cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visualization of cardiac muscle thin filaments and measurement of their lengths by electron tomography

Aims An intriguing difference between vertebrate skeletal and cardiac muscles is that the lengths of the thin filaments are constant in the former but variable in the latter. The thick filaments have constant lengths in both types of muscles. The contractile behaviour of a muscle is affected by the lengths of both types of filaments as the tension generated during contraction depends on the amount of filament overlap. To understand the behaviour of cardiac muscle, it is important to know the distribution of the thin filament lengths. The previous detailed analysis by Robinson and Winegrad used serial transverse sections to determine the lengths of the thin filaments. However, the precision, set by the 100 nm section thickness, was low. Here, we have used electron tomography to produce 3D images of rat and mouse cardiac muscles in which we can actually see individual thin filaments up to the free ends and see that these free ends have variable locations. For comparison, we also measure the thin filament lengths in skeletal muscle (frog sartorius). Methods and results Cardiac papillary muscles were obtained from a rat (Sprague–Dawley) and a mouse (C57/B6). Skeletal muscle (sartorius) was obtained from a frog (Rana pipiens). Longitudinal sections (100 nm thick) were used to produce tilt series and tomograms from which the thin filament paths were traced. Cardiac papillary muscle thin filaments in rat and mouse range from 0.94 to 1.10 µm, with a mean length of 1.04 µm and standard deviation of 0.03 µm. For frog sartorius muscle, the thin filament length was 0.94 µm with standard deviation of 0.01 µm. Conclusion Electron tomography of cardiac and skeletal muscles allows direct visualization and high precision measurement of the lengths of thin filaments.
Visual stimulation increases regional cerebral blood flow and metabolism in the goldfish

Abstract Studies with radioactive antipyrene and deoxyglucose indicate that both blood flow and metabolism are enhanced in the goldfish optic tectum following a brief visual stimulation. It is concluded that the brain of cold-blooded animals demonstrates regionally regulated physiological alterations, previously reported only in warm-blooded species.
The New Wild West Is Green: Carbon Offset Markets, Transactions, and Providers

Executive Overview We undertook an evidence-based study of 117 carbon offset providers from eight countries. From this study we contribute a conceptualization of venture performance and an agenda for research in this important domain. Our findings show how additionality (i.e., project feasibility without external funding), certification, standards, prices, and transparency distinguish the best carbon offset providers. We lay a foundation for understanding venture strategy formulation, market entry, and competition in these unregulated and volatile organizational environments. As sustainability and environmental issues continue to influence activities in the business world, understanding the issues we delineate in this paper becomes more important for management scholars and practitioners.
Exposure and risk assessment of Salmonella in recycled residuals

The potential health effects of Salmonella found in wastewater residuals is dependent on the exposure of individuals to the organism. This paper provides a risk assessment for human infection from Salmonella due to direct contact with Class B biosolids, and from contact with Class A biosolids following regrowth of Salmonella . In addition, a risk assessment is provided for infection via airborne transport of bioaerosols from Class B biosolids and biosolids in which regrowth had occurred, to off-site communities. Results of the risk characterization imply that the risk of human infection from direct contact with Class B land applied residuals and subsequent ingestion is low. In contrast, the risk from direct contact with Class A residuals following regrowth is greater. Risks from airborne transport of Salmonella via bioaerosols away from a Class B land application site are also low. However, once again the risk from aerosols resulting from biosolids in which regrowth had occurred was greater. Based on these analyses, we conclude that it is highly unlikely that Salmonella infections will occur from land applied Class A or B residuals. However, risks become significant if Class A biosolids are stored anaerobically i.e. saturated, prior to land application.
Casimir dependence of transverse distribution of pairs produced from a strong constant chromoelectric background field

Recently the transverse distribution of particle production from strong constant chromo-electric fields has been explicitly calculated in Ref. 1 for soft-gluon production and in Ref. 2 for quark (antiquark) production. This particle production method, originally discussed by Heisenberg and Euler, Schwinger and Weisskopf, has a long history as a model of the production of the quark gluon plasma following a relativistic heavy ion collision. The physical picture considered here is that of two relativistic heavy nuclei colliding and leaving behind a semi-classical gluon field which then non-perturbatively produces gluon and quark-antiquark pairs via the Schwinger mechanism. At high energy large hadron colliders, such as RHIC (Au-Au collisions at {radical}{ovr s} = 200 GeV) and LHC (Pb-Pb collisions at {radical}{ovr s} = 5.5 TeV), about half the total center-of-mass energy, E{sub cm}, goes into the production of a semi-classical gluon field, which can be thought to be initially in a Lorentz contracted disc. The gluon field in SU(3) is described by two Casimir invariants, the first one, C{sub 1} = E{sup a}E{sup a}, being related to the energy density of the initial field, where the second one, C{sub 2} = [d{sub abc}E{sup a}E{sup b}E{sup c}]{sup 2}, is related to the SU(3) color hypercharge left behind by the leading particles. So the question we want to study in this short note is how sensitive the transverse distribution is to this second Casimir invariant C{sub 2}. We have considered the dependence of the pair production rate of quarks and gluons from a strong chromo-electric field and have discovered that the effect of the second Casimir invariant of SU(3), which was not present in the electric field problem, effects the distribution by less than 15%. This event by event dependence of the transverse momentum distribution of jets on C{sub 2} may be something of interest at heavy ion colliders.
Pituitary pathology in Carney complex patients.

