cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Translesion synthesis DNA polymerases η, ι, and ν promote mutagenic replication through the anticancer nucleoside cytarabine.

Cytarabine (AraC) is the mainstay for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Although complete remission is observed in a large proportion of patients, relapse occurs in almost all the cases. The chemotherapeutic action of AraC derives from its ability to inhibit DNA synthesis by the replicative polymerases (Pols); the replicative Pols can insert AraCTP at the 3′ terminus of the nascent DNA strand, but they are blocked at extending synthesis from AraC. By extending synthesis from the 3′-terminal AraC and by replicating through AraC that becomes incorporated into DNA, translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA Pols could reduce the effectiveness of AraC in chemotherapy. Here we identify the TLS Pols required for replicating through the AraC templating residue and determine their error-proneness. We provide evidence that TLS makes a consequential contribution to the replication of AraC-damaged DNA; that TLS through AraC is conducted by three different pathways dependent upon Polη, Polι, and Polν, respectively; and that TLS by all these Pols incurs considerable mutagenesis. The prominent role of TLS in promoting proficient and mutagenic replication through AraC suggests that TLS inhibition in acute myeloid leukemia patients would increase the effectiveness of AraC chemotherapy; and by reducing mutation formation, TLS inhibition may dampen the emergence of drug-resistant tumors and thereby the high incidence of relapse in AraC-treated patients.
SDG 2 Zero Hunger

The backbone of society and the basis of self-sufficiency is the agricultural advancement of food, fiber, fuel, and industry. However, in many non-industrialized countries, self-sufficiency has been eroded by several factors, including environmental impacts, lack of educational infrastructure, and inequities in resource management and distribution. Additionally, with the rise in human populations and climate pressures, the need to increase food production security and water conservation measures is imminent. By emulating the productivity of natural ecosystems and returning carbon-based materials to the soil, agricultural production may be enhanced with a reduced reliance on potentially water-polluting and often prohibitively expensive synthetic fertilizers. Through various case studies showcasing the effectiveness of educational tools, we work to demonstrate the need for more financial investment in biomass utilization program development in order to cultivate emerging circular economies. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of carbon and ecosystem cycling curriculum in school settings. In situ soil application of organic materials engenders soil carbon sequestration – a climate change mitigation mechanism – and overall soil health and soil water conservation. Compost processing and program development ameliorates potential organic materials pathogen transference while mineralizing nutrients for plant uptake.
Es posible el capitalismo sostenible

?Es posible el capitalismo sostenible? En este articulo se analiza una evidencia relativa a esta pregunta, haciendo enfasis en algunos de los diferentes conceptos de "sostenibilidad" planteados por los verdes y por el sector empresarial. Se hace un breve recuento de las condiciones de sostenibilidad economica y se discute la "primera" contradiccion del capitalismo y la naturaleza de la acumulacion capitalista, ademas de un breve examen del proceso de formacion de una crisis mundial en la decada de los ochenta
The MAPK substrate MASS proteins regulate stomatal development in Arabidopsis

Stomata are specialized pores in the epidermis of the aerial parts of a plant, where stomatal guard cells close and open to regulate gas exchange with the atmosphere and restrict excessive water vapor from the plant. The production and patterning of the stomatal lineage cells in higher plants are influenced by the activities of the widely-used mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling components. The phenotype caused by the loss-of-function mutations suggested pivotal roles of the canonical MAPK pathway in the suppression of stomatal formation and regulation of stomatal patterning in Arabidopsis, whilst the cell type-specific manipulation of individual MAPK components revealed the existence of a positive impact on stomatal production. Among a large number of putative MAPK substrates in plants, the nuclear transcription factors SPEECHLESS (SPCH) and SCREAM (SCRM) are targets of MAPK 3 and 6 (MPK3/6) in the inhibition of stomatal formation. The polarity protein BREAKING OF ASYMMETRY IN THE STOMATAL LINEAGE (BASL) is phosphorylated by MPK3/6 for localization and function in driving divisional asymmetries. Here, by functionally characterizing three MAPK SUBSTRATES IN THE STOMATAL LINEAGE (MASS) proteins, we establish that they are plasma membrane-associated, positive regulators of stomatal production. MPK6 can phosphorylate the MASS proteins in vitro and mutating the putative substrate sites interferes the subcellular partition and function of MASS in planta. Our fine-scale domain analyses identify critical subdomains of MASS2 required for specific subcellular localization and biological function, respectively. Furthermore, our data indicate that the MASS proteins may directly interact with the MAPKK Kinase YODA (YDA) at the plasma membrane. Thus, the deeply conserved MASS proteins are tightly connected with MAPK signaling in Arabidopsis to fine-tune stomatal production and patterning, providing a functional divergence of the YDA-MPK3/6 cascade in the regulation of plant developmental processes.
An evolving role for endobronchial ultrasonography in the intensive care unit

