cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The kappa-opioid receptor agonist, nalfurafine, blocks acquisition of oxycodone self-administration and oxycodone's conditioned rewarding effects in male rats.

Mu-opioid receptor (MOR) agonists are highly efficacious for the treatment of pain but have significant abuse liability. Recently, we reported that nalfurafine, when combined with oxycodone at a certain ratio, reduced the reinforcing effects of oxycodone in rats while producing additive antinociceptive effects. Questions remain, however, including if the combination will function as a reinforcer in drug-naive rats, and if the combination produces aversive effects that could explain nalfurafine's ability to reduce oxycodone self-administration? In the present study, we investigated nalfurafine's ability to reduce acquisition of oxycodone self-administration when the two were self-administered as a mixture in drug-naive rats and nalfurafine's ability to attenuate a conditioned place preference (CPP) induced by oxycodone. In the self-administration study, male Sprague-Dawley rats self-administered intravenous injections of oxycodone (0.056 mg/kg/injection), an oxycodone/nalfurafine combination (0.056/0.0032 mg/kg/injection), or saline under fixed-ratio schedules of reinforcement for 20 days to compare rates of acquisition of drug taking. In the CPP assay, male Sprague-Dawley rats received subcutaneous injections of either saline, oxycodone (3.2 mg/kg), nalfurafine (0.18 mg/kg), or an oxycodone/nalfurafine combination at the same ratio used in the self-administration study (3.2 mg/kg/0.18 mg/kg). All subjects self-administering oxycodone alone met acquisition criteria. However, only 13% of subjects self-administering oxycodone/nalfurafine met criteria, and no subjects acquired self-administration of saline. Oxycodone, but not nalfurafine alone or the oxycodone/nalfurafine combination, produced rewarding effects in rats in the CPP test. These findings suggest that the combination of oxycodone and nalfurafine will be less habit forming in opioid-naive patients than oxycodone alone.
Ligand-mediated delivery of RNAi-based therapeutics for the treatment of oncological diseases

RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutics (miRNAs, siRNAs) have great potential for treating various human diseases through their ability to downregulate proteins associated with disease progression. However, the development of RNAi-based therapeutics is limited by lack of safe and specific delivery strategies. A great effort has been made to overcome some of these challenges resulting in development of N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) ligands that are being used for delivery of siRNAs for the treatment of diseases that affect the liver. The successes achieved using GalNAc-siRNAs have paved the way for developing RNAi-based delivery strategies that can target extrahepatic diseases including cancer. This includes targeting survival signals directly in the cancer cells and indirectly through targeting cancer-associated immunosuppressive cells. To achieve targeting specificity, RNAi molecules are being directly conjugated to a targeting ligand or being packaged into a delivery vehicle engineered to overexpress a targeting ligand on its surface. In both cases, the ligand binds to a cell surface receptor that is highly upregulated by the target cells, while not expressed, or expressed at low levels on normal cells. In this review, we summarize the most recent RNAi delivery strategies, including extracellular vesicles, that use a ligand-mediated approach for targeting various oncological diseases.
Astrotheology’s contribution to public theology: From the extraterrestrial intelligence myth to astroethics

Public theology is conceived in the church, reflected on critically in the academy and addressed to the world for the sake of the world. The development of a theology of nature is included in the public theologian’s list of tasks of nature that is scripturally based and heavily informed by the natural sciences. Astrotheology is one product. Astrotheology engages astrobiology and other space sciences, firstly, by critically exposing the extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) myth at the heart of science and secondly, by partnering in thinking through public policy proposals with astroethicists. Contribution: The HTS collection on ‘Theology and Nature’ sparks theological discussion both within and beyond the church. By developing the fields of astrotheology and astroethics, this article contributes to a ‘Theology of Nature’ as an exercise in Public Theology.
Jahreszeitliche ökologische Anpassungen des Steinkauzes ( Athene noctua )

Untersuchungen an niederrheinischen Steinkauzen ergaben bei einem Volierenpaar wie bei freilebenden Vogeln ein Jahresmaximum der lokomotorischen Aktivitat zur Zeit der Jungenaufzucht (Juni/Juli), bei einem unverpaarten Volieren-♂ im Oktober/November; Aktivitatsminima wurden im Winter (November bis Januar) und zur Hauptmauserzeit (August) registriert. Das Jahresmaximum der Gesangsaktivitat fiel in die Hauptbalzzeit (Marz/April). Die mittlere monatliche Korpermasse der ♂ variierte zwischen 166,9±8,3 g im Juli und 237,8±24,8 g im Januar, die der ♀ zwischen 172,9±17,4 g im Juli und 249,8±18,3 g im Dezember. Mit Ausnahme von April/Mai verliefen die jahreszeitlichen Massenanderungen von ♂ und ♀ ahnlich. Vor der Brutzeit nahmen die ♀ zu, im April und Mai waren sie signifikant schwerer als die ♂. Unter Volierenbedingungen wurde ein jahrlicher Energieverbrauch von 88.300 kJ × Vogel−1 errechnet (Jahresmaximum Oktober/November; Jahresminimum Dezember bis Februar). Nordwestdeutsche Ringfunde ergaben im Jahresverlauf 2 Mortalitatsmaxima: in der Futterungs- und Ausflugzeit (Juni/Juli) der Jungvogel und in den Wintermonaten (Januar)/Februar.
Gradual tolerance of metabolic activity is produced in mesolimbic regions by chronic cocaine treatment, while subsequent cocaine challenge activates extrapyramidal regions of rat brain

