cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Locating the Missing Superconducting Electrons in the Overdoped Cuprates La 2 -x Sr x CuO 4

Overdoped high-temperature cuprate superconductors have often been understood within the standard BCS framework of superconductivity. However, measurements in a variety of overdoped cuprates indicate that the superfluid density is much smaller than expected from BCS theory and decreases smoothly to zero as the doping is increased. Here, we combine time-domain THz spectroscopy with kHz range mutual inductance measurements on the same overdoped La_{2-x}Sr_{x}CuO_{4} films to determine the total, superfluid, and uncondensed spectral weight as a function of doping. A significant fraction of the carriers remains uncondensed in a wide Drude-like peak as T→0, while the superfluid density remains linear in temperature. These observations are seemingly inconsistent with existing, realistic theories of impurity scattering suppressing the superfluid density in a BCS-like d-wave superconductor. Our large measurement frequency range gives us a unique look at the low frequency spectral weight distribution, which may suggest the presence of quantum phase fluctuations as the critical doping is approached.
Endoscopic Excision of Benign Facial Masses in Children: A Review of Outcomes.

Abstract Purpose: Benign masses of the eyebrow and forehead are common in pediatric patients and can result in facial asymmetry, discomfort, or super-infection. Excision is classically conducted vi...
B-14. Pathophysiological diagnosis of status epilepticus with complementary use of the periictal MRI (arterial spin labeling perfusion and diffusion-weighted images) and EEG

In the diagnosis of nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE), capture of ongoing ictal EEG findings is the gold standard; however, this is practically difficult without continuous EEG monitoring facilities. MRI, including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and perfusion MRI with arterial spin labeling (ASL), have been applied mainly in emergency situations. Recent reports have described that ictal MRI findings, including ictal hyperperfusion on ASL and cortical hyperintensity of cytotoxic edema on DWI, can be obtained from epileptically activated cortex. We demonstrate the diagnostic value of ictal MRI findings in 15 patients diagnosed as having NCSE (eight had complex partial status epilepticus (SE) and seven subtle SE) who underwent an initial MRI and subsequent routine EEG. In all 10 patients with an epileptogenic lesion, there was a tight topographical relationship between the lesion and the localization of ictal MRI findings. In the other five patients, ictal MRI findings were useful in the diagnosis of NCSE of non-lesional elderly epilepsy, or de novo NCSE of frontal origin as situation-related NCSE. The present study clearly demonstrates that the initial use of ASL and DWI has the ability to diagnose partial NCSE and also allows documentation of the pathophysiological mechanism in each patient.
Commodity price volatility and U.S. monetary policy: Commodity price overshooting revisited

Commodity price volatility has created concerns for central bank policy‐makers. Recent commodity prices peaked in the consequences of the financial crisis of 2007, and they have remained relatively volatile since. As they are often seen as being connected in a cause and effect relationship with inflation and real output, the driving forces behind commodity price volatility are necessary for the conduct of monetary policy. Using an autoregressive moving average with an exponential generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic (ARMA‐EGARCH) process, we extract the conditional variance series to find volatility spillover between monetary policy and commodity price index. The findings show that the volatility of agricultural commodity price index and other commodities price indices overshoot the long‐run equilibrium price in response to an impulse in monetary policy.
The changing profile of esophageal cancer presentation and its implication for diagnosis.

Context: The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma is rising and has surpassed squamous cell carcinoma. Objective: To determine how the increasing incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma alters the classic clinical presentation and the implications of these changes for diagnosis. Design and Setting: A five-year retrospective review (1991-1996) was made. Participants: All patients were identified by a computerized registry search with a diagnosis of esophageal carcinoma. Main Outcome Measures: Clinical presentation; duration of symptoms; and correlation with diagnosis, pathology, treatment and outcome. Results: One-hundred-eight (35%) patients had squamous cell carcinoma and 199 (65%) had adenocarcinoma. Dysphagia and weight loss were more common among patients with squamous cell carcinoma (93% and 68%), when compared to adenocarcinoma (79% and 53%). Twenty-one percent of adenocarcinoma patients had other symptoms presentation, including gastroesophageal reflux disease. Once dysphagia was present, there was no correlation between the duration of symptoms and survival. However, cancers detected in patients who presented with reflux symptoms without dysphagia showed an improved prognosis over patients who presented with both. Conclusions: Esophageal adenocarcinoma has surpassed squamous cell carcinoma. Gastroesophageal reflux was associated with an earlier stage of presentation compared to the "classic" presentation of esophageal cancer.
Novel presentations of periodic fever syndromes: Discrepancies between genetic and clinical diagnoses.

