cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemical-Shift and Linewidth Characteristics of Reversibly Bound Ligands

Abstract Chemical-shift and linewidth characteristics of reversibly bound ligands provide a useful source of information about binding kinetics. Conversely, it is often useful to predict these parameters for a particular set of ligand resonances if the kinetic behavior is known, For a two-state system, an analytical expression for the chemical-shift maxima as a function of the fraction of complexed ligand, p B , valid if T 2B , T 2F ⪢ τ B , can be derived. The resulting expressions are useful for the analysis of experimental data in the intermediate-exchange case and can be applied to chelator-ion equilibria and, depending on the value of T 2B , ligand-macromolecule equilibria. Since this expression can be used regardless of whether the exchange is fast or slow, no a priori assumptions regarding the exchange rate, other than the condition noted above, are needed. Effects of shorter T 2 values on resonance shift have been evaluated numerically. In general, it is found that if the linewidths of the two species in the absence of exchange differ significantly, the observed shift is weighted toward the sharper resonance. The relationship of the exchange-broadening maximum to the ligand dissociation rate constant in the fast-exchange limit is also considered. Evaluation of the concentration dependence of the exchange broadening provides a useful basis for determining whether a simple kinetic scheme for reversible binding provides a valid description of the exchange process. Several illustrative applications are presented.
Calcium phosphate cements improve bone density when used in osteoporotic sternums.

Purpose Calcium phosphate cements control bleeding and are safe to use in osteoporotic sternums during open heart surgery. We looked at the clinical and radiographic effects of this agent on bone healing. Description Since March 2006, 18 patients had calcium phosphate cement inserted in their sternal tables at heart surgery. They were followed-up by office visits and chest computed tomographic (CT) scans. All preoperative and postoperative CT chest scans were evaluated for cement absorption, bone replacement, and bone density. Evaluation Five preoperative and 41 postoperative CT chest scans were available for evaluation. Median interval from surgery to CT scan was 531 days (range, 3 to 966 days). At follow-up there were neither clinical dehiscences nor nonunions of the sternums. Calcium phosphate cement appears to reabsorb quickly, but not completely. Five patients with pre-surgical CT chest scans demonstrated an average, improved bone density of 281.66 Hounsfield units at follow-up ( p = 0.006). Conclusions In each patient, cement was replaced by new bone, and there is evidence that more bone is present as a result of cement use.
Is combined modality therapy necessary for advanced hodgkin's disease?

Purpose: To determine whether single-modality therapy is optimal management for patients with Stage III-IV Hodgkin's disease. Methods and Materials: All patients with advanced (Stage III and IV) Hodgkin's disease treated at the University of Florida from 1964 through 1989 (n = 141) were studied retrospectively for factors predictive of good outcome with single-modality therapy. Treatment modalities varied and were distributed as follows: combined-modality therapy (CMT), 55 patients; chemotherapy alone (CX), 50 patients; and radiotherapy alone (RT), 36 patients. Results: Ten-year rates of freedom from relapse and overall survival for all Stage III patients were 66% and 59% compared with 36% and 35% for Stage IV patients. The RT subset was highly selected with the majority of patients having nonbulky Stage IIIA disease. Within the RT group, multivariate analysis identified the degree of splenic involvement and age as the factors most associated with freedom from relapse. In patients treated with CX, multivariate analysis identified bulky tumor (maximum transverse tumor dimension > 6 cm) as the most important prognostic factor for relapse. In patients without bulky disease (≤ 6 cm), the probabilities of freedom from relapse and overall survival at 10 years, respectively, according to treatment group were 53% and 58% for RT patients, 60% and 56% for CX patients, and 83% and 71% for CMT patients. For patients without bulky disease, the probability of freedom from relapse was significantly better for the CMT group than for CX patients (p = 0.03) or RT patients (p = 0.04), but there was no statistical difference in overall survival among the three groups. In patients with bulky disease ( > 6 cm), the probabilities of freedom from relapse and overall survival at 10 years were 44% and 45% for RT patients, 9% and 0% for CX patients, and 72% and 58% for CMT patients. Freedom from relapse and overall survival were significantly better (p = 0.0001) for CMT patients compared with CX patients. Fatal hematopoietic disorders developed in 10 patients: 2 of 36 RT patients, 2 of 50 CX patients, and 6 of 55 CMT patients. Nine patients had received chemotherapy, and eight had six or more cycles of alkylator-based chemotherapy. Conclusion: This retrospective study suggests that combined-modality therapy is preferable to single-modality therapy in the majority of patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease.
Probabilistic risk analysis and risk-based priority scale for the tiles of the space shuttle

