cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sexual Behaviors and Transmission Risks Among People Living with HIV: Beliefs, Perceptions, and Challenges to Using Treatments as Prevention

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) improves the health of people living with HIV and can reduce infectiousness, preventing HIV transmission. The potential preventive benefits of ART are undermined by beliefs that it is safe to have condomless sex when viral load is below levels of detection (infectiousness beliefs and risk perceptions). In this study, we hypothesized that infectiousness beliefs and HIV transmission risk perceptions would prospectively predict people living with HIV engaging in more condomless sex with HIV-negative and unknown HIV status sex partners. Sexually active HIV-positive men (n = 538, 76 %) and women (n = 166, 24 %) completed computerized interviews of sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptoms and diagnoses, unannounced pill counts for medication adherence, medical chart-abstracted HIV viral load, and 28 daily cell-phone-delivered prospective sexual behavior assessments. Results showed that a total of 313 (44 %) participants had engaged in condomless sex with HIV-negative/unknown status sex partners, and these individuals demonstrated higher rates of STI symptoms and diagnoses. Two-thirds of participants who had condomless sex with HIV-negative/unknown status partners had not disclosed their HIV status. Multivariable logistic regression models showed that beliefs regarding viral load and HIV infectiousness and perceptions of lower risk of HIV transmission resulting from HIV viral suppression predicted condomless sex with potentially uninfected partners over and above sex behaviors with HIV-positive partners and STI symptoms/diagnoses. Interventions that address HIV status disclosure and aggressively treat STI in sexually active people living with HIV should routinely accompany the use of HIV treatments as prevention.
Polysome shift assay for direct measurement of miRNA inhibition by anti-miRNA drugs

Anti-miRNA (anti-miR) oligonucleotide drugs are being developed to inhibit overactive miRNAs linked to disease. To help facilitate the transition from concept to clinic, new research tools are required. Here we report a novel method--miRNA Polysome Shift Assay (miPSA)--for direct measurement of miRNA engagement by anti-miR, which is more robust than conventional pharmacodynamics using downstream target gene derepression. The method takes advantage of size differences between active and inhibited miRNA complexes. Active miRNAs bind target mRNAs in high molecular weight polysome complexes, while inhibited miRNAs are sterically blocked by anti-miRs from forming this interaction. These two states can be assessed by fractionating tissue or cell lysates using differential ultracentrifugation through sucrose gradients. Accordingly, anti-miR treatment causes a specific shift of cognate miRNA from heavy to light density fractions. The magnitude of this shift is dose-responsive and maintains a linear relationship with downstream target gene derepression while providing a substantially higher dynamic window for aiding drug discovery. In contrast, we found that the commonly used 'RT-interference' approach, which assumes that inhibited miRNA is undetectable by RT-qPCR, can yield unreliable results that poorly reflect the binding stoichiometry of anti-miR to miRNA. We also demonstrate that the miPSA has additional utility in assessing anti-miR cross-reactivity with miRNAs sharing similar seed sequences.
Mechanisms of acquired resistance to iodonium-class NADPH oxidase inhibitors in human colorectal cancer

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4629 Recent studies suggest that reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by a membrane-bound, non-mitochondrial flavin dehydrogenase, NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX1), play a critical role in the control of human colorectal cancer growth by modulating signal transduction through the Wnt pathway as well as ROS-mediated angiogenesis (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Cancer Res. 2005; 46: [Abstract # 6108; Abstract # 2283]). We demonstrated previously that the iodonium-class NOX inhibitors diphenylene iodonium (DPI) and Di-2-thienyliodonium (DTI) at their IC50 concentrations downregulate cyclin D1 leading to a G1/S block; drug exposure also produces a significant decrease in ROS production as well as decreased phosphorylation of beta-catenin. To examine the mechanism(s) of action of DPI and DTI further, HT-29, HCT-15, SW-620, and KM-12 human colon cancer lines resistant to these iodonium analogs were developed by stepwise exposure to increasing DPI or DTI concentrations over a period of at least 6 months. Individual DPI- and DTI-resistant variants of each of the four model systems were found to be from 4 to 5-fold resistant to DPI and 4 to18-fold resistant DTI by comparison of their respective IC50 values. Flow cytometric analysis with the fluorescent probe H2DCF revealed that in both DPI- and DTI-resistant variant cell lines baseline levels of reactive oxygen production were increased by > 3-fold compared to parental cells. Furthermore, expression levels of phospho-beta catenin, c-myc, CDK4, cyclin D1, and the transcription factor TCF-4, that are significantly decreased following exposure to DPI and DTI in parental cells, were either unchanged or upregulated in the resistant cell variants. In summary, DPI and DTI resistance in human colon cancer cells is associated with a significant increase in reactive oxygen setpoint, and a compensatory overexpression of oxidant-sensitive signal transduction components of the Wnt pathway. These studies suggest that reactive oxygen homeostasis plays a critical regulatory role in the growth of colon cancer cells, and thus, may be an important target for the development of novel colon cancer therapeutics.
Interpolants for Linear Arithmetic in SMT

