cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What Makes a Quality Therapy? A Consideration of Parsimony, Ease, and Efficiency

Evaluations of psychotherapy have traditionally focused on symptom reduction as the primary standard by which their value is determined. This has contributed to the appearance of equivalence between many therapies that may differ considerably in complexity, feasibility, amount of homework and therapist contact required, expected cost, speed of symptom decline, and transdiagnostic utility. In the current paper, I make the case that these are fundamental features related to quality that should be considered in psychotherapy development, randomized controlled trials, and dissemination efforts. Empirically supported treatments for different disorders are evaluated based on these criteria, and special consideration is given to cognitive-behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders. Specific recommendations for a quality-oriented clinical research agenda are also provided.
Pregnancy in the single adolescent girl: the role of cognitive functions.

Interviews were conducted with 211 single adolescent girls, free of known psychiatric disturbance, who had undergone an elective abortion at a metropolitan municipal hospital. Besides providing help for the possible emotional stress connected with their situation, it was learned to what extent they were acquainted with birth control methods and had actually attempted to avoid their pregnancy. Similar data relating to birth control were obtained in interviews with a group of 200 single adolescents pregnant for the first time, and from 50 girls serving as controls who had effectively practiced birth control for at least 6 months. The great majority of the girls came from the same socioeconomic background, close to the subsistence level. The results indicate that about three-fourths of the pregnancies were unintended. Besides the implied external difficulty involved in finding a congenial low-cost birth control clinic, three psychological cognitive mechanisms were uncovered which virtually block the conversion of birth control knowledge into its successful practice. This finding suggests that adolescent out-of-wedlock pregnancies do not exclusively arise from motivational factors.
Ratioing radiometer for use with a solar diffuser

The use of an on-board solar diffuser has been proposed to monitor the in-flight calibration of satellite sensors. This paper presents the preliminary specifications and design for a ratioing radiometer, to be used to determine the change in radiance of the solar diffuser. The issues involved in spectral channel selection are discussed and the effects of stray light are presented. An error analysis showing the benefit of the ratioing radiometer is included.
Zonal Variability in the Distribution of Eddy Energy in the Mid-Latitude North Pacific Ocean

Abstract Hydrographic and expendable bathythermograph (XBT) data from several sources have been drawn together to summarize the distribution of baroclinc mesoscale eddy energy in the mid-latitude North Pacific Ocean. A striking order of magnitude decrease in the energy distribution at 500–1000 km wave-lengths is observed to occur abruptly east of the 170°W meridian. Mean zonal wavenumber spectra, constructed from 16 zonal XBT sections on either side of 170°W, confirm these observations.
Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase regulation. Effect of fluidity of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles

Abstract The regulation of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase by changes in phospholipid bilayer fluidity was investigated using pyrene excimer fluorescence to measure fluidity. Fluidity of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) unilamellar vesicles was decreased by the addition of up to 20% (mol/mol) cholesterol and increased by the addition of up to 10% (mol/mol) lysoDMPC. When both cholesterol and lysoDMPC are present in the bilayer, their individual effects on fluidity are altered. These changes can be explained by complex formation between cholesterol and phospholipid as in the model of Presti et al. (Presti, F.C., Pace, R.J. and Chan, S.I. (1982) Biochemistry 21, 3831-3335). Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase activity with these vesicles as substrates was measured to determine whether activity can be modulated by the fluidity changes of the bilayer on which the enzyme acts. When 10% lysoDMPC, a known lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitor, is added to the vesicles, inhibition of activity is observed. When 7.5% lysoDMPC is added to vesicles which contain either 5 or 10% cholesterol, lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase activity increases. This increase in lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase activity due to vesicle-fluidity increase is sufficient to overcome the decrease in activity due to lecithin:choleterol acyltransferase inhibition. This is the first report of the ability of lysoDMPC to increase lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase activity.
The National Cancer Data Base report on patterns of care for testicular carcinoma, 1985-1996.

BACKGROUND Previous Commission on Cancer data from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) have examined time trends in stage of disease, treatment patterns, and survival for selected cancers. In the current study data relating to patients diagnosed with testicular carcinoma in 1985, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1995, and 1996 are described. METHODS The data reported in this review were collected from hospital cancer registries from across the U.S. Case information is submitted to the NCDB following guidelines established by the North American Association of Central Registries. Data items include patient demographics, tumor characteristics, initial course of therapy, and follow-up status. Eight calls for data have yielded a total of 6.9 million cases for the years 1985–1996, including 2280 testicular carcinoma cases in 1985–1986, 5677 cases in 1990–1991, and 7452 cases in 1995–1996. These data represent approximately 22.6%, 47.3%, and 51.4%, respectively, of the estimated cases of testicular carcinoma diagnosed in the U.S. in each of these 3 respective time periods. Cases diagnosed and reported to the NCDB between 1985–1991 and that had been staged according to the 4th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) manual for the staging of cancer (1567) were used in the analysis of survival outcomes. RESULTS Four principle findings are reported. First, young men (age < 25 years) are diagnosed with advanced stage nonseminomatous germ cell tumors more frequently than are older men (age ≥ 30 years). Second, although surgery and concomitant radiation are the standard therapy for early stage seminomas, surgery alone increasingly is being used. In the treatment of patients with advanced stage seminomas the use of surgery and radiation has declined slightly whereas surgery with concomitant chemotherapy appears to be employed with greater frequency. Third, surgery alone is the treatment of choice for patients with early stage nonseminomatous germ cell tumors and has been employed with increasing frequency over the three time periods studied. The use of surgery and concomitant chemotherapy has remained relatively stable over time in the treatment of patients with advanced stage nonseminomas. And fourth, survival rates decrease with increasing AJCC stage of disease. CONCLUSIONS The NCDB data regarding testicular carcinoma highlight a number of important trends in the presentation and management of testicular tumors. These trends not only evaluate new protocols of treatment but also can be used to direct new strategies toward achieving earlier patient presentation. Cancer 1999;86:2171–83. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Production of mineral lubricating oils from filtrate of paraffin wax production by hydrofining

