cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of the N-terminal segment of CCR5 in HIV-1 Env-mediated membrane fusion and the mechanism of virus adaptation to CCR5 lacking this segment

HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) induces membrane fusion as a result of sequential binding to CD4 and chemokine receptors (CCR5 or CXCR4). The critical determinants of CCR5 coreceptor function are the N-terminal domain (Nt) and the second extracellular loop. However, mutations in gp120 adapt HIV-1 to grow on cells expressing the N-terminally truncated CCR5(Δ18) (Platt et al., J. Virol. 2005, 79: 4357–68). We have functionally characterized the adapted Env (designated Env(NYP)) using a quantitative cell-cell fusion assay. The rate of fusion with target cells expressing wild-type CCR5 and the resistance to fusion inhibitors was virtually identical for wild-type Env and Env(NYP), implying that the coreceptor affinity had not increased as a result of adaptation. In contrast, Env(NYP)-induced fusion with cells expressing CCR5(Δ18) occurred at a slower rate and was extremely sensitive to the CCR5 binding inhibitor, Sch-C. Resistance to Sch-C drastically increased after pre-incubation of Env(NYP)- and CCR5(Δ18)-expressing cells at a temperature that was not permissive to fusion. This indicates that ternary Env(NYP)-CD4-CCR5(Δ18) complexes accumulate at sub-threshold temperature and that low-affinity interactions with the truncated coreceptor are sufficient for triggering conformational changes in the gp41 of Env(NYP) but not in wild-type Env. We also demonstrated that the ability of CCR5(Δ18) to support fusion and infection mediated by wild-type Env can be partially reconstituted in the presence of a synthetic sulfated peptide corresponding to the CCR5 Nt. Pre-incubation of wild-type Env- and CCR5(Δ18)-expressing cells with the sulfated peptide at sub-threshold temperature markedly increased the efficiency of fusion. We propose that, upon binding the Nt region of CCR5, wild-type Env acquires the ability to productively engage the extracellular loop(s) of CCR5 – an event that triggers gp41 refolding and membrane merger. The adaptive mutations in Env(NYP) enable it to more readily release its hold on gp41, even when it interacts weakly with a severely damaged coreceptor in the absence of the sulfopeptide.
Generation of glyoxylate in methylotrophic bacteria

The mode of glyoxylate production from acetyl-CoA was investigated in three strains of methylotrophic bacteria,Pseudomonas MA,Pseudomonas AM1 and organism PAR. This investigation was prompted by the recently reported discovery of a homoisocitrate lyase in methylotrophic bacteria and the suggested involvement of this novel enzyme in assimilation of C1 and C2 compounds as part of a homoisocitrate-glyoxylate cycle. We were unable to detect cleavage of any of the four stereoisomers of homoisocitric acid by cell-free extracts of C1-or C2-grown bacteria. Extracts of C1-grown bacteria did not catalyze condensation of glyoxylate with glutarate or production of glyoxylate from acetyl-CoA and 2-ketoglutarate. Extracts of C1-grownPseudomonas MA catalyzed cleavage of isocitrate;threo-homoisocitrate was a potent competitive inhibitor of this reaction. These results indicate that homoisocitrate cleavage does not occur in any of the methylotrophs tested. The pathway for oxidation of acetyl-CoA to glyoxylate inPseudomonas AM1 and organism PAR therefore remains obscure.
Studies on ciliary dyskinesia factor in cystic fibrosis. IV. Its possible identification as anaphylatoxin (C3a)-IgG complex.

Abstract Presumptive evidence indicates that the substance responsible for the pathophysiologic conditions of cystic fibrosis (CF) is a complement component, C3a, also known as anaphylatoxin. The known biochemical and physiological properties of C3a, together with the behavior of this purified substance when associated with IgG in our tracheal bioassay, compare favorably with those of molecular species which we have separated from sera and cell cultures of CF homozygotes and heterozygotes. Sera from normal healthy subjects, previously inactive by bioassay for ciliary dyskinesia factor (CDF), were converted to a CDF positive state by incubation with epsilon-amino-caproic-acid (EACA). EACA is a known inhibitor of the carboxypeptidase-B-like anaphylatoxin inactivator, and is the methof of choice for accumulating anaphylatoxins in normal blood. Incubation of EACA-treated normal sera and two fresh CDF-positive CF sera with carboxypeptidase-B produced reversion in all instances to a CDF negative, normal state. It is proposed that anaphylatoxin inactivator, a carboxypeptidase-B-like enzyme, is defective or deficient in cystic fibrosis and that this deficiency is the primary gene defect.
Methodological flaws in imagery research : brief reply to McKelvie

Four methodological criticisms of the 1986 Chara and Verplanck and the 1988 Chara and Hamm studies recently raised by McKelvie in 1990 are examined and disputed.
The Use of Combination Antimicrobials in Critically-Ill Ventilated Patients with Pseudomonal Pneumonia

