cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Xaa-Pro Aminopeptidase (Prokaryote)

Publisher Summary This chapter elaborates the structural chemistry and the biological aspects of X-Pro aminopeptidase (XProAP). E. coli XProAP removes the N-terminal residue from peptides that have a proline residue in the penultimate position. The PI' proline can be substituted with 3,4-dehydroproline, but not with trans-4-hydroxyproline. The enzyme can accommodate a variety of amino acids including proline in both the PI and P2 positions. It is stereospecific and requires L-amino acids in PI and L-proline in PI. Xaaj-Pro dipeptides are cleaved more slowly than larger peptides. Only the trans form of the Xaa–Pro bond is hydrolyzed. The first nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences for XProAP were determined for E. coli type II enzyme. E. coli enzyme is 440 amino acids long, with an Mr of 49,684. Monomers form very stable dimers and dimers form tetramers at biologically significant concentrations. XProAP is possibly involved in intracellular protein turnover by hydrolyzing Xaa-Pro-Y peptides resistant to other peptidases. Mutants of Salmonella typhimurium lacking this enzyme have a much reduced ability to produce free proline during starvation-induced protein breakdown. The structurally related X-Pro dipeptidase has been found in bacteria and is specific for Xaa-Pro dipeptides.
Mitochondria–organelle contact sites: the plot thickens

Membrane contact sites (MCSs) are areas of close apposition between the membranes of two different organelles that enable non-vesicular transfer of ions and lipids. Recent studies reveal that mitochondria maintain contact sites with organelles other than the endoplasmic reticulum such as the vacuole, plasma membrane and peroxisomes. This review focuses on novel findings achieved mainly in yeast regarding tethers, function and regulation of mitochondria-organelle contact sites. The emerging network of MCSs linking virtually all cellular organelles is highly dynamic and integrated with cellular metabolism.
Regulation of Platelet Function by the Cytoskeleton

The platelet cytoplasm is filled with a network of actin filaments. The organization of these filaments is regulated by their association with proteins such as α-actinin, tropomyosin, and actin-binding protein (Fox, 1987). When platelets are activated, myosin associates with these cytoplasmic actin filaments, thus generating the tension required for the centralization of granules (Fox and Phillips, 1982; Painter and Ginsberg, 1984). New filaments are formed by the polymerization of monomeric actin (Carlsson et a1, 1979; Jennings et al, 1981); polymerization of these new filaments induces the extension of filopodia (Casella et al, 1981).
The risk of spinal cord injury during the frozen elephant trunk procedure in acute aortic dissection.

Objectives The aim of the study was to access the extended occlusion of the intercostal arteries by a stent graft in the development of postoperative spinal cord injury during aortic arch surgery using the frozen elephant trunk technique. Methods A total of 37 consecutive patients underwent total aortic arch surgery using the frozen elephant trunk technique between March 2012 and July 2017. The mean age of the patients was 54.7 ± 10.5 years. Type A and Type B aortic dissections were the indications for surgery. Moderate hypothermia and antegrade cerebral perfusion via the innominate artery were utilized. The mean diameter of the implanted stent graft was 27.7 ± 2 mm (range 24-30 mm). Results No permanent spinal cord injuries occurred. The distal edge of the stent graft was in the T7-T12 range. Its lower edge was implanted at the T9-T12 level in 25 (67.6%) cases. Preoperatively, the mean number of intercostal arteries was 10 ± 1 on the left side and 10 ± 2 on the right side (P = 0.59). Postoperatively, the mean number of open segmental arteries was 3 ± 2 on the left and 4 ± 1 on the right (P = 0.003). Conclusions The frozen elephant trunk procedure is associated with the occlusion of most (two-thirds) of the intercostal arteries. Maintenance of adequate blood flow in the subclavian and iliac arteries is an integral prerequisite for a favourable outcome. The level of the deployment of the distal edge of the stent graft does not play a defining role.
Principles for the Optimization of Centrifugation Conditions for Fractionation of Brain Tissue

Classes of subcellular particles separate by centrifugation procedures because of significant differences in their sedimentation rates and buoyant densities. Most centrifugation procedures devised for brain make use of differences in both sedimentation rate and buoyant density. Preliminary enrichment by rate is achieved by differential centrifugation, usually in angle rotors, followed by separation by buoyant density-on density gradients in zonal or conventional rotors. Particles separate by differential centrifugation because they differ in size, density, and shape. Particles separate on density gradients because they differ in buoyant density (isopycnic centrifugation) or because prior to isopycnic banding their sedimentation rates differ (rate zonal centrifugation).
Drought Planning in the United States: Status and Future Directions

