cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is There an Optimal Corticosteroid Regimen for the Management of an Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Systemic corticosteroids are standard of care for the management of an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Several prospective, randomized trials demonstrated modest improvements in patient outcomes when short courses of systemic corticosteroids were used. However, the most appropriate dosage regimen remains controversial, as the corticosteroid regimens used in these trials differed greatly, and no studies have directly compared medium-, high-, and low-dose regimens. In addition, data are lacking on the safety, efficacy, and appropriate dosing of systemic corticosteroids in women and in patients with an acute exacerbation of COPD and concomitant pneumonia or severe respiratory failure. Systemic corticosteroid use is associated with several adverse effects that are dose and/or duration dependent. Evidence suggests that higher dose corticosteroid regimens may place patients at increased short-term and long-term risk, without additional clinical benefit. Tapering of systemic corticosteroid regimens, although a common practice, is unnecessary in most circumstances. The risk for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis suppression is negligible when low-dose, short-course corticosteroid regimens are used, and no evidence exists to suggest that abruptly stopping a low-dose steroid regimen will increase the risk of disease relapse. Still, no studies have directly compared tapered and non-tapered regimens in patients with an acute exacerbation of COPD. Consistent with clinical guideline recommendations, safety and efficacy data support the use of low-dose corticosteroid regimens such as prednisone 40 mg orally once/day for 10-14 days in most patients with an acute exacerbation of COPD. Further studies are needed to clarify the optimal systemic corticosteroid regimen for an acute exacerbation of COPD.
Color processing in camera phones: How good does it need to be?

As the fastest-growing consumer electronics device in history, the camera phone has evolved from a toy into a real camera that competes with the compact digital camera in image quality. Due to severe constraints in cost and size, one key question that remains unanswered for camera phones is: how good does the image quality need to be so that resource can be allocated most efficiently. In this paper, we have tried to find the color processing tolerance through a study of 24 digital cameras from six manufacturers under five different light sources. We measured both the inter-brand (across manufacturers) and intra-brand (within manufacturers) mean and standard deviation for white balance and color reproduction. The white balance results showed that most cameras didn’t follow the complete white balance model. The difference between the captured white patch and the display white point increased when the correlated color temperature (CCT) of the illuminant was further away from 6500K. The standard deviation of the red/green and blue/green ratios for the white patch also increased when the illuminant was further away from 6500K. The color reproduction results revealed a similar trend for the inter-brand and intra-brand chromatic difference of the color patches. The average inter-brand chromatic difference increased from 3.87 ΔE units for the Δ65 light (6500K) to 10.13 ΔE units for the Horizon light (2300K).
Computerized Adaptive and Fixed-Item Versions of the Ited Vocabulary Subtest

The purposes of this study were: (a) to compare the reliability, concurrent validity, and efficiency of scores derived from computerized adaptive and fixed-item versions of the vocabulary subtest from the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED), and (b) to evaluate examinees' attitudes toward the tests. One-hundred and sixty-five college students were randomly assigned to take either an adaptive (n = 82) or fixed-item (n = 83) vocabulary test. Self-reported college grade point average, verbal self-concept scores, and vocabulary self-efficacy scores served as criterion variables in the concurrent validity analysis. Results indicated that the adaptive test at 13 items provided higher levels of reliability and concurrent validity than the fixed-item tests at 40 items. Examinees expressed favorable attitudes about the computerized tests' visual displays, directions, and practice items but unfavorable attitudes about the exclusion of review and skip options. They also preferred computerized over paper-and...
Changes in neuron number and size and glia number in the young, adult, and aging rat medial occipital cortex.

We previously reported changes in the Long-Evans, male rat cerebral cortical thickness as a function of age between birth and 650 days of age [Diamond, M. C., Johnson, R. E., and Ingham, C. (1975). Behav. Biol. 14 , 163–174]. On the adjacent celloidin-embedded sections from the 26-, 41-, 108-, and 650-day age groups in that study, cell counts and measurements were taken in the present study. Neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes were counted in the medial occipital cortex sectioned at the level of the posterior commissure. In addition, comparisons were made between neuron density as a function of age in the upper and lower halves of the cortical samples. The greatest decrease in density in both neuron and astrocytes and oligodendrocytes occurs before 108 days of age, with a nonsignificant density decrease after this time until 650 days of age. The lower cortical layers indicate a greater decrease in density before 108 days of age than do the upper layers. The area of the perikarya and nuclei decreases significantly before 108 days of age but not between 108 and 650 days of age. These cell counts and neuron size measurements offer encouraging results regarding the aging mammalian cortex of an animal living in a standard laboratory environment.
Gender Differences in the Social Problem-Solving Performance of Adolescents.

