cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Construction and analysis of base-paired regions of the 16S rRNA in the 30S ribosomal subunit determined by constraint satisfaction molecular modelling.

Abstract Structure models for each of the secondary structure regions from the Escherichia coli 16S rRNA (58 separate elements) were constructed using a constraint satisfaction modelling program to determine which helices deviated from classic A-form geometry. Constraints for each rRNA element included the comparative secondary structure, H-bonding conformations predicted from patterns of base-pair covariation, tertiary interactions predicted from covariation analysis, chemical probing data, rRNA–rRNA crosslinking information, and coordinates from solved structures. Models for each element were built using the MC-SYM modelling algorithm and subsequently were subjected to energy minimization to correct unfavorable geometry. Approximately two-thirds of the structures that result from the input data are very similar to A-form geometry. In the remaining instances, the presence of internal loops and bulges, some sequences (and sequence covariants) and accessory information require deviation from A-form geometry. The structures of regions containing more complex base-pairing arrangements including the central pseudoknot, the 530 region, and the pseudoknot involving base-pairing between G570-U571/A865-C866 and G861-C862/G867-C868 were predicted by this approach. These molecular models provide insight into the connection between patterns of H-bonding, the presence of unpaired nucleotides, and the overall geometry of each element.
Protein adducts as prospective biomarkers of nevirapine toxicity.

Nevirapine (NVP) is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor used against human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1), mostly to prevent mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission in developing countries. Despite its clinical efficacy, NVP administration is associated with a variety of toxic responses that include hepatotoxicity and skin rash. Although the reasons for the adverse effects of NVP administration are still unclear, increasing evidence supports the involvement of metabolic activation to reactive electrophiles. In particular, Phase II activation of the NVP metabolite 12-hydroxy-NVP is thought to mediate NVP binding to bionucleophiles, which may be at the onset of toxicity. In the present study, we investigated the nature and specific locations of the covalent adducts produced in human serum albumin and human hemoglobin by reaction in vitro with the synthetic model electrophile 12-mesyloxy-NVP, used as a surrogate for the Phase II metabolite 12-sulfoxy-NVP. Multiple sites of modification were id...
Direct excitatory and lateral inhibitory synaptic inputs to amacrine cells in the tiger salamander retina.

Abstract Two distinct synaptic currents in amacrine cells were measured using whole cell patch clamp in retinal slices. Synaptic activity was elicited with transretinal current passed from photoreceptors to ganglion cells to depolarize bipolar cell terminals. Recordings made in line with the stimulating electrodes revealed inward synaptic currents that reversed near 0 mV, positive to spike threshold. Recording 400 μm lateral to the stimulating electrodes revealed synaptic currents that reversed near-60 mV, negative to spike threshold. The lateral signal was blocked by tetrodotoxin and strychnine. A current with revesal potential similar to the lateral input was elicited by direct application of glycine to the amacrine cells. The results suggest that bipolar, but not amacrine input can elicit spikes in neighboring amacrine cells, that amacrine cells are mutually inhibitory and the inhibitory lateral transmission is limited to the extent of processes of the excited, spiking cell.
A multiple-levels-of-analysis approach to the study of developmental processes in maltreated children

Before the early 1970s, scientific investigations of children from high-risk environments, as well as those with mental disorders, portrayed the developmental course of such individuals as deterministic, inevitably eventuating in maladaptive and psychopathological outcomes (1). As researchers discovered that not all high-risk children evinced the dire consequences that the existing theories of psychopathology predicted, comprehending the processes through which children at risk did not develop psychopathology became viewed as important for informing theoretical viewpoints on the development of maladaptation and pathology (2). Indeed, over the past several decades advances have occurred in understanding the complexity of causality, the interaction of risk and protective factors, the heterogeneity of disorders, and the importance of biological and psychological developmental processes and mechanisms (3, 4). The work of Kaufman et al. (5) in a recent issue of PNAS illustrates that individual risk factors alone seldom are powerful predictors of later psychopathological outcomes (6, 7). Much more often, adequate prediction of either disturbance or resilience requires considering multiple risks and protective factors and their interplay. It is now common knowledge that the same risk factors may be associated with different outcomes (i.e., multifinality) and that subgroups of individuals exhibiting similar problems arrived at them from different beginnings (i.e., equifinality) (8). Furthermore, comprehending the factors contributing to positive outcomes despite the presence of significant adversity (i.e., known as resilience; see ref. 1) can help to broaden the understanding of developmental processes that may not be evident in normative environments. The study of child maltreatment, perhaps the greatest failure of the caregiving environment to provide the expectable experiences that are necessary to promote normal developmental processes, provides researchers with a vital opportunity to investigate the pathways to normal and deviant outcomes (9). Child abuse and neglect set in motion a probabilistic path of epigenesis for …
Current use of ultrasound transmission gel for transesophageal echocardiogram examinations: a survey of cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellowship directors