Carney complex (CNC) is a familial multiple neoplasia syndrome with features overlapping those of McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) and multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 1 (MEN 1). Like MAS and MEN 1 patients, patients with CNC develop growth hormone (GH)-producing pituitary tumors. Occasionally, these tumors are also prolactin-producing, but there are no isolated prolactinomas or other types of pituitary tumors. In at least some patients with CNC, the pituitary gland is characterized by hyperplastic areas; hyperplasia appears to involve somatomammotrophs only. Hyperplasia most likely precedes the formation of GH-producing adenomas in CNC, as has been suggested in MAS-related somatotropinomas, but has never been seen in MEN 1 patients. In at least one case of a patient with CNC and advanced acromegaly, a GH-producing macroadenoma showed extensive genetic changes at the chromosomal level. So far, half of the patients with CNC have germline inactivating mutations in the PRKAR1A gene; in their pituitary tumors, the normal allele of the PRKAR1A gene is lost. Loss-of-hererozygosity suggests that PRKAR1A, which codes for the regulatory subunit type 1α of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) may act as a tumor-suppressor gene in CNC somatomammotrophs. These data provide evidence for a PRKAR1A-induced somatomammotroph hyperpasia in the pituitary tissue of CNC patients; hyperplasia, in turn may lead to additional genetic changes at the somatic level, which then cause the formation of adenomas in some, but not all, patients.
Thresholds for Cerebral Ischemia after Severe Head Injury: Relationship with Late CT Findings and Outcome

ABSTRACT Cerebral ischemic insults occur in at least 30% of severely head injured patients at a very early stage following trauma and are associated with early death. To date, the threshold for isc...
Low-Fat Diets for Diabetes Prevention

The article authored by Swinburn, Metcalf, and Ley and published in this issue of Diabetes Care (1) adds a new perspective to the growing body of evidence that lifestyle interventions can result in improved glucose tolerance among individuals at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes (2). The study provides evidence that long-term compliance with a reduced-fat ad libitum diet may result in sustained improvements in glycemic status after 5 years. Although the final results were somewhat mixed, the findings are of importance because of the relative simplicity of the intervention message, at least in some populations. A recent meta-analysis of low-fat ad libitum diets in relation to weight control also showed that the relatively simple message to restrict fat can, without explicit instruction to reduce calories, lead to weight loss (3). The results of Swinburn et al. (1) also highlight extremely important issues to behavioral intervention studies, in particular, the sustainability of behavior change and the related health benefits over time. Prevention of type 2 diabetes is a critical public health priority, as evidenced by the substantial increase in the prevalence of diabetes from 8.9 to 12.3% of the U.S. adult population over an 11-year period (4). From the most recent data available, the remarkably rapid increase in the prevalence of diabetes continued unabated well through the late 1990s (5). Body fatness is perhaps …
Influence of annealing on magnetoresistance of Co/Cu multilayers

Abstract A correlation between magnetoresistance and magnetic properties of as-deposited and annealed Cu/Co multilayers, produced by magnetron sputtering, has been discussed. Two models have been proposed to describe the shapes of magnetoresistance and magnetization hysteresis loops: one taking into account the multidomain structure of the layers and another based on dissimilar magnetic properties of the Fe buffer layer and Co layers. A difference between the initial magnetoresistance and the hysteresis peak as a function of the annealing temperature has been explained in terms of magnetization processes. The annealing treatments of the films with 2.2-nm Cu spacer at temperatures between 300 and 340°C increased the magnetoresistance hysteresis peak to 43% compared to 30–35% for the as-deposited samples. This value remained high even after 1-h annealing at 380°C and the GMR at room temperature decreased only by 27% compared to the low temperature one.
The Number of Students Sent Home by School Nurses Compared to Unlicensed Personnel

Many schools across the United States do not have a full-time school nurse, resulting in care being provided by unlicensed school employees when children are sick or injured at school. The purpose ...
The Spatial Polarization of Woodfuel Supply and Demand in Senegal

(2003). The Spatial Polarization of Woodfuel Supply and Demand in Senegal. African Geographical Review: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 29-47.
Transmission of some tumor viruses.

