cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro effects of 13-cis retinoic acid (CRA) and Interferon Alpha (IFN) with or without radiation (XRT) on prostate tumor cells (LNCAP), normal human rectal cells (CO-18) and normal human lung fibroblast (IMR-91) cells

4760 Over expression of anti-apoptotic proteins such as bcl-2 is considered a major cause of resistance to radiation treatment and recurrance in prostate cancer patients treated with radiation therapy ( RT) To determine whether CRA/IFN could down regulate bcl-2 expression, induce apoptosis and hence increase cell death and reduce resistance to radiation, we conducted experiments in LNCAP Tumor, and Normal human Co-18 and IMR-91 cell lines. We chose Co-18 because the rectum is the radiation dose limiting structure in prostate cancer patients treated with RT. We used the folowing methods: LNCAP, Co-18 and IMR-91 cells were treated with CRA ( 200 nmloar) and IFN (100U/mL) for 48 hours. bcl-2 expression and apoptosis were then determined at various time points after removal of the drugs (0,12,24,48, and 96 hours). For bcl-2 analysis, cells were washed then scraped from the flasks in a small amount of RIPA buffer. They were then sonicated in the RIPA buffer and centrifuged. The bcl-2 protein content was determined by Western blot analyis of the supernatant. To determine the percent of apoptotsis, cells in multiwell dishes were washed and fixed in paraformaldehyde, and then digested and stained using a Roche Chemicals fluorescent apoptosis kit. The number of fluorescing cells versus the total number of cells were counted in 3 wells using 3 microscope fields per well to determine percent apopotosis. Cells were also treated with Co 60 gamma rays ( 400cgy) after CRA/IFN exposure. Results. In LNCAP cells, CRA/IFN reduced bcl-2 overexpression and increased apoptosis ( 70%) at 48 hours after drugs were removed. In co-18 and IMR-91 cells, CRA/IFN marginally decreased bcl-2 expression with no induction of apoptosis. After CRA/IFN exposure and treatment with radiation, the level of apoptosis in Co-18 and IMR-91 was 22% and 0% respectively at 48 hours. We conclude that CRA/IFN selectively reduces bcl-2 expression and induces apoptosis in LNCAP tumor cells as compared to normal Co-18 and IMR-91 cells the induction of apotosis is significantly less in Co-18 and IMR-91 cells treated with CRA/IFN and radiation than in LNCAP cells treated with CRA/IFN alone. Experiments are in progress to further examine the interplay of radiation treatment with CRA/IFN in the LNCAP tumor cells. Our findings to- date provide a therapeutic rationale for clinically evaluating CRA/IFN with RT in prostate cancer.
Targeting the metabolic vulnerability of acute myeloid leukemia blasts with a combination of venetoclax and 8-chloro-adenosine

BCL‐2 inhibition through venetoclax (VEN) targets acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blast cells and leukemic stem cells (LSCs). Although VEN-containing regimens yield 60–70% clinical response rates, the vast majority of patients inevitably suffer disease relapse, likely because of the persistence of drug-resistant LSCs. We previously reported preclinical activity of the ribonucleoside analog 8-chloro-adenosine (8-Cl-Ado) against AML blast cells and LSCs. Moreover, our ongoing phase I clinical trial of 8-Cl-Ado in patients with refractory/relapsed AML demonstrates encouraging clinical benefit. Of note, LSCs uniquely depend on amino acid-driven and/or fatty acid oxidation (FAO)-driven oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for survival. VEN inhibits OXPHOS in LSCs, which eventually may escape the antileukemic activity of this drug. FAO is activated in LSCs isolated from patients with relapsed AML. Using AML cell lines and LSC-enriched blast cells from pre-treatment AML patients, we evaluated the effects of 8-Cl-Ado, VEN and the 8-Cl-Ado/VEN combination on fatty acid metabolism, glycolysis and OXPHOS using liquid scintillation counting, a Seahorse XF Analyzer and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Western blotting was used to validate results from GSEA. HPLC was used to measure intracellular accumulation of 8-Cl-ATP, the cytotoxic metabolite of 8-Cl-Ado. To quantify drug synergy, we created combination index plots using CompuSyn software. The log-rank Kaplan–Meier survival test was used to compare the survival distributions of the different treatment groups in a xenograft mouse model of AML. We here report that VEN and 8-Cl-Ado synergistically inhibited in vitro growth of AML cells. Furthermore, immunodeficient mice engrafted with MV4-11-Luc AML cells and treated with the combination of VEN plus 8-Cl-Ado had a significantly longer survival than mice treated with either drugs alone (p ≤ 0.006). We show here that 8-Cl-Ado in the LSC-enriched population suppressed FAO by downregulating gene expression of proteins involved in this pathway and significantly inhibited the oxygen consumption rate (OCR), an indicator of OXPHOS. By combining 8-Cl-Ado with VEN, we observed complete inhibition of OCR, suggesting this drug combination cooperates in targeting OXPHOS and the metabolic homeostasis of AML cells. Taken together, the results suggest that 8-Cl-Ado enhances the antileukemic activity of VEN and that this combination represents a promising therapeutic regimen for treatment of AML.
Mitigating Malheur’s Misfortunes: The Public Interest in the Public’s Public Lands

