cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Statin use and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma outcomes.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a morbid cancer with poor outcomes. Statins possess anti-cancer properties such as immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. The objective of this study is to identify the association between statin use among untreated HNSCC patients and overall death, disease-specific death and recurrence. HNSCC patients were recruited to participate in the University of Michigan Head and Neck Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) from 2003-2014. Statin use data were collected through medical record review. Participants were considered a statin user if they used a statin at or after diagnosis. Outcome data were collected through medical record review, Social Security Death Index or LexisNexis. Our analytic cohort included 1,638 participants. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the association between ever statin use and HNSCC outcomes. Statin use was seen in 36.0% of participants. We observed a statistically significant inverse association between ever using a statin and overall death (HR=0.75, 95%CI=0.63-0.88) and HNSCC-specific death (HR=0.79, 95%CI=0.63-0.99) and a non-statistically significant inverse association for recurrence (HR=0.85, 95%CI=0.70-1.04). When investigating the association between statin use and HNSCC outcomes utilizing interaction terms between statin use and human papillomavirus (HPV), statistically significant interactions for HNSCC-specific death and recurrence were identified (HNSCC-specific death: HPV-positive HR=0.41, 95%CI=0.21-0.84; HPV-negative HR=1.04, 95%CI=0.71-1.51; p-int-0.02; recurrence: HPV-positive HR=0.49, 95%CI=0.29-0.84; HPV-negative HR=1.03, 95%CI=0.74-1.43; p-int-0.02). Statin use may be protective for adverse outcomes in HNSCC patients, particularly those with HPV-positive disease. If true, these findings could have a meaningful impact on tertiary prevention for this cancer. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Estimating the Effect of Asking About Citizenship on the US Census: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

The 2020 U.S. Census will, for the first time since 1950, ask about residents’ citizenship status. The effect of doing so on census completion across different racial/ethnic groups is, however, unknown. We introduce the notion of contextual sensitivity to explain how seemingly innocuous questions can become costly to answer in certain political environments. Using this concept and a large survey experiment (n = 9,035 respondents), designed to mirror the appearance and substance of the 2020 Census, we find that asking about citizenship status significantly increases the percent of questions skipped, with particularly stron effects among Hispanics, and makes respondents less likely to report having members of their household who are of Hispanic ethnicity. When extrapolated to the general population, our results imply that asking about citizenship will reduce the number of Hispanics reported in the 2010 Census by approximately 6.07 million, or around 12.03 percent of the 2010 Hispanic population.
Introduction to physics of low-dimensional systems

Abstract It seems quite trivial that we live in a three-dimensional world: there is left and right, forward and backward, up and down. Leibnitz (1646–1716) says, we have the concept of space because of “preestablished harmony”: God has created nature and he has created our mind, so they must fit together. Darwin (1809–1882) would say, our mind has developed in response to our environment, again they must fit together. According to Kant (1724–1804), space is a form of sensibility, which exists prior to any perception. Philosophers can fill many volumes with discussions on what space is and what dimension means.
Hand Calculator Performance Under Interrupted Operation

Hand calculators use either Reverse Polish Notation or Algebraic Notation and users of each ordinarily declare that their own type is superior. Of three published experiments, two have indicated RPN is superior to AN while one has shown no difference. The present experiment compared the two logic systems under uninterrupted conditions and when the subjects were interrupted during the task simulating realworld conditions. During noninterrupted operation, no significant performance differences were found between RPN and AN. When users were interrupted, both type of logic users took longer to complete the task although AN users took much longer than RPN users. Examination of these and previous results suggest that, while RPN seems to be superior to AN, a further conclusion is that RPN and AN users may possess inherently different problem formulation logics which each match their selected calculator logics.
Aggression in Two Generations

Continuities between misbehavior in childhood and subsequent aggression, conduct disorder, and criminal activities have been reported by many researchers studying samples from a variety of backgrounds (Eron, 1987; Farrington, 1978, 1986; McCord, 1983; Robins, 1966; Robins & Ratcliff, 1979; Satterfield, 1987; Stattin & Magnusson, 1989). As an example, in their longitudinal study of a New Zealand birth cohort, White, Moffitt, Earls, Robins, and Silva (1990) found that antisocial behavior at age 11 was related to police contacts at age 15. Furthermore, they concluded that “behavioral problems are the best preschool predictors of antisocial behavior at age 11” (1990, p. 519).
Probing close DNA contacts of RNA polymerase III transcription complexes with the photoactive nucleoside 4-thiodeoxythymidine