A history and certain characteristics of some tumor virus infections are presented. Vertical and/or horizontal transmission of murine leukemia viruses, particularly Friend virus (FV), Rauscher virus (RLV), and 334C virus, is discussed. Transmission of FV virus occurs through successive generations following infection of adult mice, and transmission of 334C virus occurs through successive generations following infection of newborn mice. Foster-nursing experiments show that most effective transmission of FV, RLV, and 334C viruses occurs through the mother's milk. Transplacental transmission of virus, as determined by development of virus-induced disease, has not been seen in reciprocal foster-nursing studies or in tests of embryo extracts from FV- and RLV-infected mothers, but test of embryo extract suggests that some transplacental transmission of 334C virus may occur. Unlike the mammary tumor virus, FV and RLV are not transmitted through the paternal line. Relatively high infectivity of semen and low incidence of leukemia in litters sired by infected males suggest a high potential for transmission of 334C virus by the male parent. FV, RLV, and 334C viruses may be transmitted by injection of urine, inducing low incidences of disease with long latency periods. Preparations from oral washings and feces from mice infected with FV and RLV have not induced disease in assay mice, but similar preparations from mice infected with 334C virus have induced low incidences of disease. Waterborne transmission of FV has been barely successful, but airborne and foodborne transmission have been unsuccessful. While the possibility of horizontal transmission of virus exists, horizontal transmission of FV and RLV in the natural environment, even under optimal conditions, is minimal. Friend virus-infected mothers transmit maternal antibodies and virus to their offspring, which may account for the low natural incidence of the disease and the long latent period frequently observed.
Sirolimus improves the two-year outcome of renal allografts in African-American patients

The present study evaluated whether the addition of sirolimus to a cyclosporine (CyA)/prednisone (Pred) regimen mitigated the greater proclivity to acute rejection episodes and graft loss characteristic of African-American renal transplant recipients. Using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests, African-American renal transplant recipients treated with either CyA/Pred (n = 90) or sirolimus/CyA/Pred (n = 47) were compared with 120 Caucasian patients treated with sirolimus/CyA/Pred for 2-year rates of patient and graft survival as well as acute rejection episodes. Mean laboratory values were compared using analysis of variance and F-tests. Addition of sirolimus to the CyA/Pred regimen reduced the incidence of acute rejection episodes in African-Americans from 43.3 % to 19.2 % (P = 0.004), a value similar to Caucasian patients. The 97.9 % 2-year graft survival rate among 47 African-American patients treated with sirolimus/CyA/Pred was significantly higher than the 85.6 % rate shown among the 90 CyA/Pred-treated African-American transplant recipients (P = 0.0479) and similar to that in Caucasians. The 95.7 % patient survival rate among the African-American sirolimus/CyA/Pred group was similar to the 97.8 % rate in the African-American CyA/Pred cohort. Interestingly, there was no evident toxicity from the addition of sirolimus. The addition of sirolimus to a CyA-based regimen reduced acute rejection episodes and graft loss experienced by African-American renal transplant recipients.
Food Prices Are Associated with Dietary Quality, Fast Food Consumption, and Body Mass Index among U.S. Children and Adolescents

Food prices are expected to affect dietary intakes, however, previous findings are mixed and few are based on nationally representative data. We examined the associations of price indices of fast foods (FF-PI) and fruits and vegetables (FV-PI) with dietary intakes and BMI among U.S. children and adolescents using data from the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII; 1994-1998) for 6759 children (2-9 y) and 1679 adolescents (10-18 y). FF-PI and FV-PI were linked to individuals' CSFII dietary data through city-level geocodes. Main outcomes included intakes of selected nutrients and food groups, a fast food consumption index (FF-CI), diet quality using the 2005 Healthy Eating Index (HEI), and BMI. Among children (2-9 y), a higher FF-PI (by $1) was associated with intakes of lower FF-CI (β ± SE: -0.9 ± 0.3 count/d), higher HEI (6.6 ± 2.5), higher intakes of fiber (2.7 ± 0.7 g/d), calcium (225.7 ± 52.3 mg/d), dairy (172.5 ± 36.2 g/d), and fruits and vegetables (113.3 ± 23.4 cup equivalents/d). FV-PI was inversely related to fiber intake (β ± SE: -3.3 ± 1.5 g/d) and positively associated with BMI (4.3 ± 1.2 kg/m(2)). Less consistent findings were ascribed to FV-PI and among adolescents (10-18 y). Significant associations were almost equally balanced between low and high family income groups, with some significant interactions between food prices and family income observed, particularly among children (2-9 y). Our findings suggest that among U.S. children aged 2-9 y, higher FF-PI is associated with better dietary quality, whereas higher FV-PI is linked to higher BMI and lower fiber intake. Associations varied by family income in children for many dietary intake variables.
Prevalence of smokeless tobacco use in Pitt County, North Carolina.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use in the largest tobacco-producing county in the United States. A 1-in-100 systematic random telephone sample was taken from the county telephone directory. A total of 280 complete questionnaires were obtained. Results indicate that .40 +/- .042 [p +/- SE(p)] males and .09 +/- .024 of females use smokeless tobacco. The point prevalence for the total population was estimated to be .15.
Circulating Clinical Strains of Human Parainfluenza Virus Reveal Viral Entry Requirements for In Vivo Infection

