cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accelerated growth of hemangioblastoma in pregnancy: the role of proangiogenic factors and upregulation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) in a non-oxygen-dependent pathway.

Hemangioblastomas (HBs) are benign, highly vascular tumors, often characterized by loss of function of the von Hippel–Lindau (vHL) gene. They are the most common central nervous system tumor observed in vHL syndrome. Loss of function of the vHL gene creates a “pseudo-hypoxic” state, causing overactivation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-related pathways. In some cases, HBs can rapidly increase in size during pregnancy to then present acutely, which most frequently occurs after the 20th gestational week. These changes in size usually occur from enlargement of the cystic component of the HB. Due to their preferred location in the posterior fossa near critical structures as well as along the spinal cord, such cases can present with severe neurological deficits, requiring urgent surgical intervention in a multidisciplinary setting. However, the reasons for this acute flare-up during pregnancy remain poorly understood, as are the reasons why this occurs in only a subset of tumors. Unveiling the etiology for this clinical scenario can affect the treatment of HBs, as it will contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiology of such a transformation from a quiescent lesion to a symptomatic one, not only in the setting of pregnancy. Identifying the correct triggers and the conditions initiating and mediating this switch will enable us to develop preventive medications which should allow us to keep the tumor in its quiescent phase. In this pathophysiological review, we investigate the association between HB growth and pregnancy based on an analysis > 40 such published cases. We suggest that the proangiogenic state of pregnancy is the leading etiology for this striking association, and to support the argument, we discuss its potential impact on HIF overexpression in a non-hypoxic manner through activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway by proangiogenic factors. Specifically, we discuss the involvement of placental growth factor (PlGF) and its receptor vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR-1) in various pathologic processes that can lead to the formation and growth of peritumoral edema and cysts, which are the primary causes for the development of any symptoms in HB. Both PlGF and VEGFR-1 are expressed at increased levels during pregnancy, and both have been reported as part of various pathological processes, including angiogenesis and tumorigenesis. The unique feature that both do essentially not show any significant negative impact on regular physiological processes makes them attractive therapeutic targets since very little side effects are expected. Further research into the effects of anti-PlGF or anti-VEGFR-1 therapy in HB is therefore recommended.
Cases in Psychiatry: A description of a multi-campus elective course for pharmacy students.

Abstract Cases in Psychiatry was a multi-campus elective course aimed to expand psychiatry knowledge beyond the required course curriculum. The format of the class included didactic course work, sm...
Do cardiac risk stratification indexes accurately estimate perioperative risk in noncardiac surgery patients

Neither of the 2 indexes most often used is completely accurate, and neither is better than the other.
Blastomyces dermatitidis pneumonia in a llama

A 20-y-old female llama ( Lama glama) was euthanized after a history of chronic dyspnea and osteoarthritis. At autopsy, the lungs were covered by clear gelatinous material and expanded by firm, variably discrete, tan-white nodules up to 8 cm diameter containing tan-white, viscous material. The tracheobronchial lymph nodes were firm and enlarged up to 6 × 4 × 3 cm; the thoracic aorta and carotid arteries were lined by hard, tan-white, mineralized intimal plaques. Histologic examination of lung revealed numerous 10-20 μm diameter yeasts with clear 1-2 μm thick double-contoured walls, central basophilic nuclei, and frequent broad-based budding, consistent with Blastomyces dermatitidis. DNA sequencing confirmed the diagnosis. B. dermatitidis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary disease in llamas.
Integration of an Online Curriculum with a Real-World Exercise: A Step Beyond Traditional Classroom Teaching:

This exploratory study demonstrates the effectiveness of using practice-based and client-focused active learning exercises to develop applied skills and better position the student as a candidate w...
A hypothesis on the origin and evolution of tubulin.

Tubulin, the protein subunit of microtubules (MTs), is an α/β heterodimer. In this chapter, a hypothesis on the evolution of the tubulin molecule is proposed, based in part on recent reports on the structures and functions of different forms of tubulin and its relatives. The concentration is on three main areas. 1) Evolution of the vertebrate β-tubulin isotypes. In addition to providing a clear idea about the relationships among these isotypes, recent data suggest that tubulin may have functions that do not involve being in a MT, namely, that it can function as an isolated α/β dimer or as a non-MT polymer. 2) Examination of the entire tubulin superfamily, which includes not only tubulins α, β, γ, δ, e, η, and others but also a variety of prokaryotic proteins. The hypothesis is presented that the common ancestor of all these proteins formed a filamentous curving polymer that used the energy of GTP hydrolysis to apply force to nucleic acids and/or membranes and that this common ancestor may have been coeval with the first cells. A variety of chaperones, motors and MT-associated proteins may have coevolved with tubulin and their histories illuminate that of tubulin. The branched, highly negatively charged C-terminal domain present on α- and β-tubulin appears to be a relatively recent addition to tubulin. 3) The hypothesis is presented that the C-terminal domain may have been of prebiotic origin and that it gradually developed into a protein serving particular metabolic functions whose gene eventually became fused with those of α- and β-tubulin. Finally, some experiments are proposed that could illuminate the probability of these hypotheses.
BIFURCATION RESULTS FOR EQUATIONS WITH NONDIFFERENTIABLE NONLINEARITIES

