cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variable Expression of Pathogenesis-Related Protein Allergen in Mountain Cedar (Juniperus ashei) Pollen

Allergic diseases have been increasing in industrialized countries. The environment is thought to have both direct and indirect modulatory effects on disease pathogenesis, including alterating on the allergenicity of pollens. Certain plant proteins known as pathogenesis-related proteins appear to be up-regulated by certain environmental conditions, including pollutants, and some have emerged as important allergens. Thus, the prospect of environmentally regulated expression of plant-derived allergens becomes yet another potential environmental influence on allergic disease. We have identified a novel pathogenesis-related protein allergen, Jun a 3, from mountain cedar (Juniperus ashei) pollen. The serum IgE from patients with hypersensitivity to either mountain cedar or Japanese cedar were shown to bind to native and recombinant Jun a 3 in Western blot analysis and ELISA. Jun a 3 is homologous to members of the thaumatin-like pathogenesis-related (PR-5) plant protein family. The amounts of Jun a 3 extracted from mountain cedar pollen varied up to 5-fold in lots of pollen collected from the same region in different years and between different regions during the same year. Thus, Jun a 3 may contribute not only to the overall allergenicity of mountain cedar pollen, but variable levels of Jun a 3 may alter the allergenic potency of pollens produced under different environmental conditions.
Reductive titrations of iron-sulfur proteins containing two to four iron atoms.

Abstract Anaerobic reductive titrations with solid dithionite were carried out on seven iron-sulfur proteins. Of these, six were of the plant ferredoxin type with 2 iron and 2 labile sulfur atoms per molecule in the molecular weight range of from 12,000 to 25,000. In addition, the high potential iron protein of Chromatium with 4 iron and labile sulfur atoms per molecule was titrated. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and in most cases also the optical spectra were measured as titration progressed. In the ferredoxin group of proteins the end point was determined by maximal development of the characteristic EPR signal (g⊥ ≈ 1.94; g|| ≈ 2.0) of the reduced forms and maximal bleaching of color. With the protein from Chromatium, disappearance of the EPR signal at g = 2 of the oxidized form indicated the end point. By these criteria it was found that in every instance 1 electron is taken up per molecule of protein, i.e. 1 electron/2 iron atoms by the ferredoxin-type compounds and 1 electron/4 iron atoms by the Chromatium protein. On double integration of the EPR signals recorded at temperatures between 30 and 80° K, the reducing equivalents taken up by these proteins could be accounted for quantitatively. These findings are in agreement with the results of other approaches which indicate that these proteins have a 2-iron center which is able to accommodate 1 additional electron on reduction.
Metabolism of Amyloid Proteins

Metabolic processing of amyloid precursor proteins is an important factor in the genesis of practically all forms of amyloidosis. Of the three major forms of systemic amyloidosis, reactive amyloid (amyloid A protein; AA) formation shows the most consistent role of partial proteolysis of serum amyloid A (SAA) to AA proteins which form fibrils. Immunoglobulin amyloidosis is also usually associated with C-terminal degradation of the fibril precursor light chain protein. Although it is commonly thought that transthyretin amyloidosis is associated with fibril formation from the tetrameric circulating plasma transthyretin, chemical analyses of transthyretin fibril deposits show significant fragmentation of the fibril protein constituents. In addition, it has been documented that proteolytic fragments are the fibril subunit proteins in gelsolin, cystatin C. Alzheimer's beta-amyloid precursor protein and apolipoprotein AI (apoAI) amyloidoses. Notable exceptions to the role of proteolysis in amyloid fibril formation would appear to be the lysozyme and beta 2-microglobulin amyloidoses. Few studies have examined the metabolism of amyloid-forming proteins. Perhaps the best data are on apoAI, which show decreased plasma residence time for the amyloidogenic Gly26Arg apoAI (1.8 d vs. normal 4.5 d). Similarly, preliminary data show increased clearance of Val30Met transthyretin when compared with the wild-type protein (18 h vs. 26 h). Also, biosynthetically 35S-labelled SAA proteins reconstituted with HDL show increased plasma clearance of murine SAA2, the amyloid fibril subunit protein, when compared with murine SAA1. Few data are available on metabolism of amyloid immunoglobulin light chain proteins, but it has been shown that radiolabelled Bence-Jones proteins are cleared very rapidly from the circulation. A better understanding of the metabolism of precursor proteins in each of the amyloid deposition diseases will give insight into the mechanisms of fibril formation and pathogenesis of amyloidosis.
Data Mining Using SAS Applications

