cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ): a review of its development, current version, operating characteristics and uses

The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) was developed in the late 1980s by clinicians at Oregon Health & Science University in an attempt to capture the total spectrum of problems related to fibromyalgia and the responses to therapy. It was first published in 1991 and since that time has been extensively used as an index of therapeutic efficacy. Overall, it has been shown to have a credible construct validity, reliable test-retest characteristics and a good sensitivity in demonstrating therapeutic change. The original questionnaire was modified in 1997 and 2002, to reflect ongoing experience with the instrument and to clarify the scoring system. The latest version of the FIQ can be found at the web site of the Oregon Fibromyalgia Foundation (www.myalgia.com/FIQ/FIQ). The FIQ has now been translated into eight languages, and the translated versions have shown operating characteristics similar to the English version.
Syntheses of transition metal methoxysiloxides

The paper describes three methods for the preparation of methoxysiloxide complexes, a rare class of complexes of relevance to room temperature vulcanization (RTV) of polysiloxanes. The salt metathesis reaction involves the use of the recently described reagent NaOSi(OMe)2Me with various metal chlorides to give Cp*2Ti[OSi(OMe)2Me](OMe), (Me,MeN2N)NiOSi(OMe)2Me, (IPr)CuOSi(OMe)2Me, and (triphos)CoOSi(OMe)2Me (Cp* = C5Me5, triphos = Me(CH2PPh2)3). Several attempted reactions gave methoxide complexes instead, a pathway that is attributed to the intermediacy of κ2-OSi(OMe)2Me species. The diol Cp*2Zr(OH)2 reacts with excess (MeO)3SiMe to give Cp*2Zr[OSi(OMe)2Me]2. In contrast the less nucleophilic Cp*2Ti(OH)2 was unreactive. The third route to methoxysiloxide complexes involves the reaction of Cp*2M(O)(py) with (MeO)3SiMe to give Cp*2M[OSi(OMe)2Me](OMe) in nearly quantitative yield (M = Ti, Zr). The structures of Cp*2Ti[OSi(OMe)2Me](OMe), Cp*2Zr[OSi(OMe)2Me](OMe), (IPr)CuOSi(OMe)2Me, and (triphos)CoOSi(OMe)2Me were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction.
Ultralight axion in supersymmetry and strings and cosmology at small scales

Dynamical mechanisms to generate an ultralight axion of mass $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}21}--{10}^{\ensuremath{-}22}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$ in supergravity and strings are discussed. An ultralight particle of this mass provides a candidate for dark matter that may play a role for cosmology at scales of 10 kpc or less. An effective operator approach for the axion mass provides a general framework for models of ultralight axions, and in one case recovers the scale ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}21}--{10}^{\ensuremath{-}22}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$ as the electroweak scale times the square of the hierarchy with an $O(1)$ Wilson coefficient. We discuss several classes of models realizing this framework where an ultralight axion of the necessary size can be generated. In one class of supersymmetric models an ultralight axion is generated by instanton-like effects. In the second class higher-dimensional operators involving couplings of Higgs, standard model singlets, and axion fields naturally lead to an ultralight axion. Further, for the class of models considered the hierarchy between the ultralight scale and the weak scale is maintained. We also discuss the generation of an ultralight scale within string-based models. In the single-modulus Kachru-Kallosh-Linde-Trivedi moduli stabilization scheme an ultralight axion would require an ultralow weak scale. However, within the large volume scenario, the desired hierarchy between the axion scale and the weak scale is achieved. A general analysis of couplings of Higgs fields to instantons within the string framework is discussed and it is shown that the condition necessary for achieving such couplings is the existence of vector-like zero modes of the instanton. Some of the phenomenological aspects of these models are also discussed.
Disaster = infrastructure + hazard

We describe a framework for relating available data on hazards to impact on infrastructure. It is designed to be used by simulation platforms that may focus on a single infrastructure layer or aim to study interactions between interdependent layers. The Hazard Impact Framework (HIF) provides a flexible scheme for capturing and maintaining data on the response of elements of critical infrastructures to natural and man-made hazards. HIF also provides interfaces that enable systemwide assessment of the impact that these hazards have on the assets that construct and connect national critical infrastructures. A key use of HIF involves providing initial configurations of systems under study that include primary damage assessment across the elements of that system. These configurations can then be fed to simulation platforms to determine the level of service remaining in the damaged system, cascading effects that follow from layer interdependencies, or dynamic effects in the compromised system and to provide stochastic evaluation of likely outcomes to an event.
In situ study on enhanced heavy ion irradiation tolerance of porous Mg

Abstract Mg is known to be highly vulnerable to irradiation damage. Here we show, via in situ Kr ion irradiation studies inside a transmission electron microscope, that both defect density and size have been reduced substantially in porous Mg compared to dense coarse-grained Mg counterpart. Both prism and basal dislocation loops form at low dose in coarse-grained Mg, but basal loops dominate at a higher dose level. Meanwhile, in irradiated porous Mg, basal loops prevail throughout the entire irradiation process. Mechanisms that lead to enhanced irradiation tolerance of porous Mg are discussed.
REGULAR AND CHAOTIC REGIMES IN QUANTUM MECHANICS

