cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Staging Saturation Biopsy in Patients with Prostate Cancer on Active Surveillance Protocol

OBJECTIVES One option for the management of low-grade, low-stage prostate cancer is to delay or forego treatment unless evidence of an increased risk of disease progression exists. Accurate assessment of the disease extent and aggressiveness is necessary to determine the candidates for active surveillance (AS). Office-based saturation prostate biopsy (SB) provides more accurate staging than traditional biopsy; therefore, we studied its role in patients on an AS protocol. METHODS Our database identified 52 men with prostate cancer treated with AS from July 2000 to May 2007. The records were reviewed to determine the role of SB in determining the need for definitive therapy. RESULTS The patients had a median age of 69 years (range 51 to 83) and median prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 5.1 ng/mL (range 0.5 to 47). Patients underwent subsequent staging 20-core SB a median of 9 months (range 1 to 20 months) after diagnosis. The disease of 20 patients (38%) was upstaged as defined by an increase in Gleason score or increased disease volume, leading to a recommendation for active treatment. Patients with disease upstaging had had significantly fewer cores taken at the initial diagnostic biopsy (11% with 20 cores or more compared with 55% with fewer than 20 cores, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS SB might lead to a more accurate assessment of the extent and grade of disease in men with prostate cancer on an AS protocol than traditional biopsy. In our series, more than one half of patients who pursue an AS protocol delayed or avoided local therapy. No patient developed clinical metastasis, but long-term surveillance is required.
SU‐FF‐T‐24: A Monte Carlo Study of the Out‐Of‐Field Dose From IMRT

Purpose: To calculate the out‐of‐field dose resulting from intensity‐modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) using Monte Carlo. Out‐of‐field radiation poses a health risk to the patient as it may induce late effects such as secondary malignancies. While this dose can be measured,measurements are time consuming and are specific to the irradiation conditions and patient examined. In contrast, Monte Carlo modeling can be flexible and applied to an arbitrary condition or patient, and may offer reasonable accuracy. Method and Materials:MCNPX was used to create a Monte Carlo model of a Varian 2100 accelerator and treatment vault. Step‐and‐shoot IMRT of the prostate was simulated at 6 MV and 18 MV. The simulated patient was an anthropomorphic phantom, the CT of which was converted to MCNPX format using Scan2MCNP. The dose from photons and the dose equivalent from neutrons were calculated at various organ locations throughout the phantom. These calculated doses were compared to measureddoses that were previously published, based on the same anthropomorphic phantom and IMRT treatments. Results: The Monte Carlo model was able to accurately predict the out‐of‐field photondose at both 6 MV and 18 MV. At 6 MV, the average absolute out‐of‐field photondose was 14% different than measurement, while at 18 MV the average absolute out‐of‐field photondose was 13% different than measurement. There have been a wide range of published neutrondose equivalents in phantom and our calculated neutrondose equivalents were consistent with these values. Conclusion: Using Monte Carlo it was possible to calculate the out‐of‐field dose equivalent resulting from complex therapies incident on a complex phantom. Such a Monte Carlo model would therefore be a useful tool for evaluating the out‐of‐field dose received by patients undergoing radiotherapy.
Phenotypic correlations in FTDP-17

Frontotemporal dementias with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) are hereditary tauopathies affecting at least 50 known kindred worldwide. Most kindred present with severe behavioral or psychiatric manifestations progressing to dementia, while some kindred first manifest a parkinsonian-plus syndrome. Nine missense mutations, one deletion mutation, and two transition mutations not altering the encoded amino acid, have been described in or near the microtubule-binding domains within exons 9, 10, 12, and 13. In addition, five different intronic mutations have been reported in the 5' splice-site of the alternatively spliced exon 10. Missense mutations affecting constitutively expressed exons affect all six major tau isoforms and result in neurofibrillary tangles similar to those present in secondary tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease. In contrast, mutations that affect the alternatively spliced exon 10 or its 5' splice regulatory region alter the ratio of the tau isoforms incorporated into the tangles and result in filamentous inclusions resembling those seen in the primary tauopathies, such as progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, and Pick's disease. The severity and heterogeneity of the clinicomorphologic phenotype may, in part, reflect the diversity in the primary molecular mechanisms of disease in FTDP-17.
Thermostable peroxidase -polylysine films for biocatalysis at 90 °C

Cross-linked films of poly(l-lysine) (PLL) and enzymes covalently linked to surfaces provided remarkable thermostability, enabling biocatalysis at 90 °C. Soret spectra, circular dichroism, and voltammetry showed that PLL films containing peroxidases or myoglobin were stable for up to 9 h at 90 °C, while the same enzymes in solution denatured completely within 20 min. Biocatalytic reduction of t-BuOOH with enzyme-PLL films, using rotating disk voltammetry, provided Michaelis kcat/Km values. Results showed that horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-PLL is 3-fold more active than soybean peroxidase (SBP)-PLL at 25 °C, but SBP-PLL is slightly more active at 90 °C. SBP-PLL films had 8-fold larger kcat/Km values at 90 °C compared to 25 °C. Oxidation of o-methoxyphenol to 3,3‘-dimethoxy-4,4‘-biphenoquinone by peroxidase-PLL-coated silica colloids gave better yields at 90 °C than 25 °C, suggesting increasing catalytic efficiency and selectivity at the higher temperature. These biocolloids were reusable with little loss of...
The 2006-2007 Food Label and Package Survey (FLAPS): nutrition labeling, trans fat labeling.

