cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nursing resources on the nursing unit and quality of patient care.

Abstract This article deals with the relationships between nursing resources and quality of patient care. The following relationships were found: (1) the quality of the nursing care plan was negatively related to the number of part-time student nurses, full-time Aides, part-time Registered Nurses (RN), and full-time RNs; (2) the quality of the nursing record was negatively related to the number of part-time RNs and full-time student nurses; and (3) the quality of the nursing care at the bedside was negatively related to the number of full-time student nurses and number of patients on the ward; and (4) the total quality of nursing care was negatively related to the number of full-time student nurses, part-time RNs, part-time student nurses, full-time Aides, and full-time RNs. The results were discussed in terms of the effects various nursing resources have on the performance of the RN.
Transient channel-opening in bacteriorhodopsin: an EPR study.

Active translocation of ions across membranes requires alternating access of the ion binding site inside the pump to the two membrane surfaces. Proton translocation by bacteriorhodopsin (bR), the light-driven proton pump in Halobacterium salinarium, involves this kind of a change in the accessibility of the centrally located retinal Schiff base. This key event in bR's photocycle ensures that proton release occurs to the extracellular side and proton uptake from the cytoplasmic side. To study the role of protein conformational changes in this reprotonation switch, spin labels were attached to pairs of engineered cysteine residues in the cytoplasmic interhelical loops of bR. Light-induced changes in the distance between a spin label on the EF interhelical loop and a label on either the AB or the CD interhelical loop were observed, and the changes were monitored following photoactivation with time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Both distances increase transiently by about 5 A during the photocycle. This opening occurs between proton release and uptake, and may be the conformational switch that changes the accessibility of the retinal Schiff base to the cytoplasmic surface after proton release to the extracellular side.
Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw presenting as a cutaneous dental sinus tract: A case report and review of the literature

Bisphosphonates are endogenous pyrophosphate analogs that work to inhibit osteoclast activity. They are commonly used in the treatment of patients with bone related diseases, such as solid tumor metastasis and osteoporosis. One of the infrequent but not rare side effects, especially with high doses of bisphosphonates, is osteonecrosis of the jaw. Although predominantly recognized by dentists because of the bony and intraoral manifestations of the disease, it may also present on the skin. We present a case of osteonecrosis of the jaw resembling two flesh-colored papules associated with dental sinus tracts to highlight the clinical manifestations that dermatologists may encounter, and review the literature on this rare but morbid condition.
Polymeric macroinitiators for signal amplification in AGET ATRP-based DNA detection

Abstract We report here the use of polylysine (PLL) as a carrier to bring multiple polymerization reaction initiators to surface-affixed PNA/DNA duplexes for signal amplification in polymerization-based DNA detection. Two primary benefits of the described approach have been demonstrated in this report: (1) positively charged PLL as the initiator carrier binds to PNA/DNA duplexes electrostatically; thus eliminates the need for chemical modification of each individual DNA probes prior to detection and provides a universal DNA detection scheme. (2) Furthermore, each PLL molecule brings multiple polymerization reaction initiators to each hybridization event, which leads to significantly improved detection sensitivity. Systematic investigation shows the use of longer PLL (∼215 lysine residues per chain) has yielded thicker polymer films in comparison to that of a shorter PLL (∼27 lysine residues per chain). An optimal percentage of lysine moieties modified on each PLL molecule has been determined that allowed maximum polymer growth from each modified lysine group without compromising vital electrostatic binding between unmodified amino groups and negatively charged DNA. Quantitative DNA detection has been demonstrated where the detection limit has been improved for approximately 60 times compared to the previously reported value in single-initiator-tagged DNA detection.
Fault tolerance in cellular automata at high fault rates

A commonly used model for fault-tolerant computation is that of cellular automata. The essential difficulty of fault-tolerant computation is present in the special case of simply remembering a bit in the presence of faults, and that is the case we treat in this paper. We are concerned with the degree (the number of neighboring cells on which the state transition function depends) needed to achieve fault tolerance when the fault rate is high (nearly 1/2). We consider both the traditional transient fault model (where faults occur independently in time and space) and a recently introduced combined fault model which also includes manufacturing faults (which occur independently in space, but which affect cells for all time). We also consider both a purely probabilistic fault model (in which the states of cells are perturbed at exactly the fault rate) and an adversarial model (in which the occurrence of a fault gives control of the state to an omniscient adversary). We show that there are cellular automata that can tolerate a fault rate 1/2-@x (with @x>0) with degree O((1/@x^2)log(1/@x)), even with adversarial combined faults. The simplest such automata are based on infinite regular trees, but our results also apply to other structures (such as hyperbolic tessellations) that contain infinite regular trees. We also obtain a lower bound of @W(1/@x^2), even with only purely probabilistic transient faults.
Role of the Flagellar Basal-Body Protein, FlgC, in the Binding of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis to Host Cells

Salmonellaenterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) infection in humans is often associated with the consumption of contaminated poultry products. Binding of the bacterium to the intestinal mucosa is a major pathogenic mechanism of Salmonella in poultry. Transposon mutagenesis identified flgC as a potential binding mutant of SE. Therefore, we hypothesize FlgC which plays a significant role in the binding ability of SE to the intestinal mucosa of poultry. To test our hypothesis, we created a mutant of SE in which flgC was deleted. We then tested the in vitro and in vivo binding ability of ∆flgC when compared to the wild-type SE strain. Our data showed a significant decrease in the binding ability of ∆flgC to intestinal epithelial cells as well as in the small intestine and cecum of poultry. Furthermore, the decrease in binding correlated to a defect in invasion as shown by a cell culture model using intestinal epithelial cells and bacterial recovery from the livers and spleens of chickens. Overall, these studies indicate FlgC is a major factor in the binding ability of Salmonella to the intestinal mucosa of poultry.
Effectiveness of an Online Pediatric Primary Care Curriculum

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a supplementary online pediatric primary care (PPC) curriculum in reaching pediatric residents and increasing knowledge in selected primary care topics. Methods We conducted a nonrandomized, controlled, pre-test/post-test study comparing an online PPC curriculum supplement with the traditional formal, conference-based curriculum alone, both with identical content. We compared 2 groups of first-year categorical pediatric residents from 2 successive years: one group (from 2006–2007) was offered the online curriculum supplement (study group) and one (2005–2006) was not (control group). Comparisons were made using the following: 1) pre-testing and post-testing of knowledge; and 2) monitoring of attendance at the formal conferences and accessing the online curriculum. Results The control group of 33 residents and the study group of 34 residents were similar with respect to gender, age, and first-year in-training exam scores. In the first quarter of the year, 93% (mean) of the study group accessed the online curriculum; 43% accessed it in the last quarter of the year. For the same time periods, 33% and 30% of all of the residents (intervention and control groups combined) attended the noon conferences. The pre-test and post-test scores of the study group showed a significant increase ( P P = .035). There were no significant differences in the in-training exam scores between the 2 groups for exams given at the beginning of their second year. Conclusion An online PPC curriculum is an effective supplement to traditional resident education and reaches a significantly larger number of residents compared with the traditional conference-based format.
Peak wall stress predicts expansion rate in descending thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Background Aortic diseases, including aortic aneurysms, are the 12th leading cause of death in the United States. The incidence of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms is estimated at 10.4 per 100,000 patient-years. Growing evidence suggests that stress measurements derived from structural analysis of aortic geometries predict clinical outcomes better than diameter alone. Methods Twenty-five patients undergoing clinical and radiologic surveillance for thoracic aortic aneurysms were retrospectively identified. Custom MATLAB algorithms were employed to extract aortic wall and intraluminal thrombus geometry from computed tomography angiography scans. The resulting reconstructions were loaded with 120 mm Hg of pressure using finite element analysis. Relationships among peak wall stress, aneurysm growth, and clinical outcome were examined. Results The average patient age was 71.6 ± 10.0 years, and average follow-up time was 17.5 ± 9 months (range, 6 to 43). The mean initial aneurysm diameter was 47.8 ± 8.0 mm, and the final diameter was 52.1 ± 10.0 mm. Mean aneurysm growth rate was 2.9 ± 2.4 mm per year. A stronger correlation (r = 0.894) was found between peak wall stress and aneurysm growth rate than between maximal aortic diameter and growth rate (r = 0.531). Aneurysms undergoing surgical intervention had higher peak wall stresses than aneurysms undergoing continued surveillance (300 ± 75 kPa versus 229 ± 47 kPa, p = 0.01). Conclusions Computational peak wall stress in thoracic aortic aneurysms was found to be strongly correlated with aneurysm expansion rate. Aneurysms requiring surgical intervention had significantly higher peak wall stresses. Peak wall stress may better predict clinical outcome than maximal aneurysmal diameter, and therefore may guide clinical decision-making.
Early Wound Irrigation Improves the Ability to Remove Bacteria

Abstract : Background: Although most surgeons prefer to treat contaminated wounds as soon as possible, the effect of timing on the ability of irrigation to reduce the amount of bacteria in a wound is not fully known. We evaluated the effect of different delays in irrigation on bacterial removal in an animal model. Methods: A complex musculoskeletal wound was created in the proximal part of the leg of goats. The wound was contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (lux) bacteria, genetically modified to emit photons, in order to allow for quantitative analysis of bacterial concentration with a photon-counting came ra system. The contaminated wounds were closed, and wound irrigation was performed with 6 L of normal saline solution by means of pulsatile lavage after the assigned time-intervals of three, six, and twelve hours. Images were made before and after treatment. Relative luminescent units and clearance ratios were obtained and calculated for each wound. Results: Earlier wound irrigation resulted in superior bacterial removal in our model. Irrigation resulted in a 70% + or - 2%, 52% + or - 3%, and 37% + or - 4% reduction in bacterial counts from the pre-irrigation level at three, six, and twelve hours, respectively. The clearance ratios were significantly different at all time-points (p less than 0.004). Conclusions: Earlier irrigation in our contaminated wound model resulted in superior bacterial removal. Clinical Relevance: While the actual bacterial counts necessary to establish a wound infection in humans is unknown, early irrigation of the contaminated wound is recommended for the prevention of infection.
Effect of liquid phase reducing agents on the dispersion of supported Pt catalysts

