cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cryo-electron microscopy analysis of small membrane proteins

Recent advances in single-particle cryogenic-electron microscopy have facilitated an exponential growth in the number of membrane protein structures determined to close to atomic resolution. Nevertheless, despite improvements in microscope hardware, cryo-EM software and sample preparation techniques, challenges remain for structural analysis of small-sized membrane proteins (i.e.<150 kilodalton). Here we discuss recent examples of structures of macromolecules from this category determined by cryo-EM. We analyze the underlying difficulties, the enabling technologies such as the use of antibody fragments to gain size and provide fiducials for particle alignment, and the unresolved issues like dislocation of complexes at the air-water interface. Finally, we briefly highlight the biological relevance of some of these success stories, and our predictions for the future.
Medieval Robots: The Role of Historical Automata in the Design of Future Robots

In this work, we ask about the relevance of medieval automata in modern culture, and about what we can learn from imagined robots in the distant past about the future design of robots. Using an iterative and critical making process, we plan to reconstruct "The Alabaster Chamber", or "Chambre de Beautes", a room-sized robotic structure that was described in Le Roman de Troiein the beginning of the 12th century. By prototyping and tangibly introducing this robotic space among multi-disciplinary scholars in the fields of human-computer interaction, human-robot interaction and digital humanities, we set out to provoke discussion about alternative interactions and experiences with technology that we may or may not want to consider.
Global wind patterns and the vulnerability of wind-dispersed species to climate change

The resilience of biodiversity in the face of climate change depends on gene flow and range shifts. For diverse wind-dispersed and wind-pollinated organisms, regional wind patterns could either facilitate or hinder these movements, depending on alignment of winds with spatial climate patterns. We map global variation in terrestrial wind regimes, and model how ‘windscape’ connectivity will shape inbound and outbound dispersal between sites and their predicted future climate analogs. This model predicts that wind-accessible, climatically analogous sites will be scarcer in locations such as the tropics and on the leeward sides of mountain ranges, implying that the wind-dispersed biota in these landscapes may be more vulnerable to future climate change. A case study of Pinus contorta illustrates species-specific patterns of predicted genetic rescue and range expansion facilitated by wind. This framework has implications across fields ranging from historical biogeography and landscape genetics to ecological forecasting and conservation planning. Wind patterns could enhance or hinder the ability of organisms reliant on wind-driven dispersal and pollination to shift their ranges under climate change. Organisms in the tropics and on the leeward side of mountains may be particularly at risk due to scarcity of suitable, wind-accessible sites.
Relationship Power and Intimate Partner Violence in Sexual Minority Male Couples

Objective: The objective of the present study was to test pathways implied by Disempowerment Theory to predict intimate partner violence (IPV) among men in a same-sex relationship. Background: Sexual minority men in relationships experience rates of IPV comparable with heterosexual women, yet most research on IPV focuses on heterosexual couples. Disempowerment Theory suggests that a range of individual, family-of-origin, and intimate relationship risk factors predict the use of violence to re-establish power in a relationship. Method: Data for the present study were gathered from an online survey completed by sexual minority men currently in a same-sex relationship (n = 339). Analysis of data included two steps: (a) we tested the direct effect of individual, family, and relational predictors on the odds of IPV and (b) we calculated a path model that included relationship power as a link between the predictors (individual, family, and relational) and IPV. Results: In line with Disempowerment Theory, relationship power was negatively associated with IPV. Bivariate analysis indicated an association between childhood sexual abuse and IPV, but childhood sexual abuse was not predictive of IPV through relationship power. Other individual (depression) and relationship-specific (sexual communication and relationship satisfaction) risk factors were associated with IPV indirectly through relationship power. Conclusion: Disempowerment Theory may provide a useful framework for understanding the occurrence of IPV in sexual minority male couples. It may also provide a starting point for the development of multi-component interventions to reduce violence in these couples.
Legal Constraints on Child-Saving: The Strange Case of the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints at Yearning for Zion Ranch

