cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Symptoms, Symptom Scores, and Outcome Measures

The approach to a patient with benign prostatic hyperplasia and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) begins with a detailed history. The goal is to clearly identify the patient's urinary complaints, including frequency of micturition, urgency, urge incontinence, weak stream, the need to push or strain, hesitancy, intermittency, dysuria, and hematuria. Bladder diaries and symptom questionnaires are useful as adjuncts to information that is acquired in the history. The voiding diary is an essential part of the workup. The voiding diary differs from a simple frequency-volume chart in that it incorporates not only the frequency, voided volume, urge episodes, pad usage, and fluid intake but also the data related to patient activities. It allows patients to have a more thorough self-evaluation of their LUTS.
Characterization of Phase Separation in Mixed Surfactant Films by Liquid Tapping Mode Atomic Force Microscopy

Two-dimensional phase separation in Langmuir films comprising mixtures of charged and neutral surfactants transferred onto graphite was observed by liquid tapping mode atomic force microscopy (LTM-AFM). Resolution of the different phases was based on the difference in surface charge density, which resulted in a difference in tip−sample electrostatic interaction and a consequent apparent difference in height despite the identical tail lengths of the two surfactants. Exploration of the effects of temperature and subphase ionic strength showed that phase separation tended to occur at low temperature and high ionic strength, while at high temperature and low ionic strength the monolayer was homogeneous. The method offers a sensitive new approach to identifying distinct phases in Langmuir films.
Tropospheric Mean Temperature and Its Relationship to the Oceans and Atmospheric Aerosols

Abstract Multiple-regression analyses of changes in tropospheric mean temperature as predictands and Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures and atmospheric aerosol concentrations as predictors show that large fractions of the variances of the tropical, Northern Hemispheric and Southern Hemispheric extratropical tropospheric temperatures may be explained by fluctuations in ocean surface temperatures and atmospheric aerosols. The sensitivity of the tropical, Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere extratropical tropospheric temperatures to the various predictors are estimated. To improve the precision of the estimates in the presence of serial correlations in the variables we used a generalized least-squares procedure to obtain the regression models.
Neotectonics in central Mexico

Regional neotectonic activity in central Mexico was mapped through analysis of eleven Landsat Thematic Mapper images. The study area stretches from Mexico City on the east to the Gulf of California on the west, between 17° and 21° N latitude. Fault scarps of Plio-Quaternary age define several large scale tectonic features within the Mexican Volcanic Belt, dominated by rifting, transtension, and shear, with probable sinistral components. Three large crustal blocks south of the Mexican Volcanic Belt are separated from the North American plate and from each other by zones of neotectonic activity that express the relative motions between the adjacent blocks. A simple vector diagram for plates and crustal blocks in central Mexico has been constructed using information from the literature combined with the orientations of fault zones as mapped in this study. The relative motion between the blocks varies from about 2.5 to 8 mm year−1, which is comparable to motions of crustal blocks in areas of active rifting in other parts of the world. In the Mexican Volcanic Belt, there is a clear relationship between volcanism and neotectonic activity. Fault zones that traverse nearly the entire region have the same location and orientation as the volcanic belt. This may indicate that deformation within the crust of the overriding slab plays a significant role in determining the unusual orientation of the Mexican Volcanic Belt relative to the trench. The ultimate factor controlling the location of Plio-Quaternary volcanism and tectonism in central Mexico may be large zones of crustal weakness formed during major Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonic events.
Complications of co-trimoxazole in treatment of aids-associated pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in homosexual men

In 8 of 18 homosexual men with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) treated with intravenous co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole) apparent drug-related complications developed during the course of acute therapy. A symptom complex of fevers and increasing malaise, often with nausea and headaches, developed usually after 9 days of therapy at a daily dosage of 20 mg/kg of trimethoprim and 100 mg/kg of sulphamethoxazole. These symptoms were associated with a diffuse erythematous maculopapular eruption and peripheral cytopenias. A similar picture was noted in two children with suspected AIDS-associated PCP. The high frequency of adverse reactions to co-trimoxazole therapy for PCP seems to be characteristic of AIDS patients.
Metabolic adaptation of Phytophthora infestans during growth on leaves, tubers and artificial media

