cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Promoter-directed expression of recombinant fire-fly luciferase in the salivary glands of Hermes-transformed Aedes aegypti

Molecular genetic analyses of biological properties characteristic of insect vectors of disease, such as hematophagy and competence for pathogens, require the ability to isolate and characterize genes involved in these processes. We have been working to develop molecular approaches for studying the promoter function of genes that are expressed specifically in the adult salivary glands of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Genomic DNA fragments containing cis-acting promoter elements from the Maltase-like I (MalI) and Apyrase (Apy) genes were cloned so as to direct the expression of the reporter gene, luciferase (luc). The function of the promoters was assayed transiently in cultured insect cells and by germ-line transformation of Ae. aegypti. MalI and Apy DNA fragments consisting of at least 650 nucleotides (nt) of DNA immediately adjacent to the 5'-end of the initiation codon of the mosquito genes directed constitutive expression of the luc reporter gene in cultured cells. When introduced into Ae. aegypti chromosomes, approximately 1.5 kilobases (kb) of each promoter were able to direct the predicted developmental-, sex- and tissue-specific expression of the reporter gene in patterns identical to those determined for the respective endogenous genes.
Hyperphenylalaninemia and the genomic revolution.

Political revolutions are marked by the dates of their cataclysms, be theymajor battles or campaigns that shifted momentum: the American Revolution of 1776, the French Revolution of 1789, and the Russian Revolution of 1917. But each of these and every other revolution were preceded bymany smaller but very significant eventswhich culminated in the cataclysm. And each revolution was succeeded by changes that had lasting effects which made the revolution meaningful. So it has been with medical revolutions that have shifted the momentum of clinical practice. Immunization is said to have originated in the late 18th century with Jenner's demonstration of cowpox inoculation producing immunity to smallpox. Antisepsis is believed to have originated in the mid-19th century with Semmelweis's insistence that washing the hands before delivery reduces puerperal sepsis [1]. Anesthesia is also thought to have originated in the 19th century with the demonstration of ether administration in Boston [2]. However, each of these medical revolutions, just as political revolutions, had extensive preceding and succeeding histories. And so it is with the medical revolution in which we are now living, the genomic revolution, which may be the most revolutionary of all. Perhaps the “cataclysm” of the genomic revolution will be the demonstration of the double-helical structure of DNA in 1953, or maybe the mapping of the human genome in 2003, or perhaps a development in the future not yet foreseen [3]. What is certain is that there has been and will continue to be a long history of genetic developments that are already beginning to radically change medicine.
Preoperative lumbar epidural morphine improves postoperative analgesia and ventilatory function after transsternal thymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that preoperative lumbar epidural morphine improves postoperative pain control and ventilatory function after transsternal thymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis. DESIGN: The study design was randomized, placebo-controlled, and double-blind. SETTING: After surgery, all patients were admitted to the Neuroscience Critical Care Unit for evaluation and treatment. PATIENTS: All patients with myasthenia gravis who presented to the hospital for thymectomy were asked to participate in the study. Twenty patients were randomized to either the placebo or epidural morphine groups. INTERVENTIONS: Patients received either epidural morphine (7 mg in 14 mL of sterile saline) or saline (14 mL) before induction of anesthesia. Supplemental iv opioids were administered intraoperatively, with need determined by the anesthesiologist. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measures were indicators of postoperative pain (e.g., Visual Analog Pain Score, requirement for supplemental opioid administration, respiratory rate) and ventilatory function (e.g., forced vital capacity, negative inspiratory pressure). RESULTS: Immediately after surgery, the Visual Analog Pain Score in the placebo group was twice as high as the score in the epidural morphine group (placebo 7.0 +/- 1.3; epidural morphine 3.5 +/- 1.2, p less than or equal to .05). During the first eight postoperative hours, the placebo group required more opioids (0.22 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.12 +/- 0.04 mg/kg morphine equivalents, p less than or equal to .06) than the epidural morphine group. Later, both groups received similar amounts of opioids. Patients receiving epidural morphine had better initial recovery of forced vital capacity (at 8 hrs: 55 +/- 6% [epidural morphine] vs. 34 +/- 5% [placebo] of preoperative value, p less than or equal to .05). Respiratory rate was lower for the first 12 postoperative hours in the epidural morphine group, without a difference in PaCO2. There was no difference between groups for the duration of postoperative intubation or ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative lumbar epidural morphine facilitates postoperative analgesia and improves initial postoperative ventilatory performance.
Abstract C222: Voreloxin is synergistic in in vitro combination with cytarabine and additive in combination with azacitidine, decitabine, and clofarabine

