cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HCV eradication does not impact gut dysbiosis or systemic inflammation in cirrhotic patients.

SummaryBackground Eradication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is increasing but its residual impact on the pro-inflammatory milieu in cirrhosis, which is associated with gut dysbiosis, is unclear. Aim To define the impact of sustained virological response (SVR) on gut dysbiosis and systemic inflammation in HCV cirrhosis patients. Methods Cirrhotic out-patients with HCV with/without SVR (achieved >1 year prior) and age-matched healthy controls underwent serum and stool collection. Serum was analysed for IL-6, TNF-α and endotoxin while stool microbiota analysis was performed using multitagged pyrosequencing. Microbial comparisons were made using UNIFRAC and cirrhosis dysbiosis ratio (lower score indicates dysbiosis). Comparisons were performed between cirrhotics with/without SVR and controls vs. cirrhotic patients. Results A total of 105 HCV cirrhotics and 45 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Twenty-one patients had achieved SVR using pegylated interferon + ribavrin a median of 15 months prior. No significant differences on demographics, cirrhosis severity, concomitant medications or diabetes were seen between cirrhotics with/without SVR. There was no significant difference in overall microbiota composition (UNIFRAC P = 0.3) overall or within specific microbial families (cirrhosis dysbiosis ratio median 1.3 vs. 1.0, P = 0.45) between groups with/without SVR. This also extended towards IL-6, TNF-α and endotoxin levels. Both cirrhosis groups, however, had significant dysbiosis compared to healthy controls [UNIFRAC P = 0.01, cirrhosis dysbiosis ratio (1.1 vs. 2.9, P < 0.001)] along with higher levels of endotoxin, IL-6 and TNF-α. Conclusions Gut dysbiosis and a pro-inflammatory systemic milieu, are found in HCV cirrhosis regardless of SVR. This persistent dysbiosis could contribute towards varying rates of improvement after HCV eradication in cirrhosis.
Modular elements of the TPR domain in the Mps1 N terminus differentially target Mps1 to the centrosome and kinetochore

Faithful segregation of chromosomes to two daughter cells is regulated by the formation of a bipolar mitotic spindle and the spindle assembly checkpoint, ensuring proper spindle function. Here we show that the proper localization of the kinase Mps1 (monopolar spindle 1) is critical to both these processes. Separate elements in the Mps1 N-terminal extension (NTE) and tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains govern localization to either the kinetochore or the centrosome. The third TPR (TPR3) and the TPR-capping helix (C-helix) are each sufficient to target Mps1 to the centrosome. TPR3 binds to voltage-dependent anion channel 3, but although this is sufficient for centrosome targeting of Mps1, it is not necessary because of the presence of the C-helix. A version of Mps1 lacking both elements cannot localize to or function at the centrosome, but maintains kinetochore localization and spindle assembly checkpoint function, indicating that TPR3 and the C-helix define a bipartite localization determinant that is both necessary and sufficient to target Mps1 to the centrosome but dispensable for kinetochore targeting. In contrast, elements required for kinetochore targeting (the NTE and first two TPRs) are dispensable for centrosomal localization and function. These data are consistent with a separation of Mps1 function based on localization determinants within the N terminus.
The Struggle to Maintain a Compound System: Creating and Contesting the Rules of the Game in European Integration

Had he lived today, Tocqueville would probably have made the same remark about the EU. The precariousness of this political system is well known but nevertheless this chapter retells the story of integration, albeit in a brief and idiosyncratic way. While the broad narrative is a familiar one, it is less so when recounted as the contest over the rules of the game within the scope of maintaining a viable compound political system. Rather than furnish a new theoretical claim to explain why integration took place, therefore, the chapter describes the important steps on the road to ‘ever closer union’ in terms of how these moments challenge, reinterpret and reproduce the rules of the game of EU politics.
Central Neural Control of Spontaneous Ovulation: The Rat Model

The facts that both steroid-induced and spontaneous ovulation in rats can be prevented by treatment with centrally acting drugs and that the controls exhibit circadian rhythmicity implied participation of the central nervous system. Neural control was also implied indirectly by the report by Dempsey and Searles (1943) that LLPE rats formed corpora lutea after copulation. In the estrous rabbit and cat, several workers induced ovulation by electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus or the amygdala (see Harris 1972). Yet not until 1957 was there comparable direct evidence of a role of the brain in species that ovulate spontaneously. In that year Bunn and Everett reported ovulation induced in alert LLPE rats by electrical stimulation through electrodes chronically implanted in the amygdala or septum pellucidum. Critchlow (1957, 1958), employing cyclic rats anesthetized with pentobarbital during the proestrus critical period, succeeded in inducing ovulation by stimulation through electrodes stereotaxically placed deep in the medial hypothalamus. Since then the pentobarbital-blocked rat has become a favorite experimental subject in this and other laboratories.
Teachers’ Perceptions of K-12 Online: Impacting the Design of a Graduate Course Curriculum