Compared to other cognitive measures, social problem solving has received little attention in research on gender differences. In the present study, the Means-Ends Problem-Solving Procedure and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) were administered to 207 adolescents to examine social problem-solving skills as a function of subject gender, PAQ type, and gender of protagonist. Hypotheses were that superior problem solving would occur (a) for androgynous and masculine PAQ types and (b) when subject gender and/or PAQ type corresponded with protagonist gender. Results failed to corroborate these patterns, but indicated a clear overall advantage for females over males. A follow-up multiple-regression analysis showed this effect to be stable after controlling for English level. In a supplementary analysis, PAQ breakdowns were compared for the present sample and for one tested in a different region seven years earlier. Overall, the research findings imply that fewer adolescents today are likely to identify with traditional feminine roles, and that sex-related personality traits have, in general, a relatively limited impact on social problem-solving skills.
Effects of Nitrogen on Temporal and Spatial Patterns of Nitrate in Streams and Soil Solution of a Central Hardwood Forest

This study examined changes in stream and soil water N O 3 − and their relationship to temporal and spatial patterns of N O 3 − in soil solution of watersheds at the Fernow Experimental Forest, West Virginia. Following tenfold increases in stream N O 3 − concentrations over a 13-year period (1969–1981) on untreated WS4, concentrations have declined through 2006. Following fourfold increases in stream N O 3 − on treatment WS3 from pretreatment levels to a 1998 maximum, concentrations have declined through 2006, despite additions of N. Concentrations of soil water N O 3 − were consistently lower for WS4 compared to WS3. Data for soil water N O 3 − on WS3 versus WS4 followed patterns of net mineralization and nitrification for these watersheds. Nitrogen additions to WS3 decreased spatial heterogeneity of N processing, which was largest in the pretreatment year and decreased significantly to a minimum by 2000-2001. Concurrently, soil water N O 3 − increased on WS3 from 1.3 mg N O 3 − -N L −1 in pretreatment 1989 to a maximum of 6.4 mg N O 3 − -N L −1 in 2001. Spatial heterogeneity in soil water N O 3 − on WS4 remained high during this period. Data suggest that temporal patterns of stream N O 3 − may be influenced by spatial heterogeneity of watershed processes which vary over time in response to N availability.
Precipitation of NiMo in a Ni-Mo base alloy

A study, using electron microscopy and diffraction techniques, was made to characterize a minor second phase present in a corrosion resistant Ni-Mo base alloy (Hastelloy alloy B containing 27.8 wt% Mo and less than 0.002 wt% C. The effect of second phase distribution in the microstructure on tensile properties and corrosion resistance was determined. The only second phase that could be identified by electron diffraction was found to be the intermetallic NiMo δ phase. It was found that during aging of previously solution treated material, selected grain boundary segments migrate and leave behind NiMo particles. This grain boundary reaction was found to have no detrimental effect on ductility and corrosion resistance.
Children's Artistic Creativity Effects of Choice in Task Materials

Preschool boys and girls made collages using a subset of a large array of materials. Half of the children were allowed to choose those materials they would use. For the rest of the children, the choice was made by the experimenter. Children in the no-choice condition were yoked to those in the choice condition by the specific materials they were given. The collages made by children given a choice of materials were judged by a group of artists as significantly higher in creativity than those made by children given no choice. These results support the hypothesis that unconstrained choice in task approach can be conducive to creativity, whereas constrained choice can be detrimental.
Tumor necrosis factor alpha stimulates cathepsin K and V activity via juxtacrine monocyte-endothelial cell signaling and JNK activation.

Inflammation and damage promote monocyte adhesion to endothelium and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Elevated inflammation and increased monocyte–endothelial cell interactions represent the initial stages of vascular remodeling associated with a multitude of CVDs. Cathepsins are proteases produced by both cell types that degrade elastin and collagen in arterial walls, and are upregulated in CVD. We hypothesized that the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and monocyte binding would stimulate cathepsins K and V expression and activity in endothelial cells that may be responsible for initiating local proteolysis during CVD. Confluent human aortic endothelial cells were stimulated with TNFα or THP-1 monocyte co-cultures, and multiplex cathepsin zymography was used to detect changes in levels of active cathepsins K, L, S, and V. Direct monocyte–endothelial cell co-cultures stimulated with TNFα generated maximally observed cathepsin K and V activities compared to either cell type alone (n = 3, p < 0.05) by a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent manner. Inhibition of JNK with SP6000125 blocked upregulation of cathepsin K activity by 49 % and cathepsin V by 81 % in endothelial cells. Together, these data show that inflammatory cues and monocyte–endothelial cell interactions upregulate cathepsin activity via JNK signaling axis and identify a new mechanism to target toward slowing the earliest stages of tissue remodeling in CVD.
Radiochemical purification of bacteriophage lambda integrase.

BACTERIOPHAGE λ has evolved a highly specific mechanism by which it integrates its DNA into the E. coli genome. The product of the lambda gene int, which I call integrase, mediates the insertion of the phage DNA at specific attachment sites on both the phage and host genomes1–3. A non-enzymatic method by which integrase can be identified in infected cells has been described previously4,5. It depends on the observation that in cells which have been heavily irradiated with ultraviolet light before infection with phage λ, synthesis of host proteins and most phage proteins is markedly depressed6. Under these conditions a high percentage of labelled amino acids is incorporated into phage-specific proteins including integrase. Using a differential labelling technique, integrase is identified by means of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) gel electrophoresis as the only protein species eliminated by a nonsense (chain-terminating) mutation in the int gene.
Dendritic cells play a role in host susceptibility to Cryptosporidium parvum infection.