Objective Ultrasound transmission gel (USTG) is used routinely to enhance the image quality during transesophageal echocardiogram examinations. Ultrasound gel is manufactured in both sterile and non-sterile preparations, and both preparations have been used during transesophageal echocardiograms in the United States. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently recommends that all transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) examinations be performed using sterile ultrasound gel. The authors sought to identify if anesthesiology departments with cardiothoracic fellowship programs follow current FDA recommendations of using sterile ultrasound gel during TEE examination. Design Survey. Setting Survey of cardiothoracic fellowship directors. The majority of fellowship directors practice in academic hospitals although the practice site was not addressed in the survey. Participants Fellowship directors volunteered to participate in the study. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Survey responses were tallied using the website, www.surveymonkey.com , and 56% of respondents do not currently follow the current FDA recommendations. Conclusions A majority of cardiothoracic program director respondents to the authors’ survey do not utilize single-use sterile packets of USTG for TEE examinations. While the infectious risk of USTG used for TEE examinations from multiple-use containers versus single-use sterile containers has not been established clearly, a change in practice to follow the current FDA recommendations may be advised.
Alternative Models of Policy Compliance by Unions With Civil Rights Legislation

The author looks at the process of compliance which local unions follow in response to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, analyzing local unions as organizations. Three models of compliance are presented: the voluntary model in which compliance is initiated and sustained through a voluntary and local process, the bureaucratic model in which compliance is initiated through the international union's program and sustained through the mechanisms of the bureaucracy of the international union, and the legal model in which the local union complies as a direct result of a change in the law. The results are that none of these models fit exactly. The greatest amount of compliant activity occurs when the process is quasi-bureaucratic, that is, when it begins as a voluntary process, but relies on bureaucratic mechanisms for completion. The author finds two other factors which are associated in a strong and positive way with the amount of local union compliance: a great objective need for change and a great amount of controversy. The study is based on in-depth interviews with forty-seven local union leaders and on twenty interviews with international union leaders in eleven local unions.
Spreading of a liquid film on a substrate by the evaporation—adsorption process

The importance of evaporation followed by multilayer adsorption in comparison to liquid flow at the leading edge of a volatile spreading film is analyzed. Presuming that both flows are functions of the same chemical potential gradient, a dimensionless group (N) which delineates the relative importance of vapor diffusion flow to viscous flow on the surface is obtained: N = [rho][sub i]D[nu]x/([minus][bar A][pi]). The relative importance of vapor flow increases with the vapor-pressure dependent partial density, [rho][sub i], and diffusivity, D, of the diffusing vapor, the kinematic viscosity of the liquid, [nu], and the distance downstream from the bulk liquid region, x, and decreases with the Hamaker constant, 6[pi][bar A]. Using physical properties the modifiers volatile'' and nonvolatile'' can thereby be put in perspective. Changes in the interfacial force field are a function of [bar A]. The spreading velocity due to the vapor diffusion process is obtained and is found to decrease with a decrease in the interfacial force field and the bulk vapor pressure. The infinite stress at the contact line can be easily relieved by evaporation-adsorption in many systems.
Words That (Don’t) Matter: An Exploratory Study of Four Climate Change Names in Environmental Discourse

Most Americans are familiar with the term “global warming.” However, three other possible phrases—“climate change,” “climate crisis,” and “climatic disruption”—have been championed by different influential advocates. To date, no studies have assessed the effects these four names might have on an audience. Recognizing the scientific importance of this subject, we conducted an exploratory experiment (N = 225) to determine if a chosen name affected beliefs related to changes in the Earth's temperature. Based on our initial investigation we conclude that (a) there is little evidence to support the notion that “climate crisis” is the ideal term to be used, (b) “climate crisis” performed the worst of all terms because it, surprisingly, led to observable backlash effects of disbelief and reduced perceptions of concern, and (c) “climatic disruption” performed the best in each of the areas where we found statistically significant differences. Because this is an initial study, directions for future research are als...
On the Effects of Surface Forces on the Contact of a Wafer and Abrasive Particles in CMP

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of ultra-low-k (ULK) dielectic materials is challenging, as they are susceptible to fracture under typical CMP pressures [1]. Low-pressure (lp) CMP is one of the solutions for polishing ULK dielectrics [1]. In order to implement lp-CMP the process should be optimized to maximize the material removal rate (MRR).Copyright © 2008 by ASME
The cDNA sequence and chromosomal location of the murine GABAA α1 receptor gene

