cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Subinhibitory Concentrations of Antibiotics on Surface Proteins of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis: Changes that Alter Attachment to Human Cells

Studies of antibiotic-bacteria interactions have focused upon concentrations of antibiotics that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. Recent studies have shown that antibiotics in concentrations which fail to inhibit growth nonetheless may have marked effects on the structural characteristics of bacteria [1–5]. The changes resulting from exposure to subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics may alter virulence rather than growth of the bacteria [6–10]. These results suggest that subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics, whose modes of action are well known, can be used to examine the production, structure or function of bacterial surface components that are important in virulence. We used subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics as probes to study the surface proteins of pathogenic Neisseria spp. that are important mediators of meningococcal and gonococcal attachment to human cells [11,12].
Comparison of 11C-methionine and 18F-FDG PET-CT for staging and follow-up of pediatric lymphoma

Methionine transport across plasma membranes occurs via the large amino acid transporter, which is overexpressed in malignant cells, leading to tracer accumulation within tumors. We investigated the uptake of 11C-methionine (11C-MET) in children and young adults with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and compared the biodistribution of 11C-MET PET/CT with that of 18F-FDG PET/CT. Methods: Conducted under an investigational new drug authorization, we prospectively enrolled patients with newly diagnosed HL (n = 19) and NHL (n = 2) onto the Institutional Review Board-approved investigation of 11C-MET PET/CT. After a minimum 4-h fast, patients received 740 MBq/1.7 m2 (maximum, 740 MBq [20 mCi/1.7 m2; maximum, 20 mCi]) of 11C-methionine intravenously. PET/CT was performed 5 min after injection from the vertex to thighs at 3 min per bed position. In a separate session, patients received 5.5 MBq/kg (maximum, 485 MBq [0.15 mCi/kg; maximum, 12 mCi]) of 18F-FDG with imaging initiated approximately 1 h after radiopharmaceutical administration. All studies were reviewed by consensus of 2 senior imaging specialists. The presence of metabolic activity on baseline studies was compared among 17 nodal groups. Results: Eighteen patients (11 male; median age, 15.2 y; age range, 9.5-22.6 y) comprised the study cohort. All had paired 11C-MET PET/CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT studies at diagnosis. At baseline, 3 nodal groups demonstrating discordant metabolic activity by both 18F-FDG PET/CT and 11C-MET PET/CT were Waldeyer's ring, paraaortic region, and the liver. All others were found to have concordant metabolic activity. Normal intense 11C-MET uptake in the pancreas and liver reduced sensitivity for disease detection in these regions. At follow-up, 14 of 15 study pairs had concordant results. Conclusion:11C-MET uptake is elevated in most regions involved with lymphoma at diagnosis and follow-up. Its utility in the abdomen is limited by uptake in normal structures.
Mitigation of methane emissions in cities: How new measurements and partnerships can contribute to emissions reduction strategies

Cities generate 70% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, a fraction that is growing with global urbanization. While cities play an important role in climate change mitigation, there has been little focus on reducing urban methane emissions. Here we develop a conceptual framework for methane mitigation in cities by describing emission processes, the role of measurements, and a need for new institutional partnerships. Urban methane emissions are likely to grow with expanding use of natural gas and organic waste disposal systems in growing population centers; however, we currently lack the ability quantify this increase. We also lack systematic knowledge of the relative contribution of these distinct source sectors on emissions. We present new observations from 4 North American cities to demonstrate that methane emissions vary in magnitude and sector from city to city, and hence require different mitigation strategies. Detections of fugitive emissions from these systems suggest that current mitigation approaches are absent or ineffective. These findings illustrate that tackling urban methane emissions will require research efforts to identify mitigation targets, develop and implement new mitigation strategies, and monitor atmospheric methane levels to ensure the success of mitigation efforts. This research will require a variety of techniques to achieve these objectives, and should be deployed in cities globally. We suggest that metropolitan-scale partnerships may effectively coordinate systematic measurements and actions focused on emission reduction goals.
Breast Cancer Ablation: Imaging and Early Experience

The goal of minimally invasive therapy for breast cancer is to eradicate cancer cells with minimal damage to the underlying normal breast parenchyma or skin. Tumor ablation is seen as a means of obtaining local control of breast cancer without surgery. Breast imaging is a critical component of therapy to (1) detect the primary tumor, (2) demonstrate the anatomical extent of the tumor, (3) Guide the tumor-ablative device, (4) monitor tissue effects during treatment, and (5) Monitor the long-term effects of treatment. Current protocols of minimally invasive ablation of primary breast cancer use physical means for tumor ablation. Preliminary data exist for the use of percutaneous excision and thermal energy (cryotherapy, interstitial laser photocoagulation, radiofrequency, and microwaves).
Accommodative and Fusional Convergence in Intermittent Exotropia

The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematized review of the published literature addressing accommodative and fusional convergence in intermittent exotropia. This paper will summarize a va...
Late rupture of extensor policis longus tendon following Colles's fracture.

