cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pistia stratiotes L. in the Florida Peninsula: biogeographic evidence and conservation implications of native tenure for an 'invasive' aquatic plant.

Pistia stratiotes L. (water lettuce) is a floating aquatic plant with wide pantropical distribution and the sole extant species of the Pistia genus. Fragmented knowledge about pre-modern Holocene dispersal and widespread observations of ecological invasiveness have made Pistia a classic example of a 'cryptogenic' species (i.e., indeterminately native or non-native) in much of its contemporary range. Questions about Pistia biogeography have likely received the most attention in North America's Florida peninsula, where the species is currently listed and aggressively controlled as an invasive non-native. However, emergent conservation concerns have prompted interest in resolving persistent uncertainties about this designation and associated management strategies. Towards this purpose, this paper develops a comprehensive and critical review of scientific literature pertaining to the Florida biogeography of Pistia. Remarkably, all claims in support of the non-native designation can be dismissed as scientifically and/or logically insufficient through hypothetico-deductive analysis. Conversely, a holistic synthesis of paleo-botanical, historical, and ecological evidence overwhelmingly points toward a native Florida presence for Pistia. Observations and associated ecological inferences further suggest that intensive Pistia control programs, which for many years have been implemented on an assumption of non-native status, may pose some conservation concerns for rare native biota in Florida's spring-fed streams. This case study joins several other studies indicating that due caution and research diligence should be employed when managing cryptogenic taxa in this time of global change.
Karnofsky performance status predicts overall survival, cancer-specific survival, and progression-free survival following radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma.

Objective Radical cystectomy (RC) can provide a survival advantage in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder, but not without significant morbidity rates. Whether the ability of preoperative comorbidity or performance status metrics can stratify patients to overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and progression-free survival (PFS) following RC is unclear. We analyze our RC experience from 2005 to 2010 to assess the prognostic power of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) index as they relate to OS, CSS, and PFS.
Economic Grand Rounds: Maryland's Medicaid Reform: Will the Gain Outweigh the Pain?

J 1, 1997, marked the first day of chaos in Maryland’s public mental health system, when the state enacted its Medicaid 1115 waiver proposal. Literally overnight the entire system—for both general medical care and mental health care—underwent enormous changes in service delivery. The waiver, approved by the Health Care Financing Administration, allows the state to combine multiple state and federal health care funds and bypass traditional Medicaid regulations. Maryland is not alone in this initiative; nearly every state in the country either has or is proposing a Medicaid grant waiver in an attempt to control the skyrocketing costs of Medicaid. According to the director of Maryland’s Mental Hygiene Administration, the new mental health system is seen as a model for other states. Yet in Maryland the system changes continue to be controversial. Many providers are concerned that new fiscal and administrative burdens have undermined their ability to serve patients. This column focuses on how policy decisions have affected clinical service and practice during the first few months of implementation of the Medicaid waiver, as well as on the important questions that remain to be answered.
Induced Septal Infarction A New Therapeutic Strategy for Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy

It is well known that patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) respond in a paradoxical manner to a variety of stimuli. Early in the development of our understanding of this condition, it was observed that drugs such as digitalis, sympathomimetic amines, and nitroglycerin that benefit patients with many other forms of heart disease intensify obstruction to left ventricular outflow and exert an adverse clinical effect on patients with HOCM.1 In contrast, pharmacological agents such as disopyramide and verapamil, which depress myocardial contractility and sometimes provoke heart failure in patients with dilated hearts, are often beneficial in HOCM patients. Similarly, pregnancy and the associated hypervolemia, which so frequently aggravate other forms of heart disease, often reduce symptoms in patients with HOCM. In this issue of Circulation , another seemingly paradoxical therapy is reported: the induction of a localized myocardial infarction, which appears to be beneficial in patients with this condition.2 The basis for these paradoxical responses is clear. Obstruction to left ventricular outflow in HOCM is caused by the systolic approximation of the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve and the hypertrophied, superior portion of the interventricular septum. The obstruction is dynamic, with increases in contractility aggravating the obstruction and depressions in contractility exerting the opposite effect. Four distinct strategies for the management of HOCM, based on an appreciation of this pathophysiology, are currently used: 1. The first strategy, and one that is still widely employed, consists of surgical incision into and excision of a portion of …
Stable isotopic investigation of physiological and environmental changes recorded in shell carbonate from the giant clam Tridacna maxima

