cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Approach to diabetes management in patients with CVD

Epidemiologic analyses have established a clear association between diabetes and macrovascular disease. Vascular dysfunction caused by metabolic abnormalities in patients with diabetes is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis and increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and peripheral arterial disease. Patients with diabetes are at two to four fold higher CV risk as compared to non-diabetic individuals, and CVD remains the leading cause of mortality in patients with this condition. One strategy to reduce CVD burden in patients with diabetes has been to focus on controlling the major metabolic abnormality in this condition, namely hyperglycemia. However, this has not been unequivocally demonstrated to reduced CV events, in contrast to controlling other CVD risk factors linked to hyperglycemia, such as blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and platelet dysfunction. However, In contradistinction, accrued data from a number of large, randomized clinical trials in both type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) over the past 3 decades have proven that more intensive glycemic control retards the onset and progression of microvascular disease. In this review, we will summarize the key glucose-lowering CV outcomes trials in diabetes, provide an overview of the different drugs and their impact on the CV system, and describe our approach to management of the frequently encountered patient with T2DM and coronary artery disease (CAD) and/or heart failure (HF).
Modern Problems, Classical Solutions An Islamic Perspective on the Family1

Few observers can deny the serious problems of the contemporary family. Foremost among these is probably the reluctance of family patrons, critics, and “clinicians” to consider alternative solution...
Early to midterm results of "low-friction" articulating antibiotic spacers for septic total knee arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Infection of total knee arthroplasty is a complex problem often resulting in multiple surgeries for the patient. We examined the early to midterm results of a retained cemented “low-friction” metal-on-polyethylene articulating antibiotic spacer in total knee arthroplasty. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients with a total knee cemented articulating antibiotic spacer performed for joint sepsis. Patients were allowed full weight bearing and normal activities after eradication of the infection at 6 weeks postop. Two months later, patients were given the option of conversion to a revision implant vs retention of the spacer. We examined infection cure rate, mechanical failure, Knee Society Scores, range of motion, and patient factors associated with spacer retention. Results Fifty-five knees were studied with average follow-up of 1.8 years (0.2-8.4). Among patients choosing spacer retention (40%), the average follow-up time of the spacer was 3.3 years (0.6-8.4). Five patients (9.1%) required a repeat spacer for recurrent infection. Conclusions Usage of articulating cement antibiotic spacers with a metal-on-polyethylene bearing couple provides excellent infection eradication, while also resulting in good functional outcomes. Early evidence suggests that use of the implant can be extended beyond typical timeframes and, in certain patient populations, may be suitable for a single-stage procedure.
Variations in Directions and Overt Timing on Oral Reading Accuracy, Fluency, and Prosody

The purpose of this research was to examine whether variation in directions and timer visibility affect performance on curriculum based measure of oral reading (CBM-R) probes. Third-grade students ...
As above so down below: location and memory within the Neo-Assyrian mortuary cult

Understanding mortuary ritual provides new perspectives for interpreting spatial collective memory and the relationship between elite and non-elite practices. Assur serves as a case study to invest...
Visualizing Deep Graph Generative Models for Drug Discovery

Drug discovery aims at designing novel molecules with specific desired properties for clinical trials. Over past decades, drug discovery and development have been a costly and time consuming process. Driven by big chemical data and AI, deep generative models show great potential to accelerate the drug discovery process. Existing works investigate different deep generative frameworks for molecular generation, however, less attention has been paid to the visualization tools to quickly demo and evaluate model's results. Here, we propose a visualization framework which provides interactive visualization tools to visualize molecules generated during the encoding and decoding process of deep graph generative models, and provide real time molecular optimization functionalities. Our work tries to empower black box AI driven drug discovery models with some visual interpretabilities.
Cytotrophoblasts suppress macrophage‐mediated inflammation through a contact‐dependent mechanism

PROBLEM Gestational membrane (GM) infection provokes inflammation and can result in preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM). The choriodecidual layer of the GM includes decidual stromal cells (DSC), cytotrophoblasts (CTB), and macrophages (Mφ). Our laboratory has previously shown that DSCs suppress Mφ TNF-α production through secreted prostaglandin E2 . We hypothesized that CTBs would also inhibit Mφ cytokine expression through secreted mediators. METHOD OF STUDY THP.1 Mφ-like cells with an NF-κB reporter construct or human blood monocyte-derived Mφ were co-cultured with the Jeg3 CTB cell line or primary human CTBs and challenged with group B streptococcus (GBS) or Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. Conditioned medium generated from CTB cultures was applied to Mφ cultures before infection or treatment. Alternatively, CTBs were co-incubated with, but physically separated from, Mφ and GBS or TLR-stimulated. NF-κB was assessed via alkaline phosphatase assay, and proinflammatory mediators were assessed by qRT-PCR and ELISA. RESULTS CTBs suppressed GBS- or TLR-stimulated Mφ NF-κB activity, and TNF-α and MMP9 production. Direct physical contact between CTBs and Mφ was required for full immunosuppression. Immunosuppression could be overcome by increasing the ratio of Mφ to CTB. CONCLUSIONS CTBs limit Mφ NF-κB activation and production of TNF-α and MMP9 through an as-yet unknown, cell-to-cell contact-mediated mechanism. This suppression is distinct from the PGE2 -mediated Mφ TNF-α suppression by DSC, suggesting that DSCs and CTBs regulate Mφ inflammation through distinct mechanisms. How Mφ integrates these signals in an intact GM will be paramount to determining causes and prevention of PPROM.
Commentary on Burwell v. Hobby Lobby

