cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal patterns of momentary stress during outpatient opioid agonist treatment: A growth-mixture-model approach to classifying patients.

Abstract Background We previously showed, in people starting treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), that stress is neither necessary nor sufficient for lapses to drug use to occur, despite an association between the two. Both theoretical clarity and case-by-case prediction accuracy may require initial differentiation among patients. Aim To examine: (a) evidence for distinct overall trajectories of momentary stress during OUD treatment, (b) relationships between stress trajectory and treatment response, and (c) relationships between stress trajectory and momentary changes in stress and craving prior to lapses. Methods We used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to collect ratings of stress and craving 3x/day for up to 16 weeks in 211 outpatients during agonist treatment for OUD. With growth mixture models, we identified trajectories of stress. We used mixed effect models to examine trajectory-group differences in the dynamics of stress and craving just before lapses to any drug use. Results We identified four trajectories of stress: Increasing (13.7 %); Moderate and Stable (23.7 %); Declining and Increasing (18 %); and Low (44.6 %). Overall drug use and opioid craving were lowest in the Low Stress group. Overall drug use was highest in the Moderate and Stable group. Alcohol use and opioid craving were highest in the Increasing Stress group. Opioid craving increased before lapse for most groups, but stress increased before lapses for only the Moderate and Stable group. Conclusion There are natural groupings of participants with distinct patterns of stress severity during OUD treatment. Momentary stress/craving/lapse associations may be better characterized when these groupings are considered first.
Asymmetric adjustment: Partisanship and correcting misinformation on Facebook:

Across two studies, we test two of Facebook’s attempts to fight misinformation: labeling misinformation as disputed or false and including fact checks as related articles. We propose hypotheses bas...
Testing Off-the-Shelf Optical Wireless LANs for Smart City Environments.

Optical wireless LANs (OWLs) constitute an emerging networking paradigm for indoor scenarios’ fit to different smart cities’ fields of applications. Commercial products employing this technology have been made available on the market in recent years. In this work, we investigate, through a set of indoor communication experiments based on commercially available products, how different environmental and usage modes affect the performance of the system, addressing the presence of multiple users, the position and mobility of the mobile devices, the handover among adjacent cells and the effect of background lighting. Our finding shows that the system is quite robust with respect to the variation of operational conditions. We show that, in most conditions, the links can reliably sustain a stable throughput, achieving at least 50% of the throughput achieved with using the maximum light intensity of the transmitting lamp, while they are affected in a very mild way by factors like position and height of the mobile device, and virtually unaffected by variations in the background light.
High-throughput functionalization of the Toxoplasma kinome uncovers a novel regulator of invasion and egress

ABSTRACT Protein kinases regulate fundamental aspects of cell biology in all eukaryotes, making them attractive chemotherapeutic targets in Apicomplexan parasites such as the causative agents of malaria (Plasmodium spp.) and toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii). However, the precise roles of individual parasite kinases cannot be inferred simply from sequence identity, due to rewiring of signaling pathways and the shifting repertoire of kinases across species. To systematically examine the parasite kinome, we developed a high-throughput (HiT) CRISPR-mediated tagging strategy to endogenously label all predicted cytosolic protein kinases with a synthetic sequence encoding the minimal auxin-inducible degron (mAID) linked to a fluorophore and epitope tag. The system enables the assembly of thousands of tagging vectors from synthetic sequences in a single reaction and the pooled generation of mutants to examine kinase localization and function. We examined the phenotypes associated with kinase knock-down in 1,160 arrayed clones by replica-plating in the presence or absence of auxin and found broad defects across the lytic cycle for 109 clonal isolates, assigning localizations to 39 proteins, and associating 15 kinases within 6 distinct morphological phenotypes. The relative fitness of tagged alleles was also examined by tracking the relative abundance of individual guide RNAs as parasite populations progressed through the lytic cycle, in the presence or absence of auxin. Pooled screening had a high predictive value and differentiated between delayed and acute death. Demonstrating the value of this resource, we identified a novel kinase associated with delayed death as a novel regulator of invasion and egress. We call the previously unstudied kinase Store Potentiating/Activating Regulatory Kinase (SPARK), based on its impact on intracellular Ca2+ stores at key moments during the lytic cycle. Despite having a similar kinase domain to the mammalian PDK1, SPARK lacks the canonical lipid-binding domain and we find no indication SPARK positively regulates other AGC kinases, suggesting a rewiring of signaling pathways to accommodate parasite adaptations. The HiT vector screening system extends the applications of genome-wide screens into complex cellular phenotypes, providing a scalable and versatile platform for the dissection of apicomplexan cell biology.
Environmental and Genetic Factors Contributing to Bladder Carcinogenesis

