cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Localization of enzymes involved in testosterone biosynthesis by the mouse testis.

Distribution of progesterone-4-14C and 17-hydroxyprogesterone-7-3H between microsomes and sucrose-buffer when equilibrium was achieved without metabolism, and as precursors when metabolism to androstenedione occurred, indicated that the ratio of the two compounds in the rnicrosomes rather than in the medium determined the proportion of the two precursors in the C19 steroids. The isotope ratios in microsomal and supernatant 17-hydroxyprogesterone indicated that the active sites of 17α-hydroxylase and 17,20- lyase were so closely associated that 17-hydroxyprogesterone or a 17-oxy free radical intermediate formed from progesterone did not equilibrate with added 17-hydroxyprogesterone in the microsomes before being converted to androstenedione. No such relationship existed between 17,20-lyase and 17β(testosterone)-dehydrogenase. Relative concentrations of the different compounds, as distinguished from precursor ratios, indicated that 17-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione and testosterone distributed like 3H...
Accelerated alveolar bone loss in male HLA-B27 transgenic rats: adult onset.

Objective and background: HLA-B27 transgenic (TG) rats exhibit severe colitis, arthritis and other inflammatory lesions. Previous studies in female TG rats indicate that they develop severe alveolar bone loss (ABL). Lack of data on male TG rats has left open the question of possible hormonal/sex dependence for the observed ABL. The purpose of the present study was to assess the natural history of ABL in male HLA-B27 rats, compared to age- and sex-matched wild-type Fischer 344 (WT) rats. Materials and methods: Fourteen WT and 11 TG male rats, aged 7-8 weeks, were used. Sacrifice times occurred at 10, 22 and 35 weeks. Animal heads were defleshed and treated to remove organic material, and skulls were stained to locate the cemento-enamel junction. ABL was measured as exposed molar root surface area (mm 2 ) on the right maxilla and right mandible. Blinded measurements were performed using a computer-assisted image analysis system. Results: ABL for the entire TG group was significantly different from the WT group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in ABL between WT and TG rats at 10 weeks of age. At 22 and 35 weeks of age TG rats experienced 23% and 37% greater ABL than WT rats, respectively; these differences were statistically significant (p < 0.015). For both TG and WT animals, ABL was significantly different between the three age groups. Conclusions: These results, consistent with previous findings in female TG rats, suggest that the accelerated ABL found in TG rats is an adult-onset, age-dependent, and sex-independent process.
Modeling epilepsy with pluripotent human cells

Pluripotency is generally defined by the ability to differentiate into cell types representing all three germ layers: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. Human pluripotent stem cells hold great promise in regenerative medicine and in cell replacement therapies because of their ability to self-renew and their developmental potential to become all cell types in the body. Moreover, pluripotent cells represent a unique system in which to study the normal development of the human nervous system and the several instances where the process may fail. Here, I propose several strategies for how pluripotent stem cells, both human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, can potentially be used to gain insights into the biology of temporal lobe epilepsy.
Extensive sympatry, cryptic diversity and introgression throughout the geographic distribution of two coral species complexes

The identification of species is one of the most basic, and yet critically important, issues in biology with far-reaching potential implications for fields such as biodiversity conservation, population ecology and epidemiology. Morphology has long been the primary tool biologists have used to categorize life. However, we now know that a significant portion of natural diversity is morphologically hidden, and therefore, we must integrate nonmorphological tools into the description of biodiversity. Here, we demonstrate the utility of multilocus population genetic data for identifying and characterizing cryptic species complexes, even when species share large amounts of genetic variability. Specifically, we have used DNA sequence data from 12 genomic regions to characterize two widespread species complexes in the coral genus Acropora: A. cytherea and A. hyacinthus. These two morphospecies have each been sampled from 5 to 7 locations throughout their Indo-Pacific distributions, and with the use of structure and hierarchical clustering, we demonstrate the presence of at least six widespread cryptic species within these two morphospecies complexes. After identifying cryptic lineages, we then utilize the genetic data to examine the history of introgressive hybridization within and between these morphospecies complexes. Our data indicate that these two complexes form a global syngameon with consistent patterns of introgression between species across large geographic distributions.
Structural-Functional Dynamics in the Analysis of Socio-economic Systems: Development of the Approach to Understanding the Processes of Systemic Change

Theory can be equated with analogy. Both attempt to convey the unfamiliar and/or the complex through use of more familiar and/or simple constructs. The theoretical analogies of “modern” economics have been by and large patterned after a prestigious and powerful Newtonian model, i.e. they have been of the mechanical genre. It has been argued, however, that models of a biological, or evolutionary, nature would be more appropriate to analyzing economic processes and systems. This article is the first of two aimed at suggesting a form for such an evolutionary model. In this article, the analytical concepts of structure and function and their interrelationships are discussed as they apply to non-human biological systems. Resulting feedback effects which produce dynamic change are placed within the context of the evolutionary model of stratified stability. This model explains developmental change as always tending toward more complex but more stable levels of structure, and thus unidirectional. However, the process of societal change is non-teleological in that the particular path of change is not deterministic.
Engagement of the Lysine-Specific Demethylase/HDAC1/CoREST/REST Complex by Herpes Simplex Virus 1

