cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retrospective evaluation of chemical regulations

OECD countries rely on regulatory tools to manage potential risks from exposure to targeted chemicals. Ex-ante regulatory impact assessment has a long tradition in many OECD countries, with established analytical steps and oversight as well as opportunities for public engagement to hold governments accountable for conducting analysis before regulations are issued. But ex-ante analyses necessarily depend on unverifiable assumptions and models of how the world would look absent the regulation, and how responses to regulatory requirements will alter those conditions. In essence, ex-ante analyses are hypotheses of the effects of regulatory actions. Better ex-post regulatory evaluation would allow agencies and others to test those hypotheses against actual outcomes. This would not only inform decisions related to the cost-effectiveness of existing policy, but would provide feedback that would improve future ex-ante analyses and future policies. However, ex-post analysis also poses challenges, especially when it comes to chemical risks. Once a regulation is in place, it is not always obvious what the world would have looked like without it. Measuring opportunity costs is not easy, and measuring regulatory benefits is often harder. Furthermore, once a regulation is in place, neither regulators nor regulatory entities have strong incentives for examining its actual impact. As a result of these methodological and incentive challenges, while ex-post evaluation has a long tradition in other areas (particularly in programmes financed through the fiscal budget), it has received little attention (and even fewer resources) in the regulatory arena, despite government guidelines requiring it. This paper attempts to address these challenges to evaluating regulatory outcomes and learning from those evaluations. Drawing on experience in OECD countries, it reviews the practices used to understand the likely impacts of regulations aimed at reducing chemical risks both before and after they are issued. It examines why efforts at retrospective review have lagged behind prospective regulatory analysis, and offers recommendations for addressing methodological and incentive challenges to better evaluation.
Endogenous Modulators of Acetylcholine Turnover Rate

Measurements of ACh turnover rates (TRA Ch) in specific rat brain areas containing small, intrinsic cholinergic neurons or long axon cholinergic projections are of value in under standing the functional participation of a specific group of cholinergic neurons during behavioral activities or in the mode of action of drugs. The basis for this inference is the hypothesis that ACh synthesis increases or decreases proportionally to the increase or decrease of neuronal activity. This hypothesis is in part supported by the demonstration that the value of TRA Ch in the resting superior cervical ganglion never exceeds 20% of the maximum rate that can be attained during electrical stimulation of preganglionic nerves (33).
Dural Invasion Predicts the Laterality and Development of Neck Metastases in Esthesioneuroblastoma

Objectives Neck metastases in patients with esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) constitute the most significant predictor of poor long-term survival. Recently, researchers discovered the existence of dural lymphatic channels that drain to the cervical lymph nodes. From this physiologic basis, we hypothesized that patients with ENB who develop dural invasion (DI) would exhibit a proclivity for neck metastases. Design Retrospective review. Setting Tertiary referral center. Participants All patients treated for ENB from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 2015. Main Outcome Measures Incidence, laterality, and recurrence rate of neck metastases by DI status. Results Sixty-one patients were identified (38% female; median age 49, range, 10–80), 34 (56%) of whom had DI and 27 (44%) did not. Of patients with DI, 50% presented with or developed neck disease following treatment compared with just 22% of those without DI (p = 0.026). Bilateral neck disease was more common in patients with DI (11/34, 32%) compared with those without (2/27, 7%) (p = 0.018). Five-year regional recurrence-free survival rates were 88% for those without and 64% for those with DI (p = 0.022). Kadish C patients with DI were more likely to develop regional recurrence when compared with Kadish C without DI and Kadish A/B (p = 0.083). Further, Kadish C patients with DI displayed worse overall survival than Kadish C without DI and Kadish A/B. Kadish D patients displayed the worst overall survival. The difference in overall survival among these four groups was significant (p Conclusion DI by ENB is associated with increased incidence of cervical nodal metastases, bilateral neck disease, worse regional recurrence-free survival, and poorer overall survival. These data support the division of Kadish C by DI status.
Development of serotonin transporter reuptake inhibition assays using JAR cells

Abstract Introduction The development and validation of serotonin transporter reuptake inhibition assays in 96-well format using commercially available human placental choriocarcinoma JAR cells is described. Methods JAR cells were first shown to uptake [3H]serotonin in a saturable fashion with a KM value of 1 μM as determined by a Michaelis-Menten kinetic analysis. The cells were then utilized to determine the reuptake inhibition potencies of known ligands and the results were compared with results previously generated in the two most commonly used transporter assays (rat brain synaptosomes and transfected HEK293 cells). Results Examination of a variety of ligands including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, piperazine derivatives, and phenyltropane derivatives demonstrated that JAR cells are capable of detecting reuptake inhibition activity of a variety of ligands with potencies that correlate with one or both of the other assays. Discussion This study demonstrates a novel pharmacological method of assessing human serotonin transporter reuptake inhibition activity using commercially available JAR cells. Our results show that JAR cells provide an easily available and good alternative to using rat brain tissue and HEK293 cells, with the advantage of studying serotonin transporter reuptake inhibition in a human background.
Cell Biology of Magnetosome Formation