Burwell, et al., v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., et al., decided in 2014, broke ground in its unprecedented articulation of religious person-hood rights for commercial entities, posing challenges to reproductive justice and the foundations of anti-discrimination law. The case addressed whether the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) contraceptive mandate should yield to a Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) claim by for-profit corporations objecting on religious belief grounds to providing health insurance coverage for contraception to employees. Concluding that the corporations seeking exemptions were “persons” for free exercise purposes under RFRA, the Court held that U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations interpreting the ACA contraceptive coverage requirement violated RFRA by substantially burdening the exercise of religion. The Hobby Lobby re-write by Anthony Kreis underscores the far-reaching implications of the original decision by connecting the reproductive health access questions at stake to the day to day conditions in women’s lives and broadly systemic impacts of the Hobby Lobby decision for marginalized communities. In so doing, the rewritten opinion sets the stage for deeper consideration of Hobby Lobby’s challenge to the health and well-being of women, communities of color, lower-income communities, and other marginalized groups.
School Leadership Team Competence for Implementing Equity Systems Change: An Exploratory Study

Operationalizing practices for equity has eluded the educational community for some time. This exploratory, mixed methods study examined the practices, operationalized by 29 competencies, of ten school leadership teams in one urban, US school district engaged in the initial stages of equity systems change (ICS for Equity™). ICS for Equity is a system-wide, capacity-building framework and process for creating equitable and socially just outcomes for students. The framework guides systemic, educational change for school systems within and beyond the United States. Findings suggested that overall school leadership team competency levels for early-stage ICS for Equity implementation met or exceeded the expectations of district leaders, potentially providing some evidentiary support for ICS as a capacity/competency building model for equity systems change. We also discuss the factors that supported or inhibited team competency growth. Implications for districts engaged or considering equity work are provided.
Association of Alopecia Areata With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Stimulant Medication: A Case-Control Study

Background: Both psychiatric disorders and diverse medications used to treat them have been associated with alopecia. The objective of our study was to investigate the existence of an association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) stimulant medication (ASM) and various types of alopecia. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-control medical record review of patients between the ages of 6 and 18 years seen in dermatology clinics during a 10-year period. Cases included patients diagnosed with alopecia areata (AA), alopecia totalis (AT), or alopecia universalis (AU). We matched 3 controls on age and sex to each case. We reviewed patients' medical records for the following medications: lisdexamfetamine, amphetamine/dextroamphetamine, dexmethylphenidate, and methylphenidate. We examined the association between medications used to treat ADHD and diagnoses of AA, AT, and/or AU by calculating a series of odds ratios and 95% CIs. Results: We identified 124 cases (110 with AA, 11 with AT, and 3 with AU) and 372 controls. We found a strong association between AU and ASM use (P<0.0071). No relationship between ASM use and other types of hair loss was found. Conclusion: Although the sample size of cases with AU was small, we found a significant association between AU and ASM. While further study is needed, practitioners may consider close monitoring of patients with AA who use ASM for the development of worsening disease and discontinue the medication if the patient experiences an increase in hair loss that appears to be progressing to AU.
Mechanisms of steroid oxidation by microorganisms. XI. Enzymatic cleavage of the pregnane side chain.

Abstract Two enzymes are responsible for the cleavage of pregnane side chains. A steroid-inducible oxygenase, in the presence of reduced nicotinamide adenine trinucleotide and molecular oxygen, catalyzes the conversion of progesterone into testosterone acetate. The latter ester is then hydrolyzed by an esterase to yield testosterone. The oxygenase has been partially purified and separated from the esterase. Evidence is herein presented to show that these two enzymes are also responsible for the degradation of pregnane side chains in 17α-hydroxypregn-4-ene-3,20-dione, deoxy-corticosterone, pregna-4,16-diene-3,20-dione and 16α,17α-oxidopregn-4-ene-3,20-dione.
Redefining Violence: Some Thoughts about Justice, Power, Peace, Respect, and the Fabric of Our Social Experience

∗ Professor of Law, Beasley School of Law. Temple University. BS, Kean College, 1965. JD, Temple University School of Law, 1974; LLM, Yale University, 1975. To write I am obliged to dedicate. To dedicate I am obliged to acknowledge. To acknowledge requires more than what is usual. The brief poem which follows is, as are other attempts at poetic expression in this document, my own creation. This footnote, this poem, speaks of my gratitude for those, from Tibet, who have come here as teachers.
Towards an ultrasound probe with vision: structured light to determine surface orientation