The ability of small Hamiltonian systems to show a transition from regular, integrable motion to irregular chaotic motion is now becoming well known and to some extent better understood.1 This paper is concerned with the possible implications that this type of classical behaviour may have for the semiclassical limit of quantum mechanics. The paper will fall into essentially two parts: (i) will describe some concrete results that have been obtained recently2 concerning the evolution of nonstationary states in the regular and irregular regimes and (ii) will be of a more speculative nature concerning what sort of criteria may or may not be useful for characterizing “quantum chaos” (whatever that is!) and what sort of parameters might be useful for quantifying such “chaos”.
Do physicians discuss HIV and AIDS with patients? A survey of physician practices.

HIV and AIDS continue to be major concerns to the health care community and the world around them. Preventive efforts and education have been the focus of the fight against AIDS thus far. By the year 2000, 75% of physicians are expected to conduct risk-reduction counseling for patients regularly. Previous studies show that a smaller percentage “routinely” follow this recommendation. The purpose of our study was to assess with what percentage of patients physicians discuss several HIV/AIDS-related topics, what percentage of their patients are considered at risk for infection, and how comfortable the physicians are with their knowledge level and discussing the subject matter. We sent surveys to the last five graduating classes from St. Louis University School of Medicine and to 169 physician preceptors in the community. The survey asked about patients considered at risk, physician comfort level with HIV/AIDS, the percentage of patients they discuss various HIV/AIDS topics with, and his or her preparedness for these discussions. Total responses were 464 (53.7%) representing all areas of medicine. Most of the physicians (72.9%) consider 0–25% of their patients at risk for HIV/AIDS. Eighty-one percent claim they are moderately or very comfortable discussing the material with patients and more than 90% feel they have at least adequate knowledge. Most of the respondents discuss the HIV/AIDS topics with 0–25% of patients. Recent medical school graduates and primary care physicians are more comfortable with HIV/AIDS and discuss the surveyed topics with a higher percentage of patients.
Protein kinase A phosphorylates the Nem1–Spo7 protein phosphatase complex that regulates the phosphorylation state of the phosphatidate phosphatase Pah1 in yeast

The Nem1–Spo7 protein phosphatase plays a role in lipid synthesis by controlling the membrane localization of Pah1, the diacylglycerol-producing phosphatidate (PA) phosphatase that is crucial for the synthesis of triacylglycerol in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. By dephosphorylating Pah1, Nem1–Spo7 facilitates its translocation to the nuclear/endoplasmic reticulum membrane for catalytic activity. Like its substrate Pah1, Nem1–Spo7 is phosphorylated in the cell, but the specific protein kinases involved remain to be identified. In this study, we demonstrate that the Nem1–Spo7 complex is phosphorylated by protein kinase A (PKA), which is associated with active cell growth, metabolic activity, and membrane phospholipid synthesis. In vitro phosphorylation of purified Nem1–Spo7 and of their synthetic peptides revealed that both subunits of the phosphatase complex are PKA substrates. Using phosphoamino acid and phosphopeptide-mapping analyses coupled with site-directed mutagenesis, we identified Ser-140 and Ser-210 of Nem1 and Ser-28 of Spo7 as PKA-targeted phosphorylation sites. Immunodetection of the phosphatase complex from the cell with anti-PKA substrate antibody confirmed the in vivo phosphorylations of Nem1 and Spo7 on the serine residues. Lipid-labeling analysis of cells bearing phosphorylation-deficient alleles of NEM1 and SPO7 indicated that the PKA phosphorylation of the phosphatase complex stimulates phospholipid synthesis and attenuates the synthesis of triacylglycerol. This work advances the understanding of how PKA-mediated posttranslational modifications of Nem1 and Spo7 regulate lipid synthesis in yeast.
A new dichromatic species of Oaxacanthaxia Bellamy 1991 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from Quintana Roo, México

x Twenty years ago, a new buprestid genus and species, Oaxacanthaxia viridis Bellamy 1991 was described for specimens collected by Jim Cope during the summer of 1989 in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico (Bellamy 1991). The summer following that publication (1992), a group of 10 buprestiphiles from Australia, Czech Republic, Germany, the United States and Russia combined forces to collect in southern Mexico (Guerrerro and Oaxaca), hoping to find, among many other taxa, O. viridis. That quest was partly successful (only one female specimen collected by Dave Verity), but completely unexpectedly Ted MacRae, Gayle Nelson and Dave Verity collected a second species of Oaxacanthaxia , which was described as O. nigroaenea by Nelson & MacRae (1994). Twelve years later, Niehuis & Gottwald (2006) described a new species from Nicaragua: O. vandenberghei , named for Manfred Niehuis’ nephew Eric van den Berghe, who had lived and collected for several years in Nicaragua. Most recently Hornburg & Gottwald (2008) described O. aenea from Venezuela, greatly expanding the range of the genus.
Dilthey and Descriptive Psychology

