cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chlorinated hydrocarbon-cell membrane interactions studied by the fluorescence quenching of carbazole-labeled phospholipids: Probe synthesis and characterization of the quenching methodology

In recognition of the need to understand better the interactions of the chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides with cell membranes we investigated the use of fluorescence quenching of membrane-bound fluorophores by these chlorinated hydrocarbons. An extensive survey of potential fluorophores identified the N-alkyl derivatives of carbazole as being especially suitable fluorophores. The fluorescence emission of these derivatives is quenched by a wide variety of commonly-used chlorinated hydrocarbons. This quenching is collisional and does not result in significant photodecomposition. Four structurally distinct carbazole-labeled phospholipids were synthesized, and their structures were confirmed by 270 MHz proton NMR and by chromatographic and chemical means. The carbazole moiety of each labeled phospholipid should be localized at a different depth in lipid bilayer. However, water soluble quenchers indicate that the fluorophores are inaccessible to the aqueous phase, irrespective of their point of attachment to the phospholipids. When incorporated into lipid bilayers, the fluorescence lifetime of these carbazole-labeled phospholipids reveals the collisional frequency between the fluorophore and the chlorinated hydrocarbon. As a result quenching of membrane-bound fluorophores may be used to measure: (1) the diffusional rate of the chlorinated hydrocarbon in the bilayer; (2) the lipid-water partition coefficient; (3) the maximum binding capacity of the membrane for the chlorinated hydrocarbon. Examples of all these measurements are given, and the fluorometric results are confirmed by direct chemical analysis.
Highly stable intrinsically radiolabeled indium-111 quantum dots with multidentate zwitterionic surface coating: dual modality tool for biological imaging

Here we describe a novel strategy to incorporate indium-111 into near infrared (NIR) emitting Cu–In–Se quantum dots (CIS-QDs) to synthesize intrinsically radiolabeled QDs (rQDs), as a quantitative tool for in vivo SPECT/fluorescence imaging. Multidentate zwitterionic polymer ligands were used to functionalize and improve the stability of CIS-rQDs and reduce nonspecific binding with plasma proteins/cell membrane. CIS-rQDs were taken up by colorectal adenocarcinoma (COLO-205) and human epidermoid carcinoma (KB-3-1) cells at low uptake rate (∼0.4%, 2 × 105 QDs per cell at 24 h) and reduced nonspecific interaction of zwitterionic CIS-rQDs with cells was observed by fluorescence microscopy. The cytotoxicity of CIS-rQDs was reduced due to the low toxic inorganic composition of QDs and multidentate zwitterionic surface coating. In 5 out of 6 nude mice bearing either COLO-205 or KB-3-1 tumor, both SPECT and fluorescence imaging demonstrated passive localization of CIS-rQDs in the tumor as early as 6 h post-injection. In these mice the passive accumulation of CIS-rQDs in the tumor, due to leaky vasculature, ranged from ∼0.3% ID per g to ∼4.6% ID per g at 48 h post-injection (from region of interest analysis of SPECT imaging). This intrinsic radio-labeling strategy provides a nanoparticle platform which incorporates imaging and potentially therapeutic radionuclides with retention of fluorescence intensity. It also provides complimentary quantitative data capabilities for both in vivo SPECT imaging and radiotracer ex vivo analysis.
Contact allergy to ophthalmic dipivalyl epinephrine hydrochloride: demonstration by patch testing

A patient presented with a 3-month history of conjunctivitis and periocular eczema. He had a 3-year history of glaucoma and was being treated with 3 different locally applied eyedrops (Timoptic (timolol maleate) ophthalmic solution 0.25%, Pilocar (pilocarpine) ophthalmic solution 1%, and Propine (dipivalyl epinephrine hydrochloride) ophthalmic solution 0.1%). Patch testing with all 3 undiluted eyedrop solutions revealed a reaction only to Propine eyedrops. Patch testing to the individual components of Propine eyedrops revealed an allergic reaction to 0.5% dipivalyl epinephrine hydrochloride that was apparent on the 2nd patch test reading. After discontinuing the Propine eyedrops, the conjunctivitis as well as the periocular dermatitis resolved, proving that the positive patch tests were relevant to both. It was reported that re-exposure to dipivalyl epinephrine hydrochloride by intra-ocular challenge was necessary to diagnose this allergy. This is the first demonstration of dipivalyl epinephrine hydrochloride allergy by patch testing. Since the 1st patch test reading (2 days) was weak, 2nd patch test (4 days) readings may be important in diagnosing this allergy by patch testing.
Fast computation of monochromatic infrared atmospheric transmittances using compressed look-up tables

