cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The EGF-motif containing protein SPE-36 is a secreted protein required for sperm function at fertilization in C. elegans

The growing number of genes specifically required for fertilization suggests that there is a significant amount of molecular complexity at the sperm-egg interface. Thus, we have adopted a model of a "fertilization synapse" where specialized zones of interaction and multi-protein complexes mediate gamete interaction and fusion. The fertilization synapse is likely to be composed of both trans and cis protein-protein interactions at the surface of each gamete. Mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans spe-36 gene result in a sperm-specific fertility defect. Surprisingly, spe-36 encodes a secreted EGF-motif containing protein that functions cell autonomously. Despite the fact that morphology and migratory behavior of spe-36 sperm are indistinguishable from wild-type sperm, spe-36 sperm make close contact with oocytes but fail to fertilize them. The genetic requirement for a secreted sperm-derived protein for fertilization is novel and represents a paradigm-shifting discovery in the molecular understanding of fertilization.
Janina Müller, Musik im klassischen Film noir

Janina Muller, Musik im klassischen Film noirWurzburg, Germany. Konigshausen & Neumann, 2019 [German language. 278pp. ISBN: 9783826065828.€39.80 (paperback)]. Klangfiguren: Studien zur Historischen Musikwissenschaft, Band 5.
Study on the Formation and Evolution of Asymmetrical Vortex Structures in the Late Transitional Boundary Layer

The objective of this research is to study the evolution of coherent structures in the late transitional boundary layer. A DNS (direct numerical simulation) of compressive fluid flow at Mach 0.5 on a flat plate, with only TS waves as input in the inlet (without additional asymmetric perturbations such as suction and blowing at wall boundary) is conducted to investigate nonlinear growth of the large vortex structures in the late transitional boundary. The mechanisms of the development of asymmetric coherent structures in the boundary layer are studied in detail. The evolution of the asymmetrical vortex structures and their role on the further randomization of the boundary layer are also investigated. It is found that the growth of streamwise asymmetric perturbations in the boundary layer influences the formation and development on the asymmetrical vortex structures and the boundary layer loses its symmetrical distribution in spanwise direction immediately after the asymmetric vortex structures is formed in the flow.
The motivation behind better sleep: self-determination as a framework for examining sleep outcomes in college students.

OBJECTIVE To examine sleep health within a self-determination framework across a diverse college sample. PARTICIPANTS A nonclinical sample of undergraduate students (n = 399) from a large, urban, public university in the Mid-Atlantic United States in Spring 2020. METHODS Participants were recruited via an online research participation portal and received extra credit for participation. All measures were administered via an online survey. RESULTS Basic psychological need satisfaction was associated with sleep health. This association was partially mediated by sleep hygiene but not by regulatory style. There were no racial/ethnic differences in sleep health, sleep hygiene, basic need satisfaction, or regulatory style. Men reported more maladaptive motivational styles for sleep health, and non-binary/transgender students reported worse sleep hygiene. CONCLUSION Basic psychological need satisfaction and sleep hygiene are critical targets for intervention across diverse college student populations. Motivation may be less critical for nonclinical interventions.
Myosin subfragment-1: structure and function of a molecular motor

Abstract The ability for directed movement is a fundamental process of all living systems. Molecules designed for such purposes are ubiquitous in eukaryotic cells and have been the focus of intense investigations for many years. Highlighted in this report is the three-dimensional structure of the myosin motor domain—the first such motor protein to be examined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.
The Function of Saccharide-Lipids in Synthesis of Glycoproteins

As discussed in Chapter 1, one of the major classes of glycoproteins is that in which the carbohydrate chain is linked to the polypeptide chain by means of an N-glycosidic bond. As shown in Figure 1, this N-glycosidic bond is between an N-acetylglucosaminyl residue and the amido nitrogen of an asparagine residue in the polypeptide chain.
Supervised and unsupervised learning applied to robotic manipulator control

Intelligent robotic control can be accomplished using neural networks. A backpropagation network (supervised learning) and a Hebbian learning network (unsupervised learning) are trained on the REMOTEC RM-10A robotic arm data. The backpropagation is able to develop the inverse kinematics relationships for the arm. The Hebbian does but would require two weight sets. The backpropagation trains to an error from 1-21% depending on the training set size, momentum value, learning rate, neurons in a hidden layer, and number of layers. The Hebbian oscillates when trained on both x and y. Separately for x the error is 30% and for y 13-17% with the Hebbian. The backpropagation was then implemented with the REMOTEC arm. However a few degrees of joint error corresponds to a few inches in end effector displacement. The backpropagation is able to satisfactorily control the arm while the Hebbian is not. The Hebbian does converge quickly while the backpropagation requires 10000-30000 iterations. Changes in network size and configuration usually have no effect on the Hebbian while the backpropagation converges slower when the network is more complex. Thus, overall the better network is the backpropagation. However a hybrid of the two could improve the overall performance of a neural controller, increasing its speed and accuracy.
Development of more efficacious antibodies for medical therapy and diagnosis.