The aragonitic shell of the photosymbiont-bearing bivalve Tridacna maxima contains a record of the physiological and environmental changes the organism has experienced during its lifetime. This record is preserved as chemical and microstructural variations throughout the shell. Stable isotopic analyses of oxygen (18O/16O) and carbon (13C/12C) in shell carbonate were combined with growth increment studies to interpret the shell record of specimens collected from the Rose Atoll (Lat. 14°31′S; Long. 168°10′W) in April 1982. The seasonal water temperature cycle is recorded in the oxygen isotopic signature of the clams, permitting the recognition of annual cycles in the δ18O profile. The total number of these cycles corresponds to the age of a specimen, while the cycle length is a measure of the yearly growth rate. Large-amplitude cycles, reflecting year-round calcification, characterize the early portion of the growth record. With the onset of sexual maturity and slower growth at an age of approximately ten years, the cycles decrease in amplitude and become more erratic. During this later growth phase calcification is limited to the cooler months of the year, perhaps in response to a re-ordering of energy priorities between growth and gametogenesis. A growth curve developed from the δ18O profile indicates rapid juvenile shell growth followed by slower growth thereafter producing a lifespan of several decades. Carbon isotopic analyses of T. maxima were compared to analyses of the symbiont-barren gastropod Terebra areolata collected from the same locality in April 1984. A 2‰ depletion in the δ13C composition of T. maxima shell carbonate is attributed to a symbiontenhanced metabolic rate and an increased flow of isotopically light, respired CO2 into the carbon pool used in calcification. Such a depletion may prove useful in identifying the presence of photosymbionts in extinct species of fossil mollusks.
Supervised multi-view canonical correlation analysis: Fused multimodal prediction of disease diagnosis and prognosis

While the plethora of information from multiple imaging and non-imaging data streams presents an opportunity for discovery of fused multimodal, multiscale biomarkers, they also introduce multiple independent sources of noise that hinder their collective utility. The goal of this work is to create fused predictors of disease diagnosis and prognosis by combining multiple data streams, which we hypothesize will provide improved performance as compared to predictors from individual data streams. To achieve this goal, we introduce supervised multiview canonical correlation analysis (sMVCCA), a novel data fusion method that attempts to find a common representation for multiscale, multimodal data where class separation is maximized while noise is minimized. In doing so, sMVCCA assumes that the different sources of information are complementary and thereby act synergistically when combined. Although this method can be applied to any number of modalities and to any disease domain, we demonstrate its utility using three datasets. We fuse (i) 1.5 Tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features with cerbrospinal fluid (CSF) proteomic measurements for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (n = 30), (ii) 3T Dynamic Contrast Enhanced (DCE) MRI and T2w MRI for in vivo prediction of prostate cancer grade on a per slice basis (n = 33) and (iii) quantitative histomorphometric features of glands and proteomic measurements from mass spectrometry for prediction of 5 year biochemical recurrence postradical prostatectomy (n = 40). Random Forest classifier applied to the sMVCCA fused subspace, as compared to that of MVCCA, PCA and LDA, yielded the highest classification AUC of 0.82 +/- 0.05, 0.76 +/- 0.01, 0.70 +/- 0.07, respectively for the aforementioned datasets. In addition, sMVCCA fused subspace provided 13.6%, 7.6% and 15.3% increase in AUC as compared with that of the best performing individual view in each of the three datasets, respectively. For the biochemical recurrence dataset, Kaplan-Meier curves generated from classifier prediction in the fused subspace reached the significance threshold (p = 0.05) for distinguishing between patients with and without 5 year biochemical recurrence, unlike those generated from classifier predictions of the individual modalities.
Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Membrane Alters Tissue Response to Implanted Ahmed Glaucoma Valve

Purpose: Long-term intraocular pressure control by glaucoma drainage implants is compromised by the formation of an avascular fibrous capsule that surrounds the glaucoma implant and increases aqueous outflow resistance. It is possible to alter this fibrotic tissue reaction and produce a more vascularized and potentially more permeable capsule around implanted devices by enclosing them in a porous membrane. Methods: Ahmed glaucoma implants modified with an outer 5-μ m pore size membrane (termed porous retrofitted implant with modified enclosure or PRIME-Ahmed) and unmodified glaucoma implants were implanted into paired rabbit eyes. After 6 weeks, the devices were explanted and subject to histological analysis. Results: A tissue response containing minimal vascularization, negligible immune response, and a thick fibrous capsule surrounded the unmodified Ahmed glaucoma implant. In comparison, the tissue response around the PRIME-Ahmed demonstrated a thinner fibrous capsule (46.4 ± 10.8 μ m for PRIME-Ahmed ve...
Silo-assisted closure of a late-presenting diaphragmatic hernia

The use of silicone elastomer silos in neonates with ventral abdominal defects such as omphalocele and gastroschisis has been well documented. We believe this to be the first reported use of a silo for abdominal closure in an older child with delayed presentation of a congenital diaphragmatic hernia. In addition, absorbable mesh splenopexy was used for a partly-torsed, wandering spleen.
Genetic Variance for Autism Screening Items in an Unselected Sample of Toddler-Age Twins