The murine GABAA/benzodiazepine (GABAA/BZ) receptor alpha 1 subunit cDNA has been isolated from a BALB/c mouse brain library and sequenced. The cDNA is 2665 nucleotides long with an open reading frame of 455 amino acids. It shows significant homology to the GABAA receptor alpha 1 subunit cDNA sequences of other species. Excluding deletions, the murine GABAA alpha 1 receptor exhibits 96% nucleotide and 100% amino acid sequence homology to the rat alpha 1 receptor cDNA and over 91% nucleotide and 98% amino acid sequence homology to the bovine and human alpha 1 receptor cDNAs in the protein coding region. This murine cDNA was used to locate the alpha 1 receptor subunit gene, Gabra-1, to murine Chromosome 11 between Il-3 and Rel. This assignment extends proximally the segment of mouse Chromosome 11 with known homology to human chromosome 5.
The Meaning of Working in the USA: Recent Changes

(1991). The Meaning of Working in the USA: Recent Changes. European Work and Organizational Psychologist: Vol. 1, No. 2-3, pp. 111-124.
Globally optimal pixel labeling algorithms for tree metrics

We consider pixel labeling problems where the label set forms a tree, and where the observations are also labels. Such problems arise in feature-space analysis with a very large label set, for instance in color image segmentation. In this case a tree of labels can be constructed via hierarchical clustering of the observations. This leads to an obvious distance function between two labels, namely their distance within the tree; such tree metrics have been extensively studied outside of computer vision [14]. We provide fast algorithms that use graph cuts to exactly minimize the energy function for pixel labeling problems with tree metrics. Our work substantially improves a facility location algorithm of Kolen [18], which is impractical for large label sets L since it requires O(|L|) min cuts on large graphs. Our main technical contribution is a new ordering of swap moves that reduces the running time to the equivalent of O(log |L|) min cuts; as a result, we can handle realistic-sized color images in a few seconds.
The Ontogenetically Variable Trophic Niche of a Praying Mantid Revealed by Stable Isotope Analysis

Praying mantids have been shown to exert strong influences on arthropod community composition. However, they may not occupy the same trophic level throughout their lives. Trophic shifting over a life cycle could explain the documented variation in results from field studies, but specific interactions of predators within food webs have been difficult to determine simply by comparing control and treatment assemblages in field experiments. We examined the trophic position of the Chinese praying mantid, Tenodera aridifolia sinensis (Saussure), using stable isotope analysis (SIA). We measured the δ(13)C and δ(15)N of field-collected arthropods, and of laboratory groups of mantids fed known diets of these arthropods chosen from the most abundant trophic guilds: herbivores (sap feeders and plant chewers), and carnivores. We also collected mantids from the field over a growing season and compared their SIA values to those of the laboratory groups. Both δ(13)C and δ(15)N of mantids fed carnivorous prey (spiders or other mantids) were higher than those fed herbivores (grasshoppers). SIA values from field-collected mantids were highly variable, and indicated that they did not take prey from trophic guilds in proportion to their abundances, i.e., were not frequency-dependent predators. Further, δ(15)N decreased from a high at egg hatch to a low at the third instar as early nymphs fed mainly on lower trophic levels, and increased steadily thereafter as they shifted to feeding on higher levels. We suggest that the community impact of generalist predators can be strongly influenced by ontogenetic shifts in diet.
The consistency of acute responses to nicotine in humans.

Nicotine has many acute subjective, physiological, and behavioral effects in humans, some of which may explain why nicotine produces dependence. Individual differences in the magnitude of these effects (i.e., nicotine sensitivity) are of interest to many researchers, such as those examining vulnerability to dependence and processes related to chronic tolerance. However, such characterization of individual differences depends on the consistency of the observed responses, and the consistency of acute effects of nicotine in humans has not been studied systematically. We examined the consistency of the acute effects of the same dose of nicotine administered by nasal spray across multiple drug administration trials, within as well as between sessions. Subjective (i.e., self-reported effects), cardiovascular, and performance measures were assessed following each of four dosing trials of nicotine (20 microg/kg) on three sessions and of placebo on one session. For those measures in which the main effect of nicotine vs. placebo was significant, intraclass correlations were calculated for different sets of trials across different numbers of sessions. Our objective was to determine whether the consistency of responses declined when those responses were based on smaller numbers of trials or sessions, in an effort to guide future research in this area. Results indicated that the consistency of nicotine effects is generally high, even across trials within just one session. Additional research is needed to determine the generalizability of these findings to other methods of nicotine administration, including smoking, and to clarify the extent to which this consistency reflects characteristic consistency of the pharmacological actions of nicotine per se vs. consistency of nonspecific responses to the drug administration procedure.
The remapping of space in motor learning and human-machine interfaces

