cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GAP-43 as a plasticity protein in neuronal form and repair

Neurons exhibit a remarkable plasticity of form, both during neural development and during the subsequent remodelling of synaptic connectivity. Here we review work on GAP-43 and G0, and focus upon the thesis that their interaction may endow neurons with such plasticity. We also present new data on the role of G proteins in neurite growth, and on the interaction of GAP-43 and actin. GAP-43 is a protein induced during periods of axonal extension and highly enriched on the inner surface of the growth cone membrane. Its membrane localization is primarily due to a short amino terminal sequence which is subject to palmitoylation. Binding to actin filaments may also assist in restricting the protein to specific cellular domains. Consistent with its role as a "plasticity protein," there is evidence that GAP-43 can directly alter cell shape and neurite extension, and several theses have been advanced for how it might do so. Two other prominent components of the growth cone membrane are the alpha and beta subunits of G0. GAP-43 regulates their guanine nucleotide exchange, which is an unusual role for an intracellular protein. We speculate that GAP-43 may adjust the "set point" of responsiveness for G0 stimulation by receptors, thereby altering the neuronal propensity to growth, without actually causing growth. To begin to address how G protein activity affects axon growth, we have developed a means to introduce guanine nucleotide analogs into sympathetic neurons. Stimulation of G proteins with GTP-gamma-S retards axon growth, whereas GDP-beta-S enhances it. This is compatible with G protein registration of inhibitory signals.
Arendt’s Machiavellian moment

In this article, I offer a reassessment of the influence of two disparate bodies of thought – republicanism and existentialism – on Hannah Arendt. Arendt, I argue, is not involved in an ‘agonistic appropriation’ of Heidegger. Arendt identifies two opposed attitudes in Heidegger’s work. The first Promethean moment places Heidegger squarely in the tradition of Western political philosophy, and the second seemingly correcting for this recommends a quietism. Arendt rejects both these attitudes. Machiavelli rather than Heidegger, I argue, is the key influence on Arendt's political thought. Through a reading of Arendt’s published works and her unpublished 1955 lecture notes on Machiavelli I show that the central categories of Arendt’s thought emerge from her meditation on Machiavelli’s texts. Arendt finds in Machiavelli a performative understanding of politics, an accurate understanding of the connection between morality and politics, and a primacy given to politics that she thought it deserves.
Effect of penicillin, pentylenetetrazol and strychnine on the release of endogenous amino acids into the vitreous of the intact eye of the rat.

Abstract The vitreous of the intact eye of the albino rat was perfused in vivo and the concentration of amino acids was measured in the vitreal effluent under various conditions. Elevated potassium concentration in the medium stimulated the release of glycine and taurine. Penicillin inhibited the K+-evoked release of both amino acids; pentylenetetrazol inhibited the release of only taurine; and strychnine did not inhibit the release of either amino acid. Penicillin did not inhibit the ouabain-evoked release of glycine. Part of the convulsant action of penicillin may reflect its ability to lower the concentration of inhibitory amino acids in the extracellular fluid of the nervous system under calcium-dependent depolarizing conditions.
Regional gene therapy for full-thickness articular cartilage lesions using naked DNA with a collagen matrix.

A novel gene therapy approach for treating damaged cartilage is proposed that involves placing endotoxin-free cDNA containing the gene for bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) in type I collagen sponges and then transferring the naked plasmid DNA construct to the injury site. A full-thickness cartilaginous defect in rabbits implanted with plasmid containing a marker gene (β-galactosidase) showed expressed protein as detected by immunostaining. At 1 week postimplantation, mesenchymal cells subjacent to the defect had incorporated the implanted naked plasmid DNA and, once transfected, served as local bioreactors, transiently producing the gene product. Plasmids containing the gene for BMP-2 implanted in collagen sponges in cartilage lesions stimulated hyalinelike articular cartilage repair at 12 weeks postimplantation, nearly equivalent in quality to that induced by collagen sponges with recombinant BMP-2 protein. Our approach circumvents the risks of inflammation and immunogenic response associated with the use of viral vectors. Naked plasmid DNA as a vehicle for transferring therapeutic genes has been shown to be effective in a therapeutic model within rabbit articular cartilage and appears to be safe and cost effective. © 2006 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res
A cephalometric study of normal and defective -s- articulation and variations in incisor dentition.

The purpose of this study was to define variation in /s/ articulation associated with differences in incisor dentition. Articulatory relationships, defined by cephalometric films, were studied in n...
Crayfish ventral nerve cord and hemolymph: content of free amino acids and other metabolites.