Over the past decade, we have developed an augmented reality system called the Sonic Flashlight (SF), which merges ultrasound with the operator's vision using a half-silvered mirror and a miniature display attached to the ultrasound probe. We now add a small video camera and a structured laser light source so that computer vision algorithms can determine the location of the surface of the patient being scanned, to aid in analysis of the ultrasound data. In particular, we intend to determine the angle of the ultrasound probe relative to the surface to disambiguate Doppler information from arteries and veins running parallel to, and beneath, that surface. The initial demonstration presented here finds the orientation of a flat-surfaced ultrasound phantom. This is a first step towards integrating more sophisticated computer vision methods into automated ultrasound analysis, with the ultimate goal of creating a symbiotic human/machine system that shares both ultrasound and visual data.
The lambda-q calculus can efficiently simulate quantum computers

We show that the lambda-q calculus can efficiently simulate quantum Turing machines by showing how the lambda-q calculus can efficiently simulate a class of quantum cellular automaton that are equivalent to quantum Turing machines. We conclude by noting that the lambda-q calculus may be strictly stronger than quantum computers because NP-complete problems such as satisfiability are efficiently solvable in the lambda-q calculus but there is a widespread doubt that they are efficiently solvable by quantum computers.
Diversity of functional genes for methanotrophs in sediments associated with gas hydrates and hydrocarbon seeps in the Gulf of Mexico.

Methanotrophs are ubiquitous in soil, fresh water and the open ocean, but have not been well characterized in deep-sea hydrocarbon seeps and gas hydrates, where methane is unusually abundant. Here we report the presence of new functional genes for the aerobic oxidation of methane by methanotrophs in marine sediments associated with gas hydrates and hydrocarbon seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. Samples were collected from two hydrate locations (GC185 and GC234): one hydrocarbon-seep location at a brine pool (GC233) and one background-marine location about 1.2 miles north of the brine pool (NBP). Community DNA was extracted from each location to establish clone libraries for the pmoA functional gene using a PCR-based cloning approach. Three hundred and ninety clones were screened by sequencing and 46 operational taxonomic units were obtained. Eight operational taxonomic units were present in every sample; one of them was predominant and accounted for 22.8–25.3% of each clone library. Principal-component analysis indicated that samples GC185 and GC234 were closely related and, along with GC233, were significantly different from NBP. These results indicate that methanotrophic communities may be similarly impacted by hydrocarbons at the gas-hydrate and seep sites, and can be distinguished from methanotrophic communities in the normal marine sediment. Furthermore, cluster analysis showed that 84.8% of operational taxonomic units from all samples formed distinct clusters, which could not be grouped with any published pmoA sequences, indicating that a considerable number of novel methanotrophic species may exist in the Gulf of Mexico.
Chemical composition of pseudo-phlobaphinite precursors: implications for the presence of aliphatic biopolymers in vitrinite from coal

Pseudo-phlobaphinite cell inclusions in a buried stem of angiospermous wood of Rhizophora mangle from Mangrove Lake, Bermuda have been investigated petrographically and chemically. Optical and scanning electron microscopy reveal that the light wood from inner sections of the stem consists predominantly of cell walls with few cell inclusions, whereas the dark wood from outer portion of the stem is composed of both cell walls and cell inclusions which are believed to represent pseudo-phlobaphinite precursors. 13C NMR spectroscopy reveals the presence of lignin and tannin structures within the cell walls. The wood also displays resonances suggestive of aliphatic components. The NMR results are further supplemented and confirmed by flash pyrolysis gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses. The pyrogram of the cell-wall dominated light wood is characterized by peaks related to both syringyl and guaiacyl units. The major pyrolysis products from the dark wood, however, are a homologous series of long-chain n-alkalines, n-alk-l-enes and α, ω-alkadienes extending from chain length C10 to C30. These aliphatic components arise from the material associated with the pseudo-phlobaphinite cell inclusions. Py-gc/ms analysis of a humic acid extracted from the sediments surrounding the studied wood consists almost exclusively of a homologous series of straight-chain alkanes, alkenes and alkadienes up to C30. The striking resemblance between pyrograms of the pseudo-phlobaphinite precursor and humic acid suggests that the possible mechanism for the formation of the pseudo-phlobaphinite precursor migration and deposition of humic acid into cell lumina.
Atmosphere, oceans, and land