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) bronchoscopy is an established minimally-invasive modality for visualization, characterization, and guidance of sampling of paratracheal and parabronchial structures and tissues. In the intensive care unit (ICU), rapidly obtaining an accurate diagnosis is paramount to the management of critically ill patients. In some instances, diagnosing and confirming terminal illness in a critically ill patient provides needed closure for patients and their loved ones. Currently available data on feasibility, safety, and yield of EBUS bronchoscopy in critically ill patients is based on single center experiences. These data suggest that in select ICU patients convex and radial probe-EBUS bronchoscopy can serve as useful tools in the evaluation of mediastinal lymphadenopathy, central airway obstruction, pulmonary embolism, and peripheral lung lesions. Barriers to the use of EBUS bronchoscopy in the ICU include: (I) requirement for dedicated equipment, prolonged procedure time, and bronchoscopy team expertise that may not be available; (II) applicability to a limited number of patients and conditions in the ICU; and (III) technical difficulty related to the relatively large outer diameter of the convex probe-EBUS bronchoscope and an increased risk for adverse cardiopulmonary consequences due to intermittent obstruction of the artificial airway. While the prospects for EBUS bronchoscopy in critically ill patients appear promising, judicious patient selection in combination with bronchoscopy team expertise are of utmost importance when considering performance of EBUS bronchoscopy in the ICU setting.
Characterization of circulating immune cells in acute Kawasaki disease suggests exposure to different antigens.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute pediatric vasculitis of unknown etiology that can cause coronary artery aneurysms, and is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children. We studied aspects of the innate and adaptive immune response in 17 acute KD children prior to treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin. Distinct patterns within the innate immune response correlated with specific clinical features. Proinflammatory myeloid dendritic cells (mDC) were abundant in four of 17 (23·5%) subjects who were older and manifested severe inflammation with clinical myocarditis and elevated hepatobiliary enzyme levels. Of the nine subjects with low levels of anti-inflammatory, tolerogenic mDC, six had enlarged cervical lymph nodes at diagnosis. In contrast, the adaptive immune repertoire varied greatly with no discernible patterns or associations with clinical features. Two subjects with aneurysms had numerous circulating CD8+ T cells. Ten subjects showed low CD4+ T cell numbers and seven subjects had CD4+ T cells in the normal range. CD4+ T cells expressed interleukin-7 receptor (IL-7R), suggesting repeated antigenic stimulation. Thymic-derived regulatory T cells (nTreg ) and peripherally induced regulatory T cells (iTreg ) were also enumerated, with the majority having the nTreg phenotype. Natural killer (NK) and NK T cell numbers were similar across all subjects. Taken together, the results of the immune monitoring suggest that KD may have multiple triggers that stimulate different arms of the innate and adaptive compartment in KD patients. Thus, it is possible that diverse antigens may participate in the pathogenesis of KD.
Spatial and temporal variations in motor vehicle theft in a university environment

The purpose of this research was to identify spatial and temporal variations in motor vehicle thefts on a public, 4-year University campus and in the surrounding community. Utilizing Routine Activi...
A Public Option for Employer Health Plans

Following the 2020 presidential election, health care reform discussions have centered on two competing proposals: Medicare for All and an individual public option (“Medicare for all who want it”). Interestingly, these two proposals take starkly different approaches to employer-provided health coverage, long the bedrock of the U.S. health care system and the stumbling block to many prior reform efforts. Medicare for All abolishes employer-provided coverage, while an individual public option leaves it untouched. This Article proposes a novel solution that finds a middle ground between these two extremes: an employer public option. In contrast to the more familiar public option proposal, which would offer government sponsored health insurance directly to individuals, our plan creates a public option for employers, who can select a public plan—based on Medicare and altered to meet the needs of working populations—instead of a private health plan for their employees. Employer-based private health coverage is in decline and increasingly leaves workers vulnerable. Our proposal offers a gradual way to loosen reliance on this system. We review the policy, regulatory, fiscal, and business arguments in favor of this form of public option, which we argue is less disruptive than Medicare for All but more impactful than an individual public option. Because employer take up would be gradual and voluntary, our plan has lower fiscal costs and should face less resistance from employees and vested interests than Medicare for All. Over time, if the plan meets employers’ and employees’ needs, more people would be covered by a public option, moving away from over-reliance on private employer plans and toward something akin to Medicare-for-Many in a less politically, legally, and fiscally fraught way.
Relationships between grit, physical activity, and academic success in university students: Domains of physical activity matter.

