cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Osmolality and potassium cause alterations in the volume of glomerulosa cells

Alterations in extracellular osmolality have a powerful inverse effect on aldosterone secretion and potassium- and angiotensin-stimulated aldosterone secretion. Whether alterations in extracellular osmolality produced sustained changes in cell volume that may contribute to the regulation of aldosterone secretion is not known. Using dispersed bovine glomerulosa cells grown in primary culture, the effect of alterations in osmolality on cell volume, measured by the distribution of [14C]urea and [3H]inulin and videometric analysis of the surface area of glomerulosa cells, was determined. Alterations in osmolality had an inverse effect on cell volume and surface area. Changes in cell volume induced by exposure to anisotonic medium were 52% greater (P > 0.02) than that predicted by the changes in osmolality. Increases in potassium concentration also caused sustained (1-h) concentration-dependent increases in cell volume and surface area. Angiotensin-II did not increase glomerulosa cell volume, but did produce a small dose-dependent transient increase in cell surface area. The results demonstrate that alterations in osmolality do cause sustained changes in cell volume, and thus, membrane stretch could be an important part of the cellular mechanism responsible for causing osmolality-induced changes in the cytosolic calcium concentration and subsequent alterations in aldosterone secretion. Alterations in membrane stretch may also be an important component of potassium-induced, but not angiotensin II-induced, aldosterone secretion.
Feedback effects of ovarian steroids on the hypothalamic-hypophyseal axis in the rabbit.

The feedback effects of two ovarian steroids, estradiol-17 beta (E2) and 20 alpha-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one (20 alpha OH), were examined in both intact (INT) and ovariectomized (OVEX) does. We measured steroid-induced alterations in endogenous gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from sequential 10-min samples of hypothalamic perfusates, simultaneous changes in peripheral plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and the modification of pituitary responsiveness, i.e., increments in plasma LH (delta LH) and plasma FSH (delta FSH), after 50 ng, 250 ng, and 1 microgram of exogenous GnRH in individual does of 6 treatment groups. The groups were: INT does, OVEX does, OVEX does receiving either one (1 E2) or two (2 E2) E2-filled Silastic capsules, OVEX does receiving a 20 alpha OH-filled capsule (20 alpha OH), and OVEX does receiving both capsules of E2 and 20 alpha OH (1 E2 + 20 alpha OH). Ovariectomy enhanced the pulsatile release of hypothalamic GnRH and pituitary LH and FSH, and increased the LH response (delta LH) to exogenous GnRH (OVEX vs. INT, p less than 0.05). Replacement of E2 at the time of ovariectomy prevented the increased GnRH and gonadotropin secretion as well as the enhanced delta LH that were observed in untreated OVEX does. The release of hypothalamic GnRH in the 20 alpha OH group was lower (p less than 0.05) than that in the OVEX group and not different from that in the INT group. The release of pituitary LH and FSH and the delta LH in the 20 alpha OH group was not different from that in the OVEX group, but these parameters were greater (p less than 0.05) than those in the INT group. The hypothalamic GnRH pulse frequency in the 1 E2 + 20 alpha OH group was lower (p less than 0.05) than that in either the 1 E2 or the 20 alpha OH group, but the delta LH in the 1 E2 + 20 alpha OH group was not different from that in either the 1 E2 or the 20 alpha OH group. The highest dose (1 microgram) of exogenous GnRH stimulated a modest increase in FSH in the OVEX, 20 alpha OH, 1 E2 + 20 alpha OH, and 1 E2 groups; but a steroid effect on delta FSH among these 4 groups was not apparent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The effect of flat-on-ring sample alignment on sliding friction break-in curves for aluminum bronze on 52100 steel

Abstract The effects of test sample fixturing on the interpretation of frictional break-in behavior are described for dry sliding flat-on-ring tests of CDA 688 bronze on 52100 steel. It is demonstrated that for otherwise similar test conditions ( i.e. 10 N load, 20 cm s −1 velocity, 1 μm polished block surfaces and flowing argon gas environment) tilt of the fixed flat block can affect the break-in duration for friction and for wear because of the rate at which a balance of steady state sliding surface contact conditions is achieved.
Foerstia and recent interpretations of early, vascular land plants

Schopf, James M. 1978 04 15: Foerstia and recent interpretations of early, vascular land plants Foerstia should be regarded as a marine fucoid, contrary to the recent interpretation of Gray and Boucot who relate these fossils to land plants. Although the megaspore coats are resistant and may be waxy, the thallus lacks cuticle and it has internal filamentous tissue like Fucus and other fucoidal algae. The megaspores, borne in fucoidal conceptacles, are unusual and may be forerunners of the more reduced oocytes that occur in modern Fucales. Detailed illustrations are provided. There is no evidence that these plants have ever been anything but marine. Likewise, tubular microfossils that show internal thickenings and occur in Ordovician and Silurian marine deposits should not be designated ‘tracheid-like’, as done by Gray and Boucot, because it is unlikely they represent land plants or function in conduction. They show a surprisingly consistent association with Chitinozoa. They illustrate the adage that structures identified simply by their form may be of diverse origin. Neither Foersria nor the annulate tubules are relevant to the origin of temestrial vegetation.
Comments on "A perceptual channel for information transfer over kilometer distances: Historical perspective and recent research"

