cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Construction of hybrid bacterial deacetoxycephalosporin C synthases (expandases) by in vivo homeologous recombination

Abstract Homeologous recombination (recombination between partially homeologous DNA sequences) was used to produce novel functional deacetoxycephalosporin C synthase (expandase) enzymes in vivo which are hybrids of the Streptomyces clavuligerus and Nocardia lactamdurans enzymes. DNA sequencing of hybrids obtained in E. coli showed that recombination had occurred at several locations within conserved sequences as short as 2 bp. Recombination events obtained in a Streptomyces background resulted in expandases with altered activity on penicillin G as determined by bioassay and HPLC.
Apparent thermal inertia and the surface heterogeneity of Mars

Abstract Thermal inertia derivation techniques generally assume that surface properties are uniform at horizontal scales below the footprint of the observing instrument and to depths of several decimeters. Consequently, surfaces with horizontal or vertical heterogeneity may yield apparent thermal inertia which varies with time of day and season. To investigate these temporal variations, we processed three Mars years of Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer observations and produced global nightside and dayside seasonal maps of apparent thermal inertia. These maps show broad regions with diurnal and seasonal differences up to 200 J m −2 K −1 s −1/2 at mid-latitudes (60° S to 60° N) and 600 J m −2 K −1 s −1/2 or greater in the polar regions. We compared the seasonal mapping results with modeled apparent thermal inertia and created new maps of surface heterogeneity at 5° resolution, delineating regions that have thermal characteristics consistent with horizontal mixtures or layers of two materials. The thermal behavior of most regions on Mars appears to be dominated by layering, with upper layers of higher thermal inertia (e.g., duricrusts or desert pavements over fines) prevailing in mid-latitudes and upper layers of lower thermal inertia (e.g., dust-covered rock, soils with an ice table at shallow depths) prevailing in polar regions. Less common are regions dominated by horizontal mixtures, such as those containing differing proportions of rocks, sand, dust, and duricrust or surfaces with divergent local slopes. Other regions show thermal behavior that is more complex and not well-represented by two-component surface models. These results have important implications for Mars surface geology, climate modeling, landing-site selection, and other endeavors that employ thermal inertia as a tool for characterizing surface properties.
Heroic measures when treating patients with hematologic malignancies - the economic cost of survival.

The survival of patients with hematologic malignancies who require admission w the intensive care unit (I.C.U.) is poor. The potential for cure in this group of patients necessitates aggressive treatment that can result in life-threatening complications. A medical. ethical and financial dilemma arises when aggressive therapy and intensive support is balanced with actual survival, meaningful survival and the financial burden to society and the patient's family. We collected complete financial information on 64 leukemia and lymphoma patients admitted for the f.tst time to the intensive care unit (lC.U.) at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute between 711/88 and 6/30/90. The charges were calculated from actual itemized statements and included all inpatient and out-patient charges~ Survival was addressed by individually evaluating candidate variables with parametric and non-parametric analysis. Survival after I.C.U. admission and hospital discharg\! were studied as dependent variables in a stepwise multiple regression analysis. The nadir of the platelet count and albumin level prior to and during the l.C.U. admission significantly affected survivaL During the I. C. U, admission, the BUN. serum creatinine and the need for mechanical ventilation significantly affected survival. Seventy-eight percent of patients survived less than five months and spent less than two and one half months at home. Fifty percent of patients expired during the !.CU. admission. Only 3.2% of patients who had received two or more chemotherapeutic regimens had survived more than one year. The cost per year of life gained for the entire group of patients was $189,339. The results of this study show that the majority of leukemia and lymphoma patients who are admitted to the l.C.U. expire prior to discharge or spend a minimal amount of time at home prior to expiring. This study suggests that the cost of
Corrections to the eikonal approximation for nuclear scattering at medium energies

The upcoming Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State University has reemphasized the importance of accurate modeling of low energy nucleus-nucleus scattering. Such calculations have been simplified by using the eikonal approximation. As a high energy approximation, however, its accuracy suffers for the medium energy beams that are of current experimental interest. A prescription developed by Wallace [Phys. Rev. Lett. 27, 622 (1971) and Ann. Phys. (NY) 78, 190 (1973)] that obtains the scattering propagator as an expansion around the eikonal propagator (Glauber approach) has the potential to extend the range of validity of the approximation to lower energies. Here we examine the properties of this expansion, and calculate the first-, second-, and third-order corrections for the scattering of a spinless particle off of a $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ nucleus, and for nuclear breakup reactions involving $^{11}\mathrm{Be}$. We find that, including these corrections extends the lower bound of the range of validity down to energies as low as about 45 MeV. At that energy the corrections provide as much as a 15% correction to certain processes.
Value of the SAGES Learning Center in introducing new technology