Efficient nutrient acquisition is critical to the fitness of plant pathogens. To address how the late blight agent Phytophthora infestans adapts to nutrients offered by its hosts, genes in glycolytic, gluconeogenic and amino acid pathways were mined from its genome and their expression in different plant tissues and artificial media was measured. Evidence for conventional glycolytic and gluconeogenic processes was obtained, although several steps involved pyrophosphate-linked transformations which are uncommon in eukaryotes. In media manipulation studies, nearly all genes in the pathways were subject to strong transcriptional control. However in rye-sucrose media, tomato leaflets, potato tubers and, at both early and late stages of infection, most glycolytic genes were expressed similarly, which indicated that each plant tissue presented a nutrient-rich environment. Biochemical analyses also demonstrated that sporulation occurred from host material in which sugars were abundant, with fructose and glucose increasing at the expense of sucrose late in the disease cycle. The expression of only a few genes changed late in infection, with the most notable example being lower invertase levels in the sucrose-reduced leaves. Interestingly, most gluconeogenic genes were up-regulated in tubers compared with other tissues. Rather than reflecting a starvation response, this probably reveals the role of such enzymes in converting carbon skeletons from the abundant free amino acids of tubers into citric acid cycle and glycolysis intermediates, as genes involved in amino acid catabolism were also more highly expressed in tubers. The corresponding enzymes also displayed higher activities in defined media when amino acids were abundant, as in tubers.
Investigation of the Potential Effects of Registration Requirements on Florida Pharmacy Technician Credentials

Background:On June 23, 2008, Florida adopted regulations mandating credentialing requirements for pharmacy technicians.Objective:To investigate the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) certified pharmacy technician self-report and pharmacist report of work experience, education, training, and non-PTCB certification credentials of Florida community pharmacy technicians prior to the adoption of registration requirements in that state and to predict the effects of the requirements on Florida pharmacy technicians.Methods:A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to 2000 Florida pharmacists and 2000 Florida PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhTs) in 2004.Results:Of the 1230 returned questionnaires, 571 (46%) were from pharmacists and 659 (54%) were from technicians. Most of the pharmacists in the sample reported that they had supervised a CPhT, while few had supervised a technician with an AA in Pharmacy Technician Sciences. Most of the technicians sampled reported having some higher education...
Synthesis, characterization, and surface immobilization of platinum and palladium nanoparticles encapsulated within amine-terminated poly(amidoamine) dendrimers.

Platinum and palladium dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs) were prepared within commercially available, fourth-generation, amine-terminated, poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (G4-NH2). The synthesis is carried out by selectively encapsulating metal complexes within the dendrimer and then reducing the resulting composite. Intradendrimer complexation requires control over the solution pH to prevent attachment of the metal complexes to primary amine groups on the dendrimer periphery. That is, the surface primary amines of the dendrimer must be selectively protonated in the presence of the interior tertiary amines. The metal-ion encapsulation and reduction processes were characterized by UV−vis spectroscopy. Forty-atom Pt and Pd DENs were examined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, which showed that the mean particle sizes were 1.4 and 1.5 nm, respectively, and that both were nearly monodisperse (standard deviation = 0.3 nm). The free amine groups on the dendrimer surface were used to link...
Comparison of the nervous system of the rhabdocoel Mesostoma ehrenbergii with that of the polyclad Notoplana acticola

The neuromuscular organization of the free-living marine polyclad Notoplana acticola (Boone) can be compared with that of the fresh water rhabdocoel Mesostoma ehrenbergii (Focke). These examples act as outgroups for each other, belonging to different clades of the Turbellaria and similarities between the two can be taken as synapomorphies to indicate features that might be primitive and general features of flatworm nervous systems. The fluorescent dye Lucifer Yellow was used to fill cells in the brains of the two species and the neuronal anatomies were photographed or drawn. Many different cell types have been found in both species. The predominant cell types in Mesostoma were heteropolar bipolar and heteropolar multipolar cells with isopolar bipolar and isopolar multipolar cells in much lower numbers; only a few unipolar cells were found. In Notoplana, many of the cells penetrated were also heteropolar bi- or multipolar cells. There were also neurons and architectural features that were morphologically very similar to each other, in the two animals, such as the BRA cells and commissural tracts. These shared features suggest that many of the ‘peculiarities’ of polyclad nervous systems may be general flatworm features.
Do you remember proposing marriage to the Pepsi machine? False recollections from a campus walk.

During a campus walk, participants were given familiar or bizarre action statements (e.g., “Check the Pepsi machine for change” vs. “Propose marriage to the Pepsi machine”) with instructions either to perform the actions or imagine performing the actions (Group 1) or to watch the experimenter perform the actions or imagine the experimenter performing the actions (Group 2). One day later, some actions were repeated, along with new actions, on a second walk. Two weeks later, the participants took a recognition test for actions presented during the first walk, and they specified whether a recognized action was imagined or performed. Imagining themselves or the experimenter performing familiar or bizarre actions just once led to false recollections of performance for both types of actions. This study extends previous research on imagination inflation by demonstrating that these false performance recollections can occur in a natural, real-life setting following just one imagining.
Mechanisms by which ascorbic acid increases ferritin levels in cultured lens epithelial cells

