cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coenzyme A Transferase KINETICS AND EXCHANGE REACTIONS

Abstract The following evidence supports the conclusion that the reaction catalyzed by succinyl coenzyme A:3-keto acid coenzyme A transferase proceeds through two half-reactions in a "ping-pong" mechanism with an enzyme-CoA intermediate. (a) Double reciprocal plots of the initial rates against substrate concentration for the reaction in each direction are best described by a series of parallel lines. (b) Inhibition by each of the acid products is competitive with respect to the other acid substrate and noncompetitive with respect to the acyl-CoA substrate. (c) Four expected Haldane relationships for this mechanism are obeyed within experimental error. (d) At a given concentration of acetoacetyl-CoA the maximal rate of the acetoacetate-acetoacetyl-CoA exchange reaction is the same as the maximal rate of the over-all reaction with succinate. (e) At saturating concentrations of acetoacetate the amount of inhibition of the reaction by succinate is equal to the amount of labeled succinate incorporated into succinyl-CoA; i.e. inhibition occurs by reversal of the first half-reaction. (f) At high concentrations of succinate the amount of inhibition by acetoacetate is equal to the amount of exchange of acetoacetate into acetoacetyl-CoA. At low succinate concentrations, at which the first half-reaction can proceed faster than the second, exchange is greater than inhibition. The enzyme is inhibited upon incubation with dilute solutions of acetylating agents or with acetoacetyl-CoA and certain bivalent metals. It is inhibited by monovalent anions, with an order of effectiveness which follows the Hofmeister series. Inhibition by sodium chloride is predominantly competitive with respect to succinate and acetoacetate.
Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species induce hyperexcitability in nociceptive airway sensory nerves via PKC activation (663.5)

Activation of airway nociceptive C-fibers evokes cough and parasympathetic reflexes. Nociceptor excitability is increased by inflammation, worsening symptoms in asthma. Airway C-fiber terminals are packed with mitochondria. Inflammatory signaling modulates mitochondrial function, causing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. We hypothesize that these ROS increase nociceptor excitability. We recorded action potentials in single C-fibers using an ex vivo mouse lung-ganglia preparation. “Nociceptors” are slow fibers, sensitive to capsaicin (via TRPV1). Antimycin A, a mitochondrial complex III inhibitor that evokes ROS, had no effect on the excitability of non-nociceptive nerves. Ten minutes after antimycin A, nociceptive nerves developed hyperexcitability to chemical and mechanical stimuli. Antimycin-induced hyperexcitability was blocked by N-acetyl cysteine and dithiothreitol but not by TRPV1 knockout. ROS can activate protein kinase C independently of Ca2+. Here, the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide I...
Excess body weight and colorectal cancer survival: the multiethnic cohort.

Excess body weight is a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC) and may also adversely affect survival in CRC patients. This study examined the relation of body mass index (BMI), which was self-reported at cohort entry and after 5.7 ± 0.8 years, with CRC-specific and all-cause survival among 4,204 incident cases of invasive CRC in the multiethnic cohort. Cox regression analysis with age as time metric and BMI as time-varying exposure was applied to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) while adjusting for relevant covariates. Over 6.0 ± 4.7 years of follow-up, 1,976 all-cause and 1,095 CRC-specific deaths were recorded. The mean time interval between cohort entry and diagnosis was 7.6 ± 4.7 years. No association with CRC-specific survival was detected in men (HR5units = 0.94; 95 %CI 0.84–1.04) or women (HR5units = 0.98; 95 %CI 0.89–1.08). In men, all-cause survival also showed no relation with BMI (HR5unit = 0.97; 95 %CI 0.90–1.06), whereas it was reduced in women (HR5units = 1.10; 95 %CI 1.03–1.18). Interactions of BMI with ethnicity were only significant for obesity. Obese Latino and overweight Native Hawaiian men as well as overweight African-American women experienced significantly better CRC-specific survival than whites. Overweight Japanese men and African-American women had better all-cause survival and obese Latino women had the lowest all-cause survival (HRobese = 1.74; 95 %CI 1.08–2.80). This analysis detected little evidence for an adverse effect of excess body weight on CRC-specific survival, but all-cause survival was reduced in women. These findings suggest that adiposity may be less important for CRC survival than as an etiologic factor.
Chemical studies on the enzymatic specificity of goose egg white lysozyme.

In comparison with hen egg white lysozyme, goose lysozyme is known to be aberrant in both its structure and its enzymatic behavior in the presence of polymers of N-acetylglucosamine or cell suspensions of Micrococcus luteus. Our chemical studies show, however, that like the hen enzyme, goose lysozyme has muramidase activity. At several pH levels ranging from 3.5 to 7.1 the goose enzyme liberated the reducing ends of N-acetylmuramic acid residues in purified preparations of Escherichia coli and M. luteus peptidoglycans. In contrast to what is known about hen lysozyme, however, our results suggest that the goose enzyme has a distinct preference for N-acetylmuramic acid residues which are substituted with a peptide moiety. This difference in specificity towards the peptide portion of the peptidoglycan may be related to the biological function of lysozyme.
Spondylolysis outcomes in adolescents after direct screw repair of the pars interarticularis.