The study of the atmosphere, oceans, and the land (surface, soil, ice, snow, lakes, and groundwater) has undergone a revolution in the past few decades. This revolution is fueled not only by an intrinsic desire to understand the basic scientific principles that determine the evolution and state of our environment, but also by a more practical need to predict, and to some extent control, those aspects of the environment that affect our immediate health, sustenance, and well-being, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, floods, avalanches, droughts, air pollution, sunburn, and acid rain. The rapid growth of knowledge in this area has entailed not only important discoveries about the physics underlying weather, but also the application of computers to the prediction of weather, climate, and ocean currents; the use of artificial satellites; and the recognition of the sensitivity of the atmospheric ozone (O3) layer to depletion by remarkably small amounts of man-made chemicals. Particularly since 1980, it has become apparent that our environment is, in a genuinely nontrivial sense, a global-scale entity with complex dynamical, physical, and chemical connections that link ocean with atmosphere; atmosphere with the land, vegetation, and ice; tropical latitudes with temperate; Southern Hemisphere with Northern; lower atmosphere with upper; and even ocean with the Earth's interior.
Er-doped polycrystalline silicon for light emission at λ=1.54 µm

We deposited amorphous silicon films, implanted them with erbium/oxygen, and then recrystallized them with a series of thermal treatments. Recrystallization is necessary to remove implantation damage and optically activate Er/O complexes for light emission at 1.54 µm. Photoluminescence and glancing angle x-ray diffraction were used to characterize the polycrystalline Si:Er. Following 30-minute isochronal anneals and isothermal anneals at 575°C and 600°C, the erbium luminescence intensity was observed to increase in direct relation to the degree of recrystallization during the anneal. Hydrogen passivation of dangling bonds further increased the luminescence intensity to about one half of the intensity found in a comparable single crystal material. The optically active Er is shown to be located within the recrystallized grains, and it exhibits a de-excitation (backtransfer) mechanism similar to that of single crystal Si:Er.
Thermal expansion study of Fe1−xCoxSi

Abstract We present measurements of the linear expansion coefficient, α, on Fe1−xCoxSi from 40 to 300 K and for x = 0, 0.02, 0.05, and 1. For the semiconducting samples (x = 0, 0.02, and 0.05) the results below 200 K are consistent with the presence of a small gap in the quasiparticle excitation spectrum; above 200 K there is an anomalous contribution to the thermal expansion that lacks a detailed explanation, but which is probably associated with the high density of conduction electrons found in FeSi above 200 K.
Robustness of phase retrieval methods in x-ray phase contrast imaging: A comparison

Purpose: The robustness of the phase retrieval methods is of critical importance for limiting and reducing radiation doses involved in x-ray phase contrast imaging. This work is to compare the robustness of two phase retrieval methods by analyzing the phase maps retrieved from the experimental images of a phantom. Methods: Two phase retrieval methods were compared. One method is based on the transport of intensity equation (TIE) for phase contrast projections, and the TIE-based method is the most commonly used method for phase retrieval in the literature. The other is the recently developed attenuation-partition based (AP-based) phase retrieval method. The authors applied these two methods to experimental projection images of an air-bubble wrap phantom for retrieving the phase map of the bubble wrap. The retrieved phase maps obtained by using the two methods are compared. Results: In the wrap's phase map retrieved by using the TIE-based method, no bubble is recognizable, hence, this method failed completely for phase retrieval from these bubble wrap images. Even with the help of the Tikhonov regularization, the bubbles are still hardly visible and buried in the cluttered background in the retrieved phase map. The retrieved phase values with this method are grossly erroneous. Inmore » contrast, in the wrap's phase map retrieved by using the AP-based method, the bubbles are clearly recovered. The retrieved phase values with the AP-based method are reasonably close to the estimate based on the thickness-based measurement. The authors traced these stark performance differences of the two methods to their different techniques employed to deal with the singularity problem involved in the phase retrievals. Conclusions: This comparison shows that the conventional TIE-based phase retrieval method, regardless if Tikhonov regularization is used or not, is unstable against the noise in the wrap's projection images, while the AP-based phase retrieval method is shown in these experiments to be superior to the TIE-based method for the robustness in performing the phase retrieval.« less
Momentum in relativistic four-particle interactions

Abstract A new proof of the recent theorem of Jordan and Shukre is given showing that if momentum is an integral of the motion then the interaction is zero. The new proof is based on a theorem about three curves in space time, which also implies the desired result for some four-particle interactions.
Fibroblast Growth Factor Regulates Insulin-like Growth Factor-Binding Protein Production by Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

ABSTRACT Insulin-like growth factor I is an important mitogen for vascular smooth muscle cells, and its effects are regulated by several binding proteins. Western ligand blotting of conditioned medium from rat aortic smooth muscle cells detected a 24 kDa binding protein and a 28 kDa glycosylated variant of this protein, consistent with insulin-like growth factor binding protein-4 by size. Low amounts of a glycosylated 38 to 42 kDa doublet (consistent with binding protein-3) and a 31 kDa non-glycosylated protein also were present. Basic fibroblast growth factor markedly increased secretion of the 24 kDa binding protein and its 28 kDa glycosylated variant. This effect was dose- and time-dependent and was inhibited by co-incubation with cycloheximide. Crosslinking of[ 125 I]-insulin-like growth factor I to cell monolayers revealed no surface-associated binding proteins, either basally or after agonist treatment. Induction of binding protein production by fibroblast growth factor at sites of vascular injury may be important in vascular proliferative responses in vivo.
Stimulation-induced release of norepinephrine from rat superior cervical ganglia in vitro.

