cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Four weeks of trauma-informed yoga intervention and autonomic tone in female veteran and non-veteran college students

Introduction: Female college students (veteran and non-veteran) are exposed to cumulative stressors and trauma that may lead to an imbalanced autonomic nervous system. Yoga has emerged as an efficacious intervention for psychological and physical trauma; however, the therapeutic dose of intervening yoga is unknown. Additionally, the frequency, duration, and type of yoga needed to achieve a therapeutic dose appear to be population specific when applied to trauma victims. The purpose of the study was to examine whether a short-term trauma-informed yoga intervention altered metrics of autonomic tone as assessed by heart rate variability (HRV) in female veteran and non-veteran college students. Methods: Nine female college students (age: 33 years ± 11, veteran, n = 4, non-veteran, n = 5) engaged in trauma-informed yoga once per week for one-hour over a four-week intervention. Repeated measures ANOVA were performed on the HRV variables lnRMSSD, lnHF, lnLF, and LF:HF. Results: Findings indicated no effect of the intervention on HRV as measured by lnRMSSD (p = .116), lnHF (p = .073), lnLF (p = .316), and LF:HF (p = .131). Further, no acute alterations in HRV were observed following a single session of trauma-informed yoga (p > .05). Conclusion: The findings of the study revealed no significant effect of trauma-informed yoga on HRV following a single session or after a four-week yoga intervention.
Postoperative Prescription of Low-dose Narcotics Yields Equivalent Pain Outcomes Compared to High-dose Narcotics in Opioid-naïve Patients Undergoing Spine Surgery.

Study design Retrospective cohort study at a single institution. Patients undergoing specific, elective spinal procedures between 2012 and 2018. Objective The aim of thi stsudy was to investigate the relationship between opioid prescriptions during the immediate, post-discharge period, and patient-reported pain outcomes. Summary of background data Medically prescribed opiates contribute to the opioid crisis, manifesting in significant mortality and economic burden. Although opioids are a mainstay of pain amelioration following spinal surgery, prescription practices are heterogeneous. Methods Inclusion criteria included: patients who underwent one of 10 spinal procedures (Table 1); patients with preoperative, postoperative day (POD 1, and POD 30 pain scores reported on the visual analog scale (VAS); patients discharged without a complicated perioperative course. Opioids were converted to morphine milligram equivalents per day (MME/day) using a standard reference table. χ2, Kruskal-Wallis, and logistic regression were utilized to investigate associations between clinical variables and postoperative pain scores. Univariate and multivariable linear regression models with Stepwise selection (cut off: P = 0.05) were employed as appropriate on POD 30 VAS pain scores. Results Smoking status and postoperative LOS were associated with opioid prescription doses. Patients prescribed opioids 80 MME/day-equivalent to 10 tablets of 5 mg oxycodone/day). Adjusted multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that postoperative opioid dosage/prescription was not a significant predictor of patients reporting at least 50% pain improvement, suggesting that 40 MME/day is sufficient to maintain patient satisfaction. Conclusion Patients receiving the lowest dosage of opioid prescriptions with sufficient nonopiate analgesics did not report worse pain relief at POD 30 compared to those receiving higher opioid prescriptions. In light of the opioid epidemic, this study supports initial dosing recommendations by the American Society for Addiction Medicine.Level of Evidence: 3.
Multiple bacterial virulence factors focused on adherence and biofilm formation associate with outcomes in cirrhosis

Altered gut microbiota is associated with poor outcomes in cirrhosis, including infections and hepatic encephalopathy (HE). However, the role of bacterial virulence factors (VFs) is unclear. Aim: D...
The Roles of Natriuretic Peptide Hormones in Fish Osmoregulation and Hemodynamics

Since the original description of the distinct natriuretic activity of an extract of rat atria (DeBold et al. 1981), it has become apparent that various members of a natriuretic peptide (NP) hormone family1 are synthesized in a variety of mammalian tissues (Vollmar 1990), but most specifically the heart and brain (Sudoh et al. 1990), and can produce multiple renal, adrenal, cardiovascular, and brain effects (e.g. Needleman et al. 1989; Brenner et al. 1990; Samson and Quirion 1990)2. In addition, preliminary results suggest that NPs may be important in the function of such diverse tissues as the thyroid (Ahren 1990), ovary (Tornell et al. 1990), thymus (Vollmar et al. 1990), and gut (Traynor and O’Grady 1991) of mammals. This variety of effects of NPs is mediated both by direct actions on specific tissues and via intermediary hormones (e.g. Samson and Quirion 1990). The intent of this review is to describe the emerging literature in comparative physiology suggesting that NPs may play an important role in fish osmoregulation and hemodynamics. Surprisingly, the bulk of evidence is consistent with a role in adaptation to seawater (and concomitant hypovolemia), rather than adaptation to freshwater (and hypervolemia) as might be expected from the NP-mediated response to hypervolemia as described in mammals (e.g. Brenner et al. 1990). Before reviewing the data supporting this conclusion, a short discussion of the function of NPs in mammals is appropriate.
The Hyperactive Lesion, beyond Anatomy

