cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epoxides as products of lipid autoxidation in rat lungs

The nature and content of lipid epoxides in rat lung were examined in air-breathing control rats and those exposed to nitrogen dioxide. Exposure to 6.5 ppm NO2 for 24 hr resulted in significantly greater epoxide content in a number of lipid classes. It is proposed that lipid autoxidation in lung tissues may contribute to the levels of epoxide-containing lipids. Furthermore, the processes involved in epoxide formation may be predicted from autoxidation studies utilizing a system of unsaturated fatty acid monolayers on silica gel which serves as a model for biomembranes. The findings indicate that exposure to oxidizing gases can lead to an accumulation of lipid epoxides in both lung parenchymal tissue and on the alveolar surface.
Glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione-S-transferase activities in the rhesus monkey lens as a function of age.

The activities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione-S-transferase were determined in lenses from rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatto) as a function of age. The ages ranged from 137 day old embryos to a 34 year old. Glutathione peroxidase activity (units/g lens) occurred at a very low level in lenses of fetuses and neonates, but increased dramatically with age, peaking in the adult of about 12 to 20 years of age and declining thereafter. Glutathione reductase activity (units/g lens) decreased throughout juvenile life, leveling off when adulthood was reached (at least 6 years of age). Glutathione-S-transferase activity showed considerable age-related variation. Calculations show that glutathione reductase is rate-limiting in the glutathione redox pathway.
Mass spectral profiling of glycosaminoglycans from histological tissue surfaces

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are found in intracellular granules, cell surfaces, and extracellular matrices in a spatially and temporally regulated fashion, constituting the environment for cells to interact, migrate, and proliferate. Through binding with a great number of proteins, GAGs regulate many facets of biological processes from embryonic development to normal physiological functions. GAGs have been shown to be involved in pathologic changes and immunological responses including cancer metastasis and inflammation. Past analyses of GAGs have focused on cell lines, body fluids, and relatively large tissue samples. Structures determined from such samples reflect the heterogeneity of the cell types present. To gain an understanding of the roles played by GAG expression during pathogenesis, it is very important to be able to detect and profile GAGs at the histological scale so as to minimize cell heterogeneity to potentially inform diagnosis and prognosis. Heparan sulfate (HS) belongs to one major class o...
Plasma and pituitary LH and FSH in the castrated rat following short-term steroid treatment.

The effects of short-term steroid treatment on the blood and pituitary LH and FSH levels of previously castrated adult male and female rats were examined, using ovarian ascorbic acid depletion (OAAD) and HCG-augmentation bioassays for LH and FSH activities. Pituitary and plasma FSH activities, 3 days after an injection of 1) testosterone propionate (TP) or 2) estradiol benzoate plus progesterone (E + P), were compared in 5 experiments. Concomitant changes in plasma and pituitary LH levels were studied in 3 of these experiments and 2 others. In 2 further studies in spayed rats, both stored and circulating LH and FSH were examined after 7 days of TP treatment. In addition, pituitary FSH and plasma LH were studied 24 hr after single injections of TP. Both steroid treatments (TP and E + P) decreased plasma LH levels without altering pituitary LH concentrations detectably. The TP effect on plasma LH was evident after only 24 hr. Thus, both treatments apparently reduced the rate of LH release. Because of the re...
Citizens United, public health, and democracy: the Supreme Court ruling, its implications, and proposed action.

The 2010 US Supreme Court Citizens United v Federal Election Commission 130 US 876 (2010) case concerned the plans of a nonprofit organization to distribute a film about presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The Court ruled that prohibiting corporate independent expenditures for advocacy advertising during election campaigns unconstitutionally inhibits free speech.Corporations can now make unlimited contributions to election advocacy advertising directly from the corporate treasury. Candidates who favor public health positions may be subjected to corporate opposition advertising.Citizen groups and legislators have proposed remedies to ameliorate the effects of the Court's ruling. The public health field needs to apply its expertise, in collaboration with others, to work to reduce the disproportionate influence of corporate political speech on health policy and democracy.
Safety Risks--Human Error or Mechanical Failure?: Lessons from Railways

Before World War I, commentators writing about transportation accidents tended to blame the workmen and demand punishment after accidents. After that time, the emphasis switched to mechanical failure, the old ideal of the "perfectibility of man" having gone with the war. Today, we need to look at both human and mechanical failure.
Sleep disorders in pregnancy

Sleep complaints are a common occurrence in pregnancy that are in part due to pregnancy-associated anatomic and physiological changes but may also be due to pathological causes. In the non-pregnant population, sleep deprivation has been associated with physical and cognitive issues; poor sleep may even be associated with adverse maternal outcomes. Maternal obesity, one of the most prevalent risk factors in obstetric practices, together with physiologic changes of pregnancy predispose to the development of sleep disordered breathing. Symptoms of sleep disordered breathing have also been associated with poor maternal outcomes. Management options of restless legs syndrome and narcolepsy pose a challenge in pregnancy; benefits of therapy need to be weighed against the potential harm to the fetus. This article briefly reviews the normal changes in pregnancy affecting sleep, gives an overview of certain sleep disorders occurring in pregnancy, and suggests management options specific for this population.
Numerical Simulation of Magnetic Nanoparticles Targeted at an Atherosclerotic Lesion in the Left Coronary Artery of Patient