Acute administration of cocaine is known to enhance extracellular dopamine levels in the striatum and to activate immediate-early gene expression in striatal neurons. Regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (rCMRglc) reportedly increases in extrapyramidal and mesolimbic brain regions in response to acute cocaine treatment. However, chronic administration attenuates the cocaine-induced enhancement of regional dopamine response and the induction of immediate-early gene expression in these regions. Chronic treatment also produces tolerance to cocaine's reinforcing effects. Thus, differential responses to cocaine occur with increasing length of treatment. Therefore, we examined the time course of effects of repeated daily cocaine treatment on rCMRglc in rat brain. Acute administration of 10 mg/kg cocaine slightly increased rCMRglc in mesolimbic and extrapyramidal regions. However, no significant effects were observed until more than 7 d of treatment, whereupon rCMRglc was reduced compared to saline treatment in the infralimbic portion of the medial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, habenula, amygdala, and a few other brain regions. In contrast, after 13 d of 10 mg/kg cocaine treatment, challenge with 30 mg/kg cocaine increased rCMRglc in the striatum, globus pallidus, entopeduncular nucleus, subthalamus, substantia nigra pars reticulata, and a few other regions without affecting limbic or mesolimbic regions. Thus, repeated daily treatment with a low dose of cocaine gradually decreased metabolic activity particularly in mesolimbic regions. Subsequent treatment with a higher dose produced metabolic activation mostly in extrapyramidal regions. This effect of chronic treatment could represent tolerance to the initial metabolic response, which can be replicated thereafter but only by increasing the drug dose. These results suggest that tolerance to the metabolic effects of cocaine in selective mesolimbic circuits may contribute to the development of behavioral dependence with repeated exposure.
THE PROCESS OF SYSTEMS DESIGN: SOME PROBLEMS, PRINCIPLES AND PERSPECTIVES

This paper explores issues that are central to designing,and particularly to the design of information systems. Itportrays the context of design, the considerations that gointo designing - how these are in conflict, and how theyare ultimately resolved - and the role of creativity inthis process. A set of design principles is presented anddiscussed.
Stevens, Nettie Maria

Nettie Stevens has been recognised recently for her careful research postulating that the chromosomes are involved in the inheritance of a specific character, sex. The background of her achievement is discussed, including the behaviour of the chromosomes in cell division, the results of experimental breeding, and the possibility that the two are related. Through exploring her early life and education, her relationship to her colleagues who, while praising her work, did not give her the credit she deserved, and the professional difficulties that she as a woman encountered, Stevens’ importance in the history of genetics is considered. Key Concepts: Nettie M. Stevens is most noted for postulating that sex is determined by a specific chromosome. Stevens shares credit for this discovery with Edmund B. Wilson. Wilson is more often credited for this discovery both because he made more contributions to the history of biology and because Stevens was a woman. The discovery of the sex chromosome helped establish the idea that chromosomes were responsible for the inheritance of a specific characteristic, sex. Keywords: chromosomes; cytology; Walter S. Sutton; Edmund B. Wilson; cytogenetics; Thomas Hunt Morgan; Tenebrio molitor; spermatogenesis; oogenesis; heterochromosomes
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: 2014 update on diagnosis, risk-stratification, and management.

Disease overview: Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas are a heterogenous group of T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders involving the skin, the majority of which may be classified as Mycosis Fungoides (MF) or Sezary Syndrome (SS). Diagnosis: The diagnosis of MF or SS requires the integration of clinical and histopathologic data. Risk-adapted therapy: TNMB (tumor, node, metastasis, and blood) staging remains the most important prognostic factor in MF/SS and forms the basis for a “risk-adapted,” multidisciplinary approach to treatment. For patients with disease limited to the skin, expectant management or skin-directed therapies is preferred, as both disease-specific and overall survival for these patients is favorable. In contrast, patients with advanced-stage disease with significant nodal, visceral or blood involvement are generally approached with biologic-response modifiers or histone deacetylase inhibitors prior to escalating therapy to include systemic, single-agent chemotherapy. Multiagent chemotherapy (e.g., CHOP) may be employed for those patients with extensive visceral involvement requiring rapid disease control. In highly selected patients, allogeneic stem-cell transplantation may be considered. Am. J. Hematol. 89:837–851, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Christian Responses to Roman Art and Architecture: WHAT IS THE SPACE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE? MAPPING, BODIES, AND KNOWLEDGE IN THE ROMAN WORLD

