cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contraception can Lead to Trophic Asynchrony between Birth Pulse and Resources

Abiotic inputs such as photoperiod and temperature can regulate reproductive cyclicity in many species. When humans perturb this process by intervening in reproductive cycles, the ecological consequences may be profound. Trophic mismatches between birth pulse and resources in wildlife species may cascade toward decreased survival and threaten the viability of small populations. We followed feral horses (Equus caballus) in three populations for a longitudinal study of the transient immunocontraceptive porcine zona pellucida (PZP), and found that repeated vaccinations extended the duration of infertility far beyond the targeted period. After the targeted years of infertility, the probability of parturition from post-treated females was 25.6% compared to 64.1% for untreated females, when the data were constrained only to females that had demonstrated fertility prior to the study. Estimated time to parturition increased 411.3 days per year of consecutive historical treatment. Births from untreated females in these temperate latitude populations were observed to peak in the middle of May, indicating peak conception occurred around the previous summer solstice. When the post-treated females did conceive and give birth, parturition was an estimated 31.5 days later than births from untreated females, resulting in asynchrony with peak forage availability. The latest neonate born to a post-treated female arrived 7.5 months after the peak in births from untreated females, indicating conception occurred within 24–31 days of the winter solstice. These results demonstrate surprising physiological plasticity for temperate latitude horses, and indicate that while photoperiod and temperature are powerful inputs driving the biological rhythms of conception and birth in horses, these inputs may not limit their ability to conceive under perturbed conditions. The protracted infertility observed in PZP-treated horses may be of benefit for managing overabundant wildlife, but also suggests caution for use in small refugia or rare species.
COAMFTE Accreditation and California MFT Licensing Exam Success

Professional accreditation of graduate programs in marital and family therapy (MFT) is intended to ensure the strength of the education students receive. However, there is great difficulty in assessing the real-world impact of accreditation on students. Only one measure is applied consistently to graduates of all MFT programs, regardless of accreditation status: licensure examinations. Within California, COAMFTE-accredited, regionally (WASC) accredited, and state-approved programs all may offer degrees qualifying for licensure. Exam data from 2004, 2005, and 2006 (n = 5,646 examinees on the Written Clinical Vignette exam and n = 3,408 first-time examinees on the Standard Written Exam) were reviewed to determine the differences in exam success among graduates of programs at varying levels of accreditation. Students from COAMFTE-accredited programs were more successful on both California exams than were students from other WASC-accredited or state-approved universities. There were no significant differences between (non-COAMFTE) WASC-accredited universities and state-approved programs. Differences could be related to selection effects, if COAMFTE programs initially accept students of higher quality. Implications for therapist education and training are discussed.
Molecular mechanism of force induced stabilization of collagen against enzymatic breakdown

Collagen cleavage, facilitated by collagenases of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family, is crucial for many physiological and pathological processes such as wound healing, tissue remodeling, cancer invasion and organ morphogenesis. Earlier work has shown that mechanical force alters the cleavage rate of collagen. However, experimental results yielded conflicting data on whether applying force accelerates or slows down the degradation rate. Here we explain these discrepancies and propose a molecular mechanism by which mechanical force might change the rate of collagen cleavage. We find that a type I collagen heterotrimer is unfolded in its equilibrium state and loses its triple helical structure at the cleavage site without applied force, possibly enhancing enzymatic breakdown as each chain is exposed and can directly undergo hydrolysis. Under application of force, the naturally unfolded region refolds into a triple helical structure, potentially protecting the molecule against enzymatic breakdown. In contrast, a type I collagen homotrimer retains a triple helical structure even without applied force, making it more resistant to enzyme cleavage. In the case of the homotrimer, the application of force may directly lead to molecular unwinding, resulting in a destabilization of the molecule under increased mechanical loading. Our study explains the molecular mechanism by which force may regulate the formation and breakdown of collagenous tissue.
Empathic Engagement with Narrative Fictions