For more than 100 years, scientists have attempted to determine the truth or falsity of claims for the existence of a perceptual channel whereby certain individuals are able to perceive and describe remote data not presented to any known sense. This paper presents an outline of the history of scientific inquiry into such so-called paranormal perception and surveys the current state of the art in parapsychological research in the United States and abroad. The nature of this perceptual channel is examined in a series of experiments carried out in the Electronics and Bioengineering Laboratory of Stanford Research Institute. The perceptual modality most extensively investigated is the ability of both experienced subjects and inexperienced volunteers to view, by innate mental processes, remote geographical or technical targets including buildings, roads, and laboratory apparatus. The accumulated data indicate that the phenomenon is not a sensitive function of distance, and Faraday cage shielding does not in any apparent way degrade the quality and accuracy of perception. On the basis of this research, some areas of physics are suggested from which a description or explanation of the phenomenon could be forthcoming.
A Laboratory Simulation of Selected in-Field Influences on Hearing Protector Performance

Overestimation of hearing protector noise attenuation, as based on laboratory-obtained data, combined with several in-field factors which often degrade protector performance, poses the threat of underprotection for the user. This research investigated the effects of several work-related factors, including wearing time, movement activity, and fitting procedure, on the frequency-specific attenuation achieved with a foam cushion earmuff, two types of earplugs, (slow-recovery foam and flanged polymer), and an earmuff over foam earplug combination. Using a real-ear-attenuation-at-threshold testing procedure, attenuation data were collected from 40 subjects at nine test frequencies. Occluded thresholds were obtained before, during, and after the movement activity task, so that the effects of wearing time and task activity could be determined. The tasks were designed to elicit movements akin to those performed in the typical industrial workplace. The results indicated that achieved attenuation was significantly ...
Toward Homogeneous Erythropoietin: Application of Metal-Free Dethiylation in the Chemical Synthesis of the Ala79-Arg166 Glycopeptide Domain

We describe herein the assembly of hEPO(79–166), a key glycopeptide segment en route to erythropoietin, in minimally protected form. Key to the success of this synthetic endeavor was the application of our two-step cysteine-free native chemical ligation strategy, by which we achieved formal ligation at alanine and proline residues through the use of an N-terminal amino acid surrogate presenting a readily removable thiol functionality.
Electrically coupled loop antenna as a dual for the planar inverted‐f antenna

The electrically coupled loop antenna is presented as a dual for the existing planar inverted F antenna (PIFA).The basic drawbacks of the PIFA are low radiation efficiency and high electric field in the near zone. The dual antenna has high radiation efficiency and low electric field in the near zone that makes it a good candidate for cellphones and implanted antenna applications. The antenna is designed and simulated using HFSS and the results are compared with the measured data. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:1409–1412, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27553
Dentistry’s Prospects for the Future: A Personal Perspective

How will the practice of dentistry change in the coming years? This paper discusses the future of dentistry from both an organizational and personal point of view.
High community dissimilarity at low productivity causes the productivity-richness relation to vary with observational scale

It is widely reported that the productivity-richness relation (PRR) is highly variable, and several field studies suggest that the PRR varies with observational scale. Here we provide the first experimental study to test whether the PRR is scale-dependent when all replicate ecosystems have similar initial conditions. We also test the relation between productivity and compositional dissimilarity, and whether the PRR varies with ecosystem size. Moderately complex replicated microcosms were assembled consisting of a range of protozoa, algae, and a diverse bacterial flora. We found that the PRR of protozoan and algal communities varied with observational scale, but was unrelated to ecosystem size. Specifically, protozoan and algal richness increased monotonically with productivity at the local scale, but became flattened at the regional scale. This varying PRR at different scales occurred because dissimilarity among replicates decreased with productivity. Thus, in this model system, our experimental approach found a different form of scale dependence than previous field research. We speculate that this difference results from different processes governing extinctions at low levels of productivity.
Fusion of chick embryo skeletal myoblasts: Interactions of prostaglandin E1, adenosine 3′:5′ monophosphate, and calcium influx

In the accompanying paper (J. D. David, W. M. See, and C.-A. Higginbotham, 1981, Develop. Biol. 82, 297–307) we demonstrated that a net calcium influx into fusion-competent myoblasts is a requisite step in membrane fusion. R. J. Zalin (1974, Cell 2, 103–108; 1977, Develop. Biol. 59, 241–248) has shown that a prostaglandin E1 (PGE1)-dependent transient rise in cAMP occurs 5–6 hr prior to myoblast fusion. In this communication we show that (1) the increase in intracellular cAMP precedes, and/or is independent of, the calcium influx; (2) the calcium influx is either directly or indirectly dependent on PGE1 activity as well as PGE1 synthesis; and (3) although the cAMP increase may be essential for fusion, it is not sufficient in the absence of calcium influx. Our experiments define fusion competency, at a minimum, as (1) the accumulation of extracellular PGE1 receptors; (2) the accumulation of intracellular cAMP receptors; and (3) the ability to respond to a calcium influx.
Etoposide-Platin Combination Therapy for Chemorefractory Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