Object Isthmic spondylolysis can significantly decrease functional abilities, especially in adolescent athletes. Although treatment can range from observation to surgery, direct screw placement through the fractured pars, or Buck's procedure, may be a more minimally invasive procedure than the more common pedicle screw-hook construct. Methods Review of surgical databases identified 16 consecutive patients treated with Buck's procedure from 2004 to 2010. Twelve patients were treated at Miami Children's Hospital and 4 at Barrow Neurological Institute. Demographics and clinical and radiographic outcomes were recorded and analyzed retrospectively. Results The 16 patients had a median age of 16 years, and 14 were 20 years or younger at the time of treatment. Symptoms included axial back pain in 100% of patients with concomitant radiculopathy in 38%. Pars defects were bilateral in 81% and unilateral in 19% for a total of 29 pars defects treated using Buck's procedure. Autograft or allograft augmented with recom...
Protoporphyrin Metabolic Balance in Human Protoporphyria

Short-term maintenance of different stable steady state balances for protoporphyrin production, accumulation in erythrocytes and plasma, and fecal excretion was demonstrated in 5 patients with uncomplicated protoporphyria in whom red blood cell, plasma, and fecal protoporphyrin levels were determined on 5-7 sequential days. The patients were hospitalized in a research unit for dietary control and standardization of specimen collection. Each patient was found to quantitatively partition protoporphyrin among these compartments in a pattern that was reproducible from day to day, and characteristic for that patient. These observations partially substantiate a previously proposed hypothesis that protoporphyrin partitioning patterns may provide a criterion for prospective classification of these patients into groups that may ultimately be shown to have different risk for development of symptomatic liver disease.
Applications of nonlinear dynamics to the turbo decoding algorithm

In this paper, we treat the turbo decoding algorithm as a dynamical system parameterized by the SNR (signal-to-noise ratio). A whole range of nonlinear phenomena, including chaos and transient chaos, have been shown to occur in the turbo decoding algorithm. As an application, we develop an adaptive technique to control transient chaos, leading to an improvement of the BER (bit error rate) performance.
Regulation of CsrB/C sRNA decay by EIIAGlc of the phosphoenolpyruvate: carbohydrate phosphotransferase system

Csr is a conserved global regulatory system, which uses the sequence-specific RNA-binding protein CsrA to activate or repress gene expression by binding to mRNA and altering translation, stability and/or transcript elongation. In Escherichia coli, CsrA activity is regulated by two sRNAs, CsrB and CsrC, which bind to multiple CsrA dimers, thereby sequestering this protein away from its mRNA targets. Turnover of CsrB/C sRNAs is tightly regulated by a GGDEF-EAL domain protein, CsrD, which targets them for cleavage by RNase E. Here, we show that EIIA(Glc) of the glucose-specific PTS system is also required for the normal decay of these sRNAs and that it acts by binding to the EAL domain of CsrD. Only the unphosphorylated form of EIIA(Glc) bound to CsrD in vitro and was capable of activating CsrB/C turnover in vivo. Genetic studies confirmed that this mechanism couples CsrB/C sRNA decay to the availability of a preferred carbon source. These findings reveal a new physiological influence on the workings of the Csr system, a novel function for the EAL domain, and an important new way in which EIIA(Glc) shapes global regulatory circuitry in response to nutritional status.
Hydrothermal Synthesis of Disulfide-Containing Uranyl Compounds: In Situ Ligand Synthesis versus Direct Assembly

Three disulfide-containing uranyl compounds, [UO2(C7H4O2S)3]·H2O (1), [UO2(C7H4O2S)2(C7H5O2S)] (2), and [UO2(C7H4O2S)4] (3) have been hydrothermally synthesized. Both in situ disulfide bond formation from 3- and 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (C7H5O2S, MBA) to yield 3,3′- and 4,4′-dithiobisbenzoic acid (C14H8O4S2, DTBA) and direct assembly with the presynthesized dimeric ligands have been explored. While the starting materials 4-MBA and 4,4′-DTBA both yield 2 via in situ ligand synthesis and direct assembly, respectively, we observe the formation of 1 from the starting material 3-MBA via in situ ligand synthesis and of 3 from the direct assembly of the uranyl cation with 3,3′-DTBA. Concurrently with the synthesis of 1 and 2, we have observed the in situ formation of the crystalline dimeric organic species, 3,3′-DTBA, [(C7H5O2S)2] (4) and 4,4′-DTBA, [(C7H5O2S)2] (5). Herein we report the synthesis and crystallographic characterization of 1−5, as well as observations regarding the utility of product formation via d...
New Tasks for a Theory of the Labor Movement: New Beginnings in Eastern Europe

: This paper briefly reviews the thinking about labor movements which grew out of the ideological conflicts stemming from the Cold War. The framework proposed by Adolf Sturmthal and James Scoville is contrasted with other recent views, especially in terms of applicability to the labor movement in post-Communist Europe. Some empirical work is brought to bear on the subject.
Construction of a fluorescent biosensor family