It may seem counterintuitive, but children in foster care are more likely to achieve permanency if we take the legal rights of their parents seriously. When all state actors, from social workers to judges, consider parental rights before removing children from their families or terminating parental rights, subsequent adoptions are more likely to be insulated from ongoing litigation, or in the worst instance, revocation. I am a strong proponent of children’s rights. In the context of the child welfare system, however, respect for the rights of parents can protect children from unnecessary and frightening disruptions. The doctrine of parens patriae, which justifies state intervention into families to protect children from serious harm, allows the state to pierce the veil of family integrity. When there is a concrete basis for such intervention, the state should consider the child’s need for continuity and stability as it develops case plans. Children, like parents, have a stake in the integrity of their families, whether biological or adoptive. Moreover, risks to all children in the system would be diminished if we could move closer to realizing best practices: consistently applying legal standards, following best therapeutic practices, delivering well-targeted services, and reserving removals for the most egregious cases. This Article examines the legal doctrines with which child welfare workers should be familiar when they intervene in family life, especially when they take drastic measures such as removing children from their parents or filing a petition for termination of parental rights. I then argue that taking the legal rights of the parents seriously would have resulted in a more effective response to an incident that received a great deal of national attention in 2008 - the allegations of neglect and abuse of hundreds of children in a community of Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints in Texas. Part I of this Article discusses the role of the foster care system in providing children available for adoption and introduces the concept of wrongful terminations of parental rights that results in adoptions being overturned by courts. Part II summarizes the constitutional doctrine of parents’ rights, its application to decisions to remove children from their homes and to terminate parental rights, and the silence of social science literature about the importance of parental liberty interests in children as part of the legal framework that governs the child welfare system. Part III discusses what child welfare workers need to know, but often do not, about the applicable law. Part IV examines how Texas officials responded to reports of child abuse at the Yearning for Zion Ranch outside Eldorado, Texas, as well as the judicial response to the state’s actions. Part V proposes a plan of action for the state that would have better respected the rights of the parents and the community while offering more effective protection to the children who needed it.
Probability Distribution-free General Scenario Programming

This paper presents a novel solution paradigm of general optimization under both exogenous and endogenous uncertainties. This solution paradigm consists of a probability distribution (PD)-free method of obtaining deterministic equivalents and an innovative approach of scenario reduction. First, dislike the existing methods that use scenarios sampled from pre-known PD functions, the PD-free method uses historical measurements of uncertain variables as input to convert the logical models into a type of deterministic equivalents called General Scenario Program (GSP). Our contributions to the PD-free deterministic equivalent construction reside in generalization (making it applicable to general optimization under uncertainty rather than just chance-constrained optimization) and extension (enabling it to the problems under endogenous uncertainty via developing an iterative and a non-iterative frameworks). Second, this paper reveals some unknown properties of the PD-free deterministic equivalent construction, such as the characteristics of active scenarios and repeated scenarios. Base on this discoveries, we propose a concept and methods of strategic scenario selection which can effectively reduce the required number of scenarios as demonstrated in both mathematical analysis and numerical experiments. Numerical experiments are conducted on two typical smart grid optimization problems under exogenous and endogenous uncertainties.
Studies of Terrain Surface Roughness and its Effect on GNSS-R Systems Using Airborne Lidar Measurements

Analyses of GNSS-R data sets have revealed the occasional presence of coherent signals over land areas. Studies have been conducted of modeling such returns using classical scattering theories that consider the geometry, the frequency band, and surface parameters as inputs. The surface roughness is a crucial parameter that is not widely available from ancillary sources. This paper presents a comparison of roughness statistics derived from Digital Elevation Maps (DEMs) having different spatial resolutions, and shows the importance of having a high-resolution DEM in order to resolve small scale roughness. This is particularly important when modeling reflected signals over very flat surfaces where coherency can be significant.
Vesicoureteral Reflux and Reflux Nephropathy

Primary vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is caused by a congenitally short ureteral tunnel through the bladder submucosa, associated with lateral displacement of the ureteral orifice. As a result, the resistance generated by the collapse of the ureteral tunnel when the bladder pressure rises (micturition) is overcome, and the urine flows in a retrograde direction, towards the kidney. VUR is the most common abnormality observed in children with urinary tract infections (UTIs). The condition was found in 30% of schoolgirls with covert bacteriuria (1) and 33% of children with overt infection (2). In contrast to the preponderance of females in the UTI population beyond infancy, the sex distribution of VUR in neonates with prenatal dilatation of the urinary tract is 5:1 male to female (3).
Increasing Risks of Human Dirofilariasis in Travelers

Background Dirofilariasis is a zoonotic nematode infection of domestic and wild carnivores that can be transmitted to man by infected mosquitoes. Methods Internet search engines were queried with the key words to examine case reports, series, and descriptive analyses of animal and human dirofilariasis to meet the objectives of this review to describe the increasing prevalence of animal and human dirofilariasis worldwide; to resolve misconceptions regarding the pathophysiology and outcomes of animal versus human dirofilariasis; and to recommend new strategies for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of human dirofilariasis in travelers. Results Descriptive epidemiological studies in the United States and Europe have now established dirofilariasis as an emergent parasitic disease of dogs and man. Global warming has extended the mosquito-vector-borne transmission cycles, enzootic distributions, and canine microfilarial prevalences of the disease to non-endemic regions. Conclusions Travel medicine clinicians must remain vigilant regarding the possibilities of human pulmonary dirofilariasis when solitary “coin lesions” appear on screening chest X-rays or abdominal neuroimaging studies in asymptomatic patients without peripheral hypereosinophilia. The least invasive diagnostic methods are recommended. Future investigations should focus on conducting active epidemiological surveillance for dirofilariasis in humans and animals; on improving canine dirofilarial chemoprophylaxis; and on developing new, rapid molecular methods for diagnosing and differentiating human dirofilarial infections.
A simple demountable hollow-cathode tube for the analysis of solutions. Application to lead in biological materials.

