cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Catecholaminergic involvement in the effects of amphetamine isomers on seizure susceptibility.

Abstract The (+)-amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg) increase in pentylenetetrazol seizure was abolished by pretreatment with reserpine, α-methyltyrosine methyl ester (α-MT), FLA-63 or 6-hydroxydopa. All treatments except reserpine antagonized the increase in seizure threshold produced by (-)-amphetamine (4 mg/kg). Only reserpine +α-MT antagonized the decrease in seizure threshold produced by (+)-amphetamine (15 mg/kg). These results indicate that amphetamine alterations in PLZ seizure susceptibility are mediated indirectly via the release of newly synthetized and/or granular stores of catecholamines.
Determining the definition of non-adherence with fluticasone pressure-MDI for entry into an intervention protocol to improve the adherence of adolescent asthmatics

Abstract Rationale Much of the morbidity and mortality of asthma in children and adolescents has been attributed to lack of adherence to prescribed therapy. A means of improving adherence would provide an important adjunct to therapy. Methods Seven asthmatic patients ages 10-16 yrs (median 12.5 yrs) with non-adherence to fluticasone MDI by history, were enrolled into a project to identify non-adherence. Each was shown correct inhalation technique that included both shaking the MDI and one inhalation of fluticasone b.i.d.. Each device contained an electronic monitoring device (MDILog) which recorded date and time of both shaking and inhalation. Subjects were told that inhalation technique was being monitored. Results Subjects were monitored for at least 15 days and adherence data was downloaded. Adherence when defined as total percentage of study days subjects inhaled or shook the MDI for both doses was 64% for inhalation (range 0-80%) and 33% for shaking (range 0-72%). When adherence was defined as the number of inhalations or shaking the MDI actually performed as a percent of the prescribed number, inhalation adherence was 82% (range 11-90%) and shaking was 27% (range 3-83%). Conclusions The MDILog offers a unique way to monitor adherence to therapy in asthmatic subjects. By either definition adherence to shaking the MDI is poor and its importance should be emphasized. Investigators of adherence should choose the definition of adherence which provides the best clinical result as the primary outcome for interventions in non-adherent subjects.
Trends in US Surface Transportation: US Policy and Mass Transit Ridership in a Nation 'Addicted to Oil'

As oil prices continued to climb in the second half of 2005, the US government began to take note. In his 2006 State of the Union address, US President George W. Bush acknowledged that "America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world". This paper examines the recent trends in US surface transportation with a special focus on mass transit systems and ridership. The role of government policy and funding in developing and sustaining mass transit systems will be explored to see what lessons can be applied to US transport systems in the future.
Editor's Choice Collaboration in Projects and Programs: Insights from Applied Anthropology

This issue is a compilation of articles by practitioners working worldwide to design development or deliver services with the participation of those most affected by programs, projects, and research. The individual pieces address what is fast becoming a mantra in development circles, the need to include the "community" in the design of programs.
THE NATURE OF THE AUXIN‐INDUCED WATER UPTAKE BY POTATO TISSUE. II. THE RELATION BETWEEN RESPIRATION AND WATER ABSORPTION

IT HAS BEEN shown by several workers that the absorption of water by potato discs is an aerobic process, and recently we have demonstrated that it can be inhibited by a variety of metabolic inhibitors (Hackett and Thimann, 1950). This process, furthermore, is promoted by indole-acetic and naphthaleneacetic acids and the resulting increase in water uptake can be blocked by the same inhibitors (Hackett and Thimann, 1952). The auxin-induced water uptake is not accompanied by -any increase, but by a definite decrease, in the osmotic pressure of the cell contents (Hackett, 1952). In order to gain some insight into the mechanisms of these effects, measurements of the respiratory rate (oxygen uptake) were made and the results are reported here. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The method used to prepare and maintain discs of potato tissue throughout the experimental period was described in detail in the previous paper (Hackett and Thimann, 1952). In essence, the discs were supported so as to break the surface of shallow layers of solution in Petri dishes, and the water uptake was calculated from changes in fresh weight. Direct measurements of the oxygen uptake of the discs were made using standard, constant volume Warburg respirometers, according to the technique described by Umbreit et al. (1949). Groups of 10 discs, 9 mm. in diameter, were blotted and weighed fresh, then placed in the respirometer vessels containing 3.0 cc. of water; the center well contained 0.2 cc. of 20 per cent KOH. The vessels were attached to the manometers, placed in 25?C. bath, and shaken at a rate of 140 strokes per minute. After 15-30 min., the manometers were read at 15-min. intervals. The oxygen uptake is given as Qo2, the number of cubic mm. of oxygen absorbed per hour per gram of initial fresh weight. In correcting the flask constant for the volume of tissue, the storage tissue was assumed to have a specific gravity of 1.0. The discs in the Warburg vessels are submerged under water and consequently the conditions are not the same as in the Petri dishes. Since potato discs deteriorate after some hours under anaerobic conditions (Brauner et al., 1940), oxygen uptake was followed for not over 3 hr., and fresh discs were used for each series of measurements. That is, the oxygen (and water) uptake was determined
Identities at Play: Language Preference and Group Membership in Bilingual Talk in Interaction