Two procedures for improving the efficacy of medically important antibodies are described. The first procedure is designed to reduce the immunogenicity of nonhuman antibodies to the barest minimum—the “humanization” is accomplished by transplanting only the specificity-determining residues of the nonhuman antibody onto a human antibody template. The second procedure is designed to permit the easy production of multispecific/multivalent antibodies via heterodi-mer formation of electrostatically complementary Fc regions. © 1998 Academic Press
Is neuroscience a learning science

Should education and neuroscience be connected? We review eight arguments against and eight arguments for connecting the two disciplines. We conclude that ultimately, whether education and neuroscience have anything to offer one another is an empirical question -- one that is worth engaging.
Eruptive keratoacanthomatous atypical squamous proliferations (KASPs) arising in skin graft sites.

Keratoacanthomas (KAs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) are common epidermal neoplasms, particularly in sun-exposed areas of fair-skinned individuals. Although surgical excision is the standard of care, eruptive KAs and SCCs provide a therapeutic challenge. We present an unusual case of a patient who developed eruptive low-grade keratoacanthomatous atypical squamous proliferations (KASPs) in split-thickness skin graft (STSG) donor and recipient sites after SCC excision.
Russian Rule-Ette: Using Khodorkovsky’s Criminal Trial to Asses the State of Russia’s Judiciary

The criminal trial of Russian oligarch and oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky in connection with Yukos Oil has been one of the most publicized and controversial trials in the history of the Russian Federation. Khodorkovsky’s conviction in the Russian courts has raised grounds for appeal to the European Court of Human Rights on both procedural and substantive grounds. This Note discusses the failures of judicial reform in Russia since the founding of the Russian Federation that have been brought to light by Khodorkovsky’s trial, and assesses the causes of these failures and the prospects for judicial reform.
The Milky Way: Summary and Outlook

First let me review the historical discussions presented during our symposium: the papers by Paul, Gingerich, Hoskin and Smith. I was greatly impressed by the power of abstract human thought in its confrontation with resistant reality. On the one hand we see again and again extraordinary prescience, where abstract beliefs based on little or no empirical evidence—like the island-universe hypothesis—turn out to be, in their essentials, true. Clearly, we often know more than we know that we know. On the other hand, there are repeated instances of resistance to the most obvious truth due to ingrained beliefs. These may be termed conspiracies of silence. Van Rhijn and Shapley agreed about few things. But one of them was that there was no significant absorption of light in the Galaxy. Yet the most conspicuous feature of the night sky is the Milky Way, and the second most conspicuous feature is the dark rift through its middle. What looks to the most untutored eye like a “sandwich” was modeled as an oblate spheroid. These eminent scientists must have known about the rift, but somehow wished it away in their analyses. I find that very curious. Other examples from earlier times abound. We all know that the Crab supernova was seen from many parts of the globe but, though it was bright enough to be detected by the unaided eye in daylight, its existence was never—so far as we know—recorded in Europe. It did not fit in with the scheme of things, so it was not seen.
Spectral Methods Applied to Ising Models

The study of many-Fermion systems is now known to be very difficult and of fundamental importance whether atoms, molecules, nuclei or quarks are the constituents of interest. Indeed, most activity in physics is many-body physics and many of yesterdays “fundamental problems” such as the determination of the nuclear potential from scattering data, and the determination of the hadronic S-matrix from vague pseudoprinciples have gone the way of the Dodo, forgotten and mostly unlamented.
Campus Activism in the 21st Century: A Historical Framing.

This chapter frames campus activism by introducing the historical movements that have been important for higher education since the 18th century to the present and exploring the connections and shared characteristics among these various movements.
Educação Latino-Americana em tempos globalizados

Este artigo oferece um panorama abrangente do impacto da globalizacao sobre os sistemas de educacao, destacando as mudancas – bem como as continuidades– em todos os niveis educacionais, da escola fundamental a universidade. A educacao superior tem sido a mais afetada pela globalizacao, que se refleteno persistente discurso sobre a “sociedade do conhecimento” do seculo XXI. A America Latina, assim como outras regioes, tem experimentado uma importante expansao na educacao superior, principalmente atraves da oferta do ensino privado,de qualidade irregular. Se, por um lado, a regiao da mostras de aumentar aparticipacao na educacao, por outro, as condicoes adversas a que estao sujeitas as criancas pobres, indigenas ou afro-descendentes, tanto meninos como meninas,provenientes de zonas rurais, nao melhoraram substancialmente com a globalizacao. Os paises do leste asiatico estao respondendo de com entusiasmo as possibilidades oferecidas pelas novas forcas globalizantes; entretanto, os paises da America Latina nao tem exibido a mesma determinacao para investir em educacao publica e, se essa situacao nao mudar, eles provavelmente perderao terreno na disputa por desenvolver uma populacao com conhecimentos avancados.
Case Study: Trap Crop with Pheromone Traps for Suppressing Euschistus servus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Cotton

The brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say), can disperse from source habitats, including corn, Zea mays L., and peanut, Arachis hypogaea L., into cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. Therefore, a 2-year on-farm experiment was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench spp. bicolor) trap crop, with or without Euschistus spp. pheromone traps, to suppress dispersal of this pest to cotton. In 2004, density of E. servus was lower in cotton fields with sorghum trap crops (with or without pheromone traps) compared to control cotton fields. Similarly, in 2006, density of E. servus was lower in cotton fields with sorghum trap crops and pheromone traps compared to control cotton fields. Thus, the combination of the sorghum trap crop and pheromone traps effectively suppressed dispersal of E. servus into cotton. Inclusion of pheromone traps with trap crops potentially offers additional benefits, including: (1) reducing the density of E. servus adults in a trap crop, especially females, to possibly decrease the local population over time and reduce the overwintering population, (2) reducing dispersal of E. servus adults from the trap crop into cotton, and (3) potentially attracting more dispersing E. servus adults into a trap crop during a period of time when preferred food is not prevalent in the landscape.
Intracellular Calcification in a Cocco-lithophorid

Hymenomonas sp., a euryhaline coccolithophorid chrysomonad, was raised axenically in a chemically defined medium1 containing lactic acid, modified by raising the concentration of magnesium and calcium to 10−2 M, of phosphate to 10−3 M and adding carbonate 10−6 M and 10 mg per cent ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. Coccolith formation was discernible macroscopically when these organisms were cultured in constant fluorescent light for 2 weeks at 18°–20° C. Phase-contrast microscopy of the growing cultures showed abundant coccoliths extracellularly and on the surface of the chrysomonad. The appearance of some individual protozoa suggested that coccoliths might be located intracellularly. This observation is supported strongly by the following findings.
3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaric aciduria: a new assay of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA lyase using high performance liquid chromatography

Abstract A new assay has been developed for 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA lyase, the final enzyme in the leucine degradative pathway. The assay was performed by incubating lysates of fibroblasts with [glutaryl-3-14C]( d , l )-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A. The products were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography with continuous liquid scintillation counting. This provided simultaneous identification and quantification of one of the enzymatic products, [3-14C] acetoacetic acid. The mean 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA lyase activity in fibroblasts from five controls was 732 ± 81 (SD) pmol/min · mg protein. Using this assay, we have studied skin fibroblasts cultured from a patient with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric aciduria and found 3% of normal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA lyase activity. The activities in skin fibroblasts cultured from the parents were 46 and 53% of control activity which is consistent with heterozygocity. Kinetic studies of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA lyase in skin fibroblasts cultured from two normal subjects yielded Km values of 14.4 and 18.8 μmol/l for 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA.
Instrumental learning for a thermal reinforcer in 1‐day‐old rats

One-day-old rats in a cool environment (25°C) quickly acquired an instrumental response when rewarded with a 20-s warming of the platform (from 25°C to 36°C) on which they lay. The instrumental response, turning the head to one side, was learned within 30 min after the thermal contingency began and extinguished when the contingency was reversed. This experiment demonstrates rapid operant learning by neonates in a task that does not contain a Pavlovian stimulus-reinforcer contingency. The novel experimental method has wide applicability in psychology and neuroscience. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 30: 41–47, 1997
Amino-terminal sequence of phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450 from rabbit liver microsomes: similarity to hydrophobic amino-terminal segments of preproteins

Summary The amino-terminal sequence of two electrophoretically homogeneous forms of rabbit liver microsomal cytochrome P-450, P-450 LM 2 and P-45 LM 4 , has been examined by automated Edman degradation. Methionine is the amino terminus of P-450 LM 2 , and 17 of the first 20 residues are hydrophobic, including two clusters of five consecutive leucines. The composition and sequence of this region are similar to those of the short-lived hydrophobic amino-terminal precursor segments of certain other proteins, especially myeloma immunoglobulin light chains and pancreatic zymogens. Multiple amino-terminal residues, including methionine, were detected for P-450 LM 4 suggesting the presence of several highly similar forms of P-450 or that partial proteolysis had occurred.
Permitted Iron Emission Lines in the Classical T Tauri Star DR Tauri

