cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elimination of Peroxiredoxin 1 Abrogates Proliferation and Viability in Extracellular Matrix-Detached SKOV3 Ovarian Cancer Cells

Epithelial ovarian carcinoma has a relatively low survival rate due to the fact that this disease is often diagnosed after it has already progressed to stage III or stage IV, thus making the disease more difficult to treat. In order to successfully metastasize to these regional and distant sites, tumor cells must be able to overcome extracellular matrix (ECM)-detachment-induced effects, including combatting increased reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here, we investigate peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1) and find that PRDX1 plays an important role in proliferation in ECM-attached and ECM-detached SKOV3 cells, an epithelial ovarian carcinoma cell line. Furthermore, we find that PRDX1 deficiency in SKOV3 cells promotes a substantial decrease in cell viability in ECM detachment contributing to abrogated cell growth in anchorage independence. Thus, our study finds that PRDX1 deficiency uniquely compromises cell viability in ECM-detached cells, suggesting that PRDX1 could be a potential therapeutic target for late-stage epithelial ovarian carcinoma.
Finding our way to food democracy: Lessons from us food policy council governance

Food policy councils (FPCs) are an embodiment of food democracy, providing a space for community members, professionals, and government to learn together, deliberate, and collectively devise place-based strategies to address complex food systems issues. These collaborative governance networks can be considered a transitional stage in the democratic process, an intermediary institution that coordinates interests not typically present in food policymaking. In practice, FPCs are complex and varied. Due to this variety, it is not entirely clear how the structure, membership, and relationship to government of an FPC influence its policy priorities. This article will examine the relationship between an FPC’s organizational structure, relationship to government, and membership and its policy priorities. Using data from a 2018 survey of FPCs in the United States by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future paired with illustrative cases, we find that an FPC’s relationship to government and membership have more bearing on its policy priorities than the organizational structure. Further, the cases illustrate how membership is determined and deliberation occurs, highlighting the difficulty of including underrepresented voices in the process.
Laser nitriding of titanium surfaces for biomedical applications

Abstract In this paper, titanium nitrides were produced on commercially pure titanium samples by laser nitriding processes, with the goal of improving bio-compatibility and corrosion resistance. To identify the critical set of laser nitriding processing parameters (a combination of both laser scanning parameters and the N2 content processing gas), mouse MLO-Y4 cells were utilized for bio-compatibility evaluation, and simulated body fluid was used for electrochemical behavior examination to characterize corrosion performance. The modified surfaces were also characterized with scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and nano-indentation techniques to reveal the connections between the bio-compatibility/corrosion resistance performance and the nitrided layer composition, thickness, and surface roughness. For improved bio-compatibility and corrosion resistance performance, a dense and thick titanium-nitride dendritic layer is desirable, which can be formed in a pure N2 environment, together with a high laser energy density.
Construction Payment Automation Using Blockchain-Enabled Smart Contracts and Reality Capture Technologies

This paper presents a smart contract-based solution for autonomous administration of construction progress payments. It bridges the gap between payments (cash flow) and the progress assessments at job sites (product flow) enabled by reality capture technologies and building information modeling (BIM). The approach eliminates the reliance on the centralized and heavily intermediated mechanisms of existing payment applications. The construction progress is stored in a distributed manner using content addressable file sharing; it is broadcasted to a smart contract which automates the on-chain payment settlements and the transfer of lien rights. The method was successfully used for processing payments to 7 subcontractors in two commercial construction projects where progress monitoring was performed using a camera-equipped unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) equipped with a laser scanner. The results show promise for the method's potential for increasing the frequency, granularity, and transparency of payments. The paper is concluded with a discussion of implications for project management, introducing a new model of project as a singleton state machine.
Chronic opioid use is associated with early biologic discontinuation in inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND Chronic opioid use is associated with poorer clinical outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease. AIMS To investigate an association between chronic opioid use and persistence with biologic agents in management of inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS A total of 16 624 patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease and receiving a first-time biologic prescription from 2011 to 2016 were identified retrospectively from the Truven MarketScan Database. A cohort of 1768 patients were identified as chronic opioid users utilising outpatient prescription claims. Utilisation patterns of biologic therapies were assessed from inpatient administration and outpatient claims data, including persistence calculations. Information on healthcare utilisation and common comorbidities was also collected. A Cox regression model was constructed to assess the hazard of chronic opioid use on early discontinuation of biologic therapy controlling for disease severity. RESULTS A mean 1.5 different biologic agents were utilised by inflammatory bowel disease patients with chronic opioid use (vs 1.37 in the comparator group; P < 0.0001). A lower proportion of the chronic opioid use cohort persisted on biologic therapies to the end of the study period (16.2% vs 33.5% P < 0.0001). Inflammatory bowel disease patients with chronic opioid use utilised more healthcare resources and had a higher rate of comorbidities than the reference cohort. Patients with chronic opioid use were 23% more likely (hazard ratio 1.23; 95% CI [1.16-1.31]) to be non-persistent with biologic therapy while accounting for relevant markers of disease acuity. CONCLUSIONS Chronic opioid use is associated with increased hazard of biologic discontinuation in inflammatory bowel disease. Symptoms of opioid withdrawal may mimic IBD flares thereby leading providers to inappropriately switch biologic therapies and compromise disease control.
Young children’s embodied interactions with a social robot

