cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Polycation Scaffold Presenting Tunable “Click” Sites: Conjugation to Carbohydrate Ligands and Examination of Hepatocyte‐Targeted pDNA Delivery

A versatile polycation scaffold that can easily be modified with targeting ligands has been designed, synthesized, and characterized. A series of galactose-containing polymers has been produced to demonstrate the ease of modification of this polynucleotide delivery vehicle motif via the click reaction and to study how various structural modifications affect recognition by ASGPr on hepatocytes. A small library of structures was created where DCS and alkyl spacer length between the targeting group and the polymer backbone was varied. The novel polymer scaffold described proves to be a valuable tool for understanding structure/activity relationships of complexes made with receptor-targeted polymers.
Structural phase transition in self-assembled 1,10′ phenanthroline monolayer on Au(111)

Abstract The self-assembly of 1,10′ phenanthroline (phen) on Au(111) from aqueous solutions has been studied as a function of the substrate potential with in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The phen molecules adsorb spontaneously onto the substrate with a preference to decorate the reconstruction stripes of Au(111). The adsorbed molecules stand vertically with their nitrogen atoms facing the Au(111) and stack, like rolls of coins, into polymer-like chains. At high potentials, the chains pack closely in parallel and form an ordered monolayer. Decreasing the potential to a critical value, the chains become randomly oriented via a reversible order-disorder phase transition that resembles the nematic-isotropic transition in liquid crystal materials. High resolution images reveal each phen molecule as two blobs located at the two nitrogen atoms, indicating that the coupling between the nitrogen atoms and Au(111) is responsible for the tunneling current probed by STM. The phen monolayer contains pits with a depth of about one Au layer, which may be attributed to surface stress induced by the strong adsorption of the phen molecules on the surface.
Secure sharing of electronic health records in clouds

In modern healthcare environments, healthcare providers are more willing to shift their electronic medical record systems to clouds. Instead of building and maintaining dedicated data centers, this paradigm enables to achieve lower operational cost and better interoperability with other healthcare providers. However, the adoption of cloud computing in healthcare systems may also raise many security challenges associated with authentication, identity management, access control, trust management, and so on. In this paper, we focus on access control issues in electronic medical record systems in clouds. We propose a systematic access control mechanism to support selective sharing of composite electronic health records (EHRs) aggregated from various healthcare providers in clouds. Our approach ensures that privacy concerns are accommodated for processing access requests to patients' healthcare information.We also demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of our approach by implementing a proof-of-concept prototype along with evaluation results.
The influence of member heterogeneity on dyad judgment: Are two heads better than one?

An experiment is conducted to test the effect of the degree of heterogeneity in individual member judgments on the accuracy of judgments made by dyads. Predictions are made about how (1) homogeneity versus heterogeneity in judgments and (2) task instruction interact to affect a group's judgmental accuracy in average price-estimation tasks. Results indicate that dyads were not more accurate than the average dyad member or than the better member. However, increases in accuracy (relative to the accuracy of the better member of the dyad) occurred more often in dyads whose members were heterogeneous in their prior individual judgments than they did in dyads whose members were more homogeneous. When provided with instructions, heterogeneous dyads improved in accuracy to a greater degree than did homogeneous dyads.
Ground penetrating radar imaging of a 4th Century Roman Fort, Humayma, Jordan

A suite of geophysical surveys were conducted on and around the site of a 4th Century Roman fort in Southern Jordan from 2002-2005 as part of the Humayma Excavation Project. Presented here are the results of the ground penetrating radar (GPR) data. Data were collected in a series of 1-m-spaced profiles within the 150m by 200m Fort and collated to generate 3D volumes. These GPR data volumes are sliced horizontally at optimized depths to yield map-view images of buried structures that have beenand will beused to guide future excavation and develop usage plans. Data yielded good detail of interior structures (walls and potential tiled floors) and exterior features (defensive ditches, claviculae, the Via Nova). Ongoing excavations will provide additional information as to the specific nature of the observed features.
Sodium Butyrate Stimulates Somatostatin Production by Cultured Cells

Expression of the neuropeptide SRIF can be enhanced by sodium butyrate, a known modulator of gene transcription. Two different cell lines, RIN cells (derived from a rat pancreatic islet tumor) as well as HeLa cells, showed basal secretion of SRIF immunoreactive material that was induced between 5- and 15-fold by sodium butyrate. The induction was dose and time dependent, fully reversible, and specific for sodium butyrate. Analysis of the induced mRNAs by Northern blot hybridization using a SRIF specific cDNA probe revealed a 12- fold increase in the level of SRIF mRNA caused by butyrate treatment. These results suggest that sodium butyrate may be a useful tool for studying the regulation of SRIF gene expression. (Endocrinology 114: 1990, 1984)
Giardiasis in dogs and cats: update on epidemiology and public health significance