Publisher Summary Many physical problems lead to boundary value problems for nonlinear differential equations, which depend upon a parameter and which for certain values of the parameter admit multiple solutions. For example, the problem may admit a trivial state as a solution and at certain values of the parameter nontrivial solution branches will bifurcate from the trivial state. This chapter presents some general approaches to the bifurcation problem for operator equations whose nonlinearities are not necessarily differentiable. The chapter presents some equations for nonlinear Sturm–Liouville problems and eigenvalue problems for delay equations.
Neurobiological Risk Factors for Suicide: Insights from Brain Imaging

Context: This article reviews neuroimaging studies on neural circuitry associated with suiciderelated thoughts and behaviors to identify areas of convergence in findings. Gaps in the literature for which additional research is needed are identified. Evidence acquisition: A PubMed search was conducted and articles published before March 2014 were reviewed that compared individuals who made suicide attempts to those with similar diagnoses who had not made attempts or to healthy comparison subjects. Articles on adults with suicidal ideation and adolescents who had made attempts, or with suicidal ideation, were also included. Reviewed imaging modalities included structural magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, single photon emission computed tomography, positron emission tomography, and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Evidence synthesis: Although many studies include small samples, and subject characteristics and imaging methods vary across studies, there were convergent findings involving the structure and function of frontal neural systems and the serotonergic system. Conclusions: These initial neuroimaging studies of suicide behavior have provided promising results. Future neuroimaging efforts could be strengthened by more strategic use of common data elements and a focus on suicide risk trajectories. At-risk subgroups defined by biopsychosocial risk factors and multidimensional assessment of suicidal thoughts and behaviors may provide a clearer picture of the neural circuitry associated with risk status—both current and lifetime. Also needed are studies investigating neural changes associated with interventions that are effective in risk reduction. (Am J Prev Med 2014;47(3S2):S152–S162) Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Determination of resonance locations in NGC 613 from morphological arguments

In this paper, we present BVRI imaging data of NGC 613. We use these data to determine the corotation radius of the bar, using the photometric phase crossing method. This method uses the phase angle of the spiral structure in several wavebands, and looks for a crossing between the blue (B) light and the redder wavebands (e.g., R or I). For NGC 613, we find two phase crossings, an outer phase crossing at 136 +/- 8 arcsec and an inner phase crossing at 16 +/- 8 arcsec. We argue that the outer phase crossing is due to the bar corotation radius, and from the bar length of $R_{\rm bar}=90.0\pm4.0$ arcsec we go on to calculate a relative bar pattern speed of R = 1.5 +/- 0.1, which is consistent with the results of previous methods described in the literature. For a better understanding of the inner phase crossing, we have created structure maps in all four wavebands and a B-R color map. All of our structure maps and our color map highlight a nuclear ring of star formation at a radius of ~4 arcsec, which had also been observed recently using ALMA. Furthermore, the radius of our inner phase crossing appears to be consistent with the size of a nuclear disk of star formation that has been recently detected and described in the literature. We therefore suggest that the phase crossing method can be used to detect the size of nuclear star formation regions as well as the location of corotation resonances in spiral galaxies.
Abstract 127: Axl+ Siglec6+ Dendritic Cells: the Role of Salt, Stretch, and Hypertension

We have shown that monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) are activated in hypertension to produce large amounts of cytokines and to activate T cells. DCs from hypertensive mice can convey hyperten...
Dynamic Group Interactions in Collaborative Learning Videos

We introduce a new method to detect student group interactions in collaborative learning videos. We consider the following video activities: (i) human to human, (ii) human to others, and (iii) lack of any interaction. The system uses multidimensional AM-FM methods to detect student faces, hair, and then use the results to detect possible interactions. We use dynamic graphs to represent group interactions within each video. We tested our methods with 15 videos and achieved an 84% accuracy for students facing the camera and 76% for students facing both towards and away from the camera.
Association between Pre-Intervention Physical Activity Level and Treatment Response to Exercise Therapy in Persons with Knee Osteoarthritis - An Exploratory Study