Drought has been a common feature in large portions of the United States during the past decade. To the casual observer, the frequency of recent droughts may signal a change in climate, a possible forewarning of global warming. Viewed in the context of the nation’s climatic history, the pattern of the past decade is not unusual. Recent droughts in the United States have resulted in significant economic, environmental, and social impacts. Many people are well acquainted with the serious impacts of the droughts of the 1930s and 1950s. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s is known worldwide as a classic example of the disharmony that can exist between human activities and nature, a pattern that has been repeated again and again in other areas of the world in the past several decades. The images of the Dust Bowl in the United States are now fading because a large percentage of the populace is too young to remember the hardships and suffering that resulted from this nearly decadal episode of drought. Droughts of the past decade have reminded us of our continuing vulnerability to extended periods of water shortage and the urgent need to prepare for their recurrence. Although technology has reduced our vulnerability to drought to some degree, it has also exposed new sensitivities.
3.11 – Evolution of the Middle Ear and Inner Ear in Vertebrates

This chapter is a summary of what is known and thought currently about the evolution of the middle and inner ears. Hearing developed among the first vertebrates (fishes) during the early Devonian era (about 418 million years ago) when otolith organs served hearing as inertial mechanoreceptors responding directly to hydrodynamic fields and the acoustic particle motion component of sound. The basilar papilla organ with nonotolithic ciliary restraint developed among paleozoic tetrapods (or earlier), but this served underwater hearing and not aerial hearing for millions of years. Aerial hearing probably did not develop in amniotes until the Triassic era (250–200 million years ago) when tympanic ears (tympanic membrane and middle ear ossicles) appeared almost simultaneously in the vertebrate lines leading to modern mammals, turtles, lizards, crocodiles, and birds. This probably led to increased sensitivity of hearing and higher frequency hearing, and these, in turn, seemed to trigger the modern developments of the inner ears in these groups, including multiple hair cell types and, possibly, various mechanisms for hair cell motility.
Consensus of Regression for Occlusion-Robust Facial Feature Localization

We address the problem of robust facial feature localization in the presence of occlusions, which remains a lingering problem in facial analysis despite intensive long-term studies. Recently, regression-based approaches to localization have produced accurate results in many cases, yet are still subject to significant error when portions of the face are occluded. To overcome this weakness, we propose an occlusion-robust regression method by forming a consensus from estimates arising from a set of occlusion-specific regressors. That is, each regressor is trained to estimate facial feature locations under the precondition that a particular pre-defined region of the face is occluded. The predictions from each regressor are robustly merged using a Bayesian model that models each regressor’s prediction correctness likelihood based on local appearance and consistency with other regressors with overlapping occlusion regions. After localization, the occlusion state for each landmark point is estimated using a Gaussian MRF semi-supervised learning method. Experiments on both non-occluded and occluded face databases demonstrate that our approach achieves consistently better results over state-of-the-art methods for facial landmark localization and occlusion detection.
Emergent Properties of Natural Products

Emergence is the phenomenon by which novel properties arise from the combination of simpler fragments that lack those properties at their given levels of hierarchal complexity. Emergence is a centuries-old concept that is commonly invoked in biological systems. However, the penetration of this idea into chemistry, and studies of natural products in particular, has been more limited. In this article I will describe how the perspective of emergence provided a framework to elucidate the complex properties of two classes of natural products – the diazofluorene antitumor agent lomaiviticin A and the genotoxic bacterial metabolites known as colibactins, and sets the stage for a third class of molecules – antibiotics derived from the fungal metabolite pleuromutilin. Embracing the idea of emergence helped us to connect the aggregate reactivities of the colibactins and lomaiviticin A with their biological phenotypes. Emergence is a top-down approach to natural products and complements the classical bottom-up analysis of functional group structure and reactivity. It is a useful intellectual framework to study the complex evolved properties of natural products. 1 Introduction 2 Diazofluorenes 3 Precolibactins and Colibactins 4 Pleuromutilins 5 Discussion and Conclusion
Resúmenes de trabajos de titulación

Se presentan resumenes de trabajos de titulacion de los programas de formacion de profesores de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, correspondientes al segundo semestre de 2017.
Singularities of solutions to linear, second order, analytic elliptic equations in two independent variables. II

The analysis of Part I is extended to admit of a closed boundary composed of intersecting analytic arcs. The boundary data have branch point singularities for values of the arclength parameter corresponding to intersections of the boundary arcs. These singularities are associated with nonuniformity of the solution to the boundary value problem at the intersections. Complex characteristics and the generalized Huygens principle are used to relate singularities of the data to those of the solution. By way of illustration, the analytic continuation of the boundary data is performed for the Laplace equation whose solution satisfies a simple Neumann condition on a boundary consisting of a semicircle and its diameter
Individuals With Recurrent Low Back Pain Exhibit Significant Changes in Paraspinal Muscle Strength After Intramuscular Fine Wire Electrode Insertion.

