cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing Stressors in Coastal Ecosystems: An Approach to the Patient

Medicine employs an approach to diagnose, give a prognosis, and develop a treatment for human patients. Specific signs and symptoms determined from medical examinations, laboratory tests, and patient history are utilized to predict the outcome of a potential pathological disorder. Utilizing a strategy similar to the medical examination, the status of ecosystems can be examined. To demonstrate this concept a “patient” case study of the Gulf of Mexico is described. The diagnosis of potential abnormalities within the Gulf of Mexico was conducted by examining field indicators including sediment chemistry and tissue chemistry (field examinations), sediment toxicity (laboratory testing), and a benthic index (patient history and existing symptoms). Based on the diagnosis (ecological assessment), a prognosis for the Gulf of Mexico was determined and specific areas that are impacted by stressors were identified for more detailed assessments. Pensacola Bay was identified as such an area impacted by stressors. The c...
Electrolyte absorption and secretion in the human colon.

Relationships between electrochemical forces and electrolyte transport were examined during colonic perfusion in 8 healthy volunteers. In addition, mucus was collected from the normal rectums of 25 patients. During perfusion, sodium was absorbed against electrochemical gradients and bulk water flow, consistent with active absorption. Potassium moved along electrochemical gradients, consistent with passive diffusion. The negative mucosal potential difference normally present in the colon should favor potassium excretion. Transport of anions was reciprocal: Chloride was absorbed, and bicarbonate secretion had features of an active process. The direction and degree of net water transport modified the movement of chloride, bicarbonate, and, to a lesser degree, potassium. Normal colonic mucus contained high concentrations of sodium, chloride, and potassium, most of which was dialyzable in vitro. The results imply that active sodium absorption influences water and electrolyte conservation in the human colon and that impairment of sodium transport, excessive mucus excretion, and changes of potential difference could contribute to fecal electrolyte losses in diarrhea.
Discordance between Traditional Pathologic and Energy Metabolic Changes in Very Early Alzheimer's Disease: Pathophysiological Implications

These results suggest that neither the loss of entorhinal efferents nor cholinergic deficit explains all the metabolic features seen in very early AD. Given recent immunohistological evidence of massive glutamatergic synaptic alteration in early AD cortex and insights into neuronal and glial mechanisms of glucose metabolism, very early metabolic changes in AD probably reflect a significant impairment of glycolytic activities in the cortico-cortical glutamatergic systems in a preclinical stage of the disease. However, the exact mechanisms of such impairment in these neurons are yet to be determined.
Genetics of benomyl resistance in Venturia inaequalis from North and South America, Europe, and New Zealand

(1984). Genetics of benomyl resistance in Venturia inaequalis from North and South America, Europe, and New Zealand. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology: Vol. 6, No. 4, pp. 283-290.
High efficiency magnet down-leads of weak-linked REBa2Cu3O7 fibres

Abstract Optimal magnet down-leads maximize current capability and minimize heat input to the coil. Down-leads made using high Tc superconductors can potentially perform much better than those made from a normal metal. We have designed a prototype magnet down-lead to go from 77 K to a superconducting magnet at 4 K using REBa2Cu3O7 fibres from GA's Pacific Superconductors Division. In spite of the sensitivity of weak-linked material to magnetic fields, these down-leads can be built to carry ≈100 A at the 77 K end and tolerate ≈100 G at the low temperature end. The calculated thermal conductance of this structure is divided among the superconductor, wire core and superstructure approximately in the ratio 3:1:0.1. A simple calculation suggests that the thermal efficiency of this device would be about 100 times that of optimized Cu down-leads. The down-lead could be designed for higher currents, but would have a smaller gain in efficiency. We have built a prototype magnet lead using 165 fibres which carried 35 A at 77 K, and which had a thermal efficiency without vapour cooling more than twice as good as a vapour cooled copper down-lead.
Acid-, Base-, and Lewis-Acid-Catalyzed Heterolysis of Methoxide from an α-Hydroxy-β-methoxy Radical: Models for Reactions Catalyzed by Coenzyme B12-Dependent Diol Dehydratase

[Reaction: see text].A model for glycol radicals was employed in laser flash photolysis kinetic studies of catalysis of the fragmentation of a methoxy group adjacent to an alpha-hydroxy radical center. Photolysis of a phenylselenylmethylcyclopropane precursor gave a cyclopropylcarbinyl radical that rapidly ring opened to the target alpha-hydroxy-beta-methoxy radical (3). Heterolysis of the methoxy group in 3 gave an enolyl radical (4a) or an enol ether radical cation (4b), depending upon pH. Radicals 4 contain a 2,2-diphenylcyclopropane reporter group, and they rapidly opened to give UV-observable diphenylalkyl radicals as the final products. No heterolysis was observed for radical 3 under neutral conditions. In basic aqueous acetonitrile solutions, specific base catalysis of the heterolysis was observed; the pK(a) of radical 3 was determined to be 12.5 from kinetic titration plots, and the ketyl radical formed by deprotonation of 3 eliminated methoxide with a rate constant of 5 x 10(7) s(-1). In the presence of carboxylic acids in acetonitrile solutions, radical 3 eliminated methanol in a general acid-catalyzed reaction, and rate constants for protonation of the methoxy group in 3 by several acids were measured. Radical 3 also reacted by fragmentation of methoxide in Lewis-acid-catalyzed heterolysis reactions; ZnBr2, Sc(OTf)3, and BF3 were found to be efficient catalysts. Catalytic rate constants for the heterolysis reactions were in the range of 3 x 10(4) to 2 x 10(6) s(-1). The Lewis-acid-catalyzed heterolysis reactions are fast enough for kinetic competence in coenzyme B12 dependent enzyme-catalyzed reactions of glycols, and Lewis-acid-catalyzed cleavages of beta-ethers in radicals might be applied in synthetic reactions.
Results of Vasovasostomy or Vasoepididymostomy After Failed Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspirations

Purpose: After undergoing vasectomy approximately 4% to 6% of men change their minds and desire more children. In the past they had 2 options: 1) vasectomy reversal and 2) sperm retrieval and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. However, in our practices we began to receive requests for another option: reconstructive microsurgery after failed percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration.Materials and Methods: In this report we combined our collective experience with 8 patients who requested reconstructive microsurgery after failed percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration and intracytoplasmic sperm injection.Results: Our intraoperative findings demonstrated minimal trauma to the epididymis resulting from percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration. At surgery sperm were found in the testicular vas fluid in 10 of 16 vasal units, and vasovasostomy was possible on at least 1 side in 7 of 8 patients. Vasoepididymostomy was possible when needed. Of the 8 couples 4 achieved pregnancy (50%).Conclusions: Vasovasostomy or va...
A flux-weakening control approach for interior permanent magnet synchronous motors based on Z-source inverters

This paper presents a flux-weakening solution by employing the voltage boost capability of Z-source inverters to overcome the voltage limitation in conventional drives for high-speed applications, e.g. hybrid/electric vehicles. In this control strategy, a flux-weakening algorithm has been developed to achieve constant output power of an interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM). Correspondingly, a flux-weakening control strategy including a closed-loop speed control is presented. Compared to existing flux-weakening methods, this attractive control strategy allows an IPMSM to largely extend its constant power speed range and operate at higher speed with larger torque. Theoretical analysis is given in detail, and corresponding simulation results are presented to verify the presented control technique.
Ligand binding kinetics of des arginine haemoglobin.

Abstract Des arginine 141 a haemoglobin (the haemoglobin in which the C-terminal arginine of the a chain has been removed) has a high affinity for oxygen and a reduced co-operativity in its oxygen equilibrium binding. The kinetic consequences of this modification are investigated in this paper. Deoxy des Arg haemoglobin binds carbon monoxide faster than does haemoglobin A, whilst oxy des Arg haemoglobin loses oxygen more slowly. These results are correlated with the oxygen equilibrium binding properties of des Arg haemoglobin. The carbon monoxide binding kinetics have been interpreted as implying a change in the parameter c (of the allosteric model), as well as L , when this arginine is removed from haemoglobin.
Promoter DNA methylation of CD10 in lymphoid malignancies

Lymphopoiesis of B-lineage cells is a complex process requiring stage-specific expression of multiple surface and cytoplasmic proteins that contribute to development and function. This complex process comprises biological progression from a lymphoid progenitor cell to a terminally differentiated plasma cell. Each step in this normal biological progression also has a malignant counterpart either referred to as leukemia or lymphoma (Figure 1a and b).1
Neuroendocrine differentiation in human prostatic carcinoma

Endocrine-paracrine (APUD, neuroendocrine) cells are located in the prostatic ductal and acinar epithelium. These cells are of the open and closed type and have dendritic processes. There is a wide range of secretory granule morphology presumably indicating a variety of different cell "types." Secretory immunoreactive peptides include serotonin, calcitonin (and related peptides), somatostatin, bombesin-like, thyroid-stimulating hormone-like (beta chain), and alpha-glycoprotein chain-like. These cells may function by endocrine, paracrine, neurocrine, and lumencrine mechanisms and play an important regulatory role both during growth and differentiation of the prostate as well as in the secretory process of the mature gland. Neuroendocrine differentiation in prostatic carcinoma is a frequent occurrence and manifests itself in several forms, including (1) small cell carcinoma, (2) carcinoid and carcinoid-like tumors, and (3) conventional adenocarcinoma with focal neuroendocrine differentiation. This latter pattern is the most common, and there is evidence that all or nearly all prostatic adenocarcinomas show at least some focal neuroendocrine differentiation. A review of the world's literature on this topic is included. Neuroendocrine differentiation generally portends a poorer prognosis but may also correlate directly with the grade. There is some evidence to suggest that neoplastic cells with neuroendocrine differentiation are resistant to hormonal therapy. Eutopic and ectopic hormone production may allow screening for prostatic carcinoma and/or monitoring for recurrence of prostatic carcinomas. Finally, the more basic implications of endocrine-paracrine cells and neuroendocrine differentiation are speculated on in reference to prostatic carcinogenesis and autocrine/paracrine tumor growth factor activity.
Analysis of Perchlorate in Dried Blood Spots Using Ion Chromatography and Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Because of health concerns surrounding in utero and neonatal exposure to perchlorate, we developed a method for analyzing perchlorate in the dried blood spots (DBS) of newborns. Ion chromatography was interfaced with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry to measure blood perchlorate levels in DBS samples as low as 0.10 ng/mL. Measurement of perchlorate in DBS indicated good precision (relative standard deviations ranging from 5.8% to 16.2%) and accuracy (% difference values ranging from −11.3% to −12.1%). Perchlorate was detectable in 100% of the DBS collected from 100 newborns. These samples had a median blank-adjusted concentration of 1.88 ng/mL. Such data support the utility of this method to quantify perchlorate levels in DBS samples. Applying this method to analyze neonatal DBS will improve perchlorate exposure assessments of this susceptible population.
A long-awaited discovery: hypoxia prevents mouse cells from undergoing spontaneous p53-dependent transformation

