cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contributions of an endonuclease IV homologue to DNA repair in the African swine fever virus.

We recently demonstrated that African swine fever virus DNA polymerase X (Pol X) is extremely error-prone during single-nucleotide gap-filling and that the downstream ASFV DNA ligase seals 3' mismatched nicks with high efficiency. To further assess the credence of our hypothesis that these proteins may promote viral diversification by functioning within the context of an aberrant DNA repair pathway, herein we characterize the third protein expected to function in this system, a putative AP endonuclease (APE). Assays of the purified protein using oligonucleotide substrates unequivocally establish canonical APE activity, 3'-phosphatase and 3'-phosphodiesterase activities (in the context of a single- nucleotide gap), 3' f 5' exonuclease activity (in the context of a nick), and nucleotide incision repair activity against 5,6-dihydrothymine. The 3' f 5' exonuclease activity is shown to be highly dependent upon the identity of the nascent 3' base pair and to be inhibited when 2-deoxyribose-5-phosphate, rather than phosphate, constitutes the 5' moiety of the nick. ASFV APE retains activity when assayed in the presence of EDTA but is inactivated by incubation with 1,10-phenanthroline in the absence of a substrate, suggesting that it is an endonuclease IV homologue possessing intrinsic metal cofactors. The activities of ASFV APE, when considered alongside those of Pol X and ASFV DNA ligase, provide an enhanced understanding of (i) the types of damage that are likely to be sustained by the viral genome and (ii) the mechanisms by which the minimalist ASFV DNA repair pathway, consisting of just these three proteins, contributes to the fitness of the virus.
A Linear Programming Solution to the Faculty Assignment Problem.

Abstract This paper investigates the problem of assigning faculty to courses at a university. A program is developed which is both efficient in that integer programming is not required, and effective, in that it facilitates interaction by administration in determining the optimal solution. The results of some empirical tests are also reported.
One two tandem of lamivudine and interferon might work for patients with chronic hepatitis B who failed interferon monotherapy

One two tandem of lamivudine and interferon might work for patients with chronic hepatitis B who failed interferon monotherapy
Permeability of sheets of nonwoven fibrous media

Abstract We introduce a computer lattice model for describing the factors controlling the diffusivity of fibrous sheets. In our approach, particles diffuse through the sheet by hopping between nearest-neighbor lattice sites. For a given sheet density, we find that ribbon-shaped fibers lead to larger voids and lower diffusivities. Our model results also indicate that interstitial voids between successive fiber swaths in a sheet do not improve permeability to flow.
Predictors of survival and the role of gender in postoperative myocardial infarction.

Abstract PURPOSE: To identify risk factors for mortality after postoperative myocardial infarction. METHOD: Retrospective study of 266 patients. RESULTS: The crude in-hospital mortality rate was 25%. This was more than twice as high as the mortality rate in patients admitted from home with an acute myocardial infarction. Women with postoperative infarction were the same age as men, but had a lower Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score prior to infarction ( P = 0.03) and a higher crude mortality rate. Multivariate analysis showed that female gender (relative risk 2.2, 95% confidence limits 1.2 to 4.2), current cigarette smoking (relative risk 2.3 [1.2 to 4.7]), a history of congestive heart failure (relative risk 2.1 [1.04 to 4.1], resuscitation status (relative risk 8.1 [2.0 to 32.9]), and high preoperative APACHE II score were significant independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Postoperative myocardial infarction is one of the most serious events a patient can experience. Women and current smokers are at especially high risk for mortality after postoperative myocardial infarction.
A Prospective Evaluation of Cholinergic Supersensitivity of the Iris Sphincter in Patients With Oculomotor Nerve Palsies

To evaluate the frequency and clinical correlates of preganglionic cholinergic supersensitivity of the iris sphincter, I prospectively tested 31 consecutive outpatients with oculomotor nerve palsies by comparing their pupil diameters in darkness before and 30 minutes after topical application of pilocarpine 0.1%. Supersensitive pupil responses were observed in the involved eye in five of 11 patients with compressive palsies, four of five patients with traumatic palsies, in the two patients with congenital palsies, and in none of the patients with ischemic palsies. Supersensitivity was statistically significantly associated with pupil involvement but not with aberrant regeneration of the extraocular muscles or pupil. The degree of supersensitivity was directly correlated with the amount of baseline anisocoria. These results establish that cholinergic supersensitivity of the pupil occurs frequently with nonischemic oculomotor nerve palsies and may be related to the degree of preganglionic injury to the pupillomotor fibers.
Injury discharges regulate calcium channel alpha-2-delta-1 subunit upregulation in the dorsal horn that contributes to initiation of neuropathic pain