Abstract Silica-supported Pt catalysts were exposed to room temperature, aqueous solutions containing different initial concentrations of formaldehyde, dimethylamine borane, or hydrazine. Platinum sintering was observed upon exposure to each reducing agent; sintering increased with increasing reducing agent concentration until an apparent, limiting dispersion was achieved. Chemisorption results indicate that exposure of 2.2 wt% Pt/SiO 2 to a pH 9 solution containing ∼5.6 mmol of hydrazine, formaldehyde, or dimethylamine borane per liter decreased Pt dispersion by ∼30–60%. These results were qualitatively confirmed with STEM and FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed CO. Sintering of Pt/SiO 2 catalysts was observed in solutions at both controlled (pH 9) and uncontrolled pH for three different Pt weight loadings, and upon exposure to both gas phase and liquid phase reducing agents. Significantly less Pt sintering was observed when Pt/Al 2 O 3 and Pt/C catalysts were exposed to similar formaldehyde solutions, strongly suggesting a support dependency. Based on the non-uniform shape of the Pt particles, the prominent sintering mechanism appears to be particle migration and coalescence aided by inherently low Pt–SiO 2 metal-support interactions which were further weakened by the reducing environment and, potentially, by the presence of water.
F-18 FDG PET demonstration of thyroglossal duct cyst.

Thyroglossal duct cyst is a congenital cervical abnormality representing a remnant from the development and migration of thyroid tissue from the foramen cecum to the final thyroid fossa. It may contain ectopic thyroid tissue and can be demonstrated on scintigraphic examinations. The author presents such a case with F-18 FDG uptake on PET/CT imaging in a patient previously having thyroid ablation with radioactive iodine for toxic multinodular goiter.
Bio-conjugated popcorn shaped gold nanoparticles for targeted photothermal killing of multiple drug resistant Salmonella DT104

Multiple drug resistant Salmonella enterica serover Typhimurium definitive type 104 (DT104) is at present an emerging threat worldwide. Outbreak of food poisoning by MDRB Salmonella is very common in USA and other countries. As a result, new approaches for the treatment of infectious bacterial pathogens that do not rely on traditional therapeutic regimes are very urgent in today's world. Driven by this need, in this manuscript, we report a monoclonal antibody-conjugated popcorn shaped gold nanomaterial driven approach to selectively destroy ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfonamides, and tetracycline drug resistant Salmonella typhimurium DT104 bacteria. Our result shows that when antibody modified popcorn shaped gold nanoparticle conjugated bacteria sample was exposed to 670 nm laser radiation, almost 100% of drug resistant bacteria were killed due to photothermal lysis. We demonstrate that our gold nanotechnology based assay is capable of destroying MDRB in food samples.
Public Opinion, Unpopular Policy and Congressional Activism: Exploring the “Mann Thesis” of U.S. Foreign Policy-Making

Most analysts agree that Congress has been more assertive on foreign policy since the Vietnam War. A general implication has been that analyses of foreign policy-making increasingly address questions of the links between Congress and other, non-governmental, domestic sources of foreign policy and when, how, and why members of Congress become involved. This article focuses on one possible explanation of congressional activism, which holds that members defer to presidential policy when it is popular with the public, and conversely, challenge presidential foreign policy initiatives when public opinion does not support the policy. To test this hypothesis, this article examines a sample of foreign policy initiatives, public opinion data, and congressional activism from the Carter, Reagan, and Bush administrations to determine the relationship, or lack thereof, between public opinion toward those policies and the level of congressional activism. The article concludes by assessing the implications of the results for American foreign policy-making.
Rotationally resolved infrared spectra of the explosive bouquet compounds associated with C-4 explosives

The explosive material known as Composition C4, or simply C4, is an RDX based military grade explosive. RDX itself possesses a negligible vapor pressure at room temperature suggesting it is not a good target for conventional instruments designed to detect vapor phase chemical compounds. Recent research with canines has indicated that a better approach for detecting explosive vapors such as C4 is to focus on a characteristic mixture of impurities associated with the material. These characteristic mixtures of impurity vapors are referred to by canine researchers as the explosive bouquet and are fairly unique to the specific energetic material. In this paper, we will examine and report rotationally resolved infrared spectral signatures for the known compounds comprising the explosive bouquet for C4 based explosives including isobutylene, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol and cyclohexanone.
Rape survivors' trauma-related beliefs before and after Cognitive processing therapy: associations with PTSD and depression symptoms.

