cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diabetes-induced changes in specific lipid molecular species in rat myocardium.

Intrinsic cardiac dysfunction during the diabetic state has been causally linked to changes in myocardial lipid metabolism. However, the precise alterations in the molecular species of myocardial polar and non-polar lipids during the diabetic state and their responses to insulin have not been investigated. Herein we demonstrate four specific alterations in rat myocardial lipid molecular species after induction of the diabetic state by streptozotocin treatment: (i) a massive remodelling of triacylglycerol molecular species including a >5-fold increase in tripalmitin mass and a 60% decrease in polyunsaturated triacylglycerol molecular species mass (i.e. triacylglycerols containing at least one acyl residue with more than two double bonds); (ii) a 46% increase in myocardial phosphatidylinositol mass; (iii) a 44% increase in myocardial plasmenylethanolamine mass and (iv) a 22% decrease in 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonoyl phosphatidylethanolamine content. Each of the changes in phospholipid classes, subclasses and individual molecular species were prevented by insulin treatment after induction of the diabetic state. In sharp contrast, the alterations in triacylglycerol molecular species were not preventable by peripheral insulin treatment after induction of the diabetic state. These results segregate diabetes-induced alterations in myocardial lipid metabolism into changes that can be remedied or not by routine peripheral insulin treatment and suggest that peripheral insulin therapy alone may not be sufficient to correct all of the metabolic alterations present in diabetic myocardium.
Facility-level variation in antibiotic prescriptions for veterans with upper respiratory infections.

Abstract Background: Programs have targeted individualpatient and physician behaviors to reduce the use of antibiotics for upper respiratory infections (URIs), but such efforts have had limited success to date. Objective: The aim of this study was to measure theextent of variation in antibiotic prescribing patterns at the hospital-facility level to determine whether organizational factors may be associated with patterns of antibiotic prescribing. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using linked pharmacy and encounter data to measure hospital-level variation in patterns of antibiotic prescribing at US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers between October 1, 2000, and September 30, 2001. The main outcome measure was the proportion of visits for URIs or acute bronchitis with an antibiotic dispensed within 1 day before to 3 days after the encounter, restricted to primary-care and emergency/urgent care clinics at VA medical centers with ≥100 annual visits for URIs. Results: A median of 523 visits for URIs occurredacross 108 medical centers. The median proportion of visits with an antibiotic dispensed was 52% (range, 14%–88%). Hospitals in the South had increased odds of prescribing antibiotics for veterans with URIs compared with hospitals in the Northeast (odds ratio, 1.8 [95% CI, 1.2–2.5]). Among facilities with Conclusions: Our results suggest variation inantibiotic prescribing for URIs at the hospital-facility level within the VA health care system. Organizational factors, such as time pressure, may be important targets for future interventions designed to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use in ambulatory care settings.
Multi-criteria decision analysis for the selection of a near road ambient air monitoring site for the measurement of mobile source air toxics

Abstract In 2002, the Sierra Club legally challenged the US Federal Highway Administration and the Nevada Department of Transportation’s National Environmental Policy Act environmental document related to the proposed widening of US 95 in Las Vegas, Nevada, including the assessment of impacts of mobile source air toxics from the proposed project. To resolve the situation, Federal Highway Administration entered into a Settlement Agreement with Nevada DOT and the Sierra Club, wherein the Administration agreed to undertake a research effort to characterize the impact and behavior of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm and mobile source air toxics near highways. The US Federal Highway Administration and US Environmental Protection Agency determined that it would be in the best interest of both organizations to implement this project in a collaborative manner, allowing a more effective utilization of staffing and resources. One of the first steps of the project implementation has been the selection of a suitable ambient air monitoring site in or around Las Vegas, Nevada. This article presents the multi-criteria analytical steps taken to select the near road monitoring sites to provide air quality data needed to support environmental decision-making in this project.
Diversifying Neural Cells through Order of Birth and Asymmetry of Division

A key question in developmental neurobiology is how the diversity of cell types that make up the mature nervous system are generated from a common set of progenitor cells. Drosophila genes governing temporal cell fate determination and asymmetric cell divisions involving numb may represent evolutionarily conserved mechanisms for regulating cell fate diversification in the developing nervous system.
SUBCUTANEOUS ADMINISTRATION OF INSULIN BY PELLETS

THE SUCCESSFUL ADMINISTRATION of testosterone, estrone, and desoxycorticosterone by II the use of subcutaneously implanted pellets has suggested that insulin might be given JL in a similar manner. Mark and Biskind1 tried pellets of both crystalline and protamine zinc insulin but found that absorption was fairly rapid, the maximum duration of the hype glycemic effect not exceeding about 100 hours. Methods and results. In an attempt to delay the absorption of insulin various substances were ground finely with it, and pellets made of the resulting mixtures. Cholesterol, cholesterol and lecithin, cholesterol and ‘enterab’* (enteric coating), cholesterol and a shellac castor oil enteric coating, charcoal and parlodion were used in varying proportions with crystalline zinc insulin, f The pellets were then implanted subcutaneously in the abdomen in normal fastened rabbits, and blood sugar estimations2 made at appropriate intervals. The two most promising mixtures were used in depancreatized dogs, maintained on a...
Modification of the fatigue behavior of copper and stainless steel by ion implantation

