cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Botulinum toxin type A therapy for palmar and digital hyperhidrosis.

Abstract Objective: We evaluated the efficacy of subepidermal injections of botulinum toxin type A on recalcitrant palmar and digital hyperhidrosis. Methods: Twenty patients with recalcitrant palmar and digital hyperhidrosis were treated with subepidermal injections of botulinum toxin. Nineteen patients completed the 12-month study. Injections were performed in 3 stages. The total dose of toxin for each hand, which included the palm, thenar eminence, and digits, was 165 units. Patients were followed up on a monthly basis. Results: Botulinum toxin significantly reduced sweat production in the treated areas. Anhidrosis lasted 9 months in 3 patients, 8 months in 3 patients, 7 months in 8 patients, 6 months in 3 patients, 5 months in 1 patient, and 4 months in 1 patient. Reduced sweating of the palm and digits continued in all patients for the 12-month evaluation period, with the greatest reduction of sweating in the nondominant hand. Mild weakness of the thumb occurred in 4 patients at a mean duration of 3 weeks, with the greatest duration being 6 weeks. Conclusion: Botulinum toxin provides a safe and efficacious alternative in the treatment of recalcitrant palmar and digital hyperhidrosis. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;42:1026–9.)
A bibliography of transient effects in the resonant elastic response of matter to an intense light pulse

Selected phenomena associated with the interaction of coherent radiation (such as laser pulses) and matter are briefly described from a unified point of view. An extensive list of references is provided.
Endogenous Vasopressin and Renin-Angiotensin Systems Support Blood Pressure after Epidural Block in Humans

Background: Studies in experimental animals show that endogenous Arg-vasopressin (AVP) and the renin-angiotensin system support blood pressure when the sympathetic system is impaired pharmacologically or after epidural anesthesia. However, extrapolation to humans is uncertain. Therefore, we administered an AVP type V1 receptor antagonist and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor to volunteers and measured the effect on blood pressure after epidural anesthesia. Methods: Healthy volunteers in whom epidural catheters were placed were randomly assigned to receive 1.25 mg intravenous enalapril or saline placebo followed by 0.5 mg AVP type V1 antagonist β-mercapto-β, β-cyclopentamethylene-proprionyl-o-Met-Tyr-Arg-vasopressin (AVPA) or saline placebo. Finally, 2% lidocaine was injected to obtain a T2 level. Controls received intramuscular lidocaine. Results: Blood pressure did not significantly change after T-2 epidural anesthesia in subjects treated with saline placebo, AVPA or enalapril alone (n = 10, for each treatment). In contrast, combined treatment with enalapril and AVPA resulted in a 36 ± 11% decrease in blood pressure after epidural dosing (n = 6). Controls given intramuscular lidocaine, in place of the epidural did not develop hypotension after AVPA and enalapril treatment (n = 10). Conclusions: Endogenous AVP and the renin-anglotensin system play important roles in maintaining blood pressure after epidural anesthesia in healthy subjects.
Sports-related injuries in children.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographics and types of sports-related injuries (SRIs) in children. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective chart review of children 5-18 years of age diagnosed as having an SRI in a pediatric emergency department (ED) during a two-year period. Patients were identified by ICD-9 codes. Data collected were age, sex, sport, ED interventions, consultations, mechanism, location, and injury type. Pairwise comparisons were reported as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Six hundred seventy-seven SRIs fit the inclusion criteria; 480 of the patients were male (71%). The mean ages of the males and females were 13.0 years (SD +/- 3.0 yr) and 12.4 years (SD +/- 2.9 yr), respectively. The six most common sports implicated were basketball (19.5%), football (17.1%), baseball/softball (14.9%), soccer (14.2%), in-line skating (Rollerblading)/skating (5.7%), and hockey (4.6%). Sprains/strains (32.0%), fractures (29.4%), contusions/abrasions (19. 3%), and lacerations (9.7%) accounted for 90% of injury types. Pairwise comparison of the four injury types in the six sports listed showed significant associations for contusions/abrasions in baseball, sprains/strains in basketball, fractures in Rollerblading/skating, and lacerations in hockey. Age variance, including all sports, of the younger group (5-11 yr) in fractures and the older group (12-18 yr) in sprains was significant. The most common injury location was wrist/hand (28%), followed by head/face (22%) and ankle/foot (18%). Each had significant sport-specific predilections. Contact with person or object was the mechanism for >50% of the SRIs. Sport-specific mechanisms followed lines drawn from the sport-specific injury types and locations. CONCLUSIONS: The pediatric age group incurs a variety of injuries in numerous sports with diverse sex, age, mechanism, location, injury type, and sport-specific differences. Language: en
Inferior Venacavography Correlated with Pulmonary Angiography

In 65 patients with a clinical diagnosis of possible pulmonary embolic disease, inferior venacavography was carried out in conjunction with pulmonary angiography. Six patients with positive and three patients with negative pulmonary angiograms were found to have thrombi in the inferior vena cava. The value of venacavography in patients evaluated for pulmonary embolism, and its potential significance in patient management are discussed.
Expectancies for alcohol to affect tension and anxiety as a function of time.

