cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex matters in the establishment of murine tendon composition and material properties during growth.

The existence of sex-based differences in tendon and ligament injury rates has led investigators to test the hypothesis that sex plays a significant role in modulating tendon and ligament composition and material properties. To date, no studies have attempted to characterize how such differences develop during the course of normal tissue maturation and growth. Thus, the primary aim of the present study was to use a murine model to test the hypothesis that sex-based differences in the normal age-related development of tendon composition and material properties exist by assessing these parameters in the Achilles and tail tendons from 4-, 6-, 9-, 12-, and 15-week-old male and female C57Bl/6J mice. Despite significantly lower levels of total collagen content in females subsequent to sexual maturity (p < 0.0001), as well as a significant effect of sex on glycosaminoglycan content (p < 0.0001), Achilles tendon elastic modulus was not compromised in females. Female Achilles tendons did exhibit a significantly higher failure strain (p = 0.0201) and strain energy density (p = 0.0004) than did males, as well as a trend toward higher ultimate strength (p = 0.0556). In contrast to the high load-bearing environment of the Achilles tendon site, sex did not have a statistically significant effect on any compositional or material property in the low load-bearing tendon fascicles of the tail. These data support recent studies by others, which suggest that male and female tendons have a differential adaptational response to their local mechanical loading environment. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:631–638, 2010
MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY IN THE SURGICAL PATIENT.

Abstract Seven patients who developed the magnesium deficiency syndrome following surgery have been presented. It is postulated that the factors which contributed to magnesium deficiency in these patients were fluid loss, alcoholism or the infusion of alcohol, administration of calcium and possibly pre-existing dietary deficiency. Failure of gastrointestinal absorption of the cation was contributory in at least 1 patient. The role of potassium administration in the syndrome is conjectural. The surgical procedure itself is not responsible for magnesium depletion. Magnesium deficiency in the postoperative patient can be prevented in most instances by the addition of maintenance magnesium to the intravenous fluids.
Spectroscopy and structure of thiolate and thioether complexes of copper(II) and the relationship of their redox chemistry to that of certain copper proteins

Etude du complexe [Cu(L-2)(OH 2 )](ClO 4 ) 2 .H 2 O (L-2=pyridinecarbaldehyde-2, methylthio-2p phenylimine). Cristallisation dans le systeme monoclinique, groupe P2 1 /c et affinement de la structure jusqu'a R=7,4%. La structure est constituee d'ions Cu(II) en coordination pseudooctaedrique allongee. Determination par spectre RPE, d'absorption optique et UV de la coordination des complexes thiolate et thioether a l'etat solide et en solution non aqueuse
Nuclear radiation detection via the deflection of pliable microstructures

Abstract The feasibility of detecting single quanta of radiation via mechanical deflection is examined. When a particle strikes an object, momentum is transferred to the impacted body. The resulting body motion can be correlated to the energy of the incident particle. Microelectronic fabrication techniques are used to build the sensing microstructures. Typical levers which have been fabricated have dimensions of width =1 μ m, length =5 μ m, and thickness =0.05 μ m. Linear beam deflection theory is used to model the vibration of the levers. Theoretical pulse height distributions demonstrate that the signals from heavy-ion impacts are measurable, but those from light-ion collisions are swamped by the thermal noise contribution. Thus, if light ions are to be detected, then the effects of thermal noise must be reduced.
Hill reaction rates and chloroplast fragment size.

Abstract When the rate of ferricyanide reduction is measured in conventional media containing no phosphorylation uncoupler, the Hill reaction activities found in chloroplast fragments are usually higher than in intact chloroplasts. Even in the smallest particles (supernatant after centrifugation at 145 000 × g ) the residual activity is comparable to the activity of the chloroplasts before fragmentation. However, when the uncoupler methylamine is introduced to eliminate an internal electron-flow barrier associated with the phosphorylation mechanism, the greatly stimulated rate of the uncoupled Hill reaction decreases markedly with decreasing particle size. In the smallest particles (presumably equivalent in size to aggregates of a few “quantasomes”) the uncoupled rate is only 5% of the very high rate in the unfragmented chloroplasts. All disruption methods tested (sonication, grinding, detergent action) gave similar results. Apparently the interaction of two opposing effects is responsible for the illusion that very small chloroplast particles are fully active in the Hill reaction: a progressive loss of activity with decreasing size masked by more and more uncoupling which permits ever higher rates in the particles which remain active. Although particles containing one or a few “quantasomes” have little residual activity, the observed relation of particle size to oxygen producing activity may not be meaningful since there seem to be inactivation processes associated with the act of fragmentation. The fragmentation-dependent uncoupling is at least partially explicable in terms of the increased sensitivity of the smaller fragments to the uncoupling action of the anions inevitably present in the buffered medium.
Ontogenetic influences on carbon flux in Aulactinia stelloides polyps (Anthozoa: Actiniaria) and their endosymbiotic algae

