cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A matter of margins: Surgical and pathologic risk factors for recurrence in extramammary Paget's disease.

Abstract Objectives To determine surgical and pathologic variables associated with recurrence in extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD). Methods Medical records of patients seeking care for EMPD from 1/1992–9/2015 were reviewed. Follow-up was restricted to 5years following primary surgery. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Risk factors were evaluated for an association with recurrence and positive margins, respectively, using Cox proportional hazards regression and logistic regression. Results Of 154 patients, 90 (58.4%) were female and 65 (41.6%) were male. Treatment consisted of wide local excision (WLE, includes WLE or radical vulvectomy, 77.3%), Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS, 19.5%), and abdominoperineal resection (3.2%). RFS at 1, 3, and 5years was 84.5% (95% confidence interval (CI), 78.2–91.4%), 66.1% (95% CI, 57.5–75.9%), and 56.1% (95% CI, 46.9–67.1%), respectively. Positive surgical margins were univariately associated with higher risk of recurrence (HR 3.55, 95% CI 1.74, 7.24). Margin status significantly correlated with procedure type (33.3% vs. 3.4% had positive margins with WLE vs. MMS, p =0.01). Among patients with negative margins, there was a 2.5 fold increased risk of recurrence after WLE compared to MMS (95% CI, 0.57–10.9, p =n.s.). Conclusion Inclusion of males allowed us to examine the influence of a different surgical approach (MMS) on margin status and recurrence rates in EMPD. In contrast to prior studies including solely vulvar EMPD, we observed strong association between margin status and recurrence risk. Risk of positive margins was significantly higher after WLE compared to MMS. MMS should be explored to improve outcomes in gynecologic patients with EMPD.
Evaluating brominated thioxanthones as organo-photocatalysts

Bromination of the widely used triplet sensitizer thioxanthone extends the absorption spectrum into the visible range with only minor loss of lowest triplet state energy (3 kcal/mol for di-bromination). Because of bromine substitution, a slight increase in triplet quantum yield was observed. The di-brominated derivative was effective as organo-photocatalyst in performing [2 + 2] cross-photocycloaddition of acrylimide-based compounds under visible light irradiation.
Tricyclic and Tetracyclic Antidepressants for the Prevention of Frequent Episodic or Chronic Tension-Type Headache in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background Tension-type headaches are a common source of pain and suffering. Our purpose was to assess the efficacy of tricyclic (TCA) and tetracyclic antidepressants in the prophylactic treatment of tension-type headache.
Intangibles Trade and MNEs: Supply-Chain Trade in R&D Services and Innovative Subsidiaries

This paper contributes to the literature on vertical specialization in R&D (or ‘R&D fragmentation’) and trade in intermediate services by examining the role of multinational enterprises (MNE) activities associated with bilateral foreign direct investment (FDI). Prior work in production networks (or global value chains [GVCs]) and R&D fragmentation suggests a complementarity relationship between FDI in R&D and technological knowledge flows. The paper examines this proposition empirically for R&D services trade by extending the gravity framework of supply-chain trade for intermediate services with bilateral MNE operations as economic mass variables. The results are partially consistent with the hypothesized complementarity. The econometric strategy accounts for zero trade observations. The latter addresses possible selection and consistency issues of traditional gravity trade specifications, and allows exploring extensive vs. intensive margin of trade. Understanding the role of MNEs in these transactions may be useful for policies aimed at increasing participation and upgrading in MNE-driven GVCs.
Happiness, income satiation and turning points around the world

Income is known to be associated with happiness 1 , but debates persist about the exact nature of this relationship 2,3 . Does happiness rise indefinitely with income, or is there a point at which higher incomes no longer lead to greater well-being? We examine this question using data from the Gallup World Poll, a representative sample of over 1.7 million individuals worldwide. Controlling for demographic factors, we use spline regression models to statistically identify points of ‘income satiation’. Globally, we find that satiation occurs at $95,000 for life evaluation and $60,000 to $75,000 for emotional well-being. However, there is substantial variation across world regions, with satiation occurring later in wealthier regions. We also find that in certain parts of the world, incomes beyond satiation are associated with lower life evaluations. These findings on income and happiness have practical and theoretical significance at the individual, institutional and national levels. They point to a degree of happiness adaptation 4,5 and that money influences happiness through the fulfilment of both needs and increasing material desires 6 .
Demon Possession and Psychopathology: A Theological Relationship:

Sall (1976) made four distinctions between demon possession and psychopathology, particularly psychosis. Each of these distinctions is reviewed and found to be unnecessarily subjective, less than t...
Survivorship Care Planning for Young Adults After Cancer Treatment: Understanding Care Patterns and Patient-Reported Outcomes.

