cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interaction between the Photoreceptor-Specific Tubby-like Protein 1 and the Neuronal-Specific GTPase Dynamin-1

PURPOSE. Tubby-like proteins (TULPs) are a family of four proteins, two of which have been linked to neurosensory disease phenotypes. TULP1 is a photoreceptor-specific protein that is mutated in retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited retinal disease characterized by the degeneration of rod and cone photoreceptor cells. To investigate the function of TULP1 in maintaining the health of photoreceptors, the authors sought the identification of interacting proteins. METHODS. Immunoprecipitation from retinal lysates, followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and in vitro binding assays, were used to identify TULP1 binding partners. RT-PCR was performed on total RNA from wild-type mouse retina to identify the Dynamin-1 isoform expressed in the retina. Immunocytochemistry was used to determine the localization of TULP1 and Dynamin-1 in photoreceptor cells. Electroretinography (ERG) and light microscopy were used to phenotype tulp1 / mice at a young age. RESULTS. Immunoprecipitation from retinal lysate identified Dynamin-1 as a possible TULP1 binding partner. GST pull-down assays further supported an interaction between TULP1 and Dynamin-1. In photoreceptor cells, Dynamin-1 and TULP1 colocalized primarily to the outer plexiform layer, where photoreceptor terminals synapse on second-order neurons and, to a lesser extent, to the inner segments, where polarized protein translocation occurs. ERG analyses in young tulp1 / mice indicated a decreased b-wave at ages when the retina retained a full complement of photoreceptor cells. CONCLUSIONS. These data indicated that TULP1 interacts with Dynamin-1 and suggested that TULP1 is involved in the vesicular trafficking of photoreceptor proteins, both at the nerve terminal during synaptic transmission and at the inner segment during protein translocation to the outer segment. These results also raised the possibility that normal synaptic function requires TULP1, and they motivate a closer look at synaptic architecture in the developing tulp1 / retina. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48:2837‐2844) DOI:10.1167/iovs.06-0059
The relationship of pressure spots in complete denture impressions with mucosal irritations

Abstract A study was conducted to test the relationship between pressure spots in impressions for complete dentures and irritation of the soft tissue supporting the completed dentures. Results indicate: 1. 1. There is a low correlation between pressure spots in final impressions and mucosal irritations. 2. 2. Pressure-indicating paste lacks accuracy in predicting mucosal irritations. 3. 3. The most frequent sites of pressure spots were lateral and distal to the maxillary tuberosities. These sites were also those most frequently irritated. 4. 4. There appears to be no rational justification for routinely remarking impressions with areas of tray exposure.
Self-reported efficacy of an all in-the-ear-canal prosthetic device to inhibit stuttering during one hundred hours of university teaching: an autobiographical clinical commentary

This manuscript outlines the lifelong battle with severe stuttering and describes a new modality of effective amelioration of the disorder from the standpoint of a university professor and researcher in the field of stuttering. Childhood reactions to stuttering are discussed, along with the educational and vocational impact of stuttering. Ongoing therapy was received throughout the formative years and into adulthood, emphasizing reduced rates of speech. The use of Delayed Auditory Feedback (DAF) was found to induce fluent speech, but was considered only as a tool for decreasing the speech rate to achieve fluency. When fluency under DAF was discovered to be possible at faster speech rates, the possibility that the use of DAF and other forms of altered auditory feedback could themselves have an inhibitory effect on stuttering, without concomitant rate reduction was investigated. An In-The-Canal (ITC) fluency-enhancing device was used that provided DAF and Frequency Altered Feedback (FAF) to produce more flu...
Gastroesophageal reflux and laryngotracheal stenosis

Aim: Investigate gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as a related irritant for the development of laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS) in the traumatized airway. Study the results of routine anti-reflux treatment in the management and rehabilitation of patients with LTS. Methods: Based on the report by Koufman, 40 consecutive patients with LTS were investigated for and managed with anti-reflux therapy during their course of surgical rehabilitation. Anti-reflux measures were instituted at the very first contact with the patient after the airway was injured and continued until rehabilitation was complete, and in many instances the anti-reflux therapy was continued indefinitely. The surgical treatment varied with the location and extent of the stenosis. Results: This prospective 5-year study period yielded excellent results. All patients have been rehabilitated with improved airway and voice. All who had tracheostomies are decannulated. Compared with the author's previous experience, the interval from minimal treatment to recovery has been reduced from 6 months to less than 3 months. There has been a remarkable reduction in the number of required secondary procedures. Discussion: Most patients who develop LTS are critically ill. During their illness, particularly those who suffer head traumas, these patients will have abnormal lower esophageal sphincter relaxation. Reflux to the pharynx, larynx and trachea will add insult to an intubated or injured airway, thus enhancing the development of a stenosis. Continued GERD during the rehabilitation period will hinder healing no matter what surgical modality is used, thus reducing the efficiency and ultimate result of the treatment. The results from this study suggest that all patients with LTS be concomitantly managed for GERD.
Cluster analysis of potomac river survey stations based on protozoan presence-absence data

