cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exogenous expression of SAMHD1 inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma-derived HuT78 cells

Sterile α motif and HD domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) is a mammalian dNTP hydrolase (dNTPase) that regulates intracellular dNTP balance. We have previously reported that SAMHD1 mRNA and protein levels are significantly downregulated in CD4+ T-cells of patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a disease characterized by infiltration of neoplastic CD4+ T-lymphocytes into the skin. However, functional significance of SAMHD1 in CTCL development and progression remains unknown. Here we investigate the mechanism by which SAMHD1 induces apoptosis in CTCL-derived CD4+ T-cells. We stably expressed exogenous SAMHD1 in the CTCL-derived HuT78 T-cell line containing a very low level of endogenous SAMHD1 protein. We found that low-level exogenous expression of SAMHD1 led to a significant reduction in HuT78 cell growth, proliferation, and colony formation. Exogenous SAMHD1 expression in HuT78 cells also resulted in increased spontaneous and Fas ligand (Fas-L)-induced apoptosis levels via activation of the extrinsic pathway, including caspase-8, -3 and -7. Additionally, increased SAMHD1 significantly reduced the protein and mRNA expression of the short isoform of cFLIP (cFLIPS), an important negative regulator of Fas-L-mediated apoptotic signaling. Our results indicate that exogenous SAMHD1 expression inhibits HuT78 cell growth and proliferation in part by increasing apoptosis. These findings implicate that SAMHD1 acts as an inhibitor in CTCL cell growth, suggesting that downregulation of SAMHD1 expression in neoplastic T-cells can facilitate uncontrolled cell proliferation.
Coding and Reimbursement of Evaluation and Management Services

Evaluation and management (E/M) services make up a very large proportion of the codes used by physicians and are the most frequently used codes in the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) lexicon. As reimbursement for surgical procedures is declining overall, surgeons must pay more attention to their E/M coding and reimbursement, as it makes up a larger and larger share of their revenues. However, E/M coding is significantly more complicated than CPT coding for procedures. Coding of E/M services such as new patient visits, established patient visits, hospital admission, and consultations is done at various levels of service. E/M coding depends on physician documentation in three key components: history, physical examination, and medical decision making. All of the required key components must meet or exceed the stated requirements to qualify for a particular level of service. There has been a recent shift in the use of the codes to higher levels of complexity by physicians. There is also increasing scrutiny of misuse of these codes being done by auditing and recovery agencies.
Computational Advances in Robot Kinematics

This paper presents an overview of the current state-of-the-art in solving the sets of nonlinear equations which arise in robot kinematics. It reviews some recent results and the history and fundamental concepts of the most widely used computational methods. The paper deals mainly with equations with numerical coefficients, since for such equations methods have been developed which, in principle, will allow for the determination of all solutions.
Abstract 418: Is Depression a Risk Factor for Peripheral Arterial Disease? Insights from the Heart and Soul Study

Objectives: Risk factors for peripheral artery disease (PAD) are tightly linked to those for coronary artery disease (CAD). Although depression is known to increase risk of CAD, fewer studies have evaluated depression and PAD, and the mechanisms linking depression and PAD remain unknown. We examined the association of depression with prevalent PAD and with prospective PAD events and evaluated potential mediators of these associations. Methods: We used data from the Heart and Soul Study, a prospective cohort of 1,024 men and women with CAD recruited in 2000-2002 and followed for a mean of 7.2 years with Results: At baseline, depression affected 19% of patients. Prevalent PAD was reported by 12.1% of patients with depression and 7.3% of those without (age-adjusted OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.06-3.03, p=0.03). In age-adjusted models, physical inactivity, diabetes, and CRP level each explained more than 5% of the association between depression and prevalent PAD. During follow-up, PAD events occurred in 9% of patients with depression and 6% of those without (age-adjusted HR 1.77, 95% CI 1.02-3.07, p=0.04). Factors explaining more than 5% of the association between depression and incident PAD events included inactivity, diabetes, prevalent PAD, race/ethnicity, smoking, HDL, and triglyceride levels. Conclusions: Depression was associated with a greater risk of PAD at baseline and with prospective PAD events, providing evidence that depression is an important risk factor for the development of PAD. Since elevations in traditional, modifiable cardiovascular risk factors partially explain these associations, such risk factors should be assessed and aggressively treated. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the importance of depression screening and treatment in patients with PAD.
Short‐term response of snowshoe hares to western larch restoration and seasonal needle drop

Old-growth western larch has been degraded throughout much of its historic range due to extensive timber harvest and fire suppression. We examined the effects of a restoration treatment of western larch on snowshoe hares, a denizen of the boreal forest serving as a focal animal species to indicate the health of the restored ecosystem. We implemented a restoration treatment using “doughnut thinning” to accelerate development of old-growth attributes in larch stands and simultaneously examined the short-term effects on snowshoe hare density, survival, and movement. Although typical forest management activities tend to have adverse effects on hares especially in the short term, we found that the restoration treatment did not affect hare density or survival in the short term. In addition, despite significant decreases in cover coinciding with the larch needle drop, we found evidence of year-round immigration into larch stands by hares suggesting larch stands are suitable year-round hare habitat. Taken together, our findings suggest that a larch restoration treatment designed to accelerate the development of old-growth attributes can be implemented so as to have no measurable short-term detrimental effects on hares.
Transitioning from a Human Right to an Infrastructure Service: Water, Wastewater, and Displaced Persons in Germany.

