cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of the Beta Catenin Destruction Complex in Mediating Chemotherapy-Induced Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype

Cellular senescence is considered as a tumor suppressive mechanism. Recent evidence indicates however that senescent cells secrete various growth factors and cytokines, some of which may paradoxically promote cancer progression. This phenomenon termed senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) must be inhibited in order for anti-proliferative agents to be effective. The present study was designed to determine whether the β-catenin destruction complex (BCDC), known to integrate the action of various growth factors and cytokines, would represent a suitable target to inhibit the activity of SASP components. For this, we carried out experiments to determine the effect of drug-induced senescence on secretion of SASP, β-catenin transactivation, and the relationship between these processes. Moreover, genetic and pharmacological approaches were used to define the implication of BCDC in mediating the effects of SASP components on cell migration and resistance to drugs. The findings indicate that drug-induced senescence was associated with expression of various Wnt ligands in addition to previously known SASP components. Beta catenin transactivation and expression of genes implicated in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) also increased in response to drug-induced SASP. These effects were prevented by Pyrvinium, a recently described activator of BCDC. Pyrvinium also suppressed the effects of SASP on cell migration and resistance to doxorubicin. Together, these findings provide insights on the potential role of BCDC in mediating the effects of drug-induced SASP on cancer cell invasion and resistance to therapy, and suggest that targeting this pathway may represent an effective approach to enhance the activity of current and prospective anti-cancer therapeutics.
The reliability of life-critical computer systems

In order to aid the designers of fault-tolerant life-critical systems, accurate and efficient methods for reliability prediction are needed. The accuracy requirement implies the need to model the system in great detail and hence the need to address the problems of large state space, non-exponential distributions, and error analysis. The efficiency requirement leads us to the use of decomposition/aggregation in the context of a hybrid model. Specifically, our model is partitioned into fault occurrence and fault/error handling submodels, which are represented by non-homogeneous Markov and extended stochastic Petri net (ESPN) models, respectively. The overall aggregated model is an unusual stochastic process that is solved by numerical techniques. Furthermore, we have developed methods to analyze the effects of variations in input parameters on the resulting reliability prediction. These topics are discussed in detail, and illustrative examples are provided.
Old Habits Die Hard Treating a Woman With a 20-Year Severe Case of Skin Picking Disorder

This article describes the course of treatment for a 55-year-old woman presenting with a particularly challenging case of skin picking disorder. Treatment consisted of five phases (psychoeducation,...
Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Surgical and Other Management Techniques

BackgroundHidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, recurrent, painful, debilitating, and emotionally distressing disease.ObjectiveThis article aims to provide a comprehensive review of HS, with a focus on surgical and procedural therapies for this devastating disease.Materials and methodsBy searc
Sponsorship and the control of physicians

The dramatic shift from solo to organizationally-based practice of physicians has been widely noted.2 Physicians now work in a remarkable array of different organizational contexts, with a significant percentage fullor parttime salaried, or in other contractual relations with hospitals, health maintenance organizations or other provider institutions.3 The question to be addressed here is whether the new arrangements reflect the proletarianization of physicians, as has been suggested recently by a number of social theorists, or, more conservatively, a process leading in that direction. The proletarianization thesis is that physicians have been drawn into new dependent relations of production with providers of capital militating toward forms of wage-employment. It suggests this entails loss of control over the process of work, much like the loss of autonomy experienced by the crafts in the nineteenth century, as they become absorbed within the factory system of capitalist production.
Baseline Patient-Reported Quality-of-Life Is Not Related to Overall Survival in Patients Receiving Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Thoracic Malignancies: A Preliminary Report