1. Late spontaneous rupture of the extensor pollicis longus tendon following Colles's fracture is a rare complication, and one that is not often recognized. This Paper adds five cases to those previously reported in the literature. 2. The rupture is, in all probability, due to aseptic necrosis of the tendon. following injury to its blood supply. 3. The history and physical signs are very characteristic. 4. Return of function without operation cannot be expected. With operation, a good to excellent return of function may be expected. 5. Stress has been laid upon the dual function of the oblique pull of the extensor pollicis iongus tendon. and a method of repair has been suggested to accomplish this functional restoration.
Decision support networks of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

157Background: Prior studies suggest that women often involve a network of family and friends in their cancer treatment decision making, yet very little is known about the size and characteristics of these decision support networks and whether their involvement leads to high-quality breast cancer treatment decisions. Methods: A weighted random sample of patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014-15 as reported to the Georgia and Los Angeles SEER registries were surveyed approximately 6 months after diagnosis (N = 2,502, 70% response rate). Network size was estimated by asking women to list up to 3 of the most important decision support people (DSP) who helped them make their locoregional therapy decisions. Decision deliberation was measured using 4-items assessing degree to which patients thought through the decision, with higher scores reflecting more deliberative breast cancer treatment decisions. We compared the size of the network (0-3+ people) across patient-level characteristics and estimat...
Social media engagement analysis of U.S. Federal health agencies on Facebook

It is becoming increasingly common for individuals and organizations to use social media platforms such as Facebook. These are being used for a wide variety of purposes including disseminating, discussing and seeking health related information. U.S. Federal health agencies are leveraging these platforms to ‘engage’ social media users to read, spread, promote and encourage health related discussions. However, different agencies and their communications get varying levels of engagement. In this study we use statistical models to identify factors that associate with engagement. We analyze over 45,000 Facebook posts from 72 Facebook accounts belonging to 24 health agencies. Account usage, user activity, sentiment and content of these posts are studied. We use the hurdle regression model to identify factors associated with the level of engagement and Cox proportional hazards model to identify factors associated with duration of engagement. In our analysis we find that agencies and accounts vary widely in their usage of social media and activity they generate. Statistical analysis shows, for instance, that Facebook posts with more visual cues such as photos or videos or those which express positive sentiment generate more engagement. We further find that posts on certain topics such as occupation or organizations negatively affect the duration of engagement. We present the first comprehensive analyses of engagement with U.S. Federal health agencies on Facebook. In addition, we briefly compare and contrast findings from this study to our earlier study with similar focus but on Twitter to show the robustness of our methods.
A Physical Education Intervention Effects on Correlates of Physical Activity and Motivation.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to measure effects of a modified physical education (PE) unit on leisure time physical activity (LTPA), relative autonomy, and known correlates of LTPA in sev...
Environmental Issues Relevant to the Mammoth Cave Area

Environmental problems affecting the Mammoth Cave area range in scale from local to global. In park caves, issues include corroding copper wire and aluminum light fixtures, lamp flora from cave lights, lint, dust, graffiti, excessive bolt holes drilled in cave walls for infrastructure, fumes from gasoline lanterns, creosote treated wood in cave streams, and management of cave atmospheric conditions. Surface issues affecting park caves include runoff from parking lots and highways, sewage treatment, sinkhole dumps, prescribed fire, hydrocarbon extraction, pipelines, and pollution plus impoundment effects on the Green River. On a global scale, there are exotic species brought in by commerce or war, air pollution, and the rising concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from combustion of fossil fuels. This along with other greenhouse gasses is causing warming on a global scale and probably severe weather extremes.
Holistic Analysis of Multi-source, Multi-feature Data: Modeling and Computation Challenges

As a result of our increased ability to collect data from different sources, many real-world datasets are increasingly becoming multi-featured and these features can also be of different types. Examples of such multi-feature data include different modes of interactions among people (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, ...) or traffic accidents associated with diverse factors (speed, light conditions, weather, ...).
Localization in One Dimension

A brief survey of the theory of localization in one-dimensional systems and of its application to conduction in thin metallic wires is given.
Vagus nerve cholinergic circuitry to the liver and the gastrointestinal tract in the neuroimmune communicatome

Improved understanding of neuroimmune communication and the neural regulation of immunity and inflammation has recently led to proposing the concept of the "neuroimmune communicatome." This advance is based on experimental evidence for an organized and brain-integrated reflex-like relationship and dialogue between the nervous and the immune systems. A key circuitry in this communicatome is provided by efferent vagus nerve fibers and cholinergic signaling. Inflammation and metabolic alterations coexist in many disorders affecting the liver and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, liver injury, and liver failure, as well as inflammatory bowel disease. Here, we outline mechanistic insights regarding the role of the vagus nerve and cholinergic signaling in the regulation of inflammation linked to metabolic derangements and the pathogenesis of these disorders in preclinical settings. Recent clinical advances using this knowledge in novel therapeutic neuromodulatory approaches within the field of bioelectronic medicine are also briefly summarized.
The contribution of millennium development goals towards improvement in major development indicators, 1990–2015

ABSTRACTThis study explores the contribution of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) towards improvement in seven major development indicators during 1990-2015. The improvement in each indicator is ...
The Impact of Preoperative Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Postoperative Patient-Reported Pain, Disability, Quality of Life, and Prescription Opioid Use in Lumbar Spine Degenerative Disease: A Pilot Study.

