cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome Presenting as Parkinson Disease (P2.144)

OBJECTIVE: To report a patient with a 22q11.2 microdeletion which was identified when he presented with early-onset Parkinson’s disease (PD). BACKGROUND: Velo-cardio-facial syndrome, also known as DiGeorge Syndrome, is a multisystem genetic disorder most often caused by deletion of 3.0Mb of DNA on the long arm of chromosome 22. Recently, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome has been recognized as a risk factor for PD. DESIGN/METHODS: Single case report. RESULTS: A 37-year-old man presented with PD. His medications were carbidopa/levodopa 25/100, 1 tablet 5 times a day; entacapone 200mg, 1 tablet 4 times a day; and amantadine 100mg, 1 tablet 3 times a day. He first noted a right rest tremor at age 30. He was diagnosed with PD at 31 years old and had a positive response to levodopa. Over time, he required increasing doses of levodopa and developed motor fluctuations and dyskinesias. His medical history was significant for surgery to correct achalasia at age 2, frequent upper respiratory infections requiring hospitalization in childhood, diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes at age 11, and surgical correction of scoliosis at age 12. After completing an associate’s degree, he was employed until he left work at age 37 secondary to severe motor fluctuations. On exam he had a right clubfoot with overfolded toes and mild dysmorphic facial features without cleft lip or palate. His neurological exam was significant for severe parkinsonism in the ‘off’ state and moderate dyskinesias in the ‘on’ state. A brain MRI was normal. Chromosomal microarray analysis revealed a copy number change consistent with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates that individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome without major congenital heart defects or cleft lip or palate may not be diagnosed until much later in life and early-onset PD may be part of their presentation. Study Supported by: Disclosure: Dr. Rehman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dhamija has nothing to disclose. Dr. Barrett has nothing to disclose.
From the Desk of the Middle School Principal: Leadership Responsive to the Needs of Young Adolescents

Beyond their own walls, middle schools are having a profound effect on the entire range of American schooling, K–12. However, the recent indictments of student achievement at the middle level (TIMS...
Muon g-2 and Neutrino Mass in a New Minimal Extension of the MSSM

If the one term $(\hat \nu_e \hat \mu - \hat e \hat \nu_\mu) \hat \tau^c$ is added to the MSSM (Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model) superpotential, the recently observed muon g--2 (anomalous magnetic moment) excess can be explained very simply by a light $\tilde \nu_e$. If the soft symmetry-breaking terms $\hat \nu_\alpha \hat h_2^0 - \hat l_\alpha \hat h_2^+$ are also added, realistic neutrino masses (with bimaximal mixing) are generated as well.
Molecular analysis of the lactacin F operon.

Abstract Lactacin F is a nonlantibiotic, heat-stable, peptide bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus johnsonii VPI11088. Molecular analysis of the lactacin F DNA region characterized a small operon that codes for three open reading frames, designated lafA, lafX, and ORFZ. The peptide encoded by lafA, the lactacin F structural gene, was compared with various peptide bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria, and similarities were identified in the amino and carboxy termini of the propeptides. Site-directed mutagenesis of the LafA precursor at the two glycine residues in positions -1 and -2 defined an essential motif for processing of mature lactacin F. The involvement of the peptides encoded by lafX and ORFZ in bacteriocin expression was investigated by subcloning various fragments from the lactacin F region into the shuttle vector pGKV210. In addition to lafA, expression of lafX is essential to lactacin F activity. The lactacin F operon resembles the genetic organization of lactococcin M. Although no function has been assigned to ORFZ by genetic analysis, both peptide Z and the lactococcin M immunity protein are predicted to be integral membrane proteins with four putative transmembrane segments. Lactacin F activity, defined by bactericidal action on Lactobacillus delbrueckii, is dependent on the expression of two genes, lafA and lafX.
Fluctuation Analysis of Debt Based Policies for Wireless Networks with Hard Delay Constraints

Hou et al. have analyzed wireless networks where clients served by an access point require a timelythroughput of packets to be delivered by hard per-packet deadlines and also proved the timely-throughput optimality of certain debt-based policies. However, this is a weak notion of optimality; there might be long time intervals in which a client does not receive any packets, undesirable for real-time applications. Motivated by this, the authors, in an earlier work, introduced a pathwise cost function based on the law of the iterated logarithm, studied in fluctuation theory, which captures the deviation from a steady stream of packet deliveries and showed that a debt-based policy is optimal if the frame length is one. This work extends the analysis of debt-based policies to general frame lengths greater than one, as is important for general applications.
Refined Chern–Simons versus Vogel universality

Abstract We study the relation between the partition function of refined S U ( N ) and S O ( 2 N ) Chern–Simons on the 3-sphere and the universal Chern–Simons partition function in the sense of Mkrtchyan and Veselov. We find a four-parameter generalization of the integral representation of universal Chern–Simons that includes refined S U ( N ) and S O ( 2 N ) Chern–Simons for special values of parameters. The large N expansion of the integral representation of refined S U ( N ) Chern–Simons explicitly shows the replacement of the virtual Euler characteristic of the moduli space of complex curves with a refined Euler characteristic related to the radius deformed c = 1 string free energy.
PLAYING THE BEER DISTRIBUTION GAME OVER THE INTERNET