Abstract This study examined whether cognitive distortions (i.e., assimilated and overaccommodated thoughts) and realistic (i.e., accommodated) thoughts assessed from impact statements written 5–10 years after completing cognitive processing therapy (CPT) accurately predicted posttreatment maintenance or decline in treatment gains during the same period. The sample included 50 women diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) secondary to rape who participated in a randomized clinical trial of CPT for PTSD. Cognitions were assessed via coding and analyses of participants' written impact statements at three time points: beginning of treatment, end of treatment, and at 5–10 years follow-up. Primary mental health outcomes were symptoms of PTSD (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale) and depression (Beck Depression Inventory). Changes in trauma-related beliefs between the end of treatment and long-term follow-up were associated with concomitant changes in PTSD and depression symptoms (effect sizes ranging from r = .35–.54). Declines in accommodated thinking and increases in overaccommodated thinking were associated with elevations in symptomatology. Improvement in accommodated thinking and declines in overaccommodated thinking were associated with lower PTSD and depression symptoms during this same time period. Findings provided support for the role of changes in accommodated and overaccommodated thinking being associated with level of PTSD and depression many years after participating in CPT.
Computational simulation of surface diffusion in porous materials

Abstract The application of the converging—divergeing pore model, previously developed for the simulation of structural effects on the diffusion of nonadsorbed gases in porous media, to surface transport is described. Good agreement with experimental results reported for surface diffusion of propane and neopentane on a molybdenum sulfide structure is demonstrated in the limit of low surface coverage. At higher coverages, some deviation is seen to occur, but this is more probably due to the inadequacy of Fickian diffusivity correlations under such conditions than to the model itself. A brief comparison with corresponding parallel-path model correlations is also given.
Global survey of aftershock area expansion patterns

We developed an objective method to define the aftershock areas of large earthquakes as a function of time after the main shock. The definition is based upon the amount of energy released by aftershocks, the spatial distribution of the energy release is first determined and is contoured. The 1-day aftershock area is defined by a contour line corresponding to the energy release level of 10^(15.6) ergs/(100 km^2 · day). The 10-day, 100-day and 1-y aftershock areas are similarly defined by contour lines corresponding to 10^(14.8), 10^(14.0), and 10^(13.5) ergs/(100 km^2 · day), respectively. We also define the expansion ratios at time t by the ratio of the aftershock area at t to that at 1 day. Using this method we study the aftershock area expansion patterns of 44 large (M_s ⩾ 7.5) and five moderate shallow earthquakes which occurred from 1963 to 1980. Each aftershock sequence is examined at four different times, i.e., 1 day, 10 days, 100 days, and 1 y after the main event. We define the aftershock area expansion ratios η and η_e by S(100)/S(1) and L(100)/L(1), respectively: here S(t) and L(t) are the area and the length of the aftershock area, respectively, at time t. Our study suggests that a distinct regional variation of aftershock area expansion patterns is present; it is strongly correlated with the tectonic environment. In general, the subduction zones of the “Mariana” type have large expansion ratios, and those of the “Chilean” type have small expansion ratios. Some earthquakes that occurred in the areas of complex bathymetry such as aseismic ridges tend to have large expansion ratios. These results can be explained in terms of an asperity model of fault zones in which a fault plane is represented by a distribution of strong spots, called the asperities, and weak zones surrounding the asperities. The rupture immediately after the main shock mostly involves asperities. After the main rupture is completed, the stress change caused by the main shock gradually propagates outward into the surrounding weak zones. This stress propagation manifests itself as expansion of aftershock activity. In this simple picture, if the fault zone is represented by relatively large asperities separated by small weak zones (“Chilean” type), then little expansion of aftershock activity would be expected. On the other hand, if relatively small asperities are sparsely distributed (“Mariana” type), significant expansion occurs. The actual distribution of asperities is likely to be more complex than the two cases described above. However, we would expect that the expansion ratio is in general proportional to the spatial ratio of the total asperity area to the fault area.
Oxidative damage to nucleic acids photosensitized by titanium dioxide

The semiconductor TiO2 is known to have photobiological activity in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Applications of this photobiological activity have been suggested including sterilization of waste water and phototherapy of malignant cells. Here, several model and cellular systems were used to study the mechanism of photocatalysis by TiO2. Treatment of TiO2 (anatase, 0.45 microns), suspended in water containing a spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), with UV radiation (320 nm) resulted in an electron spin resonance (ESR) signal characteristic of the hydroxyl radical. Irradiation of solutions containing calf thymus DNA and TiO2 with UVA (320-400 nm) radiation resulted in hydroxylation of guanine bases. The degree of hydroxylation was dependent on both UVA fluence and amount of TiO2 in suspension. Human skin fibroblasts, preincubated 18 h with 10 micrograms/cm2 TiO2 and then UVA-irradiated (0-58 KJ/m2), showed dose dependent photocytoxicity. RNA, isolated from similarly treated fibroblasts, contained significant levels of photooxidation, measured as hydroxylation of guanine bases. However, no oxidative damage was detectable in cellular DNA. These results suggest that nucleic acids are a potential target for photooxidative damage sensitized by TiO2, and support the view that TiO2 photocatalyzes free radical formation.
Plastic deformation of nanocrystalline Cu and Cu–0.2 wt.% B

