cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Blastocystis species infection in humans and mantled howler monkeys, Alouatta palliata aequatorialis, living in close proximity to one another

This study characterizes Blastocystis species infections in humans and mantled howler monkeys, Alouatta palliata aequatorialis, living in close proximity to one another in northwestern Ecuador. Blastocystis species were identified from 58 of 96 (60.4 %) mantled howler monkey fecal samples, and 44 of 55 human fecal samples (81.5 %) by polymerase chain reaction. Using single-stranded conformation polymorphism, we were able to efficiently separate and sequence subtypes (STs) within mixed samples without the need for cloning. Blastocystis ST1, ST2, and ST3 were found in people, and two individuals were infected with more than one subtype. All monkey samples were ST8. The lack of shared subtypes between humans and monkeys suggests that no Blastocystis transmission occurs between these species in spite of close proximity in some instances. Based on analysis of demographic data from a questionnaire given to human participants, individuals who boiled their water before consumption were significantly less likely to be infected with Blastocystis (44.4 %) compared to those who did not (93.8 %) (p = 0.002). No other risk factors were significant, although hunters, females, individuals living in large families, and those living closer to forested habitat tended to have a higher proportion of Blastocystis infections.
Approximating minimum-cost graph problems with spanning tree edges

Building on work of Imielinska, Kalantari and Khachiyan, we show how to find approximate solutions for a class of NP-hard minimum-cost graph problems using only edges of a minimum-cost spanning tree. Some consequences of this work are fast 2-approximation algorithms for the 2-matching problem and its variants, as well as for simple location-routing problems.
Postprostatectomy urinary incontinence: a comparison of the cost of conservative versus surgical management.

Abstract Objectives. Post-radical prostatectomy stress incontinence occurs in up to 20% of patients. Postprostatectomy incontinence is initially treated with undergarments, pads, or drip collectors. Patients with persistent leakage are often treated with a transurethral bulking agent (Contigen) or placement of an artificial genitourinary sphincter (AGUS). We have compared the direct costs of each treatment at our institution over 10 years. Methods. The Mayo Clinic estimating office provided the Medicare and non-Medicare charges for patients receiving both collagen injection (outpatient) and AGUS placement (2-day hospitalization) during August 1995. The Mayo Store provided the current price of all undergarments, pads, and drip collectors carried. Two local grocery stores provided the cost of Depends undergarments. Results. The following items were the least expensive carried at the Mayo Clinic Store: Entrust undergarments, Active Style pads, and Conveen drip collectors at $0.99, $0.52, $1.05 each, respectively. The average cost of Depends undergarments was $0.52 each. The cost of wearing 5 of the least expensive undergarments or pads per day for 10 years is $9497. The average estimated Medicare and non-Medicare cost for outpatient (general anesthesia) collagen injection is $4300 and $5625, respectively. The average Medicare and non-Medicare cost for AGUS placement is $15,400 and $20,300, respectively. Factoring in our current 22.4% reoperation rate, the average per patient Medicare and non-Medicare cost for AGUS placement is $18,850 and $24,847, respectively. Conclusions. The cost of the AGUS placement compares favorably with the cost of transurethral collagen injection (under general anesthesia) in patients requiring several (more than three) collagen injection treatments or requiring the continued use of undergarments after collagen injection. Whereas the cost of transurethral collagen injection, when effective, compares favorably with conservative treatment, AGUS placement is significantly more expensive than conservative management for almost all patients except the exceedingly rare patient wearing more than 9 undergarments or pads per day. When the psychosocial benefit of urinary continence is considered, however, transurethral injection of collagen or AGUS placement often becomes the preferred treatment.
Variability and stability in the McGurk effect: contributions of participants, stimuli, time, and response type

In the McGurk effect, pairing incongruent auditory and visual syllables produces a percept different from the component syllables. Although it is a popular assay of audiovisual speech integration, little is known about the distribution of responses to the McGurk effect in the population. In our first experiment, we measured McGurk perception using 12 different McGurk stimuli in a sample of 165 English-speaking adults, 40 of whom were retested following a one-year interval. We observed dramatic differences both in how frequently different individuals perceived the illusion (from 0 % to 100 %) and in how frequently the illusion was perceived across different stimuli (17 % to 58 %). For individual stimuli, the distributions of response frequencies deviated strongly from normality, with 77 % of participants almost never or almost always perceiving the effect (≤10 % or ≥90 %). This deviation suggests that the mean response frequency, the most commonly reported measure of the McGurk effect, is a poor measure of individual participants’ responses, and that the assumptions made by parametric statistical tests are invalid. Despite the substantial variability across individuals and stimuli, there was little change in the frequency of the effect between initial testing and a one-year retest (mean change in frequency = 2 %; test–retest correlation, r = 0.91). In a second experiment, we replicated our findings of high variability using eight new McGurk stimuli and tested the effects of open-choice versus forced-choice responding. Forced-choice responding resulted in an estimated 18 % greater frequency of the McGurk effect but similar levels of interindividual variability. Our results highlight the importance of examining individual differences in McGurk perception instead of relying on summary statistics averaged across a population. However, individual variability in the McGurk effect does not preclude its use as a stable measure of audiovisual integration.
Selective visual attention modulates the direct tilt aftereffect.