A previous study demonstrated that ascorbic acid increased the concentration of the iron storage protein, ferritin. In cultured lens epithelial cells. The current study was designed to determine the mechanism by which ascorbic acid exerts this effect. Ascorbic acid increased both ferritin mRNA levels (by about 30%) and translation of ferritin (de novo synthesis was increased up to 15-fold) within 6 hr. Cycloheximide completely abolished the ability of ascorbic acid to increase ferritin levels, whereas actinomycin D only decreased it by about 30%. Therefore, the ascorbic-acid induced increase in ferritin concentration is due mainly to an increase in ferritin synthesis at the translational levels. This is a novel role for ascorbic acid. Addition of iron with ascorbic acid further increased de novo synthesis of ferritin, but this additive effect was only noted at a later time point (20 hr). Factors which decrease ferritin mRNA translation, such as the reducing agent dithiothreitol or the iron chelator desferrioxamine, reduced the ascorbic acid effect on de novo ferritin synthesis. The effects of ascorbic acid on ferritin mRNA levels may be mediated by its oxidation product, H2O2, since, like ascorbic acid, H2O2 increased ferritin mRNA levels by 30%. However, in contrast to the ascorbic acid-induced increase in translation of ferritin, H2O2 substantially decreased de novo ferritin synthesis. This effect of H2O2 could have physiological significance in eyes where concentrations of H2O2 in the aqueous humor are elevated. High levels of H2O2 could decrease the concentration of ferritin within the lens. Since ferritin sequesters iron and has been shown to decrease oxidative damage by limiting the availability of iron to catalyse free radical reactions, H2O2-induced reduction in ferritin concentration in the lens could have deleterious effects. The ability of ascorbic acid to increase ferritin concentration in lens epithelial cells could provide an additional protective mechanism for this antioxidant vitamin. The importance of ferritin to normal lens functioning is underscored by the recent finding that humans with a dominantly inherited abnormality in ferritin synthesis exhibit early bilateral cataracts.
A91: The Development and Initial Evaluation of a Standardised Play Based Hand Assessment Tool for Use in Children and Adolescents: the PizzaPutty™ Test

Background/Purpose: A wide variety of diseases affect the hands in children and adolescents, ranging from relatively static congenital structural abnormalities to progressively destructive inflammatory conditions including juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Measuring the natural history of such conditions, and the clinical utility of the surgical or pharmacological treatment, requires standardised, age appropriate hand function assessment tools, but there are relatively few of these available. The aim of our research programme was to develop and evaluate a new standardised hand function assessment tool, the PizzaPutty™ test, in a cohort of subjects with a wide range of hand conditions including congenital hand deformities, inherited metabolic diseases and juvenile idiopathic arthritis with evidence of upper limb involvement. Here we present the initial development details and preliminary evaluation of test feasibility and acceptability in a cohort of children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Methods: As part of a research collaborative programme led by plastic surgery and occupational therapy, an assessment tool was developed, the PizzaPutty™ test, that objectively evaluates hand dexterity in children and adolescents. It is a play based, standardised grip function test that can be used for children of all ages. It comprises easily obtainable theraputty, a variety of bead sizes, and a set of instructions to guide patients through a series of activities leading to the creation of a simulated pizza. An occupational therapist administers the test, provides patient and family support, and obtains a detailed evaluation of 7 different grip functions and a derived score from grip function score. In some cases, videos were taken for inter-observer reliability analysis. Results: 34 patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), ranging in age from 2–17 years, (25 girls and 9 boys) were recruited after informed consent from routine rheumatology outpatient clinics at a tertiary referral children's hospital. All patients must have had features of upper limb involvement. JIA subtype distribution: 10 extended oligoarthritis (2 had chronic anterior uveitis without any abnormality of visual acuity), 9 polyarthritis (RF negative), 4 JIA polyarthritis (RF positive), 6 systemic onset, 1 psoriatic arthritis, 3 oligoarthritis, 1 undifferentiated. All patients were able to complete the PizzaPutty™ test in 20 minutes or less (mean 15 minutes, range 10–20 minutes), with the children over 10 years of age accomplishing the test in the fastest times. All participants found it enjoyable, although patients older than 15 years felt that it was “childish” and patients under 3 had some difficulty in maintaining their concentration without encouragment. Unsolicited feedback from the subjects and/or parents was that the test was stimulating and fun. Conclusion: The PizzaPutty™ test appears to be feasible and acceptable for monitoring hand disease in a clinical outpatient setting.
Realization and theoretical limits of the spectral resolution in double fourier interferometric imaging with an optical telescope array

Abstract The realization and theoretical limits of the spectral resolution in double Fourier interferometric imaging (DFII) with a phase telescope array are presented. The realization and the effects of optical path difference (OPD) modulations are discussed. Two basic requirements for OPD modulations must be met in the design and operation of a double Fourier interferometer: symmetric OPD modulations about zero OPD and identical OPD modulations at all the available spatial frequencies. The Gibbs phenomenon due to OPD modulations affects the source's spectral brightness distribution, but, for a point source, not the complex visibility. Theoretically, without loss in spatial image fidelity, it is not possible to perform DFII with a telescope array when the aperture synthesis is done only by the Earth's rotation. In practice, DFII can be realized under approximation. In this case, relations between the spectral resolution, the interferometer's parameters and the observed star's parameters are derived. For a...
Bile acid biosynthesis

