cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling of the magnetosphere of Mercury at the time of the first MESSENGER flyby

The MESSENGER spacecraft flyby of Mercury on 14 January 2008 provided a new opportunity to study the intrinsic magnetic field of the innermost planet and its interaction with the solar wind, The model presented in this paper is based on the solution of the three-dimensional, bi-f1uid equations for solar wind protons and electrons in the absence of mass loading, In this study we provide new estimates of Mercury's intrinsic magnetic field and the solar wind conditions that prevailed at the time of the flyby. We show that the location of the boundary layers and the strength of the magnetic field along the spacecraft trajectory can be reproduced with a solar wind ram pressure P(sub sw) = 6.8 nPa and a planetary magnetic dipole having a magnitude of 210 R(sub M)(exp 3)- nT and an offset of 0.18 R(sub M) to the north of the equator, where R(sub M) is Mercury's radius. Analysis of the plasma flow reveals the existence of a stable drift belt around the planet; such a belt can account for the locations of diamagnetic decreases observed by the MESSENGER Magnetometer. Moreover, we determine that the ion impact rate at the n011hern cusp was four times higher than at the southern cusp, a result that provides a possible explanation for the observed north-south asymmetry in exospheric sodium in the neutral tail.
The predictive value of the baseline Oswestry Disability Index in lumbar disc arthroplasty.

Object The goal of the study was to determine patient factors predictive of good outcome after lumbar disc arthroplasty. Specifically, the paper examines the relationship of the preoperative Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) to patient outcome at 1 year. Methods The study is a retrospective review of 20 patients undergoing a 1-level lumbar disc arthroplasty at the author's institution between 2004 and 2008. All data were collected prospectively. Data included the ODI, visual analog scale scores, and patient demographics. Results All patients underwent a 1-level disc arthroplasty at L4–5 or L5–S1. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on their baseline ODI. Patients with an ODI between 38 and 59 demonstrated better outcomes with lumbar disc arthroplasty. Only 1 (20%) of 5 patients with a baseline ODI higher than 60 reported a good outcome. In contrast, 13 (87%) of 15 patients with an ODI between 38 and 59 showed a good outcome (p = 0.03). The negative predictive value of using ODI > 60 is 60% in pati...
Implant Installation With Simultaneous Ridge Augmentation. Report of Three Cases

The anatomic limitations of the residual alveolar bone may cause problems for the insertion of dental implants because implant placement requires an adequate quantity and quality of bone. Ridge augmentation has been performed to reconstruct alveolar ridges as support for the placement of dental implants with a high success rate. However, a staged approach requires multiple surgeries and more treatment time. In this report, the patients were treated with dental implantation with simultaneous ridge augmentation in both submerged and nonsubmerged cases. The prostheses were well in function without any probing depth or gingival inflammation up to final evaluation. It may be suggested that dental implantation with simultaneous bone grafting may be an option when the graft material can be well stabilized around the implants. Further evaluations over long periods of time are needed to monitor the clinical results.
Rhenium and technetium (VI) and meso-(VII) species

Abstract Spectrophotometric study shows that less than 35 per cent of normal perrhenate converts to a meso form in 15 M base, and Kf ∼ 0·1. The species absrobs at 260 mμ (ϵ = 6,400) and near 310 mμ (ϵ ∼ 1,400), overlapping the normal perrhenate features. Reflectance spectra on an isolable barium salt, Ba3(ReO5)2, confirm this resolution of the curve components. The variation of the barium salt solubility with concentration of aqueous hydroxide ion is consistent with the equilibrium deduced from spectrophotometry. Hydration is found for this salt and does not require the postulation of a dimeric form (to maintain 6-coordination); nor does this postulate seem to fit the equilibrium data or the i.r. absorption. No detectable amount of a comparable mesopertechnetate species is found in aqueous media of any alkalinity. However, pertechnetate fused in sodium hydroxide does give new absorption at 345, 420 and (∼ 570) mμ (of relative ϵ ca. 8/4/1), which is probably due to meso (or, ortho) species. Attempts to isolate a (VI) salt, BaTcO4, from hydrazine-reduced (VII) in alkaline aqueous media, result in mixtures. Disproportionation of the intermediate state forms TcO2, and incidental BaCO3 gives “products” of high Tc/Ba ratio. The red intermediate is more likely to be a Tc(V) species.
Effects of prostaglandin analogues on human ciliary muscle and trabecular meshwork cells.