One’s being able to allocate attention to particular regions or properties of the visual field is fundamental to visual information processing. Visual attention determines what input is carefully analyzed and what input is more or less ignored. But at what stage of the visual system is this process evident? We describe three experiments that demonstrate an effect of voluntary spatial attention and voluntary object-based attention on an orientation illusion (the tilt aftereffect) that is believed to take place in primary visual cortex. This finding, in which selective visual attention influences adaptation to visual orientation information, contributes to mounting evidence for a view of visual perception in which mutual interaction takes place between high-level and low-level subsystems.
The Dopamine Receptor D4 Gene (DRD4) Moderates Family Environmental Effects on ADHD

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prime candidate for exploration of gene-by-environment interaction (i.e., G x E), particularly in relation to dopamine system genes, due to strong evidence that dopamine systems are dysregulated in the disorder. Using a G x E design, we examined whether the DRD4 promoter 120-bp tandem repeat polymorphism, previously associated with ADHD, moderated the effects of inconsistent parenting and marital conflict on ADHD or Oppositional-Defiant Disorder (ODD). Participants were 548 children with ADHD and non-ADHD comparison children and their parents. Homozygosity for the DRD4 promoter 120-bp tandem repeat insertion allele increased vulnerability for ADHD and ODD only in the presence of inconsistent parenting and appeared to increase susceptibility to the influence of increased child self-blame for marital conflict on ADHD inattention. DRD4 genotypes may interact with these proximal family environmental risk factors by increasing the individual’s responsivity to environmental contingencies.
Force and mass balances of the incompressible, isothermal, planar laminar jet issuing from a finite source☆

Abstract A mathematical solution to the velocity and concentration distributions of an incompressible, isothermal, planar laminar jet issuing from a long rectangular slot into quiescent surroundings of the same density is presented. The features of the solution are : concentration and velocity distributions remain finite back to the orifice ; the orifice is finite in width ; the change in concentration distribution, which is flat at the orifice, and the change in the velocity distribution from the Poiseuillian form at the orifice are taken into account. The present solution for velocity distribution is a modification of that of O kabe [8, 9] who solved for the velocity distribution in a viscous jet for flow from a nozzle which provides a uniform velocity profile at the throat. Previous analyses of the planar, laminar jet assumed the jet to originate from a line source. A ndrade [1] reported experimental velocity distribution measurements of a laminar jet issuing from a nozzle under conditions similar to those specified by the theoretical studies of O kabe . The results of these two investigations are compared here after extension of numerical values of the essential parameters beyond those originally published.
Thermal decomposition of n-alkyl[bis(triphenylphosphine)](carbonyl)iridium(I) complex

Abstract The decomposition of L2Ir(CO)R, R = n-alkyl) prepared in situ by the reacton of n-alkyllithium or -magnesium reagents with L2Ir(CO)Cl(2) produces a mixture of n-alkane and isomerized alkene, the ratio of which is strongly dependent on the concentration [L] of triphenylphosphine as well as certain other additives. When [L] = 0, positional isomerism and isotope scrabling are extensive as is the isomerism of added olefin, suggesting that β-hydride elimination is rapid and reversible and that any olefins participating in an iridium hydride addition-elimination sequence are also capable of exchange with free olefin in solution. When [Ph3P]/[2] >/ 1, the principal product (>90%) is the 1-alkene. No positional isomerism or isotope scrambling is observed only a minor amount of alkane is produced. A mechanistic scheme consistent these observations is proposed.
Shear-dominated plastic behavior of a cross-ply Dyneema® composite

Abstract Dyneema® composites derive some of their performance attributes from their elastic and plastic anisotropy. The principal objective of the present study is to develop a finite element framework for predicting the large-strain deformation response of these composites in a [0°/90°] configuration. We employ a binary model comprising a series of line elements to represent the axial fiber properties and a 3D effective medium to represent all off-axis properties. The model is assessed through comparisons with the results of two types of tests: (i) quasi-static punch tests and (ii) dynamic tests performed by firing (crushable) foam projectiles at high velocities. The measured load–displacement response in the punch tests and the evolution of the back-face deflection in the dynamic tests as well as the final shapes of the test specimens are represented well by the numerical simulations. Discrepancies occur only at the highest levels of displacements, wherein material damage becomes a significant factor.
Unified electrohydroelastic investigation of underwater energy harvesting and dynamic actuation by incorporating Morison's equation

