cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differentiating biliary cystadenomas from benign hepatic cysts: Preliminary analysis of new predictive imaging features.

Abstract Objective To identify performance of imaging features in differentiating hepatic cysts from biliary cystadenomas of the liver. Methods 25 pathologically confirmed hepatic cystic lesions (hepatic cysts or biliary cystadenomas) were evaluated retrospectively and predetermined imaging features assessed for performance in differentiation. Results Any septation which arose from a cyst wall without external indentation had a very high association with biliary cystadenoma, while the presence of a thick septation had only a moderate association. Conclusions The relationship between septations and the wall of the cystic lesion performed better than previously reported features including thick septations.
Case-Based Teaching in Business Education in the Arab Middle East and North Africa

Instructors seeking to utilize cases in M.E.N.A. educational institutions should be aware of how differences in M.E.N.A. culture and classroom norms might impact case-based learning in this region. In particular, high collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance associated with the M.E.N.A. cultural milieu give rise to a learning environment that is divergent from the Western classroom context, where the case method was born and developed. Case method socialization and classroom-composition or process adaptations may be necessary to better fit the case method to local cultural values and norms.
Skin Cancer: At-Risk Populations and Prevention

Skin cancer is the most common malignancy worldwide. Genetic and environmental factors increase the risk of developing skin cancer. Identifying at-risk individuals is important in skin cancer diagnosis and management. This chapter discusses in detail the risk factors, at-risk populations, and prevention of skin cancer.
Inertial manifolds for the hyperviscous Navier–Stokes equations

Abstract We prove the existence of inertial manifolds for the incompressible hyperviscous Navier–Stokes equations on the two or three-dimensional torus: { u t + ν ( − Δ ) β u + ( u ⋅ ∇ ) u + ∇ p = f , ( t , x ) ∈ R + × T d , div u = 0 , where d = 2 or 3 and β ≥ 3 / 2 . Since the spectral gap condition is not necessarily satisfied for the aforementioned problem in three dimensions, we employ the spatial averaging method introduced by Mallet-Paret and Sell in [26] .
The prepared partner: can a video game teach labor and childbirth support techniques?

The experience of childbirth is highly individualized. Proper preparation and support before, during, and after the onset of labor is key to shortening labor, decreasing the need for interventions during labor, and ultimately increasing maternal happiness. This paper reports the evaluation of The Prepared Partner, a simple game with goals to introduce natural ways to help a woman in labor, and their effects on labor; to introduce the mechanics of labor and childbirth; to practice interacting with a woman in labor; and to simulate the stages of labor. The user evaluation of The Prepared Partner showed an overwhelming majority of positive responses to the subjective portion of the study, and showed participants performed significantly better on a post-test about labor and childbirth than on a pre-test (p<0.01). Furthermore, labor support was a major theme in a write-in question about childbirth, thus highlighting the effectiveness of The Prepared Partner in introducing the profound need for supporting a woman throughout birth.
Systemic Application of Antivirals for Herpes Infections

This review has attempted to synthesize work on antiviral chemotherapy, particularly pointing up the possibility of immunosuppression by drugs and the importance for antivirals of cooperative effects with immune and nonspecific recovery mechanisms. With the current successes and crucial need for antiviral chemotherapy, it is likely present efforts will be superseded by future work. A particularly attractive possibility which has only just begun to be investigated is the combination of chemo- and immunotherapy.
Biochemical Defects Associated with Genetic Mutations in the Retina-Specific ABC Transporter, ABCR, and Macular Degenerative Diseases

Introduction Macular Degenerations Associated with the ABCA4 Gene ABCR is a Member of the ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) Transporter Family Cellular Transport Function in ABCR Molecular Genetics of Human ABCA4 Protein Domains of ABCR and Their Functions The Nucleotide Binding Domains of ABCR ABCR-related Degenerative Maculopathies Represent Complex Etiologies: Potential Directions for Future Research Acknowledgments References
Signaling mechanisms during the response of pituitary gonadotropes to GnRH.

Publisher Summary The pituitary gland is a versatile hormonal interface between the nervous system and the rest of the body, a warehouse of peptides waiting for nervous requisitions. In mammals, the anterior pituitary can secrete at least six major peptide hormones from at least five cell types. Each cell is under the control of specific releasing hormones and neurotransmitters secreted into the pituitary portal circulation by hypothalamic neurons. This chapter describes a study of G protein-mediated modulation of ion channels, which involved working with muscarinic activation of a K+ channel in cardiac trial cells and GnRH and muscarinic inhibition of a K+ channel in frog sympathetic ganglia, where GnRH was a neurotransmitter. The work with GnRH has explained the activities of gondaotrope, where a chain of events is triggered by GnRH. The primary secretory response to GnRH is unambiguously attributable to a steady rise of IP3that leads to an oscillatory release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores. Each elevation brings [Ca2+]i well above the 300 nM level that suffices to initiate exocytosis of numerous secretory granules. The secretory stimulus for gonadotropes does not initiate a major entry of extracellular Ca2+ as a primary signal for exocytosis. The electrophysiological responses of stimulated gonadotropes include a hyperpolarization during periods of [Ca2+]i rise instead of a depolarization.
Parent Perspectives on Health and Functioning of School-Aged Adolescents with Disabilities.

