cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is turtle longevity linked to enhanced mechanisms for surviving brain anoxia and reoxygenation

We suggest that the processes that protect the turtle brain against anoxia and subsequent reoxygenation might also contribute to turtle longevity since many of them are linked to age related neurodegeneration. In the turtle the mechanisms for conserving ion channel function are particularly robust. The anoxic turtle brain avoids excitatory neurotransmitter toxicity by maintaining a balance between dopamine and glutamate-release and still active uptake mechanisms. In the anoxic turtle brain the inhibitory tone is strengthened through a sustained rise in extracellular GABA, and a corresponding increase in the density of GABA(A) receptors. The turtle has enhanced mechanisms that protect against the formation of ROS and mechanisms to protect from ROS damage. As many of these may be selectively activated during anoxia and recovery, the turtle could serve as a useful model to identify and investigate mechanisms for activating key protection and rescue mechanisms implicated in aging.
Impact of Tree-Oriented Growth Order in Marker-Controlled Region Growing for Individual Tree Crown Delineation Using Airborne Laser Scanner (ALS) Data

Region growing is frequently applied in automated individual tree crown delineation (ITCD) studies. Researchers have developed various rules for initial seed selection and stop criteria when applying the algorithm. However, research has rarely focused on the impact of tree-oriented growth order. This study implemented a marker-controlled region growing (MCRG) algorithm that considers homogeneity, crown size, and shape using airborne laser scanning (ALS) data, and investigated the impact of three growth orders (i.e., sequential, independent, and simultaneous) on tree crown delineation. The study also investigated the benefit of combining ALS data and orthoimagery in treetop detection at both plot and individual tree levels. The results showed that complementary data from the orthoimagery reduced omission error associated with small trees in the treetop detection procedure and improved treetop detection percentage on a plot level by 2%–5% compared to ALS alone. For tree crown delineation, the growth order applied in the MCRG algorithm influenced accuracy. Simultaneous growth yielded slightly higher accuracy (about 2% improvement for producer’s and user’s accuracy) than sequential growth. Independent growth provided comparable accuracy to simultaneous growth in this study by dealing with overlapping pixels among trees according to crown shape. This study provides several recommendations for applying region growing in future ITCD research.
Changing places: transnational networks, ethnic politics, and community development in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Abstract This paper examines political organizing among indigenous groups in the Ecuadorian Amazon, with a focus on the multi-scale networks of development, environmental, and cultural rights organizations with which many Amazonian indigenous communities are involved. In recent years, Latin American indigenous peoples’ political and cultural organizations have played a central role in mediating processes of resource access, rural development, and political participation. Diverse, transnational networks link community-based indigenous organizations to regional- and national-level ethnic rights organizations, state agencies, national and international NGOs, and multi-lateral development agencies. The formation and functioning of these networks have been central to contemporary forms of indigenous political mobilization in Latin America, and have had a profound influence on local places, regional identities, and national politics. This paper examines these processes in the context of the state transition from corporatist to neoliberal regime over the past 30 years. Through an institutional ethnography of an indigenous community association, I illustrate the ways that transnational networks have allowed indigenous groups to ‘scale up’ their political voice, while simultaneously consolidating the local communities that serve as spatial and institutional bases of both political power and cultural reproduction. This paper highlights the ways that transnational advocacy networks link scales of organization and political action, with implications for the strengthening of Ecuadorian democracy and civil society.
URETERAL RECONSTRUCTION: SMALL INTESTINE SUBMUCOSA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF STRICTURES AND DEFECTS OF THE UPPER THIRD OF THE URETER

Purpose: We evaluated the effectiveness of small intestine submucosa in ureteral reconstruction.Materials and Methods: We report an experimental study in 6 female pigs weighing between 50 and 60 pounds. The animals were anesthetized, midline laparotomy was performed and two-thirds of the diameter of the upper third of the left ureter were incised parallel to the ureteral axis, leaving intact only a third of the ureteral wall for a segment of 7 cm. A 5Fr double-J * *Medical Engineering Corp., New York, New York.; stent was positioned to secure patency at all times. The created gap was then bridged with an small intestine submucosa patch in a cylindrical format, which was subsequently sutured to the proximal and distal ureteral segment. The right ureter served as our control and simple intubated Davis ureterotomy was performed.Results: All animals survived the whole followup of 7 weeks. Histologically there was evidence of epithelial regeneration along the segments reconstructed with small intestine submuco...
Solubilization and Encapsulation of Fullerenes by Amphiphilic Block Copolymers

Solubilization and encapsulation of fullerenes C60 and C70 by ultralarge hollow micelles formed by rod−coil diblock copolymers and characterization of the resulting self-organized fullerene-block copolymer assemblies are reported. The solubilization capacity of each fullerene in poly(phenylquinoline)-block-polystyrene (PPQ-PS) micelles in binary solvents, trifluoroacetic acid/dichloromethane, and trifluoroacetic acid/toluene, was determined to be 200 mg of fullerene/g of PPQ-PS and found to be independent of block copolymer composition and concentration. This represents fullerene solubility enhancement by factors of 1040 and 63 compared to the solubilities in pure dichloromethane and toluene, respectively. Fullerenes C60 and C70 were found to change the micellization and self-assembly of PPQ-PS block copolymers in solution from polymorphic aggregates to only hollow spheres with encapsulated fullerenes. The solubilization and encapsulation of up to 1−10 billion fullerene molecules in PPQ-PS block copolymer...
Image quality assessment in the low quality regime