In this work, Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC)-based piezoelectric structures are employed for underwater mechanical base excitation (vibration energy harvesting) and electrical biomimetic actuation in bending operation at low frequencies. The MFC technology (fiber-based piezoelectric composites with interdigitated electrodes) exploits the effective 33-mode of piezoelectricity and strikes a balance between structural deformation and force levels for actuation to use in underwater locomotion, in addition to offering high power density for energy harvesting to enable battery-less underwater sensors. Following in-air electroelastic composite model development, it is aimed to establish semianalytical models that can predict the underwater dynamics of thin MFC cantilevers for different length-to-width aspect ratios. In-air analytical electroelastic dynamics of MFCs is therefore coupled with added mass and nonlinear hydrodynamic damping effects of fluid to describe the underwater electrohydroelastic dynamics in harvesting and actuation. To this end, passive plates of different aspect ratios are tested to extract and explore the repeatability of the inertia and drag coefficients in Morison’s equation. The focus is placed on the first two bending modes in this semianalytical approach. Additionally, nonlinear dependence of the output power density to aspect ratio is characterized theoretically and experimentally in the underwater base excitation problem.
An LMI approach to the control of exponentially unstable systems with input time delay

The stabilization of exponentially unstable linear systems with time-varying input delay is revisited in this paper. The proposed stabilizing controller for input delayed systems with poles in the open right-half plane is obtained from the iterative solution to two LMI problems. First, the upper bound of the delay function is considered to be a known parameter, and a stabilizing controller is found from the feasible solution of an iterative LMI problem. Second, the stabilizing controller is obtained from the optimal solution to an iterative LMI problem, such that the upper bound of the delay function is maximized. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is demonstrated through numerical examples, and by experimental testing on a balanced beam test rig.
Quantitative Determination of Absorbed Water in Co(Polyether) Polyurethane Membranes Using FT-IR/ATR

The tendency of a polymer to undergo hydration in the presence of water can significantly affect its mechanical and mass transport properties. The degree of swelling of a polymer can be controlled by copolymerization of hydrophilic and hydrophobic reactants.
Zirconium complexes bearing a tetradentate dipyrrolyl ligand

Using a tetradentate, dianionic ligand several new zirconium complexes have been prepared. These pyrrolyl compounds, unlike their titanium analogues, are inactive in hydrohydrazination catalysis. However, they are quite stable, and their reactivity with H2NR, where R = Ph, C6H11, and NHPh, is reported here. Two of the complexes were characterized by X-ray diffraction.
Phosphorylation of PITSLRE p110 Isoforms Accompanies Their Processing by Caspases during Fas-mediated Cell Death

A number of cellular proteins have been identified as caspase targets during cell death, including the PITSLRE protein kinases. These targets generally fall into one of three possible categories: 1) other caspases, 2) proteins that are inactivated during apoptosis, and 3) proteins that are required for execution of the cell death program. However, not all proteins are cleaved by caspases during apoptosis. Why only specific proteins are destined to be processed by caspases during cell death is currently not clear. Here we show that multiple caspase-like activities are involved in the processing of the PITSLRE p110 isoforms during Fas-induced apoptosis in Jurkat T-cells. Three p110 caspase cleavage sites have been mapped to the amino-terminal domain of p110 and verified by site-directed mutagenesis. Curiously, the mutagenesis studies revealed that cleavage of two juxtaposed caspase sites is necessary for the complete processing of this protein during cell death in vivo. Finally, we demonstrate that the PITSLRE p110 protein is rapidly phosphorylated during Fas-induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells and that phosphorylation of an amino-terminal portion of the protein may enhance caspase cleavage in this region.
Effects of temperature and food ration on gonad growth and oogenesis of the green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis

To assess the effects of both temperature and food ration on gonad growth and oogenesis of the green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (O.F. Muller), individuals collected December 1996 (winter experiment) and June 1997 (summer experiment) were maintained for 3 months in one of four experimental treatments: (1) 3 °C and fed ad libitum (high ration), (2) 3 °C and fed one-seventh of the maximum ration (low ration), and (3) 12 °C and fed the high ration; (4) 12 °C and fed the low ration. All individuals were fed an artificial diet and exposed to only 1 h of light every day. At the end of both experiments, mean gonad indices of sea urchins fed the high ration had increased significantly (11–24% and 6–19% in the winter and summer experiments, respectively), while the gonad indices of individuals fed the low ration did not change. At the high ration (both experiments), the increase in gonad index of sea urchins occurred primarily as the result of a significant increase in the mass of nutritive phagocytes, as revealed by histological analyses. Primary oocytes were significantly larger in individuals held at 3 °C than at 12 °C throughout the winter experiment, regardless of food ration; during the summer experiment, primary oocytes were significantly larger in individuals receiving the high ration, regardless of the temperature at which they were held. These results suggest that: (1) food availability is the most important factor regulating energy storage and the relative size of gonads throughout the year, (2) temperature affects the rate of growth and maturation of primary oocytes during the later stages of oogenesis, and (3) once gametogenesis has been initiated, mature ova will be produced, even under conditions of low food availability. Conditions of high food availability in summer and low temperature in winter would thus favor reproductive output in sea urchin populations.
Pixe analysis of reproductive fluids.