To conclude, the last several years have seen a resurgence of interest in the biosynthesis of bile acids. This focus has come about due to the central roles that these molecules play in cholesterol and fat metabolism and due to recent advances in their chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology. The application of probes generated by these methodologies has begun to generate novel insight into bile acid metabolism, regulation, and genetics. The next several years should be equally exciting.
Requirement of GTP hydrolysis for dissociation of the signal recognition particle from its receptor.

The signal recognition particle (SRP) directs signal sequence specific targeting of ribosomes to the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Displacement of the SRP from the signal sequence of a nascent polyp...
Hydrogen isotope composition of insoluble organic matter from cherts

No systematic variation is seen in the D/H ratio of insoluble organic matter present in cherts that were deposited over the last 3.5. B.y. Hydrogen isotope exchange experiments between deuterium-rich acid solutions and acid residues extracted from cherts show that hydrogen, extracted after the chert was outgassed at 350{degree}C, is not affected by the contamination from the chemical treatment of the samples. In two modern cherts (Eocene and Pliocene) having exceptionally low {delta}{sup 18}O values and high carbon contents, hydrogen extracted by pyrolysis at low temperature (200-350{degree}C) is markedly enriched in deuterium ({delta}D values up to +500{per thousand}). Such an enrichment is ascribed to organic products derived from the maturation of kerogen. Provided this hydrogen isotope fractionation is not related to biological activity, a similar effect could have played a role in the maturation of the deuterium-rich organic matter found in the carbonaceous meteorites during an early hydrothermal event.
Interaction of novel hybrid compounds with the D3 dopamine receptor: Site directed mutagenesis and homology modeling studies

Abstract The dopamine D3 receptor has been implicated as a potential target for drug development in various complex psychiatric disorders including psychosis, drug dependence, and Parkinson's disease. In our overall goal to develop molecules with preferential affinity at D3 receptors, we undertook a hybrid drug development approach by combining a known dopamine agonist moiety with a substituted piperazine fragment. In the present study, three compounds produced this way with preferential D3 agonist activity, were tested at D3 receptors with mutations in the agonist binding pocket of three residues known to be important for agonist binding activity. At S192A and T369V, the hybrid agonist compounds produced an interaction profile in [ 3 H]spiperone binding assays similar to that of the parent 5-OH-DPAT and 7-OH-DPAT molecules. The loss of affinity at the S192A mutant was most prominent for 5-OH-DPAT and its corresponding hybrid compound D237. D110N did not show any radioligand binding. Homology modeling indicated that 7-OH-DPAT-derived D315 uniquely shares H-bonding with Tyr365 which produced favorable interaction and no loss of H-bonding in the S192A mutant, suggesting that agonist activity may not be solely controlled by residues in the binding pocket.
Untreated sleep-disordered breathing: links to aging-related decline in sleep-dependent memory consolidation.

Background Increasing age is associated with a decline in cognition and motor skills, while at the same time exacerbating one's risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA-related cognitive deficits are highly prevalent and can affect various memory systems including overnight memory consolidation on a motor sequence task. Thus, the aim of our study was to examine the effect of aging on sleep-dependent motor memory consolidation in patients with and without OSA.
Classification of members of the Ah gene battery

Abstract Recent progress in identifying human gene targets for dioxin has prompted us to evaluate the current status of the Ah gene battery. We present a classification scheme for assigning members to the Ah gene battery that is based on the strength of evidence for the involvement of the Ah receptor (AhR) in increased rates of gene transcription.
Configuration Mixing Effects in Stripping

The bound "single-particle wave function" into which the stripped particle is inserted is a true single-particle wave function, in the shell-model sense, only if the target nucleus is a closed-shell nucleus. In all other cases the radial shape of this function is altered by configuration mixing effects, and important changes of cross-section magnitudes may ensue. These effects are discussed in the present article, and a detailed comparison is given with the customary phenomenological procedure wherein the configuration mixing effects are estimated in terms of the $Q$ of the reaction.
14.1: Invited Paper: Advanced Technologies for 3D Liquid Crystal Television

To obtain the 3D image quality same as 2D image, a frame sequential method for 3D system has been developed. The major problem of the frame sequential method is a double image so called crosstalk. By applying advanced technologies such as UV2A Ultra Violet induced Vertical Alignment, four primary color and the sophisticated driving technologies to LC-TV, the crosstalk when displaying the 3D image can be removed
An overview of programming language based security

