cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aberrant respiratory sensitivity to CO2 as a trait of familial panic disorder

Abstract Background: According to three earlier studies, well individuals with a family history of panic disorder experience more anxiety following a single breath of 35% CO 2 than do those without such a family history. This study sought to determine whether a heightened sensitivity to CO 2 manifests specifically in respiratory changes. Methods: Subjects were 18–35 years old and had no history of panic attacks and no current DSM-IV diagnosis other than simple or social phobia. Those at high risk for panic disorder (HR-P) ( n = 46) had a first-degree relative with treated panic disorder. Low-risk control subjects (LR-C) ( n = 39) had no first-degree relative with panic disorder. Respiratory measurements were taken continuously while subjects breathed room air through an attached mask for 3 min and, subsequently, while they breathed a 5% CO 2 /air mixture for an additional 3 min. Results: HR-P subjects did not differ from control subjects by group means of the principal measure of respiratory response, changes in minute volume (MV) during CO 2 inhalation. However, these values assumed clearly different distributions in the two groups. Fifteen (32.6%) of the HR-P subjects showed a paradoxical decrease in MV while breathing CO 2 and six (13%) displayed a particularly rapid increase in MV. Only one (2.6%) of the control subjects had a negative MV slope and none had a high value [χ 2 (1) = 12.3, p p = .021, Fisher exact test, respectively]. Though the subjects with high MV increases also described greater increases in anxiety after breathing CO 2 , a regression analysis indicated that the MV increase was the more important in discriminating high-risk from control subjects. Conclusions: These results suggest that respiratory sensitivity to CO 2 inhalation is operative in the familial transmission of panic disorder.
Insights into biomolecular function from small-angle scattering

Recent advances in neutron and X-ray sources and instrumentation, new and improved scattering techniques, and molecular biology techniques, which have permitted facile preparation of samples, have each led to new opportunities in using small-angle scattering to study the conformations and interactions of biological macromolecules in solution as a function of their properties. For example, new instrumentation on synchrotron sources has facilitated time-resolved studies that yield insights into protein folding. More powerful neutron sources, combined with molecular biology tools that isotopically label samples, have facilitated studies of biomolecular interactions, including those involving active enzymes.
Predictors of body surface area.

Abstract Study Objective : To determine the accuracy of body .surface area (BSA) calculations proposed in the literature and their applicability to patient populations such as neonates and parturients. Design : Using 395 actual BSA measurements in the literature, 15 prediction formulas were assessed for accuracy using the root mean squared error (RMSE) method o f prediction. Height/weight distributions of infants and parturients, and the relationship of DuBois and DuBois predictions to actual BSA, were compared using scatter plots. Percentage errors across different body sizes were determined. Setting : Obstetrics clinic and labor and delivery rooms at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Patients : Sixty women (gestational week 34 to 40) and 148 neonates. Measurements and Main Results : We measured the height and weight of the neonates and the women. We also used the height, weight, and BSA of 395 subjects reported in the literature. Although the commonly used DuBois and DuBois formula was derived from only 10 subjects, our statistical analysis demonstrates that it can be used over a wide range of measured BSAs (RMSE = 6.3%) and patients, including both infants and pregnant women. As BSA increases, so does the absolute prediction error, but the percentage error is greatest for infants, for whom the formula tends to underestimate BSA. There were no other significant differences in predictive accuracy for gender, age, or body habitus. Conclusions : Several BSA formulas, including the DuBois and DuBois formula, adequately predict measured BSA over a wide range of patient populations. Although the original subjects studied by Dubois and DuBois excluded extremes of height and weight, their formula appears to be a valid predictor.
The Hepatic Sinusoid is Not Well-Stirred: Estimation of the Degree of Axial Mixing by Analysis of Lobular Concentration Gradients Formed During Uptake of Thyroxine by the Perfused Rat Liver

Two general models have been proposed for predicting the effects of metabolism, protein binding, and plasma flow on the removal of drugs by the liver. These models differ in the degree of plasma mixing assumed to exist within each hepatic sinusoid. The venous equilibrium model treats the sinusoid as a single well-stirred compartment, whereas the sinusoidal model effectively breaks up the sinusoid into a large number of sequentially perfused compartments which do not exchange their contents except through plasma flow. As a consequence, the sinusoidal model, but not the venous equilibrium model, predicts that the concentration of highly extracted drugs will decline as the plasma flows through the hepatic lobule. To determine which of these alternative models best describes the hepatic uptake process, we looked for evidence that concentration gradients are formed during the uptake of [125I]thyroxine by the perfused rat liver. Autoradiography of tissue slices after perfusion of the portal vein at physiologic flow rates with protein-free buffer containing [125I]thyroxine demonstrated a rapid exponential fall in grain density with distance from the portal venule, declining by half for each 8% of the mean length of the sinusoid. Reversing the direction of perfusate flow reversed the direction of the autoradiographic gradients, indicating that they primarily reflect differences in the concentration of thyroxine within the hepatic sinusoids rather than differences in the uptake capacity of portal and central hepatocytes. Analysis of the data using models in which each sinusoid was represented by different numbers of sequentially perfused compartments (1-20) indicated that at least eight compartments were necessary to account for the magnitude of the gradients seen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The mechanism of the isomerization of cis-2-butene photosensitized by sulfur dioxide excited within the first allowed band at 3130Å

