cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temporal enhancement of renin‐aldosterone blockade by enalapril, an angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor

Interruption of the renin-aldosterone system with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (CEI) should result in a low aldosterone secretion, but most investigators have measured aldosterone production only indirectly by plasma aldosterone (PA) levels or urinary metabolites. We evaluated the effects of CEI of the aldosterone secretion rate (ASR) and compared them with PA, urinary tetrahydroaldosterone (THA), plasma renin activity (PRA), and electrolyte balance in six normotensive subjects in a metabolic unit during a control period (5 days) and during administration of 10 mglday enalapril for 28 days. Our results demonstrated that (1) the ASR did not decline until after 1 wk of CEI therapy and this was reflected by a corresponding decline in the urine potassium:sodium ratio, (2) upright PA levels at day 1 declined, but supine PA levels were unchanged, (3) THA excretion remained essentially unchanged and the THA:ASR ratio rose progressively during therapy, (4) PRA rose and was maximal on day 3, but subsequently declined. In conclusion, enalapril-induced hypoaldosteronism required several days to become demonstrable and this was not accurately assessed by PA or THA — possibly due, in part, to altered aldosterone metabolism. The simultaneous decline in both PRA and ASR could be due to a decrease in renin substrate. Caution is therefore warranted when assessing aldosterone secretion indirectly by either PA levels or urinary metabolites during CEI therapy. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1982) 32, 592–598; doi:10.1038/clpt.1982.208
The myth of strict bed rest in the treatment of heart disease.

Abstract There is both clinical and physiological evidence to support the view that strict bed rest is deleterious to patients with congestive heart failure. There is abundant reason to believe that if heart failure is present, the heart obtains more rest with the patient in a chair with the feet down than while the patient is recumbent in bed, even if the head and back are elevated. On the basis of this simple concept it is advised that most patients with threatened or evident congestive heart failure be treated, not in bed, but in a comfortable chair and, when they do go to bed at night to sleep, 8 to 9 inch blocks be placed under the headposts to encourage gravity to keep body fluids in the legs rather than in the lungs. This principle has also been applied in the treatment of acute coronary thrombosis. We report a mortality of 10 per cent in the care of seventy patients with acute coronary thrombosis who were placed in chairs for varying and increasing periods of the day beginning not later than the first week of the attack. The results of this method of treatment seem encouraging and appear to have both physical and psychic advantages over the strict bed rest method of treatment.
The effect of staging on the performance of thermionic converters

A THERMIONIC CONVERTER is, in the thermodynamic sense, a heat engine that receives heat at a high temperature, rejects heat at a lower temperature, and delivers electric power. Detailed analyses of thermionic converters have been given in the past by many authors.1?5 The present paper deals with the effect of staging on the efficiency of thermionic engines, that is, the effect of operating several thermionic stages thermally connected in series between two heat reservoirs at given temperatures.
Hostility management and the control of aggression in a Zapotec community.

Theoretically, sociocultural devices which curb dispositions to destructiveness in people should act as mechanisms in the control of overt destructiveness, i.e., aggression. From an anthropological perspective, these devices should be patterned in any culture and somewhat variable across cultures. I refer to the operation of these mechanisms as hostility management. I describe and analyze a number of these hostility management mechanisms which I have observed to operate in the control of interpersonal aggression over a number of years in a Zapotec community in Mexico. The attitudes and values of people in the community are not demonstrably antiaggressive. On the other hand, aggressivity does not meet with approbation in the value system either. There are values in the system, most notably those stressing cooperation, responsibility, and respect which although they are not explicitly anti-aggressive, nevertheless, function generally to preclude high levels of interpersonal aggression. Formal social control mechanisms, in and of themselves, are largely ineffective in controlling aggression and for effectiveness are largely dependent on less formal mechanisms of control. The effectiveness of the less formal control control devices appear to rest in the observed fact that they function primarily in hostility management preventing covert hostile dispositions from empting into overtly aggressive behaviors. The descriptions and analyses of these hostility management mechanisms evident in the Zapotec community appear to have counterparts in other Zapotec and non-Zapotec communities in mesoamerica. Evidence for them exists in a number of unrelated fragments to be found in the accounts of anthropologists, most of whom have had no focal interest in the study of aggression control.
Influence of surface potential on aggregation and transport of titania nanoparticles.

To investigate the effect of pH on nanoparticle aggregation and transport in porous media, we quantified nanoparticle transport in two-dimensional structures. Titania was used as a model compound to explore the effects of surface potential on particle mobility in the subsurface. Results show that pH, and therefore, surface potential and aggregate size, dominate nanoparticle interactions with each other and surfaces. In each solution, nanoparticle aggregate size distributions were bimodal or trimodal, and aggregate sizes increased as the pH approached the pH of the point of zero charge (pHzpc). Over 80% of suspended particles and aggregates were mobile over the pH range of 1−12, except close to the pHzpc of the surfaces, where the particles are highly aggregated. The effect of pH on transport is not symmetric around the pHzpc of the particles due to charging of the channel surfaces. However, transport speed of nanoparticle aggregates did not vary with pH. The surface element integration technique, which ta...
The Real Effects of Capital Inflows on Emerging Markets

We employ vector autoregression and cointegration estimation to examine the impact of net capital inflows on real exchange rates, output and real interest rates in several East Asian and Latin American economies during the 1990s. We find that increases in net capital inflows leads to appreciations of the real exchange rates in all the countries but have no impact on real output except for Thailand.
Prevalence of hepatitis C in a chemically dependent population.