Bacterial periplasmic binding proteins (bPBPs) are specific for a wide variety of small molecule ligands. bPBPs undergo a large, ligand-mediated conformational change that can be linked to reporter functions to monitor ligand concentrations. This mechanism provides the basis of a general system for engineering families of reagentless biosensors that share a common physical signal transduction functionality and detect many different analytes. We demonstrate the facility of designing optical biosensors based on fluorophore conjugates using 8 environmentally sensitive fluorophores and 11 bPBPs specific for diverse ligands, including sugars, amino acids, anions, cations, and dipeptides. Construction of reagentless fluorescent biosensors relies on identification of sites that undergo a local conformational change in concert with the global, ligand-mediated hinge-bending motion. Construction of cysteine mutations at these locations then permits site-specific coupling of environmentally sensitive fluorophores that report ligand binding as changes in fluorescence intensity. For 10 of the bPBPs presented in this study, the three-dimensional receptor structure was used to predict the location of reporter sites. In one case, a bPBP sensor specific for glutamic and aspartic acid was designed starting from genome sequence information and illustrates the potential for discovering novel binding functions in the microbial genosphere using bioinformatics.
Development of Eimeria funduli in Fundulus heteroclitus1

Laboratory-reared Fundulus grandis and F. heteroclitus were experimentally infected with Eimeria funduli by being fed Palaemonetes pugio (grass shrimp) collected from endemic areas. Histological sections were made of heart, liver, hepatopancreas, spleen, gall bladder, kidney, intestine, peri-intestinal fat, reproductive organs, and brain from F. grandis sacrificed at 1, 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h and from F. heteroclitus at 5, 6, 9, 14, 19, 24, 29, 34, 39, and 44 days after consuming naturally infected shrimp. We first found merogonous stages at day 9 postinfection (p.i.). No developmental stages of the parasite could be positively identified in the tissues of experimentally infected fish prior to day 9 p.i. Mature meronts were found 14 days p.i. The majority contained 8–16 (mean, 13) merozoites, but a few meronts had 18–26 (22) merozoites. Gamonts first appeared on day 14, were mature by day 19, and fertilization was completed by day 24 p.i. After sporoblast formation, sporopodia appeared during sporocyst wall formation, between days 24 and 29 p.i. Sporozoite formation was completed by day 44 p.i. in most sporocysts. Most endogenous stages occurred in hepatocytes; however, pancreatic and spleen cells were sometimes infected with gamonts.
Targeted health insurance in a low income country and its impact on access and equity in access: Egypt's school health insurance

Governments are constantly faced with competing demands for public funds, thereby necessitating careful use of scarce resources. In Egypt, the School Health Insurance Programme (SHIP) is a government subsidized health insurance system that targets school children. The primary goals of the SHIP include improving access and equity in access to health care for children while, at the same time, ensuring programme sustainability. Using the Egyptian Household Health Utilization and Expenditure Survey (1995), this paper empirically assesses the extent to which the SHIP achieves its stated goals. Our findings show that the SHIP significantly improved access by increasing visit rates and reducing financial burden of use (out-of-pocket expenditures). With regard to the success of targeting the poor, conditional upon being covered, the SHIP reduced the differentials in visit rates between the highest and lowest income children. However, only the middle-income children benefitted from reduced financial burden (within group equity). Moreover, by targeting the children through school enrollment, the SHIP increased the differentials in the average level of access between school-going children and those not attending school (overall equity). Children not attending school tend to be poor and living in rural areas. Our results also indicate that original calculations may underestimate the SHIP financial outlays, thereby threatening the long run financial sustainability of the programme.
The Election of Blacks to City Councils: A 1970 Status Report and a Prolegomenon

In the next decade, as in the last, change is likely to be the central fact of urban black politics. During the 1970s events are almost certain to challenge the accuracy of many of the traditional axioms which now underpin discussions of the subject. As examples, center cities' changing racial mixes and rising black political consciousness offer prospects for greater, perhaps approaching equitable, levels of black representation in urban government and a more active and politically sophisticated black electorate. As James Q. Wilson (1965: preface) has written: "any book on Negroes, particularly on their politics, ought to be published in a loose-leaf binder, so that it can be corrected and updated on a monthly basis." Students of black urban politics, in their efforts merely to keep abreast of ongoing events in the nation's diverse urban settings, must digest large, multidimensional masses of data which accrete almost daily, and certainly with each municipal election.
The Trend of Thought in Physics. II

In its fundamental aspects, practically the whole of modern physics is concerned with the discussion of the relations which exist between the motions of two sets of points in such a way as to establish a sort of one-one correspondence between the things which we do, and the behavior of one set of points on the one hand, and the things which we observe and the behavior of the other set of points on the other hand. We send a beam of electrons through an X-ray tube, and certain dark lines appear on photographic plates elsewhere, or electrons are emitted with certain velocities which we measure indirectly. As regards the electrons which are emitted into our apparatus, we can almost say that we observe them directly. As regards the blackening of the photographic plate, we are content if we can account for certain electronic emissions or motions to which we can attribute it. We do not, however, try to establish a direct relation between the original beam of electrons and the photographic plate or photoelectric cell, because we find that certain other apparatus was necessary for the experiment, a calcite grating and X-ray target, and so forth. These pieces of apparatus are replaced in the mind's eye by other sets of points grouped into atoms and molecules, in a manner characteristic of the substances in such a way that we may hope to be able to establish a relation between the first set of points, those in the target, those in the calcite and those in the final photographic plate or photoelectric cell. The whole problem is to discover how the points must be assigned and what function their mutual motions are of each other in order that the correlation may be satisfactorily made.
Detection of anomalous events in shipboard video using moving object segmentation and tracking