(NSQ) histology and have expanded to include oral targeted therapies. This study examines oral and infused SATx by line of therapy (LOT) and histology in a more recent population-based cohort. Materials/Methods: Patients aged 66 who had Medicare Parts A/B/D fee-for-service insurance coverage and were diagnosed with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC in 2007-9 were identified in the United States SEER-Medicare data and classified as squamous (SQ), NSQ, or unclassified histology (not otherwise specified [NOS]). We examined patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics, patterns of SATx (chemotherapy, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies), and the relationship of SATx to histology. Results: Of 7080 eligible patients, 26% had SQ, 51% had NSQ, and 24% had NOS histology; 28% were stage IIIB and 72% stage IV. Overall, 44% of all patients received at least first-line (1L) SATx (NSQ 46%, SQ 41%, NOS 43%; PZ.0013 across all categories and PZ.0006 for NSQ vs SQ). Only 19% of all patients received secondline (2L) SATx (NSQ 21%, SQ 16%, NOS 18%; P<.0001 across all categories and for NSQ vs SQ); expressed as a proportion of patients who received 1L, 43% received 2L (NSQ 45%, SQ 37%, NOS 42%; PZ.0014 across all categories and PZ.0003 for NSQ vs SQ). Eight percent of all patients received a third-line (3L) of SATx (NSQ 9%, SQ 6%, NOS 7%; PZ.0019 across all categories and PZ.0016 for NSQ vs SQ); expressed as a proportion of patients who received 2L, 40% received 3L (NSQ 41%, SQ 40%, NOS 38%; PZ.51 across all categories and PZ.73 for NSQ vs SQ). SATx was variable, with 48, 67, and 64 distinct regimens observed in 1L, 2L, and 3L, respectively. Carboplatin-paclitaxel (33%) and erlotinib (14%) were the most common 1L regimens; pemetrexed (2LZ20%; 3LZ21%) and erlotinib (2LZ17%; 3LZ20%) were the most common SATxs in 2L and 3L. Conclusions: Despite recent innovations in SATx for adv NSCLC, more than half of patients do not receive 1L SATx, with progressively fewer receiving 2L and 3L. SQ patients are less likely than NSQ patients to receive SATx across all lines, possibly related to fewer options for SQ patients. Author Disclosure: L.S. Orsini: A. Employee; Bristol-Myers Squibb. M. Stock; Bristol-Myers Squibb. B. Korytowsky: A. Employee; BristolMyers Squibb. M. Stock; Bristol-Myers Squibb. A. Petrilla: A. Employee; IMS Health. J.P. Wisnivesky: E. Research Grant; GlaxoSmithKline, Aventis. F. Honoraria; IMS Health, Merck. G. Consultant; EHE International. C. Craver: E. Research Grant; University of North Carolina at Charlotte. M. Salvati: A. Employee; Bristol-Myers Squibb. M. Stock; Bristol-Myers Squibb. D. Hines: None. P.Z. Donga: A. Employee; IMS Health. C. Blanchette: None. R.L. Wade: E. Research Grant; BristolMyers Squibb. J.R. Penrod: A. Employee; Bristol-Myers Squibb. M. Stock; Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Relationship of Mental and Motor Development in Down's Syndrome Infants

A study examining the relationship of mental and motor development among a group of young Down's syndrome infants was conducted in an effort to replicate an earlier study with a similar group of slightly older Down's syndrome infants. Like those in the previous study, the younger Down's syndrome infants in the present study tended to show greater delays in motor development than in mental development, as measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Additionally, a marked decline in the rate of development achievement was shown when the developmental quotients of the older and younger groups of infants were compared. The implications of these finding for developmental physical and occupational therapists are briefly discussed.
Balloon Embolization During Atrial Septostomy

The case of an infant with complete transposition is presented. Embolization occurred from a balloon catheter used in performing a Rashkind septostomy.
Efficient execution of augmented reality applications on mobile programmable accelerators

Mobile devices are ubiquitous in daily lives. From smartphones to tablets, customers are constantly demanding richer user experiences through more visual and interactive interface with prolonged battery life. To meet the demands, accelerators are commonly adopted in system-on-chip (SoC) for various applications. Coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture (CGRA) is a promising solution, which accelerates hot loops with software pipelining. Although CGRAs have shown that they can support multimedia applications efficiently, more interactive applications such as augmented reality put much more pressure on performance and energy requirements. In this paper, we extend heterogeneous CGRA to provide SIMD capabilities, which improves performance and energy efficiency significantly for augmented reality applications. We show that if we can exploit data level parallelism (DLP), it is more beneficial to run on SIMD natively than to transform it into instruction level parallelism (ILP) and run on CGRA. To utilize this property, multiple processing elements in CGRA are grouped to form homogeneous SIMD cores. To reduce the hardware overhead of fetching and replicating configuration in SIMD mode, we propose a ring network and a recycle buffer to pass the configuration around as well as to temporarily store it, which has minimized impact on throughput. Also, we modify memory access units and memory banks to support split memory transactions with forwarding for handling SIMD data access. To adapt to the proposed extension, we introduce a compile technique for SIMD mode code generation to maximize the resource utilization of each SIMD core. Experimental results show that it is possible to achieve an average of 17.6% performance improvement while saving 16.9% energy over heterogeneous CGRA.
Attenuating effect of zinc on abnormal placental morphology in 6‐mercaptopurine treated rats

Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing 9 (marginal level), 100 (control level), or 1,000 (very high level) ppm zinc and were given a single intraperitoneal injection of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP, 55 mg/kg) or an equivalent volume of carboxymethylcellulose on day 11 of gestation. Live young and their placentas were recovered at surgery on day 21 of gestation: they were weighed, measured, and placentas were examined histologically. Placentas from drug treated animals were smaller in diameter and lighter in weight than controls; however, the placentas of animals fed the 1,000 ppm zinc diet were significantly heavier than those of the other drug-treated groups. Histologically, the placentas of the 6-MP treated dams showed a highly disproportionate reduction in the labyrinthine layer with larger, less subdivided maternal sinuses than in controls, reduction of fetal vasculature, vesiculation of trophoblast nuclei, deposition of PAS positive material in the septal wall, and fibrinous degeneration of trophoblast cells. These morphological changes were reduced in placental tissues of drug treated rats given 1,000 ppm of zinc. In contrast, no placental abnormalities were observed in rats not treated with 6-MP.
Increased risk of rectal cancer after prostate radiation: A population-based study

