cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recurrent microdeletions at chromosome 2p11.2 are associated with thymic hypoplasia and features resembling DiGeorge syndrome.

Background Thymic hypoplasia/aplasia occurs as a part of DiGeorge syndrome, which has several known genetic causes, and with loss-of-function mutations in forkhead box N1 (FOXN1). Objective We sought to determine the cause of selective T-cell lymphopenia with inverted kappa/lambda ratio in several kindreds. Methods Patients were identified through newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency using the T-cell receptor excision circle assay. Those found to have selective T-cell lymphopenia underwent testing with chromosomal microarray analysis. Three-week-old mice heterozygous for a loss-of-function mutation in forkhead box I3 (FOXI3), a candidate gene within the common deleted region found in patients, were compared with wild-type littermates. Assessments included body and organ weights, flow cytometric analysis of thymocytes and splenocytes, and histologic/transcriptomic analyses of thymic tissue. Results Five kindreds with similar immunophenotypes that included selective T-cell lymphopenia had overlapping microdeletions at chromosome 2p11.2 that spanned FOXI3 and, in most cases, the immunoglobulin kappa light chain locus. Studies in a mouse knockout strain for FOXI3 revealed smaller body weights and relatively lower thymus weights in heterozygous compared with wild-type animals. Histology and flow cytometry on spleens and thymi from 3-week-old pups for T- and B-cell subsets and epithelial cells did not show any significant qualitative or quantitative differences. Transcriptomic analysis of thymic RNA revealed divergence in global transcriptomic signatures, and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed predicted dysfunction in epithelial adherens junctions. Conclusions Microdeletions at chromosome 2p11.2 are associated with T-cell lymphopenia and probable thymic hypoplasia in human subjects, and haploinsufficiency for FOXI3, a candidate gene within the deleted region, is the likely underlying cause.
Grid-Forming Inverters: A Critical Asset for the Power Grid

Increasing inverter-based sources reduces the system’s inertia resulting in possible frequency stability issues. Understanding low-inertia systems and their stability properties is of crucial importance. This article introduces fundamental ways to integrate high levels of renewable energy (RE) and distributed energy resources (DERs) in the power system while creating a more flexible power system. Using RE and DER in the distribution system has many advantages such as reducing the physical and electrical distance between generation and loads, bringing sources closer to loads contributes to the enhancement of the voltage profile, reduction in distribution and transmission bottlenecks, improved reliability, lower losses, and enhances the potential use of waste heat. A basic issue for high penetration of DER is the technical complexity of controlling hundreds of thousands to millions of inverters. This is addressed through autonomous techniques using local measurements eliminating the need for fast control systems. The key issues addressed in this article include using inverter damping to stabilize frequency in systems with low or no inertia, autonomous operation, methods for relieving inverter overload, energy reserves, and their implementation in photovoltaics (PV) systems. This article provides important insight into the interactions between inverter bases sources and the high-power system. The distinction between grid-forming (GFM) inverter and grid-following (GFL) inverter is profound. GFM inverters provide damping to frequency swings in a mixed system, while GFL inverter can aggravate frequency problems with increased penetration. Rather than acting as a source of inertia, the GFM inverter acts as a source of damping to the system. On the other hand, the application of inverters in the power system has two major issues. One is the complexity of controlling hundreds of thousands to millions of inverters. This is addressed through autonomous techniques using local measurements. The other is the potential of high overcurrent in GFM inverters and techniques for explicitly protecting against overloading. To exploit the innate damping of GFM inverters, energy reserves are critical.
Bandersnatched: Infrastructure and Acquiescence in Black Mirror

We argue that Black Mirror delivers an amplified experiential analog to the structured excesses of digital techno-culture, affectively “inoculating” viewers with the poison of dark futurity. Throug...
Caregiving for Aging Parents as a Source of Blessing: A Secondary Analysis.

ABSTRACT This phenomenological secondary analysis of original research explored how adult caregivers of aging parents define the concept of being blessed. The disadvantages of caregiving dominate literature, but few research studies focus on positive aspects where caregivers emerge emotionally optimistic. Study participants expressed being blessed, such as being thankful, gaining a sense of peacefulness, reward, and meaningfulness. A conceptual definition of being blessed is proposed.
Gallium vacancy formation in oxygen annealed β-Ga2O3

In this study, the formation and character of gallium vacancies (VGa) and their complexes in near surface and bulk regions of single crystal β-Ga2O3 were explored using unintentionally doped single crystals grown by the Czochralski method. As-grown and O2 annealed (up to 1550 °C) samples were investigated using positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) to study the top 0.05–6 μm, and also current–voltage measurements and infrared (IR) spectroscopy, with hydrogenated samples to probe VGa, to study the bulk. After annealing in O2 > 1000 °C, the β-Ga2O3 resistivity begins increasing, up to ∼109 Ω cm for 1550 °C treatment, with the top 0.5 mm being many orders of magnitude more resistive. PAS measurements of the top 6 μm (S values) and very near surface 200 nm (diffusion length, L) indicate differential behavior as a function of peak annealing temperature. At least four temperature regimes of behavior are described. VGa are present in the bulk after growth, but considerable changes occur upon annealing at a temperature ≈1000 °C, where L and S decrease simultaneously, suggesting an increasing defect concentration (L) but a decreasing defect volume (S). Annealing at a temperature ≈1400 °C increases S again, showing an increasing volume concentration of VGa, with IR absorption showing a large signature of VGa-2H, indicative of increased VGa formation that was not present when annealing at a temperature ≈1000 °C. These results suggest that defect changes from annealing in oxygen are depth dependent, and that VGa configuration may not be the same near the oxygen-exposed surface of the sample and in the bulk.
Long-term cross-over effects of the family check-up prevention program on child and adolescent depression: Integrative data analysis of three randomized trials.