Voreloxin is a first‐in‐class anticancer quinolone derivative that intercalates DNA and poisons topoisomerase II (Stockett et al. and Hawtin et al., AACR 2008). This leads to replication‐dependent, site‐selective DNA double strand breaks (DSB) targeting G/C‐rich sequences that are characteristic sites of quinolone‐induced DNA cleavage (Noble et al., 2003; Richter et al., 2007; Stockett et al., AACR 2008). A consequence of this DNA damage is G2 arrest, and cell death by apoptosis. Voreloxin is under clinical investigation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and ovarian cancer. Clinical responses have been observed in these indications (Lancet et al., ASCO 2009; Maris et al., ASCO 2009; McGuire et al., SGO 2008), as well as in NSCLC and SCLC (Burris et al., ECCO 2007). The current analysis was performed in support of a Phase 1b/2 clinical study (SPO‐0012) of voreloxin in combination with cytarabine in relapsed or refractory AML, and to investigate the feasibility for combining voreloxin with other agents currently in clinical use for the treatment of AML. The cytotoxicity of of voreloxin in combination with cytarabine was evaluated in 3 acute leukemic cell lines (HL‐60 acute promyelocytic (APL), MV4‐11 Flt‐3 ITD positive AML and CCRF‐CEM acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)). The cytotoxicity of voreloxin in combination with the nucleoside analog hypomethylating agents azacitidine, decitabine (pyrimidine analogs), and clofarabine (purine analog) was also studied in the HL‐60 APL cell line. Cytotoxicity was assessed by proliferation inhibition. The combined activity of voreloxin and cytarabine was evaluated using the combination index (CI) analysis method, in which each drug is serially diluted based on either 10X or 1X single agent IC50 values. The combination was synergistic in the AML cell lines MV4‐11 and HL‐60, as demonstrated by a leftward shift in the voreloxin IC50 curves and calculated CI less than 0.85. In the ALL cell line CCRF‐CEM, an additive increase in cytotoxicity was observed with CI of ≤ 0.99. Voreloxin in combination with azacitidine, decitabine or clofarabine was evaluated after simultaneous or sequential addition of the drugs. The combinations were analyzed by: 1) serial‐dilution of voreloxin combined with a fixed dose (IC10) of the second compound, and 2) fixed dose (IC10) of voreloxin combined with a serial dilution of the second compound. No significant change in activity was observed when compared with the single‐agent activity of each compound. Sequential dosing of the agents did not alter the cytotoxicity of the reagents in combination. These data support the ongoing phase 1b/2 clinical study of voreloxin in combination with cytarabine in relapsed or refractory AML and demonstrate the feasibility for combining voreloxin with other DNA damaging agents currently in clinical use for the treatment of AML. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):C222.
Event representations, narrative development and internal working models

In this article I summarize the theoretical framework of experientially based event representations as the basis for early cognitive development. Further work on representational levels, in particu...
Nitrogen Cycling in Pasture and Range

Direct recycling of nutrients by grazing animals is often suggested as a means to achieve a sustainable agricultural production system. The mere presence, however, of large herbivores, their management, and uncontrollable site-specific environmental conditions can cause significant nutrient losses. Nitrogen is of particular interest because it is usually the most limiting nutrient to production; it represents a major variable input cost; it has a variety of pathways for input and outflow; and it can have important negative environmental impacts. Large herbivores shorten the N cycle, increase the rate of N cycling, and cause significant redistribution of N (...)
Localized structures in surface waves.

An amplitude equation in the form of a perturbed nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation is derived for parametric excitation of surface waves in an extended system. Continuous symmetries of the unperturbed system are used to identify critical modes. Dynamical equations for the latter are derived using singular perturbation theory. The existence of a stable nonpropagating kink solution is predicted. The solution connects two uniform states whose phases of oscillations differ by \ensuremath{\pi}, and should be observable in wide enough cells. A stable nonpropagating soliton solution is found for subcritical excitation.
Flow/Acoustic Characteristics for Flow Over Two Tandem Cylinders

Flow over two tandem cylinders is simulated using an immersed-boundary method. Cases with different distances between the cylinders are investigated. The flow field is then used to provide information to analyze the pressure fluctuations both in the cylinders (assumed rigid and hollow) and at the far field. The results show that the downstream cylinder pertains higher levels of pressure fluctuations both inside the cylinder and at far field than the upstream cylinder. When the distance between the cylinders increases from the quasi-reattachment flow pattern to the critical regime, the pressure fluctuation levels from the downstream cylinder increase significantly. The spectral analysis reveals only one significant peak at the frequency of twice of the corresponding Strouhal number for the far-field acoustics, but two peaks at the frequencies of both the Strouhal number itself and twice of it for pressure fluctuations inside the cylinders.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Minor physical anomalies in exceptional children: A review and critique of research

The study of the relationship between physical characteristics and behavior is placed in historical context. Current research concerned with the implications of minor physical anomalies is reviewed. Anomalies, measurement considerations, relationship between anomalies and selected characteristics, methodological issues, and underlying assumptions are examined. Conclusions and suggestions for future research are provided.
Developmental Timekeeping: Marking time with antisense