Purpose: Recent 2005 American Thoracic Society and Infectious Diseases Society of America ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) guidelines suggest combination antimicrobial therapy for Pseudomonas aeruginosa VAP based on limited non-VAP evidence. We reviewed antimicrobial use in patients with P. aeruginosa VAP within our tertiary teaching institution to evaluate patient factors, antimicrobial selection, and outcomes. Methods: Intubated patients with a P. aeruginosa sputum culture, infiltrate on chest x-ray, and increased white blood cell count were retrospectively enrolled. Collected data identified illness acuity using the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS), culture sensitivities, antimicrobial use, and patient survival at hospital discharge. Results: Fifty-nine patients were analyzed between January 2003 and November 2004. Average age was 57 ± 15.7, body mass index (BMI) of 28.5 ± 6.1, and SAPS of 45.1 ± 13.7. Survival was significantly higher among patients on two culture-sensitive antimicrobials (23/28, 82%) vs less than two agents (12/31, 39%; P = 0.0018). Almost all patients who received the beta-lactam and aminoglycoside (BL/Ag) combination survived (15/16; P = 0.0015). While fewer severely ill patients lived (SAPS greater than 54; 4/16; P = 0.0029), none were placed on the BL/Ag combination, and few on appropriate antimicrobials (6/37; P = 0.0324). Lower survival was seen among obese patients (BMI higher than 30; 9/25; P = 0.0043); although, 5/6 obese patients on BL/Ag survived (P = 0.0237). Patients more than 64-years-old were more often on two appropriate antimicrobials (P = 0.0143) and had a higher survival (P = 0.0241). Unfortunately, we observed a lack of culture follow-up, as only 60% (30/50) of inappropriate antimicrobials were switched to sensitive agents. Conclusions: Our results emphasize the need to use combination BL/Ag antimicrobials for P. aeruginosa VAP as the current guidelines suggest, and to ensure that antimicrobials are optimized based on culture results.
Toward a total energy tight-binding Hamiltonian based on the linear-muffin-tin-orbital method

Abstract We have investigated the accuracy of approximations involved in constructing a total energy tight-binding Hamiltonian for AuCu based on the linear-muffin-tin-orbital method in the atomic-sphere-approximation (LMTO-ASA). The approximations involved in constructing the tight-binding Hamiltonian are broken into four stages: (i) the use of the LMTO-ASA method, (ii) the use of only the first-order LMTO-ASA Hamiltonian, (iii) the use of non-self-consistent potential parameters, (iv) the use of a fit repulsive term. The equations of state are calculated for 11 different structures and compared at each stage of approximation. The results show that for AuCu the tight-binding Hamiltonian produces significant overbinding and errors in the equation of state.
Microfabricated structures for the in situ measurement of residual stress, Young’s modulus, and ultimate strain of thin films

Two microfabricated structures for the in situ measurement of mechanical properties of thin films, a suspended membrane, and an asymmetric ‘‘released structure,’’ are reported. For a polyimide film on silicon dioxide, the membrane measurements yield a residual tensile stress of 30 MPa and a Young’s modulus of 3 GPa. The released structures measure the ratio of residual stress to Young’s modulus, and yield 0.011 at strains comparable to the suspended membranes, and 0.015 at larger strains. The ultimate strain as measured by both structures is approximately 4%.
Arthropod Community Responses to Manipulation of a Bitrophic Predator Guild

We used replicated field enclosures to manipulate population densities of two species of bitrophic predators in a terrestrial old—field community: a mantid (Tenodera sinensis), and a wolf spider (Lycosa rabida). The treatments consisted of adding mantids alone (8 individuals/enclosure), lycosids alone (10 individuals/enclosure), and lycosids and mantids together (8 + 10 individuals). A control consisted of enclosures to which no predators were added. The impact of these predators on numbers and biomass of other arthropods in the community was examined on several levels: overall community, different size (body length) categories, and major taxa. We asked whether the impact of these predators in combination could be predicted from their separate effects. Mantids depressed total numbers (10—15%) and biomass (50%), in the arthropod community over the course of 10 d. This effect was confined to the largest size categories in the community. Lycosids had no measurable effect at this level of resolution. Mantids depressed abundance of acridids in both mantid and mantid/lycosid enclosures, but again lycosids had no impact. Lycosids alone enhanced abundance of gryllids, but not in the presence of mantids. Both mantids and lycosids depressed numbers of small spiders (also members of this guild), but this effect was not additive. Interactions among members of bitrophic generalist predator guilds may contribute to the commonness of nonadditive and higher order effects in manipulative experiments. Depending upon the level of resolution, it may be impractical to predict the impact of the whole guild from summing the individual effects of single predator species on terrestrial arthropod communities.
ON PRODUCTS OF PSEUDO-ANOSOV MAPS AND DEHN TWISTS OF RIEMANN SURFACES WITH PUNCTURES

Let S be a Riemann surface of type (p,n) with 3p+n>4 and n≥1. We investigate products of some pseudo-Anosov maps θ and Dehn twists tα on S, and prove that under certain conditions the products tkα∘θ are pseudo-Anosov for all integers k. We also give examples that show that tkα∘θ are not pseudo-Anosov for some integers k.
Homer as Artist

