cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

Few syndromes of psychopathology are as intriguing as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Part of the fascination comes from the individual’s total inability to control seemingly nonsensical behaviors despite his or her controlled and normal behavior in most other areas. My introduction to the disorder involved a very bright, educated, articulate mother of two children who could not leave the house, nor allow her husband and children to leave the house, without an elaborate checking ritual during which she searched for bits of paper. At one time she had worked for a government intelligence agency, and she feared that these “bits” might contain information that would jeopardize national security if they were carelessly dropped about. Despite the illness, this woman was an accomplished musician, writer, and gourmet cook. Unfortunately, the disorder crippled her to the extent she was unable to leave home, travel, or throw away papers from the house. Her three-story dwelling was packed with trash and papers that she had hoarded over a 5-year period. It was difficult to sit or move around, for each room was filled with stacks and stacks of paper. Her apparel had a bohemian, flowing quality, for she wore no items of clothing that might catch “bits” in seams or hems; her wardrobe consisted of loose dresses and sandals. The juxtaposition of her rituals to her enormous capabilities was most contradictory and served as my initiation to this fascinating and puzzling disorder.
Social Norms and Motivations Associated with College Binge Drinking*: COLLEGE BINGE DRINKING

This study proposes that members of Greek social organizations have higher rates of binge drinking as compared to other college students because of their unique social organization, which supports binge drinking. Using data from the College Alcohol Study, logistic regression analysis results show that Greek members binge drink at higher levels than do other students, which supports previous literature (Cashin, Presley, and Meilman 1998). The results also indicate, however, that social norms and motives for drinking which were thought to be predictive of binge drinking practices for all students are actually better predictors of binge drinking for non-Greek members.
Crustal seismic structure beneath the West Philippine Sea, 17°–18° North

Crustal seismic structures beneath the West Philippine Sea are determined by using explosive sources (0.5–108.6 kg) and ocean bottom seismometers to measure refracted compressional waves. Total crustal thicknesses are shown to be thinner in the eastern part of the ocean basin, approaching only 3.5 km. Crustal thinning toward the east is consistent with the Palau Kyushu Ridge being a remnant transform fault connecting the Central Basin Ridge and the Kula Pacific Ridge in the past. A velocity-depth inversion from the westernmost refraction profile indicates the upper transitional crust layer to have strong velocity gradients which gradually decrease with depth; the lower crust is characterized by a nearly constant velocity gradient. The western part of the ocean basin is also shown to have more typical oceanic thicknesses, as is found in deep ocean basins of the Pacific. Spectral energy models using WKBJ synthetic seismograms suggest that there is a sharp seismic discontinuity between the crust and moho in the western part of the basin. Predicted water depths for the West Philippine Basin using an age-depth relation and corrected for an isostatic response to the measured crustal thicknesses, are still 300 meters shallower than observed depths. The depth anomaly can not be fully reconciled by thinner crust in the eastern part of the basin. This observation implies that a deeper seated anomaly is present beneath the West Philippine Basin.
TNF-α Antagonism Generates a Population of Antigen-Specific CD4+CD25+ T Cells That Inhibit Protective Immunity in Murine Histoplasmosis

In both humans and mice, treatment with TNF-α antagonists is associated with serious infectious complications including disseminated histoplasmosis. The mechanisms by which inhibition of endogenous TNF-α alter protective immunity remain obscure. Herein, we tested the possibility that neutralization of this cytokine triggered the emergence of T cells that dampen immunity. The lungs of mice given mAb to TNF-α contained a higher proportion and number of CD4+CD25+ cells than controls. This elevation was not observed in IFN-γ- or GM-CSF-deficient mice or in those given a high inoculum. Phenotypic analysis revealed that these cells lacked many of the characteristics of natural regulatory T cells, including Foxp3. CD4+CD25+ cells from TNF-α-neutralized mice suppressed Ag-specific, but not nonspecific, responses in vitro. Elimination of CD25+ cells in vivo restored protective immunity in mice given mAb to TNF-α and adoptive transfer of CD4+CD25+ cells inhibited immunity. In vitro and in vivo, the suppressive effect was reversed by mAb to IL-10. Thus, neutralization of TNF-α is associated with the induction of a population of regulatory T cells that alter protective immunity in an Ag-specific manner to Histoplasma capsulatum.
Maternal Anti-Fetal Brain IgG Autoantibodies and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Current Knowledge and its Implications for Potential Therapeutics

Several studies have found a correlation between the presence of circulating maternal autoantibodies and neuronal dysfunction in the neonate. Specifically, maternal anti-brain autoantibodies, which may access the fetal compartment during gestation, have been identified as one risk factor for developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Studies by our laboratory elucidated seven neurodevelopmental proteins recognized by maternal autoantibodies whose presence is associated with a diagnosis of maternal autoantibody-related (MAR) autism in the child. While the specific process of anti-brain autoantibody generation is unclear and the detailed pathogenic mechanisms are currently unknown, identification of the maternal autoantibody targets increases the therapeutic possibilities. The potential therapies discussed in this review provide a framework for possible future medical interventions.
Printed circuit fractal antennas