Background Prescription opioid medications negatively affect postoperative outcomes after lumbar spine surgery. Furthermore, opioid-related overdose death rates in the United States increased by 200% between 2000 and 2014. Thus, alternatives are imperative. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a mind-body therapy, has been associated with improved activity and mood in opioid-using patients with chronic pain. This study assessed whether preoperative MBSR is an effective adjunct to standard postoperative care in adult patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery for degenerative disease. Methods The intervention group underwent a preoperative online MBSR course. The comparison group was matched retrospectively in a 1:1 ratio by age, sex, type of surgery, and preoperative opioid use. Prescription opioid use during hospital admission and at 30 days postoperatively were compared with preoperative use. Thirty-day postoperative patient-reported outcomes for pain, disability, and quality of life were compared with preoperative patient-reported outcomes. Dose-response effect of mindfulness courses was assessed using Mindful Attention Awareness Scale scores. Results In this pilot study, 24 participants were included in each group. Most intervention patients (70.83%) completed 1 session, and the mean Mindful Attention Awareness Scale score was 4.28 ± 0.71 during hospital admission. At 30 days, mean visual analog scale back pain score was lower in the intervention group (P = 0.004) but other patient-reported outcomes did not differ. Conclusions During hospital admission, no significant dose-response effect of mindfulness techniques was found. At 30 days postoperatively, MBSR use was associated with less back pain. Further research is needed to assess the effectiveness of preoperative MBSR on postoperative outcomes in lumbar spine surgery for degenerative disease.
The Leadership Challenge: Becoming Master Leaders in Healthcare Organizations

The healthcare system is in a state of substantial change and the need for transformational and transactional skills to meet the challenges for effective organizational transitions is explored in t...
Seebeck Tensor Analysis of (p × n)-type Transverse Thermoelectric Materials

Single-leg (p × n)-type transverse thermoelectrics (TTE) are reviewed as an alternative to conventional or “longitudinal” double-leg thermoelectrics for applications at room temperature and below. As the name suggests, this unique behavior of (p × n)-type transverse thermoelectrics results from choosing ambipolar anisotropic materials that have a Seebeck tensor with orthogonal p- and n-type Seebeck coefficients, leading to transverse relation between net heat and net electrical current. One feature of such materials is that they can operate near intrinsic doping and, therefore will not suffer from dopant freeze-out, opening the possibility of new cryogenic operation for solid state cooling. In this work, a Seebeck tensor analysis of thermoelectric materials is presented. To compare the performance of transverse thermoelectric materials, a transverse power factor PF⊥ is introduced. Materials searches based on these simple criteria reveal that over 1/4 of the database of about 48,000 inorganic materials could potentially function as (p × n)-type TTE’s, demonstrating the underappreciated prevalence of this class of materials.
Spaghetti: systems thinking and the US Army

In the mid-2000s, the United States Army was embroiled in counterinsurgency missions in Iraq and Afghanistan that required deeper understanding of local social systems. The Army turned to systems t...
The New Heckler's Veto: Shouting Down Speech on University Campuses

This Comment advocates an original position for how universities should deal with the problem of protestors preventing invited speakers from talking by shouting over them. There is not much existing scholarship on this specific topic of what I am terming the “New Heckler’s Veto,” an updated and modified version of the term coined by Professor Harry Kalven. Under the New Heckler’s Veto, the heckler uses the volume of his voice, rather than a threat of violence, to shut down speakers who he disagrees with. Free speech on campus has been and continues to be a hot-button issue, particularly within the legal community. The goal of this Comment is to examine how this problem can be combatted by universities and event organizers. First, this Comment will define the “New Heckler’s Veto” by comparing it with what is legally termed the “heckler’s veto.” Second, it will look at current attitudes of college students towards the New Heckler’s Veto and examine examples of it in action. Third, this Comment will examine the importance of discussion to free speech and American society. Fourth, it will survey the First Amendment legal framework and look at an application of the law to analogous situations. Fifth, this Comment will outline and discuss my six-step proposal for how colleges can defeat the New Heckler’s Veto.
Beyond the census of human gut dwellers.