Abstract Since the 1970s, the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has studied product labels from the US food supply through the Food Label and Package Survey (FLAPS). The sampling frame for the latest survey, FLAPS 2006–2007, was the ACNielsen Strategic Planner food sales database. As the newest addition to the Nutrition Facts label, this latest FLAPS included trans fat and was utilized to characterize the prevalence of foods reporting trans fat information. For this survey, FDA used a new probability-based sample design to draw a list of food products. Products were purchased from retail stores across the US, and label information was recorded to create the FLAPS 2006–2007 database. Results of initial data analyses show that an estimated 96.3% of FDA-regulated processed, packaged foods have nutrition labeling, with an additional 3.7% exempt from mandatory nutrition labeling requirements. FLAPS data show that 12% of products provide a nutrient content claim about the amount of trans fat on the principal display panel, with over 75% displaying “0 g trans fat.” FDA will continue to analyze FLAPS data as a tracking mechanism to monitor the market response to food label regulations and to support policy, regulatory, economic, and food safety decisions.
Measurement of fetal heart rate variability on an electronic monitor using a prototype electronic ruler.

OBJECTIVE To develop a prototype electronic ruler for assessment of fetal heart rate (FHR) variability on an electronic monitor and test its reliability and accuracy. STUDY DESIGN A prototype electronic ruler was designed and developed for assessment of FHR variability on electronic monitors. The electronic ruler consisted of horizontal bands that were sized and colored to embed the four FHR variability categories. The reliability and accuracy of using the electronic ruler to assess FHR variability was studied with expert clinicians. RESULTS Intrarater and interrater reliability was moderate for both the electronic ruler and paper strips. The amplitude measurement accuracy of expert variability assessment compared with a gold standard was significantly improved (p < 0.001) with the electronic ruler versus paper strips. The accuracy of subjects' FHR variability category responses compared with the gold standard revealed no significant difference (p = 0.50) using either display type. CONCLUSION Performance of the electronic ruler was equivalent to paper strips, which may aid assessment of variability on electronic monitors as paper strips become less prevalent.
Foreign direct investment and host country conditions: Looking from the other side now

In contrast to the customary focus on the consequences of foreign direct investment for host countries in the developing world, this analysis examines how host country conditions may influence the allocation of FDI. We found that foreign investors tend to be attracted to the larger and more industrialized developing countries. They also tend to favor countries that feature close political and military ties with the United States, and dynamic export of manufactures. Additionally, host countries with stronger central governments have “pulled” in more FDI than those without this characteristic. Conversely, the smaller, less industrialized, and nonaligned African, Asian, and Latin American countries have been largely ignored by Western investors. These investors have been increasingly attracted to the manufacturing sector in developing countries, as opposed to their traditional interest in extractive and agricultural enterprises. The validity of these generalizations based on a cross‐sectional analysis of the...
Regulation of AMPA receptor recruitment at developing synapses

Fast synaptic current at most excitatory synapses in the brain is carried by AMPA and NMDA subtypes of ionotropic glutamate receptors (AMPARs and NMDARs). During development there is an increase in the ratio of AMPAR- to NMDAR-mediated current at these synapses. Recent studies indicate that NMDAR signaling early in development negatively regulates AMPAR expression and function at multiple levels, which likely accounts for the small AMPAR current at developing synapses. This contrasts with the positive role of NMDAR signaling in recruiting AMPARs to synapses during long-term potentiation in the adult brain. Thus, NMDARs exert differential effects on the recruitment of AMPA receptors to synapses depending on the developmental state of the neural circuit.
British Approval Plan Books: American or British Vendor?

A number of factors contribute to the need for collection developers to reexamine the use of British dealers for British books: fluctuations in the value of the American dollar, the absence of discounts from British dealers, the highly competitive nature of discounting among American dealers, the increased availability of British titles distributed or simultaneously published on this side of the Atlantic, timeliness of materials, and the differences in technical processing introduced by both avenues of acquisition. This case study describes actions taken over a two‐year period (mid 1983 to November 1985) at a medium‐sized research library to reexamine these issues.
Mycobacterium avium complex infection in patients with AIDS