Abstract A program was undertaken to study the effect of ion implantation on the fatigue lives of copper and austenitic stainless steel. Neon and nitrogen ions of 2 to 4 MeV were implanted into flat plate flexutral type fatigue specimens using the Dynamitron accelerator at SUNY Albany. By using the rotating target method, uniformity of the depth of lattice defects and of the dose of the implanted species was obtained. Control specimens (not implanted) and ion-implanted specimens were fatigue-cycled in flexture under constant and identical displacement and frequency conditions until failure. A substantial improvement was observed in the fatigue life for the Ne-implanted copper when fatigued in air. The stainless steel specimens implanted with N which were fatigued in argon did not show a measurable increase in fatigue life. In order to investigate whether the fatigue life was influenced by the modification of the near-surface deformation characteristics, e.g., by creating barriers against slip activity and the easy formation of persistent slip bands, a study of the most highly stressed fatigue specimen surfaces was undertaken by scanning electron microscopy. The results on both the copper and stainless steel specimens support the concept of slip modification in the implanted layer. While the fatigued control specimens exhibited extensive surface ridges which appear to be extrusions and intrusions from persistent slip bands, the implanted specimens are devoid of such features.
Reduction of uterine blood flow by phenylephrine, an alpha‐adrenergic agonist, in the day 11 pregnant rat: Relationship to potentiation of acetazolamide teratogenesis

We have demonstrated previously that phenylephrine, a selective postsynaptic alpha-1-adrenergic agonist, significantly potentiates the incidence of acetazolamide-induced right forelimb ectrodactyly in a dose-response manner. As reported herein, phenylephrine also decreases maternal uterine blood flow in a dose-response manner as measured by radioactive microsphere methodology. At the potentiative dose of 12.5 mg/kg phenylephrine decreases uterine blood flow by 86.8% when compared to control. In turn, pretreatment with prazosin, a selective postsynaptic alpha-1-adrenergic antagonist, prevents this large decrease in uterine blood flow and abolishes the potentiation of acetazolamide teratogenesis by phenylephrine. Although the effects of acetazolamide or acetazolamide + phenylephrine on uterine blood flow were not measured the data suggest a correlation between decreased uterine blood flow and potentiation of acetazolamide teratogenesis.
METABOLISM OF D-THYROXINE.

Deiodination of D-thyroxine from the 3 or 5 position of the alpha ring was more rapid than that of L-thyroxine in the dog, as shown by larger amounts of conjugated D-3,3 ′,5 ′-triiodothyronine and D-3,3 ′-diiodothyronine which were excreted in bile and urine, compared to similar metabolites of L-thyroxine. Thus, D-thyroxine was inactivated more rapidly than L-thyroxine by the dog. Deiodination from the beta ring of Dthyroxine like that of L-thyroxine was greatly diminished after total hepatectomy, and little radioactive iodide was excreted in the urine. D-Thyroxine was metabolized more rapidly by the rat than L-thyroxine, as shown by the greater excretion of radioactive iodide in urine. Metabolites excreted in the bile were similar after the injection of D-thyroxine and Lthyroxine, but there were great differences between rats and dogs in the amounts of these metabolites.
Angular correlations and the tau-neutrino mass

Effects of a nonzero mass for the tau neutrinov τ as well as a right-handed charged-current contribution to the τ−v τ coupling are discussed. Angular correlations of the decay products of τ+τ− ine + e − annihilation are calculated as functions of $$m_{v_\tau } $$ and the relative amount of right-handed τ−v τ coupling.
An evaluation of spatial and multivariate covariance among childhood cancer histotypes in Texas (United States)

Spatial modeling of rare diseases, such as childhood cancer, has been hampered by imprecise risk estimates. Recent developments in Bayesian hierarchical modeling include the ability to adjust a disease risk estimate to be fully conditional for covariance among neighboring locations and for covariance among multiple diseases within each location. This joint modeling approach is called Multivariate Intrinsic Conditional Autoregressive. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial and histotype covariance among childhood cancer histotypes, in Texas. Results will be valuable for selecting appropriate models to support more specific etiologic studies of environmental factors for childhood cancer. County level standard morbidity ratios for 13 childhood cancer histotype groups were estimated using Multivariate Intrinsic Conditional Autoregressive modeling and the results compared to results from two reduced models. The two reduced models were the base model specified with zero spatial covariance and the base model specified with zero histotype covariance. The results were compared using the Deviance Information Criterion and Geographical Information System techniques were used to compare patterns of standard morbidity ratios. Including histotype covariance greatly improved the Deviance Information Criterion and including spatial covariance produced a moderate improvement. Parameter evaluation by GIS techniques showed that excluding histotype covariance resulted in marked shrinkage of the risk estimates. Investigation of childhood cancer could benefit by incorporating histotype covariance into environmental modeling.
Direct Effects of Ca2+-Channel Blockers on Plasma Membrane Cation Channels of Amaranthus tricolor Protoplasts