This paper describes an Internet implementation of the Beer Distribution Game. Many teachers demonstrate the bullwhip effect that is often observed in supply chains by playing this game with their students. This implementation has the advantage of considerably reducing the time required to play the game.
Auction design with costly preference elicitation

We consider auction design in a setting with costly preference elicitation. Well designed auctions can help to avoid unnecessary elicitation while determining efficient allocations. Careful design can also lead to more efficient outcomes when elicitation is too costly to permit perfect allocative efficiency. An incremental revelation principle is developed and used to motivate the role of proxied and indirect auction designs. Proxy agents, situated between bidders and an auction, can be used to maintain partial information about bidder preferences, to compute equilibrium bidding strategies based on the available information, and to elicit additional preference information as required. We derive information-theoretic elicitation policies for proxy agents under a simple model of costly elicitation across different auction designs. An experimental analysis demonstrates that indirect mechanisms, such as ascending-price auctions, can achieve better allocative efficiency with less preference elicitation than sealed-bid (direct) auctions because they promote better decisions about preference elicitation.
Introduction to the Special Issue: The Pursuit of Gender Equality in Education

In recent years, gender equality has taken center stage as a major global concern. National and international organizations have created agendas that focus on women’s empowerment through economic p...
The Effects of Depositional Environment on Petrophysical Properties of Mesaverde Reservoirs, Northwestern Colorado

Petrophysical (rock and reservoir) properties of Messaverde strata in northwestern Colorado change significantly with variations in both lithology and depositional environment. The Messaverde Group at the US Department of Energy's Multiwell Experiment site contains strata that were deposited in shallow marine, lower and upper delta plain, and fluvial environments. The detrital compositions of the original sands in these environments were similar, but differing depositional and diagenetic modifications produced zones of differing sandstone mineralogy and texture. Different mineralogies in turn cause significant differences in reservoir porosities and permeabilities, and in rock properties such as Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, fracture toughness, capillary pressure, and compressive and tensile strength. 25 refs., 16 figs., 5 tabs.
Purification and characterization of two forms of rat interleukin-2.

Abstract Rat IL-2 produced by spleen cells in culture with concanavalin A was purified using gel filtration, hydrophobic chromatography, and ion-exchange chromatography. At least two forms of rat IL-2 were found to be separable by ion-exchange chromatography. These two forms have been designated form I and form II. Form I of rat IL-2 was purified by a factor of 1297 and found to have a p I of 6.4. Form II was purified by a factor of 669 and found to have a p I between 5.4 and 6.1. Lectin chromatography was used to demonstrate that these two forms most likely differ in the extent of glycosylation. In the presence of tunicamycin the production of form II was significantly reduced. The two forms of rat IL-2 differ in their abilities to promote a mixedlymphocyte reaction. Their differences in glycosylation may be the reason for these differences in activity.
A rehabilitation program for lung cancer patients during postthoracotomy chemotherapy.

Objective The objective of this pilot study was to describe the effects of a 16-week home-based rehabilitative exercise program on cancer-related fatigue (CRF), other symptoms, functional status, and quality of life (QOL) for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after thoracotomy starting within days after hospital discharge and continuing through the initiation and completion of chemotherapy.
Lack of carcinogenicity of oxprenolol, a β-adrenergic blocking agent

Because of an early report that pronethalol, a β -adrenergic blocking agent, produced lymphoreticular tumors in mice, all β -blocking agents as a class came under suspicion. For this reason, several carcinogenicity studies were conducted on the β -blocker, oxprenolol. Drug diet studies in Carworth CF/1 mice were conducted in two separate laboratories, one in which the drug was fed in a commercial diet at 15, 50, and 150 mg/kg/day for 18 months and observed for an additional 3 months, and the other in which the drug was fed in a semisynthetic diet at 150 mg/kg/day for 18 months. Pronethalol (150 mg/kg/day) was used in the semisynthetic diet studies for comparison, and 2-acetylaminofluorine (2-AAF) was fed in the diet at a level of 0.03% for 12 months as a positive carcinogen control. Oxprenolol was also tested in Charles River CD rats for 18 months by admixing in a commercial diet at dosages of 15, 50, and 150 mg/kg/day. Definite evidence of hepatocarcinogenicity was found in mice given 2-AAF for 12 months. In contrast, neither oxprenolol nor pronethalol gave any indication of carcinogenic potential after 18–21 months in either mice or rats. These findings suggest that the initial observation of a carcinogenic response in mice to pronethalol was possibly fortuitous or perhaps related to the specific strain of mouse used and that β -adrenergic blocking agents as a class should not be considered carcinogenic.
Assessment of Trauma History and Trauma-Related Problems in Ethnic Minority Child Populations: An INFORMED Approach

