cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Randomized Double-Blind Pilot Trial of Gabapentin Versus Placebo to Treat Alcohol Dependence and Comorbid Insomnia

Background: Insomnia and other sleep disturbances are common, persistent, and associated with relapse in alcohol-dependent patients. The purpose of this pilot study was to compare gabapentin versus placebo for the treatment of insomnia and prevention of relapse in alcohol-dependent patients. Methods: Twenty-one subjects, including 10 women who met study criteria for alcohol dependence and insomnia and expressed a desire to abstain from alcohol, were recruited to the study. During a 1 to 2 week placebo lead-in and screening phase, a complete medical history, physical exam, blood tests, urine drug test, and structured interviews were performed to determine eligibility and patterns of alcohol use and sleep. Insomnia due to intoxication or acute withdrawal, psychiatric or medical illness, medications, and other sleep disorders were ruled out. Subjects were then randomized to either placebo (n = 11) or gabapentin (n = 10) for 6 weeks and titrated over a 10-day period to 1,500 mg or 5 pills at bedtime. After a 4-day taper, subjects were reassessed 6 weeks after ending treatment. Results: Gabapentin significantly delayed the onset to heavy drinking, an effect which persisted for 6 weeks after treatment ended. Insomnia improved in both treatment groups during the medication phase, but gabapentin had no differential effects on sleep as measured by either subjective report or polysomnography. Conclusion: Because gabapentin is a short-acting medication that was taken only at nighttime in this study, it may possibly exert a nocturnal effect that prevents relapse to heavy drinking by a physiological mechanism not measured in this pilot study.
Detection of an Invariant Among Irrelevant Dimensions of Different Salience Value.

Summary.-Deaf children for whom color was relatively more salient than form were assigned to rasks of invariance detection. The invariant of liquid amount was successfully detected by Ss in the condition that varied color but not in ones that varied form or color plus form. This study focused on certain issues concerning children's detection of invariants in contexts of change. Most of the research in this area has been stimulated by the work of Piaget, and one of the tasks commonly employed for assessing "conservation" is that involving liquid quantity. In this task the child is presented with two identical beakers containing equal amounts of liquid. After the child asserts the amount of liquid in each to be equivalent, the contents of one is poured into a third beaker of dissimilar shape. The child is then asked to judge whether the amount of liquid has changed or remained invariant. In the standard problem the form of the objects changes, while other irrelevant dimensions, like color, are left unchanged. One possible determinant of the detection of invariants such as liquid amount may be the presence of irrelevant, but perceptually salient, information. The relative salience of form and color has been investigated in a number of studies (e.g., Colby & Robertson, 1942; Corah, 1966; Odom & Thompson, 1969; and Suchman & Trabasso, 1966), and the results indicate that form is more salient than color for the majority of normal children from the late preschool period through adolescence. In interesting contrast, Suchrnan (1966) and Doehring (1960) found color to be more salient than form for a majority of deaf children from 7 to 12 yr. of age. On the basis of this literature the present study began an investigation of the possible relation between the detection of the invariant and the salience of the irrelevant variants. The inappropriate judgments of young hearing children have been attributed to the "misleading perceptual cues" of form. Although the deaf master form-varying problems at an older age than hearing children (Furth, 1966), the deaf might be expected to do more poorly on a color-varying problem than on one varying form, if the salience value of the irrelevant dimension has an effect on detection of invariance. In addition to exploring the relation between salience of irrelevant dimensi.ons and detection of the invariant, deaf children were employed to replicate partially the salience assessment work of Suchman (1966) and the conservation research reported by Furth (1966) and Oleron and Herren ( 1961 ).
Scalar Gravitational Radiation from Binary Stars and Planetary Orbits

The gravitational radiation arising from the relative orbital motion of a two-body gravitationally bound system is analyzed on the basis of the Brans-Dicke theory. This theory predicts radiation by a scalar field as well as the usual tensor field. It is found that for small eccentricities the quadrupole scalar radiation due to the circular component of the orbit is the dominant contribution of the scalar radiation field, and that this is almost a hundred times smaller than tensor quadrupole radiation.
Diffraction of X-Rays by Liquid Metals

WHEN a beam of monochromatic X-rays is passed through a liquid, the intensity of scattered radiation does not, in general, fall off uniformly with scattering angle. One or more regions of maximum intensity are usually observed, and these may appear as bands or diffuse rings on a photographic plate placed to receive the rays. These facts are well known. Nevertheless, it is probably true to say that no completely satisfying explanation of such effects has yet been produced. One of the most attractive proposals has been put forward by G. W. Stewart in a series of recent papers.1 Stewart suggests that temporary groupings of considerable numbers of atoms or molecules in the liquid would account for the observed diffraction effects. This view is somewhat strengthened by the observation that the maxima for the liquid state are frequently in positions very similar to those of the strongest maxima for the solid material. It therefore appears that the units in the liquid are probably trying to group themselves according to their customary positions below the melting point.
Rural Industrialization and Increasing Inequality: Emerging Patterns in China′s Reforming Economy

