cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Class III Histone Deacetylase Sirtuin 1 in Immune Suppression and Its Therapeutic Potential in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic debilitating disease of the joints. Both the innate and adaptive immune responses participate in the development and progression of RA. While several therapeutic reagents, such as TNF-α agonists, have been successfully developed for the clinical use in the treatment of RA, more than half of the patients do not respond to anti-TNF therapy. Therefore, new therapeutic reagents are needed. Recent studies have shown that sirtuin 1 (Sirt1), a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent histone deacetylase, is a critical negative regulator of both the innate and adaptive immune response in mice, and its altered functions are likely to be involved in autoimmune diseases. Small molecules that modulate Sirt1 functions are potential therapeutic reagents for autoimmune inflammatory diseases. This review highlights the role of Sirt1 in immune regulation and RA.
Identification of operational subcubes in unreliable hypercubes

Hypercube multiprocessors can efficiently execute a wide class of parallel algorithms. To obtain a reliable result, the correct operation of all processors in the network must be ensured. However, the number of processors in a hypercube network grows exponentially with the network dimension, making the network susceptible to node failures. Fortunately, most of the basic algorithms developed for networks such as the hypercube can be formulated with the dimension of the network as a parameter of the algorithm. Therefore it is essential to investigate methods to identify the operational subcubes (OPSCs) contained in a hypercube with some faulty node processors. The paper proposes centralised and distributed algorithms to identify OPSCs in an n-cube when the faulty processors are abundant. By utilising the properties of an unreliable environment, the proposed algorithms can identify all the largest OPSCs efficiently. Such algorithms are highly desirable since, in general, the problem of finding an OPSC in a damaged cube has an exponential time complexity.Methods are given to update the status of OPSCs dynamically once a working node fails or a faulty node is repaired.
Ethnic and religious components of the Jewish income advantage 1969 and 1989.

Because Jewish ethnicity and religion do not necessarily coincide, the income advantage associated with Jewish identity can be separated into its ethnic and religious components. They estimate the impact of Jewish ethnicity and religion on household income in 1969 and 1989. In both years, ethnically Jewish households had a considerable income advantage over other non-Hispanic white households. This advantage appears to have persisted even among households without full-time workers. Mixed-ethnicity households (those with both Jewish-born and non-Jewish workers) had a conspicuous advantage in 1969 but not in 1989. While religion brought an additional income advantage to reform, conservative, and nondenominational Jews, orthodoxy was associated with a relative disadvantage. Orthodox Judaism appears to impede economic attainment, perhaps by isolating its adherents from the social and economic networks established by the broader Jewish community
In vitro inhibition of the activation of pro-matrix metalloproteinase 1 (Pro-MMP-1) and pro-matrix metalloproteinase 9 (Pro-MMP-9) by rice and soybean Bowman-Birk inhibitors

The in vitro inhibitory activity of the rice Bowman-Birk inhibitor (rBBI) or soybean Bowman-Birk inhibitor (sBBI) against trypsin-catalyzed activation of pro-matrix metalloproteinase 1 or 9 (pro-MMP-1 or pro-MMP-9), respectively, was investigated using electrophoresis with silver staining, heparin-enhanced zymography, biotinylated gelatin, Biotrak assay, and fluorescence quenched substrate hydrolysis. rBBI at concentrations of 0.08-0.352 mg/mL dose-dependently inhibited the in vitro activation of 45 microg/mL pro-MMP-1 by trypsin. Heparin-enhanced zymography analysis of pro-MMP-1, trypsin-activated MMP-1, and a mixture of pro-MMP-1-trypsin-rBBI showed clear zones associated with trypsin-activated MMP-1 and the absence of clear zones in lanes containing pro-MMP-1 or a mixture of pro-MMP-1, trypsin, and rBBI. The results of the Biotrak assay also indicated that rBBI dose-dependently suppressed the activation of pro-MMP-1 by trypsin. sBBI dose-dependently inhibited the activation of 100 microg/mL of pro-MMP-9 by trypsin. Biotinylated gelatin assays demonstrated that pro-MMP-9 or pro-MMP-9 in the presence of trypsin and BBI did not hydrolyze gelatin, whereas p-aminophenylmercury acetate (APMA)-activated MMP-9 and trypsin-activated MMP-9 caused significant hydrolysis of gelatin. Quenched fluorescence substrate hydrolysis for total MMP activity showed that pro-MMP-1 or pro-MMP-9 did not hydrolyze the substrate Mca-Pro-Leu-Gly-Leu-Dpa-Ala-Arg-NH2; active MMP-1 or MMP-9 hydrolyzed the substrate, but lower substrate hydrolysis was obtained when pro-MMP-1 or pro-MMP-9 was incubated with trypsin in the presence of increasing concentrations of rBBI. The results are discussed in light of the role of MMP-1 and MMP-9 in the process of angiogenesis and the potential of rBBI or sBBI as a functional food ingredient.
Picosecond photodissociation of dibenzyl ketone