Objective To examine how insertion and presence of intramuscular fine-wire electromyography electrodes (IFWEs) in lumbar multifidus affect paraspinal muscle strength, endurance, and activation in persons with and without recurrent lower back pain (RLBP) during activities that require high levels of muscle contraction. Design Case-control with randomization of conditions. Setting Clinical research laboratory. Participants Forty participants age 18 to 40 years were recruited (18 female; mean age = 25.5 years); 20 with a history of RLBP were compared to a matching control group of 20 without RLBP. Interventions Each participant was tested under three conditions over three sessions. On Session 1, the baseline condition, we assessed muscle performance without IFWE insertion. On Sessions 2 and 3, participants were randomly alternated between two experimental conditions: (1) wire-in, in which the IFWE was inserted and remained within the muscle during testing; and (2) wire-out, in which the IFWE was inserted and immediately removed. Main outcome measurements Lumbar spinal extensor peak strength, endurance, and normalized electromyography (EMG) amplitude during the endurance test. Results Individuals with RLBP showed a significant decrease in peak strength during conditions that involved IFWE insertion and tend to experience more pain during muscle testing. Both groups exhibited similar levels of performance and muscle activation during the endurance test. Conclusion Our findings indicate that individuals with RLBP exhibited reduced lumbar extensor strength in response to IFWE insertion to the deep paraspinal muscles. This behavior is different from those without RLBP. Researchers should carefully consider the use of IFWE in individuals with RLBP during high exertion activities.
Enhancing whole grain, fiber, and iron content of pancakes: Impacts on quality attributes and adult receptivity

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend that individuals increase their daily intake of whole grains and fiber, as research has shown these dietary practices help reduce the risk of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and diabetes. Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world, and maintaining appropriate levels of iron is of particular concern for women who are capable of becoming pregnant. The purpose of this project was to develop a pancake product which contained enhanced levels of whole grains, fiber, and iron to address recent health concerns. A baseline pancake recipe was modified with soy milk, sorghum flour, and teff grain in varying ratios and preparation methods to formulate the best combination of all three into one pancake product. Sensory panelists from the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences at St. Catherine University evaluated the baseline and enhanced pancakes for appearance, tenderness, taste, texture, and overall likeability on a hedonic scale of 1 (“very poor”) to 7 (“excellent”). Findings indicated a pancake product can achieve acceptable taste while providing 16 percent of the recommended values for both iron (18 g) and dietary fiber (25 mg) for women of child-bearing years. Further research is needed to develop a nutritionally superior pancake with improved appearance through further manipulation of modified ingredients.
Promoting Affirmative Transgender Health Care Practice Within Hospitals: An IPE Standardized Patient Simulation for Graduate Health Care Learners.

Introduction Transgender patients frequently experience discrimination within health care settings due to provider lack of knowledge and bias resulting in poor service delivery. Team-based interpro...
Functional network connectivity in early-stage schizophrenia

Abstract Schizophrenia is a disorder of altered neural connections resulting in impaired information integration. Whole brain assessment of within- and between-network connections may determine how information processing is disrupted in schizophrenia. Patients with early-stage schizophrenia (n = 56) and a matched control sample (n = 32) underwent resting-state fMRI scans. Gray matter regions were organized into nine distinct functional networks. Functional connectivity was calculated between 278 gray matter regions for each subject. Network connectivity properties were defined by the mean and variance of correlations of all regions. Whole-brain network measures of global efficiency (reflecting overall interconnectedness) and locations of hubs (key regions for communication) were also determined. The control sample had greater connectivity between the following network pairs: somatomotor-limbic, somatomotor-default mode, dorsal attention-default mode, ventral attention-limbic, and ventral attention-default mode. The patient sample had greater variance in interactions between ventral attention network and other functional networks. Illness duration was associated with overall increases in the variability of network connections. The control group had higher global efficiency and more hubs in the cerebellum network, while patient group hubs were more common in visual, frontoparietal, or subcortical networks. Thus, reduced functional connectivity in patients was largely present between distinct networks, rather than within-networks. The implications of these findings for the pathophysiology of schizophrenia are discussed.
Thin-film model of droplet durotaxis. "E pur si muove"

The control of liquid droplets on solid surfaces is important in many scientific and technological applications, including microfabrication, microfluidics and heat transfer. It has been known for decades that droplets sitting on a solid surface can be moved using thermal, chemical or electrical gradients. Recent experiments have shown that gradients of substrate deformability also produce spontaneous droplet motion. This motion mechanism, which is called durotaxis, remains poorly understood. This paper proposes a model for droplet durotaxis based on a thin-film description of the fluid dynamics equation. The substrate is modeled as a Kirchhoff plate with non-constant flexural rigidity. We use high-fidelity simulations to show that the model naturally predicts droplet durotaxis without any ad hoc assumption. The model predictions for the dependence of droplet velocity on droplet size are consistent with experiments. The simplicity of the model suggests that durotaxis may be a pervasive and fundamental process at small scales and opens new possibilities to study the interaction of droplets with compliant solid surfaces.
Double-Barrel Superficial Temporal Artery-M2 Middle Cerebral Artery Bypass and Creation of a Middle Communicating Artery via M2-M2 End-to-End Reimplantation for Trapping of a Dolichoectatic Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysm: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.