Abstract Our previous studies have described dendritic cells (DCs) to be important sources of Th1 cytokines such as IL-12 and IL-2 in vitro , following stimulation with Cryptosporidium parvum antigens. We further established the role of DCs during cryptosporidiosis using a diphtheria toxin promoter regulated transgenic CD11c-DTR/EGFP mouse model. In vivo depletion of CD11c + cells in CD11c-DTR-Tg mice significantly increased susceptibility to C. parvum infection. Adoptive transfer of unstimulated or antigen stimulated DCs into CD11c + depleted CD11c-DTR-Tg mice resulted in an early decrease in parasite load at 4 days post infection. However, this response was transient since parasite load increased in mice engrafted with either unstimulated DCs or DCs stimulated with solubilized antigen by 6 days post infection. In contrast, in mice engrafted with DCs stimulated with live sporozoites, parasite load remained low during the entire period, suggesting the development of a more effective and sustained response. A corresponding increase in IFN-γ expression in T cells from spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes was also noted. Consistent with the in vivo engraftment study, DCs that are pulsed with live sporozoites in vitro and co-cultured with CD4 + and CD8 + T cells produced higher IFN-γ levels. Our study establishes the importance of DCs in susceptibility to infection by C. parvum and as important mediators of immune responses.
The enzymatic synthesis of cytidine monophospho-2-keto-3-deoxy-octonate

Abstract The accompanying paper (Heath and Ghalambor, 1963) presents evidence for the occurrence of 2-keto-3-deoxy-octonate (KDO) as a glycosidically bound constituent in preparations of cell wall lipopolysaccharide (LPS) obtained from Escherichia coli 0111-B4. The purpose of this paper is to report the biosynthesis of cytidine monophospho-KDO (CMP-KDO) by an enzyme purified from this organism.
Observation of near‐podal P′P′ precursors: Evidence for back scattering from the 150–220 km zone in the Earth's upper mantle

[1] P′P′ (PKPPKP) are P waves that travel from a hypocenter through the Earth's core, reflect from the free surface and travel back through the core to a recording station on the surface. Here we report the observations of hitherto unobserved near-podal P′P′ waves (at epicentral distance <10°) and very prominent precursors preceding the main energy by as much as 60 s. We interpret these precursors as a back-scattered energy from horizontally connected small-scale heterogeneity in the upper mantle beneath the oceans in a zone between 150 and 220 km depth beneath the Earth's surface. From these observations, we identify a frequency dependence of attenuation quality factor Q in the lithosphere through forward modeling of the observed amplitude spectra of the main and back-scattered P′P′ waves.
The Inverse Commutant Lifting Problem. I: Coordinate-Free Formalism

It is known that the set of all solutions of a commutant lifting and other interpolation problems admits a Redheffer linear-fractional parametrization. The method of unitary coupling identifies solutions of the lifting problem with minimal unitary extensions of a partially defined isometry constructed explicitly from the problem data. A special role is played by a particular unitary extension, called the central or universal unitary extension. The coefficient matrix for the Redheffer linear-fractional map has a simple expression in terms of the universal unitary extension. The universal unitary extension can be seen as a unitary coupling of four unitary operators (two bilateral shift operators together with two unitary operators coming from the problem data) which has special geometric structure. We use this special geometric structure to obtain an inverse theorem (Theorem 8.4) which characterizes the coefficient matrices for a Redheffer linear-fractional map arising in this way from a lifting problem. The main tool is the formalism of unitary scattering systems developed in Boiko et al. (Operator theory, system theory and related topics (Beer-Sheva/Rehovot 1997), pp. 89–138, 2001) and Kheifets (Interpolation theory, systems theory and related topics, pp. 287–317, 2002)
Olfactory assays for mouse models of neurodegenerative disease.

In many neurodegenerative diseases and particularly in Parkinson’s disease, deficits in olfaction are reported to occur early in the disease process and may be a useful behavioral marker for early detection. Earlier detection in neurodegenerative disease is a major goal in the field because this is when neuroprotective therapies have the best potential to be effective. Therefore, in preclinical studies testing novel neuroprotective strategies in rodent models of neurodegenerative disease, olfactory assessment could be highly useful in determining therapeutic potential of compounds and translation to the clinic. In the present study we describe a battery of olfactory assays that are useful in measuring olfactory function in mice. The tests presented in this study were chosen because they measure olfaction abilities in mice related to food odors, social odors, and non-social odors. These tests have proven useful in characterizing novel genetic mouse models of Parkinson’s disease as well as in testing potential disease-modifying therapies.
Respiration and EEG Synchronization in the Frog

The correlation between respiration and the rhythmic EEG waves seems to be a result of stimulation of the olfactory system by the inflow of air.
Ataxin 1, a SCA1 neurodegenerative disorder protein, is functionally linked to the silencing mediator of retinoid and thyroid hormone receptors