Abstract 1. 1. Non-protein amino acids and related compounds in the ventral nerve cord (VNC) and the hemolymph of the fresh-water crayfish Orconectes immunis have been determined by ion-exchange chromatography. Some other metabolites have also been measured. 2. 2. A total of twenty-six and twenty-seven amino compounds has been found in the VNC and the hemolymph, respectively. 3. 3. The VNC contained over ten times as much total amino compounds as the hemolymph. 4. 4. Some pharmacologically active amino acids such as GABA, glutamate and aspartate existed in even higher content in the VNC than in the hemolymph. 5. 5. The significance of such disparity in distribution has been discussed.
Anti-neuronal nuclear autoantibody type 2: Paraneoplastic accompaniments

We identified the IgG autoantibody ANNA-2 ("anti-Ri") in 34 patients in a 12-year period by immunofluorescence screening of sera from approximately 75000 patients with subacute neurological disorders that were suspected to be paraneoplastic. Detailed clinical information was available for 28 patients (10 men, 18 women). Cancer was diagnosed in 24 patients (86%); 21 had histologically proven carcinoma (10 lung, 9 breast, 1 cervical, 1 bladder), and 3 had an intrathoracic imaging abnormality. Cancer anteceded neurological symptoms in 4 of 28 patients. Cancer detection frequency increased with continued surveillance. Neurological disorders, in decreasing frequency, were brainstem syndrome (including opsoclonus, myoclonus, or both), cerebellar syndrome, myelopathy, peripheral neuropathy, cranial neuropathy, movement disorder, encephalopathy, Lambert-Eaton syndrome, and seizures. Four patients had laryngospasm and four had jaw opening dystonia (two with neck dystonia). Nine (32%) were wheelchair-bound 1 month after neurological symptom onset. Most improved neurologically after immunomodulatory or tumor-directed therapy. Accompanying autoantibodies, found in 73% of sera, included ANNA-1, ANNA-3, CRMP-5-IgG, P/Q-type and N-type Ca(2+) channel antibodies, and muscle-type acetylcholine receptor antibody. Some neurological accompaniments of ANNA-2 may reflect potentially pathogenic humoral or cell-mediated responses to coimmunogenic tumor antigens, for example, Lambert-Eaton syndrome (P/Q-type Ca(2+) channel antibody) and peripheral neuropathy (ANNA-1 effector T cells).
Critical reviewS of the literature on solid waste management

(1973). Critical reviewS of the literature on solid waste management. C R C Critical Reviews in Environmental Control: Vol. 3, No. 1-4, pp. 261-301.
Aberration-corrected aspheric gratings for far-ultraviolet spectrographs: holographic approach

Two approaches to reducing the optical aberrations of concave diffraction gratings have been studied: holographically controlling the groove curvature and spacing, and shaping the optical substrate while keeping the grooves straight and equally spaced. We develop the theory of ellipsoidal holographic diffraction gratings and apply this theory to Rowland circle spectrographs. We show that ellipsoidal holographic gratings used in second order can yield high spectral resolutions across the spectral band. These gratings may be suitable for use in far-ultraviolet Rowland spectrographs with small bandpasses.
Acute and chronic effects of cocaine on the immune system and the possible link to AIDS

The pathogenesis of AIDS is a complex and prolonged process that is affected by a variety of cofactors, including the abuse of both intravenous and smoked (crack) cocaine. The exact mechanisms by which cocaine facilitates this disease are yet to be proven, but likely include a combination of increased risk due to cocaine-related social behaviours, a wide-ranging capacity for cocaine to suppress the immune system, and an effect of cocaine on the infectivity and replication of HIV. While sometimes contradictory, both human and animal studies document that cocaine alters the function of natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, neutrophils and macrophages, and alters the ability of these cells to secrete immunoregulatory cytokines. In addition to these effects on the immune system, cocaine also enhances the infectivity and/or replication of HIV when tested using human cells in vitro.
The Tempo of Mercantile Life in Colonial America

This study of the working habits of early American businessmen focuses on long-forgotten details that help clarify methods of the day and suggest that business in colonial times had not yet become an end in itself nor a dominant means for self-expression.
News from CDC: the Legacy for Children™ parenting model, partnering to translate research to practice for children in poverty

Approximately 16 million US children currently live in poverty [1]. Children living in poverty experience significant disparities on indicators of physical and mental health and academic success [2–6]. The importance of positive early experiences and the benefits of early intervention to mitigate the life-long effects of poverty have been confirmed in biologic [7], economic [8, 9], and social models [10]. Unfortunately, early childhood interventions have historically been limited in producing impacts when taken to scale. This has been attributed in part to a lack of quality assurance when moving from research to practice [11] and poor attention to scalability and dissemination when developing programs [12].
Transformations for Estimation of Linear Models with Nested-Error Structure

Abstract Two linear models with error structure of the nested type are considered. Transformations are presented by which uncorrelated errors with constant variances are obtained. The transformed observations are differences between the original observations and multiples of averages of subsets of the observations. The transformations permit the calculation of the generalized least-squares estimators and their covariance matrices by ordinary least-squares regression. Regression-type estimators are presented for use when the variance components are unknown. Sufficient conditions are presented under which the estimated generalized least-squares estimator is unbiased and asymptotically equivalent to the generalized least-squares estimator.
PTM: probabilistic topic mapping model for mining parallel document collections

