cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of stage II and III breast cancer

The current attractiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy lies in its ability to downstage both the primary tumor and the axilla, making many patients good candidates for breast-conserving surgical techniques. This has been an important achievement in a patient group whose tumors are often considered inoperable. Attention has more recently turned to the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with operable tumors. In patients with resectable stage II and III breast tumors, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been demonstrated to provide effective downstaging of the primary tumor, and subsequent breast-conserving surgery results in excellent local control. In addition, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been shown to downstage axillary lymph nodes from positive to negative in a significant number of cases. This raises the question of whether patients who have clinically negative axillae after neoadjuvant chemotherapy need to risk the morbidity associated with axillary lymph node dissection. Axillary irradiation may provide adequate regional control in patients who are clinically node negative. In addition, sentinel lymph node dissection has been shown to provide accurate assessment of the axilla in patients who have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. An important ramification of the concept of neoadjuvant chemotherapy is that surgery that takes place after the completion of systemic therapy can become minimally invasive, accomplished in an outpatient setting without the need for an operating room suite.
Adenoviral vector driven by a minimal Rad51 promoter is selective for p53-deficient tumor cells.

Background The full length Rad51 promoter is highly active in cancer cells but not in normal cells. We therefore set out to assess whether we could confer this tumor-selectivity to an adenovirus vector. Methodology/Principal Findings Expression of an adenovirally-vectored luciferase reporter gene from the Rad51 promoter was up to 50 fold higher in cancer cells than in normal cells. Further evaluations of a panel of truncated promoter mutants identified a 447 bp minimal core promoter element that retained the full tumor selectivity and transcriptional activity of the original promoter, in the context of an adenovirus vector. This core Rad51 promoter was highly active in cancer cells that lack functional p53, but less active in normal cells and in cancer cell lines with intact p53 function. Exogenous expression of p53 in a p53 null cell line strongly suppressed activity of the Rad51 core promoter, underscoring the selectivity of this promoter for p53-deficient cells. Follow-up experiments showed that the p53-dependent suppression of the Rad51 core promoter was mediated via an indirect, p300 coactivator dependent mechanism. Finally, transduction of target cells with an adenovirus vector encoding the thymidine kinase gene under transcriptional control of the Rad51 core promoter resulted in efficient killing of p53 defective cancer cells, but not of normal cells, upon addition of ganciclovir. Conclusions/Significance Overall, these experiments demonstrated that a small core domain of the Rad51 promoter can be used to target selective transgene expression from adenoviral vectors to tumor cells lacking functional p53.
Levels of TGF-α and EGFR Protein in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Patient Survival

Background: The most accurate predictor of disease recurrence in patients treated for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is, at present, the extent of regional lymph node metastasis. Since elevated levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and of its ligand, transforming growth factor-a (TGF-a), have been detected in primary tumors of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, we determined whether tumor levels of these proteins were of prognostic importance. Methods: Monoclonal antibodies specific for EGFR and TGF-a were used for immunohistochemical detection of each protein in tissue sections of primary tumors from 91 patients who were treated by surgical resection. Levels of immunoreactive EGFR and TGF-a were quantified by use of a computerized image analysis system and were normalized to appropriate standards. The logrank test and proportional hazards regression analysis were used to calculate the probability that EGFR and TGF-a levels were associated with disease-free survival (i.e., no recurrence of cancer) and cause-specific survival (i.e., patients do not die of their disease). All P values were two-sided. Results: When tumor levels of EGFR or TGF-a were analyzed as continuous variables, disease-free survival and cause-specific survival were reduced among patients with higher levels of EGFR (both P = .0001) or TGF-a (both P = .0001). In a multivariate analysis, tumor site, tumor level of EGFR, and tumor level of TGF-a were statistically significant predictors of disease-free survival; in a similar analysis, regional lymph node stage and tumor levels of EGFR and of TGF-a were significant predictors of cause-specific survival. Conclusion: Quantitation of EGFR and TGF-a protein levels in primary head and neck squamous cell carcinomas may be useful in identifying subgroups of patients at high risk of tumor recurrence and in guiding therapy. [J Natl Cancer Inst 1998; 90:824‐32]
Stimulation of 5-fluorouracil metabolic activation by interferon-α in human colon carcinoma cells☆

Abstract Interferon-α (IFNα) increases the cytotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil (FUra) in vitro , and the combination has clinical efficacy against advanced colorectal cancer. IFNα treatment of HT-29 colon carcinoma cells induced a greater than two-fold increase in the intracellular levels of the active metabolite of FUra, FdUMP. Using cell extracts from HT-29 cells and FUra as substrate, IFNα produced a 1.9- and 8.7-fold increase, respectively, in the activities of uridine phosphorylase and pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase (PyNP). Furthermore, the effect was selective for the conversion of FUra to FdUMP, as IFNα did not increase the cellular levels of FUTP, nor did it change the extent of incorporation of FUra into RNA (or DNA). IFNα also had no effect on thymidine kinase activity, the second step in the activation of FUra. Hence the effect of IFNα on PyNP activity is likely a critical biochemical event that modulates the cytotoxicity of FUra.
Extent of cross-linking of amino-phospholipid neighbors in the erythrocyte membrane as influenced by the concentration of difluorodinitrobenzene.