The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) Learning Center is a group of educational “classrooms” designed to tutor meeting attendees on specific technology-intensive content areas. The objectives of the Robotics Station were to familiarize participants with basic laparoscopic skills as implemented with surgical robotic assistance and to help them explore the benefits and drawbacks of using robotics in their institutions. Sixty-six volunteer surgeon attendees of the 2003 SAGES meeting representing a diverse group of backgrounds and possessing varying levels of surgical experience were directed through a series of drills on two different surgical robots. Each participant was directed through a series of three drills that practiced surgically relevant skills. Participants were given feedback on their performance. They then completed a 12-question computer-based questionnaire that surveyed their personal demographic backgrounds, their impressions of robotic surgery, and their opinions regarding the learning center’s utility in educating them about new technology. Sixty-eight percent of participants had never used a surgical robot, and 89% had never used a robot clinically. Eighty-eight percent of respondents found one or both robots easier to use than they had expected, and 91% found that one or both robots made simple surgical tasks easier compared to standard laparoscopy. Sixty-four percent of participants stated that they were more likely to pursue purchase of a robotic system for use in their practice as a result of their exposure to robotics in the Learning Center. After completing the Robotics Station, 80% of surgeons believed that current surgical robots are of clinical benefit. However, 71% of participants stated that surgical robotic systems priced above $500,000 would not be financially viable in their practices. The structured learning environment used in the SAGES Learning Center fostered among participants a positive attitude toward surgical robotics. The format of their exposure to this technology at the Robotics Station also enabled participants to gauge the potential financial value of surgical robots in clinical practice. The SAGES Learning Center Robotics Station succeeded in exposing surgeons to surgical robotics in a way that helped them assess the value of this technology for their individual practices and institutions.
Codeswitching with English: types of switching, types of communities

ABSTRACT: Types of codeswitching are defined, according to their social functions, with switching ‘as an unmarked choice’ receiving special attention. This type of switching occurs when bilingual peers make relevant their dual and simultaneous membership in the two groups symbolized by the two different linguistic varieties involved in the switching pattern. Structural constraints on switching are discussed across codeswitching types. Finally, it is argued that the types of codeswitching characterizing a community become predictors of the functional allocation of linguistic varieties and of intergroup competition in that community.
The wall-echo-shadow (WES) sign.

Ultrasound detection of cholelithiasis can be difficult if the lumen of the gallbladder is completely occupied by a large calculus or multiple small calculi, as the appearance can mimic bowel [1]. The typical sonographic depiction in this setting is the wall-echo-shadow complex, also termed the WES sign [2]. The ‘‘W’’ is the near field ‘‘wall’’ of the gallbladder, seen as a curvilinear echogenic line. The ‘‘E’’ is the subjacent ‘‘echo’’ from highly reflective gallstones, likewise seen as a curvilinear echogenic line. These parallel lines are discernible individually because of anechoic bile between them. The ‘‘S’ represents the typical acoustic ‘‘shadowing’’ from almost complete reflection of sound at the surface of the gall-
Polyelectrolyte-like behaviour of poly(ethylene-oxide) solutions with added monovalent salt

Solvent effects on the conformation of poly(ethylene-oxide) (PEO) and complexation of PEO by monovalent cations have been examined by using small-angle neutron scattering. In methanol and acetonitrile, a big change in interchain interaction, osmotic compressibility and local chain conformation have been observed upon addition of small amounts of potassium iodide. The amplitude of the total intensity decreases significantly and a peak at a certain value of the wave vector q* appears as signature of a polyelectrolyte-like behaviour. With further addition of salt, the ionic strength of the solution increases and potassium binding becomes less favorable: the binding constant decreases with the ionic strength and PEO behaves as a neutral polymer with excluded volume. No association between PEO and potassium iodide was observed in aqueous solutions.
Homeless families and the housing crisis in the United States

Abstract In the United States, families are the fastest growing group of homeless people. This article describes America's homeless families and considers the impact of homelessness on children. It also explicates the reasons behind the explosion in the number of homeless families, discussing inadequate family incomes and dwindling affordable housing. Recommendations are presented for addressing family homelessness.
Perturbation of rRNA Synthesis in the bap28 Mutation Leads to Apoptosis Mediated by p53 in the Zebrafish Central Nervous System

Zebrafish is a powerful vertebrate model system for using forward genetics to elucidate mechanisms of early development. We have used chemical mutagenesis to screen for mutants that show defects in the CNS. Here we describe the isolation of the bap28 mutation that leads to abnormalities in the brain starting at midsomitogenesis stages. Mutant embryos display excess apoptosis primarily in the central nervous system (CNS) and die by days 6-7 after fertilization. The mutation was positionally cloned and shown to affect a gene that encodes a large protein with high similarity to the uncharacterized human protein BAP28 and lower similarity to yeast Utp10. Utp10 is a component of a nucleolar U3 small nucleolar RNA-containing RNP complex that is required for transcription of ribosomal DNA and for processing of 18 S rRNA. We show that zebrafish Bap28 likewise is required for rRNA transcription and processing, with a major effect on 18 S rRNA maturation. We suggest that bap28 is required for cell survival in the CNS through its role in rRNA synthesis and processing. Inhibition of p53 protein expression in bap28 mutants led to embryos with morphologically normal appearance, suggesting that p53 is involved in triggering apoptosis in the bap28 mutant CNS. The bap28 mutation provides a genetic approach to study the role of ribosome biogenesis in the development of a vertebrate embryo.
Mitochondrial oxidative stress in the retinal pigment epithelium leads to localized retinal degeneration.