DATA MINING - A GENTLE INTRODUCTION Data Mining: Why Now? Benefits of Data Mining Data Mining: Users Data Mining Tools Data Mining Steps Problems in Data Mining Process SAS Software: The Leader in Data Mining User-Friendly SAS Macros for Data Mining PREPARING DATA FOR DATA MINING Data Requirements in Data Mining Ideal Structures of Data for Data Mining Understanding the Measurement Scale of Variables Entire Database vs. Representative Sample Sampling for Data Mining SAS Applications Used in Data Preparation EXPLORATORY DATA ANALYSIS Exploring Continuous Variable Data Exploration: Categorical Variable SAS Macro Applications Used in Data Exploration UNSUPERVISED LEARNING METHODS Applications of Unsupervised Learning Methods Principal Component Analysis (PCA) Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) Disjoint Cluster Analysis (DCA) Bi-Plot Display of PCA, EFA, and DCA Results PCA And EFA Using SAS Macro FACTOR Disjoint Cluster Analysis Using SAS Macro DISJCLUS SUPERVISED LEARNING METHODS: PREDICTION Applications of Supervised Predictive Methods Multiple Linear Regression Modeling Binary Linear Regression Modeling Multiple Linear Regression Using SAS Macro REGDIAG Lift Chart Using SAS Macro LIFT Scoring New Regression Data Using the SAS Macro RSCORE Logistic Regression Using SAS Macro LOGISTIC Scoring New Logistic Regression Data Using the SAS Macro LSCORE Case Study 1: Modeling Multiple Linear Regression Case Study 2: Modeling Multiple Linear Regression with Categorical Variables Case Study 3: Modeling Binary Logistic Regression SUPERVISED LEARNING METHODS: CLASSIFICATION Discriminant Analysis Stepwise Discriminant Analysis Canonical Discriminant Analysis (CDA) Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) Applications of Discriminant Analysis Classification Tree Based on CHAID Applications of CHAID Discriminant Analysis Using SAS Macro DISCRIM Decison Tree Using SAS Macro 'CHAID' Case Study1: CDA and Parametric DFA Case Study2: Non-Parametric DFA Case Study3: Classification Tree Using CHAID EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN DATA MINING Data Warehousing Artificial Neural Network Methods Market Basket Analysis SAS Software: The Leader in Data Mining APPENDIX: INSTRUCTION FOR USING THE SAS MACROS INDEX Each chapter also contains an introduction, a summary, references, list of figures, and suggested further reading. Short TOC
Semantic web public policy challenges: privacy, provenance, property and personhood

The growing inferencing and knowledge linking power of the Semantic Web will, we all hope, make the world a better place: enrich democratic discourse, support more rapid scientific discovery, enable new forms of personal communication and culture, and generally enhance critical analysis of information. However, with this greater inferencing power comes daunting social and public policy questions that must be faced as first class technical design challenges, not just as issues to be resolved in courts and legislatures. How will we maintain fundamental privacy values in the face of inferencing and searching power that can systematically uncover sensitive facts about us even has we try to keep such data secret? Today's Web has enabled a departure from traditional editorial control and historically-trusted information sources. Will attention to provenance on the Semantic Web enable us to develop new mechanisms for assessing the reliability of information? What new challenges to already frayed intellectual property regimes will the Semantic Web bring? Finally, how will we assert and represent personal identity on the Semantic Web? At this early stage of the development of the Semantic Web, it's hard enough to have problems in focus, much less solutions. However, we believe that transparent reasoning and accountability mechanisms will play a critical role in enabling systems and services built on the Semantic Web to be more responsive to social and policy needs.
Epigenetic regulation of chromatin structure and gene function by biotin: are biotin requirements being met?

Histones H2A, H3, and H4 are modified by covalent binding of the vitamin biotin to distinct lysine residues. Binding of biotin to histones is mediated by holocarboxylase synthetase (HCS) and perhaps biotinidase. Biotinylation of lysine-12 in histone H4 (K12BioH4) plays roles in gene repression, stability of repeat regions and transposable elements, and regulation of biotin transporter expression in eukaryotes. Decreased biotinylation of histones in biotin-deficient and HCS-deficient human cells and Drosophila melanogaster impairs stress resistance, life span, and biotin homeostasis. Chromatin is comprised of DNA and DNA-binding proteins, i.e., histones and non-histone proteins. Histones play a predominant role in the folding of DNA into chromatin.1 Five major classes of histones have been identified in mammals: H1, H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. Histones consist of a globular domain and a more flexible amino terminus (histone “tail”). DNA and histones form repetitive nucleoprotein units, the nucleosomes.1 Each nucleosome (“nucleosomal core particle”) consists of 146 base pairs of DNA wrapped around an octamer of core histones (one H3-H3-H4-H4 tetramer and two H2A-H2B dimers). The amino terminal tail of histones protrudes from the nucleosomal surface; covalent modifications of this tail affect the structure of chromatin and form the basis for gene regulation.1–3 Amino acid residues in histone …
Associations of ApoAI and ApoB–Containing Lipoproteins With AngII–Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Mice

Objective—Dyslipidemia is implicated in abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in humans and angiotensin (Ang) II–infused mice. This study determined effects of major lipoprotein classes on AngII-induced AAAs using multiple mouse strains with dietary and pharmacological manipulations. Approach and Results—Western diet had minor effects on plasma cholesterol concentrations and the low incidence of AngII-induced AAAs in C57BL/6J mice. Low incidence of AAAs in this strain was not attributed to protection from high-density lipoprotein, because apolipoprotein (apo) AI deficiency did not increase AngII-induced AAAs. ApoAI deletion also failed to alter AAA occurrence in hypercholesterolemic mice. Low-density lipoprotein receptor−/− mice fed normal diet had low incidence of AngII-induced AAAs. Western diet feeding of this strain provoked pronounced hypercholesterolemia because of increased apoB-containing lipoproteins with attendant increases of atherosclerosis in both sexes, but AAAs only in male mice. ApoE-deficient...
Active Filter for High Current dc Magnets

