cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Density functional study for the bridged dinuclear center based on a high-resolution X-ray crystal structure of ba3 cytochrome c oxidase from Thermus thermophilus.

Strong electron density for a peroxide type dioxygen species bridging the Fea3 and CuB dinuclear center (DNC) was observed in the high-resolution (1.8 A) X-ray crystal structures (PDB entries 3S8G and 3S8F) of ba3 cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) from Thermus thermophilus. The crystals represent the as-isolated X-ray photoreduced CcO structures. The bridging peroxide was proposed to arise from the recombination of two radiation-produced HO• radicals formed either very near to or even in the space between the two metals of the DNC. It is unclear whether this peroxide species is in the O22–, O2•–, HO2–, or the H2O2 form and what is the detailed electronic structure and binding geometry including the DNC. In order to answer what form of this dioxygen species was observed in the DNC of the 1.8 A X-ray CcO crystal structure (3S8G), we have applied broken-symmetry density functional theory (BS-DFT) geometric and energetic calculations (using OLYP potential) on large DNC cluster models with different Fea3–CuB oxidatio...
The Role of Intergenerational Discrepancy of Cultural Orientation in Drug Use among Latina Adolescents

The role of intergenerational discrepancy for cultural orientation was examined in the etiology of drug use among Latina adolescents and in the context of family support. Intergenerational discrepancy occurs when a family member of one generation differs from a family member of another generation in cultural identity factors; this is usually manifested in conflict between a first generation child and the immigrant generation parent. It was hypothesized that the Latina adolescents experiencing intergenerational discrepancy might use drugs more frequently than Latina adolescents who were not; and that family support would be an important moderator of the relationship. A sample of 295 ninth and tenth grade Latina students (approximately 80% Mexican-American) from four Los Angeles area schools were surveyed as part of a larger study. In this secondary analysis, a 2 (family support) × 2 (discrepancy) ANOVA revealed that intergenerational discrepancy was associated with more drug use in certain cases, and that ...
A tightly secure object-oriented data model using both discretionary and mandatory security methodologies

Today's industries, such as the intelligence industry, the medical industry, and the government, rely strongly on object-oriented database systems to protect their highly sensitive data from being infiltrated and/or corrupted by malicious users. Therefore, the need for a reliable database security paradigm has become an immediate concern. Current security methods such as the discretionary method, and the mandatory method address this concern. Although both methods provide significant progresses in database security for object-oriented databases, there still exists a gap between current security measures and a completely secure database system. Our goal in this paper is to narrow this gap by presenting a security data model that combines both the discretionary policies and the mandatory policies as well as establish its own security policies.
Single-agent pulse dactinomycin has only modest activity for methotrexate-resistant gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.

Abstract Objectives . To determine the effectiveness of single-agent pulse dactinomycin for methotrexate-resistant low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN). Methods . Ten patients with low-risk GTN (WHO/FIGO score 2 every 2 weeks. Results . Patients had antecedent pregnancies of complete mole (7), partial mole (1), missed abortion (1), and choriocarcinoma (1). One patient underwent hysterectomy during methotrexate treatment. The mean hCG level and WHO score before dactinomycin was 1476 and 4.1, respectively. Six of 10 (60%) patients achieved complete remission with single-agent pulse dactinomycin. Two others responded to a 5-day regimen of dactinomycin, 1 responded to a multidrug regimen, and 1 had chemo-resistant disease dying of metastatic choriocarcinoma. After median follow-up of 11.9 months, 9 of 10 patients remain without relapse. A mean of 3.3 (1–6) cycles were given—4.5 (3–6) for responders and 1.5 (1–2) for nonresponders. In 33 cycles of chemotherapy administered, there were 46 toxicity events: all events were graded as 1. While WHO scores were comparable between responders and nonresponders (mean 3.8 vs. 4.5), hCG levels were lower in responders (mean 37 vs. 3634) but the sample size was too small to reach statistical significance. Conclusions . Although remission rates of 80–90% have been reported for pulse dactinomycin, patients with methotrexate-resistant GTN had only a 60% remission rate. Prediction of remission may be more closely associated with hCG levels than with WHO score alone.
Prediction of the coolant temperature field in a breeder reactor including interassembly heat transfer

Abstract A general procedure for investigating the effect of interassembly heat transfer on the temperature field of a breeder reactor is provided. This procedure utilizes a simple multi-assembly code SUPERENERGY and a set of normalized assembly maps derived from this code. This procedure has been applied to a typical liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) to study the effect of various concentric rings of coupled assemblies on the temperature prediction of the central assembly. Insignificant perturbation was found from second ring assemblies, while important perturbation was found from first ring assemblies.
Computed tomography in neurodegenerative disorders in childhood.