Previous studies have shown that peripheral nerve injury in rats induces increased expression of the voltage gated calcium channel (VGCC) alpha-2-delta-1 subunit (Ca v alpha2 delta1) in spinal dorsal horn and sensory neurons in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) that correlates to established neuropathic pain states. To determine if injury discharges trigger Ca v alpha2 delta1 induction that contributes to neuropathic pain initiation, we examined allodynia onset and Ca v alpha2 delta1 levels in DRG and spinal dorsal horn of spinal nerve ligated rats after blocking injury induced neural activity with a local brief application of lidocaine on spinal nerves before the ligation. The lidocaine pretreatment blocked ligation-induced discharges in a dose-dependent manner. Similar pretreatment with the effective concentration of lidocaine diminished injury-induced increases of the Ca v alpha2 delta1 in DRG and abolished that in spinal dorsal horn specifically, and resulted in a delayed onset of tactile allodynia post-injury. Both dorsal horn Ca v alpha2 delta1 upregulation and tactile allodynia in the lidocaine pretreated rats returned to levels similar to that in saline pretreated controls 2 weeks post the ligation injury. In addition, preemptive intrathecal Ca v alpha2 delta1 antisense treatments blocked concurrently injury-induced allodynia onset and Ca v alpha2 delta1 upregulation in dorsal spinal cord. These findings indicate that injury induced discharges regulate Ca v alpha2 delta1 expression in the spinal dorsal horn that is critical for neuropathic allodynia initiation. Thus, preemptive blockade of injury-induced neural activity or Ca v alpha2 delta1 upregulation may be a beneficial option in neuropathic pain management.
Intron conservation in the DNA polymerase gene encoded by Chlorella viruses.

Abstract Previously we reported that 19 of 42 viruses that infect Chlorella strain NC64A (NC64A viruses) contain a short, nuclear-located, spliceosomal-processed intron in a pyrimidine dimer-specific glycosylase/apyrimidine lyase (pdg) gene. Surprisingly, the nucleotide sequence of the intron region is more conserved than the exon regions of the gene (L. Sun et al., 2000, J. Mol. Evol. 50, 82–92). For comparative purposes, we determined the nucleotide sequence of a similar intron type and its flanking coding regions in the DNA polymerase (dnapol) gene from the same 42 NC64A viruses and also 5 viruses that infect Chlorella strain Pbi. Thirty-eight of the 42 NC64A viruses contained a 101-nucleotide intron and the remaining 4 had an 86-nucleotide intron located in the same position in dnapol. The 4 viruses with the smaller intron in dnapol also have a smaller intron in their pdg gene. There was no intron in the dnapol gene of the 5 Pbi viruses. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the dnapol genes containing the 86-nucleotide intron represent the ancestral condition among the NC64A viruses. The intron in the dnapol gene is phase 0 (keeps codons intact), which differs from the phase 1 intron in the pdg gene. The intron in the dnapol gene, unlike the pdg intron, was conserved (83 to 100% identical) to about the same extent as the coding regions of the gene (78 to 100% identical).
Hypothalamic control of thyroid gland activity and gonadal activity in the goldfish, Carassius auratus ☆

Abstract A stereotaxic method for placement of electrodes in the goldfish hypothalamus was described. Electrolytic lesions in the nucleus preopticus (NP), or bilaterally in the NP-hypophyseal tract, did not effect thyroid activity or gonadal activity. Lesions that destroyed the nucleus lateralis tuberis (NLT) pars anterior in the region anterior of the pituitary stalk made the animals hyperthyroid, but they had no effect on gonadal activity. Lesions that destroyed the NLT pars posterior and the posterior part of the NLT pars anterior significantly increased thyroid activity and significantly decreased gonadal activity. Lesions in the pituitary stalk, without destruction of any nuclear region of the hypothalamus, also induced hyperthyroidism and decreased gonadal activity. Lesions in the posterior hypothalamus, dorsal hypothalamus, and epithalamus had no significant effects in terms of these parameters. The results provide direct evidence for hypothalamic control of thyroid gland activity in the goldfish. The hyperthyroid response of some of the groups of lesioned fish indicates that this control is mediated by a factor which normally inhibits the secretion of thyrotropin by the pituitary gland and may be called the thyrotropin inhibitory factor (TIF). Viewed together, the lesions identify the NLT pars anterior and NLT pars posterior as the TIF hypophysiotropic center. The results provide direct evidence also for hypothalamic control of gonadal activity in the goldfish. This control is mediated by a factor which stimulates the secretion of gonadotropin and may be called the gonadotropin-releasing factor (GFR). The lesions identify the NLT pars posterior and the posterior part of the NLT pars anterior as the GRF hypophysiotropic center.
Manganese-based Materials Inspired by Photosynthesis for Water-Splitting

In nature, the water-splitting reaction via photosynthesis driven by sunlight in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria stores the vast solar energy and provides vital oxygen to life on earth. The recent advances in elucidating the structures and functions of natural photosynthesis has provided firm framework and solid foundation in applying the knowledge to transform the carbon-based energy to renewable solar energy into our energy systems. In this review, inspired by photosynthesis robust photo water-splitting systems using manganese-containing materials including Mn-terpy dimer/titanium oxide, Mn-oxo tetramer/Nafion, and Mn-terpy oligomer/tungsten oxide, in solar fuel production are summarized and evaluated. Potential problems and future endeavors are also discussed.
Comprehensive biomechanical modeling and simulation of the upper body