Molecular data have defined seven genetic Assemblages of Giardia duodenalis , named A–G. Humans are infected with Assemblages A and B, dogs primarily with C and D, and cats with F. Assemblage A has been subclassified into subtypes A-I to A-IV: A-I has been reported in humans and animals, A-II in humans, and A-III and IV exclusively in animals. Assemblage B has broad host specificity infecting humans and animals. Recently, small numbers of dogs and cats have been reported to also carry Assemblages A-I or B. Because these genotypes are found primarily in humans, and no comprehensive studies to address zoonotic transmission of G. duodenalis are yet available, the potential role of dogs and cats cannot be conclusively excluded.
Ostrich eggs and Bushman survival on the north-east frontier of the Cape Colony, South Africa

Abstract The large game herds of the Seacow River valley in the upper Karoo, central South Africa were decimated by European settlers during the 19th century. Formerly, these herds supported a relatively dense population of Bushman hunter-gatherers whose material residues are found in local rock shelter deposits. The European impact is registered in the final levels of each rock shelter fill as a sharp decline in mammal bone density. In the same levels, there are dense sheets of ostrich eggshell fragments, indicating that Bushmen supplemented their dwindling meat supply by gathering eggs. Ostriches were more resistant than other game to mounted hunters, to droughts and to overstocking by sheep farmers. However, this adaptation was already under way before the European onslaught, when grass cover and, by implication, rainfall and carrying capacity fell drastically between 1600 and 1750.
Using ICT design to learn about immigrant teens from Myanmar

We share results from a multi-day design workshop with 24 immigrant and refugee teenagers from Myanmar (Burma). The workshop focused on information technology and services that intersect with the crucial role of the youth as information navigators for their families, friends and communities. ICT design serves as a lens through which one can learn about the experiences of youth in global migration, especially when incorporating multiple cultural probes as part of the extended design process, in the form of games, drawings, stories, and skits. Findings show Burmese culture and refugee/immigration experiences are manifested in the teens' ICT wayfaring practices in the U.S., and that the youth creatively play invaluable, albeit sometimes hidden, roles in systemically supporting everyday information and technology needs across communities.
Determination of intact-tissue glycerophosphorylcholine levels by quantitative 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and correlation with spectrophotometric quantification.

Abstract A method for the dynamic quantification of glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC) levels in intact tissue by 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was developed and verified by a spectrophotometric technique. Intact tissue nuclear magnetic resonance areas were quantified utilizing an external standard and were corrected for magnetization saturation. Interactive computerized spectral fitting through Lorentzian lineshape analysis and subsequent integration with normalization to the external standard was utilized for the absolute quantification of GPC concentration. Hemodynamically and metabolically uncompromised Langendorff perfused rabbit hearts contained 1.70 ± 0.23 μmol GPC/g wet wt. This value was not statistically significantly different from the value of 1.45 ± 0.23 μmol GPC/g wet wt determined by an analytical technique employing glycerophosphoryl-[ Me - 3 H]choline as an internal standard with spectrophotometric quantification. Both methods were accurate with a standard error of 11 and 10%, respectively. The recovery of internal standards utilizing the spectrophotometric technique was 95 ± 8%. The application of these methods should facilitate the quantification of changes in tissue levels of glycerophosphorylcholine noted in several disease states.
Environmental factors associated with disordered weight-control behaviours among youth: a systematic review

Objective Environmental factors may be very important in the development of disordered weight-control behaviours (DWCB) among youth, yet no study to date has conducted a review that synthesizes these findings. The purpose of the present study was to systematically review existing literature on environmental influences on DWCB among youth and to identify conceptual and methodological gaps in the literature. Design Systematic review. Setting Studies were identified through a systematic search using PubMed, PsycINFO, Google Scholar and secondary references. Inclusion criteria included observational studies published in peer-reviewed journals from 1994 to 2012 that examined environmental exposure(s) associated with DWCB among youth. Subjects Ninety-three studies, the majority of which utilized a cross-sectional design (75 %; n 70), were identified. Longitudinal studies' follow-up time ranged from 8 months to 10 years. Results Parental, peer and media influences have been extensively studied as factors associated with DWCB among youth. Fewer studies have examined behavioural settings (i.e. homes, schools, neighbourhoods) or sectors of influence other than the media on DWCB. No studies utilized multilevel methods to parse out environmental influences on DWCB. Most studies (69 %, n 64) did not explicitly utilize a theory or model to guide the research. Conclusions Findings indicate that exploring a wider range of environmental influences on DWCB, specifically behavioural settings and sectors of influence, using diverse study samples and multilevel methodology is needed to advance the field and to inform the design of comprehensive prevention programmes that target DWCB and other weight-related behaviours.
Cryopreservation of primary neurons for tissue culture