Thyristor type regulated power supplies operated from 3 phase power lines are sensitive to phase unbalance, voltage fluctuations, line impedance and to other loads connected to the same line. At Fermilab, the large variety of pulsed equipment provides such perturbations in a wide frequency domain. A description is given of active filters used to stabilize magnet power supplies for a storage ring against fast fluctuations.
Relative stability of α-melanotropin and related analogues to rat brain homogenates

Abstract α-Melanotropin (α-MSH) retains less than 1% of its original activity after a 60 min incubation with 10% rat brain homogenate. [Nle 4 , D -Phe 7 ]- α -MSH is nonbiodegradable in rat serum (240 min incubation) and still maintains 10% of its original activity in 10% rat brain homogenate (240 min incubation). The related fragment analogue, Ac-[Nle 4 , D-Phe 7 ]- α -MSH 4–10 -NH 2 , retains 50% of its activity after a 240 min incubation in rat brain homogenate, whereas Ac-[Nle 4 , D-Phe 7 ]- α -MSH 4–11 -NH 2 is totally resistant to inactivation by rat brain homogenate. Both [Nle 4 , D -Phe 7 ]-fragments are resistant to degradation by rat serum, but [Nle 4 ]-α-MSH, Ac-[Nle 4 ]-α-MSH 4–10 -NH 2 and Ac-[Nle 4 ]-α-MSH 4–11 -NH 2 are rapidly inactivated under both conditions. The cyclic melanotropin, [ Cys 4 ,Cys 10 ]-α-MSH, is inactivated in rat brain homogenate as is the shorter Ac-[ Cys 4 ,Cys 10 ]-α-MSH 4–10 -NH 2 analogue, but neither cyclic melanotropin is inactivated upon incubation in serum from rats. Ac-[ Cys 4 ,D- Phe 7 ,Cys 10 ]-α-MSH 4–10 -NH 2 is resistant to inactivation by either rat serum or a brain homogenate. Some of these melanotropin analogues may provide useful probes for the localization and characterization of putative melanotropin receptors in both the central nervous system and peripheral tissues.
Social networks and sexual orientation disparities in tobacco and alcohol use

Objective:The purpose of this study was to examine whether the composition of social networks contributes to sexual orientation disparities in substance use and misuse.Method:Data were obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a nationally representative cohort study of adolescents (N = 20,745). Wave 1 collected extensive information about the social networks of participants through peer nomination inventories.Results:Same- and both-sex–attracted youths had higher frequency/quantity of tobacco use in their peer networks than did opposite-sex–attracted youths, and both-sex–attracted youths had higher frequency/quantity of alcohol use and misuse in their peer networks than opposite-sex–attracted youths. Among same- and both-sex–attracted youths, greater frequency/quantity of tobacco use in one’s social network predicted greater use of cigarettes. In addition, greater frequency/quantity of peers’ drinking and drinking to intoxication predicted more alcohol use and alcoh...
Achieving hemostasis in dermatology-Part II: Topical hemostatic agents

Bleeding is a common occurrence during any dermatologic surgery that disrupts blood vessels. The complications of excess bleeding can include delayed wound healing, hematoma formation, infection, dehiscence, and necrosis. In part one of this review, we discussed the pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative management of patients undergoing dermatologic surgery. In Part two, we discuss traditional and new topical hemostatic agents used to achieve hemostasis in dermatological procedures and surgery. We will evaluate the caustic and non-caustic hemostatic agents as well as hemostatic dressings. The mechanisms of action, side effect profile, and advantages and disadvantages of the topical hemostatic agents are provided. Sources for this article were found searching the English literature in PubMed for the time period 1940 to March 2012. A thorough bibliography search was also performed and key references examined.
Disordered crystal structure of chlorodifluoroacetamide

The crystal structure of chlorodifluoroacetamide has been determined from three-dimensional counter data, and refined by full-matrix least-squares techniques. The crystals belong to the monoclinic space groupP21/n witha = 7.401(6),b = 8.123(6),c = 8.431(6) A, β = 104.48(5) °, andD = 1.52 gcm−3 forZ = 4. The finalR factor for 650 observed reflections is 0.059. The compound exists with a rotational disorder in the -CClF2 group about the C-C bond. The occupancy factors for the major and minor conformations are 0.74 and 0.24, respectively.
Asthma and obesity in children.

