cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Defect processes induced by electronic excitation at halide crystal surfaces

Abstract Atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides a new topographic view of radiation effects near surfaces, complementing earlier electron microscopy as well as desorption and spectroscopic studies. Potassium iodide crystal surfaces have been imaged by AFM while undergoing exposure to ultraviolet light in the exciton absorption spectrum. Pronounced erosion and modification of the surface by ultraviolet radiation has been observed with resolution down to ∼ 50 nm. Prospects for extending such measurements to atomic resolution are considered. In related studies of KI under illumination in the exciton region, photoelectron spectra reveal photoinduced gap states which appear attributable to F centers and alkali clusters. In both of these studies, fourth harmonic radiation from a Ti:sapphire mode-locked laser has proven especially useful because of its tuneability through the strongly absorbing exciton region of alkali iodides, producing near-surface excitation densities comparable to electron beams.
Arabic versus Greek Astronomy: A Debate over the Foundations of Science

This short note is occasioned by the publication of a review essay by A. I. Sabra in this journal, under the title “Conaguring the Universe: Aporetic, Problem Solving, and Kinematic Modeling as Themes of Arabic Astronomy.” Sabra’s review itself was in turn occasioned by the recent publication of four books (all in the 1990s), two of which were written as dissertations by Sabra’s own students and under his own supervision, and the last two were written by the present author. As a review essay, Sabra’s assessment of the books under consideration is rather fair, and as far as his assessment of the present writer’s books is decidedly oattering, and, for all practical purposes, engaging enough to invite the reader to examine those books. Had Sabra’s essay review been only a review, however, it would not have been necessary to bring it once more to the attention of the readers of Perspectives on Science, except maybe to make a corrective statement or two whenever the essay strayed into error. But it proclaims to do more than that. In 52 densely printed pages, it attempts to determine the purpose and character of a whole tradition of astronomical writings that occupied a major place in Islamic civilization for slightly more than a millennium, from the ninth to the twentieth century, a Herculean task in itself. The tradition in question was the one commonly known as the hay’a tradition, whose very name is still problematic since no one has ever been able to demonstrate that the term hay’a had any Greek antecedents. Its beginnings though can be incontestably dated back to the middle of the ninth century if not before, as is evident from the work Kitab al-hay’a (Book on Astronomy) by Qusta. b. Luqa (o. 860), who was not mentioned in Sabra’s essay. Its purpose, as I shall argue below, seems to have been an attempt to set new foundations for the science of astronomy, thus giving
Mechanism of synthesis of d-glucans by d-glucosyltransferases from Streptococcus mutans 6715☆

Abstract Two glucosyltransferases from Streptococcus mutans 6715 were purified and separated. One of the glucosyltransferases synthesized an insoluble glucan, and the other, a soluble glucan. The enzymes were immobilized on Bio-Gel P-2 beads, and the mechanism of glucan synthesis was studied by pulse and chase techniques with 14 C-sucrose. Label was associated with the immobilized enzymes. The label could be quantitatively released by heating at pH 2. Analysis of the labeled products from the pulse experiment showed labeled glucose and labeled glucan; the chase experiment showed labeled glucan and a significant decrease in labeled glucose. The glucans from the pulse and the chase experiments were separated from glucose by chromatography on Bio-Gel P-6. They were reduced with sodium borohydride, and the products hydrolyzed with acid. Analysis of the labeled products from the reduced and hydrolyzed, pulsed glucans showed labeled glucose and labeled glucitol; label in the glucitol was greatly decreased in the chase experiment. These experiments showed that glucose and glucan were covalently attached to the active site of the enzymes during synthesis, and that the glucose was being transferred to the reducing end of the glucan chain. A mechanism for the synthesis of the glucans is proposed in which there are two catalytic groups on each enzyme that holds glucosyl and glucanosyl units. During synthesis, the glucosyl and glucanosyl units alternate between the two sites, giving elongation of the glucans from the reducing end. The addition of increasing amounts of B-512F dextran to the insoluble-glucan-forming glucosyltransferase produced a decrease in the proportion of insoluble glucan formed and a concomitant increase in a soluble glucan. The total amount of glucan synthesized (soluble plus insoluble) was increased 1.6 times over the amount of insoluble glucan formed when no exogenous dextran was added. It is shown that the addition of B-512F dextran affects the solubility of the synthesized α-(1→3)-glucan by accepting α-(1→3)-glucan chains at various positions along the dextran chain, to give a soluble, graft polymer.
Chaos and stochasticity in space plasmas

This special issue of Geophysical Research Letters presents a collection of papers dealing with stochasticity and nonlinear dynamics in space physics. Its 20 papers represent contributions from a large number of research groups and cover a wide range of topics in space plasma research. Despite this diversity and the use of many different methodologies, the papers have as a common theme the recognition that apparent randomness in space plasma systemssometimes has an underlying order which is describable by ordinary nonlinear coupled differential equations.
High-Pressure Enhanced Infusion: Influence of Process Parameters