The carcinogenesis of bladder cancer is a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The urinary bladder has significant exposure to many mutagenic environmental substances as these are excreted in the urine. Mutagenic substances can be ingested or inhaled, with inhalation of cigarette smoke likely responsible for the majority of environmental bladder cancer risk. Routes of environmental carcinogenesis other than the urine include infection, inflammation, radiation, and immunosuppression. Advances in molecular sequencing have characterized a number of polymorphisms associated with various cancer-related mechanisms to predispose to bladder cancer. Germline predisposition as part of characterized pathogenic mutations in cancer-associated genes (e.g., BRCA1/2 and MMR-deficiency) is also an increasingly recognized mechanism of bladder cancer carcinogenesis.
Multihead multitrack detection in shingled magnetic recording with ITI estimation

Multitrack detection for shingled magnetic recording (SMR) using a two-head array system is considered. The channel suffers from intersymbol interference (ISI) in the down-track direction and intertrack interference (ITI) in the crosstrack direction. We propose a practical multihead/multitrack detector that provides a low-complexity approach to adaptive estimation of time-varying ITI. The performance of the proposed detection algorithm is analyzed in terms of its minimum distance parameter, and simulation results show that the proposed detector offers a performance advantage in settings where complexity constraints limit the maximum-likelihood two-track detector to use a static ITI estimate.
Die normale Bakterienflora des menschlichen Organismus

Haut und Schleimhaute sind von einer Vielfalt von Mikroorganismen besiedelt. Man kann die Keime in zwei Gruppen einteilen: 1. Die Flora aus standig vorhandenen Keimen setzt sich aus gewissen, einigermasen genau bestimmbaren Keimarten zusammen. Man trifft sie in bestimmten Gebieten des Korpers regelmasig an. Sie unterscheidet sich in verschiedenen Altersklassen. Falls diese Flora aus standig vorhandenen Keimen gestort wird, hat sie die Tendenz, sich rasch wiederherzustellen. 2. Eine Flora aus mehr fluchtig vorhandenen Keimarten besteht aus apathogenen oder potentiell pathogenen Keimen, die die Haut und die Schleimhaute fur Stunden, Tage oder Wochen besiedeln. Diese Flora stammt aus der Umgebung des Individuums. Sie ruft keine Krankheiten hervor. Sie siedelt sich nicht fur die Dauer an. Die Keime dieser mehr fluchtigen Flora sind im allgemeinen fur den Organismus von geringer Bedeutung, solange die normale Flora der standigen Bewohner unversehrt bleibt. Wird diese jedoch gestort, konnen die Keime der vorubergehend vorhandenen Flora sich vermehren und Krankheiten hervorrufen.
Handmade Culture: Raku Potters, Patrons, and Tea Practitioners

(2007). Handmade Culture: Raku Potters, Patrons, and Tea Practitioners. Studies in Art Education: Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 77-80.
Larval feeding behavior of the truncatus group of Thrypticus (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) that breed in the aerenchyma of Pontederiaceae

NN RESUMEN. Se da a conocer el comportamiento alimentario de las larvas de algunas especies del grupo truncatus de Thrypticus (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), que se desarrollan en plantas hospedadoras de Pontederiaceae. Los estadios inmaduros de T. circularis Bickel & Hernandez se crian en los peciolos globosos de Eichhornia crassipes (Martius) Solms-Laubach (Pontederiaceae), minando cerca de la epidermis y abriendo varios orificios al exterior. La larva de T. romus Bickel & Hernandez crece en E. azurea (Sw.) Kunth, formando una mina curva, corta en comparacion con las otras especies. La larva de T. formosensis Bickel & Hernandez se desarrolla en Pontederia cordata L. (Pontederiaceae), excavando la mina entre la epidermis y la gran celda central de los peciolos. Por ultimo, la larva de T. taragui Bickel & Hernandez se cria en tallos sumergidos de P. subovata (Seub. in Mart.) Lowden, formando una mina subepidermica con ramificaciones hacia la estela central del tallo. No se pudieron asociar las minas correspondientes a las especies T. yanayacu, T. chanophalus y T. azuricola. No se encontraron predadores ni parasitos de larvas o pupas, se observaron casos de canibalismo entre larvas cuando el trazado de dos minas confluye. Las especies del grupo truncatus poseen un modo de alimentacion sumamente especifico, confinadas al aerenquima, se alimentan de la savia extraida de los orificios roidos en los haces vasculares de los peciolos y tallos, posiblemente con levaduras simbiontes como suplemento para la nutricion. Numerosas colecciones en el campo y pruebas en el laboratorio, indican que estos insectos estan asociados con plantas hospedadoras especificas dentro de la misma familia. Esta especializacion sugiere una larga asociacion insecto-hospedadora. PALABRAS CLAVE. Grupo truncatus de Thrypticus. Eichhornia crassipes. E. azurea. Pontederia spp. Fitofagia.
Designing and Using Program Evaluation as a Tool for Reform.

The Auburn University Educational Leadership Team and its K-12 practitioner and community partners collaboratively developed a comprehensive, on-going evaluation plan to assess a newly implemented ...
Effect of nalidixic acid and hydroxyurea on division ability of Escherichia coli fil+ and lon- strains.