The linear arithmetic solver in Yices was specifically designed for SMT provers, providing fast support for operations like adding and deleting constraints. We give a procedure for developing interpolants based on the results of the Yices arithmetic solver. For inequalities over real numbers, the interpolant is computed directly from the one contradictory equation and associated bounds. For integer inequalities, a formula is computed from the contradictory equation, the bounds, and the Gomory cuts. The formula is not exactly an interpolant because it may contain local variables. But local variables only arise from Gomory cuts, so there will not be many local variables, and the formula should thereby be useful for applications like predicate abstraction. For integer equalities, we designed a new procedure. It accepts equations and congruence equations, and returns an interpolant. We have implemented our method and give experimental results.
[Supplementary Material] Greenhouse evaluation of neonate and adult applications of Coleomegilla maculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to control twospotted spider mite infestations

The lady beetle Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a euryphagous predator that is known to consume the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). Spider mites are frequently problematic in greenhouse operations and often cause damage to the ornamental and bedding plant Impatiens walleriana Hook f. (Ericales: Balsaminaceae). Increasing demand for alternatives to pesti­cides combined with resistance to registered pest control products necessitates the evaluation of viable alternatives. In this study, naive impatiens were intentionally infested with twospotted spider mites. When damage was visible on experimental plants, they were treated with lady beetles in containment cages. One treatment was adult C. maculata and another treatment was neonate C. maculata using recently developed methods for rearing and harvesting eggs . Levels of spider mite infestation were assessed after treatments, and images of the treated and untreated plants were collected to assess the effectiveness of C. maculata in a greenhouse environment. Plants with C. maculata treatments were essentially free of spider mites. There is potential to use mass-reared C. maculata eggs as treatment for spider mites in contained crops or indoor decorative plants. Resumen La maraquita Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) es un depredador eurifago conocida de consumir la aranita de dos manchas, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). Las aranitas son frecuentemente problematicas en las operacio­nes de invernaderos, y con frecuencia causan dano a la planta ornamental y de cobertura, Impatiens walleriana Hook f. (Ericales: Balsaminaceae). La creciente demanda de alternativas a los plaguicidas, combinadas con la resistencia a los productos registrados para el control de plagas requiere la evaluacion de alternativas viables. En este estudio, impatiens ingenuos fueron infestadas inten­cionalmente con aranitsa de dos manchas. Cuando hubo dano visible en las plantas experimentales, ellas fueron tratadas con las mariquitas en jaulas de contencion. Uno de loso tratamientos fue con adultos de C. maculata y el otro tratamiento fue con neonatos de C. maculata utilizando metodos recientemente desarrollados para la cria y la recoleccion de huevos. El nivel de infestacion de las aranitas fue evaluado despues de los tratamientos, y se recolectaron imagenes de las plantas tratadas y no tratadas para evaluar la eficacia de C. maculata en un ambiente de invernadero. Las plantas tratadas con C. maculata fueron esencialmente libre de la las aranitas rojas. Existe la potencial de utilizar huevos de C. maculata criados en masa como un tratamiento para las aranitas rojas en los cultivos contenidos o plantas decorativas de interior.
Changing how we view aging.

Abstract It is time for medicine, particularly geriatric medicine, to incorporate an understanding of how the psychological aspects of aging interact with cancer. The impact has both negative elements—for example, the added stresses of other losses or comorbid ailments that come with age—and positive elements, particularly a lifetime of honing character strengths on which to draw during a challenging time.
The Role of Substorms in the Generation of Magnetic Storms

A typical magnetic storm is characterized by an initial phase, a main phase and a recovery phase. The initial phase is caused by increased solar wind dynamic pressure, the main phase by injection into and energization of particles in the radiation belts, and the recovery phase by charge exchange loss of these particles. The effect of the Radiation belt particles is roughly equivalent to that of a geocentric ring of current of radius 3-4 Re which decreases the horizontal component of the earth's surface field by as much as 500 nT. The magnitude of this effect is generally indexed by the Dst index. The Dessler-Parker-Sckopke relation shows that in the absence of other effects Dst is directly proportional to the total energy of the radiation belt particles. Thus if Dst is corrected for other effects its time rate of change is a direct measure of the rate at which energy is flowing into or out of the ring current. Various models have been developed to explain the rate of energy input via solar wind coupling and the rate of loss by charge exchange. Statistical studies have parameterized these models and the resulting differential equation solved to predict the time history of Dst as a function of solar wind coupling. It is noteworthy that these models are remarkably accurate, and that they do not involve any measure of substorm activity such as the AL index. In fact, when the rectified solar wind electric field is used to predict both Dst and AL, the prediction residuals for these two indices are completely uncorrelated. This result suggests that the effect of particles injected and energized by the expansion phase of substorms is undetectable in the pressure corrected Dst index. It thus seems more likely that it is the global convection electric field that injects and energizes ring current particles. Thus, despite the fact that substorms occur throughout the main phase development of the ring current, the inductive electric field of the expansion phase is not likely to be the primary source of ring current particles or energy. However, it almost certainly plays a role in trapping the particles transported by the global convection field.
Network time slots allocation by using a time multiplexed switch in a telecommunications architecture