We have developed a new information-content based look-up table technique for the fast computation of near- monochromatic atmospheric transmittances in the infrared that is well suited for nadir viewing satellite and airplane observations. It allow a user to quickly compute near- monochromatic radiances using a very simple algorithm that is easily ported to many machine architectures. Radiative transfer based on look-up tables of monochromatic absorption coefficients could speed calculations, but they are impractical due to their large size and the need to interpolate long wavenumber vectors in temperature and pressure. We use a singular value decomposition to transform monochromatic look-up tables of absorption coefficients into a compressed representation that is almost 100 times smaller. Moreover, temperature and pressure interpolations can be performed in this compressed representation, resulting in significant savings in computation times and computer I/O. We start with the line-by-line computation of a set of tables of absorption coefficients for each relevant gas. Each 25 wavenumber table has 10,000 wavenumber points and 1,100 temperature/pressure layers. For water vapor we add an extra dimension to these tables that spans 5 water vapor profiles to provide variability in the self-broadening of water vapor spectral lines. On average we need 37 basis vectors for water, 12 for carbon dioxide, and 6 for each of the other required gases in order to reproduce the absorption coefficient tables to an accuracy equivalent to a nadir-viewing monochromatic brightness temperature error of 0.1K.
Mortality and Morbidity Attributable to Use of Addictive Substances in the United States

Addiction to tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs inflicts a substantial toll on Americans, measurable in terms of deaths and illnesses, social costs, and economic costs. With approximately 60 million smokers, 14 million dependent on alcohol, and 14 million users of illicit drugs, more than one fourth of Americans over age 15 has a physiological dependence on at least one addictive substance. As a result, nearly 590,000 deaths--about a quarter of all deaths in the United States--are caused by addictive substances: 105,000 from alcohol abuse, 446,000 from tobacco use, and 39,000 from addictive drugs in 1995. The magnitude of addiction's impact on morbidity is also great, causing approximately 40 million illnesses and injuries each year. The economic burden of addiction is estimated at greater than $400 billion every year, including health care costs, lost worker productivity, and crime. Less quantifiable, but equally important, are the social costs to families and communities of addiction. Children of substance-abusing parents are more likely as adults to become plagued by addiction and its related problems. Passive exposure to tobacco smoke affects nonsmokers; drug and alcohol abuse are risk factors for crime and incarceration, family violence, fatal and permanently disabling accidents, birth defects, and divorce. Combined, the effects of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs inflict a greater toll on the health and well-being of Americans than any other single preventable factor.
Quantifying characters: polygenist anthropologists and the hardening of heredity.

Scholars studying the history of heredity suggest that during the 19th-century biologists and anthropologists viewed characteristics as a collection of blended qualities passed on from the parents. Many argued that those characteristics could be very much affected by environmental circumstances, which scholars call the inheritance of acquired characteristics or “soft” heredity. According to these accounts, Gregor Mendel reconceived heredity – seeing distinct hereditary units that remain unchanged by the environment. This resulted in particular traits that breed true in succeeding generations, or “hard” heredity. The author argues that polygenist anthropology (an argument that humanity consisted of many species) and anthropometry in general should be seen as a hardening of heredity. Using a debate between Philadelphia anthropologist and physician, Samuel G. Morton, and Charleston naturalist and reverend, John Bachman, as a springboard, the author contends that polygenist anthropologists hardened heredity by conceiving of durable traits that might reappear even after a race has been eliminated. Polygenists saw anthropometry (the measurement of humans) as one method of quantifying hereditary qualities. These statistical ranges were ostensibly characteristics that bred true and that defined racial groups. Further, Morton’s interest in hybridity and racial mixing demonstrates that the polygenists focused as much on the transmission and recognition of “amalgamations” of characters as they did on racial categories themselves. The author suggests that seeing race science as the study of heritable, statistical characteristics rather than broad categories helps explain why “race” is such a persistent cultural phenomenon.
Kinetic characteristics of oxygen-enhanced water gas shift on CeO2-supported Pt–Cu and Pd–Cu bimetallic catalysts

Abstract Our laboratory has developed a new approach to enhance water gas shift (WGS) at low temperature by adding a small amount of O2 over CeO2-supported bimetallic catalysts, which is called oxygen-enhanced water gas shift (OWGS). In the present study, the activities of bimetallic and monometallic catalysts were comparatively evaluated and the origin for better performance in the bimetallic catalysts was sought by a kinetic study. The CeO2-supported Pt–Cu and Pd–Cu catalysts showed not only higher activity, but also higher stability for about 70 h under practical OWGS condition, which was corroborated by little change in FT-IR spectra of surface species before and after the long-duration reaction. In the kinetic analysis, O2 addition to WGS significantly increased the reaction order in CO for all the catalysts tested while the reaction order in H2O changed little upon O2 addition to WGS. The catalysts with relatively low CO order such as Pt or Pd had relatively high H2O order while the catalysts with high CO order such as Cu had low H2O order. Such a trend shows that the reaction rate is determined by the balance between the two reactants on the surface and O2 addition to the feed changes this balance by removing some CO to make more sites open for H2O adsorption and activation. In the presence of the product gases, H2O activation becomes more rate-limiting, so that the combination of noble metal and copper on CeO2 is more effective with the use of added oxygen to remove the CO strongly adsorbed on the active sites.
Research Spotlight: Coastal cooling and marine productivity increasing off Peru

