cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization and Purification of a Mammalian Endoribonuclease Specific for the α-Globin mRNA

The α-globin mRNA has previously been shown to be the target of an erythroid-enriched endoribonuclease (ErEN) activity which cleaves the mRNA within the 3′-untranslated region. We have currently undertaken a biochemical approach to purify this enzyme and have begun characterization of the enzyme to determine requirements for substrate recognition as well as optimal cleavage conditions. Through mutational analysis and truncations we show that a 26-nucleotide region of the α-globin 3′-untranslated region is an autonomous element that is both necessary and sufficient for cleavage by ErEN. Mutations throughout this region abolish cleavage activity by ErEN suggesting that the entire sequence is important for recognition and cleavage. ErEN is most active under biological salt concentrations and temperature and activity of the enzyme does not require cations. The size for ErEN was estimated by denaturing gel filtration analysis and is ∼40 kDa. Interestingly, the exquisite specificity of ErEN cleavage became compromised with increased purity of the enzyme suggesting the involvement of other proteins in specificity of ErEN cleavage. Nondenaturing gel filtration of MEL extract demonstrated that ErEN is a component of an ∼160 kDa complex implying that additional proteins may regulate ErEN activity and provide increased cleavage specificity.
Do echo-enhanced needles improve time to cannulate in a model of short-axis ultrasound-guided vascular access for a group of mostly inexperienced ultrasound users?

Vascular access is a critical skill for emergency physicians. However, it can be unpredictably challenging in some patients. While ultrasound-guided vascular access has been encouraged in emergency departments, there have been few studies evaluating echo-enhanced needles and their usefulness in performing vascular access. Our purpose was to determine if the use of an echo-enhanced needle tip results in faster vascular access times, with fewer needle sticks, fewer redirections, and improved needle visualization in ultrasound-guided vascular access with the vessel in the short axis. This is a prospective, randomized, observational study of ultrasound-guided vascular access on a vascular phantom comparing an echo-enhanced needle with a standard needle. Each participant viewed a teaching video demonstrating typical ultrasound-guided vascular access and then attempted ultrasound-guided vascular access using both a standard and an echo-enhanced needle with the vessel in the short axis. The numbers of needle sticks, redirections, and time to dye flash were measured. The 69 participants attempted 69 short-axis ultrasound-guided vascular cannulations with no difference in time to dye flash between needle types: the median time from needle stick to flash was 17.56 s [interquartile range (IQR): 12.37–33.15] for the standard needle and 19.22 s (IQR: 10.19–31.10) for the echo-enhanced needle. There was no difference between needle types for number of needle sticks or redirects. Echo-enhanced needles did not provide objective performance improvement compared to standard needles during ultrasound-guided vascular access with a vascular access model in the short axis.
A Quantitative Evaluation of Inflammatory Cells in Human Temporomandibular Joint Tissues From Patients With and Without Implants

Purpose Previous studies made only qualitative assessments of immune cell responses to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) implant wear debris. The aim of this study was to perform a quantitative comparison of inflammatory cell types in TMJ tissues with implant wear debris, TMJ tissues with a history of disc pathology without implant debris, and TMJ tissues from normal control subjects. Materials and Methods TMJ tissues were collected from the following 3 groups of subjects: 1) individuals with failed TMJ implants (implant group, n = 10), 2) patients with TMJ disc pathology but no history of implant placement (nonimplant surgery group, n = 10), and normal cadaveric tissues with no history of surgery (control group, n = 10). Tissue sections (5 μm) from all subjects were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, after which cell counts were done for 2 types of inflammatory cells: multinucleated giant cells and lymphocytes. Mean inflammatory cell counts from the 3 groups were compared by use of a 1-way analysis of variance procedure and Bonferroni adjustment to maintain an overall type I error rate of .05. Results Implant group tissues contained significantly more inflammatory cells than tissues from the nonimplant surgery and control groups (P Conclusions Our data provide quantitative confirmation that the presence of Proplast-Teflon implant (Vitek, Houston, TX) wear debris is associated with a significant increase in the number of local multinucleated giant cells and lymphocytes.
Personalized medicine in Type 2 diabetes:what does the future hold?

The management of patients with Type 2 diabetes is based on a remarkably robust evidence base. Large clinical trials and lengthy observational cohort studies have clearly established the importance of glycemic, blood pressure and lipid level control. Indeed, most elements of guideline-based diabetes care can be supported by clinical research evidence. While such studies are critical for establishing treatment recommendations, the evidence derived from clinical trial participants applies to populations of patients rather than to the individual sitting before the clinician. An important next step in diabetes care would be to develop and implement a framework for personalizing care. In this article, we highlight the major reasons for personalization and discuss what the future of personalized diabetes care may hold.
Concise Synthesis of Norrisolide