Among the early events in herpes simplex virus 1 replication are localization of ICP0 in ND10 bodies and accumulation of viral DNA-protein complexes in structures abutting ND10. ICP0 degrades components of ND10 and blocks silencing of viral DNA, achieving the latter by dislodging HDAC1 or -2 from the lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1)/CoREST/REST repressor complex. The role of this process is apparent from the observation that a dominant-negative CoREST protein compensates for the absence of ICP0 in a cell-dependent fashion. HDAC1 or -2 and the CoREST/REST complex are independently translocated to the nucleus once viral DNA synthesis begins. The focus of this report is twofold. First, we report that in infected cells, LSD1, a key component of the repressor complex, is partially degraded or remains stably associated with CoREST and is ultimately also translocated, in part, to the cytoplasm. Second, we examined the distribution of the components of the repressor complex and ICP8 early in infection in wild-type-virus- and ICP0 mutant virus-infected cells. The repressor component and ultimately ICP8 localize in structures that abut the ND10 nuclear bodies. There is no evidence that the two compartments fuse. We propose that ICP0 must dynamically interact with both compartments in order to accomplish its functions of degrading PML and SP100 and suppressing silencing of viral DNA through its interactions with CoREST. In turn, the remodeling of the viral DNA-protein complex enables recruitment of ICP8 and initiation of formation of replication compartments.
Lightweight, Durable-Press Cotton and Polyester/Cotton with Ignition Resistance

A cotton broadcloth and a polyester/cotton broadcloth were successfully treated in the laboratory using a angle pad bath to impart fire resistance and durable press properties. A two catalyst syste...
The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Society Stronger

The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Society Stronger. By Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2009, 352 pp., ISBN 978-1-60819-036-2, $28.00 (paperback). A s...
Preoperative infusional chemoradiation and surgery with or without and electron beam intraoperative boost for advanced primary rectal cancer

Purpose: To compare the multimodality treatment results of surgical resection plus preoperative radiotherapy with concomitant protracted infusion chemotherapy (preop-chemoXRT), with or without an electron beam intraoperative radiotherapy (EB-IORT) boost, in 37 patients having advanced primary rectal cancer, with the results of a protocol using only preoperative radiotherapy (preop-XRT) plus surgical resection in a historic control group of 36 patients. Methods and Materials: Thirty-eight patients with tethered T3 or T4 primary rectal cancer were treated with 45 Gy delivered in 25 fractions over 5 weeks plus infusional chemotherapy. Thirty-seven patients, underwent surgical resection: 13 (35%) had restorative operations, and the remainder had either abdominoperineal resection (APR) or pelvic exenteration (PE). Electron beam intraoperative radiotherapy (EB-IORT) was used in doses of 10–20 Gy for 11 patients with adherent pelvic tumor. In the 36 historic control patients, the preop-XRT dose was 45 Gy, and 93% of them had APR or PE. Results: The local recurrence rate was 3% for the preop-chemoXRT group and 33% for the historic control group. The 3-year survival rate for patients treated with preop-chemoXRT plus resection was 82% compared with 62% for the historic control group. Distant metastases occurred more frequently in patients treated with an EB-IORT boost than in patients who were not (64% vs. 19%, p < 0.05), and the overall 3-year survival rate was lower for the former (67% vs. 96%, p < 0.05). Acute and late toxicities were acceptable. Conclusion: Preop-chemoXRT for advanced primary rectal cance results is better control of pelvic disease and better overall survival rates than does preop-XRT alone. With preop-chemoXRT, acute chemoradiation toxicity is increased whereas late morbidity is unchanged compared with preop-XRT alone. Local control in patients with areas of residual or clinically adherent disease is improved by the use of EB-IORT; however, patients treated with EB-IORT had porrer survival rats than thsoe treated without EB-IORT.
DNA polymerase α and β in the California urchin

DNA polymerase alpha and beta were identified in the urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. The DNA polymerase beta sedimented at 3.4 S, constituted 5% of total DNA polymerase activity, and was resistant to N-ethylmaleimide and high ionic strength. The polymerase alpha sedimented at 6--8 S, was inhibited by N-ethylmalemide or 0.1 M (NH4)2SO4, and was dependent upon glycerol for preservation of activity. Both the polymerases alpha and beta were nuclear associated in embryos. The DNA polymerase alpha was markedly heterogeneous on DEAE-Sephadex ion exchange and showed three modal polymerase species. These polymerase alpha species were indistinguishable by template activity assays but the DNA polymerase associated ribonucleotidyl transferase (Biochemistry 75 : 3106-3113, 1976) was found predominantly with only one of the DNA polymerase alpha species.
Racial injustice and disposable youth in the age of zero tolerance

The author argues that economically, politically, and culturally the situation of youth in the U.S. is intolerable and unforgivable. Childhood has been demeaned by popular news media and no longer is regarded by society as the future of democracy. Rather, young people are increasingly isolated, treated with suspicion, and subjected to diminished rights of privacy and personal liberties. Zero-tolerance policies in communities and schools amount to the criminalization of youth, and schools grow more like prisons than institutions of education. The multiple social and political costs of negative perceptions of youth are considered. It is argued that repressive social policies and neglect of children, as evidenced by the growing state of poverty, hunger, and homelessness among America's children, threatens the future of democracy. The author encourages policy reforms and individual and community commitment to policy reforms.
Effect of altering heart rate on oxygen uptake at exercise onset.

