cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrase Inhibitors: A New Treatment Option for Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

The emergence of antiretroviral drug resistance in patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has prompted efforts to develop new antiretrovirals that differ from existing agents with regard to mechanism of action and resistance profiles. We evaluated the literature regarding a new class of antiretrovirals, the integrase inhibitors. A MEDLINE search (January 1996-May 2007) was performed to identify relevant clinical trials and review articles; abstracts from HIV conferences were also searched. Raltegravir (MK-0518) and elvitegravir (GS-9137) are the two integrase inhibitors in late-phase development. These agents prevent viral DNA integration into the CD4(+) cell chromosome. Both drugs showed potent antiviral activity in large clinical trials that were performed in treatment-experienced, multidrug-resistant patients. Promising results have also been seen in an initial dose-ranging study with raltegravir in treatment-naive patients. Preliminary data describe integrase inhibitor resistance profiles, but more data are needed in this area. Both agents were well tolerated in clinical trials, with favorable pharmaco-kinetic profiles for once- or twice-daily dosing. Raltegravir and elvitegravir differ in their metabolism, resulting in distinct drug-interaction profiles for each agent. Based on available data, this new class of antiretrovirals will soon be widely used in antiretroviral-experienced patients infected with HIV. In the future, this class of drugs may become a reasonable treatment option for antiretroviral-naive patients, but more data are needed in that patient population.
Relationship of antioxidant enzymes to ozone tolerance in branches of mature ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) trees exposed to long‐term, low concentration, ozone fumigation and acid precipitation

Seasonal activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1), ascorbate peroxidase (APOD, EC 1.11.1.11) and guaiacol-oxidizing enzymes (GPODs, EC 1.11.1.7) was examined in needles of 12- to 15-year-old ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) trees which received ozone (O 3 ) and acid precipitation treatment. Individual branches were enclosed in branch exposure chambers delivering either charcoal-filtered (O 3 -reduced) air, ambient air, or air with twice ambient (2x ambient) concentrations of O 3 . Acid precipitation treatments were rain of pH 3.0 or 5.1 or no rain. Changes in antioxidant enzyme activity were not a consistent response to O 3 fumigation or acid precipitation, but when observed, they occurred most often in the 0,-sensitive clone and in symptomatic, fumigated branches. In the second year of fumigation, 0, fleck symptoms appeared on needles of the sensitive clone as early as July and APOD activities were significantly increased by O 3 at all sampling dates. In the tolerant clone, antioxidant enzyme activities were not significantly changed by O 3 in the first season of fumigation (March to December 1990), not even during an episode when ambient O 3 concentrations reached 125 nl l -1 (240 nl l -1 in 2x ambient chambers). No foliar symptoms were observed on needles of the tolerant clone during this year. However, in the second year of fumigation (1992), 0, fleck symptoms were observed on the tolerant clone and APOD activities were significantly increased in previous-year needles. The tolerant clone had SOD, APOD, and GPOD activities at least 40% higher than those of the sensitive clone before fumigation and 65, 178, and 119% higher, respectively, during both years of fumigation. The higher constitutive levels of these enzymes may have protected against foliar injury in 1990, however in 1992 we concluded that the stimulations in antioxidant enzyme activities observed in symptomatic branches of both clones were a consequence of O 3 in jury. Total (intra- and extracellular) activities of the antioxidant enzymes did not appear to be good indicators of O 3 tolerance. Phenotypically, the O 3 -tolerant clone was much more vigorous and in both years of fumigation, gas exchange rates were 30 to 71% higher than in the sensitive clone (P.D. Anderson, unpublished data). The greater vigor of the tolerant clone may allow more carbon allocation to protective and repair processes which include, but are not restricted to, the turnover of antioxidant enzymes and metabolites
Inhibition of 3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas testosteroni by Various Estrogenic and Progestinic Steroids

ABSTRACT The effects of various natural and synthetic steroids on the activity of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in extracts of Pseudomonas testosteroni have been studied. Androstenedione, 17α:-OH progesterone, progesterone, 6α-methyl- 17α-acetoxyprogesterone (Provera), 17α-ethinyl-19 nor-progesterone (Norlutin), 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (Delalutin) and 17β-hydroxy,4,4,17α-trimethyl-androst-5-eno (2,3-d) isoxazole are competitive inhibitors. Estradiol-17β produces a stoichiometric pattern of inhibition similarly to 2α-cyano,17β-hydroxy,4,4,17αtrimethyl-androst-5-en-3-ketone, which produces congenital adrenal hyperplasia in rats by prolonged inhibition of fetal 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. These findings suggest that these steroids may affect mammalian development in part by inhibiting activity of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.
A survey of soft X-ray emission from hot stars

Sixteen O and B stars were observed with the Einstein X-ray observatory; X-ray emission from all seven O stars and four of the B stars was discovered. The 0.15-4.5 keV luminosities range from approximately 10 to the 28th to 2 x 10 to the 32nd ergs/s and constitute 10 to the -6th to 10 to the -8th of the total luminosities of the stars detected. Most of the photons emerge at energies less than 1 keV, in contradiction to the prediction made by Cassinelli and Olson (1979) based on a hot corona-cool wind model.
The effects of temporal variables on the acquisition of human avoidance behavior