Objective Examine whether pre-intervention physical activity (PA) level is associated with achieving a positive treatment response of pain and/or function improvement after a 12-week exercise intervention in participants with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods We performed a secondary analysis of a randomized, single-blind comparative effectiveness trial showing similar treatment effects between Tai Chi mind-body exercise and standard physical therapy intervention for knee OA. Baseline PA was assessed by Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) Questionnaire and, in a subsample, by tri-axial accelerometers. OMERACT-OARSI dichotomous responder criteria was used for clinically meaningful improvement at follow-up. Associations between baseline self-reported PA by CHAMPS and outcomes of responders vs. non-responders (reference group) were assessed using logistic regressions, adjusting for demographic covariates. We compared objectively-measured PA by accelerometry between responders vs. non-responders using Wilcoxon tests. Results Our sample consisted of 166 participants with knee OA who completed both baseline and 12-week post-intervention evaluations: mean age 60.7 year (SD 10.5), BMI 32.4 kg/m2 (6.9), 119 (72%) women, and 138 (83%) OMERACT-OARSI responders. Neither time spent in total PA (OR 1.00; 95% CI 0.96, 1.03) nor time in moderate-to-vigorous (MV) PA (OR 1.01; 95% CI 0.93, 1.09) at pre-intervention were associated with being a responder. Similar findings were observed in 42 accelerometry sub-cohort participants. Conclusion Pre-intervention PA level (subjective report or objective measurement) was not associated with whether an individual will achieve favorable treatment outcomes after a 12-week exercise intervention, suggesting that regardless of pre-intervention PA level, individuals will likely benefit from structured exercise interventions.
Relationship Between Nicotine Intake and Reward Function in Rats With Intermittent Short Versus Long Access to Nicotine

Introduction Tobacco use improves mood states and smoking cessation leads to anhedonia, which contributes to relapse. Animal studies have shown that noncontingent nicotine administration enhances brain reward function and leads to dependence. However, little is known about the effects of nicotine self-administration on the state of the reward system. Methods To investigate the relationship between nicotine self-administration and reward function, rats were prepared with intracranial self-stimulation electrodes and intravenous catheters. The rats were trained on the intracranial self-stimulation procedure and allowed to self-administer 0.03 mg/kg/infusion of nicotine. All rats self-administered nicotine daily for 10 days (1 hour/day) and were then switched to an intermittent short access (ShA, 1 hour/day) or long access (LgA, 23 hour/day) schedule (2 days/week, 5 weeks). Results During the first 10 daily, 1-hour sessions, nicotine self-administration decreased the reward thresholds, which indicates that nicotine potentiates reward function. After switching to the intermittent LgA or ShA schedule, nicotine intake was lower in the ShA rats than the LgA rats. The LgA rats increased their nicotine intake over time and they gradually consumed a higher percentage of their nicotine during the light phase. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist mecamylamine induced a larger increase in reward thresholds (ie, anhedonia) in the LgA rats than the ShA rats. In the LgA rats, nAChR blockade with mecamylamine decreased nicotine intake for 2 hours and this was followed by a rebound increase in nicotine intake. Conclusions A brief period of nicotine self-administration enhances reward function and a high level of nicotine intake leads to dependence. Implications These animal studies indicate that there is a strong relationship between the level of nicotine intake and brain reward function. A high level of nicotine intake was more rewarding than a low level of nicotine intake and nicotine dependence was observed after long, but not short, access to nicotine. This powerful combination of nicotine reward and withdrawal makes it difficult to quit smoking. Blockade of nAChRs temporarily decreased nicotine intake, but this was followed by a large rebound increase in nicotine intake. Therefore, nAChR blockade might not decrease the use of combustible cigarettes or electronic cigarettes.
Proteome Analysis Using Gel‐LC‐MS/MS

This article describes processing of protein samples using 1D SDS gels prior to protease digestion for proteomics workflows that subsequently utilize reversed-phase nanocapillary ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The resulting LC-MS/MS data are used to identify peptides and thereby infer proteins present in samples ranging from simple mixtures to very complex proteomes. Bottom-up proteome studies usually involve quantitative comparisons across several or many samples. For either situation, 1D SDS gels represent a simple, widely available technique that can be used to either fractionate complex proteomes or rapidly clean up low microgram samples with minimal losses. After gel separation and staining/destaining, appropriate gel slices are excised, and in-gel reduction, alkylation, and protease digestion are performed. Digests are then processed for LC-MS/MS analysis. Protocols are described for either sample fractionation with high-throughput processing of many samples or simple cleanup without fractionation. An optional strategy is to conduct in-solution reduction and alkylation prior to running gels, which is advantageous when a large number of samples will be separated into large numbers of fractions. Optimization of trypsin digestion parameters and comparison to in-solution protease digestion are also described. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Structured Writing Assignments in an American Economic History Course

This article describes how our American Economic History capstone writing class is structured to allow students to build upon their own research and writing in order to complete an extensive written piece as the culmination of the class. The course is organized so that students can pursue their own interests across fields in economics, and emerge from it with both a better understanding of a particular field, and a paper that can be used for job and graduate school applications and potential publication. The article relates the lessons learned by the authors during the teaching of the course, and the ways in which the course organization has assisted students with their education and careers.
Introduction to a Symposium on the Fourteenth Amendment

ABSTARCTThis symposium on the Fourteenth Amendment engages a series of vital questions about its meaning and importance. Often called “a second American founding,” the Fourteenth Amendment remains ...
Influence of sowing date and humic acid on fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.)