To examine the relationships between contexts of physical activity, grit, and GPA in a college population.Participants:875 Undergraduate students from a large, southern university participated betw...
Restoring the Narrative of American Environmentalism

The conventional narrative of American environmentalism is no longer very helpful for conservationists and restorationists seeking philosophical justification and guidance for their work. The tradition has often been cropped into a narrower and simplified account of the battle between the philosophies of wise use and preservation, a move bolstered by the turn to historical images of President Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir visiting California’s Yosemite National Park in the early years of the twentieth century. This cropped conservation picture needs to be restored and widened to engage the pragmatism that has always been a part of the U.S. environmental tradition, but that became eclipsed by preservationist ideology with the rise of the fields of environmental history and environmental philosophy in the late twentieth century. Restoring this lost pragmatism to the environmental tradition will prove vital to recovering the value of environmental history and philosophy for conservation and restoration practice and to reclaiming a more holistic and useful narrative of people, culture, and environment.
LOCALIZATION OF RESPIRATORY ENZYMES IN INTRACYTOPLASMIC MEMBRANES OF AZOTOBACTER AGILIS

Pangborn, J. (University of California, Davis), Allen G. Marr, and S. A. Robrish. Localization of respiratory enzymes in intracytoplasmic membranes of Azotobacter agilis . J. Bacteriol. 84: 669–678. 1962.—Thin sections of the cells of Azotobacter agilis which have been disrupted by sonic treatment, by osmotic shock, or by ballistic disintegration reveal a network of internal membranes in the form of vesicles and tubules. The internal membranes are attached to the envelope. Treatment in a Mickle disintegrator of envelopes emptied of cytoplasm by osmotic shock results in the loss of the internal membranes and a concomitant release of reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide oxidase from the envelopes. Thus, the intracytoplasmic membranes are the probable locus of the respiratory enzymes of the cell. Thin sections of whole cells show tubular intracytoplasmic membranes which are obscured by ribosomes and other dense cytoplasmic constituents. Images
Valuation of a New Class of Commodity-Linked Bonds with Partial Indexation Adjustments

The issuance of debt instruments with indexation of coupon payments to consumer or commodity prices has occurred with increasing frequency in both the developed and developing world. Such issuance has frequently been made by sovereign or near-sovereign issuers, and occasionally replicated through derivative structures provided by investment bankers. In this paper we provide a valuation for the recent issuance of a new type of commodity-linked bond, wherein the indexation is partial, reﬂecting the growth if any in the underlying price index since the time of the last price adjustment. We explore the circumstances under which the bond's rate of return dominates that of the traditional indexed instrument. We demonstrate such a bond fails to provide the constant, ﬁxed "real" rate of return typically guaranteed by a CPI-linked instrument such as TIPS.
High temperature silicon carbide FETs for radiation environments

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a very promising semiconductor material for the development of electronics that will operate at high temperature; it has the additional advantage that for some applications it should be less sensitive to radiation than Si or GaAs. There will be advantages to eventually using SiC to build very radiation-resistant, high-temperature circuits, which could be located near or within severe radiation environments. System benefits would come from development of circuits with sensor amplifier/multiplexer and control signal demultiplexer/motor drive electronics functions. The goal of our research is ultimately to demonstrate that high-temperature radiation-hardened circuits can be built to meet the kinds of needs discussed above, In this paper we report on the operation of state of the art SiC JFETs over a wide temperature range and in severe radiation environments. These devices represent the current state of the art but do not represent the limits of operation of SiC semiconductor devices. This work was in fact carried out to increase our understanding of the device characteristics so as to allow the design of new SiC circuits which could meet the extremely stressful requirements of nuclear power systems.
Glutamate mediates an inhibitory postsynaptic potential in dopamine neurons

Rapid information transfer within the brain depends on chemical signalling between neurons that is mediated primarily by glutamate and GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid), acting at ionotropic receptors to cause excitatory or inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs or IPSPs), respectively. In addition, synaptically released glutamate acts on metabotropic receptors to excite neurons on a slower timescale through second-messenger cascades, including phosphoinositide hydrolysis1. We now report a unique IPSP mediated by the activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors. In ventral midbrain dopamine neurons, activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1) mobilized calcium from caffeine/ryanodine-sensitive stores and increased an apamin-sensitive potassium conductance. The underlying potassium conductance and dependence on calcium stores set this IPSP apart from the slow IPSPs described so far2,3,4. The mGluR-induced hyperpolarization was dependent on brief exposure to agonist, because prolonged application of exogenous agonist desensitized the hyperpolarization and caused the more commonly reported depolarization1,5,6. The rapid rise and brief duration of synaptically released glutamate in the extracellular space can therefore mediate a rapid excitation through activation of ionotropic receptors, followed by inhibition through the mGluR1 receptor. Thus the idea that glutamate is solely an excitatory neurotransmitter must be replaced with a more complex view of its dual function in synaptic transmission.
Necessity and International Law: Arguments for the Legality of Civil Disobedience