This paper′s goal is to increase the understanding of the inequality trends during the postreform period in China. It uses a rigorous, inference-based procedure to demonstrate that inequality among the counties in an east coast province registered statistically significant increases between 1984 and 1989. Decomposition analysis reveals that the changing patterns of inequality were closely associated with the changes in the structure of the rural economy. In particular, policies that increased the importance of agriculture in the economy led to a reduction in inequality; those that stimulated the expansion of rural industry gave rise to greater inequality. One explanation is that barriers keep outputs, inputs, and information from flowing among regions, leading to higher inequality. J. Comp. Econom., December 1994, 19(3), pp. 362-391. Food Research Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-6084.
The nicotine-mediated decline in L-dopa-induced dyskinesias is associated with a decrease in striatal dopamine release

l-dopa-induced dyskinesias (LIDs) are a side effect of Parkinson's disease therapy that is thought to arise, at least in part, because of excessive dopaminergic activity. Thus, drugs that regulate dopaminergic tone may provide an approach to manage LIDs. Our previous studies showed that nicotine treatment reduced LIDs in Parkinsonian animal models. This study investigates whether nicotine may exert its beneficial effects by modulating pre-synaptic dopaminergic function. Rats were unilaterally lesioned by injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) (2 × 3 ug per site) into the medial forebrain bundle to yield moderate Parkinsonism. They were then implanted with minipumps containing vehicle or nicotine (2.0 mg/kg/d) and rendered dyskinetic with l-dopa (8 mg/kg plus 15 mg/kg benserazide). Lesioning alone decreased the striatal dopamine transporter, nicotinic receptor (nAChR) levels, and nAChR-mediated (3)H-dopamine release, consistent with previous results. Nicotine administration reduced l-dopa-induced abnormal involuntary movements throughout the course of the study (4 months). Nicotine treatment led to declines in the striatal dopamine transporter, α6β2* nAChRs and various components of α6β2* and α4β2* nAChR-mediated release. l-dopa treatment had no effect. These data suggest that nicotine may improve LIDs in Parkinsonian animal models by dampening striatal dopaminergic activity.
Responsiveness of human retinoblastoma and neuroblastoma models to a non-calcemic 19-nor Vitamin D analog.

Abstract Objectives To investigate the effectiveness of 2-methylene-19-nor-(20S)-1α-hydroxybishomopregnacalciferol (2MbisP) in inhibiting the growth of retinoblastoma (RB) and neuroblastoma (NB). Methods For the RB study, the xenograft athymic mouse/human retinoblastoma cell (Y-79) model and the transgenic β-luteinizing hormone-large T antigen (LHβ-Tag) mice were systemically treated with 2MbisP or vehicle for 5 weeks. For the NB study, the xenograft athymic mouse/human neuroblastoma cell (SK-N-AS) model was treated with 2MbisP or vehicle for 5 weeks. Tumor size and toxicity were assessed. Results In the xenograft models of RB and NB, 2MbisP caused statistically significant inhibition of tumor growth. Tumor growth inhibition was also observed in the transgenic RB mice, but did not achieve statistical significance. In all the groups, no biologically significant toxic effects were observed using the following variables: serum calcium levels, degree of kidney calcification, changes in body weight or survival. Conclusions In athymic mice, 2MbisP was effective in inhibiting RB and NB growth compared with controls. A lesser effect was seen in the transgenic RB model. 2MbisP did not cause hypercalcemia or a significant increase in mortality. Clinical relevance 2MbisP should be considered for use in clinical trials of RB and NB.
Authorship, Incentives for Creation, and Copyright in the Digital 21st Century

Copyright in the United States is under enormous stress in the digital age. The cause of this stress is often described in technological terms, yet there are deeper systemic policy and legal factors at play. Specifically, there is an ever-increasing, and increasingly obvious, disconnect between the constitutionally based justification for copyright, and copyright's lived out implementation. That is particularly true regarding two key justifications for the expansions of copyright protection that have occurred since 1790: the concept of the author, and the necessity of providing a high level of control and financial incentives to authors to encourage the production of socially valuable works. This paper examines both of these justifications for expanded copyright protection and finds them unproven and, in fact, significantly lacking force under both philosophical and empirical analysis. We suggest that the U.S. abandon those justifications for copyright in today's digital world. We offer eight principles upon which a more integrated and relevant copyright system could be based, one in which policy, law, and practice could be brought into coherence so that today's stresses on copyright would be minimized, and the Constitutional charge to promote "the Progress of Science and useful Arts" would be maximized for society as a whole.
Bis[bis(3-phenylpyrazol-1-yl)(pyrazol-1-yl)methane]copper(II) bis(perchlorate) acetonitrile disolvate.

The title copper(II) complex, [Cu(C22H18N6)2](ClO4)2·2C2H3N, comprises two neutral substituted tris­(pyrazol-1-yl)­methane ligands bonded to a central CuII ion, which is positioned on a crystallographic inversion center. Six Cu—N bonds are arranged in a distorted octa­hedral fashion. The unsubstituted pyrazole rings on each ligand are oriented trans with respect to each other, inter­digitated with the two 3-phenyl­pyrazole rings of the other ligand.
Effects of vinblastine on noradrenergic axons.