Objective Twin and family studies of autistic traits and of cases diagnosed with autism suggest high heritability; however, the heritability of autistic traits in toddlers has not been investigated. Therefore, this study's goals were (1) to screen a statewide twin population using items similar to the six critical social and communication items widely used for autism screening in toddlers (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers); (2) to assess the endorsement rates of these items in a general population; and (3) to determine their heritability. Method Participants composed a statewide, unselected twin population. Screening items were administered to mothers of 1,211 pairs of twins between 2 and 3 years of age. Twin similarity was calculated via concordance rates and tetrachoric and intraclass correlations, and the contribution of genetic and environmental factors was estimated with single-threshold ordinal models. Results The population-based twin sample generated endorsement rates on the analogs of the six critical items similar to those reported by the scale's authors, which they used to determine an autism threshold. Current twin similarity and model-fitting analyses also used this threshold. Casewise concordance rates for monozygotic (43%) and dizygotic (20%) twins suggested moderate heritability of these early autism indicators in the general population. Variance component estimates from model-fitting also suggested moderate heritability of categorical scores. Conclusions Autism screener scores are moderately heritable in 2- to 3-year-old twin children from a population-based twin panel. Inferences about sex differences are limited by the scarcity of females who scored above the threshold on the toddler-age screener.
Reconfiguring Scale and Power: The Khong-Chi-Mun Project in Northeast Thailand:

This paper uses the case of the Khong-Chi-Mun (KCM) interbasin transfer project in northeast Thailand to explore questions of power and scale in the context of state intervention in river basins. The KCM project figures strongly in the Thai state's long-term aim of transforming its water-poor northeast region through large-scale irrigation works and agroindustrial development. The project has also become a key element in interstate negotiations over coordinated development of the Lower Mekong Basin. The early stages of the project have met with resistance in the form of both national and local Thai social movements arguing against it on social justice and ecological grounds. Proponents of the project in the Thai government are employing different scalar narratives to justify and legitimate implementation of the scheme. Scale and power are intimately related within complex environmental conflicts, and tracing their linkages through an array of actors and across a variety of scales, the approach associated with actor-network methodologies, can reveal a great deal about how power and scale are co-created.
Multiple temporal references in sensorimotor synchronization with metrical auditory sequences

A local phase perturbation in an auditory sequence during synchronized finger tapping elicits an automatic phase correction response (PCR). The stimulus for the PCR is usually considered to be the most recent tap-tone asynchrony. In this study, participants tapped on target tones (“beats”) of isochronous tone sequences consisting of beats and subdivisions (1:n tapping). A phase perturbation was introduced either on a beat or on a subdivision. Both types of perturbation elicited a PCR, even though there was no asynchrony associated with a subdivision. Moreover, the PCR to a perturbed beat was smaller when an unperturbed subdivision followed than when there was no subdivision. The relative size of the PCRs to perturbed beats and subdivisions depended on tempo, on whether the subdivision was local or present throughout the sequence, and on whether or not participants engaged in mental subdivision, but not on whether or not taps were made on the subdivision level. The results show that phase correction in synchronization depends not merely on asynchronies but on perceptual monitoring of multiple temporal references within a metrical hierarchy.
Reactivity of isobutane on zeolites: a first principles study.

In this work, ab initio and density functional theory methods are used to study isobutane protolytic cracking, primary hydrogen exchange, tertiary hydrogen exchange, and dehydrogenation reactions catalyzed by zeolites. The reactants, products, and transition-state structures are optimized at the B3LYP/6-31G* level, and the final energies are calculated using the CBS-QB3 composite energy method. The computed activation barriers are 52.3 kcal/mol for cracking, 29.4 kcal/mol for primary hydrogen exchange, 29.9 kcal/mol for tertiary hydrogen exchange, and 59.4 kcal/mol for dehydrogenation. The zeolite acidity effects on the reaction barriers are also investigated by changing the cluster terminal Si−H bond lengths. The analytical expressions between activation barriers and zeolite deprotonation energies for each reaction are proposed so that accurate activation barriers can be obtained when using different zeolites as catalysts.
Effects of fumigants on microbial diversity and persistence of E. coli O15:H7 in contrasting soil microcosms.

Abstract Persistence of E. coli O157 in the environment is a serious public health concern. However, little is known about the persistence of this pathogen after exposure to chemical compounds like fumigants in the environment. In this study, the persistence behavior of pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 was investigated after fumigation with methyl bromide (MeBr; CH 3 Br) and methyl iodide (MeI, iodomethane; CH 3 I) in soil microcosms under laboratory conditions. Our goal was to assess changes in soil microbial community structure and persistence of E. coli O157:H7 in microcosm soils after fumigation. PCR was used to amplify 16S rRNA genes from total bacterial community composition, and the products were subjected to denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Microbial diversity as determined by DGGE was significantly higher in clay soil than sandy soil. Real-time PCR and plate counts were used to quantify the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in the two soils after fumigation with MeBr and MeI. The survival of the pathogen was higher in the non fumigated controls than the fumigated treatments when determined using plate counts. These results were confirmed by real time PCR analysis targeting the stx 1, stx 2, and the eae genes. E. coli O157:H7 survived for about 35 days when determined using the plate count method but continued to be detected at about the detection limit of 10 2 by real time PCR for more than 86 days. Our results showed that there was a fast inactivation of the pathogen during the first 35 days. After this period, a small proportion of the pathogen continued to survive in the soil microcosms. Subsequent enrichment of soil samples and immunomagnetic separation revealed the continuous presence of viable cells after 86 days of incubation. The data presented contribute to a better understanding of the behavior of E. coli O157:H7 in soil, and showed the need for more investigation of the role of dormant cells in soil that may be a source for recontamination of the environment.
Rapid Embedding with Hot Low-Viscosity Nitrocellulose

