cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of COVID-19 Response and Impact on Gynecologic Surgery at a Large Academic Hospital System.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted gynecologic surgery. In March 2020, the American College of Surgeons recommended delay of all nonessential invasive procedures. This study characterizes the number and types of procedures performed during the peak pandemic. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed. All patients undergoing gynecological surgery at a large academic hospital system from March 16, 2019 to July 31, 2019 and from March 16, 2020 to July 31, 2020 were evaluated. Data was stratified by three time periods corresponding to state and hospital policy changes. During period 1, no nonessential procedures were advised. During period 2, urgent procedures resumed. During period 3, full surgical reopening was achieved. RESULTS: In 2019, 1,545 gynecologic cases were performed compared with 942 cases in 2020 (39.0% decrease). There was a 73.6% decrease in cases over period 1, a 20.1% decrease over period 2, and a 2.9% increase over period 3. Cases performed by gynecologic oncologists in 2020 accounted for 58.1% of all gynecologic cases over period 1, 29.4% of cases over period 2, and 33.3% of cases over period 3. In 2020, hysterectomy was the most commonly performed procedure, while surgery for endometriosis and uterine fibroids had the greatest decrease in volume. Among emergency procedures, more surgery for ectopic pregnancy was performed in 2020 compared with 2019. CONCLUSION: Many patients had significant delays in receiving gynecologic surgical care during the peak pandemic period. Further studies are indicated to determine the impact of delayed care on patients' quality of life and disease process.
Dams, Riparian Settlement and the Threat of Climate Change in a Dynamic Fluvial Environment

The Damodar River, a subsystem of the Ganga, has always been flood prone. People as well as governments throughout the centuries have dealt with the caprices of this vital water resource, using structures such as embankments, weirs, barrages and dams. Post-independence the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) constructed four multipurpose dams to facilitate regional development and reduce flood hazards. Post-dam hydrographs show decreased monsoon discharges, reduced peak flow and a shifting of peak flow from July to August to September. Despite the DVC dams, the lower valley is still vulnerable to flooding, because the transport capacity of the river has also been reduced. As a result, the frequency of bank full events today is again similar to that observed in the pre-dam period. Because of the control structures once mobile channel char lands have been stabilised and permanently settled by Bangladeshi refugees. These new riparian communities are threatened by the fluvial environment. Changing patterns in riparian land use, fostered by alterations in flow regime, coupled with the long-term prospect of increased rain variability due to climate change, appear to be increasing the risk of rare but devastating floods in the Lower Damodar.
Americium and Curium: Radionuclides

Following the element plutonium, americium and curium are the sixth and seventh elements in the actinide series. The primordial americium and curium isotopes that formed during the creation of the solar system billions of years ago have decayed away. Today, residual amounts of americium and curium isotopes present in nature are anthropogenic, originating from human activities such as nuclear weapons testing or nuclear energy generation. All americium and curium isotopes are highly radioactive and pose extreme health hazards to humans, especially when ingested or inhaled. Complexation reactions with environmentally relevant ligands, separation chemistry, the mechanistic studies of the processes that Am(III) and Cm(III) undergo at the solid–liquid interface in nature, and innovative process applications have been the focus of many studies during recent decades. In general, the trivalent oxidation state of americium and curium is the most stable under environmental conditions. As hard cations, the Am3+ and Cm3+ ions form strong complexes with hard donor ligands and adsorb readily on surfaces. In the absence of carbonate, hydrolysis leads to sparingly soluble Am(III) and Cm(III) hydroxide complexes. Americium and curium are commonly used in home smoke detectors and for oil-well logging (241Am), and as radioisotope thermoelectric generators (244Cm). Keywords: americium; americyl; curium; actinides; transuranic; geosphere; environment
Fluoxetine potentiation of methylphenidate-induced neuropeptide expression in the striatum occurs selectively in direct pathway (striatonigral) neurons

Concomitant therapies combining psychostimulants such as methylphenidate and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to treat several mental disorders, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder/depression comorbidity. The neurobiological consequences of these drug combinations are poorly understood. Methylphenidate alone induces gene regulation that mimics partly effects of cocaine, consistent with some addiction liability. We previously showed that the SSRI fluoxetine potentiates methylphenidate-induced gene regulation in the striatum. The present study investigated which striatal output pathways are affected by the methylphenidate + fluoxetine combination, by assessing effects on pathway-specific neuropeptide markers. Results demonstrate that fluoxetine (5 mg/kg) potentiates methylphenidate (5 mg/kg)-induced expression of substance P and dynorphin, markers for direct pathway neurons. In contrast, no drug effects on the indirect pathway marker enkephalin were found. Because methylphenidate alone has minimal effects on dynorphin, the potentiation of dynorphin induction represents a more cocaine-like effect for the drug combination. On the other hand, the lack of an effect on enkephalin suggests a greater selectivity for the direct pathway compared with psychostimulants such as cocaine. Overall, the fluoxetine potentiation of gene regulation by methylphenidate occurs preferentially in sensorimotor striatal circuits, similar to other addictive psychostimulants. These results suggest that SSRIs may enhance the addiction liability of methylphenidate.
Partnerships, information and public safety