Human Ss were given avoidance training employing a blast of pressurized air directly behind the ear as the noxious stimulus, a button depression as the avoidance response, and a light as the warning signal. In this experiment, signal duration and trace interval were factorially manipulated in a manner that also permitted interstimulus interval comparisons. The most striking effect of these temporal variables was on avoidance latency, where longer latencies were associated with longer ISIs. Resistance to extinction appeared quite strong, and the suddenness of conditioning resembled all-or-none learning. The similarity of these results to previous findings and their significance were discussed.
Increased HIV Testing with an On-Site Prenatal Clinic Counselor

This report evaluates rates of confidential HIV testing in an inner-city prenatal clinic after the establishment of a specially-trained HIV counselor whose role supplemented the provision of prenatal care. Acceptance rates for testing were also evaluated by patient age and HIV risk category. In an inner-city university-based prenatal clinic, 1,329 women registered for prenatal care; all had a formal one-on-one education session with the counselor at their registration visit, after which confidential HIV testing was offered. The six-month period in the clinic prior to the counselor's placement was used for comparison in terms of proportion of patients who were HIV tested; over that time, 614 women registered for obstetric care. 64% of patients underwent HIV testing after counseling, compared to a 14% testing rate among registrants in the clinic prior to the counselor's placement (P< 0.001 by chi square). HIV testing was accepted at highest rates among substance abusers (89%), and women over 20 years of age...
Familial Infantile Diabetes and Autoimmune Enteropathy: Clue to a Possible X-Linked Multiple Autoimmune Disease Syndrome 423

We report a case of a child diagnosed with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus at 12 days of age who was subsequently diagnosed as having autoimmune enteropathy. He presented at five years of age with intractable diarrhea which was unresponsive to steroids and gluten free diet. Biopsy of the mucosa of the small bowel showed total villous atrophy. Anti-enterocyte antibodies were present. The enteropathy was eventually controlled with cyclosporine. The child had also been diagnosed with autoimmune glomerulonephritis. The patient's family history revealed a maternal uncle who had been diagnosed with insulin dependent diabetes at 38 days of age and who had manifested symptoms of other autoimmune disease. Because we were aware of reports of infantile diabetes and autoimmune enteropathy occurring in an apparent familial X-linked recessive pattern, we undertook a review of the medical literature to attempt to identify additional such patients. We used the following criteria to identify probable cases of this syndrome: The patient must have had autoimmune enteropathy and/or infantile diabetes; both disorders must be present in the patient and/or the patient's family history, and there must be more than one affected family member. According to this criteria, we identified a total of 31 probable cases in nine kindreds (including our cases), all occurring in males. Three reported kindreds demonstrated an X-linked recessive pattern of inheritance, accounting for 19 of the 31 cases. Because of the rarity of these disorders, their occurrence together in a family is strong evidence for the presence of a single genetic pathogenesis for the observed autoimmune disease, and we believe that these patients therefore all suffer from a single unique previously undefined X-linked syndrome. The above listed criteria represent the optimum clinical basis upon which these patients may be identified. We also make the following recommendations: 1. A careful family history for infantile diabetes and autoimmune enteropathy should be obtained in all cases of males diagnosed with either of these disorders. 2. All males with infantile diabetes and a positive family history should be closely observed for the development of other autoimmune disorders, particularly autoimmune enteropathy. 3. All patients diagnosed with autoimmune enteropathy who meet the above criteria should be treated aggressively. 4. Further research is needed to determine the precise nature of the genetic and immune system defects that result in this disorder.
VORTEX DYNAMICS IN SPIN-ORBIT BECS

Spin-orbit coupled condensates typically have two or more components. Each component has quantized circulation, but they need not be the same, leading to the possibility of half-quantized vortices with unit circulation in only one component.
Applied field nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of ion exit from a β-barrel model of the L-type calcium channel

We present results of applied field nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations (AF NEMD) of a minimal β-barrel model channel intended to represent an L-type calcium channel that suggests a possible relationship between glutamate side chain conformational changes and ion flux in calcium channels. The β-barrel is used to provide a scaffolding for glutamate side chains and a confinement for electrolyte of dimensions similar to the expected channel structure. It was preloaded with ions to explore relative rates of ion exit for different occupancy configurations. Our simulations with an asymmetrical flexible selectivity filter represented by four glutamate side chains (EEEE), one of which differs in initial dihedrals from the other three, indicate a plausible mechanism for the observed anomalous mole fraction effect seen in calcium channels. Apparent rates of electric field-induced exit from channels preloaded with three Na+ ions are much higher than for channels with one Ca2+ followed by two Na+ ions, consistent with the common notion that Ca2+ block of Na+ current is due to competition between the Ca2+ and Na+ ions for the negatively charged (EEEE) locus. In our model, the Ca2+ ion ligates simultaneously to the four negatively charged glutamate side chains and sterically blocks the permeation pathway. Ca2+-relief of Ca2+-block is suggested by a much higher rate of exit for channels preloaded with three Ca2+ ions than for channels with two Ca2+ ions.
Self-Assembled FePt Nanoparticle Arrays as Potential High-Density Recording Media

In this chapter recent synthetic progress in FePt and CoPt nanoparticles and nanoparticle arrays are summarized. The importance of monodisperse nanoparticles for future ultrahigh density data storage is mentioned. General chemical process for making magnetic nanoparticles and nanoparticle arrays is described. The synthetic progress that has been made so far and the problems indentified are summarize. Finally, possible future direction in the synthesis for practical high density recording applications is pointed out.
Becoming a special education teacher: Journey or maze?