Abstract Traditionally, the sociolinguistic approach to the study of codeswitching has taken social structure as primary and viewed language practices as reflecting that structure. Cameron [ Cameron, Deborah, 1990 . Demythologizing sociolinguistics: why language does not reflect society. In: Joseph, J.E., Talyor, T.J. (Eds.), Ideologies of Language. Routledge, London, pp. 79–93] describes this tendency in sociolinguistics in general as the ‘language-reflects-society’ approach. In contrast, research in the conversation analytic (CA) tradition has argued that social structure must be demonstrated to be relevant to the participants themselves through a close, detailed examination of turns at talk in sequential context [Schegloff, Emanuel A., 1991. Reflections on talk and social structure. In: Boden, D., Zimmerman, D.H. (Eds.), Talk and Social Structure: Studies in Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis. Polity Press, Oxford, pp. 44–70; Schegloff, Emanuel A., 1997. Whose text? Whose context? Discourse and Society 8, 165–187]. In this paper I examine the relationship between social structure (social identities) and conversational structure (codeswitching, language preference) using data from bilingual talk-in-interaction. Specifically, I investigate the relationship between social categories such as ethnicity and group membership, and conversational codeswitching. The spontaneous conversation data analyzed involves twelve participants with varying ethnic and linguistic backgrounds who come together in a senior citizens’ day program at a social service agency in an urban Latino community in the Midwestern United States.
Adenosine A1 receptors presynaptically modulate excitatory synaptic input onto subiculum neurons

Abstract Adenosine is an endogenous neuromodulator previously shown to suppress synaptic transmission and membrane excitability in the CNS. In this study we have determined the actions of adenosine on excitatory synaptic transmission in the subiculum, the main output area for the hippocampus. Adenosine (10 μM) reversibly inhibited excitatory post synaptic currents (EPSCs) recorded from subiculum neurons. These actions were mimicked by the A 1 receptor-specific agonist, N 6 -cyclopentyl-adenosine (CPA, 10 nM) and blocked by the A 1 receptor antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX, 500 nM), but were unaffected by the A 2A antagonist ZM 241385 (50 nM). In membrane excitability experiments, bath application of adenosine and CPA reversibly inhibited action potentials (AP) in subiculum neurons that were evoked by stimulation of the pyramidal cell layer of the CA1, but not by depolarizing current injection steps in subiculum neurons, suggesting a presynaptic mechanism of action. In support, adenosine and CPA application reduced mEPSC frequency without modulating mEPSC amplitude. These studies suggest that modulation of subiculum neuron excitability by adenosine is mediated via presynaptic A 1 receptors.
Dependence of Mean Levels of Circulating Luteinizing Hormone upon Pulsatile Amplitude and Frequency

We investigated the relationship between mean serum LH levels and the amplitude and frequency of LH pulses in 23 women. Serum LH levels were determined every 10 min for 8–12 h in 6 normal cycling women during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, in 9 women with polycystic ovary syndrome, and in 8 postmenopausal women. A striking linear correlation (r = 0.98; P < 0.00001) was found between the mean LH value during the study period (range, 11.1–137.7 IU/L) and the product of the mean LH pulse amplitude and frequency. The interdependence of these variables was further explored using a mathematical model which identifies two main determinants of the slope of the regression line relating the mean LH value to the product of mean pulse amplitude and frequency: 1) the set of constants that specify the biexponential disappearance pattern of LH from serum and 2) the fraction of LH associated with a given pulse which is released from the anterior pituitary after the peak peripheral LH level is reached. Our d...
Embedded Ancient Greek Imperatives: A Feature Transfer Analysis

This paper presents an analysis of data in which imperative verbs appear in nonroot clauses, namely relative and finite verbal complement clauses. Although crosslinguistically rare, such embedding is well attested in languages such as Ancient Greek and Slovenian, and it is impossible in languages such as English. An analysis is presented in which rich imperative morphology is related to the possibility of embedding imperatives in CP contexts, which is formalized in terms of the independently motivated theory of Feature Transfer (Chomsky 2008). According to the analysis presented here, the difference between Ancient Greek and English imperatives is one of subcategorization, such that a ϕ-complete C is able to subcategorize for imperative T in Ancient Greek but not in English. Rich imperative morphology, defined as having overt forms beyond the second person, is taken to be a necessary condition for the learner to posit that ϕ-complete C can select imperatives, as in Ancient Greek but not in English. The analysis suggests a view of the grammar in which sentential force is encoded in the syntax, given that morphologically imperative verbs are disassociated with directive force in Ancient Greek.
Physical dependence on benzodiazepines: differences within the class.