Abstract A simple, demountable hollow-cathode excitation source for the analysis of solutions is described which allows water cooling, high emission intensity, discharge shielding, and extreme ease of operation. A graphite hollow-cathode assembly is shown which is particularly suitable for the analysis of acidic digestion residues. A high salt concentration can be used with the tube, allowing a lithium and potassium carrier salt-spectroscopic buffer which controls effects caused by matrix variation. Analyses of lead in biological materials are used to demonstrate the capabilities of the tube.
The Equal Access Act: Still Controversial After All These Years

Over its twenty-year history, the Equal Access Act has continued to spark controversy. Despite a large number of court decisions that have interpreted the scope of the statute, those controversies have not yet subsided nor are they likely to for the foreseeable future. Interpretation of the Equal Access Act is complicated by ambiguities in the statute's language and the complex relationship that exists between the statute and the First Amendment's prohibition on religious establishments combined with its protection for freedom of expression. The delicate constitutional balancing act that the statute attempts to accomplish complicates the task of statutory interpretation in a way that courts have still been unable to fully resolve.
Pulsed radio frequency. But what dose did you use

To the Editor: I read with great interest the article by Choi et al. ⇓, describing a prospective study comparing pulsed radio frequency (pRF) of cervical dorsal root ganglion (DRG) treatment with transforaminal epidural steroid injections. They should be commended for their work and for reporting the dose they used. Since Cohen and Van Zundert ⇓ gave their excellent editorial on pRF, there have been many other short reports, case series, prospective trials, and some randomized trials looking at pRF, including a nice review of both the physics behind pRF and a review of the data by Chua et al. ⇓. These add to the already existing myriad of data on pRF. However, I take some exception to the statement that Choi et al. make in their section explaining their pRF technique. They state that in pRF, “the output is usually set at 45V.” Although I …
Radio frequency interference shielding and mitigation techniques for a sensitive search for the 327 MHz line of deuterium

[1] An array of 24 stations, each with 24 crossed dipoles, has been built at the Haystack Observatory in Westford, Massachusetts. This array has been designed to make a sensitive search for the 327 MHz spectral line of deuterium. Since the deuterium line is expected to be about 50 dB weaker than the 1420 MHz hydrogen line, the amelioration of radio frequency interference (RFI) is a major challenge for the performance of the deuterium array. Locally generated RFI from the array and from nearby sites has been reduced by extensive shielding and in some cases by the removal of consumer electronics, like certain digital answering machines that emit strong signals in the 327.3–327.5 MHz band, which is of prime importance for the search. Since almost all the RFI comes from the horizon, the station array has parasitic directors added to the dipoles to reduce the response at the horizon. An RFI monitor with 12 active Yagi antennas pointed every 30° in azimuth provides a way of determining the direction of the RFI and yields information on frequencies and time spans that need to be excised from the array data. We describe the RFI excision techniques and the levels of spectral and continuum RFI measured at the observatory.
Deterministic Global Optimization in Design, Control, and Computational Chemistry

This paper presents an overview of the deterministic global optimization approaches and their applications in the areas of Process Design, Control, and Computational Chemistry. The focus is on (i) decomposition-based primal dual methods, (ii) methods for generalized geometric programming problems, and (iii) global optimization methods for general nonlinear programming problems. The classes of mathematical problems that are addressed range from indefinite quadratic programming to concave programs, to quadratically constrained problems, to polynomials, to general twice continuously differentiable nonlinear optimization problems. For the majority of the presented methods nondistributed global optimization approaches are discussed with the exception of decomposition-based methods where a distributed global optimization approach is presented.
Introduction to the design of transconductor-capacitator filters

Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Filter Topologies and Terminology. 3. Biquad Filters. 4. Gyrator Filters. 5. State-Variable Filters. 6. Dealing with Floating Capacitors. 7. The Non-Ideal Transconductor. Part I: Parasitic Capacitances and Mismatches. 8. The Non-Ideal Transconductor. Part II: Output Impedance. 9. The Non-Ideal Transconductor. Part III: Non-Linearity. 10. Tuning of Transconductors. 11. Design of the gm-C Integrator. 12. Design of a gm-C Filter. 13. Tuning of gm-C Filters. Index.
Settler nationalism: Ulster unionism and postcolonial theory

Despite the capacity of postcolonial theory to accommodate a wide variety of situations, one area of postcolonial experience still has not received much attention – the experience of non-hegemonic settler colonies, that is settler colonies that did not in the end succeed in dominating native populations politically or culturally. Analysis of the unionist community in Northern Ireland offers a number of refinements to postcolonial theory at the same time that it demonstrates how postcolonial theory can enrich our understanding of non-hegemonic settler populations. While every postcolonial culture, native or settler, is uniquely structured by specific historical circumstances, there are features that many of these cultures share, such as hybridity, estrangement, incommensurability, contradiction, mimicry, miscognition, ambivalence, resistance, and the construction of mythical/historical narratives. The structure of these features, however, differs between native and settler cultures, and it differs in a way...
Growth of Pasteurella tularensis in cultured cells.