Purpose Oxidative stress in the RPE is widely accepted as a contributing factor to AMD. We have previously shown that ribozyme-mediated reduction in the antioxidant enzyme manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) leads to some of the features of geographic atrophy in mice. To develop a mouse model independent of viral injection, we used a conditional knockout of the Sod2 gene in the RPE to elevate mitochondrial oxidative stress in that cell layer. Methods Experimental mice in which exon 3 of Sod2 was flanked by loxP sites were also transgenic for PVMD2-rtTA and tetO-PhCMV cre, so that cre recombinase was expressed only in the RPE. Pups of this genotype (Sod2(flox/flox)VMD2cre) were induced to express cre recombinase by feeding doxycycline-laced chow to nursing dams. Controls included mice of this genotype not treated with doxycycline and doxycycline-treated Sod2(flox/flox) mice lacking the cre transgene. Expression of cre in the RPE was verified by immunohistochemistry, and deletion of Sod2 exon 3 in the RPE was confirmed by PCR. Mice were followed up over a period of 9 months by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), digital fundus imaging, and full-field ERG. Following euthanasia, retinas were examined by light and electron microscopy or by immunohistochemistry. Contour length of rod outer segments and thickness of the RPE layer were measured by unbiased stereology. Results Following doxycycline induction of cre, Sod2(flox/flox) cre mice demonstrated increased signs of oxidative stress in the RPE and accumulation of autofluorescent material by age 2 months. They showed a gradual decline in the ERG response and thinning of the outer nuclear layer (by SD-OCT), which were statistically significant by 6 months. In addition, OCT and electron microscopy revealed increased porosity of the choroid. At the same interval, hypopigmented foci appeared in fundus micrographs, and vascular abnormalities were detected by fluorescein angiography. By 9 months, the RPE layer in Sod2(flox/flox) cre mice was thicker than in nontransgenic littermates, and the rod outer segments were significantly longer over most of the retina, although localized atrophy of photoreceptors was also obvious in some eyes. Conclusions Conditional tissue-specific reduction in MnSOD induced oxidative stress in mouse RPE, leading to RPE dysfunction, damage to the choroid, and death of photoreceptor cells. The RPE oxidative stress did not cause drusen-like deposits, but the model recapitulated certain key aspects of the pathology of dry AMD and may be useful in testing therapies.
The Moralist Strikes Back

Whereas within the context of some general debates such as that opposing liberals and communitarians it is not clear that liberalism is the best option, within the specific context of the criminal law it is hard to defend anything other than liberalism. Within the context of the criminal law, the main opponent of liberalism has been moralism. Although one would have thought that moralism had by now been sufficiently discredited, some of the most able and influential contemporary criminal law theorists have decided to defend versions or aspects of moralism. In this paper I argue that these defenses of moralism ought to be rejected.
Combined spinal epidural anesthesia and analgesia in obstetrics

The combined spinal epidural approach to labor analgesia has been in use in the United States since the late 1980's. This technique produces labor analgesia that is reliable and rapid in onset via the intrathecal injection of medication and of infinite duration via the epidural route. The intrathecal route of administration allows very effective use of nonlocal anesthetic medications, permitting patient ambulation. Common side effects, such as pruritus, are easily treated. Serious side effects, such as respiratory depression, are rare and also easily treated. There are a number of medications and medication combinations that provide excellent analgesia. Equipment choices are numerous and of excellent quality. This technique has gained wide acceptance among anesthesiologists, patients, and obstetricians.
The effect of age on stress and urgency urinary incontinence outcomes in women undergoing primary midurethral sling

Introduction and hypothesis The primary aim was to characterize stress urinary incontinence (SUI) symptom distress and impact after a midurethral sling (MUS) in women ≥70 compared to women <70 years of age.
Development and Construct Validation of a Set of Student Rating-of-Instruction Items

The development and implementation in a psychology department of a set of student rating-of-instruction items was discussed. The results of item descriptive statistics, correlational, and principal component analysis supported the construct validity of the items.
Comparison of ovarian and pituitary hormones for maintenance of pregnancy in pyridoxine-deficient rats.