Photoactive 4-thiodeoxythymidine 5'-triphosphate (4-S-dTTP) has been synthesized and used to enzymatically incorporate the corresponding nucleotide, 4-thiodeoxythymidine 5'-phosphate (4-S-dTMP), at specific positions of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae 5 S rRNA and SUP4 tRNA(Tyr) genes. RNA polymerase III transcription complexes have been assembled on this DNA and analyzed by photocrosslinking for proteins making close contact with DNA. Comparison DNA probes with a long-tether photoactive nucleotide 5-[N-(p-azidobenzoyl)-3-aminoallyl]-dUMP (N3RdUMP) incorporated at the same positions have also been analyzed, in order to compare the properties of these two crosslinking reagents. At least 10 of the 16 different S. cerevisiae polymerase III subunits make direct contact with DNA. The 120-kDa subunit of transcription factor (TF)IIIC, which is thought to play the key role in positioning TFIIIB upstream of the transcriptional start site, also contacts DNA near the transcriptional start site in TFIII(C+B) complexes with a SUP4 tRNA(Tyr) gene. The photocrosslinking patterns generated by 4-S-dTMP and N3RdUMP are distinctive, implying that these two reagents can yield complementary information about the structures of complex protein assemblies on DNA. Surprisingly, some subunits of the S. cerevisiae RNA polymerase III are crosslinked by 4-S-dTMP but not by N3RdUMP.
Support for the Death Penalty: A Gender-Specific Model

Research on the public's level of death penalty support (DPS) has neglected gender-specific models. While most previous work has shown that women have lower DPS than men, it is not clear whether traditional models of DPS will work for a sample restricted to women. The greater intolerance of the death penalty among women may overshadow or reduce the impact of traditional predictors of DPS among women. The present paper performs the first systematic gender-specific analysis of DPS. It uses national data from the 1990 General Social Survey. Measures of three variable sets were employed: symbolic orientations (e.g., political conservatism, authoritarianism); crime salience (e.g., victimization, fear); and demographic controls. The results of a stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that political conservatism has a direct effect on the DPS of both men and women. For women only, authoritarianism also had a direct effect on DPS. Further analysis showed that for women, six variables exert an indirect effect on DPS through political conservatism and five through authoritarianism. Only three indirect effects were found for men. However, none of the 16 variables analyzed had a significant gendered effect. Indicators of traditional models of DPS were found to work as well for women as they did for men.
Management of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Treatment by Medical Plans

Abstract We examine how well alcohol and other drug abuse treatment is managed and coordinated in a setting where it is the responsibility of medical plans (a common approach despite the spread of ‘carve-outs’). We surveyed a stratified random sample of outpatient alcohol/other drug abuse treatment facilities that treated Michigan Medicaid clients in 1997. Clients were enrolled either with health maintenance organizations (HMOs) or non-capitated primary care gatekeepers. Providers gave medical gatekeepers only average scores for coordination of alcohol and other drug abuse treatment with primary care and with mental health treatment. Few facilities reported ever receiving feedback from HMOs about client satisfaction (29% of facilities) or client outcomes (18%).
BASE COMPOSITION OF DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID OF SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA DEDUCED FROM BUOYANT DENSITY MEASUREMENTS IN CESIUM CHLORIDE

Saunders, Grady F. (University of Illinois, Urbana), L. Leon Campbell, and John R. Postgate. Base composition of deoxyribonucleic acid of sulfate-reducing bacteria deduced from buoyant density measurements in cesium chloride. J. Bacteriol. 87:1073–1078. 1964.—The base composition of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of sulfate-reducing bacteria was calculated from buoyant density measurements in CsCl. The sporulating sulfate-reducing bacteria fell into two groups: Desulfovibrio orientis with a DNA base composition of 42% guanine plus cytosine (G + C), and Clostridium nigrificans with a DNA base composition of 45% G + C. The mesophilic relative of C. nigrificans had a DNA base composition of 46% G + C. Thirty strains of nonsporulating sulfate-reducing bacteria called D. desulfuricans were studied. They fell into three groups as judged by DNA base composition: group I (11 strains), 60 to 62% G + C; group II (13 strains), 54 to 56% G + C; and group III (6 strains), 46 to 47% G + C. These data underline the need for a taxonomic revision of this group of microorganisms.
How Theories of Perception Deploy the Line: Reconfiguring Students' Bodies Through Topo‐Philosophy

In this essay Elizabeth de Freitas follows Tim Ingold's groundbreaking anthropological work on lines and their cultural and material significance to argue that the line is the engine of theory, be it the drawn line of inscription or mathematical measure, the exclusionary line of delineation, or the undulating generative line of flight. De Freitas focuses on contemporary theories of perception that deploy the line — and mobilize the force of theory — so as to encode and reconfigure the student's body. She draws on the work of Gilles Deleuze to develop a topological approach to the line, and argues that such an approach aligns with current philosophical approaches to social interaction that might be termed “topo-philosophy.”
When information improves information security

This paper presents a formal, quantitative evaluation of the impact of bounded-rational security decision-making subject to limited information and externalities. We investigate a mixed economy of an individual rational expert and several naive near-sighted agents. We further model three canonical types of negative externalities (weakest-link, best shot and total effort), and study the impact of two information regimes on the threat level agents are facing.
On Taking Stories Seriously: Emotional and Moral Intelligences