For those bacteria which multiply in the cells of the infected host, a tissue culture system presents itself as an ideal means to study the host-parasite relationship at the cellular level. The process of penetration of the parasite, the rate of its multiplication in the cell, and the injury to the cell as well as the role played by virulence factors may all be followed more clearly than in the intact animal, even though it is necessary to realize that the system is an artificial
Modified Surface Nanoscale Explosion: Effects of Initial Condition and Charge Flow

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed to study surface nanoscale explosion due to slow highly charged ion (HCl)-surface interactions. In order to understand the interplay between the mechanisms for surface modification and the dynamical consequences of the explosion, a new simulation model is formulated to include the electronic degrees of freedom in an empirical manner. In this model, surface ionization occurs at a finite rate and surface charges are allowed to flow into the substrate at various rates simultaneously. In one of the simulations based on the simultaneous ionization and charge migration (SICM) model, 100 excitations (positively charged surface ions) occur during the first 24 fs, which is longer than the in-the-substrate neutralization time of the HCl (approximately 10 fs) deduced from experimental measurements. At the same time, positively charged surface ions are allowed to migrate away from the center region at an average speed of approximately 40 {angstrom} per picosecond. Compared to the results from pure Coulomb explosion in which charge exchange between surface atoms and surface ion is not allowed, the strength of the nano-explosion is not weakened but somewhat enhanced. When the time interval for ionization is reduced to instant charging but with other conditions unchanged,more » little influence on the formation of a crater was found between the two cases. The finite time interval for building up the charged region only postponed the formation of the repulsive center by approximately 25 fs and slightly lowered the peak value of the Coulomb repulsion. The explosion strength starts to decrease, however, as the speed of the charge flow in the substrate increases. In a test simulation, an estimation of a lower bound of surface damage as a function of surface energy deposition is provided by monitoring the dynamics according to the energetics of the systems. Dynamical consequences of these surface processes are studied by a comprehensive analysis of energetics, temperature, pressure, and structural information. The authors also discuss the relevance of the current model to HCI-surface experiments as well as to future modeling and simulations.« less
Chemical conversion of a DNA-binding protein into a site-specific nuclease

The tryptophan gene (trp) repressor of Escherichia coli has been converted into a site-specific nuclease by covalently attaching it to the 1,10-phenanthroline-copper complex. In its cuprous form, the coordination complex with hydrogen peroxide as a coreactant cleaves DNA by oxidatively attacking the deoxyribose moiety. The chemistry for the attachment of 1,10-phenanthroline to the trp repressor involves modification of lysyl residues with iminothiolane followed by alkylation of the resulting sulfhydryl groups with 5-iodoacetamido-1,10-phenanthroline. The modified trp repressor cleaves the operators of aroH and trpEDCBA upon the addition of cupric ion and thiol in a reaction dependent on the corepressor L-tryptophan. Scission was restricted to the binding site for the repressor, defined by deoxyribonuclease I footprinting. Since DNA-binding proteins have recognition sequences approximately 20 base pairs long, the nucleolytic activities derived from them could be used to isolate long DNA fragments for sequencing or chromosomal mapping.
Chitin synthesis in Spodoptera frugiperda wing imaginal discs. III: Role of the peripodial membrane

We determined the contribution of the peripodial membrane to chitin synthesis in cultured wing imaginal discs of Spodoptera frugiperda. This was accomplished by examining chitin synthesis in vitro in intact imaginal discs, in the peripodial membrane, and in imaginal discs in which the peripodial membrane had been injured. Chitin synthesis in peripodial membrane-deprived imaginal discs, peripodial membrane injured imaginal discs, and peripodial membrane fragments was assessed by measuring incorporation of [14C]GlcNAc after treatment with 20-hydroxyecdysone in tissue culture. Removing or injuring the peripodial membrane resulted in a marked decrease in ecdysteroid-dependent chitin synthesis in these wing discs compared with intact wing discs. In addition, a break in the ecdysteroid treatment of 4 h reduced chitin synthesis in the wing discs substantially. These biochemical experiments were supplemented with ultrastructural and immunocytochemical approaches. A wheat germ agglutinin colloidal gold complex was used to visualize the presence of chitin synthesized by wing discs including the peripodial membrane. These experiments confirmed the importance of an intact peripodial membrane for optimal production of cuticle by the wing pouch. Our results demonstrate that for opti-ma1 production of chitin in tissue culture, wing discs must be treated with 20-hydroxyecdysone for an uninterrupted period of 48 h, and the peripodial membrane of these imaginal discs must be present and uninjured. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.1
Hydrogen–deuterium exchange signature of porcine cerebroside sulfate activator protein