Coronary vasospastic angina is a well-characterized condition in which an epicardial coronary vessel transiently exhibits abnormal constriction leading to ischemia. The mechanism responsible for the excessive vessel contraction is believed to involve the interplay between smooth muscle dysfunction
Effects of human mononuclear cell factor on cultured rheumatoid synovial cells: Interactions of prostaglandin E2 and cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate☆

Abstract 1. 1. Adherent synovial cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis produce large amounts of collagenase (EC 3.4.24.3) and prostaglandin E 2 in culture, and these substances may play a crucial role in the degradation of joint structures in rheumatoid arthritis. A soluble factor isolated from cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells increases the level of collagenase and prostaglandin E 2 production by synovial cells up to several hundred-fold. 2. 2. In synovial cells exposed to mononuclear cell factor the first detectable release of prostaglandin E 2 into the incubation medium is associated with an increase in cyclic AMP levels. With continued exposure to exogenous prostaglandin E 2 or with prolonged incubation with mononuclear cell factor (stimulation of endogenous prostaglandin E 2 ), the cyclic AMP response to exogenous prostaglandin E 2 is suppressed. Incubation with indomethacin prevents the development of the refractory state by blocking endogenous prostaglandin E 2 production and maintains the ability of the cells to increase cyclic AMP levels in response to exogenous prostaglandin E 2 . Preincubation with mononuclear cell factor plus indomethacin results in augmented sensitivity to exogenous prostaglandin E 2 -induced increases in cyclic AMP levels which is greater than that observed in cells preincubated with indomethacin alone. 3. 3. Exposure of synovial cells to mononuclear cell factor also results in depression of cell proliferation. These effects may be due directly to increases in endogenous prostaglandin E 2 levels or secondarily to prostaglandin E 2 -induced increases in cyclic AMP levels. Mitogenic properties of mononuclear cell factor are revealed by blocking endogenous prostaglandin E 2 production with indomethacin. 4. 4. Cell products and drugs thus markedly affect prostaglandin production by synovial cells. The changes in endogenous prostaglandin E 2 levels and the associated alterations in cyclic AMP response may provide mechanisms for modulating other effects of such substances on synovial target cells.
Adrenal gland and sympathetic nervous system response in eclampsia

Abstract Urinary epinephrine and norepine phrine values were used as indices to evaluate the adrenal gland and sympathetic nervous system response, respectively, in 14 eclamptic patients. The study period focused on the temporal relationship of the convulsion and delivery process. Values were compared to previously established norms for the same study period. The data showed an increased adrenal gland activity as measured by epinephrine in 17 of 25 urine samples. Increased sympathetic nervous system activity, as measured by norepinephrine, was present in 18 of 25 urine samples. Elevated mean blood pressures were associated with increased amine levels in all but 2 eclamptic patients. The implications of these findings of increased adrenal gland and sympathetic nervous system activity are discussed.
New Approaches to Absorption Detection in Capillary Chromatography and Capillary Electrophoresis

Two new approaches for absorption detection in capillary columns are presented. They are applicable to columns as narrow as 10μm i.d. Both provide good sensitivity despite the very short optical pathlengths that are commonly available in commercial systems. The first involves irradiating the column along its axis rather than across the axis. The entire analyte zone can then participate in absorption. Gains up to 1000 fold can be expected. The second is a modification of laser-excited fluorescence. The absorbing analytes, even though they do not fluoresce efficiently, can transfer their energy to a fluorophore added to the mobile phase. The secondary emission can be used to detect absorption in the nanomolar range.
Engineering the S2 subsite specificity of human cathepsin S to a cathepsin L- and cathepsin B-like specificity

The primary specificity of papain-like proteinases is largely determined by S2-P2 site interactions. According to the three-dimensional structure of a papain-inhibitor complex, the S2 subsite is defined by residues 67, 68, 133, 157, 160, and 205, with residues 133, 157, and 205 integrated into the wall and bottom of the side chain binding cavity. The S2 binding site specificity of this enzyme has been altered to mimic that of cathepsin B or L by the application of site-directed mutagenesis at these latter three positions in the cathepsin S sequence. The replacement of Gly-133 in cathepsin S by an alanine residue that is normally found at this position in both cathepsin B and L results in a pattern of specificity toward hydrophobic residues in P2 that is very similar to that of cathepsin B and L. The replacement of other cathepsin S S2 subsite residues with their cathepsin L equivalents (mutants Val-157-->Leu, Phe-205-->Ala) does not significantly change the specificity of cathepsin S. Cathepsin B is distinguished from both cathepsin L and S by its ability to efficiently hydrolyze substrates containing a basic P2 residue. A single mutation in position 205 of cathepsin S (Phe-205-->Glu) results in a change of specificity toward that of cathepsin B, i.e. the second-order rate constant for the hydrolysis of the cathepsin B-specific substrate benzyloxycarbonyl-Arg-Arg-4-methyl-7-coumaryl-amide is increased 77-fold for this mutant compared with the wild-type enzyme. A cathepsin S double mutant Gly-133-->Ala/Phe-205-->Glu is characterized by somewhat improved kinetic parameters compared with the Phe-205-->Glu single mutant. The hydrolysis rate of the benzyloxy-carbonyl-Arg-Arg-4-methyl-7-coumarylamide substrate by this double mutant is 130-fold higher than that of the wild-type enzyme. As with cathepsin B, the activities of the Phe-205-->Glu single and the Gly-133-->Ala/Phen-205-->Glu double mutants of cathepsin S toward the dibasic substrate is modulated by an additional ionizable group with a pKa of 5.7.
Studies with the Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Receptor and Stimulation of in Vitro Transcription of the Gal Operon

