cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 191: Persistent Infiltration of Active Microglia in Brain Arteriovenous Malformation Causes Unresolved Inflammation and Lesion Progression

Background and Purpose: Monocytes are present in human brain arteriovenous malformation (bAVM), but their roles and origin are not clear. Endoglin (Eng, a bAVM causative gene) mutation extends CD68+ cell retention in the mouse stroke brain. Using 2 mouse bAVM models, we tested the hypothesis that CD68+ cells in bAVM are mostly active microglia, which cause unresolved inflammation and lesion progression. Methods: In Model 1, using Rosa-CreER;Eng-floxed mice, AVM was induced through global Eng deletion, and brain focal angiogenesis stimulated by an adeno-associated viral vector expressing vascular endothelial growth factor (AAV-VEGF). In Model 2, using CCR2RFP/+/CX3CR1GFP/+;Alk1 (another bAVM causative gene) floxed mice, AVM was induced through focal Alk1 deletion, and angiogenesis by intra-brain injection of Ad-Cre and AAV-VEGF. The RFP+ and GFP+ and CD68+ cells in the bAVM were quantified. Results: The mice in both models had bAVM 8 weeks after model induction. The bAVM lesions had more CD68+ cells than the normal angiogenic region of wild-type (WT) mouse brain (Model 1 vs. WT: 562±182/mm2 vs. 353±86, P=0.049; and Model 2 vs. WT: 890±289 vs. 549±72, P=0.058). Most (95%) CD68+ cells in Model 2 were GFP+ microglia. Model 2 mice also had more RFP+ bone marrow (BM)-derived macrophages than WT controls (P=0.065), suggesting that unmutated BM-derived macrophages also participate in bAVM pathogenesis. A similar number of CD68+ cells was detected in the brain angiogenic foci in Model 1 mice (P=0.29) 2 weeks after model induction. Conclusions: These data indicate a consistent infiltration of active microglia in bAVM that causes unresolved inflammation, which then promotes abnormal angiogenesis and lesion progression. Unmutated BM-derived microphages also participate in this process.
Risk-free incentive contracts

Abstract This paper demonstrates that options can be used to eliminate agency costs in the formal agency model. When an agent's action can determine the mean of future cash flows assumed to follow a binomial random walk, the principal can design a compensation package using options which are hedged by other components of the compensation package to be risk-free only if the agent takes the action desired by the principal and therefore risky if the agent is shirking. Thus, a risk- (and effort-) averse agent can be given incentives to take the action desired by the principal without sacrificing optimal risk sharing, even when the agent's action cannot be observed, either directly or indirectly.
Reading Mann and Cubberly on the Myth of Equal Educational Opportunity: A Barthesian Critique

“Equal Opportunity for All” is the historical promise of the public school. Tied to the American Creed of hard work and talent as the poor child’s ticket to upward mobility, this message continues to have a ready audience and dies hard. But the reality is that the public school has historically worked to reproduce social class divisions. To make the case, I use Roland Barthes’ structuralist model of critique. My intent is to expose the mythic content of seminal historical primary sources on equal opportunity written by Horace Mann and Ellwood Cubberley against a current assessment by Walter C. Parker.
Structure of the human desmoplakins. Implications for function in the desmosomal plaque

Desmoplakins (DPs) I and II are two major related proteins located in the innermost portion of the desmosomal plaque where it is thought they may play a role in attaching intermediate filaments (IF) to the cell surface. We have isolated and sequenced human cDNA clones encoding two major DP domains and a portion of a third. These clones can be divided into two classes that we believe to represent DPI and DPII cDNAs; our evidence suggests that the DPII message is derived at least in part from the processing of a larger transcript encoded by a single gene. Computer-aided analysis of the DPI-predicted amino acid sequence indicates that the central domain, which contains the heptad repeat characteristic of many alpha-fibrous proteins, will participate in the formation of a coiled coil dimer approximately 130 nm in length. The periodicity of acidic and basic residues in the rod suggests that DPI will aggregate with itself or similar molecules into higher order filamentous structures. The carboxyl terminus contains three regions with significant homology, each of which comprises almost five repeats of a 38-residue motif. It is likely that these regions each fold into a compact globular conformation stabilized by intrachain ionic interactions. Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequence of a cDNA encoding a portion of the 230-kDa bullous pemphigoid antigen (Stanley, J. R., Tanaka, T., Mueller, S., Klaus-Kovtun, V., and Roop, D. (1988) J. Clin. Invest. 82, 1864-1870) with DP revealed the presence of a 38-residue repeat with striking similarity to that of the DPs. Significantly, the periodicity in acidic and basic residues of these domains is the same as that found in the 1B rod domain of IF proteins. This suggests the possibility that the DPs might interact with IF via their common periodicity of charged residues.
The word order problem in agrammatism ☆: I. Comprehension

Abstract The results of a picture-pointing comprehension test show that agrammatic aphasics have difficulty understanding sentences in which the underlying semantic roles are marked by the order of noun phrases around a verbal element. Agrammatic patients performed poorly on reversible constructions involving spatial prepositions (e.g., “The square is above the circle”) and verbs (e.g., “The dancer applauds the clown”). These results have significance for the interpretation of the underlying disturbance in agrammatism—whether the deficit is syntactic or purely phonological.
UTILISATION OF FIVE- AND SIX-AXLE TRACTOR SEMITRAILERS IN WESTERN CANADA.