In April 1987, Amy Carter, Abbie Hoffman, and 13 other protesters were tried in Northampton, Massachusetts, for trespassing and disorderly conduct during a demonstration against the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).1 The defendants raised the "necessity defense," arguing that their actions were justified as reasonable efforts to "prevent other crimes that pose the 'clear and immediate threat' of greater harm."2 District Court Judge Richard F. Connon instructed the jury on the availability of this defense under Massachusetts case law, and permitted the jury to hear extensive testimony on the harms caused by the CIA. The witnesses "described assassinations, murders, campaigns of misinformation and other alleged activities by the agency and groups it supports in Central America and elsewhere."3 All the defendants were acquitted. In contrast, earlier this year 18 activists were found guilty for demonstrating in the Rotunda of the Capitol, while protesting United States aid to the Nicaraguan Contras.4 Judge Luke C. Moore, of the District of Columbia Superior Court, did not allow the jury to hear the defendants' arguments and testimony that international law required that they "take action to stop the United States' illegal war of aggression against the Nicaraguan people,"5 and that their demonstration in the Capitol was a legitimate and effective means of altering national policy.6 In both cases, peace activists attempted to show that their acts of civil disobedience were legally justified, under either the doctrine of necessity or international law. Until recently, such justifications rarely have succeeded, simply because most judges have been un-
A rapid, reliable procedure for the determination of total fecal lipids, with observations on the composition of the lipids excreted by human subjects in normal and pathological states

Abstract The Folch extraction procedure has been adapted to the measurement of total fecal lipids. The resulting method is simple and accurate, yielding values in good agreement with those obtained by the more laborious technique of Saxon . The concentrations of the different classes of lipids in this purified total lipid extract were determined in a series of extracts from normal and abnormal fecal specimens using silicic acid column chromatography. Conclusions of previous investigators as to the diagnostic superiority of the fat balance technique for the detection of steatorrhea are confirmed.
Polyamine catabolism in colorectal cancer cells following treatment with oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil and N1, N11 diethylnorspermine.

Purpose Our previous studies showed that combined treatment of oxaliplatin and N1, N11diethyl-norspermine (DENSPM) results in massive induction of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) mRNA and activity. Since oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5FU) are used clinically in treatment of colorectal cancers, this study examines the effect of adding DENSPM to oxaliplatin/5FU combination on SSAT and spermine oxidase (SMO) in HCT-116 cells.
Cardiac adenylate cyclase: Kinetics of synergistic activation by guanosine-5′-triphosphate (GTP) and glucagon

Abstract Kinetic analysis of cardiac adenylate cyclase activation by GTP and glucagon has been performed. The maximal stimulation produced by 1 m m GTP or 10 μ m glucagon alone was approximately 2-fold over basal activity; with both GTP and glucagon, activity was synergistically increased 5-fold over basal. The apparent K D for activation of cardiac adenylate cyclase by glucagon was 0.16 μ m and was not altered by maximal or submaximal concentrations of GTP. The apparent K D for activation by GTP was 4.18 μ m ; this value was not altered by maximal or submaximal concentrations of glucagon. The apparent K m values for MgATP and apparent V m values were determined in the basal state and in the presence of 10 μ m glucagon and various fixed levels of GTP (none, 1, 10, and 100 μ m ) and in the presence of 1 m m GTP and various fixed concentrations of glucagon (none, 0.1, 1, 10 μ m ). No difference in the apparent K m for the substrate was determined under these various conditions (mean of all determination = 0.280 ± 0.01 m m ). The apparent V m values, however, increased greatly in the presence of the two effectors. The V m values determined under basal conditions or with GTP alone or glucagon alone were 51 ± 3, 67 ± 3, and 79 ± 3 pmol/mg protein/min, respectively. At saturating levels of both GTP and glucagon the V m value was 255 ± 11 pmol/mg protein/min. The kinetic data for the activation of the cardiac adenylate cyclase by GTP and glucagon were analyzed further using a rate equation which expresses the high degree of synergism between GTP and glucagon in terms of interaction constants.
Selection on noise constrains variation in a eukaryotic promoter

Quantifying activity of cis-regulatory sequences controlling gene expression shows that selection on expression noise has a greater impact on sequence variation than selection on mean expression level. Patricia Wittkopp and colleagues measure and compare the effects of 236 mutations in a cis-regulatory region from Saccharomyces cerevisiae to the effects of natural polymorphisms observed in the same region among 85 isolates of this species. They find that selection on variability in expression among genetically identical cells appears to have had a greater effect on sequence variation than selection on mean expression level, at their promoter. This may not be because variation in expression noise affects fitness more than variation in mean expression level; rather, it may be due to differences in the distributions of mutational effects for these two phenotypes. Genetic variation segregating within a species reflects the combined activities of mutation, selection, and genetic drift. In the absence of selection, polymorphisms are expected to be a random subset of new mutations; thus, comparing the effects of polymorphisms and new mutations provides a test for selection1,2,3,4. When evidence of selection exists, such comparisons can identify properties of mutations that are most likely to persist in natural populations2. Here we investigate how mutation and selection have shaped variation in a cis-regulatory sequence controlling gene expression by empirically determining the effects of polymorphisms segregating in the TDH3 promoter among 85 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and comparing their effects to a distribution of mutational effects defined by 236 point mutations in the same promoter. Surprisingly, we find that selection on expression noise (that is, variability in expression among genetically identical cells5) appears to have had a greater impact on sequence variation in the TDH3 promoter than selection on mean expression level. This is not necessarily because variation in expression noise impacts fitness more than variation in mean expression level, but rather because of differences in the distributions of mutational effects for these two phenotypes. This study shows how systematically examining the effects of new mutations can enrich our understanding of evolutionary mechanisms. It also provides rare empirical evidence of selection acting on expression noise.
Efficient Gauss-related quadrature for two classes of logarithmic weight functions