Abstract To elucidate further how cyclic adenosine 3' : 5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and the cyclic AMP receptor are able to stimulate gal mRNA synthesis we have utilized an antiserum specific for cyclic AMP receptor and also cyclic GMP as inhibitors of cyclic AMP and cyclic AMP receptor action. When cyclic AMP, cyclic AMP receptor, DNA, and RNA polymerase are incubated together a rifampicin-resistant preinitiation complex is formed and, upon the addition of missing ribonucleoside triphosphates or Mg2+, gal mRNA synthesis occurs. If the preinitiation complex is formed in the absence of nucleoside triphosphates the antiserum is able to dissociate the complex. If the complex is formed in the presence of nucleoside triphosphates (no Mg2+), it is converted to a more stable form which is not reversed by the addition of antiserum. Cyclic GMP can prevent the formation of the preinitiation complex. However, we find that once the preinitiation complex has been formed cyclic GMP does not inhibit cyclic AMP receptor-cyclic AMP-dependent transcription, suggesting that RNA polymerase stabilizes cyclic AMP receptor-cyclic AMP binding to the gal promoter region.
Medicines for the world: boosting innovation without obstructing free access

Pricing advanced medicines beyond the reach of the poor and encouraging neglect of diseases concentrated among them, the TRIPS Agreement produces avoidable death and disease on a massive scale. This injustice can be remedied through a Health Impact Fund that gives patent holders the option to price any new medicine at cost in exchange for annual reward payments based on this medicine’s global health impact. Original in English.
Reporting Medical Device Hazards To Third Parties: Mandatory Versus Voluntary Programs

The currently proposed medical device problem reporting legislation will require hospitals and other healthcare facilities to file reports whenever a medical device may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury. The proposed legislation would set up a parallel, redundant reporting system to the existing FDA Medical Device Reporting (MDR) regulations and would place a massive burden on hospitals with a very vague rational and no indication of the benefits. For hospitals, a mandatory reporting requirement is likely to increase the amount of wasted time on the part of clinical engineers, materials managers, and risk managers without any improvement in resolving medical device hazards.
Shedding of soluble platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β from human brain pericytes

Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFRβ) is expressed in the brain by vascular mural cells-brain capillary pericytes and arterial vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Recent evidence shows that blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and increased permeability, especially in the hippocampus, positively correlates with elevated levels of soluble PDGFRβ (sPDGFRβ) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with mild dementia. To determine which vascular cell type(s) contributes to increased sPDGFRβ in CSF, we compared PDGFRβ expression and sPDGFRβ shedding in response to injury in early passage primary cultures of human brain pericytes, brain arterial VSMCs, and brain endothelial cells. PDGFRβ protein was undetectable in endothelial cells, but was found both in pericytes and VSMCs. PDGFRβ relative protein abundance was by 4.2-fold (p<0.05) higher in pericytes compared to VSMCs. Hypoxia (1% O2) or amyloid-β peptide (25 μM) compared to normoxia (21% O2) both increased over 48 h shedding of sPDGFRβ and its levels in the culture medium from pericytes cultures, but not from VSMCs cultures, by 4.3-fold and 4.6-fold, respectively, compared to the basal sPDGFRβ levels in the medium (1.43±0.15 ng/ml). This was associated with the corresponding loss of cell-associated PDGFRβ from pericytes and no change in cellular levels of PDGFRβ in VSMCs. Thus, sPDGFRβ is a biomarker of pericyte injury, and elevated sPDGFRβ levels in biofluids in patients with dementia and/or other neurodegenerative disorders likely reflects pericyte injury, which supports the potential for sPDGFRβ to be developed and validated as a biomarker of brain pericyte injury and BBB dysfunction.
Prevalence of depression and concomitant risk factors in pediatric patients with rheumatic disease