In the early part of the nineteenth century in Germany, the prevailing image of psychology was that of a therapeutic discipline concerned with the spiritual care (Seelensorge)of individuals.1As we have seen in the case of the Empiricists, however, a new question was raised with increasing frequency in the course of the century: the role of psychology as a discipline to guide and support the development of the natural sciences and the humanities. Such a suggestion was taken up with respect to the theory of knowledge and education by Herbart and Avenarius, to the question of language acquisition and change by Wilhelm von Humboldt and the Neogrammarians, and to the pure sciences by Helmholtz and Mach.2
Chromosomal Distribution of Genes Conferring Tolerance to Abiotic Stresses Versus That of Genes Controlling Resistance to Biotic Stresses in Plants

Tolerance to abiotic stresses caused by environmental conditions can prevent yield loss in crops for sustaining agricultural productivity [...].
Acute ischemic stroke: improving access to intravenous tissue plasminogen activator.

Since approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 1996, alteplase utilization rates for acute ischemic stroke have increased. Despite its efficacy for improving stroke outcomes, h...
Expansive Open Fermi Arcs and Connectivity Changes Induced by Infrared Phonons in ZrTe5

Expansive open Fermi arcs covering most of the surface Brillouin zone (SBZ) are desirable for detection and control of many topological phenomena, but they have generally been reported for Kramers-Weyl points, or unconventional chiral fermions, pinned at time-reversal invariant momentum in chiral materials. Here using first-principles band structure calculations, we show that for conventional Weyl points in $\mathrm{Zr}{\mathrm{Te}}_{5}$ with the chirality of +1/\ensuremath{-}1 near the BZ center at general momentum induced by one of the infrared phonons---the second lowest ${B}_{1u}$ mode for breaking inversion symmetry---they can also form expansive open Fermi arcs across the SBZ boundary to occupy most of the SBZ when projected on the (001) surface. We reveal that such expansive open Fermi arcs are evolved from the topological surface states that connect multiple surface Dirac points on the (001) surface of the topological insulator phases without lattice distortion in $\mathrm{Zr}{\mathrm{Te}}_{5}$. Furthermore, we find that the connectivity of the induced open Fermi arcs can be changed by the magnitude of the lattice distortion of this infrared phonon mode. Thus, we propose that using coherent optical phonons to modulate lattice parameters can offer ways to induce unique topological features including expansive open Fermi arcs and to dynamically control Fermi arc connectivity in $\mathrm{Zr}{\mathrm{Te}}_{5}$.
Harnessing Ultrasound-Stimulated Phase Change Contrast Agents to Improve Antibiotic Efficacy Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms

Biofilms are associated with chronic infection and frequently require surgical intervention even after prolonged antibiotic therapy. Bactericidal antibiotics are often ineffective at eradicating genetically susceptible cells within a biofilm because: 1) most conventional antibiotics target ATP-dependent processes and so work poorly on metabolically indolent persister cells within a biofilm; and 2) the biofilm matrix can act as a physical barrier to drug diffusion of certain classes of antibiotics. Antibiotic therapy that fails to completely eradicate the pathogen leads to chronic and relapsing infections, major financial healthcare burdens and significant mortality. Numerous approaches have been taken to improve biofilm killing but these often fail to achieve eradication. We address this problem with a novel two-pronged strategy with the aim of eradicating biofilm infection using 1) antibiotics which target persister cells as well as 2) improving drug penetration using ultrasound-stimulated phase-change contrast agents (US-PCCA). We previously demonstrated that rhamnolipids, biosurfactant molecules produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, significantly potentiated aminoglycoside efficacy against S. aureus biofilm. We have also shown that US-PCCA can transiently disrupt biological barriers to therapeutic macromolecules. We hypothesized that combining antibiotics which target persister cells with US-PCCA to improve drug penetration could eradicate methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) biofilms. To investigate this, we treated MRSA biofilms with a range of conventional and anti-persister antibiotics and/or US-PCCA. We found that vancomycin was significantly potentiated by US-PCCA, but a fraction of cells remained viable after the combination treatment. Aminoglycosides alone or in combination with US-PCCA displayed limited efficacy against MRSA biofilms. In contrast, the anti-persister combination of rhamnolipids and aminoglycosides combined with US-PCCA dramatically reduced biofilm viability, frequently culminating in complete eradication of the biofilm. These data demonstrate that biofilm eradication can be achieved using a combined approach improving drug penetration and therapeutics that target persister cells.
CMS121, a fatty acid synthase inhibitor, protects against excess lipid peroxidation and inflammation and alleviates cognitive loss in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

The oxidative degradation of lipids has been shown to be implicated in the progression of several neurodegenerative diseases and modulating lipid peroxidation may be efficacious for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). This hypothesis is strengthened by recent findings suggesting that oxytosis/ferroptosis, a cell death process characterized by increased lipid peroxidation, plays an important role in AD-related toxicities. CMS121 is a small molecule developed against these aspects of neurodegeneration. Here we show that CMS121 alleviates cognitive loss, modulates lipid metabolism and reduces inflammation and lipid peroxidation in the brains of transgenic AD mice. We identify fatty acid synthase (FASN) as a molecular target of CMS121 and demonstrate that modulating lipid metabolism through the inhibition of FASN protects against several AD-related toxicities. These results support the involvement of lipid peroxidation and perturbed lipid metabolism in AD pathophysiology and propose FASN as a target in AD-associated toxicities.
Skeletal remodelling of α-substituted cyclic eneformamides to α-ketonyl cyclic amines