Analysis of trends in truck fleet mix and the relative productivity and operational characteristics of the five– and six–axle tractor–semi–trailers (342 and 3–S3) are presented. Marked increases in the use of 3–S3 at the expense of the 3–S2 are observed. The percentage of 342 in the heavy truck fleet dropped from about 70% in 1991 to about 50% in 1994, while the percentage of 343 increased from 9% and 20% over the same period. These changes could be explained by: better operating efficiency measured by the potential pavement damage per unit payload; flexible payload handling capability; and higher productivity indicated by the potential payload capacity actually utilised. Current trends in fleet mix changes suggest that the rate of increase in the percentage of 343 in the truck fleet is likely to be maintained in the next few years. Possible implications for trucks operations under North American Free Trade Agreement is that the 3–S3 offers a clear productivity advantage over the 3–52 and therefore suitable for long haul operations.
Regulation of the Gastric Emptying of Glucose

The gastric emptying characteristics of physiological saline (0.9% NaCl) and glucose solutions of three different concentrations (0.05, 0.125, 0.25 g/ml) were examined in order to identify distinctions in the control of the stomach's activity. Saline emptied rapidly and exponentially. Glucose assumed, soon after filling the stomach, a slow and calorie-constant emptying pattern such that 2.13 kcal of glucose were delivered per minute to the duodenum for all three concentrations of glucose. When, by means of a catheter passed beyond the pylorus, glucose was infused into the duodenum in amounts varying from 26.5 to 120 kcal, an inhibition on the gastric emptying of physiological saline of 0.46 min/kcal of intraduodenal glucose was demonstrated. Since 2.13 kcal/min and 0.46 min/kcal are reciprocals, it appeared that in emptying saline, the gastroduodenal system acts as an "open-loop" system passing liquids from the stomach at a rate primarily determined by the volume of gastric contents. With glucose, however, a "closed-loop" system is established that assumes a steady-state balance between the delivery of glucose to the duodenum and the inhibition of this delivery evoked from the duodenum by the glucose that enters it.
Evaluation of upper extremity reachable workspace using Kinect camera

BACKGROUND: In clinical evaluation of upper extremity, there is a lack of assessment methods that are quantitative, reliable, and informative of the overall functional capability of an individual. OBJECTIVE: We present new methodology for the assessment of upper extremity impairments based on the concept of 3-dimensional reachable workspace using Microsoft Kinect. METHODS: We quantify the reachable workspace by the relative surface area representing the portion of the unit hemi-sphere that is covered by the hand movement. We examine accuracy of joint positions, joint angles, and reachable workspace computation between the Kinect and motion capture system. RESULTS: The results of our analysis in 10 healthy subjects showed that the accuracy of the joint positions was within 66.3 mm for our experimental protocol. We found that the dynamic angle measurements had relatively large deviations (between 9° to 28°). The acquired reachable workspace envelope showed high agreement between the two systems with high repeatability between trials (correlation coefficients between 0.86 and 0.93). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that the proposed Kinect-based 3D reachable workspace analysis provides sufficiently accurate and reliable results as compared to motion capture system. The proposed method could be promising for clinical evaluation of upper extremity in neurological or musculoskeletal conditions.
Genetics of vesicoureteral reflux

Primary vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is the most common urological anomaly in children, affecting 1-2% of the pediatric population and 30-40% of children presenting with urinary tract infections (UTIs). Reflux-associated nephropathy is a major cause of childhood hypertension and chronic renal failure. The hereditary and familial nature of VUR is well recognized and several studies have reported that siblings of children with VUR have a higher incidence of reflux than the general pediatric population. Familial clustering of VUR implies that genetic factors have an important role in its pathogenesis, but no single major locus or gene for VUR has yet been identified and most researchers now acknowledge that VUR is genetically heterogeneous. Improvements in genome-scan techniques and continuously increasing knowledge of the genetic basis of VUR should help us to further understand its pathogenesis.
High fidelity fabrication of microlens arrays by nanoimprint using conformal mold duplication and low-pressure liquid material curing

The authors present a novel hyperfidelity fabrication method for microlens arrays. The method consists of the steps of (a) fabrication of a sacrificial master mold of a microlens array in a soft polymer by photolithography and thermal reflow, (b) conformal duplication of a daughter mold of complementary patterns in a hard material by dispensing an UV-curable material liquid on top of the polymer mold, planarizing the liquid with a flat quartz substrate, and curing the material, and (c) fabrication of microlens array using the hard daughter mold and nanoimprinting with an UV-curable lens material. This method has several advantages over conventional fabrication methods of microlens arrays including hyperfidelity, low cost, and high throughput.
Quantum phase separation dynamics of two component Bose-Einstein condensates