Magnetosome chains are the intracellular structures that allow magnetotactic bacteria to align in and navigate along geomagnetic fields (Bazylinski and Frankel 2004). These organelles are typically defined as a unit consisting of a magnetite or greigite crystal surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane (Balkwill et al. 1980). Although these magnetic minerals are the usual targets of most studies of magnetotactic bacteria it is the magnetosome membrane that fascinates cell biologists. One of the cornerstones of cell biology has been that membrane-bound organelles are unique to eukaryotes. However, it is now known that membranous organelles exist in many prokaryotes raising the possibility that the endo-membrane system of eukaryotic cells might have originated in prokaryotes (Jetten et al. 2003; Seufferheld et al. 2003; Fuerst 2005). Magnetosomes are one of the best-studied examples of these prokaryotic organelles with the potential to be an ideal system for the study of organelle development in prokaryotes. This work provides a review of the current knowledge of magnetosomes from a cell biological perspective focusing on the composition and formation of the magnetosome membrane and the cytoskeletal framework organizing individual magnetosomes into chains.
Antibodies to the Terminal Moieties of Guanine Mononucleotides and Guanine-Containing Dinucleotides

Antibodies specific for nucleic acids have been obtained by immunizing rabbits with conjugates composed of bases, nucleosides or nucleotides covalently linked to proteins or polyamino acids. The chemical methods used to prepare such immunogens have been reviewed (Levine and Stollar, 1967) and the characteristics of some of these antibodies are considered in this volume.
Numerical Simulation of Self-Focusing of an Array on an Interior Crack

Small cracks inside a solid are difficult to detect using a conventional ultrasonic focused transducer because its focal point and radiation direction are fixed. Using a self-focusing array can enhance the ability of crack detection and characterization because the beam steers itself inside a specimen and focuses the ultrasound on the crack, thereby increasing the ultrasonic signal/noise ratio.
Defining Hypertension: Role of New Trials and Guidelines

In this perspective, I discuss the rationale for the definition of hypertension and review the evidence for the effect of lowering BP on cardiovascular events and mortality, including landmark studies that compared different levels of BP control on these outcomes. I conclude with the potential
Proportionate and Disproportionate Functional Mitral Regurgitation: A New Conceptual Framework That Reconciles the Results of the MITRA-FR and COAPT Trials

Traditional approaches to the characterization of secondary or functional mitral regurgitation (MR) have largely ignored the critical importance of the left ventricle (LV). We propose that patients with secondary MR represent a heterogenous group, which can be usefully subdivided based on understanding that the effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) is dependent on left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV). According to the Gorlin hydraulic orifice equation, patients with heart failure, an LV ejection fraction of 30%, an LVEDV of 220 to 250 ml, and a regurgitant fraction of 50% would be expected to have an EROA of ≈0.3 cm2 independent of specific tethering abnormalities of the mitral valve leaflets. The MR in these patients is proportionate to the degree of LV dilatation and can respond to drugs and devices that reduce LVEDV. In contrast, patients with EROA of 0.3 to 0.4 cm2 but with LVEDV of only 160 to 200 ml exhibit degrees of MR that are disproportionately higher than predicted by LVEDV. These patients appear to preferentially benefit from interventions directed at the mitral valve. Our proposed conceptual framework explains the apparently discordant results from 2 recent randomized controlled trials of mitral valve repair. The MITRA-FR (Percutaneous Repair with the MitraClip Device for Severe Functional/Secondary Mitral Regurgitation) trial enrolled patients who had MR that was proportionate to the degree of LV dilatation, and during long-term follow-up, the LVEDV and clinical outcomes of these patients did not differ from medically-treated control subjects. In comparison, the patients enrolled in the COAPT (Cardiovascular Outcomes Assessment of the MitraClip Percutaneous Therapy for Heart Failure Patients with Functional Mitral Regurgitation) trial had an EROA ≈30% higher but LV volumes that were ≈30% smaller, indicative of disproportionate MR. In these patients, transcatheter mitral valve repair reduced the risk of death and hospitalization for heart failure, and these benefits were paralleled by a meaningful decrease in LVEDV. Thus, characterization of MR as proportionate or disproportionate to LVEDV appears to be critical to the selection of an optimal treatment for patients with chronic heart failure and systolic dysfunction.
Self-management and adherence in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: what are we missing?

