cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bicyclic benzofuran and indole-based salicylic acids as protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitors

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) constitute a large and structurally diverse family of signaling enzymes that control the cellular levels of protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Malfunction of PTP activity has significant implications in many human diseases, and the PTP protein family provides an exciting array of validated diabetes/obesity (PTP1B), oncology (SHP2), autoimmunity (Lyp), and infectious disease (mPTPB) targets. However, despite the fact that PTPs have been garnering attention as novel therapeutic targets, they remain largely an untapped resource. The main challenges facing drug developers by the PTPs are inhibitor specificity and bioavailability. Work over the last ten years has demonstrated that it is feasible to develop potent and selective inhibitors for individual members of the PTP family by tethering together small ligands that can simultaneously occupy both the active site and unique nearby peripheral binding sites. Recent results with the bicyclic salicylic acid pharmacophores indicate that the new chemistry platform may provide a potential solution to overcome the bioavailability issue that has plagued the PTP drug discovery field for many years. Structural analysis of PTP-inhibitor complexes reveals molecular determinants important for the development of more potent and selective PTP inhibitors, thus offering hope in the medicinal chemistry of a largely unexploited protein class with a wealth of attractive drug targets.
VECINOS, CIUDADANOS Y PATRIOTAS: LOS COMITÉS PATRIÓTICOS Y EL ESPACIO-TEMPORALIDAD DE OPOSICIÓN AL NEOLIBERALISMO EN COSTA RICA

The Comites Patrioticos emerged in the context of the historic referendum on the Free Trade Agreement with the United States. This paper offers an analysis of this movement based on a year of ethnographic research. I focus on questions of spatiotemporality and political scale, in order to illuminate how this movement has attempted, during and after the referendum, to articulate a new political structure capable of acting at once on local and national scales in order to challenge the neoliberal project.
Allostatic load and delirium in the hospitalized older adult.

Background: Delirium is a state of acute confusion and is common in hospitalized older adults. Risk factors for delirium have been described; however, less clearly defined are the patho-physiological mechanisms that lead to the development of delirium. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of allostatic load (AL), a cumulative measure of physiological dysregulation resulting from adaptation to acute and chronic stress, and delirium in the hospitalized older adult. Method: In this descriptive study, participants 65 years and older admitted to the hospital were included. Participants were excluded if they had severe cognitive dysfunction or had prevalent delirium. Ten parameters reflecting physiological activity across a range of regulatory systems were measured on admission. Separate scores were calculated for primary mediators and secondary outcomes, subsets of overall AL. Incident delirium was assessed 48 to 72 hours after admission. Results: Mean age was 75.7 years (range = 66 to 93 years). The incidence of delirium was 29%. The AL score derived from primary mediators, urinary cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine, and serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate predicted the incidence of delirium (odds ratio = 2.54, 95% confidence interval = 1.12―5.79, p < .05). The overall AL score, the score derived from secondary outcomes, and the individual AL measures were not related significantly to the incidence of delirium. Discussion: AL has been shown to be an important construct in the early identification of physiological dysfunction related to exposure to psychosocial and environmental stress. The findings from this study suggest that AL, particularly the primary mediators score, may be a useful measure in determining delirium risk in hospitalized older adults, leading to improved surveillance and prevention of delirium. A better understanding of AL may lead to interventions focused on reducing the impact of AL on the older adult's physiological function.
User Activity Patterns During Information Search

Personalization of support for information seeking depends crucially on the information retrieval system's knowledge of the task that led the person to engage in information seeking. Users work during information search sessions to satisfy their task goals, and their activity is not random. To what degree are there patterns in the user activity during information search sessionsq Do activity patterns reflect the user's situation as the user moves through the search task under the influence of his or her task goalq Do these patterns reflect aspects of different types of information-seeking tasksq Could such activity patterns identify contexts within which information seeking takes placeq To investigate these questions, we model sequences of user behaviors in two independent user studies of information search sessions (N = 32 users, 128 sessions, and N = 40 users, 160 sessions). Two representations of user activity patterns are used. One is based on the sequences of page use; the other is based on a cognitive representation of information acquisition derived from eye movement patterns in service of the reading process. One of the user studies considered journalism work tasks; the other concerned background research in genomics using search tasks taken from the TREC Genomics Track. The search tasks differed in basic dimensions of complexity, specificity, and the type of information product (intellectual or factual) needed to achieve the overall task goal. The results show that similar patterns of user activity are observed at both the cognitive and page use levels. The activity patterns at both representation layers are able to distinguish between task types in similar ways and, to some degree, between tasks of different levels of difficulty. We explore relationships between the results and task difficulty and discuss the use of activity patterns to explore events within a search session. User activity patterns can be at least partially observed in server-side search logs. A focus on patterns of user activity sequences may contribute to the development of information systems that better personalize the user's search experience.
Dependence of cytochrome oxidase activity in the rat lateral geniculate nucleus on retinal innervation