The purpose of this study was to determine activity of etoposide-platin combination chemotherapy for chemorefractory gestational trophoblastic disease. A retrospective review of patients treated with etoposide-platin chemotherapy for chemorefractory trophoblastic disease was conducted. Patients received etoposide 100 mg/m2 and cisplatin 20 mg/m2 on Days 1 through 5 of 14- to 21-day cycles. Patient characteristics, responses, and toxicity were recorded. Seven women received etoposide-platin for chemorefractory disease. The median WHO prognostic index score upon initiation of therapy was 16 (range, 10-20) and patients had received a median 6 cycles of prior combination chemotherapy. Five patients developed grade IV neutropenia, four developed neutropenic sepsis, and two required platelet transfusions. Two patients developed significant deterioration of renal function. Six (86%) patients had complete responses, with normalization of hCG values, but only three (43%) patients with low pretherapy hCG levels have had sustained remissions. Etoposide-platin chemotherapy is an active regimen for the treatment of women with chemorefractory gestational trophoblastic disease but has significant hematologic and renal toxicity when used as salvage therapy. Future studies should investigate the incorporation of etoposide-platin into initial therapy of women with high-risk disease.
Enhancing Damage Identification Robustness to Noise and Damping Using Integrated Bistable and Adaptive Piezoelectric Circuitry

The accurate and reliable identification of damage in modern engineered structures is essential for timely corrective measures. Vibration-based damage prediction has been studied extensively by virtue of its global damage detection ability and simplicity in practical implementation. However, due to noise and damping effects, the accuracy of this method is inhibited when direct peak detection (DPD) is utilized to determine resonant frequency shifts. This research investigates an alternative method to detect frequency shifts caused by structural damage based on the utilization of strongly nonlinear bifurcation phenomena in bistable electrical circuits coupled with piezoelectric transducers integrated with the structure. It is shown that frequency shift predictions by the proposed approach are significantly less susceptible to error than DPD when realistic noise and damping levels distort the shifting resonance peaks. As implemented alongside adaptive piezoelectric circuitry with tunable inductance, the new method yields damage location and severity identification that is significantly more robust and accurate than results obtained following the DPD approach.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Vibrational frequencies and structural determination of trichloroboroxine.

Abstract The normal mode frequencies and corresponding vibrational assignments of trichloroboroxine (B3O3Cl3) in D3h symmetry are examined theoretically using the Gaussian 98 set of quantum chemistry codes. All normal modes were successfully assigned to one of five types of motion (BCl stretch, BO stretch, BCl bend, OBO bend, and B(OOCl) umbrella motion) predicted by a group theoretical analysis. By comparing the vibrational frequencies with IR and Raman spectra available in the literature, a set of scaling factors is derived. Molecular orbitals and bonding are examined.
The effect of quinidine and mexiletine on the adaptation of ventricular refractoriness to an increase in rate.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of quinidine and mexiletine on the adaptation of ventricular refractoriness to a change in heart rate. The ventricular effective refractory period was measured at a basic drive cycle length of 500 msec with basic drive train durations of two beats, eight beats, 20 beats and 3 minutes. The ventricular refractory periods were measured in the baseline state and after oral treatment with quinidine or mexiletine in 20 subjects each. In the baseline state, there was progressive shortening of the ventricular refractory period as the drive train duration increased from two beats to 3 minutes. Quinidine prolonged refractoriness by 5% (p < 0.001) at each drive train duration. Mexiletine did not affect the ventricular effective refractory period at any of the drive train durations. In a control group of 20 subjects, there were no significant differences between two determinations of refractoriness at each basic drive train duration. In conclusion, neither quinidine nor mexiletine affect the adaptation of ventricular refractoriness to an increase in rate. Although the ventricular effective refractory period measured with a conventional basic drive train duration of eight beats is often more than 20 msec longer than the actual ventricular effective refractory period measured with a drive train duration of 3 minutes, the effects of quinidine and mexiletine on the conventionally measured ventricular effective refractory period accurately reflect the effects of these drugs on the actual ventricular effective refractory period.
Power supply aspects of semiconductor equipment

This article presents data concerning the often ``unmentioned'' influences of semiconductors upon power sources, other equipment, and the user. The influence of methods of power control and the resulting harmonics is considered in detail, including some new data on the effect of unbalanced firing angles. Also presented is information relative to metering accuracy, radio, telephone, and control-circuit interference, lamp flicker, and semiconductor influence, including the characteristics of a new RFI-free switching device. In addition, aspects of regulatory agencies are considered, and detailed references for further in-depth study are given.
Discrete Evolutionary Birth-Death Processes and Their Large Population Limits

