cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Systems biology of cellular membranes: a convergence with biophysics.

Systems biology and systems medicine have played an important role in the last two decades in shaping our understanding of biological processes. While systems biology is synonymous with network maps and ‘-omics’ approaches, it is not often associated with mechanical processes. Here, we make the case for considering the mechanical and geometrical aspects of biological membranes as a key step in pushing the frontiers of systems biology of cellular membranes forward. We begin by introducing the basic components of cellular membranes, and highlight their dynamical aspects. We then survey the functions of the plasma membrane and the endomembrane system in signaling, and discuss the role and origin of membrane curvature in these diverse cellular processes. We further give an overview of the experimental and modeling approaches to study membrane phenomena. We close with a perspective on the converging futures of systems biology and membrane biophysics, invoking the need to include physical variables such as location and geometry in the study of cellular membranes. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Malignant melanoma of the small bowel presenting with intussusception in a woman: a case report

Primary malignant melanoma originating in the small bowel is very rare. We report the case of primary malignant melanoma of the small bowel with secondary intussusception in a 51-year-old female with no prior history of cutaneous melanoma. The patient was admitted to the hospital for clinical bowel obstruction after 6 months of varying symptoms of antecedent syncopal events secondary to profound anemia due to iron deficiency followed later by vomiting, abdominal pain and weight loss. A CT scan showed intussusception and she underwent a small bowel resection. Diagnosis of malignant melanoma was confirmed post-operatively following immunohistochemistry. The patient history and postoperative investigation excluded the existence of a primary lesion elsewhere. Our case represents an aggressive primary small bowel melanoma presenting as intussusception.
Population of the ictal-interictal zone: The significance of periodic and rhythmic activity.

Seizures contribute to patient mortality and are usually treated aggressively. Rhythmic and periodic patterns – the “ictal-interictal continuum” – are often associated with seizures, yet the optimum method of treating these patterns is not known: should they be aggressively suppressed, or monitored without treatment? Understanding which patterns are more strongly associated with seizures and which are highly associated with mortality is important to help the clinician decide how to treat these findings. We present an overview of the etiologies, association with seizures, and mortality of periodic and rhythmic patterns, and one approach to treatment.
Tertiary Care Clinical Experience with Intravenous Lidocaine Infusions for the Treatment of Chronic Pain.

Objective To evaluate the safety of and long-term pain relief due to intravenous lidocaine infusion for the treatment of chronic pain in a tertiary pain management clinic. Design Retrospective chart review. Methods Medical records were reviewed from 233 adult chronic pain patients who underwent one to three lidocaine infusions. The initial lidocaine challenge consisted of 1,000 mg/h administered intravenously for up to 30 minutes until infusion was complete, full pain resolution, the patient requested to stop, side effects (SEs) became intolerable, and/or if there were any safety concerns. Subsequent infusions were tailored to patient response. Data reviewed included pain diagnosis, lidocaine dose, SEs, and duration of pain relief documented at a follow-up visit. Results Patients primarily had neuropathic pain (80%), were 94% white, 58% were female, and there was an average pain duration of 7.9 years. SEs were usually mild and transient, including perioral tingling, dizziness, tinnitus, and nausea/vomiting, and they were uncommon after the initial infusion. Overall, 41% of patients showed long-lasting pain relief, with positive response to the initial infusion associated with receiving and benefitting from subsequent infusions. Benefit by pain diagnoses varied from 32% to 58%. Conclusions Our retrospective study in a heterogeneous population with chronic pain suggests that intravenous lidocaine is a safe treatment. Data also suggest long-term pain relief in a significant proportion of patients. Additional study is important in order to delineate patient selection, determine optimal dosing and treatment frequency, assess pain reduction and duration, and treatment cost-effectiveness.
Functional polymorphisms in rhesus macaque FCGRT and β2-m

Rhesus macaque is an important animal model for studies testing interventions like antibody therapeutics; as such knowledge of inter-individual variations in function of genes affecting antibody recycling is important for optimal experimental design. Neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn), a heterodimer composed of FCGRT and β2-m chains, plays critical role in extending catabolic half-life of IgG. We studied genomic polymorphisms in rhesus macaque FcRn and asked if they are functional by assessing correlations with serum IgG or β2-m levels. We tested 75 animals and report the presence of a VNTR polymorphism in promoter of FcRn as well as a single nucleotide polymorphism in the signal peptide of β2-m. A VNTR minor allele was associated with lower levels of serum IgG. This polymorphism may account for inter-animal variation in antibody levels and has relevance for effective design of rhesus macaque studies investigating vaccine-induced antibody responses and passive immunizations.
Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders

The sleep apnea syndromes comprise the single most common diagnosis in contemporary sleep disorder centers. Although there has been a resurgence of interest in this area in recent years, reports have been in the literature since the last half of the nineteenth century (Lavie, 1984). After individual cases of what might now be considered sleep apnea were described by Broadbent (1877), Caton (1889), and Morrison (1889), the first account viewing this as a specific sleep disorder was written by Silas Weir Mitchell in 1890. He described patients in whom breathing was normal only in the waking state, during which voluntary efforts supplement automatic mechanisms. During sleep, when voluntary control diminished, the disordered automatic activity was not adequate, and respiratory failure would occur. As a consequence, the patient would awaken with a sense of suffocation. Accounts also appeared linking upper airway obstruction with somnolence and sleep disturbance (Lamacq, 1897; Wells, 1898). In 1889 Christopher Heath, commenting on the presentation of Caton’s patient, pointed out the resemblance to Joe, a character in Charles Dickens’ Pickwick Papers (1837). After later references by Bramwell (1909) and Osier, and a detailed modern description by Burwell et al. (1956), the Pickwickian syndrome of obesity and hypersomnolence became part of our medical heritage.
VIBRATION AS A FACTOR IN GUIDANCE COMPUTER DESIGN

Abstract Vibration is a serious problem in the design of any missile guidance computer. Because such computers occasionally pass stringent vibration tests and still mal-function in the operational environment, it is essential to devise a design technique which takes into account all of the vibration phenomena that may jeopardize a successful flight. This paper defines an analytical technique which, in effect, replaces unknown safety factors with realistic, optimum safety factors.
Effects of Irradiation on Corrosion Resistance of Some High Uranium Alloys

Three corrosion resistant U base alloys were corrosiontested in high temperature water: U--5% Zr--11/2% Nb, U--3% Nb--0.5% Sn, and U--3.8% Si. Only the U--3.8% Si alloy retained any degree of corrosion resistance after burnups in excess of O.1 at.%. Low burnup did not adversely affect the corrosion resistamce of the diffusion bond between U--2% Zr alloy and its Zircalloy-2 cladding. (auth)
Managing Functional Coupling Sequence to Decrease Complexity and Increase Modularity in Conceptual Design

Conceptual design is the stage where the upstream objectives and downstream constraints meet, so both the ideality and practicality are important in conceptual design. Modularity supports designing complex system while the design can take advantages from the downstream resources. According to Axiomatic Design Theory (ADT), the design with the least complexity is the ideal design, and managing functional coupling sequence can lead to the minimal complexity of design concepts. In this paper, Design Coupling Sequence (DCS) was introduced to bridge the ADT and the modular design. The ‘precedence’ and ‘functional sets’ were defined in DCS to manage the coupled design concepts in order to support the modularity of the design concepts. The ‘precedence’ identified by the level of functional coupling helps realize the sequencing order. The two ‘functional sets’ were defined as the independent U-set: the collection of functionally dependent concepts, and the coupled C-set: the collection of the strongly coupled concepts. The faucet design case study shows how the DCS method and its strategy to decrease relative complexity and increase modularity, and the results between design by extra coupling elimination and design by the existing modules are compared. The DCS method bridges the design theory to design practice.
Makroökonomische Evaluation der Computertomographie

Der hauptsachliche Zweck der okonomischen Evaluation einer medizinischen Technologie ist die Erarbeitung von Unterlagen fur eine wirtschaftliche Entscheidung. Unter einer wirtschaftlichen Entscheidung wird die Allokation produktiver und damit wertvoller Mittel fur ein bestimmtes Ziel verstanden. Die Entscheidung eines Arztes, ein Behandlungsverfahren oder ein Medikament anzuordnen (oder nicht anzuordnen), ist eine wirtschaftliche Entscheidung, ebenso die Entscheidung eines Krankenhauses, fur ein medizinisches Verfahren das benotigte Kapital zu investieren (oder nicht zu investieren) oder die Entscheidung einer Regierung, den Vertrieb eines Medikaments oder eines Verfahrens zu genehmigen (oder nicht zu genehmigen) sowie die Entscheidung von anderen, Medikamente oder Verfahren zu bezahlen (oder nicht zu bezahlen). Die wirtschaftliche Evaluation erbringt den Nachweis uber die relativen Kosten und Nutzen alternativer Handlungsweisen, die den Entscheidungstragern offen stehen. Obwohl Allokationsentscheidungen unter Nichtbeachtung okonomischer Erwagungen getroffen werden konnen und haufig auch getroffen werden, bleiben sie trotzdem wirtschaftliche Entscheidungen.
Measuring brain chemistry using genetically encoded fluorescent sensors

Abstract To understand the precise roles of chemical messengers in the brain for communication, we need tools to measure the concentration and release events of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators with great precision. Fluorescent protein–based biosensors with high molecular specificity have been recently developed for direct, optical recording of brain chemistry. Here, we discuss the engineering and applications of the most recently developed genetically encoded neuromodulator sensors for in vivo studies.
Yabancı: An Autoethnography of Migration