Background: Drug abuse is the major risk factor for hepatitis C in the United States. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV), to identify risk factors for HCV, and to correlate HCV and liver function in patients presenting for inpatient detoxification of substances of abuse. Methods: A total of 687 patients were tested for the presence of antibody to HCV (anti-HCV). Histories related to drug use, sexually transmitted diseases, blood transfusion, and human immunodeficiency virus were obtained, as were serum tests for human immunodeficiency virus, syphilis, hepatitis B, aminotransferases, total bilirubin, and alkaline phosphatase. Results: The overall prevalence of anti-HCV was 63%: 68% in men vs 54% in women (P Conclusion: Injecting drug users have an extremely high prevalence of anti-HCV. This is the first demonstration, to our knowledge, that the presence of anti-HCV in drug users is associated with significantly increased levels of serum aminotransferases. (Arch Intern Med. 1993;153:2025-2030)
The origin of lysine-containing proteins in opaque-2 maize endosperm

The reduction of zein synthesis in the maize (Zea mays L.) opaque-2 mutant is associated with an increased percentage of lysine in the endosperm protein. When expressed on an endosperm basis, we found that W64A opaque-2 contains 490 μg of lysine compared with 350 μg in W64A normal. SDS-PAGE analysis of endosperm proteins indicated that several non-zein proteins are more abundant in the mutant than in normal genotype. To determine the subcellular origin of these proteins, we separated an endosperm homogenate from developing kernels by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and used marker enzyme assays and immunoblot analyses to identify cellular components. Amino acid analysis of proteins in the gradient fractions showed that the majority of the lysine occurs in soluble proteins at the top of the gradient. To identify these proteins, we prepared a complex antiserum against the entire soluble protein fraction and used it to immunoscreen an endosperm cDNA expression library. Sequence analysis of clones identified mRNAs involved in carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and protein synthesis. RNA dot blot hybridization analysis with these clones revealed significant variation in the levels of transcripts between normal and opaque-2 endosperm, but we identified several mRNAs that are elevated in opaque-2 and that may encode proteins responsible for the enhanced lysine content.
The configurational entropies of Ca 2 MgSi 2 O 7 -Ca 2 SiAl 2 O 7 melilites and related minerals

Equations for the configurational entropy and homogeneous equilibria in Ca2MgSi2O7-Ca2SiAl2O7 melilites are derived for a site constraint that does not permit Mg on the smaller T2 tetrahedral sites. This constraint leads to one ordering parameter and one composition parameter. The maximum configurational entropy for perfectly ordered crystalline solutions is 3.795 cal K−1 mol−1, corresponding to the structural formula Ca2(Mg0.33Al0.67) (Si0.67Al0.33)2O7 and not the equimolar composition Ca2(Mg0.5Al0.5)(Si0.75Al0.25)2O7. Similarly, the configuration Ca2(Si0.33Al0.67)(Si0.33Al0.67)2O7 has the maximum entropy for the gehlenite end-member composition. The tabulated entropy of end-member gehlenite at 298.15 K must be corrected by at least 2Rln2, which corresponds to a substantial correction to its Gibbs energy at high temperature. The same corrections are applicable to other minerals having two crystallographically distinct sites in a 2∶1 ratio and where the same configurational entropy equation applies: MgFe2O4 (magnesioferrite), NiFe2O4 (trevorite), TiFe2O4 (ulvospinel), TiMg2O4, TiZn2O4, CuFe2O4, and TiFe2O5 (pseudobrookite) inasmuch as these substances prefer the same inverse ordered state as gehlenite at low temperatures. The effects of the ideal enthalpy and entropy on temperatures of homogeneous equilibria in gehlenite and MgTi2O5 are evaluated. Geological-thermometer phase diagrams of the long-range ordering parameter plotted against temperature have a sigmoidal shape for these minerals owing to the fact that this type of disordering is non-convergent.
Role of the dorsal raphe nucleus in morphine-induced immediate early gene expression in the rat striatum

