cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuroplasticity following traumatic brain injury: a study of GABAergic terminal loss and recovery in the cat dorsal lateral vestibular nucleus.

Terminal loss and recovery were assessed in the cat dorsal lateral vestibular nucleus (dLVN) following diffuse axonal damage caused by experimental traumatic brain injury. Using sterile technique, anesthetized adult cats received a moderate fluid-percussion traumatic brain injury. After predetermined survival periods of 7–368 days, the animals were perfused and the dLVN prepared for the immunocytochemical visualization of GABAergic puncta/terminals at the light (LM) and electron (EM) microscopic levels. In controls, the Deiters' neuronal somata within the dLVN were encompassed by numerous GABA-immunoreactive puncta/terminals. Within 7 days of injury, axonal damage was seen scattered throughout the dLVN, and associated with this, some neuronal somata demonstrated a dramatic loss of perisomatic GABA-immunoreactive puncta, while other somata appeared unchanged. Ultrastructural examination demonstrated that the loss of immunoreactive puncta observed with LM was directly correlated with the presence of degenerating GABAergic terminals. Overall, these neuronal somata showed a reduction of perisomatic puncta/terminals to values approximately 25% of controls. Over a thirty day posttraumatic course, this pattern of scattered perisomatic puncta/terminal loss persisted, with some puncta/terminal return by 60 days postinjury. During the next six months, a recovery of the immunoreactive puncta/terminals was observed in relation to the deafferented somata, with perisomatic terminal numbers now reaching 75% of control values. Over the 7 to 12 month postinjury period, recovery continued, with virtually complete recovery observed in the later phases of this period. Importantly, throughout this recovery period, there was a consistent correlation between the light and electron microscopic findings. The observed diffuse pattern of terminal loss, followed a prolonged adaptive recovery process, suggests that traumatic injury with its attendant diffuse axonal injury and related diffuse deafferentation creates a unique environment for rather complete and adaptive synaptic recovery. As diffuse axonal injury is a common feature of human traumatic brain injury, we believe that these studies, performed in cat, help explain some of the initial morbidity as well as some of the partial recovery seen in head-injured man.
The Nonscientist Science Adviser

E. Kintisch's News Focus story (“Bending the president's ear,” 2 January, p. [28][1]) on the role of the science adviser to the president contains an important historical error: The first science adviser, James Killian, was not an electrical engineer. In fact, Killian was not a scientist or
Direct determination of chromium in human urine by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Abstract A rapid, accurate and direct method for urinary chromium determinations by graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry is described. Few reagents are used and very little sample preparation and manipulation are required, greatly reducing the incidence of sample contamination. The method of standard additions is used to compensate for changes in sensitivity as the furnace tube ages, and for the widely different matrices encountered in urine samples. Furnace parameters must be carefully controlled. The detection limit is in the order of 0.03 ng Cr ml-1. Agreement with independent methods is evaluated.
Correlations of temperament types, intensity of crisis at midlife with scores on a death scale.

331 subjects completed the Keirsey-Bates Temperament Sorter and Dickstein's Death Scale and responded to an intensity of midlife crisis probe. Using a Pearson product-moment coefficient, weak but significant correlations were found for the introvert-sensor-thinker-judger temperament type on the Think and Anxiety sub-scales and the Think subscale for introvert-sensor-thinker-judger (ISTJ) temperament type.
MK-801 attenuates cocaine induction of c-fos and preprodynorphin mRNA levels in Fischer rats.

This study shows that single (15 mg/kg) or binge (3×15 mg/kg) cocaine administration increases c-fos mRNA levels, but only binge cocaine administration increases preprodynorphin mRNA levels in the caudate/putamen of Fischer rats. This increase in both c-fos and preprodynorphin mRNA levels is attenuated by the noncompetitive NMDA antagonist MK-801 (0.25 mg/kg), suggesting a preferential role for NMDA receptor co-activation in cellular events leading to cocaine-induced behaviors.
Thermal fracture in selected nonlinear optical materials

It is well-known that under uniform heating, a thin plate develops a quadratic temperature profile with the thermal gradient normal to the plate surface (Figure 1). The central part of the plate is warmer than the surfaces, and also undergoes thermal expansion. The thermal expansion normal to the surface produces no stress, but the thermal expansion parallel to the plate surface puts the surface in tension and the central part in compression. A simple but useful model of the plate treats it as a set of three isothermal plates arranged in the order cold-warm-cold (Figure 2). The warm part is AT warmer than the cold surfaces, and left to itself it would expand by aAT. Being constrained by the surface, it is in compression. If the warm part had infinite modulus, the resulting strain in the surface would be aAT. Because it relaxes, the actual surface strain is reduced by 1/3. By Hooke's law the stress is proportional to the strain, so that the surface stress is simply 2/3.EaAT, where E is Young's modulus.
Effects of neomycin on tension and 45Ca movements in rabbit aortic smooth muscle

