cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perylene occurrence, alkylation and possible sources in deep-ocean sediments

Abstract 81 deep-ocean sediment samples obtained from the DSDP/IPOD program Legs 63–66, and six gravity-cores from DSDP/IPOD Leg 64 Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California, site survey cruise (SIO) were analyzed for perylene(s). Perylene was found to be most abundant in anoxic diatomaceous sediments containing moderate amounts of silts and/or clays. Elevated perylene yields, normalized to organic carbon contents, coincided with enhanced preservation of autochthonous tetraterpenoid and tetrapyrrole pigments, indicating a requirement of anoxia in the formation of perylene. Strongly euxinic conditions correlate with decreased perylene yields but not its total absence, as found for strongly aerobic deposition and/or redeposition. Perylene alkylation occurs in response to increasing in situ temperatures (alt. sub-bottom depth). This alkylation was found to begin with the generation of methyl (C-1) perylene and to eventually yield a perylene-alkyl perylene homologous series, in decreasing abundance, through the equivalent of C-3 (trimethyl, methyl-ethyl, propyl?) perylene. The realm of most intense perylene alkylation for Quaternary or Pliocene/ Miocene sediments corresponds with present in situ temperatures of 40–50°C or 30–35°C, respectively. Thus, the degree of perylene alkylation may represent an organic indicator for the thermal history of immature sediments. Geological phenomena, such as reworking and igneous intrusions, were found to complicate downhole perylene alkylation patterns. A substituted (-C4H7O2) perylene was isolated from several anoxically deposited diatomaceous oozes and may represent one of the many possible perylene precursors. The possible source compounds and biota for sedimentary perylene are discussed in light of the present study and review of past reports.
Does experience matter? A comparison of the practice of attendings and residents.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the utilization of health care resources and patterns of chronic disease care by patients of medical residents and patients of their attending physicians.
Pharmacokinetics of voriconazole in adult mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos).

The pharmacokinetics of voriconazole (VRC) administered intravenously (IV) or orally (PO; with and without liquid diet) to mallard ducks were studied. Dose range, drug bioavailability, and single and multiple treatment pharmacokinetics studies were performed. Plasma samples were collected for ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) or bioassay analysis. Tissue samples were collected for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis and histology. No overt signs of toxicity were observed during any of the studies regardless of administration route, and no histologic
The mass spectrometer as a radiolytic and catalytic laboratory

Abstract Changes in our physical concepts, mathematical methods and philosophical thought have been elicited by the development of the field of mass spectrometry. From its inauspicious beginning more than half a century ago, the mass spectrometer hase evolved to a stage where it can be used as a complete self-contained research laboratory. Versatile ion sources have been developed to operate in the pressure range, 10-9 to 10 or more torr. in a specific application as a research laboratory, the first step is to select the proper type of ion source. In this report, four different types of specialized ion sources available for research are described briefly. An application of each of these sources to a representative problem is given. For a problem in radiation chemistry, it is shown that the elementary steps of the reaction can be followed in temporal sequence starting about 10-14 sec after irradiation and continuing until final products appear. More importantly, it is shown that the results are not restricted to either chemical (e.g. radical—molecule interactions) or physical (e.g. ionization) reactions, but rather, both types can be studied. The developments in mass spectrometry, however, have not completely eliminated the need for other scientific instrumentation. Instead the mass spectrometer is often used in conjunction with other instruments to extend the domain of each.
The nascent translational energy of difluorocarbene produced in IR MPD of the pentafluoroethyl radical

Abstract We report upon the direct detection of difluorocarbene following infrared multiphoton photolysis of pentafluoroethyl iodide using well-defined (SLM, TEM00, 80 ns pulse width) TEA CO2-laser pulses. The rate of appearance of CF2 at 1 mTorr pressure and RRKM modelling of the unimolecular dissociation of C2F3I and C2F5 using reasonable input parameters are presented. These support a mechanism whereby CF2 is produced by secondary photolysis of pentafluoroethyl radicals. Measurements of the velocity of CF2 by the transient diffusion technique lead to an estimate of 2.6 kcal/mol for its average translational energy acquired from the homolytic cleavage of the CI and CC bonds. This value is higher than that predicted from the models using reasonable spontaneous dissociation rates ( = 109 s−1). An inherent assumption of the models is that the excess energy of dissociation is distributed statistically among the vibrational modes of the reaction complex and that there are no small barriers in the exit channel.
The effect of ACTH administration on plasma testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and serum LH concentrations in normal men.