High-pressure processing (HPP) has been shown to enhance infusion of small-size molecules into foods primarily because of cell membrane rupture. The enhanced infusion has been previously explained using increased effective diffusivity, which does not elucidate the actual mass transport mechanisms. This study evaluates and explains the role of transport processes and the influence of process parameters on enhanced infusion of antioxidants by HPP. Frozen-thawed cranberries were infused with quercetin. A greater amount of quercetin (three times) was infused faster (18 times) in cranberries after HPP (100 MPa–551 MPa at 22C) compared with those infused at ambient conditions. While freeze-thawing process ruptured cell membranes in cranberries, measured as cell permeability, there was no additional cell rupture after HPP. A similar degree of measured cell permeability before (0.48 ± 0.01) and after HPP (0.48 ± 0.04), and observed enhanced infusion under high-pressure suggest that cell membrane permeabilization may not be the only cause for high–pressure-assisted infusion. Practical Applications Conventional diffusion-based mass transport methods currently used in the food industry are slow processes. In order to accelerate the process, this research investigates (1) the potential of high-pressure processing (HPP) to enhance and accelerate infusion in cranberries and (2) the mechanisms operative during high–pressure-assisted infusion. The present study was focused on understanding influence of process variables on extent of infusion and cell permeability. HPP significantly enhanced and accelerated infusion of quercetin in cranberries. Additionally, the commonly accepted explanation of cell permeabilization being the only cause for enhanced infusion under high pressure was not found to be operative in the current system of study. The success of this research can highlight the potential of HPP as an alternative technology that will be useful to the food industry to develop a broad class of nutrient infused food products.
Islet1 Derivatives in the Heart Are of Both Neural Crest and Second Heart Field Origin

Rationale: Islet1 ( Isl1 ) has been proposed as a marker of cardiac progenitor cells derived from the second heart field and is utilized to identify and purify cardiac progenitors from murine and human specimens for ex vivo expansion. The use of Isl1 as a specific second heart field marker is dependent on its exclusion from other cardiac lineages such as neural crest. Objective: Determine whether Isl1 is expressed by cardiac neural crest. Methods and Results: We used an intersectional fate-mapping system using the RC ::FrePe allele, which reports dual Flpe and Cre recombination. Combining Isl1 Cre /+ , a SHF driver, and Wnt1 ::Flpe, a neural crest driver, with Rc ::FrePe reveals that some Isl1 derivatives in the cardiac outflow tract derive from Wnt1 -expressing neural crest progenitors. In contrast, no overlap was observed between Wnt1 -derived neural crest and an alternative second heart field driver, Mef2c-AHF-Cre . Conclusions: Isl1 is not restricted to second heart field progenitors in the developing heart but also labels cardiac neural crest. The intersection of Isl1 and Wnt1 lineages within the heart provides a caveat to using Isl1 as an exclusive second heart field cardiac progenitor marker and suggests that some Isl1 -expressing progenitor cells derived from embryos, embryonic stem cultures, or induced pluripotent stem cultures may be of neural crest lineage.
Licensed NK-mediated response to murine cytomegalovirus specifically upregulates dendritic cell co-stimulatory ligands required in T cell priming (VIR1P.963)

Ly49G2+ (G2+) NK cells mediate murine (M)CMV resistance in mice with the self-MHC Dk ligand expressed. A prior study showed that G2+ NK-mediated MCMV resistance resulted in increased numbers of conventional dendritic cells (cDC) and virus-specific CD8 T cells after infection, independent of CD4 T cells. However, the molecular basis underlying licensed NK-mediated enhancement of T-cell immunity is unknown. Here we examined the role of co-stimulatory ligands expressed in splenic cDC after MCMV infection. An increase in the intracellular expression of both CD86 and CD70 was observed by 72-hr, first in the CD8α+ DC and then in the CD11b+ DC. To test functionality, we used CD86 and CD70 mAbs to block co-stimulation before infection. CD86-block had no effect on CD8 T cells. In contrast, CD70-block impaired both the frequency and the numbers of MCMV-specific CD8 T cells without perturbing cDC numbers, cDC maturation, or G2+ NK-mediated viral control. We next examined the importance of CD70-CD27 signaling in CD27-/- mice with the self-ligand Dk expressed. We observed similar deficits in Ag-specific CD8 T cells, despite having intact G2+ NK-mediated MCMV control. Moreover, CD8 T cells in both CD70-blocked and CD27-/- infected mice responded to MCMV peptide re-stimulation with less degranulation and cytokine production. We infer that a licensed G2+ NK-mediated response to MCMV upregulates co-stimulatory molecule expression in cDC that is needed to efficiently prime CD8 T cells.
Antibodies against invertebrate actin: Their phylogenetic cross‐reactivity

Invertebrate muscle actin was extracted from penaeid shrimp tail muscle and purified by self-assembly polymerization. Further purification for use as an antigen was accomplished by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Antibodies to highly purified shrimp tail muscle actin were produced in rabbits and were collected as an ammonium sulfate gamma globulin fraction from sera. These antibodies, which cross react with native actin, SDS denatured actin, and formalin fixed actin were successfully used to immunofluorescently label actin in cells. Actin in muscle and non-muscle cell types from species of five invertebrate phyla and numerous species of vertebrates were labeled with no apparent difference in antibody specificity or sensitivity. These results suggest that the immune identity of the actin molecule is conserved over the span of the phylogenetic tree.
Microbial communities and chemosynthesis in yellowstone lake sublacustrine hydrothermal vent waters.