Abstract The degree of cross-linking of phospholipids to phospholipids and phospholipids to proteins in the erythrocyte membrane is dependent on the concentration of diflurodinitrobenzene. With ghosts isolated from human erythrocytes, the optimal extent of cross-linking of neighboring phosphatidylethanolamine molecules occurs at 50 μM difluorodinitrobenzene, the optimal extent of cross-linking of neighboring phosphatidylserine molecules occurs at 125 μM diflurodinitrobenzene and the optimal cross-linking of phosphatidylethanolamine to phosphatidylserine occurs at 75 μM difluorodinitrobenzene. Up to 37% of the total amino-phospholipids are cross-linked to membrane protein, the major part occurring with phosphatidylserine. Under optimal conditions of difluorodinitrobenzene concentration, 60% of the total phosphatidylethanolamine is cross-linked to phosphatidylethanolamine, 27% of the total phosphatidylethanolamine is cross-linked to phosphatidylserine, 24% of the total phosphatidylserine is cross-linked to phosphatidylserine and 44% of the total phosphatidylserine is cross-linked to phosphatidylethanolamine.
A note about cospectral graphs for the adjacency and normalized Laplacian matrices

In this note we show how to construct two distinct bipartite graphs which are cospectral for both the adjacency and normalized Laplacian matrices by ‘unfolding’ a base bipartite graph in two different ways.
Does the covering of children during induction of anesthesia have an effect on body temperature at the end of surgery

Abstract Study Objectives To determine whether the covering of healthy children during anesthetic induction reduces hypothermia at the end of minor surgeries. Design Randomized, single-blinded, prospective study. Setting Operating room and postoperative recovery area of a university-affiliated hospital. Patients 50 ASA physical status 1 patients, aged 6 months to 3.5 years, scheduled for simple urological surgeries. Interventions Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups: covered or uncovered. Children in the covered group (Group C) were actively warmed on arrival in the operating room (OR) using cotton blankets and a warm forced-air blanket set at 43°C. Children in the uncovered group (Group U) remained uncovered during the induction of general anesthesia. Children in both groups were actively warmed following placement of surgical drapes. Measurements Temperature (in Celsius) during the study procedure was recorded for each patient. Main Results Mean core body temperature at the end of induction did not differ in the two groups, 36.4°C in Group C and 36.6°C in Group U. Mean core body temperature at the end of surgery did not differ between the two groups: 36.9°C in Group C and 37.0°C in Group U. Conclusion Leaving healthy children uncovered during induction of general anesthesia does not have a clinically significant effect on core temperature at the end of induction or of surgery.
Sequential expression and differential localization of I-, L-, and T-fimbrin during differentiation of the mouse intestine and yolk sac.

During the differentiation of the intestine epithelium, three cytoskeletal proteins, villin, fimbrin, and myosin I, are sequentially expressed and localized to the apical membrane. Recently, we found that in the adult mouse and human, three fimbrin isoforms are expressed in a cell specific manner. I-fimbrin is expressed by intestine and kidney epithelial cells, L-fimbrin is expressed by leukocytes and many tumors, while T-fimbrin is expressed by various cells and tissues. Because non-intestinal isoforms of fimbrin could be expressed early in development, the expression of fimbrin isoforms during days 10.5 to 16.5 of intestine development was investigated. By immunofluorescence microscopy, T-fimbrin was detected in the early stages of intestinal epithelial cell differentiation until day 14.5 and was localized predominantly at the apical surface. L-fimbrin was also detected during this period but it was localized to the basal surface of the epithelium instead of the apical surface. By day 16.5 no L or T-fimbrin was detected in the epithelium. I-fimbrin was first detected at day 14.5 and a brush border-like apical localization pattern was seen by day 16.5. Unlike the intestinal cells, the visceral endoderm expressed I, L, and T-fimbrin throughout the period examined, with the level of I-fimbrin increasing as time progresses. L-fimbrin was more evident at the earlier stage than at the later stage of the development. Collectively, these results suggest that three fimbrin isoforms play different roles during epithelial cell differentiation. T- and I-fimbrin expression could be critical for the formation and extension of the microvilli whereas L-fimbrin may play a role in controlling cell adhesion. ©1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Neoliberal Homophobic Discourse: Heteronormative Human Capital and the Exclusion of Queer Citizens

In this article, I examine the relationship between homophobic language use and its broader social context, focusing on how a U.S.-based, conservative Christian organization's institutionalized hom...
Use of interactive theater and role play to develop medical students' skills in breaking bad news.