This paper provides a survey of security features in modern programming languages for Computer Science instructors. We present the role that type safety and capabilities provide for the building of secure systems, and how language systems allow designers to model security issues that once were part-and-parcel of Operating Systems, or that can not be modeled by the latter.
Reverberation in a dispersive medium

We study by way of simulations the creation and propagation of noise in a dispersive medium. The noise is generated as the sum of elementary signals and we study the noise like behavior in regards to the properties of the elementary signals and the dispersion relation.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of erythropoietin during therapy in an infant with renal failure

We treated an infant with anemia and chronic renal failure with recombinant human erythropoietin (300 to 750 U/kg subcutaneously per week) and iron (6 mg/kg enterally) from 1 to 4 months of age. A suboptimal pharmacodynamic response was seen at the lower dose. This may have been due to developmental erythropoietin pharmacokinetic differences, that is, relatively greater neonatal plasma clearance and steady-state volume of distribution compared with those in adults.
Modeling and analysis of hierarchical storage system for massive scale multimedia server

In this article, we investigate the performance behavior of the hierarchical storage architecture. To maximize the performance of the hierarchical storage system, the capacity and bandwidth of individual storage hierarchical needs to be well balanced. Another important factor which governs the performance of hierarchical storage system is the user access pattern. We use two orthogonal performance metrics, namely expected service time and system congestion and blocking probability to evaluate the server performance. We establish an analytical formulation for the given performance metrics and investigate how these performance metrics are affected by the parameter of the individual storage hierarchy. This analytical formulation enables us to investigate the effects of different configurations of the storage hierarchy and different data access patterns; it also provides a framework to determine the optimal configuration of storage hierarchies. The results of a simulation-based performance evaluation are also presented.
Protamine immobilization and heparin adsorption on the protamine-bound cellulose fiber membrane.

Immobilization of protamine to the inner lumen of cellulose hollow fibers has been shown useful in preventing both heparin- and protamine-induced complications during an extracorporeal blood circulation procedure. The current study examined the effects of variables on the immobilization of protamine to cyanogen bromide (CNBr)-activated cellulose hollow fibers. The degree of protamine immobilization was controlled by three independent parameters: the amount of CNBr used during the activation process, the duration of the coupling process, and the protamine concentration in the coupling solution. By the adjustment of these parameters, cellulose fibers containing desired amounts of immobilized protamine (ranging from 1 to 20 mg of immobilized protamine per gram of dry fibers) were readily prepared. Heparin adsorption to the protamine-bound cellulose fibers was also examined. The adsorption isotherm followed a Langmuir adsorption model. The amount of heparin adsorbed was dependent on both the heparin concentration in the substrate solution and the protamine loading on the fibers. The Langmuir adsorption constant K was estimated to be 0.37 ± 0.06 mL/mg, whereas the saturation capacity Qs of the protamine-bound fibers increased with increasing the protamine loading.
Redox balance in Cystic Fibrosis

The homeostatic balance between oxidants and antioxidants in biological systems is known as redox balance, and is regulated by complex processes. Redox balance regulates many of the known cellular pathways and disease processes. The dysregulation of redox balance can lead to acute or long-term oxidative or reductive stresses that are associated with many of the abnormalities observed in cystic fibrosis (CF). Over the past 5 decades researchers have examined contributors to redox dysregulation, their molecular products, and their impact on ion transport, cell proliferation, inflammation, bacterial killing, and the metabolism of nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids in CF. CF patients exhibit elevated markers of oxidative stress when compared to non-CF healthy controls; however, whether the reported redox imbalance is sufficient to produce pathology has been controversial. In addition, comparisons between CF and non-CF disease controls have been lacking. To better understand the mechanisms which mediate the generation of oxidants and antioxidants in CF and the importance of their balance in effecting oxidative or reductive stress, we will review the determinants of redox balance in the blood, lumen, and cellular compartments. From the perspective of methodological application, we will focus on the approaches most often used to study oxidant and antioxidants in CF, including biochemical, proteomic, metabolomic, and lipidomic studies, with a discussion of the few transcriptomic analyses that predict changes in the expression of regulators of redox. Finally, we will discuss the utility of oxidants and antioxidants as biomarkers of disease and the use of antioxidant therapy in CF.
Progress on the Micro-X sounding rocket x-ray telescope: completion of flight hardware

Micro-X is a rocket-borne X-ray telescope which will use an array of Transition Edge Sensor (TES) microcalorimeters to obtain high resolution soft X-ray spectra of extended astronomical sources. The microcalorimeter array consists of 128 pixels with a size of 590 μm × 590 μm each. The TESs are read out with a time-division Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) multiplexing system. The instrument's front end assembly, which contains the microcalorimeter array and two SQUID amplification stages, is located at the focal point of a conically approximated Wolter mirror with a focal length of 2100 mm and a point spread function of 2.4 arcmin half-power diameter. The telescope's effective area amounts to ~ 300 cm 2 at 1 keV. The TES array is cooled with an Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator. The first flight of Micro-X is scheduled for 2011, and will likely target a Si knot in the Puppis A supernova remnant. The time available for the observation above an altitude of 160 km will be in excess of 300 seconds. The design, manufacturing and assembly of the flight hardware has recently been completed, and system testing is underway. We describe the final design of the Micro-X instrument, and report on the overall status of the project.
Candida parapsilosis characterization in an outbreak setting.