Objective The present study examined prevention effects of the family check-up (FCU) prevention program on longitudinal changes in youth depression, using harmonized data collected across three prevention trials, including one trial initiated in early childhood and two initiated in early adolescence (total N = 2,322). Method Data from parent and youth reports of youth depression were harmonized using Moderated Nonlinear Factor Analysis (MNLFA), which provides a robust means to examine differential item functioning (DIF) across subgroups of participants (e.g., age groups, ethnic groups), and creates scale scores based on all available items while accounting for individual differences. Long-term intervention effects were tested using a multi-informant growth model examining changes in depression from baseline to up to 14-year postbaseline. Results Across trials, significant long-term effects of the FCU on reductions in depression were observed, although effects were found to wane after approximately 10 years. Conclusion FCU effects on depression across trials were attained with a relatively brief parenting program designed to reduce behavior problems and improve relational functioning that emphasized parental motivation to change while supporting positive parenting strategies. Implications of these results are discussed, along with directions for future work in this area. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Variation in Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening in Men Aged 80 and Older in Fee-for-Service Medicare

There is growing concern that older adults are at risk for exposure to potentially harmful treatments for which the promised benefit is small, if not absent. Screening for prostate cancer with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test is an excellent example. Expert consensus has concluded that the harms of PSA screening outweigh benefits in men with a life expectancy of less than 10 years or, more recently according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), in men aged 75 and older.1-3 Yet patient reports and surveys of physicians indicate that PSA screening in elderly men is common and increasing.4-6 Fifty percent of men aged 80 and older report that they have had a PSA screening in the previous year, and 45% have had a screening PSA in the Department of Veterans Affairs system.4,7 Little is known about PSA screening in typical clinical practice among men in fee-for-service Medicare, which covers 85% of the elderly U.S. population. To gain meaningful insights into clinical practice, investigators have used regional variations research to reveal where there are divergent practices in the use of medical technologies.8,9 For example, recent work has shown that use of technologically intensive care at the end of life is highly variable.10,11 Studies have explored the causes of this variation and have shown a relationship between available hospital beds and hospitalization rates at the end of life, and that patient preferences do not account for the observed differences.10-14 More recently, local care systems are using variation data for benchmarking and identifying opportunities for improvement.15 For PSA screening, there is disagreement as to whether age should be used as a criterion for when to stop screening, but the degree to which men at advanced age are screened or how much variation there is across regions smaller than the four large census regions of the United States is unknown.6,7,16-18 This study reports the national rate and geographic variation in PSA screening of male Medicare beneficiaries aged 80 and older in 2003, before the USPSTF age-based cutoff was recommended. The primary goal of this article is to describe clinical practice under the guideline based on life expectancy to gauge how much change of practice the new age-based guideline might entail. Eighty was chosen as the lower age limit for the investigation, because as a general rule, screening would not be recommended (median survival of 6.7 years), yet some clinicians may be uncomfortable with the general rule because the median survival in the healthiest quartile is 10.7 years.19 The study also explored the association between regional PSA screening rates and other regional patterns of use to generate hypotheses regarding the potential sources of the observed variation.
The mechanism of dextransucrase action. Activation of dextransucrase from Streptococcus mutans OMZ 176 by dextran and modified dextran and the nonexistence of the primar requirement for the synthesis of dextran.

Abstract Streptococcus mutans OMZ 176 was grown in a sucrose-free medium containing fructose as a carbohydrate source. Dextransucrase was precipitated from the culture supernatant with 40% saturated ammonium sulfate. The activity of dextransucrase was shown to be stimulated by exogenous dextran. Maximum activity was reached when the concentration of exogenous dextran was 2 mg/ml. Dextrans modified at the nonreducing ends by reaction with tripsyl chloride and/or by hydrolysis with an exodextranase also activated dextransucrase four to six times over that of a control. The exodextranasemodified dextrans have nonreducing chains that are very short in comparison with unmodified dextran and the tripsyl-modified dextrans have chains that are blocked at the nonreducing ends with a triisopropylbenzenesulfonyl group on the C6 hydroxyl group. Because the nonreducing ends of the modified dextrans are not available for reaction, the activation of dextransucrase by these modified dextrans cannot be due to primer reactions with the nonreducing ends. The activation of dextransucrase, thus, must be by an alternate mechanism. Two alternative mechanisms discussed are an allosteric effect and nucleophilic displacement reactions by the added dextran. It was also found that the addition of increasing amounts of dextran shifted the synthesis from an insoluble dextran to a soluble dextran.
Factors Related to Hospital Readmission of Elderly Cardiac Patients