Integrals with logarithmic singularities are often difficult to evaluate by numerical methods. In this work, a quadrature method is developed that allows the exact evaluation (up to machine accuracy) of integrals of polynomials with two general types of logarithmic weights.The total work for the determination of N nodes and points of the quadrature method is O(N2). Subsequently, integrals can be evaluated with O(N) operations and function evaluations, so the quadrature is efficient.This quadrature method can then be used to generate the nonclassical orthogonal polynomials for weight functions containing logarithms and obtain Gauss and Gauss-related quadratures for these weights. Two algorithms for each of the two types of logarithmic weights that incorporate these methods are given in this paper.
Visual guidance of predatory attack by a scincid lizard, Eumeces laticeps

Abstract Visual stimuli are important determinants of the exact placement of predatory bites by the broad-headed skink (Eumeces laticeps), a member of a varied group of lizards known for their chemoreceptive abilities, the Autarchoglossa. The skinks preferentially attack large larval bess beetles (Popilius disjunctus) just posterior to the head and use visual cues to identify the attack site. Head coloration or contrast between the dark head and light anterior thorax releases attack just behind the edge of the darkly coloured region. Skinks also employ a directional cue to guide attacks to the postcephalic region. This directional stimulus is anterior position with respect to the prey's direction of motion, which is a fairly reliable indicator of head location even in the absence of distinctive head colour. When colour/contrast and directional cues disagree, the end of the prey bearing head-colour stimuli is selectively attacked if the colour cues are strong, but both ends are attacked with nearly equal frequency when coloration is less obvious. An artificially large and brightly painted head appears to function as a supernormal releasing stimulus for attack.
Voids and yolk-shells from crystals that coat particles.

We investigate curvature-driven core–shell morphology that emerges when polycrystalline shells of ZIF-8 (zeolitic imidazolate framework coordination polymer) grow on colloid-sized particles. In early growth stages, the shell is continuous, but it transforms to yolk–shell, with neither sacrificial template nor core etching, because of geometrical frustration. A design rule is developed regarding how local surface curvature matters. Comparing shells grown on cubic, rod-like, and peanut-shaped hematite core particles, we validate the argument.
The Exchange of Energy Between Monatomic Gases and Solid Surfaces

The accommodation coefficient, $\ensuremath{\alpha}$, is calculated for a solid surface with respect to an inert gas. The repulsive energy of gas and surface atoms is taken to be of the reasonable form $C{e}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{r}{d}}$. All the normal coordinates of the solid are considered. Agreement is found with the available experimental data. The dependence of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ upon temperature is given primarily by the factor $\frac{(U\ensuremath{-}{U}_{0})}{T}$, where $U$ is the internal energy of the solid.
Model Predictive Control of three dimensional spacecraft relative motion

This paper further develops an approach for spacecraft relative motion control based on the application of linear quadratic Model Predictive Control (MPC) with dynamically reconfigurable constraints. Previous results for maneuvers confined to the orbital plane are extended to three dimensional maneuvers with three dimensional Line-of-Sight (LoS) constraint handling. The MPC controller is designed to prescribe Δv impulsive velocity changes rather than piecewise constant thrust profiles. The ability to transition between MPC guidance in the spacecraft rendezvous phase and MPC guidance in the spacecraft docking phase, with requirements, constraints, and sampling rates specific to each phase, is demonstrated. Bandwidth constraints of the spacecraft attitude control system and exhaust plume direction constraints are also addressed. The MPC controller is validated on the full nonlinear model of spacecraft orbital motion and augmented with an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to estimate spacecraft states based on relative angles and relative range measurements.
Newtonian versus black-hole scattering

We discuss non-relativistic scattering by a Newtonian potential. We show that the gray-body factors associated with scattering by a black hole exhibit the same functional dependence as scattering amplitudes in the Newtonian limit, which should be the weak-field limit of any quantum theory of gravity. This behavior arises independently of the presence of supersymmetry. The connection to two-dimensional conformal field theory is also discussed. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
MobileEssence: meeting capture on smartphones

We demonstrate a software system that runs on the Symbian smartphone platform, and allows a group to capture the essence of a face-to-face meeting or remote conference call in a decentralized manner. We show how the users set up a meeting, record elements from the meeting, and are able to continue the collaboration after the original meeting has ended. We show how the information collected during the meeting can be used by members to analyze the collective impression of the meeting, as well view consensus or differences of opinions.
Complete endoscopic closure of gastric defects using a full-thickness tissue plicating device.

