cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carbonic Anhydrases and Their Biotechnological Applications

The carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are mostly zinc-containing metalloenzymes which catalyze the reversible hydration/dehydration of carbon dioxide/bicarbonate. The CAs have been extensively studied because of their broad physiological importance in all kingdoms of life and clinical relevance as drug targets. In particular, human CA isoform II (HCA II) has a catalytic efficiency of 108 M−1 s−1, approaching the diffusion limit. The high catalytic rate, relatively simple procedure of expression and purification, relative stability and extensive biophysical studies of HCA II has made it an exciting candidate to be incorporated into various biomedical applications such as artificial lungs, biosensors and CO2 sequestration systems, among others. This review highlights the current state of these applications, lists their advantages and limitations, and discusses their future development.
Analysis of clomiphene isomers in human plasma and detection of metabolites using reversed-phase chromatography and fluorescence detection

Abstract A method is described for the quantitative clinical analysis of plasma concentrations of the E and Z isomers of clomiphene, which is used in the induction of ovulation. The isomers of clomiphene, in addition to metabolites, are extracted from plasma with tert -butyl methyl ether (MTB). The MTB layer is dried, reconstituted and an aliquot subjected to chromatography. The drug and metabolites are separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The eluent is fed into a knitted or braided, cylindrical reaction coil made of Teflon, into which is inserted a low-energy mercury lamp. This results in a photoinduced stilbene-to-phenanthrene oxidation yielding highly fluorescent analytes; this provides excellent sensitivity for the quantitation of the intact drug isomers and the detection of presently uncharacterized metabolites. Use of the reversed-phase chromatographic mode results in elution of the polar metabolites prior to the intact drug isomers. A combination of reversed-phase chromatography and an in-line post-column reaction coil results in a sensitive method that is more reliable and rapid than those previously reported and is applicable to the routine analysis of clinical samples. The method has been applied to individual isomers of clomiphene in plasma at concentrations of 0.06–600 ng/ml.
Therapy with 9-β-D-arabinofuranosyladenine (ARA-A) and 2′-deoxycoformycin increases the ARA-A content of ocular tissues

The amount of 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine (ARA-A) and 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosylhypoxanthine (ARA-Hx) present in ocular tissues of rabbits was determined following therapy with ARA-A alone and when ARA-A was used in combination with 2'-deoxycoformycin (dCF). Topical therapy was initiated three days after infection of the corneas of rabbits with herpes simplex virus type 1. Ocular tissues were harvested after two days of therapy and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Combination topical therapy with ARA-A and dCF significantly increased the tissue content of ARA-A in all tissues examined except retina, as compared to therapy with ARA-A alone. The ARA-A content of the two ocular tissues most often subject to acute herpes infections, the conjunctiva and cornea, was increased from 29.9 +/- 11.7 to 144.0 +/- 53.3 pmoles/mg dry weight and from 15.4 +/- 6.1 to 231.8 +/- 30.8 pmoles/mg dry weight, respectively. Except for the aqueous humor, the total arabinoside content of each tissue was not significantly altered by combination therapy, merely the ratio of ARA-A to ARA-Hx was changed. These studies demonstrate that combination topical therapy with ARA-A and an inhibitor of ARA-A catabolism, dCF, can effectively result in elevated amounts of ARA-A in ocular tissues.
Further analysis of the dynamically averaged vibrational spectrum for the "magic" protonated 21-water cluster.

A temperature dependent analysis of the vibrational spectrum of the protonated 21-water cluster is provided using the ab initio molecular dynamics method called atom-centered density matrix propagation. It is found that even at low temperatures, finite temperature dynamical averaging greatly influences the spectral results. While the current publication deals with an analysis of the vibrational spectrum at many internal temperatures, the general conclusions are consistent with those in an earlier publication [Iyengar et al., J. Chem. Phys.123, 084309 (2005)]. Furthermore, a critical spectral region (below 1500cm−1) is found for this system, where the key vibrations of the protonated species can be detected.
Excimer laser processing of aerospace alloys

The affect of varying a wide range of excimer laser parameters on the average etch rate per shot of aerospace alloys (Al, Ti and Ni) has been investigated. The parameters found to most profoundly influence the etch rate were, the laser fluence (up to 70 J/cm2), pulse length (20 - 160 nsec FWHM), gas environment, beam spot size (35 - 300 micrometers ) and material thickness (0.4 - 1.8 mm). Optimization of these parameters has produced an increase in average etch rate per shot from 0.05 to 1.5 micrometers with Ti alloy (2 TA - 10). Such increases in etch rate are seen to occur above a relatively well defined 'critical' fluence for thick samples which it is postulated corresponds to the transition from a largely vaporization dominated to a vaporization/melt expulsion regime. Information is also included on the quality of the processing and on the extent of the laser affected zone around the processed area. Potential aerospace application areas identified and discussed include drilling multiple hole arrays for producing porous surfaces for drag reduction on aircraft and the cutting and profiling of alloy/glass fiber composites (GLARE).© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Carrying the Burdens of Adjustment and Globalization Women and Microenterprise Development in Urban Zimbabwe

This article argues that sub-Saharan African women, particularly those that work in the microenterprise sector, have been affected by globalization. While these women have seldom been considered in the social science literature that documents the impact of globalization on women who work in assembly production, data-processing operations, domestic work and sex tourism, globalization does impact the business operations of African women in the microenterprise sector of the economy. Based upon fieldwork conducted among entrepreneurs in hairdressing and sewing in urban Zimbabwe, this study documents the negative effects of adjustment policies and globalization on these enterprises over the past decade. Their businesses have suffered due to increased costs, competition and bans on imported raw materials that are specifically related to the economic structural adjustment program enacted in late 1990 at the behest of the IMF and the World Bank. Using a feminist political economy paradigm, the experiences of thes...
Possible effect of hyperconjugation on solvolysis rates of benzhydryl chlorides and spectra of related compounds

Abstract The near ultraviolet absorption spectra of a series of benz cyclo alkenes have been determined. A minimum in the absorption band near 270 mμ has been observed for benz cyclo heptene. It appears significant that this same inflexion occurs in the solvolysis rates for the related benzhydryl chlorides. The data indicate that hyperconjugation plays an important role, and an explanation is offered in terms of the Franck-Condon principle.
Ictal clinical and scalp-EEG findings differentiating temporal lobe epilepsies from temporal ‘plus’ epilepsies

Temporal 'plus' epilepsies are characterized by seizures involving a complex epileptogenic network including the temporal lobe and the closed neighboured structures such as the orbito-frontal cortex, the insula, the frontal and parietal operculum and the temporo-parieto-occipital junction. Temporal 'plus' epilepsies are currently identified by means of intracerebral electrodes but whether their diagnosis can be suspected non-invasively has not been evaluated yet. The aim of this retrospective study was to address this issue in 80 consecutive patients who were thought to suffer from non-lesional temporal lobe seizures which finally proved, on the basis of stereotactic intracerebral EEG (SEEG) recordings, to be 'purely' temporal (TL group, n = 58) or temporal 'plus' (T+ group, n = 22). Our results showed that the two groups of patients were difficult to differentiate on the basis of general clinical features or MRI data. Even the presence of hippocampal sclerosis did not distinguish the two groups. Conversely, both ictal clinical symptoms and scalp-EEG findings significantly differentiated TL from T+ patients. Patients with TL epilepsies more frequently presented an ability to warn at seizure onset (P = 0.003), an abdominal aura (P = 0.05), gestural automatisms (P = 0.04) and a post-ictal amnesia (P = 0.02). Patients suffering from T+ epilepsies more frequently had gustatory hallucinations (P = 0.02), rotatory vertigo (P = 0.02) and auditory illusions (P = 0.02) at seizure onset; they exhibited more frequently contraversive manifestations of the eyes and/or head (P = 0.001), piloerection (P = 0.03) and ipsilateral tonic motor signs (P = 0.05), and they were more often dysphoric in the post-ictal phase (P = 0.0001). Cluster analysis mainly indicated that some associations of symptoms were relevant for differentiating TL cases from T+ cases. Interictal EEG of T+ patients more frequently exhibited bilateral or precentral abnormalities, while ictal EEG more frequently pointed over the anterior frontal, temporo-parietal and precentral regions. Neither TL interictal spikes, nor TL ictal EEG onset, allowed us definitely to rule out the possibility of T+ epilepsies. Our findings may be useful for identifying, among patients suffering from 'atypical' non-lesional TL epilepsies, those who should undergo invasive recordings before surgery.
Expansion of aromatic heterocyclic polymers in salt solution

The addition of lithium chloride to solutions of poly(5,5′-bibenzimidazole-2,2′-diyl-1,3-phenylene) (PBI) and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC) resulted in the elongation of the PBI molecule in solution. This elongation is due to the association of lithium and/or chloride ions in the region of the nitrogen atoms on the polymer chain. The presence of these ions expands the polymer chain by means of electrostatic repulsion. This effect was reflected in the results of the conductivity and viscosity studies. In general, LiCl can be used for both increased solubility and increased viscosity for this system. A ratio of 0.125 g LiCl/gram PBI was determined to be the optimum amount of LiCl to be added. This amount corresponds to mole of LiCl for every mole of PBI repeat unit. The PBI molecule was determined to have entanglements in concentrated solution at every 27 or 28 molecules along the polymer chain. This length between the entanglements is very low in comparison to other polymers indicating a strongly matrixed system. The chain length between entanglements was approximately the same for both PBI-DMAC and PBI-LiCl solutions.
Dimensional Reduction: A Design Tool for New Radiation Detection Materials

John Androulakis , Sebastian C. Peter , Hao Li , Christos D. Malliakas , John A. Peters , Zhifu Liu , Bruce W W. essels , Jung-Hwan Song , Hosub Jin , Arthur J. reeman , F and Mercouri G. Kanatzidis *
Equality of opportunity and complex equality: The special place of schooling

This paper is an engagement with Equality by John Baker, Kathleen Lynch, Judy Walsh and Sara Cantillon. It identifies a dilemma for educational egalitarians, which arises within their theory of equality, arguing that sometimes there may be a conflict between advancing equality of opportunity and providing equality of respect and recognition, and equality of love care and solidarity. It argues that the latter values may have more weight in deciding what to do than traditional educational egalitarians have usually thought.
Sex differences in chimpanzees' use of sticks as play objects resemble those of children

Summary Sex differences in children's toy play are robust and similar across cultures [1,2]. They include girls tending to play more with dolls and boys more with wheeled toys and pretend weaponry. This pattern is explained by socialization by elders and peers, male rejection of opposite-sex behavior and innate sex differences in activity preferences that are facilitated by specific toys [1]. Evidence for biological factors is controversial but mounting. For instance, girls who have been exposed to high fetal androgen levels are known to make relatively masculine toy choices [3]. Also, when presented with sex-stereotyped human toys, captive female monkeys play more with typically feminine toys, whereas male monkeys play more with masculine toys [1]. In human and nonhuman primates, juvenile females demonstrate a greater interest in infants, and males in rough-and-tumble play. This sex difference in activity preferences parallels adult behavior and may contribute to differences in toy play [1]. Here, we present the first evidence of sex differences in use of play objects in a wild primate, in chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes ). We find that juveniles tend to carry sticks in a manner suggestive of rudimentary doll play and, as in children and captive monkeys, this behavior is more common in females than in males.
Temperature and energy gap dependence of energy transfer between rare-earth ions in solids

Abstract In this paper we develop a model to explain the temperature dependence of energy transfer between rare-earth ions for situations in which the energy gap is small. When the gap is large, and many phonons are required the transfer rate follows the well-known exponential law. When just a few phonons are required, however, the temperature dependence may be quite different, and may even be more efficient at low temperatures; this is shown to be the case of Er to Ho transfer in YAG. We show that for small energy gaps, the redistribution of the ions with temperature may be a driving factor in the transfer. As the number of phonons increases, this redistribution becomes less important and the exponential law emerges.
Love attitude and marital adjustment in the family life cycle

The present study examines husband and wife perceptions of attitude toward love and marital satisfaction through seven family life cycle stages. A significant relationship was determined between husbands’ and wives’ attitude toward love and marital satisfaction for couples in the early years of marriage with no children, and for couples with children in the preschool years. Marital satisfaction and attitude toward love seem to function more independently of one another in the other family life stages. Overall, husbands vary slightly more than wives on marital satisfaction and attitude toward love, but the pattern for both is similar in that each relationship is curvilinear.
Social Support from Family and Friends and Subjective Well-Being of Older African Americans

This study examines the impact of informal social support from family and friends on the well-being of older African Americans. Analyses are based on a nationally representative sample of older African Americans from the National Survey of American Life (n = 837). Three measures of well-being are examined: life satisfaction, happiness and self-esteem. The social support variables include frequency of contact with family and friends, subjective closeness with family and friends, and negative interactions with family. Results indicate that family contact is positively correlated with life satisfaction. Subjective closeness with family is associated with life satisfaction and happiness and both subjective closeness with friends and negative interaction with family are associated with happiness and self-esteem. There are also significant interactions between family closeness and family contact for life satisfaction, as well as friendship closeness and negative interaction with family for happiness. Overall, our study finds that family and friend relationships make unique contributions to the well-being of older African Americans. Qualitative aspects of family and friend support networks (i.e., subjective closeness, negative interactions) are more important than are structural aspects (i.e., frequency of contact). Our analysis verify that relationships with family members can both enhance and be detrimental to well-being. The findings are discussed in relation to prior research on social support and negative interaction and their unique associations with well-being among older African Americans.
Protein adsorption on low temperature isotropic carbon: V. How is it related to its blood compatibility?

Based on our research on blood protein interactions with low temperature isotropic carbon (LTIC) and data from the literature, we propose that the carbon surface has strong interactions with adsorbed proteins. In this paper we focus on how a relatively blood-compatible material interacts with plasma proteins. We present our results on the structure and properties of the LTIC surface utilizing SEM, STM, XPS, and contact angle measurements. We briefly review protein adsorption on LTIC using DSC, impedance, radioisotopes, and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. LTIC is characterized by a microporous, oxidized, hydrophobic, and domain mosaic structure. Surface polishing smoothens the roughness and removes the porosity, while largely destroying the ordered atomic texture, making the surface more random and more amorphous. The LTIC surface denatures all adsorbed proteins studied. The rate of protein adsorption is high and the surface concentration is large. The LTIC surface adsorbs all proteins without prefere...
Plant and Soil Mediation of Elevated CO2 Impacts on Trace Metals

The cycling of trace metals through terrestrial ecosystems is modulated by plant and soil processes. Changes in plant growth and function and soil properties associated with increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) may therefore also affect the biological storage and stoichiometry of trace metals. We examined CO2 effects on a suite of metal micronutrients and contaminants in forest trees and soils at two free-air CO2 enrichment sites—a loblolly pine forest in North Carolina (Duke) and a sweetgum plantation in Tennessee [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)]—and an open-top chamber experiment in a scrub-oak community in Florida [Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)]. We found that CO2 effects on soil metals were variable across sites; there were significantly higher surface soil metal concentrations with CO2 enrichment at Duke and ORNL (P < 0.05), but a trend of decreased soil metal concentrations at SERC (non-significant). These impacts on metals may be understood in the context of CO2 effects on soil organic matter (SOM); changes in percent SOM with CO2 enrichment were greatest at Duke (18% increase), followed by ORNL (7% increase), with limited effect at SERC (3% increase). There were significant effects of elevated CO2 on foliar metal concentrations at all sites, but the response of foliar metals to CO2 enrichment varied by metal, among sites, and within sites based on plant species, canopy height, and leaf age. Contrary to expectations, we did not find an overall decline in foliar metal concentrations with CO2 enrichment, and some essential plant metals were greater under elevated CO2 (for example, 28% increase in Mn across species and sites). Our results suggest that elevated CO2 impacts on trace metal biogeochemistry can be understood by accounting for both metal function (or lack thereof) in plants and the soil characteristics of the ecosystem.
Immigration, Culture Conflict and Domestic Violence/Woman Battering

This article explores the way in which immigration status interacts with domestic violence/woman battering in the lives of immigrant women in multicultural societies such as the USA, Australia, Germany and Israel. It reviews the reasons immigrant women are particularly vulnerable to battering, and discusses the reasons they stay with the batterers, avoid reporting the abuse to law enforcement authorities, and under-utilise social services. The article concludes with the implications of these issues for criminal justice policy and research.
Acoustic harmonic generation at diffusion bonds

The distortion of a sinusoidal acoustic wave at unbonded interfaces has been determined in terms of the first and second harmonic amplitudes. The results demonstrate for the first time that the second harmonic can reach the theoretically predicted maximum value. As also predicted, the harmonic generation efficiency at unbonded interfaces first increases and then decreases with an externally applied compressive load. The technique has been applied to diffusion bonded specimens in an attempt to quantify their achieved strength. As already demonstrated earlier, the energy reflected from such diffusion bonds is also useful to characterize their strength. Indications are that a combination of reflected energy and harmonic generation data could be a powerful tool to quantify the strength of diffusion bonds, particularly those of nearly perfect strength. A strength determination of diffusion bonds by nondestructive evaluation is a necessity for the qualification of such bonds in critical applications.
Moving from computer literate to technologically competent : The next educational reform

This article proposes that educators must go beyond computer literacy to achieve technological competence if successful integration of technology into the classroom is to occur. An educator who is technologically competent understands the relationship between basic computer functions and student learning. They use this understanding to design, facilitate, and manage a student-centered multidimensional learning environment that embeds the use of technology into the curriculum. Technological competence also requires a transition from using the computer as an instructional delivery system (traditional computer-based instruction) to one of using the computer as a learning tool (computer-supported instruction). With the computer-supported instruction approach, students do not learn about computers, but rather learn with computers by using them in the same way as they are used in the workplace to solve real-world, meaningful problems.
Analysis of shear-dependent bacterial adhesion kinetics to biomaterial surfaces

A methodology and analysis is presented to quantitatively characterize bacterial attachment and detachment kinetics on biomaterial surfaces in a laminar flow field as a function of shear stress. The spatial distribution of adherent bacteria on the surface of a radial-flow chamber is monitored via automated videomicroscopy with motorized three-axis stage and focus control, allowing rapid automated measurement of the attached cell density as a function of time and radial position. Intrinsic rate constants for attachment and detachment are defined and estimated by fitting mathematical models to the resulting data. The model for cell attachment accounts for the global transport of cell in the chamber to estimate the cells concentration near the collector surface. The model for cell detachment accounts for heterogeneity in the adhesion energy of the attached cell population. These models yield first-order attachment and detachment rate constants that intrinsically reflect the probabilities of bacteria attachment and detachment as a function of applied shear stress, depending on only the local interactions between the cell and the surface. The validity of each model was tested by statistical analyses of the goodness-of-fit to data that resulted from a study comparing adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus to three different polymeric surfaces of Varying surface properties and adhesive protein coatings.
A novel role of peroxin PEX6: suppression of aging defects in mitochondria

Summary Yeast cells become older with each division, but their daughters are born young. Mutational analysis shows that maintenance of this age asymmetry requires segregation of a complement of active mitochondria to daughters and that this process breaks down in older mother cells. This decline has implications for stem cell aging in higher organisms. PEX6, a peroxisome biogenesis gene, has been isolated as a multicopy suppressor of an atp2 age asymmetry mutant. Suppression depended on the presence of particular amino acid residues in Atp2p, and required adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding and/or ATP hydrolysis activity of Pex6p. Extra copies of PEX6 corrected the deficit in Atp2p in mitochondria in the mutant by improving its import kinetics, resulting in near normal mitochondrial inheritance by daughter cells. The novel function of Pex6p described here may provide insights into peroxisomal and mitochondrial disorders and into metabolic diseases in general.
Congenital external auditory canal stenosis and partial atretic plate

Abstract Objectives To report outcomes of surgery for severe congenital external auditory canal (EAC) stenosis with or without partial atretic plate (PAP). Design Retrospective review. Subjects Thirteen patients (18 ears) had surgery for severe EAC stenosis with (n = 10, 56%) or without PAP (n = 8, 44%). Indications included severe stenosis with hearing loss, cerumen impactions, and/or canal cholesteatoma. Mean age = 7.8 years (range 0.4–19.9 years). Mean follow up = 5.2 years (range 0.4–10.0 years). Setting Tertiary care children's hospital. Interventions Nineteen endaural canaloplasties were performed in 17 ears (2 revisions). There was one post-auricular approach. Fifteen tympanoplasties were performed in 13 ears (2 revisions). PAP was reconstructed with drilling to enlarge the bony annulus and fascia grafting to enlarge the tympanic membrane in 10 (56%) ears. Outcome measures Patency of EACs; otologic findings; pure tone averages (PTA); complications. Results All (100%) EACs had improved patency (≥4 mm). Findings included canal cholesteatoma (2/18, 11%), ossicular fixation (4/18, 22%), stapes abnormality (2/18, 11%), and incudostapedial discontinuity from cholesteatoma (1/18, 6%). Mean preoperative PTA = 38.7 dB HL (range 60–20 dB HL). Mean post-operative PTA = 23.6 dB HL (range 50–6.7 dB HL). Audiologic results were significantly better for cases without PAP (p Conclusions Endaural canaloplasty is safe and effective for providing patent EACs and hearing improvement for severe congenital EAC stenosis. However, since hearing outcomes were worse for cases with PAP and ossicular fixation, alternatives such as hearing aids or BAHA® may be considered.
Outdoor sound propagation in the US Civil War

Abstract The basic physics of outdoor sound propagation are outlined and used to examine cases of inaudibility and unusual audibility during battles of the United States Civil War. The effects of these unusual acoustics on command decisions during battle are described and examined. Battles discussed include Iuka, Fort Donelson, Five Forks, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Perryville and Seven Pines.
Egg production efficiency in dwarf lines selected for high and low body weight as influenced by feed restriction.

Abstract Hens from dwarf Single Comb White Leghorn lines selected for four generations for high (H) and low (L) body weight (BW) plus randombred controls (C), sixty birds per line, were placed in cages at 18 wk of age and randomly assigned to either a full-fed (FF) or restricted-fed (R) (10 percent less than FF group) treatment. Birds received a layer ration having 16% protein and 2,816 kcal/kg metabolizable energy. Water was provided ad libitum. Individual BW and egg weights (EW) were obtained, and daily feed intake (DFI), egg production (EP), performance efficiency (PE) [egg mass (EM) per BW], and feed efficiency (FE) [EM/DFI] were calculated for 28-day periods from 18 to 41 wk of age. There were significant line, treatment, and age effects and line by age interactions for BW, EW, EM, DFI, and PE; FE was significantly influenced by age. There were significant treatment by age interactions for BW, DFI, and FE. Feed intake, BW, and EW were greatest for FFH hens and increased in all lines with age. Maximum EM occurred during 30 to 33 wk for RH and RL hens, during 34 to 37 wk for FFH, and during 38 to 41 wk for FFL. Maximum PE occurred during peak EP. Maximum FE for FFH and FFL occurred during 26 to 29 wk and during 30 to 33 wk for RH and RL. Data for C hens were intermediate to the other lines. Feed efficiency was improved by restriction for L hens from 26 to 33 wk and for H hens from 26 to 33 wk and for H hens from 26 to 41 wk of age.
Retinoblastoma metastatic to the ovary in a patient with Waardenburg syndrome.

Abstract PURPOSE: To report a child with retinoblastoma and Waardenburg syndrome who developed ovarian metastases. DESIGN: Interventional case report. METHODS: Unilateral retinoblastoma was diagnosed in a 3-year-old girl with Waardenburg syndrome and leukocoria in the right eye. The patient had a Reese-Ellsworth Group Va tumor and underwent enucleation. Two years later, she developed metastatic disease involving the bone marrow, right humerus, both supraorbital bones, and both tibias. She was treated with chemotherapy, orbital irradiation, and bone marrow transplant but returned 7 months later with back pain and urinary retention. RESULTS: Exploratory laparotomy revealed a right ovarian mass, and the excised ovary showed metastatic retinoblastoma. The child underwent chemotherapy and remained asymptomatic for 9 months, when brain metastases were diagnosed. She died within 2 days of admission. CONCLUSION: We believe that this is the first description of a patient with retinoblastoma and Waardenburg syndrome and of an ovarian metastasis from retinoblastoma.
Cyclic GMP and phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor therapies: what's on the horizon?

A little more than 6 years ago, the first therapeutic agent targeting cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) was introduced into clinical medicine ([Boolell et al., 1996][1]). The PDE5 inhibitor sildenafil (Viagra) was the first orally active,
Genetic stability of the Cornell randombred control population of White Leghorns

Six years of data collected from two shifts of Cornell random bred control matings each year are analysed. Approximately 900 progeny were tested per year from 50 sires mated to 250 dams.Means for the important economic traits are presented by years and regressions for nine such traits, together with their standard deviations, are shown. The only significant regressions are those for both egg production and specific gravity score in shift II. An abnormally low egg production the first year for this shift is considered responsible for this result and the reality of the regression is discounted.Genetic variances are presented by trait and year. Year to year variability is evident, but no trends are indicated.Estimates of heritability and genetic correlations between traits are presented. These estimates are considered to be quite reliable and will be useful as estimates of genetic parameters when this population is used in selection experiments. Estimates of heritability from the sire components of variance were as follows: 8-week body-weight, 0·29; 32-week body-weight, 0·48; 55-week body-weight, 0·44; age at maturity, 0·09; egg production to 500 days, 0·07; 32-week egg-weight, 0·51; 55-week egg-weight, 0·53; USDA albumen score, 0·29; blood spot score, 0·13; and specific gravity score, 0·34.Important maternal effects were found for 8, 32 and 55-week body-weight, sexual maturity and egg production. Selection programmes should take into consideration the fact that maternal effects accounted for 13% of the total variation in egg production. Genetic correlations utilizing combined sire and dam components revealed no serious antagonisms between egg production and other economic traits. However, this conclusion must be considered in the light of what influence maternal effects may have, since correlations computed from sire and dam components separately may have opposite signs and be important.The many negative estimates of interaction components (SH, genetic by environment) and (I, sire by dam) indicate that these elements of the model contributed little to the variation of the traits studied.
Neotropical Genera of Naucoridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Nepomorpha): New species of Ambrysus and Procryphocricos from Belize and Peru

ABSTRACT The neotropical genera of Naucoridae include Ambrysus and Procryphocricos, both in the subfamily Cryphocricinae. Ambrysus is a hyperdiverse genus that reaches its greatest richness in Mexico. In contrast, Procryphocricos is known by only three described species in northern South America. Described here are Ambrysus cayo n.sp. from Belize and Procryphocricos pilcopata n.sp. from Peru. Included are comparisons with congeners and information about habitats.
RED CELL AND PLASMA RADIOACTIVE COPPER IN NORMAL AND ANEMIC DOGS

Following ingestion of radioactive copper by the dog, the metal appears quickly in the plasma, the concentration reaching its peak in from 2 to 5 hours, after which it falls abruptly. Demonstrable amounts are still present after 2 days. The radioactive copper likewise appears rapidly in the circulating red blood cells, and there is a slow but gradual increase in its concentration over a 2 day period. It is suggested by the data that in the animals in which hematopoietic activity is accelerated the uptake of radio-copper is somewhat more extensive. The possibility that this is due to greater adsorption by the new red cells in these instances is not ruled out.
Slicing hyperdimensional oranges: the geometry of phylogenetic estimation.

A new view of phylogenetic estimation is presented where data sets, tree evolution models, and estimation methods are placed in a common geometric framework. Each of these objects is placed in a vector space where the character patterns are the basis vectors. This viewpoint allows intuitive understanding of various complex properties of the phylogeneticestimation problem structure. This is illustrated with examples discussing data set combinations, mixture models, consistency, and phylogenetic invariants.
Isolation and purification of benzodiazepine receptor and its endogenous ligand

Abstract The subunit structure of benzodiazepine (BDZP) receptor can be analyzed by SDS-PAGE following the distribution of its covalently linked ligand, 3 H-flunitrazepam (FNZP). Two subunits with a molecular weight of 50,000 ± 5,000 and 12,000 ± 2,000 dalton, respectively, are obtained. The 50,000-dalton subunit has been purified extensively by preparative SDS-PAGE. An endogenous substance which competes with FNZP for the binding to BDZP receptor has been isolated and purified to homogeneity by ultrafiltration, gel filtration and repetitive HPLC separation. The purified substance has the following properties: (1) heat stable, (2) a major absorption peak at 220 nm and a minor peak at 313 nm, (3) insensitive to DNAase and RNAase, (4) protease, causes a slight decrease in the activity, and (5) it contains about 5–10% of amino acid moiety.
Exact coalescent simulation of new haplotype data from existing reference haplotypes

Motivation: We introduce a coalescent-based method (RECOAL) for the simulation of new haplotype data from a reference population of haplotypes. A coalescent genealogy for the reference haplotype data is sampled from the appropriate posterior probability distribution, then a coalescent genealogy is simulated which extends the sampled genealogy to include new haplotype data. The new haplotype data will, therefore, contain both some of the existing polymorphic sites and new polymorphisms added based on the structure of the simulated coalescent genealogy. This allows exact coalescent simulation of new haplotype data, compared with other methods which are more approximate in nature. Results: We demonstrate the performance of our method using a variety of data simulated under a coalescent model, before applying it to data from the 1000 Genomes project. Availability: The source code is freely available for download at ftp://popgen.usc.edu Contact: chulkang@usc.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Rateless coding for MIMO fading channels: performance limits and code construction

In this letter the performance limits and design principles of rateless codes over fading channels are studied. The diversity-multiplexing tradeoff (DMT)is used to analyze the system performance for all possible transmission rates. It is revealed from the analysis that the design of such rateless codes follows the design principle of approximately universal codes for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels. It is also shown that for a single-input single-output (SISO) channel, simple permutation codes of unit length for parallel channels can be transformed directly into rateless codes that achieve the DMT performance limit of the channel.
Critical roles of the immunoglobulin intronic enhancers in maintaining the sequential rearrangement of IgH and Igk loci

V(D)J recombination of immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy (IgH) and light chain genes occurs sequentially in the pro- and pre-B cells. To identify cis-elements that dictate this order of rearrangement, we replaced the endogenous matrix attachment region/Igk intronic enhancer (MiE(kappa)) with its heavy chain counterpart (Emu) in mice. This replacement, denoted EmuR, substantially increases the accessibility of both V(kappa) and J(kappa) loci to V(D)J recombinase in pro-B cells and induces Igk rearrangement in these cells. However, EmuR does not support Igk rearrangement in pre-B cells. Similar to that in MiE(kappa)(-/-) pre-B cells, the accessibility of V(kappa) segments to V(D)J recombinase is considerably reduced in EmuR pre-B cells when compared with wild-type pre-B cells. Therefore, Emu and MiE(kappa) play developmental stage-specific roles in maintaining the sequential rearrangement of IgH and Igk loci by promoting the accessibility of V, D, and J loci to the V(D)J recombinase.
Individualized outcome feedback produces voluntary antiemetic prescribing practice changes.

Abstract Study Objective: To determine the impact of individualized outcome feedback on antiemetic prescribing practices and compare outcomes of a cost-effective, standardized antiemetic protocol (PROT) to that of customized antiemetic therapy (NONPROT). Design: Prospective, observational study with randomized component. Setting: Postanesthesia care unit (PACU) of an academic medical center. Patients: 3027 consecutive ASA physical status I, II, and III patients receiving general anesthesia. Interventions: Patients were randomized to receive 0.625 mg droperidol or 4 mg ondansetron for postoperative nausea and/or vomiting (PONV) from a protocol, or received customized antiemetic therapy. Measurements and Main Results: Incidence of PACU PONV, selection of PROT versus NONPROT, patient satisfaction, and use of PONV prophylaxis were measured and indexed by an attending anesthesiologist in a monthly report for 4 months. Monthly expenditures for antiemetic therapy prior to, during, and after the study were collected. Literature on PONV outcomes, appropriate timing, and selection of PONV prophylaxis was distributed. The NONPROT group was slightly older than the PROT group; otherwise, demographics were similar between all groups. The incidence of PONV did not differ between the PROT and NONPROT groups (11% vs. 10%), and the incidence of PONV in patients receiving prophylaxis was higher in both groups (17% PROT vs. 15% NONPROT). Patients receiving ondansetron as a first-line drug required rescue therapy less often (5%) than those receiving droperidol (14%); however, patient satisfaction was indistinguishable among all groups. During the study, the use of prophylaxis decreased 47% without an increase in PONV, and PROT selection increased 54%. Conclusions: Individualized outcome feedback produced a 48% reduction in monthly expenditures for ondansetron and droperidol, which was sustained after the study. Patients satisfaction between ondansetron 4 mg and droperidol 0.625 mg given in the PACU did not differ in spite of a slightly greater efficacy of ondansetron as a first-line drug.
Ultrastructure of substance P- and CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers in the nasal epithelium of rodents

The respiratory and olfactory mucosae of rats and mice were examined at ultrastructural levels for the presence of intraepithelial nerve endings. Immunocytochemical studies utilizing antisera directed against substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) revealed numerous intraepithelial peptide-immunoreactive fibers near the basal region of the epithelium. Occasional transepithelial fibers were observed to extend outward to nearly reach the epithelial surface. In no cases, however, did the transepithelial fibers reach the surface, but instead, stopped at the line of tight junctions approximately 1 micron from the surface. No specialized contacts between the nerve fibers and the epithelial cells were observed. The transepithelial fibers provide a possible anatomical substrate for the sensitivity of the trigeminal nerve to many air-borne chemical stimuli. That potential chemical stimuli must traverse the tight-junctional barrier may explain why lipid solubility is related to effectiveness for trigeminal stimuli.
The role of microclimate in determining the sensitivity of Quercus rubra L. to ozone.

summary Microclimate has been suggested as a factor to consider when scaling ozone responses of forest trees from the seedling to tree level. To test whether microclimate influences the response of seedlings to ozone. 1-yr-old Ouercus rubra L, seedlings were grown in the shaded upper or lower canopy of 31-yr-old trees in open-top tree chambers, or in more exposed open-top seedling chambers, and received subambient (cumulative SUM.M06* dose of (0 ppm-h), ambient (cumulative SUM06 dose of l9 ppm-h) or twice ambient (cumulative SUMU6 dose of 135 ppm-h) exposures to ozone for one growing season. Seedlings exposed to warmer temperatures and greater PAR within the seedling chambers had greater biomass, total leaf nitrogen, second foliar flush net photosynthesis, leaf conductance and dark respiration than seedlings grown in either location within the tree canopies. However, microclimate did not influence the responses to ozone. Net photosynthesis, leaf conductance and apparent quantum yield of first flush leaves of seedlings exposed to the same leaf microclimate as trees were reduced between 16% and 20% by ozone treatment. Ozone induced larger reductions in the net photosynthesis, leaf conductance and apparent quantum yield of tree leaves. These results indicate that, although microclimate influenced seedling growth and physiology, microclimate did not play a dominant role in determining the sensitivity of Q. rubra seedlings to ozone.
Analysis of Eight Commercial Enzyme Immunoassay Tests for Detection of Antibodies to Mycoplasma pneumoniae in Human Serum

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is an important etiologic agent of primary atypical pneumonia in children and adults. The diagnosis of M. pneumoniae infection is commonly confirmed through serologic testing. In this study, we used paired sera from 51 patients (all with confirmed M. pneumoniae infection and positive complement fixation [CF] titers) to compare the results of eight enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) available commercially in the United States. We compared two single-use EIAs and six plate-type EIAs. Results from acute-phase sera ranged from only 7 (14%) positive by ImmunoWELL (GenBio) immunoglobulin M (IgM) EIA to 23 (45%) positive by Zeus IgG EIA. When both the acute-phase and convalescent-phase serum samples were examined, positive results ranged from 20 (39%) by the ImmunoWELL (GenBio) IgM assay to 45 (88%) positive by the Remel IgG-IgM EIA. In this study, the single-use EIAs by Remel and Meridian were more reliable than were the plate-type EIAs. Among the plate-type EIAs, the Zeus and DiaSorin assays (which detect antibodies to protein antigens) were more sensitive than the ImmunoWELL assay (which detects antibodies to glycolipid antigens). In general, IgG EIAs on convalescent-phase sera were more concordant with one another than were IgM EIAs with one another. Scatter plot analysis of convalescent-phase sera showed that, as the CF titer dropped, the IgM assays identified fewer positive convalescent-phase sera. In contrast, the IgG assays provided fairly consistent positive results for convalescent-phase sera with CF titers of 64 and above. Results of individual tests and overall limitations of serodiagnostics for M. pneumoniae infections are discussed.
Towards a better understanding of bidirectional search

Three admissible bidirectional search algorithms have been described in the literature: A Cartesian product approach due to Doran, Pohl's BHPA, and Champeaux and Sint's BHFFA2. This paper describes an algorithm, GP, which contains the latter two and others. New admissibility results are obtained. A first order analysis is made comparing the run times of Cartesian product search, two versions of GP, and unidirectional A. The goal is to gain insight on when bidirectional search is useful and direction for seeking better bidirectional search algorithms.
Thin-film polycrystalline Si solar cell on glass substrate fabricated by a novel low temperature process

Thin film polycrystalline Si solar cells on glass substrates were fabricated by the excimer laser annealing of heavily boron doped a-Si and the subsequent deposition of polycrystalline Si on them by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at low temperature. The resistivity of the boron doped laser annealed polycrystalline Si film reaches to the 2/spl times/10/sup -4/ /spl Omega//spl middot/cm, which shows a strong (111) preferred orientation. The structure of the solar cell presented here is ITO/n /spl mu/c-Si:H (30 nm)/p poly-Si (2 /spl mu/m)/p/sup +/ poly Si (300 nm)/glass substrate, which shows sufficiently high current density despite the low-temperature fabrication. This sufficiently high Jsc is postulated to be both due to the hydrogen passivation of the grain-boundary and the low carrier concentration of poly-Si film by low temperature fabrication.
Environmental control of indoor biologic agents

The indoor environment contains unique pollutants, such as environmental tobacco smoke and indoor allergens. In addition, air pollutants may reach higher levels indoors than outdoors, and in some instances may exceed the national standards for outdoor exposure. Nonindustrial indoor settings, such as offices, residences, and vehicles, also have air quality problems. Although the role of occupational air pollutants (organic and inorganic) in causing complaints in the workplace has been clearly documented, the relationship between poor air quality and health complaints is often controversial. The main causes of poor indoor air quality are an inadequate ventilation or fresh air intake, biologic contamination of the indoor environment, and an accumulation of noxious compounds. A list of important indoor air pollutants is shown in Table I. Because indoor allergen concentrations are higher in homes than in public places, a greater effort should be made to control allergens at home. A reason for this difference may be the more aggressive chemical treatment of carpets in public places. However, in some instances high mite, cat, and dog allergen levels have been detected in schools and day care centers. These findings have important implications for families who are practicing allergen avoidance at home because the effort and time spent controlling allergen exposure could be jeopardized by exposure in the school environment.' Studies conducted in schools have demonstrated that carpets contain high levels of a variety of allergens including pollen, cat, dog, food, mite, and mold allergens.2 Carpets in schools and homes are an important reservoir of allergens.