cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Tissue is the Issue”: Circulating Tumor Cells in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PCa) is the fourth most common cause of all cancer-related deaths in the USA. Currently, the overall median survival is less than 1 year and 5-year survival rate is about 5 % [1]. The poor outcome for PCa is largely due to the fact that the vast majority of patients (pts) are diagnosed at an advanced disease stage or with occult metastases that soon reveal themselves despite no clinical or radiographic clues. Therefore, early and accurate diagnosis is critical to appropriately risk stratify and intervene to improve the clinical outcomes of pts with PCa. Diagnostic modalities in current use include cross-sectional imaging and the use of the non-specific serum biomarker carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA-19-9) and occasionally carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Radiographic imaging of PCa can be challenging due to the potential absence of a discrete pancreatic mass or presence of alternate symptom etiologies including pancreatic inflammation. Even in the setting of an appropriate clinical context with supportive imaging and serum biomarkers, assurance of histological or cytological confirmation of PCa is directly related to adequate tissue acquisition [2]. Methodologies for pancreatic tissue acquisition are invasive, of relative low diagnostic yield, and associated with potential complications such as pancreatitis, bleeding, duodenal perforations, and infections [3]. Therefore, novel non-invasive or minimally invasive methods of accurate PCa cell acquisition represent a clinical unmet need. Progression of most solid cancers is associated with intravasation of cancer cells into the pt’s circulatory system with dissemination to metastatic sites. These circulating tumor cells (CTCs), measured by collection and detection of epithelial cells in the peripheral circulation, are known to be detectable in pts with solid tumors from early through advanced disease [4]. In addition to diagnostic sampling, CTCs have many potential clinical applications in the management of patients with solid tumors. These include, but are not limited to, risk stratification/prognostication, monitoring of response to therapy, characterizing the tumor’s molecular alterations, screening for early relapse, and other potential ways to personalize therapy [5–9]. In this brief report, we describe the successful isolation and molecular characterization of CTCs from a pt with PCa in whom traditional acquisition of tissue for diagnosis and management was unsuccessful despite multiple traditional attempts.
Improved immediate function of experimental cadaver renal allografts by elimination of agonal vasospasm

Evidence is given to show that arterial spasm during the agonal period of the donor is a very important factor in determining the immediate post-transplantation renal function. The recognition and elimination of vasospasm prior to preservation by isolated perfusion enable porcine cadaver renal allografts to function as well as those obtained from live donor animals.
New electric device to detect leaks of inflammable gases

When alumina contains an alkali metallic salt, it becomes electrically conductive to a varying degree in the presence of a small amount of inflammable gas. This new detector element can detect a leakage rate of combustible gas of about one cubic inch per hour at atmospheric pressure and locate the leak.
Mitral Valve Replacement with the Pulmonary Autograft in Children: A Word of Caution

A 4½-month-old patient who underwent mitral valve replacement for congenital mitral stenosis using a pulmonary autograft is reported. Failure of the autograft resulted in pulmonary hypertension, leading to pulmonary regurgitation in the reconstructed right ventricular outflow tract, then tricuspid regurgitation, refractory right heart failure, and death. Caution should be exercised in applying this procedure with children, particularly those at risk for pulmonary hypertension.
Retropatellar technique for intramedullary nailing of proximal tibia fractures: a cadaveric assessment.

Objective: To investigate if the radiographically correct and anatomically safe starting point and the appropriate sagittal plane vector could be obtained using a retropatellar technique for proximal tibia fractures treated with an intramedullary device. Methods: We performed a cadaveric and radiographic study utilizing 16 limbs. We performed a retropatellar approach via longitudinal quadriceps split, passed a specialized trocar through the patellofemoral joint and onto the superior aspect of the tibia, and inserted Kirschner wires into the anatomic safe zone of the tibial plateau at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 degrees of knee flexion utilizing biplanar fluoroscopy. We recorded knee flexion with a goniometer and the entrance vector of the Kirschner wire in relation to the anterior tibial cortex. Setting: University-affiliated cadaver and anatomy laboratory. Results: There was a progressive increase in the ability to obtain the correct anatomical start site from 1 of 16 (6.25%) at full extension to 12 of 16 (75%) at 50 degrees of knee flexion (P = 0.00098). A statistically significant decrease in the average sagittal plane entrance vector in relation to the anterior tibial cortex was found from 23.1 degrees at full extension to -0.41 degrees at 50 degrees of knee flexion (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: The retropatellar technique allows the radiographically defined correct start site to be localized, particularly at higher degrees of knee flexion. More favorable intramedullary nail insertion angles were possible with the retropatellar technique, particularly with knee flexion angles greater than 20 degrees. The retropatellar technique demands further investigations to further delineate its advantages, limitations, and possible risks to local anatomy.
THE INFINITELY-MANY-NEUTRAL-ALLELES DIFFUSION MODEL WITH AGES

