sites of contact with mismatched targets. Image analyses of presynaptic neuronal architecture revealed that appropriate, but not novel, muscle targets elicited increased arborization of neurites at sites of neuron-muscle contact. In contrast to results with neuron B19, secretory properties of buccal neuron 5 (B5), a neuron capable of forming inappropriate chemical synapses with a number of novel targets in culture, were not enhanced by inappropriate muscle contact. We conclude that muscle targets vary in their ability to induce presynaptic modifications (e.g., excitation-secretion coupling, spontaneous transmitter release, and neuritic arborization) in identified motoneurons of Helisoma. These results imply that separate molecular pathways exist which control each of these events during synaptic differentiation. The differential potency of muscle targets for induction of presynaptic changes indicates the existence of a cellular mechanism of target recognition. We hypothesize that such a mechanism underlies the ability of neuron B19 to discriminate between potential postsynaptic partners in cell culture.
Underwater Women in Shakespeare Films

In his paper, "Underwater Women in Shakespeare Films," Charles Ross looks at the film tradition of representing the social oppression of women by scenes submersion, a trope that has its literary roots in the classics, the French Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the novel. Ross argues that unlike classic directors such as Kurosawa, Kozintsev, and Polanski, modern filmmakers not only like to enhance the female body, but also to draw on this trope as a cinematic shorthand to symbolize the oppression of women by various forces. Hollywood films made in the 1990s often go overboard in their attempts to make women wet in the movies. Jane Campion's The Piano probably influenced Kenneth Branagh and Michael Almereyda, which soak Ophelia perhaps more than is necessary. Despite pandering to his audience, Baz Luhrmann obtains some significant effects by putting both Romeo and Juliet underwater, while Julie Taymor's Titus also uses and overcomes the convention. Charles Ross, "Underwater Women in Shakespeare Films" page 2 of 14 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 6.1 (2004):
High-Pressure Liquid Chromatographic Assay of Theophylline in Dog Feces following Oral Administration of Sustained-Release Products

A solid-phase-extraction reversed-phase HPLC assay is described for the determination of theophylline embedded in dog feces as powder, sustained-release tablets, or capsules. The feces is extracted with 5% isopropyl alcohol in chloroform in the presence of β-hydroxypropyl-theophylline as the internal standard. Separation and quantitation are achieved with a C18 analytical column. UV absorbance is monitored at 280 nm. Recovery of theophylline was >50%. The assay is linear between 10 and 400 mg amounts of theophylline in 50 g of feces. Inter- and intraday coefficients of variation of the chromatographic assay were <3%, and the extraction procedure was highly reproducible with coefficients of variation of <10% at amounts of drug from 10 to 400 mg. By keeping the stool/solvent extraction ratio constant, the method is equally effective in extracting theophylline from different sizes of stool samples (50 versus g of stool). The assay was applied to evaluate the theophylline content in feces following oral administration of the drug to dogs as tablet (Theo-Dur) and capsule (Slo-Bid) dosage forms. The resulting fecal recovery values of each product were inversely related to the corresponding bioavailability values obtained from the literature.
Immunochemical studies on albuminoid.

Albuminoid of the adult lens contains in addition to “insolubilized” α-crystallin, pre-α β- and γ-crystallins. There is a difference in their quantitative distribution among the cortical and nuclear albuminoid. The latter contains more of the β- and γ-antigens. In both, α-crystallin is the major constituent. Cross-absorption or immunodiffusion tests did not reveal loss of antigenic determinants present in lens crystallins or appearance of new determinants in albuminoid. Albuminoid formation thus appears to be a progressive process that starts with conformational changes of α-crystallin (possibly together with one of the β and/or pre-α molecules). The “insolubilization” in time involves to varying degrees the majority, if not all, lens crystallins.
Traumatic brain injury and sleep disturbance: a review of current research.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the current literature regarding the significant prevalence and potential consequences of sleep disturbance following traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly mild TBI. DESIGN: PubMed and Ovid/MEDLINE databases were searched by using key words "sleep disturbance," "insomnia," "TBI," "brain injury," and "circadian rhythms." Additional sources (eg, abstracts from the annual Associated Professional Sleep Societies meeting) were also reviewed. RESULTS: Sequelae of TBI include both medical and psychiatric symptoms and frequent complaints of sleep disturbance. Sleep disturbance likely result from and contribute to multiple factors associated with the injury, all of which complicate recovery and resolution of symptoms. Interestingly, research now seems to indicate that mild TBI may be more correlated with increased likelihood of sleep disturbance than are severe forms of TBI. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep disturbance is a common consequence of TBI, but much more research is required to elucidate the nature and extent of this relation. Research needs to focus on (1) uncovering the specific types, causes, and severity of TBI that most often lead to sleep problems; (2) the specific consequences of sleep disturbance in this population (eg, impaired physical or cognitive recovery); and (3) the most effective strategies for the treatment of sleep-wake abnormalities in this population. Language: en
Does physical therapy still have a place in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis

Purpose of reviewTo review studies of various physical therapy programs in ankylosing spondylitis and identify their benefits and potential indications in the treatment of this disease.Recent findingsVarious exercise and physical therapy programs have been evaluated in clinical studies. Home exercis
Optimizing discrimination-efficiency tradeoff in integrating heterogeneous local features for object detection

A large variety of image features has been invented for detection of objects of a known class. We propose a framework to optimize the discrimination-efficiency tradeoff in integrating multiple, heterogeneous features for object detection. Cascade structured detectors are learned by boosting local feature based weak classifiers. Each weak classifier corresponds to a local image region, from which several different types of features are extracted. The weak classifier makes predictions by examining the features one by one; this classifier goes to the next feature only when the prediction from the already examined features is not confident enough. The order in which the features are evaluated is determined based on their computational cost normalized classification powers. We apply our approach to two object classes, pedestrians and cars. The experimental results show that our approach outperforms the state-of-the-art methods.
Covalent modification of a metal-organic framework with isocyanates: probing substrate scope and reactivity.

Isoreticular metal–organic framework-3 (IRMOF-3) has been postsynthetically modified with isocyanates to generate unprecedented, microporous urea-functionalized frameworks.
Mother-infant bedsharing is associated with an increase in infant heart rate.

Objectives: We hypothesized that mother-infant bed sharing, compared to solitary sleeping, would be associated with higher infant heart rates. The objective was to compare infant heart rates between the 2 environments and, secondarily, to test for relationships between heart rate and other, previously reported, differences in the same infants. Design: Heart rate was measured in 15 infants over a bed-sharing night and a solitary-sleeping night. Eight of the 15 infants routinely bed shared with the mother at home; the other 7 routinely slept in a room alone. Setting: The Sleep Disorders Center, University of California, Irvine Medical Center. Participants: Fifteen mother-infant pairs who met criteria for routinely bed sharing or sleeping solitarily. All were healthy, and infants were more than 38 weeks gestation at birth and 11 to 15 weeks old at the time of the study. Interventions: None. Results: Analysis of variance indicated that, irrespective of routine sleeping condition, heart rate was lower during solitary sleeping than during bed sharing in all sleep stages. Significant regressions were found with infant temperature. Heart-rate variability was higher during solitary sleeping than during bed sharing (both routine groups) in stages 1 and 2 and rapid eye movement sleep, but only stages 1 and 2 sleep effects were independent of basal heart rate. Conclusions: Infant heart rate is affected by the mother's presence in the sleep environment. The increase in sympathetic activity in stages 3 and 4 and rapid eye movement sleep might be partly explained by differences in thermoregulation between bed-sharing and solitary-sleeping environments. These results support the notion that sensory differences between bed-sharing and solitary-sleeping environments account for some of the physiologic differences between infant sleep in the 2 sleeping conditions.
Summer Distribution and Status of the Bats of Prince Edward Island, Canada

Abstract The distribution and status of the bats of Prince Edward Island (PEI) is largely unknown. We addressed this information gap by compiling records from museums and published documents, and surveying for bats with traps and ultrasonic detectors during the summers of 2004 and 2005. Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat) and M. septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat) were the most abundant and widespread species of bats on the island. These species form maternity colonies, but the potential for there to be large natural hibernacula on the island is considered low. Lasiurus cinereus (Hoary Bat) is the only other species of bat that has been recorded on PEI, but its occurrence is rare. Diversity and abundance of bats on PEI may be limited by its northern insular geography, patchy distribution of forested areas, and lack of hibernacula. These limitations make protecting such resources on PEI and in neighboring provinces important for conserving the region's bat fauna.
The FindMe approach to assisted browsing