There is still little consensus among scholars has not yet been brought to bear on the philoregarding how best to characterize the relationsophical debate regarding readers' relationship between readers of fictional narratives and ships to fictional characters. In this section, I the characters in those narratives.' Part of the discuss several studies that examine the activproblem is that many of the explanatory ities involved in narrative comprehension. This concepts used in the debate-concepts like research provides an important source of empiridentification and empathy-are somewhat ical support for the claim that adopting the vague or ambiguous. In this article, I consider perspective of fictional characters typically some recent relevant empirical research on text plays an important part in our engagement with processing and narrative comprehension and narratives. argue for a pluralist account of character Several recent empirical studies indicate that engagement, in which empathy plays an importreaders tend to adopt a position within the spatioant role. In Section I, I review several empirical temporal framework of narratives that is based studies that strongly suggest that readers often on the position of the protagonist.2 In a repreadopt the perspective of one or more of the sentative study, Rinck and Bower ran a series of characters in fictional narratives. In Section II, experiments on the focus of readers' attention.3 I turn to the concept of empathy and provide an They had readers memorize the diagram of a explanation of empathy based on models and building and objects located within it. Readers research in empirical psychology. I focus in then read narratives describing characters' activparticular on self-other differentiation, a critical ities and movements in that building. While feature of empathy that has been underemphareading, they were probed with target sentences sized in the literature. Next I discuss two referring to memorized objects within the buildpsychological phenomena that are closely ing's rooms. The consistent finding was that related to empathy and often confused or readers were able to process the target sentences conflated with it: emotional contagion and describing objects close to the current location sympathy. In the final section of the paper, I of the protagonist much faster than target senemploy the account of empathy developed in tences describing objects that were farther away Section II to address Noel Carroll's objections from the protagonist or that had been visited by to the view that readers typically empathize the protagonist earlier in the narrative. Based on with fictional characters. this finding, Rinck and Bower concluded that readers were experiencing the narrative from the spatiotemporal standpoint of the protagonist. In
Martin Luther and Judaism: Paths Towards Theological Reconciliation

HE name of Martin Luther has traditionally carried a haunting sound in any interfaith discussions between Christians and Jews. It is difficult for any Jew who is acquainted with Luther's writings on the Jewish people to come to such a discussion without deep negative feelings. For these works by Luther, as we shall see in Section II of this essay, are among the most anti-Semitic documents ever composed, rivalling in many instances the worst of the literature which came out of Nazi Germany. A Christian can never be indifferent to the pain and suffering these writings caused the Jewish population of Luther's day. Wendell W. Fredrichs, speaking to Lutherans in particular, warns that "when it comes to our relationship to the Jews, neither we nor Luther seem to have been blessed with much tact or success."' Nonetheless it is impossible to ignore Luther in any theological discussion between Christians and Jews, both because of the pervasive influence exercised by his writings on subsequent Christian thought and in view of the centrality of his famous Law-Gospel distinction to the Jewish-Christian dialogue. Krister Stendahl considers the Law-Gospel distinction one of the most powerful forms of anti-Judaism in Christian theology, especially in the Lutheran tradition:
A new construct of the cis-3a-aryloctahydroindole skeleton via the [4+2] cycloaddition of furanyl carbamates

Several 2-methylthio-5-amidofurans containing tethered unsaturation were prepared via the reaction of dimethyl(methylthio)-sulfonium tetrafluoroborate (DMTSF) with β-alkoxy-γ-dithiane amides. Thermolysis of these furans resulted in an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction (IMDAF). The resulting oxa-bridged cycloadducts underwent a subsequent rearrangement to form bicyclic lactams. Model studies were directed toward mesembrine as well as the core skeleton of the 3,4-benzoerythrinane skeleton. Using this cascade sequence, a formal synthesis of the alkaloid erysotrine was accomplished.
The American Chemical Society's Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology's summer schools in nuclear and radiochemistry

This successful educational program in nuclear and radiochemistry for advanced undergraduate students is described. Funding from the U.S. Department of Energy supports 24 fellowships for participants in the intensive six-week programs at San Jose State University (CA) and Brookhaven National Laboratory (NY). Students are provided transportation to and from the school site, room and board, books, lab supplies, and six units of college credit. The instructional program consists of lectures and laboratory exercises that cover the fundamentals of nuclear theory, radiochemistry, nuclear instrumentation, radiological safety, and applications in research, midicine, and industry. Guest lectures and field trips broaden the students' exposure to nuclear science. Assistance is provided in the following year to those students who wish to join a research project at a university or national laboratory, and thereafter, in their applications to graduate or professional school.
Hexamethylenetetramine: A Review

The available literature hexamethylenetetramine(hexamine) was reviewed with emphasis on its toxicology and epidemiology, its thermal decomposition and regulatory concerns related to its uses. Large quantities of hexamine are used in the foundry, tire and rubber, and phenolformaldehyde resins industries and in other diverse applications. Excessive exposure to solid hexamine or its vapor has been reported to cause dermatitis and respiratory allergies. Although hexamine produces a positive Ames test, most animal studies have shown hexamine to be of very low genetic risk even in very high doses. The effectiveness of hexamine as an antibacterial agent has been attributed to its slow hydrolysis to ammonia and formaldehyde. Concerns have developed in industries which use hexamine at high temperatures over emissions of HCN, NH3, CO, CO2, nitrogen oxides, and formaldehyde. The studies reviewed are in general agreement that hexamine thermal decomposition in the temperature range of 300–800°C is characterized by an ...
‘The biggest gang in Oakland’: re-thinking police legitimacy