We discuss two formulations of the infinitely-many-neutral-alleles diffusion model that can be used to study the ages of alleles. The first one, which was introduced elsewhere, assumes values in the set of probability distributions on the set of alleles, and the ages of the alleles can be inferred from its sample paths. We illustrate this approach by proving a result of Watterson and Guess regarding the probability that the most frequent allele is oldest. The second diffusion model, which is new, assumes values in the set of probability distributions on the set of pairs (x, a), where x is an allele and a is its age. We illustrate this second approach by proving an extension of the Ewens sampling formula to age-ordered samples due to Donnelly and Tavar&.
Larval Descriptions of Two Species of Panorpa (Mecoptera: Panorpidae), with Notes on Their Biology

The larvae of Panorpa lugubris Swederus and Panorpa virginica Banks are described and keyed. Adults of P. lugubris inhabit open fields, whereas adults of P. virginica, more typical of the genus, are found along the edge of wooded areas. In the laboratory, adults of both species readily accepted dead grasshoppers as food. Larvae of both species consumed dead grasshoppers, dead flies, mushrooms, and other plant material. P. virginica fared best on mushrooms, while P. lugubris developed rapidly on the dead insects.
Pediatric Cardiac Electrophysiology

The rapid development of invasive cardiac electrophysi ologic procedures, including the insertion of rate-responsive pacemakers, radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA), and the implantation of cardiac defibrillators has given pediatric cardiac electrophysiologists better techniques to treat in fants and children with arrhythmias. Expertise on the basic pathophysiologic mechanisms of arrhythmias is a requisite in performing invasive intracardiac electrophysiologic pro cedures. Techniques for invasive cardiac electrophysiologic procedures (EPS) in pediatric patients are similar to those for diagnostic cardiac catheterization. The choice of anes thesia is determined by institutional preference, patient's age, anticipated sites of intravascular access, and type of procedure. The goal is to avoid agents that depress myocar dial contractility or affect cardiac conduction or refractori ness. EPS equipment includes multielectrode catheters, a multichannel recording system, an electrical stimulator, and a fluorosc...
Considering the Role of Socioeconomic Status in Hospital Outcomes Measures

In this issue, Kind and Keyhani and their colleagues evaluated the effects of neighborhood and individual socioeconomic status and clinical factors on 30-day rehospitalization rates and hospital pe...
Single-Shot, High Resolution Terahertz Field Diagnostic

We present a single-shot, high-temporal-resolution terahertz diagnostic capable of measuring free-space electromagnetic fields in time and space. Using the chirped probe electrooptic sampling technique, combined with a novel retrieval algorithm, it provides transform-limited temporal resolution.
A Consistent Model Specification Test for Nonparametric Estimation of Regression Function Models

This paper proposes a general framework for specification testing of the regression function in a nonparametric smoothing estimation context. The same analysis can be applied to cases as varied as testing for omission of variables, testing certain nonlinear restrictions in the regressors, and testing the correct specification of some parametric or semiparametric model of interest, for example, testing a certain type of nonlinearity of the regression function. Furthermore, the test can be applied to i.i.d. and time-series data, and some or all of the regressors are allowed to be discrete. A Monte Carlo simulation is used to assess the performance of the test in small and medium samples.
Increased Common Fragile Site Expression, Cell Proliferation Defects, and Apoptosis following Conditional Inactivation of Mouse Hus1 in Primary Cultured Cells

Targeted disruption of the mouse Hus1 cell cycle checkpoint gene results in embryonic lethality and proliferative arrest in cultured cells. To investigate the essential functions of Hus1, we developed a system for the regulated inactivation of mouse Hus1 in primary fibroblasts. Inactivation of a loxP site-flanked conditional Hus1 allele by using a cre-expressing adenovirus resulted in reduced cell doubling, cell cycle alterations, and increased apoptosis. These phenotypes were associated with a significantly increased frequency of gross chromosomal abnormalities and an S-phase–specific accumulation of phosphorylated histone H2AX, an indicator of double-stranded DNA breaks. To determine whether these chromosomal abnormalities occurred randomly or at specific genomic regions, we assessed the stability of common fragile sites, chromosomal loci that are prone to breakage in cells undergoing replication stress. Hus1 was found to be essential for fragile site stability, because spontaneous chromosomal abnormalities occurred preferentially at common fragile sites upon conditional Hus1 inactivation. Although p53 levels increased after Hus1 loss, deletion of p53 failed to rescue the cell-doubling defect or increased apoptosis in conditional Hus1 knockout cells. In summary, we propose that Hus1 loss leads to chromosomal instability during DNA replication, triggering increased apoptosis and impaired proliferation through p53-independent mechanisms.
Autism in infants: an update