Adult speciments of the tropical sea anemone Aulactinia stelloides Verrill (McMurrich, 1889) were collected from Andros Island, Bahamas, during October 1983, and the influence of animal developmental stage on the growth and photosynthetic capacity of endosymbiotic algae, as well as the utilization of translocated carbon by the animal, was investigated in adult and juvenile polyps using short-term 14C-bicarbonate labelling experiments. Zooxanthellae cell size was equivalent in adult (A) and juvenile (J) polyps. Light-saturated photosynthetic rates of zooxanthellae in juvenile polyps were double those in adult polyps (J: 5.7±0.2 μg C 106 cells-1 h-1 vs A: 2.4±0.8 μg C 106 cells-1 h-1), as were their cell-division frequencies (J: 4.4±0.5% vs A: 2.2±0.4%). Estimates of the percent of photosynthetically fixed 14C translocated to the anemone tissue by the zooxanthellae during 1 h incubations were lower for juvenile polyps (21%) than for adult polyps (29%). Zooxanthellae carbon-specific, translocation rates were, however, positively correlated with their specific photosynthetic rates. Partitioning of translocated carbon between the methanol-water-soluble, chloroform-soluble, and insoluble fractions of the host tissues exhibited significant variation with the developmental stage of the anemone. A significantly higher proportion of the fixed 14C activity in the animal tissues of adult polyps was recovered from the lipid (33%) compared to the particulate phase (18%). In juvenile polyps, the lipid and particulate fractions had equal proportions (25%) of the animal-tissue 14C activity. This study indicates that host developmental stage can influence zooxanthellae growth rates and consequently the rate of carbon flow within the association. The utilization of translocated carbon by the animal tissue is dependent on the biosynthetic requirements of its developmental stage in addition to its nutritional status.
High pressure charge exchange mass spectrometry

Abstract Several compounds (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, N 2 , CO, CO 2 , O 2 , CF 4 , NO) have been used as reactant gases for charge exchange reactions at high pressures in a modified CEC 21-110B mass spectrometer. Carbon monoxide gave relatively abundant molecular ions and structurally useful fragment ions. Nitric oxide gave mostly molecular ions and addition ions, (M+NO) + , with very little fragmentation. The effects of pressure and repeller field on the distribution of ions in the reactant gases and the charge exchange spectra were investigated. Spectra of several types of compounds were obtained and compared with electron ionization spectra.
Adaptations of the branchial ectoparasite Probopyrus pandalicola (Isopoda: Bopyridae) for survival and reproduction related to ecdysis of the host, Palaemonetes pugio (Caridea: Palaemonidae)

ABSTRACT Survival of the branchial ectoparasite Probopyrus pandalicola through ecdysis of the host, Palaemonetes pugio, was studied by observing infected shrimps before and after ecdysis and directly with time-lapse video. The parasite pair retained its position through 97.3% of 112 host ecdyses. This observation and positive correlations between parasite and host size support the hypothesis that bopyrid isopods remain on and grow together with their host. Video recordings of shrimp ecdysis showed that the female and male maintain their position rather than being cast off and reentering the host branchial chamber. Observations on exuviae from parasitized shrimps and from video recordings suggest that the female parasite avoids being discarded with the molt skin by immediately attaching to the newly exposed inner lining of the gill cover as the shrimp backs out of its exuviae. Reproductive activities of the parasite relative to host molting were studied. Epicaridium larvae were released from the host branchial chamber several hours to 5 days before the host molt. Spawning by the parasite female took place within several hours (median = 12 h) after host ecdysis. Expulsion of exuvial fragments of female parasites from the host branchial chamber was observed in 2 video recordings prior to spawning. In several video recordings, the usually inactive male moved from its site on the female abdomen up to and inside the female marsupium after the host molt and before female spawning, presumably to inseminate the female. Females from which males had been removed failed to produce a brood after the next host molt, tentatively supporting the hypothesis that females must be inseminated prior to each spawning.
Potential latent nitrogen mustard derivatives designed to target monoamine oxidase rich cells.

Abstract The monoamine oxidases A and B (MAO-A and MAO-B) catalyze the α-carbon oxidation of a variety of 4-substituted 1-methyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine derivatives to yield the corresponding 2,3-dihydropyridinium species. When the substituent at C-4 of the tetrahydropyridine moiety is a carbamoyloxy functionality, the resulting dihydropyridinium metabolite undergoes spontaneous hydrolytic cleavage to yield 1-methyl-5,6-dihydro-4-pyridone, CO2, and the corresponding secondary amine. In this paper we summarize our efforts to exploit this metabolic pathway to develop latent nitrogen mustard derivatives related to the oxazaphosphorine antitumor agent cyclophosphamide which may target MAO-A and/or MAO-B rich cells.
The effects of water pressure, temperature, and current cycles on circatidal rhythms expressed by the American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus

The American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, expresses tidal rhythms of locomotion that can be entrained to cyclic fluctuations in water depth, but the ability of other tidal cues to entrain locomotor activity has not been assessed. In this study, tidal inundation cycles of ∼12.4 h delivered in the laboratory clearly entrained the locomotor patterns of most animals. However, smaller amplitude water level fluctuations and large amplitude temperature cycles (10°C) were less successful while small-amplitude temperature fluctuations (3°C) and current cycles (0.3 m s−1) were unsuccessful. In the field, animals confined to modified running wheels expressed rhythms of locomotor activity that were clearly synchronized with the tides, but only if they were allowed to experience water level changes. Overall, these results suggest a hierarchy among potential tidal entrainment cues: inundation and water level changes are of primary importance, while other factors such as current and temperature changes appear to ...
Noninvasive imaging of the distribution in oxygen in tissue in vivo using near-infrared phosphors

A newly developed water-soluble phosphor suitable for measuring oxygen pressure in the blood (Green 2W) was used for noninvasive, in vivo imaging of oxygen distribution in the vascular systems of mice. Oxygen quenches the phosphorescence of Green 2W, measured in the presence of 2% albumin, according to the Stern-volmer relationship. This oxygen-dependent quenching of phosphorescence has been used to obtain digital maps of the oxygen distribution in the tissue vasculature. EMT-6 mammary carcinoma tumors were grown by injecting 1 x 10(6) cells in 0.1-ml carrier into the subcutaneous space over the muscle on the hindquarter. When the tumors were approximately 8 mm in diameter, 300 micrograms of phosphorescence probe (Green 2W; absorption maximum 636 nm) was injected into the tail vein. The mice were immobilized with intraperotoneal Ketamine (133 mg/kg) and Xylazine (10 mg/kg) and illuminated with flashes (
Optimization with neural memory for process parameter estimation

The speed and accuracy of convergence of iterative optimization algorithms often depend critically upon the choice of a starting point. With a near optimum starting point, both speed and accuracy can be improved. A two step approach to optimization has been developed which utilizes the feedforward predictive capability of a neural network in conjunction with the feedback capability of an iterative optimization algorithm. This approach is taken in order to improve the speed of the iterative optimization algorithm, and also enhance the iterative algorithm's ability to locate a global optimum. This technique has been applied to the problem of system identification for continuous time transfer function models. The neural network is used to select an initial set of process parameters for a given model structure using unit step response data. We present results on the accuracy of the predictive capability of the neural network, and results showing the improved performance of the iterative nonlinear system identification algorithm.
Respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease with fibrosis is a lesion distinct from fibrotic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia: a proposal

Nine cases of clinical and radiographic chronic interstitial lung disease are presented that have features of respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease, but were associated with a respiratory bronchiolitis having extensive paucicellular lamellar eosinophilic collagenous thickening of alveolar septa in a patchy, particularly subpleural distribution. Patients were middle-aged with shortness of breath, mixed obstructive and restrictive lung disease with markedly reduced diffusing capacity and radiographs demonstrating centrilobular micronodules, occasional ground glass opacities and emphysema. All were alive at follow-up. The morphology of this process raises the differential diagnosis with the fibrotic form of nonspecific interstitial pneumonia and highlights the role of cigarette smoking as a potential cause of fibrotic lung disease.
Predicting Academic Achievement with Models Based on Eye Movement Data

This project was designed to test the premise that, because common elementary information processing operations underlie performance on both IQ-test-type tasks and academic tasks, such measures of information processing are potent predictors of academic success. The proposed predictive superiority of measures of information processing over test score data is believed to result because test scores reflect only the product of performance and thus are most closely tied to particular knowledge stores and procedural rules specific to given test items. Two studies are reported in which eye movements are recorded during solution of a set of 3 x 3 figural analogies. Multiple regression analyses indicate that models based on eye movement data account for significant amounts of variation in overall academic achievement, with these information processing models outstripping the model based on test score data. High achieving individuals can be characterized as processing information in large units with a correspondin...
Modulation of nitrosourea resistance in human colon cancer by O6-methylguanine.

Abstract Human colon cancer is resistant to a variety of alkylating agents including the nitrosoureas. To specifically evaluate nitrosourea resistance, we studied the role of O 6 -alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (alkyltransferase) which is known to repair nitrosourea-induced cytotoxic DNA damage. Alkyltransferase activity varied over a similar wide range in 25 colon cancer biopsies and 14 colon cancer cell lines but the activity was not correlated with differentiation status, Dukes' classification or in vitro growth characteristics. 1, 3-Bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) resistance and alkyltransferase activity were highly correlated ( R 2 = 0.929, P O 6 -methylguanine caused a proportional decrease in the BCNU IC 50 , consistent with that predicted by the regression line. Enzyme inactivation was also associated with a marked increase in DNA cross-link formation. Because alkyltransferase correlates with BCNU resistance in colon cancer, and resistance can be reversed by inactivating the protein, the alkyltransferase may have an important role in nitrosourea resistance in human colon cancer cells. These data provide the rationale for clinical trials in colon cancer with biochemical modulators of the alkyltransferase to increase the therapeutic response to nitrosoureas.
TAT Peptide-Functionalized Gold Nanostars: Enhanced Intracellular Delivery and Efficient NIR Photothermal Therapy Using Ultralow Irradiance