Homeric studies today are flourishing, but admirers of Homer as poetry are a rather baffled lot. Homerists may devote themselves to Linear B, Mycenaean warfare and weaponry, formulary modifications, linguistic features, Yugoslav parallels, and other such topics; but anyone who prefers to concentrate on Homer himself and offers an interpretation of some part of the Iliad or Odyssey is liable to meet with the rejoinder that literary standards must not be applied to an oral poet.
Cytomegalovirus infection in newborns and their family members: Polymerase chain reaction analysis of isolates

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis with primers for the pp65, a-sequence, glycoprotein B, and major immediate early genes of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) was used to study five congenitally-infected infants and their CMV-infected family members. Family members excreting CMV included three mothers and two siblings. The PCR results indicated that the CMV strain excreted by each infant was indistinguishable from that excreted by the corresponding family member. By contrast, the molecular profiles of the CMV strains were distinct between families, indicating that the PCR algorithm described in this study is a useful method for analyzing CMV strains.
Frequency Doubling Technology Perimetry in Normal Children

Purpose To test visual field thresholds of normal children with frequency doubling technology (FDT) perimetry to quantify testing times and reliability characteristics in a pediatric population and to determine whether current methods of stratifying adult threshold values need revision for children. Design Prospective cross-sectional study. Methods Ninety-four children, ages 5 to 17 years, were recruited from local pediatric clinics and the general community and were tested at one center. Children likely to have abnormal visual fields or abnormal test taking ability because of ophthalmic, neurologic, or behavioral problems were excluded. Children were asked to perform a threshold FDT visual field with each of their eyes. Threshold results were gathered, analyzed, and compared with the standards that have been established for tests in adults. Results were validated by testing a further 72 children, with the same protocol, at a different center. Results For children older than 14 years, threshold mean deviation values were within normal limits according to the adult normative database that is used currently in FDT perimetry. Below 15 years of age, mean deviations for normal children decreased with decreasing age. The best linear fit was given by a mean deviation of −11.43 ± 0.82 dB × age ( R 2 = 0.18; P −5 ). Conclusion This research establishes a normative model for pediatric visual field testing with FDT and, by a comparison of threshold results for normal children to established adult norms, provides evidence that parameters for normal sensitivity must be revised for children younger than 15 years.
Induction of anti-H-2 antibodies without alloantigen exposure by in vivo administration of anti-idiotype.

Anti-idiotypic reagents have been used recently to manipulate both idiotype (ID) expression and antigen-binding antibody activity of immunized animals1–11. The in vivo administration of anti-idiotypic antibodies followed by antigen exposure has usually resulted in suppression of ID-positive antigen binding molecules6–8, although, in other circumstances, increased idiotype expression and antigen-binding activity has also been observed1–5. Extension of these findings to the immune response to transplantation antigens is of obvious practical and theoretical importance. There have been several reports describing the production of anti-idiotypic reagents against alloantisera9–11, although the generation of anti-ID antibodies in this way has generally been difficult to reproduce11. Therefore, in the study reported here we used xenogeneic anti-idiotypic antisera raised against monoclonal anti-H–2Kk antibodies which offer the advantage of reproducibility of anti-idiotype production12. These anti-idiotypic reagents were produced by immunizing swine and rabbits with either purified 3-83P13 or 11-4.1 (ref. 14), both of which are IgG2a, k anti-H–2Kk antibodies. We found that none of these reagents detected significant levels of idiotype in anti-H–2 antisera produced against H–2Kk antigens by conventional means. However, BALB/c mice treated with these anti-idiotypes consistently produced large amounts of idiotype, and in some animals this induced response included idiotype-positive antibodies which bound to H–2Kk antigens. Thus, treatment with anti-idiotype has been found to induce anti-H–2Kk antibodies in the absence of exposure to the H–2Kk antigen.
Cellulosic Insulation Material III. Effects of Heat Flow Geometry on Smolder Initiation

The variation with heat flow geometry of minimum heat source temperature which causes smolder initiation in cellulosic insulation has been examined for eight configurations. These configurations range from a wire-like source, to a flat planar source, to a corner formed by planar sources; they simulate such heat sources as electrical conductors and light fixtures and span the geometry range seen by insulation in practice. The ignition temperature for the same 20 cm deep insulation layer varies from 235°C (corner source) to 385°C (wire source). Other variables such as bulk density or the presence of smolder retardants have much less effect on ignition temperature. This behavior is rationalized in an approximate manner by simple heat generation/ heat flow arguments; it is predicted semi-quantitatively by a numerical model using reaction kinetics derived from thermal analysis. A smolder ignitability test for cellulosic insulations is suggested that simulates exposures to recessed light fixtures. The data here...
New Tight-Binding Pair Potentials for Mineral Oxides: Application to β-Cassiterite (110), β-Tridymite (10TO) and Cristobalite (110)

