cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Red State, Blue State, Flu State: Media Self-Selection and Partisan Gaps in Swine Flu Vaccinations

This study assesses the relationship between political partisanship and attitudes and behavior with respect to the H1N1 virus (swine flu) crisis of 2009 in general, and the U.S. mass vaccination program in particular. I argue that even seemingly nonpartisan political issues like public health are increasingly characterized by partisan polarization in public attitudes and that such polarization is attributable, at least partly, to the breakdown of the information commons that characterized the U.S. mass media from roughly the 1950s until the early 1990s. In its place has arisen an increasingly fragmented and niche-oriented media marketplace in which individuals are better able to limit their information exposure to attitudes and opinions that reinforce, rather than challenge, their preexisting beliefs. I test my argument against a variety of data sources, including opinion surveys and state-level swine flu vaccination rate data.
Let’s face it: Are customers ready for facial recognition technology at quick-service restaurants?

Abstract This study aims to provide an integrated model that examines the determinants of customer intention to use facial recognition systems (FRS) in quick-service restaurants (QSRs). An extended model built based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was tested via structural equation modeling (SEM) using data collected from a sample of 558 QSR customers. The results showed that perceived performance expectancy, social influence, and trust in the system significantly and positively affect customer intention to use FRS to access loyalty and payment accounts. Furthermore, customer hedonic motivation had a positive effect on the intention to use FRS for authorization to their loyalty accounts, but no effect on the intention to use this technology for payment account authorization. The developed model would be helpful to managers for making a decision of utilizing FRS in QSRs and promoting the technology among customers.
Breakthrough of interspecific chimerism: blocking apoptosis

On January 28 in Nature online, Zheng et al. (Nature, 2021 (Online ahead of print)) reported that they developed an ingenious method of interspecies PSC co-culture system in vitro which unfolded interspecific cell competition. This study paves the way for discovering the mechanism of interspecific chimera and for further interspecific organogenesis between evolutionarily distant species.
Comparison of Length of Stay and Discharge Disposition between Anticoagulants for Secondary Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation (P5.209)

Objective: To determine if patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) who are treated with Novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have shorter length of stay (LOS) and are more likely to have a favorable discharge disposition vs. those treated with warfarin. Background: Novel oral anticoagulants are approved for secondary stroke prevention in patients who have non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Studies show that patients with AF who are treated with NOACs have shorter admissions. Design/Methods: Study population included 2236 ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients with non-valvular AF admitted to a comprehensive stroke center in Long Island, New York between 2012–2016. We compared LOS and disposition of patients discharged on warfarin vs. NOACs (apixaban, rivoraxaban, dabigatran). Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-values. Results: Out of 2236 patients, 17% had pre-existing AF and 83% had new-onset AF. 10.6% of the patients were on warfarin and 8.4% were on NOACs (apixaban 4.3%, rivaroxaban 2.5%, dabigatran 1.9%). Median LOS for our cohort was 4 days. There was no difference in the median LOS between classes of anticoagulants (median 4). Of the 583 patients with prolonged LOS (>7 days), 46.8% went to inpatient rehabilitation facility, 24.4% went to skilled nursing facility and 22.1% were discharged home. Among these patients, 9.4% were discharged on warfarin vs. 8.1% on NOACs. Prolonged LOS was most commonly associated with hypertension (68.27%), dyslipidemia (44.25%) and diabetes mellitus (31.73%). Among patients who were discharged home, there was no statistically significant difference between those who were treated with warfarin vs. NOACs. Conclusions: Choice of anticoagulation for secondary stroke prevention in patients with ischemic strokes and TIAs secondary to non-valvular AF did not have a significant effect on LOS and discharge disposition. Disclosure: Dr. Mishra has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hazra has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chauhan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gribko has nothing to disclose. Dr. Arora has nothing to disclose.
Effectiveness of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators to Reduce Mortality in Patients With Long QT Syndrome.

Abstract Background The effectiveness of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) on reducing mortality has not been well studied in patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS). Objectives This stu...
Criminal Jurisdiction under the Military Bases Agreement of 1947

The preamble of the Military Bases Agreement of 19471 clearly states that the war in the Pacific had confirmed the mutual interest of the United States and the Philippines “in matters relating to the defense of their respective territories.” Further, it had prompted the two nations to provide for their common defense, particularly through a grant to the United States of America by the Republic of the Philippines in the exercise of its title and sovereignty, of the use, free of rent, in furtherance of the mutual interest of both countries, of certain lands of the public domain...
Lithium Fluoride (LiF)

Publisher Summary This chapter illustrates various aspects of optical constants—namely, refractive index n and extinction coefficient k for lithium fluoride (LiF). Tomiki and Miyata measured the absorption coefficient on thin cleaved slabs of ultraviolet-quality LiF at 298.5 K in the band-edge region to study the Urbach tail. It is noted that the band-edge location is highly temperature dependent. At the room temperature there are some evidences for extrinsic absorption in the edge. At photon energies less than the edge, the absorption bottomed out to values near k = 8 x 10-7, which varied by a factor of 2 in different samples. The steeply changing values of k in the band edge are much smaller than those of Roessler and Walker and are preferred. A number of investigators have measured the refractive index of LiF at wavelengths longer than the absorption edge. Early measurements were made by Gyulai and Schneider who used prisms of LiF.
A certified distributed security logic for authorizing code