The marine natural product norrisolide has been synthesized in a convergent manner with a longest linear sequence of 14 steps. The hydrindane portion of the molecules is prepared through conjugate addition of a functionalized allyl group into cyclopentenone, followed by stereoselective trapping of the enolate generated from the resulting enol silyl ether with an allyl electrophile. Ring-closing metathesis then establishes the 6–5 ring system. Likewise, selective preparation of the side chain features an enantioselective cyclopropanation of furan-2-one, followed by rearrangement and hydrogenation. Coupling of the two major fragments through a Shapiro reaction, followed by reduction and olefination then completes the carbon framework of the natural product. The final steps of the synthesis involve adjustments to the oxidation state of the side chain. New strategies to generate both the hydrindane core and the oxidized side chain has allowed for the more concise and efficient preparation of the natural product.
Pseudostates and low-energy electron-molecule collisions: applications to H2 and N2

Abstract A simple procedure for generating pseudostates for low-energy electron-molecule collisions is described which requires only a standard Hartee-Fock program. The technique uses an additional nuclear center to simulate the distortions of the charge cloud of the molecule by a low-energy electron. Calculations are presented for H 2 and N 2 which show that accurate pseudo-orbitals can be obtained by the method. A simple application of the pseudo-state orbitals for low-energy e + H 2 scattering gives results which are in very good accord with experiment and represents the first ab initio treatment of both electron exchange and polarization in an electron-molecule collision.
Effects of radiation on laser diode devices

We have studied the effects of radiation on the performance characteristics of laser diodes. The laser diodes were exposed to radiation of continuous electron beams at the Lehigh University Van de Graaff Radiation Facility.
Level set methods: an overview and some recent results

The level set method was devised by S. Osher and J. A. Sethian (1988, J. Comput. Phys.79, 12–49) as a simple and versatile method for computing and analyzing the motion of an interface Γ in two or three dimensions. Γ bounds a (possibly multiply connected) region Ω. The goal is to compute and analyze the subsequent motion of Γ under a velocity field v. This velocity can depend on position, time, the geometry of the interface, and the external physics. The interface is captured for later time as the zero level set of a smooth (at least Lipschitz continuous) function ϕ (x, t); i.e., Γ(t)={x|ϕ(x, t)=0}. ϕ is positive inside Ω, negative outside Ω, and is zero on Γ(t). Topological merging and breaking are well defined and easily performed. In this review article we discuss recent variants and extensions, including the motion of curves in three dimensions, the dynamic surface extension method, fast methods for steady state problems, diffusion generated motion, and the variational level set approach. We also give a user's guide to the level set dictionary and technology and couple the method to a wide variety of problems involving external physics, such as compressible and incompressible (possibly reacting) flow, Stefan problems, kinetic crystal growth, epitaxial growth of thin films, vortex-dominated flows, and extensions to multiphase motion. We conclude with a discussion of applications to computer vision and image processing.
The DASH Diet and Diet Costs Among Ethnic and Racial Groups in the United States

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is perhaps the best example of how a nutrient dense dietary pattern can prevent chronic disease. In randomized trials, DASH dietary patterns lowered blood pressure in hypertensive individuals.1 Subsequent trials and observational studies have consistently found that DASH-type diets reduced cardiovascular and metabolic risk.2
Polymer-embedded arrays of vertical silicon nanowires as color filters

We demonstrate color filters comprising silicon nanowire arrays embedded in polymer. Each array's transmission spectrum contains one or more dips, whose positions can be tuned across the visible wavelength range by choice of nanowire radius.
Chronic insomnia, postmenopausal women, and sleep disordered breathing: part 1. Frequency of sleep disordered breathing in a cohort.

Abstract Objectives: A cohort of postmenopausal women complaining of chronic insomnia for over 6 months and free of hypnotic intake was recruited mostly from the community. Three hundred and ninety-four women were included. The following questions were addressed: How many presents sleep disordered breathing (SDB)? Which type of SDB (upper airway resistance syndrome [UARS] or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome [OSAS]) is the most frequent? Is there a specific upper airway anatomical abnormality in SDB patients predisposing to the syndrome? Population: Subjects were recruited in the community or referred by the Sleep Clinic and all had complaint of chronic poor sleep. Methodology: Questionnaires, visual analog scales, clinical interview, clinical evaluation with work-up, actigraphy, and ambulatory monitoring were used. Second step. Otolaryngologic evaluation, ambulatory sleep monitoring, and reading of results were used. Subjects negative for SDB at ambulatory monitoring had polysomnography (PSG) with pressure transducer/nasal cannula system and esophageal manometry measurements. Results: Population. Three hundred and ninety-four individuals responded to all entry criteria. Ambulatory monitoring identified 194 subjects with OSAS. Two hundred individuals were not recognized with SDB and were submitted to PSG. This further testing showed that 68 subjects had normal breathing, 62 had UARS, and 100 mild OSAS. Based on otolaryngological evaluation, subjects were classified based on the presence or absence of narrow upper airway, and the location of narrowing was assessed. Conclusion: A total of 326 postmenopausal women complaining of chronic insomnia had a SDB, usually with low apnea–hypopnea index (AHI). This total represents about 83% of the studied women. Questions of the role of SDB in the complaint of chronic insomnia are raised.
Hemodilution for cerebral ischemia