Water and sanitation utilities across Europe have recently been challenged to provide services to asylum seekers and refugees fleeing complex humanitarian disasters. We explore public perceptions regarding how secondary disaster impacts (mass migration into an undamaged area) has impacted the utilities. We show that the hosting population is typically willing to provide water and sanitation services to displaced persons for a set period of time, even if the displaced persons are unable to pay (water and sanitation as human rights). However, as time passes, displaced persons are eventually expected to pay for access (water and sanitation as infrastructure services). Drawing from statistical modeling of survey data from German residents, we find the average length of time for this transition in 2016 Germany was 2.9 years. The data also show statistically significant demographic and locational attributes that influence this time frame, indicating the normative length of the transition from a right to a servi...
Peripheral Intravenous Volume Analysis (PIVA) for Quantitating Volume Overload in Patients Hospitalized With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure-A Pilot Study.

Abstract Background To determine the feasibility of peripheral intravenous volume analysis (PIVA) of venous waveforms for assessing volume overload in patients admitted to the hospital with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Methods Venous waveforms were captured from a peripheral intravenous catheter in subjects admitted for ADHF and healthy age-matched controls. Admission PIVA signal, brain natriuretic peptide, and chest radiographic measurements were related to the net volume removed during diuresis. Results ADHF patients had a significantly greater PIVA signal on admission compared with the control group (P = .0013, n = 18). At discharge, ADHF patients had a PIVA signal similar to the control group. PIVA signal, not brain natriuretic peptide or chest radiographic measures, accurately predicted the amount of volume removed during diuresis (R2 = 0.781, n = 14). PIVA signal at time of discharge greater than 0.20, demonstrated 83.3% 120-day readmission rate. Conclusions This study demonstrates the feasibility of PIVA for assessment of volume overload in patients admitted to the hospital with ADHF.
Substrate monitoring, contaminant monitoring, and educational outreach on quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) in Lake Mead, Nevada

Substrate Monitoring, Contaminant Monitoring and Educational Outreach on Quagga Mussels (Dreissena bugensis) in Lake Mead, Nevada by Sara Ann Mueting Dr. Shawn Gerstenberger, Examination Committee Chair Professor, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health School of Community Health Sciences University of Nevada, Las Vegas The invasive species, the quagga mussel, Dreissena bugensis, wasfound in Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, USA on January 6, 2007. Since then, researchers have been attempting to quantify the amount of damage these mussels will cause to the lower Colorado River basin. Three projects were implemented in this thesis to research the quagga mussel in Lake Mead. First, a study to determine which types of substrates quagga mussels will grow on preferentially was conducted. Six different substrates, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, Concrete Underlayment Board (CUB), aluminum, stainless steel and fiberglass, were placed in the Boulder Basin of Lake Mead for approximately one year in a modified randomized block design. Half of the substrates were removed and replaced every two months, and the other half remained in the water for the duration of the study (one year). Mussels had no preference in substrate type, but settlement was limited by depth. Mussel settlement on substrates at depths from 6-28 m was significantly greater than on substrates from 32-54 m. This divergence in depth preference is likely due to the
Treatment of Parkinson's disease with deprenyl (selegiline) and other monoamine oxidase inhibitors

Publisher Summary Monoamine oxidase (MAO) refers to a class of flavin-containing enzymes that promote the oxidative deamination of monoamines. MAOs located in the outer mitochondrial membrane of neuronal and glial cells are categorized by A (MAO-A) and B (MAO-B) forms based on distribution, substrate selectivity, and inhibitor specificity. Deprenyl has been studied as an adjunctive therapy in levodopa-treated Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, and has been shown to be beneficial in patients experiencing motor fluctuations. MAO-B inhibitors such as deprenyl, nialamide, and tranylcypromine can prevent the oxidative biotransformation of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-l,2,3,6-tetrahy-dropyridine (MPTP) to 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinum (MPP + ) and can prevent the development of Parkinsonism in pretreated experimental animals exposed to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-l,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). It is found that α-tocopherol treatment did not influence the need for levodopa treatment or ameliorate the features of PD, and there was no interaction between deprenyl and α-tocopherol. Deprenyl treatment significantly reduced the risk of disability requiring levodopa treatment.
Neighborhood density of alcohol outlets moderates genetic and environmental influences on alcohol problems.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Geographic differences in rates of alcohol use disorder suggest that environmental factors and gene-environment interactions are likely to play an important role in its genesis. We aimed to examine whether living in a community with more alcohol outlets would facilitate the expression of the genetic propensity to develop alcohol problems. DESIGN Cross-sectional twin/sibling study. SETTING United States. PARTICIPANTS The participants were 18-26-year-old twin, full- and half-sibling pairs from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. MEASUREMENTS Participants completed in-home interviews in which past year alcohol problems were assessed. Alcohol outlet densities were extracted from state-level liquor license databases aggregated at the census tract level. FINDINGS There was evidence that estimates of genetic and environmental influences on alcohol problems varied as a function of the density of alcohol outlets in the community. The heritability of alcohol problems for those residing in a neighborhood with more than 10 on-premises outlets was 78% (95% confidence limits = 52-100%), compared with 11% (95% confidence limits = 0-29%) for those in a neighborhood with no on-premises outlets. This moderating effect of alcohol outlet density was not explained by state of residence, population density or neighborhood socio-demographic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS Individuals who are genetically predisposed to develop alcohol problems may be especially sensitive to the influence of many alcohol outlets in their community.
Hospital risk-based payments and physician employment: Impact on financial performance.