OBJECTIVE The Periodic fever syndromes (PFS) are a group of disorders of the innate immune system. We investigated patients diagnosed with PFS at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic. METHODS Case acquisition was performed by reviewing ICD 9/10 coded records for familial Mediterranean fever (ICD 9 277.31), laboratory test records for PFS genetic screening, and clinic records between 1/1/2011 and 12/31/2017. RESULTS Twenty-seven cases had clinical evaluations including PFS genetic screening. Clinical diagnoses included familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) (10 cases), Muckle-Wells (2 cases), tumor necrosis factor receptor associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) (4 cases), hyper IgD syndrome (HIDS) (1 case), Crohn's Disease (1 case), systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SoJIA) (1 case), fever of unknown origin (FUO) (1 case), periodic fever adenitis pharyngitis aphthous ulcer (PFAPA) (6 cases), and cold-induced urticaria (1 case). Fifteen cases were associated with a genetic cause. Seven of the 10 FMF cases were confirmed genetically and were either heterozygous or compound heterozygotes. Both cases of Muckle-Wells had either a compound heterozygote for CIAS 1 or a NOD gene mutation. Both TRAPS cases presented atypically with patients developing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or being asymptomatic. Two patients had novel syndromes. One FMF patient had a TRNT1 gene mutation who responded to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and colchicine after failing multiple treatments. The other had SoJIA with a LPIN 2 gene mutation but responded to colchicine. Only one of the 15 genetically proven cases had classical presentation and genetics (HIDS secondary to a mevalonate kinase (MVK) gene mutation). CONCLUSION PFS screening was helpful in over half of the cases to develop therapeutic treatment plans. Given the atypical clinical presentations seen with genetically determined PFS, extensive genetic testing is indicated for all patients presenting with a PFS, excluding classical PFAPA syndrome.
Differences in Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Three Racial Groups.

Abstract. Background: Despite being a major public health concern, it is unclear how suicidal thoughts and behaviors differentially impact separate racial groups. Aims: The aim of the current study...
Q-Search Trees: An Information-Theoretic Approach Towards Hierarchical Abstractions for Agents with Computational Limitations

In this paper, we develop a framework to obtain graph abstractions for decision-making by an agent where the abstractions emerge as a function of the agent's limited computational resources. We discuss the connection of the proposed approach with information-theoretic signal compression, and formulate a novel optimization problem to obtain tree-based abstractions as a function of the agent's computational resources. The structural properties of the new problem are discussed in detail, and two algorithmic approaches are proposed to obtain solutions to this optimization problem. We discuss the quality of, and prove relationships between, solutions obtained by the two proposed algorithms. The framework is demonstrated to generate a hierarchy of abstractions for a non-trivial environment.
The Method for Determining the Insulation Parameters in an Asymmetric Network With a Voltage of Up to 1000 V

In this paper a method for determining insulation parameters in an asymmetric network with a voltage of up to 1000 V for mining companies was developed. It is based on measuring the magnitude of the linear voltage, the phase-to-ground voltage, which has a minimum value before and after connecting capacitive additional conductivity between the phases of electrical network and the ground, and the phase angle between the phase-to-ground voltage vector and the linear voltage vector between other two phases.
Chemokine signaling mediated monocyte infiltration affects anxiety-like behavior following blast injury.

Abstract The activation of resident microglia and infiltrated monocytes are known potent mediators of chronic neuroinflammation following traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this study, we use a mouse model of blast-induced TBI (bTBI) to investigate whether microglia and monocytes contribute to the neuroinflammatory and behavioral consequences of bTBI. Eight-ten week old mice were subject to moderate TBI (180 kPa) in a shock tube. Using double transgenic CCR2RFP/+: CX3CR1GFP/+ mice, we were able to note that in addition to resident Cx3CR1+ microglia, infiltrating CCR2+ monocytes also contributed to the expanding macrophage population that was observed after bTBI. The microglia activation and monocyte infiltration occurred as early as 4 h and lasted up to 30d after blast exposure, suggesting chronic inflammation. The infiltration of monocytes may be partly mediated by chemokine CCL2-CCR2 signaling axis and compromised blood brain barrier permeability. Hence, bTBI-induced infiltration of monocytes and production of IL-1β were prevented in mice lacking CCR2 (CCR2 KO). Finally, this study showed that interference of monocyte infiltration using CCR2 KO, ameliorated the chronic effects of bTBI such as anxiety-like behavior and short-term memory decline. Taken together, these data suggest that bTBI leads to activation of both resident microglia and infiltrated monocytes. The infiltration of monocytes was partly mediated by CCL2-CCR2 signaling, which in turn contributes to increased production of IL-1β leading to behavioral deficits after bTBI. Furthermore, bTBI induced behavioral outcomes were reduced by targeting CCL2-CCR2 signaling, highlighting the significance of this signaling axis in bTBI pathology.
Developing new and understanding old approximations in TDDFT

When a system has evolved far from a ground-state, the adiabatic approximations commonly used in time-dependent density functional theory calculations completely fail in some applications, while giving qualitatively good predictions in others, and sometimes even quantitative predictions. It is not clearly understood why this is so, and developing practical approximations going beyond the adiabatic approximation remains a challenge. This paper explores three different lines of investigation. First, an expression for the exact time-dependent exchange-correlation potential suggests that the accuracy of an adiabatic approximation is intimately related to the deviation between the natural orbital occupation numbers of the physical system and those of the Kohn-Sham system, and we explore this on some exactly-solvable model systems. The exact expression further suggests a path to go beyond the adiabatic approximations, and in the second part we discuss a newly proposed class of memory-dependent approximations developed in this way. Finally, we derive a new expression for the exact exchange-correlation potential from a coupling-constant path integration.
Taking MXenes from the Lab to Commercial Products