We present a study of permitted emission lines of Fe I and Fe II in the spectrum of the high-accretion rate classical T Tauri star DR Tau. Echelle spectra collected at the 4 m Mayall telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory between 1988 and 1992 include four epochs with red spectral coverage (~5000-6800 A) and three with blue spectral coverage (~4000-4950 A). A total of 62 unblended Fe I and Fe II lines are identified, their profiles are examined, and ratios of line pairs that are sensitive to column density or temperature are analyzed. The unblended Fe profiles exhibit a systematic behavior, with FWHM increasing from 20 to between 70 and 90 km s-1 as the equivalent width increases from 0.05 to several A. Two-component fits to the profiles suggest a composite origin, comprising a narrow component (NC), with FWHM ~ 20 km s-1 and a radial velocity at rest with respect to the photosphere, and a broad component (BC), with FWHM ~ 100 km s-1 and a tendency to be blueshifted by ≤10 km s-1. These two kinematic components are present in differing proportions among lines of differing intensity, thereby accounting for the systematic behavior of the profiles with line strength. Estimates of opacities and column densities are obtained by comparing observed intensity ratios of lines from a common upper level with values expected from a local escape probability calculation. We find that (1) opacities in the NC exceed those in the BC by factors of 2-4 and (2), for the BC, NFe I 1017-1018 cm-2 and NFe II 1018-1019 cm-2 for kinetic temperatures in the range 4000-10,000 K. Ratios of NC-to-BC emission from a pair of Fe I lines that are insensitive to opacity suggest that the kinetic temperature in the NC exceeds that in the BC by several thousand degrees. The centroid velocity and width of the NC in Fe I and Fe II are comparable to those from photospheric lines, suggesting a thermal or turbulent origin further broadened by stellar rotation. In the context of a magnetospheric accretion model, the NC is consistent with an origin in the postshock gas close to the stellar surface. In contrast, the BC is likely to be broadened by bulk motion, such as infalling gas in the accretion funnel or rotation in the region coupling the inner disk to the stellar magnetic field.
Mineral Metabolism in Chicks on High Dietary Pyridoxine and Magnesium

Abstract The effect of high dietary pyridoxine and magnesium on tissue electrolytes was studied in day-old broiler-type male chicks. There were 15 treatments of 875, 1375 and 1875 mg. magnesium/kg. diet and pyridoxine at 1, 4, 31, 301, 3001 mg./kg. diet in a 3 × 5 factorial block design. The sodium concentration of the liver decreased linearly with increasing dietary magnesium concentration expressed as log10. In the kidney, no such effect was observed. The response of sodium concentration in these two tissues to increasing dietary pyridoxine, also expressed as log10, was curvilinear, decreasing to minimum concentrations at pyridoxine intakes estimated to be equal to 40 mg./kg. of diet for the liver and 50 for the kidney and thereafter increasing. Potassium concentration of the liver exhibited opposite trends to those for sodium concentration but the responses to dietary magnesium were not consistent at each dietary pyridoxine concentration. Kidney potassium content followed essentially opposite trends to those of sodium. Kidney calcium decreased with increases in either dietary magnesium or pyridoxine, but the decreases were not consistent. The magnesium content of the kidney tended to increase with increases in dietary magnesium. Dietary pyridoxine resulted in a curvilinear response only in those chicks fed the 1875 mg. diet, decreasing to a minimum value at a pyridoxine intake of 26 mg., and increasing at higher pyridoxine dietary concentrations. No significant effects on sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium concentrations in the heart were observed. It was speculated that the maximum potassium retention estimated to occur in the livers of birds consuming a diet containing 48 mg. pyridoxine/kg. diet might be due to increased glycogen turnover or increased phosphorylase activity.
The NIH Draft Guidelines on Human Stem Cell Research

With new draft guidelines to govern federal funding of human stem cell research, including human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have again taken on one of the most contentious endeavors of the day ( 1 ). There are positive aspects of the guidelines ( 2 ), but concern is growing that prior approvals of many widely used cell lines may not be in accord with specific wording requirements in the draft guidelines; such cell lines would need to be “grandfathered in” if research is to continue unimpeded ( 3 ). There are also several surprising omissions, surprising because they come in areas that are thoroughly addressed in the guidelines of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences (NAS) ( 4 – 6 ), which have become the gold standard for the conduct of stem cell research in the United States. Further, there has been little comment on the kind of initiative that would support future policy development.
Outpatient Complications Encountered Following Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

Practitioners taking care of postoperative bariatric patients need to keep in mind all of the complications that this population faces to prevent unnecessary morbidity. Bariatric patients presenting postoperatively with abdominal pain, tachycardia, vomiting, tachypnea, and a sense of impending doom should be worked up aggressively to find the cause of their symptoms. Because the incidence of obesity is rising in children and adults, more patients will have surgery to help with their weight loss. Physicians caring for these patients must be able to diagnosis and treat their complications quickly and efficiently to prevent further complications.
Bladder representation in the pontine-mesencephalic reticular formation ☆

Abstract Ablation and stimulation investigations of the rostral pons and caudal mesencephalic reticular formation of the cat have indicated an area exclusively concerned with the organization of the micturition reflex. Contrary hypothesis suggests that these effects result from nonspecific innervation of spinal cord reflex areas. An extracellular microelectrode analysis of the rostral pons has demonstrated the presence of units responding exclusively to bladder stimulation. This latter was evoked by pelvic nerve stimulation and induction of spontaneous reflex activity. Units responding to visceral stimulation were either potentiated or depressed in firing rate, the former being predominant. Convergence to somatosensory stimuli was observed. With the latter, no units were observed to be potentiated by visceral input and depressed by somatic input. Opposite effects were obtained from somatosensory stimulation of perineal and forepaw regions. Phasically active neuronal pools were found in the rostral pons responding to initiation and termination of micturition reflex activity.
Births to teenagers: Trends and obstetric outcomes