A modular dehomologation strategy, which skeletally remodels cyclic α-substituted eneformamides to one-carbon shorter α-ketonyl saturated cyclic amines is described. The approach hinges on N-iodosuccinimide-assisted C–halogen bond formation followed by C–N bond cleavage to arrive at α-iodo ketones, which undergo base-mediated cyclization. An intramolecular C(sp3)–H amination of in situ-generated N-iodo tethered ketones also affords the desired α-ketonyl cyclic amines. The transformation is applicable to an array of α-functionalized eneformamides, but some chemoselective challenges were encountered with a few substrates.
Taming I/O Variation on QoS-Less HPC Storage: What Can Applications Do?

As high-performance computing (HPC) is being scaled up to exascale to accommodate new modeling and simulation needs, I/O has continued to be a major bottleneck in the end-to-end scientific processes. Nevertheless, prior work in this area mostly aimed to maximize the average performance, and there has been a lack of study and solutions that can manage I/O performance variation on HPC systems. This work aims to take advantage of the storage characteristics and explore application level solutions that are interference-aware. In particular, we monitor the performance of data analytics and estimate the state of shared storage resources using discrete fourier transform (DFT). If heavy I/O interference is predicted to occur at a given timestep, data analytics can dynamically adapt to the environment by lowering the accuracy and performing partial or no augmentation from the shared storage, dictated by an augmentation-bandwidth plot. We evaluate three data analytics, XGC, GenASiS, and Jet, on Chameleon, and quantitatively demonstrate that both the average and variation of I/O performance can be vastly improved using our dynamic augmentation, with the mean and variance improved by as much as 67% and 96%, respectively, while maintaining acceptable outcome of data analysis.
Repeated binge ethanol drinking enhances electrical activity of central amygdala corticotropin releasing factor neurons in vivo.

Abstract Binge ethanol drinking is an increasingly problematic component of alcohol use disorder costing the United States approximately over $150 billion every year and causes progressive neuroplasticity alterations in numerous brain regions. However, the precise nature or machinery that underlies binge drinking has not yet been elucidated. Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) neurons in the central amygdala (CeA) are thought to modulate binge drinking, but the specific circuit mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we combined optogenetics with in vivo electrophysiology to identify and record from CeA CRF neurons in mice during a repeated binge ethanol drinking task. First, we found that CeA CRF neurons were more active than CeA non-CRF cells during our binge drinking paradigm. We also observed that CeA CRF neurons displayed a heterogeneous spectrum of responses to a lick of ethanol including, pre-lick activated, lick-excited, lick-inhibited, and no response. Interestingly, pre-lick activated CeA CRF neurons exhibited higher frequency and burst firing during binge drinking sessions. Moreover, their overall tonic and phasic electrical activity enhances over repeated binge drinking sessions. Remarkably, CeA CRF units and pre-lick activated CeA CRF neurons did not show higher firing rate or bursting activity during water and sucrose consumption, suggesting that ethanol may “hijack” or plastically alter their intrinsic excitability. This article is part of the special issue on ‘Neurocircuitry Modulating Drug and Alcohol Abuse’.
Feasibility and Acceptance of Direct-to-Home Tele-neuropsychology Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Neuropsychological assessment via video conferencing has been proposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Existing literature has demonstrated feasibility and acceptance of neuropsychological measures administered by videoconference, although few studies have examined feasibility and patient acceptance of TNP visits directly to patients' homes (DTH-TNP). METHODS: We modified a previously published patient satisfaction survey for DTH-TNP and developed a clinician feasibility survey to examine experiences during DTH-TNP. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients (age range: preschool-geriatric) evaluated by DTH-TNP for cognitive problems at an academic medical center responded to voluntary surveys between April 20, 2020, and August 19, 2020, and 100% indicated satisfaction. Fifty-nine percent of patients reported limitations (e.g., technological concern) during the appointment. 134 clinician surveys were collected and indicated that clinicians achieved the goal of their appointment in 90% of encounters. CONCLUSIONS: These qualitative data suggest that patients and clinicians found DTH-TNP to be satisfactory during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also recognizing limitations of the practice. These results are limited in that voluntary surveys are subject to bias. They support the growing body of literature suggesting that DTH-TNP provides a valuable service, though additional research to establish reliability and validity is needed.
A semi-automated approach to data harmonization across environmental health studies

The NIEHS-supported Human Health and Exposure Analysis Resource (HHEAR) Data Center maintains a public-use data repository to promote reuse of environmental health data generated by the HHEAR progr...
On the Intersection of Faith Background and Mental Health Beliefs: What MSW Students Learned About Themselves