I n the late 1960s, african american children in boston were asked to draw maps of their neighborhood, near the old Mission Hill housing project. The housing project, largely white at the time, took up a large part of their hand-drawn maps, but was figured in various ways as a big blank: a no-man's land, a topography absent of marks or monuments. The streets around it, as well as schools, restaurants, and stores, were often carefully and clearly articulated, but the housing project itself was an open, unmarked rectangle. Recent critical geographers have been interested in the way “people's spatial behaviour is shaped by the hills and valleys of the invisible information and environmental stress surfaces over them.” Landscape and the built environment of the city are not neutral, but have their own rhetoric, exerting influence on the bodies of those who move through them. Moreover, humans map and interpret space, understanding the limits of their known world through the movements of their particular bodies, which are marked by gender and race. The idea of humans rendering abstract space into concrete place is not new, nor is the concept of a city's perils or of configuring fear as a topographical blank. Subjects of the Roman Empire talked about urban decay, speculated on the limits of the oikoumenē gē , or “inhabited world,” and knew the danger of not knowing where one was.
Dario Maestripieri: Macachiavellian Intelligence. How Rhesus Macaques and Humans Have Conquered the World

Maestripieri has written for a popular audience, using the rhesus monkey as an animal model to understand humans. Although he uses cognitive terms to explain human and macaque behavior, for the monkey he explains that the function has been selected for and that no conscious awareness is implied. The description of subordinate monkeys seeking power to revenge the “harassment” and “humiliation” that they have suffered, suggests that he also uses a human model to understand monkeys. Even the clever title reveals the use of a human model to understand rhesus behavior. It is easy to forget the warnings against presuming conscious awareness in monkeys when he writes “...mothers are already thinking about their next infants and reducing their investment in the current ones” (P.118) or that infants “feign illness” and get into trouble to “blackmail” their mothers. Explaining vigorous infant sucking as a means of delaying mother returning to cycling is as enlightening as saying that a carpenter hammers nails in order to develop calluses on his/her hand. In the process of explaining rhesus and human behavior Maestripieri also shares much of his personal history. Maestripieri believes that males are always motivated by sex and females trade sex for tolerance, support etc. He uses an economic model to explain behavior, and certainly natural selection favors actions where the benefit outweighs the costs, but although he says that rhesus are “good accountants,” I doubt that rhesus keep track of costs and benefits to decide what to do to whom. I too have studied rhesus monkeys, but I am more of an iconoclast than Maestripieri. It may be reasonable for an alpha male to mate with as many females as possible while deterring other males from doing the same, but then why do alpha males take so many mounts to ejaculate, while subordinates do so in one or two? Tom Gordon once witnessed every copulation in a group during the season and found that although the number of
Copy choice mechanism of immunoglobulin heavy-chain switch recombination

Abstract The immunoglobulin heavy-chain switch is mediated by a recombination event between DNA switch regions associated with donor and recipient constant-region genes. We have determined that the mutations which can be found in some switch regions after recombination appear to arise on only one strand of DNA. This result suggests that switch recombination involves error-prone synthesis of one DNA strand and ligation of the other strand from preexisting DNA.
Empirical studies and queuing modeling of denial of service attacks against 802.11 WLANs

The growing popularity of 802.11-based wireless LANs (WLAN) also increases the risk of security attacks. Most studies of WLAN security are on the protection of data integrity, and few studies are addressing the issue of Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. This paper studies two major DoS attacks of authentication request flooding (AuthRF) and association request flooding (AssRF). Our studies show that these DoS attacks cause significant performance degradations and may disconnect the communications. A queuing model is presented to study the attacking mechanisms, and the causes of performance degradations. The analytical results of the queuing model are validated by the simulation model, and both results are consistent with the empirical data. The queuing model analysis leads to the development of four solutions: Request Authentication (RA), Reduction of Duplicate Requests (RDR), Reduction of Response Retransmissions (RRR), and Round Robin Transmission (RRT). We tested these four solutions and collected empirical data to validate the effectiveness of the solutions. A comparison of these four solutions is presented to show their strengths and weaknesses in resolving the attacks.
Flow of melt and glass forms of metallic alloys

Abstract The viscosity of a near eutectic Au-Ge-Si alloy deep within the eutectic is reported. The observed viscosity is lower than that extrapolated for pure gold at this temperature so that the addition of Si and Ge to Au lowers the viscosity at high temperatures while increasing the glass forming tendency. This behavior is ascribed to the excess entropy of mixing for the alloy. The temperature dependence of the viscosity is discussed along with the associated structural changes. Since the observed viscosity of an amorphous alloy is dependent upon the structure, strain rates which alter the structure can produce a change in the effective viscosity. A calculation is presented which estimates the maximum strain rate, as a function of the low stress viscosity, at which the equilibrium structure can be maintained. For rates above this limit, non-Newtonian flow is expected. Rates above this limit are not observable for viscosities below about 10 9 P, but can be observed at higher viscosities near T g . At temperatures well below T g , the creation of structural disorder may be the mechanism responsible for nonhomogeneous flow.
Optical Restoration Of Fogged Photographs

Investigation of optical spatial filtering as a method for restoring fogged photographic imagery indicates that acceptable restorations are possible if the exposure pattern features a low contrast or a low fogging level. At higher contrast or fogging levels, the restoration procedure suffers significant error. The error, which is due primarily to the nonlinear nature of the photographic process, appears as a failure to reproduce the lightly exposed regions of the photographic transparency.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The enthalpy of precipitation of mercury(I) chloride, and the thermodynamic properties of aqueous mercury(I) and mercury(II) ions