Abstract Neomycin (2.1 mM and 7.0 mM) elicits a small, Ca ++ -dependent contractile response in rabbit aortic smooth muscle strips. Under similar conditions, neomycin decreases the uptake of 45 Ca from bathing solutions containing normal (1.5 mM) Ca ++ or low (0.1 mM) Ca ++ , and increases 45 Ca efflux in a sustained manner in media-intimal preparations dissected from rabbit aortic strips. These effects of neomycin on 45 Ca movements and Ca ++ -dependent reactions may result from an impairment of the ability of the smooth muscle cell membrane to accumulate and store Ca ++ . An action of this type could modify responses of vascular smooth muscle to otherwise unrelated stimulatory or inhibitory agents.
OBSTRUCTION OF THE SUPERIOR VENA CAVA WITH 28-YEAR SURVIVAL.

athological obstruction of the superior vena cava secondary to malignancy is usually poorly tolerated and almost always fatal P within 6 months; there are few reported cases of long-term survivors [5 , 71. T h e same obstruction produced by a granuloma or “fibrosing mediastinitis” does not carry as ominous a prognosis, as the collateral circuit may have time to develop [ Z ] . T h e collateral route available from the point of obstruction in the superior vena cava to the heart and upper extremities must pass by way of venous channels on the anterior body wall to the inferior vena cava and thence to the heart [3, 61. Because the collateral circuit is a long one and these smaller channels are slow in dilating, death usually precedes their full development. This case is an exception to the usual prognosis of the “superior vena cava syndrome.”
Inactivation of Salmonella spp. in ground chicken using high pressure processing

High Pressure Processing (HPP) is a safe and effective process for improving the microbial safety and shelf-life of foods. Salmonella is a common contaminant in poultry meat and is frequently responsible for foodborne illness associated with contaminated poultry meat. In this study the inactivation of a five-isolate cocktail of Salmonella spp. in ground chicken (95% lean) using HPP at refrigeration temperature (4–6 °C) was studied. More than 5-log CFU/g inactivation was achieved at 450 MPa for10 min. In contrast, HPP treatment at 250 MPa or 350 MPa (single-cycle, 15 min) inactivated 0.5 log or 1.7 log CFU/g, respectively. The multiple-cycle HPP mode at 250 or 350 MPa (3-cycle with 5 min/cycle) showed higher cell reduction at 1.3 or 3.3 log CFU/g, respectively. HPP at 550 MPa for 10 min may reduce the cell counts, initially at 8.5 log CFU/g, to below the detection limit (1.0 log CFU/g) in current study. The images (electron microscopy) of the HPP shocked cells were examined for structural damage, which demonstrated that Salmonella cells may still look intact (with damages on rough/irregular surface at 450 MPa stress) under Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), but have significant damage internally (voids and uneven mass distribution patterns) under Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).
Internally versus Externally Advised Non-Brokerage Real Estate Firms

Although real estate investment trusts have been able to choose an internal advising structure since the passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, a significant number of real estate investment trusts (REITs) have opted to remain externally advised. Despite the higher management costs associated with retaining a third-party advisor, these REITs have done quite well, on average, over the intervening time period. This article examines the characteristics that lend themselves to third-party advising as an optimal management structure for REITs. It examines the decision from a perspective of profit maximization, seeking to identify significant relations between various REIT characteristics and third-party participation. Results indicate that only a REIT’s status as publicly traded and, correspondingly, the size of the firm, significantly influence the choice of internal versus external advising structure. In addition, after matching by firm type and size, the authors find that externally-advised firms experience higher returns on average assets and average equity. This finding contrasts with previous results using earlier time periods in which externally-advised REITs were shown to underperform their internally-advised counterparts.
2-Thiophenecarboxylic Acid: Inhibitor of Bone Resorption in Tissue Culture

In tissue culture 2-thiophenecarboxylic acid inhibited both spontaneous resorption of bone and that induced by parathyroid hormone. Its action was to inhibit calcium transfer out of bone.
Interactive effects of hypobaria, low temperature, and CO2 atmospheres inhibit the growth of mesophilic Bacillus spp. under simulated martian conditions