Background Hospital involvement in risk-based payment and employment of physicians can have a large impact on their profitability. Risk-based reimbursement approaches with third-party payers and provider-sponsored insurance products hold hospital organizations financially accountable for a range of patient services. Direct employment of physicians can add new revenue sources for the hospital but comes at the high cost of physician compensation packages. Purpose Risk bearing and physician employment have multifaceted effects on hospital profitability. The objective of this study is to assess overall financial implications of these arrangements. Methodology Fixed-effects estimation with American Hospital Association, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Area Health Resource File data are used for the period 2012-2015. Key measures include indicators of hospital involvement in risk-based payments and the number of employed physicians by specialty. Hospital and market factors that could affect profitability are controlled in the analysis. Results Increases in employed hospitalists for hospitals with risk-based payment arrangements had a beneficial effect on their profitability. No significant association existed between profits and increased physician employment for hospitals lacking such payment arrangements and for increased nonhospitalist physician employment in hospitals with these arrangements. Conclusions Hospitals that hold some degree of financial responsibility for patient care have learned how to deploy employed hospitalists to their financial advantage. The unique role of hospitalists in expediting and coordinating patient care may yield the cost control that hospitals need to succeed under risk-based payment arrangements. Practice implications Hospitals are still on a learning curve in determining how to structure incentives for their nonhospitalist employed physicians. To the extent that employment of these nonhospitalist physicians has not yet had a detrimental effect on hospital profits, a window of opportunity exists for hospitals to develop enhanced approaches to align primary care and specialist physicians to achieve financial aims.
Tracking Surgical Education Survey Research Through the APDS Listserv.

Objective Survey-based studies are cornerstones in medical education research. The Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS) listserv offers a method to contact program directors (PD) and residents for such research. To facilitate research beneficial to the APDS, improve the quality of survey-based research and minimize survey fatigue, the APDS research committee (ARC) developed a survey review process to grant access to the listserv for research. This study was conducted to determine the impact of the review process on the quality of survey-based research and eventual publication. Design This log was systematically reviewed identifying publications resulting from accepted surveys. Publications were categorically analyzed to determine the components of their survey tool methodology, response rate (RR), and medical education research study quality instrument (MERSQI) score. Setting The ARC used a 2-reviewer peer-review process for survey distribution requests. The request was either accepted, rejected, or returned for revision. Accepted surveys were distributed through the listserv with an ARC attestation of approval. Participants A log of all survey requests maintained from 2014 to 2017 and subsequent publications. Results Thirty-five requests were accepted (40%), 30 were reviewed discovering 10 surveys that led to 12 publications (publication rate of 33%). The average RR was 60% (SD = 29%). Detailed explanations of survey development strategies were reported in 5 (42%), consisting of methods building validity evidence such as expert consensus, modified Delphi method, and pilot group sampling. Half of study participants were PD (50%). MERSQI scores averaged 10 (SD = 1.6). Conclusion Based on those survey research published to date, the ARC survey peer-review process has enabled most accepted surveys to achieve adequate RR. Although the pool of accepted requests is small, it does highlight areas of improvement. With further refinement of the process, including questioning the survey development methods, the process and listserv can be a powerful tool for further research.
Positive Attitudes and Therapeutic Misconception Around Hypothetical Clinical Trial Participation in the Huntington's Disease Community.

