cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of the thyroid on the response of rats to administered calcitonins.

The calcitonins are known primarily as hypocalcemic agents and their activity as hypophosphatemic agents has been recognized but not stressed. The studies reported here were undertaken to examine more closely the effects of administration of chicken ultimobranchial extract (CUBE) and rat thyrocalcitonin (RTCT) on the relative drop in plasma calcium and phosphate levels in rats. In the course of the experiments, an unexpected relationship of the thyroids to the response of animals to injected calcitonins was discovered. Groups of rats bearing functional parathyroid autotransplants and maintained under standard conditions were administered either CUBE or RTCT. The hypocalcemic and hypophosphatemic responses in rats with intact thyroids were compared to those of thyroidecto-mized rats maintained on thyroxine. In all cases the hypocalcemic effect was greater in thyroidectomized rats, while the hypophosphatemic effect was increased only in the thyroidectomized animals given RTCT. In extensive studies in which ...
Alpha‐1‐antitrypsin deficiency: A new paradigm for hepatocellular carcinoma in genetic liver disease

Liver disease in alpha-1-antitrypsin (α1AT) deficiency is caused by a gain-of-toxic function mechanism engendered by the accumulation of a mutant glycoprotein in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The extraordinary degree of variation in phenotypical expression of this liver disease is believed to be determined by genetic modifiers and/or environmental factors that influence the intracellular disposal of the mutant glycoprotein or the signal transduction pathways that are activated. Recent investigations suggest that a specific repertoire of signaling pathways are involved, including the autophagic response, mitochondrial- and ER-caspase activation, and nuclear factor kappaB (NFκB) activation. Whether activation of these signaling pathways, presumably to protect the cell, inadvertently contributes to liver injury or perhaps protects the cell from one injury and, in so doing, predisposes it to another type of injury, such as hepatocarcinogenesis, is not yet known. Recent studies also suggest that hepatocytes with marked accumulation of α1ATZ, globule-containing hepatocytes, engender a cancer-prone state by surviving with intrinsic damage and by chronically stimulating in ‘trans’ adjacent relatively undamaged hepatocytes that have a selective proliferative advantage. Further, this paradigm may apply to other genetic and infectious liver diseases that are predisposed to hepatocellular carcinoma. (HEPATOLOGY 2005.)
Recreation Participation and Conservation Attitudes: Differences Between Mail and Online Respondents in a Mixed-Mode Survey

This study reports a comparison of demographics, outdoor recreation activity patterns, and attitudes toward conservation issues collected via mail and online survey methods within a mixed-mode surv...
Domain Structures and Phase Transitions in Barium Titanate

The arrangements of domains that arise in single crystals of barium titanate in the ferroelectric tetragonal phase have been studied in detail. The domains are the results of tetragonal (101) twinning, and appear by the formation of wedge-shaped laminar domains between two converging (101) twin planes. The distance of penetration of thin wedge-shaped laminae into the crystal follows changes in an applied electric field reversibly. Often thin laminae extend through the thickness of a crystal plate at an angle of 45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to the surface. These laminae frequently advance in groups in the two perpendicular directions parallel to the edges of the rectangular plate. As a result of the intersections of these groups, the domain pattern becomes an array of laminated and unlaminated pyramids and tetrahedra, the birefringence properties of which give rise to net-like patterns of multicolored squares in polarized light. The evidence indicates that the squarenet pattern is an arrangement of twinning reducing as much as possible the total energy of lattice strains. These strains are probably due to an inhomogeneous distribution of impurities causing a bending effect, as in a bimetallic disk.A preliminary investigation of the phase transitions near 5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and -70\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C has been completed. Using clearly defined optical observations, we conclude that the crystal is orthorhombic $\mathrm{Cmm}$ between 5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and -70\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, and trigonal $R3m$ below -70\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, with the lattice stretched along the polar axis. The twinning is identified in terms of these lattices. It is maintained that the transitions near 5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and -70\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C can only be of the first order, in contrast with the $\ensuremath{\lambda}$-transition at 120\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. While a statistical mechanical treatment of the properties of barium titanate would be exceedingly difficult, a definite qualitative thermodynamic correlation of its properties has been made. Due to the piezoelectric "inter-action," the free energy can be visualized in the ferroelectric states in terms of a simultaneous polarization and lattice deformation. The overall situation may be regarded as one in which a ferroelectric $\ensuremath{\lambda}$-transition from the (ordered) cubic phase can, in principle, take place along any direction of the highly symmetric cubic lattice, but subject to anisotropy effects which favor the [100] directions down to 5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, the [110] directions between 5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and -70\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, and the [111] directions below -70\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C.
On the use of analogy to connect core physical and chemical concepts to those at the nanoscale