Large dolichoectatic aneurysms of middle cerebral artery (MCA) trifurcations are rare and often require trapping and revascularization of the region with a bypass.1-9 This video describes the treatment of an MCA trifurcation aneurysm by clip trapping and double-barrel superficial temporal artery (STA) to M2-MCA bypass followed by M2-M2 end-to-end reimplantation to create a middle communicating artery (MCoA). The patient, a 60-yr-old woman, presented with headache, a history of smoking, and a family history of ruptured aneurysms. Angiography demonstrated a 1.7-cm dolichoectatic aneurysm of the MCA trifurcation. While the natural history of these lesions is unclear, the aneurysm size and family history of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage were factors in proceeding with treatment. Informed written consent was obtained from the patient and her family. The STA branches were harvested microsurgically, a pterional craniotomy was performed, and the aneurysm was exposed through a transsylvian approach. The two STA branches were anastomosed end-to-side to the middle and inferior trunks of the MCA. Due to the significant mismatch between the donor and recipient vessel calibers, we were concerned that the donors might provide insufficient flow in isolation. Therefore, we decided to transect both M2 trunks from the aneurysm, proximal to the inflow of the bypass, and reimplant them end-to-end. This reimplantation created an MCoA, allowing the two donor arteries to supply the new communication between the inferior and middle trunks, redistributing blood flow through the MCoA according to cerebral demand. Bypass patency and aneurysm obliteration were confirmed on postoperative angiography. At the 6-mo follow-up, the patient's modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score was 0. The MCoA is a novel construct that, like natural communicating arteries, redistributes flow in response to shifting demand, without the need for additional ischemia time during the bypass. Used with permission from Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona.
Social Epistemic Normativity: The Program

In this paper I argue that epistemically normative claims regarding what one is permitted or required to believe (or to refrain from believing) are sometimes true in virtue of what we owe one another as social creatures. I do not here pursue a reduction of these epistemically normative claims to claims asserting one or another (ethical or social) interpersonal obligation, though I highlight some resources for those who would pursue such a reduction.
Healthcare Disparities in the Treatment of Pelvic Floor Disorders

Pelvic floor disorders (PFD) include urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, fecal incontinence and other storage and emptying abnormalities. These disorders are common among women and are significantly undertreated. Healthcare disparities may partly explain this phenomenon. Disparities in the treatment of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and fecal incontinence can be stratified by race, age, and socioeconomic status. Race is often closely intertwined with socioeconomic status, access to care, and mistrust of healthcare providers. Overall, the etiology of disparities in treatment of PFD is multifactorial and complex. Normalization and removing the stigma of pelvic floor disorders, using better metrics for screening, and increasing the diversity in studies that assess pelvic floor disorders may reduce healthcare disparities in treatment, leading to improved care for common and treatable pelvic floor conditions.
Scalable mHealth technologies for public health monitoring: PhD forum abstract

The proliferation of mobile sensing devices due to advances in the Internet of Things has the potential to transform the individual-centric health monitoring to community-scaled health monitoring. Contrary to the state-of-the-art mobile health sensing, which focuses on individuals, my research focuses on scaling mobile health technologies to community scale, where we monitor the health of an entire community or population of users. The benefits of adopting community-scale sensing are two folds; firstly, it enables aggregate public health monitoring of large groups which can answer broader health problems; secondly, it improves personalized health monitoring with fine-grain monitoring of individuals.
Simple, Robust Mid-infrared Frequency Combs Generated From Few-cycle Near-infrared Pulses

We demonstrate a simple scheme for mid-infrared frequency comb generation from 3-5.5 μm utilizing intra-pulse difference frequency generation in periodically poled lithium niobate. Numerical modeling shows a route to few-cycle pulses centered at 4 µm.
The Role of Lawyers and Law Schools in Fostering Civil Public Debate