Abstract We investigate the nonequilibrium spatial phase segregation process of a mixture of alkali Bose–Einstein condensates. A rich variety of behavior is observed as the system parameters and compositions are changed. For compositions close to 1:1 there is a quantum spinodal decomposition with a metastable periodic density fluctuation, consistent with recent experimental results and calculations. We show that the metastability of this fluctuation depends on the relative composition of the mixture, as is suggested by recent exact solutions for this system. At extended times the density evolves into a complex pattern with domains that can oscillate, interfere, merge by period halving or by the growth of a dominant domain and reappear, or split into two (bifurcate). On top of this is a gradual separation of the densities of the two components.
Selling the female image as mental patient

Tabulations of the sex and role (patient, helping professional, other) of all human images found in advertisements for psychoactive drugs in one half of the issues of The American Journal of Psychiatry from years 1963 to 1974 were made. Women were found to be portrayed as mentally ill significantly more often than men, while the images of men were used more frequently as doctors and others. These phenomena were discussed with references to attribution, suggestion, self-fulfilling prophecy, role playing, and the tendency to hospitalize, drug, and diagnose women as mentally ill.
α2-adrenergic stimulation and vasopressin in congestive heart failure

Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) have increased plasma levels of the antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP). The stimulus for increased AVP secretion is unknown, but appears to involve a nonosmotic drive which alters normal osmoregulatory mechanisms. Centrally acting alpha 2-adrenergic agonists suppress AVP secretion in experimental animals. To examine the hypothesis that such effects might be apparent on the chronically elevated AVP levels in patients with CHF, we measured AVP, heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and plasma norepinephrine (NE) after 4 mg oral guanabenz in nine patients with this disease. Plasma NE decreased from 513 +/- 131 to a minimum of 371 +/- 117 pg/ml (p less than 0.02) 5 h postdrug. HR decreased from 80 +/- 9.3 to 74 +/- 10 beats/min (p less than 0.05) and MAP decreased from 88 +/- 8.5 to 83 +/- 10 mm Hg (p less than 0.05). Plasma AVP, however, did not change from baseline levels of 5.6 +/- 1.6 pg/ml. Serum osmolality was also constant. These data do not support a possible role for acute increases of alpha 2-adrenergic activity in suppressing the increased plasma AVP levels of CHF, at least under basal conditions at constant osmolality.
Prognostic Value of Exercise Testing During Heart Transplant Evaluation in Children

Background— Maximum oxygen consumption (peak VO2) <50% predicted on exercise testing is a class I indication for heart transplant (HT) listing in children. This recommendation is based on exercise data in adults. We assessed the association of peak VO2<50% predicted during HT evaluation with freedom from death or deterioration in children. Methods and Results— We analyzed all children who underwent exercise testing during HT evaluation at our center between 2002 and 2011. Patients with peak VO2<50% predicted were compared with those with peak VO2≥50% predicted for the composite outcome of death before HT, initiation of mechanical circulatory support, and HT at highest urgency status, using time-to-event analyses. There were 50 children in the study (median age, 15 years; interquartile range, 13–17 years; 24 girls; 18 with palliated single ventricle). Overall, 24 children reached the composite end point. Peak VO2<50% predicted was associated with outcome in children with biventricular circulation (hazard ratio, 4.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.8–12.3; P <0.001) but not in those with a palliated single ventricle (hazard ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 0.1–12.0; P =0.80). Similarly, VE/VCO2 slope ≥34 was associated with outcome in children with biventricular circulation (hazard ratio, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–7.1; P <0.001) but not in children with a palliated single ventricle. Conclusions— Exercise testing during HT evaluation in children with biventricular circulation identified those at higher risk of death or deterioration in this small study. Larger studies are needed to assess the role of exercise testing during HT evaluation in children with a palliated single ventricle.
The measurement of aberrant developmental growth

Summary 1. Serial examinations in growth studies of children should include assessments of physical maturation as well as of physical growth. 2. In the cases here reported, the W.R.U. standards of physical maturation, assessed on roentgenograms of the skeleton, are employed because they permit greater precision of assessment than the standards put forward by other workers. 3. Illustrative instances from our studies of aberrant growth are here presented to demonstrate the tempo of progress before and during treatment for developmental growth promotion. 4. Two boys are chosen from our series of retarded adolescence. Their progress in developmental growth for two years preceding active intervention is presented and with this is presented their progress during six months of endocrine treatment devised to hasten an adolescence already considerably delayed. It is not intended to suggest that, lacking treatment, these boys would not ultimately have matured but it is contended that developmental growth metabolism has been favored and stature probably increased by treatment. 5. A third case is presented in some detail to illustrate how adjustment of dosage and proper care in the utilization of extracts from the different endocrine glands permit one to promote increase of stature or progressive maturation as serial assessment of the case may require. The case chosen (SS 2895) is a relatively simple form of retarded developmental growth in which thyroid and pituitary substances were adequate to promote satisfactory results since the deficiency was uncomplicated by actual defects due to chronic disturbance of growth, to long continued focal infection, or other constitutional mutilation. It must not be assumed that every case treated will resolve so readily or display so marked a sensitivity to modifications in the regime of treatment as is so beautifully demonstrated in SS 2895.
BREAST-CONSERVING THERAPY FOR EARLY-STAGE BREAST CANCER