A recent publication by Phinney and his associates (1) has presented a discovery for which the field of cell biology has been waiting for more than half a century: a protocol that makes it possible to expand mouse cells in culture without the cells spontaneously transforming. Amazing though it seems, the secret is simply to grow the cells under hypoxic conditions.
Notes on the so-called incompleteness problem and on the proposed alternative concept of rational behavior

In reply to McClennen, the paper argues that his criticism is based on a mistaken assumption about the meaning of rationality postulates, to be called the ‘Implication Principle’. Once we realize that the Implication Principle has no validity, McClennen's criticisms of what he calls the ‘Reductio Argument’ and what he calls the ‘Incentive Argument’ fall to the ground. The rest of the paper criticizes the rationality concept McClennen proposes in lieu of that used by orthodox game theory. It is argued that McClennen's concept is inconsistent with the behavior of real-life intelligent egoists; it is incompatible with the way ‘payoffs’ are defined in game theory; and it would be highly dangerous as a practical guide to human behavior.
Influence of Interference and Clamping on Fretting Fatigue in Single Rivet-Row Lap Joints

Primary fretting fatigue variables such as contact pressure, slip amplitude and bulk cyclic stresses, at and near the contact interface between the rivet shank and panel hole in a single rivet-row, 7075-T6 aluminum alloy lap joint are presented. Three-dimensional finite element analysis is applied to evaluate these and the effects of interference and clamping stresses on the values of the primary variables and other overall measures of fretting damage. Two rivet geometries, non-countersunk and countersunk, are considered. Comparison with previous evaluations of the fretting conditions in similar but two-dimensional connections indicates that out-of-plane movements and attending effects can have a significant impact on the fatigue life of riveted connections. Variations of the cyclic stress range and other proponents of crack initiation are found to peak at distinct locations along the hole-shank interface, making it possible to predict crack initiation locations and design for extended life.
Point force models of primitive dislocation loops

Models of dislocations constructed by superimposing primitive loops contain information on the non-local nature of the dislocation core, which is not available from the local continuum model. Since displacements are only defined for discrete atomic positions in the vicinity of the dislocation line, which does not pass through an atomic position, dislocations formed by superposition of primitive loops do not have a singularity in the stress and strain fields at the location of the dislocation line. Finally, the self energy of the dislocation can be obtained by summation of the self energies of the forces and their pairwise interaction energies. The interaction energy of the dislocation with other crystal defects constructed from non-local force models can be obtained by a similar summation of pairwise interaction energies. Formation of extended defects by superposition of primitive loops will not be treated in this work, but the process is illustrated for an isotropic, simple cubic lattice.
Student Reading Practices in Print and Electronic Media

This paper reports a diary-based qualitative study on college students’ reading habits with regard to print and electronic media. Students used a form to record information about their reading practices for twelve days, including length of reading event, location, format used, and the purpose of reading. Students tended to use print for academic and long-form reading and to engage with it more deeply. Although electronic resources were sometimes used for academic purposes, students often used them for shorter and nonacademic reading. Students found electronic media convenient, but most of them did not wish to switch to electronic media for their academic reading.
Electronic Properties of Bi and In Substituted Layered Ba 4 Pb 3 O 10 Compounds

Electronic properties of the layered compounds with the general composition Ban+1(Pb,Bi)nO3n+1 are quite interesting as the crystal structure of these materials is quite similar to that of high-Tc cuprates. We have investigated the effect of Bi and In substitution on the structure, oxygen stoichiometry (carrier concentration) and the electronic properties of Ba4Pb3O10 compounds. The X-ray powder diffraction results indicate that the unit cell symmetry changes from body-centered tetragonal to cubic with the increasing concentration (x) of Bi and In. The oxygen stoichiometry of the materials is found to increase monotonically with the increase in x(Bi). On the other hand it decreased almost linearly with the increasing x(In). Resistivity of the materials is measured as a function of temperature in the temperature region 3-300K. It is found that the room temeprature resistivity increases with increasing x(Bi/In). Since the oxygen stoichiometry values suggest an increase in the carrier concentration with increasing x(Bi/In), it appears that the disorder caused by the substitution at the Pb site has lead to the carrier localization. For x(Bi)<0.2, we found that the resistivity varies as a function of lnT, which is indicative of weak localization. However, at higher concentrations 3D-VRH behavior is observed. On the other hand the resistivity of indium substituted samples show M-I transition, at low concentrations.
Munchausen syndrome presenting in a patient who has undergone temporomandibular joint surgery

