cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prospective randomized comparison of stonetome combination catheter versus conventional endoscopic clearance of common bile duct

OBJECTIVES To assess the therapeutic efficacy and performance characteristics of a novel cannula that has recently become available for clearance of the common bile duct (CBD), combining a sphincterotome and retrieval balloon in a single instrument, and to compare it with the conventional approach. METHODS Seventeen consecutive patients with signs of biliary obstruction were prospectively randomized to undergo evaluation and clearance of the CBD by combination catheter (Stonetome, Microvasive) or conventional sphincterotomy (Ultratome) with separate balloon sweep. In all cases, three sweeps of the CBD were made with an 11.5-mm retrieval balloon after sphincterotomy. Fluoroscopy time was measured, as was total time from initiation of sphincterotomy to removal of endoscope from the patient. The same endoscopist performed all procedures. RESULTS Patient groups were matched with regard to age, gender, proportion with prior cholecystectomy, CBD diameter, and stone size. Patients were successfully treated by either approach. Use of the Stonetome combination catheter reduced mean fluoroscopy time by 52% (from 3.1 +/- 0.6 to 1.5 +/- 0.2 min), mean total time by 57% (from 11.3 +/- 2.2 to 4.9 +/- 1.1 min), and dosage of midazolam used for conscious sedation. CONCLUSIONS The new combination catheter allows the elimination of one step in exchanging the sphincterotome for a retrieval balloon after sphincterotomy. Its efficacy in clearing the CBD is equal to that of our conventional approach. Use of the combined approach should minimize the risk of losing cannulation, reduce fluoroscopic exposure, and improve the overall efficiency of the procedure.
Mapping electrical properties heterogeneity of tumor using boundary informed electrical properties tomography (BIEPT) at 7T.

Purposes To develop and evaluate a boundary informed electrical properties tomography (BIEPT) technique for high-resolution imaging of tumor electrical properties (EPs) heterogeneity on a rodent tumor xenograft model. Methods Tumor EP distributions were inferred from a reference area external to the tumor, as well as internal EP spatial variations derived from a plurality of relative transmit B1 measurements at 7T. Edge sparsity constraint was enforced to enhance numerical stability. Phantom experiments were performed to determine the imaging accuracy and sensitivity for structures of various EP values, as well as geometrical sizes down to 1.5 mm. Numerical simulation of a realistic rodent model was used to quantify the algorithm performance in the presence of noise. Eleven athymic rats with human breast cancer xenograft were imaged in vivo, and representative pathological samples were acquired for comparison. Results Reconstructed EPs of the phantoms correspond well to the ground truth acquired from dielectric probe measurements, with the smallest structure reliably detectable being 3 mm. EPs heterogeneity inside a tumor is successfully retrieved in both simulated and experimental cases. In vivo tumor imaging results demonstrate similar local features and spatial patterns to anatomical MRI and pathological slides. The imaged conductivity of necrotic tissue is higher than that of viable tissues, which agrees with our expectation. Conclusion BIEPT enables robust detection of tumor EPs heterogeneity with high accuracy and sensitivity to small structures. The retrieved quantitative EPs reflect tumor pathological features (e.g., necrosis). These results provide strong rationale to further expand BIEPT studies toward pathological conditions where EPs may yield valuable, non-invasive biomarkers.
The centromedian nucleus: Anatomy, physiology, and clinical implications.

Abstract Of all the truncothalamic nuclei, the centromedian-parafascicular nuclei complex (CM-Pf) is the largest and is considered the prototypic thalamic projection system. Located among the caudal intralaminar thalamic nuclei, the CM-Pf been described by Jones as “the forgotten components of the great loop of connections joining the cerebral cortex via the basal ganglia”. The CM, located lateral relative to the Pf, is a major source of direct input to the striatum and also has connections to other, distinct region of the basal ganglia as well as the brainstem and cortex. Functionally, the CM participates in sensorimotor coordination, cognition (e.g. attention, arousal), and pain processing. The role of CM as ‘gate control’ function by propagating only salient stimuli during attention-demanding tasks has been proposed. Given its rich connectivity and diverse physiologic role, recent studies have explored the CM as potential target for neuromodulation therapy for Tourette syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, generalized epilepsy, intractable neuropathic pain, and in restoring consciousness. This comprehensive review summarizes the structural and functional anatomy of the CM and its physiologic role with a focus on clinical implications.
A School-Community Agency Project for Visually Handicapped Children:

Describes a model project providing assessment and supportive services for “mainstreamed” visually handicapped children. The Albany Association of the Blind contributed professional staff to work i...
Molecular targeting in follicular lymphoma