We introduce a comprehensive biomechanical model of the human upper body. Our model confronts the combined challenge of modeling and controlling more or less all of the relevant articular bones and muscles, as well as simulating the physics-based deformations of the soft tissues. Its dynamic skeleton comprises 68 bones with 147 jointed degrees of freedom, including those of each vertebra and most of the ribs. To be properly actuated and controlled, the skeletal submodel requires comparable attention to detail with respect to muscle modeling. We incorporate 814 muscles, each of which is modeled as a piecewise uniaxial Hill-type force actuator. To simulate biomechanically-realistic flesh deformations, we also develop a coupled finite element model with the appropriate constitutive behavior, in which are embedded the detailed 3D anatomical geometries of the hard and soft tissues. Finally, we develop an associated physics-based animation controller that computes the muscle activation signals necessary to drive the elaborate musculoskeletal system in accordance with a sequence of target poses specified by an animator.
THE MAGNETIC MONOPOLE FIFTY YEARS LATER

This is a jubilee year. In 1931, P. A. M. Dirac1 founded the theory of magnetic monopoles. In the fifty years since, no one has observed a monopole; nevertheless, interest in the subject has never been higher than it is now.
Black Grandmothers in Multigenerational Households: Diversity in Family Structure and Parenting Involvement in the Woodlawn Community

We report here the frequency of black grandmothers' coresidence in households with first-grade children, their patterns of involvement in parenting, and the degree to which family structure and employment affected the grandmothers' parenting involvement in a 1966/1967 community-defined population. Coresidence between grandmothers and their target first-grade grandchildren was found in 10% of the households. The 130 grandmothers' parenting involvement was substantial, second only to mother involvement, and was characterized by 2 parenting activity patterns: control and punishment, and support and punishment. The degree of grandmothers' parenting involvement differed by family structure, with grandmothers in mother-absent homes most likely to be involved. Grandmothers' employment did not moderate their engagement in parenting behaviors. These findings are consistent with previous reports of significant parenting involvement by black extended family members.
Global distribution of stratospheric aerosols by satellite measurements

A description is given of the first-ever global stratospheric aerosol climatology which is being developed by the earth-orbiting SAM II and SAGE satellite-based sensors. These sensors use the technique of solar occulation; that is, for every spacecraft sunrise and sunset, the modulation of solar intensity caused by the intervening earth-limb is measured. These data are mathematically inverted to yield vertical profiles of aerosol extinction coefficients with 1 km resolution. The data show seasonal variations which are similar in each hemisphere, with strong correlation between aerosol extinction and the corresponding temperature field. Typical values of extinction in the stratosphere are found to be about 0.0001 to 0.0002 per km at 1 micrometer; stratospheric optical depths at this wavelength are about 0.002. The peak extinction in the stratospheric aerosol layer follows the tropopause with altitude, with peak extinction ratios about 10 km above the local tropopause.
“Zoning-in” on information systems service quality: continuous refinement of the SERVQUAL measurement

Considerable debate in marketing has challenged the conceptual and psychometric properties of the SERVQUAL measure of service quality and drawn into question the instrument’s practical value. One of the most noticeable outcomes of this debate has been the development and testing of an improved SERVQUAL instrument by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1994b). This new scale, SERVQUAL+, demonstrates improved validity and addresses many of the critics’ concerns related to the original SERVQUAL. The new scales are reported to clarify the relationships among different standards of expectations and perceived service quality. The underlying model of SERVQUAL+ posits that service expectations exist at two levels which customers use as standards in assessing service quality: (1) desired service: the level of service representing a blend of what customers believe “can be” and “should be” provided, and (2) adequate service: the minimum level of service customers are willing to accept. Separating these two levels is a “zone of tolerance” that represents the range of service performance a customer would consider satisfactory. This study will adapt the SERVQUAL+ measurement to the IS setting, confirm its psychometric validity and evaluate the practical value of its “zone of tolerance” concept. 1. RESEARCH INTRODUCTION Recognizing the need to more comprehensively measure information services (IS) quality, Kettinger and Lee (1994) introduced the widely studied SERVQUAL service quality measure from marketing as a possible enhancement to the existing user information satisfaction measure. Pitt et al. (1995) further extended the application of SERVQUAL in IS by independently testing SERVQUAL’s reliability and validity in samples from three different organizations. Interestingly, while these papers adapting SERVQUAL to the IS context were slowly working their way through the IS review process in the early 1990s, a vigorous debate was taking seed in the marketing field concerning the conceptual and empirical integrity of this popular instrument. Recently, critics have pointed out conceptual and empirical difficulties with the original SERVQUAL instrument and suggest that alternatives to the original “gap scored” IS-adapted SERVQUAL should be used (Van Dyke et al. 1997). As a result of the debate in marketing, important contributions have been made by Zeithaml et al. (1993) and by Parasuraman et al. (1994b). In these studies, they proposed and tested three alternative service quality measures in
Interrelation between continuous and discrete relaxation time spectra