Many applications generate a large volume of parallel document collections. A parallel document collection consists of two sets of documents where the documents in each set correspond to each other and form semantic pairs (e.g., pairs of problem and solution descriptions in a help-desk setting). Although much work has been done on text mining, little previous work has attempted to mine such a novel kind of text data. In this paper, we propose a new probabilistic topic model, called Probabilistic Topic Mapping (PTM) model, to mine parallel document collections to simultaneously discover latent topics in both sets of documents as well as the mapping of topics in one set to those in the other. We evaluate the PTM model on one real parallel document collection in IT service domain. We show that PTM can effectively discover meaningful topics, as well as their mappings, and it's also useful for improving text matching and retrieval when there's a vocabulary gap.
Content classification system for sexual counseling: method and application.

Abstract A classification system for analysis of content of sexual counseling, and its application to a study of the relationship between patients' pretreatment content expectancies and counselors' content emphases, are reported. Sexual content categories are organized by (a) the object of patients' sexual behavior and (b) the generality or specificity of sexual content. Findings revealed that patients expected heavy emphasis to be placed on discussion of specific sexual content, in addition to more traditional subject matter. The pattern of expectations was similar for all patients, regardless of sex, and for therapists of either sex. Cross-sex patient-therapist pairings were found to be the most facilitative condition for meeting patients' pretreatment content expectancies.
Numerical Study of the Wake Structure behind a Three-Dimensional Hill

Abstract A numerical study of the wake structure behind a three-dimensional hill is presented. Large eddy simulation is used to investigate the source of the wake vorticity and the variations of the wake structure with U∞/Nh. Here, U∞ is the freestream velocity, N is the Brunt–Vaisala frequency, and h is the hill height. The simulation shows that when U∞/Nh ∼ 1, the wake vorticity originates from baroclinic processes at the initial stage of the wake development. Even though contributions from friction effects increase during the later stage of the wake development, the production of the wake vorticity from baroclinicity remains significant. The wake consists of a pair of vertically oriented vortices, which form vertical lateral boundaries for the wake. When U∞/Nh ≤ 0.2, the vortical structure of the wake has a horseshoe shape, and the change of the wake width with height reflects the change of the radius of the hill with height. All evidence indicates that the wake at U∞ ≤ 0.2 follows the two-dimensional ...
Effect of Ondansetron on the Incidence of Vomiting Associated With Ketamine Sedation in Children: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Study objective We investigate the effect of ondansetron on the incidence of vomiting in children who receive intravenous (IV) ketamine for procedural sedation and analgesia in the emergency department (ED). Methods In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in a children's hospital ED, patients receiving IV ketamine (1 mg/kg) for ED procedures were randomized to receive either IV ondansetron (0.15 mg/kg; maximum 4 mg) or identical placebo. We recorded whether vomiting occurred in the ED postsedation or up to 12 hours after discharge with telephone follow-up and compared ED length of stay and parental satisfaction. Results One hundred twenty-seven children were randomized to placebo and 128 to ondansetron. The groups were similar in age, sex, and fasting duration. ED vomiting was less common with ondansetron: 6 of 128 (4.7%) versus 16 of 127 (12.6%), P=.02, difference 7.9% (95% confidence interval 1.1% to 14.7%), number needed to treat 13. Follow-up was successful in 82.7%, with vomiting in the ED or after discharge less frequent with ondansetron: 10 of 128 (7.8%) versus 24 of 127 (18.9%), P=.01, difference 11.1% (95% confidence interval 2.7% to 19.5%), number needed to treat 9. ED length of stay and parental satisfaction were similar between groups. Conclusion IV ondansetron significantly reduces the incidence of vomiting associated with IV ketamine procedural sedation in children.
Phase II Study of Consolidation Paclitaxel After Concurrent Chemoradiation in Poor-Risk Stage III Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: SWOG S9712

Purpose A previous Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) study (S9429) demonstrated efficacy and tolerability of concurrent chemoradiotherapy in poor-risk stage III non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study evaluated adding consolidation paclitaxel after chemoradiotherapy for a similar patient cohort. Patients and Methods Patients with histologically/cytologically determined stage III NSCLC were eligible based on performance status (PS) 2 and either low albumin or weight loss more than 10%, poor pulmonary function, or comorbidities precluding cisplatin use. Treatment was carboplatin 200 mg/m2 days 1, 3, 29, and 31, and etoposide 50 mg/m2 days 1 through 4, and 29 to 32. Beginning day 1, thoracic radiation was delivered at 1.8 Gy in 25 fractions plus 16-Gy boost (total dose, 61 Gy). Patients without disease progression received paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 every 21days for three cycles. Results Characteristics of 87 eligible patients were age 51 to 82 years; 57% PS 0 to 1, 43% PS 2; and 51% stage IIIA, 49% stage III...
Use of a Salmonella typhimurium-derived virulence probe in the detection of Salmonella sp. and in the characterization of S. cholerae-suis virulence plasmids