PURPOSE To determine the effects of prostaglandin F(2alpha) analogues on gene expression of human ciliary muscle (HCM) and trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells. METHODS Cultures of HCM and HTM cells were established from five different donors treated for 9 days with 10 microg/mL of either latanoprost (free acid) or prostaglandin F(2alpha) ethanolamide and compared with control cells. The mRNA from the cells of the five individual donors was pooled and analyzed by using gene microarrays. Gene expression changes were confirmed by either real-time PCR or relative quantitative PCR. RESULTS Approximately 12 genes showed a twofold or greater change in expression under experimental conditions. Four of these may alter outflow. Aquaporin-1 and versican were downregulated in the HCM, whereas IGF1 and fibroleukin were upregulated in HTM. Expression levels of TNFSF10 and promelanosome-concentrating hormone also increased in the treated HTM cells. The mRNA levels for the prostaglandin FP receptor were downregulated in the ciliary muscle cells. Optineurin and alphaB-crystallin levels remained unchanged, but myocilin in the HTM cells was decreased in some samples. CONCLUSIONS Both analogues changed gene expression similarly in either HCM or HTM cells, but the changes appeared to be cell specific, perhaps indicating that other transcription factors are influential. Outflow of aqueous humor may be increased by the prostaglandin analogues by alterations in the extracellular matrix. Other changes may influence cellular metabolism, such as the increases in IGF1, tumor necrosis factor superfamily-10 and promelanosome-concentrating hormone.
Flipping MLL1's switch one proline at a time

The MLL1 (mixed lineage leukemia 1) protein, which is often disrupted in leukemia, both activates and represses Hox genes during hematopoiesis. Now, Wang et al. (2010) demonstrate that the cyclophilin CyP33 underpins this regulatory switch by altering the state of MLL1 through cis-trans proline isomerization in the linker region between MLL1's third PHD finger and bromodomain.
Thermomechanical characterization of NiTiCu and NiTi SMA actuators: influence of plastic strains

The focus of this study is the thermomechanical characterization and comparison between two different shape memory alloys (SMAs) quantifying the effect of plastic strain on the transformation characteristics of SMA actuators. In this study, the thermomechanical response and transformation characteristics of a NiTiCu and a NiTi SMA are studied as a function of the induced plastic strain for four different loading paths: (1) an elastic-plastic loading of the austenitic phase, (2) a stress-induced martensitic phase transformation, (3) an elastic-detwinning-plastic loading of the martensitic phase and (4) a thermally-induced phase transformation under a constant applied stress. Each loading path is repeated multiple times, with an incremental change of the total applied strain, to determine the effect of accumulated plastic strain on the phase transformation characteristics of the two SMA material systems. The effects of plastic strain are quantified by measurements of recoverable strain during a thermal cycle under zero applied stress, measurements of heat of transformation from a differential scanning calorimeter and microstructural evaluations.
The comparative toxicity of chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins in mice and guinea pigs.

Abstract Mice and guinea pigs were given a single oral dose of various chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDD) to establish and compare the LD50 and clinical and pathologic manifestations of toxicity. It was apparent that the 2,3,7, and 8 positions must be chlorinated to achieve the greatest degree of toxicity. Additional chlorine atoms at an ortho position reduced toxicity but not nearly to the degree caused by deletion of a chlorine atom at one of the lateral positions. A decrease in body weight gain was the most sensitive clinical parameter and animals severely intoxicated showed a marked weight loss, especially guinea pigs. The median time to death at a LD50 was 17 to 20 days in guinea pigs and 22 to 25 days in mice. Doses 10 times greater did not markedly shorten this period. At the toxic dose the spectrum and severity of lesions and organ weight effects were similar for all homologs and isomers within the same animal species; however, there were interspecies differences. The thymus was greatly reduced in size in both animal species due to a reduction in the number of cortical lymphocytes. Significant macroscopic and histopathologic hepatic effects including porphyria were observed only in the mouse and were found at does levels well below the LD50. Hyperplasia of the transitional epithelium in the urinary tract was found in guinea pigs. There was a reduction of total serum protein in the mouse due to lower levels of α-globulin. Other lesions were generally interpreted to be a secondary response to debilitation.
Solution of generalized optical Bloch equations by the method of matrix continued fraction

Abstract A numerical method is developed for solving the optical Bloch equations in the center-of-mass momentum space for a closed V system in a counterpropagating field configuration. The method consists of an iterative procedure based on the matrix continued fraction and a transformation by which the optical Bloch equations can be organized into the tridiagonal matrix recurrence form.
Cultural Competence Revisited

In 2001, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) adopted 10 discrete standards of culturally competent practice which undergird our commitment to diversity and social justice. The concept of intersectionality is newly emerging in social work, though, causing us to reflect on our current conceptualizations of cultural competence. According to this construct, in order to understand one aspect of the self, such as race, we have to understand how gender, ethnicity, sexuality, social class, and other markers influence one another. The authors present the concepts of cultural competence, social identity, and intersectionality in order to deepen our anti-oppression, social justice approach.
Essential erbB family phosphorylation in osteosarcoma as a target for CI-1033 inhibition