This paper discusses the beginning steps of the author as a special education teacher in a large Southwest public school district in the US. The author discusses his first year of experience in a large US middle school as an inclusion teacher by using self-reflective practice in the form of excerpts from his learning journal to become aware and understand the complexities of becoming a special education teacher. The metaphor of the maze is introduced and used as the lens through which the author experienced his becoming a special education teacher and how the metaphor of the maze dominates the professional growth and identity of the author in the field of special education.
Storage of carbon dioxide in muscle.

WHEN ventilation is suddenly arrested, the carbon dioxide produced by the body is stored within the body tissues as bicarbonate and dissolved carbon dioxide. It has been suggested that this storage of carbon dioxide does not proceed uniformly in all tissues. Rather it has been proposed that the body can be conceived as being composed of multiple compartments which store carbon dioxide at different rates.
Diagnostic accuracy of chest X-rays acquired using a digital camera for low-cost teleradiology

Store-and-forward telemedicine, using e-mail to send clinical data and digital images, offers a low-cost alternative for physicians in developing countries to obtain second opinions from specialists. To explore the potential usefulness of this technique, 91 chest X-ray images were photographed using a digital camera and a view box. Four independent readers (three radiologists and one pulmonologist) read two types of digital (JPEG and JPEG2000) and original film images and indicated their confidence in the presence of eight features known to be radiological indicators of tuberculosis (TB). The results were compared to a "gold standard" established by two different radiologists, and assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. There was no statistical difference in the overall performance between the readings from the original films and both types of digital images. The size of JPEG2000 images was approximately 120KB, making this technique feasible for slow internet connections. Our preliminary results show the potential usefulness of this technique particularly for tuberculosis and lung disease, but further studies are required to refine its potential.
Characterization of transformation function of cottontail rabbit papillomavirus E5 and E8 genes.

Abstract Cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) induces rabbit skin papillomas, which progress to invasive carcinoma in some animals. Two early genes, E7 and E6, have been demonstrated previously to be oncogenes. In this study, we identified two additional transforming genes, E8 and E5. Both E8 and E5 stimulated C127 and BALB/c A31 (A31) cell proliferation and affected cell cycle transition. The E8 and E5 transfectants lost cell contact inhibition, reaching a high saturation density when cultured up to 2 weeks. E8–C127 transfectants formed colonies in soft agar in the presence of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) while E5–C127 transfectants formed colonies without the requirement for PDGF. E8–C127 transfectants were highly tumorigenic whereas E5–C127 transfectants showed a weak tumorigenicity in nude mice. Both E8 and E5 A31 transfectants failed to form colonies in soft agar even in the presence of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and did not develop tumors in nude mice. These results clearly showed that CRPVE8 and E5 are oncogenes and that the PDGF β-receptor signaling pathway may be involved in E8-mediated C127 cell transformation. The difference in colony formation in soft agar and tumorigenicity in nude mice between C127 and A31 cell lines indicates that additional alterations in cellular gene expression are needed for E5- and E8-transfected cells to acquire a malignant phenotype.
Bonding Soft Reline Materials to Base Metals

Purpose In the past it has been difficult to treat soft tissue changes occurring beneath metal frameworks of removable partial dentures or complete dentures using soft reline materials. The main difficulty has been in getting the resilient materials to adhere to the metal. This research investigates the use of microabrading with and without a universal resin bonding system in achieving a clinically useful bond between two soft reline materials and a commonly used base-metal alloy. Materials and Methods 120 disks, 1 inch in diameter, were cast in Ticonium (CPM Industries, Albany, NY). The surface of the disks was finished to a high polish and then evenly microabraded. Four test groups of 15 pairs of disks were established, with two groups receiving Coe-Soft (Coe Laboratories, Chicago, IL) and two groups receiving Soft Oryl (Teledyne Getz, Elk Grove Village, IL). One group of each reline material had the microabraded surfaces on each disk treated with All Bond 2. Then, 1.2 mm of reline material was placed between each set of disks and allowed to cure. The disks were placed on an Instron machine and a tensile force was applied until bond failure occurred. Results All four groups showed significant bond strengths, with the Soft Oryl groups showing statistically significant higher bond strengths. In both reline material groupings, the groups with only microabrading showed slightly higher bond strengths. Conclusions Soft reline materials can be made to adhere to base-metal alloys used in removable prosthodontics with clinically acceptable strengths using microabrading with or without the use of a resin bonding system.
Ontogeny of the response to growth hormone-releasing factor