Students enter college with pre-formed beliefs about the causes of mental health issues, from spiritual explanations (e.g., demonic possession) to biological explanations (e.g., genetics). However, they rarely have thought through how their faith backgrounds influence their beliefs about mental health. MSW students in their clinical concentration year engaged in a class-based assignment in which they explored the question, "Where are you on the spectrum of belief regarding the cause of mental illness?" A qualitative content analysis was completed on 69 student papers collected over five years. Results showed how each student's religious childhood experience shaped his or her view about mental illness causes.
Factors Associated with Burnout Among Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Fellows (FMIGS) in the Midst of COVID-19

Study Objective To assess burnout prevalence and associated factors among FMIGS fellows in the midst of COVID-19. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Online survey. Patients or Participants FMIGS fellows, classes of 2021 and 2022. Interventions Anonymous survey including the validated Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). Measurements and Main Results 100 FMIGS fellows were invited to participate in the study. Of the 58 fellows with complete CBI survey data, 78% were 30-34 years old, 72% were female, 50% were first year, and 50% were second year fellows. The mean CBI score was 39.0 (SD=14.6), indicating moderate burnout. 22.4% of fellows had scores over 50, indicating high burnout. Personal and work-related burnout were highest, with CBI scores of 47.6 (SD=17.0) and 44.8 (SD=17.8), respectively. Patient related burnout scores were the lowest, at 23.6 (SD=16.7). With respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, 76% reported a decrease in surgical volume, 43% were assigned to roles outside their typical scope, and 28% experienced inadequate access to personal protective equipment. Factors associated with burnout included career choice dissatisfaction (Beta=6.3, 95% CI [1.7-10.9], p=0.009), and absence of a positive and respectful work environment (Beta=6.4, 95% CI [1.6-11.1], p=0.01). Fellows who were somewhat satisfied with their career choice scored 12.6 points higher than those who were highly satisfied. Fellows whose work environment was almost never positive and respectful scored 19.1 points higher than those whose work environment was always positive and respectful. Only one third reported regular individual wellness behaviors: mindfulness (24%), exercise (36%), sleep (31%), recreation (28%); however, these factors were not associated with burnout. Conclusion In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, fellows had moderate to high personal and work-related burnout, while patient related burnout was low. Individual wellness behaviors were not associated with burnout, while the culture of the work environment was associated with burnout, highlighting the need to look beyond individual behavior in the fight against physician burnout.
Organic Compounds of Divalent Tin and Lead

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the preparation, structure, and chemical and physical properties of isolable compounds of divalent tin and lead containing direct metal-to-carbon bonds. The local symmetry in pentahapto cyclopentadienyl complexes is D 5h while in monohapto species it is C s . In the chapter, the gas-phase structures of stannocene and plumbocene have been determined by electron diffraction. In keeping with the greater metallic character of lead, divalent organolead compounds appear to be more associated in the solid state than corresponding divalent organotin compounds. The chapter describes the synthesis of bispentamethylcyclopentadienyltin and its crystal structure. Stannocene and plumbocene are synthesized by the salt elimination method. Cyclopentadienyllead halides are synthesized by the reaction of plumbocene with the hydrogen halide in benzene. The angular sandwich structure for stannocene is best explained by proposing sp 2 hybridization for the tin atom. There are many instances in which the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl metal compounds are more stable than the cyclopentadienyl compound, and the stannocene system is no exception. Mossbauer spectroscopy has been proven to be a very valuable tool in tin chemistry. The chapter lists out UV-visible spectra of a number of divalent group IV alkyls and amides. Organic compounds of divalent tin and lead form a variety of transition metal complexes. Organostannylene and plumbylene complexes of transition metals can be synthesized from both divalent and tetravalent starting materials.
Intelligent motor control centers (IMCCs)-the present and future

Device-level integration through digital communication is the key to unlocking the full potential in the electronic controls being installed in industrial plants today. Users in all industries are seeking solutions that integrate software, hardware and communication technologies to deliver plant-floor benefits such as improved process control and diagnostics and increased reliability. The development and packaging of new technologies in device-level communication and sensing capabilities, along with dedicated software, enable intelligent control architectures to provide both abundant real-time process information, as well as predictive maintenance information to further improve productivity.
Recognition and binding of template-primers containing defined abasic sites by Drosophila DNA polymerase alpha holoenzyme.

