cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of CTLA4 in the Proliferation and Survival of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Earlier, we reported that CTLA4 expression is inversely correlated with CD38 expression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells. However, the specific role of CTLA4 in CLL pathogenesis remains unknown. Therefore, to elucidate the possible role of CTLA4 in CLL pathogenesis, CTLA4 was down-regulated in primary CLL cells. We then evaluated proliferation/survival in these cells using MTT, (3)H-thymidine uptake and Annexin-V apoptosis assays. We also measured expression levels of downstream molecules involved in B-cell proliferation/survival signaling including STAT1, NFATC2, c-Fos, c-Myc, and Bcl-2 using microarray, PCR, western blotting analyses, and a stromal cell culture system. CLL cells with CTLA4 down-regulation demonstrated a significant increase in proliferation and survival along with an increased expression of STAT1, STAT1 phosphorylation, NFATC2, c-Fos phosphorylation, c-Myc, Ki-67 and Bcl-2 molecules. In addition, compared to controls, the CTLA4-downregulated CLL cells showed a decreased frequency of apoptosis, which also correlated with increased expression of Bcl-2. Interestingly, CLL cells from lymph node and CLL cells co-cultured on stroma expressed lower levels of CTLA4 and higher levels of c-Fos, c-Myc, and Bcl-2 compared to CLL control cells. These results indicate that microenvironment-controlled-CTLA4 expression mediates proliferation/survival of CLL cells by regulating the expression/activation of STAT1, NFATC2, c-Fos, c-Myc, and/or Bcl-2.
Toxoplasmosis in pregnancy

Pregnant women who acquire infection from Toxoplasma gondii usually remain asymptomatic, although they can still transmit the infection to their fetuses with severe consequences. Given the asymptomatic nature of most Toxoplasma infections, primary prevention in pregnant women may lower the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis. Both consumption of undercooked meat and unprotected contact with soil are independent risk factors for T. gondii seroconversion during pregnancy, while contact with cat litter may pose a risk in certain situations. However, many pregnant women lack knowledge of these risk factors. This article reviews toxoplasmosis infection in pregnancy, with an emphasis on risk factors and appropriate counseling of pregnant women.
Viscous Flow-Induced Bending of Microcantilever Sensors

Micro-cantilevers have recently evolved into a key sensor technology. Many of these sensors are deployed in fluid streams, for example, in rapid sensing of trace quantities of chemical or biological species in gaseous or aqueous environments[1,2], or in high resolution, high bandwidth anemometry [3]. Their design needs to consider microcantilever bending caused by the flow. This work presents detailed experimental data on the flowinduced bending of micro-cantilevers, and a simple theoretical model for quantitatively predicting such behavior.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Abnormal Language Pathway in Children With Angelman Syndrome

Angelman syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by pervasive developmental disability with failure to develop speech. We examined the basis for severe language delay in patients with Angelman syndrome by diffusion tensor imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging/diffusion tensor imaging was performed in 7 children with genetically confirmed Angelman syndrome (age 70 ± 26 months, 5 boys) and 4 age-matched control children to investigate the microstructural integrity of arcuate fasciculus and other major association tracts. Six of 7 children with Angelman syndrome had unidentifiable left arcuate fasciculus, while all control children had identifiable arcuate fasciculus. The right arcuate fasciculus was absent in 6 of 7 children with Angelman syndrome and 1 of 4 control children. Diffusion tensor imaging color mapping suggested aberrant morphology of the arcuate fasciculus region. Other association tracts, including uncinate fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and corticospinal tract, were identifiable but manifested decreased fractional anisotropy in children with Angelman syndrome. Increased apparent diffusion coefficient was seen in all tracts except uncinate fasciculus when compared to control children. Patients with Angelman syndrome have global impairment of white matter integrity in association tracts, particularly the arcuate fasciculus, which reveals severe morphologic changes. This finding could be the result of a potential problem with axon guidance during brain development, possibly due to loss of UBE3A gene expression.
GENERATION OF HEMOGLOBIN PEPTIDES IN THE ACIDIC DIGESTIVE VACUOLE OF PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM IMPLICATES PEPTIDE TRANSPORT IN AMINO ACID PRODUCTION

Intraerythrocytic malaria parasites avidly consume hemoglobin as a source of amino acids for incorporation into parasite proteins. An acidic organelle, the digestive vacuole, is the site of hemoglobin proteolysis. Early events in hemoglobin catabolism have been well studied. Two aspartic proteases, plasmepsins I and II, and a cysteine protease, falcipain, cleave hemoglobin into peptides. While it has been presumed that hemoglobin peptide fragments are degraded to individual amino acids by exopeptidase activity in the digestive vacuole, this hypothesis lacks experimental support. Incubation of human hemoglobin with P. falciparum digestive vacuole lysate generated a series of discrete peptide fragments with cleavage sites an average of 8.4 amino acids apart. No free amino acids could be detected and there was no evidence of peptide heterogeneity due to exopeptidase trimming. These sites correspond to points of cleavage previously established for plasmepsin I, plasmepsin II, and falcipain as well as some novel sites that suggest the existence of an additional endoproteinase. By colorimetric assay, P. falciparum has abundant aminopeptidase activity but this activity is not found in the digestive vacuoles and the parasite lacks detectable carboxypeptidase activity altogether. These data support a model for hemoglobin catabolism wherein small peptides are formed from cleavage of hemoglobin by the enzymes of the digestive vacuole and then are transported through the membrane of the digestive vacuole to the cytoplasm. There, exopeptidase activity converts the peptides to individual amino acids for parasite growth and maturation.
The causes of surgical failure in cleft palate operations