Traditionally, image quality estimators have been designed and optimized to operate over the entire quality range of images in a database, from very low quality to visually lossless. However, if quality estimation is limited to a smaller quality range, their performances drop dramatically, and many image applications only operate over such a smaller range. This paper is concerned with one such range, the low-quality regime, which is defined as the interval of perceived quality scores where there exists a linear relationship between the perceived quality scores and the perceived utility scores and exists at the low-quality end of image databases. Using this definition, this paper describes a subjective experiment to determine the low-quality regime for databases of distorted images that include perceived quality scores but not perceived utility scores, such as CSIQ and LIVE. The performances of several image utility and quality estimators are evaluated in the low-quality regime, indicating that utility estimators can be successfully applied to estimate perceived quality in this regime. Omission of the lowestfrequency image content is shown to be crucial to the performances of both kinds of estimators. Additionally, this paper establishes an upper-bound for the performances of quality estimators in the LQR, using a family of quality estimators based on VIF. The resulting optimal quality estimator indicates that estimating quality in the low-quality regime is robust to exact frequency pooling weights, and that near-optimal performance can be achieved by a variety of estimators providing that they substantially emphasize the appropriate frequency content.
Effects of mutant human Ki-rasG12C gene dosage on murine lung tumorigenesis and signaling to its downstream effectors

Studies in cell culture have suggested that the level of RAS expression can influence the transformation of cells and the signaling pathways stimulated by mutant RAS expression. However, the levels of RAS expression in vivo appear to be subject to feedback regulation, limiting the total amount of RAS protein that can be expressed. We utilized a bitransgenic mouse lung tumor model that expressed the human Ki-ras(G12C) allele in a tetracycline-inducible, lung-specific manner. Treatment for 12 months with 500 microg/ml of doxycycline (DOX) allowed for maximal expression of the human Ki-ras(G12C) allele in the lung, and resulted in the development of focal hyperplasia and adenomas. We determined if different levels of mutant RAS expression would influence the phenotype of the lung lesions. Treatment with 25, 100 and 500 microg/ml of DOX resulted in dose-dependent increases in transgene expression and tumor multiplicity. Microscopic analysis of the lungs of mice treated with the 25 microg/ml dose of DOX revealed infrequent foci of hyperplasia, whereas mice treated with the 100 and 500 microg/ml doses exhibited numerous hyperplastic foci and also adenomas. Immunohistochemical and RNA analysis of the downstream effector pathways demonstrated that different levels of mutant RAS transgene expression resulted in differences in the expression and/or phosphorylation of specific signaling molecules. Our results suggest that the molecular alterations driving tumorigenesis may differ at different levels of mutant Ki-ras(G12C) expression, and this should be taken into consideration when inducible transgene systems are utilized to promote tumorigenesis in mouse models.
Racial Disparities in Depression Care among Older Adults: Can the Perspectives of Clinicians and Patients be Reconciled?

Depression is highly prevalent and debilitating in late life. It affected 3.8 million older Americans in 2005, and its prevalence is expected to increase to 6.6 million in 2025. Despite its prevalence and associated negative health outcomes, depression is not diagnosed and treated equally among older Americans. An under-recognition and under-treatment of depression in minority elders exists, which has lead to significant disparities between Whites and non-Whites. These disparities challenge our principles of equality, equity and adequacy and, in their most extreme form, become human rights issues. As a result, eliminating health disparities has become a priority of the US Federal government. Practitioners must address differences in the diagnosis and treatment of depression among clients served. Increased levels of cultural competency and educating clients will help reconcile differences between clinicians and their patients and lead to increased understanding of client needs, while decreasing disparities in depression care and diagnosis.
Temperature and Size Variabilities of the Western Pacific Warm Pool

Variabilities in sea-surface temperature and size of the Western Pacific Warm Pool were tracked with 10 years of satellite multichannel sea-surface temperature observations from 1982 to 1991. The results show that both annual mean sea-surface temperature and the size of the warm pool increased from 1983 to 1987 and fluctuated after 1987. Possible causes of these variations include solar irradiance variabilities, El Nino-Southern Oscillaton events, volcanic activities, and global warming.
Environmental Impact Assessment: What, When, How?