Abstract M. avium complex is a common cause of widely disseminated infection among AIDS patients. The origin of the infection appears to be the gastrointestinal tract. Stool smears and cultures for acid-fast bacilli as well as blood cultures are sensitive diagnostic tests. Quantitative blood culture methods are useful in enumerating organisms in the peripheral blood and organisms have been shown to be present in leukocytes. Our patients have been treated with a variety of antimicrobial agents but without a sustained remission of MAC disease. The remarkable load of organisms seen and these patients' inability to produce high levels of MAC antibody is further evidence of the extraordinary effect the AIDS disease has on T-cell as well as B-cell immune function.
Packaging Cell Line DNA Contamination of Vector Supernatants: Implication for Laboratory and Clinical Research

Abstract Investigators conducting retroviral gene therapy trials are required to monitor for the presence of replication-competent retrovirus (RCR). The required testing utilizes a combination of biologic assays and molecular tests using PCR. In the course of a human clinical gene therapy trial, we detected 4070A viral envelope sequences in CD34 + peripheral blood stem cells 2 days after transduction using a PCR-based assay, suggesting the presence of RCR. The supernatant and producer cells used for vector generation had been negative in extensive screening using the extended S + /L − assay. The presence of a replication-competent virus was subsequently excluded by a combination of biologic and PCR analyses. The source of the 4070A viral envelope sequences was determined to be packaging cell line DNA in the vector supernatant. The analysis of a variety of vector supernatants by quantitative real-time PCR revealed 4070A envelope DNA sequences from the packaging cell line in concentrations equivalent to approximately 50–500 focus-forming units per milliliter of wild-type 4070A virus. When PCR was performed after reverse transcriptase treatment of supernatant (i.e., assessing both RNA and DNA content), 4070A envelope sequence concentrations ranged from 10 2 to 3.5 × 10 3 focus-forming units per milliliter of wild-type 4070A virus. Our data indicate that PCR should not be used to analyze transduced cells for RCR within the first 2 weeks of vector exposure. Furthermore, investigators using PCR to analyze transduction efficiency shortly after vector exposure may experience false-positive findings.
Pitfalls of Heterogeneous Processes for Phylogenetic Reconstruction

Different genes often have different phylogenetic histories. Even within regions having the same phylogenetic history, the mutation rates often vary. We investigate the prospects of phylogenetic reconstruction when all the characters are generated from the same tree topology, but the branch lengths vary (with possibly different tree shapes). Furthering work of Kolaczkowski and Thornton (2004, Nature 431: 980-984) and Chang (1996, Math. Biosci. 134:189-216), we show examples where maximum likelihood (under a homogeneous model) is an inconsistent estimator of the tree. We then explore the prospects of phylogenetic inference under a heterogeneous model. In some models, there are examples where phylogenetic inference under any method is impossible—despite the fact that there is a common tree topology. In particular, there are nonidentifiable mixture distributions, i.e., multiple topologies generate identical mixture distributions. We address which evolutionary models have nonidentifiable mixture distributions and prove that the following duality theorem holds for most DNA substitution models. The model has either: (i) nonidentifiability—two different tree topologies can produce identical mixture distributions, and hence distinguishing between the two topologies is impossible; or (ii) linear tests—there exist linear tests which identify the common tree topology for character data generated by a mixture distribution. The theorem holds for models whose transition matrices can be parameterized by open sets, which includes most of the popular models, such as Tamura-Nei and Kimura's 2-parameter model. The duality theorem relies on our notion of linear tests, which are related to Lake's linear invariants. (Inconsistency of likelihood; linear invariants; Markov chain; mixture models; Monte Carlo; non-identifiability; phylogenetic invariants; phyogenetics; rate variation; tree identifiability.)
Robotic-Assisted Aortic Valve Bypass (Apicoaortic Conduit) for Aortic Stenosis

Aortic valve bypass (AVB [apicoaortic conduit]) surgery consists of the construction of a valved conduit between the left ventricular apex and the descending thoracic aorta. In our institution, AVB is routinely performed without cardiopulmonary bypass or manipulation of the ascending aorta or native aortic valve. We report the case of an 83-year-old man with severe symptomatic bioprosthetic aortic stenosis, chronic thrombocytopenia, and a patent bypass graft who underwent robotically assisted beating-heart AVB through an anterior minithoracotomy. The distal anastomosis was constructed entirely using robotic telemanipulation. Robotic assistance enables the performance of beating-heart AVB through a small incision.
Can Neighbor Attributes Predict School Absences

Recent evidence suggests that the neighborhood context, particularly for urban youth, can influence a range of outcomes. This study makes contributions to the field by examining how the neighborhoo...
The interconversion of dichlorobis( N - n -propylsalicylaldimine)zinc(II) and bis( N - n -propylsalicylaldiminato)zinc(II)