Background. The role of erbB tyrosine kinases, especially Her-2, in osteosarcoma has engendered intense debate. Some investigators identified an association between low-level Her-2 expression, compared to none, and poor patient outcome. Others questioned the importance of apparent cytoplasmic expression of Her-2, since membranous overexpression is associated with poor outcome in carcinomas. We previously demonstrated that primary osteosarcoma cells express cell-surface EGFR and Her-2, with the p80 isoform of Her-4 localized to the nucleus. We wished to determine if erbB kinases in osteosarcoma were phosphorylated, and if this was required for growth. Procedures. We cultured early passage osteosarcoma cell lines in the presence or absence of the pan-erbB inhibitor CI-1033 and examined the phosphorylation status of EGFR, Her-2, and Her-4 by immunohistochemistry, cell-based ELISA, flow cytometry and two dimensional Western blot. We also assessed the impact of CI-1033 upon osteosarcoma growth and survival in vitro. Results. EGFR, Her-2, and Her-4 were constitutively phosphorylated in early passage osteosarcoma cells cultured in vitro. CI-1033 abrogated erbB receptor phosphorylation and caused growth inhibition and apoptosis in a titratible fashion with concentrations of 1 mM or more. Conclusions. EGFR, Her-2, and Her-4 are constitutively phosphorylated in early passage osteosarcoma cells in tissue culture, and erbB signaling provides essential growth and anti-apoptotic signals to osteosarcoma cells. This suggests that erbB overexpression is not required for erbB to promote malignancy, but rather that overexpression is one of several mechanisms that generate unregulated erbB signaling. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2006;46:614‐ 623. 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Designer substrate library for quantitative, predictive modeling of reaction performance

Assessment of reaction substrate scope is often a qualitative endeavor that provides general indications of substrate sensitivity to a measured reaction outcome. Unfortunately, this field standard typically falls short of enabling the quantitative prediction of new substrates’ performance. The disconnection between a reaction’s development and the quantitative prediction of new substrates’ behavior limits the applicative usefulness of many methodologies. Herein, we present a method by which substrate libraries can be systematically developed to enable quantitative modeling of reaction systems and the prediction of new reaction outcomes. Presented in the context of rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation, these models quantify the molecular features that influence enantioselection and, in so doing, lend mechanistic insight to the modes of asymmetric induction.
Cholesterol and cell membrane function: A hypothesis concerning the etiology of atherosclerosis

The presence of cholesterol has been shown to provide stability and, in general, to decrease the permeability of biological membranes to various solutes. Such stability would be beneficial to the cell only in so far as it does not interfere with specific transport properties. However, recent evidence indicates that if cholesterol concentration within the membranes is increased in relation to phospholipids, vital transport processes could be inhibited. It is proposed that increased incorporation of cholesterol into the plasma membranes of arterial intima cells (possibly induced by high levels of circulating plasma β -lipoproteins and/or endothelial injury), could have a critical inhibitory effect on several important membrane enzymes. Inhibition of regulatory enzymes such as (Na + + K + )-stimulated ATPase and adenyl cyclase will result in alterations of the metabolic state of the whole cell, initiating a complex sequence of events. Inhibition of the (Na + + K + ) transport ATPase will result in loss of intracellular K + and consequently to inhibition of protein synthesis and other intracellular enzyme systems, followed by lysis due to osmotic imbalance, and eventual cell death. Impairment of the adenyl cyclase activity and the resulting lower cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels will produce inhibition of several intracellular enzyme systems, including important secretory mechanisms. The accumulation of intracellular esterfied cholesterol, as in fatty streaks, could reflect such inhibition of the mechanism of sterol release. Low levels of cAMP would also tend to induce cell proliferation, as in the early stages of atherogenesis. Cells with impaired transport properties would eventually become necrotic. This would initiate a further sequence of events including proliferation of phagocytes, deposition of lipid plaques, and collagenous fibers, and the other morphological manifestations of advanced atherosclerotic lesions. It is thus possible to derive an etiological relationship between extracellular cholesterol and the latter events related to the development of atherosclerotic lesions.
The preparation and synthetic utility of O-substituted normethylmorphines

Previously described alkylation procedures on normethylmorphine in ethanol usually give low yields of N- and (phenolic) O,N-alkylated products. While the O-aikylation problem has been overcome for alkyl halides by doing the alkylations in dimethylformamide, reactive halides such as ethyl bromoacetate still give some O-alkylation. Selective N-acylation on normethylmorphine would present even more difficulty. We have developed syntheses of two phenolic O-substituted normethylmorphines which allow selective reaction on nitrogen. 3,6-Diacetylnormethylmorphine (normethylheroin) is prepared via the recently described trichloroethyl chloroformate method of Montzka et al. as applied to heroin. The reaction of N,N-diethylcarbamoyl chloride on morphine gives 3-(N,N-diethylcarbamoyl)morphine, i.e. the phenolic hydroxyl is derivatized. Its 6-acetyl derivatives is N-demethylated by the von Braun (cyanogen bromide) method to give 3-(N,N-diethylcarbamoyl)normethylmorphine. Norheroin is monoalkylated in good yield on nitrogen with ethyl bromoacetate in dimethylformamide. It is similarly N-acylated with chloroacetyl chloride in methylene chloride.
Binding energy of parallel carbon nanotubes

We study the interaction between two separate carbon nanotubes that bond together by examing their geometry in transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM image, in conjunction with a continuum mechanics model interpretation, provides an estimate of 0.36 nN binding energy between the two parallel carbon nanotubes. This result agrees well with the calculated binding energy using an atomistic model.
Application of an elastic-plastic model to the use of small specimen strength ratio for measuring fracture toughness