In this article, I examine my own experience—as a white, American woman, an experienced second language educator, and a novice scholar of forced migration—of becoming an immigrant to Turkey. Approached as a reflexive positionality statement in preparation for my dissertation research with Syrian refugees, I explore my shifting insider and outsider roles and how they inform the evolution of my research design and personal and professional identity. I draw on BOURDIEU's theory of capital and use vignettes from my first year in Turkey to illustrate everyday struggles to navigate interactions through perplexing layers of access and exclusion; to gain social, cultural, and linguistic capital; and, ultimately, to build a life in a new country. In this way, I seek to illuminate the experience of transnational adaptation and integration from the perspective of both a language teacher and learner and a migration scholar and migrant.
A 4 mm toroidal microtransformer built with wire bonding and MCM technologies

Manufacturing of small-scale magnetic devices is a subject that is not yet fully consolidated. Then the development process – design, fabrication and characterization – of microtransformers continues as object of studies for several applications. In this work it is presented the development and characterization steps of a four mm diameter toroidal microtransformer built using wire bonding and MultiChip Module (MCM) technologies. The device has a 19:1 turn ratio, with $31 \mu \mathrm{m}$ diameter aluminum wire bond around the top of a MnZn ferrite core. The wire bonds are connected to thin film gold tracks with $\sim 3.5 \mu \mathrm{m}$ thickness at the bottom in order to complete the windings. The main parameters measured were the inductances and resistances of primary and secondary windings, and also the series-aiding and series-opposing inductances, all of them in the frequency range from 10 kHz to 2 MHz. With the results from those measurements the quality factors, mutual inductance and coupling coefficients were obtained. The inductance values of both windings are in agreement with expected ones. The device shows a good coupling coefficient and acceptable quality factors. The results show that it is feasible to build microtransformers with wire bonding onto an MCM substrate.
MEMS-integrated Alvarez metasurface lens (Conference Presentation)

Miniature lenses with tunable focus are essential components for many modern applications involving compact optical systems. In this work, a microscale Alvarez lens fabricated with the integration of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and metasurfaces is proposed. Electrical experiment results have proven the micropositioning ability of actuatable Alvarez metasurface platform with high controllability, showing a quadratic dependence of the actuated displacement on the driving voltage. The optical experiment results have verified the simulated possibility of focal tuning with the miniature Alvarez metasurface system. This MEMS-integrated Alvarez metasurface lens is capable to produce fast, precise and reproducible focus tuning with the fabrication process entirely compatible with CMOS technologies, granting it the potential to be integrated with other IC components to create full-function 3D display or sensing systems.
Effects of intracoelomic alfaxalone-dexmedetomidine on righting reflex in common garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis): preliminary data.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effect of dexmedetomidine on alfaxalone immobilization in snakes. Study design Nonblinded, crossover study. Animals A total of eight mature common garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). Methods Snakes were administered each of three treatments intracoelomically: alfaxalone (30 mg kg–1; treatment A), alfaxalone (30 mg kg–1) combined with dexmedetomidine (0.05 mg kg–1; treatment AD0.05); and alfaxalone (30 mg kg–1) combined with dexmedetomidine (0.10 mg kg–1; treatment AD0.10). A minimum of 10 days elapsed between experimental trials. Times to loss of righting reflex (LRR) and return of righting reflex (RRR) were recorded. Heart rate (HR) was recorded every 5 minutes throughout the period of LRR and averaged for each snake. Times to LRR and RRR, and mean HR in snakes that achieved LRR were reported. Results LRR occurred in eight (100%), five (63%) and three (38%) snakes in treatments A, AD0.05 and AD0.10, respectively. For all treatments, time to LRR ranged 3–20 minutes. Median (range) times to RRR were 39 (30–46), 89 (62–128) and 77 (30–185) minutes for treatments A, AD0.05 and AD0.10, respectively. In animals where righting reflex was lost, mean HR was lower in all dexmedetomidine treatments compared with treatment A. Conclusions and clinical relevance In this pilot study, alfaxalone resulted in reliable immobilization, whereas dexmedetomidine and alfaxalone combinations resulted in highly variable durations of immobilization with low HR in immobilized animals. For snakes that achieved LRR, the addition of dexmedetomidine (0.05 mg kg–1) to alfaxalone appeared to extend the period of immobilization compared with alfaxalone alone.
Predictors for Direct to Operating Room Admission in Severe Trauma.

Abstract Background Protocols for expediting critical trauma patients directly from the helipad to the operating room tend to vary by center, rely heavily on physician gestalt, and lack supporting evidence. We evaluated a population of severely injured trauma patients with the aim of determining objective factors associated with the need for immediate surgical intervention. Methods All highest-activation trauma patients transported by air ambulance between 1/1/16 and 12/31/17 were enrolled retrospectively. Transfer, pediatric, isolated burn, and isolated head trauma patients were excluded. Patients who underwent emergency general surgery within 30 min of arrival without the aid of cross-sectional imaging were compared to the remainder of the cohort. Results Of the 863 patients who were enrolled, 85 (10%) spent less than 30 min in the emergency department (ED) before undergoing an emergency operation. The remaining 778 patients (90%) formed the comparison group. The ED ≤ 30 min group had a higher percentage of penetrating injuries, lower blood pressure, and was more likely to have a positive FAST exam. The “Direct to Operating Room” (DTOR) score is a predictive scoring system devised to identify patients most likely to benefit from bypassing the ED. The odds ratio of emergency operation within 30 min of hospital arrival increased by 2.71 (95% confidence interval 2.23-3.29; P Conclusions Trauma patients with profound hypotension or acidosis and positive FAST were more likely to require surgery within 30 min of hospital presentation. Use of a scoring system may allow early identification of these patients in the prehospital setting by nonphysician providers.
Examining Children’s Problem Behaviors and Mothers’ Dating for Mothers’ Depressive Symptoms Following Divorce