We have developed new cryopreservation methods which allow storage of fetal rat central nervous system tissues for more than 1 week at 3-8 degrees C or for several months at -70 or -90 degrees C prior to tissue culture. For refrigeration, small brain regions (less than 2 mm thick) were placed intact into 35 mm petri dishes of 'hibernation medium' inside a humidified chamber. Optimal preservation was obtained with hibernation media of pH 6.8-7.4, containing 30-70 mM K+, 10-30 mM Na+, 5-50 mM PO4(2-), 20 mM lactic acid, 5 mM glucose, and less than 0.1 mM Ca2+. The media were made approximately isotonic by addition of sorbitol. For freezing, brain tissues were dissociated by gentle trituration (without enzymes) in the above medium supplemented with 5-10% dimethylsulfoxide. After refrigeration or freezing, neurons were very sensitive to damage from mechanical stress (e.g. centrifugation, harsh rinsing or trituration). Rapid changes in osmotic pressure or excessive polylysine on the tissue culture substratum also reduced neuronal survival after cryopreservation. Pretreatment of tissue culture substrata with media from lung cell cultures, or plating of neurons at higher density (2000 cells/mm2) improved neuronal survival after cryopreservation.
Hyperparathyroid crisis: use of bisphosphonates as a bridge to parathyroidectomy.

Background Hyperparathyroid crisis is an uncommon, potentially lethal condition for which emergent parathyroidectomy has been advocated. Study Design The manifestations of hyperparathyroid crisis and outcomes of bisphosphonate-based therapy and delayed parathyroidectomy were determined and compared with cases from a review of the literature. Laboratory indices and gland weights were compared with those from patients with primary hyperparathyroidism without crisis. Results Of the 292 patients operated on for hyperparathyroidism, 8 (2.8%) had hyperparathyroid crisis, consistent with rates of 1.6% to 6% reported in the literature. Hyperparathyroid crisis was manifested by vomiting, nausea, or both (n=6); abdominal pain (n=3); mental status changes (n=3); pancreatitis (n=2); bone pain, osteolytic lesions, or both (n=2); electrocardiogram changes (n=1); and an acute conversion disorder (n=1). Isotonic sodium chloride and furosemide, in combination with a bisphosphonate drug in 7 of 8 patients, resulted in a calcium decline from 16.2±1.6 mg/dL to 11.8±1.6 mg/dL, with resolution of electrocardiogram and mental status changes, and pancreatitis before resection of an adenoma (n=7) or carcinoma (n=1). Patients with hyperparathyroid crisis had higher parathyroid hormone levels (691.7 ±662.4 pg/mL versus 172.6 ±147.5 pg/mL; p=0.062), larger tumor weights (7.5 ±8.4 g versus 1.6 ±2.1 g; p=0.085), and lower postoperative calcium levels (7.3 ±1.6 mg/dL versus 8.7±0.9 mg/dL; p=0.035) than patients without crisis. Four (50%) of the 8 tumors were found in ectopic locations. There was no mortality from hyperparathyroid crisis, compared with a 7% mortality rate for cases reported in the literature since 1978. Conclusions Rehydration, calciuresis, and bisphosphonate therapy are effective in correcting life-threatening manifestations of hyperparathyroid crisis, providing an effective bridge to parathyroidectomy.
Comparison of effects of nifedipine, propantheline bromide, and the combination on esophageal motor function in normal volunteers

Both intracellular calcium ions and neural input are important in esophageal smooth muscle contraction. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of well-tolerated doses of the calcium-channel blocker, nifedipine (20 mg sublingually/buccally) with the anticholinergic, propantheline bromide (15 mg orally) and the combination of these two agents on esophageal motor function. Seven healthy volunteers underwent manometric evaluation after nifedipine, propantheline bromide, the combination, and placebo on different days. Lower esophageal sphincter pressure decreased significantly (P<0.05 vs basal and placebo) by 32% after nifedipine, but fell only 21% after propantheline bromide. After the combination lower esophageal sphincter pressure fell by 45% (P<0.05 vs basal and placebo and nifedipine alone). Contraction amplitude in the body of the esophagus decreased significantly (P<0.05 vs basal and placebo) by 26% after propantheline bromide, but fell only 11% after nifedipine. The combination led to a decrease of 37% in contraction amplitude, but this was not significantly different from that obtained with propantheline bromide alone. No drug or combination had any effect on other manometric parameters. These data show that in the normal subjects studied with the above doses: (1) nifedipine has a greater effect than propantheline bromide on the lower esophageal sphincter; (2) propantheline bromide has a greater effect than nifedipine on esophageal contraction amplitude; and (3) the combination of nifedipine and propantheline bromide has an enhanced effect on both lower esophageal sphincter pressure and esophageal contraction amplitude.
Arachidonylethanolamide (AEA) activation of FOS proto-oncogene protein immunoreactivity in the rat brain.