Congress has expressed concern that the Homeland Security agency might lack the power necessary to prevent future terrorist attacks. This paper argues that it less likely to be a lack of police power and more likely the misapplication of those powers that undermines the war on terror. Until one learns to police in ways that build trust within those communities least likely to willingly assist the police, no amount of additional funding or legal authority will increase the capacity of the police forces to gather the information needed. For neighborhood policing this means partnering with those most victimized by crime. For the war on terror, this means partnering with Arab‐American communities. This examination of partnerships provides a basis for understanding how likely it is that current neighborhood policing practices will support a successful war on terror.
A Generic Neutral Model for Quantitative Comparison of Genotypic Evolutionary Activity

We use a new general-purpose model of neutral evolution of genotypes to make quantitative comparisons of diversity and adaptive evolutionary activity as a function of mutation rate among two versions of Packard's Bugs model and their neutral shadows. Comparing diversity and evolutionary activity of all these models across the mutation rate spectrum shows that the generic neutral model may have broad applicability in discovering quantitative laws involving adaptive evolutionary activity in different evolving systems.
An Analysis of the 180° Peel Test for Measuring Sealant Adhesion

Sealant adhesion to different substrates is often assessed by using a 180{degree} peel test. It is known that the peel force is a function of the viscoelastic response of the adhesive joint coupled with the intrinsic strength of the interphase. Measurement of the fracture energy as a function of straining rate can yield material properties by separating the bulk effects from the interphase strength. The results of this study highlight some important deficiencies of the ASTM peel test method. In particular, the fracture energy of a silicone sealant to glass and aluminum was measured at different rates, peel thicknesses and sealant moduli using the 180 peel test. It was determined that the sealant failed cohesively when tested on glass. For instances of cohesive failure, a plot of fracture energy vs. strain rate fit a power law model. The rate dependence of the fracture energy was shown to be proportional to the amount of uncrosslinked polymer in the sealant and this suggested an increase in dissipation. It was further shown that as the modulus of the sealant decreases the fracture energy increases. However, at low strain rates, the trend reverses and the high modulus sealant has better adhesion to glass thanmore » some of the low modulus sealants. Tests on specimens with aluminum substrates failed in accordance with specific test conditions: adhesive failure was more likely to occur when the strained thickness was small: when the strain rates were slow; or when the modulus was high. This study clearly demonstrated that peel testing at one rate and thickness can not adequately compare one sealant to another.« less
Two-dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy of Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Complexes

A variety of two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy experiments on natural light-harvesting complexes reveal inter-chromophore coupling and monitor ultrafast dynamics, furthering understanding of the way these proteins function and the underlying design principles of photosynthesis.
I/sub DDQ/-testability of tree circuits

The quality of CMOS circuits can be increased by performing I/sub DDQ/ testing. For regular circuits constructed from identical modules, defects localized to a single module detectable by current testing can be sensitized by exhaustively applying all input patterns to each circuit module. Regular circuits for which every module in arbitrarily large circuit can have all input patterns applied are defined to be I/sub DDQ/-testable. The I/sub DDQ/-testing properties of a class of regular circuits called tress are investigated. We present the conditions for one-dimensional and tree array circuits to be I/sub DDQ/-testable. We also present conditions for these circuits to be CI/sub DDQ/-testable, that is, I/sub DDQ/-testable with a constant number of tests independent of the circuit's size. Practical circuits such as comparators and carry-lookahead adders are used to illustrate the derived conditions.
Stage-specific initiation factors for protein synthesis during insect development.

Abstract In insects, as in bacteria, the smaller (40 S) ribosomal subunit binds messenger RNA during initiation of protein synthesis. An 80 S ribosomal unit is formed by association of free 40 S and 60 S subunits. Formation of the complete initiation complex requires GTP, aminoacyl-tRNA, protein initiation factors and messenger RNA. The complex sediments as an 80 S band on sucrose gradient. Protein initiation factors are extracted from unwashed ribosomes and appear to be able to discriminate between messenger RNAs obtained from different stages of development. They promote formation of the 80 S complex only when messenger RNA is extracted from the same stage of development, providing a mechanism for control of protein synthesis by which ribosomes can select the messenger RNA to be translated. Two possibilities have been proposed to explain this phenomenon: (1) that a group of messenger RNAs from a given stage of development may have a specific sequence of nucleotides preceding the AUG codon. This sequence is recognized by a stage-specific element of the initiation machinery; (2) and or, the secondary structure of messenger RNA from a given stage of development may be specific and therefore recognized by a unique initiation factor.
Changes in an intranucleolar body in hamster facial neurons following axotomy.