Patterns of cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity were examined histochemically in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNd) and retina of pigmented rats. CO staining was not uniform and was distributed in a pattern similar to that of retinal afferents. Portions of the LGNd receiving an exclusively crossed projection were moderately reactive whereas regions receiving an uncrossed or overlapping crossed and uncrossed projection were darkly reactive. The dependence of oxidative metabolic activity in the LGNd on retinal innervation was verified in animals with unilateral enucleation. In adults, chronic monocular enucleation led to a decrease in CO staining in portions of the LGNd deprived of retinal input; in animals enucleated at birth, normal patterns of CO reactivity failed to develop and both LGNd had a more uniform pattern of moderate CO staining. Most neurons in the ganglion cell layer of the retina were moderately reactive for CO. However, there were approximately 3,000 darkly reactive cells, most of which appear to be ganglion cells. The darkly reactive cells were more numerous in the peripheral temporal retina. The laminar pattern of CO staining in the retina was similar to that described previously for carnivores and primates. The most reactive laminae were the inner and outer plexiform layers and the photoreceptor inner segments. Within the inner plexiform layer, sublamina a was more darkly stained than sublamina b. These results suggest that the physiological properties of crossed and uncrossed visual pathways in rats are functionally dissimilar at the level of both the retina and the LGNd.
Three-dimensional reconstruction of coronary arterial tree based on biplane angiograms

A method has been developed for in-room computer reconstruction of the three-dimensional (3-D) coronary arterial tree from routine biplane angiograms acquired at arbitrary angles and without using calibration objects. The proposed method consists of four major steps: (1) segmentation of vessel centerlines and bifurcation points and measurement of vessel diameters in coronary angiograms, (2) determination of biplane imaging parameters in terms of a rotation matrix R and a translation vector t based on the identified bifurcation points, (3) recovery of 3-D coronary arterial tree based on the calculated biplane imaging parameters, correspondences of vessel centerlines, and diameters, and (4) rendering of reconstructed 3-D coronary tree and estimation of optimal view of selected arterial segments. Angiograms from fifteen patients were utilized for 3-D reconstruction for each patient's coronary arterial tree. The biplane imaging geometry was first determined without a calibration object, and the 3-D coronary arterial trees were reconstructed including both left and right coronary artery systems. Various 2-D projection images of the reconstructed 3-D coronary arterial tree were generated and compared to other viewing angles obtained in the actual patient study. Similarity between the real and reconstructed arterial structures was excellent. The accuracy of this method was evaluated by using a computer-simulated coronary arterial tree. Root-mean-square (RMS) errors in the 3-D position and 3-D configuration of vessel centerlines and in the angles defining the R matrix and $t vector were 1.2 - 5.5 mm, 0.3 - 2.0 mm, and less than 1.5 and 2.0 degrees, respectively, when using 2-D vessel centerlines with RMS normally distributed errors varying from 0.7 - 4.2 pixels (0.25 - 1.26 mm).© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Solving rank-deficient separable nonlinear equations

Separable nonlinear equations have the form A(y)z+b(y)=0 where the matrix A(y) and the vector b(y) are continuously differentiable functions of y@?R^n. Such equations can be reduced to solving a smaller system of nonlinear equations in y alone. We develop a bordering and reduction technique that extends previous work in this area to the case where A(y) is (potentially highly) rank deficient at the solution y^*. Newton's method applied to solve the resulting system for y is quadratically convergent and requires only one LU factorization per iteration. Implementation details and numerical examples are provided.
Characterization of a multianode photomultiplier tube for use with scintillating fibers

Abstract The characteristics of a multianode photomultiplier tube (MAPMT; Hamamatsu R5900-00-M64) with 64 anodes have been studied. We report measurements that include single photoelectron sensitivity, electrical and optical cross-talk, dark count, and gain variation. Environmental test results relevant to use of these devices in space are also presented. The characteristics of the MAPMT make it well suited for detection of light from scintillating fibers as well as other applications.
URANIUM-BEARING VEINS IN PLATEAU STRATA, KANE CREEK, UTAH.

Uranium deposits in the metallogenic province of the Colorado Plateau, with a few possible exceptions, are commonly peneconcordant, completely enclosed in sedimentary strata, and lack hydrothermal feeder dikes. Among the few exceptional vertical uranium-bearing structures penetrating Plateau strata are the deposits of Kane Springs Canyon, Utah, where evidence for upward migration of uranium ions may be critically examined. Here nearly vertical uranium-bearing mineralized fractures (age about 60 m.y.) penetrate older strata (age about 225 m.y.). Closely associated with the uranium minerals of the veins are clay minerals, chlorite, and a local development of micaceous foliation. While evidence in support of an original hydrothermal source for the uranium ions is strong, several links are missing in the interpretation of natural events which would tie the vertical fractures to deposits in overlying horizontal strata. Combined field and laboratory study indicate that two periods of fluid invasion caused mineral alteration along faults in the Cutler Formation at Kane Creek. Normally, red and purple strata exhibit massive areas of bleaching up to 50 feet thick which gradually taper away from the faults and disappear within a mile or more. This early bleaching is followed by a later, localized green-gray clay-mineral alteration which ranges from a few inches to 20 feet thick and closely follows steeply inclined fault planes. These fault planes are uranium-bearing, with uraninite (UO 2 ) being the principal ore mineral. The mineral assemblage of the veins provides evidence that moderate- to low-temperature thermal solutions prevailed during the formation of the ores.
Online learning applied to error modulated state setting control