A numerical investigation simulating feasibility of magnetic drug targeting (MDT) at an atherosclerotic lesion of the left coronary artery of a patient using iron nano-particles coated with a therapeutic agent is reported. Progression of a plaque in the left coronary artery over a six month period was previously determined by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). The site where the progression is active is located on the leeward side of the plaque. The proximal segment of the left coronary artery including the lesion was reconstructed by our 3D IVUS technique, and a Doppler measurement provided velocity waveforms in the lumen. These data are used to simulate blood flow employing computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Wall shear stress (WSS) and flow pathlines show that few nanoparticles would reach the active lesion region of the plaque. Therefore, MDT is considered as a possible effective therapy. Numerical investigations are performed to examine the feasibility for treatment by modeling hypothetical magnet fields, iron nano-particles, and coronary artery flow conditions. The magnetic field in the lesion segment produced by a permanent magnet located outside the lumen is calculated. The motion of the nano-particles in the segment is a combined result of the velocities produced by hemodynamic and magnetic forces. Various particles and magnets are investigated in the simulations. Two kinds of results are presented: the distribution of the magnetic force produced by the magnets, and the quantity of captured particles at the lesion during various time intervals (number of heart beats).Copyright © 2012 by ASME
The effects of exurbanization on the food and habitat of pileated woodpeckers

Dryocopus pileatus (pileated woodpeckers) are the largest woodpeckers in the United States. They require large trees for roosting, nesting, and feeding and these trees must be dead or dying for ease of excavation and presence of the woodpeckers' main prey of ants and grubs. Because of these habitat requirements, pileated woodpeckers are used as an indicator species for mature forests. However, their status in exurban areas, or places of low-density development beyond the suburban fringe, is poorly known. Because exurbanization covers a large and growing portion of the eastern U.S.A., we examined how pileated woodpeckers and their habitat vary across a gradient of exurbanization. We tested the hypothesis that presence of pileated woodpeckers is positively correlated with forest structure and food availability, in exurban and forested areas. We conducted the study in Sewanee, Tennessee, U.S.A., establishing 30 randomly located sample points evenly divided between exurban and forested areas. At each point we assessed pileated woodpecker presence through visual and vocal surveys; forest structure through measures of downed wood, standing trees, and understory density; and food availability through presence of ants and grubs in soil cores and pitfall traps. We found no difference between the presence of pileated woodpeckers, amount and rot class of dead wood, and ant and grub abundance between exurban and forested areas. Mean tree diameter was larger in exurban areas most likely because many small trees had been removed by human landscaping. These data suggest that some exurban areas may provide habitat for pileated woodpeckers. However, more studies are needed to examine the breeding success and survival rates of pileated woodpeckers in exurban and forested areas. Because the mature forest characteristics that pileated woodpeckers prefer can be found in exurban areas, it is possible that other species requiring these characteristics could also find usable habitat in exurban areas. This could apply most specifically to those secondary cavity-nesting species that use old pileated woodpecker nesting cavities. More studies should be conducted to further explore the effects of exurbanization on other species that are thought of as indicating mature forests.
An alkaline unwinding assay for the detection of DNA damage in aquatic organisms

Abstract This paper reports a rapid and facile procedure for obtaining of DNA from small, whole aquatic organisms (fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas) as well as from the liver of another species (bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus) and the subsequent estimation of its double strandedness. DNA was isolated from various tissues by homogenization in a basic pH solution containing detergent followed by differential extraction using organic solvents. Additional purification was accomplished by molecular sieve chromatography. Under defined alkaline unwinding conditions, the amount of double-stranded and single-stranded DNA was determined using the bisbenzimidazole dye Hoechst 33258. The technique was used to detect the occurrence of strand breaks in DNA of fathead minnows chemically exposed to benzo[a]pyrene.
Real-time detection of cruciform extrusion by single-molecule DNA nanomanipulation

During cruciform extrusion, a DNA inverted repeat unwinds and forms a four-way junction in which two of the branches consist of hairpin structures obtained by self-pairing of the inverted repeats. Here, we use single-molecule DNA nanomanipulation to monitor in real-time cruciform extrusion and rewinding. This allows us to determine the size of the cruciform to nearly base pair accuracy and its kinetics with second-scale time resolution. We present data obtained with two different inverted repeats, one perfect and one imperfect, and extend single-molecule force spectroscopy to measure the torque dependence of cruciform extrusion and rewinding kinetics. Using mutational analysis and a simple two-state model, we find that in the transition state intermediate only the B-DNA located between the inverted repeats (and corresponding to the unpaired apical loop) is unwound, implying that initial stabilization of the four-way (or Holliday) junction is rate-limiting. We thus find that cruciform extrusion is kinetically regulated by features of the hairpin loop, while rewinding is kinetically regulated by features of the stem. These results provide mechanistic insight into cruciform extrusion and help understand the structural features that determine the relative stability of the cruciform and B-form states.
The fine structure of the urophysis spinalis of the teleost fish, Fundulus heteroclitus L.