Abstract Often described as “wonder materials,” two-dimensional (2D) materials have been touted as the next generation solution to many of the world’s problems, from energy storage to environmental remediation. However, despite the expectations and effort that the scientific community has placed on them, there are few examples of 2D materials moving from the laboratory to industrial use. The primary reason that most 2D materials are produced in very small quantities, are expensive or have scalability issues – it is infeasible to market materials for bulk applications when production batches are limited to subgram quantities. MXenes, the potentially largest class of 2D materials, comprised of transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, have extraordinary useful properties leading to potential applications in communication, energy technology, and several other fields. They are produced using a scalable selective etching approach, allowing them the potential to transition from laboratory use to wider industrial production. To accomplish this, however, significant work still needs conducted regarding the synthesis-structure-property relationship, on more diverse MXene structures and compositions, and optimization of processing. It is vital that the wider scientific community considers the feasibility of applied research prior to conducting it – if there is no potential for the application-focused work to be used, whether due to safety, material abundance, or simply cost – what benefit is gained?
Review of Steven Hail’s Economics for Sustainable Prosperity

Steven Hail’s Economics for Sustainable Prosperity is a supremely ambitious book. In it, Hail collects the economic frameworks and theories that he believes are necessary to guide scholars and policymakers towards a more equitable and environmentally sound future.These topics run the gamut from micro to macro and from modeling to policy, with Hail attempting to get at not just superficial details, but the core underlying axioms of each, and do it all in under 300 pages. The author is quite self-aware of the impossibility of this feat, humbly reminding readers that his descriptions of certain topics are, for instance, “superficial and incomplete” (p.110) or “(very, very) highly simplified” (p.164). Nonetheless, this book is well-suited to somebody looking for a high-level but intensive overview into any of the literature that make up the chapter headings.
Direct Observation of Ni–Mo Bimetallic Catalyst Formation via Thermal Reduction of Nickel Molybdate Nanorods

We used in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy to image the formation of a Ni–Mo composite nanocatalyst via thermal reduction of NiMoO4 nanorods. Two clear structural changes were o...
Targeting Hypoxia-A2A Adenosinergic Immunosuppression of Antitumor T Cells During Cancer Immunotherapy

The blockade of immunological negative regulators offered a novel therapeutic approach that revolutionized the immunotherapy of cancer. Still, a significant portion of patients fail to respond to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and/or anti-CTLA-4 therapy or experience significant adverse effects. We propose that one of the major reasons that many patients do not respond to this form of therapy is due to the powerful physiological suppression mediated by hypoxia-adenosinergic signaling. Indeed, both inflamed and cancerous tissues are hypoxic and rich in extracellular adenosine, in part due to stabilization of the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α). Adenosine signals through adenosine A2A receptors (A2AR) to suppress anti-tumor and anti-pathogen immune responses. Several classes of anti-hypoxia-A2AR therapeutics have been offered to refractory cancer patients, with A2AR blockers, inhibitors of adenosine-generating enzymes such as CD39 and CD73, and hypoxia-targeting drugs now reaching the clinical stage. Clinical results have confirmed preclinical observations that blockade of the hypoxia-adenosine-A2AR axis synergizes with inhibitors of immune checkpoints to induce tumor rejection. Thus, A2AR blockers provide a new hope for the majority of patients who are nonresponsive to current immunotherapeutic approaches including checkpoint blockade. Here, we discuss the discoveries that firmly implicate the A2AR as a critical and non-redundant biochemical negative regulator of the immune response and highlight the importance of targeting the hypoxia-adenosine-A2AR axis to manipulate anti-pathogen and anti-tumor immune responses.
The Politics of Forms in Beckett’s Writing

This chapter addresses the politics of forms, genres and language in Beckett’s work. It focuses on the author’s unorthodox practices of self-translation in order to read Beckett’s bilingualism as a hyperonimic figure that enables him to disrupt established structures in the realms of both reading and seeing. By corroding the discursive field, Beckett’s bilingualism corrodes the metanarratives, such as national histories, in what is called by both Lyotard and Foucault “les grands recits”. The chapter adopts Francois Lyotard’s concepts of the figural and metanarrative (grand recit) to redefine Beckett’s bilingualism as a synesthesic figure that overrides linguistic boundaries and engages with the ethics and politics of translation and language ideologies. Ultimately, this chapter shows that the figural language that Beckett creates in his bilingual oeuvre is not merely an aesthetic principle but also a political device.
Development and Validation of a Machine Learning Model to Predict Near-Term Risk of Iatrogenic Hypoglycemia in Hospitalized Patients.