As most neurodegenerative diseases are inherited, early and correct diagnosis is fundamental for genetic counseling. With the introduction of computed tomography (CT) a new dimension has opened giving objective confirmation of white and grey matter degeneration. The main advantage is the possibility of showing demyelination of white matter as areas of low attenuation. The literature available on etiologically proven degenerative diseases is still relatively scanty. Therefore, although our experience is rather limited, we here describe additional illustrative cases.
Synthetic mucin fragments: benzyl O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1→3)-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-O-[(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1→6)]-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-galactopyranoside and benzyl O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1→3)-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-O-[β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→6)]-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-galactopyranoside

Abstract Treatment of benzyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α- d -galactopyranoside with 4-methoxybenzaldehyde dimethyl acetal in N,N-dimethylformamide in the presence of 4-toluenesulfonic acid afforded the 4,6-O-(4-methoxybenzylidene) acetal, which was glycosylated with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α- d -galactopyranosyl bromide (1). Reductive ring-opening of the acetal group provided a 6-O-(4-methoxybenzyl) derivative (4) which was glycosylated with 1, followed by removal of the 4-methoxybenzyl ether group, to give benzyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3,4-di-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β- d -galactopyranosyl)-α- d -galactopyranoside (7). The disaccharide diol 5, obtained from 4, and benzyl O-(2-acetamido-3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-β- d -glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-O-(2,4,6-tri-O- acetyl-β- d -galactopyranosyl)-(1→3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α- d -galactopyranoside (11) were similarly glycosylated with 1 to afford a trisaccharide derivative 9 and a tetrasaccharide derivative 14, respectively. Diol 11 was also condensed with 2-methyl-(3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-1,2-dideoxy-α- d -glucopyrano)-[2,1-d]-2-oxazoline to give a tetrasaccharide derivative 16. O-Deacetylation of trisaccharides 7 and 9, and tetrasaccharides 14 and 16 furnished trisaccharides 8 and 10, and the title tetrasaccharides 15 and 17, respectively. The structures of compounds 8, 10, 15, and 17 were established by 13C-n.m.r. spectroscopy.
Surgical treatment and prognosis of gastrinoma

Zollinger–Ellison syndrome (ZES) is a clinical syndrome with severe peptic ulcer disease and diarrhea caused by gastric acid hypersecretion secondary to a neuroendocrine tumour that secretes excessive amounts of the hormone gastrin (gastrinoma). Gastrinomas occur in a familial and a sporadic form. Patients with gastrinoma in the familial setting of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1) are seldom, if ever, cured of Zollinger–Ellison syndrome by the current non-Whipple operations to remove duodenal and pancreatic gastrinoma. Surgery is currently used in these patients to deal with the malignant nature of pancreatic or duodenal neuroendocrine tumours. Malignant potential is best determined by tumour size. Tumours that are greater than 2cm in size should be excised. In the sporadic setting, cure occurs in a significant proportion of patients (50%) by surgical resection of gastrinoma. Duodenotomy has improved both the tumour detection rate and the cure rate and should be routinely done. Whipple pancreaticoduodenectomy results in the highest probability of cure in both sporadic and MEN-1 gastrinoma patients as it removes the entire gastrinoma triangle. However, the excellent long-term survival of these patients with lesser operations and the increased operative mortality and long-term morbidity of Whipple make its current role unclear until further studies are done.
Creative abilities in identical and fraternal twins.

The present research set out to investigate the possibility of a genetic component in creative ability The pool of subjects for this study consisted of 117 pairs of twins, 13–19 years of age, divided into 28 pairs of identical males, 19 pairs of fraternal males, 35 pairs of identical females, and 35 pairs of fraternal females. A battery of ten creativity tests, including five developed by Guilford, and one measure of verbal intelligence were administered to each subject. The majority of intraclass correlations for both the monozygotic and dizygotic twins on the 11 measures attained statistical significance, with the correlations tending to be somewhat higher in the identical twin groups. When the intrapair variances of the identical and fraternal twins were contrasted directly on the various tests, there were few statistically significant results. Intercorrelations between the 11 tests compared two at a time revealed higher correlations in the monozygotic group, indicating a somewhat more consistent performance from test to test. The overall results, however, failed to provide convincing evidence of a genetic component in creativity.
The Benefits and Costs of Food Safety Policies: Discussion