A genetic probe encoding a virulence gene from Salmonella typhimurium was useful in the detection of Salmonella from feces during an outbreak of salmonellosis at a local dairy. A 3.2-kb BamHI restriction endonuclease fragment of the S. typhimurium virulence plasmid, pStSR100, has been useful as a DNA probe for both detection of Salmonella sp. and characterization of virulence plasmids from numerous field isolates. This virA probe hybridizes to a highly conserved gene carried on the large virulence plasmids of invasive Salmonella isolates. Colony blots prepared from feces directly plated onto MaConkey's agar failed to detect low numbers of Salmonella sp. However, hybridization of the virA probe to vacuum blots or colony blots prepared from feces in tetrathionate enrichment broth incubated for 16 hours at 37 C was effective for detecting Salmonella sp. and resulted in an 85.9% correlation with culture results. The probe also demonstrated the highly conserved nature (96%) of the virulence gene among S. cholerae-suis isolate plasmids detected using Southern blot analysis.
Color Influence on Student' Perceptions of Satellite‐Imagery

Abstract A study conducted at Kansas State University focused on the impact of color respective of student' perceptions of satellite‐imagery. Three treatments consisting of interpreting gray, red and blue‐tone color scheme satellite‐images using a semantic differential instrument were administered. A Random Block Design statistical method was utilized to determine statistically significant results. Statistically different responses were recorded for each treatment, indicating that the blue‐tone satellite‐imagery ranked most positively by subjects, followed by gray and red color schemes. Descriptive factors within the semantic differential instrument were parallel in ranking.
An introduction to SLDL and Rosetta

The Rosetta Stone (permanently displayed at the British Museum of Art) has played a pivotal role in enabling scientists to translate across a number of widely varying languages used around the world throughout our history. Through this mapping process, linguists have been able to more fully understand the semantic meaning embodied in the written word of our culture. Similarly, the Rosetta language (as we will refer to it in this text) represents a modern−day effort to map across semantic domains within the electronics−centric systems engineering world, motivated by the trend towards System−Level Integration, or System−on−a−Chip (SoC). Rosetta plays a key role in the System Level Design Language (SLDL) industry standards initiative.
The Florida amphioxus (Cephalochordata) hosts larvae of the tapeworm Acanthobothrium brevissime: natural history, anatomy and taxonomic identification of the parasite.

Holland, N. D., Campbell, T. G., Garey, J. R., Holland, L. Z. and Wilson, N. G. 2009. The Florida amphioxus (Cephalochordata) hosts larvae of the tapeworm Acanthobothrium brevissime : natural history, anatomy and taxonomic identification of the parasite. — Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 90 : 75-86. Plerocercoid larvae of a tapeworm are frequently found in the hindgut lumen of the Florida amphioxus ( Branchiostoma floridae ) in central west Florida. About three-quarters of the adult amphioxus are parasitized. On average, each adult amphioxus hosts about five tapeworm larvae. The residence time of the parasites in the amphioxus gut appears to be in the order of several months, which is considerably shorter than the potential lifetime of the host. The living larvae range in length (when fully extended) from 300 to 850 ∝ m and are approximately cone-shaped, tapering to a point posteriorly and bearing a single large sucker anteriorly. Toward the anterior end of the body are four hookless bothridia, each indented by three loculi plus an inconspicuous accessory sucker. The larvae initiate the early stages of hook formation when they are cultured for a few days in urea-saline (mimicking the gut fluid of the definitive host, which is an elasmobranch). The tapeworm larvae are identifiable to genus and species on the basis of correspondences between their nuclear ribosomal DNA genes and those of adult specimens of Acanthobothrium brevissime recovered from the spiral valve of a stingray from the same environment.
Oral involvement in autoimmune blistering diseases.