Importance Accurate clinical decision support tools are needed to identify patients at risk for iatrogenic hypoglycemia, a potentially serious adverse event, throughout hospitalization. Objective To predict the risk of iatrogenic hypoglycemia within 24 hours after each blood glucose (BG) measurement during hospitalization using a machine learning model. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study, conducted at 5 hospitals within the Johns Hopkins Health System, included 54 978 admissions of 35 147 inpatients who had at least 4 BG measurements and received at least 1 U of insulin during hospitalization between December 1, 2014, and July 31, 2018. Data from the largest hospital were split into a 70% training set and 30% test set. A stochastic gradient boosting machine learning model was developed using the training set and validated on internal and external validation. Exposures A total of 43 clinical predictors of iatrogenic hypoglycemia were extracted from the electronic medical record, including demographic characteristics, diagnoses, procedures, laboratory data, medications, orders, anthropomorphometric data, and vital signs. Main Outcomes and Measures Iatrogenic hypoglycemia was defined as a BG measurement less than or equal to 70 mg/dL occurring within the pharmacologic duration of action of administered insulin, sulfonylurea, or meglitinide. Results This cohort study included 54 978 admissions (35 147 inpatients; median [interquartile range] age, 66.0 [56.0-75.0] years; 27 781 [50.5%] male; 30 429 [55.3%] White) from 5 hospitals. Of 1 612 425 index BG measurements, 50 354 (3.1%) were followed by iatrogenic hypoglycemia in the subsequent 24 hours. On internal validation, the model achieved a C statistic of 0.90 (95% CI, 0.89-0.90), a positive predictive value of 0.09 (95% CI, 0.08-0.09), a positive likelihood ratio of 4.67 (95% CI, 4.59-4.74), a negative predictive value of 1.00 (95% CI, 1.00-1.00), and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.22 (95% CI, 0.21-0.23). On external validation, the model achieved C statistics ranging from 0.86 to 0.88, positive predictive values ranging from 0.12 to 0.13, negative predictive values of 0.99, positive likelihood ratios ranging from 3.09 to 3.89, and negative likelihood ratios ranging from 0.23 to 0.25. Basal insulin dose, coefficient of variation of BG, and previous hypoglycemic episodes were the strongest predictors. Conclusions and Relevance These findings suggest that iatrogenic hypoglycemia can be predicted in a short-term prediction horizon after each BG measurement during hospitalization. Further studies are needed to translate this model into a real-time informatics alert and evaluate its effectiveness in reducing the incidence of inpatient iatrogenic hypoglycemia.
Action Fractions: The Design and Pilot of an Integrated Math+CS Elementary Curriculum Based on Learning Trajectories

The computer science (CS) education field is exploring several instructional strategies for teaching CS to children in elementary school. Strong arguments have been made for integration--- constructing activities that not only teach CS, but use the CS to support learning in a core subject. Integrating CS materials into a specific curriculum is a non-trivial task that may unfairly burden elementary teachers, who are often generalists. Successful development and classroom implementation of integrated materials relies on many decisions about what, when, and how much subject matter to cover in relation to the main curriculum. In this paper, we describe the design of a collection of 3rd and 4th grade (8-10 years old) integrated math+CS lessons. Our instructional materials use Scratch as a programming language and employ a learning trajectory approach to integrate the CS concepts of sequence, decomposition, repetition, conditionals, variables, and debugging into fractions content in a popular elementary mathematics curriculum. The integrated lessons are inserted throughout the main mathematics curriculum, providing multiple, non-continuous exposures to CS content. In addition, we present preliminary data from selected activities, including teacher feedback about the structure and impact of the math+CS instructional materials on their students? work.
Cysticercosis

Cysticercosis, the consequence of ingesting viable eggs of the porcine tapeworm Taenia solium, currently remains one of the most common human parasitic conditions worldwide. Although preventable by the proper disposal of human wastes, cysticercosis of the central nervous system (neurocysticercosis) accounts for a substantial proportion of cases of epilepsy and hydrocephalus among children and adults in many developing countries. Cases also occur in nonendemic regions, reflecting patterns of immigration from highly endemic countries, especially Mexico and other areas of Latin America. Antiparasitic treatment during active infections, using albendazole or praziquantel, can eradicate the parasite, may lower the risk of late complications, and potentially reduces the morbidity of acute disease. Considerable controversy persists regarding the role of antiparasitic therapy in neurocysticercosis, however. Persons with active parenchymal or extraparenchymal disease, defined by the neuroradiographic appearance of lesions, can be treated with albendazole, 15 mg/kg/d divided into two daily doses for 8 days. Patients with parenchymal disease who do not respond to albendazole can receive a second course of albendazole or praziquantel, 50 mg/kg/d divided into three daily doses for 15 days. Concurrent administration of dexamethasone in standard doses is usually required during the first several days of antiparasitic therapy to minimize the inflammation and cerebral edema associated with death of the parasites. Patients with intraventricular cysts and hydrocephalus require shunting and surgical removal of cysticerci. By contrast, persons with inactive lesions and seizures as a consequence of remote infections typically require only symptomatic therapy with standard anticonvulsants.
Community Acquired Meningitis from Serratia Marcescens in an Adult: A Case Report (2480)