Anomalous indications in monitoring equipment onboard U.S. Navy vessels must be handled in a timely manner to prevent catastrophic system failure. The development of sensor data analysis techniques to assist a ship's crew in monitoring machinery and summon required ship-to-shore assistance is of considerable benefit to the Navy. In addition, the Navy has a large interest in the development of distance support technology in its ongoing efforts to reduce manning on ships. In this paper, we present algorithms for the detection of anomalous events that can be identified from the analysis of monochromatic stationary ship surveillance video streams. The specific anomalies that we have focused on are the presence and growth of smoke and fire events inside the frames of the video stream. The algorithm consists of the following steps. First, a foreground segmentation algorithm based on adaptive Gaussian mixture models is employed to detect the presence of motion in a scene. The algorithm is adapted to emphasize gray-level characteristics related to smoke and fire events in the frame. Next, shape discriminant features in the foreground are enhanced using morphological operations. Following this step, the anomalous indication is tracked between frames using Kalman filtering. Finally, gray level shape and motion features corresponding to the anomaly are subjected to principal component analysis and classified using a multilayer perceptron neural network. The algorithm is exercised on 68 video streams that include the presence of anomalous events (such as fire and smoke) and benign/nuisance events (such as humans walking the field of view). Initial results show that the algorithm is successful in detecting anomalies in video streams, and is suitable for application in shipboard environments. One of the principal advantages of this technique is that the method can be applied to monitor legacy shipboard systems and environments where high-quality, color video may not be available.
Cytotoxicity of acridine, a synfuel component, to Tetrahymena

Abstract Cytotoxic effects of acridine, an organic component of synthetic fossil fuel products, were investigated. Populations of the common freshwater ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis were exposed to various concentrations from 0 to 40 mg litre−1, and their behaviour, respiration, cytology and growth were examined. The 24-h LC100 and 24-h LC50 were determined to be 35 and 30 mg litre−1, respectively. At lower concentrations, few, if any, sublethal alterations were noted in respiration, ultrastructure, cell size and glycogen and protein contents. However, at 30 mg litre−1 cell size and glycogen content are significantly reduced. Population growth, in contrast, is altered at concentrations as low as 2·5 mg litre−1, The most striking toxic response to acridine is cytolysis, which is preceded by shape alteraiton and contractile vacuole malfunction. Cytolysis may result from weakening of the membrane and pellicle by the partitioning of the hydrophilic acridine into highly lipid membranes.
Pedagogy For Liberation: Spoken Word Poetry in Urban Schools

The Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, hip hop of the 1980s and early 1990s, and spoken word poetry have each attempted to initiate the dialogical process outlined by Paulo Freire as necessary in overturning oppression. Each art form has done this by critically engaging with the world and questioning dominant systems of power. However, unlike the Black Arts Movement and early hip hop, spoken word—with its growing foothold in urban classrooms and contemporary culture—may be in a unique position to facilitate unprecedented social change by providing students with a platform from which to question and negotiate the conditions of their lives.
Calculation of the long-lived activity in soil produced by 500-GeV protons☆

Abstract Calculations have been made to estimate the time and spatial dependence of the long-lived (τ 1 2 ≧1 d activity in the soil surrounding a semi-infinite beam target tunnel. The activity distributions are given for 500-GeV protons incident on a Be target positioned in the tunnel for an irradiation time of 25 y at 1013 protons per second and at a time after shutdown of one month. The distributions are presented as a function of the radial distance from the tunnel axis for the spatial regions along the tunnel and at the end of the tunnel. The activity arising from selected nuclides is given for selected spatial points. Curves showing the decrease in activity as a function of shutdown time are given. Included is the calculated integrated activity along the tunnel axis.
Stress, Endogenous Opioids and Salt Intake

The effect of stress on NaCl intake was examined in mice given a choice of water and 1·5% NaCl to drink. Immobilization of mice for 15-min and 24-h food deprivation resulted in a 2·5- and 5-fold increases in NaCl intake, respectively, without affecting water intake. Naloxone treatment (0·01, 0·1 and 1·0 mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent decrease in the stress-induced NaCl intake, as did Captopril treatment (5, 10 and 50 mg/kg). Intraventricular injection of angiotensin II in mice resulted in an increase in 1·5% NaCl intake, which was blocked by naloxone. Morphine (10 mg/kg) increased the preference of mice for a normally aversive 3·0% NaCl solution, but not for preferred, less concentrated, solutions of NaCl. The results suggest that both endogenous opioids and angiotensin II contribute to stress-induced NaCl intake, and that endogenous opioids may also mediate the increase in NaCl intake, observed with angiotensin II.
β-Glucosaminidase Activity as an Index of Nitrogen Mineralization in Soils