In previous work we have proposed a distributed security logic for authorizing code. To gain assurance about the correctness of the implementation of our system, we now present a series of security logics of increasing expressive power leading up to our logic. We encode each logic in Coq, develop an algorithm for deciding queries, and prove properties about the algorithm in Coq. By using Coq's automatic extraction mechanism, we are able to gain a high assurance about the resulting reference monitor implementations. Following this strategy yields reference monitors fully certified at the source code level for Datalog, Binder, Binder with a general extension mechanism, and a logic that combines Binder and the calculus of co-inductive constructions.
The Mythology of the Old Poor Law

The Old Poor Law has recently found a forceful defender in Mark Blaug, who in two articles has challenged the critics of England's first public welfare system and displayed the clay feet of that towering structure of words, the evidence for the 1834 Report. This is a notable achievement, but Mr. Blaug's case should not be accepted in toto: indeed, that it has survived so long without criticism is surprising. G. R. Elton felicitously referred to one of his critics as a “self-appointed hound of heaven,” but scholars who propound provocative theses are likely to provoke responses. Mr. Blaug's interpretation of the Old Poor Law is, to at least one “selfappointed hound,” eminently provocative.
Genetic evidence supporting the role of peroxisome assembly factor (PAF)-1 in peroxisome biogenesis. Polymerase chain reaction detection of a missense mutation in PAF-1 of Chinese hamster ovary cells.

The peroxisome/plasmalogen-deficient Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) mutant cell line ZR-78.1 contains a missense mutation in its cDNA-encoding peroxisome assembly factor-1 (PAF-1). Using a rapid polymerase chain reaction assay, we now demonstrate that the genome of ZR-78.1 contains only the mutant allele. When mutant ZR-78.1 is fused with wild-type karyoplasts, occasional "negative nuclear hybrids" are observed that lack peroxisomes (Allen, L.-A. H., Morand, O. H., and Raetz, C. R. H. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 7012-7016). Despite the fact that negative nuclear hybrids are tetraploid, they do not contain the wild-type PAF-1 gene, suggesting that a chromosome fragment bearing the wild-type copy of PAF-1 was lost. Negative nuclear hybrids reconstituted with wild-type cytoplasts do contain a wild-type PAF-1 gene, indicating that the cytoplasts somehow reintroduced the wild-type PAF-1 allele without increasing ploidy. These findings support the role of PAF-1 and exclude the hypothesis of an additional cytoplasmic requirement for reinitiation of peroxisome biogenesis in peroxisome-deficient CHO cells. The plasmalogen deficiency and some other biochemical properties of ZR-78.1 are partially corrected in 5-azacytidine-treated subclones. However, such pseudo-revertants do not contain peroxisomes, consistent with the fact that there is no wild-type PAF-1 gene to reactivate by demethylation.
Differential effects of hepatocyte growth factor and keratinocyte growth factor on corneal epithelial cell cycle protein expression, cell survival, and growth

Purpose: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) are secreted in the cornea in response to injury. In this study, we investigated the HGF- and KGF-mediated effect on the expression of cell cycle and apoptosis controlling proteins, cell survival, and growth in the corneal epithelium to better understand the possible role of their signaling mechanisms in repairing epithelial injuries. Methods: The cell survival capability of HGF and KGF in epithelial primary cultures was evaluated by using a staurosporine-induced apoptosis model. Apoptosis was quantified with image analysis following nuclear staining with Hoechst fluorescent dye and DNA laddering. Western immunoblotting was used to study the effect of growth factors on the expression of cell cycle- and apoptosis-regulating proteins. Results: HGF and KGF protected cells from apoptosis for a short duration (10 h), but only KGF exhibited cell survival capability and maintained cell growth for a longer period (24 h). The onset of apoptosis was accompanied by a significant increase in cell cycle inhibitor p27 kip . HGF and KGF suppressed p27 kip levels in the apoptosis environment; however, KGF- but not HGF-dependent downregulation in p27 kip expression was sustained for a longer duration. Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt activation blocked HGF- and KGF-mediated control of p27 kip expression. Further, when compared to HGF, the presence of KGF produced significant downregulation of p53 and poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase, the key proteins involved in apoptosis and blocked the degradation of G1/S cell cycle progression checkpoint protein retinoblastoma. HGF and KGF upregulated the levels of p21 cip , cyclins A, D, and E and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK2 and CDK4) as well, but the KGF-mediated effect on the expression of these molecules lasted longer. Conclusions: Sustained effect of KGF on cell survival and proliferation could be attributed to its ability to inhibit p53, retinoblastoma, caspases, and p27 kip functions in apoptosis and cell cycle arrest and promote the expression of cell cycle progressing molecules for longer duration. Designing therapeutic strategies targeting cell cycle control through KGF may be beneficial for repairing difficult-to-heal corneal epithelial injuries that require sustained growth and cell survival promoting signals.
La dimensión internacional de la evaluación y garantía de la calidad