Purpose: Young adult survivors (YAS) of cancer experience late effects of treatment similar to older adult survivors (AS). Online health tools such as Internet-based survivorship care plans (SCPs) can provide access to information about late effects and symptom management, but little is known about SCP patterns of use among YAS. Methods: An Internet-based cross-sectional survey was completed over 24 months. Participants were individuals diagnosed with cancer between 18 and 39 years (YAS, n = 611) or 40–60 years (AS, n = 1742), who were 2–20 years postdiagnosis, and who created an Internet-based SCP. Demographics, treatment-related variables, satisfaction with SCP, communication of SCP, and patient-reported late effects (fatigue, neurocognitive, sexual, cardiovascular, pulmonary, or second cancers) were collected. Results: YAS were primarily female (71%), Caucasian (78%), college educated (65%), and generated the SCP without assistance (76%). YAS reported satisfaction with content (93%) and shared content ...
Del pensamiento sociológico actual: El indio en México

En un pais como Mexico, donde ha ocurrido una gran mezcla racial, es posible estimar las relativas cantidades de sangre indigena y de raza blanca, pero no es posible contar el numero de indios. En donde la gente no conoce el caracter etnico de sus antepasados, como es lo cierto en la mayor parte de Mexico, no se puede enumerar a los indios en un sentido biologico. Tampoco es posible contar a los indios como grupo socialmente reconocido como hacemos nosotros con los negros en los Estados Unidos, porque en la mayoria de los lugares de Mexico los indios no estan definidos como tales ; en esos lugares todo el mundo es un mexicano, y nadie es un indio en definitiva.
Influence of thermal contact on heat transfer from glowing firebrands

Abstract The influence of thermal contact between a glowing firebrand and the target fuel bed on the resultant heat transfer into the fuel bed was investigated in this study. A zero dimensional (0-D) model for the firebrand coupled to a transient two dimensional (2-D) explicit finite difference model for the fuel bed were used simulate transient heat transfer from a firebrand deposited on a fuel bed. Two firebrand shapes, a disk shaped firebrand in contact with the fuel bed and a cylinder shaped firebrand with a protruding node in contact with fuel bed, were considered. A model was proposed to estimate the thermal contact resistance between the firebrand and the target fuel bed. Heat transfer from a cylinder shaped firebrand with two contact points was also investigated. The model developed in this study provided detailed information on the temperature distribution and thermal penetration depth in the target fuel bed. Predictions made by the model were in qualitative agreement with experimental data reported in the literature. The firebrand thermal contact resistance model presented in this study can be a useful tool to account for variations in firebrand shape and surface irregularities in both the firebrand and the target fuel bed.
Innate Immunity: Defeating

The innate immune response consists of a variety of relatively nonspecific and short-lived responses typically triggered soon after the appearance of an antigen (such as a virus or other pathogen). These responses have evolved, in part, to eliminate or to contain infectious agents such as viruses and often also serve to promote adaptive (antigen-specific B-cell and T-cell) immune responses. Innate immune responses can be mediated by proteins, for example, interferons, other cytokines, or complement; and by specific cell types such as macrophages, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells. Having co-evolved with their hosts, it is not surprising that viruses have developed ways to defeat innate immune responses. For virtually any described effector of the innate immune response, an example can be found of a virus-encoded mechanism to counteract this host response. The capacity to defeat these host responses is critical for efficient virus replication and for virus pathogenesis.
Natalizumab Exit Strategy Experience with Fingolimod (P01.206)

OBJECTIVE: To characterize patient outcomes in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who have switched from natalizumab to fingolimod at the Joanne P. LaGanke (JPL) MS Center. BACKGROUND: Natalizumab therapy is an effective option in the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis, yet some patients opt to change therapy for various reasons. A common reason for exit is having a positive JCV antibody status. A convincingly effective exit strategy that minimizes risk of JCV-induced PML and/or prevents recurrent MS disease activity has not been demonstrated. DESIGN/METHODS: Seventy five patients with relapsing MS who have switched from natalizumab to fingolimod therapy at the JPL MS Center have been followed for at least 6 months following this switch. Persistence on therapy, cranial MRI disease activity, relapses, and EDSS status have been followed. RESULTS: Seventy five patients were started on fingolimod therapy as the next disease modifying agent after natalizumab. Only 2 patients demonstrated disease activity manifested by relapse and MRI advancement. Two additional patients demonstrated EDSS progression without relapse or MRI advancement. Approximately one fourth of the patients have discontinued fingolimod therapy. CONCLUSIONS: This presentation demonstrates that fingolimod therapy has been the most effective exit strategy from natalizumab of any disease modifying agent with regard to disease progression in a relatively large population at an MS Center. Reasons why a substantial percentage of patients have discontinued therapy are discussed. Disclosure: Dr. LaGanke has served as a consultant for Acorda Therapeutics, Bayer, Biogen Idec, Cephalon, EMD Serono, Genzyme, Novartis, Pfizer, Questcor, Strativa, Teva, and UCB.
Sustainable Waste-to-Energy Technologies: Transesterification