The interconversion of the zinc(II) complex of the neutral ligand adduct of N-n-propylsalicylaldimine Zn(L p r H) 2 Cl 2 and its salicylaldiminato counterpart Zn(L p r ) 2 is investigated. The compound Zn(L p r H) 2 Cl 2 is prepared by the reaction of anhydrous ZnCl 2 with 2 equiv. of N-n-propylsalicylaldimine (L p r H) in benzene. A crystallographic study of the distorted tetrahedral Zn(L p r H) 2 Cl 2 adduct reveals that the oxygen atom of the ligand is deprotonated and bound to the zinc atom while the nitrogen is protonated and non-coordinating. An infrared spectrum of Zn(L p r H) 2 Cl 2 exhibits a C=N stretch at a higher energy (1658 cm - 1 ) than the free ligand (1632 cm - 1 ) consistent with the presence of the iminium moiety. In contrast, the deprotonated ligand of the crystallographically characterized salicylaldiminato complex Zn(L p r ) 2 coordinates to zinc in its prototypical bidentate monoanionic coordination mode. Deprotonation of Zn(L p r H) 2 Cl 2 with Et3N or NaOH forms Zn(L p r ) 2 . The reverse reaction, protonation of Zn(L p r ) 2 with anhydrous HCl, produces Zn(L p r H) 2 Cl 2 . These reactions demonstrate the interrelationship between the zinc salicylaldimine adduct and its corresponding salicylaldiminato complex.
The fishy count Poisson.

In injury research, the most common type of outcome variable is a count of the number of a specific event that occurs in a given population, as in the number of drownings or number of car crashes, ...
Water concentration profile in silica glasses during surface crystallization

Abstract Water concentration profiles in silica glasses during surface crystallization at 1400°C in air were determined by IR spectroscopy with a microscope attachment. Three types of silica glasses with different water contents were examined. Some glass samples initially experienced hydration or dehydration depending upon the original water content. During crystallization, water concentration was highest at the crystal–glass interface and decreased with depth from the interface. Furthermore, water concentration at the interface increased with increasing heat-treatment time for crystallization. The observed water concentration profiles were consistent with the theoretical prediction by Smoluchowski based upon water diffusion modified by water expulsion from the crystal phase. A time-dependent crystal growth rate was also observed for some samples and this behavior appears related to the variation of water content in glasses.
Investigation of the micellar effect of pluronic P85 on P‐glycoprotein inhibition: Cell accumulation and equilibrium dialysis studies

Abstract The objective of this study was: (1) to characterize the P-gp inhibitory effect of different concentrations of Pluronic P85 on anti-HIV-1 drug cellular accumulation, and (2) to investigate the relationship between cellular accumulation and free fraction of drug. Cellular accumulation studies in MDCKII-WT and MDCKII-MDR1 cell monolayers showed a biphasic dose response characterized by decline in accumulation at Pluronic concentrations greater than the CMC. This phenomenon was independent of the inhibition of P-gp efflux by Pluronic. Cell-free equilibrium dialysis was used to determine the effect of Pluronic P85 on drug free fraction and the affinity of Pluronic micelles for drug was modeled. Nelfinavir and saquinavir associated extensively with micelles and equilibrium free fractions were low at P85 concentrations above the CMC, with association constants being in the order nelfinavir > saquinavir ⋙ abacavir. Abacavir, a P-gp substrate, showed no association with micelles yet showed a biphasic response in cellular accumulation. These data suggest that, above the CMC, inhibition of P-gp is not affected but rather factors such as micellar trapping could contribute to decreased accumulation. Therefore, the in vitro evaluation of the effect of Pluronic formulations on active transport should take into account both the physicochemical properties of drug and the composition of Pluronic. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 98:4170–4190, 2009
Development of superoxide dismutase mimetic surfaces to reduce accumulation of reactive oxygen species for neural interfacing applications

Despite successful initial recording, neuroinflammatory-mediated oxidative stress products can contribute to microelectrode failure by a variety of mechanisms including: inducing microelectrode corrosion, degrading insulating/passivating materials, promoting blood-brain barrier breakdown, and directly damaging surrounding neurons. We have shown that a variety of anti-oxidant treatments can reduce intracortical microelectrode-mediated oxidative stress, and preserve neuronal viability. Unfortunately, short-term soluble delivery of anti-oxidant therapies may be unable to provide sustained therapeutic benefits due to low bio-availability and fast clearance rates. In order to develop a system to provide sustained neuroprotection, we investigated modifying the microelectrode surface with an anti-oxidative coating. For initial proof of concept, we chose the superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic Mn(III)tetrakis(4-benzoic acid)porphyrin (MnTBAP). Our system utilizes a composite coating of adsorbed and immobilized MnTBAP designed to provide an initial release followed by continued presentation of an immobilized layer of the antioxidant. Surface modification was confirmed by XPS and QCMB-D analysis. Antioxidant activity of composite surfaces was determined using a Riboflavin/NitroBlue Tetrazolium (RF/NBT) assay. Our results indicate that the hybrid modified surfaces provide several days of anti-oxidative activity. Additionally, in vitro studies with BV-2 microglia cells indicated a significant reduction of intracellular and extracellular reactive oxygen species when cultured on composite MnTBAP surfaces.
Los Angeles One Year Later: A Prospective Assessment of Responses to the 1992 Civil Unrest