Abstract A relation has been derived between the continuous and the discrete forms of linear viscoelastic relaxation-time spectra. Both forms can be interconverted, and they are equivalent in their ability to reproduce G′(ω), G″(ω), or G(t) data. The linear superposition of even only a few Maxwell-modes is able to mimic the continuous form. This rapid conversion leads to the ‘parsimonious’ spectrum which models the linear viscoelastic relaxation with the smallest possible number of modes. Typical experimental spectra of broadly distributed and of monodisperse polymers provide the means for testing the proposed relations. Effects of noise and data density were studied for G′, G″-data sets.
PixLabeler: User Interface for Pixel-Level Labeling of Elements in Document Images

We present a user interface design for labeling elements in document images at a pixel level. Labels are represented by overlay color, which might map to such terms as “handwriting”, “machine print”, “graphics”, etc. The primary purpose is to streamline processes for manual production of ground truth data, which is necessary for training algorithms and evaluating performance. Unlike general paint-type programs, the UI design is targeted specifically toward selection of collections of foreground pixels that are likely to be meaningful elements in a document image analysis context. Our implementation, called PixLabeler, is available for download and allows customized plug-ins for bootstrapping according to the labeling task.
Extrapulmonary transport of MWCNT following inhalation exposure

Inhalation exposure studies of mice were conducted to determine if multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) distribute to the tracheobronchial lymphatics, parietal pleura, respiratory musculature and/or extrapulmonary organs. Male C57BL/6 J mice were exposed in a whole-body inhalation system to a 5 mg/m3 MWCNT aerosol for 5 hours/day for 12 days (4 times/week for 3 weeks, lung burden 28.1 ug/lung). At 1 day and 336 days after the 12 day exposure period, mice were anesthetized and lungs, lymph nodes and extrapulmonary tissues were preserved by whole body vascular perfusion of paraformaldehyde while the lungs were inflated with air. Separate, clean-air control groups were studied at 1 day and 336 days post-exposure. Sirius Red stained sections from lung, tracheobronchial lymph nodes, diaphragm, chest wall, heart, brain, kidney and liver were analyzed. Enhanced darkfield microscopy and morphometric methods were used to detect and count MWCNT in tissue sections. Counts in tissue sections were expressed as number of MWCNT per g of tissue and as a percentage of total lung burden (Mean ± S.E., N = 8 mice per group). MWCNT burden in tracheobronchial lymph nodes was determined separately based on the volume density in the lymph nodes relative to the volume density in the lungs. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used to examine MWCNT structure in the various tissues. Tracheobronchial lymph nodes were found to contain 1.08 and 7.34 percent of the lung burden at 1 day and 336 days post-exposure, respectively. Although agglomerates account for approximately 54% of lung burden, only singlet MWCNT were observed in the diaphragm, chest wall, liver, kidney, heart and brain. At one day post exposure, the average length of singlet MWCNT in liver and kidney, was comparable to that of singlet MWCNT in the lungs 8.2 ± 0.3 versus 7.5 ± 0.4 um, respectively. On average, there were 15,371 and 109,885 fibers per gram in liver, kidney, heart and brain at 1 day and 336 days post-exposure, respectively. The burden of singlet MWCNT in the lymph nodes, diaphragm, chest wall and extrapulmonary organs at 336 days post-exposure was significantly higher than at 1 day post-exposure. Inhaled MWCNT, which deposit in the lungs, are transported to the parietal pleura, the respiratory musculature, liver, kidney, heart and brain in a singlet form and accumulate with time following exposure. The tracheobronchial lymph nodes contain high levels of MWCNT following exposure and further accumulate over nearly a year to levels that are a significant fraction of the lung burden 1 day post-exposure.
WET DEPOSITION OF CURRENT-USE PESTICIDES IN THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAIN RANGE, CALIFORNIA, USA

Atmospheric inputs of pesticides transported from California's Central Valley to the Sierra Nevada mountains (California, USA) were investigated by collecting winter-spring precipitation (rain and snow) from Sequoia National Park and from the Lake Tahoe basin. Pesticides currently used in California's Central Valley were detected in snow and rain samples from two elevations in Sequoia National Park (SNP) in the southern Sierras. At the lower elevation site (533 m), chlorothalonil was present at the highest levels (,0.4-85 ng/L), followed by malathion (,0.046-24 ng/L), diazinon (,0.21-19 ng/L), and chlorpyrifos (1.3-4.4 ng/ L). At 1,920 m elevation, chlorothalonil was also present at the highest levels ( ,0.57-13 ng/L) followed by diazinon (,0.057-14 ng/L), chlorpyrifos (1.1-13 ng/L), and malathion (,0.045-6 ng/L). Trifluralin, a- and g-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), and a- and b-endosulfan were also detected at both locations and at lower concentrations, generally ranging from 0.5 to 2 ng/L. In the Lake Tahoe basin, elevation 2,200 m, malathion was also found in snow at concentrations ranging from ,0.046 to 18 ng/L, as was diazinon (,0.057-7 ng/L), chlorpyrifos (0.30-3.4 ng/L), and chlorothalonil (0.66-1.7 ng/L). Chlorothalonil, chlorpryifos, a- and g-HCH, and a-endosulfan were found in surface and deep water samples at two locations in Lake Tahoe and at concentrations similar to those found in snow within the lake basin. Lake Tahoe basin snow samples in general had lower concentrations than those from SNP. This difference in concentration levels reflects the closer proximity of downwind pesticide usage to SNP than the Lake Tahoe basin. An estimated annual loading of one chemical, chlorpyrifos, of 24 to 31 kg/year was made for the SNP land area. Comparisons of observed concentrations were made with reported aquatic toxicity and water criteria levels.
Curve-fitting paradox