Literature defining ‘police legitimacy’ lacks qualitative research on those populations most often targeted by law enforcement agencies, including people of color in urban areas. This same literature defines police legitimacy as something unquestionable and automatic. Exploration of this concept is limited to strategies to increase public ‘trust’ in police, and public compliance to their authority. We address these limitations in the available scholarship through an analysis of interviews with a diverse sample of Oakland (CA) residents on their experiences with the Oakland Police Department (OPD). Their narratives are presented in the historical context of controversy, budget problems, federal investigations, and racialized violence that help to define the relationship between OPD and Oakland communities. Those interviewed, universally observed OPD’s failure to address the most common crime problems in the city, while others, particularly people of color, found them to be a personal or public threat to sa...
Research in Mathematics Education

The following is intended as an analysis of a specific conceptual change in mathematics during the early 19th century. From this some pedagogical conclusions are drawn. Analyzing a special example seems to be a more appropriate way of handling the relevance of historical and philosophical considerations for mathematical education than dealing with this question in general terms. My example refers to the fact that at the turn of the 19th century one began to distinguish more systematically between numbers and quantities than had been done before. The program of arithmetizing mathematics arose. Certainly this process had various causes. In the following I concentrate on one of these, namely, the relations of mathematics to experimental sciences.
J ØRGEN S. N IELSEN , Towards a European Islam (London: Macmillan Press, 1999). Pp. 163. $59.95 cloth.

Jorgen Nielsen's Towards a European Islam provides a very good introduction to the role that Islam plays in the experience of most non-European immigrants to Western Europe. As Nielsen correctly notes, there is an overwhelmingly Muslim character to immigration in the region, but few of the recent studies on immigration have looked systematically at the issue of the role religion plays in the lives of these newly arrived migrants. This relative silence is surprising given that there are an estimated 9 million Muslims in Western Europe, which makes them the largest religious minority in the region. Nielsen's book, therefore, is a healthy corrective for a literature that too often ignores this important question. The book's greatest strength is its description of the complex process by which Muslims seek to integrate their religious values and practices into social and political cultures that are not well suited to accommodating those views.
Non-Spheric Colloidal Suspensions in Three-Dimensional Space

The translation and rotation of non-spherical particles, such as ellipsoidal, cylindric or disk-like pigment particles, in a Couette flow system similar to a blade coating system in the paper industry6 have been successfully simulated by using the lattice-Boltzmann method combined with Newtonian dynamic simulations. Hydrodynamic forces and torques are obtained by the use of boundary conditions which match the moving surface of solid particles. Then Euler equations have been integrated to include three-dimensional rotations of the suspensions by using four quaternion parameters as generalized coordinates. The three-dimensional rotations have been clearly observed. Consequently, the motion of the particles suspended in fluids of both low-Reynolds-number and finite-Reynolds-number, up to several hundreds, has been studied. It appears that the 3D translation and rotation of the non-spherical particles are more clearly observed in a high-Reynolds-number fluid than in a low-Reynolds-number fluid.
Integrated tRNA, transcript, and protein profiles in response to steroid hormone signaling

The accurate and efficient transfer of genetic information into amino acid sequences is carried out through codon-anticodon interactions between mRNA and tRNA, respectively. In this way, tRNAs function at the interface between gene expression and protein synthesis. Whether tRNA levels are dynamically regulated and to what degree tRNA abundance influences the cellular proteome remains largely unexplored. Here we profile tRNA, transcript and protein levels in Drosophila Kc167 cells, a plasmatocyte cell line that, upon treatment with 20-hydroxyecdysone, differentiates into macrophages. We find that high abundance tRNAs associate with codons that are overrepresented in the Kc167 cell proteome, whereas tRNAs that are in low supply associate with codons that are underrepresented. Ecdysone-induced differentiation of Kc167 cells leads to changes in mRNA codon usage in a manner consistent with the developmental progression of the cell. At both early and late time points, ecdysone treatment concomitantly increases the abundance of tRNAThr(CGU), which decodes a differentiation-associated codon that becomes enriched in the macrophage proteome. These results together suggest that tRNA levels may provide a meaningful regulatory mechanism for defining the cellular proteomic landscape.
Celiac-Superior Mesenteric Ganglionectomy, but Not Vagotomy, Suppresses the Sympathoadrenal Response to Insulin-Induced Hypoglycemia

Afferent innervation of the portal vein has been shown to be critical in hypoglycemic detection, but the neural pathway by which these afferents ascend remains unknown. To ascertain the role of vagal afferents versus spinal afferents in hypoglycemic detection, the catecholamine response to hypoglycemia was assessed in male Wistar rats undergoing hepatic vagotomy (HV), total subdiaphragmatic vagotomy (TSV), or celiac-superior mesenteric ganglionectomy (CSMG). After recovering from the surgery, the animals were exposed to a hyperinsulinemic-hypoglycemic clamp, with glucose infused peripherally via the jugular vein. In all animals, systemic hypoglycemia (2.64 ± 0.03 mmol/l) was induced via jugular vein insulin infusion (25 mU · kg −1 · min −1 ). No significant differences were observed among the groups with respect to arterial glucose or insulin concentration. When hypoglycemia was induced in sham-operated control animals, epinephrine was observed to rise from a basal value of 0.84 ± 0.10 to 25.18 ± 1.24 nmol/l. Neither HV nor TSV had any significant impact on the epinephrine response to hypoglycemia. In contrast, CSMG animals demonstrated a significant suppression in the epinephrine response to whole-body hypoglycemia (11.25 ± 1.21 vs. 22.32 ± 0.86 nmol/l in CSMG vs. controls; P P
Characterization of the human hepatocellular carcinoma (HEPG2) cell line as an in vitro model for cadmium toxicity studies