Ongoing efforts to build intelligent machines has required reexamining ourunderstandings of intelligence. A significant conclusion, shared by anumber of noteworthy thinkers, is that real intelligence depends very muchon story telling and story understanding. Several examples illustrate howthis conclusion flies in the face of dominant (reductionist) understandingsof intelligence. Several reasons are then presented for the greater use ofstories in business ethics classes, reasons that progress from enhancing"conceptual'' intelligence, to emotional intelligences, and culminating inmoral intelligences.
Anemia and blood transfusion in the critically ill patient: role of erythropoietin

Critically ill patients receive an extraordinarily large number of blood transfusions. Between 40% and 50% of all patients admitted to intensive care units receive at least 1 red blood cell (RBC) unit during their stay, and the average is close to 5 RBC units. RBC transfusion is not risk free. There is little evidence that 'routine' transfusion of stored allogeneic RBCs is beneficial to critically ill patients. The efficacy of perioperative recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) has been demonstrated in a variety of elective surgical settings. Similarly, in critically ill patients with multiple organ failure, rHuEPO therapy will also stimulate erythropoiesis. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, therapy with rHuEPO resulted in a significant reduction in RBC transfusions. Despite receiving fewer RBC transfusions, patients in the rHuEPO group had a significantly greater increase in hematocrit. Strategies to increase the production of RBCs are complementary to other approaches to reduce blood loss in the intensive care unit, and they decrease the transfusion threshold in the management of all critically ill patients.
Conceptualizing Japan’s Foreign Policy Trajectory Through Social Identity Theory

Regional security studies of the Asia-Pacific commonly center upon China’s rise, leaving other actors underresearched. Among these is Japan, whose ongoing reinterpretation of its pacifist constitution may destabilize the region. This article employs Social Identity Theory, a social psychology theory of group behavior, to develop a unique framework that accounts for both the domestic and international constraints acting upon Japan’s foreign policy makers. By analyzing Japan’s foreign policy evolution through the lost decade of the 1990s into the changed landscape of the post-September 11th world, this article identifies a prevailing trend toward “normalization”. It is argued that Japan is on course to further distance itself from the pacifism embodied in Article 9 of its constitution.
Lenguaje y “castración” en "Los cachorros"

Publicada en 1967, Los cachorros se ocupa del mismo mundo juvenil referido en Los jefes (1959) y, en parte, en La ciudad y los perros (1963). Se trata de lograr una reproduccion en miniatura de un determinado sector de la sociedad peruana: la burguesia miraflorina de los anos cincuenta, es decir, el mundo del Alberto Fernandez de La ciudad y los perros. Pero, si en esta ultima el concepto de perro alude al hombre vuelto animal, carente de razon y mero seguidor del instinto, el de cachorro de la obra que nos ocupa alude al adolescente mucho mas insignificante y ridiculo en su exaltacion: el cachorro no puede mas que jugar a ser perro, pues esta camino de serlo, esta incompleto. Los cachorros de la novela en cuestion forman un grupo compacto al cual busca integrarse desde la primera pagina aquel muchachito esforzado que es el protagonista, Cuellar, victima de un accidente posterior —la castracion a causa del ataque de un perro— que vuelve su pretension vana e infructuosa. Estos golpes que se da Cuellar contra su grupo, al cual no se siente inscrito del todo, le dan a la obra un tono ridiculo y a la vez melancolico, deprimente: Cuellar no puede entrar y todos sus intentos son inutiles. ?Por que no puede? Porque es un castrado. En ese mundo machista y violento de la obra, la castracion es fatal. En sentido metaforico, esta ultima configura “a dramatic exposition of the spiritual and social castraLexis Vol. XXXVI (1) 2012: 145-154
Collision and reaction cells in atomic mass spectrometry: development, status, and applications

The development and utilization of collision and reaction cells in atomic mass spectrometry is reviewed. These devices have been used for decades in fundamental studies of ion–molecule chemistry and have only recently been applied in the GD-MS and ICP-MS fields. Such cells are used to promote reactive and non-reactive collisions, with resultant benefits in interference reduction, isobar separation, and thermalization/focusing of ions in ICP-MS. Novel ion–molecule chemistry schemes, using a variety of reaction gas reagents selected on the basis of thermodynamic and kinetic principles and data, are now designed and empirically evaluated with relative ease. These chemical resolution techniques can avert interferences requiring mass spectral resolutions of >600000 (m/Δm). Purely physical ion beam processes, including collisional dampening and collisional dissociation, are also employed to provide improved sensitivity, resolution and spectral simplicity. Collision and reaction cell techniques are now firmly entrenched in current-day ICP-MS technology, enabling unprecedented flexibility and freedom from many spectral interferences. A significant body of applications has now been reported in the literature. Collision/reaction cell techniques are found to be most useful for specialized or difficult analytical needs and situations, and are employed in both single- and multi-element determination modes.
Difference FT-IR Studies of Photoassembly in the Manganese-Containing Catalytic Site of Photosystem II†