Abstract Short periods of incubation in medium containing nalidixic acid or hydroxyurea, followed by a return to normal growth conditions, induced filament formation in Escherichia coli B (fil+) and AB1899NM (lon−) but not in B/r (fil−) and AB1157 (lon+). These drugs reversibly stopped deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis with little or no effect on ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis or mass increase. The initial imbalance caused by incubation in these drugs was the same for B and B/r as was macromolecular synthesis following a return to normal growth conditions. DNA degradation caused by nalidixic acid was measured and found to be the same for B and B/r. Hydroxyurea caused no DNA degradation in these two strains. Survival curves as determined under various conditions by colony formation suggested that the property of filament formation was responsible for the extrasensitivity of fil+ and lon− strains to either nalidixic acid or hydroxyurea. E. coli B was more sensitive to either drug than was B/r or Bs-1. Pantoyl lactone or liquid holding treatment aided division and colony formation of nalidixic acid-treated B but had no effect on B/r. Likewise, the filament-former AB1899NM was more sensitive to nalidixic acid than was the non-filament-former AB1157. The sensitivity of B/r and Bs-1 to nalidixic acid was nearly the same except at longer times in nalidixic acid, when Bs-1 appeared more resistant. Even though nalidixic acid, hydroxyurea, and ultraviolet light may produce quite different molecular alterations in E. coli, they all cause a metabolic imbalance resulting in a lowered ratio of DNA to RNA and protein. We propose that it is this imbalance per se rather than any specific primary chemical or photochemical alterations which leads to filament formation by some genetically susceptible bacterial strains such as lon− and fil+.
Simultaneous and enhanced production of thermostable amylases and ethanol from starch by cocultures of Clostridium thermosulfurogenes and Clostridium thermohydrosulfuricum

Clostridium thermohydrosulfuricum and Clostridium thermosulfurogenes produced ethanol and amylases with different components as primary metabolites of starch fermentation. Starch fermentation parameters were compared in mono- and cocultures of these two thermoanaerobes to show that the fermentation was dramatically improved as a consequence of coordinate action of amylolytic enzymes and synergistic metabolic interactions between the two species. Under given monoculture fermentation conditions, neither species completely degraded starch during the time course of the study, whereas in coculture, starch was completely degraded. In monoculture starch fermentation, C. thermohydrosulfuricum produced lower levels of pullulanase and glucoamylase, whereas C. thermosulfurogenes produced lower levels of β-amylase and glucoamylase. In coculture fermentation, improvement of starch metabolism by each species was noted in terms of increased amounts and rates of increased starch consumption, amylase production, and ethanol formation. The single-step coculture fermentation completely degraded 2.5% starch in 30 h at 60°C and produced 9 U of β-amylase per ml, 1.3 U of pullulanase per ml, 0.3 U of glucoamylase per ml, and >120 mM ethanol with a yield of 1.7 mol/mol of glucose in starch. The potential industrial applications of the coculture fermentation and the physiological basis for the interspecies metabolic interactions are discussed.
Ultrastable measurement platform: sub-nm drift over hours in 3D at room temperature

Advanced optical traps can probe single molecules with Angstrom-scale precision, but drift limits the utility of these instruments. To achieve A-scale stability, a differential measurement scheme between a pair of laser foci was introduced that substantially exceeds the inherent mechanical stability of various types of microscopes at room temperature. By using lock-in detection to measure both lasers with a single quadrant photodiode, we enhanced the differential stability of this optical reference frame and thereby stabilized an optical-trapping microscope to 0.2 A laterally over 100 s based on the Allan deviation. In three dimensions, we achieved stabilities of 1 A over 1,000 s and 1 nm over 15 h. This stability was complemented by high measurement bandwidth (100 kHz). Overall, our compact back-scattered detection enables an ultrastable measurement platform compatible with optical traps, atomic force microscopy, and optical microscopy, including super-resolution techniques.
Wind-tunnel measurement at M equal 4.28 of some static and dynamic aerodynamic characteristics of finned missiles suspended magnetically.

The lift, drag, pitching moment, and rolling moment due to roll velocity have been measured at M — 4.28 for two slender finned missile models by means of a magnetic suspension and balance system. Comparisons of the results with data measured by conventional balances show substantial agreement. The trend for damping in roll due to roll velocity to increase gradually with increasing angle of attack is more clearly shown than in earlier data because the scatter in the data is reduced by a factor of J.
Kicking it up a notch: adding zest to your student employee training

Does your recipe for success at the HelpDesk or in the Labs include student employees? If your recipe seems to have lost its zest, you might want to “kick it up a notch,” as Chef Emeril Legasse would say, by spicing up your student employee training program. Even a good training program can become a left-over if reheated year after year. This paper discusses the challenges of revitalizing a solid technical training program for student employees. Evaluation of the training program at Cornell University was conducted on a session-by-session basis in 1998, 1999, and 2000, providing a quantitative basis for this discussion. HelpDesk technical staff successfully redesigned their student employee training program in order to achieve the following objectives: • prepare new and returning staff to provide top-notch support from day one • establish the organizations expectation for professionalism • recognize the different learning objectives of new and returning employees • improve employee participation in training • integrate training with other IT units in order to consolidate costs and effort • collaborate with service owners in developing curricula
Inhibition of serotonin uptake by optical isomers of fluoxetine