Abstract Superior cervical ganglia removed from adult rats and grown in organ culture for two days develop axonal sprouts which take up increased amounts of labeled norepinephrine. We have found that the labeled catecholamine can be released by either potassium or electrical stimulation from cultured ganglia to a much greater extent than from fresh ganglia and that the release is calcium-dependent. Phenoxybenzamine, which enhances release of norepinephrine from sympathetic nerve endings, increased release of the catecholamine from cultured ganglia. Bretylium, which blocks release of the amine from sympathetic nerve endings, diminished stimulation-induced release of norepinephrine from cultured ganglia. Our observations suggest that the axonal sprouts (formed during organ culture of sympathetic ganglia), which release norepinephrine in response to electrical-field stimulation, resemble sympathetic nerve endings rather than ganglion cell bodies.
Parametric performance evaluation of a micro-based database system

An extended analytical technique for performance evaluation of software packages is introduced. The purpose of this analytical technique is to present the performance evaluation of a system in parametric equations. The equations can be easily used in studying the system behavior in different environments without re-evaluating the performance of the system. This technique was applied on a micro-based relational database system called MICREL. The performance criteria were the transaction delay and the processing delay. The result is a set of performance equations for different operations of MICREL.
Inhibition of Actin Polymerization by Peroxynitrite Modulates Neutrophil Functional Responses

Peroxynitrite, a potent oxidant generated in inflammatory tissues, can nitrate tyrosine residues on a variety of proteins. Based on previous studies suggesting that actin might be a potential target for peroxynitrite-mediated nitration in neutrophils, we investigated the effects of peroxynitrite on actin function. We show here that peroxynitrite and the peroxynitrite generator (SIN-1) modified actin in a concentration-dependent manner, resulting in an inhibition of globular-actin polymerization and filamentous-actin depolymerization in vitro. The effects of peroxynitrite were inhibited by the pyrrolopyrimidine antioxidant PNU-101033E, which has been shown previously to specifically block peroxynitrite-mediated tyrosine nitration. Furthermore, spectrophotometric and immunoblot analysis of peroxynitrite-treated actin demonstrated a concentration-dependent increase in nitrotyrosine, which was also blocked by PNU-101033E. Activation of neutrophils in the presence of a nitric oxide donor (S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine) resulted in nitration of exogenously added actin. Nitrated actin was also found in peroxynitrite-treated neutrophils, suggesting that actin may be an important intracellular target during inflammation. To investigate this issue, we analyzed the effect of peroxynitrite treatment on a number of actin-dependent neutrophil processes. Indeed, neutrophil actin polymerization, migration, phagocytosis, and respiratory burst activity were all inhibited by SIN-1 treatment in a concentration-dependent manner. Therefore, the ability of peroxynitrite to inhibit actin dynamics has a significant effect on actin-dependent, cellular processes in phagocytic cells and may modulate their host defense function.
SEX EDUCATION LEFT AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE SCHOOL DOOR: STRICTER REQUIREMENTS FOR PARENTAL OPT‐OUT PROVISIONS

Current state law creates the risk that, if sex education is not provided to a child in public school, no similar instruction will be given to the child. Legislatively enacted opt-out provisions give parents broad control over their child's education by granting them the option to have their child excused from any sex education requirements within a public school's curriculum. Through public school sex education, professionals provide youth information aimed at protecting them from the dangers of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). A stricter statutory opt-out provision should be enacted by state legislatures that only allows parents to excuse their child from sex education after a parent attends a 90-minute STD prevention course and receives the instructional material used in the school's sex education curriculum. Parents should be provided up-to-date information and a structural framework designed by the school to encourage them to discuss with their child the many sexual issues addressed within a school's sex education curriculum.
Comment on Chester Harman and David Robinson's Evictions: The Hidden Housing Problem

Abstract Evictions and involuntary moves negatively affecting poor renters present a significant problem. Creating a national database to comprehensively document the magnitude of the problem, however, presents serious difficulties. Most local courts do not publish data on court actions involving evictions. To do this on a national level and to obtain all of the data needed by the authors would require special funding and the cooperation of courts; these are unlikely to materialize. To obtain comprehensive data on involuntary moves beyond the court system would present even greater difficulty. Improvements can be made in existing protections for tenants vulnerable to displacement without compiling comprehensive national data. Previous examples include the debates over displacement and homelessness. Since legislative and administrative reforms are more likely at the state and local levels, reform efforts, including any data collection, should be primarily focused there.
Leishmanicidal activity of a daucane sesquiterpene isolated from Eryngium foetidum.

