cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Belt Buckle Allergy

QUESTION: A 34-year-old gardener comes to the office for a rash that has been present for 6 months. The gardener was examined by a physician 2 weeks ago and was told that he has a belt buckle allergy. On that physician's advice, he stopped wearing a large metal belt buckle. He is unhappy because the rash is continuing to grow, with no sign of improvement. He is otherwise in good health and has no history of skin diseases. He does have some mild itching, but it does not keep him awake at night. The gardener has a hyperpigmented, scaly plaque around his umbilicus. With further prompting, he removes his pants to show the rash seen in the figure. Could this be a belt buckle allergy? What else might cause a rash with this appearance and distribution? ANSWER: A belt buckle allergy is a contact dermatitis to nickel or other metal in a buckle. This type of rash stays within the region of skin contact with the belt buckle. The gardener's rash extends beyond that area.​area. Table 1 Cost of typical oral antifungal medications for severe tinea cruris or corporis This rash could be a severe case of tinea cruris that has extended beyond the cruris (inguinal or groin area). On further questioning, the patient states that this rash began in his inguinal area and has spread slowly up to his umbilicus and down onto his thighs. He noticed that it was worse over the summer when he was warm and sweaty. Findings from a potassium hydroxide (KOH) scraping confirmed the presumed diagnosis of tinea cruris. The typical branched-chain hyphae of dermatophyte fungus were seen. The most likely fungus is Trichophyton rubrum. Culture of the fungus to allow identification is not needed to proceed with treatment. The darkening of the skin is explained by postinflammatory hyperpigmentation in this Latino man.
Portacaval shunt and measurement of canine bile acid enterohepatic circulation: effects of cholecystectomy.

Abstract Studies were made of the usefulness of serial serum bile acid determinations in dogs with end-to-side portacaval shunt for determining relative rates of bile acid enterohepatic circulation (EHC). Studies in intact and cholecystectomized dogs with shunt showed that bile acid EHC in fasting cholecystectomized animals was about three times faster than in intacts. As expected, feeding greatly increased EHC in intacts, but caused smaller but definite increases in cholecystectomized animals. Cholecystokinin (Kinevac®) administration caused transient increases in intact dog bile acid EHC, but had no effect in cholecystectomized animals. These results confirm most previous studies and demonstrate that the method is sensitive and useful for comparing rates of bile acid enterohepatic circulation under different circumstances.
Validation of the Charlson Comorbidity Index in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: A Multi‐institutional Study

Comorbid conditions are medical illnesses that accompany cancer. The impact of these conditions on the outcome of patients with head and neck cancer is well established. However, all of the comorbidity studies in patients with head and neck cancer reported in the literature have been performed using the Kaplan-Feinstein index (KFI), which may be too complicated for routine use. This study was performed to introduce and validate the use of the Charlson comorbidity index (CI) in patients with head and neck cancer and to compare it with the Kaplan-Feinstein comorbidity index for accuracy and ease of use. Study design was a retrospective cohort study. The study population was drawn for three academic tertiary care centers and included 88 patients 45 years of age and under who underwent curative treatment for head and neck cancer. All patients were staged by the KFI and the CI for comorbidity and divided into two groups based on the comorbidity severity staging. Group 1 included patients with advanced comorbidity (stages 2 or 3), and group 2 included those with low-level comorbidity (stages 0 or 1). Outcomes were compared based on these divisions. The KFI was successfully applied to 80% of this study population, and the CI was successfully applied in all cases (P < 0.0001). In addition, the KFI was found to be more difficult to use than the CI (P < 0.0001). However, both indices independently predicted the tumor-specific survival (P = 0.007), even after adjusting for the confounding effects of TNM stage by multivariate analysis. Overall, the CI was found to be a valid prognostic indicator in patients with head and neck cancer. In addition, because comorbidity staging by the CI independently predicted survival, was easier to use, and more readily applied, it may be better suited for use for retrospective comorbidity studies.
Effects of single and repeated exposure to apomorphine on the acoustic startle reflex and its inhibition by a visual prepulse

The acoustic startle reflex (ASR) is inhibited by startle-irrelevant stimuli that briefly precede reflex elicitation. This effect, prepulse inhibition (PPI), is reduced in strength for animals that have received dopamine agonists, such as apomorphine (APO). Reduction in PPI is most evident for weak masked noise prepulses, thus suggesting that APO disrupts the reception of stimuli to the extent that they present a low signal-to-noise ratio. Here we examine the effect of APO on PPI produced by non-masked visual prepulses. Light flashes were given at two intensities, 40, 70, 110, or 220 ms before ASR elicitation. In phase 1 (5 weeks in duration) half of the animals received one weekly injection of APO (0.5 mg/kg, IP) and one of vehicle (VEH), while the other half received two injections of VEH. Within these groups, half were tested 30 min after the injections, the other half kept test naive (four groups total). In phase 2, following a 4-week rest, all groups were tested after a low dose of APO (0.1 mg/kg) and VEH, 1 week apart. APO eliminated PPI for a dim flash and reduced PPI for a brighter flash to a level normally obtained with the dim flash, while increasing both ASR control values and activity. The bright light was maximally effective at a lead time of 70 ms and APO did not alter this value. Because in general the time of maximal inhibition varies with prepulse intensity for visual stimuli, the finding that the time of the peak remained constant reveals that APO has its effect on inhibition rather than on effective stimulus intensity. In phase 2, APO reduced PPI with no sign of sensitization from past drug exposure. However, APO increased the ASR only in groups previously exposed to APO, indicating behavioral sensitization. The differential effects of repeated exposure on these response measures suggest that neural substrates for the several behavioral effects of APO function at least in part independently.
Layer-by-Layer Growth of Acentric Multilayers of Zr and Azobenzene Bis(phosphonate): Structure, Composition, and Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties

This paper describes the use of layer-by-layer growth of metal−bis(phosphonate) multilayers to produce acentric thin films with second-order nonlinear optical properties. To incorporate such properties, organic “chromophore” molecules containing conjugated π systems situated between electron donor and electron acceptor groups are oriented uniformly within the film such that the bulk structure is noncentrosymmetric. This is accomplished using chromophoric α,ω-bis(phosphonate) molecules that have one terminal phosphonate group “protected” in ester form, whereas the other is a free phosphonic acid that will bind to a metal-primed silicon or glass surface. After deposition of the acid moiety onto metal-primed silicon, the ester groups are hydrolyzed to enable deposition of additional metal and chromophore layers. We report here the results of this approach using the chromophore bis(1-ethyl)3-{N-methyl[(4-[(4-phenylphosphonic acid)azo]phenyl)amino]decyl}phosphonate, or azobenzene molecule I. Results from multi...
An electrophysiological characterization of the projection from the central nucleus of the amygdala to the periaqueductal gray of the rat: the role of opioid receptors

The midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CNA) are both known to be involved in fear and anxiety, analgesia, vocalization, cardiovascular and respiratory changes, and freezing. Anatomical studies have shown that a connection between these two regions exists but little is known about the physiology or the neurochemical constituents of this pathway. The goals of this study were to characterize the projection from the CNA to the PAG using electrophysiological techniques and to determine whether mu- and/or delta-opioid receptors, which play a large role in a majority of the functions of the PAG, are involved in this pathway. Of the 38 PAG cells tested with single shock stimulation of the CNA, 44% responded; of those, 46% were excited and 54% were inhibited. The latency to onset of response for the inhibitory cells (12.71 +/- 6.61 ms) was shorter than that of the excitatory cells (22.33 +/- 4.04 ms). Forty-six percent of the 129 PAG cells tested with train electrical stimulation of the CNA responded; 44% were excited and 56% were inhibited. Chemical stimulation of the CNA (10 mM D,L-homocysteic acid) produced similar results; 48% (62/128) of PAG cells responded; 45% of cells were excited and 55% were inhibited. The baseline firing rate of the inhibitory cells was significantly higher compared to the excitatory cells. Chemical stimulation of the CNA produced an increase in blood pressure in 12 animals, a decrease in two animals, and had no effect on the blood pressure of 68 animals. The blood pressure changes ranged between 8.5 and 26.3 mmHg with a mean of 16.2 +/- 2.2 mmHg. The effect of naloxone (given either on site in the PAG or systemically) on the response to CNA stimulation was tested in 21 cells. Twenty-five percent of the excitatory cells (2/8) and 77% (10/13) of the inhibitory cells were blocked by naloxone with the majority of the blocked cells located in the ventrolateral PAG. It is concluded that: (1) Approximately 50% of cells in the lateral and ventrolateral columns of the PAG respond to CNA stimulation; (2) the inhibitory response is mediated by a faster conducting or a more direct pathway than the pathway that mediates the excitatory response; (3) neurons that are inhibited by CNA stimulation have a significantly higher baseline firing rate than neurons that are excited, suggesting that they may be tonically active interneurons; and (4) at least one link in the CNA-PAG pathway utilizes mu- or delta-opioid receptors.
Dynamic Water Adsorption Characteristics of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS)

ABSTRACT Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is one of the coproducts obtained from dry-grind ethanol manufacturing. As the ethanol industry is growing exponentially, the production of DDGS has been significantly increasing as well. To optimize the use of DDGS, it has to be economically transported from one part of the country to other parts, and stored efficiently. But DDGS has some flow issues, which often makes storage and transportation very problematic. So the objective of this study was to investigate the dynamic water adsorption characteristics of DDGS with four soluble levels at four temperatures and four relative humidities. Three mathematical models were then used to fit the adsorption data (Peleg, Pilosof, and Singh-Kulshrestha). As there was no model available for describing the water adsorption characteristics of DDGS with varying soluble levels at various temperature and relative humidity conditions, a new comprehensive model was developed. The new model, Ganesan-Rosentrater-Muthu (...
Meningoencephalitis associated with passive immunization of a transgenic murine model of Alzheimer's amyloidosis

Immunization against the Abeta peptide reverses the pathologic and behavioral manifestations of Alzheimer's disease in murine models. Since active immunization is associated with an autoimmune meningoencephalitis in a subset of humans, passive transfer of anti-Abeta immunoglobulin is being pursued as a potentially safer alternative. We have identified cases of meningoencephalitis subsequent to peripheral and intracerebral passive immunization of Tg2576 mice. The vasocentric mononuclear infiltrate localized only to brain regions affected by Abeta amyloid deposits suggesting that the inflammatory reaction was Abeta specific. This report indicates that current passive immunization in humans should proceed with careful regard for autoimmune complications.
Xbap, a vertebrate gene related to bagpipe, is expressed in developing craniofacial structures and in anterior gut muscle

The Drosophila bagpipe (bap) gene is involved in the specification of the musculature of the embryonic midgut. We report the isolation and characterization of a Xenopus sequence, Xbap, which is closely related to bap. Xbap is also expressed in the developing musculature of the midgut, suggesting that this developmental role of bagpipe is evolutionarily conserved. However, a second, novel role in development is suggested by the observation that Xbap is also expressed in a region of the developing facial cartilage. Using a combination of cartilage staining and comparison to the goosecoid head expression pattern, we show that Xbap expression marks the precursors to the basihyobranchial, palatoquadrate, and possibly Meckel's cartilages. This vertebrate bagpipe sequence therefore is expressed in both mesodermally and neural crest-derived tissues.
Diagnosis and management of pouchitis and ileoanal pouch dysfunction.

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) has become the surgical treatment of choice for patients with medically refractory ulcerative colitis (UC) or UC with dysplasia and for the majority of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. However, UC patients with IPAA are susceptible to inflammatory and noninflammatory sequelae, such as pouchitis, Crohn’s disease of the pouch, cuffitis, and irritable pouch syndrome, in addition to common surgery-associated complications, which adversely affect the surgical outcome and compromise health-related quality of life. Pouchitis is the most frequent long-term complication of IPAA in patients with UC, with a cumulative prevalence of up to 50%. Pouchitis may be classified based on the etiology into idiopathic and secondary types, and the management is often different. Pouchoscopy is the most important tool for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis in patients with pouch dysfunction. Antibiotic therapy is the mainstay of treatment for active pouchitis. Some patients may develop dependency on antibiotics, requiring long-term maintenance therapy. Although management of antibiotic-dependent or antibiotic-refractory pouchitis has been challenging, secondary etiology for pouchitis should be evaluated and modified, if possible.
An investigation of the role of microsomal oxidative metabolism in the in vivo genotoxicity of 1,2-dichloroethane.

Abstract In vitro studies have demonstrated that two different metabolic pathways, glutathione conjugation mediated by the glutathione S-transferases and microsomal oxidation, may be involved in the genotoxicity and carcinogenicity of 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE). To evaluate the importance of microsomal oxidative metabolism in the bioactivation of DCE in vivo, male B6C3F1 mice were pretreated with piperonyl butoxide (PIB), an inhibitor of microsomal oxidative metabolism, and the effect of this pretreatment on the extent of hepatic DNA damage produced by DCE was determined 4 hr after DCE administration. The in vivo genotoxicity of 2-chloroethanol, a product of the microsomal oxidative metabolism of DCE, was also investigated. Hepatic DNA damage was measured with a sensitive, alkaline DNA unwinding assay for the presence of single-strand breaks and alkali-labile lesions in DNA. Pretreatment of mice with PIB to inhibit microsomal oxidative metabolism significantly potentiated the hepatic DNA damage observed 4 hr after aa single, 200-mg/kg, ip dose of DCE. Treatment of mice with single, ip doses of 2-chloroethanol as high as 1.2 mmol/kg failed to produce any evidence of single-strand breaks and/or alkali-labile lesions in hepatic DNA. When diethyl maleate (DEM) was used to deplete hepatic glutathione levels prior to administration of 2-chloroethanol, the acute hepatotoxicity of 2-chloroethanol was potentiated but again there was no evidence of hepatic DNA damage. These results indicate that microsomal, oxidative metabolism of DCE to 2-chloroethanol and/or 2 chloroacetaldehyde is not responsible for the hepatic DNA damage observed in these studies after DCE administration.
Simplified Habit Reversal Plus Adjunct Contingencies in the Treatment of Thumb Sucking and Hair Pulling in a Young Child

The authors examined the effectiveness of a simplified habit reversal treatment (SHR) consisting of awareness training, competing response training, and social support procedures for a 6-year-old girl who exhibited thumb sucking and covarying hair pulling. Initially, the implementation of SHR plus booster sessions for thumb sucking produced minimal reductions in thumb sucking and hair pulling. However, additional treatment phases involving differential reinforcement and response cost resulted in near zero levels of the behavior when implemented with thumb sucking and then hair pulling. Thereafter, hair pulling was treated with the same procedure, resulting in near-zero levels of behavior. Covariation of thumb sucking and hair pulling, limitations of SHR, and directions for future research involving the use of external contingencies are discussed.
Glioma Stem Cells: A Midterm Exam

Several years ago, the discovery of a highly tumorigenic subpopulation of stem-like cells embedded within fresh surgical isolates of malignant gliomas lent support to a new paradigm in cancer biology--the cancer stem cell hypothesis. At the same time, these "glioma stem cells" seemed to resolve a long-standing conundrum on the cell of origin for primary cancers of the brain. However, central tenets of the cancer stem cell hypothesis have recently been challenged, and the cellular origins of stem-like cells within malignant glioma are still contended. Here, we summarize the issues that are still in play with respect to the cancer stem cell hypothesis, and we revisit the developmental origins of malignant glioma. Do glioma stem cells arise from developmentally stalled neural progenitors or from dedifferentiated astrocytes? Five separate predictions of a neural progenitor cell of origin are put to the test.
Adhesion of lymphocytic cells to human trophoblast cells in vitro

Abstract The adherence of lymphocytic MOLT-4/clone 8 cells and normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to primary cultures of term human syncytiotrophoblast has been characterized. Adherence was measured using a fluorescence-based assay in which leukocytic cells were labelled with calcein-AM. Adherence of MOLT cells to syncytiotrophoblast increased in a time-dependent fashion up to about 4 h after which adhesion decreased. Adhesion was detectable at 4°C but was greatly reduced compared to that seen at 37°C. Binding increased linearly as the ratio of MOLT cells to trophoblast was increased. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of MOLT cell-trophoblast cocultures revealed lymphocytes adherent to the free microvillous surface of the syncytiotrophoblast masses. MOLT cells also adhered to cytotrophoblast but the extent of binding was lower that to syncytiotrophoblast. Normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells adhered to syncytiotrophoblast. Preincubation of trophoblast cells with trypsin in the presence of calcium had no effect on subsequent adhesion of MOLT cells. However, preincubation of trophoblast cells with trypsin in the absence of divalent cations reduced subsequent adhesion. Adhesion of MOLT cells to syncytiotrophoblast was dependent on magnesium and calcium. These results show for the first time that lymphocytic cells adhere to isolated human syncytiotrophoblast and raise the possibility that this may be an important phenomenon in vivo.
Potential extents for ENSO-driven hydrologic drought forecasts in the United States

The relationship between the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and hydrologic variability in the United States is investigated using Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF)/Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The multivariate ENSO index (MEI) is utilized to identify strong coherences associated with multiple months (1-, 2-, 4-, 6-, 12-, 24-, 48-month) of the Log-Standardized Hydrologic Drought Index (LSHDI) in the conterminous states for the period 1950–2005. Based on 56 years of monthly streamflow data for 102 forecast climate divisions, this research explores the spatial and temporal variation of hydrologic responses corresponding to ENSO events. Preliminary results show that a potential predictor of the dominant streamflow modes in the northern Great Plains is identified from streamflows in western Arizona. Also, positive relationships between hydrologic drought and El Nino were found in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, and northern California), whereas negative relationships were detected in southern California and the northern Great Plains. These findings will provide useful insights to help improve streamflow forecast potential and capabilities, and minimize the impacts of hydrologic events (e.g. floods and droughts) associated with ENSO events.
Phenol Oxidases of a Lozenge Mutant of Drosophila

Monophenol oxidase (or tyrosinase-A1) activity appears to be absent from extracts from pupae of homozygous lozenge-glossy (lzg/lzg) females and (lzg/♂) males of Drosophila melanogaster. Diphenol oxidase (tyrosinase-A2) activity is less in the mutant extracts than in extracts of wild-type Oregon-R pupae of the same age and sex.
The 2-3TR-tree, a trajectory-oriented index structure for fully evolving valid-time spatio-temporal datasets

Supporting large volumes of multi-dimensional data is an inherent characteristic of modern database applications, such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Computer Aided design (CAD), and Image and Multimedia Databases. Such databases need underlying systems with extended features like query languages, data models, and indexing methods, as compared to traditional databases, mainly because of the complexity of representing and retrieving data. The presented work deals with access methods for databases that accurately model the real world. More precisely, the focus is on index structures that can capture the time varying nature of moving objects, namely spatio-temporal structures. A new taxonomy to classify these structures has been defined according to dataset characteristics and query requirements. Then, a new spatio-temporal access method, the 2-3TR-tree, has been designed to process specific datasets and fulfill specific query requirements that no other existing spatio-temporal index could handle.
Unimolecular rectifiers: methods and challenges.

Abstract Six unimolecular rectifiers have been studied at the University of Alabama: Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) or Langmuir–Schaefer (LS), or self-assembled monolayers of these molecules show asymmetric electrical conductivity between Au or Al electrodes. These molecules are γ-hexadecylquinolinium tricyanoquinodimethanide ( Fig. 1 , 2), 2,6-di[dibutylamino-phenylvinyl]-l-butylpyridinium iodide, 3, dimethylanilino-aza[C60]-fullerene, 4, fullerene-bis-[4-diphenylamino-4″-(N-ethyl-N-2⁗-ethyl)-amino-1,4-diphenyl-1,3 -butadiene] malonate, 5, N-(10-nonadecyl)-N-(2-ferrocenyl-ethyl)-pyrenyl-methyl)pery-lene-3,4,9,10-bis(dicarboxyimide), 6, and 4,5-dipentyl-5′-methyltetrathiaful-valen-4′-methyl-oxy-2,4,5-trinitro-9-dicyanomethylenefluorene-7-(3-sulfonylpropionate), 7. Many ancillary experiments must be performed before unimolecular rectification can be fully understood. This review will focus on the fabrication techniques and the analytical tools that can help understand the asymmetric current–voltage (IV) curves. These tools include molecular orbital calculations, cyclic voltammetry, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, contact angle goniometry, ultraviolet–visible-near-infrared spectroscopy, grazing-angle Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, surface plasmon resonance, spectroscopic ellipsometry, grazing-incidence X-ray reflectometry, core-level and valence-band X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
A rapid and hazardous reagent free protocol for genomic DNA extraction suitable for genetic studies in plants.

Protocols for genomic DNA extraction from plants are generally lengthily, since they require that tissues be ground in liquid nitrogen, followed by a precipitation step, washing and drying of the DNA pellet, etc. This represents a major challenge especially when several hundred samples must be screened/analyzed within a working day. There is therefore a need for a rapid and simple procedure, which will produce DNA quality suitable for various analyses. Here, we describe a time and cost efficient protocol for genomic DNA isolation from plants suitable for all routine genetic screening/analyses. The protocol is free from hazardous reagents and therefore safe to be executed by non-specialists. With this protocol more than 100 genomic DNA samples could manually be extracted within a working day, making it a promising alternative in genetic studies of large-scale genomic screening projects.
The characteristics of interest rates and stock variances implied in option prices

Abstract Using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, this study simultaneously estimates stock return variances and interest rates implied in market option prices. Results show that the shorter term options exhibit greater implied stock variances than do longer term options. Implied interest rates, however, appear to be constant over the different expirations. Overall, the implied interest rates exhibited higher correlations with Treasury bill rates than with other money market rates, but they were consistently about one-fourth higher than the Treasury bill rates.
A study of external community contribution to open-source projects on GitHub

Open-source software projects are primarily driven by community contribution. However, commit access to such projects' software repositories is often strictly controlled. These projects prefer to solicit external participation in the form of patches or pull requests. In this paper, we analyze a set of 89 top-starred GitHub projects and their forks in order to explore the nature and distribution of such community contribution. We first classify commits (and developers) into three categories: core, external and mutant, and study the relative sizes of each of these classes through a ring-based visualization. We observe that projects written in mainstream scripting languages such as JavaScript and Python tend to include more external participation than projects written in upcoming languages such as Scala. We also visualize the geographic spread of these communities via geocoding. Finally, we classify the types of pull requests submitted based on their labels and observe that bug fixes are more likely to be merged into the main projects as compared to feature enhancements.
On the threshold behaviour of bound-bound and bound-free photoabsorption for the screened Coulomb potentials

Computations of bound-bound and bound-free transition strengths for a particle bound by a screened Coulomb (Debye) potential show that near the ionization limit transition strengths differ markedly from hydrogenic values: oscillator strengths of Rydberg series diminish more rapidly than the hydrogenic n-3 decrement and photoionization cross sections are zero at threshold. Sharp near-threshold photoionization resonances occur for appropriate Debye lengths. This paper examines these effects and presents illustrative computations.
Sensitivity to the Smagorinsky Constant in Turbulent Jet Simulations

the model’ s sensitivity by applying it to the LES of turbulent jets and analyzing the results of two simulations obtained with slightly direrent values of the model constant. The Smagorinsky model is known to be sensitive to values of the model constant; however, our simulations show explicitly how strongly the mean e ow properties of the jets are sensitive to the value of the model constant. More detailed results can be found in Ref. 5. Governing Equations
Is metabolic activity by biofilms with sulfate-reducing bacterial consortia essential for long-term propagation of pitting corrosion of stainless steel?

Concentric electrodes have been fabricated from 304 stainless steel in which a small anode (0.031 cm2) and large cathode (4.87 cm2) are induced by the application of a current density of 11μA cm−2 at the anode. It has previously been shown that reproducible pitting and maintenance of a galvanic current occurs only in the presence of a consortium of bacteria containing sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Actively corroding systems that had maintained a galvanic current for at least 24 h after the applied current was removed were treated with inhibitors of the SRB. The only inhibitor tested which had any marked effect on the galvanic current was sodium molybdate which is a known inhibitor of corrosion as well as SRB.
Systemic Polyomavirus Genome Increase and Dissemination of Capsid-Defective Genomes in Mammary Gland Tumor-Bearing Mice

BALB/c mice that developed tumors 7 to 8 months following neonatal infection by polyomavirus (PYV) wild-type strain A2 were characterized with respect to the abundance and integrity of the viral genome in the tumors and in 12 nontumorous organs. These patterns were compared to those found in tumor-free mice infected in parallel. Six mice were analyzed in detail including four sibling females with mammary gland tumors. In four of five mammary gland tumors, the viral genome had undergone a unique deletion and/or rearrangement. Three tumor-resident genomes with an apparently intact large T coding region were present in abundant levels in an unintegrated state. Two of these had undergone deletions and rearrangements involving the capsid genes and therefore lacked the capacity to produce live virus. In the comparative organ survey, the tumors harboring replication-competent genomes contained by far the highest levels of genomes of any tissue. However, the levels of PYV genomes in other organs were elevated by up to 1 to 2 orders of magnitude compared to those detected in the same organs of tumor-free mice. The genomes found in the nontumorous organs had the same rearrangements as the genomes residing in the tumors. The original wild-type genome was detected at low levels in a few organs, particularly in the kidneys. The data indicate that a systemic increase in the level of viral genomes occurred in conjunction with the induction of tumors by PYV. The results suggest two novel hypotheses: (i) that genomes may spread from the tumors to the usual PYV target tissues and (ii) that this dissemination may take place in the absence of capsids, providing an important path for a virus to escape from the immune response. This situation may offer a useful model for the spread of HPV accompanying HPV-induced oncogenesis.
A novel apoptotic pathway as defined by lectin cellular initiation

Abstract In this study of lectin-induced apoptosis we found that wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) initiated an accelerated type of programmed cell death developing after only 30 min of incubation with tumor cells. To analyze possible mechanisms, studies were focused using the WGA lectin whose carbohydrate specificity is well defined. We found that WGA could induce apoptosis by binding to either N-acetylneuraminic acid or N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) on the cell surface of normal and malignant cells. We also showed that it is unlikely that WGA triggers apoptosis by binding to the carbohydrate portion of Fas. CrmA gene transfection did not inhibit WGA-mediated apoptosis of Jurkat cells. In addition, Jurkat-R cells selected for resistance to Fas signaled apoptosis manifested high sensitivity to WGA as did Fas-negative BL6 melanoma cells. WGA-induced apoptosis is also caspase-3-independent and was found to be triggered via a mitochondrial pathway. WGA induced a loss of transmembrane potential, disruption of the inner mitochondria membrane, and release of cytochrome c and caspase-9 activation after 30 min of cell interaction. Interestingly, Bcl-2 gene transfection did not affect sensitivity of Jurkat cells to WGA. The Jurkat-R subline that has been shown to be Bax and Bak deficient and resistant to various apoptotic signals was highly sensitive to WGA-induced apoptosis. In summary, WGA triggers a unique pattern of apoptosis that is extremely fast, Fas- and caspase-3-independent, and is mediated via a mitochondrial pathway. However, its mitochondrial component is unrestrained by the loss of Bax and Bak or the upregulation of Bcl-2 expression.
A study of adaptation of veneers to cast gold crowns

Abstract The adaptation of various veneer materials to gold was compared by studying the penetration of radioisotopes between the veneers and the cast gold crown. The veneer materials evaluated were silicate, acrylic resin, porcelain cemented with zinc phosphate cement, and 2 baked-on porcelain techniques. By this test, the porcelain materials fused to the gold, particularly when fired in air, appeared to be quite superior to the other materials studied. Even though the adaptation of these materials is reduced when they are fired in vacuum, the rate and degree of infiltration was markedly less than with the acrylic resins, cemented porcelain, or silicate veneers.
Serum complement and immunity in experimental simian malaria. I. Cyclical alterations in C4 related to schizont rupture

Previous studies indicated that the level of whole serum complement (C') falls during malaria, and that the fall in C' is linked to schizont rupture and the appearance of humoral antibody. For a more detailed study of the role of C' in malaria, levels of C4 were monitored in rhesus monkeys infected with Plasmodium coatneyi. After one to two weeks of infection, significant and abrupt declines in C4 levels occurred, and these were temporally related to the process of schizont rupture. The level of C4 began to fall within a few hours after the onset of schizont rupture and fell to values as low as 2% of prerupture levels. Over the next 24-36 hr, C4 returned to normal levels, and fell again during the next cycle of schizont rupture. In general, the decline in C4 levels was positively correlated with the onset of immune response (functional and serologic) and degree of parasitemia. This marked cyclincal depletion of C4 indicates tremendous turnover of C' in primates with malaria.
Control of mitochondrial respiration by NO*, effects of low oxygen and respiratory state.

Abstract Nitric oxide (NO.) inhibits mitochondrial respiration by binding to the binuclear heme a3/CuB center in cytochrome c oxidase. However, the significance of this reaction at physiological O2 levels (5–10 μm) and the effects of respiratory state are unknown. In this study mitochondrial respiration, absorption spectra, [O2], and [NO.] were measured simultaneously at physiological O2 levels with constant O2 delivery, to model in vivo respiratory dynamics. Under these conditions NO. inhibited mitochondrial respiration with an IC50 of 0.14 ± 0.01 μm in state 3 versus 0.31 ± 0.04 μm in state 4. Spectral data indicate that the higher sensitivity of state 3 respiration to NO. is due to greater control over respiration by an NO.-dependent spectral species in the respiratory chain in this state. These results are discussed in the context of regulation of respiration by NO. in vivo and its implications for the control of vessel-parenchymal O2 gradients.
Recovery of Potential Pathogens and Interfering Bacteria in the Nasopharynx of Smokers and Nonsmokers

Background Active smoking and passive exposure to cigarette smoke are associated with colonization by some potentially pathogenic species of bacteria and an increased risk of respiratory tract infection in both adults and children. In an attempt to explain these observations, this study compared the frequency of isolation of potential pathogens, and aerobic and anaerobic bacteria that possess interfering capabilities (ie, interfering with the in vitro growth of potential pathogens) in the nasopharynx of smokers to their recovery in nonsmokers. Methods Nasopharyngeal specimens for cultures were taken from 20 smokers and 20 nonsmokers. Potential pathogens, and aerobic and anaerobic bacteria with interfering capabilities against these organisms were identified. Results Fourteen potential pathogens (0.7 per patient) were isolated from nasopharyngeal cultures obtained from 11 of the 20 smokers, and 4 (0.2 per patient) were recovered from 3 of the 20 nonsmokers (p Conclusions These findings illustrate for the first time that the nasopharyngeal flora of smokers contains fewer aerobic and anaerobic organisms with interfering capabilities and more potential pathogens compared with those of nonsmokers.
EXTENDING THE CONCEPT OF SOCIAL VALIDITY: BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS FOR DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION

A broader definition of social validity is proposed wherein a socially valid behavior-change intervention is directed to a problem of verifiable importance, the intervention is valued and used appropriately by designated target groups, and the intervention as used has sufficient behavioral impact to substantially reduce the probability of the problem's occurrence in target populations. The verifiable importance of a problem is based on epidemiological data, and the value and appropriate use of an intervention are enhanced through the use of conceptual frameworks for social marketing and behavior change and considerable formative and pilot research. Behavioral impact is assessed through efficacy and effectiveness studies. Thus, the social validity of a behavior-change intervention is established through a number of interactive, a priori steps. This approach to defining social validity is related to critical analysis and intervention issues including individual and population perspectives and "top-down" and "bottom-up" approaches to intervention design. This broader definition of social validity is illustrated by a project to reduce the risk of HIV infection among adolescents. Although the various steps involved in creating socially valid interventions can be complicated, time-consuming, and expensive, following all the steps can result in interventions capable of improving a nation's health.
Thirteen week rodent feeding study with grain from molecular stacked trait lepidopteran and coleopteran protected (DP-ØØ4114-3) maize.

The results from a subchronic feeding study conducted in Sprague–Dawley rats fed with diets containing grain from 4114 (OECD unique identifier: DP-OO4114-3) maize that was untreated (4114) or sprayed in field with glufosinate ammonium (4114GLU) in a design similar to previous studies are reported. The test material, 4114 maize, is a hybrid maize produced by transformation with a DNA construct encoding 4 different transgenic proteins for resistance to lepidopteran pests, coleopteran pests, and tolerance to the herbicidal active ingredient glufosinate ammonium. There were a total of 144 rats divided into 12 groups of 12 rats/sex/group. All experimental diets were formulated by Purina Mills, LLC (St. Louis, MO) in accordance with the standards of Purina Mills Labdiet® Certified Rodent LabDiet® 5002. The incorporation rate of maize grain in all diets was 32% (wt/wt). No biologically significant, treatment related differences in body weight, food consumption, clinical pathology parameters (hematology, blood chemistry, urinalysis, or organ weight) were observed in rats consuming the diets containing 4114 maize grain compared with rats fed conventional maize diets. A number of histologic observations were noted in this study but were background lesions and representative of what would be expected for rats of this age and strain. An independent panel of experts determined certain observations to be spontaneous and not related to the test diet. Accordingly, these results support the conclusion that 4114 maize grain is as safe and nutritious as conventional maize grain.
First derivative versus absolute spectral reflectance of citrus varieties

Spectral reflectance measurements from 400 to 800 nm were taken from immature and mature leaves of grapefruit ('McCarty' and 'Rio Red'), 'Minneola' tangelo, 'Satsuma' mandarin, 'Dancy' tangerine, 'Nagami' oval kumquat, and 'Valencia' sweet orange, at the Florida Citrus Arboretum, Division of Plant Industry, Winter Haven, Florida. Immature and mature leaves of 'Minneola' tangelo had greater percent reflectance in the 400 to 800 nm range than the other varieties and leaf ages measured. The slope of the citrus spectral curves in the 800 nm range was not as sharp as conventional spectrometers, but had a much higher reflectance value than those obtained with a DK-2 spectrometer. Statistical analyses of absolute spectral data yielded significant differences between mature and immature leaves and between varieties. First derivative data analyses did not yield significant differences between varieties.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Refinement of the DFNA41 locus and candidate genes analysis

We previously mapped the 41rst gene locus (DFNA41) for autosomal dominant hearing loss on chromosome 12q24-qter in a large multi-generational Chinese family. We determined that DFNA41 is located in a 15 cM region, proximal to the marker D12S1609. A maximum two point LOD score of 6.56 at θ=0.0 was obtained with marker D12S343. In the current study, screening of eight candidate genes within the DFNA41 interval did not reveal the mutation causing deafness in this family. Eight highly informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the region of D12S343 were selected for linkage and association study. Because the pedigree studied here is a large family with many founders, we applied the transmission/disequilibrium (TDT) test. To account for the dependence of small families and the relatively small sample size, simulations were performed to obtain P-values. For three nearby SNPs spanning a 7 kb interval, we found significant evidence of linkage and association. The highest Z score of linkage and association of 3.6 (P≤0.0001) was obtained for SNP rs1566667. Haplotype analysis revealed that affected individuals were heterozygous for one core SNP (rs1027560–rs1027557–rs1566667–rs1463865–rs2078105) CAGTC haplotype, confirming location and autosomal dominant inheritance of the DFNA41 locus. Examination of pairwise LD calculation identified a major haplotype block defined by the four most centromeric SNPs. This study represents a significant refinement of the DFNA41 locus and should facilitate positional cloning of the disease gene.
Linear transformation models for interval-censored data prediction of survival probability and model checking

In statistical analysis, when the value of a random variable is only known to be between two bounds, we say that this random variable is interval censored. This complicated censoring pattern is a common problem in research fields such as clinical trials or actuarial studies and raises challenges for statistical analysis. In this paper, we focus on regression analysis of case 2 interval-censored data. We first briefly review existing regression methods and an estimation approach under the class of linear transformation models developed by Zhang et al. We then propose a method for survival probability prediction via generalized estimating equations. We also consider a graphical model checking technique and a model selection tool. Some theoretical properties are established and the performance of our procedures is evaluated and illustrated by numerical studies including a real-life data analysis.
Aggression and Women Correctional Officers in Male Prisons

Through questionnaires and phone interviews, the current study provides a preliminary look at the strategies employed by women correction officers (COs) when responding to volatile situations with ...
Expression and subcellular localization of Ror tyrosine kinase receptors are developmentally regulated in cultured hippocampal neurons

Ror1 and Ror2 are two novel receptor tyrosine kinases that have been implicated in neuronal differentiation in Caenorhabditis elegans. As a first step toward elucidating their role in the mammalian brain, we analyzed their expression and localization patterns in hippocampal neurons. Our results showed that both receptors are expressed from early stages of development and that their protein levels peak during periods of active synapse formation. Immunocytochemical analysis indicated that Ror1 and Ror2 are highly concentrated in the growth cones of immature neurons and are present throughout the somatodendritic compartment of mature hippocampal cells. Further analysis indicated that they are present not only in the cell membrane but also in Triton- and saponin-insoluble fractions, suggesting that they may be associated with both the cytoskeleton and membrane-bound organelles. Taken collectively, our results suggest that Ror1 and Ror2 might play a role during early stages of development in mammalian central neurons.
Analysis of the effectiveness of proline substitutions and glycine replacements in increasing the stability of phage T4 lysozyme

It was previously shown that the two replacements Gly 77 ↠ Ala (G77A) and Ala 82 ↠ Pro (A82P) increase the thermostability of phage T4 lysozyme at pH 6.5. Such replacements are presumed to restrict the degrees of freedom of the unfolded protein and so decrease the entropy of unfolding [B. W. Matthews, H. Nicholson, and W. J. Becktel (1987) Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA Vol. 84, pp. 6663–6667]. To further test this approach, three additional replacements—G113A, K60P and A93P— have been constructed. On the basis of model building, each of these three replacements was judged to be less than optimal because it would tend to introduce unfavorable van der Waals contacts with neighboring parts of the protein. The presence of such contacts was verified for G113A and K60P by conformational adjustments seen in the crystal structures of these mutant proteins. In the case of G113A there are backbone conformational changes of 0.5–1.0 A in the short α-helix, 108–113, that includes the site of substitution. In the case of K60P the pyrrolidine ring shows evidence of strain. The thermal stability of each of the three variants at both pH 2.0 and pH 6.5 was found to be very close to that of wild-type lysozyme. The results suggest that the procedure used to predict sites for both Xaa ↠ Pro and Gly ↠ Ala is, in principle, correct. At the same time, the increase in stability expected from substitutions of this type is modest, and can easily be offset by strain associated with introduction of the alanine or proline. This means that the criteria used to select substitutions that will increase thermostability have to be stringent at least. In the case of T4 lysozyme this severely limits the number of sites. The analysis reveals a significant discrepancy between the conformational energy surface predicted for the residue preceding a proline and the conformations observed in crystal structures. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Exponential decay rates for the solutions of Euler-Bernoulli equations with boundary dissipation occurring in the moments only

Abstract We shall derive uniform decay rates for the total energy of the solutions to the Euler-Bernoulli equations wherein energy dissipation occurs on the boundary. The main feature which distinguishes this paper from other related works is the fact that the boundary feedback is acting through the moments only. The key technical element responsible for the proof of the main result is a new regularity estimate for the solutions to the nonhomogeneous Schrodinger equation.