Background & Aims: Radiation therapy for prostate cancer has been associated with an increased rate of pelvic malignancies, particularly bladder cancer. The association between radiation therapy and colorectal cancer has not been established. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry data from 1973 through 1994. We focused on men with prostate cancer, but with no previous history of colorectal cancer, treated with either surgery or radiation who survived at least 5 years. We evaluated the effect of radiation on development of cancer for 3 sites: definitely irradiated sites (rectum), potentially irradiated sites (rectosigmoid, sigmoid, and cecum), and nonirradiated sites (the rest of the colon). Using a proportional hazards model, we evaluated the effect of radiation on development of colorectal cancer over time. Results: A total of 30,552 men received radiation, and 55,263 underwent surgery only. Colorectal cancers developed in 1437 patients: 267 in irradiated sites, 686 in potentially irradiated sites, and 484 in nonirradiated sites. Radiation was independently associated with development of cancer over time in irradiated sites but not in the remainder of the colon. The adjusted hazards ratio for development of rectal cancer was 1.7 for the radiation group, compared with the surgery-only group (95% CI: 1.4–2.2). Conclusions: We noted a significant increase in development of rectal cancer after radiation for prostate cancer. Radiation had no effect on development of cancer in the remainder of the colon, indicating that the effect is specific to directly irradiated tissue.
AVP: A Highly Efficient Transport Protocol for Low Bit Rate Multimedia Communications

Utilization of Internet communications in distance learning, distributed simulation, and distributed work groups involves multimedia transmission of animation, voice and video clips. Highly compressed audio-video data protocols are required for efficient Internet multimedia communications. Addressing this requirement, a new transport protocol called Audio-Video Protocol (AVP) for highly efficient multimedia communications on the Internet is presented. While providing similar real-time delivery functions as Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) and Real-Time Control Protocol (RTCP), AVP adopts a novel audio-based synchronization scheme. This synchronization scheme has two advantages. One is the overhead reduction through eliminating the timestamp in each transmitted data packet. The other is the packet rate reduction by putting multiple audio frames or mixed audio-video frames in a single AVP packet. As a result, the end-to-end media unit delay is reduced while achieving implicit synchronization. Furthermore, AVP provides adaptive quality of service (QoS) by the prioritized packetization scheme. Simulation results are presented to verify the advantages of the AVP protocol.
Surface transformation of bioactive glass in bioreactors simulating microgravity conditions. Part I: Experimental study

Surface modified bioactive glass with surface properties akin to those of the bone mineral phase is an attractive candidate for use as a microcarrier material for 3-D growth of bone-like tissue in rotating wall vessel bioreactors (RWVs). The critical surface properties of this material are the result of reaction in solution. Because an RWV environment is completely different from conditions previously employed for bioactive glass testing, a detailed study of the surface reactions is warranted. Under properly chosen conditions, RWVs can also provide a simulated microgravity environment for the bioactive glass (BG) particles. In this sense, this study is also a report on the behavior of a bioactive material under microgravity conditions simulated on earth. A high aspect ratio vessel (HARV) and carefully selected experimental conditions enabled the simulation of microgravity in our laboratory. A complimentary numerical study was simultaneously conducted to ascertain the appropriateness of the experimental parameters (particle size, particle density, medium density, medium viscosity, and rotational speed) that ensure simulated microgravity conditions for the glass particles in the HARV. Physiological solutions (pH 7.4) with and without electrolytes, and also with serum proteins, were used to study the change in surface character resulting from simulated microgravity. Control tests at normal gravity, both static and dynamic, were also conducted. Solution and surface analyses revealed major effects of simulated microgravity. The rates of leaching of constituent ions (Si-, Ca-, and P-ions) were greatly increased in all solutions tested. The enhanced dissolution was followed by the enhanced formation of bone-like minerals at the BG surface. This enhancement is expected to affect adsorption of serum proteins and attachment molecules, which, in turn, may favorably affect bone cell adhesion and function. The findings of the study are important for the use of bioactive materials as microcarriers to generate and analyze 3-D bone-like tissue structures in bioreactors under microgravity conditions or otherwise.
Enhancement of fludioxonil fungicidal activity by disrupting cellular glutathione homeostasis with 2,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid

The activity of fludioxonil, a phenylpyrrole fungicide, is elevated by coapplication of the aspirin/salicylic acid metabolite, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHBA). Fludioxonil activity is potentiated through a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway that regulates osmotic/oxidative stress-responses. 2,5-DHBA disrupts cellular GSH (reduced glutathione)/GSSG (oxidized glutathione) homeostasis, further stressing the oxidative stress-response system. This stress enhances fludioxonil activity. 2,5-DHBA treatment also prevents tolerance of MAPK mutants resistant to fludioxonil.
Immunocytochemical expression of the blood-brain barrier glucose transporter (GLUT-1) in neural transplants and brain wounds.

