cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mortality after deferral of treatment or no treatment for choroidal melanoma

Abstract Purpose To report mortality of patients who were eligible for enrollment in the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) clinical trials of medium-sized choroidal melanoma or large-sized choroidal melanoma but chose to defer treatment or receive no melanoma treatment. Design Prospective nonrandomized multicenter cohort study as an adjunct to the COMS randomized clinical trials. Methods Patient follow-up procedures included examinations, correspondence, telephone contacts, and National Death Index searches. Primary outcome was patient death measured by all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were melanoma treatment and melanoma metastasis. Results Of 77 patients eligible for the COMS clinical trials who chose to defer or receive no melanoma treatment, 61 were appropriate candidates and 45 (74%) enrolled in the natural history study. Forty-two patients (42 eyes) had medium melanoma, and median follow-up was 5.3 years (range, 4–10.7 years). Twenty-two patients (52%) had subsequent melanoma treatment, and 20 (48%) had no melanoma treatment. For the 42 patients, the Kaplan-Meier estimate of 5-year mortality was approximately 30% (95% confidence interval [CI], 18%–47%). For the COMS medium melanoma trial, 5-year mortality was 18% (95% CI, 16% –20%), not statistically significantly different from the natural history study patients. After adjusting for differences in age and longest basal diameter, the 5-year risk of death for natural history study patients vs COMS trial patients was 1.54 (95% CI, 0.93–2.56). Three patients had large melanoma. Melanoma metastasis was confirmed or suspected in eight (42%) of 19 deaths. Conclusions Greater mortality and higher risk of death for natural history study patients are probative but not conclusive evidence of a beneficial, life-extending effect of medium melanoma treatment.
Analytical Buddhism: The Two-Tiered Illusion of Self

Albahari, Miri, Analytical Buddhism: The Two-Tiered Illusion of Self, Basingstoke & New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, pp. xiv + 235, £45.00 (cloth). Analytical Buddhism is a valuable and highly o...
Engagement in advocacy and policy research: The critical role of motivation, obstacles, and resources

Abstract In the present political climate, politicians are singling out children's programs and services for budget cuts. The need for teacher education programs to prepare early childhood teachers as children's advocates is becoming ever more evident. For years, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has called for greater involvement of early childhood educators as advocates for programs and services that promote children's health and education. In teacher education programs, however, this call has largely gone unheeded. The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of involving teacher candidates in advocacy activities and policy research, the obstacles that teacher educators can face when incorporating advocacy components into their teacher education courses and programs, and resources and strategies they can use. This discussion builds upon a motivation‐obstacles‐resources framework developed for adoption of innovative practices [Mintrom, M. (2001). Achieving quality ...
Investigating nanoscale cellular dynamics with cross-sectional spectral domain phase microscopy

We report on cross-sectional imaging of dynamic biological specimens using a spectral domain phase microscopy (SDPM) system capable of operating at a line rate of 19 kHz. This system combines the time-sensitive capabilities of SDPM with the multi-point acquisition features of related phase-sensitive techniques. The presented phase portraits and B-scan phase images of spontaneously beating embryonic cardiomyocytes and cytoplasmic flow in A. proteus offer insight into the nature and timing of the observed cellular phenomena, demonstrating the utility of this technique for dynamic cell studies.
Male Partner Pregnancy-Promoting Behaviors and Adolescent Partner Violence: Findings from a Qualitative Study with Adolescent Females

Objective To examine the context of pregnancy and sexual health among adolescent females with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV). This paper reports on a subset of females who described abusive male partners' explicit pregnancy-promoting behaviors (ie, messages and behaviors that led females to believe their partner was actively trying to impregnate them). Methods Semistructured interviews were conducted with 53 sexually active adolescent females, with known history of IPV, about violence, sexual experiences, and related behaviors. Interviews were analyzed using a content analysis approach; 14 interviews in which females reported that partners were actively trying to impregnate them were further analyzed for pregnancy and contraceptive use. Results Participants (N = 53) were aged 15 to 20 years, with notable minority representation, 21% African American (n = 11) and 38% Latina (n = 20). Over half (n = 31, 58%) had experienced pregnancy. A key finding was that approximately one quarter of participants (26%, n=14) reported that their abusive male partners were actively trying to get them pregnant. Females' stories revealed that abusive male partners desiring pregnancy manipulated condom use, sabotaged birth control use, and made explicit statements about wanting her to become pregnant. Conclusions Pregnancy-promoting behaviors of male abusive partners may be one potential mechanism underlying associations between adolescent IPV and pregnancy. These findings suggest that exploring pregnancy intentions and behaviors of partners of sexually active adolescents may help to identify youth experiencing IPV. The frequency of birth control sabotage and explicit attempts to cause pregnancy in adolescent IPV needs to be examined at the population level.
Time space tradeoffs in vector algorithms for APL functions