Gold nanoparticles have great potential in plasmonic photothermal therapy (photothermolysis), but their intracellular delivery and photothermolysis efficiency have yet to be optimized. We show that TAT-peptide-functionalized gold nanostars (NS) enter cells significantly more than bare or PEGylated NS. The cellular uptake mechanism involves actin-driven lipid raft-mediated macropinocytosis, where particles primarily accumulate in macropinosomes but may also leak out into the cytoplasm. After 4-h incubation of TAT-NS on BT549 breast cancer cells, photothermolysis was accomplished using 850 nm pulsed laser under 0.2 W/cm2 irradiation, below the maximal permissible exposure of skin. These results demonstrate the enhanced intracellular delivery and efficient photothermolysis of TAT-NS, promising agents in cancer therapy.
Factors associated with initiation and completion of human papillomavirus vaccine series among young women enrolled in medicaid.

Abstract Purpose To determine age- and race-specific uptake rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among females aged 9–20 years who participated in the Florida Medicaid during the first 2 years after approval by the Food and Drug Administration, and to identify factors associated with HPV vaccine initiation and series completion. Methods Medicaid administrative data were used to identify claims for HPV vaccination together with individual, provider, and practice characteristics linked to each vaccination. Results As of June 2008, 9.4% of females aged 11–18 years had ever received an HPV vaccination, and 1.8% had completed the three-vaccine series. In multivariate analysis, receipt of an HPV vaccination was found to be associated with age and race/ethnicity. In comparison with their white counterparts, black females were approximately half as likely to complete the three-vaccine series after initiation. Conclusions The data obtained suggest relatively slow initial uptake and completion of the HPV vaccine series in this population who are at an increased risk for cervical cancer, with racial disparities in vaccine uptake and vaccine series completion.
Reinventions of a spa town: the unique case of Vichy

Abstract Vichy appeared first as a Roman village, disappeared with the Empire, and was reborn as a medieval fortified town. Following the Middle Ages and the wars of religion, Vichy emerged in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as a spa centre. Urban modernisation during the Second Empire and Belle Epoque, together with the promotion of hydrotherapy by business and medical interests, propelled it into prominence as an international spa tourist destination. Visitors during the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries were often French military and civilian personnel from the colonies. Following France's defeat by the Germans in 1940, Vichy became the seat of the collaborationist government of Marshal Philippe Petain. Since the war, the town has had to overcome a stigma it acquired for its wartime role. More critical to its spa tourism trade, however, was the end of the Empire, which together with a discrediting of water cures among the medical establishment, virtually dried up spa tr...
Convergence analysis of an iterative algorithm for a class of constrained dynamic problems

Abstract In this paper, we consider numerical simulation to a class of constrained dynamic problems where the overall dynamics are determined by the interactions between two sub-systems. We present an iterative algorithm that naturally decouples the computation of the two sub-systems and that ensures an accurate and efficient solution procedure. We conduct rigorous error analysis for the convergence of the iterative algorithm, and verify the analytical results through careful numerical tests.
IDENTIFICATION OF TRAINING NEEDS FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION RESPONSIBILITIES

: The research project reported here surveyed planners in Coastal Zone Management and “208” programs in New England to determine the nature of their educational and experiential preparation for carrying out public participation functions, and to identify the planners’ own perceptions of the relative importance of those functions and their adequacy for performing them. Criteria for effective programming were developed and used as a standard for comparing various backgrounds with capability for performing necessary tasks. The research indicates that prior planning experience is more directly related to perceived adequacy than either academic or other experiential backgrounds. The survey also revealed a predominant emphasis on activities involving direct public conduct, e.g., organizing citizen advisory groups and conducting public meetings. The results of the analysis were used to make recommendations for curriculum topics that should be incorporated into the training of professional planners so that they will be better prepared to undertake public participation responsibilities. Those recommendations stress preparation for direct public contact, but also for training in other means of public involvement, such as media contact, that are not now being carried out with comparable emphasis or effectiveness.
Politics and Society in the USSR: A Traveller's Report

In July I was in the Soviet Union for two weeks as one of eight American political scientists who were guests of the Soviet Political Science Association. This meeting was a follow-up to one held two years earlier in which six Soviets had met with an American group in Williamsburg, Virginia. We learned a lot from our Soviet colleagues in that session, since two years into the Gorbachev glasnost era they felt free to argue strongly among themselves about the social and political roots of Stalinism, and to explain how Gorbachev was chosen by a Politburo still dominated formally by the Old Guard, people who would a few years later be referred to in discussions with Americans as “the previous regime.” It is appropriate to speak of parliamentarianism in the Soviet Union. For, as I shall briefly try to show, what is evolving in Moscow is a Presidential-Congressional system, a government which if it can be institutionalized, constitutionalized, along the lines it is developing, will resemble the American. It is, of course, far away from that stage as yet.
Conflicting indicators of biotin status from a cross-sectional study of normal pregnancy.