We study a class of discrete-state Markovian models of evolutionary population dynamics for k types of organisms, called discrete evolutionary birth-death processes (EBDP). The organisms in a model environment interact with each other by playing a certain game. Birth rates for type i organisms at time t are determined by their expected payoff in the game against an opponent chosen randomly from the environment at time t. Death rates at time t for all the organism types are equal, and proportional to the total population at time t. A discrete EBDP is therefore a continuous-time Markov chain on the nonnegative k-dimensional integer lattice, with state transitions to neighboring vertices only. A certain system of k nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODE) can be derived from the discrete EBDP, and used as a deterministic approximation. We prove that a properly scaled sequence of EBDP's converges (in probability, uniformly on bounded sets) to the solution of the system of ODE's. We also prove that a di...
Synthesis of highly functionalized tropolones by rhodium(II)-catalyzed reactions of vinyldiazomethanes with oxygenated dienes

Abstract Rhodium(II) catalyzed decomposition of vinyldiazomethanes to vinylcarbenoids in the presence of oxygenated dienes leads to the regioselective synthesis of cycloheptadienes by a tandem cyclopropanation/Cope rearrangement. The resulting cycloheptadienes are readily hydrolyzed and oxidized, leading to a very direct and general synthesis of highly functionalized tropolones.
Astrophysics: How fast can you blink?

Serendipitous observations have revealed fast optical flaring after the onset of X-ray-burst activity from a source in our Milky Way galaxy. It could be the first time this has been observed in a rare kind of neutron star.
Comparing non-parametric regression lines via regression depth

This paper deals with the problem of comparing non-parametric regression lines corresponding to two independent groups when there is one predictor. For the usual linear model, the goal reduces to testing the hypothesis that the slopes, as well as the intercepts, are equal. The approach is based in part on a slight generalization of the notion of regression depth as defined by Rousseeuw and Hubert [Regression depth, J. Am. Statis. Assoc. 94 (1999), pp. 388–402]. Roughly, the hypothesis testing strategy begins by fitting two robust non-parametric regression lines to the first group. The first is based on the data from the first group, and the other uses the data from the second group. If the null hypothesis is true, the difference between the resulting depths should be relatively small. The same is true when fitting non-parametric regression lines to the second group. In contrast to most methods for comparing non-parametric regression lines, the focus is on a (conditional) robust measure of location. Moreov...
LOCAL MANAGEMENT OF HAZARDOUS WASTES FROM SMALL-SCALE AND COTTAGE INDUSTRIES

Abstract This paper reviews, documents and discusses the hazardous waste problems associated with small-scale and cottage industries (SSIs) in developing countries. It aims at achieving a better understanding of the characteristics of SSIs, helps to identify those industries that contribute significantly to environmental pollution and occupational exposure, and focuses attention on local management options. Four case studies confirm that the troublesome SSIs are highly concentrated in urban areas and give rise to local impacts primarily. Priorities for action will almost certainly include some combination of information and educational campaigns for SSI owners and workers, accompanied by policies and incentives to promote good housekeeping and the adaption of low-waste, efficient production technologies, and by some form of collective waste handling—possibly through industrial relocation, but more likely by local waste collection and treatment systems whether municipal or private. To succeed, coordinated actions are needed by national and local officials, local training and technology transfer centers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and industrial associations. International technical and financial assistance can help promote and support such local actions.
Influence of hemostatic factors on spontaneous abortion

To assess the relationship between hemostatic factors and spontaneous abortion, 134 pregnant women presenting to the emergency department were recruited and followed through 22 weeks' gestation. Cases were women experiencing a spontaneous abortion and controls were women who maintained their pregnancy. Fibrinogen, factor VII antigen, activated protein C-sensitivity ratio (APC-SR), protein S, and plasmin-antiplasmin (PAP) were measured. Cases had lower mean levels of fibrinogen and factor VII antigen compared with controls (3.1 g/L vs. 3.7 g/L and 89% of normal vs. 109% of normal, respectively). Regression analyses found that women with fibrinogen levels below 3.0 g/L had a five-fold increased risk of spontaneous abortion (OR = 5.1, 95% CI: 1.8-14.4) and women with factor VII antigen levels below 94% of normal had a threefold increased risk of spontaneous abortion normal (OR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.2-8.5). Similar mean levels of APC-SR, protein S, and PAP were found in the two groups.
Cytomegalovirus impairs antiviral CD8+ T cell immunity by recruiting inflammatory monocytes

Summary Inflammatory monocytes are key early responders to infection that contribute to pathogen-host interactions in diverse ways. Here, we report that the murine cytomegalovirus-encoded CC chemokine, MCK2, enhanced CCR2-dependent recruitment of these cells to modulate antiviral immunity, impairing virus-specific CD8 + T cell expansion and differentiation into effector cytotoxic T lymphocytes, thus reducing the capacity to eliminate viral antigen-bearing cells and slowing viral clearance. Adoptive transfer of inflammatory monocytes into Ccr2 −/− Ccl2 −/− mice impaired virus antigen-specific clearance. Cytomegalovirus therefore enhances a natural CCR2-dependent immune regulatory network to modulate adaptive immunity via nitric oxide production, reminiscent of the monocytic subtype of myeloid-derived suppressor cells primarily implicated in cancer immunomodulation.
Speaker Variability Augments Phonological Processing in Early Word Learning.

