cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A systematic review of patient-reported outcome measures to assess postpartum pain using Consensus Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines

Abstract Background We performed a systematic review using Consensus Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines to identify the best available patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) of postpartum pain. Methods This review follows COSMIN guidelines. We searched four databases with no date limiters, for previously identified validated PROMs used to assess postpartum pain. PROMs evaluating more than one author-defined domain of postpartum pain were assessed. We sought studies evaluating psychometric properties. An overall rating was then assigned based upon COSMIN analysis, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to assess the level of evidence for psychometric properties of included PROMs. These assessments were used to make recommendations and identify the best PROM to assess postpartum pain. Results We identified 19 studies using seven PROMs (involving 3511 women), which evaluated postpartum pain. All included studies evaluated ≥1 psychometric property of the included PROMs. An adequate number of pain domains was assessed by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Short Form-BPI (SF-BPI), and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). The SF-BPI was the only PROM to demonstrate adequate content validity and at least a low-level of evidence for sufficient internal consistency, resulting in a Class A recommendation (the best performing instrument, recommended for use). Conclusion SF-BPI is the best currently available PROM to assess postpartum pain. However, it fails to assess several important domains and only just met the criteria for a Class A recommendation. Future studies are warranted to develop, evaluate, and implement a new PROM designed to specifically assess postpartum pain.
High-order areas and auditory cortex both represent the high-level event structure of music

Recent fMRI studies of event segmentation have found that default mode regions represent high-level event structure during movie watching. In these regions, neural patterns are relatively stable during events and shift at event boundaries. Music, like narratives, contains hierarchical event structure (e.g., sections are composed of phrases). Here, we tested the hypothesis that brain activity patterns in default mode regions reflect the high-level event structure of music. We used fMRI to record brain activity from 25 participants (male and female) as they listened to a continuous playlist of 16 musical excerpts, and additionally collected annotations for these excerpts by asking a separate group of participants to mark when meaningful changes occurred in each one. We then identified temporal boundaries between stable patterns of brain activity using a hidden Markov model and compared the location of the model boundaries to the location of the human annotations. We identified multiple brain regions with significant matches to the observer-identified boundaries, including auditory cortex, mPFC, parietal cortex, and angular gyrus. From these results, we conclude that both higher-order and sensory areas contain information relating to the high-level event structure of music. Moreover, the higher-order areas in this study overlap with areas found in previous studies of event perception in movies and audio narratives, including regions in the default mode network.
Comparative Analysis of Rural-Urban Definitions in Predicting Surgeon Workforce Supply.

ABSTRACT Background There are multiple different systems that define a rural area in health services research, but few studies compare their ability to measure access to health resources. Our objective was to compare various definitions of rurality to determine which system best measures local surgeon supply. Materials and methods In this retrospective observational study, we used the 2019 Area Health Resource File to obtain the 2017 county-level supply of general surgeons, surgical subspecialists, and total physicians for all counties in the United States. Physicians per 100,000 population were calculated for each physician measure and were the primary outcomes. The rural-urban measurements included were the Office of Management and Budget 2017 definition, Urban Influence Codes (UIC), Rural-Urban Commuting Codes (RUCCs), and Census urban population within the county. We also developed and tested a measure combining the RUCCs and Census urban population. Linear regression was used to compare performance of these definitions for each outcome using adjusted R2 values. Results In 3138 counties included in the study, dichotomous measures of rural-urban using the UIC/RUCC had the lowest adjusted R2 values across all outcomes. Quartiles using the Census urban population and the RUCC/Census urban population combined measure had the highest adjusted R2 values for all outcomes. Conclusions The Census urban population had the best performance in measuring geographic access to surgical care. This study can inform surgical health services researchers who want to include measures of rurality in their analysis.
Why Do People Support the Underdog?: Loss Aversion and Sports Fans

The choice to be a sports fan may seem irrational in many circumstances, especially when considering fans of teams that are less successful than average. The large amount of evidence showing people are loss averse may make the decision to be a sports fan seem even more irrational. However, this paper presents a model of reference-dependent preferences that predicts being a sports fan, even of an underdog, is an optimal decision. The model predicts it can be optimal to be a fan of a less successful team, even if the individual is loss averse, only cares about game outcomes and believes the team to be less successful than average.
Homeomorphic manifold analysis: learning decomposable generative models for human motion analysis

If we consider the appearance of human motion such as gait, facial expression and gesturing, most of such activities result in nonlinear manifolds in the image space. Although the intrinsic body configuration manifolds might be very low in dimensionality, the resulting appearance manifold is challenging to model given various aspects that affects the appearance such as the view point, the person shape and appearance, etc. In this paper we learn decomposable generative models that explicitly decompose the intrinsic body configuration as a function of time from other conceptually orthogonal aspects that affects the appearance such as the view point, the person performing the action, etc. The frameworks is based on learning nonlinear mappings from a conceptual representation of the motion manifold that is homeomorphic to the actual manifold and decompose other sources of variation in the mapping coefficient space.
Super-Resolution Optical Microscopy