Biochemical indicators and in vitro models, if they mimic in vivo responses, offer potentially sensitive tools for inclusion in toxicity assessment programs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the HepG2 cell line would mimic known in vivo or in vitro (or both) responses of mammalian systems when confronted with cadmium (Cd2+). Uptake and compartmentalization of Cd2+, metallothionein (MT) compartmentalization, and glutathione (GSH) depletion were examined. In addition, several cytotoxic and stress effects, e.g., viability (neutral red [NR] uptake, 3-[4,5-dimethylthiozole-2-yl]-2,5,-biphenyl tetrazolium bromide [MTT] dye conversion, and live/dead [L/D]), membrane damage (lactate dehydrogenase leakage), metabolic activity (adenosine triphosphate levels), and detoxification capabilities (GSH content, cytochrome P4501A1/2 [EROD (ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase)] activity, and MT induction), were measured in both naive (no previous exposure) and Cd2+ preexposed cells. Cadmium uptake increased during a 24-h period. Metallothionein induction occurred in response to both Cd2+ and ZnCl2; however, Cd2+ was the more potent inducer. Both Cd2+ and MT were localized primarily in the cytoplasmic compartment. All biochemical responses, except EROD, showed concentration—response relationships, after 24-h exposure to Cd2+ (ranges 0–3 ppm [26.7 μM]). Cadmium effects were reduced in preexposed cells, indicating adaptive tolerance or increased resistance had occurred. Twenty-four-hour LC50, dose causing death of 50% of the test subjects, values were 0.97, 0.69, and 0.80 ppm (8.7, 6.2, and 7.2 μM) for naive cells and 1.45, 1.21, and 1.39 ppm (12.9, 10.7, and 12.3 μM) for preexposed cells based on the NR, MTT, and L/D assays, respectively. These data indicate that this carcinoma cell line is a useful in vitro model for cadmium toxicity studies.
Love or the “Lecherous Professor”: Consensual Sexual Relationships Between Professors and Students

We conducted telephone interviews with twenty-five professors and students, or former students, who have been involved in consensual sexual relationships. We examined the extent to which respondents' experiences are consistent with “lecherous professor” stereotypes. We also assessed differences in the perceptions and experiences of professors and students, and how these may be influenced by gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and undergraduate or graduate student status. Finally, we evaluated whether the experiences and perceptions of respondents suggest that these relationships should be controlled by institutional policies. We found little support for the “lecherous professor” stereotype based on our respondents' experiences. Two-thirds of the relationships were initiated by a student or were mutually initiated by student and professor. All students said they entered freely into these relationships. For many of our respondents, issues related to race/ethnicity, sexuality, and age brought greater...
DAYCENT national-scale simulations of nitrous oxide emissions from cropped soils in the United States

Until recently, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission factor methodology, based on simple empirical relationships, has been used to estimate carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fluxes for regional and national inventories. However, the 2005 USEPA greenhouse gas inventory includes estimates of N2O emissions from cultivated soils derived from simulations using DAYCENT, a process-based biogeochemical model. DAYCENT simulated major U.S. crops at county-level resolution and IPCC emission factor methodology was used to estimate emissions for the approximately 14% of cropped land not simulated by DAYCENT. The methodology used to combine DAYCENT simulations and IPCC methodology to estimate direct and indirect N2O emissions is described in detail. Nitrous oxide emissions from simulations of presettlement native vegetation were subtracted from cropped soil N2O to isolate anthropogenic emissions. Meteorological data required to drive DAYCENT were acquired from DAYMET, an algorithm that uses weather station data and accounts for topography to predict daily temperature and precipitation at 1-km2 resolution. Soils data were acquired from the State Soil Geographic Database (STATSGO). Weather data and dominant soil texture class that lie closest to the geographical center of the largest cluster of cropped land in each county were used to drive DAYCENT. Land management information was implemented at the agricultural-economic region level, as defined by the Agricultural Sector Model. Maps of model-simulated county-level crop yields were compared with yields estimated by the USDA for quality control. Combining results from DAYCENT simulations of major crops and IPCC methodology for remaining cropland yielded estimates of approximately 109 and approximately 70 Tg CO2 equivalents for direct and indirect, respectively, mean annual anthropogenic N2O emissions for 1990-2003.
Protein length in eukaryotic and prokaryotic proteomes