Abstract. Five sublacustrine hydrothermal vent locations from 1-109 m water depth in Yellowstone Lake were surveyed by ribosomal RNA sequencing in relation to their chemical composition and dark CO2 fixation rates. They harbor distinct chemosynthetic bacterial communities, depending on temperature (16 - 110oC) and electron donor supply (H2S 100µM; NH3 10µM). Members of the Aquificales, most closely affiliated with the genus Sulfurihydrogenibium, are the most frequently recovered bacterial 16S rRNA gene phylotypes in the hottest samples; the detection of these thermophilic sulfur-oxidizing autotrophs coincided with maximal dark CO2 fixation rates reaching near 9 µM C h-1 at temperatures of 50 to 60°C. Vents at lower temperatures yielded mostly phylotypes related to the mesophilic gammaproteobacterial sulfur oxidizer Thiovirga. In contrast, cool vent water with low chemosynthetic activity yielded predominantly phylotypes related to freshwater Actinobacterial clusters with a cosmopolitan distribution.
In Vitro Quantification of Guidewire Flow-Obstruction Effect in Model Coronary Stenoses for Interventional Diagnostic Procedure

The objective is to quantify the guidewire (diameter of 0.35 mm) flow-obstruction effect in the in vitro model coronary stenoses in relation to trans-stenotic pressure drop, p, fractional flow reserve (gFFR; “g” represents FFR measurement with guidewire insertion) and coronary flow reserve (gCFR) for steady and pulsatile physiological flows. The sensor tipped pressure or flow measuring guidewire insertion through stenotic lumen increases the trans-stenotic pressure drop or reduces the pharmacologically induced hyperemic flow in the coronary arteries with plaques. These hemodynamic changes may cause error in true FFR and CFR measurements, especially for intermediate coronary stenosis. To quantify guidewire flow-obstruction effect, simultaneous measurements of trans-stenotic pressures and flow were performed by two methods: (a) guidewire based measurements (gCFR and gFFR by inserting sensor tipped guidewire) and (b) true physiological measurements (CFR by in-line Doppler flow cuff and FFR by the radially drilled pressure ports in three epicardial coronary stenotic test sections, postangioplasty, intermediate, and preangioplasty). The diagnostic parameters measured before guidewire insertion (CFR and FFR) and during guidewire insertion (gCFR and gFFR) were validated numerically and correlated with the new diagnostic parameter “lesion flow coefficient (LFC).” There was significant flow reduction with increased trans-stenotic pressure drop due to guidewire insertion. The FFR-gFFR and CFR-gCFR correlations were FFR=0.92gFFR+0.097 R 2 =0.99 and CFR=0.91gCFR+0.44 R 2 =0.99, respectively, where gCFR is reported from clinical pressure-flow data. Similar highly regressed R 2 0.9 correlations were obtained for LFC and gLFC with flow ratios and pressure ratios. There was significant difference between steady and pulsatile pressure drops for the same mean flow with and without guidewire insertion. The trans-stenotic hemodynamics was altered due to guidewire insertion. The true FFR and CFR were underestimated because of guidewire insertion. Hence, the FFR-gFFR and CFR-gCFR correlations can be used to find out true FFR and CFR from clinically measured values (i.e., gFFR and gCFR). In addition, the gLFC-gCFR and gLFC-gFFR were correlated significantly for post- and preangioplasty conditions. DOI: 10.1115/1.2776336
Regulation of expression of the vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter gene AtNHX1 by salt stress and abscisic acid

The Arabidopsis thalianaAtNHX1 gene encodes a vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter that is important in salt tolerance. We report here the tissue distribution and regulation of AtNHX1 expression by salt stress and abscisic acid (ABA). The steady-state level of AtNHX1 transcript was up-regulated by treatment with NaCl, KCl or ABA. AtNHX1 promoter-GUS analysis in transgenic Arabidopsis showed that AtNHX1 was expressed in all tissues except the root tip. Strong GUS expression was detected in guard cells, suggesting that AtNHX1 may play a role in pH regulation and/or K+ homeostasis in the specialized cells. AtNHX1 promoter activity was substantially up-regulated by NaCl, KCl or ABA, demonstrating that salt and ABA regulation of AtNHX1 expression occurs at the transcriptional level. Strong induction of GUS activity in root hair cells was observed, which suggests a role of AtNHX1 in storing Na+ in the enlarged vacuoles in root hair cells. The up-regulation of AtNHX1 transcript levels by NaCl was reduced in abi1-1, aba2-1 and aba3-1, but not in abi2-1, sos1, sos2 or sos3 mutants. ABA-induced AtNHX1 expression was also decreased in abi1-1 but not in abi2-1. These results suggest that salt stress up-regulates AtNHX1 expression transcriptionally and the up-regulation is partially dependent on ABA biosynthesis and ABA signaling through ABI1.
Discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy commenced early during the course of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection, with or without adjunctive vaccination