A rapid method for embedding with low-viscosity nitrocellulose is described. Advantage is taken of the greater penetrating power of low-viscosity nitrocellulose than that of common varieties of celloidin. Fixation, dehydration and infiltration are carried out in screw-topped jars in the incubator at 56° C. The whole procedure from fixing to sectioning can be finished in 15-30 hours, and sections as thin as 6 to 10 μ may be cut without difficulty.
Diaqua­tris­[4,4,4-trifluoro-3-oxo-1-(thio­phen-2-yl)but-1-en-1-olato]neodymium(III) acetonitrile monosolvate

The title complex, [Nd(C8H4F3O2S)3(H2O)2]·CH3CN, consists of an NdIII ion surrounded by three 4,4,4-trifluoro-3-oxo-1-(thio­phen-2-yl)but-1-en-1-olate ligands, coordinated through the O atoms, and two water mol­ecules. The Nd—O bond lengths range from 2.372 (2) to 2.513 (2) A. The metal ion displays a coordination number of eight and a square-anti­prismatic coordination geometry. A single uncoordinated acetonitrile mol­ecule is present in the asymmetric unit. Two of the three thio­phene rings are disordered, resulting from a 180° rotation with respect to the β-diketonate moiety. The coordinated water mol­ecules act as hydrogen-bond donors towards the acetonitrile N atom and the β-diketonate O atoms.
Degradation of mucopolysaccharides by hepatic lysosomes

Abstract 1. 1. Hepatic lysosomes degraded highly polymerized mucopolysaccharides. The degradation products as shown by high-voltage electrophoresis were tetra- and oligosaccharides, indicating the presence of endohexosaminidase in the liver. 2. 2. The role of bacterial contamination, and non-specific oxido-reductive degradation of mucopolysaccharides were excluded. 3. 3. The activity of hepatic mucopolysaccharase (hyaluronate glycanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.35) was related to the turnover rate of hepatic connective tissue. The enzyme activity was increased in reversible fibrosis and greatly diminished in irreversible fibrosis.
NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE CHARACTERIZATION OF CRETACEOUS AMBER

Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra have been examined under high resolution conditions for 31 samples of fossil resin that have been dated to the Cretaceous period. Samples from Alaska, Canada, parts of the United States, Greenland, France, Switzerland, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel have very similar spectra, consistent with a common, geographically dispersed palaeobotanical source. Samples within this large group exhibit a variation in spectral linewidth that is consistent with differences in sample age or maturity. A single Triassic sample from Bavaria shows the same spectral patterns but greater linewidths, indicating that it probably had a similar palaeobotanical source.
Non-Planar Shape of the Mitral Annulus Reduces Systolic Strain on the Posterior Leaflet by Increasing Leaflet Curvature

The mitral valve annulus is a dynamic structure that changes in its shape during the cardiac cycle. It changes from a flat shape during diastole to a non-planar saddle shape during systole, which has been confirmed in animals and humans using various techniques. However a teleologic reason for nature’s selection of this shape and its role in mitral valve mechanics are poorly understood. Recent studies from our laboratory indicate that mitral annular saddle optimizes the force distribution on the valve components that could potentially affect valve function and mechanics. The objective of this study is to provide a quantitative and mechanistic insight into the synergy between the non-planar mitral annular shape and posterior leaflet mechanics. The posterior leaflet was specifically selected as most mitral valve surgeries require placement of suture lines in this region, which fail in more than 40% of the patients due to high strains in this region.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Adaptors and innovators: a description of staff nurses.

Ongoing research has further delineated mean scores on the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory for a convenience sample of 266 staff nurses working in 13 regional acute care hospitals, thus adding to the knowledge of score descriptions in occupational groups.
Some remarks on the van der Waerden conjecture

Abstract Elementary proofs of the van der Waerden conjecture are given for the cases n=3 and n=4. Some partial results are found for the case n=5, and the conjecture is shown true for a special class of matrices.
Wavelet matched filtering using a photorefractive crystal

Abstract A pattern identification technique using the wavelet matched filter (WMF) based on the photorefractive (PR) crystal has been proposed. The essential merit of using the WMF is that it offers better signal discrimination than the conventional matched filter (CMF). Since a large number of WMFs can be synthesized in a PR crystal, fingerprint identification was chosen as the application. Simulated and experimental results are provided.
Short-wavelength FELs based on self-amplified spontaneous emission

The interest in Free electron Laser is due to: its large wavelength range, which at present extends from about one centimeter to 0.24 micrometer; its tunability; its high peak power"2 This point is illustrated in Fig. 1, which cornpares the FELs and other radiation sources: microwaves tubes, lasers, undulators in high brightness synchrotron radiation storage rings, plasma based X-ray lasers at Livermore and Princeton. The FEL performance level is partly based on experirnental data, and partly extrapolated from our present knowledge of the physics and technology of this system. This second case applies in particular to the far TJv and soft X-ray region. One can see that there are two main regions of interest for FELs applications, where they can be superior to other sources: one in the IR and millimeter to centimeter region; the second in the short wavelength region, below 0.1 micrometer. In this paper we will discuss the present status of the research to produce a FEL in the short wavelength region, and the characteristics and performance of such a system.
Identification of novel non-hydroxamate anthrax toxin lethal factor inhibitors by topomeric searching, docking and scoring, and in vitro screening