Abstract Global demand for petroleum has been increasing due to rising populations, expanding industrialization, and urbanization. There is an urgent need to search for alternative fuels due to growing environmental concerns about greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuels and the volatility of fuel price. Transesterified vegetable oil (i.e., biodiesel) is one of the promising alternative fuels that may replace conventional petroleum diesel, because it is renewable, biodegradable, and nontoxic, with relatively low aromatic and sulfur content, while providing relatively low net CO 2 emissions, high fuel efficiency, and high conversion rate. Biodiesel can be synthesized from a wide range of feedstocks (e.g., edible vegetable oils, animal fats, and waste cooking oil) through the reaction of triglycerides with a monohydric alcohol in the presence of a base or an acid catalyst to form fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and glycerol. A major economic challenge of commercializing biodiesel from edible oils is the high feedstock cost and conflict with feedstocks that could be used as food resources. Low-grade oil, mostly waste cooking oil (WCO), could be a potential substitute as an alternative to edible feedstocks, despite the generally high free fatty acid (FFA) and water content of WCO. Repurposing waste cooking oil into biodiesel not only eliminates the discharge of this material to treatment facilities but also provides the benefit of reduced water and soil pollution. This chapter focuses on the production of biodiesel by homogeneous base-catalyzed transesterification of waste cooking oil obtained from food service businesses and institutions. In addition, the purification and potential valorization of crude glycerol generated as a by-product of the transesterification reaction is also presented.
Nonlinear mixing law for magnetic resonance transverse-relaxation measurements of dispersed mixtures

ABSTRACTNuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been used to estimate the permeability of water-saturated rocks with uniform grain-surface composition. Geologic formations, however, usually consist of...
A High-Frequency Resonant Framed-Annulus Pitch or Roll Gyroscope for Robust High-Performance Single-Chip Inertial Measurement Units

This paper introduces a novel resonator design for a high-frequency mode-matched pitch (or roll) gyroscope featuring large excitation amplitude and high Coriolis coupling to address the limitations of conventional designs in enabling robust high-performance single-chip inertial measurement units. The resonator consists of a compact framed-annulus structure with substrate-decoupled in-plane and out-of-plane high-frequency gyroscopic modes for high environmental robustness. The out-of-plane mode is carefully engineered to match the Coriolis force generated by the in-plane mode motion under rotation, providing high Coriolis coupling and improving the signal-to-noise ratio. Prototypes are implemented using HARPSS+ process with nano-gap slanted electrodes for quadrature tuning and nano-gap comb-drives for efficient large-range linear actuation. Mode-matched operation of the gyroscope at 657 kHz is demonstrated with a relatively large open-loop bandwidth of 73 Hz, showing a scale-factor of 150 pA/(°/s) with nonlinearity less than 0.08% over a measured 600°/s full-scale range. The gyroscope shows well-behaved ${Q}$ -factor and scale-factor across temperature from −40 °C to 80 °C, giving less than ±0.65% sensitivity variation after applying a quadratic correction curve to compensate for ${Q}$ variation. The gyroscope demonstrates angle random walk of 0.55°/ $\surd \text{h}$ and bias instability of 17.9°/h, limited by package pressure and interface electronics. Resonant operation of the framed-annulus gyroscope with mechanical ${Q}$ -amplification provides a solution to high-performance single-chip inertial measurement unit with robust large-bandwidth low-power gyroscopes. [2018-0081]
Facility variation in clinical staging of rectal adenocarcinoma and its contribution to underutilization of neoadjuvant therapy.

810Background: Studies of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) found that neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) for clinical stage II-III rectal adenocarcinoma is underutilized, but they reclassified patients w...
Crystal Structure and Preferential Site Occupancy in Cs6Mn(H2O)2(VO3)8 and Cs5KMn(H2O)2(VO3)8

Two new structurally related cesium manganese vanadates have been synthesized by a high-temperature (580 °C) hydrothermal synthetic method utilizing halide brine mineralizers. Both structures Cs6Mn(H2O)2(VO3)8 (I) and Cs5KMn(H2O)2(VO3)8 (II) are isostructural crystallizing in the tetragonal space group P4/mnc. The first structure, Cs6Mn(H2O)2(VO3)8 (I) has unit cell dimensions of a = 13.6830(4) A, c = 8.6476(3) A and the second structure, Cs5KMn(H2O)2(VO3)8 (II), has unit cell dimensions of a = 13.5015(4) A, c = 8.5372(3) A. The structures are built from a manganese vanadate chain, which consists of [Mn(H2O)2O4] units that are coordinated to one another by a unique sinusoidal vanadate chain, (VO3)n. Both structures have well-ordered alkali metal atoms, with the potassium atoms of II exhibiting preferential site occupancy. Both compounds were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy, to identify the characteristic O–H and V–O modes. Crystals of Cs6Mn(H2O)2(VO3)8 and Cs5KMn(H2O)2(VO3)8 were synthesized from hydrothermal brines and their structures determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction, revealing preferential, ordered site substitution of the alkali metals.
The Safe Gluteoplasty: Anatomic Landmarks to Predict the Superior and Inferior Gluteal Veins