AbstractContext: Eryngium foetidum L. (Apiaceae) is a traditional herb that has been used for numerous medicinal applications, including as a treatment for parasitic infections, especially in the Neotropics from where it originates.Objective: This study evaluates the in vitro leishmanicidal and cytotoxicity activities of isolated compounds based on a bioassay-guided fractionation approach.Materials and methods: Defatted aerial parts of E. foetidum were subjected to extraction with methanol followed by partitioning with n-hexane, ethyl acetate and 50% methanol. Then, the first two fractions were subsequently fractionated by column chromatography and HPLC. Compound identity was confirmed by mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Leishmania tarentolae (promastigotes) and L. donovani (amastigotes) were used as testing parasites. L6 rat myoblasts were used for cytotoxicity. All extracts and fractions were tested at 20 μg/mL.Results: The initial methanol extract showed 20% growth inhibition of L. tarentolae. T...
Inhibition of Müller glial cell division blocks regeneration of the light-damaged zebrafish retina.

The adult zebrafish retina possesses a robust regenerative response. In the light-damaged retina, Muller glial cell divisions precede regeneration of rod and cone photoreceptors. Neuronal progenitors, which arise from the Muller glia, continue to divide and use the Muller glial cell processes to migrate to the outer nuclear layer and replace the lost photoreceptors. We tested the necessity of Muller glial cell division for photoreceptor regeneration. As knockdown tools were unavailable for use in the adult zebrafish retina, we developed a method to conditionally inhibit the expression of specific proteins by in vivo electroporation of morpholinos. We determined that two separate morpholinos targeted against the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) mRNA reduced PCNA protein levels. Furthermore, injection and in vivo electroporation of PCNA morpholinos immediately prior to starting intense light exposure inhibited both Muller glial cell proliferation and neuronal progenitor marker Pax6 expression. PCNA knockdown additionally resulted in decreased expression of glutamine synthetase in Muller glia and Muller glial cell death, while amacrine and ganglion cells were unaffected. Finally, histological and immunological methods showed that long-term effects of PCNA knockdown resulted in decreased numbers of Muller glia and the failure to regenerate rod photoreceptors, short single cones, and long single cones. These data suggest that Muller glial cell division is necessary for proper photoreceptor regeneration in the light-damaged zebrafish retina and are consistent with the Muller glia serving as the source of neuronal progenitor cells in regenerating teleost retinas.
Active blind spot crash avoidance system: A haptic solution to blind spot collisions

Blind spots are a nuisance of everyday driving that cause a significant number of accidents every year. Current blind spot systems mainly take advantage of visual feedback for the driver. However, an active blind spot system physically involves the driver to help reduce the number of overall accidents. In this paper, a force-feedback gas pedal and a force-feedback steering wheel are used in conjunction with a driving simulator to improve upon existing blind spot detection and avoidance systems. Preliminary human testing results show that by adding an active blind spot crash avoidance system to the already visual blind spot light can help to reduce the number of collisions.
Principals' perspectives of social justice in public schools

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on social justice issues identified by American principals. A research question that guided this qualitative study was: do educational leaders relate to the concept of leadership for social justice?Design/methodology/approach – The standardized protocol for focus group discussions was based on Krueger and Casey's work on how to conduct effective focus group interviews. Each focus group carefully followed the protocol, which was designed to give voice to the informants and not to be led by the moderator in preconceived directions. This procedure provided a framework to maintain consistency in eliciting and collecting information but not leading participants to discuss social justice issues just to please the researchers.Findings – This paper both confirmed that principals are concerned with social justice and identified that some principals do not explicitly discuss issues that relate to social justice. Principals who raised social justice issues felt that le...
The view from practitioners

Ian Hulat is the Programme Manager of the South East Wales Institute of Nursing and Midwifery and a practicing counsellor with the Central School of Councelling Therapy. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text.
Effects of Small-Peptide and Whole-Protein Enteral Feedings on Serum Proteins and Diarrhea in Critically III Patients: A Randomized Trial

Background: It has been proposed that enteral feeding formulas containing small peptides are more efficacious and better tolerated than whole-protein formulas in critically ill patients. Methods: Intensive care unit patients were stratified with regard to treatment with antibiotics and serum albumin and randomized to treatment with a small-peptide enteral diet or an isoenergetic, isonitrogenous whole-protein diet for 10 days. To assess efficacy, we measured serum prealbumin and fibronectin, and to assess tolerance, we monitored the incidence of diarrhea. A protocol was followed to ascertain all causes of diarrhea (defined as >200 g stool or ≥3 liquid stools on 2 consecutive days). Results: Fifty subjects completed the trial. Serum prealbumin and fibronectin increased between 21% and 36% in both groups, but the increase was significant only in the small-peptide group. The change in fibronectin between days 5 and 10 was significantly greater in the small-peptide group (p = .02). Diarrhea occurred in 10 subj...
Using the Multiple Intelligences to Enhance Instruction for Young Children and Young Children with Disabilities

The theory of the multiple intelligences are discussed in relation to working with young children and young children with disabilities. A rationale for the use of the multiple intelligences is discussed as well as practical suggestions on how they can be incorporated into early childhood programs.
Organelle rearrangement and cell volume changes during squeezing invasion of peritoneal elastic lamina by targeted murine breast carcinoma cells