Abstract Alcohol outcome expectancies have been linked to drinking behavior on both empirical and theoretical grounds. Although typically measured as a static construct, we hypothesized that expectancies may be time-specific. Subjects rated their expectancies for a moderate amount of alcohol to increase, decrease, or not change their level of tension and anxiety. Ratings were repeated for when the intoxicating effects of the drinking would be: (1) “at their peak;” (2) “nearly worn off;” and (3) “completely worn off” (Time Epochs 1–3, respectively). As predicted, most subjects (72%) expected alcohol to reduce tension and anxiety at Time Epoch 1; however, significantly fewer subjects expected this effect at Time Epochs 2 and 3 (25% and 2%, respectively). Conversely, few subjects expected alcohol to worsen tension and anxiety at Time Epoch 1 (3.5%); however, significantly more subjects expected this effect at Time Epochs 2 and 3 (31% and 34%, respectively). Expectancies for Time Epoch 1 related most strongly to several measures of alcohol use, including drinking for the purpose of reducing tension (whole sample) and drinking frequency (men but not women). These findings show that tension-reduction expectancies are not stable over the course of a drinking episode and suggest the possibility of a treatment approach aimed at amplifying attention to expectancies for alcohol's more negative longer-term effects.
MtaR, a Regulator of Methionine Transport, Is Critical for Survival of Group B Streptococcus In Vivo

The group B streptococcus (GBS) is an important human pathogen that infects newborns as well as adults. GBS also provides a model system for studying adaptation to different host environments due to its ability to survive in a variety of sites within the host. In this study, we have characterized a transcription factor, MtaR, that is essential for the ability of GBS to survive in vivo. An isogenic strain bearing a kanamycin insertion in mtaR was attenuated for survival in a neonatal-rat model of sepsis. The mtaR mutant grew poorly in human plasma, suggesting that its utilization of plasma-derived nutrients was inefficient. When an excess of exogenous methionine (200 microg/ml) was provided to the mtaR mutant, its growth rate in plasma was restored to that of the wild-type strain. The mtaR mutant grew poorly in chemically defined medium (CDM) prepared with methionine at a concentration similar to that of plasma (4 microg/ml) but was able to grow normally in CDM prepared with a high concentration of methionine (400 microg/ml). Both the wild-type strain and the mtaR mutant were incapable of growth in CDM lacking methionine, indicating that GBS cannot synthesize methionine de novo. When the abilities of the strains to incorporate radiolabeled methionine were compared, the mtaR mutant incorporated fivefold less methionine than the wild-type strain during a 10-min period. Collectively, the results from this study suggest that the ability to regulate expression of a methionine transport system is critical for GBS survival in vivo.
Methemoglobinemia--an effect of a new local anesthetic L-67 (prilocaine).

SUMMARY The formation of methemoglobinemia following use of n-propylamino-2-methylpropionanilide (L-67) was measured both in a clinical study and in animal experiments. In the study of 60 patients receiving doses of 400 to 1,200 mg, 62% developed measureable amounts of methemoglobin. The highest value found represented 18% of the total hemoglobin. Rapid reconversion to the normal pigment by methylene blue was satisfactorily achieved in both patients and animals.
Coherent Excitation of Channeled Ions

Channeled ions passing between ordered rows of atoms in a crystal lattice with a velocity v experience a coherent periodic perturbation of frequencies ? = K(v/d), K = 1,2,3,... where d is the distance between atoms in the crystal row. When one of these frequencies coincides with the resonant frequency required to cause transitions in the penetrating ion a resonant coherent excitation (RCE) can occur. In all cases the resonant velocities are slightly shifted from those anticipated from the vacuum levels of the ion because of crystal field effects and under some conditions doublets due to Stark splitting of the line by the wake field are observed.
Progeria in siblings.

Progeria or ‘prematurely old’ is an autosomal recessive trait that appears insidiously at or after the age of 6 months. Two affected siblings are reported showing radiologically progressive attenuation of the clavicles and terminal phalanges, widening of cranial sutures and mandibular hypoplasia. Scleroderma was also present. Out of 59 previously published cases five had scleroderma before the age of 2 years. Only three families with affected siblings have been previously recorded.
Quantifying MRI geometric distortion in tissue

We present a method to quantify the MR field inhomogeneity geometric distortion to subpixel accuracy without using objects of known dimensions and without using an external standard such as CT. Our method may be used to quantify the geometric accuracy of MR images of anatomical structures of unknown geometry and also to test any geometry correction scheme. We have quantified the distortion in a tissue phantom and found the largest error to be approximately 2.8 pixels (1.8 mm) for Bo = 1.5 T, G = 3.13 mT/m and FOV = 160 x 160 x 70.7 mm3. We also found that our previously published correction technique reduced the largest error to 0.3 pixels (mu = 0.02 and sigma = 0.07 pixels).
Broadband theory/technology/systems and radar-communication interaction