Although autism is a disorder of very early onset, knowledge on how it is first expressed in infancy has, until recently, remained limited. In recent years new strategies of research, including prospective studies, have substantially increased our knowledge regarding autism in infants. Research findings have suggested the very early emergence of significant differences in social information processes. In addition to having important implications for research, these findings also offer new opportunities for screening and early identification and, hopefully, for improved outcome.
Attenuation of Wastewater-Derived Contaminants in an Effluent-Dominated River

Although wastewater-derived chemical contaminants undergo transformation through a variety of mechanisms, the relative importance of processes such as biotransformation and photolysis is poorly understood under conditions representative of large rivers. To assess attenuation rates under conditions encountered in such systems, samples from the Trinity River were analyzed for a suite of wastewater-derived contaminants during a period when wastewater effluent accounted for nearly the entire flow of the river over a travel time of approximately 2 weeks. While the concentration of total adsorbable organic iodide, a surrogate for recalcitrant X-ray phase contrast media in wastewater, was approximately constant throughout the river, concentrations of ethylenediamine tetraacetate, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, metoprolol, and naproxen all decreased between 60% and 90% as the water flowed downstream. Comparison of attenuation rates estimated in the river with rates measured in laboratory-scale microcosms suggests that b...
Identifying Varietals in the Discourse of American and Korean Scientists: A Contrastive Corpus Analysis Using the Gramulator

In this study, we identify systematic discourse characteristics in the academic writings of Korean and American scientists. Specifically, we employ Contrastive Corpus Analysis (CCA) using the computational tool, The Gramulator to extract statistically improbable “n gram” features that occur across texts. The results indicate that Korean scientists use non standard varietal forms of English (i.e., forms that are correct but relatively uncommon with their American counterparts). We conclude that the Korean scientists’ use of these varietals may be a key factor in interpreting and evaluating their work as non protypical in terms of discourse style. Our findings bring to light language characteristics and a methodology that may be helpful to language learners as well as materials developers.
Reducing the Peak to Average Power Ration of OFDM System using Particle Swarm Optimization

A new phasing scheme to achieve the lowest peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of OFDM system is presented in this paper, which is based on a global optimization combination of the initial phases using particle swarm optimization (PSO). The particle swarm optimization is applied to search the optimal combination of phase factors, which can achieve the OFDM signals with low PAPR and reduce the computational complexity significantly. To validate the analytical results, some simulations have been conducted, showing that the proposed schemes can achieve the lowest PAPR with low computational complexity.
Identification, characterization and localization of three proteins expressed by the porcine oviduct

At estrus, the oviduct undergoes endocrine-induced changes which provide an essential microenvironment for maturation of gametes, fertilization and embryonic development. Several oviduct expressed proteins which interact with gametes or embryos, including the oviduct-specific, estrogen-dependent glycoprotein (OGP), have been identified and characterized. The objective of the present study was to identify, characterize and localize other proteins expressed by the porcine oviduct during estrus that may function in an autocrine or paracrine manner to enhance fertilization and embryonic development. Oviducts were collected during the estrous cycle or early pregnancy, flushed and divided into functional segments, and portions of the infundibulum, ampulla and isthmus were fixed for immunocytochemical analysis or cultured. Culture media was semi-purified by heparin–agarose affinity chromatography, proteins were transferred to polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane after two-dimensional (2D)-SDS–PAGE and three different proteins were identified, excised and subjected to N-terminal amino acid analysis. These proteins were identified as complement component C3b, the carboxy-terminal propeptide of alpha 1 (III) procollagen (PIIICP), and the heavy chain variable region of IgA. Electrophoresis and fluorography of media from Days 0 to 12 of early pregnancy or the estrous cycle revealed both spatial and temporal expression of C3b and IgA heavy chain but not PIIICP by the oviduct. Further, all three proteins were identified in oviduct fluid by electrophoresis, immunoblot or immunoprecipitation analysis. Complement component C3b and IgA heavy chain were immunolocalized in all three oviduct segments on all days; however, temporal and spatial differences were demonstrated. Staining was greater in the infundibulum and during estrus for all three identified proteins. In summary, three proteins expressed by the oviduct at estrus and during early pregnancy were identified; characterization and localization suggest they may play a critical role in protecting the luminal environment, participating in ECM remodeling and gamete interactions.
Why Free Market Rights are not Basic Liberties