Fractal antennas is a new member in the family of antennas. They have peculiar properties that make them interesting candidates for applications where wideband, multiband, input impedance, SWR are important parameters of the overall performance. The use of printed circuit fractal antennas is proposed, investigated, simulated and measured as part of telecommunication systems that has seen a revival lately due to the wireless and mobile consumer applications. Although antennas have been used for long time, they have many limitations. The fractal antennas offer solutions to a number of these limitations and can be manufactured as useful planar shapes for consumer applications.
Arch Height and Maximum Rearfoot Eversion During Jogging in 2 Static Neutral Positions

Context: Clinically, lowering of the medial longitudinal arch is believed to be closely related to rearfoot eversion. However, the relationship between arch height and rearfoot eversion during gait is unclear. Objectives: (1) To examine the influence of 2 reference positions (weight-bearing neutral position [WBNP] and subtalar neutral position [STNP]) on maximum rearfoot eversion, tibial internal rotation, knee flexion, knee internal rotation, and dorsiflexion-plantar flexion of ankle joint measures during jogging and (2) to compare the relationships among static arch height, navicular drop, and the 2 maximum rearfoot eversion measures. Design: Crossover study. Setting: Gait laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Thirty-three volunteers between 18 and 40 years of age. Intervention(s): Each participant stood on the treadmill in 2 static positions: WBNP and STNP. Kinematic data were obtained using a 10-camera motion analysis system (120 Hz) when participants jogged at 2.65 m/s on the treadmill in bare ...
Characterization of Interintestinal and Intraintestinal Variations in Human CYP3A-Dependent Metabolism

Cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) metabolizes a diverse array of clinically important drugs. For some of these (e.g., cyclosporine, verapamil, midazolam), CYP3A in the intestinal mucosa contributes to their extensive and variable first-pass extraction. To further characterize this phenomenon, we measured CYP3A content and catalytic activity toward the probe substrate midazolam in mucosa isolated from duodenal, jejunal and ileal sections of 20 human donor intestines. For comparison, the same measurements were performed for 20 human donor livers, eight of which were obtained from the same donors as eight of the intestines. Excellent correlations existed between homogenate and microsomal CYP3A content for the three intestinal regions. Median microsomal CYP3A content was greatest in the duodenum and lowest in the ileum (31 vs. 17 pmol/mg of protein). With respect to midazolam 1'-hydroxylation kinetics, the median Km for each intestinal region was similar to the median hepatic Km, approximately 4 microM. In contrast, the median Vmax decreased from liver to duodenum to jejunum to ileum (850 vs. 644 vs. 426 vs. 68 pmol/min/mg). Intrinsic clearance (Vmax/Km) followed a similar trend for the intestinal regions; median duodenal intrinsic clearance was comparable to hepatic intrinsic clearance (157 and 200 microl/min/mg, respectively). Vmax correlated with CYP3A content for all tissues except the ileum. Duodenal and jejunal Vmax and CYP3A content varied by >30-fold among donors. Microsomes prepared from every other 1-foot section of six intestines were also analyzed for CYP3A as well as for two coenzymes. In general, CYP3A activity, CYP3A content and CYP reductase activity rose slightly from duodenum to middle jejunum and then declined to distal jejunum and ileum. Cytochrome b5 content and cytochrome b5 reductase activity varied little throughout the intestinal tract. Regional intrinsic midazolam 1'-hydroxylation clearance was greatest for the jejunum, followed by the duodenum and ileum (144, 50 and 19 ml/min, respectively). Collectively, these results demonstrate that the upper small intestine serves as the major site for intestinal CYP3A-mediated first-pass metabolism and provides a rationale for interindividual differences in oral bioavailability for some CYP3A substrates.
A Continuous-Parameter Markov Model and Detection Procedures for Intermittent Faults

A continuous-parameter Markov model for intermittent faults in digital systems is presented. This continuous model is more realistic than discrete-parameter models previously presented by other authors. The results obtained using the proposed model can be reduced to those obtained from the previous models, by using appropriate approximations.
Measurement of surface electric fields by an excited-state atomic beam technique

Abstract Electric fields due to adsorbates on a metal surface are studied experimentally with highly excited atoms as probes. A beam containing Li Rydberg atoms, with principal quantum numbers in the range 20 ≲ n ≲ 80, is detected after passing through a metal mesh having 6 micro m square openings. Adsorbates at 10−2 monolayer can produce 400 V/cm electric fields 0.6 micro m from the surface. Fields of this magnitude can ionize Rydberg atoms in the atomic beam, reducing the flux through the mesh. Measurements of the excited-state atomic beam flux can thus yield information about the presence of adsorbates, including sticking probability, orientation and magnitude of electric dipole moment, and desorption energy. In the analysis of the experimental calibration, a relationship is obtained for the mesh transmission as a function of the adsorbate dipole-moment density. The measured desorption energies are compared with values reported in the literature.
Fundamental Analysis of the Secondary Flows and Jet-Wake in a Torque Converter Pump—Part II: Flow in a Curved Stationary Passage and Combined Flows