Partisanship can make policy discussion and civil debate difficult. Partisan differences in how facts and policies are understood contribute to the escalation of conflict and a lack of cooperation. Lawyers are not immune from these human tendencies. But good lawyers have, and good law schools teach, values, knowledge, and skills that can aid in fostering and modeling more productive debate and resolution of conflict. Lawyers are trained and socialized to internalize and safeguard the foundational tenets of our constitutional democracy, to uphold the law even when it does not reflect their own individual preferences. The professional rules of conduct encourage lawyers to separate the professional from the personal, and expect that vigorous debate, dissent, and zealous advocacy will be done in a professional manner. Lawyers are taught to think about issues, cases, or arguments from multiple sides and to value rational argument, the primacy of evidence and facts, and neutral processes in which cases are decided on their merits. The nuanced approaches to conflict that are required of lawyers—distinguishing productive and unproductive conflict, both creating and claiming value, and acting as both advisors and advocates—equip lawyers with abilities that help them generate and manage more productive debate. Law schools, then, should strive to provide even better grounding in these values, knowledge, and skills. Lawyers should endeavor to highlight for themselves, their clients and colleagues, and their opponents nuanced approaches to conflict and debate. And law schools and lawyers should work to educate the broader citizenry about the values of our constitutional democracy and to model effective and civil dispute resolution strategies.
Long-term Weight Changes and Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis Among Women in a Prospective Cohort: A Marginal Structural Model Approach.

OBJECTIVE To examine the association of long-term weight change with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk in a large prospective cohort study. METHODS The Nurses' Health Study (NHS) II started in 1989 (baseline); after exclusions, we studied 108,505 women 25-42 years old without RA. Incident RA was reported by participant and confirmed by medical record review. Body weight was reported biennially through 2015. We investigated two time-varying exposures: weight changes from baseline and from age 18; change was divided into 5 categories. We used a marginal structural model (MSM) approach to account for time-varying weight change and covariates. RESULTS Over 2,583,266 person-years, with a median follow-up time of 25.3 years, 541 women developed RA. Compared to women with stable weight from baseline, weight change was significantly associated with increased RA risk [weight gain 2- 2 kg: RR = 2.05 (95% CI 1.28, 3.28)]. Weight gain of 10 kg or more from age 18 compared with stable weight was also associated with increased RA risk [10-< 20 kg: RR = 2.12 (95% CI 1.37, 3.27), ≥20 kg: RR = 2.31 (95% CI 1.50, 3.56)]. Consistent findings were observed for seropositive and seronegative RA. CONCLUSION Long-term weight gain was strongly associated with increased RA risk in women, with weight gain of ≥ 20 kg associated with more than a three-fold increased RA risk. Maintenance of healthy weight may be a strategy to prevent or delay RA.
Environmental diversity as a reliable surrogacy strategy of marine biodiversity: A case study of marine mammals

Abstract Surrogates are used in conservation planning to select sites to represent species when information about species’ geographical distributions is insufficient. Many surrogates for biodiversity have used biotic (e.g., vegetation assemblages) or biogeographic distributions of a group of species (e.g., birds) that are easier to inventory than more cryptic species of interest. Because knowledge of species geographical distributions is mostly limited, environmental diversity (ED), an approach that uses environmental dissimilarity between sites to select areas for conservation, is a promising alternative surrogacy strategy. While studies in the terrestrial realms justify further investigations of the effectiveness of ED as a surrogate to determine conservation priority of sites, ours represents a significant expansion of this focus to consider the marine realm. In this study, we defined environmental space using nine variables and evaluated ED as a surrogate of global marine mammal species. We found that ED is an effective surrogacy strategy for marine mammals: sites selected to span environmental diversity represented 61% more marine mammals, on average, than a random subset of sites. Although the effectiveness of ED has been demonstrated in previous studies of terrestrial vertebrates, we believe this is the first time ED is assessed as a surrogate in marine systems at the global scale. Our findings suggest that ED may also be useful to prioritize sites for conservation of other marine taxa.
Bridging Recovery Initiative Despite Gaps in Entry (BRIDGE): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a bridge clinic compared with usual care for patients with opioid use disorder.

Patients with substance use disorders are overrepresented among general hospital inpatients, and their admissions are associated with longer lengths of stay and increased readmission rates. Amid the national opioid crisis, increased attention has been given to the integration of addiction with routine medical care in order to better engage such patients and minimize fragmentation of care. General hospital addiction consultation services and transitional, hospital-based “bridge” clinics have emerged as potential solutions. We designed the Bridging Recovery Initiative Despite Gaps in Entry (BRIDGE) trial to determine if these clinics are superior to usual care for these patients. This single-center, pragmatic, randomized controlled clinical trial is enrolling hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) who are initiating medication for OUD (MOUD) in consultation with the addiction consult service. Patients are randomized for referral to a co-located, transitional, multidisciplinary bridge clinic or to usual care, with the assignment probability being determined by clinic capacity. The primary endpoint is hospital length of stay. Secondary endpoints include quality of life, linkage to care, self-reported buprenorphine or naltrexone fills, rate of known recurrent opioid use, readmission rates, and costs. Implementation endpoints include willingness to be referred to the bridge clinic, attendance rates among those referred, and reasons why patients were not eligible for referral. The main analysis will use an intent-to-treat approach with full covariate adjustment. This ongoing pragmatic trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness of proactive linkage to a bridge clinic intervention for hospitalized patients with OUD initiating evidence-based pharmacotherapy in consultation with the addiction consult service. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04084392 . Registered on 10 September 2019. The study has been approved by the Vanderbilt Institutional Review Board. The current approved protocol is dated version May 12, 2021.
Visual Saccades for Object Recognition