Follicular lymphoma is one of the most common subtypes of lymphoma and is characterized by an indolent course with high response rates coupled with recurrent relapse. Emphasis has been placed on understanding the biology of this lymphoma to improve therapeutic strategies and inform rational clinical trial development as all patients will likely relapse following chemotherapy-based approaches. The B-cell receptor signaling pathway has been implicated as vital to the survival and proliferation of malignant B cells and provides numerous therapeutic targets. However, the addiction on the B-cell receptor signaling is highly variable across lymphoma subtypes which may explain heterogeneity in responses observed with B-cell receptor targeting agents in follicular lymphoma. Additional therapeutic targets that appear promising include BCL2 inhibitors and EZH2 inhibitors that target genetic alterations in follicular lymphoma. Here we review the recent advances in targeted therapy in follicular lymphoma. The future of targeted therapy will focus on identifying optimal combinations that result in enhanced efficacy with improved depth and durability of responses without compromising tolerability.
Pregnancy-Related Acute Kidney Injury in the United States: Clinical Outcomes and Health Care Utilization

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) during pregnancy is a public health problem and is associated with maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Clinical outcomes and health care utilization in pregnancy-related AKI, especially in women with diabetes, are not well studied. Methods Using data from the 2006 to 2015 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we identified 42,190,790 pregnancy-related hospitalizations in women aged 15-49 years. We determined factors associated with AKI, including race/ethnicity, and associations between AKI and inpatient mortality, and between AKI and cardiovascular (CV) events, during pregnancy-related hospitalizations. We calculated health care expenditures from pregnancy-related AKI hospitalizations. Results Overall, the rate of AKI during pregnancy-related hospitalizations was 0.08%. In the adjusted regression analysis, a higher likelihood of AKI during pregnancy-related hospitalizations was seen in 2015 (OR 2.20; 95% CI 1.89-2.55) than in 2006; in older women aged 36-40 years (OR 1.49; 95% CI 1.36-1.64) and 41-49 years (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.84-2.45) than in women aged 20-25 years; in blacks (OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.40-1.65) and Native Americans (OR 1.45; 95% CI 1.10-1.91) than in whites, and in diabetic women (OR 4.43; 95% CI 4.04-4.86) than in those without diabetes. Pregnancy-related hospitalizations with AKI were associated with a higher likelihood of inpatient mortality (OR 13.50; 95% CI 10.47-17.42) and CV events (OR 9.74; 95% CI 9.08-10.46) than were hospitalizations with no AKI. The median cost was higher for a delivery hospitalization with AKI than without AKI (USD 18,072 vs. 4,447). Conclusion The rates of pregnancy-related AKI hospitalizations have increased during the last decade. Factors associated with a higher likelihood of AKI during pregnancy included older age, black and Native American race/ethnicity, and diabetes. Hospitalizations with pregnancy-related AKI have an increased risk of inpatient mortality and CV events, and a higher health care utilization than do those without AKI.
Improving Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Disentangling its Heterogeneous Functional Connectivity Patterns Using Capsule Networks

Functional connectivity (FC) analysis is an appealing tool to aid diagnosis and elucidate the neurophysiological underpinnings of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many machine learning methods have been developed to distinguish ASD patients from healthy controls based on FC measures and identify abnormal FC patterns of ASD. Particularly, several studies have demonstrated that deep learning models could achieve better performance for ASD diagnosis than conventional machine learning methods. Although promising classification performance has been achieved by the existing machine learning methods, they do not explicitly model heterogeneity of ASD, incapable of disentangling heterogeneous FC patterns of ASD. To achieve an improved diagnosis and a better understanding of ASD, we adopt capsule networks (CapsNets) to build classifiers for distinguishing ASD patients from healthy controls based on FC measures and stratify ASD patients into groups with distinct FC patterns. Evaluation results based on a large multi-site dataset have demonstrated that our method not only obtained better classification performance than state-of-the-art alternative machine learning methods, but also identified clinically meaningful subgroups of ASD patients based on their vectorized classification outputs of the CapsNets classification model.
Signal Demodulation Algorithm based on Hilbert Transform and its applicaTion in Aircraft Power Supply System Characteristic Parameters Testing

The working state of aircraft power supply system, which can be evaluated by its characteristic parameters, greatly affects the flight safety. In the test of aircraft power supply system’s characteristic parameters, voltage modulation amplitude, frequency modulation amplitude and distortion spectrum are important parameters. These parameters should be tested in high sampling rate and resolution according to relevant aircraft standards. A digital signal demodulation algorithm for aircraft power supply system testing is proposed. This algorithm uses Hilbert transform to separate the modulation waveform from the original signal. The amplitude and frequency of the modulation waveform then can be identified. Both amplitude modulation and frequency modulation signal can be demodulated by this algorithm. The modulation waveform can be a sine wave or a triangle wave. A testing system for characteristic parameters of aircraft power supply system is built based on this algorithm. This system uses a voltage divider and a unit gain buffer amplifier for signal conditioning. A high-speed digitizer is applied to sample the conditioned signal, which will be further processed by the demodulation algorithm. To evaluate the accuracy of this testing system, an experiment was performed with an arbitrary signal generator, which can simulate the modulated output of the aircraft power supply system. The experiment results indicate that the relative error of amplitude demodulation is less than 0.07% and the relative error of frequency demodulation is less than 0.02%, which can satisfy the related standards for aircraft power supply system testing.
Low SWaP-C Radar for Urban Air Mobility