Anthrax is an infectious disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, a Gram-positive, rod-shaped, anaerobic bacterium. The lethal factor (LF) enzyme is secreted by B. anthracis as part of a tripartite exotoxin and is chiefly responsible for anthrax-related cytotoxicity. As LF can remain in the system long after antibiotics have eradicated B. anthracis from the body, the preferred therapeutic modality would be the administration of antibiotics together with an effective LF inhibitor. Although LF has garnered a great deal of attention as an attractive target for rational drug design, relatively few published inhibitors have demonstrated activity in cell-based assays and, to date, no LF inhibitor is available as a therapeutic or preventive agent. Here we present a novel in silico high-throughput virtual screening protocol that successfully identified 5 non-hydroxamic acid small molecules as new, preliminary LF inhibitor scaffolds with low micromolar inhibition against that target, resulting in a 12.8% experimental...
Integrated oil exploration decision systems

The fully integrated, analytical decision system can be developed for petroleum exploration. Such a system would use conditional probability estimates of wildcat drilling success, based on biologic variables. These probabilities can be combined with financial analyses to produce Assessments of optimum exploration strategies.
Hypersomnias of Central Origin

This article presents a succinct understanding of how to diagnose and manage hypersomnias of central origin, including narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, and recurrent hypersomnias.
Enhanced conductivity in sorbitol-treated PEDOT–PSS. Observation of an in situ cyclodehydration reaction

Abstract Films of sorbitol-treated PEDOT–PSS or sorbitol-treated PEDOT (oxidized form) undergo a cyclodehydration reaction in the presence of the polymer to form 1,6-anhydrosorbitol. We offer evidence that both sorbitol and 1,6-anhydrosorbitol remain in the film and contribute to the enhanced conductivity. This reaction offers a new explanation for the observed “loss” of sorbitol upon annealing, and should be considered in any explanation of the role of sorbitol as an additive for PEDOT–PSS.
Estradiol- and progesterone-related increases in the renin-aldosterone system: studies during ovarian stimulation and early pregnancy.

To investigate the degree to which endogenous increases in estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) are associated with changes in the renin system, we studied eight patients undergoing ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (FSH/human menopausal gonadotropin or clomiphene citrate for 5-11 days, followed by hCG). Three conceived and were followed for up to 62 days after hCG treatment. The others were followed until the end of the luteal phase. During the follicular phase, E2 increased 10-fold, PRA increased 2-fold, and absolute levels of E2 and P4 were positively correlated (r = 0.63; P < 0.05). After ovulation, which was induced by hCG, E2 fell by 50% (day 7), but there was a 50-fold increase in P4 and a further 5-fold increase in PRA. By day 14, E2 increased again in the women who conceived, to levels even higher than those in the follicular phase, and both P4 and PRA increased 2- to 3-fold between days 7 and 14. In contrast, E2, P4, and PRA returned toward baseline levels in the nonpregnant women. On day 21, E2, P4, and PRA remained very high in the pregnant women [E2, 2297 +/- 255 pg/mL (8430 pmol/L); P4, 103 +/- 22 pg/mL (328 pmol/L); PRA, 33 +/- 8 ng/mL.h (9.17 ng/L.s)]. During the luteal phase and early pregnancy, there was a positive relationship between PRA and P4 (r = 0.68; P < 0.05). There was also a positive relationship between PRA and E2 (r = 0.54; P < 0.05); compared to the follicular phase level, PRA was 4-fold higher in the luteal phase at any E2 level. Like renin, urinary aldosterone excretion (UA) increased 5-fold during the luteal phase (day 7) and by a further 3-fold between days 7 and 21 in the pregnant women, reaching very high levels [135 +/- 28 micrograms/day (375 nmol/day); n = 3]. PRA and UA positively correlated (r = 0.59; P < 0.08). Plasma angiotensinogen increased from 2146 +/- 283 ng angiotensin-I/mL (n = 8) to 3682 +/- 607 (n = 8) on day 7 and to 5353 +/- 799 (n = 3) on day 21. Urinary sodium excretion did not fall, and urinary potassium did not increase in coordination with the changes in renin and aldosterone. There was no hypokalemia. These results demonstrate marked increases in plasma renin and UA in coordination with increases in plasma E2 and P4 during ovarian stimulation and early pregnancy, and coordinated falls during luteolysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The impact of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder on short-term clinical outcome in hospitalized patients with depression.