Tight-binding, total-energy (TBTE) methods have successfully predicted surface atomic geometries for a variety of semiconducting and insulating materials that are well described by a nearest-neighbor model of interatomic interactions. However, little work has been done on distant-neighbor models, which are required to study many important mineral oxides. In this paper we demonstrate one way in which the TBTE methodology can be extended to these materials. To illustrate this approach, we calculate surface atomic structures for cassiterite SnO{sub 2} (110), {beta}-cristobalite SiO{sub 2}(110) and {beta}-tridymite SiO{sub 2} (10T0).
A Platonic Theory of Truthmaking

A Platonic explanation of non-modal and modal truths is explained and defended using non-spatiotemporal entities as their truthmakers. It is argued, further, that this theory is parsimonious, naturalistic, and ontologically serious. These features should commend the view to a wide swath of philosophers.
Indoor 222Rn in Tennessee Valley Houses: Seasonal, Building, and Geological Factors

A two-season survey of indoor 222Rn concentrations was conducted in 226 occupied houses in Roane County, TN, during 1985 and 1986. A similar survey of 86 houses in Madison County, AL, was conducted in 1988 and 1989. Alpha track detectors were placed in each of the houses for three or more months during the winter heating season. Detectors were placed at the same sampling sites during the following cooling season. In this study, comparisons were made between winter and summer sampling times and between building types. For the data from Madison County, additional comparisons were made among regions of the county that differed in geological characteristics, especially the thickness of overburden above the Chattanooga Shale layer a geological stratum that has high concentrations of 226Ra and is widely found in the southeastern United States. The geometric means of summer and winter measurements in Roane County were 33 and 54 Bq m−3, respectively. For Madison County, the summer and winter geometric means were 121 and 88 Bq m−3, respectively. The winter 222Rn concentrations for houses in Roane Coutuy exceeded summer 222Rn concentrations, as is generally the case for houses in the US. For houses in Madison County, we found the opposite and atypical situation of higher 222Rn concentrations in the summertime. 222Rn concentrations differed significantly among groups of houses in distinguishable regions of Madison County. Substructure and other building factors had no observable effect on indoor 222Rn concentrations found in this study.
Detection limits for radionuclides in the analysis of multi-component gamma ray spectrometer data

The problem of obtaining the lower limit of detection (LLD) for the concentration of a nuclide present in a mixture to be assayed by the use of a multi-channel gamma ray spectrometer is considered. A method for computing the LLD is proposed based on the usual weighted least squares technique for analyzing pulseheight distributions. Several LLD's are computed. These are: (1) the LLD for a nuclide when no other nuclides are assumed to be present in the mixture; the library of standards contains the spectrum for the nuclide of interest only; (2) the LLD for a nuclide when other nuclides are included in the library, but not in the mixture; (3) the LLD for a nuclide when other known nuclides are assumed to be present in the mixture at fixed levels; the library contains the spectra for all nuclides involved. As examples of the determination of LLD's for a multi-component system, mock samples were prepared, counted and analyzed for the three situations describea. An important statistical pricciple underlying the relationship of the LLD of a nuclide with the other nuclides included in the library (whether or not such nuclides are present in the mixture) is stressed: The LLD of a nuclide varies inversely with the residual variation obtained when its standard spectrum is regressed on the remaining library spectra.
Observations on the central mechanism of acetylsalicylate antipyresis.

Abstract Leukocytic pyrogen and sodium acetylsalicylate (ASA) were microinjected into the anterior hypothalamus (AH) of urethane anesthetized cats under thermoneutral conditions. The responses of single, identified thermoregulatory neurons in the AH to leukocytic pyrogen placed in the contralateral AH were examined initially. The attempt was then made to determine the effect of ASA on the activity of pyrogen challenged neurons when injected into the AH area opposite to that which received the pyrogen. Stereotaxically located AH units were defined as thermoregulatory by their response to body surface and hypothalamic thermal stimulation; both “thermopositive” (warm) and “thermonegative” (cold) types were studied. Administration of the leukocytic pyrogen was always followed by a change in the discharge rate of the distal thermoregulatory neurons. About half of the units were excited and half were depressed regardless of their thermoresponsive behavior. When ASA was injected after the pyrogen into the opposite AH area, it always altered the neuronal activity and the change was invariably in the direction of the unit's thermal response. The findings indicate that the antipyresis produced by ASA is not due to competition with leukocytic pyrogen for a common receptor site.
Contractile properties of the tongue's genioglossus muscle and motor units in the rat.