Photosystem II oxidizes water to form molecular oxygen; this process occurs at a multinuclear manganese cluster. Treatment with reductants, such as hydroxylamine, leads to release of manganese and ...
Theoretical study of the adsorption of carbon monoxide on a NaCl (100) surface

Abstract CO/NaCl (100) has been referred to as a model system for physisorption in which the adsorbed molecules are bound to the substrate mainly by electrostatic interactions and the properties of the adsorbed phase remain close to those of the gas phase. In the present study we report ab initio Hartree-Fock self-consistent field (SCF) and correlated calculations for a cluster model of one CO on NaCl (100) . The real infinite NaCl (100) surface is modeled by a cluster consisting of Na and Cl ions embedded in an array of point charges. We have taken into account the basis set superposition error (BSSE) in the supermolecule calculations. This error has a significant effect and cannot be ignored. An effective core potential (ECP) description has been employed for the Na and Cl atoms, in which only the valence electrons are considered explicitly. Morokuma analysis was performed to analyze the SCF binding energy for the CO/NaCl (100) system in terms of physically meaningful components. Electron correlation was studied using MP2 and the Lee-Yang-Parr correlation functional. Finally, we investigated the interaction of two parallel CO molecules adsorbed at adjacent sites on the NaCl (100) surface. This interaction was found to be repulsive and unaffected by the presence of the NaCl surface.
Effects of a response-reinforcer relation on elicited pecking.

Three pigeons were exposed for 22 sessions to a variant of a multiple variable-time 1-min extinction reinforcement schedule in the presence of a white key. A 1.5-s stimulus change (red) preceded each 1-min component during which food was delivered and a 1.5-s stimulus change (green) preceded each extinction component. The variable-time 1-min schedule was then changed to a variable-interval 1-min schedule for several sessions and then returned to variable time 1-min. During the first exposure to noncontingent reinforcer delivery, two of the three birds pecked frequently during the 1.5-s red stimulus but not during the other components. The third bird did not keypeck. The addition of a response-reinforcer relation resulted in all three birds pecking during the red stimulus as well as during the white stimuli. Pecking rates were usually highest during red. Response rates during green remained low. The subsequent removal of the response contingency resulted in a decrease in responding during white, and for two of the three birds, a decrease in responding during the red stimulus. The results support an interpretation of signal key pecking in stimulus separation procedures as elicited key pecking controlled by the stimulus-reinforcer relation.
In situ measurements of calcium carbonate dissolution rates in deep-sea sediments

Benthic fluxes of alkalinity, carbon dioxide, and oxygen have been measured using an in situ incubation chamber at three sites (MANOP Sites C and S and PACFLUX Site SC) in the central equatorial north Pacific. At two carbonate-rich sites (C and SC), a budget for oxygen, alkalinity, and TCO2 fluxes indicate a net CaCO3 dissolution rate of approximately 0.4 mmol m−2 day−1. This rate is only 20% of previous estimates but is consistent with a dissolution rate constant predicted from laboratory experiments with deep-sea sediments and derived from in situ flux measurements in sediments of the southern California borderland. Organic matter oxidation in the sediment column provides the acid for 60–100% of the calcium carbonate dissolution occurring at these sites with the remainder derived from undersaturated bottom water. At a low-carbonate site (S), no carbonate dissolution in the sediment or on the sea floor is apparent, although sediment traps indicate a rain of CaCO3 through 3400 m. The rates of remineralization relative to resuspension or erosion at this site must differ for organic carbon and calcium carbonate, so that carbonate grains reaching the sea floor are physically removed by erosion or resuspension before they dissolve, while organic carbon is largely oxidized before it can be physically removed.
Spontaneous Hemoperitoneum: Causes and Significance

Spontaneous hemoperitoneum is an uncommon cause of acute abdominal pain. When it occurs, it may be catastrophic. There are a myriad of causes for spontaneous hemoperitoneum and an underlying cause should always be looked for if the patient survives the initial event. This article describes the imaging findings of spontaneous hemoperitoneum and discusses the relative merits of multiple imaging modalities used for the diagnosis of the hemoperitoneum and an underlying cause. In addition, we outline the etiology of spontaneous hemoperitoneum, which includes hepatic, splenic, gynecologic, and vascular causes, and bleeding disorders.
Growth kinetics of Al clusters in the gas phase produced by a magnetron-sputtering source

Abstract A magnetron-sputtering (MagS) cluster source was used to produce metal clusters of different size distributions by varying individual source parameters. Selectivity of the size of the Al clusters was observed and the mass distribution presents wide-range controllability by the MagS-source, which enables experimental determination of the growth process of Al clusters. By implementing the extended Smoluchowski rate equation, here we propose an interpretation of the cluster-growth kinetics in the gas phase environment. A collision-dependent growing time domain is demonstrated.
Tkachenko waves in rapidly rotating Bose-Einstein condensates