Abstract 1 The effects of vinblastine and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) on various parameters of adrenergic neurone functions in the rat were examined and compared. 2 During the first 12 h after injection of vinblastine, although the concentration of cardiac noradrenaline was unaltered, the turnover rate of the catecholamine in the heart was reduced to 40 ng g-1 h-1 compared to a rate of 66 ng g-1 h-1 in the hearts of animals treated with 0.9% w/v NaCl solution. 3 The uptake of noradrenaline by rat atria in vitro was inhibited by vinblastine (2.5 × 10-4 M) or 6-OHDA (5 × 10-5 M), but only the inhibitory effect of vinblastine was readily reversible. The in vitro uptake of noradrenaline by atria of vinblastine- or 6-OHDA-treated rats was found to be impaired two days after injection of the drugs. After 14 days, however, the noradrenaline uptake was 71% of control values after vinblastine and 91% after 6-OHDA. 4 In addition to intensely fluorescent nerve trunks in epicardial connective tissue septa, a decrease in the number of fluorescent adrenergic terminals in the atria and ventricles could be observed two days after vinblastine injection. It is suggested that intravenous vinblastine treatment, like 6-OHDA, results in the destruction of adrenergic nerve terminals.
The dentate gyrus is sexually dimorphic in prepubescent rats: testosterone plays a significant role

Abstract In a morphological examination of the hippocampal formation of pre-pubescent rats, a testosterone-related sexual dimorphism was observed. The dentate gyrus granule cell layer was greater (8–9%) in width and length and laterally asymmetrical in males and in testosterone-treated females. This dimorphism was previously observed in adult rats. These data demonstrate that the dimorphism exists prior to puberty and is therefore not dependent on hormone changes associated with this event. In addition, a correlation between the size of this cell layer and performance on a spatial task were observed.
Articular cartilage MR imaging and thickness mapping of a loaded knee joint before and after meniscectomy.

Summary Objective We describe a technique to axially compress a sheep knee joint in an MRI scanner and measure articular cartilage deformation. As an initial application, tibial articular cartilage deformation patterns after 2h of static loading before and after medial meniscectomy are compared. Methods Precision was established for repeated scans and repeated segmentations. Accuracy was established by comparing to micro-CT measurements. Four sheep knees were then imaged unloaded, and while statically loaded for 2h at 1.5 times body weight before and after medial meniscectomy. Images were obtained using a 3D gradient echo sequence in a 4.7T MRI. Corresponding 3D cartilage thickness models were created. Nominal strain patterns for the intact and meniscectomized conditions were compared. Results Coefficients of variation were all 2% or less. Root mean squared errors of MR cartilage thickness measurements averaged less than 0.09mm. Meniscectomy resulted in a 60% decrease in the contact area ( P =0.001) and a 13% increase in maximum cartilage deformation ( P =0.01). Following meniscectomy, there were greater areas of articular cartilage experiencing abnormally high and low nominal strains. Areas of moderate nominal strain were reduced. Conclusions Medial meniscectomy resulted in increased medial tibial cartilage nominal strains centrally and decreased strains peripherally. Areas of abnormally high nominal strain following meniscectomy correlated with areas that are known to develop fibrillation and softening 16 weeks after medial meniscectomy. Areas of abnormally low nominal strain correlated with areas of osteophyte formation. Studies of articular cartilage deformation may prove useful in elucidating the mechanical etiology of osteoarthritis.
A Novel Method for Inducing Nerve Growth via Modulation of Host Resting Potential: Gap Junction-Mediated and Serotonergic Signaling Mechanisms

A major goal of regenerative medicine is to restore the function of damaged or missing organs through the implantation of bioengineered or donor-derived components. It is necessary to understand the signals and cues necessary for implanted structures to innervate the host, as organs devoid of neural connections provide little benefit to the patient. While developmental studies have identified neuronal pathfinding molecules required for proper patterning during embryogenesis, strategies to initiate innervation in structures transplanted at later times or alternate locations remain limited. Recent work has identified membrane resting potential of nerves as a key regulator of growth cone extension or arrest. Here, we identify a novel role of bioelectricity in the generation of axon guidance cues, showing that neurons read the electric topography of surrounding cells, and demonstrate these cues can be leveraged to initiate sensory organ transplant innervation. Grafts of fluorescently labeled embryological eye primordia were used to produce ectopic eyes in Xenopus laevis tadpoles. Depolarization of host tissues through anion channel activation or other means led to a striking hyperinnervation of the body by these ectopic eyes. A screen of possible transduction mechanisms identified serotonergic signaling to be essential for hyperinnervation to occur, and our molecular data suggest a possible model of bioelectrical control of the distribution of neurotransmitters that guides nerve growth. Together, these results identify the molecular components of bioelectrical signaling among cells that regulates axon guidance, and suggest novel biomedical and bioengineering strategies for triggering neuronal outgrowth using ion channel drugs already approved for human use.
Preparation of high-Tc superconducting BiSrCaCuO thick film by melting/quenching/annealing process

