cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DNA sequence determinants of CAP-induced bending and protein binding affinity

The sites of DNA bending induced by binding catabolite activator protein are identified and shown to coincide with positions where DNA grooves face the protein. The bendability of DNA with different sequences at these bend centres parallels the bending preference of the sequences in nucleosomal DNA. Anisotropic DNA bendability significantly affects the structure and strength of regulatory protein –DNA complexes.
THE UNDER-REPRESENTATION OF HORST'S MODIFICATION OF THE KR-20 RELIABILITY COEFFICIENT

An assumption for the Kuder-&chardson Formula 20 (KR-20: a special computational form of coefficient alpha) and coefficient alpha in general is that the test items are of equal difficulty (Guilford & Fruchter, 1978). Using KR-20 when the items are of unequal difficulty produces underestimates of the true reliability (r) of the scores. Horst (1953) provided a method that corrects for unequal item difficulty thereby producing a more accurate estimate of the population r than the KR-20 formula. Only one of 19 books on psychometric theory and psychological and educational testing surveyed mentioned the Horst (1953) procedure (see Guilford & Fruchter, 1978). In Guilford and Fruchter's example the KR-20 r was .81 and the Horst modified r was .88. From a practical standpoint this increase in r is equivalent to a 21% decrease in the 95% confidence interval width for an obtained test score. When the test items are of equal difficulty, there is no difference between the KR-20 and the Horst (1953) methods. The greater the differences in item difficulties, the greater the difference in the rs produced by the methods. The point is that despite how much the r is increased, the Horst method produces the more accurate estimate of the population r.
The 3-loop calculation of critical exponents in the Reggeon calculus

Abstract Critical exponents are calculated in the 3-loop approximation for the Reggeon calculus. The values γ = − 0.13 and z = 1.07 are obtained.
We Hold These Truths at Fifty: John Courtney Murray's Contested Legacy

John Courtney Murray's landmark work, We Hold These Truths , was conceived and brought into being by the editors of Sheed & Ward, who were anxious to bring Murray's ideas to a broad cross-section of America. When the book first appeared, it was hailed by political conservatives such as William F. Buckley who were pleased by its defense of natural law principles and limited government. By the time of Murray's death in 1967, however, he was generally seen as a liberal, and remembered for his role in drafting the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Religious Liberty and for the part that many thought he had played in John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign. At this time, some theologians tried to draw on We Hold These Truths in support of liberal causes such as the legalization of abortion. In recent years, the book has been reprinted and has continued to attract notice from Catholic scholars. It now has many critics on the Left and the Right as well as staunch defenders. Neoconservatives such as George Weigel are especially keen proponents, noting the book's opposition to secularism and statism at home and totalitarianism abroad.
The Life and Work of M. M. Rao

(2011). The Life and Work of M. M. Rao. Journal of Statistical Theory and Practice: Vol. 5, Stochastic Analysis and its Applications, pp. 537-545.
Three degrees of separation.

After almost 2 decades of admitting to the same hospital, visiting patients there now feels like entering a foreign world. When I agreed to the hospitalist system, I believed that I would be a memb...
PERSONAL ETHICS AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS

This article describes personal ethics in the public sector, relates personal ethics to spirituality and religion, and discusses the implications of personal ethics for administrative actions. Drawing on two empirical studies of ethics in the public sector, this article demonstrates that personal beliefs derived from religious convictions often take precedence over official policy when administrators are faced with difficult decisions. Findings counter traditional assumptions about the role of law and policy in directing administrative activities. They cast doubt on the power of bureaucracy to control the behavior of bureaucrats, and suggest that public administrators are clear thinking persons of integrity who live their values while serving their country. The article also shows that religion and spirituality are important to understanding worker performance. It suggests that issues other than administrative actions are affected by personal beliefs, thus opening the door to consider religion, spirituality, and personal ethics in studies of efficiency, performance, and productivity.
Pesticides and asthma: challenges for epidemiology.