[1] The upwelling system off Peru is of environmental and economic importance due to its high fish productivity. It has been suggested that global warming may be leading to increasing temperature differences between the coast and the ocean, causing increases in alongshore wind stress and coastal upwelling in this zone. Upwelling brings nutrients from deep waters toward the surface, increasing biological productivity. To confirm reported trends of increasing coastal cooling and rising biological productivity,Gutierrez et al. analyzed sediment records spanning the past 150 years as well as instrumental records from the main upwelling zone off Peru. They found that sea surface temperatures have been declining since the 1950s in the main upwelling zone. The cooling trend is likely linked to increased upwelling in spring, during which there is enhanced biological productivity. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2010GL046324, 2011)
Demonstration, by renaturation in O'Farrell gels, of heterogeneity in Dictyostelium uridine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase

Procedures are described that allow the renaturation and localization of some multimeric enzymes, with identical subunits, in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gels. These procedures use nonionic detergents to facilitate SDS removal from the gels together with conditions that have been previously shown to favor enzyme renaturation in polyacrylamide isoelectric focusing gels. After renaturation, the enzymes are localized with specific histochemical staining reactions. A unique feature of these procedures is that both purified enzymes and enzymes in crude extracts can be localized. If crude extracts are used, the proteins must be resolved by two-dimensional electrophoresis to recover active enzyme. These procedures have allowed us to demonstrate the existence of two, apparently independent, forms of the enzyme uridine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase (UTP-α- d -glucose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase; EC 2.7.7.9) in the vegetative amoebae of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. This method may be used to analyze heterogeneity in a number of other enzymes.
Genetic control of spermiogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster: an autosomal mutant (ms(2)3R) demonstrating failure of meiotic cytokinesis.

The ultrastructure of spermatid differentiation in an autosomal male sterile mutant of Drosophila melanogaster is described. The mutant ms(2)3R is characterized by failure of the cytokinetic divisions which normally accompany meiosis. The primary spermatocyte undergoes nuclear division, but a failure of cytokinesis leaves 4 spermatids to develop within a common cytoplasm. The mitochondria fuse, usually forming a single large nebenkern, which then divides into two approximately equal parts as does a normal nebenkern. In the mutant, these two mitochondrial derivatives usually undergo further division generally giving rise to 8 or fewer mitochondrial derivatives. Multiple paracrystalline bodies are often observed in the primary mitochondrial derivatives. Up to 4 paracrystalline bodies may be observed in a single section of a derivative, one at each contact point between the membranes of the primary mitochondrial derivatives and the membranes around the 4 axonemes contained in the common cytoplasmic unit. The units of four spermatids almost complete maturation before the bundles degenerate. It appears that, with the exception of the nebenkern and its derivatives, cytoplasmic separation is not a prerequisite for the normal differentiation of most spermatid organelles.
Rod and cone inputs to bipolar and horizontal cells of theXenopus retina

This report summarizes some recent studies of the Xenopus retina in which intracellular recordings were made from photoreceptors, horizontal and bipolar cells. The studied cells were identified by injection of Lucifer yellow. Rod spectral sensitivity functions conformed to the density spectrum of a 524 nm pigment, those of cones to that of a 612 nm pigment. Horizontal cell responses reflected both these classes of photoreceptor input. Rod input evoked a slow waveform, with Vmax less than or equal to 18 mV, cone input a faster waveform with Vmax = 30-40 mV. In the mesopic state the horizontal response reflected both waveforms. Rod and cone inputs to the horizontal cells appeared not to act independently, in that a steady weak green background greatly enhanced the response to a superimposed red flash, but not the reverse. A third photoreceptor type (blue-sensitive rod, Y lambda max = 445 nm) provided input to a chromatic bipolar cell which was hyperpolarized by blue light and depolarized by red light. Such chromatic bipolars had broad areas of spatial integration and lacked center-surround organization.
Mucin biosynthesis enzymic properties of human-tracheal epithelial GDP-l-fucose:β-d-galactoside α-(1→2)-l-fucosyltransferase

Abstract The human-tracheal, epithelial α-(1→2)- l -fucosyltransferase that transfers l -fucose from GDP- l -fucose to an acceptor containing a β- d -galactopyranosyl group at the nonreducing terminal was characterized. Optimal enzyme activity was obtained at pH 6.5. 20–30m m MnCl 2 (or CaCl 2 , and 0.05% Triton X-100 or 0.5% Tween 20. Mg 2+ and Ba 2+ ions moderately enhanced the enzyme activity, whereas Fe 2+ , Co 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Cd 2+ ions were inhibitory. The enzyme activity was inhibited by N -ethylmaleimide and nucleotides of guanine, inosine, xanthine, and uridine. However, ATP and dithiothreitol did not affect the enzyme activity. The apparent Michaelis constant for GDP- l -fucose, freezing point-depressing glycoproteins (expressed as Gal→GalNAc→Thr), and phenyl β- d -galactopyranoside was 0.29, 5.70, and 25.4m m , respectively. Under alkali-borohydride conditions (0.05 m NaOHM NaBH 4 , 45°, 20 h), an l -[ 14 C]fucosyltrisaccharide was released from the product obtained by use of freezing point-depressing glycoprotein as the acceptor. The α- l anomeric configuration of the fucoside was determined by the release of l -[ 14 C]fucose from the purified trisaccharide by Turbo cornutus α- l -fucosidase. The (1→2) linkage of the l -fucosyl group to the d -galactosyl residue was established by methylation technique (m.s.-g.l.c.). The present enzyme has properties similar to those of the human milk α-(1→2)- l -fucosyltransferase which is encoded by a secretor gene.
Genomic Localization of the Human Gene for KCNA10, a cGMP-Activated K Channel