This study examined the affordances of an embodied humanoid robot to engage children in play and learning from the perspective of embodied cognition in two studies as part of multiyear design research. In Study One, we observed how the robot’s embodiment, accompanied by its sensors and movements, elicited embodied reactions of eleven children (aged 3 to 6) while they played and learned with the robot one-on-one at home and in school. Two distinct patterns emerged: rich multimodal interaction and fluid learning space. Additionally, the children demonstrated extended attention in the interactions and invited peers into voluntary collaboration. In Study Two, we implemented an interaction triad with ten pairs of children, in which each pair collaborated to help a robot, and observed their collaborative communication while they solved problems involving early academic topics. Three embodied phenomena were noted: (i) embodiment of early mathematics and science knowledge and reasoning, (ii) appropriation of physical space, and (iii) embodied collaboration. Importantly, it was clear in both studies that embodiment occurred not only in thinking but also in social and emotional experiences. We discuss the implications of the findings in relation to the potential of humanoid robots for enabling embodied learning experiences.
The timing and aggressiveness of early government response to COVID-19: Political systems, societal culture, and more

Abstract Factors that drove the early timing and strictness of government responses to COVID-19 for over 150 countries are examined using the daily Coronavirus Government Response Tracker data provided by the University of Oxford. Results show that authoritarian regimes tended to have an initial policy response somewhat weaker relative to democratic regimes at the early stages of the pandemic but pursed more aggressive containment policies over the latter part of the six-month period analyzed. Unitary regimes tended to have stronger policy measures in place early on relative to federalist states but relaxed these restrictions sooner. Countries with greater freedom (political rights and civil liberties) and those that spend less on public health also exhibited slower early policy responses, but caught up within three to four months after the pandemic reached their country. There is no evidence that women leaders, viewed as a whole, put in place more aggressive polices to combat the virus relative to their male counterparts. Nor is there any evidence that either island nations or countries that experienced the start of the pandemic later in the global wave pursued different policies that other nations. Policy implications are discussed as the how nations should prepare for future pandemics.
The Surgeon and the Mother.

The Surgeon and the Mother I did not get to hold you for the first 3 weeks of your life. I knew this would happen. I was the surgeon, and I was prepared. But slowly, over those first weeks, my surg...
Creating an Ultrasound Scholarly Concentration Program for Medical Students.

Introduction Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly prevalent and standardized in undergraduate medical education (UME); however, roughly 25% of United States medical schools lack an ultrasound curriculum. One of the commonly cited barriers to ultrasound training in UME is faculty time resources. Here, we describe an ultrasound scholarly concentration program (SCP) designed to provide medical students with ultrasound opportunities in clinical and scholarly domains, while reducing the need for extensive faculty resources. Methods SCPs at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have 3 requirements: an elective course, a longitudinal portfolio, and a final scholarly project. Thus, the ultrasound SCP was designed to comprise an introductory clinical elective to ultrasound, development of a longitudinal scan portfolio, and a final scholarly project in ultrasound related research or educational innovation. A review of the literature and search of the top 50 US medical schools by US News & World Report was performed to assess the novelty of the ultrasound SCP. Results To the best of our knowledge, the ultrasound SCP is the first scholarly concentration, track or pathway offered to medical students in the United States. It is the first description of a student designed and student led curriculum focused on providing meaningful ultrasound opportunities to students without necessitating unavailable faculty resources and educational infrastructure. Conclusion A novel ultrasound SCP is described which has clinical aims to expose students to clinical ultrasound as well as scholarly aims to facilitate ultrasound related research and educational innovation. It is designed to enable students to make ultrasound a defining characteristic of their medical school experience. The SCP relies on motivated student involvement and near-peer teaching in a way that is self-sustaining and self-improving.
MAT, Mating, Switching, and Pathogenesis in Candida albicans, Candida dubliniensis, and Candida glabrata