To assess biotin nutritional status during normal human gestation.Urine samples were obtained in a cross-sectional design from 16 women in early pregnancy (17 +/− 1 weeks, mean +/− 1 SD) and from 13 women in late pregnancy (36 +/− 1 weeks). The urinary excretion of biotin, two metabolites bisnorbiotin (BNB) and biotin sulfoxide (BSO), and the organic acid 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid (3-HIA) were measured by HPLC/avidin-binding assay and GC/MS, respectively. Excretion rates were expressed as concentration ratios to urinary creatinine.In both early and late pregnancy, 3-HIA excretion was increased compared to controls (p < 0.0001), suggesting decreased activity of a biotin-dependent enzyme caused by tissue biotin depletion. In early pregnancy, urinary excretion of biotin was normal; in late pregnancy, excretion was increased (p < 0.0002), suggesting biotin status was not decreased. In late pregnancy, urinary excretion of BNB and BSO were increased (p < 0.009).The apparent conflict in the indices of biotin stat...
Financial Vulnerability among Arts Organizations: A Test of the Tuckman-Chang Measures

In the past decade, nonprofits scholars have given increased attention to the topic of vulnerability and organizational demise. An early contribution to this literature was Tuckman and Chang’s elab...
A review of the effects of impermeable bedding encasements on dust‐mite allergen exposure and bronchial hyper‐responsiveness in dust‐mite‐sensitized patients

Summary Background Sensitization and exposure to dust-mite antigens are causative factors in the development and exacerbation of asthma. Impermeable bedding encasements are considered a first-line treatment to reduce dust-mite antigen exposure in clinical asthma-management guidelines. Public-health recommendations for environmental asthma treatments should be based on the weight of evidence supporting the reliability of environmental interventions so that uncertainties regarding their effectiveness can be accurately communicated to patients, and so that limited public-health resources can be most effectively utilized. Objective To evaluate the strength of a clinical-trial evidence supporting the efficacy of bedding encasements as an asthma treatment. Methods A narrative review was conducted of all clinical trials involving bedding encasement for the treatment of asthma. Collective statistical analyses were also performed to characterize the quantitative effect of bedding encasement on dust-mite allergen exposure and bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR) when used by asthma patients. Results Over 30 clinical trials were reviewed. Of those studies reporting adequate exposure and BHR results, four reported significant reduction in dust-mite allergen exposure and concomitant BHR reduction in active-treatment groups using bedding encasements. In 10 studies, mite-allergen exposure was reportedly decreased during the study, but BHR was not changed in the active-treatment group or was reduced to a similar degree in the active-treatment and control groups. Five other studies reported a lack of significant effect of the intervention on exposure and BHR. Collective paired analyses found that the effect of bedding encasement on allergen exposure and BHR tended toward only a modest, non-significant improvement. Collectively, effects of bedding encasement on BHR and dust-mite allergen exposure were modestly correlated only when the baseline exposure was above 2 μg Type 1 antigen per gram settled dust. Conclusion Although bedding encasement might be an effective asthma treatment under some conditions, when implemented in clinical trials by asthma patients, its effectiveness is inconsistent and appears to be, at best, modest. Therefore, its significance as a reliable asthma management modality for any individual asthma patient is uncertain. Where resource constraints are significant, targeting the use of variably effective interventions such as bedding encasements toward those patient sub-populations most likely to derive substantial benefit may gain the largest net public-health benefit.
The stability of spike counts in children with interictal epileptiform activity

Abstract Purpose Little is known about the stability of serial measures of spike counts in children or whether spike counts are an inherently stable or unstable measure. We investigated the variation in first- and second-night spike counts in children undergoing 48-h ambulatory EEG recording. Methods We analyzed 40 consecutive 48-h ambulatory EEGs performed at Boston Children's Hospital that manifested spikes but no seizures. Distinct spike foci in the same child were counted separately. We visually counted all spikes in the first 20min after the first sleep spindle during nighttime sleep, comparing the first and second nights. Results Fifty-five unique spike foci were counted in 40 children (age range: 9 months to 19 years; median: 8.4 years). Considerable variation was seen when comparing Night 1 and Night 2 spike counts: for all foci, Night 1 mean and median spike counts were 304.5 and 126 and Night 2 counts were 309.5 and 148, respectively. For each focus, the mean change in spike frequency between Night 1 and Night 2 was 42.1% (median=28.3%, IQR 19.0–50.0%). The coefficient of variation of 0.94 suggested a large amount of variation. The percentage change weighted according to high or low spike frequency was 25.1%. Conclusion In 40 children with 55 unique spike foci, significant variability in spike frequency was seen between consecutive nights of sleep, suggesting significant natural variation in spike frequency. A quarter of spike foci varied by 50% or more. Spike counts separated by longer intervals may show even more dramatic natural variation.
Rapid Evolution of Phenotypic Plasticity and Shifting Thresholds of Genetic Assimilation in the Nematode Caenorhabditis remanei