Healthcare can be considered in terms of three components: technical care, management of the interpersonal relationship, and the amenities of care. Evaluation of these parameters allows an assessment of the quality of care, but only if the specific characteristics of the country involved are taken into account. Standards, resource availability, customs, and beliefs change from one society to another. Care assessment criteria must change accordingly. Similarly, quality assurance depends on the design of a system appropriate to the particular conditions of each place, and on the efficient monitoring of the system's performance.
Discriminative effects of CGS 15943, a competitive adenosine receptor antagonist, in monkeys: comparison to methylxanthines.

Caffeine and related methylxanthines are competitive antagonists at A1- and A2-adenosine receptors, but have other actions at the cellular level that contribute to their effects on behavior. As an approach toward determining the role of adenosine receptors in the behavioural effects of drugs, four squirrel monkeys were trained to discriminate between injections of CGS 15943 (1.0 mg/kg i.m.), a nonxanthine adenosine receptor antagonist that does not inhibit phosphodiesterase, and its vehicle. All monkeys generalized dose-dependently and completely to six of seven methylxanthines: 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (0.1-1.75 mg/kg), theophylline (0.03-3.0 mg/kg), paraxanthine (0.3-30 mg/kg), 8-cyclopentyltheophylline (0.3-30 mg/kg), theobromine (0.3-30 mg/kg) and caffeine (1.0-30 mg/kg). Three of four monkeys did not generalize to 8-p-sulfophenyl-theophylline (1.0-30 mg/kg), which does not cross the blood-brain barrier. When the training dose of CGS 15943 was administered concurrently with adenosine-receptor agonists, its effects were blocked dose-dependently and completely by CGS 21680 (A2 selective), only partially by cyclohexyladenosine (A1 selective), but were not blocked by 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (nonselective). CGS 21680 did not block responding on the CGS 15943-appropriate lever occasioned by 30 mg/kg of caffeine or 3.0 mg/kg of theophylline. These results suggest that stimulus control of behavior by CGS 15943 derives, in part, from blockade of A2-adenosine receptors located in the central nervous system. However, the potency order of methylxanthines as CGS 15943-like discriminative stimuli did not correlate with their relative affinities at either A2- or A1-adenosine receptors or their potencies for other known effects at the cellular level. Therefore, a novel mechanism of action might account for the CGS 15943-like discriminative effects of some or all of these drugs.
Cerebrospinal fluid pressure and glaucomatous optic disc cupping (response to Berdahl and colleagues)

Dear Editor, I was interested to read the comments by Berdahl and colleagues [1] opposing my conclusion that cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) has no role to play in optic disc cupping in glaucoma [2]. Unfortunately, the entire basis of their hypothesis that low CSFP causes bowing back of the lamina cribrosa, and consequently glaucomatous optic disc cupping, has several fundamental flaws, which invalidate their hypothesis. The hypothesis is primarily based on the presumption that optic disc cupping in glaucoma is just the reverse of optic disc swelling in raised CSFP; therefore, it should be caused by low CSFP. As I discussed in my editorial [2], that concept is invalid, because optic disc edema in raised CSFP is due to axoplasmic flow stasis [3, 4] and not due to bowing forward of the lamina cribrosa, whereas optic disc cupping in glaucoma has totally different pathogenesis, in which axoplasmic flow plays no role. Therefore, to apply findings from optic disc swelling in raised CSFP to optic disc cupping in glaucoma has no scientific logic at all. In my editorial, my conclusion that low CSFP plays no role in optic disc cupping was based on my studies (since 1961) on optic disc structure [5], the pathogenesis of optic disc swelling in raised CSFP [3, 4, 6, 7], other CSFP studies [8, 9], and the pathogenesis of optic disc cupping in glaucoma [10–16], as well as on the studies of others in the published literature [2]. By contrast, the hypothesis by Berdahl and colleagues [1] that CSFP “may play an important role in the development of POAG and NTG” is drawn from only the following two studies.
A generalized Semenov model for thermal ignition in nonuniform temperature systems

Critical properties of the Semenov model which describes thermal ignition in a uniform temperature system have been reanalyzed in terms of independent parameters, nondimensional activation energy, and surface heat loss. The analysis is then extended to the distributed temperature problem by the introduction of a correlation factor which effectively establishes a link between the Semenov model and the Frank-Kamenetskii parameter. This approach is capable of giving satisfactory results for properties such as ignition criteria, ignition times, and temperature profiles for a system with nonuniform temperature distributions. Specific results are presented mostly for the slab, but extensions to the cylinder and the sphere are also discussed.
Categorical Abstract Algebraic Logic: Structurality, protoalgebraicity, and correspondence