Network time slots are used to set up a connection during call processing. This paper proposes a design of a time multiplexed switch to allocate network time slots in a telecommunications architecture. Network time slots can be allocated by a processor in the administrative module. Network time slots allocation by using the time multiplexed switch speeds up path hunt for line-terminating calls because of fewer messages are sent to set up a path between the switching modules. This design also improves the architecture reliability for the calls that do not require trunk hunt (i.e., intra calls) allowing for path hunt when the processor in the administrative module is unavailable. The performance of a peripheral controller is analyzed to show message handling between the peripheral controller and the time multiplexed switch controller. A hardware architecture is proposed to handle the increased number of messages in the peripheral controller. >
The Cat's Paw or Age Discrimination

Jane White, Vice President for Human Resources for Anderson Memorial Regional Hospital, must contend with an issue involving a staff pharmacist who had again violated hospital policy by overriding the computer database’s drug interaction warning and filled a patient’s script. The drug that was filled had the potential to cause serious problems when taken with other drugs the patient was currently taking. Now White, Terry Squires, the pharmacy manager and John Hart, the HR director for the hospital, had to make a decision. The fact that the staff pharmacist was a member of a protected class complicated the decision. Still another complication was the fact that another, much younger, pharmacist found and reported the violation to management. Additionally, a recent Supreme Court decision involving the “Cat’s Paw” Theory had just been decided. White wondered what the next step that HR took should be.
cis-acting sequences of the rat troponin I slow gene confer tissue- and development-specific transcription in cultured muscle cells as well as fiber type specificity in transgenic mice.

Abstract Transcription of the genes coding for troponin I slow (TnIslow) and other contractile proteins is activated during skeletal muscle differentiation, and their expression is later restricted to specific fiber types during maturation. We have isolated and characterized the rat TnIslow gene in order to begin elucidating its regulation during myogenesis. Transcriptional regulatory regions were delineated by using constructs, containing TnIslow gene sequences driving the expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene, that were transiently transfected into undifferentiated and differentiated C2C12 cells. TnIslow 5'-flanking sequences directed transcription specifically in differentiated cells. However, transcription rates were approximately 10-fold higher in myotubes transfected with constructs containing the 5'-flanking sequences plus the intragenic region residing upstream of the translation initiation site (introns 1 and 2), indicative of interactions between elements residing upstream and in the introns of the gene. Deletion analysis of the 5' region of the TnIslow gene showed that the 200 bp upstream of the transcription initiation site is sufficient to confer differentiation-specific transcription in C2C12 myocytes. MyoD consensus binding sites were found both in the upstream 200-bp region and in a region residing in the second intron that is highly homologous to the quail TnIfast enhancer. Transactivation experiments using transfected NIH 3T3 fibroblasts with TnI-CAT constructs containing intragenic and/or upstream sequences and with the myogenic factors MyoD, myogenin, and MRF4 showed different potentials of these factors to induce transcription. Transgenic mice harboring the rat TnI-CAT fusion gene expressed the reporter specifically in the skeletal muscle. Furthermore, CAT levels were approximately 50-fold higher in the soleus than in the extensor digitorum longus, gastrocnemius, or tibialis muscle, indicating that the regulatory elements that restrict TnI transcription to slow-twitch myofibers reside in the sequences we have analyzed.
Micromechanical circuits for communication transceivers

Micromechanical (or /spl mu/mechanical) communication circuits fabricated via IC-compatible MEMS technologies and capable of low-loss filtering, mixing, switching, and frequency generation, are described with the intent to miniaturize wireless transceivers. Receiver architectures are then proposed that best harness the tiny size, zero DC power dissipation, and ultra-high-Q of vibrating /spl mu/mechanical resonator circuits. Among the more aggressive architectures proposed are one based on a /spl mu/mechanical RF channel-selector and one featuring an all-MEMS RF front-end. These architectures maximize performance gains by using highly selective, low-loss /spl mu/mechanical circuits on a massive scale, taking full advantage of Q versus power trade-offs. Micromechanical filters, mixer-filters, and switchable synthesizers are identified as key blocks capable of substantial power savings when used in the aforementioned architectures. As a result of this architectural exercise, more focused directions for further research and development in RF MEMS are identified.
Nystagmus in pediatric patients: interventions and patient-focused perspectives

Nystagmus refers to involuntary, typically conjugate, often rhythmic oscillations of the eyes. The most common cause of nystagmus in children is infantile nystagmus syndrome (INS). INS presents within the first few months of life and is sometimes accompanied by an ocular condition associated with sensory impairment. Because this condition affects a person throughout life, it is important to understand the options available to manage it. This review focuses on the underlying nystagmus etiology, psychosocial and functional effects of nystagmus, as well as current principles of management, including optical, pharmacological, surgical, and rehabilitative options. Currently, the neural mechanisms underlying INS are not fully understood. Treatment options are designed to increase foveation duration or correct anomalous head postures; however, evidence is limited to mainly pre- and post-study designs with few objective comparisons of treatment strategies. Management of INS should be individualized. The decision on which treatment is best suited for a particular patient lies with the patient and his/her physician.
Are there alternatives to the use of quinine to treat nocturnal leg cramps