The present study examined the immunocytochemical expression of the blood-brain barrier glucose transporter (GLUT-1) in a series of fetal neocortical transplants, autonomic tissue transplants, and stab wounds to the rat brain. GLUT-1 is one of a family of different glucose transporters and is found exclusively on barrier-type endothelial cells. In the brain it is responsible for the regulated facilitative diffusion of glucose across the blood-brain barrier. This investigation is the first to determine if this important molecule is altered during the process of angiogenesis that occurs following neural transplantation procedures or direct brain injury. Beginning in late fetal brain, e.g., E18 and continuing into maturity, GLUT-1 was strongly and exclusively expressed on normal cerebral vessels. In solid fetal central nervous system (CNS) transplants up to around 3 weeks postoperative, GLUT-1 was only weakly expressed, particularly as exemplified by colloidal gold immunostaining when compared with the host. At later times examined, up to 15 months postoperative, GLUT-1 immunoexpression was comparable with the normal adjacent brain. In autonomic tissue transplants, where the vessels do not have a blood-brain barrier, as expected, GLUT-1 was not expressed. In stab wounds, at 1 week there was extensive gliosis, and the injured vessels appeared fragmented and collapsed but still expressed GLUT-1, although to a somewhat lesser extent than normal brain. Between 3 and 6 weeks, GLUT-1 was expressed on tortuous vessels and in apparently fibrillar processes in the wound vicinity with a similar pattern to astrocyte (GFAP) reactivity. These results suggest the occurrence of a down-regulation of GLUT-1 in early transplants, perhaps related to reduced glycolytic activity or transient ischemia, or possibly due to the utilization of alternative energy sources. That GLUT-1 expression was not entirely lost in stab wounds to the mature brain suggests that the protein may be more labile in fetal or perinatal brain than in the adult and may not be affected by direct injury. Coupled with previous transplantation studies that have shown reduced neuronal glycolysis and potential barrier alterations, the reduction of GLUT-1 activity within nearly the identical time frame could indicate a relatively early critical period in cellular metabolism following transplantation of CNS tissue.
Common p-Belief: The General Case

Abstract We develop belief operators for information systems where individuals have an uncountable number of possible signals, and we give a general version of Monderer and Samet's (1989) theorem relating “iterative” and “fixed point” notions of common p -belief. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: D82.
God's party? Race, religion, and partisanship over time

The Republican Party has aggressively attempted to recruit black and Latino Evangelicals; however, the success of these efforts has been questioned. The authors argue that the GOP's diminished success in recruiting these groups, compared to Anglos, is based on differing religious worldviews. Using data that allow them to track partisanship over two decades, the authors examine how religious conservatism has shaped Anglo, Latino, and black partisanship. They find that the GOP has been most successful in recruiting Anglos, followed by Latinos. Blacks appear to be unaffected. In addition, they find support for their underlying assumption of differing religious worldviews among the racial/ethnic groups.
First passage time for linear systems with stochastic coefficients

Abstract The moments of time to first passage of a second order linear system with stochastic coefficients and loading are determined by formulating and solving the Pontryagin-Vitt equations, a recursive system of boundary value problems. Solution is by a Petrov-Galerkin finite element method, and the first two ordinary moments are computed. A pin-ended beam-column subjected to simultaneous axial and transverse loading is examined, and the results obtained are compared with those of Monte Carlo simulation. Conclusions are drawn regarding the relative importance of the two loads upon the failure process as well as of the effects of cross-correlation between the loads.
Mastery, insight, and the teaching of chemistry

The learning of chemistry is described as a process analogous to the process of making chemical discoveries. Historical examples are given to show how chemists have used their insight to break out of a conceptual loop in order to advance the science. Having the insight to make the intuitive leap necessary to break a conceptual loop is as important as having the mastery of the pertinent facts. As in making chemical discoveries, learning elementary chemistry requires developing insight as well as acquiring mastery of the facts. However, current general chemistry teaching tends to teach facts first and insight later. Suggestions for improving this situation so that insight and facts are learned together are given. Finally, the nature of insight is probed more deeply and presented as a two-step process where the first step is an evaluation of the perceptions about science which are held. Once the student, teacher, or researcher has a clear evaluation of the validity of the perceptions that he or she holds, further significant progress toward understanding or scientific discovery is possible.
The Unique Impact of Parent Training for Separation Anxiety Disorder in Children

This investigation examined the preliminary efficacy of an integrated cognitive-behavioral parent-training protocol for six families of separation-anxious children (7 to 10 years of age) using a multiple baseline design across participants. Although families were assessed on child, parent, and clinician ratings at pre- and posttreatment as well as 6-month follow-up, only parents received education and training. Although the parent-training protocol was largely effective and treatment gains were maintained at 6-month follow-up, only those child participants whose parents experienced clinically significant improvement on parental process measures (i.e., enhanced efficacy or satisfaction, reduced stress) achieved high end-state functioning. Implications regarding the importance of individualized family-based interventions for treating anxious youth are discussed.
Estimation of unknown variable parameters in moving boundary problems