Abstract Youth who experience traumatic events are at risk for a range of negative outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder, other anxiety disorders, depression, substance use, and health risk behaviors. It is important to identify valid methods to assess individuals for exposure to traumatic events, as well as the types of problems or symptoms they may be experiencing as a result of these events. An individual's cultural values, beliefs, and practices can affect the ways that trauma-related sequelae are manifested and presented upon evaluation. Obtaining information about a child's ethnic background, including cultural beliefs and practices, can be a useful component of a trauma assessment. In this paper, the authors will (a) review standard guidelines for assessment of trauma in the general population; (b) present an argument for modification of standard trauma assessment strategies used with culturally diverse populations; (c) describe the culturally INFORMED model, comprised of 8 empirically based recommendations for modifying trauma assessment of culturally diverse populations; and (d) provide an example of how this model has been applied to a trauma assessment protocol with a Mexican immigrant population. Implications of how culturally modified assessment can be used to inform culturally modified cognitive-behavioral treatment of trauma symptoms in children also are addressed.
Microturbine Recuperation: Turbulators and Their Effect on Power Density and Thermal Efficiency

Microturbines have proven to be a vital part of the distributed power generation field due to their low emissions, compact size, high reliability and low maintenance. However, microturbines operate at low pressure ratios and relatively low turbine inlet temperatures that limit cycle efficiency. In order to overcome these limitations, microturbines often utilize a recuperator or regenerator to achieve the optimal balance between improved heat rates and reduced pressure ratios across the turbine. Recuperator design aims to achieve maximum effectiveness while staying reasonably compact, which creates the need to study novel heat transfer surfaces for compact heat exchanger application. In this study, experimental data of heat transfer augmentation and friction factor augmentation values for various turbulator geometries is used to determine the required heat exchanger volume to achieve 85%, 90%, and 95% effectiveness. A parametric analysis of various recuperator channel surface areas and turbulator geometry data will be utilized to determine the feasibility of increasing thermal efficiency while remaining compact to avoid large, negative effects on power density for a hypothetical gas turbine modeled after the Turbine Technologies, Ltd. SR-30 Turbo-Jet Engine. The turbulators considered in this study consist of 4 wedges, 4 ribs, and a dimpled geometry. The results will highlight the applicability of surface features in recuperator designs that can improve overall efficiency for microturbines. Results present the power density, thermal efficiency, and specific fuel consumption as functions of heat exchanger channel Reynolds number for heat exchangers implementing different turbulators. It is shown that dimples at low Reynolds numbers yield 85% effectiveness with only a 8% reduction in power density and 90% effectiveness with only a 12% reduction in power density. Ribs and wedges also perform well but suffer from high pressure losses due to their obtrusive design.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
The enigmatic genus Wernhamia S. Moore is a synonym of Simira (Rubiaceae, Rondeletieae)

Because of its incomplete original description, the monotypic genusWernhamia has long been considered a dubious taxon. Recent Bolivian collections by the junior author and other collections from Peru have revealed the identity ofWernhamia boliviensis; it is synonymous withSimira macrocrater, andWernhamia is therefore congeneric withSimira. A complete description, illustration, and distribution map of this species are provided.
Ammonia losses from surface-applied urea as related to urea application rates, plant residue and calcium chloride addition

Volatile losses of NH3 from surface-applied urea are known to decrease in the presence of soluble Ca-salts or with a decrease in easily decomposable organic matter content (EDOM), both of which influence urease activity. How these factors interact to affect NH3 losses is not fully understood. Studies were conducted to determine the effect CaCl2 in sand with varying rates of EDOM on NH3 losses from surface applied urea. The same effects were examined on agricultural soils containing partially decomposed native organic matter (NOM). Determinations were made in the laboratory on field soils, sand free of organic matter and sand with known amounts of grass clippings (GC, EDOM). Low levels of GC in sand with low amounts of added urea resulted in little NH3 loss. Ammonia loss increased as more N was applied at the low levels of GC. The loss was independent of urea application rates at high levels of GC. Ammonia losses were reduced more effectively at low EDOM and NOM in the presence of Ca. Incubation of sand with GC at low rates prior to urea addition increased NH3 losses relative to high levels of non-incubated GC. For the above situation incubation for as high as 24 days resulted in equivalent NH3 losses. The amount and state of decomposition of existing organic matter affected the degree of NH3 loss from surface placed urea and its control by added Ca-salts. Microbial decomposition of EDOM, such as might occur in the spring prior to urea addition, led to greater NH3 losses. Greater loss of NH3 from urea might be an indication of a larger ureolytic microbial population leading to increased urease production.
Long-term bone marrow culture as a stem cell source for transplantation

Stem cells in bone marrow capable of inducing spleen colonies in lethally irradiated mice can be maintained in liquid culture for up to 100 days if an appropriate marrow-derived feeder layer is provided. Marrow from some mouse strains cannot be maintained in such cultures. Neither duration of culture nor in vitro cultivation of marrow on allogeneic feeder layer in any way modulates the occurrence of graft-versus-host disease. Cocultivation of marrow with allogeneic feeder layers does not induce tolerance to feeder-layer-type skin grafts in lethally irradiated syngenic recipients. Though an excellent source of stem cells, long-term marrow cultures require further modification before successful allogeneic marrow transplantation without graft-versus-host reaction can be carried out.
Treatment of clothing with a permethrin spray for personal protection against the western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Ixodidae).