Selected responses to the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest are critically evaluated in terms of their ability to address the root causes of the disturbances. The authors conclude that the grassroots initiatives are far more likely to effectuate positive change in the lives of the disadvantaged and to rebuild the communities of south central Los Angeles and other affected areas than the initiatives launched by the public and the private sectors.
A Manufacturing Method for Improving the Physical Characteristics of Winter Butter

Summary Two methods of manufacturing butter were studied. One, the control procedure, consisted of cooling the cream after pasteurization to 46° F. The cream was held at that temperature overnight (15 hr.) and churned the next morning. The other method, the cream-temperature treatment or experimental method, consisted of cooling the cream after pasteurization to 46° F. and holding it at that temperature for 2 hr. Then it was heated slowly to 66° F. (heating time 1 hr.) with water in the jacket of the vat at 79° F. This temperature was maintained for 6 hr. The cream was then cooled to 61° F., held overnight (15 hr.), and churned the next morning. Examination of the butter made by the two methods, when at a temperature of 48° F., showed that the cream-temperature treatment resulted in butter that was relatively soft and waxy and possessed smooth spreading properties. The butter made by the control procedure was generally hard, crumbly, and sticky and had poor spreading properties. Chilled wash water (40° F. or lower) and low-temperature storage (below 0° F.) were also found to be beneficial in the attainment and maintenance of desirable body characteristics in butter.
Soporific signaling: how flies sleep through the night.

The mechanisms of sleep have been studied in Drosophila melanogaster, which show behaviors reminiscent of sleep in vertebrates. A new study identifies a growth factor signaling pathway involved in sleep regulation and consolidation in this model. Inhibiting this pathway causes a sleep pattern that is similar to insomnia in humans.
Microbial Food Webs in Marine Sediments. II. Seasonal Changes in Trophic Interactions in a Sandy Tidal Flat Community

The role of grazing by marine sediment flagellates, ciliates, and meiobenthic animals in controlling production of their bacterial and diatom prey was investigated. At six selected time points, over the year, bacterial production and diatom standing stock were compared to grazing pressure exercised by proto- and micrometazoan consumers. The intensity of prey-predator relations showed pronounced yearly dynamics in which two stages could be distinguished. During the first phase, from the end of winter to mid-summer, the consumption of diatoms gradually increased, with possible overgrazing at the end of the period. This was followed by a collapse of diatom abundance, to the winter level. During the first stage, no appreciable bacterial consumption was observed in spite of the high abundance and production of bacteria. The second stage started in mid-summer and continued through the fall. During this period, the grazing on bacteria increased and reached the year's maximum. For at least a brief period (October), micrograzers removed the majority of bacterial production. In contrast, herbivory stayed at the year's lowest level, and diatoms appeared to be controlled by factors other than grazing. The observed ingestion rates seem to support the apparent energy requirements of flagellates and some ciliates (scuticociliates and hypotrichids). Other ciliates (pleurostomatids and karyorelictids) could not subsist on the observed diet and might have to complement it with other energy sources, possibly via dissolved organic matter absorption.
Large-Area Dense Plasmonic Nanoarrays for Surface Enhanced Raman Applications

Two new techniques for forming dense plasmonic nanoarrays utilizing 157-nm interference lithography on a 90-nm pitch grid include 1) convective assembly of Au nanoparticles into pre-patterned PMMA templates and 2) direct patterning of Ag nanocones.
Costs of treating patients with schizophrenia who have illness-related crisis events

Relatively little is known about the relationship between psychosocial crises and treatment costs for persons with schizophrenia. This naturalistic prospective study assessed the association of recent crises with mental health treatment costs among persons receiving treatment for schizophrenia. Data were drawn from a large multi-site, non-interventional study of schizophrenia patients in the United States, conducted between 1997 and 2003. Participants were treated at mental health treatment systems, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, community mental health centers, community and state hospitals, and university health care service systems. Total costs over a 1-year period for mental health services and component costs (psychiatric hospitalizations, antipsychotic medications, other psychotropic medications, day treatment, emergency psychiatric services, psychosocial/rehabilitation group therapy, individual therapy, medication management, and case management) were calculated for 1557 patients with complete medical information. Direct mental health treatment costs for patients who had experienced 1 or more of 5 recent crisis events were compared to propensity-matched samples of persons who had not experienced a crisis event. The 5 non-mutually exclusive crisis event subgroups were: suicide attempt in the past 4 weeks (n = 18), psychiatric hospitalization in the past 6 months (n = 240), arrest in the past 6 months (n = 56), violent behaviors in the past 4 weeks (n = 62), and diagnosis of a co-occurring substance use disorder (n = 413). Across all 5 categories of crisis events, patients who had a recent crisis had higher average annual mental health treatment costs than patients in propensity-score matched comparison samples. Average annual mental health treatment costs were significantly higher for persons who attempted suicide ($46,024), followed by persons with psychiatric hospitalization in the past 6 months ($37,329), persons with prior arrests ($31,081), and persons with violent behaviors ($18,778). Total cost was not significantly higher for those with co-occurring substance use disorder ($19,034). Recent crises, particularly suicide attempts, psychiatric hospitalizations, and criminal arrests, are predictive of higher mental health treatment costs in schizophrenia patients.
Mannich reaction derivatives of novobiocin with modulated physiochemical properties and their antibacterial activities