Objective: To describe the first case of spontaneous Serratia marcescens monoinfection in CSF in an adult with intravenous drug abuse. Background: Gram negative rods are an uncommon cause for meningitis. A rise in nosocomial gram negative bacillary meningitis has been observed. Serratia is a described pathogen for acute cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) infections in neonates and iatrogenic cases. Design/Methods: NA Results: We report this case of a 53 year old male with active intravenous drug use (IVDU) and no previous neurosurgical procedures, who presented with altered mental status and gait instability for 2 weeks along with headache, nausea and vomiting for 2 months. CT scan revealed hydrocephalus requiring urgent placement of an intraventricular catheter. Initial CSF analysis revealed glucose of Conclusions: Serratia marcescens is an extremely rare cause of acute meningitis in adults and reported cases have a history of cranial, spinal or otic manipulation. On the contrary, our patient had an insidious onset of meningitis resulting in hydrocephalus with no prior procedures. His IVDU was likely a risk factor, though there was no evidence of bacteremia. Atypical organisms in CSF can often be disregarded as contaminants. This can delay therapy and increase morbidity and mortality. Our case highlights an atypical presentation of meningitis caused by a rare organism. Disclosure: Dr. Humayun has nothing to disclose. Dr. Agnihotri has nothing to disclose.
Electrophysiological response of the rabbit brain to chronic hypernatremic dehydration and rehydration.

In thirty-two rabbits epidural electrodes were placed and in ten of these animals concentric depth electrodes were placed stereotactically. All animals with both epidural and stereotactically placed electrode; were rehydrated with intravenous 2.5% dextrove in water over a four-hour period. Animals with just epidural electrodes had normal tonicity restored by intravenous 2.5% dextrose administered over six or eight hours or by the ad libitum oral intake of tap water. The electrical cortical activity was monitored at 15 minute intervals throughout rehydration and for an additional four-hour observation period. In animals rehydrated over a four-hour period seizures were most prominent during the third and fourth hour of rehydration and the first hour of the observation period. Slowing of the electrical actisity and development of spikes occurred during this same period of time in some animals without as well is some with clinical seizures.
Long-Term Starvation Survival of Rod and Spherical Cells of Arthrobacter crystallopoietes

Spherical and rod-shaped cells of Arthrobacter crystallopoietes, harvested during exponential growth, were subjected to total starvation for periods of time as long as 80 days. Viability measurements were made by plate count and slide culture procedures. Both cell forms remained 100% viable for 30 days. Thereafter, viability of rods and spheres decreased equally at a slow rate. After 60 days of starvation, more than 65% of both cell forms were viable. No significant cell lysis occurred as evidenced by microscopic examination, the small amount of 260-nm absorbing material found in the starvation buffer, and stability of radioactively labeled deoxyribonucleic acid in the cells. Endogenous respiration decreased 80-fold during the first 2 days of starvation, accompanied by a 30% decrease in dry weight of the cells. Thereafter, cellular carbon was oxidized to CO(2) at the constant level of 0.03%/hr over the remaining 78-day starvation period.
Recursive-Descent Translation

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction A Simple Translation Grammar Converting a Translation Grammar to Java Code Specifications for a Translation Grammar Passing Information During the Parse L-Attributed Grammars A New Token Manager Solving the Token Lookahead Problem Code for the New Token Manager Translation Grammar for Prefix Expression Compiler An Interesting Use of Recursion (Optional) Problems
Caspase-independent mitotic apoptosis (CIMA): a novel type of caspase-independent cell death that occurs during mitosis

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4906 The spindle checkpoint protects cells from aneuploidy by monitoring the status of the kinetochore-microtubule attachment. When cells have defects in this mitotic checkpoint pathway and in kinetochore-microtubule attachment, substantial aneuploidy is thought to result. We report here a novel type of caspase-independent apoptosis that occurs during mitosis_CIMA (caspase-independent mitotic apoptosis). Simultaneous depletion of BUB1, but not MAD2, and treatment with nocodazole (a microtubule-depolymerizing drug), paclitaxel (Taxol, a microtubule-stabilizing drug), or 17-AAG (17-allylaminogeldanamycin, an HSP90 inhibitor) induced DNA fragmentation in cells during early mitosis. Because the common defects caused by the microtubule inhibitors and 17-AAG are those in kinetochore-microtubule attachment, we conclude that CIMA occurs when the kinetochore-microtubule attachment is altered and BUB1 function is altered. This novel mitotic cell death appeared to be independent of caspase activation. We found that AIF (apoptosis-inducing factor) and EndoG (endonuclease G), which are effectors of caspase-independent apoptosis, are released from mitochondria during the activation of CIMA, and that DNA fragmentation is dependent on EndoG. Our results suggest that BUB1 is a critical factor in regulating CIMA. We propose that CIMA protects cells from aneuploidy by inducing the death of cells prone to substantial chromosome missegregation.
A sense for landmines

A heightened sense of smell, achieved by proxy through chemistry, offers solutions to problems where biologically based sensors are inappropriate. Detection of the TNT in landmines using fluorescent chemosensors is one example.
Catalytic Properties of a Newly Discovered Acyltransferase That Synthesizes N-Acylphosphatidylethanolamine in Cottonseed (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Microsomes.