Abstract Environmental Impact assessment (EIA) is a term that has become widely known in both developed and developing countries. It is well-recognized that EIA talks about the process by which the environmental impacts of a project can be systematically collected, analyzed and well- presented to inform and assure a proper decision making process [1]. The measures would include air quality, water quality, soil contamination, restoration, noise pollution, and others. The activities undertaken during decision taking stages to monitor, evaluate, manage and communicate the environmental outcomes, were EIA methods, tools and techniques ranging from simple to complex, requiring different kinds of data, different data formats, and different levels of expertise for their interpretation [2]. The EIA practitioner is faced with a vast quantity of raw, and usually disorganized, information that must be collected and analyzed in preparation for an EIA report. This EIA report that accompanies the Planning Application i...
Meaning making during high and low point life story episodes predicts emotion regulation two years later: How the past informs the future

Abstract Memory processes are commonly thought to relate to a host of personality systems. The current study specifies a particular way that memory relates to personality. Highly-valenced, identity-rich memories – high and low point episodes in the life story – were analyzed to see if aspects of these memories predicted self-reports of emotion regulation two years later. Meaning making in high and low points predicted emotion regulation. Moreover, valence mattered. Positive meaning making in high and low point stories predicted positive emotion regulation while negative meaning making in low point stories predicted negative emotion regulation. These relationships held while controlling for baseline extraversion, neuroticism, and memory word count. Limitations due to study design are discussed.
A model illustrating possible instability of cellular structure under conditions of weightlessness

Abstract The possibility is suggested that the stability of cell structures may depend upon the continuing application of a gravitational force above some minimum value. One type of physical model is described that illustrates such dependence of structural integrity on the presence of a gravitational force irrespective of its direction and that shows instability under conditions of weightlessness.
Standard scores for the Bay Area Functional Performance Evaluation Task Oriented Assessment

This paper presents normative data for the Bay Area Functional Performance Evaluation Task Oriented Assessment using a sample of 266 patients drawn from five psychiatric in-patient hospitals in Western New York and Canada. Use of the means, standard deviations and standard scores is discussed and related to treatment planning.
Physical and biological controls on oxygen saturation variability in the upper Arctic Ocean

Employing continuous in situ measurements of dissolved O2/Ar and O2 in the Arctic Ocean, we investigate the mechanisms controlling the physical (abiotic) and biological oxygen saturation state variability in the surface ocean beneath sea ice. O2/Ar measurements were made underway using Equilibrator Inlet Mass Spectrometry (EIMS) during an icebreaker survey transiting the upper Arctic Ocean across the North Pole in late summer 2011. Using concurrently collected measurements of total oxygen, we devolve biological oxygen saturation and physical oxygen (Ar) saturation signals at unprecedented horizontal resolution in the surface ocean. In the Nansen Basin, Ar is undersaturated up to −7% while biological oxygen supersaturation peaks at 18.4%. We attribute this to ice melt, Atlantic Water influence and/or cooling. In the Canadian Basin, Ar is supersaturated up to 3%, likely because of Ar injection from freezing processes and long residence times of gas under ice cover. The overall Canadian Basin to Eurasian Basin gradient of Ar supersaturation to undersaturation may reflect net freezing in the Canadian Basin and net melting in the Eurasian Basin over several seasons, either by Pacific to Atlantic sector ice transport or local changes over time. Ar saturation could thereby provide large-scale high-resolution estimates of current and future changes in these processes. O2/Ar supersaturation averages 4.9% with peaks up to 9.8% where first year ice and abundant melt ponds likely allow sufficient light for blooms in ice-covered regions.
A Dozen Minima for a Parabola

This setting is a rich source of minimization problems involving several calculus concepts. Among these problems there are at least twelve different values of a that minimize some interesting quantity such as the distance between P and Q. All the problems can be set up by hand, and some can be finished by hand, but for others a computer algebra system is eventually a welcome aid. In several of the problems,
Local indecomposability of certain geometric graphs

Abstract A graph is indecomposable if its complement is connected. If a graph is locally indecomposable, then it is typically indecomposable itself. Here we study the converse. Under what circumstances does global indecomposability force local indecomposability? The results are applied to a certain class of graphs which are geometric or at least locally geometric.
Cost-effectiveness of a routine varicella vaccination program for US children

Objective. —To evaluate the economic consequences of a routine varicella vaccination program that targets healthy children. Methods. —Decision analysis was used to compare the costs, outcomes, and cost-effectiveness of a routine vaccination program with no intervention. Clinical outcomes were based on a mathematical model of vaccine efficacy that relied on published and unpublished data and on expert opinion. Medical utilization rates and costs were collected from multiple sources, including the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program and the California Hospital Discharge Database. Results. —A routine varicella vaccination program for healthy children would prevent 94% of all potential cases of chickenpox, provided the vaccination coverage rate is 97% at school entry. It would cost approximately $162 million annually if one dose of vaccine per child were recommended at a cost of $35 per dose. From the societal perspective, which includes work-loss costs as well as medical costs, the program would save more than $5 for every dollar invested in vaccination. However, from the health care payer's perspective (medical costs only), the program would cost approximately $2 per chickenpox case prevented, or $2500 per life-year saved. The medical cost of disease prevention was sensitive to the vaccination coverage rate and vaccine price but was relatively insensitive to assumptions about vaccine efficacy within plausible ranges. An additional program for catch-up vaccination of 12-year-olds would have high incremental costs if the vaccination coverage rate of children of preschool age were 97%, but would result in net savings at a coverage rate of 50%. Conclusions. —A routine varicella vaccination program for healthy children would result in net savings from the societal perspective, which includes work-loss costs as well as medical costs. Compared with other prevention programs, it would also be relatively cost-effective from the health care payer's perspective. (JAMA. 1994;271:375-381)
Three‐dimensional boundary integral modeling of spontaneous earthquake sequences and aseismic slip