DO PESTICIDES CAUSE ASTHMA? Pesticides are chemical or biological agents used to kill or incapacitate unwanted organisms both indoors and outdoors. In and around the home, these agents are commonly and increasingly used to control rats, ants, cockroaches, flies, moths, mites, weeds, and molds. Pesticides are usually grouped into families not only depending on the organism they target (e.g., fungicides for fungi, insecticides for insects) but also according to their chemical characteristics (e.g., organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids). Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring respiratory symptoms (wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and dry cough), airflow obstruction, and increased bronchial responsiveness (1, 2). However, it is increasingly recognized that this is not a homogeneous disease since multiple subtypes (e.g., early-onset allergic, late-onset eosinophilic, and exercise-induced asthma) have been described (3). Some of the factors that have been linked to asthma include allergies, tobacco smoking, air pollution, viral and bacterial infections, changes in sex hormone levels, obesity, and occupational exposures (2–5). Variants in several genes (e.g., CHI3L1, IL6R, DENND1B, IL1RL1– IL18R1, PDE4D, RAD50–IL13, HLA-DQ, IL33, SMAD3, ORMDL3–GSDMB, IL2RB, RORA, TSLP, and PYHIN1) have also been associated with increased susceptibility to this disease (2). Asthma affects more than 300 million people worldwide (6), and in the last decades, its prevalence has been increasing especially in low and middle income countries (7–9). Over the same period, the use of multiple chemicals such as pesticides for crop protection and home disinfestation has also increased (10–12). Associations between pesticide exposure and asthma in children, adults, and occupational groups have been reported, but these have not yet been shown to be causal and the biological explanation tying the two remains unclear – it could lie in the mechanisms such as irritation (13), inflammation (14), immunosuppression (15, 16), endocrine disruption (17), or a combination of these. So far, it is also unknown how pesticides interact with genes that increase susceptibility to asthma.
Searching for Neuropathology: Gliosis in Schizophrenia

The neuropathology of schizophrenia remains elusive. One indication of this elusiveness is that the literature, in contrast to that on the neuropathology of almost any other disease, deals predominantly with measures of normal structures rather than with the demonstration and characterization of pathological structures. An important exception to this trend has been the continued search, over four decades, for reactive glia. In this article, we review histological and radiological evidence for and against astrocytosis and microgliosis specifically associated with schizophrenia. The studies are generally limited by small samples, flawed designs, and potentially biased methods of counting cells. Interpretation of these studies is further complicated by the frequent presence of glial reactions in older individuals without psychiatric disease. Nonetheless, some of the positive findings in the literature cannot easily be dismissed. A sufficiently large autopsy study, weighted toward younger subjects, could provide a definitive answer, which if positive could be a major step toward finding an underlying pathological process.
Variance Calculations for Identity-by-Descent Estimation

Nonparametric linkage strategies often involve estimation of identity by descent (IBD) with the use of affected sibling pairs. Methods for IBD estimation are well established and have been successful for mapping complex traits. However, the majority of linkage approaches involving IBD have focused on statistical testing, rather than on the effect estimates themselves. Through a bootstrap procedure developed for linkage-scan data sets, we provide standard errors for the estimated mean IBD that are broadly applicable. Applications that benefit from the availability of standard errors include effect-size estimates and confidence intervals; meta-analyses, including tests for heterogeneity; and discordant-sibling-pair evaluation. We demonstrate the use of estimated mean IBD and its standard errors in the National Institute of Mental Health Human Genetics Initiative linkage samples for bipolar disorder and Alzheimer disease. Mean IBD and its standard errors are valuable tools for the further assessment and evaluation of linkage-scan samples involving complex disease.
Analytic treatment of metallic multilayer strength at all length scales: Influence of dislocation sources

Abstract Metallic multilayers exhibit a very pronounced size effect where the mechanical strength depends on the layer thickness. Traditionally the Hall–Petch relation is used to account for the size effect. However, rigorous application of dislocation pileup theory predicts significant deviation from the Hall–Petch relation due to elastic inhomogeneity, discreteness of dislocations and dislocation source operation. Elastic inhomogeneity leads to anomalous scaling where the scaling exponent deviates from 1/2 of the classical Hall–Petch relation. The discrete dislocation effect is properly accounted for by a piecewise approach that can be applied at all length scales. In this article, a key step in the formulation is taken: the dislocation source characteristics are taken into consideration. Thus, all the three effects are accounted for. Analytic formulas linking yield stress to microscopic interface strength, dislocation source activation stress and other easily obtainable parameters (the Burgers vector, the elastic constants of constituent materials, crystal structure and layer thickness) are provided for all length scales. The model is then applied to Cu/Ni multilayers and the predicted strength is compared with experimental data.
Abstract 5270: The role of EphA2 in the maintenance of cell viability of KRAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common histological subtype of lung cancer, which can be further subdivided based on its unique profile of oncogenic mutations. Identifying molecular subtypes of NSCLC and matching patients with appropriate targeted therapies is critically important for the treatment of this disease. Although significant progress has been made to develop novel, molecularly-targeted therapeutics, challenges still remain in targeting commonly occurring mutations in NSCLC, such as those in KRAS. Overcoming these challenges will require astute strategies to identify and inhibit novel kinase targets required for cell viability in these subtypes of lung cancer. To this end, we have shown that the EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase plays a unique role in the maintenance of cell viability in NSCLC, especially those with KRAS mutations. EphA2 is generally overexpressed in NSCLC and even further overexpressed in KRAS mutant NSCLC. Preliminary data from our lab has shown that knockdown of EphA2 expression in a large number of human NSCLC cell lines dramatically inhibits cell viability in cell lines bearing KRAS mutations. To further understand this phenotype, we are working to define the molecular mechanisms downstream of EphA2 that are critical for cell viability in this genotype and to model the effects EphA2 deficiency in vivo using transgenic mouse models. Based on our preliminary data, we propose that EphA2 provides a novel target for modulating cell viability in lung cancers with KRAS mutations associated with limited therapeutic options. Citation Format: Katherine R. Amato, Jin Chen. The role of EphA2 in the maintenance of cell viability of KRAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5270. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5270
Hartogs-type extension for tube-like domains in \(\mathbb C^2\)