The problem of estimating unknown variable parameters appearing in moving boundary problems is considered; these are specifically nonlinear diffusion equations defined on a moving spatial domain. A spline-based approximation method that results in a sequence of computationally tractable approximate parameter estimation problems has been developed. A convergence result is proved for a certain class of these moving boundary problems. The paper is concluded with a set of representative numerical examples.
SUMMARY PROTOCOLS OF “UNDERPREPARED” AND “ADEPT” UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: REPLICATIONS AND DISTORTIONS OF THE ORIGINAL

The summary task requires the use of higher order reading skills; identification of main ideas and condensation of text while maintaining the focus of the original. Though there have been a number of studies examining the summarizing skills of elementary and secondary students (e.g. Brown et al. 1981; Day 1980; Winograd 1984), skills of university students have not been well documented. Nor has a complete scale for scoring protocols been produced. It was the purpose of this study to examine the summarizing skills of “underprepared” or remedial university students and to develop from their protocols a scale for coding replications and distortions of the original. Findings indicate that underprepared students omit a number of main ideas from their summary protocols and include more sentence-level reproductions than combinations of idea units (IUs) or macropropositions. However, the data indicate that the underprepared students do not differ significantly from other student groups in their balance and distribution of IUs in their protocols, nor do they employ more distortions (i.e. IUs which are not true to the original).
Not Just for Trauma Patients: Damage Control Laparotomy in Pancreatic Surgery

Background Damage control laparotomy (DCL) has been a major advance in modern trauma care. The principles of damage control which include truncation of operation to correct acidosis, hypothermia, and coagulopathy with subsequent planned definitive repair are applicable in managing patients undergoing abdominal operations. In order to define indications, technique, and outcome, we undertook a retrospective review and analysis of pancreatic surgery patients in whom DCL was utilized.
A PROTEOLYTIC ENZYME PRODUCED BY GROUP A STREPTOCOCCI WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ITS EFFECT ON THE TYPE-SPECIFIC M ANTIGEN

1. Group A streptococci sometimes produce in broth culture an extracellular proteolytic enzyme. 2. Under suitable cultural conditions the enzyme has been demonstrated in representative cultures of most of the Griffith types. Its production by a given strain may be suppressed by serial passage through mice and the variant so produced has been found to maintain this change in character on subculture in artificial media. 3. Under certain conditions, the enzyme attacks the type-specific M antigens of all the group A streptococci so far tested, with the exception of that of type 28. The enzyme exhibits its maximal activity at 37 degrees C.: Extracts made from enzyme-producing cultures which have been grown at this temperature lack the M antigen; enzyme-producing strains may sometimes be induced to yield M substance in extracts by culturing the streptococci at 22 degrees C. Cultures which, when grown at 37 degrees C. yield M substance in extracts, do not produce the enzyme. 4. Human and rabbit fibrin are attacked and streptococcal fibrinolysin is also inactivated by the enzyme. Other susceptible substrates include casein, milk, gelatin, and benzoyl-l-arginineamide but not l-leucylglycylglycine. 5. The general properties of the enzyme resemble those of papain and some of the cathepsins: It is active under the reducing conditions produced in broth cultures by the presence of living bacteria; it is also activated by substances which reduce disulfide to sulfhydryl groups, e.g. potassium cyanide, cysteine, glutathione, and thioglycollic acid, but it is not activated by ascorbic acid. The enzyme is inactivated by iodoacetic acid and also by normal rabbit or mouse serum.
Rapid detection of Salmonella from hydrodynamic pressure-treated poultry using molecular beacon real-time PCR.

Abstract A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was evaluated to detect Salmonella in hydrodynamic pressure (HDP)-treated chicken using molecular beacon probes available as a commercial kit (iQ-Check, Bio-Rad Laboratories). The sensitivity and accuracy of the assay were compared with the conventional USDA microbiological procedure using artificially contaminated minced chicken. Chicken fillets were irradiated at 10 kGy to completely destroy any naturally occurring Salmonella. These fillets were minced and inoculated with as low as 2±1 cfu of S. typhimurium per 25 g chicken. The minced chicken samples were vacuum packed in multi-layer barrier bags, heat shrunk, and treated with HDP. Results showed that all inoculated samples ( n = 36 ) were detected by the PCR assay and conventional USDA procedure. Similarly, all uninoculated controls ( n = 11 ) were negative by both PCR assay and USDA procedure. As few as 2±1 cfu could be detected from 25 g HDP-treated chicken following 16–18 h enrichment in buffered peptone water. Real-time PCR proved to be an effective method for Salmonella detection in HDP-treated chicken with high sensitivity and more importantly, a rapid and high-throughput detection in 18 h, compared to 3–8 days for the conventional microbiological methods. HDP treatment, which has been reported to reduce spoilage bacteria in various meats, was unable to kill pathogenic Salmonella in minced chicken.
Vulvar Disease Pearls