Evaluation du role de l'hemodilution hypervolemique ou normovolemique dans le traitement de l'accident cerebrovasculaire
Development Planning: The Systematic Application of Technological Innovation

This paper presents a survey of "development planning". Development planning is defined as devising a scheme for achieving a future capability which is significantly beyond a present capability—implying the systematic application of technological innovations. The necessary ingredients of a development planning activity are identified as: establishing a rationale for achieving the future capability and then translating this into a logical and well-structured plan for achievement. Within this framework, the paper reviews the evolution of development planning from the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century to the present day. Current knowledge and state of the art of development planning are discussed, and objectives are set for achievements in knowledge and practice by 1980 in order to ensure relevance to decision-making.
Calcium, collagen dose, gender and fasting affect the response of rat platelet thromboxane formation to extremes in dietary linoleate.

Platelet thromboxane synthesis in response to supplemental linoleate in the diet has been very inconsistent. The objective of this study was to investigate potential confounding factors known to affect platelet thromboxane synthesis. Citrated whole blood was recalcified with varying Ca2+ concentrations and challenged with low or high dose collagen preparations to induce extreme ranges of thromboxane synthesis from endogenous arachidonate pools by rat platelets. Male and female weanling rats were fed 0.0, 1.0 or 23 energy percent linoleate for 11 to 13 weeks. Fasting tended to enhance thromboxane synthesis. Both fasted and fed females showed slightly faster rates of thromboxane synthesis than males. Essential fatty acid deficiency depressed (P < 0.01) thromboxane synthesis; the degree of this depression was inversely related to the level of recalcification (68% for 0.0 mM Ca2+, 36% for 2.5 mM Ca2+ and 20% for 5.0 mM Ca2+) when challenged with the high dose collagen. Essential fatty acid deficiency depressed platelet phospholipid arachidonate concentration 26%. Only blood from fed females stimulated with a mild challenge responded to excess dietary liholeate, and a 62% (not statistically significant) depression in TX synthesis was observed and this was associated with a decrease in platelet phospholipid arachidonate concentration.
Convex envelopes of products of convex and component-wise concave functions

In this paper, we consider functions of the form $${\phi(x,y)=f(x)g(y)}$$ over a box, where $${f(x), x\in {\mathbb R}}$$ is a nonnegative monotone convex function with a power or an exponential form, and $${g(y), y\in {\mathbb R}^n}$$ is a component-wise concave function which changes sign over the vertices of its domain. We derive closed-form expressions for convex envelopes of various functions in this category. We demonstrate via numerical examples that the proposed envelopes are significantly tighter than popular factorable programming relaxations.
A review of positron studies of the annealing of the cold worked state

This review will present examples of the application of positron annihilation to studies of cold work and annealing. For the most part the examples will not reveal new metallurgical factsper se, but rather will serve to introduce the metallurgist or materials specialist to a relatively new and possibly advantageous type of measurement which he (or she) may wish to apply to particular studies. The examples cited include ones from conventional cold rolling and annealing, oriented single crystal bending and subsequent polygonization, fatigue of ferrous and nonferrous materials, tensile work hardening of various grain size samples, electron radiation and annealing, shot peening, age hardening retardation by cold work and influence of the cold worked state upon hydrogen charging. The reader is referred to the preceeding article by Dr. K. G. Lynn for a more detailed explanation of the two positron techniques utilized in gathering the results described, namely positron lifetime measurements and Doppler broadening of the positron annihilation gamma ray energies. The author is indebted to the many former and current students and research associates whose work is to be described and who will be cited in the text at the appropriate times.
Functional and nutritional characteristics of proteins and lipids recovered by isoelectric processing of fish by-products and low-value fish: A review

Abstract Several fisheries are over-exploited and may collapse; yet the amounts of fish processing by-products containing muscle proteins and ω-3-rich oil are staggering. The by-products are land-filled, ground and discarded or otherwise diverted from human consumption. Due to the lack of technology to recover proteins and lipids from by-products or low-value species, this tremendous resource is unavailable for human consumption. Isoelectric solubilisation/precipitation (ISP) allows efficient recovery of fish proteins and oil which retain functionality and nutritional value of food products. Isoelectric point (p I ) is a pH where protein maintains zero electrostatic charge. At p I , protein–protein hydrophobic attraction overcomes protein–water electrostatic attraction resulting in isoelectric precipitation. Conversely, isoelectric solubilisation occurs at a pH different from p I , whereby protein–water attraction and protein–protein electrostatic repulsion are favoured. Therefore, protein solubility/insolubility is induced by ISP, respectively. Consequently, ISP allows selective protein recovery. Lipids are also recovered during ISP processing. This article reviews recent ISP developments to recover proteins and lipids from by-products and low-value marine species.
A patch–antipatch representation of specific protein interactions