This month’s Genome Watch highlights the use of genome-centric approaches to further our understanding of the human gut microbiome.
A proxy re-encryption-based webmail and file sharing system for collaboration in cloud computing environment

Most email users are still using the same email address set up fifteen years ago. Attained from their Internet service provider or having a free email account provided by Yahoo, Gmail or their college. The difference between most people is, secure and unsafe email can be found to be innocent. After all, we have nothing to hide, no illegal activities or anything dangerous. Google, Yahoo, and other webmail service providers use SSL/TLS or alternative methods to encrypt email communications in transit. S/MIME offers encryption, validation, message reliability and non-repudiation. We propose a novel proxy-re-encryption based webmail and file sharing system (PREWM). The PREWM server framework for a provable secure way for users to register the sharing of messages and content with a third-party cloud-based webmail system. In such a way, an intended receiver that neither has a cloud-based webmail provider or a proxy web server will be able to see the contents stored in the Webmail server. We make use of a cryptographic primitive called proxy re-encryption (PRE) to realize end-to-end privacy while sharing the contents of collaborative development. Also, we present the initial architecture and implementation in an Internet setting. We present the system architecture and its implementation. This paper will serve as a prototype for building next-generation webmail that can be adapted to any operating system.
First-principles study of the tritium reaction and diffusion on the γ-LiAlO2 (1 0 0) surface with carbon impurity

Abstract Carbon (C) deposits have been experimentally found in numerous locations throughout the tritium-producing burnable absorber rods (TPBARs) on virtually every component. It is important to consider the typical C impurity in γ-LiAlO2 pellets investigation. Using the first-principles calculations, we explore the possible C impurities on γ-LiAlO2 (1 0 0) surface and their effect on tritium (T, 3H) reaction and diffusion. Our results show that the C prefers to adsorb on the outmost O-Li bridge site or substitute the outmost Al site. The adsorption C could not stay on the surface for a long time, due to the strong attraction with 3H. With increasing the number of 3H from bulk to the surface, the 3H and C atoms can form tritiated methane (CT4) and desorb from the surface. Therefore, CT4 is an extra product by C impurity from γ-LiAlO2 pellets in TPBARs. For the T/OT diffusion on γ-LiAlO2 (1 0 0) surface with C substitution, the T diffusion is always avoided by the O bonding with the substitutional C, because of the strong C-O covalence. Similarly, the OT diffusion is apart from the substitutional C, due to the repulsion of anion dangling-bond on C. Thus, T/OT diffusion is hampered by C-substituted Al site.
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

A baby girl was delivered by cesarean section at 36 weeks of gestation because of an antenatal diagnosis of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
Long-Term Outcome Following Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury at Age 3 Months

Prediction of long-term outcome following traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a challenge. Review of the pediatric closed head injury literature notes the relative prevalence of deficits in memory, language, visuospatial abilities, and motor functioning. However, persistent deficits in intellectual functioning have been reported to be essentially confined to patients with severe TBI. We present a case of moderate TBI at age 3 months. Serial CT, EEG, and neuropsychological and intellectual testing. Intellectual assessment of family members, and behavioral observations are integrated. Data 4–5 years postinjury suggest persistent intellectual and cognitive deficits.
Regional Autonomy Political Politics Of Regional Liability Reports To Regional Representatives In The Implementation Of Local Government

Regional autonomy can not be separated from political power, including the dynamics of the revision of relevant legislation pertaining to local government information report liability regional head for legislature. However, it is necessary to study the politics of regional autonomy through legislation that can provide only partial or partial benefits. The issue to be discussed is concerning the politics of regional autonomy law and its implications related to the report on the responsibility of the regional head to the regional legislative assembly. The research method used is normative juridical. The results showed that (1) the administration of regional government is related to the 5th precepts of Pancasila, Article 18 of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, Article 71 of the Regional Government Law, which shows the dynamics of changes that are pragmatic and has substantial changes with the revision of the Regional Government Law. (2) The political implications of the regional autonomy law related to the report of the regional head are now only recommendation and corrective, but the regional people's representative council cannot easily overthrow the regional head that has been directly elected by the people. Keywords: Politics, Regional autonomy, Implication.
Coexistence in Wireless Networks: Basic concepts and wireless protocol overview

This chapter is designed to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals in wireless protocol design. First, we overview some of the physical layer and the medium access control layer design choices. Then, we give the details of select major protocols as examples of the concepts described. Physical layer The physical layer has the main function of transporting the information bits passed by the higher layers over a physical medium and recovering them on the other side of the medium. We can view the physical layer in terms of a digital or analog communication channel and modules that map digital information to an analog signal in case the channel is analog. Figure 2.1 illustrates the main components of the physical layer that are discussed in the following sections. For an in-depth treatment of communication systems, the reader is referred to other texts. Communication channel A communication channel consists of a physical medium, such as radio waves, copper wire, optical fiber, and the associated equipment necessary to transmit information over the medium. Communication channels can be used for either digital or analog transmission. Digital transmission consists of transmitting a sequence of pulses corresponding to a sequence of information bits. Analog transmission involves the transmission of waveforms associated with the transmitted signal. The bandwidth of a channel, W , measures the width of the window of frequencies that are passed by the channel.
On the Efficiencies of Some Common Quick Estimators