It is thought that the physiological actions of endogenous cannabinoid arachidonylethanolamide (AEA), as well as exogenous cannabinoids such as Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), are mediated by two subtypes of cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, which have recently been characterized. Injection of AEA leads to alterations in motor behavior and endocrine function. While these phenomena have been well characterized, the neuronal substrate of AEA's actions remains undetermined. In this study, FOS immunoreactivity (FOSir) was used to map rat brain nuclei that are responsive to a single intracerebroventricular injection of AEA. The results showed that FOSir was induced in several nuclei including the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce), periaqueductal gray area (PAG), dentate gyrus in the hippocampus (Dg), paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVA), median preoptic nucleus (MnPO), periventricular nucleus (Pe), caudate putamen (CPU) and the ependymal lining of the ventricles. The pattern of activation identified correlates, in part, with the distribution of CB receptors. At the same time, a new subset of nuclei, without demonstrable CB receptors, have been shown to respond to an AEA challenge. Activation of these nuclei is consistent with the physiological effects of AEA. These findings provide valuable information on the response to AEA at the level of neuronal activation and provide the basis for a broader understanding of the possible role of CB receptors in the modulation of motor and endocrine function associated with the use of exogenous cannabinoids, such as marijuana.
Histone fractionation by high-performance liquid chromatography

A method for the rapid chromatography of histones by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a reverse-phase ..mu..Bondapak C/sub 18/ column containing a packing of octadecylsilane chemically bonded to silica and a linear elution gradient running from water to acetonitrile is described. Two conditions were found to be necessary to achieve histone fractionation: (i) silylation of the active groups of the silica solid support, and (ii) trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in the eluting solvents. Greater than 90% of the total (/sup 3/H)lysine-labeled protein applied to the column was eluted from the column. The fractionation of the histones appears to be based on the hydrophobic properties of the proteins. The HPLC histone fractions (identified by their electrophoretic mobilities) were eluted from the column in the following order: H1, H2B, (LHP)H2A, (MHP)H2A + H4, (LHP)H3, and (MHP)H3 (where LHP and MHP refer to the less hydrophobic and more hydrophobic histone variants). Phosphorylated histone species were not resolved from their unmodified parental species. The volatile nature of the water/acetonitrile/TFA eluting solvent facilitated the recovery of salt-free histones from the eluted HPLC fractions by simple lyophilization. This system is very useful for the rapid isolation of the lysine-rich histones, H1 and H2B, and the variants ofmore » histone H3. With further development, this system is expected to extend the advantages of HPLC to the fractionation of histone H4 and the variants of histone H2A as well.« less
CURRENCY QUESTIONS IN THE CARIBBEAN

The Haitian gourde is one of the most curious and exotic currencies of the world. On it is printed the striking statement: “The banknote, in conformity with the Constitution of the . Republic of Haiti, is payable to the bearer in legal money of the United States of America at the rate of five gourdes for one dollar.” Amazingly, the gourde stands exactly where it was set by the Convention of April 12, 1919 at five gourdes per dollar. This fixity in the exchange rate is a remarkable achievement of an otherwise totally squalid economy record, which has been made very much due to the total convertibility of gourdes into dollars and their easy co‐existence and use in Haiti. Such a feat runs counter to early suggestions in the newly developing currency substitution literature that currency competition promotes instability in rates. A very different story emerges due west on the largest English‐speaking island in the Caribbean, Jamaica, where monetary turbulence has been the rule since 1978. The currency there was initially backed 50 percent by pounds sterling when the Bank of Jamaica began operation in May 1961, but switched to a dollar peg in January 1973 at $1,10 US, a rate maintained through 1977. After the economic problems of 1976–77, the Jamaican dollar was devalued 15½ percent in January 1978 and, under the strong advice of the International Monetary Fund, a further 32 percent in May 1978. Following was a “crawling peg” devaluation of 1½ percent per month until October 1978, then 1 percent a month until May 1979, when the current dollar peg of 56.13 cents per Jamaican dollar was established. This dramatic decline in the currency was caused in part by expansionary monetary policies of the Bank of Jamaica monetizing budget deficits, and in part by the decline in tourism, the fall in bauxite and steel output, and the oil shocks Jamaica experienced. (From 1974 to 1979, the government budget deficit went from 168 million Jamaican dollars (J$) to 551 mill J$ with a peak of 625 million in 1978, holdings of government debt by the central bank from 72 to 898 mill J$, and net foreign assets or reserves of the central bank plunged from 141 to minus 778 mill J$ (Source: International Financial Statistics, IMF 1980 Yearbook and IFS January 1981 issue).) The International Monetary Fund set specific performance criteria such as devaluation and ceilings on government budget deficits for successive draws on a substantial loan of 351 million U.S. dollars or 360 percent of Jamaica's quota at the end of 1979.
Estrogen implants in the lateral habenular nucleus do not stimulate the onset of maternal behavior in female rats.

The natural onset of maternal behavior in the rat is hormonally mediated. Estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin administered to ovariectomized females in amounts and sequences that produce circulating levels similar to those found during pregnancy stimulate the onset of maternal behavior. In fact, maternal behavior can be stimulated by estrogen alone, administered either peripherally or by implant in the central nervous system. The lateral habenula (Lhb), which is a necessary component in the neural circuit that supports maternal behavior, contains a subset of neurons with estrogen receptors. The present study investigated whether estradiol implants directly in the Lhb are sufficient to stimulate maternal behavior. Female rats, hysterectomized and ovariectomized on day 16 of pregnancy, received estrogen implants in the Lhb or, as a positive control, in the medial preoptic area (MPOA). An additional control group received cholesterol implants in the Lhb. All females were tested for pup retrieval, nest building, crouching behavior, locomotor activity, and carrying behavior. Estradiol implants into the Lhb did not stimulate the onset of maternal behavior. Females with estrogen implants in the Lhb scored significantly lower in pup retrieval and crouching behavior compared to females with implants in the MPOA and were not significantly different from females with cholesterol implants in the Lhb. There were also no significant differences in overall activity or carrying behavior among the groups.
Neurodevelopmental outcome of patients after the Fontan operation : A comparison between children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and other functional single ventricle lesions