While K-12 online learning in the United States has increased exponentially, the ability of teacher education programs to adequately prepare teachers to design, deliver, and support has been defici...
The American School of Empire

Early American artists and political thinkers wrestled with the challenges of forming a cohesive, if not coherent, culture and political structure to organize the young republic and its diverse peoples. The American School of Empire shows how this American idea of empire emerged through a dialogue with British forms of empire, becoming foundational to how the US organized its government and providing early Americans with the framework for thinking about the relations between states and the disparate peoples and cultures that defined them. Edward Larkin places special emphasis on the forms of the novel and history painting, which were crucial vehicles for the articulation of the American vision of empire in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Temporal Trends in Quality of Care Among Recipients of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators Insights From the National Cardiovascular Data Registry

Background—The ICD Registry was established in 2006 in part to measure quality of care in patients undergoing implantation of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs); however, whether outcomes have improved since initiation of the registry is unknown. Our objective was to examine changes over time in 3 quality metrics available from the registry. Methods and Results—We performed an observational study of 367 153 patients who received new ICD implants from April 2006 to March 2010. Three quality metrics were selected: Adverse events (in-hospital complications or mortality), optimal medical therapy (OMT), and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). OMT was defined as prescription of β-blocker and either angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker in eligible patients. CRT eligibility was determined by QRS ≥120 ms, left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%, and New York Heart Association class III/IV. Observation periods were divided into four 12-month intervals. We analyzed...
The Other Vietnam Syndrome : The Cultural Politics of Corporeal Patriotism and Visual Resistance

This article argues that the emergence of the U.S. counterculture contemporaneously with the Vietnam antiwar movement produced a visual coding of antiwar thought and action as dirty, messy, and most of all ‘hippie’, as a result of the visual differences between the most visible elements of the movement and the U.S. mainstream. This coding of antiwar sentiment as visually Other was seized upon by the right as part of the process of remembering this era of U.S. history, and this visual coding has over time evolved into a ‘regime of visuality’ that delegitimizes opposition to war and introduces a kind of corporeal patriotism where one’s loyalty to the state can be measured by an evaluation of one’s appearance. Whereas the Vietnam syndrome was an expression of elite disdain for public opposition to ‘the use of force’ (i.e. military invasions), the other Vietnam syndrome (OVS) constitutes a regime of visuality that links visual deviance to opposition to war, with the intention of delegitimizing both and placing deviant-looking protesters outside the body of the ‘legitimate’ public. The article provides historical and theoretical overviews of the OVS and discusses implications for contemporary protest movements.
Babcock Bottle Certification Appparatus Performance Evaluation

The use and performance of a computer-controlled apparatus for certification of Babcock bottles used for payment testing were evaluated. The apparatus delivered mercury into the bottle neck using a syringe mounted on a motorized pump. Syringe movement and the collection and calculation of data were controlled by computer. The apparatus was evaluated using four 8% milk bottles (total volume 1.600 mL; bottles rejected if deviation was ≥0.008 mL) and four 50% short-neck cream bottles (total volume 5.000 mL; bottles rejected if deviation was ≥0.050 mL). Six milk and 5 cream bottle trials were conducted; each bottle was read 5 consecutive times for each trial. As a percentage of the rejection criteria, average repeatability was 5-6% and reproducibility was 9-10%. These values were similar for both types of bottles. The evaluation of the apparatus demonstrated acceptable within- and between-days performance in relation to the rejection criteria and volumes measured. Because the apparatus creates a closed system during certification, an additional experiment was conducted with 50% short-neck cream bottles to determine the effect of internal pressure within a bottle on volume estimates. Four trials were conducted, as previously described, using 4 control and 4 experimental bottles. Volume between the 0 and 50% marks (5 mL) was determined. Holes were drilled in the experimental bottles to eliminate internal pressure for the final 2 trials. The estimated volume of bottles under pressure was 0.0054±0.0012 mL greater than without internal pressure (i.e., about 11% of the rejection criteria). We concluded that any pressure effect was small relative to other factors that affect volume determination
Nonobstetric Surgery During Pregnancy

There are significant numbers of women who receive nonobstetric surgery during pregnancy. Perioperative management of pregnant women requires understanding of both maternal and fetal physiology and pharmacology. No evidence demonstrated that currently used anesthetic agents have any teratogenic effects in humans when using clinical doses at any gestational age. A pregnant woman should never be denied indicated surgery, regardless of trimester. Elective surgery should be postponed until after delivery. If possible, nonurgent surgery should be performed in the second trimester because the incidence of preterm labor and spontaneous abortion is the lowest. Regional anesthesia is usually preferred in pregnancy if the medical and surgical conditions allow. The most critical elements of anesthetic management are avoidance of hypoxemia, hypotension, acidosis, and hyperventilation.
The agency factor: neoliberal configurations of risk in news discourse on the Steubenville, Ohio rape case