The quick estimators of location and scale have broad applications and are widely used. For a variety of symmetric populations we obtain the qualities and the weights for which the asymptotic variances of the quick estimators are minimum. These are then used to obtain the asymptotic relative efficiencies of the commonly used estimators such as trimean, gastwirth, median, midrange, and interquartile range with respect to the optimal quick estimators in orderto determine a choice among them and to check whether they are unacceptably poor. In the process it is seen that the interquartile range is the optimal quick estimator of scale for Cauchy populations; but the interdecile range is in general preferable. Also the optimal estimator of the location for the logistic distribution puts weights 0.3 on each of the two quartiles and 0.4 on the median. It is shown that for the symmetric distributions, such as the beta and Tukey-lambda with > 0, which have finite support and short tails, i.e., the tail exponents (Parzen, 1979) satisfy 1, as well as some distributions with p.d.f.'s going to zero at the ends of the finite support, such as Tukey-lambda with 1/2
Where Have All the Heroes Gone

Resilience is defined as the ability and capacity to recover quickly from difficulties or adapt successfully in the face of adversity and social transformation (Barrios 2016; Hall and Lamont 2013; ...
Shake and Take: Fast Transformation of an Origami Gripper

Origami structures can transform their form and function by changing the direction of their folds. This reconfiguration can enable multifunctional robots, but doing so requires a fast, robust, and repeatable actuation method. In this article, we present an origami gripper that uses dynamic transformation to change its kinematic behavior in less than a second. We characterize individual vertices to show that the transformation is predictable and repeatable for different designs and orientations. We then apply it to a multivertex template that is capable of a wide range of shapes and motion patterns, indicating that transformation can be generalized to complex and functional machines. To demonstrate this, we built a transforming origami gripper on a robotic arm to pick up multiple objects. Demonstrations show that the gripper can quickly reconfigure between three different grasping modes and has sufficient stiffness to engage with and lift multiple objects with distinct geometries.
Nondestructive Evaluation of Wood Using Ultrasonic Dry-Coupled Transducers

The nondestructive evaluation of wood is of considerable importance in several structural applications such as wooden bridge decks, wooden structural components, and wooden railway ties. This problem has attracted the attention of several researchers [1–19]. The specific topics that are being considered include: detection of natural defects like bacterial growth, knots, and splits; grading of wood; estimation of strength and stiffness characteristics; assessment of the effect of chemical treatment on strength; and, in-situ evaluation of degradation in wooden structural components and railway ties. Ultrasonic techniques have achieved a reasonable amount of success in the estimation of structural properties and defects [11, 16, 18]. Detection of natural defects such as knots, splits and decays provides valuable information which can be used for the grading of wood. The wave velocity measurements can also be used for the determination of structural properties (e.g., modulus of elasticity) of wood leading to grading, and to monitor the in-situ degradation of wooden structural members exposed to loads and environmental conditions.
Erratum: SDO-AIA Observation of Kelvin-helmholtz Instability in the Solar Corona

The first SDOAIA observation of the KelvinHelmholtz instability in the solar corona in the 2010 April 8 event was reported by Ofman Thompson (2010, 2011). Foullon et al. (2011), which was published prior to Ofman Thompson (2011), claimed the detection of the KelvinHelmholtz instability in a later event (2010 November 3), and should have been cited in Ofman Thompson (2011).
An emerging ontology of jurisdiction in cyberspace

The emergence of the new information economy has complicated jurisdictional issues in commerce and crime. Many of these difficulties are simply extensions of problems that arose due to other media. Telephones and fax machines had already complicated jurists' determinations of applicable laws. Even before the Internet, contracts were often negotiated without any face-to-face contact – entirely by telephone and fax. Where is such a contract negotiated? The answer to this question is critical to any litigation that may arise over such contracts. The laws of contract are often quite different from one jurisdiction to the next. The Internet has brought with it new forms of communication which make determining the loci of acts even more complicated. Where are contracts negotiated when they are negotiated in cyberspaceq Business is being conducted in chat rooms, on web sites, and through e-mail. Each of these is technically distinct from telephones and fax machines. More importantly, these tools seem ontologically different, in varying degrees, from traditional methods of communication. The question is, are these ontological differences sufficient to warrant new legal notions of jurisdiction in cyberspaceq Only a thorough ontological analysis of the parts of cyberspace and acts ``in'' it can reveal the answers to the legal questions posed by this new medium. Traditional legal analyses have relied, in part, on a crude legal ontology. That is, courts have grappled with notions of the topology and mereology of the world and legal objects when considering questions of jurisdiction. There is a simpler, theoretically sound method for determining legal jurisdiction which is based upon the notion of ``purposeful direction,'' and which treats computer-mediated transactions as just another form of communication. I will explore that method below.
Formate as a specific label for mitochondrial translational products.