When considering algorithms which will run on processors in which large vectors of values can be manipulated in time which is independent of the length of the vector, many issues of time versus space arise which are not important, or of less importance, on more conventional machines. This paper explores various alternative techniques which might be used in an implementation of APL on such a machine, and considers some of these time/space tradeoffs.
Polyoma Virus-induced Release of inhibition of Cellular DNA Synthesis caused by Iododeoxyuridine

THE halogenated pyrimidine nucleosides, 5-iodo-2′-deoxyuridine (IUdR) and 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BUdR), are incorporated instead of thymidine into the DNA of mammalian cells for one division cycle. The synthesis of DNA is then delayed and takes place only in a small fraction of the cells1. At high concentrations of these compounds (or at low concentrations when 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine (FUdR) or amethopterin is present and inhibits endogenous synthesis of thymidine) the DNA doubles once; no further increase in the DNA content of the cultures is observed, even after the analogues have been removed2,3.
Presupposition Failure and the Assertive Enterprise

I outline a discourse-based account of presuppositions that relies on insights from the writings of Peter Strawson, as well as on insights from more recent work by Robert Stalnaker and Barbara Abbott. One of the key elements of my account is the idea that presuppositions are “assertorically inert”, in the sense that they are background propositions, rather than being part of the “at issue” or asserted content. Strawson is often assumed to have defended the view that the falsity of a presupposition leads to catastrophe, in the sense that a false presupposition “wrecks the assertive enterprise”. I argue that the discourse-based account in terms of assertoric inertia can explain how cases of presupposition failure can sometimes be non-catastrophic; there are cases in which the assertive enterprise operates smoothly, despite presupposition failure. The chief problem facing this line of argument is to account for cases in which presupposition failure is catastrophic. If presuppositions are assertorically inert, then how can their falsity ever wreck the assertive enterprise? I offer a principled account that delineates the circumstances in which false presuppositions are, and those in which they are not, catastrophic.
Studies on the metabolism of thyrotropin.

RAPID disappearance from the plasma of large exogenous doses of heterologous thyrotropin has been reported in man (1), rabbit (2), and rat (3, 4). Less than 5% of the administered dose of thyrotropin remained in rat plasma one hour after intravenous injection (3). Both thyroid (5–7) and liver (8) have been implicated, under in vitro conditions, as the site of inactivation of thyrotropin, although there is in vivo evidence that inactivation may be related primarily to general body metabolism rather than to the function of the thyroid gland per se (4). It has been reported that thyrotropin accumulates in liver (9) or kidney (10) within a few minutes after intravenous injection, and persists in the thyroid gland as long as 24 hours after injection (9). However, it must be pointed out that in one of these studies (9), S35-labeled thyrotropin was detected in the organs by its radioactivity rather than by biological activity.
Cooperative breeding and altruistic behaviour in the mexican jay, Aphelocoma ultramarina

Summary The social organization of the Mexican jay is based on flocks typically of eight to twenty individuals which tend to be evenly dispersed through the appropriate habitat. Most flocks consist of two or more breeding pairs of adults plus a variable number of non-breeding yearlings and adults. The feeding of the young by all the members of the flock was studied in the field under natural conditions by colour banding the flock members. The feeding of the nestlings was shared by all flock members with 38 to 53 per cent of the feeding visits by the parents and the remainder by altruistic jays who were not parents of the nestlings they were feeding. Parents showed a significant preference for feeding their own nestlings as long as they remained in the nest. The feeding of young after they left the nest was also shared by all flock members, with about 26 per cent of the feeding visits by the parents and the remainder by altruistic jays who were not parents of the young they fed. Parents showed no preference for feeding their own fledglings as opposed to the fledglings of other parents.
The effect of hormones on experimental moniliasis in mice. I. Sex hormones, cortisone, and somatotrophic hormone.

By inoculating testosterone or estradiol alone and in combination with cortisone and somatotrophic hormone into male and female mice infected with moniliasis, it was shown that these sex hormones play a major role in modifying the course of the infection in these animals. The use of testosterone indicated that it had a marked synergistic activity with cortisone in enhancing the severity of the infection for both sexes. In addition, a mixture of testosterone and cortisone inoculated into normal mice at dosage levels which displayed no toxic effect when either agent was used alone, displayed a marked toxicity for male animals.
Verbal Transformation Effect and Auditory Reversals

When specially selected “reversible” words were used as stimuli for the verbal transformation effect, subjects (13 men, 7 women) perceived significantly fewer forms and there was a greater probabil...
Morphology of the reproductive systems of Gretchena bolliana, the Pecan bud moth.