Objective: The increase in demand for gluteal fat grafting seen in recent years in the United States has not been met with an equal gain in knowledge of the perils of this anatomic territory. The purpose of this study was to identify anatomic landmarks that can be readily used by surgeons to identify the takeoff of the superior and inferior gluteal veins. Method: Six fresh cadaveric gluteal specimens were dissected at the University of Louisville anatomy laboratory. A question mark incision was made for exposure, followed by identification of the sciatic nerve in the proximal thigh. This was traced retrograde to the sciatic forearm. The piriformis muscle was identified dividing the foreman into superior and inferior portions, which corresponded to the takeoff of the superior and inferior gluteal vessels, respectively. The distance of the gluteal vessels from the one-third point of a line from the mid-sacrum to the greater trochanter was measured. Result: Our cadaveric dissection series demonstrated that the superior and inferior gluteal veins were on average 3.28 cm (2-5.9 cm) and 1.25 cm (0-3.5 cm) away from the point one third the distance from the mid-sacral border to the greater trochanter. Conclusion: The mid-sacrum and the trochanter of the femur are the anatomic landmarks used to identify the large gluteal vein trunks. Understanding the location and trajectory of these deep gluteal structures with use of readily identifiable landmarks may assist surgeons in avoiding inadvertent injection of fat to these veins during fat grafting.
A Central Organizing Framework for Pediatric Oncology Nursing Science and Its Impact on Care

This chapter provides the meaning and the rationale for the organizing framework that guides the content of the entire text. The framework, precision health in pediatric oncology, reflects the impact of cancer on the ill child’s cells, emotions, function, quality of life, developmental milestones, family health, and community. The interface of these areas of impact provides opportunities for the discovery of new knowledge essential to the care of the ill child and the child’s family. The components of the precision health in pediatric oncology framework are identified and defined, and their relationships are depicted to represent how pediatric oncology nursing practice and nursing science together influence the health of the ill child and the child’s family during and following the treatment of cancer.
Economic impacts of alternative kidney transplant immunosuppression: A national cohort study.

Understanding the economic implications of induction and maintenance immunosuppression (ISx) is important in developing personalized kidney transplant (KTx) care. Using data from a novel integrated data set including financial records from the University Health System Consortium, Medicare, and pharmacy claims (2007-2014), we estimated the differences in the impact of induction and maintenance ISx regimens on transplant hospitalization costs and Medicare payments from KTx to 3 years. Use of thymoglobulin (TMG) significantly increased transplant hospitalization costs ($12 006; P = .02), compared with alemtuzumab and basiliximab. TMG resulted in lower Medicare payments in posttransplant years 1 (-$2058; P = .05) and 2 (-$1784; P = .048). Patients on steroid-sparing ISx incurred relatively lower total Medicare spending (-$10 880; P = .01) compared with patients on triple therapy (tacrolimus, antimetabolite, and steroids). MPA/AZA-sparing, mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors-based, and cyclosporine-based maintenance ISx regimens were associated with significantly higher payments. Alternative ISx regimens were associated with different KTx hospitalization costs and longer-term payments. Future studies of clinical efficacy should also consider cost impacts to define the economic effectiveness of alternative ISx regimens.
Electrical Annealing and Stochastic Resonance in Low Barrier Perpendicular Nanomagnets for Oscillatory Neural Networks

In this work, we report the successful demonstration of electrical annealing and stochastic resonance in low barrier nanomagnets with weak perpendicular anisotropy. These novel phenomena are essential to realize oscillatory neural networks with dynamic connectivity, which provide a viable alternative to conventional neural network hardware with full connectivity by reducing the interconnection of synapse hardware from N2 weighted connections to N homogenous connections.
Educating Primary Care Providers and Associate Care Providers About Hepatitis C Screening of Baby Boomers: a Multi-practice Study

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) increases the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite higher prevalence of HCV in persons born 1945–1965 (baby boomer), screening has not been widely adopted. Both primary care providers (PCPs) and associate care providers (ACPs) need to be educated about the rationale and methods to screen for HCV. In five Federally Qualified Health Centers serving low-income Hispanic communities, PCPs and ACPs attended a 50-min training lecture about HCV epidemiology, screening methods, and evaluation. Using a 12-item questionnaire, knowledge and attitudes were compared for PCPs and ACPs at baseline (pre-test) and following training (post-test). A higher proportion of PCPs correctly answered 3 of 6 knowledge questions on both pre-test and post-test but ACPs’ showed more improvement in knowledge (all P < 0.05). ACPs had more favorable attitudes about linking patients to care on pre- and post-tests than PCPs, and ACPs’ attitudes improved on all 6 items versus 4 for PCPs. Both PCPs and ACPs improved knowledge and attitudes after training about HCV screening but ACPs had more favorable attitudes than PCPs. Engaging the entire primary care practice team in learning about HCV screening promotes knowledge and attitudes necessary for successful implementation.
Predicting Treatment Outcome, Genetics, Neuroendocrinology, and Methodological Issues

There is general agreement that our present obesity treatment methods are, by and large, unsatisfactory. Our aim is to bring together people to identify research questions, the answers to which help us develop better, more effective treatments. Each of us, I hope, will leave this meeting with a somewhat sharper and more focused idea about exactly what kind of research, and in what way our own research, could contribute to resolving the present shortcomings.
Letter to the Editor: Strawberries: Facts, Truth, Misinformation, Publication Bias and the Importance of Negative Results.