Infants in the early stages of word learning have difficulty learning lexical neighbors (i.e. word pairs that differ by a single phoneme), despite their ability to discriminate the same contrast in a purely auditory task. While prior work has focused on top-down explanations for this failure (e.g. task demands, lexical competition), none has examined if bottom-up acoustic-phonetic factors play a role. We hypothesized that lexical neighbor learning could be improved by incorporating greater acoustic variability in the words being learned, as this may buttress still-developing phonetic categories, and help infants identify the relevant contrastive dimension. Infants were exposed to pictures accompanied by labels spoken by either a single or multiple speakers. At test, infants in the single-speaker condition failed to recognize the difference between the two words, while infants who heard multiple speakers discriminated between them.
Atomistic simulations of nanoindentation in the presence of vacancies

This paper investigates the effect of vacancies on dislocation nucleation in iron by means of molecular dynamics atomistic simulations at low temperatures. Increasing the vacancy concentration resulted in a decrease in the load at the onset of plasticity following a power law relationship. Dislocations did not nucleate at a vacancy in these simulations. This suggests that vacancies, even without diffusing within the solid, may impact experimental observations of dislocation nucleation using nanoindentation.
Mirror, mirror: narcissism and aging in Elizabeth Taylor's Angel and Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres

Abstract By thinking about narcissism in conjunction with aging, we start to recognize various forms of narcissism. The charge of “narcissistic” can be used as a cultural curb of whole groups, while the same behaviors may go unnoted for other groups. In addition, by looking at narcissists' paradoxical dependence upon others to maintain grandiose self-images, we can consider how some elderly are doubly at risk from what they have done to themselves as well as from what others may do to them. Elizabeth Taylor's novel Angel and Jane Smiley's novel A Thousand Acres represent elderly characters with pathological narcissism and explore the construction and effects of that narcissism.
Prior Learning Assessment: A Review of Bloom's Taxonomy and Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning: Practical Uses for Prior Learning Assessment

(2007). Prior Learning Assessment: A Review of Bloom's Taxonomy and Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning: Practical Uses for Prior Learning Assessment. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education: Vol. 55, No. 3, pp. 64-66.
The Challenges of Managing Electronic Records in the ESARBICA Region

Every organisation, be it private or public, generates records to document actions, outline goals and programmes, identify rights and privileges and communicate information. The great advances made in the use of information technology (IT) in recent years has revolutionised communication both within and outside the organisation, and also the way in which information is stored and retrieved. This has brought great professional challenges to archivists who, for years, were content to work in the secure world of unchanging paper records. At issue therefore is the ability of archivists to process and manage all records, irrespective of storage media, according to acceptable archival standards and guidelines in order to fulfil their mandate and obligations. ESARBICA Journal Vol.20 2001: 57-61
Rare Activation of the TCF/β-Catenin Pathway in Ovarian Cancer

Abstract Objective. The activation of the T cell factor/β-catenin pathway is a crucial event in colon cancer initiation. A recent report describing the presence of β-catenin mutations in endometrioid ovarian cancer suggested that the TCF/β-catenin pathway may be generally activated in ovarian cancer. We therefore undertook to determine the frequency of activation of this pathway in ovarian cancer cell lines using a functional screen. Methods. We functionally screened a series of ovarian cancer cell lines for the presence of constitutive TCF/β-catenin-mediated transcriptional activity using a reporter assay. Lines possessing such activity were subjected to mutational and gel-shift analysis, as well as sensitivity to the introduction of dominant-negative TCF or APC alleles. A cDNA harboring a β-catenin point mutation found in an ovarian cancer line was incorporated into an expression plasmid for functional analysis. Results. Constitutive TCF/β-catenin transcriptional activity was detected in 21% (4 of 19) of ovarian lines studied, while 32% (6 of 19) exhibited greater than twofold repression. One of the constitutively active lines, UCI107, harbored an activating β-catenin point mutation, which was shown to be capable of inducing TCF/β-catenin transcriptional activity in transiently transfected 293 cells. A second active line, SW626, was shown to harbor an inactivating APC mutation and may in fact be of colonic origin. The third and fourth lines harbored neither an APC nor a β-catenin mutation. Gel-shift analysis, together with the absence of sensitivity to dominant-negative TCF, indicated that the reporter activity exhibited by the latter two cell lines may not be due to a TCF/β-catenin transcriptional complex. Conclusions. These results indicate that genuine constitutive activation of the TCF/β-catenin pathway is infrequent in ovarian cancer, but that constitutive transcriptional repression from TCF sites is more common in this tumor type.
Psychiatric Patients' Competency to Collude With Hospital Police in "Sting" Operations: A Case Report and Practice Implications

This article describes the case of a hospitalized psychiatric patient who colluded with hospital police in a “sting” operation designed to catch a hospital employee selling drugs. The patient had failed a drug test and was told that he could avoid criminal charges by cooperating in the “sting.” We argue that the patient was asked to enter into a contract with the hospital police when he was pressed to collude with them in the “sting” operation and that his competence to enter into that contract should have been formally assessed. Although there are no explicit legal criteria that must be met for a person to be competent to collude with police, recognized criteria exist for determining a person's competence to enter into a contract. Our position is that hospitalized patients should only be permitted to collude with police when they are competent to enter into a contract and can enter into the contract voluntarily. Research pertaining to psychiatric patients' abilities to meet these criteria is reviewed, an...
Sequential changes in ribosomal activity during the activation and cessation of growth in lymphocytes stimulated with concanavalin A