While the explosion of online information has introduced new opportunities for finding and using electronic data, it has also underscored the problem of isolating useful information and making sense of large, multidimensional information spaces. In response to this problem, we have developed an approach to building data tour guides, called FindMe systems. These programs know enough about an information space to help users navigate through it, making sure they not only come away with useful information but also insights into the structure of the information space itself. In these systems, we have combined the idea of instance-based browsing, which involves structuring retrieval around the critiquing of previously retrieved examples, and retrieval strategies, or knowledge-based heuristics for finding relevant information. This article illustrates these techniques with examples of working FindMe systems, and describes the similarities and differences between them. FindMe tour guides help users to select the perfect car, movie, restaurant, stereo or apartment on the World Wide Web.
Carotid Black Blood MRI Burden of Atherosclerotic Disease Assessment Correlates with Ultrasound Intima-Media Thickness

The aim of this study was to correlate carotid black blood MRI based measurements with those obtained by ultrasound intima-media thickness (IMT). Seventeen patients with intermediate to high Framingham cardiovascular risk score underwent both carotid ultrasound and rapid extended coverage double inversion recovery black blood carotid MRI. Overall, there was good correlation between wall area, wall thickness, and plaque index measured by MRI and the IMT measurements obtained from the ultrasound images (max r2 = 0.72, p or = 1.2 mm had significantly higher values of wall area, plaque index and wall thickness compared to patients with mean IMT < 1.2 mm. Vessel wall measurements assessed by black-blood MRI may be potentially used clinically to evaluate plaque progression and regression.
Improving efficiency of human pluripotent stem cell differentiation platforms using an integrated experimental and computational approach.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have an unparalleled potential for tissue engineering applications including regenerative therapies and in vitro cell-based models for studying normal and diseased tissue morphogenesis, or drug and toxicological screens. While numerous hPSC differentiation methods have been developed to generate various somatic cell types, the potential of hPSC-based technologies is hinged on the ability to translate these established lab-scale differentiation systems to large-scale processes to meet the industrial and clinical demands for these somatic cell types. Here, we demonstrate a strategy for investigating the efficiency and scalability of hPSC differentiation platforms. Using two previously reported epithelial differentiation systems as models, we fit an ODE-based kinetic model to data representing dynamics of various cell subpopulations present in our culture. This fit was performed by estimating rate constants of each cell subpopulation's cell fate decisions (self-renewal, differentiation, death). Sensitivity analyses on predicted rate constants indicated which cell fate decisions had the greatest impact on overall epithelial cell yield in each differentiation process. In addition, we found that the final cell yield was limited by the self-renewal rate of either the progenitor state or the final differentiated state, depending on the differentiation protocol. Also, the relative impact of these cell fate decision rates was highly dependent on the maximum capacity of the cell culture system. Overall, we outline a novel approach for quantitative analysis of established laboratory-scale hPSC differentiation systems and this approach may ease development to produce large quantities of cells for tissue engineering applications. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013;110: 3024–3037. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Interactions of Host Proteins with the Murine Leukemia Virus Integrase

Retroviral infections cause a variety of cancers in animals and a number of diverse diseases in humans such as leukemia and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Productive and efficient proviral integration is critical for retroviral function and is the key step in establishing a stable and productive infection, as well as the mechanism by which host genes are activated in leukemogenesis. Host factors are widely anticipated to be involved in all stages of the retroviral life cycle, and the identification of integrase interacting factors has the potential to increase our understanding of mechanisms by which the incoming virus might appropriate cellular proteins to target and capture host DNA sequences. Identification of MoMLV integrase interacting host factors may be key to designing efficient and benign retroviral-based gene therapy vectors; key to understanding the basic mechanism of integration; and key in designing efficient integrase inhibitors. In this review, we discuss current progress in the field of MoMLV integrase interacting proteins and possible roles for these proteins in integration.
Contingent Coordination Practical and Theoretical Puzzles for Homeland Security