Four high-water and six low-water limnological surveys of a portion of the Potomac River were made from 1956 to 1965; samples were collected at three stations on each survey to determine the effects of operation of the PEPCO Dickerson Power Station on the aquatic biota. Cluster analyses were made of various combinations of Jaccard coefficients relating 46 aggregations of 647 protozoan species.
The Role of Nonprofits in Disaster Response: An Expanded Model of Cross-Sector Collaboration

In this study, nonprofit involvement in cross-sector collaborative efforts for post-Katrina and Rita relief, recovery, and rebuilding are examined. Using Bryson, Crosby, and Stone’s model as a framework, the collaborative and intermediary roles played by nonprofits in three affected areas, New Orleans, southwest Louisiana, and central Texas, are analyzed. Extensions of the model are introduced to include aspects of organizational capacity and individual and prosocial behaviors resultant of cross-sector collaboration during extreme events. Implications of the findings for nonprofit practice and policy as well as future research in emergency management are discussed.
Semiotics and the Study of Occupational and Organizational Cultures.

Abstract : Semiotics offers an approach for researching and analyzing systems of meaning that undergrid occupational and organizational cultures. Following a synopsis of semiotic theory, this paper presents data from an ethnosemantic study of a funeral home and demonstrates that semiotically identical codes structure a funeral director's understanding of his various tasks. The analysis not only suggests that semiotic research captures the redundant themes which characterize insiders' interpretations of this work world, but that it is also sensitive to the mundane, but critical, aspects of a culture. Finally, the study shows how semiotic research can elucidate rules by which members of a work culture consistently and coherently generate meaning. (Author)
The σ receptor ligand rimcazole alters secretion of prolactin and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone by dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic mechanisms

Abstract The role of tuberoinfundibular and periventricular-hypophysial dopaminergic neurons in mediating rimcazole-induced decreases in plasma concentrations of prolactin and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone was assessed. Dopaminergic neuronal activity was estimated by measuring concentrations of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in the median eminence and intermediate lobe of the pituitary which contain terminals of tuberoinfundibular and periventricular-hypophysial dopaminergic neurons, respectively. Rimcazole decreased plasma concentrations of both prolactin and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone, increased the concentration of DOPAC in median eminence, but did not alter DOPAC concentrations in the intermediate lobe of the pituitary. Pretreatment with a ‘putative’ σ receptor agonist, pentazocine, prevented the rimcazole-induced increase of the concentration of DOPAC in the median eminence, but did not block the ability of rimcazole to decrease plasma concentrations of prolactin. The results of this study reveal that the ability of rimcazole to decrease α-melanocyte stimulating hormone secretion is not mediated by a dopaminergic mechanism, whereas the ability of rimcazole to decrease prolactin secretion appears to be mediated by both dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic mechanisms.
Acute uremia suppresses leucine-induced signal transduction in skeletal muscle

Adequate nutrient intake in acute uremia is a key part of patient management especially as food utilization is usually impaired. Leucine is important as it comprises about one-fifth of essential amino acid needs and, apart from serving as a substrate, it directly activates the mTOR signaling pathway stimulating protein synthesis and inhibiting autophagy. Here we tested whether leucine activation of the mTOR signaling pathway in muscle is severely disrupted in acute uremia. Several abnormalities were identified in bilateral ureteral ligated (model of acute uremia) compared to sham-operated pair-fed control rats. Levels of several signaling proteins increased significantly while leucine-induced phosphorylation of mTOR and downstream proteins, 4e-BP1 and S6K1, was completely suppressed. Levels of LC3B-II, a specific autophagosomal membrane–associated protein used as a marker of autophagy, increased threefold in uremia. Furthermore, while leucine suppressed LC3B-II levels in controls, it failed to do so in uremic rats. Muscle IL-6 mRNA levels increased, while IGF-1 mRNA levels decreased in uremia. These findings establish that, in acute uremia, severe resistance to leucine-induced activation of the mTOR anabolic signaling pathway develops. Thus, leucine resistance, together with the reduction in IGF-1 and increase in IL-6 expression, may explain why the anabolic effect of nutritional therapy is diminished in acute uremic patients.
Preparing Families of Children With Special Health Care Needs for Disasters: An Education Intervention

Children with special health care needs pose a special challenge in post-disaster response. Current research suggests that the general population is not adequately prepared for a major disaster event, with members of vulnerable populations even less prepared. The purpose of this study was to determine the short-term effectiveness of a brief patient education intervention aimed at increasing levels of disaster preparedness among families of special health care needs children. One hundred twenty-one families were randomly assigned to either intervention or intervention plus incentive group. Families were surveyed prior to the intervention using a previously published instrument on family preparedness, and at 30-45 days post-intervention. A Preparedness Score was assigned to each family based on the number of items completed on the preparedness instrument. Significant differences were found between pre- and posttest scores for families that received the intervention, regardless of whether or not an incentive item was provided. Posttest scores were significantly higher than pretest scores, suggesting that the intervention was successful in increasing short-term overall levels of family preparedness in this population.
Elliptic Differential Equations with Coefficients Measurable with Respect to One Variable and VMO with Respect to the Others