Studies of motor adaptation to patterns of deterministic forces have revealed the ability of the motor control system to form and use predictive representations of the environment. One of the most fundamental elements of our environment is space itself. This article focuses on the notion of Euclidean space as it applies to common sensory motor experiences. Starting from the assumption that we interact with the world through a system of neural signals, we observe that these signals are not inherently endowed with metric properties of the ordinary Euclidean space. The ability of the nervous system to represent these properties depends on adaptive mechanisms that reconstruct the Euclidean metric from signals that are not Euclidean. Gaining access to these mechanisms will reveal the process by which the nervous system handles novel sophisticated coordinate transformation tasks, thus highlighting possible avenues to create functional human-machine interfaces that can make that task much easier. A set of experiments is presented that demonstrate the ability of the sensory-motor system to reorganize coordination in novel geometrical environments. In these environments multiple degrees of freedom of body motions are used to control the coordinates of a point in a two-dimensional Euclidean space. We discuss how practice leads to the acquisition of the metric properties of the controlled space. Methods of machine learning based on the reduction of reaching errors are tested as a means to facilitate learning by adaptively changing he map from body motions to controlled device. We discuss the relevance of the results to the development of adaptive human-machine interfaces and optimal control.
Carbon monoxide promotes endothelium-dependent constriction of isolated gracilis muscle arterioles

Vascular tissues express heme oxygenase, which metabolizes heme to form carbon monoxide (CO). CO promotes relaxation of vascular smooth muscle but also inhibits nitric oxide (NO) formation. This st...
Towards systematic design of enterprise networks

Enterprise networks are important, with size and complexity even surpassing carrier networks. Yet, the design of enterprise networks is ad-hoc and poorly understood. In this paper, we show how a systematic design approach can handle two key areas of enterprise design: virtual local area networks (VLANs) and reachability control. We focus on these tasks given their complexity, prevalence, and time-consuming nature. Our contributions are three-fold. First, we show how these design tasks may be formulated in terms of network-wide performance, security, and resilience requirements. Our formulations capture the correctness and feasibility constraints on the design, and they model each task as one of optimizing desired criteria subject to the constraints. The optimization criteria may further be customized to meet operator-preferred design strategies. Second, we develop a set of algorithms to solve the problems that we formulate. Third, we demonstrate the feasibility and value of our systematic design approach through validation on a large-scale campus network with hundreds of routers and VLANs.
Error floor analysis for an ensemble of easily implementable irregular (2048, 1024) LDPC codes

The following paper describes a design process for constructing semirandom LDPC codes with characteristics that are suitable for a relatively simple implementation for both the encoding and decoding operation. The paper will focus on two particular code ensembles - both rate-1/2 (2048, 1024) designs with a specified irregular degree distribution. These code parameters were chosen simply because they satisfied a project design constraint, but the process described can be extended to most other low-density designs. Some new insights into the codepsilas performance curve behavior in the low error region under message passing decoding are presented.
Treponema denticola PrcB Is Required for Expression and Activity of the PrcA-PrtP (Dentilisin) Complex

The Treponema denticola surface protease complex, consisting of PrtP protease (dentilisin) and two auxiliary polypeptides (PrcA1 and PrcA2), is believed to contribute to periodontal disease by degrading extracellular matrix components and disrupting host intercellular signaling. Previously, we showed that transcription of the protease operon initiates upstream of TDE0760 (herein designated prcB), the open reading frame immediately 5' of prcA-prtP. The prcB gene is conserved in T. denticola strains. PrcB localizes to the detergent phase of Triton X-114 cell surface extracts and migrates as a 22-kDa polypeptide, in contrast to the predicted 17-kDa cytoplasmic protein encoded in the annotated T. denticola genome. Consistent with this observation, the PrcB N terminus is unavailable for Edman sequencing, suggesting that it is acylated. Nonpolar deletion of prcB in T. denticola showed that PrcB is required for production of PrtP protease activity, including native PrtP cleavage of PrcA to PrcA1 and PrcA2. A 6xHis-tagged PrcB protein coimmunoprecipitates with native PrtP, using either anti-PrtP or anti-His-tag antibodies, and recombinant PrtP copurifies with PrcB-6xHis in nickel affinity chromatography. Taken together, these data are consistent with identification of PrcB as a PrtP-binding lipoprotein that likely stabilizes the PrtP polypeptide during localization to the outer membrane.
Language or Technicalities