A method is developed and tested for extending the range of low-cost radar chipsets for use in urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles. The method employs weak-signal correlation techniques and long measurement intervals to achieve a 1 km range. Low-cost radar is an enabling technology for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft envisioned for large-scale deployment in urban areas. These aircraft must be autonomously piloted to make them economically feasible, but autonomous systems have yet to match a human pilot's ability to detect and avoid (DAA) obstacles. Visible light cameras are useful for this application, but cameras alone are insufficient, as they are fundamentally unable to resolve range. Existing commercial radar units would suffice for DAA, but their large size weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) militates against their application to UAM. The technique detailed in this paper is a fused camera-radar solution that exploits the camera's excellent angular resolution to guide radar signal processing so that signals arriving from a camera-detected target are combined constructively. Such guided processing significantly extends the range of low SWaP-C radar chipsets, making them useful for DAA. An analysis of the fused technique's robustness to target velocity uncertainty is presented, along with experimental results indicating that a typically-sized VTOL aircraft would be detectable at a range of 1 km.
Abstract 17053: Cardiac AKAP12 Signalosome Overexpression Exacerbation of Heart Failure and Cardiac Calcium Handling

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is responsible for 1 out of 8 deaths per year in the U.S.A. and is the major cause of death globally. Calcium cycling is crucial for proper signaling processes and ...
A lexical and syntactic study of research article titles in Library Science and Scientometrics

Title of a research article is an abstract of the abstract. Titles play a decisive role in convincing readers at first sight whether articles are worth reading or not. Not only do research article titles show how carefully words are chosen by authors, but also reflect disciplinary differences in terms of title words and structure between hard sciences and soft sciences. This study examined the lexical density and syntactic structure of 690 research article titles chosen from five Library Science and Scientometrics journals, aiming to reveal disciplinary differences. The result suggested both Library Science and Scientometrics have almost the same title length and the prevalent usage of Nominal Phrase (NP) to govern the title structure. The result also stated some disciplinary differences: Library Science demonstrates more punctuation complexity, particularly a greater frequency in using colons; but Scientometrics shows more involvement of words related to research methods, which is an indicator to papers’ scientific value, and more usage of declarative Full Sentence (FS) structure, which were mostly discovered in the research articles in hard sciences.
Abstract 475: Improving liposarcoma diagnosis through cross-flow microfiltration

Introduction: Dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) is frequently diagnosed late and patients typically respondpoorly to treatments bringing to an overall survival rate of only 10% at 10 years. Prognosis isenhanced by early detection of recurrent lesions, but current diagnostic methods rely on invasivetissue biopsies combined with whole or part-body imaging. These diagnostic and prognosticchallenges prompted us to explore the use of circulating biomolecules as potential biomarkersaccessible through bodily fluids. Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) are membrane vesicles containingproteins and nucleic acids that circulate in the blood, so they are an emerging class of easilyaccessible blood biomarkers. We recently identified extracellular vesicle EV-MDM2 as liquidbiopsy biomarker for disease identification in DDLPS. Unfortunately, due to these challenges forisolation and capture of EVs, despite the potential diagnostic and prognostic utility, the practicalrelevance of using EVs for routine analysis remains limited. Methods: A microfluidic device was fabricated via standard soft lithography in PDMS(polydimethylsiloxane). A 5 x 5 mm2 nanocapillary array membrane (nominal capillary diameterof 0.2 µm) was sandwiched between two microchannels for a vertically aligned configuration withan injection and separation channel (each 500 µm wide and 150 µm high) perpendicular to eachother. The separation channel surface was functionalized with the anti-CD63 antibody forcapturing EVs. Results: We present here a facile approach to fabricate and operate a micro-nanofluidic device that usescross-flow filtration to isolate and capture liposarcoma derived EVs. Our methodology integratesthe unit operations of size based separation with immunoaffinity-based capture of extracellularvesicles in the same device. The eluted media collected showed ~84% extracellular vesiclerecovery from the liposarcoma cell conditioned media and ~38% extracellular vesicle recoveryfrom dedifferentiated liposarcoma patient serum when compared to extracellular vesicle isolationand subsequent quantification by ultracentrifugation. The results reported here also show a five-fold increase in amount of critical liposarcoma relevant extracellular vesicle cargo obtained in30 minutes presenting a significant advance over existing state-of-art. Conclusion: In conclusion we developed a cross-flow filtration micro-nanofluidic device for isolation, selectivecapture and release of liposarcoma EVs. Citation Format: Lucia Casadei, Patricia Sarchet, Adarsh Choudhury, Shaurya Prakash, Raphael Pollock. Improving liposarcoma diagnosis through cross-flow microfiltration [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 475.
Successful applications of diversity, equity, and inclusion programming in various professional settings: strategies to increase DEI in libraries

Today libraries stand as the most inclusive institution in US society, but their workforces remain unaligned with the wide-ranging domestic demographic. With 83% of librarians identifying as white in 2020, this institution requires cultural reconstruction to enable its information literacy goals. As diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts have been unsuccessful over the years in libraries, this report surveys efforts in industries with more diverse workers and adapts them for implementation in library settings. Recruitment, retainment, and inclusion strategies in corporate, STEM, and healthcare environments are reviewed to identify successful options as starting points for library planners. Practical adaptations are provided as more feasible options for library budgets and personnel volumes. As libraries were founded and transformed to serve the varying needs of all patrons, incorporating these DEI tools into planning strategies is imperative to diversify library labor forces and eliminate barriers to information literacy.
Mechanosensitive recruitment of stator units promotes binding of the response regulator CheY-P to the flagellar motor.