Hydrogen–deuterium exchange can be a sensitive indicator of protein structural integrity. Comparisons were made between cerebroside sulfate activator protein (CSAct) in the native state and after treatment with guanidine hydrochloride plus dithiothreitol. Native protein has three internal disulfide bonds and treated protein has no internal disulfide bonds. The comparisons were made using hydrogen–deuterium exchange measured by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, percentage α-helical content measured by circular dichroism and biological activity measured by the ability to support arylsulfatase A-catalyzed sulfate hydrolysis from cerebroside sulfate. In acidic solvent native protein has 59 exchange refractory protons and treated protein has 20 exchange refractory protons (44 and 14% of the exchangeable proton populations, respectively). In native protein the size of the exchange refractory proton population is sensitive to changes in pH, temperature and the presence of a ligand. It is uninfluenced by the presence or absence of glycosyl groups attached to Asn21. Helical content is virtually identical in native and treated protein. Biological activity is significantly reduced but not obliterated in treated protein. The hydrogen–deuterium exchange profile appears to be a sensitive signature of the correctly folded protein, and reflects a dimension of the protein structure that is not apparent in circular dichroic spectra or in the ability of the protein to support arylsulfatase A-catalyzed sulfate hydrolysis from sulfatide. The hydrogen–deuterium exchange profile will be a valuable criterion for characterizing mutant forms of CSAct produced by recombinant and synthetic paradigms and also the native and mutant forms of related proteins. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deterministic Analysis of Aleatoric Methods of Polynomial Factorization over Finite Fields

Abstract We analyze the problem of finding the roots of an arbitrary polynomial over a finite field (equivalent to factoring an arbitrary polynomial over the field) and propose a deterministic approach which leads to a combinatorial problem whose satisfactory solution would yield a factoring method which is polynomial in the logarithm of the size of the field and the degree of the input polynomial.
Myocardial Rubidium-82 Tissue Kinetics Assessed by Dynamic Positron Emission Tomography as a Marker of Myocardial Cell Membrane Integrity and Viability

Background Recent reports have demonstrated the clinical use of rubidium-82 chloride (Rb-82) in combination with positron emission tomography (PET) not only as a tracer of myocardial blood flow but also as a marker of cell membrane integrity using static imaging early and late after tracer injection. The purpose of this study was to compare myocardial Rb-82 kinetics assessed by dynamic PET imaging as a marker for tissue viability with regional fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in patients with coronary artery disease. Methods and Results Twenty-seven patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease and 5 subjects with a low likelihood for coronary artery disease underwent dynamic PET imaging under resting conditions using Rb-82 and FDG. Both image sequences served as input data for a semiautomated regional analysis program. This program generated polar maps representing Rb-82 tissue half-life and FDG utilization assessed by Patlak’s approach. Myocardial tissue viability was visually...
Absence of wavefunction renormalization in Polyakov amplitudes

Abstract The correct interpretation of recent coupling constant renormalization calculations shows that there is no one-loop contribution to wavefunction renormalization for closed Polyakov string amplitudes with massless vector external states.
Cultivation of excysted metacercariae of Echwostoma revolutum (Trematoda) in chick embryos

Three techniques were used to study post-metacercarial growth and development of chemically excysted metacercariae of Echinostoma revolutum on the chorioallantoic membrane of domestic chick embryos. The in ovo technique of Zwilling (1959) and the in vitro technique of Auerbach et al. (1974) provided for better worm recovery in chick embryos than the in ovo technique of Woodruff & Goodpasture (1931). Regardless of the technique used, postmetacercarial development was obtained for this species, and 6- to 8-day-old chorioallantoic-wornis achieved sexual development to the coiled uterus stage comparable to worms grown in domestic chicks for 7 days. However, somatic growth of worms from the chorioallantois was stunted when compared to worms grown in chicks. Worms grown on the chorioallantois voided their excretory concretions and showed histochemical lipid staining identical to that seen in worms grown in chicks.
Generating comparative summaries from reviews

To facilitate direct comparisons between different products, we present an approach to constructing short and comparative summaries based on product reviews. In particular, the user can view automatically aligned pairs of snippets describing reviewers' opinions on different features (also selected automatically by our approach) for two selected products. We propose a submodular objective function that avoids redundancy, that is efficient to optimize, and that aligns the snippets into pairs. Snippets are chosen from product reviews and thus easy to obtain. In our experiments, we show that the method constructs qualitatively good summaries, and that it can be tuned via supervised learning.
Surfactant-selective electrode study of bile salt—protein binding