The vulva is a neglected area of the skin, hidden away by ignorance, embarrassment, and taboo with the result that women with vulvar diseases, desperate for help, suffer needlessly and waste millions of dollars on inadequate or inappropriate treatment. As the skin experts, dermatologists are vital for vulvar care. This article covers a range of subjects from normal anatomy to atypical presentations of common infections, such as candidiasis and herpes simplex virus. Tips are presented on the management of common vulvar dermatoses and there is a brief overview of pearls in diagnosis and therapy. Dermatologists are uniquely qualified to care for this area.
Coffee Drinking: An Emerging Social Problem?

Is coffee bad for your health? This question has been at the center of a growing controversy in the United States which threatens to transform the widespread use of coffee into a social problem. Though coffee has been suspect for some 300 years, public attention since 1970 has been focused on medical research which suggests that the caffeine in coffee may cause cancer, birth defects, and heart disease. This paper looks at the history of the controversy, reviews the research, both pro and con, and describes the groups which have taken sides over the issue. We conclude that there are parallels between the way the controversy over coffee has developed and the early stages of the definition of cigarette smoking as a social problem.
Protein renaturation by the liquid organic salt ethylammonium nitrate

The room-temperature liquid salt, ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), has been used to enhance the recovery of denatured-reduced hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL). Our results show that EAN has the ability to prevent aggregation of the denatured protein. The use of EAN as a refolding additive is advantageous because the renaturation is a one-step process. When HEWL was denatured reduced using routine procedures and renatured using EAN as an additive, HEWL was found to regain 75% of its activity. When HEWL was denatured and reduced in neat EAN, dilution resulted in over 90% recovery of active protein. An important aspect of this process is that renaturation of HEWL occurs at concentrations of 1.6 mg/mL, whereas other renaturation processes occur at significantly lower protein concentrations. Additionally, the refolded-active protein can be separated from the molten salt by simple desalting methods. Although the use of a low-temperature molten salt in protein renaturation is unconventional, the power of this approach lies in its simplicity and utility.
Prediction of brain tumor therapy response by PET

In the context of brain tumor therapy it is an important issue to assess whether positron emission tomography (PET) investigation of tumor metabolism can predict tumor response to therapy, whether the information obtained with PET is substantially different from that obtained by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and whether this information will be sufficiently useful in the management of patients to warrant the cost of PET studies. Aggressive neurosurgery, radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy have become the standard of care for many patients with primary brain tumors, and the limitations of CT and MR imaging in the post-treatment period have become more apparent. Both techniques are frequently unable to differentiate between therapy-related tissue changes and progressive tumor. Two clinical situations are particularly difficult to resolve: 1) transient radiographic and clinical deterioration following intensive radiotherapy or less commonly following intensive chemotherapy, and 2) clinical deterioration in a patient who has failed initial therapy, but has stable radiographic findings following a second therapy.
SAILOR: a source assisted partial destination slot release scheme for slotted networks1The SAILOR scheme has received US Patent no. 5,349,582. This work has been presented in part at the IEEE Infocom'94 conference. 1

In this paper, we present a new scheme that enables destination nodes in a slotted shared medium network to release some received slots, hence making them available for reuse by other downstream nodes in the network. This scheme ensures a significant increase in the effective capacity of the network without any noticeable degradation in node processing delays, or increase in node complexity. We also present a literature review of works on spatial and slot reuse.
Reconfigurable Bowtie Antenna Using Metal-Insulator Transition in Vanadium Dioxide

A new method to reconfigure, tune or program an antenna is presented and validated through a fabricated proof-of-concept prototype. The method relies on the changing electrical properties of a smart material, vanadium dioxide ( ${\rm VO}_{2}$ ), across its solid-to-solid phase transition. The phase change in the material is induced thermally. The developed device is a monolithically integrated ${\rm VO}_{2}$ -based antenna that changes resonant frequency on demand. Details and challenges related to the design, fabrication and integration of ${\rm VO}_{2}$ thin films with antennas, as well as the measurement setup, are discussed. Measurement results match well with theory and simulations. Results unveil a new technique for reconfiguring antennas and suggest further studies and improvements could lead to more exciting results and make vanadium dioxide thin-films an alternate solution for multi-functional antennas. This work is the first prototype to implement this new reconfiguration mechanism in antennas in the gigahertz range and to present results during the ${\rm VO}_{2}$ metal-to-insulator phase transition.
Effects of kainic acid lesions in lateral geniculate nucleus: activity dependence of retrograde axonal transport of fluorescent dyes.