For systems with variable gain, proportional plus integral controllers need to be tuned in the highest gain state of the system. This can lead to sluggish response when the system is in a low gain state. Previous research has shown that error modulated state setting control can be used to improve the transient response of variable gain systems. Errormodulated state setting controllers smoothly combine steady state predictions with a proportional plus integral controller.
Texture profile analysis and composition of a minced catfish product

Texture Profile Analysis of minced catfish products indicated that minced proteins from the belly flap meat have excellent functional properties to form gels or restructured products. Belly flap meat is considered a low-value trimming, with about 16.9% protein and 11.2% total lipid. Washing of minced catfish trimmings increased the moisture content from 71.5% to 77.9% while reducing mechanical hardness (19.1 N to 11.9 N), chewiness index (14.2 N to 8.83 N) and shear energy (0.82 J to 0.51 J). No significant changes were found in cohesiveness, resilience, and springiness of the minced fish after washing or the addition of 3.3% (v/w) of 4% starch solution. Washing of minced fish reduced the total lipid content from 9.82% to 4.39%. Overall, washed minced channel catfish belly flap meat had functional characteristics that enabled its proteins to be formed and restructured. Products made from minced catfish had acceptable textural characteristics.
Evaluation of the Potential for Wintertime Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting over Mountainous Terrain with an Explicit Cloud Model. Part I: Two-Dimensional Sensitivity Experiments.

Abstract A prolonged orographic precipitation event occurred over the Sierra Nevada in central California on 12–13 February 1986. This well-documented case was investigated via the nonhydrostatic version of the Colorado State University (CSU) Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). The two-dimensional, cross-barrier simulations produced flow fields and microphysical structure, which compared well with observations. The feasibility of producing quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPF) with an explicit cloud model was also demonstrated. The experiments exhibited a profound sensitivity to the input sounding. Initializing with a sounding, which is representative of the upstream environment, was the most critical factor to the success of the simulation. The QPF was also quite sensitive to input graupel density. Decreasing the density of graupel led to increases in the overall precipitation. Sensitivities to other microphysical parameters as well as orography and dynamics were also examined.
Contribution of peroxidized cardiolipin to inactivation of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase.

Abstract The lipid-soluble peroxides, tert-butyl hydroperoxide and peroxidized cardiolipin, each react with bovine cytochrome c oxidase and cause a loss of electron-transport activity. Coinciding with loss of activity is oxidation of Trp19 and Trp48 within subunits VIIc and IV, and partial dissociation of subunits VIa and VIIa. tert-Butyl hydroperoxide initiates these structural and functional changes of cytochrome c oxidase by three mechanisms: (1) radical generation at the binuclear center; (2) direct oxidation of Trp19 and Trp48; and (3) peroxidation of bound cardiolipin. All three mechanisms contribute to inactivation since blocking a single mechanism only partially prevents oxidative damage. The first mechanism is similar to that described for hydrogen peroxide [Biochemistry 43:1003–1009; 2004], while the second and third mechanism are unique to organic hydroperoxides. Peroxidized cardiolipin inactivates cytochrome c oxidase in the absence of tert-butyl hydroperoxide and oxidizes the same tryptophans within the nuclear-encoded subunits. Peroxidized cardiolipin also inactivates cardiolipin-free cytochrome c oxidase rather than restoring full activity. Cardiolipin-free cytochrome c oxidase, although it does not contain cardiolipin, is still inactivated by tert-butyl hydroperoxide, indicating that the other oxidation products contribute to the inactivation of cytochrome c oxidase. We conclude that both peroxidized cardiolipin and tert-butyl hydroperoxide react with and triggers a cascade of structural alterations within cytochrome c oxidase. The summation of these events leads to cytochrome c oxidase inactivation.
Remember to Place the Oxygen Mask on Yourself First

Abstract Loss, trauma, grief, and suffering are a normal part of a therapist's work. In the business of caring for people, therapists are often least trained in practice of self care. Sometimes the best trained professionals become tired, fatigued, ineffective and even iatrogenic. This column reflects on the vulnerability of therapists, how therapists may become aware of their own personal reactions to the stories of the lives of the people they work with, as well as their friends and family. The author also shares some common ways to recognize when one becomes fatigued as a professional and how to prevent from ‘burnout.’
Intratracheal insufflation combined with intermittent positive pressure ventilation for treatment of terminal respiratory failure in a child: a new technique.