This session takes place at a historic moment. After more than a decade of scientific and political debate about how to reduce risks from food-borne microbial pathogens, the USDA published the final rule for pathogen reduction in meat and poultry in July 1996. This new regulation represents a major policy shift from the past ninety years of meat industry regulation. Furthermore, it sets the stage for the evolution of a more comprehensive approach to pathogen reduction. It is less widely appreciated that the development of new food safety regulation coincides with a growing demand for cost/benefit analysis of government intervention in markets (Collins). This trend will create new demands for research and analysis in the agricultural economics profession. Thus, it is timely to consider the theoretical foundations for analyzing food safety policies. The authors in this session explore the economic framework for evaluating food safety policies, particularly the recent mandated use of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, to prevent microbial foodborne pathogens in meat, poultry, and seafood. Van Ravenswaay and Hoehn (VRH) lay out a comprehensive model of consumer behavior that provides a framework for benefits analysis of any food safety hazard or policy. The contribution of the model is its focus on consumer behavior and the different ways that consumers may respond to hazards. It would allow us to estimate, for example, how the costs of averting or avoidance activities influence consumer behavior. The VRH model also allows explicit consideration of how private actions can substitute for public interventions. This is important because a failure to consider this interdependence can lead to incorrect valuation of reduced risk and misidentification of those who value it
Surgical Management of Neck and Low Back Pain

Surgical intervention for neck pain and low back pain may be of benefit to some patients. It should be considered, however, only in cases where medical management has failed and there is a clearly identifiable anatomic lesion that likely is the pain generator. Indications, preoperative evaluation, and common surgical procedures are reviewed.
The Influence of Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training on Resident Assistants’ Mental Health

This study explored the mental health influence on resident assistants associated with their training in suicide prevention and their subsequent role as campus mental health gatekeepers. Despite considerable prior personal experience with their own suicidal thinking as well as with others who have thoughts of suicide, a multiple regression analysis revealed that resident assistants in this study appear resilient to situational stress experienced with resident mental health interventions. Implications for campus gatekeeper training are discussed.
Observations of the Saturn D ring

Observations of Saturn at both large and small phase angles were obtained in the 890-nm methane band with a solid state charge coupled device (CCD). When model intensity profiles are convolved with appropriate point spread functions, intensity levels ranging from 5 to 3% of the maximum of ring B are required in the ring D region of the models to match the data, in substantial agreement with previous results obtained through photographic photometry. The normal optical thickness of the D ring is about 0.02 and seems to show the same phase function as the other rings. The division between the C and D ring was not observed, possibly due to the seeing limited image resolution.
BK viral nephropathy: an overview☆

BK virus infection is being increasingly recognized in organ transplant recipients. This article traces the development of our knowledge about this emerging pathogen over the past decade. The pathobiology of the virus is considered with particular reference to epidemiology, virus-host receptor interaction, cellular trafficking, and replication of the viral genome in the nucleus. Mechanisms of viral damage to the allograft kidney are considered. There is also a discussion of clinical presentation, laboratory diagnosis, and treatment modalities.
The role of sodium and calcium lons in osmoregulation in Hydra littoralis

1 The frequency of column contractions in Hydra littoralis (taken as a measure of the rate of water elimination) is maximal at about 5 × 10−4M Na+, and falls off markedly at higher and lower concentrations, even though total medium osmotic pressure is kept constant by replacement with K+. 2 Reduction in Ca++ concentration causes a reduction in the frequency of column contractions. This reduction is half-maximal at about 4.8 × 10−4 M Ca++. 3 The significance of these findings in the light of the osmoregulatory mechanism in Hydra is discussed, and it is suggested that Na+ plays a regulatory role in the mechanism of extrusion of water and salts from the cells to the gastrovascular cavity.
Association Between Plantar Fasciitis and Isolated Contracture of the Gastrocnemius

Background: Current evidence suggests that limited ankle dorsiflexion is an etiologic factor for plantar fasciitis. This limitation can arise from either an isolated contracture of the gastrocnemius or from a contracture of the gastrocnemius-soleus complex. This study's aim was to determine the proportion of patients with plantar fasciitis that have an associated isolated gastrocnemius contracture. Materials and Methods: This investigation was a prospective evaluation of patients with either acute or chronic plantar fasciitis. Two hundred fifty-four patients with plantar fasciitis were included. Patients were assessed for the existence of limited ankle dorsiflexion which was further characterized by noting the presence of an isolated gastrocnemius contracture or contracture of the gastrocnemius-soleus complex. The patient's duration of symptoms, type of occupation, and body mass index were also documented. Patients with acute plantar fasciitis were defifined as having symptom duration of 9 months or less ...
Exploring the Type-of-Crime Hypothesis, Religiosity, and Spirituality in an Adult Male Prison Population

This study examined the association between measures of spirituality and religiosity and characteristics of current criminal conviction in a male prison population. Spirituality was operationalized as spiritual well-being and existential well-being. Religiosity was operationalized as frequency of religious service attendance, whether an individual considered himself to be religious, and how strongly an individual believed his religious beliefs influenced his behavior. Inmates whose convictions were property related reported greater spiritual wellbeing, were more likely to consider themselves religious, and to say that religious beliefs influenced their behavior than inmates whose crimes were not property related. Inmates whose convictions were drug related were less likely to consider themselves religious, and inmates whose conviction involved violence were more likely to consider themselves religious but less likely to endorse statements that religious beliefs influenced their behavior. The distinction between religiosity and spirituality is discussed in terms of the type-of-crime hypothesis.
Ecdysone 20-hydroxylase from the midgut of the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta L.)