Abstract Kainic acid lesions in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of rats block the retrograde axonal transport of fluorescent dyes in corticogeniculate neurons without affecting the retrograde transport of D -aspartate or the orthograde transport of radiolabelled proteins in these neurons. This blocking of dye transport does not appear to be a consequences of kainic acid-induced damage to axon terminals in the geniculate since retinal ganglion cells are still able to transport dyes retrograde. A more likely explanation for these results is that fluorescent dye transport requires electrical activity in neurons, and elimination of the geniculate afferents to visual cortex reduces impulse traffic in cortical output fibers to a level below that required to support detectable dye transport. This interpretation is supported by the observation that kainic acid lesions also reduce retrograde transport of dyes in cortical neurons which project to the superior colliculus. Electrical stimulation in the subcortical white matter restores the transport of dye compounds in corticogeniculate neurons: evidence consistent with an activity-dependent mechanism of retrograde transport for these substances. These results provide evidence that axon terminals of retinal ganglion cells and corticogeniculate neurons survive in kainate-lesioned geniculates and are capable of normal neuronal function.
Preoperative ultrasound to predict infraumbilical adhesions: A study of diagnostic accuracy

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the test characteristics of preoperative abdominal ultrasound in predicting infraumbilical adhesions in women. Study design This was a diagnostic test study of 60 women at risk for intra-abdominal adhesions undergoing laparoscopy or vertical laparotomy. Participants underwent periumbilical sonographic measurement of visceral slide (longitudinal movement of the viscera during a cycle of respiration). Results Prevalence of infraumbilical bowel adhesions was 12%. A visceral slide threshold Conclusion Measuring visceral slide improves preoperative prediction of both presence and absence of bowel adhesions in patients with previous abdominal operations or infection; this technique may assist in avoiding iatrogenic bowel injury.
Testing for a break at an unknown change-point: a test with known size in small samples

Abstract A stability test is presented which does not commit to a particular break-point and allows for multiple testing as in the Max-F test of Andrews (1993) . Unlike the Max-F, this new test has known size in small samples.
Equivalent model for static and dynamic characterisation of switching in a polycrystalline toroidal ferrite

A vectorial rotational equivalent model which characterises both static B-H properties and dynamic switching properties of a toroidal ferrite core is described. The model makes use of such measurable magnetic properties as magnetisation at remanence and saturation, coercive force and damping factor. A comparison of results obtained using the model described here with experimentally obtained results shows reasonably close agreement.
Surface chemistry controls crystallinity of ZnS nanoparticles

Combined small-angle and high energy wide-angle x-ray scattering measurements of nanoparticle size and structure permit interior strain and disorder to be directly observed in the real-space pair distribution function (PDF). PDF analysis showed that samples of ZnS nanoparticle with similar mean diameters (3.2-3.6 nm) but synthesized and treated differently possess a dramatic range of interior disorder. We used Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy to detect the surface species and the nature of surface chemical interactions. Our results suggest that there is a direct correlation between the strength of surface-ligand interactions and interior crystallinity.
Atomic structure and specificity of bacterial periplasmic receptors for active transport and chemotaxis: variation of common themes

Crystallographic structure refinement at very high resolutions of a dozen periplasmic receptors has revealed that, though they have different sizes (26 to 60 kDa) and little sequence homology, they have high tertiary structure similarity. They consist of two distinct globular domains bisected by a cleft or groove wherein the ligand binds and is buried by a hinge-bending motion between the two domains. Structural analysis also reveals how hydrogen-bonding interactions can be tailored to a wide spectrum of specificity, ranging from the stringent specificity for phosphate and sulphate to the more loose specificity for peptides.
Heterologous expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of Trichoderma reesei xylanase II and four variants

Xylanase II from Trichoderma reesei catalyzes the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in xylan. Crystallographic studies of this commercially important enzyme have been initiated to investigate its reaction mechanism, substrate binding and dependence on basic pH conditions. The wild-type protein was heterologously expressed in an Escherichia coli host using the defined medium and four active-site amino acids were replaced to abolish its activity (E177Q and E86Q) or to change its pH optimum (N44D and N44H). Cation-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography were used to obtain >90% protein purity. The ligand-free proteins and variant complexes containing substrate (xylohexaose) or product (xylotriose) were crystallized in several different space groups and diffracted to high resolutions (from 1.07 to 1.55 A).
In Chromatium, a single photochemical reaction center oxidizes both cytochrome C552 and cytochrome C555.