Abstract Protein interactions in solution are manifested in macroscopically measurable thermodynamic properties such as the osmotic second virial coefficient. These interactions are typically characterized by a sensitivity to electrostatic parameters such as pH and ionic strength, and by strong short-range attraction with a pronounced orientational dependence. We describe here a model that embodies all these features, yet is sufficiently compact to allow its use in simulations of dynamic and equilibrium properties. The model treats protein molecules as spheres with relatively weak isotropic contributions to intermolecular interactions. In addition, a discrete number of “patch–antipatch” pairs on the surfaces account for highly specific interactions that can arise from geometric complementarity of corresponding areas on the actual molecular surface. Implementation of the model is illustrated for interactions in solution of bovine chymotrypsinogen, based on structural information from crystallographic data. The general trends seen in virial coefficient measurements are captured by the model, despite anomalous features that are thought to result from the importance of the specific interactions.
Interaction of gases with ablative composites. I. Ar, CO2, and N2

The sorption of argon, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen on two heat shield composites (SLA-561 and SLA-561V) and on the SLA components was measured over the pressure range of 0.001 to 760 torr and in the temperature range of 30 to 50 C. The sorption of the gases by both the composites and the components varied directly with pressure. The sorption of CO2 by the phenolic spheres and the silicone elastomer and of Ar by the silicone elastomer varied inversely with temperature. The mechanism involved in the gas sorption was primarily absorption.
The molecular basis of the human serum paraoxonase activity polymorphism.

The organophosphate cholinesterase inhibitor paraoxon is hydrolysed by serum paraoxonase/arylesterase. A genetic polymorphism of paraoxonase (PON) activity which determines high versus low paraoxon hydrolysis in human populations, may determine sensitivity to parathion poisoning. We demonstrate that arginine at position 192 specifies high activity PON whereas a glutamine specifies the low activity variant. Allele–specific probes or restriction enzyme analysis of amplified DNA allow for the genotyping of individuals. PON maps to chromosome 7q21–22, proximal to the cystic fibrosis gene, in agreement with previous genetic linkage studies.
Cooperative R&D and Strategic Trade Policy with Bertrand Competition

This paper uses a strategic trade policy model to analyze the welfare effects from allowing cooperation in R&D when firms compete in a price-setting game in the product market. A policy game between two governments is analyzed, where each government chooses a particular cooperative R&D policy in order to maximize national welfare. At the Nash equilibrium to this game only one government allows cooperation in R&D. This equilibrium is both individually and jointly optimal. International cooperation in R&D is superior to no cooperation in R&D but is inferior to the Nash equilibrium of the government policy game.
Similarities and differences of the effect of country images on tourist and study destinations.

ABSTRACT The present study attempts to determine whether students hold similar or different country images when they are “buying” study abroad programs and tourism destinations. This article also tries to investigate similarities and differences in the brand personality perceptions of countries when they are considered as tourism and as study abroad destinations through the application of the brand personality characteristics model developed by Aaker (1997). A convenience sample of 360 students was split into two groups based on the motivation for visiting a specific country, whether for tourism or to participate in a study abroad program. The t test was used to calculate the significance of differences in country images between the two groups—those considering study abroad programs and those considering tourism destinations. The study concludes that the knowledge developed within the tourism context regarding images of countries may be applied to the context of study abroad programs.
Simultaneous discrimination learning: Stimulus interactions

Although considerable attention has been given to interactions between events serving as the positive (S+) and negative (S−) stimuli in successive discriminations, there has been little study of similar interactions in simultaneous discriminations. We propose that in a simultaneous discrimination, given what is typically relatively little experience with the consequences of responding to the S−, some of the value of the S+ transfers to the S− with which it was paired. Furthermore, the mechanisms responsible for this transfer of value appear to be the higher order Pavlovian association between the S− and the S+, as well as within-event associations between them. Although in typical simultaneous discriminations, negative value does not appear to transfer from the S− to the S+, when adequate experience is provided with the S−, contrast typically develops, reducing the value of the S− (negative contrast) and enhancing the value of the S+ (positive contrast). This model of stimulus interactions has implications not only for simple simultaneous discrimination learning, but also for research using combinations of discriminations (e.g., transitive inference in animals and humans). This model may also have implications for a number of human social psychological phenomena.
The relationship of uranium isotopes to oxidation/reduction in the Edwards carbonate aquifer of Texas

Abstract The concentration of dissolved uranium and 234 U/ 238 U alpha activity ratio (“A.R.”) were determined in water samples from 23 locations in the Edwards carbonate aquifer of south central Texas by isotope dilution methods and alpha spectrometry. This aquifer consists of two parts, an updip oxidized portion and a downdip reduced portion. At some places the boundary is associated with faulting and at others it is not. The boundary between the two portions of the aquifer can be located by an abrupt change in chemical properties of the water such as a large increase in concentration of Cl − , SO 4 2− and total dissolved solids, the presence of H 2 S and a decrease in Eh in moving from updip to downdip. Compared with the oxidized samples, the uranium concentration is much lower and the A.R. higher in the reduced samples so that the uranium from each portion falls in a distinct field. The oxidized aquifer samples show very little variation in the measured uranium parameters even though, in some cases, there is evidence that the water has flowed through some tens of kilometers of aquifer. Samples collected near the boundary at those places not associated with faulting yield dissolved uranium values which fall in neither field and which, for the most part, cannot result from mixing of the oxidized and reduced waters. These samples probably result from changes in location of the oxidation-reduction boundary.
An alternate proof for the equation of motion for constrained mechanical systems

The newly developed equation of motion for constrained mechanical systems are derived using D'Alembert's principle.
Resonance enhancement of electron-projectile excitation in collisions of O5+ ions with H2 targets.