Purpose of review Childhood asthma and obesity are significant public health problems. The prevalence of both disorders has increased considerably in the past decade. This review will highlight recent publications regarding the nature of the relationship between asthma and obesity and the clinical effects of obesity in children with asthma. Recent findings Most prospective studies suggest that obesity increases the risk of subsequent asthma. Possible mechanisms for the relationship between asthma and obesity include airway inflammation, mechanical changes associated with obesity, changes in airway hyper-responsiveness, and changes in physical activity and diet. Most studies suggest that obesity increases the clinical severity of asthma and decreases quality of life in children with asthma. More research is required to further define and clarify the relationship between asthma and obesity in children. Summary There are many questions and few answers regarding the relationship between asthma and obesity in children. Additional studies are needed to clarify the relationship between the two epidemics so that effective interventions can be developed to improve the health and lives of children with both asthma and obesity.
Low-temperature specific heat of high-purity calcium

Low-temperature specific heat of high-purity calcium has been measured with an adiabatic calorimeter with a mechanical heat switch to avoid helium exchange gas errors, over the temperature range 1.1–4.2 K. The values obtained for the electronic coefficient of specific heat γ and the Debye temperature θD are γ=1.99±0.05 mJ/moleK 2 and θD=250±4K.
Red-winged blackbird parental investment following brood parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds : is parentage important ?

Parental investment by red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) in response to natural and experi‐mental parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), and in response to freeze-dried, female cowbird mounts presented near redwing nests during the egg-laying period was measured. Two measures of redwing parental investment were used: nest defense effort toward a model predator, and rate of feeding nestlings. There were no significant differences in levels of parental investment among unparasitized nests, naturally parasitized nests, or experimentally parasitized nests. Similarly, parental investment did not differ between redwings that were exposed to the cowbird mount and those that were not exposed to the mount, or among redwings exposed to the cowbird mount at different distances from the nest. This suggests that red-winged blackbirds do not recognize when they have been parasitized, and hence do not associate parasitism with a decrease in their parentage, or that parentage is not an important predictor of parental investment in this species.
Sialic acid of lung surfactant apoprotein, SP 28–36, is not required for the Ca2+-mediated interactions between surfactant lipids and SP 28–36

Abstract We examined whether removal of sialic acid from the lung surfactant apoprotein (SP 28–36) affected certain properties of reassembled surfactant lipid-SP 28–36 complexes. SP 28–36 was treated with neuraminidase and then added to liposomes made from extracted surfactant lipids. We found that in the presence of Ca 2+ the asialoprotein was as effective as the native SP 28–36 in binding to surfactant lipids, causing aggregation and promoting rapid surface film formation.
Personal Digital Assistants and Pagers: A Model for Parent Collaboration in School Discipline

There is a need to update the methods schools rely on for communicating with parents. A field test was conducted to assess the potential of two new approaches. One strategy allows teachers, using a common set of codes, to record the notable conduct of students onto personal digital assistants (PDAs). A second method uses pagers to contact parents quickly so that they can assume their priority role for corrective guidance or reinforce reports of good behaviour. Staff of a high school faculty documented the notable behaviour of 108 students for a semester and reported to parents by pager. Over 90% of faculty staff concluded that PDAs facilitate accurate records and sending messages by pager is a more efficient way to contact parents than by telephone. More than 90% of the parents indicated that interpreting coded messages from pagers was easy. Plans for the next phases are outlined.
Characterization of a unique borreliacidal epitope on the outer surface protein C of Borrelia burgdorferi

The outer surface protein C (OspC) of the Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, is an immunoprotective antigen in laboratory models of infection. However, to understand its protective effects, it is important to identify the key epitopes of this protein. We produced a borreliacidal anti-OspC monoclonal antibody specific to the B31 strain and identified its binding site. The specificity of MAb 16.22 was determined by Western blot reactivity using OspC derived from different Borrelia isolates which had varying amino acid sequences. Comparison of the OspC sequences and binding data suggested that MAb 16.22 binds to amino acids 133-147 of the OspC protein. To test this hypothesis, we synthesized a 15-amino acid peptide containing the target sequence and, using competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we found that this peptide included the epitope of MAb 16.22. In addition, we determined that MAb 16.22 is able to kill of B. burgdorferi in a complement-independent fashion.
Temporal variations in the methane content of the Cariaco Trench

Abstract The deep waters of the Cariaco Trench are not in steady state with respect to distributions of either hydrographical or chemical properties. Over the 15 years, methane concentrations at the bottom of the anoxic zone have increased steadily from about 7–9 to 12.5 μM. A simple model for the anoxic waters of the Cariaco Trench suggests that methane distributions may be explained as the result of the flux of methane from the sediments (about 12.5–17.5 μmol cm−2 y−1), vertical eddy diffusion within the water column, and methane oxidation in the previously measured, although available data are inadequate to determine whether the methane oxidation near the interface occurs under anaerobic conditions or whether it occurs when oxygenated overlying water is mixed down into the top of the anoxic zone. It also is possible that methane fluxes from the shallower sediments of the Cariaco Trench are very low compared to those from the deeper sediments.
Extent and Context of Human Health Considerations in London’s Spatial Development and Climate Action Strategy

The protection of human health is among the original justifications for urban planning, but it is underexamined as one of the myriad benefits of planning for climate change. A conceptual content analysis of the spatial development strategy and climate action plans of London, United Kingdom, was performed to reveal how health was portrayed in climate change adaptation goals and actions. In London’s spatial development and climate action plans, there was a total of 300 instances of the keyword ‘health’ with weighted percentages of coverage in the documents ranging from 0.19% to 0.45%. The conclusions from this analysis are that stated threats to health are truly localized, policies that address health acknowledge both adaptation and mitigation, and health inequalities and creating an environment supportive of health are the most salient cross-cutting issues.
Expanding pharmacy services in a health system through partnership with a college of pharmacy