Abstract Robotic spacecraft are launched with finite levels of terrestrial microorganisms that are similar to the microbial communities within facilities in which spacecraft are assembled. In particular, spores of mesophilic aerobic Bacillus species are common spacecraft contaminants considered most likely to survive interplanetary transfer to Mars. During the cruise phase to Mars, and then again during surface operations, microbial bioloads are exposed to a diversity of biocidal factors that are likely to render the microbial species either dead or significantly inhibited from active metabolic activity and replication. We report here, for the first time, that interactive effects of low pressure, low temperature, and high CO2 atmospheres approaching conditions likely to be encountered on the martian surface strongly inhibit the growth and replication of seven common Bacillus spp. isolated from spacecraft. Tests were conducted within a small glass bell-jar system maintained in a low-temperature microbial incubator. Atmospheric pressures were controlled at 1013 (Earth-normal), 100, 50, 35, 25, or 15 mb, and temperatures were maintained at 30, 20, 15, 10, or 5 °C. Experiments were carried out for 48 h or 7 days under either Earth-normal O2/N2 or pure CO2 atmospheres. Results indicated that low pressure, low temperature, and high CO2 atmospheres, applied separately or in combination, were capable of inhibiting the growth and replication of B. pumilus SAFR-032, B. pumilus FO-36B, B. subtilis HA-101, B. subtilis 42HS-1, B. megaterium KL-197, B. licheniformis KL-196, and B. nealsonii FO-092 under simulated martian conditions. Endospores of all seven Bacillus spp. strains failed to germinate and grow at 25 mb at 30 °C. Although, vegetative cells of these strains exhibited a slightly greater ability to replicate at lower pressures than did endospores, vegetative cells of these species failed to grow at pressures below 25 mb. Interactive effects of these environmental parameters acted to generally increase the inhibitory nature of the low-pressure conditions on growth and replication of the seven Bacillus spp. tested.
Perinatal bisphenol A exposure promotes dose-dependent alterations of the mouse methylome

Environmental factors during perinatal development may influence developmental plasticity and disease susceptibility via alterations to the epigenome. Developmental exposure to the endocrine active compound, bisphenol A (BPA), has previously been associated with altered methylation at candidate gene loci. Here, we undertake the first genome-wide characterization of DNA methylation profiles in the liver of murine offspring exposed perinatally to multiple doses of BPA through the maternal diet. Using a tiered focusing approach, our strategy proceeds from unbiased broad DNA methylation analysis using methylation-based next generation sequencing technology to in-depth quantitative site-specific CpG methylation determination using the Sequenom EpiTYPER MassARRAY platform to profile liver DNA methylation patterns in offspring maternally exposed to BPA during gestation and lactation to doses ranging from 0 BPA/kg (Ctr), 50 μg BPA/kg (UG), or 50 mg BPA/kg (MG) diet (N = 4 per group). Genome-wide analyses indicate non-monotonic effects of DNA methylation patterns following perinatal exposure to BPA, corroborating previous studies using multiple doses of BPA with non-monotonic outcomes. We observed enrichment of regions of altered methylation (RAMs) within CpG island (CGI) shores, but little evidence of RAM enrichment in CGIs. An analysis of promoter regions identified several hundred novel BPA-associated methylation events, and methylation alterations in the Myh7b and Slc22a12 gene promoters were validated. Using the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database, a number of candidate genes that have previously been associated with BPA-related gene expression changes were identified, and gene set enrichment testing identified epigenetically dysregulated pathways involved in metabolism and stimulus response. In this study, non-monotonic dose dependent alterations in DNA methylation among BPA-exposed mouse liver samples and their relevant pathways were identified and validated. The comprehensive methylome map presented here provides candidate loci underlying the role of early BPA exposure and later in life health and disease status.
Abnormal signal transduction through CD4 leads to altered tyrosine phosphorylation in T cells derived from MRL-lpr/lpr mice

CD4+ T cells play a crucial role in the development of lupus in MRL-lpr/lpr mice: incomplete deletion/silencing of self-reactive CD4+ T cells leads to T cell activation, which causes both polyclonal B cell activation and T cell infiltration of multiple organs. Furthermore, anti-CD4 antibody therapy ameliorates disease and prolongs survival. Because CD4 is normally involved in both tolerance induction and T cell activation, we questioned whether signaling through CD4 was normal among T cells in this strain. For this purpose, signal transduction in CD4+ T cells derived from MRL-lpr/lpr and normal mice were compared, using an autoreactive CD4+ T cell clone and freshly isolated CD4+ T cells derived from mice of varying ages. Tyrosine phosphorylation was similar among MRL and normal CD4+ T cells after cross-linking with either anti-TCR antibody or anti-CD3 antibody, and following co-culture with Con A. In constrast, cross-linking of surface CD4 resulted in deficient tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins in MRL T cells. By comparison, lck protein expression in MRL CD4+ T cells was found to be lower than normal. However, following stimulation with Con A, lck enzyme activity, as detected by autophosphorylation of lck, was comparable in MRL and normal T cells. The observed differences were present in the autoreactive T cell clone as well as in T cells isolated from both pre-diseased and diseased mice, and they could not be explained by variation in surface density of CD4. These results raise the possibility that abnormal signaling through CD4 may contribute to impaired tolerance and expansion of autoreactive T cells exhibited in MRL-lpr/lpr mice.
A Photoelectric Color Temperature Meter for Incandescent Lamps

A simple device for the measurement of the color temperature of incandescent lamps is described. Two vacuum photo-tubes are used in a balanced bridge circuit with an “electric eye” as an output indicator. No electronic amplification is used.
Solid-Phase Synthesis and Crystallization of Monellin, an Intensely Sweet Protein