The mechanism of the electronically excited sulfur-dioxide sensitized isomerization of cis-2-butene has been studied through the measurement of the initial quantum yields of trans-2-butene formation in 3130-A irradiated gaseous binary mixtures of SO2 and cis-2-butene and ternary mixtures of SO2, cis-2-butene, and CO2. The kinetic treatment of the present data from the SO2C4H8 mixtures and those of recent similar studies of Penzhorn and Gusten [3] and Cox [4] are all consistent with the involvement of only the long-lived fluorescent 1B1 and phosphorescent 3B1 states of SO2 in the isomerization mechanism. The data give (k2a + k2b)=0.21±0.04; SO2(1B1) + SO2 SO2(3B1) + SO2(2a); SO2(1B1) + SO2 (2SO2) (2b). The analogous intersystem crossing ratio for the SO2(1B1)-cis-2-butene quenching collisions is the largest observed among the many quencher molecules studied; the value lies in the range of 0.85 to 0.37, with the extremes representing different choices of alternative data and possible mechanisms. From the present data the ratio of the SO2(3B1) quenching rate constant with SO2 to that with cis-2-butene as quencher is estimated to be (2.7±1.2) × 10−3, in good agreement with our directly measured ratio from lifetime studies (2.91±0.23) × 10−3 [30−32], and the value found in isomerization studies by Cox (2.40±0.09) × 10−3 [4]. The simple two-excited state mechanism, which is seemingly applicable to the relatively low-pressure binary SO2-butene mixture results, is not adequate to explain the data obtained in experiments with large quantities of added CO2 gas. Here an “excess” quantum yield of isomerization is observed. Several alternative mechanisms can be used to rationalize these results, but all alternatives must incorporate some other excited SO2 species (X) as well as SO2(3B1) and SO2(1B1). The kinetics suggest that the ill-defined state is unreactive toward the olefin and decays nonradiatively to SO2 largely in experiments at the lower pressures, X SO2 (11); it may generate SO2(3B1) in a collisionally induced process at high added inert gas (CO2) pressures, X + CO2 SO2(3B1) + CO2 (10a) and X + CO2 SO2 + CO2 (10b). The data give k11/(k10a + k10b)=0.026 mole/l.
A call to collaboration: The federal commitment to Suicide prevention

The federal government, largely through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), sponsors an array of science-based suicide prevention initiatives. This article details the prevention-related agendas and collaborative efforts of five operating divisions within the Department of Health and Human Services: the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indian Health Service, and Health Resources and Services Administration. The article highlights HHS's activities and their link to the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, the plan which will guide the nation's suicide prevention efforts for the next decade.
Primary care for twins and higher order multiples.

Despite the staggering increase in the number of multiple births, most primary care physicians have received little if any training in how to provide care for multiple-birth children and counseling for parents of multiples. Although the upsurge in multiple births has spawned a plethora of magazine stories, books, and web sites about the experiences of families with multiple-birth children, relatively few well-researched and sound resources exist to guide health care professionals in providing care and practical advice to families with twins. As general pediatricians and mothers of twins, we have searched to find answers to our questions about caring for and parenting twins. In this article we bring together material from diverse sources to provide an overview of issues specific to families with multiple-birth children that may be of particular importance in the primary care setting. We have focused primarily on families with twins, although we have made occasional references to triplets and higher order multiple births. We will address the following subjects in greater depth: The recent rise in the number and rate of multiple births is largely due to two factors: the increasing number of births among older women and greater use of fertility-enhancing therapies. Although the increase in the rate of twin births is most dramatic among mothers 45 years of age or older, nearly 75% of twins are born to women between 25 and 39 years of age. Most of the increase in the rate of twin births is due to an increase in the number of dizygotic twins. Higher neonatal and infant mortality and morbidity rates among twins are due to higher prevalence of prematurity and low birth weight, but also result from hemodynamic imbalances via placental anastomoses in monozygotic twin pregnancies. Feeding is particularly stressful for many mothers of twins. We review advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding, combining breast- and bottle-feeding, and exclusively bottle-feeding twins. We present practical suggestions for successfully breastfeeding twins, including when a breast pump may be helpful and what types of breast pumps may be most useful. Many parents feed their twins simultaneously to save time. To avoid bottle-propping, we provide suggestions about positions for simultaneously breastfeeding or bottle-feeding twins. In general, twins progress in their motor and cognitive development like singletons of the same gestational age. Twins may lag slightly behind their singleton counterparts in language development. At 3 years of age, twins who use “private language” (ie, communication directed exclusively to the other sibling that is not used with anyone else and is not understood by
Variable group delay using a novel integrated optoelectronic filter