The dilated neurosecretory nerve endings of the urophysis spinalis of the teleost fish, Fundulus heteroclitus , are similar to Herring bodies and contain dense granules, like those observed in other neurosecretory systems. The homogeneously dense granules, which fall into two size classes, viz., 0.10 μ and 0.25 μ in diameter, are surrounded by a thin membrane. The granules (vesicles) within each unmyelinated axon, which generally is limited by one, two or, in the dorsal region of the urophysis spinalis, several membranes, are approximately of uniform size. Each neurosecretory nerve terminal ends in the immediate vicinity of one of the numerous capillaries which contain endothelial pores. Coiled, onion-like bodies, similar to those described in the X-organ and post-commissural organ of Crustacea, are present in the neurosecretory nerve terminals of the urophysis spinalis.
Variable Numbers of Tandem Repeats in Plasmodium falciparum Genes

Genome variation studies in Plasmodium falciparum have focused on SNPs and, more recently, large-scale copy number polymorphisms and ectopic rearrangements. Here, we examine another source of variation: variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs). Interspersed low complexity features, including the well-studied P. falciparum microsatellite sequences, are commonly classified as VNTRs; however, this study is focused on longer coding VNTR polymorphisms, a small class of copy number variations. Selection against frameshift mutation is a main constraint on tandem repeats (TRs) in coding regions, while limited propagation of TRs longer than 975 nt total length is a minor restriction in coding regions. Comparative analysis of three P. falciparum genomes reveals that more than 9% of all P. falciparum ORFs harbor VNTRs, much more than has been reported for any other species. Moreover, genotyping of VNTR loci in a drug-selected line, progeny of a genetic cross, and 334 field isolates demonstrates broad variability in these sequences. Functional enrichment analysis of ORFs harboring VNTRs identifies stress and DNA damage responses along with chromatin modification activities, suggesting an influence on genome mutability and functional variation. Analysis of the repeat units and their flanking regions in both P. falciparum and Plasmodium reichenowi sequences implicates a replication slippage mechanism in the generation of TRs from an initially unrepeated sequence. VNTRs can contribute to rapid adaptation by localized sequence duplication. They also can confound SNP-typing microarrays or mapping short-sequence reads and therefore must be accounted for in such analyses.
A novel approach to glioma gene therapy: Down-regulation of the vascular endothelial growth factor in glioma cells using ribozymes

Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most highly vascularized solid neoplasms, therefore treatments that target neovascularization process would be of great clinical importance. Studies of glioblastoma angiogenesis have revealed that expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is up-regulated in these tumors. Previous reports have shown that down-regulation of VEGF correlates with modification in the glioma growth. To examine this phenomenon further, in this study we constructed two hammerhead ribozymes (RZI and RZII) to target the 5' common region of VEGF mRNA. Both ribozymes exhibited site-specific cleavage to a 318-nucleotide VEGF transcript and showed a high digestion efficiency in vitro (65-95%). After the transfection of glioma cells with two expression vectors carrying the ribozyme sequence, Northern blot analyses detected high levels of ribozyme expression. Treatment of the glioma cells with the ribozymes resulted in a reduction in VEGF mRNA in six of eight clones. Furthermore, the anti-VEGF effect was confirmed at protein level. Thus, enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent analyses (ELISA) showed a >70% reduction in the VEGF165 expression level. These results indicate that hammerhead ribozymes may be useful in down-regulating VEGF expression and suggest that anti-VEGF strategies may be used to potentiate other gene therapies targeting tumor suppressor genes.
RAS strategy for IBM S/390 G5 and G6

The Reliability/Availability/Serviceability (RAS) strategy for S/390® G5 and G6 is to continue the S/390 objective of providing Continuous Reliable Operation (CRO). The RAS strategy is constructed with a set of building blocks which work closely together: error prevention, error detection, error recovery, problem determination, service structure, change management, and RAS measurement and analysis. The interdependency among the building blocks is such that removing or weakening any of them limits the ability of the design to achieve the overall CRO objective. Each building block must be fully implemented and must execute flawlessly within itself and together with the other blocks.
Sialic acid contents and controls of normal and malignant cells.