Monellin, a sweet protein, consists of two noncovalently associated polypeptide chains, the A chain of 44 amino acid residues and the B chain of 50 residues. Two different primary structures have been reported for each of the A and B chains. The A and B chains corresponding to one of the reported monellin structures were synthesized by the stepwise solid-phase method using the Fmoc strategy in overall yields of 14.1% and 5.6%, respectively. The characterization of the synthetic peptides by HPLC, FAB-MS, amino acid analysis and sequencing fully supported the expected structures. The individual synthetic A and B chains were not sweet. Combination of the two chains, and subsequent HPLC purification gave monellin in a yield of 53.9%. The synthetic monellin had a distinct, lingering sweet taste (4000 times sweeter than sucrose) and was crystallized by a vapor diffusion method. The synthetic product was identical to natural monellin by HPLC, but not by tryptic mapping. These results indicate that the reported structure for monellin differs slightly from that of natural monellin.
Behavior of Autocorrelation Functions

This paper is concerned with the behavior of the autocorrelation and memory functions of statistical mechanics as $t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$. A simple calculation shows that for a large class of models leading to power-law behavior, the two functions have opposite sign and common functional behavior in the limit $t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$.
High Throughput Screening in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: From Drug Discovery to Functional Genomics

Centers for the screening of biologically active compounds and genomic libraries are becoming common in the academic setting and have enabled researchers devoted to developing strategies for the treatment of diseases or interested in studying a biological phenomenon to have unprecedented access to libraries that, until few years ago, were accessible only by pharmaceutical companies. As a result, new drugs and genetic targets have now been identified for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the most prominent of the neuromuscular disorders affecting children. Although the work is still at an early stage, the results obtained to date are encouraging and demonstrate the importance that these centers may have in advancing therapeutic strategies for DMD as well as other diseases. This review will provide a summary of the status and progress made toward the development of a cure for this disorder and implementing high-throughput screening (HTS) technologies as the main source of discovery. As more academic institutions are gaining access to HTS as a valuable discovery tool, the identification of new biologically active molecules is likely to grow larger. In addition, the presence in the academic setting of experts in different aspects of the disease will offer the opportunity to develop novel assays capable of identifying new targets to be pursued as potential therapeutic options. These assays will represent an excellent source to be used by pharmaceutical companies for the screening of larger libraries providing the opportunity to establish strong collaborations between the private and academic sectors and maximizing the chances of bringing into the clinic new drugs for the treatment of DMD.
Observed and predicted North American teleseismic delay times

Abstract Using a newly developed cross-correlation-based computer tool we measured absolute delay times of teleseismic P and S waves recorded by about 2000 broadband seismic stations from EarthScope's USArray, previous PASSCAL arrays, and additional permanent networks in North America. We estimate contributions to the delays from crustal structure, using various prior crustal models, and from event-side heterogeneity, using the delay time distribution itself. We then subtract these contributions from our measurements and map the average delay at each station location. We analyze these average delay times to investigate the structure of the North American mantle and formation of the North American continent. Mantle S delay times from stations west of the Rocky Mountains are 4.2 s larger than delay times from stations within the US portion of stable North America. Locally, S delays at Yellowstone are another 4 s larger than those west of Rocky Mountains. Decreasingly sharp delay time contrasts occur across the Rocky Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains, and on the southern edge of the North American Craton, respectively. These delay time gradients of various steepness broadly coincide with surface geological boundaries, but are offset to either side of these boundaries. Predictions of teleseismic S delays from twelve three-dimensional tomographic mantle S velocity models agree generally with observed delay time patterns, but underestimate the delays and advances to varying degrees. Tomographic models derived from different data than teleseismic arrival times predict similarly valid delays as models derived from teleseismic arrivals, while overestimating the smoothness of delay time patterns to varying degrees. We further utilize these tomographic models to predict and study the size and distribution of delay contributions from modeled heterogeneity in different depth ranges. This study shows that the 80–240 km depth range is the dominant contributor to delay time contrasts and variance. This depth range generally corresponds to asthenosphere in the western US and lithosphere in the central and eastern US. The average depth to which the observed delays require the central US lithosphere to extend is likely shallower than 240 km and consistent with the seismic bottom of lithosphere imaged in seismic-velocity models not derived from teleseismic delay times.
Clinical Evaluation of Myocardial Perforation as a Complication of Permanent Transvenous Pacemakers

A simple and reliable radiographic method to aid in the detection of penetration or perforation of the myocardium by permanent transvenous pacemaker electrodes is described. The “epicardial fat-pad sign” was clearly positive in three “symptomatic” patients in whom electrodes had perforated the myocardium and in eight of 28 “nonsymptomatic” patients with pacemakers implanted as long as three years. The incidence, management, and clinical implications of myocardial perforation as a complication of transvenous pacemakers are discussed. It is suggested that patients in whom pacemaker electrodes have perforated be closely observed, and that repositioning of the pacemaker electrode be performed when an adequate cardiac escape mechanism is thought to be lacking.
Hookah Use Among College Students from a Midwest University