Human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs) cause widespread respiratory infections, with no vaccines or effective treatments. We show that the molecular determinants for HPIV3 growth in vitro are fundamentally different from those required in vivo and that these differences impact inhibitor susceptibility. HPIV infects its target cells by coordinated action of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase receptor-binding protein (HN) and the fusion envelope glycoprotein (F), which together comprise the molecular fusion machinery; upon receptor engagement by HN, the prefusion F undergoes a structural transition, extending and inserting into the target cell membrane and then refolding into a postfusion structure that fuses the viral and cell membranes. Peptides derived from key regions of F can potently inhibit HPIV infection at the entry stage, by interfering with the structural transition of F. We show that clinically circulating viruses have fusion machinery that is more stable and less readily activated than viruses adapted to growth in culture. Fusion machinery that is advantageous for growth in human airway epithelia and in vivo confers susceptibility to peptide fusion inhibitors in the host lung tissue or animal, but the same fusion inhibitors have no effect on viruses whose fusion glycoproteins are suited for growth in vitro. We propose that for potential clinical efficacy, antivirals should be evaluated using clinical isolates in natural host tissue rather than lab strains of virus in cultured cells. The unique susceptibility of clinical strains in human tissues reflects viral inhibition in vivo. IMPORTANCE Acute respiratory infection is the leading cause of mortality in young children under 5 years of age, causing nearly 20% of childhood deaths worldwide each year. The paramyxoviruses, including human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs), cause a large share of these illnesses. There are no vaccines or drugs for the HPIVs. Inhibiting entry of viruses into the human cell is a promising drug strategy that blocks the first step in infection. To develop antivirals that inhibit entry, it is critical to understand the first steps of infection. We found that clinical viruses isolated from patients have very different entry properties from those of the viruses generally studied in laboratories. The viral entry mechanism is less active and more sensitive to fusion inhibitory molecules. We propose that to interfere with viral infection, we test clinically circulating viruses in natural tissues, to develop antivirals against respiratory disease caused by HPIVs.
Using the Electronic Medical Record to Examine Racial and Ethnic Differences in Depression Diagnosis and Treatment in a Primary Care Population

Objective: We assessed racial and ethnic differences in depression diagnosis and treatment in a primary care population. Methods: A sample of primary care outpatients in 2007 was generated using the electronic medical record (EMR). Patients were considered depressed if their providers billed for depression-related codes; they were considered prescribed antidepressants if any antidepressants were on their medication list. Rates of diagnosis and medication prescription were estimated using a generalized linear model with a Poisson distribution, adjusting for covariates. Results: In the resulting sample (n=85,790), all minority groups were less likely to be diagnosed with depression as compared to Whites (p<0.05); 11.36% of Whites had a depression diagnosis, as compared to 6.44% of Asian Americans, 7.55% of African Americans, and 10.18% of Latino Americans. Among those with a depression diagnosis (n=11,096), 54.07% of African Americans were prescribed antidepressant medications, as compared to 63.19% Whites (p<0.05); Asian Americans and Latino Americans showed a trend of being less likely to be prescribed antidepressant medications. Conclusions: Our study illustrates differences in diagnosis and treatment for minority primary care patients, and is innovative in using the EMR to probe these differences. Further research is needed to understand the underlying reasons for these observed differences.
On Parsing Strategies and Closure

This paper proposes a welcom hypothesis: a computationally simple deviceis sufficient for processing natural language. Traditionally it has been argued that processing natural language syntax requires very powerful machinery. Many engineers have come to this rather grim conclusion; almost all working parsers are actually Turing Machines (TM). For example, Woods believed that a parser should have TM complexity and specifically designed his Augmented Transition Networks (ATNs) to be Turing Equivalent.(1) "It is well known (cf. [Chomsky64]) that the strict context-free grammar model is not an adequate mechanism for characterizing the subtleties of natural languages." [Woods70]If the problem is really as hard as it appears, then the only solution is to grin and bear it. Our own position is that parsing acceptable sentences is simpler because there are constraints on human performance that drastically reduce the computational complexity. Although Woods correctly observes that competence models are very complex, this observation may not apply directly to a performance problem such as parsing.The claim is that performance limitations actually reduce parsing complexity. This suggests two interesting questions: (a) How is the performance model constrained so as to reduce its complexity, and (b) How can the constrained performance model naturally approximate competence idealizations?
Pictorial health warning label content and smokers’ understanding of smoking-related risks—a cross-country comparison