This chapter focuses on the relationships between mating, switching, and pathogenesis in Candida albicans and the comparative aspects of the mating systems in C. albicans, C. dubliniensis, C. parapsilosis, and C. glabrata. As biofilms play such a fundamental role in both bacterial and fungal pathogenesis, this hypothesis tied together for the first time switching, mating, and pathogenesis. Daniels and coworkers assessed whether a minority of opaque cells enhanced biofilm maturation in a majority of opaque cells. It was still not known if tetraploid fusants, the product of mating, returned to the diploid state by meiosis. Candida parapsilosis may be best known for causing clinical outbreaks, but it has emerged in recent years as one of the four most common agents of yeast bloodstream infections. In phylogenetic progressions of the hemiascomycetes that incorporate events related to mating, C. glabrata and S. cerevisiae are positioned at the end, while C. albicans branches from the base, far closer to the ancestral organism. It was, therefore, no surprise to find that the mating-type genes of C. glabrata were organized similarly to those of S. cerevisiae. One might argue that mating occurs only rarely, only between select strains of opposite mating types, and only under very specific environmental conditions. Due to the discovery that opaque cells signal white cells to form biofilms, the authors have suggested that mating systems in the infectious Candida species may have been subverted into functioning in host colonization and pathogenesis.
Child-directed marketing within and around fast-food restaurants (390.1)

Fast food is the second-largest source of calories among youth. Children who eat fast food consume more calories and have poor diet quality. The fast-food industry spends over $700 million to marke...
Stability of A Sincov Type Functional Equation

This paper aims to study the Hyers-Ulam stability of a Sincov type functional equation $f(x,y) + f(y, z) + f(x, z) = \ell (x+y+z)$ when the domain of the functions is an abelian group and the range is a Banach space.
Is There a “Workable” Race-Neutral Alternative to Affirmative Action in College Admissions?

The 2013 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin case clarified when and how it is legally permissible for universities to use an applicant's race or ethnicity in its admissions decisions. The court concluded that such use is permissible when “no workable race-neutral alternatives would produce the educational benefits of diversity.” This paper shows that replacing traditional affirmative action with a system that uses an applicant's predicted likelihood of being an underrepresented racial minority as a proxy for the applicant's actual minority status can yield an admitted class that has a lower predicted grade point average and likelihood of graduating than the class that would have been admitted using traditional affirmative action. This result suggests that race-neutral alternatives may not be “workable” from the university's perspective.
The regulation of purine utilization in bacteria. V. Inhibition of purine phosphoribosyltransferase activities and purine uptake in isolated membrane vesicles by guanosine tetraphosphate.

Abstract The ability of rel+ cell strains of Escherichia coli to take up nucleosides and bases and convert them to the corresponding ribonucleoside 5'-triphosphates is qualitatively dependent upon amino acids, much the same as the ability to accumulate RNA. Restriction of uptake in this case occurs under the same conditions that elicit guanosine 5'-diphosphate, 2'- or 3'-diphosphate (ppGpp) accumulation and both phenomena are reversed by addition of chloramphenicol. The P-ribose-PP-dependent transport of purine nucleosides and bases into membrane vesicles is inhibited by ppGpp, as are membrane-bound purine phosphoribosyltransferase activities. The degree of inhibition differs for different substrates; for purines, inhibition approximates the uptake restrictions observed in whole cells. Enzyme and membrane preparations obtained from rel+ and rel- cells were equally inhibited by ppGpp. Purified soluble 6-hydroxy purine phosphoribosyltransferase, which mediates membranous uptake of 6-hydroxy purines, is inhibited by ppGpp. Inhibition is not strictly competitive, but appears to be less severe at high P-ribose-PP levels. Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase was only mildly inhibited by ppGpp. The inhibitory effects of ppGpp on purine transport due to inhibition of purine phosphoribosyltransferase can account for purine uptake restrictions observed under different physiological conditions in whole cells.
Introduction: One Hundred Years of International Law at Fordham University

In the past 100 years, the connotations of the term “international” have changed dramatically. The ideas we have of concepts such as ”international communication” and ”global travel” are dramatically different from what those concepts would have meant to our forebears if they had even thought in such terms. But an international perspective is not new at Fordham Law School. The idea of the interconnectedness of our social and legal systems with those of other Nations is one of the foundational values of our school, and it has shaped our history since we opened our doors 100 years ago. INTRODUCTION: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AT FORDHAM UNIVERSITY William Michael Treanor* In the past 100 years, the connotations of the term "international" have changed dramatically. The ideas we have of concepts such as "international communication" and "global travel" are dramatically different from what those concepts would have meant to our forebears-if they had even thought in such terms. But an international perspective is not new at Fordham Law School. The idea of the interconnectedness of our social and legal systems with those of other Nations is one of the foundational values of our school, and it has shaped our history since we opened our doors 100 years ago. From our first days, Fordham has been an institution committed to the study of international law. Our founding Dean, Paul Fuller, was one of the preeminent international lawyers of his time. He richly enhanced this dimension of the young law school, seeing the pending globalization with a prescience few could have fathomed in 1905. Fuller was born on a ship traveling to California and, for his entire life, took pride in the fact that he was, in a very literal sense, a citizen of the world, born outside the borders of any Nation. Like many of our School's deans, he was an influential practicing attorney when named Dean. As senior partner at Coudert Brothers, the leading international law firm of the era, Fuller was sent by President Woodrow Wilson to Mexico to negotiate with the revolutionary government, successfully strengthening U.S. relationships in the troubled region. He played a leading role in the Supreme Court litigation involving the crucial question of the constitutional status of Puerto Rico and the other territories that became part of the United States after the Spanish-American War. Throughout Dean Fuller's career, he also represented the governments of Belgium, France, Italy, Russia, and Turkey. Today, 100 years later, Fordham's reputation as a leading * Dean, Fordham University School of Law.
The folding of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor in the Escherichia coli periplasm