The optical isomers of fluoxetine, a selective inhibitor of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) uptake, have been compared pharmacologically. As inhibitors of 3H-5HT uptake in cortical synaptosomes and of 3H-fluoxetine binding in cortical membranes, the (+)-isomer of fluoxetine was slightly more potent than the (−)-isomer. The potencies to inhibit 3H-5HT uptake ex vivo in synaptosomal preparations of cerebral cortex and brain stem were about the same, except that the (−)-isomer had a much shorter duration of action than the (+)-isomer in rats.
Aortic manifestations and surgery in Marfan syndrome in pediatric patients

Abstract Aortic disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Marfan syndrome, both in the adults and children. Sequelae include congestive heart failure due to aortic regurgitation, endocarditis, aortic dissection, and sudden death due to aortic rupture. While aneurysms in Marfan syndrome can occur in any aortic segment and may also involve the major branch vessels, the aortic root is particularly predisposed. Recent advances in the diagnosis and the medical and surgical management of the aortic abnormalities of the Marfan syndrome have achieved a dramatic improvement in the quality of life and the life expectancy of affected individuals. Key features of the therapeutic protocol include reduction of aortic wall stress through the use of beta adrenergic antagonists, prevention of bacterial endocarditis, and early and serial applications of diagnostic imaging techniques to aid in the timing of prophylactic surgical intervention. The surgical repair of aneurysmal aortic dilatation or DeBakey type III aortic dissection is indicated in patients with symptoms indicative of impending rupture, ischemic complications related to dissection, or an aortic ratio of 2.0. Proximal aortic dissection requires aortic root replacement. In most cases, a composite valve graft is used to replace the aortic valve and ascending aortic segment. Biologic valve grafts may be particularly suitable for selected populations of pediatric patients. Postoperative management should include appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis, continued therapy with β-adrenergic antagonists, and diligent surveillance for new or recurrent aortic disease in both repaired and unrepaired segments. In combination, these therapies clearly diminish morbidity and contribute to a prolonged survival in the Marfan syndrome.
An inverse solution to functional brain mapping in language processing using an eigensystem study

The algorithm developed in this study integrates a frequency analysis of key frequency bands (alpha, beta, delta, and theta) with an inverse solution using the principal component analysis (PCA) to validate brain functional mappings associated with the characterization effects of an auditory/comprehension task. The results are found to be consistent with earlier findings involving the Wernicke and Broca's brain areas in relation to language comprehension. These cortical areas were discovered in 1874 and 1861 respectively, to be associated with the language comprehension and production. In support of these findings, spectral arrays and topographic maps are used for both listening and answering phases. The areas most responsible for the language comprehension were reverse-detected by means of an innovative search algorithm that iteratively relocates electrodes based on the direction of increasing PCA outcomes. The inverse PCA reveals that eigenvectors associated with the largest eigenvalues produce an inter...
A planning model with problem analysis and operator hierarchy

A planning model described in terms of its goal analysis and hierarchical operator representation is presented. With this system, successful plans have been made for nonlinear problems that are described as a conjunction of subgoals. The system uses heuristic rules to analyze the problem, and thus achieves an ordered sequence of subgoals and constraints that can be achieved successively without interfering with each other. The operators are designed in a goal-oriented fashion and are stored in operator hierarchies. During the plan generation phase, each subgoal is mapped into a goal operator, which is further refined to meet details and specific conditions of the problem. As the generation phase follows the analysis, conflicts among subgoals are eliminated implicitly. >
Facilitation of infection of monkey cells with poliovirus "ribonucleic acid".

The plaque titer of poliovirus "ribonucleic acid" on monkey kidney cells cultured in vitro is greatly increased by depleting these cells of calcium and treating the "ribonucleic acid" inoculum with a suspension of any one of several poorly water-soluble substances before inoculation. These undissolved substances apparently facilitate infection by serving as solid vehicles for the "ribonucleic acid."
Recyclable Lucas Reagent in Converting Aliphatic Alcohols to Chlorides1

An industrially viable and environmentally friendly process is developed for the synthesis of menthyl chloride from the corresponding alcohol. Menthyl chloride was made in high yield by the reactio...
A Theory for Nonlinear Webs

This paper presents a nonlinear theory for webs. Because the webs cannot resist any compressive forces, the initial configuration is selected on the inextensible web. From a different point of view, the nonlinear theory for webs is presented, including network non-continuum webs, fabric non-continuum webs and continuum webs.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Difficult Temperament and Drug Use: Analyses from the New York Longitudinal Study