ObjectivesThe aims of this study are (1) to characterize factors influencing self-management behaviors and quality of life in adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with childhood-onset systemic...
225) Extrinsic Colon Afferents Influence Enteric Neuron Activity and Colon Motility by Engaging Spinal Reflexes

Abdominal pain and bowel dysmotility are hallmark symptoms of functional bowel disorders, yet it is unclear how pain and dysmotility are correlated mechanistically. Extrinsic colon afferents (EPANs) provide sensory input to the CNS, and visceral pain is thought to be due to hypersensitivity of these afferents. The enteric nervous system (ENS) acts autonomously to control motility reflexes, but extrinsic nerve pathways coordinate activity between distant regions of the GI tract, and importantly, allow the central nervous system (CNS) to regulate GI functioning. To test whether EPANs can directly influence ENS activity, we used an ex vivo colon-pelvic nerve-L6 DRG preparation, in which the roots were cut from the spinal cord, that allowed selective activation of EPANs via dorsal root stimulation and simultaneous calcium imaging (GCaMP6s) of myenteric neurons in the colon. Electrical stimulation of the dorsal root activated the majority of L6 DRG neurons, but produced no GCaMP responses in myenteric neurons of the colon in any of the visual fields tested (n=8). By contrast, ventral root stimulation led to GCaMP responses in ∼20% of myenteric neurons, followed by smooth muscle contraction, as indicated by movement of the imaging field. Interestingly, when the spinal cord was left intact, dorsal root stimulation produced responses in 12% of myenteric neurons (n=5), suggesting the presence of a sensory-parasympathetic spinal reflex. To elucidate this reflex in vivo, we used optogenetic stimulation to produce visceromotor responses and then processed spinal cord tissue for the immediate early gene, c-fos. There were significantly greater numbers of parasympathetic preganglionic neurons (PPNs) with c-fos staining in lumbosacral spinal segments from TRPV1-ChR2 mice (n=3) compared to controls (n=3), and TRPV1 central terminals were observed in close apposition to PPN. Overall, our data suggests that colon afferents influence ENS activity and colon motility by engaging parasympathetic pathways through a spinal reflex.
Acute stress imposed during adolescence has minimal effects on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis sensitivity in adulthood in female Sprague Dawley rats.

Abstract Adolescence is a developmental epoch marked by maturation of stress-responsive systems including the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. Emerging evidence has found sex-specificity in the long term behavioral and neural effects of stressors experienced during this sensitive period, though most studies have utilized chronic stress exposures that span much of the adolescent period. Using Sprague-Dawley rats, we examined how a single exposure to inescapable footshock (80 shocks, 5 s, 1.0 mA, 90 s variable ITI) applied during early adolescence (PND 29–31) affected the corticosterone (CORT) response to a later restraint stress challenge in adulthood. We found that females, but not males, displayed a marginally enhanced CORT response when challenged with restraint in adulthood. To further probe intrinsic sensitivity of the HPA axis in adolescent stressed females, subsequent studies utilized exogenous CRH and ACTH challenges to probe sensitivity of the pituitary and adrenal glands respectively, demonstrating that neither gland appears to be sensitized to hormone challenge as a result of adolescent stress history in females. A final experiment examined negative feedback regulation of the HPA axis through systemic administration of dexamethasone, showing that corticosteroid receptor-mediated negative feedback mechanisms were also intact in females with a history of adolescent stress. Together, these findings report that intrinsic regulatory elements of the HPA axis are fully intact in females exposed to footshock in adolescence, and that adolescent exposure to footshock had appreciably modest long-lasting effects on HPA axis sensitivity. These findings are discussed within the general context of stress resilience and vulnerability.
Critical Thinking in Health Sciences and How It Pertains to Sonography Education: A Review of the Literature:

Objective:Critical thinking is an important skill that sonographers must develop beginning in educational programs and into professional practice. Critical thinking requires students to reflect on ...
Familial Adenomatous Polyposis: Prophylactic Management of the Colon and Rectum

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal dominant disease and is the most common adenomatous polyposis syndrome. It was first described by Virchow in 1863. It is caused by a mutation of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene, a tumor suppressor gene located on chromosome 5q21. Its most characteristic clinical feature is the early onset of hundreds to thousands of colonic adenomas. Extracolonic manifestations include gastric and duodenal polyposis with increased risk of malignancies in these organs. FAP is also associated with papillary thyroid cancer, desmoid tumors, and osteomas.
Blindsided by Social Risk: How Do Companies Survive a Storm of Their Own Making?

Our concept of risk continues to broaden and now includes instances in which representatives of a company make statements, actions, or decisions that damage the firm by inviting public scrutiny, sparking a reaction among customers, employees, regulators, or the public. This risk, which we describe as “social risk,” is more amorphous than the standard risks included in a company’s risk-management framework—and harder to plan for. We use proprietary data from Marketing Scenario Analytica (MSA) to examine how social risk manifests itself and what actions boards and companies can take to mitigate its impact. We ask: Given the sheer diversity of social risk, how can boards of directors prioritize their focus? How can a company gauge at the onset whether a social risk will be major or minor? What actions can senior officers take to mitigate the life of social risk? How can social risk be incorporated into risk management frameworks? What roles do management, audit, legal, and human resources play in this process? How can boards evaluate how company culture and leadership influence the risk profile of the company? What actions should they take if culture and leadership are deemed to increase risk?
Nonequilibrium Potential Function of Chemically Driven Single Macromolecules via Jarzynski-Type Log-Mean-Exponential Work