PreOmpA-bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) (Goldenberg, D. P. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 2481-2489) was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the folding pathway of the mature protein in the periplasmic space was analyzed by pulse-chase experiments. Folding intermediates were trapped with iodoacetamide, immunoprecipitated with antisera specific for either the reduced or the native protein, and resolved by electrophoresis. In vivo, native BPTI formed with a half-life of 7 min which is 3-fold faster than the optimal in vitro folding rate in growth media supplemented with low molecular weight disulfides. The measured in vivo half-life includes the time required for translocation and processing by leader peptidase and therefore represents the lower limit for the actual folding rate in the cell. In addition to the native species, two-disulfide intermediates accumulated in the cell at appreciable levels and did not chase to the native species for at least 20 min. We found that the folding of BPTI in E. coli was absolutely dependent on DsbA, a protein which accelerates the formation of disulfide bonds in the periplasm. In a dsbA mutant strain, trace amounts of oxidized BPTI could be detected only in cultures grown under strongly oxidizing conditions. In wild-type cells, the addition of different concentrations of GSH/GSSG or oxidized dithiothreitol did not affect the kinetics of BPTI oxidation by DsbA. Finally, even though the folding of BPTI in vitro decreases by almost 10-fold/unit pH decrease, folding in cells grown at pH 6.0 was only marginally slower than folding in cells grown at neutral pH, despite the fact that the pH of the periplasmic space varies in response to the extracellular fluid.
Teenage pregnancy in Sweden and Finland: Implication for the United States

Fertility and the rates of pregnancy, live births, and abortion in teenagers in the United States are considerably higher than in most other developed countries of northern and western Europe. Fertility rates in teenagers in Sweden have declined significantly. The teaching of family life education is universal in Sweden and almost universal in Finland. Sex is openly discussed within society in both countries. Family planning and abortion services are geographically very available in both countries and both services and supplies are free. The educational level of both males and females is high in both countries. The United States has the opportunity to reduce teenage pregnancy by applying the experience of Sweden and Finland in the fields of family life education and family planning services.
A Scalable Algorithm for Answering Queries Using Views

The problem of answering queries using views is to find efficient methods of answering a query using a set of previously materialized views over the database, rather than accessing the database relations. The problem has received significant attention because of its relevance to a wide variety of data management problems, such as data integration, query optimization, and the maintenance of physical data independence. To date, the performance of proposed algorithms has received very little attention, and in particular, their scale up in the presence of a large number of views is unknown. We first analyze two previous algorithms, the bucket algorithm and the inverse-rules algorithm, and show their deficiencies. We then describe the MiniCon algorithm, a novel algorithm for finding the maximally-contained rewriting of a conjunctive query using a set of conjunctive views. We present the first experimental study of algorithms for answering queries using views. The study shows that the MiniCon algorithm scales up well and significantly outperforms the previous algorithms. Finally, we describe an extension of the MiniCon algorithm to handle comparison predicates, and show its performance experimentally. Thanks to Daniela Florescu, Marc Friedman, Zack Ives, Ioana Manolescu, Dan Weld, and Steve Wolfman for their comments on earlier drafts of this paper. This research was funded by a Sloan Fellowship, NSF Grant #IIS-9978567, a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and a Lucent Technologies GRPW Grant Permission to copy without fee all or part of this material is granted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for direct commercial advantage, the VLDB copyright notice and the title of the publication and its date appear, and notice is given that copying is by permission of the Very Large Data Base Endowment. To copy otherwise, or to republish, requires a fee and/or special permission from the Endowment. Proceedings of the 26th VLDB Conference, Cairo, Egypt, 2000.
Relationships between aerosols and precipitation in the southern Appalachian Mountains

There are many uncertainties associated with aerosol-precipitation interactions, particularly in mountain regions where a variety of processes at different spatial scales influence precipitation patterns. Statistical relationships between aerosols and precipitation were examined in the southern Appalachian Mountains to determine the seasonal and synoptic influences on these relationships, as well as the influence of air mass source region. Precipitation events were identified based on regional precipitation data and classified using a synoptic classification scheme developed for this study and published in a separate manuscript (Kelly et al. 2012). Hourly aerosol data were collected at the Appalachian Atmospheric Interdisciplinary Research (AppalAIR) facility at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC (1110 m asl, 36.215, –81.680). Backward air trajectories provided information on upstream atmospheric characteristics and source regions. During the warm season (June–September), greater aerosol loading dominated by larger particles was observed, whereas cool season (November–April) precipitation events exhibited overall lower aerosol loading with an apparent influence from biomass burning particles. A significant relationship between aerosol optical properties and precipitation intensity was observed, which may be indicative of aerosol-induced precipitation enhancement in each season, particularly during warm season non-frontal precipitation.
The President, the Tea Party, and Voting Behavior in 2010: Insights from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study