I NTERMITTENT positive-pressure ventilation (IPPV) mimics spontaneous breathing in providing a large tidal volume at a slow respiratory rate.’ This method of convection flow ventilation has been a valuable technique for respiratory support during anesthesia and for treatment of respiratory failure. The addition of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) to IPPV has been shown to improve gas exchange in patients with moderate and severe respiratory failure, despite alterations of cardiovascular and renal function.2-4 In 1971, Jonzon et al demonstrated that the use of a small tidal volume at a high respiratory rate can provide adequate gas exchange by a combination of convective flow and facilitation of gas diffusion.’ This technique of high-frequency ventilation (HFV) was also shown to improve gas exchange in patients with respiratory failure and has been valuable in patients with a bronchopleural fistula.637 Therapy with IPPV-PEEP and HFV in a child with severe respiratory failure was associated with complications, and death was imminent as a result of progressive hypoxemia. Therefore, a new technique for respiratory support was developed. A combination of continuous intratracheal insufflation (TI) and IPPV was used to provide convective-diffusion ventilation. This clinical report shows the gas exchange achieved with the use of TI-IPPV for a period of 14 days in a child with severe respiratory failure.
Multi-variant kinetic analyses on a microcomputer

Abstract A series of modules has been developed for IBM personal computers that allow the user to simulate and/or analyze linear and non-linear systems. The modules are accessed from menus that allow selection of any program option. Data can be generated, entered from the keyboard, or read from a file (several formats, including LOTUS, are supported). A variety of graphical displays and hardcopy outputs are supported. Details of the program options, system requirements, and sample input and output are described in the subsequent sections.
Asthma-related health status determinants of environmental control practices for inner-city preschool children

Background Asthma guidelines recommend environmental control practices (ECPs) to improve asthma health. In the inner city, where asthma morbidity is high, it is not known whether children's health status affects the use of ECPs. Objective To investigate health status determinants of ECPs in the homes of children with asthma. Methods Caregivers of children aged 2 to 6 years with (n = 150) and without (n = 150) asthma completed a survey about ECPs. Atopic status was determined by means of skin prick testing. Results Most ECPs were similarly practiced, regardless of whether the child had asthma. Only pet avoidance was more common in children with asthma (30% vs 19%). Asthma severity and recent acute health care visits for asthma were not associated with ECP use. Most ECPs were not linked to allergen sensitization (eg, mite and mouse), although cockroach-sensitized children were more likely to have cockroach control than nonsensitized individuals (65% vs 45%). Caregivers of asthmatic children with rhinitis were more likely than those without rhinitis to report ECPs, including pet avoidance (44% vs 15%), smoking avoidance (78% vs 53%), cockroach control (65% vs 42%), mouse control (78% vs 42%), air-conditioning (45% vs 24%), and allergyproof covers (7% vs 0%). Conclusions The presence of asthma, asthma severity, and allergen sensitization seem to have little relationship to ECP use in the homes of inner-city children. Rhinitis was consistently linked to ECPs, which suggests that caregivers may make changes in the home environment for upper airway but not lower airway symptoms.
Failure of X-rays to mutate class II histocompatibility loci in Balb/c mouse spermatogonia.

Abstract Adult Balb/c Kh male mice were irradiated (pelvic region, 250 kVcp X-rays, 60 rad per min) and three months later were mated to untreated C57BL/6 Kh females. Their B6C F 1 progeny were screened for mutations at the Class II histocompatibility loci, i.e. those that carry similar alleles in the parental lines and are therefore homozygous in the F 1 progeny. The treatment groups were: single doses of 0, 350, 500, 650 and 800 rad; split doses 1 day apart, totalling 500, 650 and 800 rat; split doses averaging 52 days apart, totalling 650 and 800 rad. Thirty-six mutants were identified in 13,614 progeny. Twelve of them occurred in five clusters of two or three, presumably owing to five gonadal mosaics among 940 parents. Irradiation did not increase the spermatogonial mutation rate. The only effect of exposure appeared to be a decrease in the mutation rate of the 1-day split dose-groups compared to those with the same total doses in a single exposure or in two fractions, 52 days apart.
Population growth life-cycle saving and international differences in steady-state optimal saving rates.

Life-cycle savings theories have been a seminal development in analyses of the relationship between rational savings patterns for individuals and the accumulation of wealth or capital at the level of the society as a whole. Applications of the theories in industrialized countries never investigated the significance of large differences in birth and death rates across societies. The strong demographic components of life-cycle saving analysis are here the center of focus. Illustrative general numerical applications of a modified version of the life-cycle approach suggest that mortality differentials comparable to those presently encountered among nations are consistent with very large differentials in steady-state optimal ratios of wealth-to-income. Specific application to Peru of the model estimated by Tobin for the United States indicates that high levels of mortality, current Peruvian birth rates, and Peruvian age-income profiles imply optimal rational savings rates far below those of the United States.
Thermal Expansion and Other Physical Properties of the Newer Infrared-Transmitting Optical Materials