The notion of an ℐ -matrix as a model of a given π -institution ℐ is introduced. The main difference from the approach followed so far in Categorical Abstract Algebraic Logic (CAAL) and the one adopted here is that an ℐ -matrix is considered modulo the entire class of morphisms from the underlying N -algebraic system of ℐ into its own underlying algebraic system, rather than modulo a single fixed (N,N ′)-logical morphism. The motivation for introducing ℐ -matrices comes from a desire to formulate a correspondence property for N -protoalgebraic π -institutions closer in spirit to the one for sentential logics than that considered in CAAL before. As a result, in the previously established hierarchy of syntactically protoalgebraic π -institutions, i. e., those with an implication system, and of protoalgebraic π -institutions, i. e., those with a monotone Leibniz operator, the present paper interjects the class of those π -institutions with the correspondence property, as applied to ℐ -matrices. Moreover, this work on ℐ -matrices enables us to prove many results pertaining to the local deduction-detachment theorems, paralleling classical results in Abstract Algebraic Logic formulated, first, by Czelakowski and Blok and Pigozzi. Those results will appear in a sequel to this paper. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Inclusion of the Hepatic Locus Control Region, an Intron, and Untranslated Region Increases and Stabilizes Hepatic Factor IX Gene Expression in Vivo but Not in Vitro

We systematically compared human factor IX gene expression from a variety of plasmids containing different cis-regulatory sequences after transfection into different hepatocyte cell lines, or in vivo, after their injection into the livers of mice. Although there was a 1.5- to 2.0-fold variation in gene expression from cultured cells, a 65-fold variation was observed in the in vivo studies. We found that a plasmid containing the apolipoprotein E locus control region (HCR), human alpha1-antitrypsin (hAAT) promoter, hFIX minigene (hFIXmg) sequence including a portion of the first intron (intron A), 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR), and a bovine growth hormone polyadenylation signal (bpA) produced the highest serum level of human factor IX, reaching 18 microg/ml (normal = 5 microg/ml) 1 day after injection. Although most of the plasmid DNAs resulted in transient gene expression, inclusion of an intron, a polyadenylation signal from either the 1.7-kb 3'-UTR or the 0.3-kb bpA, and the HCR resulted in persistent and therapeutic levels of hFIX gene expression, ranging from 0.5 to 2 microg/ml (10 to 40% of normal) for 225 days (length of experiment). These data underscore the importance of cis sequences for enhancing in vivo hepatic gene expression and reemphasize the lack of correlation of gene expression in tissue culture and in vivo studies.
Anesthetic Effects on the Structure and Dynamics of the Second Transmembrane Domains of nAChR α4β2

Channel functions of the neuronal alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), one of the most widely expressed subtypes in the brain, can be inhibited by volatile anesthetics. Our Na(+) flux experiments confirmed that the second transmembrane domains (TM2) of alpha4 and beta2 in 2:3 stoichiometry, (alpha4)(2)(beta2)(3), could form pentameric channels, whereas the alpha4 TM2 alone could not. The structure, topology, and dynamics of the alpha4 TM2 and (alpha4)(2)(beta2)(3) TM2 in magnetically aligned phospholipid bicelles were investigated using solid-state NMR spectroscopy in the absence and presence of halothane and isoflurane, two clinically used volatile anesthetics. (2)H NMR demonstrated that anesthetics increased lipid conformational heterogeneity. Such anesthetic effects on lipids became more profound in the presence of transmembrane proteins. PISEMA experiments on the selectively (15)N-labeled alpha4 TM2 showed that the TM2 formed transmembrane helices with tilt angles of 12 degrees +/-1 degrees and 16 degrees +/-1 degrees relative to the bicelle normal for the alpha4 and (alpha4)(2)(beta2)(3) samples, respectively. Anesthetics changed the tilt angle of the alpha4 TM2 from 12 degrees +/-1 degrees to 14 degrees +/-1 degrees , but had only a subtle effect on the tilt angle of the (alpha4)(2)(beta2)(3) TM2. A small degree of wobbling motion of the helix axis occurred in the (alpha4)(2)(beta2)(3) TM2. In addition, a subset of the (alpha4)(2)(beta2)(3) TM2 exhibited counterclockwise rotational motion around the helix axis on a time scale slower than 10(-4) s in the presence of anesthetics. Both helical tilting and rotational motions have been identified computationally as critical elements for ion channel functions. This study suggested that anesthetics could alter these motions to modulate channel functions.
Desmoid tumor associated with cystosarcoma phyllodes of the breast

A case of desmoid tumor of 17 years' duration associated with cystosarcoma phyllodes of 17 months' duration is presented. Good initial response to radiation therapy of the desmoid tumor was shown. Poor response of cytosarcoma phyllodes to radiation therapy was noted. A comparison between the similarities and differences of the two tumors is presented.
Expression of AMPA receptor flip and flop mRNAs in the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex after neonatal ventral hippocampal lesions