Abstract The primary photodissociation of dibenzyl ketone (DBK) to form the benzyl radical is examined by picosecond transient absorption (PTA) spectroscopy. This initial process precedes decarbonylation of the phenacetyl radical. Dissociation is initiated at 282 nm in solutions of methanol and cyclohexane and PTA is measured over the 324–304 nm region using a pump-probe configuration based on two dye lasers synchronously pumped by a Q-switched Nd: YAG laser. The PTA spectra of the benzyl radical and of the excited singlet state (S1) of DBK, the population of which precedes dissociation, are measured in both solvents. The ≈2 ns time constants associated with the S1 DBK decay and the benzyl radical formation establish the direct kinetic relationship between these two transients.
Cold and novel environment stress affects AVP mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus, but not the supraoptic nucleus: An in Situ hybridization study.

Abstract The distribution and area of label for arginine vasopressin (AVP) mRNA or peptides were studied in rats exposed to cold or novel environments. In situ hybridization histochemistry was employed to detect AVP mRNA in hypothalamic frozen sections with a 45-mer photobiotinylated oligonucleotide probe. The storage of the peptide in both the hypothalamus and the pituitary was determined by immunohistochemistry. Label for mRNA or peptide was then quantified by the Cue-3 color image analysis system. Exposure to 4°C for 30 min caused a 3.5-fold increase in the label for AVP mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) compared with that of control rats. This was correlated with a 2-fold elevation in serum ACTH. In addition, rats exposed to 30 min of a novel, thermoneutral (24°C) environment showed a 1.2- to ∼-2.3-fold enhancement of the label for AVP mRNA in the PVN. In contrast, no changes were seen in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) following exposure to either cold or novel environments. Furthermore, neither stress caused significant changes in the storage of AVP peptide in the PVN, SON, median eminence, and posterior lobe of pituitary. This in vivo study demonstrates that PVN and SON neurons respond differentially to cold and novel environment exposures. The elevation of serum ACTH is correlated with the increased level of label for AVP mRNA in the rat hypothalamus, which suggests that AVP may play a role in the regulation of pituitary—adrenal responses to cold and novel environment stresses.
A Model for the Microtubule-Ncd Motor Protein Complex Obtained by Cryo-Electron Microscopy and Image Analysis

Kinesin motors convert chemical energy from ATP hydrolysis into unidirectional movement. To understand how kinesin motors bind to and move along microtubules, we fit the atomic structure of the motor domain of Ncd (a kinesin motor involved in meiosis and mitosis) into three-dimensional density maps of Ncd-microtubule complexes calculated by cryo-electron microscopy and image analysis. The model reveals that Ncd shares an extensive interaction surface with the microtubule, and that a portion of the binding site involves loops that contain conserved residues. In the Ncd dimer, the microtubule-bound motor domain makes intimate contact with its partner head, which is dissociated from the microtubule. This head-head interaction may be important in positioning the dissociated head to take a step to the next binding site on the microtubule protofilament.
Conversion in Ottoman Balkans: A Historiographical Survey

This article surveys the Islamization of South-eastern Europe under the Ottoman rule. In Balkan history writing the question of conversion to Islam was, and still is, a highly charged political issue. It is intrinsically linked to the issues of formation of national identities and rival territorial claims of the Balkan states. The nationalist discourse of the current Balkan historiography defines all forms of Islamization as results of the Ottoman government's centrally organized policy of forced conversion. This study argues against this position and maintains that Islamization in each Balkan country took place in the course of many centuries and its nature and phase was determined not by the Ottoman government but by the specific conditions of each locality.
Bird genes give new insights into the origins of lipid antigen presentation.

Which came first: the chicken or the egg? This famous question has given the chicken much prominence as a metaphor for difficult questions about evolution. Now it seems that chickens have landed again in the middle of an interesting evolutionary question by becoming the first nonmammalian species shown to possess genes for CD1, a family of immunologically important molecules known to be present in most, if not all, mammals. Mammalian CD1 proteins are believed to perform a significant role in adaptive immunity by functioning as antigen-presenting molecules for T cell responses to a unique class of self and foreign antigens (1). However, CD1 has diverged considerably from other known antigen-presenting molecules, which are encoded by the class I and II genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), raising intriguing questions about the evolutionary relationship of these molecules. In this issue of PNAS, two groups report the identification of CD1 genes in the domestic chicken ( Gallus domesticus ) and its immediate wild ancestor, the Red Jungle Fowl ( Gallus gallus ), thus providing the first examples of CD1 genes in a non-mammalian species (2, 3). By extending the origin of CD1 back at least 300 million years to the time of the last common ancestor of birds and mammals, these findings support the view of CD1 as an ancient lineage of antigen-presenting molecules that, like the MHC class I and II families, was part of the early foundations of the adaptive immune system. The CD1 system was first brought to light by cloning of the five human CD1 genes by Calabi and Milstein (4), whose pioneering studies identified clear homology and structural similarity of CD1 molecules to MHC class I and II. However, the relatively low levels of sequence homology between CD1 and the MHC-encoded molecules suggested a very distant evolutionary relationship and …
Comparison of feeding and biodeposition of three bivalves at different food levels