Abstract Data reported by Server and Wullaert correlating specimen strength ratio with fracture toughness were analyzed with the D-BCS-HSW model. This model is based on the Dugdale model, elaborated by Bilby, Cottrell and Swinden, and extended by Heald, Spink and Worthington. The data included instrumented precracked Charpy results on HSST plate 02, as well as static, intermediate, and dynamic tests of 1 — T compact and bend specimens of SA533B-1 steel. The model relates the fracture toughness to the crack length, specimen shape and size, applied failure stress and effective flow strength. The only parameter not provided by the data is the constraint factor, M, the ratio of the effective flow strength to the yield strength. The model was fitted to the data by non-linear least squares methods by which M was determined to be approx. 2.5 for the Charpy data, and from 2.1 to 2.6 for the other specimen data. The fit is considered to be reasonably good throughout the range from linear-elastic fracture mechanics through to plastic collapse. The result for the Charpy data is considered to be as good as that for the other specimens. The determination of only one parameter is needed to establish the relationship between specimen strength ratio and fracture toughness. This relationship then applies to the entire range of fracture regimes.
Fashion and Faith in Urban Indonesia

AbstractIn the past fifteen years, urban Indonesian women have increasingly chosen to adopt a form of Islamic dress called busana Muslim. This shift could be read as an index of two apparently contradictory or mutually exclusive phenomena, a rise in Islamic piety and a rise in consumerism. This article suggests that rather than reducing the popularity of Islamic fashion in contemporary Indonesia to either religion or consumerism, the rise of Islamic fashion should be understood within a context of national debates about modernity and piety. Through a consideration of Islamic fashion as commodity fetish, I argue that the commodification of Islamic dress in urban Indonesia has not been a straightforward process, but rather is an arena for Indonesian Muslims to think about the relationship among faith, gender, and materiality.
Staphylococcal nuclease folding intermediate characterized by hydrogen exchange and NMR spectroscopy.

Abstract Pulsed hydrogen-deuterium exchange during refolding was used to probe the protection of backbone amide hydrogens from solvent exchange of the staphylococcal nuclease Pro117-->Gly variant. The extent of exchange for 39 residues was determined by two-dimensional proton NMR after refolding for 5 ms to 10 s. Three kinetic phases are inferred. Modest protection of amides in the early refolding intermediate composed of two beta-sheets formed by local sequence interactions was observed after a 5-ms refolding period. Protection factors were determined by varying the high pH labeling pulse after refolding for 100 ms. The intermediate state has modest, yet significant, protection for residues in the beta-sheets (protection factors of 10-60) and almost no protection in the alpha-helices (protection factors of < 10). The pattern of labeling is consistent with a role for beta-turns and beta-hairpins in the formation of the early intermediate.
Structural brain abnormalities in the major psychoses: a quantitative review of the evidence from computerized imaging.

The neuroimaging literature on structural brain abnormalities in the major psychoses is quantitatively reviewed. The mean effect size for studies of lateral ventriculomegaly in schizophrenia (d = .70) corresponded to 43% nonoverlap between the distributions of schizophrenics and control Ss. Planimetry yielded larger effects than linear methods of ventricular size estimation. Although enlargement of the third ventricle was comparable to that of lateral ventrieulomagaly (d = .66), it was found to be significantly greater after differences in measurement method were taken into account. The average cumulative length of hospitalization, adjusted for patients' age and duration of illness, predicted ventriculomegaly in schizophrenia. Studies on schizophrenia and affecfive disorder differed neither in the extent of reported ventriculomegaly nor in the amount of"cortical atrophy." The notion of schizophrenia as a brain disorder has generated great interest in the structural parameters of its substrate: the schizophrenic brain. Since the 1970s, a revolution in neuroradiology has eliminated many risks and limitations of older brain imaging procedures, thereby allowing systematic exploration of cerebral structure in psychiatric patients. Two radiological techniques--computer-assisted tomography (CAT, or CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)permit reliable in vivo structural imaging of the brain. Although based on different physical principles, both approaches provide an unprecedented opportunity for noninvasive visualization of gross brain anatomy. Hence, both are well suited for the investigation of putative cerebral abnormalities in psychiatric patients. In this quantitative review, we focus on estimating the extent of neuroanatomical abnormalities detected via neuroimaging in schizophrenia and affective disorders, and on examining sample characteristics and methodological factors that may affect study outcome. The bulk of the evidence is drawn from CT investigations ofcerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-filled cavities-that is, the ventricular system, cortical sulci and fissures, and pericerebellar spaces---in the major psychoses. Whereas CT has been applied to research in neuropsychiatry for more than a decade, since the pioneering study by Johnstone, Crow, Frith, Stevens, and Kreel (1976), the application of MRI to the investigation of gross neuroanatomy in psychotic patients is still in its exploratory phase. Unlike CT studies, MRI investigations--with their great variety of imaging approaches and considerable flexibility in manipulating scanning parame
N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels in monochorionic diamniotic twins with selective intrauterine growth restriction