Participants were children, 8-17 years old, followed by a pediatric rheumatology practice and identified at a routine follow-up appointment. Children completed the Childhood Depression Inventory (CDI) and parent-child pairs completed a series of standardized measures documenting demographics, symptoms, health-related quality of life, coping mechanisms and psychosocial variables. The primary rheumatologist documented a global assessment of disease severity as well as disease activity scores for children with the diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), juvenile dermatomyositis (JDMS) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). One-way ANOVAs were completed to determine if demographic variables were significantly associated with depression. Pearson product moment correlations were run to determine relationships between the depression, pain, coping, quality of life, family conflict, physical functioning and disease severity. Hierarchal multiple regression analyses were run to determine which medical and psychosocial variables were significant predictors of depression in children with rheumatic disease, while controlling for demographic variables. Results At this time, 96 patients have been screened (78% female) and only data regarding demographics, length of diagnosis and physician documented disease activity has been examined. Five percent of the population was found to have clinically significant symptoms of depression while 15% of the population was found to be “at risk” for symptoms of depression. Seven percent of participants were receiving medication for depression and an additional 7% were involved in therapy at screening. Medication usage significantly correlated with increased CDI scores (increased depressive symptoms) whereas those in therapy had CDI scores comparable to their non-depressed peers. Total CDI score also significantly correlated with female gender and an increased number of children in the home. Neither years since diagnosis, active joint count, total SLEDAI score, JDMS disease activity score nor physician global assessment correlated with increased CDI scores. Additional analyses of psychosocial factors are in progress. Conclusion The prevalence and risk of depression among children with rheumatic diseases is comparable to previously reported data for a healthy population of children. Female gender and number of siblings are associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms. Early data suggests that medications appear to be less efficacious at controlling depressive symptoms than intervention with therapy.
Capacitive idling converters with decoupled input voltage and load regulation loops

A novel class of isolated capacitive idling power converter topologies featuring decoupled primary and secondary side feedback loops is presented. While preserving the cost, size and simplicity of conventional multiple output power converters, this new converter class possesses the following advantages: no need for isolation in the feedback, full regulation of all outputs from no-load to full-load, faster transient response, and independent short circuit protection of each output. >
Rate coefficients for charge transfer between hydrogen and the first 30 elements

We present analytic fits to charge exchange rate coefficients over the full range of temperatures which occurs in photoionized or shock-heated plasmas. We consider reactions between neutral hydrogen and all elements with parent ion charge {ital q}=1{minus}4 up to {ital Z}=30. Many rates were obtained from various sources in the literature. For reactions for which no data were available, we calculated rates using the Landau-Zener formalism. For these new reactions, we tabulate both total and state-specific rate coefficients. All are fitted with a consistent, accurate formula. These fits may be incorporated easily into spectral synthesis codes, and we make available an electronic form of our results. We draw attention to the most important reactions without high-quality rate coefficients to encourage further work. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Astronomical Society.}
Livestock welfare product claims: The emerging social context

An increasing number of product claims about food animal welfare or well-being have appeared in the global food industry and global market in recent years. These claims have significant consequences for producers, processors, transporters, retailers, consumers, and the animals themselves. Furthermore, recent restructuring of the global food industry has altered the power relationships of various actors. Regulation of the industry is moving toward greater private control, and the power of retailers has dramatically increased. The changing structure of the industry carries implications both in terms of how standards are created and in terms of the types of standards themselves. The purpose of this article is to provide a greater understanding of how these product claims are made, their implications, and the challenges they present.
Survivability of a silicon-based microelectronic gas-detector structure for high-temperature flow applications

Abstract This investigation addresses the important question of whether or not silicon-based micromachined chemical sensors are a viable option for gas sensing in harsh, high-temperature flow applications such as automotive exhaust. Data are presented on the thermal and mechanical stability and long-term functionality of micromachined silicon devices containing ultra-thin Pt/TiO x films supported on a heated multilayer silicon oxide/silicon nitride membrane. These gas detectors were originally designed for use in vacuum applications such as reactive ion etching systems. Significant modifications in device structure and materials are required to adapt these sensors for use in harsh thermal and chemical environments at elevated pressures. To test the long-term structural integrity of the sensors, they are subjected to a test protocol including pressure fluctuations, thermal shock, and mechanical vibrations. For characterization purposes, electrical resistance measurements, optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Auger spectroscopy have been used. Our results indicate that properly designed micromachined silicon structures can survive long-term operation at high temperatures in ambient air, and can withstand rapid fluctuations of temperature, pressure, and flow rate.
Molecular modeling for calculation of mechanical properties of epoxies with moisture ingress

Atomistic models of epoxy structures were built in order to assess the effect of crosslink degree, moisture content and temperature on the calculated properties of a typical representative generic epoxy. Each atomistic model had approximately 7000 atoms and was contained within a periodic boundary condition cell with edge lengths of about 4 nm. Four atomistic models were built with a range of crosslink degree and moisture content. Each of these structures was simulated at three temperatures: 300 K, 350 K, and 400 K. Elastic constants were calculated for these structures by monitoring the stress tensor as a function of applied strain deformations to the periodic boundary conditions. The mechanical properties showed reasonably consistent behavior with respect to these parameters. The moduli decreased with decreasing crosslink degree with increasing temperature. The moduli generally decreased with increasing moisture content, although this effect was not as consistent as that seen for temperature and crosslink degree.
Laminar Natural Convection in a Discretely Heated Cavity: II—Comparisons of Experimental and Theoretical Results