Abstract Many physicians feel that attempts to repair a palate cleft are a waste of time because of poor results. There are, of course, some failures in spite of improved technique. What are the causes of these failures? To determine these, personal letters were sent to the leading men who do this work. A cross-section of opinion seems to point to: improper selection of cases; operating in the presence of recent mucous membrane infections; cutting off of blood supply to flaps; incomplete preparation of “raw edges” of flaps; improper suture material; improper placing of sutures; too much meddling after operation, or neglect of proper postoperative care; good anatomic result with poor function; lack of speech training when healing is completed. In general, the results are much better than they were twenty-five years ago. Some operators have, in fact, almost a perfect score. It is to these men that we must look for guidance in perfecting our technique.
Growth of sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) in marine net-pens

Abstract Sablefish ( Anoplopoma fimbria ) were reared in 1.6 × 2.0 × 1.2 m deep net-pens for 36 months using low-cost, locally available diets (frozen salmon and herring). Post-capture mortality, wound repair, and adaptability to floating net-pens were investigated. Results showed no mortality directly related to capture and rapid healing of wounds resulting from capture. All fish adapted to captivity without apparent difficulty. For grow-out trials, 36 age 1+ fish were tagged for individual identification. Male and female fish were identified using an immunodiffusion technique. Net-pen adaptability studies tested three diets. Maximum observed mean weight gains were 0.10 kg per fish per month. After 2 years, there was no significant difference in growth (length or weight) between any of the diets. A different weight gain was recorded between male and female fish fed the salmon diet.
Synthesis of a cosalane analog with an extended polyanionic pharmacophore conferring enhanced potency as an anti-HIV agent.

Abstract A novel cosalane analog having an extended polyanionic pharmacophore was synthesized in order to target specific cationic residues on the surface of CD4. The design rationale is based on a hypothetical binding model of cosalane to the surface of the protein. The new analog displayed an EC 50 of 0.55 μM as an inhibitor of the cytopathic effect of HIV-1 rf in CEM-SS cells, which represents a significant increase in potency over cosalane itself (EC 50 5.1 μM). Both cosalane and the new analog are inhibitors of viral entry into target cells.
Raman and X-Ray Scattering Studies of High-Pressure Phases of Urea

Single-crystal and polycrystalline urea samples were compressed to 12 GPa in a diamond-anvil cell. Raman-scattering measurements indicate a sequence of four structural phases occurring over this pressure range at room temperature. The transitions to the high-pressure phases take place at pressures near 0.5 GPa (phase I → II), 5.0 GPa (II → III), and 8.0 GPa (III → IV). Lattice parameters in phase I (tetragonal, with 2 molecules per unit cell, space group P421m ( )) and phase II (orthorhombic, 4 molecules per unit cell, space group P212121 (D24)) were determined using angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction experiments. For phases III and IV, the combined Raman and diffraction data indicate that the unit cells are likely orthorhombic with four molecules per unit cell. Spatially resolved Raman measurements on single-crystal samples in phases III and IV reveal the coexistence of two domains with distinct spectral features. Physical origins of the spatial domains in phases III and IV are examined and discussed.
Micro-Structured Surface Ratchets for Droplet Transport

We report a new paradigm for droplet transport that exploits asymmetric hysteresis - the difference in the sensitivity to texture of the advancing and receding contact angles on super-hydrophobic surfaces. Texture is engineered to create contiguous "surface ratchets" that pin one edge more than the other, thereby guiding the droplet in one direction when vibrated. This paper presents the principle, fabricated structure, experimental results that validate the hypothesis - showing droplets moving with velocities greater than 12 mm/s - and preliminary understanding of the physics of ratcheting.
Complications of splenic injuries: expansion of the nonoperative theorem