Creative arts have been increasingly implemented in medical education. This study investigated the use of interactive theater and role play with professional actors in teaching breaking bad news to medical students. The objectives were to explore the contexts, approaches, experiences, and reactions in giving and receiving bad news. Second-year medical students participated in a required educational session that utilized interactive theater which helps students learn about the issues of breaking bad news to a patient with cancer. Following the interactive theater piece, professional actors provided students role play experiences in small groups with breaking bad news. Anonymous evaluation surveys were given out to all second-year medical students at the conclusion of the breaking bad news session. Surveys contained quantitative and qualitative responses. Three years of evaluations were analyzed. A total of 451 (88 %) students completed the evaluations. Comments were thematically analyzed. Ninety-four percent agreed that the theater piece prompted reflection on patient-provider communications, and 89 % agreed that it stimulated discussion on complex issues with breaking bad news. The two most common themes in student comments concerned the importance of realism in the theater piece, and the value of experiencing multiple perspectives. Use of professional actors during the role play exercises enhances the realism and pushed the students out of their own “comfort zones” in ways that may more closely approximate real life clinical situations. Interactive theater can be a potentially powerful tool to teach breaking bad news during medical school.
Can stimulant binding and dopamine transport be differentiated? Studies with GBR 12783 derivatives

Both 3- and 4-substituted GBR 12783 derivatives were synthesized in an effort to create site-directed cocaine antagonists. The potencies of these compounds to inhibit stimulant ([3H]WIN 35,428) binding and synaptosomal [3H]dopamine uptake were determined and compared with a large number of compounds assayed under identical experimental conditions. Three groups of compounds were identified which affected stimulant binding and dopamine transport to varying degrees. The 3-substituted GBR 12783 derivatives resembled the known non-amphetamine stimulant agents, in that they were approximately equipotent in inhibiting [3H]WIN 35,428 binding and [3H]dopamine transport. The 4-substituted GBR 12783 derivatives formed a second group that was approximately seven times more potent in the inhibition of [3H]dopamine uptake compared to [3H]WIN 35,428 binding. The third group, approximately one hundred-fold more potent at inhibiting [3H]dopamine uptake than stimulant binding, consisted mainly of substrates for the dopamine transporter. Although these GBR derivatives did not meet the criteria for potential cocaine antagonists, the results demonstrate that slight modifications of the molecular structure of a stimulant drug can differentially affect binding and transport. This finding holds great promise for the eventual development of a true pharmacological antagonist of cocaine.
Registration and integration of multisensor data for photorealistic scene reconstruction

In this paper, we present a method for automatically registering a 3D range image and a 2D color image using the (chi) 2-similarity metric. The goal of this registration is to allow the reconstruction of a scene using multi-sensor information. Traditional registration algorithms use invariant image features to drive the registration process. This approach limits the applicability to multi-modal data since features of interest may not appear in each modality. However, the (chi) 2-similarity metric is an intensity- based approach that has interesting multi-modal characteristics. We explore this metric as a mechanism to govern the registration search. Using range data from a Perceptron laser camera and color data form a Kodak digital camera, we present result using this automatic registration with the (chi) 2-similarity metric.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Age and growth analysis of the central mudminnow, Umbra limi (Kirtland, 1840)

Summary A rudimentary understanding of age, growth, and life-span is lacking for many non-game fishes. Growth characteristics of the central mudminnow (Umbra limi) have not yet been accurately described using reliable hard part analysis. The utility of scales and otoliths as ageing structures and quantified growth was examined in one lake and one stream population of central mudminnow. Scales were found to be of no utility in determining age due to inconsistent formation of yearly annuli and a high incidence of regenerated scales, while otoliths were easily extracted and considered to be an accurate ageing structure. Ages determined from scales were low compared to those from otoliths, and the difference in age interpreted from the two structures increased with fish age. A power function was fitted to describe the length-weight relationship for this species (a = 0.0069, b = 3.175). Von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated and compared for each population (Lake: L∞ = 114.20 mm, K = 0.30, t0 = −0.93; Stream: L∞ = 77.59 mm, K = 0.63, t0 = −0.76). The lake population showed greater size at age compared to the stream population, especially at older ages, and achieved a larger maximum size. Growth rate was also greater in the lake population (Lake: 1.74; Stream: 1.09 g year−1). Females were larger at age than males in both populations, however all individuals greater than age 3 were males. This work represents the first successful account of central mudminnow growth using hard part analysis.
Growth of endothelial and HeLa cells on a new multipurpose microcarrier that is positive, negative or collagen coated.