Abstract Plastic deformation behavior of nanocrystalline copper with and without trace boron was studied. Fully dense defect-free compacts were produced and mechanical properties were measured. The Hall–Petch (H–P) relationship was followed down to the 25 nm, smallest grain size investigated. The H–P slopes were smaller in nanocrystalline copper than in conventional copper. The role of boron in altering grain growth, strain hardening, recovery, and recrystallization was investigated by comparison of results in nanocrystalline copper with and without trace boron.
Errors Caused by Combination of Di-4 ANEPPS and Fluo3/4 for Simultaneous Measurements of Transmembrane Potentials and Intracellular Calcium

Intracellular calcium concentration and transmembrane potentials are two important measurements used to study the mechanisms of cardiac activity. Fluorescent dyes have been used to measure these separately but not simultaneously in cardiac tissue. Fluo-3 and Fluo-4 (a recently improved version of Fluo-3) have been used to measure changes in intracellular calcium concentration and Di-4 ANEPPS has been used to measure transmembrane potentials. This paper addresses the feasibility of using these fluorescent dyes together in order to measure transmembrane potentials and intracellular calcium concentration simultaneously. For the dyes to be used simultaneously, their respective fluorescence spectra must be sufficiently separated in wavelength in order to allow them to be separated by optical filters or spectrographs. An apparatus was constructed to measure the dyes' spectra in a fluorescence imaging chamber as well as in an isolated perfused rabbit heart. The measured spectra were mathematically modeled in order to assess the spectral overlap error under different conditions. Error graphs were constructed which may help researchers select optical filters and dye concentrations that will result in an acceptable error.
Highway traffic segmentation using super-resolution and Gaussian mixture model

One benefit of employing computer vision techniques to extract individual vehicles from a highway traffic scene is the abundance of networked, traffic surveillance cameras that may be leveraged as the input video. However, the acquisition sensors that are monitoring the highway traffic will have very limited quality. Additionally, video streams are heavily compressed, causing noise and, in some cases, visible artifacts to be introduced into the video. Further challenges are presented by external environmental and weather conditions, such as rain, fog, and snow, that cause video blurring or noise. The resulting output of a segmentation algorithm yields poorer results, with many vehicles undetected or partially detected. Our goal is to extract individual vehicles from a highway traffic scenes using super-resolution and the utilization of Gaussian mixture model algorithm (GMM). We used a speeded-up enhanced stochastic Wiener filter for SR reconstruction and restoration. It can be used to remove artifacts and enhance the visual quality of the reconstructed images and can be implemented efficiently in the frequency domain. The filter derivation depends on the continuous-discrete-continuous (CDC) model that represents most of the degradations encountered during the image-gathering and image-display processes. Then, we use GMM followed by the clustering of individual vehicles. Individual vehicles are detected from the segmented scene through the use of a series of morphological operations, followed by two-dimensional connected component labeling. We evaluate our hybrid approach quantitatively in the segmentation of the extracted vehicles.
Heavy quarkonia production in p+p, d+Au and Cu+Cu collisions by PHENIX experiment at $\sqrt {s_{NN} } $ = 200 GeV

The PHENIX experiment has measured, J/ψ, ψ′ and γ productions for different collision systems in the forward rapidities 1.2 < | η | < 2.2 at $\sqrt {S_{NN} } $ = 200 GeV. We have observed significant suppressions of J/ψ production in both Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions relative to the yield in p+p system. The measurements of higher mass heavy quarkonia states (ψ′ and γ) will help us to constrain various quarkonium suppression models in heavy ion collisions. A first hint of ψ′ and γ productions in 200GeV p+p collisions has been observed at forward and backward rapidities at PHENIX.
von Hippel-Lindau Partner Jade-1 Is a Transcriptional Co-activator Associated with Histone Acetyltransferase Activity