We present both time and frequency domain measurements of current-controlled optical group delay using a novel multi-cavity optoelectronic filter. The measurements demonstrate variable delay of optical signals with a 5 GHz sinusoidal modulation
Evidence that ethanol acts on a target in Loop 2 of the extracellular domain of α1 glycine receptors

Considerable evidence indicates that ethanol acts on specific residues in the transmembrane domains of glycine receptors (GlyRs). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the extracellular domain is also a target for ethanol action by investigating the effect of cysteine substitutions at positions 52 (extracellular domain) and 267 (transmembrane domain) on responses to n-alcohols and propyl methanethiosulfonate (PMTS) in α1GlyRs expressed in Xenopus oocytes. In support of the hypothesis: (i) The A52C mutation changed ethanol sensitivity compared to WT GlyRs; (ii) PMTS produced irreversible alcohol-like potentiation in A52C GlyRs; and (iii) PMTS binding reduced the n-chain alcohol cutoff in A52C GlyRs. Further studies used PMTS binding to cysteines at positions 52 or 267 to block ethanol action at one site in order to determine its effect at other site(s). In these situations, ethanol caused negative modulation when acting at position 52 and positive modulation when acting at position 267. Collectively, these findings parallel the evidence that established the TM domain as a target for ethanol, suggest that positions 52 and 267 are part of the same alcohol pocket and indicate that the net effect of ethanol on GlyR function reflects the summation of its positive and negative modulatory effects on different targets.
Imaging of Femoroacetabular Impingement

Femoroacetabular impingement is a relatively recently described cause of hip pain that involves degenerative change in the hips of younger patients (less than thirty-five years old) as a result of predisposing pathoanatomy. The two types of impingement, cam and pincer, often occur together and overlap to varying degrees. The diagnostic workup begins with radiography, but magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance arthrography provide more accurate imaging that characterizes not only the pathoanatomy but also other associated findings, including labral tears and cartilage damage.
Application of multi-criteria decision analysis in design of sustainable environmental management system framework

Abstract Proactive environmental management initiatives such as pollution prevention, cleaner production and sustainability are inherently multi-objective processes that require joint considerations of environmental, industrial, economic and social criteria in all stages of decision making. The success of such initiatives, however, depends on the solidity and the relevance of their strategic frameworks. This paper proposes strategic positioning of pollution prevention and clean production projects via design of a sustainable environmental management system (SEMS) that is responsive to regulatory requirements, and is relevant to industry culture and business structure. Built on the traditional and familiar environmental management system platform and the requirements of the multi-criteria decision making models ELECTRE III, the SEMS is capable of supporting design and implementation of defensible solutions to environmental problems industry face today according to sustainability criteria. The ELECTRE III model was selected as an integral part of the framework due to its ease of application, flexibility in design and selection of performance criteria, and capability to identify the best management solutions by giving an order of preference to multiple alternatives. The proposed SEMS framework is also in line with the Rio+20 sustainable development goals, objectives and guidelines that call for action and result-oriented strategies and institutional frameworks that could account for multiple stakeholders' key issues while suggesting environmental solutions according to the three dimensions of sustainable development. A case study that demonstrates the management of waste streams at a manufacturer of energy drinks and diet bars is provided to demonstrate how the SEMS can be designed and implemented.
A cost analysis of outpatient care for patients with Barrett's esophagus in a managed care setting.

Abstract OBJECTIVES: Although Barrett’s esophagus (BE) may be associated with severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), there are currently no studies that evaluate resource utilization in Barrett’s patients. The aims of this study were 1) to determine the cost and number of endoscopies and clinic visits to the GI clinic for GERD or its complications in patients with BE; 2) to determine the pattern and cost of medication use in patients with BE; and 3) to compare medication use by patients with BE to that of patients with insulin-requiring diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: Using the cost distribution report data and the pharmacy acquisition costs from the Durham VAMC, we calculated the monthly cost of endoscopies, clinic visits related to GERD, and medication use in 53 patients with BE between 1/1/94 and 1/1/97. We also calculated the average cost of medication use for 55 patients with insulin-requiring DM. RESULTS: All patients with BE were male. Their median age was 64.0 yr (IQR 57–68). Of them, 92% were white; 23% had low-grade dysplasia (LGD). Patients with LGD were more likely to have more than three endoscopies in 3 yr than were those with no LGD (OR 6.3, 95% CI 1.11–35.67). There was no difference in clinic visits in the patients with and without dysplasia (OR 0.335, 95% CI 0.093–1.206). A total of 139 endoscopies and 172 clinic visits were observed. Outpatient care for patients with BE costs approximately $103/month or $1241/yr. Endoscopies and clinic visits accounted for 31.1% and 5.9% of the monthly medical cost, respectively. Medications accounted for 63% of the total cost of care. Prokinetic agents accounted for 0.8% of the total cost of medications, whereas histamine receptor antagonists (H2 blockers) and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) accounted for 34.6% and 64.6%, respectively. Medication cost per month in patients with BE was approximately $65, similar to that of patients with insulin-requiring DM ($63). CONCLUSIONS: Our conclusions were as follows: 1) Outpatient care for patients with BE costs approximately $1241/yr or ($103/month). 2) Medication use per month accounted for more than half of the total cost; PPIs accounted for 64.6% of total medication cost, suggesting that reflux was severe. 3) Consistent with current surveillance strategies, patients with LGD had more frequent endoscopy than patients with no dysplasia. 4) Medication cost per month in patients with BE is similar to that in patients with DM, another group with a chronic disorder. 5) Those who make health policy can use these results to compare the cost of care of patients with BE to the cost for those with other chronic medical disorders.
Dose-ranging evaluation of the substituted benzamide dazopride when used as an antiemetic in patients receiving anticancer chemotherapy**