Abstract Background/Purpose: Delayed complications (hemorrhages, abscesses, and pseudo-aneurysms) of nonoperative management (NOM) in pediatric spleen injuries are rare but reportedly result in failure of NOM. This study was undertaken to elucidate the rate of delayed complications and their impact on NOM of splenic injuries. Methods: Forty children who underwent NOM of splenic injuries over 5 years were reviewed for complications and success of NOM. All injuries were diagnosed and graded by computed tomography (CT) scans. Follow-up imaging studies were obtained in all children 6 to 12 weeks postinjury; additional scans also were obtained when clinically indicated. Results: NOM was successful in all children, but 3 (7.5%) had delayed complications. A 3 year old with a grade III splenic injury and a distal pancreatic transection, and a 13 year old with a grade IV injury had pseudoaneurysms, which were noted on follow-up CT scan (14 days postinjury). The pseudoaneurysms were treated expectantly and resolved spontaneously. A 16 year old (grade IV injury) had a splenic abscess 8 days postinjury that was drained percutaneously with CT guidance. Conclusions: Development of delayed complications may not preclude successful NOM of pediatric spleen injuries. Splenic artery pseudoaneurysms in children appear to resolve spontaneously without intervention. J Pediatr Surg 35:788-791. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Intraosseous Hemangioma of the Orbital Roof

A 63-year-old woman had an osseous hemangioma of the orbital rim. Diagnosis of this primary bone tumor was made by its distinctive radiographic appearance and confirmed by pathologic, examination. Although this is a benign lesion, it is expansile and can cause ocular signs. Surgical resection is the recommended treatment.
The Chicago variant of clinical galactosemia.

A new variant of clinical galactosemia with two hitherto unidentified alleles on the transferase locus in one family is described. This new clinical variant of transferase has 25% of normal control activity in blood and in skin fibroblasts, and the patient accumulates galactose-1-phosphate in blood on an unrestricted galactose diet. Using starch gel electrophoresis on the hemolysate of the family members, a fast-moving transferase with mobility in between those of the normal control and of the Duarte variant is identified. This new allele is designated as \(GALT^{C_1 } \) (fast-moving Chicago variant). In addition, a second new allele was documented in this family by studying the instability of the transferase enzyme in hemolysates of family members at 50°C for various time intervals. This new allele is designated as \(GALT^{C_2 } \) (heat-labile Chicago variant). On the basis of the studies, the transferase genotype of this patients is thought to be a double heterozygote compound, \(GALT^{C_1 } \)/GALTG.
Viral Neuraminidase Treatment of Dendritic Cells Enhances Antigen-Specific CD8+ T Cell Proliferation, but Does Not Account for the CD4+ T Cell Independence of the CD8+ T Cell Response during Influenza Virus Infection

Abstract In vitro studies demonstrate that the increased alloreactive T cell response to dendritic cells (DC) that are treated with either live or inactivated influenza virus A/PR/8/34 is due to viral neuraminidase (NA) activity. Since virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) play an important role in immunity to heterologous influenza strains, we compared the activation of CD8 + T cells by untreated and NA-treated DC. Increased CTL activity was induced by NA-treated DC both in vitro and in vivo. Since the generation of CTL in response to influenza virus infection does not require prior “activation” of DC by CD4 + T cells (as is the case for many antigens), we asked whether NA activity contributed to this unconditional CD8 + T cell response. This was not the case. Future studies will determine the factors that are responsible for the CD4 + T-cell-independent influenza virus-specific CTL response.
Structures of two monochlorinated dibenzodioxins (DBD) 1-C1DBD and 2-C1DBD

Abstract The two crystal structures, 1-chlorodibenzo-ϱ-dioxin (1-C1DBD) and 2-chlorodibenzo-ϱ-dioxin (2-C1DBD) have been completed to expand the primary standards available for dioxin studies. 1-C1DBD is disordered but the structure was determined normally.
Prevention System Mediation of Communities That Care Effects on Youth Outcomes

This study examined whether the significant intervention effects of the Communities That Care (CTC) prevention system on youth problem behaviors observed in a panel of eighth-grade students (Hawkins et al. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 163:789-798 2009) were mediated by community-level prevention system constructs posited in the CTC theory of change. Potential prevention system constructs included the community's degree of (a) adoption of a science-based approach to prevention, (b) collaboration on prevention activities, (c) support for prevention, and (d) norms against adolescent drug use as reported by key community leaders in 24 communities. Higher levels of community adoption of a science-based approach to prevention and support for prevention in 2004 predicted significantly lower levels of youth problem behaviors in 2007, and higher levels of community norms against adolescent drug use predicted lower levels of youth drug use in 2007. Effects of the CTC intervention on youth problem behaviors by the end of eighth grade were mediated fully by community adoption of a science-based approach to prevention. No other significant mediated effects were found. Results support CTC's theory of change that encourages communities to adopt a science-based approach to prevention as a primary mechanism for improving youth outcomes.
Substance Abuse in Cancer Pain

In the oncology community, opioids recently have become the cornerstone of cancer pain management. This has led to a rapid increase in opioid prescribing in an effort to address the growing public health problem of chronic pain. A new paradigm in noncancer pain management has emerged, that of risk assessment and stratification in opioid therapy. Techniques foreign to cancer pain management have now become commonplace in the noncancer pain setting, such as the use of monitoring compliance via urine drug screens. Amidst these strides in opioid use for pain management, cancer has been changing. The survival rate has increased, and a group of these patients with chronic pain were treated with opioid therapy. With opioid exposure being longer and against the backdrop of prescription drug abuse, the question is how much of the adaptation of the risk management paradigm in chronic pain management is to be imported to cancer pain management?
Pure-tone masking profiles for human auditory brainstem and middle latency responses to 500-Hz tones