Experiments on the edible mussel Mytilus edulis, the American oyster Crassostrea virginica, and the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria, using flowing systems, showed that the feeding and biodeposition rates were affected by food concentration. At all levels of food concentration, the order of increasing feeding rate (both the percent of available particulate carbon and the actual amount of carbon removed) was: clam < oyster < mussel. All bivalves exhibited lower feeding rates (both precent and actual) at low food concentrations. However, the precent of available food removed quickly increased to a maximum at food concentrations typical for the natural environment. This maximum remained constant for the mussel and oyster, but declined with increasing food concentration for the clam. However, because this percentage was for increasing levels, the actual carbon removed continued to increase up to the highest food level for all three bivalves. In increasing order of biodeposition rate, the bivalves were: clam < oyster < mussel. The biodeposition rates of the three bivalves increased logarithmically with increased food concentration as a result of the production of pseudofeces. The feeding and biodeposition data were used to calculate assimilation rates, and this pointed out the higher efficiency of the oyster compared to the mussel and clam.
Acceptor Substrate Selectivity and Kinetic Mechanism of Bacillus subtilis TagA

Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are anionic polymers that coat the cell walls of Gram-positive bacteria. Because they are essential for survival or virulence in many organisms, the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of WTAs are attractive antibiotic targets. The first committed step in the WTA biosynthetic pathway in Bacillus subtilis is catalyzed by TagA, which transfers N-acetylmannosamine (ManNAc) to the C4 hydroxyl of a membrane-anchored N-acetylglucosaminyl diphospholipid (GlcNAc-pp-undecaprenyl, lipid I) to make ManNAc-beta-(1,4)-GlcNAc-pp-undecaprenyl (lipid II). We have previously shown that TagA utilizes an alternative substrate containing a saturated C(13)H(27) lipid chain. Here we use unnatural substrates and products to establish the lipid preferences of the enzyme and to characterize the kinetic mechanism. We report that TagA is a metal ion-independent glycosyltransferase that follows a steady-state ordered Bi-Bi mechanism in which UDP-ManNAc binds first and UDP is released last. TagA shares homology with a large family of bacterial glycosyltransferases, and the work described here should facilitate structural analysis of the enzyme in complex with its substrates.
First Arrival Times And Diving-wave Tomography

First arrival times from shallow marine seismic data contain a wealth of near-surface information, but are commonly discarded at an early stage of the processing sequence. Conventional multichannel filter theory is adapted to estimate the near-surface slowness anomalies present in a conventibnal 2-D data set. The first arrival time perturbations produced by the anomalies are predicted in a least-squares sense. The output from the algorithm expresses the slowness variations in terms of the vertical traveltime perturbations produced relative to a known laterally invariant background model. A smoothly varying background model is used, and the first arrivals are considered to be diving waves. The inversion is performed in the offset-spatial frequency domain which provides a computationally efficient solution to the problem. The output provides estimates as to the magnitude and location of the slowness anomalies, and has the potential to provide dynamic traveltime corrections for the deeper reflection data.
USING SPECTRAL ANALYSIS FOR FORECAST MODEL SELECTION

Spectral analysis can be used to determine the general class of forecasting models which should be considered for purposes of generating forecasts of a marketing time series. Power spectral estimates and cross-spectral estimates can aid in selecting the most appropriate model when several variations of the predetermined class are under consideration.
Role of the physician in environmental and occupational asthma.

1990;98;162S-164S Chest Linda Rosenstock Occupational Asthma Role of the Physician in Environmental and http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/content/98/5_Supplement/162S.citation can be found online on the World Wide Web at: The online version of this article, along with updated information and services ) ISSN:0012-3692 http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/site/misc/reprints.xhtml ( without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. reserved. No part of this article or PDF may be reproduced or distributed Chest Physicians, 3300 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL 60062. All rights of been published monthly since 1935. Copyright1990by the American College is the official journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. It has Chest
Specific foetal growth rates of cetaceans