Munchausen syndrome is a rare psychiatric disorder. Patients with Munchausen syndrome insist on and repeatedly undergo unnecessary investigations and operative treatments. No organic pathosis is demonstrated, and treatment consistently fails to alleviate the symptoms. This article presents a case report and a brief discussion to facilitate recognition and management techniques.
Advance Directives, Dementia, and Physician-Assisted Death:

Physician-assisted suicide laws in Oregon and Washington require the person's current competency and a prognosis of terminal illness. In The Netherlands voluntariness and unbearable suffering are required for euthanasia. Many people are more concerned about the loss of autonomy and independence in years of severe dementia than about pain and suffering in their last months. To address this concern, people could write advance directives for physician-assisted death in dementia. Should such directives be implemented even though, at the time, the person is no longer competent and would not be either terminally ill or suffering unbearably? We argue that in many cases they should be, and that a sliding scale which considers both autonomy and the capacity for enjoyment provides the best justification for determining when: when written by a previously well-informed and competent person, such a directive gains in authority as the later person's capacities to generate new critical interests and to enjoy life decrease. Such an extension of legalized death assistance is grounded in the same central value of voluntariness that undergirds the current more limited legalization.
Design of high-speed metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors: an optimization-based approach

The finger sizing of interdigitated Schottky-barrier metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors (MSM-PD) is discussed in this paper. We observe that a MSM-PD geometry with fast response speed can be determined by solving a special form of optimization problem called posynomial programming, for which very efficient global optimization methods have been developed. Our method, therefore, yields completely automated finger sizing of MSM-PD, directly from specifications.
Achieving one-hop DHT lookup and strong stabilization by passing tokens

Recent research has demonstrated that if network churn is not excessively high, it becomes entirely reasonable for a distributed hash table (DHT) to store a global lookup table at every node to achieve one-hop lookup. We present a novel algorithm for maintaining global lookup state in a DHT with a Chord-like circular address space. In our DHT, events are disseminated with a parallelized token-passing algorithm using dynamically-constructed dissemination trees rooted at the source of the events. We show that we are able to achieve good one- and two-hop routing performance at a modest cost in bandwidth. Furthermore, our scheme is bandwidth-adaptive, and automatically detects and repairs global address space inconsistencies.
Plasma Renin Activity Predicts Blood Pressure Responses to β-Blocker and Thiazide Diuretic as Monotherapy and Add-On Therapy for Hypertension

Since thiazide diuretics were introduced in the late 1950s for treatment of hypertension, interpatient variation has been documented for blood pressure responses to agents from all classes of antihypertensive drugs.1,2 For any single agent given as monotherapy, ~50% of patients achieve blood pressure levels <140/90 mm Hg,3 and sequential administration of agents from different classes achieves control in ~75% of patients.4,5 Interpatient variation in blood pressure response to a given drug and within-patient variation in response to drugs from different classes reflect heterogeneity in the mechanisms contributing to hypertension.6 In 1972, Laragh and colleagues first advocated the measurement of plasma renin activity in order to match the known target and actions of a prescribed drug with the particular “vasoconstriction-volume” characteristics of the individual’s hypertension.7,8 However, when a renin-based method of predicting responses to six different monotherapies was tested in a large sample of men with diastolic hypertension, it performed no better than an alternative method based on race and age, two more-easily determined characteristics that are correlated with plasma renin activity.9 Although measurement of plasma renin activity has also been advocated to guide selection of add-on therapy in patients not controlled on initial monotherapy,10 evidence to support this extension of renin profiling is limited.11 The objective of the present study was to identify patient characteristics that predict blood pressure responses to a commonly prescribed β-blocker (atenolol) and thiazide diuretic (hydrochlorothiazide) administered initially as monotherapy and subsequently as add-on therapy (to the other drug). In addition to evaluating the predictive effects of race, age, and plasma renin activity, we sought to identify other predictive characteristics easily determined by interview or physical examination. We analyzed data from the first 363 participants in the Pharmacogenomic Evaluation of Antihypertensive Responses (PEAR) study, which aims to identify genetic predictors of blood pressure responses to atenolol and hydrochlorothiazide. 12 An additional motivation for this analysis was to benchmark the percentage of interindividual variation in blood pressure responses that can be explained before measurements of genetic variation are considered.
The Distribution of an Urban Public Service The Changing Role of Race and Politics

The research on the distribution of urban public services has made a valuable contribution in enhancing our understanding of urban politics. However, this literature is criticized because the authors employed cross-sectional rather than longitudinal designs, relied upon single rather than multiple indicators of the distributional pattern, and emphasized bureaucratic rather than political explanations of distributional outcomes. In this article, the distribution of park and recreation services in Chicago is analyzed for a 22-year period, revealing that a redistribution of resources between white and black wards occurred during this time. One conclusion is that class has replaced race as the primary determinant of the service distribution pattern.
Estimation of sensor gain and phase