The pump midplane counter-clockwise secondary flow circulation was primarily caused by the interaction of the pressure-to-suction side jet/wake nonuniform flow (and the associated normal vorticity component) with the high radial/ axial flow turning angle the flow undenvent while passing through blade passage. Similarly, the pump exit plane clockwise secondary flow circulation was caused by the core-to-shell side jet/wake nonuniform flow (and the associated binormal vorticity component) being rotated about a fixed centerline (pump shaft). Thus, the pump streamwise vorticity, which was responsible for the generation circulatory secondary flows, was directly related to the pump jet/wake phenomena.
Unique glycine-activated riboswitch linked to glycine-serine auxotrophy in SAR11

The genome sequence of the marine bacterium ‘Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique’ and subsequent analyses have shown that, while it has a genome as small as many obligate parasites, it nonetheless possesses a metabolic repertoire that allows it to grow as one of the most successful free-living cells in the ocean. An early report based on metabolic reconstruction indicated that SAR11 cells are prototrophs for all amino acids. However, here we report experimental evidence that ‘Cand. P. ubique’ is effectively auxotrophic for glycine and serine. With glucose and acetate added to seawater to supply organic carbon, the addition of 125 nM to 1.5 μM glycine to growth medium containing all other nutrients in excess resulted in a linear increase in maximum cell density from 1.14 ×106 cells ml−1 to 8.16 ×106 cells ml−1 (R2 = 0.992). Serine was capable of substituting for glycine at 1.5 μM. ‘Cand. P. ubique’ contains a glycine-activated riboswitch preceding malate synthase, an unusual genomic context that is conserved in the SAR11 group. Malate synthase plays a critical role in central metabolism by enabling TCA intermediates to be regenerated through the glyoxylate cycle. In vitro analysis of this riboswitch indicated that it responds solely to glycine but not close structural analogs such as glycine betaine, malate, glyoxylate, glycolate, alanine, serine, or threonine. We conclude that ‘Cand. P. ubique’ is therefore a glycine-serine auxotroph that appears to use intracellular glycine level to regulate its use of carbon for biosynthesis and energy. Comparative genomics and metagenomics indicate that these conclusions may hold throughout much of the SAR11 clade.
Evolutionarily conserved thermal biology across continents: The North American lizard Plestiodon gilberti (Scincidae) compared to Asian Plestiodon

Abstract 1. The lizard genus Plestiodon (Scincidae; formerly Eumeces ) is widespread in North America and Asia, but the thermal biology of only a few species has been studied. 2. We measured several thermal physiological traits in Plestiodon gilberti , among the few measurements of temperature sensitivity in a North American scincid lizard. 3. Critical thermal minimum (7.7 °C) and maximum (42.3 °C), preferred body temperature (31.5 °C), and optimal temperature for sprinting (34.1 °C) were very similar to published values for several Asian species of Plestiodon . 4. These results suggest that thermal physiology in Plestiodon lizards may be evolutionarily conserved over large temporal and spatial scales.
A cryogenic monitor system for the liquid argon calorimeter in the SLD detector

The authors describe the monitoring electronics system design for the liquid argon calorimeter (LAC) portion of the SLD (Stanford Linear Collider Large Detector). This system measures temperatures and liquid levels inside the LAC cryostat and transfers the results over a fiber-optic serial link to an external monitoring computer. System requirements, unique design constraints, and detailed analog, digital, and software designs are presented. Fault tolerance and the requirement for a single design to work in several different operating environments are discussed. >
Analysis of mumps virus defectiveness in vitro

Abstract The efficiency of mumps virus replication (EOR) was determined by comparing the multiplicity of infectious input (MOI) with the multiplicity of viral production (MOP). The replication kinetics of low passage wild, high passage laboratory and attenuated vaccine virus were evaluated using regular stock and cloned pools of virus (Table). The EOR of stock wild virus was 2.8, 4-fold greater than stock vaccine virus (0.7), and 300-fold greater than stock laboratory virus (0.009). The EOR of vaccine and laboratory virus was increased strikingly by double cloning, 0.7 to 2.0 and 0.009 to 3.7, respectively, while such limiting dilution hemadsorption plaquing techniques, employed to eliminate defective virions, reduced the EOR of wild virus (2.8 to 0.6).
Nonsingular sign patterns and the orthogonal group

Abstract A nonsingular sign pattern H is said to require property P if every matrix A in its sign class Q ( H ) has property P . H is said to allow property P if there is A ϵ Q ( H ) which has the property. A new infinite family of maximal nonsingular sign patterns H ( W n ), associated with wheels, is shown to require not P 0 , where P 0 : A = ( A -1 ) t . A second infinite family H ( T ( n )) is shown to be associated with binary trees and to allow P 0 .
Effect of counterion distribution on the electrostatic component of the persistence length of flexible linear polyions