Abstract Samples with nominal composition of Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 1 Cu 2 O x prepared by the screen printing method on 96% Al 2 O 3 and (100) MgO substrates were first melted at 920°C and then quenched in air; the compounds showed semiconductor behavior, but became superconducting after annealing at 860°C for 5 h in air. Superconducting BiSrCaCuO epitaxial film with T onset T zero = 86 K can be successfully made by this melting/quenching/annealing process.
Teleseismic shot-profile migration

The shot-profile migration approach of wave-equation migration generates subsurface images using the interferometric principle of crosscorrelating two passive wavefields. These wavefields are typically a source wavefield containing energy from an excited source and a receiver wavefield comprised of scattered-source wavefield energy by the discontinuous earth structure. Shot-profile migration can be recast as a novel way of imaging the earth’s lithosphere using teleseismic wavefield data, where the source wavefield is the directly arriving wavefront and the receiver wavefield is the following wavefield coda. We demonstrate that the shot-profile technique can be tailored to suit teleseismic acquisition geometry and wavefields. Assuming an acoustic framework and 2.5D experimental geometry, we develop procedures that enable kinematic and structural imaging (migration) using both transmission and free-surface reflected passive wavefields. Experiments with synthetic data demonstrate the method’s applicability a...
Effects of Ability, Race, and Socioeconomic Status on Perceived Importance of Capacities, Interests, and Values in Occupational Choice

Responses of 480 students (ages 11 to 18 yr.) to the Dalton Vocational Importance Questionnaire developed to test Ginzberg's theory of occupational choice were analyzed to determine effects of ability, race, and socioeconomic status on perceived importance of capacities, interests, and values. Low-ability subjects perceived values as more important than did middle-ability and high-ability subjects. Blacks perceived capacities and values as more important than did whites. High-status and low-status subjects perceived capacities as more important than did middle-status subjects.
Acanthocytogenesis — Or How the Red Cell Won Its Spurs

A decade ago, Smith, Lonergan and Sterling noted that peculiarly shaped erythrocytes could be found in patients with hemolysis associated with severe liver disease.1 Although these poikilocytes were morphologically indistinguishable from the "acanthocytes" found in a-beta-lipoproteinemia, they were easily distinguished chemically by an absolute increase in membrane-free cholesterol. Subsequent studies by Cooper and others have convincingly demonstrated that the increase in membrane cholesterol is an acquired property secondary to some abnormality in the plasma of patients with liver disease. Moreover, at least early in the process, the change was found to be reversible when such cholesterol-enriched cells were incubated in . . .
Transport and Retention of Manure-Borne Coliforms in Soil

the groundwater quality from the watershed would improve with distance from the pollution source as a result Manure is a source of several bacterial pathogens that can potenof dilution, sedimentation, and bacteria die-off. tially contribute to surface and groundwater contamination. Results from mostbacterial transportstudies in soilsare onlypartially applica- Although soil can mitigate bacterial movement or ble to manure-borne bacteria because microorganisms are released leaching, some bacteria applied onto soil or released along with manure particulates as manure dissolves. The objective of within soil may still be transported through and travel this study was to compare transport of chloride ion, Escherichia coli in the vadose zone to groundwater. Much literature (E. coli) and manure colloids in undisturbed soil columns with a documents bacterial transport from a few meters to well-developed structure. Breakthrough column experiments were 830 mdepending on soilor sediment textureand permeconducted with undisturbed, 20-cm long Tyler soil columns from the ability, water saturation degree, and length of time. A horizon. A pulse of 4% filtered bovine manure solution with E. Stoddard et al. (1998) showed that fecal bacteria were coli and KCl was passed through the columns. Escherichia coli contransported to a depth of 90 cm in silt loam soil by the centrations, chloride content, and turbidity were measured in influent first rain after application of dairy manure, when 2 andineffluent.Columnswerecutinto2-cmlayersaftertheexperiment
A new technique for the creation of a neovagina

Abstract Background: There are many described reconstructive techniques for vaginal agenesis including vaginal dilators, skin covered molds, sigmoid grafts, vulval and large muscle flaps all of which aim to produce a vagina of normal axis, secretory capacity and length. We report the laparoscopic approach to Davydov's operation which utilizes peritoneum to line the newly dissected vesicorectal space. Methods: A case report detailing preoperative evaluation, surgical technique and outcome. Results: There were no intraoperative or immediate postoperative complications. The patient was discharged from hospital within 23 hours of surgery. Six month follow up revealed a vagina 7–8 cm in length, lined with squamous epithelium. The patient reports satisfactory sexual intercourse. Conclusion: This technique provides a satisfactory option for the surgical management of vaginal agenesis.
Plastic flow of Fe-binary alloys—I. A description at low temperatures

Abstract To provide a working model of the ductile-brittle transition temperature, it is first essential to develop a reasonably complete description of alloying effects on the low-temperature deformation process. In this paper, a semi-empirical plastic flow model for Fe, Fe-Ni and Fe-Si is described. In a sequel, the plastic flow model is applied to predictions of the ductile-brittle transition. For the plasticity description, some rigor has been sacrificed in providing this but the essential features of solid-solution softening and hardening have been retained and justified in terms of detailed measurements of activation enthalpies, activation volumes and strain-rate sensitivities. It is shown that modelling of both the Peierls stress and solid solution strengthening using double-kink nucleation and kink migration approaches can be empirically accomplished with a consistent use of a single atom misfit parameter for each alloy system. For the seven Fe, Fe-Ni and Fe-Si alloys of this investigation, the low temperature deformation is well characterized by a two mechanism approach to yielding. A proposed semi-empirical model offers reasonable prediction of yielding at low temperatures in b.c.c. iron as a function of strain-rate, temperature, substitutional solute additions and grain size.
Malignant mixed ovarian germ cell tumor with embryonal component.