Dazopride, a substituted benzamide structurally related to metoclopramide, is a potent gastric prokinetic agent that prevents cisplatin-induced emesis in animals. Unlike metoclopramide, dazopride has no effect on dopamine receptors and therefore should not produce extrapyramidal side effects. In this dose-ranging trial, 23 patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy known to produce nausea and vomiting received three i.v. infusions of dazopride every 2 h beginning 30 min before the chemotherapy. Seven dose levels were explored ranging from 0.5 to 4.0 mg/kg in each of the three infusions. Toxicities were mild and included sedation, dizziness, visual disturbances, and headaches. All side effects were transient and were not dose-related. Antiemetic effects were observed. Dazopride can be safely given on this schedule at doses of up to 4.0 mg/kg to patients receiving chemotherapy. On the basis of the results of this trial, further studies of this agent are warranted.
The differentiation of material life styles: 1925 to 1966

The relevance of consumer behavior to social differentiation is considered and its independence from income is documented. Earlier studies of household consumer traits by Sewell and others are taken as baseline data and compared to the 1966 Detroit Area Study. In the baseline data, published between 1925 and 1940, high correlations were observed among consumer traits. The 1966 study revealed weaker relationships among similar traits. Taking correlations and factor loadings as social indicators, material life styles appear to have become more differentiated. After assessing the robustness and relevance of this inference, the author discusses how trends in material life styles may run counter to other social trends.
Environmental factors affecting seasonal variation in immunity of clinically normal dogs.

A whole blood lymphocyte stimulation test, an in vitro corollary of in vivo cell mediated immunity, was done with blood collected monthly from eleven dogs for a period of three years (August, 1977 through August, 1980). Seasonal variations in immunity were observed to occur. These fluctuations were analyzed for possible association with 22 environmental, solar, and meteorological parameters. Of the six independent variables significantly entering the predictive regression equations, sunspot activity (monthly mean daily number of sunspots) was most prominent, showing a significant negative correlation in 10 of the 11 dogs. This suggests that solar activity might be associated with some activity on earth, e.g., geomagnetism which in turn might affect immune response.
The Relationship of Individual, Family, and Community Characteristics with Physical Health: An Adult Study in 27 Rural Minnesota Counties.

: Context and Purpose: This study investigates associations between the proportion of farm families in rural counties and the health of rural individuals, independent of county poverty rate and individual and family socioeconomic factors. This study also examines relationships of these socioeconomic factors and prevalence of specific diseases. Methods: Multilevel analysis of 10,485 responses to a mailed health survey in 27 nonmetropolitan Minnesota counties. Findings: Individual- and family-level variables such as age, gender, lower income, and unemployment were significantly associated with adverse physical health. The percentage of farm families in counties was significantly associated with adverse physical health of adults, independent of individual and family characteristics, county poverty rate, ethnic composition, and population density.
A study of the decomposition of calcium propionate, using simultaneous TG-DTA

Abstract Chemical preservatives are added to almost all foods to prevent spoilage and extend the shelf life, by inhibiting the growth and metabolic activity of microbes. Since most foods are subjected to heating, either by the consumer or by the manufacturer, the thermal behavior of a preservative is very important. In this study, the decomposition of calcium propionate was examined using simultaneous TG-DTA, with a rising temperature program and heating in dry nitrogen and air. The material initially decomposed to CaCO 3 , and then to CaO with further heating. The process was endothermic in nitrogen, but exothermic in air. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and powder diffraction was used to confirm the thermal analysis data.
Evaluation of the Quasi-Analytical Algorithm for estimating the inherent optical properties of seawater from ocean color: Comparison of Arctic and lower-latitude waters