OBJECTIVE: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often comorbid with other psychiatric disorders but often goes unrecognized. The effects of PTSD comorbidity are unclear, especially in patients with severe mental illness. The authors assessed short-term clinical outcome in severely depressed psychiatric inpatients with and without comorbid PTSD. METHOD: From patients hospitalized between 1995 and 2000, all patients with depression and comorbid PTSD (N=587) were selected and matched with depressed patients without PTSD (N=587). Clinical outcome was assessed with a semistructured, physician-administered battery. Differences between the two groups were examined, with overall burden of psychiatric illness entered as a covariate in the analyses. RESULTS: Relative to depressed patients without PTSD, depressed patients with PTSD had, at discharge, greater psychiatric symptom severity and higher levels of depression and hostility. Depressed patients with comorbid PTSD also had a significantly higher rate of bei...
Basophilic "dark cells:" optimal conditions for toluidine blue staining.

Differential staining of basophilic “dark cells” of epithelia in thick epoxy sections with toluidine blue is critically affected by fixation and embedding conditions. Optimal conditions are described.
Elusive proximal signals of beta-cells for insulin secretion.

The β-cell is unique because its major agonists, i.e., insulin secretagogues, undergo metabolism instead of interacting with a receptor. This perspectives presents the hypothesis that the first part of a metabolic signal of a secretagogue is specific to the secretagogue and the β-cell and can be envisioned as proximal. The second part, which occurs after transduction to more universal signaling mechanisms, is viewed as distal. Distal signaling and exocytosis in the β-cell operate the same as in other cells. Aerobic glycolysis is required for glucose-induced insulin release. Because glyceraldehyde, which enters metabolism at the triose phosphates in the glycolytic pathway, is a potent insulin secretagogue but pyruvate, which is metabolized in the mitochondrion, is not an insulin secretagogue, the proximal signal for glucose-induced insulin release originates with an interaction between the central part of the glycolytic pathway and mitochondrial metabolism. The proximal message in leucine-induced insulin release originates with leucine allosterically activating glutamate dehydrogenase, which activates endogenous glutamate metabolism, and by the metabolism of leucine itself. The methyl ester of succinate is a potent experimental insulin secretogogue. It is puzzling why the glucose signal requires the interplay of glycolysis and mitochondrial metabolism, whereas the signals from leucine and succinate originate entirely from within the mitochondrion. Leucine-induced insulin release is suppressed and glucose-induced insulin release is activated in islets cultured at a high concentration of glucose. Conversely, leucine-induced insulin release is activated and glucose-induced insulin release is suppressed in islets cultured at low glucose. We have correlated suppression of the insulinotropism of leucine and glucose with decreased expression of the genes that encode the catalytic subunit of the first component of the branched-chain ketoacid dehydrogenase complex and the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, respectively. This indicates that the proximal signal is specific to the secretagogue, whereas distal signals are more universal and are shared by many secretagogues. The proximal signaling mechanisms have yet to be elucidated, but many distal mechanisms are known.
Crime, Social Structure and Criminal Punishment: White and Nonwhite Rates of Imprisonment

Durkheimian, Marxist, and Weberian theories provide contrasting views of the influences of the social structure of areas and communities on law and the legal process. In light of these theories, we examine how various aspects of community social structure differentially affect criminal punishments administered to whites and nonwhites. Using county-level data from the state of Washington, we regress white and nonwhite rates of imprisonment on measures of crime and arrest rates, county social structure, and court workload. This analysis indicates that nonwhites—but not whites—are particularly likely to be sentenced to prison in urbanized counties and in counties with relatively large minority populations. We conclude by presenting material from interviews with justice officials which sheds light on the perceptual and political processes that link structural conditions to patterns of criminal punishment.
Edward L. Thorndike: the selectionist connectionist.

From the very outset of his work, Thorndike allied himself with the Darwinian proposition that complex phenomena can arise as the cumulative effects of a selection process, here the process envisioned by the law of effect. Thorndike's selectionist approach, when combined with his connectionism, laid the foundation for a synthesis of behavior analysis and neuroscience.
Chemical and Physiological Sex Differences in Newly Hatched Chicks

Abstract The problem of differentiation of sex in newly-hatched chicks is one that has attracted considerable attention in the past. The economic value of such information to the poultryman and hatchery man is well known, and need not be mentioned here except in passing. Most methods evolved for the determination of sex have been based on gross morphological examination, and have met with varying degrees of success. Perhaps the best known of these are the Japanese or cloacal method for purebred chicks (Masui, 1930; Thompson and Black, 1935), and the sight-sexing of cross-bred and Barred Rock chicks according to pigmentation and feathering (Quinn and Knox, 1939a, 1939b; Canadian Department of Agriculture, 1941) The results of a previous morphological study (Romanoff, 1933) indicate that there are sex differences in the size of the body and of various organs. On the average, males are a little larger than females hatched from eggs of . . .
Differential regulation of gene expression by ovariectomy in mouse aorta.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ovarian hormones on gene expression in the vascular wall. Our approach employed an RT-PCR-based cloning strategy of DNA differential disp...
Secretions from the ventral eversible gland of Spodoptera exigua caterpillars activate defense-related genes and induce emission of volatile organic compounds in tomato, Solanum lycopersicum