Many organisms can acclimate to new environments through phenotypic plasticity, a complex trait that can be heritable, subject to selection, and evolve. However, the rate and genetic basis of plasticity evolution remain largely unknown. We experimentally evolved outbred populations of the nematode Caenorhabditis remanei under an acute heat shock during early larval development. When raised in a nonstressful environment, ancestral populations were highly sensitive to a 36.8° heat shock and exhibited high mortality. However, initial exposure to a nonlethal high temperature environment resulted in significantly reduced mortality during heat shock (hormesis). Lines selected for heat shock resistance rapidly evolved the capacity to withstand heat shock in the native environment without any initial exposure to high temperatures, and early exposure to high temperatures did not lead to further increases in heat resistance. This loss of plasticity would appear to have resulted from the genetic assimilation of the heat induction response in the noninducing environment. However, analyses of transcriptional variation via RNA-sequencing from the selected populations revealed no global changes in gene regulation correlated with the observed changes in heat stress resistance. Instead, assays of the phenotypic response across a broader range of temperatures revealed that the induced plasticity was not fixed across environments, but rather the threshold for the response was shifted to higher temperatures over evolutionary time. These results demonstrate that apparent genetic assimilation can result from shifting thresholds of induction across environments and that analysis of the broader environmental context is critically important for understanding the evolution of phenotypic plasticity.
Characterization of sulfur poisoning of Ni–YSZ anodes for solid oxide fuel cells using in situ Raman microspectroscopy

The changes in the surface phase and the morphology of nickel–yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) cermet anodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) upon exposure to a fuel containing 100 parts per million (ppm)-level hydrogen sulfide (H2S) at elevated temperatures were investigated using in situ Raman microspectroscopy as well as ex situ techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The in situ Raman experiment revealed that nickel surfaces underwent significant sulfidation when the Ni–YSZ cermet was cooled slowly (at ∼2–5 °C/min) from the testing temperature (∼500–800 °C) to room temperature in a fuel with pH2S/ pH2=100 ppm, although no sulfides were detected at elevated temperatures (N500 °C) in the same fuel. In comparison, the ex situ measurements at room temperature may not reflect what actually happens to samples during exposure to H2S at elevated temperatures: results may be complicated by inevitable changes induced during the cooling of samples to room temperature in order to perform the ex situ measurements. Thus, in situ measurements are vital to the confirmation of the validity or even the relevance of the results from ex situ measurements in the study of the sulfur poisoning mechanism for Ni-based anodes of SOFCs. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Solid-state phase behavior and molecular-level mixing phenomena in a strongly interacting polymer blend

This research contribution addresses mixing phenomena in a polymer blend that exhibits strong intermolecular association and bieutectic phase behavior. Molecular-level observations of specific interactions between dissimilar blend components have been obtained from high-resolution solid-state proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments at ambient temperature. Results illustrate mixing effects on the isotropic chemical shifts of the critical component in a completely or partially phase-mixed blend. Perturbations in the NMR spectra result from conformational changes, hydrogen bonding, molecular complexation, or altered packing geometries that occur concomitantly with the mixing process. More convincing evidence that two components of a strongly interacting blend reside in a near-neighbor environment is obtained from the measurement of proton spin diffusion between dissimilar species. Proton spin diffusion is measured directly via the high-resolution CRAMPS experiment (Combined Rotation and Multiple Pulse Spectroscopy) in a molecular complex of poly (ethylene oxide) and resorcinol. A primary objective of this research endeavor is to bridge the gap between macroscopic and molecular-level probes of phase behavior and intermolecular association in mixtures that form molecular complexes. In this respect, the temperature -composition projection of the thermodynamic phase diagram is generated for binary mixtures of poly (ethylene oxide) and resorcinol, whose interaction sites are characterized via solid-state NMR. Under fortuitous conditions that are related to the overall mixture composition, two morphologically and crystallographically inequivalent phenolic 13C NMR signals are identified for resorcinol when the blends exist in a two-phase region below the eutectic solidification temperature. The success of this proposed structure–property relationship scheme, which bridges molecular-level mixing phenomena (via NMR) with solid-state phase behavior (via differential scanning calorimetry) depends on our ability to understand material properties at a level where continuum hypotheses are no longer valid.
The Narrative Shape of Agency: Three Contemporary Philosophical Perspectives