The sialic acid contents of normal and malignant cells have been determined by two procedures. Three lines of virus-transformed cells had consistently lower contents than normal cells. These same lines showed clear differences in contact inhibition of growth. The first enzyme of sialic acid biosynthesis, l-glutamine: d-fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.16) was determined also. No significant differences between the kinetic parameters for activity or feedback inhibition by uridine diphospho-N-acetylglucosamine was found. It is concluded that there is no positive correlation between sialic acid content and loss of contact inhibition in the cell lines examined.
THE GENETICS OF DEMENTIA IN LATE LIFE

The past decade has seen a rapid growth in knowledge concerning the genetics of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other late-life dementias. The recent identification of specific genes critical in the development of many AD cases has provided for the first time a strong basis to examine gene–environment interactions and to investigate some of the preclinical correlates of dementia. Discoveries related to AD may hold lessons for the genetics of vascular dementia and for less common dementias of late life, such as frontal lobe dementia, Pick's disease, and Lewy body disease. Such findings are of importance to the clinician in that they raise questions similar to those debated in other areas of medicine about the role of genetic counseling and even testing for late-life dementias. Here we review recent developments in the genetics of late-life dementias, with an emphasis on AD, and discuss the clinical implications of these findings especially for counseling family members on the actual risk of developing the disease.
Deposition of thermal barrier coatings using the solution precursor plasma spray process

The solution-precursor plasma-spray (SPPS) process is capable of producing highly durable thermal barrier coatings. In an effort to improve the understanding of the deposition mechanisms in this novel process, a series of specific experiments, where the substrate is held stationary and the plasma torch is programmed to scan a single pass across the substrate, were conducted and the resulting deposits were carefully characterized. In addition to the deposition mechanisms identified previously in the stationary torch experiments, the deposition mechanisms of two other types of deposits, thin film and fine spherical particles, were identified in this study. The melting of inflight formed 7YSZ particles and their rapid solidification to form ultra-fine splats on the substrate was found to be the dominant deposition mechanism. The characterization of actual SPPS coatings confirmed that the various coating-deposition mechanisms identified in the model experiments occur in concert during the actual coating process. Adherent deposits (ultra-fine splats, deposits from gel-like precursor and film formed via chemical vapor deposition), unmelted particles (spherical particles, deposits from non-decomposed precursor) and porosity were estimated to constitute ∼65, ∼19 and ∼16 vol%, of the coating, respectively.
SU-GG-T-195: On the Correlation of Conventional IMRT QA Metrics to Clinical Impact in Per-Patient Dose QA

Purpose: Per‐patient IMRT QA is often performed by comparing measured planar phantom dose to calculated planar phantom dose, per beam. The most common analysis metric is percent passing 3%/3mm (DTA). Similarly, TG‐119 reports utilizes a metric of 3%/3mm (Gamma) when discussing IMRT commissioning. In this work, we analyze the correlation of conventional per‐beam IMRT QA metrics to: 1) patient dose comparisons (3D %diff/DTA), and 2) important clinical dose endpoints in volumetric regions‐of‐interest. Method and Materials: For 24 Head/Neck IMRT plans, an accurate TPS beam model was error‐induced (four unique ways) to simulate IMRT calculation and/or delivery errors. The error‐free beam models were used to generate “virtual planar QA measurements” and analyzed in conventional ways against the error‐induced beams. The error‐free 3D patient doses were compared against the error‐induced 3D patient doses. This method produced a robust simulation (high precision, high data density of 3D patient dose) which is necessary given the practical inability to measure dose inside complicated patient anatomy. The 96 error‐induced plans were compared to the error‐free plans to quantify the correlation of conventional Planar QA metrics with relevant clinical endpoints such as: max cord dose, mean parotid dose, and D95 of the principal CTV. Results: No correlation was found between 3%/3mm conventional IMRT QA criteria and all clinical endpoints studied (R‐squared values of: 0.0314, 0.0272, 0.0899, and 0.0248 for predicting errors in the cord max, left parotid mean, right parotid mean, and CTV D95). There was also no correlation when considering 2%/2mm and 1%/1mm metrics. In addition, there were many examples of both false positives and false negatives using conventional IMRT QA methods/metrics to predict accurate patient dose. Conclusion: The location and magnitude of the errors was far more important than the quantity of the errors, and moving to patient ROI‐based error simulations is strongly recommended.
The theory theory thrice over: the child as scientist, Superscientist or social institution?

Alison Gopnik and Andrew Meltzoff have argued for a view they call the ‘theory theory’: theory change in science and children are similar. While their version of the theory theory has been criticized for depending on a number of disputed claims, we argue that there is a fundamental problem which is much more basic: the theory theory is multiply ambiguous. We show that it might be claiming that a similarity holds between theory change in children and (i) individual scientists, (ii) a rational reconstruction of a Superscientist, or (iii) the scientific community. We argue that (i) is false, (ii) is non-empirical (which is problematic since the theory theory is supposed to be a bold empirical hypothesis), and (iii) is either false or doesn’t make enough sense to have a truth-value. We conclude that the theory theory is an interesting failure. Its failure points the way to a full, empirical picture of scientific development, one that marries a concern with the social dynamics of science to a psychological theory of scientific cognition.  2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sinus versus nonsinus tachycardia in the emergency department: importance of age and heart rate.