Abstract N-Acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAGase, EC 3.2.1.30) is one of three enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of chitin. This hydrolysis is important in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in soils because it participates in the processes whereby chitin is converted to amino sugars, which are major sources of mineralizable N in soils. This study investigated the relationship between N mineralization indexes and activity of β-glucosaminidase in soils from six agroecological zones of the North Central region of the United States. Nitrogen mineralization was studied by using short-term laboratory incubations under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and by hydrolysis of soil organic N by steam distillation with chemical reagents. Enzyme activity was assayed at its optimal pH value. The amounts of N mineralized by all the biological and chemical methods studied were significantly correlated with β-glucosaminidase activity, with r values of 0.73*** and 0.76*** for the amounts of released by steam distillation ...
Talc Retinopathy in Primates: A Model of Ischemic Retinopathy: I. Clinical Studies

• Four rhesus monkeys received intravenous injections of talc twice weekly for 3½ to ten months. Within one month, talc particles were visible in fine perifoveal retinal vessels in the posterior pole. Continued deposition of talc could then be seen after subsequent injections. Hemorrhages in the nerve fiber layer, cotton-wool patches, and whitish plaques in the choroid were visible ophthalmoscopically. Fluorescein angiography revealed precapillary arteriolar occlusions, capillary nonperfusion, an abnormal foveal avascular zone, and retinal vascular leakage. Vitreous fluorophotometric findings were abnormal in all five eyes tested, while electroretinograms were normal in two eyes with advanced talc retinopathy. Talc retinopathy in the primate is similar to ischemic retinopathies in humans, including human talc retinopathy, sickle cell retinopathy, and hypertensive retinopathy. Subsequent reports will describe the light microscopic and ultrastructural changes in these eyes using tracer studies with horseradish peroxidase.
Coping Skills and Learning in Social Work Field Education

Abstract A survey of 118 MSW students in a mid-sized northern university showed a significant relationship between coping skills and two components of learning in field: students' perception of confidence in ability to perform; and students' sense of difficulty of the tasks. Coping skills were defined as habitual activities such as physical exercise, nutrition, humor, spirituality, and creativity. Other variables that were not related to coping skills were the students' sense of internal motivation and perceived social work skills.
Monte Carlo simulation of BaF/sub 2/ detectors used in time-of-flight positron emission tomography

To better understand the performance of the SP3000 time-of-flight PET (positron emission tomography), machine, the authors performed Monte Carlo calculations of photon interactions in a BaF/sub 2/ detector module and calculations of crystal optics for BaF/sub 2/ UV scintillation light. Evaluated were photon detection sensitivities, the amount of photon spillover, crystal crosstalk, interring miscodes, and true-to-random coincidence ratios as a function of the lower-level energy discriminator setting and crystal/photomultiplier tube energy resolution. UV light collection efficiencies for the timing tube and decode tube were calculated assuming different crystal geometries, reflective materials, and reflectances. For a typical SP3000 detector module the detection efficiency for single 511-keV photons varied between 20 and 60% depending on the angle of incidence. >
Solution chemistry effects on the analysis of DNA by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

The mass spectrometric analysis of oligoneucleotides is now performed using electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix- assisted laser desorption-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). However, the processes involved in the production of gas-phase ions by these ionization methods are not well characterized. In this paper, we report investigations into the role of oligonucleotide solution-phase behavior on the subsequent gas-phase behavior of the oligonucleotide. Characterization of mononucleotide ion intensity as a function of phase behavior on the subsequent gas-phase behavior of the oligonucleotide. Characterization of mononucleotide ion intensity as a function of solution pH, determination of the gas-phase acidity of mononucleotides in order to identify the site(s) of deprotonation, and the use of organic bases to reduce cation adducts without the formation of the ammonium slat of the oligonucleotide were studied. The results of these studies show that the ionization process is likely influenced to a great extent by the gas-phase properties of oligonucleotides, although there are several important solution phase factors to be considered when analyzing oligonucleotides via MALDI-MS.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Homocystinuria: Absence of Cystathionine in the Brain

Cystathionine was absent in the cerebrum of a patient with homocystinuria. This supports the theory that the enzymatic defect in homocystinuria is deficiency of cystathionine synthetase.
Long-Term Follow-Up of an Undiagnosed Trans-Scaphoid Perilunate Dislocation Demonstrating Articular Remodeling and Functional Adaptation

The most common perilunate dislocation is the trans-scaphoid dorsal perilunate variant. It is estimated that up to 25% of perilunate injuries are diagnosed late. We report 66-year follow-up of an unreduced, previously undiagnosed trans-scaphoid perilunate dislocation of the wrist. At follow-up, unique post-traumatic articular remodeling was seen on wrist radiographs, and the patient had only a mild functional deficit.
STIMULATING RESPONSES TO MAILED QUESTIONNAIRES: A REVIEW

This study collates findings from the available research literature of sociology, psychology, business, and education on techniques to increase responses to mailed questionnaires. Among the techniques reviewed here are those that employ mechanical or perceptual means to facilitate responses, those that use broad motivational factors to build on social and personal values of the respondent, and those that offer direct rewards for return of questionnaires. It is concluded that a change in over-all research strategy may be necessary to increase our ability to ensure high mail-questionnaire returns. The author is Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and Research Director for the National Institute of Mental Health Training Project, "Family, Community Agencies, and Behavior Problems," University of New Hampshire.
Ventilatory support by tracheal gas insufflation and chest vibration during bronchoconstriction.