Using the 2010 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, which provides both a very large national sample of voters and a rich array of questions regarding political attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs, I investigate the Tea Party movement’s role in the Republican midterm victory. I find that attitudes toward the Tea Party identify a particular subset of the electorate — essentially, the far right of the Republican coalition — that contributed disproportionately to nationalizing the election and swinging it to the Republicans. The movement energized people who opposed Barack Obama from the start and who subsequently developed intensely negative opinions of him and his agenda that were extended to his Democratic allies in Congress. Tea Party sympathies helped to mobilize an electorate that was older, whiter, more Republican and more conservative than the one that had given the Democrats control of the government two years earlier. The movement also set the tone for the Republican congressional parties for the 112th Congress. The election’s consequences shed some ironic light on the idea that midterm electorates engage in rational balancing to achieve more moderate national policies.
Bone marrow stromal cells inhibit mast cell function via a COX2‐dependent mechanism

Background—Mast cells (MCs) have a central role in the induction of allergic inflammation, such as seen in asthma, and contribute to the severity of certain autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. The mast cell thus represents an important inflammatory cell, and one which has resisted therapeutic attempts to alter its role in disease. Objective—Because bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSC, also known as mesenchymal stem cells or MSCs) have been reported to alter allergic inflammation in vivo, we chose to study the interaction between mouse BMSC and mouse bone marrow derived MCs. Methods—MC degranulation, cytokine production and chemotaxis were evaluated in vitro following co-culture with BMSCs either in cell contact or a transwell. In addition, MC degranulation was assessed in vivo following administration of BMSCs in a model of passive cutaneous anaphylaxis and a peritoneal degranulation assay. Mechanisms of MC suppression by BMSCs were determined through use of inhibitors or antibodies to COX1, COX2, nitric oxide, indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase, EP1-4 receptors, TGF-β and IL-10. Lastly, we utilized either BMSCs or MCs deficient in COX1, COX2 or EP1-4 receptors to confirm the mechanisms of inhibition of MC function by BMSCs. Results—We discovered that BMSCs will effectively suppress specific MC functions in vitro as well as in vivo. When MCs are cocultured with BMSCs to allow cell-to-cell contact, BMSCs suppressed MC degranulation, proinflammatory cytokine production, chemokinesis and chemotaxis. Similarly, MC degranulation within mouse skin or the peritoneal cavity was suppressed following in vivo administration of BMSCs. Further, we found that these inhibitory effects were dependent on up-regulation of COX2 in BMSCs; and were facilitated through the activation of EP4 receptors on MCs. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance—These observations support the concept that BMSCs have the ability to suppress mast cell activation and therefore could be the basis for a novel cell based therapeutic approach in the treatment of MC driven inflammatory diseases.
THE FUNGUS FLORA OF CATTLE FEEDS

for various molds or futgi. The fungus flora of cattle feeds, especially silage, has not been determined. The identification of such fungi is important in problems of storage and preservation. In addition, certain fungi, such as Aspergillus spp. and Mucor spp., are known to cause disorders in animals as a result of inhaling the spores or ingesting moldy feeds. Respiratory, nervous and intestinal disturbances have been found to develop, along with internal mycoses following the effects of allergins, or toxins, or both (3, 7, 8). The possibility that other fungi may do this lends importance to the study. Conflicting interpretations have been placed upon the role of fungi, particularly molds found on feeds, in disease associations. Much of the confusion may stem from the fact that very few attempts have been made to determine accurately the identity of the fungi involved, or to determine experimentally their effects on cattle under controlled conditions. The present study involved the identification of the fungus flora of cattle feeds, some of which had been fed to cattle that later sickened. This investigation required the adaptation and development of techniques to ensure isolation of all micro-organisms (except bacteria) from the external and internal portions of feeds of different composition and physical consistency, and their taxonomic study.
Germanium Vacuum Ultraviolet Ritz Standards

The number of Ge i Ritz standards below 2000 A has now been increased to approximately 100 lines with estimated uncertainties not exceeding 0.0009 A, 68 of which have estimated uncertainties of 0.0003 A. This extension is the end product of a systematic Fabry–Perot interferometric investigation which has extended the former interferometric region of 2019–4685 A to 12 069 A. Ninety-five interferometrically determined levels of Ge i are given, 72 of which have been improved by this effort.Twenty-three lines of Ge ii were also measured interferometrically leading to 20 improved energy levels of this spectrum and to estimated splittings of the ng2G (n=5, 6, 7) terms. From the improved levels, twelve Ge ii Ritz standards from 999 to 1966 A have been calculated with estimated uncertainties not exceeding 0.0009 A. An improved series limit of Ge ii calculated from the nf2F and ng2G term series is 128 521.3 cm−1. This value made use of improved levels of this work and as yet unpublished data furnished by Shenstone.
Stimulation of the growth of femoral trabecular bone in ovariectomized rats by the novel parathyroid hormone fragment, hPTH-(1–31)NH2 (Ostabolin)