Abstract Background Malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary are relatively rare, making up less than 10% of all ovarian cancers. However, although they represent only a small fraction of ovarian cancers overall, they frequently affect adolescent women of reproductive age, making fertility sparing treatment of paramount importance. Malignant germ cell tumors are subdivided into dysgerminoma and nondygerminomatous tumors. The most common types of nondysgerminomatous tumors are yolk sac and immature teratoma. Mixed germ cell tumors with embryonal carcinoma, nongestational choriocarcinoma, and polyembryoma are less common. Embryonal carcinomas, though rare, are one of the most malignant cancers arising in the ovary. Case A 19-year-old female with abdominal pain and massive ascites was found to have a malignant mixed ovarian germ cell tumor with a large embryonal component which was treated via surgical resection and chemotherapy. Conclusions Malignant germ cell tumors frequently affect adolescent women of reproductive age. Management of these tumors requires consideration of fertility sparing surgical techniques and chemotherapy management. Using these techniques, the vast majority of patients will maintain their ovarian function and the ability to bear children after their recovery.
Is There Really a Link Between Neo-Corporatism and Environmental Performance? Updated Evidence and New Data for the 1980s and 1990s

In a previous article in this Journal entitled ‘Institutions and Environmental Performance in Seventeen Western Democracies’ (29 (1999), 1–31), I argued that neo-corporatist institutions delivered superior environmental performance during the first two decades of the modern environmental era (1970–90).For other work on the same or similar themes, see Detlef Jahn, ‘Environmental Performance and Policy Regimes: Explaining Variation in 18 OECD Countries’, Policy Sciences, 31 (1998), 107–31; Martin Janicke and Helmut Weidner, eds, National Environmental Policies: A Comparative Study of Capacity-Building (Berlin: Springer Verlag, 1997); Markus Crepaz, ‘Explaining National Variations of Air Pollution Levels: Political Institutions and Their Impact on Environmental Policy-Making’, Environmental Politics, 4 (1995), 391–414; Martin Janicke, H. Monch and M. Binder, ‘Ecological Aspects of Structural Change’, Intereconomics, July/August (1993), 159–69; Martin Janicke, ‘Conditions for Environmental Policy Success’, in M. Jachtenfuchs and M. Strubel, eds, Environmental Policy in Europe (Baden-Baden: Nomos, 1992), 71–97; and Martin Janicke et al., ‘Structural Change and Environmental Impact’, Intereconomics, January/February (1989), 24–35. This note re-examines the thesis using slightly different data from a more recent time period (19807ndash;95). It also controls for some alternative explanations for environmental performance not included in the original article. The results suggest that the beneficial effects of neo-corporatism for environmental performance are robust. In confirming the results from the earlier analysis, this Note demonstrates the effects of neo-corporatism in unexpected policy areas. The positive results for environmental protection suggest that there may be benefits of neo-corporatist institutions in areas beyond those with which they are traditionally associated.
Biological Sensor for Sucrose Availability: Relative Sensitivities of Various Reporter Genes

A set of three sucrose-regulated transcriptional fusions was constructed. Fusions p61RYTIR, p61RYlac, and p61RYice contain the scrR sucrose repressor gene and the promoterless gfp, lacZ, and inaZ reporter genes, respectively, fused to the scrY promoter from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Cells of Erwinia herbicola containing these fusions are induced only in media amended with sucrose, fructose, or sorbose. While a large variation in sucrose-dependent reporter gene activity was observed in cells harboring all gene fusions, fusions to the inaZ reporter gene yielded a much wider range of activity and were responsive to lower levels of sucrose than either lacZ or gfp. The lacZ reporter gene was found to be more efficient than gfp, requiring approximately 300-fold fewer cells for a detectable response over all concentrations of sucrose. Similarly, inaZ was found to be more efficient than lacZ, requiring 30-fold fewer cells at 1.45 microM sucrose and 6,100-fold fewer cells at 29 mM sucrose for a quantifiable response. The fluorescence of individual cells containing p61RYTIR was quantified following epifluorescence microscopy in order to relate the fluorescence exhibited by populations of cells in batch cultures with that of individual cells in such cultures. While the mean fluorescence intensity of a population of individual cells increased with increasing concentrations of sucrose, a wide range of fluorescence intensity was seen among individual cells. For most cultures the distribution of fluorescence intensity among individual cells was log-normally distributed, but cells grown in intermediate concentrations of sucrose exhibited two distinct populations of cells, one having relatively low fluorescence and another with much higher fluorescence. When cells were inoculated onto bean leaves, whole-cell ice nucleation and gfp-based biological sensors for sucrose each indicated that the average concentration of sucrose on moist leaf surfaces was about 20 microM. Importantly, the variation in green fluorescent protein fluorescence of biosensor cells on leaves suggested that large spatial variations in sugar availability occur on leaves.
Delayed puberty: analysis of a large case series from an academic center.

