cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Social Determinants Screening/Mapping Tools to Identify Needs and Resources for Student-Run Free Clinic Patients

Background: Social determinants of health have been well accepted as contributing to health outcomes. They are a vital aspect of health care delivery and must be a consideration, especially among free clinic populations. Social determinants of health have also become a required element of medical school curricula. The Student Outreach to Area Residents Student-Run Free Clinic based out of Northeast Ohio Medical University piloted a student-led program that implemented social determinants of health screening and community resource referral as a part of integrated health care delivery for all its patients. Methods: We described the development of a screening tool, protocol, and creation of community resource referral materials. We also described the tracking of patient-reported needs and mapping of location and accessibility of community resources. One hundred patients were surveyed through convenience sampling, and results were used for program improvement. Results/Conclusion: After collecting and analyzing survey results, it was found that the 2 most frequently requested determinants were mental health and utilities services, and the most available community resource was emergency food services. We also mapped these results by zip code and found gaps between need and distribution of services. We demonstrated the utility of mapping to identify points of improvement for the future. We also provided lessons learned related to effective social determinants of health screening, community resource referral, and overall program implementation in student-run free clinics. We further explained the benefits of including similar student-led programs as a way for students to gain practical experience related to social determinants of health.
Non-Hermitian metasurfaces for the best of plasmonics and dielectrics

Materials and their geometry make up the tools for designing nanophotonic devices. In the past, the real part of the refractive index of materials has remained the focus for designing novel devices. The absorption, or imaginary index, was tolerated as an undesirable effect. However, a clever distribution of imaginary index of materials offers an additional degree of freedom for designing nanophotonic devices. Non-Hermitian optics provides a unique opportunity to take advantage of absorption losses in materials to enable unconventional physical effects. Typically occurring near energy degeneracies called exceptional points, these effects include enhanced sensitivity, unidirectional invisibility, and non-trivial topology. In this work, we leverage plasmonic absorption losses (or imaginary index) as a design parameter for non-Hermitian, passive parity-time symmetric metasurfaces. We show that coupled plasmonic-photonic resonator pairs, possessing a large asymmetry in absorptive losses but balanced radiative losses, exhibit an optical phase transition at an exceptional point and directional scattering. These systems enable new pathways for metasurface design using phase, symmetry, and topology as powerful tools.
Mechanisms of DNA Transposition

DNA transposases use a limited repertoire of structurally and mechanistically distinct nuclease domains to catalyze the DNA strand breaking and rejoining reactions that comprise DNA transposition. Here, we review the mechanisms of the four known types of transposition reactions catalyzed by (1) RNase H-like transposases (also known as DD(E/D) enzymes); (2) HUH single-stranded DNA transposases; (3) serine transposases; and (4) tyrosine transposases. The large body of accumulated biochemical and structural data, particularly for the RNase H-like transposases, has revealed not only the distinguishing features of each transposon family, but also some emerging themes that appear conserved across all families. The more-recently characterized single-stranded DNA transposases provide insight into how an ancient HUH domain fold has been adapted for transposition to accomplish excision and then site-specific integration. The serine and tyrosine transposases are structurally and mechanistically related to their cousins, the serine and tyrosine site-specific recombinases, but have to date been less intensively studied. These types of enzymes are particularly intriguing as in the context of site-specific recombination they require strict homology between recombining sites, yet for transposition can catalyze the joining of transposon ends to form an excised circle and then integration into a genomic site with much relaxed sequence specificity.
Sun protection policy in elementary schools in Hawaii.

INTRODUCTION Childhood sun exposure is a major risk factor for skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the United States. Schools in locations that receive high amounts of ultraviolet radiation have been identified as important sites for reducing excessive sun exposure. METHODS The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of sun protection policies, environmental features, and attitudes in public elementary schools in Hawaii. Surveys were sent to all (n = 177) public elementary school principals in Hawaii. Non-respondents were called three weeks after the initial mailing. The survey asked about sun protection policies, environmental features, and attitudes toward sun protection. The survey was designed to measure all seven components of Guidelines for School Programs to Prevent Skin Cancer, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RESULTS Seventy-eight percent of schools responded to the survey. Only one school had a written school policy. Almost all schools (99.3%) scheduled outdoor activities during peak sun hours. School uniforms rarely included long pants (6.5%), long-sleeved shirts (5.1%), or hats (1.5%). Current policies did not support or restrict sun protection habits. Almost one third of those surveyed were in favor of a statewide policy (28.1%), and most believed excessive sun exposure was an important childhood risk (78.9%), even among non-white students (74.5%). CONCLUSION Results of this study suggest the following: 1) school personnel in Hawaii are concerned about childhood sun exposure; 2) current school policies fail to address the issue; 3) most schools are receptive to developing sun protection policies and programs; and 4) students appear to be at high risk for sun exposure during school hours.
Worse outcomes for patients undergoing brain tumor and cerebrovascular procedures following the ACGME resident duty-hour restrictions