The 2016 standoff between armed militants and law enforcement personnel at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was a pivotal event in the century-long struggle over control of federal public lands. The Malheur occupants’ message resonated with members of the Patriot Movement, and it gained momentum when occupation leaders were acquitted by jury members swayed by anti-government “take back our lands” messaging. President Donald Trump added fuel to the fire by pardoning the ranchers whose earlier conviction for arson led to the standoff. The Malheur occupation evidences a shift in public sentiment exhibited by the Trump election, and highlights the country’s divisiveness over the urban-rural divide, libertarianism, and populism. Private users of public lands and their sympathizers have been further emboldened by the Administration’s emphasis on American Energy Dominance and its enthusiastic support for the exploitation of commodities from the public lands. This article examines Malheur and other examples of private claims to rangelands, water, and minerals to probe the nature of private interests in federal public lands and resources in an attempt to identify potential leverage points for defusing the metaphorical (and occasionally literal) conflagration and for managing conflict. It questions the proper function of a sovereign that is also a proprietor of public lands and resources, and answers with the public interest standard, long found in public lands law and western water law statutes, complemented by the common law public trust doctrine (PTD). While the two doctrines are distinct, they gain strength, depth, and breadth from each other. The PTD is valuable tool for informing the public interest standard and for conceptualizing, implementing, and constraining management discretion. A public interest-public trust analysis is unlikely to change the hearts and minds of private users intent on exploiting the public’s lands and resources, but it interjects the public’s voice in the controversy and provides federal decisionmakers with a strong paradigm by which to manage the resources as well as the overarching message — that these are, after all, the public’s public lands and resources.
Updated Review of Palliative Care in Dementia

Palliative care is likely to be of benefit to patients with dementia as it is with other progressive, life-limiting conditions. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of recent updates into the research around palliative care for patients with dementia and to highlight gaps for further research. There are disparities in hospice referrals and end of life care for patients with dementia compared to patients with other life-limiting conditions. Advance care planning interventions are being designed and tested as patients and their caregivers indicate a desire for more information from their healthcare providers, although significant challenges remain with regard to physician skills and time. Additional attention is being paid to non-cognitive symptoms of dementia, such as neuropsychiatric symptoms, with a new atypical antipsychotic medication recently submitted to the FDA for approval. Pain management, accurate prognostication, timing of palliative care interventions, and the effects of caregiving on caregiver health remain understudied areas. There have been many recent advances in palliative care research as it pertains to patients with dementia. However, several gaps remain. Future research will be important to close these gaps in order to further optimize the care of patients with dementia.
Palliative Care: A Guide for Health Social Workers

Palliative Care is a fundamental resource for health social workers who are looking to incorporate palliative principles into their clinical practice. Born out of the diverse perspectives and exper...
Blaming for Unreasonableness: Accountability without Ill Will

Quality of will accounts of moral responsibility hold that ill will is necessary for blameworthiness. But all such accounts are false to ordinary moral practice, which licenses blame for agents who act wrongly from epistemically unreasonable ignorance even if the act is not ill willed. This should be especially concerning to Strawsonians about moral responsibility, who think the genuine conditions of blameworthiness are derived from the standards internal to our practice. In response, I provide a theory of moral blameworthiness on which ill will is not necessary for blameworthiness. On the view I defend, “Rational Capacitarianism,” agents are blameworthy whenever they act wrongly from an unreasonable attitude which is attributable to them, where an attitude is attributable to an agent just in case she has the capacity to assess reasons for and against the attitude and modulate the attitude in light of these assessments. Acting from unreasonable ignorance is just a special case of acting from an unreasonable attitude. My theory contrasts both with both quality of will accounts of blameworthiness (Strawson, Wallace, Rosen, McKenna) and the Capacitarian view (Sher, Rudy-Hiller, Clarke), which specifies that agents who act wrongly from ignorance are culpable if they could and should have known better. On Capacitarianism, a variety of awareness-relevant capacities are pertinent, including memory; on my view it is only failures of rational capacities that render the agent culpable, because only failures of rational capacities are attributable to the agent.
International Regime Complexity

The increasing institutional density characterizing international politics in recent times has generated significant interest among scholars of International Relations. This essay provides an analytic overview of the literature on international regime complexity and regime complexes, tracing its evolution over the last two decades. It focuses on three main questions that have guided and informed theoretical debates and empirical research on regime complexes. First, what are regime complexes and how are they composed? What do we mean when we talk about international regime complexity? Second, what causes regime complexity and how do regime complexes emerge? And third, what are the effects and consequences of regime complexity? A rich theoretical literature has highlighted the different mechanisms through which institutional interactions within regime complexes condition the effectiveness of international cooperation and global governance. Empirical studies of regime complexes in various issue areas, including environmental, trade, security, migration, and public health governance, have further advanced our understanding of this phenomenon. Yet, future research would benefit from addressing conceptual, theoretical and methodological challenges in existing work.
What Happens When the Sky Does Fall In

This article discusses the uncertainty in commercial lease situations where the roof requires complete replacement, and neither party is obliged to do so.
Decreased collagen production in chronologically aged skin: roles of age-dependent alteration in fibroblast function and defective mechanical stimulation.