We examine in more detail the "three-region" model recently proposed to explain the dependence of the persistence length of linear polyions as a function of small ion concentration under low ionic conditions. The three regions approximated as step functions are: (1) "condensed counterions" on the surface of the polyion whose function is simply to reduce the effective charge of each polyion site; (2) a counterion sheath in the vicinity of the polyion that may extend tens of angstroms from the polyion surface; and (3) the "bulk" solution concentration. Incorporated in this model is the property that the concentration of ions in region (2) increases relative to the concentration of ions in region (3) as the polyion concentration is decreased.
Cave Painting Hazard

The art, sophistication, and mystery of ancient cave and tomb paintings fascinate modern society (M. Balter, News Focus, 12 Feb. p. [920][1]). Yet little has been written about an obvious hazard that must have bedeviled the artist: Light required fire; the artist had to be exposed to carbon monoxide
An experimental and computational study of 1,1′-ferrocene diamines

Abstract A systematic experimental and computational study of six 1,1′-ferrocene and the corresponding ferrocenium diamines is presented. The influence of alkyl, aryl, and silyl substituents on the nitrogen atoms was studied from a geometric and an electronic point of view.
Emotional Conditions Disrupt Behavioral Control among Individuals with Dysregulated Personality Traits

The current study directly examined emotion-induced behavior dyscontrol among individuals scoring high on dysregulated tendencies, represented by impulsive-antisocial and borderline personality traits, using an emotional-linguistic go/no-go laboratory paradigm (Goldstein et al., 2007). We specifically examined the effects of these personality traits and emotional context on (a) overall behavior dyscontrol (slower reaction times [RTs] to emotional blocks relative to neutral blocks) and (b) duration of the dyscontrol (persistence or habituation of the effect of emotional context on behavior across blocks). We hypothesized that individuals high on borderline-antisocial traits would exhibit greater behavioral dyscontrol (slower RTs or lack of habituation across blocks) when responding during blocks of negative emotional cues. We also examined whether this emotional effect on behavioral control would be exacerbated by exposure to particularly salient emotional stimuli (diagnostically relevant negative affective words; e.g., abandon). Results indicated that high borderline-antisocial individuals showed greater initial behavioral control difficulties (slower RTs) to general negative affective words than to other word contents during the first block of trials, but this effect habituated by the second block. Importantly, slowed responses to diagnostically relevant word blocks persisted across time among high borderline-antisocial individuals, whereas low scorers showed habituated behavioral responses to emotional words across time.
Distortion of neuronal geometry and formation of aberrant synapses in neuronal storage disease

Golgi and electron microscope studies of cortical neurons in several lysosomal storage diseases were carried out to elucidate structural features of the large neural processes (meganeurites) that develop as storage sites for accumulated undigestible substrates. Meganeurites occur preferentially in pyramidal neurons wherein they develop between the base of the perikaryon and the initial portion of the axon. They frequently give rise to secondary neurites which bear filopodium-like processes. Meganeurites may possess spines some of which are contacted by presynaptic processes containing synaptic vesicles. The extent of meganeurite development is related to the onset, severity and clinical course of neuronal storage disease. Extensive development of bizarre and pleomorphic meganeurites occurs in classical Tay-Sachs disease (infantile GM2-gangliosidosis, B variant), whereas a smaller proportion of neurons exhibits meganeurites in juvenile GM2-hangliosidosis and Hurler's disease. Meganeurites with spines and spine synapses were prominent in GM2-gangliosidosis, AB variant. It is proposed that meganeurites and meganeurite synapses contribute to the onset and progression of neuronal dysfunction in storage diseases by altering electrical properties of the neuron and modifying integrative operations of somadendritic synaptic inputs.
Interactions of anionic and cationic fluorescent probes with proteins: The effect of charge

A family of fluorescent probes, consisting of 2-p-toluidinylnapththalene-6-sulfonate (TNS) and neutral and cationic sulfonamido derivatives has been utilized to study the influence of electrostatic forces in protein-amphiphile interactions. 2-p-Toluidinylnaphthalene-6-[N-β-ethylammonium chloride] sulfonamide (III) binds to a lower number of discrete sites in bovine serum albumin and sperm whale apomyoglobin than does TNS, and is also bound less efficiently by β-lactoglobulin. The fluorescence characteristics of the bound probes indicate that their environments are hydrophobic, but thatpH and ionic strength influence the binding. The initial binding of III to discrete sites on both apomyoglobin and bovine serum albumin induces the cooperative binding of additional probe molecules. TNS, but not III, fluoresces in α-chymotrypsin solutions. An [N-β-ethyltrimethyl ammonium] sulfonamido derivative (IV), but not TNS, fluoresces in bovine trypsin solutions. Fluorescence-enhancing interactions were detected between TNS, III, and polyvinylpyrrolidone, but not between these probes and ribonuclease A, α-chymotrypsinogen, lysozyme, or γ-globulins. The wheat prolamin A-gliadin binds more TNS than III. The accessibility of all binding sites of gliadin is lower atpH 5.0 than atpH 3.1. It is suggested that, in general, charge effects are more likely to enhance the binding of anionic than cationic amphibiles by proteins.
Augustine in Contemporary Trinitarian Theology