Post-transcriptional regulation of the heterochronic gene lin-14 by the binding of a natural antisense RNA controls the temporal pattern of larval development in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
Sleep duration and body mass index in twins: a gene-environment interaction

STUDY OBJECTIVES To examine whether sleep duration modifies genetic and environmental influences on body mass index (BMI). DESIGN Genotype-environment interaction twin study. SETTING University of Washington Twin Registry. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS A population-based sample of US twins (1,088 pairs, 604 monozygotic, 484 dizygotic; 66% female; mean age = 36.6 yr, standard deviation (SD) = 15.9 yr). INTERVENTIONS N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Participants self-reported information on height, weight, and sleep. Mean BMI was calculated as 25.3 kg/m² (SD = 5.4) and mean habitual sleep duration was 7.2 hr/night (SD = 1.2). Data were analyzed using biometric genetic interaction models. Overall the heritability of sleep duration was 34%. Longer sleep duration was associated with decreased BMI (P < 0.05). The heritability of BMI when sleep duration was < 7 hr (h² = 70%) was more than twice as large as the heritability of BMI when sleep duration was ≥ 9 hr (h² = 32%); this interaction was significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Shorter sleep duration is associated with increased BMI and increased genetic influences on BMI, suggesting that shorter sleep duration increases expression of genetic risks for high body weight. At the same time, longer sleep duration may suppress genetic influences on body weight. Future research aiming to identify specific genotypes for BMI may benefit by considering the moderating role of sleep duration.
Cistulynes: Proton NMR and single-crystal x-ray evidence for structure and cation encapsulation in a rigid, molecular channel model system

Abstract A novel, tetra-acetylenic, macrotricyclic molecular receptor is shown by X-ray crystallography to have a channel-like structure and by NMR techniques to selectively accommodate both metallic and organic cations within its compartment.
A method for identifying individual subjects within a group of fish

To identify individuals within a group of fish, several dyes were tested for the distinctiveness of marking, duration of marking, toxicity, and effects upon individual and social behavior. Several of the dyes, including common food coloring, proved to be effective.
Biomechanic analysis of trapeziectomy, ligament reconstruction with tendon interposition, and tie-in trapezium implant arthroplasty for thumb carpometacarpal arthritis: a cadaver study.

Purpose Thumb carpometacarpal joint arthritis has been commonly treated with some combination of resection of the trapezium and interposition of a spacer using either a biologic or artificial material plus tenodesis to reconstruct the volar oblique ligament. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biomechanic stability of the classic ligament reconstruction with tendon interposition (LRTI) or without tendon interposition compared with a newly developed 1-piece silicone trapezium implant. Methods Twelve cadaver arm specimens had the following procedures: resection of the trapezium, tendon interposition, ligament reconstruction, LRTI, and the silicone implant. Biomechanic testing of joint stability was performed with a physiologic loading protocol before and after each procedure. Results The implant significantly corrected the axial displacement after trapeziectomy and resulted in less radial displacement than LRTI. It significantly reduced angulation of the thumb metacarpal base but resulted in more rotation of the thumb during simulated pinch. There was no significant difference in stability measures between trapeziectomy and LRTI or ligament reconstruction without tendon interposition. Conclusions We found several biomechanic advantages to the implant compared with LRTI. Advantages include reduction in axial and radial displacement and maintenance of the trapezial space. We attribute these advantages to the effect of the implant as a spacer. The significant rotation with the implant, however, raises questions concerning implant design and fixation. We found no biomechanic advantage to LRTI or ligament reconstruction without tendon interposition over trapeziectomy alone.
Evidence for physiological down-regulation of brain oxidative phosphorylation in Alzheimer's disease

In vivo imaging of patients with Alzheimer's disease using positron emission tomography (PET) demonstrates progressive reductions in brain glucose metabolism and blood flow in relation to dementia severity, more so in association than primary cortical regions. These reductions likely follow regional synaptic loss or dysfunction and reflect physiological down-regulation of gene expression for glucose delivery, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and energy consumption in brain. Indeed, the pattern of down-regulation of expression for both mitochondrial and nuclear genes coding for subunits of OXPHOS enzymes in the Alzheimer brain resembles the pattern of down-regulation in normal brain caused by chronic sensory deprivation. In both cases, down-regulation likely is mediated by changes in transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulatory factors. Physiological down-regulation of OXPHOS gene expression in Alzheimer's is consistent with PET evidence that cognitive or psychophysical activation of mildly to moderately demented Alzheimer's patients can augment brain-blood flow and glucose metabolism to the same extent as in control subjects. If the primary neuronal defect that leads to reduced brain energy demand in Alzheimer's disease could be prevented or treated, brain glucose transport and OXPHOS enzyme activities might recover to normal levels.
A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE MOUTH‐GUARDS FOR FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF BALTIMORE COUNTY, MARYLAND

Dr. Pushkin enthusiastically reports his program for the use of mouth-guards in Baltimore County, Maryland.
Development of wrench folds along the border ranges fault system, southern Alaska, U.S.A.