Abstract Serotonin (5-HT) is thought to be involved in morphine action in the brain. To determine if the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) are involved in morphine-induced c-Fos and JunB expression in the caudate–putamen (CPu), the μ receptor antagonist, β-funaltrexamine (β-FNA), was unilaterally infused into the PAG adjacent to DRN prior to morphine. Behaviorally, β-FNA prevented morphine-induced loss of righting and Straub tail. In the CPu of β-FNA treated rats, morphine-induced c-Fos and JunB were attenuated compared to vehicle-infused rats. These results suggest that morphine acts within the PAG–DRN to exert rapid behavioral effects and to induce c-Fos and JunB in the striatum.
Distribution of Aflatoxin in Pistachios. 4. Distribution in Small Pistachios

The aflatoxin concentration of small, unsorted pistachio scalpers has been measured as a function of nut weight (0.4-0.7 g/nut) for nuts from the 1992-1994 crops for one particular processor. No clear size dependence was noted, but these scalpers were found to have a weight average aflatoxin level around 8 ng/g, 5-7 times that of unsorted, unsized nuts. Results suggest a distinct difference in sorting for such scalpers between processors, the first time such difference has been verified.
An opportunity to improve informed consent and shared decision making: the role of the ACS NSQIP Surgical Risk Calculator in oncology.

Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL; Department of Surgery, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA; Northwestern Institute for Comparative Effectiveness Research in Oncology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center, Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
Severe Dysphagia Secondary to Posterior C1–C3 Instrumentation in a Patient with Atlantoaxial Traumatic Injury: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

There are only a few reports of dysphagia cases in patients who underwent surgery for posterior cervical fusion, but none provides an explanation for the occurrence of dysphagia. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case report showing evidence of severe neurogenic dysphagia, possibly secondary to vagal nerve praxia, in a patient who underwent posterior fusion. A 61-year-old man presented with severe neck pain after he sustained a fall. Imaging studies in the emergency department showed a C2 fracture associated with anterior subluxation of C2 on C3. Given the instability of the injury, a C1-C3 posterior cervical fusion was performed. The surgery was uneventful. The patient's postoperative course was complicated by severe dysphagia. Fluoroscopic and endoscopic assessments of the patient's pharynx and larynx showed significantly decreased epiglottic inversion, hypokinesis of his pharyngeal wall, and decreased hyolaryngeal elevation. There was also mild vocal cord paresis bilaterally, with incomplete approximation of the glottis. He demonstrated intra- and post-deglutitive aspiration. The patient coughed (both immediate and delayed) in response to the aspiration but was not able to clear aspirated material completely from the airway. The patient had a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placed to provide him with nutrition. He was then discharged home. On postoperative follow-up visit 1 month later, the patient's swallowing function improved and he could tolerate pureed consistencies and thin liquids with tube feed supplement. The patient could swallow without coughing. Possible causes of dysphagia in this case include traumatized airways from anesthesia, mechanical compromise of the upper gastrointestinal tract, and neurogenic dysphagia. After excluding the other possibilities, we concluded that our patient was suffering from neurogenic dysphagia associated with vagal nerve dysfunction.
High-throughput RNA sequencing of pseudomonas-infected Arabidopsis reveals hidden transcriptome complexity and novel splice variants.

We report the results of a genome-wide analysis of transcription in Arabidopsis thaliana after treatment with Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tomato. Our time course RNA-Seq experiment uses over 500 million read pairs to provide a detailed characterization of the response to infection in both susceptible and resistant hosts. The set of observed differentially expressed genes is consistent with previous studies, confirming and extending existing findings about genes likely to play an important role in the defense response to Pseudomonas syringae. The high coverage of the Arabidopsis transcriptome resulted in the discovery of a surprisingly large number of alternative splicing (AS) events – more than 44% of multi-exon genes showed evidence for novel AS in at least one of the probed conditions. This demonstrates that the Arabidopsis transcriptome annotation is still highly incomplete, and that AS events are more abundant than expected. To further refine our predictions, we identified genes with statistically significant changes in the ratios of alternative isoforms between treatments. This set includes several genes previously known to be alternatively spliced or expressed during the defense response, and it may serve as a pool of candidate genes for regulated alternative splicing with possible biological relevance for the defense response against invasive pathogens.
Frequency, nature, effects, and correlates of conflicts of interest in published clinical cancer research

BACKGROUND: Relationships between clinical researchers and industry are becoming increasingly complex. The frequency and impact of conflicts of interest in the full range of high-impact, published clinical cancer research is unknown. METHODS: The authors reviewed cancer research published in 8 journals in 2006 to determine frequency of self-reported conflicts of interest, source of study funding, and other characteristics. They assessed associations between the likelihood of conflicts of interest and other characteristics by using chi-squared testing. They also compared the likelihood of positive outcome in randomized trials with and without conflicts of interest by chi-squared testing. RESULTS: The authors identified 1534 original oncology studies; 29% had conflicts of interest (including industrial funding) and 17% declared industrial funding. Conflicts of interest varied by discipline (P < .001), continental origin (P < .001), and sex (P < .001) of the corresponding author and were most likely in articles with corresponding authors from departments of medical oncology (45%), those from North America (33%), and those with male first and senior authors (37%). Frequency of conflicts also varied considerably depending upon disease site studied. Studies with industrial funding were more likely to focus on treatment (62% vs 36%; P < .001), and randomized trials that assessed survival were more likely to report positive survival outcomes when a conflict of interest was present (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Conflicts of interest characterize a substantial minority of clinical cancer research published in high-impact journals. Therefore, attempts to disentangle the cancer research effort from industry merit further attention, and journals should embrace both rigorous standards of disclosure and heightened scrutiny when conflicts exist.
The structural adjustment of politics in Africa.