Many lines of evidence implicate dysfunctional excitatory amino acid (EAA) transmission in schizophrenia. The present study examined alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole- 4-priopionate (AMPA) receptor expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) using a rat model of schizophrenia in which excitotoxic lesions of ventral hippocampus (VH) on postnatal day (PD) 7 lead to the postpubertal emergence of behavioral abnormalities that resemble schizophrenic symptoms. In situ hybridization histochemistry with 35S-labeled oligonucleotide probes was used to quantify mRNA levels for GluR1-3 flip and flop variants at prepubertal and postpubertal time-points (PD 35 and 60, respectively). Comparisons of PD 35 and PD 60 groups suggested that there may be changes in the relative expression of flip and flop isoforms during normal development. The most pronounced change was an apparent increase in the flip/flop ratio for GluR1 from PD 35 to PD 60 in both the PFC and the NAc. Neonatal VH lesions did not significantly alter GluR1-3 flip and flop mRNA levels in the NAc at either time-point. However, in the PFC, GluR3 flop mRNA levels were significantly decreased in lesioned rats at PD 60. AMPA receptors incorporating flop variants exhibit faster desensitization, so a shift towards flip incorporation might lead to increased neuronal excitability in the PFC, thereby influencing subcortical DA systems regulated by PFC efferents. In summary, an early developmental injury can predispose rats to abnormal development of EAA transmission in the PFC. This may contribute to the postpubertal onset of symptoms after neonatal VH lesions.
Comparison between BALB/cJ and BALB/cByJ mice in tests of social behavior and resident‐intruder aggression

The behavior of male mice from two BALB strains, the BALB/cJ strain and the BALB/cByJ strain, was examined with a social behavior test and a resident-intruder paradigm. Prior to testing, the animals were isolated for 0, 2, 5, or 10 days. In the social behavior test the pairs of BALB/cJ mice spent more time in active social interaction than pairs of BALB/cByJ mice, although the latter strain showed more locomotor activity. BALB/cJ mice isolated for 5–10 days, when tested in a familiar environment were more aggressive than mice from the BALB/cByJ strain. In the resident-intruder paradigm, in which a resident BALB mouse was confronted with an intruder NIH Swiss mouse, the BALB/cByJ mice showed more social investigation in their home cage towards the intruders, but there were no significant differences between the two strains in the amounts of aggressive behavior exhibited. The results of these experiments suggest that there are some differences in the social behavior of the genetically related BALB/cJ and BALB/cByJ mice. However, the differences appear subtle and paradigm-specific.
Foot Transfer of Lawn-Applied Pesticides from Turf to Carpet: Comparison of Semivolatile Chlorpyrifos with Nonvolatile Chlorothalonil

Many homeowners use herbicides, insecticides and fungicides for turf grass treatment. These pesticides span a broad spectrum of chemical and physical properties, ranging from nonvolatile to semivolatile and somewhat water soluble to essentially insoluble. Residues of pesticides are found on lawns after direct applications or as a result of drift from applications to ornamentals, gardens, or perimeters of buildings. These residues dissipate by volatilization, transport to soil by rainfall or watering, photochemical and microbial degradation, and other mechanisms. The lifetimes of pesticide residues on turf are generally short relative to those on indoor surfaces. Rainfall, sunlight, volatilization, erosion, microbial degradation, and removal of grass clippings reduce or eliminate most residues in a matter of days or a few weeks. Post-emergence acid herbicides such as 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and dicamba (3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid) are typically applied in the form of amine salts, which have very low vapor pressures, but they have relatively high water solubilities and are rapidly depleted by irrigation or rainfall (Hurto and Prinster 1992; Nishioka et al. 1996). Organophosphate insecticides, such as diazinon and chlorpyrifos (recently withdrawn from residential use), tend to vaporize rather quickly from treated turf grass (Kuhr and Tashiro 1978; Goh et al. 1986; Hurto and Prinster 1992). While pesticide formulations contain adjuvants to increase adhesion to the plant surface, some portion of the residues remaining on the leaves of the grass are dislodgeable and may be transferred to the skin or transported into the home on shoes, clothing and pets. Many of the pesticides identified in house dust and indoor air obviously have outdoor sources (Lewis et a. 1994, 1999; Whitmore et al. 1994, Simeox et al. 1995, Colt 1998). The presence in house dust of pesticides such as 2,4-D, chlorothalonil, carbaryl and bendiocarb, which are typically used on the lawn or garden, suggest track-in of turf and soil residues.
The effect of puromycin on retention of conditioned cardiac deceleration in the goldfish.

The electrocardiogram was used to measure conditioned heart rate deceleration to a light-off signal paired with a punishing electrical shock in the goldfish. The learned response was retained for several days but was rapidly lost with extinction trials. Intracranial injections of puromycin administered just before or immediately after a training session did not appear to block formation of memory of this response. This result is discussed in relation to previous studies on the possible effects of puromycin on conditioned fear and instrumental learning.
Assay of adenylate cyclase by use of polyacrylamide--boronate gel columns.