National data indicate nearly a quarter of college students smoked from a hookah at some point in their lifetime regardless of gender. To address this issue, researchers assessed the perceptions, knowledge, beliefs of hookah users at a large Midwestern University and also determined what other drug related high-risk behaviors were associated with this behavior. An anonymous, online survey was sent to 2,000 randomly selected undergraduate students from a large Midwestern University. Researchers used a cross sectional research design to determine the prevalence and motivating factors associated with hookah use. Respondents included 438 individuals (60% female) with an average age of 23.1 (SD = 12.32), yielding a response rate of 22%. Approximately 15.4% of the sample had previously smoked hookah, while 6% used hookah within the past 30 days. Common motivating factors associated with smoking hookah included socializing/partying (29%), peer influence (27%), and for relaxation (25%). Correlations were calculated comparing hookah use to other high risk behaviors with the two highest correlations consisted of 30-day tobacco use (r = 0.67) and marijuana (r = 0.39). The results from this study suggest hookah use is limited to a small percentage of students. Students appear to smoke hookah for social reasons and underestimate the addictive properties associated with the product. Researchers and practitioners need to develop and evaluate specific interventions to educate college students about the health hazards associated with hookah use.
Zona pellucida penetration assay for capacitation of bovine sperm

In vitro capacitation and in vitro zona penetration systems are described for bovine spermatozoa. The criterion for capacitation was penetration by sperm of either 1) the zona pellucida of dead bovine oocytes, or 2) live, intact oocytes in which subsequent development was observed. Sperm were washed free of seminal plasma by centrifugation and incubated in a modified Tyrode's medium (TALP) in a 5% CO2-air atmosphere at 38 degrees C. Dead bovine oocytes were obtained from greater than 1 mm follicles from ovaries stored at -20 degrees C. Spermatozoa at a final concentration of 10(7) ml were coincubated with the oocytes for 3 hr after capacitation treatments. Initial experiments established that: 1) dead bovine oocytes can be penetrated by bovine sperm capacitated in the rabbit reproductive tract; 2) oocytes should be used for the penetration test within 24 hr of thawing; 3) oocytes could be stored for 24 hr at 4 degrees C after penetration before evaluation; and 4) penetration of zonae pellucidae of dead bovine oocytes by sperm is species specific. The percentages of dead oocytes penetrated after incubating frozen-thawed sperm for 0, 6, 12, 24, and 30 hr prior to incubation with oocytes were 17, 24, 34 10, and 0% respectively; the corresponding percentages for fresh semen were 1, 2, 5, 42, and 25%. Addition of 1% bovine seminal plasma to suspensions of washed, capacitated sperm decreased oocyte penetration percentages from 48% for the control (no seminal plasma) to 23%. Spermatozoa capacitated in vitro for 24 hr fertilized 15 of 22 ovulated oocytes (68%) from superovulated cows. Three embryos developed to the morula stage, but no pregnancy resulted after transfer of these embryos to bovine recipients. The present results provide the basis for a reliable (interassay C.V. = 13.4%) in vitro assay system for capacitation based on sperm penetration of the zona pellucida of dead bovine oocytes.
Cluster ensembles: a knowledge reuse framework for combining partitionings

It is widely recognized that combining multiple classification or regression models typically provides superior results compared to using a single, well-tuned model. However, there are no well known approaches to combining multiple non-hierarchical clusterings. The idea of combining cluster labelings without accessing the original features leads us to a general knowledge reuse framework that we call cluster ensembles. Our contribution in this paper is to formally define the cluster ensemble problem as an optimization problem and to propose three effective and efficient combiners for solving it based on a hypergraph model. Results on synthetic as well as real data sets are given to show that cluster ensembles can (i) improve quality and robustness, and (ii) enable distributed clustering.
Gently lifting gold’s herringbone reconstruction: Trimethylphosphine on Au(111)

Alkane thiol self-assembled monolayers form the backbone of many surface technologies but the true complexity of these molecule-metal interfaces has only recently been realized. Here we report a phosphine-based system that self-assembles with surface restructuring that is markedly different than that observed with thiols. Our results reveal the atomic-scale mechanism by which trimethylphosphine removes gold's native reconstruction but, unlike thiols, stops short of removing further surface atoms. Our results also suggest that self-assembly may be controlled and improved by adjusting the molecule-metal bond strength.
Co-existence of severe insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia in pre-adolescent obese children