We prove the unique solvability of second order elliptic equations in nondivergence form in Sobolev spaces. The coefficients of the second order terms are measurable in one variable and VMO in other variables. From this result, we obtain the weak uniqueness of the Martingale problem associated with the elliptic equations.
Complete Inhibition of Streptococcus pneumoniae RecA Protein-catalyzed ATP Hydrolysis by Single-stranded DNA-binding Protein (SSB Protein) IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MECHANISM OF SSB PROTEIN-STIMULATED DNA STRAND EXCHANGE

The ATP-dependent three-strand exchange activity of the Streptococcus pneumoniae RecA protein (RecA(Sp)), like that of the Escherichia coli RecA protein (RecA(Ec)), is strongly stimulated by the single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) from either E. coli (SSB(Ec)) or S. pneumoniae (SSB(Sp)). The RecA(Sp) protein differs from the RecA(Ec) protein, however, in that its ssDNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis activity is completely inhibited by SSB(Ec) or SSB(Sp) protein, apparently because these proteins displace RecA(Sp) protein from ssDNA. These results indicate that in contrast to the mechanism that has been established for the RecA(Ec) protein, SSB protein does not stimulate the RecA(Sp) protein-promoted strand exchange reaction by facilitating the formation of a presynaptic complex between the RecA(Sp) protein and the ssDNA substrate. In addition to acting presynaptically, however, it has been proposed that SSB(Ec) protein also stimulates the RecA(Ec) protein strand exchange reaction postsynaptically, by binding to the displaced single strand that is generated when the ssDNA substrate invades the homologous linear dsDNA. In the RecA(Sp) protein-promoted reaction, the stimulatory effect of SSB protein may be due entirely to this postsynaptic mechanism. The competing displacement of RecA(Sp) protein from the ssDNA substrate by SSB protein, however, appears to limit the efficiency of the strand exchange reaction (especially at high SSB protein concentrations or when SSB protein is added to the ssDNA before RecA(Sp) protein) relative to that observed under the same conditions with the RecA(Ec) protein.
A new method of evaluating the quality of radiology reports.

Rationale and Objectives The radiology report must provide the ordering physician relevant information in an understandable format. The objectives of this study were to develop and apply a method for the grading of the quality of radiology reports and to evaluate differences based on the reader’s experience. This grading method permits evaluation of compliance with the American College of Radiology communication standards. Materials and Methods A total of 240 intensive care unit admission chest radiograph reports were retrieved from our hospital database. These were graded for quality. Our grading system is based on the concept that a radiology report must provide information relevant to the patient’s known clinical status and thus is important to the ordering clinician. The best grade for a report is IV and the minimum grade assigned is I. Results were further analyzed based on the experience of the reader. Results A total of 436 grades from the 240 reports were generated: 374/436 (86%) grades were designated a III or IV, which we deemed as satisfactory reports. The scoring of the radiology reports evaluating the position of endotracheal tubes, catheters, and enteric feeding tubes scored significantly better than definitive diagnosis as the starting point on the clinical spectrum ( P P = .78). Conclusions Ideally, 100% of radiology reports should receive a grade III or IV. Our study showed that only 86% of the reports met this standard.
Assessing the Predictive Power of Labor-Market Indicators of Inflation

This paper examines two different measures of wages as predicators of prices in a vector error-correction framework using quarterly data for the U.S. for the period from 1947.Q1 through 2008.Q1. Based on cointegration and a series of exogeneity tests, it is found that: 1) there is a stable, long-run relationship between the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Personal Consumption Expenditure Deflator (PCED) on the one hand and unit labor costs (ULC) and average earnings per unit of output (AHE) on the other; 2) ULC is weakly exogenous for both price indices while the two price indices are weakly exogenous for AHE; 3) ULC is strongly exogenous for CPI but not for AHE; 4) ULC is super exogenous for CPI. Taken together, these findings lead to the conclusion that ULC is a reliable indicator of price inflation but productivity-adjusted hourly earnings is not. Thus monetary policymakers are justified in using information about the behavior of ULC in formulating policy actions for achieving the goal of price stability.*This research has been financed in part by a grant from the Center for Global and Economic Studies at Marquette University.**A short version of this paper is forthcoming in Applied Economics Letters.
Electrophoretic separations in poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchips using a mixture of ionic and zwitterionic surfactants