A method is described for covalent attachment of up to 1.1 mmol of m-aminobenzeneboronic acid/g dry weight of polyacrylamide beads. Small (4 ml) columns of the derivatized beads have been used to separate quantitatively cyclic AMP from ATP in a single-step procedure. Columns of the polyacrylamide-boronate gel have been used as the basis of a convenient new assay of the soluble adenylate cyclase prepared from nuclei of Physarum polycephalum.
Vancomycin for Treatment of Bacterial Meningitis

Abstract Clinical experience with vancomycin for the treatment of bacterial meningitis has not been extensive. Presently available data indicate that when meningeal inflammation is present intravenously administered vancomycin penetrates into cerebrospinal fluid and therapeutically effective levels of drug therein are frequently attained. Treatment of meningitis with vancomycin has been effective in clinical situations that precluded the use of the commonly administered agents, i.e., in infections due to resistant strains or to unusual organisms, in patients allergic to penicillin, and in patients for whom therapy with a first-choice antibiotic has failed. When response to intravenously administered vancomycin was unsatisfactory, the addition of intrathecal therapy resulted in a favorable outcome in some patients. Combination therapy with agents that act synergistically with vancomycin has been beneficial. Vancomycin warrants serious consideration as a useful alternate antibiotic for the treatment of bacterial meningitis.
Analytical solutions for anomalous dispersion transport

Groundwater flow and transport often occur in a highly heterogeneous environment (potentially heterogeneous at multiple spatial scales) and is impacted by geochemical reactions, advection, diffusion, and other pore scale processes. All these factors can give rise to large-scale anomalous dispersive behavior that can make complex model representation and prediction of plume concentrations challenging due to difficulties unraveling all the complexities associated with the governing processes, flow medium, and their parameters. An alternative is to use upscaled stochastic models of anomalous dispersion, and this is the approach used here. Within a probabilistic framework, we derive a number of analytical solutions for several anomalous dispersion models. The anomalous dispersion models are allowed to be either non-Gaussian (α-stable Levy), correlated, or nonstationary from the Lagrangian perspective. A global sensitivity analysis is performed to gain a greater understanding of the extent to which uncertainty in the parameters associated with the anomalous behavior can be narrowed by examining concentration measurements from a network of monitoring wells and to demonstrate the computational speed of the solutions. The developed analytical solutions are encoded and available for use in the open source computational framework MADS (http://mads.lanl.gov).
The Type V Transforming Growth Factor β Receptor Is the Putative Insulin-like Growth Factor-binding Protein 3 Receptor

Abstract Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) has been shown to inhibit cell growth by IGF-dependent and -independent mechanisms. The putative cell-surface IGFBP-3 receptor that mediates the IGF-independent growth inhibition has not been identified. Here we show that recombinant human IGFBP-3 inhibits125I-transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 binding to the type V TGF-β receptor (M r 400,000) in mink lung epithelial cells. We also demonstrate that the ∼400-kDa125I-IGFBP-3 affinity-labeled putative IGFBP-3 receptor is immunoprecipitated by specific antiserum to the type V TGF-β receptor. The 125I-IGFBP-3 affinity labeling of the putative receptor and IGFBP-3-induced growth inhibition as measured by DNA synthesis in these cells is blocked by a TGF-β1peptide antagonist. The 125I-IGFBP-3 affinity-labeled putative receptor can only be detected in cells expressing the type V TGF-β receptor, but not in cells lacking the type V TGF-β receptor. These results indicate that the type V TGF-β receptor is the putative IGFBP-3 receptor and that IGFBP-3 is a functional ligand for the type V TGF-β receptor.
158 PAPILLARY MUSCLE NECROSIS (MN): A COMMON NEONATAL AUTOPSY FINDING

136 consecutive neonatal autopsies, during a 16 month period, were re-examined for evidences of myocardial ischemia. New sections were cut from both right and left ventricular apices and anterior papillary muscles of tricuspid and mitral valves. Autopsies of patients with congenital heart disease(19), multiple congenital anomalies(3), or with cardiac tissue unavailable(30) were excluded. 22 of the remaining 84 (26%) had ischemic changes in papillary muscles. These included coagulation necrosis, contraction bands, and/or vacuolar degeneration. In 17 of 22 the lesions were more prominent or were found solely in the right ventricle: 10 were bilateral; 11 were in the right ventricle; and 1 was in the left ventricle. Selection of the next-consecutive-neonatal autopsy after each case of MN yielded a control population of 22 cases. Race, sex, inborn/outborn ratio, and incidence of asphyxia as determined by fetal monitoring and/or Apgar score were similar in MN and control groups. Gestational age and birth weight more commonly exceeded 34 wk (13/22) and 3000 g (8/22) in the MN group than in the controls (6/22 and 2/22;p<.05). Meconium aspiration syndrome was also more common in MN (8/22) than in controls (2/22). MN, especially involving the right ventricle, is a frequent neonatal autopsy finding. The lesion seems to be more common in dying neonates who are more mature, of greater birth weight and with meconium aspiration syndrome.
Differential motile response of isolated inner and outer hair cells to stimulation by potassium and calcium ions