In most other organs (extremities, bladder, rectum, larynx, or eye), the acceptance of organ-conserving therapy into standard oncologic practice has required only the demonstration of feasibility and efficacy--not equivalency with the radical surgical alternative. BCT was not generally accepted as standard oncologic practice until the maturation of numerous prospective randomized trials that universally demonstrated equivalence in disease control outcomes and survival with mastectomy. In fact, the acceptance of BCT as standard therapy in many parts of the United States actually lagged more than a decade behind sentinel publications documenting proof of equivalency with mastectomy. Even today, investigators continue to search for a subset of breast cancer patients who will have better disease control with radical surgery. BCT stands as not only the best-studied example of organ-conserving therapy but one of the most rigorously tested therapies in all of medicine. Breast-conserving therapy requires a multidisciplinary approach with close coordination among team members from diagnosis through surveillance following treatment. The surgeon must be willing to assess and re-excise margins, to mark the tumor bed with clips, and to use sentinel node biopsy in appropriate patients. The radiation oncologist must be willing to use CT planning, paying close attention not only to coverage of target tissues but to avoidance of critical normal tissues. The medical oncologist must work closely with the surgeon and radiation oncologist to determine the optimal sequencing of therapies and selection of systemic agents. All must recognize special circumstances where genetic counselling may be beneficial, psychosocial support may be needed, or BCT may not be the best choice for patients. When used appropriately, BCT produces maximal disease control and quality of life while minimizing iatrogenic functional, cosmetic, and psychologic sequelae in patients with early-stage breast cancer. BCT serves as a model for the optimal combination of surgery and radiation in organ-preserving cancer therapy.
Human testicular aromatase: immunocytochemical and biochemical studies

The location of the aromatase enzyme in the testes of human subjects ages 3 months to 72 yr was determined immunocytochemically using a monoclonal antibody specific to human aromatase. In addition, an assay was developed to measure aromatase activity in suspensions of cryosections in order to validate the presence and to quantitate the activity of aromatase in the sections. In mature testes, aromatase immunostain was always associated with Leydig cells and was absent from Sertoli cells. Aromatase activity ranged from 0.014-0.55 pmol estrogen per mg/h and was significantly correlated with the immunostain intensity (P < 0.02). Thus, the aromatase activity provided a semiquantitative estimate of the immunoreaction. Activity and immunostain intensity of aromatase did not correlate with increasing age. Rather, the highest levels were measured in four of six testes of men ages 18-20 yr, three of whom also had the strongest immunostain for aromatase. The Leydig cell clusters of these subjects were larger and more prominent than those in the other specimens. A low level of aromatase activity but no immunostain was detected in prepubertal testes. Aromatase was not detected by either method in normal tissue from the testis of a patient with testicular cancer.
Normal Monthly Wind Stress Over the World Ocean with Error Estimates

Abstract Over 35 million surface observations covering the world ocean from 1870–1976 have been processed for the purpose of calculating monthly normals and standard errors of the eastward and northward components of the wind stress and work done by the winds in the lower 10 m of the atmosphere. The fields are intended to serve as boundary conditions for models of the ocean circulation. Wind and air-minus-sea temperatures are calculated in a form suitable for determining stress by any bulk aerodynamics model in which the drag coefficient can be represented by six or less coefficients of a second-degree polynomial in wind speed and stability. The particular case of the wind speed and stability dependent drag coefficient discussed by Bunker is selected for analysis. January and July charts of wind stress, curl of the wind stress, mass transport stream-function, divergence of the Ekman transport and the rate of mechanical energy transfer are illustrated and discussed.
A Flow System for the Study of Shear Forces Upon Cultured Endothelial Cells

A parallel plate chamber in a flow system has been designed to study the effects of fluid shear stresses on cells. The system was applied to the study of cultured endothelial cells grown on cover slips which were accommodated in recessed wells in the base plate. Dye injection studies in the chamber indicated laminar flow over the cells. Shear rates measured over the cover slips by an electrochemical technique were found to be linear with flow rate. Laser doppler anemometry showed parabolic profiles between the plates. Endothelial cells subjected to flow showed a correlation between the time required for orientation and the magnitude of the shear stress.
A Macroscopic Description of Lipid Bilayer Phase Transitions of Mixed-Chain Phosphatidylcholines: Chain-Length and Chain-Asymmetry Dependence