The problem of estimating the direction-independent gain and phase characteristics of an array of sensors, using knowledge of the true field covariance at the sensor locations, is considered. A concise expression for the log-likelihood function is derived and several mathematical properties of this objective function are given. The Cramer-Rao (C-R) lower bounds on the variances of gain and phase estimates are derived, with the plane wave in isotropic noise considered as a special case. The maximum-likelihood estimates are shown to be consistent, asymptotically efficient and asymptotically normal. A simple estimator is proposed which is consistent and which gives good initial estimates for a Newton algorithm for finding the maximum-likelihood solution. Comparison of the maximum-likelihood estimates and the C-R bounds is given for the plane-wave-in-isotropic-noise example. >
A simple heuristic for blindfolded record linkage

Objectives To address the challenge of balancing privacy with the need to create cross-site research registry records on individual patients, while matching the data for a given patient as he or she moves between participating sites. To evaluate the strategy of generating anonymous identifiers based on real identifiers in such a way that the chances of a shared patient being accurately identified were maximized, and the chances of incorrectly joining two records belonging to different people were minimized. Methods Our hypothesis was that most variation in names occurs after the first two letters, and that date of birth is highly reliable, so a single match variable consisting of a hashed string built from the first two letters of the patient's first and last names plus their date of birth would have the desired characteristics. We compared and contrasted the match algorithm characteristics (rate of false positive v. rate of false negative) for our chosen variable against both Social Security Numbers and full names. Results In a data set of 19 000 records, a derived match variable consisting of a 2-character prefix from both first and last names combined with date of birth has a 97% sensitivity; by contrast, an anonymized identifier based on the patient's full names and date of birth has a sensitivity of only 87% and SSN has sensitivity 86%. Conclusion The approach we describe is most useful in situations where privacy policies preclude the full exchange of the identifiers required by more sophisticated and sensitive linkage algorithms. For data sets of sufficiently high quality this effective approach, while producing a lower rate of matching than more complex algorithms, has the merit of being easy to explain to institutional review boards, adheres to the minimum necessary rule of the HIPAA privacy rule, and is faster and less cumbersome to implement than a full probabilistic linkage.
GaAs MMIC thermal modeling for channel temperatures in accelerated life test fixtures and microwave modules

Detailed thermal modeling of a gallium arsenide (GaAs) power amplifier monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) yields operating channel temperatures that are used to correlate reliability life test results. The model includes temperature dependent material properties, surface metallization layers, and volumetric heat generation in the depletion region directly beneath the channels. Also included are chip-to-substrate and substrate-to-housing interface thermal resistances. Model predictions which include the top surface metallization layers indicate the hottest channel is not always the center channel as simpler methods would predict but in a location with partially unplated metallization. The finite difference meshing scheme is first verified by comparison to a simplified geometry that may be characterized by an analytical solution program. After the channel temperatures are established over a range of temperatures, model verification is accomplished by infrared (IR) imaging. The necessity of coating the GaAs MMIC with a uniform emissivity material to obtain accurate IR imaging results is demonstrated. A final confirmation of the techniques is by photographs taken during failure analysis indicating device failures occurred at the location predicted by the thermal model. >
Developing a Global Perspective: A Crucial “Changing of Our Minds”:

For all the contradiction of the present-day world, for all the diversity of social and political systems in it, and for all the different choices made by the nations in different times, this world is never-the-less one whole. We are all passengers aboard one ship, the Earth, and we must not allow it to be wrecked. There will be no second Noah's Ark.-Mikhail Gorbachev, Perestroika (1987, p. 12)
Selective ligand-induced intracellular calcium changes in a population of rat isolated gastric endocrine cells

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Peripheral regulation of acid secretion depends mainly on stimulation or inhibition of the three major gastric endocrine cells (enterochromaffin-like, gastrin, and somatostatin). The aim of this paper was to define physiological responses of enterochromaffin-like, gastrin, and somatostatin cells in a mixed endocrine cell population by measuring ligand-selective changes of intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) in individual cells. METHODS: Endocrine cells were enriched from a rat gastric cell suspension by elutriation, a density-gradient fractionation, and a 48-hour short-term culture. [Ca2+]i responses of individual cells to various ligands such as gastrin/carboxy-terminal cholecystokinin octapeptide and selective cholecystokinin antagonists, carbachol, and gastrin-releasing peptide were monitored using video imaging in a perfusion chamber. Characteristic [Ca2+]i changes distinguished the three cell types, confirmed by immunostaining. RESULTS: All enterochromaffin-like cells respond to cholecystokinin-B receptor stimulation, but only a few respond to carbachol. Gastrin cells respond to both gastrin-releasing peptide and carbachol but not to cholecystokinin-receptor agonists. Somatostatin cells have both stimulatory cholecystokinin-A and cholecystokinin-B receptors and inhibitory muscarinic receptors. All cells have inhibitory somatostatin receptors. CONCLUSIONS: Calcium- signaling responses of gastric endocrine cells are distinctive. This allows individual cell types in a mixed population to be characterized and permits an analysis of the hormones and transmitters that act directly on a specific cell type. (Gastroenterology 1996 Jun;110(6):1835-46)
Female and male lifestyle habits and IVF: what is known and unknown