Abstract Primary cell cultures were prepared from fetal, neonatal and adult rat pituitaries and evaluated for their ability to secrete growth hormone (GH) in response to growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF). Pituitary cells prepared from fetuses at days 19 and 21 of gestation, neonatal animals at the day of birth (day 0) or the following day (day 1) and peripubertal male rats showed full dose response curves to GRF with maximal GH release when stimulated with 1 × 10−10 M rat GRF. At this concentration of GRF, the amount of GH released was not different from that elicited by activation of adenylate cyclase with 1 × 10−5 M forskolin. In contradistinction, a preparation of cells from fetuses at day 18 of gestation did not'show the same release of GH when challenged with 1 × 10−10 M GRF and forskolin (0.057 ± 0.001, compared to 0.076 ± 0.003 μg/105 cells per 4.5 h), although the cells clearly responded to both secretagogues (basal levels of GH, 0.029 ± 0.002 μg/105 cells per 4.5 h). While cells prepared from fetuses at day 21 of gestation or from animals after birth released 5–10% of their total cellular GH content, those prepared from 18- and 19-day fetuses released as much as 40% of their total GH suggesting there is a maturation of intracellular GH processing that occurs late in gestation. The results show that, in late pregnancy, the rat fetal pituitary is highly responsive to growth hormone-releasing factor and suggest that this peptide participates in regulating GH levels during the perinatal period.
Renal antigens in mercuric chloride induced, anti-GBM autoantibody glomerular disease

Renal antigens in mercuric chloride induced, anti-GBM autoantibody glomerular disease. Two antibody probes were used to characterize the putative renal antigens of HgCl 2 -induced antiglomerular basement membrane renal disease in Brown Norway (BN) rat. The first probe was the linear immunofluorescence imparting, in vivo bound, nephritogenic antiglomerular-basement-membrane autoantibody (anti-GBM-Ab). The second probe was a rat monoclonal antibody to the B subunit of laminin that was obtained from fusion of spleen cells of HgCl 2 injected BN rat. By enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) the anti-GBM-Ab reacted with laminin, type IV collagen, collagenase-resistant noncollagenous portion of glomerular basement membrane (GBM), saline soluble proteins of kidney cortex homogenate and fibronectin. Western blot analysis of laminin indicated that the reactive epitopes detected by both probes were on the B chain subunit but not the A subunit. In nonreduced collagenase-digested GBM the epitopes were present on 27 kD and 42 to 48 kD polypeptides. A similar pattern was seen on collagenase-digested human GBM. On rat and human GBM the patterns obtained with rat autoantibody and autoantibody from a patient with Goodpasture syndrome were similar, suggesting that some of the in vivo bound anti-GBM autoantibodies in HgCl 2 -induced disease in rat are directed against epitopes which are similar to the Goodpasture antigen of human. Reactive epitopes were also detected on saline soluble proteins of kidney cortex homogenate with the predominant antigen being a 31 kD polypeptide. In the saline soluble proteins the reactive polypeptides including the major 31 kD polypeptide did not originate from laminin, type IV collagen, or the collagenase-resistant noncollagenous part of GBM. The precise structural origin of soluble proteins was not defined. The epitopes in type IV collagen and fibronectin could not be further characterized for molecular mass by Western blot analysis.
Radiometric ages of Kodiak Seamount and Giacomini Guyot, Gulf of Alaska: Implications for circum-pacific tectonics

Kodiak Seamount and Giacomini Guyot have been dated at 22.6 ± 1.1 and 19.9 ± 1.0 [ 2σ (standard deviation) ] x 10 6 years, respectively. Concordant whole-rock and plagioclase potassium-argon dates and fission-track apatite ages demonstrate that significant quantities of excess radiogenic 40 Ar are not present in the dated samples. These seamounts are the northwesternmost edifices of the Pratt-Welker chain, which cuts obliquely across magnetic anomaly patterns in an older northeastern Pacific sea floor. The older of the two dated seamounts is in the Aleutian Trench, apparently about to be subducted. If one assumes that seamounts are generated by plate motion over a fixed hot spot in the mantle, a Pacific-plate motion of 6.6 centimeters per year during early Miocene time may be calculated.
Highly efficient selenomethionine labeling of recombinant proteins produced in mammalian cells

The advent of the multiwavelength anomalous diffraction phasing method has significantly accelerated crystal structure determination and has become the norm in protein crystallography. This method allows researchers to take advantage of the anomalous signal from diverse atoms, but the dominant method for derivative preparation is selenomethionine substitution. Several generally applicable, high-efficiency labeling protocols have been developed for use in the bacterial, yeast, and baculovirus/insect cell expression systems but not for mammalian tissue culture. As a large number of proteins of biomedical importance can only be produced in yields sufficient for X-ray diffraction experiments in mammalian expression systems, it becomes all the more important to develop such protocols. We therefore evaluated several variables that play roles in determining incorporation levels and report here a simple protocol for selenomethionine modification of proteins in mammalian cells routinely yielding >90% labeling efficiency.
Texasophis galbreathi, new species, the earliest New World colubrid snake