In this paper we consider the Hartogs-type extension problem for unbounded domains in \(\mathbb C^2\). An easy necessary condition for a domain to be of Hartogs-type is that there is no a closed (in \(\mathbb C^2\)) complex variety of codimension one in the domain which is given by a holomorphic function smooth up to the boundary. The question is, how far this necessary condition is from the sufficient one? To show how complicated this question is, we give a class of tube-like domains which contain a complex line in the boundary which are either of Hartogs-type or not, depending on how the complex line is positioned with respect to the domain.
Conflict Framing Categories Revisited

This investigation sought to extend existing research on framing by exploring the number and types of frames individuals use to describe their conflict events. Specifically, the study built upon extant framing research in order to test for the number of frame factors in conflict descriptions, along with an assessment of the relationship among the frames. Additional analyses explored the potential dominance of particular frames along with possible sex-based differences in frame use. The findings indicate that a six-frame factor solution best fits the data, accounting for nearly 79% of the common variance, and that several frames are correlated significantly. Results further suggest that particular frames do in fact dominate individuals' descriptions, while significant differences were also found between males' and females' use of certain frames.
The effect of diethyl pyrocarbonate on the transfer RNA of bovine muscle.

Abstract When diethyl pyrocarbonate was used during the isolation of tRNA from bovine muscle, a preparation was obtained which was free of ribonuclease activity. This preparation, however, showed a loss of acceptor activity for several amino acids when compared to a preparation isolated without diethyl pyrocarbonate. Although there was no loss of acceptor activity for either histidine or tyrosine, there were significant changes in the reversed-phase freon chromatographic profile for these amino acids. Similar chromatographic changes could be produced by reacting a nuclease-free preparation of bovine lens tRNA with diethyl pyrocarbonate for 5 min at 37°, thereby suggesting a modification of the tRNA by diethyl pyrocarbonate.
Connecting Students with Hidden Disabilities to Resources.

The number of students with learning or psychiatric disabilities entering college continues to increase. When advisors are unaware of a student's disability, they are unable to provide direction and appropriate referrals, leaving the student uninformed of the assistance available to him or her. As a result, the educational process may be compromised, jeopardizing the student's likelihood of success. To maximize student academic success, the academic advisor should be aware of the law and key legal phrases surrounding students with hidden disabilities. Concrete examples of referrals made to students and several case studies are offered for training and further reflection.
Textbook-efficiency multigrid solver for three-dimensional unsteady compressible Navier-Stokes equations

Implicit time-integration techniques are envisioned to be the methods of choice for direct numerical simulations (DNS) for flows at high Reynolds numbers. Therefore, the computational efficiency of implicit flow solvers becomes critically important. The textbook multigrid efficiency (TME), which is the optimal efficiency of a multigrid method, is achieved if accurate solutions of the governing equations are obtained with the total computational work that is a small (less than 10) multiple of the operation count in one residual evaluation. In this paper, we present a TME solver for unsteady subsonic compressible Navier-Stokes equations in three dimensions discretized with an implicit, second-order accurate in both space and time, unconditionally stable, and non-conservative scheme. A semi-Lagrangian approach is used to discretize the time-dependent convection part of the equations; viscous terms and the pressure gradient are discretized on a staggered grid. The TME solver for the implicit equations is applied at each time level. The computational efficiency of the solver is designed to be independent of the Reynolds number. Our tests show that the proposed solver maintains its optimal efficiency at high Reynolds numbers and for large time steps.
Exciton transitions in quasi-one-dimensional crystals. 9,10-dichloroanthracene

Abstract Polarized reflection spectra of the first singlet transition of the α-crystalline form of 9,10-dichloroanthracene are reported. Crystal faces (001), (011) and (010) were examined in spectral range 450 to 350 nm at two temperatures, 5 K and 300 K. Two systems of transitions were observed. The first system is assigned to neutral excitons. Spectral similarities with unsubstituted anthracene and arguments based on the one-dimensional stacking of molecules are used to construct a model of the exciten band structures. The M -polarized ππ* molecular transition gives rise to a four branch band with two allowed transitions. The 0-0 b (A g → A u ) transition lies 50–100 cm −1 above the bottom of the exciton band and the 0-0 c′ (A g → B u ) transition lies at the top of the band. In the reflection spectrum the Davydov splitting c ′ b for transverse excitons is 210 cm −1 . The exciton band of the 00 molecular transition is not isolated but overlaps the two-particle manifold of the 0–1 vibronic transition. As a result of the 0–1 c ′ transition is unexpectedly strong in the spectra of the (010) face. The second system is polarized along the stack-axis a and starts 2500 cm −1 above the first system. It is tentatively assigned as | a (A g → B u ) charge transfer exciton transition in agreement with earlier observations.
The Speech-Language Pathologist and Reading: Opportunities to Extend Services for the Children We Serve