A simultaneous masking paradigm was used to determine the frequency selectivity of human auditory brainstem (ABR) and middle latency (MLR) responses to 60 dB pe SPL 500-Hz probe tones in 12 normal adults. Masking profiles for simultaneous recordings of the ABR and MLR were obtained in the presence of pure-tone maskers presented at 60- and 70-dB SPL. Results show sharp amplitude profiles with maximum reduction in amplitude seen using the 500-Hz maskers. There were no significant differences in the masking profiles for the ABR and MLR waves to the 500-Hz probe tones. An additional measure of frequency selectivity, bandwidth at 50% reduction in amplitude (W50), also demonstrated no significant difference between the ABR and MLR waves. In summary, the results of this study and those of an earlier study (Mackersie et al., 1993) suggest no significant difference in the frequency selectivity of the ABR and MLR to low-intensity (60 dB pe SPL) 500- and 2000-Hz tones.
Induction of Hyperpyrexia by Dihydrocurvularin, a Metabolic Product of Penicillium gilmanii

The previously reported rise in rectal temperature that follows the intravenous injection of the mixture of metabolic products (extractable with ether from the Czapek Dox medium on which Penicillium gilmanii has grown) is due to a single compound, dihydrocurvularin. Intravenous injection of 1–10 μg of dihydrocurvularin into rabbits causes a rise of at least one degree in rectal temperature of rabbits in 2–8 h. The degree of temperature rise depends more on the individual rabbit than on the quantity of dihydrocurvularin injected. Treatment with lipopolysaccharide abolishes the ability of dihydrocurvularin to cause a rise in rectal temperature. Treatment with dihydrocurvularin, however, does not abolish the ability of lipopolysaccharide to induce a temperature response or a leukocytosis. Rabbits respond to repeated treatment with dihydrocurvularin with a rise in rectal temperature that is indistinguishable from that observed on their first injection. Treatment with dihydrocurvularin does not affect differential counts or the concentration of leukocytes or red blood cells in the circulatory system.
Freedom of information acts and public sector corruption

Various countries have recently implemented Freedom of Information acts believing that greater transparency can reduce public sector corruption. To test this, we analyze annual data on 128 countries between 1984 and 2003 using a variety of propensity score matching techniques and overall find no significant relationship with one exception: In the developing world, FOI acts are significantly associated with rising levels of corruption. Further investigation suggests this may be due to the fact that the effectiveness of FOI acts appears to be conditioned by a country’s institutional arrangements.
Is age kinder to females than to males

To investigate possible gender differences in the patterns of age-cognition relations, a meta-analysis was conducted on the data from 25 studies (5,201 participants) by the second author and his collaborators. Gender and age differences consistent with prior reports were found, but there were few measures on which the age × gender interactions were significant. Although the majority of neuroimaging studies investigating gender differences in age-related atrophy and functional decline report greater age-related differences in males, the only significant interactions on the cognitive measures in this study (on measures of speed and reasoning) were in the direction of lesser age-related declines for males than for females.
State Patterns of Occupational Earnings: Implications for Long-Term Growth:

This article focuses on the role of real and money wages in a state’s growth (macro) and location (micro) prospects. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey for 2000 were used first to indirectly estimate state cost-of-living (COL) indices. These COL indices are the major contribution of this article. The methodology employed, in combination with the current 6-month reporting cycle for the OES, should eventually allow the computation of accurate inflation indices for states and regions. By applying these COL indices to OES-reported money wages by occupation, estimates of real wages are derived. Likely growth scenarios, both in terms of total employment and for certain key occupations, are investigated under two assumptions: first, that workers positively respond, by entry and migration, to those areas having above-average real wages, and second, that capital flows respond to below-average money wages.
Out-of-plane scattering from glass waveguides: comparison of theory and experiment.

The angular distribution of the radiation emitted into the far field by TE0 and TM0 optical guided waves was measured and compared with a theory assuming surface roughness to be the source of the scattering. The comparison with theory was made in such a way that a detailed knowledge of the surface under investigation was not required.
Spontaneous Lateral Phase Separation of AlInP During Thin Film Growth and its Effect on Luminescence

The occurrence of spontaneous lateral phase separation during thin film growth of AlxIn1−xP by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition was investigated using a combination of transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography to obtain a quantitative view of this phenomenon. An anisotropic and coherent composition modulation was observed in the nearly lattice-matched films deposited below 750 °C with a quasi-linear amplification with thickness that was inversely proportional to the growth temperature. The periodicity of the modulation increased exponentially with the growth temperature. A comparison of photoluminescence from phase separated and homogenous direct band gap AlxIn1−xP deposited on metamorphic InyGa1−yAs graded buffers showed a lowering of peak-emission energy in accordance with the atom probe compositional characterization without any degradation in luminous intensity. Additionally, indications of carrier trapping in the low band gap regions were observed even at room-temperature. Whi...
Calcium channel blockers. Is it time to split the lump