Abstract The thermal protection system of the space shuttle is one of its most critical subsystems because it protects the orbiter from heavy heat loads at reentry into the atmosphere. To optimize NASA's allocation of risk management resources, a probabilistic risk analysis model is developed for the black tiles, and a risk-criticality index is computed for each tile based on its contribution to the overall probability of loss of vehicle and crew (LOV/C). This assessment is based on the susceptibility of the tiles (i.e. their probabilities of debonding), and on the vulnerability of the orbiter to specific tile losses given the criticality of the subsystems under the aluminum skin in various locations. The two main initiating events are linked to the debonding of a tile, caused either by debris hits or by a weak bond because of poor tile installation. The PRA model relies on a partition of the orbiter's surface according to four parameters: the probability of debris hits, the probability of secondary tile loss once a first tile has debonded, the probability of burnthrough given a failure patch of specified size, and the probability of LOV given a hole in the orbiter's aluminum skin. The results show that the contribution of the tiles to the overall probability of LOV is about 10%. They also include a map of the orbiter's surface showing the relative risk-criticality of tiles at various locations. It was found that 85% of the risk can be attributed to 15% of the tiles, thus allowing the management to allocate more effort and resources to the maintenance of the most risk-critical tiles.
Evidence for structural dissociation of two biologic actions of growth hormone.

Abstract The effects of purified growth hormone and its CNBr fragments on somatomedin induction and on the stimulation of hepatic and renal ornithine decarboxylase ( l -ornithine carboxylase, EC 4.1.1.17) activity in rats have been investigated. At the doses tested, none of the CNBr fragments induced somatomedin as evidenced by lack of an effect on sulfate, leucine, and thymidine incorporation into cartilage of hypophysectomized rats. However, the largest fragment, consisting of two peptides corresponding to Residues 6–124 and 150–179 linked by a disulfide bridge, stimulated both renal and hepatic ornithine decarboxylase activity in hypophysectomized rats and the activity of the hepatic enzyme in intact animals. A smaller CNBr fragment corresponding to Residues 125–149 slightly stimulated the activity of renal ornithine decarboxylase but failed to increase activity of the hepatic enzyme. A similar slight stimulation of the activity of the renal, but not the hepatic, enzyme was produced by a large carboxyl-terminal fragment (molecular weight 8000) prepared by proteolytic cleavage of partially purified ovine growth hormone. Circular dichroic spectra of the CNBr fragments demonstrated that the largest fragment retained much of the ordered secondary structure of intact growth hormone while two smaller CNBr fragments were devoid of ordered secondary structure. These observation indicate that different biological activities of growth hormone may be dissociated by fragmentation of the parent molecule.
Staining of human and rat brain Vibratome sections by a new Golgi method.

Abstract A simple rapid procedure is described for processing human and animal brain tissue with a Golgi stain that preserves the tissue. Vibratome cut sections are prepared from the tissue without embedding the block. The sections are processed within one week. The method gives good resolution of dendritic spines. It requires less work time than standard procedures and none of the tissue is lost.
Subharmonic solutions of Hamiltonian equations on tori

Let the torus T2n be equipped with the standard symplectic structure and a periodic Hamiltonian Dt e C3(SX x T2n, R). We look for periodic orbits of the Hamiltonian flow u(t) = J VDt(t, (/)). A subharmonic solution is a periodic orbit with minimal period an integral multiple m of the period of Dt, with m > 1. We prove that if the Hamiltonian flow has only finitely many orbits with the same period as Dt, then there are subharmonic solutions with arbitrarily high minimal period. Thus there are always infinitely many distinct periodic orbits. The results proved here were proved in the nondegenerate case by Conley and Zehnder and in the case n = 1 by Le Calvez.
Combining analysis of random elastic polycrystals with poroelasticity for granular composites having orthotropic porous grains and fluid-filled pores

Abstract Analysis of random polycrystals has typically been applied to solid grains of anisotropic elastic materials. Poroelastic analysis has similarly been applied to otherwise isotropic systems with pores having a variety of shapes and filled with fluids. Present effort is focused on combining these two types of geomechanical analyses by treating anisotropic (specifically orthotropic) poroelastic grains jumbled together to form an overall isotropic polycrystalline poroelastic material. The resulting problem is approximately twice as difficult to solve as the typical elastic polycrystal problem because the polycrystal analysis must be carried through twice: once for the drained (pore-fluid free to escape) poroelastic constants, and again for the undrained (pore-fluid trapped) poroelastic constants. As should be anticipated, poroelastic effects induced by trapped fluid are significantly stronger for the effective bulk modulus than for the effective shear modulus.
Initial studies of mechanical compression on neurogenesis with neonatal neural stem cells.

Abstract In this article we demonstrate the effect of mechanical compression on the behavior of cultured neural stem cells using a microelectromechanical system platform. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based stretchable substrates were used on a neurosphere (NS) assay to investigate the role of mechanical forces on the formation of radial glial processes and neuronal migration. To induce mechanical compression on NS, the PDMS culturing substrate was patterned with micron-sized wells. NS were cultured on the prestretched device. After 48 hours, when the NS had grown to the size of the well's width, the stretched substrate was released. The experimental results showed that applied mechanical compression on neural stem cells could be a factor accelerating the radial glial formation, which is associated with neurogenesis and neuronal migration. From the Clinical Editor This study demonstrates that mechanical compression on neural stem cells could be a factor accelerating the radial glial formation, which is associated with neurogenesis and neuronal migration.
An overview of ethnicity and assessment of family history in primary care settings.