Far-field super-resolution optical microscopy is a young and rapidly developing technology that enables optical imaging with unprecedented sub-diffraction-limited spatial resolution. These imaging methods have been developed primarily within the context of biological imaging, but show great potential as a new and complementary tool for characterization of nanostructural material features traditionally inaccessible by conventional optical imaging methods. In this article, we introduce the working principles of super resolution optical microscopy, suggest specific materials that should be good candidates for these new techniques, and discuss practical aspects that should be considered for its implementation for materials characterization. Keywords: super-resolution; optical nanoscopy; stimulated emission depletion microscopy; STED; photoactivated localization microscopy; PALM; structured illumination microscopy; SIM
The Frequency of Carcinoma and Intraepithelial Neoplasia of the Prostate in Young Male Patients

The incidence of clinically detected prostate cancer is increasing with more frequent diagnosis in younger male patients. Whether this represents a genuine increase in incidence or earlier detection is not clear. To understand better the evolution and early changes of prostate cancer we evaluated 152 prostate glands from young male patients 10 to 49 years old. Of the prostates 98 were from African-Americans and 54 were from white patients. Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia was identified in 0%, 9%, 20 and 44%, and small foci of histological cancer in 0%, 0%, 27% and 34% of the male patients in the second, third, fourth and fifth decades of age, respectively. The majority of the cases of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia were of low grade. High grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, found in 5 prostates, was first identified in the fifth decade. All 5 cases occurred in prostates containing histological carcinoma. Incidental carcinoma was detected with a similar frequency in white and black patients. The cancerous foci were of similar size with a tendency for cancer in black patients to be multifocal, particularly in those in the fifth decade. We conclude that prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and histological cancers are surprisingly common in young male patients of both races. The evolution of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and focal histological cancers is not clear but it appears to present several decades earlier than clinically detected carcinoma. The natural history of prostate cancer must encompass many more years (decades) than has been previously realized. In addition, the initiating events leading to clinically relevant prostate cancers likely occur at a remarkably young age.
Timescales of Magma Transfer and Storage in the Crust

This chapter addresses the topic of magma storage - and specifically the question of how long magmas may be stored in the crust before erupting or solidifying at depth - by reviewing the manifold ways in which magma storage times have been quantified. This study complements and expands on earlier reviews by Hawkesworth et al. and Condomines et al. Magma systems representative of all settings are included here, but the focus is on those associated with the continental crust.
Full-scale study of the cooling system aerodynamics of an operating piston engine installed in a light aircraft wing panel

Measurements of the drag and of the nacelle internal pressures on a wing and nacelle that housed a horizontally opposed piston engine were made in the 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel at Ames Research Center. These tests are follow-ons to earlier tests made with the same wing and nacelle but in which the engine was replaced with an electric motor and an adjustable orifice plate. In the initial tests the orifice plate was used to control the rate of cooling-air flow through the nacelle and thereby to simulate a range of gasoline engine types. Good agreement was found between the results of those tests and of the test reported here. Also, the upper and lower plenum pressure and cooling-air flow rate were found to be related by conventional equations used to represent the flow through orifices. Tests were run with three cooling air inlet sizes over a free-stream velocity range from 50 to 150 knots, an angle of attack range from 0 deg to 10 deg, and a cowl-flap deflection range from 0 deg to 30 deg. The data were analyzed by computing a flow coefficient similar to that used in the analysis of orifices. It was found that all of the flow coefficient values fell within a band that varied linearly with inlet area. The linear mean line through this band provides an estimate of the relationship between cooling-air flow rate and upper plenum pressure over a wide range of test conditions.
Recent Advances in EUV Solar Astronomy

I discuss recent advances in EUV solar astronomy. The new work is primarily a result of current solar space missions such as the Yohkoh high energy solar physics mission, as well as upcoming space missions such as the ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). I discuss spectroscopic and atomic physics work, and new results concerning solar flares that are directly relevant to stellar research.
Lower bounds on the complexity of graph properties

In this simple model, a decision tree algorithm must determine whether an unknown digraph on nodes {1, 2, …, n} has a given property by asking questions of the form “Is edge in the graph?”. The complexity of a property is the number of questions which must be asked in the worst case.Aanderaa and Rosenberg conjectured that any monotone, nontrivial, (isomorphism-invariant) n-node digraph property has complexity O(n2). This bound was proved by Rivest and Vuillemin and subsequently improved to n2/4+o(n2). In Part I, we give a bound of n2/2+o(n2). Whether these properties are evasive remains open.In Part II, we investigate the power of randomness in recognizing these properties by considering randomized decision tree algorithms in which coins may be flipped to determine the next edge to be queried. Yao's lower bound on the randomized complexity of any monotone nontrivial graph property is improved from O(nlog1/12n) to O(n5/4), and improved bounds for the complexity of monotone, nontrivial bipartite graph properties are shown.
Coherent spinor dynamics in a spin-1 Bose condensate