We analyzed length differences of eukaryotic, bacterial and archaeal proteins in relation to function, conservation and environmental factors. Comparing Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes, we found that the greater length of eukaryotic proteins is pervasive over all functional categories and involves the vast majority of protein families. The magnitude of these differences suggests that the evolution of eukaryotic proteins was influenced by processes of fusion of single-function proteins into extended multifunctional and multi-domain proteins. Comparing Bacteria and Archaea, we determined that the small but significant length difference observed between their proteins results from a combination of three factors: (i) bacterial proteomes include a greater proportion than archaeal proteomes of longer proteins involved in metabolism or cellular processes, (ii) within most functional classes, protein families unique to Bacteria are generally longer than protein families unique to Archaea and (iii) within the same protein family, homologs from Bacteria tend to be longer than the corresponding homologs from Archaea. These differences are interpreted with respect to evolutionary trends and prevailing environmental conditions within the two prokaryotic groups.
Blocking TGF-β signaling down-regulates TGF-β1 autocrine production and collagen gene expression in keloid fibroblasts

Results: Gene expression levels of TGF-b1, TGF-b RI and TGF-b RII were enhanced (by 47%, 45% and 24% respectively vs control) at 3h strain and returned to control levels by 6h. Alpha-1 procollagen mRNA levels were elevated at both 3h and 6h (by 125% and 57% respectively vs control) with the peak at 3h. The transcription of collagen receptor DDR1 was enhanced at 3h, peaked at 6h, and remained elevated at 24h (36%, 60%, and 37% respectively vs control). Interestingly, the gene expression of the VEGF was unchanged with cellular strain.
LumiTouch: an emotional communication device

We present the Lumitouch system consisting of a pair of interactive picture frames. When one user touches her picture frame, the other picture frame lights up. This touch is translated to light over an Internet connection. We introduce a semi-ambient display that can transition seamlessly from periphery to foreground in addition to communicating emotional content. In addition to enhancing the communication between loved ones, people can use LumiTouch to develop a personal emotional language.Based upon prior work on telepresence and tangible interfaces, LumiTouch explores emotional communication in tangible form. This paper describes the components, interactions, implementation and design approach of the LumiTouch system.
Identification of papillary carcinoma in a thyroglossal cyst by fine‐needle aspiration biopsy

Papillary carcinoma was diagnosed in a fine-needle aspirate from a cystic upper-cervical midline lesion attached to the hyoid bone. Histological examination of the excised specimen verified the diagnosis. Carcinoma arising in thyroglossal cysts, though rare, should be considered in patients presenting with an anterior midline mass in the upper neck; fine-needle aspiration may be useful in the preoperative diagnosis.
Classroom experiments for the teaching of physical insight in electrical engineering

An approach to teaching science and engineering that was developed to maximize a student's opportunity to gain physical insight into a subject without a corresponding laboratory is described. The approach is based on the principle that theory and experiment should receive approximately equal attention in the development of both the basic concepts and their most important applications. Experimental facts are introduced through a series of quantitative experiments which the lecturer performs as a part of his classroom development of concepts. The experiments also form a central part of the out-of-class learning experience of each student.
Exclusion of an Undesirable Sample from the Support of a Simple Random Sample

Abstract It is shown that for any finite population of size N and any sample size n ≥ 3, we can have a survey plan of size n that assigns a probability of zero to an undesirable sample of size n and yet the plan is equivalent to a simple random sample plan of size n without replacement.
Alternative Approaches to Plasma Confinement

The plasma physics literature has been surveyed, and 20 different plasma confinement concepts have been identified, each of which has distinctive features which set it apart from the main-line tokamak approach. The principles and characteristics of these concepts are described, and selected literature is cited for each. Because these concepts are in an early stage of investigation, all of their advantages and limitations are not well defined. They may offer one or more advantages over the tokamak and provide an alternative to it after further development. Eighteen of these concepts have been reduced to practice in the form of an operating experimental device.
Pricing Claims Under GARCH-Level Dependent Interest Rate Processes

This article considers the pricing of interest-rate-sensitive claims when the underlying interest rate is driven by a two-state-variable GARCH process. Analytical solutions are established for the case when the innovations in the short rate are normal and/or chi-squared random variables and the volatility of rates take on a special GARCH form. GARCH models that nest level-dependent interest rate models, including the Cox, Ingersoll, and Ross model, are also considered. Algorithms are provided that permit the efficient pricing of American-style interest rate claims under a rather broad array of GARCH-Level dependent processes.
STRUCTURE CONSERVATION IN LIPOXYGENASES : STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF SOYBEAN LIPOXYGENASE-1 AND MODELING OF HUMAN LIPOXYGENASES