Potassium (K) channels are important components of virtually all cells, and they play critical roles in many cellular functions. KCNA10 represents a new class of K channel specifically regulated by cGMP and postulated to mediate the effects of substances that increase intracellular cGMP. Since KCNA10 has the potential to be useful in candidate gene analysis of inherited diseases, the human gene for KCNA10 was characterized. Fluorescencein situhybridization indicates that human KCNA10 maps to chromosome 1 at p13.1 → p22.1. Finer mapping of the gene was achieved by PCR of a set of CEPH YAC clones that spanned the region of interest. We found that YAC 818b9 contains human KCNA10. These data indicate human KCNA10 maps to 1p13.1 and resides within the genetic interval defined by microsatellite loci D1S2809 and D1S2726. That region of chromosome 1 contains another K channel gene, KCNA3.
The Tomboyism of Faith: Spiritual Tomboyism in the Cult of Sainte Foy

This article offers a reading of premodern, spiritual tomboyism as evident in the cult of Sainte Foy in France during the ninth to eleventh centuries. It draws attention to the signs of differently gendered and aged masculinities in the female child saint. Martyred at the cusp of puberty, Sainte Foy remains forever suspended in her gender development. Bernard of Angers, in the Liber miraculorum, portrays Foy as a trickster tomboy whose miracles are known as her “jokes.” But beyond the historical Foy and the textual Foy, there is a third Foy who is embodied in a reliquary statue with an adult male head. In times of social upheaval, Sainte Foy, whose earthly presence is manifest in her relics and reliquary statue, functions as a local patronus who protects her monastery, properties, and devotees. Her male-headed reliquary further affirms her identity as a holy warrior of Christ who fights to uphold the Peace of God. As trickster–tomboy and warrior–patronus, Sainte Foy hovers at and crosses over the boundari...
Theoretical determination of antiferromagnetic coupling and surface state for Gd(0001)

Abstract A study of the hcp Gd(0001) surface using the all-electron local density total energy full potential linearized augmented plane wave method reveals that the surface Gd layer expands outwardly by 6% and couples antiferromagnetically with the underlying ferromagnetic bulk. A localized d z 2 surface state near the Fermi energy is found in the vicinity of Γ for the majority spin bands.
Neurotensin prevents intestinal mucosal hypoplasia in rats fed an elemental diet.

Liquid elemental diets are associated with mucosal hypoplasia of both the small intestine and colon. Neurotensin, a tridecapeptide widely distributed in the gut, is trophic for the small intestine of rats fed a normal chow diet. The purpose of this study was to determine whether neurotensin could reverse the hypoplasia of intestinal mucosa that is associated with feeding a liquid elemental diet. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into five groups. Four groups were fed (for seven days) a glutamine-free liquid elemental diet. Subcutaneuos injection of saline (control) or neurotensin (33, 100, or 300 μg/kg) were given to the groups of rats every 8 hr for seven days. Group five (Chow) received rat chowad libitum for seven days. Rats were killed on day 8, and the proximal jejunum, distal ileum, and proximal colon removed. Mucosal weight, DNA, RNA, and protein contents were determined. Neurotensin (300 μg/kg) increased the cellularity of the small intestinal mucosa and reversed mucosal hypoplasia due to an elemental diet; a more pronounced effect was noted in the jejunum compared to the ileum. Neurotensin (33 and 100 μg/kg) increased mucosal DNA content in the jejunum but was not effective in reversing the hypoplasia. Neurotensin had no effect on growth of colonic mucosa. These results suggest that neurotensin may be an important trophic hormone for the small intestine. Administration of neurotensin may alleviate hypoplasia of the small bowel mucosa and maintain functional integrity of the gut during prolonged feeding of an elemental diet.
Transferability study of the Large Zone Economic Module (LZEM) of the SE3M model of land use and transportation

Abstract Models of urban land use are often used in the policy analysis process to forecast long-range impacts of various land use policies or urban infrastructure projects. For models that have been deemed suitable for multiple implementations, a critical, initial test of the model framework is to examine the model's transferability to other geographies. The purpose of this paper is to present a transferability study of the Large Zone Economic Module (LZEM) of the SE 3 M model of land use and transportation. The SE 3 M was initially implemented in the US territory of Guam. The islands of Puerto Rico and Oahu were selected as case studies for this model, transferability evaluation. LZEM is implemented with three base years (2000, 2002 and 2007) for these case studies and then validated to 2010 as horizon year for which validation data was available in the Puerto Rico and Oahu implementations. This paper presents evidence that LZEM is reasonably accurate when applied to other geographic regions and that if specific economic parameters are identified, the entire regional economy and the associated population and employment distribution can be spatially modeled within the LZEM framework.
On the averaging of ratios of specific heats in a multicomponent planetary atmosphere