Abstract Facial motor neurons of adult golden hamsters were studied at frequent intervals up to 25 days after severance of the right facial nerves at their exit from the stylomastoid foramen. All brains were perfusion-fixed and prepared for light microscopy; sections were stained with either thionine, Feulgen reagent, or mercuric bromphenol blue. The intranucleolar body was observed as a rounded, intensely basophilic, Feulgen-negative structure located centrally in the nucleolus of normal adult facial neurons. After axotomy, chromatolysis resulted within 1 day and peaked at about 4 days, with gradual restoration of stainable Nissl substance thereafter. The intranucleolar body in severed neurons was apparently unaffected at 1 and 2 days, but by 4 days was represented by three or four densely staining particles forming a ringlike configuration, which persisted even after complete return of Nissl substance. Only after a postoperative period of 25 days did the intranucleolar body again appear as a single, densely staining structure comparable to that in normal cells. The disappearance of the intranucleolar body during chromatolysis coincided with what is known to be a period of heightened nucleolar synthetic activity. Delay in returning to its definitive appearance, despite a rather prompt reconstitution of Nissl substance, may reflect a persistently high level of protein synthesis in neurons which are prevented from reestablishing their original connections. Evidence indicates that the existence of the body does not depend upon the establishment of terminal connections per se, even in the developing neuron.
Separation of Immunoglobulins by Potential Barrier Chromatography

Abstract Potential barrier chromatography is a HPLC method of separating proteins, which is based on the high sensitivity of the interaction potential between adsorbent and adsorbate to factors such as the adsorbate size and adsorbate charge. The interaction potential is composed of van der Waals attraction, and double-layer, Born, and hydration repulsions. Controlling the double-layer repulsion, by changing the pH and the ionic strength, and the van der Waals attraction, by changing the organic content of the eluant, generates sufficiently different adsorption energy wells for the individual proteins to achieve their separation. PBC is exploited in the present paper to separate various immunoglobulins, especially IgA and IgG (which, as it is well known, are difficult to separate), from a naturally occurring mixture of human serum. A fraction more concentrated in immunoglobulins has been first obtained from this mixture by their precipitation with ammonium sulfate. The optimum conditions for the separatio...
Preconcentration of lanthanides from natural waters with a lipophilic crown ether carboxylic acid

Lipophilic crown ether carboxylic acids such as 2-(sym-dibenzo-16-crown-5-oxy)stearic acid with a cavity size comparable to the ionic radius of rare-earth elements are selective chelation agents for preconcentration and separation of lanthanides from natural waters for NAA. Interfering matrix elements such as sodium and bromine can be simultaneously eliminated during the extraction. The lanthanides can be back-extracted into a dilute acid solution for NAA, thus providing a large preconcentration factor. This two-step extraction method appears suitable for the determination of lanthanides in natural waters and in biological samples.
The Drug and Criminal Activity Patterns of Urban Offenders: A Markov Chain Analysis

In criminology, researchers have examined the role of lifestyle and activity patterns on criminal victimization. The vast majority of this research has focused on crime victims as a critical link in criminal victimization, but little attention has been given to the activity patterns of offenders or the connection between the various elements of the offenders' routine activities. This analysis presents a description of the activity patterns of 431 offenders who were heavily involved in crime during 1990–1991 in Philadelphia. A first-order Markov chain process best describes the manner in which offenders enter various activities. The preliminary analysis of these data not only provides additional support for the interrelationship between drug use and crime but also demonstrates that offenders participate in a wide array of activities.
Expansion of a Unique Region in the Marek's Disease Virus Genome Occurs Concomitantly with Attenuation but Is Not Sufficient To Cause Attenuation

Pathogenic Marek's disease viruses (MDVs) have two head-to-tail copies of a 132-bp repeat. As MDV is serially passaged in cell culture, the virus becomes attenuated and the number of copies of the 132-bp repeat increases from 2 to often more than 20 copies. To determine the role of the repeats in attenuation, we used five overlapping cosmid clones that spanned the MDV genome to reconstitute infectious virus (rMd5). By mutating the appropriate cosmids, we generated clones of infectious MDVs that contained zero copies of the 132-bp repeats, rMd5(Delta132); nine copies of the 132-bp repeats, rMd5(9-132); and nine copies of the 132-bp repeats inserted in the reverse orientation, rMd5(rev9-132). After two passages in cell culture, wild-type Md5, rMd5, and rMd5(Delta132) were stable. However, rMd5(9-132) and rMd5(rev9-132) contained a population of viruses that contained from 3 to over 20 copies of the repeats. A major 1.8-kb mRNA, containing two copies of the 132-bp repeat, was present in wild-type Md5 and rMd5 but was not present in rMd5(Delta132), rMd5(9-132), rMd5(rev9-132), or an attenuated MDV. Instead, the RNAs transcribed from the 132-bp repeat region in rMd5(9-132) and rMd5(rev9-132) closely resembled the pattern of RNAs transcribed in attenuated MDVs. When inoculated into susceptible day-old chicks, all viruses produced various lesions. Thus, expansion of the number of copies of 132-bp repeats, which accompanies attenuation, is not sufficient in itself to attenuate pathogenic MDVs.
Evidence for primary control of the distribution of certain Atlantic Ocean benthonic foraminifera by degree of carbonate saturation