Despite the clinical importance of delayed puberty, the understanding of this condition is hampered by the lack of studies evaluating etiologies and predisposing factors among large case series. We performed a retrospective study of clinical and laboratory data from adolescents ( 1 SD beyond the mean), or diagnostic of delay (development >2 SD beyond the mean). The most common cause of delayed puberty was constitutional delay of growth and maturation (CD), which affected 53% of the subjects (63% of males and 30% of females). The remaining subjects could be divided into four categories: those with an underlying condition associated with delayed, but spontaneous, pubertal development [functional hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (FHH)], 19% of subjects; those with permanent hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, 12% of subjects; those with permanent hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, 13% of subjects; and those without clearly classified disorders, 3% of subjects. Like CD, FHH was male predominant, whereas the other categories either affected both genders equally or were predominantly female. In total, 50 different etiologies led to pubertal delay within our case series. Data permitted classification of family histories of pubertal timing among primary relatives in 95 of 122 of the CD and in 25 of 45 of the FHH cases. Analysis revealed at least a tendency to pubertal delay in 77% of the CD and in 64% of the FHH families and a diagnosis of delay in 38% of the CD and 44% of the FHH families. Both parents contributed to the positive family histories. The rates of positive family histories among the CD and FHH groups were approximately twice those seen among the other subjects in our case series. Among all subjects, those with FHH had the most marked growth delay, and girls had the greater bone age delay. Among the boys and at comparable chronological ages, CD and FHH were characterized by greater delays in pubic hair development and bone age than in the other diagnostic groups. Although CD is typically associated with leanness, 22% of our subjects had a BMI SD score at the 85th percentile or above for chronological age. These overweight subjects differed from the rest of the CD group: bone age was less delayed, and height was less affected. Finally, our analysis suggested a possible association between attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity and pubertal delay in our CD and FHH subjects. Our study provides valuable data regarding the variety and frequency of diagnoses that lead to delayed puberty. The results underscore the importance of performing a thorough evaluation and family history in adolescents with delayed puberty. Moreover, the data from our case series provide clues for unraveling the mechanism(s) of idiopathic pubertal delay and lead to the hypothesis that the pubertal delay seen among some subjects with FHH and CD may stem in part from similar underlying physiology. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 87: 1613–1620, 2002)
Golden mice (Ochrotomys nuttalli) co-occurrence with Peromyscus and the abundant-center hypothesis

Abstract Golden mice (Ochrotomys nuttalli) occur throughout the southeastern United States, and are on the periphery of their geographic range in southern Illinois, where they are a state-listed threatened species. We assessed relative abundance and distribution of populations of golden mice in southern Illinois by mark–recapture and occupancy models, and throughout the core geographic distribution to determine if they should be removed from threatened status (delisted). We also tested the “abundant-center” hypothesis that states that occurrence and abundance of a species is greater in the core of the range than at the periphery. We captured golden mice in 21 of 24 sites in southern Illinois, but only 13 of 24 sites in the core of the range. The total number of individual golden mice captured in southern Illinois (n = 99) was 3.3 times greater (χ21 = 36.91, P < 0.001) than in the core (n = 30). Habitat factors at sites (mean number of climbing vines, woody stems, and herbaceous stems) affected occupancy o...
Hybrid Baryons in QCD

In this study, we present the first comprehensive study of hybrid baryons using lattice QCD methods. Using a large basis of composite QCD interpolating fields we extract an extensive spectrum of baryon states and isolate those of hybrid character using their relatively large overlap onto operators which sample gluonic excitations. We consider the spectrum of Nucleon and Delta states at several quark masses finding a set of positive parity hybrid baryons with quantum numbers $$N_{1/2^+},\,N_{1/2^+},\,N_{3/2^+},\, N_{3/2^+},\,N_{5/2^+},\,$$ and $$\Delta_{1/2^+},\, \Delta_{3/2^+}$$ at an energy scale above the first band of `conventional' excited positive parity baryons. This pattern of states is compatible with a color octet gluonic excitation having $$J^{P}=1^{+}$$ as previously reported in the hybrid meson sector and with a comparable energy scale for the excitation, suggesting a common bound-state construction for hybrid mesons and baryons.
The bioactivation of 1,2-dibromoethane in rat hepatocytes: covalent binding to nucleic acids