Concern about physical dependence seems to be the major limiting factor in the long-term treatment with benzodiazepines (BZD). The severity of the withdrawal syndrome is determined by multiple factors, e.g. dose, duration of use, frequency of dose interval, mode of discontinuation, the pharmacologic characteristics of the BZD, personality and previous or concurrent use of cross-dependent drugs and/or alcohol. There is evidence that BZD with a short elimination half-life cause a more severe withdrawal syndrome than those with a long elimination half-life. Besides pharmacokinetic properties, pharmacodynamic factors such as potency may also covary with the liability of a BZD to induce physical dependence. There is an increasing body of literature indicating that quickly eliminated, high potency BZD such as alprazolam and lorazepam may be more likely to cause severe withdrawal reactions than slowly eliminated compounds such as diazepam or less potent derivatives such as oxazepam. Alprazolam seems to play an exceptional role, insofar as relatively soon after its introduction to the market a number of case reports of withdrawal psychoses, seizures and intense rebound anxiety were published. Data reviewed from the literature correspond well with the results of interviews conducted with 31 clinicians across the United States with experience in detoxifying patients dependent on BZD, 84% of these physicians mentioning alprazolam as especially problematic with respect to the intensity and/or duration of the withdrawal syndrome.
Investigation of dynamic characteristic of forward swept folding wing

In order to investigate the dynamic characteristic of the aircraft with forward swept folding wing, the finite element model of the forward swept folding wing was modeled in the commercial finite element analysis software MSC Patran, and the corresponding modal analysis was performed using the SOL 103 solution sequence in the MSC Nastran. The influences of folding angle, stiffness of the inner hinge and the stiffness of the outer hinge on the modal parameters of the wing are investigated based on a series of finite element model. The results show that the influence of the stiffness of the hinge on the first four modes can be neglected if the stiffness of the hinge is bigger than 107Nm.
Characterizing protein glycosylation sites through higher‐energy C‐trap dissociation

Assigning glycosylation sites of glycoproteins and their microheterogeneity is still a very challenging analytical task despite the rapid advancements in mass spectrometry. It is shown here that glycopeptide ions can be fragmented efficiently using the higher-energy C-trap dissociation (HCD) feature of a linear ion trap orbitrap hybrid mass spectrometer (LTQ Orbitrap). An attractive aspect of this dissociation option is the generation of distinct Y1 ions (peptide+GlcNAc), thus allowing unequivocal assignment of N-glycosylation sites of glycoproteins. The combination of the very informative collision-induced dissociation spectra acquired in the linear ion trap with the distinct features of HCD offers very useful information aiding in the characterization of the glycosylation sites of glycoproteins. The HCD activation energy needed to obtain optimum Y1 ions was studied in terms of glycan structure and charge state, and size and structure of the peptide backbone. The latter appeared to be primarily dictating the needed HCD energy. The distinct Y1 ion formation in HCD facilitated an easy assignment of such an ion and its subsequent isolation and dissociation through multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometry. The resulting MS 3 spectrum of the Y1 ion facilitates database searching and de novo sequencing thus prompting the subsequent identification of the peptide backbone and associated glycosylation sites. Moreover, fragment ions formed by HCD are detected in the Orbitrap, thus overcoming the 1/3 cut-off limitation that is commonly associated with ion trap mass spectrometers. As a result, in addition to the Y1 ion, the common glycan oxonium ions are also detected. The high mass accuracy offered by the LTQ Orbitrap mass spectrometer is also an attractive feature that allows a confident assignment of protein glycosylation sites and the microheterogeneity of such sites.
Are there null arguments in Athabascan

The existence of null arguments in Athabascan languages, and other polysynthetic languages, is a debated topic. We argue that, if the agreement on the verb is the argument, the so-called Pronominal Argument Hypothesis, languages such as Navajo do not have null arguments in the traditional sense. We then outline the diachrony of Athabascan object marking on the verb (by looking at the various contemporary languages).
Control of Thermogelation Properties of Hydrophobically-Modified Methylcellulose:

Aqueous solutions that undergo reversible thermosensitive gelation around body temperature were developed based on hydrophobically-modified methyl cellulose (HMMC). The approach involved HMMC as the main component of aqueous compositions to provide a system with fast gelling properties, which has not been accomplished with aqueous solutions of unmodified methyl cellulose (MC). MC was modified with the stearyl group as a hydrophobic modifier by controlling the degree of modification. The gelation rate of aqueous solutions containing identical amounts of HMMC and NaCl increased as the temperature increased. The HMMC solutions gelled at a fixed temperature and concentration range, while the unmodified MC solutions did not show sol-to-gel transition. In addition, HMMC solutions exhibited much faster gelation than MC solutions at given polymer and NaCl concentrations. The HMMC/NaCl solutions exhibited the reversible gel-to-sol transition upon cooling below 25°C. The rate of sol-to-gel transition at body temper...
Choice of an Initial Antiretroviral Regimen in the Resource-Limited Setting: The Cost of Virologic Failure