Hydrofining the filtrate from paraffin-wax production of Ozeksuatsk crude yielded a number of industrial lubricants and also transformer oil meeting the requirements of GOST 982-56.
Use of computer simulations to determine steady-state distributions in ion bombardment

Abstract Computer simulations typically determine the particle-distribution function corresponding to a single-event point source. This distribution function contains all the information needed to determine the corresonding steady-state distribution. From the single-event point-source distribution one can also deduce the distributions resulting from plane and volume-homogeneous sources, both for single event and steady state. A formalism for making these deductions is developed, based on the observation that the distribution determined by computer simulation obeys the Boltzmann transport equation, and on the properties of the Green's functions solutions of that equation, particularly the consequences of space- and time-translation invariance. The treatment deals explicitly with a homogeneous target infinite in every direction, but is easily generalized to cases with boundary conditions, such as a beam bombarding a layered target in slab geometry.
The Sandia Plasma Materials Test Facility in 2007

Abstract The Plasma Materials Test Facility, in its third decade of operation at Sandia National Laboratories, upgraded the 30-kW system to 60 kW (EB60) with a new gun, grid control and power supply. In 2007 we are testing mockups in EB60 to assess processes for joining Be to CuCrZr and CuCrZr to 316LN-IG for the fabrication of US first wall (FW) panels for ITER. In our 1.2 MW dual gun electron beam, EB1200, we will test Be-armored FW quality mockups of the US and other ITER Parties.
Multiple Mixed-Valence Behavior in trans,trans-[(tpy)(Cl)2OsIII(μ-1,3-N3)OsIII(Cl)2(tpy)]+. An Azido Bridge from the Reaction between trans-[OsVI(tpy)(Cl)2(N)]+ and NH3

Reaction between the Os(VI)-nitrido complex, trans-[OsVI(tpy)(Cl)2(N)]PF6 (tpy = 2,2':6',2' '-terpyridine), and ammonia (NH3) under N2 in dry CH3CN gives the mu-1,3-azido bridged [OsII-N3-OsII]- dimer, trans,trans-NH4[(tpy)(Cl)2OsII(N3)OsII(Cl)2(tpy)]. It undergoes air oxidation to give the [OsIII-N3-OsIII]+ analogue, trans,trans-[(tpy)(Cl)2OsIII(N3)OsIII(Cl)2(tpy)]PF6 ([OsIII-N3-OsIII]PF6), which has been isolated and characterized. The structural formulation as a mu-1,3-N3 bridged complex has been established by infrared and 15N NMR measurements on the 15N-labeled forms, [OsIII-14N=15N=14N-OsIII]+, [OsIII-15N=14N=15N-OsIII]+, and [OsIII-15N=15N=15N-OsIII]+. Cyclic voltammetric measurements in 0.2 M Bu4NPF6/CH3CN reveal the existence of five chemically reversible waves from 1.40 to -0.12 V for couples ranging from OsV-OsIV/OsIV-OsIV to OsIII-OsII/OsII-OsII. DeltaE1/2 values for couples adjacent to the three mixed-valence forms are 0.19 V for OsIII-OsII, 0.52 V for OsIV-OsIII, and >0.71 V for OsV-OsIV. In CH3CN at 60 degrees C, [OsIII-N3-OsIII]+ undergoes a [2 + 3] cycloaddition with CH3CN at the mu-N3- bridge followed by a solvolysis to give trans-[OsIII(tpy)(Cl)2(5-MeCN4)] and trans-[OsIII(tpy)(Cl)2(NCCH3)]PF6.
A note on the relation between the optic disc and the blind spot