At the onset of exercise, both cardiac output and ventilation increase abruptly. We investigated the hypothesis that a rapid change in cardiac output, as effected by an immediate increase in heart rate at the start of exercise and a decrease in heart rate at the termination of exercise, affects the responses of oxygen uptake. Five patients in whom programmable pacemakers had been previously inserted for complete heart block were studied. Responses in ventilation and gas exchange were recorded breath by breath during studies in which each subject performed 16 transitions between rest and moderate exercise on a cycle ergometer. In a randomized fashion, in half of the transitions, heart rate was accelerated from a low rate to a high rate as exercise began; in the other half, heart rate was held constant at the low rate as exercise began. Oxygen uptake increased by 30 percent in the first 20 seconds of exercise, when heart rate was constrained, while it increased by 70 percent when heart rate was abruptly accelerated. Similarly, smaller changes were observed at the cessation of exercise when the heart rate was constrained, as compared to an abrupt decrease in heart rate. Despite this difference in the responses of oxygen uptake, at the transitions in exercise, the ventilatory responses were indistinguishable. We have demonstrated that ventilation-independent changes in oxygen uptake can be induced at the onset and cessation of exercise. These alterations in oxygen uptake are predictable from differences in blood flow which occur as a consequence of the differences in time course of the heart rate. (Chest 1989; 95:6-12)
Reinterpreting the Banana Republic: Region and State in Honduras, 1870-1972

In this new analysis of Honduran social and political development, Dar degreeso Euraque explains why Honduras escaped the pattern of revolution and civil wars suffered by its neighbors Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Within this comparative framework, he challenges the traditional Banana Republic 'theory' and its assumption that multinational corporations completely controlled state formation in Central America. Instead, he demonstrates how local society in Honduras's North Coast banana-exporting region influenced national political development. According to Euraque, the reformism of the 1970s, which prevented social and political polarization in the 1980s, originated in the local politics of San Pedro Sula and other cities along the North Coast. Moreover, Euraque shows that by the 1960s, the banana-growing areas had become bastions of liberalism, led by local capitalists and organized workers. This regional political culture directly influenced events at the national level, argues Euraque. Specifically, the military coup of 1972 drew its ideology and civilian leaders from the North Coast, and as a result, the new regime was able to successfully channel popular unrest into state-sponsored reform projects. Based on long-ignored sources in Honduran and American archives and on interviews, the book signals a major reinterpretation of modern Honduran history.
Colorectal neoplasia: performance characteristics of CT colonography for detection in 300 patients.

PURPOSE: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of computed tomographic (CT) colonography for colorectal polyp and cancer detection by using colonoscopy as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred patients underwent CT colonography followed by standard colonoscopy. Bowel preparation consisted of magnesium citrate and polyethylene glycol. After colonic air insufflation, patients underwent scanning in the supine and prone positions with 3-mm collimation during a single breath hold. The transverse CT images, sagittal and coronal reformations, and three-dimensional endoluminal images were interpreted by two radiologists independently, and then a consensus reading was performed. CT colonographic findings were correlated with standard colonoscopic and histologic findings. RESULTS: The overall sensitivity and specificity of CT colonography for polyp detection were 90.1% (164 of 182) and 72.0% (85 of 118), respectively. By using direct polyp matching, the overall sensitivity was 69.7% (3...
Sildenafil for COPD: A Randomized Crossover Trial

Pulmonary hypertension is common in COPD and associated with increased health care costs and mortality.1–4 Invasive hemodynamic studies of patients with advanced COPD report a prevalence of PH betw...
Effects of Multimedia Interactivity on Spatial Task Learning Outcomes

Prior research has produced mixed results regarding the usefulness of interactivity in multimedia learning. In this study, participants learned to solve part of a Rubik’s Cube using either a tutorial with interactive features or a passive (video-based) tutorial. Participants with low spatial ability benefited more from interactivity than those with high ability, though no performance main effects were found between the tutorials. Targeted use of interactivity could be effective in engaging students and helping them learn.
Dairy Farm Efficiency Measurement Using Stochastic Frontiers and Neoclassical Duality