Reduced synthesis of collagen types I and III is characteristic of chronologically aged skin. The present report provides evidence that both cellular fibroblast aging and defective mechanical stimulation in the aged tissue contribute to reduced collagen synthesis. The reduction in collagen synthesis due to fibroblast aging was demonstrated by a lower in vitro production of type I procollagen by dermal fibroblasts isolated from skin of young (18 to 29 years) versus old (80+ years) individuals (82 ± 16 versus 56 ± 8 ng/ml; P < 0.05). A reduction in mechanical stimulation in chronologically aged skin was inferred from morphological, ultrastructural, and fluorescence microscopic studies. These studies, comparing dermal sections from young and old individuals, demonstrated a greater percentage of the cell surface attached to collagen fibers (78 ± 6 versus 58 ± 8%; P < 0.01) and more extensive cell spreading (1.0 ± 0.3 vs. 0.5 ± 0.3; P < 0.05) in young skin compared with old skin. These features are consistent with a lower level of mechanical stimulation on the cells in old versus young skin. Based on the findings presented here, we conclude that reduced collagen synthesis in chronologically aged skin reflects at least two different underlying mechanisms: cellular fibroblast aging and a lower level of mechanical stimulation.
Global Seasonal Precipitation Anomalies Robustly Associated with El Niño and La Niña Events—An OLR Perspective*,+

AbstractEl Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events are associated with particular seasonal weather anomalies in many regions around the planet. When the statistical links are sufficiently strong, ENSO state information can provide useful seasonal forecasts with varying lead times. However, using conventional sea surface temperature or sea level pressure indices to characterize ENSO state leads to many instances of limited forecast skill (e.g., years identified as El Nino or La Nina with weather anomalies unlike the average), even in regions where there is considerable ENSO-associated anomaly, on average. Using outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) conditions to characterize ENSO state identifies a subset of the conventional ENSO years, called OLR El Nino and OLR La Nina years herein. Treating the OLR-identified subset of years differently can both usefully strengthen the level of statistical significance in the average (composite) and also greatly reduce the year-to-year deviations in the composite precipitat...
The roles of personal innovativeness and push vs pull delivery methods in travel‐oriented location‐based marketing services

Purpose – As mobile devices amass greater capabilities that include broadband internet and global positioning systems (GPS), the relevance of location based marketing (LBM) services has gained increased attention among tourism researchers and marketers alike. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of personal travel innovativeness, information privacy and the type of delivery method (pull vs push) on the perception of potential value in LBM programs.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from travelers at two large airports in the USA. A 2*2 design that comprised LBM (services vs promotions) and the delivery method (pull vs push) combined with two primary covariates, namely personal travel innovativeness and information privacy, evaluated the potential value of LBM programs amongst consumers.Findings – The findings indicate that personal travel innovativeness has a significant impact on the perception of potential value in LBM. Additionally, the pull delivery method was more amenabl...
Matrix isolation technique for the study of some factors affecting the partitioning of trace elements

The factors that affect the preferred positions of cations in ionic solid solutions were investigated utilizing vibrational spectroscopy. Solid solutions of the sulfate and chromate ions codoped with La(+3) and Ca(+2) in a KBr host lattice were examined as a function of the polyvalent cation concentration. The cation-anion pairing process was found to be random for Ca(+2), whereas the formation of La(+3)-SO4(-2) ion pairs with a C2 sub v bonding geometry is highly preferential to any type of La(+3)-CrO4(-2) ion pair formation. The relative populations of ion pair site configurations are discussed in terms of an energy-entropy competition model which can be applied to the partition of trace elements during magmatic processes.
Recovery of damping and modulus changes following plastic deformation

Abstract A theory is developed which assumes that changes with time in the decrement and modulus of a crystalline material following plastic deformation are a result of dislocation pinning by deformation—induced point defects. This time dependence is based upon the Cottrell-Bilby t 2 3 law for strain-aging. Comparison of the results of the theory with available data shows that the measured time law is that predicted by the theory for specimens which have been deformed between about 0.4 and 4.0 per cent. For smaller and larger deformations, deviations are obtained. Although measurements so far available permit only a qualitative check of the predictions of the theory with regard to the dependence of the recovery rate on purity and deformation, a check of the temperature dependence is afforded by recovery measurements of Young's modulus for copper. From these an activation energy for the migration of vacancies in copper is determined to be 1.0 eV. A number of experiments needed for checking the theory further are proposed.
Expected deadlock time in a multiprocessing system