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels in monochorionic diamniotic twins with selective intrauterine growth restriction
Circulating parasite antigen in Brugia pahangi-infected jirds

The Mongolian jird is used widely in filariasis research for studies of protective immunity, patho- genesis, and therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate parasite antigen detection as a means of noninvasively monitoring Brugia pahangi infection in jirds. A parasite antigen with Mr of 105-110 kDa was identified in sera from i.p.- and s.c.-infected jirds by immunoblot with a monoclonal antibody to phosphoryl- choline. The same antibody was used in a direct sandwich enzyme immunoassay to measure antigen in jird sera. Parasite antigen was detectable as early as 2 wk after i.p. or s.c. injection of L3. Antigen titers increased between 2 and 12 wk and stabilized between 12 and 36 wk after infection in s.c.-infected animals. A different pattern was seen in i.p.-infected jirds with antigen titers peaking at 16 wk and falling significantly between 16 and 32 wk after infection. Parasite antigen titers correlated significantly with adult worm infection intensities in jirds with mature i.p. and s.c. infections. Antigenemia was also detectable in sera from jirds after i.p. implantation of adult parasites of either sex. However, antigen was not detected in sera from infant offspring of antigenemic infected mothers. We conclude that parasite antigen detection allows B. pahangi development and survival as well as infection intensity to be monitored in living animals with unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy. This technique should facilitate drug and vaccine studies in this important experimental filariasis model.
Expression of human tissue kallikrein in rat salivary glands and its secretion into circulation following adenovirus-mediated gene transfer

Abstract Replication-deficient adenovirus Ad.CMV-cHK, expressing human tissue kallikrein under the control of the cytomegalovirus enhancer/promoter, was introduced into rat salivary glands via a direct intracapsular injection. A single injection of Ad.CMV-cHK at a dose of 4×10 9 pfu resulted in a sustained expression of human tissue kallikrein in rat salivary glands. The level of immunoreactive human tissue kallikrein in rat sera was the highest at 1 day post gene delivery when both salivary glands were injected and decreased in a time-dependent manner after gene delivery. Human tissue kallikrein levels in sera increased concomitantly with the amount of adenovirus used in direct salivary injection. The detection of human tissue kallikrein in sera after gene delivery into salivary glands provided direct evidence indicating that rat salivary glands secrete locally synthesized human tissue kallikrein to the systemic circulation. The direct injection of salivary glands with replication-deficient adenovirus could provide a systemic route for gene delivery for studying salivary gland function and development. Targeted gene delivery to the salivary gland may provide the means to express therapeutic proteins in saliva and the systemic circulation.
Measuring Prognosis and Case Mix in Hospitalized Elders: The Importance of Functional Status

OBJECTIVE: Although physical function is believed to be an important predictor of outcomes in older people, it has seldom been used to adjust for prognosis or case mix in evaluating mortality rates or resource use. The goal of this study was to determine whether patients' activity of daily living (ADL) function on admission provided information useful in adjusting for prognosis and case mix after accounting for routine physiologic measures and comorbid diagnoses. SETTING: The general medical service of a teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Medical inpatients (n = 823) over age 70 (mean age 80.7, 68% women). MEASUREMENTS: Independence in ADL function on admission was assessed by interviewing each patient's primary nurse. We determined the APACHE II Acute Physiology Score (APS) and the Charlson comorbidity score from chart review. Outcome measures were hospital and 1-year mortality, nursing home use in the 90 days following discharge, and cost of hospitalization. Patients were divided into four quartiles according to the number of ADLs in which they were dependent. MAIN RESULTS: ADL category stratified patients into groups that were at markedly different risks of mortality and higher resource use. For example, hospital mortality varied from 0.9% in patients dependent in no ADL on admission, to 17.4% in patients dependent in all ADLs. One-year mortality ranged from 17.5% to 54.9%, nursing home use from 3% to 33%, and hospital costs varied by 53%. In multivariate analyses controlling for APS, Charlson scores, and demographic characteristics, compared with patients dependent in no ADL, patients dependent in all ADLs were at greater risk of hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] 13.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.1-58.8), 1-year mortality (OR 4.4; 2.7-7.4), and 90-day nursing home use (OR 14.9; 6.0-37.0). The DRG-adjusted hospital cost was 50% higher for patients dependent in all ADLs. ADL function also improved the discrimination of hospital and 1-year mortality models that considered APS, or Charlson scores, or both. CONCLUSIONS: ADL function contains important information about prognosis and case mix beyond that provided by routine physiologic data and comorbidities in hospitalized elders. Prognostic and case-mix adjustment methods may be improved if they include measures of function, as well as routine physiologic measures and comorbidity.
Self-Assembling Properties of a Membrane-Modifying Lipopeptaibol in Weakly Polar Solvents Studied by CW ESR

The self-assembling properties of TOAC spin-labeled analogues of the lipopeptaibol antibiotic trichogin GA IV have been studied by CW ESR in solvents of different polarity, ranging from CHCl3 to a mixture of CHCl3−toluene and CCl4 at different concentrations. At room temperature, evidence has been obtained that, in all of the solvents examined, a supramolecular assembly exists which is in equilibrium with monomeric molecules. The ESR spectral lines of the aggregates of double-labeled peptides are wider than those obtained from single-labeled peptides. Line widths were used to assess the rotational mobility of both the aggregates and the monomers. Their hydrodynamic radii were estimated to determine the number of peptide molecules per aggregate. This value (close to 4) almost coincides with the previously reported value for spin-labeled peptide clusters in frozen glassy solutions. Spectral broadenings, due to the modulation of the intra- and intermolecular dipole−dipole interactions of spin labels by the r...
Effect of cI repressor level on thymineless and spontaneous induction; specificity of lambda RNA transcription.