The human parathyroid hormone, hPTH-(1–84), and its hPTH-(1–34) fragment are promising anabolic agents for treating osteoporosis because they can strongly stimulate the production of biomechanically effective cortical and trabecular bone in osteopenic ovariectomized (OVX) rats and trabecular bone in osteoporotic postmenopausal humans. The ideal PTH fragment for treating osteoporosis would be the smallest and functionally simplest fragment that activates only one signal mechanism and still strongly stimulates trabecular bone growth. A new PTH fragment, hPTH-(1–31)NH2, which only stimulates adenylyl cyclase instead of stimulating both adenylyl cyclase and phospholipase-C as do hPTH-(1–84) and hPTH-(1–34), is this minimum, high-potency anabolic fragment. hPTH-(1–31)NH2 (which we have named Ostabolin) can greatly thicken trabeculae and increase the dry weight and calcium content of trabecular bone in the distal femurs of osteopenic, young, sexually mature OVX Sprague-Dawley rats when injected subcutaneously each day for 6 weeks at doses between 0.4 and 1.6 nmole/100 g of body weight.
Glycerol is a colligative antifreeze in some northern fishes

Many polar marine fishes produce macromolecular antifreezes that act in a non-colligative way to prevent freezing. In this report, a new type of freezing avoidance is described in which the rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax dentex, in addition to producing a macromolecular antifreeze, avoids freezing by increasing the osmolality of its body fluids. In smelt living in −2.0°C water, osmolality exceeded 1.0 M, making it among the highest found in bony fishes, and the only known case of a near isosmotic condition in a marine teleost. High osmolalities, but less extreme than those shown in the rainbow smelt, were found in another smelt species and two species of greenling. The high osmolalities in each species are largely due to glycerol, an osmolyte that has not previously been reported in fishes. Glycerol appears to be produced only at subzero temperatures, and in the rainbow smelt reaches its highest concentration, 0.4 M, at environmental temperatures near the freezing point of seawater. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Modification of gonadectomy-induced increases in brain monoamine metabolism by steroid hormones in male and female rats.

Abstract Concentrations of monoamines (dopamine, DA; serotonin, 5-HT) and their major metabolites (homovanillic acid — HVA; dihydroxyphenylacetic acid — DOPAC; 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid — 5-HIAA) were measured in selected brain areas of chronically gonadectomized, steroid- or oil-treated male and female rats. Concentrations of DOPAC and HVA were markedly increased in the hypothalamus (male, female), striatum (male, female) and brainstem (male) following gonadectomy, whereas the levels of DA remained unaltered in most of the brain areas examined. Most of the changes were reversed or attenuated by chronic estradiol (EB) substitution. In contrast, chronic treatment with physiological concentrations of testosterone (TP) reduced indexes of DA turnover only in the striatum of ovariectomized (OVX) and brainstem of orchidectomized (ORDX) rats. ORDX-related increases in striatal levels of DOPAC and HVA were not reversed by either EB or TP. ORDX increased the levels of 5-HIAA (hypothalamus, striatum) and decreased those of 5-HT (hypothalamus, hippocampus). These changes were reversed by chronic treatment with either TP or EB. Brain metabolism of 5-HT remained unaltered following OVX. Gonadectomy and chronic steroid replacement therapy appear to alter brain monoamine metabolism in a brain region and sex-dependent manner. Our data demonstrate that gonadectomy-related increases in the activity of brain monoaminergic neurons in both male and female rats was attenuated more effectively with physiological concentrations of estradiol than with testosterone. Insensitivity of monoaminergic neurons in a number of brain areas (e.g., hypothalamus, striatum) to the action of testosterone was evident in both sexes.
NMR Backbone Dynamics of VEK-30 Bound to the Human Plasminogen Kringle 2 Domain

To gain insights into the mechanisms for the tight and highly specific interaction of the kringle 2 domain of human plasminogen (K2Pg) with a 30-residue internal peptide (VEK-30) from a group A streptococcal M-like protein, the dynamic properties of free and bound K2Pg and VEK-30 were investigated using backbone amide 15N-NMR relaxation measurements. Dynamic parameters, namely the generalized order parameter, S2, the local correlation time, τe, and the conformational exchange contribution, Rex, were obtained for this complex by Lipari-Szabo model-free analysis. The results show that VEK-30 displays distinctly different dynamic behavior as a consequence of binding to K2Pg, manifest by decreased backbone flexibility, particularly at the binding region of the peptide. In contrast, the backbone dynamics parameters of K2Pg displayed similar patterns in the free and bound forms, but, nonetheless, showed interesting differences. Based on our previous structure-function studies of this interaction, we also made comparisons of the VEK-30/K2Pg dynamics results from different kringle modules complexed with small lysine analogs. The differences in dynamics observed for kringles with different ligands provide what we believe to be new insights into the interactions responsible for protein-ligand recognition and a better understanding of the differences in binding affinity and binding specificity of kringle domains with various ligands.
Molecular weight determination of an acetyl-lipopolysaccharide by a surface micromanometer technique