Elderly patients with cardiac disease are at high risk for physical deterioration during posthospital recovery and suffer frequent early readmission. This study found that mental status and posthospital stress were significantly related to early readmission.
Active feedback scheme for minimization of helicity-dependent instrumental asymmetries

A method for the active feedback reduction of optical instrumental intensity asymmetries is presented. It is based on the fast chopping of two spatially separated beams of light with orthogonal linear polarizations that are recombined and passed through a quarter-wave plate to yield a single beam with rapidly flipping helicity. Active electro-optic feedback has been successfully employed to maintain this asymmetry below 10−5.
Prevalence of cutaneous findings in hospitalized medical patients.

Abstract Background: Cutaneous signs may represent a systemic process or a primary cutaneous disorder. Prompt observation and identification of cutaneous abnormalities should improve care of hospitalized medical patients. Objective: Our purpose was to determine the prevalence of cutaneous abnormalities in newly hospitalized medical patients and the frequency with which these findings were noted by the admitting team. Methods: All new medical patients were offered a complete skin examination within 48 hours after admission to the hospital, and 231 participated. Cutaneous diagnoses were based on characteristic clinical features or skin biopsy in patients in whom a diagnosis could not be made clinically. Results: Ninety-three cutaneous findings were present in 83 (35.9%) of 231 patients. In 31 (13.4%) we found cutaneous signs related to the reason for hospitalization or associated with a systemic disorder. These were not noted by the admitting medical service in 14 patients. In two patients, one with metastatic adenocarcinoma and one with sclerosis, the cutaneous findings were manifestations of the new diagnosis. In 52 patients (22.5%) we found 62 primary cutaneous disorders. Fifty-eight disorders (93.5%), including 10 nonmelanoma skin cancers, were unrecognized at the time of admission. Conclusion: Cutaneous findings representative of systemic disease or primary cutaneous disorders are commonly present and frequently overlooked in medical patients newly admitted to the hospital. These data suggest that a complete skin examination is necessary in all newly hospitalized medical patients.
The notion of combatancy in cyber warfare

The class of combatant constitutes one of the most important instrumentalities of the law of war. Combatant status resolves critical and enduring legal questions such as immunity from prosecution for warlike acts, susceptibility to intentional targeting, and, in part, treatment upon capture. Since the late nineteenth century, codifications of the international law of war have included criteria for combatant status keyed to ensuring desirable battlefield conduct and, to the extent possible, humanity in war. This paper revisits the author's prior work on the topic of combatancy in cyber warfare. Building on recent public revelations concerning state capacity for offensive cyber attacks, as well as new developments in computer network attack, this paper highlights logical and normative shortcomings in current understandings of combatant status in cyberspace. In place of rote reliance on existing criteria intended for the kinetic battlefield, this paper proposes reliance on State affiliation as the sole criterion for evaluating combatant status in cyber warfare between States. An admitted interpretive gloss on current criteria, the proposed framework offers a workable and realistic reconciliation of humanitarian goals and emerging State practice in cyber warfare.
Fatty Acids in Blue-Green Algae: Possible Relation to Phylogenetic Position

Analyses of the lipids in five species of blue-green algae show that the fatty acids are largely the C 16 and C 18 acids. The only alga that could be grown heterotrophically, Chlorogloea, formed the triply unsaturated C 18 acid in the light but only the doubly unsaturated C 18 acid in the dark. Examination of these results and the results of others suggest that, except for one species, the more highly unsaturated acids are found in the morphologically more complex algae. The fatty acid compositions of blue-green algae are different from the fatty acid composition of the other prokaryotic organisms, the bacteria. It is speculated that the diversity of the patterns of fatty acid composition among the blue-green algae could be of phylogenetic significance.
Aza-claisen rearrangements in the 2-allyloxy substituted oxazole system

Abstract Thermolysis and photolysis of several 2-allyloxy substituted 4,5-diphenyloxazoles results in a sigmatropic reorganization to give substituted oxazolin-2-ones.
Estimating the Shift to Wear-Out of Systems Having Exponential-Weibull Life Distributions

We develop a new family of life distributions, called the exponential-Weibull wear-out distributions, for systems whose failure rate function is a constant up to a change-point wear-out point and strictly increasing afterward. We derive properties of these wear-out distributions and develop a Bayes adaptive procedure for estimating the change point. Recursive formulas are given for determining the posterior probability that the change has occurred and its Bayes estimator. Results of numerical simulations are given to illustrate the properties of the adaptive procedure.
Microtopography and soft tissue response.

Implants placed in soft tissue evoke a foreign body reaction. Polymeric implants having smooth surfaces, such as silicone rubber implants, develop a nonadherent fibrogranulous tissue capsule which contracts over time and stiffens. Conventional porous implants, such as those made from textiles, usually have pores larger than 20 μm and they become infiltrated with inflammatory tissue. The in vivo cell reaction to polymeric surfaces having pores smaller than 10 μm has not been investigated systematically. In this study the histocompatibility of materials having mean pore diameters from 0.4 to 10 μm was assessed. A material available with several different defined pore sizes Versapor filter material) was tested in vivo to determine relation between pore size and qualitative tissue response. Silicone-coated samples were also tested to determine the dependence of the observed tissue response on the implant surface chemistry. Results showed nonadherent, contracting capsules around implants having pore diameters ...
How green is the transnational corporation

This paper discusses and criticises the often proposed transitional solution for global corporations in the light of an environmental imperative. The concept of an environmental imperative or demand is developed and advocated as equally important to the market demand that is inherent in the transnational solution. However, the environmental imperative itself is tempered by the characteristics of national regulatory regimes, which are presently the major force for change. Two case studies of businesses examined by the creators of the transnational solution are offered as evidence that corporations are not as indifferent to the environment as the creators of the solution are. Based on the findings from the two cases, some tentative proposals are advanced regarding the organisation of global corporations.
Are Nonparticipants in Prosocial Behavior Merely Innocent Bystanders

Latane and Darley's (1970) bystander intervention theory was used to model individuals' participation in two prosocial behaviors (organ donation, green living). It is argued that nonparticipants in prosocial helping are innocent bystanders who likely fail to notice the need, do not interpret the cause as an emergency, do not accept responsibility for the need to help, and have little knowledge on how to help. Data in study 1 (n = 494) indicate support for the proposed innocent bystander path model (notice event → interpret event as emergency → accept responsibility → knowledge of how to help) in organ donation. Study 2 (n = 519) replicated the model in the context of green living and additionally found a direct path from noticing the event to knowledge of how to help. Implications of framing nonparticipation in prosocial behaviors as innocent bystander effects are discussed in context of campaign communication.
Increased expression of the inflammatory protein YKL-40 in precancers of the breast

Serum levels of YKL-40 have been associated with inflammatory diseases and breast cancer. Our purpose was to determine if YKL-40 in breast tissue, nipple aspirate fluid (NAF) and serum is (i) concentrated in NAF compared to matched serum, (ii) increased in the NAF, serum or tissue of women with biopsy proven precancer or cancer compared to healthy women and (iii) influenced by menopausal status. 118 women (61 healthy subjects, 10 with precancer and 47 with breast cancer) aged 17-95 years provided NAF with or without serum samples for analysis. Matched tissue was analyzed from a subset of subjects who underwent breast biopsy. All NAF and serum samples had detectable levels of YKL-40. Median YKL-40 levels for the entire cohort were 683 fold higher in NAF than serum. Premenopausal subjects had higher NAF and lower serum levels of YKL-40 than postmenopausal subjects. YKL-40 levels in NAF but not serum were higher in women with precancer (atypical hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ) than in either healthy subjects (p = 0.025) or subjects with breast cancer (p = 0.015). In women with precancer, YKL-40 distribution in tissue correlated with YKL serum level (p = 0.043). YKL-40 is concentrated in NAF, with the highest concentrations in premenopausal women. NAF levels of YKL-40 are significantly higher in women with precancers than healthy subjects, suggesting that measuring YKL-40 in NAF may improve the identification of women at increased breast cancer risk.
Connoisseur's Choice: Calaverite, Cripple Creek, Colorado

With the exception of native gold and electrum, the gold telluride calaverite may well be the most important gold ore mineral. Its weathering characteristics make identification of deposits dominat...
Pentacoordinate silicon intermediates in relay substitution reactions of organosilanes: successive nucleophilic attack at silicon and its adjacent carbon

Abstract Chloromethylsilyl chlorides of the type, ClCH 2 R 2 SiCl, have been shown to undergo kinetically controlled nucleophilic attack at silicon, with either phenols or amines (PhEH, with E  O or NMe), to yield products of the type, PhESiR 2 CH 2 Cl. Subsequent treatment of the latter products with KF in acetonitrile causes the nucleophile to be shifted from silicon to carbon with the formation of FSiR 2 CH 2 EPh. Alternatively, treatment of ClCH 2 R 2 SiCl simultaneously with PhEH and KF yields the same thermodynamically controlled product directly, FSiR 2 CH 2 EPh. This possibility of directing nucleophilic attack toward silicon or its adjacent carbon has great importance in the synthesis of substituted organosilanes. The mechanism of these so-called relay nucleophilic substitutions is proposed as involving pentacoordinate silicon intermediates. This concept of initial nucleophilic attack at silicon and the subsequent relaying of the nucleophile from the pentacoordinate silicon to the adjacent carbon is also shown to be applicable to the unusual reactions of α,β-epoxyalkylsilanes.
Rate of Metabolism in the Termite-Eating Sloth Bear (Ursus ursinus)

Rate of oxygen consumption was measured in two female sloth bears, Ursus ursinus , at ambient temperatures of 9–38.5°C. Their basal rate of metabolism is low by all standards, as might be expected from their myrmecophagous and frugivorous habits, but is similar to that found in the omnivorous North American black bear, U. americanus . Vertebrate-eating bears, in contrast, have higher basal rates, even when denning. The thick fur coat of the sloth bear may partly compensate for its low basal rate. All differences in basal rate among large ant- and termite-eaters cannot be understood in terms of our present knowledge of ecological relations.
Chemistry of hydrogen sulphide under coal liquefaction conditions1. Modelling hydrogen transfer catalysis

Abstract The work reported here represents initial attempts to develop a complete kinetic and mechanistic understanding of the reaction chemistry of H 2 S under coal liquefaction conditions, using both model systems and coal. Hydrogen sulphide was found to promote/catalyse the transfer of hydrogen from tetralin to 2-hydroxyquinoline (2-HOQ). The presence of H 2 S can increase the rate of hydrogen transfer from tetralin to 2-HOQ by a factor of 10 compared with the same reaction run in the absence of H 2 S. The energy of activation for hydrogen transfer was found to decrease by ≈5 kcal mol −1 in the presence of H 2 S. The presence of H 2 S was also found to promote loss of oxygen from 2-HOQ to form small amounts of quinoline. No evidence of CC or CN bond cleavage in 2-HOQ was noted under any of the reaction conditions studied. These results suggest that the presence of H 2 S reduces the temperatures necessary to promote effective hydrogen transfer from tetralin by 50–75 °C. Moreover, they imply that similar effects occur in H 2 S-promoted coal liquefaction.
Modeling Mechanisms of Cognition-emotion Interaction in Artificial Neural Networks, since 1981

Abstract The paper describes modeling of cognition-emotion interaction implemented in a neural network named Crossbar Adaptive Array in 1981. The architecture was proposed to meet two challenges: solving the delayed reinforcement learning problem for neural networks, and building a self-learning system (no advice and no reinforcement from environment) based on a neural network. The architecture introduced computation of feelings, and their interaction with learning and decision making mechanisms. It also introduced genetic environment as provider of initial emotions to the neural network. Receiving initial emotions from the genetic environment, the architecture learns using the proposed emotion backpropagation mechanism. Some developments after 1981 are also discussed.
WALLACE ATWOOD'S “GREAT GEOGRAPHICAL INSTITUTE”∗

ABSTRACT The decision to establish geography as a graduate academic discipline at Clark University beginning in 1921 is examined as a part of the strategy and structure of academic entrepreneurial activity. The institutional strategy of Charles Thurber, President of the Clark Board of Trustees and of President Wallace W. Atwood is traced from its formal inception in 1919 through its early implementation to the end of 1923. The ideal of a “Great Geographical Institute”is set against the specific contours of its host institution in this period to show how local and personal factors both permitted the adoption and limited the success of the strategy and therefore prevented the Clark Graduate School of Geography from attaining the broad and secure local institutional base.
In Situ FT-IR Spectroscopy of the Adsorption of CO on Methanol Catalysts

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to identify surface species on zinc oxide and a zinc-copper mixed oxide at CO pressures up to 50 atm and a temperature of 200°C. In situ spectra were recorded in a high-pressure cell having a short path length. Spectra of adsorbed species on both oxides indicated the presence of carbonate, carboxylate, hydride, hydroxide, and formate surface species. The spectrum of the mixed oxide at 50 atm had additional bands which were assigned to a methoxide surface species.
Zebrafish as a cancer model system

The zebrafish, with its combination of forward genetics and vertebrate biology, has great potential as a cancer model system.
I-domain-antigen conjugate (IDAC) for delivering antigenic peptides to APC: synthesis, characterization, and in vivo EAE suppression.

The objectives of this work are to characterize the identity of I-domain–antigen conjugate (IDAC) and to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of IDAC in suppressing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mouse model. The hypothesis is that the I-domain delivers PLP139–151 peptides to antigen-presenting cells (APC) and alters the immune system by simultaneously binding to ICAM-1 and MHC-II, blocking immunological synapse formation. IDAC was synthesized by derivatizing the lysine residues with maleimide groups followed by conjugation with PLP-Cys-OH peptide. Conjugation with PLP peptide does not alter the secondary structure of the protein as determined by CD. IDAC suppresses the progression of EAE, while I-domain and GMB-I-domain could only delay the onset of EAE. As a positive control, Ac-PLP-BPI-NH2-2 can effectively suppress the progress of EAE. The number of conjugation sites and the sites of conjugations in IDAC were determined using tryptic digest followed by LC-MS analysis. In conclusion, conju...
Radioligand assay for Δ5-3β-hydroxysteroids II. 5-androstene-3β, 17β-diol and 3β, 17α-dihydroxy-5-pregnen-20-one

Abstract A radioimmunoassay is described for plasma androstenediol and 17-hydroxypregnenolone using an antiserum generated against dehydroepiandrosterone conjugated with bovine serum albumin. Normal values for men and women are given.
Cysteine proteases of parasitic organisms

Cysteine proteases play numerous indispensable roles in the biology of parasitic organisms. Aside from previously known general catabolic functions and protein processing, cysteine proteases may be key to parasite immunoevasion, excystment/encystment, exsheathing and cell and tissue invasion. Parasite cysteine proteases are unusually immunogenic and have been exploited as serodiagnostic markers and vaccine targets. Although host homologues exist, parasite cysteine proteases have distinct structural and biochemical properties including, pH optima and stability, the alteration in peptide loops or domain extensions, diverse substrate specificity and cellular location. The disparate nature of parasite cysteine protease compared to the host orthologous proteins has opened opportunities for chemotherapy. This review will highlight recent research on the 'papain-like' class of cysteine proteases, the most abundant family, and the newly discovered class of asparaginyl-endopeptidases. Cysteine protease classification will be re-examined in light of the diversity uncovered within parasitic organisms.
SU-FF-I-30: Image Quality and Dose Trends in Tube-Current Modulated Multi-Detector CT Imaging

Purpose: This project quantifies image quality and dose trends in a multi‐detector CT system incorporating a tube‐current modulation system. Method and Materials: An elliptical phantom series constructed of a tissue‐equivalent pliable polyurethane elastomer material was used to test tube‐current modulation systems of a Siemens 16 slice CT scanner equipped with CareDose4D. A composite phantom comprised of elliptical segments of varying dimensions evaluated image quality and dose for both in‐plane and z‐axis tube‐current modulation. The standard deviation of CT number was recorded in reconstructed images in the slice plane as well as along the z‐axis of the scan in order to evaluate image quality at specific locations in the phantom. Image quality was compared for tube‐current modulated versus fixed tube‐current scans. CTDIw measurements were made with and without tube‐current modulation using a CTDI head phantom modified by the addition of elliptical phantom segments in order to independently evaluate the potential dose savings of tube‐current modulation. Results: CTDIw was invariant for scans with and without tube‐current modulation, an effect attributed to the inadequacy of CTDIw to adequately characterize dose for helical MDCT scanning modes. Image quality with tube‐current modulation was uniform along the entire scan length. Comparable scans with fixed tube‐current techniques showed variations in image quality of up to 40% along the z‐axis of the scan, and dose increases of up to 35%. In‐plane image quality measurements showed a trend towards larger variation in CT number towards the center of the phantom. The use of tube‐current modulation was demonstrated to reduce the effects of variable tissue thickness and geometry on image quality. Conclusion: Tube‐current modulation in CT provides more uniform image noise throughout the patient scan length while reducing dose as compared to fixed‐current techniques. Weighted CTDI is not an adequate measure of dose in comparing modulated to fixed‐current techniques.
THE ACRASIEAE IN NATURE. I. ISOLATION.

A B S T R A C T The clonal isolation of Acrasieae from suspensions of soils or organic substrates may be accomplished by employing a dilute hay-infusion agar medium to the surface of which pregrown bacteria have been added as a source of nutrient for the myxamoebae. The method described permits quantitative sampling of cellular slime mold populations, and it has been used by the authors in a study of the occurrence and distribution of these organisms in North and Central American forests. AS A PREREQUISITE for investigating the occurrence and distribution of the Acrasieae in forest soils, a method was developed which makes possible the clonal isolation of these cellular slime molds. Hence it can be used in the comparison of populations from different localities or sources. Although the method was developed and has been employed mainly for the study of populations in forest soils, it is equally applicable to other substrates such as leaf litter, decaying plants, fruits and dung, if these are macerated prior to analyses. MATERIALS AND METHODS-Collection of samXples-Samples were collected at the soil surface or from the humus layer of forests, and, in the latter case, included a portion of the fermentation layer where decomposition is most active. Variation in slime mold populations from one site to another in a forest is considerable. Consequently, an adequate number of soils must be taken to ensure representative sampling of a particular forest population. Soils may be conveniently collected in 9-dr plastic vials with wide mouths and snap-on covers. These vials are light weight, sufficiently strong, inexpensive, and suitable for shipping by mail, if necessary. Samples are taken by scraping the soil surface with the mouth of the vial. If soils cannot be plated out immediately after collection, they should be stored at a temperature slightly above freezing. Numbers of Acrasieae diminish soon after collection, there being a 15-25% decrease after 8 weeks' storage at 4 C in a moist condition. The decrease may be explained largely by death of active myxamoebae with some loss of spore and cyst viability as well. Samples may be frozen, but freezing causes a sharper initial decrease in numbers than does
Mouthrinses and Dentifrices are Effective Antigingivitis and Antiplaque Agents

Article Title and Bibliographic Information A Meta-Analysis of Six-Month Studies of Antiplaque and Antigingivitis Agents Gunsolley JC. J Am Dent Assoc 2006;137(12):1649-57 Level of Evidence 1 Strength of Recommendation A Purpose/Question Evaluate the efficacy of dentifrices and mouthrinses as antigingivitis and antiplaque agents in adults. Source of Funding Supported in part by a grant from Pfizer. Type of Study/Design Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of 6-Month RCT that Evaluated Both the Antiplaque and Antigingivitis Properties of Dentifrices or Mouth Rinses in Adults
Inequalities for eigenvalues of elliptic equations and the generalized Polya conjecture

Abstract We prove several inequalities for eigenvalues of higher order elliptic equations on bounded domains in the Euclidean spaces. In particular, we obtain a good lower bound estimate of the eigenvalues of these equations. This may be viewed as a solution to the generalized Polya conjecture in the average sense.
Routing considerations in symbolic layout synthesis

The authors discuss routing styles, including a newly proposed hybrid routing style, in basic silicon-level design for a symbolic layout synthesis tool with practical considerations for design rules and process technology. Methods for systematically adding jogs in the layout to achieve high layout quality are proposed. Algorithms for input/output-pin assignment and for pin-ordering routing that achieve a minimal number of vias are also presented. Experiments on real industry designs showed promising results. >
Mouse spermatogonia exposed to a high, multiply fractionated dose of a cancer chemotherapeutic drug: mutation analysis by electrophoresis.

Male mice of the DBA/2J strain were injected with procarbazine at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight twice weekly until an accumulated dose of 2400 mg/kg was reached. A concurrent control group, injected only with the vehicle (saline) was also established. Most of the treated animals died as a result of exposure and all survivors became temporarily sterile. After regaining fertility the few survivors were repeatedly mated with C57BL/6J females over several weeks time to generate a population of F1 animals. The parental animals and the F1 were subsequently analyzed by electrophoresis for the occurence of newly arisen mutations of spermatogonial origin. A mutation in the gene Pep-3 was found.
Isolation and Identification of Bacteria Associated with Adult Laboratory Mexican Fruit Flies, Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae)

From the guts of new and old colonies (female and male) of Mexican fruit flies, Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae), we identified a total of 18 different bacterial species belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Vibrionaceae, Micrococcaceae, Deinococcacea, Bacillaceae, and the genus Listeria. Enterobacter, Providencia, Serratia, and Staphylococcus spp. were the most frequently isolated genera, with Citrobacter, Streptococcus, Aerococcus, and Listeria found less frequently. We found Bacillus cereus, Enterobacter sakazakii, Providencia stuartii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa only in the new colony, Aeromonas hydrophila and Klebsiella pneumoniae spp. pneumoniae only in the old colony. We also studied resistance/sensitivity to 12 antibiotics for six bacterial isolates such as Enterobacter cloacae, E. sakazakii, K. pneumoniae spp., Providencia rettgeri, P. aeruginosa, and Bacillus cereus. Isolates on the whole were resistant to penicillin and ampicillin (five of six isolates) and sensitive to rifampin and streptomycin (six of six isolates). Antibiotic resistance profiles might be useful characteristics for distinguishing among species and strains of these bacteria, probably having ecological significance with respect to intra- and inter-specific competition within host cadavers, and could have implications for the utility of these organisms for biological control, including the alternative control strategy, paratransgenesis.
Kinetic and inhibitor studies of acetaminophen and zidovudine glucuronidation in rat liver microsomes.

ABSTRACTThe antiviral drug zidovudine (ZDV) and the analgesic and antipyretic agent acetaminophen (AP) are both biotransformed in the liver of humans to ether glucuronides. A previous clinical trial of ZDV suggested the potential for a clinically significant interaction between AP and ZDV, probably based upon competing hepatic metabolism. To study the mechanism of this potential competition between AP and ZDV as substrates for uridine diphosphoglucuronyltransferase (UDPGT), enzyme kinetic studies were performed using rat liver microsome preparations. Cross inhibition studies demonstrated that AP glucuronidation was competitively inhibited by ZDV, while ZDV glucuronidation was slightly inhibiced by AP in a noncompetitive interaction.
Metastable copper-chromium alloy films

Due to the large positive heat of mixing associated with the Cu–Cr binary system, solid solutions exist only as nonequilibrium states. In this study, a series of metastable Cu–Cr alloys ranging in composition from 14.1 to 75.4% copper was fabricated by sputter deposition. Symmetric, asymmetric, and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction geometries were used to trace the phase transition from bcc to fcc crystal structures with increasing Cu fraction. It is shown that the transition takes place not by a two-phase region suggested by equilibrium thermodynamics, but rather through gradual disordering of the bcc lattice as copper atoms are substitutionally accommodated. At a critical saturation near 71% Cu, the bcc structure becomes unstable relative to the fcc and a phase transition occurs. The free energies of the kinetically constrained Cu–Cr system are modeled and the results are found to agree well with observed behavior.
The Teacher Workforce and Problems of Educational Equity

this chapter, we examine developments in the teacher workforce and in the occupation of teaching across recent generations. We take our point of departure from the perspective of prevailing policy discourse on enduring problems of educational equity, asking not only how teaching has evolved in recent decades but more specifically how that evolution has mattered to the distribution of educational opportunity and the shape of educational outcomes. This terrain is arguably large, and the text necessarily reflects certain choices regarding focus and emphasis. Consistent with the overall volume, we focus principally on conditions in industrialized nations and on teachers as the object of policies intended to remedy problems of persistent inequity. We acknowledge but do not delve into the extensive and complex body of classroom-based research that locates issues of equity in teachers' pedagogical practices, their relationships with students and families, and the expectations they hold of low-income, minority, or special-needs students (Delpit, 1996; Hollins & Guzman, 2005; Ladson-Billings, 1999; C. D. Lee, 1995; Weinstein, 2002).1 In characterizing teacher workforce issues, our essay also reflects our deeper familiarity with the policy conditions and research activity in the United States than elsewhere. However, by reviewing international reports and studies, we have made an effort to locate American developments in a complex international landscape that demonstrates a visible institutional isomorphism in education and public policy (Meyer & Ramirez, 2000; Wiseman, 2010 [this volume]) while also preserving significant local variations (Anderson-Levitt, 2003) ? Our perspective is largely sociological, but
Essential Dental Treatment (EDT) in Pregnant Women during the Second Trimester Is Not Associated with an Increased Risk of Serious Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes or Medical Events

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Examining the safety of dental treatment in pregnant women. Michalowicz BS, DiAngelis AJ, Novak MJ, Buchanan W, Papapanou PN, Mitchell DA, et al. J Am Dent Assoc 2008;139(6):685-95. Reviewer Martha E. Nunn, DDS, Phd Purpose/Question To evaluate safety outcomes from a trial in which pregnant women with periodontitis received scaling and root planning and other dental treatments. Source of Funding This study uses data from the Obstetrics and Periodontal Therapy Trial (OPT) that was supported by government funding from NIH/NIDCR grant U01DE014338. Type of Study/Design Cohort study that uses data from the OPT, a multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial, to evaluate the effect of periodontal therapy on preterm birth Level of Evidence Level 2: Limited-quality, patient-oriented evidence. Strength of Recommendation Grade Grade B: Inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence.
Effects of age and pulmonary arterial hypertension on the different phases of right atrial function

To evaluate the effects of age and pulmonary hypertension on phasic right atrial function we measured right atrial volumes at 3 different points in the cardiac cycle in 57 healthy subjects and 33 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Right atrial reservoir function was assessed by systolic filling volume and passive and active emptying by passive and active emptying volume and fraction of total emptying. We compared these phases of right atrial function in 30 healthy subjects <60 and 27 ≥ 60 years old, and in a separate analysis, in 33 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and 33 matched controls. Healthy subjects ≥60 years had lower passive emptying fraction (46.0 ± 23.3% vs 59.9 ± 15.4%, P = 0.011) and larger active emptying volume (7.0 ± 3.5 vs 4.9 ± 2.5 ml/m2, P = 0.013 ) and fraction (54.0 ± 23.3% vs 40.1 ± 15.4%, P = 0.011) compared to those <60. Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension had larger right atrial volumes, systolic filling volume (18.3 ± 6.9 vs 12.3 ± 4.9 ml/m2, P ≤ 0.001) and active emptying volume and fraction (11.2 ± 6.9 vs 5.4 ± 3.0 ml/m2, P ≤ 0.001; 60.7 ± 29.9 vs 44.9 ± 19.0%, P = 0.017 ) and smaller passive emptying fraction (39.3 ± 29.9% vs 55.1 ± 19.0%, P = 0.017) compared to controls. Aging and pulmonary arterial hypertension are associated with a decrease in passive right atrial emptying and an increase in right atrial active emptying.
The inability of tropical cloud forest species to invade grasslands above treeline during climate change: potential explanations and consequences

The upper elevational range edges of most tropical cloud forest tree species and hence the ‘treeline’ are thought to be determined primarily by temperatures. For this reason, the treeline ecotone between cloud forests and the overlying grasslands is generally predicted to shift upslope as species migrate to higher elevations in response to global warming. Here, we propose that other factors are preventing tropical trees from shifting or expanding their ranges to include high elevation areas currently under grassland, resulting in stationary treelines despite rising mean temperatures. The inability of cloud forest species to invade the grasslands, a phenomenon which we refer to as the ‘grass ceiling’ effect, poses a major threat to tropical biodiversity as it will greatly increase risk of extinctions and biotic attrition in diverse tropical cloud forests. In this review, we discuss some of the natural factors, as well as anthropogenic influences, that may prevent cloud forest tree species from expanding their ranges to higher elevations. In the absence of human disturbances, tropical treelines have historically shifted up- and down-slope with changes in temperature. Over time, increased human activity has limited forests to lower elevations (i.e. has depressed treelines), and often broken the equilibrium between species range limits and climate. Yet even in areas where anthropogenic influences are halted, cloud forests have not expanded to higher elevations. Despite the critical importance of understanding the distributional responses of tropical species to climate change, few studies have addressed the factors that influence treeline location and dynamics, severely hindering our ability to predict the fate of these diverse and important ecosystems.
Experimental and theoretical results for 21Ne(6Li, d)25Mg

Abstract Alpha-particle spectroscopic strengths extracted from 21 Ne( 6 Li, d) angular distributions agree in both magnitude and multipolarity with predicted strengths. Secondly, strengths calculated using eigenfunctions determined in large shell-model computations are remarkably consistent with pure SU 3 symmetry limit results.