H ERE is a typical classroom situation: A teacher of German wants to introduce the subject of strong and weak verbs. He begins by arousing interest in English past-tense formation with such examples, as wink, think, sink; ring, wring, bring; tie, lie; land, stand and others, leading to the conclusion that there are two main groups of verbs. Now let him ask the class whether anyone has heard of good names for these groups, hoping, of course, to elicit the answer "regular and irregular." But unless he has a very unusual class indeed, he will get nothing but blank looks. Even after he mentions these terms himself, they will strike no responsive chord. The students simply have never heard of them. The teacher may react to this situation in one of two ways. He may shake his head and wonder what the world is coming to and then irately demand to know why high-school students are not taught the fundamentals of English grammar. Or he may rejoice because, if the students do not know the terms "regular and irregular," these will not conflict with the terms "strong and weak," which he will have to teach them anyway. It is quite a familiar fact, of course, that one of the few topics enjoying any real unanimity of opinion among modern foreign language teachers today is the "woeful neglect" of grammar on the part of those wicked English teachers. We never tire of complaining that our students come to our classes in blissful ignorance of even the simplest ideas regarding the structure of their mother tongue, not to mention the technical vocabulary usually employed to describe it. We are lucky indeed if they know what a noun is, and the sheer folly of hopefully asking for a definition of any other part of speech is aptly exemplified by the blushing co-ed who in all seriousness answered, "A preposition, sir, is something no nice girl would listen to."
Synchronous movements of the longitudinal and circular muscle during peristalsis in the isolated guinea-pig distal colon

1Peristalsis, which involves enteric nervous reflexes, is the co-ordinated movements of the longitudinal (LM) and circular (CM) muscle layers that propel intraluminal contents down the bowel. Although the movements of the CM during peristalsis are reasonably clear the relative movements of the LM are poorly understood. 2We studied the oral and anal movements of the LM and CM during a peristaltic wave in isolated segments of guinea-pig distal colon. Dissection techniques were used to prevent mechanical interactions between the LM and CM; also, the colonic segment was passed through a partition to prevent mechanical disturbances created by a peristaltic wave in the bulk of the colon from influencing the end from which recordings were made. 3Peristalsis was generated by slowly filling the lumen of the colon with fluid. At threshold, the LM and CM synchronously contracted oral (ascending excitation) to, and relaxed anal (descending inhibition) to, a peristaltic wave. The anal relaxation was followed by a contraction (descending excitation) of both muscle layers. 4Atropine (1 μm) in the recording chamber reduced both the oral (LM by 40 % and CM by 27 %) and anal (LM by 36 % and CM by 36 %) contractile responses as well as the anal relaxation response in both muscle layers. Hexamethonium (300 μm) almost blocked the oral contractile responses of the LM and CM but had no affect on the anal responses of either muscle layer. 5Nω-nitro-L-arginine (L-NA; 100 μm) reduced the oral contractile response of the LM and CM by 50 %, the anal contractile response of the LM by 30 %, and the anal relaxation response of the LM and CM by about 30 %. The anal contractile response of the CM was unaffected by L-NA. 6Apamin (0.5 μm) also reduced the evoked anal relaxation of both the LM and CM by about 50 %. Further addition of L-NA nearly abolished the relaxation response in the LM, but did not cause any further reduction in the relaxation response of the CM observed in apamin alone. 7It is concluded, that the LM and CM exhibit synchronous movements during peristalsis in the colon. Also, peristalsis consists of activation of ascending excitatory, and descending inhibitory and excitatory nervous pathways to the LM and CM, which are cholinergic and non-cholinergic, respectively. Nitric oxide is an important neuromodulator within the intrinsic nervous pathways.
Geographical clustering of prostate cancer grade and stage at diagnosis, before and after adjustment for risk factors

Spatial variation in patterns of disease outcomes is often explored with techniques such as cluster detection analysis. In other types of investigations, geographically varying individual or community level characteristics are often used as independent predictors in statistical models which also attempt to explain variation in disease outcomes. However, there is a lack of research which combines geographically referenced exploratory analysis with multilevel models. We used a spatial scan statistic approach, in combination with predicted block group-level disease patterns from multilevel models, to examine geographic variation in prostate cancer grade and stage at diagnosis. We examined data from 20928 Maryland men with incident prostate cancer reported to the Maryland Cancer Registry during 1992–1997. Initial cluster detection analyses, prior to adjustment, indicated that there were four statistically significant clusters of high and low rates of each outcome (later stage at diagnosis and higher histologic grade of tumor) for prostate cancer cases in Maryland during 1992–1997. After adjustment for individual case attributes, including age, race, year of diagnosis, patterns of clusters changed for both outcomes. Additional adjustment for Census block group and county-level socioeconomic measures changed the cluster patterns further. These findings provide evidence that, in locations where adjustment changed patterns of clusters, the adjustment factors may be contributing causes of the original clusters. In addition, clusters identified after adjusting for individual and area-level predictors indicate area of unexplained variation, and merit further small-area investigations.
Norepinephrine-Mediated Suppression of Phagocytosis by Wound Neutrophils