Abstract An electrode selective to bile salt anions, has been evaluated for use in bile salt solutions and solutions containing bile salt anions and a protein. The electrode potential values obtained are a direct function of the activities of the corresponding bile salt anions. The electrode potential, follows Nernstian behavior in the premicellar region of bile salt solutions. A minimum is observed in the Nernst plot corresponding to the critical micelle concentration. Results obtained using these electrodes in solutions containing protein and bile salt have been used to construct Scatchard plots for the bile anion-protein binding. The treatment of the data with non-linear least-squares fit gave estimates of the binding constants and the number of binding sites which are comparable to previous results obtained from equilibrium dialysis measurements. Five bile salts studied bound in the following relative order: sodium deoxycholate ∼- sodium chenodeoxycholate > sodium ursodeoxycholate > sodium cholate > sodium dehydrocholate. Binding studies were also carried out as a function of temperature which enabled the estimation of thermodynamic functions of binding. ΔH° of binding is positive suggesting that these biological detergents bind to hydrophobic sites on serum albumin.
Stroke in Patients With Diabetes and Hypertension

Stroke is major public health problem leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Modifiable risk factors for stroke include hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, dyslipidemia, smoking, and alcohol abuse. Among these risk factors, diabetes and hypertension are rapidly growing epidemics leading to a substantial increase in cardiovascular disease and stroke. In this review, the authors discuss the risk factors for stroke with emphasis on the diabetic and hypertensive population, highlighting the interventions that have been shown to decrease stroke risk in this patient population.
Symptomatic Cystic Degeneration of a Clinically Silent Corticotroph Tumor of the Pituitary Gland

Clinically silent corticotroph tumors of the pituitary gland are those tumors that stain for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) but do not manifest with clinical or laboratory features of Cushing disease. These tumors have been described as exhibiting more aggressive behavior than other nonfunctional pituitary tumors. We present an unusual case of a clinically silent corticotropic adenoma of the pituitary gland that underwent cystic degeneration following recurrence after transsphenoidal surgery and radiation therapy. The patient underwent left frontotemporal craniotomy with resection of the suprasellar mass and decompression of the left optic nerve. Postoperative magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated no further optic chiasm or nerve compression. Patients with clinically silent ACTH-secreting tumors should be monitored for aggressive tumor behavior and may require closer follow-up than those patients harboring other nonfunctional tumors.
Treatment Regret and Quality of Life Following Radical Prostatectomy

Purpose Negative physical functioning outcomes including incontinence and erectile dysfunction are relatively common following radical prostatectomy (RP) and are associated with treatment regret and compromised quality of life (QOL). The role that treatment regret may have in influencing the association between prostate-specific QOL (i.e., sexual, urinary, bowl functioning) and general QOL following RP has not been examined.
Robust deformable image registration using prior shape information for atlas to patient registration

Statistical atlases enable the individualization of atlas information for patient specific applications such as surgical planning. In this paper, a statistical atlas comprising a point distribution model defined on the vertices of a tetrahedral mesh is registered to a subject’s computed tomography scan of the human pelvis. The approach consists of a volumetric deformable registration method augmented to maintain the topology of the atlas mesh after deformation as well as incorporating the dominant three-dimensional shape modes in the atlas. Experimental results demonstrate that incorporation of the statistical shape atlas helps to stabilize the registration and improves robustness and registration accuracy.
Preservation of Internal Iliac Arterial Flow during Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair Using the "Sandwich" Technique.

Conventional endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) requires adequate graft seal proximally in the infrarenal aorta and distally in the common or external iliac arteries. When possible, sealing in the common iliac artery is performed to maintain perfusion to the internal iliac artery. Approximately 40% of AAAs have associated common iliac artery aneurysms that would require an external iliac seal zone and ipsilateral internal iliac artery embolization to prevent a type II endoleak. Concurrent or staged internal iliac artery occlusion may result in pelvic ischemia, which commonly manifests as buttock claudication or, in men, impotence. Uncommon but more serious consequences include colonic and spinal artery ischemia. Coverage or embolization of a single internal iliac artery is generally well tolerated. There is a varied incidence (20 to 50%) of clinically significant buttock claudication that tends to improve over time resulting in ∼10% incidence of buttock claudication at 1 year with single hypogastric artery embolization. Published case series and individual reports of bilateral internal iliac artery embolization demonstrate that bilateral hypogastric occlusion appears safe, although there is an increased risk of serious complications that may be life threatening. Most physicians attempt to preserve flow to a single internal iliac artery whenever possible. Various methods have been described to preserve internal iliac artery flow during EVAR. Investigational iliac branched devices (not currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration [FDA]), hybrid surgical revascularization of the internal iliac artery, physician modification of existing endografts, and, more recently, parallel endografting with the “sandwich” technique are some of the ways flow can be preserved to the hypogastric artery. The sandwich endograft technique involves placing two endografts side by side into an existing iliac limb to create an off-the-shelf bifurcated component to preserve flow to both the internal iliac and external iliac arteries. This technique has been gaining acceptance as a viable method for preservation of flow to at least a single internal iliac artery allowing for expansion of anatomy suitable for EVAR with the use of commercially available endograft components, albeit in an off-label manner. The sandwich technique is applicable to a variety of endograft designs, although the steep bifurcation of most endografts requires axillary or brachial artery access to deliver a stent into the preserved internal iliac artery. The bifurcation-sparing nature of the Endologix AFX (Endologix, Irvine, CA) endograft allows for this technique to be performed from an entirely femoral approach and has become our preferred approach for internal iliac preservation during EVAR when the anatomy is appropriate.
Paraneoplastic Digital Thrombosis: A Case Report