This paper describes a method for rapid location and characterization of objects in 2D images. It derives optimizing parameters of a normalized Gaussian that best approximates the observed object, simultaneously finding the object location in the observed scene. A similarity measure to this optimized Gaussian is used to characterize the object. Optimization process has global and exponentially fast convergence, thus it can be used to implement saccadic motion for object recognition and scene analysis. This method was inspired by Perlovsky’s work on neural dynamic logic used for fast location, characterization, and identification of objects. Developed method was tested and illustrated with an example of an object location and characterization.
Immune competence and diabetes mellitus. II. Experimental mouse studies.

Abstract An experimental model utilizing congenitally diabetic mice was established to answer the question whether such animals have altered immune responses and ability to ward off infections. Cellular immunity was suppressed in diabetic mice when the parameters of granuloma formation, allograft rejection, and delayed footpad swelling were tested. Spleen cells from diabetic mice grown in tissue culture had an impaired mitogenic response compared to those from control animals. In addition, when diabetic mice were inoculated with the common human intraoral organisms, B-hemolytic streptococcus and Staphylococcus aureus , they could not contain the infection as well as normal littermates. Thus, immune function and infectious control mechanisms appear to be deficient in diabetic mice.
Is the Unidisciplinary College Major in Danger of Going the Way of Netscape, AOL, Myspace, Blockbuster, and the Blackberry?

This paper explores some of the problems of offering a unidisciplinary major in a world where disciplines and technology are converging. The rules of the education game are being changed by MOOCs, company-administered classes, and certificate programs. A question being asked is why pay as much as $100,000 for an education when much -- if not all -- the knowledge one needs is available for free on the Internet. What is the value-added of a college degree offered in a classroom? Moreover, a unidisciplinary approach taught by a professor who suffers from the rigidity of disciplinary elitism is exactly the wrong way to go in the Knowledge and Internet age. In the paper, the authors assess unidisciplinary education, examine the weaknesses of the academic structure, discuss the desired outcomes from education, and examine the importance of interdisciplinary education.
Chapter 6 Disorders of membrane channels or channelopathies

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the importance of genetic influence on the smooth function of the various channels. Understanding of the molecular structure and genetic encoding of these channels is likely to increase the understanding of their function, and it should open the possibility for the development of targeted novel therapies. The new techniques of patch-clamp, cloning, and sequencing of the genes and the use of selective neurotoxins have resulted in a better understanding of the ion channels and their role in disorders of the nervous system. Channels are membranous structures formed by protein aggregated, containing an aqueous central pore, that allows the passage of ions. They control the flow of ions in and out of the cell, causing depolarization and hyperpolarization of the cell. The patch-clamp technique measures directly the activity of a single ion, by recording the current flow, through a single open channel. Channels have a fundamental role in neuronal signaling; thus, disturbances of either opening, closing, and of gating kinetics interfere with normal processing. Blockage of channel opening, slow opening, frequent but very short duration opening, reduction of the probability of opening, slow closing, and other modifications of gating kinetics have been demonstrated in various channelopathies.
Production of a Pyrrole Antibiotic by a Marine Bacterium

Evidence is presented for the isolation and identification of bacteria able to synthesize an unusual antibiotic containing five bromine atoms per molecule. The identification and taxonomic position of these bacteria was made by use of a computer in conjunction with traditional methods. These microorganisms and closely related strains have been isolated on various occasions from tropical water in the vicinity of Puerto Rico. One bacterium, a pseudomonad, has been given the name Pseudomonas bromoutilis because of its distinctive capability. The antibiotic has been extracted, purified, and obtained in crystal form, and its structure has been determined. Although clinical tests of its properties were not encouraging, it may be of significant value and interest from an ecological standpoint. Images
UTILIZATION OF A PEDIATRICIAN IN A MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC II. An Affluent Community

The field of psychiatry, and certainly the subspecialty of child psychiatry, is currently involved in an identity crisis which has particular relevance to the relationship between the pediatrician and the psychiatrist in the delivery of mental health services to children. This crisis is related to the move from patient-oriented psychiatric treatment to the newer methods of community mental health. A good community mental health program is founded on the knowledge and skills learned from careful work with individual patients, but the techniques and goals of treatment require modification. While individual psychotherapy is still an essential part of patient care, it is frequently impractical in the light of the demands and needs of our current culture. In the community mental health center which I am serving, we are currently involved in a major reassessment of our techniques in order to meet the needs of the community rather than the demands of a small group. Ours is a relatively affluent community, generally considered to be sophisticated, well-educated, and knowledgeable about psychiatry. An easy pitfall in developing a mental health center would be to assume that this is an accurate picture of the entire community and base the whole program on the model of private psychiatric care. However, the city has its pockets of poverty and has large numbers of people who would not respond to insight therapy if it were available to them. Psychiatrists have been, until very recently, poorly trained for work in the community. Their work has been principally in mental hospitals and in outpatient clinics that offered treatment to a very select group of patients.
An integrated traveling-wave photoinjector