An acetyl-derivative of a lipopolysaccharide purified from Salmonella typhimurium was spread at an air-water interface and the surface pressure of the film recorded with a surface micromanometer. By applying the gas law in two dimensions, a molecular weight of 15,000 ± 200 was calculated, which compares to a molecular weight of 12,600 ± 800, measured by analytical centrifugation in benzene.
Effects of commonly consumed vegetables on hepatic xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in the mouse.

Abstract To investigate the effects of consuming a variety of common vegetables on the activities of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in the mouse liver, male C57BL/6 mice were fed purified diets supplemented isocalorically with 20% freeze-dried powdered kidney bean, soya bean, alfalfa, cauliflower, mustard greens, carrot, kale, Brussels sprouts, beet, egg plant or onion or with 40% sweet potato. Hepatic ethoxycoumarin O -deethylase (ECD) activity was increased significantly ( P ⩽ 0.05) over the controls in the mice fed diets containing kidney bean (1.5-fold), alfalfa (1.6-fold), cauliflower (2.2-fold), mustard greens (1.2-fold), carrots (1.2-fold) and kale (1.3-fold). No significant increases in ECD activity were seen in the other groups. Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity was assayed in the cauliflower and Brussels sprouts groups and was found to be unaffected by these diets. Glutathione S -transferase (GST) and epoxide hydratase (EH) activities were increased ( P ⩽ 0.05) by soya bean (1.2- and 1.6-fold respectively). Brussels sprouts (2.0- and 1.6-fold), cauliflower (1.2- and 1.6-fold), alfalfa (1.3- and 2.0-fold) and onion (1.8- and 2.3-fold). No significant increases in GST or EH activities were seen in the other groups. Of the twelve vegetables investigated, only three (sweet potato, beet and egg plant) had no statistically significant effects on any of the xenobiotic-metabolizing parameters tested. However, the beet diet caused an apparent inhibition of ECD activity (74% of control) and the sweet potato diet caused an apparent increase (1.3-fold) in GST activity, although statistical significance could not be established at P ⩽ 0.05.
Staging strategies for pancreatic adenocarcinoma: What the surgeon really wants to know

Pancreatic cancer remains a highly lethal disease in spite of new developments in early diagnosis, marked improvements in surgical morbidity and mortality, and introduction of promising adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies. This ongoing poor prognosis can be explained in part by the relatively advanced stage of these malignancies at the time of presentation and diagnosis. The staging process in this disease lacks standardization and differs considerably from center to center. Acknowledging that it is impossible to achieve a perfect workup to rule out micrometastatic disease, controversy persists regarding the optimal initial approach and subsequent staging of these tumors. A better, or at least a more standardized staging system, should help to improve disappointing results in the surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer, although such an improvement will be based more on the selection of patients than the actual therapeutic intervention. This paper addresses the current controversy in staging methodology for pancreatic and periampullary malignancies and offers an approach to the staging of pancreatic cancer.
Developing and Testing Locally Derived Mental Health Scales Examples from North India and Haiti

Cross-cultural studies of mental health and illness generally adhere to one of two agendas: the comparison of mental health between sites using standard measurement tools, or the identification of ...
Preference-based electronic decision aid to promote colorectal cancer screening: Results of a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Objective Despite the burden of colorectal cancer and improved health care outcomes with early detection and treatment, screening rates among eligible adults are low. We previously developed through a series of studies an interactive electronic tool, Colorectal Web, to promote colorectal cancer screening. Method From May 2002 to December 2003, we conducted a randomized controlled trial of Colorectal Web compared to a standard Web site on colorectal cancer screening in urban, suburban, and rural communities in Michigan with high colorectal cancer burden. Study participants were age 50 years and older, with no previous colorectal cancer screening. Major outcome was screened for colorectal cancer by 24 weeks post-intervention. Results 174 eligible adults were randomized and participated. Immediately post-intervention, Colorectal Web participants were significantly more likely to have a preferred colorectal cancer screening method, but this difference did not persist at subsequent follow-up. Eighty-nine participants had been screened for colorectal cancer by 24 weeks post-intervention. The probability of being screened for the Colorectal Web intervention study arm compared to the control is OR = 3.23 (2.73–3.50 95% Confidence Interval). Conclusion Colorectal Web is more effective than a standard colorectal cancer Web site at prompting previously unscreened individuals to choose a preferred colorectal cancer screening test and to be screened for colorectal cancer.
Predation hazard and seed removal by small mammals: microhabitat versus patch scale effects.