BACKGROUND Youth living with disabilities are at risk of experiencing poor health outcomes. Coordinated school health programs have an opportunity to help youth with disabilities and their families through health education, health services, and community engagement. The World Health Organization developed the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as a framework to analyze factors related to health conditions. We used the ICF to examine parental perceptions of health and function among students with disabilities living in rural and urban areas. METHODS We surveyed parents (N = 71) using the parent-report versions of the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument and Child Health and Illness Profile. From this group, parents were asked to volunteer to participate in in-depth, individual interviews (N = 18). The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Researchers used the ICF linking rules to analyze and code the transcriptions. Emergent themes were assigned numerical ICF codes. RESULTS There were more similarities than differences among rural and urban families. Children living with disabilities face significant environmental barriers regardless of context. CONCLUSIONS Schools can facilitate education to improve the quality of life of parents and families of children with disabilities. School authorities should consider the many environmental barriers both urban and rural these families face in the community. The ICF can be used as a framework for program planning for community-based, health education for this population.
Navigating Vertical Transfer Online: Access to and Usefulness of Transfer Information on Community College Websites:

Objective: To transfer, students often must navigate complex and imperfect information about credit transfer, bureaucratic hurdles, and conflicting degree requirements. This study examined how admi...
Taking Stock: the Field of Climate and Security

After nearly 15 years of study, what do we know about the relationship between climate change and security? How can scholars of climate and security inform the world of practice? These questions animate this article, with an eye towards avoiding the twin traps of policy incoherence and academic irrelevance. The last 15 years of study has focused on whether climate change is directly correlated with the onset of violent internal conflict. That being inconclusive, the literature has now productively turned to studying the indirect pathways and mediating factors between climate and social conflict, including but not limited to armed violence. I focus on five different causal pathways and mediating factors that represent the frontier of research on the study of climate and conflict. These include agricultural production and food prices, economic growth, migration, disasters, and international and domestic institutions.
No Significant Changes to Residual Viremia After Switch to Dolutegravir and Lamivudine in a Randomized Trial

In the ASPIRE trial, antiretroviral therapy (ART) switch to dolutegravir plus lamivudine (DTG+3TC) was comparable to 3-drug ART in maintaining viral suppression by standard viral load assays. We used an ultrasensitive assay to assess whether this switch led to increased residual viremia. At entry, levels of residual viremia did not differ significantly between arms (DTG+3TC vs 3-drug ART: mean, 5.0 vs 4.2 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL; P = .64). After randomization, no significant between-group differences were found at either week 24 or 48. These results show no evidence for increased viral replication on DTG+3TC and support its further investigation as a dual ART strategy.
290) Effectiveness of Analgesics Administered for Lower Extremity Fracture Pain during Hospitalization

Many patients with lower extremity fractures report poorly controlled pain during hospitalization. Identifying which analgesic most effectively decreases acute pain following lower extremity fracture is vital to improve patient outcomes during and after hospitalization and reduce healthcare costs. The primary aim in this retrospective chart review was to identify the analgesic that generated the largest percent change from pre- to post-analgesic pain score following transfer from emergency room to in-patient unit. Name, dose, and frequency of analgesics administered and associated pre-and post-pain scores were obtained from the electronic medication administration record from admission to discharge. Effectiveness in change in pain score was categorized as follows: very much improvement (≥ 45%), much improvement (35% - 44%), minimal improvement (20% - 34%), and no response (
Hippocampal CA1 subfield predicts episodic memory impairment in Parkinson's disease.