Nanoscale science remains at the forefront of modern scientific endeavors. As such, students in chemistry need to be prepared to navigate the physical and chemical concepts that describe the unique phenomena observed at this scale. Current approaches to integrating nanoscale topics into undergraduate chemistry curricula range from the design of new individual nano courses to broad implementation of modules, experiments, and activities into existing courses. We have developed and assessed three modular instructional materials designed to explicitly connect core physical and chemical concepts to those at the nanoscale. These modular instructional materials aim to be readily adapted to existing curricular format and have been designed based on an educational framework for analogy. The findings from a qualitative study involving undergraduate chemistry students indicate that analogical transfer from core physical and chemical concepts to those at the nanoscale can be facilitated through the use of these instructional materials. Conceptual challenges as well as evidence for analogical transfer are provided herein, along with recommendations for instructor implementation and future work.
Effects of environmental uncertainty and Social value orientation in resource dilemmas

This study investigated the relationship between environmental uncertainty and social value orientation in a replenishable resource dilemma paradigm. One hundred seventy-two undergraduates harvested units from a common resource pool over 20 trials. Two levels of social value orientation (cooperative, noncooperative) were crossed with two levels of replenishment rate uncertainty (low, high). As predicted, noncooperators harvested significantly more resources than cooperators and high uncertainty subjects harvested more resources than low uncertainty subjects. The primary finding was the hypothesized three-way interaction among social value orientation, environmental uncertainty, and trials: Social value orientation moderated harvest decisionsonlyunder conditions of high uncertainty during the middle series of harvest trials. Noncooperators increased their harvests during this period, while cooperators harvested less and held their harvests constant across these trials. These results demonstrate that systematic individual differences exist in decision makers' responses to high environmental uncertainty. We suggest that social value orientation may exert its effect by influencing the scanning and processing of goal-relevant cues in this decision environment.
The Impact of Intersection Design on Simulated Driving Performance of Young and Senior Adults Preliminary Results

This article reports on a study that investigated the effects of improved versus unimproved intersections, using a high-fidelity driving simulator. The authors used kinematics measures and behavioral evaluations to determine whether driving performance during negotiation of improved intersections was safer for older (65-85 years, n = 14) and younger (25-45, n = 5) drivers. The study included five pairs of simulated intersections. Three of the 5 comparisons indicated significantly greater lateral control stability (as measured by maximum yaw rate) during turns at the improved intersections. This is a preliminary report, using a very small sample size. However, the authors note that even these preliminary findings suggest that some of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidelines for implementing safe road conditions are helpful to define safer intersections.
Effect in cat locus coeruleus lesions on the response of cerebral blood flow and cardiac output to altered paCO2

Abstract In pentobarbital-anesthetized cats, over arterial paCO2 values of 20–60 mm Hg, cerebral blood flow (CBF, Xenon) and cardiac output (CO, thermal dilution) show positively inflected curves with slopes significantly greater than zero. To examine the role of the locus coeruleus (LC) in these responses, bilateral stereotactic thermo-coagulation lesions of the LC were made. The effect of lesions confirmed to involve the LC bilaterally (n= 10), were compared with the effects of misdirected lesions placed in the cerebellum abd lateral to the LC (n= 10) and sham lesions (n= 10). Ted days after the lesioning procedure, the animals were re-anesthetized with pentobarbital and paCO2 response curves were determined for CBF and CO prior to and following intravenous administration of propranolol (1 mg/kg, i.v.). The results obtained with the sham-operated animals and the animals with lesions outside of the LC were indistinguishable. Bilateral LC lesions had no significant effect on normocapnic CBF as compared to control animals. They did, however, significantly reduce the slope of the CBF paCO2 response curve. Propranolol produced a significant reduction in CBF in lesioned and non-lesioned animals measured at all levels of pCO2 and did not alter the slope of the pCO2 response curve for any group as compared to predrug values. Bilateral lesions of the LC did not significantly alter either normacapnic CO or the slope of the CO-paCO2 relationship, but did reduce the elevation in mean arterial blood pressure otherwise observed during hypercarbia. Measurement of norepinephrine levels in cortex indicate a close indicate a correlation between the ability of the lesion to reduce norepinephrine content and produce the observed physiological effects. The results of these experiments suggest that the hypercapnic response of CBF, but not CO to arterial paCO2 is modulated by systems which traverse the dorsal brainstem. The role of the locus coeruleus-catecholamine cell bodies in this effect, however, must be considered speculative until further transmitter-selective interventions are carried out.
Experimental and Theoretical Studies of the Photoreduction of Copper(II)−Dendrimer Complexes

Zero valent Cu polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer nanocomposites were synthesized using UV irradiation starting from the aqueous Cu(II)/dendrimer system. The size of the nanoparticles is strongly dependent on the generation of the dendrimers and the pH of the solution. Larger nanoparticles are obtained with higher generation dendrimers, as well as in more basic solution. EPR spectra show that the sites bonded to the Cu(II) ion are significantly different at different pH values. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been used to predict the structures and EPR spectra of the Cu(II)−dendrimer complexes. At pH = 3, the hydrated ion complexes Cu(H2O)62+ or Cu(H2O)52+ are present, as expected and reported previously. At pH = 7.8, a chelating complex with two tertiary amine sites with or without two amide oxygen sites is present. At pH = 11, the Cu(II) ion binds to either the primary amine and amide oxygen sites on a single branch or to two tertiary amines and four amide oxygen sites on all four branch...
Intracellular fluorescence decay time of anilinonaphthalene sulfonate.