Abstract The enthalpy of precipitation of Hg 2 Cl 2 (s) was measured calorimetrically by adding measured amounts of standard NaCl solution to an excess of Hg 2 (ClO 4 ) 2 in dilute HClO 4 solution. The standard state value is ΔH o = −(23442±45) cal th mol −1 at 298.15 K. The cell measurements leading to ΔG f o for Hg 2 2+ (aq) and Hg 2+ (aq) were reviewed and recalculated with detailed attention to the procedures for extrapolation to infinite dilution by consistent use of Debye-Huckel functions. The effects of hydrolysis were uniformly considered. From the results of recalculation and measurements, the values ΔG f o , ΔH f o , and S o at 298.15 K are: for Hg 2+ (aq): (39.365±0.025) kcal th mol −1 , (40.670±0.050) kcal th mol −1 , and −(8.66±0.20) cal th K −1 mol −1 ; for Hg 2 2+ (aq): (36.713±0.025) kcal th mol −1 , (39.870±0.050) kcal th mol −1 , and (15.72±0.20) cal th K −1 mol −1 , respectively.
An experiment in multi-level modelling

The primary goal of this experiment was to determine the advantages which multi-level modelling would provide to the designer of a digital system. It is, however, readily apparent that providing multi-level modelling facilities will complicate the tool builders task, since tools may be required to cooperate with other tools in order to 'gain' information concerning the behavior of the system which is modelled. Hence, a secondary goal was to examine the problems presented to the design system implementor, by multi-level modelling.
Relative effectiveness at 1 gy after acute and fractionated exposures of heavy ions with different linear energy transfer for lung tumorigenesis.

Space radiation, which is comprised of high-energy charged (HZE) particles with different high-linear energy transfer (LET), induces more severe biological effects than the Earth's radiation. NASA has mandated that risk estimates of carcinogenesis induced by exposure to HZE particles with different LET be determined before conducting human explorations of Mars. Because lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in humans, it is critical the risk of that radiation-induced lung tumorigenesis be included when estimating the risks of space radiation to astronauts. To address this, we examined the incidence of lung tumorigenesis in wild-type C57BL/6 mice at 1.5 years after 1 Gy exposure (single or fractionated dose) to different types of radiation with different LET (iron, silicon, oxygen and X ray). We chose wild-type mice for this study because previous studies of radiation-induced lung tumorigenesis using mutant mice models (either downregulated tumor suppressors...
Natural Supports in the Workplace: The Jury is Still Out

The concept of natural supports was formally introduced to the field of supported employment in 1988. Since then, natural supports have been incorporated into supported employment policy as an exte...
Reoperative abdominal and perineal surgery in ileoanal pouch patients.

PURPOSE: Complications of the ileal pouch with ileoanal anastomosis are associated with poor function and diminished quality of life; often, these complications may require surgery to salvage the pouch. The aims of this study were to review our experience with reoperative ileoanal pouch surgery and to define any predictors of pouch salvage surgery. METHODS: Between 1991 and 1999, the medical records of all patients who underwent reoperative ileoanal pouch surgery for either pouch salvage or pouch excision were reviewed; any minor local procedures were excluded. Successful ileoanal pouch salvage was considered to be an intact and functioning pouch, with acceptable patient satisfaction and good control. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients underwent reoperative ileoanal pouch surgery, 25 for attempted pouch salvage and 10 for pouch excision (3 patients were included in both groups). Five patients (20 percent) had pouch reconstruction, 1 of which was successful; 8 (32 percent) had pouch advancement, with a 62 percent success rate; and 16 (64 percent) had local perianal procedures for control of perianal sepsis, with a 75 percent success rate (4 of these required further surgery). The overall success rate of ileoanal pouch salvage surgery was 84 percent, with 64 percent of patients having acceptable function. There was no correlation between the number of ileoanal pouch salvage procedures and failure. Four (40 percent) of the 10 patients who had pouch excision were ultimately diagnosed with Crohn's disease. CONCLUSIONS: Ileoanal pouch salvage surgery is often successful and, in motivated patients without Crohn's disease, is worthwhile. Pouch advancement or local perianal repair yielded better results than did pouch reconstruction. Patients diagnosed with Crohn's disease after ileoanal pouch construction may be best suited for pouch excision when complications occur.
Reduction of signal decorrelation from mechanical compression of tissues by temporal stretching: applications to elastography.