We commonly make the assumption that information provided in instructions and/or publications is correct and based on proven and unbiased knowledge. In a recent study about strawberry seed germination, which will be reported concurrently with this letter, seed supplier’s instructions (based on accepted wisdom among growers) were actually tested, and the results of that part of the study brought to mind the insidious nature of publication bias. This testing was done because the seed planting in question was a crucial component of a scientific study I recently completed on the effects of electromagnetic fields on seed germination in which more than 7,000 seeds were planted, carefully and individually, and their germination rates were studied closely. Briefly, the recent study to which I will make reference describes the interaction between three different treatments prior to planting the seeds: pre-freezing, pre-soaking, and the application of PEMF. It is widely held that the first two, especially pre-freezing, is essential for strawberry seed germination. These procedures are also often reported in the methods section as a side note in scientific reports, so I took them as a given. Our goal was to determine the extent to which the application of PEMF interacted with either or both of the widely accepted pre-treatments. But when the data came in, I did not see evidence of any positive effects on germination resulting from either pre-treatment when studied separately or in combination. In fact, both pre-treatments appeared to have a slight negative effect on the germination rate, and neither under any circumstances interacted with PEMF treatment in a positive way at any level of practical importance. These negative results will be submitted for publication in JoSaM, in keeping with our policy to fight against publication bias.
Commentary: Reply to ‘Transgender and mental health’ by Philip Graham

The letter to the editor from Philip Graham regarding the manuscript 'Early adolescent gender diversity and mental health in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study' (Potter et al., 2021) raises several points that highlight the complexity of the conversation around gender development in youth. While there is an agreement between the original manuscript and much of the letter, some of the issues raised warrant further discussion and clarification.
Learning-Based Career Development Theories are More Livable than Sociological and Psychological Career Development Theories: A Need to Converge the Available Career Development Theories

Learning-based career development theories hold a unique position as these theories propose and advocate genetic attributes, environmental conditions, learning experiences, task approach skills, cultural traditions, beliefs, and preferences that determine individuals’ interests, values, abilities, and coping skills. Unlike sociological and psychological theories, Learning theories (an overview is given in Table 1) support individual clients in dealing with unplanned and unexpected events.
The ATLAS Experiment

This chapter provides a basic introduction to the ATLAS (A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS) detector. Focus is given to the detectors used in the work presented in this thesis.
A Discussion of Turbulent Flame Structure in Premixed Charges

Propagation of turbulent flames in spark-ignition engines is considered from the viewpoint of the different possible regimes of premixed turbulent combustion. Nondimensional parameters defining known combustion regimes are reviewed, and numerical values of these parameters are estimated for both research and production engines. The reaction-sheet regime is inferred to apply at least for some operating conditions, and therefore literature on turbulent flame propagation in the reaction-sheet regime is reviewed. Implications of these results on interpretations of existing experimental observations of combustion in engine cylinders and on modeling of turbulent flame propagation in engines are discussed.
Validity of self-administered quality of well-being scale in musculoskeletal disease.

Objective To evaluate the self-administered Quality of Well-Being (QWB-SA) Scale for patients with rheumatic diseases. Methods Family medicine patients (n = 562) and rheumatology patients (n = 334) were assessed using the following tools: QWB-SA, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS), and Rapid Assessment of Disease Activity in Rheumatology (RADAR). Results Patients with arthritis had significantly lower QWB-SA scores and significantly higher HAQ scores than family medicine patients with and without adjustment for covariates. The QWB-SA was significantly associated with quartiles from the RADAR, AIMS, and HAQ, providing evidence for the validity of the generic measure in patients with arthritis. Discriminant function analysis was used to create an arthritis-specific scoring system for the QWB-SA. Analyses demonstrated systematic relationships between the Quality of Well-Being arthritis composite and the disease-specific RADAR, AIMS, and HAQ. Conclusions Evidence supports the validity of the QWB-SA for patients with rheumatic diseases. QWB-SA items can be used to calculate an arthritis-specific score. The QWB-SA can be used to gain generic information for cost-utility analysis and disease-specific outcomes information for patients with arthritis.
Geometric approach to response theory in non-Hamiltonian systems

The theory of differential forms and time-dependent vector fields on manifolds is applied to formulate response theory for non-Hamiltonian systems. This approach is manifestly coordinate-free, and provides a transparent derivation of the response of a thermostatted system to a time-dependent perturbation.
Catecholamines and β-alanine in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum: Roles in cuticle sclerotization and melanization☆