[1] Fault processes involve complex patterns of seismic events and aseismic slip. This work develops a three-dimensional (3-D) methodology for simulating long-term history of spontaneous seismic and aseismic slip on a vertical planar strike-slip fault subjected to slow tectonic loading. Our approach reproduces all stages of earthquake cycles, from accelerating slip before dynamic instability, to rapid dynamic propagation of earthquake rupture, to postseismic slip, and to interseismic creep, including aseismic transients. We use the developed 3-D methodology to study interaction of fault slip with a small patch of higher normal stress over long-term slip history. For uniform initial prestress, dynamic rupture is significantly affected by the stronger patch in the first simulated event but not in subsequent ones. The change in behavior is due to redistribution of shear stress by prior slip, which demonstrates that distributions of fault strength and stress are related and illustrates the importance of simulating long slip histories even in studies of dynamic rupture. Despite no long-term effect on dynamic rupture, the small patch of higher normal stress influences nucleation processes and hence long-term slip patterns in the model. Comparison of the fully dynamic simulations and a widely used quasi-dynamic approach shows that the quasi-dynamic approach modifies long-term slip patterns in addition to resulting in much smaller slip velocities and rupture speeds during dynamic events. We show that the response of quasi-dynamic formulations with reduced radiation damping terms can be scaled to match the results of the standard quasi-dynamic formulation and hence cannot improve the comparison.
Sulfur-bearing coatings on fly ash from a coal-fired power plant: composition, origin, and influence on ash alteration

Abstract Fly ash samples collected from two locations in the exhaust stream of a coal-fired power plant differ markedly with respect to the abundance of thin (≈0.1 μm) sulfur-rich surface coatings that are observable by scanning electron microscopy. The coatings, tentatively identified as an aluminum-potassium-sulfate phase, probably form upon reaction between condensed sulfuric acid aerosols and glass surfaces, and are preferentially concentrated on ash exposed to exhaust stream gases for longer. The coatings are highly soluble and if sufficiently abundant, can impart an acidic pH to solutions initially in contact with ash. These observations suggest that proposals for ash use and predictions of ash behavior during disposal should consider the transient, acid-generating potential of some ash fractions and the possible effects on initial ash leachability and alteration.
Effects of ibuprofen, naproxen, and sulindac on prostaglandins in men.

Effects of ibuprofen, naproxen, and sulindac on prostaglandins in men. In contrast to other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), sulindac has been reported to inhibit systemic prostaglandins (PGs) while not affecting renal PGs. We studied 11 normal volunteers who received placebo, ibuprofen, naproxen, or sulindac in a randomized, double-blind fashion. After control periods assessing the effect of the NSAIDs alone, 40 mg of furosemide were administered. Overall, each of the drugs appeared similar. Renal function, plasma renin activity (PRA) and urinary PGs were not affected during control collections, while all three NSAIDs decreased thromboxane B2 (TxB2). After furosemide, all NSAIDs decreased fractional excretions of Na+ and CI-, PRA, and TxB2 by equivalent degrees (P Effets de l'ibuprofene, du naproxene, et du sulindac sur les prostaglandines chez les hommes. A l'oppose d'autres medicaments anti-inflammatoires non steroidiens (NSAIDs), il a ete rapporte que le sulindac inhibe les prostaglandines systemiques (PGs), mais n'affecte pas les PGs renales. Nous avons etudie 11 volontaires sains qui ont recu du placebo, de l'ibuprofene, du naproxene, ou du sulindac d'une maniere randomisee, en double insu. Apres les periodes controles etudiant l'effet des NSAIDs seuls, 40 mg de furosemide ont ete administres. Globalement, chacun des medicaments apparaissait semblable. La fonction renale, l'activite renine plasmatique (PRA) et les PGs urinaires n'etaient pas modifiees pendant les collections controles, alors que les trois NSAIDs diminuaient le thromboxane B2 (TxB2). Apres furosemide, tous les NSAIDs diminuaient les excretions fractionnelles de Na+ et Cl-, PRA et TxB2 de facon equivalente (P
A peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst counteracts sensory neuropathy in streptozotocin-diabetic mice