Isolated rat hepatocytes metabolized 1,2-dibromoethane (EDB) to reactive intermediates which covalently bound to cellular nucleic acids. DNA isolated from hepatocytes that had been incubated with [14C]EDB (80 microM) was alkylated with a specific binding of 0.6 nmol/mg DNA. RNA exhibited a greater specific alkylation with 2.1-3.0 nmol bound/mg. High concentrations of EDB (greater than 500 microM) depleted the concentration of hepatocellular glutathione, but binding of [14C]EDB equivalents to nucleic acids occurred at concentrations which had little effect on glutathione levels. Diethylmaleate (750 microM) decreased the binding of [14C]EDB equivalents to nucleic acids by 50%, but SKF-525A (200 microM) did not decrease this binding to nucleic acids. Although both hepatic microsomal and cytosolic fractions catalyzed the covalent binding of [14C]EDB equivalents to calf thymus DNA, the degree of binding was 12 times greater when cytosolic enzymes were used. The results suggest the involvement of glutathione-S-transferases in the bioactivation of EDB to species that covalently bind to DNA.
SCOR announces new activities

Roger Revelle had many good ideas during his long and productive career. One of them came to fruition in 1957 in the form of the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR), which the International Council for Science created as its first interdisciplinary body, to promote international activities in oceanography. Revelle served as SCOR's first president from 1957 to 1960. SCOR offers opportunities for scientists from different countries to cooperate in planning and executing international programs in ocean sciences. Over its 44 years in existence, SCOR has sponsored 120 working groups and has actively participated in many of the major international oceanographic projects. Thirty-six nations presently participate as SCOR members.
Recent results on rare B decays from BaBar and Belle

The PEP-II and KEK asymmetric B factories are providing the BaBar and BELLE collaborations large samples of B mesons, enabling high-statistics searches for rare B decays. The rates for some of these decays can be enhanced by contributions from new physics, while others can provide constraints on the Unitarity Triangle. The author reviews a variety of recent results on rare B decays from these two experiments.
Neurological Manifestations of Acute Posterior Multifocal Placoid Pigment Epitheliopathy

Background Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (APMPPE) is a chorioretinal disease that causes acute visual symptoms with characteristic fundus findings. Although this entity has been associated with a variety of neurological complications, it has received little attention in the neurological literature. We wanted to emphasize the spectrum of neurological involvement, in particular the occurrence and management of strokes in patients with APMPPE. Case Descriptions We report three patients with APMPPE and neurological disease. All three presented with marked visual disturbances and headaches. One patient developed recurrent strokes involving different vascular territories of the brain and required immunosuppressive treatment for presumed cerebral vasculitis. The other two patients had cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis and persistent headaches but recovered spontaneously. The review of the literature demonstrates a particular pattern of neurological complications in a subgroup of patient...
π-Helix Preference in Unsolvated Peptides

Ion mobility measurements have been used to examine helix formations in the gas phase for a series of alanine/glycine-based peptides that incorporate a glutamic acid (E) and lysine (K) at various positions along the backbone. Incorporation of an EK pair lowers the percent helix for all positions (presumably because hydrogen bonding between the backbone and the E and K side chains stabilize the nonhelical globular conformations). The largest percent helix is found when the EK pair is in an i,i+5 arrangement, which suggests that the preferred helical conformation for these peptides is a π-helix. This conclusion is supported by comparison of cross sections deduced from the ion-mobility measurements to average cross sections calculated for conformations obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. The glutamic acid and lysine may form an ion pair that is stabilized by interactions with the helix macro-dipole.
Comparative pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and tolerability of ertapenem 1 gram/day administered as a rapid 5-minute infusion versus the standard 30-minute infusion in healthy adult volunteers.

tudy Objective To compare ertapenem pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and tolerability when administered as a rapid 5-minute infusion to the standard 30-minute infusion. Design Prospective, randomized, crossover pharmacokinetic study. Setting Clinical research center. Subjects Twelve healthy adult volunteers. Intervention Each subject received ertapenem 1 g intravenously, administered either as a rapid 5-minute infusion or the standard 30-minute infusion, every 24 hours for 3 days (first phase); after a 4-day washout period, each subject then received the other infusion every 24 hours for 3 days (second phase). Measurements and Main Results Plasma samples were collected after the first and third (steady-state) doses of each study phase, and protein binding was assessed by use of ultrafiltration. Pharmacokinetic analyses were conducted using noncompartmental and compartmental methods. A 5000-subject Monte Carlo simulation was used to assess the probability of target attainment for free drug concentration remaining above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for 40% or greater of the dosing interval (40% fT > MIC) over an MIC range. Ertapenem was well tolerated and adverse events were similar for both infusions. The ertapenem steady-state mean ± SD maximum concentrations were 193.3 ± 43.3 and 165.7 ± 20.4 mg/L for the 5- and 30-minute infusions, respectively; the mean ± SD areas under the concentration-time curves from 0–24 hours were 561.2 ± 77.0 and 531.3 ± 56.9 μg · hr/ml (geometric mean ratio 1.008, 90% confidence interval 0.999–1.017), respectively. Protein binding was concentration dependent (range 87.9–98.9%). A two-compartment model best described ertapenem pharmacokinetics with the following parameter estimates: clearance 1.89 ± 0.19 L/hr, volume of central compartment 5.04 ± 0.56 L, and transfer constants k12 0.43 ± 0.08/hr and k21 0.44 ± 0.07/hr. The probabilities of target attainment for 5- and 30-minute infusions were 97.0% and 97.9% at an MIC of 0.25 mg/L and 1.7% and 2.8% at an MIC of 0.5 mg/L, respectively. Conclusion Ertapenem administered as a rapid 5-minute infusion provides a well tolerated, bioequivalent, and pharmacodynamically equivalent regimen to the 30-minute infusion at clinically relevant MICs.
Designing a Program for the Learning Disabled Adolescent