ABSTRACTThis study addresses the need for more research on news media representations of sexual assault within Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). It focuses on the discursive links between victim-blaming in mainstream news coverage, on the one hand, and a neoliberal ideology that backgrounds structural issues while implicitly emphasizing an ethic of ‘personal responsibility’ for risk-management, on the other. The existing research in feminist media studies points to the way that media misrepresent gendered crime by individualizing cases and focusing on victim behaviour rather than connecting sexual assault to systemic social issues based on power imbalance. Using coverage of the highly publicized 2013 Steubenville, Ohio rape as a case study, this article builds on existing research by performing a systematized, grammar-based analysis of transitivity and agency in news reports and demonstrating their often subtle connection with neoliberal notions of victimization and risk that align with the interests of ...
Annals Consult Guys – Talking to Our Patients About Firearm Injury

Drs. Merli and Weiss (the Consult Guys) and their expert guess address the questions of a viewer who wants to help his patients' risks for firearm-related harms but is not sure how to talk about fi...
DNA Vaccines for Cancer Immunotherapy

The introduction of selected genes by direct injection of DNA represents a general strategy for short-term gene expression in vivo. DNA vaccines may be especially useful for cancer immunotherapy because DNA allows transient expression of tumor-associated antigens and immunostimulatory proteins by a relatively nonimmunogenic vector. This chapter focuses on how DNA vaccines stimulate immune responses and how different immunization strategies may result in various types of immunity. The inclusion of chemical and genetic adjuvants as methods for enhancing DNA vaccination is also discussed. The methods currently available for constructing DNA vaccines and the implications for cancer therapy will be reviewed. Finally, some of the safety and ethical concerns generated by DNA vaccination are presented.
Vector Eigenfunction Expansions for Plane Channel Flows

The full nonlinear initial-boundary value problem for the evolution of disturbances in plane Poiseuille flow is considered. The problem is formulated in vector form using the normal velocity and normal vorticity as components. The solution is presented as an expansion in linear eigenmodes. These modes consist of both Orr-Sommerfeld modes and modes of the normal vorticity (Squire) equation. The case of degenerating eigenmodes is also considered and it is shown that the Benney-Gustavsson normal velocity-normal vorticity resonance is a special case of a degeneracy between the vector eigenmodes. The solution to the nonlinear problem is presented as an expansion in the linear eigenmodes as well as in modes of the self-adjoint part of the linear equation. The full nonlinear solution is further reduced to small systems of coupled amplitude equations using the center manifold theorem.
Anticonvulsants for the Treatment of Pruritus

Pruritus or itch is the most common symptom of skin diseases. Liver and kidney diseases and various forms of cancer can also be complicated by pruritus. The origin of pruritus can be peripheral, as with conditions of the skin, or central, as associated with conditions of the central nervous system including multiple sclerosis and brain infarcts. There is still a vacuum in the understanding of the pathophysiology of pruritus, but it is accepted that pruritus leads to scratching behavior, a well conserved reflex, which is believed to have been passed on as a protective reaction to an unpleasant or harmful stimulus. The lack of understanding of the pathophysiology of pruritus has led to the use of many interventions, sometimes without a clear rationale, for the treatment of this complication, which can be maddening. In this chapter, the use of anticonvulsants to treat pruritus will be reviewed and in Table 45.1, a select number of published experiences with the use of anticonvulsants in the treatment of pruritus is provided.
Comparing in-the-moment skill coaching effects from tailored versus non-tailored acceptance and commitment therapy mobile apps in a non-clinical sample

ABSTRACTMobile apps are promising for teaching how to practice psychological skills in high-risk and in vivo momentary situations, but there has been minimal research on the immediate effects of app-based skill coaching on mental health in-the-moment. This study analyzed the mobile app data in a non-clinical sample of 39 adults participating in a larger randomized controlled trial, with participants randomized to an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) mobile app that tailors skill coaching based on in-the-moment variables (n = 17) or an app that provides randomly selected skill coaching (n = 22). Data were collected before and after each ACT skill coaching session on proximal outcome (depression, anxiety, and engagement in meaningful activity) and ACT process variables. Multilevel models indicated significant immediate improvements on average following ACT skill coaching sessions on all proximal outcome and ACT process variables, although with relatively small effects ranging between 0.17 and 0.27 SD ...
Directing Selectivity of Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction Using Plasmonics

Catalysts for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction in aqueous electrolytes suffer from high energy input requirements, competition with hydrogen evolution from water reduction, and low product selectivity. Theory suggests that plasmonic catalysts can be tuned to selectively lower the energy barrier for a specific reaction in a set of competitive reactions, but there has been little experimental evidence demonstrating plasmon-driven selectivity in complicated multielectron electrochemical processes. Here, the photoactivity at a plasmonically active silver thin film electrode at small cathodic potentials selectively generates carbon monoxide while simultaneously suppressing hydrogen production. At larger cathodic potentials, the photoactivity promotes production of methanol and formate. Methanol production is observed only under illumination, not in dark conditions. The preference of the plasmonic activity for carbon dioxide reduction over hydrogen evolution and the ability to tune plasmonic activity wi...
The Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM): a review of the ICCVAM test method evaluation process and current international collaborations with the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM).