We present a mean-field theory numerical study of Tkachenko waves of a vortex lattice in trapped atomic Bose-Einstein condenstates. Our results show remarkable qualitative and quantitative agreement with recent experiments at the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics. We extend our calculations beyond the conditions of the experiment, probing deeper into the incompressible regime where we find excellent agreement with analytical results. In addition, bulk excitations observed in the experiment are discussed.
Chemical Resistance of Disposable Nitrile Gloves Exposed to Simulated Movement

Large discrepancies between laboratory permeation testing and field exposures have been reported, with indications that hand movement could account for a portion of these differences. This study evaluated the influence of simulated movement on chemical permeation of 30 different disposable nitrile glove products. Products were investigated out-of-box and with exposure to simulated whole-glove movement. Permeation testing was conducted using ethanol as a surrogate test chemical. A previously designed pneumatic system was used to simulate hand movement. No movement and movement tests were matched-paired to control for environmental conditions, as were statistical analyses. Permeation data were collected for a 30-min exposure period or until a breakthrough time (BT) and steady-state permeation rate (SSPR) could be determined. A third parameter, area under the curve at 30 min (AUC-30), was used to estimate potential worker exposure. With movement, a significant decrease in BT (p ≤ 0.05), ranging from 6–33%, w...
Hemispheric differences in object identification.

Although the right hemisphere is thought to be preferentially involved in visuospatial processing, the specialization of the two hemispheres with respect to object identification is unclear. The present study investigated the effects of hemifield presentation on object and word identification by presenting objects (Experiment 1) and words (Experiment 2) in a rapid visual stream of distracters. In Experiment 1, object images presented in the left visual field (i.e., to the right hemisphere) were identified with shorter display times. In addition, the left visual field advantage was greater for inverted objects. In Experiment 2, words presented in the right visual field (i.e., to the left hemisphere) under similar conditions were identified with shorter display times. These results support the idea that the right hemisphere is specialized with regard to object identification.
Comparative Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Pravastatin and Lovastatin

The oral bioavailability of two HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, pravastatin and lovastatin, was investigated in this randomized, two-way crossover study. Twenty healthy men were randomly assigned to treatment with a 40-mg dose of pravastatin or lovastatin once daily for 1 week; steady state kinetics were assessed after the last dose. After 1 week of washout, each subject received the alternate treatment. Serum specimens were assayed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for intact pravastatin or lovastatin acid and by bioassay for active inhibitor concentration and, after hydrolysis of lactones, for total inhibitor concentration. The systemic bioavailabilities of total (active plus potentially active) inhibitors for the two drugs were different, with the mean AUC value for lovastatin being 50% higher than that of pravastatin (mean +/- SEM AUC0-24 values of 285 +/- 25 and 189 +/- 13 ng-equiv x hr/mL, respectively, P less than .0001). Pravastatin, which is administered as the monosodium salt, is present in the systemic circulation as the open acid; lovastatin, which is administered as the lactone, is present as both open-acid active metabolites (62%) and closed-ring lactone metabolites (38%), which are potentially active. Based on mean AUC values, pravastatin accounted for 75% of the active inhibitors from a pravastatin dose. Lovastatin acid accounted for just 25% of the active inhibitors from a lovastatin dose, with the remainder due to other active metabolites. Significant decreases from baseline in total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were observed during the first treatment leg for both pravastatin and lovastatin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
VLSI Processor Array For Adaptive Radar Applications

A VLSI Multiplication Oriented Processor (MOP) element has been designed for use in array-based 1-D and 2-D modern digital radar applications. We describe how this chip can be used to provide extremely high throughput rates for problems such as beam forming, adaptive Doppler filtering, and high resolution direction finding.
Asymptotically stable sets for semi-homeomorphisms

Abstract Necessary and sufficient conditions for semi-homeomorphisms to have Lyapunov stable sets and asymptotically stable sets are presented. Omega-limit sets for such functions are studied, and the dynamics of related discontinuous functions are investigated.
Vascular access: anatomy, examination, management.

A systematic approach to managing vascular access problems is the key to reducing current high rates of access thrombosis and failure. This approach begins with a thorough knowledge of vascular access anatomy that, when combined with the physical examination, can help optimize access planning and maintenance. Because of the high complication rate of synthetic grafts, there has been increased emphasis on creating autogenous arteriovenous (AV) fistulae, which, once established, are more trouble-free. The benefit of increased fistula creation will not be realized, however, until the high rate of early fistula failure is reduced. It is widely recommended that graft surveillance programs be implemented and that stenosis be corrected when accompanied by graft dysfunction. Graft blood flow (Q(a)) is the preferred surveillance method, but has a poor accuracy in predicting thrombosis. Most studies that have evaluated the benefit of Q(a) surveillance have used historical control groups, or have been retrospective or nonrandomized. Consequently, we believe it is not currently possible to make definitive, evidence-based recommendations concerning Q(a) surveillance. The most important factor in access survival may be a team approach with an organized commitment to access planning followed by recognition and treatment of access problems.
Phosphorylation of T-lymphocyte plasma membrane-associated proteins by ectoprotein kinases: implications for a possible role for ectophosphorylation in T-cell effector functions