This study examined the role of the Thomas and Chess conceptualization of “difficult” temperament or behavioral style and tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use in the 133 subjects of the New York Longitudinal Study. Results indicate that the possession of difficult temperamental characteristics (slow adaptability, withdrawal responses, negative mood, high intensity of reactions, and biological irregularity) at age five and in early adulthood are associated with tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use in young adulthood. Further results indicate that the continued use of marijuana throughout adolescence and alcohol and tobacco use from ages thirteen through sixteen were related to the subjects' difficult temperament characteristics in young adulthood.
Techniques and feed materials which have improved calutron performance

Abstract Electromagnetic isotope separations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have been improved for a number of elements by more selective choice of charge materials, more precise vapor feed controls, more efficient pumping systems and more effective chemical trapping techniques in the collector. The use of special feed materials has resulted in increased outputs and higher isotopic purities for such elements as silicon, sulfur, ruthenium, tin and tungsten. An internally valved feed system has permitted the use of volatile fluorides of ruthenium and iridium in conventional sources and resulted in more successful separations at higher outputs. For some elements, particularly with isotopes of low abundance, losses from the receiver pockets due to the formation of volatile compounds by reaction with residual gases have been reduced by chemical pumping and use of different charge compounds. Chemical pumping has significantly reduced contamination of collected material by the normal element. New receiver concepts are being employed for collecting isotopes of high-vapor-pressure elements and are providing appreciable increases in isotopic purity.
Eley−Rideal Surface Chemistry: Direct Reactivity of Gas Phase Atomic Hydrogen with Adsorbed Species

Selected examples of Eley-Rideal surface chemistry are presented in order to review this field. Reactions on Ru(100) only are considered. The specific examples employed are: (i) hydrogenation of oxygen atoms, (ii) hydrogenation of CO, (iii) formation of dihydrogen, and (iv) hydrogenation of formate. 80 refs., 8 figs.
Optimal control of partially observable Markovian systems

Abstract This paper discusses the discrete-time Bayesian optimal control of stochastic dynamic systems where some vectors, which augment the system state vectors and the observed state vectors by additional variables, constitute multi-dimensional Markov chains. Optimal control of such Markovian control systems is considered under the assumption that only a part of the components of such vectors is observed by the control system. Certain conditional probability densities needed in deriving optimal control policies are derived, and computational procedures which determine optimal control sequences are given.
Effect of diethylstilbestrol on the polymerization and alkylation of tubulin

Diethylstilbestrol is a drug used to treat prostate cancer. It is thought to bind to tubulin, the subunit protein of microtubules, at the colchicine-binding site. We examined its interaction with tubulin in more detail. Diethylstilbestrol inhibits microtubule assembly, and seems to do so more effectively when tubulin polymerization is catalyzed by MAP2 rather than tau. Diethylstilbestrol also inhibits the intrachain cross-linking of tubulin by N,N′-ethylenebis-(iodoacetamide) in a pattern similar to that shown by colchicine and the drugs which bind to tubulin at the colchicine-binding site. Unlike most of this category of drugs, however, diethylstilbestrol accelerates, rather than inhibits, the decay of tubulin as measured by exposure of sulfhydryl groups and hydrophobic areas. It appears, therefore, that diethylstilbestrol interacts with tubulin in a manner similar to that of the analogs of the A-ring of colchicine, whose effect on tubulin cross-linking is similar to that of diethylstilbestrol and which also enhance tubulin decay. Drug Dev. Res. 48:104–112, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The competitive NMDA receptor antagonist CGP 40116 protects against status epilepticus-induced neuronal damage

Abstract We studied the efficacy of the competitive NMDA receptor antagonist CGP 40116 in protecting against seizure-induced neuronal necrosis from lithium-pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE). Rats were given CGP 40116 either before SE (12 mg/kg i.p.) or 15 min after the onset of SE (4, 12 and 24 mg/kg); controls received normal saline 15 min after SE began. Diazepam and phenobarbital were given i.p. after 3 h of SE to stop the seizures. Rats were killed 24 h later and their brains were processed for light microscopic examination. Neuronal damage occurred in 24 of 25 brain regions examined in saline-injected animals. Protection was maximal in rats given 12 and 24 mg/kg CGP 40116 after SE onset: 19 and 21 of the 24 damaged regions were protected respectively, but the 24 mg/kg group had a mortality rate comparable to saline-injected controls. No necrotic neurons were found in posterior cingulate and retrosplenial neurons at the two highest CGP 40116 doses, suggesting that the transient cytoplasmic vacuolization induced by NMDA receptor antagonists does not progress to frank necrosis. In rats given CGP 40116 seizure discharges were not eliminated, but their amplitudes were significantly reduced 2 h after SE began. The periodic epileptiform discharge (PED) EEG pattern, probably a sign of widespread neuronal damage, developed in saline-injected controls after 2–2.5 h of SE but not in rats given 12 and 24 mg/kg of CGP 40116. CGP 40116 provided widespread protection against seizure-induced neuronal necrosis, suggesting that an esssential step in its production is NMDA receptor activation by endogenous glutamate. The neuroprotection provided was not simply an antiepileptic effect, since electrographic seizures persisted despite NMDA receptor blockade. CGP 40116 and NMDA receptor antagonists in general could be useful as adjunctive neuroprotectants in patients with refractory SE.
Predominant bacteria associated with red snapper from the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