Plant induced defense against herbivory are generally associated with metabolic costs that result in the allocation of photosynthates from growth and reproduction to the synthesis of defense compounds. Therefore, it is essential that plants are capable of sensing and differentiating mechanical injury from herbivore injury. Studies have shown that oral secretions (OS) from caterpillars contain elicitors of induced plant responses. However, studies that shows whether these elicitors originated from salivary glands or from other organs associated with feeding, such as the ventral eversible gland (VEG) are limited. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the secretions from the VEG gland of Spodoptera exigua caterpillars contain elicitors that induce plant defenses by regulating the expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other defense-related genes. To test this hypothesis, we quantified and compared the activity of defense-related enzymes, transcript levels of defense-related genes and VOC emission in tomato plants damaged by S. exigua caterpillars with the VEG intact (VEGI) versus plants damaged by caterpillars with the VEG ablated (VEGA). The quantified defense-related enzymes (i.e. peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and lipoxigenase) were expressed in significantly higher amounts in plants damaged by VEGI caterpillars than in plants damaged by VEGA caterpillars. Similarly, the genes that encode for the key enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of jasmonic acid and terpene synthase genes that regulate production of terpene VOCs, were up-regulated in plants damaged by VEGI caterpillars. Moreover, the OS of VEGA caterpillars were less active in inducing the expression of defense genes in tomato plants. Increased emissions of VOCs were detected in the headspace of plants damaged by VEGI caterpillars compared to plants damaged by VEGA caterpillars. These results suggest that the VEG of S. exigua caterpillars contains elicitors of late plant defense signaling in tomato which trigger defense-related enzymatic activity, regulate expression of defense-related genes, and induce emission of plant VOCs. These signaling cascades may have important ramifications for plant-insect and tritrophic interactions.
PCR inhibition by reverse transcriptase leads to an overestimation of amplification efficiency

This study addresses the problem of PCR inhibition by reverse transcriptase. It has been shown that the inhibition occurs mostly when a small amount of RNA is taken for RT reaction, and it is more visible for rarely expressed transcripts. We show here that the inhibition takes place regardless of what amount of template is utilized for RT. The inhibition possesses a global nature, i.e. the amplification of any given transcript may be compromised with different levels of inhibition. The process of inhibition also explains wrongfully derived PCR amplification efficiencies, sometimes more than 100%, when the sequential dilutions of unpurified RT sample are utilized to build the calibration curve. The RT influences PCR not only by inhibiting it. When microgram(s) of RNA are taken for RT reaction, reverse transcriptase may cause overamplification of some transcripts under certain PCR conditions. The possible mechanism of RT influence on PCR is presented, and a purification method is implemented to remove the effects of RT on PCR.
Trypanosoma cruzi: antimicrobial activity and strain differentiating properties of some five- and six-membered heterocyclic compounds on trypomastigotes.

Abstract Seventy-eight heterocyclic compounds, which included derivatives of furan, isoxazole, pyridine, pyrrole, and thiophene, were tested in an in vitro system for their antimicrobial activity and their strain differentiating properties against three strains of Trypanosoma cruzi (Brazil, Corpus Christi, Tulahuen) and for their effect, in tissue culture, on African Green Monkey Kidney Cells—strain Vero. Forty-eight compounds were 75–100% effective in immobilizing trypomastigote forms of the three strains tested, and 29 of these were rated nondestructive to African Green Monkey Kidney (AGMK) cells. Of these 29 compounds, 12 gave variable results ranging from complete immobilization of one strain to no apparent effect on the motility of one or two of the other strains. Nine of the compounds rated harmless to AGMK fibroblasts are proposed as a basis for constructing molecules which might be active chemotherapeutic agents against various strains of T. cruzi.
Wave Energy Extraction Maximization Using Direct Transcription

Wave energy converters (WECs) extract energy from the motion of ocean waves. A variety of dierent WEC devices have been studied over the past several decades, with emphasis on cost-eective energy extraction. Active control has been shown to improve energy production significantly. Here we investigate energy extraction potential of a tethered heaving cylinder WEC using direct transcription (DT), an open-loop optimal control strategy. This enables direct inclusion of asymmetric constraints on power and tether force, practical considerations not considered in previous studies, and opens the door to WEC optimal control problems with more realistic nonlinear models and integration of control design with physical system design.
Type III Group B Streptococcus: Functional Interaction with IgG Subclass Antibodies

The functionally active IgG subclasses and the portion of the antibody molecule mediating opsonophagocytosis of type III, group B Streptococcus (III-GBS) have not previously been investigated. Serum from a healthy adult immunized with III-GBS vaccine was subjected to ion exchange chromatography, yielding 2,950 mg of IgG/dl and 1,440 micrograms of III-GBS-specific antibody/ml. Papain digestion for selective cleavage of IgG1 and IgG3 yielded an IgG2-rich pool that contained 31% of the initial IgG but 69% of the antibody to III-GBS. This pool retained opsonophagocytic activity of antibody to III-GBS at levels similar to that for the initial IgG pool. Analysis of F(ab')2 fragments of pepsin-digested IgG revealed that the level of alternative pathway-mediated opsonophagocytosis of III-GBS was similar to that mediating functional activity in the initial IgG preparation. Therefore, IgG2 is an active opsonin for III-GBS, but divalency appears to be required for alternative pathway-mediated opsonophagocytosis.
Melatonin excretion with affect disorders over age 60