Abstract In this study, the effects of different humic acid doses and different sowing dates on yield and morphological characteristics of fenugreek plants were investigated and evaluated by two factorial variance analysis and by PCA (principal component analysis). Experiments were conducted over the experimental fields of Erciyes University in Turkey during the summer growing season of the years 2014 and 2015 in randomized blocks – split plots experimental design with 4 replications to determine the effects of different humic acid doses and different sowing dates on yield and morphological characteristics of fenugreek plants. Four different sowing dates (1 March, 15 March, 1 April and 15 April) were placed in main plots and 3 different humic acid doses (control, 20, 40 and 60 l ha−1) were placed in sub-plots. Seed yield (kg ha−1), plant height (cm), thousand-seed weight (g), the first pod height (cm), number of branches per plant, pod length (cm), number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, biological yield (kg ha−1) and harvest index (%) were investigated. Our data revealed that humic acid treatments did not have significant effects on investigated parameters. However, sowing dates were found to be significant in terms of seed yield. Considering the seed yields of both year together, it can be recommended that fenugreek should be sown between 1 March and 1 April. According to PCA analysis, all humic acid doses during the 4th sowing period did not have a significant effect on yield in 2014 and 2015.
Prevalence of Heparin Antibodies in ICU Patients (The HAICU Study).

Abstract BACKGROUND: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an antibody-mediated prothrombotic disorder characterized by absolute or relative thrombocytopenia occurring after exposure to heparin. Although thrombocytopenia in HIT patients usually resolves after discontinuing heparin, the risk for thrombosis persists up to 3 months. PURPOSE: The HAICU study was conducted to determine the prevalence of heparin-induced antibodies and HIT on admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and their development within a week of hospitalization. METHODS: Platelet counts and heparin-platelet factor 4 antibodies (GTI ELISA) were measured on admission and again on day 7 ± 2 or discharge on a convenience sample of ICU patients. Patients with new onset thrombocytopenia (unexplained platelet count RESULTS: Over 6 months, 118 patients were enrolled from three ICUs. Subjects had an average ICU LOS of 9 +/− 11 days, hospital LOS of 20 +/− 11 days and Apache II Physiology Score of 14 +/− 7; 59% were male. HIT, as defined above, occurred in 3 (3%) patients on admission. After 7.2 ± 2 days, HIT occurred in an additional 9 patients. Overall, 12 of 118 (10%) ICU patients had HIT at or within a week of admission (Table 1). 5 had documented prior exposure to heparin within 100 days of ICU admission, and 4 received heparin during the period when HIT assays were performed. Cases were distributed throughout the ICU's, yet relatively more often in the neurotrauma and shock-trauma units than the medical unit. CONCLUSION: Heparin-induced antibodies and HIT are common in the ICU, occurring in 3% of patients on admission and 10% in the first week. Physicians need to be aware of heparin exposure and the possibility of HIT in this population. Patients Positive for Heparin Antibodies by Type of ICU and Time Point Unit No. of Patients Percent (%) Day of ICU Admission Day 7 +/− 2 TOTAL Percent Positive per ICU (%) NTICU 56 47.5 1 5 6 11 STICU 39 33 2 3 5 13 MICU 23 19.5 0 1 1 4 TOTAL 118 100 3 9 12 10
Sonodelivery in Skeletal Muscle: Current Approaches and Future Potential

There are currently multiple approaches to facilitate gene therapy via intramuscular gene delivery, such as electroporation, viral delivery, or direct DNA injection with or without polymeric carriers. Each of these methods has benefits, but each method also has shortcomings preventing it from being established as the ideal technique. A promising method, ultrasound-mediated gene delivery (or sonodelivery) is inexpensive, widely available, reusable, minimally invasive, and safe. Hurdles to utilizing sonodelivery include choosing from a large variety of conditions, which are often dependent on the equipment and/or research group, and moderate transfection efficiencies when compared to some other gene delivery methods. In this review, we provide a comprehensive look at the breadth of sonodelivery techniques for intramuscular gene delivery and suggest future directions for this continuously evolving field.
DNA Sequence-Based Approach for Classifying the Mold Status of Buildings