The ribosomal activity in human peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated by concanavalin A has been characterized during the passage of cells from the resting (G0) state, through maximum mitotic activity, and into a secondary resting state. The total ribosome content increased progressively after the addition of concanavalin A and after 72 hours reached a maximal 10-fold increase. Lymphocytes cultured for 120 hours returned to a low metabolic activity, but still contained four times more ribosomes per cell than unstimulated lymphocytes. During the first 24 hours free ribosomes, which were originally 64% of resting cell ribosomes, decreased to 27% of total particles. Thereafter they reaccumulated until, at 120 hours, free ribosomes again comprised 61% of the total ultraviolet absorbance and the total polysome profile resembled that for resting cells, despite the higher ribosome content. Analysis of the rate of protein synthesis and the corresponding quantity of polysomes at different times in the growth sequence revealed that protein synthesizing efficiency of polysomes was initially low and rose for the first 48 hours of culture. After 48 hours, polysomes with low protein synthesizing efficiency reappeared. Following pulse labeling of rRNA with [3H]uridine, the redistribution of newly synthesized ribosomal particles was followed. A decreased flow of ribosomes through polysomes was evident at 48 hours and thereafter. Diminution in polysome efficiency, reduced flow of particles through polysomes, and accumulation of free ribosomes thus characterize the cessation of growth which occurs as a physiological event in Con A-stimulated lymphocyte cultures. Nevertheless, these changes begin at or before the peak of RNA, protein and DNA synthetic activity, showing that the biochemical mechanisms related to cessation of cell growth begin to function during the height of cell growth in a system under physiological control.
Pharmacotherapy of hormone refractory prostate cancer: new developments and challenges.

Hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) remains a challenge in the management of prostate cancer patients. With the widespread use of PSA (prostate specific antigen), recurrent disease after local treatment for localised prostate cancer is usually diagnosed long before evidence of metastatic disease. In many cases, hormonal manipulations are started at the time of biochemical relapse and therefore, patients become ‘hormone refractory’ earlier in the course of their disease, frequently with a good performance status, often with no evidence of metastatic disease, and they still face a considerably long life expectancy. Despite these changes, the need for more options in the treatment of HRPC is obvious. The pharmacological treatments that are in use and those that are under investigation for this group of patients will be discussed and include: cytotoxic agents including the microtubule inhibitors, alone and in combination with other conventional or experimental therapies such as calcitriol or thalidomide...
Enantioselective synthesis of bicylco[3.2.1]octan-8-ones using a tandem Michael-Henry reaction.

Abstract Bicyclo[3.2.1]octan-8-ones have been prepared from a tandem Michael–Henry reaction between cyclohexane-1,2-diones and nitroalkenes using a quinine-derived thiourea as the catalyst. Although four stereogenic centers were created during the reaction, only two diastereomers were obtained in good diastereoselectivity and high enantioselectivity (92–99% ee). When 3-methylcyclohexane-1,2-dione (R1=Me) was used as the substrate, only the regioisomeric product of the corresponding thermodynamic enolate was obtained.
Mechanisms and Consequences of Alternative Polyadenylation

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is emerging as a widespread mechanism used to control gene expression. Like alternative splicing, usage of alternative poly(A) sites allows a single gene to encode multiple mRNA transcripts. In some cases, this changes the mRNA coding potential; in other cases, the code remains unchanged but the 3 ′ UTR length is altered, influencing the fate of mRNAs in several ways, for example, by altering the availability of RNA binding protein sites and microRNA binding sites. The mechanisms governing both global and gene-specific APA are only starting to be deciphered. Here we review what is known about these mechanisms and the functional consequences of alternative polyadenylation.
Teaching tobacco dependence treatment and counseling skills during medical school: Rationale and design of the Medical Students helping patients Quit tobacco (MSQuit) group randomized controlled trial

Abstract Introduction Physician-delivered tobacco treatment using the 5As is clinically recommended, yet its use has been limited. Lack of adequate training and confidence to provide tobacco treatment is cited as leading reasons for limited 5A use. Tobacco dependence treatment training while in medical school is recommended, but is minimally provided. The MSQuit trial (Medical Students helping patients Quit tobacco) aims to determine if a multi-modal and theoretically-guided tobacco educational intervention will improve tobacco dependence treatment skills (i.e. 5As) among medical students. Methods/design 10 U.S. medical schools were pair-matched and randomized in a group-randomized controlled trial to evaluate whether a multi-modal educational (MME) intervention compared to traditional education (TE) will improve observed tobacco treatment skills. MME is primarily composed of TE approaches (i.e. didactics) plus a 1st year web-based course and preceptor-facilitated training during a 3rd year clerkship rotation. The primary outcome measure is an objective score on an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) tobacco-counseling smoking case among 3rd year medical students from schools who implemented the MME or TE. Discussion MSQuit is the first randomized to evaluate whether a tobacco treatment educational intervention implemented during medical school will improve medical students' tobacco treatment skills. We hypothesize that the MME intervention will better prepare students in tobacco dependence treatment as measured by the OSCE. If a comprehensive tobacco treatment educational learning approach is effective, while also feasible and acceptable to implement, then medical schools may substantially influence skill development and use of the 5As among future physicians.
Influence of Folate on Arterial Permeability and Stiffness in the Absence or Presence of Hyperhomocysteinemia