Abstract The distribution of certain Atlantic Ocean benthonic foraminifera is most consistently correlated with the degree of saturation of seawater with respect to calcium carbonate. Based on this relationship it may be possible to recognize changes in “paleosaturation” in the deep sea from fossil benthonic foraminifera.
Efficient location aware intrusion detection to protect mobile devices

This paper addresses the problem of efficient intrusion detection for mobile devices via correlating the user's location and time data. We developed two statistical profiling approaches for modeling the normal spatio---temporal behavior of the users: one based on an empirical cumulative probability measure and the other based on the Markov properties of trajectories. An anomaly is detected when the probability of a particular (location, time) evolution matching the normal behavior of a given user becomes lower than a certain threshold, determined by controlling the recall rate of the model of the normal user's behavior. We used compression techniques to reduce processing overhead while maintaining high accuracy. Our evaluation based on the Reality Mining and Geolife data sets shows that the proposed system is capable of detecting a potential intrusion within 15 min and with 94 % accuracy.
Comment on Evert et al. Nutrition therapy recommendations for the management of adults with diabetes. Diabetes care 2013;36:3821-3842.

We read the position statement on nutrition therapy with great interest (1). In our observation, the article appears to have missed some of the major benefits of a whole-foods, plant-based diet, also referred to as a vegan or vegetarian dietary pattern. The article states that, in a review of six vegetarian and low-fat vegan studies, there was not a consistent improvement in glycemic control or cardiovascular disease risk factors “except when energy intake was restricted and weight was lost.” In fact, all but one of the five vegan intervention studies cited encouraged ad libitum intake of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruit. Participants …
Effective shielding values of the phenyl group in some group IVB and VB compounds

Abstract The effective shielding of the phenyl group is lower in silanes, germanes and stannanes than in methanes. It is also lower in phosphines and arsines than in amines. On the basis of limited data available in the literature, it appears that other groups also exhibit a lower effective shielding in silanes, germanes and stannanes than in methanes. The dependence on electronegativity which the effective shielding values show indicate that the shielding values may be a measure of the ability of the element to transmit the inductive effect of an electronegative substituent. The effective shielding constants of substituent groups in silanes, as in methanes, can be used to determine the τ values of the remaining protons. For example, using the values of σeff of 0.80 for the phenyl group and 0.21 for the methyl group and the relation that τ = τ(SiH4) − Σiσieff the calculated values for the proton attached to silicon in Me2PhSiH and MePh2SiH are 5.55 and 4.96 respectively. The observed values, as reported by Webster15, for these compounds are 5.57 and 5.08.
Relationships between adult attachment representations and family ritual quality: a prospective, longitudinal study.

Meaningful family rituals have been associated with positive outcomes for families and children. No studies, however, have investigated predictors of family ritual quality, the identification of which would be important for understanding why some families create and enact meaningful family rituals while others lack rituals or have problematic rituals. We propose that adult attachment security may be an important predictor of family ritual quality because family rituals may provide a sense of stability and cohesiveness for the family. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between adult attachment representations and the quality of family rituals, using a prospective, longitudinal design. Prior to the birth of their first child, 125 couples completed the Adult Attachment Interview, and a subsample of 70 mothers and 62 fathers completed the Family Rituals Questionnaire when their first child was 7 years old. Different patterns of relationships between attachment representations and family rituals were found for mothers and fathers. Maternal Insecure Attachment was associated with higher routinization of family rituals. Being in a couple with mixed attachment classifications (e.g., one Secure partner and one Insecure partner) was related to a pattern of low routinization and low meaning for family rituals. The results of this study are interpreted in terms of two patterns of rituals that have been described by clinicians--rigid ritualization and underritualization, and suggestions for working with these ritual patterns in families with Insecure attachment are provided.
The role of congruent and incongruent evaluative contexts on word association

A two-part experiment was run in which S s were required to produce word associates to pleasant and unpleasant target words contained in zero, one, or two-word contexts. For one group of S s contexts were evaluatively congruent with target words while for a second group they were evaluatively incongruent with them. Results showed that the evaluative nature of target words (pleasant or unpleasant), the length of prior context, and the evaluative relation of context to target words (congruent or incongruent) significantly affected affected associative RT. The evaluative characteristics of associates produced were found to be congruent with those of the target words, although associates produced in response to words in incongruent contexts were less polarized than associates produced in response to words in congruent contexts. Response frequency was discussed, and discarded, as accounting for the pattern of RTs obtained. The results were interpreted as supporting Osgood's view that evaluative semantic locations reflect the evocation of implicit approach and avoidance responses for pleasant and unpleasant placements, respectively.
Government documents use by superintendent of documents number areas

Abstract This article describes a study of the in-house use and circulation of federal documents during a one-year period at Miami University. Overall results, and a listing of use by major SuDocs areas is given. A description of Miami University, methodology of the study, and use of the results is also included.
Inhibition of connexin43 gap junctional intercellular communication by TPA requires ERK activation.

The phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), is a potent inhibitor of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC). This inhibition requires activation of protein kinase C (PKC), but the events downstream of this kinase are not known. Since PKC can activate extracellular signal regulated kinases (ERKs) and these also downregulate GJIC, we hypothesized that the inhibition of GJIC by TPA involved ERKs. TPA treatment (10 ng/ml for 30 min) of WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells strongly activated p42 and p44 ERK-1 and -2, blocked gap junction-mediated fluorescent dye-coupling, and induced connexin43 hyperphosphorylation and gap junction internalization. These effects were completely prevented by inhibitors of PKC (bis-indolylmaleimide I; 2 μM) and ERK activation (U-0126; 10 μM). These data suggest that ERKs are activated by PKC in response to TPA treatment and are downstream mediators of the gap junction effects of the phorbol ester. J. Cell. Biochem. 83: 163–169, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Thyroid hormone action: identification of the mitochondrial thyroid hormone receptor as adenine nucleotide translocase.

A preliminary report from our laboratory suggested that the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) is bound with an association constant (Ka) approximating 2 × 1011M-1 by adenine nucleotide transloc...
Abdominal positioning interneurons in crayfish: participation in behavioral acts

Premotor interneurons involved in the abdominal positioning behaviors of the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, were studied intracellularly, along with motoneuron activity, in semi-intact preparations during episodes of fictive behavior. Each impaled cell was tested by injecting depolarizing current and examining the motor output. If a response was evoked then the cell was classified as a flexion-producing interneuron (FPI), extension-producing interneuron (EPI) or mixed output interneuron (MOI). A platform drop/rise procedure was then used to elicit abdominal extension-like and flexion-like responses. Interneurons that were active during positioning behavior were silenced by hyperpolarization to determine their contribution in generating the underlying motor program. The data were used to assess the degree of participation of these interneurons in abdominal positioning behavior. Fewer than half of the FPIs, EPIs and MOIs became active during the behavioral episodes. Strength of response to depolarizing current was not correlated with the probability that a cell would fire during behavior. Hyperpolarization tests showed that typical FPIs, EPIs and MOIs were only responsible for a small part of the overall motor output. Also, interneurons, regardless of their FPI or EPI classification, were often observed to fire during both flexion-like and extension-like behaviors. Responses of FPIs, EPIs and MOIs to repeated platform movements suggest that these cells may fire according to a probability distribution depending on: (1) strength of the stimulus; (2) location of the stimulus; (3) location of the interneuron. Most identified cells could not readily be assigned to a specific behavior except for the 'T' cell type, which seems intimately involved in most flexion behaviors. The results of this study support the hypothesis that there are few if any 'command neurons', as defined by Kupfermann and Weiss (1978), in the crayfish abdominal positioning system. Abdominal positioning behavior, therefore, is probably under the control of a large network of cells each contributing a small part to the overall motor output.
Hypothermia for the treatment of infants with hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy

Neonatal encephalopathy affects 2 to 5 of every 1000 live births and represents a major cause of mortality and long-term morbidity in affected infants. Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the major cause of encephalopathy in the neonatal period. Until recently, management of a newborn with encephalopathy has consisted largely of supportive care to restore and maintain cerebral perfusion, provide adequate gas exchange and treat seizure activity. Recent randomized controlled trials have shown that mild therapeutic hypothermia (cooling) initiated within 6 h of birth reduces death and disability in these infants. Cooling can be accomplished through whole-body cooling or selective head cooling. Meta-analysis of these trials suggests that for every six or seven infants with moderate to severe HIE who are treated with mild hypothermia, there will be one fewer infant who dies or has significant neurodevelopmental disability. In response to this evidence, major policy makers and guideline developers have recommended that cooling therapy be offered to infants with moderate to severe HIE. The dissemination of this new therapy will require improved identification of infants with HIE and regional commitment to allow these infants to be cared for in a timely manner.
An Objective Measure for Postural Comfort

Biomechanics determines the physical range in which humans can move their bodies. Human factors research delineates a subspace in which humans can operate without experiencing musculoskeletal strai...
Microbial mineralization of humic acid-3,4-dichloroaniline complexes

3,4-Dichloroaniline (DCA), a biodegradation intermediate of numerous herbicides, binds covalently to soil humus to form persistent complexes. Prompted by the possibility that, upon repeated treatments, xenobiotic residues may accumulate in humus, the turnover rates of intact, solvent-extracted, and hydrolyzed humic complexes of 14C-DCA were compared with that of similarly-treated soil organic matter fractions. The turnover rate of intact humic-DCA complexes was considerably faster than the average turnover of soil organic matter. Humic-DCA complexes, that had been washed in solvents to remove adsorbed DCA or hydrolyzed to break susceptible chemical bonds, had turnover rates that were equal to or slower than that of the average soil organic matter, respectively. However, the turnover rates of the solvent-washed and hydrolyzed humic-DCA complexes were similar to that of identically-treated humic acid. The evidence indicates that an extensive accumulation of DCA or similar herbicide-derived halogenated anilines in soil organic matter is unlikely.
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Novel Pyridine-Bridged Analogues of Combretastatin-A4 as Anticancer Agents