The synthetic pyrethroid, permethrin, when applied to clothing with a pressurized spray at an application rate estimated previously to be 4 micrograms a.i./cm2, was found to be 100% effective for personal protection against all three parasitic stages of the western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus Cooley and Kohls. This tick has been implicated as the primary vector of the Lyme disease spirochete (Borrelia burgdorferi) to humans in the far-western United States. Periods of exposure to permethrin-treated cloth as brief as 10 and 45 seconds incapacitated 100% of subadult and adult ticks, respectively, within 1-3 h post-treatment. Under field conditions, permethrin apparently does not repel questing adult ticks, though 100% of ticks recovered from treated clothing after exposures as brief as less than or equal to 15 seconds were moribund 1 h later.
Heinrich Himmler: A Life. By Peter Longerich. Translated by Jeremy Noakes and Lesley Sharpe. (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2012. Pp. xviii, 991. $34.95.)

Heinrich Himmler has at last found his proper biographer in Peter Longerich, who has emerged as one of the most important scholars of his generation. The author combines prodigious archival researc...
Pantethine lipomodulation: evidence for cysteamine mediation in vitro and in vivo.

Abstract Recent human studies suggest rapid in vivo hydrolysis of the lipid-lowering drug, pantethine, to the vitamin pantothenic acid and the small aminothiol compound, cysteamine. To test whether the active agent is a hydrolysis product, we repeated three experimental models of pantethine's effect with pantothenate and cysteamine. In vitro experiments with human fetal fibroblasts showed equivalent modulation of cholesterol and methyl sterol synthesis by pantethine, cysteamine, or cystamine (the disulfide of cysteamine), but pantothenate had no effect. Similarly, in vivo experiments with 0.5% cholesterol-fed rabbits showed oral pantethine or equimolar cystamine significantly lowered plasma cholesterol, while pantothenate, cystine, and 2-hydroxyethyl disulfide did not. Lastly, diabetic male rats (40 mg/kg streptozotocin) fed 0.1% pantethine had lower plasma free fatty acids after 2 weeks than controls, an effect not seen with pantothenate and largely duplicated by cystamine. The efficacy of pantethine has previously been attributed to altered vitamin metabolism and increased coenzyme A concentration. Pantethine did increase CoA levels 45% in rat liver homogenates while equivalent amounts of cystamine or pantothenate did not. However, a causal relationship between CoA levels and pantethine's action as a hypolipemic agent has never been shown. At least in 3 independent experimental models, the lipomodulating effect of pantethine appears instead to be mediated by the hydrolysis product cysteamine.
Infrared Spectroscopy at Sub-Ambient Temperatures: IV. Sample Cells

The design of cells is governed by the nature of the information desired from the experiments, the physical state, history and matrix of the sample, the longevity and cost of the cell, and the spectral region of interest. Several cells are described in this paper in four categories: conventional transmission cells; matrix-isolation cells; pseudo-matrix isolation cells; and multiple internal reflection cells.
Dedicated Transformer Remote Integrated Data Acquisition and Alarm System

According to the power dedicated collection methods to large enterprise customers, special transformer remote data acquisition and alarm systems is proposed in this paper. A high precision signal acquisition module, DSP digital signal processor, Siemens GPRS module, VC + + software, MySQL database, used to design a comprehensive data acquisition and alarm system. The system can be used for data acquisition and remote communication special transformer operation. System software can provide real-time monitoring, special transformers, and an alarm sound and light. The operator can monitor, reactive power compensation, according to the TOU and load adjustment power factor adjustment to the business to conserve electricity. The system is proved to be reliable and stable.
Using Portfolios to Document Teaching Excellence.

To follow good measurement practice, programs for exemplary teaching should gather more than one type of data from more than one source. This practice is consistent with the idea behind the teaching portfolio, a compilation of best work and thought that is gaining favor as a faculty evaluation strategy.
Diffusion and permeation of vapors in composite polymer thin films

Abstract The moisture barrier properties of polyimide (PI) thin films used for passivation in microelectronic devices are poorer than those of many other polymers. The enhancement of the barrier properties of PI films obtainable by coating them with polymers of lower permeability to form multilayer composite membranes was investigated. In this paper we report a study of the diffusion and permeation of water vapor in four composite PI/polymer thin films: PI/polyethylene, PI/polyethylene-acrylic acid, PI/polyvinylidene fluoride and PI/poly(chloro- p -xylylene). The temperature-dependent permeability coefficient of single-layer and composite thin films was measured and found to follow the Arrhenius relation with low activation energies (lower than 6 kcal mol −1 ). Enhancement in the barrier properties by a factor of 4–6 at 30°C is attained when 2–3 μm PI films are coated with 2 μm films of the four polymers investigated.
Nonlinear 3D optical storage and comments on two-photon cross section measurements

We describe the application of two-photon processes and fluorescence to 3D optical data storage. We also report the results of two-photon absorption (TPA) cross section measurement of several organic molecules in solution. The data show that the nonlinear transmission method without consideration of other nonlinear effects results in erroneous values for the TPA cross sections. We also find that the cross sections measured by excited state methods, namely two-photon induced fluorescence and a new excited state method, which is based on transient absorption following two-photon excitation, are in good agreement with the accepted values. Therefore one needs to be cognizant of these facts when using the transmission method.
Antiphospholipid Antibodies: Effects on Trophoblast and Endothelial Cells