Collisions in a thermal gas are perceived as random or incoherent as a consequence of the large numbers of initial and final quantum states accessible to the system. In a quantum gas, for example, a Bose–Einstein condensate or a degenerate Fermi gas, the phase space accessible to low-energy collisions is so restricted that collisions become coherent and reversible. Here, we report the observation of coherent spin-changing collisions in a gas of spin-1 bosons. Starting with condensates occupying two spin states, a condensate in the third spin state is coherently and reversibly created by atomic collisions. The observed dynamics are analogous to Josephson oscillations in weakly connected superconductors and represent a type of matter–wave four-wave mixing. The spin-dependent scattering length is determined from these oscillations to be −1.45(32) bohr. Finally, we demonstrate coherent control of the evolution of the system by applying differential phase shifts to the spin states using magnetic fields.
Water Flows Toward Power: Socioecological Degradation of Lake Urmia, Iran

Water is an invaluable resource, and equitable access to it is a fundamental human right. Disenfranchised groups often lose access to water resources because their interests are not well represented by decision makers. Excluding these groups from resource management policy often results in myopic decisions that contribute to further ecosystem damage. We describe the ecological degradation of Lake Urmia in Iran, which has recently experienced increased salinity and declining water quantity. The lake is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar site, and supports unique biodiversity in the region. The lake's decline is driven by the destruction of Zagros forests and the government's water policies, which diverted water to more politically connected agricultural land users, increasing social inequity and prompting more deforestation. The most straightforward restoration solution is to discontinue the diversions and allow critical inflows to recharge Lake Urmia, preserving the lake and wetlands for migratory bird...
Conformation of the ground‐state dimer in poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Absorbance, excitation, and emission measurements have been performed with methyl benzoate and five model compounds, C 6 H 6 COO (CH 2 ) x OOCC 6 H 5 , x=2-6. Under appropriate conditions, three of the model compounds (those with x=3, 4, 5) show evidence for the formation of intramolecular ground-state dimers. The model compound with x=5 can form two types of dimers which emit with different energies. The model compound with x=3 forms one of these dimers, and the model compound with x=4 prefers the other ground-state dimer. Molecular modeling of the dimers suggest that the two conformations of the groud-state dimers differ in the orientation of the two C=O bonds
Are words represented by nodes

Semantic priming in a lexical decision task was investigated with concurrent pretarget and posttarget primes. The posttarget prime also served as a pattern mask of the lexical decision target. Forward priming is defined as the presence of a semantically related pretarget prime and an unrelated posttarget prime. Backward priming is defined as the presence of a semantically related posttarget prime and an unrelated pretarget prime. Forward and backward priming were compared both when the nonword foils were "legal" and when they were "illegal" with respect to English orthography. Predictions were derived for two general approaches to word recognition: spreading-activation and expectancy-set theories. Both approaches assume that word representations occupy distinct, nonoverlapping locations in memory. Backward-prime facilitation was equivalent to forward-prime facilitation when nonword foils were illegal; however, backward-prime facilitation was not significant when nonword foils were legal. These results challenge both approaches. The proposed solution uses semantic-space (distributed) representations that are functionally unitized by a resonant matching (verification) process.
Responses of the basilar artery to products released by platelets during chronic hypertension.

The goal of this study was to determine whether responses of the basilar artery to products released by platelets are altered during chronic hypertension. The diameter of the basilar artery was measured using intravital microscopy in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) (6–8 months old) in response to adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP), serotonin, and the throm☐ane analogue, U-46619. Dilatation of the basilar artery in response to nitroglycerin was also examined in WKY and SHR. Topical application of ADP (10 and 100 μM) produced only minimal changes in diameter of the basilar artery in WKY (3 ± 1% and1 ± 1%, respectively) and SHR (−0.5 ± 2% and−2 ± 3%, respectively)(P > 0.05vs WKY). Nitroglycerin, however, produced potent vasolidation in WKY and SHR. Constriction of the basilar artery in response to serotonin was potentiated in SHR compared to WKY. Serotonin (0.1 and 1.0 μM) constricted the basilar artery by11 ± 2% and20 ± 2%, respectively, in WKY and by29 ± 3% and40 ± 3%, respectively, in SHR(P < 0.05vs WKY) In contrast, the throm☐ane analogue (U-46619) (0.1 and 1.0 μM) produced similar constriction of the basilar artery in WKY (13 ± 1% and18 ± 2%, respectively) and in SHR (14 ± 3% and21 ± 6%, respectively). Thus, augmented vasoconstriction during chronic hypertension was specific for serotonin. Next, we examined the role of the cyclooxygenase pathway in responses of the basilar artery to ADP and serotonin. Indomethacin (10 mg/kg i.v.) did not alter responses of the basilar artery to ADP and serotonin in WKY or SHR. Thus, these findings suggest that potent constrictor responses of the basilar artery in response to serotonin and throm☐ane during chronic hypertension, with minimal vasolidation in response to ADP, may be important in the pathogenesis of transient cerebral ischemia, or perhaps stroke, during chronic hypertension.
Predictive prosthodontics. I. General health status and edentulousness.