Background New therapies that could modify the disease course of Huntington's disease (HD) are entering clinical trials. However, conceptions about clinical research from the HD community are unknown. This knowledge could help inform patient-clinician discussions surrounding clinical trial participation. Objective The purpose of this study was to assess clinical trial attitudes and understanding in the HD community. Methods We developed a survey incorporating two measures of trial understanding and attitudes and the impact of therapeutic route of administration on hypothetical trial participation. The survey was distributed via emails, flyers, and social media through HD-related organizations. Results There were 73 responses. Individuals self-reported as clinically diagnosed with HD, gene positive but asymptomatic, or primary caregivers. Respondents viewed clinical trials positively and generally viewed trials as safe. Individuals with prior HD-related research experience were less likely to have negative expectations about trials than those without research experience (p = 0.002), and women had higher information needs than men (p = 0.001). Individuals with HD were more likely than the other groups to experience therapeutic misconception (p = 0.002). All respondents were able to appraise risks and benefits of research but exhibited optimism about trial outcomes. Willingness to participate was highest when the route of administration was minimally invasive. Conclusions While the HD community views clinical trials positively, patients with HD are at high risk for therapeutic misconception and all groups are optimistic about trial outcomes. Limitations of this study include a small sample that may be inclined to view research positively given past trial participation and interest in participating in HD surveys. However, the findings from this study can be used to strengthen informed consent during HD clinical trial recruitment.
The crossroads of identity: Psychology’s (re)action to the Great Depression

It was clear as the economic crash deepened in the 1930 s that the American people were suffering psychological shock. President Hoover regularly suggested that the economic problems of the country...
Mood Disorders in Patients with CNS Metastases

Mood disorders and cancer are linked through shared pathology that involves inflammation, oxidative stress, decreased immune surveillance, and dysfunction of the HPA axis. Cancer treatment often involves interventions that can, directly or indirectly, contribute to mood symptoms. Patients with cancer are at up to three times greater risk for depression compared to the general population, and advanced disease and central nervous system (CNS) involvement are additional risk factors. The presence of a mood disturbance impacts patient decision-making related to cancer treatment and is associated with poorer cancer-related outcomes, including medication nonadherence, comorbid substance misuse and relapse, higher healthcare utilization and costs, and mortality. Depressive and bipolar disorders are reviewed, particularly as they relate to patients with metastatic involvement of the CNS. Strategies for the screening and treatment of mood disorders in the medical setting are discussed.
Constructing rights in Taiwan: the feminist factor, democratization, and the quest for global citizenship

In an era of worldwide rights regression, beleaguered Taiwan remains Asia’s most democratic, gender equitable, and liberal internationalist nation. What accounts for this seemingly exceptional reco...
How Resource Disparity Makes the Death Penalty Unconstitutional: An Eighth Amendment Argument Against Structurally Imbalanced Capital Trials

Currently, attorneys utilize Sixth Amendment ineffective assistance of counsel claims as the method for challenging inadequate capital defense representation. This article argues that such challenges should be brought under the Eighth Amendment as well, as the Eighth Amendment provides the opportunity to challenge death penalty systems as a whole, whereas Sixth Amendment challenges focus only on the death sentences of individual defendants. The Eighth Amendment demands that death penalty schemes impose death sentences in a reliable and non-arbitrary manner. In order to meet the constitutionally mandated reliability, current death penalty jurisprudence requires a jury to make an individualized assessment of the particular defendant, together with the specifics of the crime, before a death sentence can be imposed. To make the individualized assessment, the jury considers evidence of mitigation presented by the defense and evidence of aggravation presented by the prosecution during the sentencing phase of a capital trial. In many parts of the United States, there exist substantial disparities between the resources enjoyed by those prosecuting capital defendants and those defending them. The State in those areas is better equipped to investigate and present evidence of aggravation than the defendant is to present evidence of mitigation. Juries * J.D. Candidate, University of California, Berkeley, 2013. Many thanks to Shana Heller, Jake Rasch-Chabot, Tracy Krause, Chris Heckman, and the rest of the Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law team for their very helpful edits and comments. Thanks also to Professor Lis Semel, who provided crucial feedback, and to Cliff Gardner and Larry Gibbs, for teaching a great class and encouraging students to learn and care about these issues. 1 Isaacson: How Resource Disparity Makes the Death Penalty Unconstitutional: Published by Berkeley Law Scholarship Repository, 2012
Trends and Outcomes of Elective Thoracic Aortic Repair and Acute Thoracic Aortic Syndromes in the United States.

Abstract Background There is a paucity of data on the contemporary outcomes and trends of elective thoracic aortic aneurysm repair and aneurysm-associated acute aortic syndrome. Methods We queried the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database years 2012-2016 to identify hospitalizations for elective thoracic aortic aneurysm repair and aneurysm-associated acute aortic syndrome. The main study outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results The analysis yielded 24,295 hospitalizations for elective thoracic aortic aneurysm repair and 8875 hospitalizations for aneurysm-associated acute aortic syndrome. The number of hospitalizations for elective aortic repair significantly increased from 4375 in 2012 to 5450 in 2016 (Ptrend = .01). The number of hospitalizations for acute aortic syndrome numerically increased from 1545 in 2012 to 2340 in 2016 (Ptrend = .10). Overall in-hospital mortality for elective aortic repair was 2.4% with no change over time. In-hospital mortality for acute aortic rupture was 39.4% and for acute aortic dissection was 6.2% with no change over time. Hospitalizations for elective aortic repair had lower incidence of complications compared with those for aneurysm-associated acute aortic syndrome, including cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, acute stroke, and shorter length of stay. Factors associated with higher mortality among admissions undergoing elective aortic repair included older age, heart failure, valvular disease, and chronic kidney disease. Older age, coagulopathy, and fluid/ electrolytes disorders were associated with increased mortality among those with acute aortic syndrome. Conclusion Contemporary elective thoracic aortic aneurysm repair is associated with lower in-hospital mortality and morbidity when compared with a clinical presentation for an aneurysm-associated acute aortic syndrome. This should be taken into account when deciding the timing of elective aortic aneurysm repair and balancing the risks and benefits.
1.1 Unleashing the Future of Innovation