The electron-impact excitation cross section for the 1{ital s}{sup 2} 2{ital s}({sup 2}{ital S}){r_arrow}1{ital s}2{ital s}2{ital p}({sup 4}{ital P}) transition in O{sup 5} has been calculated using the {ital R}-matrix method. Resonance contributions are found to increase the background cross section by factors of 2--5 in the 550--700-eV energy region when convoluted with a 1-eV full-width-at-half-maximum Gaussian profile. When convoluted with the Compton profile for H{sub 2}, however, the difference between the background and resonance enhanced cross sections is less than 5% near the peak. Thus, experiments involving collisions of O{sup 5+} ions with H{sub 2} targets shed little light on the resonance scattering dynamics found in the near-threshold energy region.
A comparison of life‐history and parental care in temperate and tropical wrens

Comparing closely related species that live in different environments is a powerful way to understand selective pressures that influence life-history evolution. We examined a suite of life-history traits and parental care in neotropical buff-breasted wrens Cantorchilus leucotis and north-temperate Carolina wrens Thryothorus ludovicianus (Family Troglodytidae), to test hypotheses about life-history evolution. As expected, buff-breasted wrens exhibited smaller clutch sizes and higher annual adult survival than Carolina wrens. We found minimal support for the nest predation hypothesis, as nest survival and age-corrected provisioning rates to whole broods were similar between species, and number of breeding attempts and breeding season length were greater in temperate wrens. Critical predictions of the food limitation hypothesis were not supported; in particular age-corrected provisioning rates per nestling were higher in the tropical than temperate species. The adult survival and offspring quality hypothesis garnered the most support, as buff-breasted wrens exhibited greater age-corrected provisioning rates per nestling, a longer nestling period, longer re-nesting intervals following nest success, and lower annual fecundity than Carolina wrens. Despite similarly prolonged breeding seasons, reproductive strategies differ between species with buff-breasted wrens investing considerably in single broods to optimize first-year survival and Carolina wrens investing in multiple small broods to optimize annual fecundity.
Gas-burner design as a factor in the performance of rotary kilns

An investigation of the thermal performance of a rotary kiln 4.5 m in diameter and 170 m in length used for firing raw magnesite showed that the principal performance indices of the kiln varied with the type of burner (“tube” type, GRTs, and GDG-1).
EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT TERMINAL SOUNDS ON SHORT-TERM MEMORY FOR INITIAL CONSONANT SOUNDS.

IF more items are presented than are to be recalled, the additional items produce a large amount of ‘stimulus interference’ in the recall of the remaining items1. This is true under conditions where subjects have complete knowledge of the items that are not to be recalled, this knowledge being possessed by the subjects before, during, and after presentation of the list. Even though subjects know which items to ignore, they cannot ignore them completely, and therefore the extra presented items interfere with the memory trace for the items to be recalled.
Treatment of Type I Spinal Muscular Atrophy With Noninvasive Ventilation and Gastrostomy Feeding

Type I spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rapidly progressive, degenerative neuromuscular disease of infancy. In severe SMA, weakness, hypotonia, and bulbar involvement lead to progressive respiratory insufficiency and swallowing dysfunction, which are frequently complicated by aspirations. There are few studies reported in the literature that address the respiratory management of type I SMA. This article reports the results of treating four patients with infantile SMA with noninvasive positive pressure ventilation and gastrostomy feeding. All patients had gastroesophageal reflux disease, which was managed medically. Despite these therapies, survival was only 1 to 3.5 months after presenting with severe aspirations. The treatment strategy, which can be effective in less rapidly progressive neuromuscular diseases, did not alter the very poor prognosis of type I SMA. The treatment options are reviewed, and a strategy designed to optimize quality of life for infants with this fatal disease is presented.
Interrelationships between parasites and their hosts—I. Comparative metabolic patterns of thermal acclimation of larval trematodes with that of their host

Abstract 1. 1. Patterns of metabolic adaptation in thermal acclimation have been determined for the common mud-flat snail, Nassarius obsoleta , and two species of larval trematodes, Zoogonus rubellus and Himasthla quissetensis . Both of these species of larval trematodes utilize N. obsoleta as the first intermediate host. 2. 2. Although the host and its parasites are subject to the same general thermal environment, all three species exhibit distinctively different patterns of acclimation. 3. 3. It would appear that the thermal environment of the intermediate host has little or no influence on the physiology of thermal acclimation in the trematode larvae.
Folic Acid Protected Silver Nanocarriers for Targeted Drug Delivery