Abstract Plasma cortisol (F), testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and serum luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations were measured in 8 normal young men at 8 AM on two control days. Exogenous adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) 20 U.S.P. units per m 2 of body surface area every 12 or 6 hours was administered intramuscularly for 4 days. Twenty-four hours after starting ACTH administration, the plasma T and DHT concentrations were significantly lower than those of the control days on a paired t test. No significant change in serum LH concentration could be demonstrated. Similar results were observed after 48, 72 and 96 hours of ACTH stimulation.
Midweight collaborative remembering: wikis in the workplace

This paper presents preliminary findings from a series of semi-structured telephone interviews regarding the use of wikis in the workplace. At both technical and non-technical organizations issues included article creation, management support, critical mass, and trust.
Spin resonance in AFe 2 Se 2 with s-wave pairing symmetry

We study spin resonance in the superconducting state of recently discovered alkali-intercalated iron selenide materials $A$${}_{x}$Fe${}_{2\ensuremath{-}y}$Se${}_{2}$ ($A=\text{K}$, Rb, Cs) in which the Fermi surface has only electron pockets. Recent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) studies [M. Xu et al., Phys. Rev. B 85, 220504(R) (2012)] were interpreted as strong evidence for $s$-wave gap in these materials, while the observation of the resonance peak in neutron scattering measurements [G. Friemel et al., Phys. Rev. B 85, 140511 (2012)] suggests that the gap must have different signs at Fermi surface points connected by the momentum at which the resonance has been observed. We consider recently proposed unconventional ${s}^{+\ensuremath{-}}$ superconducting state of ${A}_{x}$Fe${}_{2\ensuremath{-}y}$Se${}_{2}$ with superconducting gap changing sign between the hybridized electron pockets. We argue that such a state supports a spin resonance. We compute the dynamical structure factor and show that it is consistent with the results of inelastic neutron scattering.
High-resolution conservative algorithms for advection in incompressible flow

A class of high-resolution algorithms is developed for advection of a scalar quantity in a given incompressible flow field in one, two, or three space dimensions. Multidimensional transport is modeled using a wave-propagation approach in which the flux at each cell interface is built up on the basis of information propagating in the direction of this interface from neighboring cells. A high-resolution second-order method using slope limiters is quite easy to implement. For constant flow, a minor modification gives a third-order accurate method. These methods are stable for Courant numbers up to 1. Fortran implementations are available by anonymous ftp.
Demagnetization effects on magnetization, susceptibility, and ESR in spin-glasses

For ellipsoidal samples of spin-glass, with one of the principal axes collinear to the static field and the cooling field, the magnetization, susceptibility, and ESR frequencies are derived. Both longitudinal and transverse modes are affected, but the shifts become as large as 1% only for 10 at.% concentrations of magnetic impurity (e.g., Mn in $\mathrm{CU}\mathrm{Mn}$). The shifts display a considerable dependence on the sample shape and the orientation of the applied field. The magnetization and susceptibility are decreased by the same factor, slightly greater than unity. Level repulsion effects can occur, depending on the material parameters and demagnetization geometry.
Foreign Exchange Reserves and Import Demand: Evidence from Latin America

This paper investigates the impact of foreign reserves, domestic real income and relative import prices on import demand for seven Latin American countries. We differentiate empirically between the short-run and long-run impact of reserves, income and prices on imports. The paper has three main results. First, we show that there exists a unique long-run relationship among real imports, real income, relative import prices and real foreign exchange reserves for all seven countries. Second, we find that increases in foreign exchange reserves exert a significant positive effect on import demand in both the long run and the short run in all countries. However, the economic impact of foreign exchange reserves is rather small. Finally, we find that the long- and short-run impact of real domestic income on import demand is positive as well, while the effect of relative prices is negative.
Tris(trimethylsilyl)silyllithium

An investigation has been made of the relative reactivity of tris(trimethylsilyl)silyllithium (I) in an attempt to estimate the importance of (dπ-pπ) bonding involving two contiguous silicon atoms. The procedure used were: (1) a comparative metalation reaction; (2) a kinetic study; and (3) a cleavage reaction of a silicon—silicon bond. The results are not definitive; although they seem to imply that the reactivity of I is comparable to or less than that of triphenylsilyllithium. The reactivity of I, together with its ultraviolet and NMR spectra, has been explained in terms of dative π-bonding.
Effects of histamine and acetylcholine on the isolated perfused lung lobe.

Osmotic, surfactive, and hydrostatic forces were controlled in the Ringer-Locke perfused, isolated lung lobe of the dog. Changes in the volumes of the airway space and of the total lobe, and in the rate of flow through the vascular bed were recorded. Each injection of acetylcholine (5·6 to 176 ng per gram of lung lobe) or histamine (42 to 139 ng per gram of lung lobe) was followed by an immediate shrinkage of the lobe and by a slightly delayed extrusion of fluid from the airway. The fall in pulmonary vascular conductance (flow rate/arteriovenous perfusion pressure) varied with the instantaneous difference in the changes of the total lung volume and of the airway volume. It appears that as acetylcholine or histamine causes contraction of the smooth muscle of the airways, the lung shrinks and the airway pressure rises. The lowered alveolar capillary transmural (vascular minus airway) pressure collapses the capillaries and reduces pulmonary vascular conductance. The effects on vascular conductance are due to the altered airway resistance rather than to direct effects on the blood vessels.
Children with ADHD and tic disorder and their classmates: Behavioral normalization with methylphenidate