To determine the time course of changes in insulin action and secretion that occur early during the development of obesity, we studied children before the onset of puberty. The reason for choosing the prepubertal stage of development is that it is metabolically characterized by both a high sensitivity to insulin and low glucose stimulated insulin responses. Fifteen obese preadolescents (8 male/7 female, age 10 ± 0.4 years, body mass index (BMI) 31 ± 1.2 kg/m2 Tanner Stage I) with a duration of obesity of less than 5 years and 10 non-obese preadolescents (6 male/4 female, age 10 ± 0.4 years, BMI 18 ± 0.9 kg/m2) matched for gender were studied. In a cross-sectional analysis, we compared responses in obese preadolescents, with those in obese adolescents and obese adults with a longer duration of obesity. The euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp with 1-13C-glucose (Hot Ginf) and indirect calorimetry were used to quantitate insulin action and the hyperglycaemic clamp used to assess beta-cell function. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake measured at two physiological levels of hyperinsulinaemia ( ∼ 180 and 480 pmol) was reduced by 20 and 45 % in all three groups of obese compared to non-obese subjects (p < 0.01). Defects in oxidative and non-oxidative glucose metabolism were observed in all three groups of obese subjects at the higher insulin infusion rate. The ability of insulin to inhibit lipid oxidation was impaired in all three obese groups at both levels of hyperinsulinaemia. Increases in basal and glucose-stimulated insulin levels during the hyperglycaemic clamp mirrored the reductions in glucose uptake during the insulin clamp in all obese groups. These results indicate that insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia co-exist in preadolescent children with moderate to severe obesity. [Diabetologia (1996) 39: 1489–1497]
Teacher Concerns during Initial Implementation of a One-to-One Laptop Initiative at the Middle School Level.

AbstractMany schools are initiating projects that place laptop computers into the hands of each student and teacher in the school. These projects entail a great deal of planning and investment by all involved. The teachers in these schools are faced with significant challenges as they prepare for teaching in classrooms where every student has a computer. Using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model of change, this study investigated the concerns of teachers in the early stages of a one-to-one laptop initiative. The results of the study indicate that teachers fall into two relatively well-defined categories in terms of their concerns regarding the innovation. The majority of teachers have genuine concerns about how the introduction of laptop computers into the school environment will impact them personally. A lesser number have concerns about how they will be able to best use the laptops to meet the needs of the students. Implications for professional development include differentiating training based on teache...
Introduction: Innovating Career Development Using Advances in Life Course and Life-Span Theory

Commenting on the future of vocational psychology in the next decade, Savickas (2001, p. 284) noted that its mission should, among other things, concentrate on “advancing scientific understanding of vocational behavior.” We also view this as a defining mission for vocational psychology. Consequently, we organized a symposium at the American Psychological Association Convention in Washington, D.C. in 2000 (Hartung & Vondracek, 2000) and invited some of the leading researchers in vocational psychology and related areas to demonstrate how advances in life course and life-span theory could “innovate” career development theory, research, and practice. The present special issue of the Journal of Vocational Behavior evolved from that symposium. It contains all of the papers presented at the symposium (most of them significantly expanded and updated), as well as two additional invited papers prepared by research teams led by scientists with a long tradition of research in life course studies in career development, namely, Phyllis Moen from Cornell University’s Careers Institute and Jeylan Mortimer from the University of Minnesota’s Youth Development Study. The basic, underlying premise of the symposium was that the 21st century would pose many new challenges to vocational psychology, which will necessitate the development of new models, new research paradigms, new research methods, and new methods of intervention. Two core social science disciplines, psychology and sociology, were seen as essential contributors to innovation in the new vocational science. Within these disciplines, two orientations share an attribute that must be a signature feature of 21st-century thinking about vocational development, namely, an explicit focus on all age groups. In psychology, this orientation is known as a life-span emphasis, while in sociology it is known as a life course framework. These perspectives underscore the fact that scientific understanding of vocational
Patient expectations and attendance in community treatment programs.

Newly admitted patients' expectations of community based treatment programs were studied. Those patients with unrealistically high expectations later made poor use of the program, that is, had poor attendance. The utility of a “socialization” or role-induction interview for prospective patients is suggested.
The role of the verb in sentence memory

Investigators have frequently found that nouns are more important than verbs in the memory representation of sentences. This pattern of results is incompatible with recent theories of sentence memory that have emphasized the verb and with the results of sentence comprehension studies that have demonstrated the importance of the verb. The four experiments reported here were designed to reexamine the role of the verb in sentence memory. Linguistic variables other than sentence function were held constant in three studies. Verbs were recalled as well and were as effective retrieval cues as nouns in these experiments. The to-be-remembered sentences were presented in the context of paragraphs in the fourth experiment. This reduced the difference in level of recall between subjects, verbs, and objects. The conclusion was drawn that the verb is no less important than sentence nouns in the memory representation.
Block polymers. Characterization and use in polymer blends

Types de copolymeres sequences d'importance commerciale et etude de leurs morphologies qui resultent de compositions particulieres. Leur utilisation comme agents solubilisants pour augmenter la compatibilite des homopolymeres correspondants
Accounting for animal movement in estimation of resource selection functions: sampling and data analysis