This paper presents a stochastic efficiency decomposition model based on Kopp and Diewert's deterministic methodology. The stochastic model is used to analyze technical, economic, and allocative efficiency for a sample of New England dairy farms. The results suggest that mean economic efficiency for the farmers in the sample is about 70% and that, on average, there is little difference between technical (83.0%) and allocative (84.6%) efficiency. Analyses of the relationship between efficiency and four socioeconomic variables—farm size, education, extension, and experience—reveal that, despite some statistically significant associations, efficiency levels are not markedly affected by these variables.
Growth of In-doped ZnO films by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on GaN(0001) templates

We investigated the properties of indium-doped zinc oxide layers grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on semi-insulating GaN(0001) templates. Specular and transparent films with n-type carrier concentrations up to 1.82 × 1019 cm–3, as determined by hall measurements, were grown. An undoped film grown under the same conditions had carrier concentration 5.4 × 1017 cm–3. An interesting trend was observed for carrier concentration dependence on In precursor flow. For low In flows, carrier concentration increased with TMI flow until a peak was reached for a TMI flow of 5 standard cubic centimetres per minute. Beyond this flow, carrier concentration decreased with increasing TMI flow rate. A sheet resistance as low as 185 ohm/sq was achieved for the indium-doped films, which is a significant decrease from the undoped ZnO film which had a sheet resistance of 3100 ohm/sq. The results of this In doping study show that In is an effective dopant for controlling the n-type conductivity of ZnO. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
International survey of nephrologists' perceptions and attitudes about rewards and compensations for kidney donation

Background. Payment for organ donation, whether in the form of incentives, rewards or compensation is highly debated and has been denounced by many professional and legislative bodies. Despite the passionate discussion in the literature, there is very limited data on attitudes and perceptions of physicians about providing rewards or compensation to organ donors. We investigated the relationship between demographic and practice characteristics of nephrologists and their perceptions and attitudes about rewards and compensations for organ donation. Methods. Using a web-based survey, we explored the views of nephrologists around the world about rewards and compensations for kidney donation. The relationship between attitudes and demographic characteristics of 1280 nephrologists from 74 countries was examined by univariate and multivariable analyses. Results. Seventy-five percent agreed with donor health insurance, 26% favored direct financial compensation and 31% agreed with financial rewards for unrelated donors. Sixty-six percent believed that rewards will lead to increased donation. Seventy-three percent indicated that rewards will lead to exploitation of the poor and 78% agreed with legislation prohibiting organ sales. Thirty-seven percent believed that rewards will negatively impact deceased-donor transplantation. Nephrologists from India/Pakistan and the Middle East had more favorable views about rewards, while respondents from Latin America and Europe, older than 50, female nephrologists and those practicing in rural areas had less favorable views. Conclusions. We conclude that a minority of nephrologists favor rewards for donation, many agree with some compensation and a considerable majority favor donor health insurance. Perceptions of nephrologists about rewards and compensation are influenced by age, sex, urban versus rural location and geographic region of practice.
Curating aphasia: Pierre Paul Broca’s Museological Science

In this article, the importance of the famous nineteenth-century surgeon Pierre Paul Broca’s curatorial activities is assessed. Broca’s curatorship secured his achievement in localising the function of speech, which was a watershed moment in the history of neuroscience. Historians have debated why Broca succeeded where others had failed, citing cultural, political and personal influences, but what has been overlooked in these previous discussions is the importance of Broca’s depositing the brains of his aphasic patients in a museum of pathological anatomy. Broca’s success is thus attributed to him being a faithful practitioner of the so-called ‘museological’ medicine developed by his revolutionary predecessors in the hospitals of Paris.
Remote Sensing of the Heliosphere with the Murchison Widefield Array

The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) is one of the new technology low frequency radio interferometers currently under construction at an extremely radio-quiet location in Western Australia. The MWA design brings to bear the recent availability of powerful high-speed computational and digital signal processing capabilities on the problem of low frequency high-fidelity imaging with a rapid cadence and high spectral resolution. Solar and heliosphere science are among the key science objectives of the MWA and have guided the array design from its very conception. We present here a brief overview of the design and capabilities of the MWA with emphasis on its suitability for solar physics and remote-sensing of the heliosphere. We discuss the solar imaging and interplanetary scintillation (IPS) science capabilities of the MWA and also describe a new software framework. This software, referred to as Haystack InterPlanetary Software System (HIPSS), aims to provide a common data repository, interface, and analysis tools for IPS data from all observatories across the world.
Integrated RF antenna and solar array for spacecraft application

The objective of this research effort was to develop and demonstrate an integrated high-gain RF antenna and solar array technology for spacecraft application. The RF antenna technology selected was a printed microstrip reflectarray, which uses a large number of thin crossed dipoles as the radiating elements. A microstrip reflectarray has the capability of integration with a solar array.
Escalating violence in PG-13 movies