Reversible switching of the bacterial flagellar motor between clockwise (CW) and counterclockwise (CCW) rotation is necessary for chemotaxis, which enables cells to swim towards favorable chemical habitats. Increase in the viscous resistance to the rotation of the motor (mechanical load) inhibits switching. However, cells must maintain homeostasis in switching to navigate within environments of different viscosities. The mechanism by which the cell maintains optimal chemotactic function under varying loads is not understood. Here, we show that the flagellar motor allosterically controls the binding affinity of the chemotaxis response regulator, CheY-P, to the flagellar switch complex by modulating the mechanical forces acting on the rotor. Mechanosensitive CheY-P binding compensates for the load-induced loss of switching by precisely adapting the switch response to a mechanical stimulus. The interplay between mechanical forces and CheY-P binding tunes the chemotactic function to match the load. This adaptive response of the chemotaxis output to mechanical stimuli resembles the proprioceptive feedback in the neuromuscular systems of insects and vertebrates. It is unclear how bacterial cells adapt the reversible switching of flagellar motor rotation to environments of different viscosities. Here, Antani et al. show that flagellar mechanosensors allosterically control the motor’s binding affinity for the chemotaxis response regulator, CheY-P, to adapt flagellar switching over varying viscous loads.
How to Deal with a Difficult Patient

Challenging patients can be managed with good recognition of patient patterns and physician triggers. Strategies exist to work through these difficult patterns and avoid triggers. If it becomes necessary, physicians can follow a specific protocol to dismiss such patients from their practice.
Experiential Instruction in Graduate-Level Preparation of Speech-Language Pathology Students in Outer and Middle Ear Screening

Purpose This study presents a piloted training model of experiential instruction in outer and middle ear (OE-ME) screening for graduate speech-language pathology students with peer teaching by doctor of audiology (AuD) students. Method Six individual experiential training sessions in screening otoscopy and tympanometry were conducted for 36 graduate-level speech-language pathology students led by a supervised AuD student. Results Postexperiential training, survey outcomes from 24 speech-language pathology students revealed a significant improvement (p = .01) in perceptions of attaining adequate knowledge and comfort in performing screening otoscopy (handheld and video otoscopy) and tympanometry. In a group of matched controls who did not receive experiential training in OE-ME screening (n = 24), ratings on the same learning outcomes survey in otoscopy and tympanometry were significantly poorer (p = .01) compared with students who did receive experiential training. Conclusion A training model of experienti...
Habit Formation in an Overlapping Generations Model with Borrowing Constraints: Habit Formation in an Overlapping Generations Model

We introduce habit-formation in the three-period OLG borrowing-constraint framework of Constantinides, Donaldson, and Mehra (2002) by allowing the utility of the middle-aged (old) to depend on consumption when young (middle-aged). This specification enables us to separate the effect of the two habit parameters (middle-aged and old) since each representative age-group can face different levels of habit persistence. The two-habit setup underlines some important issues with regards to savings and security returns which do not always conform to the standard findings in the literature. In addition, the model produces equity premium consistent with U.S. data for relatively small levels of risk aversion.
Electrokinetic methods for arthroscopic detection of cartilage degeneration in synovial joints

This study focuses on two approaches for the nondestructive measurement of certain electrokinetic properties of articular cartilage that provide a sensitive measure of tissue degradation in degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis. The first method involves measurement of current generated stress (electrical to mechanical transduction) using a newly developed surface probe to apply a standing wave of electric current to the articular surface and measure the resulting bulk mechanical stress detectable at the surface. The second method involves simultaneous measurement of cartilage oscillatory stiffness and streaming potential (mechanical to electrical transduction) using an electrokinetic indentation probe. The authors report the dependence of the response on the frequency and wavelength of the stimulus and the geometry of the specimen, using excised cartilage and intact animal joints. >
A Decade of Globally Distributed Collaborative Learning: Lessons Learned from Cross-National Virtual Teams

During crises, relief agency commanders have to make decisions in a complex and uncertain environment, requiring them to continuously adapt to unforeseen environmental changes. In the process of adaptation, the commanders depend on information management systems for information. Yet there are still numerous reports of situations in which commanders had to make decisions based on incomplete, outdated or incorrect information, indicating poor information quality. In many of these situations, poor information quality can be attributed to the information management process incapable of adapting to external (environmental) changes and internal (team) information needs. Using dynamic capability theory and the findings of a case study, this paper presents four principles for information management adaptability: (1) maintain and update team memory, (2) dedicate resources for environmental scanning, (3) maximize the number of alternative information sources and (4) integrate forecasting and back casting methods in the information management process.
Sublabial Transseptal vs Transnasal Combined Endoscopic Microsurgery in Patients With Cushing Disease and MRI-Depicted Microadenomas