Objective: To determine whether chest wall vibration with tracheal gas insufflation during bronchoconstriction maintains gas exchange at lower airway and intrathoracic pressures than those that occur during positive pressure ventilation. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Experimental laboratory. Subjects: Six anesthetized, paralyzed mongrel dogs (mean weight, 24.7 ± 3.8 kg). Interventions: Dogs were ventilated by two methods: mechanical ventilation (7 breaths/min, 25 mUkg tidal volume); and tracheal oxygen insufflation at 0.15 L.kg -1 .min -1 delivered with external chest wall vibration (29 Hz, 2 mm amplitude) of the dependent hemithorax. Bronchoconstriction was induced by methacholine infusion adjusted to double and quadruple the baseline airway resistance. Proximal mean airway pressure was kept equal for both modes of ventilation. Measurements and Main Results: Airway pressure and flow, esophageal pressure, hemodynamic variables (cardiac output, systemic and pulmonary arterial pressures, pulmonary artery occlusion pressure) and gas exchange variables (PaO 2 , Paco2, pH, shunt fraction, VO 2 ) were measured. Peak airway pressure was lower (p <.05) with insufflation and vibration than with mechanical ventilation by 83.6% at baseline resistance, by 76.9% at twice baseline resistance, and by 76.8% at four times baseline resistance. Peak esophageal pressure was lower (p <.05) during insufflation with vibration by 68.5% at baseline resistance, by 87.5% at twice baseline resistance, and by 107% at four times baseline resistance. During insufflation with vibration, mild hypercapnia (Paco 2 58 ± 3 torr (7.7 ± 0.4 kPa) and pH 7.28 ± 0.02) developed with moderate bronchoconstriction; more profound respiratory acidosis (PaCO 2 137 ± 41 torr (18.2 ± 5.5 kPa) and pH 6.87 ± 0.11) developed with severe bronchoconstriction. Conclusions: Tracheal gas insufflation with chest vibration supports gas exchange with permissive hypercapnia only during moderate, not severe, bronchoconstriction. Gas exchange was achieved at lower airway and intrathoracic pressures than those that developed during mechanical ventilation. The alveolar hypoventilation that occurred during insufflation with vibration indicates impaired CO 2 elimination and suggests increased resistance to CO 2 transport. This ventilation technique may confer therapeutic advantages over mechanical ventilation in the treatment of asthma.
Entrainment of leech swimming activity by the ventral stretch receptor

Rhythmic animal movements originate in CNS oscillator circuits; however, sensory inputs play an important role in shaping motor output. Our recent studies demonstrated that leeches with severed nerve cords swim with excellent coordination between the two ends, indicating that sensory inputs are sufficient for maintaining intersegmental coordination. In this study, we examined the neuronal substrates that underlie intersegmental coordination via sensory mechanisms. Among the identified sensory neurons in the leech, we found the ventral stretch receptor (VSR) to be the best candidate for our study because of its sensitivity to tension in longitudinal muscle. Our experiments demonstrate that (1) the membrane potential of the VSR is depolarized during swimming and oscillates with an amplitude of 1.5-5.0 mV, (2) rhythmic currents injected into the VSR can entrain ongoing swimming over a large frequency range (0.9-1.8 Hz), and (3) large current pulses injected into the VSR shift the phase of the swimming rhythm. These results suggest that VSRs play an important role in generating and modulating the swim rhythm. We propose that coordinated swimming in leech preparations with severed nerve cords results from mutual entrainment between the two ends of the leech mediated by stretch receptors.
11.3.3 Behavioral Models and Improved Quality in Architecture-Centric Engineering

Architecture-Centric Engineering (ACE) is described by the authors in 'Achieving Interoperability for Critical IT and Communication Systems' (Desourdis, et al, 2009) as an engineering approach that derives requirements and performance targets from enterprise scenarios. As part of this approach, this paper summarizes the use of behavioral models for improved quality as a repeatable, integrated component of systems engineering. Predictable quality measurement is possible at transitions earlier in the engineering lifecycle. Case Study, behavior model analytics and summaries from expert peer reviews are presented to support this quality improvement. An approach for the integration of behavior modeling methods as a quality mechanism extension is summarized.
Self-Assembly of Hydrogen-Bonded Polymeric Rods Based on the Cyanuric Acid·Melamine Lattice