ABSTRACT Objectives To examine behavioral differences between children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and tics and their peers and the extent to which methylphenidate (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 mg/kg) normalized the behavior of probands and indirectly influenced the behavior of peers (treatment spillover). Method Thirty-four prepubertal children with ADHD and chronic tic disorder (who were participating in a double-blind, placebo-controlled methylphenidate evaluation) and their peers were observed for approximately 20 hours in the school setting (classroom seatwork activities, lunchroom, and playground). Results Children with ADHD and tics were more inattentive and more disruptive in the classroom and more aggressive in all school settings than their peers. Although treatment with methylphenidate made probands less easily distinguished from their peers (normalization), many children still scored in the deviant range for at least one ADHD behavior when receiving the 0.5-mg/kg dose. There was little evidence that peer behavior improved as a function of the proband's dose of medication. Conclusions Although conventional doses of methylphenidate produced dramatic clinical improvement in ADHD-related behavior, complete behavioral normalization is often not attained. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 1997, 36(5):597–604.
USE OF INTRAVENOUS DIGITAL VIDEO SUBTRACTION ANGIOGRAPHY FOR EVALUATION OF PALLIATIVE SYSTEMIC TO PULMONARY ARTERY SHUNTS IN PATIENTS WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE

We utilized outpatient intravenous digital subtraction angiography (DVSA) as a diagnostic followup procedure for assessing shunt function and pulmonary artery (PA) size in 17 patients, age 3 mos.-23 years, with pulmonary atresia (n=13), severe tetralogy of Fallot (n=3) or tricuspid atresia (n=1). Each patient received standard sedation for 0.3-0.5 cc/kg injections of Hypaque 76 into the superior vena cava after percutaneous brachial or femoral vein cannulation. DVSA allowed visualization of 4 Pott's anastomoses, 3 left-sided Blalock-Taussig (BT), 3 right-sided BT, 1 Gortex ascending aortic to left pulmonary artery shunt, 1 Glenn anastomosis and 6 Waterston shunts. Shunt function, video densitometric flow distribution to the lungs and PA size could be assessed, and bronchial collaterals were visualized. Two stenotic BT shunts were imaged. In 6 patients judged ready for further surgery, cardiac catheterizations were performed, and the DVSA images compared quite favorably to the selective angiograms obtained at catheterization. Our study suggests that outpatient DVSA can be applied as an aid to the timing and planning of cardiac catheterization and additional surgical procedures in patients with systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunts.
Purification and characteristics of the candidate prohormone processing proteases PC2 and PC1/3 from bovine adrenal medulla chromaffin granules.

The prohormone-processing proteases PC1/3 and PC2 belong to the family of mammalian subtilisin-related proprotein convertases (PC) possessing homology to the yeast Kex2 protease. The presence of PC1/3 and PC2 in secretory vesicles of bovine adrenal medulla (chromaffin granules) implicates their role in the processing the precursors of enkephalin, neuropeptide Y, somatostatin, and other neuropeptides that are present in chromaffin granules. In this study, PC1/3 and PC2 were purified to apparent homogeneity from the soluble fraction of chromaffin granules by chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose, Sephacryl S-200, pepstatin A-agarose, and anti-PC1/3 or anti-PC2 immunoaffinity resins. PC1/3 and PC2 were monitored during purification by measuring proteolytic activities with 35S-enkephalin precursor and Boc-Arg-Val-Arg-Arg-methylcoumarin amide (MCA) substrates and by following PC1/3 and PC2 immunoreactivity with specific anti-PC1/3 and anti-PC2 sera generated in this study. Purified PC1/3 and PC2 on SDS-polyacrylamide gels each show a molecular mass of 66 kDa. PC2 in the soluble fraction of chromaffin granules was present at 5- and 10-fold higher enzyme protein and activity, respectively, compared with that of PC1/3. PC1/3 and PC2 cleaved paired basic and monobasic sites within peptide-MCA substrates, with Boc-Arg-Val-Arg-Arg-MCA and pGlu-Arg-Thr-Lys-Arg-MCA as the most effectively cleaved peptides tested. PC1/3 and PC2 showed pH optima of 6.5 and 7.0, respectively. Kinetic studies indicated apparent Km values for hydrolysis of Boc-Arg-Val-Arg-Arg-MCA as 66 and 40 μM, with Vmax values of 255 and 353 nmol/h/mg for PC1/3 and PC2, respectively. Specificity of the PC enzymes for dibasic sites was confirmed by potent inhibition by the active site-directed peptide inhibitors (D-Tyr)-Glu-Phe-Lys-Arg-CH2Cl and Ac-Arg-Arg-CH2Cl. Inhibition by EGTA and activation by Ca2+ indicated PC1/3 and PC2 as Ca2+-dependent proteases. In addition, PC enzymes were activated by dithiothreitol and inhibited by thiol-blocking reagents, p-hydroxymercuribenzoate and mercuric chloride. These results illustrate the properties of endogenous PC1/3 and PC2 as prohormone-processing enzymes.
Evidence for non-repetitive subunits in the genome of rous sarcoma virus

Abstract The complexity of Rous sarcoma virus RNA has been determined using molecular hybridization. Relative to poliovirus RNA, the complexity of Rous sarcoma virus is 9·3 × 10 6 daltons, a value close to its physically-determined molecular weight of about 10 7 . Our interpretation is that the 35 S RNA subunits of the 70 S virus genome are non-repetitive, that is, each possesses a unique nucleotide sequence, although a limited amount of redundancy cannot be excluded.
Schema learning with low redundancy patterns