Ataxin 1 (Atx1) is a foci-forming polyglutamine protein of unknown function, whose mutant form causes type 1 spinocerebellar ataxia in humans and exerts neurotoxicity in transgenic mouse and fly expressing mutant Atx1. In this study, we demonstrate that Atx1 interacts with the transcriptional corepressor SMRT (silencing mediator of retinoid and thyroid hormone receptors) and with histone deacetylase 3. Atx1 binds chromosomes and mediates transcriptional repression when tethered to DNA. Interaction with SMRT-related factors is a conserved feature of Atx1, because Atx1 also binds SMRTER, a Drosophila cognate of SMRT. Significantly, mutant Atx1 forms aggregates in Drosophila, and such mutant Atx1-mediated aggregates sequester SMRTER. Consistently, the neurodegenerative eye phenotype caused by mutant Atx1 is enhanced by a Smrter mutation and, conversely, is suppressed by a chromosomal duplication that contains the wild type Smrter gene. Together, our results suggest that Atx1 is a transcriptional factor whose mutant form exerts its deleterious effects in part by perturbing corepressor-dependent transcriptional pathways.
Microcomputer support for university departments in the late 1990's: a white paper

Microcomputer support systems in university departments have grown up gradually over the past ten years. The explosion of new technologies coming in the late 1990's threatens to overwhelm these systems unless careful thought is given to how technology can be controlled, supported and managed for the greatest benefit to departments and the university as a whole. It is time for the University to take another look at the current and evolving role of computing and how it will be supported.
Moon-Mercury: Large impact structures, isostasy and average crustal viscosity

It is shown that Mercury's surface has only 70% as many large craters (of at least 200 km in diameter) as the moon. The density of Mercurian impact craters having diameters over 400 km is 30% of that of the moon, and for craters with diameters between 400 and 700 km, Mercurian density is 21% of that of the moon. The size-frequency distribution curve of Mercury is the same as the lunar cumulative -2 slope. The Mercurian curve, however, lies well below the 10% surface saturation level of the lunar curve. This may indicate that the old, heavily-cratered Mercurian terrain is not presently in a state of cratering equilibrium. The differences in crater and basin densities observed between Mercury and the moon may be functions of crater-production rates or of different crustal histories. The total isostatic compensation of impact craters having diameters of about 800 km suggests that the average viscosity of the Mercurian crust during approximately the past 4 eons was the same as that of the moon.
Flame synthesis of WO3 nanotubes and nanowires for efficient photoelectrochemical water-splitting

Abstract Tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ) is a technologically important material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting for the solar production of hydrogen fuel from water. For PEC water-splitting, high aspect ratio WO 3 nanostructures such as nanowires (NWs) and nanotubes (NTs) are superior to planar WO 3 films because they orthogonalize the directions of light absorption (along the long axis) and charge transport (across the short radius), leading to both efficient light absorption and charge carrier collection. However, PEC water-splitting requires the growth of WO 3 on delicate transparent conducting oxide (TCO) substrates that cannot tolerate high temperature processing. To date, the large-scale, rapid, economical synthesis of high aspect ratio WO 3 nanostructures on these delicate TCO substrates remains a major challenge. Previously, we synthesized WO 3 NW arrays by a rapid, atmospheric and scalable flame vapor deposition (FVD) method, in which a flame oxidizes and evaporates tungsten metal to produce tungsten oxide vapors that condense onto a colder substrate in the form of NWs. Nevertheless, at substrate temperatures low enough to ensure the health of the TCO, the growth of WO 3 NW arrays was non-uniform and sparse due to limitations of the experimental design. Herein, we significantly improve the FVD design to grow uniform and densely packed WO 3 nanostructures on TCO substrates, thereby enabling the application of these WO 3 nanostructures to PEC water-splitting. The morphology of the nanostructures varied from densely packed multi-shell NTs and single-shell NTs to NWs as we increased the substrate temperature in the range 530–700 °C. Importantly, the WO 3 NTs synthesized by FVD had higher areal number density and longer length than state-of-the-art WO 3 NW photoanodes grown by chemical vapor deposition and hydrothermal methods, resulting in stronger light absorption and superior PEC water-splitting performance. Thus, in addition to being scalable, rapid and economical, the FVD method also synthesizes materials of high quality.
Pantothenic acid deficiency and conjugation reactions in vivo. IV. Sulfanilamide acetylation and body weight.

Abstract 1. 1. A linear relation has been found between the weight of rats and the extent to which a given dose of injected sulfanilamide is acetylated. In experiments where the extent of conjugation is being used as a criterion, e.g., appraising pantothenic acid deficiency, this weight-acetylation relationship must be taken into consideration in making comparisons with animals of different weights. 2. 2. Maximal acetylation of test doses of sulfanilamide by pantothenic acid-deficient rats following intraperitoneal administration of adequate amounts of the missing vitamin can occur within 3 hr.
Regulation of cpg15 by signaling pathways that mediate synaptic plasticity.