Abstract Human DNA polymerase alpha holoenzyme follows an ordered sequential terreactant mechanism of substrate recognition and binding (Wong, S. W., Paborsky, L. R., Fisher, P. A., Wang, T. S.-F., and Korn, D. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 7958-7968). We confirmed this mechanism for the DNA polymerase alpha holoenzyme purified from Drosophila melanogaster embryos and studied the interaction of Drosophila pol alpha with synthetic oligonucleotide template-primers containing modified tetrahydrofuran moieties as model abasic lesions chemically engineered at a number of defined sites. Abasic lesions in the template had relatively little effect on the polymerase incorporation reaction at sites proximal to the lesion. However, incorporation opposite an abasic site was undetectable relative to that which occurred opposite a normal template nucleotide. Moreover, abasic residues in the primer region of the template-primer construct as far as 4 base pairs removed from the 3'-primer terminus prevented detectable nucleotide incorporation relative to that seen on an unmodified template-primer. Primer-region lesions had qualitatively similar effects whether they were located on the primer strand itself or on the complementary template strand. Data from polymerase incorporation experiments were corroborated by competitive binding assays performed under steady state reaction conditions. Results of these experiments suggested that polymerase binding to synthetic oligonucleotide template-primers was essentially unaffected by lesions located at sites that did not block incorporation. Lesions that did block incorporation apparently did so by abrogating template-primer binding. These observations have implications for understanding the mechanisms whereby DNA polymerase alpha recognizes noninformational template sites in vivo and prevents DNA synthesis from proceeding past these points.
The impacts of hyperlinks and writer information on the credibility of stories on a participatory journalism web site

Credibility in mainstream media continues to wane, giving rise to new forms of journalism supported by the Internet. One of these new forms of journalism is participatory journalism. This is a form of journalism in which content is produced by ordinary citizens, usually on web sites. One of the most popular participatory journalism web sites at this time is ohmynews.com. Like mainstream media, this site, as well as ones like it, have credibility obstacles to overcome. This paper outlines a proposed study in which the researcher will test whether or not the presence of information about a writer and sources used to write a story on a participatory journalism web site affects the perceived credibility of the story.
The Luminosity-Width Relation of Spiral Galaxies

Several technical aspects of the Luminosity—Width relation of spiral galaxies are discussed, such as the characteristics and sources of its scatter, its dependence on morphology and environment and issues related to the opacity of disks. Alternative formulations of the relationship are also considered, such as those proposed by Karachentsev (1989) and Chiba & Yoshii (1996). Results of various applications of the relation, as they apply to the determination of the peculiar velocity field, the value of Ho and the evolution of M/L are finally discussed.
A computer program for simulating a network of interacting neurons. III. applications.

Abstract Describing a neural network to be simulated by PABLO and controlling its operation are accomplished through a variety of control cards. With a few exceptions, these have a standard format. Each type of card has its particular function, e.g., starting a new network, defining network components by specifying numerical parameters, connecting cells by means of synapsing fibers, defining probability distributions, initializing the network, starting and interrupting the simulation, and initiating output cycles. These cards and their use are described. Some useful techniques are presented for estimating parameters of neurons to achieve desired mean firing rates and for specifying parameters of facilitating or antifacilitating synapses to match experimental data. Finally, the operating requirements are described for use of PABLO. The bibliography lists some publications in which simulations made by PABLO or its predecessors played a part.
Thrombolyse pour thrombose veineuse profonde aiguë du membre inférieur dans un centre de soins tertiaire

Rationnelle En 2008, le chirurgien general a fait une demande d’action pour la prevention de la thrombose veineuse profonde (TVP), et pour la premiere fois, les recommandations de l’ American College of Chest Physicians de 2008 pour le traitement des TVP aigues des membres inferieurs (TVPAMI) ont ete mises a jour pour inclure la thrombolyse comme recommandation de niveau 2B. La thrombolyse dirigee par catheter (CDT) pour des patients avec TVPAMI sans contre-indication peut permettre une dissolution plus complete du caillot que l’anticoagulation seule et peut empecher les consequences a long terme des TVP. Nous avons cherche a determiner le pourcentage des hospitalises avec une TVPAMI dans un centre medical tertiaire qui etaient candidats au traitement par CDT et si ces patients ont ete convenablement diriges vers un tel traitement. Methodes Une recherche dans la base de donnees administrative d’un centre medical tertiaire entre janvier 2007 et decembre 2007 a indique 667 admissions de patients liees a un diagnostic de TVP selon la classification internationale des maladies, neuvieme revision des codes de diagnostic (451-451,99, 453-453,99). Les dossiers informatises de l’hopital ont ete alors explores pour rechercher les informations concernant les antecedents medicaux, les comorbidites, des contre-indications a la thrombolyse, les symptomes, les resultats des examens d’imagerie et le traitement. Resultats Sur 667 admissions de patients, 157 (24%) avaient une TVPAMI, 31% avaient une TVP du membre superieur, 17% presentaient un antecedent de TVP, et 28% avaient une thrombose veineuse dans d’autres veines. De ces 157 patients avec TVPAMI, 60 (38%) avaient une TVP iliofemorale proximale ou femorale etendue qui les rendaient candidats pour une thrombolyse. Des 60 patients, seulement 10 (17%) n’avaient pas de contre-indication majeure a la thrombolyse. Parmi ces derniers, un a refuse le traitement par CDT propose, quatre n’ont pas eu d’avis pour la thrombolyse et cinq (9%) ont accepte la CDT et ont ete traites. Au total, sur ces 60 patients, 50 (83%) avaient une pathologie severe et des contre-indications majeures et souvent multiples a la thrombolyse. Conclusion Bien que la majorite des patients identifies dans la base de donnees d’hospitalisation de 2007 avec TVPAMI et absence des contre-indications a la thrombolyse aient ete convenablement informe de la possibilite de traitement par CDT, les patients d’un centre de soins tertiaire ont typiquement des comorbidites medicales graves excluant l’utilisation de la thrombolyse. Les futures etudes evaluant le role en expansion de la CDT chez les patients avec TVPAMI devraient se concentrer sur un recrutement de patients externes ou de centres hospitaliers de plus petite taille, comprenant des patients susceptibles d’avoir moins de contre-indications a la thrombolyse.
Digit Ratio in Birds