The tutorial is split into 2 components: broadband theory/technology/systems and radar-communication interaction. For the broadband component, we will discuss the underlying theory, component technology, and some systems, with a focus on the two ultrawideband (UWB) application areas (radar and communication systems) in light of recent interest in UWB systems over the last two decades [1]. In that time, more than 15 non-military UWB radars have been designed and fielded, which include applications to forestry, detecting underground utilities, automotive control, and humanitarian demining. More recently, UWB communication has surged to the forefront.
Optimization of a Nanoparticle Suspension for Freeze Casting

Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) dispersant concentration, suspension pH, and Al 2 O 3 solids loading effects on PAA adsorption onto Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles were studied; the stability and rheology of the Al 2 O 3 nanoparticle suspensions were examined. The most desirable suspension conditions were 7.5-9.5 for pH and 2.00-2.25 wt% of Al 2 O 3 for the PAA concentration. Electrical double-layer thickness and PAA adsorption layer thickness comparison showed that electrosteric stabilization was dominant. 45.0 vol% Al 2 O 3 solids loading can be achieved for freeze casting. The maximum solids loading was predicted to be 50.7 vol%. The freeze-east sample showed that pre-rest before freezing was critical for achieving desirable microstructures.
Discriminant and Convergent Validity of the Anxiety Construct in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Despite reports of high anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), there is controversy regarding differential diagnosis of ASD symptoms and anxiety symptoms. This study examined 88 children, aged 7-11 years, with ASD referred for concerns about anxiety. A multitrait-(social anxiety, separation anxiety, overall anxiety severity, and overall ASD severity), multimethod-(diagnostic interviews, parent-, and child-based measures) analysis was conducted. Results from structural equation modeling suggest statistical discrimination between anxiety and ASD severity and convergence among differing reports of two of the anxiety subdomains (separation anxiety and overall anxiety). These findings suggest that anxiety symptoms experienced by children with ASD are separate from ASD symptom severity and may instead reflect anxiety syndromes (e.g., separation anxiety) similar to those that occur in typically developing children.
Design and implementation of a driver drowsiness detection system: A practical approach

This paper describes the steps involved in designing and implementing a driver drowsiness detection system based on visual input (driver's face and head). It combines off-the-shelf software components for face detection, human skin color detection, and eye state (open vs. closed) classification in a novel way. Preliminary results show that the system is reliable and tolerant to many real-world constraints.
Central giant cell granulomas of the jaws: Nuclear DNA analysis using image cytometry

Abstract Giant cell nuclear DNA, in 30 giant cell lesions of the jaws, was quantified by computer-assisted image analysis. DNA content was then used to predict clinical behavior and outcome. 4 nuclei in each of 25 giant cells (total = 100 nuclei) were randomly selected and the DNA content was quantified by the Leitz Texture-Analysis-System-Plus ® . DNA in nucleii of normal appearing stromal fibroblasts (n = 20) was similarly measured. The DNA index was calculated as the mean nuclear DNA content of giant cells divided by the mean DNA content of control fibroblasts. The mean DNA-index of aggressive lesions (1.09, SD=0.12) was not significantly different from that of non-aggressive lesions (1.18, SD=0.15) ( p = 0.093). The results indicate that the nuclear DNA content of giant cells is not useful as a predictor of the clinical behavior of giant cell lesions of the jaws.
GPU acceleration of nonlinear diffusion tensor estimation using CUDA and MPI

Diffusion MRI is a non-invasive magnetic resonance technique and has been increasingly used in imaging neuroscience. It is currently the only method capable of depicting the complex structure of white matter of the brain in vivo. One of the most popular techniques is diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) which is commonly used clinically to produce in vivo images of biological tissues with local microstructural characteristics such as water diffusion. Diffusion tensor maps are usually computed on a voxel-by-voxel basis by fitting the signal intensities of diffusion weighted images as a function of their corresponding data acquisition parameters (b-matrices). This processing is computation-intensive and time-consuming which can constraint the clinical practice of DTI. This study presents the application of using high performance GPU clusters in addition to CPUs for diffusion tensor estimation by accelerating the multivariate non-linear regression. The results are tested using both simulated and clinical diffusion datasets and show significant performance gain in tensor fitting. The proposed GPU implementation framework can significantly reduce the processing time of DTI data especially for the datasets with high spatial and temporal resolution, and hence further promote the clinical use of DTI. It also can be used to accelerate statistical analysis of DTI where Monte Carlo simulations are employed, be readily applied to quantitative assessment of DTI using bootstrap analysis, robust diffusion tensor estimation and should be applicable to other MR imaging techniques that use univariate or multivariate regression to fit MRI data to a model.
The Spanish Version of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS): Measurement Invariance and Psychometric Properties

We examined the measurement invariance and psychometric properties of a Spanish-language version of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in a U.S. sample. A total of 609 undergraduate students, including 325 bilingual (Spanish-speaking) participants, from a Hispanic-majority institution completed the assessment battery and were included in the analyses. The MAAS and the Spanish-language Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS-SP) were shown to be equivalent via multigroup confirmatory factor analysis models testing configural, metric, and scalar invariance. A test of latent mean differences indicated a small, but statistically significant cross-language difference in trait mindfulness as construed by the MAAS, as the latent mean of the MAAS-SP was slightly higher compared with the latent mean of the MAAS. The MAAS-SP evidenced good psychometric properties and concurrent validity. Taken together, findings support the reliability and validity of the MAAS and MAAS-SP in measuring mindfulness across languages. Future studies could continue efforts aimed at examining the structure of mindfulness and its facets across languages.
Colonic motility abnormality in patients with irritable bowel syndrome exhibiting abdominal pain and diarrhea