Background: The emergency department diagnosis of sinus versus nonsinus tachycardia is an important clinical challenge. The objective of this study was to identify subjects with a high prevalence of nonsinus tachycardia. Methods: Heart rate and cardiac rhythm were prospective reviewed in 500 consecutive patients with heart rate ≥ 100 beats/min in a busy emergency department. A predictive model based on age and heart rate was then developed to identify the probability of nonsinus tachycardia. Results: As age and heart rate increased, nonsinus tachycardias became more frequent. The probability of nonsinus tachycardia in a subject ≥ 71 years with heart rate ≥ 141 beats/minute was 93%, compared to only three percent in a subject ≤ 50 years with heart rate 100–120 beats/minute. A simple point score system based on age and heart rate helps predict the probability of sinus tachycardia versus nonsinus tachycardia. Conclusion: Nonsinus tachycardia is significantly more common than sinus tachycardia in elderly patients in the emergency department. The diagnosis of sinus tachycardia becomes much less likely as age and heart rate increase.
Internal proton transfer in the external pyridoxal 5'-phosphate Schiff base in dopa decarboxylase.

Combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) simulations of dopa decarboxylase have been carried out to elucidate the factors that contribute to the tautomeric equilibrium of the intramolecular proton transfer in the external PLP−l-dopa Schiff base. The presence of a carboxylate anion on the α-carbon of the Schiff base stabilizes the zwitterions and shifts the equilibrium in favor of the oxoenamine tautomer (protonated Schiff base). Moreover, protonation of the PLP pyridine nitrogen further drives the equilibrium toward the oxoenamine direction. On the other hand, solvent effects favor the hydroxyimine configuration, although the equilibrium favors the oxoenamine isomer with a methyl group as the substituent on the imino nitrogen. In dopa decarboxylase, the hydroxyimine form of the PLP(H+)−l-dopa Schiff base is predicted to be the major isomer with a relative free energy of −1.3 kcal/mol over that of the oxoenamine isomer. Both Asp271 and Lys303 stabilize the hydroxyimine configuration thr...
Suppression of a non-premixed flame behind a step

suppression effectiveness under conditions that relate to field applications. In this study, a laboratory-scale facility has been developed to screen the suppression effectiveness of agents that are delivered in a transient fashion, such as solid propellant gas generators. The facility features a pool fire stabilized behind an obstruction, which is known to be a highly challenging suppression configuration. The character of the flame and the impact of the air flow, propane flow, obstruction geometry, and rate of agent addition on the amount of material needed for suppression are examined for N2 and CF3Br. The impact of the injection process on the flowfield and the transport of the agent downstream are examined. A simple mixing model is useful to explain the observed trend of decreasing suppressant mass fraction with increasing injection duration, even for agents as different as CF3Br and N2. Direct numerical simulation of the suppression event is shown to successfully predict the quantity and rate of N2 required to extinguish the flame based upon a published global reaction rate for premixed propane/air flame propagation.
Economic Change and Agrarian Organization in ‘Dry’ South India 1890–1940: A Reinterpretation

Recent historiography of India has focused much needed attention on rural economy and society. The literature has dealt with a number of issues, such as merchants, credit, impact of communications, land-tenure (revenue), rural politics, rich peasants and general essays on the ‘agrarian structure’ of various regions of the sub-continent. In many of the studies a common theme emerges. It is suggested that with the establishment of an integrated market economy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries rural wealth and power tended to concentrate in the hands of relatively few rich peasants or a rural elite. In the case of south India, the contention of increased rural stratification on these lines is most convincingly put forth by David Washbrook and Christopher Baker in a series of articles and books. The present analysis will concentrate on Washbrooks' writings in reference to the agrarian structure of the ‘dry’ districts. His works provide the most comprehensive and coherent statement of the ‘rural magnate’ interpretation of agrarian organization.
Parameter adaptive tracking control of a class of first order nonlinear plants

The tracking problem is solved for a class of first order plants containing nonlinearities similar to those arising in fermentation process models. When the plant nonlinearity is conveniently parametrized and when the controller parameters are adjusted adaptively, the plant is shown to exhibit a desired tracking property. The tracking conditions for the class of plants are proved using an aggregation (or Lyapunov-like) function with a suitably chosen cubic term. >
Eyeshine and spectral tuning of long wavelength-sensitive rhodopsins: no evidence for red-sensitive photoreceptors among five Nymphalini butterfly species.