Sixteen subjects were treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy within 120 days of the onset of symptoms of newly acquired human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Eleven of the 16 participated in an adjunctive therapeutic vaccine trial. After a mean of 3.2 years of treatment, they elected to discontinue therapy. Virus rebound occurred in all subjects and was followed by a spontaneous, transient although significant reduction in log plasma HIV-1 RNA level, ranging from 0.3 to 3.1 log(10) copies/mL. Despite evidence of the induction of HIV-1-specific cell-mediated immune responses, plasma viremia was not persistently suppressed to <500 copies/mL in any subject. The magnitude and dynamics of virus rebound were similar in both vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects. Nevertheless, given the transient suppression of viremia observed in nearly all subjects after treatment has been discontinued, further investigations of adjunctive vaccination with optimized antiretroviral therapy in treating HIV-1 infection are warranted.
Boric Acid Aversion in Adult House Flies, Musca domestica L.1

ABSTRACT Considered relatively safe, boric acid formulations are commonly used in urban pest management and occasionally as baits in swine and poultry production facilities. Using the house fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), as a model insect, we conducted bait-consumption assays with 0.5% and 1.5% boric acid in 0.5 M sugar solution fed to flies in no-choice tests. Flies consumed little or no bait containing boric acid, and only fed on the boric acid bait as a last resort. House flies consumed up to seven times more untreated control solution per fly than they consumed the boric acid solutions. Consumption of aqueous bait and resultant mortality was not significantly different between either of the boric acid concentrations. We conclude that house flies were averse to feeding on sucrose solutions of greater than 0.5% boric acid.
Transplantation of islets of langerhans in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

From 1974 to December, 1992, as reported by the International Islet Transplant Registry, there have been 175 adult islet allografts worldwide. Ninety-eight of these transplants have been performed since 1989. Eleven patients with Type I diabetes mellitus who have received islet allografts since 1989 have achieved insulin-independence for variable periods of time. As of June, 1993, four patients remain insulin-independent (from >127 to >326 days). Insulin-independence after human islet cell transplantation is not yet a consistent achievement. Several key issues in pancreas procurement, islet cell isolation, islet preservation, islet engraftment and the prevention of islet allograft rejection still need to be addressed. The expansion of current clinical trials should be limited to patients who are taking or who require immunosuppressive drugs for other reasons (kidney or liver transplant recipient) since the risks of chronic immunosuppression probably outweight the risks from chronic diabetes, although as w...
The Oligocene Lund Tuff, Great Basin, USA: a very large volume monotonous intermediate

Abstract Unusual monotonous intermediate ignimbrites consist of phenocryst-rich dacite that occurs as very large volume (>1000 km 3 ) deposits that lack systematic compositional zonation, comagmatic rhyolite precursors, and underlying plinian beds. They are distinct from countless, usually smaller volume, zoned rhyolite–dacite–andesite deposits that are conventionally believed to have erupted from magma chambers in which thermal and compositional gradients were established because of sidewall crystallization and associated convective fractionation. Despite their great volume, or because of it, monotonous intermediates have received little attention. Documentation of the stratigraphy, composition, and geologic setting of the Lund Tuff – one of four monotonous intermediate tuffs in the middle-Tertiary Great Basin ignimbrite province – provides insight into its unusual origin and, by implication, the origin of other similar monotonous intermediates. The Lund Tuff is a single cooling unit with normal magnetic polarity whose volume likely exceeded 3000 km 3 . It was emplaced 29.02±0.04 Ma in and around the coeval White Rock caldera which has an unextended north–south diameter of about 50 km. The tuff is monotonous in that its phenocryst assemblage is virtually uniform throughout the deposit: plagioclase>quartz≈hornblende>biotite>Fe–Ti oxides≈sanidine>titanite, zircon, and apatite. However, ratios of phenocrysts vary by as much as an order of magnitude in a manner consistent with progressive crystallization in the pre-eruption chamber. A significant range in whole-rock chemical composition (e.g., 63–71 wt% SiO 2 ) is poorly correlated with phenocryst abundance. These compositional attributes cannot have been caused wholly by winnowing of glass from phenocrysts during eruption, as has been suggested for the monotonous intermediate Fish Canyon Tuff. Pumice fragments are also crystal-rich, and chemically and mineralogically indistinguishable from bulk tuff. We postulate that convective mixing in a sill-like magma chamber precluded development of a zoned chamber with a rhyolitic top or of a zoned pyroclastic deposit. Chemical variations in the Lund Tuff are consistent with equilibrium crystallization of a parental dacitic magma followed by eruptive mixing of compositionally diverse crystals and high-silica rhyolite vitroclasts during evacuation and emplacement. This model contrasts with the more systematic withdrawal from a bottle-shaped chamber in which sidewall crystallization creates a marked vertical compositional gradient and a substantial volume of capping-evolved rhyolite magma. Eruption at exceptionally high discharge rates precluded development of an underlying plinian deposit. The generation of the monotonous intermediate Lund magma and others like it in the middle Tertiary of the western USA reflects an unusually high flux of mantle-derived mafic magma into unusually thick and warm crust above a subducting slab of oceanic lithosphere.
Marketing California—Arizona lemons without marketing order shipment controls