Most liberals agree that governments should protect certain basic liberties, such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of the person. Liberals disagree, however, about whether free market rights should also be protected. By “free market rights,” we mean those rights typically associated with laissez-faire economic systems such as freedom of contract, a right to market returns, and claims to privately own the means of production.2 Those on the right often see such freedoms as core liberal commitments, while those on the left argue that an economic system should be organized to protect the interests of the less advantaged members of society. If free market rights should be protected, then most existing societies are unjust. These societies fail the liberal standard in the same ways as those societies that deny religious freedom or freedom of speech. If free market rights do not need to be protected, then liberalism allows for greater flexibility in the structure of our economy. Governments can regulate markets in ways that satisfy social justice or advance appropriate moral ends. This conflict over free market rights is played out not only in philosophical argument but also in the contemporary debates of politics and policy. There are two common arguments made on behalf of protecting free market rights. The first relies on a notion of natural rights, which is familiar from John Locke and Robert Nozick. Such arguments contend that we naturally have claims to property rights, contract rights, and freedom from taxation. The second, and more common, argument is made on the basis of efficiency.3 This argument claims that protecting such rights can lead to a society in which
Polyphosphazene functionalized polyester fiber matrices for tendon tissue engineering: in vitro evaluation with human mesenchymal stem cells

Poly[(ethyl alanato)(1)(p-methyl phenoxy)(1)] phosphazene (PNEA-mPh) was used to modify the surface of electrospun poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofiber matrices having an average fiber diameter of 3000 ± 1700 nm for the purpose of tendon tissue engineering and augmentation. This study reports the effect of polyphosphazene surface functionalization on human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) adhesion, cell-construct infiltration, proliferation and tendon differentiation, as well as long term cellular construct mechanical properties. PCL fiber matrices functionalized with PNEA-mPh acquired a rougher surface morphology and led to enhanced cell adhesion as well as superior cell-construct infiltration when compared to smooth PCL fiber matrices. Long-term in vitro hMSC cultures on both fiber matrices were able to produce clinically relevant moduli. Both fibrous constructs expressed scleraxis, an early tendon differentiation marker, and a bimodal peak in expression of the late tendon differentiation marker tenomodulin, a pattern that was not observed in PCL thin film controls. Functionalized matrices achieved a more prominent tenogenic differentiation, possessing greater tenomodulin expression and superior phenotypic maturity according to the ratio of collagen I to collagen III expression. These findings indicate that PNEA-mPh functionalization is an efficient method for improving cell interactions with electrospun PCL matrices for the purpose of tendon repair.
FURTHER LABORATORY STUDIES ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF PSITTACOSIS-LIKE AGENTS

1. It was demonstrated by pathogenicity and latency tests in mammals and birds that variations exist among a group of viruses, isolated from several sources and producing coccoid elementary bodies resembling those of psittacosis. 2. Active cross immunity tests emphasized these differences and confirmed their significance. 3. On the basis of the present experimental evidence the psittacosis-like viruses causing atypical pneumonia in man may be classified into three groups: psittacosis, ornithosis, and human pneumonitis (strain S-F) of undetermined origin.
Mathematics and Learning Disabled Youth: The Upper Grade Levels1

Compared to disorders in reading, spelling, and written expression, mathematics disorders have received little attention by learning disabilities specialists. However, in recent years, Cawley and his associates at the University of Connecticut have made significant contributions in this area through their research and development efforts with learning disabled populations. This represents the first in a series of three articles which will focus upon mathematics and learning disabled students. Specifically, this article presents a model for mathematics programming for handicapped youth that considers both the characteristics of the learner and the appropriate representation of mathematics. The second article will present an interpretive review of the literature and the characteristics of learning disabled youth and mathematics. The final article will focus on problem solving and the application of mathematical skills and concepts to “real-life” situations.
A simple method for estimating the strength of natural selection on overlapping genes

Overlapping genes, where one DNA sequence codes for two proteins with different reading frames, are not uncommon in viruses and cellular organisms. Estimating the direction and strength of natural selection acting on overlapping genes is important for understanding their functionality, origin, evolution, maintenance, and potential interaction. However, the standard methods for estimating synonymous (dS) and nonsynonymous (dN) nucleotide substitution rates are inapplicable here because a nucleotide change can be simultaneously synonymous and nonsynonymous when both reading frames involved are considered. We have developed a simple method that can estimate dN/dS and test for the action of natural selection in each relevant reading frame of the overlapping genes. Our method is an extension of the modified Nei-Gojobori method previously developed for nonoverlapping genes. We confirmed the reliability of our method using extensive computer simulation. Applying this method, we studied the longest human sense–antisense overlapping gene pair, LRRC8E and ENSG00000214248. Although LRRC8E (leucine-rich repeat containing eight family, member E) is known to regulate cell size, the function of ENSG00000214248 is unknown. Our analysis revealed purifying selection on ENSG00000214248 and suggested that it originated in the common ancestor of bony vertebrates.
What are you saying? Challenges and opportunities for increasing visibility and understanding of indoor microbiological research