As pharmacy evolves to integrate dispensing and clinical activities, the definition and promotion of a comprehensive pharmacy strategic vision become more important than ever. The Cambridge Health Alliance’s (CHA’s) department of pharmacy has used the ASHP 2015 Initiative as a guide to help ease
Child and Parental Perception of Asthma Control Using the Childhood Asthma Control Test

This investigation was conducted to determine if children with asthma and their parents had similar perceptions of asthma control. This retrospective chart review looked at the electronic medical records of 45 children with asthma, ages 4-11 years. The records were reviewed to determine age, gender, race, and medication management. The answers to the C-ACT were analyzed to determine if the child’s asthma was well controlled and to find out if the child and their parents had the same perception of the child’s level of asthma control. It revealed that 62% of the subjects had asthma that was not well controlled. When comparing the child’s weighted score to the parent score on the C-ACT using the signed rank test there was a significance of P <.04. Comparing mean difference in the two groups revealed that the children perceive their asthma to be less well controlled than their parents do. Asthma control was not achieved for the majority of subjects in investigation despite appropriate prescribing practices. M...
High-strength Neodymium Magnetic Beads: A Rare Foreign Body in the Bladder of an Adolescent

This article reports the case of an adolescent who repeatedly inserted high-strength magnetic beads into his urethra for erotic reasons. The beads migrated into his bladder requiring a cystostomy to remove them. The available literature is reviewed.
A WARMING MATTRESS FOR PREMATURE INFANTS

We measured temperatures and metabolic rate of healthy infants (gestational age 28-33 wks and postnatal age 2-26 days) in contact with a heated water mattress. Infants were randomized with/without the mattress ≥8 hrs in a single wall forced convection incubator, unrestrained, diapered and supine. Tmattress (35.2±.1°C) was regulated by continuous circulation of H2O through a thermostatically controlled bath. Mid-inc air temp (Ta) was within the thermoneutral range. No humidity was added to inc. Heating effects measured q half hrly: skin temp at 6 sites → mean skin temp (Ts), esophageal temp (Te), heart rate (HR), resp rate (RR) and O2 consumption (VO2) at the end of each period. N=10 patients. Results(mean±SD): No mattress vs mattress p value by paired t-test: Ta (°C) 32.4±1.3 vs 31.6±0.9 p<0.05; Ts (°C) 35.3±0.3 vs 36.3±0.3 p<0.01; Te (°C) 36.5±0.3 vs 37.2±0.4 p<0.01; HR (beats/min) 155±8 vs 161±10 p<0.01; RR (breaths/min) 41±6 vs 48±8 p<0.01; VO2 (ml/kg/min) STPD 5.33±1.4 vs 4.94±1.55 NS. Results indicate that heat storage occurred due to alteration of balance between body heat production and losses. To determine the rate of dry (sensible) heat exchange we used a metabolic simulator, an electrically-heated 10 cm diam sphere. At a representative incubator Ta of 31.5°C and simulator Ts of 35°C, the dry heat loss was reduced from 60 W/m2 to 35 W/m2 on the heated pad. This was brought about by a combination of heat conduction to the simulator and decreased radiation losses from the simulator to the surrounding mattress.
A potential energy surface bifurcation in terpene biosynthesis

Terpenes comprise a class of natural products that includes molecules with thousands of distinct structurally and stereochemically complex molecular architectures. The core hydrocarbon frameworks of these molecules are constructed via carbocation rearrangements promoted by terpene synthase (cyclase) enzymes. Although many mechanistic details for such reactions have been uncovered, the factors that control which carbocation intermediates and transition-state structures form are not well understood. Here we show that rearrangement pathways that pass through particular transition-state structures can bifurcate after the transition state. The resulting pathways lead to terpenes with distinctly different skeletons from each other. Although these types of bifurcating pathways have been described previously for some small molecules, the possibility that they may have an important role in the production of complex molecules in nature has, to our knowledge, not previously been considered.
SF‐36 as a Predictor of Health States

Abstract Background There are a number of claims that Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (MOS SF-36) mean scores can be used to discriminate between healthy and nonhealthy persons and determine various levels of health. Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of the SF-36 to predict whether or not respondents reported health problems. Methods We used structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques to evaluate the SF-36 and its ability to discriminate between those who reported health problems or reported physician-determined illness and those who did not in a sample from the 1990 National Survey of Functional Health Status (NHS). Results The correlation between physician-determined illness and Physical Health was −.404, resulting in 16.32% shared variance. The correlation between reported health problems and Physical Health was −.360, resulting in 12.96% shared variance. These correlations are markedly lower than those to the eight first-order scales or between Physical and Mental Health ( r = .889). Mental Health could not predict physician-determined illness or reported health problems independent of Physical Health. Conclusion The SF-36 is relatively poor at accounting for the health status of respondents. There are significant paths but the variance accounted for in absolute and relative terms is small. Physical Health does a much better job of accounting for general mental health than it does for perceived health problems or physician-determined illness. These findings suggest that the SF-36 may not discriminate well between healthy and nonhealthy groups and that objective measures of health status may be required in conjunction with the use of the SF-36.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIETARY FAT TYPE AND METABOLIC FATE OF FLUORANTHENE IN F-344 RATS