En echelon folds in the central Chugach Mountains developed during Eocene brittle dextral-slip along the Border Ranges fault system. These wrench folds deformed an incompletely lithified alluvial fan complex as well as an adjacent phyllite belt. Wrench folding of phyllite was accommodated by flexural-slip between mechanical layers > 1 m thick rather than by penetrative flexural-flow along the predominant cleavage. The folds have non-cylindrical hinges that commonly deflect into subparallelism with, and are truncated by, adjacent strike-slip faults. Arrays of subsidiary faults and syntectonic veins indicate that fold hinges developed subparallel to the direction of maximum incremental elongation (λ1), and that incremental λ2 was vertical. The relationship between interlimb angle of these folds and the strike of their axial surfaces is consistent with variable clockwise rotation and tightening of these folds in a zone of heterogeneous, distributed wrench deformation. Early wrench folds trend clockwise of overprinting sets of more open folds, a relationship that suggests that the younger folds formed during the same progressive deformational event, but after the earlier set of folds had rotated clockwise, tightened and strain hardened. Megakinking attributed to strike-slip fault-bend folding resulted in local rotations of pre-existing folds. These results provide new insight into the geometry and kinematics of wrench folding, and do not support recent suggestions that the magnitude of shear stress on strikeslip faults is insufficient to induce wrench folding.
Mining Following Relationships in Movement Data

Movement data have been widely collected from GPS and sensors, allowing us to analyze how moving objects interact in terms of space and time and to learn about the relationships that exist among the objects. In this paper, we investigate an interesting relationship that has not been adequately studied so far: the following relationship. Intuitively, a follower has similar trajectories as its leader but always arrives at a location with some time lag. The challenges in mining the following relationship are: (1) the following time lag is usually unknown and varying, (2) the trajectories of the follower and leader are not identical, and (3) the relationship is subtle and only occurs in a short period of time. In this paper, we propose a simple but practical method that addresses all these challenges. It requires only two intuitive parameters and is able to mine following time intervals between two trajectories in linear time. We conduct comprehensive experiments on both synthetic and real datasets to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.
Cataloging Across the Curriculum: A Syndetic Structure for Teaching Cataloging

SUMMARY Continuous consideration of the curriculum and the environment is required to provide a cataloging curriculum responsive to an evolving profession yet grounded in solid theory and principles. The necessary competencies for future catalogers suggested by the cataloging community are examined. Fifty-two ALA-accredited library school programs are analyzed to determine the strength of cataloging within the curriculum and the degree to which the competencies are addressed. It is concluded that adequate education of future catalogers requires an expanded view beyond traditional cataloging courses. The recommendation is for a curricular syndetic structure that identifies relationships among courses and links courses with the concepts and competencies necessary for organizing information.
Hot Time in the Old Town: The Great Heat Wave of 1896 and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt

Hot Time in the Old Town: The Great Heat Wave of 1896 and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt EDWARD P. KOHN New York: Basic Books, 2010 Pp. 288, $27.95 (hbk), ISBN 978 0 4650 1336 4 In August 1896, a...
Exercise dependence and attitudes toward eating among young adults

Few community-based studies of exercise dependence have been conducted. This investigation examined the prevalence of exercise-dependence symptoms among 237 college undergraduates and the relationship of exercise-dependence symptoms to atypical and disordered attitudes toward eating. Women scored significantly higher than men on the Exercise Dependence Questionnaire's (EDQ) Exercise for Weight Control and Exercise for Health Reasons subscales, and the Dieting and Bulimia and Food Preoccupation subscales of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT), and exhibited significantly more symptoms of exercise dependence than men. Number of exercise-dependence symptoms was significantly positively correlated with problematic attitudes toward eating. Dysphoric mood states, cognitive problems, craving for exercise, and other symptoms associated with abstinence from exercise were relatively common among women and significantly more prevalent than among men. Study findings suggest that women with clinical and subclinical eating disorders are at high risk for the development of exercise-dependence symptoms. Findings also supported the existence of primary and secondary exercise dependence.
Faith in Politics

In the closing years of the twentieth century, religion became a paramount concern for practitioners and analysts of American politics. During the campaign for the crucial 2000 election, probably shaping the balance of power in national politics for years to come, presidential candidates and party leaders made religion a central factor in their strategies.
GaN-based light emitting devices and crystal growth

Charge separation due to spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization inherent to the wurtzite structure has deleterious effects on the performance of most C-axis oriented devices. To overcome this problem, nonpolar GaN, such as A-plain and M-plain GaN substrates have been grown by using hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) at UCSB. Lateral epitaxial overgrowth (LEO) has been demonstrated to be an effective means of eliminating threading dislocations, basal plain stacking faults, and surface pits in A-plain GaN films. Blue LEDs were grown on nonpolar A-plain and M-plain GaN. The blue-shift of the peak emission wavelength with increasing the forward current was decreased dramatically. The turn-on voltage of the LEDs was relatively small. Roughened surface (RS) LEDs have been developed using photo enhanced chemical (PEC) etching. The sapphire substrate was removed by laser lift off
Skateboards, Katy Perry, and Sola Scriptura