This study identifies challenges that microbiologists who study built environments face in their efforts to increase public understanding and visibility associated with their research. More specifically, it offers an empirical assessment of these scientists’ perceptions of what people need to understand – specific research terms and concepts are noted – and what needs to be considered when communicating with key decision-makers in agencies that fund research. The results of semi-structured interviews with 79 U.S. scientists highlight several themes, terms, and concepts that require improved understanding among laypeople, policy-makers, and funding agencies. The results also imply that these scientists are willing communicators who are often called upon by laypeople to answer questions about microbial issues and research related to built environments. Suggestions are made to aid this research community’s future public communication efforts.
Tensions within Freedom of Conscience: Sex, Religion, and Freedom of Association

As more states either allow same-sex marriages or recognize those contracted elsewhere, as in New York State, a possible clash between those who want their civil rights to marry respected and those who believe their religious convictions take precedence over their obligation to serve the public as florists, caterers, innkeepers, and such may increase. In this paper, I first set up a theoretical framework for considering the conflict between civil rights and conscientious objection. Then I go on to consider specific hypothetical examples of such clashes, discussing ways in which they might be resolved. Finally, I briefly consider the question of whether we should intend to change people’s religious beliefs in such situation.
Role of Type I Interferon Signaling in Human Metapneumovirus Pathogenesis and Control of Viral Replication

ABSTRACT Type I IFN signaling, which is initiated through activation of the alpha interferon receptor (IFNAR), regulates the expression of proteins that are crucial contributors to immune responses. Paramyxoviruses, including human metapneumovirus (HMPV), have evolved mechanisms to inhibit IFNAR signaling, but the specific contribution of IFNAR signaling to the control of HMPV replication, pathogenesis, and adaptive immunity is unknown. We used IFNAR-deficient (IFNAR −/− ) mice to assess the effect of IFNAR signaling on HMPV replication and the CD8 + T cell response. HMPV-infected IFNAR −/− mice had a higher peak of early viral replication but cleared the virus with kinetics similar to those of wild-type (WT) mice. However, IFNAR −/− mice infected with HMPV displayed less airway dysfunction and lung inflammation. CD8 + T cells of IFNAR −/− mice after HMPV infection expressed levels of the inhibitory receptor programmed death 1 (PD-1) similar to those of WT mice. However, despite lower expression of inhibitory programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), HMPV-specific CD8 + T cells of IFNAR −/− mice were more functionally impaired than those of WT mice and upregulated the inhibitory receptor Tim-3. Analysis of the antigen-presenting cell subsets in the lungs revealed that the expansion of PD-L1 low dendritic cells (DCs), but not PD-L1 high alveolar macrophages, was dependent on IFNAR signaling. Collectively, our results indicate a role for IFNAR signaling in the early control of HMPV replication, disease progression, and the development of an optimal adaptive immune response. Moreover, our findings suggest an IFNAR-independent mechanism of lung CD8 + T cell impairment. IMPORTANCE Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a leading cause of acute respiratory illness. CD8 + T cells are critical for clearing viral infection, yet recent evidence shows that HMPV and other respiratory viruses induce CD8 + T cell impairment via PD-1–PD-L1 signaling. We sought to understand the role of type I interferon (IFN) in the innate and adaptive immune responses to HMPV by using a mouse model lacking IFN signaling. Although HMPV titers were higher in the absence of type I IFN, virus was nonetheless cleared and mice were less ill, indicating that type I IFN is not required to resolve HMPV infection but contributes to pathogenesis. Further, despite lower levels of the inhibitory ligand PD-L1 in mice lacking type I IFN, CD8 + T cells were more impaired in these mice than in WT mice. Our data suggest that specific antigen-presenting cell subsets and the inhibitory receptor Tim-3 may contribute to CD8 + T cell impairment.
Coating the surface: a model for expression of capsular polysialic acid in Escherichia coli K1

Capsules are well-studied components of the bacterial surface that modulate interactions between the cell and its environment. Generally composed of polysaccharide, they are key virulence determinants in invasive infections in humans and other animals. Genetic determinants involved in capsule expression have been isolated from a number of organisms, but perhaps the best characterized is the kps cluster of Escherichia coli K1. In this review, the current understanding of the functions of the kps gene products is summarized. Further, a proposed mechanistic model for capsule expression is presented and discussed. The model is based on the premise that the numerous components of the kps cluster form a hetero-oligomeric complex responsible for synthesis and concurrent translocation of the capsular polysialic acid through sites of inner and outer membrane fusion. We view the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, KpsMT, to be central to the functioning of the complex, interacting with the biosynthetic apparatus as well as the extracytoplasmic components of the cluster to co-ordinate synthesis and translocation. The model provides the basis for additional experimentation and reflects emerging similarities among systems responsible for macromolecular export in Gram-negative bacteria.
Differences in HIV care between patients with and without severe mental illness.