Objective: To review the efficacy and tolerability profiles of quinine in nocturnal and dialysis-associated leg cramps and to examine potential alternative agents. Data sources: Selection and extraction: a MEDLINE/PubMed, English-language literature search from 1966 to the present using quinine, leg cramps, vitamin E, verapamil, muscle relaxants, gabapentin as search terms. Data synthesis: Quinine, an alkaloid originally isolated from the cinchona tree, has been used for many years to treat/prevent leg cramps. In the mid-1990s, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned over-the-counter availability of quinine and marketing of prescription quinine products for leg cramps. In early 2007, FDA banned all prescription quinine products other than Qualaquin. FDA acted in this manner because of a perception that quinine is not effective for this condition and that its risk potential far exceeds its efficacy potential. Efficacy trials for quinine in leg cramps have numerous design flaws that have resulted in poor quality data, producing both positive and negative findings. Two meta-analyses have reached different conclusions. Superimposed on the questionable efficacy of quinine is the well-known toxicity profile of the drug, involving the hematologic, renal, neurologic, cardiac, and endocrine systems. Conclusion: Are there any alternatives to quinine for leg cramps? Data are available supporting the potential efficacy of verapamil, gabapentin, carisoprodol, and orphenadrine in the general population, and vitamin E in the dialysis population. One or more of these agents should be tried before resorting to a time-limited (four- to six-week) trial of quinine for the treatment/prevention of leg cramps.
LANTR/ISPP-BASED SPACE TRANSPORTATION FOR MOON/MARS MISSIONS: PART 1 -ANALYSIS

The search for high-leverage propulsion technologies for human lunar and Mars missions lias turned up several nearand longer-term candidates. Among those expected to be available within ten years of beginning an advanced technology development program are the Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) engine and In Situ Propellant Production (ISPP). Each of these concepts has considerable history in studies and experimentation. Some of our recent studies indicate even greater potential when the two technologies are combined. NASA lias proposed that a LOX-Augmented NTR (LANTR) small engine concept and tanks designed for use on lunar stages could also be used for Mars vehicle configurations, and that the tanks could be filled with propellants from the Moon, Phobos, or Mars as appropriate for the return trip. This approach preserves the strategy of using a few common design elements for both lunar and Mars missions, while also making a significant mass performance improvement for the Mars return stage. This paper describes the analysis used to evaluate the mission performance, cost, and transportation infrastructure implications of LANTR and ISPP for lunar and Mars missions. Current planning guidelines and assumptions are also documented. A companion paper [1] presents the results of this "steady-state" analysis of Earth-Moon and Earth-Mars in-space transportation.
Sex Differences in Ischemic Stroke Sensitivity Are Influenced by Gonadal Hormones, Not by Sex Chromosome Complement:

Epidemiologic studies have shown sex differences in ischemic stroke. The four core genotype (FCG) mouse model, in which the testes determining gene, Sry, has been moved from Y chromosome to an autosome, was used to dissociate the effects of sex hormones from sex chromosome in ischemic stroke outcome. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in gonad intact FCG mice revealed that gonadal males (XXM and XYM) had significantly higher infarct volumes as compared with gonadal females (XXF and XYF). Serum testosterone levels were equivalent in adult XXM and XYM, as was serum estrogen in XXF and XYF mice. To remove the effects of gonadal hormones, gonadectomized FCG mice were subjected to MCAO. Gonadectomy significantly increased infarct volumes in females, while no change was seen in gonadectomized males, indicating that estrogen loss increases ischemic sensitivity. Estradiol supplementation in gonadectomized FCG mice rescued this phenotype. Interestingly, FCG male mice were less sensitive to effects of hormones. This may be due to enhanced expression of the transgene Sry in brains of FCG male mice. Sex differences in ischemic stroke sensitivity appear to be shaped by organizational and activational effects of sex hormones, rather than sex chromosomal complement.
Developmental changes in real-time sentence processing:

This study examines syntactic, semantic and morphologic cues that English-speaking children and young adults use to determine agent roles during sentence interpretation. Processing times associated with these cues are also examined. Both agent choice and reaction times indicate a developmental progression in agent role assignment, with earliest reliance on canonical word order (SVO) followed by later emerging non-canonical strategies (VOS and OSV). Converging information from subject-verb agreement and animacy cues increased use of these non-canonical word orders; however, weaker agreement and animacy cues also appeared to slow down reaction times. Non-canonical VOS, followed by OSV strategies, stabilized between 7-12 years of age, when adult-like patterns of competition and convergence emerged in the interaction between strong and weak cues. Results of this study are considered within the framework of the Competition Model (Bates & MacWhinney 1989).
Can soil organic carbon isotopes be used to describe grass‐tree dynamics at a savanna‐grassland ecotone and within the savanna?