This editorial commentary discusses the costs of antiretroviral therapy which include the monetary costs and virologic costs of treatment failure. Its main topic is the virologic cost of treatment failure and antiretroviral resistance in resource-limited settings.
Marital Disruption and Higher Education Among Women in the United States

The general inverse relationship between marital disruption (separation and divorce) and educational status, commonly assumed by family sociologists, is demonstrated for both men and women using th...
INCREASED REINFORCEMENT WHEN TIMEOUT FROM AVOIDANCE INCLUDES ACCESS TO A SAFE PLACE1

Three experiments investigated the reinforcing value of access to a safe place during timeout from an avoidance schedule. Rats were trained on conjoint schedules in which responding both postponed shock on a free-operant avoidance schedule and produced periods of timeout on fixed-ratio schedules. In some conditions, a shelf was inserted into the operant chamber during timeout, enabling subjects to get off the grid floor. The combination of timeout and shelf maintained substantially higher response rates than the baseline avoidance schedule with ratio requirements as high as 90 (Experiment I). Adding the shelf to timeouts in one component of multiple fixed-ratio schedules of timeout resulted in higher response rates in the component where the shelf was included (Experiment II). When timeouts with and without the shelf were arranged on concurrent schedules, the shelf-timeout combination was preferred, even when of shorter duration than timeout alone (Experiment III). In all three experiments, subjects climbed on the shelf, although all shocks were cancelled during timeout periods. The results could not be accounted for solely in terms of the reinforcing properties of changes in shock rates, but required an interpretation that ascribed conditioned reinforcing value to stimuli associated with such changes.
Helping brain-injured people to contend with hidden cognitive deficits

SummaryIn brain injury, cognitive processes are often impaired. These impairments may be hidden, complicating rehabilitation. We discuss clinical issues in cognitive rehabilitation with particular emphasis on its implications for daily living. For illustration we present two cases of persons with severe, but isolated disorders of memory and visual perception, respectively.ResumeDans le cas de lesion cerebrale, les processus cognitifs se trouvent souvent alteres. Ces alterations peuvent ne pas ětre apparentes, ce qui complique la reeducation. Nous debattrons des questions cliniques relatives a la reeducation des facultes cognitives en insistant sur ses implications dans la vie quotidienne. Nous presenterons en illustration le cas de deux personnes souffrant respectivement de troubles graves mais isoles de la memoire et de la perception visuelle.ZusammenfassungBei Gehirnverletzungen werden oft Wahrnehmungsprozesse geschadigt. Diese Schaden konnen unentdeckt bleiben und Rehabilitation erschweren. Wir besprec...
Hydrolysis of thyroglobulin by a mast cell enzyme present in rat thyroid homogenates.

A particulate fraction from rat thyroid homogenates hydrolyzes thyroglobulin at a rapid rate. The pH range of activity is 7.0–10.0, and the maximum reaction rate occurs in 0.5–1.0M of various salts and 0.05M mercaptoethanol. The salt serves to solubilize the enzyme, and the mercaptan functions to reduce thyroglobulin nonenzymatically, thereby producing a better substrate for hydrolysis. The protease is in the cell fraction that sediments between 600 and 24,000 ×g. The products of hydrolysis of thyroglobulin range from free iodoamino acids to peptides of a molecular weight of 100,000. The yield of thyroxine, triiodothyronine and diiodotyrosine is increased by a heat labile supernatant factor, probably a peptidase. Although the enzyme actively hydrolyzes thyroglobulin in homogenates, it probably does not do so in vivo, as it is located in mast cells of the thyroid. (Endocrinology 78: 350, 1966)
Faculty community service: At the intersection of campus and community

Institutions that increasingly recognize the importance of community service need to expand their support for faculty who do this work.
Impact of improved glycemic control on quality of life in patients with diabetes.

ABSTRACT Objective To review the current literature that examines the effects of diabetes on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods Three key diabetes-specific HRQOL survey instruments are described and reviewed. In addition, the findings in several recent studies that have assessed the effects of diabetes on HRQOL are discussed. Results Although the medical benefits of improved glycemic control in diabetes have gained wide recognition, less attention has been paid to the effects of diabetes on HRQOL. Both generic and diabetes-oriented measures can be used to evaluate HRQOL. Numerous studies have shown that diabetes is associated with significant reductions in HRQOL. In particular, diabetes-related complications lead to diminished quality of life. Use of intensive diabetes treatment does not appear to reduce HRQOL, and alternative therapeutic strategies, as well as education and support, may benefit the quality of life in patients with diabetes. Conclusion Early and aggressive intensive therapy leading to improved glycemic control is likely to reduce the impact of diabetes on the HRQOL, by slowing the onset and progression of complications. (Endocr Pract. 2004;10:502-508)
Outcomes in diabetics undergoing revascularization: the long and the short of it.