Abstract Objective Parkinson's disease (PD) episodic memory impairments are common; however, it is not known whether these impairments are due to hippocampal pathology. Hippocampal Lewy-bodies emerge by Braak stage 4, but are not uniformly distributed. For instance, hippocampal CA1 Lewy-body pathology has been specifically associated with pre-mortem episodic memory performance in demented patients. By contrast, the dentate gyrus (DG) is relatively free of Lewy-body pathology. In this study, we used ultra-high field 7-Tesla to measure hippocampal subfields in vivo and determine if these measures predict episodic memory impairment in PD during life. Methods We studied 29 participants with PD (age 65.5 ± 7.8 years; disease duration 4.5 ± 3.0 years) and 8 matched-healthy controls (age 67.9 ± 6.8 years), who completed comprehensive neuropsychological testing and MRI. With 7-Tesla MRI, we used validated segmentation techniques to estimate CA1 stratum pyramidale (CA1-SP) and stratum radiatum lacunosum moleculare (CA1-SRLM) thickness, dentate gyrus/CA3 (DG/CA3) area, and whole hippocampus area. We used linear regression, which included imaging and clinical measures (age, duration, education, gender, and CSF), to determine the best predictors of episodic memory impairment in PD. Results In our cohort, 62.1% of participants with PD had normal cognition, 27.6% had mild cognitive impairment, and 10.3% had dementia. Using 7-Tesla MRI, we found that smaller CA1-SP thickness was significantly associated with poorer immediate memory, delayed memory, and delayed cued memory; by contrast, whole hippocampus area, DG/CA3 area, and CA1-SRLM thickness did not significantly predict memory. Age-adjusted linear regression models revealed that CA1-SP predicted immediate memory (beta[standard error]10.895[4.215], p Conclusions In PD, we found hippocampal CA1-SP subfield thickness estimated on 7-Tesla MRI scans was the best predictor of episodic memory impairment, even when controlling for confounding clinical measures. Our results imply that ultra-high field imaging could be a sensitive measure to identify changes in hippocampal subfields and thus probe the neuroanatomical underpinnings of episodic memory impairments in patients with PD.
Efficacy of Food Safety Training in Commercial Food Service.

Proper food safety training is essential to decrease incidences and overall rates of foodborne illnesses and outbreaks. Though many commercial restaurants should provide proper food safety training to food handler employees, this training is not always offered or effective. Here, we summarize the results of a primary literature study concerning the effectiveness of food safety training in commercial settings. The literature chosen for review contained only studies with experimental food safety training, with before and after training data. Through evaluation of these studies, the best practice for ensuring effective training and follow-through were the use of food safety training programs, which incorporated both knowledge and behavior-based training. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Food safety managers in food service establishments may consider reevaluating their current food safety training program to incorporate behavioral-based food safety training in addition to knowledge-based training.; © 2019 Institute of Food Technologists®.
An Assessment of Patient, Caregiver, and Clinician Perspectives on the Post-discharge Phase of Care.

Objective:We sought to elicit patients’, caregivers’, and health care providers’ perceptions of home recovery to inform care personalization in the learning health system.Summary Background Data:Postsurgical care has shifted from the hospital into the home. Daily care responsibilities fall to patien
N-Acetylcysteine prevents the decreases in cardiac collagen I/III ratio and systolic function in neonatal mice with prenatal alcohol exposure.

Abstract Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is often associated with congenital heart defects, most commonly septal, valvular, and great vessel defects. However, there have been no known studies on whether PAE affects the resulting fibroblast population after development, and whether this has any consequences in the postnatal period. Our previous study focused on the effects of PAE on the postnatal fibroblast population, which translated into changes in cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and cardiac function in the neonatal heart. Moreover, our lab has previously demonstrated that alcohol-induced fibrosis is mediated by oxidative stress mechanisms in adult rat hearts following chronic alcohol exposure. Thus, we hypothesize that PAE alters cardiac ECM composition that persists into the postnatal period, leading to cardiac dysfunction, and these effects are prevented by antioxidant treatment. To investigate these effects, pregnant mice were intraperitoneally injected with 2.9 g EtOH/kg body weight on gestation days 6.75 and 7.25. Controls were injected with vehicle saline. Randomly selected dams in both groups were then treated with 100 mg/kg body weight of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) immediately after EtOH or vehicle administration. Left ventricular (LV) chamber dimension and function were assessed in sedated animals on neonatal day 5 using echocardiography. Ejection fraction decreased in the PAE group. NAC treatment prevented this depression of systolic function in PAE neonates. Hearts were analyzed for expression of fibroblast activation markers. Alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) increased in PAE neonatal hearts, and this increase was prevented by NAC treatment. In PAE pups, collagen I decreased, but collagen III expression increased compared to saline animals; the overall collagen I/III ratio significantly decreased. When PAE mice were treated with NAC, collagen I/III ratio did not change. Overall, our data demonstrate that prenatal alcohol exposure produces changes in collagen subtype in neonatal cardiac ECM and a decline in systolic function, and these adverse effects were prevented by NAC treatment.
P268 Introduction of the low risk ankle rule to a paediatric emergency department: a quality improvement initiative