Previous studies have shown that the addition of a potentB6-antagonist, desoxypyridoxine, to a purified B6-deficient diet will result in the rapid production of a B6-deficiency in adult rats (Nelson and Evans, 1948, 1951). Acrodynia of,the paws, a characteristic sign of the deficiency, and marked reproductive disturbances, namely a high incidence of resorptions, occurred after 2–3 weeks of the deficient diet. Pregnancy was maintained in such B6-deficient rats by administration of both estrone and progesterone but not by either hormone separately (Nelson, Lyons, and Evans, 1951), indicating some similarity between these B6-deficient rats and hypophysectomized-oophorectomized rats in which pregnancy can be maintained by the combination of the same hormones at the same dosage levels (Lyons, 1943). To determine whether pituitary or ovarian dysfunction is involved in the hormonal inadequacies of the B6-deficient rat, the three pituitary gonadotrophins which maintain pregnancy in the hypophysectomized rat have ...
Mobile device based authentic learning for computer network and security

Computer networking/security courses are essential parts of college computer science curriculum, and hands-on networking/security experience is well recognized as an effective approach to help students understand better about the network concepts, the layered architecture of network protocols, and network security. A new affordable and easily-adoptable approach to networking/security labs is desirable to enhance network teaching and learning. In this paper, we present our mobile device-based hands-on labware for computer network/security learning, which is guided by authentic learning principles to immerse students in a real world relevant learning environment. The developed labware has been used in various networking and security related courses, and students claim that they can learn more with the hands-on authentic learning experience.
Why Cardiologists Should Be Interested in Estrogen

Aa cardioactive agent, estrogen now resides in the place aspirin and cholesterol reducing agents did 10 years ago and antihypertensive therapy did 20 years before that. There are striking and tantalizing observations suggesting that postmenopausal estrogen use in women will significantly reduce cardiovascular events and death from heart disease, but there are few randomized data to date. Recent detailed reviews of the effects of estrogen on the cardiovascular system’S2 suggest that long-term estrogen replacement after menopause may prevent cardiovascular events in women at risk or in women with previously established coronary disease. Moreover, short-term effects of estrogen on coronary vascular reactivity may warrant its consideration as an antiischemic agent. Thus, estrogen is emerging as a drug with diverse and profound effects on the cardiovascular system. The combined long- and short-term benefits of estrogen suggest that estrogen be given careful consideration, of similar magnitude as aspirin use or cholesterol reduction, in the management of coronary artery disease (CAD) by cardiologists. Why cardiologists have not been interested in estrogen: Estrogen is, after all, a reproductive hormone. Cardiologists, in their practice of medicine, are not generally concerned with reproduction, and it is not surprising that cardiologists are distinctly unfamiliar and uncomfortable with its side effects of menstrual bleeding, endometrial hyperplasia, potential for breast swelling and tenderness, and the uncertainty of developing breast cancer. These are significant, but all physicians recognize that an appreciation of the side effects of a drug and learning how to deal with them goes hand in hand with prescribing any drug for the first time. Such trepidation is nothing that education, experience, and a close affiliation with a gynecologist could not cure. A second reason why cardiologists have been slow to embrace estrogen is that it has not, until now, fit the paradigm of atherogenesis and thrombosis and has been, if anything, thought of as prothrombotic. Recent evidence places the effects of estrogen firmly among those most desirable for a cardiovascular drug based on the most modern concepts of vascular biology. Finally, cardiologists have been slow to recognize the potential for estrogen’s effect on the cardiovascular system-that estrogen is not simply a reproductive hormone, but also a powerful cardiovascular agent.
Mechanism of chitin hydrolysis by the binary chitinase system in insect moulting fluid

Abstract The hydrolysis of insect chitin to N- acetylglucosamine by the tandem binary enzyme system, chitinase plus β-N- acetylglucosaminidase , from moulting fluid of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (L.) was investigated. Time courses for production of oligosaccharides and monosaccharide from two types of insoluble chitin, intact and colloidal, prepared from hornworm cuticle were determined by high performance liquid chromatography and reducing end group analysis, and data were analyzed kinetically under steady state conditions. Combination of the two enzymes resulted in a synergistic effect on the catalysis that was as much as six times faster than the sum of individual enzyme rates depending on the concentration ratio of chitinase to β-N- acetylglucosaminidase . The mechanism of chitin degradation was dominated by the endo-splitting chitinase which initiates hydrolysis by attacking the polymeric substrate in random fashion. The larger oligosaccharide intermediates were either insoluble or occurred at low levels in solution except for N,N′,N″- triacetylchitotriose and N,N′- diacetylchitobiose . The latter intermediates are converted to N- acetylglucosamine by the exo-splitting β-N- acetylglucosaminidase . In contrast to the mechanism of soluble oligosaccharide hydrolysis, no substrate inhibition (non-productive enzyme-substrate complexes) of the dual enzyme system occurred with the insoluble polymeric substrates.
Distribution of the NMDA receptor NR3A subunit in the adult pig-tail macaque brain.