A one-step approach towards the synthesis of folic acid (FA) coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and doxorubicin (DOX) for drug delivery is proposed. The FA-AgNPs were 23 +/- 2 nm in diameter and showed good monodispersity with a characteristic surface plasmon peak at 409 nm. Taking advantage of the enhanced Raman signal of FA on AgNPs and targeting specificity of FA to folate-receptor expressing cancer cells, the as-prepared FA-AgNPs showed excellent receptor-mediated cellular uptake, as demonstrated both by surface enhanced raman scattering (SERS) imaging and fluorescent lifetime imaging (FLIM). Next, a chemotherapeutic drug, DOX was attached to the FA-AgNPs surface through electrostatic bonding and the release of DOX from FA-AgNPs was monitored by FLIM. The release of DOX into the cytoplasm after 4 hours of incubation was clearly seen by FLIM. After 8 hours, the cells underwent cell death due to the release of DOX from nanoparticles. However, in control cell lines with low-expression levels of the FA receptor, no scattering signal from AgNPs could be observed from within the cells even after an incubation period of 24 hours. Our study shows that nanocarriers can be designed with various chemistries to study targeting and release of disease-specific drugs.
The effect of endogenous L-phenyllactate on oxalate, glycolate, and glyoxylate excretion by phenylketonuric subjects.

Approximately 70% of all urinary tract stones contain oxalate. Endogenous oxalate synthesis is an important source of urinary oxalate which, in theory, should be reduced by inhibiting a key enzyme in oxalate formation. Glycolic acid oxidase is such an enzyme which can be inhibited in rats by feeding them dl-phenyllactate. Since patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) produce abnormally large amounts of l-phenyllactate, it would be expected, under this hypothesis, that endogenous oxalate synthesis would be inhibited in these patients; however, their urine was found to contain elevated levels of both oxalate and the oxalate precursors, glycolate and glyoxylate. The elevated level of oxalate was probably formed from the aromatic α-ketoacids, which are known to be elevated in PKU patients and are also known to be a source of oxalate. The elevated oxalate precursors are a result of the inhibition of glycolic acid oxidase. The theory that inhibition of glycolic acid oxidase would reduce oxalate biosynthesis is supported by two findings: (1) a significant (p < 0.05) negative correlation of l-phenyllactate and oxalate and (2) a significant (p < 0.05) positive correlation of l-phenyllactate and glycolate. Consequently, it was concluded that l-phenyllactate inhibits oxalate synthesis in PKU subjects despite the increased formation of oxalate from aromatic α-ketoacids. Phenyllactate should, therefore, be useful in reducing the oxalate level in patients with idiopathic recurrent kidney stones, ethylene glycol intoxication, and primary hyperoxaluria, if the required therapeutic dosage does not prove to be too large.
New tantala-based solid oxide electrolytes

Abstract α-Ta 2 O 5 , stabilized with Sc 2 O 3 , MgO or other additives has been discovered to be an ionic conductor (comparable to stabilized zirconia) with an electrolytic domain extending over a substantial range of temperature and P O 2 . Complex impedance measurements, performed as a function of temperature, P O 2 and composition have enabled us to separate and characterize both the crystal lattice and grain boundary transport properties. Ionic transport through the lattice is characterized by an activation energy of ∼ 1 eV whereas the grain boundary resistivity shows an activation energy of nearly 2 eV. Defect modeling is used to analyze our experimental results and to derive the energetics of defect formation and migration.
End-Point Estimation for Decreasing Densities: Asymptotic Behaviour of the Penalized Likelihood Ratio

. We consider the problem of estimating the modal value of a decreasing density on the positive real line. This has application in several interesting phenomena arising, for example, in renewal theory, and in biased and distance samplings. We use a penalized likelihood ratio-based approach for inference and derive the scale-free universal large sample null distribution of the log-likelihood ratio, using a suitably chosen penalty parameter. We present simulation results and a real data analysis to corroborate our findings, and compare the performance of the confidence sets with the existing results.
Albumin Máku: a New Variant of Human Serum Albumin

AT least six different electrophoretic variants of human serum albumin have been found in man; three migrate more rapidly than normal and three less rapidly1,2. One of these, a rapidly migrating variant, occurs at a frequency of 5–30 per cent in several tribes of North American Indians3. As one aspect of a multidisciplinary study of the Yanomama Indians of southern Venezuela and adjacent parts of Brazil4, sera from 1,111 individuals residing in twenty-five villages were examined for albumin type. Although no example of the rapidly migrating variant which is common in North American Indians was observed, we did note, when testing 75 of 108 persons residing at the village of Borabuk (2° 45′ N. and 62° 05′ W.), four individuals who possess a variant which also migrates more rapidly towards the anode in starch gel electrophoresis than does normal albumin.
Sexual orientation, health risk factors, and physical functioning in the Nurses' Health Study II.