Object On July 1, 2003, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) implemented duty-hour restrictions for resident physicians due to concerns for patient and resident safety. Though duty-hour restrictions have increased resident quality of life, studies have shown mixed results with respect to patient outcomes. In this study, the authors have evaluated the effect of duty-hour restrictions on morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and charges in patients who underwent brain tumor and cerebrovascular procedures. Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to evaluate the effect of duty-hour restrictions on complications, mortality, length of stay, and charges by comparing the pre-reform (2000–2002) and post-reform (2005–2008) periods. Outcomes were compared between nonteaching and teaching hospitals using a difference-in-differences (DID) method. Results A total of 90,648 patients were included in the analysis. The overall complication rate was 11.7%, with the rates not significant...
Multiple ABC transporters are involved in the acquisition of petrobactin in Bacillus anthracis

Summary In Bacillus anthracis the siderophore petrobactin is vital for iron acquisition and virulence. The petrobactin-binding receptor FpuA is required for these processes. Here additional components of petrobactin reacquisition are described. To identify these proteins, mutants of candidate permease and ATPase genes were generated allowing for characterization of multiple petrobactin ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-import systems. Either of two distinct permeases, FpuB or FatCD, is required for iron acquisition and play redundant roles in petrobactin transport. A mutant strain lacking both permeases, ΔfpuBΔfatCD, was incapable of using petrobactin as an iron source and exhibited attenuated virulence in a murine model of inhalational anthrax infection. ATPase mutants were generated in either of the permease mutant backgrounds to identify the ATPase(s) interacting with each individual permease channel. Mutants lacking the FpuB permease and FatE ATPase (ΔfpuBΔfatE) and a mutant lacking the distinct ATPases FpuC and FpuD generated in the ΔfatCD background (ΔfatCDΔfpuCΔfpuD) displayed phenotypic characteristics of a mutant deficient in petrobactin import. A mutant lacking all three of the identified ATPases (ΔfatEΔfpuCΔfpuD) exhibited the same growth defect in iron-depleted conditions. Taken together, these results provide the first description of the permease and ATPase proteins required for the import of petrobactin in B. anthracis.
Market Power in the Corn Sector: How Does It Affect the Impacts of the Ethanol Subsidy?

Market power is discussed in debates about subsidies for ethanol production. The structural conditions in the corn industry create a case for concerns about market power. We develop an analytical model for determining the production and price impacts and the distribution of benefits from the U.S ethanol subsidy when upstream sellers in the seed sector and downstream buyers in the processing sector may exercise market power. Results demonstrate that the impacts on prices and output are probably limited. Distribution impacts are much greater. Seed producers and corn processors with market power capture relatively large shares of subsidy benefits.
Recommendations for Teaching Psychology

>Teaching is one of the legs in the academic tripod, along with research and service. As a typical academic psychologist, you will find that teaching will occupy a significant percentage of your time, despite the fact that you may never get any formal training in pedagogy. Today, with increasing numbers of universities offering training in teaching to graduate students, more people are starting their professional careers prepared to teach. Some psychology graduate students receive teaching preparation directly from their departmental mentors. Many take part in training organized by a campus centers for teaching and learning. In either case, graduate students who attend rigorously to this kind of training and mentoring are fortunate; regardless of their innate success with students, they are better able to articulate the elements of their craft, they enter the job market ready to teach well, and they have a much easier time making the transition from student to academic professional. They are also more likely to be in control of the teaching ­process in a way that allows them to vary the style they use and the amount of time they spend on teaching, while maintaining a very high standard for themselves and their students.
A new index for ranking fuzzy numbers

A procedure for ranking discrete fuzzy numbers is presented. This procedure uses the index previously proposed by the authors (1990). Some numerical examples are presented and the results are compared with those obtained by Yager's procedure (1981). >
Importance of core polarization in halo nuclei

A comment on the importance of core polarization in halo nuclei. I point out that although core polarization is suppressed in neutron halos, it plays an essential role in their binding mechanism.
Aorto-mitral annular dynamics

Abstract Background The aortic and mitral valves are coupled through fibrous aorto-mitral continuity, but their synchronous dynamic physiology has not been completely characterized. Methods Seven sheep underwent implantation of five radiopaque markers on the left ventricle, 10 on the mitral annulus, and 3 on the aortic annulus. One of the mitral annulus markers was placed at the center of aorto-mitral continuity (mitral annulus "saddle horn"). Animals were studied with bi-plane videofluoroscopy 7 to 10 days postoperatively. Total circumference and lengths of mitral fibrous annulus, mitral muscular annulus, aortic fibrous annulus, and aortic muscular annulus were calculated throughout the cardiac cycle from three dimensional marker coordinates as was mitral annular area and aortic annular area. Aorto-mitral angle was determined as the angle between the centroid of the aortic annulus markers, the saddle horn, and the centroid of the mitral annulus markers. Aortic annulus and mitral annulus flexion was expressed as the difference between maximum and minimum values of the aortic and mitral annulus angles during the cardiac cycle. Results Mitral and aortic annular areas changed in roughly a reciprocal fashion during late diastole and early systole with an overall 32 ± 8% change in aortic annular area and a 13 ± 13% change in mitral annular area. Aortic fibrous annulus changed much less than aortic muscular annulus (6 ± 2% vs 18 ± 4%; p = 0.0003) as did mitral fibrous annulus relative to mitral muscular annulus (4 ± 1% vs 8 ± 2%; p = 0.004). Aortic annulus and mitral annulus flexion was 8 ± 2° and increased to 11 ± 2° ( p = 0.009) with inotropic stimulation. Conclusions Dynamic aortic and mitral annular area changes were not mediated through the anatomic fibrous continuity. Aorto-mitral flexion, which increased with enhanced contractility, may facilitate left ventricle ejection. The effect of valvular surgical interventions on aorto-mitral flexion needs further investigation.
Suitability of Scapteriscus spp. Mole crickets [ Ort.: Gryllotalpidae ] as hosts of Larra bicolor [Hym.: Sphecidae]