Introduction Ankle injuries are common in children (∼ 2% of presentations to PEDs) 1 X-rays are ordered for 85–95% of patients but only 12% of x-rays reveal a fracture.1 Clinical prediction rules such as The Low Risk Ankle Rule (LRAR) exist to help clinicians safely reduce the frequency of radiography in these injuries. The LRAR has been shown to reduce imaging by up to 60% without missing any clinically signficant fractures.1 Aim To introduce the LRAR to our department and study its effect on our rate of radiography and length of stay (LOS). We also sought to identify complications related to its use, such as missed fractures and representations. Methods A baseline audit was performed to determine our baseline rate of radiography. The implementation strategy involved: staff education sessions, distribution of study information and visual reminders throughout the department, introduction of mandatory prompts into the x-ray ordering system and a 3 week pilot period. Results The baseline ankle x-ray rate was 879/969 (90.7%). This reduced to 40/92 (43.4%) using the LRAR, a reduction of 47.3%. The average LOS decreased from 132 minutes before the implementation to 123 minutes after. There were no re-presentations with missed fractures. Further 12 month follow up data after the initial implementation period showed a persistent 46% reduction in the frequency of ankle x-rays performed, compared with the baseline data. Conclusions The LRAR has been shown to safely reduce the frequency of radiography in ankle injuries.1,2, Other studies have demonstrated a reduction in x-ray frequency of 22–60%. 1,2, Our study was in keeping with these previous studies, while also not missing any fractures, further supporting the use of The LRAR in paediatric emergency departments. The LRAR continues to be used effectively in our department. Follow on data showed an annual saving of €28, 247. References Boutis, K., Von Keyserlingk, C., Willan, A., Narayanan, U. G., Brison, R., Grootendorst, P., … Goeree, R. (2015). Cost Consequence Analysis of Implementing the Low Risk Ankle Rule in Emergency Departments. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 66, 455–463.e4. Boutis, K., Komar, L., Jaramillo, D., Babyn, P., Alman, B., Snyder, B., … Schuh, S. (2001). Sensitivity of a clinical examination to predict need for radiography in children with ankle injuries: a prospective study. The Lancet, 358(9299), 2118–2121
Accurate estimation of depth of interaction in PET on monolithic crystal coupled to SiPMs using a deep neural network and Monte Carlo simulations

In PET, the depth of interaction (DOI) information is embedded in the scintillation light distribution sampled by the photodiode array. The block detector can be considered as a non-linear function projecting a beam position coordinate onto a set of photodetector (APD, SiPM) signals. The goal of positioning algorithms is to inverse this mapping and to match the set of photodetector responses with an incident event position coordinate. Furthermore, continuous crystals were investigated as an alternative to pixelated scintillator arrays in positron emission tomography (PET). Monoliths provide good energy, timing and spatial resolution, including intrinsic depth of interaction (DOI) encoding. We propose a method for estimation of the DOI using a deep neural network based on a supervised algorithm. The network was evaluated by Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of a preclinical PET scanner with ten 50×50×10 mm3 monolithic LYSO crystals and 12×12 SiPM array. All physical phenomena, especially optical interactions, were taken into consideration. The three-dimensional interaction position in each crystal was estimated by the neural network whose inputs were the detection positions on the photodetector plane (X-Y plane) and the deposited energy. Training and validation datasets were generated by the GEANT4 MC toolkit through varying single photons incident direction, angle and energy and readout of the SiPMs output. We used a multilayer perceptron with 4 layers and 256 units as neural network architecture. The optimized layers and units were optimized after comparing several architectures. The spatial resolution in the X-Y plane and Z axis (depth of interaction) were 1.54 and 1.59 mm, respectively. Furthermore, our model was able to predict the DOI below 7 mm depth with a bias under 8.7%. The proposed method enabled higher accuracy of the interaction position estimation than existing methods based on the Anger method. Therefore, estimation of the 3D interaction position based on monolithic detectors is possible using deep neural networks.
Virtual environments research in the air force institute of technology virtual environments, 3-d medical imaging, and computer graphics laboratory

The Air Force Institute of Technology Virtual Environments, 3-D Medical Imaging, and Computer Graphics Laboratory is investigating the 3-D computer graphics, user-interface design, networking protocol, and software architecture aspects of distributed virtual environments. In this paper we describe the research projects that are underway in the laboratory. These projects include the development of an aircraft simulator for a distributed virtual environment, projects for observing, analyzing, and understanding virtual environments, a space virtual environment, a project that incorporates “live” aircraft range data into a distributed virtual environment, a virtual environment application framework, and a project for use in a hospital emergency department. We also discuss the research equipment infrastructure in the laboratory, recent publications, and the educational services we provide.
Murine Epsins Play an Integral Role in Podocyte Function.

Background Epsins, a family of evolutionarily conserved membrane proteins, play an essential role in endocytosis and signaling in podocytes. Methods Podocyte-specific Epn1, Epn2, Epn3 triple-knockout mice were generated to examine downstream regulation of serum response factor (SRF) by cell division control protein 42 homolog (Cdc42). Results Podocyte-specific loss of epsins resulted in increased albuminuria and foot process effacement. Primary podocytes isolated from these knockout mice exhibited abnormalities in cell adhesion and spreading, which may be attributed to reduced activation of cell division control protein Cdc42 and SRF, resulting in diminished β 1 integrin expression. In addition, podocyte-specific loss of Srf resulted in severe albuminuria and foot process effacement, and defects in cell adhesion and spreading, along with decreased β 1 integrin expression. Conclusions Epsins play an indispensable role in maintaining properly functioning podocytes through the regulation of Cdc42 and SRF-dependent β 1 integrin expression.
Computing and Graphing Probability Values of Pearson Distributions: A SAS/IML Macro