Although divorce is typically stressful for mothers, the formation of post-divorce dating relationships can help to ease this stress. Unfortunately, research has yet to empirically consider children’s post-divorce adjustment for mothers’ wellbeing leading up to and during mothers’ post-divorce dating. This study addresses the following questions: 1) How do children’s problem behaviors predict mothers’ depressive symptoms following divorce? 2) How do children’s problem behaviors predict the quality of mothers’ dating relationships and the rapport between children and mothers’ dating partners? 3) How do children’s problem behaviors, the quality of mothers’ dating relationships, child-dating partner rapport, and length of mothers’ dating simultaneously impact mothers’ depressive symptoms? Data for this study comes from a longitudinal investigation of recently divorced mothers and their children (N = 232). Hierarchical linear models revealed that mothers experienced more depressive symptoms when their children exhibited more internalizing behaviors. Children’s internalizing behaviors were negatively associated with the quality of mothers’ dating relationships. When examining these variables simultaneously, increases in children’s internalizing behaviors and decreases in relationship quality predicted increases in mothers’ depressive symptoms. Promoting family-level adjustment appears best for mothers’ wellbeing following divorce. Other implications for post-divorce adjustment are discussed.
Trends in Management of Simple Febrile Seizures at US Children's Hospitals.

OBJECTIVE We sought to measure trends in evaluation and management of children with simple febrile seizures (SFSs) before and after the American Academy of Pediatrics updated guidelines published in 2011. METHODS In this retrospective, cross-sectional analysis, we used the Pediatric Health Information System database comprising 49 tertiary care pediatric hospitals in the United States from 2005 to 2019. We included children aged 6 to 60 months with an emergency department visit for first SFS identified using codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, and International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision. RESULTS We identified 142 121 children (median age 21 months, 42.4% female) with an emergency department visit for SFS. A total of 49 668 (35.0%) children presented before and 92 453 (65.1%) after the guideline. The rate of lumbar puncture for all ages declined from 11.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.8% to 12.4%) in 2005 to 0.6% (95% CI, 0.5% to 0.8%) in 2019 (P CONCLUSIONS Diagnostic testing, hospital admission, and costs decreased over the study period, without a concomitant increase in delayed diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. These data suggest most children with SFSs can be safely managed without lumber puncture or other diagnostic testing.
Open Source Software and Performance: A Fit Perspective

Although Open Source Software (OSS) is popular, its continued use in organizations remains an issue, as evidenced by users reporting frequent problems, experiencing hold-ups, and running into implementation and integration issues. Often, it is argued that fit between the person’s task, values and work demands pose challenges for the successful use of OSS. In this context, this study draws on the concepts of task-technology fit and person-organization fit to develop a model to explore how different dimensions of fit interact with each other to influence OSS user’s productivity and innovation performance. Survey data was collected from OSS users to test the proposed model. Results of the analysis show that when there is fit between an individual’s OSS skills and the nature of the task to be performed (demand-ability fit), an OSS user’s productivity performance increases, whereas, his innovation performance decreases. Further, when the organization’s OSS values matches that of the individual user’s (value-based fit), his task productivity decreases. Implications of the results suggest that organizations that intend to use OSS for a long time need to recruit employees keeping in mind the nature of their OSS projects and the demands and priorities of the tasks performed in the organization.
A model theoretic semantics for ontology versioning

We show that the Semantic Web needs a formal semantics for the various kinds of links between ontologies and other documents. We provide a model theoretic semantics that takes into account ontology extension and ontology versioning. Since the Web is the product of a diverse community, as opposed to a single agent, this semantics accommodates different viewpoints by having different entailment relations for different ontology perspectives. We discuss how this theory can be practically applied to RDF and OWL and provide a theorem that shows how to compute perspective-based entailment using existing logical reasoners. We illustrate these concepts using examples and conclude with a discussion of future work.
Recent Advances in Cyclosporine Pharmacokinetics