Purpose: To discuss the importance of and the nurse practitioner’s (NP’s) role in the assessment of ethnicity/family of origin in conducting a multigenerational family history in primary care settings. Data sources: A review of the literature on past research results addressing racial and ethnic disparities and current articles from scientific journals exploring the relationship between race and genetics. Web sites were from the National Institutes of Health, the Human Genome Research Institute, the National Cancer Institute, and the Health and Human Services Minority Health and Disparities report. Conclusions: The family history has received renewed interest due to the sequencing of the human genome. A multigenerational family history is an important first step in screening for a multitude of disorders impacted by genetic susceptibility, shared environments, and common behaviors. Assessment of the patient’s ethnicity/family of origin is an integral part of the multigenerational family history, particularly in the diagnosis of chronic diseases and the assessment of risks for genetic disorders. The multigenerational family history is important in diagnosis, predictive genetic testing, disease prevention, and health promotion. Challenges facing NPs and the utilization of a multigenerational family history in the current U.S. health system include (a) training clinicians on the correct assessment and utilization of a multigenerational family history, (b) assessment of the subtleties of ethnicity and identifying multiple ethnic groups within a family, (c) collection of the family history in a manner that is sensitive to the cultural beliefs of individuals, and (d) avoidance of stereotyping Implications for practice: Significant advances in genetics and genetic testing requires that NPs be well versed in collecting and interpreting a multigenerational family history to include assessment of the patient/family’s ethnicity/family of origin. The ability to effectively conduct and evaluate the individual’s and family’s health risk through a multigenerational family history will be important in diagnosis, health promotion, disease prevention, and the determination for genetic counseling referral and predictive testing when appropriate. Assessment of risk and prevention of disease is also important in reducing health disparities.
Does the new automated "HALO" nipple aspiration fluid system really deliver as promised? The answer is "No, but...": A literature review of the role of breast fluid cytology in cancer risk assessment.

The HALO breast Pap test is a new automated nipple aspiration fluid (NAF) system that was recently introduced into the market. In an extensive marketing campaign directed principally toward OB/GYN practices, including endorsements from few local news media, HALO has been promoted as the “new Pap screening test for breast.” Physicians are encouraged to perform this test on all women, as part of their annual examination, with claims that HALO will detect breast cancers as early as 10 years before mammography. These arguments are made more appealing to physician's offices by highlighting the potential positive financial impact on their practices, without consuming physician time, as medical assistants or technicians can perform this test. As a result of this directed campaign, cytology laboratories are increasingly confronted with implementing the HALO system and clinicians are increasingly soliciting pathologist's input regarding its validity. Yet, there is no data available regarding this new system, outside rare reports sponsored by the manufacturer. In this discussion, I examine the pros and cons of this new NAF system, including literature review of breast fluid cytology, and how it relates to breast cancer risk assessment. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Nonlinear Saturation and Determination of the Two-Photon Absorption Cross Section of Green Fluorescent Protein

Two-photon absorption is a nonlinear phenomenon that is observed in materials irradiated with the combined energy of two photons, which matches the transition energy between the ground state and the excited state. Molecules exhibiting strong two-photon absorption have great potential in a wide range of applications such as three-dimensional fluorescence imaging, optical data storage, and microfabrication.9,6 Green fluorescent protein (GFP) can be excited by a two-photon mechanism and exhibits a nonlinear behavior of the effective two-photon absorption coefficient. Here we present the quantitative determination of the two-photon absorption saturation of GFP in both a homogeneously broadened and inhomogeneously broadened system. We further show that, dominated by strong nonlinear saturation, GFP has a large intrinsic two-photon absorption cross section (σTPA) value that is several orders of magnitude larger than that of chemically synthesized compounds.
Treatment of Philadelphia Chromosome Positive (Ph +) Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia in Blast Crisis and Ph + Acute Leukemia with High Dose Cytosine Arabinoside (HDARAC)

High dose cytosine arabinoside (HDARAC) was administered to eleven patients in the blastic phase of Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Four patients presented in blastic phase and in seven patients blastic transformation had evolved from a previous chronic phase. All patients had been heavily pretreated with chronic phase drugs (hydroxyurea, myleran) or a protocol designed to treat the chronic phase (L-5 protocol) and with blastic phase regimens (anthracycline/araC combination or vincristine/prednisone). One of 11 patients achieved a complete remission (365 + days) and two patients achieved a partial response. No cytogenetic remissions were observed. The other patients were considered treatment failures with 3/8 surviving less than one month after therapy. Blasts were, at least temporarily, eliminated in all patients receiving at least 7 doses of HDARAC, although repopulation was rapid. HDARAC may be satisfactory therapy for accelerated phase CML but is minimally active in blastic phase CML.
Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, and Trichomonas vaginalis infections in men with nongonococcal urethritis: predictors and persistence after therapy.

Nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) is a frequent diagnosis worldwide among adolescent and adult men presenting with urethral discharge or dysuria. There are no recent estimates of the prevalence of NGU in the United States; however, data from the 1970s indicate that 19%–78% of urethritis cases among men in sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics and 85% of urethritis cases on college campuses in the United States were due to NGU [1, 2]. Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) are the most recognized pathogens contributing to NGU. However, recent studies have demonstrated the contribution of Ureaplasma urealyticum, herpes simplex virus, and adenovirus to the etiology of NGU, owing in part to advancements in nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) for detection [3–5]. Empiric therapy is directed primarily at chlamydial infection, yet the clinical manifestations of these pathogens are usually indistinguishable and may require different treatment considerations. Persistent NGU can occur in a significant proportion of men after treatment; whether this is due to a slow resolution of the primary inflammatory response or due to persistent pathogens causing infection is uncertain. Treatment recommendations for NGU include azithromycin or doxycycline therapy [6]. A randomized controlled trial conducted by Schwebke et al [7] found that microbiological cure differed between CT and MG, with CT having the highest clearance rate (94.8%) after doxycycline therapy, and MG having the highest clearance rate (66.7%) after treatment with azithromycin. This finding raises concern about the different response rates of each pathogen to recommended therapy and their contribution to persistent NGU. Although a test-of-cure for NGU (ie, repeat testing at 3–4 weeks after therapy) is not recommended unless symptoms persist or reinfection is suspected, the proportion of cases with persistent infection after treatment should be further delineated. We conducted an analysis of the data collected by Schwebke et al [7] to ascertain characteristics associated with CT, MG, and TV infection at baseline and persistence after therapy in symptomatic heterosexual men with NGU. In the absence of point-of-care tests for these organisms in men, recognition of factors that predict specific infections at baseline could direct optimal therapy and management of sexual partners. We also assessed factors associated with microbiological persistence of CT or MG after standard treatment with azithromycin or doxycycline, and their correlation with persistent NGU.
Treatment of bipolar disorder during and after pregnancy

The treatment of bipolar disorder (BPD) in women is complicated by reproductive life events such as pregnancy and breastfeeding. This presents a clinical challenge to clinicians and patients who must balance risk of recurrent mood episodes against risks of potential teratogenic and adverse side effects of medications. It is important for the clinician and patient to develop an individualized plan of care during conception, pregnancy, delivery and postpartum to ensure maximum safety and minimal risks. Pregnant women with BPD have the same risk of mood episodes as women who are not pregnant. There is clearly an increased risk for the development of mood episodes in the postpartum period—approximately 22–50% of women with BPD will develop postpartum depression (PPD). Risk factors for PPD in women with BPD include having a family history of PPD and depressive symptoms during pregnancy, but this risk can be significantly reduced with prophylactic medications. The risk for postpartum psychosis (PPP) is also significant, and most cases occur in the first 3 days following delivery. Risk factors include a history of an index manic episode, positive family history, and sleep deprivation during delivery.
Pleiotropic IFN-Dependent and -Independent Effects of IRF5 on the Pathogenesis of Experimental Lupus

Genetic polymorphisms of IFN regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) are associated with an increased risk of lupus in humans. In this study, we examined the role of IRF5 in the pathogenesis of pristane-induced lupus in mice. The pathological response to pristane in IRF5(-/-) mice shared many features with type I IFN receptor (IFNAR)(-/-) and TLR7(-/-) mice: production of anti-Sm/RNP autoantibodies, glomerulonephritis, generation of Ly6C(hi) monocytes, and IFN-I production all were greatly attenuated. Lymphocyte activation following pristane injection was greatly diminished in IRF5(-/-) mice, and Th cell differentiation was deviated from Th1 in wild-type mice toward Th2 in IRF5(-/-) mice. Th cell development was skewed similarly in TLR7(-/-) or IFNAR(-/-) mice, suggesting that IRF5 alters T cell activation and differentiation by affecting cytokine production. Indeed, production of IFN-I, IL-12, and IL-23 in response to pristane was markedly decreased, whereas IL-4 increased. Unexpectedly, plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) were not recruited to the site of inflammation in IRF5(-/-) or MyD88(-/-) mice, but were recruited normally in IFNAR(-/-) and TLR7(-/-) mice. In striking contrast to wild-type mice, pristane did not stimulate local expression of CCL19 and CCL21 in IRF5(-/-) mice, suggesting that IRF5 regulates chemokine-mediated pDC migration independently of its effects on IFN-I. Collectively, these data indicate that altered production of IFN-I and other cytokines in IRF5(-/-) mice prevents pristane from inducing lupus pathology by broadly affecting T and B lymphocyte activation/differentiation. Additionally, we uncovered a new, IFN-I-independent role of IRF5 in regulating chemokines involved in the homing of pDCs and certain lymphocyte subsets.
Review of techniques for the diagnosis of Chlamydia psittaci infection in psittacine birds.