SUMMARY Spectral tuning of rhodopsins commonly refers to the effects of opsin amino acid substitutions on the wavelength for peak sensitivity of the rhodopsin absorption spectrum. Nymphalini butterflies provide an opportunity for identifying some of the amino acid substitutions responsible for insect rhodopsin spectral tuning because the majority of photoreceptor cells (R3-9) in the adult retina express only a single long wavelength-sensitive (LWS) opsin mRNA transcript. Therefore, the opsin genotype can be directly correlated with its phenotype. We determined the LWS opsin gene sequence from cDNA of the mourning cloak Nymphalis antiopa, and from genomic DNA of the malachite Siproeta stelenes and the peacock Inachis io. Using an epi-microspectrophotometer we examined each butterfly9s eyeshine for photochemical evidence of multiple LWS rhodopsins and found only one. We then performed partial-bleaching experiments to obtain absorbance spectra for the LWS rhodopsins of all three species as well as from another nymphalid, the buckeye Junonia coenia. The isolated LWS opsin gene sequences varied in length from 1437-1612 bp and encode rhodopsins R522 ( S. stelenes ), R530 ( I. io ), R534 ( N. antiopa ) and, together with a previously published sequence, R510 ( J. coenia ). Comparative sequence analysis indicates that the S. stelenes rhodopsin is slightly blue-shifted compared to the typical 530 nm lepidopteran rhodopsin because of the presence of a S138A substitution at a homologous site that in mammalian MWS/LWS rhodopsins causes a 5 nm blue-shift. The difference in peak absorption between R522 of S. stelenes and R530 of Inachis io is therefore largely accounted for by this substitution. This suggests that spectral tuning mechanisms employing the S138A may have evolved in parallel in mammalian and butterfly MWS/LWS rhodopsins across 500 million years of evolution.
Cell-specific activity-dependent fractionation of layer 2/3→5B excitatory signaling in mouse auditory cortex.

Auditory cortex (AC) layer 5B (L5B) contains both corticocollicular neurons, a type of pyramidal-tract neuron projecting to the inferior colliculus, and corticocallosal neurons, a type of intratelencephalic neuron projecting to contralateral AC. Although it is known that these neuronal types have distinct roles in auditory processing and different response properties to sound, the synaptic and intrinsic mechanisms shaping their input–output functions remain less understood. Here, we recorded in brain slices of mouse AC from retrogradely labeled corticocollicular and neighboring corticocallosal neurons in L5B. Corticocollicular neurons had, on average, lower input resistance, greater hyperpolarization-activated current (Ih), depolarized resting membrane potential, faster action potentials, initial spike doublets, and less spike-frequency adaptation. In paired recordings between single L2/3 and labeled L5B neurons, the probabilities of connection, amplitude, latency, rise time, and decay time constant of the unitary EPSC were not different for L2/3→corticocollicular and L2/3→corticocallosal connections. However, short trains of unitary EPSCs showed no synaptic depression in L2/3→corticocollicular connections, but substantial depression in L2/3→corticocallosal connections. Synaptic potentials in L2/3→corticocollicular connections decayed faster and showed less temporal summation, consistent with increased Ih in corticocollicular neurons, whereas synaptic potentials in L2/3→corticocallosal connections showed more temporal summation. Extracellular L2/3 stimulation at two different rates resulted in spiking in L5B neurons; for corticocallosal neurons the spike rate was frequency dependent, but for corticocollicular neurons it was not. Together, these findings identify cell-specific intrinsic and synaptic mechanisms that divide intracortical synaptic excitation from L2/3 to L5B into two functionally distinct pathways with different input–output functions.
Solution Structure of a Designed Four-α-Helix Bundle Maquette Scaffold

The solution structure of a de novo designed disulfide-bridged two-R-helix peptide that self-assembles to form a 2-fold symmetric four-R-helix bundle protein (R'-SS-R')2 has been solved by NMR spectroscopy. The 33-residue peptide, (R'-SH), that is the basic building block of the bundle has been recombinantly expressed. The three-dimensional structure of the asymmetric unit of the bundle has been determined using interproton distance restraints derived from the nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE), covalent torsion angle restraints derived from three bond scalar coupling constants, and longer range angular restraints derived from residual dipolar couplings. The covalent R'-SS-Runit forms a pair of parallel R-helices that use heptad a-, d-, e-, and g-side chains to form a hydrophobic core extending the length of the molecule. The distribution of polar and nonpolar side chains on the surface of R'-SS-Rstructure is asymmetric. The hydrophilic face is comprised of glutamate and lysine side chains, while the opposite face is comprised of leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, and neutral histidine side chains. Equilibrium sedimentation analysis, size-exclusion chromatography, pulsed field gradient translation diffusion measurements, and a rotational correlation time derived from 15 N NMR relaxation studies all indicate that the covalent R'-SS-Runit forms a noncovalent dimer, (R'-SS-R')2, in solution. The structure confirms many expected design features and illuminates an apparent dichotomy of structure where the helical interface of the disulfide bridged two- R-helix peptide appears nativelike while the adjacent, noncovalent interface shows non-nativelike behavior. Available evidence indicates the four R-helix bundle can adopt either an anti or syn topology. The structure is discussed with respect to the potential origins of conformational specificity and nativelike protein structure.
Phonological Awareness Skills of Children With Articulation Disorders in Kindergarten to Third Grade