Abstract Based on the well authenticated observation that the mitochondrial protein-synthesizing system utilizes fMet for chain initiation, we have tested the specificity of radioactive formate as a potential label for such nascent polypeptide chains in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We find that at short incubation times, protein-bound formate is localized exclusively on mitochondrial—and absent from extramitochondrial—ribosomes, polysomes, and subunits. In the presence of 0.5 mm puromycin it is quantitatively converted to fMet-(peptidyl)-puromycin derivatives; hence the formation of labeled fMet-puromycin itself, extracted from reaction mixtures continuously exposed to the inhibitor, can be utilized as a quantitative measure of mitochondrial protein initiation by spheroplasts derived from yeast cells in different physiological states and from genetically marked strains. It is low under glucose repression and absent in a strain lacking mitochondrial DNA.
Estetrol in molar pregnancies quantitated by a rapid gas chromatographic method in conjunction with estrone, estradiol-17β, estriol, and pregnanediol

Abstract A gas-liquid chromatographic method allowing the simultaneous quantitation of urinary estetrol, estriol, estradiol, estrone, and pregnanediol in urine throughout the duration of pregnancy is presented. The method consists of an enzymatic hydrolysis, ether extraction, chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 and AGI-X2, and final quantitation of the steroids as heptafluorobutyric anhydride derivative in a gas chromatograph. Ten samples may be assayed for estetrol in one working day. The method was applied to 23 urine specimens of 13 different patients with molar pregnancies prior to evacuation and to 21 urine specimens from women with nonmolar pregnancies as controls. In 77 per cent of the molar pregnancies, no estetrol was detected, and, in the remaining 23 per cent, it was present in a much lower concentration than expected for nonmolar pregnancies. The ratio of estriol to that of estradiol plus estrone was generally lower in the molar than in the nonmolar pregnancies. No discernible pattern for pregnanediol in molar pregnancies was established. It is concluded that: (1) estetrol in some cases of molar pregnancy is synthesized to a small degree by either placental or maternal tissue and the fetal liver is not solely responsible for 15α-hydroxylation of estetrol precursors, and (2) determinations of estetrol are useful in the diagnosis of molar pregnancy.
Defiance on the armchair : A young mother claims back her life from the grips of panic

This is a case study of a young mother plagued with attacks of debilitating panic, generally two or three times every day. She requested therapy when she noticed the attacks worsening. Informed by narrative and solution orientations to therapy, we joined with the client in her struggle toward freedom. The mother's first step was to defy panic's demand to leave her armchair. Panic weakened. Two weeks later, the attacks had diminished to one or two a week. Three weeks later, they were gone. In this paper we report on the efforts of all three of us to achieve this liberation. We discuss themes that may inform other post-modern therapists and aid in the liberation of others.
Implicit Taxation of Agriculture: The Cause of Development Failure in Egypt

: Egypt has been unable to sustain rapid economic growth in the past, nor has it been able to generate employment opportunities at a fast enough rate to keep unemployment from rising. It will be argued in this paper that this has been the result of significant implicit taxation of the agricultural sector. The latter has slowed the structural transformation of the Egyptian economy, increased the capital intensity of production in the urban sector, and slowed overall economic growth. The Egyptian experience is contrasted with that of South Korea and Taiwan. The results indicate that indeed structural change in Egypt has been slowed by the implicit taxation of agriculture.
H. pylori GPS: Modulating Host Metabolites for Location Sensing

Almost 20 years ago, urea was described as a chemotaxis attractant for Helicobacter pylori. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Huang et al. (2015) report that H. pylori employs its urease enzyme to destroy urea to bring the concentration into a range that provokes an attractant response.
Optimized connected cruise control with time delay

Abstract In this paper, we optimize the connectivity structure for connected cruise control (CCC) using linear quadratic regulation (LQR) while taking into account driver reaction time delay. We consider that a CCC-equipped vehicle receives position and velocity signals through wireless vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication from multiple vehicles ahead and minimize a cost function defined by headway and velocity errors and the acceleration of the CCC vehicle over an infinite horizon. The resulting optimal feedback contains distributed delay. We show that the feedback gains and the distribution kernels can be obtained recursively as signals from vehicles farther ahead become available. Moreover, the gains exhibit exponential decay as the number of cars between the source and the CCC vehicle increases. The performance of the developed CCC controller is verified by numerical simulations.
Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Repressor Methylation: A Link Between Smoking and Atherosclerosis.