A new cell culture microcarrier that can be covalently bonded by cell attachment proteins and can be thin-sectioned for electron microscopy was synthesized. It was easily made by sulfonating cross-linked polystyrene beads for a negative surface charge followed by covalent attachment of polyethylenimine for a positive charge. Cell attachment proteins, e.g. collagen was covalently bonded directly to the microcarrier using a carbodiimide or after activating the microcarrier surface with glutaraldehyde. HeLa-S3 cells attached, spread and grew to confluence more efficiently on the positive microcarriers and those coated with collagen than on the negative ones. Endothelial cells, grew best on those with a negative surface charge. The nature of the microcarrier surface was not the only aspect involved in cell adhesion but also the type of serum proteins absorbed. Qualitatively different proteins coated the microcarriers depending upon whether the carrier was negative, positive or coated with collagen. Comparison of various types of available microcarriers indicated that the modified cross-linked polystyrene beads used here were best for transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Endothelial cells grown on the microcarriers had the same ultrastructure as cells grown in monolayers in culture dishes. Of a variety of microcarriers tested the modified cross-linked polystyrene beads were the only ones that could be used for both ultrastructural and biochemical techniques.
Intramuscular gold therapy for young patients with pemphigus vulgaris: a prospective, open, clinical study utilizing a dermatologist/rheumatologist team approach

Abstract Pemphigus vulgaris is a severe dermatosis, often requiring systemic corticosteroid therapy. The attempt to find disease-modifying and corticosteroid-reducing drugs is ongoing. In this open study, a combined dermatologist-rheumatologist team approach is utilized in attempting to control pemphigus vulgaris with intramuscular gold therapy. Intra-muscular gold seems to have been a particularly useful agent.
Drug-induced bullous pemphigoid

Drug-induced BP was the subject of a 1991 review that noted that BP may follow oral or topical administration of medicines (Table 1).2 Many or most BP inciters contain sulfur. This may mean that formation of free sulfhydryl groups is one avenue for induction of BP. Diverse clinical presentations of drug-induced BP (DIBP) have been observed. Involvement of the oral mucosa was “inconstant,” although specific statistics or comparisons of DIBP versus BP were lacking. Mild forms of DIBP, scarring types, and papular and even nodular cases have been noted.* Other variations included overlap DIBP with pemphigus, as well as DIBP masquerading as bullous erythema multiforme. Three patients developed DIBP from the following penicillins: amoxicillin, procaine penicillin G, and phenoxymethyl penicillin.’ All three patients showed IgG at the basement membrane in a linear band by direct as well as indirect immunofluorescence. All patients had bullae on the face, trunk, upper and lower limbs, as well as on the palms and soles. Additional lesions were seen on the mucous membranes of the genitalia, nasopharynx, and oropharynx in all three patients. Youthful age was one unusual feature: one patient was 23, the second 16, and the third 50; the ordinary patient with BP is elderly.
Chain enumeration and non-crossing partitions

A formula is established for the number of chains with designated ranks in the non-crossing partition lattice. As corollaries, certain results of Kreweras are obtained. Non-crossing partitions are then generalized in two ways, and similar problems are solved.
Early intervention in HIV infection: where are we?

Data about the virology and pathogenesis of HIV disease suggest that early therapeutic intervention, perhaps even before the CD4+ cell count has fallen substantially, would be a theoretically sound approach. A limited number of large clinical studies address early therapy with zidovudine. A European-Australian study, which enrolled patients with CD4+ cell counts >400 cells/μl, found a benefit of zidovudine therapy compared to placebo in delaying minor HIV manifestations and CD4+ cell loss after a 2-year follow-up period. The results of the Concorde study, which enrolled >1700 asymptomatic patients and followed them for an average of 3 years, have created controversy about the results of ACTG protocol 019, which had led to widespread zidovudine use for patients with CD4+ cells <500/μl. Although there was a favorable change in CD4+ cell count in the Concorde study patients assigned to immediate zidovudine treatment compared with those assigned to deferred treatment, there were no significant differences in ...
Support Groups for Infertile Patients

Support groups offer infertile couples an opportunity to share feelings and concerns in a confidential, nonjudgmental setting—an alternative to coping with the crisis alone. Nurse involvement in organizing and maintaining a support group is described. The nurse can be a valuable asset to the support group in the role of patient liaison, small-group counselor, or community resource person.
Regional organization of astrocytic membranes in cerebellar cortex

Abstract The internal organization of plasmalemmal membrane, as revealed by freeze-fracture techniques, varies dramatically and predictably over the surface of astrocytes in mouse cerebellar cortex. Assemblies of uniform, small intramembrane particles packed in orthogonal order into square or rectangular aggregates are specialized distributions of intramembrane particles which, in the cerebellar cortex, are found only in astrocytes. The concentration of assemblies is greatest in astrocytic membrane juxtaposed to vascular structures or facing the cerebrospinal fluid at the glial limitans. Many fewer are present in regions of astrocytic membrane apposed to neural structures and virtually none are present on the astrocyte cell body. Corresponding structures have not yet been found in thin-sectioned preparations. While the distribution of assemblies in membranes facing blood and cerebrospinal fluid compartments suggests that they may have a role in transport of some material into or out of those compartments, their function is unknown. A second, distinct specialization of intramembrane structure appears to represent a junction between apposed astrocytic processes. We have provisionally described this as a ‘polygonal particle junction’, since it appears as large, irregular particles densely packed without obvious order in co-extensive regions of two astrocytic membranes. This junction is regularly present just below the cerebellar surface in the processes of the glial limitans as well as between large, more proximal radial Bergmann fibers, and also occurs occasionally throughout the molecular layer. With tannic acid mordant after aldehyde-osmium fixation or rapid freezing and freeze-substitution, it is possible to demonstrate subtle electron-dense specializations of the astrocytic membranes and extracellular matrix in thin-sections which correspond to the sites of polygonal particle junctions. The function of this astrocytic specialization is also unknown. Cerebellar astrocytes manifest numerous gap junctions as well, whose structure in freeze-fractured and thin-sectioned preparations is quite distinct from that of assemblies or of polygonal particle junctions.
Effects of cold stress on survival and reproduction of Haematobia irritans (Diptera: Muscidae)