Colonic motility abnormality in patients with irritable bowel syndrome exhibiting abdominal pain and diarrhea
Photographic Standardization and Research at the National Bureau of Standards

The Image Optics and Photography Section of the National Bureau of Standards provides physical standards of measurement and calibration services, cooperates with national and international standardizing organizations, and conducts research related directly to the utilization of photographic materials and processes. Standardization and research in sensitometry, standard light sources, emulsion making, preservation of photographs, precise densitometry, and image evaluation have spanned a half century.
Why Freud matters: Psychoanalysis and international relations revisited

Scholars of politics, not just international relations, have eschewed the discipline of psychoanalysis. The renewed attacks on Freud and his fractious followers over the last generation apparently discouraged political scientists from exploring the usefulness of psychoanalytic methods. This essay asks whether, and under what circumstances, psychoanalysis can be a useful interpretive approach. What is the significance in human behavior of the unconscious, that is, of motives and forces of which we are commonly unaware? The argument is that in most, if not all, cases, psychoanalytically attuned approaches yield important insights about the wielding of power.
Day labor halls as spaces of containment and control

Temporary day labor agencies (commonly referred to as “day labor halls”) are privately run companies external to the formal Prison Re-Entry Industry (PRI). However, they frequently provide entry-level employment for recent, frequent, and reformed felons. All spaces associated with day labor employment are rigidly controlled and caught in a visual contradiction. While laborers are completely visible to the day labor halls for the purposes of surveillance, observation, evaluation, and ultimately control, they are simultaneously rendered invisible and hidden from the view of society at large. For day laborers with felony records, the duality is intensified. Once released from prison, former prisoners enter spaces under the view and control of law enforcement within the formal PRI system. Further, their world continues to be viewed, restricted, and controlled by privately owned day labor halls where over 50% of potential workers are felons. By examining the spatialities of the daily working lives of day laborers and their (im)mobility as they navigate difficult spatialities, it is possible to comprehend some of the major hurdles of re-entry. The spatialities of the everyday life of felons continue as restricted spaces for a “captive population” even beyond the prison walls and beyond the formal systems of the PRI.
Bacteria genome fingerprinting by flow cytometry.

Background: A flow cytometry–based, ultrasensitive fluorescence detection technique has been developed that demonstrates unique advantages in the analysis of large DNA fragments over the currently most widely used technology, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The technique described herein is used to characterize the restriction fingerprints of the bacteria genome Staphylococcus aureus in this study. Methods: The isolation of the bacterial genomic DNA and the subsequent complete digestion by a restriction endonuclease were performed inside an agarose plug. Electroelution was used to move the DNA fragments out of the agarose plug into a solution containing low concentrations of spermine and spermidine, added to stabilize the large DNA fragments. DNA was stained with the bisintercalating dye thiazole orange homodimer (TOTO-1) and subsequently introduced into our ultrasensitive flow cytometer from a capillary. Results: Individual DNA fragments up to 351 kbp were successfully handled and sized. The histograms of the burst sizes were generated from signals associated with individual fragments in <7 min with <2 pg of DNA. The sizing accuracy was better than 98%. In contrast, standard PFGE takes ≈20 h and requires ≈1 μg of DNA with a sizing accuracy of ≈90%. Conclusions: With the demonstrated success and advantages, our approach has the potential of being applied to fast, accurate bacteria species and strain identification. Cytometry 35:169–175, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Study of Vortical Separation from Three-Dimensional Symmetric Bumps

Surface mean pressures, oilflow visualization, and three-velocity-component laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) measurements are presented for a turbulent boundary layer of momentum thickness Reynolds number, Re θ 7300, and of thickness 6 over two axisymmetric bumps of height H = 6 and 26 and one symmetric bump of H = 26. LDV data were obtained at one plane, x/H ≥ 3.26, for each case. Complex vortical separations occur on the lee side and merge into large streamwise mean vortices downstream for the two axisymmetric cases. The near-wall flow (y + < 90) is dominated by the wall. For the axisymmetric cases, the vortices in the outer region produce large turbulence levels near the centerline and appear to have low-frequency motions that contribute to turbulent diffusion. For the case with a narrower spanwise shape, there are sharper separation lines and lower turbulence intensities in the vortical downstream flow
Optimality of the Heating-Rate-Constrained Aerocruise Maneuver

