cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FSH and FOXO1 Regulate Genes in the Sterol/Steroid and Lipid Biosynthetic Pathways in Granulosa Cells

The forkhead box transcription factor FOXO1 is highly expressed in granulosa cells of growing follicles but is down-regulated by FSH in culture or by LH-induced luteinization in vivo. To analyze the function of FOXO1, we infected rat and mouse granulosa cells with adenoviral vectors expressing two FOXO1 mutants: a gain-of-function mutant FOXOA3 that has two serine residues and one threonine residue mutated to alanines rendering this protein constitutively active and nuclear and FOXOA3-mutant DNA-binding domain (mDBD) in which the DBD is mutated. The infected cells were then treated with vehicle or FSH for specific time intervals. Infection of the granulosa cells was highly efficient, caused only minimal apoptosis, and maintained FOXO1 protein at levels of the endogenous protein observed in cells before exposure to FSH. RNA was prepared from control and adenoviral infected cells exposed to vehicle or FSH for 12 and 24 h. Affymetrix microarray and database analyses identified, and real time RT-PCR verified, that genes within the lipid, sterol, and steroidogenic biosynthetic pathways (Hmgcs1, Hmgcr, Mvk, Sqle, Lss, Cyp51, Tm7sf2, Dhcr24 and Star, Cyp11a1, and Cyp19), including two key transcriptional regulators Srebf1 and Srebf2 of cholesterol biosynthesis and steroidogenesis (Nr5a1, Nr5a2), were major targets induced by FSH and suppressed by FOXOA3 and FOXOA3-mDBD in the cultured granulosa cells. By contrast, FOXOA3 and FOXOA3-mDBD induced expression of Cyp27a1 mRNA that encodes an enzyme involved in cholesterol catabolism to oxysterols. The genes up-regulated by FSH in cultured granulosa cells were also induced in granulosa cells of preovulatory follicles and corpora lutea collected from immature mice primed with FSH (equine choriogonadotropin) and LH (human choriogonadotropin), respectively. Conversely, Foxo1 and Cyp27a1 mRNAs were reduced by these same treatments. Collectively, these data provide novel evidence that FOXO1 may play a key role in granulosa cells to modulate lipid and sterol biosynthesis, thereby preventing elevated steroidogenesis during early stages of follicle development.
Feasibility of an Individualized, Home-Based Obesity Prevention Program for Preschool-Age Children

This study explored the feasibility and acceptability of an individualized, home-based routines intervention targeting preschool-age children's everyday sleeping and eating routines. Using a one-group, pre–post design (N = 11), single mothers with 3- to 5-year-old children participated in an intervention over 6 weeks. Data (self-report, actigraphy, and family mealtime observations) were collected at baseline and 1-month post intervention. Mothers found the intervention acceptable, and point estimates for the intervention effects were in the expected direction. Individualized, home-based interventions targeting everyday mealtime and sleep routines hold promise in assisting mothers with developing and sustaining their children's healthy behaviors and decreasing their overweight and obesity risks.
Laboratory study of borehole breakouts in Cordova Cream: a case of shear failure mechanism

Abstract We subjected vertical boreholes drilled in cubical specimens of Cordova Cream to a 3-dimensional stress field, and increased one or both of the horizontal principal stresses until breakout failure occurred. Acoustic emission, borehole strain, and visual monitoring of the borehole wall during testing revealed four stages of breakout development: crack initiation, extension, breakout formation, and stabilization. Thin section analysis suggests that breakout formation in Cordova Cream is the result of shear failure mechanism. The relationships at breakout stabilization between the two horizontal principal stresses and between the span at the borehole wall and the least horizontal stress suggest a potentially simple method of estimating the far-field state of stress if ‘breakouted’ borehole geometry is accurately mapped.
A simple plaque assay for influenza A2 viruses and its application to antiviral screening

Influenza A2/Singapore and A2/Hong Kong virus strains formed plaques in monolayers of monkey kidney and dog kidney cells. Using a serum-free overlay containing Earle's balanced salt solution with 1% lactalbumin hydrolysate, 1.4 g/1 sodium bicarbonate and 0.6% agarose, plaque formation occurred in 4–7 days. By incorporating compound in the overlay, plaque inhibition was demonstrated by Amantadine, Rimantadine and the isoquinoline derivatives designated Pfizer UK-2054, UK-2617, UK-2762 and UK-2888.
TIME-DEPENDENT ACCELERATION OF INTERSTELLAR PICKUP IONS AT THE HELIOSPHERIC TERMINATION SHOCK USING A FOCUSED TRANSPORT APPROACH

A time-dependent focused transport approach to modeling diffusive shock acceleration of interstellar pickup ions at the termination shock is discussed. By taking into account time variations in the magnetic field angle, and thus by implication in the shock obliquity and injection speed at the termination shock using Voyager 1 observations as guide, we show that unaccelerated core interstellar pickup protons can be accelerated by the nearly perpendicular termination shock at the heliospheric nose. Many features of anomalous cosmic rays, observed by the Voyager spacecraft at energies below the big spectral dip starting at ~3 MeV, can be successfully reproduced with this approach. This includes multiple power-law spectral slopes with stable breaking points, power-law spectral slopes that are harder than predicted by standard diffusive shock acceleration, large pitch-angle anisotropies with strong time variations upstream that converge to steady-state isotropy in the heliosheath, upstream pitch-angle anisotropies that peak at ~1 MeV, episodic strongly anisotropic intensity spikes at the termination shock, and strong spectral volatility upstream that is reduced downstream and almost completely disappears farther downstream.
Visual Perception and Regulatory Conflict: Motivation and Physiology Influence Distance Perception.

Regulatory conflict can emerge when people experience a strong motivation to act on goals but a conflicting inclination to withhold action because physical resources available, or physiological potentials, are low. This study demonstrated that distance perception is biased in ways that theory suggests assists in managing this conflict. Participants estimated the distance to a target location. Individual differences in physiological potential measured via waist-to-hip ratio interacted with manipulated motivational states to predict visual perception. Among people low in physiological potential and likely to experience regulatory conflict, the environment appeared easier to traverse when motivation was strong compared with weak. Among people high in potential and less likely to experience conflict, perception was not predicted by motivational strength. The role of motivated distance perception in self-regulation is discussed.
Sensitivity in the structural behavior of shallow arches

Abstract It is well established that certain structural buckling problems are extremely sensitive to small changes in configuration: geometric imperfections, load application, symmetry, boundary conditions, etc. This paper considers the behavior of a very shallow arch under lateral point loading, and specifically under the influence of changes in the thermal environment. In some ways the system under study is especially sensitive since small changes influence whether the arch ‘snaps-through’ or not. The experimental results provide insight into the challenges of understanding the behavior of these types of structural components in a practical, and thus necessarily imperfect, situation. The focus is on static loading or at least quasi-static loading, in which loading occurs on a slow time scale. This study also acts as a back-drop for studying the dynamic behavior of shallow arches, an area of concern in the context of aerospace structural components.
Adjective order and juncture

This report provides evidence that juncture phenomena are an important and robust aspect of the phenomenon of preferred adjective order. The cyclical scanning procedure, hypothesized to explain juncture phenomena, is said to be an example of an important class of psychological processes, the class of psychological cycles.
Three-Dimensional Diffusion of Carbon Monoxide in an Alveolar Capillary

Theoretical capillary gas exchange models available in the literature are limited to either two-dimensional or axisymmetric configurations. The present study investigates shortcomings of a two-dimensional capillary CO-gas transfer model by comparing it to a more realistic three-dimensional configuration. Numerical results from both models, compared to measurements obtained experimentally via the rebreathing technique, demonstrate that CO-diffusion model results are strongly affected when a third dimension is included. The effect of including a third dimension is to increase the gas exchange from the alveolar region into the RBCs, due to a larger gas diffusion surface within the capillary, leading to a significant increase in the resulting CO diffusing capacity. The results also show a better agreement between the experimental results and the numerical results obtained with the three-dimensional model than with the two-dimensional model. Finally, the strong sensitivity of the results vis-a-vis the domain lengths (keeping the capillary volume constant) highlight the importance of considering the three-dimensional capillary morphology very carefully.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Physicians’ Perspectives on Ethically Challenging Situations: Early Identification and Action

Background: Limited information on risk factors for ethically difficult clinical situations exists. Identifying common factors in these situations could encourage a more proactive, system-wide approach to ethical issues, which could mitigate patient and family suffering, providers’ moral stress, and costly ethical conflicts. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative data analyses were performed on physician responses to an online survey that queried physician perceptions about ethically complex situations in a large academic medical center and community hospital. Results: Representing 30 specialties, 114 physicians responded. The most frequently encountered situation was working with patients who lacked capacity for decision making. End-of-life treatment decisions and family adamancy were ranked as the most intense situations. Interactional risk factors such as different moral perspectives and poor communication were most prominent (53.9%); patient and family risk factors were also described (33%). Physicians...
Area-Distance, Contact Technology and Administrative Intensity in Societies

This paper examines the relationship between the areal expanse of societies, the development of their communication and transportation technologies and the relative size of their governments. Hypotheses derived from Hawley and from Mayhew and Levinger's (a) "Density of Interaction" model are tested with cross-sectional data on 70 nations. As predicted, the availability and development of communication and transportation technology is shown to have a positive effect on the relative size of government, independent of population size and population concentration. Areal expanse, however, is found to be negatively related with the relative size of government in nations with small populations and positively related in nations with large populations and does not confirm the prediction of a monotonic inverse relationship between areadistance and administrative intensity. System constraints and biological limitations of the human organism are offered as possible explanations of this finding. Sociologists and ecologists have long discussed the important effects social density is presumed to have on major dimensions of social organization (cf. Durkheim; Hawley) and recently a theoretical paper by Mayhew and Levinger (a) implied that a social system's conduciveness to interaction might be estimated on the basis of three structural parameters: population size, the average distance between people, and the technology available for overcoming distance. This suggests that investigators wishing to determine the effects of social density (or "interaction density", as Mayhew and Levinger term it) on social organization might employ these structural parameters to estimate the level of social activity and then use this estimate to assess the impact of social density on selected features of social organization.
Neutral--alkaline proteases of the rat heart.

Abstract Protein degradation in heart may involve proteases active at neutral and alkaline pH and lysosomes containing proteases active at acidic pH. Proteases were assayed by hydrolysis of endogenous protein to free amino acids and [3H] acetylcasein to acid-soluble peptides by homogenates, supernatants, and particulate fractions of hearts from control and 48 80 - treated rats and from heart muscle cells. Homogenates and particulate fractions of 48 80 - treated hearts and muscle cells hydrolyzed endogenous protein and [3H]-acetylcasein (pH 7.8) at only 10% and 60%, respectively, of the rate of homogenates and particulate fractions from control hearts. These findings indicated that a major contributor to the alkaline proteolytic activity of the heart was localized to non-muscle cells, presumably mast cells. In addition, specific activity of the Ca2+-dependent protease was reduced 50% in muscle cell preparations, as compared to control hearts. The majority of the proleolytic activity of heart muscle cells at pH 7.8 was accounted for by a cysteine protease(s) with a molecular weight of approximately 26 000. This activity was present in both the soluble and particulate fractions. These studies demonstrated that a model of the proteolytic pathway involving proteases active at neutral-alkaline pH and lysosomal proteases was feasible in heart muscle cells.
Synthesis, mobility study and antimicrobial evaluation of novel self-spreading ionic silicone oligomers

Polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) have been extensively utilized for their ability to spread and lubricate surfaces. This ability can be mostly attributed to their low surface energy and extremely flexible backbone. This study examines their unique ability through a comparative analysis of the rates of spread of numerous commercially available oils and lubricants, including a series of methyl-terminated PDMS. The analysis facilitated the design and synthesis of two homologous series of PDMS, in which the terminal ends were functionalized as quaternary ammonium salts. The two new series of compounds were examined for their ability to spread both as neat liquids and as formulated blends. Additionally, these hybrid ionic oligomers were screened for biological activity against Staphylococcus aureus. All of the new oligomers exhibited antimicrobial properties in preliminary testing. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007
Mental health in health planning agencies

Abstract Two models of organizational behavior were tested using a population of 200 Health Systems Agencies (HSAs) in the U.S.A. A ‘needs’ model, based on mental health high-risk sociodemographic indicators, and a ‘resources’ model, based on a mental health manpower, facilities and system-activation indicators, were used to predict 1978 HSA activities in mental health governing board representation, Health Systems Plan development and Certificate of Need (CON) project review. Where there were differences, resource indicators explained more variance in HSA activities than did need indicators. HSA project review activity was better explained by both sets of indicators than were board and plan activities. HSA recommendations were most often consistent with the aims of health planning.
Behavior of singlet oxygen in the oxygeniodine transfer laser

The kinetic processes that affect the decay of (O2(1Δ) in the oxygeniodine transfer laser are discussed. The kinetics of O2* removal in the absence of iodine are now quite well established. A brief review of this topic is presented. When I2 is added to O2*, a distinction can be made between the behavior of O2* when both I2 and I are present, and when I2 is fully dissociated into atoms. In the latter case, energy pooling between O2(1Δ) and I* is the dominant process unless a strong I* quencher (e.g. H2O) is present. In the former case, the (O21Δ)-driven chain reaction mechanism for I2 dissociation is the dominant feature of the kinetics. A detailed description of each of these regimes is critical to the understanding of the oxygeniodine laser.
High-performance SERS substrates: Advances and challenges

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is highly dependent upon the substrate, where excitation of the localized metal surface plasmon resonance enhances the vibrational scattering signal of proximate analyte molecules. This article reviews recent progress in the fabrication of SERS substrates and the requirements for characterization of plasmonic materials as SERS platforms. We discuss bottom-up fabrication of SERS substrates and illustrate the advantages of rational control of metallic nanoparticle synthesis and assembly for hot spot creation. We also detail top-down methods, including nanosphere lithography for the preparation of tunable, highly sensitive, and robust substrates, as well as the unique benefits of tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for simultaneous acquisition of molecular vibrational information and high spatial resolution imaging. Finally, we discuss future prospects and challenges in SERS, including the development of surface-enhanced femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy, microfluidics with SERS, creating highly reproducible substrates, and the need for reliable characterization of substrates.
Regulatory intramolecular association in a tyrosine kinase of the Tec family.

THE T-cell-specific tyrosine kinase Itk is a member of the Tec family of non-receptor tyrosine kinases1–7, and is required for signalling through the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR)8.The role of Itk in TCR signalling and the manner in which Itk activity is regulated are not well understood. Substrate binding and enzymatic activity of the structurally related Src kinases are regulated by an intramolecular interaction between the Src-homology-2 (SH2) domain and a phosphotyrosine9,10. Although Itk also contains SH3, SH2 and tyrosine kinase domains, it lacks the corresponding regulatory phosphorylation site, and therefore must be regulated by an alternative mechanism. The proline-rich sequence adjacent to the SH3 domain of Tec family kinases contains an SH3 ligand, potentially allowing a different intramolecular interaction. By using multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance we have determined the structure of a fragment of Itk, confirming that these domains interact intramolecularly. Formation of this intramolecular SH3–ligand complex prevents the Itk SH3 domain and proline-rich region from interacting with their respective protein ligands, Sam68 and Grb-2. We believe that this structure represents the first example of an intramolecular interaction between an SH3 domain and a proline-rich ligand, and has implications for the regulation of Tec family kinases.
111In-Octreotide Scintigraphy for Identification of Metastatic Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma in Children and Adolescents

Context: Most medullary thyroid cancers (MTC) express somatostatin receptors; therefore, 111In-octreotide somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) may be useful in detecting sites of metastases in children with MTC. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate tumor metastases in children and adolescents with MTC using SRS in comparison to conventional imaging. Design and Setting: A case series was conducted as part of baseline evaluation for cancer treatment protocol at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. Patients: Eleven patients with a median age of 15 (range, 9–17) yr participated in the study, 10 with histologically proven, metastatic MTC due to the M918T mutation of the RET protooncogene, and one with a known RET polymorphism. Intervention: After receiving 0.086 mCi/kg 111Indium-pentreotide, patients were examined with a single photon emission computed tomography scan 4 and 24 h after injection. Baseline conventional imaging, including computed tomography (neck, chest, abdomen, ± p...
Directions and needs in asbestos research: new insights: conference summary.

The Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS) Conference, entitled “Directions and Needs in Asbestos Research: New Insights,” was held at the University of Montana in Missoula. Researchers, physicians, health care workers, and federal agency representatives from around the country met for a cross-disciplinary exploration of many issues related to asbestos research. Topics included community and psychosocial issues in biomedical research, asbestos exposure assessment, assessment and mechanisms of asbestos related diseases, and new research directions. This meeting report is a summary of the conference presentations, and of the topics identified for future research directions. This conference was a follow-up to one hosted by the CEHS in June 2002, and continued to take advantage of opportunities to work with a unique population in Libby MT, where significant asbestos exposures have occurred due to the mining of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite. The goals of this conference were to bring together expe...
Infant transfer behavior in humans: a note on the exploitation of young

Human infant transfers filmed in West New Guinea and stored in the archives of Max-Planck Geselschaft are formally described and analyzed relative to reports of similar behavior from nonhuman primates in laboratory and field studies. Motor patterns directed from one individual to another were discriminated and grouped into five categories of behavior ordered according to their relative likelihoods of “damaging aggression” [Fagen, American Naturalist, 115:858–869, 1980]. Transfers generally occurred between two females of different reproductive conditions. Most interactions were directed from the holder of the infant to the infant, demonstrating that the infant is the recipient of most nondamaging as well as potentially damaging behavior. While transfers are characterized by “aggressive restraint,” the least damaging behavior is most likely to precede a transfer and may function to prolong the relative duration of infant holding. Behavior with a relatively high likelihood of damage to the infant by the infant holder is as likely to occur before as after transfer, suggesting that infant transfer behavior in this human society reflects competitive interactions among adult females.
Ion transport by ouabain resistant and sensitive ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells.

Cell division, net Na+-K+ and amino-acid transport of cultured Ehrlich ascites is reversibly inhibited by Ouabain at a final concentration of 1 × 10–3M. A line of Ehrlich ascites cells resistant to the growth inhibiting effects of Ouabain has been developed. These cells behave similarly to Ouabain-sensitive cells in the following respects doubling time, S phase time, chromosome number, cell surface charge density, rate of incorporation of C14 Uridine and 3H-Thymidine, sensitivity to Digoxin and Digitoxin, steady state Na+, K+ levels and rate of loss of K+ and gain of Na+ in cold. Ouabain resistant cells differ from sensitive cells only with respect to the effect of ouabain on active Na+, K+ transport. Although Ouabain inhibits active Na+, K+ transport in sensitive cells it has no significant effect in resistant cells.
Osteoblast growth and bone‐healing response to three‐dimensional poly(ε‐caprolactone fumarate) scaffolds

Poly(e-caprolactone fumarate) (PCLF) scaffold formulations were assessed as a delivery system for recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP-2) for bone tissue engineering. The formulations included PCLF with combinations of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and hydroxyapatite (HA). The assessments included in vitro and in vivo assays. In vitro assays validated cell attachment using a pre-osteoblast cell line (MC3T3-E1). Additionally, in vitro release profiles of rhBMP-2 from PCLF scaffolds were determined up to 21 days. The data suggested that PCLF incorporated with PVA and HA accelerated rhBMP-2 release and that the released protein was bioactive. For the in vivo study, a critical-sized defect (CSD) model in rabbit calvaria was used to test PCLF scaffolds. At 6 weeks post-implantation, significantly more bone formation was measured in PCLF scaffolds containing rhBMP-2 than in scaffolds without rhBMP-2. In conclusion, we demonstrated that PCLF delivered biologically active rhBMP-2, promoted bone healing in a CSD and has potential as a bone tissue engineering scaffold.
Process, Problems, and Solutions in Brief Therapy

The MRI problem-solving and the recently popular solution-amplifying approaches to brief therapy are described as based upon the same process point of view. A process view is described in contrast to a structural view of human interactions. It is argued that an exclusive focus on amplifying perceived solutions without clearly defining problem patterns may become a problem. Clear articulation of a therapist's assumptions about human interaction, problems, and therapeutic solutions is strongly advocated. Creativity, flexibility, effectiveness, and efficiency are likely to be by-products of such clarity. Without it, our therapeutic zeal in searching for solutions is likely to become a problem. A Japanese coastal village was once threatened by a tidal wave, but the wave was sighted in advance, far out on the horizon, by a lone farmer in the rice fields on the hillside above the village. At once he set fire to the fields, and the villagers who came swarming up to save their crops were saved from the flood.
Environmental influence on holistic health measures.

However, many of these studies are either observational orconducted in controlled laboratory settings. To understandhow real-world environments effect health and well-being,measures collected in actual places where people live, workand play are necessary. Therefore, our study was conductedbased on two goals: (1) to assess data collection feasibilityregarding environmental settings’ inﬂuence on health in real-world conditions using quantitative and qualitativeapproaches and (2) to collect preliminary data on differentenvironmental settings’ effects on physiological and psycho-logical heath measures.METHODSFor this study, we recruited seven students from our researchprogram as participants. All met basic screening criteria forage, health status, and medication use. They were asked toreport to the study lab on three Saturday mornings in lateSeptember/early October 2011, and to refrain from anystressful activities or disqualifying substances for 24 h priorto arrival. They were also asked to not consume any food orbeverage for at least one hour prior to each visit.At each visit, participants arrived by 9 a.m. and wereassessed for baseline salivary cortisol (sCort) and Proﬁle ofMood States (POMS) scores. sCort samples were collectedusing Salivary Oral Swabs (Salimetrics, State College, PA),which participants placed under their tongues for twominutes. All swabs collected during the study were storedon ice until the completion of the study visit and were thencentrifuged for 10 min at 1500g. Saliva was harvested andstored at !801C until enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) analysis was conducted at ZRT Laboratory (Beaver-ton, OR); all samples were analyzed in duplicate.After completion of baseline measures, participants wereseparated into randomized, pre-assigned groups and trans-ported via car to one of three environmental settings(Figure 1); all were located within 9 km of the study lab.The three settings used for this study were classiﬁed asfollows:● Nature: a 2.61 " 106 m
Differences in Competitive Efficiency between a Sexual Parasite and Its Host Provide Insight into the Maintenance of a Sperm-Dependent Vertebrate Species

ABSTRACT Theory predicts that unisexual females have a two-fold reproductive advantage over sexual species because of the benefit of not producing males. Consequently, unisexuals species should competitively exclude sexual species whenever their niches overlap substantially. When the unisexual species is sperm-dependent (gynogenetic), competitive exclusion of the host sperm donor can lead to extinction of both species. Thus, persistent gynogenetic-sexual species complexes are paradoxical. Models examining competition predict that gynogentic species will persist if the sexually reproducing species are more efficient at competing for resources than the unisexual species. We tested these models using the persistent complex of the gynogenetic Poecilia formosa and its parental, sexual host, Poecilia latipinna. We examined the effect of conspecific and heterospecific females on foraging abilities of P. latipinna and P. formosa. When foraging with a conspecific, the foraging ability was similar between the two s...
Pre‐service teachers’ understanding and teaching of nature of science: An intervention study

Abstract: This study is the third in a line of investigations that examines pre‐service teachers’ conceptions of nature of science (NOS) and the translation of those conceptions into classroom practice. The purpose of the present study was to delineate the effectiveness of an intervention designed to facilitate pre‐service teachers’ inclusion of NOS in their classroom teaching. Four factors were identified as most influential in participants’ teaching efforts: (1) knowledge of NOS, (2) knowledge of subject matter, (3) pedagogical knowledge, and (4) intentions towards teaching NOS. Intentions were the most critical factor. Participants, regardless of NOS views or science background, did not teach in accordance with their NOS views if they had not internalized the importance of teaching NOS. Those with strong intentions to address NOS explicitly were more successful. Those participants with strong intentions, well‐developed NOS views, and extensive knowledge of science content were most successful in their ...
Ideal partner preferences among adolescents

Most researchers interested in mate preference have focused on the desires of adult men and women. Few empirical investigations have been conducted on the preferences of adolescent boys and girls, despite the fact that this developmental period represents a time of awakening romantic and sexual interest. The authors asked 46 teenage boys and girls (average age = 15.09 years) to indicate their preferences for various characteristics in an ideal long-term romantic or short-term sexual partner (randomly assigned). Both sexes emphasized attributes related to physical appeal (e.g., attractive physical appearance, sexy appearance) and sexual drive (e.g., sexual passion, high sex drive, sexual responsiveness) when evaluating a casual sexual partner. Conversely, participants focused more upon intellect and other mentally appealing attributes (e.g., intelligence, humor) when considering a romantic partner. No sex differences were found, suggesting that teenage boys and girls share a similar conception of the "perfect" partner.
Analytical Evaluation of Shear Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites

This paper presents an analytical investigation aimed at examining the mechanical behavior of polymer micro/nanocomposites containing nonhomogeneous constituents under shear loading. Analytical models that account for the presence of the hexagonal platelet shaped clay particles and voids in matrix materials were developed for estimating in-plane shear modulus. The analytical results were compared with the properties obtained from an experimental program. For the experiment, vinylester polymer composites containing clay fillers and voids were selected, analyzed and tested under shear loading. The effects of presence of constituents on the mechanical properties of matrix materials were also investigated based on the obtained volume fraction of their constituents.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Protein properties of the subunits of ribonucleotide reductase and the specificity of the allosteric site(s)

Abstract Ribonucleotide reductase catalyzes the critical reaction in which the deoxyribonucleotides required for DNA replication are synthesized de novo . This enzyme consists of two non-identical protein subunits, both of which are required for enzymatic activity. These subunits consist of a non-heme iron and an effector-binding subunit. These subunits are not coordinately regulated as the cells pass from G1 to the S phase of the cell cycle. Studies carried out with the holoenzyme and the isolated subunits indicate that the effector-binding subunit is more susceptible to chymotrypsin and the sulfhydryl reagents, pCMB and NEM, than is the non-heme iron subunit. The non-heme iron subunit is more susceptible to trypsin than is the effector-binding subunit. The presence of ATP or dATP protects the effector-binding subunit from proteolysis by either trypsin or chymotrypsin. The loss of activity in the holoenzyme, as a result of proteolysis, parallels the loss of the particular subunit. These results demonstrate that the protein properties of the subunits are significantly different to account for the differential turnover.
Increased incidence of head and neck abscesses in children

Objective To describe increasing incidence and changing microbiology of head and neck abscesses in children admitted to the hospital during the first quarters of 2000 through 2003. Study design and setting Retrospective data warehouse review identified 89 children less than 19 years of age admitted to a tertiary care pediatric hospital during the first quarters of 2000 through 2003 for suspicion of head and neck abscess involving the neck, face, and peritonsillar, retropharyngeal, and parapharyngeal spaces; and for orbital and intracranial complications of acute sinusitis. Outcome measures Outcome measures included the incidence of infection admissions and description of infection location and microbiology, calculated by χ2 technique. Results The incidence of infections increased in 2003. The greatest increase was in neck abscesses and complications of acute sinusitis. Conclusions The increase in group A strep infections may be related to its biologic properties. Significance Group A strep remains a significant cause of head and neck infections in children.
Single row donor site harvesting.

. Preservation and care of the donor area is as important as designing and planning the recipient area. Conservation of the donor areas is accomplished by cutting grafts in a single row, keeping the rows at least 2.0 cm apart, and by careful, delicate suturing of the donor area.
Measuring China's monetary sterilization and autonomy in the era of globalization: 1995–2005

Abstract This paper provides a cointegration analysis of incomplete monetary sterilization and autonomy in China when both financial controls and the exchange rate peg exist. According to an estimated long-run equilibrium relation, only 35 cents are sterilized for a yuan of foreign-exchange reserve that flows into China. In response to the movement in foreign-exchange reserves, M2 proves more endogenous than M1; and in the M2 elasticity model, as the forecast horizon extends, the domestic-credit component of the monetary base exhibits its significant endogeneity with respect to the foreign-asset component, whereas the endogeneity of the foreign-asset component also rises with respect to M2.
Ca2+-dependence and nifedipine-sensitivity of vascular tone and contractility in the isolated superfused spiral modiolar artery in vitro

The regulation of the vascular diameter of the spiral modiolar artery may play a major role in the regulation of cochlear blood flow and tissue oxygenation since the spiral modiolar artery provides the main blood supply to the cochlea. The goal of the present study was to determine whether vascular tone and contractility of the spiral modiolar artery depend on the presence of extracellular Ca2+ and involves nifedipine-sensitive Ca2+ channels. The spiral modiolar artery was isolated and superfused in vitro and the diameter was measured continuously by video microscopy. Isolated segments of the spiral modiolar artery had an outer diameter of 61 +/- 3 microm (n = 59) and displayed vasomotion characterized by 5-15 clearly distinguishable constrictions per min. Removal of Ca2+ from the superfusion medium caused a reversible relaxation and cessation of vasomotion and was used to determine the magnitude of basal vascular tone. The basal vascular tone consisted of a sustained reduction of the vascular diameter to 95.1 +/- 0.3% (n = 51) of the maximal diameter in Ca2+-free medium. Nifedipine reduced the basal vascular tone with an IC50 of (1.1 +/- 0.3) x 10(-9)) M although 22% of the basal vascular tone was insensitive to nifedipine. Elevation of the K+ concentration from 3.6 to 150 mM caused a transient vasoconstriction which was dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+. Nifedipine fully inhibited K+-induced vasoconstriction with an IC50 of (2.0 +/- 0.7) x 10(-9) M. Norepinephrine (10(-4) M) caused a transient vasoconstriction and an increase of vasomotion at branch points of the spiral modiolar artery. Norepinephrine-induced vasoconstriction was fully inhibited in the absence of Ca2+ and partially inhibited by 10(-7) M nifedipine. These observations suggest that the spiral modiolar artery contains voltage-dependent nifedipine-sensitive Ca2+ channels which are involved in the maintenance of basal vascular tone as well as in the mediation of K+- and norepinephrine-induced contractility. Further, the data suggest that cytosolic Ca2+ stores, if present in the spiral modiolar artery, are of limited capacity compared to other vessels.
Loss of Gaussian beams through off-axis circular apertures.

An attempt is made to solve the problem of the loss caused in a Gaussian beam by an off-axis circular aperture. Although in general the problem cannot be solved in closed form, three special cases are considered. If the offset is zero, the limit of the radial integration coincides with the radius of the circular aperture; in this case, the integration over the angular variable can be performed in closed form. In a second special case, an analytical expression can be obtained when the offset is small. A third special case occurs when the offset is large and equals the aperture radius.
Winter inoculative releases of parasitoids to reduce houseflies in poultry manure.

Inoculative releases of 3 parasitoids, Tachinaephagus zealandicus Ashmead, Sphalangia endius Walker, and Muscidifurax raptor Girault and Sanders, during December–April, 1969–70, in an enclosed poultry house in the interior area of southern California near Riverside produced maximum parasitization rates of 46% on Musca domestica L., but only 16% on Fannia femoralis (Stein) and F. canicularis (L.), in the absence of native predators. T. zealandicus was the most active species recovered during the coldest months, the other 2 species excelled in March and April when temperatures averaged ca. 2°C higher.
The Stimulus Movement Effect: Allocation of Attention or Artifact?

In previous reports, including one by the author, learning has been shown to benefit by having discriminanda move rather than remain stationary. This stimulus movement effect might be attributed to several theoretical mechanisms, including attention, topological memory, and exposure duration. The series of experiments reported in this article was designed to Contrast these potential explanatory factors. Ten rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were tested on a variety of computerized tasks in which the stimuli remained stationary, flashed, or moved at systematically varied speeds. Performance was significantly best when the sample stimulus moved quickly and was poorest when the stimulus remained stationary. Further analysis of these data and other previously published data revealed that the distribution of the stimulus movement effect across trials supported an attention allocation interpretation.
Spatial variation in soil-borne disease dynamics of a temperate tree, Prunus serotina

Soil-borne pathogens are posited to maintain forest diversity. However, their in situ impact and spatial variation are largely unknown. We examined spatial patterns of pathogenic activity in a deciduous forest using a common garden experiment and also in a natural experiment around replicated trees, and we quantified Pythium (a soil-borne pathogen) density around individual Prunus serotina trees. In both experiments, P. serotina seedling survival was 52-57% greater in plots treated with a metalaxyl-based fungicide specific to oomycetes (i.e., Pythium) than in untreated plots. Disease dynamics were not density dependent, but pathogenic activity and Pythium density were spatially variable. In the common garden and natural experiments, pathogenic activity of soil inoculum varied among trees, while in the natural experiment disease dynamics were also distance dependent and pathogenic activity decreased away from P. serotina trees. Disease and Pythium density were not always related but displayed considerable spatial variation. We found that Pythium density did not vary with distance away from P. serotina trees but did vary among trees. Understanding the spatial complexity of soil-borne pathogens is critical to accurately characterizing their effects on populations and ultimately on forest diversity.
Morphological transformation of C3H/10T12 cells subcultured at low cell densities

Abstract Morphological transformation in C3H/10T 1 2 cells treated with varied concentrations of benzo (α) pyrene (BP) was measured following subculture at low cell densities. Subconfluent cultures exposed to BP were allowed to grow to confluence, trypsinized, and reseeded at cell densities ranging from 5 to 2,300 surviving cells/cm 2 . These secondary cultures were incubated for 8 to 9 weeks, stained, and examined for evidence of morphological transformation. BP-treated cells reseeded in virtual isolation in microwells (approx. 5 surviving cells/cm 2 ) transformed at frequencies up to 14.5%. At these low initial cell densities, transformation frequency did not demonstrate a significant dependence on BP concentration. However, BP-treated cells reseeded at higher densities (11 to 2,300 surviving cells/cm 2 ) showed both density-dependent transformation frequencies and BP-concentration dependence of transformation. As reported previously (Haber et al., Cancer Res. 37 1644, 1977), the subculturing of treated cells did not affect the BP-concentration dependence of focus formation in the C3H/10T 1 2 transformation assay. Cell density-dependent suppression of morphological transformation has now been observed over a wide range of BP concentration. We suggest that this phenomenon is associated with colony interactions and consider various possible mechanisms of BP involvement.
The written turn

Vivian Cook , The English writing system . London: Arnold, 2004. Pp. vi + 229, ISBN 0 340 80864 0
Gold, self-, and dopant diffusion in silicon.

The problem of the mechanism controlling gold diffusion in silicon has been reexamined carefully by solving the full system of equations, taking into account the various couplings between the impurity and the point defects. It is concluded that the Frank-Turnbull mechanism does not allow a good description of the bulk Au profiles for diffusion from the two faces of thin Si samples. The kickout mechanism alone allows for an accurate description of the bulk behavior, but the contribution of the two interchange mechanisms must be taken into account to describe the surface profiles. From the analysis of both Au and dopant diffusion in a consistent way, parameters controlling the behavior of the native point defects have been determined.
Generalised multi-axle vehicle handling

The familiar two-axle bicycle model and associated basic concepts of vehicle handling are reviewed and used to introduce minor changes in convention from the literature. The two-axle model is extended to a three-axle vehicle to illustrate the effectiveness of the notation combined with a simplifying mathematical identity found in the two-axle vehicle literature. A generalised model is then developed that produces dynamic equations of motion by inspection for a vehicle with an arbitrary number of steerable and non-steerable axles. Furthermore, the vehicle dynamic concepts of understeer and wheelbase are generalised and can be directly computed for various arbitrary vehicle configurations.
B Cells of Aged Mice Show Decreased Expansion in Response to Antigen, But Are Normal in Effector Function

Increased dysfunction of the immune system with age can be attributed to developmental changes in cell types critical for proper immune responses. Previous studies have shown defects in humoral responses of aged individuals, but have not distinguished between aged T-cell/microenvironment and intrinsic B-cell defects. Here adoptive transfer of antigen-specific transgenic B cells compared early immunopoeisis from young and aged donors in a young recipient environment. B cells from aged donors demonstrated decreased antigen-induced expansion, particularly in the lymph nodes; however, they acquired a germinal center phenotype at frequencies similar to B cells from young donors. Additionally, aged B cells produced equivalent levels of antigen-specific antibody that underwent affinity maturation and isotype switching and demonstrated similar numbers of antibody-secreting cells of switched isotype. Thus, the ability of aged B cells to respond appropriately to T-dependent antigens and differentiate into high-affinity, isotype-switched, antibody-secreting cells appears to be intact.
Regulation of KCNQ2/KCNQ3 current by G protein cycling: the kinetics of receptor-mediated signaling by Gq.

Receptor-mediated modulation of KCNQ channels regulates neuronal excitability. This study concerns the kinetics and mechanism of M1 muscarinic receptor–mediated regulation of the cloned neuronal M channel, KCNQ2/KCNQ3 (Kv7.2/Kv7.3). Receptors, channels, various mutated G-protein subunits, and an optical probe for phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) were coexpressed by transfection in tsA-201 cells, and the cells were studied by whole-cell patch clamp and by confocal microscopy. Constitutively active forms of Gαq and Gα11, but not Gα13, caused a loss of the plasma membrane PIP2 and a total tonic inhibition of the KCNQ current. There were no further changes upon addition of the muscarinic agonist oxotremorine-M (oxo-M). Expression of the regulator of G-protein signaling, RGS2, blocked PIP2 hydrolysis and current suppression by muscarinic stimulation, confirming that the Gq family of G-proteins is necessary. Dialysis with the competitive inhibitor GDPβS (1 mM) lengthened the time constant of inhibition sixfold, decreased the suppression of current, and decreased agonist sensitivity. Removal of intracellular Mg2+ slowed both the development and the recovery from muscarinic suppression. When combined with GDPβS, low intracellular Mg2+ nearly eliminated muscarinic inhibition. With nonhydrolyzable GTP analogs, current suppression developed spontaneously and muscarinic inhibition was enhanced. Such spontaneous suppression was antagonized by GDPβS or GTP or by expression of RGS2. These observations were successfully described by a kinetic model representing biochemical steps of the signaling cascade using published rate constants where available. The model supports the following sequence of events for this Gq-coupled signaling: A classical G-protein cycle, including competition for nucleotide-free G-protein by all nucleotide forms and an activation step requiring Mg2+, followed by G-protein–stimulated phospholipase C and hydrolysis of PIP2, and finally PIP2 dissociation from binding sites for inositol lipid on the channels so that KCNQ current was suppressed. Further experiments will be needed to refine some untested assumptions.