Transcriptional activation is a key link between neuronal activity and long-term synaptic plasticity. Little is known about genes responding to this activation whose products directly effect functional and structural changes at the synapse. cpg15 is an activity-regulated gene encoding a membrane-bound ligand that regulates dendritic and axonal arbor growth and synaptic maturation. We report that cpg15 is an immediate-early gene induced by Ca2+ influx through NMDA receptors and L-type voltage-sensitive calcium channels. Activity-dependent cpg15 expression requires convergent activation of the CaM kinase and MAP kinase pathways. Although activation of PKA is not required for activity-dependent expression, cpg15 is induced by cAMP in active neurons. CREB binds the cpg15 promoter in vivo and partially regulates its activity-dependent expression. cpg15 is an effector gene that is a target for signal transduction pathways that mediate synaptic plasticity and thus may take part in an activity-regulated transcriptional program that directs long-term changes in synaptic connections.
A Multimedia Semantic Retrieval Mobile System Based on HCFGs

A multimedia semantic retrieval system based on hidden coherent feature groups (HCFGs) can support multimedia semantic retrieval on mobile applications. The system can capture the correlation between features and partition the original feature set into HCFGs, which have strong intragroup correlation while maintaining low intercorrelation. The authors present a novel, multimodel fusion scheme to effectively fuse the multimodel results and generate the final ranked retrieval results. In addition, to incorporate user interaction for effective retrieval, the proposed system also features a user feedback mechanism that helps refine the retrieval results.
Charge injection and recombination at the metal–organic interface

Abstract We consider the mechanism of charge injection from metals into amorphous organic semiconductors. By first treating charge recombination at the interface as a hopping process in the image potential, we obtain an expression for the surface recombination rate. The principle of detailed balance is then used to determine the injection current. This simple approach yields the effective Richardson constant for injection from metal to organic, and provides a means to derive the electric field dependence of thermionic injection. The result for the net current, injected minus recombination, is in agreement with a more exact treatment of the drift–diffusion equation.
National Security and Civil Liberty: Striking the Balance

After September 11, 2001, the Bush administration initiated large-scale electronic surveillance within the United States to gather intelligence to protect citizens from terrorists. Media commentary, public reaction, and classroom practices regarding this program have tended toward either-or positions: either for presidential power and national security or for judicial intervention and civil liberty. No one has proposed that at issue is a political question for Congress and the president to resolve themselves. The authors argue that congressional oversight, more than judicial review, is needed to ensure that the president, in seeking to protect the country, does not abuse executive power and jeopardize essential liberties. Teachers should emphasize separation of powers instead of checks and balances. The authors suggest related approaches for planning lessons about striking the balance between security and liberty.
Novelty shop ‘itching powder’

To evaluate causes of itch, commercial 'itching powders' were sought for evaluation. Only one product, produced in Germany and consisting of ground rose hips, is currently sold in novelty shops in the Boston area. These plant fibres appear to provoke itch and prickle sensations by non-allergic mechanical stimulation, similar to the action of wool fibres.
1310 nm differential-phase-shift QKD system using superconducting single-photon detectors*

We have implemented a differential-phase-shift (DPS) quantum key distribution (QKD) system at 1310 nm with superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs). The timing jitter of the SSPDs is very small (~60 ps) and their dark counts rate is low (<200 s−1). 1310 nm is an ideal quantum signal wavelength for a QKD system, where quantum signals coexist with classical communication signals at 1550 nm in one fiber. As the key element in the DPS QKD, a Michelson interferometer was designed and built using Faraday mirrors that can automatically compensate for the polarization evolution in the fiber. As the result, our DPS QKD system can be steadily operated at 2.5 GHz clock rate with a low quantum error rate of less than 4%.
Synthesis of bis(trimethylsilyl)amino- and (tert-butyl)(trimethylsilyl)aminoborane

Abstract The silylaminoboranes, R(Me3Si)NBH2(R=Me3Si, t-Bu), were isolated from the reaction of Me2S·BH2Br and LiNR(SiMe3). The 11B NMR spectra confirm that only the monomer exists at room temperature and possible explanations for this behavior are discussed. The compounds are thermally stable and air sensitive.
The development of basement membranes of the mouse embryo

Abstract The development of collagen and epithelial basement membranes was studied immunohistochemically in mouse embryos utilizing specific antibodies to collagen that would not react with basement membranes of epithelia and antibodies to epithelial basement membranes that would not react with collagen. An epithelial basement membrane appeared prior to the development of mesenchyme in embryos of 5–6 days of age and lay between embryonic epithelium and proximal endoderm. Collagen which was not present in the embryo at this stage appeared later; it was observed first in the walls of the aorta. A differentiating epithelial organ usually develops as a bud from a primordium and shares a common basement membrane with its progenitor. The epithelial basement membrane antigen is associated with the newly developed tissue after detachment from the parent tissue and subsequently for the life of the animal. The data are in accord with the previously established concept that epithelia synthesize their basement membranes and in addition they suggest the probability that epithelial basement membranes are chemically similar.
Reconciling lithospheric deformation and lower crustal flow beneath central Tibet: COMMENT and REPLY COMMENT