The use of mixtures of ionic and zwitterionic surfactants in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchips is reported. The effect of surfactant concentration on electroosmotic flow (EOF) was studied for a single anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS), a single zwitterionic surfactant (N-tetradecylammonium-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate, TDAPS), and a mixed SDS/TDAPS surfactant system. SDS increased the EOF as reported previously while TDAPS showed an initial increase in EOF followed by a reduction at higher concentrations. When TDAPS was added to a solution containing SDS, the EOF decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. The EOF for all three surfactant systems followed expected pH trends, with increasing EOF at higher pH. The mixed surfactant system allowed tuning of the EOF across a range of pH and concentration conditions. After establishing the EOF behavior, the adsorption/desorption kinetics were measured and showed a slower adsorption/desorption rate for TDAPS than SDS. Finally, the separation and electrochemical detection of model catecholamines in buffer and reduced glutathione in red blood cell lysate using the mixed surfactant system were explored. The mixed surfactant system provided shorter analysis times and/or improved resolution when compared to the single surfactant systems.
Friction of ice

Frictional sliding experiments were performed on saw-cut samples of laboratory-made polycrystalline water ice, prepared in the same way as the material used by Kirby et al. (1987) in ice deformation experiments. The data show that the maximum frictional stress is a function of the normal stress but is not measurably dependent on temperature or sliding rate over the ranges covered in these experiments (77-115 K and 0.0003-0.03 mm/s, respectively). The sliding behavior was invariably stick slip, with the sliding surfaces exhibiting only minor gouge development. In samples with anomalously low strength, a curious arrangement of densely packed short vertical fractures was observed. The results of these experiments were applied to a model of near-surface tectonic activity on Ganymede, one of Jupiter's icy moons. The results indicate that a global expansion on Ganymede of 3 linear percent will cause extensional movement on preexisting faults at depths to 7 + or - 3 km.
How to Blunt the Sword of Compositionality

Concepts—the elementary building-blocks of thought—have long been a focusof research in psychology, and it shows. A naturalistically minded philosopherwho goes shopping for a theory of concepts finds herself faced with a fairlydizzying array of options, including definition theories, prototype theories,exemplar theories, theory theories, and an assortment of hybrids. It is with somesense of relief, perhaps, that she learns of a device—what I shall call, follow-ing Fodor 1998a, the “sword of compositionality”—with which to cut downthe space of possibilities. In particular, the sword is supposed to greatly sim-plify the selection task by eliminating in one fell swoop the largest and mostinfluential class of theories currently on the market. The aim of this paper isto test the credibility of this rather bold supposition.To get a sense of what’s at stake here requires a quick survey of the theoret-ical terrain. Most contemporary thinking about concepts is informed by thelexical semantics tradition, which approaches the study of concepts via the nat-ural language expressions that encode them. Of special importance to this studyare lexical concepts, that is, concepts encoded by monomorphemic words like‘cat’ or ‘bachelor’. Non-lexical concepts—concepts encoded either by polymor-phemic words ~‘housebroken’, ‘unmarried’! or by phrases ~‘cat fur’, ‘bachelorparty’!—are understood to be built up somehow from lexical ones, and henceare explanatorily posterior to them.Theories of concepts in the lexical semantics tradition can be sorted usinga binary decision tree with three branches. First there is the question of atom-ism. Atomists say that lexical concepts are by and large semantically primi-tive or unstructured, in that they have the content they do independently oftheir relations to particular other concepts ~Fodor 1998a!. Anatomists deny this,opting instead for the idea that concepts generally exhibit semantic structureof some sort. Second there is the question of classicalism. Classical anatomisttheories dictate that the kind of structure possessed by concepts is definitional
Blood feeding and insulin-like peptide 3 stimulate proliferation of hemocytes in the mosquito Aedes aegypti

All vector mosquito species must feed on the blood of a vertebrate host to produce eggs. Multiple cycles of blood feeding also promote frequent contacts with hosts, which enhance the risk of exposure to infectious agents and disease transmission. Blood feeding triggers the release of insulin-like peptides (ILPs) from the brain of the mosquito Aedes aegypti, which regulate blood meal digestion and egg formation. In turn, hemocytes serve as the most important constitutive defense in mosquitoes against pathogens that enter the hemocoel. Prior studies indicated that blood feeding stimulates hemocytes to increase in abundance, but how this increase in abundance is regulated is unknown. Here, we determined that phagocytic granulocytes and oenocytoids express the A. aegypti insulin receptor (AaMIR). We then showed that: 1) decapitation of mosquitoes after blood feeding inhibited hemocyte proliferation, 2) a single dose of insulin-like peptide 3 (ILP3) sufficient to stimulate egg production rescued proliferation, and 3) knockdown of the AaMIR inhibited ILP3 rescue activity. Infection studies indicated that increased hemocyte abundance enhanced clearance of the bacterium Escherichia coli at lower levels of infection. Surprisingly, however, non-blood fed females better survived intermediate and high levels of E. coli infection than blood fed females. Taken together, our results reveal a previously unrecognized role for the insulin signaling pathway in regulating hemocyte proliferation. Our results also indicate that blood feeding enhances resistance to E. coli at lower levels of infection but reduces tolerance at higher levels of infection.
The Effect of Norethynodrel, Norethindrone and Ethynodiol Diacetate on Hepatic Microsomal Drug Metabolism