Adult horn fly, Haematobia irritans (L.), survival, mating success, and ovarian development were measured following exposure of pupae to 4°C for 2,3, and 4 wk, and were compared with an untreated control group held at 29°C. Survival varied inversely with duration of lowtemperature exposure, and ranged from 92.1% in the control to 7.0% following a 4-wk exposure. Mating success also varied inversely with duration of low-temperature exposure, and ovarian development was delayed, especially in the week 4 group. Reproductive and population parameters were measured in a 2nd cohort of horn flies following exposure of pupae to 1–4 wk at 4°C, and in a control. Adult longevity varied inversely with duration of exposure. Mean longevity was greatest in the week 1 group at 17.6 d, followed by the control at 14.7 d. Week 4 flies lived an average of 2.2 d and produced no eggs. The preoviposition period was longest in the week 3 group at 7.3 d. In cohort 2, control and week 1 flies produced the highest number of eggs, eggs per female, and eggs per day compared with other groups. Eggs were produced over a mean of 6.8 d by week 3 flies compared with 25.4 d by week 1 flies. Reproductive rates varied inversely with low-temperature exposure duration, as did F, generation egg hatch, larval development, and adult emergence. Survivorship and fecundity schedules are discussed with respect to the effects of low-temperature exposure duration. The effects of low-temperature exposure duration on horn fly reproduction and life-history patterns are discussed with respect to rearing, storage, and ecology.
One-dimensional linear acoustic bandgap structures for performance enhancement of AlN-on-Silicon micromechanical resonators

This work introduces piezo-on-silicon linear acoustic bandgap (LAB) structures, a class of compact 1D micro-scale phononic crystal (PC) which can be directly integrated with micromechanical devices. Finite element simulations with custom-derived dispersion equations predict multiple bandgaps for coupled-ring LAB structures into the GHz region. AlN-on-Si resonator are replaced with coupled-ring LAB tethers to reduce acoustic loss into the substrate; the existence of bandgaps is experimentally confirmed in transmission spectra of test structures as well as quality factor (Q) and insertion loss (IL) improvements of LAB-enhanced resonators. An IL of 3.8 dB at 178 MHz and Qs of greater than 11,000 at 600 MHz in air are reported.
Piles of objects

We present a method for directly modeling piles of objects in multi-body simulations. Piles of objects represent some of the more interesting, but also most time-consuming portion of simulation. We propose a method for reducing computation in many of these situations by explicitly modeling the piles that the objects may form into. By modeling pile behavior rather than the behavior of all individual objects, we can achieve realistic results in less time, and without directly modeling the frictional component that leads to desired pile shapes. Our method is simple to implement and can be easily integrated with existing rigid body simulations. We observe notable speedups in several rigid body examples, and generate a wider variety of piled structures than possible with strict impulse-based simulation.
Detection of polyadenylic acid sequences in plant pathogenic RNAs

Abstract Polyadenylic acid sequences were detected in bean pod mottle (BPMV) and cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) RNAs but not in tobacco rattle (TRV) and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) RNAs or the low molecular weight pathogenic RNA (viroid) from citrus exocortis disease (CEV). A resistant RNA fragment from BPMV-RNA-treated with T 1 and pancreatic ribonuclease migrated as 4–5 S RNA in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The polyadenylic acid sequence appears to be associated with both components of the BPMV genome.
Treatment of Experimental Invasive Aspergillosis with Novel Amphotericin B/Cholesterol-Sulfate Complexes