Diabetes mellitus, a major determinant of cardiovascular events, portends an adverse prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease regardless of treatment strategy. Among patients undergoing coronary revascularization procedures, the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI)
Evo-SETI Theory and Information Gap among Civilizations

Abstract In a series of recent papers (Refs. [1] through [9] ) this author gave the equations of his mathematical model of Evolution and SETI, simply called “Evo-SETI”. Key features of Evo-SETI are: 1) The Statistical Drake Equation is the extension of the classical Drake equation into Statistics. Probability distributions of the number of ET civilizations in the Galaxy (lognormals) were given, and so is the probable distribution of the distance of ETs from us. 2) Darwinian Evolution is re-defined as a Geometric Brownian Motion (GBM) in the number of living species on Earth over the last 3.5 billion years. Its mean value grew exponentially in time and Mass Extinctions of the past are accounted for as unpredictable low GBM values. 3) The exponential growth of the number of species during Evolution is the geometric locus of the peaks of a one-parameter family of lognormal distributions ( b -lognormals, starting each at a different time b=birth) constrained between the time axis and the exponential mean value. This accounts for cladistics (i.e. Evolution Lineages). The above key features of Evo-SETI Theory were already discussed by this author in Refs. [1] through [9] . Now about this paper׳s “novelties”. 4) The lifespan of a living being, let it be a cell, an animal, a human, a historic human society, or even an ET society, is mathematically described as a finite b -lognormal. This author then described mathematically the historical development of eight human historic civilizations, from Ancient Greece to the USA, by virtue of b -lognormals. 5) Finally, the b -lognormal׳s entropy is the measure of a civilization׳s advancement level. By measuring the entropy difference between Aztecs and Spaniards in 1519, this author was able to account mathematically for the 20-million-Aztecs defeat by a few thousand Spaniards, due to the latter׳s technological (i.e. entropic) superiority. The same might unfortunately happen to Humans when they will face an ET superior civilization for the first time. Now the question is: whenever a new exoplanet is discovered, where does that exoplanet stand in its evolution towards life as we have it on Earth nowadays, or beyond? This is the central question of SETI. This author hopes that his Evo-SETI Theory will help addressing this question when SETI astronomers will succeed in finding the first “life signatures” or even ET Civilizations.
Effects of cimaterol, a beta-adrenergic agonist, on energy metabolism in ob/ob mice

Cimaterol when added to the diets for 3 or 9 wk stimulated whole animal energy expenditure and brown adipose tissue thermogenic activity comparably in genetically obese (ob/ob) and lean mice; however, ob/ob mice fed diets containing 140 or 280 micrograms cimaterol/kcal failed to increase energy intake as much as lean mice. Consequently, the efficiency of energy retention was actually lower in ob/ob mice fed diets containing cimaterol than in similarly treated lean mice. Cimaterol stimulated skeletal muscle gain in ob/ob mice, although at no point did final hindlimb muscle weight of ob/ob mice equal that of lean mice. Hyperinsulinemia was abolished in ob/ob mice fed diets containing cimaterol even though plasma corticosterone concentrations remained elevated. We conclude that cimaterol has greater effects on energy balance and plasma insulin, but not on skeletal muscle accretion, in ob/ob mice than in lean mice.
The Impact of Organizational Identity and Professional Norm Salience on Internal Auditors’ Assessments of Internal Control Weaknesses

We examine whether internal auditors with a strong organizational identity, defined as a perceived close relationship between the individual and their employer, provide overly lenient assessments of identified internal control weaknesses as compared to internal auditors whose organizational identity is weak and as compared to a control group of external auditors. We also examine whether increasing the salience of professional norms, that is, increasing the prominence in the internal auditors’ judgment process of information about the expectations of the professional group to which they belong, reduces bias in the internal auditors’ assessment of internal control weaknesses when their organizational identity is strong and whether external auditors who are aware that the internal auditor is adhering to the norms of their professional organization are more willing to rely on the internal auditor’s work. Results indicate that internal auditors with strong organizational identity provide internal control assessments that are less severe than internal auditors whose organizational identity is low, but when professional norms are made salient, internal auditors with strong organizational identity provide the most severe ratings. In addition, we find that external auditors who are aware the internal auditor adheres to professional norms are more willing to rely on the internal auditor’s control assessments. Implications of our results for the debate about the benefits and costs of in-house versus out-sourced internal auditors are discussed.
Glacier mass balance simulation using SWAT distributed snow algorithm

ABSTRACTApplication of a temperature-index melt model incorporated into the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is presented to simulate mass balance (MB) and equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of t...
Quantitative assessment of impact of extreme high temperature in summer on excess mortality in Wuhan

Based on the daily mortality data in Wuhan during June to August from 1998 to 2008 and the corresponding daily meteorological data,the impact of extreme high temperature in summer on population mortality was analyzed and the threshold value of extreme high temperature leading to excess death was determined. An assessment model was established by a stepwise regression method and it was verified,which was useful to assess the effect of high temperature on human health and predict the medical meteorological factors. The results showthat the excess mortality in Wuhan can be quantitatively described. The extreme high temperature in summer has great impact on excess mortality,while air humidity,pressure and wind speed almost have no effect on it. The excess mortality rate is in an exponentially increasing trend with the increase of daily maximum air temperature,and its threshold value is 35. 0 ℃. The excess mortality is 50. 7% higher in "Hot day "than in "Non-hot day ". The excess mortality model is established by effective accumulated temperature with daily maximum temperature ≥35 ℃and the daily average temperature. Using this model,a high temperature and wave process in 2003 is tested by a back substitution method. It has a good assessment effect for mortality cases during summer of 2007 and 2008. This model could be used to the operational application.
Post-thymic selection of peripheral CD4+ T-lymphocytes on class II major histocompatibility antigen-bearing cells.