An ecdysone 20-hydroxylase enzyme system that converts α-ecdysone to 20-hydroxyecdysone was prepared from the midgut of the tobacco hornworm prepupa. This partially purified enzyme is NADPH dependent and is localized in the mitochondrial fraction of the midgut tissue.
Frequency and Outcomes of Liver Transplantation for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in the United States

Background & Aims The relative frequency of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) as an indication for liver transplantation and comparative outcomes following transplantation are poorly understood. Methods We analyzed the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients for primary adult liver transplant recipients from 2001 to 2009. Results From 2001 to 2009, 35,781 patients underwent a primary liver transplant, including 1959 for who NASH was the primary or secondary indication. The percentage of patients undergoing a liver transplant for NASH increased from 1.2% in 2001 to 9.7% in 2009. NASH is now the third most common indication for liver transplantation in the United States. No other indication for liver transplantation increased in frequency during the study period. Compared with other indications for liver transplantation, recipients with NASH are older (58.5 ± 8.0 vs 53.0 ± 8.9 years; P 30 kg/m 2 ) (63% vs 32%; P P P P = .67). Patient and graft survival for liver recipients with NASH were similar to values for other indications after adjusting for level of creatinine, sex, age, and body mass index. Conclusions NASH is the third most common indication for liver transplantation in the United States and is on a trajectory to become the most common. Outcomes for patients undergoing a liver transplant for NASH are similar to those for other indications.
Teaching About Religion in Public Schools: Where Do We Go From Here?

A 2010 survey released by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found “large numbers of Americans are uninformed about the tenets, practices, history and leading figures of major faith traditio...
A Powerful and Robust Method for Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci in General Pedigrees

The variance-components model is the method of choice for mapping quantitative trait loci in general human pedigrees. This model assumes normally distributed trait values and includes a major gene effect, random polygenic and environmental effects, and covariate effects. Violation of the normality assumption has detrimental effects on the type I error and power. One possible way of achieving normality is to transform trait values. The true transformation is unknown in practice, and different transformations may yield conflicting results. In addition, the commonly used transformations are ineffective in dealing with outlying trait values. We propose a novel extension of the variance-components model that allows the true transformation function to be completely unspecified. We present efficient likelihood-based procedures to estimate variance components and to test for genetic linkage. Simulation studies demonstrated that the new method is as powerful as the existing variance-components methods when the normality assumption holds; when the normality assumption fails, the new method still provides accurate control of type I error and is substantially more powerful than the existing methods. We performed a genomewide scan of monoamine oxidase B for the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. In that study, the results that are based on the existing variance-components method changed dramatically when three outlying trait values were excluded from the analysis, whereas our method yielded essentially the same answers with or without those three outliers. The computer program that implements the new method is freely available.
Modulation of Human Glutamate Transporter Activity by Phorbol Ester

Termination of synaptic glutamate transmission depends on rapid removal of glutamate by neuronal and glial high-affinity transporters. Molecular biological and pharmacological studies have demonstrated that at least five subtypes of Na+-dependent mammalian glutamate transporters exist. Our study demonstrates that Y-79 human retinoblastoma cells express a single Na+-dependent glutamate uptake system with a Km of 1.7 +/- 0.42 microM that is inhibited by dihydrokainate and DL-threo-beta-hydroxyaspartate (IC50 = 0.29 +/- 0.17 microM and 2.0 +/- 0.43 microM, respectively). The protein kinase C activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of glutamate uptake (IC50 = 0.56 +/- 0.05 nM), but did not affect Na+-dependent glycine uptake significantly. This inhibition of glutamate uptake resulted from a fivefold decrease in the transporter's affinity for glutamate, without significantly altering the Vmax. 4Alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate, a phorbol ester that does not activate protein kinase C, did not alter glutamate uptake significantly. The phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced inhibition of glutamate uptake was reversed by preincubation with staurosporine. The biophysical and pharmacological profile of the human glutamate transporter expressed by the Y-79 cell line indicates that it belongs to the dihydrokainate-sensitive EAAT2/GLT-1 subtype. This conclusion was confirmed by western blot analysis. Protein kinase C modulation of glutamate transporter activity may represent a mechanism to modulate extracellular glutamate and shape postsynaptic responses.
Characteristics of a hydro-acoustic ferrofluid projector

Abstract A hydro-acoustic projector has been constructed with a ferrofluid as the magneto-acoustic transduction material. It has a toroidal shape; a dc magnetic bias field magnetizes the particles, and an ac field causes bulk movement of the fluid inside the toroid in a radial direction.
Differential impact of naltrexone on luteinizing hormone release during single versus repetitive exposure to restraint stress