[This column is a collection of reference interview stories within a number of diverse mediums (chat, phone, face-to-face, immersive environments) sharing one librarian's dialogues with a host of patrons. Some names, places, times, and events have been changed to preserve anonymity.]
Identifying familial myelodysplastic/acute leukemia predisposition syndromes through hematopoietic stem cell transplantation donors with thrombocytopenia

To the editor: The familial aggregation of thrombocytopenia and hematopoietic malignancies is seen in several autosomal-dominant familial myelodysplastic syndrome/acute leukemia predisposition syndromes (MDS/AL PS).[1][1] We hypothesized that some thrombocytopenic HLA-matched related subjects who
Applicability of American stock market anomalies to international investing

This paper examines five factors--four fundamental and one technical--to provide evidence of growing similarities in four international equity markets: Europe, Japan, Europe/Japan, and the U.S. This reviewer is in general agreement with the findings, although several matters should be addressed to strengthen the paper. First, excessive market aggregation ignores the issue of capital market segmentation. All European bourses are combined to form a single market, and the Europe/Japan category is a redundant combination that could be dropped without affecting the conclusions. Additionally, the U.S. market (regardless of the factor) overwhelmingly outperforms all other markets, tending to highlight dissimilar components of the comparison. Finally, the 1991-94 period is long enough to provide comparison, but not long enough to establish a trend.
Use of 111In-Capromab Pendetide Immunoscintigraphy to Image Localized Prostate Cancer Foci Within the Prostate Gland

Purpose: We compared the results of a preoperative 111In-capromab pendetide scan co-registered with computerized tomography with pathological findings in the surgically excised prostate to determine whether the scan can efficiently detect cancer in the prostate.Materials and Methods: This prospective trial included 25 hormone naive men with clinically localized prostate cancer who underwent 111In-capromab pendetide single photon emission computerized tomography/computerized tomography as part of the preoperative evaluation. In addition to routine histological analysis, representative prostate sections were stained for prostate specific membrane antigen using the same antibody used in the scan. A pathologist and a radiologist were blinded to pathology and imaging findings, respectively. Prostate specific membrane antigen immunohistochemistry was correlated with the 3-dimensional location of the prostate specific membrane antigen signal detected by scan.Results: Scan sensitivity was 37% to 87% for 4 quadran...
Safety of olanzapine use in adolescents

Introduction: Olanzapine was the second first-line atypical antipsychotic medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adult schizophrenia and later approved for adolescent schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Initial studies performed on adults demonstrated efficacy compared to placebo and a first-generation antipsychotic medication. Initial assessments in adolescents with schizophrenia demonstrated significant symptom reduction without movement disorder, but with weight gain. Later studies reported efficacy for bipolar disorder in teenagers, but with weight gain. The assessment of olanzapine safety in teenagers has shown substantial weight gain and metabolic measures. Because of equivalent efficacy to other atypical antipsychotic medications and the metabolic side-effects, olanzapine is often recommended as a second-use medication. Areas covered: Studies of olanzapine use in adolescents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder demonstrate significant reduction in sympt...
Economic growth and better health: the UK's surprising progress.

Many assume that further health improvements will be diffi cult for countries that have entered an era of chronic non-communicable diseases and life expectancies that are already above 70 years. If life expectancy is lower, it is possible to make gigantic strides given modest resources. For example, between 1961 and 1971, China’s life expectancy gained 20 years while it experienced a rate of growth of gross domestic product (GDP) per head of only 3·5%. The belief in ceiling eff ects makes many think that countries with more room for progress in health, such as India and China, will have an advantage in transforming their amassing economic fortunes into better health. We did a simple four-country comparison to identify top performers by decade from 1960 to 2009. We used as a metric the percentage change in life expectancy divided by percentage change in GDP per capita. This metric is called the “income elasticity of life expectancy”. Our unexpected results indicate the need for some revisions to popular impressions. China did not maintain its lead in transforming wealth into health. India (1970s, 1980s, and 1990s) and most recently the UK (2000s) have been top producers of health relative to economic gains. Although India’s overall level of life expectancy has been disappointing relative to its income, the slope of ascent had been relatively high until 2000 (table). Between 2000 and 2009, the USA and the UK outperformed both Asian countries. Surprisingly, these two Anglophone countries with radically diff erent health systems were able to achieve growth in already high life expectancies. The vast diff erences in medical care spending per head between the UK and USA suggest that the explanation for progress might not be medical care resources. We conjecture that public health and social investments in the control of tobacco, injury, and other non-communicable diseases might be playing a part. The USA and the UK have maintained systems for public health policy making to manage the social determinants of chronic, non-communicable diseases that might be outperforming those in Asia. Richer countries might also have fi tness advantages accruing to an ageing population that was born and raised in hygienic conditions rather than achieving hygiene in mid-life, as would be the case in Asia. At least for now, countries looking for lessons in success at improving health in an era of noncommunicable diseases would do well to look to the exemplary performance of the UK and study its public health playbook.
Avatars meet meetings: design issues in integrating avatars in distributed corporate meetings