Abstract Catecholamines and β-alanine titres were measured in a rust-red wild strain of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum Herbst and in a mutant strain which has a black cuticle. During the first three days after adult eclosion, β-alanine and N-β- alanyldopamine (NBAD) are present in the former strain, but they are absent or very low in the latter. Dopamine is approx. 3-fold higher in the black than in the rust-red strain while N- acetyldopamine , the major catecholamine in both strains, is about two times more abundant in the black. Fully sclerotized rust-red elytra contain nearly ten times more NBAD than black elytra, while the latter have about ten times more dopamine. Injection of β-alanine into newly eclosed mutant adults rescues the rust-red phenotype. One-day and two-week-old adults of the black strain exhibit 2 to 3-fold higher levels of catechol oxidase activity than wild-type adults. Cuticle pigmentation is probably determined by the relative concentrations of catecholamines, β-alanine and catechol oxidase which are utilized for production of sclerotin and melanin. High dopamine titres appear to cause the black pigmentation through melanin synthesis while β-alanine and its dopamine conjugate NBAD are associated with the rust-red colouration.
Identification of essential carboxyl groups in the specific binding site of bovine trypsin by chemical modification.

Abstract The carboxyl groups essential for the enzyme activity of bovine trypsin were labeled and identified by means of a chemical modification procedure. Chromatographically purified bovine β-trypsin, which contains a single polypeptide chain, was treated with the water-soluble carbodiimide, 1-ethyl-3-dimethylaminopropyl carbodiimide, and glycinamide, according to the method of Koshland et al. (13–15). Coupling of the protein carboxyl groups with glycinamide in amide linkage resulted in nearly complete loss of the enzyme activity as determined by an esterolytic assay using Nα-benzoyl-l-arginine ethyl ester as substrate. The extent of modification of the carboxyl groups and the extent of enzyme inactivation were found to be decreased in the presence of the competitive inhibitor benzamidine, indicating that certain essential carboxyl groups were protected from modification by the inhibitor. The carboxyl groups masked by the inhibitor were then reacted, after removal of the inhibitor by dialysis, with the carbodiimide reagent and 14C-glycinamide. After enzymatic degradation of the radioactive trypsin derivative, the labeled peptides were isolated and identified by their amino acid composition. The primary site of labeling was found to be aspartyl-177, strongly suggesting that this residue provides the anionic center for specific substrate binding. Some radioactivity was also associated with Asp-182. This residue reacted very slowly with the carbodiimide reagent, but it could be readily modified in the presence of 8 m urea, indicating that it is partially buried in the molecule. In 8 m urea, another carboxyl group, Asp-90, became available to modification. The failure of this residue to react in the native state suggests that Asp-90, which is homologous with an aspartyl residue known to be buried in chymotrypsin (21), is completely buried in the trypsin molecule. The enzyme which had been modified in the absence of benzamidine and had lost 99% of its specific esterolytic activity retained its reactivity toward diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate to a significant extent, indicating that the inactivation was due primarily to loss of the specificity site. The reaction of tyrosine with the carbodiimide was not a major cause of the inactivation because the regeneration of tyrosyl residues by hydroxylamine resulted in no significant change in the activity of modified trypsin preparations.
Propranolol decreases proliferation of endothelial cells transformed by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and induces lytic viral gene expression

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is common in Africa, but economic constraints hinder successful treatment in most patients. Propranolol, a generic β-adrenergic antagonist, decreased proliferation of KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)-infected cells. Downregulation of cyclin A2 and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) recapitulated this phenotype. Additionally, propranolol induced lytic gene expression in association with downregulation of CDK6. Thus, propranolol has diverse effects on KSHV-infected cells, and this generic drug has potential as a therapeutic agent for KS.
A new theory of essential hypertension based on analysis of the association between a polymorphism of the α2-adrenoceptor at the 10q24–q26 locus and hypertension in African-Americans

Some key historical observations about essential hypertension (HTN) are reviewed, analyzed logically, and used to construct a new theory of hypertension. The historical observations are as follows: Lockette reported a statistical association between HTN in African-Americans and the 6.3-kb allele of a restriction fragment-length polymorphism of the gene for the α2-adrenoceptor, which is found on platelets. Individuals carrying at least one copy of the 6.3-kb allele had increased in vitro epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation. Systemic or blood-wide platelet activation (SPA) induced by epinephrine has been shown to be an in vivo feature of HTN, and serotonin and thromboxane A2, two vasoconstrictors released by activated platelets, synergize in vitro with angiotensin II. Esler showed that there is increased noradrenergic drive in the heart and kidney in HTN, although renin levels are usually normal. Mulvany's group showed that small arteries controlling vascular resistance undergo remodeling in HTN. Putting together these observations leads to the following theory. Essential HTN is a disease in which the brainstem set point for blood pressure (BP) is reset, which causes the autonomic nervous system to release increased norepinephrine in the heart and kidney and increased epinephrine from the adrenal medulla. Epinephrine release causes SPA. In the first stage of the disease, when renin is high, serotonin and thromboxane A2 released by activated platelets synergize with high angiotensin II to raise BP. Rising BP causes vascular remodeling, a structural attempt at autoregulation of blood flow which maintains normal flow artery-by-artery but has the side-effect of increasing total peripheral resistance (TPR), even beyond that caused by high renin. The presence of ever rising TPR and, therefore, ever rising BP, gradually overcomes the effect of noradrenergic drive in the kidney and leads to suppression of renin release by the juxtaglomerular apparatus. Renin levels fall pari passu with rising TPR caused by vascular remodeling. In the second stage of the disease, when renin has fallen back to normal (or low), increased TPR caused by vascular remodeling persists as a factor raising BP.
Therapeutic Importance of Calcium Antagonists in Coronary Artery Disease and Congestive Heart Failure: An Overview