Abstract Objective: To compare neurodevelopmental outcome (NDO) in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), other functional single ventricle lesions, and the standard population and to investigate predictors of NDO in the population of children with functional single ventricle (FSV). Study design: A time- and age-defined cohort of patients with the Fontan circulation was recruited to participate in neurodevelopmental testing, behavioral evaluation, and imaging of the central nervous system. The Wechsler Intelligence test was the primary measure of NDO. Analysis included comparison of patients with HLHS with other patients with functional single ventricles. Other potential clinical predictors of NDO were investigated. Results: The mean Full Scale Wechsler Intelligence score was 101.4 ± 5.4. For the HLHS subgroup the mean Full Scale Wechsler score was 93.8 ± 7.3, and for the non-HLHS subgroup it was 107.0 ± 7.0. Although the HLHS group had significantly lower scores than the non-HLHS subgroup, neither subgroup scored significantly different from the standard population on the Wechsler Scales. Socioeconomic status, circulatory arrest, and perioperative seizures also were predictive of neurodevelopmental outcome. Conclusion: Neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcome in patients who have undergone the Fontan procedure including patients with HLHS is good in the preschool and early school years, with Wechsler Intelligence scores generally in the normal range. (J Pediatr 2000;137:646-52)
A study of the incidence and histogenesis of endocervical metaplasia and intraepithelial carcinoma. Observations on 400 uteri removed for noncervical disease

A study of the incidence and histogenesis of endocervical metaplasia and intraepithelial carcinoma is reported. Observations on 400 uteri removed for noncervical disease were analyzed. Intraepithelial carcinoma of the cervix was demonstrated to arise in the endocervix. The data indicate the histogenesis of metaplasia and intraepithelial carcinoma to be similar in that both appear to have their origin in the reserve cells of the endocervical epithelium. These data suggest that there are progressive stages of development of atypical epithelial change from the earliest incipient lesion of reserve-cell hyperplasia to metaplasia through metaplasia with atypicalities to the fully developed lesions of intraepithelial carcinoma. Comparison of the incidence of endocervical metaplasia (83%) with the combined incidence of metaplasia with atypicalities and intraepithelial carcinoma (5.3%) demonstrates that most cases of metaplasia do not progress to intraepithelial carcinoma.
Cytochemical Analysis of Pancreatic Islet Lipoapoptosis: Hyperlipidemia-Induced Cytoinvolution following Expression of the Diabetes (db/db) Mutation

The diabetes (db/db) genotype mutation induces a hyperglycemic-hyperinsulinemic endometabolic state in C57BL/KsJ mice, manifesting a type II NIDDM diabetes-obesity syndrome (DOS) as
Radar signals dismount data production

It has recently become apparent that dismount tracking from non-EO based sources will have a large positive impact on urban operations. EO / camera imaging is subject to line of site and weather conditions which makes it a non-robust source for dismount tracking. Other sensors exist (e.g. radar) to track dismount targets; however, little radar dismount data exists. This paper examines the capability to generate synthetic and measured dismount data sets for radar frequency (RF) processing. For synthetic data, we used the PoserTM program to generate 500 facet models of human dismount walking. Then we used these facet models with Xpatch to generate synthetic wideband radar data. For measured dismount data, we used a multimode (X-Band and Ku-Band) radar system to collect RF data of volunteer human (dismount) targets.© (2006) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Macroscopic modeling of stochastic deployment policies with time delays for robot ensembles

We consider the dynamic assignment and reassignment of a homogeneous robot ensemble to multiple spatially located tasks with deterministic or near-deterministic task execution times. Similar to Halasz et al. and Berman et al., we consider the development of agent-level, i.e. microscopic, stochastic control policies through the analysis of an appropriate macroscopic analytical model that describes the dynamics of the ensemble. Specifically, we present an approach to better approximate the effects of deterministic microscopic time delays at the macroscopic level based on Pade approximants. We present, analyze, and compare the frequency response of our approach to that presented by Berman et al. using different agent-based simulations.
Purification of CIS-trimedlure isomers by high-performance liquid chromatography

High-performance liquid chromatographic procedures were developed to make it possible to obtain the fourcis-trimedlure isomers (V, W, X, and Y) in pure form. Trimedlure-V and-Y were each readilt separated from the four-componentcis-trimedlure mixture through high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis on 5-μm and 3-μm silica, but trimedlure-W and-X were not adequately resolved. Chromatography of 5-μm silica of the mixtures obtained by epimerization of thetrans-trimedlure isomers, C and B2, yielded the respective epimers, trimedlure-W and-X, in pure form.
Spatial density distributions for illustrating the base sequence dependent features of double helical DNA: computer graphic visualization of Monte Carlo chain simulations