The morphology of the reproductive systems of male and female Gretchena bolliana (Slingerland) (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae), and the spermatophore, is described, illustrated, and compared with that of Laspeyresia caryana (Fitch).
Hedonism vs. nihilism: No arbitrage and tests of urban economic models

We present two notions of "no arbitrage" in urban economic models and show that there is no model satisfying both. The standard hedonic housing model of urban economics and its generalizations are consistent with the first of these, but inconsistent with the second. We present a model consistent with the second notion of "no arbitrage" and a continuum of models consistent with neither notion that are observationally equivalent to the standard model, even if the utility function of consumers is known. Only one of these is the standard model. Thus, the available tests of the standard model cannot provide much evidence of its validity. Finally, we examine nonlinear price systems consistent with the second notion of "no arbitrage" and their welfare consequences.
Astronomical Speckle Interferometry In The Infrared

In November 1980 we implemented a one-dimensional infrared speckle interferometry system for the University of Hawaii (U H) 2.2-m telescope at Mauna Kea. Currently there are functioning systems on the 2.2-m telescope, the 3-m NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), and the 3.8-m United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT). With several detectors, these have the capability of operating over a range of wavelengths from 1 to 12 μm; this part of the infra-red is well suited for observing objects with real or apparent temperatures 250 < T < 3000 K. We now routinely measure diffraction-limited visibility functions for a variety of astronomical sources. These include volcanic eruptions on I0, circumstellar dust shells around evolved stars, young stars in giant molecular clouds, and pre-main-sequence stars. Spatial structure as small as 100 milliarcsec has been measured with the largest telescopes. The speckle interferometer has also been used together with a cooled grating spectrometer to achieve high spectral resolution and spatial resolution simultaneously. We have the ability to display real-time power spectra for evaluation of signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) and save all of the raw data for later processing. This latter feature has recently been used successfully to retrieve phases and construct one-dimensional pictures. The current version of the interferometer features an IBM PC that can be moved to various telescope facilities. It has been used on the Kitt Peak 4-m telescope as well as the telescopes on Mauna Kea.
Effective temperature of hopping electrons in a strong electric field.

We study numerically the energy distribution of electrons and the hopping conductivity as a function of the temperature T and electric field E in the tail of the density of states of an amorphous semiconductor where states are localized with a localization length a. We find a Boltzmann distribution with an effective temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{eff}}$(T,E) which in the limit of eEa\ensuremath{\gg}${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{B}}$T is close to 0.67eEa/${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{B}}$. The conductivity \ensuremath{\sigma}(T,E) collapses to a single universal curve when plotted as a function of the effective temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{eff}}$(T,E). This confirms the fact that ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ determines the conductivity. The same effective temperature also determines the dependencies of the steady state and transient photoconductivities on T and E.
Unsuspected cryptic polymorphism in the polychromatic Midas cichlid

The Midas cichlid (Cichlasoma citrinellum) of Nicaragua shows stable polychromatism in that a consistent, small proportion of the fish in nature lose their melanophores and thereby become gold-coloured. Before metamorphosis, all fish look alike. We asked whether the pre-transformed offspring of gold and normal morphs might differ in their morphological and physiological responses to white and to black backgrounds despite looking the same. More chromatophores developed in all juveniles exposed for two weeks to a black than to a white background. When moved from one background to the other, the fish adjusted to white faster than to black. Most importantly, genetically normal fish (N) colour-matched quicker than genetically gold fish (G) irrespective of the direction of change. Adjustment in G was also more variable, indicating poorer control. A parallel pattern was recorded photometrically in melanophores of excised scales: aggregation of pigment was faster than dispersion. And pigment in the melanophores of N aggregated and dispersed swifter than did those of G. Therefore, pre-metamorphosed juvenile G could be more vulnerable to predation than are juvenile N. This reveals a possible source of selection against the offspring of gold morphs before they become gold-coloured.
Commercial Production of Lactoferrin, a Multifunctional Iron-binding Glycoprotein

(1997). Commercial Production of Lactoferrin, a Multifunctional Iron-binding Glycoprotein. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews: Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 303-320.
It's not the war on terror but a war on science

Osama bin Laden may be dead, but the horrendous cost of pursuing the war on terror may give his followers cause for celebration, says Lawrence Krauss
Abstract 1950: LHRH Peptide decorated cross-linked micelles for the targeted drug delivery to breast cancer