Abstract In recent years, major changes have occurred in the field of speech-language pathology and education. In the past 2 decades researchers, educators, and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) ...
Anita Bryant's stand against “militant homosexuality”: Religious fundamentalism and the democratic process

This study examines the theoretical bases for Anita Bryant's recent opposition to activism by the Gay Liberation Alliance. Treating Bryant's Save Our Children organization (now called Protect America's Children) as a counter‐movement to the GLA, the study comprises an analysis and evaluation of the rhetorical arguments and strategies employed by the Bryant forces. The author contends (1) that Bryant's strategy of linking child exploitation to homosexuality belies her fundamentalist reasoning and (2) that her presumption of the inherent moral supremacy of fundamentalist doctrine contradicts the First Amendment.
Lupus autoantigens: Their origins, forms, and presentation

The immune system has developed a number of mechanisms by which to distin guish self from foreign proteins. These mechanisms are found throughout the ontogeny of B and T cell development and include the deletion of autoreactive cells in central lymphoid organs and the induction of self-tolerance in the periphery. However, any failure of these mechanisms for self-tolerance may result in autoimmune disease. Efforts in our laboratory have been directed at under-standing how autoimmunity is initiated and maintained in both the B and T cell compartment, with particular interest in the autoimmunity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This review will focuson our studies on the forms of self-antigens that may be involved in the original “antigenic sin” of SLE and in the role of B lymphocytes as autoantigen presenting cells. We will also discuss whether costimulation is a formal requirement for the induction and maintenance of autoimmunity. Finally, we have provided a model for how all of these individual elements may contribute to the autoimmune processes leading to pathology.
Compound heterozygous mutations (Arg 239----stop, Pro 342----Thr) in the CYP17 (P45017 alpha) gene lead to ambiguous external genitalia in a male patient with partial combined 17 alpha-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase deficiency

17 alpha-Hydroxylase deficiency is characterized by defects in either or both the 17 alpha-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase activities. We have, for the first time, elucidated the molecular basis of the deficiency in a male pseudohermaphrodite with ambiguous external genitalia resulting from partial combined deficiency of both activities. The patient is found to be a compound heterozygote, carrying two different inherited mutant alleles in the cytochrome P45017 alpha (CYP17) gene. One allele, from his mother, contains a stop codon (TGA) in place of arginine (CGA) at amino acid position 239 in exon 4. Because this occurs at the N-terminal side of the heme binding sequence, the putative resultant truncated protein is nonfunctional. The second allele, from his father, contains a missense mutation encoding the substitution of proline (CCA) by threonine (ACA) at position 342 in exon 6. Reconstruction of this mutation by site-directed mutagenesis into human P45017 alpha cDNA followed by expression in COS 1 cells leads t...
The influence of teaching setting on medical students' clinical skills development: is the academic medical center the "gold standard"?

Purpose Many medical schools have revised their curricula to include longitudinal clinical training in the first and second years, placing an extra burden on academic teaching faculty and expanding the use of community-based preceptors for clinical teaching. Little is known about the impact of different learning settings on clinical skills development. Method In 2002–03 and 2003–04, the authors evaluated the clinical skills of two sequential cohorts of second-year medical students at Dartmouth Medical School (n = 155) at the end of a two-year longitudinal clinical course designed to prepare them for their clerkship year. Students’ objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) scores were compared on a cardiopulmonary and an endocrine case according to precepting sites (academic medical center [AMC] clinics, AMC-affiliated office-based clinics, or community-based primary care offices) and core communication, history taking, physical examination, and patient education skills were assessed. Study groups were compared using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (mixed model). Results Ninety-five students (61%) had community-based preceptors, 31 (20%) AMC clinic-based preceptors, and 29 (19%) AMC-affiliated office-based preceptors. Students’ performances did not differ among clinical learning sites with overall scores in the cardiopulmonary case of 61.2% in AMC clinics, 63.3% in office-based AMC-affiliated clinics, and 64.9% in community-based offices (p = .20). Scores in the endocrine case similarly did not differ with overall scores of 65.5% in AMC clinics, 68.5% in office-based AMC-affiliated clinics, and 66.4% in community-based offices (p = .59). Conclusions Students’ early clinical skill development is not influenced by educational setting. Thus, using clinicians for early clinical training in any of these settings is appropriate.
Review: routine NG decompression after abdominal surgery delays return of bowel function and increases pulmonary complications.