Abstract The objective of the present study was to determine the impact of repeated exposure to the same stressor on opiate receptor-mediated inhibition of basal and stress-related alterations of pituitary LH release. Groups of intact adult male rats were exposed to 8 hr of restraint stress for either 1 or 14 consecutive days. Animals in each group were injected intravenously with the specific opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone (NALT, 2 mg/kg bodyweight) or the vehicle saline (SAL) prior to the final scheduled stress episode. Rats pretreated with SAL prior to the single exposure to stress exhibited an increase in plasma LH over the 1st hr of stress, followed by a decline in hormone levels, which reached significance between 3 and 7 hr after initiation of the stress. NALT pretreatment of rats prior to restraint significantly blunted the suppressive effect of stress on circulating LH. Rats repeatedly exposed to stress did not show any significant alteration in plasma LH levels from prestress values at any time during their final stress episode. Pretreatment of chronically stressed rats with NALT before reexposure to stress resulted in plasma hormone levels that were not different from those in animals pretreated with SAL. When the opioid antagonist was administered to animals 24 hr after termination of single or multiple exposures to restraint, NALT-induced increases in basal plasma LH were significantly attenuated in the chronically stressed rats compared to animals subjected to stress only once or not at all. These results indicate that repeated daily exposure to restraint stress can result in the habituation of the hypothalamo-pituitary LH hormonal axis to the suppressive effects of this stress on hormone release. This study also suggests that multiple stress may promote a decline in the inhibitory tonus mediated by opioid receptors on hormone release during stress reexposure and may diminish opioid influence on basal LH release, at least within a 24-hr period following exposure to stress.
Marked restoration of density and total number of mature (knob-bearing) olfactory receptor neurons in rats recovering from early hypothyroid-induced growth retardation

Abstract Our recent studies have shown that restoration of thyroid function in developing hypothyroid rats results in upregulation of olfactory neurogenesis and compensatory proliferation of olfactory receptor neurons (ORN) in the olfactory epithelium (OE) (Paternostro and Meisami, Dev. Brain Res. , 76 (1993) 151–161; ibid., 83 (1994) 151–162). It was not clear, however, whether the newly forming ORNs undergo complete maturational stages. To determine the effects of restoration of thyroid function on maturation of ORNs, the density and total number of mature ORNs were estimated in the OE of euthyroid and hypothyroid rats at postnatal days 1, 12, 25 and 90 and the results were compared with those in rats allowed to recover from early thyroid deficiency at weaning (day 25). As a marker for mature ORNs, and on the basis of one olfactory dendritic knob per ORN, the density and total number of the olfactory knobs were determined in the entire extent of the OE covering the nasal septum. Hypothyroidism was induced by adding propylthioracil (PTU) to the drinking water (1 g/1) from birth until days 12, 25 or 90 of age. Recovery from hypothyroidism was induced by withdrawal of PTU at day 25, leading to restoration of thyroid function and somatic growth recovery. The density of olfactory knobs was determined in 1 μm semi-thin sections stained with toluidine blue. In the normal rats, the number of olfactory knobs ( = mature ORNs) increase 8.5- and 3-fold during postnatal days 1–25 and 25–90 respectively, reaching a mean value of 4×10 6 /septal OE, compared to 2.8- and 1.4-fold, respectively, for the hypothyroid rats. This led to deficits of 51% and 76% in the number of mature ORNs in the 25- and 90-day-old hypothyroid rats. In rats allowed to recover, the number of mature ORNs increased 4.5-fold during postnatal days 25–90 (3 × > hypothyroid rats and 1.5 × > controls). The results indicate marked upregulation of the maturational process of the ORNs and their compensatory accretion within the OE of the recovery group. The recovery process was not complete however, as indicated by a remaining deficint of about 25% in the total number of mature ORN, compared to normal 90-day controls. Thus thyroid hormones are essential for accretion of new mature ORNs in both the suckling and postweaning rats. Also, the ORNs show a remarkable ability to recover from severe early hypothyroid-induced growth retardation and attain normal mature state.
Reaction of methyl radicals with atomic oxygen

The reaction of hydrogen atoms with diazomethane was used as a source of methyl radicals to study the reaction of oxygen atoms with methyl radicals. This investigation verifies directly the earlier results that formaldehyde is a major product and that the rate constant is greater than 3×10−11cm3 molecule−1 sec−1.
Sex differences in the shape of the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area and suprachiasmatic nucleus of the rat: 3-D computer reconstructions and morphometrics*