Candida parapsilosis is an important non-albicans species which infects hospitalized patients. No studies have correlated outbreak infections of C. parapsilosis with multiple virulence factors. We used DNA fingerprinting to determine genetic variability among isolates from a C. parapsilosis outbreak and from our clinical database. We compared phenotypic markers of pathogenesis, including adherence, biofilm formation, and protein secretion (secretory aspartic protease [SAP] and phospholipase). Adherence was measured as colony counts on silicone elastomer disks immersed in agar. Biofilms formed on disks were quantified by dry weight. SAP expression was measured by hydrolysis of bovine albumin; a colorimetric assay was used to quantitate phospholipase. DNA fingerprinting indicated that the outbreak isolates were clonal and genetically distinct from our database. Biofilm expression by the outbreak clone was greater than that of sporadic isolates (p < 0.0005). Adherence and protein secretion did not correlate with strain pathogenicity. These results suggest that biofilm production plays a role in C. parapsilosis outbreaks.
Matching an RF sheath model to a bulk plasma model

In this paper, we present a combined plasma-sheath model designed for the study of high density discharges, or other systems with thin sheaths. Sheaths in high density plasmas are typically less than 1 mm in thickness. When modeling multidimensional discharges, fully resolving the sheaths can be prohibitively expensive computationally, especially when RF power is coupled capacitively into the discharge. However, the sheath impedance often strongly affects instantaneous and period-averaged plasma potential, which in turn can strongly influence crucial processing characteristics such as the ion energy and angular distributions impacting surfaces. In the combined plasma-sheath model we present, the sheaths are treated independently from the plasma region, and different length scales are employed for each. The Godyak-Sternberg sheath model [Phys. Rev. A, 42, 2299 (1990)] is used to represent the sheaths. The bulk plasma portion of the discharge is represented using a fluid model. Boundary conditions at the plasma-sheath interfaces transfer information dynamically between the sheath and bulk plasma portions of the model. Results from the combined plasma-sheath model are compared to results from a discharge model that fully resolves the sheaths, with generally good to excellent agreement. >
Idiopathic Serous Detachment of the Choroid, Ciliary Body, and Retina (Uveal Effusion Syndrome)

Abstract Nine patients with bilateral idiopathic serous detachment of the peripheral choroid, ciliary body, and retina (uveal effusion syndrome)are presented. The following features are emphasized: (1) dilationof episcleral vessels, (2) vitreous cells, (3) characteristic leopardspot pigment epithelial changes, and (4) ultrasonic and angiographic findings. One patient presented with recurrent serous macular detachment and was misdiagnosed as idiopathic central serous choroidopathy. Although the pathogenesis of this syndrome is uncertain, the available clinical and histopathologic findings suggest that obstruction of the venous outflow of the uveal tract occurring predominantly in nanophthalmic or normal size eyes with abnormally thick sclera and vortex vein anomalies may be the primary cause of the uveal and retinal detachment.
Decentralized Channel Access for Wireless Control Systems

Abstract We consider a decentralized channel access mechanism for multiple sensors communicating over a shared wireless medium with corresponding actuators. Each sensor independently and iteratively adjusts the rate at which it accesses the channel, in response to packet collisions arising from simultaneous transmissions. We provide theoretical conditions under which the decentralized mechanism converges to an operating point where desired closed loop performance of all control loops is met. Control performance is abstracted as desired decrease rates of given Lyapunov functions for each loop, which translates to necessary packet success rates on each link. Numerical simulations of the proposed mechanism are presented.
Temporal stability of serum concentrations of cytokines and soluble receptors measured across two years in low-risk HIV-seronegative men.