A synergetic maneuver can accomplish orbital plane changes with less fuel than an exoatmospheric maneuver. Duringtheatmosphericpass,thespacecraftissubjectedtoveryhighheatingrates,andanyextrathermalprotection required may offset the fuel savings. A heating-rate-constrained synergetic maneuver called aerocruise has been widely studied as a means for lowering the weight of the thermal protection system. We question the optimality of the aerocruise maneuver by considering the necessary and sufe cient condition for a trajectory to remain on the heating-rate boundary. By replacing the aerocruise-powered turn by a maximum thrust maneuver that we call aerobang, a perturbed synergetic maneuver is obtained. This maneuver is compared against the numerically optimizedaerocruisemaneuverfortheentryresearchvehicle.Theresultsdemonstratethattheaerobangmaneuver consistently yields improved performance, i.e., inclination change per fuel mass, over the aerocruise maneuver by as much as 14%. This result indicates that the optimal synergetic maneuveris yet to be determined and could very well be more complicated than a simple aerocruise turn. Nomenclature as an a = nongravitational perturbing accelerations on the vehicle in the tangential, normal, and binormal directions, respectively C = constant multiplier associated with an aerodynamic heating-rate model CD = drag coefe cient CL = lift coefe cient D = aerodynamic drag force f = generic state constraint
A new Penstemon (Scrophulariaceae) from northwestern Arizona

Penstemon distans, belonging to sect.Cristati (Rydb.) Pennell and known only from the southeastern edge of the Shivwits Plateau, Mohave Co., Arizona, is described, illustrated and discussed.
Eddy-induced meridional heat transport in the ocean

[1] A global ocean data synthesis product at eddy-permitting resolution from Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean, Phase II (ECCO2) project are used to estimate the oceanic eddy heat transport. We show that in a number of locations the time-mean eddy heat transport constitutes a considerable portion of the total time-mean heat transport, in particular, in the tropics, in the Southern Ocean and in the Kuroshio Current. This research demonstrates that the variability of the eddy heat transport is a significant contributor to the variability of the total heat transport and globally it explains about 1/3 of its variance. Eddies are also found to explain a significant portion of the seasonal-interannual heat transport variance.
Cholesterol and phospholipid biosynthesis in guinea pig megakaryocytes.

Abstract Megakaryocytes are the bone marrow cells which produce the blood platelets. Platelet lipids are thought to be important determinants of platelet activity in thrombosis and hemostasis. We have investigated lipid synthesis from [U- 14 C]acetate in isolated guinea pig megakaryocytes with the goal of elucidating the genesis of platelet lipids. Cholesterol was the major product of megakaryocyte lipid synthesis from [U- 14 C]acetate. Incorporation of acetate (0.1 mM) into cholesterol per 10 6 megakaryocytes (1.1 mg protein) was 0.14 nmol in 0.5 h, 0.95 nmol in 1.5 h and 3.2 nmol in 4.0h. Megakaryocytes also synthesized cholesterol from [U- 14 C]glucose. In contrast, platelet sterol synthesis was negligible. Both megakaryocytes and platelets synthesized phospholipids from [U- 14 C]acetate. Megakaryocytes incorporated 0.07 nmol acetate per 10 6 cells into phospholipid in 0.5 h, 0.38 nmol in 1.5 h and 1.8 nmol in 4.0 h. Platelets (10 9 cells, 1.3 mg protein) incorporated 0.15 nmol acetate into phospholipids in 1.5h. Phosphatidylcholine accounted for 62% of the phospholipid radioactive label m megakaryocytes and 78% in platelets. Phospholipid radioactivity was associated with the fatty acids. We hypothesize that the megakaryocyte may synthesize a major portion of platelet cholesterol and that the phospholipid and fatty acid synthetic pathways available to the platelet are derived from the megakaryocytes.
Message correlation in automated communication surveillance through singular value decomposition and word frequency association

Automated surveillance methods frequently rely on algorithms which detect the presence of suspicious keywords and topics within messages to properly flag suspicious content for review. However, subsequent messages based on the original may not carry the same characteristics that were initially detected. A correlation algorithm is necessary to find such messages and 'thread' a conversation together. Within this document, we propose such an algorithm and an experiment with which to test it.
CALIBRATION, REGISTRATION, AND PREPARATION OF AN AUGMENTED REALITY ENVIRONMENT FOR VIRTUAL PROTOTYPING OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS

The aim of this research is develop an effective virtual prototyping system for product development using augmented reality technology. Before a virtual environment is put into work for design and development, some way of quantifying errors or uncertainties in the computer model is needed so that a robust and reliable system can be achieved. This paper presents the calibration, registration, and preparation of an augmented reality environment with 3D tracking and dynamic simulation technologies for studying dynamic systems, such as parts orientation devices. With such virtual prototyping techniques, engineers can run high-fidelity simulation to test new materials, components, and systems before investing valuable resources in construction of physical prototypes.
Multi-Input Regulation and Logic with T7 Promoters in Cells and Cell-Free Systems

Engineered gene circuits offer an opportunity to harness biological systems for biotechnological and biomedical applications. However, reliance on native host promoters for the construction of circuit elements, such as logic gates, can make the implementation of predictable, independently functioning circuits difficult. In contrast, T7 promoters offer a simple orthogonal expression system for use in a variety of cellular backgrounds and even in cell-free systems. Here we develop a T7 promoter system that can be regulated by two different transcriptional repressors for the construction of a logic gate that functions in cells and in cell-free systems. We first present LacI repressible T7lacO promoters that are regulated from a distal lac operator site for repression. We next explore the positioning of a tet operator site within the T7lacO framework to create T7 promoters that respond to tet and lac repressors and realize an IMPLIES gate. Finally, we demonstrate that these dual input sensitive promoters function in an E. coli cell-free protein expression system. Our results expand the utility of T7 promoters in cell based as well as cell-free synthetic biology applications.
Relationship of chimpanzee leaf-swallowing to a tapeworm infection.