Inner and outer hair cells were mechanically isolated from the guinea pig cochlea and subjected to stimuli known to induce shape changes in outer hair cells. Depolarization by 70 mM KCl which causes osmotic swelling of outer hair cells also swelled inner hair cells by approximately 8% of their volume. The application of the calcium ionophore ionomycin which induces cortical contractions and elongation of outer hair cells, did not affect the shape of inner hair cells. Since ionomycin increased free intracellular calcium levels in both inner and outer hair cells, the results demonstrate that inner hair cells do not possess the mechanisms necessary for a contractile response to calcium. Thus, calcium is a specific regulator of outer hair cell motility making this mechanism a likely physiological modulator of a transduction feedback process.
Sirtuins mediate mammalian metabolic responses to nutrient availability

Metabolic diseases are an increasing threat in developed countries. Dysregulation of metabolic pathways, caused by imbalances in energy homeostasis, leads to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease with devastating results for both individuals and societies. Sirtuins, a conserved family of NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase enzymes found in many species, regulate various metabolic pathways and have emerged as important sensors of energy status in mammals. The nuclear sirtuins, SIRT1, SIRT6 and SIRT7, regulate the activity of key transcription factors and cofactors of numerous metabolic pathways in almost all tissues by linking nutrient signals with the cellular responses to energy demands. The mitochondrial sirtuins, SIRT3, SIRT4 and SIRT5, regulate the activity of important mitochondrial enzymes and drive metabolic cycles in response to fasting and calorie restriction. Accumulating evidence indicates that sirtuins can be beneficial in the prevention of metabolic and age-related diseases and suggests that they can be pharmacologically activated to ameliorate such diseases. This Review describes the latest advances in the understanding of the function of sirtuins as regulators of mammalian metabolism and focuses on the role of these enzymes as mediators of nutrient availability.
Can fine particulate matter explain the paradoxical ozone associations

Our previous paper entitled "Paradoxical ozone associations could be due to methyl nitrite from combustion of methyl ethers or esters in engine fuels" (Env. Int.. 2007;33;1090) reviewed 11 studies of the impact of ozone on human health that, paradoxically, found a negative coefficient for ozone-morbidity associations. We argued that the most likely explanation for this effect would be methyl nitrite (MN) as an unsuspected exhaust component of engines with methyl ether in the fuel. The basis of the argument was the fact that MN is rapidly destroyed by sunlight, so that MN would be negatively correlated with ozone. All (but one) of the reviewed studies concluded that criterion pollutants could not explain the negative slope. The argument was strengthened by the observation that such paradoxical ozone associations have not been found in regions without significant methyl ether in gasoline. Left unaddressed in the previous paper was the possibility that fine particulate matter (FPM) might explain the POA. If this were true, then it would be necessary that the FPM be negatively correlated with ozone in those regions that found a POA. The current paper reviews data on FPM-ozone correlations in those regions where a POA was identified. The results show that FPM was, in most cases, positively correlated with ozone and so could not explain the POA.
GAIT AFTER UNILATERAL TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY: FRONTAL PLANE ANALYSIS

After unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA), osteoarthritis (OA) in the non-operated knee often progresses. The altered gait mechanics exhibited by patients after TKA increase the loading on the non-operated knee and predispose it to disease progression. Therefore, our objective was to examine the potentially detrimental changes in frontal plane kinetics and kinematics during walking in patients who underwent unilateral TKA. Thirty-one subjects 6 months after TKA, 24 subjects 1 year after unilateral TKA, and 20 control subjects were recruited. All subjects underwent 3D gait analysis. In the TKA groups, the non-operated knee had a higher adduction angle and higher dynamic loading, knee adduction moment and impulse, compared to the operated knee. This increased loading may be an underlying reason for OA progression in the non-operated knee. Measures of loading in the control knee did not differ from that of the non-operated knee in the TKA group, but the TKA group walked with shorter step length. While the non-operated knee loading was not different from controls, there may be greater risk of cumulative loading in the non-operated knee of the TKA group given the shorter step length.
Nanomechanical properties of aluminum 390-T6 rough surfaces undergoing tribological testing