The nature of the relationship between phonological awareness and articulation performance has not as yet been defined clearly. In the present study 14 children in grades K to 3 with articulation disorders were compared to 14 age matched subjects with normal articulation on three tests of phonological awareness (rhyming, phoneme blending and phoneme counting). Additionally, the performance of subjects with articulation disorders on phonological awareness tasks involving their error sounds and the same tasks not involving error sounds was compared. Articulation impaired subjects performed more poorly than subjects with normal articulation. The articulation impaired group did not make more errors on tasks involving their error sounds. Results of the present study revealed that subjects with articulation disorders made significantly more errors on three phonological awareness tasks than did subjects without articulation disorders.
Cell Proliferation Induction: Healing Chronic Wounds Through Low-Energy Pulsed Radiofrequency

Chronic lower extremity wounds are a major source of morbidity and health care expenditure across the world. In the last decade, numerous advanced modalities have become available that can help expedite wound healing when standard wound care modalities are unsuccessful. In this case report, the authors present their early experience with one such modality that uses pulsed radiofrequency energy to initiate cell proliferation induction in chronic lower extremity wounds of different etiologies that had failed to respond to standard therapy.
Proton-Implantation-Isolated 4H-SiC Avalanche Photodiodes

We report 4H-SiC p-i-n structure avalanche photodiodes (APDs) isolated by proton implantation. These APDs achieved low dark current (670 nA/cm2 at a gain of 1000) and gains as high as 105. The external quantum efficiency was 44% at 278 nm.
SVA: software for annotating and visualizing sequenced human genomes

Summary: Here we present Sequence Variant Analyzer (SVA), a software tool that assigns a predicted biological function to variants identified in next-generation sequencing studies and provides a browser to visualize the variants in their genomic contexts. SVA also provides for flexible interaction with software implementing variant association tests allowing users to consider both the bioinformatic annotation of identified variants and the strength of their associations with studied traits. We illustrate the annotation features of SVA using two simple examples of sequenced genomes that harbor Mendelian mutations. Availability and implementation: Freely available on the web at http://www.svaproject.org. Contact: ude.ekud@eg.d Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
UV lasing in high-order bands of ZnO inverse opal photonic crystals

Directional ultraviolet lasing at room temperature in 3D ZnO photonic crystals is reported. Comparison of measured optical properties with the calculated band structures shows that lasing occurs due to slow-propagating modes in high-order photonic bands.
Comments: authors' response to letters regarding "defining the scholarly and scholarship common program requirements"

We are pleased we received a number of responses to our recent editorial on “Defining the Scholarly and Scholarship Common Program Requirements,”1 over 20 and counting. As a group, these letters continue to demonstrate the differing perspectives on whether and how the common program requirements for residency education should address the topic of scholarly activity (application of a systematic approach to a question or project in a domain as defined by Glassick et al2), or scholarship (a scholarly approach that additionally is aimed at advancing knowledge in the field as judged by peer review3). There seems to be support for the concept that residents and faculty should demonstrate a scholarly approach to questions and projects and that programs should cultivate a culture or environment of inquiry. However, readers disagreed on whether residents and faculty should be required to advance their scholarly approach by producing scholarship. These varying opinions are reflected in the responses received. Seehusen and Ledford4 argue that “successful scholarship breeds successful physicians,” and suggest residents should have a scholarship requirement and that their work should be focused on the scholarship of discovery. In contrast, Hong5 voiced uncertainty about the role that either resident or faculty scholarship has in the aim of training great physicians, stating that “scholarship alone does not make a competent physician.” Both Hong5 and Fringer6 highlight the importance of ensuring that trainees are prepared to apply a scholarly approach to clinical problems but opine against a widespread mandate for scholarship. In addition, Fringer6 illustrates the logistical challenges such an interpretation of the requirement would pose to program directors. Presently, we advocate that the common program requirements remain focused on the expectation of a scholarly activity as there is currently insufficient evidence to support or not support a requirement for scholarship as a residency training requirement. Given that each program must refer to their specialty's residency review committee (RRC) requirements for specific guidance, over time, we anticipate that the Next Accreditation System will produce data for scholarly activity across the range of accredited programs. The systematic analysis of this data will then allow us to make informed decisions about the relative value of scholarly activity and scholarship on residents' learning and professional development.
Specificity of learning through memory retrieval practice: The case of addition and subtraction

The identical elements (IE) model (Rickard, Healy, & Bourne, Learning, Memory, and Cognition 32:734–748, 1994) of fact representation predicts that, in both verbal and numerical domains, performance gains with retrieval practice on multielement items will be specific to the practiced stimulus–response combinations, failing to transfer even to altered stimulus–response mappings of practiced items. In the case of arithmetic, the model predicts no transfer across either complementary operations (e.g., 4 × 7 to 28 / 4) or complementary division or subtraction problems (e.g., 28 / 4 to 28 / 7). Although that model has successfully described transfer effects in the domains of multiplication–division and episodic cued recall, it is challenged by a recent demonstration of positive cross-operation transfer for addition and subtraction (Campbell & Agnew, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 16:938–944, 2009). We report results of a new addition–subtraction transfer experiment, the design of which closely matched that of a prior multiplication–division experiment that supported the model. The transfer results were consistent with the IE model. A two-component model of memory retrieval practice effects is proposed to account for the discrepant experimental results for addition and subtraction and to guide future work.
Visual exploration of the infinite canvas