Patterns of resource selection by animal populations emerge as a result of the behavior of many individuals. Statistical models that describe these population-level patterns of habitat use can miss important interactions between individual animals and characteristics of their local environment; however, identifying these interactions is difficult. One approach to this problem is to incorporate models of individual movement into resource selection models. To do this, we propose a model for step selection functions (SSF) that is composed of a resource-independent movement kernel and a resource selection function (RSF). We show that standard case-control logistic regression may be used to fit the SSF; however, the sampling scheme used to generate control points (i.e., the definition of availability) must be accommodated. We used three sampling schemes to analyze simulated movement data and found that ignoring sampling and the resource-independent movement kernel yielded biased estimates of selection. The level of bias depended on the method used to generate control locations, the strength of selection, and the spatial scale of the resource map. Using empirical or parametric methods to sample control locations produced biased estimates under stronger selection; however, we show that the addition of a distance function to the analysis substantially reduced that bias. Assuming a uniform availability within a fixed buffer yielded strongly biased selection estimates that could be corrected by including the distance function but remained inefficient relative to the empirical and parametric sampling methods. As a case study, we used location data collected from elk in Yellowstone National Park, USA, to show that selection and bias may be temporally variable. Because under constant selection the amount of bias depends on the scale at which a resource is distributed in the landscape, we suggest that distance always be included as a covariate in SSF analyses. This approach to modeling resource selection is easily implemented using common statistical tools and promises to provide deeper insight into the movement ecology of animals.
The dynamic stress-strain relation of metals as determined from impact tests with a hard ball

Abstract An analysis is presented of the impact process occurring when a hard ball strikes the surface of a large metal specimen. It is shown that the results of dynamic indentation tests can be interpreted to provide a measure of the yield stress of the metal over a range of strains taking into account the influence of strain-rate. Experiments are described in which steel balls are allowed to drop onto specimens of lead, steel and aluminum. In each test the velocities of impact and rebound are measured as well as the diameter of the indentation remaining in the metal specimen and the time of contact between specimen and indenter. These experimental results are used in conjunction with the analysis to provide for each metal a dynamic stress-strain curve which is then compared to results of a simple compression test performed under impact conditions. For all metals the best agreement occurs if the simple compression tests are performed at a strain-rate of 1500 sec−1. Finally, the present analysis provides a model of the indentation process which furnishes quite accurate predictions of the size of the permanent indentation, the time of contact during impact and the coefficient of restitution, if the dynamic stress-strain relation of the material is known.
A nuclear factor-binding domain in the 5'-untranslated region of the amyloid precursor protein promoter: Implications for the regulation of gene expression

The extracellular deposition of aggregated amyloid β-protein is a neuropathological manifestation of Alzheimer disease and Down syndrome. The Amyloid β-protein is derived from a group of larger differentially spliced proteins, the amyloid protein precursors (APP). Data suggests that the level of APP gene expression could contribute to the pathological processes leading to amyloid depositions. The 5' untranslated region (UTR) of the APP gene, encompassing 147 base pairs between the transcriptional (+1) and the translational start site, was examined for its role in APP expression. Deletions close to the transcriptional start site reduced expression from the APP promoter in part by transcriptional mechanisms. However, deletions between position +50 and +104 had no effect on transcriptional activity while significantly reducing overall expression from the promoter. A nuclear factor-binding domain designated as DAPB was identified between position +72 and +115 of the 5'-APP-UTR. The binding-recognition sequence was localized between position +96 and +105. The same mutations that eliminated factor-binding also reduced expression from the APP promoter while having no effect on in vitro transcription or the RNA levels transcribed from transfected constructs. A nuclear factor-binding domain designated as DAPB was identified in the 5'-UTR of the APP gene. Elimination of factor-binding correlated with an overall decline in expression from the APP promoter while in vitro transcription and the total amount of in vivo transcribed RNA remained unaffected. This suggests that the binding-factor may have a function in post-transcriptional regulation, including nuclear export of mRNA.
Combining multiple structure and sequence alignments to improve sequence detection and alignment: Application to the SH2 domains of Janus kinases

In this paper, an approach is described that combines multiple structure alignments and multiple sequence alignments to generate sequence profiles for protein families. First, multiple sequence alignments are generated from sequences that are closely related to each sequence of known three-dimensional structure. These alignments then are merged through a multiple structure alignment of family members of known structure. The merged alignment is used to generate a Hidden Markov Model for the family in question. The Hidden Markov Model can be used to search for new family members or to improve alignments for distantly related family members that already have been identified. Application of a profile generated for SH2 domains indicates that the Janus family of nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinases contains SH2 domains. This conclusion is strongly supported by the results of secondary structure-prediction programs, threading calculations, and the analysis of comparative models generated for these domains. One of the Janus kinases, human TYK2, has an SH2 domain that contains a histidine instead of the conserved arginine at the key phosphotyrosine-binding position, betaB5. Calculations of the pK(a) values of the betaB5 arginines in a number of SH2 domains and of the betaB5 histidine in a homology model of TYK2 suggest that this histidine is likely to be neutral around pH 7, thus indicating that it may have lost the ability to bind phosphotyrosine. If this indeed is the case, TYK2 may contain a domain with an SH2 fold that has a modified binding specificity.
ELECTRIC IMPEDANCE OF THE SQUID GIANT AXON DURING ACTIVITY.