A macroscopic model is presented to quantitatively describe lipid bilayer gel to fluid phase transitions. In this model, the Gibbs potential of the lipid bilayer is expressed in terms of a single order parameter q, the average chain orientational order parameter. The Gibbs potential is based on molecular mean-field and statistical mechanical calculations of inter and intrachain interactions. Chain-length and chain-asymmetry are incorporated into the Gibbs potential so that one equation provides an accurate description of mixed-chain phosphatidylcholines of a single class. Two general classes of lipids are studied in this work: lipid bilayers of partially or noninterdigitated gel phases, and bilayers of mixed interdigitated gel phases. The model parameters are obtained by fitting the transition temperature and enthalpy data of phosphatidylcholines to the model. The proposed model provides estimates for the transition temperature and enthalpy, van der Waals energy, number of gauche bonds, chain orientational order parameter, and bond rotational and excluded volume entropies, achieving excellent agreement with existing data obtained with various techniques.
Chromatography of glycogens on agarose gels

Abstract The chromatographic behavior of several glycogens on the agarose gels Sepharose 2B and Sepharose 4B has been investigated. These are shown to be convenient media for examination of the polydispersity and relative molecular weights of different glycogens. Sepharose 2B is useful for the separation of artificial mixtures of glycogens and the components of glycogens occurring naturally as mixtures of distinct populations of molecules.
Positive Consequences: The Impact of an Undergraduate Course on Positive Psychology

With the rise of positive psychology and burgeoning evidence base, graduate and undergraduate institutions are now teaching positive psychology as an academic course. Little is known however about its effects. Therefore, the current study sought to develop a positive psychology course conceptually grounded in theory, while also exploring the extent to which the course impacted student well-being. The 25 students enrolled in the class, and a second group of 26 students who were enrolled in alternative psychology course elective (controls), completed a battery of well-being measures prior to taking the course, upon completion of the course and at a four-month follow-up. Responses were compared both between- and within-groups and results were promising as significant improvements on a number of measures were found for the intervention group but not for the control group. The implications and limitations of the current research are discussed.
The loop-torque maneuver: A method to facilitate intubation for enteroclysis

The loop-torque maneuver is a simple technique used to facilitate intubation with an enteroclysis catheter. A braided stainless steel guidewire, 26 cm longer than the one provided with the commercially available set, is used. A loop is formed in its proximal end to facilitate torquing if the catheter engages the greater curvature or coils up in the fundus. The loop-torque maneuver led to successful intubation of all patients in this series and produced less discomfort than the double-back maneuver.
Growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone (GHRH) and the GH secretagogue (GHS), L692,585, differentially modulate rat pituitary GHS receptor and GHRH receptor messenger ribonucleic acid levels

The ability of synthetic GH secretagogues (GHSs) to elicit a maximal release of GH in vivo is dependent on an intact GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) signaling system. The role of GHRH in GHS-induced GH release has been attributed primarily to the ability of GHS to release GHRH from hypothalamic neurons. However, GHS also releases GH directly at the pituitary level. Several lines of evidence suggest that GHRH is necessary to maintain pituitary responsiveness to GHS by stimulating GHS receptor (GHS-R) synthesis. To test this hypothesis, male rats (250-290 g) were anesthetized with ketamine/xylazine (which does not alter pulsatile GH secretion) and infused i.v. with a GHRH analog ([des-NH2Tyr1,D-Ala15]hGRF-(1-29)-NH2; 10 microg/h) or saline for 4 h. Serum was analyzed for GH, pituitaries were collected, and GHS-R and GHRH receptor (GHRH-R) messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were determined by RT-PCR. GHRH infusion resulted in a 10-fold increase in circulating GH concentrations that were accompanied by an increase in GHS-R mRNA levels to 200% of those in saline-treated controls (P < 0.01). In contrast, GHRH reduced GHRH-R mRNA levels slightly, but not significantly (P < 0.07). The stimulatory effect of GHRH on GHS-R mRNA levels was independent of somatostatin tone, as pretreatment with somatostatin antiserum did not alter the effectiveness of GHRH infusion. In contrast, blockade of somatostatin actions up-regulated GHRH-R mRNA levels under basal conditions and unmasked the inhibitory effects GHRH on its own receptor mRNA. These observations suggest GHRH-R mRNA is tonically suppressed by somatostatin. The stimulatory effect of GHRH on GHS-R mRNA levels was independent of circulating GH, as GHRH infusion in spontaneous dwarf rats, which do not have immunodetectable GH, increased GHS-R mRNA levels to 150% of those in saline-treated controls (P < 0.05). To determine whether this effect occurred by a direct action on the pituitary, primary cell cultures from normal rat pituitaries were incubated with GHRH (0.01-10 nM) or forskolin (10 microM) for 4 h. These GH secretagogues did not alter GHS-R mRNA levels in vitro. However, GHRH and forskolin reduced GHRH-R mRNA levels by 40% (P < 0.05). To determine whether the synthesis of the GHS-R, like that of the GHRH-R, is negatively mediated by its own ligand, anesthetized rats were infused with the nonpeptidyl secretagogue, L-692,585 (100 microg/h) for 4 h. Neither circulating GH (at 4 h) nor GHRH-R mRNA levels were significantly altered by L-692,585, whereas GHS-R mRNA levels were reduced by 50% (P < 0.05). Taken together, these results indicate that GHRH-induced up-regulation of pituitary GHS-R synthesis in vivo is indirect and independent of both somatostatin and GH. They also demonstrate that GHS-R synthesis, like that of GHRH-R, can be rapidly down-regulated by its own ligand.
What Makes the Grade? Faculty and Student Perceptions:

This study extended the work of White and Dunlap (1999) by quantifying faculty views regarding the relative effects performance and effort should have on final grades and by comparing faculty views with student views to assess their similarity. Survey results of 159 students and 59 faculty indicated that students believed effort should influence grades significantly more than did faculty. Differences existed when measuring performance and effort as (a) a percentage of a final course grade and (b) letter grades assigned in different course types. In addition, faculty and students differed significantly in the number of hours they designated as defining superior effort. Discussion of results considers the potential impact discrepancies can have on faculty and student relations, student learning, and student evaluation of teaching.
Analysis of the physical properties of SCOMAC springs and their potential use in dynamic splinting

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the phys­ ical characteristics of the graded springs provided in the SCOMAC Low Profile Outrigger Kit, comparing findings with available data on rubber bands. Tests were done to determine the validity of the manufacturer's length-tension data and the springs' abilities to maintain constant length in the presence of a constant load. Selected springs were attached to an Instron Testing Machine for durability testing. Length-tension measurements were repeated follOWing the load cycling and following clinical use on a splint worn by a patient for three weeks. This limited study showed that springs can give a consistent and controlled force, They are du­ rable and gradable within specified parameters. They can be safely used on an insensitive or nerve-damaged hand.
Development of determination method for carbofuran and oxydemeton-methyl in ambient air

A gas chromatographic method was developed for the determination of carbofuran and oxydemeton-methyl (ODM) as well as ODM's potential transformation product, deoxydemeton-methyl (DODM), in ambient air. The chemicals were trapped using XAD-4 resin and recovered with an organic solvent. The extraction efficiencies of carbofuran, ODM, and DODM from a XAD-4 resin with ethyl acetate were near 100%. A trapping efficiency study for ODM and DODM demonstrated that both compounds were relatively nonvolatile at 35 ± 5 °C. Using the method developed, air sampling was conducted at agricultural sites in California where carbofuran, ODM, and DODM have been applied. The highest amount of carbofuran found in the ambient air samples was 2.1 mg (ca. 97 pg/L of air). However, none of the samples collected from ambient air had a sufficient amount of ODM or DODM for the limit of quantitation (0.05 mg). Keywords: Air sampling; carbofuran; gas chromatography; oxydemeton-methyl; resin trapping
Threshold analysis of association between child care quality and child outcomes for low-income children in pre-kindergarten programs

Over the past five decades, the federal government and most states have invested heavily in providing publicly-funded child care and early education opportunities for 3- and 4-year-old children from low-income families. Policy makers and parents want to identify the level or threshold in quality of teacher–child interaction and intentional instruction related to better child outcomes to most efficiently use child care to improve school readiness. Academic and social outcomes for children from low-income families were predicted from measures of teacher–child interactions and instructional quality in a spline regression analysis of data from an 11-state pre-kindergarten evaluation. Findings suggested that the quality of teacher–child interactions was a stronger predictor of higher social competence and lower levels of behavior problems in higher than in lower quality classrooms. Further, findings suggested that quality of instruction was related to language, read and math skills more strongly in higher quality than in lower quality classrooms. These findings suggest that high-quality classrooms may be necessary to improve social and academic outcomes in pre-kindergarten programs for low-income children.
Southwestern U.S. drought maps from pinyon tree‐ring carbon isotopes

Tree-ring widths have long been a useful North American drought proxy [e.g., Cook et al., 1999, 2004]. A potentially rich, new tree-ring proxy associated with the tree's leaf-level moisture status is stable-carbon isotope composition (δ13C = [13C/12Csample ÷ 13C/12Cstandard − 1[ × 1000), which is determined by both the rate of carbon assimilation and the rate of gas conductance through leaf stomata [Farquhar et al., 1982]. In the U.S. Southwest, where evaporation exceeds precipitation, drought may be the dominant influence on plant δ>13C [Warren et al., 2001], so measurements of tree-ring δ13C in a network of southwestern sites has allowed for spatially mapping this ecophysiological indicator back to A.D. 1600. Stomatal portals are the primary avenues of water loss and carbon gain in plants, providing carbon dioxide (CO2) for photosynthesis, which tends to discriminate against fixation of 13CO2 in favor of 12CO2. In principle, under conditions of water stress the stomata close down and the reservoir of CO2 available for continued photosynthesis is reduced, proportionally more 13CO2 is fixed, and the 13C/12C ratio of sugars eventually incorporated into tree rings increases (i.e., δ13C increases), and vice versa during moist conditions.
Polish Publications since 1945 on Austrian and Galician History, 1772–1918

Unlike their Czech and Hungarian colleagues, Polish historians have traditionally paid little attention to the history of the Habsburg monarchy and its nationalities, except for their studies of Galician affairs and Austro-Polish relations. Before the fall of the monarchy Polish scholars were primarily interested in Austrian constitutional and legal developments, thereby reflecting the concern that Galician Poles felt for their position in the monarchy.
A Pharmacokinetic Simulation Tool for Inhaled Corticosteroids