To determine the role of the cI repressor in induction provoked by thymine deprivation, we have analyzed λ messenger RNA made during and the effect of cI repressor levels on thymineless induction.
Finite element simulations of stresses in CUP Bond pads of Al-Si0 2 interconnect

[EPTC2012 p319.doc] Bond pads in IC technologies having aluminum-based metallization (Al) and silicon dioxide dielectric (Si0 2 ) are studied in relation to stresses from unit probe and wirebond, with emphasis on bond pads with thin pad Al. Finite element simulations attempt to replicate bond pad experimental data previously disclosed by ON Semiconductor. The simulations predict bond pad internal stress locations and magnitudes, providing more understanding of why one bond pad cracks and another doesn't. Implications for bond pad design and copper (Cu) wirebond on circuit under pad (CUP) are discussed.
US accreditation in Mexico: quality in higher education as symbol, performance and translation

Quality practices in higher education involve more than mere compliance with standards and technical mandates; given the complexity of the decisions involved in quality in higher education, this concept, quality, can be analyzed as symbol and performance. This paper utilizes translation as heuristic to analyze the implementation of US institutional accreditation in Mexico. Such analysis unearths the power relations that underpin the emergent internationalization of quality practices in higher education.
Risk of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder associated with use of belatacept

Purpose Published evidence on a rare but serious malignancy associated with use of the first biological agent approved for long-term maintenance immunosuppression in renal transplant recipients is reviewed. Summary Belatacept (Nulojix, Bristol-Myers Squibb) is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in combination therapy to prevent renal graft rejection in patients who are Epstein-Barr virus seropositive. Belatacept appears to offer some advantages over calcineurin inhibitor-based regimens (e.g., no need for therapeutic drug monitoring), but its use poses a risk of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), a rapidly progressing and often lethal malignancy. The efficacy and safety of more-intensive and less-intensive belatacept regimens were established in two Phase III clinical trials, which found that rates of patient and graft survival were comparable to those in cyclosporine users; belatacept was shown to be superior in preserving renal function. The occurrence of PTLD, particularly PTLD involving the central nervous system, in 0–4% of belatacept-treated patients in clinical trials prompted postmarketing initiatives: (1) implementation of a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) program to help ensure the safe and proper use of belatacept, (2) longitudinal studies to better define the risks and outcomes of belatacept therapy, and (3) a manufacturer-created patient registry to track belatacept use and encourage voluntary reporting of associated adverse events. Conclusion Appropriate patient selection and adherence to REMS requirements, including patient counseling and facilitation of registry enrollment, are essential in mitigating the increased risk of PTLD associated with belatacept therapy.
Crystal Chemistry and Phase Transitions of Perovskite inP–T–XSpace: Data for (KxNa1−x)MgF3Perovskites

We report a high-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction study on (KxNa1−x)MgF3perovskites at high pressures and temperatures. The crystal structure of the perovskite transforms reversibly from orthorhombic (Pbnm) to tetragonal (P4/mbm) to cubic (Pm3m) with change of pressure and temperature and also with K+concentration. The tilt angle of the MgF6octahedral framework decreases continually and the octahedral Mg–F bond length increases slightly with increasing temperature. Correspondingly, at high pressures, the tilting angles increase slightly and the shortening of the Mg–F bond length is the dominant compression mechanism. Both octahedral tilting and bond length decrease with increasing K+participation. We have monitored superlattice diffraction associated with in-phase and antiphase octahedral tiltingsin situand in real time inP–T–Xspace. The intensities of the superlattice diffraction peaks decrease quickly toward zero with increasing temperature and/or K+concentration. Meanwhile, the doublet and triplet diffraction peaks, which directly reflect the dimensional differences of thea,b, andcaxes, converge continuously and finally coalesce into single peaks as the temperature reachesTcand/or the K+concentration reachesXc. The transition temperatures are plotted as a function of pressure (Tc–P), and as a function of composition (Tc–X). The structural phase transitions in (K,Na)MgF3perovskites are driven by two order parameters, which are represented by the octahedral tiltingsθ=(φ−x,φ−y, 0) andϕ=(0, 0,φ+z). The strong coupling between these two order parameters drives the end-member NaMgF3perovskite to transform directly from the orthorhombic to cubic phase at temperatureTc=1038 K. Such direct orthorhombic–cubic phase transition remains unbroken even at pressures up to 10 GPa. However, with increasing incorporation of larger K+cations into the crystal structure, the interaction between the octahedral tiltings was successively decoupled and the purely intermediate tetragonal phase thus appeared aroundX∼35%. The crystal structure of the (KxNa1−x)MgF3perovskites eventually becomes cubic atX∼40%.
Carotid cavernous fistulas: anatomy, classification, and treatment