Abstract We evaluated the performance of the Quasi-Analytical Algorithm (QAA, v5 with modifications) for deriving the spectral total absorption, a(λ), and backscattering, bb(λ), coefficients of seawater and partitioning of a(λ) into phytoplankton and non-phytoplankton components from input spectrum of remote-sensing reflectance, Rrs(λ), with field data collected in the Arctic and lower-latitude open waters from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The systematic error based on median ratio between QAA-derived and measured a(λ) varied from about 1% to ± 10% depending on light wavelength and the oceanic region. The QAA typically overestimated bb(λ) from 3% to 14% compared with field measurements. These results were obtained with a correction for Raman-scattering contribution to Rrs and separate parameterization of molecular and particulate backscattering in the Rrs vs. bb/a relationship. Without these features the earlier versions of the QAA can overestimate bb(λ) by as much as 35% in clear waters. The use of pure seawater backscattering coefficients accounting for water temperature and salinity improved the accuracy of QAA-derived a(λ) in Arctic waters. The absorption-partitioning component of the QAA significantly underestimated phytoplankton absorption and overestimated non-phytoplankton absorption in both Arctic and lower-latitude waters.
Microsatellite mutation rates in the eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) differ 10-fold across loci.

Microsatellites are commonly used for mapping and population genetics because of their high heterozygosities and allelic variability (i.e., polymorphism). Microsatellite markers are generally more polymorphic than other types of molecular markers such as allozymes or SNPs because the insertions/deletions that give rise to microsatellite variability are relatively common compared to nucleotide substitutions. Nevertheless, direct evidence of microsatellite mutation rates (MMRs) is lacking in most vertebrate groups despite the importance of such estimates to key population parameters (e.g., genetic differentiation or θ = 4Neμ). Herein, we present empirical data on MMRs in eastern tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum). We conducted captive breeding trials and genotyped over 1,000 offspring at a suite of microsatellite loci. These data on 7,906 allele transfers provide the first direct estimates of MMRs in amphibians, and they illustrate that MMRs can vary by more than an order of magnitude across loci within a given species (one locus had ten mutations whereas the others had none).
Avian plasma carboxylesterase activity as a potential biomarker of organophosphate pesticide exposure

Plasma cholinesterase (ChE) and carboxylesterase (CaE) activities were measured in pigeons (Columba livia), captive and wild American kestrels (Falco sparverius), red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsoni), Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii), and red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus). The effect of organophosphate (OP) insecticides on pigeon ChE and CaE activities was determined. Pigeon plasma CaE activity showed distinct groups averaging 12.4 and 138 nmol/min/ml plasma. The CaE activity for raptors was less than 20 nmol/min/ml plasma. Both ChE and CaE activities were inhibited by 0.4 mg/kg ethyl parathion, but CaE activity was not inhibited by 10 mg/kg methidathion. There was no difference in the blood ChE activities of pigeons with low or high blood CaE after treatment with parathion. In general, CaE activity was less severely depressed and recovery was less predictable than was ChE activity.
Cell performance of molten carbonate fuel cell with alkali carbonate eutectic mixtures

Abstract Molten carbonate fuel cells with four alkali carbonate eutectic mixtures of Li 2 CO 3 /Na 2 CO 3 /K 2 CO 3 in the proportions 62/0/38, 43/0/57, 43/32/25 and 52/48/0 (mol%), have been operated using electrolyte matrices fabricated by tape casting. When the ratio of electrolyte volume to matrix pore volume was optimized, all of the test cells gave similar good performance.
Perinatal nutritional iron deficiency reduces hippocampal synaptic transmission but does not impair short- or long-term synaptic plasticity.

AbstractStudies show that perinatal nutritional iron deficiency (ID) produces learning and memory impairments in humans and animals. This suggests that the functional physiology of learning and cognitive centers in the brain, such as the hippocampus, may be compromised by developmental ID. The present study used electrophysiological brain slice methods to examine multiple measures of hippocampal synaptic efficacy from rats that were subjected to perinatal ID diets or control (CN) diets. Measures of synaptic efficacy were obtained from the first and last synaptic regions of the hippocampal tri-synaptic loop (i.e. the dentate gyrus (DG) and CA1). Rats were placed on ID or CN diets on gestational day 11, and hippocampal brain slices were prepared between postnatal day 25 and 37. Results show that ID slices were not impaired in short-term (i.e. paired-pulse facilitation (PPF)) or long-term measures (i.e. long-term potentiation (LTP)) of synaptic plasticity in either the DG or CA1 areas. Input–output (IO) meas...
Developmental Expression of Estrogen Receptor (ER) α and ERβ in the Hamster Ovary: Regulation by Follicle-Stimulating Hormone