Abstract This paper presents the intracellular fluorescence decay time of the probe anilinonaphthalene sulfonic acid (ANS) and compares the results to certain ANS complexes in vitro. There is relatively constant decay time for intracellular ANS over a range of concentrations in the incubating medium, compared with marked variation in results with the complex of ANS-bovine serum albumin in vitro when concentration of the probe is varied. Calculation of the apparent rotational relaxation time from the Perrin equation, using ANS intracellular decay time and polarization data gave a tentative value of circa 66 ns. By comparison with the results of ANS complexes with cell fractions and with certain lipids these data support the concept that intracellularly the compound may be largely membrane located with a portion of the molecule in the lipid phase. Cells damaged by heating or alcohol show longer decay time than those which have taken up ANS in the living state. Suggestions for refinement of technique are included in the discussion.
Coorientation on Communication Rules in Managerial Dyads

This field study compared the effects of three dimensions of supervisor-subordinate coorientation regarding two communication rules (initiation and termination) on satisfaction with supervision and performance evaluations. For supervisors accuracy and perceived agreement on rules had positive effects on performance ratings of subordinates, even after controlling for frequency of contact. For subordinates, only perceived agreement on rules had an impact on satisfaction with supervision. For both supervisors and subordinates agreement on communication rules was not a significant predictor of evaluations.
Patterns Produced by Charged Conductors on Sensitive Plates

IN your issue of January 21, 1897, Mr. James I'Anson publishes some coin photographs showing the effect of the brush discharge around the edge of the coins, and around the portions in high relief, and asks if any similar results have been obtained by others.
Longitudinal Driving Behavior with Integrated Crash-Warning System

This study created the most extensive set of naturalistic data that has ever been gathered on the following behavior of drivers when interacting with a forward crash-warning system. For the purposes of this paper, data from the naturalistic driving study of the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety System (IVBSS) program were used. IVBSS data collected from a total of 108 drivers, representing 81,163 steady state following events and 20,096 forward conflict events were extracted and compared. Drivers were from three age groups (younger, middle-aged, and older) and balanced between two gender groups. Three objective measures were used in this study: mean time headway, minimum time to collision, and proportion of time drivers spent in time headway of 1s or less. Drivers used the research vehicles for 40 days, with the system not activated for the first 12 days and activated for the following 28 days. A linear mixed model was used for the data analysis. Results of this study show that drivers have a tendency to fo...
Nonlinear Optical Frequency Polarization in a Dielectric

A perturbation calculation of optical frequency polarization quadratic in the Maxwell field is made for a dielectric in which the electrons are localized on units of the crystal. The result is expressed in a power series in $K〈r〉\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ where $〈r〉$ is the size of the unit and $K$ is the wave number of the field. The term of zeroth order is the electric-dipole term which vanishes in a crystal with a center of symmetry. The term first order in $K〈r〉$ is separated into electric-quadrupole and magnetic-dipole contributions by introducing a special gauge for the electromagnetic potentials. Higher power terms are neglected.
A general approach to the identification of compensated faults in robust data structures

Abstract In this paper we give an optimal algorithm for the identification of faulty attributes in a robust data structure. The algorithm does not use any fault syndrome table since the size of such a table could be large, particularly when faults can compensate one another arbitrarily. The data structure is viewed as a collection of data elements related via some “attributes.” The relationships are specified by a set of axioms in first order logic. Faults in attributes invalidate some of the axioms. The invalidated axioms are used to identify the faulty attributes. We show that the identification is possible in time proportional to the number of axioms even when faults compensate one another arbitrarily. This is optimal, since our method of axiom generation does not yield any redundant axioms.
PPARγ Regulates Trophoblast Proliferation and Promotes Labyrinthine Trilineage Differentiation