We have recently developed a series of micellar nanoparticles (NPs) based on linear polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dendritic cholic acids (CA) block copolymer (telodendrimer), for the targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of cancers. The tumor targeting specificity and efficiency of drug-loaded NPs might be further improved by the decoration of cancer cell surface targeting ligands. LHRH (Luteinizing hormone releasing hormone), a natural hormone peptide, is able to bind specifically to the LHRH receptor, which has been reported to be over-expressed in more than 50% breast cancer patients. In the present study, we incorporated the passive targeting of our micellar NPs and the active targeting of LHRH peptide into a single platform with an attempt to further improve the therapeutic index of NPs delivered drugs in the treatment of breast cancer. We synthesized the LHRH peptide on the tentagel resin bead via the solid-phase peptide synthesis method, and demonstrated that human breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-435 were able to bind strongly with LHRH peptide beads. Besides breast cancer cell lines, immunohistochemistry staining further demonstrated LHRH peptide was able to specifically bind to human breast tumor tissue as well as transgenic murine mammary carcinoma tissue, but not to normal breast tissue. Alkyne-containing LHRH peptides were successfully conjugated to the azide group at the distal PEG terminus of PEG5k-Cys4-L8-CA8 telodendrimer (cross-linked micelle forming unit) via the “click chemistry”. LHRH peptide ligand significantly enhanced the intracellular delivery of cross-linked micelles in both MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-435 breast cancer cells. In addition, the enhanced uptake of LHRH-targeted micelles in those cells can be inhibited by the addition of access of LHRH antibody, indicating the LHRH receptor-medicated internalization. The co-localization of internalized FITC-labeled LHRH-micelles with lysosomal compartment in human breast cancer cells were also observed, suggesting that the endocytosis pathway is likely to be involved in the internalization process. Furthermore, when loaded with paclitaxel (PTX), LHRH-micelles had significantly higher in vitro cellular toxicities against breast cancer cells as compared with the non-targeted micelles. The in vivo biodistribution, tumor targeting specificity and therapeutic efficacies of LHRH targeted micelles in MDA-MB-231 xenograft mouse model are currently under investigation. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1950. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1950
Axial Shear Vibrations of a Cylinder of Decreasing Thickness

The loss of mass and stiffness due to ablation may significantly influence the vibrations of a solid propellant grain. This paper presents an analytical study of the axial shear vibrations of a long hollow cylinder that is subjected to time-dependent body forces in the axial direction. The outer surface of the cylinder is bonded to a rigid case, and the inner radius increases monotonically with time. An expression is determined for the shear stress at the bond interface. It is shown that the instantaneous frequency of the shear bond stress increases, and that its amplitude decreases toward burnout time. Various ablation rates are considered. Conventional methods of analysis, such as separation of variables and Fourier-Bessel analysis, are not directly applicable in this problem, since the boundary conditions are prescribed on a time-dependent surface. A modified Fourier-Bessel mode is defined that satisfies the boundary conditions. By substituting this mode into the equation of motion, a solution is obtained by asymptotic methods in the vicinity of the bond interface. The axial shear vibrations of an ablating viscoelastic cylinder are discussed briefly.
Arrhythmias in sleep apnea

A 23-year-old black female was referred to the University Hospital of Oklahoma because of "sleep trouble." She complained of falling asleep easily during the daytime. A sleep study was performed which showed prolonged apnea, up to 35 seconds, and prolonged asystole, up to seven seconds, with second-degree heart block. A tracheostomy was performed. She had lost some weight and did well until six months later, when she developed severe throbbing headache with visual blurring. She came to the emergency room and an ECG showed sinus bradycardia with prolonged sinus pauses, up to 2.6 seconds, and first- and second-degree AV block. She had no hypoxia and atropine was ineffective. Electrophysiologic studies were performed. Details of the case are described and mechanisms of the arrhythmias are discussed.
Synthesis of new fluorogenic cyanine dyes and incorporation into RNA fluoromodules.

A new fluorogenic cyanine dye was synthesized and found to have low fluorescence quantum yield in fluid solution and in the presence of double-stranded DNA but 80-fold enhanced fluorescence in viscous glycerol solution. An RNA aptamer selected for binding to the new dye exhibits Kd = 87 nM and 60-fold fluorescence enhancement. The dye−aptamer pair is a fluoromodule that can be incorporated into fluorescent sensors and labels.
Importance of molecular features of non-small cell lung cancer for choice of treatment.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Approximately 85% of lung cancer is categorized as non–small cell lung cancer, and traditionally, non–small cell lung cancer has been treated with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Targeted agents that inhibit the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway have been developed and integrated into the treatment regimens in non–small cell lung cancer. Currently, approved epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors include the tyrosine kinase inhibitors erlotinib and gefitinib. Molecular determinants, such as epidermal growth factor receptor–activating mutations, have been associated with response to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors and may be used to guide treatment choices in patients with non–small cell lung cancer. Thus, treatment choice for patients with non–small cell lung cancer depends on molecular features of tumors; however, improved techniques are required to increase the specificity and efficiency of molecular profiling so that these methods can be incorporated into routine clinical practice. This review provides an overview of how genetic analysis is currently used to direct treatment choices in non–small cell lung cancer.
Multivesicular Release at Climbing Fiber-Purkinje Cell Synapses