Abstract Elastography is based on the estimation of strain due to tissue compression. Strain is computed from the estimates of time delays between gated precompression and postcompression echo signals. Time delay estimates are obtained from the location of the peak of the crosscorrelation function between gated precompression and postcompression signals. It is of paramount importance to accurately estimate the time delays for good quality elastograms. A main source of time delay estimation (TDE) error in elasticity imaging is the decorrelation of the echo signal as a result of tissue compression (decorrelation noise). The effect of decorrelation on the mean of the cross-correlation function and the correlation coefficient has been investigated. The expected value of the cross-correlation function between the precompression and postcompression signals was shown to be a filtered version of the autocorrelation function of the precompression signal. In this article, the effect of temporal stretching of the postcompression echo signal on the crosscorrelation function will be investigated along the same line. The applied compression is assumed to be uniform; the decorrelations introduced by the lateral and elevational tissue movements are ignored. The theory predicts that if the postcompression echo signals are stretched before the TDE step, then for small strains, the cross-correlation function very closely resembles the autocorrelation function. For larger strains, correlation is improved if temporal stretching is applied. The theory is corroborated by results from simulation and homogeneous phantom experiments. Thus, the decorrelation noise in elastograms can be reduced by temporal stretching of the postcompression signal.
Expression and mutagenesis of the NqrC subunit of the NQR respiratory Na(+) pump from Vibrio cholerae with covalently attached FMN.

The Na+-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (Na+-NQR) is present in the membranes of a number of marine bacteria and pathogenic bacteria. Two of the six subunits of the Na+-NQR, NqrB and NqrC, have been previously shown to contain covalently bound flavin adenine mononucleotide (FMN). In the current work, the cloning of nqrC from Vibrio cholerae is reported. The gene has been expressed in V. cholerae and shown to contain one equivalent of covalently bound FMN. In contrast, no covalent flavin was detected when threonine-225 was replaced by leucine. The data show that the FMN attachment does not require assembly of the enzyme and are consistent with the unusual threonine attachment site.
Dopamine differentiation factors increase striatal dopaminergic function in 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine‐lesioned mice

We have previously shown that muscle-derived differentiation factors (MDF) and human recombinant acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) have beneficial behavioral and neurochemical effects on the nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons of 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rats (Jin and Iacovitti: Neurobiol Dis 2:1-12, 1995). In the present study, we determined the effects of similar treatments on mice treated with the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Five days after unilateral striatal infusion of MDF or aFGF into MPTP-lesioned mice, striatal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels were bilaterally increased (20-35%) compared to untreated (lesion only) or control (phosphate buffered saline + bovine serum albumin) mice. These increases, however, were not accompanied by change in dopamine (DA) levels, indicating an elevation of DA synthesis (TH/DA) and turnover (DOPAC/DA). The present findings that MDF and aFGF may have neurochemical effects in vivo on the lesioned nigrostriatal dopaminergic system suggest their potential pharmacological role in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Disconjugacy for nth order linear difference equations

Necessary and sufficient conditions for disconjugacy are given in terms of the coefficients ai( 0 < i < n, of P by Hartman [3, Theorem 5.21. We will give necessary and sufficient conditions in terms of the coefficients ai( 0 < i G n, for right (5 n l)-disconjugacy and left (l, n I)-disconjugacy as defined by Peterson [9]. A corollary of these results improves those in Hartman’s paper in one direction. A special case of these results will generalize the results in [4]. A corollary to these theorems will be the equivalence of right (I, n I)-disconjugacy and left (5 n I)-disconjugacy, provided condition (2) holds, which generalizes results of Hankerson [2].
Expression, purification, and ligand-binding analysis of recombinant keratinocyte lipid-binding protein (MAL-1), an intracellular lipid-binding protein found overexpressed in neoplastic skin cells

The keratinocyte lipid-binding protein (KLBP) has been identified on the basis of nucleotide sequence analysis of its cloned cDNA as a new member of the intracellular lipid-binding protein (iLBP) multigene family. To characterize KLBP and determine its ligand-binding properties, its cDNA was subcloned into Escherichia coli, and the protein was overexpressed and purified to homogeneity by a combination of acid extraction, gel permeation, and ion-exchange chromatographies. Purified KLBP exhibited high-affinity binding of the fluorescent hydrophobic probe 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonate (1,8-ANS), displaying an apparent dissociation constant of 390 ± 90 nM (n = 0.74 ± 0.2). Using an assay based upon displacement of the bound fluorophore, KLBP was found to bind long chain fatty acids most avidly; oleic acid (18:1) bound with an apparent Kd of 248 ± 12 nM, and arachidonic acid (20:4) exhibited a dissociation constant of 318 ± 14 nM. As the length of the fatty acid decreased, the binding affinity was reduced; ...
THAT'S ENTERTAINMNTHalo 3: the theory and practice of a research-design partnership

In the September-October issue of interactions, creative director for the Windows Core Innovation Team, August de los Reyes, and I described an approach to designing emotionally engaging products. The approach is based on the James-Lange theory—a pioneering theory of emotion that places physical activity as the source of emotions, rather than a product of emotion. In this approach emotions are a “readout” based on our activity and the context in which it occurs. This has clear implications for what user researchers focus on during the design of products, and speaks toward the relationship between researchers and designers as they work…
Lemierre's syndrome: post-anginal septicemia

Lemierre's syndrome is an obscure entity with very significant related morbidity. We describe a typical case and a never before reported complication. Increased awareness of this condition is necessary, since it is given little consideration even when patients present with the very characteristic clinical picture. US will depict internal jugular vein (IJV) thrombosis in most cases and should be the modality of choice for the initial evaluation of suspected thrombosis of the IJVs. Associated demonstration of cavitary pulmonary nodules establishes the diagnosis of Lemierre's syndrome. Early recognition and institution of adequate antimicrobial therapy are key points in the successful management of this syndrome.
Death as a psychosomatic condition: prolegomena to a longitudinal study.