Avian chlamydiosis in psittacine birds is characterized by clinical signs such as anorexia, depression, respiratory distress, or diarrhea. The disease is caused by widespread infection of mononuclear phagocytes by the obligate intracellular bacterium, Chlamydia psittaci. Chlamydial organism can be transmitted to humans via dried feces and nasal discharge, causing the clinical disease of psittacosis. Clinical signs of psittacosis include influenza-like symptoms, and infection can lead to severe pneumonia or other nonrespiratory ailments. 2 Because of the zoonotic potential of C. psittaci ,i t is important to make a rapid, definitive diagnosis in affected birds. Diagnosis of chlamydiosis can be problematic. Isolation and identification is the gold standard for most infectious diseases, but these techniques may be difficult to use for chlamydiosis. 3,7 First, many birds can be carriers and may harbor subclinical infections. Second, culturing requires the use of specialized cell lines or embryonated eggs and inoculation techniques that are not available in all laboratories. 3,7 Third, because chlamydial organisms are shed intermittently in the feces, a single culture can lead to a false-negative result. 7 There are a variety of serologic tests available for diagnosis of chlamydiosis. Unfortunately, serologic responses in infection and disease vary widely in psittacine birds, and early stages of infection can have negative results. 7 Attempts at direct identification using fluorescent antibody testing on fresh tissue or characteristic inclusions seen histopathologically with hematoxylin and eosin (HE), Giemsa, or Gimenez staining have become more widely used. 3,6 Fluorescent antibody testing, although reliable, requires the submission of fresh tissue, and often specimens are submitted to the diagnostic laboratory already in formalin. Diagnosis in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues relies on the visual methods of finding organisms morphologically compatible with C. psittaci with HE or histochemical stains. Often this option is the only one available in a diagnostic laboratory setting, and it is fraught with potentials for falsenegative or false-positive interpretations based on insufficient or spurious histochemical reactions. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) can help provide positive identification of a specific antigen within FFPE tissue. The aim of this study was to examine the usefulness of IHC and to compare this method with other methods based on pathology for detection of C. psittaci in FFPE tissues. Thirteen cases of chlamydiosis in psittacine birds were selected from the biopsy and necropsy archives of the Department of Pathology and the Athens Diagnostic Laboratory
Pleurochrysis pseudoroscoffensis (Prymnesiophyceae) blooms on the surface of the Salton Sea, California

Dense populations of the coccolithophore Pleurochrysis pseudoroscoffensis were found in surface films at several locations around the Salton Sea in February–August, 1999. An unidentified coccolithophorid was also found in low densities in earlier studies of the lake (1955–1956). To our knowledge, this is the first record of this widespread marine species in any lake. Samples taken from surface films typically contained high densities of one or two other phytoplankton species as well as high densities of the coccolithophore. Presence or absence of specific algal pigments was used to validate direct cell counts. In a preliminary screen using a brine shrimp lethality assay, samples showed moderate activity. Extracts were then submitted to a mouse bioassay, and no toxic activity was observed. These results indicate that blooms of P. pseudoroscoffensis are probably not toxic to vertebrates and do not contribute to the various mortality events of birds and fish that occur in the Salton Sea.
Representing Subgroups of Finitely Presented Groups by Quotient Subgroups

This paper proposes to represent subgroups of finitely presented groups by their image in a quotient. It gives algorithms for basic operations in this representation and investigates how iteration of this approach can be used to extend known quotients groups with a solvable normal subgroup. Traditionally, algorithms in group theory have represented a subgroup U of a finitely presented group G either by a set of generators (as words in the generators of the full group) or via a coset table. Both representations have distinctive disadvantages: A coset table for U has [G:U] rows, thus the space requirement for storage can be substantial. Practically this restricts this representation to index a few million at most. On the other hand, the representation via a generating set is not particularly suited to calculations and many algorithms compute a coset table as a first step and then effectively work with the coset table, discarding the generating set. Furthermore, for subgroups which are obtained as output of other algorithms, generating sets often are not what a user wants: The standard way to obtain generators is as Schreier generators. As this is a process which “lives” in a free group the number of generators produced grows linearly with the index, and any reduction of this number (if possible at all) would require further work. The first aim of this note is to introduce a different representation, namely as a subgroup of a quotient: Given a group G and a homomorphism ϕ, we represent a subgroup U which is a full preimage under ϕ by the pair (ϕ;Uϕ). We call U a quotient subgroupand the pair (ϕ;Uϕ) the quotient representationof U. Such representation comes naturally to systems such as Magnus[The New York Group Theory Cooperative], quotpic[Holt and Rees 1993] or XGAP[Celler and Neunh¨ offer 1999] with a graphical user interface in which subgroups are objects whose generators or coset table are (usually) never displayed. We will show how such representations can be created, and how to calculate with subgroups in this representation. We will then examine how this approach can be iterated in an attempt to extend known quotients. The approach has been implemented by the author in the system GAP [The GAP Group 2000] and is used there as a default method for many operations for subgroups of finitely presented groups.
Prostaglandins and the Release of the Adrenergic Transmitter