Objective— Elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) is associated with risk for cardiovascular disease. A common cause of mild hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is folate deficiency. We sought to determine whether folate deficiency per se increases arterial permeability (quantitative fluorescence microscopy) and stiffness (vessel elastigraph), and whether the effects of folate deficiency are more severe in the presence of mild HHcy. Methods and Results— Heterozygous cystathionine β-synthase (CBS)-deficient mice (CBS +/− ) and their wild-type littermates (CBS +/+ ) were fed chow containing either standard (Con) or relatively low amounts of folate (LF) for 18±3 weeks. Liver folate (μg folate/g liver) and tHcy (μM), respectively, were 12±1 and 8±1 in CBS +/+ Con mice (n=12), and 8±1 and 8±1 in CBS +/+ LF animals (n=5). Carotid arterial permeability was &38% greater ( P +/+ LF versus Con mice, but vascular stiffening was unaltered. Liver folate and tHcy, respectively, were 13±1 and 11±1 in CBS +/− Con mice (n=16), and 8±1 and 16±3 in CBS +/− LF animals (n=6). Carotid arterial dextran accumulation was &31% greater, and maximal strain in aortae was &20% lower (both P +/− LF versus Con mice. Conclusion— Taken together, low folate ( P P +/− mice produced more arterial dysfunction compared with low folate alone (ie, CBS +/+ mice). These findings may be particularly relevant to elderly individuals because tHcy and deficiencies of folate metabolism increase with age.
Synchronous Small Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma of the Colon: A Link for Common Stem Cell Origin?

Synchronous carcinomas have been recognized for over a century, with synchronous primary adenocarcinoma of the colon reported to range from 2–11% of cases involving this type of malignancy. Small cell carcinomas occur frequently with colorectal adenomas; however, despite these reports and a known adenoma-to-carcinoma sequence, scarce literature exists on synchronous colorectal adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinomas. We present a rare cancer of synchronous small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas and discuss a possible link between these two cancers.
Un‐Separate and Still Unequal? Three Books about American Education and Race at the End of the Liberal Century

Multicultural Education, Transformative Knowledge, and Action: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives. James Banks, ed. New York: Teachers College Press, 1996. 352 pp. Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. Lisa Delpit. New York: The New Press, 1995. 206 pp. Beyond Desegregation: The Politics of Quality in African American Schooling. Mwalimu J. Shujaa, ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 1996. 268 pp.
Fluctuations associated with sheared velocity regions near auroral arcs

The theory of electrostatic, collisional plasma modes that are driven unstable by a sheared field-aligned ion flow velocity (i.e., Vio=Vo(x)eˆz, Bo=Boez) is presented. The threshold condition for the instability is V′o/νin>2 (1+Ti/Te) and the unstable modes are characterized by k∥«k⟂ such that λ∥(=2π/k∥)»λm and 2πρi<λ⟂(=2π/k⟂)≲Lv, where V′o=dVo/dx, νin is the ion-neutral collision frequency, λm is the electron mean-free-path, ρi is the ion gyroradius and Lv is the velocity shear scale length. It is shown that the linear instability provides a direct means of exciting the observed [Basu et al., 1986, 1988] sub-km scale irregularities in the auroral F-region. The spectral characteristics of the density and the electric field fluctuations that can be inferred from the theory are found to be consistent with the observations.
Structure of HP0564 from Helicobacter pylori identifies it as a new transcriptional regulator.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a gram-negative, pathogenic bacterium that infects half the world’s population and is responsible for the majority of cases of gastric and duodenal ulcers1. Uniquely adapted to survive the low pH conditions, it is the only organism that can establish a permanent infection of the human stomach. In the most severe cases, long-term infection can lead to gastric cancer. With approximately 1,500 genes, H. pylori has a relatively small genome and very few transcriptional regulators described to date2,3. This has been explained by the fact that it has only one environmental niche and must respond to only a small number of stimuli compared to free living bacteria. It has been reported that the number of transcriptional regulators in bacteria increases proportionally to the square of the number of genes in the genome4. Nevertheless, our understanding of the regulation of metabolic processes and environmental responses in H. pylori is far from complete. Here, we report the solution structure of HP0564 (JHP0511 in the sequenced strain J993), a protein with no assigned function. Although it has no sequence homologs outside of H. pylori, our structural analysis indicates that it is a member of the ribbon-helix-helix superfamily (Pfam protein domain family PF01402) of transcriptional regulators. These proteins bind to specific DNA sequences with high affinity and usually act as repressors.
History of medical mycology in the united states.