The difficulties remote participants of distributed meetings face are widely recognized. In this paper we describe the design of an avatar-based e-meeting support tool named Olympus, which aims to ameliorate some of the challenges remote participants face in distributed meetings. Olympus provides a customizable peripheral display on the bottom of existing e-meeting solutions. An initial observational study was conducted of the use of Olympus in 6 meetings, three each of a status meeting and a presentation meeting. By illustrating how avatars were used in the two meeting types, we hope to surface design issues and refine our understanding of how avatars may be useful in the design of online meeting spaces.
Prototypes of catatonia: diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in the general hospital.

Where psychiatric diagnosis is dominated by subjective report, psychosomatic medicine fosters unique opportunities for clinical assessment that is rooted firmly in the physical examination. Catatonia presents a prime example. By rendering patients unable to describe their internal experiences, catatonia demands from psychiatrists a confident comfort with its variable presentations and diagnostic challenges. This proves especially true in the general hospital. Despite a common tendency to confine the syndrome to psychiatric disease, catatonia is precipitated by general medical conditions in up to 25% of cases and can, itself, trigger serious physical complications. As a result, consultation psychiatrists find themselves routinely at the forefront in providing care for the catatonic patient. Psychiatric evaluation starts with the instinctive appraisal of a patient’s mental status, with a focus on appearance, behavior, and cognition. Often reflexively, the clinician weighs this assessment against a figurative database of characteristic disease states, or prototypes. Mental prototypes can, thereby, guide the formulation of a differential diagnosis. An emphasis on prototype models in psychiatry can be traced to Carl Jung, whose archetypes provided a theoretical framework for human behavior, perception, and cognition. Among more recent literature in psychosomatic medicine, Kahana’s and Bibring’s descriptions of personality types and Groves’ depiction of the “hateful patient” exemplify the design of memorable prototypes to help clinicians identify personality styles and associated experiences of counter-transference in the general medical setting. Prototype models have since been proposed for the diagnosis of several psychiatric conditions, including bipolar disorder and personality disorders, and to predict trends in medication adherence among patients with schizophrenia. Advocates for the use of prototypes in psychiatric nosology argue their effectiveness, pragma-
Unpredictability of antibody response of infants to injections of Salk poliomyelitis vaccine

Summary Salk poliomyelitis vaccine was administeredaccording to two regimens. The infants in Group A were given the first injection at the age of 10 weeks (median), the second at 14 weeks, the third at 40 weeks, and the fourth at 60 weeks. Infants in Group B received their first injection at 6 weeks (median), the second at 10 weeks, the third at 14 weeks, and the fourth at 40 weeks of age. All infants of Group A had serum titersof neutralizing antibodies of 1 4 or greater one month after the fourth injection which was given at 57 to 64 weeks of age. Three of 13 infants of Group B had titersof neutralizing antibodies less than 1 4 against one or more of the three types of poliovirus one month after the fourth inoculation given between 36 and 45 weeks of age. A titer of passively transferred neutralizingantibodies of 1 16 or greater at the time the first inoculation was given seemed to interfere with response to active immunization.
Intra- and intermolecular factors affecting the excited states of aromatic amino acids.

Abstract The quantum yields for fluorescence ( Q F ) and phosphorescence ( Q P ) of the aromatic amino acids depend critically upon a number of features of the environment. So long as there are sufficient concentrations of additives such as glucose, HCl, NaOH, NaCl, sodium acetate or acetamide the total emission yield at 77°K is 1.0 ± 0.2 from tyrosine, phenylalanine, phloretic acid and tyramine in aqueous ices; for tryptophan the total yield is unity only for pH 2 R side groups on the benzene ring causes large changes in Q F , Q P and in the intersystem crossing. The exact effects on Q F depend critically upon the temperature. Addition of a proton to give the COOH form of the aromatic amino acids reduces Q F at 300 °K but has no effect on the total emission or intersystem crossing at 77°K. Ionization of the OH in the phenol derivatives quences Q F at room temperature and promotes intersystem crossing at 77 °K. NaCl produces no effect on Q F at 300 °K but increases the phosphorescence to fluorescence ratio and decreases the phosphorescence lifetime at 77 °K without reducing the total yield below 1; presumably, these reflect alterations in the frozen matrix. Other additives such as HCl, sodium acetate or acetamide clearly interact directly with the amino acids to change the room-temperature Q F but also cause matrix alterations at 77 °K. The changes in solvent-solute interactions not only are different for the various additives but are also quite specific for singlet and triplet excited states; with increased temperature the enhanced quenching probability may be 3 orders of magnitude greater for the longer-lived triplets of tyrosine. This observation could reflect collissional quenching by solvent or by oxygen.
Faecal virome of cats in an animal shelter.