Applying the method from recently developed fluctuation theorems to the stochastic dynamics of single macromolecules in ambient fluid at constant temperature, we establish two Jarzynski-type equalities: (1) between the log-mean-exponential (LME) of the irreversible heat dissiption of a driven molecule in nonequilibrium steady-state (NESS) and $\ln P^{ness}(x)$, and (2) between the LME of the work done by the internal force of the molecule and nonequilibrium chemical potential function $\mu^{ness}(x)$ $\equiv U(x)+k_BT\ln P^{ness}(x)$, where $P^{ness}(x)$ is the NESS probability density in the phase space of the macromolecule and $U(x)$ is its internal potential function. $\Psi$ = $\int\mu^{ness}(x)P^{ness}(x)dx$ is shown to be a nonequilibrium generalization of the Helmholtz free energy and $\Delta\Psi$ = $\Delta U-T\Delta S$ for nonequilibrium processes, where $S$ $=-k_B\int P(x)\ln P(x)dx$ is the Gibbs entropy associated with $P(x)$. LME of heat dissipation generalizes the concept of entropy, and the equalities define thermodynamic potential functions for open systems far from equilibrium.
"Doctor and pharmacy shopping": A fading signal for prescription opioid use monitoring?

Abstract Background The term “doctor and pharmacy shopping” colloquially describes patients with high multiple provider episodes (MPEs)-a threshold count of distinct prescribers and/or pharmacies involved in prescription fulfillment. Opioid-related MPEs are implicated in the global opioid crisis and heavily monitored by government databases such as U.S. state prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). We applied a widely-used MPE definition to examine U.S. trends from a large, commercially-insured population from 2010 to 2017. Further, we examined the proportion of enrollees identified as “doctor shoppers” with evidence of a cancer diagnosis to examine the risk of false positives. Methods Using a large, commercially-insured population, we identified patients with opioid-related MPEs: opioid prescriptions (Schedule II-V, no buprenorphine) filled from ≥5 prescribers AND ≥ 5 pharmacies within the past 90 days (“5x5x90d”). Quarterly rates per 100,000 enrollees (two specifications) were calculated between 2010 and 2017. We examined the trend in a recently published all-payer, 7 state cohort from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for comparison. Cancer-related ICD-9/10-CM codes were used. Results Quarterly MPE rates declined by approximately 73 % from 18.2–4.9 per 100,000 enrollee population with controlled substance prescriptions. In 2017, nearly one fifth of these commercially-insured enrollees identified by the 5x5x90d algorithm were diagnosed with cancer. Approximately 8% of this sample included patients with ≥ 1 buprenorphine prescriptions. Conclusions Opioid “shopping” flags are a long-standing but rapidly fading PDMP signal. To avoid unintended consequences, such as identifying legitimate medical encounters requiring high healthcare utilization or opioid treatment, while maintaining vigilance, more nuanced and sophisticated approaches are needed.
A Feasibility and Usability Study of a Nursing Orchestrated, Customized 3 Dimensional Virtual Reality Environment in Children with Hemophilia Undergoing Routine Intravenous Procedures

Abstract Objective: We hypothesized that we could create and deploy a clinician orchestrated pediatric customized; three-dimensional virtual reality (VR) platform for distraction during IV procedures during a comprehensive hemophilia care visit without lengthening procedure time. We additionally hypothesized that VR would be favourably viewed by patients, caregivers,and clinical orchestrators. Methods: We designed a single-center, randomized pilot study to assess the feasibility and usability of a customized pediatric VR environment during IV procedures in a pediatric hemophilia clinic.Participants were children >6 years to 6y- 13y- Results: We enrolled 25 children. One patient's data was censored due to inability to fit the VR headset over his glasses. In the remaining 24 participants there was no significant difference in group allocation between sex, age, type of hemophilia, hemophilia severity or use of prophylaxis (Table 1). In the 24 remaining patients, the median VR procedure time was 10 minutes and the median SOC time was 9 minutes (p=0.6085). There was no difference in scores between groups in terms of nervousness prior to IV, or impact of distraction technique on level of engagement, impact on pain, anxiety or likability. In the VR cohort, the median scores for ease of use and desire to use VR for future procedures was exceedingly positive for patients (7,12) nurses (2,3) and parents (9,8). Conclusion: We demonstrated that a nurse orchestrated pediatric customized; three-dimensional VR environment during IV procedures could be integrated into a clinical setting when children with hemophilia underwent routine IV interventions during a comprehensive care visit without adversely disrupting clinic flow. Patients, nurses and caregivers expressed interest in using VR for future procedures. Future directions include validation of our findings in regard to clinical integration in multi-center hemophilia trials as well as other patient populations. Additional study regarding the impact of this platform on procedural pain and anxiety is warranted. Download : Download high-res image (117KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures Dunn: Bayer: Consultancy, Other: Unrestricted educational grant; CSL Behring: Consultancy, Other: Unrestricted educational grant; Biogen: Other: Unrestricted educational grant, Research Funding; Kedrion: Other: Unrestricted educational grant; NovoNordisk: Other: Unrestricted educational grant; Octapharma: Other: Unrestricted educational grant; Shire: Consultancy, Other: Unrestricted educational grant, Research Funding; World Federation of Hemophilia USA: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Alnylam: Other: Unrestricted educational grant. Biega: Shire: Speakers Bureau.
Fronts and Stochastic Homogenization of Hamilton–Jacobi Equations