Background Abnormal trophoblast differentiation and function is the basis of many placenta-based pregnancy disorders, including pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction. PPARgamma, a ligand-activated nuclear receptor, plays essential roles in placental development; null murine embryos die at midgestation due to abnormalities in all placental layers, in particular, small labyrinth and expanded giant cell layer. Previous studies have focused mostly on the role of PPARgamma in trophoblast invasion. Based on the previously reported role of PPARgamma in preadipocyte differentiation, we hypothesized that PPARgamma also plays a pivotal role in trophoblast differentiation. To test this hypothesis, we report derivation of wild-type and PPARgamma-null trophoblast stem (TS) cells. Methodology/principal findings PPARgamma-null TS cells showed defects in both proliferation and differentiation, specifically into labyrinthine trophoblast. Detailed marker analysis and functional studies revealed reduced differentiation of all three labyrinthine lineages, and enhanced giant cell differentiation, particularly the invasive subtypes. In addition, rosiglitazone, a specific PPARgamma agonist, reduced giant cell differentiation, while inducing Gcm1, a key regulator in labyrinth. Finally, reintroducing PPARgamma into null TS cells, using an adenovirus, normalized invasion and partially reversed defective labyrinthine differentiation, as assessed both by morphology and marker analysis. Conclusions/significance In addition to regulating trophoblast invasion, PPARgamma plays a predominant role in differentiation of labyrinthine trophoblast lineages, which, along with fetal endothelium, form the vascular exchange interface with maternal blood. Elucidating cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating PPARgamma action will help determine if modulating PPARgamma activity, for which clinical pharmacologic agonists already exist, might modify the course of pregnancy disorders associated with placental dysfunction.
SU-E-T-515: Field-In-Field Compensation Technique Using Multi-Leaf Collimator to Deliver Total Body Irradiation (TBI) Dose

Purpose: Total body irradiation (TBI) uses large parallel-opposed radiation fields to suppress the patient's immune system and eradicate the residual cancer cells in preparation of recipient for bone marrow transplant. The manual placement of lead compensators has been used conventionally to compensate for the varying thickness through the entire body in large-field TBI. The goal of this study is to pursue utilizing the modern field-in-field (FIF) technique with the multi-leaf collimator (MLC) to more accurately and efficiently deliver dose to patients in need of TBI. Method: Treatment plans utilizing the FIF technique to deliver a total body dose were created retrospectively for patients for whom CT data had been previously acquired. Treatment fields include one pair of opposed open large fields (collimator=45°) with a specific weighting and a succession of smaller fields (collimator=90°) each with their own weighting. The smaller fields are shaped by moving MLC to block the sections of the patient which have already received close to 100% of the prescribed dose. The weighting factors for each of these fields were calculated using the attenuation coefficient of the initial lead compensators and the separation of the patient in different positions in the axial plane. Results: Dose-volume histograms (DVH) were calculated for evaluating the FIF compensation technique. The maximum body doses calculated from the DVH were reduced from the non-compensated 179.3% to 148.2% in the FIF plans, indicating a more uniform dose with the FIF compensation. All calculated monitor units were well within clinically acceptable limits and exceeded those of the original lead compensation plan by less than 50 MU (only ~1.1% increase). Conclusion: MLC FIF technique for TBI will not significantly increase the beam on time while it can substantially reduce the compensator setup time and the potential risk of errors in manually placing lead compensators.
Neurofilament and glycogen changes during cold acclimation in the trochlear nucleus of lizards (Sceloporus undulatus).

In lizards (Sceloporus undulatus), long term (13 or 19 weeks) acclimation to an environment of 6 °C produces a striking increase in the argyrophilic neurofibrillar network in most large perikarya of the trochlear nucleus. In electron micrographs the cells contain numerous bundles of 10–30 regularly-spaced 90A neurofilaments. In the cells from warm acclimated animals, a sparse plexus of neurofibrils is seen by light microscopy. The electron micrographs show scattered neurofilaments and fewer, thinner bundles than in the cold. Within the cell bodies of the cold animals, glycogen particles are organized in regional accumulations from which other organelles are excluded except for the bundles of neurofilaments which are distributed throughout the cytoplasm. The aggregations of rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) are also penetrated by the neurofilament bundles. The increased neurofilamentous network in the cold is not accompanied by obvious changes in the amount or distribution of RER or of microtubules which are present in limited numbers in both conditions. The dendrites of trochlear cells and axon terminals within the nucleus also show a cold induced increase in neurofilaments, as well as in the distinctive accumulations of glycogen particles.
Breast Cancer in Black Women

Purpose: To review the current knowledge about breast cancer in black women—including epidemiology, risk factors, screening practices, pathology, clinical manifestations, treatment, and outcome—wit...
Performance improvement of an x-ray preionized XeCl laser of very small discharge volume

Increasing the preionization electron density is found to be an effective method for improving the output performance of discharge-pumped excimer lasers at high gas pressures when the power-supply voltage becomes a limiting factor. In a small volume (2 cm3), x-ray preionized discharge, orders of magnitude improvement in XeCl laser power output (up to 400 kW) and pulse energy (up to 26 mJ) over previously reported results have been found possible using this method. Modifications to the low energy x-ray source and discharge system leading to these improvements are described. Various laser output characteristics are also presented and discussed.
Advancing the measurement of participation.