Leaf-swallowing by chimpanzees Pan troglodytes has been hypothesized to control parasites, but it has not yet been shown to be associated with specific parasitic infections. This report takes advantage of a tapeworm infestation among wild chimpanzees to examine whether leaf-swallowing was associated with the presence of tapeworms. Leaf-swallowing was monitored over 6.5 years in two chimpanzee communities in Kibale National Park (Uganda). In one community, tape-worms ?Bertiella studeri were found only during a seven-month period, when they occurred in every month. During this period, leaf-swallowing occurred at an unusually high rate, and dungs that contained tapeworm fragments tended to contain whole leaves. These data suggest that tape-worm infections increased the rate at which chimpanzees swallowed whole leaves. However, this does not mean that tapeworms were necessarily controlled as a result. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Immunological Identification of Multiple α-Like Subunits of the γ-Aminobutyric AcidA Receptor Complex Purified from Neonatal Rat Cortex

Antibodies were prepared against a synthetic peptide corresponding to amino acid sequences 174-203 of the bovine gamma-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) receptor alpha 1-subunit. The antibodies recognized this synthetic alpha 1-peptide, but failed to react with the homologous peptide sequence, 170-199, of the bovine beta 1-subunit. On Western blots, anti-alpha 1-subunit antibody recognized a 50-kilodalton (kDa) protein in affinity-purified receptor preparations from adult rat cortex and cerebellum. In receptor purified from neonatal cortex, the anti-alpha 1-antibody reacted with 50-kDa, 53-54-kDa, and 59-kDa proteins. After digestion with endoglycosidase F, these three protein bands retained differing electrophoretic mobilities. The 50-kDa and 59-kDa subunits of affinity-purified neonatal receptor, which were photoaffinity-labeled with [3H]flunitrazepam, were immunoprecipitated to different extents by alpha-subunit antibody. These data suggest the existence in GABAA receptor from neonatal cortex of three proteins (50 kDa, 53 kDa, and 59 kDa) which have immunological homology to alpha 1-subunit of bovine GABAA receptor. The presence of an alpha- and a beta-like subunit with similar mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis may account for the relatively high concentration of protein in the 53-54-kDa band which has been observed in receptor purified from neonatal cortex. The presence of multiple alpha-like subunits may be related to the presence of a relatively high concentration of type II GABA receptor in this tissue.
A GALEX Instrument Overview and Lessons Learned

GALEX is a NASA Small Explorer mission that was launched in April 2003 and is now performing a survey of the sky in the far and near ultraviolet (FUV and NUV, 155 nm and 220 nm, respectively). The instrument comprises a 50 cm Ritchey-Chretien telescope with selectable imaging window or objective grism feeding a pair of photon-counting, microchannel-plate, delay-line readout detectors through a multilayer dichroic beamsplitter. The baseline mission is approximately 50% complete, with the instrument meeting its performance requirements for astrometry, photometry and resolution. Operating GALEX with a very small team has been a challenge, yet we have managed to resolve numerous satellite anomalies without loss of performance (only efficiency). Many of the most significant operations issues of our successful ongoing mission will be reported here along with lessons for future projects.
The culture of traditional preservice elementary science methods students compared to the culture of science: A dilemma for teacher educators

An emergent design qualitative study generated grounded theory explaining what happened when a professor taught five preservice elementary science methods classes modeling inquiry. Data sources included classroom observations, interviews, students’ reflective journals, and artifacts from other student assignments. Member checking was done with individuals and groups during each course and in exit interviews Findings suggested students’ expectations for learning and teaching science originated in the culture in which they lived. Features of their culture, grounded in the data, emerged. The values, assumptions, beliefs, personality profiles, and behaviors that dominated their culture did not support teaching and learning through inquiry. Discrepancies between students’ expectations and course reality led to frustration and anxiety expressed as resistance to inquiry learning and teaching. Students’ culture was compared to the culture of science using five analytical frameworks: (1) the ethics of science presented in the National Science Education Standards, (2) the nature of science as revealed in science teaching, (3) the biological evolution of “curiosity” as a basis for science, (4) social psychological theory relating to need for achievement and fear of failure, and (5) preferred style of social action. Triangulating these analyses, we concluded that the culture of traditional preservice elementary methods students was the antithesis of the culture of science. This cultural class has implications for strategies to enhance preservice elementary teacher education to meet the National Science Education Standards’ focus on inquiry.
Analysis of Auditory Evoked Potentials by Magnitude-Squared Coherence

ABSTRACTEvoked potentials are usually analyzed in the time domain (voltage versus time). The most familiar frequency-domain measure, the power spectral density function, displays power as a function of frequency but doesn't distinguish signal power from noise power. The coherence function estimates,
Higher energy: Is it necessary, is it worth the cost for radiation oncology?