Hamilton-Jacobi (HJ) equations modeling fronts in spatially random media are firstorder nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) of the form
Magnetically responsive microspheres and other carriers for the biophysical targeting of antitumor agents.

Publisher Summary This chapter has compared the major encapsulation carriers that have been tested for targeting of antitumor agents. A new, nontoxic carrier system was introduced for the in vivo localization of these agents. This consisted of magnetically responsive small albumin microspheres that are injected intra-arterially and localized at specific target sites by the application of appropriately directed magnetic fields. The new drug delivery vehicle could be targeted much more efficiently than any other type of nonmagnetic encapsulation carrier. It appears to have overcome the major problem characteristic of encapsulation carriers—namely, their rapid clearance by organs of the reticuloendothelial system. This preparation has the additional advantage of affording various rates of drug release that can be tailored to in vivo requirements. A prototype drug, adriamycin, was encapsulated and was found to distribute with the carrier. The released drug retained its biological activity. The relative advantages and disadvantages of encapsulation carriers, and exposed drug carriers were compared. Based on a high efficiency of targeting, magnetically responsive albumin microspheres appear to represent the optimal currently available vehicle for delivery of antitumor agents to regionally localized tumors with well-defined blood supplies. Although, there are still significant problems attending their uses as carrier systems, specific antitumor antibodies appear to represent the best currently available approach to the treatment of widely disseminated tumors. A hybrid approach, involving two-stage delivery, was discussed as a potential method for further augmenting the efficiency of drug targeting.
Migração e distribuição regional de renda no Brasil

O objetivo deste trabalho e analisar o impacto da migracao interestadual sobre a distribuicao de renda regional brasileira. Inicialmente, estima-se uma regressao minceriana para o logaritmo do salario contra diversas variaveis de controle mais uma dummy de migracao, usando dados da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicilios (PNAD). Em seguida, sao construidos contrafactuais em que nao ha migracao entre os estados brasileiros. A partir dessa analise contrafactual, observa-se que a migracao provoca um aumento das rendas medias dos estados (com excecao de Sao Paulo e Rio de Janeiro) e da renda media do pais. A renda media dos estados do Nordeste como proporcao da dos estados do Sudeste aumenta. Com isso, observamos uma diminuicao da dispersao de renda regional.
Gram-Positive Rod-Shaped Organisms: Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis is a microorganism found generally in soil. It is not one of the opportunistic consumers of living, freshly dead, or dying biomass, but rather it waits near the end of the chain of consumers. Although its metabolic capabilities are nowhere as great as the collective abilities of pseudomonads, it makes up for this by being more patient. To do so it depends heavily on its ability to sporulate and to germinate quickly.
Representations for reasoning about digital circuits

We are interested in developing programs that reason about digital electronic circuits, in order to design, redesign, and debug them. The first step toward developing such programs is to determine a useful way of representing the design and operation of circuits. A useful representation must make apparent the roles of various circuit components in implementing the overall circuit function, and must allow a program to reason about the operation of the circuit at various levels of abstraction. This paper summarizes our efforts to develop such a representation This work is closely related to other Al work on representing plans and on representing and reasoning about complex physical processes.
Rational L/sub /spl infin//-suboptimal controllers for SISO continuous-time systems

We study the problem of minimizing the weighted amplitude of the time response due to a given fixed input signal for single-input/single-output (SISO) continuous-time systems and focus on obtaining rational suboptimal solutions. An EAS (Euler approximating system)-based method is proposed for designing a rational L/sub /spl infin//-suboptimal controller for SISO systems. It is shown that this rational approximation is the best one among a set of rational approximations, in the sense of providing the tightest upper bound and that it can approximate the optimal cost arbitrarily close.
Comparison of efficacy of induction therapy in low immunologic risk African-American kidney transplant recipients

Summary African-Americans (AA) have higher acute rejection rates and poorer long-term graft survival rates when compared with non-AA. It is yet to be demonstrated that the type of induction therapy modifies outcomes in this ‘high-risk’ population. This retrospective analysis compares the efficacy of induction therapy [antilymphocyte antibodies (ALA) versus interleukin-2 receptor antagonists (IL-2RA)] in the AA population. Some 189 AAs were included. There was no difference in acute rejection at one year between the groups (ALA (12%) or IL-2RA (12%), P = 0.89). Type of induction therapy had no significant effect on death-censored (P = 0.61) or uncensored graft survival (P = 0.32). There was no difference between CMV or BK virus infections between the groups (P = 0.14 and 0.94 respectively). Type of induction therapy does not appear to affect acute rejection rates or long-term graft survival in low-risk AA kidney transplant recipients.
The effect of toxic heavy metals, Hg and Cd on the mRNA expression levels of the novel gene CIA7 of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (995.4)