Objective: This study explored how HIV care differs for infected persons with and without severe mental illness. Methods: Data were obtained through interviews with and chart review of 295 patients with severe mental illness and HIV from public mental health agencies in Los Angeles County and New York City. Data were compared with data from 1,294 HIV patients without severe mental illness from a separate national probability sample. Measures were difficulty obtaining care, whether patients recommend their HIV care provider, hospital problem score, functional health status, and disability days. Results: In Los Angeles, HIV patients with severe mental illness were more likely than those without severe mental illness to have difficulty obtaining care (p<.001); to not recommend their provider (10% versus 5%, p=.007); and to have problematic hospital care (p=.001), poor health status (p=.001), and more disability days (p<.001). In New York City, HIV patients with severe mental illness were more likely than patients without severe mental illness to have difficulty obtaining care (p=.002) and not recommend their provider (p=.02). The relationship between severe mental illness and health status in Los Angeles and access in New York City became insignificant after adjustment for sociodemographic factors, drug use, and CD4 cell count. Further adjustment for higher case management rates among HIV patients with severe mental illness reduced disparities only in the West. Conclusions: Patients with severe mental illness experienced more problems with HIV care than patients without severe mental illness, although high case management rates for patients with severe mental illness may have offset some problems.
Evidence that guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins control a synaptic response in brain: effect of pertussis toxin and GTP gamma S on the late inhibitory postsynaptic potential of hippocampal CA3 neurons.

These experiments show that a synaptic response in brain, namely, the late inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP) of hippocampal CA3 neurons in the rat hippocampal slice, was blocked by 2 compounds affecting guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins. The first of these compounds, pertussis toxin, an inactivator of several GTP-binding proteins (G-proteins), excluding the GTP-binding protein that stimulates adenylyl cyclase, was injected intrahippocampally. The second compound, GTP gamma S, a nonhydrolyzable analog of GTP, was injected directly into postsynaptic neurons via the recording electrode. An ADP-ribosylation assay verified that the pertussis toxin had modified a major portion of the hippocampal pertussis toxin substrates of approximately 40,000 apparent molecular weight. Each agent blocked the conductance associated with both the late IPSP and the response to baclofen, an agonist for a putative receptor mediating the late IPSP (GABAB). These compounds did not block the mossy fiber excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP), the GABAA-mediated early IPSP, or the response to the GABAA agonist 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo- (5,4-C)-pyridin-3-ol. It is possible that these measurements underestimated the degree of blockade of the specific potassium conductance of the late IPSP since at least a portion of the GTP-gamma S-insensitive response was not a potassium conductance at all. Rather, it was a response with a reversal potential some 30 mV positive to that of the late IPSP. On the basis of these experiments, I propose that the transmitter receptor of the late IPSP activates a potassium conductance via a G-protein that is sensitive to blockade by pertussis toxin and that GTP gamma S and baclofen activate a conductance that depends upon the same G-proteins and/or potassium channels as does the late IPSP.
Highly potent, chemically stable quorum sensing agonists for vibrio Cholerae

In the Vibrio cholerae pathogen, initiation of bacterial quorum sensing pathways serves to suppress virulence. We describe herein a potent and chemically stable small molecule agonist of V. cholerae quorum sensing, which was identified through rational drug design based on the native quorum sensing signal. This novel agonist may serve as a useful lead compound for the control of virulence in V. cholerae.
An Experimental Study of Drag Reduction Devices for a Trailer Underbody and Base

*† th scale generic tractor-trailer model at a width-based Reynolds number of 325,000. The model is fixed to a turntable, allowing the yaw angle to be varied between ±14 o in 2 o increments. Various add-on drag reduction devices are mounted to the model underbody and base. The wind-averaged drag coefficient at 65 mph is computed for each configuration, allowing the effectiveness of the add-on devices to be assessed. The most effective add-on drag reduction device for the trailer underbody is a wedge-shaped skirt, which reduces the wind-averaged drag coefficient by 2.0%. For the trailer base, the most effective add-on drag reduction device is a set of curved base flaps having a radius of curvature of 0.91 times the trailer width. These curved base flaps reduce the wind-averaged drag coefficient by 18.8%, providing the greatest drag reduction of any of the devices tested. When the wedge-shaped skirt and curved base flaps are used in conjunction with one another, the wind-averaged drag coefficient is reduced by 20%.
The distribution of haptoglobin and transferrin types in northeast New Guinea.