We consider multiprocessing systems where processes make independent, Poisson distributed resource requests with mean arrival time 1. We assume that resources are not released. It is shown that the expected deadlock time is never less than 1, no matter how many processes and resources are in the system. Also, the expected number of processes blocked by deadlock time is one-half more than half the number of initially active processes. We obtain expressions for system statistics such as expected deadlock time, expected total processing time, and system efficiency, in terms of Abel sums. We derive asymptotic expressions for these statistics in the case of systems with many processes and the case of systems with a fixed number of processes. In the latter, generalizations of the Ramanujan Q-function arise. we use singularity analysis to obtain asymptotics of coefficients of generalized Q-functions.
Pharmacokinetics of Oral Mycophenolate Mofetil in Volunteer Subjects with Varying Degrees of Hepatic Oxidative Impairment

Eighteen patients with compensated alcoholic cirrhosis participated in a single-dose pharmacokinetic study of oral mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). Participants were divided into groups of 6 patients each with mild, moderate, or severe hepatic oxidative impairment as defined by the aminopyrine breath test (APBT). Clinically, hepatic disease was of mild or moderate severity. Six healthy volunteers were included as control subjects. Plasma and urine samples were collected over 96 hours and assayed for the active metabolite mycophenolic aced (MPA) and the glucuronide conjugate, MPAG. Plasma protein binding of MPA also was determined in 6 unrelated patients with cirrhosis. Cirrhosis did not grossly affect plasma pharmacokinetics or plasma binding of MPA. Maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) and area under the curve (AUC) of MPA and MPAG consistently decreased, increased, and then decreased as oxidative impairment declined from normal to severe. Patients with cirrhosis had comparable or greater recovery of administered drug substance in urine than controls, showing that cirrhosis did not affect the extent of MMF absorption. Urine clearance of MPAG was two times higher in the group with severe impairment than in the other groups. Creatinine clearance was similar in all groups. These results suggest progressive impairment of hepatic glucuronidation of MPA and induction of renal glucuronidation in patients with severe hepatic oxidative impairment.
Preparation and application of an affinity matrix for phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C.

Abstract A non-hydrolyzable phosphonate analogue of phosphatidyl inositol, racemic myo-inosityl(1)-5-oxa-16-trifluoroacetamidohexadecyl phosphonate, was synthesized. This phosphonate inhibited the activity of phosphatidyl inositol-specific phospholipase C (Pl-PLC) from Bacillus cereus with an IC 50 of approximately 10 mM. Removal of the trifluoroacetyl blocking group followed by covalent binding of the phosphonate to cyanogen bromide activated Sepharose 4B via the amino group produced an affinity matrix specific for the PI-PLC from B. cereus . This affinity matrix was used to purify the phospholipase C from a complex mixture of proteins in a single step. Competition experiments with myo-inositol in the elution medium indicated that specific binding of the enzyme to the matrix most likely involves the enzyme active site. The inositol phosphonate derivatized matrix was stable over several months in neutral and alkaline media and was used repeatedly without loss of binding capacity. These results show that affinity matrices employing myo-inositol phosphonate ligands are useful for isolation and binding studies of PI-PLC and possibly of other enzymes interacting with phosphoinositides or myo-inositol phosphate derivatives.
Immersive Virtual Reality Environments for Perioperative Nursing

An overview of the Association for Operating Room Nurses Web site reveals a robust online learning system in which registered nurses could access learning modules, continuing education articles and examinations, and both live and prerecorded Webinars. Although these offerings are numerous, immersive virtual reality (VR) environments may further expand opportunities for perioperative nursing education in an engaging and customizable format. Immersive VR environments utilize 3-dimensional online computer programs in which users interact with each other and the environment via touch, text, and voice through computerized representations of themselves called avatars. Avatar appearance can be customized based on user preferences. Using a computer mouse, users can walk their avatar through the environment, touch objects, and interact with others. VR offers the potential for asynchronous learning where individuals can visit sites on their own similar to visiting a Web site to gain information. VR also offers the potential for synchronous learning. This is where individuals can meet online at a specific time and virtual space for the purposes of networking, group discussions, presentations, or simulation. This article
Comparison of the acute and chronic hemodynamic effects of captopril and guanethidine in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The present study compared the hemodynamic effects of captopril with those of guanethidine as well as with a combination of these two drugs in conscious male spontaneously hypertensive rats. Acutely, captopril or guanethidine or a combination of the two lowered arterial pressure to similar levels. The reduction in pressure with captopril alone or in combination with guanethidine, was due to a lowering of all organ vascular resistances. Guanethidine alone lowered pressure by reducing cardiac output. Chronically, captopril or guanethidine lowered arterial pressure to similar levels by reducing organ vascular resistances to comparable levels, particularly skeletal muscle, skin and splanchnic organs. Combination of these two drugs had an additive effect on the reduction of arterial pressure and organ vascular resistances. Since, chronically, the addition of guanethidine to captopril therapy enhanced rather than attenuated the hemodynamic changes induced by captopril, these drugs are probably acting by differe...
Regulation of Calpain-2 in Neurons: Implications for Synaptic Plasticity