Over the last decade, national authorities in the USA and Europe have launched initiatives to validate new and improved toxicological test methods. In the USA, the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM), and its supporting National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM), were established by the Federal Government to work with test developers and Federal agencies to facilitate the validation, review, and adoption of new scientifically sound test methods, including alternatives that can reduce, refine, and replace animal use. In Europe, the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) was established to conduct validation studies on alternative test methods. Despite differences in organisational structure and processes, both organisations seek to achieve the adoption and use of alternative test methods. Accordingly, both have adopted similar validation and regulatory acceptance criteria. Collaborations and processes have also evolved to facilitate the international adoption of new test methods recommended by ECVAM and ICCVAM. These collaborations involve the sharing of expertise and data for test-method workshops and independent scientific peer reviews, and the adoption of processes to expedite the consideration of test methods already reviewed by the other organisation. More recently, NICEATM and ECVAM initiated a joint international validation study on in vitro methods for assessing acute systemic toxicity. These collaborations are expected to contribute to accelerated international adoption of harmonised new test methods that will support improved public health and provide for reduced and more-humane use of laboratory animals.
CHAPTER 2 – The Design of Efficient Algorithms

Publisher Summary In designing algorithms, one frequently requires a mechanism for exploring the vertices and edges of a graph. Two criteria of priority prove to be especially useful in exploring a graph. They are depth-first search (DFS) and breadth-first search (BFS). In both methods, each edge is traversed exactly once in the forward and reverse directions and each vertex is visited. By examining a graph in such a structured way, some algorithms become easier to understand and faster to execute. The choice of which method to use will often affect the efficiency of the algorithm. Thus, simply selecting a clever data structure is not sufficient to insure a good implementation. A carefully chosen search technique is also needed. One search technique may be preferable over another, that is, it may give one a more efficient implementation. This chapter presents the list of some instances of problems for which DFS and BFS are most effective.
Opportunities and Obstacles to Aquaculture in Florida

Aquaculture is growing in Florida as it is worldwide, but in Florida aquaculture has not yet reached its substantial potential. To understand why this might be, the University of Florida's Institute of Sustainable Food Systems organized and convened a meeting between small-agency, industry, and academic stakeholders to discuss the opportunities and obstacles to aquaculture in Florida. This 6-page fact sheet written by Edward Camp, Taryn Garlock, and James Anderson and published by the UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, describes the proceedings of this meeting in the context of the broader scientific literature explaining why aquaculture ventures do and sometimes do not succeed.
Machine learning classification of Kuiper belt populations

In the outer solar system, the Kuiper Belt contains dynamical sub-populations sculpted by a combination of planet formation and migration and gravitational perturbations from the present-day giant planet configuration. The subdivision of observed Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) into Different dynamical classes is based on their current orbital evolution in numerical integrations of their orbits. Here we demonstrate that machine learning algorithms are a promising tool for reducing both the computational time and human effort required for this classification. Using a Gradient Boosting Classifier, a type of machine learning regression tree classifier trained on features derived from short numerical simulations, we sort observed KBOs into four broad, dynamically distinct populations-classical, resonant, detached, and scattering- with a >97 per cent accuracy for the testing set of 542 securely classified KBOs. Over 80 per cent of these objects have a > 3σ probability of class membership, indicating that the machine learning method is classifying based on the fundamental dynamical features of each population. We also demonstrate how, by using computational savings over traditional methods, we can quickly derive a distribution of class membership by examining an ensemble of object clones drawn from the observational errors. We find two major reasons for misclassification: inherent ambiguity in the orbit of the object-for instance, an object that is on the edge of resonance-and a lack of representative examples in the training set. This work provides a promising avenue to explore for fast and accurate classification of the thousands of new KBOs expected to be found by surveys in the coming decade.
Low-Noise, Low-Power Pulse Shaper for Particle Detection (Invited Paper)

Pulse shapers are widely used in particle detector applications to reduce the rise and fall times of the pulse signal and to remove noise from the frontend amplifiers. We demonstrate a low-noise, low-power pulse shaper employing an active lowpass Salley-Key biquad filter, passive highpass filter, and input/output buffers. The design process is described to generate the desired transfer characteristic while incorporating tuning knobs to adapt the shaper characteristic to the needs of different applications. Utilizing only a single 1.8-V supply, the shaper consumes 1.5 mW and achieves an input-referred noise of 17 μV rms , both the lowest among state-of-the-art. The power efficiency normalized to bandwidth and noise is nearly 1.7× better than the next best design.
Strategic decision-making under ambiguity: a new problem space and a proposed optimization approach

The existence of ambiguity presents a challenge to decision-makers as it eliminates the ability to apply standard optimization approaches, such as those based on calculating the objective expected values of alternative actions. In reality, ambiguity arises in most strategically important decisions in some form because of the genuine limits on the decision-maker’s rationality and on the information available about the alternatives and the future. To address that reality, we define such problems as strategic decision-making under ambiguity where choices over resource investments must be made in competitive environments where possible outcomes and their payoffs are known ex ante, but the probabilities of such outcomes are unknowable ex ante. We outline a multi-step, logical approach for addressing such problems in theory with the goal of providing an improved basis for practical decisions that should increase organizational performance.
The effects of antiepileptic drugs on bone health: A systematic review.