ABSTRACT A remarkably complete trunk vertebra representing a new species of Texasophis, a genus previously known only from the Miocene of North America and France, moves the appearance of the family Colubridae and the subfamily Colubrinae in the New World from the late early Miocene (Harrison Formation: Arikareean) back into the middle Oligocene (Brule Formation: Orellan). The fossil was found in the Scenic Member of the Brule Formation in northeastern Colorado. This snake is much more similar to an undescribed species of Texasophis from the French Miocene than it is to the North American Texasophis fossilis. It now appears that the Colubridae had spread from its center of origin in Asia to France by about 32 million years ago, and to North America by about 30 to 31 million years ago. Based on its vertebral structure it appears that Texasophis galbreathi was a quite small, secretive or semifossorial species.
THE STUCK‐CASE CLINIC AS A GROUP SUPERVISION MODEL

This paper describes a conceptual framework and set of procedures which provide a format for advanced trainees in family therapy. Sections of the paper include a description of the theoretical orientation, organization of the clinic, trainee and supervisor roles, and advantages of the model for trainees, families, and clinicians in the community. A clinical illustration highlights the merging of treatment and training. We have found this model to he beneficial and well-accepted in our training program and believe that the ideas set forth can be generalized to other settings. Our training model was established to meet the unique needs and provide challenge for our more advanced trainees. While we incorporate previously presented ideas about team intervention in our model (Berger & Dammann, 1982; Bernstein, Brown & Ferrier, 1984; de Shazer, 1982; Heath, 1982; Papp, 1980; Prod risky, Quinn & Elliott, 1982; Selvini Palazzoli, Boscolo, Cecchin & Prate, 1978; Wendorf, 1984), we offer here only material on variations which is specific to our training context and clinical setting. Uplifting in these reports and in our own experience is the intentional choice to conceptualize supervision as treatment and training, learning and doing, personal responsibility and colleagueship, and sobriety and playfulness. We were particularly curious and challenged by those families who were observed to make positive changes slowly, if at all, and with whom trainees reported frustration and doubts about their own clinical understanding and intervention. lb°, we began to realize that a larger number of trainees could benefit from the discussion and subsequent treatment of these most difficult cases. Hence, we established a "stuck-case clinic." We do not apply a strict definition of the nature of a stuck-case. These can be cases of immediate crisis (i.e., recent violence in the family, adolescent pregnancy), but are more frequently situations in which minimal progress has been made in therapy when more substantial changes are expected. Recently, we have developed a greater interest in following families seen in the stuck-case clinic on a regular basis to examine the impact of interventions and the process of change.
Affinität und Abstammung in Industriellen Gesellschaften

Obwohl Verwandtschaft in nichtindustriellen Gesellschaften ein weithin abgeklartes Thema ist, haben Probleme der Verwandtschaft in modernen westlichen Gesellschaften, und dabei besonders solche der Affinitat und Abstammung, verhaltnismasig wenig Beachtung gefunden. Erstens soll in diesem Artikel aufgezeigt werden, wie die traditionellen kulturanthropologischen Perspektiven von Verwandtschaft zur Untersuchung der Affinitat und Abstammung nutzbar gemacht werden konnen. Die grundlegende Konzeption besteht darin, Verwandtschaft als eine Form des Besitzes aufzufassen. Zweitens wird dieser Artikel Verwandtschafts-Paradigmen behandeln, die implizit in Gesetzen uber inzestuose Heirat und Adoption erkennbar sind. Die Analyse von Gesetzen beruht auf der Annahme, das die Richtung des Wandels in den Konzeptionen von Abstammung und Affinitat zu erfassen ist. Schlieslich sollen einige Konsequenzen der Auffassung von Verwandtschaft als Besitz fur die Interpretation von Phanomenen der modernen Familie herausgestellt werden.
Military Professionalism in a Colonial Context: The Madras Army circa 1832

Was the Madras Army professional in the 1830s? The answer depends largely upon the definition of professionalism. Professional standards in society at large and in military forces have changed over the past two hundred years. Major political decisions with enormous social and economic consequences are made by governments today based upon their understanding of military professionalism. This understanding should incorporate the historical record including nineteenth-century developments outside of Europe.
Identification and Repair of Positive Binding Antibodies Containing Randomly Generated Amber Codons from Synthetic Phage Display Libraries

Phage display technology allows for the rapid isolation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies that have vast potential for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. However, the panning process, which utilizes a host strain that suppresses termination by the amber codon, has an inherent bias toward clones containing randomly generated amber stop codons, complicating identification of positive binding antibodies when the antibody genes are finally expressed in a nonsupressor host. Here, we perform biopanning against a Histone 2A peptide using streptavidin- or anti-biotin-coated beads. After four rounds, a dominant clone is characterized but contains a spurious amber stop codon. A protocol is given that readily corrects the amber codon, allowing for soluble antibody production once the phagemid is transformed into a nonsuppressor bacterial strain. This work also highlights the ability to isolate antibodies against a protein antigen by using only a small peptide (15 amino acids) representing a portion of the antigen.
Pleiotropic effects of a Yersinia pestis fur mutation.