This essay examines three contemporary approaches to narrative: Galen Strawson’s skeptical attack on narrativity and the responses to it in the work of David Velleman and the late Peter Goldie with an eye to the connection between narrative and agency. It argues for the reverse of Gregory Currie’s recent claim that “narrative is the product of agency”: if we examine agency instead as the product of narrative, it’s possible to trace through the use of narrative examples a critique of many assumptions in what Velleman calls the “standard account of agency.”
Bounding the maximum size of a packet radio network

The author addresses the problem, arising in the topology design of packet radio networks (PRNs) which use time-division multiplexing and have a diameter constraint, of what is the maximum number n/sub c/(f,k) of users which can be contained in a diameter-k PRN with f time slots per frame. The author assumed that users cannot transmit and receive simultaneously and cannot transmit/receive more than one packet at a time. This assumption implies that no two channels accessed by the same user may be assigned the same time slot. It is shown that the problem of determining n/sub c/(f,k) is identical to the problem of determining the largest number of vertices which can be contained in an f-edge colorable directed graph with diameter k. Lower bounds on n/sub c/(f,k) for f/2, k=3, 4, 5, . . . are obtained by generating large graphs of this type. The graphs are constructed and colored by simple and fast procedures which are similar for different values of f and k. An extensive bibliography on the edge-coloring problem is included. >
Aerosol single-scattering albedo and asymmetry parameter from MFRSR observations during the ARM Aerosol IOP 2003

Multi-filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometers (MFRSRs) provide routine measurements of the aerosol optical depth (τ) at six wavelengths (0.415, 0.5, 0.615, 0.673, 0.870 and 0.94 μm). The single-scattering albedo (π 0 ) is typically estimated from the MFRSR measurements by assuming the asymmetry parameter ( g ). In most instances, however, it is not easy to set an appropriate value of g due to its strong temporal and spatial variability. Here, we introduce and validate an updated version of our retrieval technique that allows one to estimate simultaneously π 0 and g for different types of aerosol. We use the aerosol and radiative properties obtained during the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program's Aerosol Intensive Operational Period (IOP) to validate our retrieval in two ways. First, the MFRSR-retrieved optical properties are compared with those obtained from independent surface, Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET), and aircraft measurements. The MFRSR-retrieved optical properties are in reasonable agreement with these independent measurements. Second, we perform radiative closure experiments using the MFRSR-retrieved optical properties. The calculated broadband values of the direct and diffuse fluxes are comparable (~5 W/m 2 ) to those obtained from measurements.
Drug administration in animal studies of cardiac arrest does not reflect human clinical experience

Summary Introduction To date, there is no evidence showing a benefit from any advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) medication in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA), despite animal data to the contrary. One explanation may be a difference in the time to first drug administration. Our previous work has shown the mean time to first drug administration in clinical trials is 19.4min. We hypothesized that the average time to drug administration in large animal experiments occurs earlier than in OOHCA clinical trials. Methods We conducted a literature review between 1990 and 2006 in MEDLINE using the following MeSH headings: swine, dogs, resuscitation, heart arrest, EMS, EMT, ambulance, ventricular fibrillation, drug therapy, epinephrine, vasopressin, amiodarone, lidocaine, magnesium, and sodium bicarbonate. We reviewed the abstracts of 331 studies and 197 full manuscripts. Exclusion criteria included: non-peer reviewed, all without primary animal data, and traumatic models. From these, we identified 119 papers that contained unique information on time to medication administration. The data are reported as mean, ranges, and 95% confidence intervals. Mean time to first drug administration in animal laboratory studies and clinical trials was compared with a t -test. Regression analysis was performed to determine if time to drug predicted ROSC. Results Mean time to first drug administration in 2378 animals was 9.5min (range 3.0–28.0; 95% CI around mean 2.78, 16.22). This is less than the time reported in clinical trials (19.4min, p Conclusion Shorter drug delivery time in animal models of cardiac arrest may be one reason for the failure of animal studies to translate successfully into the clinical arena.
High Field Accelerator Magnet Design (10T, 2T/cm), Material and Model Development

Two accelerator magnets have been designed and developed to a manufacturable prototype. Most of the dipole calculations presented will be based on a four shell, five kiloampere/turn, five centimeter aperature magnet, approximately six meters long. Two designs are considered: a dipole bending magnet and the quadrupole focusing magnet. The mechanical and electrical coil parameters are listed.
The State of the Debate on Network Neutrality

The debate over “network neutrality” has recently emerged as the single most important communications policy issue—at least within the United States—that is now being debated around the world. The resolution of this debate may greatly influence what applications and content are available to Internet users, which business models are successful for service providers, which modes of social communication develop, and which technical designs are effective. As applications move to become Internet Protocol (IP)-based, the reverberations will also reach those sectors that build on or compete with the Internet, including the telephone, television, radio, and electronic commerce sectors. The magnitude of this issue demands careful consideration by policymakers. The papers in this special issue can serve as a valuable basis for such consideration.
Close Linkage of the Two Keratin Gene Clusters in the Human Genome