Abstract Since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, anecdotal observations of Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus from the northern Gulf of Mexico exhibiting unusual external lesions have been reported. Two opportunistic bacterial fish pathogens, Vibrio vulnificus and Photobacterium damselae, were recovered from the fish and were deemed responsible for the abnormalities. However, the culturable microbiota of healthy Red Snapper has not yet been characterized. We analyzed the heterotrophic bacteria associated with healthy Red Snapper caught off the Louisiana coast. In total, 179 isolates from 60 fish were recovered from skin and mucus, and 43 isolates were obtained from anterior kidney. All isolates were identified by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. The Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum in both external and internal samples, followed by the Firmicutes and the Actinobacteria. Within the Proteobacteria, most isolates were members of the genera Vibrio and Photobacterium, and V. natriegens and P. d...
Stent-mediated wedging of a calcific embolus to recanalize an occluded middle cerebral artery: technical case report.

OBJECTIVE: Calcific cerebral emboli are rare yet pose a difficult therapeutic challenge because of their lack of response to thrombolytic therapy and their propensity for fragmentation. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 75-year-old woman developed aphasia and hemiparesis after cardiac catheterization from a near-occlusive calcific embolus to the left middle cerebral artery origin. The calcific embolus was shown to be hemodynamically limiting by computed tomographic perfusion and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. INTERVENTION: The patient was treated medically for 6 days with anticoagulation, antiplatelet, and hypertensive therapies but continued to deteriorate. A decision was made to attempt retrieval of the calcific embolus. Conventional intracranial mechanical clot and coil retrieval systems were used initially but were unsuccessful and caused migration of the calcific embolus, leading to complete occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery origin. At this point, the decision was made to wedge the calcific embolus against the vessel wall. A balloon-mounted coronary stent was used to achieve this successfully, resulting in recanalization of the middle cerebral artery trunk and flow restoration. CONCLUSION: Symptomatic calcific emboli, which are poorly responsive to pharmacological therapy and difficult to recover using conventional retrieval systems, may be treated by immobilization against the vessel wall using a balloon-mounted stent.
Strategies for achieving a sustainable, clean and cost-effective biomass resource

Abstract Biomass, produced in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner, could realistically be used to supply 50,000 MW (5 quads) of electric capacity by the year 2010, and probably twice that amount by the year 2030. Since 1992, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have each been independently evaluating the potential for biomass to become a major renewable energy resource over the next four decades, capable of offsetting some of the U.S. dependency on fossil fuels while also offering important environmental and economic benefits. This paper presents EPRI's conclusions, which are more conservative than those of the U.S. DOE, and outlines possible strategies by which EPRI can advance acceptance of biomass as a preferred renewable resource.
Labor analgesia for the parturient with lumbar tattoos: what does an obstetrician need to know?

Tattoos—ancient forms of permanent body ornamentation (body art) have today become popular fashion accessories worldwide. More than 50% of all tattoos are being done on women. In the recent years body tattooing in unconventional sites (e.g. lumbar and/or sacral area, lower abdomen, breast, and buttocks) has gained increasing popularity among young women (including in pregnancy). Although, the potential hazards of regional anesthesia in patients with lumbar tattoos remain controversial it may seem prudent to avoid a hollow needle insertion (possible tissue entrapment in its bore as the needle passes to the deeper structures) through a tattoo for neuraxial blocks. This author is not aware of any other review articles in English literature discussing implications, and complications of labor analgesia in parturients presenting with lumbar tattoos.
Transforming the Size and Composition of the Physician Work Force to Meet the Demands of Health Care Reform

Despite the controversies surrounding almost every aspect of health care reform in the United States, analysts are virtually unanimous in complaining that our residency programs are turning out too few generalists, too many specialists, and too many doctors altogether. To correct these imbalances, one school of thought would rely on market forces and another would impose a regulatory apparatus. Those who support a market approach do not believe that regulators can make predictions about the future need for physicians that are sufficiently accurate to ensure a proper mix and number of physicians. In fact, they think the market is operating . . .
Why Do Daughters Leave School in Southern Africa? Family Economy and Mothers' Commitments