A Yersinia pestis fur mutation was constructed by insertionally disrupting the fur open reading frame. Analysis of a Fur-regulated beta-galactosidase reporter gene revealed a loss of iron regulation as a result of the fur mutation. trans complementation with the cloned Y. pestis fur gene restored iron regulation. The expression of most iron-regulated proteins was also deregulated by this mutation; however, a number of iron-repressible and two iron-inducible polypeptides retained normal regulation. Mutations in fur or hmsH, a gene encoding an 86-kDa surface protein required for hemin storage, increased the sensitivity of Y. pestis cells to the bacteriocin pesticin. Interestingly, the Y. pestis fur mutant lost temperature control of hemin storage; however, expression of the HmsH polypeptide was not deregulated. When grown with excess iron, a Y. pestis fur mutant possessing the 102-kb pigmentation locus exhibited severe growth inhibition and a dramatic increase in the number of spontaneous nonpigmented chromosomal deletion mutants present at late log phase. These results suggest that the Fur protein of Y. pestis is an important global regulator and that a separate Fur-independent iron regulatory system may exist. Images
Signal design with an amplitude constraint

A communications system consists of a transmitter, a channel (for instance, twisted pair copper wire) and a receiver; see Figure 13.1. Many communication channels can be accurately modeled as a linear operator that maps an input signal u(t) to an output signal y(t). Much of the literature on the design of signals for such channels assumes that the inputs are limited in power, typically \( \frac{1}{T}\int\limits_0^T {{u^2}(t)dt \leqslant 1} \) for T > 0. There are however many channels of interest, such as the telephone subscriber loop and magnetic storage media, in which the input signals are amplitude limited, i.e., |u(t)| ≤ 1 for 0 ≤ t ≤ T. A typical performance criterion for a given input signal set is the minimum L 2 distance between channel outputs. This leads to the following signal design problem: Find N input signals limited in both in time and amplitude that maximize the minimum L 2 distance between corresponding channel output signals.
Sexual risk for hepatitis B virus infection among hepatitis C virus-negative heroin and cocaine users

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) are highly prevalent, often co-occuring infections among drug users. We examined HBV prevalence and risk behaviour patterns among a group of HCV-negative heroin and/or cocaine users in order to understand HBV risk and prevention opportunities among this unique group. Of 164 people enrolled, 44% had injected drugs. Overall, 24% of participants tested positive for exposure to HBV; drug injectors (28%) were only slightly and not significantly (P=0·287) more likely to test positive than those who had never injected drugs (21%). HBV exposure was significantly associated with multiple indicators of greater sex risk. HBV status was not associated with any demographic characteristic, but participants who reported longer duration of cocaine use were significantly less likely to test positive to exposure for HBV. It appears that HBV risk among HCV-negative drug users in this cohort is primarily due to sexual behaviour.
THE Properties of the Radiation below 1 GHz from Gap-Type Electrical Discharges on Electric Power Distribution Lines

This paper describes the measured properties of the electromagnetic radiation from gap-type electrical discharges which occur on distribution lines and discusses some of the factors which affect these emissions. A discussion is given of the methods by which these waves are generated, of the measurement techniques and the findings of this investigation.
Efficacy of neoadjuvant bicalutamide and dutasteride as a cytoreductive regimen before prostate brachytherapy.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the cytoreductive effectiveness of combined neoadjuvant bicalutamide and dutasteride before prostate brachytherapy for clinically localized prostate cancer. Methods From April 2003 to May 2005, 31 patients opted for cytoreduction with bicalutamide (50 mg daily) and dutasteride (0.5 mg daily). Before, and at 3 months (90 ± 5 days) after, the initiation of medical therapy, all patients underwent a transrectal ultrasound volumetric study of the prostate gland, with ellipsoid volume determination of the prostate gland and transition zone. The variables analyzed included pretreatment and posttreatment prostate and transition zone volumes and changes in width, height, and length of the prostate gland and transition zone. A multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictors for prostate gland and transition zone volume reduction. Results Before the initiation of bicalutamide and dutasteride, the mean prostate volume was 54.3 cm 3 by planimetric summation and 49.7 cm 3 by ellipsoid volume calculation. After a 3-month course of combination medical therapy, the average prostate volume was 36.1 cm 3 (33.6% reduction) and 32.5 cm 3 (34.6% reduction) using the volumetric and ellipsoid volume determinations, respectively. Bicalutamide and dutasteride resulted in a 39.8% reduction in transition zone volume (20.8 cm 3 versus 12.4 cm 3 ). The prostate gland and transition zone dimensions (width, height, and length) decreased about 11.4% to 19.9%. Conclusions The prostate gland and transition zone volume reductions after a 3-month course of neoadjuvant bicalutamide and dutasteride are comparable to previous reports of volume reduction using a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist with or without an antiandrogen.
Production and Consumption: A Closer Look at Adult Digital Literacy Acquisition