Following positive and negative selection in the thymus, mature CD4+ T-cells emigrate into peripheral lymphoid organs. Whether resting T-cells require periodic stimulation to remain viable in the absence of antigen is important for understanding peripheral T-cell homeostasis. A prerequisite for T-cell receptor (TCR)-mediated signals in maintaining peripheral CD4+ T-cell longevity has been demonstrated. Here, we show in mice expressing a mutant I-Abeta transgene on an I-Abeta knockout background that naive CD4+ T-cells also require engagement of their CD4 coreceptors by peripheral, class II MHC-bearing cells for their survival. The transgene's product combines with endogenous Aalpha, but this mutant AalphaAbeta heterodimer cannot interact with CD4 molecules, although it efficiently presents antigens to TCRs. Resting CD4+ T-lymphocytes from mutant Abeta transgenic mice die by apoptosis at a much higher rate than do CD4+ T-cells from normal mice. Apoptosis of CD4+ T-cells in mutant Abeta transgenic mice is partially mediated by Fas. Adoptive transfer experiments revealed that the increase in apoptosis is due to a lack of interactions with mutant MHC class II rather than to an intrinsic defect in the CD4+ T-cells selected on mutant Abeta-expressing thymic epithelial cells. Thus, interactions between CD4 and MHC class II molecules contribute to the regulation of homeostasis in the peripheral immune system. Our results further suggest that thymic emigrant cells are continuously retested in the periphery for appropriate coreceptor interactions. Peripheral selection may be important in eliminating potentially autoreactive T-cells.
THE INCORPORATION OF DIMETHYLAMINOETHANOL AND DIMETHYLAMINOISOPROPYL ALCOHOL INTO PHORMIA REGINA PHOSPHOLIPIDS.

The effect of replacing dietary choline with dimethylaminoethanol and dimethylaminoisopropyl alcohol on the larval phospholipids of the blowfly Phormia regina was investigated. It was found that these compounds were incorporated into the phospholipids to the extent of approximately 30% of the total phospholipids when dimethylaminoethanol was used and approximately 18% when dimethylaminoisopropyl alcohol was added to the diet. The separation of these phospholipids by silicic acid chromatography followed by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose is described. The amount of phospholipid-bound choline was greatly reduced when either of these two compounds was incorporated into the phosphatides. The possible significance of these findings is discussed.
Responding to Reform and (Re)Negotiating Identity in Post-Apartheid South Africa: The Case of the Mine Workers' Union

In July 1997 Flip Buys was appointed General Secretary of the notoriously racist Mine Workers’ Union in South Africa. Over the next few years, he instituted a number of important changes at the union, central to which was a decision to move away from racial solidarity as the basis of union organisation, and to embrace ethnic solidarity instead. Given the small size of the Afrikaner ethnic community, however, this seems to be an odd decision for the union to have made, and it was also very different from what most comparable organisations were doing at the same time. This paper therefore asks why the Mine Workers’ Union decided to reorganise in this way, particularly given that several other organisational options were possible. Drawing on in-depth interviews with members of the union, along with archival research, and a close examination of newspaper reports and other contemporary sources, it explores the options that were available to the leadership at the time, and argues that the decision can best be understood as the result of an interaction between reforms and pressures in the present, and a strong historical narrative that framed how these were understood and reacted to.
Thyroid lymphoma: Differential diagnosis and management

Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is an uncommon tumor, accounting for 1–5 % of all thyroid malignancies. The clinical and pathologic spectrum of this thyroid lymphoproliferative disorder is diverse and must be differentiated from benign lymphocytic thyroiditis and thyroid cancer. Patients with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis) have a 67-to 80-fold increased risk of developing PTL. The most common clinical presentation includes a rapidly enlarging neck mass; however, patients may also present with symptoms of hoarseness, dysphagia, and dyspnea. This abrupt clinical presentation also raises the possibility of a soft tissue abscess or infection of the neck, hemorrhage into a benign thyroid nodule, subacute thyroiditis, anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, or metastatic cancer. Therefore, immediate diagnostic discrimination is needed due to the significant differences in therapy. The histopathologic interpretation requires an adequate tissue sample and proper cytopathologic interpretation. The recent delineation of the pathological entities of extranodal lymphomas has brought about a better understanding of the biologic behavior and clinical course of these tumors, and this has helped in defining treatment plans. Because PTL is typically responsive to both radiation and chemotherapy, the role of surgery is limited. The combination chemotherapy regimen usually consists of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (CHOP). Rituximab is used as first-line therapy both in MALT and in DLBCL patients in combination with CHOP (R-CHOP regimen) and other anthracycline-based or anthracycline-free chemotherapy regimens. The survival rates range from 13 to 92 % at 5 years.
The Importance of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Understanding human behavior is a daunting challenge. The noted mathematician Sir Isaac Newton once remarked that he could predict the motion of heavenly bodies but not the behavior of people. So, too, do we, who are dedicated to understanding human behavior, specifically as it affects the health of human populations, acknowledge the complexities inherent in our enterprise. Equally, if not more challenging, are our efforts to modify human behavior.
Developing integrative systematics in the informatics and genomic era, and calling for a global Biodiversity Cyberbank