Abstract The NMDA subtype of glutamate receptors are heteromeric complexes comprised of multiple subunits encoded by at least seven different genes (NR1, NR2A–2D and NR3A–3B), and differential expression of these subunits alters the pharmacological and electrophysiological properties of NMDA receptors. NR3A is a recently identified unique modulatory subunit that decreases NMDA receptor current and calcium influx. In rodents, NR3A is developmentally expressed, displaying robust expression early in development that declines with age, reaching low levels in the adult brain. A distinct and highly selective pattern of expression is observed in the developing and mature rodent brain, suggesting that NR3A may play a very specific role in NMDA receptor-mediated processes. NR3A expression in other species, however, is unknown. Therefore, we examined the expression of NR3A mRNA and protein in the adult macaque brain. Our results indicate that NR3A mRNA is expressed throughout much of the adult primate brain, and at high levels in specific brain regions including the neocortex, substantia nigra par compacta and cerebellum, as well as select areas of the hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus and hypothamalamus. Western blot analysis reflects that this protein is translated and expressed in multiple brain regions. In contrast to the rat mRNA, our results suggest that NR3A transcript is widely expressed in the adult primate brain. Particular enrichment in some brain areas may reflect brain-region or circuit-specific functions for this NMDA receptor subunit.
AUTOCATAKINETICS, YES—AUTOPOIESIS, NO: STEPS TOWARD A UNIFIED THEORY OF EVOLUTIONARY ORDERING

Autopoiesis was introduced into the literature by Maturana and Varela as the name for a particular system description which they claimed was necessary and sufficient to define the living and also to explain it. The term has been widely applied in the literature instead to spontaneous order production or self-organization in general, whether living or not. Zeleny and Hufford, authors of the focal paper for this volume, would like to continue this tradition. While their effort to seek the generic behavior of spontaneous order is to be commended, this particular move must be rejected. In the first place, if the concept of autopoiesis can be used in this way it immediately shows the concept's failure to define and explain the living, making it enigmatic as to what is being generalized. In the second place, the whole concept of autopoiesis is contrived at its foundations where it is miraculously decoupled from the physical world to promulgate a solipsistic epistemology with abhorrent social consequences. An al...
Is There a Nonprofit Advantage? Examining the Impact of Institutional Context on Individual-Organizational Value Congruence

This article addresses an important question: do nonprofit organizations have an advantage over public organizations in fostering individual–organizational value congruence? The authors argue that nonprofit organizations do have an advantage. This is because institutional differences between the two sectors become manifest through nonprofit status and the extent of external control, which influences the organization and the individual. External control and sector status (nonprofit versus public) determine the extent of centralization, organizational goal ambiguity, and work autonomy. In turn, these three organizational characteristics shape individual–organizational value congruence. Although the results provide support for the nonprofit advantage thesis, it is worth noting that organizational effects on individual–organizational value congruence are more powerful. Indeed, the results suggest that managerial and organizational actions, compared with sector status, are more likely to influence individual–organizational value congruence.
Hardy spaces that support no compact composition operators

We consider, for G a simply connected domain and 0<p<∞, the Hardy space Hp(G) formed by fixing a Riemann map τ of the unit disc onto G, and demanding of functions F holomorphic on G that the integrals of |F|p over the curves τ({|z|=r}) be bounded for 0<r<1. The resulting space is usually not the one obtained from the classical Hardy space of the unit disc by conformal mapping. This is reflected in our Main Theorem: Hp(G) supports compact composition operators if and only if ∂G has finite one-dimensional Hausdorff measure. Our work is inspired by an earlier result of Matache (Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 127 (1999) 1483), who showed that the Hp spaces of half-planes support no compact composition operators. Our methods provide a lower bound for the essential spectral radius which shows that the same result holds with “compact” replaced by “Riesz.” We prove similar results for Bergman spaces, with the Hardy-space condition “∂G has finite Hausdorff 1-measure” replaced by “G has finite area.” Finally, we characterize those domains G for which every composition operator on either the Hardy or the Bergman spaces is bounded.
Transient bone marrow edema of the talus: MR imaging findings in five patients.