The numerous data in the International Whaling Statistics relating foetal length to date of catch have been studied. They can be used as alternatives to cube roots of foetal weights to give rates of foetal growth and for the computation of data of conception and foetal ages. There are major differences between the Mysticeti and Odontoceti. The main gestation period for the former is 10.8.±1-2 months and for the latter 14 ± 2 months. In both groups the greatest birth-weight is attained by an increased foetal growth rate, to such an extent in the rorquals that the gestation period in the largest is actually shorter than in the smaller species. There are dietetic and metabolic differences between the two sub-cohorts. The outstanding one is that pregnant mysticetes appear to stop feeding and lose body fat to the foetus during late pregnancy, at the time when the foetal increase in size is maximal. The causes of the differences in growth and metabolism of the two groups are unknown, apart from those imposed by differences in their ecology.
Diffusion in disordered media

Abstract Diffusion in disordered media is anomalous in that it does not follow the regular Fickian law of diffusion in homogeneous systems. This has important implications for the physics of transport phenomena in disordered media. Fractals and scaling theory have been particularly illuminating in this area of research. An elementary exposition of anomalous diffusion in disordered media and its physical consequences, based on the concept of fractals, are presented.
Validation of Practice Oriented Models and Influence of Soil Stiffness on Lateral Pile Response Due to Kinematic Loading

Earthquakes usually cause both inertial and kinematic loading of pile foundations. Inertial loading and lateral pile response can be predicted to a certain extent by lateral pile load tests for important engineering projects. However, there is no accepted in situ assessment method for pile behavior due to kinematic loading. Therefore, it is important for geotechnical engineering practice to validate the practice oriented models and examine the influence of soil strength parameters on the performance of kinematically loaded piles due to lateral spreading. For this purpose, a well-documented case of full-scale lateral spreading test conducted at Port of Tokachi in Japan by Ashford et al. (2006) is selected as a primary reference in terms of test data and site conditions. Four p-y analyses are performed using a special purpose software based on finite difference technique. The first two investigate the employment of different p-y curves suggested in the literature. The third one investigates the influence of...
Oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octenes in Organic Synthesis: Direct Ring Opening of Oxabicyclo[3.2.1] Ring Systems with Diisobutylaluminum Hydride and a Silyl Ketene AcetalSynthesis of the Chiral C(19)−C(26) and C(27)−C(32) Fragments of Scytophycin C

An efficient strategy for transforming meso-oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octenone 1 into optically active intermediates for macrolide synthesis has been developed. The direct bridgehead opening of optically active oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octene derivative 2 with hydride or a silyl ketene acetal utilizing the highly polar medium lithium perchlorate in diethyl ether resulted in highly functionalized cycloheptenones, which were transformed into the C(19)−C(26) and C(27)−C(32) fragments of Scytophycin C.
Three-dimensional finite element analysis using crystal plasticity for a parameter study of fatigue crack incubation in a 7075 aluminum alloy

Abstract Three-dimensional finite element analysis of a bicrystal using a crystal plasticity constitutive theory was performed to compute the maximum plastic shear strain range Δ γ max p in the matrix, at the particle/matrix interface, and at the bicrystal boundary. Using the finite element analysis results, a design of experiments (DOE) technique was employed to understand and quantify the effects of seven parameters on fatigue crack incubation: applied displacement, load ratio, particle modulus, the number of initially active slip systems, the relative crystallographic misorientation at the grain boundary, the particle aspect ratio, and the normalized particle size. The simulations clearly showed that the applied displacement is the most influential parameter. In most cases, particles were found to be more significant than bicrystal boundaries for incubation. The number of initially active slip systems, the particle aspect ratio, and the normalized particle size showed some influences on fatigue incubation. The particle modulus was the least influential parameter.
An asymptotic test of independence for multivariate t and Cauchy random variables with applications

An asymptotic test for independence for multivariate t and Cauchy random variables is developed based on Kullback-Leibler number. The mutual information number T(X) is obtained for the multivariate t and Cauchy distribution in a closed expression form as well as the moment generating function and asymptotic distribution for its sample estimator T(X). This test is applied to the multiple regression problem of stocks returns.
Challenge and Opportunity in Children’s Mental Health Research

Children’s mental health services research is both challenged and enriched by the complex environment of services and supports that exist for children and their families. It is a context in which the structures and processes that define children’s mental health are diffused across multiple sectors and the pathways to care are unclear, unavailable, and often inappropriate for the children and families most in need of services and support. 1,2 This context presents a challenging research environment because it requires the development of knowledge and understanding within diffused service settings, across multiple and often multifaceted funding and service structures, and in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and an array of public and private agencies. The complexity of the research environment in which children’s mental health research is conducted creates methodological challenges that make it difficult for researchers to study phenomena objectively and independently of the natural service delivery settings. How do we understand the functioning of children’s service systems when they are composed of so many individual and dynamic parts? How do we understand the individual components of systems when we cannot isolate them from their multiple influences and interconnections? Either way, this makes for a research environment in which there are no clear starting points, it is difficult to isolate an intervention or create a control group, and researchers cannot assume that any variables are truly independent. Yet, these issues are faced daily in children’s mental health services research. This complex research environment also offers advantages. It is rich in opportunities to build knowledge that is based on experience and context, to build evidence of what works, and provide understanding of how successful service delivery models can be adapted to meet local needs. This special issue of the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research (JBHS&R) on qualitative methods explores that opportunity. The goal of this special issue is to examine the process of conducting research in the real-world settings of children’s mental health and to learn more about those settings from the people who are part of them. The use of qualitative methods to build the knowledge base in children’s mental health services research is growing. Qualitative research methods are valued in developing knowledge through experience and context, in understanding multiple perspectives on an issue or topic, and in understanding the complexity in which phenomena exist. 3–5 Because child-serving environments
Live item index technique: an intervention research tool.