The family of calcium-dependent neutral proteases, calpains, was discovered more than 30 years ago, but their functional roles in the nervous system under physiological or pathological conditions still remain unclear. Although calpain was proposed to participate in synaptic plasticity and in learning and memory in the early 1980s, the precise mechanism regarding its activation, its target(s) and the functional consequences of its activation have remained controversial. A major issue has been the identification of roles of the two major calpain isoforms present in the brain, calpain-1 and calpain-2, and the calcium requirement for their activation, which exceeds levels that could be reached intracellularly under conditions leading to changes in synaptic efficacy. In this review, we discussed the features of calpains that make them ideally suited to link certain patterns of presynaptic activity to the structural modifications of dendritic spines that could underlie synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. We then summarize recent findings that provide critical answers to the various questions raised by the initial hypothesis, and that further support the idea that, in brain, calpain-2 plays critical roles in developmental and adult synaptic plasticity.
Convex geometry and group choice

Abstract A geometrical approach to group choice theory is developed. Main binary relation spaces of weak preference, strict preference and indifference are described. Convexity in a binary relation space is studied in connection with the Pareto principle. A method of constructing admissible group decisions is suggested.
Tobacco smoking effect on HIV-1 pathogenesis: role of cytochrome P450 isozymes.

Introduction: Tobacco smoking is highly prevalent among the HIV-1-infected population. In addition to diminished immune response, smoking has been shown to increase HIV-1 replication and decrease response to antiretroviral therapy, perhaps through drug–drug interaction. However, the mechanism by which tobacco/nicotine increases HIV-1 replication and mediates drug–drug interaction is poorly understood. Areas covered: In this review, the authors discuss the effects of smoking on HIV-1 pathogenesis. Since they propose a role for the cytochrome P450 (CYP) pathway in smoking-mediated HIV-1 pathogenesis, the authors briefly converse the role of CYP enzymes in tobacco-mediated oxidative stress and toxicity. Finally, the authors focus on the role of CYP enzymes, especially CYP2A6, in tobacco/nicotine metabolism and oxidative stress in HIV-1 model systems monocytes/macrophages, lymphocytes, astrocytes and neurons, which may be responsible for HIV-1 pathogenesis. Expert opinion: Recent findings suggest that CYP-med...
Onset of Physical Abuse and Neglect: Psychiatric, Substance Abuse, and Social Risk Factors from Prospective Community Data

Studies of psychiatric and social risk factors for child maltreatment have been limited by retrospective methodologies and reliance on officially reported or identified samples. Using data from both Waves I and II of the National Institute for Mental Health's Epidemiologic Catchment Area survey, 7,103 parents from a probabilistic community sample who did not self-report physical abuse or neglect of their children at Wave I were followed to determine the risk factors associated with the onset of self-reported physical abuse or neglect identified at Wave II. Social factors considered included age, socioeconomic status, social support, education, household size, and gender. In addition, several psychiatric disorders, including substance abuse disorders and depression were examined. Risk models were developed using hierarchical logistic regression. Physical abuse and neglect were found to have distinct sets of risk factors, with minimal overlap between the groups. Social and demographic variables were found to be limited predictors of maltreatment, while substance abuse disorders were strongly associated with the onset of both abuse and neglect (relative risks = 2.90 and 3.24 respectively). Depression was found to be a strong risk factor for physical abuse (relative risk = 3.45). Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of major causal models of maltreatment.
Population inversion in asymmetrical step quantum wells and infrared intersubband lasers

We have investigated the intersubband relaxation times in asymmetrical step quantum wells with a high width ratio and observed population inversion between the state in the step and the state in the well. Based on the observed population inversion a novel intersubband laser structure at 10 micrometer wavelength is proposed.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Defensive adaptations of eggs and adults ofGastrophysa cyanea (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Egg clusters and adults ofGastrophysa cyanea are conspicuous and, like their larvae, are chemically protected. The eggs owe their bright yellow color primarily to β-carotene and, in addition, contain substantial quantities of oleic acid. At natural concentrations oleic acid effectively deters many species of ants from feeding. The use of fatty acids as deterrents against ants is discussed as a possible widespread phenomenon among insects. During defensive confrontations, adults ofG. cyanea exhibit avoidance behavior and may also feign death. In addition, the adults may autohemmorhage or secrete a fluid from elytral or pronotal pores in response to traumatic stimuli. The secretions are effective against ants and contain a mixture of hydrocarbons as well as terpenoid components. The pattern of ontogenetic modification in the defensive chemical repertoire ofG. cyanea is discussed.
The Mid-Infrared Laboratory Spectra of Naphthalene (C10H8) in Solid H2O