Problem Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) may affect placental functions through several possible mechanisms. Interaction of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) with cells involved in the coagulation cascade is thought to produce a procoagulant state. Thrombotic placental pathology is however not specific for the APS. Method of study An analysis of published data. Results It is now generally accepted that the clinically relevant aPL bind to proteins with affinity for phospholipids (PL), such as β2-glycoprotein I (β2-GPI). Following the attachment of β2-GPI to trophoblast anionic PL, both molecules undergo conformational changes resulting in the exposure of cryptic epitopes within the structure of β2-GPI. This may allow the subsequent binding of antibodies hence affecting trophoblast functions directly. Moreover anti-β2-GPI antibodies induce the activation of endothelial cells (ECs), resulting in a proinflammatory state which favours the prothrombotic diathesis of the syndrome. Conclusion Numerous ameliorations in the APS knowledge have been introduced in the last few years. To have clarified the mechanism of antibody mediated damage on trophoblast and ECs represents an important step to explain the cellular events leading to pregnancy complications.
Angular spectrum representation of the electromagnetic multipole fields, and their reflection at a perfect conductor

Angular spectrum representations are derived for electric and magnetic multipole fields of arbitrary order. The result involves generalized spherical harmonics and generalized vector spherical harmonics, and the representations are in the form of integrals over the k∥-plane. The representations are especially useful for the study of reflection and transmission of multipole radiation by a plane interface. As an example, we have considered the reflection at a perfect conductor. The reflected field of a multipole field could be expressed in the form of an angular spectrum with a very simple relation to the angular spectrum of the source field. The radiation pattern of a multipole near the perfect conductor is obtained with the method of stationary phase. We also introduce a method for determining the mirror image of the source of an arbitrary multipole.
HIF-α Effects on c-Myc Distinguish Two Subtypes of Sporadic VHL-Deficient Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma

von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor loss results in hypoxia-inducible factor alpha (HIF-alpha) stabilization and occurs in 70% of sporadic clear cell renal carcinomas (ccRCCs). To determine whether opposing influences of HIF-1alpha and HIF-2alpha on c-Myc activity regulate human ccRCC progression, we analyzed VHL genotype and HIF-alpha expression in 160 primary tumors, which segregated into three groups with distinct molecular characteristics. Interestingly, ccRCCs with intact VHL, as well as pVHL-deficient HIF-1alpha/HIF-2alpha-expressing ccRCCs, exhibited enhanced Akt/mTOR and ERK/MAPK signaling. In contrast, pVHL-deficient ccRCCs expressing only HIF-2alpha displayed elevated c-Myc activity, resulting in enhanced proliferation and resistance to replication stress. These reproducible distinctions in ccRCC behavior delineate HIF-alpha effects on c-Myc in vivo and suggest molecular criteria for selecting targeted therapies.
Magnetocaloric effect and refrigerant capacity in melt-spun Gd-Mn alloys

Abstract The magnetocaloric properties and microstructure of melt-spun Gd100-xMnx (x=0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 at%) alloys were investigated to explore their potential application as room-temperature magnetic refrigerants. The alloys were composed of nanostructured hexagonal α-Gd phase with grain sizes between 40 and 150 nm. Increasing the Mn content resulted in a decrease in the lattice parameters (a and c) of Gd, suggesting the formation of a substitutional solid solution. The Curie temperature (TC), derived from M–T curves and Arrot plots, decreased monotonically from ∼293 K (melt-spun Gd) to ∼278 K (melt-spun Gd80Mn20). The saturation magnetization at 260 K decreased from ∼108 emu/g (melt-spun Gd) to ∼78 emu/g (melt-spun Gd80Mn20). The peak value of magnetic entropy change, (−ΔSM)max, decreased from ∼8.6 J/kgK for melt-spun Gd to ∼5.9 J/kgK for melt-spun Gd80Mn20 alloy and the refrigeration capacity (RC) initially increased from ∼433 J/kg for melt-spun Gd to ∼452 J/kg for melt-spun Gd95Mn5 and then gradually decreased to ∼321 J/kg for melt-spun Gd80Mn20, for a magnetic field varying from 0 to 5 T. The near-room temperature magnetocaloric properties of melt-spun Gd100-xMnx (0≤x≤20) alloys were found to be comparable to other magnetic refrigerants based on first-order phase transitions.
Functional role of a conserved motif in TM6 of the rat mu opioid receptor: constitutively active and inactive receptors result from substitutions of Thr6.34(279) with Lys and Asp.