La derniere decennie a vu la theologie systematique s'interesser largement a la theologie de la Trinite d'Augustin. Les systematiciens se sont mis d'accord pour voir dans la theologie trinitaire un aspect economique sacrifie par Augustin et aux consequences malheureuses. Ce sacrifice contraste avec l'experience de Dieu du christianisme primitif, mais aussi avec l'importance de la relation dans les theologies trinitaires des Cappadociens. L'intention de l'A. est d'analyser ces recents travaux parce qu'ils revelent les presuppositions methodologiques du traitement systematique de l'oeuvre d'Augustin
The Soviet global model: SIM/GDP

Integrated global models are computer simulations that have been developed over the past two decades to provide a unique tool for understanding global-scale problems and their solutions. This article describes a major global modeling effort conducted in the Soviet Union that until recently has been virtually unknown in the West. The sections of this article cover the orientation and thrusts of the SIM/GDP project and brief descriptions of key submodels.
Factors associated with misdiagnosis of acute stroke in young adults

Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke can result in neurologic worsening or a missed opportunity for thrombolysis. Because stroke in young adults is less common than stroke in the elderly, we sought to determine clinical characteristics associated with misdiagnosis of stroke in young adults. Patients from the prospectively maintained Young Stroke Registry in our comprehensive stroke center were reviewed. Demographic information, past medical history, presentation within the 3-hour time window, and outcomes were assessed. We compared patients misdiagnosed and those correctly diagnosed to identify factors associated with misdiagnosis of acute stroke. A total of 57 patients aged 16-50 were enrolled in the registry during 2001-2006. Eight patients (14%; 4 men and 4 women; mean age, 38 years) were misdiagnosed. Seven of these 8 patients were discharged from the emergency department initially. Patients age <35 years (P = .05) and patients with posterior circulation stroke (P = .006) were more likely to be misdiagnosed. All 8 misdiagnosed patients were initially evaluated at hospitals that were not certified primary stroke centers. Patients presenting with vertebrobasilar territory ischemia have a greater rate of misdiagnosis. Our study demonstrates the increasing need for "young stroke awareness" among emergency department personnel. Initial misdiagnosis can potentially lead to a lost opportunity for thrombolysis in otherwise good candidates.
An experimental test of the efficacy of a simple reputation mechanism to solve social dilemmas

Abstract The evolution of cooperation has been the focus of intense research in the social sciences, natural sciences (especially biology), and even computer science. It has long been recognized that the possibility of future consequences is crucial to the emergence of rational cooperation. It was thought that random matching was isomorphic to one-shot play, but Kandori (1992) showed that a reputation labeling mechanism can be used to support cooperation in the random matching Prisoner Dilemma. We designed an experiment to test this result. We found that while the level of cooperation steadily declined without a reputation mechanism, with our color-coded reputation mechanism the level of cooperation steadily increased with experience. An econometric mixture model consisting of four reputation-conditioned strategies as well as a Level-0 type was fitted to the data. We cannot reject the hypothesis that the majority of subjects used one of these strategies and learned with experience.
Aveux incités par les officiers chargés de l'application de la loi, l'expérience des Etats-Unis

Marcus Paul. Aveux incites par les officiers charges de l'application de la loi, l'experience des Etats-Unis. In: Deviance et societe. 1998 - Vol. 22 - N°4. pp. 435-441.
Inhibition of Collagen α1(I) Expression by the 5′ Stem-Loop as a Molecular Decoy *

Collagen α1(I) mRNA is posttranscriptionally regulated in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Binding of protein factors to the evolutionary conserved stem-loop in the 5′-untranslated region (5′ stem-loop) is required for a high level of expression in activated HSCs. The 5′ stem-loop is also found in α2(I) and α1(III) mRNAs. Titration of the 5′ stem-loop binding factors by a stably expressed RNA containing the 5′ stem-loop (molecular decoy) may decrease the expression of these collagen mRNAs. We designed a 108-nt RNA that is transcribed from the optimized mouse U7 small nuclear RNA gene and contains the 5′ stem-loop (p74WT decoy). This decoy accumulates in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm. When expressed in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, the p74WT decoy decreased collagen α1(I) mRNA level by 60% and decreased collagen type I secreted into the cellular medium by 50%. We also expressed this decoy in quiescent rat HSCs by adenoviral gene transfer. Quiescent HSCs undergo activation in culture, resulting in a 60–70-fold increase in collagen α1(I) mRNA. The decoy decreases collagen α1(I) mRNA expression by 50–60% during activation of HSCs. It also decreases collagen α2(I) mRNA expression and collagen α1(III) mRNA expression. The cellular levels of collagen α1(I) propeptide and of disulfide-bonded collagen type I trimer are reduced by 70%. However, the p74WT decoy did not decrease α smooth muscle actin protein or the mRNA levels of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and interleukin-6. The p74WT decoy was also introduced into activated human HSCs. In these cells, the decoy decreased collagen α1(I) propeptide and disulfide-bonded collagen trimer by 50–60%. These results indicate that the 5′ stem-loop specifically regulates fibrillar collagen synthesis and represents a novel target for antifibrotic therapy. The molecular decoys provide a generalized method of assessing the functional significance of blocking the interactions of mRNA and proteins.
Telecommunications and nursing education