Values are given of the linear coefficient of thermal expansion for several of the newer ir-transmitting optical materials, as determined in the authors' laboratory. The materials include the six Irtrans (hot-pressed compacts), T-12, three single-crystal materials (magnesium fluoride, silver bromide, and cadmium fluoride), and two nonoxide glasses. Additional physical properties of these materials and of some of the older ir-transmitting materials are given in a large table for purposes of ready reference and comparison.
Isolation of Clostridium difficile from the Environment and Contacts of Patients with Antibiotic-Associated Colitis

Clostridium difficile is the most important cause of antibiotic-associated colitis, but its epidemiology remains unknown. Using a selective medium for the isolation of C. difficile, cultures were obtained from the environment and contacts of hospitalized patients carrying C. difficile in their stools. In areas where carriers had diarrhea, 85 (9.3%) of 910 cultures of floors and other surfaces, especially those subject to fecal contamination, were positive. In areas where there were no known carriers, only 13 (2.6%) of 497 cultures of similar sites were positive (P less than 0.005). C difficile was isolated from hands and stools of asymptomatic hospital personnel, from sewage and soil, and from the home of a patient. Environmental isolates were toxigenic. C. difficile inoculated onto a floor persisted there for five months. Further studies are needed to document how often floor persisted there for five months. Further studies are needed to document how often C. difficile shed by patients with antibiotic-associated colitis is acquired by other persons and whether isolation precautions are capable of limiting the organism's spread.
Efficient Numerical Investigation of Ventilation System Design of Road Tunnels

The road tunnel air quality would easily deteriorate if the vehicle-emitted exhaust gas is not properly removed or diluted. As a result, one of the major functions of effective ventilation in road tunnels is to prevent harmful substances from affecting tunnel users and also to maintain good visibility inside for safety consideration. In the present study, a highly efficient three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (3D CFD) simulation method has been developed and tested to model the traffic induced piston effect in a full scale road tunnel. This method is useful for the design of tunnel ventilation systems.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Lung cancer screening

Low-dose CT screening for lung cancer is a complex and controversial topic. This article reviews the history of lung cancer screening trials and addresses the principles and confounding biases associated with screening. Chest radiography was initially used for lung cancer screening in the 1970s. In the mid-1990s helical single-detector CT came into use, followed by helical multidetector CT, the current method of screening. Results from prevalence studies and a few single-arm incidence studies have raised concerns about overdiagnosis and the high rate of nodule detection. Follow-up studies and further investigation are needed. To this end, a randomized, controlled trial sponsored by the National Cancer Institute is underway to evaluate diseasespecific mortality.
INCORPORATION OF PHOSPHATE INTO THE SOFT TISSUES AND CALCAREOUS CORPUSCLES OF LARVAL TAENIA TAENIAEFORMIS.

Abstract Larval Taenia taeniaeformis rapidly incorporate radioactive inorganic orthophosphate (Pi32) into their soft tissues and calcareous corpuscles during exposure in vivo. After the host is injected with Pi32, maximum incorporation into the cysticerci is reached after 2 days and a decrease becomes evident only during the third week. During this time, a shift in distribution of the radioactivity between the soft tissues and the corpuscles occurs; the activity of the corpuscles increases from 7 to 21 per cent of the total. Soft tissues and corpuscles accumulate more Pi32 during in vitro incubation than in vivo. The lack of effect of metabolic inhibitors and the low Q10 of the phosphate accumulation indicate that an active transport mechanism is unlikely. Diminution of the total phosphate uptake or changes in the partition of Pi32 between soft tissues and corpuscles, or both occur when larvae are incubated under any of the following conditions: Lowering the temperature from 37° to 6°, a Na+-free medium, or a CO2-free environment. Isolated calcareous corpuscles rapidly incorporate phosphate. The process has a low Q10. The phosphorus is tightly bound and cannot readily be removed by washing. From these data it is concluded that the calcareous corpuscles constitute, as one of their functions, a phosphate reservoir for metabolic needs of the tapeworms.
Sharp Results for the Regularity and Stability of the Free Boundary in the Obstacle Problem

In this paper, we study the obstacle problem with obstacles whose Laplacians are not necessarily Holder continuous. We show that the free boundary at a regular point is C 1 if the Laplacian of the obstacle is negative and Dini continuous. We also show that this condition is sharp by giving a method to construct a counter-example when we weaken the requirement on the Laplacian of the obstacle by allowing it to have any modulus of continuity which is not Dini. In the course of proving optimal regularity we also improve some of the perturbation theory due to Caffarelli(1981). Since our methods depend on comparisonprinciples and regularity theory, and not on linearity, our stability results apply to a large class of obstacle problems with nonlinear elliptic operators. In the case of obstacles where the Laplacian is negative and has sufficiently small oscillation,we establishmeasure-theoretic analogues of the alternative proven by Caffarelli (1977). Specifically, if the Laplacian is continuous, then at a free boundary point either the contact set has density zero, or the free boundary is a Reifenberg vanishing set and the contact set has density equal to one half in a neighborhood of the point. If the Laplacian is not necessarily continuous, but has sufficiently small oscillation, then at a free boundary point either the contact set has density close to zero, or the free boundary is a �-Reifenberg set and the contact set has density close to one half in a neighborhood of the point.
Ectoparasites of the occult bat, Myotis occultus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