Heavy metal pollution of the environment is a growing concern to biological researchers due to its potentially harmful effects. Bioremediation of these toxic metals by species of algae has been researched as a possible alternative. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii contain a novel gene: CIA7of unclear function. Due to its possession of conserved cysteine amino-acid residues, this gene is hypothesized to play a role in the binding and tolerance of heavy metals. This study aims to qualitatively assess the levels of mRNA expression obtained from two strains of C. reinhardtii upon exposure to sub-lethal levels of Hg and Cd. The two strains referred to are a wild-type (D66) and a mutant strain (cia7) of C. reinhardtii. The mutant was isolated from inorganic carbon acquisition mutants. Upregulation of the CIA7 gene following a toxic metal treatment will provide a basis for CIA7’s role in heavy metal tolerance. To perform the expression analysis of the CIA7 gene, D66 and cia7 algal strains were exposed to sub-lethal con...
Personality disorders and retention in a therapeutic community for substance dependence.

Although therapeutic community (TC) treatment is a promising intervention for substance use disorders, a primary obstacle to successful treatment is premature attrition. Because of their prevalence within substance use treatment facilities, personality disorder (PD) diagnoses have been examined as predictors of treatment completion. Prior research on TC outcomes has focused almost exclusively on antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), and the results have been mixed. This study extends previous research by examining the impact of the 10 Axis II PDs on early (first 30 days) attrition as well as overall time to dropout in a 9-month residential TC. Survival analyses indicated that borderline was the only PD negatively related to overall program retention. In contrast, ASPD, as well as histrionic PD, were related to very early attrition, but not to overall program retention. Early assessment and identification of at-risk individuals may improve treatment retention and outcome for TC treatment. (Am J Addict 2011:20:555–562)
The burden of dengue and chikungunya worldwide: implications for the southern United States and California

Abstract Background Dengue virus (DENV) spreads to humans through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito and is a growing public health threat to both industrialized and developing nations worldwide. Outbreaks of autochthonous dengue in the United States occurred extensively in the past but over the past 3 decades have again taken place in Florida, Hawaii, and Texas as well as in American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. As the Aedes vectors spread worldwide it is anticipated that DENV as well as other viruses also transmitted by these vectors, such as Chikungunya virus (CHKV), will invade new areas of the world, including the United States. Objectives In this review, we describe the current burden of dengue disease worldwide and the potential introduction of DENV and CHKV into different areas of the United States. Of these areas, the state of California saw the arrival and spread of the Aedes aegypti vector beginning in 2013. This invasion presents a developing situation when considering the state’s number of imported dengue cases and proximity to northern Mexico as well as the rising specter of chikungunya in the Western hemisphere. Findings In light of the recent arrival of Aedes aegypti mosquito vectors to California, there is now a small but appreciable risk for endemic transmission of dengue and chikungunya within the State. It is likely, however, that if DENV or CHKV were to become endemic that the public health situation would be similar to that currently found along the Texas-Mexico border. The distribution of Aedes vectors in California as well as a discussion of several factors contributing to the risk for dengue importation are discussed and evaluated. Conclusions Dengue and chikungunya viruses present real risks to states where the Aedes vector is now established. Scientists, physicians, and public health authorities should familiarize themselves with these risks and prepare appropriately.
Refugium for surface life on Snowball Earth in a nearly-enclosed sea? A first simple model for sea-glacier invasion

[1] The existence of photosynthetic eukaryotic algae during the so-called Snowball Earth events presents a conundrum. If thick ice covered the oceans, where could such life persist? Here we explore the possibility that photosynthetic life persisted at the end of long narrow seas, analogous to the modern-day Red Sea. In this first analytical model, we test the ability of the global sea glacier to penetrate a Red Sea analogue under climatic conditions appropriate during a Snowball Earth event. We find the Red Sea is long enough to provide a refugium only if certain ranges of climatic conditions are met. These ranges would likely expand if the restrictive effect of a narrow entrance strait is also considered.
The impairment of progesterone-induced pituitary release of prolactin and gonadotropin in patients with hypothalamic chronic anovulation

Sequential administrations of progessively increasing amounts of estradiol benzoate (EB) for five days followed by 10 mg. of progesterone (P) elicited a prompt pituitary release of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and prolactin in normal women during the early follicular phase but not in women with normogonadotropic hypothalamic chronic anovulation with or without associated hyperprolactinemia. Since hypothalamic dopamine functions as an inhibitor for the secretion of both prolactin and gonadotropin, we postulate that sequential EB-P stimulation for simultaneous release of gonadotropin and prolactin may be mediated by a reduction of hypothalamic dopamine in response to progesterone. The failure of patients with hypothalamic chronic anovulation to respond to this sequential ovarian steroid feedback demonstrated in this study may indicate the presence of dopaminergic dysfunction and that this test may prove to be useful in delineating hypothalamic function in amenorrhea patients.
Male-Specific Lethal Mutations of DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER . II. Parameters of Gene Action during Male Development.