Background: Instruments commonly used in quality of life research may yield valid and reliable reflections of a person's state at a particular point in time. Yet, discrete items within those scales may be insensitive indicators for a specific population sample or intervention, thus creating what often appears to be chaotic data. Objectives: To evaluate the relative sensitivity of each item in three commonly used instruments for measuring quality of life in breast cancer survivors. Methods: Using data from 150 breast cancer survivors, absolute change scores were calculated for each of 98 items comprising the three scales. A Live Item Index Technique score was calculated by multiplying Magnitude and Breadth factors for each of the 98 items. The proportion of variance that each item contributed was calculated, and the items were ranked in terms of sensitivity. Results: Forty-eight "live" items accounted for 62% of total change score variance. The most sensitive item was over 12 times more sensitive than the least sensitive item. On average, live items were 1.7 times more sensitive than less sensitive items. Discussion: If appropriate to meet study objectives, in designing similar studies, one may consider removing the "dead" items that never change. With fewer items as end point measures, the study would become more efficient and a smaller sample size would be needed, thereby reducing research cost. Also, Live Item Index Technique can be used as an exploratory and developmental tool for constructing more effective interventions.
Setup reduction in printed circuit board assembly by efficient sequencing

Component setup time in printed circuit board (PCB) assembly makes up a significant part of the total production time in PCB manufacturing. The sequence in which PCBs are assembled is one of the fundamental factors determining the number of component switches that are needed. group technology techniques have been used to group PCB boards into similar groups to determine the assembly sequence. The measure of similarity is the key to the grouping problem. In PCB assembly, the similarity must be considered not only amongst different PCBs but must also taking into account the varying contents of the feeder rack on which the components are mounted in an incremental mode. In this paper, a new grouping strategy that combines the feeder rack contents into the similarity measure for efficient grouping is proposed. The groups of PCBs are then sequenced efficiently using a heuristic that resembles greedy tree traversal. The new grouping and group sequencing strategy outperforms existing methods of grouping particularly for large PCB component incidence matrices.
Effect of Photoperiod on Feeding, Intraperitoneal Fat, and Insulin-like Growth Factor-I in Sunshine Bass*

The length of the photoperiod has been implicated as affecting growth of sunshine bass. This study was done to determine if photoperiod length might affect insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), which is a major hormonal regulator of growth in fish. Growth, feed conversion, peritoneal fat content, and plasma concentrations of IGF-I of sunshine bass were compared on fish held on a short (8 h) or a long (16 h) photoperiod, or after the fish were switched from one photoperiod to the other. Fish were fed daily to apparent satiation for up to 5 wk and were not fed for the last 2 wk of the experiment. Body weight and intraperitoneal fat content increased for the first 2 wk of the experiment and then remained steady for the remainder of the experiment, and feed consumption decreased from 3.5% during the first 2 wk to about 1.5% for the second 2 wk and finally to only 1% during the last week of feeding. Plasma IGF-I concentrations fell steadily during the entire experiment and was at the lowest level during the last 2 wk when the fish were not fed. There was no consistent effect of the photoperiod in any of the conditions; however, feeding and IGF-I concentrations were affected by fish density.
In praise of beautiful women

In western culture, epideictic discourse praising beautiful women enjoys a long and colorful history, its authors ranging from Gorgias and Isocrates, who glorify Helen of Troy, to Norma Mailer and Bert Stern who deify long‐dead film star Marilyn Monroe. This paper analyzes, compares, and critiques the salient features of style and topics employed by these four in their encomiums. In so doing, this paper reveals commonalities of epistemology and style between Gorgias and Mailer and similarities of topics, or reasons why these two women should be praised, between Isocrates and Stern. These commonalities warrant the conclusion that neither time nor place has altered the constraints women must recognize and adhere to if they wish to be considered beautiful.
Reduction in methamphetamine induced sensitization and reinstatement after combined pergolide plus ondansetron treatment during withdrawal

Abstract We have previously found the 5-HT 3 receptor antagonist ondansetron to be useful in reducing cocaine self-administration and cocaine induced sensitization in rats when given during cocaine withdrawal. More recently we have found the combination of the dopamine agonist pergolide plus ondansetron, 3.5 h later, to reverse cocaine sensitization and associated changes in NMDA and AMPA receptors. Here we tested this drug combination in 1) a methamphetamine sensitization model and 2) a reinstatement model after intravenous methamphetamine self-administration using a nose-poke task. We found pergolide plus ondansetron given from days 3–7 of methamphetamine withdrawal to reverse methamphetamine induced sensitization and attenuate reinstatement. We hypothesize that pergolide may evoke a methamphetamine associated memory and that ondansetron can disrupt its reconsolidation. These data suggest that pergolide plus ondansetron treatment may be useful as a therapy to reduce relapse in methamphetamine abusers.
Male access to emergency contraception in pharmacies: a mystery shopper survey.