Ca 2+ -channel blockers at concentrations greater than 1 mmol m -3 , directly affect the activity of K + -selective channels in the plasma membrane of Amaranthus tricolor protoplasts. These effects are not mediated by the blockade of Ca 2+ channels. Blockers tested included 1,4-dihydropyridines (nifedipine, nicardipine), verapamil, bepridil, Gd 3+ and La 3+ , applied to whole-cell and detached outside-out patches of plasma membrane at concentrations from 50 μmol m -3 to 100 mmol m -3
Some remarks on overdetermined systems in linear elasticity

In this paper earlier results of Serrin-Weinberger [2,3] are extended to various classes of problems in classical elasticity. It is shown for these problems that overspecified data of a prescribed type determine the geometry of the underlying domain.
Towards zeta functions and complex dimensions of multifractals

Multifractals are inhomogeneous measures (or functions) which are typically described by a full spectrum of real dimensions, as opposed to a single real dimension. Results from the study of fractal strings in the analysis of their geometry, spectra and dynamics via certain zeta functions and their poles (the complex dimensions) are used in this text as a springboard to define similar tools fit for the study of multifractals such as the binomial measure. The goal of this work is to shine light on new ideas and perspectives rather than to summarize a coherent theory. Progress has been made which connects these new perspectives to and expands upon classical results, leading to a healthy variety of natural and interesting questions for further investigation and elaboration.
N-type inactivation in the mammalian Shaker K+ channel Kv1.4.

Mammalian voltage-gated K+ channels are oligomeric proteins, some of which may be composed in vivo of subunits derived from several similar genes. We have studied N-type inactivation in the rapidly inactivating Kv1.4 channel and, in specific, heteromultimers of this gene product with Kv1.5 noninactivating subunits. Heteromultimeric channels were analyzed for the stoichiometry of Kv1.4:Kv1.5 subunits by observing shifts in the midpoints of steady-state availability from that of homomultimeric channels. This analysis was employed to examine inactivation of heteromultimeric channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes using two model systems: by expression of a Kv1.4–Kv1.5 tandem fusion construct and by coexpression of native Kv1.4 and Kv1.5 channels across a wide relative concentration range of microinjected mRNA. Additionally, inactivation was examined in coexpression experiments of N-terminal deletion mutants of Kv1.4. We found that (i) a single inactivating subunit conferred inactivation in all hetero-multimers studied; (ii) the rate of inactivation could not be distinguished in channels containing two inactivating subunits from those containing one inactivating subunit; and (iii) large deletions in the linker region between the N-terminal inactivation region and the first membrane-spanning domain had no effect on the rate of inactivation. These data confirm the importance of the proximal N-terminal region in the inactivation of mammalian Kv1.4 channels, and suggest that the inactivation particle remains in close proximity to the permeation pathway even when the channel is in the open state.
NMR evidence for common tertiary structure base pairs in yeast and E. coli tRNA.

ABOUT ten years ago Holley1 and coworkers sequenced the first tRNA and proposed the now famous cloverleaf secondary structure. Since that time about sixty additional tRNAs have been sequenced and all fit the cloverleaf model2. This homology constitutes a strong case for the cloverleaf model and there is now compelling evidence from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies3 that the clover-leaf model does provide a correct description of the secondary structure of tRNA molecules in solution.
Evidence of Infectious Asthma Phenotype: Chlamydia-Induced Allergy and Pathogen-Specific IgE in a Neonatal Mouse Model

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease whose etiology is poorly understood. Recent studies suggest that early-life respiratory infections with atypical bacteria may play an important role in the induction or exacerbation of chronic respiratory disease. The current study utilized a neonatal mouse ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization model of asthma to determine the course of early-life respiratory tract infection by Chlamydia. Neonatal (day 1) and adult (6 wks) BALB/c mice were infected intranasally with Chlamydia (MoPn) and 7 weeks later were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin. Allergic airway disease was characterized by examination of serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) cellularity, cytokine production and antibody response. The presence of Chlamydia was determined by PCR and culture. Ova-specific IgE was quantified by ELISA and Chlamydia-specific IgE was determined via Western blot analysis. Chlamydial infection in neonatal mice induced increased production of Th2 cytokines (IL-4, 5, 10, and 13) in both BAL and serum, while infected adult mice produced increased Th1 cytokines (IL-2, IFN-γ). The BAL from infected neonates contained significantly elevated levels of eosinophils compared to infected adult mice. Although adult mice cleared the infection ∼30 days post infection (pi), neonates were still infected 66 days after initial infection. Chlamydia-specific IgE was detected in both the BAL and serum of neonatal mice beginning 28 days post infection, however, infected adult mice did not produce Chlamydia-specific IgE antibodies over the course of the study. When allergic airway was induced using Ova, infected neonatal mice increased their production of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 by >2 fold compared to uninfected controls and infected adult groups. Our findings demonstrate that early-life Chlamydia infection induces a Th2-dominant cytokine response in the airways of neonatal mice, leading to chronic infection. More significantly, early life respiratory colonization with Chlamydia elicits pathogen-specific IgE production, which further supports an infectious asthma phenotype.
The interaction of high energy neutrons and heavy nuclei