Any empirical data can be approximated to one of Pearson distributions using the first four moments of the data (Elderton and Johnson, 1969; Pearson, 1895; Solomon and Stephens, 1978). Thus, Pearson distributions made statistical analysis possible for data with unknown distributions. There are both extant old-fashioned in-print tables (Pearson and Hartley, 1972) and contemporary computer programs (Amos and Daniel, 1971; Bouver and Bargmann, 1974; Bowman and Shenton, 1979; Davis and Stephens, 1983; Pan, 2009) available for obtaining percentage points of Pearson distributions corresponding to certain pre-specifed percentages (or probability values) (e.g., 1.0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, etc.), but they are little useful in statistical analysis because we have to rely on unwieldy second difference interpolation to calculate a probability value of a Pearson distribution corresponding to any given percentage point, such as an observed test statistic in hypothesis testing. Thus, the present study develops a SAS/IML macro program to compute and graph probability values of Pearson distributions for any given percentage point so as to facilitate researchers to conduct statistical analysis on data with unknown distributions.
Exploratory Data Analysis in Schools: A Logic Model to Guide Implementation

Exploratory data analysis (EDA) is an iterative, open-ended data analysis procedure that allows practitioners to examine data without pre-conceived notions to advise improvement processes and make informed decisions. Education is a data-rich field that is primed for a transition into a deeper, more purposeful use of data. This article introduces the concept of EDA as a necessary structure to be embedded in school activities by situating it within the literature related to data-driven decision making, continuous school improvement systems, and action research methodologies. It also provides a succinct six-part framework to guide practitioners in establishing EDA procedures.
An optimized confocal intravital microscopy protocol for long-term live imaging of murine F-actin organization during naïve lymphocyte migration.

Summary Actin plays a crucial role during cell motility, but the organization of F-actin filaments during lymphocyte migration has not been visualized in vivo. Here, we present a 4D imaging platform using high-resolution confocal intravital microscopy to precisely determine the F-actin filament profile during lymphocyte transendothelial migration and interstitial migration. This protocol allows prolonged live imaging by laser scanning microscopy with advanced spatial resolution compared with the traditional multi-photon intravital microscopy techniques. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Yan et al. (2019) .
In vitro modulation of endogenous rhythms by AC electric fields: Syncing with clinical brain stimulation.

Humans are exposed to an increasing prevalence of weak and strong AC electric fields, as part of daily life in the modern world. Further, electric fields are being deployed to modulate brain function for research and clinical applications. A single electric field pulse, applied via transcranial electrical or magnetic stimulation, can transiently excite or disrupt activity in neural circuits. In contrast, extended exposure to steady electric fields or pulse trains can result in long-term effects on neural activity including potentiation or depression. In addition, it has been demonstrated that brain stimulation with electric fields can improve cognitive performance in normal subjects (Marshall et al. 2006). The impact of electric fields on brain function has motivated the development of therapies to treat a wide range of psychiatric and neurological diseases using transcranial electrical or magnetic stimulation (Wassermann & Lisanby, 2001), as well as deep brain stimulation with implanted electrodes. The mechanisms by which electric fields affect brain function have not been fully elaborated. A recent report in The Journal of Physiology by Deans et al. (2007) presents new data on the interaction of AC electric fields down to a cellular level as well as with neuronal population dynamics. The report reveals a frequency-specific ability of AC electric fields to rhythmically polarize pyramidal neurons of the CA3 region of the hippocampus and demonstrates the ability of AC fields to alter pharmacologically induced endogenous oscillations in the hippocampus. These data have important implications for understanding the effect of environmental AC fields and therapeutic stimulation on the activity of neuronal ensembles. A central finding of this study is that an AC electric field, applied in vitro to a brain slice set to oscillate in the gamma frequency range through bath application of kainate, shifts the ongoing oscillation to centre on the applied field frequency or a subharmonic of that frequency. This review of Deans et al. (2007) is intended to elucidate the connection between their work and other recent in vitro findings concerning electric fields in the brain with some recent clinical findings pertaining to cognitive function and electric fields.
Economic impacts of interstate water marketing and exports

Abstract Purchasing irrigation water rights is a common method for western municipalities and industries to obtain a dependable water supply. The 1982 Sporhase decision removes legal barriers to development of an interstate market in water right sales. Such sales are likely to result in windfall profits for sellers, but may also result in higher transaction costs for non-selling local irrigators. Importing states will benefit from increased water availability, but exporting states will gradually lose irrigated acreage and associated economic activity. Exporting states have limited opportunities to realize any offsetting economic benefit in the water right sale process. Where water is appropriated for export, exporting states lose the opportunity to use the exported water, but may realize indirect economic benefits. Legislation may be required to protect existing water users from the physical effects of export appropriations. Additional research is needed to determine more precisely the economic effects of the Sporhase decision.
Tomato Polyphenol Oxidase (Differential Response of the Polyphenol Oxidase F Promoter to Injuries and Wound Signals)