The use of adiabatic relations in the calculation of planetary atmospheres requires knowledge of the ratio of specific heats of a mixture of gases under various pressure and temperature conditions. It is shown that errors introduced by simple averaging of the ratio of specific heats in a multicomponent atmosphere can be roughly 0.4%. Therefore, the gamma-averaging error can become important when integrating through the atmosphere to a large depth.
Laparoscopic repair of extraction site ventral hernia after robotic prostatectomy: institutional experience with 42 consecutive cases

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) has become one of the most common laparoscopic procedures in the United States, with over 80,000 cases performed yearly. There is increasing awareness that extraction site ventral hernias (ESVH) are an important cause of morbidity after laparoscopic resective surgery. However, there is no data in the literature concerning ESVH after RALP. The purpose of this study is to report our experience with this novel ESVH and our results with its laparoscopic (LAP) repair. The charts of all patients subjected to LAP VH repair at the City of Hope National Medical Center between 2005 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Only patients undergoing LAP ESVH after RALP were included in the study. Relevant data analyzed included patient demographics, operative parameters, complications, and recurrence. A total of 42 consecutive male patients were identified, with a median age of 65 years (range 46–81). The median time from RALP to ESVH repair was 10 months (range 1–43). All hernias were periumbilical and all were symptomatic. A laparoscopic left lateral approach was used in all cases. The median operative time was 91 min (range 61–162). The median defect area was 64 cm2 (range 4–176), which was repaired with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (18 cases) or Marlex composite mesh (24 cases) with a 5-cm overlap. The estimated blood loss (EBL) was minimal in all cases. The median hospital stay was 1 day (range 0–4). Minor complications occurred in 14% of cases. There was no mortality and the recurrence rate was 0%. ESVH after RALP are likely to become a common cause of abdominal wall morbidity in the near future. A laparoscopic repair is safe and effective. Prospective studies are needed in order to further investigate ESVH and ways to reduce its incidence.
Critical rotational frequency for superfluid fermionic gases across a Feshbach resonance.

We present a method to determine the critical rotational frequencies for superfluidity of both uniform and trapped Fermi gases across a wide Feshbach resonance. It is found that as one approaches the resonance from the BCS side, beyond a critical scattering length, pairing is so robust that superfluidity cannot be destroyed by rotation. Moreover, the critical frequency has a sequence of jumps revealing the appearance of Landau levels, which are particularly prominent for systems up to a few thousand particles. For rotational frequency below an ultimate critical frequency, defined to be the lowest frequency at which the center of the cloud goes normal, a trapped gas has a superfluid core surrounded by a normal gas, as seen in recent experiments (C. H. Schunck et al., cond-mat/0607298)
Effect of Noise Suppression on Quality of 2C OBC Image

Two component ocean bottom cable (2C OBC) data are often affected by substantial noise. The noise is probably caused by shear wave energy registered on the vertical geophone. It exhibits random properties in common shot domain but coherent properties in common receiver domain. This phenomenon is observed in most OBC surveys worldwide, and the noise level can be very substantial. Typically, there is a substantial move out difference between the noise and the signal, i.e., reflected PP waves, allowing use of velocity filtering for noise suppression. Velocity of sound in water can be used as a quite universal parameter for normal moveout (NMO) correction before the velocity filtering. The NMO correction substantially simplifies design of the velocity filter. Efficiency of the proposed approach is illustrated using real 2C OBC data.
Pituitary and serum growth hormone during undernutrition and catch-up growth in young rats.

Sprague-Dawley rats at birth were redistributed among nursing mothers, 4 to some, 16 to others. After 21 days, they were studied by sex and by nutritional state using a heterologous radioimmunoassay for growth hormone (GH) content of pituitary gland and plasma. Greater access to milk resulted in mean body weights of males and females of 63 ± 1 g contrasting with 34 ± 2, p < 0.01,and pituitary weights of 3.0 ± 0.07 mg, contrasting with 2.0 ± 0.06, p < 0.01. Better nutrition was attended by plasma GH of 34 ± 14 ng/ml, in contrast to 14 ± 2 ng/ml in the undernourished. There were highly significant differences in total pituitary growth hormone (257 ± 12 μg/gland in well-fed; 88 ± 6 μg/gland in the undernourished). During two weeks of free access to food, the rats from the 16 per mother group grew at 5 times their previous rate (7.5 g per day vs 1.5 g) and nearly overtook the previously better-fed group; plasma growth hormone with dietary repletion was the highest observed, and pituitary weights and growth ho...
A Systematic Approach to Peer Group Supervision.

The structured peer group format encourages skill development, conceptual growth, participation, instructive feedback, and self-monitoring. The procedure is described and illustrated.
Endonasal laser tissue welding: first human experience.