The effects of ethynodiol diacetate norethindtone and norethynodrel on the hepatic microsomal drug metabolizing enzyme system of rat were studied. 10 or 50 mg norethynodren/kg or 50 mg norethindrone/kg markedly increased the duration of pentobarital-induced sleep. When the rats were pretreated with 10 or 50 ethynodiol diacetate/kg or 10 mg norethindrone/kg the duration of pentobarbital-induced sleep was not altered. These steroids had no effect on sodium barbital induced sleep which suggested an inhibitory action of the metabolism of pentobarbital. The steroids markedly inhibited the N-dimethylation of aminopyrine the p-hydroxylation of aniline and the side-chain oxidation of pentobarbital during in vitro incubations. Spectral studies revealed that the 3 progestins are Type 1 substrates with an absorption maximum at 390 mM and a minimum at 424 mM. Chronic pretreatment did not cause a change in the amount of microsomal protein/gm liver the concentration of cytochrom P-450 the rate of reduction of P-450 by P-450 reductase or on the duration of pentobarbital-induced sleep. However a significant decrease in the rate of daily body weight gain in rats pretreated with the synthetic progestins was seen (p less than .01).
COMPARISON OF FIVE TESTS FOR THE COMMON MEAN OF SEVERAL MULTIVARIATE NORMAL POPULATIONS

Abstract In this article, we evaluate the merits of some tests for testing about the common mean vector of several multivariate normal populations with different covariance matrices. Five tests, including the Fisher's exact test, are compared with respect to their powers. Powers are estimated using Monte Carlo simulation. Based on the comparison studies, we found that the Fisher's test and one of the test due to Zhou and Mathew [Zhou, L., Mathew, T. (1994). Combining independent tests in multivariate linear models. J. Multivariate Anal. 51:265–276] are in general more powerful than other three tests. The tests are illustrated using simulated data.
The Mechanostability of Isolated Focal Adhesions Is Strongly Dependent on pH

Summary This report demonstrates that the mechanical stability of focal adhesions exhibits a biphasic and sensitive pH dependence. These studies used isolated focal adhesions, which retain many of the properties of the intracellular structures, including protein composition and force-dependent reinforcement by cytosolic proteins. The focal adhesion structures are least stable to applied force at a pH of 6.4, and significantly more stable at slightly higher and lower pH values. This trend is consistent with previous work that characterized the pH dependence of cell migration and may therefore be relevant to controlling the invasiveness of metastatic cancer cells. This approach is significant because it allows biochemical studies of large protein complexes previously studied only in cell culture, and therefore offers new opportunities for performing mechanistic studies of a range of factors that contribute to focal adhesion stability.
The polymerization of proteins; the action of thrombin on fibrinogen.

Abstract Viscosity measurements and ultracentrifugal experiments show no difference between fibrinogen and fibrinogen incubated with thrombin, both kept at pH 4.85, although the progressing action of thrombin can be demonstrated.
Predication and cartographic representation

I argue that maps do not feature predication, as analyzed by Frege and Tarski. I take as my foil (Casati and Varzi, Parts and places, 1999), which attributes predication to maps. I argue that the details of Casati and Varzi’s own semantics militate against this attribution. Casati and Varzi emphasize what I call the Absence Intuition: if a marker representing some property (such as mountainous terrain) appears on a map, then absence of that marker from a map coordinate signifies absence of the corresponding property from the corresponding location. Predication elicits nothing like the Absence Intuition. “F(a)” does not, in general, signify that objects other than a lack property F. On the basis of this asymmetry, I argue that attaching a marker to map coordinates is a different mode of semantic composition than attaching a predicate to a singular term.
Theory of Mind (ToM) and counterfactuality deficits in schizophrenia: misperception or misinterpretation?

Background. Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the ability to infer another person's mental state based upon interactional information. ToM deficits have been suggested to underlie crucial aspects of social interaction failure in disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, although the develop- ment of paradigms for demonstrating such deficits remains an ongoing area of research. Recent studies have explored the use of sarcasm perception, in which subjects must infer an individual's sincerity or lack thereof, as a 'real-life ' index of ToM ability, and as an index of functioning of specific right hemispheric structures. Sarcastic detection ability has not previously been studied in schizophrenia, although patients have been shown to have deficits in ability to decode emotional information from speech (' affective prosody'). Method. Twenty-two schizophrenia patients and 17 control subjects were tested on their ability to detect sarcasm from spoken speech as well as measures of affective prosody and basic pitch perception. Results. Despite normal overall intelligence, patients performed substantially worse than controls in ability to detect sarcasm (d=2 . 2), showing both decreased sensitivity (Ak) in detection of sincerity versus sarcasm and an increased bias (Ba) toward sincerity. Correlations across groups revealed significant relationships between impairments in sarcasm recognition, affective prosody and basic pitch perception. Conclusions. These findings demonstrate substantial deficits in ability to infer an internal subjective state based upon vocal modulation among subjects with schizophrenia. Deficits were related to, but were significantly more severe than, more general forms of prosodic and sensorial misperception, and are consistent with both right hemispheric and ' bottom-up' theories of the disorder.
THE END OF THE SPANISH MATCH