Society’s demand for more powerful and more energy-efficient computing is insatiable. Every day, more than half of the world’s population (4.1 billion people) [1] read the news, communicate with friends and family, take online classes, shop for everything from groceries to furniture, manage their finances and personal health, using Internet, powered by semiconductor technologies. From vaccine and drug discoveries that combat COVID-19, to autonomous vehicles that will transform the transportation industry, to the information and communication technologies that enable us to work from home and attend virtual conferences, semiconductor technology is at the heart of these epic changes that are transforming and improving our daily lives.
Changes in neural reward processing following Amplification of Positivity treatment for depression and anxiety: Preliminary findings from a randomized waitlist controlled trial.

Positive valence system (PVS) deficits are increasingly recognized as important treatment targets for depression and anxiety. Emerging behavioral treatments designed to upregulate the PVS show initial promise; however, neural mechanisms underlying these approaches remain unknown. This study investigated neural reward-processing-related changes following Amplification of Positivity (AMP)-a treatment designed to enhance positive thinking, emotions and behaviors through positive activity interventions (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02330627). Individuals with depression and/or anxiety (N = 29) were randomized to 10 sessions of AMP (n = 16) or waitlist (WL; n = 13). Participants completed a monetary incentive delay task during fMRI at baseline and post-assessment. Hypothesis-driven region of interest (ventral striatum, insula, anterior cingulate) and exploratory whole-brain activation and connectivity analyses evaluated pre-to-post changes for AMP vs. WL when anticipating potential monetary gain or loss. No between-group brain activation changes emerged in regions of interest or whole-brain analyses. Increased neural connectivity from pre-to-post-treatment was observed in AMP vs. WL, including ventral striatum, anterior insula, and anterior cingulate connectivity with prefrontal, limbic, occipital and parietal regions-predominantly during loss anticipation. This preliminary study is the first to examine neural mechanisms of positive activity interventions in depression and anxiety and suggests that AMP may strengthen brain connectivity in reward processing, attention, and emotion regulation networks.
Defining functional brain networks underlying obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using treatment-induced neuroimaging changes: a systematic review of the literature.

Approximately 2%–3% of the population suffers from obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Several brain regions have been implicated in the pathophysiology of OCD, but their various contributions remain unclear. We examined changes in structural and functional neuroimaging before and after a variety of therapeutic interventions as an index into identifying the underlying networks involved. We identified 64 studies from 1990 to 2020 comparing pretreatment and post-treatment imaging of patients with OCD, including metabolic and perfusion, neurochemical, structural, functional and connectivity-based modalities. Treatment class included pharmacotherapy, cognitive–behavioural therapy/exposure and response prevention, stereotactic lesions, deep brain stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Changes in several brain regions are consistent and correspond with treatment response despite the heterogeneity in treatments and neuroimaging modalities. Most notable are decreases in metabolism and perfusion of the caudate, anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus and regions of prefrontal cortex (PFC) including the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC), ventromedial PFC (VMPFC) and ventrolateral PFC (VLPFC). Modulating activity within regions of the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical system may be a common therapeutic mechanism across treatments. We identify future needs and current knowledge gaps that can be mitigated by implementing integrative methods. Future studies should incorporate a systematic, analytical approach to testing objective correlates of treatment response to better understand neurophysiological mechanisms of dysfunction.
Surface interactions and degradation of a fluoroquinolone antibiotic in the dark in aqueous TiO2 suspensions