Abstract A study of 89 presumably healthy women (40 to 60 years of age) brings two points into focus. First, edentulous patients are characterized by more systemic complaints indicative of poor health than are dentulous patients. Second, patients with more systemic symptoms and signs lose more teeth with time (age) than do individuals with fewer systemic findings. Thus, there appears to be a relationship between general health and the development of edentulousness.
Frequency-resolved measurements of hemodynamic oscillations and quantitative analysis with a novel hemodynamic model

We present frequency-resolved measurements of the amplitude and phase of cerebral hemodynamic oscillations associated with paced breathing and measured with near-infrared spectroscopy on the forehead of a human subject. We have performed measurements at eleven paced breathing frequencies in the range 0.07-0.25 Hz. The resulting frequency spectra of the amplitude and phase of the hemodynamic oscillations were fit with a recently developed hemodynamic model, 1 that was able to reproduce the measured spectra and to determine a number of associated physiological parameters. The parameters measured include the blood transit times in the capillary (0.87 s) and venous (1.0 s) compartments, and the high-pass cutoff frequency of cerebral autoregulation (0.087 Hz). We also illustrate the implications of the new hemodynamic model on the basis of a phasor representation of physiological and hemodynamic oscillations. The combination of frequency-resolved measurements of cerebral hemodynamics and the phasor-based, frequency-domain solution of the new hemodynamic model provides a novel tool for cerebral hemodynamic studies with a potential for assessing a variety of physiological, functional, and pathological conditions.
Effects of thymidine and uridine on the phosphorylation of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (zidovudine) in human mononuclear cells.

The effects of thymidine and uridine on the phosphorylation of 39-azido-39-deoxythymidine (AZT) were studied in various human mononuclear cell preparations. Thymidine suppressed [3H]AZT phosphorylation in the same concentration range (20 to 100 microM) in which it antagonizes the anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity of AZT. Uridine, in turn, had no influence on AZT phosphorylation, just as it has no effect on the anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity of AZT. These findings are consistent with a close relationship between the inhibition of AZT phosphorylation and the influence of physiological nucleosides on the antiviral activity of AZT.
GABAA Receptor Signaling in the Lateral Septum Regulates Maternal Aggression in Mice

Maternal aggression (maternal defense) is a fierce aggression produced by lactating females toward intruders that plays an important role in protection of vulnerable offspring. Enhancement of GABA(A) receptor signaling by benzodiazepines increases maternal aggression, and we recently found indirect evidence that lateral septum (LS) could be a key site where benzodiazepines elevate aggression. In this study, we directly tested the hypothesis that activation of GABA(A) receptors in LS would promote maternal aggression while inhibition of this receptor would decrease aggression. Site-directed injections to LS were made using the GABA(A) receptor antagonist, bicuculline (3-30 ng), or the GABA(A) receptor agonists, chlordiazepoxide, a benzodiazepine (2.5-5 microg), and muscimol (0.05-5 ng). Maternal aggression and other behavioral measures were then evaluated in lactating mice. Neither GABA(A) receptor agonist elevated aggression, which could reflect a ceiling effect. However, 7 ng of the GABA(A) receptor antagonist, bicuculline, in LS significantly decreased maternal aggression without altering other maternal behaviors or light-dark box performance, suggesting some GABA(A) receptor signaling in LS is required for full maternal aggression expression. Together, these results confirm a role for GABA(A) receptor signaling in LS in the regulation of maternal aggression.
An Empirical Examination of Religion and Conflict in the Middle East, 1950–1992

This article examines the influence of religion on conflict in the Middle East. It develops a more refined approach to studying the effects of religion by examining intra-Islamic differences as well as the effects of domestic politics and religion on conflict. It tests these hypotheses on all Middle Eastern dyads from 1950 to 1992, including appropriate control variables. This article finds that religious identity does matter but only when its relationship with conflict is more clearly specified. Religious differences between the leaders of states influence the likelihood of militarized disputes, but not religious differences between the populations of two states. Ethnic differences and power politics also influence the likelihood of an militarized interstate dispute.
Ethics Workshop Sheds Light on Gray Areas

AGU's Scientific Integrity and Professional Ethics Workshop at the 2013 Fall Meeting, held on 9 December, highlighted the courageous conversations necessary to navigate through questions of scientific integrity and professional ethics. Participants debated real-world scenarios surrounding authorship, data management, plagiarism, and conflicts of interest. These discussions emphasized the importance of preserving scientific integrity and the responsibility of each member to uphold the standards of scientific conduct.
Navigating the MLA Bibliography—Redux: Performance Across Vendor Platforms and Discovery Tools