Lipoxygenases are a class of non-heme iron dioxygenases which catalyze the hydroperoxidation of fatty acids for the biosynthesis of leukotrienes and lipoxins. The structure of the 839-residue soybean lipoxygenase-1 was used as a template to model human 5-, 12-, and 15-lipoxygenases. A distance-based algorithm for placing side chains in a low homology environment (only the four iron ligands were fixed during side chain placement) was devised. Twenty-six of the 56 conserved lipoxygenase residues were grouped in four distinct regions of the enzyme. These regions were analyzed to discern whether the side chain interactions could be duplicated in the models or whether alternate conformers should be considered. The effects of site directed mutagenesis variants were rationalized using the models of the human lipoxygenases. In particular, variants which shifted positional specificity between 12- and 15-lipoxygenase activity were analyzed. Analysis of active site residues produced a model which accounts for observed lipoxygenase positional specificity and stereospecificity.
Group Cohesiveness: A Learning Phenomenon

(1961). Group Cohesiveness: A Learning Phenomenon. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 55, No. 2, pp. 275-286.
Small cell carcinoma of the ovary with hypercalcemia and ectopic parathyroid hormone production.

Abstract Small cell carcinoma of the ovary is a rare malignant tumor of the ovary. It is the most common undifferentiated ovarian carcinoma in young women. Approximately two thirds of patients with ovarian small cell carcinoma have hypercalcemia. The mechanism of development of hypercalcemia is unclear, although parathyroid hormone–related protein has been found in some of the cases. Parathormone expression in tumor cells, rarely reported, was seen in this case, suggesting that ectopic parathyroid hormone production by the tumor cells may be the cause of hypercalcemia.
Runoff Production in the Upper Rio Chagres Watershed, Panama

Runoff production in tropical watersheds is governed by a wide variety of potential sources and there have been few rigorous studies to date. The 414 km2 upper Rio Chagres basin offers a unique opportunity to better understand the runoff production mechanisms in tropical watersheds through data analysis and modeling with rainfall and runoff data. Flow data and tipping bucket rain gage data are available at both the basin outlet (Chico gage) and for an 80.6 km2 internal basin location (Piedras gage). Modeling is performed using the Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting Model (SAC-SMA), calibrated using data from 2000 and verified using data from 2001. The flood event of 28–31 December 2000 was examined in detail. Data analysis and modeling reveal critical threshold storages in the catchment, and anomalously high runoff production at the start of the wet season. This conclusion is supported by field studies that reveal evidence of high storage capacity and dry season water repellency. Observation of discrete quasi-stable baseflows in the upper Rio Chagres is not seen in the internal Rio Piedras drainage, which is shown to exhibit ephemeral behavior year-round. New data collection and monitoring is proposed for the upper Rio Chagres catchment, including measurements of rainfall above canopy, cloud stripping, stemflow, throughfall, soil moisture, interflow, and overland runoff measurements.
Megakaryocytopoiesis: the state of the art.

Megakaryocyte development and thrombopoiesis remain enigmatic processes, though less so than in the recent past. It is still virtually unknown how these cells acquire their signature characteristic, i.e. a hyperdiploid complement of DNA within a single nucleus. Why megakaryocytes become hyperdiploid at all also remains somewhat mysterious. Since the size of a megakaryocyte tends to correlate with the DNA content of its nucleus, it is assumed that development of hyperdiploidy allows these relatively rare cells to produce the large numbers of platelets that are required on a daily basis. Nevertheless, it has not been proven that higher ploidy cells produce more platelets than lower ploidy cells. The recent report of an in vitro assay for thrombopoiesis may allow this question to be addressed. Of greater significance, this past year has seen the cloning, and expression of the hormone thrombopoietin (TPO). This event clearly represents a major achievement in this area and which will hopefully assist in answering the fascinating biologic questions which remain unsolved in this area. It is also hoped that availability of recombinant TPO will prove to be of clinical utility as well. The following brief review attempts to summarize current perceptions about megakaryocyte developmental biology and the cloning of TPO.
Abstract WP426: Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in patients infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Background: There is limited data regarding the unique attributes of ischemic stroke among patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). There is no published data regarding the occurrence and outcomes of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) among HIV infected persons. Methods: The largest all-payer Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS 2002-2010) data was used to identify and analyze all patients presenting with the primary diagnosis of SAH in the United States. Among this cohort, we identified the patients who were not HIV positive and those who were HIV positive. Patient demographics, medical co-morbidities, in-hospital complications, in-hospital procedures, and discharge disposition were compared between the two groups. The association between HIV infection and outcomes was evaluated in multivariate analysis after adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Of the 351,491 patients admitted with SAH, 1367 (0.39%) were infected with HIV. HIV infected patients were younger, mean age [±SD] of 45 ±14.2 years versus those who were not 58±19 years, (p Conclusion: The in-hospital mortality in HIV infected patients with SAH is higher despite these patients being younger than non-HIV infected patients. We believe that this study provides a nationwide perspective which may have some important implications for early recognition and diagnosis of HIV-infection in SAH patients.
An Experiment in Direct Biotic Control of a Scale Insect on Pine