We recently demonstrated that cotyledons of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) seedlings synthesize N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine (NAPE), an unusual acylated derivative of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), during postgerminative growth (K.D. Chapman and T.S. Moore [1993] Arch Biochem Biophys 301: 21–)33). Here, we report the discovery of an acyltransferase enzyme, fatty acid: diacylphosphatidylethanolamine N-acyltransferase (designated NAPE synthase), that synthesizes NAPE from PE and free fatty acids (FFA) in cottonseed microsomes. [14C]NAPE was synthesized from [14C]palmitic acid and endogenous PE in a time-, pH-, temperature-, and protein concentration-dependent manner. [14C]Palmitic acid was incorporated exclusively into the N-acyl position of NAPE. [14C]palmitoyl coenzyme A (CoA) and [14C]-dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (PC) were poor acyl donors for the synthesis of NAPE (i.e. 200- and 3000-fold lower incorporation efficiency than palmitic acid, respectively). Synthesis of NAPE from palmitoyl-CoA and dipalmitoyl-PC was observed only after the release of FFA in microsomes. We observed a temperature optimum of 45[deg]C and a pH optimum of 8.0 for the synthesis of [14C]NAPE from [14C]palmitic acid (or from [14C]PE). NAPE synthase activity showed no apparent divalent cation requirement. Notably, activity was stimulated by HPO42-, HCO3-, SO42-, and NADPH, whereas activity was inhibited by Ca2+, Mn2+, Cd2+, ATP, ADP, flavin adenine disnucleotide, and flavin mononucleotide. Other nucleotide triphosphates (GTP and CTP) and pyridine dinucleotides (NAD, NADH, and NADP) did not appreciably affect NAPE synthase activity. Initial velocity measurements of NAPE synthase activity at increasing concentrations of palmitic acid showed non-Michaelis-Menten, biphasic kinetics. A high-affinity site (S0.5 = 7.2 [mu]M, Vmax = 18.8 nmol h-1 mg-1 of protein) and a low-affinity site (S0.5 = 32.0 [mu]M, Vmax = 44.9 nmol h-1 mg-1 of protein) were identified. Both sites exhibited positive cooperativity. Adding myristic, stearic, or oleic acids at equimolar amounts reduced the incorporation of [14C]palmitic acid into NAPE at low concentrations (10 [mu]M, high-affinity site) but not at high concentrations (50 [mu]M, low-affinity site), indicating that the two putative sites can be distinguished by their fatty acid preferences.
Effects of pharmacologic coronary hyperemia on echocardiographic left ventricular function in patients with single vessel coronary artery disease

Abstract To assess whether pharmacologic coronary vasodilation could provoke new left ventricular wall motion abnormalities in patients with single vessel coronary artery disease, systemic hemodynamics, coronary blood flow velocity and left ventricular wall motion were measured by two-dimensional echocardiography during administration of 10 mg of intracoronary papaverine in 14 patients before and again immediately after left coronary angioplasty (group 1). As a comparison with an intravenous method, left ventricplar wall motion was analyzed after 0.56 mg/kg body weight of intravenous dipyridamole in a separate group of 13 patients with single vessel coronary disease (group 2). Heart rate-blood pressure product increased 3% to 6% in papaverine-treated patients and 14 ± 11% (p = NS) in dipyridamole-treated patients. No angiographic collateral vessels were present in either group. Although intracoronary mean flow velocity measured in the 14 group 1 patients and in 5 normal control subjects during papaverine treatment increased from 125% to 400% of basal flow velocity, papaverine induced new left ventricular wall motion abnormalities in only 5 of the 14 patients before coronary angioplasty. In three of five patients, left ventricular wall motion abnormalities persisted after successful coronary angioplasty. Four of the 14 patients demonstrated augmentation of left ventricular wall motion with papaverine. After intravenous dipyridamole, only 3 of the 13 group 2 patients developed new left ventricular regional asynergy. These data suggest that selective (papaverine) and, most likely, global (dipyridamole) augmentation of coronary flow alone does not reliably identify potential ischemic left ventricular regions affected by critical single vessel coronary artery disease.
Repair and restoration of a fractured, pulpally involved anterior tooth: report of case.

The restoration was completed using pins, a cold-curing composite, and an ultraviolet-light-activated material. An 8-year-old boy was hit on the maxillary central incisor with a rock, resulting in a diagonal fracture and exposure of the pulp. After endodontic treatment, the fragment was joined to the tooth and the tooth restored using pins, a cold-curing composite, and an ultraviolet-light-activated material. This is a useful technique in cases where preparation of a fractured tooth impossible or undesirable.
Advanced thermal sensors for precision AC voltage metrology

We describe a new generation of thermal sensors for the measurement of ac voltages at frequencies up to 100 MHz. Electronics grade fused silica has been selected as a substrate material because it is significantly more robust than the previous generation of crystalline quartz, yet retains excellent dielectric properties. We report the design and fabrication of the new sensors, including the method of forming thin membranes, and present results for two sensor designs. Our latest devices show a reduction in the RF-DC of more than an order of magnitude over traditional high-frequency thermal sensors. We anticipate that the new sensors will enable significant reductions in the uncertainties in the NIST calibration service for RF-DC thermal converters.
The Bloom's syndrome gene product is homologous to RecQ helicases