Abstract The sequence-directed flexibility of double helical DNA is examined with color-coded representations of the spatial probability density distributions of the chain ends. The distributions are derived from Monte Carlo simulations that incorporate local sequence-dependent bending of neighboring Watson-Crick base pairs. The density functions are compared with typical rigid representations of the double helix and with sample Monte Carlo trajectories. Applications are presented for three short fragments of kinetoplast DNA from Crithidia fasciculata, which exhibit dramatically different behavior on nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels. The distributions (based on 10 6 configurations per chain) are useful descriptors of overall chain flexibility, illustrating the effects of chain length and base sequence on macromolecular configuration and revealing characteristic differences between curved and rodlike DNA.
Cell-by-cell construction of living tissue

This paper outlines investigations into a potentially revolutionary approach to tissue engineering. Tissue is a complex 3D structure that contains many different biomaterials such as cells, proteins, and extracellular matrix molecules that are ordered in a very precise way to serve specific functions. In order to replicate such complex structure, it is necessary to have a tool that could deposit all these materials in an accurate and controlled fashion. Most methods to fabricate living 3D structures involve techniques to engineer biocompatible scaffolding, which is then seeded with living cells to form tissue. This scaffolding gives the tissue needed support, but the resulting tissue inherently has no microscopic cellular structure because cells are injected into the scaffolding where they adhere ta random. Wee have developed a novel technique that actually engineers tissue, not scaffolding, that includes the mesoscopic cellular structure inherent in natural tissues. This approach uses a laser-based rapid prototyping system known as matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation direct write to construct living tissue cell-by- cell. This manuscript details our efforts to rapidly and reproducibly fabricate comlpex 2D and 3D tissue structures with MAPLE-DW by placing different cells and biomaterials accurately and adherently on the mesoscopic scale.
Effect of sodium fluoride on protein synthesis in HeLa cells: Inhibition of ribosome dissociation

Abstract Incubation of HeLa cells with sodium fluoride results in inhibition of protein synthesis, disaggregation of polyribosomes, accumulation of 80 s ribosomes and decrease of free ribosomal subunits. Part of the messenger released from polyribosomes by fluoride is recovered in a particle sedimenting at 95 s. The decrease of ribosomal subunits occurs only in cells which are active in protein synthesis and appears to be due to the block of ribosome dissociation which in turn prevents ribosome recycling. The analysis of small ribosomal subunits “chasing” into ribosomes, when the free ribosomal subunit pool is depleted in the presence of sodium fluoride, shows no evidence of selectivity between relatively new and old particles in this conversion. After the removal of sodium fluoride, the normal level of free ribosomal subunits is restored at the expense of a random dissociation of ribosomes. The results are consistent with a model of ribosome function in which cyclic dissociation into free ribosomal subunits takes place.
Resistance of Aphis gossypii (Homoptera: Aphididae) to Insecticides in Hawaii: Spatial Patterns and Relation to Insecticide Use

For 16 populations of the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, from Hawaii, comparisons of LC50s showed up to 3.6-fold resistance to endosulfan (an organochlorine), 390-fold resistance to esfenvalerate (a pyrethroid), 9.2-fold resistance to methomyl (a carbamate), and >2,000-fold resistance to oxydemeton-methyl (an organophosphate). Analysis of variance showed significant intra-island variation in susceptibility to each insecticide. Variation among islands was significant only for endosulfan. Total numbers of annual insecticide sprays per site ranged from 0 to 102. LC50s for endosulfan were positively correlated with the previous use of endosulfan; LC50s for oxydemeton-methyl were positively correlated with the previous use of organophosphates. Results suggest that variation in insecticide susceptibility was caused by local variations in insecticide use.
Heavy quarkonium dissociation cross sections in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Many of the hadron-hadron cross sections required for the study of the dynamics of matter produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions can be calculated using the quark-interchange model. Here we evaluate the low-energy dissociation cross sections of $J/\ensuremath{\psi},$ ${\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}},$ \ensuremath{\chi}, $\ensuremath{\Upsilon},$ and ${\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ in collision with \ensuremath{\pi}, \ensuremath{\rho}, and K. These are important for the interpretation of heavy-quarkonium suppression as a signature for the quark gluon plasma, as such comover dissociation processes also contribute to heavy-quarkonium suppression, and must be understood and incorporated in simulations of heavy-ion collisions before QGP formation can be established through this signature.
Video-assisted thoracic surgery utilizing local anesthesia and sedation: 384 consecutive cases.