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) are encoded by a seven-member gene family that exhibits complex patterns of differential expression during growth and differentiation. Antisense down-regulation of constitutive and induced PPO expression results in hypersusceptibility to pathogens, suggesting a critical role for PPO-mediated phenolic oxidation in plant defense. However, the nature and extent of PPO induction and its contribution to resistance are unclear. In this study we examined the inducibility of the tomato PPO gene family. In mature plants PPO transcript levels systemically increased in young leaves (nodes 1–3) when mature leaflets (node 5) were injured. Transcripts hybridizing to PPO E/F-specific probes were the predominant wound-induced PPO mRNAs in young leaves. Analysis of PPO promoter: GUS fusion constructs shows that mechanical wounding and infection by fungal and bacterial pathogens induced transcription of PPO F. Different injuries, salicylic acid, ethylene, and jasmonates elicited distinct, cell-specific and developmental stage-specific patterns of PPO F expression. Whereas jasmonates and mechanical wounding significantly induced PPO F only in young leaves (nodes 1–3), and ethylene induced PPO F only in older leaves (node 7), salicylic acid induced PPO F in stems and foliage at all developmental stages. These results demonstrate that cis-element(s) sufficient for PPO F inducibility reside in the 5[prime] flanking region, and these elements are responsive to a broad range of signals.
Paramyosin and the filaments of molluscan "catch" muscles. I. Paramyosin: structure and assembly.

Abstract Aggregates of paramyosin precipitated with divalent cations show a variety of forms with simple staining patterns and a period of 725 A in the electron microscope. All the forms may be generated from a basic polar array where the molecules do not bond end-to-end: dark staining regions represent “gap” areas where stain can penetrate the paracrystal; light regions are “overlap” areas where stain is largely excluded. The various polar and dihedral arrays can be accounted for by a superposition of two of the basic polar arrays. This interpretation is supported by the appearance of “corrugation” at the lateral edge of the overlap regions of the fibers, by positive staining experiments, and by the “fringe” length observed at the ends of tactoids. The molecular length deduced from the band patterns is about 1275 A, and is slightly different in paramyosins from different sources. Since the same basic arrays are found in paramyosins from different sources, however, there are similar specific interaction sites on these molecules. The polarity of the molecule implies a special amino acid sequence which gives rise to a complementary bonding pattern in a structure made of two similar chains running in the same direction. Although the three-dimensional packing of molecules cannot be inferred, these results provide new information on the local packing relations of the molecules: 2-fold screw axes relate molecules—at least locally—in neighboring rows in a paramyosin filament. Examination of the native paramyosin filaments with the knowledge of the in vitro polymorphic forms allows the recognition of interaction patterns which were not otherwise obvious. The “nodes” of the native net patterns can be interpreted as the dark staining gaps of the polar form, and the native net pattern can be generated by a regular shift of groups of molecules or subfilaments in the basic polar array. This specific stagger is commonly found in the in vitro paramyosin aggregates. A synthetic paracrystalline form has been produced having a net array with the same symmetry and axial period as the native filament. The tendency of paramyosin to form both polar and bipolar arrays has led also to the prediction of bipolarity in the native filament.
Acute respiratory failure after sodium morrhuate esophageal sclerotherapy

Two of 30 patients with esophageal varices had respiratory distress develop within 8-24 h of esophageal sclerotherapy. Evidence of aspiration and sepsis were absent in these two patients with the clinical picture of adult respiratory distress syndrome. To investigate the possible etiologic role of sodium morrhuate in this syndrome, a sheep model was established and pulmonary hemodynamics, lung lymph flow, and albumin concentration were measured before and after the intravenous injection of 2.5-15.0 cm3 of sodium morrhuate. In all 8 animals studied, mean pulmonary artery pressures increased from 11.6 +/- 2.8 to 32.8 +/- 4.9 mmHg (p less than 0.01) 30 s after injection. These pressures returned to baseline values over 120 min. Lymph flow increased from 0.91 +/- 0.89 to 2.8 +/- 1.5 ml/30 min at 90 min postinjection (p less than 0.05) and returned to baseline values in animals monitored for 6-8 h. The lymph/plasma albumin ratio decreased from 0.856 +/- 0.08 to 0.74 +/- 0.01 (p less than 0.05) 120 min postinjection. Pulmonary edema was not evident histologically or gravimetrically (wet/dry weight ratio was 3.65 +/- 0.3 and not different from normal). It was concluded that sodium morrhuate injection in sheep causes marked but transient pulmonary hypertension associated with an increased lymph flow of relatively protein-poor lymph. Sodium morrhuate esophageal sclerotherapy may affect pulmonary hemodynamics and contribute to respiratory difficulties in patients.
Online Seller Trust and Use of Online Auction Marketplaces