Abstract Purpose Epilepsy may be treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), which have been reported to decrease bone mineral density (BMD). Current data is conflicting and variable, and little is known with regard to how duration of AED use or specific AEDs, such as CYP-450 enzyme-inducing (EIAEDs) versus non-enzyme inducing (NEIAEDs) drugs affect BMD. We sought to systematically review BMD changes due to AED use to identify trends in reporting. Methods A literature search via Medline (PubMed), EMBASE, and Cochrane databases was performed. Peer-reviewed articles were identified that reported on BMD measurements in conjunction with AEDs. Results Twenty-six studies met inclusion criteria. Long-term therapy was shown across multiple, well-controlled studies to have the most significant BMD loss. Carbamazepine had the most frequent reporting of unfavorable effects on bone health and Lamotrigine seemed to show the most bone-protective qualities. Serum biochemical markers of bone turnover did not significantly correlate with measured BMD changes. Conclusion The present study provides evidence that long-term AED therapy is the most significant risk factor for BMD loss. Furthermore, there was little compelling evidence to support that EIAEDs, as a class, were more harmful to bone than NEIAEDs, which has been previously suggested in multiple studies. Early clinical concern for significant loss of BMD may not be warranted as lower BMD was less likely to be observed during the initial years of AED therapy. Furthermore, serum markers of bone turnover are not clinically reliable in assessing BMD changes in patients taking AEDs.
Supervising Supervisors: A Series of Workshops

The design of an ongoing series of workshops is predicated on the assumptions that residency training programs are responsible for “supervising the supervisors” and that quality in supervision depends on training. One recent workshop, featured in replicable detail, provides information about the characteristics, principles, focuses, and strategies of supervision. For psychotherapy supervisors, the article recommends that training programs provide support, skill development and maintenance, supervision and evaluation. The scarcity of literature relevant to supervisor training is noted.
Fluorescence nonlocality in two-dimensional Materials

The combination of far-field and near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) with a position (line) and wavelength dependent detection allow us to observe the fluorescence form points away from the excitation spot. This contrasts with confocal illumination/detection and with fluorescent imaging of uniform illumination, the two commonly used fluorescence measurement modes. We discuss the origins of the nonlocal emission and argue that the results can be used to measure the exciton diffusion length in these two-dimensional materials. In particular, we study transition metal dichalcogenides. We use near-field second harmonic generation (SHG) with NSOM detection of the mode-locked femtosecond laser pulse generated signals.
AN ADAPTIVE PARTITION-BASED APPROACH FOR SOLVING TWO-STAGE STOCHASTIC PROGRAMS WITH FIXED RECOURSE ∗

We study an adaptive partition-based approach for solving two-stage stochastic programs with fixed recourse. A partition-based formulation is a relaxation of the original stochastic program, and we study a finitely converging algorithm in which the partition is adaptively adjusted until it yields an optimal solution. A solution guided refinement strategy is developed to refine the partition by exploiting the relaxation solution obtained from a partition. In addition to refinement, we show that in the case of stochastic linear programs, it is possible to merge some components in a partition, without weakening the corresponding relaxation bound, thus allowing the partition size to be kept small. We also show that for stochastic linear programs with simple recourse, there exists a small partition that yields an optimal solution. The size of this partition is independent of the number of scenarios used in the model. Our computational results show that the proposed adaptive partition-based approach converges v...
The influence of fat on the deterioration of food aroma in model systems during storage

Abstract Storage studies (30 and 45°C) determining the stability of selected, aroma compounds (50 ppm) in the presence of simple microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) (with or without 5% vegetable oil and water activities of 0.11, 0.33, 0.53 and 0.76) were conducted. MCC was found to exhibit substantial aroma compound binding. Binding appeared to be strongly dependent on water activity with the binding being less at higher water activities and appeared to reach a maximum at an Aw of approximately 0.33. Aroma compounds varied greatly in terms of storage stability in the presence of our two model systems. Furfurylmercaptan, pyrrole, 1-methylpyrrole, 2,4-hexadienal and ethyl-2-mercaptoproprionate were found to be very unstable during storage (listed in decreasing order of loss). The inclusion of oil in the model systems invariably increased the stability of the aroma compounds studied although sometimes losses were so rapid that the effect was small. The degree of increase in stability in the presence of oil was dependent upon the aroma compound studied.
Spermidine Biosynthesis PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF PROPYLAMINE TRANSFERASE FROM ESCHERICHIA COLI