Background The systemic response to injury is characterized by massive release of norepinephrine (NE) into the circulation as a result of global sympathetic activation. Multiple authors have demonstrated NE-mediated alterations in migration of circulating neutrophils to wounds. We hypothesized that NE further alters wound neutrophil phagocytic function through adrenergic signaling pathways. Methods A standard subcutaneous sponge wound model was used. Murine wound neutrophils were harvested at 24 and 120 h after injury and treated with physiological (10−9 M) and pharmacologic (10−6 M) doses of NE. Phagocytosis of green fluorescent protein-labeled Escherichia coli was assayed by flow cytometry. The signaling pathways mediating NE modulation of phagocytosis by wound neutrophils were defined by pharmacologic manipulation of α- and β-adrenoreceptors and protein kinase A. Results Pharmacologic-dose NE, but not-physiological-dose NE, suppressed the phagocytic efficiency of 120-h wound neutrophils. This alteration in phagocytic efficiency appears to be mediated through alpha- and beta- adrenorecptors and downstream protein kinase A. Phagocytosis by 24-h wound neutrophils was not impacted by NE treatment. Conclusions The present study is the first to demonstrate NE-mediated alterations in the process of phagocytosis by wound neutrophils. We conclude that NE plays a temporally and dose-defined immunomodulatory role in cutaneous wound healing through alterations in phagocytosis by wound neutrophils and may represent a target for therapeutic manipulation of the innate immune response.
In Vitro Activities of Rifamycin Derivatives ABI-1648 (Rifalazil, KRM-1648), ABI-1657, and ABI-1131 against Chlamydia trachomatis and Recent Clinical Isolates of Chlamydia pneumoniae

ABI-1648 (rifalazil) is a semisynthetic rifamycin with potent bactericidal activity against intracellular respiratory bacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and a long half-life (∼60 h) and thus can be administered once weekly. We therefore tested the in vitro activities of ABI-1648, its derivatives ABI-1657 and ABI-1131, azithromycin, and levofloxacin against 10 strains of Chlamydia trachomatis and 10 recent clinical isolates of Chlamydia pneumoniae. The MICs at which 90% of the isolates were inhibited and the minimal bactericidal concentration at which 90% of the isolates were killed for ABI-1648, ABI-1657, and ABI-1131 were 0.0025 μg/ml for C. trachomatis and 0.00125 to 0.0025 μg/ml for C. pneumoniae. ABI-1648, ABI-1657, and ABI-1131 were 10- to 1,000-fold more active than azithromycin and levofloxacin.
Inner-City Youth Development Organizations: Strengthening Programs for Adolescent Girls

The challenges of early adolescence are intensified for girls of color who live in disadvantaged urban communities. One response to the needs of these girls comes from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Ame...
Variational localized‐site cluster expansions. VII. Higher ansätze and the linear heisenberg model

The localized-site cluster expansion technique is applied to the infinite linear Heisenberg model with both nearest-neighbor and next nearest-neighbor interactions. These cluster ansatze are systematically studied and improved, up to the so-called 5-site approximation. Generally we find the present cluster ansatze yield the most accurate variational results yet available.
The cholesterol-regulated StarD4 gene encodes a StAR-related lipid transfer protein with two closely related homologues, StarD5 and StarD6

Using cDNA microarrays, we identified StarD4 as a gene whose expression decreased more than 2-fold in the livers of mice fed a high-cholesterol diet. StarD4 expression in cultured 3T3 cells was also sterol-regulated, and known sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-target genes showed coordinate regulation. The closest homologues to StarD4 were two other StAR-related lipid transfer (START) proteins named StarD5 and StarD6. StarD4, StarD5, and StarD6 are 205- to 233-aa proteins consisting almost entirely of START domains. These three constitute a subfamily among START proteins, sharing ≈30% amino acid identity with one another, ≈20% identity with the cholesterol-binding START domains of StAR and MLN64, and less than 15% identity with phosphatidylcholine transfer protein (PCTP) and other START domains. StarD4 and StarD5 were expressed in most tissues, with highest levels in liver and kidney, whereas StarD6 was expressed exclusively in the testis. In contrast to StarD4, expression of StarD5 and MLN64 was not sterol-regulated. StarD4, StarD5, and StarD6 may be involved in the intracellular transport of sterols or other lipids.
Mobility models for ad hoc network simulation

In this paper, we propose a novel general technique, based on renewal theory, for analyzing mobility models in ad hoc networks. Our technique enables an accurate derivation of the steady state distribution functions for node movement parameters such as distance and speed. We first apply our technique to the random waypoint model and provide alternative proofs for previous claims about the discrepancy between the steady state average speed and the average speed associated with the simulated distribution (Yoon, J et al., 2003). Our main contribution is a new methodology for simulating mobility which guarantees steady state for node movement distributions from the start of the simulation. Our methodology enables the correct and efficient simulation of a desired steady state distribution, and can be implemented in a manner transparent to the user. We support our claims through both formal proofs as well as extensive simulations.
Composite magnetic anisotropy fabrics: experiments, numerical models and implications for the quantification of rock fabrics