This paper describes the self-assembly of hydrogen-bonded polymeric rods based on the lattice of cyanuric acid and melamine (CA·M). Data from 1H NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are interpreted as indicating that the self-assembly of a bisisocyanuric acid (bisCA) and a bismelamine (bisM) formed polymeric nanorods [(bisCA)n(bisM)n] composed of parallel CA·M rosettes. The TEM results suggest that these rods aggregate as bundles. The length of the bundles ranged from 100 to 1500 nm, and their diameter was in the range from 15 to 500 nm.
Fixed points, selections and best approximation for multivalued mappings in R-trees

Abstract In an R -tree we consider multivalued mappings with convex values and develop fixed point, selection, and best approximation theorems for nonexpansive and almost lower semicontinuous mappings.
Microstructure and transient creep in an austenitic stainless steel

Abstract The dislocation substructures associated with normal and inverted transient creep in annealed and prestrained type 304 austenitic stainless steel were investigated using transmission electron microscopy. Normal primary creep was accompanied by subgrain formation, a process which was accelerated by pre-straining. A prolonged accelerating creep stage was observed under certain test conditions. The associated microstructures revealed that this type of transient creep was also accompanied by subgrain development and a reduction in the free dislocation density. It is concluded that knowledge of the evolution of the dislocation microstructures during transient creep cannot be used to predict whether creep is accelerating or decelerating.
Utilization of mammographic complexity for improving risk assessment and cancer detection

Currently, breast cancer screening protocols are based on a woman's age, but not on other risk factors or on the physical characteristics of her breasts. One commonly cited risk factor is dense breast tissue. This study is part of an effort to provide basic information needed to develop automatically, individualized screening protocols, by clarifying the relationships between age, risk, breast composition, lesion conspicuity, and other factors. In this project, a database was established that includes 227 cancer negative cases and 116 cancer positive cases across a wide range of age groups. In the cancer positive cases, we included a subgroup in which the cancer had been missed in the previous exam. Using our physics based model of breast density, we quantified percentage of breast parenchyma as an index of density. Density distributions and changes over time were analyzed. The most significant finding within this data was a significantly slower density decrease over the time in the cancer positive group than in the cancer negative group, with no overall difference in the density distribution in those two groups. False negative cases were found to be significantly more dense than true positive cases. In addition, our results showed a trend of density decrease with increasing age, which is in agreement with others' widely reported results.
Attention to learning of school subjects

In this brief comment we add to our previous discussion (Posner, Rothbart & Tang, 2013) of the importance of control mechanisms related to attention networks by dealing with how control influences what is learned and how wide the generalization of the learned information will be. A brain network connecting the anterior cingulate to the hippocampus appears to be important for the registration of new learning. This network provides a mechanism for how attention influences learning. Information coming to mind spontaneously or during testing activates a parietal area related to orienting of attention. Information about attentional control systems related to learning holds promise for new applications to acquiring expertise related to all school subjects.
Postoperative mycobacterial endophthalmitis.

We treated two sporadic cases of postoperative endophthalmitis caused by rapidly growing (Runyon's group IV) mycobacteria. Both involved intraocular lenses, one a secondary implant after intracapsular cataract extraction ( Mycobacterium chelonae subspecies abscessus ) and the other a primary posterior chamber lens implantation after extracapsular cataract extraction (pigment-producing member group IV). Signs of inflammation were judged severe enough to warrant diagnostic and therapeutic intervention during the fourth postoperative week in both cases. In both eyes the organism seemed to be eradicated by intravitreal amikacin in combination with vitrectomy, as well as topical, subconjunctival, and, in one case, systemic antibiotic therapy.
Prevention of mitochondrial dysfunction in post‐traumatic mouse brain by superoxide dismutase

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Previous studies have shown that the susceptibility of mice to TBI-induced formation of cortical lesion is determined by the expression levels of copper-zinc and manganese superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD and MnSOD, respectively). However, the underlying biochemical mechanisms are not understood. In this study, we measured the efficiency of mitochondrial respiration in mouse brains with altered expression of these two enzymes. While controlled cortical impact injury (CCII) with a deformation depth of 2 mm caused a drastic decrease in NAD-linked bioenergetic capacity in brain mitochondria of wild-type mice, the functional decrease was not observed in brains of littermate transgenic mice overexpressing CuZnSOD or MnSOD. In addition, a 1 mm CCII greatly compromised brain mitochondrial function in mice deficient in CuZnSOD or MnSOD, but not wild-type mice. Inclusion of the calcium-chelating agent, EGTA, in the assay solution could completely prevent dysfunction of oxidative phosphorylation in all mitochondrial samples, suggesting that the observed impairment of mitochondrial function was a result of calcium overloading. In conclusion, our results imply that mitochondrial dysfunction induced by superoxide anion radical contributes to lesion formation in mouse brain following physical trauma.
Unexplained Aspects of Anemia of Inflammation

Anemia of inflammation (AI), also known as anemia of chronic inflammation or anemia of chronic disease was described over 50 years ago as anemia in association with clinically overt inflammatory disease, and the findings of low plasma iron, decreased bone marrow sideroblasts and increased reticuloendothelial iron. Pathogenic features underlying AI include a mild shortening of red cell survival, impaired erythropoietin production, blunted responsiveness of the marrow to erythropoietin, and impaired iron metabolism mediated by inflammatory cytokines and the iron regulatory peptide, hepcidin. Despite marked recent advances in understanding AI, gaps remain, including understanding of the pathogenesis of AI associated with “noninflammatory” or mildly inflammatory diseases, the challenge of excluding iron deficiency anemia in the context of concomitant inflammation, and understanding more precisely the contributory role of hepcidin in the development of AI in human inflammatory diseases.
Measurements of n-Heptane Liquid Length and Spray Cone Angle for Low-Temperature, Low-Density Conditions in an Optically Accessible Flow Vessel