ABSTRACTThe authors updated their 2009 article on the MLA International Bibliography (MLAIB) by comparing it across three vendor platforms to determine if seemingly comparable searches continued to produce varying results. As much as possible, the authors tested the same searches as were tested in the original article and added additional ones for further exploration. Findings illustrate that while there are fewer differences than was the case previously, differences still exist. The authors also investigated discovery services to identify factors affecting MLAIB searches. The authors discuss the impact of their findings on users, from undergraduates to faculty researchers.
The velocity and magnetic field fluctuations of the solar wind at 1 AU: Statistical analysis of Fourier spectra and correlations with plasma properties

[1] Ten years of ACE plasma and magnetic field measurements are divided into 20,076 subintervals that are 4.55 h long. Each subinterval is Fourier analyzed resulting in a statistical ensemble of 20,076 realizations of the solar wind and its “turbulence.” Oxygen charge-state ratios are used to categorize each subinterval as coronal-hole-origin plasma, non-coronal-hole-origin plasma, or ejecta. A number of known properties of the solar wind v and B fluctuations are statistically confirmed and new informatin as functions of the type of plasma is obtained. For the fluctuations it is found that the coronal-hole-origin versus non-coronal-hole-origin classification is more fundamental than a fast-wind versus slow-wind classification. In the frequency range 4.3 × 10−4–1.9 × 10−3 Hz, the ensemble the mean spectral indices of the magnetic field, velocity, and total energy are −1.62, −1.41, and −1.52, however the spectral indices vary with changes in the type of plasma. The number of strong current sheets in each subinterval is recorded. The fluctuation amplitudes, Alfven ratios, and outward-inward Elsasser ratios are all strongly correlated with the properties of the plasma and the density of current sheets. Regions wherein the fluctuation spectra are shallowest correspond to coronal-hole plasma; regions wherein the spectra are steepest correspond to non-coronal-hole plasma and ejecta. The autocorrelation times for the spectral indices and amplitudes are 20–30 h, similar to the autocorrelation times for the proton specific entropy, the carbon charge-state ratio, the density of strong current sheets, and the classification of plasma. Analysis is performed to interpret ensembles of spectra with variance error.
Explaining Façades of Choice: Timing, Justice Effects, and Behavioral Outcomes

Organizations sometimes present their members with facades of choice: situations that appear to promise a choice but that, in fact, do not do so. Our study examines how facades of choice, relative to genuine choice, influence justice perceptions and negative and compensatory behavioral reactions. We then consider how the adequacy and timing of explanations for facades of choice affect justice perceptions and negative and compensatory reactions following facades of choice. Results indicate that the impact of explanations is influenced by their adequacy and timing (before or after one actually suffers the broken promise inherent in a facade of choice), suggesting that the experience of an injustice may frame a person's understanding of the explanation given for that injustice.
Synthesis of polyurethanes and polyimides for photorefractive applications

Well-defined multifunctional polymers, bearing charge transporting (CT) and nonlinear optical (NLO) functionality covalently attached to each repeat unit, were synthesized and characterized. High glass transition temperature (Tg) polyurethanes, comprised of alternating CT and NLO units, were synthesized from NLO functionalized diols and N,N-bis(4-isocyanatophenyl)aniline. Polyimides, exhibiting high thermal stabilities, were obtained from a fluorinated dianhydride and a multifunctional (CT and NLO) diamine. The functionalized polyimides were obtained in two ways: by formation of a brominated polyimide derivative and subsequent Heck coupling with styrene derivatives; and direct polycondensation of a fully functionalized triarylamine diamine analog with 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6-FDA). Phosphonate ester and nitro electron-withdrawing groups were utilized in the NLO moieties.
Career Development: A Ten-Year Longitudinal Study in Population Scientists

This research addressed two trends in vocational psychology: (a) an increased emphasis on career development and (b) a renewed interest in the psychology of science. It was conducted in the context of longitudinal research on 2,710 population scientists. Holland type scores were derived for these scientists' undergraduate majors, highest degree fields, and positions in 1980, 1985, and 1989. Productivity measures for the years 1981-90 were compiled for convention presentations, journal publications, service as an editorial consultant and as a Principal Investigator, and citations by other scientists. The same pattern of type scores, IES, was obtained on all five occasions; longitudinal correlations within types were substantial; and Investigative and Congruence scores were significantly associated with persistence and productivity in population science. Individually, these findings are consistent with Holland's theory; in combination, they provide impressive support for it.
A pios study of the reaction Ne(3P2,0) + HCl → Ne + HCl+ (A2Σ+) + e−