Jade-1 was identified as a protein partner of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor pVHL. The interaction of Jade-1 and pVHL correlates with renal cancer risk. We have investigated the molecular function of Jade-1. Jade-1 has two zinc finger motifs called plant homeodomains (PHD). A line of evidence suggests that the PHD finger functions in chromatin remodeling and protein-protein interactions. We determined the cellular localization of Jade-1 and examined whether Jade-1 might have transcriptional and histone acetyltransferase (HAT) functions. Biochemical cell fractionation studies as well as confocal images of cells immunostained with a specific Jade-1 antibody revealed that endogenous Jade-1 is localized predominantly in the cell nucleus. Tethering of Gal4-Jade-1 fusion protein to Gal4-responsive promoters in co-transfection experiments activated transcription 5-6-fold, indicating that Jade-1 is a possible transcriptional activator. It was remarkable that overexpression of Jade-1 in cultured cells specifically increased levels of endogenous acetylated histone H4, but not histone H3, strongly suggesting that Jade-1 associates with HAT activity specific for histone H4. Deletion of the two PHD fingers completely abolished Jade-1 transcriptional and HAT activities, indicating that these domains are indispensable for Jade-1 nuclear functions. In addition, we demonstrated that TIP60, a known HAT with histone H4/H2A specificity, physically associates with Jade-1 and is able to augment Jade-1 HAT function in live cells, strongly suggesting that TIP60 might mediate Jade-1 HAT activity. Thus, Jade-1 is a novel candidate transcriptional co-activator associated with HAT activity and may play a key role in the pathogenesis of renal cancer and von Hippel-Lindau disease.
Mean Atlantic meridional overturning circulation across 26.5°N from eddy-resolving simulations compared to observations

[1] Observations along 26.5°N are used to examine the time mean structure of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) in eddy-resolving simulations with the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). The model results yield a 5 year mean AMOC transport of 18.2 Sv, compared to 18.4 Sv based on data. The modeled northward limb of the AMOC has a vertical structure similar to observations. The southward limb is shallower than observed but deeper than other ocean general circulation models and includes a secondary transport maximum near 4000 m corresponding to Nordic Seas Overflow Water. The modeled flow through the Florida Strait and the deep western boundary current (DWBC) east of Abaco, Bahamas, are also approximately consistent with observations. The model results are used to clarify the sources of the northward AMOC transport and to explore the circulation pattern of the southward transport in the western subtropical North Atlantic in the range 18–33°N. About 14.1 Sv of the modeled northward AMOC transport is through the Florida Strait and the remainder through the mid-ocean, primarily in the Ekman layer, but also below 600 m. The modeled AMOC transport is about 2/3 surface water and 1/3 Antarctic Intermediate Water with no contribution from the thermocline water in between. In the western subtropical North Atlantic the model results depict a complicated deep circulation pattern, associated with the complex bathymetry. The DWBC flows southward then eastward in both the upper and lower North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) layers but with different offshore recirculation pathways, and there exists a second, more northern branch of eastward flow in the lower NADW layer.
Static semantics for normal and disjunctive logic programs

In this paper, we propose a newsemantic framework for disjunctive logic programming by introducingstatic expansions of disjunctive programs. The class of static expansions extends both the classes of stable, well-founded and stationary models of normal programs and the class of minimal models of positive disjunctive programs. Any static expansion of a programP provides the corresponding semantics forP consisting of the set of all sentences logically implied by the expansion. We show that among all static expansions of a disjunctive programP there is always theleast static expansion, which we call thestatic completion ¯P ofP. The static completion¯P can be defined as the least fixed point of a naturalminimal model operator and can be constructed by means of a simpleiterative procedure. The semantics defined by the static completion¯P is called thestatic semantics ofP. It coincides with the set of sentences that are true inall static expansions ofP. For normal programs, it coincides with the well-founded semantics. The class of static expansions represents a semantic framework which differs significantly from the other semantics proposed recently for disjunctive programs and databases. It is also defined for a much broader class of programs.
Repeated psychological stress testing in stimulant-dependent patients

Decreasing response to stress has been one goal of interventions aimed at reducing relapse to substances of abuse. A laboratory stress test that can be repeated would be helpful in testing the efficacy of interventions in decreasing the response to stress before more extensive trials are begun. The effects of two types of psychological stress tests, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and a stress imagery test, on psychological, physiological, and hormonal responses (salivary cortisol and DHEA) were examined when each test was given twice to cocaine- or methamphetamine-dependent human subjects, 24 of whom completed at least one session. The stress imagery test produced significant changes in several of the subjective response measures in both first and second sessions, including several measures of negative affect and a craving measure. The TSST produced significant changes only in the second session. The stress imagery protocol showed better replicability across two sessions. Cocaine users and methamphetamine users did not respond similarly in their craving responses. Reported craving for methamphetamine after stress testing showed decreases or much smaller increases compared to that for cocaine. Neither stress test significantly increased salivary cortisol or DHEA, and changes in hormone concentrations were not related to subjective responses. These results suggest that stress imagery testing procedures may be useful as provocative tests of stress-induced affect and stimulant drug craving. Although less convincing because of the heterogeneity of the subjects, they also suggest that HPA axis responsivity is not clearly linked to acute stress-induced stimulant craving or affective response.
Local structure of representation varieties

The isomorphism classes of simple representations of a finitely generated group form an algebraic variety. It is shown that the tangents to formal curves through a point in the variety are given by the linear parts of Lie algebra homomorphisms from the Lie algebra of the pro-unipotent radical of the universal pro-affine hull of the group to the Lie algebra of matrices over formal power series. This description allows a determination of singular representations for nilpotent groups and of the tangent cones to representation varieties for abelian-by-finite groups.
Computational efficiency achieved by time splitting of finite difference operators.