Larra bicolor F. wasps successfully parasitized and developed on 5 species ofScapteriscus mole cricket hosts:S. abbreviatus Scudder,S. didactylus (Latreille),S. imitatus Nickle & Castner,S. vicinus Scudder, andS. acletus Rehn & Hebard. Examinations of the mole crickets 10–14 and 20–24 days post-parasitization revealed large differences among host species in the frequency of survival of the developing parasites. The percentages of successful development were:S. abbreviatus=90 %,S. imitatus=87 %,S. acletus=79 %,S. vicinus=51 %, andS. didactylus=18 %. Statistical analysis showed that the percentage of successful parasite development observed onS. didactylus was significantly different from all other species tested. No significant difference was found among the other 4 species.L. bicolor wasps were unsuccessful in parasitizing 90 % of theNeocurtilla hexadactyla (Perty) mole crickets offered, due to a sticky, viscous fluid they excreted when attacked.
The reaction of indole with the aminoacrylate intermediate of Salmonella typhimurium tryptophan synthase: observation of a primary kinetic isotope effect with 3-[2H]indole

The bacterial tryptophan synthase alpha(2)beta(2) complex catalyzes the final reactions in the biosynthesis of L-tryptophan. Indole is produced at the active site of the alpha-subunit and is transferred through a 25-30 A tunnel to the beta-active site, where it reacts with an aminoacrylate intermediate. Lane and Kirschner proposed a two-step nucleophilic addition-tautomerization mechanism for the reaction of indole with the aminoacrylate intermediate, based on the absence of an observed kinetic isotope effect (KIE) when 3-[(2)H]indole reacts with the aminoacrylate intermediate. We have now observed a KIE of 1.4-2.0 in the reaction of 3-[(2)H]indole with the aminoacrylate intermediate in the presence of monovalent cations, but not when an alpha-subunit ligand, disodium alpha-glycerophosphate (Na(2)GP), is present. Rapid-scanning stopped flow kinetic studies were performed of the reaction of indole and 3-[(2)H]indole with tryptophan synthase preincubated with L-serine, following the decay of the aminoacrylate intermediate at 350 nm, the formation of the quinonoid intermediate at 476 nm, and the formation of the L-Trp external aldimine at 423 nm. The addition of Na(2)GP dramatically slows the rate of reaction of indole with the alpha-aminoacrylate intermediate. A primary KIE is not observed in the reaction of 3-[(2)H]indole with the aminoacrylate complex of tryptophan synthase in the presence of Na(2)GP, suggesting binding of indole with tryptophan synthase is rate limiting under these conditions. The reaction of 2-methylindole does not show a KIE, either in the presence of Na(+) or Na(2)GP. These results support the previously proposed mechanism for the beta-reaction of tryptophan synthase, but suggest that the rate limiting step in quinonoid intermediate formation from indole and the aminoacrylate intermediate is deprotonation.
A simple method for drawing a rational curve as two Bézier segments

In this paper we give a simple method for drawing a closed rational curve specified in terms of control points as two Bezier segments. The main result is the following: For every affine frame (r,s) (where r
Nanosecond time-resolved spectroscopy with a pulsed tunable dye laser and single photon time correlation.

A technique is described for performing nanosecond time-resolved spectroscopy for situations of extremely low emission rates. The system utilizes a N2 laser pumped tunable dye laser and single photon time correlation techniques. It is applicable where there is need for nanosecond time resolution on emission which is either long-lived or has extremely low quantum efficiency and especially where monochromatic excitation is required. The technique is applied to the relaxation between a pair of excited states of Tb3+:Y(OH)3, where 5-nsec temporal resolution with 2- cm−1 spectral resolution is easily obtained.
The Literature of Dance.