OBJECTIVE To assess whether the type of surgical approach to the sella (sublabial transseptal vs transnasal) affects surgical outcome among patients with Cushing disease. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS Both procedures were performed at our institution from January 1, 1995, through January 31, 2003. From a total of 106 patients with Cushing disease who had had surgery, we identified 42 adults undergoing an initial surgery, with microadenoma ( RESULTS We identified 21 patients (4 male, 17 female) for sublabial transseptal transsphenoidal microsurgery. Mean ± SD age was 45.0±12.9 years (range, 27.0-69.0 years); median duration of symptoms was 2.5 years (range, 1.5-7.5 years). Median follow-up was 1.0 year (range, 0.3-11.0 years). We identified another 21 patients (5 male, 16 female) for endoscopic transsphenoidal microsurgery whose mean ± SD age was 43.8±14.1 years (range, 19.0-70.0 years); median duration of symptoms was 2.4 years (range, 0.2-6.0 years). Median follow-up was 2.5 years (range, 0.3-8.7 years). Complications (cerebrospinal fluid leak and transient diabetes insipidus) and cure (86% initial cure; 76% relapse-included cure) were equivalent between the 2 procedures. However, the endoscopic approach was associated with shorter anesthesia time, less blood loss, and shorter hospital stays. CONCLUSION The endoscopic transnasal surgical approach led to shorter total anesthesia time, less blood loss, and shorter hospital stay when compared with the sublabial transseptal approach. However, we found no difference between the 2 surgical procedures with respect to cure or complications, suggesting that outcome is more closely related to the experience of the operating team.
Financial Aspects of Business Cycles: An Analysis of Balance Sheet Adjustment of U.S. Financial Enterprises over the Twentieth Century

This paper formulates and tests a model that describes the asset and financing adjustments of U.S. non-financial enterprises over the twentieth century. Asset adjustments change the expected income and operating risk of firms while financing adjustments change the financial risk. To protect debt and equity investors from a conflict of interest problem, an up-front contract develops an assignment rule for managing the firm's balance sheet whereby managers make investment decisions that conform to the risk aversion of their stockholders and financing decisions that offset changes in operating risk resulting from the investment decisions. This contract induced assignment rule resolves the conflict of interest problem between bondholders and stockholders and coalesces their welfare over the business cycle. Empirical evidence fails to reject the predictions of the model.
Three-dimensional interactions of a crack front with arrays of penny-shaped microcracks

Three-dimensional interactions of a crack front with arrays of penny-shaped microcracks are considered. The work extends the earlier analysis of 2-D crack-microcrack interactions to the 3-D configurations.
Cross subsidies in the telephone network after divestiture

Those who do not understand history are condemned to repeat it. The current discussion of cross-subsidies by the RBOCs threatens to reiterate all of the confusions of pre-divestiture discussions of AT&T's presumed cross subsidies. More careful analysis of current conditions reveals that the RBOC's competitive activities are not being cross subsidized out of the local rate base. If they are being subsidized, the subsidies come from the IX carriers.
Diffuse meningeal enhancement in patients with overdraining, long-standing ventricular shunts

The authors report two elderly men with diffuse meningeal enhancement 13 and 21 years following insertion of ventriculojugular shunts. Lumber puncture documenting low CSF pressures suggests that diffuse meningeal enhancement in patients with long-standing ventricular shunts may be secondary to dural venous dilatation rather than meningeal fibrosis. The authors theorize that these elderly patients, neither of whom had postural headache, may be less subject to brain "sag" because of decreased brain weight.
CPU DB: recording microprocessor history

In November 1971, Intel introduced the world’s first single-chip microprocessor, the Intel 4004. It had 2,300 transistors, ran at a clock speed of up to 740 KHz, and delivered 60,000 instructions p...
Jumping Ship: One Health Science Library's Voyage from a Proprietary ILS to Open Source

In 2007, leaders at The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) Library made the decision to migrate to an open source integrated library system. They believed this would provide them with more control to structure and customize its functionality to serve the library's needs and serve as a long-term investment in reducing costs. This article offers a brief overview of the experiences of NYAM staff, describing challenges and lessons learned, with an emphasis on open source development and licensing.
Type V collagen from the chick embryo: biochemical, physicochemical and ultrastructural characteristics

Abstract Two collagen alpha chains have been isolated from whole 17 day chick embryos which are similar to the B chain or α1 (V) and the A chain or α2(V) recently described in mammalian and avian tissues* A non-collagenous acidic protein was co-purified with the Type V collagen which was resistant to pepsin digestion. The molecular weight, circular dichroism spectrum, melting temperature and diffusion coefficent of the native Type V collagen and isolated alpha chains were similar to values obtained for other chick collagen types. The SLS crystallite of Type V collagen had a distinct pattern of banding as identified by electron microscopy. We consistently observed more α2(V) than α1(V) following both CM-cellulose and QAE-Sephadex ion exchange chromatography of denatured Type V collagen, but unusual solubility properties and recoveries of the α1(V) chain may have diminished its relative amount. In addition we have found that the α1(V) chains are chemically heterogeneous and one component electrophoreses as an α2(V) chain on SDS gels.
Clinical outcomes of penicillin skin testing.