Abstract It has long been recognized that the structural adjustment programs currently being proposed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Africa have important political consequences. However, there has been almost no attention devoted to what structural adjustment, if implemented, means for the way that politics is actually carried out in African nations. The failure to examine the long-term consequences of economic reform for politics is particularly surprising given that the major instruments of structural adjustment — public sector reform, devaluation, elimination of marketing boards—threaten to change not only the constituencies that African leaders look to for support but the way in which leaders relate to their supporters in the countries south of the Sahara. The paper examines how structural adjustment, if actually implemented, would affect politics in African countries. The paper finds that structural adjustment makes the political climate much riskier for leaders while weakening the central apparatus of the state on which rulers have long relied to stay in power. The implications of the analysis for donors are also discussed.
Weighted Line-Finding Algorithm

This paper introduces two new algorithms to detect a line in a digitized picture. The algorithms are compared with the Hough algorithm, and their computational advantages are shown. We discuss the potential for, and the use of, the algorithms in applications.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Contrasting effects of pharmacologic vasodilation on true collateral and overlap perfusion in ischemic myocardium.

The effects of chromonar (3.5 and 7.0 mg/kg i.v.), a selective coronary vasodilator, on true collateral blood flow and overlap flow (noncollateral perfusion due to overlapping end arteries of adjacent coronary vessels) were measured independently in anesthetized dogs following acute coronary occlusion. Collateral flow in the ischemic zone was significantly (P less than 0.05) reduced by chromonar in a dose-related manner while transmural overlap flow was increased. True collateral flow was distributed primarily to the subepicardium and chromonar produced a significant reduction in both subepicardial and subendocardial perfusion. Overlap perfusion was distributed equally across the left ventricular wall and chromonar increased perfusion to both subepicardium and subendocardium. The results indicate that there are two independent sources of perfusion of ischemic myocardium and that pharmacologic vasodilation with chromonar produces opposite effects on each: a steal of true collateral blood flow and an increase in overlap perfusion.
Purification of the proteinase from group B streptococci that inactivates human C5a.

We previously reported that group B streptococci (GBS) posses a cell-associated activity that inactivates the chemotactic activity generated in zymosan-activated serum by cleaving a specific site within the car☐yltermini of C5a and C5a desarg . This inactivates the major chemoattractants for neutrophils that are generated when serum complement is activated. We now report the isolation of the enzyme responsible for the proteolytic cleavage of C5a. Treatment of GBS with mutanolysin, an endo- N -acetyl-formula> muramidase, released activity from GBS which destroyed the functional activity of C5a. The soluble activity was purified to homogeneity by hydroxyapatite, ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography. Analysis by SDS-PAGE showed that the enzyme (GBS C5a-ase) has an M r -formula> of approx. 120 000. The GBS C5a-ase appears to be a serine esterase on the basis of its sensitivity to di-isopropyl fluorophosphate. This enzyme is distinct from the C5a-cleaving enzyme produced by group A streptococci , since the two bacterial products migrate differently on SDS-PAGE, and lack antigenic cross reactivity. This enzyme may play a role in the pathogenesis of group B streptococcal disease through its ability to rapidly inactivate the potent neutrophil agonist, C5a, at sites of infection.
New Linear Interaction Method for Binding Affinity Calculations Using a Continuum Solvent Model

A new linear interaction energy (LIE) method based on a continuum solvent surface generalized Born (SGB) model is proposed for protein−ligand binding affinity calculations. The new method SGB-LIE is about 1 order of magnitude faster than previously published LIE methods based on explicit solvents. It has been applied to several binding sets: HEPT analogues binding to HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (20 ligands), sulfonamide inhibitors binding to human thrombin (seven ligands), and various ligands binding to coagulation factor Xa (eight ligands). The SGB-LIE predictions and cross-validation results show that about 1.0 kcal/mol accuracy is achievable for binding sets with as many as 20 ligands, e.g., for the HIV-1RT binding set, RMS errors of 1.07 and 1.20 kcal/mol are achieved for LIE fitting and leave-one-out cross validation, respectively, with correlation coefficients r2 equal to 0.774 and 0.717. We have also explored various techniques for the LIE underlying conformation space sampling, including molecula...
Reported Symptom Prevalence Rates from Comparison Populations in Community-based Environmental Studies