With Chromatium cell suspensions, the relative actinic effects of 800- and 890-nm light are the same for the photooxidation of cytochrome C552 as for that of cytochrome C555. The action spectra for the two photooxidations probably are identical. A single 20-nsec actinic flash causes only about 110 as much cytochrome oxidation as does strong continuous light, and the effect of the flash does not vary greatly with conditions. The concentration of a single photochemical reaction center appears to limit the amount of cytochrome oxidation which results from the short flash. Under some conditions (aerobic whole cells, whole cells under weak continuous illumination, and chromatophores at high redox potentials), a single flash results in C555 oxidation. Under other conditions (anaerobic whole cells in the dark, and chromatophores at low potentials), the flash appears to cause C552 oxidation. From direct kinetic measurements with chromatophores, P870 appears to be the oxidant, both for C555 oxidation at high potentials, and for C552 oxidation at low potentials. The rate of the latter reaction is faster than that of the former by a factor of approx. 2. The same primary and secondary electron acceptors (X and Y) appear to be involved in the oxidation of the two cytochromes. This conclusion rests on measurements of the rate of electron transfer between X and Y under different conditions. o-Phenanthroline blocks the reaction between X and Y, with no effect on the oxidation of C555 or C552 by a single flash.
Effects of Striatal ΔFosB Overexpression and Ketamine on Social Defeat Stress–Induced Anhedonia in Mice

Background Chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) produces persistent behavioral adaptations in mice. In many behavioral assays, it can be difficult to determine if these adaptations reflect core signs of depression. We designed studies to characterize the effects of CSDS on sensitivity to reward because anhedonia (reduced sensitivity to reward) is a defining characteristic of depressive disorders in humans. We also examined the effects of striatal ΔFosB overexpression and the N -methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine, both of which promote resilience, on CSDS-induced alterations in reward function and social interaction. Methods Intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) was used to quantify CSDS-induced changes in reward function. Mice were implanted with lateral hypothalamic electrodes, and ICSS thresholds were measured after each of 10 daily CSDS sessions and during a 5-day recovery period. We also examined if acute intraperitoneal administration of ketamine (2.5–20 mg/kg) reverses CSDS-induced effects on reward or, in separate mice, social interaction. Results ICSS thresholds were increased by CSDS, indicating decreases in the rewarding impact of lateral hypothalamic stimulation (anhedonia). This effect was attenuated in mice overexpressing ∆FosB in striatum, consistent with pro-resilient actions of this transcription factor. High, but not low, doses of ketamine administered after completion of the CSDS regimen attenuated social avoidance in defeated mice, although this effect was transient. Ketamine did not block CSDS-induced anhedonia in the ICSS test. Conclusions This study found that CSDS triggers persistent anhedonia and confirms that ΔFosB overexpression produces stress resilience. The findings of this study also indicate that acute administration of ketamine fails to attenuate CSDS-induced anhedonia despite reducing other depression-related behavioral abnormalities.
CNS Viruses—Diagnostic Approach

Diagnosis of CNS viral infections is challenging; yet, significant progress in laboratory diagnosis of CNS infections has come through applications of serology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to CSF and tissues. Advances in molecular and laboratory techniques, together with neuroimaging, epidemiologic, and surveillance efforts, are yielding greater success in CNS viral diagnosis and treatment.
Identification of protein-coding sequences using the hybridization of 18S rRNA and mRNA during translation

We introduce a new approach in this article to distinguish protein-coding sequences from non-coding sequences utilizing a period-3, free energy signal that arises from the interactions of the 3'-terminal nucleotides of the 18S rRNA with mRNA. We extracted the special features of the amplitude and the phase of the period-3 signal in protein-coding regions, which is not found in non-coding regions, and used them to distinguish protein-coding sequences from non-coding sequences. We tested on all the experimental genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The identification was consistent with the corresponding information from GenBank, and produced better performance compared to existing methods that use a period-3 signal. The primary tests on some fly, mouse and human genes suggests that our method is applicable to higher eukaryotic genes. The tests on pseudogenes indicated that most pseudogenes have no period-3 signal. Some exploration of the 3'-tail of 18S rRNA and pattern analysis of protein-coding sequences supported further our assumption that the 3'-tail of 18S rRNA has a role of synchronization throughout translation elongation process. This, in turn, can be utilized for the identification of protein-coding sequences.
Categorical perception of stereoscopic stimuli

Two studies of the stereopsis model of Richards were conducted using a between-subjects balanced design and a repeated trials procedure rather than the within-subjects procedure of Richards. Measures of the accuracy of discrimination between classes of retinal disparity were defined by the method of successive intervals in place of the d’ index of SDT. The results support the predictions (1) of symmetric discrimination functions for convergent and divergent stimuli, (2) of greater discrimination for stimuli of 45 min of retinal disparity than for the stimuli of 15 min disparity, (3) of greater variability for the stimuli of greater disparity, and (4) of the use by nonanomalous subjects of at least two different processing mechanisms for stimuli of different disparity classes. The results do not support the prediction (1) of different processing mechanisms for foveal stimuli differing in figure-ground contrast or (2) of greater usefulness for monocular stimuli as a null disparity reference condition, as compared with binocular null disparity stimuli. Similar results were found for two stimulus shapes, a bar and a disk of equal area. Unreliability of subjects’ response systems was suggested as a factor in the prediction of figure-ground contrast changes and as a factor in the classification of subjects as stereo anomalous. The pattern of accuracy of discrimination between classes of disparity stimuli also raises questions of the adequacy of the simple stereopsis model.