The optic disc is sometimes said incorrectly to lie in a position below the fovea. This misconception arises from neglecting the inversion of the retinal image. The blind spot, regarded as a position in the visual field, in fact lies below the point of fixation, but the anatomical counterpart of the blind spot, the optic disc, lies above the fovea. It is suggested that the term optic disc be used anatomically and the term blind spot be used only to refer to an area in the visual field.
Abstract 9: Oxidative stress and antioxidant status in high-risk prostate cancer subjects.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the United States. Epidemiological, experimental and clinical studies have implicated chronic inflammation and oxidative stress in the development and progression of prostate cancer. Diet, environmental carcinogens, aging, and other inflammatory diseases cause aberration in reactive oxygen species (ROS) which may play critical roles in the development and progression of prostate cancer. Chronic inflammation results in lipid peroxidation and generation of highly reactive products with the potential to damage DNA. The extent of ROS-induced oxidative damage can be determined by measuring reductions in levels of endogenous antioxidant defense enzymes such as glutathione-s-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GSH-R), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and non-protein thiols, which participate in detoxification processes. The aim of this study was to assess the oxidative status and antioxidant defense mechanisms in 20 men, 54-84 years of age, with increased risk of developing prostate cancer because of the presence of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) in their prostate biopsies, as compared to 20 healthy men in the same age range whose prostate biopsies showed no evidence of HGPIN. Total glutathione levels were measured in red blood cells, and plasma levels of GSH-Px, GSH-R, CAT, SOD, and PSA were analyzed. Data obtained after analysis was represented as mean, standard error and box plot. Serum PSA levels were significantly (p<0.0001) higher in men with HGPIN, whereas glutathione (P=0.002) levels were higher in men without HGPIN. Levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), an oxidized nucleoside of DNA that is most often detected in the DNA of white blood cells, were significantly (p<0.00001) increased in men with HGPIN. There was no significant difference in levels of GSH-R, GSH-Px, lipid peroxide products, CAT, and SOD in men with or without HGPIN. A significant association in between CAT and GSH-Px activity [r= -0.33 (P=0.04)]; PSA levels and 8-OHdG [r= 0.57 (P=0.002] and between glutathione and 8-OHdG [r= -0.39 (P=0.038] were noted between men with HGPIN and healthy controls using Pearson correlation coefficient. These findings indicate that oxidative stress induces imbalances in oxidant/antioxidant status. Increased 8-OHdG levels may lead to oxidative damage and may thereby play an important role in the development of prostate cancer. Citation Format: Sanjeev Shukla, Janmejai K. Srivastava, Rajnee Kanwal, Akbar Nawab, Haripaul Sharma, Natarajan Bhaskaran, Claudia Lillibridge, Lee E. Ponsky, Pingfu Fu, Gregory T. MacLennan, Sanjay Gupta. Oxidative stress and antioxidant status in high-risk prostate cancer subjects. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 9. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-9
Self-Adapting Microscale Surface Grooves for Hydrodynamic Lubrication

The tribological performance of a lubricated surface depends largely on the ability of the surface to maintain a sufficient film thickness under high loads. One way of improving the performance is to modify the surface by inducing changes in the geometry of the surface. This work deals with modeling, creating, and testing novel adaptive microscale surface geometries to improve the tribological performance in terms of their load carrying capacity and stiffness. Numerical methods are used to model and simulate the performance of these surfaces. The coupled mechanisms of elastic deformation and hydrodynamic fluid pressure were solved simultaneously to give the load support. A parametric study was also performed by varying the input conditions and variables involved. Efforts were made to optimize the geometry of the surface to improve its load-carrying capacity and stiffness. Numerical results show that the adapting surfaces are able to increase the effective stiffness of the hydrodynamic film in comparison t...
Correlation of Surface Topography and Coating Damage with Changes in the Responsivity of Silicon PIN Photodiodes

Laser-induced morphological damage initiated by single 10 ns, 1.06 micron Nd:YAG laser pulses was observed on three types of silicon PIN photodiodes. When the samples were irradiated at fluences above the melting threshold, the damage morphologies were observed to vary according to the type of coating and the fluence. Nomarski microscopy at 200X was used to analyze the laser-induced topography at the damage sites. The topography was characterized generally by ripples, ridges and boiling marks in order of increasing fluence. However, all test fluence levels remained below the threshold for electrical degradation and no increase in leakage current was detected. The detector responsivity at the damage sites was mapped by means of a probe laser. The sample was translated within its plane in order to obtain a series of raster scans across each damage site. A comparison of the topographical data and responsitivity data suggests that local variations in responsivity were correlated with laser-induced surface roughness and with the removal of the thin-films.
STUDIES ON REPRODUCTION IN THE MONKEY AND THEIR BEARING ON GYNECOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY1

THE OBJECT of this communication is to survey some studies that have been made on the physiology of reproduction in the monkey and to make an inventory of some of the facts of major significance which seem to have been useful to the gynecologist, student of human reproduction, on the one hand, and of interest to the anthropologist, student of human phylogeny, on the other. I. GENERALIZATIONS OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO GYNECOLOGY The Physiology of Menstruation It has been known since Saint′Hilaire and Cuvier (i) that monkeys menstruate at intervals corresponding to the human cycle. It required a century to prove that of all mammals it is only the primates that menstruate, and nearly as long to demonstrate that the estrous (intermenstrual) bleeding of cows and bitches is not the homologue of the menstrual flow (2). It follows, therefore, that monkeys and apes have become indispensable for the study of menstrual physiology and anatomy.
Oral antiplatelet therapy for acute coronary syndromes: aspirin, P2Y12 inhibition and thrombin receptor antagonists