An immunosuppressed rabbit model of invasive aspergillosis was used to evaluate a novel micellar preparation of cholesterol sulfate complexed to amphotericin B. The acute LD50 of amphotericin B-deoxycholate was 5.1 mg/kg versus 20 mg/kg for the amphotericin/cholesterol-sulfate complexes. Amphotericin B-deoxycholate given iv at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg was more effective in sterilizing liver and kidney than the amphotericin/cholesterol-sulfate complexes given iv at 1.5-4.5 mg/kg, but infection persisted in the lungs of all rabbits treated with those doses. Infection persisted even when the rabbits were given a lethal dose of amphotericin B-deoxycholate (4.5 mg/kg), but a dose of 15 mg/kg of the amphotericin/cholesterol-sulfate complexes sterilized tissues and was associated with no acute lethality. Equivalent doses of the amphotericin/cholesterol-sulfate complexes were less effective than amphotericin B-deoxycholate, but a fourfold decrease in acute lethality improved the therapeutic index of amphotericin B. The amphotericin/cholesterol-sulfate complexes appear to be an improved means of amphotericin B delivery and may improve therapy for invasive aspergillosis.
Diversity and Community Structure of Archaea Inhabiting the Rhizoplane of Two Contrasting Plants from an Acidic Bog

Plant root exudates increase nutrient availability and influence microbial communities including archaeal members. We examined the archaeal community inhabiting the rhizoplane of two contrasting vascular plants, Dulichium arundinaceum and Sarracenia purpurea, from an acidic bog in upstate NY. Multiple archaeal 16S rRNA gene libraries showed that methanogenic Archaea were dominant in the rhizoplane of both plants. In addition, the community structure (evenness) of the rhizoplane was found markedly different from the bulk peat. The archaeal community in peat from the same site has been found dominated by the E2 group, meanwhile the rhizoplane communities on both plants were co-dominated by Methanosarcinaceae (MS), rice cluster (RC)-I, and E2. Complementary T-RFLP analysis confirmed the difference between bulk peat and rhizoplane, and further characterized the dominance pattern of MS, RC-I, and E2. In the rhizoplane, MS was dominant on both plants although as a less variable fraction in S. purpurea. RC-I was significantly more abundant than E2 on S. purpurea, while the opposite was observed on D. arundinaceum, suggesting a plant-specific enrichment. Also, the statistical analyses of T-RFLP data showed that although both plants overlap in their community structure, factors such as plant type, patch location, and time could explain nearly a third of the variability in the dataset. Other factors such as water table, plant replicate, and root depth had a low contribution to the observed variance. The results of this study illustrate the general effects of roots and the specific effects of plant types on their nearby archaeal communities which in bog-inhabiting plants were mainly composed by methanogenic groups.
Quasigeostrophic energetics of open ocean regions

Abstract We present a method for local energy and vorticity analysis (EVA) of open regions of oceanic flow governed by quasigeostrophic dynamics. The purpose is to infer from real and simulated data sets the physics of synoptic/mesoscale processes, and to identify general signatures of such processes. We first derive, via a Rossby number expansion, the form of the local conservation law for quasigeostrophic energy density in terms of the geostrophic pressure field. We relate the quasigeostrophic terms to their more general form and also identify the different local ageostrophic contributions to the pressure work flux divergences. Analysis methods include time series of maps of terms, space-time integral time series, and schematic open region diagrams. Rossby wave and normal mode barotropic and baroclinic instability processes are studied in open regions, and local conversion/transport properties are defined. It is found that the instability process is indicated by both Reynolds-stress-like terms (ΔFϰ, ΔFA) and ageostrophic pressure work divergence ( ΔF π a , δƒ π a ). The process of local growth of energy is indicated by the local growth of asymmetries in the divergence terms. The application of EVA to real data situations which are made self-consistent by quasigeostrophic filtering is introduced. Real data initialization of a quasigeostrophic dynamical model provides the required dynamical interpolation procedure. Finally an eddy merger event captured during a successful dynamical forecast in the California Current region (Robinson et al.) is described and interpreted via EVA.
Isolation of Leclercia adecarboxylata from the blood culture of an asymptomatic platelet donor.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial contamination of platelet (PLT) components is a leading cause of transfusion-related fatality. AABB and The College of American Pathologists require that blood centers and transfusion services have a process for detecting bacterial contamination in PLT products. CASE REPORT:Leclercia adecarboxylata was isolated from the donated blood of a healthy, asymptomatic 61-year-old man. The PLT donation was collected by apheresis method and was separated into three daughter or split products. Samples from all three products tested positive for the presence of bacterial contamination. L. adecarboxylata was subsequently identified in two of three products. The blood donor's records were reviewed and the donor was interviewed by telephone. The only possible risk identified during the interview was a questionable contact dermatitis, away from the antecubital fossa, thought to be due to poison ivy exposure before the donation. All subsequent donations have tested negative for the presence of bacterial contamination. The organism is a Gram-negative bacillus variant of the Enterobacteriaceae family and known nosocomial isolate. It has been previously reported as a rarely isolated opportunistic pathogen mostly associated with patients having compromised immunity, chronic or inflammatory illness, catheter-related bacteremia, or mixed-bacterial wounds. L. adecarboxylata was originally identified in water, foods, and environment. CONCLUSION: This is the first known report of isolation of L. adecarboxylata from the blood donation of an apparently healthy individual and could represent transient asymptomatic bacteremia or more likely contamination by epidermal flora. The organism may be underrecognized due to its close resemblance to Escherichia coli.
Improving Education under Work-Hour Restrictions: Comparing Learning and Teaching Preferences of Faculty, Residents, and Students