Abstract Fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs) are important drugs used in human and veterinary medicine. Their detection in natural waters and waste water treatment plants, along with increased resistance to FQs among some bacteria, have generated an increased interest in the fate of these drugs in the environment. Partitioning of FQs between an aqueous solution and attendant substrates depends, in part, on the surface reactivity of the adsorbent, commonly a function of particle size, surface charge, and functional groups. This study investigated the surface interactions between the FQ drug ofloxacin (OFL) and titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), a common catalyst and widely-observed constituent in many consumer products. Raman and fluorescence spectroscopic techniques, as well as LC/MS, were used to determine the OFL moieties present on TiO 2 surfaces and in attendant solutions. Raman spectra indicate that the C O (ketone) group of the quinolone core, the NH + of the piperazinyl ring, and CH 3 of benzoxazine core are the most active in sorption onto the TiO 2 surface. Raman spectra also show that the sorbed benzoxazine–quinolone core and piperazinyl moieties are readily desorbed from the surface by re-suspending samples in water. Importantly, we found that OFL could be degraded by reacting with TiO 2 even in the dark. Complementary LC/MS analysis of the attendant supernatants indicates the presence of de-piperazinylated and de-carboxylated OFL breakdown products in supernatant solutions. Together, both Raman and LC/MS analyses indicate that TiO 2 breaks the compound into piperazinyl and carboxylate groups which attach to the surface, whereas de-carboxylated and hydroxylated quinolone moieties remain in solution. The present study thus identifies the sorption mechanisms and breakdown products of OFL during dark reactions with TiO 2 , which is critically important for understanding the fate and transport of OFL as it enters the soil and aquatic environment.
Professional Development of the Young Engineer

The need for continued professional development and growth of the young engineer is reviewed. Factors involved in professional development are examined. Included are the inter-relationships of registration, technical and non-technical professional society affiliation, and self-development programs. The need for professional goals is stressed, together with methods to achieve these goals. Some differences between nominal engineers and professional engineers are defined.
Cervical cytology in the teen-age patient☆

Abstract The findings have been presented of cervicovaginal smears obtained on 10,246 teen-age patients. A cytologic diagnosis of moderate dysplasia was made on 175 smears; 45 smears demonstrated changes indicative of severe dysplasia; 13 smears were suggestive of squamous cell carcinoma in situ. This represents 23 patients per one thousand cases screened with significant atypia in their smears. The majority of girls with abnormal smears are being prospectively followed without biopsy. In the few cases where conization or biopsy was performed, carcinoma in situ was found in 4 instances and severe dysplasia in 11.
The hypocretins as sensors for metabolism and arousal

Sleep disturbances are associated with hormonal imbalances and may result in metabolic disorders including obesity and diabetes. Therefore, circuits controlling both sleep and metabolism are likely to play a role in these physiopathological conditions. The hypocretin (Hcrt) system is a strong candidate for mediating both sleep and metabolic imbalances because Hcrt neurons are sensitive to metabolic hormones, including leptin and ghrelin, and modulate arousal and goal-orientated behaviours. This review discusses the role of Hcrt neurons as a sensors of energy balance and arousal and proposes new ways of probing local hypothalamic circuits regulating sleep and metabolism with unprecedented cellular specificity and temporal resolution.
HIV-1 and HAART: A time to cure, a time to kill

Two clinical studies show a failure of conventional anti-retroviral therapy in achieving complete HIV eradication; 10–60 years are deemed necessary to eliminate HIV.
Circular Dichroism of Oxytocin and Several Oxytocin Analogues

The circular dichroic spectra of oxytocin and four analogues of oxytocin are presented at several pH values in the wave length interval, 220 to 320 mµ. The analogues are 2-isoleucine- and 2-glycine-oxytocin, in which the tyrosine residues in Position 2 have been replaced by isoleucine and glycine, respectively, as well as deamino-oxytocin and deamino-2-isoleucine-oxytocin, in which the α-NH2 groups of oxytocin and 2-isoleucine-oxytocin, respectively, have been replaced by hydrogen. Measurements of lysine-vasopressin are also reported. All of these compounds show positive circular dichroism bands associated with disulfide absorption near 250 mµ, corresponding to disulfide dihedral angles close to 90°. The intensity of this circular dichroism band is sharply diminished in deamino-2-isoleucine-oxytocin, and the band is only barely discernible in deamino-oxytocin. Neutralization of the amino group—when one is present— also diminishes the intensity of the band, but not as dramatically as replacement altogether by hydrogen. At longer wave lengths, near 280 mµ, oxytocin and its analogues exhibit a band which, at least in one case, can only be due to disulfide and which, in two other cases, may be contributed to by tyrosine. A large tyrosine band is also observed in oxytocin and lysine-vasopressin at shorter wave lengths, but this band is absent in deamino-oxytocin. These results are discussed in terms of interactions among residues within these peptides and of possible conformational differences among the derivatives examined.
The Study of Atomic and Molecular Processes with Rare-Gas Halogen Lasers

A discussion of the use of ultraviolet rare-gas halogen lasers for the study of high-lying electronic states is provided. Specific examples involving (1) the examination of collisionally assisted nonlinear radiative processes and (2) the configuration of ultrahigh-spectral-brightness sources are given.
Fusion between myoblasts and adult muscle fibers promotes remodeling of fibers into myotubes in vitro