Only a single previous study has examined ectoparasites of the occult bat (Myotis occultus), from which only 2 species of fleas were identified. For our study, we examined 202 individuals, 52 fresh hosts and 150 museum specimens, from New Mexico and southern Colorado for ectoparasites. We recorded 2158 ectoparasites, 634 from fresh hosts and 1524 from museum specimens. Ectoparasites belonged to 10 families and 13 genera of insect or acari and represent new host and locality records. In general, ectoparasites collected from fresh hosts and museum specimens were represented by 4 major species of mite: Macronyssus crosbyi, Alabidocarpus calcaratus, Acanthophthirius lucifugus, and Alabidocarpus nr. eptesicus. From our study, we found fresh hosts to have significantly greater prevalence values for Myodopsylla gentilis (flea), Chiroptonyssus robustipes (mite), and Leptotrombidium myotis (chigger), whereas museum specimens had significantly greater prevalence values for A. calcaratus (mite) and A. nr. eptesicus (mite). There were no significant differences between prevalence values for 4 mites including M. crosbyi, A. lucifugus, Pteracarus nr. minutus, and Cryptonyssus sp. Our study represents the only extensive study of ectoparasites on M. occultus and provides evidence for the importance of examining fresh hosts and museum specimens in future ectoparasite studies.
Application Service Providers

The business case for Web-enabling an enterprise is based on agility and cost savings. By using the Web as an application platform, an enterprise can quickly and easily deploy new systems in response to market changes as well as reap the savings of using a single, standard platform. Application service providers (ASPs) further enhance this business case by providing even greater agility and cost savings.
Partner notification of sexually transmitted disease in an obstetric and gynecologic setting

Abstract Objective : To survey obstetrician-gynecologists regarding current approaches to partner notification of women with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and to relate reported practices to state requirements. Methods : An anonymous questionnaire was sent to community, hospital-employed, and university-based physicians within a single health care system. The survey was designed to assess physician demographics, knowledge, and attitudes about partner notification of women with STDs. Results : One hundred eight (49%) of 222 surveys were returned. Respondents were 36% private practitioners, 38% hospital-employed, and 23% university faculty physicians. Although most correctly identified the importance of partner notification for several STDs, they (63 of 108, 58%, confidence interval [CI] 50%, 67%) could not identify all of those conditions. Most respondents (84 of 108, 78%, CI 69%, 85%) were unaware of all required reportable STDs and the state's preferred method of partner notification. The vast majority of respondents (96 of 108, 89%, CI 82%, 94%) relied on women to notify their partners of the STD. Conclusion : Educational efforts are needed to increase physician awareness of required reportable STDs and the role of partner notification and treatment in disease control. Physicians need to be aware of state regulations for partner notification when they are in practice. Development of standard algorithms for partner notification and treatment might be needed.
Inheritance of Resistance to Phomopsis Seed Decay in Soybean PI 80837 and MO/PSD-0259 (PI 562694)

Phomopsis seed decay [PSD; caused by Diaporthe phaseolorum var. sojae (Lehman) Wehmeyer, Diaporthe phaseolorum (Cooke & Ellis) Sacc. var. caulivora Athow & Caldwell, and Phomopsis longicolla Hobbs) reduces quality of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed when moist conditions and warm temperatures occur during seed development and maturation. Control of PSD by genetic resistance has not been well explored. Of the genotypes reported with PSD resistance, PI 417479 and PI 80837 have received the most study. The PSD-resistant line MO/PSD-0259 derives its resistance from PI 417479. Objectives of this research were to characterize the inheritance of PSD resistance in PI 80837 and to determine if it differs from resistance in MO/PSD-0259. PI 80837 was crossed with PSD-susceptible 'Agripro 350' (AP 350); PSD-susceptible PI 91113; and with MO/PSD-0259. Populations and lines were screened in the field, and Phomopsis infection was assayed by plating seed. Seed infection of reciprocal F 1 plants of AP 350 × PI 80837 was not different from that of PI 80837. Data from F 2 populations of AP 350 X PI 80837 and PI 91113 × PI 80837; and F 2:3 lines from AP 350 x PI 80837 fit models for a single dominant gene in PI 80837 that confers PSD resistance. F 2 population data from AP 350 × MO/PSD-0259 also fit a model for single dominant gene resistance in MO/PSD-0259, and data from an F 2 population and F 2:3 lines of PI 80837 x MO/PSD-0259 fit a model for two different dominant genes. These results show that PSD resistance in PI 80837 is conferred by a single dominant gene under nuclear control that is different from the gene in MO/PSD-0259.
Differences in the refractory properties of two distinct inhibitory circuitries in field CA1 of the hippocampus