[Bendick and Flesch (2007)][1] model a band of high topography in northern Tibet (Qiangtang Bulge, [Fig. 1][2]) as caused by a high-viscosity (rigid) lower-crustal indenter present below 45 km depth (their Fig. DR4) that extends 120 km north of the Banggong-Nujiang suture (their Fig. DR3). They
Monoclonal antibody to a cancer-specific and drug-responsive hydroquinone (NADH) oxidase from the sera of cancer patients

Monoclonal antibodies were generated in mice to a 34-kDa circulating form of a drug-responsive hydroquinone (NADH) oxidase with a protein disulfide-thiol interchange activity specific to the surface of cancer cells and the sera of cancer patients. Screening used Western blots with purified 34-kDa tNOX from HeLa cells and the sera of cancer patients. Epitopes were sought that inhibited the drug-responsive oxidation of NADH with the sera of cancer patients, but which had no effect on NADH oxidation with the sera of healthy volunteers. Two such antisera were generated. One, designated monoclonal antibody (mAb) 12.1, was characterized extensively. The NADH oxidase activity inhibited by mAb 12.1 also was inhibited by the quinone site inhibitor capsaicin (8-methyl- N-vanillyl-6-noneamide). The inhibition was competitive for the drug-responsive protein disulfide-thiol interchange activity assayed either by restoration of activity to scrambled RNase or by cleavage of a dithiodipyridine substrate, and was uncompetitive for NADH oxidation. Both the mAb 12.1 and the postimmune antisera immunoprecipitated drug-responsive NOX activity and identified the same 34-kDa tNOX protein in the sera of cancer patients that was absent from sera of healthy volunteers, and was utilized as immunogen. Preimmune sera from the same mouse as the postimmune antisera was without effect. Both mouse ascites containing mAb 12.1 and postimmune sera (but not preimmune sera) slowed the growth of human cancer cell lines in culture, but did not affect the growth of non-cancerous cell lines. Immunocytochemical and histochemical findings showed that mAb 12.1 reacted with the surface membranes of human carcinoma cells and tissues.
Hybrid Routhian reduction of Lagrangian hybrid systems

This paper extends Routhian reduction to a hybrid setting, i.e., to systems that display both continuous and discrete behavior. We begin by considering a Lagrangian together with a configuration space with unilateral constraints on the set of admissible configurations. This naturally yields the notion of a hybrid Lagrangian, from which we obtain a Lagrangian hybrid system in a way analogous to the association of a Lagrangian vector field to a Lagrangian. We first give general conditions on when it is possible to reduce a cyclic Lagrangian hybrid system, and explicitly compute the reduced Lagrangian hybrid system in the case when it is obtained from a cyclic hybrid Lagrangian.
Survival Rates of Rapidly Frozen Bovine Spermatozoa

Summary Subsamples of semen from each of two ejaculates from each of 12 bulls were extended with a yolk-citrate-glycerol extender, equilibrated 5 to 6 hr. at 5° C., and placed directly in a freezing bath at temperatures of +5, 0, −5, −10, −15, −20, −25, −30, −35, and −40° C. The freezing bath was cooled at the rate of 0.8° C. per minute from +5 to −15° C., at a rate of 5° C. per minute from −15 to −40° C., and at the rate of 10° C. per minute from −40 to −75° C. The percentage of motile spermatozoa in ampules subsequently stored in a mechanical freezer at −85° C. for 60 days were, in order of decreasing temperature of the freezing bath at the time of transfer, 29, 21, 24, 27, 33, 36, 35, 35, 35, and 35. From these data it is concluded that time can be saved and a higher percentage of motile spermatozoa recovered by transferring the semen abruptly from +5° C. to a freezing bath ranging from −20 to −40° C.
Bayesian analysis of gene essentiality based on sequencing of transposon insertion libraries

Motivation: Next-generation sequencing affords an efficient analysis of transposon insertion libraries, which can be used to identify essential genes in bacteria. To analyse this high-resolution data, we present a formal Bayesian framework for estimating the posterior probability of essentiality for each gene, using the extreme-value distribution to characterize the statistical significance of the longest region lacking insertions within a gene. We describe a sampling procedure based on the Metropolis–Hastings algorithm to calculate posterior probabilities of essentiality while simultaneously integrating over unknown internal parameters. Results: Using a sequence dataset from a transposon library for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we show that this Bayesian approach predicts essential genes that correspond well with genes shown to be essential in previous studies. Furthermore, we show that by using the extreme-value distribution to characterize genomic regions lacking transposon insertions, this method is capable of identifying essential domains within genes. This approach can be used for analysing transposon libraries in other organisms and augmenting essentiality predictions with statistical confidence scores. Availability: A python script implementing the method described is available for download from http://saclab.tamu.edu/essentiality/. Contact:michael.dejesus@tamu.edu or ioerger@cs.tamu.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Timing of umbilical cord clamping: effect on iron endowment of the newborn and later iron status