R Nelson Prof R Nelson, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, UK; rick.nelson@sth.nhs.uk; altohorn@btinternet.com Is routine nasogastric (NG) tube decompression after major abdominal surgery better than selective or no decompression? ### Data sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (all to 2006); and reference lists of published studies and reviews. ### Study selection and assessment: randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared routine NG tube decompression with selective or no tube use (control) in patients >18 years of age having abdominal surgery. In the routine decompression group, tubes were inserted before or during surgery and kept in place after surgery until spontaneous passage of flatus. In the control group, tubes …
GRADIENT OF FISH PREDATION ALTERS BODY SIZE DISTRIBUTIONSOF LAKE BENTHOS

We used normalized size spectra analysis (originally developed in the study of pelagic communities) and a fish bioenergetics model to examine whether predation by fishes affects the size structure of macrobenthos. We conducted the study over five years in three north temperate lakes in which fish were experimentally manipulated while allowing for natural recruitment and mortality in lakes with fish. The resulting variation in predator populations allowed us to address how prey community size structure responds to a gradient of predation pressure. The slopes of normalized size spectra were used to characterize whether community biomass is relatively distributed as smaller or larger individuals with regard to mass. We ask whether predator effects on prey are manifested through fish pres- ence/absence or if a gradient of predation pressure is important. In addition, we examined whether consumption rate of prey by fish is a better measure of predation effects on prey size structure than fish biomass alone. Our results suggest that benthos size structure responds to a gradient of fish consumption, rather than a qualitative distinction of fish presence or absence. Consumption rates by fish on benthos explained more of the variation in slopes of normalized size spectra of benthos than fish biomass alone. Slope values were more variable at lower consumption rates, which included no predation by fish. Conversely, high consumption rates by fish produced con- sistent, predictable body size distributions of benthos in which large individuals were relatively underrepresented. However, these results may not be apparent through more traditional analyses based on predator or prey presence/absence, abundance, or taxonomic- based measures. Generalizations addressing patterns of body size distributions within and among ecosystems may be advanced by examining predation and other underlying size- structuring mechanisms.
Evidence for changes in the electronic and photoluminescence properties of surface-oxidized silicon nanocrystals induced by shrinking the size of the silicon core

Abstract Web-like aggregates of Si nanocrystals produced by laser vaporization–controlled condensation technique are allowed to oxidize slowly in air and the photoluminescence (PL) is measured. A significant shift in the PL red band from 1.83 to 1.94 eV is observed. The bonding structure is established by correlating the PL data with the photon-yield electronic structure measurements using soft-X-ray fluorescence (SXF) and photon-yield near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) techniques. The results indicate that as the nanoparticles oxidize, the radius of the crystalline core decreases, which gives rise to a larger bandgap and consequently to the observed blue shift in the PL band.
Public Administrators and Cross-Sector Governance in Response to and Recovery From Disasters

In “Looking for the FEMA Guy” Part 2, Ian Birdsall recalls some of his own experiences as well as those of other people that reflect on some of the major issues faced by public administrators as they tried to respond to the storm and its aftermath. Birdsall mentions that “harsh criticisms have been leveled at each level of government concerning almost every aspect of their performance before, during and after Katrina made landfall.” In his account he focused more on Mississippi’s experience with the impact of Katrina for three reasons. First, recovery from a catastrophic disaster takes a long time and attention shifted to other current issues. Second, research and news reports focused on New Orleans but gave less attention to Mississippi. Finally, he used a balanced perspective in his analysis of response and recovery activities. I agree with him concerning the lack of focus on Mississippi. I would note that my coauthors and I have tried to counter that trend in our efforts to compare Louisiana’s and Mississippi’s responses to Katrina (Kapucu, Augustin, & Garayev, 2009). Birdsall used emergency management cycles (mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery) in his analysis and highlights implications for public administration. I would like to comment on the role of public leadership in managing disasters by partnering with other sectors, levels, and jurisdictions of government. Catastrophic disasters are characterized by unexpected or unusual size, disruptions to the decision-making capabilities, and an initial breakdown in coordination and communication. High performance in dealing with disasters requires an ability to assess and adapt capacity rapidly, restore or enhance disrupted or inadequate communications, use uncharacteristically flexible
Multichromophoric Förster resonance energy transfer.