The pharmacokinetic (PK) behavior of inhaled drugs is more complicated than that of other forms of administration. In particular, the effects of certain physiological (mucociliary clearance and differences in membrane properties in central and peripheral (C/P) areas of the lung), formulation (as it relates to drug deposition and particle dissolution rate), and patient-related factors (lung function; effects on C/P deposition ratio) affect the systemic PKs of inhaled drugs. The objectives of this project were (1) to describe a compartmental model that adequately describes the fate of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) after administration while incorporating variability between and within subjects and (2) based upon the model, to provide a freely available tool for simulation of PK trials after ICS administration. This compartment model allows for mucociliary removal of undissolved particles from the lung, distinguishes between central and peripheral regions of the lung, and models drug entering the systemic circulation via the lung and the gastrointestinal tract. The PK simulation tool is provided as an extension package to the statistical software R (‘ICSpkTS’). It allows simulation of PK trials for hypothetical ICS and of four commercially available ICS (budesonide, flunisolide, fluticasone propionate, and triamcinolone acetonide) in a parallel study design. Simulated PK data and parameters agreed well with literature data for all four ICS. The ICSpkTS package is especially suitable to explore the effect of changes in model parameters on PK behavior and can be easily adjusted for other inhaled drugs.
INMS-derived composition of Titan's upper atmosphere: Analysis methods and model comparison

Abstract The Cassini Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) has recorded full altitude profile data from 20 low-altitude Titan encounters during the nominal mission (July 2004–2008). These encounters were TA, T5, T16, T18, T19, T21, T23, T25, T26, T28, T29, T30, T32, T36, T37, T39, T40, T41, T42, and T43. In this work we present an analysis of the data observed by INMS during these encounters to derive the neutral composition of Titan's upper atmosphere between 1000 and 1100 km. Analysis methods are described for the determination and correction of instrument effects as well as the composition derivation processes. Results are compared to independent INMS analysis efforts and a selected survey of photochemical models of Titan's upper atmosphere.
Chemotherapeutic agents and the skin: An update.

Chemotherapeutic agents give rise to numerous well described adverse effects that may affect the skin, hair, mucous membranes, or nails. The mucocutaneous effects of longstanding agents have been extensively studied and reviewed. Over the last 2 decades, a number of new molecular entities for the treatment of cancer have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This article reviews the cutaneous toxicity patterns of these agents. It also reviews one drug that has not received FDA approval but is in use outside the United States and is important dermatologically. Particular emphasis is placed on the novel signal transduction inhibitors as well as on newer literature pertaining to previously described reactions. Learning objectives At the completion of this learning activity, participants should able to list the newer chemotherapeutic agents that possess significant mucocutaneous side effects and describe the range of reactions that are seen with each drug. In addition, they should be able to formulate appropriate management strategies for these reactions.
An X-ray diffraction study of liquid zinc

Abstract The structure factor (or interference function) I(K) for liquid zinc has been evaluated at five temperatures in the range 446°C to 750°C. The maximum temperature was limited by the high vapor pressure and chemical reactivity of liquid zinc, but was higher than that obtained in previous X-ray and neutron diffraction studies. Measurements were made in transmission geometry using Ag Kα radiation, and covered a K-range of 0.4 A −1 – 10.0 A −1 . The data were corrected for sample and cell absorption, incoherent and multiple scattering, and the resulting I(K) were subsequently transformed to yield the total correlation functions, T(r), which provide a description of the short range order in the liquid. In contrast to previous X-ray studies, the structure factors agree well with those obtained by neutron diffraction.
Sport: ‘A Useful Category of Historical Analysis’: 1 Isabel ‘Lefty’ Alvarez: The Rascal of El Cerro

Isabel ‘Lefty’ Alvarez was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1933. The youngest child and the only girl, Lefty was both pageant-level beautiful and all-star-status athletic. She struggled at school but thrived when playing baseball in the streets, where she was fiercely competitive. Lefty’s mother was very protective, but encouraged her daughter to leave Cuba at age 15 to play baseball in the United States. Lefty played five seasons in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), primarily as a pitcher. Lefty's story fits into many familiar narratives. Hers could be the story of a Cuban-American who proves herself through success on the playing field; or the story of a feminist hero, a woman who triumphs in a male-dominated world. She could be an impoverished immigrant who makes good through hard work and determination. None of these stories, however, limited as they are to the traditional lenses of gender, race and class, provides us with an image of Lefty that she would recognise. In order to mo...
Contemporary Quantitative Methods and “Slow” Causal Inference Response to Palinkas

This response considers together simultaneously occurring discussions about causal inference in social work and allied health and social science disciplines. It places emphasis on scholarship that ...
Influence of Dietary Cottonseed and Soybean on Milk Production and Composition