The optimal timing of umbilical cord clamping has been debated in the scientific literature for at least the last century, when cord clamping practices shifted from delayed towards immediate clamping. Recent research provides evidence for the beneficial effect of delayed cord clamping on infant iron status. The present review describes the physiological basis for the impact of cord clamping time on total body iron at birth and the relationship between birth body iron, as affected by cord clamping time, and iron status later in infancy. This research is discussed in the context of current clamping practices, which tend towards early cord clamping in most settings, as well as the high levels of anemia present in young infants in many countries worldwide.
Multiset rewriting and the complexity of bounded security protocols

We formalize the Dolev-Yao model of security protocols, using a notation based on multiset rewriting with existentials. The goals are to provide a simple formal notation for describing security protocols, to formalize the assumptions of the Dolev-Yao model using this notation, and to analyze the complexity of the secrecy problem under various restrictions. We prove that, even for the case where we restrict the size of messages and the depth of message encryption, the secrecy problem is undecidable for the case of an unrestricted number of protocol roles and an unbounded number of new nonces. We also identify several decidable classes, including a DEXP-complete class when the number of nonces is restricted, and an NP-complete class when both the number of nonces and the number of roles is restricted. We point out a remaining open complexity problem, and discuss the implications these results have on the general topic of protocol analysis.
Policy Punctuations in American Political Institutions

Political institutions translate inputs—in the form of changed preferences, new participants, new information, or sudden attention to previously available information—into policy outputs. In the process they impose costs on this translation, and these costs increase institutional friction. We argue that the “friction” in political institutions leads not to consistent “gridlock” but to long periods of stasis interspersed with dramatic policy punctuations. As political institutions add costs to the translation of inputs into outputs, institutional friction will increase, and outputs from the process will become increasingly punctuated overall. We use a stochastic process approach to compare the extent of punctuations among 15 data sets that assess change in U.S. government budgets, in a variety of aspects of the public policy process, in election results, and in stock market returns in the United States. We find that all of these distributions display positive kurtosis—tall central peaks (representing considerable stability) and heavy tails (reflecting the punctuations, both positive and negative). When we order institutions according to the costs they impose on collective action, those with higher decision and transaction costs generate more positive kurtosis. Direct parameter estimates indicate that all distributions except budget data were best fit by the double-exponential probability distribution; budgets are Paretian.This project was funded by the Political Science Program of the National Science Foundation, Award SES9904700. We appreciate the support of Frank Scioli, the program officer, and various political science program directors. We benefited from comments by Frank Baumgartner, John Brehm, Chris Mackie, Peter John, John Padgett, Bat Sparrow, Jim True and John Wilkerson.
Neostigmine for acute colonic pseudo-obstruction: A meta-analysis

Abstract Introduction Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (ACPO) is an uncommon condition that occasionally develops in hospitalized patients with serious underlying ailments. Its early recognition is essential to reduce life-threatening complications. Few low-powered randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have confirmed the effectiveness of neostigmine for treatment. Aim To analyse the effectiveness and main side effects of neostigmine in the treatment of ACPO. Experimental A literature search was performed for all published RCTs, reporting on neostigmine as treatment for ACPO. Results Four studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria, evaluating 127 patients: treatment group = 65, control group = 62. Neostigmine effectiveness to resolve ACPO with only one dose was 89.2% versus 14.65% ( P Conclusions Neostigmine is a safe and effective option for patients with ACPO who failed to respond to conservative management.
CYSTACANTHS OF ONCICOLA VENEZUELENSIS (ACANTHOCEPHALA: OLIGACANTHORHYNCHIDAE) IN CARIBBEAN TERMITES AND VARIOUS PARATENIC HOSTS IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Cystacanths of Oncicola venezuelensis (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) were discovered in the hemocoel of Caribbean termites (Nasutitermes acajutlae) on St. Thomas and St. John islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition to occurring in the insect intermediate host, cystacanths were present in subcutaneous nodules of lizards (Anolis cristatellus and Anolis stratulus), in the greater omentum of small Indian mongooses (Herpestes auropunctatus), and embedded in mesenteries of pearly-eyed thrashers (Margarops fuscatus). These vertebrates likely are paratenic hosts, although a definitive host in the Virgin Islands is yet to be discovered. Cystacanths from intermediate and paratenic hosts agree fully with the original description of proboscis armature, including size and shape of hooks and their roots, of the species. Qualitative features of developing and growing structures agree with the original description of the species, but the sizes are smaller.
Fc-Dependent and Fc-Independent Opsonization of Cryptococcus neoformans by Anticapsular Monoclonal Antibodies: Importance of Epitope Specificity