The important role of the calcium ion in the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system has been recognised for many years. However, it was in the past decade that the concept has been developed that interference or blockage of the effects of calcium could be utilised for therapeutic advantage. A variety of pharmacological agents capable of blocking the physiological actions of calcium have been identified, and have been found to produce salutary effects in patients with coronary artery disease. This article provides an overview of the function of calcium in normal cardiovascular performance and indicates the potential role that antagonism of this effect may play in the therapy of coronary disease and left ventricular dysfunction.
Development of a direct viable count procedure for some Gram‐positive bacteria

The direct viable count (DVC) is a procedure for enumerating viable-nonculturable cells. It should be noted, however, that bacteria demonstrating the viable but nonculturable phase have to date included only Gram-negative species, mainly because the DVC procedure does not lend itself to the analysis of Gram-positive bacteria since the DVC procedure is dependent on the bacterium being sensitive to nalidixic acid. The authors report here concerning studies on an analogous procedure for the direct enumeration of viable-nonculturable Gram-positive bacteria. To facilitate a differential DVC for Gram-positive bacteria, ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, norfloxacin or isopropyl cinodine were substituted for nalidixic acid. These antibiotics were chosen because, like nalidixic acid, they are DNA gyrase inhibitors. The concentrations used for each antibiotic were 1000 μg ml-1, 100 μg ml-1 and 10 mg ml-1. Pure cultures of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus subtilis were obtained from the culture collection at the University of Wyoming and a faecal streptococcus was isolated from the Laramie wastewater treatment plant. An antibiotic and optimal concentration thereof was found which gave enlarged cells for all the organisms except the faecal streptococcus isolated from the wastewater plant for which no enlarged cells were ever seen. The antibiotic and concentration thereof which gave the optimal percent enlarged cells in the DVC procedure varied between organisms.
Relative significance of environmental factors affecting hydrogen production from landfilled refuse samples

The relative significance of 11 environmental factors on the apparent steady-state concentration of hydrogen (ASSCH 2 ) achieved during anaerobic degradation of refuse collected from landfills was evaluated by using multiple regression analysis. Simple correlation analysis revealed a significant negative association of ASSCH 2 with newsprint moisture content (NMO) and pH of the sample. Application of five different variable selection procedures, which are commonly used in multiple regression analyses, showed that NMO, amylase (AMY), esterase (EST), cellulose to lignin ratio (CLR), volatile solids (VS), and nitrogen content (NIT) were significantly associated with ASSCH 2 simultaneously. The other five factors did not show any significant effect on ASSCH 2 in the presence of the six significant factors. Further analysis showed that the influence of AMY and EST on ASSCH 2 was weak, hence they were not included in the regression model. CLR was also deleted from the final model because of the multicollinearity resulting from its high correlation with VS. The final model incorporated NMO, NMO 2 , VS 2 and NIT 2 ; it explained 95% of the total variability and predicted 98% of the observed ASSCH 2 . An assessment of the relative significance of the independent variables indicated that NMO contributed the most, followed by NMO 2 and VS 2 , in that order, and the least by NIT 2 towards ASSCH 2 . The NMO and NIT 2 showed an inhibitory effect on ASSCH 2 . The results indicated that maintaining optimum moisture, along with optimum organic loading, and nitrogen content in landfills is necessary to achieve and maintain a low ASSCH 2 and maximize refuse methanogenesis.
Magmatic processes in developing oceanic crust revealed in a cumulate xenolith collected at the East Pacific Rise, 9°50′N

The petrology and geochemistry of a xenolith, a fragment of a melt-bearing cumulate, within a recently erupted mid-ocean ridge (MOR) lava flow provide information on petrogenetic processes occurring within the newly forming oceanic crust beneath the northern East Pacific Rise (NEPR). The xenolith reveals important petrologic information about MOR magmatic systems concerning (1) melt distribution in a crystal-dominated mush; (2) melt-crystal reactions within the mush; (3) the chemistry of melts that have contributed to the cumulate lithology; and (4) the chemistry of axial melts that enter the axial magma system. The xenolith was enclosed within a moderately primitive, normal mid-ocean ridge basalt (NMORB) erupted in 1991 within the neovolcanic zone of the NEPR, at approximately 9°50′N. The sample is a matrix-dominated, cumulate olivine anorthosite, composed of anorthite (An94-90) and bytownite (An89-70), intergranular olivine (Fo86±0.3), minor sulfide and spinel, and intergranular glass. Marginal corrosion of plagioclase, and possibly olivine, and internal remelting of plagioclase indicate syntexis. It is surmised that the pore volume was eviscerated several times with moderately primitive basaltic melts and reduced by intergranular crystallization of forsteritic olivine. The presence of anorthite as a cumulate phase in the xenolith and the observation of anorthite xenocrysts in NMORB lavas, and as a cumulate phase in ophiolite gabbros, indicate that Ca-rich melts that are not a part of the NMORB lineage play an important role in the construction of the oceanic crust.
Cirrus clouds and halos: A closer look