Predator avoidance may involve response strategies of prey species that are time and space specific. Many studies have shown that foraging individuals avoid predators by altering microhabitat usage; alternatively, sites may be selected according to larger-scale features of the habitat mosaic. We measured seed removal by two small mammal species (Peromyscus leucopus, and Microtus pennsylvanicus) at 474 stations over an experimentally created landscape of 12 patches, and under conditions of relatively high (full moon) and low (new moon) predatory hazard. Our objective was to determine whether predator avoidance involved the selection of small-, medium-, or large-scale features of the landscape (i.e., at the scale of microhabitats, habitats, or habitat patches). We found rates of seed removal to vary more with features of whole patches than according to variation in structural microhabitats within patches. Specific responses included: under-utilization of patch edge habitats during full moon periods, and microhabitat effects that were only significant when considered in conjunction with larger-scale features of the landscape. Individuals residing on large patches altered use of microhabitats/habitats to a greater extent than those on smaller patches. Studies just focusing on patterns of microhabitat use will miss responses at the larger scales, and may underestimate the importance of predation to animal foraging behavior.
Isolation of neurosecretory granules containing cytochromogenic hormone activity from the corpora cardiaca of Blaberus discoidalis cockroaches.

Abstract Neurosecretory granules (NSG) were isolated by differential centrifugation from a homogenate of the corpora cardiaca-corpora allata complex of newly emerged, adult, female Blaberus discoidalis cockroaches. By centrifuging at 11,000 g , the procedure yielded a final pellet that was enriched in small, membrane-bound vesicles (103 nm mean diameter). This pellet contained 61% of the cytochromogenic activity present in the orginal homogenate at an 11-fold increase in concentration. A pellet formed at 4000 g contained a mixture of mitochondria and larger NSG (146 nm mean diameter) and most of the hindgut-stimulating hormone activity. This procedure provided a quick, simple method for purifying neurosecretory granules and separating them into two categories of size and endocrine content.
Functional Segregation of a Predicted Hinge Site within the β-Strand Linkers of Escherichia coli Leucyl-tRNA Synthetase

Some aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs) employ an editing mechanism to ensure the fidelity of protein synthesis. Leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS), isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IleRS), and valyl-tRNA synthetase (ValRS) share a common insertion, called the CP1 domain, which is responsible for clearing misformed products. This discrete domain is connected to the main body of the enzyme via two beta-strand tethers. The CP1 hydrolytic editing active site is located approximately 30 A from the aminoacylation active site in the canonical core of the enzyme, requiring translocation of mischarged amino acids for editing. An ensemble of crystal and cocrystal structures for LeuRS, IleRS, and ValRS suggests that the CP1 domain rotates via its flexible beta-strand linkers relative to the main body along various steps in the enzyme's reaction pathway. Computational analysis suggested that the end of the N-terminal beta-strand acted as a hinge. We hypothesized that a molecular hinge could specifically direct movement of the CP1 domain relative to the main body. We introduced a series of mutations into both beta-strands in attempts to hinder movement and alter fidelity of LeuRS. Our results have identified specific residues within the beta-strand tethers that selectively impact enzyme activity, supporting the idea that beta-strand orientation is crucial for LeuRS canonical core and CP1 domain functions.
Cloud-clearing algorithm error vs. sensor footprint size and configuration with optional multispectral MODIS imagery

We provide an evaluation of cloud clearing error and sensor footprint size in high spectral resolution sounding instrumentation. Input data are actual atmospheric spectra collected by the NPOESS Aircraft Sounding Testbed - Interferometer (NAST-I) [see Cousins and Smith (1998), and Smith et. al., (1999, 2001)]. NAST-I data is averaged to create sensor configurations of varying field of view size and array number. The cloud-clearing techniques, based on the N* approach (Smith, 1968, Chahine, 1977, and McMillin and Dean, 1982), use the linear relation between observed radiance and cloud amount to extrapolate the radiance observed for two adjacent fields of view possessing differing cloud amounts to the cloud free value. The option of including MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) style data was also investigated. With the MODIS filter, the assumption of cloud emissivity homogeneity is not needed because of the MODIS high spatial resolution spectral channels in which the clear air radiance can be defined for a scene. This relaxation of the need for cloud optical property homogeneity enables a higher yield of valid clear column radiance estimates. We show that the use of MODIS-like multi-spectral imagery data in the cloud clearing of high spectral resolution sounder data will minimize the dependence of the sounding retrieval accuracy and yield on instrument field-of-view size. The errors of the multi-spectral MODIS cloud-cleared spectral radiance are generally a factor of two lower than those errors associated with the use of a single window channel for the cloud clearing of radiance spectra.