Objective To compare the trends and obstetric outcomes of pregnancy in teenage women with those of adult women. Methods We analyzed a 19-year (1975–1993) computerized perinatal data base with data on 69,096 births collected prospectively from a single inner-city tertiary medical center. Results Of all the births, 1875 (2.7%) were to teenagers 12–15 years old and 17,359 (25.3%) were to teenagers 16–19 years old. Over the study period, the number and proportion of births to teenagers of both age groups declined ( P P P P Conclusion On average, females 16–19 years old had better obstetric outcomes than adults, whereas obstetric outcomes for those 12–15 years old were worse than for adults. Therefore, all teenagers should not be grouped together when their obstetric outcomes are compared with those of adults.
Cardiac Risks Associated With Marathon Running

Context:A recent cluster of sudden cardiac deaths in marathon runners has attracted considerable media attention and evoked concern over the safety of long-distance running and competition. This review discusses the acute and potential long-term risks associated with marathon running and puts these into perspective with the many health benefits afforded by habitual vigorous exercise.Evidence Acquisition:Data sources included peer-reviewed publications from 1979 to January 2010 as identified via PubMed and popular media.Results:Marathon running is associated with a transient and low risk of sudden cardiac death. This risk appears to be even lower in women and is independent of marathon experience or the presence of previously reported symptoms. Most deaths are due to underlying coronary artery disease. The value of preparticipation screening is limited by its insensitivity and impracticality of widespread implementation. Appropriate preparation and deployment of trained medical personnel and availability o...
Aid and affect in the friendships of young Chinese men

Two of the most enduring concepts in the study of friendship are those of pure affect and instrumentalism. These have long been set in contrast to one another, and a number of typologies of different varieties of friendship have been built around the affect-instrumentalism distinction. In this article, however, a careful look at the close friendships of young Chinese men demonstrates that not only do these two aspects sometimes coexist in the same relationship, but that they may actually be deeply interdependent on one another. Such relationships urge us to re-examine our understandings of affect and instrumentalism, what constitutes them, and what they truly mean for the study of close, intimate relationships. Resume Dans l'etude de l'amitie, deux des concepts les plus durables sont ceux d'affectivite pure et d'instrumentalisme. Longtemps opposes l'un a l'autre, ils ont donne lieu a de nombreuses typologies des varietes d'amitie, elaborees autour de la distinction entre affect et instrumentalisme. Le present article accorde cependant son attention aux amities proches entre jeunes Chinois, pour demontrer que ces deux aspects peuvent parfois coexister dans une meme relation et peuvent meme etre profondement interdependants. Ce type de relations nous incite a reexaminer notre comprehension de l'affect et de l'instrumentalisme, de ce qui les constitue et de leur signification veritable dans l'etude des relations proches et intimes.
Gallium arsenide (device applications)

The device potential of GaAs and the problems inhibiting its widespread use are examined. Problems encountered in growing wafers are stringent process requirements for obtaining pure material, high susceptibility to lattice defects, small size (2-3 in) of wafers that can be grown, low thermal conductivity necessitating a special heat sink, and the uselessness of native oxide, which must be avoided during manufacture. With respect to the microelectronic properties, the speed of GaAs devices is much higher, with electron velocities measured up to five times that of comparable silicon devices. With very high transconductances and low input capacitances, GaAs devices can obtain much higher gain-bandwidth products (up to 15-20 GHz) that lead to switching speeds of up to 50 ps, about half the speed of silicon. However, this speed advantage erodes at high levels of integration, where costs demand simple and compact packaging. The reasons whey technologies available today for silicon devices-the bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and field effect transistors (FETs), specifically the MOSFETs-do not work well for GaAs are examined, and new device technologies for GaAs devices-the metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MESFET) and the heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT)-are described. >
Auroral kilometric radiation integrated power flux as a proxy for AE

We propose to use the integrated intensity of auroral kilometric radiation from Polar measurements as a proxy for the auroral electrojet index A(sub E) in support of studies of the response of the magnetosphere and the geomagnetic tail to changes in magnetic activity. In addition to providing event timing information to understand the effects of perturbations and substorms, the resulting space-based auroral kilometric radiation index would be useful as an input to space weather efforts as an auroral activity metric.
Perianesthesia applied research

Research is important for perianesthesia nursing to validate and to advance patient care. Evidence-based nursing practice is discussed as one method of advancing PACU nursing practice. PACU nurses are encouraged to submit pain study reviews as a beginning to evidence-based nursing practice. Resources are given for research method techniques.
The resiliency of the corneal endothelium to refractive and intraocular surgery.