An external 3.8-MeV proton beam was employed to induce X-rays in 100-mg pellets of human follicular fluids and in 4–8 mg pellets of spermatozoa. The elements Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Br were quantitatively determined in follicular fluids, whereas the elements, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn were determined in the spermatozoa. Both samples had high interelement Spearman correlation coefficients. Correlations of elements in the samples were observed with several clinical parameters. The multielemental analysis of spermatozoa can be used to approximate quantities of trace elements inserted into the egg ooplasm at the time of fertilization. These elemental quantities appear to be in the femtogram (10−15) range.
A method of confidence interval construction for simulation output analysis

A partial variance procedure for constructing confidence intervals (c.i.) for the mean of a process is proposed. The use of partial variance allows constructing an asymmetrical c.i. that accounts for the skewness of the population. The results of a Monte Carlo experiment comparing the proposed method with other methods indicate that the proposed method provides more desirable confidence intervals. That is, the proposed method provides a confidence interval with a higher probability of coverage or the same probability of coverage but with a shorter width.
The role of postoperative irradiation in carcinoma of the endometrium

Abstract The role of adjunctive irradiation in the management of Stage I carcinoma of the endometrium is reviewed. Primary surgical management is accepted therapy. Less certain is the use, type, and timing of adjunctive irradiation. The data indicate that irradiation decreases the incidence of vaginal recurrence and improves survival. The type and timing of irradiation is uncertain; however, we favor intracavitary irradiation primarily, with external beam therapy added for the enlarged uterus, poorly differentiated histology, and myometrial invasion. An outline of the timing of intracavitary or external irradiation in the various clinical circumstances is included.
Short Communication: Enhancement of HIV Infection by Cellulose Sulfate

Cellulose sulfate, a polyanionic compound derived from cotton, has been proposed as a topical microbicide to reduce the sexual transmission of HIV. However, a phase III clinical trial of a vaginal gel formulation of cellulose sulfate (Ushercell) had to be prematurely closed after early data indicated microbicide users had a higher rate of HIV infection than women using a placebo. The unexpected results of the cellulose sulfate trail prompted us to reexamine and attempt to replicate the available preclinical data for this compound and other polyanions. We show here that cellulose sulfate has a biphasic effect on HIV infection in vitro: at high concentrations it inhibits infection but at low concentrations it significantly and reproducibly increases HIV infection. This stimulatory effect is evident for the R5-tropic strains of virus responsible for sexual transmission, reflects the rate of infection rather than viral growth, and occurs at clinically relevant concentrations of the compound. An examination of published studies shows that the biphasic effect of cellulose sulfate was evident in previous research by independent laboratories and is also found for other polyanions such as dextrin sulfate and PRO2000. These data help in understanding the failure of the Ushercell clinical trial and indicate that cellulose sulfate is not safe for mucosal application in humans.
Giant two-dimensional ferromagnetic moments on metallic ovelayers and interfaces☆

Abstract Giant two-dimensional ferromagnetic moments are predicted for monolayers of 3d bcc transition metals as overlayers or sandwiched with noble or simple metals. The isolation of the interface states is the main mechanism behind these phenomena. Comparisons are made with results for transition metal-transition metal interfaces.
Bio‐normalizer modulates interferon‐γ‐induced nitric oxide production in the mouse macrophage cell line RAW 264.7

Bio-Normalizer, a natural health food supplement prepared from Carica papaya and some other medicinal plants was investigated to determine its effects on cellular nitric oxide (nitrogen monoxide, NO) production and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. Bio-Normalizer upregulated interferon (IFN)-gamma-induced NO production by macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. Such an effect of Bio-Normalizer on NO production was not due to changes in the activity of iNOS. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the levels of iNOS mRNA were augmented by treatment of the cells with Bio-Normalizer and IFN-gamma. The ability of Bio-Normalizer to augment IFN-gamma-induced iNOS mRNA expression was independent of any changes on the mRNA stability. Treatment of cells with Bio-Normalizer alone did not affect NO production by macrophages. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 beta are involved in the induction of iNOS gene as well as the immune system. Bio-Normalizer augmented the mRNA expression of these cytokines in the presence of IFN-gamma. This suggests that Bio-Normalizer is not directly involved in the expression of iNOS, but shows synergistic interaction with IFN-gamma to induce NO synthesis.
Women's Rights to Adult Education as a Means to Citizenship.