Persistent digital ischemia is an uncommon paraneoplastic syndrome. We describe a 71-year-old man whose only manifestation of an underlying adeno carcinoma was digital ischemia. His symptoms respon...
Alternate Pathways for Acetic Acid and Acetate ion Release from Acetylcholinesterase: a Molecular Dynamics Study

Two competing passageways for the exit of acetic acid and acetate ion in Torpedo californica (Tc) acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) were studied by examining free energies of passage through two potential trajectories using the umbrella sampling technique as implemented in CHARMM. The coordinates for migration were defined as the distance from Ser200 Oγ, one through the 20-A long active-site gorge ending with Trp279 and a 14-A long route ending at Arg244. The free energies were calculated in successive windows 0.5 A wide for 40−90 ps. The potential of mean force (PMF) was calculated along the coordinate for migration. The PMF for the migration of acetic acid decreases by ∼8 kcal/mol after 8-A travel through the main gorge. The PMF profile for acetate ion migration falls to a 6 kcal/mol lower value than for acetic acid migration in the main gorge. The free energy barrier for the migration of acetate ion is 1.5 kcal/mol due to a constriction formed by Tyr121, Phe290, Phe330, and Phe331 in the main gorge. The inte...
Cyclin D1 Represses the Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factor, BETA2/NeuroD

Expression of the hormone secretin in enteroendocrine cells is restricted to the nondividing villus compartment of the intestine, implying that terminal differentiation is linked to cell cycle arrest and that differentiation is repressed in actively proliferating cells. We have shown previously that the basic helix-loop-helix protein, BETA2/NeuroD, induces cell cycle withdrawal in addition to increasing secretin gene expression. A number of transcription factors important for differentiation are repressed by D cyclins. Repression by D cyclins appears to be independent of its effects on the cell cycle. We show that cyclin D1 represses BETA2/NeuroD-dependent transcription of the secretin gene. Examination of cyclin box mutants shows that repression is unrelated to Cdk4 activation. Although cyclin D1 and BETA2 associatein vivo, they do not directly interact. Cyclin D1 may be recruited to BETA2 by binding to the C-terminal domain of the p300 coactivator, downstream from the BETA2-binding site. In the small intestine, cyclin D1 expression occurs only in the actively proliferating crypts of Lieberkuhn but not in villi. Thus repression by cyclin D1 may serve to prevent secretin gene transcription from occurring in relatively immature epithelial progenitor cells.
Fishers, Divers, Scientists, Lawyers, and Marine Protected Areas: The U.S. Experience in Protecting Coral Reefs

Coral reef tourism in the US provides significant economic benefits that exceed those of reef-based commercial and recreational fisheries. While US coral reefs are subject to a number of stressors, fishing has created the most opposition to coral reef protection. One solution is increased use of coral reef marine protected areas (MPAs), which could simultaneously improve reef-based fisheries. US law provides a number of mechanisms for creating MPAs but contains no clear policy in favor of coral reef preservation. Nevertheless, a tension between fishing and coral reef ecosystem protection has been emerging in US law, indicating that federal law should be modified to promote coral reef ecosystem preservation.
The Influence of Friend Presence and Discussion on Young Adults’ Responses to Anti-sugary Drinks Television Ads

Given evidence linking sugary drinks consumption to weight gain, public health proponents are increasingly interested in ways to reduce sugary drinks consumption. This study explored the use of media, specifically, anti-sugary drinks television ads, as a tool for addressing sugary drinks consumption. Ad-related discussion and social norm perceptions are important to media’s effects, but to date, these two influences have not been examined separately. To better parse these effects, college students (N = 109) viewed anti-sugary drinks ads either with or without the presence of a friend (a manipulation of social norm perceptions), and either discussed or did not discuss the ads after viewing them. Changes in baseline sugary drinks health knowledge, attitudes toward reducing sugary drinks consumption, and intentions to reduce sugary drinks consumption were examined at post-exposure and one-week follow-up. Consumption levels were also examined at baseline and follow-up. After viewing the ads, participants across conditions reported better sugary drinks health knowledge, more positive attitudes toward reducing sugary drinks consumption, greater intentions to reduce sugary drinks consumption, and lower sugary drinks consumption, although not all effects were maintained at follow-up. Friend presence and discussion did not have substantial effects on outcomes; however, participants that viewed the ads in the presence of a friend maintained positive attitudes toward reducing sugary drinks consumption at follow-up, while those without a friend did not. Results suggest anti-sugary drinks ads are a promising tool for addressing sugary drinks consumption, and that social norm perceptions likely play an important role in explaining media effects.
Isozyme- and species-specific susceptibility of cDNA-expressed CYP1A P-450s to different flavonoids