Whereas an important role of free radicals and oxidants in peripheral diabetic neuropathy is well established, the contribution of nitrosative stress and, in particular, of the highly reactive oxidant peroxynitrite, has not been properly explored. Our previous findings implicate peroxynitrite in diabetes-associated motor and sensory nerve conduction deficits and peripheral nerve energy deficiency and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activation associated with Type 1 diabetes. In this study the role of nitrosative stress in diabetic sensory neuropathy is evaluated. The peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst Fe(III) tetrakis-2-(N-triethylene glycol monomethyl ether)pyridyl porphyrin (FP15) was administered to control and streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic mice at the dose of 5 mg kg(-1) day(-1) (FP15), for 3 weeks after initial 3 weeks without treatment. Mice with 6-week duration of diabetes developed clearly manifest thermal hypoalgesia (paw withdrawal, tail-flick, and hot plate tests), mechanical hypoalgesia (tail pressure Randall-Sellito test), tactile allodynia (flexible von Frey filament test), and approximately 38% loss of intraepidermal nerve fibers. They also had increased nitrotyrosine and poly(ADP-ribose) immunofluorescence in the sciatic nerve, grey matter of spinal cord, and dorsal root ganglion neurons. FP15 treatment was associated with alleviation of thermal and mechanical hypoalgesia. Tactile response threshold tended to increase in response to peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst treatment, but still remained approximately 59% lower compared with non-diabetic controls. Intraepidermal nerve fiber density was 25% higher in FP15-treated than in untreated diabetic rats, but the difference between two groups did not achieve statistical significance (p=0.054). Nitrotyrosine and poly(ADP-ribose) immunofluorescence in sciatic nerve, spinal cord, and dorsal root ganglion neurons of peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst-treated diabetic mice were markedly reduced. In conclusion, nitrosative stress plays an important role in sensory neuropathy associated with Type 1 diabetes. The findings provide rationale for further studies of peroxynitrite decomposition catalysts in a long-term diabetic model.
Biopedological origin of peatlands in South East Alaska

Peatlands are the final stage in plant succession on level surfaces in South East Alaska, a region where bogs and forests in the process of turning into bogs occupy nearly as much surface area as do forests proper1–3. Plant succession in this area is in part conditioned by progressive bogging4; however, no previous attempts have been made to relate paludification to soil development. We now propose that the formation of peatlands in the Lituya Bay area of South East Alaska is caused by the deterioration of the internal drainage of the soil as an iron-cemented pan develops during the process of podzolisation. This situation provides a clear example of soil-induced bog formation, a process that may be important in other parts of the world.
The vulnerable and unstable atherosclerotic plaque

The lesion responsible for the overwhelming majority of acute coronary events is plaque disruption or erosion with superimposed thrombosis. The term "vulnerable plaque" has been used to describe those atherosclerotic plaques that are particularly susceptible to disruption. Vulnerable plaques are generally characterized as those having a thin inflamed fibrous cap over a very large lipid core. However, only a small percentage of such plaques rupture, and plaques with different characteristics may also rupture and thrombose. Most autopsy, intravascular ultrasound, and recent computed tomography angiographic studies of coronary arteries reveal large plaques at sites of rupture. While angiographic data are said to show less severe narrowing at sites of plaque rupture, actual review of data indicates that, even angiographically, more than 50% of plaques have greater than 75% cross-sectional area stenosis at sites of plaque rupture. If plaque rupture is more common at the shoulder region of a plaque, one could envision that this would be at a peripheral site of the plaque where the plaque may not be as large or occlusive. New knowledge about vulnerable plaques is emerging through the evolution of novel techniques used to study plaques in vivo. These methods combine sophisticated imaging techniques, often in conjunction with molecular biomarkers, that provide new insights into plaque biology. Since atherosclerotic coronary artery disease is such a widespread and fatal disease, it is important that we continue to strive for a greater understanding of the nature of the vulnerable plaque. Only then can rational interventions for this disorder be developed and implemented.
Biochemical Mechanisms for the Attenuation of Bleomycin-Induced Lung Fibrosis by Treatment with Niacin in Hamsters: The Role of NAD and ATP

Treatment with niacin (NA), a precursor of NAD, has been shown to attenuate collagen accumulation in the bleomycin (BL) hamster model of lung fibrosis. This study investigated the effects of NA on lung levels of NAD, ATP, ADP, and AMP during various stages of lung fibrosis caused by intratracheal (IT) instillation of BL in hamsters. Niacin (500 mg/kg, IP) or saline (SA, IP) was given daily two days prior to and every day after the IT administration ofBL (7.5 U/S mL/kg) or an equivalent volume of sterile isotonic saline. Hamsters were sacrificed at 3, 4, 7, 10, and 14 days after BL or saline treatment. Lung NAD, ATP, ADP, and AMP were separated and quantitated using C-18 reverse-phase HPLC coupled with UV detection. The lung ATP content of the SABL groups was significantly (p ≤ .05) increased at 1, 7, 10, and 14 days, peaking at 7 days to 210 ± 20% of the SASA group. The hamsters in NABL groups also had significant increases in ATP levels at 7, 10, and 14 days, peaking to 172 ± 18% of the NASA group at 7 d...
Elimination of air detrimental effect using Tl-stabilized precursor for epitaxial HgBa2CaCu2O6 thin films

Abstract The fabrication process for HgBa 2 CaCu 2 O 6+ δ (Hg-1212) superconducting thin films has been greatly simplified when an air-insensitive precursor film (Tl y Ba 2 CaCu 2 O x ) was employed. Using such precursors, high-quality Hg-1212 thin films have been reproducibly fabricated in air. X-ray diffraction θ –2 θ scans and pole figures show that these films consist of high-purity Hg-1212 grains that are c -axis oriented and in-plane aligned. Zero-resistance transition temperatures of these films are typically 122–124 K. Critical current density is up to 2.0×10 7 A/cm 2 at 5 K and remains above 1 MA/ cm 2 at 100 K in zero field.
A Derived Climatology of Water Temperatures for the Mississippi Catfish Industry