Three-dimensional numerical predictions and experimental data have been obtained for natural convection from a 3 X 3 array of discrete heat sources flush-mounted on one vertical wall ofa rectangular cavity and cooled by the opposing wall. Predictions performed in a companion paper revealed that three-dimensional edge effects are significant and that, with increasing Rayleigh number, flow and heat transfer become more uniform across each heater face. The three-dimensional predictions are in excellent agreement with the data of this study, whereas a two-dimensional model of the experimental geometry underpredicts average heat transfer by as much as 20 percent. Experimental row-averaged Nusselt numbers are well correlated with a Rayleigh number exponent of 0.25 for Ra Lz ≤ 1.2 X 10 8 .
25 - 100-keV X-Ray Diagnostics for the 200-TW Trident Laser

The sub-ps Trident laser is upgraded to deliver >100 J on target. We are prepared to measure conversion efficiencies of 200-TW laser light to K-shell emission. X-ray diagnostics include a simple, inexpensive Laue X-ray spectrograph and a set of Ross filter pairs. The sensitivity of Si p-i-n diodes is adequate to record X-ray emission up to 100 keV. With carefully matched Ross filter pairs, the diodes permit estimation of the signal between the filter edges of two channels through subtraction of signals. Estimates suggest that the signal-to-noise ratio of the K-shell signal to X-ray continuum and leakage from filter mismatch is adequate to determine the conversion efficiency. These instruments will be employed to optimize the efficiency of X-ray backlighters in this energy range.
Emergency Department Utilization as a Measure of Physician Performance

Visits to the emergency department (ED) are costly, and because some of them are potentially avoidable, some types of ED visits also may be indicative of poor care management, inadequate access to care, or poor choices on the part of beneficiaries. Billings and colleagues developed an algorithm to analyze ED visits and assign probabilities that each visit falls into several categories of appropriateness. The algorithm has been used previously to assess the appropriateness of ED visits at the community or facility level. In this analysis, the authors explain how the Billings algorithm works and how it can be applied to individual physician practices. The authors then present illustrative data from 2 years of Medicare claims data from 5 states. About one third of ED visits are deemed appropriate, and about half could have been treated in a primary care outpatient setting. Another 15% were deemed preventable or avoidable.
Age changes in the neuromuscular system of rats.

Abstract Experimental Aging Research, 1976, 2, (61, 75–84 Data relating to the effects of aging on the neuromuscular system of rats have been reviewed and summarized. Age effects on muscle, nerve and neuromuscular junction are presented only in a descriptive, qualitative manna, primarily due to paucity of well controlled experimentation in this area. Certain morphological and biochemical changes taking place with aging of the neuromuscular system are discussed, taut no conclusive hypotheses can be presented at this time explaining diminution of motor activity in old animals.
Decreased AMP-activated protein kinase activity is associated with increased inflammation in visceral adipose tissue and with whole-body insulin resistance in morbidly obese humans

Inflammation and infiltration of immune cells in white adipose tissue have been implicated in the development of obesity-associated insulin resistance. Likewise, dysregulation of the fuel-sensing enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been proposed as a pathogenetic factor for these abnormalities based on both its links to insulin action and its anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we examined the relationships between AMPK activity, the expression of multiple inflammatory markers in visceral (mesenteric and omental) and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue, and whole-body insulin sensitivity in morbidly obese patients (BMI 48±1.9 kg/m(2)) undergoing gastric bypass surgery. AMPK activity was assessed by Western-blots (P-AMPK/T-AMPK) and mRNA levels of various markers of inflammation by qRT-PCR. Patients were stratified as insulin sensitive obese or insulin-resistant obese according to their HOMA-IR values. The results indicate that AMPK activity is lower in visceral than in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue of these patients and that this is associated with an increased expression of multiple inflammatory genes. They also revealed that AMPK activity is lower in adipose tissue of obese patients who are insulin resistant (HOMA-IR>2.3) than in BMI-matched insulin sensitive subjects. Furthermore, this difference was evident in all three fat depots. In conclusion, the data suggest that there are close links between reduced AMPK activity and inflammation in white adipose tissue, and whole-body insulin resistance in obese humans. Whether adipose tissue AMPK dysregulation is a causal factor for the development of the inflammation and insulin resistance remains to be determined.
Molecular determinants of sexual differentiation