This article suggests an alternative explanation for the failure of the so-called Spanish match in 1623. The Spanish monarchy was not unanimously against the marriage of the Infanta Maria to Prince Charles, and the marquis (later duke) of Buckingham was not the brilliant negotiator who was able to expose elaborate attempts by the Spanish to hide their alleged mendacity. Analysis of archival materials from England, Spain, and Germany indicates that Charles decided to abandon the match when he realized that it would not guarantee the restoration of his dispossessed brother-in-law, Elector Palatine Friedrich V, who had done everything in his power to prevent the marriage. When Charles signed the treaty anyway, the Spanish then began to make preparations for the wedding, preferring to postpone serious discussion of a solution to the Palatine crisis indefinitely. For Charles, however, the two issues were inseparable. For him the match was as important for securing the restitution of the Palatinate as for designating his future royal spouse. When he left Spain, he had already devised and initiated a plan to dissolve the match. In many ways both sides were equally guilty of delay, dissimulation, and deception.
Ketotifen and bronchial hyperreactivity in asthmatic patients

Summary The degree of bronchoconstriction after acetylcholine challenge in twenty patients with extrinsic asthma was diminished significantly after 3 months' treatment with 1 mg ketotifen b.i.d. Since ketotifen has no appreciable anticholinergic effect this observation is an indication that ketotifen decreases the non-specific bronchial hyperreactivity when administered over 3 months.
Evaluating the use of psychiatric hospitalization by residential treatment centers.

ABSTRACT Objective To examine differences in risk levels of psychiatric hospital referrals received from residential treatment centers (RTCs) as a measure of service quality. Method This prospective study used the Childhood Severity of Psychiatric Illness (CSPI), a reliable measure of psychiatric severity and factors thought to affect decision-making. Psychiatric referrals were wards of the state from the 10 largest RTCs in one metropolitan county and were screened by mobile crisis workers for admission appropriateness. After interviewing clients, the independent crisis workers completed the CSPI. Results Referrals were placed into 1 of 2 categories based on CSPI ratings: high-risk or low-risk. Referrals were deemed high-risk if they displayed moderate or severe levels of suicidality, dangerousness to others, or psychotic symptoms on the CSPI. Results showed statistically significant variation in the level of risk of referrals received from the 10 RTCs. In addition, RTCs that had high rates of low-risk referrals were rated by crisis workers as demonstrating poorer supervision of their clients. Conclusions The residential treatment providers in our sample are expected to provide intensive treatment to children and adolescents with serious emotional and behavioral problems. Our finding that some RTCs are making low-risk referrals suggests that they are struggling to meet the needs of some of their clients. Our findings can be used to inform quality improvement efforts at RTCs that are currently struggling.
Minimizing protein insolubilization during thermal inactivation of lipoxygenase in soybean cotyledons

The objective was to develop a procedure for inactivating lipoxy-genase in soybean cotyledons without losing protein solubility. The approach was to moisten cotyledons to one of 2 levels in soft water or carbonate buffers, steam for a short time, hold for a definite period at a known temperature, cool and analyze for enzyme activity and protein solubility. Temperature dependence of both inactivation and insolubilization kinetics was determined. Increasing temperature of steaming and holding favored our objective. At 16.3% moisture, the pH 9.8 buffer was beneficial but the pH 10.8 buffer was not. The holding period was not beneficial compared to steaming alone. Recommended conditions were adjustment of cotyledon moisture to 16.3% with pH 9.8 buffer and then heating in steam for about 10 sec; at temperatures of 91 C and above, 99% of the lipoxygenase could be inactivated with retention of over 70% protein solubility. The effect of buffers on kinetics of heat inactivation and insolubilization appeared to be related to the states of hydration water, i.e., the presence of solute water at the higher moisture content.
Progressive Replacement of Epithelial Attachment by a Connective Tissue Junction After Experimental Periodontal Surgery in Rats

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the long junctional epithelium formed during the early stages of periodontal wound healing can become replaced, at least in part, by a connective tissue attachment. A surgical wound was created on the mesial surface of the left maxillary first molar of 4-month-old rats and the mesial root surface curetted free of soft tissue and cementum. The contralateral molar served as an unoperated control. Groups of five to eight animals were killed at intervals of 10 days, 3 and 6 weeks, and 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. The histometric data demonstrated a progressive apical recession of the entire gingival unit on the unoperated control side during the experimental period. On the operated side, the junctional epithelium became reestablished by migration of epithelium from the wound edge along the cut gingival surface facing the tooth, until contact was established near the apical border of the instrumented root surface. Coronal migration of the epitheliu...
Estimated Risk of Occupational Fatalities Associated with Hazardous Waste Site Remediation