Obtaining endolumenal closure of hollow visceral defects may complement conventional, incision-based, surgical alternatives and benefit the experimental field of natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). Endoscopic tissue plicating devices (TPD) represent a promising closure technology; however, the long-term integrity of resultant closures is uncertain. Swine (n = 10) underwent survival transgastric NOTES peritoneoscopy procedures with TPD gastrotomy closure while device performance and closure integrity were evaluated. Following uncomplicated procedures, no animals revealed leakage on upper gastrointestinal contrast fluoroscopy immediately following closure and on postoperative days 2 and 7. Necropsy performed on the 14th postoperative day revealed a subclinical colonic injury for one animal; the remaining nine animals had no complications. Gastric burst testing revealed the strength of closure was comparable to that of nonsurgical control stomachs (85.1 vs. 85.3 mm Hg, p = 0.98). For six of nine (66%) TPD animals, bursting occurred remote to the closure site in nonsurgical tissue, indicating that closure strength equaled that of native tissue. Endoscopic TPD closure of standardized NOTES gastric defects results in strong, leak-proof closure; however, injuries can occur. These findings support evaluation of TPD closure in human trials involving noncontrolled gastric defects.
Lepton--Reggeon scattering as a probe to the structure of Reggeons

The investigation of lepton--Reggeon scattering, which can be extracted from various inclusive processes available in lepton--nucleon scattering, is considered as a potential means of studying the parton structure of the Reggeons. The inelastic structure functions of lepton--Reggeon scattering are defined, and the sum rules from the quark--parton models are written down for various Reggeons. (AIP)
Diminished gray matter within the hypothalamus in autism disorder: a potential link to hormonal effects?

Background Subjects with autism suffer from impairments of social interaction, deviations in language usage, as well as restricted and stereotyped patterns of behavior. These characteristics are found irrespective of age, IQ, and gender of affected subjects. However, brain changes due to age, IQ, and gender might pose potential confounds in autism neuroimaging analyses. Methods To investigate gray matter differences in autism that are not related to these potential confounds, we performed a voxel-based morphometry analysis in 52 affected children and adolescents and 52 matched control subjects. Results We observed diminished gray matter in a region of the hypothalamus, which synthesizes the behaviorally relevant hormones oxytocin and arginine vasopressin. Conclusions This finding provides support for further investigations of the theory of abnormal functioning of this hormonal system in autism and potentially for experimental therapeutic approaches with oxytocin and related neuropeptides.
Implementation of advanced practice nurse clinic for management of behavioral symptoms in dementia: a dyadic intervention (innovative practice)

Behavioral symptoms are common in all types of dementia and often result in significant caregiver stress and illness, institutionalization of the patient, and reduced quality of life for the patient and caregiver. Health care practitioners often lack the expertise or time to adequately assess behavioral symptoms or counsel caregivers about interventions. Our goal was to implement a specialty clinic managed by advanced practice nurses to assess and manage behavioral symptoms associated with dementia. The clinic evaluations consisted of an assessment of the patient by the Nurse Practitioner during the time that the family caregiver(s) was interviewed by the Clinical Nurse Specialist and focused on an assessment of the cognitive and functional abilities of the patient, identification of triggers for the problematic behaviors, and assessment of caregiver coping. We evaluated 66 dyads since implementation in February 2010. The patients were primarily female, Caucasian, 74.3 years of age with Alzheimer’s diseas...
Components of heart rate reactivity during mental arithmetic with and without speaking

Reactivity to psychological stressors has been hypothesized to be related to the development of cardiovascular disease. Because mental arithmetic (MA) has been shown to produce significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure, it is one of the most commonly utilized laboratory psychological stressors. However, the use of MA to assess hemodynamic reactivity raises two issues: 1) increases in heart rate can be produced by vagal withdrawal, sympathetic activation, or a combination of the two, and these mechanisms may differ in their pathogenic implications; and 2) in most MA studies, subjects are instructed to perform the task aloud, thus raising the possibility that speaking may interfere with respiratory patterns which in turn can influence hemodynamic outcomes. To address these two issues, we studied heart rate responses of 10 subjects to 2 different versions of MA and a control condition in which vocalization of answers was manipulated. Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV) in the low frequency (LB) and respiratory frequency (RSA) bands, and respiratory rate were measured. Results indicate that, although the two task conditions produced similar heart rate increases, RSA decreased only in the nonspeaking condition. Overall, the findings suggest that HR changes during MA are attributable to vagal withdrawal but that vocalization of answers during the task interferes with analysis of HRV, thus obscuring the mechanisms responsible for these changes.
Detachable 400-MHz acousto-optic phase modulator for a single-mode optical fiber.