In this issue of Pediatrics , Romer and colleagues1 examine the judgments of parents watching a series of movie clips with sexual and violent content. These clips, viewable at the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s Web site, are a bit unsettling (they include sexual encounters that leave little to the imagination, executions that come by surprise, and battles between humans and robots that end in the graphic “death” of the robot). In this study, as they watched more of the clips in succession, parents became more permissive about the age at which they would allow their own children, as well as children generally, to view the movies from which these clips originated. From this, the authors conclude that frequent moviegoers may become desensitized to the sex and violence they repeatedly see onscreen. This desensitization process, they contend, is 1 reason content in movies rated PG-13, or appropriate for teenagers with parental guidance, has … Address correspondence to Jeanne Van Cleave, MD, 15th Floor C100, 100 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02144. E-mail: jvancleave{at}partners.org
Effects of Auditory Rhythm and Music on Gait Disturbances in Parkinson’s Disease

Gait abnormalities, such as shuffling steps, start hesitation, and freezing, are common and often incapacitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) and other parkinsonian disorders. Pharmacological and surgical approaches have only limited efficacy in treating these gait disorders. Rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS), such as playing marching music and dance therapy, has been shown to be a safe, inexpensive, and an effective method in improving gait in PD patients. However, RAS that adapts to patients' movements may be more effective than rigid, fixed-tempo RAS used in most studies. In addition to auditory cueing, immersive virtual reality technologies that utilize interactive computer-generated systems through wearable devices are increasingly used for improving brain-body interaction and sensory-motor integration. Using multisensory cues, these therapies may be particularly suitable for the treatment of parkinsonian freezing and other gait disorders. In this review, we examine the affected neurological circuits underlying gait and temporal processing in PD patients and summarize the current studies demonstrating the effects of RAS on improving these gait deficits.
Expression of the murine Hoxa4 gene requires both autoregulation and a conserved retinoic acid response element

Analysis of the regulatory regions of the Hox genes has revealed a complex array of positive and negative cis-acting elements that control the spatial and temporal pattern of expression of these genes during embryogenesis. In this study we show that normal expression of the murine Hoxa4 gene during development requires both autoregulatory and retinoic acid-dependent modes of regulation. When introduced into a Hoxa4 null background, expression of a lacZ reporter gene driven by the Hoxa4 regulatory region (Hoxa4/lacZ) is either abolished or significantly reduced in all tissues at E10. 5-E12.5. Thus, the observed autoregulation of the Drosophila Deformed gene is conserved in a mouse homolog in vivo, and is reflected in a widespread requirement for positive feedback to maintain Hoxa4 expression. We also identify three potential retinoic acid response elements in the Hoxa4 5' flanking region, one of which is identical to a well-characterized element flanking the Hoxd4 gene. Administration of retinoic acid to Hoxa4/lacZ transgenic embryos resulted in stage-dependent ectopic expression of the reporter gene in the neural tube and hindbrain. When administered to Hoxa4 null embryos, however, persistent ectopic expression was not observed, suggesting that autoregulation is required for maintenance of the retinoic acid-induced expression. Finally, mutation of the consensus retinoic acid response element eliminated the response of the reporter gene to exogenous retinoic acid, and abolished all embryonic expression in untreated embryos, with the exception of the neural tube and prevertebrae. These data add to the evidence that Hox gene expression is regulated, in part, by endogenous retinoids and autoregulatory loops.
Economic Education: A Requirement For Building A Free Market Economy And A Liberal Democracy In Ethiopia

This essay presents the case for a national campaign of economic literacy in Ethiopia. It argues that given the lack of opportunities for exposure to a properly functioning market economy or for formal training in economic principles, Ethiopians tend to be predisposed to accepting and/or seeking guidance from government regulators as though that is the natural or only way to proceed in their business and personal choices. This state of affaires is a key reason for the state of abject poverty Ethiopians have had to live in for generations. The paper proposes a two track program of economic education to free the creative talents of the people of Ethiopia from the shackles of regulation. Such a program, it is argued, is a necessary although not a sufficient condition for the Ethiopian economy to bust loose from its prolonged state of paralysis. Economic education which helps let citizens be free from bureaucratic regimens to dream and to take calculated risk in the pursuit of their economic and financial ambitions will also make significant contributions towards expanding the scope for personal freedoms in other dimensions of life in Ethiopian. A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government...—Thomas Jefferson
Effectiveness trials in mood disorders.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has embarked upon a new venture—effectiveness trials, large-scale trials to test more than one treatment option for individuals affected with diverse major mental disorders. The launch follows a recent report by the NIMH National Advisory Mental Health Council, which emphasized the failure within routine clinical care to widely implement findings of randomized, controlled efficacy trials (RCTs)—perhaps, in part, because of reduced generalizability that leaves real-world application unclear.Efficacy trials do not answer a number of key clinical questions, including: (1) Are the treatments as effective and safe in representative patient groups? (2) How does the new treatment fit within the treatment armamentarium? (3) When should the new treatment be combined with existing interventions? (4) What are the long-term benefits? (5) Do treatments differ regarding their effectiveness in patients with comorbid general medical or psychiatric disorders? (6) How do these newer treatments affect costs of routine care? Effectiveness trials can address a number of these issues and incorporate a broad range of outcomes, including symptom reduction, day-to-day function, side effect burden, and patient satisfaction.With a major aim of effectiveness trials being increased generalizability, selection of participants is crucial. Since symptomatic volunteers, who are typically used in efficacy RCTs for major depressive disorder, may be more responsive to either the nonspecific aspects of treatment or to the treatment itself than self-declared patients with concomitant comorbidities, setting minimal exclusion criteria, recruiting large samples of patients from representative practices, and excluding symptomatic volunteers assures that patients are representative, while protecting the internal validity of the trial. In addition, treatments must be reasonably well delivered so that outcomes can be attributed to the treatment per se and not to improper implementation of an otherwise effective treatment. Frequent clinic visits, patient/family educational efforts, universal access to all protocol recommended treatments (including psychotherapy), and adequate provider compensation can ensure that treatments are reasonably well delivered.
Significance of RGD Loop and C-Terminal Domain of Echistatin for Recognition of αIIbβ3 and αvβ3 Integrins and Expression of Ligand-Induced Binding Site