We evaluated the use of soil organic carbon (SOC) isotopes to describe grass-tree dynamics at locations at the savanna-C4 grassland ecotone and within a temperate semi- arid Quercus savanna in southeastern Arizona, USA. SOC will not describe grass-tree dynamics at locations within the savanna because isotope composition near the soil surface does not correspond with the overlying vegetation and recent C3 carbon has been deposited at deep soil depths with no C4 analog. In contrast, SOC can describe grass-tree dynamics at the savanna-grassland ecotone because isotope composition near the soil surface corresponds with overlying vegetation and significant deep soil deposition of C3 carbon was not apparent. At the ecotone, trees became established in the last 700-1700 years. There is no evidence to suggest an unstable grass-tree mixture at the ecotone since that time.
INFRARED SPECTRA AND COORDINATE BONDING OF COPPER(II) AND NICKEL(II) POLYGLYCINE CHELATES IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION

Abstract Infrared absorption spectra in aqueous (D2O) solution are employed to elucidate the nature of coordinate bonding in copper(II)- and nickel(II)-polyglycine chelates formed over the full pH range from strongly acid to strongly alkaline solution. These assignments provide the first microscopic evidence for metal-polyglycine coordinate sites in acid solution. Shifts in peptide carbonyl and terminal carboxylate frequencies are interpreted as indications of the conformational changes in both copper(II) and nickel(II) chelates as dissociation of hydrogen ion takes place to convert the initial complexes to the ultimate high pH forms, MH−nL1–n and MH−nLOH−n where n is the number of peptide linkages in the ligand.
ASGW Best Practice Guidelines as a Research Tool: A Comprehensive Examination of the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing

Crisis intervention group work is routinely provided to those that have been exposed to potentially traumatizing events. The Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) has been identified as a standard format for conducting crisis groups, yet the intervention is highly debated in the literature. This article reviews the status of that debate, offers an analysis of the CISD protocols through the lens of group work effectiveness: ASGW's Best Practice Guidelines (2008), and then makes suggestions for the use of group work methodology to enhance the understanding of the benefits and limitations to CISD group work.
Implementation of Validated Pharmacodynamic Assays in Multiple Laboratories: Challenges, Successes, and Limitations

There is a “life cycle” of pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarker assays that guides the development and clinical implementation in our laboratories. The well-recognized elements of analytical assay validation and demonstration of fitness-for-purpose of the biomarker, specimen collection, handling, and assay methods are only a part of the required activities. Assay transfer across laboratories and testing on actual human clinical specimens are vital for understanding assay performance and robustness. In our experience, this patient specimen-centered approach has required assay method modifications, some unexpected, but which were critical to successful implementation in clinical trials. In addition, dispersing assays throughout the National Cancer Institute9s clinical trials network has required the development of calibrator and control materials as well as formal training courses for smooth implementation. One measure of success of this approach has been that a number of the assays developed at NCI9s Frederick National Laboratory have ultimately reached the stage of commercialization, enabling wide accessibility of the PD biomarker assays by the research community. See all articles in this CCR Focus section, “Progress in Pharmacodynamic Endpoints.” Clin Cancer Res; 20(10); 2578–86. ©2014 AACR .
Tutorial - Working with ethicists: A bestiary

When “[s]cientists, technologists and engineers of all ages, students as well as senior professionals, encounter ethical challenges in their professional and personal lives” [1], it is often helpful to have assistance from an ethicist. But ethicists are no more generic than engineers [2] or scientists [3]. Ethicists come in many forms, not all of which are suitable for domestication. In this short presentation, I will offer a typology of ethicists, their characteristic habits, typical demeanors, and principle uses. Participants will learn how to . identify specific strains of ethicists in the wild as well as the academy; . discriminate the innocuous from the nocuous ethicist; and . approach ethicists with minimal risk of injury to body, mind, or reputation. The presentation will conclude with suggestions on the taming, but not breeding, of ethicists. Although the presenter's approach is tongue-in-cheek, he believes that the presentation and following open discussion will be of serious use to anyone - especially the technically-oriented - who believes he or she can benefit from instruction from or collaboration with an ethicist. (Collaborating with more than one ethicist is an advanced topic that cannot be covered any convenient time span.) .
Molecular pathogenesis of AML (mouse models of acute myeloid leukemia with AML1-ETO fusion proteins)