Ss tend to perform poorly on schema learning tasks with patterns below 50% redundancy. The present experiment attempted to determine if this was due to either (1) inability to abstract the schema with low-redundancy patterns or (2) a limited usefulness of the schema as an aid in the efficient encoding of low-redundancy patterns. Ss who were pretrained on the schema prototype performed better when transferred to 40% redundant patterns than Ss who received only 40% redundant patterns. This indicates that poor performance with 40% redundant patterns is largely due to a failure to abstract the schema. The use of schematic learning sets, with a gradual decrease in redundancy, was suggested as a possible means for improving S’s ability to abstract schemata from low-redundancy patterns.
Ypt/Rab GTPases: Principles learned from yeast

Ypt/Rab GTPases are key regulators of all membrane trafficking events in eukaryotic cells. They act as molecular switches that attach to membranes via lipid tails to recruit their multiple downstream effectors, which mediate vesicular transport. Originally discovered in yeast as Ypts, they were later shown to be conserved from yeast to humans, where Rabs are relevant to a wide array of diseases. Major principles learned from our past studies in yeast are currently accepted in the Ypt/Rab field including: (i) Ypt/Rabs are not transport-step specific, but are rather compartment specific, (ii) stimulation by nucleotide exchangers, GEFs, is critical to their function, whereas GTP hydrolysis plays a role in their cycling between membranes and the cytoplasm for multiple rounds of action, (iii) they mediate diverse functions ranging from vesicle formation to vesicle fusion and (iv) they act in GTPase cascades to regulate intracellular trafficking pathways. Our recent studies on Ypt1 and Ypt31/Ypt32 and their modular GEF complex TRAPP raise three exciting novel paradigms for Ypt/Rab function: (a) coordination of vesicular transport substeps, (b) integration of individual transport steps into pathways and (c) coordination of different transport pathways. In addition to its amenability to genetic analysis, yeast provides a superior model system for future studies on the role of Ypt/Rabs in traffic coordination due to the smaller proteome that results in a simpler traffic grid. We propose that different types of coordination are important also in human cells for fine-tuning of intracellular trafficking, and that coordination defects could result in disease.
BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS-DOES REGIME MATTER?

This paper argues that government performance in securing basic economic and political rights (basic human rights) is an eminently political phenomenon and that much of the cross-national variation can be adequately explained by two key regime type variables—political competitiveness and political openness. Both components prove analytically more powerful than commonly advanced economistic explanations centered around economic development, economic growth, income equality and international trade. Conceptualizing basic human rights as subsistence and security rights and operationalizing regime type in terms of competitiveness and participation addresses several important problems associated with empirical human rights and regime research. After exploring the relationship between regime type and basic human rights practices in some 100 countries, several multivariate regression models are introduced which not only explain a substantial portion of the variation in basic human rights practices, but which also demonstrate the central importance of regime type compared to the above economic variables.
Repetition of Self-Generated Utterances in Conduction Aphasia

Verbal repetition performance was analyzed in four individuals with conduction aphasia. Comparisons at the sentence level included novel versus self-generated, conceptually chained utterances, and ...
Laryngeal Sarcoidosis Causing Acute Airway Obstruction: A Rare Sequela of a Rare Entity

Laryngeal sarcoidosis, a rare entity, presents a diagnostic challenge and can masquerade as asthma. We present a case of a 53-year-old man with laryngeal sarcoidosis, which was initially misdiagnosed as asthma. The delay in the diagnosis resulted in an airway emergency and required an urgent tracheostomy. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4021/jmc831w
Chaotic motions of Prometheus and Pandora

Recent HST images of the Saturnian satellites Prometheus and Pandora show that their longitudes deviate from predictions of ephemerides based on Voyager images. Currently Prometheus is lagging and Pandora leading these predictions by somewhat more than 20◦. We show that these discrepancies are fully accounted for by gravitational interactions between the two satellites. These peak every 24.8 d at conjunctions and excite chaotic perturbations. The Lyapunov exponent for the Prometheus-Pandora system is of order 0.35 yr^−1 for satellite masses based on a nominal density of 1.3 g cm^−3. Interactions are strongest when the orbits come closest together. This happens at intervals of 6.2 yr when their apses are anti-aligned. In this context we note the sudden changes of opposite signs in the mean motions of Prometheus and Pandora at the end of 2000 occured shortly after their apsidal lines were anti-aligned.
Oligopeptide control of step-down avoidance.