The Bloom's syndrome (BS) gene, BLM, plays an important role in the maintenance of genomic stability in somatic cells. A candidate for BLM was identified by direct selection of a cDNA derived from a 250 kb segment of the genome to which BLM had been assigned by somatic crossover point mapping. In this novel mapping method, cells were used from persons with BS that had undergone intragenic recombination within BLM. cDNA analysis of the candidate gene identified a 4437 bp cDNA that encodes a 1417 amino acid peptide with homology to the RecQ helicases, a subfamily of DExH box-containing DNA and RNA helicases. The presence of chain-terminating mutations in the candidate gene in persons with BS proved that it was BLM.
Cystic hygroma: Comparison between prenatal and postnatal diagnosis

Antenatal diagnosis of congenital malformation often leads to opportunities for intervention in the pregnancy that may have a profound effect on the outcome of the fetus. The accuracy of the diagnostic technique is a critical factor in judging the appropriateness of such interventions. This article reports the current accuracy of prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of cystic hygroma (CH) in a region with a population of 3.5 million and an annual birth rate of 52,000. During a 32-month period (to December 1994), 113 diagnoses of CH were reported to the South East Thames Regional Congenital Malformation Registry. Eighty-nine diagnoses were made prenatally and 24 were made postnatally (at delivery or postmortem). The number of confirmed cases of CH was 52 (46% total diagnoses). The prenatal diagnoses were established at a mean gestational age of 19 weeks. Fifty-six (63%) pregnancies with a prenatal diagnosis of fetal CH were terminated; in only 25% of these was the presence of CH confirmed after termination. Overall, of the 89 prenatal diagnoses, 28 (32%) were confirmed, 45 (50%) were incorrect, and 16 (18%) could not be confirmed or refuted. Only 24% of fetuses with a prenatal diagnosis of CH were live born. The survival rate at 1 year for the live-born infants with CH in this series was 88%. The diagnosis of fetal CH has a recognised association with chromosomal abnormalities, and consequently may lead to termination of the pregnancy. A potential error rate of almost 70% in the prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of this condition requires clinicians to adopt a more cautious approach to the management of the fetus with "cystic hygroma."
Environmental and Physiological Factors Affecting Mastitis at Drying Off and Postcalving

Duplicate milk samples from udder quarters were collected from 3987 cows when the cows were dried off and again postcalving. Samples were cultured for staphylococcal, Streptococci agalactiae, other streptococci species, and coliform organisms. Cows were treated with one of five dry cow therapy drugs or left as untreated controls after collection of samples at dry off. Cows treated with dry cow therapy drugs had more quarters cured during the dry period than did untreated control cows for all organisms considered. A program of dry cow treatment plus teat dipping was superior to dry cow treatment only, teat dipping only, or neither. Cows were more vulnerable to mastitis infections with increasing age. Month of year of drying off affected mastitis infection, although trends were erratic and varied by organism. Mastitis infections at dry off under different herd management systems of type of milking equipment, type of milking facility, and type of housing were dependent on the organism. Management systems had little influence on mastitis infections postcalving. Higher producing cows had fewer mastitis infections when dried off, but milk production the previous lactation had little influence on mastitis infections postcalving.
Structure and formation energy of steps on the GaAs(001)-2×4 surface

The energies of various steps on the As-terminated GaAs(001)-2 × 4 surface are evaluated using a novel, approximate method of “linear combination of structural motifs”. It is based on the observation that previous total energy minimizations of semiconductor surfaces produced invariably equilibrium structures made of the same recurring local structural motifs, e.g. tetrahedral fourfold Ga, pyramidal threefold As, etc. Furthermore, such surface structures were found to obey consistently the octet rules as applied to the local motifs. We thus express the total energy of a given semiconductor surface as a sum of (i) the energies eM of the local structural motifs appearing in the surface under consideration and (ii) an electrostatic term representing the Madelung energy of point charges resulting from application of the octet rule. The motif energies are derived from a set of pseudopotential total energy calculations for flat GaAs(001) surfaces and for point defects in bulk GaAs. This set of parameters suffices to reproduce the energies of other (001) surfaces, calculated using the same pseudopotential total energy approach. Application to GaAs(001)-2 × 4 surfaces with steps reveals the following. (i) “Primitive steps”, defined solely according to their geometries (i.e. step heights, widths and orientations) are often unstable. (ii) Additional, non-geometric factors beyond step geometries such as addition of surface adatoms, creation of vacancies and atomic rebonding at step edges are important to lower step energies. So is step-step interaction. (iii) The formation of steps is generally endothermic. (iv) The formation of steps with edges parallel to the direction of surface As dimers (A steps) is energetically favored over the formation of steps whose edges are perpendicular to the As dimers (B steps).
Presurgical plasma exchange is ineffective in correcting amyloid associated factor X deficiency

In patients with rare factor deficiencies, for which no factor concentrates are available, plasma exchange (PE) is an option for raising the desired factor level to approximately 80% for surgery. We report a case of acquired factor X (FX) deficiency due to amyloidosis that required urgent surgical repair of an AV fistula aneurysm. This patient had a FX level of 3% at presentation; after 1.5 volume PE with fresh frozen plasma (FFP), his post-exchange FX was only 5%, indicating rapid adsorption of FX to amyloid fibrils. He was managed successfully with FEIBA during surgery.
The integrin family of cell adhesion molecules has multiple functions within the CNS.