Librarians find the search for information on dance topics time‐consuming and difficult. There are few reference works devoted specifically to dance, and a number of those that do exist are outdated and need revision. Further, because the field is so diverse, a search for dance information will frequently lead the investigator into a variety of related subject areas, each with its own complicated access problems. Reference librarians faced with dance inquiries may in the course of an hour find it necessary to consult sources in music, education, aesthetics, theatre, or physiology. On a more specific level, questions may call for information on such subtopics as ballet, folk dance, dance therapy, choreography, tap dance, and movement technique. College students may need information on famous dancers of the past; theatergoers may want an up‐to‐date evaluation of a performance of a specific ballet company; and dancers may often need information on technique and conditioning.
Some Interior Observations of Southeastern Montana Hailstorms

Abstract This study investigates some of the characteristics or the interior regions of several hailstorms penetrated by the armored T-28 aircraft during the 1981 CCOPE field project. The vertical wind data were analyzed to identify updraft and downdraft regions to facilitate the discussion of measurements made within the identified draft regions, such as draft sizes and speeds, cloud liquid water concentrations (LWC), turbulent and hail. Updrafts were more numerous than downdraft regions, tended to have greater horizontal extent and higher speeds, and were somewhat more turbulent. Significant correlations existed between peak vertical wind speeds and peak values of LWC or turbulence, as well as (for updrafts) between peak speed and draft size. Values of the LWC were generally quite low compared to adiabatic values, with the exception of two large severe hailstorms that may have had adiabatic updraft cores. The general characteristics of the hail observations, such as number and mass concentrations, maxim...
Intermittent antegrade warm blood cardioplegia for CABG: extended interval of cardioplegia.

Abstract Background . Intermittent delivery of warm cardioplegia provides a bloodless surgical field, but it is clinically important to evaluate the periods of normothermic ischemia. The aims of this study are to compare intermittent antegrade warm blood cardioplegia (IAWBC) with intermittent antegrade cold blood cardioplegia (IACBC) groups in terms of myocardial protection, and also to evaluate whether the length of ischemic time in the IAWBC group has an effect on myocardial dysfunction. Methods . This study is based on a retrospective review of patients who underwent elective coronary artery bypass surgery: 162 consecutive patients with IAWBC and 107 consecutive patients with IACBC. Results . The creatinine kinase peak was smaller in the IAWBC group compared with the IACBC group ( p p p Conclusions . IAWBC with 30 minutes of ischemia provides to be clinically acceptable myocardial protection for coronary bypass surgery.
Outcomes in 132 patients following laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer with greater than 5-year follow-up

The role of laparoscopic TME for rectal cancer is still questioned as a safe and adequate cancer operation. Currently, multicenter randomized prospective trials are underway to evaluate this. We analyze our long-term results using laparoscopic TME in the treatment of rectal cancer to evaluate its oncologic outcomes. A prospective laparoscopic database was queried to identify all patients operated upon for rectal cancer from April 1997 to September 2007. In total, 151 patients were identified. Metastatic disease excluded 19 patients, leaving 132 patients to be analyzed for perioperative and 5-year oncologic outcomes. Procedures included LAR, n = 35; transanal abdominal transanal proctosigmoidectomy, n = 77; and APR, n = 20. All surgeries were TME or pTME. Laparoscopic TME was performed on 89 men (67 %), mean age 61 (22–85). Preoperative chemoradiation was administered in 119 (90.2 %) with median dose of 5500 cGy (3800–10,080). Mean EBL was 300 ml, and 4.5 % were transfused. Seven patients (5.3 %) underwent conversion, 5 to lap-assisted, with a 1.5 % conversion rate to open. Pathologic stage of disease: complete response: 24 %; I: 36 %; II: 22 %; III: 18 %. There were no mortalities. Overall morbidity was 23.5 %, with no anastomotic leaks and 5 (3.8 %) delayed anastomotic stricture/fistula. There were no port site recurrences. Mean follow-up was 69.4 months (7.6–168.0). Overall LR was 5.3 % (n = 7). There was only one isolated LR (0.8 %). Mean time to local recurrence was 13.9 months. Metastatic rate was 18.2 %. By stage, disease-specific survival was: CR 86.3 %; I: 87.4 %; II: 86.4 %; III: 77.4 %. Overall, 5-year survival was 84.8 %. The long-term data confirm that laparoscopic TME can be performed with lasting low local recurrence (5.3 %) and excellent 5-year survival (84.8 %). This report’s importance stems from it representing one of the largest experiences of rectal cancer treated by laparoscopic TME with greater than 5-year follow-up reported in the literature.
On the Nature of the Nearest Singularities of the Free Energy in the Neighborhood of a Critical Point

Algebraic functions are used to provide an example of multiple-valued functions which coincide with a model (single-valued) free energy on one sheet of the Riemann surface in the neighborhood of a critical point. For the case of homogeneous free energies andα=α′=0, there are enough conditions to determine the behavior of the nearest singularities (branch points) to the critical point of the algebraic function. If no other singularities are present these branch points would represent the spinodal line. The particular exponents of the two-dimensional Ising model are used to provide a specific example.
Pallidotomy increases activity of motor association cortex in Parkinson's disease: a positron emission tomographic study