Abstract Whiteneck GG, Bogner JA, Heinemann AW. Advancing the measurement of participation. The authors of 3 articles in this issue have collaborated in an effort to advance the conceptualization and measurement of participation. These articles offer (1) a new tool for measuring participation, the Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools–Objective (PART–O), which combines items from widely used instruments in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation research; (2) 2 methods of scoring 17 items of PART–O, assessing relatively objective social role performance and yielding 3 subscale scores, as well as 2 alternative total scores (including 1 incorporating the concept of balance among types of participation), and (3) 19 enfranchisement items assessing the degree to which people with disability perceive they have the freedom to engage in social roles of their choosing while being accepted and valued by others.
Geoarchaeological context of clovis and western stemmed tradition sites in Dietz Basin, Lake County, Oregon

Description and analysis of 57 exposures in Dietz Basin, Lake County, Oregon, are used to investigate the paleoenvironmental context of the Clovis and Early Archaic occupations. Prior research suggested that a series of shallow permanent lakes in the basin acted as a draw for foragers during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition (11,500–9000 RCYBP). However, the stratigraphic studies described here show that all lakes predate human occupation. During the Clovis period, a shift to warmer, drier climates was marked by the formation of a rainfallcontrolled playa-lunette system. Lunette formation ceased with a return to colder, wetter climates during the Younger Dryas, which led to formation of a wet meadow in the basin. The shift to progressively warmer, drier climates after 9600 RCYBP led first to the formation of a second playa-lunette system in Dietz Basin, and then to the establishment of a dry basin-floor environment that persisted into the modern period. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nonparametric graded data processing with back-error propagation networks

Abstract We present some computational characteristics of back-error propagation (BEP) networks in processing graded patterns that are otherwise indistinguishable in binary (or bipolar) representations. We address the problem of mapping l-of-m unit gradients with interunit activation profile d to n classes, where maximum noise amplitude of ϵ is permitted within gradient classes. Relations between these parameters and the training period measured in epochs (T) are discussed. Extensions of basic concepts are used to extract embedded feature information in constrained 2D grey-scale patterns and to group and classify distorted pattern clusters whose intraset distances are sometimes greater than interset metrics. Results have been applied to simulation studies in the domain of robotic tactile pattern recognition.
Kinetics of diffusion-coupled fermentation processes: The conversion of cellulose to protein

A combination of Fickian diffusion and Michaelis–Menten kinetics is proposed to describe the rate of diffusion-coupled biochemical reactions. This postulate leads to a nonlinear mathematical model which is solved by a perturbation technique. The result is a relation which permits identification of zones of relative diffusion or reaction influence. The conversion of cellulose to protein by Myrothecium verrucaria is a heterogeneous process that is well-suited to this type of analysis, although the data requirements are severe.
Nanowire batteries for next generation electronics

The scaling of electronic devices also requires the evolution of high energy density power sources. By using nanowires, high charge storage materials, which otherwise have mechanical breakage problems due to large structure transformations and volume changes, can be adopted as electrode materials. High power operation can also be possible due to the short lithium insertion distances in the nanowires. We have studied Si and Ge nanowires and demonstrated charge storage capacities several times higher than the graphite anodes used in existing battery technology. LiMn2O4 nanorod cathodes were found to show much higher power rates than commercial powders. Detailed morphology and structure characterization have shown that these improvements are attributed to facile strain relaxation, good electronic contact and conduction, and short Li insertion distances in the nanowire battery electrode. We also developed a Langmuir-Blodgett assembly technique to produce nanowire pillars as battery electrodes, which opens up the possibility for the fabrication of on-chip battery power sources.
Racial Disproportionality in Child Welfare

Harris, Marian S. (2014). Racial disproportionality in child welfare. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. 360 pp., $105.00 (hardcover), $35.00 (paperback), ISBN: 978-0231150477.In Racial Dispr...
Pharmacogenetics in Primary Care: The Promise of Personalized Medicine and the Reality of Racial Profiling

Many anticipate that expanding knowledge of genetic variations associated with disease risk and medication response will revolutionize clinical medicine, making possible genetically based Personalized Medicine where health care can be tailored to individuals, based on their genome scans. Pharmacogenetics has received especially strong interest, with many pharmaceutical developers avidly working to identify genetic variations associated with individual differences in drug response. While clinical applications of emerging genetic knowledge are becoming increasingly available, genetic tests for drug selection are not as yet widely accessible, and many primary care clinicians are unprepared to interpret genetic information. We conducted interviews with 58 primary care clinicians, exploring how they integrate emerging pharmacogenetic concepts into their practices. We found that in their current practices, pharmacogenetic innovations have not led to individually tailored treatment, but instead have encouraged use of essentialized racial/ethnic identity as a proxy for genetic heritage. Current manifestations of Personalized Medicine appear to be reinforcing entrenched notions of inherent biological differences between racial groups, and promoting the belief that racial profiling in health care is supported by cutting-edge scientific authority. Our findings raise concern for how pharmacogenetic innovations will actually affect diverse populations, and how unbiased treatment can be assured.
Modulation of endothelial cell shape by SPARC does not involve chelation of extracellular Ca2+ and Mg2+.

SPARC (secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine) is an extracellular, Ca2+-binding protein that inhibits the spreading of newly plated cells and elicits a rounded morphology in spread cells. I...
Recognizing and Responding to Young Children's Sexual Behaviors in the Classroom.