Mapping studies of functional keratin genes in the human genome have localized most of the acidic keratin genes to chromosome 17q12-q21 and the basic keratin genes to chromosome 12 q11-q13. Within the acidic keratin locus two clusters were identified, one containing the genes for K15 and K19, the other the genes for K14, K16, and K17. The relative positions and the distance between the two clusters have not been determined previously. In this paper we describe our analysis of P1 clones containing multiple acidic keratin genes, which were studied using restriction analysis and Southern blot hybridization with PCR-amplified probes specific for functional human keratin genes 15, 17, and 19. Our results show that the two clusters are very closely linked to each other, within a 55-kb region in the human genome. The genes are organized 5{prime} to 3{prime} in the following order: 5{prime}-K19-K15-K17-K16-K14. Between K15 and K17 at least one additional, unidentified keratin gene is present. 30 refs., 2 figs.
Histological comparison of healing extraction sockets implanted with bioactive glass or demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft: a pilot study.

Background: Various materials have been used immediately following tooth extraction to fill and/or cover the socket in an attempt to limit or prevent ridge resorption. The purpose of the present pilot study was to establish a reliable model to investigate the effect of various bone graft and bone replacement materials on extraction socket healing. This study also compared healing extraction sockets 6 to 8 months postimplantation of a bioactive glass (BG) or demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA) to an unfilled socket control (C). Methods: Following tooth extraction, a total of 30 sockets in 19 patients were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups: 10 sockets received BG, 10 sockets DFDBA, and 10 sockets served as unfilled controls. Primary coverage was achieved by flap advancement over each socket. Six to 8 months postextraction at time of implant placement, histological cores of the treatment sites were obtained. These cores were processed, undecalcified sections prepared and stained with Stevenel blue/van Gieson's picric fuchsin, and histomorphometrically analyzed. Vital bone, connective tissue and marrow, and residual graft particles were reported as a percentage of the total core. Results: A model system was described in humans and used to evaluate the healing response in the 3 treatment groups. Results concluded that mean vital bone present was 59.5% for BG-, 34.7% for DFDBA-, and 32.4% for C-treated sites. These differences were not statistically significant. However, the residual implant material was significantly higher in DFDBA-treated (13.5%) versus BG-treated sockets (5.5%). Conclusions: Although the differences in percent vital bone were not statistically significant among the 3 treatment groups in this pilot study, BG material was observed to act as an osteoconductive material which had a positive effect on socket healing at 6 to 8 months postextraction. Further research following implant placement in treated and control sockets is warranted to determine if bone implant contact is improved in BG-filled versus unfilled sockets.
A troubled relationship: an exploration of mall retailers and teen shoppers' thoughts, behaviors, and coping strategies as they interact with each other

Purpose – This research aims to examine some of the main sources of frustration in the relationship between retailers and teen shoppers and the coping strategies they use as they interact with each other in a mall environment.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from retailers and teen shoppers via depth interviews and the data were coded using a grounded theory approach.Findings – Retailers in the study expressed frustration with teen shoppers arising from disruptive behavior, and refusal to accept assistance. Retailers attempt to deal with these issues at both the individual and the corporate level. Teens' frustration with retailers stems from being ignored, and/or treated with suspicion. Teens also indicated that retailers attempt to manipulate and persuade them. Teens deal with these issues by neutralizing or proactively coping with the situation.Research limitations/implications – The results of this study provide some significant insights for retailers. Most of the retail informants did...
Beneficial effects of vasopressin in prolonged pediatric cardiac arrest: a case series

Children who suffer cardiac arrest have a poor prognosis. Based on laboratory animal studies and clinical data in adults, vasopressin is an exciting new vasopressor treatment modality during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In particular, vasopressin has resulted in short term resuscitation benefits as a "rescue" pressor agent in the setting of prolonged out-of-hospital CPR for ventricular fibrillation in adults. This retrospective series presents the first evidence for resuscitation benefit of bolus vasopressin therapy in the specific setting of pediatric cardiac arrest. All episodes of CPR initiated in a 120-bed tertiary care children's hospital over a three-year period (1997-2000) were reviewed. Four children in the pediatric ICU received vasopressin boluses as rescue therapy during six cardiac arrest events, following failure of conventional CPR, advanced life support, and epinephrine vasopressor therapy. Return of spontaneous circulation for greater than 60 min occurred in three of four patients (75%) and in four of six CPR events (66%) following vasopressin administration. Two of four vasopressin recipients survived >24 h; one survived to hospital discharge and one had withdrawal of supportive therapies following family discussion. Our observations are AHA level 5 (retrospective case series) evidence that vasopressin administration may be beneficial during prolonged pediatric cardiac arrest. Such reports should pave the way for prospective clinical trials comparing vasopressor medications in the setting of pediatric cardiac arrest.