The processes of sexual differentiation have been greatly clarified by molecular biologic discoveries over the past five years. Gonadal differentiation into a testis or ovaries is controlled by a multitude of genes beginning with SRY which is believed to represent the testis determining factor. Other genes involved include SF-1, WT-1, DAX-1, and SOX9. The fully developed testis produces Mullerian inhibiting substance and testosterone to create the male phenotype; the female phenotype develops in their absence. This hormonally-driven process also requires additional factors and appropriate receptors. Errors in this pathway may be manifested clinically as intersex disorders, and the study of these disorders has helped to further elucidate the molecular mechanisms of sexual differentiation.
Group behavioral therapy for adolescents with tic-related and non-tic-related obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Prior research supports the distinction between tic-related and non-tic–related obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) based on phenomenologic, etiologic, and neurobehavioral data. The present study examines whether response to psychosocial treatment differs in adolescents, depending on the presence of comorbid tics. Nineteen adolescents, 12–17 years of age, participated in 7-week, uncontrolled trial of group cognitive–behavioral treatment (CBT) for OCD. Eight of the patients had tic-related and eleven had non-tic–related OCD. The group CBT program included psycho-education, exposure and response prevention, cognitive strategies, and family involvement. Significant improvement was observed for all subjects on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale ratings of obsessions, compulsions, and total OCD symptoms. Outcomes were similar for subjects with tic-related and non-tic–related OCD. These preliminary results suggest that the presence of comorbid tic disorders may not attenuate response to behavioral group treatment among adolescents. Depression and Anxiety 17: 73–77, 2003. & 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Transcriptional Regulation: It Takes a Village

A FASEB conference on "Transcriptional Regulation during Cell Growth, Differentiation and Development" met in June, 2008, just outside of Aspen in Snowmass Village, Colorado. The meeting covered a broad range of topics, including the structure of transcription factors (TFs), Preinitiation Complex (PIC) assembly, RNA polymerase II (Pol II) pausing, genome-wide patterns of histone modifications, and the role of TFs in development.
Two dimensional echocardiography in differentiating right atrial and tricuspid valve mass lesions

Atrial myxoma has been diagnosed on the basis of a characteristic M mode echocardiographic pattern of a mass of echoes appearing, with a lag phase, beneath the anterior leaflet of the mitral or tricuspid valve in diastole. However, this pattern is not specific for an atrial tumor. Two patients are described with tricuspid leaflet endocarditic vegetations whose M mode echocardiograms were strikingly similar to the M mode tracing from a patient with a large right atrial myxoma. In a fourth patient, artifact, resulting from the failure of lateral resolution of the atrial wall, was also capable of producing a mass of echoes appearing, with a lag phase, beneath the anterior tricuspid valve leaflet in diastole. In each patient, two dimensional echocardiography confirmed the presence or absence of a right-sided mass lesion and defined more precisely the location of the echocardiographic density relative to the right atrium and tricuspid valve. Because two dimensional echocardiography is capable of detecting anatomic relations in two distance dimensions and of visualizing movement of intracardiac structures relative to one another in real time, it can play an important role in the identification and differential diagnosis of intracardiac mass lesions.
Preservation of algal and higher plant ribosomal RNA integrity during extraction and electrophoretic quantitation

Abstract Isolation of high molecular weight ribosomal RNA from the wall-less alga Olisthodiscus luteus and the angiospermous plant Sauromatum guttatum is described. It has been found that a buffer which contains magnesium must be used to successfully isolate Olisthodiscus rRNA whereas the isolation of intact Sauromatum rRNA requires a buffer system containing a high amount of the chelator EDTA, Sauromatum but not Olisthodiseus extracts were contaminated with ribonuclease unless the inhibitor diethylpyrocarbonate was used during the ribonucleic acid extraction procedure. Nuclease levels were monitored by coincubating [ 3 H]-labeled Escherichia coli ribosomal RNA with the experimental RNA samples. The effects of detergents on the isolation and quantitation of RNA are presented, and methods to avoid loss of highly thermolabile plant ribosomal RNA species are discussed.
Research from the Model Spinal Cord Injury Systems: Findings from the current 5-year grant cycle

This issue of the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is dedicated to current research findings of the Model Spinal Cord Injury Systems (MSCIS) program. The MSCIS grants were established by the Rehabilitation Services Administration in the 1970s. Now administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services in the US Department of Education, the program has included 27 spinal cord injury centers in the United States over the years. In the current 5-year grant cycle (2000-2005), there are 16 designated regional MSCIS centers. In addition to establishing a comprehensive system of care, the grantees contribute patient data to the National Spinal Cord Injury Database (which now contains data on 30,532 subjects with follow-up of up to 30 y). In addition, the MSCIS grants enable the conduct of site-specific and collaborative research projects. To highlight the research findings of the program, the MSCIS have produced a special dissemination effort during each of the previous 5 grant cycles, with this issue of the Archives representing the latest of these endeavors. This article provides a brief history of the MSCIS program and highlights the important findings of the 17 original research articles contained in this issue.
Measures of opportunity and the calculation of the arson rate: The connection between operationalization and association