Abstract Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATPo) has been suggested to play a role in lymphocyte effector functions. Recently, it has been suggested that MgATP2− may be the molecular species which is involved in modulating the lytic interaction between cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) and their target cells. In this study, we provide evidence that ATPo mediates the phosphorylation of extracellular proteins on T-lymphocytes through the action of ectoprotein kinases. The ectophosphorylation is temperature-dependent, supported by Mg2+ and Mn2+, and both ATP and GTP, whereas kinase activity and/or substrates were removed by pretreatment of intact lymphocytes with trypsin. We show the presence of extracellular ATP/GTP-binding sites, indicating the presence of ectoenzymes on intact lymphocytes. The major ectoprotein kinase was identified as a casein kinase II-like protein kinase and could be inhibited by heparin, whereas its activity was enhanced by spermine. The ectoprotein kinase showed remarkable substrate specificity, phosphorylating the serum protein vitronectin, but not fibronectin. In experiments with the cell-impermeable protein kinase inhibitor K-252b, we demonstrate the possible functional importance of ectoprotein kinase in CTL-mediated cytotoxicity, i.e., target cell death was completely blocked by K-252b without affecting intracellular phosphorylation. These results suggest that ectoprotein phosphorylation may possibly be an important event in immunologically relevant cell–cell interactions.
A transfer method, for record purposes, of oral soft-tissue abnormalities.

Abstract Previous methods designed to facilitate observation of oral lesions have not been suitable for accurate comparison. A simple and direct method for transferring the outline of a lesion from the mouth to a patient's record is presented. Starting with the initial outline one can use subsequent outlines to compare changes in the size of a lesion. The use of this method in mapping the growth of a lesion, as well as its adaptation to dermatology, is considered.
Technical Adequacy of Assessment Instruments: Can We Agree?:

The issue of the technical adequacy (norms, reliability, and validity) of assessment instruments is critical to the decision-making process in special education. Tests evaluated Ysseldyke (1979) wi...
Injuries to the carpal bones

Abstract First, a brief description of the anatomy of the carpal navicular bone is presented with a discussion of the probable mechanism of fractures and the points in diagnosis. Second, a method of reduction and splinting of carpal fractures, which gives excellent results in conjunction with minimum disability, is suggested.
The adipokinetic effect of hyperthermic stress in man

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the alteration in serum free fatty acid concentrations during heat stress and dehydration. Each subject was exposed to heat stress in an environment chamber on 2 separate occasions. During the first exposure the subjects remained seated until the core temperature was elevated 1.4‡C resulting in a mean weight loss of 1.66 kg due to dehydration. The second condition involved water replacement equal to the weight loss of the initial dehydration condition. Blood samples were obtained prior to heat exposure, when the core temperature was elevated 0.7‡C and 1.4‡C. They were subsequently analyzed for free fatty acids (FFA), glucose and lactic acid. Heart rates and core temperatures were monitored at 4 min intervals. During the dehydration condition the mean change in serum FFA was 0.9 ΜEq/ml in contrast to 0.2 ΜEq/ml for the rehydration condition. Serum levels of glucose increased moderately throughout the exposure (8 mg-%).
Reduced glucocorticoid and estrogen receptor alpha messenger ribonucleic acid levels in the amygdala of patients with major mental illness

Background The amygdala is a limbic structure involved in the stress response and the regulation of emotional behaviors, both of which are disrupted in patients with neuropsychiatric illnesses. Because glucocorticoids are mediators of the stress response, we hypothesized that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels might be altered in the amygdala. We also hypothesized that estrogen receptor α (ERα) mRNA expression might be altered in the amygdala, on the basis of observed gender differences in mental illness. Methods Using quantitative film autoradiography after in situ hybridization with human GR and ERα probes, we measured mRNA levels on adjacent amygdala sections in four groups (n = 15 each of subjects with schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder, and unaffected control subjects) provided by the Stanley Consortium. Results We detected main effects of diagnosis and exposure to antidepressant medication on the levels of both mRNAs but no main effect of gender. Compared with control subjects, GR mRNA expression was reduced in the basolateral/lateral nuclei in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Estrogen receptor α mRNA levels were reduced in the basomedial nucleus in major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Conclusions Our results support and extend previous findings describing a pattern of steroid hormone mRNA alterations that differs depending on which brain region is being examined in a given mental illness.
NF-AT-Driven Interleukin-4 Transcription Potentiated by NIP45

The induction of cytokine gene transcription is mediated in part by the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NF-AT). Factors involved in the mechanisms of NF-AT-mediated transcription are not well understood. A nuclear factor that interacted with the Rel homology domain (RHD) of NF-ATp was identified with the use of a two-hybrid interaction trap. Designated NIP45 (NF-AT interacting protein), it has minimal similarity to any known genes. Transcripts encoding this factor were enriched in lymphoid tissues and testes. NIP45 synergized with NF-ATp and the proto-oncogene c-Maf to activate the interleukin-4 (IL-4) cytokine promoter; transient overexpression of NIP45 with NF-ATp and c-maf in B lymphoma cells induced measurable endogenous IL-4 protein production. The identification of NIP45 advances our understanding of gene activation of cytokines, critical mediators of the immune response.
Domain-III FG loop of the dengue virus type 2 envelope protein is important for infection of mammalian cells and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