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are common throughout the universe. Gas-phase PAHs are easily detected in radiation-rich environments by the characteristic infrared (IR) emission bands they produce when they are excited by higher energy radiation. In contrast, in dense interstellar clouds, where the PAHs could be present as unexcited gas-phase molecules or dust grains or frozen into ice mantles, they are expected to be seen in absorption. We present full mid-IR spectra of the PAH naphthalene (C10H8) in several media to facilitate searches for PAHs in absorption in dense clouds. The positions, widths, and strengths of the absorption bands of naphthalene are significantly altered from the gas phase when it is placed in a matrix, with the extent of the alteration depending on the nature of the matrix interaction. The infrared features of gas-phase naphthalene show P, Q, and R branches characteristic of rovibrational transitions, while naphthalene in condensed forms does not. When condensed in a relatively inert matrix (e.g., Ar or N2), the IR features produced by naphthalene are narrow (generally FWHM < 2 cm-1) and may show multiple components associated with different matrix sites. In more interactive matrices (e.g., pure naphthalene and H2O), the bands become considerably broader (factors of 3-10), show small band position shifts (0-10 cm-1 in either direction), and show variable changes in relative band strengths (typically factors of 1-3). There is little systematic increase or decrease in the band strengths (perhaps none). In H2O-rich ices, naphthalene bands are relatively insensitive to concentration and temperature, with the exception that all the bands show dramatic changes as the ices are warmed through the temperature range in which amorphous H2O ice converts to its cubic and hexagonal crystalline forms. Given the small observed band shifts (<10 cm-1; <0.04 μm at 6 μm), the current database of spectra from Ar matrix-isolated PAHs should be useful for the search for PAHs in dense clouds on the basis of observed absorption band positions. Furthermore, these data permit determination of column densities to better than a factor of 3 for PAHs in dense clouds. Column density determination of detected aromatics to better than a factor of 3 will, however, require good knowledge about the nature of the matrix in which the PAH is embedded and laboratory studies of relevant samples.
Engineered Alterations in RNA Editing Modulate Complex Behavior in Drosophila REGULATORY DIVERSITY OF ADENOSINE DEAMINASE ACTING ON RNA (ADAR) TARGETS

Select proteins involved in electrical and chemical neurotransmission are re-coded at the RNA level via the deamination of particular adenosines to inosine by adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs). It has been hypothesized that this process, termed RNA editing, acts to "fine-tune" neurophysiological properties in animals and potentially downstream behavioral outputs. However, the extreme phenotypes resulting from deletions of adar loci have precluded investigations into the relationship between ADAR levels, target transcripts, and complex behaviors. Here, we engineer Drosophila hypomorphic for ADAR expression using homologous recombination. A substantial reduction in ADAR activity (>80%) leads to altered circadian motor patterns and abnormal male courtship, although surprisingly, general locomotor coordination is spared. The altered phenotypic landscape in our adar hypomorph is paralleled by an unexpected dichotomous response of ADAR target transcripts, i.e. certain adenosines are minimally affected by dramatic ADAR reduction, whereas editing of others is severely curtailed. Furthermore, we use a novel reporter to map RNA editing activity across the nervous system, and we demonstrate that knockdown of editing in fruitless-expressing neurons is sufficient to modify the male courtship song. Our data demonstrate that network-wide temporal and spatial regulation of ADAR activity can tune the complex system of RNA-editing sites and modulate multiple ethologically relevant behavioral modalities.
Behavioral thermoregulation and activity in Homarus americanus

Abstract 1. 1. American lobsters thermoregulated precisely for 6 days in an electronic shuttlebox (mode 16°C; range 15–21°C), with no significant difference in mean preferred temperature between night (17.1°C ± 0.15 SE) and day (17.2°C ± 0.18 SE), although mean hourly activity was 1.3 times as great at night as during the day. 2. 2. The preferred temperature falls within a zone (15–20°C) in which activity decreases with increasing temperature, while activity generally increases with temperature over the range 10–30°C; this may have implications for the adaptive value, if not the mechanism, of thermoregulatory behavior. 3. 3. During the second 6 days, thermoregulatory precision declined markedly (range 10–29°C; modes at 14°C and 26°C), perhaps representing a shift from preference to avoidance behavior, while the nocturnal activity pattern remained stable; the frequency distribution of occupied temperatures became nearly congruent with the temperature-activity relationship and complementary to the temperature distribution during the first 6 days.
Co-crystals of 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-α-D-glucopyranose and 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-β-D-glucopyranose.

3-De­oxy-3-fluoro-d-glucopyran­ose crystallizes from acetone to give a unit cell containing two crystallographically independent mol­ecules. One of these mol­ecules (at site A) is structurally homogeneous and corresponds to 3-de­oxy-3-fluoro-β-d-glucopyran­ose, C6H11FO5, (I). The second mol­ecule (at site B) is structurally heterogeneous and corresponds to a mixture of (I) and 3-de­oxy-3-fluoro-α-d-glucopyran­ose, (II); treatment of the diffraction data using partial-occupancy oxygen at the anomeric center gave a high-quality packing model with an occupancy ratio of 0.84:0.16 for (II):(I) at site B. The mixture of α- and β-anomers at site B appears to be accommodated in the lattice because hydrogen-bonding partners are present to hydrogen bond to the anomeric OH group in either an axial or equatorial orientation. Cremer–Pople analysis of (I) and (II) shows the pyranosyl ring of (II) to be slightly more distorted than that of (I) [θ(I) = 3.85 (15)° and θ(II) = 6.35 (16)°], but the general direction of distortion is similar in both structures [φ(I) = 67 (2)° (BC1,C4) and φ(II) = 26.0 (15)° (C3TBC1); B = boat conformation and TB = twist-boat conformation]. The exocyclic hy­droxy­methyl (–CH2OH) conformation is gg (gauche–gauche) (H5 anti to O6) in both (I) and (II). Structural comparisons of (I) and (II) to related unsubstituted, de­oxy and fluorine-substituted monosaccharides show that the gluco ring can assume a wide range of distorted chair structures in the crystalline state depending on ring substitution patterns.
Monoclonal Antibodies Which Alter the Morphology of Cultured Chick Myogenic Cells