Cigarette smoking remains a worldwide health epidemic. In the United States, despite the well-established risks, cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death accounting for >480 000 deaths annually, with 1 in every 3 of such deaths related to cardiovascular diseases (CVD).1 For every patient who dies because of smoking, at least 30 people live with a serious smoking-related illness,1 including ischemic heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease, etc. Although cigarette smoking has declined during the past decade among US adults from 20.9% in 2005 to 17.8% in 2013, an estimated 42.1 million adults in the US remain current smokers.2 In lieu of these sobering statistics, it remains imperative to better understand the molecular mechanisms by which smoking drives the development of CVD. Such insights, particularly when considering smoking as a mediator of accelerated atherosclerosis, may provide both preclinical diagnostic biomarkers and drug targets for therapeutics of CVD among smokers and nonsmokers alike. Article see p 707 Recent studies have shown that smoking is highly associated with both genome-wide epigenetic cytosine-(phosphate)-guanine (CpG) DNA methylation alterations and downstream transcriptome changes.3–6 Among such effects, coordinated DNA methylation and gene expression alteration of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Repressor ( AHRR ) in various cell types is the most significant and robust change associated with smoking.6–8 Maternal smoking has been consistently shown to be associated with DNA methylation change of AHRR in …
Digital orbit feedback compensation for SPEAR

The global orbit feedback system for SPEAR will be upgraded in 1995 to achieve 30-50 Hz closed loop bandwidth. In this paper, we discuss issues related to measurements of the corrector frequency response, the DC response matrix, digital compensator design, and the impact of sequential BPM sampling. Results from detailed simulations are included.
213 β-ADRENERGIC RECEPTORS AND ADENYLATE CYCLASE IN DEVELOPING RAT MYOCARDIUM

β-Adrenergic receptors (BAR) were identified in rat myocardium during development with [3H] dihydroalprenolol, [3H] DHA and [125I]iodohydroxybenzylpindolol, [125I]HYP. Heart weight, protein and the number of BAR per cell increased with age, however Bmax per mg protein decreased progressively with age and was lower in adult 36.8±4.1 as compared to the neonatal rat, 58.3±7.2 fmoles·mg−1 protein, m±SE, p<0.01. While Na+, K+-ATPase, 5′-nucleotidase and adenylate cyclase (AC) increased equally to or in excess of ventricular protein; the developmental increase in [3H]DHA binding per heart did not keep up with the increases in protein during growth. BAR subtypes did not change with age: 75% β1 and 25% β2. Guanine nucleotides (GN) decreased agonist affinity for the inhibition of [125I]HYP binding equally in adult and fetal samples and enhanced the activation of AC by catecholamines. The lower specific activity (per mg protein) of BAR in adult myocardium may be related to the decreasing proportion of sarcolemmal protein as compared to total cell protein which occurs during hypertrophic cardiac growth, supporting the hypothesis that sarcolemmal area is a major determinant of BAR number. The function of BAR is mediated by GN's early in development, and observed age dependent differences in the activation of AC by GTP and Gpp(NH)p may relate to developmental differences in the properties of GN dependent factors which mediate receptor occupancy and c-AMP production “coupling”.
Analysis of Atrazine and Associated Metabolites by Reverse-Phase High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography

Abstract A method to analyze parent atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine) and its major metabolites in soils by reverse-phase high performance thin layer chromatography (RP-HPTLC) is described. Atrazine is extracted with methanol, filtered, concentrated by evaporation and chromatographed on pre-coated RP-HPTLC plates. The concentration of atrazine is determined via densitometry. Additional clean-up of the extract is not required. Recovery of atrazine from fortified samples ranged from 87-97%. The detection limit of the method is 20 nanograms.
Intraocular lens power selection in the second eye of patients undergoing bilateral, sequential cataract extraction.

Purpose To determine if the 1-month postoperative error of predicted refraction of the first eye can be used to alter intraocular lens (IOL) power selection and improve refractive results for the second eye in patients undergoing bilateral, sequential phacoemulsification with IOL implantation (phaco/IOL). Design Retrospective, consecutive, case series. Participants Three hundred consecutive patients who underwent uncomplicated bilateral, sequential phaco/IOL between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2007, by a single surgeon using a single IOL platform. Methods The observed second eye 1-month postoperative spherical equivalent refractive error was compared with calculations of the hypothetic 1-month postoperative spherical equivalent refractive error if the first eye error had been fully or partially incorporated into the choice of IOL power for the second eye. The optimal amount of partial adjustment was determined. Main Outcome Measures The error of predicted refraction: the difference between the actual or hypothetic spherical equivalent refractive errors and those predicted by preoperative calculations. Results A total of 206 patients met inclusion criteria. The average of the absolute value of the unadjusted second eye error (|E UNADJ |) was +0.44 diopters (D) compared with +0.42 D for the fully adjusted second eye error (|E FULL |). The optimal amount of adjustment of the second eye IOL power was determined to be 50%; the average of the absolute value of this partially adjusted second eye error (|E PARTIAL,50% |) was +0.36 D; this was statistically different from |E UNADJ | ( P FULL | ( P = 0.001). The statistically significant benefit was observed for patients with either myopic or hyperopic errors in the first eye. The percentages of patients achieving postoperative refractions within 0.5 D and 1.0 D of the predicted refraction were 66.5% and 90.3%, respectively, for the unadjusted second eye, 67.0% and 90.8%, respectively, for the hypothetic fully adjusted second eye, and 74.3% and 93.7%, respectively, for the hypothetic partially adjusted (50%) second eye. Conclusions Accounting for 50% of the observed error of predicted refraction of the first eye reduced the error of predicted refraction in the second eye. This novel methodology has the potential to improve the refractive outcomes in the second eye of patients with cataract. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Natural history of benign solid and cystic thyroid nodules.