The FG extended loop in domain III of the dengue virus type 2 (DENV2) envelope protein is postulated to be a molecular determinant for host cell infectivity. To determine the contribution of the FG loop to virus infectivity, an infectious cDNA clone of DENV2 was manipulated by deleting amino acids in the loop (VEPGΔ) to mimic tick-borne flaviviruses or by substituting these AAs with RGD or RGDK/S to mimic motifs present in other mosquito-borne flaviviruses. We found the FG loop to be dispensable for infection of C6/36 cells but critical for infection of Aedes aegypti mosquito midguts and mammalian cells. All the FG loop mutants were able to bind to and enter mammalian cells but replication of VEPGΔ in Vero cells at 37 °C was delayed until acquisition of secondary mutations. Reduced binding of DENV2 type-specific monoclonal antibody 3H5 to mutant viruses confirmed the FG loop motif as its target epitope.
On a functional equation arising from number theory

Abstract This work aims to determine the general solution f : F 2 → K of the functional equation f ( ϕ ( x , y , u , v ) ) = f ( x , y ) f ( u , v ) for suitable conditions on the function ϕ : F 4 → F 2 , where F will denote either R or C , and K is an abelian group. Using this result, we determine the solution f : C 2 → C ⋆ of the functional equation f ( u x − v y , u y + v ( x + y ) ) = f ( x , y ) f ( u , v ) for all x , y , u , v ∈ C without assuming any regularity condition. Here ( C ⋆ , ⋅ ) is the multiplicative group of nonzero complex numbers.
Estrogen and bone: new pieces to the puzzle.

Recent studies on osteoclast apoptosis and TGF-β gene regulation provide new insights into the mechanisms by which estrogens and their analogues inhibit bone resorption (pages 1132–1136).
Labeling, detection and identification of newly synthesized proteomes with bioorthogonal non-canonical amino-acid tagging

A major aim of proteomics is the identification of proteins in a given proteome at a given metabolic state. This protocol describes the step-by-step labeling, purification and detection of newly synthesized proteins in mammalian cells using the non-canonical amino acid azidohomoalanine (AHA). In this method, metabolic labeling of newly synthesized proteins with AHA endows them with the unique chemical functionality of the azide group. In the subsequent click chemistry tagging reaction, azide-labeled proteins are covalently coupled to an alkyne-bearing affinity tag. After avidin-based affinity purification and on-resin trypsinization, the resulting peptide mixture is subjected to tandem mass spectrometry for identification. In combination with deuterated leucine-based metabolic colabeling, candidate proteins can be immediately validated. Bioorthogonal non-canonical amino-acid tagging can be combined with any subcellular fractionation, immunopurification or other proteomic method to identify specific subproteomes, thereby reducing sample complexity and enabling the identification of subtle changes in a proteome. This protocol can be completed in 5 days.
Collisional dependence of polarization spectroscopy with a picosecond laser

The collisional dependence of polarization spectroscopy (PS) with a picosecond-pulse laser is investigated theoretically with a perturbative treatment and experimentally by probing hydroxyl (OH) in a flow cell with a buffer gas of argon. Using a frequency-doubled distributed-feedback dye laser (DFDL), the PS signal strength is monitored as a function of pressure using a nonsaturating pump beam and a saturating pump beam. The collisional dependence of the PS signal is found to decrease significantly with a saturating pump beam. Increasing the flow-cell pressure by a factor of 50 (from 10 torr to 500 torr), the PS signal strength produced with a nonsaturating pump beam decreases by a factor of 18 while that produced with a saturating pump decreases by only a factor of 3. A third-order perturbative (weak-field) approach is used to develop an analytical expression for the PS signal generated by single-mode, exponentially decaying laser pulses. This expression correctly predicts the experimental results acquir...
THE TREATMENT OF THYROTOXICOSIS WITH AMINOTHIAZOLE—RESULTS IN TWENTY-THREE CASES

IT is our purpose in this report to present the results of treatment with aminothiazole in 23 cases of thyrotoxicosis. This compound (Fig. 1) appears to have been first used clinically in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis in France in 1943 (9), following the observation of goitrogenesis and improvement of thyrotoxic symptoms among workers in chemical plants who were exposed to the compound. Perrault and Bovet (10) and other French writers (3, 4, 6) have reported satisfactory results from the use of aminothiazole in thyrotoxicosis, but their data are not susceptible to critical analysis. The only report of its clinical use which we have found in the American literature is that of Williams (11), who employed it in 9 cases. One patient developed jaundice and another dermatitis, fever and arthritis while under treatment. Williams lists this compound as of low clinical potency and desirability among antithyroid drugs. The goitrogenic and antithyroid action of aminothiazole in the rat was found by Astwood and oth...
What higher education law says about spirituality