The theory of Forster resonance energy transfer is generalized for multichromophoric (MC) and nonequilibrium situations. For the first time, it is clarified that the far-field linear spectroscopic information is insufficient for the determination of the reaction rate and that distance dependence of the rate can vary with the disorder and temperature. Application to a light harvesting complex LH2 reveals the important consequences of a MC structure.
High-permittivity thin dielectric pad improves peripheral non-contrast MRA at 3T

Background Non-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (NC-MRA) is an alternative diagnostic tool for assessment of peripheral vascular disease in patients with impaired kidney function. While peripheral NC-MRA based on subtraction of two turbo-spin-echo acquisitions may benefit from increased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at 3T, it also suffers from signal loss in the right femoral artery due to B1 inhomogeneities[1], which can be minimized using highpermittivity dielectric pads[2]. The purpose of this study was to utilize high-permittivity dielectric pad to reduce NC-MRA signal loss associated with B1 inhomogeneity.
Host-cell attachment by Trypanosomacruzi: Identification of an adhesion molecule

We have identified an 83 kDa surface glycoprotein in T. cruzi trypomastigotes which specifically binds to rat heart myoblasts. The binding of this molecule to myoblasts is inhibited by excess unlabeled material and saturable. Antibodies against the cell surface of insect trypomastigotes, blood trypomastigotes and produced during human infection recognize the 83 kDa glycoprotein adhesion molecule by immunoblotting, indicating that this molecule that mediates this critical step is immunogenic and is a candidate for vaccination against Chagas' disease.
A double determinant sandwich immunoassay for quantitation of serum monoclonal anti-I-A antibody.

Abstract A double-determinant sandwich radioimmunoassay (RIA) is described for the specific detection of anti-I-A k monoclonal antibody (mAb) in the sera of non-Igh b murine hosts undergoing anti-Ia immunotherapy. This RIA utilizes 2 previously undescribed mAb reagents generated against an Ia.17-specific mAb secreted by the 10-3.6 hybridoma. The first reagant, 7.34, is specific for Igh b -linked allotypic determinants on the Fc portion of IgG2a immunoglobulins as defined by the pattern of reactivity with normal sera from a panel of inbred and Igh recombinant inbred strains. The second reagent, 58.3, is an anti-idiotypic mAb recognizing unique determinants in the combining site of 10-3.6 immunoglobulins, as determined by the specificity of the 58.3 mAb in solid-phase RIA and the capacity of this reagent to inhibit the binding of labeled 10-3.6 mAb to I-A k -expressing spleen cells. In an RIA procedure using purified 58.3 mAb as substrate and 125 I-labeled 7.34 as the detection reagent, serum concentrations of 10-3.6 as low as 1–5 ng/ml can be measured reproducibly after mathematical linearization of the sigmoid standard curve. In the present studies, the serum half-life of 10-3.6 mAb was calculated from assay data to be 3–5 h in I-A k homo- or heterozygotes and 72 h in non-I-A k mice. The serum level of 10-3.6 as a function of the mAb treatment protocol was also examined and results are considered with respect to the efficacy of different therapeutic regimens in prolonging transplant survival. Sandwich immunoassays of this type (RIA or ELISA) should provide a highly sensitive and specific means for monitoring serum mAb levels in individuals subjected to antibody immunotherapy for treatment of of autoimmune disease, transplant rejection or tumor progression.
High-level ab initio methods for calculation of potential energy surfaces of van der Waals complexes

A systematic series of highly correlated calculations of van der Waals potential energy surfaces (PESs) with large basis sets is presented. Reference data at the coupled-cluster theory restricted to single, double, and noniterative triple excitations [CCSD(T)] level with large singly augmented correlation-consistent basis functions, supplementary bond functions, and counterpoise corrections are provided. Results for minimum energy distances, well depths, vibrational frequencies, second virial coefficients, and Boyle temperatures are compared with corresponding experimental values. An extensive discussion of complete basis set extrapolation methods is presented. Here, the effect of extrapolation type, use of uncorrected and counterpoise-corrected PESs, and direct property extrapolation are analyzed. Last, a new multicoefficient correlation method for van der Waals potential energy surfaces (MCCM-vdW) is applied to three-body interactions of helium trimers and to He … H2O interactions. Comparison with high-level CCSD(T) calculations using large basis sets demonstrates that the MCCM-vdW method is transferable to systems not considered in its parameterization. The method allows dispersion interactions of much larger systems to be studied reliably at a fraction of computational cost and offers a new tool for applications to rare-gas clusters and the development of dispersion parameters for molecular simulation force fields. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2004
Somatic symptoms of depression in elderly patients with medical comorbidities.