The California-Arizona lemon industry, after a long history of using fresh market shipment controls, operated during 1985-1986 without using the weekly prorate provisions of its federal marketing order. This article compares the level and variability of weekly shipments and prices for the, 1985-1986 crop year with the previous nine years when fresh market prorates were used every week. Fresh market shipments increased during most of 1985-1986 and prices were below the level expected. Weekly shipments and prices were more variable during the year without prorate than during most of the preceding nine years.
Physiology and posttranscriptional regulation of methanol: coenzyme M methyltransferase isozymes in Methanosarcina acetivorans C2A

Methanosarcina species possess three operons (mtaCB1, mtaCB2, and mtaCB3) encoding methanol-specific methyltransferase 1 (MT1) isozymes and two genes (mtaA1 and mtaA2) with the potential to encode a methanol-specific methyltransferase 2 (MT2). Previous genetic studies showed that these genes are differentially regulated and encode enzymes with distinct levels of methyltransferase activity. Here, the effects of promoter strength on growth and on the rate of methane production were examined by constructing strains in which the mtaCB promoters were exchanged. When expressed from the strong PmtaC1 or PmtaC2 promoter, each of the MtaC and MtaB proteins supported growth and methane production at wild-type levels. In contrast, all mtaCB operons exhibited poorer growth and lower rates of methane production when PmtaC3 controlled their expression. Thus, previously observed phenotypic differences can be attributed largely to differences in promoter activity. Strains carrying various combinations of mtaC, mtaB, and mtaA expressed from the strong, tetracycline-regulated PmcrB(tetO1) promoter exhibited similar growth characteristics on methanol, showing that all combinations of MtaC, MtaB, and MtaA can form functional MT1/MT2 complexes. However, an in vitro assay of coupled MT1/MT2 activity showed significant variation between the strains. Surprisingly, these variations in activity correlated with differences in protein abundance, despite the fact that all the encoding genes were expressed from the same promoter. Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and reporter gene fusion data suggest that the mtaCBA transcripts show different stabilities, which are strongly influenced by the growth substrate.
Paralytic shellfish poisoning surveillance in California using the Jellett Rapid PSP test

Abstract In a previous publication, we reported equivalent presence/absence results for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) detection using three in vitro assays and the mouse bioassay (MBA). In January of 2004, in response to the summary of actions from the 2003 Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concurred that the Jellett Rapid PSP test (JRPT) may be used for screening acidified shellfish tissues for the saxitoxins. A parallel study of the JRPT and the MBA was conducted from January 21 to April 13, 2004. Thereafter, the JRPT was implemented as a PSP screen for the remainder of 2004. A negative JRPT test represented a final result. When the JRPT was positive or indeterminate, the MBA was conducted. From January 21 to December 23, 2004 a total of 910 JRPT were completed; the testing yielded 478 negative, 147 positive, 259 false positive, 20 indeterminate and 6 invalid results. Animal usage was decreased and analyst time was conserved when a negative screen was obtained. The study confirmed the JRPT could be used for PSP surveillance in California on a year-round basis without a negative impact on public health.
The resurrection of the ethics forum in pain medicine: an introduction.

In 2000, Pain Medicine ventured into a pioneering area in the field, launching the Ethics Forum. The Forum was introduced in an article by Dr. Michel Dubois, entitled “Why an ‘Ethics' Forum in Pain Medicine ?”[1]. Pain Medicine was a new publication at the time, and the editorial board possessed the foresight to recognize that the field of pain medicine as a whole was struggling with ethical dilemmas that would not be simply solved by an editorial or other “opinion piece” telling the readership what constituted right and wrong. Medical ethics is an extremely complex field, with thought leaders dating back to antiquity recognizing the complexity of the dilemmas with which healers are faced. The original Ethics Forum in Pain Medicine remained a regular contribution to the journal for 5 years and was discontinued due to a waning interest in ethics in pain medicine at the time. Fortunately, however, the interest levels of pain practitioners in ethical issues has recently undergone a resurgence, with this renewed interest evidenced by increased numbers of ethics lectures at pain conferences and the positive reception by the Pain Medicine readership to the ongoing special series on the Transformation of the “Profession” of Pain Medicine to the “Business” of Pain Medicine [2]. Health …
Hyperbolic convexity and the analytic fixed point function

We answer a question raised by D. Mejia and Ch. Pommerenke by showing that the analytic fixed point function is hyperbolically convex in the unit disc.
Mental health care at the Providence VA Medical Center: providing integrated comprehensive mental health services.