Abstract A fundamental reason for the advocacy of women's literacy is its contribution to the attainment of citizenship, that is the claiming and use of public space and power.Following a presentation of basic trends and public policies in literacy, this article reviews the diverse theoretical understandings of literacy. It discusses normative arguments regarding the provision of emancipatory and sustainable literacy programs for women and the development of an expanded view of citizenship that considers not only the public space but also the private realms of everyday life. Such objectives, the article asserts, can be attained only if literacy is conceived as part of a political project that encourages dialogue and reflection to foster individual and collective agency.
The function of Hox and appendage-patterning genes in the development of an evolutionary novelty, the Photuris firefly lantern

Uncovering the mechanisms underlying the evolution of novel traits is a central challenge in biology. The lanterns of fireflies are complex traits that lack even remote homology to structures outside luminescent beetle families. Representing unambiguous novelties by the strictest definition, their developmental underpinnings may provide clues to their origin and offer insights into the mechanisms of innovation in developmental evolution. Lanterns develop within the context of abdominal Hox expression domains, and we hypothesized that lantern formation may be instructed in part by these highly conserved transcription factors. We show that transcript depletion of Abdominal-B in Photuris fireflies results in extensive disruption of the adult lantern, suggesting that the evolution of adult lanterns involved the acquisition of a novel regulatory role for this Hox gene. Using the same approach, we show that the Hox gene abdominal-A may control important secondary aspects of lantern development. Lastly, we hypothesized that lantern evolution may have involved the recruitment of dormant abdominal appendage-patterning domains; however, transcript depletion of two genes, Distal-less and dachshund , suggests that they do not contribute to lantern development. Our results suggest that complex novelties can arise within the confines of ancestral regulatory landscapes through acquisition of novel targets without compromising ancestral functions.
Memristor-based reservoir computing

As feature-size scaling and "Moore's Law" in integrated CMOS circuits further slows down, attention is shifting to computing by non-von Neumann and non-Boolean computing models. Reservoir computing (RC) is a new computing paradigm that allows to harness the intrinsic dynamics of a "reservoir" to perform useful computations. The reservoir, or compute core, must only provide sufficiently rich dynamics that are then mapped onto a low-dimensional space by an readout layer. One of the key advantages of this approach is that only the readout layer needs to be adapted to perform the desired computation. The reservoir itself remains unchanged. In this paper we use for the first time memristive components as reservoir building blocks that are assembled into device networks. Memristive components are particularly interesting for this purpose because of their non-linear and memory characteristics. In addition, they can be integrated very densely and provide rich dynamics with a few components only. We use pattern recognition and associative memory tasks to illustrate the memristive reservoir computing approach. For that purpose, we have built a software framework that allows to create valid memristor networks, to simulate and evaluate them in Ngspice, and to train the readout layer by means of a Genetic Algorithm (GA). Our results show that we can efficiently and robustly classify temporal patterns. The approach presents a promising new computing paradigm that harnesses the non-linear, time-dependent, and highly-variable properties of current memristive components for solving computational tasks.
Fiber optics for 3 and 10 micron medical lasers

Newly developed hollow glass waveguides with losses as low as 0.1 dB/m are successfully being used to deliver up to 80 W of CO/sub 2/ and 8 W of Er:YAG laser power for a variety of surgical applications.
Institutionalizing Innovation: A Study of Organizational Learning Systems

The article reviews the book “Institutionalizing Innovation: A Study of Organizational Learning Systems,” by Mariann Jelinek.
Psychosocial Adaptation to Chronic Illness and Disability: A Conceptual Framework

This article reviews the fundamental components inherent in the process of psychosocial adaptation to chronic illness and disability (CID). It is proposed that investigation of the process of adapt...
Characterization of the acute temporal changes in excisional murine cutaneous wound inflammation by screening of the wound-edge transcriptome

This work represents a maiden effort to systematically screen the transcriptome of the healing wound-edge tissue temporally using high-density GeneChips. Changes during the acute inflammatory phase of murine excisional wounds were characterized histologically. Sets of genes that significantly changed in expression during healing could be segregated into the following five sets: up-early (6–24 h; cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway), up-intermediary (12–96 h; leukocyte-endothelial interaction pathway), up-late (48–96 h; cell-cycle pathway), down-early (6–12 h; purine metabolism) and down-intermediary (12–96 h; oxidative phosphorylation pathway). Results from microarray and real-time PCR analyses were consistent. Results listing all genes that were significantly changed at any specific time point were further mined for cell-type (neutrophils, macrophages, endothelial, fibroblasts, and pluripotent stem cells) specificity. Candidate genes were also clustered on the basis of their functional annotation, linking them to inflammation, angiogenesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS), or extracellular matrix (ECM) categories. Rapid induction of genes encoding NADPH oxidase subunits and downregulation of catalase in response to wounding is consistent with the fact that low levels of endogenous H2O2 is required for wound healing. Angiogenic genes, previously not connected to cutaneous wound healing, that were induced in the healing wound-edge included adiponectin, epiregulin, angiomotin, Nogo, and VEGF-B. This study provides a digested database that may serve as a valuable reference tool to develop novel hypotheses aiming to elucidate the biology of cutaneous wound healing comprehensively.
Determination of triethylenetetramine dihydrochloride in aqueous solution by reversed-phase ion-pairing high performance liquid chromatography and conductivity detection.