Abstract Background Pharmacy access to emergency contraception (EC) could involve men in pregnancy prevention. The objectives were to assess the availability and cost of EC. Study Design Male mystery shoppers visited 158 pharmacies in three neighborhoods in New York City. They asked for EC and its cost and noted weekend hours. Results Twenty-two (73.3%) of 30 pharmacies created barriers to get EC. The cost of EC was higher in the higher-socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhood (p Conclusions Overall, males had a 20% probability of not being able to access EC. The national dialogue should include males.
Marine viruses, a genetic reservoir revealed by targeted viromics

Metagenomics has opened new windows on investigating viral diversity and functions. Viromic studies typically require large sample volumes and filtration through 0.2 μm pore-size filters, consequently excluding or under-sampling tailed and very large viruses. We have optimized a targeted viromic approach that employs fluorescence-activated sorting and whole genome amplification to produce dsDNA-enriched libraries from discrete viral populations from a 1-ml water sample. Using this approach on an environmental sample from the Patagonian Shelf, we produced three distinct libraries. One of the virus libraries was dominated (79.65% of sequences with known viral homology) by giant viruses from the Mimiviridae and Phycodnaviridae families, while the two other viromes were dominated by smaller phycodnaviruses, cyanophages and other bacteriophages. The estimated genotypic richness and diversity in our sorted viromes, with 52–163 estimated genotypes, was much lower than in previous virome reports. Fragment recruitment of metagenome reads to selected reference viral genomes yields high genome coverage, suggesting little amplification and sequencing bias against some genomic regions. These results underscore the value of our approach as an effective way to target and investigate specific virus groups. In particular, it will help reveal the diversity and abundance of giant viruses in marine ecosystems.
Hypertension despite dehydration during severe pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis

Deeter KH, Roberts JS, Bradford H, Richards T, Shaw D, Marro K, Chiu H, Pihoker C, Lynn A, Vavilala MS. Hypertension despite dehydration during severe pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis. Objective: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) may result in both dehydration and cerebral edema but these processes may have opposing effects on blood pressure. We examined the relationship between dehydration and blood pressure in pediatric DKA. Design: A retrospective review was performed at Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA. Participants were hospitalized children less than 18 yr. Intervention(s) or main exposure was to patients with DKA (venous pH 300 mg/dL, HCO3 95%) was defined based on National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI, 2004) nomograms and hypotension was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) <70 + 2 [age]. Results: Thirty-three patients (median 10.9 yr; range 10 months to 17 yr) were included. Fifty-eight percent of patients (19/33) had hypertension on admission before treatment and 82% had hypertension during the first 6 h of admission. None had admission hypotension. Hypertension 48 h after treatment and weeks after discharge was common (28 and 19%, respectively). Based on weight gained by discharge, 27% of patients had mild, 61% had moderate, and 12% presented with severe dehydration. Conclusion: Despite dehydration, most children admitted with severe DKA had hypertension.
Virtually There: Exploring Proximity and Homophily in a Virtual World

Virtual space eliminates the constraints of physical distances on communication and interaction. In this study, we examine the impact of offline proximity and homophily of players on their online interactions in EverQuest II. The results show that spatial proximity as well as homophily still influence players’ online behavior.
Study of the Aharonov-Anandan quantum phase by NMR interferometry

Aharonov and Anandan have recently reformulated and generalized Berry's phase by showing that a quantum system which evolves through a circuit C in projective Hilbert space acquires a geometrical phase \ensuremath{\beta}(C) related to the topology of the space and the geometry of the circuit. We present NMR interferometry experiments in a three-level system which demonstrate the Aharonov-Anandan phase and its topological invariance for different circuits.
Dietary Considerations for the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity in Youth

The global rise of obesity in children has raised serious concern for their current and future health and well-being. The prevention and treatment of childhood and adolescent obesity must encompass all aspects of a child's life, including home, school, and other settings. A multidisciplinary approach is critical, including physical activity, behavioral factors, and proper dietary habits. Age-appropriate nutrition education and role modeling from adults in children's lives can be important in promoting lifelong healthy eating. Foods to emphasize include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, low-fat dairy products, and lean sources of protein. Foods and beverages with low nutrient density and high energy density should be consumed in moderation, within a child's discretionary calorie allowance. The overall diet must support proper growth, health, development, academic achievement, and well-being without supplying excess energy beyond needs.
Improvement of hazardous medication ordering practice by physician and nurse education and pharmacist intervention