Objectives: To examine associations between sexual orientation and breast cancer risk factors, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, mental health status, and health-related functioning. Methods: We compared participants in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII) reporting a lesbian or bisexual orientation with those reporting a heterosexual orientation, with heterosexuals serving as the reference group for all comparisons. Prevalence of health behaviors and conditions was adjusted for differences in the distribution of age, ancestry, and region of residence by standardizing to the distribution of the overall cohort. Multivariate prevalence ratios were calculated to compare lesbians and bisexuals with heterosexuals using binomial regression with the log link function. Means of health conditions were measured using continuous scales standardized to the distribution of the overall cohort. Differences in means comparing lesbians and bisexuals with heterosexuals were tested by multivariate linear regression....
Diagnosis and management of lymphoma.

Abstract The 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology was held in Atlanta, GA, June 2–6, 2006. Some of the presentations pertaining to the diagnosis and management of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are summarized in this review. Principal issues in indolent lymphoma included the role of maintenance therapy, novel agents such as bendamustine and pixantrone, and updates of predictive factors. Studies in aggressive lymphomas included standard regimens, such as rituximab-based chemotherapy and radioimmunotherapy, as well as novel salvage regimens. Advances in the management of mantle cell lymphoma with radioimmunotherapy, hyper-CVAD (cyclophosphamide/vincristine/doxorubicin/dexamethasone) and emerging agents, such as bortezomib and temsirolimus, were presented.
The Utility of Within-Subjects Variables: Estimates of Strength:

Procedures to estimate the magnitude of a treatment effect are examined for analysis of variance designs which have repeated-measures. It is shown that the estimate of the magnitude of an effect logically follows from the expected mean squares associated with the design in question. In particular, it is argued that the estimate of utility (strength of effect) for a within-subjects variable should be adjusted to reflect the underlying ANOVA model; viz., the inter-subject variability should be removed from the utility estimate.
Quantitation of flaviviruses by fluorescent focus assay

An indirect immunofluorescence assay for quantitation of flaviviruses was developed as an alternative to the standard plaque assay. The assay was validated with West Nile virus (WNV), St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), and Dengue virus (DENV) types 1-4. Vero cells were plated in 8-well chamber slides, and infected with 10-fold serial dilutions of virus. About 1-3 days after infection, cells were fixed, incubated with specific monoclonal antibody, and stained with a secondary antibody labeled with a fluorescent tag. Fluorescent foci of infection were observed and counted using a fluorescence microscope, and viral titers were calculated as fluorescent focus units (FFU) per ml. The optimal time for performing the fluorescent focus assay (FFA) on Vero cells was 24 h for WNV, and 48 h for SLEV and the four DENV serotypes. In contrast, the time required to complete a standard Vero cell plaque assay for these viruses range from 3 days for WNV to 11 days for DENV-1. Thus, the FFA method of virus titration is useful for viruses whose plaques develop slowly. In addition, these viruses can be quantitated by FFA on a mosquito cell line (C6/36), which does not support plaque formation. The FFA for flaviviruses was validated for accuracy, precision, specificity, and robustness of the assay.
With the Boys: Little League Baseball and Preadolescent Culture

What are boys like? Who is the creature inhabiting the twilight zone between the perils of the Oedipus complex and the Strum und Drang of puberty? In With the Boys, Gary Alan Fine examines the American male preadolescent by studying the world of Little League baseball. Drawings on three years of firsthand observation of five Little Leagues, Fine describes how, through organized sport and its accompanying activities, boys learn to play, work, and generally be "men."
Beyond macrophages: the diversity of mononuclear cells in tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB), is an intracellular pathogen of mononuclear phagocytes. Although M. tuberculosis has traditionally been thought to survive and replicate in macrophages, recent work in our laboratory and others has revealed that M. tuberculosis infects multiple subsets of mononuclear phagocytes in vivo and in vitro. In experimental animals, M. tuberculosis infects no fewer than five distinct cell subsets in the lungs, including resident alveolar macrophages and 4 types of cells that recruited to the lungs in response to inflammatory signals: neutrophils, monocytes, interstitial macrophages, and dendritic cells. A characteristic of the adaptive immune response in TB is that it is delayed for several weeks following infection, and we have determined that this delay is due to prolonged residence of the bacteria in lung phagocytes prior to acquisition of the bacteria by dendritic cells. Among the mechanisms used by M. tuberculosis to delay acquisition by dendritic cells is to inhibit apoptosis of alveolar macrophages and neutrophils, which sequester the bacteria and prevent their acquisition by dendritic cells in the early stages of infection. We hypothesize that each infected cell subset makes a distinct contribution to the overall biology of M. tuberculosis and allows the bacteria to evade elimination by T-cell responses and to avoid rapid killing by antimycobacterial drugs.
Lymphokine mRNA expression in the spinal cords of Lewis rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis is associated with a host recruited CD45R hi/CD4+ population during recovery.