Background Penicillin or cephalosporin allergy is a common problem with antibiotic drug prescribing in hospitalized patients. Objectives To study the various clinical outcomes of penicillin skin testing (PST) in a community teaching hospital and to determine the percentage of patients who have an antibiotic drug modification after PST. Methods This study was a retrospective medical record review of all inpatients who underwent PST in 6.6 years. Information was collected on 101 patients using a detailed data collection form. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages. Results Of the 101 patients who underwent PST, 92 had a negative result and 5 had a positive result; in 4 patients the test result was indeterminate. There was a 96% (67/70) reduction in the use of vancomycin and a 96% (23/24) reduction in the use of fluoroquinolones after PST in patients with negative results. Forty-nine percent of patients with negative PST results were administered a penicillin-based drug, and 48% were given a cephalosporin. Cultures were positive most commonly for Staphylococcus aureus and enterococcus. There were no serious adverse reactions to PST or to the use of penicillins or cephalosporins after a negative PST result. Conclusions Penicillin skin testing lowered the use of vancomycin and fluoroquinolones and increased the use of penicillin-based drugs and cephalosporins in patients with a history of β-lactam drug allergies.
Chemical shift tensors for strongly hydrogen-bonded protons: The carboxylic protons in KHO(CH2COO)2 and KH(C4H5O2)2

Abstract The chemical shift tensors for the carboxylic protons in potassium hydrogen oxydiacetate and potassium hydrogen dicrotonate are reported. The tensors have been determined from a proton multiple-pulse experiment on single crystals using a spectrometer operating at 270 MHz. The isotropic part of the chemical shifts relative a spherical sample of TMS and the anisotropies for the two compounds are −19.6(7), −18.2(7) ppm and 28.3(9), 28.9(9) ppm, respectively. These values are very similar to values found for other carboxylic protons involved in very strong hydrogen bonds. Also the eigenvectors are oriented similarly to those found for other hydrogen-bonded systems. The angle between the most shielded direction and the OH bond vector, for example, is 4° (2) and 0° (2), respectively, for the two compounds.
Preemptive Morphine Analgesia Attenuates the Long-Term Consequences of Neonatal Inflammation in Male and Female Rats

Despite mounting evidence on the importance of pain management in preterm infants, clinical use of analgesics in this population is limited. Our previous studies have shown that neonatal inflammation results in long-term alterations in adult somatosensory thresholds, characterized by decreased baseline nociceptive sensitivity, and enhanced hyperalgesia after a subsequent inflammatory insult. The present studies were conducted to determine whether preemptive morphine attenuates these negative consequences. At P0, pups received an injection of morphine sulfate before an intraplantar injection of 1% carrageenan. Control pups received either saline (SAL) followed by intraplantar carrageenan, morphine sulfate followed by intraplantar SAL, or SAL followed by intraplantar SAL. Preemptive morphine significantly attenuated neonatal injury-induced hypoalgesia in adolescence and adulthood. Similarly, morphine pretreated animals displayed significantly less hyperalgesia and recovered faster from a subsequent inflammatory insult compared with controls. Neonatal morphine had no significant effect on morphine analgesia in adulthood. Interestingly, neonatally injured animals that did not receive morphine displayed a significant rightward shift in the morphine dose-response cuve in the absence of peripheral inflammation. Together, these results demonstrate that preemptive morphine significantly attenuates the long-term behavioral impact of neonatal inflammatory injury.
Epoxidation of partially norbornylized linseed oil

A new cycloaliphatic epoxide functionalized monomer was prepared from partially norbornylized linseed oil (Dilulin®). Epoxidation was accomplished using three different approaches: peracetic acid, dioxirane, and hydrogen peroxide. Dioxirane was generated from potassium peroxomonosulfate and acetone. Hydrogen peroxide was used with a quaternary ammonium tetrakis(diperoxotungsto) phosphate(3-) as an epoxidation catalyst. The epoxidation reactions were monitored by FT-IR, and the products were characterized using 1 H, 13 C NMR, FT-IR, FT-Raman, and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectroscopy. For all three approaches, the effect of reaction time, temperature, catalyst concentration, and pH was investigated. Out of the three approaches, the hydrogen peroxide epoxidation was preferred on the basis of yield and ease of purification. The kinetic data were obtained only for the hydrogen peroxide approach. The reaction was found to be first-order with respect to the alkene double bond and 1.4th-order with respect to the catalyst.
Exclusionary interactions among diverse fungi infecting developing seeds of Centaurea stoebe.