Although cyclosporine has been in clinical use for more than a decade, many questions persist concerning its pharmacokinetics. Gastric emptying, bile acids, and gastrointestinal motility can influence drug absorption after oral administration, but the relative importance of each of these factors and their interactions as determinants of absorption are not clear. The fraction unbound in plasma has been determined in several studies and may be associated with clinical effects. Biochemical and molecular studies have identified the specific cytochrome P-450 enzymes that metabolize cyclosporine to its primary metabolites. The drug's basic pharmacokinetic profile has been defined and many factors have been identified that can influence clearance, such as age, hepatic function, hematocrit, and lipoprotein concentrations. With the development of sensitive and specific analytical methods, many new cyclosporine metabolites have been identified in humans. The major metabolites are present in relatively high concentrations in human blood and have some immunosuppressive activity in vitro, but their contribution to in vivo immunosuppression is not clear.
The Geographic and Demographic Challenges To the Regional Institutionalization Of the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley

The purpose of this article is to examine the institutionalization of a region of the United States ofAmerica: the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley. It will use and build on theories of regional institutionalization, geogra phy ,anddemographybyPaasi,Harvey,Gilbert ,andothertheorists.This research asks how history, geography, and demography challenge the present and future regional institutionalization of the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley . To answer this question , recent case studies on institu tionalization and regional development in Canadian and U.S.- Mexican regions will be used to explain phenomena.
Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of proteins.

SUMMARY The proton magnetic resonance spectra of a number pro- teins have been observed in DzO under various conditions. The proteins examined included ribonuclease, bovine serum albumin, fi-lactoglobulin, pepsin, pepsinogen, chymotrypsin, chymotryp- sinogen, ovalbumin, aldolase, insulin, cytochrome c, myoglobin, lysozyme, and yeast alcohol dehydrogenase. The spectra range from low, broad, unresolved bands to sharply defined peaks with structure. The latter type of spec- trum reflects the amino acid composition of the protein. In the sequence, native ribonuclease, urea denatured protein, and performic acid oxidized protein, the spectra undergo a progressive narrowing and increase in resolution. Similar changes are ob- served between native and urea denatured forms of bovine serum albumin, aldolase, and chymotrypsin. A sharp, well re- solved spectrum is exhibited by the A chain of insulin, but not by the B chain. Insulin itself shows a moderately resolved spectrum. The increase in resolution is attributed to an increase in the segmental motions of the peptide chain which decrease the effectiveness of dipole-dipole interactions. Absorptions of protons bonded to nitrogen which exchange very slowly with the solvent can be observed in the spectra of ribonuclease, insulin, and other proteins. The spectra of cytochrome c and myoglobin exhibit anomalous absorptions at very high fields and in the region of 47. These arise possibly through a ring-current effect of the porphyrin. The spectra of these two proteins change with the oxidation state of the iron. The differences that are observed probably arise from a modification in the structure of the protein moiety rather than from a change in the electronic spin relaxation time of the iron. Acknowledgments-This investigation was supported by United States Public Health Research Grant A-2316. The author is deeply indebted to Dr. Paul Boyer, in whose laboratory this work was carried out, for support, advice, and encouragement, and to Drs. Rufus Lumry and Edward Westhead for many helpful discussions. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. REFERENCES
Constraint Management in Conceptual Design

The management of constraints during conceptual design is a non-trivial task. Of particular interest are “mathematical” constraints that relate to a design’s performance (i.e. function), physical laws it must obey (i.e. physics) and its geometrical and topological properties (i.e. form). Constraints are continually being added, deleted and modified as a design develops. The constraints are often numerous, complex and contradictory. The resulting constraint set may contain conflicting and/or unrealizable requirements.
Structured modeling of manufacturing processes

The complexity of modern manufacturing systems calls for advanced modeling techniques which can be applied during different planning phases from a first design to the operation of a system.This paper introduces a Manufacturing Modeling (MM) concept which partitions a system into the subsystems INFORM, EXECUTE and SUPPORT and describes all activities in the individual subsystems by the MM functions REST, MOVE, MAKE and VERIFY. Graphical representations of the model structure and of simulation output help to make models transparent to the user. The technique is being implemented using the Research Queueing Package (RESQ), a modeling language developed by IBM Research in Yorktown Heights. It will be demonstrated for an automatic manufacturing line.
Fracture of the cuboid in children. A source of leg symptoms

We report eight cases of fracture of the cuboid in seven children under four years of age, collected during a two-year period. There was no history of trauma in five of the patients. This fracture is rarely diagnosed and has probably been under-reported. Small children are poor historians and difficult to examine, and early radiographs may be normal or have only subtle abnormalities. Cuboid fracture should be considered in the differential diagnosis of limping toddlers, and a bone scan may be needed to confirm the diagnosis earlier than radiography. These fractures heal completely, without sequelae. Treatment in a short-leg walking cast is recommended, primarily for reasons of comfort.
Transport of Methotrexate into PC-3 Human Prostate Cancer Cells