A single-mode-fiber phase modulator was constructed by contacting the fiber with a lapped glass capillary tube. The capillary’s inner surface provides a long, effectively semicircular contact region to the fiber, allowing throughput of acoustic waves launched from a thin-film ZnO transducer fabricated directly onto the capillary’s other lapped face. The device operated at a center frequency of 416 MHz with a FWHM bandwidth of 14 MHz. The maximum phase shift was 0.033rad/mW, with a largest measured value of 1.2 rad at 1.3-W input electrical power.
Vascular Headache from Extracranial Venous Malformation

SYNOPSIS Headache associated with intracranial venous anomalies is well described but headache associated with extracranial venous malformation previously has not been recognized. A case of extracranial venous malformation producing vascular headache is presented.
Extensions on a Black Musical Tropology: From Trains to the Mothership (and Beyond):

This essay uses as its foundation the work of Samuel A. Floyd, Jr. in his article, “Troping the Blues: From Spirituals to the Concert Hall.” Whereas Floyd drew connections between the chariot of the Negro spiritual and the blues train, I extend this line of musical tropology into gospel trains, soul trains, and the mothership (as evoked by funk musician George Clinton). Through surveys and analyses of selected songs by artists from differing generations such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Gladys Knight, and Erykah Badu, I demonstrate how the verbal trope of the train has expanded over time and genres while also exploring various manifestations of freedom and liberation motifs as they surface in secular and sacred forms.
Correlation of radar attenuation with rocket exhaust temperature

dictions are nearly exact; they are limited only by the accuracy of the equation of state, and the lack of perfect agreement is due more to experimental error than anything else. The pressure and temperature sensor are accurate to about ±2% of the range shown; the equation of state used is capable of predicting pressure within ±0.5% of its range (5000 psi), given temperature and specific volume.
An estimate of the velocity correlation tensor - Cosmological implications

The peculiar velocity correlation tensor in the cosmic background radiation is estimated using observations of large-scale streaming motions. Two models are considered, which assume gravitational instability and random phase fluctuations: the CDM (cold dark matter) model representing the standard Omega = 1 CDM dominated universe with adiabatic scale invariant initial fluctuations and the Peebles' baryon isocurvature (PBI) model, an Omega = 0.4 baryon dominated universe with initial isocurvature (entropy) fluctuations. In both cases, the assumed Hubble constant is H = 50 km/sec Mpc. Unlike the CDM model, low Omega, baryon dominated PBI scenarios containing entropy perturbations can lead to correlated velocities over scales exceeding 4,000 km/sec. Predictions of both the CDM and PBI models are discussed. The velocity field in the local standard of rest frame determined by the galaxies themselves is also considered.
Laminin variants: why, where and when?

Laminin variants: Why, where and when? Laminin is a member of a family of proteins that are composed of three subunits, one heavy chain and two light chains. Five subunits in the laminin family have been cloned and sequenced so far. These include two heavy chains, the laminin A chain and the merosin M chain, and three light chains, B1, B2, and S. These five subunits can form four different laminin variants: A-B1-B2, A-S-B2, M-B1-B2, and M-S-B2, all having the B2 chain in common. Major basement membranes in tissues contain at least one of the four laminin variants. For example, the adult muscle and nerve basement membranes contain M-B1-B2, smooth muscle contains A-B1-B2, the myotendinous junction and the trophoblast basement membrane in the placenta contain M-S-B2, and blood vessels contain A-B1-B2 and/or A-S-B2. In the brain, the merosin M chain is present in association with neuronal fibers. The four members of the laminin family interact with cells in a similar manner. Thus, they promote outgrowth of neurites from neuronal cells and promote attachment and spreading of non-neuronal cells. The interaction of cells with laminins is mediated largely by integrin type receptors, including integrins alpha1beta1, alpha2beta1, alpha3beta1, and alpha6beta1. The expression of the different laminin-like proteins is developmentally regulated. The laminin A chain is the first heavy chain expressed. It is present in the striated muscle basement membrane in the fetus, but its expression is gradually decreased during development and it is restricted to the synaptic basement membrane in the adult. In contrast, the expression of the M chain in muscle is induced around birth and increases until it is the predominant heavy chain made in the mature muscle. The differential expression of laminin variants in tissues during different times of development suggest that the laminin variants have specialized functions. The structural and functional comparisons of existing variants as well as of variants yet to be discovered should further our understanding of the effects of basement membranes on cell behavior.
Transfer factor treatment in a patient with progressive tuberculosis

Abstract A patient with progressive tuberculosis refractory to chemotherapy with eight drugs has been successfully treated with transfer factor. Clinical recovery was accompanied by rapid conversion of cell-mediated immunodeficiency. Transient detection of circulating immune-complexes and hypocomplementemia were recorded during immunopotentiation therapy. A useful role of TF as an adjunct to chemotherapy of tuberculosis in immunodeficient hosts is suggested.
Roles of novobiocin-sensitive topoisomerases in chloroplast DNA replication in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