Abstract In one session, rats were trained to remain on a platform, rather than step-down, by use of an aversive (shock) stimulation. Yoked-for-shock controls received the same amount of shock on the same grid floor in the absence of the platform but only the brains of the trained rats contained a new oligopeptide, catabathmophobin (CATA). Bioassay of CATA is by injection into naive recipient mice wherein it has the ability to increase significantly (p=
Molecular Cloning of a Human Genomic Region Containing the H Blood Group α(1,2)Fucosyltransferase Gene and Two H Locus-related DNA Restriction Fragments ISOLATION OF A CANDIDATE FOR THE HUMAN SECRETOR BLOOD GROUP LOCUS

We have used the human H blood group α(1,2)fucosyltransferase (FUT1) cDNA to screen chromosome 19 cosmid libraries in a search for the human Secretor (Se) blood group gene (FUT2). One cosmid has been isolated that contains two distinct segments that cross-hybridize with FUT1. We have assembled a 100-kilobase (kb) cosmid contig, localized to 19q13.3, encompassing FUT1 and the two FUT1-related sequences, termed Sec1 and Sec2, for Secretor candidate 1 and 2. Sec1 and Sec2 are separated by 12 kb and are 65.5 kb and 35 kb apart, respectively, from the FUT1 gene. We used a cosmid-dependent direct cDNA selection method to clone a cDNA corresponding to a transcript that emanates from Sec2. This cDNA detects a 3.35-kb transcript in human tissues known to express the Se locus. Together with sequence and expression data reported in the accompanying article (Kelly, R. J., Rouquier, S., Giorgi, D., Lennon, G. G., and Lowe, J. B.(1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 4640-4649), these data demonstrate that Sec2 corresponds to the human Se blood group locus (FUT2). Our results furthermore define the physical relationship between the H and Se loci and confirm a hypothesis that these two loci represent distinct but closely linked α(1,2)fucosyltransferase genes.
The Use of Private Speech by Adult Second Language Learners: A Cross-Cultural Study.

THE SOVIET PSYCHOLOGIST, L. S. VYgotsky, theorized that human psychological development evolves through social interaction from an interpersonal to an intrapersonal plane, a process which leads the individual to increasing degrees of autonomy until eventually (usually as an adolescent) he/she becomes a self-regulated member of society,' Private speech (speech for the self, or "thinking out loud") is given a key role in this development by virtue of its capacity to mediate difficulties encountered in activities
Characterization and differential expression of a human gene family of olfactomedin-related proteins.

Olfactomedin-related proteins are secreted glycoproteins with conserved C-terminal motifs. Olfactomedin was originally identified as the major component of the mucus layer that surrounds the chemosensory dendrites of olfactory neurons. Homologues were subsequently found also in other tissues, including the brain and in species ranging from Caenorhabditis elegans to Homo sapiens . Most importantly, the TIGR/myocilin protein, expressed in the eye and associated with the pathogenesis of glaucoma, is an olfactomedin-related protein. The prevalence of olfactomedin-related proteins among species and their identification in different tissues prompted us to investigate whether a gene family exists within a species, specifically Homo sapiens . A GenBank search indeed revealed an entire human gene family of olfactomedin-related proteins with at least five members, designated hOlfA through hOlfD and the TIGR/myocilin protein. hOlfA corresponds to the rat neuronal AMZ protein. Phylogenetic analyses of 18 olfactomedin-related sequences resolved four distinct subfamilies. Among the human proteins, hOlfA and hOlfC, both expressed in brain, are most closely related. Northern blot analyses of 16 human tissues demonstrated highly specific expression patterns: hOlfA is expressed in brain, hOlfB in pancreas and prostate, hOlfC in cerebellum, hOlfD in colon, small intestine and prostate and TIGR/myocilin in heart and skeletal muscle. The link between TIGR/myocilin and ocular hypertension and the expression of several of these proteins in mucus-lined tissues suggest that they play an important role in regulating physical properties of the extracellular environment. Future studies can now assess whether other members of this gene family, like TIGR/myocilin, are also associated with human disease processes.
Yersinia Inhibits Host Signaling by Acetylating MAPK Kinases

Pathogenic Yersinia spp. secrete the effector YopJ (YopP) into host cells to counteract cytokine production and to induce programmed cell death (apoptosis). YopJ achieves these aims by inactivating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappaB signaling pathways. YopJ was shown to bind to members of the MAPK kinase (MKK) family and was predicted to have protease activity toward ubiquitin (Ub)-like proteins. In a recent report, YopJ was demonstrated to inactivate MKKs via acetylation of critical serine or threonine residues. The ramifications of these exciting results are discussed in the context of other studies implicating YopJ as a Ub-like protease.
The use of a responder analysis to identify differences in patient outcomes following a self-care intervention to improve cancer pain management

Previously, we demonstrated, in a randomized clinical trial, the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention to decrease pain intensity scores and increase patients' knowledge of cancer pain management with a sample of oncology patients with pain from bone metastasis. In the present study, we evaluated for changes in mood states (measured using the Profile of Mood States), quality of life (QOL; measured using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36)), and pain's level of interference with function (measured using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)) from baseline to the end of the intervention first between the intervention and the standard care groups and then within the intervention group based on the patients' level of response to the intervention (i.e., patients were classified as non-responders, partial responders, or responders). No differences were found in any of these outcome measures between patients in the standard care and intervention groups. However, when patients in the intervention group were categorized using a responder analysis approach, significant differences in the various outcome measures were found among the three respondent groups. Differences in the physical and mental component summary scores on the SF-36 and the interference items on the BPI, among the three respondent groups, were not only statistically significant but also clinically significant. The use of responder analysis in analgesic trials may help to identify unique subgroups of patients and lead to the development of more effective psychoeducational interventions.
Probing the Role of Polyphenol Oxidation in Mediating Insect−Pathogen Interactions. Galloyl-Derived Electrophilic Traps for the Lymantria dispar Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus Matrix Protein Polyhedrin