Antihypertensive drug classes such as thiazide diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, β-adrenergic blocking agents, peripheral α 1 -antagonists, and central α 2 -agonists all describe therapeutic agents that are quite similar to each other and strikingly different from members of the other classes. A glaring exception is the rubric “calcium channel blocker,” under which strikingly dissimilar drugs have been lumped. Although the phenylalkylamines (verapamil and gallapamil) and benzothiazepines (diltiazem and TA3090) bind at different receptors on the α 1 component of the calcium channel, they are reasonably similar in their clinical pharmacology. For example, both types of drugs slow the heart rate and there are intravenous preparations that are used to treat supraventricular tachycardia. The dihydropyridines (nifedipine and many others) bind to another receptor on the α 1 component, but have markedly different pharmacologic properties. For example, they tend to increase the heart rate, do not cause constipation, but are more likely to cause peripheral edema. I propose that we refer to this entire class of drugs as “calcium antagonists,” that we continue to refer to verapamil, diltiazem, and similar drugs as “calcium channel blockers,” but recognize the very different properties of nifedipine and like drugs by referring to them as dihydropyridines or DHPs.
A novel means of using gene clusters in a two-step empirical Bayes method for predicting classes of samples

Motivation: The classification of samples using gene expression profiles is an important application in areas such as cancer research and environmental health studies. However, the classification is usually based on a small number of samples, and each sample is a long vector of thousands of gene expression levels. An important issue in parametric modeling for so many gene expression levels is the control of the number of nuisance parameters in the model. Large models often lead to intensive or even intractable computation, while small models may be inadequate for complex data. Methodology: We propose a two-step empirical Bayes classification method as a solution to this issue. At the first step, we use the model-based cluster algorithm with a non-traditional purpose of assigning gene expression levels to form abundance groups. At the second step, by assuming the same variance for all the genes in the same group, we substantially reduce the number of nuisance parameters in our statistical model. Results: The proposed model is more parsimonious, which leads to efficient computation under an empirical Bayes estimation procedure. We consider two real examples and simulate data using our method. Desired low classification error rates are obtained even when a large number of genes are pre-selected for class prediction. Availability: Supplemental materials including technical details are available at "http://odin.mdacc.tmc.edu/~yuanj/papers/sup.pdf". An R program for computation is available upon request by email to Yuan Ji (yuanji@mdanderson.org) Contact: yuanji@mdanderson.org
A Visual Description of the Dissection of the Cerebral Surface Vasculature and Associated Meninges and the Choroid Plexus from Rat Brain

This video presentation was created to show a method of harvesting the two most important highly vascular structures, not residing within the brain proper, that support forebrain function. They are the cerebral surface (superficial) vasculature along with associated meninges (MAV) and the choroid plexus which are necessary for cerebral blood flow and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) homeostasis. The tissue harvested is suitable for biochemical and physiological analysis, and the MAV has been shown to be sensitive to damage produced by amphetamine and hyperthermia 1,2 . As well, the major and minor cerebral vasculatures harvested in MAV are of potentially high interest when investigating concussive types of head trauma. The MAV dissected in this presentation consists of the pial and some of the arachnoid membrane (less dura) of the meninges and the major and minor cerebral surface vasculature. The choroid plexus dissected is the structure that resides in the lateral ventricles as described by Oldfield and McKinley 3,4,5,6 . The methods used for harvesting these two tissues also facilitate the harvesting of regional cortical tissue devoid of meninges and larger cerebral surface vasculature, and is compatible with harvesting other brain tissues such as striatum, hypothalamus, hippocampus, etc. The dissection of the two tissues takes from 5 to 10 min total. The gene expression levels for the dissected MAV and choroid plexus, as shown and described in this presentation can be found at GSE23093 (MAV) and GSE29733 (choroid plexus) at the NCBI GEO repository. This data has been, and is being, used to help further understand the functioning of the MAV and choroid plexus and how neurotoxic events such as severe hyperthermia and AMPH adversely affect their function.
Change Intervals and Lost Time at Single‐Point Urban Interchanges

The singlepoint urban interchange SPUI is a relatively new type of diamond interchange. It is claimed to offer improved operational efficiency, improved safety, and reduced rightofway requirements ...
Characterization of a 3'-5' exonuclease associated with VDJP.