The Homeobox (Hox) genes direct the development of tetrapod digits. The expression of Hox genes may be influenced by endogenous sex steroids during development. Manning (Digit ratio. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2002) predicted that the ratio between the lengths of digits 2 (2D) and 4 (4D) should be sexually dimorphic because prenatal exposure to estrogens and androgens positively influence the lengths of 2D and 4D, respectively. We measured digits and other morphological traits of birds from three orders (Passeriformes, house sparrow, Passer domesticus; tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor; Pscittaciformes, budgerigar, Melopsittacus undulates; Galliformes, chicken, Gallus domesticus) to test this prediction. None were sexually dimorphic for 2D:4D and there were no associations between 2D:4D and other sexually dimorphic traits. When we pooled data from all four species after we averaged right and left side digits from each individual and z-transformed the resulting digit ratios, we found that males had significantly larger 2D:4D than did females. Tetrapods appear to be sexually dimorphic for 2D:4D with 2D:4D larger in males as in some birds and reptiles and 2D:4D smaller in males as in some mammals. The differences between the reptile and mammal lineages in the directionality of 2D:4D may be related to the differences between them in chromosomal sex determination. We suggest that (a) natural selection for a perching foot in the first birds may have overridden the effects of hormones on the development of digit ratio in this group of vertebrates and (b) caution be used in making inferences about prenatal exposure to hormones and digit ratio in birds.
Mode of action of straight chain hydrocarbons on primary chemoreceptors of the blowfly, Phormia regina

The fundamental actions of straight-chain hydrocarbons on the three known primary chemoreceptor cell types of the blowfly, Phormia regina, were studied in quantitative terms. Lower alcohols and long-chain amines act in two stages: first a reversible inhibition, and then injury, of the salt, water, and sugar receptors in the labellar sensilla. The primary effects on salt and water receptors resemble hydrocarbon narcosis of nerve. Effects on sugar receptors, when analyzed kinetically, superficially resemble competitive inhibition. Other evidence, however, indicates that a non-specific effect on sugar receptor sites is more likely. The electrophysiological results from labellar chemoreceptors indicate that the previously reported hydrocarbon behavioral rejection thresholds are best explained by the inhibition of the sugar receptors. This conclusion is strengthened by further electrophysiological and behavioral tests on tarsal chemoreceptors.
Mechanism of accommodation in a sensitized human leukocyte antigen transgenic murine cardiac transplant model.

BACKGROUND Presence of donor-specific antibodies (Abs) is detrimental to posttransplant allograft function. Some sensitized recipients have successfully undergone transplantation after pretransplant conditioning regimen using plasmapheresis and/or intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, but underlying mechanisms that confer such allograft protection are undefined. METHODS We developed a single human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched heterotopic murine heart transplant model (HLA-A2 into HLA-A2-sensitized-C57BL/6) to determine whether pretreatment of donors with low concentration of HLA class I (W6/32) or control Ab (C1.18.4) will confer protection. Expression levels of survival genes, Bcl-2 and heme oxygenase-1, were analyzed by gene array analysis and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Expression levels of cytokine panel were analyzed by Luminex. Role of Bcl-2 in the induction of allograft protection was analyzed by silencing the Bcl-2 expression in the donor hearts using a small hairpin (shRNA) specific for Bcl-2. RESULTS Control Ab-pretreated hearts were rejected in less than 5 days demonstrating hemorrhage, Ab, and C4 deposition. In contrast, W6/32-pretreated hearts were rejected at 15 days (P<0.05) that was prolonged to 25 days with antilymphocyte serum treatment. W6/32-pretreated hearts on day 5 exhibited increased expression of Bcl-2 (5.5-folds), Bcl-xl (5.5-folds), and heme oxygenase-1 (4.4-folds); decreased expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 (3.2-fold), along with reduced levels of cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β (4.4-folds), tumor necrosis factor α (3.7-folds), IL-6 (7.5-folds), IL-12 (2.3-folds) and chemokines monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (4.5-folds), MIG (4.4-folds), MIP-1α (3.4-folds), and IL-8 (3.1-folds). Silencing of Bcl-2 in accommodated hearts before transplant resulted in loss of protection with rejection (9±3 vs. 15±2days, P<0.05). CONCLUSION Pretreatment of hearts with low levels of anti-HLA Abs increases expression of antiapoptotic genes that inhibits caspases, leading to decreased inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which promote allograft survival.
Sequence to structure alignment in comparative modeling using PrISM.