By focusing on the family economy and its capacity to mediate broad economic developments, sociologists are beginning to move beneath macrostructuralforces to better explain parental demandfor schooling and children's attainment. This materialist model focuses on the explanatory power of contextual labor demand and resources internal to the family. Parents' social preferences and commitments, antecedent to "choosing" between Work or school for their children, are presumed to covary with economicfactors. In contrast, research on family practices within impoverished settings reveals that parents' social commitments linked to child development or schooling can vary independently of the family's economic circumstances. Applying these alternative theories to family behavior in southern African, we assess the relative influence of mothers' economic demands and social commitments on their daughter's probability of staying in school. We find that the risk of daughters leaving school is more strongly influenced by mothers' social commitments than by household economics. Maternal influences do interact with selected family-economy indicators and are conditioned by the level of discretionary time afforded to daughters. Children around the world, and within particular societies, leave school at widely varying ages. Efforts to identify the underlying causes of why, and when, children are likely to exit school have greatly influenced two competing
Climatic fluctuations in southern Italy since the 17th century: reconstruction with precipitation records at Benevento

This work analyses the climatic information of 607 weather anomalies belonging to a large documentary sources heritage of the continental southern Italy during the period 1675–1868. The collected information, mainly originating in Samnium River Region (SRR), were codified to obtain quantitative indices representative of a preliminary reconstruction of the precipitation anomalies. Historical written records of weather conditions that affect agriculture and living conditions have been taken as a proxy for instrumental observations of the relative wetness and dryness. As a consequence a numerical index was established to characterize the rainfall regime and its evolution. So, for the first time a series of the precipitation anomalies in SRR–continental southern Italy during the second half of the Little Ice Age was generated, and subsequently jointed to the instrumental series (1869–2002). Afterwards, in order to identify possible climatic change situations from 1675 today Normalized Cumulative Anomalies (NCA)–serie's and Climograms were produced. This historical period offered a sufficient range of natural variability in climate and circulation together with their relationships. Wettest period were detected in the 19th century, while that driest in the 18th century. However, the Mediterranean climate appearing from our study is far more complex than can be captured by a simple classification. In this way, the final picture is one switching between significantly different climate modes becoming apparent on several space-time-scales during the Late Little Ice Age.
Favorable preliminary experience with etanercept in two patients with the hyperimmunoglobulinemia D and periodic fever syndrome

Objective The hyperimmunoglobulinemia D and periodic fever syndrome (HIDS; MIM 260920) is caused by recessive mutations in the mevalonate kinase gene (MVK), which encodes an enzyme involved in cholesterol and nonsterol isoprenoid biosynthesis. HIDS is characterized by persistently elevated polyclonal IgD and recurrent febrile episodes. Although abnormalities in tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) are not the primary cause of HIDS, plasma TNFα levels are elevated in HIDS patients during attacks and thus may be a therapeutic target. This study assessed the effects of etanercept, a soluble p75 TNFα receptor-Fc fusion protein, in 2 patients with HIDS. Methods We performed biochemical and molecular genetic analyses on 2 girls with periodic episodes of fever, skin rash, abdominal pain, and arthralgia, of whom 1 had elevated levels of serum IgD. After the diagnosis of HIDS was made, treatment with etanercept was initiated in both patients. Clinical response was recorded in a standardized diary, and serum levels of cytokines and their decoy receptors were serially measured in 1 of the 2 patients. Results Urinary mevalonate levels were elevated in both girls. Patient 1 was heterozygous for a known MVK missense mutation (V377I) and a novel mutation that led to skipping of exon 3. Patient 2 was found to have V377I and a new missense mutation, S329R. Neither patient had mutations in TNFRSF1A or MEFV, the genes for the TNF receptor–associated periodic syndrome and familial Mediterranean fever, respectively. Etanercept reduced the frequency and severity of symptoms in both patients, whereas the levels of serum IgD and urine mevalonate remained unchanged. Conclusion Our favorable experience with etanercept for the treatment of HIDS suggests that further investigation of this therapy is warranted.
A single major gene controls most of the difference in susceptibility to streptozotocin-induced diabetes between C57BL/6J and C3H/HeJ mice

To assess genetic factors determining sensitivity to streptozotocin-induced diabetes in inbred strains of mice, a genetic analysis of streptozotocin-sensitive C57BL/6J and streptozotocin-resistant C3H/HeJ mice was performed. One week after a single dose of streptozotocin (200 mg/kg body weight), differences in plasma glucose concentration were marked between male mice of the C57BL/6J and C3H/HeJ strains (p less than 0.001). To determine the number of genes responsible for the difference, F1 male progeny of a cross between parental strains were produced, and found to be streptozotocin resistant like C3H/HeJ parents. F1 mice were, therefore, backcrossed with streptozotocin-sensitive C57BL/6J mice (Backcross: F1 female female X C57BL/6J male male). The plasma glucoses of backcrossed male mice (n = 41) following streptozotocin treatment appeared to segregate into two populations, half like the C57BL/6J parent, and half like the F1 parent. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that the data fit a model with two distributions better than one with a single distribution, suggesting a single major gene responsible for the difference in streptozotocin susceptibility. This hypothesis was also supported by the observation that streptozotocin sensitivity in 12 recombinant inbred strains of C57BL/6J and C3H/HeJ mice appeared to segregate into two classes. Resistance to streptozotocin induced diabetes in F1 mice suggested that the expression of this gene is recessive, although X-chromosome linked inheritance could not be excluded. Efforts to map the streptozotocin-sensitivity gene revealed lack of right linkage to several loci including the H-2 locus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Children's access behavior to an observer: Age group differences at a day care center in Japan and their cultural implications