VDJP (V(D)J RSS Dependent DNA Joining Protein) was cloned based on binding to the nonamer portion of the V(D)J recombinational signal sequence (RSS), and genetic analysis revealed that VDJP is encoded by the same gene as the large subunit of Replication Factor C (RF-C). Recombinant VDJP has a site directed DNA joining activity and is capable of forming a covalent bond between DNA fragments containing an RSS element near their ends and exhibits 3' to 5' exonuclease activity. In this report, we examine the biochemical properties of the VDJP exonuclease activity such as directionality of nuclease action (3' to 5' or 5' to 3'), single-strand substrate preference, cleavage products, dependence on cofactors and metal cations, and optimal reaction conditions. From this analysis, we conclude that VDJP has an intrinsic 3'-5' exonuclease activity that produces mononucleotide products.
Practical synthesis of methyl 4-O-methyl- and methyl 4-O-benzyl-α-D-glucopyranoside

Abstract Gram amounts of pure, crystalline methyl 4- O -methyl- and methyl 4- O -benzyl-α- D -glucopyranoside have been prepared from methyl 4,6- O -benzylidene-α- D -glucopyranoside in 40% overall yields by a method that appears to constitute a practical synthesis of methyl 4- O -alkyl-α- D -glucopyranosides.
II. Alternating Monotherapy is the Preferred Treatment

The choice of initial therapy of hypertensive patients may be critical in the long-term efforts to reduce premature cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In the 1984 report of the third Joint National Committee (JNC), significant changes in the usual approach to initial therapy were suggested, including a more conservative approach toward the institution of drug therapy, more liberal use of nondrug therapies and broader choices for the initial drug. I support these changes and believe that even a greater number of choices for initial therapy should be considered. I am increasingly concerned about the hazards of diuretic therapy and believe that for most patients, an adrenergic inhibitor is preferable for first drug. Rather than limit the type of adrenergic inhibitor to a beta blocker as suggested in the JNC report, either an alpha blocker or a centrally acting drug may be preferable. In the near future, calcium antagonists will likely also become logical choices.
Fatigue, performance and the work environment: a survey of registered nurses

barker l.m. & nussbaum m.a. (2011) Fatigue, performance and the work environment: a survey of registered nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing67(6), 1370–1382. Abstract Aims. This paper is a report of a study of perceived levels of mental, physical and total fatigue, and also acute and chronic fatigue states, among registered nurses. Relationships between dimensions of fatigue and performance were investigated, as were differences in fatigue across levels of several demographic and work environment variables. Background. Fatigue is a factor that has been linked to performance decrements in healthcare workers. As a result of the nature of their work, nurses may be particularly susceptible to multiple dimensions of fatigue, and their performance is closely linked to patient safety. Methods. An online survey was used to measure mental, physical, and total fatigue dimensions, acute and chronic fatigue states, and performance. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling in cooperation with professional nursing organizations; 745 registered nurses completed the survey between February 2008 and April 2009. Results. Reported mental fatigue levels were higher than physical fatigue levels, and acute fatigue levels were higher than chronic fatigue levels. All fatigue dimensions and states were negatively correlated with perceived performance. Longer shift lengths and hours worked per week were associated with increases in physical and total fatigue levels. Mental, physical and total fatigue levels also differed with shift schedule. Conclusions. Fatigue levels were negatively correlated with performance, further supporting the role of fatigue in nurse performance. Work environment variables were strongly associated with differences in perceived levels of fatigue. By altering the work environment, it may thus be possible to reduce fatigue levels and the rates of medical errors.
Demonstration of ultrafast all-optical packet routing

The authors report the first demonstration of all-optical ultrafast single bit packet routing. Photonic packets after ultrafast all-optical address recognition at 250 Gbit/s were self-routed using an all-optical ultrafast routing switch. The bit error rate was <10/sup -9/.
Contact Dermatitis and Other Contact Reactions

Contact dermatitis is probably the most common form of eczematoid dermatitis. It can be either irritant or a result of a delayed hypersensitivity response. It is characteristically diagnosed by location and the pattern of appearance of the rash. Eczema that fails to heal without treatment should make one suspect contact dermatitis. Removal of the offending agent is the important therapy followed by topical corticosteroids. The responsible agent can be diagnosed by patch testing.
Prosocial Behavior: Multilevel Perspectives

Current research on prosocial behavior covers a broad and diverse range of phenomena. We argue that this large research literature can be best organized and understood from a multilevel perspective. We identify three levels of analysis of prosocial behavior: (a) the “meso” level—the study of helper-recipient dyads in the context of a specific situation; (b) the micro level—the study of the origins of prosocial tendencies and the sources of variation in these tendencies; and (c) the macro level—the study of prosocial actions that occur within the context of groups and large organizations. We present research at each level and discuss similarities and differences across levels. Finally, we consider ways in which theory and research at these three levels of analysis might be combined in future intra- and interdisciplinary research on prosocial behavior.
Automated biofilm region recognition and morphology quantification from confocal laser scanning microscopy imaging

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic human pathogen and a primary cause of nosocomial infections. Its biofilm forming capability is an adaptation strategy utilized by many species of bacteria to overcome stressful environmental conditions and provides both resistance to antimicrobial treatments and protection from the host immune system. This paper addresses a growing demand for an objective, fully automated method of biofilm structure description with standardized parameters that are independent of user input. In this study, we used watershed segmentation to analyze and compare confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) images of two S. aureus strains with different biofilm-forming capabilities. Results are compared with manual calculations as well as the commonly used COMSTAT software.
AN INEXPENSIVE METHOD FOR QUANTIFYING INCUBATION PATTERNS OF OPEN-CUP NESTING BIRDS, WITH DATA FOR BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS

Abstract Quantifying incubation patterns has often involved long observation periods in the field, video cameras, or the use of other electronic devices that sometimes require the partial destruction of clutches and insertion of artificial eggs. In this study, we used an inexpensive, nondestructive method involving temperature probes combined with data loggers to examine the incubation rhythm of female Black-throated Blue Warblers (Dendroica caerulescens). The method provided detailed records of on–off patterns for females for selected 24-h periods during incubation. Female warblers spent an average (±SE) of 64.0% of daylight hours incubating in bouts lasting 20.5 ± 1.5 min and made 2.4 ± 0.1 departures from the nest/h on trips that lasted 10.6 ± 0.7 min. Incubation bouts were longer and females spent more time incubating per hour in the mornings and late afternoons than at mid-day. Older females had longer incubation bouts and tended to have shorter incubation periods than did yearling females, suggestin...
A Vision System for off-Road Navigation

Rather than study natural object recognition in the abstract, we have chosen to focus our research on the visual requirements of a particular task. Evaluation of the merits of any approach or theory can be carried out only within the scope of an intended purpose. Natural object recognition is too broad and ill-defined to serve as a useful goal for machine vision unless a task is chosen that allows the accomplishments of various approaches to be measured. Further, in defining the task we constrain the breadth of capabilities that must be developed before a practical contribution is attained and we establish a concrete foundation that can be referred to when design decisions are to be made.
Transient Mechanical Response of Lung Airway Tissue during Mechanical Ventilation.

Patients with acute lung injury, airway and other pulmonary diseases often require Mechanical Ventilation (MV). Knowledge of the stress/strain environment in lung airway tissues is very important in order to avoid lung injuries for patients undergoing MV. Airway tissue strains responsible for stressing the lung’s fiber network and rupturing the lung due to compliant airways are very difficult to measure experimentally. Multi-level modeling is adopted to investigate the transient mechanical response of the tissue under MV. First, airflow through a lung airway bifurcation (Generation 4–6) is modeled using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to obtain air pressure during 2 seconds of MV breathing. Next, the transient air pressure was used in structural analysis to obtain mechanical strain experienced by the airway tissue wall. Structural analysis showed that airway tissue from Generation 5 in one bifurcation can stretch eight times that of airway tissue of the same generation number but with different bifurcation. The results suggest sensitivity of load to geometrical features. Furthermore, the results of strain levels obtained from the tissue analysis are very important because these strains at the cellular-level can create inflammatory responses, thus damaging the airway tissues.
Remarks on the possible importance of jet v 3 and multiple jet production for the interpretation of recent jet quenching measurements at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

Recent jet quenching measurements in Pb+Pb collisions at the LHC report a significant energy imbalance of dijets. The imbalance is found to be compensated by a large amount of soft particles produced at large angles with respect to the dijet axis. This observation questions the conventional picture of parton energy loss models, established at RHIC, which typically expect that the radiated gluons are emitted at moderate angles close to the outgoing parton. In this letter, we qualitatively discuss two possible contributions of the underlying heavy-ion background that may have to be taken into account when interpreting the recent data. We show that a large jet ${v}_{3}$, potentially caused by a path-length-dependent energy loss in the presence of fluctuating initial conditions, could contribute to the observed excess of soft particles apparently originating from large angle in-medium radiation. In addition, the observed excess could also be induced by multiple jets produced in the vicinity of the leading jet, caused by a potential selection bias imposed on the dijet momentum imbalance.
Revision of the New World Lady Beetles of the Genus Olla and Description of a New Allied Genus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

The taxonomic and nomenclatural history of the genus Olla Casey is reviewed. The polyphyletic nature of the Neotropical coccinelline fauna is discussed, and a diagnostic key to subgroups within the former Synonychini (sensu Blackwelder) is provided. Olla is shown to be part of a monophyletic assemblage of primarily Neotropical Coccinellini, united by shared characteristics of the genitalia and larval armature. Four Olla species are recognized: O. v-nigrum (Mulsant), and three new species, O. roatanensis, O. timberlakei, and O. hageni . A new allied genus, Cirocolla , is proposed to accommodate the species Daulis conspicillata Mulsant (paralectotype designated). Neda cardinalis (Erichson) is transferred to Mononeda Crotch. A hypothesis of the cladistic relations within Olla is presented using the sister genus Cirocolla as an outgroup. All taxa are described and keyed. Geographic distributions, synonymies, and illustrations of key characteristics are provided. Notes on biogeography, prey-host plant records, and the distribution and inheritance of elytral color patterns are included. The immature stages of O. v-nigrum and O. hageni are illustrated and compared.
1129 SYSTEMIC CARNITINE DEFICIENCY: A CAUSE OF RECURRENT “REYE'S SYNDROME.”