Developing seeds are expected to be strongly defended against microbial attack. In keeping with this, only 26% of seeds of Centaurea stoebe from its native and invaded ranges in Eurasia and North America were infected with fungi, and 92.2% of those were infected with a single fungus per seed. Even when developing seeds in flower heads were inoculated under conducive conditions for infection with 14 of these seed-infecting fungi, re-isolation of inoculants was only 16% overall, and again limited to the particular inoculant. Environmental fungi (i.e. those not isolated from seed of C. stoebe) were present in control flower heads under conditions conducive to infection but they were never re-isolated from fully developed seeds in any experiments. When two or three seed isolates were co-inoculated to compete in flower heads, only one inoculant, and always the same one, was re-isolated from all matured seeds, regardless of maternal plant genotype. PCR-based detection methods confirmed that these fungal interactions were exclusionary rather than suppressive. In these strongly defended, developing seeds, we had expected the plant to control not only the overall level of infection but also the outcome of co-inoculations. Consequences for the next plant generation of this exclusionary competition among seed-infecting fungi included effects on seedling emergence, growth and fecundity.
Stimulated relativistic harmonic generation from intense laser interactions with beams and plasmas

Stimulated backscattered harmonic radiation generated by the interaction of an intense pump laser field with an electron beam or plasma is analyzed using a nonlinear, relativistic, fluid theory valid to all orders in the pump laser amplitude. The backscattered radiation occurs at odd harmonics of the doppler shifted incident laser frequency. The growth rate and saturation level of the backscattered harmonics are calculated and thermal limitations are discussed. This mechanism may provide a practical method for producing coherent radiation in the XUV regime.
Adjustment of Regional Regression Equations for Urban Storm-Runoff Quality Using At-Site Data

Regional regression equations have been developed to estimate urban storm-runoff loads and mean concentrations using a national data base. Four statistical methods using at-site data to adjust the regional equation predictions were developed to provide better local estimates. The four adjustment procedures are a single-factor adjustment, a regression of the observed data against the predicted values, a regression of the observed values against the predicted values and additional local independent variables, and a weighted combination of a local regression with the regional prediction. Data collected at five representative storm-runoff sites during 22 storms in Little Rock, Arkansas, were used to verify, and, when appropriate, adjust the regional regression equation predictions. Comparison of observed values of storm-runoff loads and mean concentrations to the predicted values from the regional regression equations for nine constituents (chemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, total nitrogen as N, total ...
Ultrasound Guidance for Medical Thoracoscopy: A Novel Approach

Background: Commonly, a pneumothorax is induced before medical thoracoscopy to facilitate safe entry into the pleural space. Objective: Evaluate the use of transthoracic ultrasound to locate a safe entry site for trocar placement during medical thoracoscopy without induction of a preprocedure pneumothorax. Method: The study was designed as a prospective cohort study, performed in the setting of a tertiary care hospital with an active interventional pulmonology program. It included 20 consecutive patients referred for medical thoracoscopy. Results: Ultrasound identified entry sites in all 20 patients. All sites were successfully used, despite the presence of adhesions in 3 patients. There were no complications. Conclusions: Ultrasound could safely and reliably identify entry sites for trocar placement during medical thoracoscopy, even in patients with pleural adhesions. The use of ultrasound may replace the practice of pneumothorax induction before medical thoracoscopy.
Inhibition of intracellular bacterial replication in fibroblasts is dependent on the perforin-like protein (Perforin-2) encoded by macrophage expressed gene 1

Fibroblasts are known to eliminate intracellular bacteria, but the lethal hit of the bactericidal mechanism has not been defined. We show that primary embryonic and established fibroblasts can be induced by interferons or by intracellular bacterial infection to express a perforin-like mRNA previously described as macrophage-expressed gene 1 (Mpeg1). The presence and level of the perforin-like mRNA correlate with the ability of primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) to eliminate intracellular bacteria. In addition, siRNA knockdown of the perforin-like molecule abolishes bactericidal activity and allows intracellular bacterial replication. Complementation of MEF in which the endogenous perforin-like molecule has been knocked down with a red fluorescent protein-tagged version restores bactericidal activity. The perforin-like molecule has broad bactericidal specificity for pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria, including Gram-positive and -negative, and acid fast bacteria. The perforin-like molecule renders previously lysozyme-resistant bacteria sensitive to lysis by lysozyme suggesting physical damage of the outer cell wall by the perforin-like protein. MEF damage cell walls of intracellular bacteria by insertion, polymerization, and pore formation of the perforin-like protein, analogous to pore formers of complement and perforin-1 of cytolytic lymphocytes. We propose the name perforin-2.
Guenther receives 2011 Yoram J. Kaufman Unselfish Cooperation in Research Award: Response

Alex B. Guenther received the Yoram J. Kaufman Unselfish Cooperation in Research Award at the 2011 AGU Fall Meeting, held 5–9 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award recognizes “broad influence in atmospheric science through exceptional creativity, inspiration of younger scientists, mentoring, international collaborations, and unselfish cooperation in research.
Cigarette smoke inhalation affects the reproductive system of female hamsters