The physical characteristics of the interactions of megavoltage photons and electrons with matter provide distinct advantages, relative to low-energy (orthovoltage) x rays, that lead to better radiation dose distributions in patients. Use of these high-energy radiations has resulted in better patient care, which has been reflected in improved radiation treatment outcome in recent years. But, as the desire for higher energy radiation beams increases, it becomes important to determine whether the physical characteristics that make megavoltage beams beneficial continue to provide a net advantage. It is demonstrated that, in fact, there is an energy range from 4 to 15 MV for photons and 4 to 20 MeV for electrons that is optimally suited for the treatment of cancer in humans. Radiation beams that exceed these maximum energies were found to add no advantage. This is because the costs (price of unit, installation, maintenance, shielding for neutron and photons) are not justified by either improved physical characteristics of the radiation (penetration, skin sparing, dose distribution) or treatment outcome. In fact, for photon beams some physical characteristics result in less desirable dose distributions, less accurate dosimetry, and increased safety problems as the energy increases for example, increasingly diffuse beam edges, loss of electron equilibrium, uncertainty in dose perturbations at interfaces, increased neutron contamination, and potential for higher personnel dose. The special features that make electron beams useful at lower energies, for example, skin sparing and small penetration, are lost at high energies. These physical factors are analyzed together with the economic factors related to radiation therapy patient care using megavoltage beams.
Organ and functional preservation in the management of genitourinary cancer: bladder, prostate, and penis.

(1995). Organ and Functional Preservation in the Management of Genitourinary Cancer: Bladder, Prostate, and Penis. Cancer Investigation: Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 108-124.
The geographic pathology of atherosclerosis: a review of the literature with some personal observations on cerebral atherosclerosis.

DEGENERATIVE arterial disease is one of the most important problems in our country today. Despite extensive studies by many investigators, the nature of the etiologic factors involved in this morphologic process remain uncertain. Many of the current concepts regarding human atherosclerosis stem from epidemiologic studies and from consideration of geographic differences in the mortality from coronary disease. These studies have suggested that factors such as climate, geographic location, race, economic status, and social stratum may exert a profound influence on the unknown agents active in the atherosclerotic process. It is difficult, of course, to separate the influence of climate, diet, and hygiene from that of inherited racial characteristics. When clinical data are used, the question of the accuracy of vital statistics and hospital diagnoses as well as the competence of practitioners must be kept in mind. When one considers the many possibilities for error in a comparative study based on the foregoing, it would appear that statistics on the prevalence of atherosclerosis might better be based on autopsy material. Evaluation of the prevalence of atherosclerosis in a population studied by the use of autopsy material is less fraught with variables of judgement than is a purely clinical appraisal. Moreover, non-symptomatic morbid anatomic differences are available for consideration in the final conclusions of a study. It is significant that many of the reports based upon pathologic findings of atherosclerosis indicate that the difference between races and population groups are somewhat less pronounced than those suggested by clinical surveys alone. It is realized, of course, that clinical manifestations, including death from disease, may relate to factors or influences not detectable at autopsy. Recognition also has been given to the fact that there is an inevitable selectivity in autopsy studies. Recent references in the literature by BEADENKOPF et al. [l], MCMAHAN [2], and MAINLAND [3] point out some of the difficulties with hospital studies in general and autopsy studies in particular. Nonetheless, in any area completely devoid of information which is obtainable only by such methods, an autopsy study can provide beginningsof knowledge. We feel that such is the situation with this problem.
Variability in activity may precede diabetic foot ulceration: response to Armstrong et al.

The study by Armstrong et al. (1), investigating the effect of weight-bearing activity on diabetic foot ulcer risk, provides new information on the role of activity variability in foot ulcer risk and confirms the results of a cohort study published last year. In that study (2), which used 24-h physical activity diaries, every additional hour of daily weight-bearing activity was associated with a 23% reduction in the risk of subsequent …
On C2 triangle/quad subdivision

In this article, we present a subdivision scheme for mixed triangle/quad meshes that is C2 everywhere except for isolated, extraordinary points. The rules that we describe are the same as Stam and Loop's scheme [2003] except that we perform an unzipping pass prior to subdivision. This simple modification improves the smoothness along the ordinary triangle/quad boundary from C1 to C2, and creates a scheme capable of subdividing arbitrary meshes. Finally, we end with a proof based on Levin and Levin's [2003] joint spectral radius calculation to show our scheme is indeed C2 along the triangle/quad boundary.
Isolation and Characterization of Strains Defective in Vacuolar Ornithine Permease inNeurospora crassa