The aim of the present study was to assess smokers’ level of agreement with smoking-related risks and toxic tobacco constituents relative to inclusion of these topics on health warning labels (HWLs). 1000 adult smokers were interviewed between 2012 and 2013 from online consumer panels of adult smokers from each of the three countries: Australia (AU), Canada (CA) and Mexico (MX). Generalized estimating equation models were estimated to compare agreement with smoking-related risks and toxic tobacco constituents. For disease outcomes described on HWLs across all three countries, there were few statistical differences in agreement with health outcomes (e.g. emphysema and heart attack). By contrast, increases in agreement where the HWLs were revised or introduced on HWLs for the first time (e.g. blindness in AU and CA, bladder cancer in CA). Similarly, samples from countries that have specific health content or toxic constituents on HWLs showed higher agreement for that particular disease or toxin than countries without (e.g. higher agreement for gangrene and blindness in AU, higher agreement for bladder cancer and all toxic constituents except nitrosamines and radioactive polonium in CA). Pictorial HWL content is associated with greater awareness of smoking-related risks and toxic tobacco constituents.
Orthopoxvirus inhibitors that are active in animal models: an update from 2008 to 2012

Antiviral agents are being sought as countermeasures for the potential deliberate release of smallpox (variola) and monkeypox viruses, for the treatment of naturally acquired monkeypox virus infections, and as therapy for complications due to smallpox (live-attenuated vaccinia virus) vaccination or accidental infection after exposure to vaccinated persons. Reviews of the scientific literature spanning 1950–2008 have documented the progress made in developing small-animal models of poxvirus infection and identifying novel antiviral agents. Compounds of considerable interest include cidofovir, CMX001 and ST-246® (tecovirimat; SIGA Technologies, NY, USA). New inhibitors have been identified since 2008, most of which do not exhibit the kind of potency and selectivity required for drug development. Two promising agents include 4´-thio-idoxuridine (a nucleoside analog) and mDEF201 (an adenovirus-vectored interferon). Compounds that have been effectively used in combination studies include vaccinia immune globul...
Real-time, 3-D ultrasound with multiple transducer arrays

Modifications were made to a commercial real-time, three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound system for near simultaneous 3-D scanning with two matrix array transducers. As a first illustration, a transducer cable assembly was modified to incorporate two independent, 3-D intra-cardiac echo catheters, a 7 Fr (2.3 mm O.D.) side scanning catheter and a 14 Fr (4.7 mm O.D) forward viewing catheter with accessory port, each catheter using 85 channels operating at 5 MHz. For applications in treatment of atrial fibrillation, the goal is to place the sideviewing catheter within the coronary sinus to view the whole left atrium, including a pulmonary vein. Meanwhile, the forward-viewing catheter inserted within the left atrium is directed toward the ostium of a pulmonary vein for therapy using the integrated accessory port. Using preloaded, phasing data, the scanner switches between catheters automatically, at the push of a button, with a delay of about 1 second, so that the clinician can view the therapy catheter with the coronary sinus catheter and vice versa. Preliminary imaging studies in a tissue phantom and in vivo show that our system successfully guided the forward-viewing catheter toward a target while being imaged with the sideviewing catheter. The forward-viewing catheter then was activated to monitor the target while we mimicked therapy delivery. In the future, the system will switch between 3-D probes on a line-by-line basis and display both volumes simultaneously.
Neural reuse in the evolution and development of the brain: evidence for developmental homology?

This article lays out some of the empirical evidence for the impor- tance of neural reuse—the reuse of existing (inherited and/or early developing) neural circuitry for multiple behavioral purposes—in defining the overall functional structure of the brain. We then discuss in some detail one particular instance of such reuse: the involvement of a local neural circuit in finger aware- ness, number representation, and other diverse functions. Finally, we consider whether and how the notion of a developmental homology can help us understand the relationships between the cognitive functions that develop out of shared neu- ral supports. 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol
Nonsporulating Clinical Isolate Identified as Petromyces alliaceus (Anamorph Aspergillus alliaceus) by Morphological and Sequence-Based Methods

Concerted morphological and sequencing-based strategies revealed the identity of a nonsporulating clinical isolate as Petromyces alliaceus (anamorph Aspergillus alliaceus). This rare Aspergillus sp. was recovered as the etiological agent of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and had reduced in vitro susceptibilities to amphotericin B and caspofungin, which correlated with clinical failure of therapy.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation in neurology

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive tool for the electrical stimulation of neural tissue, including cerebral cortex, spinal roots, and cranial and peripheral nerves. TMS can be applied as single pulses of stimulation, pairs of stimuli separated by variable intervals to the same or different brain areas, or as trains of repetitive stimuli at various frequencies. Single stimuli can depolarise neurons and evoke measurable effects. Trains of stimuli (repetitive TMS) can modify excitability of the cerebral cortex at the stimulated site and also at remote areas along functional anatomical connections. TMS might provide novel insights into the pathophysiology of the neural circuitry underlying neurological and psychiatric disorders, be developed into clinically useful diagnostic and prognostic tests, and have therapeutic uses in various diseases. This potential is supported by the available studies, but more work is needed to establish the role of TMS in clinical neurology.
Party Activists, Campaign Resources and Candidate Position Taking: Theory, Tests and Applications