There is no greater tribute to the importance and efficacy of IVF than the fact that >1 x 10(6) babies have been born to infertile couples since its clinical introduction in 1978. Despite enormous advances regarding the technical aspects of the IVF procedure, the parents' contribution has virtually been ignored when considering aspects that influence success rates. This systematic review focuses on the effects of female and male lifestyle habits (specifically: smoking, alcohol and caffeine use, and psychological stress) on the reproductive endpoints of IVF (i.e. oocyte aspiration, fertilization, embryo transfer, achievement of a pregnancy, live birth delivery, and perinatal outcomes, e.g. low birthweight, multiple gestations). What is currently known in the field of lifestyle habits and IVF? There is compelling evidence that smoking has a negative influence on IVF outcomes, whereas for stress, the evidence is suggestive but insufficient due to the heterogeneity of studies. The evidence for the effects of alcohol and caffeine on IVF is inadequate, and therefore unknown, due to the scarcity of studies.
Analysis of bvgR Expression in Bordetella pertussis

Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, produces a wide array of factors that are associated with its ability to cause disease. The expression and regulation of these virulence factors are dependent upon the bvg locus, which encodes three proteins: BvgA, a 23-kDa cytoplasmic protein; BvgS, a 135-kDa transmembrane protein; and BvgR, a 32-kDa protein. It is hypothesized that BvgS responds to environmental signals and interacts with BvgA, a transcriptional regulator, which upon modification by BvgS binds to specific promoters and activates transcription. An additional class of genes is repressed by the products of the bvg locus. The repression of these genes is dependent upon the third gene, bvgR. Expression of bvgR is dependent upon the function of BvgA and BvgS. This led to the hypothesis that the binding of phosphorylated BvgA to the bvgR promoter activates the expression of bvgR. We undertook an analysis of the transcriptional activation of bvgR expression. We identified the bvgR transcript by Northern blot analysis and identified the start site of transcription by primer extension. We determined that transcriptional activation of the bvgR promoter in an in vitro transcription system requires the addition of phosphorylated BvgA. Additionally, we have identified cis-acting regions that are required for BvgA activation of the bvgR promoter by in vitro footprinting and in vivo deletion and linker scanning analyses. A model of BvgA binding to the bvgR promoter is presented.
Lingual tonsillitis presenting as hemoptysis

Summary To the best of our knowledge, hemoptysis caused by hemorrhagic lingual tonsils has not been reported. We describe a case of hemoptysis caused by bleeding from inflamed, hypertrophied lingual tonsils. Treatment with antibiotics did not resolve the bleeding. Carbon dioxide laser lingual tonsillectomy was curative.
Cytokine Induction by Streptococcus mutans and Pulpal Pathogenesis

Chronic pulpal inflammation under caries appears to be elicited by bacterial antigens that diffuse into the pulp through dentinal tubules. This prompted the hypothesis that cytokines elicited by antigens from Streptococcus mutans, which frequently dominates shallow lesions, could play a major role in eliciting the initial T-cell response in the pulp. To test this, we examined the ability of S. mutans to stimulate T cells and elicit cytokines and used Lactobacillus casei, which often predominates in deep carious lesions where B cells and plasma cells predominate, as a control. In addition, the presence of cytokines in the pulp was analyzed at the mRNA level. S. mutans elicited potent gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures and reduced the CD4/CD8 ratio by promoting CD8(+) T cells. Multiple inflammatory cytokine mRNAs (IFN-gamma, interleukin 4 [IL-4], and IL-10) were detected in human dental pulp. A higher prevalence of IFN-gamma (67%) than IL-4 (19%) or IL-10 (29%) was obtained in shallow caries, suggesting a type 1 cytokine mechanism in early pulpitis where S. mutans predominates. In contrast, in deep caries no differences in cytokine frequency were observed. Furthermore, the presence of IFN-gamma in the pulp correlated with the presence of S. mutans. The extraordinary induction of type 1 cytokines and the preferential activation of CD8(+) T cells by S. mutans offers an explanation for the etiology of the CD8(+) T-cell-dominant lesion in early pulpitis and suggests that S. mutans may have a major impact on the initial lesion and pulpal pathology.
Sex pheromone blend of the pandora moth (Lepidoptera : Saturniidae), an outbreak pest in pine forests (Pinaceae)

La pheromone sexuelle complexe emise par les femelles du saturne Coloradia pandora pandora Blake, un parasite responsable de la defoliation periodique des forets de pins dans l'ouest americain, a ete identifie. La pheromone est un melange d'E10,Z12-hexadecadienal, d'acetate d'E10,Z12-hexadecadienyle et d'acetate d'E10,E12-hexadecadienyle. Les trois composantes sont essentielles pour que le pouvoir d'attraction soit optimal. L'E10,E12-hexadecadienol, present a l'etat de traces et identifie sous toutes reserves dans les extraits de glandes a pheromone, provoque des reactions importantes des antennes chez les mâles, telles que percues lors d'analyses couplees de chromatographie en phase gazeuse et d'electroantennogramme, mais ne semble pas avoir d'effet apparent comme composante de la pheromone a des niveaux physiologiquement decelables. L'hexadecanal, l'octodecanal, et l'acetate d'hexadecyl sont egalement identifies comme extraits des glandes a pheromones des femelles, mais ne provoquent aucune reaction antennaire chez les mâles et ne semblent pas entrer dans la composition du melange attirant. Sur le terrain, chaque piege garni d'un melange optimise des trois composantes, E10,Z12-hexadecadienal, acetate d'E10,Z12-hexadecadienyl, et acetate d'E10,E12-hexadecadienyle, a attire en moyenne plus de 40 mâles par nuit.
Comments on Brinkley, Costa, and Seltzer: The Old, the Poor, and the Sick in American Economic History