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a common hematopoietic malignancy characterized by the abnormal proliferation and differentiation of myeloid progenitor cells. The fusion geneAML1-ETO is a product of t(8;21)(q22;q22) chromosomal translocation, one of the most common chromosomal translocations associated with acute myeloid leukemia Therefore, analyzing the molecular mechanism of AML1-ETO in the process of AML development will provide valuable information to normal hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis. In order to investigate the role of AML1-ETO in leukemogenesis and to mimic the progression of t(8;21) leukemia, we have generated three AML1-ETO expressing mouse models using approaches of fusion gene knock-in, tetracycline inducible expression, and tissue specific MRP8 promoter directed expression. The analyses of these mice indicate that (1) AML1-ETO dominantly blocks AMLl function during early hematopoiesis, (2) AML1-ETO has a very restricted capacity to transform hematopoietic cells although certain abnormal maturation and proliferation of progenitor cells from these animals can be detected, (3) Additional mutations are required for the development of acute myeloid leukemia in AML1-ETO expressing mice, which is demonstrated by administration of mutagenesis reagent N-nitroso-N-ethylurea (ENU) to MRP8-AML1-ETO mice. The MRP8-AML1-ETO transgenic mice provide an excellent model that can be used to isolate additional genetic events and to further understand the molecular pathogenesis of AML1-ETO related leukemia.
Low Coordinate, Monomeric Molybdenum and Tungsten(III) Complexes: Structure, Reactivity and Calculational Studies of (silox)3Mo and (silox)3ML (M = Mo, W; L = PMe3, CO; silox = tBu3SiO)

Treatment of (silox)3MCl (M = Mo, 1-Cl; W, 2-Cl; silox = tBu3SiO) with PMe3 and Na/Hg led to formation of monomeric, d3 phosphine adducts, (silox)3MPMe3 (M = Mo, 1-PMe3; W, 2-PMe3) via (silox)3ClMPMe3 (M = Mo, 1-ClPMe3; W, 2-ClPMe3). Structural studies show 1-PMe3 and 2-PMe3 to be highly distorted; calculations on full chemical models corroborate experimentally determined S = 1/2 ground states and their structural features. The compounds contain a bent M-P bond that is characteristic of significant σ/π-mixing. PMe3 may be thermally removed from 1-PMe3 in vacuo to produce 4A2′ (silox)3Mo (1), which was derivatized with CO, NO, and 1/4 P4 to form (silox)3Mo (1-CO), (silox)3MoNO (1-NO), and (silox)3MoP (1-P), respectively. Calculations revealed (silox)3W (2′) to have an S = 1/2 ground state, which may render it too reactive to be isolated. Treatment of 2-PMe3 with CO, NO, and 1/4 P4 formed (silox)3WCO (2-CO), (silox)3WNO (2-NO), and (silox)3WP (2-P), respectively. 2-CO and 2-NO are more conveniently prepared...
THE EFFECT OF THE CRUSTACEAN EYE-STALK HORMONE UPON WATER METABOLISM AND MELANOPHORE EXPANSION IN THE FROG

IT HAS BEEN SHOWN by Perkins (1) that color in the marine Crustacea is controlled by a hormone elaborated in the stalked eyes of these animals. Smith (2) showed this to hold true also in a fresh water form. Perkins and Kropp have later shown (3, 4) that this hormone is capable of producing melanophore expansion comparable to the effect of pitressin in fish and tadpoles. In view of the fact that pitressin, commonly used as an activator for amphibian melanophores, has an effect upon the water uptake of these animals (5) it was considered desirable to determine if the eye-stalk hormone (ESH) has the same property. Melanophores were measured at the same time to see if the proportion of water uptake to melanophore expansion was similar to that produced by pitressin. To test this, eye-stalks of the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator, were excised and desiccated after the animals had been light adapted for 3 hours.
Development and organization of the central vacuole of Acetabularia acetabulum

* Here we analyzed the shape of the central vacuole of Acetabularia acetabulum by visualizing its development during diplophase (from juvenility through reproduction) and haplophase (from meiosis through mating). * Light microscopy and whole-organism applications of a pH-sensitive dye, neutral red, were used to visualize the anatomy of the central vacuole. We studied connectivity within the thallus by locally applying dye to morphologically distinct regions (rhizoid, stalk, apex, hairs) and observing dye movements. * In vegetative thalli most of the rhizoid, stalk and young hairs stained with dye. In reproductive structures (caps, gametangia) dye also stained the majority of the interiors. When applied to small areas, dye moved at different rates through each region of the thallus (e.g. within the stalk). Dye moved from younger hairs, but not from older hairs, into the stalk. Errors in incorporation of central vacuole into gametangia occurred at <10(-5). * These data indicate that the central vacuole of A. acetabulum is a ramified polar organelle with, potentially, a gel-like sap that actively remodels its morphology during development.
Remediation of Chromium‐Containing Soils by Heap Leaching: Column Study

Efforts are being made to devise technologies and treatment systems to remediate contaminated soil on site without generating significant wastes for off-site disposal. Heap leaching, a technique used extensively in the mining industry, has been investigated as a method for remediation of hazardous metal contamination of the vadose zone. In the mining industry, metal bearing ore is excavated and mounded on a pad. The metals are removed by passing a special leaching solution through the ore. In this study, the removal of Chromium (VI) from four New Mexico soils (sand, sandy loam, and clay) using heap leaching was evaluated at a column scale. The heap leaching study demonstrated greater than 99% removal of Cr(VI), using tap water as the leaching agent. The soils were typical of arid climate soils with low organic content (<1%).
Dopamine biosynthesis is regulated by S-glutathionylation. Potential mechanism of tyrosine hydroxylast inhibition during oxidative stress.