Prostaglandins (PG) are synthesized from arachidonic acid, which is deesterified from tissue lipids in response to various stimuli including adrenergic transmitter, consequent to activation of one or more lipase(s). The profile of arachidonic acid metabolites generated in response to sympathetic nerve stimulation or administration of norepinephrine (NE) may vary in different tissues. For example, in the kidney and spleen, PGE2, is the major and PGI2 and PGF2 alpha the minor products; whereas in the heart and blood vessels, PGI2 is the principal product of arachidonic acid generated in response to sympathetic nerve stimulation. PGE2 and PGI2 inhibit release of NE and/or the postjunctional actions of this neurotransmitter in several tissues. These observations and the findings that inhibitors of cyclooxygenase enhance NE release and the response of effector organs to nerve stimulation suggest that PGs act as physiological modulators of adrenergic transmission. The mechanism by which PGs modulate release of the adrenergic transmitter has not yet been established. NE appears to be released from sympathetic fibers during depolarization by influx of Na+, which is associated with entry of Ca++ through omega-conotoxin-sensitive Ca++ channels that are distinct from those in the vascular smooth muscle, which are sensitive to nifedipine. Ouabain in low external K+ activates the former, whereas external Na+ depletion activates the latter type of Ca++ channels in the nerve fiber and promotes release of NE. PGs (PGE2) may inhibit release of NE from nerve fibers by interfering with the availability of Ca++ through these Ca++ channels or promoting efflux of Ca++ from the nerve terminal.
Personal characteristics associated with injecting drug use among Latinas in the United States of America.

This study examines nonmedical injecting drug use (IDU) among Latinas aged 12 years and older in a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. Data from the 1990-1995 National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse disclosed 154 Latinas with self-reported histories of IDU out of 18 335 Latinas who responded. Hypotheses about correlates of IDU were tested by using the conditional form of multiple logistic regression to compare the characteristics of these IDUs with those of 602 noninjecting Latinas matched on neighborhood of residence. In the USA, an estimated 1% of Latinas age 12 years and older have injected drugs for non-medical purposes on at least one occasion. IDU was 4.6 to 6.5 times greater for adult Latinas (18-44 years old) when compared to Latinas aged either 12 through 17 years (P < 0.05) or older than 44 years. IDU was an estimated 7.1 times greater for Latinas who reported marijuana use and 5.4 times greater for Latinas who reported inhalant use when compared to Latinas not using these drugs (P < 0.01). In light of recent studies indicating that IDU is a serious public health problem for Latinas in the United States, the observed associations represent first steps in an effort to understand the Latina subgroups most affected by IDU and the underlying risk factors or causes of this behavior.
The simulation of independent Rayleigh faders

Multiple independent Rayleigh fading waveforms are often required for the simulation of wireless communications channels. Jakes (1974) Rayleigh fading model and its derivatives based on the sum-of-sinusoids provide simple simulators, but they have major shortcomings in their simulated correlation functions. A novel sum-of-sinusoids fading model is proposed and verified, which generates Rayleigh fading processes satisfying the theoretical independence requirements and providing desired power spectral densities with ideal second-order moment. The effects of replacing sinusoids in the proposed model by their approximate waveforms are also analyzed and tested. Performance evaluation and comparison are provided, using the quality measures of the mean-square-error of autocorrelation function and the second-order moment of the power spectral density.
Expression of CONNEXIN43 is highly sensitive to ionizing radiation and other environmental stresses.

To gain a greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying the cellular responses to low-dose ionizing radiation, gene expression profiles were examined by microarray analysis of cDNA from confluent human diploid fibroblast cultures exposed to very low fluences of α-particles. The data, supported by Northern and Western analyses, indicate that radiation induces a significant up-regulation of CONNEXIN43 expression. This phenomenon was observed in a variety of irradiated cell types. These findings are consistent with our previous observations that connexin43 (cx43)-mediated gap-junction intercellular communication is involved in the bystander response observed in cell cultures exposed to fluences of α-particles by which only a very small fraction of the cell nuclei is traversed by a particle track (E. I. Azzam et al. , Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 98: 473–478, 2001). Increased mRNA levels in cells from irradiated cultures correlated with increased cx43 protein levels by ∼4 h after irradiation. The induction of cx43 was observed by mean α-particle doses as low as 0.16 cGy, and also in cells exposed to γ-rays, t-butyl hydroperoxide, and hyperthermia. Exposure to these stresses also resulted in post-translational modification of cx43; increased phosphorylation and hyperphosphorylation of the protein was observed. Up-regulation of cx43 expression in ionizing radiation exposed cells correlated with functional communication through gap junctions, as evidenced by dye transfer from irradiated to nonirradiated cells. In contrast, the response after UV radiation varied and was cell type-dependent. Overall, these data suggest a critical role for genes involved in intercellular communication in mediating the cellular responses to a variety of stresses.
Pulmonary hepatic nodules