Given the topics addressed by the three North American dissertations–old-age and disability pensions by Dora Costa, minimum wages by Andrew Seltzer, and hookworm disease by Garland Brinkley–I have subtitled my comments: “The Old, the Poor, and the Sick in American Economic History.” We observe that these dissertations address the effects of policies aimed at such seemingly inescapable human afflictions as aging, disability, poverty, and disease. Despite this observation, these are not tales of gloom. After all, as the authors themselves inform us, the old and disabled get pensions, the poor get minimum wages, and the sick get healed. So, each dissertation contains something to reassure the Dr. Pangloss–or the Dr. Stigler–in all of us. Here, however, the similarities between them end, with one notable exception–and that is the uniformly high quality of the scholarship they display.
Common neural substrates for the control and effects of visual attention and perceptual bistability.

Abstract Behavioral studies have suggested that bistable figure perception is mediated by spatial attention. We tested this hypothesis using event-related functional MRI. During central fixation, two tilted squares containing coherently moving dots were presented in the left and right hemifields. In the attention condition, participants were occasionally cued to shift attention between the squares. In the perception condition, corresponding corners of the squares were connected by horizontal lines producing a perceptually bistable Necker cube figure. Observers reported which of the two faces appeared ‘forward’ in depth; cues elicited voluntary perceptual reversals. Attending to either square during the attention condition or perceiving either square as forward during the perception condition yielded increased activity in contralateral visual areas. Furthermore, voluntary shifts of attention and voluntary shifts in perceptual configuration were associated with common activity in the posterior parietal cortex, part of the frontoparietal attentional control network. These results support the hypothesis that voluntary shifts in perceptual bistability are mediated by spatial attention.
Is Liver Transplantation Appropriate for Patients with Potentially Resectable De Novo Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma

Background Liver transplantation (LTX) is curative for selected patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC) in the setting of sclerosing cholangitis. However, the outcome of LTX vs liver resection (RTX) for patients with de novo HC remains unclear. Study Design Patients with de novo HC treated by protocol LTX (n = 90) or RTX (n = 124) between 1993 and 2013 were reviewed. Based on preoperative imaging, RTX was pursued for Bismuth type III HC and LTX for unresectable Bismuth type IV. Results Unadjusted analysis showed that overall survival after operation was greater for LTX than RTX (p = 0.003). One-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates, respectively, were 90%, 71%, and 59% for LTX and 81%, 53%, and 36% for RTX. Survival was not different between LTX and RTX after adjusting for patient age, lymph node metastases, and tumor size. After postoperative pathologic review, HC after RTX was reclassified as Bismuth-Corlette (B-C) IV, based on the necessity of multiple biliary anastomoses in 40 patients to more accurately compare treatment outcomes. Overall survival was greater after LTX than RTX (p = 0.039) for patients with Bismuth-Corlette IV HC. Conclusions Patients with clearly resectable de novo HC should be treated with resection because there is no evidence that they would fare better with LTX. Patients with locally unresectable de novo HC, meeting criteria for our protocol, should be treated with LTX. The decision to proceed with RTX or LTX for patients with borderline resectable de novo HC remains difficult, but our results suggest that patients with B-C type IV HC might be best treated with transplantation, if they are excellent transplant candidates.
Interspecific Competition Between Coleogyne ramosissima Seedlings and Bromus rubens

Abstract Interactive effects of red brome grass (Bromus rubens) density and time of establishment on the early survival and growth of blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) seedlings were quantitatively investigated. Seeds of Coleogyne and Bromus were collected from Cold Creek of the Spring Mountains in southern Nevada. A series of pot trial experiments were conducted in a controlled environmental glasshouse. In mixed culture pots when Coleogyne seedlings planted four weeks later than Bromus at medium and high density levels, survival of Coleogyne seedlings (experimental populations) was greatly reduced compared to single Coleogyne seedlings that grew alone (control population). Significant interactions were detected between neighboring Bromus density and time of planting for shoot height, root/shoot ratio, leaf length, and shoot water potential of experimental Coleogyne populations. When Bromus density was examined independently, all measured growth parameters of experimental Coleogyne populations were signi...
Differentiation of the silk gland. A model system for the study of differential gene action.