Background Adequate repair of cerebrospinal fluid leak remains a significant challenge in endoscopic skull base surgery. Laser tissue welding (LTW) is a method of creating an instant watertight wound closure using a chromophore doped biological solder, which may be used for cranial base reconstruction. The objective of this study is to assess the safety and technical feasibility of endoscopic LTW in human sinonasal mucosa. Methods A prospective, Institutional Review Board-approved study was performed of 10 patients undergoing endoscopic LTW using an albumin and hyaluronic acid-based solder for repair of mucosal injuries. Data were collected on patient demographics, total lasing time, and volume of solder used. Wounds were prospectively followed by endoscopic exam and scored on a scale of zero to two by three blinded observers (B.S.B., J.N.P., and A.G.C.) for inflammation, thermal injury, and edema. Results were compared with control wounds using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results Ten patients (seven men and three women; average age 50 years; range, 33-71 years) underwent endoscopic LTW. Total lasing time was 11 +/- 11 minutes requiring 0.96 +/- 0.83 mL of solder per patient. Patients were followed for an average of 72 days (range, 12-138 days) and no complications were noted. Solder persisted for up to 26 days and there was no significant difference between the lased and control wounds with regard to inflammation (0.87 +/- 0.72 versus 1.31 +/- 0.87), thermal injury (0.06 +/- 0.25 versus 0.12 +/- 0.34), or edema scores (1.13 +/- 0.81 versus 1.44 +/- 0.73). Conclusion Endoscopic LTW is a technically feasible and rapid method of wound closure in sinonasal mucosa that does not result in any significant thermal or inflammatory sequelae.
Outcomes after child welfare services: Implications for the design of performance measures

Abstract Reinvigorated efforts to develop performance measures for child welfare services have largely ignored a critical aspect of child welfare outcomes—what happens to children after their involvement with child welfare services ends. The authors present data from studies of post-child welfare services mortality and incarceration to indicate the vital need to incorporate information about post-child welfare services into a broad research agenda and into performance measures. Specific recommendations are advanced about the inclusion of safety indicators in performance indicator schemes.
Invention of the injection laser at IBM: personal recollections

The personal recollections of the author of the events leading up to and immediately following the invention of the injection laser at IBM in 1962 are presented.
Kinetic studies of the photoinitiated NO-releasing reactions of N,N′-bis-(carboxymethyl)-N,N′-dinitroso-1,4-phenylenediamine

Abstract Irradiation of N , N ′-bis-(carboxymethyl)- N , N ′-dinitroso-1,4-phenylenediamine ( 1 ) with ultraviolet light ( λ =308 nm) was previously shown to induce cleavage of 1 into NO and the N , N ′-bis-(carboxymethyl)- N -nitroso-1,4-phenylenediamine radical ( 2 ). This paper provides a procedure for synthesizing 1 , and a detailed kinetic re-investigation of the reactions that follow ns-pulse laser-flash photolysis of 1 , under conditions that initially produce up to 10 μM of 2 and NO in situ. Under these conditions recombination of 2 with NO, and dissociation of an additional equivalent of NO from 2 , appear to be the dominant pathways leading to the depletion of 2 in the ms that follows the initial photolysis. These reactions had been suggested in the initial study of the photolysis of 1 ; however, in the present study the rate constant k r that governs the recombination of 2 with NO to regenerate 1 was found to have a value of (1.1±0.1)×10 9 M −1 s −1 , while the rate constant k d governing the dissociation of the second equiv of NO from 2 was found to be 500±50 s −1 . Both of these values are significantly different from the values (1.38×10 8 M −1 s −1 and 2.96×10 4 s −1 ) reported in the earlier study. The present analysis also revealed the previously unreported presence of an absorbing species at t ∞ , that might be the doubly denitrosylated quinoimine derivative of 1 ( 3 ), or a charge-transfer complex of 1 and 3 .
Spermatogonial Stem Cell Isolation, Storage, and Transplantation

The past 30 years have been marked by unparalleled accomplishments in the medical treatment of malignancy. Prior to advances in chemotherapeutic and radiation treatment, many oncologic conditions had dismal survival rates. Today, medical interventions have success rates that approach complete remission for many malignancies. An inadvertent complication of these therapies, however, has been the high rate of infertility following treatment. Male germinal tissue, like many malignancies, is mitotically active and therefore is particularly susceptible to the toxic effects of both chemotherapy and radiotherapy (Meistrich et al, 1982; Meistrich, 1993). Consequently, posttreatment patients often develop severe oligozoospermia or azoospermia (Wallace et al, 1991). Potential infertility complications can be anticipated, and adult male patients interested in future procreation are counseled to cryopreserve semen before instituting treatment. With presentday capabilities of in vitro fertilization, particularly intracytoplasmic injection, male patients can maintain posttreatment fertility. Pretreatment sperm banking, however, is not a viable option for prepubescent males. These individuals have not yet begun spermatogenesis and thus lack viable spermatozoa. It is estimated that, by the end of the decade, 1 in 250 young men will be childhood cancer survivors (Blatt, 1999). For these patients, infertility has often been an accepted consequence of their lifesaving treatment.
Lower extremity endovascular interventions: can we improve cost-efficiency?