Systematics is the science of discovering, organizing and interpreting the diversity of all living organisms. Recent developments in genomics and biodiversity informatics are transforming systematics and have opened up many new opportunities. Major digitization efforts and developments in biodiversity informatics have helped the systematics community explore ways to enhance the efficiency in organizing, publishing, and utilizing systematic information. At the same time, genomics is rapidly facilitating construction of the tree of life, improving taxonomic classification, and disentangling complex evolutionary histories. In the informatics and genomics era, systematics has an incredible capacity to integrate with computational and exploratory platforms for discovery as well as with other, related disciplines while maintaining its core strengths in biological collections and morphology. We call for the establishment of a new global cyberinfrastructure or Biodiversity Cyberbank that will function as the main repository of many types of biodiversity data to ensure the long-term sustainability of the vast and growing amount of systematic data. This Biodiversity Cyberbank will contain new and efficient analytical pipelines for systematics research, especially for efficiently generating taxonomic treatments (revisions, e-monographs and floras). Integrative systematics requires the training of the next-generation systematists with taxonomic, phylogenomic and informatics skills to address grand questions about biodiversity and its assembly and continue to develop the Biodiversity Cyberbank. Integrative systematics must also proactively educate the public and policy makers on the importance of systematics and collections for addressing the biodiversity crisis of the Anthropocene, and a Biodiversity Cyberbank may represent one powerful tool for outreach.
Esophageal resection after neoadjuvant therapy: understanding the limitations of large database analyses.

Determining the optimal timing of surgical resection for esophageal adenocarcinoma following neoadjuvant therapy has proven to be a challenging task, and the clinical implications for patients undergoing surgery at various time intervals remain elusive. In an effort to fill a gap in the current retrospective literature pertaining to this clinical question, we utilized the method of restricted cubic splines (RCS) to investigate the balance in this timing from a unique statistical perspective. Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), we determined an inflection point of 56 days wherein an increased incidence of pathologic complete response was balanced with a decreased rate of overall survival (1).
Insulin receptors, receptor antibodies, and the mechanism of insulin action.

Publisher Summary Insulin exerts a wide spectrum of effects at the cellular level. These include effects at the membrane level, for example, the stimulation of glucose and amino acid uptake; effects on both membrane and cytoplasmic enzymes; and effects on protein synthesis, DNA synthesis, cell growth, and differentiation. This is the reason why unraveling the mechanism of insulin action has been difficult. This chapter describes insulin receptors, receptor antibodies, and the mechanism of insulin action. In addition, the effects of insulin vary both in time course and dose–response. Some effects of insulin, such as the stimulation of glucose transport, occur within seconds after hormone exposure, whereas others, such as the stimulation of DNA synthesis, require hours; effects on most cytoplasmic enzymes lie somewhere between these two extremes. It is well known that insulin stimulates glucose transport, and this effect persists in membrane vesicles even after the cell is broken. Several new probes have become available that have shed some light on the problem of insulin action. These include cultured cell systems, which are highly responsive to insulin; new methods for studying receptor structure; mutant cell lines that possess defects in either the insulin receptor or pathways of insulin action; and antibodies to the insulin receptor that block insulin binding and mimic insulin action.
The Use of the Agatston Calcium Score in Predicting Carotid Plaque Vulnerability.

Background The use of the Agatston calcium scoring method has been described extensively in the coronary circulation, but to date, it has not been investigated in the extracranial carotid domain. We sought to evaluate this calcium scoring method in its ability to predict carotid plaque vulnerability. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all computed tomography angiogram studies of the carotid arteries performed between March 2012 and March 2017 at a single institution. We identified 68 consecutive patients with 99 internal carotid arteries who met criteria for review. Total calcium was quantified by the Agatston scoring method using the OsiriX software. Stenosis severity was determined using North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial criteria. The relation between Agatston score and degree of stenosis was evaluated using the Spearman's Rho coefficient (R). Results Of 99 internal carotid arteries, 71 were asymptomatic and 28 were symptomatic. Baseline characteristics were comparable, with no significant difference in patient characteristics. There were significant differences in mean Agatston scores for asymptomatic versus symptomatic arteries (121.95 ± 70.27 vs. 34.83 ± 47.77, P = 0.0098, 50%–69% stenosis; 151.07 ± 88.30 vs. 71.59 ± 77.27, P = 0.0006, 70%–99% stenosis). In both asymptomatic and symptomatic groups, Agatston calcium score increased as severity of stenosis increased. Higher Agatston score is protective against symptoms ipsilateral to the carotid lesion. Conclusions Agatston calcium score may predict carotid plaque vulnerability, with higher scores associated with lower likelihood of developing symptoms ipsilateral to the carotid lesion. This score may be useful in predicting clinical behavior of carotid plaques.
Disentangling Reproductive Interactions among Communal Spawning Minnows Using Reproductive Condition and Visual Observations