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the initial and rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter dopamine, is inhibited by the sulfhydryl oxidant diamide in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect of diamide on TH catalytic activity is enhanced significantly by GSH. Treatment of TH with diamide in the presence of [35S]GSH results in the incorporation of35S into the enzyme. The effect of diamide-GSH on TH activity is prevented by dithiothreitol (DTT), as is the binding of [35S]GSH, indicating the formation of a disulfide linkage between GSH and TH protein cysteinyls. Loss of TH catalytic activity caused by diamide-GSH is partially recovered by DTT and glutaredoxin, whereas the disulfide linkage of GSH with TH is completely reversed by both. Treatment of intact PC12 cells with diamide results in a concentration-dependent inhibition of TH activity. Incubation of cells with [35S]cysteine, to label cellular GSH prior to diamide treatment, followed by immunoprecipitation of TH shows that the loss of TH catalytic activity is associated with a DTT-reversible incorporation of [35S]GSH into the enzyme. A combination of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify the sites of S-glutathionylation in TH. Six cysteines (177, 249, 263, 329, 330, and 380) of the seven cysteine residues in TH were confirmed as substrates for modification. Only Cys-311 was notS-glutathionylated. These results establish that TH activity is influenced in a reversible manner byS-glutathionylation and suggest that cellular GSH may regulate dopamine biosynthesis under conditions of oxidative stress or drug-induced toxicity.
Staining Nuclei and Chromosomes in Protozoa

Technics for free-living forms such as Paramecium and for parasitic forms such as the opalinid ciliates are described.Paramecium: Fix paramecia in hot Schaudinn's fluid containing 5% of glacial acetic acid for 5-15 minutes. (A hot water bath for maintaining the proper temperature of the fixative is described.) Dehydrate up to 83% alcohol. Mount the specimens on albuminized cover glasses. (A table for mounting animals on cover glasses is described.) Apply a thin layer of collodion to the cover glass to prevent the loss of the specimens during the subsequent handling. Pass through descending grades of alcohol to water. Mordant in 4% iron alum for 24 hours. Stain in 0.5% hematoxylin for 24 hours. Destain in saturated aqueous picric acid. Rinse in tap water, expose to ammonia vapor for a second, and then rinse again in tap water. Wash in running water for 1 hour. Dehydrate. Clear, then mount in damar.Opalinid Ciliates: Make smears on cover glasses and fix them while wet. If the opalinids are to be subsequentl...
Interferon-α combined with radiotherapy in the treatment of unresectable melanoma

A case of recurrent and twice resected sinonasal melanoma is presented. The large recurrent tumor was found to regress by a concurrent combination of 6660 cGy photon radiation and subcutaneous interferon-α injections given for a period of 8 weeks. Possible mechanisms of potentiation between interferon and radiation are discussed. The unexpected result in this case report raises interesting questions about this treatment combination.
Propylthiouracil Treatment Decreases the Susceptibility to Oxygen Radical-Induced Lung Damage in Newborn Rats Exposed to Prolonged Hyperoxia

Propylthiouracil Treatment Decreases the Susceptibility to Oxygen Radical-Induced Lung Damage in Newborn Rats Exposed to Prolonged Hyperoxia
Vacuum-ultraviolet generation of luminescence and absorption centres in a-Sio2

Abstract Irradiation by vacuum-ultraviolet photons has been shown to create an absorption band at 4·8 eV and a luminescence band at 1·9 eV in high-purity fused silica. The two processes are attributed to different centres since their growth curves are markedly different and their generation efficiencies depend in different ways on OH impurity content.
TGF-β modulates the functionality of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells through effects on TCR signaling and Spred1 expression

This study demonstrates that CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment display reduced functionality and hyporesponsiveness. TGF-β contributed markedly to the tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells’ (TILs) reduced functionality, which could be reversed using a small molecule TGF-β inhibitor. Upon T-cell receptor (TCR) activation, the activation of ITK and ERK kinases were reduced in CD8+ TILs, as compared to splenic CD8+ T cells: TGF-β inhibitor could reverse this phenomenon. This study demonstrates for the first time the association of the Spred-1 gene, an inhibitor of the Ras/MAPK pathway, with CD8+ TILs and TGF-β activity. Spred-1 was upregulated in CD8+ TILs and TGF-β enhanced the expression of Spred-1 in effector/memory CD8+ T cells and not in rested/memory CD8+ T cells. Based on these findings, this study supports the hypothesis that TGF-β mediates an inhibitory mechanism on CD8+ TILs involving TCR-signaling blockade and the upregulation of Spred-1, thus implicating Spred-1 as a potential new target for future anti-tumor immune studies.
Concerning Eikos: Social Expectation and Verisimilitude in Early Attic Rhetoric