The introduction of Hyperaspis beetles in a Scotch pine area infested with Toumeyella pini resulted in a marked reduction in the scale population.
Study on the Platelet Activation State of Children with Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumonia and Bronchial Asthma

Objective To study and observe the platelet activation state of children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia and bronchial asthma. Methods 56 children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia and bronchial asthma diagnosed and treated in our hospital from June, 2011 to June, 2013 were selected as the observation group, 56 healthy children underwent health examination during the same period were the control group. Then the platelet activation indexes of two groups were detected and compared. And the detection results of the children with mild asthma, moderate asthma, severe asthma and acute, chronic infection in the observation group were compared, too. Results The platelet activation indexes of the observation group were all higher than those of the control group. In the observation group, the detection results of the children with severe asthma were all higher than those of the children with mild asthma or moderate asthma, and the detection results of the children with moderate asthma were higher than those of the children with mild asthma(P0.05), the differences were statistically significant, but the difference in detection results between the children with acute infection and the children with chronic infection was not statistically significant(P0.05). Conclusion The platelet activation indexes of children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia and bronchial asthma all show higher state,so its monitoring and improvement of children should be paid attention.
Excellence in Transitional Care of Older Adults and Pay-for-Performance: Perspectives of Health Care Professionals.

Article-at-a-Glance Background Care transitions across health care settings are common and can result in adverse outcomes for older adults. Few studies have examined health care professionals' perspectives on important process measures or pay-for-performance (P4P) strategies related to transitional care. A study was conducted to characterize health care professionals' perspectives on (1) successful transitional care of older adults (age 65 years and older), (2) suggestions for improvement, and (3) P4P strategies related to transitional care. Methods In a qualitative study, one-hour semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted in an acute care hospital, a skilled nursing facility, two community-based primary care practices, and one home health care agency with 20 health care professionals (18 physicians and 2 home health care administrators) with direct experience in care transitions of older adults and who were likely to be affected by P4P strategies. Results Findings were organized into three thematic domains: (1) components and markers of effective transitional care, (2) difficulties in design and implementation of P4P strategies, and (3) health care professionals' concerns and unmet needs related to delivering optimal care during transitions. A conceptual framework was developed on the basis of the findings to guide design and implementation of P4P strategies for improving transitional care. Conclusion In characterizing health care professionals' perspectives, specific care processes to target, challenges to address in the design of P4P strategies, and unmet needs to consider regarding education and feedback for health care professionals were described. Future investigations could evaluate whether performance targets, educational interventions, and implementation strategies based on this conceptual framework improve quality of transitional care.
Neurobiology and Functional Progression in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with persistent symptomatology, severe functional disability, and residual morbidity characteristic of neurodegenerative brain diseases. The illness begins with genetic susceptibility and generally expresses itself after puberty through subtle changes that begin during the prodromal stage. Symptoms get progressively worse and tend to become more resistant to treatment with each relapse. Evidence for a neuroprotective effect of some forms of early treatment is beginning to emerge. While the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain, atypical antipsychotics may counteract some of the progressive deteriorative effects by enhancing synaptic plasticity and cellular resilience. However, identifying and treating patients in the earliest disease states presents methodological challenges as there is no consensus on the best methods of intervention and differences in at-risk children are not readily detectable or substantial enough to predict which ones will develop schizophrenia. In this expert roundtable supplement, Jeffrey A. Lieberman, MD, reviews the historical context of progressive deterioration in schizophrenia. Next, Diana O. Perkins, MD, MPH, reviews some of the challenges to early identification of illness as well as the impact of early versus delayed treatment. Finally, L. Fredrik Jarskog, MD, focuses on the neurobiology of functional progression in schizophrenia as well as pharmacology and the potential for neuroprotection.
Combined experimental and simulation study of blood clot formation

A multiscale model of blood clot (thrombus) formation is extended by adding a sub-model of the tissue factor (TF) pathway of blood coagulation to provide more biologically relevant description of coagulation process. A combination of experimental approach, image analysis and a multiscale modeling is used for studying role of factor VII and fibrin in limiting growth of a blood clot. The simulations obtained using new extended model, generated a hypothesis that formation of a fiber cap is capable of stopping blood clot growth by blocking release of thrombin, causing activation of platelets, into a blood stream. This was confirmed by comparison with reconstructed three dimensional experimental images of clots formed in mice with normal and limited levels of factor VII.
Use of Methohexital and Dexmedetomidine for Maintenance of Anesthesia in a Patient With Mitochondrial Myopathy: A Case Report