Perinatal expression of estrogen receptor (ER) protein and mRNA and the influence of FSH on this process were examined by immunofluorescence and RT-PCR using ovaries from fetal (d 13-15 of gestation) and postnatal [postnatal d 1-15 (P1-P15)] hamsters and from 8-d-old hamsters exposed in utero to an anti-FSH serum on d 12 of gestation and saline or equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) on P1. A few somatic cells expressing ERalpha immunoreactivity appeared first on d 14 of gestation and increased markedly by P8-P15 in the interstitial cells and granulosa cells of primordial follicles. In contrast, appreciable ERbeta immunoreactivity was localized on d 13 of gestation, and more cells expressed ERbeta immunoreactivity by P1-P8. By P7, ERbeta immunoreactivity was present in cells adjacent to the oocytes, and by P8, ERbeta was preferentially localized in the granulosa cells. Receptor immunoreactivities decreased markedly in P8 ovaries exposed in utero to the FSH antiserum but were reversed with postnatal eCG replacement. Oocytes and somatic cells expressed ERalpha and ERbeta mRNA, and levels of ER mRNA in the ovary increased by P7-P8, corresponding to the appearance of primordial follicles. Thereafter, only ERbeta mRNA levels increased progressively with postnatal ovary development. Similar to ER protein, mRNA levels decreased significantly in FSH antiserum-treated ovaries but were restored by eCG. These results indicate that both ER subtypes are expressed in undifferentiated somatic cells and the oocytes during perinatal ovary development in the hamster; however, ERbeta expression segregates with the differentiation of granulosa cells. Furthermore, ER expression and differentiation of somatic cells to granulosa cells depend on perinatal FSH action.
Electron Exchange Energy in Si Inversion Layers

The exchange energy is found for electrons in a two-dimensional system and in Si inversion layers which are dynamically two dimensional. We find that exchange lowers the energy of the lowest sub-band in Si inversion layers significantly, but affects the energies of higher sub-bands and the spatial extent of the wave functions in the direction perpendicular to the surface only slightly.
Fasten Your Seatbelts: Holiday Issues with Children and Youth in Residential Treatment

Employees working in residential treatment know from experience that holidays will be stressful and treacherous for the children and youth placed in their programs (and, consequently, for the staff themselves). Using a multiple systems approach, this article examines risk factors for holiday-related stress and crisis in residential settings treating children and youth. Holiday-related stress and crisis is conceptualized as arising from three distinct domains: child vulnerabilities, worker vulnerabilities, and contextual vulnerabilities; the accumulation of multiple vulnerabilities increases risk. The article concludes with practice recommendations to assist residential staff in minimizing the potential for holiday-related stress and acting-out.
How patient-centred care is changing orthopaedics

Patient-centred medicine is an approach to medical care that emphasises the patient experience. Treatment outcome measures reflect this experience, and outcomes are measured by obtaining patient feedback. Central to this type of care is the patient-physician relationship. Communication, physician empathy, and shared decision making are key components of this relationship. Patient-centred care is correlated with better patient outcomes across medical specialties and higher patient perceived quality of care. Payors are now using patient-centred quality measures in their physician reimbursement schedules.
Does the ''two-level-atom'' picture of a Josephson junction have a theoretical foundation in BCS

Abstract Yes, except that the rigorous equations are nonlocal and involve the internal pair coordinates.
On the development of a Gaussian noise model for scatter compensation

The underlying mechanism in projection radiography as well as in computed tomography (CT) is the accumulative attenuation of a pencil x-ray beam along a straight line. However, when a portion of photons is deviated from their original path by scattering, it is not valid to assume that these photons are the survival photons along the lines connecting the x-ray source and the individual locations where they are detected. Since these photons do not carry the correct spatial information, the final image is contaminated. Researchers are seeking techniques to reduce scattering, and hence, improve image quality, by scatter compensation. Previously, we presented a post-acquisition scatter compensation technique based on an underlying statistical model. We used the Poisson noise model, which assumed that the signals in the detector individually followed the Poisson process. Since most x-ray detectors are energy integrating rather than photon counting, the Poisson noise model can be improved by taking this property into account. In this study, we developed a Gaussian noise model by the matching-of-the-first-two-moments method. The Maximum Likelihood Estimator of the scatter-free image was derived via the expectation maximization (EM) technique. The maximum a posteriori estimate was also calculated. The Gaussian noise model was preliminarily evaluated on a full-field digital mammography system.
A therapeutic dose of zolpidem has limited abuse-like effects in drug-naïve females: a pilot study.

Zolpidem has abuse potential, particularly among individuals with histories of drug abuse. This double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross over pilot study investigated the subjective effects of zolpidem (10 mg) in drug-naive females. Over the course of a 5-h period vital signs were monitored and a series of computerized questionnaires was administered. Results indicate that zolpidem engendered subjective effects characteristic of hypnotic drugs, but reduced ratings of drug liking, willing to take again, and willing to pay for, relative to placebo. Thus, a therapeutic dose of zolpidem may have limited potential for misuse among females who have no experience with drugs of abuse.
Fivefold twin formation during annealing of nanocrystalline Cu

Fil: Bringa, Eduardo Marcial. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas; Argentina
Thermal Buckling of a Heat-Exposed, Axially Restrained Composite Column