Though mental health care has always been a core element of the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, in recent years mental health care has received greatly increased attention, support and resources from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). TheVHA’s 2004 Comprehensive Mental Health Strategic Plan (MHSP) included over 200 initiatives designed to enhance mental health care and integrate mental health care with other VHA healthcare services, particularly in Primary Care. The MHSP led to the funding of the VA’s Mental Health Enhancement Initiative, which allocated funds to create a number of new mental health services and the expansion of several others at PVAMC. The VHA Handbook, Uniform Mental Health Services in VA Medical Centers and Clinics, issued in June 2008 and updated in September 2008, establishes minimum clinical requirements for VHA mental health services and serves as a blueprint for the implementation of the MHSP at all VA Medical Centers. The Uniform Mental Health Services initiative seeks to create “a system providing ready access to comprehensive, evidence-based mental health care.” The handbook outlines those services that must be provided at each VA Medical Center (VAMC), as well as the general principles that must guide the delivery of all mental health care. These principles include: 1) mental health care is an essential component of overall health care: 2) mental health care must be integrated or coordinated with other health care, especially primary care; 3) care must be patient-centered, recovery-focused and strength-based and must emphasize the importance of engaging patients in decision-making, treatment planning and self-management; 4) clinicians must be culturally competent, including having an understanding of military and veterans’ culture; 5) care should be evidence-based and consistent with current research and practice guidelines; 6) family involvement in care and treatment decisions should be offered when desired by the veteran; and 7) program and services should be linked to programs and resources in the community to enhance the veteran’s access to these resources and to allow him or her to become a more engaged and supported member of community-based social networks. In this paper, we will provide several examples of these new services.
Molecular actions of pentobarbitone on sodium channels in lipid bilayers: role of channel structure

The molecular mechanisms by which anaesthetics interfere with neuronal function are controversial. We have examined the effects of pentobarbitone on muscle-derived (eel electroplax) sodium channels incorporated into planar bilayers under exactly the same experimental conditions that we used previously to study the anaesthetic modification of human brain channels. This technique allows examination of protein-mediated similarities and differences. Sodium channels from the electroplax (muscle-derived) of the electric eel were purified and reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers containing 4:1 phosphatidylethanolamine:phosphatidylcholine in the presence of batrachotoxin, a sodium channel activator. Pentobarbitone had similar voltage-independent blocking effects on sodium channels from eel electroplax and human brain, as demonstrated by similar dose-response curves (IC50=613 μmol litre−1). However, activation of sodium channels from eel electroplax, in contrast with human brain, was relatively insensitive to the concentration of pentobarbitone. The only significant effect was a -5.8-mV shift in the activation midpoint with pentobarbitone 680 μmvol litre−1. Therefore, differences in primary structures played no role in the observed voltage-independent block of channels by pentobarbitone, whereas subunits or other structural differences between sodium channels from eel electroplax and human brain must be responsible for the minimal effect of pentobarbitone on activation of muscle-derived sodium channels.
Children's school readiness in the ECLS-K: Predictions to academic, health, and social outcomes in first grade

Two studies examine patterns of school readiness in children at school entry and how these patterns predict first-grade outcomes in a nationally representative sample of first-time kindergartners from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten Class of 1998–1999 (N = 17,219). In Study 1, cluster analyses revealed four profiles at kindergarten entry: comprehensive positive development (30%), social/emotional and health strengths (34%), social/emotional risk (13%), and health risk (22.5% of the sample). Study 2 results suggested that children with one of the two “risk” profiles were more likely to be from families with multiple socioeconomic disadvantages. In addition, all four profiles differentially predicted academic and social adjustment in early elementary school. Children with a risk profile performed the worst on all outcomes; children with a comprehensive positive development profile performed the best. The authors discuss the need for early identification of children who may be at risk for entering school with few school readiness strengths.
Microtubule-dependent movement of late endocytic vesicles in vitro: requirements for Dynein and Kinesin.

Our previous studies demonstrated that fluorescent early endocytic vesicles prepared from rat liver after injection of Texas red asialoorosomucoid contain asialoglycoprotein and its receptor and mo...
The MLL3/MLL4 Branches of the COMPASS Family Function as Major Histone H3K4 Monomethylases at Enhancers

Histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) can be mono-, di-, and trimethylated by members of the COMPASS (complex of proteins associated with Set1) family from Saccharomyces cerevisiae to humans, and these modifications can be found at distinct regions of the genome. Monomethylation of histone H3K4 (H3K4me1) is relatively more enriched at metazoan enhancer regions compared to trimethylated histone H3K4 (H3K4me3), which is enriched at transcription start sites in all eukaryotes. Our recent studies of Drosophila melanogaster demonstrated that the Trithorax-related (Trr) branch of the COMPASS family regulates enhancer activity and is responsible for the implementation of H3K4me1 at these regions. There are six COMPASS family members in mammals, two of which, MLL3 (GeneID 58508) and MLL4 (GeneID 8085), are most closely related to Drosophila Trr. Here, we use chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq) of this class of COMPASS family members in both human HCT116 cells and mouse embryonic stem cells and find that MLL4 is preferentially found at enhancer regions. MLL3 and MLL4 are frequently mutated in cancer, and indeed, the widely used HCT116 cancer cell line contains inactivating mutations in the MLL3 gene. Using HCT116 cells in which MLL4 has also been knocked out, we demonstrate that MLL3 and MLL4 are major regulators of H3K4me1 in these cells, with the greatest loss of monomethylation at enhancer regions. Moreover, we find a redundant role between Mll3 (GeneID 231051) and Mll4 (GeneID 381022) in enhancer H3K4 monomethylation in mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells. These findings suggest that mammalian MLL3 and MLL4 function in the regulation of enhancer activity and that mutations of MLL3 and MLL4 that are found in cancers could exert their properties through malfunction of these Trr/MLL3/MLL4-specific (Trrific) enhancers.
Research note: are hotel property taxes fully passed on to hotel guests? Implications from recent research on property tax incidence.