Telecommunications are becoming increasingly important to nursing educators. At the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, communication by two-way television, computers, facsimile machines, and telephone conferences is essential to the administration and operation of a school with four divisions located across 500 miles. Two-way television is available through one system that uses satellite and fiberoptic technology and another that uses telephone lines. The four campuses of the college share classes, administrative meetings, and conferences through television. Faculty members teaching via TV are oriented to designing instructional material for transmission and to the minor quirks of the technology. Students in TV classes must be aware of their responsibility for active involvement in learning. Studies have found no significant differences in the grades of students in “live” classrooms and those in TV classrooms, but both faculty and students prefer the face-to-face situation. The College of Nursing uses computers extensively on an internal network linking the four campuses for E-mail, file transfer, computer-assisted instruction, and administrative information sharing. Another computer network, Synapse Health Resources Online, links the college and the Medical Center with health professionals in rural areas throughout the state.
Modeling non-eroding perforation of an oblique aluminum target using the Eulerian CTH hydrocode

Abstract In the past, Eulerian hydrocodes were not able to treat rigid body penetration/perforation problems very well. This was attributed to several factors. Velocities are defined either at the cell faces or cell corners, and all other flow-field variables are defined at the cell center. The implication is that materials in a mixed cell (cells containing more than one material) have the same velocity field and are therefore treated as welded or bonded so that sliding does not occur. Additionally, one strength is defined for a mixed cell so that in a cell containing both a hard and a soft material, the hard material can more easily deform since its strength is some average of the hard and soft material. To overcome these deficiencies, a boundary layer interface algorithm for sliding interfaces (BLINT) model was incorporated into the Eulerian CTH hydrocode for two-dimensional problems only. The BLINT model has been extended to three dimensions in later versions of the CTH hydrocode. This paper examines the ability of the CTH hydrocode, using the three-dimensional (3-D) BLINT model, to predict the experimental results in which a non-eroding projectile perforates an oblique aluminum target. The experiments consisted of a hemispherical nose 4340 steel penetrator with a length of 88.9 mm and a diameter of 12.9 mm perforating a 26.3 mm thick 6061–T651 aluminum plate at 30° obliquity and a nominal impact velocity of 400 m/s. Hydrocode predictions are compared to the experimental results. Strengths and weaknesses of the 3-D BLINT model are discussed.
Enriched subpopulations of sensitized rat lymph node lymphocytes obtained by velocity sedimentation.

Abstract Velocity sedimentation of lymph node cell suspensions from normal and sensitized Lewis rats has provided a simple and reproducible method for obtaining subpopulations of cells primarily on the basis of their size. The separated cells were tested for their ability to be stimulated by either Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) or phytohemagglutinin (PHA) as indicated by their subsequent incorporation of tritiated thymidine. An enhanced response by the sensitized rat lymph node cells stimulated with PPD, and the normal rat cells stimulated with PHA was observed in fractions in which intact, viable, small lymphocytes predominated.
Experimental and analytical study of multidimensional imbibition in fractured porous media

Abstract Capillary imbibition is an important mechanism during water injection and aquifer influx in fractured porous media. Better understanding of matrix–fracture interaction and imbibition in general is needed to model effectively these processes. Using an X-ray computerized tomography (CT) scanner and a novel CT-compatible core holder, a series of experiments to study air and oil expulsion from rock samples by capillary imbibition of water in a three-dimensional (3-D) geometry were conducted. The air–water system was useful because a relatively large number of experiments could be conducted to delineate physical processes. Different injection rates and fracture apertures were utilized. Two different fracture flow regimes were identified. The “filling fracture” regime shows a plane source that grows in length due to relatively slow water flow through fractures. In the second regime, the “instantly filled fracture” regime, the time to fill the fracture is much less than the imbibition time and the imbibition performance scales as the square root of time. In the former regime, the mass of water imbibed scales linearly with time. A new analytical model is proposed for filling fractures incorporating implicit matrix/fracture coupling. Good agreement is found between experiments and calculation. This analytic coupling was obtained by solving the saturation diffusion equation with appropriate initial and boundary conditions. The solution provides the location of the wetting phase front in the fracture and the saturation distribution in the matrix. The solution is analogous to that obtained by Marx and Langenheim [Trans. AIME 216 (1959) 312] for the areal extent of an equivalent heated zone in thermal recovery methods. Analogous terms among flow and heat transfer in porous media were found and are also presented.
Functional Expression of Regiospecific Cytochrome P450 Limonene Hydroxylases from Mint (Mentha spp.) in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The oxygenation pattern of the essential oil monoterpenes of commercial mint (Mentha) species is determined by regiospecific cytochrome P450-catalyzed hydroxylation of the common olefinic precursor (-)-4S-limonene. In spearmint (M. spicata), C6-allylic hydroxylation leads to (-)-trans-carveol and thence (-)-carvone, whereas in peppermint (M. x piperita), C3-allylic hydroxylation leads to (-)-trans-isopiperitenol and ultimately (-)-menthol. cDNAs encoding the C6-hydroxylase and C3-hydroxylase from spearmint and peppermint, respectively, were isolated by a combination of reverse genetic and homology-based cloning methods (S. Lupien, F. Karp, M. Wildung, and R. Croteau, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 368, 181-192, 1999). Although both hydroxylase genes were confirmed by functional expression using the baculovirus-Spodoptera system, too little protein was available by this approach to permit detailed study of the structure-function relationships of these catalysts, especially the substrate binding determinants that underlie the regiochemistry and stereochemistry of the reactions. Therefore, heterologous overexpression systems based on Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were developed to produce several N-terminally modified versions of the recombinant hydroxylases. Ancillary methods for the solubilization, purification, and reconstitution (with recombinant spearmint cytochrome P450 reductase) of the limonene hydroxylases were also devised, with which substrate binding behavior and precise regiochemistry and stereochemistry of product formation were determined.
Diabetes area participation analysis: a review of companies and targets described in the 2008 – 2010 patent literature