Integrated photoinjectors have the potential to provide compact, low cost, high brightness electron beams, and are attractive for scaling to frequencies beyond S-band. Traditionally, they have been built as standing-wave devices. We are developing a novel high-brightness electron source that couples a two-cell standing wave cavity directly to a multi-cell traveling-wave structure. This configuration offers a number of advantages over the split standing-wave systems, most notably the almost complete removal of the reflected RF transient, and the absence of the bunch lengthening that occurs in the drift section of split systems. We will discuss these and other advantages, as well as provide results of our beam dynamics study.
Perceived Intergroup Stereotypes, Threats, and Emotions Toward Asian Americans

The purpose of this study was to apply the theoretical assumptions of the stereotype content model and the integrated threat theory to explore the effects of perceived intergroup stereotypes and th...
Race and Arab Americans Before and After 9/11: From Invisible Citizens to Visible Subjects

A review of the book "Race & Arab Americans Before & After 9/11: From Invisible Citizens to Visible Subjects," by Amaney Jamal, and Nadine Naber is presented.
A Digital Architecture for a Network-Based Learning Health System: Integrating Chronic Care Management, Quality Improvement, and Research.

Introduction: We collaborated with the ImproveCareNow Network to create a proof-of-concept architecture for a network-based Learning Health System. This collaboration involved transitioning an existing registry to one that is linked to the electronic health record (EHR), enabling a “data in once” strategy. We sought to automate a series of reports that support care improvement while also demonstrating the use of observational registry data for comparative effectiveness research. Description of Architecture: We worked with three leading EHR vendors to create EHR-based data collection forms. We automated many of ImproveCareNow’s analytic reports and developed an application for storing protected health information and tracking patient consent. Finally, we deployed a cohort identification tool to support feasibility studies and hypothesis generation. There is ongoing uptake of the system. To date, 31 centers have adopted the EHR-based forms and 21 centers are uploading data to the registry. Usage of the automated reports remains high and investigators have used the cohort identification tools to respond to several clinical trial requests. Suggestions for Future Use: The current process for creating EHR-based data collection forms requires groups to work individually with each vendor. A vendor-agnostic model would allow for more rapid uptake. We believe that interfacing network-based registries with the EHR would allow them to serve as a source of decision support. Additional standards are needed in order for this vision to be achieved, however. Conclusions: We have successfully implemented a proof-of-concept Learning Health System while providing a foundation on which others can build. We have also highlighted opportunities where sponsors could help accelerate progress.
Quality Assessment of Hotel & Restaurant Management Graduates: Are we Meeting our Mission?

Sixty employers who hired graduates from the Division of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of North Texas were surveyed. The purpose of the study was to assess the of quality of the graduates based upon their level of competence in their current managerial positions. The levels of manager satisfaction with 36 manager-trainee competencies were identified by the researchers. The findings of this survey can assist in developing the appropriate curriculum to meet this program's educational mission.
Using Weibull Analysis for Evaluation of Cost and Schedule Performance

Large amounts of money are lost each year in the construction industry because of poor schedule and cost control. Few contractors specify and follow systematic schedule monitoring practices. Traditionally, the earned value method (EVM) is used to control and monitor schedule performance using the schedule and cost performance indices which compare the budgeted cost of work performed to what was originally scheduled or what is actually expended. This paper presents a statistical approach, namely Weibull analysis, to evaluate stochastically the schedule performance of construction or design projects. The approach can be used in conjunction with the EVM to enhance the evaluation and control of schedule performance. Weibull analysis is a common method for failure analysis and reliability engineering used in a wide range of applications. In this paper, the applicability of Weibull analysis for evaluating and comparing the reliability of the schedule performance of multiple projects is presented. The various steps in the analysis are discussed along with an example in which two projects are analyzed and compared. The authors conclude that Weibull analysis has several advantages and provides a relatively robust and effective method for construction managers to better control and monitor their projects.
Test–Retest Reproducibility of Maximum Cardiac Output by Doppler Echocardiography

Test-retest reproducibility of stroke volume and cardiac output using Doppler echocardiography was examined during maximum cycle exercise in 13 young men. A coefficient of variation of 8.5% and 8.1% and intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.90 and 0.91 for maximum stroke volume and cardiac output, respectively, indicate a high degree of reproducibility using this technique.
The Birth and Death of Taxes: A Hypothesis