Background: Prospective cohort studies often quantify serum immune biomarkers at a single time point to determine risk of cancer and other chronic diseases that develop years later. Estimates of the within-person temporal stability of serum markers partly assess the utility of single biomarker measurements and may have important implications for the design of prospective studies of chronic disease risk. Methods: Using archived sera collected from 200 HIV-seronegative men at three visits spaced over approximately 2 years, concentrations of 14 biomarkers (ApoA1, sCD14, sgp130, sIL-6R, sIL-2Rα, sTNFR2, BAFF/BLyS, CXCL13, IFN-γ, interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α) were measured in a single laboratory. Age- and ethnicity-adjusted intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated for each biomarker, and mixed linear regression models were used to examine the influence of age, ethnicity, season, and study site on biomarker concentrations. Results: Across all three study visits, most biomarkers had ICC values indicating fair to excellent within-person stability. ApoA1 (ICC = 0.88) and TNF-α (ICC = 0.87) showed the greatest stability; the ICC for IL-8 (ICC = 0.33) was remarkably less stable. The ICCs were similar when calculated between pairs of consecutive visits. The covariables did not influence biomarker levels or their temporal stability. All biomarkers showed moderate to strong pairwise correlations across visits. Conclusions: Serum concentrations of most evaluated immune biomarkers displayed acceptable to excellent within-person temporal reliability over a 2-year period. Further investigation may be required to clarify the stability of IL-8. Impact: These findings lend support to using these serologic immune biomarkers in prospective studies investigating associations with chronic diseases. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(11); 2009–15. ©2013 AACR .
Peace education and childhood

Peace studies and peace education are multifaceted processes focusing on diverse audiences from children in elementary grades to those involved in political negotiations at the highest levels. This paper addresses the foundational importance of including conflict embedded in adult-child relationships in peace education. It conceptually grounds assignments for university level courses designed to teach concepts linked to peace education through the vehicle of understanding violence against children. Such learning is designed to liberate students from the hegemony of adultism, the colonial relationship between adults and children and in turn to contribute to the advancement of peace education. Such pedagogy reflects the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’s call for educational measures to protect and support children’s human dignity. Such an approach is especially relevant for peace education, as a large body of research across disciplines has provided substantial evidence of a significant relationshi...
Expression and Characterization of Recombinant Human-Derived Pneumocystis carinii Dihydrofolate Reductase

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is the target of trimethoprim (TMP), which has been widely used in combination with sulfa drugs for treatment and prophylaxis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. While the rat-derived P. carinii DHFR has been well characterized, kinetic studies of human-derived P. carinii DHFR, which differs from rat-derived P. carinii DHFR by 38% in amino acid sequence, have not been reported to date. Here we report on the expression and kinetic characterization of the recombinant human-derived P. carinii DHFR. The 618-bp coding sequence of the human-derived P. carinii DHFR gene was expressed in Escherichia coli. As determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel eletrophoresis, the purified enzyme had a molecular mass of 25 kDa, consistent with that predicted from the DNA sequence. Kinetic analysis showed that the K(m) values for dihydrofolate and NADPH were 2.7 +/- 0.3 and 14.0 +/- 4.3 microM, respectively, which are similar to those reported for rat-derived P. carinii DHFR. Inhibition studies revealed that both TMP and pyrimethamine were poor inhibitors of human-derived P. carinii DHFR, with K(i) values of 0.28 +/- 0.08 and 0.065 +/- 0.005 microM, respectively, while trimetrexate and methotrexate were potent inhibitors, with K(i) values of 0.23 +/- 0.03 and 0.016 +/- 0.004 nM, respectively. The availability of purified recombinant enzyme in large quantities should facilitate the identification of antifolate inhibitors with greater potency and higher selectivity for human-derived P. carinii DHFR.
“Miracle And Wonder”: The AMA Embraces Quality Measurement

The American Medical Association's recent quality initiatives show a marked departure from the organization's historical views, says a long-time AMA watcher.
Cultural Heritage and Economic Encounters in the Age of Global Tourism

Keywords: tourism, economics, heritage, globalization, Society for Economic Anthropology annual meeting
Comparison of ISO 7637 transient waveforms to real world automotive transient phenomena

Modern automotive electronic systems must operate as designed while exposed to transient voltages produced on the vehicle's power distribution system via switched inductive loads. ISO 7637-2 presents a number of test pulses that are presumed to simulate the actual transients produced in the vehicle. This paper compares three of those pulses (pulses 1, 3a and 3b) to actual transient events which are the result of contact arcing during deactivation of an inductive load. The paper demonstrates that the pulses 1, 3a, and 3b are overly simplistic representations of a more complex waveform. This over simplification may impact accurate assessment of system robustness in the presence of actual transient events.
The 4F2 Heavy Chain Gene: a Molecular Model of Inducible Gene Expression in Human T Cells