Transport of methotrexate (MTX) into human prostatic PC-3 cells was studied. Uptake of MTX vs concentration was saturable at pH 7.4 in cells grown in normal medium and in cells incubated for 24 h in folate-free medium (Km = 3.24 and 4.84 μM, respectively (P > 0.05, n = 3) and Vmax = 0.64 and 0.92 nmol min−1 · 10−9 cells, respectively (P < 0.05, n = 3)). In contrast, uptake at pH 4.5 showed both a saturable component (Km = 1.03 μM, Vmax = 0.42 nmol min−1 · 10−9 cells) and a nonsaturable, linear component. Uptake was inhibited by the structural analogs 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, and folic acid (Ki = 6.8, 10.9, and 89.6 μM, respectively). Uptake was inhibited by increasing concentrations of chloride ion, suggesting that MTX transport in PC-3 cells may be via an anion-exchange mechanism. Uptake was significantly decreased by high concentrations of sodium cyanide and sodium arsenate but not by sodium azide. Uptake was inhibited by the sulfhydryl inhibitor p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonate and by the anions probenecid and 4,4′-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid. Uptake of MTX was independent of sodium ions in the medium. It is concluded that PC-3 human prostate cancer cells have a carrier-mediated system for the uptake of MTX and other folates.
Subacute complete ophthalmoplegia: an anti-Hu paraneoplastic manifestation of myxoid liposarcoma

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes are well-known sequelae of some cancers. Based on the current literature, this is the first report of a complete ophthalmoplegia preceding the diagnosis of a myxoid liposarcoma associated with the anti-Hu antibody. An 83-year-old woman presented with a several-month history of progressive ophthalmoplegia without any other neurological symptoms or signs. After resection of her myxoid liposarcoma grade 1, her ophthalmoplegia resolved. Her paraneoplastic syndrome was associated with the anti-Hu antibody. It is important to consider an underlying malignancy when an isolated, complete ophthalmoplegia presents subacutely and when other more common aetiologies are ruled out.
The design of a logic for the recognition of printed characters by simulation

A logic for the recognition of printed characters employing a proportional-parts method has been tested extensively by simulation; the method relates the identity of a character to the relative size and position of character elements detected by optical scanning along closely spaced vertical lines, the video information from each scan being coded to designate the number, size and position of inked areas detected by the scanner. The time sequence or order of occurrence of this coded information is tested by logical circuits against prescribed sequences for character recognition. A set of coding definitions, a prescribed sequence for the recognition of a given character, and the methods of simulative testing of the recognition logic on a magnetic-drum data-processing machine are discussed.
Effect of Cefazolin Treatment on the Nonresonant Raman Signatures of the Metabolic State of Individual Escherichia coli Cells

Laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy (LTRS) was used to characterize the Raman fingerprints of the metabolic states of Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells and to determine the spectral changes associated with cellular response to the antibiotic Cefazolin. The Raman spectra of E. coli cells sampled at different time points in the bacterial growth curve exhibited several spectral features that enabled direct identification of the growth phase of the bacteria. Four groups of Raman peaks were identified based on similarities in the time-dependent behavior of their intensities over the course of the growth curve. These groupings were also consistent with the different biochemical species represented by the Raman peaks. Raman peaks associated with DNA and RNA displayed a decrease in intensity over time, while protein-specific Raman vibrations increased at different rates. The adenine ring-breathing mode at 729 and the 1245 cm−1 vibration peaked in intensity within the first 10 h and decreased afterward. Application o...
Evolution of telepsychiatry to rural sites: changes over time in types of referral and in primary care providers' knowledge, skills and satisfaction.

Abstract Introduction Rural populations remain underserved in terms of psychiatric services. This study assesses changes over time in the utilization of telepsychiatric services by individual primary care providers (PCPs) and clinics in rural areas, specifically: (a) types of referrals for telepsychiatry service; (b) PCPs' knowledge and skills related to medication dosing; and (c) PCPs' satisfaction with telepsychiatry. Methods Data with regard to patient demographics, diagnoses, reason for consultation, medication dosing and satisfaction were prospectively collected on the first 200 and the subsequent 200 telepsychiatric initial consultations. A number of educational interventions were implemented during the project. Results Adult patients were primarily referred for mood and anxiety disorders, particularly for diagnosis and medication treatment planning. Over time, PCPs significantly improved medication dosing and asked for more treatment planning help. PCPs' satisfaction also improved over time. Discussion Telepsychiatric consultation, in combination with specific educational interventions, appears to facilitate the enhancement of skills and knowledge of PCPs. "Developmental" steps in provider and clinic evolution, along with interventions specific to a given provider's and a given site's needs, ought to be further elucidated.
De laberintos: mito y metáfora en textos barrocos. Notas para la historia de su itinerario

The sense in which Spanish authors in the Baroque period employ the word ‘labyrinth’ presupposes an evolution, from ancient understanding of it, which the present article aims to outline. For Classical authors the word had the physical sense of a ‘complex construction’, although it could also be used metaphorically. But already in certain texts (Virgil, Ovid), the narration of the Cretan myth invited a moralizing interpretation which is given further prominence in late medieval and Renaissance texts. A further elaboration sees the labyrinth converted into a theological symbol representing deceit, offering an erroneous path which the Christian must avoid. Once these and other parallel lines of development have been traced, it becomes possible to see how complex is the use Calderon makes of the concept in El laberinto del mundo.
Psychiatry Student Interest Groups: What They Are and What They Could Be