Objective: To describe the MR findings of transient bone marrow edema (TBME) of the talus and to address the differential diagnostic considerations. Design and patients: The imaging findings of TBME of six tali were retrospectively reviewed in five patients with a clinical history of pain without trauma. Inclusion criteria were MR imaging findings that, when compared with clinical data and results of follow-up assessment, allowed the diagnosis of TBME. MR imaging, standard radiography, and bone scintigraphy were performed. The images were reviewed with particular attention to the pattern and distribution of abnormal marrow signal intensity as well as associated findings. Results: In four cases the entire talus was involved, and in two cases only a portion of the bone was affected. No fractures were detected. MR imaging demonstrated diffuse decreased signal intensity of the marrow on T1-weighted images with corresponding increased signal intensity on T2-weighted images. In all six cases MR imaging detected associated findings, which included joint effusion and soft tissue edema. All patients improved clinically with conservative therapy over a period of 6 months to 1 year. Conclusions: Although unusual, TBME can involve the talus. Marrow edema without evidence of a fracture and in the absence of history of trauma is a characteristic MR imaging feature, allowing confident diagnosis and institution of conservative therapy.
Angioedema related to the use of hyaluronidase in cataract surgery

Abstract Purpose To report a series of cases of angioedema related to the use of hyaluronidase in cataract surgery. Design Observational case series. Methods Three eyes of three patients who had periorbital angioedema after phacoemulsification at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, between April 2001 and May 2002 were retrospectively skin tested for allergies using the prick technique. Results Skin testing was positive in all three patients for allergy to hyaluronidase (150 U/cc) and histamine control; and negative for prick control, 2% lidocaine, 1% cyclopentolate, 2.5% neosynephrine, 0.5% proparacaine, 0.3% ofloxacin, and thimerosal. Conclusions The use of hyaluronidase in ophthalmic anesthesia injection may cause immediate type hypersensitivity reactions such as angioedema.
Multicasting in groupware

While multicast has been studied extensively in many domains such as content streaming and file sharing, there is little research applying it to synchronous collaborations involving shared access to a distributed object. Based on several cases of real-world collaborations involving instant messaging, distributed lectures, and computationally-intensive collaborative game playing, we show that compared to traditional centralized and replicated collaboration architectures, a new bi-architecture collaboration system model with multicasting support can improve response, feedthrough, and task completion times. In addition, we show that to optimize performance, the set of traditionally considered factors, consisting of network delays and transmission costs, must be expanded to include several new factors, such as processing costs, scheduling policies, and think times. In one or more of the real-world collaborations we consider, we show that multicast (a) can increase feedthrough times if processing costs and scheduling policies are not considered and (b) may degrade or improve task completion times depending on the cost of computing the multicast overlay.
A novel parameter projection mechanism for smooth and stable adaptive control

Abstract A novel parameter projection technique for handling uncertain parameters with a priori available upper and lower bounds is the subject of this paper. It is a wellknown fact that the conventional parameter projection method employed in certainty equivalence adaptive control is able to guarantee global asymptotic stability only after compromising control smoothness. In contrast, the technique presented in this paper preserves both stability and smoothness guarantees for the closed-loop adaptive system. The novelty of the proposed adaptive control formulation comes through our deliberate introduction of a nonlinear re-parameterization of uncertainty, thereby amounting to a significant shift from the classical certainty equivalence methodology. The proposed controller is non-overparameterized and has the potential to significantly improve transient performance because of full and proper utilization of all the available prior information on the unknown parameters. The technical descriptions are further elaborated via the Duffing nonlinear oscillator example to highlight the advantages of this new approach.
Males and females use different distal cues in a virtual environment navigation task.

The study of navigational ability in humans is often limited by the restricted availability and inconvenience of using large novel environments. In the present study we use a computer-generated virtual environment to study sex differences in human spatial navigation. Adult male and female participants navigated through a virtual water maze where both landmarks and room geometry were available as distal cues. Manipulation of environmental characteristics revealed that females rely predominantly on landmark information, while males more readily use both landmark and geometric information. We discuss these results as a possible link between recent human research reporting hippocampal activation in spatial tasks and animal work showing sex differences in both spatial ability and hippocampal development.
expHTS: analysis of high throughput sequence data in an experimental framework

Analysis time and storage space are critical bottlenecks when analyzing multi-sample, comparative high throughput sequence experiments. The experimental High Throughput Sequencing (expHTS) pipeline mitigates these bottlenecks by streaming external application data, speeding analysis, and reducing storage space by eliminating intermediate, un-analyzed files. This creates faster run times, less storage space on the machine, and improves uniformity of sample analysis.
Age Differences in Genetic Knowledge, Health Literacy and Causal Beliefs for Health Conditions

Objectives: This study examined the levels of genetic knowledge, health literacy and beliefs about causation of health conditions among individuals in different age groups. <i&gt
Enhancing Learning in the Life Sciences through Spatial Perception.