Echistatin is a viper venom disintegrin containing RGD loop maintained by disulfide bridges. It binds with a high affinity to αvβ3 and αIIbβ3 and it induces extensive conformational changes in these integrins resulting in expression of ligand-induced binding site (LIBS) epitopes. We investigated the activities of echistatin and its three analogues (R24A, D27W, echistatin 1-41). R24A echistatin did not react with αIIbβ3 and αvβ3 integrins and did not cause LIBS effect. D27W echistatin showed increased binding to αIIbβ3 and decreased binding to αvβ3. This substitution impaired the ability of echistatin to induce LIBS in αvβ3 integrin. Deletion of nine C-terminal amino acids of echistatin decreased its ability to bind αIIbβ3 and inhibit platelet aggregation. Truncated echistatin failed to induce LIBS epitopes on cells transfected with αIIbβ3 and αvβ3 genes. The ability of echistatin 1-41 to compete with binding of vitronectin to immobilized αvβ3 and monoclonal antibody 7E3 to platelets and to VNRC3 cells was decreased, although this analogue, after immobilization, retained its ability to bind purified αvβ3. We propose a hypothesis in which echistatin9s RGD loop determines selective recognition of αIIbβ3 and αvβ3 integrin, whereas the C-terminal domain supports its binding to resting integrin and significantly contributes to the expression of LIBS epitope and to conformational changes of the receptor, leading to a further increase of the binding affinity of echistatin and of the inhibitory effect.
CLOSED-FORM SOLUTIONS FOR THE PROBABILITY DENSITY OF WAVE HEIGHT IN THE SURF ZONE

By invoking the assumption that in the surf zone, random waves behave as a collection of individual regular waves, two closed-form solutions for the probability density function of wave height on planar beaches are derived. The first uses shallow water linear theory for wave shoaling, assumes a uniform incipient condition, and prescribes breaking with a regular wave model that includes both bottom slope and wave steepness effects on the rate of decay. In the second model, the shallow water assumption is removed, and a distribution in wave period (incipient condition) is included. Preliminary results indicate that the models exhibit much of the behavior noted for random wave transformation reported in the literature, including bottom slope and wave steepness effects on the shape of the probability density function.
Getting Started in R

In recent years, the R statistical package has emerged as the leading open-source alternative to applications such as SPSS, Stata, and SAS. In some fields—notably biological modeling and econometrics—R is becoming more widely used than commercial competitors, due in large part to the open source development model which allows researchers to collaboratively design custom-built packages for niche applications. Unfortunately, one area of application that has not been as widely explored—despite the potential for fruitful development—is the use of R for demographic analysis. Prior to the current work, there were a few R packages to bridge the gap between GIS and statistical analysis [4]—and one contribution to help with the downloading and management of spatial data and associated datasets from the 2000 Census [3]—but no R packages existed to manage ACS data or address the types of issues raised above.
ChIP-on-Chip Analysis Using Dominant Negative Form of PAX5 Fusion Gene Revealed Genes Associated with Tumorigenesis Were Directly Regulated by PAX5 in a Human B Cell Line, NALM6