Abstract Propylamine transferase, which catalyzes the biosynthesis of spermidine from 1,4-diaminobutane (putrescine) and decarboxylated adenosylmethionine, has been purified to homogeneity (approximately 2,000-fold) from Escherichia coli W. The enzyme has a molecular weight of approximately 73,000 and is composed of 2 subunits of equal size. 1,5-Diaminopentane and spermidine can replace 1,4-diaminobutane as the propylamine acceptor, but the reaction takes place at a reduced rate.
Enhancing the Process of Resilience Through Effective Thinking

In the first edition of this book, a problem-solving approach to resiliency was illustrated to show how early high-risk behaviors as physical and verbal aggression could be reduced and prevented, and how clinical applications of the problem-solving approach could enhance the resiliency of children exhibiting emotional disturbance and ADHD. We have now learned that a different form of aggression, called relational aggression, popularized by the “mean girls syndrome” (e.g., Simmons, 2002; Wiseman, 2002) can stifle resilience, and how the problem-solving approach can help both the perpetrator and the victim of such behaviors. We have also learned how a feeling of bonding to school can increase resilience, and how the problem-solving approach can promote that feeling. Finally, we have discovered that in addition to emotional disturbance and ADHD, children with other diagnoses can be helped with the problem-solving approach, and how this can transpire with Asperger’s syndrome will be illustrated.
Downstream Copyright Infringers

The advent of on-line music sales has been a boon to the recording industry as well as for musicians and the general public. Previously unknown artists have found new avenues to showcase their work, and consumers have easy access to an enormous variety of musical genres.Yet an unintended consequence of the ability to sell songs through internet downloads is a novel, and until now, unnoticed way to infringe on copyrights - which, unless remedied, could lead to new classes of defendants never contemplated or desired to be ensnared in the Copyright Act’s protections for artists, musicians and authors. Unlike a brick-and-mortar transaction, the act of purchasing a song on the web requires that the purchaser “download” a digital file of the song - that is, make a copy of the song that is located on the vendor’s website, and transfer that copy to the consumer’s computer. In this on-line transaction, consumers are availing themselves of one of the rights of the copyright owner, namely the reproduction right. Of course, by making songs available for purchase via download, the copyright owner is authorizing such a reproduction. But if the downloaded song is in fact infringing on another’s musical composition copyright rights, this new method of purchasing music turns ordinary consumers into unintentional infringers. When a consumer downloads a song from a legitimate music store such as iTunes, she tacitly assumes that the song is not infringing on the musical work of another. If, however, the song is infringing on the copyright of another musical composition, then the consumer has made an unauthorized copy and infringes on the infringed-upon musician's reproduction right. It is only a matter of time before members of the recording industry grab onto this form of infringement and demand compensation from unsuspecting consumers. Copyright infringement is a tort of strict liability and courts would thus be constrained in their ability to give relief to consumers who infringe in this manner. This article argues that rather than wait for litigation to commence, Congress should consider legislating an exception for consumer downstream infringement that was neither contemplated nor desired when the Copyright Act was passed.
Standard operating procedures for priapism.

ABSTRACT Aim To provide standard operating procedures for the diagnosis and management of priapism. Methods Review of the literature. Main Outcome Measures Reduction of priapism and preservation of erectile function. Results Priapism is a persistent penile erection that continues hours beyond, or is unrelated to, sexual stimulation. Priapism requires prompt evaluation and usually requires emergency management. There are two types of priapism: (i) ischemic (veno-occlusive or low flow), which is found in 95% of cases, and (ii) nonischemic (arterial or high flow). Stuttering (intermittent) priapism is a recurrent form of ischemic priapism. To initiate appropriate management, the physician must determine whether the priapism is ischemic or nonischemic. Necessary diagnostic steps are an accurate history, physical examination, and cavernous blood gas analysis and/or color duplex ultrasonography of the corpora cavernosa. Management of ischemic priapism should achieve resolution as promptly as possible. Initial treatment is therapeutic aspiration with or without irrigation of the corpora. If this fails, intracavernous injection of sympathomimetic drugs is the next step. Surgical shunts should be performed if nonsurgical treatment has failed. The initial management of nonischemic priapism should be observation. Selective arterial embolization is recommended for the management of nonischemic priapism in patients who request treatment. The goal of management for a patient with recurrent (stuttering) priapism is prevention of future episodes. Conclusion Management of priapism has become increasingly successful as scientific understanding of the pathophysiology and molecular biology of priapism improves. The key to further success in the treatment of priapism is basic research of this uncommon but potentially devastating condition. Burnett AL and Sharlip ID. Standard operating procedures for priapism. J Sex Med **;**:**–**.
The macroeconomic impact of AIDS in Malawi: a dualistic, labour surplus economy.