Purpose Demonstrate a reduction in frequency of hazardous medication ordering practices by a quality improvement process of education and pharmacist intervention. Methods: Three ordering practices with potential to cause a 10-fold overdose according to the Institute of Safe Medication Practices were targeted for improvement at a 280 bed community hospital: 1. failure to use a leading 0 before the decimal point in doses <1; 2. use of trailing 0 after a decimal point; and 3. use of a handwritten “U” for “units” which can be misinterpreted as a “0”. Pre-intervention data revealed a frequency of 6.8 hazardous orders per day, with nurses responsible for 30% during the transcription of verbal/telephone orders, and physicians responsible for 70%. Problem-associated medications included digoxin (omission of leading 0), warfarin (use of trailing 0) and insulin (use of “U” for units). Educational materials discouraging these practices were distributed by the facility Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee and the hospital pharmacist contacted order writers during concurrent order review as indicated. Results: After intervention, hazardous ordering decreased to 0.79 orders/day. Physicians were responsible for 92% and nurses 8% of the remaining errors. Discussion: The potential for 10-fold overdose errors caused by hazardous order writing practices may be effectively reduced through communication and concurrent pharmacist review. Nurses appear very responsive as a group to these efforts. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P44–P44; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.164
A non-expansive pyramidal morphological image coder

Pyramid image coding is a natural coding scheme for applications where progressive transmission is desired. In this kind of coder, versions of the original image at several resolution levels are formed by successive filtering and subsampling. Then, beginning from the coarsest image, the image is used to produce an estimate for the next (higher resolution) level and the error is coded and transmitted. While expansive pyramids (e.g., Burt's Laplacian pyramid) are usually less efficient, non-expansive pyramids tend to produce ringing (e.g., subband/wavelet) and/or blocking (e.g., DCT). We introduce a non-expansive pyramid that does not, produce ringing or blocking effects. Instead, the main artifact is texture removal. The simulations have produced images with entropies in the range of 0.2 to 1.5 bpp, with SNR figures similar to or better than JPEG at equivalent rates. The proposed coder has several attractive features, including 8 bit integer operations only, a perfect reconstruction mode, progressive transmission and an interesting progressive computation property. >
A Rare Adult Cause of Dizziness

A 55-year-old man was seen with progressively worsening dizziness over 10 months. The initial assessment with unremarkable laboratory and imaging studies suggested a peripheral vestibular disorder. He was then lost to follow-up but later was seen with worsening ataxia. Additional imaging studies showed subtle parenchymal lesions in the posterior fossa. The differential diagnoses included nutritional deficiencies, autoimmune disorders, systemic malignancies, and intracranial tumors. The final diagnosis was confirmed by a biopsy.
Pipe vesicles—An alternate model for their origin

Most pipe vesicles occur near the base of basaltic flows where they are interpreted to be traces left by ascending gas bubbles. Some basaltic pillows also contain pipe vesicles, but in these pillows pipe vesicles have a radial distribution, indicating that buoyancy cannot be a factor in their formation. Pipe vesicles do not extend through chilled glassy margins at the base of flows or rims of pillows, but rather, they form only where there has been significant crystallization, indicating that the gas forming these vesicles is exsolved from the lava and is not derived from an external source. Pipe vesicles in flows and pillows are proposed to form by the exsolution of gas onto bubbles that are attached to the zone of solidification. As this zone advances into the cooling lava, continued exsolution of gas causes the bubbles to grow normal to the solidification front as pipes. Gas tubes formed in a similar manner can be seen in most ice cubes. Lava near the advancing tip of a pipe vesicle cools more rapidly than elsewhere because heat is able to transfer along the pipe by radiation. Pipe vesicles, therefore, grow into the lava as “cold fingers.” They cease growing when separate gas bubbles nucleate ahead of them in the ever broadening zone of solidification. Lava need contain no more than 0.01 wt% H 2 O for pipe vesicles to form in this way.
U.S. Cap-and-Trade Markets: Constraining Participants, Transactions, and Prices

AbstractThe U.S. Congress has recently considered legislation to establish a cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Critics of such a program have raised concerns about its abili...
Identification of the protein encoded by rodC, a cell division gene from Bacillus subtilis.