Abstract Synthetic derivatives of the natural product antibiotic novobiocin were synthesized in order to improve their physiochemical properties. A Mannich reaction was used to introduce new side chains at a solvent-exposed position of the molecule, and a diverse panel of functional groups was evaluated at this position. Novobiocin and the new derivatives were tested for their binding to gyrase B and their antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus , Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Francisella tularensis and Escherichia coli . While the new derivatives still bound the gyrase B protein potently (0.07–1.8 μM, IC 50 ), they had significantly less antibacterial activity. Two compounds were identified with increased antibacterial activity against M. tuberculosis , with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 2.5 μg/ml.
Lessons and key results from 30 years of imaging spectroscopy

Spectroscopy was first used in 1814 by Joseph von Fraunhofer as a scientific method for discovery, and to develop and test scientific hypotheses. From this beginning, spectroscopy evolved to a broadly used analytical tool for both science and applications. In the 1970’s, technology began to enable a class of instruments that measure spectra for every point in an image. The first airborne imaging spectrometer developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory flew in 1982. Subsequently, a wide range of imaging spectrometers have been developed, many at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, for airborne and space platforms and they have participated in NASA mission throughout the solar system. A key lesson over this time period has been the broad applicability of imaging spectrometers to pursue a range of science and application objectives wherever there is relevant signal in the spectral range from the ultra violet to the thermal infrared. As with all optical imaging instruments, imaging spectrometers have spectral, radiometric and spatial characteristics and related requirements. Of these, uniformity, radiometric precision, and calibration have been identified as critically important for the science and application utility of imaging spectrometer instruments. These key requirements are enabling for the most advanced imaging spectrometer algorithms that retrieve parameters with units and quantifiable uncertainties. The current trend in imaging spectrometer instrumentation is for broader spectral coverage and wider swath while improving uniformity, precision, and calibration. A companion emphasis is for lower mass, power and volume, with instruments taking advantage of the latest detector, optical, electronics and computational technologies. The number of imaging spectrometers in use is increasing every year and this trend is on track to continue.
Ric1p and the Ypt6p GTPase Function in a Common Pathway Required for Localization of Trans-Golgi Network Membrane Proteins

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, clathrin is necessary for localization of trans-Golgi network (TGN) membrane proteins, a process that involves cycling of TGN proteins between the TGN and endosomes. To characterize further TGN protein localization, we applied a screen for mutations that cause severe growth defects in combination with a temperature-sensitive clathrin heavy chain. This screen yielded a mutant allele of RIC1. Cells carrying a deletion of RIC1 (ric1Δ) mislocalize TGN membrane proteins Kex2p and Vps10p to the vacuole. Delivery to the vacuole occurs in ric1Δ cells also harboring end3Δ to block endocytosis, indicative of a defect in retrieval to the TGN rather than sorting to endosomes. SYS1, originally discovered as a multicopy suppressor of defects caused by the absence of the Rab GTPase YPT6, was identified as a multicopy suppressor of ric1Δ. Further comparison of ric1Δ and ypt6Δ cells demonstrated identical phenotypes. Multicopy plasmids expressing v-SNAREs Gos1p or Ykt6p, but not other v- and t-SNAREs, partially suppressed phenotypes of ric1Δ and ypt6Δ cells. SLY1–20, a dominant activator of the cis-Golgi network t-SNARE Sed5p, also functioned as a multicopy suppressor. Because Gos1p and Ykt6p interact with Sed5p, these results raise the possibility that TGN membrane protein localization requires Ric1p- and Ypt6p-dependent retrieval to the cis-Golgi network.
Assessing transportation infrastructure impacts on rangelands: test of a standard rangeland assessment protocol

Linear disturbances associated with on- and off-road vehicle use on rangelands has increased dramatically throughout the world in recent decades. This increase is due to a variety of factors including increased availability of all-terrain vehicles, infrastructure development (oil, gas, renewable energy, and ex-urban), and recreational activities. In addition to the direct impacts of road development, the presence and use of roads may alter resilience of adjoining areas through indirect effects such as altered site hydrologic and eolian processes, invasive seed dispersal, and sediment transport. There are few standardized methods for assessing impacts of transportation-related land-use activities on soils and vegetation in arid and semi-arid rangelands. Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health (IIRH) is an internationally accepted qualitative assessment that is applied widely to rangelands. We tested the sensitivity of IIRH to impacts of roads, trails, and pipelines on adjacent lands by surveying plots at three distances from these linear disturbances. We performed tests at 16 randomly selected sites in each of three ecosystems (Northern High Plains, Colorado Plateau, and Chihuahuan Desert) for a total of 208 evaluation plots. We also evaluated the repeatability of IIRH when applied to road-related disturbance gradients. Finally, we tested extent of correlations between IIRH plot attribute departure classes and trends in a suite of quantitative indicators. Results indicated that the IIRH technique is sensitive to direct and indirect impacts of transportation activities with greater departure from reference condition near disturbances than far from disturbances. Trends in degradation of ecological processes detected with qualitative assessments were highly correlated with quantitative data. Qualitative and quantitative assessments employed in this study can be used to assess impacts of transportation features at the plot scale. Through integration with remote sensing technologies, these methods could also potentially be used to assess cumulative impacts of transportation networks at the landscape scale.
Systematics of Paraphaeosphaeria : a molecular and morphological approach