A white female had two episodes of protracted vomiting followed by an acute encephalopathy after a “viral” illness at 11 months and 4 9/12 years of age diagnosed as Reye's syndrome on the basis of laboratory data (most abnormal value given; value at 11 months given first) serum glucose-15,12 mg/dl; serum ammonia-97,144 ug/dl (nl<48); SGOT-105,103; prothrombin time-47%, 49%; CSF-normal and at 4 9/12 years a liver biospy showing extensive small vacuole fatty degeneration. A third mild episode occurred at age 5 years. Evaluation following recovery revealed minimal proximal muscle weakness, a non-specific EMG abnormality and no evidence of a urea cycle disorder. A fast had to be terminated after 18 hours when she vomited several times and became very lethargic. A muscle biopsy, obtained at 5½ years at a time of clinical remission, contained excess lipid; a liver biopsy was histologically normal. Free carnitine levels were: serum 8.66 nm/ml (nl range 27.9-67.2) muscle 4.22 nm/mg non-collagen protein (NCP) (nl 7.96-22.86) and liver 0.4 nm/mg NCP (nl 3.3-10.4). In 7 children with single episodes of Reye's syndrome serum (n=4), muscle (n=3) and liver (n=1) free carnitine levels were normal except for one slightly low serem level. Systemic carnitine deficiency may mimic “Reye's syndrome”; the episodes, some initiated by fasting, may be preventale by carnitine therapy.
Occupations and “Class” Alignments in the United States, 1870–1950

in agriculture for extended periods grow older and less adaptable, marry and otherwise make commitments and form attachments which reduce their mobility. An additional burden of adjustment then falls on the relatively mobile, i.e., the young and unattached, when outmigration is again facilitated by plentiful industrial employment opportunities. Accordingly, quite aside from the temporary worsening of farm conditions during depression, the irregular pace of integrative adjustments associated with economic fluctuations probably inhibits the long-term process of adaptation to growth.
Heresy at Play: Academies and the Literary Underground in Counter-Reformation Siena*

This article examines an anonymous manuscript from the Sienese academies, likely composed between 1584 and 1593, during the period in which these societies were closed by the Medici grand dukes. The work is a dialogue that depicts a contest between the emblems of the academies of the Intronati, the Accesi, and the Travagliati, all vying for cultural primacy. Purportedly written by a zealous monk who appraises these worldly emblems and mottoes in preposterously flattering, even blasphemous, religious terms, the dialogue is actually a hoax that mocks the proselytizing efforts of Counter-Reformation forces in the city. This article attempts to roughly date this underground work, identify its principal targets, and consider its importance: as a telling depiction of a contest between secular images and sacred symbols, as a parody of feigned orthodoxy, and as a possible expression of freethinking well before the Enlightenment.
Current Insights into the Mechanisms and Development of Treatments for Heavy-Drinking Cigarette Smokers

There is a strong association between cigarette smoking and alcohol use at the epidemiological, behavioral, and molecular levels, and this co-use creates substantial impediments to smoking cessation among smokers who are also heavy drinkers. Compared with individuals who only smoke, those who both drink and smoke heavily experience more severe health consequences and have greater difficulty in quitting smoking. During smoking abstinence, greater alcohol use is associated with decreased odds of smoking cessation, and smokers are substantially more likely to experience a smoking lapse during drinking episodes. As heavy drinking smokers are less responsive to the currently available pharmacological treatments, this subgroup of high-risk substance users possesses a unique clinical profile and treatment needs. Thus, treatment development for heavy drinking smokers represents a significant and understudied research area within the field of smoking cessation. This review will briefly describe findings from epidemiological, behavioral, and molecular studies illustrating alcohol and tobacco co-use and identify how the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms underlying the interaction of alcohol and nicotine may inform the development of targeted treatments for this unique population of smokers.
Empirically supported psychosocial interventions for bipolar disorder: Current state of the research

Abstract Objectives Bipolar disorder requires psychiatric medications, but even guideline-concordant treatment fails to bring many patients to remission or keep them euthymic. To address this gap, researchers have developed adjunctive psychotherapies. The purpose of this paper is to critically review the evidence for the efficacy of manualized psychosocial interventions for bipolar disorder. Methods We conducted a search of the literature to examine recent (2007-present), randomized controlled studies of the following psychotherapy interventions for bipolar disorder: psychoeducation (PE), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), and family therapies such as family focused therapy (FFT). Results All of the psychotherapy interventions appear to be effective in reducing depressive symptoms. Psychoeducation and CBT are associated with increased time to mood episode relapse or recurrence. MBCT has demonstrated a particular effectiveness in improving depressive and anxiety symptoms. Online psychotherapy interventions, programs combining one or more psychotherapy interventions, and targeted interventions centering on particular symptoms have been the focus of recent, randomized controlled studies in bipolar disorder. Conclusions Psychotherapy interventions for the treatment of bipolar disorder have substantial evidence for efficacy. The next challenge will to disseminate these psychotherapies into the community.