Understanding the reproductive ecology of stream fishes is critical for their conservation. Nest association is a common reproductive interaction among minnows (Cyprinidae) in which individuals of ‘associate' species spawn in nests of host species. Nest association behavior is nearly obligate for ‘strong' associates, while it is facultative for other species. Facultative associates may begin spawning before host nesting begins and then visit host nests either to continue spawning or to feed. This is particularly evident for Central Stoneroller Campostoma anomalum, which frequently visits nests of host Bluehead Chub Nocomis leptocephalus but also spawns separately. We monitored the reproductive condition (gonadosomatic index, GSI) of minnows at longitudinally-positioned sites in a central Appalachian stream throughout the spring and summer of 2013. We also conducted daily visual nesting surveys to document chub spawning behavior and reproductive interactions that occurred on their nests. We used nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) to compare weekly GSI patterns of reproductive groups and hypothesized stoneroller GSI would be more similar to facultative associates than chubs. We also used piecewise regression to identify temporal thresholds in GSI (indicating the onset of spawning) in relation to the visually-confirmed onset of chub spawning. NMDS results suggest clear differences in reproductive condition between chubs/strong associates and stoneroller/weak associates. The onset of chub spawning was contained within the GSI thresholds estimate of strong associates but not of other groups. Stonerollers began spawning several weeks before chubs but were documented to be excavating pits on each nest. Paired together, the GSI and behavioral observations suggest stoneroller does not require chub nests for spawning and may exploit nests as a trophic resource if no eggs are contributed. Moreover, these results demonstrate the close reproductive link between some symbiotic species and their hosts that is required for successful reproduction.
Moral Education for Contemporary Democracy

In his neoconservative critique of the contemporary condition of America, Christopher Lasch has condemned the universities for their creation of what Robert Reich has called “symbolic analysts.” This category of individuals comprises those “who live in a world of abstract concepts and symbols ranging from stock market quotations to the visual images produced by Hollywood and Madison Avenue and who specialize in the interpretation and deployment of “symbolic information.” These “talking classes” have formed an aristocracy of talent and thus become more and more insulated and so isolated from the ordinary masses. As a result of this revolt by these elites, democracy, as Lasch understands their view, does not depend on the character of citizens to work, but rather survives at the behest of “a legal system that makes it possible for people to live with their differences.” Lasch is moved to muse about whether democracy can survive this liberal rejection of common standards of morality so that “tolerance becomes indifference, and cultural pluralism degenerates into an aesthetic spectacle in which the curious folkways of our neighbors are savored with the relish of the connoisseur.” Lacking the kind of populist values which Lasch champions — competence, the essential sameness of human beings, and a self-reliance based upon small proprietorship — this culturally cosmopolitan elite has misunderstood the role of tolerance in democracy and reduced the respect pluralism demands to what Lasch calls “a tourist’s approach to morality.” What has gone wrong with American democracy is the lack of moral responsibility on the part of those who constitute its elite. Thus we arrive at the view that democracy is disintegrating.
Electron Microscopic Studies of Osmium Carbohydrate Polymers

Osmium carbohydrate polymers1, termed osmarins, are synthetic “osmium blacks.” We have proposed that these materials be employed as antiinflammatory agents in the treatment of arthritis2. The suggestion is novel, and it is not immediately apparent that these materials should have this use. The substances are new, and the proposed application requires that several diverse criteria be simultaneously met. Though the criteria are separately precedented, they have not previously been addressed together with reference to a single substance.
Amide Proton Transfer Imaging of the Human Brain

Amide proton transfer (APT) imaging is a new MRI technique that detects endogenous mobile proteins and peptides in tissue via saturation of the amide protons in the peptide bonds. Initial studies have shown promise in detecting tumor and stroke, but this technique was hampered by magnetic field inhomogeneity and a low signal-to-noise ratio. Several important prerequisites for performing APT imaging experiments include designing an effective APT imaging pulse sequence based on the hardware capability, optimizing the experimental protocol for the best clinical imaging quality, and developing data-processing approaches for effective image assessment. In this chapter, technical issues, such as pulse sequence design and optimization, magnetic field inhomogeneity correction, specific absorption rate minimization, and scan duration, are addressed.