PrISM (Protein Informatics System for Modeling) is a protein analysis and modeling system in which informatics, alignment, modeling, and assessment modules are integrated in a computational environment where protein analysis and modeling protocols can be designed and assessed interactively. It can then be used automatically and repetitively in response to a variety of protein analysis and modeling problems. PrISM was used to predict a single model for each of the 43 targets in the CASP3 experiment. In this paper, we present results for 13 target sequences, which we consider to be comparative modeling targets with clearly related structural templates. We emphasize the problem of aligning a target sequence to a template structure with various alignment methods. When more than one alignment method and/or parameter set are applied, the final alignment is chosen on the basis of a model ranking system also used in PrISM's fold recognition module. Advanced sequence–template alignment procedures in PrISM are useful in some cases when standard pairwise dynamic programming algorithm fail to make any reasonable global alignment. The same procedures, however, failed in other cases, corresponding to remotely related query-template pairs that involved extensive insertions and deletions. Proteins Suppl 1999;3:66–72. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Diffuse coronary spasm in a patient with a recent stent.

The patient is a 65-year-old man who was complaining of chest pain induced by heavy exercise but sometimes occurring at rest. An exercise stress test was mildly positive electrically (1 mm ST-segment depression at 9 min of exercise and at a heart rate of 92% of the maximally predicted heart rate for
Colorectal cancer screening: physician recommendation is influential advice to Marylanders.

Abstract Background In comparison to the United States, Maryland is facing a significantly higher burden of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. The primary objective of this study was to determine the predictors of colorectal cancer screening use in Maryland. Methods We performed secondary analyses on Maryland Cancer Survey 2002 data from 2994 respondents to investigate important predictors for individual colorectal cancer screening tests. CRC screening outcomes were defined as (1) FOBT within the past year, (2) sigmoidoscopy within the past 5 years, or (3) colonoscopy within the past 10 years. Results We found that clinician recommendation for a screening test is the best predictor in both age categories (50–64 years and 65+ years); it is a very strong indicator and consistently improves the odds of use by a factor of at least 8 for any screening test. Conclusions There remains a great need for improved colorectal cancer screening in Maryland. According to our results, it is clear that the most influential way to improve overall colorectal cancer screening for each test and both age groups is to increase clinician recommendation for these tests.
Vitamin E Status of Dairy Cows Fed Stored Feeds Continuously or Pastured during Summer

Abstract Parameters indicative of vitamin E status were monitored for over 4 yr in dairy cows to determine if feeding cows only stored feeds could cause deficiency of vitamin E. Low-E cows were fed stored feeds all year whereas the pastured cows grazed during summer. A third group pastured only while dry also was monitored the 4th yr. There were no signs of deficiency of vitamin E although vitamin E of low-E cows was lower than that of cows pastured. Vitamin E (total tocopherols) in milk from low-E cows remained below 25 mg/g fat except during October and November when new crop hay and silage contained more vitamin E than feeds stored longer. Vitamin E of milk from pastured cows increased to about 50 mg/g fat but declined to less than 30 mg/g fat by winter. Pasturing cows only during dry periods elevated vitamin E in milk only slightly and not as much as in lactation. Susceptibility of milk to oxidized flavor was related inversely to vitamin E. There were no differences between low-E and pastured cows in incidence of retained placentas or reproductive efficiency. Long feeding of only stored feeds had no adverse effects on health and production by lactating cows; however, milk quality was reduced by increased susceptibility to oxidized flavors.
The acetylation of some monosubstituted oxygen- and halogen-containing aromatic compounds by gaseous ions derived from acetone and 2,3-butanedione

Abstract The rates of addition transfer of C 2 H 3 O + from the fragmentation and ion—molecule reaction products of acetone and 2,3-butanedione to substituted aromatic compounds have been studied using ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The rate of transfer was found in most cases to be highly dependent upon both the precursor to the reactant ion and the ring susbtituent. The rates of reaction with phenol, anisole, phenetole, benzaldehyde and acetophenone were at least an order of magnitude greater than with fluorobenzene, chlorobenzene and bromobenzene. Some rate constants are greater than those predicted by ADO theory. Correlation with solution reactivity of the compounds in electrophilic aromatic substitution is very poor.
Effect of Crystal Size and Surface Functionalization on the Cytotoxicity of Silicalite-1 Nanoparticles

In this report, we describe the synthesis and characterization of nanocrystalline silicalite (the purely siliceous form of the zeolite, ZSM-5) of defined crystal size and surface functionalization and determine the effect on the type and degree of cytotoxicity induced in two distinct model cell lines. The silicalite materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering and ζ potential, solid state NMR, thermal gravimetric analysis, and nitrogen adsorption using the BET method to determine specific surface area. The silicalite samples were functionalized with amino, thiol, and carboxy groups and had crystal sizes of approximately 30, 150, and 500 nm. The cytotoxicities of the silicalite samples with different crystal sizes and different surface functional groups were investigated using human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK-293) cells and RAW264.7 macrophage cell lines. We used the lactic dehydrogenase release assay to measure damage to the cell membrane, the caspase 3/7 activity assa...