A 36 year (1951–1986) record of water temperatures in Mississippi catfish ponds is synthesized from relationships with existing air temperature records. Multiple regression analysis is used to produce the following predictor equations for morning and afternoon pond temperatures: morning pond temperatures = 2.218 + 0.062(max air temp, day before) + 0.285(min air temp, same day) + 0.561 (afternoon pond temp, day before) (1) afternoon pond temperatures = 2.071 - 0.068(min air temp, same day) + 0.651 (morning pond temp, same day) + 0.373(max air temp, same day) (2) The derived pond temperature record is analyzed to produce annual average regimes; daily average, maximum, and minimum temperatures with standard deviations; and probabilities at 10 levels of Occurrence through the year and for each individual month. Applications for the aquaculture industry are presented and evaluated.
Representations of attachment to parents in adolescent sibling pairs: concordant or discordant?

This chapter examines the theoretically important but understudied question of concordance in adolescent siblings' representations of attachment to parents.
THE RENEWAL OF PHOTORECEPTOR CELL OUTER SEGMENTS

The utilization of methionine-3H by retinal photoreceptor cells has been studied by radioautographic technique in the rat, mouse, and frog. In all three species, the labeled amino acid is concentrated initially in the inner segment of the cell. Within 24 hr, the radioactive material is displaced to the base of the outer segment, where it accumulates as a distinct reaction band. The reaction band then gradually moves along the outer segment and ultimately disappears at the apex of the cell, which is in contact with the retinal pigment epithelium. These findings are interpreted to indicate that the photoreceptor cell outer segment is continually renewed, by the repeated lamellar apposition of material (membranous discs) at the base of the outer segment, in conjunction with a balanced removal of material at its apex. The outer segment renewal rate is accelerated in frogs when ambient temperature is raised, and is elevated in both frogs and rats when the intensity of retinal illumination is increased.
Beyond the spring barrier

Predicting an El Nino or La Nina event before the preceding spring has proved to be difficult. Taking into account coupled ocean–atmosphere modes in the Indian Ocean region that have a two-year periodicity may provide the basis for longer forecasting lead times.
Modeling of heat capacities of multi-walled carbon nanotubes by molecular structural mechanics

In this paper, we study the heat capacity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes by using an atomistic modeling technique, namely the molecular structural mechanics method. The vibrational modes of the nanotube are quantized according to the theory of quantum mechanics. The partition function is directly expressed in terms of the vibrational frequencies of carbon atoms. The heat capacity is then derived from the partition function. The modeling results indicate that the heat capacity of carbon nanotubes is mainly dependent on temperature and slightly dependent on tube chirality and tube length at higher temperatures. The effects of tube diameter and the number of tube layers are negligible.
Distribution of somatostatin receptors in RINm5F insulinoma cells

Previous studies with heterogeneous populations of pancreatic cells have provided evidence for the presence of somatostatin (SRIF) receptors in cytosol and secretion vesicles, as well as the plasma membrane. To examine the distribution of SRIF receptors between soluble and membrane fractions in a homogeneous pancreatic islet cell population, we have used the clonal RINm5F insulinoma cell line. These cells contain specific, high affinity binding sites for [125I-Try11]SRIF on the cell surface, and occupancy of these sites by SRIF and SRIF analogs correlates with inhibition of insulin secretion. Stable, steady state binding was achieved using both intact cells and membranes by performing binding incubations with [25I-Tyr11]SRIF at 22 C. Half-maximal inhibition of [125I-Tyr11]SRIF binding occurred with 0.21 +/- 0.11 nM SRIF in membranes and 0.35 +/- 0.30 nM SRIF in cells. In contrast, the binding of [125I-Tyr11]SRIF to cytosolic macromolecules was not reduced by concentrations of SRIF as high as 100 nM, demonstrating that this binding was of much lower affinity. RINm5F membranes were further purified using a Percoll gradient to prepare a microsomal fraction, which was enriched in adenylate cyclase activity, and a secretory granule fraction, which was enriched in insulin. [125I-Tyr11]SRIF binding to the microsomal fraction (3.8 +/- 0.3 fmol/mg) was 3 times higher than to secretion granules (1.2 +/- 0.2 fmol/mg). Thus, high affinity SRIF binding sites were most abundant in microsomal membranes and were low or undetectable in secretory granules and cytosol. To determine whether translocation of SRIF receptors to the plasma membrane accompanied insulin secretion, we examined the effects of various insulin secretagogues on [125I-Tyr11]SRIF binding to intact cells. Leucine (20 mM), glyceraldehyde (15 mM), forskolin (1 microM), and glucagon (1 microM) stimulated insulin release 1.5- to 4.0-fold in different experiments. However, these secretagogues did not increase [125I-Tyr11]SRIF binding. In summary, our results indicate that high affinity SRIF receptors in RINm5F cells are located primarily on the plasma membrane and that the concentration of SRIF receptors at the cell surface is independent of the secretory activity of the cells.
A Plant-Based Diet for Type 2 Diabetes Scientific Support and Practical Strategies