Objective Management of lower extremity arterial disease with endovascular intervention is on the rise. Current practice patterns vary widely across and within specialty practices that perform endovascular intervention. This study evaluated reimbursement and costs of different approaches for offering endovascular intervention and identified strategies to improve cost-efficiency. Methods The medical records of all patients admitted to a university health system during 2005 for an endovascular intervention were retrospectively reviewed. Procedure type, setting, admission status, and financial data were recorded. Groups were compared using analysis of variance, Student t test for independent samples, and χ 2 . Results A total of 296 endovascular interventions were completed, and 184 (62%) met inclusion criteria. Atherectomy and stenting were significantly more costly when performed in the operating room than in the radiology suite: atherectomy, $6596 vs $4867 ( P = .002); stent, $5884 vs $3292, ( P P = .46). Reimbursement was significantly higher for inpatient vs ambulatory admissions ( P P Conclusions Practice patterns for endovascular interventions differ considerably. Costs vary by procedure and setting, and reimbursement depends on admission status and accurate documentation; these dynamics affect affordability. Organizing vascular services within a hub will ensure that care is delivered in the most cost-efficient manner. Guidelines may include designating the radiology suite as the primary venue for endovascular interventions because it is less costly than the operating room. Selective stenting policies should be considered. Contracts with private insurers must include carve-outs for stent costs and commensurate reimbursement for ambulatory procedures, and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT; American Medical Association, Chicago, Ill) coding must be proficient to make ambulatory endovascular interventions fiscally acceptable.
The Nature and Absolute Hydration Free Energy of the Solvated Electron in Water

We report the first first-principles solvation-included electronic structure study to energetically compare a variety of candidate structures of the hydrated electron and to determine its absolute hydration free energy ΔGhyd298(e-). The calculated results show that both the thermal motion and bulk solvent effects can qualitatively change the relative thermodynamic stability of different structures of the hydrated electron on the basis of a cluster of a given size, and that the most stable structure in solution is not necessarily the most stable one in the gas phase. For a given number of explicitly included solvent water molecules, the most stable structure in solution reveals a unique feature of the chemical nature of the solvated electron in water, i.e., the electron forms two strong electron−hydrogen bonds of the e-···HO type with the hydrogen-bonded water cluster and two of the hydrogen bonds in the neutral water cluster are broken. On the basis of the most stable structures, the calculated electronic...
Patterns of press coverage of mayoral campaigns: Comparing Detroit and Los Angeles

This study examines newspaper coverage of mayoral elections in Detroit and Los Angeles in 1997 and 2001. The project had three objectives: (1) to see how journalistic tendencies in the coverage of ...
Determination of Mechanical Properties of Fiber-Matrix Interface from Pushout Test

Abstract For ceramic matrix composites, the pushout test is the most widely used test for finding the two mechanical properties of the fiber–matrix interface – (1) the coefficient of friction and (2) the residual radial stress. Experimental measurements from the pushout test do not directly give the values of these two mechanical properties of the fiber–matrix interface, but need to be regressed to theoretical models. Currently, approximate theoretical models based on shear–lag analysis are used for regression. In this paper, the adequacy of the shear–lag analysis model in accurately finding the mechanical properties of the fiber–matrix interface is discussed. An elasticity solution of the pushout test based on boundary element method is developed. Regressing one set of available experimental data from a pushout test to both shear–lag analysis and boundary element method models gives values differing by 15% for the coefficient of friction but similar values for the residual radial stress. Parametric studies were also conducted to show the difference between the shear–lag analysis and boundary element method results for factors such as fiber to matrix elastic moduli ratios, coefficient of friction and fiber volume fractions.
Elevation of cerebral proteases after systemic administration of aluminum

The levels of three proteases in the cerebral cortex of rats following a three week exposure to aluminum, were measured. The activity of apopain (CPP32), an interleukin 1beta converting enzyme (ICE)-like cysteine protease specifically associated with apoptosis, was increased following dosing with aluminum. The activity of calcium-activated neutral protease, calpain, was also increased. However, the enzyme activity of trypsin-like serine protease, known to be elevated by oxidative events, was unchanged. Since aluminum is suspected as a possible factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and other neurological diseases, it is speculated that changed levels in proteolytic enzymes may relate to the neurotoxicity of aluminum.
Effect of chain length and concentration of anionic surfactants on the conformational transitions of poly(L-ornithine) and poly(L-lysine) in aqueous solution

Abstract The conformation of poly(L-ornithine) (PLO) and poly(L-lysine) (PLL) in solutions of sodium alkyl sulfates, CH3(CH2)nSO4Na with n = 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 was studied by circular dichroism. PLO adopts a helical conformation in all 5 homologs and PLL a β-form in only 4 of the homologs. With octyl sulfate PLL has a helical conformation instead. These conformations were observed in solution of surfactants both below and above the critical micelle concentration.
An Ecofeminist Philosophical Perspective of Anthony Weston's ‘The incompleat eco-philosopher’

In his book The Incompleat Eco-Philosopher, Anthony Weston addresses interrelated methodological, conceptual, epistemological, educational and philosophical issues in contemporary reformist (or mor...
Temperature-Dependent Phage Resistance of Listeria monocytogenes Epidemic Clone II