Extracellular reflections of IPSPs were examined in two distinct circuitries in field CA1 of the hippocampus. Stimulation in the stratum radiatum in the presence of AMPA receptor antagonists elicited positive potentials in the same stratum that were eliminated by picrotoxin, a blocker of GABAA receptors. Laminar profile analysis revealed that the response was maximal in the stratum radiatum at a point well distal to the pyramidal cell body layer and had a negative reflection in the stratum oriens. These field IPSPs presumably mediate the feedforward inhibition normally activated by the Schaffer-commissural projections to field CA1. Stimulation of the alveus produced an antidromic response followed by a much slower positive potential in recordings collected in the pyramidal cell layer. The latter response was suppressed by AMPA receptor antagonists or picrotoxin, as expected for disynaptic, recurrent (feedback) inhibition. The laminar profile for the feedback field IPSPs had its maximum near the pyramidal cell layer and its negative dipole in the stratum radiatum. Feedforward IPSPs were inhibited by about 50% if they were preceded within 200 ms by a priming pulse while feedback IPSPs were reduced by less than 20% under comparable conditions. The refractory effect was minimally dependent on stimulation intensity but was strongly affected by an antagonist of GABAB receptors. Attempts to modify IPSPs in the s. radiatum with long trains of low frequency stimulation or with θ-burst stimulation were not successful, suggesting that GABAergic synapses do not have the plasticities found in their glutamatergic counterparts. These results indicate that interneurons contacted by the extrinsic afferents of hippocampus form GABAergic synapses that differ in terms of spatial location and functional properties from the synapses generated by interneurons innervated by the recurrent collaterals of the pyramidal cells. The findings also suggest that repetitive afferent activity, while reducing the influence of dendritic IPSPs on excitatory input, will leave feedback suppression of cell spiking largely intact.
Disparities in Cancer Outcomes: Lessons Learned from Children with Cancer

Disparities in cancer burden by race/ethnicity have been reported, primarily in adults with cancer. However, there appear to be gaps in the pediatric oncology literature with regards to a comprehensive overview on this topic. Extant literature is used to highlight the results of studies focusing on racial and ethnic disparities in outcome observed in selected childhood cancers. A comprehensive approach is utilized to understand possible underlying causes of disparities in cancer outcomes, and to highlight the gaps that currently exist. This review helps define areas of future research that could help develop targeted, disease-specific approaches to eliminate the disparities.
Identifying the cause of left ventricular systolic dysfunction after coronary artery bypass surgery: the role of myocardial contrast echocardiography

Objective: Intraoperative myocardial contrast echocardiography was used to determine whether the identification of regional myocardial flow patterns during revascularization could predict myocardial contractile function immediately after separation from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and at 1 month after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. Design: A prospective, open-labeled, longitudinal analysis. Setting: Two independent university hospitals. Participants: Twenty patients, during and up to 1 month after CABG. Interventions: The contrast agent Albunex (Mallenckrodt Medical, Inc, St Louis, MO) was injected into the aortic root during CPB. Measurements and Main Results: Myocardial contrast echo-cardiography opacification of flow was graded from intraoperative transesophageal echocardiographic images of the left ventricle in the short-axis, midpapillary view. The same myocardial images were also evaluated for regional wall motion abnormalities at 15, 30, and 60 minutes, 24 hours, 5 to 8 days, and 1 month after CPB. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the flow scores and regional function data from identical segments. Regional flow represented by contrast enhancement was assessed in 70% of the myocardial regions (55 of 80 possible segments; 95% confidence interval [CI], 61 to 76). Flow was more easily evaluated in the posterior region (95%) than in the anterior (70%) or septal regions (60%), and least likely evaluated in the lateral regions (50%). Regional wall motion was scored in 84% of the myocardial regions (469 of 560 possible regions). Function (segmental wall motion) was assessed in all regions with equal success. Segmental function and flow scores were matched to the same regions 66% of the time (53 of 80 possible series; 95% Cl, 55 to 76). Regional myocardial contrast flow patterns did not predict myocardial function at 15, 30, or 60 minutes after separation from CPB. However, contrast opacification of flow did predict regional myocardial function at 1 week (p ≤ 0.05) and at 1 month (p ≤0.01) after CABG surgery. The probability that myocardial function would be normal at 1 month was 0.62 when intraoperative flow opacification was abnormal and 0.98 when flow opacification was normal. For patients with normal flow, the estimated odds of having normal myocardial function were 3.33 times those of patients with abnormal flow at 1 week (odds ratio, 3.33; 95% CI, 1.09 to 10.19) and 18.5 timesthose of patients with abnormal flow at 1 month (95% Cl, 2.44 to 140.48). Conclusion: Intraoperative application of myocardial contrast echocardiography to determine regional flow patterns after revascularization may help differentiate conditions of left ventricular systolic dysfunction immediately after separation from CPB for CABG surgery and appear to predict myocardial function at 1 month.
Minimal-access aortic valve replacement with concomitant aortic procedure: a 9-year experience.