The interaction of high energy neutrons with heavy nuclei is studied under the assumption that the nucleus may be described by the statistical model. A detailed study is made of the energy transferred to the nucleus, the angular distribution of emerging particles, and the effective cross section for neutrons passing through nuclear matter. A summary of the results is given in the final section of the paper.
Characteristics of Deep-Marine Dolomite

ABSTRACT Deep-marine sediment has not been subjected to the influences of meteoric waters, deep burial, or tectonic stress that have profoundly altered most rocks available to us in continental exposures; hence, it preserves the record of formation and early development of its dolomite. Evaluation of the DSDP X-ray and smear slide data files indicates that dolomite is a common component in deep-marine sediments; it averages 1% and is found in all sampled ocean basins throughout post-Jurassic time. Dolomite abundance is not related to the abundance of any other detrital, authigenic, or alteration mineral, except aragonite. Petrographic examination of 48 samples suggests that deep-marine dolomite crystal size and appearance are similar to the size and appearance in modern supratidal deposits. Do omite does not increase in abundance or in crystal size downhole, nor does crystal size increase with increasing age. The dolomite is commonly nonstoichiometric (avg. 56% CaCO3) and poorly ordered. Globally, it does not change in stoichiometry or order with depth or age. Dolomite in deep-marine sediments does not originate from unusual or regionally important conditions. It entered the sediments early, most probably as a chemical precipitate from pore waters. An uncertain amount, estimated to be 10%, is detrital.
FETI-DPH: A DUAL-PRIMAL DOMAIN DECOMPOSITION METHOD FOR ACOUSTIC SCATTERING

A dual-primal variant of the FETI-H domain decomposition method is designed for the fast, parallel, iterative solution of large-scale systems of complex equations arising from the discretization of acoustic scattering problems formulated in bounded computational domains. The convergence of this iterative solution method, named here FETI-DPH, is shown to scale with the problem size, the number of subdomains, and the wave number. Its solution time is also shown to scale with the problem size. CPU performance results obtained for the acoustic signature analysis in the mid-frequency regime of mockup submarines reveal that the proposed FETI-DPH solver is significantly faster than the previous generation FETI-H solution algorithm.
Methylglyoxal Impairs Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell Function In Vivo and In Vitro

The responsiveness of cerebral microvasculature to stimulation by intrinsic ligands is altered during diabetes. Studies attribute this to a defect in endothelial cell function. However, the etiology underlying endothelial cell dysfunction during diabetes remains poorly characterized. Here we show that methylglyoxal (MGO), a reactive carbonyl species whose production increases shortly after the onset of hyperglycemia, impairs rat brain endothelial cell function, in vivo and in vitro. When pial arterioles in anesthetized rats were exposed to adenosine diphosphate (10μM) and nitroglycerin (1μM), vessel diameters increased by 12.5 ± 0.7% and 22.0 ± 2.6%, respectively. Pre-treating arterioles with 25μM of freshly synthesized MGO for 30 min at 370C, significantly attenuated the response of vessels to stimulation by adenosine diphosphate (4.6 ± 1.1%), but the response to nitroglycerin was preserved (19.7 ± 1.7%). In live-cell confocal imaging employing relevant probes, acute exposure (15min) of rat brain microvascular endothelial cells to MGO (25μM-100μM) triggered dose-dependent increases in cytoplasmic and mitochondrial Ca2+ levels, and mitochondrial superoxide production. Acute exposure to MGO also reduced cytoplasmic nitric oxide level reminiscent of an increased cytoplasmic superoxide production as well. Incubating rat brain microvascular endothelial cells with MGO for 24hr at 370C MGO reduce cell viability in a dose-dependent manner with an EC50 of 75μM. MGO treatment also reduced the viability of brain microvascular smooth muscle cells, but the EC50 was shifted rightwards to 300μM. Taken collectively, these data suggest that increased production of MGO following early upregulation of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (also referred to as vascular adhesion protein1) may be an initiating cause for endothelial dysfunction during diabetes. (Work supported in part by grants from NIH to WGM and KRB)
Disestablishing Sex: The Case for Released-Time Sex Education.