As an early childhood educator, Ms. Maria felt able to recognize and manage the difficult, but age-appropriate behaviors of the 3and 4-year-olds in her classroom. Kaleb often had trouble sitting still during circle time, and Annabelle was still crying at drop off. Janell had language delays but was progressing since the start of the year. Fortunately, Ms. Maria was equipped with the training and skill to manage these behaviors, and every day they were becoming less disruptive. However, there were some behaviors Ms. Maria was having trouble managing. During naptime, one afternoon, Ms. Maria noticed Emilio, a child with autism, laying down on his mat with his hand down his pants, apparently self-stimulating. Unsure what to do, Ms. Maria simply ignored Emilio’s behavior—but she wondered, “Is Emilio being sexually abused?” Another afternoon, she found Sophia and Michael, both age 4, in the bathroom. They had their pants down and were looking at one another and laughing. They looked up surprised when she came in. Another time, Juan was found trying to tongue kiss Angelique in the corner of the room. And then, Ellen (age 3.5) who has a hearing impairment, pointed to Tomas’s pants, and questioned Ms. Maria, “Me . . . penis?” Ms. Maria was shocked at Ellen’s use of this term and was not really sure how to answer her question. Finally, one of her male students would often sit on her lap during story time and touch her breasts while she was reading to him. Ms. Maria’s experience in the classroom is fairly typical. Many early childhood educators encounter children who exhibit sexual behavior and are not sure how to respond. Although they have had training in childhood development, sexual development is rarely given the attention it deserves. At the same time, early childhood education personnel often get
Plasma Oxidizability in Subjects With Normal Glucose Tolerance, Impaired Glucose Tolerance, and NIDDM

OBJECTIVE Several lines of evidence support an atherogenic role for oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Studies on LDL oxidation in diabetes to date have examined LDL isolated from plasma, but have failed to evaluate the other pro- and antioxidant factors present in vivo, the balance of which could be crucial in determining the susceptibility of LDL to lipid peroxidation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We examined the oxidizability of plasma from Mexican-Americans in the San Antonio Heart Study. The oxidizability of plasma in 75 subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) was studied after co-incubation with a free radical initiator, 2,29-azobis-2-amidinopropane hydrochloride (AAPH). Lipid peroxide (LPO) levels were measured by a modified fluorimetrie assay. RESULTS Baseline LPO levels (μmol/l; means ± SE) were similar in the three glucose tolerance categories (NGT, 1.99 ± 0.07; IGT, 1.88 ± 0.07; NIDDM, 1.97 ± 0.07; P = 0.521). However, after incubation with AAPH (NGT, 4.30 ±0.20; IGT, 4.45 ± 0.20; NIDDM, 5.35 ± 0.20; P = 0.003), the diabetic plasma had significantly greater amounts of LPOs compared with the other two groups. There was no significant difference in LPOs between the NGT and IGT groups. The statistical significance of increased oxidizability of the diabetic plasma persisted after exclusion of patients who smoked cigarettes ( n = 15) or who had vascular disease ( n = 4). CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, this study shows that the plasma of Mexican-American subjects with NIDDM is more prone to lipid peroxidation than that of non-Hispanic whites
Disasters and Governments

This article examines why disasters of similar types differentially affect countries throughout the world. Despite a plethora of studies in the disaster field, such a theme has hitherto not been systematically pursued. Concepts of government effectiveness, government instability, available resources, and social context are incorporated into a structural model that seeks to explain differentials in impact. A derivative measurement model is tested using a merged data archive based on the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA)'s Disaster History Update Program and Banks' Cross-National Time Series. The model holds well for five disaster categories (accident, volcano, earthquake, drought, epidemic), modestly for two more (storm and flood), and fails to explain differences only for landslide and fire.
Comparison of binding proteins of glucocorticoids in mammary tissue and in blood sera from lactating cows.

Supernatant fractions (700 X g) isolated from homogenates of mammary tissue slices from three lactating Holstein cows (slices previously incubated with [hydrogen-3] cortisol for 1 h at 37 C) were electrophoresed on 7% polyacrylamide gels. The majority of radioactivity was in a protein(s) 2.5 to 3 cm from the origin whereas bovine serum incubated with [hydrogen-3] cortisol showed the majority of radioactivity in a protein 5 to 6 cm from the origin. N,N-diethylaminoethyl cellulose chromatography of 700 X g supernatant fluids from three lactating cows revealed that [hydrogen-3] cortisol was associated with a protein component that eluted with .3 M potassium phosphate, pH 8.0. In contrast, [hydrogen-3] cortisol bound to bovine sera eluted as two protein components with .05 and .1 M potassium phosphate, pH 8.0. Approximate molecular weights determined from gel filtration (four lactating cows) and sucrose density studies (two lactating cows) were estimated to be 2.5 X 10(5) to 3 X 10(6) for the 700 X g mammary receptor of cortisol and 6 X 10)4) to 8 X 10(4) for the primary protein which binds cortisol in serum. We conclude that lactating bovine mammary tissue contains a protein(s) capable of binding tritiated cortisol which is unique from the corticosteroid binding proteins of blood.
Range of intensities yielding PB Max and the threshold for monosyllabic words for hearing-impaired subjects.