Mutations within the “X1BBX2X3B” motif or its variants in the junction of the third intracellular (i3) loop and the sixth transmembrane domain (TM6) have been shown to lead to constitutive activation of several G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). In this study, T6.34(279) at the X3 locus of the rat μ opioid receptor was mutated to Lys and Asp, and the mutants were examined for binding and signaling properties. The T6.34(279)K mutant was poorly expressed, and pretreatment with naloxone greatly enhanced its expression. This construct exhibited properties identified previously with constitutive activation: (1) compared with the wild type, it produced much higher agonist-independent [35S]GTPγS binding, which was abolished by pertussis toxin treatment; (2) it displayed an enhanced affinity for the agonist DAMGO similar to that of the high-affinity state of the wild type, which was not altered by GTPγS, while having unchanged affinity for the antagonist diprenorphine. The T6.34(279)K mutant displayed a higher...
Synergistic induction of the differentiation of WEHI-3B D+ myelomonocytic leukemia cells by retinoic acid and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor☆

Retinoic acid (RA) has been shown to be an inducer of the terminal differentiation of several leukemia cell lines in vitro and in clinical trials to produce a high percentage of remissions in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. In an effort to increase the therapeutic efficacy of RA, we have measured the capacity of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to enhance the differentiation inducing activity of RA in WEHI-3B D+ monomyelocytic leukemia cells. Combinations of G-CSF and RA produced a supra-additive increase in the percentage of WEHI-3B D+ cells reducing nitro blue tetrazolium and expressing Mac-1 (CD11b) antigen on the cell surface, two markers of the mature state. In the presence of 50 ng/ml of G-CSF, which produced only 12% differentiation when used alone, 0.5 microM RA induced the same degree of cellular differentiation as the optimum concentration of RA (i.e. 7 microM) employed alone. The supra-additive differentiation produced by this combination was prevented by the presence of G-CSF monoclonal antibody in the culture medium, resulting in a degree of maturation comparable to that produced by the retinoid alone. When cells were sequentially exposed to G-CSF followed by RA, a much higher level of differentiation was obtained than when the order was reversed, suggesting that WEHI-3B D+ cells were primed to enter a differentiation pathway by G-CSF. The supra-additive terminal differentiation exhibited by the mixture of G-CSF and RA suggests that these agents should be evaluated for the therapeutic efficacy of the combination in patients with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia.
Intraaortic Spring Coil Loops: Early and Late Results.

Objectives. Our aim was to determine the late fate of intraaortic spring coil loops after embolization of aortopulmonary vessels. Background. In some aortopulmonary collateral vessels and patent ductus arteriosi, the narrowest segment is close to the aorta; coils used to close such vessels will “straddle” the lesion, allowing one or more coil loops to protrude into the aortic lumen. The consequences of this procedure are unknown. Methods. We reviewed the cineangiograms of all patients who had at least one aortopulmonary collateral vessel or patent ductus arteriosus closure between January 1, 1988 and August 31, 1993. From this group, 53 patients had multiple-plane angiographic evidence of intraaortic coil loops. All subsequent cineangiograms were reviewed to determine coil position or movement and evidence of recanalization or endothelial coverage of the coil loop. We also reviewed each hospital record or communicated directly with referring physicians to identify any subsequent complications such as emboli or endocarditis. Results. Of the 53 patients with intraaortic coil loops, 49 patients had closure of one or more aortopulmonary collateral vessels (59 vessels), and 4 had closure of a patent ductus arteriosus (4 vessels). Patient follow-up ranged from 1 day to 66 months (median 20 months); follow-up was not available in 6 patients. Five of the 53 patients (9.3%; 95% confidence limits [CL] 3.1% to 20.7%) died at operation or of end-stage heart failure. Patients with late angiography had no residual flow in 31of 35 aortopulmonary collateral vessels (88.6%; 95% CL 73.3% to 96.8%), and 0.5 mm separated the coil and aortic contrast column in all 12 coils with adequate angiography, suggesting endothelial coverage of the intraaortic coil loop. No episodes of stroke, embolic events, endocarditis or coil migration were reported. Conclusions. Although coil occlusion of aortopulmonary collateral vessels or patent ductus arteriosi may produce intraaortic coil loops, endothelialization appears routine. No late complications associated with intraaortic coil loops were observed.
Unusual metamagnetism in CeIrIn5

We report a high-field investigation (up to 45 T) of the metamagnetic transition in CeIrIn5 with resistivity and de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) effect measurements in the temperature range of 0.03-1 K. As the magnetic field is increased the resistivity increases, reaches a maximum at the metamagnetic critical field, and falls precipitously for fields just above the transition, while the amplitude of all measurable dHvA frequencies are significantly attenuated near the metamagnetic critical field. However, the dHvA frequencies and cyclotron masses are not substantially altered by the transition. In the low-field state, the resistivity is observed to increase toward low temperatures in a singular fashion, a behavior that is rapidly suppressed above the transition. Instead, in the high-field state, the resistivity monotonically increases with temperature with a dependence that is more singular than the iconic Fermi-liquid, temperature-squared behavior. Both the damping of the dHvA amplitudes and the increased resistivity near the metamagnetic critical field indicate an increased scattering rate for charge carriers consistent with critical fluctuation scattering in proximity to a phase transition. The dHvA amplitudes do not uniformly recover above the critical field, with some holelike orbits being entirely suppressed at high fields. These changes, taken as a whole, suggest that the metamagnetic transition in CeIrIn5 is associated with the polarization and localization of the heaviest of quasiparticles on the holelike Fermi surface. © 2009 The American Physical Society.
Effect of quinacrine hydrochloride (atabrine) on isolated mammalian heart.