Medical student interest groups across all specialties help students explore various specialties. There are no published reports on psychiatry student interest group (PSIG) curricula. The aim was to develop elements of a curriculum for such groups, based on data elicited from medical students and faculty members through a multi-institutional online survey. The authors electronically surveyed 172 United States psychiatric residency training directors to determine the activities they felt to be important for inclusion in PSIG curricula. Similarly, they surveyed U.S. medical student PSIG leaders to ascertain the activities they felt important to include in such groups, and the current content of their groups. Authors received responses from 64 program directors and 44 PSIG leaders. Based on integration of the results of both surveys, and the practices of existing groups, they propose elements of a curriculum for PSIGs. Medical student PSIG leaders are particularly interested in activities that involve residents. Other curricular topics of interest both to students and training directors include those that focus on student/physician mental health and various psychiatry subspecialties or practice settings. Training directors are willing to be involved with a wide variety of PSIG activities. The results of these surveys should help to guide PSIG leaders and faculty members in optimizing their PSIG curricula by helping them to include those activities felt to be of most interest by students and of most relevance by training directors.
1H-nuclear magnetic resonance study of the oxidation/reduction chemistry of penicillamine in intact human erythrocytes.

Abstract The oxidation/reduction chemistry of penicillamine in human erythrocytes was characterized directly in intact erythrocytes by 1 H-NMR spectroscopy. Spectra were measured by the Car-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse sequence to selectively eliminate interefering resonances from hemoglobin and membrane protons and from the intracellular water. Glucose-free penicillamine-containing erythrocytes were subjected to oxidative stress by titration with t -butyl hydroperoxide. The t -butyl hydroperoxide rapidly crosses the erythrocyte membrane and reacts with gluthathione (GSH) and penicillamine (PSH), with the PSH being oxidized to penicillamine-glutathione mixed disulfide (PSSG) as indicated by the appearance of characteristic resonances in the high resolution 1 H-NMR spectrum. Extracellular PSH is oxidized to penicillamine disulfide (PSSP) when t -butyl hydroperoxide is added to the cells and thereafter in amounts dependent on the oxygenation state of the sample. Following addition of glucose, both the oxidized glutathione and the PSSG are rapidly reduced at comparable rates. The results of additional experiments using erythrocyte lysate and of kinetic experiments on solutions containing PSSG and/or GSH, NADPH and glutathione reductase suggest that the predominant mechanism for reduction of PSSG is by a thiol-disulfide exchange reaction with GSH to form PSH and GSSG, which in turn undergoes enzyme-catalyzed reduction by NADPH.
SOIL RESPONSES TO MANAGEMENT, INCREASED PRECIPITATION, AND ADDED NITROGEN IN PONDEROSA PINE FORESTS

Forest management, climatic change, and atmospheric N deposition can affect soil biogeochemistry, but their combined effects are not well understood. We examined the effects of water and N amendments and forest thinning and burning on soil N pools and fluxes in ponderosa pine forests near Flagstaff, Arizona (USA). Using a 15N-depleted fertilizer, we also documented the distribution of added N into soil N pools. Because thinning and burning can increase soil water content and N availability, we hypothesized that these changes would alleviate water and N limitation of soil processes, causing smaller responses to added N and water in the restored stand. We found little support for this hypothesis. Responses of fine root biomass, potential net N mineralization, and the soil microbial N to water and N amendments were mostly unaffected by stand management. Most of the soil processes we examined were limited by N and water, and the increased N and soil water availability caused by forest restoration was insuffic...
Issues During the Inversion of Crosshole Radar Data: Can We Have Confidence in the Outcome?

One method of assessing the confidence in modeled features is to compare the results from different inversion schemes. I use synthetic traveltimes calculated from a model of an unconfined aquifer to determine the reliability of crosshole tomography. I compare the inverted models from straight and curved ray approximations to wave propagation. I investigate the effects of added random noise, regularization, the starting model, and the reference model on the curved ray inversion method. I also investigate the effects of different grid sizes for the forward model and of limited ray coverage through the earth model. Understanding the effects of these different methods and parameterizations will help place confidence limits on modeled features to more accurately reflect our knowledge of the subsurface. Straight or curved ray approximations to wave propagation resulted in similar models. However, the resolution estimates are substantially different and would lead to different assessments of the model reliabilit...
Second neoplasms following megavoltage radiation in a pediatric population