Synapses driven by action potentials are thought to release transmitter in an all-or-none fashion; either one synaptic vesicle undergoes exocytosis, or there is no release. We have estimated the glutamate concentration transient at climbing fiber synapses on Purkinje cells by measuring the inhibition of excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) produced by a low-affinity competitive antagonist of AMPA receptors, gamma-DGG. The results, together with simulations using a kinetic model of the AMPA receptor, suggest that the peak glutamate concentration at this synapse is dependent on release probability but is not affected by pooling of transmitter released from neighboring synapses. We propose that the mechanism responsible for the elevated glutamate concentration at this synapse is the simultaneous release of multiple vesicles per site.
Neural Network Control of Resistive Wall Modes in Tokamaks

A neural network (NN) implementation of an adaptive optimal stochastic output feedback control is developed to stabilize the resistive wall mode (RWM), a critically important instability in fusion machines like tokamaks. The design of an adaptive optimal stochastic output feedback control was discussed and reported earlier by Sun, Sen, and Longman. The system dynamics is experimentally determined via the extended least square method with an exponential forgetting factor and covariance resetting. The optimal output feedback controller is redesigned periodically online based on the system identification. The output measurements and past control inputs are used to construct new control inputs. These are achieved by an architecture of NNs consisting of a pool of sequentially linked Hopfield networks and implemented in hardware with digital NN processors made by the Accurate Automation Corporation. The simulations have shown that the NN adaptive output controller can stabilize the time-dependent RWM in a slowly evolving tokamak discharge. This is accomplished within a time delay of the inverse of the nonlinear growth rate, which is the time scale of the development of the possibly dangerous levels of fluctuations. This stabilization is similar to that of the simulation with a C++ implementation. It is expected that significant gains can be achieved for the systems of a higher order, which are to be found in future fusion devices.
Development and characterization of a hypomorphic Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome mouse model and efficacy of simvastatin therapy

Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome (SLOS) is a genetic syndrome caused by mutations in the 3b-hydroxysterol D 7 -reductase gene (DHCR7). SLOS patients have decreased cholesterol and increased 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) levels. Dietary cholesterol supplementation improves systemic biochemical abnormalities; however, because of the blood–brain barrier, the central nervous system (CNS) is not treated. Simvastatin therapy has been proposed as a means to treat the CNS. Mice homozygous for a null disruption of Dhcr7, Dhcr7 D 3–5 /D 3–5 , die soon after birth, thus they cannot be used to study postnatal development or therapy. To circumvent this problem, we produced a hypomorphic SLOS mouse model by introducing a mutation corresponding to DHCR7 T93M . Both Dhcr7 T93M/T93M and Dhcr7 D325/T93M mice are viable. Phenotypic findings in Dhcr7 T93M/D 3–5 mice include CNS ventricular dilatation and two to three syndactyly. Biochemically, both Dhcr7 T93M/T93M and Dhcr7 T93M/D 3–5 mice have elevated tissue 7-DHC levels; however, the biochemical defect improved with age. This has not been observed in human patients, and is due to elevated Dhcr7 expression in mouse tissues. Dietary cholesterol therapy improved sterol profiles in peripheral, but not CNS tissues. However, treatment of Dhcr7 T93M/D 3–5 mice with simvastatin decreased 7-DHC levels in both peripheral and brain tissues. Expression of Dhcr7 increased in Dhcr7 T93M/D 3–5 tissues after simvastatin therapy, consistent with the hypothesis that simvastatin therapy improves the biochemical phenotype by increasing the expression of a Dhcr7 allele with residual enzymatic activity. We conclude that simvastatin treatment is efficacious in improving the SLOS-associated sterol abnormality found in the brain, and thus has the potential to be an effective therapeutic intervention for behavioral and learning problems associated with SLOS.
N-arachidonylethanolamide relaxation of bovine coronary artery is not mediated by CB1 cannabinoid receptor

It has been reported that the endogenous cannabinoid N -arachidonylethanolamide (AEA), commonly referred to as anandamide, has the characteristics of an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor in rat mesenteric artery. We have carried out studies to determine whether AEA affects coronary vascular tone. The vasorelaxant effects of AEA were determined in isolated bovine coronary artery rings precontracted with U-46619 (3 × 10−9 M). AEA decreased isometric tension, producing a maximal relaxation of 51 ± 9% at a concentration of 10−5 M. Endothelium-denuded coronary arteries were not significantly affected by AEA. The CB1 receptor antagonist SR-141716A (10−6 M) failed to reduce the vasodilatory effects of AEA, suggesting that the CB1 receptor is not involved in this action of AEA. Because AEA is rapidly converted to arachidonic acid and ethanolamine in brain and liver by a fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), we hypothesized that the vasodilatory effect of AEA results from its hydrolysis to arachidonic acid followed by enzymatic conversion to vasodilatory eicosanoids. In support of this hypothesis, bovine coronary arteries incubated with [3H]AEA for 30 min hydrolyzed 15% of added substrate; ∼9% of the radiolabeled product was free arachidonic acid, and 6% comigrated with the prostaglandins (PGs) and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). A similar result was obtained in cultured bovine coronary endothelial cells. Inhibition of the FAAH with diazomethylarachidonyl ketone blocked both the metabolism of [3H]AEA and the relaxations to AEA. Whole vessel and cultured endothelial cells prelabeled with [3H]arachidonic acid synthesized [3H]PGs and [3H]EETs, but not [3H]AEA, in response to A-23187. Furthermore, SR-141716A attenuated A-23187-stimulated release of [3H]arachidonic acid, suggesting that it may have actions other than inhibition of CB1 receptor. These experiments suggest that AEA produces endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation as a result of its catabolism to arachidonic acid followed by conversion to vasodilatory eicosanoids such as prostacyclin or the EETs.
Molecular dynamics simulations of the ionic liquid [EMIM+][TFMSI-] confined inside rutile (110) slit nanopores.