This paper simulates the macroeconomic effects of the AIDS epidemic in Malawi. This is done by using Bulataos (1990) predictions of the diseases demographic impact in a dual-economy macro model. The with-AIDS scenario is compared with a counterfactual no-AIDS scenario to assess the impact of the disease if it spreads unchecked. The results suggest that by the year 2010 Malawian real GDP could be as much as 10% smaller than it would have been in the absence of the AIDS epidemic. The impact on per capita income is smaller ranging from 0% to 3% lower than it would have been in the no-AIDS case by 2010. (authors)
Elasticity of pyrope and majorite-pyrope solid solutions to high temperatures

Abstract Majorite–garnet solid solutions are major mineral phases in the Earth’s upper mantle and transition zone. Here we present the first Brillouin scattering measurements of the elasticity of majorite (Mj, Mg 4 Si 4 O 12 )–pyrope (Py, Mg 3 Al 2 Si 3 O 12 ) solid solutions (Mj 50 Py 50 and Mj 80 Py 20 ) and single-crystal elasticity of pure synthetic pyrope at temperatures up to 800°C. The temperature derivatives of the adiabatic bulk ( K S ) and shear ( μ ) moduli for all compositions along the Mj–Py join are the same within the experimental uncertainties (−∂ K S /∂ T =14.0–14.5(20) MPa/K, −∂ μ /∂ T =8.3–9.2(10) MPa/K). The temperature dependence of the acoustic velocities for Mj–Py solid solutions is about half that of other major transition zone minerals. This implies that temperature variations in the transition zone, inferred from lateral velocity heterogeneity, can be significantly underestimated if the properties of majoritic garnet are not taken into account.
Chloroquine stabilizes hepatic glucocorticoid receptors

Chloroquine (an antiarthritic, antimalarial, lysosomotropic amine) was found to significantly stabilize rat unbound hepatic glucocorticoid receptors in vitro for 2 h at 25 degrees C. Chloroquine stabilization was concentration dependent with statistically significant protection at 0.3 mM concentration and optimal effectiveness at approximately 3 mM. KC1 (0.3 M) induced unbound receptor inactivation at low temperature was also markedly reduced in the presence of 3 mM chloroquine. In addition, steroid prebound complexes were significantly stabilized at 4 degrees C and 25 degrees C by 3 mM chloroquine. Unlike molybdate (perhaps the most commonly used glucocorticoid receptor stabilizing reagent), chloroquine did not alter the sedimentation of glucocorticoid-receptor complexes in sucrose-density gradients. These results suggest that chloroquine may have useful application in glucocorticoid receptor quantitation, characterization and purification and may have interesting implications into the biological and pharmacological effects of chloroquine.
Birefringence and Paraffinophilia of Cell Nuclei

Birefringence of cell nuclei was present in most tissues but seen exclusively in paraffin sections. Only after staining with an acridinc derivative (rivanol) was it found in smears and frozen sections. Although retention of paraffin in the nucleus contributes, for the most part to its anisotropy, present evidence supports the hypothesis that the chemical nature and the physical state of nuclear material, especially of the DNA, plays the important role as a substrate, which selectively binds of paraffin molecules. This evidence is based mainly on the blocking effect on birefringence which occurs when small pieces of tissues are treated in toto, before paraffin embedding, with DNA-extracting procedures and nuclear stainings. Moreover, the variability in degree and extent of birefringence noted in different tissues corroborates this view. Factors in the preparatory procedure, i.e, deparaffinization, hydration and dehydration, were found to affect markedly the binding of paraffin to nuclear substance. Neverth...
Efficient spatial prediction using gaussian markov random fields under uncertain localization

In this paper, we develop efficient spatial prediction algorithms using Gaussian Markov random fields (GMRFs) under uncertain localization and sequential observations. We first review a GMRF as a discretized Gaussian process (GP) on a lattice, and justify the usage of maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimates of noisy sampling positions in making inferences. We show that the proposed approximation can be viewed as a discrete version of Laplace’s approximation for GP regression under localization uncertainty. We then formulate our problem of computing prediction and propose an approximate Bayesian solution, taking into account observations, measurement noise, uncertain hyper-parameters, and uncertain localization in a fully Bayesian point of view. In particular, we present an efficient scalable approximation using MAP estimates of noisy sampling positions with a controllable tradeoff between approximation error and complexity. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithms is illustrated using simulated and real-world data.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
864 CHILDHOOD ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA WITH B-CELL PHENOTYPE (B-ALL)

B-ALL is uncommon in children and is associated with a poor prognosis. No distinctive clinical features have been identified. At present B-ALL is defined immunologically by the presence of surface immunoglobulins (slg+) on leukemic lymphoblasts. Since 1976 6/56 (11%) of our newly diagnosed ALL patients have been sIg+ and their data are presented below. Blasts from all six patients expressed Ia-like antigens, a normal B cell alloantigen; 2/6 reacted with rabbit antiserum specific for human thymic lymphocytes; and 1/6 had a common ALL antigen characteristic of null cell ALL. Receptors for the lectin peanut agglutinin (PNA) were present on 3/5 tested and these 3 patients have died. 2/5 did not express PNA receptors and remain in remission at 36+ and 29+ months. We conclude that: (1) B-ALL is immunologically heterogenous with some patients simultaneously expressing a common ALL antigen or certain T cell characteristics and (2) the presence of receptors for PNA appears to have prognostic significance in B-ALL.
Designed BH3 Peptides with High Affinity and Specificity for Targeting Mcl-1 in Cells