Triethylenetetramine dihydrochloride (TETA) has been used for the treatment of Wilson's disease which is a metabolic disorder that prevents its victims from eliminating excess copper. TETA was scheduled for toxicological evaluation because of a deficiency of such information. Analytical chemical procedures to determine the purity of the drug as well as the proper concentration and stability of the drug in dosed water were prerequisites for the toxicological tests. A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) procedure employing ion-pairing and conductivity detection has been developed for the analysis of TETA in dosed water at levels as low as 10/~g/mL and for the determination of drug purity. The conductivity detector response was linear over the concentration range of 10 to 100 t~g/mL. Data are presented concerning the stability of the drug in water during ambient storage and after autoclaving. An ancillary colorimetric procedure for the analysis of aqueous TETA solutions is also presented which is based on measuring the absorbance of the colored TETA copper chelate at 599 nm. The HPLC procedure is applicable to the analysis of TETA and the chemically similar polyamines spermidine and spermine in admixture.
Bach2 Regulates Homeostasis of Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells and Protects against Fatal Lung Disease in Mice

Variants of the Bach2 gene are linked to vitiligo, celiac disease, and type 1 diabetes, but the underlying immunological mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that Bach2 plays crucial roles in maintaining T cell quiescence and governing the differentiation, activation, and survival of Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells. Bach2-deficient T cells display spontaneous activation and produce elevated levels of Th1/Th2-type cytokines. Without Bach2, Treg cells exhibit diminished Foxp3 expression, depleted numbers, hyperactivation, enhanced proliferation, and profound loss of competitive fitness in vivo. Mechanistically, reduced survival of Bach2-deficient Treg cells was associated with reduced Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 levels and elevated Bim/Bcl-2 ratio. Additionally, Bach2 deficiency induced selective loss of Helios(-)Foxp3(+) Treg cells and a Treg cell transcriptome skewed toward the Th1/Th2 effector program at the expense of the Treg program. In vitro experiments confirmed that Bach2: 1) is indispensable for TCR/TGF-β-induced Foxp3 expression; and 2) mitigates aberrant differentiation of Treg cells by repression of the competing Gata3-driven Th2 effector program. Importantly, perturbations in the differentiation of induced Treg cells was linked to a fatal Th2-type chronic inflammatory lung disease in Bach2-deficient mice. Thus, Bach2 enforces T cell quiescence, promotes the development and survival of Treg lineage, restrains aberrant differentiation of Treg cells, and protects against immune-mediated diseases.
Community Responses to a Suicidal Crisis: Implications for Suicide Prevention

We conducted a cross-sectional, random-digit-dial survey to evaluate public responses to a hypothetical question: "If someone you knew was suicidal, what would you do first?" Younger people were more likely to call a suicide hotline, and less likely to go to an emergency room (ER) or call 911; immigrants (in the U.S. Language: en
Reconstruction of a cone-beam CT image via forward iterative projection matching

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of reconstructing a cone-beam CT (CBCT) image by deformably altering a prior fan-beam CT (FBCT) image such that it matches the anatomy portrayed in the CBCT projection data set. Methods: A prior FBCT image of the patient is assumed to be available as a source image. A CBCT projection data set is obtained and used as a target image set. A parametrized deformation model is applied to the source FBCT image, digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) that emulate the CBCT projection image geometry are calculated and compared to the target CBCT projection data, and the deformation model parameters are adjusted iteratively until the DRRs optimally match the CBCT projection data set. The resulting deformed FBCT image is hypothesized to be an accurate representation of the patient’s anatomy imaged by the CBCT system. The process is demonstrated via numerical simulation. A known deformation is applied to a prior FBCT image and used to create a synthetic set of CBCT target projections. The iterative projection matching process is then applied to reconstruct the deformation represented in the synthetic target projections; the reconstructed deformation is then compared to the known deformation. The sensitivity of the process to the number of projections and the DRR∕CBCT projection mismatch is explored by systematically adding noise to and perturbing the contrast of the target projections relative to the iterated source DRRs and by reducing the number of projections. Results: When there is no noise or contrast mismatch in the CBCT projection images, a set of 64 projections allows the known deformed CT image to be reconstructed to within a nRMS error of 1% and the known deformation to within a nRMS error of 7%. A CT image nRMS error of less than 4% is maintained at noise levels up to 3% of the mean projection intensity, at which the deformation error is 13%. At 1% noise level, the number of projections can be reduced to 8 while maintaining CT image and deformation errors of less than 4% and 13%, respectively. The method is sensitive to contrast mismatch between the simulated projections and the target projections when the soft-tissue contrast in the projections is low. Conclusions: By using prior knowledge available in a FBCT image, the authors show that a CBCT image can be iteratively reconstructed from a comparatively small number of projection images, thus saving acquisition time and reducing imaging dose. This will enable more frequent daily imaging during radiation therapy. Because the process preserves the CT numbers of the FBCT image, the resulting 3D image intensities will be more accurate than a CBCT image reconstructed via conventional backprojection methods. Reconstruction errors are insensitive to noise at levels beyond what would typically be found in CBCT projection data, but are sensitive to contrast mismatch errors between the CBCT projection data and the DRRs.
Cdc42 Is Required for Proper Growth and Development in the Fungal Pathogen Colletotrichum trifolii