National, regional, state, and county rates of mortality and morbidity are frequently used as reference values in epidemiologic studies. However, baseline information on self-reported symptom rates is currently unavailable. This information is potentially very useful as outcome measures in environmental and occupational epidemiologic studies in which symptoms may be the most sensitive measure of effects of low-level chemical exposure. Comparison populations (n = 934 adults) from three community-based studies were used to determine 1-y symptom prevalence rates. Symptoms rates varied greatly between one study, in which a self-administered questionnaire was used, and the two studies for which data were collected via a similar questionnaire administered by trained interviewers. Four symptoms were selected for detailed analysis of covariates associated with symptom reporting: (1) skin irritation, (2) eye irritation, (3) sleep disturbance, and (4) fatigue. Logistic regression analysis of symptom reporting, by demographic data, and a risk perception variable suggested that the prevalence of symptoms varied with gender, race, and degree of respondent's environmental concern. The results from two of three surveys provide rates that might be used as reference rates in a community-based survey if resources are not available to permit the study of a comparison population. These rates may also provide a quick, initial impression prior to embarking on a full-scale epidemiologic study.
Femorofemoral bypass grafts: Analysis of patency and factors influencing long-term outcome

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the results of femorofemoral bypass graft (FFBPG), we analyzed 110 consecutive FFBPGs performed at our institution during an 11-year period. Methods: In 62 (56%) patients the indication for surgery was claudication and in 48 (44%) patients rest pain or tissue loss. In 42 patients the superficial femoral artery (SFA) was occluded. A preoperative percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty (PTA) was performed in 24 (22%) patients to correct a significant donor iliac artery stenosis. In 48 (44%) patients a total of 54 arterial procedures were performed simultaneously with FFBPG. Results: After surgery 75 (68%) patients were moderately or markedly improved, whereas 20 (18%) were minimally improved, unchanged, or worse, including 7 (6%) with hemodynamic failures. The in-hospital mortality rate was 4.5%. Actuarial patient survival rate was 70% ± 8.6% at 6 years. The actuarial primary graft patency rate was 83% ± 4.2% at 1 year, 71% ± 6.9% at 3 years, 60% ± 8.3% at 5 years, and 51% ± 9.6% at 6 years. Age, sex, and race of the patient did not influence graft patency. Grafts placed for limb-threatening ischemia or in patients with SFA occlusion had a similar patency rate compared with those placed for claudication or in patients with patent SFA. The overall limb preservation rate was 83% ± 7.3% at 5 years but was only 64% for patients who underwent operation for limb-threatening ischemia. Conclusions: In conclusion, FFBPG offers moderately low long-term patency in a population with limited survival. Outflow procedures performed concomitantly with FFBPG seemed to compensate for the negative impact on graft patency rate of ipsilateral SFA occlusion and limb-threatening ischemia. Limb-threatening ischemia, however, carried a significantly higher ( p
Lumbar Injection of Normal Saline for the Treatment of Tonsillar Herniation—An Old Technique Revisited: General Considerations About Increased Intracranial Pressure

Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is a condition often seen in patients with impaired consciousness due to brain disorders. However, these clinical features cannot be communicated by patients with impaired consciousness. When the ICP is increased to more than 20 mm Hg in a short period, the cerebral bloodflow(CBF) isreduced.Tomaintain CBF,thearterialpressure (AP) increases. Stimulation of vagal outflow induces bradycardia, respiration becomes deep and slow, and in some severe acute cases, respiratory arrest. These three phenomena (AP increasing, bradycardia, and slow and deep respiration) conform the Cushing reflex, which is an important sign of increased ICP and which can be recognized in patients with impaired consciousness (2, 3). The cranial cavity normally contains a brain weighing approximately 1400g,75mLofblood,and75mLofcerebrospinalfluid(CSF),which
Na+:HCO(3-) cotransporters (NBC): cloning and characterization.

The sodium bicarbonate cotransporter (NBC1) is essential for bicarbonate transport across plasma membranes in epithelial and nonepithelial cells. The direction of the NaHCO3 movement in secretory epithelia is opposite to that in reabsorptive epithelia. In secretory epithelia (such as pancreatic duct cells) NBC is responsible for the transport of bicarbonate from blood to the cell for eventual secretion at the apical membrane. In reabsorptive epithelia (such as kidney proximal tubule cells) NBC is responsible for the reabsorption of bicarbonate from cell to the blood. In nonepithelial cells this transporter is mainly involved with cell pH regulation. Recent molecular cloning experiments have identified the existence of four NBC isoforms (NBC1, 2, 3 and 4) and two NBC-related proteins AE4 and NCBE (Anion Exchanger 4 and Na-dependent Chloride-Bicarbonate Exchanger). All but AE4 are presumed to mediate the cotransport of Na+ and HCO3 − under normal conditions and may be functionally altered in certain pathologic states. NBC1 shows a limited tissue expression pattern, is electrogenic and plays an important role in bicarbonate reabsorption in kidney proximal tubule. In addition to the kidney, NBC1 is expressed in pancreatic duct cells, is activated by cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and plays an important role in HCO3 − secretion. NBC2 and NBC3 have a wider tissue distribution than NBC1, are electroneutral, and are involved with cell pH regulation. The characterization of NBC4 is incomplete. The NBC-related protein called NCBE mediates Na-dependent, Cl−/Bicarbonate Exchange. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent advances on the cloning of NBC isoforms and related proteins and their role and regulation in physiologic and pathologic states.
Hydroxylation, Epoxidation, and DNA Cleavage Reactions Mediated by the Biomimetic Mn-TMPyP/O2/Sulfite Oxidation System†