The response of composite columns under axial compressive loading, and in which a non-uniform temperature distribution through the thickness exists, is investigated. This non-uniform temperature distribution can develop when one side of the structures is exposed to heat flux. In this paper, we assume that this distribution is linear, which corresponds to a steady state temperature profile due to heat conduction. The degradation of the elastic properties with temperature (especially near the glass transition temperature of the matrix) is accounted for, by using experimental data for the elastic moduli. Furthermore, the formulation includes transverse shear and it is done first for the general nonlinear case and subsequently linearized. Due to the non-uniform stiffness and the effect of the ensuing thermal moment, the structure behaves like an imperfect column, and responds by bending rather than buckling in the classical Euler (bifurcation) sense. Another important effect of the non-uniform temperature is that the neutral axis moves away from the centroid of the cross-section, resulting in another moment due to eccentric loading, which would tend to bend the structure away from the heat source. Simple equations for the response of the column are derived and results are presented for the variation of the deflection with the heat flux, as well as for the combined effects of the applied load and heat flux. It is found that the thermal moment would tend to bend the structure away from the heat source for small temperatures (small heat fluxes) but towards the heat source for large temperatures. On the contrary, the moment induced due to the eccentric loading would always tend to bend the structure away from the heat source. Results indicate the combined influences of these moments and that of axial
Review of Commonly Used Clinical Pathology Parameters for General Gastrointestinal Disease with Emphasis on Small Animals

A wide variety of markers are available to assess the function and pathology of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This review describes some of these markers with special emphasis given to markers used in dogs and cats. Small intestinal disease can be confirmed and localized by the measurement of serum concentrations of folate and cobalamin. Fecal α1-proteinase inhibitor concentration can increase in individuals with excessive GI protein loss. A wide variety of inflammatory markers are available for a variety of species that can be used to assess the inflammatory activity of various types of inflammatory cells in the GI tract, although most of these markers assess neutrophilic inflammation, such as neutrophil elastase, calprotectin, or S100A12. N-methylhistamine can serve as a marker of mast cell infiltration. Markers for lymphocytic or eosinophilic inflammation are currently under investigation. Exocrine pancreatic function can be assessed by measurement of serum concentrations of pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (PLI) and trypsin-like immunoreactivity (TLI). Serum PLI concentration is increased in individuals with pancreatitis and has been shown to be highly specific for exocrine pancreatic function and sensitive for pancreatitis. Serum TLI concentration is severely decreased in individuals with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
Graduate Education in Occupational Hygiene: A Rational Framework

Occupational hygiene has been an important part of occupational health since it first emerged after World War II as the science and art that deals with the anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of human exposures to hazards in the working environment. A need exists for well-qualified professionals who can not only respond to hazards that are currently known and understood, but also to ones that are not yet known or understood. For this, graduate-level academic programs in occupational hygiene must go beyond the training of skills and imparting of facts. Rather they must provide the education that enables the development of critical faculties, allowing future self-learning and the study of new scenarios not yet anticipated. Ideally, occupational hygiene should be taught firstly in the interdisciplinary context of the whole of occupational health (including occupational medicine, occupational health nursing, occupational safety and ergonomics) and secondly in relation to the wider field of public health (including epidemiology and biostatistics). In addition, modern occupational hygiene education also needs to embrace the management and social sciences. The Education and Research Centers (ERCs) sponsored in the United States by the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOSH) have refined this approach and provided a useful model for all occupational hygiene education, identifying the need for both masters and doctoral-level endeavor. Other countries might usefully consider integrating existing academic programs in order to emulate the NIOSH approach, perhaps through internal and external partnerships. In terms of content, such education needs to be carried out within a framework that places human exposure to hazardous agents at the center of the anticipation-recognition-evaluation-control rationale. Such a framework also places occupational hygiene in the context of the other occupational and environmental health disciplines. Finally it has to be acknowledged that occupational hygiene is (indeed always was) a changing field. Academic programs need to be responsive to such changes, and the range of responses must include not only curricular modifications but also changes in the way that the education itself is delivered. The internet provides interesting new opportunities for distance learning that appear to have the potential not only to be efficient and convenient in terms of time and resources but also to be valid in terms of meeting the desired educational objectives.
Oxidative coupling during gut passage in marine deposit‐feeding invertebrates

We tested for oxidative coupling of phenolic materials, including organic contaminants and tyrosine, in gut fluid from marine deposit-feeding invertebrates. A phenolic metabolite (pyrenol) of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), which can arise during accumulation by deposit-feeding invertebrates, was found to participate in oxidative coupling reactions to organic matter in gut fluid. Gut fluid from four species of marine deposit-feeding invertebrates (three polychaetes and one holothuroid) catalyzed oxidative coupling of pyrenol (1-hydroxypyrene) in rough proportion to their enzyme activity and dissolved organic matter levels. Nereis virens gut fluid also catalyzed coupling of tyrosine monomers to form dityrosine, a common marker of oxidative damage in proteins. An antioxidant enzyme activity, similar to that of heme peroxidase and capable of oxidative coupling, was tentatively identified in gut fluid from N. virens by protein precipitation, dye decolorization assays, and enzyme inhibitor studies. Unaltered N. virens gut fluid had high total oxyradical scavenging capacity, indicating the presence of fast-acting antioxidants. Oxidative coupling of PAHs will reduce subsequent bioavailability, toxicity, and transport of these compounds in marine environments. Furthermore, oxidative coupling of PAHs represents a hitherto overlooked sink for organic contaminants in marine sediments and suggests a biological mechanism for formation of aquatic humic material.
MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH BOUTELOUA AND AGROPYRON IN WYOMING SAGEBRUSH-GRASSLANDS