Wehaveutilixedthehuman4F2 heavychain(4F2HC)geneasamodelsystem in studies designed to elucidate the molecular events involved in regulating inducible gene expression during normal human T-cell activation. In previous studies we have shown that steady state levels of 4F2HC mRNA are induced 50-60-fold within 6 h of T-cell activation by phytohemagluttinin (PHA) and that the induction of 4F2HC gene expression involves both the protein kinase C and calcium-mediated activation pathways. Despite the fact that the 4F2HC gene is highly regulated in T cells, the 5’ upstream region of the 4F2HC gene contains a housekeeping promoter which is G + C rich, lacks TATA or CCAAT sequences, and contains four potential binding sites for the ubiquitous Spl transcription factor. The major regulatory elements of the 4F2HC gene do not reside within this 5’ upstream region but instead, map to the exon 1-intron 1 region of the gene. The low levels of mature 4F2HC mRNA in resting T cells result from a block to transcription elongation within the exon 1-intron 1 region of the gene rather than promoter inactivity. Phorbol ester stimulation of resting T cells induces 4F2HC gene expression by removing this block to transcription elongation. We now report that in addition to its ability to serve as a transcriptional attenuator, the 4F2HC first intron contains a powerful enhancer element which is active in a wide variety of cell types including malignant human T cells. Full enhancer activity is displayed by a 186 bp fragment of the first intron which contains binding sites for two novel nuclear proteins (NF-4FA and NF-4FB) which flank a consensus binding site for the AP-1 transcription factor. A cDNA encoding the NF-4FB enhancer binding protein has been cloned by screening a lambda gtl 1 cDNA library with a rabiolabelled oligonucleotide corresponding to the NF-4FB recognition sequence.
The vortex street in the wake of a vibrating cylinder

The von Karman vortex streets formed in the wakes of vibrating smooth cylinders and cables were studied using a hot-wire anemometer and flow visualization by fog injection in a wind tunnel. All the experiments took place in the flow regime where the vibration and vortex-shedding frequencies lock together, or synchronize, to control the formation of the wake. Since the flow in the vortex formation region is fundamental to further understanding of the interaction between a vibrating bluff obstacle and its wake, detailed measurements were made of the formation-region flow for Reynolds numbers between 120 and 350. The formationregion length is shown to be a fundamental parameter for the wake, and is dependent on a shedding parameter St* related to the natureally occurring Strouhal number for the von Karman street. The effects of vibration amplitude and frequency on the mean and fluctuating velocity fields in the wake become apparent when the downstream displacement is scaled with the formation length. The von Karman vortex street behind a vibrating cylinder is divided into three predominant flow regimes: the formation, stable and unstable regions. Fundamental differences exist in the vortex streets generated behind stationary and vibrating cylinders, but many classical characteristics, including the manner of vortex breakdown in the unstable region, are shared by the two systems.
Nutritional modulation of malaria morbidity and mortality.

This review critically examines the relationship between nutritional status and malaria. The data indicate that protein-energy malnutrition is associated with greater malaria morbidity and mortality in humans. In addition, controlled trials of either vitamin A or zinc supplementation show that these nutrients can substantially reduce clinical malaria attacks. Data for iron indicate that supplementation may minimally aggravate certain malariometric indices in some settings and also strongly improve hematologic status. Withholding of iron supplements from deficient population is, therefore, not currently indicated. Available evidence for other nutrients describe varied effects, with some deficiencies being exacerbative (e.g., thiamine), protective (e.g., vitamin E), or both exacerbative and protective in different settings (e.g., riboflavin, vitamin C). The roles of folate, other B vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, and selenium are also examined. Study of the interactions between nutrition and malaria may provide insight to protective mechanisms and result in nutrient-based interventions as low-cost and effective adjuncts to current methods of malaria prevention and treatment.
Changes in biomechanical dysfunction and low back pain reduction with osteopathic manual treatment: Results from the OSTEOPATHIC Trial

The purpose of this study was to measure changes in biomechanical dysfunction following osteopathic manual treatment (OMT) and to assess how such changes predict subsequent low back pain (LBP) outcomes. Secondary analyses were performed with data collected during the OSTEOPATHIC Trial wherein a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial design was used to study OMT for chronic LBP. At baseline, prevalence rates of non-neutral lumbar dysfunction, pubic shear, innominate shear, restricted sacral nutation, and psoas syndrome were determined in 230 patients who received OMT. Five OMT sessions were provided at weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6, and the prevalence of each biomechanical dysfunction was again measured at week 8 immediately before the final OMT session. Moderate pain improvement (≥30% reduction on a 100-mm visual analogue scale) at week 12 defined a successful LBP response to treatment. Prevalence rates at baseline were: non-neutral lumbar dysfunction, 124 (54%); pubic shear, 191 (83%); innominate shear, 69 (30%); restricted sacral nutation, 87 (38%), and psoas syndrome, 117 (51%). Significant improvements in each biomechanical dysfunction were observed with OMT; however, only psoas syndrome remission occurred more frequently in LBP responders than non-responders (P for interaction = 0.002). Remission of psoas syndrome was the only change in biomechanical dysfunction that predicted subsequent LBP response after controlling for the other biomechanical dysfunctions and potential confounders (odds ratio, 5.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.54-16.96). These findings suggest that remission of psoas syndrome may be an important and previously unrecognized mechanism explaining clinical improvement in patients with chronic LBP following OMT.
Functions of the Language Teacher

Author's Summary— No teacher can furnish the pupil with ability. The good teacher can do much to make the learning process more successful and more pleasurable.