Thyroid nodules are common and most often benign, but the natural history of benign nodules is unclear. The authors found that most solid, benign thyroid nodules grow. Therefore, an increase in nod...
Home Ownership and School Outcomes of Children: Evidence from the PSID Child Development Supplement

Using the PSID Child Development Supplement (CDS) and the corresponding PSID main data sets, we examine whether home ownership has positive effects on the academic achievement of children after correcting for selectivity bias and controlling for home environment, neighborhood quality, residential stability, and income. While we find no independent effects of home ownership, there are positive significant effects of home environment, neighborhood quality, and residential stability on the reading and math performance of children between the ages of three and twelve. The main policy implication of our study is that improvement of a child's home environment, residential stability, and the quality of the neighborhood is more important than ownership of a home to achieve better child outcomes. Subsidized home ownership can lead to better child outcomes to the extent that it places a child in a better home environment, in a more stable residence, and in a better neighborhood.
Update on Extractional Thrombectomy Catheter, AngioJet™

Acute coronary syndromes are associated with intracoronary thrombus, which has been a risk factor for unfavorable outcome after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). The AngioJet (Possis Medical, Inc. Minneapolis, MN, USA) catheter was developed to remove intravascular thrombus by hydrostatic suction without dilatation of the underlying plaque. It prepares the vessel for subsequent safe and uncomplicated intervention, including stenting. In acute total occlusion in acute myocardial infarction, the amount of thrombus, the severity of the underlying stenosis, or the tortuosity of the artery cannot be evaluated accurately, so there is a possibility of failure to pass the AngioJet catheter through the lesion. In spite of these limitations, the AngioJet still could be used successfully to remove thrombus from coronary arteries, and thrombus removal makes subsequent stenting uncomplicated. This successful experience supports a call for a larger scale prospective study of this thrombectomy approach.
Control of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. bud abscission during shipping

Abstract Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. cultivar ‘Brilliant Red’ plants were exposed to various environmental factors to determine their effect on bud abscission during simulated shipping. High temperature (30°C) increased bud abscission and decreased leaf chlorophyll concentrations after 4 days in dark storage. Plants stored at 10°C appeared to be of higher visual quality immediately after storage than plants stored at 20 or 30°C. A 4-mM silver thiosulfate (STS) spray was effective in reducing C2H4-induced bud abscission in hibiscus as compared to water-sprayed control plants. Silver thiosulfate was also effective in reducing abscission in plants stored at 10, 20 or 30°C for 4 days in the dark. Phytotoxicity was not observed in response to the STS spray, and after 20 days in a simulated office environment plants sprayed with STS still had not abscised as many buds as controls. Thus, STS proved to be an effective tool for controlling bud abscission in hibiscus plants.
Flame Emission Spectromethic Method for Determination of Molybdenum in Steels

Abstract After normal dissolution steps, molybdenum(VI) is extracted into methyl isobutyl ketone as a suspension of the α-benzoinoxime complex. The solution is cleared with 8-hydroxyquinoline and aspirated into a fuel-rich, oxygen-acetylene flame. Emission intensity is measured at 3798 A. Observation height is slightly above the tip of the blue inner cone. Detection limit is 0.5μ;g/ml. Results are given for several steels.
Medical Simulation in the Community College Health Science Curriculum: A Matrix for Future Implementation.

As the nation's healthcare education system struggles to keep pace with the demand for its services, educators are seeking creative and innovative solutions to meet the needs of a growing number of students. The integration of medical simulation technology into the community college health science curriculum is a creative solution that can meet the needs of healthcare educators and the students they serve, as well as of the healthcare community. This article provides a comprehensive overview of medical simulation, beginning with a review of literature regarding its history and efficacy, continuing with the current state of medical simulation usage, and concluding with implications for practice by offering a matrix for simulation integration and implementation. While Iowa's community colleges are the focus of the current state of usage, the implications for practice are useful to all comprehensive community colleges offering health science education programs.