The genus Paraphaeosphaeria (Loculoascomycetes) was described as a segregate of Leptosphaeria for species producing brown, usually punctate ascospores with rounded ends, a submedian primary septum, an inflated cell above the primary septum, and a Coniothyrium sensu lato anamorph. This study evaluated the taxonomic value of the morphological characters, host range, ecology, and anamorphs in relation to DNA sequence data in order to determine the relationship between species described in Paraphaeosphaeria. Nine species were characterized morphologically and the ITS and 18S regions of the rDNA were sequenced and a phylogeny was inferred. Morphological studies and results of the sequence analyses provide strong support for polyphyly of this genus. Based on these analyses, the concept of Paraphaeosphaeria should be narrowed to reflect a monophyletic generic concept. Characters such as spore septation and method of conidiogenesis were found to predict relatedness.
A comparison of two computer input devices for uppercase letter matching.

Objective To determine whether the Touch Window or the mouse with an enlarged on-screen arrow was more effective or efficient for an on-screen letter-matching task completed by a boy 9 years of age with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and visual and cognitive deficits. Method A single-subject research design of 5 treatment phases, A1, B1, A2, B2, and A & B, was used. The total percentage of correct letter matches per treatment session, the total percentage correct per letter, and the amount of time needed to match 5 consecutive letters correctly were evaluated. Results The range and variability of letters correctly matched per session decreased and trends for correct letter matches accelerated when the participant used the mouse interface. Accuracy with matching 18 of 26 (69%) letters of the alphabet increased when selections were made with the mouse interface. The participant was faster when using the Touch Window to match 5 consecutive letters correctly; however, regardless of the interface device used, letter matching remained slow and tedious. Conclusion The mouse with an enlarged on-screen arrow and cursor was the more effective interface device with this child. Making a minor adjustment such as increasing the size of the on-screen arrow can make a common piece of equipment accessible to a person with disabilities.
War of textbooks: History education in Russia and Ukraine

Abstract Many scholars stress that teaching about the shared past plays a major role in the formation of national, ethnic, religious, and regional identities, in addition to influencing intergroup perceptions and relations. Through the analysis of historic narratives in history textbooks this paper shows how the governments of the Russian Federation and Ukraine uses state-controlled history education to define their national identity and to present themselves in relations to each other. For example, history education in Ukraine portrays Russia as oppressive and aggressive enemy and emphasizes the idea of own victimhood as a core of national identity. History education in the Russian Federation condemns Ukrainian nationalism and proclaims commonality and unity of history and culture with Russian dominance over “younger brother, Ukraine”. An exploration of the mechanisms that state-controlled history education employs to define social identities in secondary school textbooks can provide an early warning of potential problems being created between the two states.
The relationship between the perception of non-native phonotactics and loanword adaptation

This study examines how phonetic details produced by non-bilingual borrowers (‘disseminators’) are categorised when new words are transmitted to the monolinguals of the borrowing language community (‘recipients’). The stimuli are based on research showing that the schwa inserted by English speakers into non-native clusters (e.g. /zgɑmo/→[zəgɑmo]) differs acoustically from lexical schwa (e.g. [zəgɑmo]). In Experiment 1, listeners transcribed Cluster (CC), Lexical (CəC) and Transitional (CəC) stimuli produced by an English speaker. Transcriptions of CəC stimuli were split between CC and CVC, and participants wrote CəC with a vowel less often than they did CəC. Experiment 2 demonstrated that listeners had difficulty discriminating between CəC and both CC and CəC. These findings suggest that CəC is acoustically intermediate between clusters and schwas; thus recipients may assign CəC token to either of the phonotactic categories CC or CəC. The ramifications of these findings for loanwords and the acquisition of phonological contrast are discussed.
The Political Economy of International Monetary Relations

■ Abstract The structure of international monetary relations has gained increasing prominence over the past two decades. Both national exchange rate policy and the character of the international monetary system require explanation. At the national level, the choice of exchange rate regime and the desired level of the exchange rate involve distributionally relevant tradeoffs. Interest group and partisan pressures, the structure of political institutions, and the electoral incentives of politicians therefore influence exchange rate regime and level decisions. At the international level, the character of the international monetary system depends on strategic interaction among governments, driven by their national concerns and constrained by the international environment. A global or regional fixed-rate currency regime, in particular, requires at least coordination and often explicit cooperation among national governments.
Proteomic approaches to biomarker discovery in prostate and bladder cancers.