Autoxidation of sulfite is catalyzed by the water-soluble complex (meso-tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridiniumyl)porphyrinato)manganese(III) (Mn-TMPyP), leading to an intermediate species capable of hydroxylation of p-isopropylbenzoic acid, epoxidation of carbamazepine, and generation of single-strand breaks both in plasmid ΦX174 DNA and in a 167-base-pair fragment of pBR322. 18O-Labeling studies confirm that the high-valent manganese−oxo intermediate undergoes oxo−hydroxo tautomerism in competition with oxidation of substrate or reduction by excess sulfite. In contrast to the classical reductive activation of dioxygen by metalloporphyrins (dithiothreitol or ascorbate in the presence of O2), a mechanism is proposed in which SO3•-, formed by oxidation with MnIII, is trapped by O2, leading to a species (SO5•-) capable of generating a MnVO complex. Importantly, these studies point to the use of an alternative, biocompatible oxidation system compared to the preformed oxidant KHSO5.
4-(4-Pyridylamino)pyridinium perchlorate.

In the title salt, C10H10N3+·ClO4−, the 4-(4-pyridylamino)­pyridinium cations are linked into chains via N—H⋯N hydrogen bonding and into layers by C—H⋯π inter­actions [C⋯Cg = 3.3875 (19) A]. Perchlorate ions are anchored to the layer motifs by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonding. The perchlorate anion was found to be disordered about a Cl—O axis, with two sites, each of equal occupancy, being resolved for the three remaining O atoms.
Mechanisms of activation, inhibition and specificity: crystal structures of the NMDA receptor NR1 ligand-binding core

Excitatory neurotransmission mediated by the N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors is fundamental to the development and function of the mammalian central nervous system. NMDA receptors require both glycine and glutamate for activation with NR1 and NR2 forming glycine and glutamate sites, respectively. Mechanisms to describe agonist and antagonist binding, and activation and desensitization of NMDA receptors have been hampered by the lack of high-resolution structures. Here, we describe the cocrystal structures of the NR1 S1S2 ligand-binding core with the agonists glycine and D-serine (DS), the partial agonist D-cycloserine (DCS) and the antagonist 5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid (DCKA). The cleft of the S1S2 'clamshell' is open in the presence of the antagonist DCKA and closed in the glycine, DS and DCS complexes. In addition, the NR1 S1S2 structure reveals the fold and interactions of loop 1, a cysteine-rich region implicated in intersubunit allostery.
Learning to manage uncertainty in collaborative engineering design projects: Lessons from a fifth grade class

Collaborative engineering design projects are fraught with subjective uncertainty associated with task issues ranging from understanding math and science concepts, to manipulating technological and digital tools and evaluating design ideas. Also, engineering design projects are contexts in which uncertainty is likely to stem from social issues as students encounter unfamiliar sociocultural practices and as individuals with diverse histories, beliefs, motivations, expectations, and values attempt to share the small space of a classroom. This qualitative discourse analytic study relies on observations and interviews to examine how social and task uncertainty management varied across three groups of students engaged in a collaborative design project. Specifically we asked, (1) how do groups vary in their management of uncertainty during engineering design projects; and (2) how does variation in uncertainty management influence groups' design practices and products? Data were drawn from a larger project that took place over one-school year in an ethnically and academically diverse public fifth grade class in the U.S.
Variations on projection pursuit for multiparameter image visualization

This paper addresses the effective display of multi-parameter medical diagnostic data, such as arises in MRI or in multimodality image-fusion. In such data, also known as a vector field, a vector value, rather than a scalar, is associated with each pixel. Each component of the vector corresponds to a different imaging modality, or a different combination of imaging parameters, and may provide different levels of contrast sensitivity between different tissues. While each of the different images may be misleading (as illustrated later by an example), in combination they may contain the correct information. Unfortunately, a human observer is not likely to be able to extract this information when presented with a parallel display of the distinct images. The development of a display technology that overcomes this difficulty by synthesizing a display method matched to the capabilities of the human observer is the subject of this paper.
Greedy solutions for the construction of sparse spatial and spatio-spectral filters in brain computer interface applications