Galloyl-derived orthoquinone probes have been designed, synthesized, and utilized in an ongoing study of insect−pathogen interactions. A stable galloyl-derived orthoquinone O-methyl ether modified with both acidic and fluorescent appendages was successful in trapping the model nucleophile cysteine, a test protein bearing a single cysteine residue, and the viral occlusion body matrix protein polyhedrin from Lymantria dispar nuclear polyhedrosis virus (LdNPV), a pathogen of the gypsy moth caterpillar (GMc). This latter observation may be related to the molecular mechanism by which gallotannins decrease LdNPV infectivity in GMc's. Sufficient site isolation was not achieved with a polymer-bound reactive galloyl hydroxyorthoquinone electrophile to permit similar nucleophile trapping to compete with oligomerization.
Glycated albumin stimulates TGF-β1 production and protein kinase C activity in glomerular endothelial cells

Glycated albumin stimulates TGF-βbgr;1 production and protein kinase C activity in glomerular endothelial cells. Background The activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and transforming growth factor-βbgr; (TGF-βbgr;) in glomerular mesangial cells has been linked to mesangial matrix expansion in diabetic nephropathy. The role of these mediators in affecting the changes associated with diabetes in the biology of glomerular endothelial cells (GEnCs), which synthesize components of the glomerular basement membrane, is not known. We postulated that the PKC and TGF-βbgr; systems promote the increased endothelial cell synthesis of glomerular basement membrane that is evoked by Amadori-modified glycated albumin, which is present in elevated concentrations in diabetes. Methods We examined the effects of PKC inhibition on collagen IV and TGF-βbgr;1 production by mouse GEnCs incubated with glycated albumin and the influence of glycated albumin on PKC activity, TGF-βbgr;1 production, and proliferation by these cells. Results In physiologic (5.5 mmol/L) glucose concentrations, glycated albumin caused an increase in type IV collagen production that was totally prevented by a general PKC inhibitor GF 109203X (GFX), but only partly prevented by a neutralizing anti–TGF-βbgr; antibody. Glycated albumin increased the steady-state level of TGF-βbgr;1 mRNA and stimulated the production of TGF-βbgr;1 protein, which was also prevented by the PKC inhibitor GFX. Of note, glycated albumin significantly stimulated PKC activity, as measured by the phosphorylation of a PKC-specific substrate. Cell proliferation, measured by [ 3 H]-thymidine incorporation and cell counting, was decreased in the presence of glycated albumin. This effect was completely prevented by GFX and partially reversed by anti–TGF-βbgr; antibody. Exogenous TGF-βbgr;1 inhibited cell proliferation to a degree similar to that of glycated albumin. Conclusions PKC signaling and consequent TGF-βbgr;1 activation participate in the glycated albumin-induced stimulation of basement membrane collagen production by GEnC. By reducing the proliferative capacity, which is likely mediated by PKC and partly by TGF-βbgr;, glycated albumin impedes the ability of the glomerular capillary endothelium to act as a first line of defense against deleterious circulating factors in the diabetic state.
Human-robot teamwork using activity recognition and human instruction

We address the problem of robot participation as a team member in group activities. In this human-robot interactive setting, the goal is to enable a robot to detect objects around it using on-board video cameras, and determine which activity they are performing. It then determines how it should move to participate in the activity based on its intended role, derived from domain knowledge, and human instruction. A human controller can initialize, correct and refine the robot's behavior and recognition of surrounding activities. A probabilistic framework is used for joint estimation of the robot's desired motion and the activity surrounding it while incorporating human instruction. Group activities consisting of multiple people moving about the robot with a common goal are used to demonstrate the proposed approach. We focus on activities with geometric structures (line, wedge, echelon, etc.) with an arbitrary number of participants, and handle the noisy observations from video detection and tracking. Results using both simulated and real video data are used to demonstrate activity recognition and incorporating human instruction.
A meta-analysis of quality-of-life estimates for stroke

Background: Researchers performing cost-effectiveness analyses often incorporate quality-of-life (QOL) estimates. Objective: To aid analysts, we performed a meta-analysis to estimate quality of life for minor, moderate, and major stroke and assessed the relative importance of study design characteristics in predicting the quality of life of patients with stroke. Methods: Through a systematic search we identified 20 articles reporting 53 unique QOL weights for stroke. Each article was read and QOL weights and study characteristics were recorded. We used a hierarchical linear model (HLM) to perform a meta-regression. The model included severity of stroke, elicitation method, respondents, and QOL scale bounds as explanatory variables. Results: Severity of stroke (p < 0.0001) and the bounds of the scale (p = 0.0015) were significant predictors of quality of life, while the elicitation method and respondents were not. Pooling QOL weights using the HLM model, we estimated a quality of life of 0.52 for major stroke, 0.68 for moderate stroke, and 0.87 for minor stroke if the time trade-off method is used to assess quality of life from community members when the scale bounds range from death to perfect health. Conclusions: We found no systematic difference in stroke QOL weights depending on elicitation method or respondents. However, quality of life is sensitive to the bounds of the scale. Because the pooled QOL estimates reported here are based on a comprehensive review of the QOL literature for stroke, they should be of great use to researchers performing cost-utility analyses of interventions designed to prevent or treat stroke, or where stroke is a possible side effect of therapy.
Mental health problems and interest in marijuana treatment among marijuana-using college students.