The contractile characteristics of individual mammalian tongue muscles have rarely been investigated, in contrast to spinal cord-innervated and extraocular muscles. Therefore, whole muscle and motor unit contractile forces, plus muscle fiber types, were studied in the genioglossus, the major protrusor muscle, of the rat tongue. The muscle, exclusively composed of fast-contracting units, could be activated from rostroventral hypoglossal nucleus sites only. The following figures represent the means of the contractile measures. Whole muscle twitch tension was 7.02 g, contraction time was 14.22 ms, fusion frequency was 104 Hz, maximum tetanic tension was 37.22 g, and fatigue index was 0.72. Single motor unit twitch tension was 45. 9 mg, contraction time was 11.7 ms, fusion frequency was 94.8 Hz, maximum tetanic tension was 241.95 mg, and fatigue index was 0.68. The genioglossus muscle appeared qualitatively similar to the rat styloglossus muscle, one of the two major retractor muscles of the tongue. The delineation of motor unit contractile characteristics in tongue muscle is important in our understanding of the control of tongue movement.
Are earthquakes deterministic or chaotic

During the last decade, physicists and applied mathematicians have made substantial headway in understanding the dynamics of complex nonlinear systems. Progress has been possible due to the development of several new tools, including the renormalization group approach, phase portraits, and scaling methods (fractals). At the same time, mathematical geophysicists interested in earthquakes have begun to utilize these same concepts to generate models of faults and fractures. In order to bring these scientific communities together, it was decided to convene the workshop, Physics of Earthquake Faults: Deterministic or Chaotic?, held February 12–15, at the Asilomar conference center near Monterey, Calif. Thirty-six Earth scientists met with 15 physicists and applied mathematicians to discuss how recent advances in nonlinear systems might be applied to better understand earthquakes. Funding was provided by the Geodynamics Branch of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the U.S. Department of Energy. Organizational and logistical support were provided by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Synthesis of specifically monofluorinated ligands related to the O-polysaccharide of Shigella dysenteriae type 1

The synthesis is reported of galactopyranose nucleophiles monofluorinated at positions 3, 4, or 6 and protected by 4,6-O-benzylidene, 3,6-di-O-benzyl, or 3,4-O-isopropylidene groups, respectively. The condensation of these nucleophiles with 2,3,4-tri-O-benzoyl-alpha-L-rhamnosyl bromide gave, after deprotection, the disaccharide analogues of methyl O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-D-galactopyranoside, monofluorinated at position 3, 4, or 6 of the galactoside residue.
AGE AND LENGTH AT WEANING AND DEVELOPMENT OF DIET OF PANTROPICAL SPOTTED DOLPHINS, STENELLA ATTENUATA, FROM THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC

Using stomach contents from 203 spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata) killed in the yellowfin tuna fishery, we modeled the weaning process of calves. Spotted dolphins began to take solid food at approximately 6 mo of age, or 115 cm, but continued to suckle until they were nearly 2 yr old. Calves tended to feed more frequently on squid as they got older, which suggested there was a shift in diet during weaning. The average age and total body length at weaning was estimated to be 0.8 yr (approximately 9 mo) and 122 cm. The oldest suckling calf was almost 2 yr old, which suggests that some calves continued to suckle for more than a year after they could have been weaned. A better understanding of the weaning process, especially quantifying the period of time when calves are nutritionally dependent on their mothers may lead to a better evaluation of their potential vulnerability to the disturbance caused by the yellowfin tuna purse-seine fishery.
Relationship between biochemical constituents of fish semen and fertility: the effect of short-term storage

Spermatozoa and seminal plasma obtained from rainbow trout and whitefish were analyzed in respect to their aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT) and alkaline phosphatase activities. In particular, the experiments characterized AspAT optimum pH, optimization of assay conditions and action of coenzyme, pyridoxal 5-phosphate (vitamin B6). The effect of short-term semen storage at 0°C on biochemical indicators and fertilization rate was examined in both species. The concentrations of reduced and oxidized ascorbic acid in seminal plasma of both species were several folds higher than in spermatozoa and blood plasma of fish. Highly significant correlations were found for both species between AspAT activity (sperm or seminal plasma) and fertilization rate (% of eyed-stage or hatched embryos). For rainbow trout, highly significant correlations were found between sperm concentration, motility and fertilization rate. These results suggest that several biochemical indicators of seminal plasma can be used as measures of sperm quality of fish. Some common biochemical parameters for fish and mammal's semen provide evidence for using fish sperm as a model in biomedical research.
Asthma inhaler misuse and substance abuse: A random survey of secondary school students ☆

Purpose To assess the relationship between prescription asthma inhaler misuse and other substance abuse.
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of concentrated polycrystalline paramagnetic molecules

Abstract The lines in the NMR spectrum of a solid paramagnetic molecule may be shifted by both the anisotropic (dipolar) and isotropic electron-nucleus interactions. In concentrated paramagnetic samples more than one electron may contribute to the anisotropic shift and the appearance of the NMR spectra of a polycrystalline sample will vary with the relative contribution of the various possible electron-nucleus interactions. This paper describes a technique for determining the principal components of the dipolar tensor for a nucleus interacting with a series of electron spins. NMR spectra of polycrystalline samples with multiple electron-nucleus interactions are also calculated. Model calculations for a system in which two electron spins interact with a single nucleus have been carried out to determine how the NMR spectrum varies as a function of the length of the two electron-nucleus vectors and the angle between the vectors.
Effects of paraoxon on axoplasmic transport of cholinesterase in rat sciatic nerve