We consider the paradoxical situation arising in the standard multiple regression analysis in that as the standard error of prediction decreases by introduction of additional variables (descriptors) at the same time the standard error of the coefficients of the regression analysis increases, often to the point of the coefficients having no statistical validity. We trace the origin of this paradoxical situation to intercorrelation of the variables. A remedy to this curve-fitting paradox is in the introduction of orthogonal variables or descriptors. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
MR Enterography in the Management of Patients with Crohn Disease

Crohn disease is a complex pathologic process with an unpredictable lifelong course that includes frequent relapses. It often affects young patients, who are most vulnerable to the potential adverse effects of repeated exposure to ionizing radiation from computed tomography performed for diagnosis and surgical planning. The small intestine is the bowel segment that is most frequently affected, but it is the least accessible with endoscopic techniques. Magnetic resonance (MR) enterography has the potential to safely and noninvasively meet the imaging needs of patients with Crohn disease without exposing them to ionizing radiation. Appropriate use of MR enterography requires a carefully crafted protocol to depict signs of active inflammation as well as complications such as bowel obstruction, fistulas, and abscesses. Interpretation of MR enterographic images requires familiarity with the imaging signs and mimics of active bowel inflammation and stenosis. Although MR enterography currently is helpful for management in individual patients, the standardization of acquisition protocols and interpretive methods would increase its usefulness for more rigorous, systematic assessments of Crohn disease treatment regimens.
ESTIMATE OF CLAY-MINERAL CONTENT: ADDITIONS OF PROPORTIONS OF SOIL CLAY TO CONSTANT STANDARD

The method of known additions for estimating clay-mineral content was reversed in that in- creasing proportions of soil clay were added to a standard composed of equal weights of kaolinite, illite, and montmorillonite. After glycolation, peak-area ratios were calculated from 7.2 (kaolinite), 10 (illite), 14 and 17/~ (vermiculite and montmorillonite) diffraction peaks of standard, mixes, and soil clay. Ratios were plotted against % soil clay from the standard (0%) through the mixes (14 to 77%). Curves of fit were cal- culated and projected to 100% soil clay giving theoretical values which agree with measured values. As weight proportions are known in the standard, the projections permit estimates of clay-mineral weight proportions in the soil clay.
Conflict in Group Therapy The Management of Individual Differences

We present a new model for understanding how individuals manifest conflict in group psychotherapy and the major changes in technique following from this model. It is proposed that individuals make unconscious decisions to expose conflict when it is safe to do so, as opposed to traditional dynamic theory, in which conflict emerges when it erupts out of defensive control. Control-mastery theory is described and compared with traditional dynamic approaches to group therapy. An extended clinical example (not included but available on request) demonstrates technical innovations that are useful for management of group conflict and that respond to the presence of often strongly contradictory individual growth needs in the group setting.
Criteria for Resolution and the Resolving Power of Absorbing Prisms

A method is outlined by which the limiting resolving power of any prism may be readily determined. It has been necessary to redefine the limit of resolution as the minimum angular of the central maxima of the individual diffraction images at which there may exist a minimum of total intensity between the positions of the individual central maxima. Application to a 10-cm rocksalt prism is included.
Politics and Prosecutions, from Katherine Fite to Fatou Bensouda

Based on the Katherine B. Fite Lecture delivered at the 5th Annual International Humanitarian Law Dialogs in Chautauqua, New York, this essay examines the role that politics has played in the evolution of international criminal justice. It first establishes the frame of the lecture series and its relation to IntLawGrrls blog, a cosponsor of the IHL Dialogs. It then discusses the career of the series' namesake, Katherine B. Fite, a State Department lawyer who helped draft the Charter of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg and who was, in her own words, a "political observer" of the proceedings. The essay then turns to the the International Criminal Court, in which the first Prosecutor insisted that his was a "judicial" mandate wholly separate from politics. With an eye to transition this year, when a new Prosecutor will assume office, it considers how the ICC might work more effectively within the context of policy choices its officers make.
Mucin (Muc-1) expression is differentially regulated in uterine luminal and glandular epithelia of the baboon (Papio anubis).