Objective Somatic symptoms of depression such as fatigue create a diagnostic dilemma when assessing an older patient with medical comorbidities, since chronic medical illnesses may produce similar symptoms. Alternatively, somatic symptoms attributed to medical illness may actually be caused by depression. These analyses were designed to determine if somatic symptoms in older patients are more strongly associated with chronic physical problems or with depression. Design Reanalysis of data from an observational study of depression in primary care and a randomized trial of paroxetine and nortriptyline for the treatment of major depression. Patients were evaluated with a structured diagnostic interview and a battery of psychiatric, physical, and psychosocial measures. Participants Two hundred and forty eight primary care and psychiatric patients aged ≥ 60 years. Methods Associations among depression, somatization, and chronic physical problems were examined using correlations and regression modeling. Results Two somatization measures, the Asberg Side Effects Rating Scale and the Utvalg for Kliniske Undersogelser (UKU), were significantly associated with psychological symptoms of depression (r = 0.73 and r = 0.76, p < 0.0001) but not with medical comorbidities (r = 0.02, p = 0.16 and r = 0.10, p = 0.78). In multiple regression models, psychological symptoms of depression remained significant predictors of somatization (p < 0.0001) after controlling for age, gender, and medical comorbidities. Conclusions In older patients with medical disorders and multiple somatic complaints, clinicians should consider the possibility of depression. Rating scales emphasizing somatic symptoms associated with depression may provide a more accurate measure of depression severity than those excluding such symptoms. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prophylactic cefazolin in amnioinfusions administered for meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if amnioinfusion with an antibiotic solution decreased the rate of clinical chorioamnionitis and puerperal endometritis in patients with meconium-stained amniotic fluid. METHODS: Patients in labor at 36 weeks of gestation or greater with singleton pregnancies and meconium-stained amniotic fluid were randomized to receive either cefazolin, 1 g/1,000 mL, of normal saline (n = 90) or normal saline (n = 93) amnioinfusion. Rates of clinically diagnosed chorioamnionitis and endometritis and of suspected and culture-proven neonatal infection were determined. RESULTS: Between the study and control groups, the incidences of clinical chorioamnionitis (7.8% vs. 8.6%), endometritis (2.4% vs. 3.5%), aggregate intrauterine infection (10.0% vs. 11.8%), suspected neonatal infection (17.8% vs. 21.5%), and proven neonatal infection (0.0% vs. 2.2%) were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic use of cefazolin in amnioinfusions did not significantly reduce rates of maternal or neonatal infection in patients with meconium-stained amniotic fluid.
A reflected-scanned ultrasound system for external simultaneous thermoradiotherapy

The simultaneous delivery of hyperthermia and ionizing radiation has the potential to improve clinical outcome. To this purpose, a scanning ultrasound reflector-linear array system (SURLAS) with the ability both to conform power to superficial volumes and to operate concomitantly with medical linear accelerators is currently under development. In this purpose-specific design, the ultrasound waves generated by a linear array are directed toward a scanning reflector which in turn deflects the waves toward the target. In previous experiments, the technical feasibility of this design was demonstrated. Here, the authors are concerned with the minimization of a key design parameter, namely, the array element size, in order to minimize the amount of attenuating/scattering water-equivalent medium that a photon or a electron beam passes through before entering the target. First, the SURLAS design is described. Second, an acoustic model to compute power deposition patterns is presented. This model is coupled to a bioheat transfer model for computation of temperature fields. Third, an analysis is performed to determine the minimum array element size for three target categories. Finally, acoustic fields and temperature distributions induced by the SURLAS for the three target categories are presented. The analysis and simulations show that the SURLAS has the potential to induce uniform temperature distributions in large superficial volumes with small enough elements to allow simultaneous delivery with electron beam therapy.
An Examination of Entrepreneurial Orientation, Environmental Scanning, and Market Strategies of Nonprofit and For-Profit Nursing Home Administrators:

This study explores differences in entrepreneurial orientation (EO) by profit status. In addition to EO, other survey questions sought to determine how firms scanned the external market for information and the firm’s view of external market volatility. The sample, collected in 2004, consisted of 134 nursing home administrators located in the state of Florida. The data were analyzed using generalized linear model. The results show that there was no significant difference in the EO between nonprofits and for-profits but that nonprofits were significantly more likely to engage in environmental scanning activities such as gathering information from trade magazines and suppliers and that they remained abreast of economic and technological trends more than their for-profit counterparts. Given the demands of the external market, nonprofits may find that developing strategies to better compete with for-profit firms is vital.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME OF CALICEAL DIVERTICULA FOLLOWING PERCUTANEOUS ENDOSURGICAL MANAGEMENT

AbstractPurpose: We review the morbidity and long-term outcome of percutaneous caliceal diverticulectomy and associated stone extraction.Materials and Methods: Percutaneous caliceal diverticulectomy was performed in 19 women and 11 men (age range 20 to 58 years), of whom 26 had stones (all 15 mm. or less). The diverticula were located throughout the kidney, including the upper (11 patients), middle (15) and lower (4) calices. Percutaneous caliceal diverticulectomy included 28 direct and 2 indirect accesses (1 via a previously placed nephrostomy tract and 1 due to stones in other areas of the kidney). In all cases the stone was removed and the diverticular neck was incised or dilated. Fulguration of the diverticular walls was performed in 22 cases. Transdiverticular percutaneous renal and ureteral drainage was maintained from 2 to 7 days until a nephrostogram demonstrated no extravasation.Results: The average operating room time and hospital stay were 171 minutes (range 75 to 330) and 4.1 days (range 2 to ...
Correlation between acute reductions in myocardial blood flow and function in conscious dogs.