Almost any vesiculo-bullous disease (VBD) that occurs on the skin may manifest in the oral cavity. In this article, only four entities will be discussed. Mucous membrane pemphigoid is the most frequently occurring autoimmune VBD in the mouth, followed by pemphigus vulgaris. Chronic ulcerative stomatitis is a poorly characterized, putatively autoimmune ulcerative process of the mouth that clinically resembles oral erosive lichen planus. A unique presentation of such bullosing disorders is the clinical entity desquamative gingivitis. Only the clinical appearance, basic histopathology, and treatment will be discussed. Details on immunopathology and immunopathogenesis have been discussed elsewhere. General Considerations When evaluating VBD in the oral cavity, a few general considerations should be kept in mind. The mouth is a trauma-intense environment; therefore, intact vesicles and bullae are rarely seen. The typical oral finding in VBD is a painful shallow ulcer or erosion that may be covered by either a yellow-white fibrinous exudate or the necrotic, devitalized and collapsed blister roof. There is often surrounding erythema. Pain may be significant when eating, and patients tend to avoid spicy and acidic or hard and crunchy foods. Any area of the oral mucosa may be involved. The buccal mucosa, labial mucosa, ventral tongue, and soft palate, which are nonkeratinized and readily traumatized, are particularly vulnerable. Diagnosis is established by a biopsy of perilesional tissue. This may be accomplished either with a skin punch or a scalpel blade. As with skin biopsies, the harvested tissue is split; one half is submitted in formalin for routine processing, and the other in Michel’s medium or fresh for direct immunofluorescence (DIF) studies.
Longitudinal study of three views of mandibular third molar eruption in males.

Abstract A longitudinal study, using three views simultaneously, was conducted on twenty North American black males to investigate mandibular third molar eruption. Each subject had two third molars present. Forty third molars were studied. Lateral, posteroanterior, and oblique (45 ° left and right) cephalograms, along with plaster casts, were used. The following observations on the third molars were made; the age at which they can be identified; angulation of the occlusal surface; eruptive path, including the vertical, anteroposterior, and buccolingual positions; and the age of delineation between being unerupted or impacted, including factors related thereto. The Fisher's exact test from the SPSS package and the central tendency were the statistical instruments used to aid in interpreting the data. In some persons the crypt of the developing third molar was seen as early as 7.5 years and the occlusal surface was identified as early as age 8 years, with a mean of 9.75 years. Third molars usually form in the ramus with the distal cusp above the occlusal plane, the occlusal surface of the molar has a great cant facing anteriorly, the tooth descends below the occlusal plane, and appears to upright around 14 to 16 years of age. The impaction of the mandibular third molar is a complex multifactorial mechanism. The wide buccal location of mandibular third molars and the inadequate anteroposterior space between the distal surface of the second molar and the anterior surface of the ramus are important factors in third molar impaction. This study does not support the concept of early prediction of third molar impaction and enucleation of the asymptomatic developing third molars. If possible, the final decision for extraction of asymptomatic mandibular third molars that appear to be impacted should be delayed until after the age of 16 years.
Role of Volatile Semiochemicals in the Host and Mate Location Behavior of Mallodon dasystomus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Little is known of the role semiochemicals play in the mating systems of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in the primitive subfamily Prioninae. Mallodon dasystomus (Say), the hardwood stump borer, is a widely distributed prionine native to the southern US. Preferred hosts of M. dasystomus include oak, sweetgum, sugarberry and hackberry; although they also colonize a variety of other hardwoods. Here, we study the mate location behavior of M. dasystomus by testing the hypotheses that the sexes are mutually attracted to volatiles emanating from the larval host and that females release a volatile pheromone that is attractive to males alone. In a Y-tube olfactometer, male and female M. dasystomus responded to volatiles from host material (i.e., sweetgum and sugarberry). However, only males responded to females in the olfactometer, suggesting that females release a volatile sex pheromone. In choice experiments conducted in a greenhouse, we determined that both males and females prefer host over non-host material. In further bioassays in thegreenhouse,maleschosehostmaterialcontainingalivefemaleoverthatcontaininga live male or host material alone. These findings are further evidence of the critical role host volatiles and pheromones play in mating systems of longhorned beetles.
Direct measurements of the ozone formation potential from dairy cattle emissions using a transportable smog chamber

Tropospheric ozone continues to be an air pollution problem in the United States, particularly in California, Texas, and across the eastern seaboard. The obvious sources of ozone precursors have been largely controlled over the past several decades, leading to the critical examination of secondary sources. In particular, California has new air quality rules addressing agricultural sources of ozone precursors, including dairy farms. Some recent estimates predict that dairy cattle are second only to on-road vehicles as a leading source of ozone precursor emissions in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The objective of this work was to directly measure the ozone formation potential from dairy housing. A transportable ‘‘smog’’ chamber was constructed and validated using organic gases known to be present in dairy emissions. The ozone formation potential of emissions from eight non-lactating dairy cows and their fresh waste was then directly evaluated in the field at a completely enclosed cow corral on the campus of the University of California, Davis. The results demonstrate that the majority of the ozone formation is explained by ethanol (EtOH) in the emissions from the dairy cows, not by acetone as previously thought. Ozone formation potential is generally small, with o20 ppb of ozone produced under typical conditions when EtOH concentrations were � 200 ppb and NOx concentrations were � 50 ppb. The results match our current understanding of atmospheric ozone formation potential, ruling out the possibility of unknown organic compounds in dairy emissions with significant ozone formation potential. Simulations carried out with a modified form of the Caltech Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism verify that actual ozone formation from dairy emissions is much lower than what would be predicted using the current regulatory profiles. Based on these results, the ozone formation potential of emissions from dairy cattle in California seems to be lower than previously estimated. r 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Inhibition of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and IRS-2 signaling by ethanol in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells

The effect of ethanol on insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I)-mediated signal transduction and functional activation in neuronal cells was examined. In human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, ethanol inhibited tyrosine autophosphorylation of the IGF-I receptor. This corresponded to the inhibition of IGF-I-induced phosphorylation of p42/p44 mitogen-activated/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (MAPK) by ethanol. Insulin-related substrate-2 (IRS-2) and focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation were reduced in the presence of ethanol, which corresponded to the prevention of lamellipodia formation (30 min). By contrast, ethanol had no effect on Shc phosphorylation when measured up to 1 h, and did not affect the association of Grb-2 with Shc. Neurite formation at 24 h was similarly unaffected by ethanol. The data indicate that the IGF-I receptor is a target for ethanol in SH-SY5Y cells However, there is diversity in the sensitivity of signaling elements within the IGF-I receptor tyrosine kinase signaling cascades to ethanol, which can be related to the inhibition of specific functional events in neuronal activation.
Mixing efficiency in natural flows.

It is argued that the mixing efficiency of naturally occurring stratified shear flows, Rf/(1Rf), where Rf is the flux Richardson number, is dependent on at least two governing parameters: the gradi...
Military Leadership, Institutional Change, and Priorities in Military Spending†

How does political competition among domestic actors influence foreign policy choice? Studies examining these questions often focus on the role of economic or partisan interests, and how they influence the preferences of decision makers who are subject to electoral institutions and pressures of their constituents. Less attention has been paid to how the preferences of other influential but unelected actors influence state behavior. I examine the influence of one such group by looking at how American military leaders shape decisions on military spending and force structure, while also examining how these decisions have been affected by changes to the institutions governing civil–military relations. Results indicate that military leaders occupying key positions can influence defense spending priorities in favor of their respective branches. Results also suggest the influence of military leaders has changed and is conditional upon the institutions governing the relationships between civilian decision makers and military leaders.
Rationally designed multitarget agents against inflammation and pain

Arachidonic acid (ARA) undergoes enzyme-mediated oxidative metabolism, resulting in the formation of a number of biologically active metabolites. For over a century, these biochemical transformations have been the target of numerous pharmacological drugs for inflammation and pain. In particular, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitors (coxibs) are widely used in the treatment of inflammation and pain. However, gastrointestinal (GI) and cardiovascular adverse effects of NSAIDs and coxibs, and recent findings demonstrating that there are significant risks from the disruption of oxylipin levels when pharmacologically inhibiting a single ARA cascade metabolic pathway, have led to studies involving the simultaneous inhibition of multiple pathways in ARA cascade. These studies suggest that multitarget inhibition represents a new and valuable option to enhance efficacy or reduce side-effects in the treatment of inflammation and pain. This review focuses on the crosstalk within the three pathways of the ARA cascade (cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LOX), and cytochrome P450 (CYP450)), and summarizes the current and future approaches of multitarget inhibitors for the treatment of eicosanoid driven inflammation and pain.
Metabolic syndrome: new therapeutic approaches

In the last three decades in the United States the prevalence of overweight/obesity in pediatric population has more than tripled, causing the onset also in pediatric age of diseases previously considered exclusively of adults, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS) [1]. MetS represents a cluster of cardiometabolic abnormalities, including visceral obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension and diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) (Table ​(Table1).1). The prevalence of pediatric MetS ranged from 2% to 9% in the general population and from 12% to 44% in obese children, depending of definition used [1]. Several evidences suggest that the metabolic derangements observed in children may have a worrisome repercussion early on their health in adulthood [2,3]. Table 1 Diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents Lifestyle modification, represented by the association among regular physical exercise and a balanced diet appropriate for age, is the most important therapeutic approach in children and adolescent with obesity and risk factors for MetS [4]. Behavioral intervention is mandatory but, in many cases, it is difficult to achieve or not sufficient and most pediatric patients require pharmacologic therapy early in their disease course. At the present time, the vast majority of drugs needed to treat insulin-resistance, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension are off-label in pediatric setting, although several studies demonstrated that pharmacological treatment for pediatric obesity and its related comorbidities are necessary [5]. Regarding dyslipidemia, the use of oral statins is reserved for children older than 10 years of age that, while on diet, continue to have dyslipidemia associated to family history for early cardiovascular disease (CVD) or additional risk factors. Metformin is the only drug approved for treatment of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in children. Several studies demonstrated its efficacy in ameliorating gluco-insulinemic profile; moreover, it has been reported a moderately effect on body weight in obese children. Anti-hypertensive drugs, such as angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and beta-blocking agents are used in pediatric patients and the choice of drug class is made on the basis of clinical characteristics of the single patient. The core of treatment of pediatric MetS is abdominal obesity. Currently no pharmacological approach to obesity is accepted for pediatric patients. Bariatric surgery has been considered a successful treatment for MetS in obese adults in term of weight loss and decrease of mortality rate. This procedure has been used also in carefully selected obese adolescents and the outcomes seem to be similar to those for adults. However, further studies are needed to better select the patients to surgically treat and define efficacy and safety of bariatric surgery in pediatric MetS.
Sharing the burden: antigen transport and firebreaks in immune responses.