The purpose of this study was to determine if inhalation of mainstream (MS) or sidestream (SS) smoke affects the reproductive organs of female hamsters. Females inhaled smoke from one or two cigarettes twice per day for 30 d prior to mating using a smoking machine equipped for nose breathing. Serum cotinine levels were within the ranges found in active and passive humans smokers. On day 7 of pregnancy, the reproductive organs of controls and smokers were evaluated for the total number of corpora lutea (CL), the percentage of normal, pink, and small CL, the vascular area in the CL, the ultrastructure of the oviductal epithelium, the ratio of ciliated to secretory cells in the ampulla of the oviduct, the stretchability of the uterine horns, the percentage of implantation sites, and the percentage of touching implantation sites. All parameters, except the percentages of implantation sites and of small CL, were affected by exposure to smoke. To determine if the effects of smoking on the ovary and uterus could be reversed, females smoked for 30 d, remained in their cages without smoking for 30 d, and then were mated and evaluated on day 7 of pregnancy. In this reversal experiment, all ovarian and uterine parameters (except total CL) previously affected by smoking were normal in MS and SS females. These experimental observations show that components in both MS and SS smoke, when delivered at levels comparable to those human smokers receive, can affect the ovary, oviduct, and uterus.
Feeding and hemolymph trehalose concentration influence sex pheromone production in virgin Heliothis virescens moths

Abstract Previously, we demonstrated that sex pheromone production in mated female Heliothis virescens moths is dependent upon hemolymph trehalose concentration (HTC), which is influenced by activities such as the feeding of adults on sucrose. In this paper we demonstrate, for the first time, that this effect also occurs in starved (i.e., sugar-stressed) virgin females. Females allowed to feed on sugar for 6 days, following eclosion, had significantly greater titers than females that had fed only on water (i.e., were starved). No differences in pheromone titer were observed between sugar- and water-fed females at shorter (1 or 3 days) periods following eclosion. The relatively short-term effects of HTC on sex pheromone titer of virgins, were demonstrated by feeding experiments, in which starved (for 4 days) virgins fed on 10% sucrose solution had significantly greater HTC and pheromone titers than ones fed only on water; an increase in HTC was apparent within an hour, while the increase in pheromone titer was apparent within 2.5 h, of sugar feeding. Starvation also showed similar effects on titers of pheromone gland fatty acids (pheromone intermediates) and HTC. Over 6 days of starvation, fatty acid titers and HTC declined gradually. After feeding on sucrose, titers of hexadecanoic, (Z)-9-hexadecanoic, (Z)-11-hexadecanoic and (Z)-9-octadecanoic, acids, as well as HTC, increased significantly 24 h later, but titers of octadecanoic and (Z,Z)-9,12-octadecanoic (linoleic) acids did not. Lepidoptera cannot biosynthesize polyunsaturated acids, but the lack of change in octadecanoic acid titer suggests this acid may not participate in pheromone biosynthesis. In addition to these short-term changes in pheromone and fatty acid production, mediated by HTC, a longer-term effect of age, regardless of HTC, on pheromone titer was observed. Overall, these results are consistent with hemolymph trehalose and glandular fatty acids acting as twin metabolite reservoirs for pheromone biosynthesis. Hemolymph trehalose, able to be refilled through feeding on exogenous sugars, has a one-way flow of metabolites for synthesis of glandular free fatty acids (FFAs) and pheromone, while glandular glycerolipids provide a reversible reservoir for metabolites, accepting surplus FFAs when glandular concentrations are high, and providing FFAs for pheromone biosynthesis when concentrations are low.
Retinoylation of the cAMP-binding regulatory subunits of type I and type II cAMP-dependent protein kinases in HL60 cells.

Abstract Retinoylation (retinoic acid acylation) is a post-translational modification of proteins occurring in a variety of eukaryotic cell lines. There are at least 20 retinoylated proteins in the human myeloid leukemia cell line HL60 ( N. Takahashi and T. R. Breitman (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 19,158–19,162). Here we found that some retinoylated proteins may be cAMP-binding proteins. Five proteins, covalently labeled by 8-azido-[ 32 P]cAMP which specifically reacts with the regulatory subunits of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, comigrated on two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with retinoylated proteins of M r 37,000 (p37 RA ), 47,000 (p47 RA ), and 51,000 (p51 RA ) labeled by [ 3 H]retinoic acid treatment of intact cells. Furthermore, p47 RA coeluted on Mono Q anion exchange chromatography with the type I cAMP-dependent protein kinase holoenzyme and p51 RA coeluted on Mono Q anion exchange chromatography with the type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase holoenzyme. An antiserum specific to RI, the cAMP-binding regulatory subunit of type I cAMP-dependent protein kinase, immunoprecipitated p47 RA . An antiserum specific to RII, the cAMP-binding regulatory subunit of type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase, immunoprecipitated p51 RA . These results indicate that both the RI and the RII regulatory subunits of cAMP-dependent protein kinase are retinoylated. Thus, an early event in RA-induced differentiation of HL60 cells may be the retinoylation of subpopulations of both RI and RII.