The structure and dynamics of the ionic liquid (IL) [EMIM+][TFMSI−] inside a rutile (110) slit nanopore of width H = 5.2 nm at T = 333 K are studied using classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. These results are compared against those obtained in our previous study (N. N. Rajput et al., J. Phys. Chem. C, 2012, 116, 5169–5181) for the same IL inside a slit graphitic nanopore of the same width. Electrostatic and dispersion interactions are present between the IL and the rutile walls, whereas only weaker van der Waals interactions are present between the IL and the graphitic walls. Our results suggest that the strength of the interactions between the pore walls and the IL can significantly affect the structure and dynamics of the confined IL. Layering effects were more pronounced for the IL inside a rutile pore as compared to inside a graphitic pore. The ions near the rutile pore walls had a liquid structure that was significantly different from that of the bulk IL; in contrast, the same ions near graphitic pore walls had a liquid structure that was similar to that of the bulk IL. Cations and anions adopted multiple orientations near the rutile walls, which contrast with the parallel orientations that were uniformly observed for the same ions near graphitic walls. The dynamics of [EMIM+][TFMSI−] inside a slit rutile pore are significantly slower than those observed inside a slit graphitic pore. Near the rutile walls, the dynamics of the ions were about an order of magnitude slower than those of ions near graphitic walls. The ions in the center of a rutile pore exhibit enhanced mobilities, but still about 2–4 times slower than those observed for ions in the center of a graphitic pore. The effects of variations in the amount of IL on the dynamics were very marked inside a rutile pore, with reductions of up to 4 times in the mobilities of the ions in the different regions of the pore; in contrast, pore loading seems to cause smaller variations in the dynamics of ILs inside a graphitic slit nanopore.
Primary Treatment of Acute Retinal Necrosis with Oral Antiviral Therapy

Purpose To explore the possibility of oral antiviral therapy in lieu of intravenous acyclovir for treating acute retinal necrosis (ARN), a necrotizing retinopathy caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 or 2 or by varicella zoster virus. Design Retrospective, interventional, small case series. Participants Four patients (6 eyes). Methods Patients were treated with oral antiviral therapy. Medications included valacyclovir (1 g 3 times daily), oral famciclovir (500 mg 3 times daily), and topical and oral corticosteroids. Main Outcome Measures Improvement of symptoms, including photophobia, blurred vision, ocular discomfort, and floaters; increase in visual acuity; and resolution of vitreitis, retinitis, and retinal vasculitis, where present. Results Symptoms and visual acuity improved within 2 weeks to 1 month in 3 of 4 patients (75%) treated with oral antiviral medication. One patient required surgical treatment for asymptomatic retinal detachment after 3 weeks of treatment; retinal detachment in the fellow eye was repaired 2 months later. Duration of antiviral therapy ranged from 5 weeks to 3 months. Conclusions For 4 patients with relatively indolent cases of ARN, oral antiviral therapy alone was effective in eliminating signs and symptoms of the disease. In particular, oral valacyclovir and famciclovir appeared to be effective, although further study is necessary to determine whether these drugs are as effective as intravenous acyclovir for initial treatment of ARN.
Examination of mechanisms (E-MECHANIC) of exercise-induced weight compensation: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Weight loss induced only by exercise is frequently less than expected, possibly because of compensatory changes in energy intake and/or energy expenditure. The purpose of the Examination of Mechanisms (E-MECHANIC) of Exercise-Induced Weight Compensation trial is to examine whether increased energy intake and/or reduced spontaneous activity or energy expenditure (outside of structured exercise) account for the less than expected, exercise-associated weight loss. E-MECHANIC is a three-arm, 6-month randomized (1:1:1) controlled trial. The two intervention arms are exercise doses that reflect current recommendations for (1) general health (8 kcal/kg body weight per week (8 KKW), about 900 kcal/wk) and (2) weight loss (20 KKW, about 2,250 kcal/wk). The third arm, a nonexercise control group, will receive health information only. The sample will include a combined total of 198sedentary, overweight or obese (body mass index: ≥25 kg/m2 to ≤45 kg/m2) men and women ages 18 to 65 years. The exercise dose will be supervised and tightly controlled in an exercise training laboratory. The primary outcome variables are energy intake, which will be measured using doubly labeled water (adjusted for change in energy stores) and laboratory-based food intake tests, and the discrepancy between expected weight loss and observed weight loss. Secondary outcomes include changes in resting metabolic rate (adjusted for change in body mass), activity levels (excluding structured exercise) and body composition. In an effort to guide the development of future interventions, the participants will be behaviorally phenotyped and defined as those who do compensate (that is, fail to lose the amount of weight expected) or do not compensate (that is, lose the amount of weight expected or more). In this study, we will attempt to identify underlying mechanisms to explain why exercise elicits less weight loss than expected. This information will guide the development of interventions to increase exercise-induced weight loss and maximize weight loss retention and related health benefits. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01264406 (registration date: 20 December 2010).
Crystal methamphetamine use and HIV medical outcomes among HIV-infected men who have sex with men accessing support services in New York.