A young woman presented with three pulmonary nodules identified in the right lower lobe discovered on an outside CT scan of the abdomen which was performed to investigate right flank pain. The pain was ascribed to urinary tract infection and resolved over the next few days. These lesions were not present on a CT scan obtained 3 years before. A dedicated CT of the chest confirmed the lesions which were between 1.8 and 2.5 cm in size and located along the diaphragm (figure 1A). No mediastinal lymphadenopathy or …
Philosophical Foundations for Clinical Supervision within a Christian Worldview

Supervision has increasingly become a focus of psychological theory and research in recent years. However, exploration of the implications of a Christian worldview for supervision remains largely neglected. Domains of a worldview are outlined and illustrated with examples of distinctive Christian worldview beliefs. Philosophical implications and practice implications of a Christian worldview are discussed. Specifically, a Christian worldview can be addressed with regard to the means, motives, and goals of supervision. Examples of how a Christian perspective can also influence the personal life of supervisees and supervisors are also highlighted.
Lymphomatoid granulomatosis: a rare cause of multiple pulmonary nodules.

Lymphomatoid granulomatosis is an uncommon disorder that can present as multiple pulmonary nodules. Systemic manifestations such as fever, weight loss, skin lesions, and other organ involvement may occur. The clinical presentation of lymphomatoid granulomatosis can mimic infectious diseases (eg, tuberculosis), vasculitis, or metastatic malignancies.1 Lymphomatoid granulomatosis should be considered in patients who present with pulmonary nodules and systemic symptoms.
Clinical Implications of Students' Use of Online Communication for College Psychotherapy.

Abstract Cases are presented to illustrate effects of online communication by students in psychotherapy in a university counseling center. In the first, a student's use of instant messaging to convey suicide threats exaggerated the level of the danger. In the second, a student used e-mail messages to his therapist to modulate the expression of feelings prior to psychotherapy sessions. In the third, the exchange of e-mail messages by the student and the therapist between scheduled sessions, served to sustain the therapeutic work. Acceptance of the potential of this technology to enhance clinical work, along with awareness of the dangers, is recommended.
Modulatory interactions between the default mode network and task positive networks in resting-state

The two major brain networks, i.e., the default mode network (DMN) and the task positive network, typically reveal negative and variable connectivity in resting-state. In the present study, we examined whether the connectivity between the DMN and different components of the task positive network were modulated by other brain regions by using physiophysiological interaction (PPI) on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Spatial independent component analysis was first conducted to identify components that represented networks of interest, including the anterior and posterior DMNs, salience, dorsal attention, left and right executive networks. PPI analysis was conducted between pairs of these networks to identify networks or regions that showed modulatory interactions with the two networks. Both network-wise and voxel-wise analyses revealed reciprocal positive modulatory interactions between the DMN, salience, and executive networks. Together with the anatomical properties of the salience network regions, the results suggest that the salience network may modulate the relationship between the DMN and executive networks. In addition, voxel-wise analysis demonstrated that the basal ganglia and thalamus positively interacted with the salience network and the dorsal attention network, and negatively interacted with the salience network and the DMN. The results demonstrated complex modulatory interactions among the DMNs and task positive networks in resting-state, and suggested that communications between these networks may be modulated by some critical brain structures such as the salience network, basal ganglia, and thalamus.
ANNA TROSBORG & POUL ERIK FLYVHOLM JøRGENSEN (EDS.) , Business discourse: Texts and contexts

Anna Trosborg & Poul Erik Flyvholm Jorgensen (eds.) , Business discourse: Texts and contexts . Bern: Peter Lang, 2005. Pp. 250, Pb. $55.95. This book consists of nine chapters analyzing various genres of business discourse, and an introduction written by the editors. All of the chapters in the book would be strengthened by more rigorous data analysis procedures, whether quantitative or qualitative. Nevertheless, there is much of value in the book, parts of which will be of use to a wide range of potential audiences. Okamura interviewed office workers in international businesses about the use of address terms in the workplace, both in English and in their mother tongue, comparing Japanese with Swedish, British, Canadian, American, and Dutch speakers. Interviewees' accommodation to the cultural norms of the group differed according to the power of the speaker: Higher-status employees were less likely to adopt local norms over their own country's addressing conventions. While Okamura acknowledges that his sample size is small, and that transcriptions of actual interactions would be a stronger data source than the interviews he relied on, his findings are interesting and potentially useful for courses on intercultural communication, business communication, or the sociology of language.
A First Step to Reconciling the GRIP and GISP2 Ice-Core Chronologies, 0-14,500 yr B.P.