ABSTRACT The male-specific lethal mutations ( msl 9s) identify loci whose wild-type gene products are essential for male, but not female, viability. Earlier studies in which X -linked gene activities were monitored in msl/msl male larvae demonstrated that these genes are responsible for setting and/or maintaining the level of X chromosome transcription in males ( i.e. , they are necessary for proper dosage compensation). The present study examines several important questions concerning their mode of action during development—The results of an examination of the effects of an msl-1 deficiency on male-lethal phase and female viability suggest that this mutation is an amorph, or a severe hypomorph. The effects of rendering a fly mutant for more than one male-lethal mutation were also examined. Multiply mutant flies were no more severely affected than singly mutant ones. A gynandromorph analysis revealed that the male-limited lethality associated with msl-2 has no single lethal focus. Somatic clones of homozygous msl-2 cells were initiated at various times during development by X-ray-induced mitotic recombination. An examination of the viability, growth patterns and morphology of marked clones demonstrated that: (1) msl-2 + acts in a cell autonomous manner, (2) msl-2 + function is required not only in larval (polytene) cells as was shown in previous work but is also needed in the diploid cells that give rise to adult structures, (3) the msl-2 + gene is needed fairly late in development and perhaps continuously, (4) the msl-2 mutation does not affect sexual differentiation.
90Y-daclizumab, an anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody, provided responses in 50% of patients with relapsed Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Despite significant advances in the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), a significant proportion of patients will not respond or will subsequently relapse. We identified CD25, the IL-2 receptor alpha subunit, as a favorable target for systemic radioimmunotherapy of HL. The scientific basis for the clinical trial was that, although most normal cells with exception of Treg cells do not express CD25, it is expressed by a minority of Reed-Sternberg cells and by most polyclonal T cells rosetting around Reed-Sternberg cells. Forty-six patients with refractory and relapsed HL were evaluated with up to seven i.v. infusions of the radiolabeled anti-CD25 antibody (90)Y-daclizumab. (90)Y provides strong β emissions that kill tumor cells at a distance by a crossfire effect. In 46 evaluable HL patients treated with (90)Y-daclizumab there were 14 complete responses and nine partial responses; 14 patients had stable disease, and nine progressed. Responses were observed both in patients whose Reed-Sternberg cells expressed CD25 and in those whose neoplastic cells were CD25(-) provided that associated rosetting T cells expressed CD25. As assessed using phosphorylated H2AX (γ-H2AX) as a bioindicator of the effects of radiation exposure, predominantly nonmalignant cells in the tumor microenvironment manifested DNA damage, as reflected by increased expression of γ-H2AX. Toxicities were transient bone-marrow suppression and myelodysplastic syndrome in six patients who had not been evaluated with bone-marrow karyotype analyses before therapy. In conclusion, repeated (90)Y-daclizumab infusions directed predominantly toward nonmalignant T cells rosetting around Reed-Sternberg cells provided meaningful therapy for select HL patients.
Improving T1 and T2 magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents through the conjugation of an esteramide dendrimer to high‐water‐coordination Gd(III) hydroxypyridinone complexes

Commercial gadolinium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents are limited by low relaxivity (r1) and coordination to only a single water molecule (q = 1). Consequently, gram quantities of these agents must be injected to obtain sufficient diagnostic contrast. In this study, MRI contrast agents for T1 and T2 relaxivity were synthesized using hydroxypyridinone and terephthalamide chelators with mesityl and 1,4,7-triazacyclononane capping moieties. When covalently conjugated to a highly biocompatible esteramide dendrimer, T2 relaxation rates up to 52 m m−1 s−1 and T1 relaxation rates up to 31 m m−1 s−1 per gadolinium were observed under clinically relevant conditions. These values are believed to be brought about by using a dendritic macromolecule to decrease the molecular tumbling time of the small molecule complexes. These agents also show high aqueous solubility and low toxicity in vitro. In this study we report six new compounds: three discrete complexes and three dendrimer conjugates. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Female sticklebacks transfer information via eggs: effects of maternal experience with predators on offspring

There is growing evidence that maternal experience influences offspring via non-genetic mechanisms. When female three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) were exposed to the threat of predation, they produced larger eggs with higher cortisol content, which consumed more oxygen shortly after fertilization compared with a control group. As juveniles, the offspring of predator-exposed mothers exhibited tighter shoaling behaviour, an antipredator defence. We did not detect an effect of maternal exposure to predation risk on the somatic growth of fry. Altogether, we found that exposure to an ecologically relevant stressor during egg formation had several long-lasting consequences for offspring, some of which might be mediated by exposure to maternally derived cortisol. These results support the hypothesis that female sticklebacks might influence the development, growth and behaviour of their offspring via eggs to match their future environment.
Binge Drinking, Marijuana Use, and Friendships: The Relationship Between Similar and Dissimilar Usage and Friendship Quality