A study has been undertaken to assess the effects of hypnotic suggestions for longevity. 50 volunteer college students are receiving suggestions that they will live to be at least 120 years old, without loss of physical or mental capacities. A control group, randomly selected from the same pool of volunteers, are receiving no such suggestions. An account of the results will appear in about 100 yr.
Human umbilical cord blood plasma can replace fetal bovine serum for in vitro expansion of functional human endothelial colony-forming cells

AbstractBackground aims. A hierarchy of endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFC) with different levels of proliferative potential has been identified in human circulating blood and blood vessels. ECFC has recently become an attractive target for new vascular regenerative therapies; however, in vitro expansion of ECFC typically depends on the presence of fetal bovine serum (FBS) or fetal calf serum (FCS) in the culture medium, which is not appropriate for its therapeutic application. Methods. To identify optimal conditions for in vitro expansion of ECFC, the effects of human endothelial serum-free medium (SFM) supplemented with six pro-angiogenic cytokines and human umbilical cord blood plasma (HCP) were investigated. The in vitro morphology, proliferation, surface antigen expression and in vivo vessel-forming ability were utilized for examining the effects of medium on ECFC. Results. This novel formulation of endothelial cell culture medium allows us, for the first time, to isolate and expand human ECFC ef...
FURTHER OBJECTIVE STUDIES IN CHILDREN WITH HYPERSENSITIVITY TO FOODS

There is an air of uncertainty surroundinq the diagnosis of hypersensitivity to foods. Objective means of evaluating adverse reactions to foods are needed to eliminate patient and observer bias. This may be accomplished only by double-blind food challenges. Simultaneously immunologic parameters were measured including skin tests, in vitro histamine release from leukocytes, and guantitative serum antibodies to cow milk proteins to confirm an immunologir basis for the adverse reaction. Extracts of food used in skin tests were verified by a preliminary study in which the extracts were found not to produce non-immunologic reactions in normal subjects but did identify subjects with hypersensitivity to the parent foods. Double-blind food challenges were carried out with 71 children with histories of adverse reactions to foods. Positive responses to food challenges confirmed adverse reactions to foods in only 25 of the 71 children. Thirty-eight of the 71 children exhibited positive skin tests by the puncture technigue; all of the positive food challenges occurred in only those with positive puncture tests. All the reactions to food challenges were characteristic of immediate-type hypersensitivity. In individuals with a suspicious history of adverse reactions to foods utilization of the puncture test served to identify those in whom a double-blind food challenge was indicated, and these techniques allow an orderly approach to the identification of clinically significant hypersensitivity to food.
Sperm storage by females of the polyandrous noctuid moth Heliothis virescens.

Female tobacco budworm moths, Heliothis virescens, generally mate with more than one male, receiving from each mate both fertilizing sperm (eupyrene) and nonfertilizing anucleate sperm (apyrene), which is thought to play a role in sperm competition. One male typically gains sperm precedence, but it is not consistently the last or the first male to mate. I investigated the mechanism of this variable pattern of paternity by examining the patterns of storage of both types of sperm in the female's spermatheca as a function of multiple mating and male phenotype. The number of stored apyrene sperm varied with mating history, being greatest in twice-mated females and least in females mated to one nonvirgin male. In contrast, only one ejaculate's worth of eupyrene sperm was stored regardless of female mating history (once or twice mated). Thus, while they store two complements of apyrene sperm, twice-mated females apparently store only one ejaculate's worth of eupyrene sperm. This biased pattern of sperm storage may contribute to the variable pattern of paternity observed in this species. Eupyrene sperm storage also correlated positively with female size, male age and spermatophore size. Finally, a new sperm storage site was identified and described. It is a bulged region in the seminal duct.
Molecular Requirements for the Biological Activity of Ethylene

The molecular requirements for ethylene action were investigated using the pea straight growth test. Biological activity requires an unsaturated bond adjacent to a terminal carbon atom, is inversely related to molecular size, and is decreased by substitutions which lower the electron density in the unsaturated position. Evidence is presented that ethylene binds to a metal containing receptor site. CO2 is a competitive inhibitor of ethylene action, and prevents high concentrations of auxin (which stimulate ethylene formation) from retarding the elongation of etiolated pea stem sections. It is suggested that CO2 delays fruit ripening by displacing the ripening hormone, ethylene, from its receptor site. Binding of ethylene to the receptor site is also impeded when the O2 concentration is lowered, and this may explain why fruit ripening is delayed at low O2 tensions.
Composition of Fourier Integral Operators with Fold and Blowdown Singularities

The purpose of this work is to present results about the composition of Fourier integral operators with certain singularities, for which the composition is not again a Fourier integral operator. Th...
A Superconducting Gyroscope to Test Einstein's General Theory of Relativity

Schiff (1960) proposed a new test of general relativity based on measuring the precessions of the spin axes of gyroscopes in earth orbit. Since 1963 a Stanford research team has been developing an experiment to measure the two effects calculated by Schiff. The gyroscope consists of a uniform sphere of fused quartz 38 mm in diameter, coated with superconductor, electrically suspended and spinning at about 170 Hz in vacuum. The paper describes the proposed flight apparatus and the current state of development of the gyroscope, including techniques for manufacturing and measuring the gyro rotor and housing, generating ultralow magnetic fields, and mechanizing the readout.
Sonographic myometrial thickness predicts the latency interval of women with preterm premature rupture of the membranes and oligohydramnios.

Objective Term labor is associated with global thinning of the myometrium. We hypothesized that a thickened myometrium at the time of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) predicts less myometrial wall stress and, consequently, a longer latency interval. Study design Myometrial thickness was measured prospectively in 76 pregnant women enrolled in the following groups: PPROM (n=28, mean [range], gestational age [GA]: 29.5 weeks [w] [21.0 w-33.0 w]), preterm nonlabor control group (P-CTR), (n=21, GA: 27.5 w [23.0 w-32.0 w]) and term nonlabor control (T-CTR) (n=27, GA: 38.6 w [37.0 w-41.6 w]). All PPROM women had oligohydramnios (AFI: 1.4 cm [0.0 cm-5.1 cm]). MT was measured ultrasonographically at the midanterior, fundal, posterior, and lower uterine segment wall in cases and controls with an intraoperator variability Results Women in the PPROM group displayed uniform thickness of the uterine body (mean ± SEM, anterior: 10.6 ± 0.6 mm, fundal: 10.7 ± 0.7 mm, posterior: 8.9 ± 0.5 mm, P =.078). At midanterior site the myometrium of the PPROM group was thicker compared to both P-CTR ( P P =.025) groups. This difference was preserved at the fundus (PPROM vs P-CTR, P P =.015). There was a positive correlation between fundal MT and latency period ( r =0.43, P =0.02) that persisted after adjusting for GA ( P =.04). A fundal MT less than 12.1 mm was 93.7% sensitive and 63.6% specific for the identification of women whose latency period was less than 120 hours. Conclusion Significant thickening of the anterior and fundal walls of the uterus follows PPROM. A thick myometrium in nonlaboring patients with PPROM is associated with longer latency interval. Sonographic evaluation of MT may represent an alternative clinical tool for the prediction of a short latency interval in women with PPROM.
Early Career Mentoring for Translational Researchers: Mentee Perspectives on Challenges and Issues

Background: The education and training of early career biomedical translational researchers often involves formal mentoring by more experienced colleagues. Purposes: This study investigated the nature of these mentoring relationships from the perspective of mentees. The objective was to understand the challenges and issues encountered by mentees in forming and maintaining productive mentoring relationships. Methods: Three focus groups (n = 14) were conducted with early career researchers who had mentored career development awards. Thematic analysis identified, categorized, and illustrated the challenges and issues reported by mentees. Results: The range of mentee challenges was reflected in five major categories: (a) network—finding appropriate mentors to meet various needs; (b) access—structuring schedules and opportunities to receive mentoring; (c) expectations—negotiating the mechanics of the mentoring relationship and its purpose; (d) alignment—managing mentor–mentee mismatches regarding interests, pr...
Reactions in microemulsion media. Borohydride reduction of mono- and dicarbonyl compounds

Abstract Microemulsions were prepared at 26° from mixtures of hexanes (O), a 50: 1 (w/w) solution (W) of 0.1 M KOH-NaBH4, and a 1.23:1 (w/w) mixture (S) of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTABr) and 1-butanol. A pseudoternary phase map contained a significant microemulsion (μE) region, and μE's A and B (60:35:5 and 20:10:70 S:W:O, respectively) were used for reduction of several monocarbonyl compounds [benzophenone (1a), benzaldehyde (2a), acetophenone (3a), and 1-phenyl-1-octadecanone (4a)], an α,β-unsaturated ketone [trans-4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one (6a)], and a diketone [4-(4'-benzoylphenyl)-2-butanone (7a)]at 26°. For comparison purposes, reductions were also performed in aqueous 2-propanol (2-PrOH A and 2-PrOH B) prepared by the substitution of 2-propanol for the S and O components of μE's A and B. Generally, the reductions were slightly faster in the microemulsion media than in the corresponding aqueous 2-propanol media. The significantly slower reduction of 4a relative to that of 3a in μE B indicated that the interphase is the reactive site. With enone 6a, the influence of microemulsions on the competition between 1,2- and 1,4-reduction was determined. In μE's A and B there was 8% and ll% 1,4-reduction, respectively, whereas in 2-PrOH A and B there was only a trace. With diketone 7a, the reactivity of the aromatic carbonyl group relative to that of the aliphatic carbonyl group increased on going from 2-PrOH A and B to μE's A and B, respectively. For the sodium borohydride reduction of ketones, microemulsion catalysis is more effective than phase transfer catalysis or the use of a tetraalkylammonium borohydride in a hydrocarbon solvent.
Could interleukin-17 be a therapeutic target of steroid-dependent minimal change disease?

To the Editor: We read with great interest the recent contribution by Munyentwali et al.1 They evaluated the efficacy and safety of rituximab treatment in adult patients with steroid-dependent minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS). They suggested two possible hypotheses: B cells have a potential role in the pathophysiology of MCNS or rituximab stabilizes the cytoskeleton of podocytes. The commentary of Glassock2 shows that more factors could take an important role in the pathogenesis of MCNS such as local factors generated by interleukin (IL)-13, regulatory T cell, and he thought that the T cells affected by B cells might be the source of permeability factor of MCNS. However, we would like to add another possible mechanism of rituximab on steroid-dependent MCNS.
SU-GG-T-556: Characterization and Evaluation of the Varian 2.5 Mm HD120® High-Definition MLC

Recently, a new MLC has been offered by Varian Medical Systems for complex high resolution static and IMRT field delivery. The MLC has 2.5 mm wide leaves spanning an 8 cm length over isocenter with abutting 7 cm sets of 5 mm leaves. MLC Transmission Factors (TFs) were measured for a 10×10 cm field using a diode array. The transmission values were calculated for each diode within the field then averaged. The average TF values were 1.02% and 1.20% for the 6 MV and 10 MV beams, respectively. The value measured for the Millennium‐120 (5mm leaves, 6 MV) of 1.4% was greater. Film and ion chambermeasurements produced similar results. The Dosimetric Leaf Gap (DLG) was measured using a 0.6 mm diameter diode (IBA). Subsequently, the DLG value was adjusted to optimize the agreement between planned and measured dose distributions. Final values of 0.04 cm and 0.05 cm were used for the 6 MV and 10 MV, respectively. Fluence patterns were compared for different MLC leaf widths. The HD120 produced very smooth fluences with superior resolution. Furthermore, fluence delivery was accurate with no more tongue‐and‐groove effect than that observed for wider leaves. A 2D dose distribution for a 9‐field, 6 MV, Nasopharynx IMRT plan was measured using film (EDR2, Kodak) and compared to the planned distribution for both the HD120 and M‐120 MLCs. The planned and measured dose distributions agreed very well and similarly for both MLC models. A complex Ethmoid sinus IMRT case was planned thrice for MLC leaf widths of 2.5, 5 and 10 mm using identical optimization constraints. The HD120 plan produced the sharpest dose fall‐offs, best optical lens and brainstem sparing and the most homogeneous PTV coverage. The HD120 is mechanically stable, provides superior treatment plans and delivers accurate fluences.
Impact of race and ethnicity on treatment and survival of women with vulvar cancer in the United States.

Abstract Objective To examine racial/ethnic differences in treatment and survival in women diagnosed with invasive vulvar cancer in the United States. Methods Women with invasive vulvar cancer were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 1/1/92 to 12/31/02. Statistical analysis using Chi-square, Fisher's Exact Test, Kaplan–Meier survival methods, and Cox regression proportional hazards models was performed. Results Of the 2357 cases of invasive vulvar cancer included in this study, 1974 (83.8%) were non-Hispanic white, 209 (8.9%) were non-Hispanic black, 119 (5.0%) were Hispanic, and 55 (2.3%) women were of another race/ethnicity. After adjustment for stage, black women were half as likely (OR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.31–0. 74) to undergo surgery and 1.7 times more likely (OR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.18–2.36) to receive radiation than white women. In multivariable analysis, surgical treatment reduced the risk of death from vulvar cancer by 46% (HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.43–0.67), whereas radiation was not shown to impact the risk of death (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.84–1.19), after adjusting for age, race, stage, and grade. There was no significant difference in risk of death by race/ethnicity group after adjusting for the previously described variables. Conclusions Based on this study, race/ethnicity is not an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in women diagnosed with invasive vulvar cancer, despite differences in treatment modality by race/ethnicity. Further research to define the factors contributing to differences in treatment selection according to race/ethnicity and the resulting impact on quality of life is warranted.
Angular Correlation of Gamma Radiations from Oriented Nuclei

The angular correlation between the cascaded gamma rays following the decay of ${\mathrm{Co}}^{60}$ nuclei oriented at low temperatures has been determined. Comparison with the directional anisotropy of the individual gamma rays affords a test of the theory of Cox and Tolhoek largely independent of hyperfine interaction details and temperature determination. The theoretical predictions are confirmed.
Magnetic susceptibility tensors and deuterium quadrupole coupling constants of the methyl halides

Abstract High-resolution 95.2 MHz deuteron NMR spectra were obtained from dilute ether solutions of the monodeuteromethyl halides (X = Cl, Br, I). Small quadrupole splittings were resolved, resulting from molecular alignment by the 14.57 T field. These splittings relate the deuterium quadrupole coupling constants (qcc) to the anisotropy in the molecular diamagnetic susceptibility (Δξ). The results are consistent with literature qcc and Δξ values for CH 3 CI and CH 3 Br, but suggest that Δξ of CH 3 I determined by microwave spectroscopy is high by about 14%. A survey of literature qcc data for the complete series of halomethanes is given. The data indicate a good agreement between qcc's found from gas-phase studies (microwave), low-temperature solid-state NMR and NQR experiments, and investigations using certain well-chosen liquid crystal mixtures. The values judged to be most accurate were combined with quadrupole splitting data to obtain molecular and bond susceptibilities for this series of compounds.