In the original formulation of common spatial pattern (CSP), all recording channels are combined when extracting the variance as input features for a brain computer interface (BCI). This results in overfitting and robustness problems of the constructed system. Here, we introduce a sparse CSP method in which only a subset of all available channels is linearly combined when extracting the features, resulting in improved generalization in classification. We propose a greedy search based generalized eigenvalue decomposition approach for identifying multiple sparse eigenvectors to compute the spatial projections. We evaluate the performance of the proposed sparse CSP method in binary classification problems using electrocorticogram (ECoG) and electroencephalogram (EEG) datasets of brain computer interface competition 2005. We show that the results obtained by sparse CSP outperform those obtained by traditional (non-sparse) CSP. When averaged over five subjects in the EEG dataset, the classification error is 12.3% with average sparseness level of 11.6 compared to 18.4% error obtained by the traditional CSP with 118 channels. The classification error is 10% with sparseness level of 7 compared to that of 13% obtained by the traditional CSP using 64 channels in the ECoG dataset. Furthermore, we explored the effectiveness of the proposed sparse methods for extracting sparse common spatio-spectral patterns (CSSP).
Peripheral Androgen Receptor Gene Suppression Rescues Disease in Mouse Models of Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is caused by the polyglutamine androgen receptor (polyQ-AR), a protein expressed by both lower motor neurons and skeletal muscle. Although viewed as a motor neuronopathy, data from patients and mouse models suggest that muscle contributes to disease pathogenesis. Here, we tested this hypothesis using AR113Q knockin and human bacterial artificial chromosome/clone (BAC) transgenic mice that express the full-length polyQ-AR and display androgen-dependent weakness, muscle atrophy, and early death. We developed antisense oligonucleotides that suppressed AR gene expression in the periphery but not the CNS after subcutaneous administration. Suppression of polyQ-AR in the periphery rescued deficits in muscle weight, fiber size, and grip strength, reversed changes in muscle gene expression, and extended the lifespan of mutant males. We conclude that polyQ-AR expression in the periphery is an important contributor to pathology in SBMA mice and that peripheral administration of therapeutics should be explored for SBMA patients.
On the geometry of the smallest circle enclosing a finite set of points

A number of numerical codes have been written for the problem of finding the circle of smallest radius in the Euclidean plane that encloses a finite set P of points, but these do not give much insight into the geometry of this circle. We investigate geometric properties of the minimal circle that may be useful in the theoretical analysis of applications. We show that a circle C enclosing P is minimal if and only if it is rigid in the sense that it cannot be translated while still enclosing P. We show that the center of the minimal circle is in the convex hull of P. We use this rigidity result and an analysis of the case of three points to find sharp estimates on the diameter of the minimal circle in terms of the diameter of P.
High-resolution in situ hybridization to whole-mount zebrafish embryos

The in situ hybridization (ISH) technique allows the sites of expression of particular genes to be detected. This protocol describes ISH of digoxigenin-labeled antisense RNA probes to whole-mount zebrafish embryos. In our method, PCR-amplified sequence of a gene of interest is used as a template for the synthesis of an antisense RNA probe, which is labeled with digoxigenin-linked nucleotides. Embryos are fixed and permeabilized before being soaked in the digoxigenin-labeled probe. We use conditions that favor specific hybridization to complementary mRNA sequences in the tissue(s) expressing the corresponding gene. After washing away excess probe, hybrids are detected by immunohistochemistry using an alkaline phosphatase-conjugated antibody against digoxigenin and a chromogenic substrate. The whole procedure takes only 3 days and, because ISH conditions are the same for each probe tested, allows high throughput analysis of zebrafish gene expression during embryogenesis.
Speaking Rorschach: Our Method Stands Tall

J’ai eu le grand privilege d’assumer, depuis 1990, la fonction de Redacteur-en-Chef de Rorschachiana: Yearbook of the International Rorschach Society. Apres une periode initiale de planification, cinq numeros ont ete publies, et mon mandat se termine avec ce volume de 1997. Je souhaite ici exprimer ma gratitude aux collegues qui m’ont apporte leur aide et aux auteurs qui ont contribue avec tant de grâce. Chacun de ces volumes comporte une introduction intitulee “Parler Rorschach”, ou j’ai exprime quelques idees. J’ai tout d’abord avance que la connaissance du Rorschach nous conferait un langage commun qui nous permet de communiquer entre nous et de partager notre comprehension de l’evaluation de la personnalite. J’ai engage les membres de la communaute Rorschach a s’ecouter mutuellement comme a se parler, dans le respect des approches bien pensees qui different de la leur. J’ai suggere qu’il convenait de considerer les controverses theoriques comme des occasions d’elargir notre horizon plutot que d’abaiss...
1,3-Polyol arrays via the stereoselective rearrangement of vinyl acetals

Abstract A series of 1,3-dioxanyl vinyl acetals were readily synthesized from the corresponding dioxanone by a reduction and in situ acylation followed by Petasis olefination. Treatment of these vinyl acetals with BF3·OEt2 results in an O to C rearrangement to form anti-3,5-dihydroxyketones while a mixture of Me3Al and BF3·OEt2 provides the corresponding syn relationship via a stereoretentive rearrangement.
Anesthesia in a child with Mulvihill–Smith syndrome