The inhibitory and stimulatory effects of six flavonoids with distinct hydroxylation patterns on the recombinant and hepatic mouse and human CYP1A P-450s were studied cDNA-expressed mouse CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 differed in their sensitivity to both hydroxylated and nonhydroxylated flavonoids, respectively. A comparison between the mouse and human CYP1A2 revealed that α-naphthoflavone and flavone did not change the benzo[α]pyrene 3-hydroxylation activity of human CYP1A2 but inhibited its 7-ethoxyresorufin and 7-methoxyresorufin O-dealkylation activities. In contrast, hydroxylated flavonoids increased the 7-methoxyresorufin O-demethylation and acetanilide 4-hydroxylation activities of cDNA-expressed human CYPIA2 and in human liver microsomes. These compounds inhibited the benzo[α]pyrene 3-hydroxylase activity of cDNA-expressed CYP1A1 and CYP1A2s as well as in mouse and human liver microsomes. Hydroxylated flavonoids did not inhibit NADPH-cytochrome P-450 oxidoreductase activity but inhibited NADPH-2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol oxidoreductase activity in liver microsomes and in microsomes from recombinant Hep G2 cells. Structure-activity relationships indicated the importance of hydroxyl groups in the 5- and 7-positions on the A ring of the flavane nucleus. These hydroxyl groups accounted for the inhibitory potency of chrysin on each of the activities of the expressed P-450(rms, while presence of a hydroxyl group at the 4'-position on the B ring decreased the inhibitory potency of naringenin compared to that of chrysin. The ortho-orientation of a hydroxyl group on the B ring was of importance, inasmuch as quercetin was more potent than morin as an inhibitor of cDNA-expressed and hepatic microsomal monooxygenases.
Volunteerism among Mexican Youth in the United States: The Role of Family Capital.

This study investigates patterns of volunteerism within a rapidly growing segment of the population, Mexican immigrant and Mexican origin youth, using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of ...
Variability in Head Movement during Gait Transitions

Predictions from a model of coupled oscillators, which was based on stationary interlimb coordination, were examined in locomotor intralimb coordination. The present study measured head linear and angular accelerations and coordination relationships of the head and torso, e.g., using relative phase measures, during walking and running on a treadmill. Head linear acceleration increased from walking to running and decreased from running to walking, and head pitch/torso pitch relative phase decreased from walking to running and increased from running to walking. No other measures were significantly different for either walking or running (head angular acceleration, mean head vertical displacement/head pitch relative phase, SD head vertical displacement/head pitch, and SD head pitch/torso pitch). This information will aid further understanding of the many aspects involved in locomotor coordination.
Isolation of synaptonemal complexes from hamster spermatocytes.

Abstract Nuclei from Chinese hamster testicular cells in suspension were prepared in a sucrose gradient. Following the basic procedure of Blobel and co-workers for separating a fibrous lamina-nuclear pore complex, synaptonemal complexes (SCs) from spermatocytes were isolated free of other nuclear structures, except for fibrillar tufts at the attachment plaques in which annuli were observed. All the major morphological components of the SC appeared to be intact, showing that the structure could survive the procedure and was not dispersed by the removal of DNA with DNase and solubilization of membranes and some proteins with Triton X-100. Isolated sex bodies were also well preserved, as were various structures from other cell types in the mixed cell suspension, such as spermatid manchettes, acrosomal ‘ghosts’, axonemes, etc. While no nuclear matrix was found associated with autosomal SCs, a residual material was present in the sex body, in which the X and Y axes were embedded. The results indicate the feasibility of isolating and fractionating SCs from testicular cell suspensions enriched for pachytene spermatocytes. The association between SC attachment plaques and annuli that is seen in spreads of whole nuclei persists through the isolation procedure and implies an integrated structural relationship.
Transcriptional profiling of SNAI2 regulated genes in primary human keratinocytes

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition transcription factors (EMT-TFs) such as SNAI2 have been found to be expressed endogenously in epidermal stem and progenitor cells and downregulated upon differentiation. The presence of SNAI2 in progenitor cells is necessary to repress the expression of differentiation genes by binding directly to their promoters. SNAI2 is downregulated upon differentiation which allows expression of differentiation genes. Furthermore overexpression of SNAI2 can block the differentiation process suggesting that the levels of SNAI2 are crucial to epidermal cell fate decisions. To address on a genome wide level the genes that are impacted by changing the levels of SNAI2, we performed microarray analysis on SNAI2 knockdown and overexpressing epidermal progenitor cells. Here we provide a detailed methods and analysis on these microarray data which has been deposited in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO): GSE55269.