Stereotactic posteroventral pallidotomy can improve motor performance in Parkinson's disease. Interruption of inhibitory pallidal projections to ventrolateral thalamus, components of a cortical-basal ganglia motor loop allows for this clinical benefit. We hypothesized that pallidotomy would lead to increased movement related activity in motor cortical areas receiving projections from ventrolateral thalamus. This was tested in 6 Parkinson's disease patients who underwent stereotactic posteroventral pallidotomy. Each patient was imaged with positron emission tomography (PET) measures of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during performance of a simple prehension task and at rest. Scans were acquired before and 17 weeks after surgery. After pallidotomy, movement-related changes of rCBF increased significantly in both the supplementary motor area (SMA) and premotor cortex but not in primary motor cortex. The results demonstrate the importance of pallidothalamic circuitry for regulating volitional movements and confirm that disruption of inhibitory input to the ventrolateral thalamus can augment movement-related activity in motor association areas.
The Silencing of Voices: The Corporate "Darkness" Nobody Hears

Corporations are becoming increasingly aware of the pervasive impact the culture of an organization has on its financial performance. Both vertically and horizontally within companies, people defend against knowing, emotionally and cognitively, precisely what they need to know in order to impact the bottom line. Employees are often culturally overtrained not only to think in terms of certain consensually validated unwritten rules of the game but also to withhold information that will in any way threaten the current social order. As a result, today's management systems are fraught with oppressive social structures and unequal exercises of power in the corporation. Understanding this cultural "darkness", - the collision of espoused cultural values and the values in practice that contradict what the officially sanctioned culture is supposed to be about - becomes a critical piece of impacting business performance. Knowingly or unknowingly, management operates within this "darkness", perpetuating it by their s...
Interference and facilitation effects of primes upon verification processes

Priming effects on sentence verification were investigated. The semantic relation of the prime and the probe, and the interval between prime and probe presentation (SOA), were varied for both ambiguous and unambiguous sentences. Reaction time to decide that a sentence was true or false was longer if the preceding prime was a word that was unrelated to the probe than if the prime was the word “blank.” In contradiction of Posner and Snyder’s (1975) claim that conscious processes develop slowly, this result was found at SOAs as short as 250 msec. Verification performance was facilitated for both sentence types when the prime word was the first of the to-be-presented probe sentence, but the magnitude of the facilitation effects depended upon the truth value of the probe, the associative strength of the subject and predicate of the probe sentence, and upon SOA. These findings indicate that priming affects the processing of relations among concepts in semantic memory, as well as the encoding of the probe.
TALISMAN: a prototype expert system for spelling correction

This paper reports on the status of TALISMAN, a logic-based spelling assistance package for MS-DOS microcomputers which is currently being refined and tested in our laboratory. The essence of the package is described, and is contrasted with current products. The uniqueness of the approach lies in the fact that formal definitions of spelling errors are directly encoded into the program. Some recent benchmark results indicate that TALISMAN may actually out-perform competitive products as well as exceed their accuracy and overall effectiveness.
CONCERN FOR TRUTH : WHAT IT MEANS, WHY IT MATTERS a

1 A century or so ago, C. S. Peirce wrote, “in order to reason well . . ., it is absolutely necessary to possess . . . such virtues as intellectual honesty and sincerity and a real love of truth,”2 and that genuine reasoning consists “in actually drawing the bow upon truth with intentness in the eye, with energy in the arm.”3 Forty years or so ago, C. I. Lewis observed that “we presume, on the part of those who follow any scientific vocation, . . . a sort of tacit oath never to subordinate the motive of objective truth-seeking to any subjective preference or inclination or any expediency or opportunistic consideration.”4 These philosophers had some insight into what the life of the mind demands.
MODIS-derived land surface moisture conditions for monitoring blacklegged tick habitat in southern New England

Temperature and humidity have been identified as significant determinants of suitable blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis habitat. The temperature–vegetation dryness index TVDI uses remotely sensed observations of both temperature and vegetation cover to characterize moisture status on the ground. The TVDI has previously been applied to large studies of conservation, drought monitoring, and disease forecasting. In this study, we applied the TDVI model in an effort to characterize land surface conditions influencing tick habitat and human health risk in the southern New England region of the USA. Findings derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer MODIS land surface temperature LST and normalized difference vegetation index NDVI data products in TDVI modelling and site-specific validations suggested that remotely sensed surface moisture conditions is one environmental parameter that could be useful in large-scale tick habitat monitoring.
Regulation of permanent magnet generators using angle control of stator-connected voltage source inverters

The use of a permanent magnet AC generator (PMACG) with a salient-pole rotor design combined with an appropriate power converter has recently been shown to be an attractive practical approach for implementing small power systems. Although a classical approach to realizing voltage regulation may be developed on the basis of reactive power control in power systems, it presents special challenges for variable-frequency operation, made more difficult by the presence of lightly-damped machine dynamics. This paper presents a simple and effective means for regulating the terminal voltage of the generator by controlling the DC voltage of a stator-connected voltage-source inverter. The paper presents a dynamic model that illustrates the source of lightly-damped behavior, followed by the introduction of power derivative equivalent feedback into the control system to obtain excellent performance. Computer simulations and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of this control approach.
Impaired triacylglycerol catabolism in hypertriglyceridemia of the diabetic, cholesterol-fed rabbit: a possible mechanism for protection from atherosclerosis