Recent research on the excise tax effects of the property tax in small, multi-sector open economies suggests that the property tax may not be fully forward shifted to consumers, as previously believed. This paper adapts this analysis to examine whether local hotel property taxes in Hawaii are fully passed on to hotel guests as lawmakers had intended. The paper concludes that full forward shifting is unlikely. It argues that an excise/sales tax on hotel occupancy is preferable to the property tax as a tourist tax.
TRANSMISSION OF RANDOM WAVES THROUGH PILE BREAKWATERS

Several previous investigators have conducted experiments leading to expressions for predicting the transformation of waves passing through closely-spaced pile breakwaters. The present study extends those earlier experiments using monochromatic waves to the case of a spectrum of random waves. Records of incident waves and of waves after transmission through a model pile breakwater were compared to determine a coefficient of transmission. Results are presented for several cases of pile spacing and pile diameter. Good agreement is found between observed transmission coefficients and those predicted using the expression proposed by Hayashi et al. (1966).
Building with Compressed Earth Block within the Building Code

AbstractDespite the use of earthen materials in building construction for thousands of years, many engineering properties of earthen walls are not well understood, documented, or regulated. California and New Mexico have adopted building codes allowing earthen structures through prescriptive methods that rely on rules of thumb to limit heights and spans of construction. Furthermore, California restricts earthen structures to very limited areas on the basis of soil type. Overall, the prescriptive methods have led to uncertainty about reinforcing requirements. There is a belief among builders who use earthen materials that reinforcement is required only in areas of high earthquake hazard, implying that a geographic area is either seismic or not. In reality, all locations are prone to some seismicity. On the basis of the probability of seismic activity and soil conditions at each locale, every site has a risk that ranges from very low to very high probability of earthquake damage. Energy compliance and struc...
Development and Application of a Combined Imaging and Modeling Technique for Determining Biomechanical Response of Roller Coaster Passengers

Roller Coasters are one of the most popular amusement devices in use throughout the world. In their most basic form, roller coasters consist of a track system in which a car or train rolls under the force of gravity. The major design constraints of roller coasters are determined by the level of force and acceleration that the human body can safely withstand. These forces are commonly measured in multiples of the Earth’s gravitational acceleration, and are termed “G” forces.© 2002 ASME
Automatic Iterative Fitting of RBS Spectra from Multielement Samples

A computer code (BASF) has been constructed to perform automatic iterative fitting of smoothed Rutherford Backscattering Spectra using only the experimental spectrum and the parameter set defining the experiment. The code may be used to analyze anywhere from two to five elements. The code output consists of the total amount of each element present and a composition versus depth profile. The code’s performance was verified experimental backscattering spectra. Samples consisting of nickel substrates onto which layers of nickel and aluminum have been alternately evaporated were used to produce backscattering spectra. These spectra, when analyzed, demonstrated that the code was able to determine the total aluminum content to within 5% and the ratio of aluminum to nickel within 1% of the thickness monitor readings taken during evaporation. The code has also shown the ability to recognize sharp interfaces in well resolved spectra. The ultimate limits on the code’s accuracy are the resolution of the spectrum and the accuracy of the computed stopping powers.
Atrial Thrombus in a Neonate: A Diagnostic Challenge.

Introduction Left atrial thrombus is a rare finding in a neonate. In the previous literature, atrial thrombi have been associated with catheter placement or congenital heart disease in a preterm infant. Case We report the case of a full-term neonate with no known risk factors found to have a left atrial thrombus. The neonate was born at 38 weeks' gestation to a 31-year-old female via cesarean section who was sent to the normal nursery. On postnatal day 5, the infant was noted to have low-to-medium level of oxygen saturations (∼90%) and was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit with an echocardiogram completed on postnatal day 6 demonstrating a mobile, pedunculated mass attached to the left atrial septum with an appearance concerning for atrial myxoma. The infant underwent surgical resection on postnatal day 8 and pathology revealed the mass to be a left atrial thrombus. Discussion The rare finding of an atrial thrombus in a neonate has previously been associated with central venous catheter placement or congenital heart disease. This case is unusual in that the patient had neither condition. Although echocardiogram findings appeared more consistent with atrial myxoma, final pathology revealed a left atrial thrombus. Additionally, hypercoagulability work-up for this neonate was largely negative. This report underscores the importance of identification, search for etiology, and prompt therapy to prevent potential catastrophic outcomes.
Puf4 Regulates both Splicing and Decay of HXL1 mRNA Encoding the Unfolded Protein Response Transcription Factor in Cryptococcus neoformans