δ18O records from the GISP2 and GRIP ice cores are widely used as benchmark paleoclimate chronologies, but there are significant differences between the two time scales. The present study shows that offsets between the two chronologies over the past 14,500 yr do not accumulate gradually, but appear over two short intervals of 100–200 yr. An initial offset of 80 yr occurs close to 3300–3400 yr B.P., and another 100 yr of slip appears at the start of the Younger Dryas. Since these discrepancies are localized, resolving them may be far easier than if large sections of both cores required reexamination.
Analytical solution for elastic fields caused by eigenstrains in a half-space and numerical implementation based on FFT

Abstract Modern engineering design often faces severe challenges in accommodating impurities and imperfections of materials in the presence of considerable thermal expansion and plastic deformation. Based on micromechanics, a versatile and effective approach for such non-linear problems can be conceived by employing an inclusion model. This paper reports on the derivation of explicit integral kernels for the elastic fields due to eigenstrains in an elastic half-space. The domain integrations of these kernels result in analytical solutions to stresses and deformations. After dividing each general kernel into four groups, the integration is resolved into three-dimensional convolutions and correlations, which can be numerically processed with algorithms based on fast Fourier transform (FFT) to enable efficient and accurate numerical computations. The analytical solution corresponding to a cuboidal inclusion (a rectangular parallelepiped domain) is obtained in an explicit closed-form and is utilized to determine influence coefficients. The present solution and numerical implementation can be used as building blocks for analyzing arbitrarily distributed thermal strains, plastic strains and material inhomogeneities, as demonstrated by solving an illustrative example of elasto-plastic contact.
Considerations for the Treatment of Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (Infantile Batten Disease)

The infantile form of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (ie, infantile Batten disease) is the most rapidly progressing type and is caused by an inherited deficiency in the lysosomal enzyme palmitoyl p...
Statistics of shape via principal geodesic analysis on Lie groups

Principal component analysis has proven to be useful for understanding geometric variability in populations of parameterized objects. The statistical framework is well understood when the parameters of the objects are elements of a Euclidean vector space. This is certainly the case when the objects are described via landmarks or as a dense collection of boundary points. We have been developing representations of geometry based on the medial axis description or m-rep. Although this description has proven to be effective, the medial parameters are not naturally elements of a Euclidean space. In this paper we show that medial descriptions are in fact elements of a Lie group. We develop methodology based on Lie groups for the statistical analysis of medially-defined anatomical objects.
Alternative and complementary modalities for managing stress and anxiety.

is director of Holistic Nursing Consultants in Temple, Tex, and Port Angeles, Wash, and editor of Holistic Nursing Update. She has written 9 books and numerous journal publications and serves on the boards of several nursing organizations. frequently used therapies mentioned in the survey were relaxation techniques, chiropractic, massage therapy, imagery, spiritual healing, lifestyle diets, herbal medicine, megavitamin therapy, self-help groups, energy healing, biofeedback, hypnosis, homeopathy, acupuncture, folk remedies, exercise, and prayer. A 1997 follow-up national survey by the same team found that use of at least 1 of 16 alternative therapies during the preceding year increased from 33.8% in 1990 to 42.1% in 1997. Overall, use of alternative therapies increased by 25%, total visits to alternative medicine practitioners increased by 47%, and expenditures for alternative goods and services increased by 45% (exclusive of inflation). Results from the follow-up study also indicated that ailing persons most often seek nonmainstream treatments for chronic conditions, such as back problems, anxiety, depression, and headaches. In 1990, an estimated 3 in 10 Americans used at least one alternative therapy; in always adverse, however; managed correctly, the problems caused by stress can be minimized. Realistically, stress is a normal aspect of life that must be endured at some level. Additionally, a stress response can be helpful in many ways, motivating persons to work or study or increasing their alertness while taking a test or giving a talk. The problem occurs when stress exceeds a productive level and interferes with the ability to think, remember, and focus on tasks. Stress that is ineffectively managed and remains too high for too long can contribute to multiple illnesses. Americans are using alternative and complementary therapies, often for stress-related complaints. The results of a nationwide survey of 1539 adults published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that 1 in 3 Americans uses therapies considered unconventional. This study was the landmark investigation that opened the floodgates to exploring and understanding these new therapies and how they work. The most ProtocolsforPractice
Chapter 4 - Total Synthesis of Papulacandin D

A total synthesis of the antifungal agent papulacandin D is described. The molecule is representative of a large class of C−arylglycosides that exhibit significant antifungal activity. The synthetic strategy bifurcates the molecule into two nearly equal subunits, the arylglycoside and 18−carbon fatty acid side chain. The key strategic transformations are (1) the palladium catalyzed, organosilanolate−based cross−coupling of a protected glucal silanol and (2) a catalytic enantioselective allylation of a dienal using allyltrichlorosilane. This highly convergent synthesis was executed in 31 steps and 9.2% yield overall from commercially available starting materials.(88 words)
A Review of “A Primer of GIS: Fundamental Geographic and Cartographic Concepts”

This book is an excellent introductory text of geographic information systems (GIS). It focuses on the solid understanding of geographic and cartographic concepts that underpin GIS and are often ig...