The etiology of the hypertriglyceridemia in alloxan-diabetic rabbits was studied by two independent methods. Production and removal rates of VLDL triacylglycerol were measured in diabetic rabbits by injection of [3H]palmitate-labelled VLDL. Similarly, triacylglycerol total removal rates were determined in non-diabetic rabbits which were infused with Intralipid to mimic the plasma triacylglycerol concentrations of diabetic rabbits. Compared to nondiabetic rabbits, triacylglycerol removal rates were decreased in diabetic rabbits, particularly at higher levels of plasma tricylglycerol. During cholesterol and triacylglycerol supplementation of the diet, post-heparin plasma lipoprotein lipase activity of diabetic rabbits with severe hypertriglyceridemia averaged 36% of that of nondiabetics, suggesting an impaired triacylglycerol removal capacity. Furthermore, plasma triacylglycerol was inversely related to post-heparin plasma lipoprotein lipase activity among diabetic rabbits. VLDL triacylglycerol production increased with increasing plasma triacylglycerol concentration among diabetic cholesterol-fed rabbits with moderately severe hypertriglyceridemia, but reached an apparent plateau among rabbits with plasma triacylglycerol concentrations from approx. 2000–9000 mg/dl. Thus, severe hypertriglyceridemia in this model of insulin deficiency can be attributed only partially to VLDL hypersecretion, whereas a removal defect, resulting in saturation of the triacylglycerol removal mechanism, appears to be largely responsible. The impaired removal of plasma triacylglycerol is also related to the presence of cholesterol predominantly in lipoproteins of increased size. The data support the hypothesis that protection against atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed diabetic rabbits results from exclusion of very large cholesterol-containing lipoproteins from the arterial wall.
Wenger's Communities of Practice Revisited: A (Failed?) Exercise in Applied Communities of Practice Theory-Building Research:

The problem and the solution. Multiple sources describe how communities of practice (CoPs) work and what their constituent elements may be. These contributions offer valuable insights into learning...
Enamel matrix derivative inhibits TNF-α-induced apoptosis in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of enamel matrix derivative (EMD) on TNF-α–induced apoptosis in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. Study design MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured at an initial density of 5000/cm 2 in Dulbecco's modified eagle medium (DMEM) with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and allowed to adhere for 24 hours. Medium was then changed into DMEM with 0.5% FBS. After 16 hours, cells were treated with EMD (100 μg/mL) alone, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) (20 ng/mL) alone, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) (10 ng/mL) alone, TNF-α plus TGF-β1, or TNF-α plus EMD. Cells cultured with DMEM and 0.5% FBS served as control. Following 24-hour incubation, apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and quantified by cell death enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Both TUNEL assay and cell death ELISA show that TNF-α induces apoptosis in MC3T3-E1 cells. TNF-α increases cell death by ~2-fold, which is attenuated by both EMD and TGF-β1. Conclusion Like TGF-β1, EMD protects osteoblasts from inflammation-induced apoptosis.
Pharmacotherapy of obesity: clinical treatments and considerations.

Abstract Obesity is a world-wide epidemic associated with significant morbidity and mortality which costs billions of dollars per year. The associated related conditions are many and include heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea and certain types of cancer. Given that it is a multifactorial problem, the treatments must also address the numerous causes associated with the development of obesity. The neurohormonal regulation of feeding and energy is a complex system often necessitating modification through more than 1 pathway to achieve weight loss. Therefore, in addition to lifestyle changes, attenuation of caloric intake and increase in caloric expenditure, pharmacotherapies, including combination medications, may prove beneficial in its treatment. Adding to the current available pharmacotherapies for obesity, the Food and Drug Administration has recently approved 2 new combination medications known as lorcaserin (Belviq) and phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia). As with these and other medications used for weight loss, clinical cautions, side effects, precise review of patients’ medical history and selecting the appropriate medication are imperative. Additionally, close follow-up is necessary in patients undergoing treatment for weight loss. As weight loss progresses, patients who are currently undergoing concomitant treatment for comorbid diabetes and hypertension need to be monitored for appropriate changes in medications used to treat those conditions. Weight loss is often accompanied by improvement in blood pressure and glucose levels and therefore resting blood pressure and fasting and/or postprandial plasma glucose levels should be monitored at follow-up. Although unique to each individual, the benefits of weight loss are substantial and can improve well-being and physical health.
Individual differences in children's recall and suggestibility: the effect of intelligence, temperament, and self‐perceptions

This study explored the effect of intelligence, temperament, and self-perceptions on children's recall and suggestibility. The relationship between recall and suggestibility was also examined. A total of 134 children, 63 preschoolers and 71 second graders, were exposed to a staged event involving an argument between two adults in their classrooms and were interviewed approximately 1 week later. Children were then administered verbal and performance intelligence tests and a self-perception measure assessing perceived general competence and social acceptance. Additionally, teachers completed a questionnaire to evaluate children's shyness and emotionality. Results revealed that children with higher verbal intelligence recalled more information spontaneously than those with lower verbal intelligence and that children who provided more accurate cued recall were less suggestible than those who gave less accurate cued recall. There was also a significant interaction effect of verbal intelligence×age on suggestibility, with verbal intelligence being associated with suggestibility for younger children, but not for older children. The effect of individual difference factors on recall and suggestibility differed across age groups. Possible explanations for the results and implications for future studies are discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tissue-Invasive Tritrichomonas Foetus in Four Aborted Bovine Fetuses