A series of novel pyridine-bridged analogues of combretastatin-A4 (CA-4) were designed and synthesized. As expected, the 4-atom linker configuration retained little cytotoxicities in the compounds 2e, 3e, 3g, and 4i. Activities of the analogues with 3-atom linker varied widely depending on the phenyl ring substitutions, and the 3-atom linker containing nitrogen represents the more favorable linker structure. Among them, three analogues (4h, 4s, and 4t) potently inhibited cell survival and growth, arrested cell cycle, and blocked angiogenesis and vasculature formation in vivo in ways comparable to CA-4. The superposition of 4h and 4s in the colchicine-binding pocket of tubulin shows the binding posture of CA-4, 4h, and 4s are similar, as confirmed by the competitive binding assay where the ability of the ligands to replace tubulin-bound colchicine was measured. The binding data are consistent with the observed biological activities in antiproliferation and suppression of angiogenesis but are not predictive...
The Fate of the Triplet Excitations in the Fenna-Matthews-Olson Complex and Stability of the Complex

The Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) protein complex contains strongly coupled bacteriochlorophyll a (BChl a) pigments and is part of a light harvesting antenna of green sulfur bacteria. This complex is very stable, in spite of the fact that it contains no carotenoids that are universally found to protect pigment-protein complexes against highly reactive singlet oxygen, which can form due to the transfer of energy from the triplet excited states of BChl molecules. In this work the dynamics of triplet excited states in FMO are investigated by means of nanosecond time resolved pump-probe spectroscopy. It is inferred, that triplet excited state is formed concurrently on three pigments within the FMO subunit, and its energy is then rapidly transferred to the lowest triplet energy pigment. Mixed singlet-triplet excitonic quantum-mechanical simulations reveal the structural positions of these pigments. It is concluded, that pigment #3 in the structure has the lowest triplet state energy, and that this energy is below that of the singlet oxygen, blocking energy transfer and preventing the formation of singlet oxygen. The latter is confirmed by direct measurements of BChl a triplet state energy via phosphorescence and independence of triplet state lifetime (55 µs) in FMO on the oxygen concentration. It is thus feasible to have natural antenna systems that are inherently stable without the need for carotenoids in the structure.The authors acknowledge the Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the U.S. Department of Energy through Grant DE- FG02-09ER16084 for funding these studies.
Matrix metalloproteinases as valid clinical targets

The matrix metalloproteinase family of enzymes has been a pharmaceutical target for over 20 years. In that time, many drugs have been developed but none have successfully passed clinical trials. A significant problem has been development of dose-limiting side-effects that were revealed during long-term clinical trials in diseases such as arthritis and various cancers. There are, however, other clinical settings where evidence for MMP function contributing to the pathophysiology of disease is strong. A number of these settings will be discussed here together with evidence from animal models that MMP inhibition is a valid strategy to be considered. A major advantage with many of these settings is that drug exposure may not have to be long-term and/or systemic thus reducing the possibility that side-effects will stymie MMPI-based therapy.
First-principles local-orbital study of the boron-induced reconstruction of Si(001)

A self-consistent multicenter local-orbital formalism is used to investigate the total energy and atomic equilibrium positions of several structural models suggested for the $\mathrm{Si}(001)$ surface covered by half a monolayer of boron. Density-functional calculations based on the Harris functional approximation for the total energy are performed within the local-density approximation and the pseudopotential method. Localized atomiclike orbitals are used for the expansion of the electronic wave functions, together with the slab supercell description for the surface. We focus on the identification of the structural subunits which form the ordered $c(4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4)$ reconstruction patterns recently observed by scanning-tunneling microscopy (STM). Our calculations favor a structural model which is different than previously proposed geometries. Moreover, the local density of surface states determined for the lowest-energy configuration agrees very well with the corrugation, lateral distribution, and orientation of the protrusions seen in the STM topographs.
Solid-state NMR investigation of the buried X-proline peptide bonds of bacteriorhodopsin.

The role of proline residues in the photocycle of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is addressed using solid-state NMR. 13C and 15N chemical shifts from X−Pro peptide bonds in bR are assigned from REDOR difference spectra of pairwise labeled samples, and correlations of chemical shifts with structure are explored in a series of X−Pro model compounds. Results for the three membrane-embedded X−Pro bonds of bR indicate only slight changes in the transition from the resting state of the protein to either the early or late M state of the protonmotive photocycle. These results suggest that the buried prolines serve a principally structural role in bR.
The Effects of Weight Loss by Exercise or by Dieting on Plasma High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Levels in Men With Low, Intermediate, and Normal-to-High HDL at Baseline