Proteomic technologies, including high resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), antibody/protein arrays, and advances in mass spectrometry (MS), are providing the tools needed to discover and identify disease associated biomarkers. Although application of these technologies to search for potential diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers asscociated with prostate and bladder cancer have been somewhat limited to date, proteins either overexpressed or underexpressed have been detected in both these urological cancers. Recent advances in mass spectrometry, especially platforms that permit rapid “fingerprint” profiling of multiple biomarkers, and tandem mass spectrometers for protein identification, will most assuredly enhance the discovery, identification, and characterization of potential cancer associated biomarkers. Furthermore, application of laser capture microdissection microscopes has provided a rapid and reproducible approach to procure pure populations of cells. This technology coupled to 2-DE and MS has significantly aided the elucidation of the differential expression profiles between disease, benign and normal prostate and bladder cell populations. Finally, development and application of learning algorithms and bioinformatics to the data generated by these proteomic technologies will be essential in determining the clinical potential of a protein biomarker. The purpose of this review is to provide the reader with an overview of the application of these technologies in the search and identification of potential diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers for prostate and bladder cancers.
Do Moving Average Trading Rule Results Imply Nonlinearities in Foreign Exchange Markets

This paper tests whether fitted linear models can replicate results from moment tests inspired by moving average technical trading rules for weekly foreign exchange series. Estimation is performed using standard OLS and maximum likelihood methods, along with a simulated method of moments technique which incorporates the trading rule moments into the estimation procedure. Results show that linear models are capable of replicating the trading rule moments along with the small autocorrelations observed in these series. This result holds for parameter values estimated using SMM and GARCH disturbances, but not for parameters estimated using maximum likelihood. The estimated models are simulated to examine the amount of predictability over long horizons.
Public sector reform as problem-solving? Comment on the World Bank’s Public Sector Management Approach for 2011 to 2020

The World Bank has recently released its Public Sector Management (PSM) Approach for 2011–20. This commentary reviews the core messages of this document and then indicates how it embodies a convergence between academic research and practice in its approach and analytic framework. It then presents a ‘thought experiment’ about how practitioners might bring scholarship and practice together as suggested by the PSM approach. Nevertheless, effective implementation of the approach will depend on the convergence between the path it lays out for practice and the incentives that World Bank officials face in efforts to improve public sector management in real-world situations.
Rapid Growth as a Destabilizing Force

Many writers—some of them reputable scholars, others important public officials—have implicitly assumed or explicitly argued that economic growth leads toward political stability and perhaps even to peaceful democracy. They have argued that “economic development is one of the keys to stability and peace in the world”; that it is “conditions of want and instability on which communism breeds”; and that economic progress “serves as a bulwark against international communism.” A recent and justly famous book on revolution by Hannah Arendt ascribes the most violent forms of revolutionary extremism mainly to poverty.
A SIP Security Testing Framework

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) has emerged as the predominant protocol for setting up, maintaining, and terminating Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) sessions. In spite of the security mechanisms that it offers, several attacks are being made on the SIP architecture. In this paper we take a proactive approach and highlight the importance of testing SIP from a security perspective. We first give a brief introduction to some of the most common attacks on SIP. We then describe a framework to effectively test several security aspects of a SIP network and thereby help mitigate such attacks. We also present a genetic algorithm that we developed and used to generate data in our fuzz testing. Finally, we present the results of some tests performed on popular SIP devices using our framework.
A 16mW 8Mbps Fractional-N FSK Modulator at 15.8-18.9GHz

Indirect modulation of fractional-N synthesizers is an energy-efficient architecture capable of moderate data rates, and is well-suited for use in sensor networks or WLAN. Although the architecture is used primarily at low RF frequencies, the capability for fractional-N synthesizers at Ku-band and above currently exist in available silicon technology. Recent demonstrations at 10-25GHz show promising results, although power consumption at this higher frequency remains high for small battery-powered devices. This work implements a fully-integrated fractional-N synthesizer optimized for power efficient modulation at 15.8 to 18.9GHz with an 80MHz reference. Binary and 4-ary FSK modulation of up to 8Mbps is achieved while consuming 16 mW in IBM 0.18 mum SiGe BiCMOS.
Influence of deuteration in the glassing matrix on 13C dynamic nuclear polarization

Replacement of protons by deuterons in the glassing solvents led to 2–3-fold improvement of the 13C dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) solid-state NMR signal for samples doped with large electron spin resonance (ESR) linewidth free radicals galvinoxyl, DPPH, and 4-oxo-TEMPO. Meanwhile, the reverse effect is observed for 13C DNP using small ESR linewidth free radicals BDPA and trityl OX063.