We introduce the concept of the infinite canvas as a metaphor for the immersive visual exploration of very large image datasets using a natural walking interface. The interface allows the user to move along the display surface and to be continuously exposed to new data, essentially exploring the horizontal axis of an arbitrarily long canvas. Our system provides a spiral navigation interface that shows a compressed immersive overview of the data and facilitates the rapid and fluid transition to distant points within the infinite canvas. We demonstrate the implementation of the infinite canvas in the world's first 1.5 billion pixel tiled immersive display.
TNFR2 Deficiency Acts in Concert with Gut Microbiota To Precipitate Spontaneous Sex-Biased Central Nervous System Demyelinating Autoimmune Disease

TNF-α antagonists provide benefit to patients with inflammatory autoimmune disorders such as Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. However, TNF antagonism unexplainably exacerbates CNS autoimmunity, including multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica. The underlying mechanisms remain enigmatic. We demonstrate that TNFR2 deficiency results in female-biased spontaneous autoimmune CNS demyelination in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-specific 2D2 TCR transgenic mice. Disease in TNFR2(-/-) 2D2 mice was associated with CNS infiltration of T and B cells as well as increased production of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-specific IL-17, IFN-γ, and IgG2b. Attenuated disease in TNF(-/-) 2D2 mice relative to TNFR2(-/-) 2D2 mice identified distinctive roles for TNFR1 and TNFR2. Oral antibiotic treatment eliminated spontaneous autoimmunity in TNFR2(-/-) 2D2 mice to suggest role for gut microbiota. Illumina sequencing of fecal 16S rRNA identified a distinct microbiota profile in male TNFR2(-/-) 2D2 that was associated with disease protection. Akkermansia muciniphila, Sutterella sp., Oscillospira sp., Bacteroides acidifaciens, and Anaeroplasma sp. were selectively more abundant in male TNFR2(-/-) 2D2 mice. In contrast, Bacteroides sp., Bacteroides uniformis, and Parabacteroides sp. were more abundant in affected female TNFR2(-/-) 2D2 mice, suggesting a role in disease causation. Overall, TNFR2 blockade appears to disrupt commensal bacteria-host immune symbiosis to reveal autoimmune demyelination in genetically susceptible mice. Under this paradigm, microbes likely contribute to an individual's response to anti-TNF therapy. This model provides a foundation for host immune-microbiota-directed measures for the prevention and treatment of CNS-demyelinating autoimmune disorders.
Effect of physiological loads on cortical and traditional pedicle screw fixation.

Study design Human cadaveric biomechanical study. Objective To determine the fixation strength of laterally directed, cortical pedicle screws under physiological loads. Summary of background data Lateral trajectory cortical pedicle screws have been described as a means of obtaining improved fixation while minimizing soft-tissue dissection during lumbar instrumentation. Biomechanical data have demonstrated equivalent strength in a quasi-static model; however, no biomechanical information is available comparing the fixation of cortical with traditional pedicle screws under cyclic physiological loads. Methods Seventeen vertebral levels (T11-L5) underwent quantitative computed tomography. On 1 side, a laterally directed, cortical pedicle screw was inserted with a traditional, medially directed pedicle screw placed on the contralateral side. With the specimen constrained in a testing apparatus, each screw underwent cyclic craniocaudal toggling under incrementally increasing physiological loads until 2 mm of head displacement occurred. Next, uniaxial pullout of each toggled screw was performed. The number of craniocaudal toggle cycles and load (N) required to achieve pedicle screw movement as well as axial pullout resistance (N) were compared between the 2 techniques. Results The mean trabecular bone mineral density of the specimens was 202 K2HPO4 mg/cm. Cortical pedicle screws demonstrated significantly improved resistance to toggle testing, requiring 184 cycles to reach 2 mm of displacement compared with 102 cycles for the traditional pedicle screws (P=0.002). The force necessary to displace the screws was also significantly greater for the cortical versus the traditional screws (398 N vs. 300 N, P=0.004). There was no statistical difference in axial pullout strength between the previously toggled cortical and traditional pedicle screws (1722 N vs. 1741 N, P=0.837). Conclusion Laterally directed cortical pedicle screws have superior resistance to craniocaudal toggling compared with traditional pedicle screws. Level of evidence N/A.
How I treat herpes zoster.

Treatment of herpes zoster is supportive. The physician should prescribe analgesics for pain and treat the skin lesions with wet compresses, powders and ointments. Bacterial infection should be treated promptly. If secondary bacterial infection is not present, topical steroids may promote healing.