PAX5 is a transcriptional factor playing an important role in B-cell development. Overexpression of PAX5 induced by translocation to the enhancer region of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene occurs in non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), suggesting that PAX5 can be also associated with development of NHL. To identify genes associated with tumorigenesis in malignancies overexpressing PAX5, we performed ChIP-on-chip analysis using PAX5 specific antibody. Non-specifically immunoprecipitated DNA by antibodies can cause false positive results using ChIP-on-chip analysis (background). To reduce the background in ChIP-on chip analysis, we used a dominant negative form of PAX5 and a wild-type PAX5 specific antibody for our ChIP-on-chip analysis. We have previously found a PAX5 chimeric protein expressed in acute lymphoblastic leukemia in which the C-terminal end of PAX5 was replaced by C20ORF112 protein (Kawamata N et al, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Aug. 12, 2008). We have also found that this chimeric protein behaved in a dominant negative fashion over the wild-type PAX5 and suppressed expression of target genes of wild-type PAX5. PAX5 chimeric protein can compete with wild-type PAX5 for binding on the promoter region of direct down-stream target genes. To identify the genes directly regulated by PAX5 in human B-cells, we transfected the dominant-negative form of PAX5 chmeric protein, PAX5-C20ORF112 (PAX5-C20S) into NALM6 human B-cell leukemia cells which constitutively express abundant PAX5. Transfected cells were collected and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay was performed using PAX5 C-terminal specific antibody which can recognize only wild-type PAX5, but not the chimeric PAX5 protein, PAX5C20S. As a control, we also performed ChIP assay using NALM6 cells transfected with an empty vector. Immunoprecipitated DNA was recovered and amplified using the whole genome amplification technique. The DNAs were hybridized with oligonucleotide probes containing the promoter regions of the human genome. The levels of hybridized DNA were quantified and genes directly bound by PAX5 were identified. Comparison between NALM6 cells transfected with the empty vector and PAX5C20S significantly reduced the background and allowed identification of genes directly regulated by PAX5 in NALM6, including BUB1B, SSSCA1, CEP68, and BAG1. BUB1B, CEP68 and SSSCA1 are proteins involved in mitosis; BAG1 is a protein associated with apoptosis. Dysregulation of these genes by overexpressed PAX5 may be associated with development of B-cell malignancies.
Intra- and extra-personal variability in person recognition

ABSTRACTDespite the fact that observers typically exhibit considerable expertise at familiar face recognition, unfamiliar faces are recognized and discriminated from one another very poorly. In particular, recent results demonstrate that a key difficulty observers face when attempting to sort unfamiliar faces by identity is how to “tell faces together”. That is, different images of the same individual are frequently assigned different labels, especially when natural viewing conditions introduce substantial appearance variation. By comparison, observers are generally well able to “tell faces apart”: Images of different individuals are rarely assigned the same label. Accurate face recognition depends on avoiding both kinds of error (failing to tell people apart or failing to “tell them together”). Unfamiliar face recognition suffers in particular from a reduced ability to reliably identify the former. Here, we used an unconstrained identity sorting task to examine how intra- and extra-personal variability a...
Monthly rental price of a comparable home and the pricing of a two-bedroom home

Using single and multivariate OLS regressions, this study examines how the listing price of a two bedroom home is affected by the monthly rental price of a comparable home in the same city. We do this in order to provide some direction to young families looking to purchase their first home. Our data encompasses each state’s most populated city within the United States. This study reveals that as the monthly rental price of a comparable home (especially condos) increases, and/or as the price-to-rent ratio increases, so does the listing price of a two bedroom home. Therefore, a frugal home buyer should keep an eye on both comparable rental prices, and on the price-to-rent ratio within their city of interest. When rental prices drop, or when the price-to-rent ratio decreases, that is when a homebuyer should begin to consider the purchase of a two-bedroom home.
Outdoor acoustic tomography using retrieved Green’s function from controlled-sources: An Experimental Feasibility Study

In this work, outdoor acoustic tomography is investigated using the retrieve Green's function originating from a virtual source located inside a region of interest (ROI). Of particular interest are the location and amplitude of reflectors, as well as the extraction of atmospheric conditions. Existing methods utilize Green’s function retrieval approaches, such as cross-correlation (CC) and multidimensional deconvolution (MDD), of reflection data from inhomogeneities (virtual sources) within the ROI. This allows one to retrieve the Green's function without detailed knowledge of the medium itself. The imaging resolution, artifacts, and close match with the true reflectors are investigated and discussed for both Green’s function retrieval methods.In this work, outdoor acoustic tomography is investigated using the retrieve Green's function originating from a virtual source located inside a region of interest (ROI). Of particular interest are the location and amplitude of reflectors, as well as the extraction of atmospheric conditions. Existing methods utilize Green’s function retrieval approaches, such as cross-correlation (CC) and multidimensional deconvolution (MDD), of reflection data from inhomogeneities (virtual sources) within the ROI. This allows one to retrieve the Green's function without detailed knowledge of the medium itself. The imaging resolution, artifacts, and close match with the true reflectors are investigated and discussed for both Green’s function retrieval methods.
The ageing brain in sleep apnoea: paradoxical resilience, survival of the fittest, or simply comparing apples and oranges?