Abstract Paraoxon, an irreversible inhibitor of organophosphorous cholinesterase, produces necrosis in innervated skeletal muscle. Because fast axoplasmic transport of protein has been suggested as a vehicle for maintenance of normal muscle properties, it is possible that it is involved in the muscle-damaging effect of the drug. To clarify this role, we have examined the effect of this drug on cholinesterase activity and fast axoplasmic transport of enzyme by measuring enzyme accumulation proximal to ligations of rat sciatic nerve. The results show that, in normal animals, fast axoplasmic transport of a small amount of available enzyme occurs at approximately 400 mm/day. Paraoxon treatment causes a significant reduction of enzyme activity in both muscle and nerve. The return of enzyme activity in muscle is rapid and continuous, whereas in nerve only a small recovery is seen during the first 2 hr after treatment. This difference in recovery of enzyme activity suggests that return of axonal enzyme occurs via somal synthesis and axoplasmic transport. The data also suggest that, although paraoxon is an effective inhibitor of cholinesterase, it does no alter fast axoplasmic transport of enzyme.
A framework for pharmacist-assisted medication adherence in hard-to-reach patients.

Abstract Background Medication adherence rates are notably lower in hard-to-reach populations than in the general population. Pharmacists are uniquely qualified to address barriers to improve adherence. A number of pharmacist-led interventions have lacked theoretical underpinnings and thus have limited generalizability across disease states and care settings. Objective This study aims to create a model for use in patient-centered, pharmacist-led interactions to improve medication adherence. Methods The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA), a behavioral change framework, was adapted to known barriers of medication adherence. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients from the target population. Thematic analysis was performed after two weeks. Each subsequent interview was analyzed for additional themes. Main findings Themes from the interviews fit into the following domains: outcomes expectancies, risk awareness, goals and motivations, planning, and follow through. The framework was then adapted to include thematic data. Conclusions The newly developed framework provides a patient centered approach to facilitate and improve pharmacist-patient conversations regarding medication adherence. Its basis in a theoretical model allows for potential application across multiple care settings and multiple medications, regardless of disease state.
Quantitative Comparison of High- and Low-Performing Teams in a Design Task Subject to Drastic Changes

Many design tasks are subject to changes in goals or constraints. For instance, a client might modify specifications after design has commenced, or a competitor may introduce a new technology or feature. A design team often cannot anticipate such changes, yet they pose a considerable challenge. This paper presents a study where engineering teams sought to solve a design task that was subject to two large, unexpected changes in problem formulation that occurred during problem solving. Continuous design data was collected to observe how the designers responded to the changes. We show that high- and low-performing teams demonstrated very different approaches to solving the problem and overcoming the changes. In particular, high-performing teams achieved simple designs and extensively explored small portions of the design space; low-performing teams explored complex designs with little exploration around a target area of the design space. These strategic differences are interpreted with respect to cognitive load theory and goal theory. The results raise questions as to the relationship between characteristics of design problems and solution strategies. In addition, an attempt at increasing the teams’ resilience in the face of unexpected changes is introduced by encouraging early divergent search.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
European Kinship: Eastern European Women Go to Market

An episode in Cristian Mungiu’s 2002 film, Occident, presents us with a scene in a matrimonial agency in Romania: a worried mother is searching for a husband for her twenty-four-year-old daughter, Mihaela. The conversation in the waiting room informs us that she has brought the necessary bribe because the agency offers good choices: “They have doctors and Americans.” Once inside, she is asked what nationality she is looking for. She would prefer “one of ours” but is told the agency only deals in international marriages. Europe, America, and Asia are on the menu. The mother prefers Europe. The agent shows her a slide with a number of photographs. “Don’t you have anything younger?” the mother pleads. The agent rolls his eyes and pulls out another slide. With an almost scientific gesture, he points to one photograph: a distinguished gentleman from Saudi Arabia. “He’s ugly,” argues the mother. She takes the initiative and points to another face—also a distinguished gentleman, from Cyprus, a sailor. The mother shows her disappointment. “Don’t you have a doctor?” The agent is irritated; one is ugly, the other one is a sailor. We are not at the market, he protests, the men are human beings, and there is no bargaining. The mother is asked to pay the fee and leave a picture and her daughter’s details. The agent will get back to her. She complies and adds a poem to the package; the bride-to-be is a poet.
“Now what does that mean, ‘first draft’?”: responding to text in an adult literacy class

Abstract This paper examines a discussion among a teacher and four Latin-American women in a family literacy class who engage for the first time in the practice of peer-editing a learner's text. In the analysis, it becomes evident that they have different ideas of and responses to the text. Whereas the teacher's focus is on revising the textual elements, the learners use the text to explore and negotiate their maternal practices. The conclusions are two-fold: pedagogy can benefit from a broadened definition of literate activity; and secondly, classroom practices, such as peer-editing, are social constructs and need to be explicitly scaffolded.
Progressive Ankylosis (Ank) Protein Is Expressed by Neurons and Ank Immunohistochemical Reactivity Is Increased by Limbic Seizures