Electoral competition is here specified as revolving around both candidate policy positions and non-policy issues. Two candidates spend their resources on non-policy issues to sway citizens' ideological voting decisions but they are constrained by their party activists who provide them with electoral resources. In this setting, a candidate with a resource advantage converges more towards the centre, but a candidate with a resource disadvantage diverges more from the centre. This asymmetry in two candidates' incentives to converge generates the result that the two candidates do not converge towards each other. To test these theoretical results, two-stage estimation is used in this article to solve the reciprocal relationship between policy moderation and campaign resources. This analysis produces strong empirical support for the model in the context of US Senate elections between 1974 and 2000. In this article, an electoral competition model that brings the spatial theory of voting and empirical studies together is offered. In the classic Downsian spatial model, candidates adjust their ideological positions to maximize vote share and are able to do so without important constraints. In the real world, electoral strategy is more complicated. Incumbents win votes not only by articulating ideological positions but also by advertising the non-ideological services they perform for their district and constituents, and challengers win votes by criticizing incumbents' performance on both ideological and non-ideological grounds. In addition, candidates find it difficult to adopt maximally appealing ideological positions because many of them begin their careers as activists or with the help of party activists. When candidates deviate from positions preferred by activists to gain more votes, they lose support from party activists and this loss costs them with voters as well. The model in this article recognizes these realities. Two candidates take positions on the policy or ideological spectrum and spend their resources on non-ideological appeals to sway citizens' voting decisions, but they are constrained by their party activists who provide them with electoral resources. Party activists tend to be ideologically polarized and more willing to provide campaign resources to candidates who share their preferences, but voters reward centrist candidates. Since candidates need activist support as well as voter support, this creates a dilemma. If a candidate pleases the activists, he has more campaign resources, but he is then ideologically distant from the median voter. Candidates seek an equilibrium that optimally balances these competing pressures. A major finding of this article is that candidates with incumbency or resource advantages
Mechanisms for Lysophosphatidic Acid-induced Cytokine Production in Ovarian Cancer Cells

A potential role for lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) in human oncogenesis was first suggested by the observation that LPA is present at elevated levels in ascites of ovarian cancer patients. In the current study, we demonstrated that LPA is a potent inducer of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) production in ovarian cancer cells. Both IL-6 and IL-8 have been implicated in ovarian cancer progression. We characterized the IL-8 gene promoter to ascertain the transcriptional mechanism underlying LPA -induced expression of these cytokines. LPA stimulated the transcriptional activity of the IL-8 gene with little effect on IL-8 mRNA stability. The optimal response of the IL-8 gene promoter to LPA relied on binding sites for NF-κB and AP-1, two transcription factors that were strongly activated by LPA in ovarian cancer cell lines. Positive regulators of the NF-κB and AP-1 pathways synergistically activated the IL-8 gene promoter. Further, the effect of LPA on IL-6 and IL-8 generation is mediated by the Edg LPA receptors as enforced expression of LPA receptors restored LPA-induced IL-6 and IL-8 production in non-responsive cells and enhanced the sensitivity to LPA in responsive cell lines. The LPA2 receptor was identified to be the most efficient in linking LPA to IL-6 and IL-8 production although LPA1 and LPA3 were also capable of increasing the response to a certain degree. These studies elucidate the transcriptional mechanism and the Edg LPA receptors involved in LPA-induced IL-6 and IL-8 production and suggest potential strategies to restrain the expression of these cytokines in ovarian cancer.
Sedentary Behavior of the Nontravel Segment: A Research Note

Nontravel behavior has been studied in some depth, with the intent generally to find ways to motivate the segment to travel. This research examined an aspect of nontravel behavior previously unexplored: their “at-home” behavior. The results are very informative and reflect a highly sedentary lifestyle. The nontravelerers were found to be far less active in their daily lives, both recreationally and culturally, than were those who traveled. This sedentary lifestyle, not before identified, is an important characteristic adding to the difficulty of motivating the nontravel segment to travel.
Fluorescence probing of microfluidity of surfactant layers at the solid-liquid interface

Abstract Excimer formation of dinaphthylpropane (DNP) and pyrene fluorescence probes is used to monitor the microfluidity of dodecylsulfate hemimicelles formed on alumina particles. The efficiency of excimer formation of both probes indicate that the hemimicelle environment is considerably less fluid than that of SDS micelles suggesting a higher structural organization inside the hemimicellar aggregate.
Parametric Study Relating to Buckling of Stringer Stiffened Cylindrical Shells with Cutouts

The effects of stringer eccentricity, shell length, cutouts, and boundary conditions have been studied for cylindrical shells under axial compression considering four generalized simple support and four clamped boundary conditions. Buckling loads were determined through the STAGS computer code with its linear bifurcation branch and smeared stringer theory incorporating an energy formulation and a finite difference technique. Results of the present theory, when compared to classical linear theory, show that a rigorous prebuckling analysis has a significant influence on the analysis of stringer stiffened cylinders. It was found that cutouts do not significantly change a stringer stiffened shell's sensitivity to in-plane boundary conditions but cause a substantial reduction in critical loads for externally stiffened shells. The detrimental effects of cutouts are less apparent in cylindrical shells with internal stringers. The u = 0 axial restraint is the most important factor in buckling of axially compressed, stringer stiffened cylinders.
A Survey and a Theoretical Model of Distance Education Programs