Characteristics of the range of intensities yielding PB Max and of the threshold for monosyllabic words (PBT) were investigated in 110 elderly subjects with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing l...
On Seeing The Birth Of The Heart

This is an essay in seeing the heart of humanity, as it is re-presented in a Christian icon (Kardiotissa) and a Buddhist cave (Vishvakarma). Working through a poetics of image and word and the dialectic of revelation and concealment intrinsic to representation, this essay concentrates on wording the visible confluence of subjective and objective domains, as they appear in art and express human being. Interiority, its formlessness and its incorporation in form, is seen to reorient the religious by bearing witness to a religiosity at the core of the human, a faith rendered and remembered in aesthetic form. Representation as word, concept, and phenomenon is both the subject and medium of this inquiry, which, by plumbing the possibility of the inter-religious imagination, seeks to unearth the ethics, and thus extend the capacities, of representation itself. Significant notes in eastern and western philosophical aesthetics provide a comparative platform for a process of seeing the icon and the cave as works of art that formally illumine an originary site of the religious and the aesthetic in the birth of the heart.
Regulation of chemokine receptor CCR5 and production of RANTES and MIP-1α by interferon-β

Abstract Trafficking of inflammatory T cells into the brain is associated with interactions of certain chemokines with their receptors, which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). We examined whether interferon-β (IFN-β) had the ability to regulate the production of chemokines and the expression of their receptors in T cells derived from patients with MS. It was demonstrated for the first time that in vitro exposure of T cells to IFN-β-1a selectively inhibited mRNA expression for RANTES and MIP-1α and their receptor CCR5. T cell surface expression of CCR5 was significantly reduced in MS patients treated with IFN-β, correlating with decreased T cell transmigration toward RANTES and MIP-1α. The study provides new evidence suggesting that IFN-β treatment impairs chemokine-induced T cell trafficking by reducing the production of RANTES and MIP-1α and the expression of their receptors CCR5.
Autoimmune effector cells: I. Transfer of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis with lymphoid cells cultured with antigen

Relatively low numbers of spleen and lymph node cells from Lewis rats previously challenged with myelin basic protein efficiently transfer experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) to normal syngeneic recipients after in vitro culture with antigen. Moreover, cells obtained from rats that have recovered and are resistant to EAE can also transfer disease. Cell separation studies show that a nylon wool-adherent cell is responsible for transfer of EAE. Density gradient ultracentrifugation revealed that these effector cells are probably lymphoblasts.
Package reliability and performance trends in an era of product integration

Product differentiation is expected to accelerate and will encompass integration of product functionality into single and multiple die on package as well as multiple die/packages on board. Novel packaging designs will lead to incorporation of new materials and processes from which a comprehensive understanding of operating conditions at system and subcomponent level will be required to ensure reliability at minimum impact to cost & performance. Reliability tests, models and analysis must evolve to encompass emerging failure mechanisms and geometric effects not considered when standards were originally authored. This manuscript will show trends in packaging and materials along with examples of emerging failure mechanisms that need to be understood to ensure reliability in highly integrated products.
The Effect of Meteorological Factors on Air Pollution in a Narrow Valley

Abstract The Air Pollution Division of the State of Pennsylvania has conducted simultaneous measurements of meteorological variables and air quality at Johnstown, Pa. An analysis of the observations for two fall seasons showed that fluctuations in the concentrations can be fairly well explained by the changes in wind speed and fluctuations of vertical air velocities. Wind direction is relatively unimportant, except for the rare east winds, when the air at Johnstown is affected by a major steel plant. This paper presents a simple mathematical model that predicts variations in air pollution from a large number of low-level sources in a narrow valley. This theory and observations are in good agreement. It is likely, therefore, that most of the pollution at Johnstown and similar sites is locally produced. Due to the fact that there usually are no important high-stack sources upwind at Johnstown at present, fumigation is not generally a factor there.
Uptake of neurotransmitters by clonal lines of astrocytoma and neuroblastoma in culture. I. Transport of γ-aminobutyric acid

Abstract Clonal astrocytoma (C6) and neuroblastoma (NB41) cell lines take up γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from the medium by a high-affinity, carrier-mediated transport system (Km = 0.2 μM) and a second, apparently non-saturable, process which may represent diffusion. The high-affinity transport of GABA in both cell lines is sodium dependent. The similarity of GABA transport in these model glial and neuronal cell lines supports the hypothesis that glial cells may participate in the inactivation of GABA by reuptake from the synaptic cleft. Aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA) inhibits GABA uptake in C6 astrocytoma, but not in NB41 neuroblastoma, cells. This difference suggests that GABA uptake in glia, but not in neurons, may be coupled to its metabolism.
Dark energy and the cosmological constant: A brief introduction