We have examined DNA replication in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplasts in vivo when chloroplast type II topoisomerases are inactivated with sublethal doses of novobiocin. DNA replication is at first inhibited under these conditions. However, after a delay of several hours, chloroplast chromosomes initiate a novobiocin-insensitive mode of DNA replication. This replication starts preferentially near a hotspot of recombination in the large inverted repeats, instead of from the normal chloroplast origins, oriA and oriB. It replicates one, but not the other single-copy region of the chloroplast chromosome. We speculate that novobiocin-insensitive DNA replication in chloroplasts requires recombination in this preferred initiation region.
Exact calculations of fluid-phase equilibria by Monte Carlo simulation in a new statistical ensemble

A recently proposed method, Monte Carlo simulation in the Gibbs ensemble, allows the prediction of phase equilibria from knowledge of the intermolecular forces. A single computer experiment is required per coexistence point for a system with an arbitrary number of components. The new technique has significant advantages relative to free-energy methods that have been used for phase equilibrium calculations is the past. In this work, a variation of the Gibbs method appropriate for calculations in mixtures with large differences in molecular size is developed. The method is applied for the calculation of high-pressure phase equilibria in two mixtures of simple monatomic fluids, the systems argon-krypton and neon-xenon. Pairwise additive potential functions of the Lennard-Jones type are used to describe the intermolecular interactions. Agreement with experimental results is generally good over a wide range of temperatures and pressures, including the fluid-fluid immiscibility region for the neon-xenon system. Results from the Van der Waals one-fluid theory are compared with experimental data and computer simulation predictions. Agreement is excellent for the mixture with small differences in size (argon-krypton), but the theory fails to describe the coexistence curve for the highly asymmetric system neon-xenon.
Prevalence of HIV and hepatitis B and self‐reported injection risk behavior during detention among street‐recruited injection drug users in Los Angeles County, 1994–1996

Aims. To describe injection risk behaviors while in detention in a sample of injection drug users (IDUs) in Los Angeles County. Design and setting. Cross-sectional, interviewer-administered, face-to-face risk survey, and serological screening for HIV and hepatitis B conducted at four street locations in Los Angeles County between 1994 and 1996. All interviews were conducted in a non-institutionalized setting. Measurements. Ascertainment of self-reported risk behavior during detention and screening for HIV and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to the core (HBcAb) seromarkers. Participants. Six hundred and forty-two participants were street-recruited during the study period. Seventy-one per cent of the sample was male, the median age was 43 years, 61% were African-American, 27% were Latino, 8% were white and 36% considered themselves homeless. Findings. Overall HIV prevalence was 3.0%; 3.1% tested positive for the hepatitis B surface antigen marker (HBsAg), and 80.3% for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAb). After adjustment for length of injection drug use and recency of release from detention, HIV seroreactivity was significantly associated with history of detention due to possession of IDU paraphernalia (OR = 1.9). The presence of the hepatitis B HBcAb seromarker was associated with injection drug use while in detention, (OR = 1. 7), and having been ever arrested for possession of IDU paraphernalia (OR = 1.8). Conclusions. IDU detainees constitute a high risk group for blood-borne infections. Comprehensive prevention and health promotion efforts in the community need to include correctional facilities.
Helicobacter pylori infection and HFE hemochromatosis

Abstract Helicobacter pylori infections are associated with iron deficiency, even in the absence of bleeding. To determine whether H. pylori infection plays a role in modifying the phenotype of patients homozygous for the c.845 G>A (C282Y) mutation of the HFE gene we studied 79 homozygous women and 76 homozygous men, comparing the pretreatment hemoglobin, MCV, serum ferritin, transferrin saturation of those who were seropositive and seronegative for H. pylori. No difference between seropositive and seronegative homozytoes was found. There was also no difference between seropositive and seronegative control subjects. We also compared the total iron of 56 of the male and 32 of the female homozygotes as determined by serial phlebotomy. No significant difference was found.
The impact of homecoming reception on the adaptation of peacekeepers following deployment.

Not unlike combat soldiers, peacekeepers are at risk for the development of significant symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Litz, Orsillo, Freidman, Ehlich, & Batres, 1997). Previous studies have demonstrated that the response of family and community members at homecoming has a significant restorative role in the adaptation of combat soldiers (e.g., Fontana & Rosenheck, 1994). This study assesses this potential effect in the postdeployment adjustment of peacekeepers. As part of a larger investigation, 1,023 U.S. military personnel who served as peacekeepers in Somalia were administered a comprehensive psychosocial questionnaire that included measures of exposure to negative and potentially traumatic peacekeeping experiences, homecoming reception, and PTSD symptom severity. Adjustment to peacekeeping was positively related to homecoming reception.