The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks stunned Americans. They also created new and unprecedented challenges for public administration, in theory and practice. A careful look at these challenges, however, reveals a familiar core: At its foundation, homeland security is about one of public administration's oldest puzzles—coordination. Although the field has a great deal to say about solving this puzzle, homeland security introduces new and especially difficult dimensions: matching place-based problems with functionally organized services; defining and achieving a minimum level of protection that all citizens ought to receive; building a reliable learning system for problems that, with luck, occur only rarely; balancing the new homeland security mission with existing missions that remain important; and meeting citizens' expectations in a fragmented governance system. These challenges demand a new, more effective system of contingent coordination, one that flexibly develops and matches government's capaci...
Mitochondria and Reactive Oxygen Species: An Evolution in Function

See related article, pages 354–362 Mitochondria are traditionally known as the energy generating centers of cells. Electron flux through the mitochondrial respiratory chain, an organized sequence of complex enzymes, hyperpolarizes the inner membrane, extruding newly generated ATP into the cytoplasm. An evolving paradigm shift has occurred in our understanding of mitochondrial function with the relatively recent observation that mitochondria are critical for the initiation of cellular apoptosis through release of cytochrome C.1 Mitochondria are also responsible for generation of substantial amounts of superoxide caused by electron leakage from the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated from mitochondria have been implicated in various forms of cell signaling in the vasculature.2 Once thought to be a toxic byproduct of cellular metabolism, ROS including superoxide and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) also participate in a large variety of vascular cell signaling processes including activation of eNOS3 and stimulation of cell growth and migration4 through modulation of intracellular calcium,5 and activation of transcription factors such as NF-κB6 and protein kinases including ERK, p38MAPK, and Akt.7,8 Thus, physiological levels of ROS may be responsible for regulation of vascular tone9,10 and for stimulation of cell growth and migration.4 The discovery that mitochondrial function extends beyond ATP generation and that ROS may be key mediators of cellular physiology and pathology has opened new research vistas in vascular biology. Because mitochondria are responsible for the majority of ROS generated in most cells,11 linking mitochondrial respiration with ROS effects on cellular function is logical. Indeed excess release of mitochondrial oxidants has been implicated in the etiology of a host of pathologies including Alzheimer disease,12 degenerative changes in aging,13 Parkinson Disease,14 and type 2 diabetes.15 Less intense mitochondrial ROS generation has been …
Effects of Annealing on the Microstructure and Phase Chemistry of Directionally Solidified Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8

The effects of annealing on the microstructure and phase chemistry of directionally solidified Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 (2212) were studied. Boules grown at fast growth rates are multiphase, contain no 2212, and exhibit some preferred orientation; Sr-deficient 2201 exhibits a (220) texture. These samples, however, do show a significant amount of 2212 after annealing, with (220) texture similar to the texture of the preexisting 2201 phase in the as-grown boules. In contrast, 2212 grown directly from the melt at slow growth rates has (200) texture. Boules grown at moderate growth rates are multiphase and contain 2212 as one of the phases; these boules show an increase in 2212 volume fraction after annealing. Microstructural observations in both cases indicate solidstate formation of 2212 occurs topotactically on or within the preexisting 2201 phase. Boules grown at fast growth rates are oxygen-deficient, since they show an increase in mass with annealing, whereas boules grown at moderate growth rates show no appreciable mass increase with annealing. An estimate of the Cu(I) concentration in the liquid zone during crystal growth at fast growth rates was obtained from gravimetric analysis.
Voices from captivity : interpreting the American POW narrative

Popularized by books and films like Andersonville, The Great Escape, and The Hanoi Hilton and recounted in innumerable postwar memoirs, the POW story holds a special place in American culture. Robert Doyle shows that, though setting and circumstance may change, POW stories share a common structure and are driven by remarkably similar themes. His study illustrates the timelessness of the POW story and shows why it has retained such enormous power to move and instruct us.
Project Management in Audit Staff Scheduling

Audit staff scheduling is an integral part of audit planning and control. It is also a very important part of the audit planning and control process due to the desire of the management to control auditing costs, plan the impacted time of the auditors efficiently, and meet the clients’ deadlines. In fact, efficient audit scheduling can be used to set these deadlines based on the audit or accounting firm’s capacity. Through efficient scheduling audit firms can determine the load and schedule of every auditor, over time requirements, travel schedules and costs, and can respond to changes in the information set (input data) easily.