Housen, B.A., Richter, C. and van der Pluijm, B.A., 1993. Composite magnetic anisotropy fabrics: experiments, numerical models, and implications for the quantification of rock fabrics. Tectonophysics, 220: 1-12. Magnetic fabrics from rocks with multiple mineral-preferred orientations may have anisotropy ellipsoids whose shape and orientation arise from the addition of two or more component fabrics. Our numerical models and experiments demonstrate that such composite magnetic fabrics do not directly reflect the shapes and/or orientations of the individual mineral fabrics, and we provide criteria for the recognition and interpretation of composite fabrics in natural rocks. These criteria include: (1) the orientation of the maximum susceptibility axis is located at the intersection of two planar fabrics, and (2) the shape of the susceptibility ellipsoid changes from oblate to prolate and the degree of anisotropy decreases, as the relative intensity of two planar component fabrics becomes equal and as the angle between the planar fabrics increases. Composite magnetic fabrics are observed in the shales and slates of the Martinsburg Formation, Lehigh Gap, Pennsylvania. Modeling of the AMS (anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility) and ARMA (anhysteretic remanent magnetization anisotropy) behavior constrains the relative degree of anisotropy of the bedding-parallel and cleavage-parallel fabrics. In particular, ARMA model results allow a good estimate of magnetite fabric strength. We conclude that, in the presence of composite magnetic fabrics, quantitative measures of finite strain in deformed rocks are limited by the ability to accurately determine the degree of anisotropy and relative susceptibility of each component fabric. Such determinations require knowledge of the mineral(s) that are responsible for the measured magnetic fabric and their behavior during deformation.
Director's Civil and Criminal Liabilities for Bad Debts at Japanese Banks

Although ten years had passed since the bubble economy burst, and [yen] 7.2 trillion in public funds were poured into most of the Japanese banks in 1999 in order to beef up their net worth capital, the profit figures of 131 major banks in 2003 did not show signs of the financial market's complete recovery from the damage incurred by the burst of the bubble economy. Why were such loose loan loss reserve practices allowed in Japan? One of the reasons can be found in the Corporate Accounting Principles, established in 1949 and based on the Commercial Code of Japan. Thus, the current Commercial Code upholds the period profit and loss calculation method and the balance sheet is prepared directly from accounting books by means of the derivative method. The rules of the Commercial Code regarding bad loans specify that if concerns exist about being unable to collect money claims written in the liquid asset category, the balance sheet should be written in such a manner so as to deduct the estimated uncollectible amount (bad loan reserve) for each item that each money claim belonged to, showing only the balance after deducting the estimated uncollectible amount and indicating the estimated uncollectible amount as a footnote. While there should be a range from the lowest to the highest in the estimation of a bad loan loss, there should also be an accounting standard for an accidental phenomenon.
Intracellular localization of fibrinogen.

SummaryHepatic parenchymal cells contained fibrinogen when immunologic technics and isolated, functional, parenchymal cell concentrates were applied in this study. With cellular fractions the greatest concentrations of fibrinogen, intracellularly, were in the soluble and microsomal fractions. These data are compatible with the view that fibrinogen is synthesized in the microsomes, released to the soluble part of the parenchymal cell and stored there until additional fibrinogen is required in the blood.
Saturation of surfactant structure at the single-walled carbon nanotube surface.

Density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) and fluorescence spectroscopy are used to probe the limiting behaviors of the dynamic response of surfactant structure at the single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) surface to reorganizing forces, including changes in surfactant concentration and electrolyte screening. DGU results indicate that, as surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) concentration is increased, SDS adsorbed on metallic SWNTs becomes limited in its ability to reorganize before SDS adsorbed on semiconducting species. A diameter-dependent enhancement is observed in photoluminescence intensities from semiconducting SWNTS upon initial titration with NaCl. This response to electrostatic screening diminishes as SDS concentration is increased. The results are understood as a saturation of the surfactant structural response, defined as both a loss in ability to increase SDS loading at the SWNT surface and a loss in ability to reorient surface structure in response to a reorganizing force. Saturation of...
Highlights of the year in JACC2003

This month, in lieu of an Editor's Page, the editors of JACC introduce a new feature that will occur annually. The editors have each summarized articles published in JACC that are of particular significance clinically or with regard to research. These papers represent the highlights of the past 12
Efficacy of Eplerenone in the Management of Mineralocorticoid Excess in Men With Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Treated With Abiraterone Without Prednisone