Abstract While it is commonly understood that the substance use of peers influences an individual's substance use, much less is understood about the interplay between substance use and friendship quality. Using a sample of 2,148 emerging adults nested within 1,074 dyadic friendships, this study separately investigates how concordance and discordance in binge drinking and marijuana use between friends is related to each friend's perceptions of friendship quality. Because “friendship quality” is a complex construct, we employ a measure containing five sub-elements – companionship, a lack of conflict, willingness to help a friend, relationship security, and closeness. Results for both binge drinking and marijuana use reveal that individuals in friendship pairs who are concordant in their substance use perceive significantly higher perceptions of friendship quality than individuals in dyads who are dissimilar in substance use. Specifically, concordant binge drinkers estimate significantly higher levels of com...
Soil color modeling for the visible and near-infrared bands of Landsat sensors using laboratory spectral measurements

Abstract Color is a key feature used in the identification and classification of soils. Soil reflectance has a direct relationship with soil color, as well as to other parameters such as texture, soil moisture, and organic matter. Earlier studies have quantified the relationship between reflectance and soil color using simple linear regression equations having correlation coefficients of about 0.5. In the present study, a method called optimal rotational transformation technique has been employed to maximize the correlation between soil color and transformed reflectance. Seventy-six soil samples having a wide range of soil color were employed in the laboratory measurements. Multispectral reflectances were measured using an Exotech radiometer in the visible and near-infrared bands of the Landsat MSS sensor, and soil color was measured using the Munsell color charts. The soil color data were quantified using the RGB color coordinate system since colors recorded in the Munsell system are not readily usable in numerical analysis. Simple linear regression models using the raw reflectance data yielded correlations of about 0.5. Optimal rotational transformation of the reflectance data and multiple linear regressions showed an improved correlation of r more than 0.8, and the models predicted the main color component (viz. hue) with acceptable accuracy. Hue images can be used for identification and discrimination of soils and lithological formations, since hue is independent of illumination and therefore capable of suppressing shadows. Optimal models can be developed to predict soil reflectance using color data since metamerism is rarely observed in the case of soils. Results of this study have a potential application for identification and mapping of soil and geologic materials of nonvegetated or sparsely vegetated regions using data received from airborne and space-borne remote sensors operating in the visible and near-infrared bands.
Polyamines stabilise DNA folds.

THE DNA of bacterial cells, gently isolated in the presence of high concentrations of monovalent salts, remains folded in a particle resembling the bacterial nucleoid1,2. The double-helical DNA is condensed by folding1 and by supercoiling3 and the compact structure is dependent both on counterions in the solvent environment and RNA molecules bound to the DNA1–4. In the absence of these stabilising interactions the DNA unfolds and acquires the usual properties of extended double-helical DNA1,3. The concentrations of monovalent salts required during the isolation of folded DNA are significantly greater than those found in the cell. It is, however, believed that in vivo polyamines may be an important counterion neutralising DNA5. We have now found that moderate concentrations of the polyamine spermidine greatly stabilise the condensed DNA conformations in isolated nucleoids. In addition to broadening current understanding of the role of counterions in stabilising condensed DNA states, this finding will be of significance to studies in which the stability of the nucleoid in vitro is important.
Basic amino acid inhibition of growth inSaccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract Growth ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaeon poor nitrogen sources such as allantoin or proline is totally inhibited by addition of lysine to the medium. The same result is observed with ornithine if its degradation to glutamic semialdehyde is prevented. Since inhibition occurs even when arginine is used as nitrogen source it is not likely that cessation of growth is due to arginine limitation as previously suggested. Preliminary observations suggest that addition of basic amino acids to slowly growing cultures ofSaccharomycesinhibits some process associated with the cell cycle.
Electromagnetic wave-wave interactions in a bounded magnetoplasma

The equations, valid in the weak non-linear approximation, are derived to describe the interaction of two waves of different frequency in a bounded, uniform, cold, collisional magnctoplasma. The boundaries are the walls of a cylindrical cavity resonator, the magnetization is axial, and ion motion is neglected. A matrix formalism is used to obtain a general solution satisfying boundary condition for a Fourier component in time, azimuthal, and axial coordinates. The solution is applied to the excitation of the TM-011 mode by the harmonic of the TM-010, when both are resonant. The computed results show a decrease of harmonic amplitude at the cavity wall as the magnetization is increased from zero and an abrupt increase of several orders of magnitude when the harmonic is close to the upper hybrid resonance. An equivalent circuit is proposed to account for the results at low magnetization, but it fails for cyclotron frequencies greater than the fundamental frequency. For all magnetic fields, the harmonic ampli...