Previous reports of radiation-related neoplasia have relied primarily upon patients treated by orthovoltage to low doses for benign disease. This survey is believed to be the first to assess the incidence of second neoplasms following megavoltage therapy. The source was the records of all long-term pediatric survivors (88 patients) who were treated with megavoltage radiation (cobalt 60) at the University of Minnesota. There was an average follow-up period of 14 years during which 7 second neoplasms were discovered (8%). Five were not associated with prior radiation. Both radiation-related neoplasms were associated with low doses and one was without significant morbidity. Two of the seven neoplasms were malignant; one was not associated with radiation while the other was associated with prolonged chemotherapy and low dose radiation (1%). The only fatal second neoplasm was not associated with radiation but developed 5 years after prolonged chlorambucil treatment. This review reveals the tendency of childhood cancer victims to develop other neoplasms regardless of radiation. The finding of neoplasia induction only at low radiation doses supports the Gray hypothesis of decreased tumor induction at high doses through increased cell killing.
Dietary Supplementation of Boron Differentially Alters Expression of Borate Transporter (NaBCl) mRNA by Jejunum and Kidney of Growing Pigs

Inorganic boron (B), in the form of various borates, is readily absorbed across gastrointestinal epithelia. Although there is no stated B requirement, dietary B supplementation is thought to positively affect animal growth and metabolism, including promotion of bone strength and cell proliferation. Because of effective homeostatic control of plasma B levels, primarly by renal excretion, B toxicity in animals and humans is rare. The mechanisms responsible for improved animal performance and borate homeostasis are incompletely understood. Although a Na+-coupled borate transporter (NaBC1) has been identified, the effect of dietary B supplementation on expression of NaBCl has not been evaluated. An experiment was conducted with growing pigs to determine if NaBC1 mRNA was expressed by small intestinal epithelia and kidney of growing barrows and whether dietary B (as borate) supplementation would affect expression of NaBC1 mRNA. A concomitant objective was to test the hypothesis that B supplementation of a phosphorus (P)-deficient diet would improve calcium, phosphorus, or nitrogen retention. Twenty-four crossbred growing barrows (body weight=74.0±9.8 kg) were selected and used in a randomized complete block design experiment with a total of eight blocks and three B supplementation treatments (n=8/treatment). A typical corn-soybean meal basal diet (calculated to contain 41 mg intrinsic B/kg) was formulated to meet or exceed nutrient requirements, except for P, and fed to all pigs for 12 days. The basal diet plus 0, 50, or 100 mg/kg of B (prilled sodium borate pentahydrate, Na₂B₄O₇·5H₂O) was then fed for 18 more days. Feces and urine were collected during days 6 to 16 of the B supplementation, and pigs were killed for collection of jejunal and ileal epithelia and kidney tissue. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR analysis revealed that NaBC1 mRNA was expressed by these tissues, a novel finding for jejunal and ileal epithelia. Boron supplementation increased jejunal, but decreased, renal NaBC1 mRNA expression, relative to the 0 mg/kg treatment. The finding that NaBC1 mRNA is regulatable by dietary B is novel. That B supplementation evoked opposite effects on jejunal and kidney NaBC1 mRNA expression indicates that transcriptional regulation of NaBC1 expression may constitute a part of the homeostatic control of B metabolism. In contrast to its effect on NaBC1 mRNA expression, B supplementation did not affect total tract digestibility or retention of phosphorus, calcium, or nitrogen.
Waste Water Disposal Through a Coastal Aquifer

: Feasibility of disposing treated sewage in wells sunk into a partially confined coastal limestone aquifer at Waimanalo in the island of Oahu was investigated using an electric analog model. Electric analog modeling was preferred over digital modeling because of ease with which tides could be generated at the ocean boundary in the form of sinusoidal waves. The results of model operation showed that high permeability, low storativity, and the presence of ocean render the Waimanalo aquifer highly suitable for the disposal of waste water in deep wells. Since the quality of water in the aquifer is already unsuitable for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, waste water injection will not result in any loss of fresh water supply source to the island. It is also believed that the cost of waste water disposal through the aquifer will be considerably less than that through an ocean outfall. During model development it was discovered that electric analog models can help prepare certain graphs which can be useful for aquifer analysis without any further use of the model.
Lectin-binding properties of hamster egg zona pellucida and plasma membrane during maturation and preimplantation development

Abstract The structure and organization of the zona pellucida and plasma membrane of the hamster egg at various stages of maturation and development were examined using lectin-mediated agglutination and the binding of fluorescent-labeled lectins. Ricinus communis I and Dolichos biflorus lectins specifically agglutinated the zona pellucida of both unfertilized and fertilized eggs, while wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) only agglutinated eggs which had been pretreated with protease. Six other lectins failed to agglutinate even eggs pretreated with protease. A comparison of the lectin-binding sites on the zona pellucida of eggs in various stages of maturation and development revealed that the intensity of binding and distribution of fluorescent-labeled lectins remain unchanged. Zona-free eggs were agglutinated by every lectin tested except those recognizing l -fucose-like residues. Fertilized zona-free eggs were slightly more agglutinable by concanavalin A (ConA), Lens culinaris and WGA than unfertilized eggs. When the surfaces of zona-free eggs were examined with fluorescent ConA, Ricinus communis I and WGA, maximal binding was seen when eggs reached full maturity and binding decreased during the later stages of preimplantation development.