Three-dimensional images of nuclei facilitate morphological comparisons between differing animal groups. As revealed by computer-assisted techniques, the greater volume in male rats of the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area was not proportional in all directions. The nucleus was more elongated in males than females, indicating a sex-dependent shape. This study also indicated that the volume of the suprachiasmatic nucleus was larger in males.
In the lab and out in the wild: remote web usability testing for mobile devices

In this paper we discuss a pilot usability study using wireless Internet-enabled personal digital assistants (PDAs). We compared usability data gathered in traditional lab studies with a proxy-based clickstream logging and analysis tool. We found that this remote testing technique can more easily gather many of the content-related usability issues, but device-related issues are more difficult to capture.
A Bayesian semiparametric joint hierarchical model for longitudinal and survival data

This article proposes a new semiparametric Bayesian hierarchical model for the joint modeling of longitudinal and survival data. We relax the distributional assumptions for the longitudinal model using Dirichlet process priors on the parameters defining the longitudinal model. The resulting posterior distribution of the longitudinal parameters is free of parametric constraints, resulting in more robust estimates. This type of approach is becoming increasingly essential in many applications, such as HIV and cancer vaccine trials, where patients' responses are highly diverse and may not be easily modeled with known distributions. An example will be presented from a clinical trial of a cancer vaccine where the survival outcome is time to recurrence of a tumor. Immunologic measures believed to be predictive of tumor recurrence were taken repeatedly during follow-up. We will present an analysis of this data using our new semiparametric Bayesian hierarchical joint modeling methodology to determine the association of these longitudinal immunologic measures with time to tumor recurrence.
``Just so'' neutrino oscillations

Abstract We examine in detail the possibility that the low rates observed in the chlorine solar neutrino experiment are due to vacuum oscillations between just two neutrino species — a possibility which remains viable over a finite mass range. We calculate the expected signals, seasonal variations, and effects of time-averaging for both chlorine and gallium based solar neutrino detectors. These provide unique signals for such oscillations, and thus also allow them to be distinguished from the recently proposed resonant neutrino conversion process, as well as from other possible causes of the observed suppression. Finally we display several striking signatures of oscillations relevant to future experiments which may be sensitive to the incident neutrino energy spectrum.
Role of Dopamine D4 Receptors in Motor Hyperactivity Induced by Neonatal 6-Hydroxydopamine Lesions in Rats

The role of dopamine D4 receptors in behavioral hyperactivity was investigated by assessing D4 receptor expression in brain regions and behavioral effects of D4 receptor-selective ligands in juvenile rats with neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine lesions, a laboratory model for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Autoradiographic analysis indicated that motor hyperactivity in lesioned rats was closely correlated with increases in D4 but not D2 receptor levels in caudate-putamen. D4-selective antagonist CP-293,019 dose-dependently reversed lesion-induced hyperactivity, and D4-agonist CP-226,269 increased it. These results indicate a physiological role of dopamine D4 receptors in motor behavior, and may suggest much-needed innovative treatments for ADHD.
The Relation Between Psychological Empowerment, Service Quality, and Job Satisfaction Among Certified Nursing Assistants

Nursing home reform has recently targeted workplace culture change with initiatives that are thought to empower employees. Most research has explored outcomes of these strategies with little focus on certified nursing assistants' (CNAs) perceptions of empowerment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate CNAs' experience of empowerment (psychological empowerment) and their perceptions of the facility's ability to serve the needs of the residents (service quality). Results showed that CNAs' perceptions of empowerment and facility-level service quality were strongly related to job satisfaction, accounting for almost 46% of the variance in job satisfaction.
Air pollution in Boston bars before and after a smoking ban.

We quantified the air quality benefits of a smoke-free workplace law in Boston Massachusetts, U.S.A., by measuring air pollution from secondhand smoke (SHS) in 7 pubs before and after the law, comparing actual ventilation practices to engineering society (ASHRAE) recommendations, and assessing SHS levels using health and comfort indices. We performed real-time measurements of respirable particle (RSP) air pollution and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PPAH), in 7 pubs and outdoors in a model-based design yielding air exchange rates for RSP removal. We also assessed ventilation rates from carbon dioxide concentrations. We compared RSP air pollution to the federal Air Quality Index (AQI) and the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) to assess health risks, and assessed odor and irritation levels using published SHS-RSP thresholds. Pre-smoking-ban RSP levels in 6 pubs (one pub with a non-SHS air quality problem was excluded) averaged 179 μg/m3, 23 times higher than post-ban levels, which averaged 7.7 μg/m3, exceeding the NAAQS for fine particle pollution (PM2.5) by nearly 4-fold. Pre-smoking ban levels of fine particle air pollution in all 7 of the pubs were in the Unhealthy to Hazardous range of the AQI. In the same 6 pubs, pre-ban indoor carcinogenic PPAH averaged 61.7 ng/m3, nearly 10 times higher than post-ban levels of 6.32 ng/m3. Post-ban particulate air pollution levels were in the Good AQI range, except for 1 venue with a defective gas-fired deep-fat fryer, while post-ban carcinogen levels in all 7 pubs were lower than outdoors. During smoking, although pub ventilation rates per occupant were within ASHRAE design parameters for the control of carbon dioxide levels for the number of occupants present, they failed to control SHS carcinogens or RSP. Nonsmokers' SHS odor and irritation sensory thresholds were massively exceeded. Post-ban air pollution measurements showed 90% to 95% reductions in PPAH and RSP respectively, differing little from outdoor concentrations. Ventilation failed to control SHS, leading to increased risk of the diseases of air pollution for nonsmoking workers and patrons. Boston's smoking ban eliminated this risk.
Intracranial migration of Eucoleus (Capillaria) boehmi in a dog.