Preserved brain integrity in older sleep apnoea patients depends on whether underlying symptoms are present or not http://ow.ly/O0U530jX1Xp
Chemotherapy of Childhood Brain Stem Tumors

The majority of brain stem tumors occur in children (Bloom 1975), and in recent years considerable progress has been obtained with chemotherapy for most pediatric tumors (Mauer et al. 1977; Lampert 1982). It would therefore seem appropriate to have a pediatrician speak on chemotherapy of brain stem tumors.
INHIBITION OF TUMOR GROWTH IN VIVO AND ANCHORAGE-INDEPENDENT GROWTH IN VITRO BY PERTURBING HYALURONAN-CELL INTERACTIONS

Crucial elements of tumor growth and metastasis are interactions between tumor cells and their pericellular environment, a major component of which is hyaluronan. Thus, we determined whether hyaluronan-cell interactions are important in tumor progression by perturbing these interactions in the pericellular milieu of tumor cells and inhibiting downstream signaling or other cellular events. Our first approach was to use hyaluronan oligomers to displace endogenous hyaluronan polymer bound to hyaluronan-binding proteins. As predicted, treatment of subcutaneous tumors with hyaluronan oligomers, using slow release mini-osmotic pumps, was shown to inhibit growth in vivo. Our second approach was to over-express soluble CD44 to competitively inhibit endogenous binding of hyaluronan to cell surface proteins, including CD44 itself. Thus stable transfectants of murine mammary carcinoma cells producing high levels of soluble CD44 were introduced into the peritoneum of syngeneic mice. Transfection with soluble CD44 was shown to inhibit growth of these cells in ascites, as well as invasion and growth in the peritoneal wall, whereas transfection with mutated soluble CD44 that does not bind hyaluronan had no effect. Growth characteristics of tumor cells treated as above were also compared in culture. Growth in monolayer culture revealed no significant differences between tumor cells over-expressing soluble CD44, tumor cells treated with hyaluronan oligomers and control tumor cells. However, dramatic reduction in anchorage-independent growth in soft agar, a characteristic of transformed cells, was observed for the soluble CD44-transfected and oligomer-treated tumor cells, compared to control tumor cells. Thus we conclude from these studies that perturbation of hyaluronan interactions at the tumor cell surface has a direct effect on the transformed properties of tumor cells, leading to inhibition of anchorage-independent growth in vitro and tumor progression in vivo.
Controlling the structure and ferroic properties of strained epitaxial NiTiO3 thin films on sapphire by post-deposition annealing

Abstract Ferroelectrically induced weak ferromagnetism had been predicted earlier in metal titanate compounds MTiO3 (M = Fe, Mn, Ni) with the lithium niobate-type (LiNbO3) structure. In order to stabilize this metastable structure by oxide heteroepitaxy, we attempted to grow epitaxial nickel titanate (NiTiO3) films on the nonpolar, non-magnetic sapphire substrate by pulsed laser deposition. As a follow-up to our earlier work, we investigated the effect of post-synthesis annealing in order to improve physical properties. Our structural data from x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy suggest that the crystalline quality of the NiTiO3 films was greatly improved by annealing the films at 600 and 1000 °C, with new phase formation along the interface at 1000 °C. Our physical property characterization indicates increased ferromagnetism and polarization after 600 °C, but a change in the magnetic state to likely ferrimagnetism, and a loss of polarization after the 1000 °C treatment. Our results suggest that the ferroic domain properties of the NiTiO3 films can be favorably altered by post-synthesis heat treatment at the proper temperature to manipulate interfacial strain and enhance the multiferroic properties.
Assessing Different Reactive Oxygen Species as Potential Antibiotics: Selectivity of Intracellular Superoxide Generation Using Quantum Dots

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) represent a broad range of chemical species including superoxide, hydroxyl, singlet oxygen, and hydrogen peroxide. Each species behaves differently in the cellular environment. Some can play specific roles as intracellular signaling molecules, while others act primarily as indiscriminate oxidants. Several recent reports have promoted the use of exogenous ROS as therapeutic agents with applications from cancer therapies to novel antimicrobials. However, therapeutics, specifically antibiotics, should either kill or inhibit the growth of harmful cells (bacteria here) without harming the host cells, and hence selectivity of action is of vital importance. Here, we show that among different ROS, only superoxide was found to be bactericidal, killing a range of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens without affecting the viability or growth of mammalian cells. Superoxide has a high thermodynamic capacity to be a strong oxidant. However, its lack of reactivity with cellular components at...
Aqueous Electrolyte Compatible Electrochromic Polymers Processed from an Environmentally Sustainable Solvent

Developing aqueous electrolyte compatible, redox-active polymers that can be processed from environmentally sustainable solvents is desirable because these traits will effectively reduce environmental impact and human health hazards during processing procedures and in the final device architecture. To achieve organic solvent solubility and aqueous compatibility, a poly(3,4-propylenedioxythiophene) containing four ester functionalities was synthesized via direct arylation polymerization. The resulting polymer was spray-cast into a thin film from the environmentally sustainable solvent 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, and the presence of multiple polar functionalities rendered the film aqueous electrolyte compatible. The multiester-functionalized polymer exhibits a relatively low onset of oxidation (∼0.4 V vs Ag/AgCl) and electrochromic character by transitioning from a colored neutral state to a colorless oxidized state with increasing potential in 0.1 M NaCl aqueous electrolyte. Additionally, the ester-functional...