The nanoindentation technique was used to quantify nano-scale changes in material properties (effective elastic modulus and hardness) of A1390-T6 samples that have undergone tribological testing under a protocol in a high-pressure tribometer where the applied normal load was step-wise increased until failure by scuffing occurred. The test was highly repeatable, so additional tests were run to three intermediate fractions of the total-time-to-scuffing-failure, which provided data on the progressive wear of the surfaces preparatory to reaching the scuffed condition. The samples were engineering surfaces with significant surface roughness, nonhomogeneous surface microstructure and unknown, nonuniform surface layers. This study demonstrated that nanomechanical techniques can be extended to characterize the material properties of rough engineering surfaces. For the samples subjected to tribological testing, the material at the surface, and to approximately 60 nm below the surface, exhibited significantly higher hardness than the bulk material. Also, progressive wear of the surfaces resulted in a corresponding weakening of the near-surface material below the surface to a depth of 60 nm, while the hardness of material below the 60 nm depth remained relatively unchanged. The hardness data for the scuffed samples showed a large amount of scatter in the data, indicating that the surface is not homogeneous and that the protective surface layer is removed, at least at some points on the surface.
Fluorescence lifetime analysis and effect of magnesium ions on binding of NADH to human aldehyde dehydrogenase 1.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1A1) catalyzes the oxidation of toxic aldehydes to carboxylic acids. Physiologic levels of Mg 2+ ions decrease ALDH1 activity in part by increasing NADH binding affinity to the enzyme. By using time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, we have resolved the fluorescent life- times (s) of free NADH in solution (s = 0.4 ns) and two enzyme-bound NADH states (s = 2.0 ns and s = 7.7 ns). We used this technique to investigate the effects of Mg 2+ ions on the ALDH1A1-NADH binding characteristics and enzyme catalysis. From the resolved free and bound NADH fluorescence signatures, the KD values for both NADH conformations in ALDH1A1 ranged from about 24 l Mt o 1lM for Mg 2+
Structure and superconductivity of HgBa2CuO4+δ

Abstract We have used neutron powder diffraction to investigate the defect structure of HgBa 2 CuO 4+δ . An interstitial oxygen defect in the Hg plane is the primary doping mechanism. A superconducting transition temperature, T c onset , of 95 K is achieved when ≈0.06 oxygen atoms per formula unit are incorporated at this site by annealing the sample at 500°C in pure oxygen. Annealing in argon at 500°C lowers the oxygen content in this site to ≈0.01 and results in a T c of 59 K. The neutron powder diffraction data give evidence for a second defect in the Hg plane which we conclude involves the substitution of copper for about 8% of the mercury and the incorporation of additional oxygen (≈0.1 atoms per formula unit), presumably bonded to the copper defects. In the present samples, the concentration of this defect does not vary with synthesis conditions and its contribution to doping is, therefore, unclear. The structure of the compound is the same at room temperature and superconducting temperatures.
The impact of twelve-step program familiarity and its in-session discussion on counselor credibility

Background and Objective: The therapeutic relationship is an important factor in substance abuse treatment. Because Twelve-Step Program (TSP) concepts and principles are often incorporated into substance abuse treatment, we investigated whether counselor familiarity and time spent on TSPs impact counselor credibility. Method: A sample of 180 clients receiving residential treatment in the capital region of a northeastern state in 2009 completed a Client Demographic Questionnaire and the Counselor Rating Form - Short Version. Their counselors (N = 31) completed a corresponding Counselor Demographic Questionnaire. Results: The effect of the estimated percentage of in-session time discussing TSPs (p = .010) and the effect of TSP familiarity for counselors in recovery (p = .017) had significant effects on counselor credibility. Conclusions and Scientific Significance: The credibility of counselors is important for a working relationship with clients. These results highlight counselor influence stemming from a ...
Automated measurements of fetal head from ultrasound images

Gestational age estimation from the measurements of the fetal head from the ultrasound images can be of great importance in management decisions during pregnancy. Biparietal diameter (BPD), occipital frontal diameter (OFD), and the head circumference (HC) are the most common parameters used for estimating the gestational age. Since the fetal head has an elliptical shape in the two dimensional image plane, extracting the ellipse and measuring the major axis (OFC), minor axis (BPD), and circumference (HC) are the task of image processing which will be discussed in this paper.
X-Ray Crystallography Using a Spherical Proportional Camera

A wide angle gas proportional detector specifically designed for X-ray crystallography has been instrumented and is being applied in pilot experimental studies. It has essentially complete efficiency, uniform spatial precision of 2 mrad FWHM, acceptance over 90 degrees, and count rate capability to 100,000 per second at less than 10% loss. Comparison of data with conventional measurements indicates satisfactory angular mappings and a relative R-factor for scaled intensities of better than 10%.
Manganese‐Rich layers in calcareous deposits along the Western shore of the Dead Sea May have a bacterial origin

Abstract Spore formers were detected in samples of calcareous crust with manganiferous laminations and in water from the Dead Sea in Israel. They were able to grow in media made with fresh water but not with synthetic Dead Sea water. Some of these spore formers were also able to oxidize Mn (II) in fresh water. No other bacteria capable of both growth and Mn(II) oxidation in hypersaline media prepared with synthetic Dead Sea water were found in the samples. However, bacteria capable of growth and Mn(II) oxidation in fresh water media were detected in water and sediment from fresh water springs at Ein Feshkha and in lake water and sediment from the beach near Wadi Kidron. Both sites are located on the western shore of the lake. These findings suggest that the manganiferous laminations in calcareous crusts and concretions in the Dead Sea along its western shore may have originated, at least in part, from manganese oxide formed by bacteria in fresh water environments on shore and washed into the lake in runof...