In search of a distance education program’s crucial success factors, this research was conducted through a designed survey and evaluation instrument, for a predominantly doctoral program at DE University (DEU, an adopted name). Also, the survey has identified some challenging factors along with students’ most crucial reasons for adopting distance education programs. The author has presented a Testable theoretical model of distance education programs. The top four success factors were revealed to be program quality, general recognition and academic integrity, students’ satisfaction, and students’ progress toward the ultimate goal of graduation. Lack of time and worries about the degree recognition by prospective academic and nonacademic employers were the most crucial challenging factors.
Glucose Deprivation-induced Increase in Protein O-GlcNAcylation in Cardiomyocytes Is Calcium-dependent

The posttranslational modification of nuclear and cytosolic proteins by O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) has been shown to play an important role in cellular response to stress. Although increases in O-GlcNAc levels have typically been thought to be substrate-driven, studies in several transformed cell lines reported that glucose deprivation increased O-GlcNAc levels by a number of different mechanisms. A major goal of this study therefore was to determine whether in primary cells, such as neonatal cardiomyocytes, glucose deprivation increases O-GlcNAc levels and if so by what mechanism. Glucose deprivation significantly increased cardiomyocyte O-GlcNAc levels in a time-dependent manner and was associated with decreased O-GlcNAcase (OGA) but not O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) protein. This response was unaffected by either the addition of pyruvate as an alternative energy source or by the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580. However, the response to glucose deprivation was blocked completely by glucosamine, but not by inhibition of OGA with 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucopyranosylidene)amino-N-phenylcarbamate. Interestingly, the CaMKII inhibitor KN93 also significantly reduced the response to glucose deprivation. Lowering extracellular Ca2+ with EGTA or blocking store operated Ca2+ entry with SKF96365 also attenuated the glucose deprivation-induced increase in O-GlcNAc. In C2C12 and HEK293 cells both glucose deprivation and heat shock increased O-GlcNAc levels, and CaMKII inhibitor KN93 attenuated the response to both stresses. These results suggest that increased intracellular calcium and subsequent activation of CaMKII play a key role in regulating the stress-induced increase in cellular O-GlcNAc levels.
Waiting-time distributions for bulk arrival, bulk service queues with vehicle-holding and cancellation strategies

Procedures are developed for numerically calculating the waiting-time distribution for bulk arrival, bulk service queues operated under a vehicle-cancellation or a vehicle-holding strategy, as well as for queues where vehicles depart regardless of the length of the queue. Experiments indicate that the mean and variance of the calculated distribution agree very closely with analytical expressions obtained from transforms. The results can be used to study the service reliability of different dispatching strategies. Alternatively, the results may be used to evaluate simpler approximations for the higher moments.
Advances in Latin American Bibliography and Librarianship: Papers of the Eighteenth SALALM Conference

(1974). Advances in Latin American Bibliography and Librarianship: Papers of the Eighteenth SALALM Conference. International Library Review: Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 293-298.
Designing a safer radiology department

OBJECTIVE. Patients presume safety in radiologic services, but the potential to do harm exists in every area of imaging. Radiology department personnel need to understand basic regulatory requirements for safety and how to promote and improve safety in the future. CONCLUSION. This article reviews key safety metrics that we think are relevant to radiology and discusses how to define the measures and how we are attempting to translate the metrics into a culture of safety.
Exploring a Multiresolution Modeling Approach within the Shallow-Water Equations

The ability to solve the global shallow-water equations with a conforming, variable-resolution mesh is evaluated using standard shallow-water test cases. While the long-term motivation for this study is the creation of a global climate modeling framework capable of resolving different spatial and temporal scales in differentregions,theprocessbeginswithananalysisoftheshallow-watersysteminordertobetterunderstand the strengths and weaknesses of the approach developed herein. The multiresolution meshes are spherical centroidal Voronoi tessellations where a single, user-supplied density function determines the region(s) of fine- and coarse-mesh resolution. The shallow-water system is explored with a suite of meshes ranging from quasi-uniform resolution meshes, where the grid spacing is globally uniform, to highly variable resolution meshes, where the grid spacing varies by a factor of 16 between the fine and coarse regions. The potential vorticity is found to be conserved to within machine precision and the total available energy is conserved to within a time-truncation error. This result holds for the full suite of meshes, ranging from quasi-uniform resolution and highly variable resolution meshes. Based on shallow-water test cases 2 and 5, the primary conclusion of this study is that solution error is controlled primarily by the grid resolution in the coarsest part of themodeldomain.Thisconclusionisconsistentwithresultsobtainedbyothers.Whenthesevariable-resolution meshes are used for the simulation of an unstable zonal jet, the core features of the growing instability are foundtobelargelyunchangedasthevariationinthemeshresolutionincreases.Themaindifferencesbetween the simulations occur outside the region of mesh refinement and these differences are attributed to the additional truncation error that accompanies increases in grid spacing. Overall, the results demonstrate support for this approach as a path toward multiresolution climate system modeling.
ASH1 mRNA localization in three acts.