This study presents a method to assess short term traumatic fatality risks for workers involved in hazardous waste site remediation to provide a quantitative, rather than qualitative, basis for evaluating occupational exposures in remediation feasibility studies. Occupational employment and fatality data for the years 1979-1981 and 1983 were compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 11 states. These data were analyzed for 17 occupations associated with three common remediation alternatives: excavation and landfill, capping, and capping plus slurry wall. The two occupations with the highest death rates, truck driver and laborer, contributed most to total exposure hours in each alternative. Weighted average death rates were produced for each alternative and multiplied by respective total person-years of exposure. The resultant expected number of fatalities was converted, using the Poisson distribution, to the risk of experiencing at least one fatality, as follows: 0.149 for excavation and landfill, 0.012 for capping, and 0.014 for capping plus slurry wall. These risks were discussed in light of the need to obtain more reliable and comprehensive data than are currently available on the occupational safety and health risks associated with hazardous waste site remediation and the need for a more scientific, quantitative approach to remediation decisions involving risks to workers.
Use of cryoprecipitate coagulum in extracting renal calculi.

Abstract Human cryoprecipitated plasma can form an extractable coagulum which will effectively remove renal calculi in selected cases. We successfully used this blood product and a simplified injection technique in 30 patients undergoing surgery for upper tract calculi. Coagulum pyelolithotomy was performed in 24 cases with removal of all stones in 23 (96 per cent). In 6 patients incomplete stone removal by conventional operative methods was successfully completed by using the coagulum as an adjunctive procedure. In 10 of the 30 cases (33 per cent) radiographically “silent” calculi were recovered within the cryoprecipitate clot. The advantages of cryoprecipitate over previously reported blood products, certain technical simplifications, and the appropriate clinical indications for the coagulum procedure are discussed.
The effect of human papillomavirus infection on sperm cell motility

Abstract Objective: To investigate the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in human sperm cells and to evaluate potential effects of HPV on the sperm functions. Design: A descriptive clinical study. Patient(s): Specimens of semen were collected from 24 randomly selected patients who attended the fertility clinics at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Main Outcome Measure(s): The presence of HPV DNA and RNA were examined by polymerase chain reaction. Semen quality and sperm cell function were analyzed by computer-aided autoanalyzer. Result(s): Human papillomavirus type 16 DNA and RNA were found in 6 (25%) and 2 (8%) of the sperm cells specimens, respectively. Human papillomavirus type 18 DNA and RNA were present in 11 (46%) and 5 (21%) of the same sperm cells specimens, respectively. Incidence of asthenozoospermia among patients infected with either HPV was significantly higher than in those without HPV in their sperm cells (75% versus 8%). Although performance of curvilinear velocity, straight-line velocity, and mean amplitude of lateral head displacement was significantly lower in HPV-infected specimens, the differences of linearity, beat cross frequency, and straightness were not statistically significant. Conclusion(s): These results suggest that human papillomavirus can be found in human sperm cells and that certain HPV-specific genes are actively transcribed. Sperm motility parameters seem to be affected by the presence of HPV in the sperm cells, and also the incidence of asthenozoospermia may be associated with HPV infection.
Acetylsalicylic acid + extended-release dipyridamole combination therapy for secondary stroke prevention

Abstract Background: Approximately 25% of strokes are recurrent. Antiplatelet therapy is indicated for the prevention of recurrent stroke in patients with a history of noncardioembolic minor stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Although clinicians may choose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) as first-line therapy for secondary prevention, clinical guidelines and evidence from trials suggest that ASA may not be the most effective strategy. Objective: The purpose of this review was to discuss results from clinical trials that have compared the efficacy of ASA monotherapy versus ASA + extendedrelease dipyridamole in secondary stroke prevention. Methods: Relevant randomized experimental and clinical studies in patients with a history of minor stroke or TIA of noncardioembolic etiology were identified using a search of the US National Library of Medicine database, with no limits on publication dates. The primary search terms used were secondary stroke prevention, antiplatelet therapy, acetylsalicylic acid, ASA, aspirin, aspirin + extended-release dipyridamole, and combination therapy . Results: Early trials of dipyridamole monotherapy or ASA + dipyridamole involved small numbers of patients and found no significant treatment differences. Two major trials that compared ASA monotherapy, dipyridamole monotherapy, and ASA + dipyridamole were identified: the Second European Stroke Prevention Study (ESPS-2) and the European/Australasian Stroke Prevention in Reversible Ischaemia Trial (ESPRIT). Efficacy measurements in ESPS-2 found that stroke relative risk reductions were 18% ( P = 0.013), 16% ( P = 0.039), and 37% ( P P = 0.006) favoring the combination over ASA monotherapy. In ESPRIT, patients who received ASA + dipyridamole had a 20% relative risk reduction versus ASA monotherapy for the composite end point of death from all vascular causes, nonfatal stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or major bleeding complications. In ESPS-2, headache was 5% more common with dual therapy compared with ASA monotherapy. ESPRIT found that combination treatment was not associated with a higher complication rate than ASA monotherapy, but that the rate of withdrawal due to adverse events was higher in the group that received the combination. Conclusion: Based on the results from these 2 large, randomized trials, ASA + dipyridamole was more effective than ASA monotherapy as first-line therapy for secondary stroke prevention in these patients with a history of minor stroke or TIA of noncardioembolic etiology.
Changes in delay of reinforcement in simple instrumental conditioning