Dampness or water damage in buildings and human exposure to the resultant mold growth is an ever-present public health concern. This study provides quantitative evidence that the airborne fungal ecology of homes with known mold growth ("moldy") differs from the normal airborne fungal ecology of homes with no history of dampness, water damage, or visible mold ("no mold"). Settled dust from indoor air and outdoor air and direct samples from building materials with mold growth were examined in homes from 11 cities across dry, temperate, and continental climate regions within the United States. Community analysis based on the sequence of the internal transcribed spacer region of fungal ribosomal RNA encoding genes demonstrated consistent and quantifiable differences between the fungal ecology of settled dust in homes with inspector-verified water damage and visible mold versus the settled dust of homes with no history of dampness, water damage, or visible mold. These differences include lower community richness (padj = 0.01) in the settled dust of moldy homes versus no mold homes, as well as distinct community taxonomic structures between moldy and no mold homes (ANOSIM, R = 0.15, p = 0.001). We identified 11 Ascomycota taxa that were more highly enriched in moldy homes and 14 taxa from Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Zygomycota that were more highly enriched in no mold homes. The indoor air differences between moldy versus no mold homes were significant for all three climate regions considered. These distinct but complex differences between settled dust samples from moldy and no homes were used to train a machine learning-based model to classify the mold status of a home. The model was able to accurately classify 100% of moldy homes and 90% of no mold homes. The integration of DNA-based fungal ecology with advanced computational approaches can be used to accurately classify the presence of mold growth in homes, assist with inspection and remediation decisions, and potentially lead to reduced exposure to hazardous microbes indoors.
School Social Workers Perceptions of the Use of Functional Behavior Assessments

Purpose:Conducting functional behavior assessments (FBAs) is an important component of meeting the behavioral needs of students exhibiting significant behavioral problems. However, the practices an...
Adding Social Emotional Awareness to Teacher Education Field Experiences

In spring 2019, senior methods teacher candidates at Southeastern Louisiana University designed and implemented social emotional learning (SEL) assignments in grades 1–8. This study investigated th...
Personalized care for every single patient with congenital heart disease: The time is now

Abstract Fifty-one consecutive adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients attended a single site, day-case facility -in the midst of the Covid pandemic-for cardiac assessment tailored to their individual needs. All patients responded positively to our one to one invitation to attend, despite Covid restrictions, and to our anonymized questionnaire. The latter showed an overwhelming support for personalized care and for more patient education, support and empowerment. A subset of patients have since been enrolled in a pilot App with HUMA on an ACHD education, self-reporting and self-managing tool, with potential worldwide implications for ACHD care.
Synthetic digital reconstructed radiographs for MR-only robotic stereotactic radiation therapy: A proof of concept.

Abstract Purpose To create synthetic CTs and digital reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) from MR images that allow for fiducial visualization and accurate dose calculation for MR-only radiosurgery. Methods We developed a machine learning model to create synthetic CTs from pelvic MRs for prostate treatments. This model has been previously proven to generate synthetic CTs with accuracy on par or better than alternate methods, such as atlas-based registration. Our dataset consisted of 11 paired CT and conventional MR (T2) images used for previous CyberKnife (Accuray, Inc) radiotherapy treatments. The MR images were pre-processed to mimic the appearance of fiducial-enhancing images. Two models were trained for each parameter case, using a sub-set of the available image pairs, with the remaining images set aside for testing and validation of the model to identify the optimal patch size and number of image pairs used for training. Four models were then trained using the identified parameters and used to generate synthetic CTs, which in turn were used to generate DRRs at angles 45° and 315°, as would be used for a CyberKnife treatment. The synthetic CTs and DRRs were compared visually and using the mean squared error and peak signal-to-noise ratio against the ground-truth images to evaluate their similarity. Results The synthetic CTs, as well as the DRRs generated from them, gave similar visualization of the fiducial markers in the prostate as the true counterparts. There was no significant difference found for the fiducial localization for the CTs and DRRs. Across the 8 DRRs analyzed, the mean MSE between the normalized true and synthetic DRRs was 0.66 ± 0.42% and the mean PSNR for this region was 22.9 ± 3.7 dB. For the full CTs, the mean MAE was 72.9 ± 88.1 HU and the mean PSNR was 31.2 ± 2.2 dB. Conclusions Our machine learning-based method provides a proof of concept of a way to generate synthetic CTs and DRRs for accurate dose calculation and fiducial localization for use in radiation treatment of the prostate.
An Ontology-driven Knowledge Graph for Android Malware

We present MalONT2.0 -- an ontology for malware threat intelligence [4]. New classes (attack patterns, infrastructural resources to enable attacks, malware analysis to incorporate static analysis, and dynamic analysis of binaries) and relations have been added following a broadened scope of core competency questions. MalONT2.0 allows researchers to extensively capture all requisite classes and relations that gather semantic and syntactic characteristics of an android malware attack. This ontology forms the basis for the malware threat intelligence knowledge graph, MalKG, which we exemplify using three different, non-overlapping demonstrations. Malware features have been extracted from openCTI reports on android threat intelligence shared on the Internet and written in the form of unstructured text. Some of these sources are blogs, threat intelligence reports, tweets, and news articles. The smallest unit of information that captures malware features is written as triples comprising head and tail entities, each connected with a relation. In the poster and demonstration, we discuss MalONT2.0 and MalKG.
Chapter 4 Metabolic Transformations of Alkaloids

Publisher Summary The alkaloids are an enormously complex grouping of nitrogen-containing organic compounds that are widespread in their natural occurrence and found in plants, mammals, arthropods, marine species, club mosses, fungi, and bacteria. This chapter presents the metabolism of alkaloids by microbial, mammalian, and plant metabolic systems; biotransformation reactions in a microbial or enzymatic system; and focuses on both the fascinating chemical and biochemical mechanisms of alkaloid biotransformation reactions—and on the metabolic systems that catalyze them. Microorganisms, plants, and mammalian systems all contain enzymes capable of catalyzing chemical transformations with alkaloid substrates. Interesting and useful enzyme reactions that may occur with alkaloids include oxidations, reductions, hydrolyses, and conjugation reactions. Monooxygenase activation and introduction of molecular oxygen may result in the formation of carbinolamine , which serves as a branch point in the generation of products. Biocatalysis with alkaloids affords rich opportunities for displaying novel biochemical reactions or unusual rearrangements that contribute to understanding of biosynthetic or biodegradative pathways.
Electrophysiological Characteristics of Peptidergic Nerve Terminals Correlated with Secretion

This article reviews studies correlating electrical with secretory activity of a peptidergic neurosecretory system of crabs known as the X-organ — sinus gland system (XOSG). Justification for giving such attention to an invertebrate model derives from the unique observations obtainable by reason of the relatively huge size of axon terminals (in certain species) and the discrete anatomical segregation of the system. These permit (1) experimentation on an intact, purely peptidergic neurosecretory system removed to a chamber, (2) simultaneous intracellular recording from electrodes placed under visual control into somata and terminals, and (3) monitoring of secretion separately from both somata and terminal regions while recording. The XOSG is analogous to the vertebrate hypothalamic-neuro-hypophysial system in function as well as in those details of physiological mechanisms for which comparable information is available. Generalizability of the information obtainable only from the XOSG to other neurosecretory systems thus seems likely.
Understanding oxygen adsorption on 9.375 at. % Ga-stabilized δ-Pu (111) surface: A DFT study

Abstract Plutonium (Pu) metal reacts rapidly in the presence of oxygen (O), resulting in an oxide layer that will eventually have an olive green rust appearance over time. Recent experimental work suggested that the incorporation of gallium (Ga) as an alloying impurity to stabilize the highly symmetric high temperature δ-phase lattice may also provide resistance against corrosion/oxidation of plutonium. In this paper, we modeled a 9.375 at. % Ga stabilized δ-Pu (111) surface and investigated adsorption of atomic O using all-electron density functional theory. Key findings revealed that the O bonded strongly to a Pu-rich threefold hollow fcc site with a chemisorption energy of −5.06 eV. Migration of the O atom to a Pu-rich environment was also highly sensitive to the surface chemistry of the Pu–Ga surface; when the initial on-surface O adsorption site included a bond to a nearest neighboring Ga atom, the O atom relaxed to a Ga deficient environment, thus affirming the O preference for Pu. Only one calculated final on-surface O adsorption site included a Ga–O bond, but this chemisorption energy was energetically unfavorable. Chemisorption energies for interstitial adsorption sites that included a Pu or Pu–Ga environment suggested that over-coordination of the O atom was energetically unfavorable as well. Electronic structure properties of the on-surface sites, illustrated by the partial density of states, implied that the Ga 4p states indirectly but strongly influenced the Pu 6d states to hybridize with the O 2p states. The Ga 4p states also weakly influenced the Pu 5f states to hybridize with the O 2p states, even though Ga was not participating in bonding with O.
Mutational analysis of the tRNA mimicry of brome mosaic virus RNA. Sequence and structural requirements for aminoacylation and 3'-adenylation.

Abstract The genomic RNAs of brome mosaic virus (BMV) exhibit various tRNA-like properties, including specific tyrosylation by tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases and adenylation of the 3′-CCOH derivative by tRNA nucleotidyl transferames. We have studied the effect of numerous mutations in all domains of the tRNA-like structure of BMV RNA on tyrosylation and adenylation in vitro. Surprisingly few mutations resulted in more than 50% decrease in tyrosylation rates with either wheat germ or yeast synthetases; those mutations were at the 3′ terminus, the pseudoknot, and the bases of arms B and E. The results suggest an interaction of synthetase with arm A as the analog of the aminoacyl acceptor stem of tRNAs, and arm B as the analog of the anticodon arm of tRNAs, although there is no apparent interaction with the terminal loop of arm B analogous to the interaction with the anticodon in tRNAs. Mutations at several loci resulted in large losses of adenylation activity catalyzed by wheat germ and Escherichia coli nucleotidyl transferames; those loci were the pseudoknot, the bases of arms B, C and D, and at the junctions of these arms with arm A. These studies have identified mutants specifically defective in one of the tRNA-like activities, which are appropriate for investigating the role of these activities during infection in vivo.
Computers applied for the recognition of Hindi syllables

The adaptive pattern recognition theory has been programmed on the IBM 1130 computer and applied for the recognition of speech patterns initially in the form of sonograms of CVC Hindi syllables spoken in isolation. A set of thirty six Hindi syllables spoken by three male speakers was used in the learning and recognition phases of the system. Two experiments were performed. In the first, the computer was trained by using the syllables spoken by a single speaker only; in the second, training was based on syllables spoken by two speakers. In the recognition phases, all the syllables spoken by the speakers of the learning phases were correctly recognized. However, for those speakers whose syllables were not used in the learning phase, the percentage of correct recognition was 19.4% and 61.1% for the first and second experiment, respectively.
Punishment, Proportionality and Jurisdictional Transfer of Adolescent Offenders: A Test of the Leniency Gap Hypothesis

In the past two decades, nearly every state has expanded its authority and simplified its procedures to transfer adolescent offenders from juvenile to criminal (adult) courts. As a result, the use of jurisdictional transfer has grown steadily. These developments reflect popular and political concerns that punishment in juvenile courts is too lenient for serious crimes committed by adolescents. Yet there is mixed evidence that expanded transfer authority has produced more certain or severe punishments for adolescents prosecuted in criminal courts. Some empirical studies show that adolescents transferred to criminal court are more likely to be convicted, sentenced to prison, and serve longer sentences, compared to similar cases that remain in the juvenile court. Other studies show that transferred cases receive similar sentences or receive less severe punishments. In this article, we report the results of a natural experiment comparing detention, disposition and custodial sentence lengths for matched groups of adolescents charged with serious felony offenses in juvenile or criminal courts. We report that adolescents prosecuted as adults are at a greater risk of detention and incarceration, and if incarcerated, sentenced to longer sentences than adolescents in juvenile courts. Yet the disparity between outcomes in juvenile and criminal courts is not as large as the rhetoric surrounding this issue would lead one to believe. The resilience of common law doctrine of diminished culpability of adolescents is evident in the limited effects of expanded jurisdictional transfer activity on sentencing and punishment of adolescents in criminal court. We discuss the jurisprudential and social policy implications of denying adolescents the latitude of a traditionally more rehabilitative and lenient juvenile court.
Ligation of CD28 Alone by its Natural Ligand, CD86, Induces Lipid Raft Polarization in Human CD4 T-cells

Results Ligation of CD28 by natural ligand, but not antibody, induced polarization of LRs at the cell-bead interface, in absence of TCR ligation. This correlated with activation of Vav-1, increased IC calcium and translocation of NFkB p65, but did not result in proliferation or cytokine production. Using DNA microarrays, we detected induction of a subset of genes, including the Egr1 family of transcription factors. Engagement of CTLA-4 blocked CD86Ig induction of LR polarization and new transcription.
Interprocedural dataflow analysis in the presence of large libraries

Interprocedural dataflow analysis has a large number of uses for software optimization, maintenance, testing, and verification. For software built with reusable components, the traditional approaches for whole-program analysis cannot be used directly. This paper considers component-level analysis of a main component which is built on top of a pre-existing library component. We propose an approach for computing summary information for the library and for using it to analyze the main component. The approach defines a general theoretical framework for dataflow analysis of programs built with large extensible library components, using pre-computed summary functions for library-local execution paths. Our experimental results indicate that the cost of component-level analysis could be substantially lower than the cost of the corresponding whole-program analysis, without any loss of precision. These results present a promising step towards practical analysis techniques for large-scale software systems built with reusable components.
Synthesis of Ibuprofen in the Introductory Organic Laboratory

A method for the synthesis of ibuprofen in introductory organic chemistry laboratory courses is reported. This experiment requires two 3-h lab sessions. All of the reactions and techniques are a standard part of any introductory organic chemistry course. In the first lab session, students reduce p-isobutylacetophenone to an alcohol and then convert this alcohol to the corresponding chloride. In the second session, students convert this chloride to a Grignard reagent, which is then carboxylated and protonated to give ibuprofen. Although the final yield is modest, this procedure offers both practicability and reliability. Permanent-magnet 60 MHz 1H NMR spectra of the final product and the two intermediates are clean and are easily interpreted by the students. Because, as previously reported, the benzylic methylene and the benzylic methine of ibuprofen have virtually identical 13C NMR chemical shifts and cancel or nearly cancel each other in the DEPT spectrum, this synthesis provides a fitting opportunity fo...
How to cook up a healthy summer camp.

This article is designed to help school nurses plan a children’s summer camp. In many ways, it is like a recipe, filled with tried experiences leading to success. Many of the ideas in this article may help others to brainstorm about implementing a camp. The idea for this summer camp originated from an obesity study conducted during the school year. In that study, it was found a large number of students were obese, and the majority of them spent a considerable amount of time in sedentary activities. In addition, the study questionnaire findings indicated that the children were not eating enough fruits or vegetables and had diets with high carbohydrate and fat content. Therefore, the major objective for the summer camp was to introduce the children to structured exercise and nutrition classes. Evaluation indicated the children profited socially, physically, and intellectually from the camp’s activities.
Diagnosing epidermolysis bullosa type and subtype in infancy using immunofluorescence microscopy: the Stanford experience.

The natural history of inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB) varies significantly across subtypes. When confronted with an infant suspected to have EB, rapidly determining the type and subtype is critical in counselling families accurately about the infant's diagnosis and prognosis. Although transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been considered the criterion standard for EB diagnosis, immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM) using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to EB-specific basement membrane zone proteins has several advantages, but few studies have evaluated the diagnostic utility of IFM. We sought to evaluate the clinical utility of IFM using an expanded panel of EB-specific mAbs. This was a retrospective review of pathology reports from infants younger < 1 year old with suspected EB primarily analyzed with IFM by the Stanford Dermatopathology service. Seventy-seven cases were identified for analysis, of which 20 were suboptimal for IFM analysis. Fifty-five cases were diagnosed with EB and classified as follows: EB simplex (n = 5), junctional EB (n = 31), dystrophic EB (n = 19). TEM was available in 36 of 55 cases (65%). IFM with an expanded panel of EB-specific mAbs should be considered the first-line diagnostic test to evaluate infants with clinically suspected EB.
Life in a Fluid Landscape

Using their ethnographic work in deltaic Bengal, Lahiri-Dutt and Samanta consider the residents' resilience, vulnerability, and adaptation to change.
The CAA-MIT microwave instrument landing system

THE PROBLEM of developing an instrument landing system in which the pilot is kept informed as to both his location and orientation by the indications of a single instrument was put to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology several years ago by I. R. Metcalf of the Civil Aeronautics Authority. The solution of this problem includes the application of centimeter waves, the development of a straight-line glide path, and the realization of a novel instrument combination. Intrinsically and because of recent trends in aircraft navigation these features, we believe, represent significant advances in the art. The experimental development described here in general outline was carried on under the sponsorship of the Authority and was built on MIT's background of research on the broad problem of navigation in fog and on work in the short-wave field per se as a foundation.1 The apparatus was designed to demonstrate feasibility only. Commercial embodiment of the results is it is felt now within reach of the industry.
Effects of valve surgery on left ventricular contractile function in patients with long-term mitral regurgitation.

Background Patients with long-term mitral regurgitation were studied both before and 1 year after successful valve surgery to test the hypothesis that impaired left ventricular contractile function improves after surgery for long-term mitral regurgitation in humans. Methods and Results Fifteen patients with long-term mitral regurgitation were studied. Micromanometer left ventricular pressures and radionuclide angiograms for left ventricular volumes were acquired over a range of loading conditions both before and 1 year after successful valve surgery for long-term mitral regurgitation. To assess both left ventricular contractility and pump efficiency, we used left ventriculoarterial coupling to evaluate the interaction of the left ventricle with the arterial system with the use of the left ventricular contractile index, Ees, and effective arterial elastance, Ea. Left ventricular pump efficiency was expressed as the ratio of forward left ventricular stroke work to the corresponding pressure–volume area. All...
Effects of cadmium, estradiol-17β and their interaction on gonadal condition and metamorphosis of male and female African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis

To assess interaction effects between cadmium (Cd, a putative xenoestrogen) and estradiol-17beta (E(2)) on sex differentiation and metamorphosis, Xenopus laevis were exposed to solvent-control (0.005% ethanol), Cd (10microgL(-1)), E(2) (1microgL(-1)), or Cd and E(2) (Cd+E(2)) in FETAX medium from fertilization to 75d postfertilization. Each treatment was applied to four aquaria, each with 30 fertilized eggs. Mortality was recorded and animals were sampled as they completed metamorphosis (Nieuwkoop and Faber stage 66). Gonadal sex of individuals (including >or= tadpoles NF stage 55 at day 75) was determined gross-morphologically and used to compute sex ratios. Time course and percent completion of metamorphosis, snout-vent length (SVL), hindlimb length (HLL) and weight were analyzed for each gender separately. Survival rates did not differ among treatments. The E(2) and Cd+E(2) treatments significantly skewed sex ratios towards females; however, no sex-ratio differences were observed between the control and Cd treatments or between the E(2) and Cd+E(2) treatments. Time course of metamorphosis was generally delayed and percent completion of metamorphosis was generally reduced in males and females exposed to Cd, E(2) or their combination compared to control animals. In males, but not females, the effect of Cd+E(2) was greater than that of individual chemicals. Weight at completion of metamorphosis was reduced only in females and only by the Cd+E(2) treatment. In conclusion, although Cd at an environmentally relevant concentration did not exhibit direct or indirect feminizing effects in Xenopus tadpoles, the metal and E(2) both had similar inhibitory effects on metamorphosis that were of greater magnitude in males than females.