Cdc42 is a highly conserved small GTP-binding protein that is involved in regulating morphogenesis in eukaryotes. In this study, we isolated and characterized a highly conserved Cdc42 gene from Colletotrichum trifolii (CtCdc42), a fungal pathogen of alfalfa. CtCdc42 is, at least in part, functionally equivalent to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cdc42p, since it restores the temperature-sensitive phenotype of a yeast Cdc42p mutant. Inhibition of CtCdc42 by expression of an antisense CtCdc42 or a dominant negative form of CtCdc42 (DN Cdc42) resulted in appressorium differentiation under noninductive conditions, suggesting that CtCdc42 negatively regulates pathogenic development in this fungus. We also examined the possible linkage between CtCdc42 and Ras signaling. Expression of a dominant active Cdc42 (DA Cdc42) in C. trifolii leads to aberrant hyphal growth under nutrient-limiting conditions. This phenotype was similar to that of our previously reported dominant active Ras (DA Ras) mutant. Also consistent with our observations of the DA Ras mutant, high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were observed in the DA Cdc42 mutant, and proline restored the wild-type phenotype. Moreover, overexpression of DN Cdc42 resulted in a significant decrease in spore germination, virtually no hyphal branching, and earlier sporulation, again similar to what we observed in a dominant negative Ras (DN Ras) mutant strain. Interestingly, coexpression of DA Cdc42 with DN Ras resulted in germination rates close to wild-type levels, while coexpression of DN Cdc42 with the DA Ras mutant restored the wild-type phenotype. These data suggest that CtCdc42 is positioned as a downstream effector of CtRas to regulate spore germination and pathogenic development.
Monounsaturated canola oil reduces fat deposition in growing female rats fed a high or low fat diet

The purpose of this study was to determine whether canola oil (monounsaturated fatty acids) and corn oil (polyunsaturated fatty acids) compared to coconut oil (saturated fatty acids) had a differential effect on adipose tissue deposition in growing female rats fed high (40% kcal) (HF) or low fat (6% kcal) (LF) diets. Body weight, total body fat content, and adipose tissue depots were greater in the HF fed groups compared to the LF fed groups. In the LF fed rats, body weight, body weight gain, and total body fat were higher in the rats fed corn oil (COR) compared to rats fed canola oil (CAN) or coconut oil (COC). Fat source affected adipose tissue fat cell size and number differentially. In the HF groups, fat cell size was larger for COR fed rats than for CAN or COC fed rats, but fat cell number was greater for COC fed rats than for corn and CAN fed rats. CAN had a positive advantage over COR since rats fed the LFCAN had a lower body weight gain, HFCAN rats maintained a smaller fat cell size than HFCOR and HFCOC fed rats, and plasma lipids were lower in CAN fed rats than for COR fed rats.
Design and Optimization of an MB-OFDM Ultra-Wideband Receiver Front-End

The design of an MB-OFDM ultra-wideband receiver is challenging when we target power consumption minimization while providing enough robustness against the nearby wireless interference. We present an optimized receiver front-end design obtained by a systematic design space exploration technique based on the platform-based design (PBD) methodology. At the system level, we investigate the interference effects and propose an approach to estimate the inter-modulation products introduced by receiver nonlinearities. We show how we map the system-level performance requirements to circuit-level platforms through an optimization process. We obtain a RF front-end consuming 10.8 mW in a 0.13 mum CMOS technology, which achieves a 22.3% savings of power compared to a manually optimized design.
Physiobiochemical Significance of Vitamin E and other Tocopherols in the U.S. Diet: Cancer Promoters or Preventers?

Physiobiochemical Significance of Vitamin E and other Tocopherols in the U.S. Diet: Cancer Promoters or Preventers? The Food and Nutrition Board only includes alpha-tocopherol(AT),among the 8 phytochemicals with similar structure, in determining the recommendations for vitamin E. This decision was made because AT provides the highest level of protection against fetal resorption in rat dams, the criterion used to determine vitamin E activity. Several recent reviews, however, have described the numerous studies demonstrating the anticarcinogenic properties of the other vitamin E-like phytochemicals upon breast, prostate,colorectal and lung tumors in human populations, animal models and cell culture.
Identifying Patients at High Risk of a Cardiovascular Event in the Near Future: Current Status and Future Directions: Report of a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Working Group