Ank is a 492-amino acid multipass transmembrane protein involved in the regulation of extracellular inorganic pyrophosphate levels and the control of tissue calcification. Previous Northern blot hybridization experiments revealed that Ank mRNA was expressed in the brain, but there have been no reports describing the anatomical sites or specific cell types in the brain that express Ank protein. In this study, we demonstrate that Ank is expressed primarily in human brain neurons, with the highest levels of expression observed in the thalamus, the III and V cortical layers, the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, clusters of cells in the dorsal portion of the pons and midbrain, and neurons of the anterior horn of the spinal cord. In primary mouse neuronal cell cultures, Ank is detected on both the cell body and on cell extensions, mainly dendrites. In the rat brain, Ank mRNA is expressed at relatively high levels in the thalamus, midbrain, and spinal cord, and the Ank protein expression pattern is similar to that observed in the human brain. Finally, we observed a significant increase in Ank immunoreactivity in the rat amygdala, the CA-2 and CA-3 layers of the hippocampus, and the cerebral cortex after the induction of seizure activity. Ank regulation of ATP and/or inorganic pyrophosphate release from neurons may function to modulate the membrane excitability and cell death associated with seizure activity.
Shedding light on public health.

HEN one works for the University of Texas, one quickly learns that the students and faculty of Texas A&M University ("Aggies") are lesser creatures. This is regularly illustrated by tales of their foolishness and ineptness. A classic example of this would &L*e.5 be the question of "How many Aggies does it take to change a light bulb?" The answer, of course, is "four," with the explanation being that one holds the bulb and the other three turn the ladder. It recently occurred to me that this simple story could be used as a metaphor to explain the behavior of my fellow faculty. For example:
Deconstructing Ostalgia: The national past between commodity and simulacrum in Wolfgang Becker’s Good Bye Lenin! (2003):

Using Wolfgang Becker’s film Good Bye Lenin!, this paper analyses the phenomenon of Ostalgia through the lens of Jean Baudrillard’s theories on simulation and simulacra. It argues that Becker’s film deconstructs the nostalgic transformation and commodification of the socialist national past in the post-communist age by exposing the deep collective needs to which this phenomenon responds. Confronted with the ideological dominance of Western ideology after 1989, the characters in the film struggle to render their own past relevant by creating alternative personal and collective narratives hinting at how the core of one’s identity is intrinsically bound to both personal memory and to the collective past that frames this personal memory.
The Association Between Percent Disruption of the Photoreceptor Inner Segment–Outer Segment Junction and Visual Acuity in Diabetic Macular Edema

Purpose To evaluate the integrity of the photoreceptor inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) in patients with diabetic macular edema and to correlate the relationship between the integrity of the IS/OS junction and visual acuity. Design Retrospective, comparative, consecutive case series. Methods Sixty-two eyes from 38 patients with diabetic macular edema underwent SD OCT imaging. For each patient, 2 experienced observers masked to visual acuity measured several SD OCT variables, including central macular thickness, retinal volume, global disruption scale of outer retina, percentage disruption of the outer retina, and history of previous treatments. Visual acuity recorded as number of Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters was used as the outcome variable in univariate and multivariate analysis testing the measured SD OCT variables as predictors. Results A statistically significant correlation between percentage disruption of the IS/OS junction and visual acuity was found ( P = .0312). Additionally, there was a strong trend suggesting a relationship between macular volume and visual acuity, although borderline significance was found ( P = .07). Conclusions Disruption of the photoreceptor IS/OS junction is an important predictor of visual acuity among diabetic macular edema patients.
The implications of strategy and social context for the relationship between top management team heterogeneity and firm performance

This research reexamines the link between top management team (TMT) heterogeneity and firm performance. Specifically, I theorize that the effects of education, work experience, and tenure on performance will depend upon the top management team's strategic and social context. In a test of such theorizing, I find that (1) the positive relationships between TMT educational, functional, and tenure heterogeneity and performance are contingent on complexity, as indicated by a firm's international strategy and, (2) such relationships are clearly stronger in short-tenured top management teams. The theory and results presented here provide impetus for future studies, as well as suggest to upper echelon researchers that they think more critically about the conditions under which demographic characteristics are most likely to influence organizational outcomes like performance. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sensitive assay for cholesterol in biological membranes reveals membrane-specific differences in kinetics of cholesterol oxidase.