Abstract To evaluate CD4 + T cell subpopulations involved in the induction and recovery from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the CD45R phenotype and lymphokine mRNA profile was evaluated for encephalitogenic CD4 + T cell lines in vitro and compared to CD4 ∗ T cells islated from the spinal cord of Lewis rats with EAE were > 90% of the myelin basic protein (MBP)-specific T cell lines and clones that adoptively transferred EAE were > 90% CD4 + and > 90% CD45R lo. A time course of EAE disease progression was monitored as a function of the percentage of CD45R hi/CD4 + T cells isolated from the spinal cords of diseased animals. The majority of CD4 + T cells found in the central nervous system during the early phase of passive EAE were CD45R lo (the same as the encephalitogenic lines/clones). A large increase of the CD45R hi/CD4 + T cells (up to 45%) was observed during the peak and recovery phases of EAE. Lymphokine mRNA production was analyzed from antigen-stimulated MBP-specific lines, and from spinal cord lymphocytes isolated from rats with EAE. The BP-specific lines produced Th1 lymphokines (IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α), while the spinal cord lymphocytes produced the same Th1 lymphokines as well as IL-4 and IL-10. The CD45R hi/CD4 + T cells isolated from the spinal cords were larger and expressed more lymphokine RNA per cell than the CD45R lo/CD4 + T cells. The encephalitogenic cells (CD45R hi/CD4 + T detected in the spinal cords of rats with a fluorescent dye and by allelic transfers and all of the CD45R hi/CD4 + lymphocytes found in the spinal cells were found to be host recruited. Thus it appears that the CD45R hi/CD4 + lymphocytes found in the spinal cord represent a host-recruited, activated cellular infiltrate that increased in number in the recovery phase of EAE and synthesized both Th1 and Th2 lymphokines.
Role of the Microbiota in Immunity and Inflammation

The microbiota plays a fundamental role on the induction, training, and function of the host immune system. In return, the immune system has largely evolved as a means to maintain the symbiotic relationship of the host with these highly diverse and evolving microbes. When operating optimally, this immune system-microbiota alliance allows the induction of protective responses to pathogens and the maintenance of regulatory pathways involved in the maintenance of tolerance to innocuous antigens. However, in high-income countries, overuse of antibiotics, changes in diet, and elimination of constitutive partners, such as nematodes, may have selected for a microbiota that lack the resilience and diversity required to establish balanced immune responses. This phenomenon is proposed to account for some of the dramatic rise in autoimmune and inflammatory disorders in parts of the world where our symbiotic relationship with the microbiota has been the most affected.
Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide-Co-Methacrylic Acid) Micro/Nanoparticles: Formulation, Size Distribution and Use for Cu++ Adsorption

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-methacrylic Acid (PNIPAAm-MAA) micro/nano-particles were formulated. The effect of monomer ratio, surfactant, and crosslinker contents on size/size distribution, phase transition behavior, and Cu2+ adsorption efficiency of the particles was investigated. The ionized MAA groups brought both temperature and pH sensitiveness to the PNIPAAm-MAA copolymer particles. As monomer ratio and crosslinker content increased and the amount of surfactants decreased, the particle size increased. The influence of the crosslinker content on particle size was less significant compared to the effect of monomer ratio and surfactants. When temperature increased, the particles tended to shrink and reduced their size to near or below 100nm. The Weibull distribution was successfully used to describe the diameter distribution of the nano-particles, whereas the lognormal was deemed not adequate for that purpose. The method of moments was used to predict parameters of the Weibull distribution. The Weibull parameters were recovered from diameter mean and variance, both of which were predicted from temperature. The distributions predicted from various temperatures for MAA/NIPAAm ratios of 0.05 and 0.10 showed trends similar to those in the data. Studies on chelation efficiency of the particles with Cu2+ ions showed that the amount of the Cu2+ ions adsorbed varied with temperature. Particle size played a very important role in the adsorption and nanoparticles greatly improved adsorption efficiency, compared with their micro hydrogel counterparts. The amount of adsorption increased with increase of MAA ratio in copolymers, but adsorption efficiency decreased with increased particle size. The high adsorption efficiency of metal ions by PNIPAAm-MAA polymer particles provides an effective technique for recovering metal ions (e.g., Cu2+ ) from wood treated with metal based preservatives.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Oropharyngeal tularemia in a patient presenting with an infected branchial cleft anomaly

Abstract We present a case of oropharyngeal tularemia manifesting as a neck mass and pharyngitis in a 7-year old female. The patient presented with pharyngitis, fatigue, and high fevers. Physical exam demonstrated 4+ exudative tonsils and a large right neck mass concerning for an infected branchial cleft anomaly. A review of the literature is discussed, and the manifestations of tularemia in the head and neck are reviewed. The clinical features of this case are most consistent with a superinfected second branchial cleft cyst, rather than an infected lymph node as has been reported in past cases of oropharyngeal tularemia.