PURPOSE To describe stress factors (phenylephrine and contact lenses) from the corneal epithelium that can affect the corneal endothelium, and to describe the effects of refractive and intraocular surgery on the corneal endothelial structure and function. METHODS Significant clinical and experimental publications are reviewed and recent experiments conducted in the author's laboratory to describe the corneal endothelial stresses. RESULTS The corneal epithelium serves as a barrier to topical phenylephrine (2.5-10%). In a compromised epithelium, topical phenylephrine will cause drug-induced stromal edema and endothelial vacuolization. Contact lenses are capable of stimulating the epithelial arachidonic acid cascade to release 12(R)hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12(R)HETE) and 8(R)hydroxy-hexadecatrienoic acid (8(R)HHDTrE) to cause endothelial Na+/K+ adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase)-inhibition and polymegethism. Specular microscopy of the corneal endothelial cells after refractive surgery (photorefractive keratectomy [PRK], laser in situ keratomileusis [LASIK], intrastromal rings [INTACs]) has shown that there is minimal effect. However, laser ablation of the stroma within 200 microm of the corneal endothelium will result in endothelial cell structural changes and the formation of the amorphous substance deposited onto Descemet's membrane. Phacoemulsification with a high flow of the irrigation solution can alter the endothelial surface glycoprotein layer. Lidocaine hydrochloride (1%) used as intracameral anesthesia readily diffuses through the corneal endothelium, resulting in stromal uptake and endothelial cell swelling. With phacoemulsification, however, the washout of lidocaine from the cornea (T1/2, 5 minutes) and iris (T1/2, 9 minutes) occurs quickly. Corneal endothelial wound healing after keratoplasty occurs in the following sequence: migration of endothelial cells, development of tight junctions, and the formation of Na+/K+ ATPase pump sites. CONCLUSIONS Corneal endothelial resiliency is due to the increased peripheral endothelial cell number for migration, the ability of endothelial cells to form tight junctions to maintain the endothelial barrier, the increase in endothelial Na+/K+ ATPase pump sites under stress, and the ability of the corneal endothelial cells to shift their metabolism of glucose to the hexose monophosphate shunt for the production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and membrane repair. All of these factors are important, along with the aqueous humor sodium concentration, which establishes the osmotic gradient for corneal deturgescence and transparency.
A calorimetric investigation of fiber/matrix reactions in fiber-reinforced aluminum alloy 339

Abstract The fiber/matrix reaction in aluminum composites reinforced with discontinuous ceramic fibers is critical to the formation of a strong interfacial bond. The reactions at ≈500°C in Kaowool- and Saffil-reinforced 339 aluminum casting alloys were measured by differential isothermal calorimetry. The reaction exotherm is superimposed upon an endotherm associated with dissolution of magnesium-containing precipitates in the aluminum matrix. The time constants of the exotherm and endotherm were determined separately to characterize their kinetics. The extent of the reaction, as measured by the total exothermic heat, is controlled by the kinetics of the magnesium dissolution. The reaction with Kaowool is a two-step process, and is confined primarily to the surface of the fibers. The principal reaction is the conversion of SiO 2 to MgO. This is the rate-limiting step, and has an activation energy of ≈280 kJ mol −1 , corresponding to the diffusion of oxygen and/or magnesium through MgO. At fiber surface locations where SiO 2 is totally converted to MgO, the MgO reacts with Al 2 O 3 in the fiber to form spinel. The distribution of spinel is not uniform because of variations in the thickness of the SiO 2 .
Equivalence Testing for Parallelism in the Four-Parameter Logistic Model

For assay or dose-response data in drug discovery, it is often important to test for parallelism of the response curves for two preparations, such as a test drug and a standard drug, in order to determine the potency of the test preparation relative to the standard preparation. A typical approach is to perform a three-degree of freedom approximate F test of the null hypothesis that the relevant parameters are equal for the two preparations. We argue that this problem may be more appropriately viewed as a practical equivalence testing problem, and present an alternative method for testing parallelism in the four-parameter logistic response curve, based on the theory of intersection-union tests. The approach is intuitively appealing and simple to implement using commonly available software, and may provide more appropriate inference for the problem of interest. Two examples are discussed to illustrate the testing approach outlined in this article, and to compare it with the typical approach to testing parallelism. A simulation study is also presented to compare the empirical properties of the two different testing approaches for a set of cases based approximately on one of the examples.
Polyethylene ribbon and fixed orthodontic retention and porcelain veneers: solving an esthetic dilemma.

: The patient, a 58-year-old woman, had started orthodontic treatment to correct spacing between the maxillary anterior teeth 6 year prior to presentation with a chief complaint of tooth discoloration and spacing. The treatment had consisted of the use of a removable appliance to retract the maxillary anterior teeth. The patient continued to wear the appliance sporadically. When she presented, the maxillary incisors were in primary occlusal trauma with Grade 2 mobility. The patient discontinued wearing the appliance. The periodontal condition was addressed with initial therapy. As part of the treatment plan to stabilize the maxillary anterior teeth and provide the patient with an esthetic result, it was decided to do a limited occlusal adjustment of the maxillary anterior teeth to control fremitus, and to place a fixed, composite resin, polyethylene ribbon-reinforced splint, using a facial approach. The esthetic restoration of these teeth was accomplished with bonded porcelain veneers.
Nutritional Value of Human Milk, Cows' Milk and Goats' Milk