Muscle satellite cells are residual embryonic myoblast precursors responsible for muscle growth and regeneration. In order to examine the role of satellite cells in the initial events of muscle regeneration, we placed individual mature rat muscle fibers in vitro along with their satellite cells. When the satellite cells were allowed to proliferate, they produced populations of myoblasts that fused together to form myotubes on the laminin substrate. These myoblasts and myotubes also fused with the adult fibers. When they did so, the fibers lost their adult morphology, and by 8 days in vitro, essentially all of them were remodeled into structures resembling embryonic myotubes. However, when proliferating satellite cells were eliminated by exposure to cytosine arabinoside (araC), the vast majority of fibers retained their adult shape. Addition of C2C12 cells (a myoblast line derived from adult mouse satellite cells) to araC-treated fiber cultures resulted in their fusion with the rat muscle fibers and restored the ability of the fibers to remodel, whereas addition of either a fibroblast cell line or a transformed, non-fusing variant of C2C12 cells, or addition of conditioned medium from C2C12 cells, failed to do so. These results imply that myoblast fusion is responsible for triggering adult fiber remodeling in vitro.
Deposit Insurance: The Wrong Policy for Minimizing the Costs of Bank Failures

Abstract Deposit insurance is widely adopted to minimize the costs of bank failures. But recent evidence suggests that as applied in most countries, deposit insurance in the longer-run often increases both the cost and probability of bank failures. This paper argues that rather than shift the losses from insured depositors to the insurance provider, a more efficient policy solution would focus on minimizing, if not eliminating, the losses. Such a four-pillar is described and its implementation recommended.
SPECT and PET Myocardial Perfusion Imaging: Tracers and Techniques

The application of a radiotracer technique to measure physiologic parameters, such as pulmonary circulation, dates back to 1927. Despite considerable advances in the application of radiotracer technique for interrogating physiologic and pathophysiologic cardiopulmonary conditions in the early twentieth century, the spatial resolution of the scintigraphic instruments used to measure tracer concentration in the heart, lungs, and blood was limited. The advent of single-photon emission CT (SPECT) in the late 1970s and positron emission tomography (PET) in the 1980s dramatically changed the clinical utility of radiotracer technique for the assessment of myocardial perfusion, viability, and function.
Bone-Marrow Eosinophilia with Solitary Eosinophilic Granuloma of Bone

An elevation of the eosinophils in the differential count of the bone marrow was found in the two patients presented in this paper (and in the three others mentioned). This was in sharp contrast to the peripheral-blood studies which revealed no remarkable deviation from the normal counts expected. Bone-marrow findings as described in this paper may be helpful in leading one toward the diagnosis of eosinophilic granuloma. A new method of counting eosinophils in the bone marrow is described and can be used to check counts done by smear or clotted and fixed marrow sections.
Taxing Founders’ Stock

Founders of a start-up usually take common stock as a large portion of their compensation for current and future labor efforts. By electing to pay a nominal amount of ordinary income tax on the speculative value of the stock when it is received, founders pay tax on any appreciation at the long-term capital gains rate. In a recent Harvard Law Review article, Professors Ron Gilson and David Schizer argued that this practice of paying founders with tax-favored “cheap stock” is an efficient subsidy for entrepreneurship. I disagree. This Article argues that the preferential tax treatment of founders’ stock cannot be normatively justified. The economic efficiency case for a tax preference for founders’ stock is weak: tax is a clumsy policy instrument, and tax has a limited effect on entrepreneurial entry. Geographic, cultural, and business factors are far more important, as are non-tax legal factors like immigration policy, employment law, bankruptcy, and securities law. The case for reform is compelling. Taxing founders at a low rate is a conspicuous loophole in the fabric of our progressive income tax system, uniquely un-dermining our shared commitment to equal opportunity and distributive jus-tice. Founders’ stock is often bequeathed to heirs who receive a step up in basis, leaving a legacy of dynastic wealth that is exempt from the income tax and subject only to the rather dodgy application of the estate tax. While it would be normatively desirable to tax gains from founders’ stock at the same rate as labor income, fixing the problem is not administratively feasible within our current tax system. I offer solutions that policymakers might consider as part of a broader tax reform and deficit reduction effort.
Reoperation Following Clinical Failure of Aorta-to-Coronary Artery Bypass Vein Grafts

Abstract In the past four years the authors have used 1,360 saphenous vein grafts (SVG) in the treatment of 600 patients with coronary artery disease. In 19 patients reoperation was carried out. The SVG occlusions were related to distal obstructions or to fibrotic and inflammatory changes around the SVG and at times were unrelated to detectable causes. The presence of both closed and open vein grafts in some of the patients suggests that SVG obstructions are probably due to local causes and, it is hoped, are nonrecurring in most instances. Primary SVG failure may be related to local vein factors such as ischemic or mechanical trauma, and efforts to avoid these are strongly recommended. Of the 17 survivors, 14 had excellent results or were improved clinically following reoperation, and we have concluded that reoperation is safe and effective in achieving ultimate success in those patients in whom distal arterial runoff is adequate. Recurring angina demands prompt restudy and corrective operation when possible. Treatment of postpericardiotomy syndromes with corticoids and avoidance or evacuation of mediastinal hematomas are important.
Transbilayer Distribution of Cholesterol Is Modified in Brain Synaptic Plasma Membranes of Knockout Mice Deficient in the Low‐Density Lipoprotein Receptor, Apolipoprotein E, or Both Proteins