Differential gene transcription is one mechanism which controls development and differentiation in animal cells. One way to study this mechanism is to isolate genes of known function and reconstruct their normal controls (see Brown et al., 1970). Toward this goal Brown and his colleagues have undertaken a long-range study on the genes for ribosomal RNA (rDNA), 5S RNA, and transfer RNA from Xenopus laevis (Brown et al., 1970; Dawid et al., 1970; Reeder and Brown, 1970; Roeder et al., 1970; Wensink and Brown, 1971; Brown et al., 1971; Reeder and Roeder, 1972; Brown and Sugimoto, 1973; Reeder, 1973). Meanwhile, it might be possible to search for substances which control their transcription during development. We recognize, however, that even a complete elucidation of the factors regulating the rDNA, 5S DNA, and transfer RNA genes may not necessarily explain how tissue-specific genes are controlled in embryogenesis. The genes for these structural RNAs are not characteristic of any tissue; they are genes controlling “housekeeping” products found in all cells and should be regulated differently from genes which are expressed in a single cell-type such as globin, immunoglobulin and silk fibroin genes.
HPHT Hot-Wet Resistance of Reinforcement Fibers and Fiber-Resin Interface of Advanced Composite Materials

Advanced fiber-reinforced polymer-matrix composites are used extensively in oilfield downhole operations because of their performance, lightweight and easy-removal advantages. However, high-pressure/high-temperature (HPHT) corrosive borehole environments pose significant challenges to these materials. It is well known that a high-temperature hot-wet environment degrades most matrix resins. Effects of this environment on various advanced reinforcement fibers and the fiber/resin interfaces in composites, however, have not received enough attention.
The Impact of Catchment Modeling on Hydrologic Reliability

Plate and Duckstein (this proceedings) advance the notion of “hydrologic reliability” which interacts with two other quantities, namely “hydraulic reliability” and “structural reliability” to give a measure of total system reliability. The hydrologic variable, discharge, which is the output of a selected catchment model, is the main ingredient used in the evaluation of the hydrologic reliability. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the factors that influence the accuracy of discharge estimates by catchment models. It is argued that as long as the accuracy of forecasts generated by such models is questionable, we may wish to exercise caution in accepting the computed value for the hydrologic reliability which is used to give us the overall reliability of a water resources system.
Optimizing conditions for utilization of an H2 oxidation catalyst with outer coordination sphere functionalities

As a starting point for evaluating a broader range of conditions for H2 oxidation complexes, in this work we investigate an efficient and reversible Ni-based H2 oxidation and production complex with an arginine in the outer coordination sphere, [Ni(P(Cy)2N(Arginine)2)2](7+) (CyArg). We tested this complex under a wide range of pressures and temperatures, in two different solvents (methanol and water), to determine if simultaneous improvements in rate and overpotential could be achieved. We found that the optimal conditions combined both high temperature (72 °C) and pressure (100 atm H2) in acidic aqueous solution (pH = 1), resulting in the fastest H2 oxidation reported for any homogeneous electrocatalyst to date (TOF 1.1 × 10(6) s(-1)) operating at 240 mV overpotential. The activation free energy in water was determined to be 10 kcal mol(-1) at all pressures studied. Surprisingly, in methanol under the same temperature and pressure, CyArg had a TOF for H2 oxidation of only 280 s(-1) at an overpotential of 750 mV. Comparisons to the data in water, and to a control complex, [Ni(P(Cy)2N(Benzyl)2)2](2+) (CyBn; Bn = benzyl), suggest that this substantial difference is likely due to a change in rate limiting step from H2 addition to deprotonation. Importantly, the optimal conditions we identified for CyArg (elevated temperature and acidic aqueous solutions), are amenable to fuel cell technologies and provide an important advancement in implementing homogeneous synthetic catalysts for renewable energy.
Genetic analysis of a mutant of Aspergillus flavus producing more aflatoxin B2 than B1.

Parasexual crosses involving a mutant of Aspergillus flavus having a high and relatively stable level of aflatoxin B2 relative to aflatoxin B1 have revealed a genetic locus for control of aflatoxin...
Highly Luminescent Tridentate N∧C*N Platinum(II) Complexes Featured in Fused Five–Six-Membered Metallacycle and Diminishing Concentration Quenching

A series of cyclometalating ligands, N-phenyl-N-(3-(pyridin-2-yl)phenyl)pyridin-2-amine (L1), N-(3-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)phenyl)-N-phenylpyridin-2-amine (L2), N-phenyl-N-(3-(quinolin-2-yl)phenyl)pyridin-2-amine (L3), N-phenyl-N-(3-(pyridin-2-yl)phenyl)quinolin-2-amine (L4), N-(3-(isoquinolin-1-yl)phenyl)-N-phenylpyridin-2-amine (L5), and N-phenyl-N-(3-(pyridin-2-yl)phenyl)isoquinolin-1-amine (L6), were synthesized, which reacted with K2PtCl4 in glacial acetic acid to produce N∧C*N-coordinated platinum(II) complexes featured in a fused five–six-membered metallacycle, 1–6, respectively. The structures of 1, 3, 4, and 6 were determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The square geometries of the complexes are improved when compared with those of the N∧C∧N-coordinated complexes as the bite angles for the platinum in N∧C*N-coordinated complexes 1, 3, and 4 are increased. The Pt–C bonds (1.94–1.95 A) are shorter than those of C∧N∧N-coordinated platinum complexes but longer than those found for N∧C∧N-coordin...