More and more people sell things online and trust is an important factor in online selling. This research is aimed at understanding the roles of trust in online sellers' continued use of online auction marketplaces. Given the uniqueness of online auction practice, we identify the need for differentiating sellers' trust in the intermediary and in buyers. A balanced view of cognitive and affective trust is incorporated with the Motivational Model of technology acceptance to predict sellers' use of online auction marketplaces. Empirical data collected from online auction sellers in uBid.com confirmed our model. Specifically, our findings show that, for online auction sellers, (1) trust has both cognitive and affective components; (2) trust in the intermediary (e.g., eBay.com) impacts trust in the community of buyers through the trust transference mechanism; (3) trusting attitudes antecede user acceptance and use factors including perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment, which in turn influence sellers' intention to return;; and (4) perceived enjoyment is an important antecedent of sellers' retention. Besides theoretical contributions, this research also has practical implications.
A Review of “Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10”

Lone Survivor is the tragic, heroic, and inspiring personal story of Marcus Luttrell and his fellow Navy SEALs during Operation Redwing. In June 2005, a four-man reconnaissance team took off from a...
Neurosteroids Shift Partial Agonist Activation of GABAA Receptor Channels from Low- to High-Efficacy Gating Patterns

Although GABA activates synaptic (αβγ) GABAA receptors with high efficacy, partial agonist activation of αβγ isoforms and GABA activation of the primary extrasynaptic (αβδ) GABAA receptors are limited to low-efficacy activity, characterized by minimal desensitization and brief openings. The unusual sensitivity of αβδ receptor channels to neurosteroid modulation prompted investigation of whether this high sensitivity was dependent on the δ subunit or the low-efficacy channel function that it confers. We show that the isoform specificity (αβδ > αβγ) of neurosteroid modulation could be reversed by conditions that reversed isoform-specific activity modes, including the use of β-alanine to achieve increased efficacy with αβδ receptors and taurine to render αβγ receptors low efficacy. We suggest that neurosteroids preferentially enhance low-efficacy GABAA receptor activity independent of subunit composition. Allosteric conversion of partial to full agonism may be a general mechanism for reversibly scaling the efficacy of GABAA receptors to endogenous partial agonists.
Vorticity Dynamics in the Wake of a Yawed Cylinder

A theoretical and computational study is reported of the effect of cylinder yaw angle on the vorticity and velocity field in the cylinder wake. Previous experimental studies for yawed cylinder flows conclude that, sufficiently far away from the cylinder ends and for small and moderate values of the yaw angle, the near-wake region is dominated by vortex structures aligned parallel to the cylinder. Associated with this observation, experimentalists have proposed the so-called Independence Principle, which asserts that the forces and vortex shedding frequency of a yawed cylinder are the same as for a cylinder with no yaw using only the component of the free-stream flow oriented normal to the cylinder axis. The current paper examines the structure and consequences for yawed cylinder flows of a quasi-two-dimensional (Q2D) approximation in which the velocity and vorticity have three nonzero components, but have vanishing gradient in the direction of the cylinder axis. In this approximation, the cross-stream velocity field is independent of the axial velocity component, thus reproducing the Independence Principle. Both the axial vorticity and axial velocity components are governed by an advection-diffusion equation. The governing equations for vorticity and velocity in the Q2D theory can be nondimensionalized to eliminate dependence on yaw angle, such that the cross-stream Reynolds number is the only dimensionless parameter. Computations using the Q2D theory are performed to examine the evolution of the cross-stream vorticity and associated axial velocity field. The cross-stream vorticity is observed to shed from the cylinder as thin sheets and to wrap around the Karman vortex structures, which in turn induces an axial velocity deficit within the wake vortex cores. The computational results indicate two physical mechanisms, associated with instability of the Q2D flow, that might explain the experimentally observed breakdown of the Independence Principle for large yaw angles.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Scramjets and Surfboards: Some Forgotten History

Anecdotal examples that illustrate the contributions that basic studies have made to aircraft and rocket ignition and combustion behavior are recalled. Some almost forgotten experimental supersonic combustion studies done in the 1950s by a small group at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory are recalled and described. Those studies anticipated the hypersonic, nearly Mach 10, flight that was achieved 50-some years later by a National Aeronautics and Space Administration aircraft in November 2004. A suggestion for further work related to combustion in the scramjet aircraft is made. Consideration of the use of hydrocarbon fuel spiked with a pyrophoric ignition and combustion enhancer, rather than hydrogen, is suggested.
Normative Misperceptions of Alcohol Use Among Substance Abusing Army Personnel

This research examines discrepancies among perceived norms, actual norms, and own behavior for alcohol in the military. Participants included 159 substance-abusing, active-duty U.S. Army personnel. Participants’ estimates of the average number of drinks consumed by Army personnel were significantly higher than the actual norm. Participants also overestimated the percentage of Army personnel who have engaged in heavy episodic drinking relative to the actual percentage. Participants’ own drinking was associated with their overestimations of other military personnel drinking but not other civilian drinking. Results provide foundational support for the use of military-specific normative feedback as a potential intervention strategy.
Separation off Silica from Spent Geothermal Fluids by Adsorptive Bubble Techniques