The recently observed acceleration of the expansion of the universe is a topic of intense interest. The favoured causes are the 'cosmological constant' or 'dark energy'. The former, which appears in the Einstein equations as the term λgμν, provides an extremely simple, well-defined mechanism for the acceleration. However, there is a school of thought that suggests that the cosmological constant is inadequate to explain fully the evolution of the universe and should be replaced by a slowly varying scalar field—the aforementioned dark energy. The situation is complicated by the circumstance that the expression for the cosmological constant is precisely that of the zero-point energy of a quantum field, ogμν. This strongly suggests the two are related. There are several problems here. The calculated value of the various contributions to o may be as much as 120 orders of magnitude greater than the observed value of λ. How these contributions add up to so minute a quantity is a major part of what is commonly termed 'the cosmological constant problem'. Traces of dark energy have yet to be found. We review some of the history and problems associated with the concepts of the cosmological constant and dark energy, provide a brief review of the relevant cosmology and review possible candidates for dark energy.
Are we influencing outcome in oropharynx cancer with intensity-modulated radiotherapy? An inter-era comparison.

Purpose To analyze the outcome in all oropharynx cancer patients treated at the University of Wisconsin during 1995–2005 and highlight the methodologic challenge in comparing outcome after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with that of historical controls. Methods and Materials Outcomes were compared in 195 oropharynx cancer patients after definitive radiotherapy with curative intent in the pre-IMRT era (pre-IMRT, n = 105), after IMRT (IMRT+, n = 52) or after non-IMRT techniques during the IMRT era (IMRT−, n = 38). Results With a median follow-up of 30.4 months, the 3-year overall survival rate in IMRT+, IMRT−, and pre-IMRT patients was 88.2%, 81.1%, and 67.7%, respectively; and for locoregional control was 96.1%, 78.1%, and 81.1%. Patients from the IMRT era more frequently received concurrent chemotherapy (67% vs. 6%, p p = 0.002). Patients with T3–4 disease and bilateral neck disease were significantly less likely to receive IMRT. Cox regression analysis identified IMRT as a significant prognostic factor ( p = 0.04); however, after including T stage in the model, IMRT lost independent significance ( p = 0.2). Analysis of a potential effect of IMRT on Grade 3+ mucositis or skin reaction was also hampered by the change in other treatment characteristics. Conclusions Outcomes in oropharynx cancer have improved at our institution since the introduction of IMRT. However, multiple factors have contributed to this improvement, and presentation of IMRT outcomes without the full context of historical and contemporary controls may yield data that overstate outcome after IMRT.
SU-E-T-680: An Interactive Graphical User Interface for Physician-Driven Treatment Plan Tuning

Purpose: To develop an interactive graphical user interface (GUI) for physicians to conveniently and efficiently fine‐tune an IMRT treatment plan. Methods: After an IMRT plan is developed either automatically or manually by a dosimetrist, the attending physician evaluates its quality and prefer to directly modify the DVH curves and the unsatisfactory part of dose distribution. We have developed an interactive GUI for this purpose. For the unsatisfactory part of a DVH curve, the physician can drag and drop it to where it is preferred using the computer mouse or touchpad. The treatment plan is then re‐optimized in near real‐time on the background GPUs to best match the physician's desire. The physician can also click a point in the dose distribution and drag it to modify the isodose lines to a more desired configuration. This mouse movement vector is propagated to its neighboring area to form a local vector field, which is used to modulate the underlying dose distribution. The new dose distribution is used to guide the plan re‐optimization in near real‐time. The re‐optimized DVHs and isodose lines are then displayed for the physicians to edit in the next iteration. This process is repeated until a physician satisfactory plan is achieved. Results: We have tested this GUI for a series of IMRT plans. Results indicate that the proposed method provides the physicians an intuitive and efficient graphical tool to edit the DVHs and dose distributions according to their preference. The input information is used to guide plan re‐optimization in near real‐time using our GPU optimization engine. Typically, a satisfactory plan can be developed by a physician in a few minutes using this tool. Conclusion: We have developed an interactive GUI for tuning IMRT treatment plans and demonstrated its feasibility through a series of clinical tests.
Monetary Policy Implementation: Results from a Survey

Since the early 1990s, the IMF has been advising countries to shift to the use of indirect instruments for executing monetary policy. This paper provides information about a monetary policy instruments database, maintained by the Monetary and Capital Markets Department of the IMF. We offer an overview of the information contained in the database in the form of comparative summary tables and graphs to illustrate the use of monetary policy instruments by groups of countries (developing, emerging market and developed countries). The main trend that can be identified from the database information is the increasing reliance on money market operations for monetary policy implementation. We emphasize the relevance and usefulness of the data collected through periodic surveys of central banks, for general descriptive and analytical purposes.