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reactive with glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), the major capsular polysaccharide of the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans, produce distinct capsular reactions when viewed by differential interference contrast microscopy. These reactions depend on the epitope specificity of the antibody. Opsonic activities of immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) MAbs that produce patterns termed rim and puffy were examined. Rim-pattern MAbs are reactive with an epitope shared by GXM serotypes A, B, C, and D. Puffy-pattern MAbs are reactive only with serotypes A and D. In phagocytosis assays, using serotype A cells and resident murine peritoneal macrophages, rim-pattern MAbs were markedly more opsonic than puffy-pattern MAbs. F(ab')(2) fragments of rim-pattern MAbs were synergistic with heat-labile factors in normal human serum for opsonization of the yeast. F(ab')(2) fragments of puffy-pattern MAbs were also synergistic with normal serum in opsonization but at a much lower level than fragments of rim-pattern MAbs. Normal serum alone was not opsonic. F(ab')(2) fragments of rim-pattern MAbs, but not puffy-pattern MAbs, stimulated phagocytosis of encapsulated cryptococci in the absence of serum. This serum-independent opsonic action of F(ab')(2) fragments was abrogated by pretreatment of macrophages with purified GXM, suggesting the involvement of a phagocyte GXM receptor. The results indicate that (i) there are multiple mechanisms by which anticapsular IgG MAbs facilitate phagocytosis of encapsulated cryptococci, (ii) some anti-GXM antibodies are opsonic in an Fc-independent manner, and (iii) opsonic activity correlates with the capsular reaction and occurs in an epitope-specific manner.
Should Children With Suspected Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome And Normal Nap Sleep Studies Have Overnight Sleep Studies

Study objectives: Overnight polysomnography (ONP) is the “gold standard” for the diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing, but it is expensive and time-consuming. Thus, daytime nap studies have been used as screening tests. If the findings of a nap study are normal or mildly abnormal, should ONP be performed? Do specific abnormalities in nap studies predict abnormal findings in ONP? To answer these questions, we conducted this study. Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: Children’s hospital. Participants: One hundred forty-three children with suspected obstructive sleep apnea syndrome secondary to isolated adenotonsillar hypertrophy, who had normal or mildly abnormal nap studies, and underwent ONP. Measurements and results: We compared daytime nap and overnight polysomnograms in 143 children (52 girls; mean [6 SD] age, 5.6 6 3.1 years). Total sleep time wa s1hi ndaytime nap, and 5.1 6 1.3 h in ONP. The interval between the two studies was 5.9 6 4.8 months. The findings of 59% of the nap studies were mildly abnormal, while 66% of overnight studies were abnormal. No individual nap study parameter (including short obstructive apneas, hypopneas, hypoxemia, hypoventilation, snoring, paradoxical breathing, gasping, retractions) had good sensitivity at predicting abnormal overnight polysomnograms, but most had good specificity and positive predictive value. Conclusions: We conclude that individual nap study parameters are not very sensitive in predicting abnormal ONP findings. However, when nap study parameters are abnormal, the chance of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is high. (CHEST 2000; 118:360 ‐365)
Tracking Performance as a Function of Precision of Electrocutaneous Feedback Information

Although it has been demonstrated that cutaneous informational displays can be used effectively in certain types of systems, little is known of the characteristics of such displays that may affect performance. The present investigation was designed to determine which of three degrees of preciseness of electrocutaneous feedback information results in the most accurate tracking performance for each of two levels of task difficulty. Contrary to expectations, the most precise (continuous) error information did not result in the best performance. On both levels of task difficulty, the best performance resulted when error information of an intermediate precision was used.
Does leaf quality mediate the stimulation of leaf breakdown by phosphorus in Neotropical streams

SUMMARY 1. Lowland tropical streams have a chemically diverse detrital resource base, where leaf quality could potentially alter the effect of high nutrient concentrations on leaf breakdown. This has important implications given the extent and magnitude of anthropogenic nutrient loading to the environment. 2. Here, we examine if leaf quality (as determined by concentrations of cellulose, lignin and tannins) mediates the effects of high ambient phosphorus (P) concentration on leaf breakdown in streams of lowland Costa Rica. We hypothesised that P would have a stronger effect on microbial and insect processing of high- than of low-quality leaves. 3. We selected three species that represented extremes of quality as measured in leaves of eight common riparian species. Species selected were, from high- to low-quality: Trema integerrima > Castilla elastica > Zygia longifolia. We incubated single-species leaf packs in five streams that had natural differences in ambient P concentration (10–140 lg soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) L )1 ), because of variable inputs of solute-rich groundwater and also in a stream that was experimentally enriched with P (approximately 200 lg SRP L )1 ). 4. The breakdown rate of all three species varied among the six streams: T. integerrima (k-values range: 0.0451–0.129 day )1 ); C. elastica (k-values range: 0.0064–0.021 day )1 ); and Z. longifolia (k-values range: 0.002–0.008 day )1 ). Both ambient P concentration and flow velocity had significant effects on the breakdown rate of the three species. 5. Results supported our initial hypothesis that litter quality mediates the effect of high ambient P concentration on leaf processing by microbes and insects. The response of microbial respiration, fungal biomass and invertebrate density to high ambient P concentration was greater in Trema (high quality) than in Castilla or Zygia (low quality). Variation in flow velocity, however, confounded our ability to determine the magnitude of stimulation of breakdown rate by P. 6. Cellulose and lignin appeared to be the most important factors in determining the magnitude of P-stimulation. Surprisingly, leaf secondary compounds did not have an effect. This contradicts predictions made by other researchers, regarding the key role of plant secondary compounds in affecting leaf breakdown in tropical streams.