Carotid Cavernous Fistulas: Anatomy, Classification, and Treatment Andrew J. Ringer, MD*, Leo Salud, MD, Thomas A. Tomsick, MD Department of Neurosurgery, The Neuroscience Institute, Mayfield Clinic, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, ML 0515, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA Department of Neuroradiology, The Neuroscience Institute, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, ML 0762, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
NCAM-180, the largest component of the neural cell adhesion molecule, is reduced in dysmyelinating quaking mutant mouse brain

To explore the role of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) in myelination and remyelination, we studied the developmental expression of various molecular forms of NCAM in dysmyelinating quaking mouse brain as compared with normal mouse brain. Normal mouse brain expressed the several molecular forms differentially during development. Quaking showed a marked reduction in the expression of NCAM-180, which represents the largest component of NCAM, in comparison with normal brain. This suggests that the defective myelin compaction in the quaking mutation may be the result of a deficiency of NCAM-180.
On the importance of higher order anharmonic molecular couplings

The dynamics of molecular vibrational dephasing (IVR) are governed by the coupling structure of the vibrational Hamiltonian. We use a recently developed factorization model for normal coordinate potentials to compare the importance of direct high order couplings to both direct low order couplings and low-order coupling chains. The importance of high order couplings is characterized as a function of the vibrational energy and of molecular size. Particular attention is paid to phase cancellation effects in coupling chains, and to correlations between vibrational modes depending on their localization length. To account properly for IVR at high densities of states and long times, high order couplings must be taken into account.
Positive definite estimators of large covariance matrices

Using convex optimization, we construct a sparse estimator of the covariance matrix that is positive definite and performs well in high-dimensional settings. A lasso-type penalty is used to encourage sparsity and a logarithmic barrier function is used to enforce positive definiteness. Consistency and convergence rate bounds are established as both the number of variables and sample size diverge. An efficient computational algorithm is developed and the merits of the approach are illustrated with simulations and a speech signal classification example. Copyright 2012, Oxford University Press.
Correlational Strength and Computational Algebra of Synaptic Connections Between Neurons

Intracellular recordings in spinal cord motoneurons and cerebral cortex neurons have provided new evidence on the correlational strength of monosynaptic connections, and the relation between the shapes of postsynaptic potentials and the associated increased firing probability. In these cells, excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) produce cross-correlogram peaks which resemble in large part the derivative of the EPSP. Additional synaptic noise broadens the peak, but the peak area -- i.e., the number of above-chance firings triggered per EPSP -- remains proportional to the EPSP amplitude. A typical EPSP of 100 µv triggers about .01 firings per EPSP. The consequences of these data for information processing by polysynaptic connections is discussed. The effects of sequential polysynaptic links can be calculated by convolving the effects of the underlying monosynaptic connections. The net effect of parallel pathways is the sum of the individual contributions.
Images of physicians in literature: from quacks to heroes

2‐5 The practitioner most often studied has been the physician—usually a white man, although the spectrum of healers examined has broadened to include women (particularly nurses 6 ), people of colour, and non-traditional healers. 7 Writers have found the life of the physician a compelling subject “because they could not be indifferent to it. The physician is too intimately bound to hopes and fears of the ill in their struggle against disease and death”. 8 Readers, especially physician readers, have also found the doctor an intriguing subject of wide cultural appeal: “These images of phyicians pervade our culture; they reveal not only how the patient sees the doctor, but, even more significantly, how the doctor sees himself or herself and what behavior fits with that self-perception”. 9
Circadian variation in occurrence of transient overt and silent myocardial ischemia in chronic stable angina and comparison with prinzmetal angina in men

Circadian periodicity was examined in 68 patients with chronic stable angina and in 9 patients with Prinzmetal angina. The frequency and duration of transient ischemic episodes were determined from analysis of 1 or more 24-hour Holter recordings by the compact analog technique. Ninety percent of the episodes in both syndromes were silent; 80% of the episodes of Prinzmetal angina were associated with ST-segment elevation and all episodes of chronic stable angina had ST-segment depression. Ischemic episodes were shorter (3 +/- 2 vs 18 +/- 23 minutes, p less than 0.0005) but more frequent (21 +/- 18 vs 6 +/- 4 per 24 hours, p less than 0.0001) in patients with Prinzmetal angina than in those with chronic stable angina. In patients with chronic stable angina, both silent and painful episodes had a peak occurrence in the morning and early afternoon hours (between 8 AM and 3 PM); the fewest episodes were between 1 AM and 5 AM. This distribution was not random by chi-square test (p less than 0.001). Cosinor analysis of ischemic episodes periodicity showed the acrophase at 1 PM, which was not different from that (3 PM) of the circadian rhythmicity for heart rate. In case of Prinzmetal angina, the acrophase of heart rate changes was at 5 PM, but a clear periodicity in the distribution of the ischemic episodes was not found. These differences in the circadian periodicity may reflect differences in the mechanism of ischemia in chronic stable angina and in Prinzmetal angina and are likely to be of therapeutic significance.
“Am I cut out for this?” Understanding the experience of doubt among first-year medical students