Abstract Background There is growing recognition that marijuana use among college students is associated with marijuana-related problems. Yet little work has examined whether use is associated with mental health problems and whether there is a dose effect such that individuals engaging in more frequent use evince relatively greater psychiatric impairments. Further, little is known about factors related to interest in marijuana treatment among students experiencing marijuana-related problems. Method The current study examined academic and psychiatric functioning as well as interest in marijuana treatment among undergraduates (N = 1,689). Approximately 29% acknowledged marijuana use, with 9.8% using weekly or more. Results More frequent marijuana use was related to more academic difficulties. Marijuana use (among both weekly and less frequent users) was related to greater psychiatric impairment. Interest in marijuana treatment was examined among students with 2+ marijuana-related problems (n = 251). Of those, 22.7% expressed interest in marijuana treatment. Factors positively related to treatment interest included: marijuana use frequency, use-related problems, friends' marijuana use, age, employment status, and some types of mental health problems. Conclusions Marijuana use among college students is associated with academic, psychiatric, and marijuana-related impairments. However, there is some interest in treatment to manage marijuana use among undergraduates, particularly among those with more frequent and more problematic marijuana use.
The Secretory Granular Cell: The Outermost Granular Cell as a Specialized Secretory Cell

The contents of epidermal lamellar bodies (LB) are delivered selectively to the intercellular spaces at the stratum granulosum (SG)-stratum corneum (SC) interface. We assessed the subcellular basis for LB secretion first by confocal microscopy, following labeling with Nile red or NBD-ceramide, which reveals a tubulo-reticular membrane system within the apical cytosol of the outermost SG cell layer under basal conditions, changing to a more peripheral staining pattern when secretion is stimulated. Ultrastructural study demonstrates that this network is composed of a widely disbursed trans-Golgi-like network (TGN), associated with arrays of contiguous LB, and deep invaginations of the SG-SC interface. Under basal conditions, limited fusion of apically directed LB leads to deep, interconnected invaginations of the apical plasma membrane, resulting in the formation of an extensive, honeycomb extension of the SG-SC interface. Still deeper invaginations and more extensive organelle fusion develop after the epidermis is acutely permeabilized by either acetone treatment, sonophoresis, or iontophoresis. Finally, nascent LB appear to bud off cisternae of the TGN, a process that appears to accelerate after barrier disruption. The deep invaginations of the SG-SC interface; the wide distribution of the TGN within the apical cytosol; the association of nascent LB with the TGN; and the rapid fusion of LB with these invaginations, deep within the cytosol, account for (i) the polarized secretion of LB from the apex of the outermost SG cell, and (ii) the rapid LB-secretory response to barrier perturbations. Finally, our results point to the outermost SG cell as a uniquely specialized secretory cell. We propose the term “secretory granulocyte” to encompass the specialized features of these cells. Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings 3:87–100, 1998
Microsatellite instability in the management of colorectal cancer

Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a form of genetic instability caused by alterations in the DNA mismatch repair system. Approximately 15% of colorectal cancers display MSI due to a germline mutation in one of the mismatch repair genes (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2) or to epigenetic silencing of MLH1. Colorectal cancers with MSI have distinctive features, including a tendency to arise in the proximal colon, poor differentiation, lymphocytic infiltration and mucinous or signet-ring histology. Patients with MSI tumors appear to have a better prognosis than those with microsatellite stable tumors, but curiously the responses to 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy regimens are poorer with MSI tumors. Preliminary data suggest possible advantages of irinotecan-based regimens, but these findings need validation in well-designed clinical trials.
Towards the Sociology of Religious Independency

In 1957, David Barrett, as a missionary in Kenya, became acquainted intimately with a massive secession from the Anglican Church. Several years later as a graduate student at Union Theological Seminary in New York he began to see the widespread nature of African independency. 1) What particularly struck him were the widespread similarities between movements which had arisen quite independently of each other in various parts of Africa south of the Sahara. The results of these and further studies in Africa are at last set forth in Schism and Renewal.
Unity: Speeding the creation of community vocabularies for information integration and reuse

Many data sharing communities create data standards (“hub” schemata) to speed information integration by increasing reuse of both data definitions and mappings. Unfortunately, creation of these standards and the mappings to the enterprise's implemented systems is both time consuming and expensive. This paper presents Unity, a novel tool for speeding the development of a community vocabulary, which includes both a standard schema and the necessary mappings. We present Unity's scalable algorithms for creating vocabularies and its novel human computer interface which gives the integrator a powerful environment for refining the vocabulary. We then describe Unity's extensive reuse of data structures and algorithms from the OpenII information integration framework, which not only sped the construction of Unity but also results in reuse of the artifacts produced by Unity: vocabularies serve as the basis of information exchanges, and also can be reused as thesauri by other tools within the OpenII framework. Unity has been applied to real U.S. government information integration challenges.
Extensions to the fuzzy pointed set with applications to image processing