PurposeThe purpose of this review is to provide educators with the knowledge and tools to utilize plant-based nutrition education as an intervention for type 2 diabetes. Scientific support for the ...
Repulsive potentials, clumps and the metastable glass phase

Abstract We present the results of simulations and theoretical investigations of a system of particles with a weak, long-range repulsive interaction. At fixed density the fluid phase, which is stable at high temperatures, becomes metastable and then unstable as the temperature is lowered. For low temperatures the particles from approximately equal size clumps that interact weakly with neighboring clumps. The global free energy minimum at low temperatures corresponds to a crystalline lattice clump structure. However the free energy surface has many minima associated with metastable amorphous phases. Quenches from the fluid phase to low temperatures almost always will result in an amorphous clump structure with the number of clumps dependent on quench history. The association of the amorphous phase with a large number of metastable minima is similar to a mean-field spin glass.
Bariatric surgery: part of the answer to the obesity epidemic.

Bariatric surgery is not the total answer to obesity, but it can be an integral part of a comprehensive weight-management program.
Pulmonary Hemodynamic and Ultrastructural Changes Associated with Group B Streptococcal Toxemia in Adult Sheep and Newborn Lambs

Summary: A toxin isolated from Group B β-hemolytic streptococci, Type III was infused into adult sheep and newborn lambs. A twophased reaction was observed. There was an initial phase of pulmonary hypertension and high flow of protein-poor lymph. This was followed by a second phase when pressures returned to baseline but lymph flow remained twice the baseline values and protein concentration in lymph increased. During the second phase there was a significant increase in lymph protein clearance, suggestive of increased microvascular permeability to protein. The absolute granulocyte count decreased to 10% of baseline values by 60 min after the infusion, and was followed by a variable return to baseline. The sheep with the largest changes in protein clearance were those who had the slowest return to baseline values. Pathologic examination of lung tissue revealed there was capillary dilation, interstitial edema, and large numbers of granulocytes in the lungs. The basement membranes of both capillaries and arterioles showed disruption and widening, along with fragmentation of the internal elastic membrane. This study provides morphologic and physiologic evidence of increased pulmonary vascular permeability after injection of streptococcal toxin associated with granulocyte trapping in the lung. We postulate that granulocytes may be involved as mediators of the pulmonary vascular injury.
Juvenile ankylosing spondylitis.

Fifteen patients with juvenile ankylosing spondylitis were reviewed. Eight presented with extraspinal arthritis. Certain clinical features were of value early in the disease in distinguishing these patients from those with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: male sex, remittent oligoarthritis, late onset in childhood, relative sparing of hands and wrists, infrequent cervical spine involvement, and negative tests for rheumatoid factors and antinuclear antibodies. Roentgenographic demonstration of sacroiliac arthritis with reactive sclerosis makes the diagnosis virtually certain.
Rapid evolution of primate ESX1, an X-linked placenta- and testis-expressed homeobox gene

Homeobox genes encode transcription factors that play important roles in various developmental processes and are usually evolutionarily conserved. Here we report a case of rapid evolution of a homeobox gene in humans and non-human primates. ESX1 is an X-linked homeobox gene primarily expressed in the placenta and testis, with physiological functions in placenta/fetus development and spermatogenesis. ESX1 is paternally imprinted in mice, but is not imprinted in humans. We provide evidence for a significantly higher non-synonymous substitution rate than synonymous rate in ESX1 between humans and chimps as well as among a total of 15 primate species. Population genetic data also show signals of recent selective sweeps within humans. Positive selection appears to be concentrated in the C-terminal non-homeodomain region, which has been implicated in regulating human male germ cell division by prohibiting the degradation of cyclins. In contrast, mouse Esx1 has a substantively different C-terminal region subject to strong purifying selection. These and other results suggest that even the fundamental process of spermatogenesis has been targeted by positive selection in primate and human evolution and that mouse may not be a suitable model for studying human reproduction.
β-Chemokines Are Induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Inhibit Its Growth

Chemokines (CK) are potent leukocyte activators and chemoattractants and aid in granuloma formation, functions critical for the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We hypothesized that infection of alveolar macrophages (AM) with different strains of M. tuberculosis elicits distinct profiles of CK, which could be altered by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. RANTES, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), and MIP-1β were the major β-CK produced in response to M. tuberculosis infection. Virulent M. tuberculosis (H37Rv) induced significantly less MIP-1α than did the avirulent strain (H37Ra), while MIP-1β and RANTES production was comparable for both strains. MIP-1α and MIP-1β were induced by the membrane, but not cytosolic, fraction of M. tuberculosis. M. tuberculosis-induced CK secretion was partly dependent on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). AM from HIV-infected individuals produced less TNF-α and MIP-1β than did normal AM in response to either M. tuberculosis strain. We tested the functional significance of decreased β-CK secretion by examining the ability of β-CK to suppress intracellular growth of M. tuberculosis. MIP-1β and RANTES suppressed intracellular growth of M. tuberculosis two- to threefold, a novel finding. Thus, β-CK contribute to the innate immune response to M. tuberculosis infection, and their diminution may promote the intracellular survival of M. tuberculosis.
Composition of Inhaled Urban Air Particles Determines Acute Pulmonary Responses