Importance of the field: Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by the development of insulin resistance, impaired pancreatic β-cell function and, ultimately, hyperglycemia. The disease is highly associated with obesity and it is thought that the inappropriate deposition of lipid in tissues such as liver and muscle contributes to a reduction in insulin sensitivity which, in turn, places a burden on the β-cell to secrete more insulin to achieve normoglycemia. Over an extended period of time, this can result in β-cell failure and diminished glycemic control. When poorly managed, type 2 diabetes increases the risk of developing both microvascular and macrovascular complications, including retinopathy, nephropathy and coronary artery disease. The number of Americans with diabetes has approached 24 million in 2007 and the prevalence of the disease is projected to increase with the sedentary lifestyles and high caloric diets that are common today. First-line treatment for the disease involves lifest...
Cardiovascular event-free survival after adjuvant radiation therapy in breast cancer patients stratified by cardiovascular risk.

The objective of this study was to estimate the risk of a cardiovascular event or death associated with modern radiation in a population of elderly female breast cancer patients with varying baseline cardiovascular risk. The data used for this analysis are from the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER)-Medicare database. The retrospective cohort study included women aged 66 years and older with stage 0–III breast cancer diagnosed between 2000 and 2005. Women were grouped as low, intermediate, or high cardiovascular risk based on the presence of certain clinical diagnoses. The risk for the combined outcome of a hospitalization for a cardiovascular event or death within 6 months and 24 months of diagnosis was estimated using a multivariable Cox model. The median follow-up time was 24 months. Among the 91,612 women with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage 0–III breast cancer: 39,555 (43.2%) were treated with radiation therapy and 52,057 (56.8%) were not. The receipt of radiation therapy in the first 6 months was associated with a statistically significant increased risk for the combined outcome in women categorized as high risk (HR = 1.510; 95% CI, 1.396–1.634) or intermediate risk (HR = 1.415; 95% CI, 1.188–1.686) but not low risk (HR = 1.027; 95% CI, 0.798–1.321). Women with a prior medical history of cardiovascular disease treated with radiation therapy are at increased risk for an event and should be monitored for at least 6 months following treatment with radiation therapy.
A spontaneous mutation affects programmed cell death during development of the rat eye

We have discovered a spontaneous mutation in the Sprague-Dawley rat with a novel eye phenotype that we have named Nuc1. The Nuc1 mutation behaves as a single semi-dominant locus with an intermediate phenotype in the heterozygotes. Heterozygotes exhibit nuclear cataracts. Homozygous Nuc1 rats are fully viable and have microphthalmia, retinal abnormalities and disruption of lens structure shortly before birth. The homozygous mutant shows no obvious pathology outside of the eye, indicating that the mutation is highly eye specific in its effects. An unusual feature of the mutation is that it prevents the normal programmed loss of nuclei from lens fiber cells, but does not affect the loss of other organelles. TUNEL, light, and electron microscopic studies show normal intact nuclei in lens fibers, in contrast to many other models with degenerate nuclei and unlike normal lenses where no such nuclei remain. The beaded filament protein, filensin, is down-regulated in fibers of Nuc1, while heat shock cognate 70 is up-regulated. Homozygous retinas are thicker than normal, and TUNEL labeling indicates roughly half the number of apoptotic cells compared to a wild-type retina. The transient layer of Chievitz persists in adult Nuc1 retina, indicative of delayed development. Hence, Nuc1 is a novel mutation that could be an eye-specific regulator of apoptosis.
Numerical Investigation of Passive Separation Control for an Airfoil at Low-Reynolds-Number Conditions

Two different passive flow control strategies were investigated for a modified NACA 643-618 airfoil at a chord-based Reynolds number of Re=64,200 and an angle of attack of α=8.64 deg. For these conditions, the laminar boundary layer separates from the suction side, resulting in a loss of lift and a drag increase. Distributed roughness elements with roughness Reynolds numbers of Rek=136 and 446 that were mounted near the leading edge and scalloped leading edges with serration amplitudes of 5 and 0.5% of the chord were considered. The large roughness elements and the scalloped leading edge reduce the flow separation and enhance performance. The flow physics are, however, different. For Rek=446, the roughness elements result in high-frequency shedding. The shedding results in an accelerated transition of the separated boundary layer. For the scalloped leading edge with 5% serration amplitude, laminar separation bubbles are situated in the leading-edge troughs. The turbulent wedges that originate from these ...
Environmentally-Responsive, Entirely Hydrophilic, Shell Cross-linked (SCK) Nanoparticles