Abstract Murine breast cancer cell lines were developed to selectively invade the peritoneum while they proliferated in ascites form in the abdominal cavity. In a dominant form of invasion, tumor cells showed special affinity for elastin fibers and squeezed through narrow gaps in the elastic fiber meshwork of the stroma. Even in fixed tissue, such cells could be recognized as being in the process of invasive migration because of their dumbbell shape. This appearance was similar to that of diapedetic blood cells traversing bone marrow sinus endothelium. Three-dimensional STERECON graphics reconstruction from serial thick sections of 44 such cells was carried out. The reconstructions showed that, in mid-penetration, the cells spread extensively over the exterior surface of the elastic fiber meshwork. The cell surface contact of these forward projections was mainly with the elastic fiber outer coat of microfibrils, but small areas of the cell surface also fused directly to inner-core elastin. The morphological rearrangement of the cytoskeleton was minimal in both types of attachment areas. The location of these forward facing attachments is consistent with mechanisms for pulling the invasive cell through the gap. Lamellopodia formation and clustering of cytoplasmic organdies occurred more commonly at the forward-facing part of the cell. Morphometry of the reconstructions showed that a contraction of the whole cell occurred during the squeezing/migration process suggestive of an additional pushing process. However, our invasive cell lines showed marked differences in the degree of cell shrinkage. The process of adhesion and squeezing of tumor cells through elastin meshworks in vivo is clearly a complex phenomenon. Changes in cell surface activity appear to play a significant role in establishing the necessary ‘foothold’ component of invasion and, possibly, in the generation of tractive force as well.
Error detection in mechanized classification systems

Abstract When documentary material is indexed by a mechanized classification system, and the results judged by trained professionals, the number of documents in disagreement, after suitable adjustment, defines the error rate of the system. In a test case disagreement was 22% and, of this 22%, the computer correctly identified two thirds of the decisions as doubtful. Professional examination of this doubtful group could further improve performance. The characteristics of the classification system, and of the material being classified, are mainly responsible for disagreement, and the size of the computer-identified, doubtful, group is a basic measure of the suitability of the system for the test material being processed. If is further suggested that if two professionals were compared on the same material then their disagreements would be mainly over the same documents.
Heparin inhibition of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 binding to human fibroblasts and rat glioma cells: role of heparan sulfate proteoglycans

The mitogenic action of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) on target cells is determined by interaction with signaling IGF-I receptors and modulated by interactions with IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs). IGFBP-3, an abundant IGFBP that binds IGF-I and IGF-II with high affinity, can form soluble inhibitory complexes with the IGFs that prevent them from binding to IGF-I receptors. Alternatively, IGFBP-3 can bind to the cell surface and possibly potentiate IGF action or act independently of the IGFs. Previous studies showed that heparin inhibited IGFBP-3 binding to the cell surface and increased its accumulation in the medium, suggesting that it might act as a competitive inhibitor of IGFBP-3 binding to structurally similar heparan sulfate proteoglycans on the cell surface. We evaluated this hypothesis by binding 125I-labeled recombinant glycosylated human IGFBP-3 to human fetal skin fibroblasts (GM-10) and to C6 rat glioma cells at 12 C. Heparin inhibited [125I]IGFBP-3 binding more effectively than chondroitin sulfate and dextran sulfate. Complete digestion of cell surface heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans using heparitinase and chondroitinase ABC, however, did not significantly decrease IGFBP-3 binding. Quantitative removal was demonstrated by analysis of parallel cultures of cells whose glycosaminoglycans had been biosynthetically labeled using Na2 35SO4. These results suggested that IGFBP-3 did not bind to heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans on the cell surface, and that the inhibition of IGFBP-3 binding by heparin most likely resulted from its direct interaction with the heparin-binding domains of IGFBP-3. When [125I]IGFBP-3 was incubated with GM-10 fibroblasts or C6 glioma cells at 37 C for 4 h, only 10% of the bound ligand remained associated with the cell surface; approximately 90% of the cell-associated radio-activity was internalized and could be recovered in lysates of acid-washed cells. Incubation with IGF-I or heparin decreased the total cell-associated radioactivity, but did not affect internalization. These results suggest that direct interaction of heparin or IGF-I with IGFBP-3 inhibits its ability to bind to the surface of GM-10 fibroblasts and C6 glioma cells.
Fever and neutropenia in children with solid tumors is similar in severity and outcome to that in children with leukemia