This paper reports haptoglobin testing of 2,029 serum specimens and transferrin typing of 1,911 specimens obtained from villages representing a wide range of environments and cultures in the Markham River Valley region of northeast New Guinea. The haptoglobin gene frequencies ranged from 90.0% to 61.4% for Hp1 and the frequency of the transferring gene Tfc ranged from 94.9% to 71.5%. Other transferrin genes present were TfD1 and, in low frequency, TfB Lae. Overall, no apparent correlations were found between the frequencies of these genes and altitudes, languages or distances of the villages studied up the valley. It was felt that the arguments put forward earlier emphasizing the role of genetic drift in determining gene distribution in New Guinea could be also applied to explain the distribution of the haptoglobin and transferrin genes in the Markham River Valley.
Novel monolithic free-space optical disk pickup head realized by surface micromachining

Summary form only given. A novel monolithic optical disk pickup head with four integrated free-space micro-optical elements has been realized by the surface-micromachined free-space micro-optical bench technology. A symmetric focused beam with FWHM width of 1.8 /spl mu/m is successfully observed. Because the pickup head is very compact (2 mm x 3.5 mm), it is possible to integrate multiple pickup heads on the same chip for parallel data access, or pickup head arrays with different focal length for multilayer optical data storage systems.
Characterization of a Surface Tarnish Found on Daguerreotypes Revealed under Shortwave Ultraviolet Radiation

A characteristic fluorescent tarnish can be observed on some daguerreotypes under shortwave ultraviolet radiation. The fluorescence can be seen in several distinct patterns: edge tarnish, rings, and continuous films. Dispersive Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were applied to characterize and identify the fluorescent compound. Raman spectroscopy identified the characteristic peak for copper cyanide, CuCN, at 2172 cm-1. Elemental k-ratio maps of the SEM analysis indicated an increase in copper, sodium, carbon and nitrogen in the area of fluorescence. XRD confirmed the identification of a copper cyanide compound. Shortwave ultraviolet radiation can be used in a monitoring program of daguerreotypes to further characterize the fluorescent tarnish and its effect on the deterioration of daguerreotypes.
Truncated Biphasic Pulses for Transthoracic Defibrillation

Background Early defibrillation is the single most important factor for improving out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation resuscitation rates. To achieve the earlier response times required for survival, typically <6 minutes from time of collapse, it will be necessary to equip a far wider network of first responders (firefighters, police, and other individuals with responsibility for public safety) with small, lightweight, and inexpensive automatic external defibrillators (AEDs). An important step in reducing the size and cost of AEDs will be to improve defibrillation efficacy. Because biphasic waveform defibrillation has had a favorable impact on implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), there are reasons to believe that biphasic waveforms would also improve transthoracic defibrillators. Our purpose, therefore, was to examine the efficacy of two different low-energy biphasic truncated waveforms referenced to a standard damped sine waveform for transthoracic defibrillation in humans. Methods and Re...
Commutation with metal fiber brushes

Two principal explanations are given for why metal fiber brushes could be unsuitable for commutation, thereby severely restricting their possible range of technological application. These are (1) high wear rates due to fiber breakage caused by mechanical chopping action of commutator bar edges, and (2) fast erosion at the trailing edges due to arcing, which also affects monolithic brushes, but to a lesser degree. Recent experiments with 50- mu m-diameter bare and silver-plated copper fiber brushes in a protective argon atmosphere, using simulated commutation and running them as working brushes in an electromotor, suggest that these problems may be overcome by the use of much thinner fibers than the >or=100- mu m-diameters that have been used in the past. No fiber breakage was observed, arcing was only moderately stronger than with carbon brushes, and the total dimension-less wear rate in the motor was only about twice that on a polished copper rotor under otherwise comparable conditions. >
Protection against head injuries should not be optional: a case for mandatory installation of side-curtain air bags

BACKGROUND: More than 9,000 vehicle occupants die each year in side-impact vehicle collisions, primarily from head injuries. The authors hypothesized that side-curtain air bags significantly improve head and neck safety in side-impact crash testing. METHODS: Side-impact crash-test data were obtained from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which ranks occupant protection as good, acceptable, marginal, or poor. Vehicles of the same make and model that underwent side-impact crash testing both with and without side-curtain air bags were compared, as well as the protective effect of these air bags on occupants' risk for head and neck injury. RESULTS: Of all the passenger vehicles, 25 models have undergone side-impact crash testing with and without side-curtain air bags by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Only 3 models without side-curtain air bags (12%) provided good head and neck protection for drivers, while 21 cars with side-curtain air bags (84%) provided good protection (P Language: en
Analysis of time-dependent scattering spectra for studying processes associated with microdroplets.

Techniques are presented for analysis of time-dependent scattering spectra from single droplets undergoing physical changes. Times of appearance of resonances in experimental spectra are aligned with theoretical resonances, and the size and refractive index of a droplet as functions of time are determined from the minimum errors in alignment between observed and theoretical resonances. The techniques have been applied to time-dependent elastic scattering spectra obtained from single droplets evaporating under quasi-steady conditions and during unsteady growth. The results of quasi-steady evaporation data show that size and refractive index can be determined with relative errors of 1 × 10-4. The quasi-steady evaporation data of a droplet are used to identify the resonances observed during the unsteady growth of the same droplet, and the size and refractive index at each resonance are calculated from the identity of the resonance.
A Mechanism Intrinsic to Heterozygous Inversions Affecting Observed Recombination Frequencies in Adjacent Regions.