The platelet is central to the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) via its direct participation in the formation of the thrombotic occlusion and its participation in the coagulation cascade that results in the formation of thrombin. Antiplatelet therapy is a cornerstone of therapy in the setting of ACS. Unfortunately, many patients who receive intensive antiplatelet therapy remain at high risk for recurrent events. Current efforts to reduce this "residual risk" include lifestyle modifications, cardiac rehabilitation, and intensive therapy for dyslipidemia. Also being investigated are methods of individualizing and intensifying antiplatelet therapy. Novel compounds that promise to reduce recurrent ischemic events without an increase in bleeding events are being evaluated in clinical trials. This review summarizes ongoing efforts to improve the effectiveness of antiplatelet therapy among patients with ACS.
Effective Collision Strengths of Fine-Structure Transitions in Fe X, Fe XI, and Fe XIII

Electron excitation collision strengths for fine-structure transitions in Fe X, Fe XI, and Fe XIII are calculated using full Breit-Pauli R-matrix approach. We included 49 fine-structure levels of Fe X, 38 fine-structure levels of Fe XI, and 26 fine-structure levels of Fe XIII in our scattering calculations. These levels are represented by configuration-interaction wave functions. The relativistic effects are included in the Breit-Pauli approximation via one-body mass correction, Darwin, and spin-orbit interaction terms in the scattering equations. Rydberg series of resonances converging to the excited state thresholds are explicitly included in the calculations. The effective collision strengths are determined by integrating collision strengths and assuming a Maxwellian distribution of electron energies.
Evaluation of surface and film diffusion coefficients for carbon adsorption

Abstract The dynamics of adsorption for various adsorbate-adsorbent systems have been predicted successfully using the homogeneous surface diffusion model (HSDM). Kinetic parameters and equilibrium parameters have to be determined in order to solve the model. Batch adsorption experiments are usually used for this purpose. This paper presents a parameter search procedure which is capable of uniquely determining these parameters for the HSDM. The advantage of the proposed parameter search procedure is that it is not limited to cases of dominant transport mechanism, such as cases limited by either external film or surface diffusional resistances.
THE OUTCOME OF STOPPING PROPHYLACTIC ANTIBIOTICS IN OLDER CHILDREN WITH VESICOURETERAL REFLUX

Purpose:: Accepted management of vesicoureteral reflux includes surgical correction or prophylactic antibiotics with the hope for resolution as the child grows. The physician must consider surgery when reflux does not resolve despite uneventful years on prophylactic antibiotics. An alternative is cessation of the antibiotics. We report on the outcome of children taken off antibiotics with persistent reflux.Materials and Methods:: During a 14-year period 51 children with documented reflux were taken off antibiotic prophylaxis. Selection criteria included children who were old enough to verbalize the symptoms of a urinary tract infection, and had normal voiding patterns, a minor history of infections and minimal or no renal scarring. Routine followup included nuclear cystography and renal sonography.Results:: A total of 40 girls and 11 boys maintained on antibiotics for a mean of 4.8 years were taken off prophylaxis and followed for an average of 3.7 years. Mean patient age when prophylactic antibiotics wer...
Intratypic antigenic heterogeneity of Coxsackie B viruses.

Neutralization tests, employing the cytopathogenic effect in tissue culture tubes, with a variety of homotypic antisera and strains of Coxsackie B viruses often yielded high titers in early readings and low titers in late readings — the “break-through” phenomenon — and occasionally also low, early-reading titers with heterologous, homotypic sera, which gave high titers with the homologous strains. Of 27 strains of Goxsackie B 1 to B 5, that were tested, 10 showed no break-through tendency while others showed varying degrees of break-through, without reference to any evidence of intratypic antigenic variation. There was a positive correlation between a small number of tissue culture passages away from man or mouse brain and the break-through tendency. Moreover, strains without break-through tendency yielded viral populations with marked break-through properties after a single intracerebral passage in newborn mice, and even after two subsequent tissue culture passages. Plaque-purified progeny exhibited the break-through phenomenon to the same extent as the original, unpurified cultures.
G3(MP2) enthalpies of hydrogenation, isomerization, and formation of extended linear polyacetylenes

Motivated by our recent finding that, in contrast to their olefinic counterparts, linear alternant polyacetylenes (polyynes) show no appreciable thermodynamic evidence of conjugation stabilization, we have extended our G3(MP2) calculations of standard enthalpies of hydrogenation, Δhyd , formation, Δf , and isomerization, Δisom , as far as isomeric dodecadiynes. We show that thermochemical stabilization of conjugated polyalkynes is about 1 kcal mol-1 over most of this range, and that the progression from one polyalkyne to the next is regular and additive. The longest chain polyalkynes, however, begin to revert to classical conjugation stabilization energies. For example, 5,7-dodecadiyne has a thermochemical stabilization enthalpy of 3.1 kcal mol-1, approaching that of 1,3-butadiene. We also point out some of the difficulties encountered when one departs from Kistiakowsky's operational definition of conjugation stabilization. A cautionary example is drawn from the recent literature in which arguments of hyp...
A mutant cell line defective in response to double-stranded RNA and in regulating basal expression of interferon-stimulated genes

Although much progress has been made in identifying the signaling pathways that mediate the initial responses to interferons (IFNs), much less is known about how IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) are kept quiescent in untreated cells, how the response is sustained after the initial induction, and how ISG expression is down-regulated, even in the continued presence of IFN. We have used the cell sorter to isolate mutant cells with constitutively high ISG expression. A recessive mutant, P2.1, has higher constitutive ISG levels than the parental U4C cells, which do not respond to any IFN. Unexpectedly, P2.1 cells also are deficient in the expression of ISGs in response to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Electrophoretic mobility-shift assays revealed that the defect is upstream of the activation of the transcription factors NFκB and IFN regulatory factor 1. Analysis of the pivotal dsRNA-dependent serine/threonine kinase PKR revealed that the wild-type kinase is present and is activated normally in response to dsRNA in P2.1 cells. Together, these data suggest that the defect in P2.1 cells is either downstream of PKR or in a component of a distinct pathway that is involved both in activating multiple transcription factors in response to dsRNA and in regulating the basal expression of ISGs.
Nanostructured copolymer gels for dsDNA separation by CE

Pluronics copolymers are triblock copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)poly(ethylene oxide) and are able to form many different ordered nanostructures at appropriate polymer concentrations and temperatures in selective solvents. These nano-structured ‘gels’ showed desirable criteria when used as DNA separation media, especially in microchip electrophoresis, including dynamic coating ability and viscosity switchable property. A ternary system of F127 (E99P69E99)/TBE buffer/1-butanol was selected as a model system to test the sieving performance of different nanostructures in separating dsDNA by capillary electrophoresis. The lattice structures were determined by small-angle x-ray scattering with quasi-lattice crystal parameters being calculated according to the x-ray scattering data. Viscosity measurements showed the sol-gel transition phenomena. In addition to the cubic structure, successful electrophoretic separation of dsDNA in 2-D hexagonal packed cylinders was achieved. Results showed that without further optimization, ΦX174 DNA-Hae III digest was well separated within 15 minutes in a 7-cm separation channel, by using F127/TBE/1-butanol gel with a 2-D hexagonal structure. A mechanism for DNA separations by those gels with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains is discussed.
Toxicokinetics of PAHs in Hexagenia

The accumulation kinetics of two waterborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) and phenanthrene (PHE), were studied in the mayfly nymph (Hexagenia limbata). The uptake clearance decreased while the bioconcentration of BAP increased with an increase in weight of the H. limbata nymph. The relationship between uptake clearance and bioconcentration for PHE was variable, and bioconcentration was greater for the heavier animals. Two kinetic models were used to evaluate the effect of nymph weight on disposition of PAHs: (a) the amount-uptake clearance model, similar to models most frequently used in environmental toxicology; and (b) a clearance-volume model, similar to models used in clinical pharmacology. The two models gave similar predictive results but were different in a few cases. These differences in common parameter estimation probably resulted from methodologies used and high data variability rather than the models themselves, since they are mathematically equal. Some of the parameters are unique to each of the models and are defined and described. The clearance of oxygen from water is inversely and linearly related to the weight of the mayfly nymphs, but oxygen clearances were always much less than the uptake clearances of the PAHs. The high PAH uptake clearance compared to oxygen clearance implies a greater surface area or efficiency for PAH accumulation from water.
An Emerging Theory of Boredom in Recovery for Adult Substance Users with HIV/AIDS Attending an Urban Day Treatment Program

Abstract The purpose of this qualitative inquiry, which used a grounded theory design, is to present a theory of boredom in recovery, for adult substance users with HIV/AIDS. As part of an ongoing doctoral dissertation, one 58-year-old male ex-heroin and cocaine user was repeatedly interviewed at an urban day treatment facility where the researcher has spent the last three years. Boredom's spiraling circularity and tenacity emerged as themes: When recovery begins, passive leisure and marijuana set up and relieve boredom. Hence, boredom seems a spiraling circularity in that the stimulus and response to boredom are similar. Even though a bigger occupation, reflecting the participant's previous dreams, rather than everyday activity, soon reorganize life with progressively less substance use, the tendency toward boredom persists 20 years into recovery. The recreation of rapidly altering new challenges and a rich variety of strategies to alleviate boredom is suggested by these initial findings.
Distinct nuclear localization patterns of DNA methyltransferases in developing and mature mammalian retina

DNA methyltransferases--DNMT1, DNMT3a, and DNMT3b--produce methylation patterns that dynamically regulate chromatin remodeling and gene expression. The vertebrate retina provides an ideal model to elucidate molecular control of neurogenesis as all neuronal cell types and Muller glia are generated in a conserved order from common pools of progenitor cells. As a prelude to exploring epigenetic regulation of mammalian retinal development, we investigated the expression of Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, and Dnmt3b in the mouse retina from embryonic day (E) 10.5 to 10 months of age. High levels of transcripts for all three Dnmt genes were observed in early stages of retinal differentiation, with significantly reduced expression after birth. Although DNMT1 protein is abundant in retinal progenitors at E10.5, it becomes restricted to postmitotic cells by E15.5. Most cells in the postnatal retina show nuclear immunostaining of DNMT1; however, the photoreceptors exhibit distinctive patterns. In rods, weak expression of DNMT1 is detected in perinuclear region and in the nucleus, whereas a strong nuclear labeling is evident in cones. DNMT3a and DNMT3b show a discrete pattern in developing retina with high expression at E11.5, little or no immunostaining by E15.5, and then postnatal expression overlapping with DNMT1 in early born neurons (ganglion, amacrine and horizontal cells, and cones). Robust nuclear localization of DNMTs in cones compared to rods suggests a potential role of DNA methylation in differential remodeling of chromatin in these two specialized neurons. Our studies indicate that DNA methyltransferases contribute to the establishment and maturation of cell fates during retinal development.
Reordering for improved constrained reconstruction from undersampled k-space data

Recently, there has been a significant interest in applying reconstruction techniques, like constrained reconstruction or compressed sampling methods, to undersampled k-space data in MRI. Here, we propose a novel reordering technique to improve these types of reconstruction methods. In this technique, the intensities of the signal estimate are reordered according to a preprocessing step when applying the constraints on the estimated solution within the iterative reconstruction. The ordering of the intensities is such that it makes the original artifact-free signal monotonic and thus minimizes the finite differences norm if the correct image is estimated; this ordering can be estimated based on the undersampled measured data. Theory and example applications of the method for accelerating myocardial perfusion imaging with respiratory motion and brain diffusion tensor imaging are presented.
Eigenvalue Properties of Projection Operators and Their Application to the Subspace Method of Feature Extraction

The subspace method proposed by Watanabe et al. is an important method of feature extraction in pattern recognition. Some new results described here provide a formulation of the subspace method that is particularly easy to implement and overcomes the various numerical difficulties that were inherent in earlier implementations of the method. The present formulation is also important in that it provides the key to the relation of this method to other methods of feature extraction.
Engineering Models of the Human Thermoregulatory System-A Review

The literature on engineering models of the human Thermoregulatory system is reviewed and classified. The present review is a sequel to "A Review on Mathematical Models of the Human Thermal System." Emphasis in this review is the incorporation of physiological thermoregulation into engineering models. The objective is to present major mathematical models of human thermoregulatory systems which can be used in simulation and design for practicing engineers.
Intracameral urokinase for dissolution of fibrin or blood clots after glaucoma surgery

Purpose To report the use of intracameral urokinase for dissolving fibrin or blood clots after glaucoma surgery. Methods Four eyes of four patients who had undergone glaucoma surgery developed an anterior chamber fibrin or blood clot and increased intraocular pressure. Urokinase was injected into the anterior chamber in each patient to dissolve the clot. Results In all cases, urokinase injection resulted in reduction of intraocular pressure. No adverse effects of urokinase injection were detected during the short follow-up period. Conclusions Urokinase may be a safe, inexpensive, and convenient alternative to tissue plasminogen activator for dissolving fibrin or blood clots after glaucoma surgery. Additional studies are warranted to evaluate the long-term safety of intracameral injection.
Neutrino data, right-handed currents and number of quark flavors

Abstract Models with various numbers of quark flavors and various structures of weak currents are critically examined in the light of current high-energy ν, ν -data. A model with 8 quark flavors and right-handed currents is proposed which gives a reasonable agreement with all aspects of the data.
M-ary hyper phase-shift keying with Reed Solomon encoding and soft decision reliability information

Reed Solomon (RS) forward error correction (FEC) coding in conjunction with M-ary hyper phase-shift keying (MHPSK) and soft decision decoding is considered in order to improve the robustness of a high spectral efficiency, non-linear satellite communications link. In this paper, a system that utilizes RS encoding of the information symbols which are then transmitted with MHPSK is evaluated in terms of probability of bit error and spectral efficiency. Using standard RS hard decision decoding, the receiver either correctly decodes the received block or returns a decoding failure. In the event of a decoding failure, soft decision reliability information is used to identify received code symbols with a low probability of being correctly received and to generate new code symbol estimates that are used in the traditional RS decoding algorithm. Because the majority of decoding failures are caused when the total number of code symbol errors exceeds the error correction capability t of the RS code by only a few symbols, only a few code symbols must be corrected in order to successfully decode the received block. The performance of this system is compared to a two-subcarrier OFDM system with either 8-PSK or 8-QAM on each subcarrier and single carrier 8-PSK where the data bits are encoded with the Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) standard rate 0.83 low density parity check (LDPC) code. The MHPSK system with RS encoding and soft decision decoding, the two-subcarrier OFDM system with either 8-QAM or 8-PSK on each subcarrier with LDPC encoding, and single carrier 8-PSK with LDPC encoding are compared in terms of probability of bit error, peak-to-average power ratio, amplifier backoff, and spectral efficiency for very long block lengths.
Electro-Optic Waveguide Based on Hybrid Sol-Gel Doped with Organic Chromophore

This paper reports the material processing, waveguide fabrication, and electro-optic properties of hybrid sol-gel doped with a large hyperpolarizability chromophore. High electro-optic coefficient and stability are demonstrated, and electro-optic intensity modulation is presented.
Isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for platinum determination in urine

The therapeutic importance of platinum (Pt) compounds, the growing accessibility of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) systems in clinical laboratories, and the lack of a mass spectrometric method for the determination of Pt in biological samples motivated us to develop an isotope dilution GC/MS assay for Pt. The method is based on the use of lithium bis(trifluoroethyl) dithiocarbamate, Li(FDEDTC), as a chelating agent and enriched 192Pt for isotope dilution. Conditions were optimized for the precise and accurate determination of isotope ratios of Pt by using a 10-m DB-l fused silica capillary column and a reverse-geometry double-focusing mass spectrometer with selected ion monitoring. An overall precision of 1% was obtained by combining within-run precision and between-run precision at the 10-ng level. No appreciable memory effect was observed when samples with different isotope ratios were analyzed sequentially. The method was validated by the quantitation of Pt in National Institute of Standards and Technology freeze-dried urine sample SRM 2670. A concentration value of 125 ± 6 /Lg/L (n = 6) was obtained by using four different sets of isotope ratios in the molecular ion and supports the National Institute of Standards and Technology recommended value of 120 ± ? μg/L. Limits-of-quantitation, estimated at 3 μg/L, are made possible by the high sensitivity of the method and the low blank value for Pt.
Formation of small circular DNA molecules via an in vitro site-specific recombination system.

Abstract The Cre-lox site-specific recombination system of bacteriophage P1 has been used to investigate the role of DNA flexibility in recombination. We have determined that a minimal distance of 82 bp must separate two loxP sites located on the same DNA molecule to allow these sites to undergo intramolecular recombination with one another. As a result of recombination, DNA circles as small as 116bp have been produced. In addition, we have demonstrated that the nuclease BAL 31 recognizes distortions in the DNA helix resulting from the formation of small DNA circles whose length is not a multiple of the helical repeat.
18F-FDOPA and 18F-FLT positron emission tomography parametric response maps predict response in recurrent malignant gliomas treated with bevacizumab

The current study examined the use of voxel-wise changes in (18)F-FDOPA and (18)F-FLT PET uptake, referred to as parametric response maps (PRMs), to determine whether they were predictive of response to bevacizumab in patients with recurrent malignant gliomas. Twenty-four patients with recurrent malignant gliomas who underwent bevacizumab treatment were analyzed. Patients had MR and PET images acquired before and at 2 time points after bevacizumab treatment. PRMs were created by examining the percentage change in tracer uptake between time points in each image voxel. Voxel-wise increase in PET uptake in areas of pretreatment contrast enhancement defined by MRI stratified 3-month progression-free survival (PFS) and 6-month overall survival (OS) according to receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. A decrease in PET tracer uptake was associated with longer PFS and OS, whereas an increase in PET uptake was associated with short PFS and OS. The volume fraction of increased (18)F-FDOPA PET uptake between the 2 posttreatment time points also stratified long- and short-term PFS and OS (log-rank, P < .05); however, (18)F-FLT uptake did not stratify OS. This study suggests that an increase in FDOPA or FLT PET uptake on PRMs after bevacizumab treatment may be a useful biomarker for predicting PFS and that FDOPA PET PRMs are also predictive of OS in recurrent gliomas treated with bevacizumab.
Accurate label-free protein quantitation with high- and low-resolution mass spectrometers.

Label-free quantitation of proteins analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry uses either integrated peak intensity from the parent-ion mass analysis (MS1) or features from fragment-ion analysis (MS2), such as spectral counts or summed fragment-ion intensity. We directly compared MS1 and MS2 quantitation by analyzing human protein standards diluted into Escherichia coli extracts on an Orbitrap mass spectrometer. We found that summed MS2 intensities were nearly as accurate as integrated MS1 intensities, and both outperformed MS2 spectral counting in accuracy and linearity. We compared these results to those obtained from two low-resolution ion-trap mass spectrometers; summed MS2 intensities from LTQ and LTQ Velos instruments were similar in accuracy to those from the Orbitrap. Data from all three instruments are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000602. Abundance measurements using MS1 or MS2 intensities had limitations, however. While measured protein concentration was on average well-correlated...
THE HELIX-TURN-HELIX AS A SCAFFOLD FOR CHIMERIC NUCLEASE DESIGN

ABSTRACT De novo design is a powerful tool to investigate the active site of enzymatic metalloproteins, in a smaller, defined model system. It is also a way to build or combine activity and selectivity in unique ways, not seen biologically. We are utilizing protein design to build artificial endonucleases, and to investigate fundamental questions of metallonuclease structure and function. We have focused on designing peptide constructs comprising geometrically similar turns from unrelated proteins, in particular the Ca-binding EF-hand motif of calmodulin and the helix-turn-helix motif (HTH) of engrailed homeodomain. By substituting the calcium-binding (and thus lanthanide-binding) loop in place of the “turn” of engrailed HTH, hydrolytically active, DNA-binding constructs were created. The NMR solution structure of one La-binding chimera (P3W), calculated based on NOE volume integrals, demonstrated that the 33-mer peptide retains the parental helix-turn-helix structure when bound to lanthanide ions. The bi...
Auditory P300 Abnormalities and Left Posterior Superior Temporal Gyrus Volume Reduction in Schizophrenia

• Abnormalities in the auditory P300 event-related potential are one of the most robust findings in schizophrenia. To investigate the brain source(s) of this major functional abnormality, we combined P300 recordings with the use of a new generation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to examine specific temporal lobe gray matter regions of interest in schizophrenics and normal controls. In schizophrenics, gray matter volume reductions in the left posterior superior temporal gyrus (STG), which includes Heschl's gyrus and the planum temporale, were highly and specifically associated with both P300 amplitude reduction and left
Exercise Thermoregulation with Bed Rest, Confinement, and Immersion Deconditioning

Altered thermoregulation following exposure to prolonged (12-14 days) of bed rest and 6 hr of head-down thermoneutral water immersion in humans, and cage confinement (8 weeks) in male, mongrel dogs resulted in occasional increased core temperature (Tcore) at rest, but consistent "excessive" increase in Tcore during submaximal exercise. This excessive increase in Tcore in nonexercising and exercising subjects was independent of the mode (isometric or isotonic) of exercise training during bed rest, and was associated with the consistent hypovolemia in men but not in women taking estrogen supplementation (1.25 mg premarin/ day) which restored plasma volume during bed rest to ambulatory control levels. Post-bed rest exercise sweating (evaporative heat loss) was unchanged or higher than control levels; however, calculated tissue heat conductance was significantly lower in men, and forearm venoconstriction was greater (venous volume was reduced) in women during exercise after bed rest. Because sweating appeared proportional to the increased level of Tcore, these findings suggest that one major factor for the excessive hyperthermia is decreased core to periphery heat conduction. Exercising dogs respond like humans with excessive increase in both rectal (Tre) and exercising muscle temperatures (Tmu) after confinement and, after eight weeks of exercise training on a treadmill following confinement, they had an attenuated rate of increase of Tre even below ambulatory control levels. Intravenous infusion of glucose also attenuated not only the rise in Tre during exercise in normal dogs, but also the excessive rise in Tre and exercising Tmu after confinement. Oral glucose also appeared to reduce the rate of increase in excessive Tre in men after immersion deconditioning. There was a greater rate of rise in Tcore in two cosmonauts during supine submaximal exercise (65% VO2 max) on the fifth recovery day after the 115-day Mir 18 mission. Thus, the excessive rise in core temperature after deconditioning appears to be caused by decreased peripheral vasodilation in humans. Factors related to glucose metabolism may influence this mechanism.
Antibodies to the rat β3 subunit of the γ-aminobutyric acidA receptors

Abstract Polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the cDNA region that codes for the large intracellular loop of the β3 subunit of the γ-aminobutyric acidA/benzodiazepine receptors (GABAAR/BZDR) from rat brain. The amplified cDNA was inserted into the prokaryotic expression vector pGEX-3X and a fusion protein containing glut athione-S-transferase and β3 intracellular loop moieties was expressed in bacteria. The fusion protein was affinity-purified and it was used to raise a rabbit anti-β3 antiserum. The anti-β3 antiserum immunoprecipitated the γ-aminobutyric acidA receptor from rat and bovine brain. Immunoblots of the affinity-purified GABAAR/BZDR from bovine brain revealed that the anti-β3 antiserum reacted with a 57 kDa peptide, whereas the monoclonal antibody 62-3G1 that recognized both β2 and β3 reacted with 55 and 57 kDa peptides. The anti-β3 antiserum showed specificity for the β3 subunit vs β2 and β1.
Combined Effects of Type of Forage Fed, of Concentrate Ingredients, and of Pelleting Concentrates on Rumen Fermentations, Milk Yield, and Milk Composition of Dairy Cattle

Abstract A study was made to determine if differences in responses of dairy cattle to oat vs. corn silage, corn grain + cottonseed meal vs. corn distillers dried grains with solubles (CDDGS), and pelleted vs. nonpelleted concentrates were accumulative. Responses measured were a) concentrations and molar percentages of VFA in rumen fluid, b) milk yield, c) milk energy yield, d) milk-fat per cent, e) milk protein per cent, f) energy per kilogram of milk, and g) milk energy produced daily as a percentage of gross energy in concentrates eaten. Oat pasture increased concentration and molar per cent of propionic acid and concentration of total VFA over corn silage; whereas, CDDGS depressed the concentration and molar per cent of acetic acid and the concentration of total VFA, as compared with the corn concentrates. Pelleting the corn concentrate increased the molar per cent of propionic acid and decreased that of acetic acid, with differences being significant only within the oat pasture forage; whereas, pelleting of the CDDGS concentrate had no effect on these responses. Within the corn concentrates, pelleting decreased energy per kilogram of milk and milk fat per cent and increased milk yield, with responses being magnified on oat pasture as compared with corn silage. The data suggest that the effects of grazing oat pasture and of feeding pelleted corn on the molar percentages of acetic and propionic acids and on milk fat per cent, energy per kilogram of milk, and total milk yield were essentially additive. In relation to the concentrate energy consumed, cows fed CDDGS concentrates produced more milk energy than those fed the corn concentrates.