The U.S. can improve sex education by allowing outside groups — including religious groups — to provide the instruction.
The design and implementation of software for the compatibility of spex datamate processors with apple II computers

— A program and protocol for transferring data from the SPEX Datamate controller/data acquisition system to an APPLE II series computer are described. The Datamate system is currently widely used in both Raman and fluorescence instrumentation. No hardware modification is required to implement this economical and versatile alternative to the dedicated disk storage offered by the manufacturer.
Admixture mapping of quantitative trait loci for blood lipids in African-Americans

Blood lipid levels, including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides (TG), are highly heritable traits and major risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Using individual ancestry estimates at marker locations across the genome, we present a novel quantitative admixture mapping analysis of all three lipid traits in a large sample of African-Americans from the Family Blood Pressure Program. Regression analysis was performed with both total and marker-location-specific European ancestry as explanatory variables, along with demographic covariates. Robust permutation analysis was used to assess statistical significance. Overall European ancestry was significantly correlated with HDL-C (negatively) and TG (positively), but not with LDL-C. We found strong evidence for a novel locus underlying HDL-C on chromosome 8q, which correlated negatively with European ancestry (P = .0014); the same location also showed positive correlation of European ancestry with TG levels. A region on chromosome 14q also showed significant negative correlation between HDL-C levels and European ancestry. On chromosome 15q, a suggestive negative correlation of European ancestry with TG and positive correlation with HDL-C was observed. Results with LDL-C were less significant overall. We also found significant evidence for genome-wide ancestry effects underlying the joint distribution of HDL-C and TG, not fully explained by the locus on chromosome 8. Our results are consistent with a genetic contribution to and may explain the healthier HDL-C and TG profiles found in Blacks versus Whites. The identified regions provide locations for follow-up studies of genetic variants underlying lipid variation in African-Americans and possibly other populations.
Effect of Delaminations on Opening of Transverse Matrix Cracks

The use of advanced composite materials for cryogenic fuel tanks reduces the mass of the structure but the leakage of fuel can become a problem. Since the amount of leakage increases with the crack opening, it is essential that we understand the factors that affect the crack opening. In previous studies by the authors, the opening and the degradation behavior of lamina properties due to transverse matrix cracking had been studied extensively. It has been found that the opening of transverse matrix cracks can be directly related to changes in effective moduli. This paper extends the earlier work to include the additional opening due to the delaminations induced at the tips of the transverse matrix crack. Finite element models have been built for seven delamination configurations. The opening and the stiffness degradation of laminates have been obtained as functions of the crack density and the delamination length. The effect of some factors such as adjacent ply orientation, ply thickness, and temperature on the opening have been studied. It has been found that the crack opening due to transverse crack-induced delaminations is still directly related to reduction in effective moduli. The opening increases almost linearly with the delamination length. A simple formula has been developed to predict the opening. The prediction of the opening obtained using this formula agreed very well with the finite element predictions.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of prairie wetland networks: power-law scaling and implications for conservation planning

Although habitat networks show promise for conservation planning at regional scales, their spatiotemporal dynamics have not been well studied, especially in climate-sensitive landscapes. Here I use satellite remote sensing to compile wetland habitat networks from the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America. An ensemble of networks assembled across a hydrologic gradient from deluge to drought and a range of representative dispersal distances exhibits power-law scaling of important topological parameters. Prairie wetland networks are "meso-worlds" with mean topological distance increasing faster with network size than small-world networks, but slower than a regular lattice (or "large world"). This scaling implies rapid dispersal through wetland networks without some of the risks associated with "small worlds" (e.g., extremely rapid propagation of disease or disturbance). Retrospective analysis of wetland networks establishes a climatic envelope for landscape connectivity in the PPR, where I show that a changing climate might severely impact metapopulation viability and restrict long-distance dispersal and range shifts. More generally, this study demonstrates an efficient approach to conservation planning at a level of abstraction addressing key drivers of the global biodiversity crisis: habitat fragmentation and climatic change.
Scalable Linear Array Architecture with Data-Driven Control for Ultrahigh-Speed Vector Quantization

Current and future requirements for adaptive real-time image compression challenge even the capabilities of highly parallel realizations in terms of hardware performance. Previously proposed linear array structures for full-search vector quantization do not offer scalability and adaptivity in this context, because they require separate data/control pins for dynamically updating the codevectors and complicated interlock mechanisms to ensure that the regular data flow is not corrupted as a result of updates. We explore the design space for full-search vector quantizers and propose a novel linear processor array architecture in which global wiring is limited to clock and power supply distribution, thus allowing high-speed processing in spite of only limited communication with the host via the boundary processors. The resulting fully pipelined design is not only area-efficient for VLSI implementation but is also readily scalable and offers extremely high performance.
Analysis of some dispersion corrected numerical schemes for solution of the transport equation

In the last decade or so finite element techniques have been applied with increased frequency to contaminant transport problems. Whereas most of the attention has focused on finite element approximations of spatial derivatives, standard finite difference techniques are generally used for approximation of the time derivative. Such an approach yields a scheme which is at best second order correct in time. In this study several higher order approximations of the time derivative are developed and analyzed using a finite difference approximation, and Galerkin-type finite element approximations in conjunction with several sets of basis functions. Results obtained with the different schemes exhibit significant improvements in the numerical solution of the convective-dispersive equation.
A shorter interval between menarche and first sexual intercourse is associated with increased risk of high-grade cervical disease.