Abstract Vacuolar uptake of ornithine and lysine was characterized in Neurospora crassa using a cupric ion permeabilization system. Michaelis constants were measured as 1.4 mM for lysine and 11.0 mM for ornithine, and maximal velocities were determined. Vacuolar lysine uptake was shown to be inhibited competitively by l -arginine and histidine while ornithine uptake was inhibited by a variety of amino acids. Strains defective in the vacuolar ornithine permease were isolated using a filtration enrichment method. Two isolates—RSC-39 and RSC-63—had a reduced ability to accumulate ornithine. Vacuolar uptake of amino acids was measured using cupric ion-permeabilized mycelia; both strains had reduced ornithine uptake while lysine uptake and arginine uptake were normal. For both isolates, both the Michaelis constant and the maximal velocity for ornithine uptake were reduced compared to those of wild type. These results suggest that both strains are defective in the gene which encodes the vacuolar ornithine permease.
The Intrinsic Fatigue Mechanism of the Porcine Aortic Valve Extracellular Matrix

Decellularized aortic valves (AV) are promising scaffolds for tissue engineered heart valve (TEHV) application; however, it is not known what the intrinsic fatigue mechanism of the AV extracellular matrix (ECM) is and how this relates to decellularized AV functional limits when tissue remodeling does not take place. In this study, decellularized AVs were subjected to in vitro cardiac exercising and the exercised leaflets were characterized to assess the structural and mechanical alterations. A flow-loop cardiac exerciser was designed to allow for pulsatile flow conditions while maintaining sterility. The acellular valve conduits were sutured into a silicone root with the Valsalva sinus design and subjected to cardiac cycling for 2 weeks (1.0 million cycles) and 4 weeks (2.0 million cycles). Following exercising, thorough structural and mechanical characterizations were then performed. The overall morphology was maintained and the exercised leaflets were able to coapt and support load; however, the leaflets exhibited an unfolded and thinned morphology. The straightening of the locally wavy collagen fiber structure was confirmed by histology and small angle light scattering; the disruption of elastin network was also observed. Biaxial mechanical testing showed that the leaflet extensibility was largely reduced by cardiac exercising. In the absence of cellular maintenance, decellularized leaflets experience structural fatigue due to lack of exogenous stabilizing crosslinks, and the structural disruption is irreversible and cumulative. Although not being a means to predict the durability of the acellular valve implants, this mechanistic study reveals the fatigue pattern of the acellular leaflets and implies the importance of recellularization in developing a TEHV, in which long term durability will likely be better achieved by continual remodeling and repair of the valvular ECM.
NOTE ON EMOTIONALITY OF ITEM WORDING AS A VARIABLE IN A PERSONALITY SCALE

-Three forms of a personality scale were constructed with each form differing in its degree of rated emotionality of wording. The items in the three forms were randomized, combined, and administered to 77 college Ss. The findings indicated that although the variances, internal consistencies, and validities were not affected by emotionality of item wording, the mean endorsement scores of the forms did vary inversely with the forms' level of emotional wording.
Children and Adults Learn Actions for Objects More Readily Than Labels

Researchers tend to investigate word learning and action learning as separate and independent developments. Recently, however, a growing body of evidence suggests that underlying both labels and actions are parallel processes tightly coordinated with perceptual and motor functions. The present research addresses the nature of this developmental relation in the context of learning about objects. In three studies, children and adults were trained to map novel names and arbitrary actions to a set of unfamiliar objects. Receptive and productive knowledge were assessed. Two main findings emerged. First, participants of all ages learned actions more readily than labels. Second, the relationship between understanding and producing varied as a function of condition. The results suggest that actions are more accessible in memory than labels. Findings are interpreted within an embodied cognition framework according to which sensorimotor states form the basis of object concepts throughout development.
• ENDOSCOPIC SINUS SURGERY: POSTERIOR APPROACH

The posterior approach to sphenoethmoidectomy represents an alternative to the better known modifications of endoscopic paranasal sinus surgery. We present our modifications and experience with this technique over the last 4 years, and explain our rationale for selection of patients to be managed by this approach. This operation has proven useful in patients with extensive sinus disease, and/or previous surgery that has resulted in loss of normal anatomic landmarks to the sinuses.
Ultra-structural identification of interstitial cells of Cajal in the zebrafish Danio rerio

The interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are important mediators of gastrointestinal (GI) motility because of their role as pacemakers in the GI tract. In addition to their function, ICCs are also structurally distinct cells most easily identified by their ultra-structural features and expression of the tyrosine kinase receptor c-KIT. ICCs have been described in mammals, rodents, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, but there are no reports at the ultra-structural level of ICCs within the GI tract of an organism from the teleost lineage. We describe the presence of cells in the muscularis of the zebrafish intestine; these cells have similar features to ICCs in other vertebrates. The ICC-like cells are associated with the muscularis, are more electron-dense than surrounding smooth muscle cells, possess long cytoplasmic processes and mitochondria, and are situated opposing enteric nervous structures. In addition, immunofluorescent and immunoelectron-microscopic studies with antibodies targeting the zebrafish ortholog of a putative ICC marker, c-KIT (kita), showed c-kit immunoreactivity in zebrafish ICCs. Taken together, these data represent the first ultra-structural characterization of cells in the muscularis of the zebrafish Danio rerio and suggest that ICC differentiation in vertebrate evolution dates back to the teleost lineage.