Numerous studies have reported low melatonin secretion in depression, but other studies have suggested no deficit or an increase. Alterations of circadian phase or duration of melatonin secretion have also been described. Since melatonin secretion decreases as we age, it seemed interesting to examine melatonin and depression in an aging sample. Volunteers who complained of mood or sleep problems were recruited for studies in which fractional urine specimens were collected for 24 h, both at home and in the laboratory. The major metabolite, 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), was determined by radioimmunoassay. Of 72 volunteers aged 60-78 years, seven had current major depression and 55% had a lifetime history of an affective disorder. A 55-fold range of home aMT6s excretion rates was observed. A lifetime history of any affective disorder was significantly associated with greater log(10)[mesor] aMT6s excretion in home collections and laboratory collections, but current affective disorders were neither significantly related to melatonin excretion nor to aMT6s acrophase timing, onset, offset or duration. These results are only weakly consistent with a photoperiodic hypothesis of depression.
Accuracy-optimized quantization for high-dimensional data fusion

Summary form only given. Decentralized estimation is an essential problem for a number of data fusion applications. The accuracy can be defined in terms of the mean square quantization error, MSQE. In this work, a computationally efficient and robust algorithm was developed for high-dimensional and high-rate decentralized estimation scenarios. Experiments were performed on a 2-source 21-dimensional problem. The proposed algorithm is compared with standard vector quantization (VQ), due to lack of alternative high-rate and high-dimensional decentralized estimation algorithms. The results showed that the proposed algorithm was consistently more accurate than standard VQ and that the difference increased with increase in number of codewords and size of the data set.
Spinal Movement and Performance of a Standing Reach Task in Participants With and Without Parkinson Disease

Background and Purpose . Evidence suggests that individuals with early and mid-stage Parkinson disease (PD) have diminished range of motion (ROM). Spinal ROM influences the ability to function. In this investigation, the authors examined available spinal ROM, segmental excursions (the ROM used) during reaching, and their relationships in community-dwelling adults with and without PD. Subjects . The subjects were 16 volunteers with PD (modified Hoehn and Yahr stages 1.5–3) and 32 participants without PD who were matched for age, body mass index, and sex. Methods . Range of motion of the extremities was measured using a goniometer, and ROM of the spine was measured using the functional axial rotation (FAR) test, a measure of unrestricted cervico-thoracic-lumbar rotation in the seated position. Motion during reaching was determined using 3-dimensional motion analysis. Group differences were determined using multivariable analysis of variance followed by analysis of variance. Contributions to total reaching distance of segmental excursions (eg, thoracic rotation, thoracic lateral flexion) were determined using forward stepwise regression. Results . Subjects with PD as compared with subjects without PD had less ROM (FAR of 98.2° versus 110.3°, shoulder flexion of 151.9° versus 160.1°) and less forward reaching (29.5 cm versus 34.0 cm). Lateral trunk flexion and total rotation relative to the ground contributed to reaching, with the regression model explaining 36% of the variance. Discussion and Conclusion . These results contribute to the growing body of evidence demonstrating that spinal ROM is impaired early in PD.
Structural Basis for α-Conotoxin Potency and Selectivity

Abstract Parkinson’s disease is a debilitating movement disorder characterized by altered levels of α 6 β 2 ∗ (∗ indicates the possible presence of additional subunits) nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) localized on presynaptic striatal catecholaminergic neurons. α-Conotoxin MII (α-CTx MII) is a highly useful ligand to probe α 6 β 2 nAChRs structure and function, but it does not discriminate among closely related α 6 ∗ nAChR subtypes. Modification of the α-CTx MII primary sequence led to the identification of α-CTx MII[E11A], an analog with 500–5300-fold discrimination between α 6 ∗ subtypes found in both human and non-human primates. α-CTx MII[E11A] binds most strongly (femtomolar dissociation constant) to the high affinity α 6 nAChR, a subtype that is selectively lost in Parkinson’s disease. Here, we present the three-dimensional solution structure for α-CTx MII[E11A] as determined by two-dimensional 1 H NMR spectroscopy to 0.13 ± 0.09 Ǻ backbone and 0.45 ± 0.08 Ǻ heavy atom root-mean-square deviation from mean structure. Structural comparisons suggest that the increased hydrophobic area of α-CTx MII[E11A] relative to other members of the α-CTx family may be responsible for its exceptionally high affinity for α6α4β2∗ nAChR as well as discrimination between α 6 β 2 and α 3 β 2 containing nAChRs. This finding may enable the rational design of novel peptide analogs that demonstrate enhanced specificity for α 6 ∗ nAChR subunit interfaces and provide a means to better understand nAChR structural determinants that modulate brain dopamine levels and the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease.