cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rational approaches to immune regulation

Our laboratory is interested in the properties of proteins that render them immunogenic, and how such immunogenicity may be modulated in vivo. We are attempting to enhance the immune response in the design of more effective vaccines against viral diseases, such as HIV, and against tumor antigens expressed on breast, ovarian, and cervical cancer and B cell lymphomas. Our main approach is to use a facultative intracellular bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes, which has the unusual ability to live and grow in the cytoplasm of the cell and is thus an excellent vector for targeting passenger antigens to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I pathway of antigen processing with the generation of authentic cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) epitopes. In the field of tumor immunotherapy, we are also developing nonliving vaccine vectors for tumor antigens.
Hot-electron bistability in quantum-dot structures.

We present a theoretical analysis of hot-electron bistability in quantum-dot structures. An energy balance approach is used to demonstrate the existence of negative differential conductance due to thermal runaway of the carriers in the dot structure. This runaway is shown to arise from heating of carriers in the quantum dot by incident electrons injected over the barrier of the input constriction. Excellent agreement is obtained with recent experimental evidence of bistability in the current-voltage characteristics of laterally confined quantum dots [J. C. Wu, M. N. Wybourne, C. Berven, S. M. Goodnick, and D. D. Smith, Appl. Phys. Lett. 61, 1 (1992)].
Direct Fluorescence Monitoring of DNA Base Excision Repair

Uracil is an undesired component of DNA, as it arises from spontaneous deamination of cytosine.[1] This hydrolysis reaction promotes mutations, since the resulting U-G pair can be misread during DNA replication. As a result, multiple cellular enzymes have evolved to detect uracil in DNA and remove it prior to replication.[2] In E. coli uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG) enzyme functions to guard the bacterial genome. In humans, similar enzyme activities exist, including the proteins UNG1/2, SMUG, and TDG.[3] These enzymes flip uracil out of the DNA helix and cleave it from its deoxyribose sugar, leaving an abasic site in its place.[4]
Nanocrystalline Spinel from Freeze-Dried Nitrates: Synthesis, Energetics of Product Formation, and Cation Distribution

The formation of MgAl2O4 from a freeze-dried nitrate precursor was studied by thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, 27Al magic angle spinning NMR, and high-temperature solution calorimetry. A single phase, slightly alumina-rich spinel of composition Mg0.957Al2.028O4 was obtained from the precursor by calcination at temperatures ≥ 1073 K. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that material calcined at 1073 K was nanocrystalline, with grain sizes on the order of 20 nm. 27Al NMR revealed that this material had an unusually high degree of cation disorder, with an order parameter of 0.59 at room temperature. This degree of disorder, which has previously only been achieved in MgAl2O4 via neutron bombardment, provides strong thermodynamic evidence that the freeze-dried precursor contained a highly disordered and probably close to random mixture of cations. Significant levels of five-coordinated Al3+ were detected in amorphous sa...
Studies of Pacific island plants, XXXI. Notes on Fijian Sapotaceae

In reviewing the Fijian Sapotaceae it was found necessary to describe three new species,Planchonella sessilis, Palaquium porphyreum, andBurckella parvifolia, and to propose one new combination,B. fijiensis (Chelonespermum fijiense Hemsl.).
Printed polymeric passive RC filters and degradation characteristics

Abstract Ink-jet printed thin films of conductive polymers such as polyaniline (PANI), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with poly(styrene sulfonate) and polymer dielectric material poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVP) were used to make RC filters. Both high-pass and low-pass filters were tested. The fabrication process and device characteristics of the RC filters have been demonstrated. Degradation of the ink-jet printed RC filters has been investigated, and the results indicate that PEDOT/PSS RC filters are more stable than those made from PANI.
Groundwater nitrogen processing in Northern Gulf of Mexico restored marshes.

Abstract Groundwater nitrogen processing was examined in a restored black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) marsh to assess its potential for removing land-derived nitrogen pollution. Two restoration designs, one initially planted at 50% cover (half density plots) and the other one at 100% cover (full density plots), were compared with non-vegetated controls. The introduction via groundwater of a NO 3 − solution with a conservative tracer (Br−) and labeled isotopically (15N) allowed calculation of nitrogen removal in the plots following two methods. The first method used changes in the ratio [NOx]:[Br−] as the groundwater plume traveled through the plot, and the second method relied on balancing 15N input with 15N export. Both methods showed ≈97% of the N from the simulated groundwater plume was removed (i.e. not delivered to the open waters of the adjacent estuary) in vegetated plots and ≈86% was removed in non-vegetated controls. The most dominant routes of N removal from the introduced solution were N2 production and assimilation into macrophyte biomass, which were similar in magnitude for the vegetated plots, whereas N2 production dominated in the unvegetated plots. The majority of N removed from the introduced solution occurred in the first 30 cm the solution traveled in the vegetated treatments. In addition, ambient porewater concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) were similar between full and half density plots, but lower than the non-vegetated control (≈8.5× and 7.5×), suggesting full and half density plots removed more DIN than non-vegetated plots. These results suggest that restoring marshes by planting 50% of the area may be a more cost-effective restoration design in terms of mitigating land-derived nutrient pollution than planting 100% of the area since it requires less effort and cost while removing similar quantities of N.
Detection of 5-(3, 4-Dihydroxy-1, 5-Cyclohexadien-1-Yl) -5-Phenylsydantoin as a Major Metabolite of 5, 5-Diphenylhydantoin (Dilantin) in the Newborn Human

Abstract The metabolism of 5, 5-diphenylhydantoin was studied in the newborn human in two instances; one involved direct administration of the drug, and the other was by placental transfer of the drug from the mother. 5-(3,4-Dihydroxy-1, 5-cyclohexadien-1-yl)-5-phenylhydantoin was found to be a major metabolite. The GC and GC-MS methods employed here are well suited to the problem of studying drug metabolism in the newborn.
Release of dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine from rat striatal slices following activation of nicotinic cholinergic receptors.

Abstract 1. 1. The administration of the nicotinic cholinergic agonists dimethylphenylpiperazinium iodide (DMPP) or nicotine caused a concentration dependent release of [3H]dopamine, [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine as well as endogenous dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine from superfused slices of rat striatum. 2. 2. Release of both labelled and non-labelled transmitter was antagonized by the nicotinic antagonist, hexamethonium but not the muscarinic antagonist, atropine. 3. 3. The present study provides additional evidence that nicotinic-cholinergic receptors are present in the mammalian central nervous system. 4. 4. Activation of these nicotinic-cholinergic receptors in the striatum results in the release of both dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine.
Comparative Prey-Attack Studies in Newborn Snakes of the Genus Thamnophis

Garter snakes (Thamnophis) from five species (including three subspecies of one form) were tested several days after birth with water extracts of at least 12 small animals (1.5 g animal to 10 ccm warm distilled water). The 12 prey animals included three species of earthworms and three of fish, a salamander and its larva, a frog, a leech, a slug and a baby mouse. A distilled water swab elicited tongue flicking only, while certain extract swabs resulted in actual prey-attack behavior after at least one tongue flick. A score was given to each extract test using a simple formula based upon tongue flick frequency and attack latency. Differences and similarities between the species were found and are discussed in relation to the actual feeding preferences in nature and captivity. For example, the aquatic Thamnophis elegans aquaticus attacked only the extracts made from the salamander larva, the frog, and the three fish; Thamnophis sirtalis also attacked the leech and the three earthworm extracts. It is suggested that the perceptual selectivity shown by naive snakes is an evolutionary response to present and past ecological conditions. The ability of newborn snakes to rapidly acquire a food avoidance response was also demonstrated.
Coping Without Foundations: On Dreyfus’s Use of Merleau‐Ponty

Abstract Hubert Dreyfus has recently invoked the work of Maurice Merleau‐Ponty in criticizing the ‘Myth of the Mental’. In criticizing that supposed myth, Dreyfus argues for a kind of foundationalism that takes embodied coping to be a self‐sufficient layer of human experience that supports our ‘higher’ mental activities. In turn, Merleau‐Ponty’s phenomenology is found, in Dreyfus’s recent writings, to corroborate this foundationalism. While Merleau‐Ponty would agree with many of Dreyfus’s points, this paper argues that he would not, in fact, agree with the foundationalism. Furthermore, when understood in the right way, Merleau‐Ponty’s early phenomenology supports the idea, opposed to Dreyfus’s foundationalism, that conceptual activities are tied up with our coping activities. The paper ends by considering the upshot of this reading of Merleau‐Ponty’s work for Dreyfus’s phenomenology.
The thioamides methimazole and thiourea inhibit growth of M. avium Subspecies paratuberculosis in culture.

BACKGROUND Thyrotoxicosis is conceptualized as an "autoimmune" disease with no accepted infectious etiology. There are increasingly compelling data that another "autoimmune" affliction, Crohn disease, may be caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Like M. tb, MAP is systemic. We hypothesized that some cases of thyrotoxicosis may be initiated by a MAP infection. Because other thioamides treat tuberculosis, leprosy and M. avium complex, we hypothesized that a mode of action of some thioamide anti-thyrotoxicosis medications may include MAP growth inhibition. METHODS The effect of the thioamides, thiourea, methimazole and 6-propo-2-thiouracil (6-PTU) were studied in radiometric Bactec culture, on ten strains of three mycobacterial species (six of MAP, two of M. avium and two of M. tb. complex). Data are presented as "cumulative growth index," (cGI) or "percent decrease in cumulative GI" (%-DeltacGI). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Methimazole was the most effective thioamide at inhibiting MAP growth. At 128microg/ml: MAP UCF-4; 65%-DeltacGI & MAP ATCC 19698; 90%-DeltacGI. Thiourea inhibited MAP "Ben" maximally; 70%-DeltacGI. Neither methimazole nor thiourea inhibited M. avium or M. tb. at the doses tested. 6-PTU has no inhibition on any strain studied, although a structurally analogous control, 5-PTU, was the most inhibitory thioamide tested. SIGNIFICANCE We show inhibition of MAP growth by the thioamides, thiourea and methimazole in culture. These data are compatible with the hypothesis that these thioamides may have anti-prokaryotic in addition to their well-established eukaryotic actions in thyrotoxic individuals.
Determination of chloroquine and its major metabolite in blood using perfluoroacylation followed by fused-silica capillary gas chromatography with nitrogen-sensitive detection

Tandem fused-silica capillary gas chromatographic methods for the determination of chloroquine and its major metabolite, desethylchloroquine, are described. Method A employs a single extraction step and internal standardization to permit rapid, precise analyses for chloroquine in whole blood. Method B, employing derivatization with pentafluoropropionic anhydride, can then be applied to the extract to allow qualitative and quantitative confirmation of chloroquine and sensitive, precise quantification for desethylchloroquine. The detection limit for chloroquine in blood is 5 ng/ml by both methods; the limit for desethylchloroquine is 15 ng/ml. Excellent precision is achieved by the methodology, partly due to the use of separate internal standards for the two analytes, each internal standard being a close analogue of the corresponding analyte. Data are presented which demonstrate the increase over time of metabolite relative to unchanged chloroquine found in the blood of a volunteer undergoing a chemoprophylactic regimen of chloroquine.
Women at risk for postpartum-onset major depression

Abstract There is considerable evidence that the childbearing years represent a time when women are highly vulnerable to developing mood disorders. Prospective, cross-sectional, and retrospective studies have demonstrated that more than 10% of new adult mothers will experience a major depressive episode during the first postpartum year. Changes in the health care delivery system will result in increased pressure on the obstetrician/gynecologist to identify and treat women with postpartum-onset depression. Despite shortcomings in the available literature, prospective studies have identified risk factors for developing postpartum depression. Furthermore, the clear overlap between the normal sequelae of childbirth and the symptoms of major depression, including alterations in sleep, energy, libido, appetite, and body weight, underscores the need to develop guidelines for early identification. We furnish a brief overview of postpartum mood disorders with a primary focus on the antenatal and postnatal risk factors for developing postpartum depression. Based on the extant literature and our clinical experience, a set of recommendations for early identification and treatment is provided.
Clonal analysis of the population of chondrocytes from the Swarm rat chondrosarcoma in agarose culture

Chondrocytes from the Swarm chondrosarcoma, a transplantable rat tumor, have been difficult to maintain in tissue culture for extended periods due to a time-dependent alteration of the culture to a more fibroblastic phenotype. This feature precluded the use of these cultures to examine chronic conditions that may affect cell metabolism, and the homogeneity or heterogeneity of the tumor cells within the culture population could not be examined. Use of suspension culture in agarose stabilized the chondrocyte phenotype, permitting long-term culture. Clones of tumor chondrocytes were established in agarose and were examined over 2-3 weeks for evidence that the cells were accumulating a proteoglycan-rich extracellular matrix, as determined by positive staining by Alcian blue, and were undergoing cell division. Nearly 90% of the cloned cells exhibited a prominent extracellular matrix by day 7 of culture and greater than 99% did so by day 14. Cell division did not occur to any great extent until days 6-7 of culture. After this lag, the cells appeared to undergo logarithmic growth, with a cell generation time of about 12 days. By 20 days of culture, between 80 and 90% of the initial clones contained multiple cells, indicating that nearly all the cells were in, or had entered, the cell cycle. These results suggest that the chondrocytes from the rat chondrosarcoma form a homogeneous cell population with respect to their ability to synthesize an extra-cellular matrix and divide.
Early Fracture Fixation may be Deleterious after Head Injury

Objective: To determine the neurologic risks associated with early fracture fixation (FF) in multitrauma patients with head injuries. Methods: We reviewed 33 blunt trauma patients with significant closed head injuries (Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score ≥ 2) requiring operative FF. Nineteen patients underwent early FF defined as ≤ 24 hours after injury, and 14 patients underwent late FF defined as >24 hours after injury. The two groups were well matched in regards to age, 40.3 years (range, 8-88 years) versus 36.4 years (range, 8-75 years), admission Glasgow Coma Scale score (12 ± 4 vs. 11 ± 5), and Injury Severity Score (25 ± 10 vs. 27 ± 12). Additionally, the groups had similar neurologic and orthopedic injury scores (AIS-CNS score = 3.3 ± 0.9 vs. 3.1 ± 0.9, AIS-Ortho score = 3.0 ± 0.9 vs. 2.9 ± 0.7). Data were collected concerning the volume of fluid resuscitation, neurologic complications, and clinical outcomes. Results: The early FF group received significantly more fluids in the first 48 hours (14.0 ± 10.2 vs. 8.7 ± 3.5 liters, p < 0.05). The early group trended towards a higher rate of intraoperative hypotension (systolic blood pressure < 90 mm Hg, 16% vs. 7%) and intraoperative hypoxia (02-Saturation ≤ 90, 11% vs. 7%). The neurologic complication rate was similar in the two groups (early FF = 16% vs. late FF = 21%), but the average discharge Glasgow Coma Scale score was lower in the early group (13.5 ± 3.7) when compared with the late FF patient group (15.0 ± 0.0). Conclusions: Early FF leads to greater fluid administration in patients with head injuries. Hypoxemia and hypotension, risk factors for secondary brain injury, may contribute to a poor neurologic outcome after early fixation. Prospective studies evaluating the impact of the timing of FF on head injury are indicated.
Cutaneous lesions of dermatomyositis are improved by hydroxychloroquine

Detmatomyositis (DM) is a collagen vascular disease with prominent cutaneous findings. Although the myositis often responds to therapy with corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressives, the cutaneous disease may not respond. Seven patients with cutaneous lesions of DM that had not responded to therapy were treated with hydroxychloroquine in an open study. Three patients had idiopathic DM, one had DM without myositis, one had DM with malignancy, and one had adolescent DM. The response to the addition of hydroxychloroquine was good in all of the patients, and three had total resolution of their skin lesions. In two patients the corticosteroid dosage could be tapered. Therapy with hydroxychloroquine did not appear to have any beneficial effect on the myositis. We conclude that hydroxychloroquine may have a role as an adjuvant to the therapy of patients with cutaneous lesions of DM. (J AM ACAD DERMATOL 10:592-600, 1984.)
Thalidomide analogue CC1069 inhibits development of rat adjuvant arthritis

The cytokine tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has been implicated in the aetiology of rheumatoid arthritis in humans as well as of experimental arthritis in rodents. Thalidomide, and to a greater extent the new thalidomide analogue CC1069, inhibit monocyte TNF-alpha production both in vitro and in vivo. The aim of the present study is to establish whether these drugs block production of TNF-alpha as well as IL-2 by rat leucocytes and whether this inhibition affects the development of rat adjuvant arthritis (AA). Cultured splenocytes were stimulated with either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or concanavalin A (Con A) in the presence of thalidomide, CC1069, or solvent, and the production of TNF-alpha and IL-2 were compared. Next, adjuvant was injected into the base of the tail of rats without or with daily intraperitoneal injections with 100-200 mg/kg per day thalidomide or 50-200 mg/kg per day CC1069. Disease activity, including ankle swelling, hind limb radiographic and histological changes, weight gain, and ankle joint cytokine mRNA levels, were monitored. CC1069, but not the parent drug thalidomide, inhibited in vitro production of TNF-alpha and IL-2 by stimulated splenocytes in a dose-dependent manner. In vivo, a dose-dependent suppression of AA disease activity occurred in the CC1069-treated animals. In contrast, thalidomide-treated rats experienced comparable arthritis severity to placebo-treated animals. There was also a reduction in TNF-alpha and IL-2 mRNA levels in the ankle joints of CC1069-treated rats compared with thalidomide- and placebo-treated arthritic rats. Early initiation of CC1069 treatment suppressed AA inflammation more efficiently than delayed treatment. We conclude that thalidomide, which did not suppress TNF-alpha or IL-2 production in vitro by Lewis rat cells, did not suppress development of rat AA. However, the development of rat AA can be blocked by the thalidomide analogue CC1069, which is an efficient inhibitor of TNF-alpha production and IL-2 in vitro.
Mental health treatment of cumulatively/ repetitively traumatized children

Abstract Children who have suffered severe cumulative and repetitive trauma present mental health professionals with multiple treatment dilemmas. Traditional child therapy techniques by themselves, do not assist therapists in responding to and managing the cumulatively/repetitively traumatized (C/R T) child. The C/R T child has significant deficits in anxiety tolerance and regulation as well as compromised reality testing under even minimal stress. Concrete thinking predominates in these essentially non‐verbal children. C/R T children can quickly create havoc in the play therapy room if the therapist fails to modify traditional play therapy approaches. Developmental psychoanalytic psychology provides a conceptual framework that can inform such modifications. It supports an understanding of the devastating impact of cumulative and repetitive trauma. The authors offer treating professionals a three‐stage treatment approach. In STAGE I, therapists emphasize an initial strengthening of ego functioning and res...
Canonical Wnt pathway signaling suppresses VCAM-1 expression by marrow stromal and hematopoietic cells

Objective The Wnt family may contribute to hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) maintenance in bone marrow, but many questions remain concerning mechanisms. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is expressed in cellular compartments of the bone marrow and might contribute to the HSC niche, but mechanisms concerning its constitutive expression are largely unknown. We now explore the influence of Wnt signaling on cellular adhesion molecule expression by bone marrow stromal and hematopoietic cells. Materials and Methods Recombinant Wnt ligands, retroviral Wnt transductions and cocultures with Wnt-secreting cells were used to analyze the effect of Wnt on adhesion molecule expression by stromal and hematopoietic cells. In vivo experiments were also done to assess the ability of Wnt3a-induced, VCAM-1 deficient hematopoietic cells to engraft bone marrow. Results We now report that the β-catenin−dependent canonical Wnt signaling pathway negatively regulates VCAM-1 expression on two types of bone marrow cells. Wnt pathway inhibitors, Axin (intracellular) or Dickkopf-1 (extracellular) blocked the regulation of VCAM-1 by diffusible Wnt3a. Interestingly, lipopolysaccharide restored a substantial degree of VCAM-1 expression, suggesting functional cross-talk between Wnt and TLR4 signaling pathways. Decreasing VCAM-1 on HSC-enriched Lin − Sca-1 + c-Kit Hi Thy1.1 Lo cells by exposure to Wnt3a did not prevent their successful transplantation. Conclusions Our results suggest that cells comprising and residing in the HSC niche can respond to Wnt ligands and extinguish VCAM-1. This response may be important for export of hematopoietic cells. Given the known contribution of VCAM-1 to inflammation, this may represent a new avenue for therapeutic intervention.
Salmonellae Recovery Following Gastro-Intestinal and Ovarian Inoculation in the Domestic Fowl

Abstract DIRECT transmission of Salmonellae in poultry has been extensively investigated, but the problems related to infections caused by the use of feeds containing Salmonellae are not clearly identified. The role of animal by-products and other feed-ingredients as contributors to the salmonella problem have only recently received attention. Many feed ingredients and manufactured feeds have been reported to contain viable Salmonellae by Morehouse and Wedman (1961). These products serve as transmission vectors and may be indirectly responsible for contamination of poultry, eggs and egg products. The incidence of human salmonellosis has been increasing in the United States of America. In 1963, approximately 19,000 cases were reported and, in 1964, the number of cases exceeded 21,000 as reported by the Communicable Disease Center (1965). In many of these cases, poultry meat, eggs or egg products were identified as the salmonella carrier. Poor sanitation in processing plants, and improper handling and preparation of …
Interleukin-1 has independent effects on deoxyribonucleic acid and collagen synthesis in cultures of rat calvariae.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1), a monokine known to be important in host defense mechanisms and recently reported to stimulate bone resorption, was studied for its effects on bone formation in cultures of 21-day-old fetal rat calvariae. IL-1 at 0.1–5 U/ml stimulated the incorporation of [3H] thymidine into acid-insoluble residues (DNA) by 29–123% in calvariae treated for 24–96 h. IL-1 also increased the bone DNA content and the number of mitoses after colcemid arrest. IL-1 stimulated total protein synthesis. Treatment with IL-1 at 0.01–1 U/ml for 24 h caused a small increase in the incorporation of [3H]proline into collagenase-digestible protein (CDP) and noncollagen protein (NCP). However, higher doses of IL-1 (5 U/ml) or longer exposure to the agent (1 U/ml for 96 h) inhibited the labeling of CDP but not of NCP. IL-1 affected only type I collagen. The stimulatory effects of IL-1 on DNA, CDP, and NCP labeling were independent, since they were observed at different doses, and hydroxyurea abolished the effect on DNA...
The calcium ionophore A23187 stimulates glycoprotein secretion by the guinea pig gallbladder

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of calcium ions in gallbladder glycoprotein secretion in cultured guinea pig gallbladder explants. The calcium ionophore A23187 showed a threshold of 2 micrograms per ml medium for stimulation of secretion of [3H]glucosamine-labeled glycoproteins over a 30 min incubation period. The ionophore at 3 and 5 micrograms per ml medium resulted in a 3- to 4-fold increase in secretion of [3H]glucosamine-labeled glycoproteins. Ionophore-induced stimulation of glycoprotein secretion was abolished by the addition of 0.01 mM verapamil to the medium. To study the effect of changes in extracellular calcium on basal glycoprotein secretion, explants were cultured for 24 hr in media with 0.007, 0.5 or 2.0 mM calcium; no differences in basal glycoprotein secretion were observed. When cultured in medium with 1.0 mM EGTA, basal secretion decreased significantly vs. controls in 0.007 mM total calcium medium. Total [3H]glucosamine incorporation by explants in medium with EGTA was unaltered, however, suggesting that the low level of calcium in the medium was selectively impairing the secretory process. These findings indicate that calcium ions are important in the regulation of gallbladder glycoprotein secretion.
Improved Survival Outcomes in Cancer Patients with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia

Background: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a genetic disorder characterized by deficiency in endoglin, an angiogenic protein. The net effect of endoglin expression on cancer outcomes from animal studies has proven controversial. We evaluated whether reduced systemic endoglin levels, expected in patients diagnosed with HHT, impacted clinical outcomes for cancer. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare was conducted to evaluate the effect of HHT on survival among patients diagnosed with breast, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer between 2000 and 2007 ( n = 540,520). We generated Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox models to compare the effect of HHT on all-cause survival for a composite of the four cancers, and separate models by cancer, adjusting for demographic variables, cancer type, cancer stage, and comorbidities. Results: All-cause survival analysis for a composite of the four cancers showed an adjusted HR of 0.69 [95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.51–0.91; P = 0.009] for HHT, indicating significantly improved survival outcome. When stratified by cancer type, HHT diagnosis showed a significant protective effect among breast cancer patients with an adjusted HR of 0.31 (95% CI, 0.13–0.75; P = 0.009). Conclusions: There was a significant association between HHT and improved survival outcome for a composite of patients with breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung cancer, and in analysis stratified by cancer, the association was significant for HHT patients with breast cancer. Impact: This study supports the hypothesis that systemically educed endoglin expression is associated with improved survival outcome in multiple cancers, and suggests that anti-endoglin antibody therapy may have broad-based application. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(1); 117–25. ©2013 AACR .
Linking environmental nutrient enrichment and disease emergence in humans and wildlife

Worldwide increases in human and wildlife diseases have challenged ecologists to understand how large-scale environmental changes affect host-parasite interactions. One of the most profound changes to Earth's ecosystems is the alteration of global nutrient cycles, including those of phosphorus (P) and especially nitrogen (N). Along with the obvious direct benefits of nutrient application for food production, anthropogenic inputs of N and P can indirectly affect the abundance of infectious and noninfectious pathogens. The mechanisms underpinning observed correlations, however, and how such patterns vary with disease type, have long remained conjectural. Here, we highlight recent experimental advances to critically evaluate the relationship between environmental nutrient enrichment and disease. Given the interrelated nature of human and wildlife disease emergence, we include a broad range of human and wildlife examples from terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems. We examine the consequences of nutrient pollution on directly transmitted, vector-borne, complex life cycle, and noninfectious pathogens, including West Nile virus, malaria, harmful algal blooms, coral reef diseases, and amphibian malformations. Our synthetic examination suggests that the effects of environmental nutrient enrichment on disease are complex and multifaceted, varying with the type of pathogen, host species and condition, attributes of the ecosystem, and the degree of enrichment; some pathogens increase in abundance whereas others decline or disappear. Nevertheless, available evidence indicates that ecological changes associated with nutrient enrichment often exacerbate infection and disease caused by generalist parasites with direct or simple life cycles. Observed mechanisms include changes in host/vector density, host distribution, infection resistance, pathogen virulence or toxicity, and the direct supplementation of pathogens. Collectively, these pathogens may be particularly dangerous because they can continue to cause mortality even as their hosts decline, potentially leading to sustained epidemics or chronic pathology. We suggest that interactions between nutrient enrichment and disease will become increasingly important in tropical and subtropical regions, where forecasted increases in nutrient application will occur in an environment rich with infectious pathogens. We emphasize the importance of careful disease management in conjunction with continued intensification of global nutrient cycles.
The role of supranational identity in promoting democratic values

This study sets forth a social identity explanation of the link between supranational identity and democratic values, and, thus, for cross-border value diffusion. This explanation is tested with da...
Can democracy help? Growth and ethnic divisions

This paper presents further empirical evidence suggestive of democracy’s positive role in ameliorating the negative growth effects of ethnic diversity in nations. However, it is shown that endogeneity problems and a direct negative growth effect of democracy place inherent limitations on the strength of policy implications which may be drawn from the evidence.
Maternal‐Child Health in Brazil

An overview of the social and economic climates and the healthcare delivery systems of Brazil is presented. The Brazilian healthcare system is discussed, with particular attention directed to the status of nursing and to the perinatal health‐care delivery system. Examples of Brazilian perinatal health‐care practices are provided.
A case study in the misrepresentation of applied behavior analysis in autism: The Gernsbacher lectures

This article presents a case study in the misrepresentation of applied behavior analysis for autism based on Morton Ann Gernsbacher’s presentation of a lecture titled ‘‘The Science of Autism: Beyond the Myths and Misconceptions.’’ Her misrepresentations involve the characterization of applied behavior analysis, descriptions of practice guidelines, reviews of the treatment literature, presentations of the clinical trials research, and conclusions about those trials (e.g., children’s improvements are due to development, not applied behavior analysis). The article also reviews applied behavior analysis’ professional endorsements and research support, and addresses issues in professional conduct. It ends by noting the deleterious effects that misrepresenting any research on autism (e.g., biological, developmental, behavioral) have on our understanding and treating it in a transdisciplinary context.
Use of Multi-Angle Laser Light Scattering and Size-Exclusion Chromatography to Characterize the Molecular Weight and Types of Aggregates Present in Commercial Whey Protein Products

In this study, a range of commercial whey protein products were characterized by the use of size-exclusion chromatography coupled with a multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS) detector. The MALLS system detected some very large-sized material that eluted close to void volume in all samples; this material was hardly detected by concentration detector. It was demonstrated by chitosan treatment that this peak was very small lipid globules or phospholipids, which gave the residual "cloudy" appearance in upper layers after ultracentrifugation of whey products. Composition, molecular weight, and the photo diode array (PDA) spectrum (200 to 400 nm) of the major protein peaks, including: beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), alpha-lactalbumin (ALA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), immunoglobulin G (IgG) and some minor components were analyzed. The molecular weight of BLG, ALA, BSA, and IgG peaks in whey protein isolates (WPI) were 2.3 to 3.7 x 10(4), 1.4 to 1.6 x 10(4), 4.8 to 6.7 x 10(4), and 1.2 to 2.5 x 10(5) Da, respectively. Compared with WPI, WPC has similar major proteins, but more large-sized residual lipid material and different minor constituents such as lactose and nonprotein nitrogen, depending on various commercial samples and protein content. An improved TCA-precipitation method was applied to quantify glycomacropeptide (GMP) in whey proteins, which demonstrated that there was a very low concentration of GMP in WPI manufactured using an ion-exchange process. The molecular weight of GMP was found to be approximately 8600 Da. Size-exclusion chromatography MALLS was demonstrated to be a powerful technique for detailed analysis of the molecular weight of various proteins, aggregates and minor components, such as GMP, in whey protein products.
Crystals Formed at 293 K by Aqueous Sulfate−Nitrate−Ammonium−Proton Aerosol Particles

The crystals formed at 293 K by aerosol particles composed of SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, and H+ are determined by aerosol flow tube infrared spectroscopy. An innovative experimental protocol is employed to restore water content to the aerosol particles and thus remove the ambiguity of their physical state after exposure to low relative humidity. The six crystals formed include (NH4)2SO4, (NH4)3H(SO4)2, NH4HSO4, NH4NO3, 2NH4NO3·(NH4)2SO4, and 3NH4NO3·(NH4)2SO4. The dependence of which crystals form on aqueous chemical composition is reported. The infrared signatures of these crystals are determined. The infrared spectra of 2NH4NO3·(NH4)2SO4, and 3NH4NO3·(NH4)2SO4 and their formation in aerosol particles are reported for the first time. The formation of NH4HSO4 and NH4NO3 in initially homogeneous aerosol particles is also reported for the first time: crystallization occurs only after another crystal has already formed, indicating that heterogeneous nucleation is necessary for their formation. For some chemical com...
Older Women in Appalachia: Experiences with Gynecological Cancer

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to explore how older women in rural Appalachia with gynecological cancer construct and interpret their experience with cancer. Design and Methods: Grounded in social constructionist theory, semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 women, aged 51–82, who had been treated for gynecological cancer. Transcripts were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Results: Although women narrated their experience along a common trajectory from symptoms to diagnosis to treatment, four distinct patterns of posttreatment perceptions were described: (a) positive: women believed they were cancer survivors, (b) cautious: women saw themselves as survivors but not risk free, (c) distanced: women viewed themselves as cured and equated survivor with victim, and (d) resigned: women refused more treatment. All of the women acknowledged an inner strength in how they experienced cancer, requiring a more nuanced framework for understanding how negative and positive feelings coexist with faith in a higher power and the capacity to endure a devastating threat to life and health. Implications: The findings expand the concept of survivor identity, suggesting that the women’s perception that they had met life’s challenges with fortitude and inner strength may have more resonance in later life than the concept of survivorship. Family members and medical and public health professionals need to support older women’s individual response to cancer
‘Facientibus quod in se est Deus non denegat gratiam.’ Robert Holcot, O.P. and the Beginnings of Luther's Theology

“In manu enim illius et nos et sermones nostri, et omnis sapientia et operum scientia, et disciplina.” Liber Sapientiae vii:16.When the English nominalist and Dominican friar Robert Holcot († 1349) reaches the sixteenth verse of the seventh chapter in his Wisdom commentary, he seizes the opportunity to underscore his main theme which he had so passionately presented on the preceding pages as well as in his Sentences commentary: Wisdom is a gift of God: man's claim therefore that he can have a natural knowledge of God is false.
Universals in Youths' Perceptions of Parental Acceptance and Rejection: Evidence From Factor Analyses Within Eight Sociocultural Groups Worldwide:

Research reported here used identical factor analytic procedures on individual items in the child version of the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) within each of eight sociocultural groups distributed widely around the world. Evidence and results from this research lend strong support to the presumption of con struct validity of the PARQ as a valid cross-cultural measure of the warmth dimension of parenting. As such, the instrument may be used as an additional source of evidence for Raoul Naroll's "tests of theories" step in socionomics.
Impact of vaccine economic programs on physician referral of children to public vaccine clinics: a pre-post comparison

Background The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program is a major vaccine entitlement program with limited long-term evaluation. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the effect of VFC on physician reported referral of children to public health clinics and on doses administered in the public sector.
Assessing Daily Stress with the Short Stress State Questionnaire (SSSQ): Relationships with Cognitive Slips-Failures:

Stress is an important aspect of operational settings. This article presents a study providing further psychometric and validation evidence of a short multidimensional self-report measure of stress...
Iridium concentration as an estimation of instantaneous sediment accumulation rates

Ir concentrations and mass accumulation rates from nine deep-sea cores, one from the Atlantic Ocean and eight from the Pacific Ocean, were compiled to evaluate a new technique for determining mass accumulation rates. The technique is based on the large difference of the high Ir abundance in extraterrestrial matter versus the low Ir contents in terrestrial material. Assuming a constant flux of cosmic matter, this difference leads to high Ir concentrations in slowly accumulating sediments, versus low Ir concentration in rapidly accumulating sediments. The method is independent of stratigraphic control, and does not require knowledge of age of the deposit. We note that Ir concentrations in some slowly accumulating sediments are of the same order of magnitude as some of those reported for the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary event.
Mitotic spindle misorientation in cancer – out of alignment and into the fire

Mitotic spindle orientation can influence tissue organization and vice versa. Cells orient their spindles by rotating them parallel or perpendicular to the cell--and hence the tissue--axis. Spindle orientation in turn controls the placement of daughter cells within a tissue, influencing tissue morphology. Recent findings implicating tumor suppressor proteins in spindle orientation bring to the forefront a connection between spindle misorientation and cancer. In this Commentary, we focus on the role of three major human tumor suppressors--adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), E-cadherin and von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)--in spindle orientation. We discuss how, in addition to their better-known functions, these proteins affect microtubule stability and cell polarity, and how their loss of function causes spindles to become misoriented. We also consider how other cancer-associated features, such as oncogene mutations, centrosome amplification and the tumor microenvironment, might influence spindle orientation. Finally, we speculate on the role of spindle misorientation in cancer development and progression. We conclude that spindle misorientation alone is unlikely to be tumorigenic, but it has the potential to synergize with cancer-associated changes to facilitate genomic instability, tissue disorganization, metastasis and expansion of cancer stem cell compartments.
A Review of Intraoperative Goal-Directed Therapy Using Arterial Waveform Analysis for Assessment of Cardiac Output

Increasing evidence shows that goal-directed hemodynamic management can improve outcomes in surgical and intensive care settings. Arterial waveform analysis is one of the different techniques used for guiding goal-directed therapy. Multiple proprietary systems have developed algorithms for obtaining cardiac output from an arterial waveform, including the FloTrac, LiDCO, and PiCCO systems. These systems vary in terms of how they analyze the arterial pressure waveform as well as their requirements for invasive line placement and calibration. Although small-scale clinical trials using these monitors show promising data, large-scale multicenter trials are still needed to better determine how intraoperative goal-directed therapy with arterial waveform analysis can improve patient outcomes. This review provides a comparative analysis of the different arterial waveform monitors for intraoperative goal-directed therapy.
Melting behavior of ethylene copolymers and branched polyethylenes

Prior research on the melting behavior of ethylene copolymers and branched polyethylenes could not be effectively evaluated since there were large differences in the levels of comonomer contents. The present research was undertaken to determine additional data so that an overall evaluation could be made. A consideration of the experimental data of the present work and earlier research data showed that methyl side groups caused less diffuse melting and less melting point depression than either ethyl groups or polyethylene branches. In addition, it was found that the Flory equation can be used to describe the relation of melting point depression to foreign group concentration for propylene copolymers. The equation did not hold for 1-butene-ethylene copolymers or branched polyethylenes. For these materials the Wunderlich modification of the Flory equation applied. Activity values for both 1-butene-ethylene copolymers and branched polyethylenes gave a common correlation with foreign groups. Enthalpy and entropy fusion data for ethylene copolymers and branched polyethylenes were also determined. It was also shown that good agreement was found between crystallinities for these materials determined independently by differential thermal analysis and x-ray analysis.
Inhibition of Aluminum Alloy 2024 Corrosion by Vanadates: An In Situ Atomic Force Microscopy Scratching Investigation

Abstract The morphology and kinetics of the localized corrosion of aluminum alloy (AA)2024-T3 (UNS A92024) at the open-circuit potential were investigated by in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) s...
Na(+)/H(+) exchangers (NHE1-3) have similar turnover numbers but different percentages on the cell surface.

NHE1, NHE2, and NHE3 are well-characterized cloned members of the mammalian Na+/H+exchanger (NHE) gene family. Given the specialized function and regulation of NHE1, NHE2, and NHE3, we compared bas...
Efficacy of Hybrid Tetrahydrobenzo[d]thiazole Based Aryl Piperazines D-264 and D-301 at D2 and D3 Receptors

In elucidating the role of pharmacodynamic efficacy at D3 receptors in therapeutic effectiveness of dopamine receptor agonists, the influence of study system must be understood. Here two compounds with D3 over D2 selectivity developed in our earlier work, D-264 and D-301, are compared in dopamine receptor-mediated G-protein activation in striatal regions of wild-type and D2 receptor knockout mice and in CHO cells expressing D2 or D3 receptors. In caudate-putamen of D2 knockout mice, D-301 was ~3-fold more efficacious than D-264 in activating G-proteins as assessed by [(35)S]GTPγS binding; in nucleus accumbens, D-301 stimulated G-protein activation whereas D-264 did not. In contrast, the two ligands exerted similar efficacy in both regions of wild-type mice, suggesting both ligands activate D2 receptors with similar efficacy. In D2 and D3 receptor-expressing CHO cells, D-264 and D-301 appeared to act in the [(35)S]GTPγS assay as full agonists because they produced maximal stimulation equal to dopamine. Competition for [(3)H]spiperone binding was then performed to determine Ki/EC50 ratios as an index of receptor reserve for each ligand. Action of D-301, but not D-264, showed receptor reserve in D3 but not in D2 receptor-expressing cells, whereas dopamine showed receptor reserve in both cell lines. Gαo1 is highly expressed in brain and is important in D2-like receptor-G protein coupling. Transfection of Gαo1 in D3- but not D2-expressing CHO cells led to receptor reserve for D-264 without altering receptor expression levels. D-301 and dopamine exhibited receptor reserve in D3-expressing cells both with and without transfection of Gαo1. Altogether, these results indicate that D-301 has greater intrinsic efficacy to activate D3 receptors than D-264, whereas the two compounds act on D2 receptors with similar intrinsic efficacy. These findings also suggest caution in interpreting Emax values from functional assays in receptor-transfected cell models without accounting for receptor reserve.