Provision of anesthesia for patients with mitochondrial disorders is associated with a unique set of challenges. These disorders are rare, which complicates efforts to develop high quality, evidence-based guidelines to inform the perioperative management of those who suffer from them. Accordingly, case reports remain an important source of information regarding their care. Here we present the case of a 27-year-old female patient with mitochondrial myopathy and a history suggestive of malignant hyperthermia susceptibility who received general anesthesia for 2 consecutive surgeries. The induction agents included fentanyl, ketamine, and methohexital. The maintenance agents were methohexital, sufentanil, and dexmedetomidine.
Has the Suburbanization of Ethnic Economies Created New Opportunities for Income Attainment

Objective. International migration to the U.S. suburbs has upended many theories of urban inequality and immigrant incorporation, including ethnic economy theory. This paper is the most comprehensive study conducted to date on the reasons behind ethnic economy suburbanization and its effect on earnings. Methods. The paper uses regression techniques to analyze Census microdata from 1990 to 2010. A series of analyses that aggregate and disaggregate trends across nine ethnic groups identify the extent and influence of ethnic economies in suburban areas. Results. Ethnic economy suburbanization is strongly associated with ethnic residential suburbanization, and earnings are no different in the suburban and urban portions of the ethnic economy. Conclusion. Although existing research highlights the uniqueness of suburban ethnic economies, suburban ethnic economies are delivering outcomes similar to those found in urban areas. This supports the body of literature arguing that differences between immigrant incorporation patterns in cities and suburbs are diminishing.
Reassessing rainfall in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico: Local and global ecohydrological implications

Mountains receive a greater proportion of precipitation than other environments, and thus make a disproportionate contribution to the world’s water supply. The Luquillo Mountains receive the highest rainfall on the island of Puerto Rico and serve as a critical source of water to surrounding communities. The area’s role as a long-term research site has generated numerous hydrological, ecological, and geological investigations that have been included in regional and global overviews that compare tropical forests to other ecosystems. Most of the forest- and watershed-wide estimates of precipitation (and evapotranspiration, as inferred by a water balance) have assumed that precipitation increases consistently with elevation. However, in this new analysis of all known current and historical rain gages in the region, we find that similar to other mountainous islands in the trade wind latitudes, leeward (western) watersheds in the Luquillo Mountains receive lower mean annual precipitation than windward (eastern) watersheds. Previous studies in the Luquillo Mountains have therefore overestimated precipitation in leeward watersheds by up to 40%. The Icacos watershed, however, despite being located at elevations 200–400 m below the tallest peaks and to the lee of the first major orographic barrier, receives some of the highest precipitation. Such lee-side enhancement has been observed in other island mountains of similar height and width, and may be caused by several mechanisms. Thus, the long-reported discrepancy of unrealistically low rates of evapotranspiration in the Icacos watershed is likely caused by previous underestimation of precipitation, perhaps by as much as 20%. Rainfall/runoff ratios in several previous studies suggested either runoff excess or runoff deficiency in Luquillo watersheds, but this analysis suggests that in fact they are similar to other tropical watersheds. Because the Luquillo Mountains often serve as a wet tropical archetype in global assessments of basic ecohydrological processes, these revised estimates are relevant to regional and global assessments of runoff efficiency, hydrologic effects of reforestation, geomorphic processes, and climate change.
Endocannabinoid Transport Proteins: Discovery of Tools to Study Sterol Carrier Protein-2.

Abstract The endocannabinoid (eCB) neurotransmitter system regulates diverse neurological functions including stress and anxiety, pain, mood, and reward. Understanding the mechanisms underlying eCB regulation is critical for developing targeted pharmacotherapies to treat these and other neurologic disorders. Cellular studies suggest that the arachidonate eCBs, N -arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), are substrates for intracellular binding and transport proteins, and several candidate proteins have been identified. Initial evidence from our laboratory indicates that the lipid transport protein, sterol carrier protein 2 (SCP-2), binds to the eCBs and can regulate their cellular concentrations. Here, we present methods for evaluating SCP-2 binding of eCBs and their application to the discovery of the first inhibitor lead molecules. Using a fluorescent probe displacement assay, we found SCP-2 binds the eCBs, AEA ( K i = 0.68 ± 0.05 μ M ) and 2-AG ( K i = 0.37 ± 0.02 μ M ), with moderate affinity. A series of structurally diverse arachidonate analogues also bind SCP-2 with K i values between 0.82 and 2.95 μ M , suggesting a high degree of tolerance for arachidonic acid head group modifications in this region of the protein. We also report initial structure–activity relationships surrounding previously reported inhibitors of Aedis aegypti SCP-2, and the results of an in silico high-throughput screen that identified structurally novel SCP-2 inhibitor leads. The methods and results reported here provide the basis for a robust probe discovery effort to fully elucidate the role of facilitated transport mediated by SCP-2 in eCB regulation and function.