Commentary on: Ruiz AM, Ruiz JE, Gavilanes AV, et al. for the FUTURE I and II Study Group. Proximity of first sexual intercourse to menarche and risk of high-grade cervical disease. J Infect Dis 2012;206:1887–96.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Ruiz and colleagues present associations between a shorter interval between menarche and first sexual intercourse on subsequent risk of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN-2+) or adenocarcinoma in situ among young women (16–23 years), in phase III randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in Colombia … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJ%2BInfect%2BDis%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1093%252Finfdis%252Fjis612%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F23066159%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1093/infdis/jis612&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=23066159&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F17%2F1%2F6.atom
Genetics of stem rust resistance in the spring wheat cultivar Thatcher and the enhancement of stem rust resistance by Lr34

Three recombinant inbred line populations from the crosses RL6071/Thatcher, RL6071/RL6058 (Thatcher Lr34), and Thatcher/RL6058, were used to study the genetics of stem rust resistance in Thatcher and TcLr34. Segregation of stem rust response in each population was used to determine the number of genes conferring resistance, as well as the effect of the leaf rust resistance gene Lr34 on stem rust resistance. The relationship between resistance in seedling and adult plants was also examined, and an attempt was made to identify microsatellite markers linked to genes that were effective in adult plants. In field plot tests at least three additive resistance genes segregated in the RL6071/RL6058 population, whereas two resistance genes segregated in the RL6071/Thatcher population. The presence of the gene Lr34 permitted the expression of additional stem rust resistance in Thatcher-derived lines both at the seedling and adult plant stages. Seedling resistance to races TPMK and RKQQ was significantly associated with resistance in adult plants, whereas seedling resistance to races QCCD and QCCB may have made a minor contribution. The seedling resistance genes Sr16 and Sr12 may have contributed to resistance in adult plants. A molecular marker linked to resistance in adult plants was identified on chromosome 2BL.
Evaluation of high-resolution ocean surface vector winds measured by QuikSCAT scatterometer in coastal regions

The SeaWinds scatterometer onboard QuikSCAT covers approximately 90% of the global ocean under clear and cloudy condition in 24 h, and the standard data product has 25-km spatial resolution. Such spatial resolution is not sufficient to resolve small-scale processes, especially in coastal oceans. Based on range-compressed normalized backscatter and a modified wind retrieval algorithm, a coastal wind dataset at 12.5-km resolution was produced. Even with larger error, the high-resolution winds, in medium to high strength, would still be useful over coastal ocean. Using measurements from moored buoys from the National Buoy Data Center, the high-resolution QuikSCAT wind data are found to have similar accuracy as standard data in the open ocean. The accuracy of both high- and standard-resolution winds, particularly in wind directions, is found to degrade near shore. The increase in error is likely caused by the inadequacy of the geophysical model function/ambiguity removal scheme in addressing coastal conditions and light winds situations. The modified algorithm helps to bring the directional accuracy of the high-resolution winds to the accuracy of the standard-resolution winds in near-shore regions, particularly in the nadir and far zones across the satellite track.
Deposition, diffusion and adsorption in the diesel oxidation catalyst

Abstract Three unique physical characteristics of diesel exhaust and their ramifications with respect to the diesel oxidation catalyst were discussed. The characteristics investigated were, first, that diesel exhaust contains solid, carbonaceous particles that can be catalytically removed from the exhaust only to the extent that they are first deposited within the oxidation catalyst. Calculated deposition rates for a certain 200 cell/in 2 catalyst substrate indicated that particle deposition and, hence, catalytic particle removal were negligible on a mass basis. Second, diesel exhaust hydrocarbons are composed of molecules much larger than those found in gasoline engine exhaust. There is consequently a maximum removal efficiency imposed by diffusion mass transfer limitations, calculable using classical mass transfer models, which becomes important at higher temperatures. Finally, diesel hydrocarbons adsorb onto the solid particles as the exhaust is cooled and diluted. Of particular interest is the state of adsorption at catalyst operating temperatures. Use of the Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory indicated that adsorbed hydrocarbons account for less than 2% of the total particulate mass in undiluted exhaust at temperatures above 225°C. Discussions of all three aforementioned topics are accompanied by experimental results, which in each case are consistent with the theoretical findings presented.
Effects of synaptic and antidromic stimulation on tyrosine hydroxylase activity in the rat superior cervical ganglion