Mcl-1 is overexpressed in many cancers and can confer resistance to cell-death signaling in refractory disease. Molecules that specifically inhibit Mcl-1 hold potential for diagnosing and disrupting Mcl-1-dependent cell survival. We selected three peptides from a yeast-surface display library that showed moderate specificity and affinity for binding to Mcl-1 over Bfl-1, Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, and Bcl-w. Specificity for Mcl-1 was improved by introducing threonine at peptide position 2e. The most specific peptide, MS1, bound Mcl-1 with 40-fold or greater specificity over four other human Bcl-2 paralogs. In BH3 profiling assays, MS1 caused depolarization in several human Mcl-1-dependent cell lines with EC50 values of ∼3 μM, contrasted with EC50 values of >100 μM for Bcl-2-, Bcl-xL-, or Bfl-1-dependent cell lines. MS1 is at least 30-fold more potent in this assay than the previously used Mcl-1 targeting reagent NoxaA BH3. These peptides can be used to detect Mcl-1 dependency in cells and provide leads for developing ...
Tracheobronchial adenoid cystic carcinoma: a clinicopathologic study of 14 cases.

Study objectives To investigate the clinicopathologic features of primary tracheobronchial adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), and to examine kit protein (CD117) expression, and a possible correlation between the histologic grade and Ki-67 positivity. Design Retrospective 10-year study (from 1992 to 2001). Setting Referral center for interventional pulmonology. Patients Fourteen patients referred to our institution for laser resection of tracheal or endobronchial tumors. Interventions Twelve patients were treated primarily by laser resection via bronchoscopy with subsequent radiation therapy. The remaining two patients had tracheal resection with postoperative radiation and radiation therapy alone. Results Fourteen patients (5 men and 9 women) had an average age of 44 years at diagnosis (age range, 29 to 57 years). Five of 14 patients were smokers (average smoking history, 28.5 pack-years), 8 were nonsmokers, and the smoking history was unknown in 1 patient. Major symptoms at presentation included cough (57.1%), dyspnea (71.4%), and hoarseness (14.3%). Two patients (14.3%) presented with respiratory failure. Eleven patients (78.6%) had one or more recurrences, and 4 patients (28.6%) had metastases, primarily to the lungs. The average time to either recurrence or metastasis was 4.6 years after the initial diagnosis. Five patients (35.7%), all of whom had recurrences and/or metastasis during the course of their disease, died of their disease (average time, 8.2 years). Thirteen of 13 cases stained for CD117 were positive in the tumor cell cytoplasm with membranous accentuation. Our cases included 8 grade I tumors, 4 grade II tumors, and 2 grade III tumors, which did not correlate with the degree of Ki-67 positivity. Conclusions Tracheobronchial ACCs in our study were more common in women and nonsmokers who presented with nonspecific respiratory symptoms and followed a clinical course generally comparable to that of tumors in the salivary glands. CD117 expression was present in all cases tested, and Ki-67 stain results did not correlate with the tumor grade.
New findings on the sputtering of neutral metal clusters

Neutral copper and aluminum clusters containing up to 20 and 12 atoms, respectively, were observed in the sputtering of the polycrystalline metals by 3.75 or 3.9 keV Ar+ ions. The clusters were postionized by 6.4 eV photons from an ArF excimer laser and were mass analyzed in a time-of-flight spectrometer. The yields of the clusters were estimated from their postionized concentrations and are shown for the first time to exhibit a power-law dependence on the number of atoms in the cluster. The kinetic energy distributions of Cu through Cu6 were measured, and the cluster distributions were found to resemble the atom distribution, in agreement with our earlier copper and aluminum data. Collision-cascade-based models cannot predict the yield and kinetic energy distribution data. Several alternate models are considered, but none is found to be satisfactory for explaining the large cluster emission. For small (n < 3) clusters, the superposition of two or more mechanisms may help to explain the observations.
Synaptic localization and restricted diffusion of a Drosophila neuronal synaptobrevin--green fluorescent protein chimera in vivo.

Fluorescent markers for subcellular compartments in Drosophila neurons should allow one to combine genetic mutant analysis with visualization of subcellular structures in vivo. Here we describe an analysis of two markers which may be used to observe different compartments of live Drosophila synapses. Soluble jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressed at high levels in neurons diffuses freely in the neuronal cytosol as evidenced by confocal microscopy and fluorescence recovery from photobleaching experiments. Thus, the distribution pattern of soluble GFP in motor axons and larval motor terminals indicates the expected distribution for diffusible presynaptic molecules. In contrast to GFP. a neurally expressed neuronal synaptobrevin-GFP chimera (n-syb GFP) is transported down axons and specifically localized to nerve terminals. We demonstrate that n-syb GFP labels synaptic-vesicle membrane at larval motor terminals by documenting its restriction to presynaptic varicosities, its colocalization with s...