IT has been generally accepted that recombination in a chromosome segment adjacent to a heterozygous inversion is reduced, often to an extreme degree, as compared with recombination in the same segment in homozygous normal controls. This generalization is based for the most part upon the behavior of such segments observed in females of Drosophila (e.g., STURTEVANT and BEADLE 1936; DOBZHANSKY and EPLING 1948) and upon the a priori consideration that the synaptic difficulties introduced by the inversion should lead to reduced frequencies of exchange, particularly near the break points of the inversion. RHOADES and DEMPSEY (1953) have reported a case in maize, and cited earlier reports of two other cases in the same organism (MORGAN 1950; RUSSELL and BURNHAM 1950), in which regions adjacent to heterozygous inversions showed a recombination frequency as much as fourfold higher than the standard map or control recombination values. RHOADES and DEMPSEY seemed to regard this as a real difference in the behavior of the chromosomes of Drosophila and maize, and briefly discussed possible reasons for this difference. One may note, however, that ALEXANDER (1952) has also reported a 50 percent increase in recombination in a region adjacent to the Plum2 inversion in Drosophila melanogaster. It has occurred to the writer that the normal operation of interference W inversion heterozygotes should, in some cases, result in an observed recombination frequency (measured in zygotes) in such an adjacent region which was higher than the actual frequency of recombination at meiosis. The basis of this effect is, essentially, a tendency toward the selective elimination from the zygotic population of chromatids which are nonrecombinant in the adjacent segment. This paper describes the functioning of the mechanism operating to produce this effect, develops means of estimating the magnitude of the effect in the various kinds of situations which may be encountered, and demonstrates that only a part of the observed difference between maize and Drosophila may be explained by the effect.
The Presence of Oxalobacter formigenes in the Microbiome of Healthy Young Adults

Purpose: Oxalobacter formigenes, a member of the human colonic microbiota with a major role in net colonic oxalate transport and secretion, is protective against the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones. We describe the prevalence, relative abundance and stability of O. formigenes in healthy young adults in the United States.Materials and Methods: We used HMP (Human Microbiome Project) data on fecal samples from 242 healthy young adults who had 1 to 3 study visits. Samples underwent whole genomic shotgun sequencing and/or 16S rRNA sequencing. Three data sets available from the processed sequence data were studied, including whole genomic shotgun metagenomic analysis by alignment to reference genomes using shotgun community profiling, or MetaPhlAn (http://huttenhower.sph.harvard.edu/metaphlan) or QIIME (http://qiime.org/) analysis of the V1-3 or V3-5 16S sequences.Results: O. formigenes was detected in fecal samples using whole genomic shotgun and 16S rRNA data. Analysis of the whole genomic shotgun ...
Basic emotion processing and the adolescent brain: Task demands, analytic approaches, and trajectories of changes

Early neuroimaging studies suggested that adolescents show initial development in brain regions linked with emotional reactivity, but slower development in brain structures linked with emotion regulation. However, the increased sophistication of adolescent brain research has made this picture more complex. This review examines functional neuroimaging studies that test for differences in basic emotion processing (reactivity and regulation) between adolescents and either children or adults. We delineated different emotional processing demands across the experimental paradigms in the reviewed studies to synthesize the diverse results. The methods for assessing change (i.e., analytical approach) and cohort characteristics (e.g., age range) were also explored as potential factors influencing study results. Few unifying dimensions were found to successfully distill the results of the reviewed studies. However, this review highlights the potential impact of subtle methodological and analytic differences between studies, need for standardized and theory-driven experimental paradigms, and necessity of analytic approaches that are can adequately test the trajectories of developmental change that have recently been proposed. Recommendations for future research highlight connectivity analyses and non-linear developmental trajectories, which appear to be promising approaches for measuring change across adolescence. Recommendations are made for evaluating gender and biological markers of development beyond chronological age.
Orientation to person, orientation to self.

The neurologic examination often begins and then dispenses with an assessment of “orientation to person,” a deceptively simple notion that has several features atypical of other elements of the examination. Unlike other principal components of the neurologic examination, orientation to person does not clearly correspond to a localizable function of the brain or nervous system, and there is no consensus on how it should be tested, what it signifies, and under what circumstances—if ever—it can truly be lost.
Excipients and Non-medicinal Agents as Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

“Atypical Actives” are a class of excipients that serve as Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Atypical actives are present in a variety of dosage forms administered through oral, topical, parenteral and ophthalmic routes. Most atypical actives are derived from a natural source and hence pose fewer side effects compared to prescription medications. In spite of the advantages associated with the use of atypical actives, they have never shared the spotlight with APIs and are continuously disregarded or ignored. This chapter intends to highlight atypical actives and non-medicinal agents in OTC drug products with an emphasis on their therapeutic properties.