Novel green fluorescent protein (GFP) labeling techniques targeting specific mRNA transcripts reveal discrete phases of mRNA localization in yeast: packaging, transport, and docking. In budding yea...
Direct and adjoint sensitivity analysis of chemical kinetic systems with KPP: Part I—theory and software tools

The analysis of comprehensive chemical reactions mechanisms, parameter estimation techniques, and variational chemical data assimilation applications require the development of efficient sensitivity methods for chemical kinetics systems. The new release (KPP-1.2) of the kinetic preprocessor (KPP) contains software tools that facilitate direct and adjoint sensitivity analysis. The direct-decoupled method, built using BDF formulas, has been the method of choice for direct sensitivity studies. In this work, we extend the direct-decoupled approach to Rosenbrock stiff integration methods. The need for Jacobian derivatives prevented Rosenbrock methods to be used extensively in direct sensitivity calculations; however, the new automatic and symbolic differentiation technologies make the computation of these derivatives feasible. The direct-decoupled method is known to be efficient for computing the sensitivities of a large number of output parameters with respect to a small number of input parameters. The adjoint modeling is presented as an efficient tool to evaluate the sensitivity of a scalar response function with respect to the initial conditions and model parameters. In addition, sensitivity with respect to time-dependent model parameters may be obtained through a single backward integration of the adjoint model. KPP software may be used to completely generate the continuous and discrete adjoint models taking full advantage of the sparsity of the chemical mechanism. Flexible direct-decoupled and adjoint sensitivity code implementations are achieved with minimal user intervention. In a companion paper, we present an extensive set of numerical experiments that validate the KPP software tools for several direct/adjoint sensitivity applications, and demonstrate the efficiency of KPP-generated sensitivity code implementations.
Early motor skill competence as a mediator of child and adult physical activity.

Objective: In order to effectively promote physical activity (PA) during childhood, and across the lifespan, a better understanding of the role of early motor skill development on child and adult PA is needed. Methods: Here, we propose a conceptual model delineating the hypothesized influence of motor skill development on child and adult PA, while providing an overview of the current empirical research related to this model. Results: There is consistent and emerging evidence showing that adequate motor skill competence, particularly locomotor and gross motor skills, is associated with increased PA levels during the preschool, child, and adolescent years, with early motor skill development also influencing enjoyment of PA as well as long-term PA and motor skill performance. The physical education setting appears to be a well-suited environment for motor skill development. Conclusion: Employing appropriate strategies to target motor skill development across the childhood years is of paramount interest in helping shape children's PA behavior, their experiences related to PA, as well as maintain their PA.
GROWTH RATE AND LONGEVITY OF DREISSENA POLYMORPHA (PALLAS): A REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE STUDY

Abstract We review the variety of methods that have been used over the last 50 y in the Former Soviet Union, Eastern and Western Europe, and recently in North America to determine growth rate and longevity in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha [Pallas]). These methods include: counting annual rings, analysis of size-frequency distributions, following growth under experimental conditions and monitoring marked mussels under natural conditions, without removing them from substrate. The last method provides the most reliable data, however this is the least common method used. Dreissena polymorpha growth rates depend on water temperature, season of the year, location in the water column, food availability, oxygen concentrations, water velocity and various other environmental factors. However, it is very difficult to separate the independent effects of each of these factors, especially in natural waterbodies. Several factors may overlap and have additive or synergistic effect that makes it difficult to determi...
Acute unilateral renal denervation in rats with extracellular volume expansion

Sodium reabsorption along the nephron was studied before and after acute unilateral denervation of the left kidney in anesthetized rats with extracellular volume expansion. Studies were also performed before and after sham denervation. Denervation increased urine volume (V) from the left kidney from 35.2 to 59.2 mul min-1 (P less than 0.001) and urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) from 6.9 to 11.8 mueq min-1 (P less than 0.001). The control right kidney showed a simultaneous 45% decrease in V and UNaV. Inulin clearance (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF) remained unchanged after denervation in both kidneys. Left kidney late proximal (F/P)m decreased from 1.50 to 1.24 (P less than 0.01); single-nephron GFR (SNGFR) remained unchanged. (F/P)m ratios were also decreased in early distal (3.87–2.65, P less than 0.005) and late distal (5.48–3.83, P less than 0.02) convolutions. Fractional and absolute Na reabsorption in the distal convolution did not decrease. GFR, RPF, V, UNa, late proximal (F/P)m, and SNGFR were unc...
A New Chordate Model for Uric Acid-Oxalate Lithiasis

Laboratory mammals have served as key experimental models for a number of human diseases, but they have been less useful in the study of urolithiasis. Because they do not produce uric acid as an end product of purine catabolism, most mammals are especially limited models for uric acid urolithiasis and of mixed urate-oxalate stones.