1. The effects of orthodromic and antidromic stimulation of the rat superior cervical ganglion on the specific activity of the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase have been studied. 2. Orthodromic stimulation of the ganglion via the sympathetic trunk produced an increase in the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase when measured 3 days later while causing no change in the protein content of the ganglion. This increase in the specific activity of tyrosine hydroxylase was blocked by administration of the nicotinic antagonist, hexamethonium. 3. Antidromic stimulation of the superior cervical ganglion by stimulating the internal carotid nerve, the external carotid nerve or both nerves simultaneously produced no change in the specific activity of tyrosine hydroxylase. 4. Parallel increases in tyrosine hydroxylase activity and protein content per ganglion were seen when the internal carotid nerve was stimulated but similar changes were seen in "sham-stimulated" animals. These "non-specific" changes were apparently produced by the trauma involved in the extensive dissection necessary to position electrodes on this nerve trunk. 5. We conclude that an increase frequency of firing in post-ganglionic neurones is not a sufficient stimulus to elevate the specific activity of tyrosine hydroxylase. Rather some other aspect of nicotinic receptor stimulation seems to be required.
Parents as teachers and evaluators of medical student professionalism.

Teaching and evaluating professionalism in medicine has become an increasingly important task in medical student and resident education. The publication of a report noting that unprofessional behaviors of physicians were “strongly associated with prior unprofessional behavior as a medical student” led to increased interest in the assessment of professionalism competencies of students, residents, and physicians. One element of professionalism reflects the patient/clinician relationship and communication. The many ways to evaluate student competency in this area include OSCEs, standardized patients, videotaping student interaction with patients, role playing, and direct observation of student interaction with patients. The USMLE Clinical Skills exam is one example of addressing medical student competence in communication skills using a high stakes exam. Failure in this exam would mean the inability to obtain a medical license. Recent efforts have expanded student and resident evaluation to a “360 Degree” process, where everyone interacting with students and residents, including patients, evaluates student or resident competency. No studies, however, address the role of parents in both teaching medical students and assessing their competency in pediatrics, although some studies address the role of patients as teachers or their role and effectiveness of patients as evaluators of student competency. Researchers find the involvement of patient instructors valuable both to medical student education and to the patients themselves. Liu and colleagues, in this issue of Ambulatory Pediatrics, contribute an important finding about parents’ assessment of medical student communication skills. Their excellent work lays the groundwork for further research in assessing medical student professionalism. This study is a pioneer in the use of patient narratives to understand the complexity and perspectives of patients about student performance. Moreover, the science of assessment of student professionalism, communication, and relationship skills is still in its infancy with high stakes exams using standard-
ERCP and accessing the ampulla of vater in the bariatric patient

Common bile duct obstruction by gallstones is a frequent occurrence in patients following rapid weight loss after successful Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The challenge of accessing the papilla and performing successful therapeutic ERCP is undergoing rapid development. This chapter will review recent developments and suggest a treatment algorithm.
Spatial coherence properties of undulator radiation based on Thompson-Wolf two-pinhole measurement

Abstract The Thompson–Wolf two-pinhole technique was used to characterize the spatial coherence properties of undulator radiation. Both vertical and horizontal coherence properties are measured with various pinhole separations. High spatial coherence of extreme ultraviolet undulator radiation is demonstrated.
Fredholm resolvents, Wiener-Hopf equations, and Riccati differential equations

We shall show that the solution of Fredholm equations with symmetric kernels of a certain type can be reduced to the solution of a related Wiener-Hopf integral equation. A least-squares filtering problem is associated with this equation. When the kernel has a separable form, this related problem suggests that the solution can be obtained via a matrix Riccati differential equation, which may be a more convenient form for digital computer evaluation. The Fredholm determinant is also expressed in terms of the solution to the Riccati equation; this formula can also be used for the numerical determination of eigenvalues. The relations to similar work by Anderson and Moore and by Schumitzky are also discussed.
Identity, Abundance, and Phenology of Anagrus spp. (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) and Leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) Associated with Grape, Blackberry, and Wild Rose in Washington State

Abstract In 2001 and 2002, we monitored densities of western grape leafhopper, Erythroneura elegantula Osborn, and Virginia creeper leafhopper, Erythroneura ziczac Walsh (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), eggs from June through September in managed and nonmanaged vineyards in Washington state. Anagrus parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) were reared from sampled parasitized leafhopper eggs. Densities of nonparasitized and parasitized E. elegantula eggs, and nonparasitized E. ziczac eggs, were significantly higher in nonmanaged grapevines, although this pattern was not consistent for the latter two groups. Densities of parasitized E. ziczac eggs were consistently low across management regimes. Anagrus erythroneurae S. Trjapitzin & Chiappini, Anagrus daanei S. Triapitsyn, and Anagrus tretiakovae S. Triapitsyn emerged from parasitized E. elegantula eggs, whereas latter two mymarid species also parasitized E. ziczac eggs. Of these species, A. tretiakovae was the most common parasitoid of Erythroneura leafhopper eggs ...
The Ins and Outs of Homeschooling The Determinants of Parental Motivations and Student Achievement

This research investigates two major aspects of homeschooling. Factors determining parental motivations to homeschool and the determinants of the student achievement of home-educated children are i...
Similarities and Differences in the Development of Laboratory Strains and Freshly Isolated Strains of Herpes Simplex Virus in HEp-2 Cells: Electron Microscopy

HEp-2 cells infected with two laboratory strains (mP and MP) and two freshly isolated strains (F and G) of herpes simplex virus were fixed at intervals between 4 and 50 hr postinfection and sectioned, and were then examined with the electron microscope. These studies revealed the following. (i) All four strains caused identical segregation of nucleoli and aggregation of host chromosomes at the nuclear membrane. (ii) The development of MP virus could not be differentiated from that of its parent mP strain. (iii) There were quantitative differences between laboratory (mP) and freshly isolated (F) type 1 strains. Thus, cells infected with F contained numerous nuclear crystals of nucleocapsids and relatively few cytoplasmic structures containing enveloped nucleocapsids. Conversely, cells infected with mP or with MP virus contained numerous cytoplasmic structures with enveloped nucleocapsids and relatively few nuclear crystals of nucleocapsids. (iv) There were qualitative differences between type 2 strain (G) isolated from genital lesions and type 1 strains. Thus, cells infected with the G strain contain numerous filaments in nuclei and unenveloped and partially enveloped nucleocapsids in the cytoplasm. Of particular interest is the finding that cytoplasmic membranes in apposition to nucleocapsids were thickened and bent as if they were enveloping the particle. The significance of the qualitative differences in the development of the four strains is discussed.
The Work of Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra-Two Holistic Health/New Age Gurus: A Critique of the Holistic Health/New Age Movements

Despite the popular roots of the holistic health/New Age movements, a growing number of biomedical physicians have become proponents of holistic health as well as New Age healing. Over the past two decades, Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra, two biomedically trained physicians, have emerged as the visible and financially successful spokespersons of the movement. This article provides brief biographical sketches of Weil and Chopra and compares and contrasts their respective views on health, illness, healing, and health care. It also considers the response of various biomedical parties to these holistic health/New Age gurus who have attempted to integrate biomedicine and various alternative healing and metaphysical systems. Finally, this article argues that Weil and Chopra both epitomize the limitations of the holistic health/New Age movements, albeit in different ways.
Radio wave scintillations in the ionosphere

The phenomenon of scintillation of radio waves propagating through the ionosphere is reviewed in this paper. The emphasis is on propagational aspects, including both theoretical and experimental results. The review opens with a discussion of the motivation for stochastic formulation of the problem. Based on measurements from in-situ, radar, and propagation experiments, ionospheric irregularities ate found to be characterized, in general, by a power-law spectrum. While earlier measurements indicated a spectral index of about 4, there is recent evidence showing that the index may vary with the strength of the irregularity and possibly a two-component spectrum may exist with different spectral indices for large and small structures. Several scintillation theories including the Phase Screen, Rytov, and Parabolic Equation Method (PEM) are discussed next. Statistical parameters of the signal such as the average signal, scintillation index, rms phase fluctuations, correlation functions, power spectra, distributions, etc., are investigated. Effects of multiple scattering are discussed. Experimental results concerning irregularity structures and signal statics are presented. These results are compared with theoretical predictions. The agreements are shown to be satisfactory in a large measure. Next, the temporal behavior of a transionospheric radio signal is studied in terms of a two-frequency mutual coherence function and the temporal moments. Results including numerical simulations are discussed. Finally, some future efforts in ionospheric scintillation studies in the areas of transionospheric communication and space- and geophysics are recommended.
Initial Clinical Experience with Full Field Digital Mammography

Film screen mammography has been studied extensively and through several large randomized screening trials, it is known to reduce breast cancer mortality for women over 50 years old by approximately 30%, and for women between ages 40 and 50 by approximately 18% [1], [2]. However, film screen mammography is neither perfectly sensitive nor specific. Increased radiographic tends to reduce the sensitivity of screening mammography. Approximately 10% of breast cancers that are detected by self breast examination or physical examination are not visible by film-screen mammography [3]. In addition, when lesions are detected by mammography and biopsy is recommended by experienced radiologists, 60–95% of the lesions are benign [4]. Clearly, there is room for improvement in breast cancer screening and breast lesion characterization.
Narrative Time as Interpretation of Human Existence

In Victor Turner’s illuminating studies of the social functions of narrative, the need to know emerges as essential as an adaptive cultural mechanism. Turner stresses the derivation of the Latin narrare, “the Indo-European root gnâ (‘to know’) whence the vast family of words deriving from the Latin cognoscere [...], the Greek gignoskein, whence gnosis.”1 Narrative, for Turner, looks for meaning by “looking back.”