Changes in the organization and composition of apical cell surface glycoconjugates accompany the transition of luminal epithelial cells from the prereceptive state of the uterus in many species. In spite of the biological and clinical significance of this process, few molecular markers have arisen as useful predictors of uterine receptivity. Recent studies in mice demonstrate that the transmembrane mucin glycoprotein, Muc-1, is abundantly expressed at the apical surface of luminal epithelia under most conditions and is invariably reduced in receptive uteri. These and other observations have led to the suggestion that mucins serve an antiadhesive role and function to maintain a nonreceptive uterine state. A pan-species Muc-1 specific antibody recognizing a peptide motif conserved in the cytoplasmic domain of Muc-1 was used to examine the temporal and spatial expression of cell-associated Muc-1 in baboon uteri under a variety of conditions, including the pre- and perimplantation periods. Muc-1 expression was not driven by estrogen influences alone, but required progesterone action. In animals exposed to both steroids, Muc-1 was expressed at low moderate levels in epithelia of the basalis and functionalis regions. The highest expression of Muc-1 was detected in surface epithelium of the preimplantation phase, i.e., up to Day 8 (Day 0 = day of ovulation), or in ovariectomized animals receiving a steroid hormone regime that mimicked this phase (14 days of estrogen priming followed by 7 days of estrogen plus progesterone). Continued exposure to both hormones, i.e., as seen at Days 10-12 or in ovariectomized baboons given 14 days of estrogen plus progesterone treatment after estrogen priming, resulted in marked reduction of Muc-1 expression in the surface epithelium; however, staining patterns in the glandular epithelium were unchanged by this treatment. The expression of Muc-1 on the surface epithelium during the prereceptive phase was associated with the presence of both estrogen and progestin receptors in these epithelia. Muc-1 expression was reduced by neither antiestrogen treatment during the prereceptive stage nor antiprogestin treatment through to the receptive phase. Furthermore, persistent Muc-1 expression in the functionalis and basalis epithelium correlated with expression of progestin receptors. Thus, Muc-1 expression appeared to be progesterone-dependent rather than estrogen-dependent. It is concluded that Muc-1 expression in surface epithelium serves as a marker of the prereceptive phase in the baboon and that loss of Muc-1 from surface epithelium correlates with generation of a receptive uterine state.
Clinical Utility of Biochemical Markers of Bone Remodeling

Remodeling is essential for bone health. It begins with resorption of old bone by osteoclasts, followed by the formation of new bone by osteoblasts. Remodeling is coupled (formation is linked to resorption). After middle age or perhaps beginning earlier, bone loss occurs because resorption exceeds formation. This imbalance is accentuated by estrogen deficiency as well as by many diseases and conditions. Biochemical markers that reflect remodeling and can be measured in blood or urine include resorption markers (e.g., collagen cross-links) and formation markers (e.g., alkaline phosphatase). Bone markers exhibit substantial short-term and long-term fluctuations related to time of day, phase of the menstrual cycle, and season of the year, as well as diet, exercise, and anything else that alters bone remodeling. These biological factors, in addition to assay imprecision, produce significant intra- and interindividual variability in markers. Bone marker measurements are noninvasive, inexpensive, and can be repeated often. Unfortunately, most of the studies that provided insight on clinical situations did not focus on markers as a primary endpoint. Bone markers have been useful in clinical practice and have been helpful in understanding the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and the mechanism of action of therapies. In clinical trials, markers aid in selecting optimal dose and in understanding the time course of onset and resolution of treatment effect. Clinical questions that might be answered by bone markers include diagnosing osteoporosis, identifying "fast bone losers" and patients at high risk of fracture, selecting the best treatment for osteoporosis, and providing an early indication of the response to treatment. Additional information is needed to define specific situations and cut points to allow marker results to be used with confidence in making decisions about individual patients.
Discrete-time entropy formulation of optimal and adaptive control problems

The discrete-time version of the entropy formulation of optimal control of problems developed by G.N. Saridis (1988) is discussed. Given a dynamical system, the uncertainty in the selection of the control is characterized by the probability distribution (density) function which maximizes the total entropy. The equivalence between the optimal control problem and the optimal entropy problem is established, and the total entropy is decomposed into a term associated with the certainty equivalent control law, the entropy of estimation, and the so-called equivocation of the active transmission of information from the controller to the estimator. This provides a useful framework for studying the certainty equivalent and adaptive control laws. >
Extraction of liquid fuels and chemicals from terrestrial higher plants. Part I. Yields from a survey of 614 Western United States plant taxa

Abstract In an effort to identify higher plants which may be useful as alternative new sources of fuels or chemical feedstocks, 832 plants representing 614 taxa from the arid and semi-arid regions of the western United States were collected and analyzed for their yields of nonpolar (hexane-extractable) and polar (methanol-extractable) constituents. Taxa with yields of up to 16·4% (dry weight) of nonpolar extractables (i.e. Chrysothammus paniculatus, Parthenium argentatum ) and up to 43·3% (dry weight) of polar extractables (i.e. Rhus trilobata, Stillingia sylvatica ) were identified. A complete list of all the taxa surveyed, with yields, is included so that low-yielding taxa can be eliminated from subsequent surveys and further consideration.
Trace elements in human follicular fluid: development of a sensitive multielement ICP-MS method for use in biomonitoring studies