Listeria monocytogenes epidemic clone II (ECII) has been responsible for two multistate outbreaks in the United States in 1998-1999 and in 2002, in which contaminated ready-to-eat meat products (hot dogs and turkey deli meats, respectively) were implicated. However, ecological adaptations of ECII strains in the food-processing plant environment remain unidentified. In this study, we found that broad-host-range phages, including phages isolated from the processing plant environment, produced plaques on ECII strains grown at 37°C but not when the bacteria were grown at lower temperatures (30°C or below). ECII strains grown at lower temperatures were resistant to phage regardless of the temperature during infection and subsequent incubation. In contrast, the phage susceptibility of all other tested strains of serotype 4b (including epidemic clone I) and of strains of other serotypes and Listeria species was independent of the growth temperature of the bacteria. This temperature-dependent phage susceptibility of ECII bacteria was consistently observed with all surveyed ECII strains from outbreaks or from processing plants, regardless of the presence or absence of cadmium resistance plasmids. Phages adsorbed similarly on ECII bacteria grown at 25°C and at 37°C, suggesting that resistance of ECII strains grown at 25°C was not due to failure of the phage to adsorb. Even though the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated, temperature-dependent phage resistance may represent an important ecological adaptation of L. monocytogenes ECII in processed, cold-stored foods and in the processing plant environment, where relatively low temperatures prevail.
Causes of variation in sexual allometry: a case study with the mating signals and genitalia of Enchenopa treehoppers (Hemiptera Membracidae)

Sexual traits show a great range of variation in static allometry, with some mating displays and weapons showing hyperallometry (steep increase in trait size with body size), others showing isometry (even scaling on body size), and others showing hypoallometry (shallow scaling on body size). We test two hypotheses that attempt to explain variation in sexual allometry, with a comparison of the allometry of behavioral (advertisement signals) and morphological (body and genitalia) traits. Our study species was a member of the Enchenopa binotata species complex of treehoppers (Hemiptera Membracidae), a group with sexually selected vibrational advertisement signals and naturally selected genitalia. Using advertisement signal traits, we find weak support for the hypothesis that the form of selection (stabilizing or directional) can account for variation sexual allometries. Using genitalia traits, we find support for the hypothesis that the naturally selected functions of genitalia (as opposed to their sexually ...
Seasonal changes in adenylate energy metabolism in the muscle and liver of the redear sunfish, Lepomis microlophus

Levels of muscle and liver adenylates, phosphocreatine (PCr), total adenylates (TA) and the adenylate energy charge (AEC) exhibited significant seasonal changes. Fish size and condition factors were significantly different throughout this study; however there were no correlations between fish size or condition factor and metabolite levels. Muscle adenosine triphosphate (ATP), TA and AEC were lowest in winter and positively correlated with temperature; while adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) levels were high in winter and negatively correlated with temperature. Muscle AEC's dropped into the stressed range (0.5–0.75) during winter months. ATP/ADP ratios were lowest while PCr/ATP ratios were highest in winter months; indicating that a capacity for phosphate buffering existed and could not account for these low muscle AEC's. Liver ATP, TA, PCr, AEC, and adenylate ratios were lowest in the spring and were not correlated with temperature, but rather coincided with reproduction. Liver AEC's dropped into the lethal range ( 0.5) in April; although no fish mortalities were observed. Liver AEC's were lower than muscle AEC's throughout the study. The AEC appears to have some validity as a long-term indicator of physiological status and may have application in monitoring/predictive programs due to its predictable response to seasonal change. However, cautious use is suggested until temperature effects on adenylate metabolism and seasonal effects on metabolic recovery following capture stress can be established.
Role of AP-1 in Developmentally Regulated Lysosomal Trafficking in Trypanosoma brucei

African trypanosomes are the causative agents of human trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). The pathogenic stage of the parasite has unique adaptations to life in the bloodstream of the mammalian host, including upregulation of endocytic and lysosomal activities. We investigated stage-specific requirements for cytoplasmic adaptor/clathrin machinery in post-Golgi apparatus biosynthetic sorting to the lysosome using RNA interference silencing of the Tbμ1 subunit of adaptor complex 1 (AP-1), in conjunction with immunolocalization, kinetic analyses of reporter transport, and quantitative endocytosis assays. Tbμ1 silencing was lethal in both stages, indicating a critical function(s) for the AP-1 machinery. Transport of soluble and membrane-bound secretory cargoes was Tbμ1 independent in both stages. In procyclic parasites, trafficking of the lysosomal membrane protein, p67, was disrupted, leading to cell surface mislocalization. The lysosomal protease trypanopain was also secreted, suggesting a transmembrane-sorting receptor for this soluble hydrolase. In bloodstream trypanosomes, both p67 and trypanopain trafficking were unaffected by Tbμ1 silencing, suggesting that AP-1 is not necessary for biosynthetic lysosomal trafficking. Endocytosis in bloodstream cells was also unaffected, indicating that AP-1 does not function at the flagellar pocket. These results indicate that post-Golgi apparatus sorting to the lysosome is critically dependent on the AP-1/clathrin machinery in procyclic trypanosomes but that this machinery is not necessary in bloodstream parasites. We propose a simple model for stage-specific default secretory trafficking in trypanosomes that is consistent with the behavior of other soluble and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored cargos and which is influenced by upregulation of endocytosis in bloodstream parasites as an adaptation to life in the mammalian bloodstream.