Decreases in regional endocardial function (ultrasonic dimension technique) and blood flow (radioactive microsphere technique) were correlated in 14 conscious dogs with acute graded levels of coronary stenosis. Coronary stenosis affected overall ventricular function only slightly, but induced gradual reductions in regional blood flow (BF) and segment length (SL) shortening in the ischemic zone. The relationship was best fit by an exponential function relating % change in SL to % change in BF; i.e., SL(% delta) = -161.6 e -0.047BF(% delta) (r = 0.92). In 14 segments, where no change in function was observed, blood flow fell by 6 +/- 1%. However, 10--20% reductions of blood flow impaired function significantly. Severe reduction of blood flow was required to reduce function completely. In 12 segments exhibiting paradoxical motion, blood flow fell by 95 +/- 2%, a value greater (P < 0.01) than in four akinetic segments, i.e., those with no shortening or lengthening (-82 +/- 4%). These data, which show on one hand that only 10-20% reductions in blood flow impair function significantly and that, on the other hand, severe reductions in blood flow are required to abolish active shortening completely, indicate sensitive coupling between blood flow and function in the conscious dog with acute myocardial ischemia.
Isotope Dilution Analysis of Exchangeable Water in Coal, Coal Char, and Activated Coal Char

Isotope dilution analysis techniques were employed for the determination of the quantity of exchangeable water in moist subbituminous coal, non-activated coal and activated coal char; the latter two products were prepared from the subbituminous coal used in this study. The determination was made by equilibrating tritiated water with the solids draining the water from the solids, and measuring the reappearance of the tritium activity in the initially non-radioactive water equilibrated with the coal.
Synthesis and characterization of TiO2 thin films on organic self-assembled monolayers: Part II. Film formation via an organometallic route

Crystalline, uniform, adherent, ultrathin films of TiO2 were deposited onto OH-functionalized organic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on single-crystalline Si at low-temperature (<100 °C) from anhydrous ethanolic solutions of titanium isopropoxide. The films were identified as TiO2 by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron diffraction, and energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis. Transmission electron microscopy showed the films to be uniform in thickness (2 ± 0.5 nm) and continuous. On bare Si, in contrast, there was no evidence of TiO2 deposition under identical conditions. Unlike the anatase films deposited on SAMs from aqueous solutions (described in the preceding paper), the electron diffraction patterns of the films deposited from alkoxide solutions suggest that they were the rutile phase. It is suggested that the functionalized SAMs enable the anchoring of the Ti alkoxide and initiate the formation of an adherent oxide film, and that they are sufficiently uniform that the resulting film is continuous and uniform in thickness.
Structure of Sol-Gel Silic

Combined Raman, 29Si NMR and reactivity studies of silica gels indicate that dehydroxylation of the silica surface results in cyclotrisiloxane species with reduced Si-O-Si bond angles and altered acid/base characteristics. XPS experiments indicate that the expected 0.35 eV shifts in Si2p and 01s binding energies due to the reduced bond angles are hidden within broad peaks due to the remaining hydroxyls. Additional Si2P, 01S, and CIS peaks are also observed and are postulated to result from preferential adsorption of extrinsic C-containing species on sites with enhanced acid/base properties.
Motor Proteins in DNA Metabolism: Structures and Mechanisms

Major processes of DNA metabolism such as replication, recombination and repair, require mechanical, vectorial translocation of enzymes along the nucleic acid. Enzymes involved in these processes, particularly helicases and polymerases, must possess motor protein capabilities to be able to perform their functions. Keywords: motor proteins; protein machines; DNA metabolism; polymerases; helicases
Vaccination with Live Yersinia pestis Primes CD4 and CD8 T Cells That Synergistically Protect against Lethal Pulmonary Y. pestis Infection

Vaccination with live attenuated Yersinia pestis confers protection against pneumonic plague but is not considered safe for general use. Subunit plague vaccines containing the Y. pestis F1 and LcrV proteins prime robust antibody responses but may not provide sufficient protection. To aid the development of a safe and effective plague vaccine, we are investigating roles for T cells during defense against Y. pestis infection. Here we demonstrate that vaccination of mice with live Y. pestis primes specific CD4 and CD8 T cells that, upon purification and direct transfer to naive mice, synergistically protect against lethal intranasal Y. pestis challenge. While not preventing extrapulmonary dissemination, the coadministered T cells promote bacterial clearance and reduce bacteremia. These observations strongly suggest that development of pneumonic plague vaccines should strive to prime both CD4 and CD8 T cells. Finally, we demonstrate that vaccination with live Y. pestis primes CD4 and CD8 T cells that respond to Y. pestis strains lacking the capacity to express F1, LcrV, and all pCD1/pPCP-encoded proteins, suggesting that protective T cells likely recognize antigens distinct from those previously defined as targets for humoral immunity.