Abstract A method is described for the separation of amorphous silica from supersaturated high ionic strength geothermal fluids produced by the Hawaii Geothermal Project Well-A. A bench-scale technique which makes use of adsorptive bubble flotation is employed to remove silica after flocculation by the addition of polyvalent metal ions to hot (60–90°C) spent brine discharge. Ferric and aluminum salts are evaluated as flocculants under varying conditions. The anionic surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate and the cationic surfactant lauryl amine hydrochloride (LA) are utilized as the collectors below and above the isoelectric point, respectively. Efficiency of removal of the silica is pH, metal concentration, and surfactant-type dependent. Best results are achieved under slightly alkaline conditions (pH=8), using 3.75 × 10E−4 M ferric ion present as its sulfate, LA as the collector, and with a gas flow of 15 ± 3 mL/min. Under these conditions, approximately 70 ± 2% of the total silica is separated from the brine...
Mobile Contingency Management as an Adjunctive Smoking Cessation Treatment for Smokers With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Introduction Smokers with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) smoke at higher prevalence rates and are more likely to relapse early in a quit attempt. Innovative methods are needed to enhance quit rates, particularly in the early quit period. Web-based contingency-management (CM) approaches have been found helpful in reducing smoking among other difficult-to-treat smoker populations but are limited by the need for computers. This pilot study builds on the web-based CM approach by evaluating a smartphone-based application for CM named mobile CM (mCM). Methods Following a 2-week training period, 22 smokers with PTSD were randomized to a 4-week mCM condition or a yoked (i.e., noncontingent 4-week mCM condition). All smokers received 2 smoking cessation counseling sessions, nicotine replacement, and bupropion. Participants could earn up to $690 ($530 for mCM, $25.00 for assessments and office visits [up to 5], and $35.00 for equipment return). The average earned was $314.00. Results Compliance was high during the 2-week training period (i.e., transmission of videos) (93%) and the 4-week treatment period (92%). Compliance rates did not differ by group assignment. Four-week quit rates (verified with CO) were 82% for the mCM and 45% for the yoked controls. Three-month self-report quit rates were 50% in the mCM and 18% in the yoked controls. Conclusions mCM may be a useful adjunctive smoking cessation treatment component for reducing smoking among smokers with PTSD, particularly early in a smoking quit attempt.
Loose block independence

A finite state stationary process is defined to be loosely block independent if long blocks are almost independent in the $$\overline f $$ sense. We show that loose block independence is preserved under Kakutani equivalence and $$\overline f $$ limits. We show directly that any loosely block independent process is the $$\overline f $$ limit of Bernoulli processes and is a factor of a process which is Kakutani equivalent to a Bernoulli shift. The existing equivalence theory then yields that the loosely block independent processes are exactly the loosely Bernoulli (or finitely fixed) processes.
Measurement and characterization of micronuclei in exfoliated human cells by fluorescence in situ hybridization with a centromeric probe.

Abstract The micronucleus (MN) assay in human exfoliated cells has been widely used to detect the genotoxic effects of environmental mutagens, infectious agents and heriditary diseases. Substantial variability characterizes the MN frequencies reported by different research groups. One reason for this may be the restricted resolution power of the Feulgen-Fast-Green staining that is routinely used. Here we describe a new version of the MN assay that employs fluorescent propidium iodide staining along with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a centromeric probe. Buccal and urothelial cells were collected from 5 healthy unexposed female volunteers and 55 000 cells analyzed for MN frequency and abnormal nuclear events. The Feulgen-Fast-Green and the new fluorescent staining produced very similar results. The frequency of MN in buccal cells was 0.145±0.118% and in urothelial cells 0.083±0.074%. No correlation was found between the frequencies of MN in the two types of exfoliated cells. FISH with a centrometric probe allowed MN containing whole chromosomes with a centromere to be differentiated from those containing only acentric fragments. The former appear as a result of chromosome lagging in mitosis, while those without a centromere are due to chromosome breakage. In urothelial cells 43% of MN were centromere-negative and in buccal cells — 44%. Fluorescent staining provided more accurate scoring of degenerative cells than standard Feulgen-Fast-Green staining. The combined frequency of pycnotic cells, “broken eggs” and cells with fragmented nuclei did not exceed 2%, while that of karyorrhexis and karyolysis together was as high as 21%. Significant interindividual variability was found in the frequency of cells with karyolysis and karyorrhexis. Thus, the new version of micronucleus assay allows for MN to be scored more precisely, the mechanism of MN formation to be determined and abnormal nuclear events to be readily identified in exfoliated human cells. It is therefore ideal for studying genotoxicity in human populations using exfoliated cells from the mouth, bladder and nose.