Recent educational research finds if students are encouraged to form mental images of events, objects and written or spoken words, learning of the material is enhanced. The inability to image an item may, in fact, hinder one's learning efforts in some disciplines. To find if low spatial apptitude does have a deleterious effect on learning in the life sciences, two hundred and fifty undergraduates taking a nonmajor's biology course were given tests to measure their visual-spatial awareness. Students falling more than one standard deviation from the mean were classified as low in spatial cognition and were randomly sorted into an experimental and a control group. Exercises known to enhance spatial understanding were conducted weekly with the experimental group. When the final grades for the course were examined at the end of the semester, it was found that students in the experimental group scored significantly better than the control group in the biology course. These students, however, did not reach the same level of proficiency as the students who were measuring high in spatial ability initially.
Enema Use among Men who have Sex with Men: A behavioral epidemiologic study with implications for HIV/STI prevention

Enema use or douching is a risk factor for HIV/STI in men who have sex with men (MSM). However, few studies have explored enema use practices. We examined the frequency of enema use, type of products used, and reasons to use and not to use before and after receptive anal sex in a large sample of MSM (N = 4,992) recruited from 16 U.S. cities. Through online surveys, we examined personal, behavioral, and environmental factors associated with enema use. Most (52 %) participants reported having douched at least once and 35 % reported douching within the last 3 months. While most (88 %) reported enema use before receptive anal sex, 28 % douched after receptive anal sex. Most participants (65 %) used water to douche, 24 % added salt, soap, and/or antibacterial products to water, and 30 % reported using commercially available products. Being a man of color, HIV-positive, diagnosed with an STI, identifying as “versatile” in sex, and having more than two unprotected sex partners were significantly associated with recent enema use. Douching behavior appears closely associated with HIV/STI risk. Douching with water may be a concern since it may increase HIV/STI infection by damaging the epithelium. Development and promotion of a non-damaging, non-water based enema specifically for use in anal sex are recommended. In addition, the seemingly contradictory recommendations that water-based lubricant is recommended for anal sex but water-based enemas are dangerous need to be reconciled into a single consistent message.
The Salmonella Pathogenicity Island (SPI) 1 contributes more than SPI2 to the colonization of the chicken by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (Typhimurium) is an important pathogen that infects a broad range of hosts. In humans, Typhimurium causes a gastroenteritis characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pains. Typhimurium infection occurs mainly through the ingestion of contaminated food including poultry, pork, eggs, and milk. Chickens that are asymptomatic carriers of Typhimurium constitute a potential reservoir for infection. The type three secretion systems encoded by Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPI) 1 and 2 are major virulence factors of Salmonella. However, only a few studies have investigated their role during the infection of chickens. We have taken a mixed infection approach to study the contribution of SPI1 and SPI2 to the colonization of the chicken by Typhimurium. We found that SPI1 contributes to colonization of both the cecum and spleen in the chicken. In contrast, SPI2 contributes to colonization of the spleen but not the cecum and, in the absence of SPI1, inhibits cecal colonization. Additionally, we show that the contribution of SPI1 in the spleen is greater than that of SPI2. These results are different from those observed during the infection of the mouse by Typhimurium where SPI2 is the major player during systemic colonization. The co-infection model we used provides a sensitive assay that confirms the role of SPI1 and clarifies the role of SPI2 in the colonization of the chicken by Typhimurium.
How Did Cassiopeia A Explode? A Chandra VLP

The Cassiopeia A supernova remnant will be observed by Chandra for 1 Ms this spring. We discuss our motivations and plans for acquiring and analyzing these data.
The HMG-I(Y) A.T-hook peptide motif confers DNA-binding specificity to a structured chimeric protein.

Chromosomal translocations involving genes coding for members of the HMG-I(Y) family of "high mobility group" non-histone chromatin proteins (HMG-I, HMG-Y, and HMG-IC) have been observed in numerous types of human tumors. Many of these gene rearrangements result in the creation of chimeric proteins in which the DNA-binding domains of the HMG-I(Y) proteins, the so-called A.T-hook motifs, have been fused to heterologous peptide sequences. Although little is known about either the structure or biophysical properties of these naturally occurring fusion proteins, the suggestion has been made that such chimeras have probably assumed an altered in vivo DNA-binding specificity due to the presence of the A.T-hook motifs. To investigate this possibility, we performed in vitro "domain-swap" experiments using a model protein fusion system in which a single A. T-hook peptide was exchanged for a corresponding length peptide in the well characterized "B-box" DNA-binding domain of the HMG-1 non-histone chromatin protein. Here we report that chimeric A. T-hook/B-box hybrids exhibit in vitro DNA-binding characteristics resembling those of wild type HMG-I(Y) protein, rather than the HMG-1 protein. These results strongly suggest that the chimeric fusion proteins produced in human tumors as a result of HMG-I(Y) gene chromosomal translocations also retain A.T-hook-imparted DNA-binding properties in vivo.
Shades of Gray: A Qualitative Study of Terms Used in the Measurement of Sexual Victimization:

Methodological analyses of sexual victimization research are still rare, despite the explosion of interest in this topic and widely varying rates across studies. In-depth analysis of the meaning of differences in rates is especially lacking. A series of five ethnically and geographically diverse focus groups were held to explore how wording in sexual victimization surveys affects the reporting of various types of negative sexual experiences. Participants provided rich formulations about sexual intercourse that suggest there is a wide range of coercion, from peer pressure to lose one's virginity to partner pressure to demonstrate one's commitment to stereotypical forced rape. Focus group participants asserted that many terms that are often used synonymously, such as unwanted, nonvoluntary, and forced, have distinct meanings. They also described how different social pressures on women and men, and differences in physical size lead to inevitable differences in perceptions of coerciveness. Although recent sexual victimization surveys have increased the specificity of descriptions of sexual acts, these findings suggest that it is equally important to be precise in communicating what is meant by coercion.
Metal-mediated DNA damage and cell death: mechanisms, detection methods, and cellular consequences

The redox activity of metal ions can lead to the formation of highly reactive species that damage DNA, producing different oxidation products and types of damage depending upon the redox potentials of the DNA bases, formation of intermediate adducts, and identity of the reactive species. Other factors are also important in determining the degree of metal-mediated DNA damage, such as localization and redox chemistry of the metal ions or complexes and lifetimes of the reactive oxygen species generated. This review examines the types of DNA damage mediated by first-row transition metals under oxidative stress conditions, with emphasis on work published in the past ten years. Similarities and differences between DNA damage mechanisms of the first-row transition metals in vitro and in E. coli and human cells are compared and their relationship to disease development are discussed. Methods to detect this metal-mediated DNA damage, including backbone breakage, base oxidation, inter- and intra-strand crosslinking, and DNA–protein crosslinking are also briefly reviewed, as well as detection methods for reactive oxygen species generated by these metal ions. Understanding the conditions that cause metal-mediated DNA damage and metal generation of reactive oxygen species in vitro and in cells is required to develop effective drugs to prevent and treat chronic disease.
Cooling vest worn during active warm-up improves 5-km run performance in the heat

We investigated whether a cooling vest worn during an active warm-up enhances 5-km run time in the heat. Seventeen competitive runners (9 men, maximal oxygen uptake = 66.7 ± 5.9 ml·kg-1·min-1; 8 wo...
Physician Reporting of Impaired Drivers: A New Trend in State Law?

The State of Oregon recently enacted legislation that increases physician responsibility for reporting medically at-risk drivers. The legislation comes at a time when the public is closely scrutinizing the question of the elderly and driving and the role of physicians in the reporting of potentially dangerous drivers. The evolution of Oregon's law is somewhat unique and offers an opportunity to examine what perhaps is to come in other states. The law broadened the role of the physician in assessment and reporting of impaired drivers. It also opened the door for new tort, that of "negligent failure to report," before input from physicians and other health care providers led to important revisions in the final statute. Physicians must look to current statutes to guide the legislative process in their own states, so that new law aimed at maintaining safe highways also preserves the physician-patient relationship and allows for a collaborative assessment of driving skill in the physician's office.
SMALL PURE CARBON MOLECULES WITH SMALL-WORLD NETWORKS USING DENSITY FUNCTIONAL THEORY SIMULATIONS

The possible existence of small, pure carbon molecules based on small-world networks is addressed using density functional theory simulations. A ring of atoms with one or more small-world connections between pairs of non-nearest-neighbor sites was chosen for the network topology. The small-world connections are made with and without additional carbon atoms placed along the link. The energy per atom of these small-world carbon systems is compared with benchmark molecules such as the C20 ring, bowl, and cage isomers, the C60 Buckyball, monocyclic pure carbon rings ranging from C4 to C60, bare linear carbon chains ranging from C2 to C36, and various graphitic fragments without hydrogens. The results of the energy per atom for some of these small-world clusters provide an indication that such pure carbon molecules are reasonable for real world synthesis.
Exonuclease-Deficient Polymerase Mutant of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Induces Altered Spectra of Mutations

The effect of exonuclease activity of the herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase (Pol) on DNA replication fidelity was examined by using the supF mutagenesis assay. The recombinants with exonuclease-deficient Pol, containing an integrated supF gene in the thymidine kinase locus (tk), exhibited supF mutation frequencies ranging from 0.14 to 5.6%, consistent with the tk mutation frequencies reported previously (Y. T. Hwang, B.-Y. Liu, D. M. Coen, and C. B. C. Hwang, J. Virol. 71:7791-7798, 1997). The increased mutation frequencies were 10- to 500-fold higher than those observed for wild-type Pol recombinants. The increased mutation frequencies also were significantly higher than those of supF mutant replicated by exonuclease-deficient Pols in the plasmid-borne assay. Furthermore, characterization of supF mutants demonstrated that recombinants with a defective exonuclease induced types and distributions of supF mutations different from those induced by wild-type Pol recombinants. The types of supF mutations induced by exonuclease-deficient recombinants differed between the plasmid- and genome-based assays. The spectra of supF mutations also differed between the two assays. In addition, exonuclease-defective viruses also induced different spectra of supF and tk mutations. Therefore, both the assay methods and the target genes used for mutagenesis studies can affect the repication fidelity of herpes simplex virus type 1 Pol with defective exonuclease activity.