Based on a 9-month observational study, this paper describes variations in the behavior patterns which young children (6 to 70 months) show when they encounter a male observer (25 years old) for the first time on each observation day at a day care center in Japan. It also presents age differences in the variations. An analysis of these differences reveals: (1) young children of 5 age groups use their head, face, hands and arms differently upon encountering the observer; (2) each age group has 1 distinctive F-C (frequent and common) behavior patterns. The analysis suggests: (1) the acquisition of skills of access behavior is not a simple process; (2) young children rather have a shared cultural knowledge with which they interpret the observer's behavioral and interactional patterns within their cognitive framework. Further research is needed on changes of underlying symbolic meaning in the F-C behavior pattern.
Inhibition of tubulin polymerization by hypochlorous acid and chloramines

Protein thiol oxidation and modification by nitric oxide and glutathione are emerging as common mechanisms to regulate protein function and to modify protein structure. Also, thiol oxidation is a probable outcome of cellular oxidative stress and is linked to degenerative disease progression. We assessed the effect of the oxidants hypochlorous acid and chloramines on the cytoskeletal protein tubulin. Total cysteine oxidation by the oxidants was monitored by labeling tubulin with the thiol-selective reagent 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein; by reaction with Ellman's reagent, 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid); and by detecting interchain tubulin disulfides by Western blot under nonreducing conditions. Whereas HOCl induced both cysteine and methionine oxidation of tubulin, chloramines were predominantly cysteine oxidants. Cysteine oxidation of tubulin, rather than methionine oxidation, was associated with loss of microtubule polymerization activity, and treatment of oxidized tubulin with disulfide reducing agents restored a considerable portion of the polymerization activity that was lost after oxidation. By comparing the reactivity of hypochlorous acid and chloramines with the previously characterized oxidants, peroxynitrite and the nitroxyl donor Angeli's salt, we have identified tubulin thiol oxidation, not methionine oxidation or tyrosine nitration, as a common outcome responsible for decreased polymerization activity.
Numerical Construction And Flow Simulation In Networks Of Fractures Using Fractal Geometry

Present models for the representation of naturally fractured systems rely on the double-porosity Warren-Root model or on random arrays of fractures. However, field observation in outcrops has demonstrated the existence of multiple length scales in many naturally fractured media. The existing models fail to capture this important fractal property. In this paper, we use concepts from the theory of fragmentation and from fractal geometry for the numerical construction of networks of fractures that have fractal characteristics. The method is based mainly on the work of Barnsley (1) and allows for great flexibility in the development of patterns. Numerical techniques are developed for the simulation of unsteady single phase flow in such networks. It is found that the pressure transient response of finite fractals behaves according to the analytical predictions of Chang and Yortsos (6), provided that there exists a power law in the mass-radius relationship around the test well location. Otherwise, the finite size effects become significant and interfere severely with the identification of the underlying fractal structure. 21 refs., 13 figs.
Radiative angular distributions from charmonium states directly produced by p ¯ p annihilation

We calculate the combined angular distributions of the photon and the electron in the cascade process $p\overline{p}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{J}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}({e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}})\ensuremath{\gamma}$ ($J=2,1,0$), in terms of the helicity or the multipole transition amplitudes in $\ensuremath{\psi}$. Our expressions for them differ from those found previously. We describe the origin of these differences. The effect of the motion of $\ensuremath{\psi}$ in the ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{J}$ rest frame on the angular-distribution functions is taken into account.
A study of large congenital melanocytic nevi and associated malignant melanomas: Review of cases in the New York University registry and the world literature

Background: Patients with large congenital melanocytic nevi (LCMN) are at greater risk for the development of malignant melanoma (MM) than are persons in the general population. Objective: Our purpose was to identify the clinical features of LCMN in those patients in whom MMs actually developed. Methods: The records of 117 patients in the New York University Registry of LCMN and the reports of 172 cases of LCMN in the world literature were studied. Results: Of the 289 cases of LCMN studied, 34 patients (12%) had primary cutaneous MMs within their nevi; in two additional patients, MMs developed at cutaneous sites other than within their nevi. All patients in whom MM developed within LCMN had nevi in axial locations; however, 91 % of the LCMN were axial. No MM was found that had arisen in any of the 26 LCMN confined to the extremities. In addition, no MM was found that had arisen in thousands of satellite nevi. Conclusion: When MM develops within an LCMN, it generally does so in those LCMN in an axial location. The absence of cases of MM arising in LCMN confined to the extremities suggests that such nevi represent lower risk lesions, but the number of extremity nevi analyzed was too small to allow definitive conclusions. A striking finding was the absence of MMs arising in satellite nevi.