The crime of arson is complicated in part because of the motives associated with the offense and the vast assortment of combustible objects or targets deliberately burned in urban areas. This research attempts to conceptualize the crime in light of criminal law and demonstrates that arson occupies a rather unique position. Although classified as a property crime, the legislative intent appears to focus on the protection of human life. Moreover, legislative developments have brought us to the point where burning almost any property is designated arson. There is a growing concern over the incidence of arson, but there has been little discussion of how to calculate the arson rate when the targets of opportunity are not known. The exploratory research presented here addresses the structure of arson rates by using an assortment of indirect and direct measures of opportunity as denominators in the calculation of the arson rate. Factor analysis reduces a 27×27 correlation matrix to six significant factors and demonstrates that some measures share the same underlying rate structure. By using a factorbase scale (dependent variable) for each factor and a set of independent variables, regression analysis reveals that there are differences in the direction of association, the degree of association, and the types of independent variables that associate with different measures of the arson rate.
Development and experimental testing of an optical micro-spectroscopic technique incorporating true line-scan excitation.

Multiphoton micro-spectroscopy, employing diffraction optics and electron-multiplying CCD (EMCCD) cameras, is a suitable method for determining protein complex stoichiometry, quaternary structure, and spatial distribution in living cells using Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) imaging. The method provides highly resolved spectra of molecules or molecular complexes at each image pixel, and it does so on a timescale shorter than that of molecular diffusion, which scrambles the spectral information. Acquisition of an entire spectrally resolved image, however, is slower than that of broad-bandwidth microscopes because it takes longer times to collect the same number of photons at each emission wavelength as in a broad bandwidth. Here, we demonstrate an optical micro-spectroscopic scheme that employs a laser beam shaped into a line to excite in parallel multiple sample voxels. The method presents dramatically increased sensitivity and/or acquisition speed and, at the same time, has excellent spatial and spectral resolution, similar to point-scan configurations. When applied to FRET imaging using an oligomeric FRET construct expressed in living cells and consisting of a FRET acceptor linked to three donors, the technique based on line-shaped excitation provides higher accuracy compared to the point-scan approach, and it reduces artifacts caused by photobleaching and other undesired photophysical effects.
Serum dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) activity in acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Serial serum dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) activities were determined in 32 patients admitted to the Coronary Care Unit with chest pain, 9 with acute myocardial infarction and 23 with other diagnoses. The values of DBH were elevated in both groups on day one. The acute myocardial infarction group showed a slower decline and reached a baseline plateau at day five when compared to the control group whose values fell significantly by day two. The reason for the quantitative difference between the two groups is speculative and may be related to changes in plasma volume. Increases in DBH are not specific for myocardial infarction but a nonspecific response to stress.
Characterization of Self-Assembled Alkanethiol Monolayers on Silver and Gold Using Surface Plasmon Spectroscopy

We report the surface plasmon study on a variety of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of n-alkanethiols, HS(CH2)nCH3 (n = 11, 13, 15, 17, 19), absorbed to silver and gold surfaces, in terms of thicknesses, indices, and tilt-angles. We have found that the refractive indices for the alkanethiols attached to Ag increase gradually as alkyl chain length increases. Likewise, the refractive indices for Au increase gradually to an alkyl chain length of n = 17, at which point its refractive index decreases slightly. The indices vary from a low value of 1.33 to 1.44. This gradual increase in index is not unexpected since it suggests that differences in packing and consequent bulk polarizability, χ(1), is affected by alkyl chain length. A molecular modeling minimized n-alkanethiol length and its corresponding experimental surface plasmon thickness were used to determine the tilt-angle for each of the various alkanethiols via a projection analysis. We found that the tilt-angles of the n-alkanethiols attached to Ag beg...
Measuring Value in Open Access Repositories

Open access institutional repositories were created to promote access to information, encourage scholarly communication, and demonstrate institutional prestige. While these repositories have been widely adopted, the quality of their contents often fails to represent their institution's scholarly output. Moreover, current research uses measurements of quantity, not quality, to assess their value. In response, this article opens new areas of scholarly inquiry by assessing the quality of contents. This is accomplished through a cross-sectional study of repositories at American colleges and universities across the academic spectrum, using citation indexing to identify an institution's articles and authors of highest impact.
Improving antibiotic utilization among hospitalists: a pilot academic detailing project with a public health approach.