Both apolipoprotein E (apoE) and the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor are present in brain; however, little is known regarding the function of these proteins in brain, in particular with respect to brain cholesterol. The role of apoE and the LDL receptor in modulating the transbilayer or asymmetric distribution of cholesterol in the exofacial and cytofacial leaflets of synaptic plasma membranes (SPMs) was examined in mutant mice deficient in apoE, the LDL receptor, or both proteins by using the fluorescent sterol dehydroergosterol and fluorescent quenching procedures. Fluidity of the exofacial and cytofacial leaflets was also measured. Cholesterol asymmetry of SPMs was altered in the mutant mice, with the largest effect observed in the LDL receptor-deficient mice. There was an approximately twofold increase in the percent distribution of cholesterol in the exofacial leaflet of the LDL receptor-deficient mice (32%) compared with C57BL/6J mice (15%). Mice deficient in apoE or both proteins also showed a significantly higher percent distribution of cholesterol (23 and 26%, respectively) in the exofacial leaflet compared with the C57BL/6J mice. Although the percent distribution of cholesterol was highest in the exofacial leaflet of the LDL receptor-deficient mice, fluidity of the exofacial leaflet of that group was significantly lower. However, the cholesterol-to-phospholipid ratio of SPMs of the LDL receptor-deficient mice was significantly lower, and this difference was largely the result of a significant increase in the total amount of SPM phospholipid. This study demonstrates for the first time that SPM lipid structure is altered in mice deficient in apoE or the LDL receptor. Although the mechanism that maintains the asymmetric distribution of cholesterol in plasma membranes is not well understood, data of the present experiments indicate that both apoE and the LDL receptor are involved in maintaining the transbilayer distribution of cholesterol.
What are the conditions for exponential time-cubed echo decays?

Diffusion of precessing spins through a constant field gradient is well-known to produce two distinctive features: an exp(-bt(3)) decay of the echo amplitude in response to two pulses and a much slower decay of the Carr-Purcell echo train. These features will appear whenever the spin frequency is described by a continuous random-walk. The present work shows that this may also occur in the presence of motions with long correlation times tau(c)-continuous Gaussian frequency noise with an exponential autocorrelation has the correct properties over time durations smaller than tau(c). Thus, time-cubed echo decays will occur in situations other than physical diffusion. The decay rate of the Carr-Purcell echo train is shown to vary with the pulse spacing tau whenever the correlation time tau(c) is long; the slower Carr-Purcell decay compared to the two-pulse echo decay is not unique to diffusion. Simulations are presented that display time-cubed decays. The simulations confirm two important criteria: the echo time must be less than tau(c) and the frequency noise must consist of nearly continuous variations, as opposed to step-like changes. These criteria define the range of physical parameters for which time-cubed decays will be observable.
Importance of SV40 early 5' distal sequences in directing heterologous gene expression.

Abstract The chloramphenicol acetyltransferase-encoding reporter gene ( cat ) is used extensively in assessing the ability of transcriptional regulatory elements ( TRE ) to direct gene expression in eukaryotic cells. Two commonly utilized plasmids contain the cat coding sequences under the transcriptional control of the Rous sarcoma virus LTR (pRSV cat ) or simian virus 40 early (SV40E) promoter (pSV2 cat ). In the present study, we have recloned the RSV-LTR and SV40E TRE into a pUC18 vector. Direct comparison of these TRE in different plasmid vectors, as well as reevaluation of their relative level of cat expression revealed: ( 1 ) a small but significant increases in SV40E-directed reporter gene expression was observed when the TRE was inserted into the pUC18 vector; and ( 2 ) a significant increase in SV40E-directed gene expression was realized by inclusion of the 69-bp 5′ of the sequences present in pSV2 cat . These distal sequences are required for maximal activity of the SV40 TRE in the cell lines tested.
Management of bone loss in men with prostate cancer.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Bone loss is increasingly recognized as a common occurrence in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer. Skeletal metabolism and osteoporosis in men, assessment of bone mineral density (BMD), effects of ADT on BMD, management strategies and potential therapies for osteopenia or osteoporosis in men with prostate cancer are reviewed.Materials and Methods: Relevant literature is reviewed concerning bone loss and osteoporosis in men with and without prostate cancer, techniques of assessing BMD, data on bone loss and fracture risk and management strategies.Results: The incidence of osteoporotic fractures usually increases a decade later in men than in women. ADT causes significant loss of BMD, which may hasten the development of osteoporosis. Men who are treated with hormonal therapy for an increasing prostate specific antigen and who may live for many years should have baseline BMD assessments. Osteopenia or osteoporosis should be treated to minimize the risk of os...