Quantification of cholesterol in biological membranes from a variety of sources is an important step toward understanding cholesterol's roles in membranes function. We extend to biological membranes the fluorometric/enzymatic approach (cholesterol oxidase) to measures cholesterol, originally described for whole cells (Heider and Boyett [1978] J. Lipid Res., 19: 514–518; Gamble et al. [1978] J. Lipid Res., 19: 1068–1070) and serum (Huang et al. [1975] Clin Chem., 21: 1605–1608). This method has a detection limit of 0.3 μg cholesterol. As revealed by comparison with high-performance liquid chromatography, the fluorometric/enzymatic method with biological membranes is accurate (within 4% and 8% for intestinal and hepatic plasma membranes, respectively). The assay may be completed within 3 to 4 hours and requires neither lipid extraction nor chromatographic techniques. Kinetics of the cholesterol oxidase reaction are membrane-specific, and first-order rate constants (k) are positively correlated with membrane order. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Radar backscatter measurements from RADARSAT SAR imagery of South Pole Station, Antarctica

Ice sheet backscatter around South Pole Station was measured from several different azimuthal angles using RADARSAT-1 SAR data. The authors observed strong azimuthal anisotropy (3-4 dB) between radar look directions across and along the prevailing wind direction. They speculate that the azimuthal variation of backscatter around the South Pole area may be largely attributed to systematically oriented sastrugi and buried sastrugi. Radar backscatter is well correlated with surface topography over a spatial wavelength band of 15 to 20 km. They propose that grain size variations control backscatter patterns associated with undulating surface topography.
A Staff Dialogue on Caring for an Intensely Spiritual Patient: Psychosocial Issues Faced By Patients, Their Families, and Caregivers

The Schwartz Center Rounds are a monthly multidisciplinary forum, at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), in which caregivers discuss a specific patient with cancer and the important psychosocial issues faced by the patient, family, and caregivers. This forum allows caregivers to reflect on their experiences with patients and to gain support and insight from their fellow staff members. The following case discussion was addressed at the September 1997 Schwartz Center Rounds. M.R. was a 45year-old woman who developed ovarian carcinoma and was subsequently treated at MGH. She was a deeply religious woman and believed that God would cure her cancer. Her religious views profoundly influenced her decisions related to further care and her ability to accept what staff felt to be a realistic assessment of her condition and progress. At the rounds, staff members struggled with many issues, including whether M.R. should continue her treatment at MGH or return home to Puerto Rico. Staff found it challenging to discuss a sensitive topic—such as spirituality—with a patient, especially when the patient was from a different cultural background. One of the most striking outcomes of the rounds was the diversity of staff views regarding how they advocated addressing spirituality with a patient. Staff concluded that discussion of spirituality—while challenging—can meaningfully enhance the caregiver-patient relationship. The Oncologist 1998;3:439-445
An Optical-to-Microwave Converter

By power combining of four photodetectors and impedance matching, we implemented an efficient optical-to-microwave converter capable of achieving 20 dBm RF power and an OIP3 of 35.1 dBm. The bandwidth of the converter is 150 MHz with a center frequency of 1 GHz.
Carboplatin hypersensitivity: a 6-h 12-step protocol effective in 35 desensitizations in patients with gynecological malignancies and mast cell/IgE-mediated reactions

Objectives. The incidence of hypersensitivity reactions (HR) is increased in patients treated with multiple courses of carboplatin. The purposes of this investigation were to evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-step desensitization protocol and to characterize the immune mechanism of carboplatin HR. Methods. We analyzed 10 consecutive patients who had documented HR to carboplatin and in whom continued treatment with carboplatin was considered advantageous. The patients were treated with carboplatin using a 6-h, 12-step desensitization protocol with a 30-min premedication regimen. Skin tests were performed on five patients. Results. Ten patients successfully completed 35 planned courses of desensitizations to carboplatin, 31 of which were without reactions. Four patients had symptoms during their first (n = 3) and third (n = 1) desensitizations but tolerated the re-administration of infusions without further reactions. For subsequent courses, the protocol was modified for two patients who had extracutaneous symptoms during desensitization and was unchanged for the patient who had mild urticaria. These three patients tolerated subsequent courses of desensitizations without reactions. The fourth patient with symptoms during desensitization no longer required carboplatin due to progressive disease. Of the five patients who were skin tested to carboplatin, four had positive wheal and flare reactions. In one patient, the skin test response to carboplatin became negative after desensitization. Conclusion. The 6-h, 12-step desensitization protocol is safe and effective for treating patients with carboplatin HR. Positive skin tests to carboplatin suggest a mast cell/IgE-mediated mechanism. Conversion of the positive skin test to a negative response after desensitization supports antigen-specific mast cell desensitization.
Perceived Benefits and Concerns of Prospective Users of the SmartCampus Location-Aware Community System Test-bed

The SmartCampus initiative aims to turn an urban university campus into a living laboratory for location aware community system services. To lay a foundation for this effort, the SmartCampus test-bed is being created through provisioning to 500+ students with personal computing devices (smart phones and tablet PCs), which runs a suite of applications that link "people-to-people-to-place", or P3-systems. To explore anticipated usage and concerns, and to use this information to help to refine the design of various applications, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a cross section of 65 members of the NJIT campus community. The interviews employed hypothetical use scenarios to enable prospective users to give their opinions about applications that did not yet exist at the time of the study. Most students were quick to see the possible benefits of applications that can allow one, for instance, to see the campus location of their 'buddies' at a glance. The major concerns were with privacy control, the validity of the data entered (e.g., can applications be used to make verbal attacks on others?), and interruptions/overload with information, which may be disruptive. The concerns raised are being used to help inform the design of test-bed applications