SummaryIn the isolated heart of the dog in the form of the heart-lung preparation atabrine has a negative inotropic action which appears in some cases at concentrations of 1 mg per liter of blood and is always observed at concentrations of 1.5 mg per liter or above. As a result, the work capacity of the heart is impaired. Slowing of the heart rate sometimes occurs. Irregularities of cardiac rhythm are seen only with high and acutely toxic doses.Injection of 10-15 mg of atabrine within 1 minute into a total blood volume of 500 to 900 cc leading abruptly to blood levels of several milligrams per liter of blood causes a severe heart failure, while the continuous infusion of the same amount at a rate of 0.5 mg per minute will barely reach the toxic concentration in the blood.A severe myocardial failure of the isolated heart, once established, does not appear to be reversible. Epinephrine hydrochloride has a transient positive inotropic and chronotropic action, while the cardiac glycosides effect a prompt and ...
Displaying error & uncertainty in auditory graphs

Clear representation of uncertainty or error is crucial in graphs and other displays of data. Error bars are quite common in visual graphs, even though they are not necessarily well-designed, and often are not well understood, even by those who use them often (e.g., scientists, engineers). There has been little study of how to represent uncertainty in auditory graphs, such as those used increasingly by students and scientists with vision impairment. This study used conceptual magnitude estimation to determine how well different auditory dimensions (frequency, tempo) can represent error and uncertainty. The results will lead to more effective auditory displays of quantitative information and data.
Mass spectra of TMS esters of deuterated decanoic acids and of TMS ethers of deuterated decanols

Mass spectra of trimethylsilyl esters of nine specifically deuterated decanoic acids and of trimethylsilyl ethers of the corresponding deuterated decanols and of tri[2H3] methylsilyl derivatives of most of the acids and of decanol have been measured. The fragmentation patterns have been used to examine the formation of ions m/z 117, 129, 131, 132, 145, 159, 171, 185 and 201 in the spectrum of the TMS ester of decanoic acid. Mechanisms of breakdown of one ion to another have been proposed. Similarities and differences in ion formation between spectra of TMS esters and methyl esters have been examined. It has been shown that ion m/z 132 is produced by the McLafferty rearrangement and that ion m/z 117 is formed from it by loss of a silyl methyl group. Ion m/z 145 is formed by hydrogen transfer from C-5, C-6 or C-7 to the carbonyl oxygen and γ-cleavage. Ion m/z 129 is formed from ion m/z 145 by loss of the previously transferred hydrogen and a silyl methyl group. A mechanism of formation of ions m/z 115, 129, 143 and 157, which contained only one silyl methyl group, observed in the mass spectrum of the TMS ether of decanol, has been proposed. Ions in spectra of the derivatives can be used to locate the position of deuterium, or other substituents, at a number of the carbons of decanoic acid or decanol.
Divalent cation signaling in immune cells

Divalent cations of two alkaline earth metals Ca2+ and Mg2+ and the transition metal Zn2+ play vital roles in the immune system, and several immune disorders are associated with disturbances of their function. Until recently only Ca2+ was considered to serve as a second messenger. However, signaling roles for Mg2+ and Zn2+ have been recently described, leading to a reevaluation of their role as potential second messengers. We review here the roles of these cations as second messengers in light of recent advances in Ca2+, Mg2+, and Zn2+ signaling in the immune system. Developing a better understanding of these signaling cations may lead to new therapeutic strategies for immune disorders.
Adenocarcinoma: Yes Cervical Cancer Can Still Happen in Young Women

Women’s Health Paper Presentation Background Worldwide efforts to reduce cervical cancer have been successful with the development and implementation of the cervical cancer/human papillomavirus vaccine. Success has been noted throughout the United States in the reduction in squamous cell cervical cancers, those that account for approximately 75% to 80% of all cervical cancers. However, the rate of adenocarcinoma has risen, notably in young women of reproductive age. Case M.L. is a 24‐year‐old female who telephoned her obstetrician complaining of break through bleeding on her oral contraceptive pill. While many healthcare providers typically reassure their patients, this provider brought the patient in for an exam. On exam, the physician discovered a small mass protruding from the internal os of her cervix. Surprised by this finding, the physician took a small biopsy and noted that the patient had always had all normal cervical cytology screenings. The healthcare provider was suspicious as it did not appear to be a cervical polyp. Pathology returned adenocarcinoma. The patient was immediately referred to the gynecologic oncology practice. Upon arrival, a full pelvic exam was performed, and the patient was sent for a chest, abdomen, and pelvic CT scan and scheduled for a radical hysterectomy. The CT scan revealed a sizable tumor around her cervix with measureable nodes along the iliac chain. She underwent surgery, recovered, and began a traditional course of chemotherapy for cervical cancer: Paclitaxel and Carboplatin every 21 days for six courses. Premedication was given with each course and patient was sent home with antiemetic therapy. The patient did well, completed chemotherapy, and was sent for complete pelvic radiation as she had residual lymph nodes. Two weeks into the radiation, she telephoned the office with severe abdominal pain. The nurse practitioner triaged the patient, examined her, and she was admitted for dehydration and a CT scan. The CT scan revealed severe lymph node invasion with pelvic seeding. Radiation was stopped and the patient was placed on palliation second line chemotherapy of Topotecan for comfort care. Hospice was consulted. Conclusion Adenocarcinoma is a particularly challenging cancer to treat. If not caught early, the disease can spread sporadically in the abdominal and pelvic cavity. Typical treatment options for microinvasive disease are large conization procedures with conservative follow‐up or hysterectomy. Invasive adenocarcinoma as presented above has high rates of morbidity and mortality.
Steroid regulation of postembryonic development and reproduction in Drosophila