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) responds to errors in protein folding or processing by induction of the unfolded protein response (UPR). During conditions of ER stress, unconventional splicing of an mRNA encoding the UPR-responsive transcription factor occurs at the ER surface, resulting in activation of the UPR. UPR activation is necessary for adaptation to ER stress and for the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans is an absolute requirement for temperature adaptation and virulence. In this study, we have determined that C. neoformans has co-opted a conserved PUF RNA binding protein to regulate the posttranscriptional processing of the HXL1 mRNA encoding the UPR transcription factor. PUF elements were identified in both the 5' and 3' untranslated regions of the HXL1 transcript, and both elements bound Puf4. Deletion of PUF4 resulted in delayed unconventional splicing of HXL1 mRNA and delayed induction of Hxl1 target genes. In addition, the HXL1 transcript was stabilized in the absence of Puf4. The puf4Δ mutant exhibited temperature sensitivity but was as virulent as the wild type, despite a reduction in fungal burden in the brains of infected mice. Our results reveal a novel regulatory role in which a PUF protein influences the unconventional splicing of the mRNA encoding the UPR-responsive transcription factor. These data suggest a unique role for a PUF protein in controlling UPR kinetics via the posttranscriptional regulation of the mRNA encoding the UPR transcription factor Hxl1.
The Lactarieae of the Pacific Coast

I. LACTARIA DELICIOSA (L.) Fries, Epicr. 34I. I838 Agaricus deliciosus L. Sp. P1. 1172. I753. Seattle, Washington, Murrill 387; Newport, Oregon, Murrill 1130; Mill City, Oregon, Murrill 848; Corvallis, Oregon, 1Murrill oio; La Honda, California, Murrill. The specimens from Seattle were collected during the last of October in a peat bog, in holes with skunk cabbage. In Oregon, they were found during the month of November, in fir and pine barrens near the coast and also in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains at an elevation of from 800 to I,200 ft.
Certain nucleotide relationships in normal and in tumor-bearing mice.

Summary1. Data are presented on the blood nucleotide level of mice in estrus, diestrus, in pregnancy, and after thyroid and thiouracil feeding. Of these conditions, only pregnancy produces a significant lowering of the nucleotide fraction containing AA, ADP, and ATP. This decrease is similar to that observed in mice bearing sarcoma 180. In pregnant mice the blood level begins to return to normal after the 16th day of pregnancy. 2. During tumor growth, as blood nucleotide decreases, tumor nucleotide increases, reaching a maximum at about the 8th day after implantation, followed by a rapid fall. This fall appears to be correlated with the tendency (beginning about the 10th day of tumor growth) for the blood nucleotide level in tumor-bearing mice to return to normal. 3. The intravenous injection of adenylic acid into normal mice causes a transitory rise in blood ATP. With a dose of 4 mg, this increase is in excess of that in the total purine. A similar increase in blood ATP occurs after the injection of AA i...
Integrated intervention study on occupational health of migrant workers in Zhabei District of Shanghai City

[Objective]To perform comprehensive intervention of the occupational health on migrant workers in Zhabei District,to improve their awareness related knowledge of occupational health,so as to reduce the incidence of occupational diseases.[Methods] Cluster random sampling method was used to select subjects which were divided into control group and intervention group.Intervention group was comprehensively intervened for 6 months with collective lectures,panel discussions,mastermind challenge,peer education,distribution of promotional materials.The control group received no intervention.Surveys were done before and after intervention.[Results]After intervention,the knowledge level of occupational health was significantly increased.The knowledge level of "Law of the People's Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases," occupational disease,hazards and protection knowledge of dust and noise,hazards of carbon monoxide of intervention group were significantly higher than those of the control group after intervention(P0.01).And the proportion of workers thought the training was useful in intervention group was higher than that of the control group(P0.05)after intervention.Analysis before and after intervention showed that knowledge levels of " Law of the People's Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases," occupational disease,hazards and protection knowledge of dust,noise and heat,hazards of carbon monoxide of intervention group were significantly higher than those of the control group(P0.05 or P0.01).The protection knowledge level of common occupational hazards was not high among migrant workers(dust 64.47%,noise 65.64%,heat 67.24%,carbon monoxide 66.44%).[Conclusion]Knowledge and attitude of occupational health of migrant workers can be improved significantly after comprehensive intervention.Protection knowledge training against common occupational hazards should be strengthened.
Schistosoma mattheei in cattle: the host-parasite relationship.

Summary Calves were injected experimentally with Schistosoma mattheei. Eggs were first detected in the faeces 6-7 weeks after infection and the egg count rose sharply to a peak at 10-11 weeks and then declined rapidly to a low level which was maintained until 75 weeks in some animals. The decline in egg count was due mainly to suppression of egg laying by the host. The percentage of parasites administered that was recovered at slaughter showed a highly significant decrease between 8 and 78 weeks after infection. Animals subjected to reinfection showed little or no increase in faecal egg count but there was no reduction in the establishment of parasites.