To assess whether baseline plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels affected the HDL response to weight loss, we examined lipoprotein changes in overweight men aged 30 to 59 years who were randomized to lose weight by exercise training (primarily running, n = 46) or by caloric restriction (ie, dieting, n = 42) or to remain sedentary, nondieting controls (n = 42) in a 1-year study. In exercisers, absolute increases in HDL (mg/dL) were greatest in men with normal-to-high baseline HDL and least in men with low baseline HDL. Specifically, when divided into groups of low ( or = 48 mg/dL) at baseline, the exercisers increased HDL cholesterol by 2.3 +/- 1.9, 4.9 +/- 1.1, and 7.0 +/- 1.3 mg/dL, respectively; HDL2 cholesterol by 0.8 +/- 1.6, 2.3 +/- 1.2, and 5.1 +/- 1.3 mg/dL; and HDL2 mass by 2.8 +/- 5.1, 9.5 +/- 8.9, and 31.7 +/- 11.0 mg/dL. Relative increases in HDL cholesterol were more similar in the low (7.1% +/- 6.1%), intermediate (12.4% +/- 3.9%), and normal-to-high men (13.2% +/- 4.0%). Regression analyses were performed to assess whether baseline HDL cholesterol was related to the amount of absolute HDL change per unit of weight loss. In exercisers, the increase in HDL3 cholesterol concentrations was significantly greater in men with low HDL than in those with normal-to-high HDL at entry (2.0 +/- 0.8 v 0.2 +/- 0.8 mg/dL per kg/m2 lost).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Natural History of Jaundice in Predominantly Breastfed Infants

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Breastfed newborns are more likely to develop prolonged hyperbilirubinemia than those fed formula, but the prevalence of prolonged hyperbilirubinemia in a largely white, North American breastfed population is unknown. In this population, we documented the natural history of jaundice and the prevalence of prolonged hyperbilirubinemia, and we evaluated the utility of assessing the cephalocaudal progression of jaundice in office-based practices. METHODS: We measured transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) levels during the first month in 1044 predominantly breastfed infants ≥35 weeks of gestation and assigned a cephalocaudal zone score to each infant at the time of the TcB measurement. RESULTS: TcB level was ≥5 mg/dL in 43% of infants at age 21 ± 3 days and 34% were clinically jaundiced. At 28 ± 3 days, the TcB was ≥5 mg/dL in 34% and 21% were jaundiced. There was a strong correlation between the TcB level and the jaundice zone score, but there was a wide range of TcB levels associated with each score. CONCLUSIONS: Practitioners can be reassured that it is normal for 20% to 30% of predominantly breastfed newborns to be jaundiced at age 3 to 4 weeks and for 30% to 40% of these infants to have bilirubin levels ≥5 mg/dL. The jaundice zone score does not provide an accurate assessment of the bilirubin level, but a score of zero (complete absence of jaundice) suggests that the level is unlikely to be >12.9 mg/dL, whereas a score of ≥4 usually predicts a level of ≥10 mg/dL.
Isolation of Inactive and G Protein-resistant Adenylyl Cyclase Mutants Using Random Mutagenesis (∗)

We used random mutagenesis and phenotypic rescue of adenylyl cyclase-null Dictyostelium cells to isolate loss-of-function mutations in the enzyme. Mutants were (i) catalytically inactive or (ii) resistant to chemoattractant receptor and guanosine 5′-3-O-(thio)triphosphate stimulation. Both classes of mutants harbored substitutions within the cytoplasmic C1a domain. Mutations that inactivated the enzyme were often at highly conserved positions. Those that blocked activation were grouped in two distinct regions: one close to the plane of the plasma membrane and another halfway within the C1 loop. Missense mutations or deletions within the transmembrane domains resulted in missorting of the protein. Our screen provides a simple and efficient method to separately define the sites of catalysis and regulation of this important class of enzymes.
Physical and behavioural abilities of commensal rodents related to the design of selective rodenticide bait stations

Design of selective bait stations to deliver rodenticide bait is often proposed for management of non-target animal access, but much of the information on the behavioural and physical capabilities of rodents relative to station access has not been readily available or is based on unpublished, informal observations or anecdotes repeated for many years. We studied the climbing and jumping abilities of Polynesian Rats (Rattus exulans), Norway Rats (R. norvegicus), Roof Rats (R. rattus), and House Mice (Mus musculus), focused on applications for eradication of these invasive rodents from island ecosystems in the Pacific where a variety of important non-target animals occur. The maximum jumping heights achieved by the three rat species was 40 cm; House Mice jumped a maximum of 25 cm. The minimum diameter holes through which these species could pass were 40 mm (Norway Rats), 35 mm (Roof Rats), 30 mm (Polynesian Rats), and 13 mm (House Mice). Our findings establish threshold differences for these species for tra...
Growth hormone resistance and inhibition of somatomedin activity by excess of insulin-like growth factor binding protein in uraemia.