A technique is presented for computing multidimensional time-dependent flow fields that avoids much of the inefficiency typically found in finite difference calculations. The technique initially divides the flow field into regions, each containing a mesh of general quadrilateral cells chosen to provide spatial resolution of the local features of the flow. A finite difference operator of second order accuracy, consisting of a sequence of one-dimensional operators (each operating at near maximum Courant-Friedrich-Lewy number) is then constructed for each region. Numerical results illustrating the technique for inviscid flows about simple bodies that generate shock waves, embedded shock waves, and expansion fans are presented and compared with exact theory.
Left ventricular false tendons in children: Prevalence as detected by 2-dimensional echocardiography and clinical significance

During a 28-month period, consecutive 2-dimensional echocardiograms were reviewed to determine the prevalence of left ventricular (LV) false tendons, their associated anomalies and clinical significance. LV false tendons were found in 31 (0.8%) of 3,847 consecutive 2-dimensional echocardiograms. Of 31 LV false tendons, 30 passed longitudinally from papillary muscle to septum and 1 went from free wall to free wall. The 31 patients were aged 1 day to 15 years. Associated heart disease, most often ventricular septal defect, bicuspid aortic valve and coarctation of the aorta, was present in 48%, of whom 73% were girls. Of those without heart disease, 69% were boys. In patients with heart disease, precordial murmurs were due to the underlying cardiac anomaly. Of those without heart disease, 15 of 16 (94%) had a precordial murmur, usually of the Still's type over the lower left sternal border. Four of 31 (13%), 1 with and 3 without heart disease, had unifocal premature ventricular contractions that were rate-dependent in the 2 patients undergoing stress testing. LV false tendons appear to occur in 0.8% of pediatric patients and usually are accompanied by a Still's type innocent murmur if unassociated with heart disease. Some LV false tendons are associated with rate-dependent premature ventricular contractions.
Laparoscopic Oviductal Artificial Insemination Improves Pregnancy Success in Exogenous Gonadotropin-Treated Domestic Cats as a Model for Endangered Felids

Artificial insemination (AI) in cats traditionally uses equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to induce follicular development and ovulation, with subsequent bilateral laparoscopic intrauterine insemination. However, long-acting hCG generates undesirable secondary ovulations in cats. Uterine AI also requires relatively high numbers of spermatozoa for fertilization (∼8 × 106 sperm), and unfortunately, sperm recovery from felids is frequently poor. Using short-acting porcine luteinizing hormone (pLH) instead of hCG, and using the oviduct as the site of sperm deposition, could improve fertilization success while requiring fewer spermatozoa. Our objectives were to compare pregnancy and fertilization success between 1) uterine and oviductal inseminations and 2) eCG/hCG and eCG/pLH regimens in domestic cats. Sixteen females received either eCG (100 IU)/hCG (75 IU) or eCG (100 IU)/pLH (1000 IU). All females ovulated and were inseminated in one uterine horn and the contralateral oviduct using fresh semen (1 × 106 motile sperm/site) from a different male for each site. Pregnant females (11/16; 69%) were spayed approximately 20 days post-AI, and fetal paternity was genetically determined. The number of corpora lutea (CL) at AI was similar between hormone regimens, but hCG increased the number of CL at 20 days post-AI. Numbers of pregnancies and normal fetuses were similar between regimens. Implantation abnormalities were observed in the hCG group only. Finally, oviductal AI produced more fetuses than uterine AI. In summary, laparoscopic oviductal AI with low sperm numbers in eCG/hCG- or eCG/pLH-treated females resulted in high pregnancy and fertilization percentages in domestic cats. Our subsequent successes with oviductal AI in eCG/pLH-treated nondomestic felids to produce healthy offspring supports cross-species applicability.
Systematic review of economic analyses of health care-associated infections.

Background Economic evidence is needed to assess the burden of health care-associated infections (HAIs) and cost-effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing related morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was conducted to assess the quality of economic evaluations related to HAI and synthesize the evidence. Methods A systematic review of research published between January 2001 and June 2004 was conducted. Quality of the publication was estimated using a Likert-type scale. All cost estimates were standardized into a common currency. Descriptive statistics and a logistic regression were conducted to identify predictors of high quality. Results 70 studies were audited. There was wide variation in these cost estimates. Publications estimating the cost attributable to an infection were almost 7 times more likely judged to be of higher quality than studies of the cost of interventions ( P P Conclusion There are more publications and growing interest in estimating the costs of HAI. However, the methods employed vary. We recommend (1) the use of guidelines for authors and editors on conducting an economic analysis, (2) development of more sophisticated mathematical models, and (3) training of infection control professionals in economic methods.
Electron-ion coincidence experiments: absolute detector efficiencies and neutral dissociation cross sections

Abstract Electron-ion coincidence studies, using 40 eV electrons on He, Ar, Kr, and N 2 and 30 eV electrons on CF 4 have been carried out for all ions produced by impact of electrons on an effusive gas jet and electrons scattered through an angle of 45°. The original purpose of these experiments was to obtain the absolute instrumental efficiency for our time-of-flight mass spectrometer. We have discovered, as a by-product, that useful information about the absolute cross section for neutral dissociation can also be obtained from such studies.
Gregarious behaviour in Cretaceous earwig nymphs (Insecta, Dermaptera) from southwestern France

The first earwigs in Early Cretaceous (latest Albian) amber from southwestern France are described and figured. The amber piece in question, ARC-240, contains a complete earwig nymph as well as three partial nymphs preserved in a single piece of fossiliferous resin from Archingeay (Charente-Maritime, France). The morphology of the nymphs is discussed in relation to their possible taxonomic placement as well as their developmental stage. The preservation of so many nymphs in a single piece is curious and comments about the gregarious nature of modern earwigs in relation to the fossil are provided.
Introduction: Histories of the present

(2000). Introduction: Histories of the present. Nineteenth-Century Contexts: Vol. 22, Postmodern Victorians, pp. 1-20.
Fragmentation Analysis of Water-Soluble Atmospheric Organic Matter Using Ultrahigh-Resolution FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry

Isolated water-soluble atmospheric organic matter (AOM) analytes extracted from radiation fogwater samples were analyzed using collision induced dissociation with ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Tandem mass analysis was performed on several mass ranges between 100 and 400 Da to characterize the functional groups of AOM species. Compounds containing nitrogen and/or sulfur were targeted because of the high number of oxygen atoms contained in their molecular formulas. Due to the large number of isobaric ions in the precursor isolation ranges, large numbers of product ions resulted from collision induced dissociation. Common neutral losses were assigned by matching the molecular formulas of the expected product ions with the detected product ions within the appropriate mass spectra. Since polar functional groups are expected to affect the hygroscopic properties of aerosols, the losses of H2O, CO2, CH3OH, HNO3, CH3NO3, SO3, SO4 and combinations of t...
A psychoanalytic prospective towards the inter-relationship of the creative process and the functions of an art therapist

THE purpose of this paper is to attempt a synthesis of the experiences of Pratt Art Therapy students, and the psychoanalytic. knowledge that deals with the creative process. Furthermore, the author wishes to translate some of the psychoanalytic techniques that are directed towards an expansion and development of an authentic sense of self, and transpose these principles into a framework of an art therapy relationship. Today one can find art therapists functioning in a variety of settings. He may be a member of a mental health team, or part of an educational institution. At times, community centers and rehabilitation units employ an art therapist. The expectations and roies vary from setting to setting. Often, an art therapist is perceived as an educator; or, on the other hand, a psychotherapist. At times, art therapy is seen as offering a creative experience where the patient can learn new tools of communication. A larger trend seems to supersede the above. Traditional roles related to mental health are breaking down. Ward attendants, teachers, occupational therapists, etc. are no longer limited by specified and we&defined duties and functions. indeed, what is emerging is a multitude of professionals who are being enlisted to approach the problems of mental health, and are gaining a new sense of professional identity in their quest to be a part of the creative process. Thus, a professional identity may be, in time, more connected to a humanistic and creative one that is concerned with the expression and development of each individual to his utmost and unique potential. The limitations of each practi-
Hypericin: a potential antiglioma therapy.

Hypericin, a polycyclic aromatic dione isolated from plants, is presently being clinically evaluated as an antiviral agent in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In addition, it is known to be a potent protein kinase C inhibitor. To evaluate its potential as an inhibitor of glioma growth, an established (U87) and low-passage glioma line (93-492) were treated with hypericin in tissue culture for a period of 48 hours after passage. Hypericin inhibited the glioma growth in a dose-related manner, with a marked inhibition of growth in the low-micromolar concentration range (e.g., in line U87 and low-passage line 93-492, a concentration of hypericin of 10 mumol/L produced 62 and 76% decreases in [3H]thymidine uptake, respectively). Because the reported inhibitory effects of protein kinase C are enhanced by visible light, [3H]thymidine uptake was measured in both the presence and the absence of visible light. In glioma line A172, the presence of light slightly increased the inhibitory effect of hypericin. Moreover, an apoptosis (i.e., programmed cell death) assay was performed to determine whether the treatment of glioma cells with hypericin was cytostatic or cytocidal. Cells were harvested, and purified deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. DNA from cells treated with hypericin for 48 hours exhibited a classical "ladder" pattern of oligonucleosome-sized fragments characteristic of apoptosis. These data suggest that the proven safe drug hypericin may have potential as an antiglioma agent; we suggest clinical trials.