Harmful health effects such as toxicity and cancer to humans may be attributed to consumption of fatty foods contaminated with environmental toxicants. The objective of this study was to delineate the effect of dietary fat on disposition; metabolism and DNA adduct formation of fluoranthene (FLA). Fluoranthene was administered to 10-week old F-344 male rats in unsaturated (olive oil) and saturated (palm kernel oil) fats at doses of 50 and 100 μg/kg via oral gavage. Blood, target tissues, urine and feces were collected at various time points post-FLA exposure. Samples were subjected to liquid-liquid extraction and analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC equipped with a fluorescence detector for detection and quantitation of FLA metabolites. DNA was isolated from the tissues of FLA-exposed rats, subjected to 32P-post labeling and resolved by thin layer chromatography to measure FLA-DNA adducts. An increase in FLA metabolite concentrations was observed in target tissues in the saturated fat treatment group compared wi...
Genetic tests: Politics and fetal diagnostics collide

Without better regulation, non-invasive prenatal genetic tests will be targeted by US anti-abortion lobbyists, argues Jaime S. King.
The frequency dependence of ultrasonic velocity and the anisotropy of dispersion in both freshly excised and formalin-fixed myocardium.

Abstract The objectives of this study were to measure the frequency dependence of the ultrasonic velocity in myocardium and to quantify the frequency dependence of phase velocity as a function of the insonification angle relative to the predominant direction of the myofibers. Broadband phase spectroscopy data were acquired, spanning a frequency range of 3 to 8 MHz. Measurements were made on 36 tissue specimens cored from 12 freshly excised lamb hearts and were repeated after fixation with formalin. Measured phase velocities were found to be well characterized by a logarithmic fit. For freshly excised myocardium, the dispersion over the 3 to 8 MHz bandwidth was dependent on the direction of insonification, ranging from 1.2 m/s change for perpendicular insonification (across the myofibers) to 3.7 m/s for parallel insonification (along the myofibers). The effects of formalin-fixation resulted in a significant increase in dispersion for perpendicular insonification, but did not appreciably alter the dispersion for parallel insonification. (E-mail: jgm@wuphys.wustl.edu)
Use of Upper and Lower Neck Load Cell Data From the Hybrid III Dummy to Assess Whiplash Injury Risk

Whiplash associated disorders (WAD) of the neck continue to represent a significant societal problem with associated costs estimated at over $5 billion annually. Recent dramatic increases in whiplash-related research has produced some interesting new findings related to its injury mechanism. It has been shown in human volunteer and cadaver experiments that the human head-neck structure often exhibits a transient S-shape during the initial kinematic response (Grauer et al. 1997; Luan et al. 2000; Ono et al. 1997; Yoganandan et al. 1998). Such a finding has significant impact on the injury risk assessment using the instrumented anthropomorphic test dummies in vehicular or sled testing. Unlike the recently developed dummy necks for rear impact testing, such as BioRID and TRID, the Hybrid III neck does not exhibit an S-shape curvature or the so-call “retraction” motion in rear impact testing. Numerous studies have reported that the Hybrid III neck is too stiff for low-speed rear impact testing (Svensson et al. 2000; Yoshida and Tsutsumi, 2001). Nevertheless, the Hybrid III is still being used for motor vehicle safety evaluation in rear impact as it is the only dummy neck that has been incorporated in the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Enhancement of Transport-dependent Decarboxylation of Phosphatidylserine by S100B Protein in Permeabilized Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

Phosphatidylethanolamine synthesis through the phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) decarboxylation pathway requires PtdSer transport from the endoplasmic reticulum or mitochondrial-associated membrane to the mitochondrial inner membrane in mammalian cells. The transport-dependent PtdSer decarboxylation in permeabilized Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was enhanced by cytosolic factors from bovine brain. A cytosolic protein factor exhibiting this enhancing activity was purified, and its amino acid sequence was partially determined. The sequence was identical to part of the amino acid sequence of an EF-hand type calcium-binding protein, S100B. A His(6)-tagged recombinant CHO S100B protein was able to remarkably enhance the transport-dependent PtdSer decarboxylation in permeabilized CHO cells. Under the standard assay conditions for PtdSer decarboxylase, the recombinant S100B protein did not stimulate PtdSer decarboxylase activity and exhibited no PtdSer decarboxylase activity. These results implicated the S100B protein in the transport of PtdSer to the mitochondrial inner membrane.
Studies on the formation of reactive intermediates from the antineoplastic agent N,N'-bis(2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea (BCNU) in vitro and in vivo. Characterization of novel glutathione adducts by ionspray tandem mass spectrometry