Little information is available in the literature regarding trace element analysis of human follicular fluid. Most peer-reviewed publications offer few details about sample preparation, method development, or method validation. We have attempted to fill this gap in current knowledge by providing comprehensive details of our method development and validation process for the measurement of 24 trace elements (As, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Hg, Mo, Mg, Mn, Pb, Pt, Rb, Se, Sb, Sn, Sr, Tl, U, V, W, Zn) in follicular fluid. A number of different sample preparation procedures were explored, with a goal of optimizing method detection limits (MDLs), for both quadrupole-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (Q-ICP-MS) and sector field (SF)-ICP-MS. Human follicular fluid samples (n = 72) were obtained from 64 women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, and were successfully analyzed for 24 trace elements using SF-ICP-MS.
Epidemiology of community-onset candidemia in Connecticut and Maryland.

BACKGROUND Almost one-third of patients with bloodstream infections with Candida species (candidemia) have onset of disease that occurs outside of the hospital or < or = 2 days after hospital admission (i.e., community-onset candidemia). We compared the characteristics of patients who developed candidemia by the timing of onset of infection. METHODS Incident episodes of candidemia were identified through active, population-based surveillance in Connecticut and in Baltimore and Baltimore County, Maryland, during 1 October 1998-30 September 2000. The molecular subtypes of a sample of 45 Candida parapsilosis isolates were evaluated using Southern blots hybridized with the complex probe Cp3-13. RESULTS Overall, 356 (31%) of the 1143 incident episodes of candidemia were classified as community-onset disease (occurring < or = 2 days after hospital admission), and 132 (37%) were caused by Candida albicans, 89 (25%) were caused by Candida glabrata, 57 (16%) were caused by C. parapsilosis, and 53 (15%) were caused by Candida tropicalis. Community-onset disease was less likely to be associated with concurrent immunosuppressive therapy, recent surgery, or use of a central venous catheter, compared with inpatient disease. Among patients with community-onset disease, the median time from blood culture to initiation of antifungal treatment was 2.7 days, the 30-day case-fatality rate was 26%, and 262 patients (75%) had been hospitalized at least once in the previous 3 months. Although there were few differences between patients with very recent hospitalization (in the previous 1 month), less recent hospitalization (previous 1-3 months), and no documented past hospitalization, C. parapsilosis was more frequently associated with community-onset disease as hospitalization became more distant. C. parapsilosis strains tended to be unique to the patient, with little similarity found between strain types, on the basis of epidemiologic classification of patients. CONCLUSION We report that community-onset candidemia is common and occurs in patients with extensive contact with the health care system. Disease caused by C. parapsilosis tends to involve unique strains.
An evaluation of the Factor V Leiden mutation in a cohort of African-American pregnant women

The objective of this work was to study the prevalence of the Factor V Leiden mutation in an obstetrical clinic largely comprised of African-American women. A cross-sectional study was performed evaluating a total of 231 consecutive women of African-American origin. Of these patients, 21 were considered at high risk for thrombosis, but none was found to carry the mutation. One patient (0.4 per cent) of the total was heterozygous for the Factor V Leiden mutation. African-American women do not appear to be at an increased risk of being heterozygous or homozygous for the Leiden mutation. This low prevalence may be confounded by ascertainment bias in a population of pregnant women.
The Standard Definition of Creativity

This Correction focuses on issues surrounding definitions of creativity. No topic is more central to research on creativity. There is a clear need to “correct” at least one all-too-common oversight...
Interaction structures between a child and two therapists in the psychodynamic treatment of a child with borderline personality disorder

This study examined the constellation of interaction structures – repetitive patterns of interactions between patient and therapist over the course of treatment – that emerged in the psychodynamic therapy (PDT) of a child diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and treated by two doctoral student therapists. Identification of these interaction structures can inform therapists of what might be expected from patients with particular symptom or behaviour patterns and how interactions change over time. This study also examined each session’s adherence to three session prototypes: PDT, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and reflective functioning (RF) process. The Child Psychotherapy Q-Set (CPQ) is a 100-item instrument that assesses the processes within a single psychotherapy session. Items reflect a wide range of therapist attitudes and behaviours, patient attitudes and behaviours and interactions between therapist and patient. Experts used the CPQ to define PDT, CBT and RF process session prototypes...
Efficacy of neo-adjuvant gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) in muscle-invasive urothelial cancer (UC)

5077 Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with methotrexate-vinblastine-doxorubicin-cisplatin (MVAC) plus radical cystectomy (RC) improves survival over cystectomy alone in urothelial cancer (UC); ...
Single-molecule imaging reveals the mechanism of Exo1 regulation by single-stranded DNA binding proteins.