What's the connection between cirrus clouds, halos, coronas, and arcs/circles? It appears to be more complex than previously thought, and may depend in large part on the geographic locations of the clouds.
Molecular Characterization of the eis Promoter of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be the world's most destructive human bacterial infectious disease. Current estimates show that more than two million people die from TB each year, and TB remains a major cause of premature death (18). Mortality due to TB is a major global health crisis due to AIDS and the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, although effective treatments are available. Despite the elucidation of the genome sequence of several M. tuberculosis strains (5, 14) and available genetic tools to identify genes involved in TB pathogenesis (13, 16, 23, 26), the molecular basis of its ability to survive within host cells and evade host immune responses is unknown. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis is essential for the development of better methods of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. One way to heighten our understanding of M. tuberculosis pathogenesis is to examine the regulation of potential virulence genes, in particular the promoters and other elements that govern their expression. Approximately 130 mycobacterial promoters have been characterized to date, but only 76 have been categorized into the four groups (A to D) of mycobacterial promoters (15). Identified promoters comprise less than 3% of the potential promoters in the genome of M. tuberculosis. The majority of the categorized promoters are from Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, with less than 25% derived from M. tuberculosis itself. This indicates that we know little about promoter function in mycobacteria and even less about promoters from M. tuberculosis. Therefore, there is a need for detailed studies on M. tuberculosis promoter characterization and function, especially for genes that may play a role in the survival of M. tuberculosis within macrophages. The eis gene of M. tuberculosis H37Rv was found to enhance the survival of saprophytic M. smegmatis during repeated passage through the human macrophage-like cell line U-937 (32). How eis confers this survival phenotype on M. smegmatis, which does not contain eis, is unknown because it is not homologous to any gene of known function. Fractionation studies and immunoblot analyses performed on culture-grown M. tuberculosis found that the Eis protein was distributed throughout the bacterium, including the cell wall and cytoplasm (7). More recent studies have shown that eis is differentially expressed in a clinical strain of M. tuberculosis upon infection of activated human macrophages (4). These results do not suggest a function for the Eis protein or indicate how eis may be regulated. Our goal here is to understand the expression of eis as a foundation for eventually understanding its proposed role in M. tuberculosis virulence.
FULLERENES AND FULLERANES IN METEORITES REVISITED

Fullerenes C60 and C70 and the fullerane C60H2 were not found in the toluene extract from 200 g of the C3V carbonaceous chondrite Allende by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Two distinct substances in the HPLC chromatogram of the extract, called Aα and Aβ, were found to have absorption spectra in the wavelength range 300-650 nm similar in shape to that of C60. The HPLC chromatograms of Aα and Aβ show conclusively that Aα and Aβ are not C60, C70, C60O, or C60H2. The mass spectrometric analysis shows that Aα and Aβ do not contain any fullerene derivatives in the mass range 722 to 800. However, Aβ may contain corannulene (C20H10), a suggested precursor in the formation of C60 by condensation of carbon vapor. The discrepancy between the results of Becker et al. and Heymann remains essentially unresolved, but the probability of finding fullerenes or fulleranes in samples of the Allende, or other meteorites, has now become very small. The implications of the new results for theories of fullerene and fullerane formation in stellar and interstellar media are that these substances, if they formed in such environments, apparently were destroyed in the interstellar cloud from which the solar system formed, did not survive the formation of the solar system, or did not survive the formation of meteorites.
Hyperfine structure of 69Ga in crossed electric and magnetic fields

Abstract Level crossings which occur in the hyperfine structure of 69 Ga under the combined influence of electric and magnetic fields are investigated with respect to the field orientation. The possibility of detecting “anti-crossings” by the atomic beam method is considered.
Maternal Role Incompatibility and Fertility in Urban Latin America1

Based on fertility surveys conducted in seven Latin American cities, this study examines the proposition that the crucial variable determining the relationship between maternal employment and fertility may be the extent of incompatibility between joint occupancy of the roles of mother and worker. Where these two roles are incompatible, female employees should have fewer children than the nonemployed. Two structural aspects of role incompatibility (employment outside the home and white collar employment) are related to fertility in most cities. The number of hours employed outside the home is usually unrelated to fertility. Many of the relationships are simply due to more education and greater approval of nondomestic activities among employed wives. The wife's motivation for employment, her education, and her preferred role seem to exert greater influence on her fertility than her actual role of employee or homemaker. A significant finding of the research is the role of individual city and the ecological conditions operative within each.