Abstract The HCl+ (A) vibrational state distributions from the title reaction were studied over the 48–110 meV collision energy range. The 1 0 and 2 0 ratios increase by factors of about 1.3 and 2.5, respectively. The branching ratios appear to be determined primarily by Franck-Condon factors, and by the endoergicity of the ν′ = 2 level.
Intrinsic stability and oligomerization dynamics of DNA processivity clamps

Sliding clamps are ring-shaped oligomeric proteins that are essential for processive deoxyribonucleic acid replication. Although crystallographic structures of several clamps have been determined, much less is known about clamp structure and dynamics in solution. Here, we characterized the intrinsic solution stability and oligomerization dynamics of the homodimeric Escherichia coli β and the homotrimeric Saccharomyces cerevisiae proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) clamps using single-molecule approaches. We show that E. coli β is stable in solution as a closed ring at concentrations three orders of magnitude lower than PCNA. The trimeric structure of PCNA results in slow subunit association rates and is largely responsible for the lower solution stability. Despite this large difference, the intrinsic lifetimes of the rings differ by only one order of magnitude. Our results show that the longer lifetime of the E. coli β dimer is due to more prominent electrostatic interactions that stabilize the subunit interfaces.
Where does brentuximab vedotin fit into the management of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma

Brentuximab vedotin is an antibody-drug conjugate that targets CD30 and links monomethyl auristatin E, a microtubule disrupting agent, to an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody. A phase II study of brentuximab vedotin in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) showed an impressive overall response rate of 75 % with 34 % complete responses, and median remission duration of 20 months in complete responders. In addition, brentuximab vedotin has very modest toxicity in heavily pretreated patients, with reversible peripheral neuropathy being the most common side effect. Brentuximab vedotin received accelerated FDA approval in August 2011 for use as a salvage therapy in cHL following failure of at least two prior therapies. Brentuximab vedotin is the treatment of choice for patients relapsing after stem cell transplant and for patients refractory to standard salvage regimens pre-transplant. Because of high single-agent activity and limited side effects, brentuximab vedotin has emerged as an ideal drug to test in combination therapy for cHL. Current trials are examining the use of brentuximab vedotin in frontline combination regimens, as salvage therapy prior to stem cell transplant, and as adjuvant treatment post-transplant. Such studies will help clarify the optimal use of brentuximab vedotin in the treatment paradigm for Hodgkin lymphoma.
Status and structure of the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) population in Crete

Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) population surveys were conducted during 1996–2002 in the island of Crete (Greece) to document population status and structure. Fieldwork was carried out during the breeding period when birds could be monitored in their colonies. Total population size was estimated at 379 individuals (range = 341–417) with adult birds comprising 63%. The breeding population was estimated at 141 pairs, which were distributed on an average in 23 colonies per year (range = 16–30) while the mean number of breeding pairs that laid eggs was 98 (range= 64–126). Crete thus supports the largest insular population of the species in the world and hosts 70–80% of the breeding population of the species in Greece. Population density was estimated at 6.9 individuals/100 km2, 2.6 breeding pairs/100 km2 and 1.8 nesting pairs/100 km2. The average home range of an occupied colony (i.e., breeding group) was estimated at ca. 204 km2 producing a theoretical foraging range of 8 km radius around the breeding cliff. No trends in the total number of individuals and breeding pairs appeared to exist, although significant differences in population size of individual colonies occurred between the years. The majority of the population was concentrated in small-sized colonies, which showed a low occupancy rate. The number of abandoned sites and the colonization of new ones could represent a shift of breeding pairs to alternative colonies provoked by local food abundance and conspesific attraction.
Ovipositional behavior ofBracon mellitor Say, a parasitoid of the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis Boheman) III. Isolation and identification of natural releasers of ovipositor probing

The chemical cues in the frass of larvae of the boll weevil,Anthonomus grandis Boheman, that elicit an ovipositional response in females ofBracon mellitor Say were isolated by a combination of column, thin-layer, and gas-liquid chromatography. Derivatization, analytical tests, and mass spectrometry were used to identify the biologically active materials as long-chain fatty acid esters of cholesterol. Bioassays with natural and synthetic cholesteryl esters were used to confirm activity. The activity of the cholesteryl esters was also confirmed by using females that had not been previously exposed to hosts.
Small Druglike Molecules with Specific Binding to Plk1 Or LYN Kinases