Background Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is usually performed with general anesthesia and endotracheal intubation. There are risks to such anesthesia and some operations may not require general anesthesia or intubation. We elected to study the safety and efficacy of VATS utilizing local anesthesia, sedation, and spontaneous ventilation. Methods The medical records of all patients undergoing VATS utilizing local anesthesia and sedation at our system's three hospitals between June 1, 2002 and June 1, 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. The authors or residents under supervision performed all procedures. Unsuccessful attempts at this technique were eligible for inclusion but there were none. No patient was excluded based on age or comorbidity. All procedures were performed in the operating room with patients in full lateral position; no patient had endotracheal intubation or epidural or nerve block analgesia. Results Three hundred fifty-three patients ranging in age from 21 to 100 years (mean 67 years) underwent 384 VATS operations: pleural biopsy-drainage with or without talc, 244; drainage of empyema, 74; lung biopsy, 40; evacuate hemothorax, 13; pericardial window, 7; drain lung abscess, 2; treat chylothorax, 2; treat pneumothorax, 1; and biopsy mediastinal mass, 1. No patient required intubation or conversion to thoracotomy. No patient required a subsequent biopsy for diagnosis; two patients required a subsequent procedure for empyema. There were 10 complications: cerebrovascular accident, 2; atrial fibrillation, 2; persistent air leak, 2; empyema, transient renal failure, transient respiratory failure, and urinary tract infection, 1 each. There were no deaths due to operation; within 30 days 9 patients died from underlying disease and 1 from overanticoagulation. Conclusions Video-assisted thoracic surgery utilizing local anesthesia-sedation is well tolerated, safe, and valuable for an increasing number of indications.
Hydrocarbons from Methanol

Abstract The conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons is a remarkable reaction. The mechanism involves C-C bond formation from C1 fragments generated in the presence of certain acidic catalysts and reagents. The precise nature of these reactive C1 species is unknown at present and is the subject of lively debate. The considerable diversity of current opinion will become apparent from the following account.
Pre-dispersal and early post-dispersal demography, and reproductive litter production, in the tropical tree Dicymbe altsonii in Guyana

The demographic history of a flower-cohort of the tropical tree Dicymbe altsonii (Caesalpiniaceae) was studied by collecting litter from flowers, fruits and seeds, and by monitoring seedling survival. Flower production was estimated at 137 to 172 m −2 in a plot of 1 ha. Four percent of the flowers yielded a pod, which contained an average of 2.0 seeds. Post-dispersal mortality over 3 mo was 39% of the initial number of dispersed seeds. Most flowers and fruits were aborted. Insect and vertebrate predation in the tree and on the ground was very low. Reproductive litter production of this species was estimated to be equal to leaf litter production. The amount of phosphorus lost in litter from fruits and flowers was much larger than in leaf litter. This implies that the impact of the biennial flowering events on the nutrient dynamics of the trees and of the ecosystem may be large. It is argued that the reproductive cycle and the pre-dispersal demography of Dicymbe seem to be determined by a scarcity of nutrient resources, and possibly by pollinator limitation.
Painful Shoulder After Surgery for Rotator Cuff Disease.

Persistent shoulder pain after surgery for rotator cuff disease may be caused by conditions that are either extrinsic or intrinsic to the shoulder. Extrinsic causes of persistent shoulder pain include cervical radiculopathy, suprascapular neuropathy, abnormalities of scapular rotation (due to long-thoracic or spinalaccessory neuropathy), and adjacent or metastatic neoplasms. Causes of persistent pain that are intrinsic to the shoulder include both intra-articular conditions (e.g., glenohumeral osteoarthritis, adhesive capsulitis, recurrent anterior subluxation, and labral and bicipital tendon abnormalities) and extra-articular conditions (e.g., persistent subacromial impingement, persistent or recurrent rotator cuff defects, acromioclavicular arthropathy, and deltoid muscle deficiency). Successful management requires an accurate diagnosis, maximal rehabilitation, judicious use of surgical intervention, and a well-motivated patient. The results of revision surgery in patients with persistent subacromial impingement, with or without an intact cuff, are inferior to reported results after primary acromioplasty or rotator cuff repair. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 1997;5:97-108
A commutativity theorem for division rings

The following theorem is proved: Let D be a division ring such that for all x, y in D there exists a positive integer n = n(x, y) for which (xy)n − (yx)n is in the center of D. Then D is commutative. This theorem also holds for semisimple rings.
Nitrazepam for Refractory Infantile Spasms and the Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome:

Infantile spasms and the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome are considered to be age-specific pediatric epileptic syndromes and together constitute a significant percentage of medically resistant seizures in childhood. Twenty children, ages 4 to 28 months (median, 12 months), with medically refractory infantile spasms or the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, were treated with the investigational benzodiazepine nitrazepam in an open-label study. Daily dosage of nitrazepam ranged from 0.5 to 3.5 mg/kg, with a median dosage of 1.5 mg/kg, divided into two doses per day. Side effects included pooling of oral secretions (12 children) and sedation (six children); however, no serious side effects were seen. Responses to nitrazepam were as follows: five complete responses (cessation of all seizures), seven partial responses (greater than 50% reduction of seizures), and eight with no response. Median duration of response was 9 months (range, 4 to 16 months) in children with infantile spasms and 14 months (range, 8 to 26 months) in chi...
Views, authorization, and locking in a relational data base system