Communication between cells is crucial for immune responses. An important means of communication during viral infections is the presentation of viral antigen on the surface of an infected cell. Recently, it has been shown that antigen can be shared between infected and uninfected cells through gap junctions, connexin-based channels, that allow the transport of small molecules. The uninfected cell receiving antigen can present it on its surface. Cells presenting viral antigen are detected and killed by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The killing of uninfected cells can lead to increased immunopathology. However, the immune response might also profit from killing those uninfected bystander cells. One benefit might be the removal of future ‘virus factories’. Another benefit might be through the creation of ‘firebreaks’, areas void of target cells, which increase the diffusion time of free virions, making their clearance more likely. Here, we use theoretical models and simulations to explore how the mechanism of gap junction-mediated antigen transport (GMAT) affects the dynamics of the virus and immune response. We show that under the assumption of a well-mixed system, GMAT leads to increased immunopathology, which always outweighs the benefit of reduced virus production due to the removal of future virus factories. By contrast, a spatially explicit model leads to quite different results. Here we find that the firebreak mechanism reduces both viral load and immunopathology. Our study thus shows the potential benefits of GMAT and illustrates how spatial effects may be crucial for the quantitative understanding of infection dynamics and immune responses.
Bird damage to sugar beet

SUMMARY Pest damage to sugar beet, including that by birds, has been recorded since 1957. During that time damage by rooks has decreased almost to nil, but some other bird damage has greatly increased, most probably as a result of changing agronomic practices, especially the extensive use of herbicides, the introduction of monogerm seed, and the increasing practice of ‘planting-to-a-stand’. The most severe bird damage in the spring is grazing by several species, and in early summer localized felling of plants by pheasants. Observations in the mid–1960's of causes of seedling and plant losses suggested that birds were then of minor importance; the British Sugar Corporation currently consider that birds are the most serious pest of sugar beet. The distribution of the reported damage does not seem to follow any national pattern. In small-plot field trials possible repellent materials such as anthraquinone, methiocarb or thiram, applied to seed or foliage, did not decrease the extent of grazing.
Sociability and Susceptibility to the Common Cold

There is considerable evidence that social relationships can influence health, but only limited evidence on the health effects of the personality characteristics that are thought to mold people's so- cial lives. We asked whether sociability predicts resistance to infec- tious disease and whether this relationship is attributable to the quality and quantity of social interactions and relationships. Three hundred thirty-four volunteers completed questionnaires assessing their sociability, social networks, and social supports, and six evening interviews assessing daily interactions. They were subsequently ex- posed to a virus that causes a common cold and monitored to see who developed verifiable illness. Increased sociability was associated in a linear fashion with a decreased probability of developing a cold. Al- though sociability was associated with more and higher-quality social interactions, it predicted disease susceptibility independently of these variables. The association between sociability and disease was also independent of baseline immunity (virus-specific antibody), demo- graphics, emotional styles, stress hormones, and health practices.
Ecology and Assessment of the Benthic Diatom Communities of Four Lake Erie Estuaries using Lange-Bertalot Tolerance Values

Diatom composition of four Lake Erie estuaries was related to seasonal factors, year, location within the estuaries, and water quality parameters including nutrient and metals concentrations. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed seasonality as the most important factor determining variability in diatom species composition among sites and dates. Alkalinity, pH, silicate, orthophosphate, and nitrite concentrations were water chemistry parameters correlated with diatom community composition. Eigenvalues for the first two CCA axes of nutrient/physical data and species data were higher than the first two CCA axes of metals data and species data. In addition, the water quality of these estuaries was evaluated using an index composed of Lange-Bertalot pollution tolerance values. The Lange-Bertalot index scores indicated that the Ashtabula estuary had the best water quality of the study sites. Lange-Bertalot index scores were highly correlated with a gradient of disturbance represented by the first axis of a principle components analysis of sites and nutrient data (Spearman ρ = 0.7). The Lange-Bertalot tolerance values could be useful for discriminating ‘good’ sites from “bad” sites among the Lake Erie estuaries.
Effect of shock loading on the microstructure, mechanical properties and grain boundary characteristics of HT-9 ferritic/martensitic steels