We describe the metagenomics-derived feline enteric virome in the faeces of 25 cats from a single shelter in California. More than 90 % of the recognizable viral reads were related to mammalian viruses and the rest to bacterial viruses. Eight viral families were detected: Astroviridae, Coronaviridae, Parvoviridae, Circoviridae, Herpesviridae, Anelloviridae, Caliciviridae and Picobirnaviridae. Six previously known viruses were also identified: feline coronavirus type 1, felid herpes 1, feline calicivirus, feline norovirus, feline panleukopenia virus and picobirnavirus. Novel species of astroviruses and bocaviruses, and the first genome of a cyclovirus in a feline were characterized. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase region from four highly divergent partial viral genomes in the order Picornavirales were sequenced. The detection of such a diverse collection of viruses shed within a single shelter suggested that such animals experience robust viral exposures. This study increases our understanding of the viral diversity in cats, facilitating future evaluation of their pathogenic and zoonotic potentials.
Bison and bovine rectoanal junctions exhibit similar cellular architecture and Escherichia coli O157 adherence patterns

Background Escherichia coli O157 (E. coli O157) has been isolated from bison retail meat, a fact that is important given that bison meat has been implicated in an E. coli O157-multistate outbreak. In addition, E. coli O157 has also been isolated from bison feces at slaughter and on farms. Cattle are well documented as E. coli O157 reservoirs, and the primary site of E. coli O157 persistence in such reservoirs is the rectoanal junction (RAJ), located at the distal end of the bovine gastrointestinal tract. Since bison and cattle share many genetic similarities manifested as common lineage, susceptibility to infection and the nature of immune responses to infectious agents, we decided to evaluate whether the RAJ of these animals were comparable both in terms of cellular architecture and as sites for adherence of E. coli O157. Specifically, we compared the histo-morphologies of the RAJ and evaluated the E. coli O157 adherence characteristics to the RAJ squamous epithelial (RSE) cells, from these two species.
A Survey of Data -Driven Prognostics

*Integrated Systems Health Management includes fault detection, fault diagnosis (or fault isolation), and fault prognosis. We define prognosis to be detecting the precursors of a failure, and predicting how much time remains before a likely failure. Algorithms that use the data -driven approach to prognosis learn models directly from the data, rather than u sing a hand -built model based o n human experti se. This paper surveys past work in the data driven approach to prognosis. It also includes related work in data -driven fault detection and diagnosis, and in model -based diagnosis and prognosis, particularly as applied to space systems.
Systemic availability of itraconazole in lung transplantation.

Systemic availability of itraconazole in lung transplantation was evaluated by serially measuring the bioactivity of itraconazole in lung transplant patients who received itraconazole for prophylaxis (n = 12) or therapy (n = 5). These patients also received concomitant antacid and H2 blocker therapy. In patients receiving itraconazole at 200 and 400 mg/day, the median concentrations in serum were 0.5 microgram/ml (range, 2.5 micrograms/ml in 56% of samples, while only 4% of samples from patients who were administered 200 mg/day had levels over 2.5 micrograms/ml. This study documents that itraconazole can be absorbed in patients receiving concomitant antacid and H2 blocker therapy. However, the reduced and variable absorption suggests the importance of confirming drug delivery by measurement of concentrations in serum.
Maternal O2 transport and fetal growth in Colorado, Peru, and Tibet high-altitude residents.

Human populations have lived at high altitudes for lengths of time which are likely to be shortest in Colorado, intermediate in Peru, and longest in Tibet. We hypothesized that the longest-resident high-altitude populations have beccome better adapted than shorter-resident groups as a result of superior abilities to transport and/or utilize O2. Because birth weights are reduced at high altitude and decreased birth weight is associated with increased infant mortality, our criterion for assessing adaptation was preservation of birth weights close to values associated with the lowest mortality risk. Colorado (3,100 m) and Peru (4,300 m) birth weights averaged 3,186±70 g and 2,920±90 g respectively. A sample of 15 births from Tibet (3,658 m) weighed 3,307±110 g which was more than their altitude counterparts and close to sea-level norms. Pregnancy increased maternal ventilation at all three study sites. In Peru, the resultant elevation in arterial O2 saturation offset the pregnancy-induced fall in hemoglobin concentration to preserve arterial O2 content at nonpregnant levels. Arterial O2 content decreased slightly in Colorado and more markedly in Tibet in the pregnant compared to the nonpregnant state. The Colorado and Peru women with the greatest rise in ventilation and ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia produced the heaviest birthweight infants, suggesting that maternal arterial oxygenation was an important determinant of fetal growth. The pregnant women in Tibet did not have higher levels of arterial O2 content than the pregnant Colorado or Peru women nor did maternal arterial O2 content relate to birth weight in Tibet. Infant birth weight in Tibet tended to be correlated with the ratio of uterine artery to common iliac artery mean flow velocity, suggesting that redistribution of lower-extremity blood flow to favor the uterine circulation may have acted to augment uterine O2 delivery in the Tibet women. Thus, the limited data available suggested that the Tibetans may be better adapted as judged by less fetal growth retardation and may utilize maternal O2 transport mechanisms not reliant upon increased arterial O2 content.
Characterization of the Human Cervical Mucous Proteome