INTRODUCTION 237 THE ERA OF DISCOVERY, 1894 TO 1919 237 Overview, 1894 to 1900 237 Scientific Contributions, 1894 to 1900 237 Blastomycosis 237 Coccidioidomycosis 239 Sporotrichosis 239 Mycotic mycetoma 239 Dermatophytosis 239 Overview, 1900 to 1919 239 Scientific Contributions, 1900 to 1919 239 Coccidioidomycosis 239 Sporotrichosis 240 Blastomycosis 240 Histoplasmosis 240 Chromoblastomycosis 240 Zygomycosis 241 THE FORMATIVE YEARS, 1920 TO 1949 241 Overview, 1920 to 1929 241 Scientific Contributions, 1920 to 1929 241 Mycotic mycetoma 241 Cryptococcosis 241 Histoplasmosis 241 Sporotrichosis, an occupational disease 241 Laboratory diagnosis 242 Skin test development 242 First training and research center 242 Overview, 1930 to 1939 242 Scientific Contributions, 1930 to 1939 242 Coccidioidomycosis 242 Meningeal infections 243 Histoplasmosis 243 Chromoblastomycosis 243 Taxonomy and classification 243 Fungal endotoxins 244 Training and research centers 244 Overview, 1940 to 1949 244 Scientific Contributions, 1940 to 1949 244 Systemic candidiasis 244 Zygomycosis 244 Mycotic mycetoma 244 Pseudallescheriasis 244 Epidemiology and ecology 245 Laboratory diagnosis 245 Antifungal agents 245 Training and research centers 245 THE ADVENT OF ANTIFUNGAL AND IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE THERAPIES, 1950 TO 1969 246 Overview, 1950 to 1959 246 Scientific Contributions, 1950 to 1959 246 Opportunistic fungal infections in compromised patients 246
Towards animating ray-traced volume visualization

Ray-tracing volumetric data may take several minutes to compute a single image from a fixed viewpoint. We present techniques that generate approximate ray-traced volumetric images in less than one second per image, after a lengthy initialization process is performed. These approximate images are based on methods that interpolate data sampled at locations on a sphere.
Enhanced Functionalities of Whey Proteins Treated with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Abstract The functionality of whey proteins can be modified by many approaches; for example, via complexation with carbohydrates, enzymatic cross-linking, or hydrolysis, and the objective of this work was to research the effects of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2 ) treatments on the functionalities of commercial whey protein products including whey protein isolates (WPI) and whey protein concentrates (WPC). The WPI and WPC powders and a 10% (wt/vol) WPI solution were treated with scCO 2 . The WPI solution was treated at 40°C and 10MPa for 1h, whereas WPI and WPC powders were treated with scCO 2 at 65°C and 10 or 30MPa for 1h. Dynamic rheological tests were used to characterize gelation properties before and after processing. Compared with the unprocessed samples and samples processed with N 2 under similar conditions, scCO 2 -treated WPI, whether dispersed in water or in the powder form during treatments, formed a gel with increased strength. The improvement in gelling properties was more significant for the scCO 2 -treated WPC. In addition, the scCO 2 -processed WPI and WPC powders appeared to be fine and free-flowing, in contrast to the clumps in the unprocessed samples. Proximate compositional and surface hydrophobicity analyses indicated that both compositional and structural changes may have contributed to enhanced whey protein functionalities. The results suggest that functionalities of whey proteins can be improved by scCO 2 treatment to produce novel ingredients.
Host responses to alphavirus infection

SUMMARY: Members of the Alphavirus genus are classified into New World and Old World groups based upon their disease characteristics and primary areas of endemicity. The two groups exhibit noteworthy differences in pathogenesis during human infection, with Old World viruses primarily causing febrile and arthritogenic diseases and the New World viruses causing encephalitis. In this review, we summarize the major factors contributing to disease manifestations observed in murine models of alphavirus infection. We concentrate upon differences between particular viruses as they relate to interaction with myeloid lineage cells (particularly dendritic cells and macrophages), both in terms of virus replication efficiency and host cell responses to infection. In addition, we discuss the effects of mutations acquired during cell culture-adaptation of alphaviruses upon our understanding of important factors in pathogenesis. Finally, we focus on the role of host innate immune responses, in particular the type I interferon (IFN-alpha/beta) system, in determining the permissivity of myeloid and other cell types. Recent contributions to the current understanding of identities and mechanisms of action of IFN-alpha/beta-induced antiviral effectors in vitro and in vivo are also discussed.
INTERPLAY BETWEEN DNA REPLICATION AND RECOMBINATION IN PROKARYOTES

The processes of DNA replication and recombination are intertwined at many different levels. In diverse systems, extensive DNA replication can be triggered by genetic recombination, with assembly of a replication complex onto a D-loop recombination intermediate. This and related pathways of replisome assembly allow the completion of DNA replication when forks initiated at a conventional replication origin fail before completing replication of the genome. In addition, the repair of double-strand breaks or gaps by homologous recombination requires at least limited DNA replication to replace the missing information. An intricate interplay between replication and recombination is also evident during the termination of bacterial DNA replication and during the induction of the bacterial SOS response to DNA damage.