Summary The rodC 1 mutation of Bacillus subtilis is a temperature-sensitive marker which affects the orientation of the plane of cell division. We have cloned the rodC gene and have localized the site of the rodC 1 lesion. To identify the rodC gene product, we have subjected several plasmid clones containing B. subtilis chromosomal DNA from the rodC region to maxicell analysis in Escherichia coli. A 68 kiloDalton protein has been identified as the rodC gene product. This is the initial cloning of a cell division gene and the identification of its product from B. subtilis. The rodC gene has also been implicated as being directly associated with the synthesis of glycerol teichoic acid.
A gas chromatography-isotope dilution high-resolution mass spectrometry method for quantification of isomeric benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide hemoglobin adducts in humans.

concentrations in the low fmol range for BPTII-1 and BPTI-1 in all donors tested. The mean BaP adduct levels for smoking donors ( n = 9) were 0.022 fmol/mg hemoglobin for BPTII-1 and 0.070 fmol/mg hemoglobin for BPTI-1. The mean BaP adduct levels with hemoglobin for non smoking donors (n = 6) was 0.021 fmol/mg hemoglobin for BPTII-1 and 0.105 fmol/mg hemoglobin for BPTI-1.
Non-Photosynthetic Functions of Carotenoids

In addition to their important role as accessory pigments in photosynthesis, carotenoids also participate as agents which protect cells and tissues against the potentially harmful effects of visible radiation. They seem to play a unique role in this regard, for there are at least three separate mechanisms which can be invoked to explain the protective aspects of carotenoid function. These involve interrupting the potentially destructive photochemical reactions by quenching the triplet state of chlorophyll, physically inactivating the highly reactive singlet state of oxygen ( $^1\Delta_g$ ) which can be formed photochemically, and finally serving as an oxidizable substrate to protect other molecules and processes from photodestruction. These protective effects, which were first elucidated in mutant strains of photosynthetic organisms, have been shown to have an even wider role in nature, for many non-photosynthetic systems utilize carotenoid pigments for similar protective purposes.
Calcite Mud in a Holocene Back-barrier Lagoon: Lake Reeve, Victoria, Australia

ABSTRACT Lake Reeve is a coastal back-barrier lagoon that has been deprived of significant amounts terrigenous sediment for up to 4000 yr. During most of this period there has been no significant tidal or marine influence, and the lagoon is now schizohaline. Rainfall is seasonal: more than 50% is during June-August. Annual evaporation is 2.5 times precipitation, causing the lagoon to be intermittent, drying up during the summer. These conditions, plus the abundance of photosynthetic organisms, lead to widespread carbonate mud accumulation throughout most of the lagoon. This mud, up to 30 cm thick in some parts of the lagoon, is typically in the form of < 2 µm crystals. Unlike other carbonate-accumulating back-barrier lagoons, most of the CaCO3 is low-Mg calcite with some sk letal aragonite. High-Mg calcite is present in two small lakes within the Pleistocene barrier immediately landward of Lake Reeve, and no dolomite was detected. We interpret the carbonate mud to have resulted from the activities of cyanobacteria, which are abundant through much of Lake Reeve.
Nanocomposite of a chromium Prussian blue with TiO2. Redox reactions and the synthesis of Prussian blue molecule-based magnets

Abstract The reaction of [NEt4]3[Cr(CN)6] with titanium(III) p-toluenesulfonate at a pH of 2 affords a gray solid whose metal content and spectroscopic and magnetic properties are fully consistent with it being a Prussian blue material of stoichiometry “TiIII[CrIII(CN)6] · H2O”. The carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen content, however, are not consistent with this stoichiometry, and further investigation showed that the gray material has a powder X-ray diffraction profile, infrared spectrum, and magnetic properties very similar to those of the “all-chromium” Prussian blue CrII[CrIII(CN)6]0.67 · 6H2O. All data, including the C, H, and N weight percentages, are consistent with the conclusion that the material isolated is a nanocomposite of CrII[CrIII(CN)6]0.67 · xH2O and TiO2 in the ratio of 1–1.6. These results suggest that TiIII reduces some of the [CrIII(CN)6]3− ions to generate TiIV and CrII; the former hydrolyzes to amorphous TiO2 · 2H2O, the latter loses its bound CN ligands and reacts with unreacted [CrIII(CN)6]3− ions to generate the crystalline all-chromium PB species. The electrochemical potentials suggest that the [CrIII(CN)6]3− ion should not be reduced by TiIII; evidently, this unfavorable reaction is driven by the insolubility of the reaction products. The results constitute a cautionary tale in two respects: first, that the characterization of Prussian blue materials must be conducted with care and, second, that the insolubility of Prussian blue analogues can sometimes drive reactions that in solution are thermodynamically unfavorable.
Utilizing Qualitative Data Analysis Software

Atlas.ti is qualitative data analysis (QDA) software, and its recent version 5.2.12 is now more user friendly as a Windows-based application. Atlas.ti provides some very useful tools in academic research, particularly for social science disciplines. This review offers a case study of utilizing a QDA software package, with two examples of research presented to show how to utilize Atlas.ti. This will serve as a practical guide for qualitative researchers who are beginning to use the QDA software Atlas.ti.