Urban particles have a complex heterogeneous composition. To determine which components contribute to the toxicity of inhaled ambient air particles, six different experiments were done using normal Sprague–Dawley rats exposed for 3 consecutive days, for 5 h per day, to either concentrated air particles (CAPs) or filtered air sham conditions (8–12 animals per experimental group per experiment). For each exposure, mass, sulfate, elemental carbon, organic carbon and elemental analysis by X-ray fluorescence were determined. Rotating factor analysis was used to identify component representatives for constituents with the same day-to-day variation. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was done 24 h after the last exposure on at least six randomly selected animals per group, assessing both cell and fluid parameters. RNA was collected from the lung tissue and BAL cells of each animal, then purified, pooled and hybridized to Affymetrix ® rat genome expression microarrays to assess differences in mRNA between the CAPs and sham groups. Significant increases in neutrophils in BAL correlated with measured mass concentrations and particle components associated with urban traffic. Pro-inflammatory mediators/receptors, vascular activation mediators and organic chemical detoxification enzymes all indicated substantial increases in mRNA in CAPs-exposed compared with shamexposed animals. The mRNA detected for immune enhancers and vascular dilatation mediators were substantially decreased with CAPs exposure. Identifying cellular responses and mediators in relation to responsible components in the particles are important steps in understanding the effects of inhaled ambient particles.
The Pastoral Use of the Book of Revelation in Late Tudor England

Over the past forty years historians have demonstrated continued interest in tracing the development of radical early modern English apocalypticism. The Tudor and Stuart eschatological scene, however, encompassed more than just millenarian activism. This article emphasises the pastoral ends to which Revelation was used by a group of late sixteenth-century writers as they sought to make it accessible to the ‘common sort’ of Christian. Viewing interest in the Last Days through this pastoral lens highlights both the tense complexities present in the Elizabethan Church and the usefulness of eschatological themes in studying ordinary and normative aspects of religious experience.
CTH06-6: Optimized Transmission for Upstream Vectored DSL Systems Using Zero-Forcing Generalized Decision-Feedback Equalizers

In upstream vectored DSL transmission, the far-end crosstalk (FEXT) can be completely cancelled by using zero- forcing generalized decision-feedback equalizers (ZF-GDFE). When the spatially correlated alien crosstalk is present, the achievable data rates of DSL lines with ZF-GDFE depend on their decoding orders at each DMT tone. Given a weighted sum-rate maximization problem, the optimal orderings for all DMT tones can be found by the Lagrange dual decomposition method. However, the computational complexity of such approach grows with the factorial of the number of users, which makes the optimal search infeasible with a large number of vectored lines. This paper presents a modified greedy algorithm (MGA) that performs close to the optimal search of decoding orders. The complexity of MGA is only proportional to the cube of the number of users, which is the same as it of QR decomposition. With a significant reduction of complexity, MGA is a promising technique for practical DSL systems.
Parametric Imaging and Test–Retest Variability of 11C-(+)-PHNO Binding to D2/D3 Dopamine Receptors in Humans on the High-Resolution Research Tomograph PET Scanner

11C-(+)-4-propyl-9-hydroxynaphthoxazine (11C-(+)-PHNO) is an agonist radioligand for imaging dopamine D2 and D3 receptors in the human brain with PET. In this study we evaluated the reproducibility of 11C-(+)-PHNO binding parameters using a within-day design and assessed parametric imaging methods. Methods: Repeated studies were performed in 8 subjects, with simultaneous measurement of the arterial input function and plasma free fraction. Two 11C-(+)-PHNO scans for the same subject were separated by 5.4 ± 0.7 h. After compartment models were evaluated, 11C-(+)-PHNO volumes of distribution (VT) and binding potentials relative to the concentration of tracer in plasma (BPP), nondisplaceable tracer in tissue (BPND), and free tracer in tissue (BPF) were quantified using the multilinear analysis MA1 method, with the cerebellum as the reference region. Parametric images of BPND were also computed using the simplified reference tissue model (SRTM) and SRTM2. Results: The test–retest variability of 11C-(+)-PHNO BPND was 9% in D2-rich regions (caudate and putamen). Among D3-rich regions, variability was low in the pallidum (6%) but higher in substantia nigra (19%), thalamus (14%), and hypothalamus (21%). No significant mass carry-over effect was observed in D3-rich regions, although a trend in BPND was present in the substantia nigra (−14% ± 15%). Because of the relatively fast kinetics, low-noise BPND parametric images were obtained with both SRTM and SRTM2 without spatial smoothing. Conclusion:11C-(+)-PHNO can be used to compute low-noise parametric images in both D2- and D3-rich regions in humans.