Abstract Background Drug use poses multiple challenges to maintaining physical health among HIV-infected individuals, particularly with regard to disease progression. Few studies, however, have examined the association between the use of crystal methamphetamine (“crystal meth”) and HIV disease progression specifically among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM). Understanding this relationship among HIV-infected MSM is particularly critical because of the high rates of crystal meth use reported in the population. Methods Associations between recent crystal meth use and poor HIV medical outcomes (viral load>200 copies/mL, CD4 count Results Crystal meth use (reported by 4%) was independently associated with unsuppressed viral load (AOR = 1.8, CI = 1.1–2.9) in multivariate analyses controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. There was no significant relationship between crystal meth use and low CD4 counts. Conclusions To date, little research has examined how crystal meth use influences HIV medical outcomes among HIV-infected MSM. This analysis showed a significant independent association between crystal meth use and unsuppressed viral load among MSM in an HIV service population. Future studies should examine biological and psychosocial mediators, moderators and confounders of this relationship to inform intervention development for MSM crystal meth users in HIV care settings.
Analysis of a microcephalic child from the late period (ca. 1100-1700 A.D.) of central California.

Microcephaly is a severe developmental abnormality which is induced either genetically or environmentally. The archaeological evidence for the occurrence of this abnormality is minimal. Out of six possible cases, only three have been published; all are adult and represented solely by cranial remains. The focus of the current study is the nearly complete skeleton of a 3-year-old child recovered during archaeological excavations in San Jose, California. The individual is compared to a sample of 184 California Indians, ranging from 0.5 to 5 years, which were also recovered from archaeological excavations. In order to determine if microcephaly was the only disorder represented, metrical comparisons of the skull and postcrania and gross mor-phological comparisons of endocranial casts were made. Based on these comparisons the individual was determined to have a cranial vault size comparable to 6-month-old infants (630 cc), a facial skeleton equivalent to the 9-month-old to 2-year-old age groups, and a reduced stature. Due to the mosaic nature of the skull, the observed morphology was interpreted in terms of functional cranial components. Severe malformation of the orbital aspect of the frontal lobes was found in conjunction with a significant reduction in size of the cerebral cortex and left temporal lobe. On the basis of this analysis, the individual was found to exhibit the total morphological pattern associated with microcephaly: A differential diagnosis of other possible genetic disorders is also presented.
Mouse modifier genes in mammary tumorigenesis and metastasis.

Tumorigenesis and metastasis are complex multistep processes. In addition to the numerous somatic mutations that facilitate cancer progression, there is abundant evidence that an individual’s genetic background not only contributes to overall cancer risk, but also specifically influences metastatic potential. The handful of human susceptibility genes that have been identified thus far do not fully account for hereditary cancer risk, and the discovery of additional susceptibility loci using population based studies is complex, time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, we and others have used a variety of mouse models to identify novel candidate susceptibility genes. Here we review how these mouse models have contributed to our understanding of the role of genetic background in modifying tumorigenesis and metastasis susceptibility.
Available Supports and Coping Behaviors of Mental Health Social Workers Following Fatal and Nonfatal Client Suicidal Behavior

Research indicates that mental health social workers risk being confronted with fatal and nonfatal client suicidal behaviors during professional practice. Although reactions to client suicidal behavior have been documented, there is little empirical evidence about coping behaviors and available supports following client suicidal behavior. This study explores types of supports available, perceived effectiveness of support resources, and coping behaviors of 285 mental health social workers who experienced either fatal or nonfatal client suicidal behavior. Factors predicting positive and negative coping were also explored. Predictors of positive coping included increased levels of secondary traumatic stress, the availability of family and friends, group therapy, religion, older age, and male gender. Predictors of negative coping were increased levels of secondary traumatic stress, male gender, having support from family and friends, and the lack of administrative support. Future research recommendations and implications for social work administrators and practitioners are discussed. Language: en
Characterization of silicones by direct-deposition GC/FT-IR