Bovine trichomoniasis is a venereally transmitted protozoal infection that is usually associated with infertility and occasionally causes pyometra and midto late-term abortions. Some cows can carry the infection throughout gestation and remain infected after parturition. Abortions caused by Tritrichomonas foetus are usually diagnosed by microscopic identification of trichomonads in placental fluids, uterine exudate, or fetal stomach contents or by culture. In addition, characteristic placental and fetal lung lesions have been described, and fluorescent antibody and immunohistochemica1 techniques have been used to identify T. foetus in tissue sections. The purpose of this report is to describe 4 cases of tissue-invasive T. foetus infection in aborted bovine fetuses. A male fetus (fetus 1) was aborted in the seventh month of gestation by an Angus-cross heifer and submitted to the Tulare Branch of the California Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System (CVDLS) for postmortem examination. At necropsy, spleen and liver were enlarged, and the lungs were firm with patchy, suffusive hemorrhages, interlobular edema, and pale tan areas. Multifocal mucosal necrosis ranging from 3 mm in diameter to 20 x 15 mm was present in the rumen, and focal mucosal hemorrhages were present in the rumen, omasum, and abomasum. Multifocal hemorrhages and segmental hyperemia were seen in the small intestine, and petechial hemorrhages were present in the meninges. A 7-month female fetus (fetus 2) and a 6-month male fetus (fetus 3) were aborted by Holstein cows from the same dairy and were submitted to CVDLS for necropsy and diagnostic tests. Necropsy of fetus 2 revealed 2 liters of cloudy, yellow, viscous fluid in the rumen and abomasum and rare fibrin flecks adherent to the surface of a mottled liver. Fetus 3 had firm, diffusely yellow lungs with interlobular edema and patchy, swollen, hemorrhagic areas in the cranial lobes. The lungs floated in formalin. The rumen was diffisely hemorrhagic with a granular mucosa and patchy to paintbrush serosal hemorrhages. The omasal wall was diffusely reddened and hemorrhagic. Numerous ecchymotic hemorrhages were visible from the serosal and mucosal surfaces of the small intestine. Mesenteric lymph nodes were mildly enlarged and contained focal hemorrhages. Rare hemorrhages were present in the spiral colon and capsule of the spleen. The liver was mottled and slightly yellow.
SHORT-TERM TRANSOCEANIC SHIPMENTS OF FRESH BEEF

Two refrigerated (0 to −1°C) vans containing polyvinyl chloride film (PVC) wrapped OI vacuum packaged (VP) beef cuts were monitored from Richmond, Calif. to Honolulu, Hawaii. One van had a normal (ambient air) atmosphere; the other van had a modified (60% CO2, 25% O2, 15% N2) atmosphere. Neither packaging system nor van atmosphere affected (P 0.05) in appearance traits to PVC cuts in 6 of 10 comparisons of cuts in normal atmosphere vans and in only 1 of 10 comparisons of cuts in modified atmosphere vans. Use of a modified atmosphere decreased (P > 0.05) microbial growth on cuts shipped and/or stored for 7–9 days. Neither packaging method nor van atmosphere affected (P 0.05) to those wrapped with PVC film in: freedom from surface discoloration (5–9 days), overall appearance (5–9 days), bacterial counts (7–9 days), and trim losses (7–9 days). Vacuum packaged cuts which were leakers (no terminal vacuum) did not differ from those wrapped with PVC film in any appearance trait (5–9 days) but sustained increased (P >0.05) purge loss after 5–6 days of transit-storage. Short interval (5–6 days) transoceanic beef shipments can be consummated with acceptable product condition in normal atmosphere vans and wrapped in PVC film; if longer transit-storage periods (7–9 days) prior to cutting are anticipated, cuts should either be vacuum packaged or wrapped with PVC film and shipped in modified atmosphere vans.
EFFECTS OF FLOW PARAMETERS ON THE CATHODIC PROTECTION OF A STEEL PLATE IN NATURAL SEAWATER

Abstract A formula that describes the transport of oxygen to the surface of a metal under cathodic polarization in seawater is presented. The relation assumes turbulent flow conditions and a flat p...
Induction of the manganese-containing superoxide dismutase in Escherichia coli by nalidixic acid and by iron chelators

Nalidixic acid caused a significant increase in the Mn-containing superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) of Escherichia coli. The maximum stimulatory effect of nalidixic acid on MnSOD biosynthesis was observed at 0.1 mM. The stimulatory effect of nalidixic acid was not due to increases in the intracellular flux of O−2, but rather to its ability to chelate Fe2+. Furthermore, 2,2′-dipyridyl and 1,10-phenanthroline were shown to cause a 7- to 20-fold increase in the MnSOD of E. coli. It is proposed that the repressor for MnSOD is an iron-containing protein.
Patterns of unit activity in optic tract of cat during suppression-recovery effect: relationship to high intensity effect.