In this column, the authors discuss emerging research in the field of adult digital literacy acquisition. The authors argue that the field of adult digital literacy acquisition has been under-researched, especially in relation to multiliteracies and multimodal literacy practices. Data emerging from a large scale mixed methods study of adults engaged with Learner Web, a self-access online learning system, indicate that opportunities to engage in tutor-facilitated digital literacy acquisition, among populations that have been historically left out of the digital revolution, have the potential to change lives. Additionally, the research provides insights into the shifts learners undergo as they gain experience and confidence with digital tools, which can help educators develop more robust systems for supporting vulnerable learners who are outside of the traditional educational system.
What drives modern Diogenes? Individual values and cosmopolitan allegiance

Why do some individuals see themselves as world citizens? A significant number of individuals around the world view themselves as world citizens. This is a curious phenomenon that merits attention. Yet despite a growing body of work on cosmopolitanism, the literature lacks a clear explanation of what moves individuals to see themselves as citizens of the world. This article explicates the psychological underpinnings of cosmopolitan allegiance by bringing in personal values. Multinomial logistic regression analysis using World Values Survey data (2005–2008) shows that self-transcendence, self-enhancement (except power), and openness-to-change values as defined by the Schwartz Value Theory lead to cosmopolitan allegiance, while conservation values hinder this attachment. This finding indicates that world citizenship on the ground is a multifaceted role attractive to individuals with varied outlooks on life. In people’s perceptions, world citizenship is congruent with morality, diversity, and liberty as well as with self-interest. By offering a psychological account of cosmopolitan allegiance, this study adds the missing micro-foundations to macro theories of cosmopolitanism and provides the needed empirical evidence. By illuminating what drives contemporary world citizens, this research contributes to a richer understanding of the bottom-up cosmopolitanism crucial for democratic and efficacious global governance.
The Effect of Parkinson’s Disease on the Step Response to a Backwards Pull

Postural instability is one of the most disabling symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and often leads to falls. Falls can have severe physical, psychological, and economic impacts including fractures, fear of falling, and loss of independence [1]. Effective interventions to reduce fall risk exist [2, 3] and would be most effective if they could be implemented prior to a fall occurring. Unfortunately, the current methods to evaluate postural instability in PD are not sensitive enough to predict those who are at an increased risk of falling so it is difficult to identify the best time to begin fall interventions.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Relative one-weight linear codes

Relative one-weight linear codes were introduced by Liu and Chen over finite fields. These codes can be defined just as simply for egalitarian and homogeneous weights over Frobenius bimodule alphabets. A key lemma helps describe the structure of relative one-weight codes, and certain known types of two-weight linear codes can then be constructed easily. The key lemma also provides another approach to the MacWilliams extension theorem.
Sketching images eyes-free: a grid-based dynamic drawing tool for the blind

In this paper we describe one method of transforming a mouse-based graphical user interface into a navigable, grid-based auditory interface. We also report the results of an experiment that tested the effectiveness of a drawing tool for the blind called IC2D that uses this interaction style. The experiment included eight visually impaired participants and eight blindfolded sighted participants. The results show that auditory interpretation of graphics is an effective interface technique for visually impaired users. Further, the experiment demonstrates that visually impaired users can develop meaningful drawings when given adequate technological support.
Enhanced traffic control devices at passive highway-railroad grade crossings

More than 2,000 crashes and 239 fatalities were reported at public passive highway-railroad grade crossings in 1994. Driver error, often due to a breakdown in communication between traffic control devices and the driver, is commonly cited as a factor in passive grade crossing crashes. The objective of this study was to evaluate an improved method for communicating with drivers in an effort to improve safety at passive grade crossings. Specifically, this study evaluated the effectiveness of a vehicle-activated strobe light and supplemental sign as enhancements to the railroad advance (W10-1) warning sign at a passive highway-railroad grade crossing near Temple, Texas. Three study methods were used to evaluate this enhanced sign system including a before and after speed study, a driver survey, and a driver observation study. The results indicated that average speeds on the approaches to the grade crossing were lower after the installation of the enhanced sign system. Drivers responded favorably to the enhan...
Generation of ultra-broadband pulses in the near-IR by non-collinear optical parametric amplification in potassium titanyl phosphate.

Non-collinear optical parametric amplification in potassium-titanyl phosphate (KTP) pumped with 800 nm pulses is reported. Broadband phase matching is achieved with non-collinear geometry and a slightly divergent signal seed. This enables a gain bandwidth up to ~2500 cm−1 in near-IR region. Introducing a chirp into the pump pulse makes it possible to amplify the white light seed in a broad spectral region from ~1050 to ~1400 nm simultaneously. Pulse compression to sub-40 fs is readily achieved, while the spectrum should support ~8.5 fs pulses. Angular dispersion of the broadband output is discussed.
Optimal Stopping of Linear Diffusions with Random Discounting

We propose a new solution method for optimal stopping problems with random discounting for linear diffusions whose state space has a combination of natural, absorbing, or reflecting boundaries. The method uses a concave characterization of excessive functions for linear diffusions killed at a rate determined by a Markov additive functional and reduces the original problem to an undiscounted optimal stopping problem for a standard Brownian motion. The latter can be solved essentially by inspection. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of an optimal stopping rule are proved when the reward function is continuous. The results are illustrated on examples.
Parallel Transition Localization