Purpose: Existing research shows that medical students experience high levels of distress. The purpose of this study was to understand how medical students experience doubt, and how doubt relates to distress. Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted among first-year students at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in June 2012. Students answered survey questions and participated in focus groups about doubt and other forms of distress. Results: Ninety-four percent (112) of students responded to the survey, with 49% reporting a moderate or high degree of doubt. Compared to those reporting no or low doubt, students with moderate/high doubt were significantly more likely to question their purpose and identity, struggle to cope with doubt, and experience depression and emotional hardening. Twenty-eight percent of students (34/112) participated in focus groups to explore their doubt, and three themes emerged: types of doubt, ways of coping with doubt, and impact of doubt. Conclusions: Doubt is highly prevalent among first-year medical students, affects their identity and purpose, and has positive and negative consequences. Doubt among medical students merits awareness and further study, as it may be an important mediator of students’ emerging identity and sense of well-being.
Cluster shapes at the percolation threshold: and effective cluster dimensionality and its connection with critical-point exponents

An effective dimensionality dp is introduced for the purpose of providing a quantitative characterisation of the degree of ramification of the clusters that occur at the percolation threshold. It is found that dp is directly related to percolation critical exponents, and that 1<or=dp<or=d, which in turn places bounds on certain scaling powers and critical exponents. The exponents-when renormalised according to Suzuki's 'extended universality' prescription-have an appealingly simple form in terms of dp; in particular, the renormalised mean cluster size exponent is dp, while both the order parameter and 'decay of correlation' exponents are given by the co-dimension d-dp.
Hepatic Perfusion with FUdR Utilizing an Implantable System in Patients with Liver Primary Cancer or Metastatic Cancer Confined to the Liver

AbstractNineteen patients with colorectal adencarcinoma, three with cholangiocarcinoma, two with hepatocellular carcinoma, and one with carcinoid were treated with hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy. An implantable pump system was used to deliver floxuridine (FUdR), starting at 400 mg for 2 weeks with 2 weeks of rest. Eleven of 15 (73%) measurable patients with colorectal carcinoma responded. Of 6 complete responses, 4 were documented by laparotomy, including 1 with choleangiocarcinoma. Toxicity included dyspepsia and elevated liver function tests in all patients, gastric ulcer in 2, cholecystitis in 2, and sclerosing cholangitis in 3. Overall median survival for the colon cancer patients has not been reached at 16 months. Regional disease was controlled in the majority of patients treated with this regimen with acceptable toxicity and good quality of life.
Raynaud's phenomenon in the emergency department

Raynaud's phenomenon manifests as triphasic color changes of the digits, induced by exposure to low temperature or emotional stress. It is a relatively common disorder, estimated to affect 5% to 10% of the general population and 25% to 30% of otherwise healthy women. Although usually self-limiting, it can be severely painful and debilitating, and complicated by ulcerations and tissue necrosis. For the emergency physician treating a patient with an acute presentation of the phenomenon, the main challenges are to achieve adequate pain control, reverse vasospasm, and maintain viable tissue. Emergency treatment can also extend to patient education and arrangement of appropriate referrals and follow-up care.
CRYSTAL CHEMISTRY OF URANYL MOLYBDATES. IX. A NOVEL URANYL MOLYBDATE SHEET IN THE STRUCTURE OF Tl2[(UO2)2O(MoO5)]

Crystals of a new thallium uranyl molybdate, Tl 2 [(UO 2 ) 2 O(MoO 5 )], have been synthesized by high-temperature solid-state reactions. The structure [monoclinic, P 2 1 / n , a 8.2527(3), b 28.5081(12), c 9.1555(4) A, β 104.122(1)°, V 2088.91(15) A 3 , Z = 8] was solved by direct methods and refined to R 1 = 0.039 ( wR 2 = 0.081) on the basis of 8609 unique reflections. The structure is novel in that Mo 6+ cations occur in both tetragonal pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal coordination environments, and it contains a uranyl molybdate sheet of composition [(UO 2 ) 2 O(MoO 5 )] with more uranium than molybdenum. The uranyl molybdate sheets are composed of Ur O 5 ( Ur : uranyl ion, UO 2 2+ ) pentagonal bipyramids and MoO 5 polyhedra that are linked by the sharing of edges. Within the sheet, eight Ur O 5 bipyramids share edges, resulting in a Z-shaped complex that is oriented approximately parallel to [010]. The MoO 5 polyhedra each contain one O atom that is not shared within the sheet; these are oriented both up and down relative to the plane of the sheet. The anion topology of the sheet consists of pentagons, squares and triangles. In the sheet, all pentagons are populated by U, four-fifths of the squares contain Mo, and the triangles are empty. The uranyl molybdate sheets are parallel to (101) and are linked via Tl + cations located in the interlayer.