Abstract Patterns of on- and off-unit activity during the suppression-recovery effect have been described in terms of three classes. Only units of class three, which initially responded to a train of flashes as to steady light and later responded with a grouped burst to each flash, showed changes corresponding to evoked potentials during the suppression-recovery effect. Flash intensities necessary to produce the suppression-recovery effect also produced the high intensity effect in class three units. It was concluded that these two effects have a common origin related to the rod aftereffect.
20-Hydroxylation is the CYP-dependent and retinoid-inducible leukotriene B4 inactivation pathway in human and mouse skin cells

Metabolic inactivation of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) is an innate mechanism to resolve tissue inflammation. We studied the nine Cyp4f genes in the mouse genome, measuring cutaneous transcript levels by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and LTB4 metabolism in mouse and human skin. Transcripts arising from Cyp4f13 and 4f16 ranked most abundant, Cyp4f14, 4f17, and 4f37 ranked least abundant, and Cyp4f18 and 4f39 ranked intermediate. Those from Cyp4f15 and Cyp4f40 were highly variable or too low to measure in some animals. Retinoic acid exposure induced microsomal LTB4 hydroxylation activities in mouse and human skin cells. Two NADPH-dependent LTB4 metabolites eluted identically with 20-OH and 20-COOH LTB4 reference standards. Collision induced dissociation of the precursor ion m/z 351 confirmed that LTB4 products from CYP4F3A and human epidermal keratinocytes are identical structurally to 20-OH LTB4. We conclude 20-hydroxylation is the major CYP-dependent LTB4 inactivation pathway in skin; this retinoid-inducible metabolic pathway has capacity to modulate tissue levels of pro-inflammatory lipids.
Does primary androgen-deprivation therapy improve survival for localized prostate cancer?

Evaluation of: Lu-Yao GL, Albertsen PC, Moore DF et al.: Survival following primary androgen deprivation therapy among men with localized prostate cancer. JAMA 300(2), 173–181 (2008). Despite a lack of data, many patients receive primary androgen-deprivation therapy (PADT) for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. To evaluate the association between PADT and survival, a population-based cohort study was conducted in 19,271 men with clinical stage T1–T2 prostate cancer. The primary outcome measures were prostate cancer-specific and overall survival. Comparing 7867 patients who received PADT with 11,404 patients who underwent conservative management, the 10-year cancer-specific survival was lower with the PADT group and overall survival was found to be similar between the groups. However, in the subset with poorly differentiated cancer, PADT was associated with improved cancer-specific, but not overall, survival. This suggests that PADT is not associated with improved survival in the majority of elder...
The ACP Branch Bus and Real Time Applications of the ACP Multiprocessor System

The ACP Branchbus, a high speed differential bus for data movement in multiprocessing and data acquisition environments, is described. This bus was designed as the central bus in the ACP multiprocessing system. In its full implementation with 16 branches and a bus switch, it will handle data rates of 160 MByte/sec and allow reliable data transmission over inter rack distances. We also summarize applications of the ACP system in experimental data acquisition, triggering and monitoring, with special attention paid to FASTBUS environments.
Rapid Determination of Near-Fault Earthquake Deformation Using Differential LiDAR

Improved near‐field measurements of earthquake slip and deformation patterns have the potential for expanding our understanding of fault behavior and the relationship of active faulting to topography. Current techniques for obtaining these measurements—including field observation, Global Navigation Satellite Systems displacement estimation, and optical or radar remote sensing—have limitations that can be mitigated by the inclusion of results from differential airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) analysis of the rupture zone. The 2005 airborne LiDAR survey of the southern San Andreas, San Jacinto, and Banning faults (the B4 survey) mapped 1100 km of the most seismically active fault systems in southern California for the purpose of providing a baseline for determining slip from a future earthquake. We used the B4 survey to develop a processing algorithm that yields rapid estimates of near‐fault ground deformation using simultaneous cross correlation of both topography and backscatter intensity from pre‐earthquake and simulated postearthquake LiDAR datasets. We show robust recovery of the direction and magnitude of an applied synthetic slip of 5 m in the horizontal and 0.5 m in the vertical within our area of study, with clear discrimination between areas with and without applied slip. We also successfully recovered more complex deformation from a modeled fault stepover in the same study area. Our results indicate that we should be able to recover slip to accuracies of better than 20 cm in the horizontal and 1 cm in the vertical, at a spatial resolution of ≤15 m for LiDAR datasets with sample densities as low as 0.5 points/m2.
The origin of mutants

Nucleic acids are replicated with conspicuous fidelity. Infrequently, however, they undergo changes in sequence, and this process of change (mutation) generates the variability that allows evolution. As the result of studies of bacterial variation, it is now widely believed that mutations arise continuously and without any consideration for their utility. In this paper, we briefly review the source of this idea and then describe some experiments suggesting that cells may have mechanisms for choosing which mutations will occur.