In the interest of brevity we assume that the reader is familiar with the notion of a relational data base. In particular, we assume a familiarity with the work of Codd or Boyce and Chamberlin. The examples in this paper will be drawn from a data base which describes a department store and consists of three relations:EMP(NAME, SAL, MGR, DEPT)SALES(DEPT, ITEM, VOL)LOC(DEPT, FLOOR)
The tetrahydropyranyl ether of (E)-3-bromo-3-trimethylsilyl-2-propen-1-ol, a single synthon for the (E)-β-formylvinyl anion and cation

Abstract The tetrahydropyranyl ether of (E)-3-bromo-3-trimethylsilyl-2-propen-1-ol can serve as a single synthon for both the (E)-β-formylvinyl anion and cation depending upon the manner in which the bromine group is stereospecifically replaced by an alkyl group.
Management of heterogeneous parallelism on shared memory multiprocessors

Heterogeneous parallelism includes all forms of inter-instruction parallelism. This may include both explicitly coded and compiler generated forms. It is argued that support mechanisms are needed to efficiently manage heterogeneous subcomputations at run-time, and that the important issues in the design and implementation of these mechanisms are different from those previously studied for support of loop-level parallelism. An empirical study of an actual application is presented. The study was based on variational recursive dynamics simulation of a typical four wheel vehicle. The results of the empirical study indicate that the choice of an appropriate run-time parallel processing support mechanism can have a dramatic impact upon the ability to successfully extract heterogeneous parallelism for programs. In particular, the efficiency (lack of overhead) of the support mechanisms becomes critically important as the granularity of subcomputations becomes relatively fine. The use of simple, syntactically closed constructs is suggested. >
Diagnosis and treatment of sleep disordered breathing in hospitalized cardiac patients: a reduction in 30-day hospital readmission rates.

Background Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with significant cardiovascular sequelae and positive airway pressure (PAP) has been shown to improve heart failure and prevent the recurrence of atrial fibrillation in cardiac patients with sleep apnea. Patients who are hospitalized with cardiac conditions frequently have witnessed symptoms of SDB but often do not have a diagnosis of sleep apnea. We implemented a clinical paradigm to perform unattended sleep studies and initiate treatment with PAP in hospitalized cardiac patients with symptoms consistent with SDB. We hypothesized that PAP adherence in cardiac patients with SDB would reduce readmission rates 30 days after discharge. Methods 106 consecutive cardiac patients hospitalized for heart failure, arrhythmias, and myocardial infarction and who reported symptoms of SDB were evaluated. Patients underwent a type III portable sleep study and those patients diagnosed with sleep apnea were started on PAP. Demographic data, SDB type, PAP adherence, and data regarding 30-day hospital readmission/ED visits were collected. Results Of 106 patients, 104 had conclusive diagnostic studies using portable monitoring systems. Seventy-eight percent of patients (81/104) had SDB (AHI ≥ 5 events/h). Eighty percent (65/81) had predominantly obstructive sleep apnea, and 20% (16/81) had predominantly central sleep apnea. None of 19 patients (0%) with adequate PAP adherence, 6 of 20 (30%) with partial PAP use, and 5 of 17 (29%) of patients who did not use PAP were readmitted to the hospital or visited the emergency department (ED) for a cardiac issue within 30 days from discharge (p = 0.025). Conclusions Performing diagnostic unattended sleep studies and initiating PAP treatment in hospitalized cardiac patients was feasible and provided important clinical information. Our data indicate that hospital readmission and ED visits 30 days after discharge were significantly lower in patients with cardiac disease and SDB who adhered to PAP treatment than those who were not adherent. Commentary A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 1067.
The role of proline-containing peptide triads in β-sheet formation: A kinetic study.

The design of biomimetic materials through molecular self-assembly is a growing area of modern nanotechnology. With problems of protein folding, self-assembly, and sequence–structure relationships as essential in nanotechnology as in biology, the effect of the nucleation of β-hairpin formation by proline on the folding process has been investigated in model studies. Previously such studies were limited to investigations of the influence of proline on the formation of turns in short peptide sequences. The effect of proline-based triads on the folding of an 11-kDa amyloidogenic peptide GH6[(GA)3GY(GA)3GE]8GAH6 (YE8) was investigated by selective substitution of the proline-substituted triads at the γ-turn sites. The folding and fibrillation of the singly proline-substituted polypeptides, e.g., GH6[(GA)3GY(GA)3GE]7(GA)3GY(GA)3PDGAH6 (8PD), and doubly proline-substituted polypeptides, e.g., GH6[(GA)3GY(GA)3GE]3(GA)3GY(GA)3PD[(GA)3GY(GA)3GE]3(GA)3GY(GA)3PDGAH6 (4,8PD), were directly monitored by circular dichroism and deep UV resonance Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies. These findings were used to identify the essential folding domains, i.e., the minimum number of β-strands necessary for stable folding. These experimental findings may be especially useful in the design and construction of peptidic materials for a wide range of applications as well as in understanding the mechanisms of folding critical to fibril formation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 103: 339–350, 2015.