A 4-year-old, spayed-female great Dane was referred for surgical treatment of a suspected meningioma, diagnosed on magnetic resonance imaging 10 days prior to presentation. The suspected meningioma was removed via image-guided stereotactic craniotomy. Histopathological diagnosis was severe, locally extensive, chronic meningoencephalitis with an intralesional nematode egg. The egg was morphologically consistent with Eucoleus boehmi, and aberrant migration into the cranial cavity was the presumed cause of this lesion. Three faecal samples were collected and revealed 4+ E. boehmi eggs. Treatment involved 110 mg/kg fenbendazole (Panacur, Intervet) orally twice daily for 14 days. Nematodes including E. boehmi are a previously un-recognised source of intracranial disease in dogs, and should be considered as a differential for mass-like lesions visualised by magnetic resonance imaging.
Cation-π Interactions Involving Aromatic Amino Acids

The cation-pi interaction is a general, strong, noncovalent binding force that is used throughout nature. The side chains of the aromatic amino acids [phenylalanine (Phe), tyrosine (Tyr), and tryptophan (Trp)] provide a surface of negative electrostatic potential than can bind to a wide range of cations through a predominantly electrostatic interaction. In this brief overview, the fundamental nature of the cation-pi interaction will be described, relying on fundamental, gas phase studies of the effect. Then, several examples of cation-pi interactions involving aromatic amino acids will be described. These include contributions to protein secondary structure, in which Phe/Tyr/Trp...lysine (Lys)/arginine interactions are common. We will also describe several examples of protein-ligand interactions that make use of cation-pi interactions. We will place special emphasis on the binding of quaternary ammonium ions, such as trimethylated Lys and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
América Latina: la acumulación de capital, la salud y el papel de las instituciones internacionales

During the second half of the 20th century, there have been great transformations in the world's social and political organization. While the colonial system was being dismantled, international institutions were being built and the large multinational enterprises that took on the function of capital accumulation for the new transnational bourgeoisie began to emerge. This paper analyzes such transformation in the health sector and provides information on the role of international institutions in capital accumulation. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization are used as examples, as well as international cooperation agencies. Two major policies are addressed: health reforms and medicine-related policies. The analysis shows that reforms and medicine-related policies have not aimed at complying with the Latin American countries' constitutional mandate requiring Governments to provide health services to everyone but at accumulating capital. Multinational enterprises have used international institutions to ensure their aim of accumulating capital, and the paper concludes by suggesting that they were created for that purpose.
OSM-11 Facilitates LIN-12 Notch Signaling during Caenorhabditis elegans Vulval Development

Notch signaling is critical for cell fate decisions during development. Caenorhabditis elegans and vertebrate Notch ligands are more diverse than classical Drosophila Notch ligands, suggesting possible functional complexities. Here, we describe a developmental role in Notch signaling for OSM-11, which has been previously implicated in defecation and osmotic resistance in C. elegans. We find that complete loss of OSM-11 causes defects in vulval precursor cell (VPC) fate specification during vulval development consistent with decreased Notch signaling. OSM-11 is a secreted, diffusible protein that, like previously described C. elegans Delta, Serrate, and LAG-2 (DSL) ligands, can interact with the lineage defective-12 (LIN-12) Notch receptor extracellular domain. Additionally, OSM-11 and similar C. elegans proteins share a common motif with Notch ligands from other species in a sequence defined here as the Delta and OSM-11 (DOS) motif. osm-11 loss-of-function defects in vulval development are exacerbated by loss of other DOS-motif genes or by loss of the Notch ligand DSL-1, suggesting that DOS-motif and DSL proteins act together to activate Notch signaling in vivo. The mammalian DOS-motif protein Deltalike1 (DLK1) can substitute for OSM-11 in C. elegans development, suggesting that DOS-motif function is conserved across species. We hypothesize that C. elegans OSM-11 and homologous proteins act as coactivators for Notch receptors, allowing precise regulation of Notch receptor signaling in developmental programs in both vertebrates and invertebrates.
Defining biomedical informatics competency: the foundations of a profession.