The past decade has seen a significant increase in the numbers of students at the secondary school level who are labeled learning disabled (LD) and placed in special education programs. These LD students are a heterogeneous group in need of a diverse set of curricular offerings. This article reviews program options that have been implemented by school districts and provides a useful model for conceptualizing services to LD adolescents. Factors that influence program selections are also reviewed.
Pentobarbital for severe gamma-butyrolactone withdrawal.

Abstract Study Objective: Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) have become popular drugs of abuse. Acute overdose with either agent results in a well-recognized syndrome of central nervous system and respiratory depression. Recently, a withdrawal syndrome has been described for GHB. We report a severe form of GBL withdrawal, characterized by delirium, psychosis, autonomic instability, and resistance to benzodiazepine therapy. Methods: We performed a chart review of consecutive admissions for GBL withdrawal in a regional toxicology treatment center. Results: During a 6-month period, 5 patients presented with severe withdrawal attributed to abrupt GBL discontinuation. Patients manifested tachycardia, hypertension, paranoid delusions, hallucinations, and rapid fluctuations in sensorium. Test results for ethanol and routine drugs of abuse were negative. Initial treatment with high doses of lorazepam proved ineffective. Pentobarbital was then administered, resulting in excellent control of behavioral, autonomic, and psychiatric symptoms and in rapid reduction or avoidance of benzodiazepines. Median hospital stay was 5 days. No patient had respiratory depression or required mechanical ventilation. Patients were discharged on tapering doses of benzodiazepines or pentobarbital and were free of psychotic symptoms at follow-up. Conclusion: GBL discontinuation can result in severe withdrawal, necessitating ICU admission. Pentobarbital may be more effective than benzodiazepines at controlling delirium in patients with abnormal vital signs, paranoid delusions, and hallucinations as a result of GBL withdrawal. [Sivilotti MLA, Burns MJ, Aaron CK, Greenberg MJ. Pentobarbital for severe gamma-butyrolactone withdrawal. Ann Emerg Med. December 2001;38:660-665.]
A Contradictory Norms View of Employer-Employee Exchange

We propose that employer-employee exchanges can be characterized by four contradictory types of normative expectations for the appropriate distribution of rewards: profit maximization, equity, equality, need. We expand on Williamson's (1975) argument that intrafirm transactions are characterized by normative expectations different from those in marketplace transactions and find that his characterization of employer-employee transactions is similar to recent social psychological characterizations of "intimate" relationships. The possible presence of four distinct norms is suggested to be the basis for some types of allocation disagreements within organizations and has implications for management research in organizational climate, socialization, and compensation.
Not a Hater, Just Keepin' It Real The Importance of Race- and Gender-Based Game Studies

Notwithstanding the presence of extreme racialized tropes within the world of video games, public discourses continue to focus on questions of violence, denying the importance of games in maintaining the hegemonic racial order. Efforts to exclude race (and intersections with gender, nation, and sexuality) from public discussions through its erasure and the acceptance of larger discourses of colorblindness contribute to a problematic understanding of video games and their significant role in contemporary social, political, economic, and cultural organization. How can one truly understand fantasy, violence, gender roles, plot, narrative, game playability, virtual realities, and the like without examining race, racism, and/or racial stratification—one cannot. This article challenges game studies scholars to move beyond simply studying games to begin to offer insight and analysis into the importance of race and racialized tropes within virtual reality and the larger implications of racist pedagogies of video games in the advancement of White supremacy.
Microstructure-Sensitive Computational Fatigue Analysis

Previous sections focused on plasticity and damage formation and evolution under monotomic loading. Under cyclic loading, fatigue failure is a significant consideration. Historically, simple macroscopic fatigue correlations have proven quite useful in estimating fatigue crack initiation life of metallic components, based on measured or calculated stresses and strains at notches in components. The application of stress-based criteria for high cycle fatigue (HCF) or plastic strain-based criteria for low cycle fatigue (LCF) is typically based on transfer of results from tests on relatively small scale notched and unnotched laboratory specimens to larger components (cf. [1]). At the macroscale, fatigue of ductile materials has many common characteristics among alloy systems, leading to the utility of strain-life criteria. At the level of microstructure, fatigue is a complex, cycle-dependent process that differs in detail from one alloy system to the next. Often it is desired to understand mean fatigue resistance and scatter in fatigue as a function of microstructure in order to tailor microstructure to improve component level fatigue resistance. To this end, extension of fatigue analysis methods to microstructures is necessary as a means to augment and reduce the number of required experiments.