Abstract Background Abiraterone acetate has been approved for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Coadministration with prednisone has been recommended to prevent the toxicity from secondary mineralocorticoid excess, such as hypertension, hypokalemia, and edema. However, the use of prednisone is often not desired by patients because of the potential for detrimental effects of long-term therapy with corticosteroids, especially in those with comorbidities such as diabetes or who have received previous immunotherapeutic agents. Eplerenone is a nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid antagonist demonstrated to abrogate mineralocorticoid excess. In the present retrospective study, we report our real-world experience with the use of eplerenone with abiraterone in men with mCRPC who wished to avoid concomitant prednisone therapy. Patients and Methods The incidence and grade (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4) of mineralocorticoid excess toxicities, baseline demographics, disease characteristics, and progression-free survival (PFS) were collected retrospectively. The patient population included men with mCRPC treated with abiraterone, who were not willing to receive corticosteroids, and thus received eplerenone. Their data were compared with the data from those treated with abiraterone and prednisone during the same period. Continuous variables were assessed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test or Student t test, and categorical variables were assessed using Fischer's exact test or χ 2 test, as appropriate. PFS was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Of the 106 men treated with abiraterone, 40 received eplerenone and 66 received prednisone. The baseline and disease characteristics, incidence and grade of adverse events related to the syndrome of mineralocorticoid excess, and the median PFS were similar in both cohorts. Conclusion In a real-world population of men with mCRPC treated with abiraterone, corticosteroids can be avoided by concomitant treatment with eplerenone. These data require further validation.
Effectiveness of autodissemination stations containing pyriproxyfen in reducing immature Aedes albopictus populations.

Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, is an aggressive, highly anthropophilic, day-biting mosquito with an expanding geographic range. Suppression of Ae. albopictus is difficult because of the abundance and prevalence of larval habitats within peridomestic environments, particularly cryptic habitats such as corrugated extension spouts, fence post openings, discarded food containers, etc. Because of the challenges of eliminating or treating larval habitats of this species, we tested an autodissemination concept to contaminate these habitats with the insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen. Our study was conducted in the City of Trenton (Mercer County), New Jersey, USA (40°12′N, 74°44′W). We selected six hot spots, where five or more Ae. albopictus males or females were collected based on weekly trap surveillance. A trapping unit was a city block, approximately 0.8 ha (hot spot), where we deployed 26 to 28 autodissemination stations per treatment plot. To gauge efficacy, we deployed BGS traps, oviposition cups, and sentinel cups in treatment and control locations. We found a significant reduction in eggs (P < 0.0001) and larval populations (P < 0.0001) as a result of treatment. Pupal mortality, as determined through bioassays, was also significantly higher in the treatment sites (P < 0.0001). Our results clearly show the potential and unique use of the autodissemination stations to control immature Ae. albopictus in urban areas. Penetration of larvicides with existing methods are difficult to reach cryptic habitats, but the autodissemination approach, which exploits the oviposition behavior of the target pest, can be integrated into intervention programs. New tools are urgently needed to curb the expansion and public health implications of Ae. albopictus and other container-inhabiting species.
Everywhere and nowhere simultaneously: The ‘absent presence’ of sexuality in medical education:

A comprehensive history of medical sex education in the USA is missing from the literature, and much of the recent literature on sexuality education within medical training in the USA relies on sur...
Hanna Dyâb’s Witch and the Great Witch Shift

Hanna Dyâb’s characterisation of a witch figure as a magicienne in his 1709 story ‘Prince Ahmed and Pari Banou’ typifies early modern depictions of evil females in magic tales. Institutional censorship, individual awareness of accusations of witchcraft and authorial writing practices all contribute to the various ways of depicting wicked women as something other than witches. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s editing of Kinder- und Hausmarchen (1807–1857) witchified evil women in the collection’s best known tales; their collection’s powerful influence on genre expectations about fairy tales displaced earlier visions of evil in fairy tales and created an assumption that witches were integral to traditional fairy tales.
The Encyclopedia of DNA elements (ENCODE): data portal update

The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Data Coordinating Center has developed the ENCODE Portal database and website as the source for the data and metadata generated by the ENCODE Consortium. Two principles have motivated the design. First, experimental protocols, analytical procedures and the data themselves should be made publicly accessible through a coherent, web-based search and download interface. Second, the same interface should serve carefully curated metadata that record the provenance of the data and justify its interpretation in biological terms. Since its initial release in 2013 and in response to recommendations from consortium members and the wider community of scientists who use the Portal to access ENCODE data, the Portal has been regularly updated to better reflect these design principles. Here we report on these updates, including results from new experiments, uniformly-processed data from other projects, new visualization tools and more comprehensive metadata to describe experiments and analyses. Additionally, the Portal is now home to meta(data) from related projects including Genomics of Gene Regulation, Roadmap Epigenome Project, Model organism ENCODE (modENCODE) and modERN. The Portal now makes available over 13000 datasets and their accompanying metadata and can be accessed at: https://www.encodeproject.org/.