BACKGROUND Inappropriate use of antibiotics is a major clinical problem and public health concern. We developed and implemented a pilot hospitalist-delivered academic detailing intervention to improve the patterns of antibiotic prescribing for inpatients. OBJECTIVE To improve antibiotic prescribing patterns on the hospitalist service of an academic medical center. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Hospitalist practitioners were recruited to participate in this pre- and postintervention pilot study at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center (JHBMC). Public health principles for creating a conceptual framework based on behavioral change theory were used in developing the intervention. METHODS Antibiotic prescribing patterns of 17 hospitalist practitioners were retrospectively reviewed. Antimicrobial prescriptions were classified as appropriate, effective but inappropriate, or inappropriate. A profile was assembled for each hospitalist, and an academic detailing intervention session was arranged. The session reviewed inappropriate prescribing practices as well as current practice guidelines. After the detailing meeting, the prescribing patterns of the hospitalists were followed prospectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main outcome measures were the proportions of antibiotics prescribed inappropriately before the intervention, during the detailing period, and after the intervention. RESULTS Seventeen hospitalist practitioners who participated in the study. A total of 247 prescriptions were reviewed in the preintervention and 129 prescriptions in the postintervention period. Prior to academic detailing, 43% (95% CI 37%-49%) of the prescriptions were appropriate and 57% (95% CI 51%-63%) were inappropriate. After the intervention, 74% (95% CI 65%-81%) of the prescriptions were appropriate and 26% (95% CI 19%-35%) were inappropriate; P < .0001. CONCLUSIONS A carefully planned and methodically executed intervention can result in behavior change, even among busy hospitalists. The academic detailing intervention, which included a practice-based learning component, improved antibiotic prescribing practices of hospitalists at JHBMC. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2008;3:64–70. © 2008 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Climatic limits of exotic genera in the Legler palynoflora, miocene, New Jersey, U.S.A.

Abstract Climate of the Legler lignite paleoflora (Miocene, New Jersey, U.S.A.) was estimated using the Bailey system of bioclimatology. The data indicate that the Legler climate was warm, very temperate, with short, periodic frosts, and had ample precipitation with no dry season. New Jersey climate is now colder and has much greater frost frequencies.
The Cholinergic Gene Locus Is Coordinately Regulated by Protein Kinase A II in PC12 Cells

The vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) gene and the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) gene comprise the cholinergic gene locus. We have studied the coordinate regulation of these genes by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in the rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 and PC12 PKA-deficient mutants. Both ChAT and VAChT mRNA increased approximately fourfold after treatment of PC12 cells with dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP). ChAT and PKA activity were also increased by dbcAMP. The basal levels of ChAT and VAChT mRNAs in the PKA-deficient cell lines were both about six times lower than in wild-type PC12 cells, and were induced less than twofold by addition of dbcAMP. H-89 and H-9, specific inhibitors for PKA, reduced ChAT and VAChT mRNA levels to approximately one-third that of untreated cells and ChAT activity to approximately one-fourth that of untreated PC12 cells. Activation of PKA type II, but not PKA type I, increased ChAT activity approximately threefold. Analysis of reporter gene constructs indicates that PKA affects gene transcription at an upstream site in the cholinergic gene locus. These results demonstrate that the expression of the ChAT and VAChT genes is regulated coordinately at the transcriptional level, and a signaling pathway specifically involving PKA II plays an important role in this process.
The symbol grounding problem … remains unsolved

Taddeo and Floridi [2007. A praxical solution of the symbol grounding problem. Minds and Machines, 17, 369–389. (This paper is reprinted in Floridi, L. (2011). The philosophy of information. Oxford: Oxford University Press)] propose a solution to the symbol grounding problem (SGP). Unfortunately, their proposal, while certainly innovative, interesting and – given the acute difficulty of SGP – brave, merely shows that a class of robots can in theory connect, in some sense, the symbols it manipulates with the external world it perceives, and can, on the strength of that connection, communicate in sub-human fashion.
Schistosoma mansoni: Identification, characterization, and purification of the spine glycoprotein by monoclonal antibody

A tegumental surface membrane antigen of Schistosoma mansoni has been identified by use of a monoclonal antibody. The binding of 125I-labeled monoclonal antibody showed that proteins sharing antigenic determinants recognized by this monoclonal antibody were present in cercariae and worms of both sexes, but were absent from schistosome egg extract. The protein molecules expressing these antigenic determinants differed in molecular weight: 120,000 in cercaria and 170,000 in male and female worms. The cercarial glycoprotein immunoprecipitated with the monoclonal antibody was also immunoprecipited by sera of infected humans, as shown by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and tryptic peptide mapping. The location of the glycoprotein identified by the monoclonal antibody was restricted to the spines of the schistosomular surface, the tubercle-associated spines of the male worm, and the dorsal spines of the female worm. The spine glycoprotein was readily purified by immunoaffinity chromatography. These findings are discussed in relation to parasite development and the relevance of this antibody for serodiagnosis and immunoprophylaxis.
Abdominal Wall Endometrioma Found During Abdominoplasty

Extrauterine manifestations of endometriosis are well-recognized and frequently encountered by gynecologists, but are not necessarily familiar to the plastic surgery community. With the current increase in gastric bypass procedures performed and the subsequent increase in abdominal wall reconstructions secondary to massive weight loss, the plastic surgeon should have some familiarity with the diverse presentations of this common disease. To help with this, the authors present the case of an abdominal wall endometrioma diagnosed during abdominoplasty.