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened a working group to provide basic and clinical research recommendations to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute on the development of an integrated approach for identifying those individuals who are at high risk for a cardiovascular event such as acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or sudden cardiac death in the “near term.” The working group members defined near-term as occurring within 1 year of the time of assessment. The participants reviewed current clinical cardiology practices for risk assessment and state-of-the-science techniques in several areas, including biomarkers, proteomics, genetics, psychosocial factors, imaging, coagulation, and vascular and myocardial susceptibility. This report presents highlights of these reviews and a summary of suggested research directions. ### Near-Term Risk The proper deployment of preventive strategies requires an accurate classification system that allows the physician to target intensive treatments to the highest-risk patients. A commonly recommended approach is a multivariable assessment such as the Framingham Risk Score (FRS).1 Although the FRS is recommended in many guidelines on cardiovascular risk assessment,2 it has some limitations. It does not include several factors of the metabolic syndrome (glucose intolerance, central obesity, and hypertriglyceridemia), nor does it include family history. Moreover, the FRS classifies risk over a period of 10 years rather than in the near term (within 1 year). Indeed, no algorithm has been developed that accurately predicts near-term risk across diverse populations. The ability to forecast near-term risk of ACS or sudden cardiac death would represent an important advance in cardiovascular medicine because it would clarify which individuals are in most urgent need of intervention. It would help identify those rare asymptomatic, apparently healthy individuals who are in imminent danger of a cardiovascular event yet ordinarily would not receive therapy at all. In asymptomatic individuals judged to be at intermediate or …
Structure-function relationship of immunosuppressive drugs: a cautionary tale.

The immunosuppressants FK506 and rapamycin bind to the same immunophilin, FK506 binding protein (FKBP), and inhibit distinct signal transduction pathways in T lymphocytes. A nonnatural immunophilin ligand, 506BD, which contains only the common structural elements of FK506 and rapamycin, was synthesized and found to be a high-affinity ligand of FKBP and a potent inhibitor of FKBP rotamase activity. Whereas 506BD does not interfere with T cell activation, it does block the immunosuppressive effects of both FK506 and rapamycin. Thus, the common immunophilin binding element of these immunosuppressants, which is responsible for rotamase inhibition, is fused to different effector elements, resulting in the inhibition of different signaling pathways. Inhibition of rotamase activity is an insufficient requirement for mediating these effects.
Single cell trapping and DNA damage analysis using microwell arrays

With a direct link to cancer, aging, and heritable diseases as well as a critical role in cancer treatment, the importance of DNA damage is well-established. The intense interest in DNA damage in applications ranging from epidemiology to drug development drives an urgent need for robust, high throughput, and inexpensive tools for objective, quantitative DNA damage analysis. We have developed a simple method for high throughput DNA damage measurements that provides information on multiple lesions and pathways. Our method utilizes single cells captured by gravity into a microwell array with DNA damage revealed morphologically by gel electrophoresis. Spatial encoding enables simultaneous assays of multiple experimental conditions performed in parallel with fully automated analysis. This method also enables novel functionalities, including multiplexed labeling for parallel single cell assays, as well as DNA damage measurement in cell aggregates. We have also developed 24- and 96-well versions, which are applicable to high throughput screening. Using this platform, we have quantified DNA repair capacities of individuals with different genetic backgrounds, and compared the efficacy of potential cancer chemotherapeutics as inhibitors of a critical DNA repair enzyme, human AP endonuclease. This platform enables high throughput assessment of multiple DNA repair pathways and subpathways in parallel, thus enabling new strategies for drug discovery, genotoxicity testing, and environmental health.
Should One Measure Balance or Gait to Best Predict Falls among People with Parkinson Disease

Introduction. We aimed to determine whether gait velocity is as useful as a balance test, a self-report measure of freezing of gait (FOG), and/or a measure of motor symptom severity for predicting falls among people with Parkinson Disease (PD). Methods. Fifty-six individuals with idiopathic PD completed a baseline assessment consisting of these measures: (1) MDS-UPDRS III, (2) Mini-BESTest, (3) gait velocity (forward, backward, dual task, and fast), and (4) FOGQ. Retrospective fall history was collected at baseline and six months later. Participants were considered fallers if they had two or more falls in the surveillance period. Ability of the tests to discriminate between fallers and nonfallers was determined using ROC curves followed by pairwise statistical noninferiority comparisons (P = .05) of the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for each test. Results. At six months, 22% (n = 21) of the sample were fallers. Fallers differed significantly from nonfallers on the MDS-UPDRS III, Mini-BESTest, backward gait velocity, and FOGQ. The Mini-BESTest had the highest AUC and was superior to all gait velocity measures at identifying fallers. Conclusion. A single measure of gait velocity, even in a challenging condition, may not be as effective as the Mini-BESTest in identifying fallers among people with PD.
A presentation of cnoidal wave theory for practical application

Cnoidal wave theory is appropriate to periodic waves progressing in water whose depth is less than about one-tenth the wavelength. The leading results of existing theories are modified and given in a more practical form, and the graphs necessary to their use by engineers are presented. As well as results for the wave celerity and shape, expressions and graphs for the water particle velocity and local acceleration fields are given. A few comparisons between theory and laboratory measurements are included.