Summary and ConclusionsThe feeding of various types of milk to young albino rats of the same litter has a different effect upon the growth, the erythrocyte count and the hemoglobin content of the animals. Goats' milk produces in many instances a severe anemia of hyperchromic character, cows' milk produces a distinctly hypochromic anemia in a smaller percentage of the animals, and human milk does not have any deleterious effect upon the growth or the red blood picture of the growing albino rat.
Definitive measurement methods

Abstract This paper describes the use of ‘definitive’ methods in the certification of reference materials. The definitions, variations, and limitations of definitive methods are considered and related to analytical methods considered to be definitive.
Metabolic and hormonal responses of growing modern meat-type chickens to fasting

Abstract 1. The present study compared the effects of fasting on circulating concentrations of glucose, insulin and glucagon in male and female modern meat-type chickens (Ross 708) at three ages (19 d, 33 d and 47 d). 2. Plasma concentrations of glucose were reduced by fasting with reductions of 24.9% (19-d-old), 22.6% (33-d-old) and 17.9% (47-d-old) in broiler chickens fasted for 12 h. 3. Plasma concentrations of insulin decreased with fasting. For instance, circulating concentrations of insulin declined after 6 h of fasting by 45.7%, 54.7% and 50.0%, respectively, in 19-d-old, 33-d-old and 47-d-old broiler chickens. 4. Plasma concentrations of glucagon were increased by fasting. Plasma concentrations of glucagon were elevated by 3.79% (19-d-old), 3.51% (33-d-old) and 3.79% (47-d-old) with 6 h of fasting and remained elevated with 12 h, 18 h and 24 h of fasting.
RT-Plant Physiology: Full Open Access Publishing at No Charge to ASPB Members.

Beginning with the January 2007 issue,[1][1] all papers in Plant Physiology corresponded by ASPB members will be published with full Open Access. This means that anyone with an Internet connection anywhere in the world will have instant full access to your paper as soon as it is published, i.e. Real
Molecular clue links bacteria to the origin of animals

Bacteria have a role in the formation of colonies by a species of single-celled organisms whose ancestors gave rise to the animals, which suggests that bacteria might also have influenced the origin of multicellularity in animals.
The Early Permian Thysanophyllum coral belt: Another clue to Permian plate-tectonic reconstructions

Early Permian species of the related massive coral genera Thysanophyllum , Stylastraea , and Protowentzelella are restricted geographically to a narrow belt stretching discontinuously from the southern Ural Mountains to Texas by way of Vestspitsbergen, Canadian Arctic Islands, and the western Cordillera (British Columbia and the Basin and Range of Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California). In addition, limited data suggest that this belt may have extended as far south as Peru. This coral belt developed at low and intermediate latitudes during Early Permian time along the northwestern and western margins of the Pangaean supercontinent. Land, a very wide Paleopacific Ocean, and temperature barriers prevented these tropical to subtropical, shallow-water corals from invading similar warm-water environments in the Tethys Ocean on the opposite coast of Pangaea, where faunas including different types of massive corals developed. Today, the Thysanophyllum association is represented in several geosynclinal belts which in the past have been difficult to relate to one another. This coral belt, therefore, may constitute an important key for understanding the relationships between several of these great belts of sediment accumulation and in locating the position of Permian continental margins and interpreting some subsequent plate-margin tectonic events.
BACH2–BCL6 balance regulates selection at the pre-B cell receptor checkpoint

At the pre-B cell receptor (BCR) checkpoint, developing pre-B cells are selected for successful rearrangement of V H –DJ H gene segments and expression of a pre-BCR. Reduced stringency at this checkpoint may obstruct the B cell repertoire with nonfunctional B cell clones. Earlier studies have described that activation of B cell lymphoma/leukemia (BCL)6 by a functional pre-BCR mediates positive selection of pre-B cells that have passed the checkpoint. This concept is now further elaborated by the recent finding that the BTB and CNC homology 1 basic leucine zipper transcription factor 2 (BACH2) induces negative selection and opposes BCL6 function prior to the pre-BCR checkpoint. Here, we discuss the antagonism between BCL6 and BACH2 during early B cell development, as well as its implications in both repertoire selection and counter-selection of premalignant clones for leukemia suppression.
On the possibility of fast neutral production of the inner Io torus

[1] The Galileo spacecraft passed through the Io torus and its inner boundary on 7 December 1995 and 5 November 2002 during the J0 and A34 passes, respectively. Electron densities inferred from plasma wave measurements on both passes indicated a steep gradient at the inner boundary of the cold Io torus located between 4.5 and 5 RJ (Io is at 5.9 RJ), as well as the expected much less steep gradient in the outer torus, with an outer boundary at distances greater than 8 RJ. We attempt to model the inner torus with the fast neutral production model of Wang et al. (2001). A reduced ion pickup velocity at Io can prevent fast neutrals from penetrating inside the observed inner edge of the cold torus. Outward radial convection that increases with radial distances enables a steady state to be maintained. Differences between the passes are not entirely explained by varying pickup velocity at Io and convective transport. Factors including variable mass loading, diffusive transport mechanisms, dawn-dusk torus asymmetry, and spacecraft trajectory effects may also be important.
Effect of Temperature on the Strength and Composition of the Upper Lithosphere of Venus