To the Editor: Mulvihill–Smith syndrome (MSS) is a very rare disease with important anesthetic implications [1]. It is characterized by a short stature, senile face, small mouth opening, prognatio mandible, and atherosclerosis. This case illustrates the potential difficulties in airway management during major surgery in a child with MSS. We report a case of a 10-year-old female child with MSS and diabetes mellitus type 2 who underwent general anesthesia for hepatic tumor extraction. Mallampaty score was III with Cormarck–Lehane gradus 3. Neck extension was limited, and she had a small mouth opening. After premedication with atropine and midazolam, induction in anesthesia was performed with fentanyl, propofol, and vecuronium. We had some difficulties with mask ventilation, but we intubated the patient with a no. 1 Macintosh blade and orotracheal tube no. 4, 5, after the third attempt. A fiberoptic laryngoscope was available in the operating room. There are not many papers that discuss anesthetic management in patients with progeria. Establishing the airway is one of the problems, including a difficult airway with small mouth opening [2]. The anesthetic management and positioning of these patients may be difficult because of atherosclerosis, bone deformities, and arthritic changes of the joints [3, 4]. The anesthetic management was planned as if this patient were a geriatric case because these patients have physiological changes suggestive of old age despite being chronologically and psychologically young [3]. Although there were no complications in establishing the airway in our case, it is important to evaluate the airway before the induction of anesthesia and to be prepared for difficult airway management.
A comparison of anesthesiology resident and faculty electronic evaluations before and after implementation of automated electronic reminders

Study Objective: To develop an automated e-mail reminder system to contact residents and faculty regarding incomplete evaluations. Design, Setting, Intervention, and Measurements: In the retrospective study, two 9-month periods were evaluated representing pre- and post-introduction of the automated e-mail reminder system. Data collected contained the number of evaluations completed and the rating of residents and faculty at the University of Michigan Health System in 5 different categories on a 5-point scale. Main Results: The use of electronic reminders resulted in a nearly 4-fold increase in the number of resident evaluations by faculty from 1050 to 3761. Faculty completing evaluations increased from 40 (61%) to 66 (100%). The mean evaluation scores showed statistically significant but clinically negligible change for resident judgement, interpersonal skills, and intraoperative management. Resident preoperative evaluation and knowledge did not show statistically significant changes. Residents completing evaluations of faculty increased from 244 to 1798, and the number of residents completing evaluations rose from 40 (56%) to 87 (100%). There were no statistically significant changes in the evaluation of faculty except in the category of feedback. Conclusion: An automated e-mail reminder system implemented to contact residents and faculty regarding incomplete evaluations for residents and faculty dramatically enhanced participation in the evaluation process.
Actinomycin D Induces Hepatocyte Cell Death and Upregulation of FADD/MORT1

INTRODUCTION. We have studied ligand-dependent apoptosis via the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor in hepatocytes. (1) These experiments require the addition of actinomycin D (ActD) to kill cells because TNF alone does not kill rat hepatocytes in culture. FADD/MORT1 (fas-associated death domain protein) is an intracellular protein that mediates activation of proteases called caspases which are critical to the propagation of the apoptotic signaling cascade. (2) Because of its pivotal role in the cell death pathway of multiple receptors (3), we believe that the regulation of FADD may have profound effects on the modulation of cell death. We have studied the effects of actinomycin D on FADD in primary rat hepatocyte cultures in order to elucidate the molecular pathways of cell death that may be altered or manipulated in cancer.
The effect of ultrasonic irradiation on doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity in three human bladder cancer cell lines

Although ultrasonic irradiation has been proven to increase membrane permeability and enhance chemotherapeutic cytotoxicity in a number of cell lines, this effect has never been demonstrated in bladder cancer cells. Bladder cancer may offer a unique setting for ultrasound enhancement of chemotherapy, since intravesicular rather than intravenous administration of chemotherapy is used in superficial cases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a non-toxic dose of ultrasound could increase membrane permeability, and potentiate the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin to three human bladder carcinoma cell lines (TCC-SUP, T24, and RT4) in vitro. An EuTDA-Efflux assay, which measures the amount of a chemical that is allowed to seep out of labeled cells, was used to analyze membrane permeability, and an MTS assay, which directly measures cell viability, was used to determine the effect of chemotherapy on cells after they were treated with a variety of doxorubicin concentrations and ultrasonic exposures. Ultrasound treatment for 5min and 10min at an intensity of approximately 0.3W/cm(2) resulted in a significant increase in EuTDA efflux in all three cell lines. However, no ultrasonic enhancement of doxorubicin growth inhibition in these human bladder carcinoma cells was observed. This suggests that either ultrasound does not increase doxorubicin uptake by the cell or that doxorubicin uptake is increased but in insufficient amounts to affect growth inhibition. Further investigation should focus on explaining these results.