Precise tuning of the chemical composition of shell cross-linked (SCK) nanoparticles provides systematic control over their environmental interactions, as is demonstrated by regioselective modification of the internal and external chemistries. Hydrolysis of the poly(methyl acrylate) core domain of SCKs composed of poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide) shell layers produced entirely hydrophilic, pH responsive nanocage-like structures presenting poly(acrylic acid) chains from the inner cage surface. Two-dimensional, colloidally crystallized nanoarrays of the SCKs and nanocages when sorbed at solid substrate surfaces in the presence of water were substrate dependent and pH tunable.
Automated detection of influenza-like illness using clinical surveillance markers at a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Background: Using demographic and clinical measures from emergency department evaluations, we developed an automated surveillance system for influenza-like illness (ILI). Methods: We selected a random sample of patients who were seen at the Durham, NC Veterans Affairs Medical Center between May 2002 and October 2009 with fever or a respiratory ICD-9 diagnosis code and divided this into subsets for system development and validation. Comprehensive chart reviews identified patients who met a standard case definition for ILI. Logistic regression models predicting ILI were fit in the development sample. We applied the parameter estimates from these models to the validation sample and evaluated their utility using receiver-operator characteristic analysis. Results: The models discriminated ILI very well in the validation sample; the C-statistics were > 0.89. Conclusions: Risk estimates based on statistical models can be incorporated into electronic medical records systems to assist clinicians and could be used in real-time surveillance for disease outbreaks. Keywords: influenza-like illness; population surveillance; predictive modeling (Published: 20 April 2011) Citation: Emerging Health Threats Journal 2011, 4 : 7108 - DOI: 10.3402/ehtj.v4i0.7108
Rudolph M. Schindler—Space Reference Frame, Modular Coordination and the “Row”

While Rudolph Schindler’s “space reference frame” is becoming better known, its relationship to the “row” has only been recently investigated. The theory of the “row” counters traditional proportional notions, many of which are derived from the principle of geometric similitude a principle which is mostly represented in architectural drawings by regulating lines and triangulation.
Freely floating-body simulation by a 2D fully nonlinear numerical wave tank

Abstract Nonlinear interactions between large waves and freely floating bodies are investigated by a 2D fully nonlinear numerical wave tank (NWT). The fully nonlinear 2D NWT is developed based on the potential theory, MEL/material-node time-marching approach, and boundary element method (BEM). A robust and stable 4th-order Runge–Kutta fully updated time-integration scheme is used with regriding (every time step) and smoothing (every five steps). A special φn-η type numerical beach on the free surface is developed to minimize wave reflection from end-wall and wave maker. The acceleration-potential formulation and direct mode-decomposition method are used for calculating the time derivative of velocity potential. The indirect mode-decomposition method is also independently developed for cross-checking. The present fully nonlinear simulations for a 2D freely floating barge are compared with the corresponding linear results, Nojiri and Murayama’s (Trans. West-Jpn. Soc. Nav. Archit. 51 (1975)) experimental results, and Tanizawa and Minami’s (Abstract for the 6th Symposium on Nonlinear and Free-surface Flow, 1998) fully nonlinear simulation results. It is shown that the fully nonlinear results converge to the corresponding linear results as incident wave heights decrease. A noticeable discrepancy between linear and fully nonlinear simulations is observed near the resonance area, where the second and third harmonic sway forces are even bigger than the first harmonic component causing highly nonlinear features in sway time series. The surprisingly large second harmonic heave forces in short waves are also successfully reproduced. The fully updated time-marching scheme is found to be much more robust than the frozen-coefficient method in fully nonlinear simulations with floating bodies. To compare the role of free-surface and body-surface nonlinearities, the body-nonlinear-only case with linearized free-surface condition was separately developed and simulated.
Compressive Behavior of Unconfined and Confined Clay Brick Masonry

Presented in this paper are the results of an investigation of the compressive behavior of grouted clay brick masonry prisms. The objective is to experimentally capture the stress–strain characteristics of unconfined and confined clay brick masonry and compare the response with that predicted with the “modified” Kent–Park stress–strain curve. Based on the experimental results, five limit states for clay brick masonry in compression are proposed, as well as equivalent stress blocks for design. Thin galvanized steel plates placed in the mortar joints during construction provided prism confinement. The variables considered included volumetric ratio of confining steel (0, ∼0.015, and ∼0.03) and the presence of machined holes within the confinement plates to improve the bond between the masonry and steel plate. It is shown that confinement plates are extremely effective in enhancing the ultimate compressive strength as well as increasing the deformation capacity of the clay brick masonry prisms. The use of con...