An increasingly litigious environment, combined with a renewed interest in spirituality, makes it imperative for higher education officials to be cognizant of the legal implication of two competing fundamental rights.
EXPRESSION OF FUNCTIONAL EIF-4EHUMAN : PURIFICATION, DETAILED CHARACTERIZATION, AND ITS USE IN ISOLATING EIF-4E BINDING PROTEINS

Protein-mRNA cap interactions represent a critical point for regulating gene expression in vivo. For example, a rapid stimulation of gene expression at the mRNA level is mediated by insulin regulating the availability of functional cap-binding protein (eIF-4E). In addition, several viruses modify cap binding proteins to regulate host vs viral gene expression. However, little is known about the molecular details of eIF-4E interactions with m7GTP mRNA caps, with regulatory proteins (e.g., eIF-4E binding proteins), and with proteins within the eIF-4F complex. To study these protein-mRNA and protein-protein interactions in mammalian systems we have constructed a T7 polymerase-driven expression vector containing the coding sequence for human eIF-4E. Recombinant eIF-4Ehuman was purified in a functional state by m7GTP affinity chromatography and Mono Q FPLC. This recombinant protein has biological and physical characteristics that are similar or identical to native eIF-4E. Fluorescence titration studies determined the equilibrium constant for recombinant eIF-4E/m7GTP binding to be 10.1 +/- 0.3 x 10(5) M(-1). To isolate eIF-4E binding proteins, recombinant eIF-4E was linked to agarose beads and incubated with cell lysates. Several proteins were isolated, including a 220-kDa protein that was confirmed to be the p220 subunit of eIF-4F by its proteolysis during incubation with lysates of poliovirus-infected cells. We conclude that recombinant eIF-4E produced in Escherichia coli provides a useful tool for studying eIF-4E/protein and eIF-4E/mRNA cap interactions and their role in regulating mammalian gene expression.
Facilitation of an N-R Pattern Discrimination by Shock on N Trials

Rats can easily discriminate the pattern of reward (R) and nonceward (N) trials in a single alternation reward schedule. Such pattern discriminations are easier when the magnimde of reward is large and the duration of N confinement is long (Campbell, Crumbaugh, Rhodus, & Knousc, 1971). The present experiment tested our assumption that the addition of a shock contingency on N trials should also facilitate the development of a pattern discrimination. Method.-Twenry female, albino, rats approximately 90 days old were maintained at 85% body weight and uained in a commercially available Hunter small animal runway. The flat black alley was 188-cm. long, 9-an. wide, and 13-cm. high. Start, run and goal times were measured photoelectrically over 23-, 96-, and 41-cm. sections respectively. During 6 days of pretraining the animals were handled, trained to eat 45-mg. Noyes pellets, and allowed to explore the runway. Following pretraining all of the animals were given 34 days of acquisition training at 6 trials a day. The animals were trained on a single alternation partial reward schedule with nonreward occurring on each odd numbered trial. Beginning with the third day of acquisition one half of the animals received a contingent shock on all N uiis. The .l-sec. shock was delivered to the grid floor from a 400 V constant current shock source. From Days 3 to G the shock intensity was .2 mA. Beginning with Day G the intensity was increased to .3 mA. and remained at that level throughout the training period. The remaining one half of the animals also received shock but the shocks were not contingent on the animals' behavior. These animals were shocked during three randomly selected intertrial intervals of each day. During the appropriate intertrial interval the rnc was placed directly into the empty goal box for 20 sec. Afrer 10 sec. the rat received a single shock ac the same intensity and duration as used in the contingent shock procedure. In this way both groups of animals experienced the sme amount of shock but differed only in the presence of a shock contingency in the contingent shock group. Throughout the experiment the intertrial interval averaged approximately G min., magnitude of rewntd was 5 pellets, and the duration of nonreward confinement was 60 sec.
Interaction of doxycycline and warfarin: an enhanced anticoagulant effect.

Purpose To highlight the importance of recognizing the increased anticoagulant effect of warfarin associated with use of doxycycline. Design Case report. Methods Clinical review describing initial presentation, course, and outcome of one patient who received oral doxycycline for corneal melt while on warfarin in a multi-specialty clinic. Results Concomitant use of doxycycline and warfarin resulted in prominent ecchymosis of the upper extremities associated with a marked elevation in the international normalized ratio (INR = 6.5). Discontinuation of doxycycline resulted in reduction of INR to therapeutic levels (INR = 2.3). Conclusions Doxycycline can enhance the anticoagulant effect of warfarin. This is likely due to competitive interaction for albumin binding and possibly inhibition of the cytochrome P-450 system. An increase in plasma levels of free warfarin may result in severe bleeding. It is important to recognize this potential interaction and obtain a complete medication profile prior to initiating doxycycline.