Two monoclonal antibodies that cause changes in the morphology of cultured myogenic cells are described. Antibody JG9 causes myoblasts to round up and causes myotubes to become thin, cable-like structures with multiple round swellings. Antibody JG22 causes both myoblasts and myotubes to become round refractile cells poorly attached to the substratum. The effects of both antibodies are reversible. Fab fragments of JG22 can cause the morphological change. A tentative identification of the antigen recognized by JG22 is made.
TnT: blowing the cover from perioperative myocardial injury.

This article has been selected for the Anesthesiology CME Program. Learning objectives and disclosure and ordering information can be found in the CME section at the front of this issue.
Resource abundance and sex allocation by queen and workers in the harvester ant, Messor pergandei

The degree to which queens and workers control how limiting resources are split between reproductive males and females is central to the study of sex allocation in the eusocial Hymenoptera. We investigated the effect of resource availability on sex allocation decisions by both queens and workers in the ant Messor pergandei. We conducted the following field manipulations of resource availability: food supplementation while queens were laying reproductive brood (early-fed treatment), removal of workers while queens were laying reproductive brood (worker-removal treatment), food supplementation of colonies while workers were tending reproductive brood (late-fed treatment), and unmanipulated colonies (control). Early-fed colonies produced more alates and exhibited more strongly female-biased sex ratios than other treatments. Worker-removal colonies produced the fewest alates and the least female-biased sex ratios. Late-fed colonies yielded individual alates with the heaviest fresh masses (males and females) and dry masses (only females). Aside from worker-removal colonies, the sex and investment ratios of colonies in this study were significantly more female-biased than the relatedness asymmetries hypothesis under worker control would predict. Consistent with the multifaceted parental investment hypothesis, the timing of food supplementation relative to the reproductive cycle of the colony plays a prominent role in influencing sex allocation by both queens and workers. Early food supplements resulted in increased number of females, whereas late food supplements resulted in heavier individual females. Temporal dynamics of food availability may explain part of the tremendous inter-population variation in colony sex ratios seen in this and other ant species. Electronic supplementary material to this paper can be obtained by using the Springer LINK server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00265-002-0462-6.
Influences of culture on Asian Americans' sexuality.

Asian Americans comprise a population group that is characterized by an enormous demographic, historical, and cultural heterogeneity, yet Asian Americans also share many Asian cultural characterist...
The Good Life: Assessing the Relative Importance of Physical, Psychological, and Self-Efficacy Statuses on Quality of Well-Being in Osteoarthritis Patients

Background and Purpose. The purpose of the present study was to examine the interrelationships among physical dysfunction, self-efficacy, psychological distress, exercise, and quality of well-being for people with osteoarthritis. It was predicted that exercise would mediate the relationships between physical dysfunction, self-efficacy, psychological distress, and quality of well-being. Methods. Participants were 363 individuals with osteoarthritis who were 60 years of age or older. Data were collected from the baseline assessment period prior to participating in a social support and education intervention. A series of structural equation models was used to test the predicted relationships among the variables. Results. Exercise did not predict quality of well-being and was not related to self-efficacy or psychological distress; it was significantly related to physical dysfunction. When exercise was removed from the model, quality of life was significantly related to self-efficacy, physical dysfunction, and psychological distress. Conclusions. Engagement in exercise was directly related to physical functioning, but none of the other latent variables. Alternatively, treatment focused on self-efficacy and psychological distress might be the most effective way to improve quality of well-being.
Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty in the Infant Younger Than 6 Months—Is it Technically Possible?

Purpose: Laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty is an acceptable option for UPJ obstruction in the pediatric population. We report our initial experience with this approach in infants.Materials and Methods: Eight infants 3 to 5 months old (mean 4.5) underwent transperitoneal laparoscopic pyeloplasty for ureteropelvic junction obstruction. All patients underwent dismembered pyeloplasty with renal pelvis tapering. Two patients underwent concomitant pyelolithotomy and 1 underwent contralateral nephrectomy. Outcome measures included operative time, length of hospital stay, and resolution of obstruction by ultrasonography and DRI.Results: Mean operative time was 1.8 hours for the pyeloplasty portion. Mean hospital stay was 1.2 days. The stent was removed 6 weeks postoperatively in all patients except 1. This patient, 1 of the 2 patients who underwent concomitant pyelolithotomy, had development of a new stone while the stent was still indwelling. Laparoscopic pyeloplasty resulted in 100% resolution of UPJ obstruc...
On the behavior of a neural oscillator electrically coupled to a bistable element