Abstract This essay inquires into the meaning and usage of eikos , an important term in early Greek rhetorical theory. Based on a survey of 394 uses of the verb eoika (of which eikos is the neuter perfect participle) in texts ranging from Homer to Isocrates, it argues that the traditional translation of eikos as “probability” is in some ways misleading. Specifically, the essay proposes: 1) that “to be similar” is the core meaning of eoika , 2) that all other senses of eoika can be seen as extensions of the “similarity” sense, 3) that the “befittingness” sense of eikos continued to be of great importance in the early Attic orators, and 4) that the sense of eikos as that which is befitting or socially expected, and the sense of eikos as that which is verisimilar, work in tandem in the “profiling” strategy of some eikos arguments.
The Role of Postoperative Radiation Therapy in the Treatment of Meningeal Hemangiopericytoma—Experience From the SEER Database

Purpose The aim of this study was to examine the effect of postoperative radiation therapy (RT) on cause-specific survival in patients with meningeal hemangiopericytomas. Methods and Materials The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 1990-2008 was queried for cases of surgically resected central nervous system hemangiopericytoma. Patient demographics, tumor location, and extent of resection were included in the analysis as covariates. The Kaplan-Meier product-limit method was used to analyze cause-specific survival. A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted to determine which factors were associated with cause-specific survival. Results The mean follow-up time is 7.9 years (95 months). There were 76 patients included in the analysis, of these, 38 (50%) underwent gross total resection (GTR), whereas the other half underwent subtotal resection (STR). Postoperative RT was administered to 42% (16/38) of the patients in the GTR group and 50% (19/38) in the STR group. The 1-year, 10-year, and 20-year cause-specific survival rates were 99%, 75%, and 43%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, postoperative RT was associated with significantly better survival (HR = 0.269, 95% CI 0.084-0.862; P =.027), in particular for patients who underwent STR (HR = 0.088, 95% CI: 0.015-0.528; P Conclusions In the absence of large prospective trials, the current clinical decision-making of hemangiopericytoma is mostly based on retrospective data. We recommend that postoperative RT be considered after subtotal resection for patients who could tolerate it. Based on the current literature, the practical approach is to deliver limited field RT to doses of 50-60 Gy while respecting the normal tissue tolerance. Further investigations are clearly needed to determine the optimal therapeutic strategy.
Towards a comprehensive theory of conflict-tolerance graphs

Many graph classes are defined by the following paradigm: each vertex is assigned something measuring its size and something measuring its tolerance. If the combined sizes exceed the combined tolerances, then there is a conflict and the corresponding vertices are adjacent in a conflict-tolerance graph. This paper attempts a broad formalization of the above notion. The goal is to provide a framework for classifying, comparing, and developing interesting models of graph representations.
Source misattributions and false recognition errors: Examining the role of perceptual resemblance and imagery generation processes

In three experiments, we examine the extent to which participants’ memory errors are affected by the perceptual features of an encoding series and imagery generation processes. Perceptual features were examined by manipulating the features associated with individual items as well as the relationships among items. An encoding instruction manipulation was included to examine the effects of explicit requests to generate images. In all three experiments, participants falsely claimed to have seen pictures of items presented as words, committing picture misattribution errors. These misattribution errors were exaggerated when the perceptual resemblance between pictures and images was relatively high (Experiment 1) and when explicit requests to generate images were omitted from encoding instructions (Experiments 1 and 2). When perceptual cues made the thematic relationships among items salient, the level and pattern of misattribution errors were also affected (Experiments 2 and 3). Results address alternative vie...
Ethnicity and institutional reform: The dynamics of “indigenization” in the Moldovan ASSR

Since the early 1980s, the study of political institutions has made a remarkable come-back within political science. After a long period of concentrating on the “outputs” of the political process, many political scientists have begun to give greater attention to the formal and informal structures that circumscribe political behavior: governmental departments, ministries, standard operating procedures, social norms, duties, obligations. Especially in its more inductive, interpretive forms, contemporary institutional analysis has focused less on political outcomes and more on the political process itself—the “how” questions of politics rather than the “why” questions addressed both by highly quantitative methods and by deductive, rational choice approaches. One legacy of the behavioral revolution has been a propensity for researchers to see the elucidation of why some groups win out over others in the political process as the chief end of political science. But by examining the strategic boundaries within which action takes place, modern institutional analysis—labelled the “new institutionalism” as early as 1984—seeks to remind political scientists that, quite simply, institutions matter.
Demographic Characteristics and Motives of Individuals Viewing Reality Dating Shows

Over the last few years, the number of television dating shows has increased exponentially from 2 to over 28 during the period of 2000 to 2002. The purpose of this study was to examine demographic variables, personality characteristics, and attachment styles of individuals who view television dating shows. Furthermore, motives for viewing television dating shows and viewers' responses to the content were examined. A convenience sample of 601 participants, including 413 who watch television dating shows, were solicited to complete the Internet-mediated study. Results revealed significant demographic differences between the two groups and demographic variables were associated with specific television viewing practices. An exploratory factor analysis revealed three motives for viewing television dating shows: excitability, social learning, and escape. Sensation-seeking, attachment style, and motives for watching television dating shows were predictive of viewing practices. These findings suggest that viewing...