Cervical cancer is among the most common cancers in women worldwide. Discovery of biomarkers for the early detection of cervical cancer would improve current screening practices and reduce the burden of disease. In this study, we report characterization of the human cervical mucous proteome as the first step towards protein biomarker discovery. The protein composition was characterized using one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. We chose to use this combination of traditional biochemical techniques and proteomics to allow a more comprehensive analysis. A total of 107 unique proteins were identified, with plasma proteins being most abundant. These proteins represented the major functional categories of metabolism, immune response, and cellular transport. Removal of high molecular weight abundant proteins by immunoaffinity purification did not significantly increase the number of protein spots resolved. We also analyzed phosphorylated and glycosylated proteins by fluorescent post-staining procedures. The profiling of cervical mucous proteins and their post-translational modifications can be used to further our understanding of the cervical mucous proteome.
Boundary Ambiguity in Stepfamilies

Family boundary ambiguity refers to a lack of clarity as to who is in and who is out of the family system. Few studies have examined this concept in the stepfamily context, which is problematic because such definitional problems hinder our understanding of close relationships in stepfamilies. Based on a nationally representative sample of first-married, remarried, and cohabiting couples with minor children, this study investigates the prevalence and nature of boundary ambiguity in stepfamilies (families that include children from previous unions) and the relationship between boundary ambiguity and couples’ relationship quality and stability. Results suggest that boundary ambiguity is much more prevalent in stepfamilies than original two-parent families and that boundary ambiguity is associated with the structure of the stepfamily. Boundary ambiguity is negatively associated with the quality of the couple’s relationship and stability of the union, but only from the perspective of wives and female partners.
Discordant patterns of morphological and molecular change in broadtail madtoms (genus Noturus)

Two morphologically distinct forms of an undescribed madtom catfish (Noturus sp.) occur in the rivers and lakes of southeastern USA. ‘Lake’ broadtail madtoms are endemic to Lake Waccamaw and are probably related to nearby ‘river’ broadtail populations. To investigate phylogenetic relationships, we surveyed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation in ‘lake’ and ‘river’ broadtails and other members of the genus Noturus. Mitochondrial rDNA data suggest a sister group relationship between broadtail madtoms and N. insignis, not N. leptacanthus as posited previously. Population-level analyses using additional mtDNA characters (NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) and cytochrome b (Cytb)) identified two highly divergent genetic lineages within broadtail madtoms that do not correspond to the morphological designations ‘river’ and ‘lake’.
Effects of paramagnetic [Fe(C5Me5)2]+ cation on the anionic single-molecule magnet, [Mn12O12(O2CC6H4F(-o))16(H2O)4]−

Abstract The preparation and physical characterization are reported for the single-molecule magnet salts A[Mn 12 O 12 (O 2 CC 6 H 4 F(- o )) 16 (H 2 O) 4 ] (A + =PPh 4 + ( 2a ), Fe(C 5 Me 5 ) 2 + ( 2b ), and Co(C 5 Me 5 ) 2 + ( 2c )). The effects of the magnetic cation on the magnetization relaxation behavior of the [Mn 12 ] − anions are investigated. All complexes exhibit out-of-phase ac magnetic susceptibility ( χ ″ M ) signals in the 4.8–5.1 K range at 1 kHz ac frequency. The temperature of the χ ″ M peaks is frequency dependent, as expected for a single-molecule magnet. From Arrhenius plots of the frequency dependence of the temperature of the χ ″ M peaks, the effective energy barriers U eff for changing the magnetization direction from spin “up” to spin “down” were estimated to be in the 52–57 K range. Magnetization hysteresis loops were observed for all the complexes studied. They show clear hysteresis loops with steps, indicating the effect of the magnetic cation on the magnetization relaxation of the anionic [Mn 12 ] − complex is rather small. The least-squares fittings of variable-field magnetization data show the ground state of complex 2a is best described as S =21/2 with g =1.96 and D =−0.56 K, while complexes 2b and 2c have S =19/2 ground states. The fitting parameters are g =1.96 and D =−0.54 K for complex 2b and g =1.95 and D =−0.57 K for complex 2c . These analyses show the magnetic cation has essentially no effect on the ground state spin or on the parameters g and D for the [Mn 12 ] − anion.