Thirty-two food-deprived albino rats received 30 preshift and 48 postshift trials in a runway apparatus. The design of the experiment was a 2 by 2 factorial manipulation of preshift and postshift delay of reinforcement. The results indicated that increases in reward delay resulted in depression effects, while decreases in reward delay produced no contrast (elation) effects.
Chronic Stress Promotes Palatable Feeding, which Reduces Signs of Stress: Feedforward and Feedback Effects of Chronic Stress

We suggested a new model of the effects of glucocorticoids (GCs) exerted during chronic stress, in which GCs directly stimulate activities in the brain while indirectly inhibiting activity in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis through their metabolic shifts in energy stores in the periphery. This study is an initial test of our model. In a 2 x 2 design, we provided ad lib access to calorically dense lard and sucrose (comfort food) + chow or chow alone, and repeatedly restrained half of the rats in each group for 5 d (3 h/d). We measured caloric intake, body weight, caloric efficiency, ACTH, corticosterone (B), and testosterone during the period of restraint and leptin, insulin, and fat depot weights, as well as hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor mRNA at the end of the period. We hypothesized that chronically restrained rats would exhibit a relative increase in comfort food ingestion and that these rats would have reduced HPA responses to repeated restraint. Although total caloric intake was reduced in both groups of restrained rats, compared with controls, the proportion of comfort food ingested increased in the restrained rats compared with their nonrestrained controls. Moreover, caloric efficiency was rescued in the stressed, comfort food group. Furthermore, ACTH and B responses to the repeated restraint bouts were reduced in the rats with access to comfort food. Corticotropin-releasing factor mRNA was reduced in control rats eating comfort food compared with those eating chow, but there were no differences between the stressed groups. The results of this experiment tend to support our model of chronic effects of stress and GCs, showing a stressor-induced preference for comfort food, and a comfort-food reduction in activity of the HPA axis.
A CHRONICLE OF A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

This article is based on an internal memorandum that summarizes the first 9 months of a successful quality improvement project in which the authors participated. The project occurred in wave solder and touch-up areas in a factory of a major defense cont..
Second language teaching and research relationships:: a North American view

This article discusses the relationship between second language (L2) teaching and research from the multiple perspectives of a North American context, with particular focus on: coexistence of teaching and research activities, on similar topics, but with different goals; collaboration of teaching and research efforts, toward understanding and addressing mutual interests and concerns, through shared data collection, analysis, and interpretation, action research, and ethnographic studies; complementarity of teaching and research contributions, toward a more complete picture of L2 learning and retention, through theoretically motivated treatments, designed and initiated in the research context, and studied in the classroom; and compatibility of teaching and research interests, with respect to the cognitive and social processes of L2 learning, and the materials and activities through which work with L2 learners is carried out. The article begins with a brief overview of the relationship between L2 teaching and research as it has unfolded over time.
DNA damage-induced type I interferon promotes senescence and inhibits stem cell function

Summary Expression of type I interferons (IFNs) can be induced by DNA-damaging agents, but the mechanisms and significance of this regulation are not completely understood. We found that the transcription factor IRF3, activated in an ATM-IKKα/β-dependent manner, stimulates cell-autonomous IFN-β expression in response to double-stranded DNA breaks. Cells and tissues with accumulating DNA damage produce endogenous IFN-β and stimulate IFN signaling in vitro and in vivo. In turn, IFN acts to amplify DNA-damage responses, activate the p53 pathway, promote senescence, and inhibit stem cell function in response to telomere shortening. Inactivation of the IFN pathway abrogates the development of diverse progeric phenotypes and extends the lifespan of Terc knockout mice. These data identify DNA-damage-response-induced IFN signaling as a critical mechanism that links accumulating DNA damage with senescence and premature aging.
Study of electrical properties of polymeric materials using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been used to determine the water absorption characteristics of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyaromatic amide (Aramid), and amine-quinone polyurethane (AQ) free-standing polymer films. A method for calculating percent moisture uptake is presented based on capacitance measurements via EIS, which requires initial or dry capacitance values, C 0 . Three different methods for obtaining C 0 values were described and employed, but the most reliable values were obtained via EIS measurement using Hg contacts. C 0 values obtained by this method resulted in calculated water uptake values nearly identical to those obtained by measured weight gain. Lower capacitance values were observed for films immersed in distilled water compared to 0.1M NaCl, which indicates that water uptake is greater in NaCl than in pure water. The four polymers examined in this study can be listed in order of decreasing resistance to moisture absorption as AQ > PET > PEN > Aramid.