Abstract Eight rumen cannulated Holstein cows were used in two 4×4 Latin squares to study the factors involved in depression of milk protein synthesis when whole soybeans or cottonseeds are fed. Supplements fed in each square were oilseed meal, oilseed meal plus oil, whole seeds, and roasted whole seeds. Diets contained 16.5% CP of which 40% was provided by the oil meal or oil seed. Milk yield was not affected by diet, but milk fat percent was reduced with addition of free oil. Milk protein and casein contents were lowered by feeding soy product with oil, but this was not observed with cottonseed. Feed consumption was reduced with inclusion of oil or whole seeds. Digestion in the total tract was reduced by free oil. The proportion of propionate in ruminal VFA was higher and that of butyrate lower as a result of feeding free oil. Protozoal numbers were reduced with free oil and whole seed but were not affected by addition of roasted oil seed. Free oil supplementation increased content of unsaturated long chain fatty acids in rumen fluid. The ratio of serum glucose to unsaturated long-chain fatty acids was positively correlated with percent milk protein. Concentrations of essential amino acids in blood plasma were reduced by feeding soybean oil products, and a similar but nonsignificant trend for this was observed with feeding of cottonseed oil products.
Money donations, volunteering and organizational efficiency

The purpose of this article is to explain the cross-sectional variation in money donations to charities at the organizational level. Using a unique data base which includes volunteer labor data, this article tests the hypotheses that money donations are positively related to volunteering and the technical efficiency of the firm. Technical efficiency is measured by a number of non-parametric indices. The empirical results indicateinter alia that the more technically efficient the charity, the more money donations it is able to raise. Moreoer, at least for one model, money donations and volunteering are found to be complementary at the organizational level. In addition, the results in this article are not consistent with the well-known hypothesis that government financing crowds out private donations.
Origin of low molecular weight zinc-binding complexes from rat intestine.

Abstract Experiments with 65 Zn and 35 S-labeled rat intestinal cytosol and purified 35 S-labeled intestinal zinc-thionein (metallothionein) demonstrate that a low molecular weight zinc-binding complex in rat intestine, detectable by gel filtration chromatography, is a degradation product derived from metallothionein and other zinc-binding proteins. Low molecular weight zinc-binding intestinal complex(es) is (are) also generated by oral zinc loading with high doses.
Model correlation using multiple static load and vibration tests

In this paper, algorithmic approaches to enhance damage detection and model refinement capability are developed for cases in which experimental data from multiple tests are available. The tests may include both multiple vibration tests and multiple static load tests. The use of multitest measurements are shown to be one method to address a part of the incomplete measurement problem common to system health monitoring and model refinement, namely, the mismatch in the number of measured vibration modes in comparison to the number of modes included in the analytical finite element model. Key points made in the development will be highlighted using numerical experiments.
Considerations for Policies Regarding Genetic Testing of Children

Policy development in many areas of genetics and health care is still unsettled because of the continuing growth of knowledge, technologies, and therapies. Policy by professional organizations, institutions, and opinion leaders about restricting access to genetic testing for children before disease symptoms appear seems not to have carefully considered the relationship between parents and their minor children. The author reviews background information regarding policies recommended by health care professionals for genetic presymptomatic and predisposition testing of children and the controversies surrounding professional versus parental views on the topic. After discussing each side of the issue, recommendations are presented for ways of listening to and taking into account parental motivations for testing their children.
Evaluation of potentially nonlethal sampling methods for monitoring mercury concentrations in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu).

We evaluated three potentially nonlethal alternatives to fillet sampling for the determination of mercury (Hg) concentrations in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). Fish (n = 62, 226–464 mm total length) from six sites in southern Missouri were captured by electrofishing. Blood samples (1 mL) from each fish were obtained by caudal veinipuncture with a heparinized needle and syringe. Biopsy needle (10 mm × 14 gauge; three cuts per fish; 10–20 mg total dry weight) and biopsy punch (7 mm × 5 mm in diameter, one plug per fish, 30–50 mg dry weight) samples were obtained from the area beneath the dorsal fin. Fillet samples were obtained from the opposite side of the fish. All samples were freeze-dried and analyzed for total Hg by combustion amalgamation atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mean relative standard deviations (RSDs) of triplicate samples were similar for all four methods (2.2–2.4%), but the range of RSDs was greater for blood (0.4–5.5%) than for the muscle methods (1.8–4.0%). Total Hg concentrations in muscle were 0.0200–0.8809 μg/g wet weight; concentrations in plug, needle, and fillet samples from each fish were nearly identical. Blood Hg concentrations were 0.0006–0.0812 μg/mL and were highly correlated with muscle concentrations; linear regressions between log-transformed blood and fillet Hg concentrations were linear and statistically significant (p < 0.01), and explained 91–93% of the total variation. Correlations between fillet Hg concentrations and fish size and age were weak; together they explained ≤37% of the total variation, and the relations differed among sites. Overall, any of the alternative methods could provide satisfactory estimates of fillet Hg in smallmouth bass; however, both blood and plug sampling with disposable instruments were easier to perform than needle sampling. The biopsy needle was the most difficult to use, especially on smaller fish, and its relative expense necessitates reuse and, consequently, thorough cleaning between fish to prevent cross-contamination.