In all man-machine systems with image processing functions, an important unsolved problem arises in the treatment of uncertain and incomplete image information. Several frameworks have been suggested for handling uncertain image information including; expert systems, fuzzification, likelihood estimation, and neural networks. In this paper we review those methods. We also present a new method for handling uncertainties by unifying the representations of gray-values and uncertainty into one framework in a way that parallels fuzzy logic. This new framework is based on the application of the extended fuzzy pointed set and an associated algebra to handle uncertain information. We further show how this framework can be used in image processing and artificial intelligence.
Operator Formulation of Regge Asymptotic Behavior

Abstract If the appropriate high-energy limits of the amplitudes W ≡ ƒ d x e i q · x are Regge pole dominated, then the large distance (x0 → ∞, x2fixed) behavior of the current product is completely characterized by an operator expression R (x : 0) , involving only local operators at 0, which is such that R ≡ ƒ d x e i q · x R |b′ > and W have the same high-energy behavior. In the only case (|b> a single particle stateand |b′> the vacuum) where W is not Regge behaved, it is shown that R is identical to W, and so the relation jj′ → R is established as a large distance operator expansion, valid between all states. R is expressed as a differential operation B(□x, ∂x · ∂0, □0) on the light-cone expansion and some of its properties are deduced by carrying out the differentiations. A second form of R is given in terms of non-local “reggeon” field operators Rαm(0) (α is a (fixed) spin index and m is a (variable) helicity index) which might be useful coordinate in reggeon field theories. These operators can be used to define reggeon-particle amplitudes and if conventional double-Regge and triple-Regge behaviors are further assumed, the large distance behaviors of the current-reggeon and reggeon-reggeon field products are specified in terms of other reggeon fields.
The HPV Vaccine: Rates, Attitudes and Acceptibility

An understanding of the link between HPV and cervical cancer has been found to be limited among the general public.
Effect of norepinephrine on intracellular pH in kidney proximal tubule: role of Na+-(HCO-3)n cotransport.

We examined the effect of norepinephrine (NE) on intracellular pH (pHi) and activity of Na+( a i Na ) in the isolated perfused kidney proximal tubule ofAmbystoma, using single-barreled voltage and ...
A continental view of pine-associated ectomycorrhizal fungal spore banks: a quiescent functional guild with a strong biogeographic pattern

Ecologists have long acknowledged the importance of seed banks; yet, despite the fact that many plants rely on mycorrhizal fungi for survival and growth, the structure of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal spore banks remains poorly understood. The primary goal of this study was to assess the geographic structure in pine-associated ECM fungal spore banks across the North American continent. Soils were collected from 19 plots in forests across North America. Fresh soils were pyrosequenced for fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) amplicons. Adjacent soil cores were dried and bioassayed with pine seedlings, and colonized roots were pyrosequenced to detect resistant propagules of ECM fungi. The results showed that ECM spore banks correlated strongly with biogeographic location, but not with the identity of congeneric plant hosts. Minimal community overlap was found between resident ECM fungi vs those in spore banks, and spore bank assemblages were relatively simple and dominated by Rhizopogon, Wilcoxina, Cenococcum, Thelephora, Tuber, Laccaria and Suillus. Similar to plant seed banks, ECM fungal spore banks are, in general, depauperate, and represent a small and rare subset of the mature forest soil fungal community. Yet, they may be extremely important in fungal colonization after large-scale disturbances such as clear cuts and forest fires.
MOCVD ZnS:Mn Films: Grain Size Distribution and Crystal Structure as a Function of the Growth Parameters

Zinc sulfide doped with manganese is extensively used for thin film electroluminescent device applications. In order to assess the key material and process challenges, ZnS:Mn layers were fabricated by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition in the 250°-500°C range on an AlTiO/InSnO/glass stack. The microstructure of the ZnS:Mn films was examined by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) as part of a larger study which fully characterizes these films by a variety of structural and chemical characterization techniques, including Rutherford Backscattering, Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Diffraction. For all the growth conditions, the films were found to be polycrystalline having predominantly 2H hexagonal ZnS structure. The ZnS grains are found to grow columnar as the film thickness increases, also widening in the direction parallel to the substrate surface and reaching the 100 - 200 nm average lateral size at the 650 nm film thickness. The presence of the 8H ZnS polytype was detected in the low-temperature ZnS:Mn films by TEM selected area electron diffraction and confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Dark field TEM imaging correlated this 8H ring with very small (∼2.5 nm) grains present throughout the low temperature film with a slightly higher density at the film/substrate interface. The 700°C post-deposition annealing was found to initiate a solid state transformation to the cubic (3C) ZnS crystal structure, and resulted in an average grain size of ∼250 nm at the surface of the annealed film.