The research addresses computational design of small druglike molecules for possible anticancer applications. Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is a main regulator of mitosis. Its inhibition can lead to apoptosis of cancer cells. Most kinases interact with inhibitors via their highly conserved ATP sites. This makes the design of Plk1-specific inhibitors challenging. However, Plk1 also has the polo-box domain (PBD) that is absent from other kinases. Previously, we designed several molecules that interacted with the PBD of Plk1 and with only one other kinase, LYN. The LYN kinase regulates hematopoietic cells from which cellular blood components are derived. Yet, LYN's greatly elevated activity in glioblastoma tumors suggests that it promotes the malignancy in these cells. In light of their respective cellular roles, it is important to design inhibitors that are either Plk1- or LYN-specific. This is not trivial because of their very similar binding sites. Physicochemical differences between the sites were analyzed in the DeepView program. Relevant atomic distances within the PBD of Plk1 were found greater than those within LYN. Thus, a larger molecule could potentially fit into the PBD and would be excluded from the LYN's smaller and less flexible site. Previously designed molecules that bonded both Plk1 and LYN were used as templates to design more specific inhibitors. Designed molecules with no indicated toxicities and optimal values of other drug-related properties were used for docking in ArgusLab. Molecules that made stable complexes specifically with either Plk1 or LYN, but with no other kinases, were identified. Drugs based on these molecules could be useful against tumors with overexpressed Plk1 or LYN. Such drugs could selectively bind one of the kinases and lead to fewer side effects than a less selective drug.
Effects of hydrogen and carbon on thermally activated deformation in nickel

Abstract Deformation experiments were performed to determine the effects of hydrogen and carbon on the activation parameters for dislocation slip in nickel. The techniques used were isothermal stress relaxation and differential temperature measurements. These methods allowed determination of the activation enthalpy and activation area for dislocation motion in nickel and the effects of hydrogen and carbon on these parameters. The results show that hydrogen increases the dislocation mobility in Ni and in NiC alloys by reducing the activation enthalpy for dislocation motion, while carbon reduces the dislocation mobility by increasing the activation enthalpy. Hydrogen solutes decrease the activation area for dislocation motion in both pure Ni and in NiC alloys.
Effect of insulin in rats with lesions of the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus

Abstract Four hours after insulin injection Dorsomedial Hypothalamic Nuclei (DMN) lesioned rats consumed an amount of food that was comparable to that eaten by injected sham-operated animals. However, the DMN lesioned rats are not as initially responsive to the food intake stimulating properties of insulin as are the controls. A second study showed ad lib fed and fasted lesioned animals displayed a lower plasma glucose concentration after insulin challenge than did respectively treated controls. This suggests the initial insulin-induced feeding of the lesioned rats was blunted when compared to the controls even in the face of lower plasma glucose levels. Although a previous investigation revealed that DMN lesions destroy glucoreceptor tissue, the present data shows that DMN lesioned rats will increase their food intake in the face of insulin challenge, albeit their initial feeding response to insulin challenge is somewhat blunted. Finally, the present study confirms a previous report in that DMN lesioned rats can competently meter their 24 hour calorie intake.
Facile Quantification of Enantiomeric Excess and Concentration with Indicator-Displacement Assays: An Example in the Analyses of α-Hydroxyacids

An enantioselective indicator-displacement assay was developed to determine enantiomeric excess (ee) and concentration of α-hydroxyacid samples with two independent absorption measurements. The inherent relationship between the absorbance of the indicator-displacement ensemble and the overall concentration and ee of the analyte was established through solution equilibria.
Effect of tarsal tunnel decompression in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat

The streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat has changes in the hind-foot walking track pattern that are progressive over time. The present study investigated the effect of microsurgical neurolysis of the posterior tibial nerve and its branches in the tarsal tunnel on this pattern. The tarsal tunnel decompression was done at the time of onset of diabetes. The results of the study confirmed the progressive pattern of track abnormalities in this rat model, P < .05. The results demonstrated that rats in which the tarsal tunnel had been decompressed at the onset of their diabetes did not develop the characteristically abnormal diabetic walking track pattern. Rather, the track patterns of the decompressed tarsal tunnel diabetic rats were not significally different from a nondiabetic control population.
NLA Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Management of Familial Hypercholesterolemia in Children and Adults

In May 2011 the National Lipid Association (NLA) issued new recommendations for the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). This Journal of Clinical Lipidology open-source eCME activity (accessed at http:// multimedia.lipidjournal.com/2011/HDL) reviews public awareness, medical diagnosis, and current evidence-based treatment for FH. FH is caused by genetic mutations that affect the function of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
Computer simulation of the conductometric and potentiometric titrations of the surface groups on ionizable latexes

Abstract Measurement of the specific conductance, pH, and zeta potential of latex dispersions upon titration with acid or base have been used by several workers to determine the number and nature of the surface ionizable groups. The ionization of latexes with single or several types of surface groups is modified by the interaction of the surface charge and potential with solute ions and is often complex and difficult to interpret in a quantitative manner. The solution of this problem requires (a) accurate estimates of the chemical and surface parameters of the particular latex dispersion, and (b) a reliable model for the potential and charge distribution at the latex/water interface. We describe the results of calculations using a general computer program for solving complex solution and surface reaction equilibria. The surface ion binding of electrolytes is shown to be a major contributing reaction for surface charge development and a new double extrapolation method for determining the intrinsic equilibrium constants for simple ionization and complex ionization reactions is outlined. Simulated titrations in which pH, specific conductivity, κ, and zeta potential, ζ, are estimated for each addition of base or acid are given and compared to reported results.
Transformation of Mycosis Fungoides: T-Cell Receptor β Gene Analysis Demonstrates a Common Clonal Origin for Plaque-Type Mycosis Fungoides and CD30+ Large-Cell Lymphoma