Materials used in the manufacture of silicone breast prostheses were analyzed by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and high temperature gas chromatography (GC) coupled with direct deposition FT-IR detection. The chromatographic resolution and deposition quality were found to be unsatisfactory for SFC/FT-IR; however, high temperature GC/FT-IR produced excellent results. The chromatograms and spectra obtained allowed for the identification of poly-dimethyl silicones and mono-, di-, and tri-diphenylsubstituted poly-dimethyl silicones. An automated method of baseline correction was developed that allowed functional group chromatograms due to molecules containing Si-phenyl bonds to be constructed without significant interference from Si-methyl bonds despite the fact that the Si-C stretching mode of Si-phenyl bands overlapped significantly with the strong bands due to Si-CH3 groups.
Analysis of r-protein and RNA conformation of 30S subunit intermediates in bacteria

The ribosome is a large macromolecular complex that must be assembled efficiently and accurately for the viability of all organisms. In bacteria, this process must be robust and tunable to support life in diverse conditions from the ice of arctic glaciers to thermal hot springs. Assembly of the Small ribosomal SUbunit (SSU) of Escherichia coli has been extensively studied and is highly temperature-dependent. However, a lack of data on SSU assembly for other bacteria is problematic given the importance of the ribosome in bacterial physiology. To broaden the understanding of how optimal growth temperature may affect SSU assembly, in vitro SSU assembly of two thermophilic bacteria, Geobacillus kaustophilus and Thermus thermophilus, was compared with that of E. coli. Using these phylogenetically, morphologically, and environmentally diverse bacteria, we show that SSU assembly is highly temperature-dependent and efficient SSU assembly occurs at different temperatures for each organism. Surprisingly, the assembly landscape is characterized by at least two distinct intermediate populations in the organisms tested. This novel, second intermediate, is formed in the presence of the full complement of r-proteins, unlike the previously observed RI* particle formed in the absence of late-binding r-proteins in E. coli. This work reveals multiple distinct intermediate populations are present during SSU assembly in vitro for several bacteria, yielding insights into RNP formation and possible antimicrobial development toward this common SSU target.
Comparative and functional analysis of intron-mediated enhancement signals reveals conserved features among plants

Introns in a wide range of organisms including plants, animals and fungi are able to increase the expression of the gene that they are contained in. This process of intron-mediated enhancement (IME) is most thoroughly studied in Arabidopsis thaliana, where it has been shown that enhancing introns are typically located near the promoter and are compositionally distinct from downstream introns. In this study, we perform a comprehensive comparative analysis of several sequenced plant genomes. We find that enhancing sequences are conserved in the multi-cellular plants but are either absent or unrecognizable in algae. IME signals are preferentially located towards the 5'-end of first introns but also appear to be enriched in 5'-UTRs and coding regions near the transcription start site. Enhancing introns are found most prominently in genes that are highly expressed in a wide range of tissues. Through site-directed mutagenesis in A. thaliana, we show that IME signals can be inserted or removed from introns to increase or decrease gene expression. Although we do not yet know the specific mechanism of IME, the predicted signals appear to be both functional and highly conserved.
GATES: an airline gate assignment and tracking expert system

A description is given of GATES, an expert system that assigns gates to arriving and departing flights at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). GATES uses flight information and knowledge about current constraints to produce possible gate assignment schedules. GATES is a constraint-satisfaction expert system. To make its decisions, it uses two types of production rule: permissive rules and conflict rules. Permissive rules determine when it's appropriate to consider a particular gate for a particular flight, and permit the system to search the next level of rules to obtain an assignment. Conflict rules determine when particular flights cannot be assigned to particular gates. System operators can modify schedules by retracting rules, adjusting tolerances, and deleting information. The system was developed for a PC, thereby providing an efficient and flexible user environment. The approach is extensible to various engineering and industrial problems where limited resources and weakly defined constraints exist and in which scheduling must occur. >
Generalized theoretical treatment and numerical method of time-resolved radially dependent laser pulses interacting with multiphoton absorbers

We introduce a generalized numerical method to calculate short-pulsed laser propagation in a wide class of multiphoton absorbing materials. The method has no restrictions on the input pulse widths varying from nanosecond to femtosecond, and its numerical solution is both radially and temporarily dependent, enabling us to check numerically the validity of assuming radially constant solutions, which ensures that the true peak intensity falls below the damage causing level. A new feature of our technique enables us to determine quantitatively the contributions to the total absorption due to every electronic energy level. We found excellent agreement between our calculations and experiments using sample materials ranging from reverse saturable absorbers, two-photon absorbers with excited-state absorption to three-photon absorbers. We applied our technique to a two-photon absorber with excited-state absorption and found approximately 1 order of magnitude increase in the absorption when femtosecond pulses were used in place of nanosecond pulses.