Abstract The microstructural changes and mechanical response of an HT-9 sample shock loaded to a peak pressure of 11 GPa have been investigated by TEM, XRD, microhardness and EBSD techniques. Dislocation densities obtained by both direct measurements (via TEM) and indirect calculations (by XRD and hardness) indicate that shock loading results in ~2–3 fold increase in dislocation density. TEM analyses show that the shape, and density of the dislocations change after shock loading. In addition, shock loading causes local plastic deformation of the continuous parallel lath structure in some regions, together with an overall decrease in the aspect ratio of laths due to local plastic deformation and lath fragmentation. As a result of XRD analyses, the fraction of edge dislocations is determined to increase by ~24% after shock loading. Furthermore, hardness increases by ~40 HV after shock loading due to the increased dislocation density. EBSD analyses show that the fraction of CSL boundaries decreases by ~5–10% as a result of shock loading.
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates

Microcirculatory imaging (MI) is a relatively new research tool mainly used in the intensive care setting. MI provides a clear view of the smallest capillaries, arterioles and venules. The magnifying effect visualizes the flow pattern of erythrocytes through these vessels. It's non-invasive character makes it suitable to apply in (preterm) neonates, even in cardiorespiratory unstable patients. In adults and children, MI is mainly performed sublingually, but this is not possible in preterm infants as these cannot cooperate and the size of the probe is problematic. In preterm infants, MI is therefore performed transcutaneously. Their thin skin makes it possible to obtain high quality images of peripheral microcirculation. In this manuscript we will demonstrate the method of transcutaneous MI in preterm infants. We will focus on the different techniques and provide tips to optimize image quality. The highlights of software settings, safety and offline analysis are also addressed.
Comparison of distribution function estimators for forestry applications following variable probability sampling

Practical considerations often motivate employing variable probability sampling designs when estimating characteristics of forest populations. Three distribution function estimators, the Horvitz-Thompson estimator, a difference estimator, and a ratio estimator, are compared following variable probability sampling in which the inclusion probabilities are proportional to an auxiliary variable, X. Relative performance of the estimators is affected by several factors, including the distribution of the inclusion probabilities, the correlation (Ρ) between X and the response Y, and the position along the distribution function being estimated. Both the ratio and difference estimators are superior to the Horvitz-Thompson estimator. The difference estimator gains better precision than the ratio estimator toward the upper portion of the distribution function, but the ratio estimator is superior toward the lower end of the distribution function. The point along the distribution function at which the difference estimator becomes more precise than the ratio estimator depends on the sampling design, as well as the coefficient of variation of X and ρ. A simple confidence interval procedure provides close to nominal coverage for intervals constructed from both the difference and ratio estimators, with the exception that coverage may be poor for the lower tail of the distribution function when using the ratio estimator.
Transition of Care for Adults with Congenital Urological Conditions

Patients with congenital urologic conditions require complex chronic care from birth to adulthood. Early in life, these patients may establish close relationships with their specialized pediatric providers and commonly undergo complex reconstructive procedures. When these patients approach adulthood, they are faced with an informal transition to an adult urologist and may become lost to follow-up. Goals of care during this transition period must be identified and addressed by these patients’ future providers. The concept of transition care is now emerging in urology. We propose that the most effective model for successful transfer of care involves joint involvement from pediatric and adult providers in the same setting.
A landslide induced waterflood-debris flow

A combined rock and soil slide, on the S.E. side of Slide Mountain, Nevada, entered and displaced the majority of the impounded water from a small reservoir. The displaced water caused the failure of a similar reservoir downstream, and the combined water flowed very rapidly via a series of canyons, collecting rock debris as it travelled for over 4 kilometres horizontally and 600 meters vertically. The resulting debris flow finally issued from the canyon into a rural area producing widespread damage and personal injuries. The mechanics and causes of the landslide, and related water flood-debris flow are discussed.
Rape trials and jurors' decisions: A psycholegal analysis of the effects of victim, defendant, and case characteristics.

Recently, many writers have argued that equal protection for victims of rape is not presently offered in the courts since the outcomes of rape trials are frequently influenced by certain victim, defendant, and rape case characteristics. By systematically manipulating the factors of defendant and victim race, victim physical attractiveness, victim sexual experience, strength of evidence presented, and type of rape committed in a legal rape case, the present study sought to examine the effects of these factors on jurors' verdicts. Data collected from a sample of 896 citizens serving as mock jurors for the rape case indicated that these extraevidential factors had significant effects. Furthermore, it was found that the factors did not act independently as a number of significant interactions were identified. These interactions suggested that the impact of extraevidential factors on jurors' decisions is far more complex than what some writers and law reformers have thought. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of discriminatory treatment of plaintiffs and defendants in rape cases and the role of juror selection in introducing “fairness” in rape trials.