Integrins comprise a large family of cell adhesion molecules that mediate interactions between the extracellular environment and the cytoplasm. During the last decade, analysis of the expression and function of these molecules has revealed that integrins regulate many aspects of cell behavior including cell death, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Within the central nervous system (CNS), most of the early studies focused on the role of integrins in mediating adhesive and migratory events in two distinct processes: neural development and CNS inflammation. Interestingly, recent analysis of transgenic mice has provided some surprising results regarding the role of integrins in neural development. Furthermore, a large body of evidence now supports the idea that in addition to these well-described functions, integrins play multiple roles in the CNS, both during development and in the adult in areas as diverse as synaptogenesis, activation of microglia, and stabilization of the endothelium and blood-brain barrier. Many excellent reviews have addressed the contribution of integrins in mediating leukocyte extravasation during CNS inflammation. This review will focus on recently emerging evidence of novel and diverse roles of integrins and their ligands in the CNS during development and in the adult, in health and disease.
Selected tricyclic antidepressant ingestions involving children 6 years old or less.

. Objective: According to the annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers, tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) ingestions accounted for 15,708 exposures in 1998, of which 70% (all age groups) were treated at health care facilities (HCFs), with an estimated 2,022 children less than 6 years of age exposed. The study objective was to evaluate the manifestations, referral patterns, HCF management, and medical outcomes in pediatric patients 6 years old or less with TCA ingestions reported to a regional poison control center. Methods: All TCA (amitriptyline, clomipramine, desipramine, doxepin, imipramine, nortriptyline) ingestions from January 1, 1993, to December 31, 1997, involving patients aged 6 years or less managed by the poison control center were evaluated for dose, symptoms, treatments, disposition, and outcome. Results: Forty-four of 48 patients (92%) were asymptomatic. All were single-drug exposures. Forty-three patients (90%) ingested a TCA dose that was less than the normally prescribed pediatric dose (5 mg/kg). Of the five children ingesting >5 mg/kg (range 5-9.4 mg/kg), only one (5.3 mg/kg) was mildly symptomatic (drowsy) prior to admission. Thirty-one of the 48 (65%) were sent to the emergency department (dose range 0.59-9.4 mg/kg). Fourteen of the 31 were admitted for 12-24-hour observation and none subsequently developed symptoms. Twenty-three (74%) received activated charcoal (AC). There was no difference in outcome between the children who did and did not receive AC. Conclusions: No case of significant toxicity occurred in the children who experienced unintentional TCA ingestions in this study population. None of the children in the study had toxicity at doses <5 mg/kg. Further study is necessary to develop clinical guidelines for the appropriate referral of unintentional ingestions of TCA involving children.
Recurrent Herpes in the Rabbit and Man

Herpesvirus was present in secretory glands and frequently in tears of rabbits with recurrent herpetic keratitis even in the absence of corneal lesions. In normal people, herpesvirus could be cultured from saliva and tears. Chronic virus multiplication in structures such as the lacrimal and salivary glands, rather than latency, may cause recurrent herpetic disease.
The Renal Growth Hormone/Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Axis

Collecting duct is a major site of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) synthesis within kidney. Production of IGF-I at this site is stimulated by growth hormone (GH). IGF-I produced in collecting duct is likely to act on glomerulus and proximal tubule via IGF-I receptors present at these locations. Renal IGF-I may be causative of the glomerular and proximal tubular hypertrophy that occurs in hypersomatotropic states, of compensatory renal hypertrophy, and of renal regeneration following acute ischemic injury.
Liposomes as drug carriers for polyene antibiotics

Abstract Despite the advent of powerful antibiotics, infections are still a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The widespread use of immunosuppressive therapy has made fungal infections a familiar aspect of many branches of medicine. The development of useful antifungal agents has been hampered by the fact that drugs lethal to the fungal cells are frequently toxic to the eukaryotic host cells. In addition to the obvious need for new drugs, modifications in the formulation of established or newer drugs and use of combination therapy have been proposed as alternative approaches to improve the therapy of infectious diseases. One recent promising development in the modification of drug formulation has been the use of liposomes. We have used liposomes as carriers for polyene antibiotics in the treatment of systemic candidiasis. The use of liposome-encapsulated polyenes in other areas still remains to be explored. This review will focus on the problems related to antifungal therapy with polyenes and the use of liposomes as drug carriers for polyene macrolide antibiotics alone or in combination with other drugs or biological molecules. The possible use of liposome-encapsulated polyenes in the treatment of other diseases has also been discussed, as has the effect of liposome encapsulation on the toxicity and antifungal activity of certain polyenes.