Tax systems in England, France, Spain, and Venice are regarded as providing payments from subjects to governments for protection against foreign and domestic threats. In each developing state, the supply and demand for protection at the time of the tax system's origin determined the long-term character of taxation. Only where taxes arose in an environment of exceptionally long wars did subjects forfeit their right to control levies. Groups having close substitutes available for central government paid non-extortionate taxes. Collusion in the supply of protection led to noble tax privileges. Once created, taxes survived as long as the government itself.
Near-resonant vibrational energy transfer from nitrous oxide to benzene

Abstract Near-resonant vibration-to-vibration energy transfer from N 2 O(00 0 1) to benzene has been studied by use of the WKB semiclassical procedure in the temperature range of 100–500 K. In N 2 O–C 6 D 6 the principal energy transfer pathway is found to be from N 2 O(00 0 1) to the CD stretch and, in N 2 O–C 6 H 6 , the pathway is from N 2 O(00 0 1) to the overtone CD bending mode. The N 2 O–C 6 D 6 energy transfer probability is twice that of N 2 O–C 6 H 6 . The temperature dependence of the N 2 O–C 6 D 6 probability is negative, whereas that of N 2 O–C 6 H 6 is positive.
α-Tocopherol, β-Carotene, and Retinol Enrichment of Chicken Eggs

Abstract Due to the numerous health benefits associated with consumption of antioxidants such as α-tocopherol and β-carotene, an experiment was conducted to determine dietary levels that would significantly enhance their concentration in chicken egg yolks. In the experiment, 127 Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens were divided into treatment groups (n = 40 per treatment group) and fed diets containing 0, 50, 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg β-carotene, dl-α-tocopheryl acetate, or their combination. Yolk α-tocopherol increased (P
Bioengineered flagella protein nanotubes with cysteine loops : Self-assembly and manipulation in an optical trap

An E. coli flagellin protein, termed FliTrx, was investigated for use as a novel form of self-assembling protein nanotube. This protein was genetically engineered to display constrained peptide loops with a series of different thiol, cationic, anionic, and imidazole functional groups. "Cys-loop" thiol variants consisting of 6 and 12 cysteine residues were isolated in the form of disulfide-linked nanotube bundles, a novel nanomaterial. Bundles were characterized by fluorescence microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and optical trapping.
Fitting Sustainable Food Systems Into Dietetic Internships—A Growing Trend

Relationships between food systems, human health, and the environment are well recognized. We studied the extent to which dietetic internship programs teach sustainable food systems through experiential learning and barriers preventing this. In a survey of 237 dietetic internship program directors, one half (49.5%) of 89 respondents incorporated program activities related to sustainable food systems or planned to do so; another 43% reported interest but lacked time and resources. Program examples using learning experiences related to sustainable food systems demonstrate ways to contribute to accreditation requirements. Wider use of resources to train future practitioners could improve confidence and competence in this professional growth area.
Is radiofrequency ablation an effective long-term treatment for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma?

Is radiofrequency ablation an effective long-term treatment for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma?
Inhalant Use and Risky Behavior Correlates in a Sample of Rural Middle School Students

This study found 20.4% of children attending a middle school located in rural Mississippi had used inhalants to "get high", a figure that is much larger than the national average. Many (3.4%) students reported they had used inhalants on 10 or more occasions. Inhalant use was most associated with being younger, ever smoking, riding with a driver who had been drinking, and being involved in a fight. Nearly twice as many younger students reported usage in our sample compared to other studies. Longitudinal studies need to be conducted to investigate whether use of inhalants is a precursor to other risky behaviors, and subsequent progression to alcohol abuse or illicit drug use. Language: en
Invasive activity and chemotactic response to growth factors by Kaposi's sarcoma cells

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a relatively low grade neoplasm, classically occurring in the skin of elderly men. A more virulent and invasive form of Kaposi's sarcoma has been described in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The origin and identification of the tumor cells in these lesions is controversial. Here we have studied the behavior of cells derived from KS lesions in an in vitro assay which measures the ability of cells to invade through a reconstituted basement membrane. In agreement with previous work, KS cells obtained under selective culture conditions were invasive showing activity comparable to that of malignant tumor cells. Normal fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells did not demonstrate invasive behavior under the same experimental conditions. To characterize further the nature of the KS cells we tested the chemotactic response of cells from the most invasive line to a variety of growth factors and compared their response to those of fibroblasts, smooth muscle, and endothelial cells. These studies suggest that normal cells respond to a unique repertoire of chemotactic factors. The chemotactic response of the KS cells most closely resembled that of smooth muscle cells and was quite distinct from endothelial cells. These results indicate that the KS-derived cultures contain invasive cells with a smooth muscle cell-like phenotype.