ObjectiveMinimal-access approaches through upper hemisternotomy is an established technique for aortic valve replacement (AVR) and aortic surgery in our institution. We assessed the outcome of unde...
A test of the hierarchical model of habitat selection using eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus c. catenatus)

Understanding the process animals follow to select habitat, rather than just documenting the habitat they use, will improve our ability to predict how the animals use habitat in other locations and how they will respond to changes in habitat. Animals are usually assumed to select habitats hierarchically, preferentially using specific macrohabitats at a landscape scale and specific microhabitats within the preferred macrohabitats. We used four years of telemetry data from 34 individuals to test this hierarchical model of habitat selection with eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus c. catenatus) in Ontario. Snakes were selective at the microhabitat scale, preferentially using locations with closer retreat sites and shrubs than random. Gravid females were most selective, using sites with more rock cover and less canopy closure than sites used by males and nongravid females. Snakes preferred forested habitats for hibernation and steadily increased their use of open, wetland, and edge habitats to a peak in mid-summer. Landscape-scale habitat preferences were generally mild and could be explained by the relative availability of suitable microhabitat within habitats, suggesting habitat selection was primarily driven by microhabitat preferences. The lack of selectivity at the landscape scale may be a consequence of fine-grained differences between habitats that allow massasauga rattlesnakes to find suitable microhabitats in all available macrohabitats. For species that select habitat primarily at the microhabitat scale (e.g., the rattlesnakes we studied), landscape-scale modeling of habitat use will only be effective to the extent habitats reflect the availability of suitable microhabitat within.
The modification of crossing over in maize by extraneous chromosomal elements.

Five regions of the maize genome were tested for their response to endogenous factors influencing recombination. These included heterochromatic B chromosomes and abnormal chromosome 10 as well as the sex in which recombination occurred.
“It's All About Perspective”: Using Simulations in Multicultural Teaching

Many feminist pedagogues create a classroom climate that transforms the student from a passive beneficiary of knowledge to an active participant in the classroom community. This objective is accomplished in many different ways and while there is no way to ensure student participation in the classroom and not one technique that works for every situation, the common thread is the rejection of traditional, passive forms of learning in favor of alternative, active teaching methods. History is not experienced the same way by all people – it is not a seamless narrative or a single story, but a series of competing voices. To demonstrate my use of historical simulations in the classroom this article focuses on World War II and the alternative perspectives, including women's baseball, to which students are exposed and ultimately represent in the simulation.
Synergistic effect of various hormones on experimental mammary gland growth in mice.

SummaryWhen 1 μg estradiol benzoate and 3 mg progesterone were administered to ovariectomized mice for 19 days, mammary gland development as measured by DNA was only 57.6% of that observed in mice on day 18 of pregnancy. Addition of thyroxine at level of 3 μg/100 g BW increased the DNA by 12.5%. Hydrocortisone acetate at a level of 100 μg/day increased DNA by 7% while the combination of the two hormones increased DNA by 17%. Lactogenic and growth hormones were ineffective as synergists. The highest level of DNA was obtained in ovari- and adrenalectomized animals given 100 μg Prednisone and varied EB and P, an increase to 11.67 mg/100 g BW or 19.9%.
Interfaith Encounters in Popular Culture

Abstract: Popular culture in the context of the United States provides an important social “space” for exploring interfaith encounters that shape attitudes and behaviours with respect to how people understand religious difference and diversity. The article examines ways that popular culture functions as this formative space through its on-screen exploration of interfaith encounters and its mediation of interfaith encounters through a celebrity-endorsed and market-driven spirituality that coordinates America’s particular brand of religious pluralism by commodifying and thereby including diverse religious values, practices, and beliefs.
A Phenotypic Perspective on Mammalian Oxygen Sensor Candidates

Chronic hypoxic stimulation in mammals can induce several phenotypic changes, such as polycythemia, pulmonary vascular changes, pulmonary hypertension, and carotid body (CB) enlargement. These phenotypic alterations provide a tool to test whether an oxygen sensor candidate is involved in an organism's response to environmental hypoxia. Here I evaluate the phenotypic evidence for several commonly considered oxygen sensor candidates. Germline mutations in NADPH oxidase, mitochondrial complexes I, III, IV, and heme oxygenase 2 genes cause different phenotypic consequences, suggesting distinct physiological roles rather than oxygen sensing. Germline mutations in VHL and HIF1 prolyl hydroxylase 2 genes cause polycythemia consistent with their role in oxygen homeostasis. However, it is unclear whether environmental variations affecting oxygen availability modify their phenotype, as would be expected from a defect in an oxygen sensor. Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH); mitochondrial complex II) germline mutations cause CB paragangliomas and there is evidence that the severity and the population genetics of paragangliomas may be influenced by altitude. Thus, from a phenotypic perspective, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) appears to be a well-supported oxygen sensor candidate. It is suggested that a universal oxygen sensor candidate must be supported by evidence from multiple layers of biological complexity.