Ecdysteroids trigger major developmental transitions in Drosophila, including larval molts and metamorphosis. Recent genetic studies strongly support a role for the Ecdysteroid receptor (EcR)/Ultraspiracle (USP) heterodimer as an ecdysteroid receptor at the onset of metamorphosis, functioning as both a transcriptional activator and repressor in vivo. Genetic analysis also indicates that USP, like its vertebrate homolog retinoid X receptor (RXR), might be involved in regulatory pathways independently of EcR. The ecdysteroid hierarchy was also shown recently to regulate Drosophila oogenesis and reproduction.
Fusiform elliptical Burow's graft: a simple and practical esthetic approach for nasal tip reconstruction.

BACKGROUNDReconstruction of cutaneous nasal tip and supratip defects presents a common challenge in which esthetic outcomes are dependent on appropriate flap or graft selection and execution.OBSERVATIONWe describe the fusiform elliptical Burow's graft, a modified full-thickness skin graft, for repai
L-MM Auger electron production in 0.3–1.6 MeV KrKr collisions

Abstract Relative total cross sections for Kr L-Auger electron emission are presented and compared with the corresponding X-ray data of Woerlee and Shanker and coworkers. These data sets all show the same incident ion energy dependence, indicating a constant fluorescence yield for the collision conditions under consideration. These data are also in agreement with a rotational coupling calculation by Shanker and coworkers that was carried out within the framework of the one-electron molecular orbital model of Fano and Lichten.
An Ontological Critique of the Trans-Ontology of Enrique Dussel

Enrique Dussel has developed a sweeping philosophical critique of the eurocentricity of Western habits of thought and action, with the aim of articulating an ‘ethics of liberation’ that takes the part distinctively of ‘the victims’ of the world system. The heart of Dussel’s effort is an ostensibly new method, ‘analectic’ or ‘anadialectic,’ which comes about through the ‘revelation’ of the other, and goes beyond the self-enclosure that, Dussel asserts, typifies dialectic in Western ontology. Thus, he takes his position to have gone beyond ontology: it is a trans-ontology, a genuine meta-physics. I question whether analectic does go beyond Western thinking of being, and propose an ontological critique that is classically Western or, as I would prefer to say, historically Western yet (along with its analogues in other philosophical traditions) classically relevant even in our ‘age of globalization and exclusion.’
Reaction of NO2(g) with NaCl(100)

The heterogeneous reaction of 2NO2(g) + NaCl(100) → NaNO3(s) + ClNO(g) has been investigated using infrared spectroscopy. Single crystals, chosen for their well-defined and almost defect-free surfaces, were exposed to NO2 at four pressures: 0.15, 0.52, 1.5, and 3.5 mbar at 298 K. The formation of NO3- ions on NaCl was quantified from the photometry as the reaction progressed. The number of NO3- ions produced indicates that the reaction is not limited to the initial NaCl(100) face, but that nitrate ions also penetrate into the upper layers of the substrate. Despite an excess of NO2, the NaCl crystal transformation to NaNO3 ceases in a few hours. Gas phase ClNO is also observed spectroscopically. The strongest solid-state feature from the reaction is a well-defined sharp doublet at 1360 and 1414 cm-1 assigned to the ν3 asymmetric stretching vibration of NO3-. Both bands grow in unison as the reaction progresses. We suggest that the doublet results from the splitting of the ν3 degenerate mode in the monomer...
Pretranslational enhancement of epidermal growth factor receptor by direct effect of testosterone in mouse liver.

The effects of testosterone on the levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in mouse liver were studied. Orchiectomy resulted in 39% and 41% reductions in the levels of EGFR mRNA and EGF binding, respectively, within 2 weeks. Treatment of orchiectomized mice with a sc injection of testosterone propionate (TP; 100 μg/mouse day) for 1 week restored these values to normal male levels. The hepatic levels of EGFR mRNA and EGF binding in females were 37% and 36% of those in males, respectively, and were not affected by ovariectomy, whereas treatment of females with TP (100 μg/ mouse-day) increased EGFR to normal male levels within 1 week. On the other hand, neither orchiectomy nor androgen treatment affected levels of mRNAs for EGFR in the kidney or mRNAs for the structural protein β-actin in the liver. To examine whether testosterone directly increased EGFR levels in the liver, TP (1.0 mg) pellets were implanted into the spleen of orchiectomized mice, so that testosterone released from the pellets rea...
Emerging infectious disease issues in international adoptions: severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian influenza and measles.

Purpose of reviewNew emerging infections over the last few years demonstrate the potential for the introduction of epidemic illness through global migration. The increasing number of children adopted internationally (>20 000 in 2003, from the United States State Department) provides a unique situati