Alternating current impedance measurements have been made over a wide frequency range on the giant axon from the stellar nerve of the squid, Loligo pealii, during the passage of a nerve impulse. The transverse impedance was measured between narrow electrodes on either side of the axon with a Wheatstone bridge having an amplifier and cathode ray oscillograph for detector. When the bridge was balanced, the resting axon gave a narrow line on the oscillograph screen as a sweep circuit moved the spot across. As an impulse passed between impedance electrodes after the axon had been stimulated at one end, the oscillograph line first broadened into a band, indicating a bridge unbalance, and then narrowed down to balance during recovery. From measurements made during the passage of the impulse and appropriate analysis, it was found that the membrane phase angle was unchanged, the membrane capacity decreased about 2 per cent, while the membrane conductance fell from a resting value of 1000 ohm cm.2 to an average of 25 ohm cm.2 The onset of the resistance change occurs somewhat after the start of the monophasic action potential, but coincides quite closely with the point of inflection on the rising phase, where the membrane current reverses in direction, corresponding to a decrease in the membrane electromotive force. This E.M.F. and the conductance are closely associated properties of the membrane, and their sudden changes constitute, or are due to, the activity which is responsible for the all-or-none law and the initiation and propagation of the nerve impulse. These results correspond to those previously found for Nitella and lead us to expect similar phenomena in other nerve fibers.
Polarized Narrow-Line Emission from the Nucleus of NGC 4258

The detection of polarized continuum and line emission from the nucleus of NGC 4258 by Wilkes et al. in 1995 provides an intriguing application of the unified model of Seyfert nuclei to a galaxy in which there is known to be an edge-on, rotating disk of molecular gas surrounding the nucleus. Unlike most Seyfert nuclei, however, NGC 4258 has strongly polarized narrow emission lines. To further investigate the origin of the polarized emission, we have obtained spectropolarimetric observations of the NGC 4258 nucleus at the Keck II telescope. The narrow-line polarizations range from 1.0% for [S II] λ6716 to 13.9% for the [O II] λλ7319, 7331 blend, and the position angle of polarization is oriented nearly parallel to the projected plane of the masing disk. A correlation between critical density and degree of polarization is detected for the forbidden lines, indicating that the polarized emission arises from relatively dense (ne 104 cm-3), radially stratified gas. An archival Hubble Space Telescope narrowband [O III] image shows that the narrow-line region has a compact, nearly unresolved core, implying a FWHM size of 2.5 pc. We discuss the possibility that the polarized emission might arise from the accretion disk itself and become polarized by scattering within the disk atmosphere. A more likely scenario is an obscuring torus or strongly warped disk surrounding the inner portion of a narrow-line region that is strongly stratified in density. The compact size of the narrow-line region implies that the obscuring structure must be smaller than about 2.5 pc in diameter.
Ethnographic methodologic assessment of pain perceptions by verbal description.

Abstract This study was designed to use known anthropologic methods to gather and analyze qualitative data about verbal descriptors of pain among 25 Chinese, and 60 Western subjects (25 Anglo-Americans and 35 Scandinavians). The sample consisted of 54 patients and 31 dentists. Key pain descriptors from each cultural context were selected for construction of pain assessment instruments which allowed multidimensional statistical techniques to translate these data into cross-cultural quantitative indices. Results revealed dimensions of pain which were universal in all cultures examined. These included time, intensity, location, quality, cause and curability. More culture-specific dimensions included the Chinese concept suantong , a multidimensional concept of bone, muscle, joint, tooth and gingival pain. ‘Real’ and ‘imagined’ pains were contrasts described by Western subjects, especially dentists; ‘imagined pain’ being the conversion of fear or anxiety into perceived pain. These data indicate that the data gathering and data analytic methods were reliable and sensitive to cultural variables and that ethnicity played a stronger role in determining perceptions of pain description than professional socialization for this population sample of Chinese and Western subjects.
The effects of castration on size and appearance of Sharpey's fibers of rat femurs: A scanning electron microscopic and microradiographic study

Areas of Sharpey fiber bone from the proximal posterior diaphyseal surfaces of anorganic control and castrate osteopenic rat femurs were examined with the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The diameter of Sharpey fiber bundle insertion sites from castratre bone was significantly greater (P less than 0.001) than that from control bone. The fiber bundle insertions appeared as small pits and projections in control bone and as large pits in castrate bones. Microradiographs of cross sections of the Sharpey fiber bone revealed a greater (P less than 0.05) area of outer, lamellated periosteal bone in the castrates than in the controls, suggesting an accelerated bone apposition rate along castrate osteopenic femoral periosteal surfaces.