Microprocessor clock rates-which for three decades doubled about every 18 months-have essentially stopped increasing. Instead the number of processor cores (identical processing units capable of all usual microprocessor functions) in a microprocessor is increasing exponentially with time. In order to increase performance as the number of cores increase, measurement analysis software will have to take advantage of this parallelism. The purpose of this paper is to study one example of a measurement analysis having serial dependencies among the input data and to show that there is a practical parallel algorithm despite the data dependencies within the measured time series. The measurement analysis studied is transition localization in digital signals. A parallel scan-type algorithm is presented. Results of applying the parallel algorithm on both synthetic data and actual measured data are presented, and the speedup obtained on an eight core processor analyzed.
A Platelet Activation-specific Monoclonal Antibody that Recognizes a Receptor-induced Binding Site on Canine Fibrinogen

An activation-specific monoclonal antibody (MoAb) termed "Canine Activated Platelet 1" (CAP 1) has been developed and partially characterized. Flow cytometric studies of isolated canine platelets, using adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and platelet activating factor (PAF) as agonists, demonstrated that CAP 1 binding site number was proportional to agonist strength and agonist concentration. MoAb CAP 1 binding was diminished by ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid, suggesting that the antigen was either stabilized by calcium or antigen binding to the platelet surface was mediated by calcium. ADP-activated gel-filtered platelets also demonstrated reduced binding of MoAb CAP 1 even in the presence of 1 mM CaCI,. Binding of MoAb CAP 1 could be partially restored by activating gel-filtered platelets with PAF, suggesting that the antigen was either present within platelet granule membranes or was exposed after binding of released protein(s) with a platelet receptor. A monoclonal antibody to human platelet glycoprotein IIIa (GPIIIa), which cross-reacts with canine platelet GPIIIa regardless of platelet activation status, did not inhibit binding of MoAb CAP1. MoAb CAPl bound to isolated canine fibrinogen captured on polystyrene microtiter plates in the absence of platelet proteins. Immunoblots indicated that MoAb CAP1 recognizes nonreduced fibrinogen as well as a plasmin digest of isolated canine fibrinogen. Results of the present studies suggest that MoAb CAPl recognizes a receptor-induced binding site on canine fibrinogen.
Cytotoxic interactions of tumor necrosis factor, melphalan and 41.8 °C hyperthermia

Experience with limb perfusion-hyperthermia, TNF, and L-PAM suggests dramatic clinical responses in sarcoma and malignant melanoma. To extrapolate these results to clinical 41.8 degrees C whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) and systemic therapy, we studied the cytotoxic interactions of TNF, L-PAM and hyperthermia in L929 cells. The optimal sequence was TNF preceding 41.8 degrees C hyperthermia by 48 h, and L-PAM given simultaneously with heat. Trimodality synergism between TNF, hyperthermia and L-PAM was demonstrated. Non-cytotoxic doses of TNF had a super-additive interaction with L-PAM/heat. Conversely, non-cytotoxic doses of L-PAM had super-additive interactions with TNF followed by hyperthermia. Relative to therapeutic index, we studied WBH, L-PAM and TNF in non-tumor bearing mice. The optimal trimodality sequence did not result in increased normal tissue toxicity compared to L-PAM alone. The concentrations and sequencing of TNF and L-PAM studied are consistent with clinical application to WBH.
Computer-Aided Detection Applied to Breast MRI: Assessment of CAD-Generated Enhancement and Tumor Sizes in Breast Cancers Before and After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy1

Rationale and Objectives MRI has shown promise in assessing breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Computer-aided detection (CAD) for MRI can automatically display tumor enhancement parameters. This study was performed to determine the utility of CAD applied to breast MRI in this patient population. Materials and Methods Fifteen patients with 16 newly diagnosed locally advanced breast cancers were evaluated with MRI before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. CAD assessments, including presence or absence of significant enhancement, enhancement profiles, and maximum sizes, were recorded. Pre-chemotherapy and post-chemotherapy enhancement profiles were compared. Sizes were compared to those measured by the radiologist and at final pathology. Results Prior to chemotherapy, all tumors demonstrated CAD-assessed significant enhancement. Following chemotherapy, 7/16 tumors showed no residual significant enhancement, but all had residual disease at pathology. In those patients with residual enhancement, comparison of the post-chemotherapy to pre-chemotherapy CAD enhancement profiles showed a significant decrease in percentage of washout enhancement ( P = 0.0147) in patients with less than 5 mm of residual microscopic disease. Radiologist-measured tumor sizes demonstrated better correlation with sizes at pathology ( r = 0.60) than did CAD-generated tumor sizes ( r = 0.32). Conclusion CAD may be helpful in assessing changes in MRI enhancement profiles of tumors following chemotherapy. However, CAD-assessed significant enhancement following chemotherapy can be falsely negative for residual malignancy, and CAD tumor sizes are less accurate than those measured by the radiologist in predicting size of residual malignancy. CAD may complement but should not replace the radiologist’s assessment of tumors in this patient population.