Background Faced with work-hour restrictions, educators are mandated to improve the efficiency of resident and medical student education. Few studies have assessed learning styles in medicine; none have compared teaching and learning preferences. Validated tools exist to study these deficiencies. Kolb describes 4 learning styles: converging (practical), diverging (imaginative), assimilating (inductive), and accommodating (active). Grasha Teaching Styles are categorized into “clusters”: 1 (teacher-centered, knowledge acquisition), 2 (teacher-centered, role modeling), 3 (student-centered, problem-solving), and 4 (student-centered, facilitative). Study Design Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (HayGroup, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and Grasha-Riechmann's TSS were administered to surgical faculty (n = 61), residents (n = 96), and medical students (n = 183) at a tertiary academic medical center, after informed consent was obtained (IRB # 06-0612). Statistical analysis was performed using χ 2 and Fisher exact tests. Results Surgical residents preferred active learning (p = 0.053), whereas faculty preferred reflective learning (p Conclusions Significant differences exist between faculty and residents in both learning and teaching preferences; this finding suggests inefficiency in resident education, as previous research suggests that learning styles parallel teaching styles. Absence of a predominant teaching style in residents suggests these individuals are learning to be teachers. The adaptation of faculty teaching methods to account for variations in resident learning styles may promote a better learning environment and more efficient faculty–resident interaction. Additional, multi-institutional studies using these tools are needed to elucidate these findings fully.
Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy: A comparative study of electrohydraulic and electromagnetic units

Purpose: We determined the results of shock wave lithotripsy with a newer electromagnetic lithotriptor and compared them with those in a contemporary series of cases managed by an electrohydraulic lithotriptor using identical treatment and followup criteria at a single center.Materials and Methods: Between 1995 and 1999, 356 patients (375 renal units, 483 upper urinary tract stones) meeting study inclusion criteria were treated with an MFL 5000 electrohydraulic shock wave lithotripsy unit (Dornier Medical Systems, Inc., Marietta, Georgia). From 1999 to 2000, 173 patients (175 renal units; 218 upper urinary tract stones) meeting identical study inclusion criteria were treated using an electromagnetic Modulith SLX shock wave lithotripsy unit (Karl Storz Lithotripsy, Atlanta, Georgia). In each group stone-free results were determined by plain abdominal x-ray and renal ultrasound 1 month after lithotripsy and efficiency quotients were developed. Baseline patient and stone characteristics were compared by the ...
Nitrogen Mineralization from Citrus Tree Residues under Different Production Conditions

Under most citrus production conditions, dry leaves and other vegetative parts are returned to the soil under the trees. These materials and fibrous roots decompose on a regular basis. The objective here was to measure annual N contribution to citrus trees from organic residue decomposition. Mineralization of N was measured during 2 yr under citrus trees of two age groups each on Tavares fine sand (hyperthermic, uncoated Typic Quartzipsamment) and Wabasso sand (sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Alfic Haplaquod). Mineralization of N from tree residues under the canopy accounted for 58 to 84 and 126 to 153 kg N ha -1 yr -1 for the 4- and 20-yr-old trees, respectively, on the Tavares fine sand and 39 to 64 and 121 to 126 kg N ha -1 yr -1 for the 7- and 40-yr-old trees, respectively, on the Wabasso sand. The transformation of potentially mineralizable N (i.e., total N in dry crop residue and fibrous roots under the canopy) into inorganic forms (i.e., percentage mineralization) was greater in Wabasso sand (41-86%) compared with that in Tavares fine sand (17-71%). Significant correlations (r = 0.82 [significant at P = 0.05] and 0.84 [significant at P = 0.011) were found between measured quantities of mineralized N and potentially mineralizable N. There were also significant correlations between mineralized N and either rainfall or average temperature during each incubation interval. This study demonstrated that the quantity of net N mineralized from organic residues under the tree accounts for a significant portion of annual N requirement.
Zoosporic fungi in springs in the vicinity of Białystok

Zoosporic fungi and environmental factors in 5 springs were analysed at monthly intervals for one year. A total of 83 zoosporic fungus species were noted. 13 species are new to the hydromycoflora of Poland.
Gluon correlations in the transversely polarized nucleon

Abstract We study the gluon density matrix in the nucleon at the level of twist-three and identify a number of gluon distributions which are present in the transversely polarized nucleon. We discuss measurement of these distributions in hard processes, in particular through single transverse-spin asymmetry in large p T photon production.
Multiple origins of pyrethroid insecticide resistance across the species complex of a nontarget aquatic crustacean, Hyalella azteca