The purpose of this study was to measure global properties of n-heptane sprays using high-speed spray visualization in a newly developed constant-pressure flow vessel. Liquid-phase fuel penetration distance and cone angle were determined for low-density and low-temperature ambient conditions, which are increasingly relevant due to the advent of early direct-injection low-temperature combustion. Results indicated that fuel sprays under these conditions do not behave as predicted by established models. Penetration distances increased steadily throughout and after injection, and liquid-phase fuel persisted long after end of injection. Results suggest that these sprays vaporize extremely slowly and could cause wall-wetting issues.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
The Informal World of Police Patrol: New York City in the Early Twentieth Century

Nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foot patrolmen did not have friendly contact with all citizens on their beats. Police-citizen relations were sometimes hostile or simply anonymous. Beats emb...
Thin-layer spectroelectrochemistry of the Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox reaction of dehaloperoxidase-hemoglobin

Abstract Dehaloperoxidase-hemoglobin (DHP A; isoenzyme A) is a globin from the annelid Amphitrite ornata that displays enhanced peroxidase activity compared to other myoglobins and hemoglobins. In this study, anaerobic thin-layer spectroelectrochemistry was used to measure formal reduction potentials ( E °′) for the Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple of DHP A from pH 5.0 to pH 7.0. The value of E °′ determined at pH 7.0 (100 mM potassium phosphate buffer under ambient temperature), +0.202 ± 0.006 V vs SHE, gives DHP A the most positive Fe(III)/Fe(II) reduction potential among known intracellular globins (approximately 150 mV and 50 mV higher than typical myoglobins and hemoglobins, respectively). This finding is particularly distinctive in light of DHP A’s enhanced peroxidase activity, a function that is commonly carried out from the Fe(III) state, which is favored by more negative reduction potentials. For example, horseradish peroxidase has a formal potential that falls 0.47 V negative of the DHP A value. Using available crystal structures, two major energetic factors involving the distal histidine (H55) have been identified that appear to account for the unusually positive DHP A reduction potential. First, H55, which is positioned ∼1 A further away from the heme iron than distal histidines in hemoglobin and myoglobin, displays a diminished capacity to serve as the hydrogen bond acceptor for a ligated water molecule, resulting in destabilization of the Fe(III) state relative to a common globin. The more distant positioning of H55 from the heme iron also imparts to it a conformational flexibility, which is linked to the electron transfer reaction. In its internal (closed) conformation, H55 hydrogen bonds with and stabilizes an iron-ligated H 2 O molecule, whereas in its external (open) conformation, H55 hydrogen bonds to a heme propionate resulting in a 5-coordinate heme iron. A thermodynamic cycle that links the conformational change to electron transfer is shown to be consistent with a positive shift in reduction potential if the open conformation is differentially favored by the Fe(II) state, a proposal that is supported by the available crystallographic data.
A survey of head and neck cancer curriculum in United States speech language pathology masters programs.

We surveyed speech language pathology (SLP) programs for head and neck cancer (HNC) training. Program directors of 242 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association accredited masters programs for SLP were contacted regarding curricular HNC material. Directors (n = 120) responded online: six included a required course in HNC, and all but two programs with no required HNC course included HNC topics in other required courses. Thirty-two programs were affiliated with a medical center and/or a teaching hospital. Programs that offered either a required course in HNC or elective courses on HNC were more likely to be affiliated with a medical center and/or a teaching hospital than programs that did not offer a required course in HNC (P=0.043) or elective courses on HNC (P=0.007), respectively. Few programs offer a required HNC course but most programs integrate HNC content into the required coursework. Potential strategies to incorporate HNC exposure into formal SLP programs are identified.
Physiology of sporeforming bacteria associated with insects. V. Tricarboxylic acid cycle activity and adenosine triphosphate levels in Bacillus popilliae and Bacillus thuringiensis.

Six tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes were assayed in cell-free extracts of Bacillus popilliae and B. thuringiensis at various times during the early and late stationary phases of growth. In B. popilliae, citrate synthase and isocitric dehydrogenase were present at very low levels at all times. After completion of exponential growth, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels in B. popilliae cells fell over 100-fold and the cells failed to sporulate. Supplementation with glucose allowed reestablishment of high ATP levels but did not allow sporulation. Resuspension of postexponential cells of B. popilliae in glucose-supplemented spent broth prepared from a sporogenous strain of B. subtilis did not allow sporulation. This technique had previously been successful in allowing sporulation of tricarboxylic acid cycle mutants of B. subtilis. In contrast, B. thuringiensis tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes increased in activity after completion of exponential growth, ATP levels remained high, and most cells in the populati...