Is biomedical informatics a science or a profession? This question has been asked of many members in the biomedical informatics community, yet we still lack a response that galvanizes our community. We debate the issues over lunch. We create long, multi-threaded e-mail discussions, we write papers on the topic, and still we aren’t able to convince ourselves—let alone the rest of the scientific community. In this paper, I will describe a curriculum model for biomedical informatics and research that is developing at Columbia University, Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI). We believe that a strong educational foundation creates competent professionals who, in turn, comprise a bioinformatics culture. The outcome of DBMI’s curriculum design and competency project will be a set of biomedical informatics competencies which we believe will define the core knowledge and skills of the field.
Measuring the folding transition time of single RNA molecules

We describe a new, time-apertured photon correlation method for resolving the transition time between two states of RNA in folding--i.e., the time of the transition between states rather than the time spent in each state. Single molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy are used to obtain these measurements. Individual RNA molecules are labeled with fluorophores such as Cy3 and Cy5. Those molecules are then immobilized on a surface and observed for many seconds during which time the molecules spontaneously switch between two conformational states with different levels of flourescence resonance energy transfer efficiency. Single photons are counted from each fluorophore and cross correlated in a small window around a transition. The average of over 1000 cross correlations can be fit to a polynomial, which can determine transition times as short as the average photon emission interval. We applied the method to the P4-P6 domain of the Tetrahymena group I self-splicing intron to yield the folding transition time of 240 micros. The unfolding time is found to be too short to measure with this method.
Speech enhancement based on a log-spectral amplitude estimator and a postfilter derived from clean speech codebook

In this paper, we propose a single channel speech enhancement system where a postfilter, which is derived from a clean speech codebook, is applied after a log-spectral amplitude estimator. The primary motivation of this approach is to include prior knowledge about clean source signals to improve speech enhancement results. The codebook, which is trained from clean speech database, serves as clean speech spectral constraints on the enhanced speech. By using the prior clean source information, the proposed method can effectively remove the residual noise presented in traditional speech enhancement algorithms while leaving the speech information intact. Experimental results of the proposed speech enhancement system show improvement in residual noise reduction.
Still stressed out but doing fine: normalization of wall stress is superfluous to maintaining cardiac function in chronic pressure overload.

Classically, myocardial hypertrophy is viewed as a long-term adaptive response of cardiac muscle to altered mechanical loading conditions, in which increasing wall thickness serves as the means to restore wall stress to normal, obeisant to the law of Laplace.1 The concept of local biomechanical stress as an instigator for this has been made clear through animal models, studies of cardiac muscle cells stretched in tissue culture, and long-standing clinical wisdom as with obstruction to right versus left ventricular outflow, respectively. Perhaps the most nebulous aspect of load-induced hypertrophy remains the exact identity of the initial mechanoreceptors—mechanical sensor(s) that become activated by a hemodynamic burden — although molecules that physically connect the cytoskeleton to the cell’s extracellular environment are among the prime candidates, including integrins and focal adhesion kinases. Much more is known of the intracellular signaling pathways that lie biochemically and genetically downstream from these initiating events, such as the secretion of preformed growth factors and cytokines, acting in autocrine or paracrine fashion, as well as the upregulation of the production of such proteins locally within the heart.1–3 In the context of whole-animal and clinical physiology, systemic effects, including an increase in catecholamines, also come into play. These multiple signals (ligand-dependent and overlaid on those induced by load itself) are transmitted to the cell nucleus via an intricate web of interlinked protein kinases, phospholipid kinases, and protein phosphatases.1–3 Beyond just increased mass, the specific long-term transcriptional responses to load entail a myriad of quantitative and qualitative changes in cardiac gene expression that are reminiscent of fetal cardiac myocytes, and are now understood to encompass contractile proteins, ion pumps and channels, secreted proteins, signaling proteins, enzymes involved in cardiac energetics, components of the extracellular matrix, and even regulators of …
Profile of ragweed hay fever symptom control with terfenadine started before or after symptoms are established.

Summary Forty-two ragweed hay fever patients participated in a study which examined the profile of symptom relief provided by terfenadine, and the relative adequacy of symptom control with the drug given from the beginning of the season compared with treatment started after symptoms were well established. Compared with placebo, terfenadine effectively relieved sneeze, itch and eye symptoms. It had no effect on running, blowing and drainage. Subjectively perceived congestion benefited marginally. When the drug was begun after symptoms were well established, sneezing responded quickly and maximally. Eye discomfort lessened but not to the level experienced by those dosed from the beginning of the season. The pattern in other symptom categories was less clear. Overall, terfenadine improved all rhinitis symptoms except those related to hypersecretion. Some symptoms appeared to respond better when drug dosing commenced at the beginning of the season.