Use of pesticides can have substantial nonlethal impacts on nontarget species, including driving evolutionary change, often with unknown consequences for species, ecosystems, and society. Hyalella azteca, a species complex of North American freshwater amphipods, is widely used for toxicity testing of water and sediment and has frequently shown toxicity due to pyrethroid pesticides. We demonstrate that 10 populations, 3 from laboratory cultures and 7 from California water bodies, differed by at least 550-fold in sensitivity to pyrethroids. The populations sorted into four phylogenetic groups consistent with species-level divergence. By sequencing the primary pyrethroid target site, the voltage-gated sodium channel, we show that point mutations and their spread in natural populations were responsible for differences in pyrethroid sensitivity. At least one population had both mutant and WT alleles, suggesting ongoing evolution of resistance. Although nonresistant H. azteca were susceptible to the typical neurotoxic effects of pyrethroids, gene expression analysis suggests the mode of action in resistant H. azteca was not neurotoxicity but was oxidative stress sustained only at considerably higher pyrethroid concentrations. The finding that a nontarget aquatic species has acquired resistance to pesticides used only on terrestrial pests is troubling evidence of the impact of chronic pesticide transport from land-based applications into aquatic systems. Our findings have far-reaching implications for continued uncritical use of H. azteca as a principal species for monitoring and environmental policy decisions.
The place of worship in pastoral care

The author argues that one dimension of pastoral care's distinction is found in liturgical worship. She asks about the relation between liturgy and psychological insight. She offers a generic understanding of pastoral care within the context of the church and in the light of relation to God, and then argues that pastoral care is enriched by an appreciation of the contributions of worship to our efforts to care. The article concludes with a description of six ways in which worship is related to care and their implications for development in pastoral theology.
Implementation of solvent reaction fields for electronic structure

Methods are described to incorporate solvent reaction field effects into solute electronic structure calculations. Included are several old and new approaches based on approximate solutions of Poisson's equation through boundary element methods, wherein the solutions are represented in terms of certain apparent surface charge or apparent surface dipole distributions. Practical algorithms to set up and solve the requisite equations are described and implemented in a new general reaction field computer program. Illustrative computational results are presented to show the performance of the program.
Steady-state ALPS for real-valued problems

The objectives of this paper are to describe a steady-state version of the Age-Layered Population Structure (ALPS) Evolutionary Algorithm (EA) and to compare it against other GAs on real-valued problems. Motivation for this work comes from our previous success in demonstrating that a generational version of ALPS greatly improves search performance on a Genetic Programming problem. In making steady-state ALPS, some modifications were made to the method for calculating age and the method for moving individuals up age layers. To demonstrate that ALPS works well on real-valued problems we compare it against CMA-ES and Differential Evolution (DE) on five challenging, real-valued functions and on one real-world problem. While CMA-ES and DE outperform ALPS on the two unimodal test functions, ALPS is much better on the three multimodal test problems and on the real-world problem. Further examination shows that, unlike the other GAs, ALPS maintains a genotypically diverse population throughout the entire search process. These findings strongly suggest that the ALPS paradigm is better able to avoid premature convergence then the other GAs.
Genetics of Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, symptoms of dissociated rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations), disrupted nocturnal sleep, and cataplexy (brief episodes of muscle weakness triggered by emotions). These symptoms all reflect a dysregulation of transitions between the states of wakefulness (daytime sleepiness, unconsolidated nocturnal sleep), non-REM (NREM) sleep, and REM sleep (sleep-onset REM periods, sleep paralysis, hallucinations, cataplexy). While most of these symptoms appear in the general population, particularly in the context of sleep deprivation or other sleep disorders, cataplexy is highly specific to narcolepsy. Onset is most often in childhood, peaking between 10 and 25 years of age, and once established the disease is lifelong. Recent work in humans and animal models has resulted in rapid and substantial progress in understanding the pathophysiology underlying narcolepsy.
Improving the quotation process: a lean case study at a job shop

This study was conducted at a job-shop fabricating parts for the fastener industry. Due to stiff competition, the job-shop had two days to respond to all customer requests for quote. The current quotation process was repeatedly tardy. Consequently, they lost goodwill of several existing customers and failed to grow their customer base. This study thoroughly analysed the existing quotation process, recommended and implemented changes which resulted in shorter lead-times. A process flow diagram (PFD) was developed through interviews and shadowing the quote personnel. Analysing the PFD helped to identify and eliminate some of the non-valueadded tasks, resulting in shorter lead-time. Using a clustering algorithm, part families and a quote template for each family was formed. Templates facilitated standardisation of the quoting process, and helped to cross-train estimators. As a result of this study the number of lines quoted per month increased significantly; resulting in higher quote win percentage.
Social Capital in Financial Markets: Trust, but Verify

The global crisis that unfolded in 2008, and is still front and center today, reminds us that the hidden hand of self interest does not assure economic welfare. Social capital in the form of fairness, trust, and cooperation must supplement self interest, and the government must supplement both self interest and social capital with laws and regulations. Some counties are richer in social capital than others and some governments are more vigorous in the enforcement of laws and regulations than others. The author assesses the social capital of eight countries by perceptions of the fairness of insider trading and discusses the implications within the context of the current crisis.