Exonuclease 1 (Exo1) is a 5′→3′ exonuclease and 5′-flap endonuclease that plays a critical role in multiple eukaryotic DNA repair pathways. Exo1 processing at DNA nicks and double-strand breaks creates long stretches of single-stranded DNA, which are rapidly bound by replication protein A (RPA) and other single-stranded DNA binding proteins (SSBs). Here, we use single-molecule fluorescence imaging and quantitative cell biology approaches to reveal the interplay between Exo1 and SSBs. Both human and yeast Exo1 are processive nucleases on their own. RPA rapidly strips Exo1 from DNA, and this activity is dependent on at least three RPA-encoded single-stranded DNA binding domains. Furthermore, we show that ablation of RPA in human cells increases Exo1 recruitment to damage sites. In contrast, the sensor of single-stranded DNA complex 1—a recently identified human SSB that promotes DNA resection during homologous recombination—supports processive resection by Exo1. Although RPA rapidly turns over Exo1, multiple cycles of nuclease rebinding at the same DNA site can still support limited DNA processing. These results reveal the role of single-stranded DNA binding proteins in controlling Exo1-catalyzed resection with implications for how Exo1 is regulated during DNA repair in eukaryotic cells.
Emotional eating is associated with weight loss success among adults enrolled in a weight loss program

To examine associations between decreased emotional eating and weight loss success; and whether participation in a behavioral weight loss intervention was associated with a greater reduction in emotional eating over time compared to usual care. Secondary data analysis of a randomized controlled trial conducted at two university medical centers with 227 overweight adults with diabetes. Logistic and standard regression analyses examined associations between emotional eating change and weight loss success (i.e., weight loss of ≥7 % of body weight and decrease in BMI). After 6 months of intervention, decreased emotional eating was associated with greater odds of weight loss success (p = .05). The odds of weight loss success for subjects with decreased emotional eating at 12 months were 1.70 times higher than for subjects with increased emotional eating. No differences in change in emotional eating were found between subjects in the behavioral weight loss intervention and usual care. Strategies to reduce emotional eating may be useful to promote greater weight loss among overweight adults with diabetes.
Engineered 2D Materials for Efficient Biosensors

The emergence of 2-dimensional (2D) materials could herald numerous advanced scientific methodologies for both fundamental and applied research. These ultrathin materials can be functionalized and, thus, have the potential to make new devices and sensors that are both highly efficient and sensitive. In addition to being mechanically robust, the 2D materials can be engineered to provide sensor architectures that further increase their inherent high surface area by creating 3D geometries using layer by layer assembly to make stacked devices that could potentially be transparent. The increased sensor surface area would deliver increased signal-to-noise and sensitivity. Here highly sensitive and selective electrochemical detection of bio-analytes using some of engineered 2D materials such as graphene nano-ribbons, fluorinated graphene, and molybdenum disulfide is presented. It is found that surface moieties, defects and surface charges in these ultra-thin layers result in enhanced electron transfer kinetics between the electrodes and biomolecules. This in turn results in an oxidation or reduction of biomolecules with a high peak current, indicating the possible uses of 2D materials for various point-of-care devices. A novel stable 3D electrode geometry has been found to have enhanced heterogeneous electron transfer properties compared to 2D electrodes and provides evidence that electrode geometry and surface area could significantly impact the performance of biosensors.
Ectoparasites of the pelagic cormorant, Phalacrocorax pelagicus, from the Pribilof Islands, Alaska.

Ectoparasites of the Pelagic Cormorant, Phalacrocorax pelagicus Pallas, collected from St. Paul Island, Alaska, included two species of insects and five species of acarines. Astigmatid mites, Neottialges pelagicus OConnor and Scutomegninia sp. (undescribed), were the most abundant group of ectoparasites. The majority of N. pelagicus were collected from the breast and belly, whereas a feather mite, Scutomegninia sp. (undescribed), was recovered almost exclusively from the wings. Two species of ticks, Ixodes uriae White and Ixodes signatus Birula, formed the second most numerous group and showed a pattern of space partitioning. Two chewing lice, Pectinopygus insularis Clay and Eidmanniella pellucida (Rudow), and one cryptostigmatid mite, Ameronothrus nidicola Sitnikova, which seems to be a facultative symbiont, were relatively rare. A dissolution technique for ectoparasite extraction is described in detail.
Toward a queer music therapy: The implications of queer theory for radically inclusive music therapy

Abstract Interest in music therapy with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals has increased in the last decade, and the distinctive needs of the community have been acknowledged through the publication of LGBTQ best practices in music therapy ( Whitehead-Pleaux et al., 2012 ). Developing competencies around LGBTQ issues in music therapy is more complex than simply including, or incorporating, diverse sexual orientation, and gender identity issues, into an existing disciplinary framework, that has an historical hostility towards non-normative sexualities and genders. The challenges of conducting music therapy with LGBTQ populations within community settings has been documented in few sources, and this lack of attention in the existing music therapy literature has inspired an interdisciplinary framework by which to consider these challenges. First, we introduce and survey key developments in queer theory. Second, we explain how queer theory may complement and challenge recent developments in inclusive, and social justice-based, music therapy approaches. Then, we outline several potential therapeutic approaches with LGBTQ youth that reflect queer theory. Finally we discuss the broader implications of queer theory for music therapy, with the intent to move the field toward a radically inclusive approach to therapy with LGBTQ clients.