It is well recognized that patients with classical mycosis fungoides (MF) may develop a large-cell lymphoma (LCL), a phenomenon known as "transformation." An unresolved issue regarding the transformation of MF is whether MF and LCL represent two separate lymphomas or whether they are derived from the same T-cell clone. We report the clinicopathologic, immunophenotypic, and immunogenotypic analysis of MF and LCL in a white male. He developed a rash at age 51 that was diagnosed at age 56 as clinical stage IA patch/plaque MF. After topical nitrogen mustard and total skin electron beam therapy for progressive generalized CD3+CD4+ patch/plaque lesions, he developed nodules of Ki-1+ (CD30+) T-LCL at age 72. Southern blot analysis of DNA digested with Bg/II or BamHI and probed with a T-cell receptor (TCR)-beta gene J beta 1/J beta 2 probe showed a single, identical rearranged band in both the MF and LCL skin lesions that had been obtained 4 years apart. V beta gene family--specific gene amplification assays demonstrated dominant V beta 6 PCR products in both types of lesions. These PCR products and lesional cDNA exhibited a monoclonal pattern when amplified with consensus TCR-beta gene VDJ joint primers and electrophoresed under conditions that allowed the resolution of small differences in size. Furthermore, sequence analysis of the V beta 6 PCR products amplified from both the MF and LCL lesions showed an identical nucleotide sequence involving V beta 6.4, D beta 1.1, J beta 1.2, and C beta 1. These findings indicate that both the MF and the LCL in this patient arose from the same T-cell clone and that these diseases developed at a stage in the clone's differentiation subsequent to rearrangement of the TCR-beta gene.
A new look at the de Bruijin graph

Abstract The Good-de Bruijn graph was originally defined to settle a question of existence of a certain shift register sequence, namely a binary cycle of length 2 n containing each of the different binary n -tuples. The further properties of the graph have been studied by several authors. Because the graph is non- planar and fairly complicated to draw for longer shift register lengths there have been several attempts to improve the description of the graph. We detail several of these attempts. Each description has its positive and negative features. Most assuredly each possible description of the graph illustrates some features and hides others. As the de Bruijn graph possesses dozens of interesting properties, each different presentation will have its own advantages. Finally, while considering an esoteric property that the graph possesses, the ultimate depiction of the graph, in the author's view, has emerged. This version of the de Bruijn graph is the primary subject of the paper.
Pentoxifylline Inhibits Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Induced Synthesis of Complement Component C3 in Human Endothelial Cells

Vascular endothelium is a major target for the inflammatory damage that occurs with multiple organ dysfunction associated with sepsis and other trauma. The growing appreciation of endothelium as a target of inflammation has obscured the importance of these cells as a source of inflammatory mediators. In the following study we evaluated the ability of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) to induce the synthesis of complement component C3 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and whether pentoxifylline (PTX) could reduce C3 expression. Confluent monolayers of HUVEC were treated with increasing concentrations of TNF with and without two concentrations of PTX. Concentrations of C3 were determined every 48 h for 144 h in cellular supernatants and C3 mRNA was amplified using RT-PCR. TNF increased C3 release from HUVEC in a concentration dependent manner. PTX added at the same time as TNF significantly reduced C3 release at the 96 h time point. Consistent with data on C3 release PTX inhibited the increased C3 mRNA expression associated with TNF treatment. TNF increases C3 synthesis and release from endothelial cells which were inhibited by clinical concentrations of PTX. This data further supports the potential benefit of PTX in multiple organ dysfunction and other inflammatory processes involving the endothelium by inhibiting one of the major mediators of vascular damage.
Is Rubin's "taking-in" and "taking-hold" a useful paradigm?

Rubin's "taking-in" and "taking-hold" model has been a dominant paradigm for postpartum nursing. To determine whether "taking-in" and "taking-hold" apply to contemporary hospitalized postpartum women, I conducted a repeated measures survey of 95 women with uncomplicated postpartum courses after vaginal births during their hospital stay. "Taking-in" and "taking-hold" were measured with the Martell Postpartum Questionnaire-Revised (MPQ-R), a paper-and-pencil instrument. An expert panel established the content validity of the MPQ-R in this study. Cronbach's alpha for the two subscales ranged from .40 to .60, a result of skewed distribution of items or lack of variability in scores. The participants were neither "taking-in" nor "taking-hold." The distribution of the participants' responses was similar to each others' and indicated that their postpartum experiences included some aspects of both "taking-in" and "taking-hold." Despite the limitations of the MPQ-R and the research methods, the findings suggest that Rubin's theory has limited usefulness for postpartum nursing of contemporary women.