The spore populations of vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi at four sagebrushgrassland sites in Wyoming were examined, characterized, and quantified. The sampled soils contained 232-696 spores per 100 g dry soil and three to six species of VA mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus fasciculatus, G. macrocarpus, G. microcarpus, G. mosseae, Entrophospora infrequens, and an unidentified form). Community composition and relative prominence (frequency, density) of the six species were related both to geographic location of the site and abiotic factors and to identity of the plant symbiont. Environmental influence on spore populations is discussed.
When is cAMP not cAMP? Effects of compartmentalization.

Many important cellular processes are controlled via stimulation (or inhibition) of signal transduction systems, among which heptahelical G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) figure prominently. A classical example in cardiac myocytes is the β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) cascade (see Figure, panel A), which leads to positive inotropic and lusitropic effects.1 Occupation of the β-ARs by an agonist activates a GTP binding protein (Gs), such that the α subunit dissociates and activates adenylyl cyclase (AC), thereby producing cAMP. The increase in cAMP leads to the dissociation of the regulatory and catalytic subunits of protein kinase A (PKA). PKA can be tethered near its substrates by an A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP). The PKA catalytic subunit phosphorylates several key myocyte proteins involved in excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling, including the L-type Ca2+ channel, phospholamban (PLB), ryanodine receptor (RyR), myosin binding protein C, and troponin I (TnI). These effects produce PKA-dependent increases in Ca2+ current ( I Ca), sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ uptake and release, as well as a desensitization of the myofilaments to Ca2+. The net result is the characteristic positive inotropic and lusitropic effects of β-AR activation in cardiac myocytes. A, Local β-AR signaling cascade in cardiac myocytes. B, GLP-1 signaling cascade. In this pathway, cAMP may activate glycolysis but cannot activate I Ca, PLB, or TnI phosphorylation. Epi indicates epinephrine; PFK, phosphofructokinase; and ATPase, SR Ca2+-ATPase (see text for other abbreviations). The stimulatory effects of GPCR activation can be inhibited at several levels. The receptor can be desensitized by G protein receptor kinases (eg, β-ARK) and arrestins.2 The activation of AC by Gsα can be antagonized by an inhibitory G protein (Gi), which can be activated by muscarinic receptors (and may also be coactivated during β2-AR activation).3–5 The effects of …
The long and the short of it: evidence that FGF5 is a major determinant of canine 'hair'-itability.

Summary Hair length in dogs has been known for many years to be primarily controlled by a limited number of genes, but none of the genes have been identified. One of these genes produces a recessively inherited long-haired phenotype that has been thought to explain the bulk of hair-length variation among many breeds. Sequence analysis of the FGF5 gene in short and long-haired corgis resulted in the identification of two coding region differences: a duplication in a relatively non-conserved region of the gene and a missense mutation, resulting in the substitution of Phe for Cys, in a highly conserved region. Genotyping of 218 dogs from three breeds fixed for long hair, eight breeds fixed for short hair and five breeds in which long hair is segregating provided evidence that the missense mutation is associated with the hair-length differences among these breeds.
Testing of java web services for robustness

This paper presents a new compile-time analysis that enables a testing methodology for white-box coverage testing of error recovery code (i.e., exception handlers) in Java web services using compiler-directed fault injection. The analysis allows compiler-generated instrumentation to guide the fault injection and to record the recovery code exercised. (An injected fault is experienced as a Java exception.) The analysis (i) identifies the exception-flow 'def-uses' to be tested in this manner, (ii) determines the kind of fault to be requested at a program point, and (iii) finds appropriate locations for code instrumentation. The analysis incorporates refinements that establish sufficient context sensitivity to ensure relatively precise def-use links and to eliminate some spurious def-uses due to demonstrably infeasible control flow. A runtime test harness calculates test coverage of these links using an exception def-catch metric. Experiments with the methodology demonstrate the utility of the increased precision in obtaining good test coverage on a set of moderately-sized Java web services benchmarks.
As Antitrust Case Ends, Microsoft Is Victorious In Defeat

As the final judgment in the celebrated Microsoft case ends, this piece very briefly assesses the impact of its remedy. When evaluated in terms of its most important goals, the remedy has proven to be a failure. Microsoft's monopoly power in the PC operating systems market is now as great as it was when the case was brought in 1998 or the remedy was ordered in 2002. The article also very briefly discusses the implications of this remedy for Google and AT&T.