In a study designed to examine the nature of short-lived, electrophilic intermediates liberated during decomposition of N,N′-bis(2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea (BCNU) in vitro and also on administration of BCNU (140 μmol i.p.) to rats in vivo, both on-line and off-line LC/MS/MS techniques were employed to detect and characterize the corresponding glutathione (GSH) adducts present in incubation media and excreted into bile, respectively. In vitro, four GSH conjugates were formed and these were identified, on the basis of their product ion spectra, as products of S-and N-carbamoylation and alkylation reactions. Although the relative proportions of these in vitro adducts were found to depend on the molar ratios of GSH and BCNU, the major adduct under all conditions studied proved to be S-(2-chloroethylcarbamoyl)glutathione (SCG). Analysis of untreated bile samples by means of on-line LC/MS/MS with constant neutral loss (129 u) and precursor ion (m/z 179) scanning techniques again led to the detection of four GSH conjugates, although only one of these (SCG) was common to the group of adducts identified in vitro. All of the GSH conjugates detected in bile represented products of S-carbamoylation, indicating that the alkylating moiety released from BCNU undergoes reactions in vivo with nucleophiles other than GSH.
Synthesis, two- and three-photon absorption, and optical limiting properties of fluorene-containing ferrocene derivatives

The synthesis and characterization of two novel fluorene-containing ferrocene derivatives were reported. The two-photon absorption spectra and three-photon absorption cross-section values in the IR region for these two chromophores were studied. Together with their thermal stabilities, their linear absorption and emission properties were also investigated. The results show that the ferrocene derivatives have large two-photon and three-photon absorption in IR region as well as excellent thermal stabilities. The three-photon absorption based optical limiting properties of these two ferrocene derivatives were investigated by using sub-picosecond IR laser pulses.
Towards Model Simplification of Uncertain Complex Dynamical Systems

The use of simulation models in the design and verification of complex industrial systems is becoming standard practice. All models of physical processes are uncertain either due to unknown/ignored phenomena or inherent uncertainty due to variations in operating conditions and/or physical properties. This paper considers the second class of problems where the uncertainty can be characterized through an external uncertain parameter that may be time dependent as well as random. We formulate an approach for analysis of such system based on the theory of Random Dynamical Systems and present a model reduction approach under the assumption of time scale separation between the system and parameter dynamics.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Inhibition of fertilization in hamster oocytes treated with methotrexate

The effects of a folic acid antagonist (Methotrexate) on fertilization were examined in golden hamsters treated at varying times relative to the LH surge with variable doses and different routes of administration (i.p. or intrabursal). Oocytes were relatively resistant to the methotrexate prior to the LH surge but sensitive to the compound after this event. Methotrexate caused defective ova (degenerated or with abberrations of chromosome numbers) at higher doses. This could explain lowered fertility in hamsters treated with methotrexate.
Practical high-resolution detection method for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

A Fabry–Perot etalon was coupled to a Czerny–Turner spectrometer to acquire high-resolution measurements in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The spectrometer was built using an inexpensive etalon coupled to a standard 0.5 m imaging spectrometer. The Hg emission doublet at 313.2 nm was used to evaluate instrument performance because it has a splitting of 29 pm. The 313.2 nm doublet was chosen due to the similar splitting seen in isotope splitting from uranium at 424.437 nm, which is 25 pm. The Hg doublet was easily resolved from a continuous-source Hg lamp with a 2 s acquisition. The doublet was also resolved in LIBS spectra of cinnabar (HgS) from the accumulation of 600 laser shots at rate of 10 Hz, or 1 min, under a helium atmosphere. In addition to the observed splitting of the 313.2 nm Hg doublet, the FWHM of the 313.1844 nm line from the doublet is reported at varying helium atmospheric pressures. The high performance, low cost, and compact footprint make this system highly competitive with 2 m double-pass Czerny–Turner spectrometers.
The role of heparin in guinea pig gram negative bacterial sepsis

Abstract The ability of antibody directed against shared antigenic determinants of gram negative organisms to protect against a challenge of diverse gram negative bacterial species remains controversial in the experimental setting. Attention has focused, however, on the use as immunogens of rough mutants of Escherichia coli and Salmonella minnesota, which express a portion of core lipopolysaccharide (LPS) extensively on their cell surface. Core LPS is a structure present on the outer membrane of most, if not all, gram negative bacteria. In this study rabbits were immunized with E. coli J5, a rough mutant of E. coli, to produce anti-E. coli J5 rabbit antiserum (anti-J5 RS). Anti-J5 RS was found to cross react extensively by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with various gram negative bacterial whole cell or LPS antigens, compared to normal rabbit serum (NRS). Anti-J5 RS ± heparin was also compared to NRS ± heparin pretreatment in a guinea pig model of sepsis utilizing E. coli 0111:B4 as the challenge organism. Anti-J5 RS ± heparin augmented systemic bacterial clearance compared to NRS ± heparin, but only the combination of anti-J5 RS and heparin enhanced survival 48 hr after bacterial challenge. It was concluded that pretreatment with anti-J5 RS was a necessary, but not sufficient condition for enhanced survival, and that the addition of heparin to anti-J5 RS pretreatment might diminish the otherwise lethal consequences of complement activation and disseminated intravascular coagulation in this model system.
Pediatric transscleral sutured intraocular lenses: efficacy and safety in 43 eyes followed an average of 3 years.

Abstract Purpose To report longer term results of transscleral sutured intraocular lens (TSSIOL) implantation in a sizable cohort of aphakic children, who were not suitable for contact lens wear and lacked adequate capsular support for sulcus fixation of an intraocular lens. Methods Clinical outcome data were collated by retrospective review after surgery on 43 consecutive eyes in 32 aphakic children (mean age at implantation = 10 years; 33% ≤ age 7 years). Outcome measures included visual acuity, postoperative refractive error, postoperative complications, and rate of reoperation. Follow-up averaged 37 months. Results Visual acuity improved after surgery in 70% (30) of operated eyes (in 69% or 22/32 children). Fifty-one percent (22/43 eyes) improved by two lines or more. No patient suffered a loss of acuity or exacerbation of preexisting amblyopia. Postoperative refraction was within ±2.0 D of the predicted refraction in 93% (40/43) of eyes. Complications, with the exception of one eye (2%), were minor/transient and resolved in the first week after surgery. Complications included small hyphemas (7%, 3/43 eyes), vitreous hemorrhage (5%, 2/43 eyes), and ocular hypertension or hypotony (5%). Two eyes (5%) exhibited episodes of iris capture of the IOL optic, one of which (2%, 1/43) eventually necessitated reoperation for IOL exchange. No retinal detachments or other retinal complications were encountered. Conclusion TSSIOL implantation appears to be a safe and effective method for correcting aphakia in pediatric eyes that lack adequate capsular support. Safety over a follow-up period longer than the average 3 years reported here remains to be determined. The surgery is more difficult to perform than capsular-bag or sulcus implantation and potentially carries greater risks.
The Patient-Centered Medical Home: One Size Does Not Fit All

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is widely and vigorously promoted as the basis for primary care reform that will support a high-performing, cost-effective health care system.1 The PCMH involves a deceptively simple set of key structural practice features that have been proposed to result in enhanced access for routine primary care, improved delivery of preventive services, high-quality chronic disease management, and reduced emergency department and hospital utilization.1,2 The most definitive assessments of its success in improving quality and reducing utilization have been based in highly integrated health care systems and single-payer community-based practices,3 but this model of care is often promoted as the foundation for all primary care delivery, including the solo and small group practices that dominate the primary care delivery system.4 Advocates for the PCMH may be disappointed by the results of the study by Friedberg et al5 reported in this issue of JAMA. They need not be disappointed, but they should pay close attention to the study’s lessons.
A dual-ligand approach for enhancing targeting selectivity of therapeutic nanocarriers

Conjugation of ligands to nano-scale drug carriers targeting over-expressed cell surface receptors is a promising approach for delivery of therapeutic agents to tumor cells. However, most commonly utilized ligands are directed at receptors expressed not only on target cells but also on other cells in the body, leading to unintended uptake in these off-target cells. In this study, a novel, dual-ligand approach is reported, which targets tumor cells while sparing off-target cells by exploiting the fact that tumor cells typically over-express multiple types of surface receptors. This approach was tested in the human KB cell line, which over-expresses both folate receptor (FR) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Liposomal nanocarriers loaded with doxorubicin and bearing controlled numbers of both folic acid and a monoclonal antibody against the EGFR were designed. Cytotoxicity was used to determine targeting selectivity of the designed carriers in vitro by utilizing KB cells expressing both FR and EGFR and off-target control cells in which one or both receptors were blocked. The data demonstrates that nanocarriers can be designed to achieve toxicity only when all targeted receptors are available, providing an approach to improve selectivity over current single-ligand approaches.
Calpain-mediated signaling mechanisms in neuronal injury and neurodegeneration

Calpain is a ubiquitous calcium-sensitive protease that is essential for normal physiologic neuronal function. However, alterations in calcium homeostasis lead to persistent, pathologic activation of calpain in a number of neurodegenerative diseases. Pathologic activation of calpain results in the cleavage of a number of neuronal substrates that negatively affect neuronal structure and function, leading to inhibition of essential neuronal survival mechanisms. In this review, we examine the mechanistic underpinnings of calcium dysregulation resulting in calpain activation in the acute neurodegenerative diseases such as cerebral ischemia and in the chronic neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, prion-related encephalopathy, and amylotrophic lateral sclerosis. The premise of this paper is that analysis of the signaling and transcriptional consequences of calpain-mediated cleavage of its various substrates for any neurodegenerative disease can be extrapolated to all of the neurodegenerative diseases vulnerable to calcium dysregulation.
Detection of Left Ventricular Asynergy by Echocardiography

The purpose of this study was to determnie if echocardiography could detect left ventricular asynergy. Forty-eight patients underwent selective coronary arteriography and cineventriculography for the evaluation of chest pain. Four patients were studied twice: three before and after myocardial revascularization and one before and after an intervening myocardial infarction. Echocardiographic M-mode scans were registered on a strip chart as the left ventricle was scanned with an ultrasonic beam from the aortic root to the region of the posterior papillary muscle approximately 18 hrs prior to the catheterization studies. Ten of the forty-eight patients had no evidence of coronary artery disease. All ten patients had normal ventriculograms in right anterior oblique projection and their echocardiographic scans showed all areas of the left ventricular posterior wall endocardium to move anteriorly 0.9-1.4 cm (mean 1.2 cm) and all parts of the left side of the interventricular septum to move posteriorly 0.3-0.8 cm...