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs) were studied in children with end-stage renal failure (ESRF,n=31) and chronic renal failure (n=11) with residual glomerular filtration. Somatomedin bioactivity in patient sera was found to be decreased while IGF-I and IGF-II levels by radio-immunoassay (RIA) were normal. In contrast, IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 levels (measured by RIA) were markedly increased in uraemia. Excess IGFBP was shown to be able to bind IGF by determination of the free IGF binding capacity. Using high-performance liquid chromatography a shift of the IGFBP-3 profile to low molecular weight components could be demonstrated in ESRF. Affinity crosslinking experiments showed that these low molecular weight IGFBP-3 immunoreactive forms are biologically active. In normal urine only IGFBP-3 forms smaller than 60 kDa were detected with a major peak at 12–20 kDa. Removal of excessive IGFBP from patient sera by affinity chromatography on an IGF-II Sepharose column resulted in a significant increase in somatomedin bioactivity. Model calculations on the interaction of IGF and IGFBP using empirical data suggested a reduction of IGF secretion in uraemia by an order of magnitude. It is concluded: (1) that renal failure causes an accumulation of low molecular weight IGFBP, (2) that the resulting excess of IGFBP acts as a somatomedin inhibitor, and (3) that in uraemia there is a relative growth hormone resistance with respect to IGF production.
Divergence, Sensitivity, and Nonequilibrium in Ecosystems

Contemporary theoretical debate in ecology and biogeography is often focused on equilibrium vs. nonequilibrium behavior in ecosystems and on the nature and source of ecosystem dynamics. It is suggested that these debates be recast in terms of the way ecosystems develop and respond to disturbances, rather than in terms of concepts often imported from mathematics, physics, and other fields. Using nonlinear dynamical systems theory, it is shown that key theoretical implications can be cast in terms of geoecologically significant phenomenologies such as divergent evolution, sensitivity to initial conditions and small disturbances, historical contingency, and path dependence. Examples show these phenomena are widely observed in ecosystems. Ecological and biogeographical theory can be problematized from within geography and ecology rather than fuzzy, abstract concepts such as equilibrium, self-organization, Obalance of nature,O or chaos. Complexity, sensitivity, variability, nonsteady states, and other concepts often associated with nonequilibrium or complexity-theory frameworks have manifestations that are evident in observable ecological phenomena, in addition to theory and models.
Solvolytic hydroperoxide rearrangements III. Stereoselective Rearrangements of Methylated Cyclopropyl Carbinols.

Abstract Solvolysis of 1-methylspiro[5, 2] octan-4-ols, 1 – 3 , in acidified THF-90% H 2 O 2 through a combination of cyclopropylcarbinyl and Criegee rearrangements constitutes a new stereoselective synthesis of 3-alkyl-4-hydroxycyclooctanones.
Anorexia, serum zinc, and immunologic response in small cell lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and prophylactic cranial radiotherapy

Anorexia is a major clinical problem for patients with certain types of cancer. The specific mechanisms that result in this spontaneous decline in food intake remain unknown. In noncancer populations, zinc has been shown to play a role in maintaining normal appetite, taste acuity, and immunocompetence. One purpose of this prospective, longitudinal study of cachexia in ten males with small cell lung carcinoma was to determine if anorexia (caloric intake), perceived taste changes, zinc intake, and impaired cellular immunity were associated with serum zinc concentrations. The average daily caloric intake declined 490 kcal from time of diagnosis to seven months after diagnosis (mean caloric intake = 72% of RDA). Daily zinc intake ranged from 6.5 to 25.4 mg over the seven months. During this period, the mean serum zinc concentrations, although low (71 micrograms/dl), remained within the normal range. The average weight declined from 81.7 to 74.1 kg. There was no identifiable pattern of perceived taste changes; most of the perceived changes were recorded during the period coinciding with prophylactic cranial radiation. At the initial testing, four of nine subjects were anergic to a battery of skin test antigens (mumps, candida, tuberculin purified protein derivative). The only subject who remained responsive to two antigens throughout the study remained alive at 12 months. Caloric intake was inadequate to maintain weight. While zinc intake was low, low normal serum zinc concentrations were maintained; thus in this sample, serum zinc does not appear to be the anorexigenic factor.
Model-based etch profile simulation of PSM films

For advanced binary and PSM mask etch, final profile control is critically important for achieving desired mask specifications. As an aid to attain profile control, an etch profile simulation method has been developed. The method starts with an initial photoresist profile and incorporates etch rate and directionality information to predict the final etch profile. In this paper, simulated results are compared to measured etch profiles for PSM substrates. The results highlight the importance and implications of incoming resist profile and etch selectivity on final profile.
Barrett's esophagus: lack of association with adjuvant chemotherapy for localized breast carcinoma

This study was designed to prospectively, endoscopically, and histologically determine the prevalence of Barrett's esophagus in patients who had received adjuvant chemotherapy for localized breast carcinoma. Fifteen white women who received cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil (N = 8) or cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, and 5-fluorouracil (N = 7) chemotherapy underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and esophageal biopsy a mean 31.1 months (median, 11 months) after completion of full-course chemotherapy. Twelve of 15 patients had experienced oral ulcerations, diarrhea, or odynophagia during chemotherapy. In no patient was Barrett's esophagus identified endoscopically or histologically. This study fails to demonstrate an increased prevalence of Barrett's esophagus in breast carcinoma patients who had received adjuvant chemotherapy.