PLANETARY probes have confirmed temperatures of the order of 700 K for the surface of Venus1,2. Given the similarities of the radii and densities of Venus and Earth, it is a reasonable assumption that the two planets have similar overall compositions3. Although the upper lithosphere of Venus should therefore have evolved in a manner roughly parallel to Earth's upper lithosphere4, it is interesting to consider what modifications may have been imposed on this evolution by the high temperatures. I shall consider particularly the effect on magmatic differentiation, isostatic adjustments and surface relief.
Basic Science and Neurobiological Research: Potential Relevance to Sexual Compulsivity

One should not approach the issue of human sexual behavior without at least some appreciation of moral values and scientific research. When a person seems to be so driven that it becomes difficult to master erotic desires and he or she experiences difficulty serving his or her own best long-term interests, the concept of sexual compulsivity seems to be relevant. A better understanding of any associated neuropathologies may help to facilitate future treatments and public acceptance. In time, increased knowledge about the precise workings of the brain in reciprocally initiating and sustaining the sexual interests of the mind may facilitate a much clearer appreciation of the issues at hand.
On the Mechanism of Stick and Non-Stick, Periodic Motions in a Forced Linear Oscillator Including Dry Friction

In this paper, the dynamics mechanism of stick and non-stick motion for a dry-friction oscillator is discussed. From the theory of Luo in 2004, the conditions for stick and non-stick motions are achieved. The stick and non-stick periodic motions are predicted analytically through the appropriate mapping structures. The local stability and bifurcation for such periodic motions are obtained. The stick motions are illustrated through the displacement, velocity and force responses. This investigation provides a better understanding of stick and nonstick motions of the linear oscillator with dry-friction. The methodology presented in this paper is applicable to oscillators with non-linear friction forces.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Hemodynamic responses to speech and music in preverbal infants

Numerous studies have provided clues about the ontogeny of lateralization of auditory processing in humans, but most have employed specific subtypes of stimuli and/or have assessed responses in discrete temporal windows. The present study used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to establish changes in hemodynamic activity in the neocortex of preverbal infants (aged 4-11 months) while they were exposed to two distinct types of complex auditory stimuli (full sentences and musical phrases). Measurements were taken from bilateral temporal regions, including both anterior and posterior superior temporal gyri. When the infant sample was treated as a homogenous group, no significant effects emerged for stimulus type. However, when infants' hemodynamic responses were categorized according to their overall changes in volume, two very clear neurophysiological patterns emerged. A high-responder group showed a pattern of early and increasing activation, primarily in the left hemisphere, similar to that observed in comparable studies with adults. In contrast, a low-responder group showed a pattern of gradual decreases in activation over time. Although age did track with responder type, no significant differences between these groups emerged for stimulus type, suggesting that the high- versus low-responder characterization generalizes across classes of auditory stimuli. These results highlight a new way to conceptualize the variable cortical blood flow patterns that are frequently observed across infants and stimuli, with hemodynamic response volumes potentially serving as an early indicator of developmental changes in auditory-processing sensitivity.
Keynote: Personalized medicine enabled by FSC.X technology

In the first stage of developing combinatorial drugs for treating disease, the current approach is to identify the aberrant targets molecule in the complex cellular network of signaling and regulatory pathways. We then need to find drugs for guiding the bio complex systems toward a desired state. Both tasks are ?finding needles in hays stacks?. Rather than laboriously mapping out the detailed cascade of various pathways, our approach is to employ a feedback system control (FSC.X) scheme to bypass the challenges associated with simultaneously considering/manipulating multiple cellular pathways. In addition, we have harnessed these control schemes to rationally design combinatorial drug therapy modalities to stimulate the bio systems with improved efficacy and low toxicity. This imposes another challenge which pertains to the large parameter space. For example, N drugs with C concentrations each would result in CN potential search trials. With the feedback system optimization approach, we have demonstrated that only tens of searches instead of CN cases are needed to identify the optimized drug cocktail.
Cytotoxic effect of dimethylsulfoxide on the ultrastructure of cultured Rhesus kidney cells

Abstract Cultured Rhesus kidney cells were incubated in the 7.5 and 15% solutions at 4 and 25 ° C and for periods ranging from 10 to 60 min. The ultrastructural alterations, while varying from cell to cell, were evident even following the 10-min incubation interval. The most frequent and least severe structural changes included lipid accumulation, increased number of lysosomes, dilation and degranulation of rough surfaced endoplasmic reticulum, as well as the swelling of mitochondria and damage to mitochondrial membranes. The more severe instances of cellular lesions were represented by the extensive damage to cell membranes, karyorrhexis, total obliteration of the internal structure of mitochondria, and areas of complete loss of hyaloplasm. The extent and frequency of cellular lesions appeared to be determined primarily by the concentration of DMSO with the temperature and duration of incubation being important ancillary determinants.