Abstract We study the periodic solutions of a two-cell network consisting of a relaxation oscillator and a bistable element. The aim is to understand how the frequency and wave form of the network depend on the intrinsic properties of the cells and on the strength of the coupling between them. The network equations constitute a fast-slow system; we show that there are four curves of saddle-node points of the fast system whose geometry in parameter space encodes information about the wave form and frequency. These curves give information about the value of the variables at which transitions are made between high and low voltage states for either of the elements, and how those transition points in phase space depend on the coupling strength. Furthermore, we develop a new geometric method to construct the curves of saddle-nodes from families of curves associated with the equations for each of the two cells. The construction allows one to see how changes in either of the elements affects the wave form of the network output. The analysis also shows that the network can produce unintuitive behavior. For example, though electric coupling may keep the network pinned longer at a higher or lower voltage level than the uncoupled oscillator, larger values of the coupling strength may be less effective at this pinning.
FTIR Study of N2O3 on Porous Glass at Room Temperature

While N2O3 has been observed previously in the gas phase, in solution and as a solid at low temperatures, it has not been reported adsorbed on solids at room temperature. However, the adsorbed species has been postulated as a precursor to HONO in the lower atmosphere. We report here the formation of N2O3 adsorbed on a porous glass surface at room temperature from the precursors NO and NO2 using transmission FTIR spectroscopy. The spectrum of the porous glass in the presence of NO and NO2 showed broad peaks at approximately 1870 and 1600 cm-1 attributed to surface adsorbed asym-N2O3 (ONNO2). These peaks shifted by ∼30−40 cm-1 to lower wavenumbers when 15N-labeled NO was used, consistent with absorption bands previously assigned by other researchers to solid asym-N2O3 at low temperature. While the peaks assigned to surface-adsorbed asym-N2O3 did not decrease significantly on exposure to water vapor, measurable concentrations of gas-phase HONO were formed. The atmospheric implications are discussed.
Extensible MPEG-4 textual format (XMT)

This paper describes the Extensible MPEG-4 Textual format (XMT), a framework for representing MPEG-4 scene description using a textual syntax. The XMT allows the content authors to exchange their content with other authors, tools or service providers, and facilitates interoperability with both the X3D, developed by the Web3D consortium, and the Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) from the W3C consortium.
Placental Hofbauer cells assemble and sequester HIV-1 in tetraspanin-positive compartments that are accessible to broadly neutralizing antibodies.

Introduction : Within monocyte-derived macrophages, HIV-1 accumulates in intracellular virus-containing compartments (VCCs) that are inaccessible to the external environment, which implicate these cells as latently infected HIV-1 reservoirs. During mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1, human placental macrophages (Hofbauer cells (HCs)) are viral targets, and have been shown to be infected in vivo and sustain low levels of viral replication in vitro ; however, the risk of in utero transmission is less than 7%. The role of these primary macrophages as viral reservoirs is largely undefined. The objective of this study is to define potential sites of viral assembly, accumulation and neutralization in HCs given the pivotal role of the placenta in preventing HIV-1 infection in the mother-infant dyad. Methods : Term placentae from 20 HIV-1 seronegative women were obtained following caesarian section. VCCs were evaluated by 3D confocal and electron microscopy. Colocalization R values (Pearson's correlation) were quantified with colocalization module of Volocity 5.2.1. Replication kinetics and neutralization studies were evaluated using p24 ELISA. Results : We demonstrate that primary HCs assemble and sequester HIV-1 BaL in intracellular VCCs, which are enriched in endosomal/lysosomal markers, including CD9, CD81, CD63 and LAMP-1. Following infection, we observed HIV-1 accumulation in potentially acidic compartments, which stained intensely with Lysotracker-Red. Remarkably, these compartments are readily accessible via the cell surface and can be targeted by exogenously applied small molecules and HIV-1-specific broadly neutralizing antibodies. In addition, broadly neutralizing antibodies (4E10 and VRC01) limited viral replication by HIV-1-infected HCs, which may be mediated by FcγRI. Conclusions : These findings suggest that placental HCs possess intrinsic adaptations facilitating unique sequestration of HIV-1, and may serve as a protective viral reservoir to permit viral neutralization and/or antiretroviral drug entry in utero . Keywords: placenta; Hofbauer cells; HIV-1; VCCs; bNAbs; MTCT. To access the supplementary material to this article please see Supplementary Files in the column to the right (under ‘Article Tools’). (Published: 22 January 2015) Citation: Johnson EL et al. Journal of the International AIDS Society 2015, 18 :19385 http://www.jiasociety.org/index.php/jias/article/view/19385 | http://dx.doi.org/10.7448/IAS.18.1.19385
A model system study of the inhibition of heterocyclic aromatic amine formation by organosulfur compounds.

Organosulfur compounds and sodium bisulfite significantly inhibited (P < 0.05) heterocyclic aromatic amine (HAA) formation in model systems containing phenylalanine, creatinine, and glucose. There ...