There is growing interest in developing criteria that will allow efficient prospective discrimination between cancer patients at high and at low risk for complex fever and neutropenia. The objective of this study was to determine whether there were differences in patterns of documented infections and outcome of episodes of fever and neutropenia in pediatric patients with leukemia and those with solid tumors, a potential risk factor. A total of 283 febrile neutropenia episodes in pediatric cancer patients at a single center were retrospectively reviewed; 38% of the patients concerned had leukemia and 62% had solid tumors. Fever of unexplained origin was seen in 73% and 74% of episodes in patients with leukemia and solid tumor, respectively. Bacteremia occurred in 18% and 16% of patients in these respective groups. There was no difference in the type of microorganisms that were isolated in the groups, with gram positives predominating in both. The median duration of fever was 2 days in both groups. The depth of neutropenia was similar, with 75% of leukemia patients and 70% of solid tumor patients presenting with ANC of 100 cells/µl or lower. The median duration of neutropenia was 9 days in patients with leukemia and 6 days in solid tumor patients. The median duration of antibiotic treatment was 9 days and 7.5 days in the same respective groups. Antibiotic modification occurred in 25% episodes of febrile neutropenia in leukemia patients and in 11% of episodes in solid tumor patients. No deaths occurred in either group. Subgroup analysis of leukemic patients suggested that patients in the induction phase of therapy have a higher rate of bacteremia and pneumonia. No substantial difference in course or outcome was seen between the leukemia and solid tumor groups, possibly because of the intensive treatment administered to pediatric patients with solid tumors. Risk assessment strategies based on chemotherapy dose intensity and patient comorbidities rather than underlying malignancy should be prospectively studied.
Transient poroelastic response of equivalent porous media over a mining panel

A transient poroelastic formulation based on the Biot consolidation theory is presented to study the impact of underground longwall mining of coal on strata deformation and the subsequent modification of hydrogeological properties. A finite-element model is used where the geometric conditions may be complex. The important parameters in this model are identified as pore pressure ratio, α1 and relative compressibility, α2 with the latter exerting far greater influence on the resulting fluid pressure field than the former. This study indicates that the fluid pressure distribution is strongly controlled by the stress distribution, or the strata deformation induced by mining has a great impact on the change in hydrogeological environment in the mining region.
Facilitated referral to asthma specialist reduces relapses in asthma emergency room visits

Abstract Facilitated asthma-specialist care delivered by allergists was compared to generalist care on the rate of relapse of asthma emergency room (ER) visits and hospitalizations and on asthma control in a prospective, controlled study of San Diego Kaiser Health Plan members with asthma. Subjects with asthma between the ages of 6 and 59 years presenting for acute ER care for asthma were systematically assigned by alternating, consecutively, the day of their ER visit to receive either (1) facilitated referral to an asthma specialist within the allergy department and concomitant comprehensive ongoing asthma care (intervention group, n=149) or (2) continued outpatient management from generalist physicians (control group, n=160). The course of their asthma was evaluated blindly during the subsequent 6 months by review of medical records, initial and follow-up questionnaires, and spirometry. Compared to the control group, the intervention group noted (1) a 75% reduction in the number of, and percent of, subjects with asthma awakenings per night ( p ≤ 0.0001), (2) an almost 50% reduction in asthma ER relapses ( p = 0.017) resulting from a reduction in the frequency of multiple relapses ( p = 0.005), and (3) a greater use of inhaled corticosteroids ( p p = 0.002). Thus, facilitated referral of subjects with asthma to specialists in asthma therapy after acute ER therapy appears to reduce asthma ER relapses and to improve asthma outcome.
Parkinsonism after correction of hyponatremia with radiological central pontine myelinolysis and changes in the basal ganglia.

Parkinsonism has been rarely described following central pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis. We report a case of parkinsonism developing following rapid correction of hyponatremia with radiological evidence of central pontine myelinolysis and changes in the basal ganglia. A 56-year-old man developed drooling and bilateral hand tremors 3 weeks after correction of hyponatremia from 103 to 125 mmol/L over 14 h. He had a prominent 6 Hz resting tremor which worsened with action and mild cogwheel rigidity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed changes consistent with central pontine myelinolysis and increased signal on T1-weighted images in the putamen bilaterally. His tremor responded well to L-dopa therapy. There have been several other cases of parkinsonism developing after central pontine/extrapontine myelinolysis. Increased signal in the basal ganglia on T1-weighted images has been described in another case of central pontine myelinolysis imaged about the same time after sodium correction as our case.
Probability of a segregating pattern in a sample of DNA sequences

Abstract Mutations that result in segregating sites (polymorphic sites) in a sample of DNA sequences can be classified into different types. A pattern of segregating sites is an array of the numbers of various types of mutations. Using an urn model, the probability of a pattern of segregating sites can be expressed as a recurrence equation and its value can be computed sequentially. Among those that can be computed by this method are the probability of obtainingkexternal mutations (mutations that occur in external branches of the genealogy of a sample), the probability of obtainingkinternal mutations (mutations that occur in internal branches), the probability of obtainingksingletons (segregating sites at which one of the two segregating nucleotides is present in only one sequence), and the probability of obtainingknon-singletons. Two applications of the method are discussed. One is a maximum likelihood estimation ofθand another is a Bayesian statistical test of the hypothesis of neutral mutations.